Welcome to the new story! This is something I've worked on for a little over a year and I've finally finished it (except for the final two chapters) and I decided to just post it. I hope you enjoy it! Let me know in the comments and please, no hate. This will have boyxboy pairings. If you don't like that, don't read this. Any hateful comments will be reported and/or deleted. 

Aside from that, enjoy! 

Author’s Notes: James’ sister, Kiana Potter, had been watching Harry the dreaded night of October 31st, 1981. Sirius never chased Peter down due to being with Remus and Talianna (Their daughter from a surrogate with both of their genes and none of the baby mama’s.) and because of this; Peter was found to be a traitor and locked away in Azkaban. Thus, no Dursleys (thank the gods!). This story really focuses on an OC, named Talianna Lupin, who plays an important role in this AU of the HP series.

This story jumps quickly through time the first few years. I wanted to lay out the background for the relationships and friendships and that just couldn’t be done with a summary. I’ll do my best to do it justice. Enjoy, my darlings!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~' 

There is Always a Choice

   Chapter I: The Beginning

                                     “The beginning enables the ending.” – Anonymous. 

The platform was large and invasive. Noise its main attraction and, goodness, did many pay to witness. Images flash across her eyes, brown like her father’s, her smirk like her dad’s as she spots the white-blonde hair of her best friend and his parents.

Her voice, so high and clear, cuts through the station’s main ride and strikes her friend’s ears, making him jerk around, a bright smile upon his small, pointy face.

“Draco!”

“Tallie!”

“And Harry, too!” A third child, this one shorter than the other two with coal-black hair and twinkling green eyes, intercepts their running hug, capturing them both in his arms. The three laugh with joy as the parents slowly approach, as if in a duel. Lucius keeps his mouth from slipping into a smile at the sight of his son so happy from the harshest of mental reprimands while Narcissa rolls her eyes gracefully at Lily Potter. Lily flashes an amused smile before greeting Sirius and Remus Lupin. Sirius looks disgruntled from his little girl so entangled with a Malfoy, but at a warning glare from both Remus and James, he huffs and smiles tightly at the little blonde boy before nodding coolly to his parents.

“HOGWARTS!” The three trill and grab hands as they dance in a circling jig, giggling and whooping with the excitement that what they’ve been anticipating for so long has finally come to be.

“Draco” Lucius rebukes at his son’s exuberance. Draco stops and looks up with concerned grey eyes before smiling at his calming friends tightly.

“The train will be leaving soon. Are your trunks on, yet?” Draco asks with the height of politeness. Narcissa smothers a laugh in her gloved hand before holding the other out for the men to shake and a small hug for Lily.

“Yes! I’m so excited! I can’t wait to see the Whomping Willow! It’s my favorite!” Tallie shrieks, beginning to jump again. Sirius and Remus smile benevolently down at their little cub, their clasped hands still drawing both curious and disgusted glares after all these years.

“You haven’t even been there! You don’t know!” Harry protests, still smiling at his silver-haired friend. Draco beams and grabs Tallie’s hand again, tugging her towards the train with Harry trailing behind.

“Let’s go!”

“Hold on! No one’s leaving until I get a goodbye!” Lily protests vehemently. Harry sighs and turns back, kissing his mum’s cheek with over-exaggerated kisses. James laughs while Lily squeals and hefts his little Prongs into the air, tickling his sides so his rich laughter rings out over the platform. Whispers break out at the sight of Harry Potter in the air, laughing.

“The boy-who…”

“I can’t believe…”

“Finally at Hogwa…”

“…Who-Lived here…”

“Great things are…”

“Why do they have to talk about Harry, daddy?” Tallie whispers to Sirius while hugging him tightly. Sirius tenses slightly but chuckles.

“He’s such a happy kid. Those old people are jealous.” Sirius responds. Tallie nods and skips over to Remus for her good bye hugs. James and Sirius exchange pained expressions over her head and Lily reaches out, gripping James’ hand tightly in hers for comfort.

Draco finishes kissing his mother good bye and receives a tight hug from his father, the only sign that Lucius is nervous for his son. “Don’t worry father, I’ll make Slytherin.” He assures him. Lucius smiles.

“This is important, Tallie. Gryffindor is the only true house for Lupins. Gryffindor. None of that snake nonsense and birds and badgers are stinky.”

“Sirius!”

“Now off with you, little cub. Remember, Gryffindor Rules.”

“Sirius!”

“What, Remus? I’m giving parenting advice. You should be proud, I usually suck at it.”

“You always do.” Tallie giggles at her parents’ bickering and quickly bids Lily and James Potter goodbye before smiling at the Malfoys and joining Harry and Draco at the entrance to the last train car. The gleaming scarlet of the train complemented the black sharply and the steam rose more thickly into the air as a whistle blew warningly. Students, decked in black, sapphire, gold, scarlet, and emerald robes rush onto the train with harried farewells and last-minute reminders. Tall, short, skinny, large, curvy, lithe, blonde, black-haired, brunette, ginger, and the like mixing together as the Hogwarts students amass onto the train at last.

“Be safe!” Lily calls out, still gripping James’ hand in hers, aware that her husband was trembling slightly in grief over the reminder of his sister’s demise. Remus and Sirius clasp his shoulders in support before backing away to an empty corner.

“I wish you didn’t need to go. Tallie will be furious if she finds out you left without saying anything.” Sirius whispers to his best friend. His lover. His soul-mate. His husband. Remus smiles fondly at the pouting man and kisses him lightly upon the lips, a gentle brush that brought to mind a thousand memories and a thousand future promises.

“Talianna will be fine. I have to; Dumbledore is worried over the werewolf movements in Northern Ireland. I’m the only one who can go.”

“Be safe” Sirius sighs, letting his pout go to pull the wolf into a smothering embrace. Remus whuffs and smiles into the skin against Sirius’ neck, inhaling his sweet scent. Someone had been dipping into his chocolate stash again.

“You know I always am.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

The train ride flew past the excited first years before they really registered that it had started. Draco, Harry, and Tallie had secured a compartment with a few other first years named Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, Blaise Zabini, and Theodore Nott.

Theo, after discovering who he was sitting with, sneered at them and stalked out to find a compartment with ‘people worth socializing with’. Ron had blushed red at the comment, but the others laughed it off. Tallie in particular. When the others looked curiously at her, the eleven year old merely shrugged.

“I have two fathers and no mother. People act like that sometimes when we go out in public. Father says not to let it bother me, since they’re most likely simple-minded people. I agree.” Tallie explained quickly, blushing slightly under all the eyes. Harry smiles at his friend and nudges her with his elbow, making her squeak in indignation.

“My father says the same thing, cause of the way he and mother turned against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in the First War.” Draco adds. Hermione, a bushy-haired superior looking girl, widens her eyes and peers closely at the three friends.

“Jiminy Cricket! You’re Harry Potter! And you’re Draco Malfoy!” Tallie pouts at being left out but smiles endearingly when Hermione smiles apologetically at her. “Sorry, you must be Talianna Black.”

“Lupin. It’s Talianna Lupin. It’s fine. How do you know these dorks?” She sticks her thumbs towards the two boys; drawing offended ‘hey!’s from them. Ron and Blaise snicker slightly before quailing under Hermione’s hush.

“How can you not know? Harry’s the Boy-Who-Lived!” Draco whipped his head around to stare at his friend of seven years accusingly. Tallie shrugs again, looking unimpressed. Harry’s face morphs from nervousness to sadness.

“It’s true, Draco. Mum and Dad just told me this summer, wanted to prepare me for it.”

“How is it possible you didn’t know?” Blaise demands. Harry shrugs his bony shoulder, his green eyes glued to the compartment floor.

“They wanted to protect him from the fame the rest of the wizarding world would have thrust upon him.” Tallie pipes up, smiling encouragingly at Harry. All eyes turn to her.

“You don’t seem too surprised.” Ron comments, blushing slightly as her brown eyes burn into his.

“I remembered Aunt Kiana. Father and Dad had to explain her absence somehow and they decided the truth was the best. I didn’t tell you, because I thought that you would be told when you were ready.” Tallie mumbles apologetically to her brother-friend. Harry wraps his arm around her awkwardly for a side-hug. Draco makes kissy faces and receives two shoves for his dramatics.

“It’s true then, that Kiana Potter shielded Harry from the curse?” Ron asks. Hermione shakes her head, her bushy hair shaking.

“No, You-Know-Who still cast the Killing Curse on Harry, but he deflected it somehow and it destroyed You-Know-Who. Hence the ‘Boy-Who-Lived’ title, Ron.” She sniffs superiorly. Ron glares and turns slightly away from her. Harry had stopped listening, looking miserable. Tallie reaches for his hand, noticing that it’s sweaty from nerves.

“She loved you a lot. My few memories of her are always of her holding you or playing with you. She loved you, Harry.” Tallie whispers. Harry’s mouth lifts up at the corner involuntarily and he nods, shaking himself and joining into the conversation as it slipped to Quidditch. Draco looks at Tallie during the discussion, catching her reassured smile and wink before joining in as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~

“Slytherin!” Harry pauses in his conversation with fellow Gryffindors, Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Neville Longbottom to watch as Draco swaggers off to his new house. The green, silver, and black clad students cheer impressively for his blonde friend, causing Harry to smile fondly.

“You’re really friends with him, then? I heard his family are real arrogant pricks.” Seamus says boldly. Harry shakes his head.

“They’re just very proper. We met at a carnival when we were five, the one that’s hosted here every summer. We— me, Tallie, and Draco— all got lost and wandered to the petting zoo. We bonded over this one crup puppy and from then on we were inseparable.” Harry says shortly, but firmly. The others around them nod interestedly with the information and the older students begin to whisper about it. Harry watches as Tallie walks slowly to the stool. He had known her from birth, and he knew that she was hiding her nervous jitters by exaggerated calm-ness. He bit his lip to hide his chuckles as the hat slid down past her eyes.

Harry caught Draco’s grey eyes and smiled warmly. Draco opened his mouth to say something when the hat gave its decision.

“Slytherin!”

Both boys’ mouths dropped open as Tallie emerged, looking flushed but defiant as she saunters to Draco’s side. Draco, realizing that he was making a scene with his astonishment, hugged Tallie tightly in welcome. She was shaking.

“It’s going to be okay.” He mutters as she looks up to see Harry mouthing the same thing. The feast continues and the new DADA teacher is introduced, a turban wearing Professor Quirrell. Tallie could smell him from here.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Potions was soothing. It was calming. It allowed her to think.

Tallie didn’t want to think right now. It was the middle of November, and the snow was beginning to build up on the grounds. The steam from the cauldron fires was very welcome after traipsing back from the greenhouses and Hermione was dishing out a very interesting fact about the properties of toad liver in laughing draughts.

Her silver hair was pulled back in a neat French braid, a trick taught to her by Pansy Parkinson, who was too whiny for her, but nice all the same. Harry and Draco were closer to the front of the class, partnered with Ron and Crabbe. After the troll incident, Hermione had been welcomed into the group of friends Harry had amassed for himself in Gryffindor. Draco and Tallie had come to know Blaise, Vincent, Greg, and (unfortunately) Theo. Theo was a right prick. The three still made an effort to stay as close as before.

It was harder for Tallie. It was hard because she was jealous of the two boys— jealous that their families wrote to them every week and were happy about their houses and achievements. Harry had gotten onto the Quidditch Team! A letter with a fireworks charm embedded within it for him. Draco had scored 115% on his first Charms quiz! A box of goodies from around the world for him.

Tallie had been sorted into Slytherin and excelled in potions above all the others in her year except for Hermione. Silence from both her fathers for two and a half months for her. Had she truly done such an awful act?

Severus watched while his most promising student struggled with inner turmoil. Talianna Lupin was a package of surprises, alright. He’d tried to hate her— and found it much harder than loathing that Potter boy— but found her a challenge and a slight…delight as well. She was a spirited witch, that was for sure. She combined Lupin’s intelligence with Black’s cleverness (loath as Severus was to admit it) and none of the detestable arrogance seemed to have attached itself to the girl, even though she had been raised steeped in it, no doubt.

A hiss sounded throughout the classroom as a letter was slotted through the under-crack of his door. A red letter, already smoking, and hovering just before the very student he had just been contemplating.

It tore open, before anyone could think of shoving the poor girl and the letter into the hallway for some privacy, and out poured an obviously drunken Sirius Black’s voice.

“TALIANA LUPIN, YOU’VE GREATLY SHAMED THIS FAMILY. SLYTHERIN? WHAT A DISGRACE! ONLY MUCK AND FILTH ARE SORTED INTO SLYTHERIN! MY DISAPOINTMENT IN YOU CANNOT EVEN BEGIN TO BE EXPRESSED. YOU ARE DISOWNED! YOU ARE NO LONGER A LUPIN; WE’LL HAVE NO SLYTHERINS TAINTING THIS FAMILY!” The letter paused as it began tearing itself up, opening its ‘jaws’ once more. “OH AND YOUR FATHER HAS JUST BEEN FOUND. DEAD.” Severus himself could not have withheld the gasp at those words. Only the Dark Lord had been so cruel in delivering such news. Talianna’s small shoulders were rigid; her usually tanned skin a pale white and her eyes too wide as she stared at the ashy remains of the howler.

Potter and Draco stepped from their lab stations as loud whispers and exclamations broke out throughout his classroom. Talianna abruptly pushed away from her cauldron, the door to the Potion’s classroom slamming open before she could touch it and allowing her to dash through faster than Potter and Draco could catch her.

They ran after her anyway and Severus was left to calm down and dismiss hysterical first years, make a very swift firecall to the headmaster, and make his way to the Hospital Wing with his strongest Calming Draught for when Talianna returned.

~~~~~~~~~~~

No sooner had Draco and Harry settled on either side of the shaking Tallie that they were springing away. Actually, Harry was yanking Draco away, pushing him rapidly up the nearest tree. He recognized what was happening, the tremors that foretold the inevitable transformation from girl to wolf.

“What’s happening?” Draco shrieks as Tallie’s body rips itself into a new form, this one crouched and low to the ground, young and half-grown. Harry held his friend’s hand, keeping each other level on the tree branch. It had taken an hour to find Tallie by the lake edge— but being so close to the forest when she was like this was not a good thing.

“Tallie! Come here, girl!” Harry yells out hopefully. The young wolf, black as night with tufts of grey-brown scattered over her lithe body, turned chocolate brown eyes on them with a snarl. A howl rose as the cub lifted her muzzle. Its pitch struck the boys’ hearts, making them wince from the hurt and confusion they could make from the sound.

“Tallie!” Harry’s breath left him in relief as his dad’s voice rang out over the grounds. Seconds later, the sound of hooves tearing at the heather of the Hogwarts’ grounds greeted the wolf’s howl. A stag bounded onto scene, attempting to cut off the cub’s access to the forest.

“Harry, Draco!” Both boys look down to find Lily Potter with her arms outstretched.

“What’s happening, mum?” Harry demands as he drops into her arms, turning to watch Draco do the same. His usually immaculate hair was mussed and his green and silver tie was thrown over his shoulder.

“Uncle Remus has been badly hurt, and Uncle Sirius didn’t take it well.” She said shortly, herding the boys behind her as they turned to watch the stag’s attempts to soothe the wolf-cub. Tallie snarls as menacingly as a cub can before suddenly darting between the majestic stag’s legs and disappearing into the foliage.

“No!” Harry and Draco’s voices mingled into the afternoon air, following their now-lost friend.

“To the Hospital Wing, quickly! Dumbledore will be there!” James ordered as he transformed back, grabbing Harry’s hand as Lily grasped Draco’s. Together, they ran back to the castle, dread upon their hearts.

~~~~~~~~~~~

It was a bitterly long fight, coaxing pure silver into harmless brass, Severus muses as he begins yet another treatment of the Transmutation Draft on the comatose werewolf. He had been caught in his investigations and tortured with Embedding Jinxes using silver. Fragments and slivers of the metal were everywhere in his body. Upon his arrival eight months ago, Poppy and Severus had to immediately attack the bits directly near his heart and lungs, putting back his body’s strength by a great length.

An irritated growl rose from his left, where a large, black dog sat on guard. It was scruffy and unkempt, but its grey eyes were alert for the slightest threat. Like an old school-enemy looming over his mate.

“Back off, mutt. I’m healing him.” Severus mutters crossly, sneering at the dog, who doesn’t respond. Black had been unresponsive and in mutt-form from the moment that Remus had arrived in the Hospital Wing. The day flashed back like a constant migraine, as it was oft to do.

~Severus leaned back against the wall of the wing, exhausted from the battle to clear the silver fragments from around Lupin’s heart. Black was in his irritable mutt-form, pacing back and forth at the end of Lupin’s bed, whining softly in his throat.

The doors had burst open, interrupting Dumbledore and Poppy’s conversation on their next steps to heal the werewolf.

“Tallies gone!” Potter had cried, leaning heavily against James Potter’s side. Severus avoided Lily’s eyes as she quickly explained what was happening.

Dumbledore, obviously concerned with the worry that would come if the news of an unstable wolf-child was running about the grounds got out, attempted to deter the search. Severus then did something that would change his life (to his distaste) forever.

“Send that insufferable groundskeeper and the centaurs in after her, Albus. I’m sure even that substitute teacher, Grubbly-Plank, would be willing to help search. This need not get out, but it could be more disastrous should we do nothing.”

“Why do you care, Snape?” Potter Sr. snapped, his eyes flashing behind those idiotic glasses that he had passed down to his son.

“Ms. Black does not deserve such a fate.” Severus said coldly before sweeping out of the room, leaving the students to explain what had happened with the howler.~

Now, as he finishes massaging the potion down the slowly healing wolf’s throat, another argument breaks out behind him. His migraine increases marginally and he turns around with a sharp crack of his robes.

“Lucius, just let the boy do what he wants. I have had to listen to his constant whinging for the past eight months.” When Lucius looked as if he would continue the argument anyway, Severus continued. “Do not even make me bring up the Potter boy. I am this closed to bringing out the potion I developed in sixth year.” Lucius closes his mouth slowly, grey eyes sizing up the seriousness of his threat before flicking once in acquiescence.

“Very well, Draco. You may try.” He says softly, warning in his tone. Draco smiles and hugs his father about the waist (the boy had grown an inch already) and turns to the bed where the Potter boy lay.

Severus hid his snort of disgust as the events of what that insufferable child had done in the last few days were brought up in his throbbing mind. True, the distress from the continued disappearance of his best friend could explain his distrust of adults at the moment, but to go into the school’s bowers after a stone and a deranged, possessed wizard? Completely idiotic and lethal!

“Harry! Harry wake up!”

“Lay off, Draco. He’s still recovering.” Ronald Weasley, not the brightest out there, but a loyal friend to the end in Severus’s grudging opinion, spoke up in a harsh whisper. His face still bore the signs of the shards of chess pieces, but his glare caused Draco to stop just short of shaking the dark-haired boy awake.

“What’s going on, Draco?” His mum had walked in with Harry’s mum and dad, both looking tired and stressed out.

“I have a plan of how to get—” A groan interrupted the boy and everyone whipped around to look at the only other occupied bed in the Hospital Wing.

“Remus?” Potter breathed hopefully, loping closer, stopping only when the black mutt growled in warning, leaning over his mate.

“Wassagoinon?” Came the inarticulate reply. Severus waved his wand in the direction of Poppy’s office, signaling her that the wolf had awoken. Severus then bent over the wolf, smacking the mutt on the nose when he attempted to snarl at him.

“Lupin, do not move just yet. You are still recovering from the torture.” Severus says gently. The mutt beside him stops growling as Poppy comes in, holding a few crystals pulsing with a faint power.

“At last, I never thought this day would come. The rest of you, back up. James, pull Mr. Lupin away from the bed, if you will.” Poppy orders as she sets a crystal one either side of Lupin’s head, and another over his heart.

“These will keep his mind and heart strong and protected against the power of the removal charm.” Severus explains gently to Lily, who stood a few feet away, twisting her hands anxiously. Lily’s green eyes lock with his for a few seconds, slivers of trust growing more strongly within them.

“Ready yourself, Severus. I will need your focus for this.” Severus nods, re-gripping his wand and leveling it at the indent of the wolf’s collarbone.

“Transvecto deliquesco” Poppy began to chant in a melodious voice, Severus echoing her as they traveled their wands down the wolf’s body. The world narrowed down to the spell, watching as his body glowed in a vibrant orange light, mist of the same colour rising from the bruised skin and reverting back to solid form into the basin that Poppy had available on the bedside table.

Minutes melted past until Severus felt a silken hand on his wand wrist. He looks up into emerald eyes framed by a heart-shaped face. Lily.

“It’s done, Sev.” She says gently. He nods, aware now of the sweat beading his forehead and upper lip. He steps back, letting her hand fall from his as he tucks his wand away to stare at the gasping wolf.

“You just need to regain your strength and let your body readjust to movement, Remus.” Poppy says briskly, fluffing the pillows helping Lupin to sit up.

“Remus! Moony!” A raspy voice calls out, a grungy body flinging itself gently over the wolf as sobs wrung itself out of the throat.

“Sirius?” Lupin’s voice was weak but happy.

“Do you feel any pain? Do you need water? I have a few books if you want to read. Do you want to read? The full moon’s not for another three weeks, so you should be fine. Do you feel any remaining silver or brass? Can you feel all your limbs? Can you see me? How many fingers am I holding up?” Severus almost raised his hands to his ears but watched with interest as the wolf broke out into a loving smile and gently lifted a hand into the mutt’s dirty locks.

“Why haven’t you been bathing?”

“Because he’s filth.” Severus backed up to stand beside Narcissa as Lucius gripped Black’s arms tightly behind his back and dragged him a few feet back. Potter stood before him, fuming, eyes flashing behind the spectacles.

“What’s happening?” Severus whispered. Lily, on Narcissa’s other side, leans forward.

“What’s been eight months coming.” She whispers harshly, her eyes flashing. She had her hands on Draco and Harry’s shoulders, holding them back.

“James! What are you doing?” Remus yelped as James pulled back his fist and crashed it soundly into the mutt’s jaw.

“You bastard! You’re no better than your parents! How could you do that? What were you thinking? You acted exactly as one would expect from a Black!” James was yelling. Lily winced at the expression on her husband’s face. The last time she had seen him this angry was after Kiana. Sirius’ face was no better, graying rapidly as the insults James threw at him grew worse.

“James! Not in front of the children. I don’t want Talianna exposed to this sort of stuff.” Remus huffed breathlessly, yet still quieting James’ tirade. Lily tightened her hands on the boys’ shoulders as they themselves tensed. “Wait…where is she?”

“Moony” James walked forward gently, lowering his head slightly in warning at Sirius like a stag warning an enemy to back off. Remus shifts uncomfortably on his pillows and worry flashes in his weary, kind eyes.

“Prongs?”

“When…when we first found you, there was an incident.” James stammered over how to tell his best friend. Severus took pity on the man for the first time in his life and stepped forward slowly, instantly gaining the wolf’s attention.

“Your mate sent a howler to your daughter in the middle of my potions class. The howler told her that you had been killed. Talianna was extremely distressed and ran out to the lake, where she transformed and ran into the forest. We have been unable to locate her.” Severus explained curtly. Remus paled too quickly to be healthy and he slumped back against the pillows. James reached out worriedly, everyone ignoring Sirius’ growls as he attempted to get free of Lucius’ hold.

“Moony?” James asks sadly as he sees his friend opening tear-bright eyes towards him.

“We have a plan, Uncle Remus.” Draco interrupts the somber mood as he steps forward importantly. Harry keeps from rolling his eyes but nods as the adults turn to them.

“What is it, Draco?” James asks, hand clenched on Remus’ shoulder in comfort as the wolf trembles slightly.

“I have an animagus form. I could transform and rub your scent over my fur. Then I could wait by the forest edge, with you behind me, and let your scent and Tallie’s female instincts towards a cub call her forward.” Draco explains proudly. Remus stops trembling as he thinks over the plan.

“What’s your form?” Harry asks softly. Draco glares at him before mumbling something.

“Speak clearly, Draco. There is nothing to be ashamed of.” Lucius growls, unhappy that a Malfoy Family secret had been revealed to so many Gryffindors. Draco picks up his blonde head and puffs out his chest.

“A lion” His bravado is ruined as he elbows the guffawing Harry in the side. “It’s not funny!”

“A lion in Slytherin. I love it.” Harry chuckles, wiping tears from his eyes, fingers sliding over the dark circles beneath them. The whole Stone business combined with the loss of Tallie had taken their toll on him night after night.

“Let’s go. I want my cub back.” Remus grunts as he leans forward with James’ help.

“Remus…”

“Don’t speak to me, Sirius. Just don’t!” Remus adds with a snarl as Sirius’ mouth opens again. Sirius shrinks back, hanging his head as Lucius lets go and steps around him to aid the werewolf into a waiting wheelchair that Narcissa had transfigured from a chair beside the bed.

“Draco, transform now so as to absorb as much as his scent as possible.” Narcissa beckons. Draco nods deftly and then drops to the ground, a mewling pile of pale-white fur and teeth and needle-sharp claws. Harry coos at his best friend as he hefts him into his arms, carrying the grumbling cub to his Uncle’s lap.

“Poppy, could you stay behind to prepare for Tallie?” Lily asks the nurse, double meaning in her questions. Poppy nods grimly, her eyes and wand locked on the shivering Sirius.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Come on, Tallie. Don’t I smell like your father? I’m a lonesome cub out here, too. Draco thought invitingly as he paced the edge of the Forbidden Forest by the lake, where she had first disappeared. Remus was sitting in the wheelchair a few feet behind him, watching silently with the others behind him.

Draco sat on his pale hindquarters, tiny muscles bunching together under his lithe coat. He tipped his head back and yowled pitifully. He hissed when he heard Harry mutter, “I’m not sure he’s really changed into another form.” And flicked his tail irritably. He let loose another yowl.

A snuffle caught his attention and he spun around, falling clumsily over his wayward paws. A black muzzle was feet from him, poking out of the foliage. Shimmering brown eyes, copies of the man behind him, watch his every move with an intensity that made him shiver.

“Talianna, come here baby girl.” A croon came from behind Draco and the wolf lifted her muzzle warily. She was small, barely out of cub-hood, but her steps were strong as she paced out of the forest, stopping inches from Draco with her jaws slightly parted.

“Tallie” Harry’s voice joined the crooning. Draco widened his blue eyes and gave his best pouty face. Take me home. He begged piteously to her, knowing that she really couldn’t hear him. His heart beat too rapidly within his chest at the sight of his long lost friend, but he maintained careful control over his emotions so as not to scare her off.

“Bright One” Everyone stiffened, Draco even tottered onto his side, at the Centaur’s deep, solemn voice.

“Bane?” It was Harry’s voice, a disbelieving whisper that identified the black-as-night magical being. Yet, he ignored the rest as he locked his dark eyes on the silver-marked black wolf. Tallie cocked her head to the side and cantered a bit back towards the forest. Draco growled at that.

“Bright One, you have a choice. Your destiny is a choice.” Tallie yipped as Bane inclined his regal head and disappeared within the trees with a faint rustle. Eyes swiveled to watch what Tallie’s next move would be.

The black and grey wolf shook her coat out and marched to where Draco lay.

Hey!  Draco snarled as his scruff was latched onto by sharp incisors and his body was carted into the air. He hung limply, as his cub instincts told him he should do.

“Aww” One more comment, Harry, and you’ll become lion-mush. Draco thought murderously as he was dropped onto Remus’ lap and the wolf sniffed cautiously around the entire werewolf.

Suddenly, raw magical power manifests in a silver light from the black wolf as her sniffing freezes and her body goes rigid.

“Pack…pack…pack…pack…PACK…PACK…PACK…PACK!” Draco grumbles and hops off of the werewolf’s lap to change back, clapping his hands to his ears as he watches Tallie cower on the ground before Remus, whimpering pathetically as her magic brings her thoughts to life.

“I’m here, Talianna. Father is right here. Don’t you want to change back? You can be with papa if you change back.” Remus coaxes softly.

“PACK! PACK! PACK! PACK! PACK! PACK!” She continues to scream mentally. Remus nods encouragingly.

“Yes, pack is here. Right here. Change back, baby cub. Change back, Talianna.” Tallie whimpers again before trembling with the change. The transformation took many a moment, every second of it a battle for the girl too long in her animagus form.

At last, a shivering, dirt-covered eleven year old sat crouched on the ground, gasping as she stares into Remus’ face. Remus’ cheeks are marked with tears as he holds his arms out for Tallie. Tallie shudders and struggles to her knees. Draco moves up behind her, letting his cloak rustle out behind him to protect her from the evening breeze, and gently heaves her up from her armpits. She whirls and stares at him with wild eyes, teeth bared in a challenge.

“Tallie” He gasps out before her fingertips are digging into his cheeks. Her eyes calm slightly, but her nostrils flare as she takes in his scent, leaning close enough that her eyebrows brush his lips.

“Pack” She rumbles in a voice so rough that it hurts to hear. She raises her eyes to his and presses her fingers deeper. Draco breathes in quickly but nods sharply in affirmation. Thin arms wrap around them both seconds later and Harry’s relieved face joins their staring contest. Tallie looks at him and grasps his chin tightly in one hand while keeping her grip on the other. “Pack”

“Tallie, I’ve always been pack.” Harry murmurs, baring his neck for her to take in his scent as she had done to Draco.

“Pack” She whispers again as the boys let her go to see if she will go back to Remus, who waits impatiently. Instead, she crumples to the ground in exhaustion.

“I’ve got her.” Harry nearly faints against Draco as Lucius bends down and sweeps the young witch into his arms. Draco tugs him over to his mother as they watch the silent battle of wills going on between the fair-haired wizard and witch. Narcissa fights the smile coming to her lips as she looks at Lucius battling his own smile.

“Pack” She tugged his hair.

Talianna tugged Lucius Malfoy’s hair.

Both Narcissa and Draco drew in a sharp breath, stepping forward to intercede the inevitable explosion from that action.

Lucius Abraxas Malfoy reached a hand up, grasped a few tangled locks of silver hair and tugged. “Pack, child.”

This time, Harry did faint. As did James. Like father, like son. Literally.

~~~~~~~~~~~

“Dad, I want to talk to you about something.” Harry whispers softly as he lets go of the slumbering witch’s hand. Draco curled more tightly around her small frame, muttering incoherently in his sleep. James nodded and pulled his son a few feet away, where they could still gaze upon the sleeping pair.

“What is it, son?” Draco would not be separated from Tallie when she had been put under a Sleeping Draught after her examination by Poppy. He had hissed at anyone who tried to pull him away and curled up around James’ goddaughter, tucking her head under his chin and wrapping his arms protectively around her torso.

“I want to become an animagus.” James whipped his head down to look at his very serious son. Instead of bursting into furious “Absolutely not!”s, he studied his son, who had been through such dangerous challenges this year— trolls, lethal chess pieces, Voldemort-possessed professors, and Snape— and finally nodded.

“We’ll start tomorrow.”

Meanwhile, on the other side of the bed, two men watched their children sleeping in quiet contemplation. Lucius had one hand on the handle of the werewolf’s chair; while Remus let his eyes fall to slits, watching the aura come to life before his eyes.

“I know you see it.” He says without preamble. Lucius hums softly under his breath and shifts restlessly. His ponytail is once more perfect after the tugging it had received from the girl, and his grey eyes travel over his son and ‘pack’ member.

“The silver soul-mate bond shimmering between my son and your daughter? I do.” Lucius murmurs at last. Remus nods, clasping his hands together as he slumps tiredly in his chair. His eyes flit reluctantly over to where his mate sits, on the other side of the ward. Reconciliation would be a long time coming after the atrocity he had done to Remus’ cub. How dare him— Remus shook his head to clear it of the urge to both rip Sirius’ face off and kiss him until he can’t breathe.

“Talianna has one with Harry as well.” Remus adds.

“Why do you tell me this, Lupin?”

“Call me Remus. And is it not obvious?” Lucius grumbles slightly before nodding.

“It is, Remus. If Talianna shares a soul-mate bond with both, then eventually the one between the boys will awaken and they will become the first Triad in over five decades.” Both men returned to watching their children, contemplating the future.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The middle of August was always the hottest part of summer. In their sprawling cottage two-story house in Ilkley, the small wizarding village in West Yorkshire, the Potters, Lupins, and Malfoys laze about the house in small groups.

It had been a difficult summer for Talianna, who was just now caught up in her studies and becoming fluent in human-speak again. The long-lasting effects of her eight-month transformation are muscles that are half-wolf, as well as an unnatural stillness for such a bubbly child. Her instincts are also half-wolf as well, not that that was much of a hindrance. She won any staring contest with Uncle Lucius nowadays.

It had been a difficult summer for Remus, who was struggling with the separation from his soulmate and best friend and recovering his health and strength from the attack. He tried to keep his visage fierce when he met Sirius for those secret, hour-long, after-dinner talks outside the Potter Cottage, but he was slowly melting before the pleading animagus.

It had been a difficult summer for James, Lily, Lucius, and Narcissa as they watched young Tallie struggle with the errs of her dad and Remus struggle with his heartache and a broken child.

Now, though, was a morning and afternoon of laughter for Harry, Tallie, and Draco. Through much cajoling and pleading on Harry and Tallie’s side, and polite questioning on Draco’s, they had convinced James to go and pick up the latest Weird Sisters record. It was now playing loudly through the speakers of the gramophone and the adults were thoroughly regretting it.

“Mother?” Narcissa looks up from her headache-relief tea, handed to her by Lily, and smiles encouragingly as her son steps through the kitchen doorway.

“Draco, what is it? The music is too loud?” Lucius asks hopefully. Draco smirks and shakes his head, stopping to lean against the counter beside Aunt Lily.

“No, I just wanted to ask how Tallie did on her final exams.” Lily and Narcissa share an indulgent smile as Lucius taps his wand against his palm.

“Why isn’t Talianna asking us?”

“She had a nightmare last night…S-she didn’t want to relapse into wolf-speak if she spoke to you.” Draco explains somberly. The adults nod, letting their eyes wander around the grey and dull red coloured kitchen, modern with a touch of country chic in the wooden table and counters. It was worn, but clearly full of love.

“She passed with exceptional marks. Her charms could use a bit of work, but the incantations are difficult enough as it is.” Lily supplies. Draco lets a full smile slip through his calm façade.

“Tallie’s really advanced in the transition. She can go almost a whole day without relapsing.” He tells them proudly. Narcissa smiles at her son’s excitement. He had had another growth spurt, which meant that they had to take his robes back to Twilfitt&Tattings to be fitted again. The rest of the children’s’ school supplies were already purchased, from which she still owed Lucius five massages for chaperoning that particular shopping trip. The poor man.

James, on the other hand, was opening the door to Potter Cottage with a smile on his face. Remus was expected back from work around five, and it was 4:59 on the dot.

“Moon— What the F—!” James manages to withhold his expletive as he sees Remus standing on his doormat, holding hands with his estranged husband. Though, from the brilliant love bites on his neck, not so estranged anymore.

“We’ve reconciled, Prongs!” Sirius crows happily. James narrows his hazel eyes, his glasses make them glint dangerously. Both canines bristle slightly.

“Have you talked to Tallie about this?” James questions. Remus ducks his head, his shame prominent. James shakes his head, disappointment welling in his stomach and making Lily’s excellent lamb chops questing to come back out. “You’re just going to force her into a room with him, then?” James runs a hand through his hair, mussing it up in the old way. Remus raises his head, his eyes glinting amber as the bond manifests protectively.

“She hasn’t had any sort of contact with her dad. If she’s to get over what happened, she needs to see him.”

“I miss my little girl. I wasn’t in my right mind those eight months, James. I don’t even remember sending the howler.” Sirius says mournfully.

“That doesn’t excuse you!” James snaps, fighting his stag’s instincts to lower his head and present his crown of antlers in a challenge to stop them from hurting one of his fawns. Sirius rumbles in his chest before breathing deeply and standing up straighter, linking his hand more firmly with Remus’.

“We’re here to get Tallie.” He says firmly. All three adults can hear the riotous sounds of the Weird Sisters newest song, ‘Fire Newt’, rumbling from the sitting room, where the children were playing. James closes his eyes against the determination he saw in the two men’s eyes. He bit his tongue to stop the bile from erupting from his throat, the disappointment as bitter as bad tea.

“You’re going to hurt her, Remus. Think of that.” He says urgently as he steps aside. His warning is ignored as the two men rush past, eager to make their family whole again.

In the sitting room, or the Ocean Place, as it was deemed by Tallie, was splashed with blues and whites, the foam crashing up from the painted-on waves appearing almost tangible. The open windows held chimes that had the rush of the waves and the call of the gulls sweeping through the room with each gust of wind. A large white sofa, plush and soft, stood in the center with a thick Persian rug taking up half of the floor. The fireplace sat cold and empty, but for the gramophone being used before it.

A dark-haired boy used a seashell from the mantle as his microphone as he warbled out another verse. His best friend, small but muscular from her months in the forest, danced back-up behind him, adding a shrill voice to their sing-a-long. Draco had gone to the kitchens for some pumpkin juice a few minutes ago, missing the best part of ‘Enchanting Jinxes’, where the lead singer went positively ballistic on the guitar. Tallie swung her waist-length silver hair in a circle, like a skirt, as she used her wolf-grace to dance around the rug on her tip-toes. Harry spun with her, hopping like a clumsy kangaroo, his laughter joining hers.

A door creaking had both pausing to peer at the face peeping through.

“Father!” Tallie almost howls in welcome. She blushes a pale pink at her slip, but keeps smiling as Remus smiles lovingly at her. She loved his smile; it made his tired face appear as young as it really was. His hair, when he remembered to comb it, was still a mousy brown with bits of grey. She couldn’t wait to test her Colour Charm on him for ‘homework purposes’ before dinner. Her mind shied away from the laughing face with sparkling grey eyes that popped up at that thought, turning inward and retreating with an internal whimper.

“Talianna, are you making a mess?” Remus asks mock-sternly. Tallie giggled and pointed at Harry.

“He started it!”

“Hey!” His emerald eyes flashed merrily as he watched Tallie prancing back and forth before her father, nearly vibrating with happiness. The shimmering light that glowed off the walls from the setting sun made her seem even happier. He laughed freely from that sight alone.

“No matter. Tallie, I want you to talk with someone. Alright?” Remus had already waved his wand at the gramophone to lower the volume so that they were no longer shouting to be heard. Tallie bounced up and down on the balls of her dainty feet, nodding impishly while her chocolate eyes were bright with curiosity. Remus watched her with gentle eyes, his love nearly tangible.

The door pushed open, revealing who had been standing just behind her father and—

“Pack! Danger! Protect! Pack! PACK!” Tallie stumbles back against the corner of the table beside the couch. Two photographs— one of a cheering Potter family at the Quidditch World Cup two years ago decked out in Australian colours and the other of three toothily grinning kids, two with white-blonde hair and the other with hair dark as night— are knocked to the ground, their delicate glass covers shattering over the thick grey rug. The seashell lamp clatters to the ground right after them, sand dollars and mollusks scattered among the sea of glass slivers.

Tallie, uncaring of the mess, continues scrambling backwards, seeking refuge from the rush of violent emotions burning through her frail body. In the last few seconds of her panicked escape, her foot caught against the footrest sitting before the fireplace, sending her crashing into the corner of the room. Her mental-magic was still screaming the first phrase, echoing loudly over the screeching of ‘Kelpies’ Love Song’; she hid her face against the wall, her body already trembling with the urge to change forms and escape the overwhelming memories.

“Tallie!” Harry shrieked, as he leapt after his friend. His body morphed mid-leap, changing into the form he had painstakingly achieved days before his birthday. His ebony coat shimmering from the light off of the walls, his small body curling over the right side of the hysterical witch with a soothing purr. Though a cub, his body shielded her effectively from the sight of what had terrorized her so much.

“Talianna” Remus choked out, horrified by his cub’s reaction to her dad. Sirius was hanging onto the doorframe, his heart trying to beat out of his chest in guilt. His little girl was curled into the corner of the room like a hopelessly caged animal. A coughing hiss rumbled from the hallway and he stumbled forward as another furry body jumped past him, skirting the sea of glass and shells, and curling up protectively on Tallie’s left side, his fuzzy, pale head burying into her silver hair. Tufts of black fur wavered over the girl’s bronze skin, peeking in and out of sight.

“Pack…Pack….pack…” Her voice caught on ragged sobs torn from a shifting throat, the small girl curling in on herself as much as possible. Harry rumbled in his throat, forcing a purr out instead of snarl towards the threat to his pack member. His emerald eyes glare accusingly at the two men, his teeth baring in warning should they dare step closer while Draco wrapped a paw, with difficulty, over the girl’s stomach. Her head was wrapped in her bony arms, her body slowly calming from the shield her pack mates were providing.

“What’s going on in here?” Lily demands hotly as she and Narcissa burst into the room. Lucius and James step in behind them, both wearing grim expressions.

“We’ve come to take Talianna home.” Remus says sadly, eyes locked on his calming cub. She was slowly slipping into slumber.

“Are you completely daft, Remus? You will set back any recovery that she has made within hours! Look at her after just one glimpse!” Lily hissed, keeping her voice low so as not to disturb the sleeping child. Harry and Draco growl threateningly as Sirius shuffles forward a few inches.

“She has had almost two months to recuperate, Lily. It’s time our family was together again.” Remus said firmly, eyes shifting amber again. Lily’s eyes grew wide, a mirror image of her son’s, while her mouth hung open at the ferocity of the gentle wolf’s tone.

“I once considered you the only intelligent boy of the Gryffindors in your year, Lupin. My mistake.” Lucius snarls softly, his face almost showing his anger at the stupidity of the couple. Narcissa nods stiffly in agreement. Sirius and Remus both bristle at the insult.

“That’s enough. I thank you for letting us stay here, James, Lily, but we’ll be returning home to the Den now.” Remus growls as he walks towards his cub. Draco and Harry stand to attention, hackles drawn up and teeth bared in challenge.

“Lily, Malfoy, make them move.” Sirius barks. Lily closes her eyes and lets James be the one to command Harry to their side. The jaguar gives an unwilling snarl as the order from his sire is given. Draco whimpers, resisting his father’s hiss for several minutes before whining with each paw step away from his pack member.

As soon as the two cubs were out of sight, Remus slipped his arms under his daughter’s shoulders and knees, barely jostling her as he cradled her to his chest. Sirius steps up to his side as they walk outside of the house, ignoring the furious entourage trailing behind them.

“Why do you refuse to listen to reason?” Narcissa asks them before they step beyond the wards of the cottage. Remus doesn’t look back, letting Sirius answer.

“It’s our family. We know what’s best.” He grips Remus’ shoulder and they disapparate with a Crack! leaving two cubs whining at the separation of their pack.