A Marauders' Daughter

67

Remus and I were already walking over the Christmas market for two hours, our bags filled with things we made and bought when we passed Damien Norris's tattoo shop. I stopped looking at the dark shop. I knew what I wanted as my second tattoo, I wanted it for years now. And before Moony could open his mouth and object, I pressed the doorbell. It didn't take long before Damien appeared downstairs, wearing an ugly Christmas sweater.

"Alec, Lupin. What a surprise." He smiled kindly.

"I hope we're not bothering you." I said.

"A pretty girl can never bother me." He winked. "Are you here for your second tattoo?"

"If you could squeeze me in." I asked sheepishly. "It's something simple."

"Always." He said, stepping back to let us in. He looked at Remus who followed in silently. Since I was seventeen, he couldn't stop me. And he knew I wanted a few tattoos, and he knew it wasn't something decided on a whim, so he would never truly object. "I heard about Sirius. How is he?"

"He's adjusting. It's not easy, but he'll get there."

"I can't imagine." Damien shook his head. "Being imprisoned in Azkaban for so long when you're innocent." He shivered. He looked at me with a small smile and patted the chair for me to hop on. Guilt stirred inside of me. I never asked him about Azkaban. I've been so angry the past year that I never thought about what he had gone through.

"He doesn't want to talk about it, but he'll get there. He's almost at his healthy weight again, got a new wand this summer and he is just enjoying being outside."

"Tell him I said hi, and if he ever wants a new tattoo, he's always welcome."

"I'll tell him." He smiled, then turned to me. "What are you getting?"

"Uhm." I bit my lip. "Can you wait outside until we're done? It's a surprise."

He raised his brows but leaned forward to kiss my forehead and walked to the front where a waiting area was.

"Grab yourself something to drink, Lupin," Damien called after him. "So, how can I help you, love?"

I took out the drawing from my bag that I had on me all day and night. "I want this on my other arm." I opened the paper and showed it to him. It was a full moon with a date in Roman numbers beneath it. "The numbers are the date Remus took me in, the moon is because I call him Moony."

He smiled at me. "He means a lot to you, doesn't he?"

"He's in every way my dad. I wouldn't be here without him. For as long as I can remember, he's been there for me."

"I think the same goes for him." He said as he copied the tattoo to the right paper. He placed the lines on my inner arm before he gathered his supplies.

When the buzzing noise filled the room again and the needle touched my skin, I asked. "Seeing that Remus trusts you so much, I thought I ask. I'm an Animagus," He stopped for a second, looking up at me in surprise before turning back to the task at hand. "- and when I change, the tattoo is visible on my fur. Will that happen with every tattoo?"

"No." He said, dipping the needle in the ink. "It is you who decides if it becomes visible. You choose this consciously or subconsciously. This usually only happens with tattoos that are very close to your heart. Like this one -" He tapped on my arm. "If you allow it, it will also become visible."

"Is there a way to remove it, so I won't be so recognisable."

The side of his mouth quirked up. "Another unregistered Animagus?" I opened my mouth in surprise, but nothing came out. He laughed. "The first time I tattooed your father, the needle scared him so hard that he changed into a shabby black dog right in front of me. I guess he didn't think it would hurt that much." He looked up at me with a broad smile. "You did much better last year." I laughed and tucked the story away to ask Sirius about it later. "So, what is your Animagus form, if I may be so curious."