Happier with you- Bill Weasley

HBP 4

On Christmas Eve they were all sat in the living room, which Ginny had decorated so lavishly that it was rather like sitting in a paper-chain explosion. They were all supposed to be listening to a Christmas broadcast by Mrs. Weasley's favourite singer, Celestina Warbeck, whose voice was warbling out of the large wooden wireless set. Under cover of a particularly jazzy number called "A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love," Fred and George started a game of Exploding Snap with Ginny. Ron kept shooting Bill and Phoenix and Charlie and Rory covert looks, as though hoping to pick up tips. Rory was sat in Charlies lap snuggling into him as he had one arm wrapped around her waist whilst Phoenix was snuggled into Bills side, his head resting on top of hers. Meanwhile, Remus, who was thinner and more ragged-looking than ever, was sitting beside the fire, staring into its depths as though he could not hear Celestina's voice. Rory looked at her godfather, concerned for him.

Oh, come and stir my cauldron, And if you do it right, I'll boil you up some hot strong love To keep you warm tonight.

"We danced to this when we were eighteen!" Mrs. Weasley said, wiping her eyes on her knitting. "Do you remember, Arthur?"

"Mphf?" Mr. Weasley said, whose head had been nodding over the satsuma he was peeling. "Oh yes marvellous tune" With an effort, he sat up a little straighter and looked around at Harry, who was sitting next to him. "Sorry about this," he said, jerking his head toward the wireless as Celestina broke into the chorus. "Be over soon."

"No problem," Harry said, grinning. "Has it been busy at the Ministry?"

"Very," said Mr. Weasley. Phoenix was sat playing with Bills hand not paying much attention until she heard Remus.

"It isn't our business to know," He had turned his back on the fire now and faced Harry across Mr. Weasley. "It's Dumbledore's business. Dumbledore trusts Severus, and that ought to be good enough for all of us."

"But," Harry said, "just say just say Dumbledore's wrong about Snape"

"People have said it, many times. It comes down to whether or not you trust Dumbledore's judgment. I do; therefore, I trust Severus."

"But Dumbledore can make mistakes," argued Harry. "He says it himself. And you" he looked Remus straight in the eye "do you honestly like Snape?"

"I neither like nor dislike Severus," Remus said. "No, Harry, I am speaking the truth," he added, as Harry pulled a sceptical expression. "We shall never be bosom friends, perhaps; after all that happened between James and Sirius and Severus and even Aurora's smart mouth to him, there is too much bitterness there. But I do not forget that during the year I taught at Hogwarts, Severus made the Wolfsbane Potion for me every month, made it perfectly, so that I did not have to suffer as I usually do at the full moon."

"Moony all I ever did was call him a Grease bat" Remus looked at his goddaughter whilst Phoenix tried not to laugh at her.

"Really Wolf so you wasn't ready to hurt him that night in the Shrieking Shack when Sirius had to calm you down"

"Maybe" She shrugged resting her head back on Charlies chest. Phoenix smiled at Remus who sent her one back. 

"But he 'accidentally' let it slip that you're a werewolf, so you had to leave!" Harry said angrily. Remus shrugged.

"The news would have leaked out anyway. We both know he wanted my job, but he could have wreaked much worse damage on me by tampering with the potion. He kept me healthy. I must be grateful." Phoenix hated the way Remus was treated by others just because of what he was.

"Maybe he didn't dare mess with the potion with Dumbledore watching him!" Harry said.

"You are determined to hate him, Harry," Remus said with a faint smile. "And I understand; with James as your father, with Sirius as your godfather, you have inherited an old prejudice. By all means tell Dumbledore what you have told Arthur and me, but do not expect him to share your view of the matter; do not even expect him to be surprised by what you tell him. It might have been on Dumbledore's orders that Severus questioned Draco."