Neither Here Nor There: Chapter Six (Part II)

[author_by_night]

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.

A/N: Two things - one, constructive criticism is always welcome! :) Two, if you're wondering, you can follow the tag for previous chapters.

Christmas Day was to be spent at the Burrow; this was the second time Andromeda had ever been, and that had been several years ago, when Dora was thirteen or fourteen and Andromeda had come to collect her. She'd remembered it being  pandemonium - two small twins throwing things at their mother, giggling harder when she said "boys! stop it!", two very small children - a boy and a girl who couldn't have been more than a year apart (perhaps they were twins too, even?) fighting over a toy broomstick, a boy with glasses running up to show her his rock collection, Molly Weasley finally getting the boys to behave and apologizing, and then Dora, Bill, Hestia and Charlie making their way through the chaos.


But today, the Burrow was quiet; almost too quiet. As Harry had told it, Molly, Arthur, George, Bill and Fleur had gone to France; Ron and Hermione had gone to Australia to visit the latter's parents, who were still reluctant to move back home. ("They did ask me to come," Harry had told Andromeda. "Of course they did. But I have to work Christmas Eve night, and anyway, it's best if it's just the four of them.")  So it had just been Percy, Charlie, Harry and Ginny the previous night.

"Am I the first one here?" Andromeda asked as she hugged Ginny.

"Yes, but the others should be here for brunch soon," Ginny replied. She proceeded to take a beckoning Teddy out of Andromeda's arms and  hug him. "You're getting big, Teddy!"

Teddy giggled and gently pulled a strand of Ginny's red hair, and Andromeda marveled the fact that Ginny, much like Harry, appeared to have taken Teddy on as a mixture of a younger sibling and a nephew.

"Ginny!" Percy's voice called from the kitchen.

"Give me a minute!" Ginny shouted back. "Percy and I are making brunch this morning. Wish us luck,"

She handed Teddy to Harry, who'd just come downstairs with Charlie.

"Morning, Mrs. Tonks," Charlie said.

"Hi Charlie, Harry," Andromeda returned. "How was your Christmas Eve?"

"Very strange," Harry said. "Yours?"

Andromeda hesitated. "Well, Draco and Narcissa Malfoy turned up at my Mother's."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "My apologies."

"We survived," Andromeda said. "I left early, and Teddy and I-"

"-you could have come here!"

Andromeda waved her hand dismissively. "No need, I wasn't in the mood for festivities after that."

"I know the feeling," Harry told her, and Andromeda wondered how an eighteen year old could possibly know the feeling - she believed him, of course, but it troubled her. He shouldn't have had so much pain already. Of course, she'd known the pain at his age too.

"Well, Christmas Dinner is at my house this year," Andromeda said.  "Or some semblance of one, I haven't managed to get much cooking done."

"Actually, if it's okay, we had something else in mind," Harry said. "You can invite anyone you'd like to it, but we're meeting at the Hog's Head."

"We're having Christmas Dinner at the-"

"-no, we're meeting there. I'm not allowed to say anything else."

Teddy was staring at the Christmas Tree, which didn't have as many ornaments as Andromeda thought it ought to have. But they'd tried. Taking the hint, Harry headed in that direction with his godson.

Andromeda looked at Charlie; he was watching them with a sad expression on his face. Andromeda realized this Christmas was hard for them too, what with Fred's death... and of course, Charlie and Dora had been close, maybe even the closest in their group at one time.

"How are you... coming along?" Andromeda asked. She wasn't good at getting into the feelings side of things.

Charlie sighed. "Not as well as I'd like... but... here." Charlie pulled out a package. "I want Teddy to have this."

Andromeda opened it slowly, and gasped. It was an emerald green necklace Andromeda had seen Dora wear many, many times.

"Oh, Charlie," Andromeda gasped, "how did you-"

"-Dora gave it to me for safekeeping," Charlie explained.

"I can't - you should keep it, or give it to Ginny, or Fleur, or your Mum... someone. it's yours now."

"No, it's not. It was always hers, even before she owned it. Teddy should have it. He can give it to someone very special."

Andromeda squeezed Charlie's shoulder. "Thank you. I'll give it to him when he's older, but I will let him know it's from you."

"There's really no need-"

"-yes, there is. You're a good person."

"That's what they say," Charlie said.

Andromeda was puzzled by this response, but before she could respond, the door opened again; two very odd-looking people had entered, a tall an wearing a silver top hat with dancing reindeer over it and a young woman with long blonde-hair and gray eyes. She looked as though she had not expected to arrive.

"Mr. Lovegood!" Charlie shook hands with the odd duo. "Andromeda, this is Xenophilius Lovegood and his daughter, Luna."

"You're friends with Harry and Ginny, aren't you?" Andromeda asked with a smile. She'd heard many stories about Luna.

"Yes, of course," Luna replied. Andromeda noticed Xenophilius looked uncomfortable. "They graciously invited us. Has something happened to the sofa?"

"Er - I don't think so?"

"Then why are we standing?" At first Andromeda thought Luna was being sarcastic, but realized she wasn't kidding. Well, if the name fits...

"Oh, right," Charlie said with a laugh. "Yes, let us sit."

They made their way into the family room, where Teddy was on the floor with Harry, opening a stocking.

"Lyall Lupin left this," Harry told Andromeda.

"Lyall was here?"

"Yes, very briefly, though."

Teddy pulled out a small stuffed monkey (with help from Harry); he let out a squeal and held it to his chest. Also in the stocking was a card, which Andromeda read aloud.

Dear Teddy,

You won't understand this now. It is your first Christmas; you are not even a year old. But someday, you will come upon it, perhaps when you need to read it the most. Teddy, words cannot describe the things I wish I could give you. I have another present for you as well, which I will give to you tonight (yes, Andromeda, tonight - this old fool learned a valuable lesson). It is not nearly enough. But I can be sure that you know you were always, and always will be, a much loved little boy.

Happy Christmas,

Granddad

Andromeda sighed. "Oh, Lyall."

Noises from the front hall told Andromeda more guests had arrived; Ginny was greeting them, then calling the others in for brunch.

Andromeda recognized some at the table - there was Hagrid, whom Andromeda had met on a few occasions, Muriel Prewett (Andromeda wondered if she'd been invited mostly due to the fact that the Weasleys had hidden with her), and a young woman introduced as "Audrey," who was apparently dating Percy now.

"It's an obvious conspiracy," Luna was telling Audrey. "Nargles are being bred by the dozens!"

"How can they be bred when they don't exist?" Percy asked stiffly.

"Muggles think we don't exist," Luna pointed out.

"Luna, can you pass the butter?" Ginny asked loudly, shaking her head at Percy. Audrey and Andromeda exchanged the sort of look only two outsiders could, a look of amused perplexity.




Cyfrinach, 25 December 1997

They couldn't be spending Christmas Day with a stranger lot, in a stranger place, under worse circumstances.

Originally, Cyrfrinach had been the intended haven for the Dursleys. Hestia would stay there with them for their own protection, along with Dedalus Diddle. They hadn't anticipated a full-blown government coup.

Cyfrinach was the ancient hiding spot that was reported to be Helga Hufflepuff's birthplace; when she returned to it long after plague and war had killed most of its occupants and destroyed most of farmland, she promised safety for those who remained, renaming it "Cyfrinach." Secret. It was so secret even a lot of witches and wizards did not know of it. Even Hestia had always assumed it was a story her Mum had made up, but no, it was real. Small, there were only five houses, what had once been a tavern, and what had once been a farm, but real. It was on the outskirts of a small muggle town, which they traveled to often for food among other things. Hestia was learning a lot.

This particular house had originally been intended for just the Dursleys, Hestia and Dedalus; however, it now also consisted of Hestia's parents and Megan, the latter of whom had escaped Hogwarts. She'd tried to escape with a first year, but he'd been caught - Megan hadn't elaborated, but really, she hadn't needed to. Immediately  following her escape, Phyllis and Glynn had joined Hestia.  Andromeda, Remus, Tonks and Lyall were staying in the next house, along with a young man named Lee Jordan. It served as the Potterwatch headquarters as well as a haven.

The rest of the Order were scattered. The Weasleys were still at the Burrow, though everyone knew it was only a matter of time before they were forced into hiding. Bill and Fleur were in Cornwall, and Kingsley was... rather all over the place, from the sounds of it, though Hestia believed his parents themselves were hiding in Ireland. Kingsley was one of the leaders of the rebellion, so it made sense for him to need to move around. Sturgis Podmore was hiding in another Cyfrinach house, alone and less than inclined to converse.

"I just wish there'd been time for Ted to come here," Andromeda said sadly as she sipped her pumpkin juice.

"He wanted to help Dirk too, though," Tonks told her. "You know that. But he'll be fine."

"I never did write Dean back," Remus added. "When I left my post, he wrote, but I didn't know quite what to say..."

Hestia eyed the Dursleys; even Vernon looked slightly sympathetic. Slightly. Hestia was impressed.

"Well," Dudley said, "what teacher wants to hear from a student, anyway? I wouldn't want to hear from one of my teachers, why would they want to hear from me?"

"I'm sure he understood," Lyall assured Remus.

"And anyway, they're all going to be okay," Tonks said. "We're going to win this war, and they'll be able to come home. All of them. Dad can meet his grandchild."

"Have you decided on any names?" Hestia asked.

"Iris Hope if it's a girl," Remus said. "If it's a boy, well, we considered Sirius or James..."

"...but we think those are really Harry's to use," Tonks finished.

"Wait...Sirius Black? Harry knew him?" Megan asked. "I mean, I knew he was Mrs. Tonks's cousin - sorry, Mrs. Tonks..."

"It's okay, he was," Andromeda said.

"But he knew Harry too? The whole time we were in Dumble - Herbology together, he never mentioned he was friends with the bloke. Did he know he was innocent the whole time?"

"Yeah, he knew," Remus said. "It's a very long story, though. It would take about 394 pages to tell."

Megan sank back into the sofa. "I should've known... it seemed he and those friends of his were always part of whatever strange things were going on. I wish I'd spent less time gawking and spent more time getting to know them."

"That's not how teenagers work," Tonks told her. "No one ever got Hestia, Bill, Charlie or I either. Well, Charlie was popular, he was the Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team after all, but then he quit the team because he wanted to spend all his time reading about dragons... I was a Metamorphmagus... Bill only got the long hair and good looks after school... and Hestia was friends with us, for some reason."

"You made me be friends with you lot," Hestia teased.

Tonks threw a pillow at Hestia, but the pillow hit Megan; Megan threw two pillows at Tonks in retaliation.

"I was too chummy with the ghosts for most people," Lyall recalled. "Especially Nearly Headless Nick. I found him fascinating."

Andromeda shuddered. "I didn't."

"I was fond of the Fat Friar," Glynn said, "though I think all Hufflepuffs were. I even invited him to my wedding."

Hestia raised her eyebrows. "You... did?"

"We were all young and odd once. It was a bit of rebellion too, my parents were horrified."

Hestia snorted, thinking of her grandparents, who were certainly what you could call "prim and proper." Of course, her parents could be just as bad, reluctant though they may have been to admit it. Phyllis had found a way to buy her daughters fancy robes for Christmas in the middle of a war, after all, and Hestia knew she missed their larger, more luxurious home. But they were making the best of things - after all, it was the least of their problems.

"I don't understand you lot," Vernon grunted.

Tonks grinned. "Thank you!"

"That wasn't a compliment."

"You're welcome," Dudley said quietly. Hestia couldn't tell if he was being or clueless - perhaps, she realized, he was being both.



"Hestia?"

Hestia realized she'd been staring at the Shackelbot's door for approximately five minutes now.

"Sorry, Kingsley," she said. "I was thinking about last Christmas."

"Good or bad?"

"I'm not sure."

"Do you need another minute?" Kingsley asked.

"No, but thanks," Hestia replied. "Now it's time to... meet your parents."

"They'll love you," Kingsley assured her. "Besides, you've already met them."

"Just as some person you happened to know," Hestia said. "Not as your girlfriend."

Kingsley opened the door. "Well, now they will."

They were here to have a brief meeting before moving on to the Hog's Head; no one was really sure why they'd been invited there by Harry, Lyall Lupin, Ginny, and possibly Megan, who seemed to know something about it too.  Kingsley's parents hadn't been formally invited, but they had been urged to bring family.

Kingsley led Hestia into the house, then into a library;, which had two very large bookshelves that reached to the ceiling. Against the wall on the other side of the room were a series of portraits. Then, at the center of the room, a globe revolved on its own, pulled by the force of the stand beneath it.

"Hello."

Hestia turned; Kingsley's parents had entered. Clancy was using a cane today; he extended his free hand.

"I see Kingsley has shown  you around already," he said.

"Indeed.. it's very impressive. I especially love the globe."

"My grandfather made that globe," Lydia told Hestia. "He was a great wizard.'

"Sounds like it."

"So are you Glynn and Phyllis Jones's daughter?"

Hestia nodded. "Yes." She hoped they wouldn't bring up Glynn and Phyllis's previous loyalties.

Lydia smiled. "They were both in our year at Hogwarts, right, Clancy?"

"His brother Owen was Head Boy," Clancy recalled.

Hestia cringed. "Was he a self-righteous pain in the arse then, too?"

"Well..." Lydia and Clancy looked hesitant to insult their son's girlfriend's family.

"The answer is yes," Kingsley told them.

"But I think we all were at that age, really," Lydia added. "I wanted to be the smartest Ravenclaw, and was affronted when a Hufflepuff beat me as top of the class."

Hestia couldn't stop herself: "Hufflepuffs aren't stupid. That's a misconception, not helped by the Sorting Hat's tendency to sing about us last, after boasting the glories of the other Houses."

There was an uncomfortable silence now.

"Sorry," Hestia said sheepishly.

"It's quite all right," Clancy told her. Lydia, however, still looked a little startled, though she didn't say anything.

"You have a lot of books," Hestia said after a minute. "Including, I believe, some muggle titles?"

"Oh, absolutely," Clancy said. "Some wizards let go of their muggle heritage, but I never could. I think muggle literature, culture and history is very relevant."

"How on earth did Kingsley end up being an Auror, then, and not a scholar like you?" Hestia asked, jabbing a finger at Kingsley.

Kingsley laughed. "There's actually a lot more to being an Auror than fighting, although that is what some are best at. You have to think outside the box."

Lydia stood up. "Well, should we go, then?"

She handed Kingsley an old hat, and held out her other arm. Hestia realized the hat must have been a Portkey. They held on, and a few minutes later, found themselves at The Hog's Head.

"Why do people think they can just Portkey here?" The barman grumbled.

Megan, who was sitting on a stool, got up. "I told you they were coming."

"Wait - you know what's going on?" Hestia asked.

"Of course. Lyall wanted to do something different, so he spoke to Harry, who spoke to Ginny and I. Being part of a resistance group had its benefits."

"You were in the Order?" Lydia asked. "You're so young!"

"No, I wasn't in the Order," Megan replied. "Something else."

Hestia led them to the portrait of a young girl, who smiled at them and disappeared. Moments later, Harry took her place.

"Well, come on, then."

Hestia gave Megan a strange look before entering, and gasped.

"Oh my god," she said.

They were in a small room with a large silver Christmas tree, red ribbon all around it; a dining table with Christmas crackers; music from the wireless; and a green chandelier. It wasn't perfect - Hestia thought she saw some chipping on the ceiling, and had a feeling a lot of magic had been used. But it was more than she'd thought they would have.

Andromeda and Lyall were by a table under the window, looking at pictures - there were so many pictures. They were talking quietly among themselves. Charlie and Ginny were fixing the ornaments on the tree. Hestia's own parents were lighting candles on the table.

"How did you know about this place, anyway?" Phyllis asked Megan.

Megan hesitated. "We had to go somewhere to hide last year, didn't we?"

Harry and Ginny exchanged looks, but didn't say anything.

"Last night," Lyall explained as he tore his eyes from the pictures, "I had a... reminder that sometimes, what you need is chocolate and happy thoughts. You can't run from your demons. I knew Harry might have an idea as to how to make Christmas Day dinner special despite the circumstances."

"It's wonderful," Andromeda breathed.

"And we'd used this room before," Ginny continued, "during the war, y'know. We actually weren't sure we'd ever be able to use it again, I'm surprised we could."

"Etta!" Hestia realized Teddy was behind her. She picked him up swiftly, and mock-danced with him. His hair was green tonight... something Tonks would have done...

"I can't believe he's walking," Kingsley remarked.

"Neither can I," Hestia said.

Kingsley poked Teddy's nose, and Teddy giggled.

"Teddy, are you hogging all the attention again?" Andromeda accused jokingly.  Teddy smiled innocently, and Hestia wondered how muche he'd understood.

"I think it's time to eat!" Lyall announced, and just like that, food appeared on the table. Hestia noticed there was plenty of wine, cheese and chocolate, and was more than happy to indulge - as were all of them; the food kept them fairly quiet for a good while.

"Oh, Harry," Megan said suddenly, "I should tell you that... we met your aunt and uncle last Christmas. And your cousin."

Harry looked horrified. "You were all hiding with them?"

"Pretty much," Andromeda told him. "Near them, anyway. Remus and Dora, too."

"Please tell me they weren't awful to you."

"Vernon was a piece of work," Hestia admitted. "Petunia... got better."

"And Dudley wasn't so bad," Megan finished. "I was beginning to warm up to him. He wanted to introduce me to all these muggle... fellyvision shows."

"Of course he was," Harry muttered.

"What? Muggle felly is interesting. I miss watching EastEnders."

Harry looked amused. "Dudley watched EastEnders?"

"No, that was Petunia. Dudley thinks EastEnders is about people who go east."

"Of... where, pray tell?" Hestia asked.

"Just east. I never said he was smart, just... tolerable, if you caught him at the right time."

"Well, I suppose I'm glad he's grown as a person," Harry said. "Sorry my uncle's still... Vernon, though."

"He reminds me of my father, so I dealt with him the way I dealt with mine," Lyall said. "Lots of nodding and humming until I can find escape."

Everyone laughed.

The wireless started to play slower music, and everyone started to dance spontaneously. Kingsley held out his hand, and grinning, Hestia took it, letting him spin her before finally resting her head on his chest.

It might have been such a painful Christmas, and while it was really Lyall who saved it... Kingsley was so much part of it. They'd loved and lost the same people, fought the same war, and came to a middle in just the right place. Hestia didn't know how she'd managed to do so many things before.

"I love you," Hestia whispered.

"I love you too."

"I don't want this night to end."

"Then it won't. We'll fall asleep dancing."

"Is that even possible?"

"You tell me."

Hestia giggled. "I say it's not. But it won't stop us from trying."

*EastEnders is a British soap opera. I've never seen it, but from what I've heard from Brit friends, it sounds like something Petunia Dursley would watch, although she might not admit to it. (Do let me know if I'm misinformed.)

Comments

[ragnarok-08.livejournal.com]

This is really great :)

[mollywheezy.livejournal.com]

"How can they be bred when they don't exist?" Percy asked stiffly.

"Muggles think we don't exist," Luna pointed out.


SCORE to Luna! Best comeback ever! :)

I also loved Christmas in the Room of Requirement, the exchange between Charlie and Andromeda, and Teddy who is made of adorable! :)

Great job!

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

Luna logic can be surprisingly smart. It's just not... Percy or Hermione smart. :P