A Love Without Time (Remus Lupin)

Thirty-Nine.

Being alone and pregnant isn't fun, I'll tell you that much. I'm very emotional. Someone even thinks the name Remus Lupin around me and I am either crying or filled with rage. Of course I told Dumbledore, I had to so he could work on finding a replacement for me after I give birth. In March I will be taking the rest of the year off.
   
My twins are going to the Quidditch World cup this year with Arthur. They're also taking Harry and Hermione with them. Eleven kids together would be a lot for Arthur alone, so I offered to go with him but he assured me he had it. Considering that Bill, Charlie, and Percy are all of age and are grown adults he said he will be okay.
   
I stayed with Molly that night. It was nice to see her two oldest boys together again. Charlie has been in Romania tending to dragons since he finished school, and Bill is off in Egypt doing curse breaker work for Gringotts Bank. So it was nice to see them again. They had grown their hair out, like Bill had, too. This was Harry and Hermione's first time meeting them as well.
   
I could tell from the look in Harry’s eyes that he thought Bill was so cool and he thought Charlie was so awesome. It was too cute, honestly. I could tell he thought they were awesome. The two older boys congratulated me on my pregnancy, to which I said thank you. I was excited to become a mother again, I was. Potential werewolf or not, I didn't care. I was going to have a new baby soon, so I was excited about that. I couldn't wait to meet them. I have decided that I don't want to know if I'm having a boy or a girl, I want it to be a surprise.
   
Molly and I planned on going to Diagon Alley to get our kids some new school things. Lyanna has gotten curvy over the summer and she needs new shirts and new skirts, and Bradley has grown like 5 inches since April, so he needs new trousers too. He was getting tall like his father was.
   
That night of the World Cup, Molly and I had a talk while our kids were gone. We talked about Remus. She thinks that I let him off the hook too easily, but I disagree. She doesn't know Remus like I do. He would have just left if I didn't let him go. So either way, I'd be alone right now.
   
"He's a complete fool," she hissed, obviously angry. "But I know you, Ellie, if he ever changes his mind and wants to come back, you'll let him."
   
"Not without him proving to me he was there to stay," I protested.
   
She smiled at me for that. "That's my girl."
   
I didn't tell her about Sirius, because the less people who knew the better. Even though she is my best mate I couldn't tell her the truth. I changed the subject off of Remus then, I mentioned how I thought that it was sweet that George and Lyanna are getting very close. She scoffed and said, "She'll run far from him if she knows what is good for her. That joke shop dream that he and Fred have is ridiculous. It's not practical, and it will fail. I'm sure of it, but I can't get it through their heads."
   
"Fred and George are very smart," I told her, but she didn't listen.
   
"They got 3 O.W.L.'s each, Ellie."
   
"I know, but I have been teaching them the entire time they've been at school and they're very smart and bright. I think a joke shop would be perfect for them. They use magic in ways I've never seen before. They're going to do great, Molly."
   
She didn't agree, and I know Molly well enough that I know when I drop a subject, so I did.  We enjoyed the rest of our girl's night. We drank elf made wine and drank and laughed. It was a great night honestly. We needed a night just the two of us.
   
The next night we woke to the news that the World Cup was ambushed by Death Eaters. Molly was beside herself with grief not knowing what happened to her family especially since the last thing she said to Fred and George was something about their O.W.L.'s. She hugged them tight both so tight after everyone returned.
   
I hugged my kids each for a good moment, and then I hugged Harry tightly as well, and I told him that I was so glad he was okay. Then I hugged the rest of the kids, because I do love them all. Fred gave a good squeeze when I hugged him, and I had a sneaky feeling that he was just trying to feel my chest pressed up against his. Teenage boys, I swear.
   
I took my twins home, and I gave them their new school things. They headed back to school a few weeks later. They waited for the red steam engine to arrive at Hogsmeade station and then they rode with the other kids in the carriages to the school.
   
Former Order of the Phoenix member, Alastor Moody, was the newest Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor this year, but he's only staying for the year. It was nice to see him again. The kids have no idea what is happening this year at school, but us staff all do. They're bringing back the Triwizard Tournament and one of the schools competing is Durmstrang. Their head master is former Death Eater Igor Karkaroff and Dumbledore has asked Alastor to watch over him this year.
   
Alastor hadn't showed up yet, and I figured that he would come on the train with the other kids like Remus had last year, but I was wrong, because I watched the kids pile in and didn't see him. I saw something curious, too. I noticed my daughter walking into the Great Hall next to George, and it looked like they were holding hands.
   
I couldn't tell because they were in the crowd but I'm pretty sure they were. She should know that she can tell me if they were together, but I also don't want to press her about it, because that could just push her away. Bradley was walking next to his fellow fourth year Hufflepuff Walker Owler. He was a sweet, good kid, but he's bullied a lot so I was glad that my son was nice to him.
   
After the sorting of the new first year students into the houses, I couldn’t help but notice that the food this feast was more lavish than it has ever been before. It was certainly much more exotic in choices this time with foods from other countries around the worlds as the main courses.
   
When Dumbledore took to the podium, he began his speech to start off the new year, “So! Now that we’re all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention while I give out a few notices. Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle this year has been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch’s office, if anybody would like to check.”
   
The corners of his mouth twitched before he spoke again, “As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year. It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year. This is due to an event that will be starting in October continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers’ time and energy - but I’m sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year Hogwarts - ”
   
He didn’t get to finish that thought though, because the doors to the Great Hall banged opened. A man stood in the doorway, leaning down upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall swiveled towards the stranger. A dull clunk echoed through the hall with his every step he took. He reached the top of the teachers table, turned right, and limped heavily towards Dumbledore. The stranger reached Dumbledore and stretched out his hand that was as badly scarred as his face was, and Dumbeldore shook it, muttering words that we couldn’t hear. Dumbledore nodded and then gestured the man to the empty seat at the table.
   
“May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Moody. As I was saying, Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry are honored to be hosting a very exciting event over the coming months that has not been held in over a century. It is my great pleasure to inform you the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year.” Gasps filled the room from everyone that knew what that meant.
   
He then went on to tell everyone that the Tournament was a very dangerous thing, and that there was a very high death toll before they stopped putting it on. The rules have been changed and no one under the age of seventeen is allowed to enter. That made the Weasley twins yell, “That’s rubbish!” out loud.
   
“The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money.”
   
Murmurs began to take over the Great Hall. Conversations amongst each other.
   
“I know that you will extend every courtesy to our forgein guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop-chop!”
   
They didn’t have a choice but to head to their houses, so they did. I bet Fred and George were so angry they couldn't enter. I was glad that none of the kids I care most about at this school could enter. My kids, Harry, and the Weasley kids were all going to be safe during the tournament.

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Here's part 39!

We're in the fourth book now!

I'm excited for the Yule Ball and Ellie's new baby coming soon.

Some awesome things are happening!

-Emily Winchester.