Always and Forever - A Harry Potter Fanfiction

Chapter Six

Moony, Severus, Minerva and Albus accompanied me to the house. It had been given multiple layers of protective charms and spells including the Fidelius charm with which Albus was Secret Keeper. He had refused for anyone else to do so.

Minerva showed me everything and Moony promised to be round tomorrow morning but he had to go see what was going on with the other werewolves. Albus and Minerva left too in order to go back to Hogwarts. This just left me with Severus.

"I'll cook some dinner." He said as he squeezed my hand. He let go and walked off to the kitchen. I was about to mention that I didn't feel hungry but I didn't see the point in telling him otherwise so I wandered off into the living room. I put the television set on and sat on the edge of the couch but I didn't really pay much attention to it. My Disillusionment charm had faded not long after James had been buried so I had stayed under the Cloak until it had been time to go when I had hid it in my back pocket. I could feel myself sitting on it now.

It didn't take long for Severus to fix something up for us to eat and it was only cheese sandwiches with a packet of crisps each but it was something simple so I could manage to eat it. We ate in silence on the couch. He gave me a couple of inches between us for which I was grateful for. We watched some creepy horror film together as we ate. Severus then took out the plates and made us both a cup of hot chocolate. It was soothing to have and I was thankful for the warm comfort of chocolate. I sipped it, pretending to watch the film but sometime during that I must have fallen asleep. I woke up with a start. I was laid across Severus' lap, his hand in my hair. He must have been stroking my hair as I slept. I felt something wet on my cheeks and wiped them with the back of my hand. Tears. I had clearly been crying in my sleep. Severus was still asleep on the sofa.

I quietly got up and made myself a bowl of cereal. I had finished that and was drinking a cup of tea when Severus came in, yawning. He looked quite cheerful today.

"Good morning." He said as he fixed himself black coffee.

"Morning." Nothing really good about it but I did feel better after some sleep. It felt like I hadn't had a good night's sleep in a while.

"Sleep okay?" He asked me.

"Not really. You?" Sev sat opposite me with his coffee.

"I was comfy. It's not too bad on that sofa." We had been offered bedrooms but I couldn't help falling asleep on the sofa. Anyway although it hadn't exactly been comfy sleeping across Severus' lap, it was better than sleeping in a bed and having nightmares, dreams about people that I couldn't save.

As Severus and I had another hot drink, we were halfway through when there was a knock on the door and the door opened and closed. Footsteps in the hallway. Severus drew his wand and I stupidly remembered that I had left my new wand on the cabinet beside the sofa. As I inwardly cursed myself and Severus stepped in front of me as if to shield me from whatever was coming, a voice called out.

"It's just me." Moony appeared in the doorway, hands in the air in surrender. He stepped into the light of the kitchen. I relaxed but Severus did not lower his wand.

"Prove it." He growled.

"My name is Remus John Lupin, a werewolf bitten by Fenrir Greyback, friend of James Potter, Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black, more commonly known by my friends as Moony." Severus lowered his wand but did not put it away.

"Lupin."

"Morning, Moony." I smiled at him. He smiled too and fell into a seat next to me.

"Hello Lily. How's the baby?"

"She's okay."

"She?" Remus half smiled, raising an eyebrow.

"I hope that it is a she anyway. I've already got a boy. I want a girl too."