The Wolf and The Raven, Bk 2

Ch 20 - At Last

Note: "Summa offensio" is a spell of my own invention; in Latin, it reads "total obstruction"

Sirius and Branwen tumbled through the Potters' fireplace in a shower of ash. Scrambling to get up, Branwen tripped over her dress to the sound of fabric tearing, while Sirius knocked into a small table, sending a lamp crashing across the room.

"Mum! Daddy! James!" Branwen cried out as she tugged her gown from beneath herself.

Sirius leapt to his feet and pointed his wand at the hearth.

Fleamont, Euphemia, and James thudded down the stairs, yanking on their dressing gowns as they ran. "Bran! Bran, what is it?"

"We need to seal the Floo Network, Mr. Potter!" Sirius shouted.

Fleamont didn't hesitate for a moment; he pointed his wand at the fireplace and shouted, "Summa offensio!"

There was a flash and roar as the fire burst into a pillar of green flames, before dying into smouldering orange embers.

For a moment, everyone watched the flickering light, as though expecting something – or someone – else to come falling through. When nothing happened though, there was a moment of exhalation as everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Then Branwen fell into her father's arms while Euphemia clasped Sirius to herself. "My dears!" she cried. "What happened?"

Sirius and Branwen took turns relating the events of the night, each of them speaking between broken gasps of fright and shock. By the time they finished, every muscle in Branwen's body was trembling and she was choking on strangled sobs.

"James," Fleamont placed a hand on his son's shoulder, "help your sister to her room."

James glanced down at Branwen. Throughout her whole story, his eyes had been hardening, anger coursing through his veins. He was seized by an overwhelming urge to hunt down Voldemort and crush him with his bare hands.

But the haze of fury began to ebb away as he held out a hand to Branwen. She was convulsing as she stood, and he had to scoop her into his arms before carrying her up the stairs. He wasn't going to let Voldemort get away with this, but right now Branwen needed him. He nudged open the door to her room and laid her on the bed. James stayed with her, stroking her hair, until her breathing began to even out. He only left the room when he was sure she was lost in a deep sleep.

Her sleep wasn't as sound as he thought, however.

A few minutes after James left, Branwen stirred. It took her several moments to gain her bearings. As she blinked in the darkness, she realised she was in her own room. She could feel her dress hanging from one shoulder by bare threads, and her hair was dishevelled, sticking to her face in a grimy mixture of tears and sweat.

She pushed herself from the bed, swung her legs over the side, then stumbled to her desk. Before undressing, before bathing, before laying back down to sleep, she pulled out a piece of parchment and wrote a letter.

Dear Remus,
I don't know where to begin. I suppose that the crux of it is this: Voldemort is on the move.
I arrived back home only an hour ago from the Malfoy wedding. It proceeded normally – until he arrived. He was trying to recruit followers and he got quite a few.
But then he saw me. He singled me out for being a Potter – apparently we have been branded as blood-traitors. The next thing I knew he was lifting me from the ground, strangling me. If it wasn't for Sirius' uncle Alphard, I would be dead now. As it was, Sirius and I barely made it out with our lives. Daddy had to seal up our Floo Network so no one could follow us.
I don't know exactly what will happen now, but I'm sure Mum and Dad will let Sirius move in here, so he won't have to go back to that awful place. I don't know what will become of us though. I'm not even sure if Mr. Black made it out alive.
Remus, I know that the full moon is only a day away, but could I come see you? I can stay in my Animagus form, if that will make it easier. You know I always worry about you during holiday. Plus....I could really use a friend right now.
I don't know what else to say right now, except that I miss you. I hope you're doing well.
With Love Yours Always Affectionately,
Branwen

She crept to the owlery in the house's attic, attached her missive to the leg of a sleek barn owl, then finally returned to her bed.



After the long night of chaos, Branwen slept well into the morning. As she slumbered, the first visitor of the day arrived at the Potter House.

When Cassie answered the door, she paused in shock. "Headmaster?"

"Good morning, Cassie," Dumbledore smiled. "Is Mr. Potter at home? Mr. Fleamont Potter, I should clarify. Away from Hogwarts, I will have to distinguish between father and son."

Cassie, still somewhat surprised at the appearance of the great wizard, led him into the parlour, then hurried to find her employer.

"Albus!" Fleamont rushed into the room, followed closely by Euphemia. "We're so glad you could make it on such short notice."

"When you sent word of what happened, I had no choice but to come immediately."

Euphemia summoned a tray of tea and biscuits, then sat beside Fleamont on the sofa. Dumbledore settled himself into an over-sized wing-back chair.

"Where shall we begin?" Dumbledore asked.

Euphemia glanced at her husband, then said frantically, "I want to make sure Sirius stays with us. We'll go to court if we need to, but he'll be of age in just a few months. I just don't want to see him go back there. Not ever."

"I don't think we'll have a problem there, Euphemia," Dumbledore said gently. "Unfortunately – or perhaps fortunately in Mr. Black's case – Walburga seems to have abandoned her motherly duties. I worry quite a bit about young Regulus, however."

"He can come live here too!" Euphemia quickly added. "I know he's still under the spell of his mother's madness - "

"And there's the rub," Dumbledore sighed. "I'm sure the boy would turn down your offer, even if you were to extend it."

Fleamont cleared his throat. "As much sympathy as I have for the Black boys, we need to address the most important issue right now – where is Alphard?"

There was a tense silence before Dumbledore spoke. "As we have not had word from him nor located him elsewhere, we must surmise that he is still at Malfoy Manor. And, I believe, if he is at the Manor, it is against his will."

"You mean, he's being held captive?" Fleamont asked.

Dumbledore nodded.

"Should we tell Sirius?" Euphemia whispered.

"I believe he already knows." With a wave of Dumbledore's hand, the parlour door swung open, and James and Sirius tumbled in.

The two boys pretended to dust themselves off as they stood, avoiding the eyes of the adults in the room. When they couldn't possibly delay their entrance any longer, they edged into the room.

"Good morning, Professor," James inclined his head in greeting.

Dumbledore nodded back.

Sirius' eyes travelled from Euphemia to Fleamont to Dumbledore. "Is it true, sir? About my uncle?"

"It is. But I can assure you," Dumbledore stood, "we have our best Aurors on the case. Even Alastor Moody is devoting his considerable talents to the task."

"And if they don't find him?" Sirius clenched his fists. "What if he is still at the Manor, like you said? What if they're torturing him or....or....?"

Dumbledore placed a hand on they boy's shoulder. "Sirius. You must promise me that, whatever happens, whatever you hear, you will not go looking for your uncle."

Sirius stared into the steely-blue of the headmaster's eyes through his half moon glasses. Then he looked away. "I promise."

A grim smiled passed Dumbledore's face. Then he started for the door, but paused before leaving the room. "Oh, and Sirius – I quite agree with Euphemia. You would do well to stay here with the Potters. As I understand it, they have been your family for many years already. Surely living under the same roof will be no problem." He chuckled. "Especially as you and James seem to be much closer than my brother and I ever were. Thank you for the tea, Euphemia."

They heard the front door close, then the pop of Disapparation.

James shoved his hands in his pockets and broke the silence that followed. "So....did anyone else know that Dumbledore had a brother?"

"James Fleamont Potter!" Euphemia gently scolded her son for his seeming disregard for the situation at hand.

He swallowed hard and glanced at Sirius. "Sorry, Padfoot."

"I want to emphasis what Dumbledore said, boys." Fleamont watched them closely. "You will not go looking for Alphard. If you go out there and get yourselves caught, the Aurors will have to worry about finding you as well; you would only be diverting resources away from their efforts with Mr. Black. Do you understand?"

They nodded.

Sirius, who had been silent since his outburst at Dumbledore, wiped his sleeve across his nose, then slumped into the chair the headmaster had vacated. He was studying the pattern of the carpet with unnatural intensity. James knew his friend as well as he knew himself; he could tell in an instant that he was already planning a rescue mission. But Sirius quickly shook his head, erasing any sign of scheming. When he looked up, there was wry smile on his face. "So, is there anything for breakfast – Mum?"



The Potters' next guest came just as the boys were finishing breakfast (and after Euphemia's third bout of joyful sobbing about being called "Mum").

Branwen finally woke, blinking into the sunlight that was spilling into her room. She got up and had just finished brushing her teeth when the front door opened once more. Typically this wasn't something she could hear from her first floor room, but this time it was hard to ignore; it slammed open and the crash resounded down the hall. She ran to investigate and heard her name echoing through the house.

"BRANWEN! BRANWEN!"

She bolted to the staircase, then froze.

Lyall and Remus were standing in the foyer. At the sound of the commotion, Fleamont, Euphemia, James, and Sirius had come running as well. They jostled each other as they came to a sudden halt, watching the tableau spread out before them.

Remus looked as though he had rolled out of bed and grabbed whatever clothes he could find (which was exactly what had happened). His dark trousers were wrinkled and he had missed several buttons on his shirt. His jaw went slack as he gazed up at Branwen.

She was wearing her favourite Holyhead Harpies jersey that she had outgrown in third year. It wasn't something she would normally wear in polite company, and she found herself tugging it down, shuffling her feet in an effort to cross her legs. Her usually flawless hair was tousled and tangled. On James, it would have looked sloppy; on her it looked seductive.

The moment seemed to hang in the air for an eternity.

Then, with a sudden burst of energy, Remus flew up the stairs, taking them two at a time. When he reached Branwen, he knocked her from her feet with the force of his embrace, catching her in his arms and lifting her in the air to spin her around. After the initial shock, Branwen returned his embrace, throwing her arms around his neck to pull him even closer.

The others in the room looked away. Dorcas had mentioned once to Branwen that watching her and Remus make eye contact was like walking in on an act of physical intimacy. Their hug, though technically nothing more than two people standing very close, held more passion than many couples' lovemaking.

Another eternal moment later, Remus pulled back and scooped her up. She squealed at the surprise and the sudden chill that met her thighs as her jersey rode up. Remus seemed not to notice though and started down the hall with his bundle of Branwen. He only paused when he realised he had never been in her room before and therefore had no idea where it was. She saw his confusion and pointed to the door across the hall from James' room.

Remus nudged the door open with his foot, then hurried to the bed where he deposited her on the plush mattress (nearly crushing Sean, who leapt off with an indignant growl). He ran to shut the door, then settled down beside her.

Had time stopped yet again? Every minute stretched into an hour, and he was more than grateful; he could spend a thousand hours looking into those eyes of hers. And at her tiny nose. And her hair. And her lips.

He leaned in.

Branwen gasped. She steadied her hands on his chest, holding him in place.

He blinked, lips parting in surprise. She was panting softly, her warm chest rising and falling against him.

"Remus," she whispered. "Remus, why are you doing this? I thought you only wanted to be friends. What's changed?"

He sighed and drew back, itching at a scar on his neck. "When I got your letter – when you told me about Voldemort and what he had done to you, I....I just thought, 'what if I had lost her forever?' And the thought of life without you was so unbearable....

All this time I thought I was doing the noble, selfless thing by keeping you at arm's length. I thought I was sparing both of us from a life of heartache. But I realised, even a lifetime of pain and sorrow with you is better than even one minute of happiness without you."

Branwen was caught between tears and laughter. She reached up and twirled a strand of his tawny hair around her finger before tucking it behind his ear. He needed a haircut, she smiled to herself. Then she choked out a sort of giggling sob. "You great, stupid prat. I can't believe it took you this long to figure that out."

"I can't argue with that," he chuckled and shifted on the bed. "I must have been completely mad to have pushed you away all this time....is there anything I could ever do to make up for it?"

She paused, becoming considerably more sober. "Yes. I want a commitment from you, Remus John Lupin. I could go on a hundred dates with a hundred different boys, but with you I only want one. I want one that will last the rest of our lives.

I know we're young – too young, people will say – but it's just like you said. I can't imagine life without you. I just need to know that you're as dedicated as I am. I can't wake up one morning and find out you've turned 'noble and selfless' again."

He grasped her hands and gazed, unblinkingly, into her eyes. "I swear – I swear – you will never, ever have to worry about that again. I'm done being stupid."

She smiled. "All right."

"All right?" Remus gnawed on his bottom lip, trying to suppress the hope that was threatening to explode from his heart. "All right? Does that mean....does that mean we can be together?"

Branwen felt her face would crack from the intensity of her smile. It bloomed instantly over her entire face as she nodded vigorously. "Yes! Yes, yes, yes!"

Remus felt his breath leave his body, and he knew there was only one way to get it back.

His hands moved until his palm was cradling her face, his long thumb caressing her cheek. His other slid behind her back, pressing her close. He paused at the last moment. "M-may I?"

Branwen nodded again, slower this time, more solemnly. She hooked one small hand around his neck and allowed the other to rest on his chest.

Slowly, they leaned into each other and into another endless piece of time.

The first brush of lip on lip was like the activation a magnet, they couldn't possibly pull away, even if they tried. They pressed close and closer, melding to each other's bodies. Branwen smiled inwardly as she thought of Remus' weakness for chocolate, for that's exactly what his lips were like. They melted along every inch of her mouth with sweet, soft silkiness. The euphoria lingered in delicious waves of excitement and satisfaction, even as they parted in breathless ecstasy.

Branwen pulled back slightly to giggle at Remus' rapturous expression, then pushed herself up for one more taste. It was just as sweet as the first. She had never kissed anyone before – not like this – and she decided then and there, that this was the only kiss she wanted for the rest of her life.

Remus continued to gently caress her lips with his own. Leaning even further across her body, he rested on his elbows and brought his leg to balance on the edge of the bed. Well, almost.

Missing his mark, his knee slipped from the bed's silky sheets and he tumbled to the floor.

Branwen squealed as he was jerked away from her, and Remus swore as his arse hit the hard ground. Another noise was added to the mayhem when Sean, who was trailing across the floor with spoils from Branwen's jewellery box, yelped and dove out of Remus' way.

Branwen crawled to the edge of the bed and blinked down at Remus' lanky body stretched out on the floor. He was groaning, more from embarrassment than pain.

"Merlin!" Remus growled. "I can't believe I screwed up our first kiss!" He lifted his head and frowned at Branwen. What had started as a little giggle had turned to roaring laughter as she rolled around on the bed.

"Stop laughing!" He sat up and grabbed a decorative pillow, tossing it in her direction. He groaned again. "I'm such a git!"

Branwen wiped a tear of laughter from her eye, then put on a mock frown, propping herself onto her elbows. "Hey now. No one is allowed to talk shit about my boyfriend. And that includes my boyfriend."

He shot up. "Boyfriend?"

She giggled again. "Isn't that what we decided two minutes ago? Or was that another cute werewolf I was snogging?"

He laughed. Even with Branwen on the bed and he on his knees, Remus had the height advantage. His hand came up to her cheek and he watched her steadily. Together, they reached out, lips almost meeting –

"Woohoo! Get some!"

"It's about time, Moony!"

At the door, James and Sirius were doubled over with laughter.

Remus grabbed the pillow from the bed and threw it across the room, hitting Sirius square in the face. Then, ignoring his mates, he leaned in and kissed his girlfriend once more.

Can't wait to hear all your opinions! It's been such a big buildup...hope it was worth the wait!