Of Wolves and Ravens
by FenrisWolf
Disclaimer - I don't own anything, J. K. Rowling does - damn it.
~~~~~
Chapter Five
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Bounce.
Bounce.
Bounce.
SPROING…
Remus watched with admiration as his lover performed a perfect jackknife and entered the water with hardly a ripple. He'd been more than a bit surprised when she showed him the regulation Olympic swimming/diving pool that was hidden away behind Malfoy Manor, but as usual she'd had a perfectly logical, rational answer for its presence.
"I know very well that most wizards frown on exercise as being something that Muggles do, but just because we live longer doesn't mean we enjoy better health," she'd explained after he first saw her in the water. "Swimming happens to be one of the most effective forms of exercise, providing a workout for the whole body while causing the least amount of wear and tear to the system." Then her eyes had developed that wicked gleam he was learning to appreciate. "Of course, there's one other form of workout that's even better, but until recently I didn't have access to the proper…exercise equipment." That remark had led to some interesting moments exploring the wonders of cardiopulmonary stimulation, as well as an appreciation of a Muggle invention called a Jacuzzi.
And speaking of appreciation; some might have considered the simple, one-piece suit Narcissa wore almost dowdy, but it fit her like a second skin and he had absolutely no difficulty in picturing what lay beneath it. A stray fragment of a lecture delivered by Professor McGonagall during his school days surfaced in his thoughts. "Be aware, students, that successful transfiguration hinges on your ability to completely and accurately visualize the intended results; the clearer your visualization, the greater your chances of succeeding."
"Thank Merlin for Creative Visualization," he breathed as the lithe, athletic, and gloriously wet figure of the woman he suspected he was more than a little in love with climbed the ladder, her face alight with a happy smile that had less and less of a smirk every time he saw her. He thought he was finally becoming accustomed to the idea of actually being involved with someone, but every so often the realization that the person in question was one Narcissa Black, the former Mrs. Malfoy, came as a surprise to him.
Then again, that he was relaxing within the precincts of Malfoy Manor at all was something of a surprise, considering how strongly Draco felt about the 'cur' dating his mother. Oh, he'd been there before, but usually he Apparated directly to and from Narcissa's private rooms, without ever seeing the rest of the house so as to avoid any unfortunate encounters with her son. This time it was different; apparently the unpleasant young man was off for a couple weeks attending to some sort of 'personal business', which left the huge, sprawling edifice empty save for its sole remaining house elf and of course Narcissa herself. That was an opportunity that was just too good to waste, and her son had been gone for less than an hour when a slightly harassed-looking werewolf with perfect, if graying hair appeared courtesy of a portkey made from a cobalt blue margarita glass…
~~~~~
"Thank you for agreeing, Remus," she said as they separated from her welcoming kiss, surprising herself with the almost shy tone that was in her voice. "I know it was awfully short notice, but Draco only told me he was leaving a few hours ago. He leaves the manor so seldom these days, I didn't know the next time we'd have a chance to spend some time together here."
"It's not the short notice that's bothering me, Narcissa," he replied, trying to set her mind at ease. "Things are rather slow at the Ministry right now, so my superior was happy to let me use up some of my accrued leave time. Unfortunately, once my superior was done agreeing, my 'nephew', who happens to share the same body as my superior, had to grill me about where his 'Uncle Remus' was off to in such a rush." He ran an aggravated hand through his hair, tousling it in a manner that made Narcissa's fingers twitch with the need to refamiliarize themselves with its silky texture. Her attention returned to his words as he asked plaintively, "Did you have to make the portkey out of a glass with the Malfoy crest etched on it? Harry didn't stop grinning the entire time I was in his office."
Narcissa chuckled throatily and distracted her lover by letting her hands give in to their impulse. They worked their way through his thick hair and to his neck, where they scratched at the base of his skull. Remus's eyes half closed at her ministrations and an odd sound, something between a growl and a purr that was more felt than heard, vibrated in his chest. The first time she heard/felt that sound it had made her knees weak and her knickers damp, and this time was no exception. "Do you really wish I hadn't sent you that portkey?" she asked, her body molding itself to his as she felt the other sign of his reaction pressing against her stomach.
"That all depends," he rumbled, his eyes flickering golden for a moment before he buried his lips against her neck.
"Depends…on…on what?" she asked a little breathlessly.
"On just how far it is to your bedroom in this huge pile of masonry," he replied, scooping her up in his arms.
As it turned out, it wasn't far at all.
~~~~~
That had been three days ago, three days of companionable togetherness interspersed with really great sex. Now the weekend was upon them, and unbeknownst to Lupin Narcissa had another little surprise lined up.
As her heart rate lowered and the world came back into focus around her, she noted from the position of the sun overhead that it was approaching noon, and regretfully disentangled herself from her lover's arms. Climbing nimbly from the Jacuzzi (and uttering a surprisingly girlish squeak when Remus swatted her firm ass) she picked up her fluffy, terrycloth robe from where it had been warming in the sunlight and slipped it on, studiously ignoring the very realistic wolf call coming from the vicinity of the hot tub. "You might want to consider climbing out and slipping into something a bit less comfortable, dear," she said, glancing archly over her shoulder.
"Now why would I want to do that?" Remus asked lazily, his arms draped across the edge of the tub as the water swirled and frothed around his naked form. "I'm quite comfortable right where I am."
"Maybe because some of us don't want the sight of your hairy backside burned into our brains," another voice replied. Remus's head snapped around, his eyes widening at the sight of his 'nephew' standing at the glass doors leading into the manor.
Muttering an oath about certain people's senses of humor, he scrambled out of the Jacuzzi and lunged for his robe, flinching at the sound of an appreciative whistle and a feminine squeak coming from the direction of the manor. With the robe safely belted and his shredded dignity once more intact, Remus turned to glare as Harry and Hermione approached, him with a grin and her with a blush, and then groaned inwardly as he spotted Ginny Weasley bringing up the rear, an appreciative smirk on her face. "Looking good, Professor!" she called.
"All right, what are you lot doing here?" he mock-growled, his arms crossed in what he hoped was an intimidating manner, but Harry just shrugged.
"No idea; I was informed a couple of days ago by my better half that we had plans for the weekend, and that barring a return of Moldie Shorts, I had better be there." He smirked as his fiancée huffed slightly.
"Actually, Harry," she clarified, "what I said was that we had to be there, and that if Riddle popped back up I expected you to stuff him back under his rock in record time so that we wouldn't be late. Honestly!"
Remus turned his attention to his girlfriend and lifted an eyebrow. "Narcissa? Care to enlighten a befuddled old werewolf?"
Narcissa's head emerged from the towel she was using to wring the excess water from her hair and snorted. "If you're old, Remus, I shudder to think what it would have been like if we had…um…gotten together while we were in school. I would have had a hard time explaining to Professor Flitwick why one of his students couldn't walk on a regular basis." She smiled evilly at his blush and Ginny's bray of laughter, and heard Harry mutter to Hermione, "That really was too much information…"
"The reason?" Remus asked again, refusing to be distracted.
Narcissa smiled, her hand caressing his cheek affectionately. "Sorry, my dear, I couldn't resist. As to why we're here, well, I know it's a couple of weeks early, but I thought we all might like to celebrate our mutual first year's anniversary together." 'And this way, if these two dense males have forgotten, their memories will have been effectively jogged before the fact,' she thought to herself smugly.
Her suspicions were confirmed by the puzzled look on her boyfriend's face, though it was obvious by Harry's expression that he'd made the connection. "St. Tropez?" was all he said, and she nodded.
"Very good, Harry; it's been a year since Hermione went on her vacation and you followed her. And while our meeting wasn't quite as…volatile…as yours and Hermione's, that's when Remus and I started seeing each other as well." She noted Ginny's puzzled look as Harry and Hermione both blushed furiously. "The somewhat garbled reports I'd received had me thinking that my plans to get these two together were falling apart. I was just about to knock on Harry's door at what would have been a very awkward moment when Remus interrupted me."
"Oh…OH!" Ginny replied, a lascivious grin on her face. "Y'know, Hermione, you never did give me any juicy details about that first time. Ready to spill yet?"
"From what I could hear through the silencing charms, I'd say that question would have better been asked of Harry," Remus drawled, determined to get the younger man back for his earlier teasing. His efforts were rewarded when Hermione hid behind her hair with an eep and Harry turned bright red.
"If we're all quite through bantering each other into the ground, what are our plans for the day?" Harry asked when he felt he could trust his voice again. "It's too nice a day to be cooped up inside."
"Well, we could always have a backyard barbecue," Hermione suggested, to the puzzled looks of three of the people present. "You know, steaks and corn on the cob on the grill, ice tea and potato salad…?" She continued to get blank looks from Narcissa and Ginny, though it looked like Remus might have some idea what she was talking about. "Harry? You don't mind doing the cooking, do you?"
Her fiancé snorted. "Who do you think had grill duty at the Durlseys?" he asked in return. "These poor sods don't know what they've missed; shall we show them?"
Narcissa cleared her throat. "Excuse me, but what are you on about?" she asked.
Remus replied before Harry could speak. "It's all right, I think I know what they're talking about. It's a Muggle way of preparing food in the summertime, though I think it's more popular in the Colonies than it is here. It involves preparing as much of the food as possible over an open fire, preferably with heavy spices to cover the occasionally charred taste of the meal."
Harry sniffed. "I'll have you know that any charring done will be intentional, and will only enhance the flavors. Mione, do you want to take care of the drinks and side dishes while I do the grill?"
"Certainly, Harry. Narcissa, where do you want me to set up the table?"
Their hostess was coming back nicely, though she was clearly still a bit mystified by the whole thing. "If I understand you two correctly, the grassy area by the croquet pitch should be fine," she replied, gesturing towards a shady patch of lawn beyond the pool.
"Perfect," Harry agreed. "Let's see now…" He glanced around, and then walked over to a large ornamental stone planter that was under an open patch of sky to one side of the lawn. A quick pass of his wand transformed the planter into a large barbecue made of red brick, large enough to easily handle a side of beef. "Hmmm, too much," he muttered, quickly reducing it to more manageable proportions. Another pass filled the waiting bed with chunks of seasoned mesquite, and a whispered "Incendio" soon had them blazing merrily away.
Meanwhile Ginny and Narcissa watched bemusedly as Hermione conjured up a large trestle table with sturdy, padded benches. The table was quickly covered with a red-and-white checkered tablecloth, and a number of chilled pitchers and covered dishes quickly appeared. They listened as she muttered to herself: "Let's see, iced tea, lemonade, pumpkin juice, pasta salad, potato salad, tossed greens, cheeses, biscuits, rolls…Harry! What exactly are you cooking?" she called, raising her voice. "I need to know what condiments we'll need!"
Harry was busy checking the fire, making sure the bed of coals was spread evenly. "For our friends who've never had barbecue? Steaks of course; what kind I won't know until I talk to my supplier." He turned to the lady of the house. "Narcissa? Could I talk to your house elf for a moment?"
"Of course, Harry. Booger!" she called to the air, to be quickly rewarded by a loud crack. "Yes, mistress?" the little house elf asked.
"I believe Mister Potter has some questions for you, Booger," she replied, pointing him towards her guest.
Harry nodded at the last remaining Malfoy elf. He didn't look as downtrodden as Dobby had, but he was still wearing the obligatory pillowcase garment that all house elves used in lieu of real clothes. "Booger, could you contact Dobby and ask him to come to me here? I wouldn't ask, but I need a favor."
There was a loud crack as a familiar smiling figure appeared beside Booger. "Harry Potter has only to ask, and Dobby is glad to oblige, Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby said, his homely face split by a wide grin.
The years had wrought their own changes in the little elf. Aside from his evident happiness, the biggest change was in his clothing. It had taken a fair amount of time in the Restricted section, but once set on a course of action, Hermione was almost impossible to discourage, as Harry could attest. The dusty volume she'd finally located hadn't been disturbed in centuries, as most wizards had little or no interest in the lives of the house elves prior to their enslavement.
Hermione, however, was interested, and in the book she'd found a description of the clothing worn by the elves prior to being forced to become House elves. The ensemble was very Medieval in appearance, not surprising considering it dated back over twelve hundred years. She'd transfigured some fabric into the required garments, and gifted Dobby with them on Boxing Day. He had gone through his usual emotional meltdown at the idea of anyone giving him a gift, but once that was past, had quickly accepted the outfit as the new uniform of his freedom.
Harry looked down at his odd friend and smiled. "Dobby, we're having another barbecue. Think you could pop into the kitchens at Hogwarts and scrounge us up some nice, thick steaks, something suitable a group of hungry witches and wizards?" Dobby nodded and prepared to snap his fingers when Harry added, "And Dobby? Be sure to bring a few extra, and ask Winky if she's busy. Least I can do is cook for you as well, if you're supplying the meat."
Dobby rolled his eyes at this further evidence of eccentric, unwizardly behavior, but he'd finally learned to accept that where such matters were concerned, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger were a law unto themselves. He vanished with a pop, and Harry turned his gaze to his hostess.
"I hope you don't mind me doing that; Dobby has made tremendous strides since breaking tradition and becoming a free elf, and I like to reinforce those changes whenever possible."
Narcissa frowned, not in an angry manner, but deep in thought. "I'll admit the idea of free elves makes me uncomfortable, not because of any feelings of superiority, but because of what history teaches us can happen when a horribly oppressed people regain their freedom. The wizarding world has its flaws, but it's still my world and I don't relish seeing it torn apart.
"However, breaking bread with two of your friends who happen to be house elves is hardly a harbinger of the Apocalypse, so no, I don't mind all that much.
~~~~~
In the end, the arrangements turned out to be far less stressful for all concerned. Dobby indeed returned with Winky, but the insecure little house elf was in no way prepared to sit down with her 'masters' in a social setting. At Narcissa's suggestion, Dobby conjured an elf-sized replica of the picnic table out of sight of the one the wizards would use and then ordered Booger to entertain his guests.
Some time later, the meal having gone off without a hitch, Harry sat in one of the chairs by the pool and watched appreciatively as Narcissa, once again clad in the one-piece suit she preferred, showed a swimsuit-clad Hermione and Ginny (though not as scanty ones as those they'd worn at St. Tropez) the finer points of diving. A slight frown crossed his features as his gaze locked on Hermione's trim form on the low board. "Sickle for your thoughts?" Remus's voice asked, and he turned his attention to the older wizard. Seeing his old professor in a pair of surfer shorts and a Hawaiian shirt was a bit of an outré experience, but the look suited him.
"Hermione's new job," he admitted, and Remus's frown matched his.
"I thought she was making great progress," he said, his own gaze travelling to the young woman standing at the tip of the board while Ginny called out encouragement. "All the people I've talked to at the Ministry have been thrilled with what she's accomplished in such a short time."
"It's not the ones at the Ministry I'm worried about, it's the ones who are no longer there thanks to her work," Harry explained.
"Has she been receiving threats?"
"That's what worries me; she hasn't," Harry explained, smiling faintly at his friend's disbelieving look. "Look, we both know she's stepped on a lot of toes and ruffled more than a few feathers on this job. Whether anyone acted on them or not, there should have been some sort of reaction from the ones who got sacked. A few of them, like that first pair, Rosencrantz and Gildenstern, didn't just lose their jobs, they saw their reputations destroyed as well. But there have been no threats, no efforts to sabotage her work; hell, she hasn't even received a Howler since the Wizengamot made her department official. That's not natural. Someone is up to something, and I don't like not knowing what it is."
"So if I understand you correctly, the fact that there's no sign that anyone is up to something is proof positive that someone is up to something?" Lupin asked incredulously.
"Yup."
The older wizard shook his head. "Sounds to me like Mad-Eye's 'constant vigilance' is getting to you, Harry; you're getting paranoid."
"In the words of the Sage, 'Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you'," Harry answered with a smirk, and then turned serious. "Just…keep your ears open, will you? Hermione only has three months to go until she hands the department over to its new chief, I don't want anything happening to disrupt that."
"All right, Harry," Remus agreed. "I'll put the word out, and I'll talk to Narcissa; she can ask the Sisterhood to look into it as well. I take it you haven't mentioned this to Hermione?"
"No, I didn't want to worry her until I had something concrete; she's busy enough right now not to be wasting her time calming my fears if I am being paranoid."
A loud splash drew their attention to the pool, and Harry smiled and waved as his fiancée surfaced, a huge smile on her face. They watched appreciatively as Ginny performed a swan dive off the high board, and then Remus continued, "A piece of advice, Harry; you've come a long way, but you still have problems with sharing your concerns with those closest to you. You did the same thing in school when you were dealing with Voldemort; Hermione didn't like it then, and now that you're a couple, she'll like it less now. Talk to her, Harry; even if nothing comes of your worries, she deserves to know."
Harry shifted uncomfortably; he knew Remus was right, and that he needed to tell her what was bothering him. She'd already begun to pick up on it, and if he wasn't careful she'd figure it out before he came clean. The resulting argument wouldn't be pretty, especially since he'd already promised to stop hiding his feelings from her. "All right, Remus," he sighed. "I'll talk to her when we get home. If she's going to bite my head off, I'd rather it happened in private."
"Good," Remus replied, relieved. "Now let's enjoy the rest of the day; plenty of time for doom and gloom later." He strolled over to the pool, scooped Narcissa up in his arms and then, laughing, jumped into the water with her as she shrieked.
Harry rose from his chair to join his friends and smiled, reflecting that his friend had the right idea. There would always be time for doom and gloom; the hard part was making time for the things that made putting up with the doom and gloom worth the effort. For now, he would take the old werewolf's advice. "Carpe Diem," he whispered, and dove into the water to take the woman he loved in his arms.
~~~~~
AUTHOR'S NOTE - Sorry it took me so long to update, but this story is being more difficult that I'd expected. Speaking of which, don't expect the next chapter any time soon, as I'm having a hard time finding out just what Draco, Scarabus, and the Unofficial HP Fan Club are all up to…besides no good, that is. Thanks for the reviews, and for sticking with me on a bumpy ride…