Exceptional love

Chapter 14

Remus awoke somewhere unfamiliar, but the scents of the people around her were familiar. Four scents that he'd grown accustomed to over the years. Harry, Hermione, George, and Fred. He awoke to the sound of Hermione's soothing voice trying to calm Harry as he quietly ranted against his husband's actions.

"Harry please..."

"Hermione, no!" Harry hissed. "This was the worst possible way Remus could have found out! He'll..." his voice broke off and Remus heard him pull in a shaky breath. "He'll hate me. He w-won't understand."

"If I can understand, I don't see why Remus can't... eventually."

"He's spent most of his life fighting Tom! You haven't. Remus isn't neutral, Mione."

"He didn't throw a fit when he found out we were going to marry Draco," one of the twins pointed out.

"That's completely different! Draco is not the bloody Dark Lord!"

"Voldemort saved your life, Harry. That's got to count for something..."

"This is fucked! This is completely fucked! I'll never see him again! I'll..."

Harry's panic had Remus finally opening his eyes. "Harry, I would never hate you. You need to calm down and explain to me how this happened."

The four sitting beside the bed seemed frozen, hardly daring to move. All their eyes were wide open, staring at him. After a moment, Hermione caught the twins' eyes, and soon the three were up and leaving the room to give Harry and Remus privacy. Harry cleared his throat awkwardly, reached over to the bedside table and picked something up. He then shoved a bowl under Remus' nose. "Err... fudge?"

Tentatively, Remus reached for a piece. He took a bite and his brows rose. "It's good." He laughed and it was as strained as Harry's smile. "Why don't you start at the beginning, Harry," he suggested after another minute of awkward silence.

Harry folded his hands in his lap and began. He started at the very beginning when he'd been cursed during the Slytherin massacre. He told Remus how Tom had sought him out in muggle London a few months later, though he didn't say anything about Tom's Animagus form. He explained how the Dark Lord saved his life and then opened up his home to him; of how they had quickly moved on from enemies, to acquaintances, to friends, and then lovers. Harry told Remus how his life was now, how happy he was. Told him about his new lucrative business with Draco. And he tried to put it into words how very much he was in love with Tom Riddle and how he was loved in return.

He spoke for a long time and not once did Remus interrupt him, but the werewolf was hanging on to his every word, he was listening. By the time Harry was finished, nearly two hours had come and gone and the bowl of fudge was empty. They sat there in silence for more minutes than Harry could stand before Remus finally spoke.

"It's no surprise you were able to forgive him. You've always had a forgiving soul, Harry."

"If that's true, I wouldn't have left the war," Harry responded flatly. "I have no intention of returning to the war."

"We won't talk about the war right now, Harry."

Harry nodded, finally looked Remus in the eye. "I swear I planned to tell you eventually and I kept complaining to Tom that I wanted you to meet him..." Harry smiled sheepishly. "Guess he was fed up with the complaining. Tom can only take so much of my nagging. I do it all the time."

Remus actually laughed at the thought of Harry nagging Voldemort. "Do you really?"

Harry grinned and nodded vigorously. "One of my life missions is to drive Tom crazy whenever possible! It's how I make him pay. It's great fun, Remus."