𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚 \\ 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗷. 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

𝑋𝐿.

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙮

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

"ARE YOU READY, darling?" Remus asked a moment after he disapparated himself and his goddaughter in front of her house. She hadn't been home since the beginning of the summer.

Caroline didn't acknowledge Remus, standing still after wobbling from the apparation. She didn't know how her mother had been doing. She hadn't heard from her at all. "She won't want to see me. Just be prepared for that." Caroline said quietly.

Remus sighed, putting a hand on Caroline's right shoulder. Her other one had healed, but was complete with a long scar. She shrugged him off quickly. "She'll want to see you. You know why I had to come get you at the beginning of the summer, right?"

She nodded, looking down at the worn shoes on her feet. "Yeah, I know." Caroline whispered. Eloise hadn't been well since Dumbledore delivered the news to her. Caroline arrived at home, and only stayed for a week before she went to spend the summer with Remus. Eloise didn't have any food, clean clothes, nothing. Caroline, still injured, grew sick from the poor conditions. Eloise was depressed, and couldn't care for her daughter, let alone herself, because her son was dead and her husband was missing. Kidnapped. That was the word she had overheard the adults saying. Remus had stopped by to check in, and the only thing he could do was take his goddaughter away.

"Come, Caroline. Let's go see her." Remus said, urging Caroline forward without touching her.

Caroline's feet moved on the driveway, even though she didn't feel like she was moving. It had been like that for a while. Remus knocked on the door. No one came. He knocked again, and there was no movement. "Alohomora," said Remus, and the locked door swung open. "Eloise? Are you home?" he asked into the dark house once they stepped inside.

No lights were on, and there was a layer of dust covering nearly every surface. This wasn't the home Caroline remembered. "Mum?" she asked into the darkness.

Caroline saw the stairs, and made her way up them, walking quietly. She heard Remus behind her. Caroline first walked into her room, seeing it exactly the way she had left it. Her bookshelf was empty, having been cleared out by Remus when he came to get her. Her porcelain ladybug lay on the desk. Caroline put it in her jacket pocket.

"Caroline?" Remus called quietly from the room across the hallway. Her mother's room. Caroline walked quickly over, the floorboards in her room creaking as she walked.

Inside the room was Eloise, under the blankets of her bed, curled into a tight ball, her back to the doorway. Remus was standing at the foot of her bed, hands clasped in front of him. He beckoned Caroline over. Eloise had been like this since Andy never came home from work the day Jacob was killed.

"Mum? It's me, Caroline," she whispered, walking around Remus to her mother's side, kneeling down. Eloise's eyes were wide open, but she was staring beyond Caroline. "It's me, Mum." Caroline repeated, putting a hand on Eloise's arm. She looked up at Remus.

"She's probably just tired, Carol." Remus whispered, fighting to keep composed in front of Caroline. This scene was eerily similar to the one surrounding Delilah Taylor in her final days. That was the main reason pushing him to get Caroline out of that house, before she walked to see her mother one morning and instead found her body.

Caroline looked down at her mother again, wiping the hair from her forehead. Normally, Caroline would've changed her hair before school started up, but she didn't have the motivation. It was longer than it had ever been naturally, hitting her shirt. "Mum, I missed you," she said quietly, getting no response. "Can you say something, please?" tears welled in Caroline's eyes. It's what she begged Jacob every time she dreamed of him.

"Caroline..." Remus said quietly.

"Mum, please say something!" Caroline was shouting now, angry tears gliding down her cheeks. She hadn't cried since June. "Say something, please!" Eloise moved her eyes towards Caroline, looking at her. But then she looked away again, staring beyond.

"Come on, darling," Remus said, helping Caroline stand while she wiped her face. "We should let her rest."

Caroline nodded, her curls tied back in a poofy ponytail. Caroline allowed Remus to lead her from the room and downstairs. They left the house, approaching Caroline's bag on the driveway. It contained two books, her cats, and all the letters she had received throughout the whole summer. Twenty-two. All from Harry. He was the only one who wrote to her. She hadn't heard anything from Ron and Hermione. Caroline hadn't felt like putting quill to paper, but she did only because it was Harry. She couldn't let him think he was alone.

"I told you she didn't want to see me." Caroline said, wiping her nose. She picked up her bag, stroking Penny and Marie once before she slung the bag over her shoulder.

Remus sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't want you to have to see that." he said simply, and Caroline nodded, silently forgiving him. He had taken care of her all summer. She wouldn't forget that.

"Is that what happened to my mum? After my dad died?" Caroline asked, looking down at her feet.

It happened in a split second. Remus didn't even think when he put his arm around Caroline, dragging her into his side. But Caroline quickly shoved him away. His touch felt like knives scratching her skin. "Caroline, I'm so sorry, darling. I didn't think." Remus said quickly, his arms out to calm his niece.

Caroline wiped her face, breathing heavily. "It's fine." she whispered, doe eyes darting everywhere but his face.

Remus took a deep breath. He didn't want to lie to Caroline, but he didn't want to worry her. "It looks similar. It's why I took you with me," he began, gently. "But, she's going to be just fine. I'll check in on her while you're at school. She's going to fight this. And they're going to find your father."

Caroline nodded, wiping away a tear. "Where are we going next, Uncle Remus?" Caroline asked after a moment, sniffling.

"It's a secret."

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