Veelas and Mates(Slow Updates)

39. Animals

The two jumped at the sudden voice coming from the shadow of the barn. Nico stepped out into the pale light of the moon.

"Rema!"

"Neeks!"

Killian made his way forward, slightly unnerved by the fact that Lydia was not, only giving one of her indecipherable looks to Nico that somehow the other understood. Nico closed the rest of the distance between them and Killian and opened their arms for him. He quickly accepted, tension draining from his shoulders.

"I'm sorry if I worried you, honey. I'm sure your father's return hasn't been easy on you."

Killian pulled away, but stayed close, monitoring his parent's expression.

"But will you be okay? He needs somewhere to stay until we can deal with Dumbledore, if it's a problem, we can ask Grammy and Grandpa-"

"It's okay, Kil. I admit, things might be a bit...tense for a little while between Regulus and I, but that doesn't mean he can't stay here unless he decides he would prefer to stay with the Potters. I promise, I'm okay," Nico said, smiling softly at him. Killian breathed out a sigh of relief.

"I think we should get everyone into bed, it's been a long night and we need to figure out how to proceed with Dumbledore in the morning," Lydia said. Nico and Killian agreed silently and the three walked back to the house.

•••

The next morning was stilted. Rae had gotten Regulus and Harry settled the night before and Killian claimed his old room once again, but there was muffled arguments from the poly mates' bedroom, though it settled relatively soon after.

The breakfast table was awkward and quiet, barely any conversation being made, though Rae and Lydia certainly tried and Killian was happy to tell his foster parents about his mates.

"I, uh, couldn't help but notice there wasn't any of your snake care around, Neeks," Regulus commented. There was the clatter of utensils and Regulus and the Potter teens snapped up from where they had been staring down at their food. Rae and Lydia were looking wary and concerned at Nico, who's utensils were now scattered on the table and now sat frozen in their seat.

Nico seemed to curl in on themself, red curls falling in their face. Killian had never seen their Rema so weak seeming, so small. Nico always held themself with confidence, always protecting him and Lexsaidh, always so strong. Even when they had cried around him, which wasn't rare but they didn't cry often, they didn't seem this vulnerable. It was just a way of life when they cried, an expression of emotion. This, on the other hand? The elf looked so impossibly their age, tired beyond their years, weak and grieving the loss of many friends.

"Rema?" Killian asked.

"Neeks? I- I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" Regulus started.

"I haven't changed since I was 19."

Regulus's breath halted. He looked like Nico had personally smacked him with a brick.

"That was- it's been 16 years," Regulus said.

"How could I change when the reason I was an animagus in the first place was because of you."

Killian and Harry kept their surprise at this new information silent, sharing a look over the table. Killian didn't know, though it had never exactly come up in conversations, and if it was Regulus who was the reason they were an animagus, well, it was no wonder they never saw reason to mention it.

"Nico, I'm sorry."

"So you've said," Nico hissed.

"You're an animagus?" Harry asked Regulus hesitantly. Regulus nodded, smiling and ruffling Harry's hair though the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I'm a Maine coon. Fitting, isn't it?" Regulus said light heartedly, clearly trying to get the attention off of Nico. "I became one illegally in my second year. I think it was only because McGonagall rather favored us that we got away with it."

Nico let out a weak snort of laughter and Regulus continued.

"We were in fourth year when we realized the Marauders themselves were following the steps. You never could get James and my brother to shut up for that long without reason. At least for us, we were already relatively quiet so it wasn't such a big deal when we held a mandrake leaf under our tongue for a month. We told everyone we had been learning Sign Language for a deaf first year in our house and challenged ourselves to only communicate in sign language or writing. We became animagi and fluent in sign language and no one had questioned our month of silence like they did the Marauders. Though, the rumor mill died down after they played a massive prank on the Death Eater try-hards in Slytherin. That had been far more interesting to talk about for everyone. Actually, Remus never remembered when he changed back but we learned about it soon after we became animagi and tried to keep him company when we could. Unlike the Marauders though, as McGonagall didn't know we did it, we couldn't always go for one reason or another like the Marauders were able to do."

"You stayed with Remus?" Harry asked, looking between both Nico and Regulus with a grateful expression.

"Mmhmm, he didn't remember much though," Regulus continued. "We could thwart some of the worst damage but we couldn't quite stimulate him as a deer and a dog could. We were significantly smaller than him, even with me as a maine coon, and we couldn't keep him safe outside of the shack so any memories he would have of cat and snake companions would've been pretty fuzzy from pain he still inflicted on himself. But thankfully, it was lesser. Enough to keep him functional until the Marauders went through with the process themselves and kept him safe. After that we never returned so any memory of cat and snake companions Remus does have is probably very little."

Harry seemed to be in deep thought before speaking.

"Remus...he doesn't have anyone anymore to keep him company during his full moons. He's been taking potions and so on but this war is going to become bigger soon enough. Can...can I bring him here, Nico?"

Nico seemed a bit nervous.

"Even after we became friends, I never told him that I was the snake. At that point, he had Sirius and James keeping him company, it wasn't necessary to bring it up. And when Peter had lied and sent me down there to see him as a werewolf, I had lied then. Telling him I hadn't known or if I did, I had an inkling. Telling him now...I don't know how it would go."

"He wouldn't mind, I promise. He wouldn't hold it against you," Harry said. "But you've handled him as a werewolf, and I know he's been getting close with Tonks lately and being able to shapeshift might help Tonks in the matter, but you have the experience and I don't know if Tonks would even be willing or able to help."

The redheaded elf thought hard about it and inevitably, they nodded.

"Alright, you may bring him here. We can probably see the healers here as well, they should have something to help as well."