Old version of chapter four

[author_by_night]

Nothing to see here, just an old version of Ch 4 - I kept it up so people's comments wouldn't be lost. :)

Sorry for the delay, guys. Blame the Easter Holidays, work, writer's block, nargles... oh well, it's here now, right?

Title: Neither Here Nor There

Fandom: Harry Potter


Rating: PG-13


Summary: It's been six months since the war, and everyone's ready to try moving on. Lyall Lupin and Andromeda Tonks  are coming to terms with the death of their children, finding solace in one another - but will the case remain if Lyall learns about Andromeda's new alliance? Kingsley Shacklebot is trying to lead a country that has been left bitter by war, so distrustful many even doubt him. And Hestia Jones is trying to harbor all she holds dear, which is hard when there's secrets she's never had the heart to reveal. Meanwhile, people are still missing, and new threats are lurking, but nobody is sure exactly who is being threatened.


Ships: Hestia/Kingsley, the buildup of Percy/Audrey, presumed Harry/Ginny, Bill/Fleur, past Remus/Tonks, past Percy/Penny.


Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

When Kingsley was woken up by his mother screaming from the fireplace downstairs, he feared  the worst.

He grabbed his wand and hurried down the stairs. Had there been an attack? Was it his father? Was it Hestia? Kingsley wondered why Hestia had been the first non-family member to come to mind, then realized it didn't matter, the point was that his mother was screaming his name...

"What is it?" Kingsley asked calmly as he looked at her through the fire. He'd mastered the art of sounding calm when he was worried very early on when he was an Auror. It had paid off greatly.

"Why aren't you dressed yet?"

"It's Sunday morning, Mum. What hap-"

"Are you still seventeen?"

"No, Mum, but I had a very late night."

"So you haven't read the Prophet this morning."

"Obviously not. What's going on?"

"What's going on," Lydia began, "is that they hate my little boy!"

"Who hates me?" Kingsley said with a sigh. He should have known this wasn't anything serious.

"The Daily Prophet. I have half a mind to write to them... is this Roger Davies person the one who interviewed you?"

Kingsley nodded. "Yeah, he was a delight."

"Here's what he wrote." Lydia cleared her throat.


Minister Shacklebot - New Strives or New Scams?

Roger Davies

Six months after the war, the wizarding world is still coming to grips with the tragic loss of so many innocent lives. A large fraction of the resistance designated  Kingsley Shacklebot as the de facto Minister. When the war ended, he graciously took the throne, if you will.

But will he be another Dumbledore, or another Fudge?

I spoke with Shacklebot personally last week, and was deeply concerned by what I heard. He said that he plans to rid of Dementors and leave Azkaban with limited guard, deeming it wrong  to make criminals who murdered our husbands, wives, parents and children suffer too much. He also appeared dismissive of his muggle family (Minister Shacklebot is a half-blood), whom he has reportedly not spoken to in some time. When I expressed my concerns with his plans, I was asked to leave.

Despite Shacklebot's insistence that he plans to fix the mistakes Fudge made, it seems he too is fond of covering up the things he finds inconvenient. It turns out I am not the only one with these concerns.

"Dementors may be unpleasant, but they were the lesser of two evils," Marius Edgecombe of Bristol said. "They  worked for You-Know-Who like puppets, controlled by an evil master. Dementors wouldn't do any harm under a new puppeteer, would they?"

"He also wants us to forgo essential elements of Statute of Secrecy," Myles Jones added.

"They're discrediting you!" Lydia finished.

Kingsley had been worried this might happen, mind-blowing though it was. How could they honestly believe that he would want any of those things? That he was the next Fudge? And why had Davies distorted his words? He couldn't help that he didn't know his muggle family...

"It's just journalism ebbing at politics," Kingsley said. "That's what they do. The Muggle Prime Minister warned me of this. What did Dad say?"

"Your father said exactly what you did, but I knew you'd be upset."

Kingsley suppressed an eye roll. "Mum, anyone who takes the Prophet seriously at this point -"

"-oh don't be naive, you really think they've only changed their tone back and forth the last few years?"

She's actually got a point, Kingsley thought to himself. "Look, this isn't the worst thing you're going to read about me as long as I do this, okay? You remember what people used to say about the other Ministers, even the good ones."

Lydia heaved a sigh. "Oh, you're right. It's just... when I think of what you went through... what your father and I went through, not hearing much from you for a year, never knowing if you were... I just want to rejoice in having my son back without anyone telling me he's a bad person."

"Nobody you know is telling you that," Kingsley assured her. "And anyway, you've got to get used to it. Would it really  be fair if people didn't sometimes question me? Make me question myself? That's where things went downhill before."

"Very true," Lydia admitted. "I'm sorry, Kingsley."

"It's quite all right."

"So what were you doing last night, then?"

"Writing documents."

Lydia shook her head. "I was hoping you'd say you were with a woman. I want to be a grandmother, you know."

"I've been busy," Kingsley said. "Besides, you didn't like the last one I was with."

Lydia sniffed. "No, I didn't. You didn't either, you broke it off with her, didn't you?"

"Well, yeah," Kingsley admitted. "But I still liked her, our lives just went in two different directions..."

The truth was, it had been hard for Kingsley to date when he was an Auror. There was a reason so many Aurors didn't have families. Date nights, Christmas dinners, holidays and even proposals got in the way of things. Not to mention the chance that you could end up dead, especially once the war started. Kingsley's love life tended to have a very short time span, and he couldn't blame them.

Kingsley wasn't sure yet whether or not being a Minister would make it easier or even harder now. On one hand, he had holidays off whereas before he'd always had to work on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, sometimes both. On the other hand, while Kingsley's time was often interrupted or compromised, he didn't have to necessarily bring work home. Whereas now, home was work. Even the Minister's Manor, where he now resided, was filled with books on leadership and the Ministry's history he knew he'd have to flip through eventually, he had a large home office, and portraits all over his home with frames at the Ministry as well. Besides, there was so much public scrutiny... what woman would want to deal with that?

"Well, you're at least coming for dinner, I hope?" Lydia asked. "Your father wants to talk to you about his new book."

"Dad's writing a book again?"

"Yes. I'll let him tell you. Or... perhaps you could take him to the Order meeting tomorrow."

Kingsley raised his eyebrows. "How did you know about that?"

"With tomorrow being what it is, I figured."

"But why would he want to meet them?"

"Because he wants the book to be about them."



The conversation was, indeed, about Clancy's new book. Kingsley had mixed feelings, but decided the best way for his father's wishes to be heard was for him to address his subjects up front. So he would be bringing them to the Order meeting tonight.

Kingsley knew it wasn't really a meeting, but rather, a proper somber gathering. They'd had a similar one at the end of the first war, but this time, there'd been little time for that. As horrible as the first war had been, it hadn't involved a Ministry coup, it hadn't involved an attack on Hogwarts; it had ended, and while there were still bodies to bury, people to find on both sides, and so forth... this time was more intense. They'd met briefly to discuss their next moves and that was that.

"Hey."

Kingsley looked up from shutting his briefcase. Hestia Jones had entered the room.

"Percy let me in," she said. "Hope that's okay?"

"Yeah," Kingsley said. "Of course. He knows you're a friend."

Hestia grinned. "I have privileges, then."

Kingsley winked at her. "Perhaps. So what brings you here?"

Hestia drew closer to his desk. "Well, I'm going to the meeting too, and I wanted to remind you that while my parents are coming-"

"-they are?"

"They were members for the last stretches of the war, after all."

"Of course."

"They don't know I was in it for as... long as I was. They don't know anything about Dumbledore's Army. I'm a bit worried someone'll say something about that..."

"No one'll say anything," Kingsley assured her.  "I think everyone's aware of that, more or less."

Hestia shook her head. "Too aware. The Diggorys still hate Mum and Dad, Amos Diggory won't even look at him when they see one another."

"A lot of people were fooled by Fudge," Kingsley said fairly, though privately he felt he'd never understand how families like the Jones's could believe him. Still, they'd proven to be good people.

"Well, enough about me," Hestia said. "I understand you're an evil tyrant now."

But she was smirking.

"Yes," Kingsley said with a laugh. "I had no idea."

"I don'think too many people really believe it," Hestia said.

"You'd be surprised, I've received a lot of distrustful looks today."

"Oh for God's sake," Hestia spat. "Will they even learn not to believe everything they read? I'll kill Myles, he instigated so much of this, just because he can't obliviate every muggle he meets."

"The young man who actually wrote the article didn't help."

"Did you really kick him out of your office, though?" Hestia asked.

Kingsley winced. "Yeah... maybe that wasn't the best move, in retrospect."

Hestia shrugged. "I kind of admire it. But no, it probably wasn't."

She looked at her watch. "Well, we should go..."

As they departed, Percy followed quickly - and closely. "No, no, Mr. Shacklebot Sir. I will accompany you, just in case there's questions..."


Hestia covered her mouth with her sleeve and Kingsley couldn't look at her until they entered the lift.Two people were already in it - Sturgis Podmore and Audrey Buggleswab.

Kingsley wasn't sure what sort of day Sturgis was having, but judging by the harried look on his face, it wasn't a good one. Between having been sent to Azkaban, tortured by Death Eaters as they escaped, and later losing his girlfriend Emmelne, Sturgis had become slightly unhinged.

Sturgis was glaring at Percy. "What's he doing here?"

"He's my assistant now, remember?"

Sturgis grunted. "I just remember how much Molly Weasley cried because of him."

"That's enough," Hestia warned.

"No, I deserve that," Percy said quietly. "But I am trying to -"

"-yeah, yeah, I know," Sturgis snarled. "Problem is, I don't care. I know you're up to no good."

"Leave him alone, he's got enough to deal with," Audrey snapped.

Everyone stared at her; Audrey shifted awkwardly, but kept a gaze on Sturgis. Kingsley heard Percy whisper "thank you, but you needn't have."

"Pull yourself together," Kingsley told Sturgis sternly. "Or maybe you shouldn't come tonight."

"I'm fine."

"No, you aren't. Calm down. Take a walk."

The lift opened, and Sturgs did just that. Kingsley, Hestia and Percy headed for the doors, but before they could step out, were bombarded by two Daily Prophet reporters.

"Minister, is it true what they say about...?"

"All questions can go to me!" Percy cried, but no one was listening.

"Minister, do you really hate Dementors?'

"I believe there's necessary evils," Kingsley said, "but they've gone well beyond that. They have minds of their own, something I think the Ministry has forgotten in the past."

"Is it true you're importing chameleons bred with venomous snakes?"

"All questions go to me!" Percy repeated loudly, his glasses just about sliding off of his nose, waving his hand urgently. "I am Minister Shacklebot's-"

"Oh, we'll do it the old fashioned way," Hestia muttered, and Kingsley felt her grab his wrist. Five seconds later, they were outside Grimmauld Place.

They had been hesitated to hold the gathering there, but had with Harry's permission. It was, he supposed, the new Order's original Headquarters, and as good as any a place to meet.

Lydia and Clancy Shacklebot were already there. Kingsley hurried over to them and showed them the piece of paper. Their eyes widened as Grimmauld Place emerged from in between two muggle houses.

"Genius," Clancy said, leaning on his cane.

"Yes," Lydia agreed. "Kingsley, why don't you introduce us?"

Hestia smiled, and shook their hands. "Hestia Jones. It's a pleasure - Kingsley's told me so much about you. Mr. Shacklebot, I've been reading your book, Kingsley had told me about it. I just got to the chapter about Henry E-"

But Hestia was interrupted by her parents and her sister, who'd also just shown up. Kingsley knew all of them, if not well – Megan, hardly at all.

“Are we ready, then?” Phyllis Jones asked. She had on very nice robes and a dragon scaled purse.

Kingsley showed them the piece of paper with information about the Order, and their eyes also widened.

“This is even better than the Room of Requirement,” Megan whispered.

Phyllis looked puzzled. “The what, dear?”

“Nothing.”

They entered Grimmauld Place quietly. Kingsley was surprised to see a few people were already there, including most of the Weasleys, Lyall Lupin, Andromeda Tonks, and Harry.

“How are you?” Kingsley asked Molly.

Molly smiled weakly. “Some days are easier. Today is not one of them, as I'm sure you can imagine.”

“I can.”

“Is George coming?” Kingsley asked.

Molly sighed. “Your guess is as good as mine. I don't think so.”

“How's he doing?”

“Right now he wants to travel the world,” Ginny answered for her mother. “We're not sure whether that's a good sign or a bad sign. Says Ron can take care of things for him while hes gone. He's leaving next week.”

“Ron's busy enough as it is,” Molly said. “I'm not sure what he's thinking.”

She wandered off, and Kingsley turned his attention to Andromeda Tonks, who was engaging in the most awkward small talk with Phyllis Kingsley had ever heard.



"I suppose yellow handbags are nice with the right pattern," she was saying. "But really, I find them quite distasteful. Don't you agree?"



Phyllis hesitated. " I suppose I've ever given it that much... thought?"

Andromeda spotted Kingsley and, after muttering what sounded like an apology, strode over to him very quickly. "Kingsley! I didn't see you. How are you?"

"I've been well," Kingsley said.  "How are you?"

"Oh, you know, collecting handbags."

"Why?"

"It's fun. I don't care much for yellow ones, though."

"So I hear."

"But anyway," Andromeda continued, "I wanted to have a word. You were an Auror during the first war, right?"

"That is correct..."

"Just out of curiosity,was there ever any trouble after it ended?"

"A lot like now," Kingsley said, "you know, the remaining Death Eaters stirring things up... and of course the Longbottoms were-"

"-I know about them," Andromeda interrupted him. "Were they threatened beforehand, though? Was anyone threatened?"

"Not to my knowledge... there were certainly feuds, I know that, and Alice was always certain their troubles weren't over." Kingsley shook his head at the memory. Alice had been the one who'd trained him, and along with her husband, someone he had admired a great deal. He still didn't think it was right.

"Of course. But I mean... is there any history of cryptic messages? Drawings?"

"No... Andromeda, why are you asking me this? Are you being threatened?"

"Me? Oh, goodness!" Andromeda laughed. "Teddy and I are fine. I just want to be sure that we will stay fine, and was wondering, well... I'd hate for people to make trouble."

"If there's any reason to believe they will, I suggest you talk to Harry," Kingsley said. "Or me, for that matter. But I have no reason to believe anyone's being targeted right now. If I ever have reason to believe you or Teddy-"

"-and Lyall. Protect him too," Andromeda added.

"What?"

"I worry about him," she said, nodding in his direction. Sure enough, Lyall was standing alone, as though not sure who talk to, where to go. To Kingsley's relief, his parents seemed to be heading in his direction. Kingsley didn't know Lyall Lupin well, he didn't know him at all in fact, but from what Remus had said he appeared to be his parents' sort of intellectual.

"At any rate," Andromeda was saying, "I just want to be sure there's no reason to think anyone would want to hurt my family. Or - well, anyone's family, even if it seems like they might deserve it. Even if they probably do deserve it."

Kingsley didn't like the sounds of this. "Are you sure you're okay, Andromeda?"

"It's the six month anniversary of my daughter and son-in-law's death, how okay do you think I am?" She exclaimed loudly.

Then her eyes widened, and Kingsley had a feeling he knew why - she'd probably never put it that way once until now.

"I'm sorry," he said.

Andromeda was shaking her head, clearly trying not to cry now. "Please don't.  I'll be fine. Really," she added as more onlookers stared. Phyllis made to move towards her, but Hestia put her arm on her shoulder. Lyall interrupted Clancy mid-sentence and came over; he and Andromeda left the room, heading for the kitchen from the looks of it. Molly and Arthur followed them.

Kingsley wished he could tell her so much more, but he wasn't sure when she'd be ready to hear it. And what could he say, in the end? That he was sad too? He was, of course, he'd liked Remus and Tonks very much and had been heartbroken, but it wasn't the same. It wasn't even the same as it was for poor Hestia. Kingsley remembered the things the rest of the Order members had said to Remus and Tonks when Sirius had been murdered, mostly the new ones who didn't know better. They meant well, but "I feel your pain" meant absolutely nothing. It was rubbish to them; they hadn't just lost a friend, they'd lost everything. It wasn't anyone's place to comment.

After about a half hour, everyone finally sat at a table.

"They'd like you to start," Harry told him quietly.

"What am I supposed to say?"

"I've no idea, I'm not even sure I should be here. I wasn't really in the Order."

Kingsley smiled wryly. "Didn't matter to you at fifteen."

Harry rolled his eyes. "And I'm no longer fifteen and full of myself, thank you very much."

"But anyway, you're The Boy Who Lived twice. If anything, you shouldn't just be here, you should be the one doing the talking."

"Yeah, well, they chose you. Again. I think they like you."

Sure enough, everyone was looking at Kingsley expectantly - except Sturgis, who was glaring at the table.

It's just as well, Kingsley thought. I have to bring up Dad's request anyhow.

"Welcome," Kingsley said as he stood in front of everyone. "I won't prolong my speech. This day means something different to all of us, although we're connected by... so many things. It's not just one anniversary, it's many anniversaries, many dates over the past several years. Just being here is a reminder of the first of our own to fall in the war." Kingsley looked at Harry, who nodded with resolve. "And of course, too many of our friends and loved ones who followed. I would like to take a moment of silence to remember them, though feel free to whisper names, pray... curse, even, if you're so inclined." There were a few nervous laughs at that one.

After a minute, Kingsley cleared his throat. "Now, I would like to introduce my father, Clancy Shacklebot. Some of you will have read his book After: The (Un)forgotten Soldiers of WWII. It focuses mostly on muggle soldiers, but is certainly worth a read."

Clancy stood with help from Kingsley and Lydia. A few people smiled in recognition, and Hermione Granger's face lit up.

"You edited and annotated the only biography of Rowena Ravenclaw!" She gasped.

Ron and Harry looked horrified, and Kingsley felt quite embarrassed for everyone involved, but Clancy laughed.

"And what is your name, miss?' He asked.

"Hermione Granger."

"Did you read this book in a library?"

"Yes...?"

"Then I will gladly send you a signed copy."

"Thank you!" Hermione said excitedly.

"It's a pleasure to meet - the rest of you," Clancy said. Everyone laughed. "I am here because I have a proposition, and I don't expect an immediate answer. I realize this is a very difficult subject for you, that you've gone - we've all gone - through a very hard time. But please consider what I have to say. My book on muggle soldiers took years, and is based on both firsthand and secondhand accounts. I wrote it in order to capture a more realistic version of the second world war and the aftermath, one that's not glorified, but raw. I'd like to do the same for our own wars, so we won't just remember the dates, but the people."

There was a long pause, and Kingsley held his breathe.

"So basically, you want us to write campfire songs and how much we loved our brothers-in-wands," Sturgis said.

"Not exact-"

"Sturgis-" Kingsley warned at the same time.

"Because I can tell you right now, it was a joy. I got sent to Azkaban - you know, I figured the Order would have my back, but they didn't. No hard feelings," he added as Kingsley, Arthur, and many other members started to protest. "I get it, nothing you could've done. But still, it wasn't fun, realizing you weren't going to bail me out, being stuck there. No one even had many words of support after the fact. Then things got worse, people died, and the worst part was, everyone forgot we were supposed to be fighting together. That good enough for you?"

"I never said you had to, nor that it would be easy," Clancy said quietly.

"Yeah, well, you still asked."

"I think it's a great idea," Harry said loudly.

Of all people, Kingsley had thought Harry would be the one to protest it. Even his friends looked surprised.

"What? Look, all I heard the years leading up to this was what saints my Mum and Dad were,  how Dumbledore was flawless and perfect... but they were people. If something happens to me before my son knows me,  I want him to knowme, not the person everyone wished I were. If it takes a book to show him that, so be it."

"It'll take a while," Hestia said, "but... I'd be willing, when I'm ready."

"Again, take your time - because it will take time," Clancy said. "I do appreciate your help."

Sturgis snorted, and he wasn't the only one who looked skeptical, but a lot of people looked thoughtful. Even Andromeda and Lyall appeared to be considering the idea.

After a few minutes, the room fell into the sort of chatter it used to. It was comfortable, like the old days.  But as more people left, as the room got quieter, everyone seemed to realize why they were there.

The Weasleys were  the first to leave, save Ginny - Molly burst into tears, and everyone seemed to see it fit to take her home. Then Elphias Doge, Dedalus Diggle, and McGonagall and Hagrid.


"Well, Dad, your book request went better than I thought it would," Kingsley said.

"I think it'll be useful," Hestia said. "I really do. No one ever did anything like that for the first war, and I wish they had, y'know?"

"And my brother would've been very disappointed if his and George's shenanigans never made history," Ginny said, smiling sadly. "Fred would've been honored, and I know George'll love it, whenever he comes back from... well."

"Even the Hufflepuffs loved them," Megan told her. "I missed them when they left, and I never even spoke to them. I was really sorry when... you know..."

"I know. Thank you."

Megan looked at Clancy. "I'm going to read your book," she told him"The one on the muggle wars, as soon as Hestia's done with it."

Andromeda blurted, "since when are you a reader?"

"You'd be surprised, she's changed quite a bit," Phyllis said.

"They always do, don't they?"

"Yes. They do."

The two women exchanged a knowing smile.

Lyall was looking at the walls. "This place really has improved since they asked me to inspect it all those years back."

"We've tried," Andromeda recalled. "Never easy to clean filth."

Harry shuddered. "No. I should probably just have it destroyed, but..."

"I know," Andromeda said. "It seems wrong, somehow."

"Nah, I meant it'd be a lot of trouble."

Everyone laughed.

Andromeda leaned back in her chair. "I can't believe it's been six months. I still don't know what I'll tell Teddy, once he starts asking."

"You'll know," Phyllis said. "My father died before I was born... no wars or anything, just a rotten magical accident. My Mum just answered more and more questions as I grew up. Never planned the answers, they just came."

"I figure that's how it'll be with me. I'm not the quiet storytime sort."

"I would never have guessed," Lydia muttered.

"Eh, she's softer than she seems," Phyllis told her. This earned her a sharp glare.

"Well, I'd better go," Andromeda continued, checking her watch. "Lyall, are you coming? He's with me tonight," she explained. "We thought it would be... easiest."

Her eyes were sad again, and so were Lyall's.

One by one everyone left, until it was just Harry and Kingsley sitting in the dark.