The Disgraced of the House of Black - A Multi-Character Fanfiction - Part One

130. Another Secret

Once the others had all gone upstairs, including Amara and Sirius, and Althea was left with only her parents, they shifted to sit across from her at the table so they could face her.

"Have I done something?" Althea asked nervously.

"No," Eliana said with an amused smile. "No, no, you haven't. We just need to talk to you about something, something we think you should know. We were talking to Dumbledore, and there's something he wants you specifically to know, but first, you must swear to tell no one, not Harry, not Ron or Hermione, not Neville, no one."

"Okay," Althea said uncertainly. "What is it?"

Sharing a glance with Remus, she explained, "Dumbledore thinks there's a possibility Voldemort will try to use Harry."

"A little too late for that," Althea deadpanned.

"No, in a different way," Remus explained. "He believes Voldemort may come to...he believes he may try to lure Harry out of the school. We don't know exactly how, but it is of the utmost importance that no matter what, Harry stays where he is and does not leave the school. Do you understand?"

"Okay," Althea said. "I'll do my best to help."

.

When Althea had gone to bed, Remus rose wearily to his feet, rubbing his eyes as he stifled a yawn.

Also rising, Eliana said, "Remus."

"Yes?" he replied, turning back to face her.

"Thank you."

His brows furrowed, he asked, "For what?"

She hesitated a moment, trying to think of how best to explain her thoughts.

Finally, however, she said, "For being such a good father to Althea. I know it hasn't been easy for you, seeing what's happened since people started finding out, but the absolute worst thing you could have done was run, and you didn't."

"I almost did," Remus sighed.

"I know," Eliana admitted with a small smile. "A little birdie named Sirius might have told me." Remus smiled, averting his gaze from her slightly. "That...and I wanted to thank you for being a good...co-parent."

The word felt awkward on her tongue. It seemed wrong to describe them with that specific word.

"Ellie-" Remus began at the same time she said, "Remi-"

Both instantly stopped, breaking into quiet laughter before meeting each other's gaze, their eyes warm and alight with laughter. Gesturing for him to resume, Eliana waited to hear what Remus had to say.

He hesitated a moment before he asked, "Ellie, why did you never marry?"

Shrugging, she admitted, "I had a little girl to take care of. Romance was the last thing on my mind. What about you? Why didn't you ever marry?"

Remus let out a humourless laugh as he replied, "Who would marry a werewolf, Ellie?"

"I would have," she whispered.

Remus looked up, meeting her gaze with a slightly pained look.

"That was a long time ago," he said hurriedly, averting his gaze once more. "I'm sure you would have come to regret it."

"No, I wouldn't have, Remus," Eliana retorted. "Remi." Catching hold of his hands, she insisted, "I would have stood by you through everything. I would have been there for every transformation, every bout of depression, everything life chose to throw at us!"

"And what about Althea?" Remus asked, his voice breaking as he met her gaze. "She wouldn't have been safe or happy living like that. I would've done something, hurt her somehow. I already have!"

"No," Eliana insisted softly. "Remus, you would have raised her well."

"You did just fine without me," he said dismissively.

"Remus," Eliana said, so softly her voice broke.

Without looking at her, he freed his hands and turned toward the door.

Acting on a sudden impulse, Eliana pleaded, "Say you don't love me still."

Remus froze, frowning. Slowly, he turned back to look at her. He was shocked to find that tears had formed in her eyes.

"What?" he whispered.

"Remus, I have loved you more deeply than anyone else on this earth. The only person I have loved more is our daughter who I can't help but love still more because of just how much she reminds me of you." Her voice was trembling now. Remus stared at her in confusion as she came closer. "I continued loving you even when I did not know where you were, when I knew I had left you alone and confused, wondering why I had gone. I loved you still more as I watched you interact with our daughter for the first time and-"

"Ellie," Remus said as tears began streaming down his cheeks.

"You are the only person I will ever love, Remus," she cried, giving him a look of such desperation he instantly silenced. "I know that now more than ever, so tell me plainly. Do you still love me as you did all those years ago? Because if you do not, I will continue to ignore my feelings and we will pretend this conversation never happened, but first, you must tell me. Do you still love me, Remi?"

Remus said nothing at first, staring into her tear-stained face as he fought to get out the words his conscious commanded him to utter. He tried, again and again, to say them as they repeated in a mantra in his mind. Say you do not love her. She will never ask again. This mental torment will be done. Say you do not love her.

But before he knew was he was saying, he whispered helplessly, "I have always loved you, Ellie, ever since you sat beside me on the Hogwarts Express and were the first to not make fun of the fact that I was reading instead of trying to make friends. I have loved you since the moment I understood what love meant. You are the air I breathe, Ellie. My heart is irrevocably yours, it has always been yours."

A shuttering breath left her lips as he cupped her cheeks, pressing his forehead to hers. Eliana tried to speak, but words failed her. The relief was so great, she felt new tears fall from her eyes. Gently, Remus wiped them away as a small, relieved exhale left her lips. Eliana tried to speak, to say anything at all. Instead, she leaned forward, gently pressing her lips to his.