Laocoon's Children: Secret Tongues
Chapter 4
By copperbadge
AU. When Sirius and Remus go looking for Peter Pettigrew, they make a wrong turn and someone else finds him first. Eight years later, Sirius owns a book store and Remus manages it for him. When Harry stumbles into the store and they find out the truth, they decide it's time to be Stealing Harry. (SB/RL slash relationship in later chapters.)
For a week the boys had talked of very little but school -- seeing the dormitories again, sending letters home, watching the Sorting, taking new classes; how hard the new classes would be, and
whether they'd have lots of homework. They had written collective letters to Padma, who was coming to buy her school things soon, and Harry had decided (decreed, really) that Sirius and Remus would
take them all shopping together, for their books and potions supplies. Andromeda had already fitted them for new robes, all the while talking excitedly with other Hogwarts parents about how much
children grew from one year to the next.
The last day in August dawned fine, and everyone was up early, checking their lists of necessary supplies and anxious to get to the top of Diagon Alley, lest they miss the Patils coming
through.
"Harry!" Padma shouted, waving at him from the throng of people emerging from the back of the Leaky Cauldron. "Neville, Draco! Over here!"
Soon the Patil twins were surrounded by boys, and Sirius was introducing himself to Padma's parents, Ram and Sarasvati, whom he knew only slightly.
"Of course we've heard about you," Ram said with a grin, as the children exchanged greetings and Sarasvati took Parvati off to see about new robes. "In all the papers, weren't you, when you vanished
last June. And when you showed up again just recently."
"Well, you know how it is -- must keep a low profile at times," Sirius answered. "Sure you're all right with us kidnapping Padma for the day?"
"We don't mind, if she doesn't. Mrs Tonks has invited us up for tea later, I assume we'll be meeting you again then? Padma, don't run off without your Galleons," he added, tossing a small leather
sack to Padma. She caught it and peered inside, then laughed and passed small chunks of honey-flavoured sweets to the boys. "Try not to spend too much of it on books, love."
"We'll keep an eye on her -- Remus is taking them to Mardjinn Alley after they pick up their school books at Flourish & Blotts," Sirius said.
"We have to tell Parvati not to buy too many clothes; with Padma, it's books," Ram said affectionately. "Of course, if she runs out of money and there's still something she needs -- or especially
wants -- we'll repay you for it. Yes, coming, Sara," he called, as Sarasvati summoned him over to the window of Tonks & Tonks. "See you around three, eh?"
"Three it is," Sirius said, turning to find that Remus was already herding the children towards Flourish & Blotts.
They spent a long time in the bookshop, the children piling up their school-books and restocking their dwindling supplies of quills and ink, parchment, magical ink-erasers, and all the gadgets and
pencil-boxes that the shops put on sale every autumn for school.
Remus browsed the section on Dark Arts, looking wildly out of place in his tidy Muggle clothing amongst the hags and warlocks who usually dealt in the volumes kept behind locked cabinet doors; he
eventually came up with two new books on lycanthropy, one on the handling of Dark Creatures, and one on Dark magical theory. Sirius made sure Neville didn't knock over the inkpots and kept Harry from
climbing the shelves to get at the interesting books even as he approved Padma's purchase of three Wizarding novels and a book about Great Witches In History. Draco managed to slip three comic books
and a new deck of Exploding Snap cards past Sirius' watchful but tolerant eye; he only had pocket-money of his own, but Narcissa had an account at nearly every shop in Diagon Alley, and he simply
charged it to her.
They left the books packaged in brown paper and waiting to be picked up when they were done shopping, and made their way down the street. They stopped to look at racing brooms and in the joke shops,
and buy ice lollies from a cart near the pet shop while Padma went in to see about a bigger jar for Elmo, who had grown a bit over the summer. Harry, meanwhile, stared interestedly at the snake tank
in the window.
"Domestic," he finally pronounced to Remus, in a whisper. "Thick as bricks. Not like Snake."
"Glad to hear you've got a smart one," Remus replied with a grin. "Come on, it's not too much further to Mardjinn Alley."
The entrance to the second-hand district of Wizarding London was just past Knockturn Alley, on the right as they approached Gringotts bank. Sirius abandoned Remus to take care of some banking, and
eventually caught up with them in a used-cauldron shop where Remus was helping Neville pick out some spares (he always melted a few) so that he wouldn't have to use up all of Professor Snape's.
"They really should put some kind of regulation on cauldron-bottom thickness," Remus was saying, as he showed Neville how to tap them to find the solid ones. "This cheap stuff they sell to the
students hardly lasts a year even when you use them properly."
"Remus," Harry called, "Can I have three Sickles for a book about divination?"
"What do you want a book about divination for?" Remus called back. "You won't even be taking it until next year!"
"S'got interesting pictures," Harry said, coming over to show off his find.
"Where's Draco gone?" Sirius asked, ducking around Remus' arm to study the book's woodcuts.
"He and Padma were outside looking at the two-Knut books a minute ago..." Remus turned to glance out the grimy front window of the shop. "Bugger, where have they gone? No, you stay here with Neville
and Harry, I'll go track them down, they can't have gone very far."
Outside, he glanced around, wondering if they were hidden behind a cart; satisfied that they weren't on the street, he made for the used-books shop next door, where they'd probably wandered into.
Hopefully they hadn't wandered up Parshee Alley to Horizont, the red light district. If they had, he'd never hear the end of it from Padma's parents.
"Aren't you a clever one."
The voice came from inside the bookshop, and stopped him cold; he paused, listening without moving. He knew that voice...
"Well, one needs all the proper supplies, true."
Chill and precise, no wasted words; it was associated with the smell of unpleasant things. Is there any other vermin to be put down?
Yes, it was coming from the bookshop, and Remus passed into it as silently as he could, listening warily.
When he woke with his leg in bandages they had caught the thing that had chased him down in the fields; Alastor Moody was waiting by his bedside, but before he could ask any questions he smelled
gunpowder and blood. Through his half-open bedroom door he saw a dead man on the floor of the clean-scrubbed kitchen, and another man spattered with blood still holding a rifle with a clip of
silver-coloured bullets on his belt.
Is there any other vermin to be put down?
No, his father said, as Alastor Moody told eight-year-old Remus Lupin to be quiet, to keep still; no, his father said, it didn't bite anyone.
Because if there's anyone it bit it'd be best if they were put down now, said the man spattered with blood, as Alastor Moody muttered and closed the door, and Remus' heart thumped because he realised
the vermin the man was talking about was him.
He was eight and Walden Macnair a fresh-from-school eighteen, freelancing for the Ministry, hunting feral werewolves and vampires in the dark old days just before Voldemort's rise had begun. Macnair
hadn't even known the family's name; all he'd known was that there was a werewolf in the woods behind the house, and Rufus, Remus' father, had thought he would catch the poor sod, not shoot him.
Moody had been there to make sure Remus wasn't a danger to anyone, and had ended up hiding him from Macnair instead.
Macnair had gone on to become a Death Eater, and they'd tangled once or twice when the Order was active, but when it was all over he had an alibi for every murder, an excuse for every action, and he
was employed by the Ministry now to handle dangerous animals. Which was sort of a good thing, because nowadays the Ministry did more than frown on people who shot werewolves. Nobody liked werewolves
much, but at least they --
"Here you are; run along with your girlfriend, then -- oh, excuse me, miss," said the cold voice. Remus saw Draco and Padma step out into the main aisle of the shop, and realised Macnair must have
been talking to them.
"I told you two not to wander off," Remus said, frowning sternly at them. Padma looked penitent, but Draco merely clutched what must be a recently-purchased book to his chest, and jutted out his
jaw.
"We were bored," he said. "We only went next door."
"The boy has an inquiring mind," said Macnair, emerging behind them. He laid a hand on Draco's shoulder, and Remus stifled the urge to slap it away. "His mother and I are good friends, I've been
minding him and the young miss. They've come to no harm."
"Miraculously," Remus said, and Macnair bridled. "Come along, you two. Sirius and the others are waiting."
"Enjoying playing lapdog to a rich boy?" Macnair asked under his breath, as the children passed.
"Enjoying your job as dogcatcher?" Remus answered. "Keep away from the children, Macnair, or -- "
" -- or you'll call the Order down on me?" Macnair sneered. "They couldn't lay a finger on me the day Lucius Malfoy went to Azkaban, and they can't do any more to me now. Run along, manservant, and
tell your master I send my regards."
"You could tell yours to go to hell," Remus snarled, "except he's already there."
Macnair growled and lunged forward, one arm drawing back for a punch, but Remus had moved forward too, closing the space too quickly, shoving him back into a shelf which wobbled precariously. The air
whooshed out of Macnair's lungs, and one of the books caught him a glancing blow across the temple as it fell.
"Brilliant!" Draco crowed, and Remus turned around.
"Out of the shop," he ordered, following them before Macnair could regain his footing. Neville and Harry were waiting outside with Sirius, who was juggling a handful of parcels.
"Let's get out of here," Remus said. "I'll tell you later."
***
They collected the books from Flourish & Blott's, and -- weighed down with packages -- were staggering back to Tonks & Tonks when Neville dropped his packet of quills just outside the
shopfront, and Padma nearly lost control of her new salamander jar when she tried to help him pick them up. Draco got his foot on most of the quills so that they wouldn't blow away, and nearly
unbalanced himself.
"Oof," he said, as Remus caught him one-handed, pushing him upright again. "I wish I'd asked mum to send Dobby along to help carry everything."
"Master Draco!"
Harry blinked as a knobby, pillowcase-clad house-elf raced past them, nearly slamming into Draco.
"I wish I had a house-elf too," Neville said. He looked around expectantly, but when no more elves were forthcoming, he sighed and turned his attention to Draco and Dobby.
"Dobby is so glad to have found Master Draco!" Dobby was saying, bowing and already accepting some of Draco's packages. "Dobby must speak to Master Draco -- " he glanced around at the others, as if
only just noticing them. "Dobby is very pleased to see Mister Sirius Black and Mister Remus Lupin and the young misters and mistress," he said politely, then turned back to Draco and said, in a
clearly audible whisper, "Dobby must speak to Master Draco in private."
"In private?" Draco asked, as they passed through Tonks & Tonks and made for the stairs that led up to the flats on the upper floors. "Why, is something wrong with mum?"
"No no no, Master Draco, Mistress Malfoy is..." Dobby paused, and his ears wilted a little. "Dobby shall have to iron his hands for thinking ill of Mistress Malfoy," he murmured. Sirius bit down on a
laugh.
"I'll give you something else to do," Draco promised absently as they reached the landing, shifting another package to the growing tower of them that Dobby was carrying, so that he could open the
door for the others. "Are you sure it has to be private?"
Dobby nodded, and the packages wobbled.
"All right then," Draco said dubiously.
"Use my room, we have to put all our things there anyway," Neville said, as the adults began exchanging greetings and Harry and Remus ran up to stow away Harry's school things in his own room over
the Tonks' kitchen.
"Tea, Sirius?" Ted called from the kitchen.
"Yes, thanks," Sirius replied. "Better make Remus' herbal."
"Oh?" Andromeda asked. "Is he...not feeling well?" she asked significantly.
"Had a bit of a scuffle in a bookshop," Sirius answered with a grin. "He hasn't quite told the whole story yet -- "
"He shoved someone into a bookshelf," Padma supplied helpfully. Ram Patil gave Sirius an inquiring glare, the sort that almost asked 'What have you been exposing my child to?' all on its own.
"I'm sure he had reason," Sirius said smoothly. "Sorry, were we interrupting at all?"
"No, I don't think so." Andromda glanced at the Patils. "We were just discussing the new Muggle Protection Act that Arthur Weasley's been sponsoring."
"Oh yes? Weasley's behind that?" Sirius asked. "I'm afraid I'm still not quite up to speed on politics after a summer in the wilds. I'll have to ask him about it."
"Well, he's done most of the legwork," Ram said. "Or so I hear. I'm not entirely sure I'm for it, really, though of course I'm not the one dealing with charmed desk lamps day in and day out."
"Desk lamps?"
"Apparently there's been a rash of desk lamps bouncing off their tables in Muggle households recently, caused by a batch of charmed prank lamps that were sold...injudiciously," Ted said, as he
carried Sirius' teacup over from the kitchen counter. "Weasley says children and cats are often blamed."
"Well, having spent a good deal of time living amongst Muggles," Sirius said, as Remus and Harry descended the stairs again, "I think there's probably no harm in a little protective
legislation."
Ram shook his head. "I worry about too much integration between magical folk and Muggles, that's all," he said. "I mean, I wouldn't like to see Muggles hurt, but it's rather like...well, vampires,
say, or werewolves."
"Werewolves?" Sirius inquired mildly. Remus shot him a warning look.
"Yes -- I mean we have laws regarding dangerous creatures, and Muggles are just as dangerous, in their own way. Who's passing the Wizarding Protection Act? More of us are hurt every year by their
lorrys and such than Muggles are hurt by our broomsticks. I wonder if we give them too little credit, that's all."
"Well, it's up to the Wizengamot to decide," Andromeda pronounced. "Ted, did you put tea on for Remus?"
"Oh -- "
"It's all right, I'd rather just have water," Remus said. "I'll get it."
"Sirius tells us you were being a bad example to the children today," Ted said, as Remus found a glass in the kitchen and filled it. He tapped it with his wand, and a thin crust of ice formed across
the water's surface, which he broke and stirred into the water, chilling it.
"The children were being quite bad enough on their own," Remus said, with a stern look at Padma. "I caught them sneaking into a bookshop they knew they weren't supposed to, and consorting with people
of ill repute."
"Is this true?" Sarasvati asked Padma, who sank a little lower in her chair.
"Yes, mum," she murmured. Parvati looked smug and sipped her tea.
"You ought to give Walden Macnair and his sort a wide berth," Remus continued. "He's a vicious reprobate."
"What's a reprobate?" Padma whispered to Harry.
"I think it's to do with money," Harry whispered back.
"Draco says you shoved Macnair into a bookshelf," Sirius prompted.
"If I hadn't, he would have blacked my eye," Remus answered. "I sent the children out of the shop when I saw him; he made a remark that I happened to take rather personally. I made one back, and he
tried to punch me. I'm very sorry you had to see that, Padma," he added.
"What on earth did you say to him?" Andromeda asked.
"Nothing that bears repeating," Remus said, taking a drink of water. "It's not important, Andromeda."
"I don't think I've ever seen you hit someone," Ted said thoughtfully.
"Nor did I then. Just a little shove, enough to keep him from coming back for a second try."
"Wish I'd been there," Neville said enviously.
"Well, I'm sorry our daughter's actions caused you trouble," Ram said, with a significant look at Padma. "If she can't learn to follow directions, perhaps she ought to be given less
responsibility."
"It was my fault," said another voice from the doorway, and the Patils looked up in surprise. Draco was standing there, shifting his weight uneasily. "I said we should go in the other shop. I told
her Remus said it was all right."
"Did he?" Sirius asked Padma, who looked indecisive.
"I did say," Draco insisted. "It isn't Padma's fault. She oughtn't to be punished."
"Listen to all this talk of punishment," Andromeda said. "Draco, come and have your tea."
"Where's Dobby gone?" Harry asked.
"Sent him home," Draco replied, accepting a biscuit and a cup of tea. "He was keen to iron his hands. I told him to dust the upper floors instead."
"Must he?" Neville asked. Draco shrugged.
"M'not old enough yet to give him orders that contradict mum's, and she says he's to punish himself."
"Well, at least it's not grevious bodily harm," Andromeda said. "And as for your punishment, Draco, we'll discuss that later. Today was supposed to be fun, you know. I hope you did have some fun
before you took up a career in misleading people."
"The joke shop was brilliant," Neville supplied anxiously.
"Yeah, and Padma got a new jar for Elmo," Harry put in. "And I got a brilliant book on Divination."
"We'll have to unwrap everything and pack it up after tea," Sirius said.
"That's right, we're having dinner with Arthur and Molly this evening," Remus said. "It's quite good of them, putting us up for the night, all things considered. Haven't properly seen them in
donkey's years."
"Dunno how we'll all fit in the Burrow, but I think the lads are going to camp outside," Sirius added. The boys exchanged excited looks.
"Any particular reason for it?" Ram asked.
"Well, yes -- with three boys plus luggage, we thought it might be convenient to have transportation," Sirius said. "Arthur's told me he has a Muggle automobile -- he's going to take all the luggage
in the car, and the rest of us are going to floo to King's Cross."
"Some of the rest of us," Remus murmured. Sirius grinned.
"I'm taking my motorbike," he said. "But I've promised not to fly at all."
"Well, we should probably be off," Sarasvati said, finishing her drink. "Thank you for tea, Andromeda. What do you say to Mr. Black, Padma?"
"Thank you for taking me shopping," Padma said to Sirius, with a proper tilt of her chin. "I had a very good time, especially when Remus shoved that man. He called me Draco's girlfriend."
Parvati went off into giggles as Draco blushed furiously.
"See you tomorrow on the train!" Padma said, as her parents said their goodbyes. "Save me a spot in the compartment if you get there first."
"All right," Andromeda said, closing the door behind Ted, who was leading the Patils back out through the store-rooms and shopfront to Diagon Alley. "We've got a lot to do to get you two ready for
this evening, and I'm sure Harry has loads of packing to do."
"You aren't going to write to mum about this afternoon, are you?" Draco asked anxiously.
"Well, that depends. Either I can write to your mum and she can decide your punishment, or you can accept mine without complaint and we'll keep it between ourselves," Andromeda said. Draco pondered
for about two seconds before nodding.
"You tell me, then," he said. "At least you'll be logical about it."
"Logical?" Andromeda asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Well, you won't go on and all," Draco explained. "I mean. You'll tell me to do something and I'll do it and that'll be the end of it, won't it."
Andromeda smiled. "Something like that."
"Give him detention," Harry suggested. "With Dora."
"Detention?" Andromeda asked.
"Sure. Tell him he has to do a week's detention with Dora -- "
" -- that's Professor Tonks to you," Sirius said, ruffling Harry's hair.
" -- Professor Tonks, you know, scrubbing desks and all."
"It's not a bad idea," Remus said. "That's about what he'd get at school, really."
"Well, if Remus approves, it must be all right," Andromeda grinned. "I'll just send a letter along with you for Professor Tonks -- I do like the sound of that -- and you can serve your detention with
her. Now you two go pack, and I'll just dig up something to send along for dinner. I think Ted made you some treats -- but you are to think very carefully about what you've done, while you're eating
them," she said sternly, to Draco, who grinned and dashed down the hall after Neville.
"Come on, Harry, I've got something for you," he called, over his shoulder. Harry glanced at the adults for permission before following, and was soon rewarded with the box he'd given Draco, complete
with invisibility cloak.
"Thanks, it was great this summer," Draco said, as Harry peered inside to make sure the cloak hadn't come to any harm. "Going to miss it like anything. We'll have to learn some concealing charms,
won't we?"
Harry grinned, and stroked the slick material of his father's cloak. "Some of us will."