Disclaimer: Thanks to J.K. Rowling for allowing me to take her characters for a lengthy stroll through my imagination.
Three
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
“She did it again,” Teddy whispered as soon as he had Harry to himself in the short hallway. Wordlessly, he nodded in Phoebe’s direction as she was just pulling herself up the stairs using the banister rungs as handholds. “Black and white just as before. Victoire saw.”
“What about Mrs. Weasley?” Harry prodded. “Did you ask her?”
Teddy nodded eagerly, bringing a miniature version of the Marauder twinkle to his eyes. So much like his father, Harry noted inwardly, the serious demeanor and unconscious rangy grace already evident. Only the vivid hair color distinguished him as Tonks’ offspring as well. “Granmum Weasel said she hadn’t seen any.”
Harry couldn’t help but chuckle. “That’s Grandmother Weasley,” he corrected. “Just because Phoebe can’t--”
“Ma Weasel, Ma Weasel,” Phoebe issued in a singsong voice as her short legs carried her past Harry and into the waiting arms of Ginny who was just closing the bedroom door at the end of the hall.
“Don’t you look lovely today,” Ginny crooned as she scooped the youngster into her arms. The bright tartan of the diminutive skirt draped over Ginny’s arm as the white tights of Phoebe’s legs dangled happily. With a chubby finger, Phoebe pointed to the black velvet Alice band that complimented her long blonde hair. “Very nice,” Ginny assured her. “Your mother has a rare talent with hair.”
Satisfied that she’d passed muster, Phoebe squirmed free and ran down the short hallway to wait at the head of the stairs for the others to catch up to her.
“Did you think to ask Ginny?” Harry urged Teddy. “She grew up at the Burrow.”
“Ask me what?” Ginny posed directly to Harry.
“Teddy has spied rabbits at the Burrow on a few occasions and was curious about their origin,” Harry explained.
“Victoire claimed they were her special friends,” Teddy interjected.
“Really now?” Ginny remarked as she looked down into Teddy’s intense eyes. “Weren’t you able to ask them personally? Surely a spook like you wouldn’t have any trouble sneaking up on a few harmless rabbits.”
“It’s always the same rabbit,” Teddy insisted with a small scowl at her teasing. “A black and white one.”
“I wasn’t aware the girls had any pets,” Ginny supplied.
“That’s what Molly said,” Harry echoed. “What about wild rabbits wandering out from the woods?”
Despite catching the serious import in Harry’s look, Ginny replied with a smile, “I really don’t think so. Any animals on the grounds were driven off long ago by my brothers. Dad used to claim the twins were capable of scaring away the summer mosquitoes as well.”
“I never heard of mosquito venom used in novelty products, but I wouldn’t put it past Fred and George.” Harry laughed good-naturedly.
“You don’t believe me!” Teddy remarked plaintively.
“Actually, I do, champ,” Harry whispered, crouching down to be at eye level with his godson as Ginny ushered Phoebe down the stairs. “It’s just a bit hard to believe that it’s your sister.”
“Why? You and Dad both change into animals. Big animals. So Phoebe has to start small.”
“I’m not denying the logic of your conclusions…”
“Then what?” Teddy probed, his innate curiosity so much like his father’s that Harry couldn’t just brush him off.
“Your Dad and I studied long and hard to become Animagi, over a year in my case. It’s a technique that requires the use of a wand. Phoebe has no wand.”
“I don’t need a wand to change my hair color.”
“Nor does your mother,” Harry acknowledged. “But you have to admit her control is far superior to yours.”
“She just likes to change her mind more often,” Teddy replied, unconvinced. “I just stick with turquoise.”
“So that explains why you like to wear that black jumper so much,” Ginny volunteered from the stairs. “To show off your hair.”
Harry barely suppressed a smile as he recalled Tonks giving in to her son’s preferences with a weary sigh. “At least black won’t clash violently with whatever color his mood dictates,” she’d admitted just loud enough for Harry to overhear.
“Mum says it makes him look growed up,” Phoebe called gaily as she tugged impatiently on Ginny’s hand.
“Wouldn’t surprise me,” Ginny confided to the little girl at her side. “Harry used to think the same thing when he was at Hogwarts. Used to think a black jumper made him seem like less of a nervous school boy.”
Harry joined in with the laughter at his expense, putting his concerns about Phoebe from his mind for the moment. Remus was unlikely to believe anything unless he saw it with his own eyes, anyway.
Tonks stared at herself critically in the hall mirror as she dispatched her children to seek out Harry and Ginny. Their guests would arrive between half-past six and seven and it wouldn’t do to have those two wandering down from upstairs as if they owned the place, even though technically Harry did. His half anyway.
The black leather pants and creamy folds of the poet’s shirt were perfectly in keeping with the contrasts Remus always whispered so beguiled him. The blue hair, though…. No, not tonight. She wanted to make an impression in a different way. In a way that was not so similar to her classroom persona. With a bit of concentration, her hair was transformed into short dark waves, sculpted ever so casually with a bit of glossy gel.
With a final flick of her wand, she summoned the bold necklace she’d purchased on a whim over the summer. Tucking her wand firmly into her belt, she reviewed the look in the mirror and nodded her approval.
She could hear Ginny’s and Harry’s voices as they started down the stairs, the squeakier pitch of her children’s words interlaced in the conversation. With a colossal sneeze of lavender smoke, the oversized hearth in the sitting room announced that their guests’ arrival was imminent. In the next heartbeat, Remus was brushing the last vestiges of Floo powder from his dark trousers. Tonks could see he had swapped his suit coat for a more casual jumper but had not removed his tie.
“Welcome to my home,” Remus was saying as he gallantly offered a hand to each of the guests as they tumbled from the Floo. “This is my wife, Tonks…. Harry and Ginny. And the two little midgets are my children, Teddy and Phoebe.” As he said the last part, Remus squatted down and held his arms out so his children could engulf him in a welcoming hug. The customary greeting completed, he drew himself up to full height and added, “This is Sera Thierry and her daughter, Serenity, who is one of my students this year.”
As the polite words of introduction were exchanged, Harry caught Serenity’s awed expression and watched as recognition slowly suffused her features.
“Why, you’re Harry Potter!” she exclaimed softly, then put her hand to her mouth for having spoken out of turn.
Harry gave her his most winning smile to put her at ease. “Yes, I am. And this is my fiancée, Ginny. We’re both very pleased to meet you.”
Sera stopped in mid-sentence and looked at Remus and then at Harry and back again. Clearly, she was at a loss for words. After a few moments of indecision, she settled for, “I never knew you had such a distinguished pedigree, Remus.”
Remus laughed heartily as he steered his guests into the drawing room. “I don’t. Harry and I sort of adopted one another since neither one of us had any other family left. Tonks is cousin to Harry’s late godfather and now Harry is godfather to my children.”
“It’s a bit confusing,” Tonks acknowledged, “but it works for us. And the children absolutely adore Harry.”
“Then this house…” Sera hesitated, remembering all too well the tragic details she’d read. Could this be the house in which Harry’s parents had been murdered by the darkest wizard of all time?
Sensing her discomfort, Harry volunteered, “This was originally the Potter estate. My parents left half to me and the other half to their closest friends -- of which Remus is the only survivor. We could have simply divided the land in half and lived as neighbors, but this arrangement suits us better. It’s kept me from having to endure lonely nights as a bachelor.”
And it allowed Remus’ family the services of the house-elf who demanded to work for you when you left school, Ginny thought to herself but wisely kept silent. After all, she knew Remus insisted on paying his share of Dobby’s salary.
Noticing that Teddy and Phoebe were clustered around Serenity’s chair, Remus suggested, “Why don’t the two of you give Serenity the grand tour?”
“By ourselves?” Teddy posed as he eagerly jumped to his feet.
“Of course, you don’t want her to think you get lost in your own house, do you?” Addressing Serenity directly, Remus added, “Feel free to speak with them in French; they seem to think it’s their secret language.”
Phoebe was already tugging Serenity by the hand and leading her towards the checkerboard tiles of the foyer when Tonks called out, “Mind that Harry’s room is off-limits.”
“Really, it’s all right,” Harry demurred in an undertone. “It’s not like I have secrets around here.” He could feel Ginny give his hand a gentle squeeze at his side, effectively reminding him that the drawer in which she stored a few of her things was carefully warded against inquisitive children.
“Nonetheless, they should recognize certain boundaries,” Remus affirmed.
As the rapid-fire cadences could be heard from the next room, Sera turned to her hosts. “I didn’t know your children were so accomplished at such a young age.”
“Ginny’s sister-in-law hails from Provence,” Remus supplied. “The children play together at least one afternoon a week.”
“Then it’s true that you speak all those languages? Serenity and I were part of the special diplomatic group who was allowed to visit the museum,” Sera added by way of explanation. “It’s a shame all the exhibits were not yet finalized.”
“Some more than others -- I suppose that goes for languages as well as the exhibits,” Remus replied modestly. “Too many hours to kill while I searched in vain for employment, I’m afraid.”
“Yet I wager not a single other werewolf used his extra time in such a manner,” Sera suggested with a wry arch to her eyebrow.
Who is this woman who seems to know my husband so intimately? Tonks thought to herself. An old girlfriend he swept under the rug? She caught Ginny’s quizzical eye and surmised that she was having similar thoughts. Remus was hardly one to speak so openly about his lycanthropy, either. Even today, there were too many deeply entrenched prejudices for that.
Finally finding the courage to speak up, Tonks demanded, “Forgive me for being at a disadvantage, but how exactly are the two of you acquainted?” She held her breath, dreading all the possibilities.
Nonetheless, Sera’s candid answer took her by surprise. “Remus and I spent a delightful six months in a werewolf camp together. I would have thought he’d filled you in.”
“Didn’t really get the chance,” Remus admitted sheepishly. “It’s not the sort of thing one discusses in front of small children; it was hardly Club Med.”
“But surely they know of your condition?” Sera gasped.
“As well as such things can be explained,” Tonks elaborated. “Everyone in the family has unique traits so it doesn’t seem like such an oddity. Except for Phoebe, that is, but she’s still so young.”
“That’s right. Serenity mentioned how entertaining your classes were, Tonks.” Sera offered graciously. “Metamorphmagi are the sort of things one reads about but never actually meets.”
Tonks smiled at the compliment and added a small rainbow trill of hair color changes, concluding with Teddy’s trademark turquoise shade before returning to her previous style. Still, it was difficult to imagine this elegant young woman before her was a werewolf. If anything, Tonks would have pegged her as a devotee of the same Parisian shops her mother preferred, what with her elegant navy twin set and opera length pearls.
With a welcoming smile, Ginny volunteered a tidbit from her years at the Wireless News Desk, “It’s a shame His Excellency, your husband, was unable to join us tonight.” She paused briefly to gauge the effect of the announcement. Sure enough, Remus and Tonks were thunderstruck, but Sera just took it in stride.
“Michel’s schedule is an absolute nightmare,” Sera admitted. “I constantly have to check with his social secretary to see when he’s free.”
Ginny caught Harry’s amused smirk as Remus struggled for a response. She knew that after years of being in the spotlight himself, Harry always enjoyed it when someone else was the center of attention. Good thing she’d been right about the connection, Ginny thought wryly.
“Your husband’s Michel Lucien Thierry, the ambassador from the French Ministry?” Remus stammered.
“I thought you knew.”
“Isn’t he an older bloke?” Tonks blurted out then blushed at her deplorable manners. “Forgive how that sounds…”
Sera laughed easily. “You’re thinking of his father, Philippe. He retired a few months ago. That’s why everything is in such a turmoil.”
“The transfer of power,” Harry supplied with a sage nod.
“You’re awfully quiet tonight.” Remus poked Harry playfully with his elbow.
“Just enjoying you getting caught short for once,” Harry quipped.
The conversation flowed freely as they sipped a delightful aperitif Tonks had discovered during their scouting trip to Spain that summer.
“Really, Remus, I’m surprised you never applied to the diplomatic corps,” Sera commented. “Such a facility for languages is a rare talent. I could still put in a good word for you…”
Remus laughed in the light-hearted manner which seemed to come naturally to him since Voldemort’s defeat. “Did you forget I’m routinely indisposed each month?”
“As am I,” Sera affirmed. “Michel has no qualms about making the necessary allowances. Truly, your value would far outweigh any inconvenience!”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, but old attitudes prevail more than you realize. Besides, I’m quite happy where I am.”
“The Headmistress has long harbored a dream to make Hogwarts more competitive by offering foreign languages,” Tonks expounded with a note of pride. “Remus here was tailor-made for the task of making it a reality.”
“So you intend to offer more than French, Italian and Spanish in the future?” Sera inquired with obvious interest.
“I intend to recruit a German instructor during the summer holidays,” Remus remarked. “It’s part of my job to scout out appropriate candidates who the Headmistress can interview for a final decision.”
“Doesn’t that interfere with your holiday?” Sera posed.
“The Headmistress is very generous in that respect,” Remus supplied. “She always procures the most delightful accommodations for the family so we can all immerse ourselves in the culture for at least a month. Even our house-elf finds he enjoys the chance to learn new recipes.”
“It’s hard to argue with such an assignment,” Sera agreed.
Harry caught the unspoken words Remus clearly felt were too personal to voice, even to another werewolf: how the summer sabbaticals were timed precisely so his family was safely ensconced in another country while he Flooed back in time to transform at home. Since mastering the Animagus transformation, it was a ritual Harry shared during those summer months when it was necessary to discontinue the reconfigured Wolfsbane Potion Remus took for the remainder of the year. It was an ingenious solution which benefited the school as well as Remus, Harry noted, not wanting to think back on the first nerve-wracking summers when Tonks and Teddy had been hurried off to the safety of her parents’ home during full moons.
Harry refocused his attention on their guests as Sera addressed Tonks directly, “You must bring back some wonderful things.”
Tonks sighed in contentment. “I suppose it would be a dream come true for an unrepentant shopper like my mum. I just enjoy having some unbroken days to spend with my children.”
“Besides, it’s Remus who brings back the unexpected surprises,” Ginny offered with a wide smirk.
Harry couldn’t help laughing out loud as Remus had once again been put on the spot.
With a quick glance as the sparkling challenge in Ginny’s eyes, Remus did a quick surveillance of the immediate area to make sure the children were still out of range. His expression relaxed somewhat as he caught a glimpse of them escorting Serenity across the front lawn towards the far wing that housed their own bedrooms.
“Please do tell,” Sera urged as she caught Tonks’ amused expression.
With a rueful shake of his head, Remus recounted the events surrounding the recruitment of Signorina Olivetti, their new Italian teacher. “She’s actually a Muggle, you see. Her paternal grandparents were both wizards, but her father was a Squib who married a Muggle. Having grown up with her grandfather, Enzo, living upstairs, she was quite familiar with the wizarding world.”
“But you know how old-fashioned these Italian families can be,” Tonks interjected with a barely contained giggle. “And an unmarried daughter accepting a post abroad required further inspection.”
“Having heard of Hogwarts, Grandfather Enzo accompanied Ms. Olivetti to her interview with the Headmistress so he could acquaint himself with the exact nature of the accommodations and teaching post she was being offered,” Remus continued.
“Surely he wasn’t put off by Minerva McGonagall…” Sera urged.
“Oh, no,” Tonks intoned. “Mr. Enzo got along famously with the Heads.”
“Both of them,” Harry emphasized.
“Especially Professor Sprout,” Ginny clarified mischievously.
“Professor Sprout?” Sera asked, unfamiliar with the name.
“She teaches Herbology,” Remus explained. “She’s also the Deputy Headmistress. So while Minerva prepared the Olivettis a delightful home-cooked meal to win them over, Pomona took Enzo on a tour of her exotic gardens --”
“The long and short of it is that Pomona Sprout recently announced her plans to retire at the end of the school year and relocate to Enzo’s Tuscan villa,” Tonks supplied. “She’s been showing off her engagement ring ever since.”
Sera laughed merrily. “What a charming tale. I never took you for such a match-maker, Remus.”
“I’m not,” he decried. “Blame it on Minerva’s cooking; she’s the one who wields the culinary magic in this story.”
“Not that any of this has been announced to the students,” Harry warned. “Not even the upcoming retirement.”
“Minerva will want to announce the name of the replacement Herbologist, if at all possible,” Ginny asserted. “And I’m fairly certain she hasn’t even started on that.”
“Not yet,” Remus confirmed. “Although I suspect Pomona Sprout might have a say in that decision herself.”
He was saved from having to elaborate as Dobby took that moment to announce dinner was ready as he ushered the children in before him.
“But I wasn’t done with the tour!” Teddy protested to the elf and then to his father in French.
“Finish after dinner,” Remus suggested as he urged Serenity to sit at one end of the long table with the Lupin brood. “We don’t hold much with ceremony here,” he advised her directly. “You’ll find it much easier to continue with your conversations if you don’t have to constantly talk across the others. You’ll still be close enough to follow the adult conversation if you wish.”
Somewhere between the soup and the main course, they got down to the crux of the matter.
“I know you’ve not been pleased with my classes,” Remus addressed Serenity directly.
“Please, don’t take that personally, Professor,” Serenity replied with wide eyes at being put on the spot. “Everyone says you’re such a wonderful teacher…”
“You shouldn’t have to struggle through mediocre lessons, Serenity. I, too, spoke French at your age and would have been most insulted with the Hogwarts curriculum. So, here’s what I propose we do instead…”
Harry found that as long as he didn’t try to contribute too much to the individual conversations, he could listen to Remus on his left as well as follow the avid wedding planning that absorbed Ginny and Tonks to his right. His initial puzzlement over Tonks’ enthusiasm when she had eschewed all such trappings for her own wedding had long since been explained away by Remus’ sobering reminder that things had been a lot different in the midst of an all-out wizarding war. They had been extremely lucky to find a bit of untouched paradise amid the chaos to pledge themselves to one another.
“Just look at what happened to Fleur and Bill,” Ginny supplied. “They had to wait until Voldemort was defeated to congregate so many wizards in one place at one time.”
“Not that I would have waited until after the war,” Tonks had confided sotto voce. “I wasn’t fool enough to give the Viscount of Vacillation here a chance to change his mind.”
Harry was amused that the selection of the dress, the biggest obstacle according to Ginny, had simply given rise to another set of challenges. Ginny was adamant about wanting a simple ceremony in the arbored courtyard under the violet glow of dusk. She had immediately latched on to Harry’s sole suggestion that they release fireflies to dance about the patio. He had not mentioned the recent advent of the mysterious piano music and how it had invoked Remus’ recollections of the past. Harry smiled to see how she defended his one idea, arguing that live faerie lights had become such a wedding cliché and how Hagrid was sure to know where to obtain fireflies.
How were they going to cope with the likely advent of colder temperatures in November, maybe even snow, though? He left them discussing the various types of shield charms and warming spells that could be used as he focused his attention on the negotiations to his left.
Remus had readily sold both of the Thierrys on his radical idea of allowing Serenity to be his teaching assistant, even though that was a role usually reserved for N.E.W.T. level students. “I would have to do without, you see,” Remus explained. “The language program is so new that I won’t have any upper level classes for a few years yet. But I’m certain Serenity’s proficiency is up to the task of grading papers for the beginning students, don’t you think?”
Serenity was avidly nodding her head while Sera’s eyes twinkled in merriment at her side.
“But there are conditions,” Remus stressed. “I want you to take the first O.W.L. level French exam offered so you can progress into the more advanced classes. Can you promise me that? I hope to delve into literature and poetry in the original language.’
“Oui, Monsieur,” Serenity provided on cue.
“Wait, there’s more,” Remus warned with a raised finger. “I want you to sign up for either the basic Spanish or Italian classes currently being offered by Senorita Ramos and Signorina Olivetti. If you find you don’t care for either of those languages, you can change next year. We’ll be adding German as an option at that time.”
Serenity paused just as she was going to reply, her dark eyes darting towards her mother uncertainly. “But, Professor,” she petitioned, “won’t that require an extra class period?”
“Yes, it will, Serenity,” Remus allowed patiently. “You will have one more class than the other second years. More akin to a third year schedule, I believe. We can arrange your student assistant hours so they agree with both our timetables. At teatime, perhaps. Do you think that will be too much to handle?”
She shook her head vigorously as she broke out in a broad smile.
“Aren’t you going to a lot of extra trouble just to accommodate the special needs of one student?” Sera suggested.
“You mean like Dumbledore did for me when I was allowed to attend school despite the limitations I had suffered since the age of five?” Remus whispered with a lift to his eyebrow.
“Sorry, I never quite knew the details,” Sera responded, not needing Remus to spell it out for her.
“Actually, Serenity will be doing me a favor,” Remus elaborated diplomatically. “Unlike the other language teachers, I will have an assistant to help with much of the onerous duties. One who can accept assignments and discuss them with her instructor en français. N’est pas, madamoiselle?”
“Oui, Monsieur.”
Sera relented, “Well, if you put it in such terms, I don’t see how we can refuse, can we?”
As Dobby bewitched a pitcher of pumpkin juice to refill the children’s glasses, Harry hazarded a look towards the dinner plates being levitated towards the kitchen. True to form, Teddy and Phoebe had cleaned their plates in preparation for the special dessert. Not that Dobby hadn’t assisted them by preparing most of their favorite dishes. Still, Harry suspected the promise of chocolate soufflé might even induce those two to consume Brussels sprouts, although he had yet to test his theory.
By the time they dug into the chocolaty overload of the dessert, it was clear Serenity was excited over the prospectus Remus had outlined.
“Can I be part of the Round Robin?” she posed to Remus directly.
“We’ll see,” he responded with a sly tilt to his smile.
Noticing the exchange, Sera couldn’t help but ask, “What’s a Round Robin?”
Remus and Tonks both broke out laughing at the same time.
“Oh, I’ve heard about that…” Harry offered in a tantalizing manner.
“Only Remus could devise such a torturous diversion,” Ginny echoed.
“Pay no attention to their teasing,” Remus scoffed. “It’s just something Professors Olivetti, Ramos and I do to practice our language skills.”
“All at once,” Tonks interjected.
“So it’s efficient,” Remus clarified with a note of pride.
“I believe Minerva used the term ‘maddening’,” Tonks countered. “Although only in the nicest way.”
“All right, now you really have my curiosity piqued,” Sera prodded.
Indulgently, Remus explained how the three of them would carry on a conversation in three different languages at once, switching from one to another every time their turn came up. “No English allowed,” he stipulated.
“Don’t you get tongue-tied?” Sera laughed.
“Or brain-tied?” Ginny giggled.
“Or run out of things to talk about?” Serenity dared.
Harry caught Tonks eye as they both dissolved in laughter. It was clear they were both recalling when Severus Snape had attempted to insult Remus by suggesting that he could carry on a conversation with a lethargic thestral. To which Remus had shot back, “At least he wouldn’t mistake me for a long lost relative!”
Remus smiled in response as he challenged his student, “You’ll have to familiarize yourself with more than two languages to do it.”
It wasn’t long before Teddy’s and Phoebe’s eyes were drooping, although neither of them would ever acknowledge it willingly.
“Come, let’s get you two into your pajamas,” suggested Tonks as a subterfuge.
“But we never got to show Serenity our bedrooms,” Teddy protested weakly.
“You’re welcome to come along, then,” Tonks suggested to Serenity.
“Please, Zen,” Phoebe echoed as she held out her hand to the older girl.
The others were just polishing off the last of the dessert when Tonks and Serenity returned to the dining room.
“I think they were asleep before we managed to tuck them in.” Serenity giggled.
“And they were so determined to show you my Zen garden off the patio,” Tonks added with a note of regret.
“We were there earlier, Professor,” Serenity clarified. “I think they wanted you to see the clever drawings they left for you in the sand. Spook was convinced that faeries like to obliterate such things in the night.”
Tonks laughed merrily. “That’s just the explanation Remus gave Phoebe when the howling wind kept her awake one night. He said it was the faeries calling to one another as they reworked the landscape.”
“And sure enough, the tree limbs where limned with icy crystals the next morning,” Ginny claimed.
Dobby urged them up from the dinner table with his long fingered hands. “Enough with the lingering,” the elf pronounced boldly as he motioned towards the drawing room. “Dobby would much prefer to clear the table without the added obstacles of wriggling bodies in his midst.” Everyone giggled at the elf’s outspokenness.
“The elves at the Embassy are so staid,” Sera commented as she accepted the glass of port Remus handed her. “I think they might actually faint if I attempted to engage them in conversation.”
“Dobby’s unique, all right,” Tonks agreed. “He even helped me to win Remus’ favor when he was being particularly obstinate and hard-headed.”
“It was a complete mystery to me how she managed to deliver a gift to Dumbledore’s flat when the wards had been set by the mighty wizard himself,” Remus admitted with a wry laugh. “Caught me totally off guard.”
“So what happened?” Sera urged.
“You mean before or after he subjected the mysterious package to every hex detection known to wizardkind?” Harry quipped.
“Thank goodness he didn’t think to immerse it in water like Muggles defusing their bombs,” Ginny gasped.
“I would’ve ended up with a sodden mass of parchment for my troubles,” Remus allowed with a good-natured laugh. “You didn’t think to use water-proof ink, did you, cherub?”
“I’m not rightly certain,” Tonks allowed as she curled herself up next to Remus. “The simplest things required so many stringent protocols in those dark days that I don’t know how we didn’t get bogged down in day to day minutia.”
Serenity took the spot next to her mother and tugged her impatiently by the sleeve. “Did you notice what Phoebe called me? Zen. It’s my new nickname.”
“A three year old came up with that?”
“I’m sure it was Teddy,” Remus noted as Serenity nodded in response. “He’s the one whose mind thinks in those terms “ constantly.”
“But how did he”“
“From the garden, of course,” Tonks supplied.
Serenity elaborated, “He told me very solemnly that it was not a sand box. Said his mum told him its purpose was to promote peace and serenity. Then his eyes got all round when he made the obvious connection.”
“So now you’re Zen?” Sera noted with a small smile.
“I can’t wait to tell the other girls in Ravenclaw!” Serenity raved. “You don’t know how frustrated they were when I told them that ‘Sera’ was my mother’s name so they’d have to think of some other nickname. Two weeks later and no one has been able to come up with anything!”