Selene || Remus Lupin

Ch. 93 - The Unexpected News

Harry threw his arms around her and Remus, causing her to fall silent, and he hugged them so tightly that their heads nearly banged together. He held on for what seemed like a long time, even as Molly wordlessly passed them to finish frying the bacon on the stove. Selene pressed a kiss to his cheek, nevermind that there were the beginnings of tears rolling down her face, and he held on longer still.

And then, suddenly, he let go, the tips of his ears going red.

"Thank you, Mum, Dad," he said quietly.

They nodded, words failing them.

Later, they celebrated Harry's birthday with dinner in the garden. Remus and Arthur set up several large tables outside to accompany the large number of people that would be in attendance – all of the Weasleys, the Delacours, who had just arrived the previous day, Hermione, Selene and Remus, and a few other members of the Order. Fred and George bewitched large purple lanterns to form the shape of the number "17," while Molly put the finishing touches on Harry's snitch-shaped birthday cake, warning Selene furiously not to touch it.

By seven o'clock, mostly everyone had arrived and begun taking their seats around the tables. Molly bewitched a pot of roast to fly around and serve itself to each of the guests, and as soon as Selene's plate was filled in front of her, she inhaled deeply, expecting to smell the lovely aroma of her favourite meal that Molly made.

Instead, she gagged so violently that she had to leave the table.

"Darling, are you all right? What's the matter?"

Remus had followed hurriedly behind her into the house, where she was bent over the waste bin in the empty kitchen, dry heaving so hard her eyes watered. When she finally was able to pick up her head to look at him, tears rolling down her face, she saw that he white as a sheet.

"I'm fine," she gasped, wiping under her eyes furiously. "I'm fine, Remus, I'm fine –"

"You're not fine!" he burst out suddenly, silencing her. "You're not fine, why won't you just tell me –"

"I don't know!" she cried. "I don't know what's wrong with me!"

He stared at her, a multitude of emotions flashing in his eyes, each one more unreadable than the next.

He knew, even if she didn't. But he didn't want to.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," he said softly, finally, his hands reaching out to grab onto hers. "I'm sorry, darling. Let's just – let's go back out to the party, they'll be wondering where we are."

Selene nodded, wiping at her face again, hoping that her eyes looked normal.

They went to head back out the back door, but then realized, with a jolt, that they were not alone. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were standing in the doorway, accompanied by –

Selene blinked rapidly.

They were accompanied by the Minister of Magic.

"Harry, what's going on?" Remus asked slowly, looking round at all of them. "Is something wrong?"

"It's none of your business, surely, werewolf," Scrimgeour said disdainfully, looking down his nose at Remus, who flushed. Then his eyes met Selene's. "Nor yours, Black."

The heat of Selene's blood seemed to spike, and she clenched her fists angrily. "It's Lupin now," she corrected angrily, "and it is our business, seeing as we're Harry's adoptive parents. Why don't you get out of here with your unwanted prejudice?"

"Mum," Harry said, his voice strained. "He's come with Dumbledore's will."

"Dumbledore's will?" Remus asked. "After all this time?"