![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gracie_musicaTitle: Cross Worlds
Date Written: 2/13/10
Rating: PG-13/T
Word Count: 8,113
Fandom: Doctor Who/Torchwood/Harry Potter
Disclaimer: Property of their respective owners
Characters/Pairings: Uh... Can I just say "EVERYONE"? Jack Harkness/Remus Lupin, Remus Lupin/Nyphadora Tonks, James Potter/Lily Evans, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Ron Weasly/Hermione Granger, assorted Death Eaters, Order of the Phoenix Members, and various childlings.
Spoilers: The entire Harry Potter series, at least New Who 01, and a bit of Torchwood 01.
Warnings: Language, character deaths, deviancy of a Harkness kind (you saw the Harkness/Lupin slash, right?)
Author's Notes: Sometimes I think fandom is reading my brain. I was planning this before![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
jantocam's first challenge, finished it up within a week, and am throwing it up before getting to work on some other things. Major thanks to my betas ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
aikakone (for the Harry Potter and fic scrub) and gingerlr (who got to tell me if any of this even made SENSE). I'm claiming more DW than TW in this one since it's mostly set BEFORE Torchwood. All HP inconsistencies are blamed on myself for not paying enough attention when reading and for relying far too heavily on the Harry Potter wiki.
August, 1966
"I'm pretty sure a little thing like you should be in bed."
Six-year-old Remus Lupin turned around guiltily, wincing a little bit as he went. His tiny little body was still aching from the transformation the day before -- what was to be his first of many -- and the still-healing bite on his right calf.
The man who had spoken to him loomed over him, tall and intimidating. Remus found himself nudging the floor with the toe of his shoe like when Mum caught him sneaking biscuits before teatime.
Then the tall man squatted down to Remus' level and suddenly he wasn't quite so scary anymore. The stranger flashed him a smile with very white, very straight teeth, and his blue eyes sparkled. "Yo~ou," he sing-songed, pointing a finger at the little wizard, "must be Remus."
He nodded again, fighting the urge to smile back. Mum and Dad always said that he should never talk to strangers.
But this stranger had been allowed into the house. He'd seen Dad talking with him. He couldn't be all that bad, could he?
"I'm Jack."
The man held out his hand for Remus to shake, like he was an adult too. He took the proffered hand, his little one swamped in the bigger one. Jack's grin widened as he shook it.
With Jack no longer so tall and terrifying, the little boy took a few moments to look at him critically. Jack didn't say a word as Remus took in his well-kept brown hair and Muggle clothing. The thing that caught the boy's eye was the long blue greatcoat that Jack wore almost like a robe. "Were you in The War?"
"I was," Jack admitted, releasing the little hand and resting his elbows on his knees. "How did you know that?"
Remus touched the coat lapels, the wool slightly scratchy underneath his fingertips. Jack laughed and put a hand on his head. "Clever child."
"My dad has one of these too," he explained. "He said he got it because he was in The War." Always just The War. "He met Mum because he had to dress like a Muggle when he was fighting."
The older man nodded. "I flew airplanes, big metal things that people can fit inside. See these?" He pointed to the stripes on his shoulders. "This means I'm a Captain."
Remus reached out to touch the bars, considering this. "You talk funny," he said after a moment's contemplation.
Jack's laugh burst forth and surprised Remus, making him jump a little. "The accent, yeah?" the Captain asked, pointing at his throat. "It's because I'm American."
"Really?"
The older man grinned. "Is that okay?"
Remus nodded. "I've never met an American before," he admitted. "Dad always says one of you saved his arse in the War." His eyes went wide when he realized what he said and covered his mouth with his hands. Mum would surely spank him if she knew he'd said it!
Jack chuckled and put a finger over his own lips. "Our little secret," he reassured the little boy.
The older man's chuckle was infectious, and Remus grinned behind his fingers. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Of course," Jack replied, shifting so he sat on the floor. "We're friends now. Mates can ask each other questions."
The little boy tilted his head to one side in curiosity, longish light brown hair falling into his eyes. "Are you a Muggle?"
Jack blinked. "Muggle -- that's a non-magic person, right? Yeah. I'm a Muggle."
"That's okay," Remus sympathized, patting Jack's shoulder. "Mum's a Muggle too."
"Is that so?" Jack grinned at the young werewolf's nod. "That's good then. She's a nice lady, that Mum of yours."
Remus puffed his chest out proudly. "She's the best!"
Jack chuckled and put his hand on Remus' head, ruffling his hair. "Want to know a grown up secret? Most little boys think their Mums are the best."
"Was yours the best?"
"Oh, you bet!" His smile softened and he kept looking at Remus, but the boy felt like Jack wasn't seeing him any more. "She was very pretty, and the best cook in our unit -- neighborhood. And very kind, too, but you didn't want to make her mad."
The little boy nodded. "Mum's like that."
Jack blinked and his grin widened, showing off even more perfect, white teeth.
"Captain Jack?"
"Yeah, kid?"
"Are you here because of me? Because I got bitten?"
Jack nodded. "I came with my... associate from the Ministry of Magic," he explained. "We needed to find out what kind of werewolf you are."
Remus' eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. Before he could ask what the older man meant, however, a call voice called out, "Harkness!"
"That's me." He rose to his feet and tapped a little salute to Remus with two fingers. "Take care of yourself, kiddo."
Winter, 1976
"Shove off, Pads, you should have bought your own!"
Peter's laugh floated above James' protest, high and clear in the cold air.
"I just want one," Sirius whined, grabbing the back of James' coat. "C'mon, share and share alike."
Remus shook his head as he pulled on his hat, shielding himself from the falling snow. James and Sirius always acted like first years, especially when it came to candy from Honeydukes. He worried slightly that they'd never grow up.
But then again, where's the fun in growing up?
"Oi, Moony, how 'bout a butterbeer?" Peter called out over his shoulder. The three of them had obviously made up their minds on the subject and were on their way towards The Three Broomsticks.
"Do I have a choice?" Remus teased, grinning.
"Not really, no!" Sirius replied, turning and walking backwards as he looked at the other three Marauders. "We lead, you follow."
"Follow you to ruin, of course," James said, tucking his bag of candy into his pocket. He gave Sirius a playful shove, sending his friend stumbling into a man behind him.
"Whoa, steady there," the man said, reaching out to grab Sirius before he slipped in the snow. "You all right?"
"Yes sir," Sirius replied, finding his feet.
"Sorry 'bout that," James apologized as well.
"It's all right," the man said, flashing a film star grin. "Walking's tricky enough sometimes."
Remus had stopped dead the second he'd heard the voice, feet freezing in the icy slush filling Hogsmeade's streets. He knew that American accent from anywhere. He'd only ever heard one.
"Captain Jack?"
"Remus!" Jack grinned and stepped forward, clapping one hand on his shoulder and holding the other out to shake. "You look just like you did when you were six!"
"You look like you haven't aged a day," Remus replied, taking the proffered hand.
"What can I say? Good genetics," the older man said breezily. "How about we get out of the snow and somewhere warm? I was actually hoping to talk to you."
-----
"Are you sure you don't want something else, dear?" Madam Rosmerta asked Jack, frowning a little as she set the glass of water down in front of him.
"No, I'm set," Jack reassured her.
"There isn't really all that much alcohol in a Butterbeer," the witch said, giving Jack her best smile. "I promise."
"Maybe next time?" The Captain flashed the grin at the pretty barmaid, who giggled.
Jack rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a drawstring pouch. He opened it, frowning as he looked inside. "I never remember how this works," he muttered as he searched through the bag, the metal wizard money clinking together. Finally, he withdrew two gold Galleons and held them up. "Is this enough?"
"Oh, more than!" Rosmerta said. "One would be more than enough."
Jack reached up and took her hand. "Then here's one for the bar," he said, pressing one coin into her open palm. "And another for the maid behind it," he added, handing over the second piece.
Rosmerta practically scurried back to the bar. Jack grinned and turned his attention to the four glowering teenagers at the table. "Oh, stop that," he chided. "She's too old for you four anyway."
"What's a Muggle doing in Hogsmeade anyway?" Peter asked, a little crossly. James, Sirius and Remus turned their gaze sharply to him, and he stammered, "I-it's just, Muggles aren't supposed to know or be able to find this place."
"I don't like to brag, but I'm not an ordinary Muggle," Jack said with a grin. "My work lets me travel freely between the Wizarding and Nonwizarding worlds. And a couple of others."
"And what sort of work is that?" Remus asked.
"Well," Jack drawled, picking up his glass and looking thoughtfully at Remus. "I've been listening to these stories from the locals." He paused dramatically to take a drink. "About that Shrieking Shack on the edge of town. It's apparently haunted, these inhuman sounds coming from there about once a month or so. And some people have seen these big animals running about." He stopped in the middle of raising his glass again to point a finger at the students. "One of you is going to have to explain what a Grim is to me."
The Marauders all suddenly became quite interested in their tankards.
"I could arrest the lot of you, you know."
Peter visibly paled at those words, while James ever-so-helpfully jumped in with, "You've got no proof."
"Denial works pretty well as proof in many courts," Jack pointed out. "And anyway, I said that I could, not that I was going to. I vaguely remember being your ages." He grinned that smile again. "Just be careful."
"We have precautions in place," Sirius said, still defensive at the threat of prison.
Jack held his hands up. "Say no more."
"Captain Jack," Remus put in. "When I met you when I was six, you said that you were there to find out what kind of werewolf that I was." The other three stiffened, taking the comment as a personal affront.
The older man noticed and sat back in his chair, chuckling. "I'm just racking up the points with you today, aren't I?" He sighed and focused all of his attention on Remus. "I wasn't given the chance to explain back then, and I apologize for any perceived insult," he explained.
He sat forward and put his elbows on the table, leaning in so the Marauders could hear him as he lowered his voice. "You see, there are two varieties of werewolf on Earth. There are those who suffer from Lycanthropy, a magical ailment with no known cure. And then there are those that are called Lupine Wavelength Haemovariforms, which is not a magical malady and, today, is rather curable if caught early enough. That's what I meant by what kind of werewolf."
James, Sirius, and Peter all turned to look at their friend. Remus' eyes were wide and shining. "There's a treatment?" he asked in a hushed voice.
The Captain nodded, giving a little sad smile. "Yeah, but not for your kind. I hear Wizard medicine's starting to make some breakthroughs, which is good. But I knew the second I saw you that you weren't a Haemovariform."
"How could you tell?" Sirius asked.
"Those that were bitten by Haemovariforms have physical changes to their human forms as well," Jack explained. "Completely black eyes, psychic powers, and a loss of sanity, for a start."
"It's not a magical ailment, but it causes transformation," Remus asked.
Jack nodded.
"How is that even possible?" James blurted out.
The Captain took a deep breath, his entire body expanding and collapsing. "What do you four know about... aliens?"
Four completely blank looks came back at him across the table.
"Aliens?" he tried again. "Extraterrestrials?" He pointed upwards. "Descending from the Heavens to rain terror and perform mad experiments on people?"
"We know what they are," James said sarcastically. "But they're not real."
"You're sitting here, in a bar with flying broomsticks on the wall, next to a werewolf, with a hag sitting three tables behind you. And you're going to sit there and tell me what isn't real?" Jack countered.
"But that's -- "
"Impossible?" The Captain shook his head. "Not even really all that unlikely, to be honest." He grinned. "Honestly. You sound like Muggles being told there's magic afoot," he teased.
"Okay, so there's aliens," Peter said. "And that's what you do? Hunt down aliens?"
"More or less," the older man confirmed. "Most aliens who end up on Earth are just turned around a bit. They're as peaceful as the rest of Humanity. But there are some... Well, there are snakes in the grass wherever you are."
"Tell me about it," Sirius muttered into his Butterbeer.
Remus kicked him gently in the shin. "So who do you work for? The Ministry?"
"Oh, no. I work for a group called Torchwood. We're above the police, beyond the governments -- both the Ministry of Magic and the regular government. But we work in conjunction with them. Sometimes it's a bit difficult to parse out what's magic and what's just advanced technology."
"Which brings us back to why you were visiting Remus' parents when he was little," James said.
"Exactly right." He picked up his glass and tipped it back, downing the rest of it in one go. "I was visiting the Scotland branch and heard some rumors. But, since that's all they are -- just rumors," he added, looking pointedly at the four boys. "Probably hallucinations from too much alcohol, I'm sure -- I think it's about time for me to get back to Cardiff." He set another Galleon on the table and winked at the four of them. "Feel free to have another round on me. And keep yourselves out of trouble." He sketched them a salute before leaving the inn.
The four Marauders looked at each other for a few moments, processing what had just happened.
"Well, gentlemen," James finally said. "That sounded like a challenge to me."
July, 1978
"But you're so young!" Alice Longbottom was saying to Lily. "I mean, the two of you only finished at Hogwarts last month!"
"The way you're talking, you're making it sound like you're more than five years older than me and James," Lily replied, her green eyes twinkling mischievously. "And with the world being the way it is, why wait? We don't need anything big or fancy, despite what my parents want to give us, and a hall was free on the 20th of August."
Remus knew that the hall James and Lily had chosen to get married in had been available the 6th of August as well, but they'd chosen the later date because of the full moon.
Someone touched his shoulder and Remus looked over to see Sirius shaking his head. "Our fearless leader is getting married," he said with mock disapproval. He even shook his head sadly. "Do you know what this means?"
"It... means that eventually we'll have to cave to societal norms and find ourselves otherwise bound to mates?" Remus teased.
"Hell no, it means we're replacing him with me."
The two friends shared a laugh, but any further conversation was cut off when there was a knock at Edgar Bones' door. The entire Order fell silent and most of them pulled out their wands as they all crowded around the front door. Edgar silently counted to three, then threw the door open.
Captain Jack Harkness held his hands up as he took in the roomful of witches and wizards with wands trained on him. "Hey, unarmed Muggle!"
"It's about time, Jack," Dumbledore said with a relieved sigh, putting his wand away. "You're late." It was a quiet reproach, and almost fond.
"The Ministry of Magic doesn't let me use the Floo Network anymore," Jack pointed out as he stepped into the Bones residence, shrugging out of his greatcoat. Alice Longbottom, standing next to him, took it and hung it on the rack by the door. "Not since I caught the Minister in the bath that one time. Why he's got a fireplace in the bathroom is beyond me."
"It's not that you caught him in the bath, Captain," Dumbledore sighed, "it's that you asked if you could join him."
There was a nervous titter. Sometimes it was impossible to tell when the Headmaster was joking or not.
"In my defense, the Minister looks very becoming when soaked through," Jack said with a saucy grin.
-----
"The Wizarding War isn't just affecting the Wizarding World," Jack explained, tapping his fingers on the flat surface of the table he was sitting at. "And non-magical people can't defend themselves against an enemy that they not only can't see, they don't believe in."
The Marauders, plus Lily and Jack, were at Sirius' flat in London following the Order's meeting. Jack had instantly charmed James' fiancee, a Muggle-born herself who wholeheartedly approved of Jack's efforts.
"So you're taking up that torch?" she asked, tilting her head to one side.
"Your first, last, and only line of defense," he teased, winking at her. "I'm actually just a liaison, to be honest. I'll fight in whatever capacity I can, but I'm rather limited in what I can do." He chuckled a little. "I'm mostly just putting out fires for the Ministers and helping keep people out of areas they shouldn't be in."
"Captain, you have no stake in this fight," Remus said. "You could easily just look the other way."
Jack shook his head. He shifted in his seat and pulled a battered wallet out of his back pocket, flipping it open. After a moment's rifling, he pulled out a picture and set it on the table. It was a Muggle picture, static and a little sad, but obviously well-loved. A pretty dark-haired woman was smiling at the camera, the little girl balanced on the woman's knee sharing her mother's dark hair but she was obviously Jack's daughter.
"She'll be three next month," Jack explained. "That's why I want to help out. So she can grow up and have one less thing to haunt her nightmares."
November, 1979
He was dead.
Captain Jack Harkness, the man who never seemed to age, the man who had a story for every situation you could think to get into and thirty more you could never imagine, the man who they all thought could never ever die, was dead.
Dead in Diagon Alley.
Dead because the enemy had targeted him because he couldn't fight back fairly.
Dead because he'd pushed Remus out of the way.
Jack had been in London for a meeting with the head of Torchwood London, and the Marauders had decided to take him to a proper Wizard shop. The Captain had been dutifully amazed by everything, making Lily laugh and tease him, and making James tease his wife about being just as amazed the first time she'd seen Diagon Alley.
Then, the Death Eaters had shown up.
They liked to do that from time to time, blitz attacks on the rest of the Wizarding world. It bred distrust and discord, which made Voldemort's side all the stronger. Just one was often enough to strike fear into people's hearts. This time, they were evenly matched, five-against-five.
Jack was instantly shoved behind the five friends so they could protect him. They might as well hung a sign reading "MUGGLE" around his neck for all the good it did. The Death Eaters started concentrating all of their efforts on the Captain, crowing insults as they did so. Although they wore masks and robes to disguise themselves, Sirius could still recognize the sound of his cousin's laughter. He freely cursed Bellatrix between hexes.
Remus turned during a brief break in the battle to grab Jack's arm. "Get out of here. Go back to the Leaky Cauldron, get out into the streets where it'll be harder for them to find you!"
"But -- "
"We're fine," the werewolf reassured his friend. "You can't defend yourself right now; we can. Think of your daughter and get back to Cardiff. We'll contact you later."
Jack grabbed at the front of Remus' robes. "Sorry," he managed before throwing the young man roughly to the cobblestone road under their feet.
He actually looked surprised when the green curse hit his chest. Like he'd expected it to hurt more.
Like he hadn't expected it to even work.
Jack seemed to collapse to the ground as if it was in slow motion, Time itself protesting the passing of the Captain. Remus turned and fired off a hex before the older man's body had fully hit the floor, the spell slamming into one of the Death Eater's masks. The one he'd hit stumbled back into one of his companions, and the five Dark wizards quickly Disapparated, their most recent mission complete.
Remus rolled back over to look at Jack's body lying next to him. He reached out and, foolishly, felt for a pulse in the side of his neck. When he didn't find one he squeezed his eyes shut against tears and bent almost double over Jack's body.
They'd lost members of the Order already, had been losing them long before they'd joined. This was the first one they'd seen die in front of them, the first close friend they'd lost.
He felt a hand on the back of his head and knew it was Sirius petting his hair, trying to silently offer comfort as best he could short of pulling the body out of Remus' arms. Behind him, he could hear Lily's almost silent weeping, probably against James' shoulder, her crying punctuated by Peter's loud sniffles.
Then Jack violently came back to life, gasping hugely while flailing, and grabbing at Remus.
"Christ, I hate it when that happens," the Captain swore, his voice and movements laced with pain.
The five wizards stared at Jack, the silence broken only by the immortal's labored breathing.
"Well bloody fucking hell, you are the perfect Muggle for this cause," Peter finally managed.
December 31, 1979
"Remus! Thank God! Tell me those Doctors or Healers or Medi-wizards or whatever they're called are going to let me get out of here."
Jack Harkness was sitting up in a bed in St. Mungo's Fourth Floor, looking slightly worse for wear but otherwise healthy. He folded his hands in mock prayer and gave Remus his best pout.
"I swear, Captain," Remus sighed, sitting on the edge of his bed. "You'd think that getting tortured by Death Eaters would make you want to take a bit of a rest."
"Please, Death Eaters." Jack waved a careless hand, rolling his eyes. "It's not like it stuck or anything."
"Don't be so glib, Jack, they killed you. Again."
"When I first got shanghaied into working for Torchwood, my two bosses killed me on a regular basis." He shrugged. "And they were more creative about it. I mean, no offense, but it doesn't take a lot of skill to point a wand and say a few words. Sloppy torturers, those Death Eaters."
Remus glared at his friend. "They're pretty damn effective."
"They go too big, too fast. Try to rush things. Beings can only take too much before their bodies betray them. If they went slower, they could probably get more information out of the people they're targeting."
"You seem rather knowledgeable on the subject."
"I've been around a long time, wolf cub."
"And yet you don't age. You'll have to give up that secret one day."
The teasing was good-natured and familiar, but Jack cut off abruptly and turned to look out the window. Remus tilted his head to the side and touched Jack's knee. "Jack?"
"That's why they showed up," he said, his voice soft but steady. "They wanted to know how I could live forever."
"You told us you didn't know how you came to be immortal," the younger man said.
"I don't know for sure, but I have a hunch." He looked over at Remus. "Do you remember the man I told you about, the Doctor?"
He'd come clean to them all over a bottle of Firewhiskey after dying in Diagon Alley last month. He'd confessed to being born in the future but living in the past. He'd told them about a being who called himself the Doctor and a Muggle named Rose who wouldn't be born for another eight years. Sirius later said that it sounded like someone had looped a manic Time Turner around their friend's neck when he hadn't been looking. "The alien you traveled with, yes."
"I think -- No." Jack shook his head. "I know for a fact that he had something to do with it. I know it as surely as I know that the TARDIS is bigger on the inside." He shrugged. "I just don't know how it happened. But I know he was involved."
"But they thought you knew exactly how it happened."
"That's all they asked. They put me under that -- Imperio? The one where you do what they want you to?"
"Imperious," Remus corrected. "The Imperious curse."
"Yeah. That's the one. They wanted me to tell them. But I fought back." He tapped the side of his head with two fingers. "We have training against things like that in Torchwood. Then they got really mad and used that other one on me."
"The Cruciatus Curse."
Jack took a deep, steadying breath. "It was like my entire body was on fire. And I could hear them laughing before I... "
The Captain let the sentence trail off sickeningly, and the two lapsed into silence. Jack looked down at his hands.
"Well, look at it this way," Remus finally said. "You're probably the first person to survive all three Unforgivable Curses."
The response had the desired effect when Jack chuckled. "I don't envy the poor bastard who has to follow in my footsteps."
The younger man patted Jack's knee and stood. "I'm going to talk to someone about getting you discharged, then you're welcome to come with me to Lily and James'. They'd love to have you."
"Thanks, but Lu's going to let me see my daughter tonight." He grinned. "They sent me an invitation too."
"Come around just for a few moments," Remus tempted. "Apparently they've got an announcement they want to make."
Jack laughed and shook his head. "Just make sure you give Lily a kiss for me when she announces she's pregnant. And one for James so he doesn't get jealous."
November 2, 1981, 1:24 AM
Jack was on the verge of kicking down the door to Remus' flat when the wizard opened it.
He'd obviously been crying, eyes and nose red and raw from tears and snot and tissues, face a mess with ash and dirt and sweat. He'd been one of those present to shift through the Potter's house in Godric's Hollow.
He hadn't found them, but he'd seen their bodies, seen the wide-opened looks of astonishment on their faces.
He hadn't seen Sirius before the Hit Wizards got their hands on him, but he'd heard that his longtime friend had been laughing. The bastard.
"Oh, Remus," Jack said.
"James," the werewolf gasped, and then staggered forward. Jack caught him easily, wrapped him in a tight hug and let the younger man cry into his shoulder. "And Lily. And Peter."
"And Sirius," Jack added.
"Fuck Sirius Black," Remus snarled, pushing away from Jack. "That -- he betrayed our friends, and killed a dozen Muggles, and -- "
"He betrayed us all," the Captain soothed, putting his hands on Remus' shoulders. "It's okay to grieve over losing a friend, to death or to betrayal."
Remus considered this.
Then the image of James and Lily's bodies rose in mind and he vomited what little food he'd managed to consume all over Jack's shoes.
"It's all right," Jack said before the werewolf could even start to apologize. "I took some time off. I'll stay with you for a bit."
-----
True to his word, Jack stayed in London through to the New Year's. He went to Lily and James' double funeral and sat next to the wizard, and then sat with him again when the Minister of Magic gave Mrs. Pettigrew her son's Order of Merlin and finger.
The full moon was the hardest to manage. Without James and Sirius the wolf was lonely and unpredictable. If it hadn't been for the Wolfsbane, he didn't know what the wolf would have done.
Jack, who didn't know how to brew Potions, managed to help Remus make it and ensured he was properly locked away just in case they'd screwed it up terribly. After about three hours, he'd unlocked the door and crept into the room where he proceeded to treat Remus like he was a gigantic puppy.
It made him feel better inside, and the next morning he made a huge breakfast for Jack as a silent thank you despite the ache in his bones.
Jack's daughter Alice came to stay with him for the week leading up to Christmas, and while it hurt Remus' heart to think of Harry living with his aunt and uncle, it was almost impossible not to smile at the six-year-old's enthusiasm over everything, magic or Muggle.
"You make a good father," Remus complimented as Jack waved good-bye to Lucia and Alice on Christmas Eve. The full moon was the 26th, and while Remus was fine with the Wolfsbane, they didn't want a child underfoot either.
"I try." Jack grinned. "You'll make a good one too some day."
"I couldn't."
"Why not?"
Remus fixed him with a knowing look.
Jack shook a finger at him "Just you watch. One day you'll find a partner that doesn't care about what happens to you once a month, and if you end up having children you'll be the best father you can."
"The very thought terrifies me."
"Everyone panics," Jack reassured him. "Lucia disappeared for two weeks after she found out she was pregnant. We didn't know if my condition would be an inherited one on not, and she sort of couldn't handle it. In the end, you just make the best decision you can and then follow it through no matter what."
The young wizard just shrugged.
"Ah, but you're young. And hey, I heard you laughing yesterday."
-----
"Don't stay locked up here, hiding in your grief, Remus. James, Lily, and Peter, they wouldn't want that for you. They'd want you to live, to be happy again."
"I know. I just wish you could stay a bit longer."
"Queen and Country call me, my friend. I've got some friends that'll keep an eye on Harry, and I'll spare mine as often as I can."
"Me too. We owe them that."
Jack reached out of the train window as the whistle blew, and pulled Remus into a fierce hug. Then the immortal surprised him by pressing a kiss against his mouth. It was only broken when the train slowly started moving off the platform.
"Don't be afraid to come down and see me in Cardiff!" Jack called out, grinning and waving at him. "I promise Wales isn't as bad as they say!"
Remus stood and laughed until he cried, waving back and watching the train roll out of sight.
1982 -- 1993
For the next eleven years, Remus saw Jack roughly once a month.
On occasion, they ran into each other because of work. Remus had landed a job in the Werewolf Support Services, a job that paid pitifully but made him feel like he had an actual purpose in life, and oftentimes he would work with Jack to identify new victims. They actually ran across one of the Haemovariforms once, and Jack had bundled up the child and spirited him away.
Sometimes when Remus was feeling run-down and lonesome, he'd head to Cardiff for a bit. Jack would set him up in a nice hotel room by the Hub and he'd spend hours wandering the city, lost in the throng of Muggles. (Jack took him out to the Brecon Beacons once on a full moon and let him romp about, but a local Muggle must have seen them. They'd laughed themselves sick over the morning paper talking about huge wolves in South Wales)
There were two dates that Jack never missed: July and October 31st. On July 31st, the two of them would stalk young Harry Potter, watching him from afar to see how much he'd grown and making sure that at least his birthday was a good day. A long-forgotten ten-pound note would be found in the pocket of his jeans, or he'd discover a book he'd never read before in his backpack, or Petunia would just happen to make one of Harry's favorites for dinner. In October, the two of them would go and visit James and Lily in Godric's Hollow and share a bottle of booze, drinking to their friends' memory, before going back to wherever Remus was living at the time and spending the rest of the night together.
Once a month, though, Jack turned up for the full moon. Sometimes he wasn't able to be off due to work, but when he was off Jack would turn up the morning before the full moon and leave a day or two after, making sure Remus was safe and sound and tucked in bed to recuperate.
Remus asked once in 1984 if Torchwood minded his little monthly holidays. Jack grinned and told him that he was on the payroll as a freelance agent and besides, he was fostering relations with the Magical community.
It wasn't like Remus needed anyone, not like he had as a child now that there was the Wolfsbane, but it was still a comfort thing. And it was... Nice, having someone to take care of him, and being able to care for Jack. Without James and Lily, without Sirius, without Peter, sometimes it was painfully obvious how isolated and alone he really was.
When Remus got the letter from Dumbledore in June of 1993, he'd been grateful. More than grateful. The anti-werewolf legislation had forced him out of work by all but closing down the WSS branch. Still, he was hesitant about taking the position. Parents wouldn't want their children taught by a werewolf.
"I'm going to be teaching at Hogwarts this fall."
He hadn't even realized he was going to accept the position despite everything until he'd said it aloud.
Jack looked up from his book and over at Remus, lying on his stomach in bed next to the immortal. "Congratulations. Give Albus my regards. Oh, and kiss Minerva for me."
Remus made a face. "Be serious."
"I am! She's got the uptight librarian thing going. Very sexy."
The wizard huffed in annoyance.
Jack chuckled and shut his book with a dull 'thonk'. He leaned over and kissed Remus' bare shoulder. "What subject?"
Remus grinned and closed his eyes. "Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"A subject you have much hands-on experience in," Jack replied with a chuckle.
The mouth on his skin followed the line of his spine, making the younger man arch in a decidedly feline fashion. This was something that had developed between them and been off and on throughout the years, depending on if the other had a partner at the time or not, on their moods, their lives, the weather.
It's just the way things were with Jack.
"I'll be teaching Harry."
"Make sure you teach him things that'll make Lily spin and amuse James."
Remus raised an eyebrow and looked at Jack over his shoulder.
"You'll be a fantastic teacher," Jack reassured him. "If you feel the need, I'll go up to Hogsmeade."
"I'm not a child."
"No, but I'm afraid you'll pine."
"Oh, go to hell, Harkness."
7-6-94
It was Wormtail.
8-6-94
Got a carefully-worded letter yesterday from your fearless leader. Am keeping an eye out for rat traps.
Incidentally, there's a sale on dog beds here in Cardiff. Care to come shopping?
-- CJH
PS: Also, call when you get here. It's immensely difficult to explain an owl appearing out of nowhere to my coworkers. And if you scream into it, so help me I will shoot you. Your mother was a Muggle. You know how to use a goddamn phone.
June, 1996
"It was easier when he was in Azkaban," Remus said quietly.
Jack put a hand on the wizard's shoulder. "You could hate him then, and justify it."
"I hate them all."
"No, you don't. You're just angry that they left you. That you're the only one left." The Captain squeezed his shoulder. "Trust me, I know what I'm talking about."
Remus took a deep, shuddering breath and read Sirius' name once again off his friend's tombstone.
"How's Harry?" Jack asked softly.
"Devastated."
The two of them looked over when a third figure joined them, stepping up on Remus' other side. It took them both a moment to realize that the dark-haired, plain-looking girl was actually Tonks, her inner grief reflected outwardly.
If only it was that easy for all of them! Remus knew he'd have to wait a month before he could bay mournfully at the moon.
"Dora..." Jack trailed off when Tonks turned her gaze towards him. I'm sorry was too hollow, and We miss him too just rubbed salt into the gaping hole. Finally, the Captain snapped out a salute -- Yankee-style, hand a sharp blade right over his eyes. "Both of you. It was an honor to know and to fight alongside Sirius Black, and a privilege to consider him one of my friends and be considered one of his in turn."
Tonks' mouth fell open, the young Metamorphmagus, for once, at a loss for words. Remus, however, knew exactly what to say. "Thank you, Captain Harkness."
Jack nodded curtly before turning on his heel to go and pay his respects to Andromeda. Tonks looked up at Remus in confusion.
"He's military, through and through, from way back in his personal timeline," Remus explained with a shrug. "Since he was a kid, he says. It's what he retreats to when he doesn't know what else to do or say."
The young witch nodded. The two of them stood side-by-side in silence for a full minute before Tonks took a deep breath. "Remus, I'm -- " She cut off roughly.
"I know," the older man said. "Me too."
No one made comment later about her putting an arm around his waist, and him squeezing her shoulders in return.
June, 1997
"You know I can't go on Hogwarts grounds," Jack said with a sigh. "The charms on the place are too strong and, despite everything, I don't have a drop of magic in my blood."
"Minerva would lift the spell for you," Remus tried once again.
"She's slightly busy," Jack pointed out with a little chuckle. "It's all right. Just... But will you do me a favor?"
Remus watched as Jack rummaged in the deep pockets of his greatcoat and pulled out a paper bag of candy. The werewolf chuckled when he realized what they were. "Lemon drops."
"The first time I met him, he was eating those and telling Wizard fairy tales to a bunch of Muggle children," Jack said with a grin. "It was in an orphanage after World War Two. He said he was searching for orphan witches and wizards, but he just had a fondness for children and us non-magic types."
Remus looked at Jack. Really considered him for a moment. There were more lines around his face, both happy and sad ones, and his eyes seemed heavier. "Are you all right, Jack? You look... old."
"So do you, cub," Jack shot back, but he grinned. "Just... Life. But that's for later."
Without warning, he pulled Remus into a tight hug, just holding him close for a few moments. Slightly confused, the younger man patted his back, chuckling a little. Then the Captain pulled back far enough to give the wizard a gentle, sweet kiss.
It was almost like Jack was saying goodbye.
"What was that all about?" he asked when Jack finally released him.
"Last kiss for the condemned man," the American teased. "You're with Dora now. I can't snog on you anymore."
"How'd you know that?" Remus said with a nervous laugh.
"How long have we known each other?" Jack asked in response. "You're an open book to me."
"I was trying to find a time to tell you."
"We've never begrudged each other of partners before. You're happy. That's more than enough for me." Jack pulled him into another hug, not as fierce as before but lingering, familiar. "Be well, my friend."
"I'll see you soon, Jack."
The two men parted, Remus turning to walk up towards Hogwarts and the funeral, Jack back down the path to Hogsmeade and the train station. A sudden wind swept up behind him, and the werewolf turned when he heard a strange noise; a kind of celestial groaning, a whoosh of magical machinery and a high-pitched whistle.
But when the wind died down and the leaves settled, there was just the path behind him.
Summer, 1997
Jack,
Apparently, I'm getting married and am in need of a best man. What are you doing next weekend?
Remus
Remus,
You bastard! What's the magical equivalent of a shotgun wedding, a wand-point wedding?
Wouldn't miss it for the world.
CJH
PS: GODDAMN PHONE!
May 5, 1998
Teddy really is what parents must consider a good baby, Harry thought as he bounced the child on his knee. Despite the random hair color changes, he doesn't fuss and is rarely anything but happy. He just looks so much like his parents that surely it must hurt Andromeda's heart sometimes.
It hurt Harry's, to be certain, to look down and see Tonks' smile on her son's face, or to see Remus' intense gaze as he regards something for the first time.
Harry naturally volunteered to watch his godson at every turn, giving Teddy's grandmother a break from the harshness of reality and sparing her from packing away her daughter's things. Andromeda usually went and visited with the Weasleys when he babysat, she and Molly helping each other cope with the loss of their children.
The price they've paid is heavy, but ultimately worth it, and Harry vowed every day that Teddy won't have to grow up like he did.
Remus and Tonks, ever aware of How Things Were, had left him and Hermione and Ron things in their will -- most of the library to Hermione, pictures to Harry, a gorgeous wizard's chess set to Ron -- but the majority of it was going to Teddy through the right of inheritance. Shrinking spells were more useful than he'd realized, most of the Lupin estate going into boxes for storage until the baby grew up and got a place of his own.
He was showing Teddy pictures of his parents, telling him stories about just how brave and wonderful they had been, when there was a knock at the door. A moment's pause had Teddy settled in his Moses basket and, with his wand at the ready (just in case), Harry cracked the door open and peered cautiously outside.
There was an older man standing outside with his back to the door, a long, military-style coat draped around him like a cloak. He turned when he heard the door creak open, and his blue eyes sparkled when he looked at the young wizard. "Harry Potter." It was a statement, not a question, framed in an American accent. "You look just like -- "
"My father, I know," Harry interrupted, exasperated. There really was only so many times he could hear it before it got a little wearing.
"Actually, I was going to say exactly like you did when you were born, but you certainly do look like James."
Intrigued, Harry opened the door a little wider. "Who are you?" he asked.
"Captain Jack Harkness." He took a deep breath and cast his gaze around the room, taking in the bare walls and the boxes stacked up around the door. "Is it true, then?"
There was a sudden lump in Harry's throat. He nodded.
Captain Harkness closed his eyes and shook his head. "All of them."
Behind Harry, Teddy made a happy, gurgling sound from his basket. The older man looked around him and smiled when his eyes fell on it. "Is that Teddy? May I see him?"
Harry stepped back and Captain Harkness stepped into the house. He looked around for a moment before smiling. "I always love Wizard houses. Bigger on the inside."
"You knew my parents?" Harry asked as Captain Harkness went over to look at Teddy.
"And Sirius and Remus and Dora, yeah." He smiled at Harry, kind and sad at the same time. "Some of the best, the bravest. You made them so proud."
"You were a member of the Order?"
"Both of them, yes, although you and I never officially met. I worked with the Order on behalf of the Muggle government." He leaned over and picked the baby up, carefully cradling him to his chest. "Why, hello there, little cub," he said fondly. "Ted Remus Lupin, hmn? Your dad told me all about you. Oh, and you look like him, no mistake about that." He gave the baby his forefinger, and gave a sharp, painful-sounding laugh when Teddy's hair faded from light brown to a pale blonde. "But you're your mother's son, I see!"
"Not his father's," Harry said.
"Good. I know Remus worried over that." He bounced Teddy a little, swaying back and forth. "He was so excited when you were born," he told the baby. "Appararated straight into the Hub. Scared Alex half to death, set the alarms off and everything."
He pressed a kiss to the child's forehead -- reverent and solemn, like a blessing -- and set him back into the Moses basket. "Thank you for letting me see him," he said. "And I'm sorry."
Harry nodded, and took Captain Harkness' proffered hand. "I'm sure Andromeda wouldn't mind if you stopped by hers sometime and told Teddy stories about his father," he said.
"Maybe when he's older." Jack chuckled. "Much older."
September 1, 2009
King's Cross Station
"How your mother and father managed to do this for years, I'll never know," Harry says to Ginny over his shoulder. Al has a firm grasp on his father's hand, while Harry has a firm grasp on James'.
"She didn't have your sons," she replies, shifting Lily from one hip to the other.
"No, she had your brothers, which, I argue, is twice as bad."
"Oi," Ron interjects. Rose is piggy-back and clinging to her father's neck, and she giggles.
"He's got a point," Hermione says, bouncing Hugo in her arms to try and keep the little one from fussing.
"Uncle Harry?" Teddy looks up at his godfather, his dark brown hair the only sign of how nervous he really is. "Are you sure I won't get hurt?"
"I promise," Harry says. "Your Grandma Molly told me that the best thing to do is to close your eyes and take it at a run the first time."
Remus' serious expression crosses Teddy's face and he nods resolutely, closes his eyes, and takes off at a run. James lets out a little cry of surprise when the brick wall swallows up his cousin and breaks away from Harry, running full-out onto Platform 9 3/4.
"James Sirius, you stop that right now!" Ginny scolds, hot on his heels. Ron shakes his head and follows his sister.
Hermione laughs when Harry rolls his eyes as his eldest's enthusiasm. "I told you naming him that was asking for trouble," she teases, disappearing onto the platform after Ron.
Al tugs on Harry's hand, looking up at his father with those bright green eyes of his grandmother's. "Dad, those two men are staring," he says, pointing across the tracks of Platform 9.
On the other side of the tracks stands Captain Jack Harkness, dressed in the coat he'd been wearing when he appeared at the Lupins' eleven years before. A dark-haired man, probably younger than Harry himself and dressed in a finely-tailored suit, stands next to him. Captain Harkness snaps out a salute, while the younger man nods his head politely. "He hasn't aged a day," Harry says, mostly to himself. "I thought he was a Muggle."
"Who is that, Dad?" Al asks, as quiet and serious as his namesakes as James is as loud and brash as his.
"A good man," Harry says, smiling down at his son. "Now, let's go see Teddy off."
Date Written: 2/13/10
Rating: PG-13/T
Word Count: 8,113
Fandom: Doctor Who/Torchwood/Harry Potter
Disclaimer: Property of their respective owners
Characters/Pairings: Uh... Can I just say "EVERYONE"? Jack Harkness/Remus Lupin, Remus Lupin/Nyphadora Tonks, James Potter/Lily Evans, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Ron Weasly/Hermione Granger, assorted Death Eaters, Order of the Phoenix Members, and various childlings.
Spoilers: The entire Harry Potter series, at least New Who 01, and a bit of Torchwood 01.
Warnings: Language, character deaths, deviancy of a Harkness kind (you saw the Harkness/Lupin slash, right?)
Author's Notes: Sometimes I think fandom is reading my brain. I was planning this before
jantocam's first challenge, finished it up within a week, and am throwing it up before getting to work on some other things. Major thanks to my betas aikakone (for the Harry Potter and fic scrub) and gingerlr (who got to tell me if any of this even made SENSE). I'm claiming more DW than TW in this one since it's mostly set BEFORE Torchwood. All HP inconsistencies are blamed on myself for not paying enough attention when reading and for relying far too heavily on the Harry Potter wiki."I'm pretty sure a little thing like you should be in bed."
Six-year-old Remus Lupin turned around guiltily, wincing a little bit as he went. His tiny little body was still aching from the transformation the day before -- what was to be his first of many -- and the still-healing bite on his right calf.
The man who had spoken to him loomed over him, tall and intimidating. Remus found himself nudging the floor with the toe of his shoe like when Mum caught him sneaking biscuits before teatime.
Then the tall man squatted down to Remus' level and suddenly he wasn't quite so scary anymore. The stranger flashed him a smile with very white, very straight teeth, and his blue eyes sparkled. "Yo~ou," he sing-songed, pointing a finger at the little wizard, "must be Remus."
He nodded again, fighting the urge to smile back. Mum and Dad always said that he should never talk to strangers.
But this stranger had been allowed into the house. He'd seen Dad talking with him. He couldn't be all that bad, could he?
"I'm Jack."
The man held out his hand for Remus to shake, like he was an adult too. He took the proffered hand, his little one swamped in the bigger one. Jack's grin widened as he shook it.
With Jack no longer so tall and terrifying, the little boy took a few moments to look at him critically. Jack didn't say a word as Remus took in his well-kept brown hair and Muggle clothing. The thing that caught the boy's eye was the long blue greatcoat that Jack wore almost like a robe. "Were you in The War?"
"I was," Jack admitted, releasing the little hand and resting his elbows on his knees. "How did you know that?"
Remus touched the coat lapels, the wool slightly scratchy underneath his fingertips. Jack laughed and put a hand on his head. "Clever child."
"My dad has one of these too," he explained. "He said he got it because he was in The War." Always just The War. "He met Mum because he had to dress like a Muggle when he was fighting."
The older man nodded. "I flew airplanes, big metal things that people can fit inside. See these?" He pointed to the stripes on his shoulders. "This means I'm a Captain."
Remus reached out to touch the bars, considering this. "You talk funny," he said after a moment's contemplation.
Jack's laugh burst forth and surprised Remus, making him jump a little. "The accent, yeah?" the Captain asked, pointing at his throat. "It's because I'm American."
"Really?"
The older man grinned. "Is that okay?"
Remus nodded. "I've never met an American before," he admitted. "Dad always says one of you saved his arse in the War." His eyes went wide when he realized what he said and covered his mouth with his hands. Mum would surely spank him if she knew he'd said it!
Jack chuckled and put a finger over his own lips. "Our little secret," he reassured the little boy.
The older man's chuckle was infectious, and Remus grinned behind his fingers. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Of course," Jack replied, shifting so he sat on the floor. "We're friends now. Mates can ask each other questions."
The little boy tilted his head to one side in curiosity, longish light brown hair falling into his eyes. "Are you a Muggle?"
Jack blinked. "Muggle -- that's a non-magic person, right? Yeah. I'm a Muggle."
"That's okay," Remus sympathized, patting Jack's shoulder. "Mum's a Muggle too."
"Is that so?" Jack grinned at the young werewolf's nod. "That's good then. She's a nice lady, that Mum of yours."
Remus puffed his chest out proudly. "She's the best!"
Jack chuckled and put his hand on Remus' head, ruffling his hair. "Want to know a grown up secret? Most little boys think their Mums are the best."
"Was yours the best?"
"Oh, you bet!" His smile softened and he kept looking at Remus, but the boy felt like Jack wasn't seeing him any more. "She was very pretty, and the best cook in our unit -- neighborhood. And very kind, too, but you didn't want to make her mad."
The little boy nodded. "Mum's like that."
Jack blinked and his grin widened, showing off even more perfect, white teeth.
"Captain Jack?"
"Yeah, kid?"
"Are you here because of me? Because I got bitten?"
Jack nodded. "I came with my... associate from the Ministry of Magic," he explained. "We needed to find out what kind of werewolf you are."
Remus' eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. Before he could ask what the older man meant, however, a call voice called out, "Harkness!"
"That's me." He rose to his feet and tapped a little salute to Remus with two fingers. "Take care of yourself, kiddo."
"Shove off, Pads, you should have bought your own!"
Peter's laugh floated above James' protest, high and clear in the cold air.
"I just want one," Sirius whined, grabbing the back of James' coat. "C'mon, share and share alike."
Remus shook his head as he pulled on his hat, shielding himself from the falling snow. James and Sirius always acted like first years, especially when it came to candy from Honeydukes. He worried slightly that they'd never grow up.
But then again, where's the fun in growing up?
"Oi, Moony, how 'bout a butterbeer?" Peter called out over his shoulder. The three of them had obviously made up their minds on the subject and were on their way towards The Three Broomsticks.
"Do I have a choice?" Remus teased, grinning.
"Not really, no!" Sirius replied, turning and walking backwards as he looked at the other three Marauders. "We lead, you follow."
"Follow you to ruin, of course," James said, tucking his bag of candy into his pocket. He gave Sirius a playful shove, sending his friend stumbling into a man behind him.
"Whoa, steady there," the man said, reaching out to grab Sirius before he slipped in the snow. "You all right?"
"Yes sir," Sirius replied, finding his feet.
"Sorry 'bout that," James apologized as well.
"It's all right," the man said, flashing a film star grin. "Walking's tricky enough sometimes."
Remus had stopped dead the second he'd heard the voice, feet freezing in the icy slush filling Hogsmeade's streets. He knew that American accent from anywhere. He'd only ever heard one.
"Captain Jack?"
"Remus!" Jack grinned and stepped forward, clapping one hand on his shoulder and holding the other out to shake. "You look just like you did when you were six!"
"You look like you haven't aged a day," Remus replied, taking the proffered hand.
"What can I say? Good genetics," the older man said breezily. "How about we get out of the snow and somewhere warm? I was actually hoping to talk to you."
-----
"Are you sure you don't want something else, dear?" Madam Rosmerta asked Jack, frowning a little as she set the glass of water down in front of him.
"No, I'm set," Jack reassured her.
"There isn't really all that much alcohol in a Butterbeer," the witch said, giving Jack her best smile. "I promise."
"Maybe next time?" The Captain flashed the grin at the pretty barmaid, who giggled.
Jack rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a drawstring pouch. He opened it, frowning as he looked inside. "I never remember how this works," he muttered as he searched through the bag, the metal wizard money clinking together. Finally, he withdrew two gold Galleons and held them up. "Is this enough?"
"Oh, more than!" Rosmerta said. "One would be more than enough."
Jack reached up and took her hand. "Then here's one for the bar," he said, pressing one coin into her open palm. "And another for the maid behind it," he added, handing over the second piece.
Rosmerta practically scurried back to the bar. Jack grinned and turned his attention to the four glowering teenagers at the table. "Oh, stop that," he chided. "She's too old for you four anyway."
"What's a Muggle doing in Hogsmeade anyway?" Peter asked, a little crossly. James, Sirius and Remus turned their gaze sharply to him, and he stammered, "I-it's just, Muggles aren't supposed to know or be able to find this place."
"I don't like to brag, but I'm not an ordinary Muggle," Jack said with a grin. "My work lets me travel freely between the Wizarding and Nonwizarding worlds. And a couple of others."
"And what sort of work is that?" Remus asked.
"Well," Jack drawled, picking up his glass and looking thoughtfully at Remus. "I've been listening to these stories from the locals." He paused dramatically to take a drink. "About that Shrieking Shack on the edge of town. It's apparently haunted, these inhuman sounds coming from there about once a month or so. And some people have seen these big animals running about." He stopped in the middle of raising his glass again to point a finger at the students. "One of you is going to have to explain what a Grim is to me."
The Marauders all suddenly became quite interested in their tankards.
"I could arrest the lot of you, you know."
Peter visibly paled at those words, while James ever-so-helpfully jumped in with, "You've got no proof."
"Denial works pretty well as proof in many courts," Jack pointed out. "And anyway, I said that I could, not that I was going to. I vaguely remember being your ages." He grinned that smile again. "Just be careful."
"We have precautions in place," Sirius said, still defensive at the threat of prison.
Jack held his hands up. "Say no more."
"Captain Jack," Remus put in. "When I met you when I was six, you said that you were there to find out what kind of werewolf that I was." The other three stiffened, taking the comment as a personal affront.
The older man noticed and sat back in his chair, chuckling. "I'm just racking up the points with you today, aren't I?" He sighed and focused all of his attention on Remus. "I wasn't given the chance to explain back then, and I apologize for any perceived insult," he explained.
He sat forward and put his elbows on the table, leaning in so the Marauders could hear him as he lowered his voice. "You see, there are two varieties of werewolf on Earth. There are those who suffer from Lycanthropy, a magical ailment with no known cure. And then there are those that are called Lupine Wavelength Haemovariforms, which is not a magical malady and, today, is rather curable if caught early enough. That's what I meant by what kind of werewolf."
James, Sirius, and Peter all turned to look at their friend. Remus' eyes were wide and shining. "There's a treatment?" he asked in a hushed voice.
The Captain nodded, giving a little sad smile. "Yeah, but not for your kind. I hear Wizard medicine's starting to make some breakthroughs, which is good. But I knew the second I saw you that you weren't a Haemovariform."
"How could you tell?" Sirius asked.
"Those that were bitten by Haemovariforms have physical changes to their human forms as well," Jack explained. "Completely black eyes, psychic powers, and a loss of sanity, for a start."
"It's not a magical ailment, but it causes transformation," Remus asked.
Jack nodded.
"How is that even possible?" James blurted out.
The Captain took a deep breath, his entire body expanding and collapsing. "What do you four know about... aliens?"
Four completely blank looks came back at him across the table.
"Aliens?" he tried again. "Extraterrestrials?" He pointed upwards. "Descending from the Heavens to rain terror and perform mad experiments on people?"
"We know what they are," James said sarcastically. "But they're not real."
"You're sitting here, in a bar with flying broomsticks on the wall, next to a werewolf, with a hag sitting three tables behind you. And you're going to sit there and tell me what isn't real?" Jack countered.
"But that's -- "
"Impossible?" The Captain shook his head. "Not even really all that unlikely, to be honest." He grinned. "Honestly. You sound like Muggles being told there's magic afoot," he teased.
"Okay, so there's aliens," Peter said. "And that's what you do? Hunt down aliens?"
"More or less," the older man confirmed. "Most aliens who end up on Earth are just turned around a bit. They're as peaceful as the rest of Humanity. But there are some... Well, there are snakes in the grass wherever you are."
"Tell me about it," Sirius muttered into his Butterbeer.
Remus kicked him gently in the shin. "So who do you work for? The Ministry?"
"Oh, no. I work for a group called Torchwood. We're above the police, beyond the governments -- both the Ministry of Magic and the regular government. But we work in conjunction with them. Sometimes it's a bit difficult to parse out what's magic and what's just advanced technology."
"Which brings us back to why you were visiting Remus' parents when he was little," James said.
"Exactly right." He picked up his glass and tipped it back, downing the rest of it in one go. "I was visiting the Scotland branch and heard some rumors. But, since that's all they are -- just rumors," he added, looking pointedly at the four boys. "Probably hallucinations from too much alcohol, I'm sure -- I think it's about time for me to get back to Cardiff." He set another Galleon on the table and winked at the four of them. "Feel free to have another round on me. And keep yourselves out of trouble." He sketched them a salute before leaving the inn.
The four Marauders looked at each other for a few moments, processing what had just happened.
"Well, gentlemen," James finally said. "That sounded like a challenge to me."
"But you're so young!" Alice Longbottom was saying to Lily. "I mean, the two of you only finished at Hogwarts last month!"
"The way you're talking, you're making it sound like you're more than five years older than me and James," Lily replied, her green eyes twinkling mischievously. "And with the world being the way it is, why wait? We don't need anything big or fancy, despite what my parents want to give us, and a hall was free on the 20th of August."
Remus knew that the hall James and Lily had chosen to get married in had been available the 6th of August as well, but they'd chosen the later date because of the full moon.
Someone touched his shoulder and Remus looked over to see Sirius shaking his head. "Our fearless leader is getting married," he said with mock disapproval. He even shook his head sadly. "Do you know what this means?"
"It... means that eventually we'll have to cave to societal norms and find ourselves otherwise bound to mates?" Remus teased.
"Hell no, it means we're replacing him with me."
The two friends shared a laugh, but any further conversation was cut off when there was a knock at Edgar Bones' door. The entire Order fell silent and most of them pulled out their wands as they all crowded around the front door. Edgar silently counted to three, then threw the door open.
Captain Jack Harkness held his hands up as he took in the roomful of witches and wizards with wands trained on him. "Hey, unarmed Muggle!"
"It's about time, Jack," Dumbledore said with a relieved sigh, putting his wand away. "You're late." It was a quiet reproach, and almost fond.
"The Ministry of Magic doesn't let me use the Floo Network anymore," Jack pointed out as he stepped into the Bones residence, shrugging out of his greatcoat. Alice Longbottom, standing next to him, took it and hung it on the rack by the door. "Not since I caught the Minister in the bath that one time. Why he's got a fireplace in the bathroom is beyond me."
"It's not that you caught him in the bath, Captain," Dumbledore sighed, "it's that you asked if you could join him."
There was a nervous titter. Sometimes it was impossible to tell when the Headmaster was joking or not.
"In my defense, the Minister looks very becoming when soaked through," Jack said with a saucy grin.
-----
"The Wizarding War isn't just affecting the Wizarding World," Jack explained, tapping his fingers on the flat surface of the table he was sitting at. "And non-magical people can't defend themselves against an enemy that they not only can't see, they don't believe in."
The Marauders, plus Lily and Jack, were at Sirius' flat in London following the Order's meeting. Jack had instantly charmed James' fiancee, a Muggle-born herself who wholeheartedly approved of Jack's efforts.
"So you're taking up that torch?" she asked, tilting her head to one side.
"Your first, last, and only line of defense," he teased, winking at her. "I'm actually just a liaison, to be honest. I'll fight in whatever capacity I can, but I'm rather limited in what I can do." He chuckled a little. "I'm mostly just putting out fires for the Ministers and helping keep people out of areas they shouldn't be in."
"Captain, you have no stake in this fight," Remus said. "You could easily just look the other way."
Jack shook his head. He shifted in his seat and pulled a battered wallet out of his back pocket, flipping it open. After a moment's rifling, he pulled out a picture and set it on the table. It was a Muggle picture, static and a little sad, but obviously well-loved. A pretty dark-haired woman was smiling at the camera, the little girl balanced on the woman's knee sharing her mother's dark hair but she was obviously Jack's daughter.
"She'll be three next month," Jack explained. "That's why I want to help out. So she can grow up and have one less thing to haunt her nightmares."
He was dead.
Captain Jack Harkness, the man who never seemed to age, the man who had a story for every situation you could think to get into and thirty more you could never imagine, the man who they all thought could never ever die, was dead.
Dead in Diagon Alley.
Dead because the enemy had targeted him because he couldn't fight back fairly.
Dead because he'd pushed Remus out of the way.
Jack had been in London for a meeting with the head of Torchwood London, and the Marauders had decided to take him to a proper Wizard shop. The Captain had been dutifully amazed by everything, making Lily laugh and tease him, and making James tease his wife about being just as amazed the first time she'd seen Diagon Alley.
Then, the Death Eaters had shown up.
They liked to do that from time to time, blitz attacks on the rest of the Wizarding world. It bred distrust and discord, which made Voldemort's side all the stronger. Just one was often enough to strike fear into people's hearts. This time, they were evenly matched, five-against-five.
Jack was instantly shoved behind the five friends so they could protect him. They might as well hung a sign reading "MUGGLE" around his neck for all the good it did. The Death Eaters started concentrating all of their efforts on the Captain, crowing insults as they did so. Although they wore masks and robes to disguise themselves, Sirius could still recognize the sound of his cousin's laughter. He freely cursed Bellatrix between hexes.
Remus turned during a brief break in the battle to grab Jack's arm. "Get out of here. Go back to the Leaky Cauldron, get out into the streets where it'll be harder for them to find you!"
"But -- "
"We're fine," the werewolf reassured his friend. "You can't defend yourself right now; we can. Think of your daughter and get back to Cardiff. We'll contact you later."
Jack grabbed at the front of Remus' robes. "Sorry," he managed before throwing the young man roughly to the cobblestone road under their feet.
He actually looked surprised when the green curse hit his chest. Like he'd expected it to hurt more.
Like he hadn't expected it to even work.
Jack seemed to collapse to the ground as if it was in slow motion, Time itself protesting the passing of the Captain. Remus turned and fired off a hex before the older man's body had fully hit the floor, the spell slamming into one of the Death Eater's masks. The one he'd hit stumbled back into one of his companions, and the five Dark wizards quickly Disapparated, their most recent mission complete.
Remus rolled back over to look at Jack's body lying next to him. He reached out and, foolishly, felt for a pulse in the side of his neck. When he didn't find one he squeezed his eyes shut against tears and bent almost double over Jack's body.
They'd lost members of the Order already, had been losing them long before they'd joined. This was the first one they'd seen die in front of them, the first close friend they'd lost.
He felt a hand on the back of his head and knew it was Sirius petting his hair, trying to silently offer comfort as best he could short of pulling the body out of Remus' arms. Behind him, he could hear Lily's almost silent weeping, probably against James' shoulder, her crying punctuated by Peter's loud sniffles.
Then Jack violently came back to life, gasping hugely while flailing, and grabbing at Remus.
"Christ, I hate it when that happens," the Captain swore, his voice and movements laced with pain.
The five wizards stared at Jack, the silence broken only by the immortal's labored breathing.
"Well bloody fucking hell, you are the perfect Muggle for this cause," Peter finally managed.
"Remus! Thank God! Tell me those Doctors or Healers or Medi-wizards or whatever they're called are going to let me get out of here."
Jack Harkness was sitting up in a bed in St. Mungo's Fourth Floor, looking slightly worse for wear but otherwise healthy. He folded his hands in mock prayer and gave Remus his best pout.
"I swear, Captain," Remus sighed, sitting on the edge of his bed. "You'd think that getting tortured by Death Eaters would make you want to take a bit of a rest."
"Please, Death Eaters." Jack waved a careless hand, rolling his eyes. "It's not like it stuck or anything."
"Don't be so glib, Jack, they killed you. Again."
"When I first got shanghaied into working for Torchwood, my two bosses killed me on a regular basis." He shrugged. "And they were more creative about it. I mean, no offense, but it doesn't take a lot of skill to point a wand and say a few words. Sloppy torturers, those Death Eaters."
Remus glared at his friend. "They're pretty damn effective."
"They go too big, too fast. Try to rush things. Beings can only take too much before their bodies betray them. If they went slower, they could probably get more information out of the people they're targeting."
"You seem rather knowledgeable on the subject."
"I've been around a long time, wolf cub."
"And yet you don't age. You'll have to give up that secret one day."
The teasing was good-natured and familiar, but Jack cut off abruptly and turned to look out the window. Remus tilted his head to the side and touched Jack's knee. "Jack?"
"That's why they showed up," he said, his voice soft but steady. "They wanted to know how I could live forever."
"You told us you didn't know how you came to be immortal," the younger man said.
"I don't know for sure, but I have a hunch." He looked over at Remus. "Do you remember the man I told you about, the Doctor?"
He'd come clean to them all over a bottle of Firewhiskey after dying in Diagon Alley last month. He'd confessed to being born in the future but living in the past. He'd told them about a being who called himself the Doctor and a Muggle named Rose who wouldn't be born for another eight years. Sirius later said that it sounded like someone had looped a manic Time Turner around their friend's neck when he hadn't been looking. "The alien you traveled with, yes."
"I think -- No." Jack shook his head. "I know for a fact that he had something to do with it. I know it as surely as I know that the TARDIS is bigger on the inside." He shrugged. "I just don't know how it happened. But I know he was involved."
"But they thought you knew exactly how it happened."
"That's all they asked. They put me under that -- Imperio? The one where you do what they want you to?"
"Imperious," Remus corrected. "The Imperious curse."
"Yeah. That's the one. They wanted me to tell them. But I fought back." He tapped the side of his head with two fingers. "We have training against things like that in Torchwood. Then they got really mad and used that other one on me."
"The Cruciatus Curse."
Jack took a deep, steadying breath. "It was like my entire body was on fire. And I could hear them laughing before I... "
The Captain let the sentence trail off sickeningly, and the two lapsed into silence. Jack looked down at his hands.
"Well, look at it this way," Remus finally said. "You're probably the first person to survive all three Unforgivable Curses."
The response had the desired effect when Jack chuckled. "I don't envy the poor bastard who has to follow in my footsteps."
The younger man patted Jack's knee and stood. "I'm going to talk to someone about getting you discharged, then you're welcome to come with me to Lily and James'. They'd love to have you."
"Thanks, but Lu's going to let me see my daughter tonight." He grinned. "They sent me an invitation too."
"Come around just for a few moments," Remus tempted. "Apparently they've got an announcement they want to make."
Jack laughed and shook his head. "Just make sure you give Lily a kiss for me when she announces she's pregnant. And one for James so he doesn't get jealous."
Jack was on the verge of kicking down the door to Remus' flat when the wizard opened it.
He'd obviously been crying, eyes and nose red and raw from tears and snot and tissues, face a mess with ash and dirt and sweat. He'd been one of those present to shift through the Potter's house in Godric's Hollow.
He hadn't found them, but he'd seen their bodies, seen the wide-opened looks of astonishment on their faces.
He hadn't seen Sirius before the Hit Wizards got their hands on him, but he'd heard that his longtime friend had been laughing. The bastard.
"Oh, Remus," Jack said.
"James," the werewolf gasped, and then staggered forward. Jack caught him easily, wrapped him in a tight hug and let the younger man cry into his shoulder. "And Lily. And Peter."
"And Sirius," Jack added.
"Fuck Sirius Black," Remus snarled, pushing away from Jack. "That -- he betrayed our friends, and killed a dozen Muggles, and -- "
"He betrayed us all," the Captain soothed, putting his hands on Remus' shoulders. "It's okay to grieve over losing a friend, to death or to betrayal."
Remus considered this.
Then the image of James and Lily's bodies rose in mind and he vomited what little food he'd managed to consume all over Jack's shoes.
"It's all right," Jack said before the werewolf could even start to apologize. "I took some time off. I'll stay with you for a bit."
-----
True to his word, Jack stayed in London through to the New Year's. He went to Lily and James' double funeral and sat next to the wizard, and then sat with him again when the Minister of Magic gave Mrs. Pettigrew her son's Order of Merlin and finger.
The full moon was the hardest to manage. Without James and Sirius the wolf was lonely and unpredictable. If it hadn't been for the Wolfsbane, he didn't know what the wolf would have done.
Jack, who didn't know how to brew Potions, managed to help Remus make it and ensured he was properly locked away just in case they'd screwed it up terribly. After about three hours, he'd unlocked the door and crept into the room where he proceeded to treat Remus like he was a gigantic puppy.
It made him feel better inside, and the next morning he made a huge breakfast for Jack as a silent thank you despite the ache in his bones.
Jack's daughter Alice came to stay with him for the week leading up to Christmas, and while it hurt Remus' heart to think of Harry living with his aunt and uncle, it was almost impossible not to smile at the six-year-old's enthusiasm over everything, magic or Muggle.
"You make a good father," Remus complimented as Jack waved good-bye to Lucia and Alice on Christmas Eve. The full moon was the 26th, and while Remus was fine with the Wolfsbane, they didn't want a child underfoot either.
"I try." Jack grinned. "You'll make a good one too some day."
"I couldn't."
"Why not?"
Remus fixed him with a knowing look.
Jack shook a finger at him "Just you watch. One day you'll find a partner that doesn't care about what happens to you once a month, and if you end up having children you'll be the best father you can."
"The very thought terrifies me."
"Everyone panics," Jack reassured him. "Lucia disappeared for two weeks after she found out she was pregnant. We didn't know if my condition would be an inherited one on not, and she sort of couldn't handle it. In the end, you just make the best decision you can and then follow it through no matter what."
The young wizard just shrugged.
"Ah, but you're young. And hey, I heard you laughing yesterday."
-----
"Don't stay locked up here, hiding in your grief, Remus. James, Lily, and Peter, they wouldn't want that for you. They'd want you to live, to be happy again."
"I know. I just wish you could stay a bit longer."
"Queen and Country call me, my friend. I've got some friends that'll keep an eye on Harry, and I'll spare mine as often as I can."
"Me too. We owe them that."
Jack reached out of the train window as the whistle blew, and pulled Remus into a fierce hug. Then the immortal surprised him by pressing a kiss against his mouth. It was only broken when the train slowly started moving off the platform.
"Don't be afraid to come down and see me in Cardiff!" Jack called out, grinning and waving at him. "I promise Wales isn't as bad as they say!"
Remus stood and laughed until he cried, waving back and watching the train roll out of sight.
For the next eleven years, Remus saw Jack roughly once a month.
On occasion, they ran into each other because of work. Remus had landed a job in the Werewolf Support Services, a job that paid pitifully but made him feel like he had an actual purpose in life, and oftentimes he would work with Jack to identify new victims. They actually ran across one of the Haemovariforms once, and Jack had bundled up the child and spirited him away.
Sometimes when Remus was feeling run-down and lonesome, he'd head to Cardiff for a bit. Jack would set him up in a nice hotel room by the Hub and he'd spend hours wandering the city, lost in the throng of Muggles. (Jack took him out to the Brecon Beacons once on a full moon and let him romp about, but a local Muggle must have seen them. They'd laughed themselves sick over the morning paper talking about huge wolves in South Wales)
There were two dates that Jack never missed: July and October 31st. On July 31st, the two of them would stalk young Harry Potter, watching him from afar to see how much he'd grown and making sure that at least his birthday was a good day. A long-forgotten ten-pound note would be found in the pocket of his jeans, or he'd discover a book he'd never read before in his backpack, or Petunia would just happen to make one of Harry's favorites for dinner. In October, the two of them would go and visit James and Lily in Godric's Hollow and share a bottle of booze, drinking to their friends' memory, before going back to wherever Remus was living at the time and spending the rest of the night together.
Once a month, though, Jack turned up for the full moon. Sometimes he wasn't able to be off due to work, but when he was off Jack would turn up the morning before the full moon and leave a day or two after, making sure Remus was safe and sound and tucked in bed to recuperate.
Remus asked once in 1984 if Torchwood minded his little monthly holidays. Jack grinned and told him that he was on the payroll as a freelance agent and besides, he was fostering relations with the Magical community.
It wasn't like Remus needed anyone, not like he had as a child now that there was the Wolfsbane, but it was still a comfort thing. And it was... Nice, having someone to take care of him, and being able to care for Jack. Without James and Lily, without Sirius, without Peter, sometimes it was painfully obvious how isolated and alone he really was.
When Remus got the letter from Dumbledore in June of 1993, he'd been grateful. More than grateful. The anti-werewolf legislation had forced him out of work by all but closing down the WSS branch. Still, he was hesitant about taking the position. Parents wouldn't want their children taught by a werewolf.
"I'm going to be teaching at Hogwarts this fall."
He hadn't even realized he was going to accept the position despite everything until he'd said it aloud.
Jack looked up from his book and over at Remus, lying on his stomach in bed next to the immortal. "Congratulations. Give Albus my regards. Oh, and kiss Minerva for me."
Remus made a face. "Be serious."
"I am! She's got the uptight librarian thing going. Very sexy."
The wizard huffed in annoyance.
Jack chuckled and shut his book with a dull 'thonk'. He leaned over and kissed Remus' bare shoulder. "What subject?"
Remus grinned and closed his eyes. "Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"A subject you have much hands-on experience in," Jack replied with a chuckle.
The mouth on his skin followed the line of his spine, making the younger man arch in a decidedly feline fashion. This was something that had developed between them and been off and on throughout the years, depending on if the other had a partner at the time or not, on their moods, their lives, the weather.
It's just the way things were with Jack.
"I'll be teaching Harry."
"Make sure you teach him things that'll make Lily spin and amuse James."
Remus raised an eyebrow and looked at Jack over his shoulder.
"You'll be a fantastic teacher," Jack reassured him. "If you feel the need, I'll go up to Hogsmeade."
"I'm not a child."
"No, but I'm afraid you'll pine."
"Oh, go to hell, Harkness."
It was Wormtail.
Got a carefully-worded letter yesterday from your fearless leader. Am keeping an eye out for rat traps.
Incidentally, there's a sale on dog beds here in Cardiff. Care to come shopping?
-- CJH
PS: Also, call when you get here. It's immensely difficult to explain an owl appearing out of nowhere to my coworkers. And if you scream into it, so help me I will shoot you. Your mother was a Muggle. You know how to use a goddamn phone.
"It was easier when he was in Azkaban," Remus said quietly.
Jack put a hand on the wizard's shoulder. "You could hate him then, and justify it."
"I hate them all."
"No, you don't. You're just angry that they left you. That you're the only one left." The Captain squeezed his shoulder. "Trust me, I know what I'm talking about."
Remus took a deep, shuddering breath and read Sirius' name once again off his friend's tombstone.
"How's Harry?" Jack asked softly.
"Devastated."
The two of them looked over when a third figure joined them, stepping up on Remus' other side. It took them both a moment to realize that the dark-haired, plain-looking girl was actually Tonks, her inner grief reflected outwardly.
If only it was that easy for all of them! Remus knew he'd have to wait a month before he could bay mournfully at the moon.
"Dora..." Jack trailed off when Tonks turned her gaze towards him. I'm sorry was too hollow, and We miss him too just rubbed salt into the gaping hole. Finally, the Captain snapped out a salute -- Yankee-style, hand a sharp blade right over his eyes. "Both of you. It was an honor to know and to fight alongside Sirius Black, and a privilege to consider him one of my friends and be considered one of his in turn."
Tonks' mouth fell open, the young Metamorphmagus, for once, at a loss for words. Remus, however, knew exactly what to say. "Thank you, Captain Harkness."
Jack nodded curtly before turning on his heel to go and pay his respects to Andromeda. Tonks looked up at Remus in confusion.
"He's military, through and through, from way back in his personal timeline," Remus explained with a shrug. "Since he was a kid, he says. It's what he retreats to when he doesn't know what else to do or say."
The young witch nodded. The two of them stood side-by-side in silence for a full minute before Tonks took a deep breath. "Remus, I'm -- " She cut off roughly.
"I know," the older man said. "Me too."
No one made comment later about her putting an arm around his waist, and him squeezing her shoulders in return.
"You know I can't go on Hogwarts grounds," Jack said with a sigh. "The charms on the place are too strong and, despite everything, I don't have a drop of magic in my blood."
"Minerva would lift the spell for you," Remus tried once again.
"She's slightly busy," Jack pointed out with a little chuckle. "It's all right. Just... But will you do me a favor?"
Remus watched as Jack rummaged in the deep pockets of his greatcoat and pulled out a paper bag of candy. The werewolf chuckled when he realized what they were. "Lemon drops."
"The first time I met him, he was eating those and telling Wizard fairy tales to a bunch of Muggle children," Jack said with a grin. "It was in an orphanage after World War Two. He said he was searching for orphan witches and wizards, but he just had a fondness for children and us non-magic types."
Remus looked at Jack. Really considered him for a moment. There were more lines around his face, both happy and sad ones, and his eyes seemed heavier. "Are you all right, Jack? You look... old."
"So do you, cub," Jack shot back, but he grinned. "Just... Life. But that's for later."
Without warning, he pulled Remus into a tight hug, just holding him close for a few moments. Slightly confused, the younger man patted his back, chuckling a little. Then the Captain pulled back far enough to give the wizard a gentle, sweet kiss.
It was almost like Jack was saying goodbye.
"What was that all about?" he asked when Jack finally released him.
"Last kiss for the condemned man," the American teased. "You're with Dora now. I can't snog on you anymore."
"How'd you know that?" Remus said with a nervous laugh.
"How long have we known each other?" Jack asked in response. "You're an open book to me."
"I was trying to find a time to tell you."
"We've never begrudged each other of partners before. You're happy. That's more than enough for me." Jack pulled him into another hug, not as fierce as before but lingering, familiar. "Be well, my friend."
"I'll see you soon, Jack."
The two men parted, Remus turning to walk up towards Hogwarts and the funeral, Jack back down the path to Hogsmeade and the train station. A sudden wind swept up behind him, and the werewolf turned when he heard a strange noise; a kind of celestial groaning, a whoosh of magical machinery and a high-pitched whistle.
But when the wind died down and the leaves settled, there was just the path behind him.
Jack,
Apparently, I'm getting married and am in need of a best man. What are you doing next weekend?
Remus
Remus,
You bastard! What's the magical equivalent of a shotgun wedding, a wand-point wedding?
Wouldn't miss it for the world.
CJH
PS: GODDAMN PHONE!
Teddy really is what parents must consider a good baby, Harry thought as he bounced the child on his knee. Despite the random hair color changes, he doesn't fuss and is rarely anything but happy. He just looks so much like his parents that surely it must hurt Andromeda's heart sometimes.
It hurt Harry's, to be certain, to look down and see Tonks' smile on her son's face, or to see Remus' intense gaze as he regards something for the first time.
Harry naturally volunteered to watch his godson at every turn, giving Teddy's grandmother a break from the harshness of reality and sparing her from packing away her daughter's things. Andromeda usually went and visited with the Weasleys when he babysat, she and Molly helping each other cope with the loss of their children.
The price they've paid is heavy, but ultimately worth it, and Harry vowed every day that Teddy won't have to grow up like he did.
Remus and Tonks, ever aware of How Things Were, had left him and Hermione and Ron things in their will -- most of the library to Hermione, pictures to Harry, a gorgeous wizard's chess set to Ron -- but the majority of it was going to Teddy through the right of inheritance. Shrinking spells were more useful than he'd realized, most of the Lupin estate going into boxes for storage until the baby grew up and got a place of his own.
He was showing Teddy pictures of his parents, telling him stories about just how brave and wonderful they had been, when there was a knock at the door. A moment's pause had Teddy settled in his Moses basket and, with his wand at the ready (just in case), Harry cracked the door open and peered cautiously outside.
There was an older man standing outside with his back to the door, a long, military-style coat draped around him like a cloak. He turned when he heard the door creak open, and his blue eyes sparkled when he looked at the young wizard. "Harry Potter." It was a statement, not a question, framed in an American accent. "You look just like -- "
"My father, I know," Harry interrupted, exasperated. There really was only so many times he could hear it before it got a little wearing.
"Actually, I was going to say exactly like you did when you were born, but you certainly do look like James."
Intrigued, Harry opened the door a little wider. "Who are you?" he asked.
"Captain Jack Harkness." He took a deep breath and cast his gaze around the room, taking in the bare walls and the boxes stacked up around the door. "Is it true, then?"
There was a sudden lump in Harry's throat. He nodded.
Captain Harkness closed his eyes and shook his head. "All of them."
Behind Harry, Teddy made a happy, gurgling sound from his basket. The older man looked around him and smiled when his eyes fell on it. "Is that Teddy? May I see him?"
Harry stepped back and Captain Harkness stepped into the house. He looked around for a moment before smiling. "I always love Wizard houses. Bigger on the inside."
"You knew my parents?" Harry asked as Captain Harkness went over to look at Teddy.
"And Sirius and Remus and Dora, yeah." He smiled at Harry, kind and sad at the same time. "Some of the best, the bravest. You made them so proud."
"You were a member of the Order?"
"Both of them, yes, although you and I never officially met. I worked with the Order on behalf of the Muggle government." He leaned over and picked the baby up, carefully cradling him to his chest. "Why, hello there, little cub," he said fondly. "Ted Remus Lupin, hmn? Your dad told me all about you. Oh, and you look like him, no mistake about that." He gave the baby his forefinger, and gave a sharp, painful-sounding laugh when Teddy's hair faded from light brown to a pale blonde. "But you're your mother's son, I see!"
"Not his father's," Harry said.
"Good. I know Remus worried over that." He bounced Teddy a little, swaying back and forth. "He was so excited when you were born," he told the baby. "Appararated straight into the Hub. Scared Alex half to death, set the alarms off and everything."
He pressed a kiss to the child's forehead -- reverent and solemn, like a blessing -- and set him back into the Moses basket. "Thank you for letting me see him," he said. "And I'm sorry."
Harry nodded, and took Captain Harkness' proffered hand. "I'm sure Andromeda wouldn't mind if you stopped by hers sometime and told Teddy stories about his father," he said.
"Maybe when he's older." Jack chuckled. "Much older."
King's Cross Station
"How your mother and father managed to do this for years, I'll never know," Harry says to Ginny over his shoulder. Al has a firm grasp on his father's hand, while Harry has a firm grasp on James'.
"She didn't have your sons," she replies, shifting Lily from one hip to the other.
"No, she had your brothers, which, I argue, is twice as bad."
"Oi," Ron interjects. Rose is piggy-back and clinging to her father's neck, and she giggles.
"He's got a point," Hermione says, bouncing Hugo in her arms to try and keep the little one from fussing.
"Uncle Harry?" Teddy looks up at his godfather, his dark brown hair the only sign of how nervous he really is. "Are you sure I won't get hurt?"
"I promise," Harry says. "Your Grandma Molly told me that the best thing to do is to close your eyes and take it at a run the first time."
Remus' serious expression crosses Teddy's face and he nods resolutely, closes his eyes, and takes off at a run. James lets out a little cry of surprise when the brick wall swallows up his cousin and breaks away from Harry, running full-out onto Platform 9 3/4.
"James Sirius, you stop that right now!" Ginny scolds, hot on his heels. Ron shakes his head and follows his sister.
Hermione laughs when Harry rolls his eyes as his eldest's enthusiasm. "I told you naming him that was asking for trouble," she teases, disappearing onto the platform after Ron.
Al tugs on Harry's hand, looking up at his father with those bright green eyes of his grandmother's. "Dad, those two men are staring," he says, pointing across the tracks of Platform 9.
On the other side of the tracks stands Captain Jack Harkness, dressed in the coat he'd been wearing when he appeared at the Lupins' eleven years before. A dark-haired man, probably younger than Harry himself and dressed in a finely-tailored suit, stands next to him. Captain Harkness snaps out a salute, while the younger man nods his head politely. "He hasn't aged a day," Harry says, mostly to himself. "I thought he was a Muggle."
"Who is that, Dad?" Al asks, as quiet and serious as his namesakes as James is as loud and brash as his.
"A good man," Harry says, smiling down at his son. "Now, let's go see Teddy off."
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-13 06:35 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-13 06:37 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-13 06:36 am (UTC)And really, besides the teasing of being 22 pages, you actually did it on a short amount of space.
Not sure what else I can say other than you make the crossover work with seeming ease. It's totally acceptable and makes sense. That is not always the case with other crossovers.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-13 06:38 am (UTC)I like to reconcile my fandoms. My muses get along GREAT with each other and love to encourage each other.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-13 06:41 am (UTC)Do it again!"????(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-13 07:27 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-14 07:33 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-14 07:35 pm (UTC)I hope you plan to post this to
(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-14 07:39 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-14 07:43 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-14 07:50 pm (UTC)I have been keeping an eye on the comm, but I have soooo many fics in the queue to write already!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-14 07:52 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-13 03:21 pm (UTC)"while James ever-so-helpfully jumped in with, "You've got no proof."
This made my day....it's what the villain always says....and you just know he/she did it!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-14 07:32 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-13 03:43 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-14 07:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-13 09:14 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-14 07:29 pm (UTC)Thanks for reading, Auntie Teach!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-14 02:09 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-14 07:28 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-14 05:30 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-14 07:26 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-15 07:06 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-02 08:16 am (UTC)Thank you so much for reading, I'm so glad that you liked it!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-17 11:06 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-02 08:08 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-18 07:11 am (UTC)Loved it :)
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-02 04:47 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-23 03:33 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-02 04:27 am (UTC)