Memories (Romulus)

[Ginny Molly Weasley]

Ginny was up on the fifth floor, having just been in the music room playing piano. She had been extremely homesick today so she was playing some lullabies that her mother used to sing to her. Ginny had been avoiding James and Sirius and Remus all day today for fear that they would catch her crying and try to get to the bottom of it. Although James already knew the truth, she didn't want to think of him or be with him when she was missing her family... and Harry. Every once in awhile, even though Ginny was madly in love with James, she missed the stupid, oblivious challenge that was her Harry. She closed the lid to the piano, grabbed her stuff and got up, trying to fight the tears that were brimming in her eyes. She felt a sob escape her chest as she hurried out of the classroom. Her eyes blurry, Ginny didn't see the person coming at her until she had run smack into him and fallen to the ground. She stood up and quickly wiped the tears from her eyes, afraid it was someone looking for her. Very few people went to the music room so she didn't know who else it could be. "I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going," she started to say before she looked up to see someone that she had just seen yesterday... except that she hadn't. "Remus?!" she gasped, before slapping her hand over her mouth in case someone who knew young Remus were there.

[Remus Lupin "Romulus Cage"]

"Romulus Cage, huh?" Remus asked looking at the old man who had just informed him he had travelled in time.  Remus sighed, and looked towards the door. 

"For safety, of course, Remus," Dumbledore replied.  Remus placed his hands in his pockets, avoiding the hole in one of them, and tried to wrap his head around all of this.  He had travelled back in time to his fourth year.  Apparently, several people had arrived, including Harry.  He rubbed his chin, pulling one hand out of his pocket, and soon dropping it.  Dumbledore was looking at him with that twinkle in his eyes that meant understanding.  After all, he wasn't the first one person to show up, and others probably had a harder time than he did. 

"I want to help in anyway I can," Remus stated, "With everything, anything you need help in."

"Good.  We do need all the help we can get, however, you are from the future and you may change the future in a bad way," Dumbledore noted. 

"There is little that is worse," Remus said watching Dumbledore who frowned at him slightly before nodding, sitting down at his desk and beginning to write on a piece of parchment. 

"Here you are," Dumbledore handed him the sheet he wrote on.  Remus nodded, and read the piece of paper informing him of the headquarters and the next meeting time.  Remus burned the paper then vanished the ashes. 

"I'll see you then," Remus said with a nod before turning to leave. 

"Romulus," Dumbledore said causing Remus to stop and turn around, with a bit of hesitation, not quite used to his new alias he had to go by. 

"Yes, Professor?" Remus asked.  Dumbledore looked down over his spectacles and grinned at him.  It was a face he knew well, when he was about to tell him something important. 

"There are some who are having a hard time adjusting, students," Dumbledore began slowly studying Remus with those piercing blue eyes, "If you would, I would like if you were to council them.  Most in the same circumstances are students, and there are few adults.  Take care of them." 

"Of course," Remus said with a nod and smiling.

"Be careful, and listen to some music, it will do you some good," Dumbledore said leaving Remus confused.  He nodded and began walking away, exiting the office.  Thinking on Dumbledore's advice he began thinking of what he meant.  Music?  Why?  They had just finished talking about those having a hard time adjusting then he was suggesting some music.  Perhaps they were related.  If he remembered correctly, and he was usually right about these things, there was a music classroom in Hogwarts.  Going there on a whim, not even knowing if that is what Dumbledore meant, he hurried into the room. 

He heard the playing of a piano, and soon he came upon a familiar red-head who stood up, and began walking.  He tried to catch Ginny when she ran into him, expecting her to stop, but when she didn't he didn't have time to adjust and thus failed.  He saw that she had been crying when she looked at him and began talking.  It must be hard for the young girl to have to go through.  Even he was still in shock, feigning confidence.  Inside he was going through a lot of emotions, thinking about how he could see his friends again, but scolding himself because that would be too dangerous.  And of course, he was trying to busy himself to avoid the emotions that were building up on the inside, distract himself until this all could be solved.

"It's ok, Ginny," Remus said quietly with a smile small growing to reassure her, "It's Romulus now, for safety reasons, of course."  Remus wasn't quite the best with helping with emotions, given the emotional wreck he really was and his solution was to push it all back.   "Homesick?"  Remus was guessing, and he had just gotten here so he wasn't feeling that yet.  Maybe he never would, because there Sirius was dead and he was pretty much alone and would be for the rest of his life.  Just knowing his friends were alive made him feel better.  "How long have you been here?"

[Ginny Molly Weasley]

Ginny looked at Remus, "Romulus, the founder of Rome... a particularly good name for you, Remus," she smiled through her tears. "Yea, homesickness." She missed everyone, her mom and dad, strict but still family, Bill and Charlie, always gone but still family, Percy, a prat but still family, Fred and George, her favorite brothers, Ron, her over-protective brother, Hermione and Luna and Neville, her best friends... everyone. "I've been here since the very beginning of the year, arrived just after the yearly sorting and spread word that I was a transfer student." She thought of what happened the day she first arrived and began to tell Remus.

It was the middle of her fifth year and Ginny knew that Harry was slowly falling for her, but not quite ready to take the next step. He had kissed her, but had run off not long after, she assumed because he had to think everything over. She had been chasing him, trying to talk to him before he talked himself out of a possibly wonderful relationship. He ran to a place in the castle that she didn't recognize and from the slowing of his feet, she figured he didn't either. Harry ran into some room and closed the door and she quickly followed. Upon opening the door she saw him standing next to a beautiful shining rock and reaching out to it. The moment he touched it, he disappeared with a flash and she remembered screaming his name. There was obvious magic about the room and Ginny ran to the rock without hesitation, she wasn't going to lose him when she was so close to finding him. She pulled her wand out of a pocket in the sleeve of her Gryffindor robes, she placed her hand on the rock and felt herself being pulled away. Ginny felt herself reappearing and looked around, to see the exact same room looking just a bit younger. She hurried out the door, calling for Harry. There was no one in the hallway, so she ran down the familiar but different corridors until she ended up running into someone. Apologizing profusely, Ginny realized that it was Professor Dumbledore. "Professor, I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going."
He looked at her with a knowing look in his eyes, "my dear, you seem to know who I am, but I don't believe I have met you yet."
"But Professor, you know who I am, Ginny Weasley, I got caught in the Chamber of Secrets, Harry had to come save me!"
He looked astonished, "ah, you must be from a later time, like the others. Follow me, there is much we have to discuss. First, do not mention anything about your life to anyone here, I will explain why when we reach my office." He set off at a brisk walk towards the stairwell leading to his office. Upon arriving Dumbledore explained that it was the year 1974, Voldemort was still at large, and that the Chamber of Secrets had been closed for a few decades. They talked for awhile and she learned that it was the marauder's fourth year and that Harry had arrived over the summer, most of a month before she had. She told him a little of her own past, but nothing too important, for fear that knowledge could change the future. She was warned to not meddle too much into the past. In putting her wand away, which she realized she still held, Ginny noticed that her robes had changed to Slytherin robes.
"Professor, in the future I was a Gryffindor, why is it that my robes are now Slytherin robes?" she asked him.
"It seems, my dear, that your personality has changed in the years since you first were sorted. The magic of the castle decided to resort you into your proper home for this time. If you are to return to your time it will be interesting to see if you will stay Gryffindor or Slytherin." He gave her the necessary knowledge of the Slytherin dorms and sent her off on her way, pondering everything. "Ginny, you have arrived just following the first night's feast. If you are hungry, call for a house elf to bring you food, but perchance you should head to your dorms and get ready for school. Your schedule will be sent down in the morning."
"Thank you Professor," she said as she left.

Ginny looked at Remus, "I've been here such a long time. I haven't seen Harry since I arrived, except a glance far away, but he ran everytime I tried to talk to him. Now I'm happy with my friends and with James, but I miss Harry and my family and my friends," she sighed, not realizing that she had let slip enough information for him to realize that she was dating his best friend from school. She wiped away a tear that was brimming from her eye, "sometimes I just wish I could go back."

[Remus Lupin "Romulus Cage"]

"Dumbledore's idea," Remus shrugged always passing off the credit he felt was not due to him, and sometimes it wasn't, and sometimes it was credit that should be given to him, but that didn't matter anyways.  Remus watched Ginny and tried to think of something that would help her out.  She wouldn't be able to just push the feelings away.  Remus was starting to break a bit after Sirius had died.  He had just lost his best friend when he had come up here and transported back to this time.  It was like the universe was taunting him.  Oh, Sirius is now alive, everyone you loved is still alive, but it is too dangerous to see them.  He was caught between the hurt of not seeing them, and the happiness to know that they were out there pranking and having a jolly good time. 

"I just got here," Remus informed her, "Just had a meeting with Dumbledore.... You've been with James?  Ginny, does... he know where you come from?  Do the others and... I know?"  It was an innocent question, but he was also thinking of scolding her for dating James when it was such a dangerous thing to do right now, and if James knew, it wouldn't be too very long until she would have to tell the other three of them.  And of course, the younger him.  He really hoped that his youthful years hadn't made him look worse in her eyes.  He was sure most people would think so, especially the kids who had him as a professor.  He had a similar attitude when he was with Sirius before he died, but now he had no one to do that with... the only other one who he had really let see that side of him at the Grimmauld Place was Nymphadora, and she wasn't here with him.  He didn't want her to come either, because then she would be stuck just like him.  He would not want anyone else to have to be displaced from time, especially not her. 

"I wish I could go back as well.  I just got here, but I want to go back; there are people at home I already miss as well.  But we must persevere.  Keep our family in mind," Remus said, thinking that it was Nymphadora... the Order... who he wanted to see once more, "Don't ever give up hope.  Dumbledore will find something eventually."  Remus may have little confidence in himself or many others (*cough* *cough* Dung *cough* *cough*), but he had absolute faith in Dumbledore to get what needs to be done, done.  After all that man had done for him, after all Dumbledore had been able to complete and pull strings for him, he couldn't repay that man.  So he trusted him with everything.  And of course, he missed.... the Order.  Yeah, the Order.  He wanted to see their face once more.  Their beautiful face with their pink hair... Just thinking about them made him almost lose focus on Ginny.  He shoved... the Order from his mind and focused on trying to help Ginny.

[Ginny Molly Weasley]

Ginny nodded, "sounds like something Dumbledore would come up with, but it still suits you." She looked at him, a strong defiance being to show in her eyes, "yes, I've been with James, I AM with James, and I know that's dangerous, but there's really nothing I can do, I love him..." her voice started to get a little quieter, "he's so much like Harry, Re-Romulus, but he's more confident, and he doesn't push me away like Harry does. I know it could go horribly wrong, but I will give him to Lily, once she decides that she wants him, I'll leave, I'll disappear, and she'll be there to pick up his pieces. And yes, he knows... I promise not to tell anyone else, but I really needed someone else to talk to and I didn't know anyone else I could trust." She looked into Remus's eyes, "please don't be mad at me, Remus, I'm doing the best I can!" She shrugged, "I think you've started to suspect something, past you, I mean. Remus is always looking at me strangely and has been going to the library more than usual. I'm afraid he's found something. You were wonderful back then, you know. Smart and sweet, a really good guy. No one blames you, for not sticking up to them bullying Snape, no one except him, of course. And... umm... me being here has already changed the past some. Lily and Snape are dating," she cringed slightly, afraid that Remus would be upset at her. Right now, he was the only tie she had to her home, and she'd always seen him as a fatherly figure. No, she wasn't as close to him as Harry had been, but still, he was from the Order and from home.

[Remus Lupin "Romulus Cage"]

"Only you and Dumbledore would think so," Remus said with a soft chuckle. He especially didn't think that his techniques would work for anyone else, and of course, one person comes along and tries to knock down the whole structure, succeeding in it whenever he was around said person. Which wasn't now. Luckily. Or it was bad luck... He didn't really get it right now. But he had to focus on the issue at hand. Ginny, from around his time, had been dating his dead best friend and father to someone he knew she fancied, at least a little bit, though he knew she fancied him for a long time. Just because he didn't know how to deal with... a certain woman he was not going to let distract him, didn't mean he didn't see when other women fancied other people other than him. Because no one could fancy him. At least that's what he believed.

"Harry just needs time, you know that," Remus noted with a reassuring smile, "But I'm not mad, Ginny. What I am more worried about is you, not James. You need to be ready to give him up, get over him, when the time comes. He'll have Lily, Sirius, Peter, and... Remus," referring to himself in the third person really sounded odd, "to help him. But you don't belong here, your friends and family are far away. From what I can tell, there aren't too very many people from our home." Remus was quite worried about her, not truly the change in the time at the moment, because it could turn out very good in the end for James and others.

"Of course I have," Remus sighed shaking his head. He knew he was brilliant, but he never really thought too very high of that intelligence. "Are there any other strange people that shouldn't be here? From other... places?" If it was so, he would be very curious as to what sort of other changes he should expect, or try to prevent. Voldemort coming back to this time, warning his past self about Harry, and having James and Lily simply killed before their time. That would be terrible even if Sirius wouldn't be locked up in Azkaban for 13 years for a crime he didn't commit. Even still, it wouldn't turn out well. No Harry, Voldemort still terrorizing... the war might never end.

"Maybe... that's a good thing for Severus," Remus mused with a warm smile, thinking of Severus and how it was obvious that he definitely cared a whole lot for Lily. Perhaps him losing her, or not losing her after being in such a relationship would make him not quite so... negative in the future. However, Remus had a feeling that their break up would take place around the time their friendship broke in his memory. If not, then there would be problems, and Harry might not actually be born... which wouldn't be good.

[Ginny Molly Weasley]

"Well," Ginny said, shrugging, "there's nothing wrong with sharing and opinion with Dumbledore." She smiled, noticing that something was slightly off with Remus, more so than just his... furry little problem. He reminded her of Harry when he had been crushing on Cho. Perhaps he fancied someone? "I know he does, and he'll have plenty of it, but while he thinks, I can be happy, can't I? I know that we can't stay together. If that happens Harry will never be born and Neville will end up as "the chosen one" which is not what should happen. I'm afraid he'd become rather cocky and very un-Neville-like if that were to happen." She glanced away, afraid of more tears. "It's gonna hurt, but by the time Lily's ready for him, I'll leave, no matter how much it hurts me. I can always find someone else, even if Harry isn't ready for me then." She knew she and Harry were destined to be together, it was a feeling she'd had ever since she first laid eyes on Harry. "Yes, there's another girl in Slytherin, she doesn't know that I know, but she's from some time in the future. And Tonks is here, somewhere. From her Hogwarts years, I believe, still younger than I'm used to her. And of course Harry. And some kid who looks like Malfoy, his son, perhaps? Grandson, maybe? And a girl who reminds me of Hermione but looks like Ron. I suspect she's my neice. She's a Gryffindor, I believe, so this is all a guess, I don't know for sure if she's from the future. I just pay attention to newbies to the school. Other than those from the future, there are no transfers, so it's easy to spot. It's harder when they arrive over the summer, because then it's only a guess whether they are or aren't." She looked at Remus, surprised he wasn't upset about Lily and Severus. There were rumors that Remus once fancied Lily a little. He, of course, wouldn't have done anything because James was chasing her, but still, it was possible. Not to mention that the marauders hated Severus. They seem like their in love, but I'm sure that the fight will still occur and will be both the end of their relationship and their friendship." She thought for a second, "yea, I'm sure that will happen. Even with her, he's still talking to his death eater friends. I see it all the time, comes from being a Slytherin."

[Remus Lupin "Romulus Cage"]

"It means you are wise... or at least have some wise moments," Remus replied... or are Tonks. Shoving thoughts from his head which kept one pointing to the beautiful Nymphadora Tonks, whom he was NOT completely and totally head over heels in love with, he thought for a moment on Harry and Ginny's relationship, or lack there of. He felt bad for Ginny, because Harry hadn't seemed to notice her, almost at all, but she did like him a lot. He probably only saw her as Ron's little sister. But perhaps that would change. He did hope, for Ginny, Harry's view would change, because she couldn't live happily ever after with James, because it would mess everything up, and Harry wouldn't have become the one to defeat Voldemort, and Neville might not have been able to survive that attack like Harry had, no offense to Alice, but he knew there was something really special going on that night that saved Harry.

"When you do chose to leave him," Remus said still giving a warm smile, to try to reassure her, "If you need someone to talk to, I will be somewhere around. I don't know how much help I can be... but Dumbledore did give me the job to help all of the transfers, which includes you." And he didn't think he'd be much help, but he'd try his best. Getting relationship talk from him. Heh. From the man who wouldn't admit his ever increasing feelings for... the Order. That would be a terrible choice, but he would do the best he could.

"Nymphadora is here?" Remus said, his face perking up just at the sound of her name, before he realized the rest of that sentence meaning that she didn't know him at all. He quickly added to try to cover his tracks, "So perhaps the others are from our future, as we are from those here. Malfoys son, Hermione and Ron's daughter, it would make sense, if any of it does... I'll be sure to keep an eye out for them, when I'm here or Hogsmeade... can't do too much of that, have to avoid certain people, of course." Such as his friends and of course, himself. Though the friends part was just some rule he stipulated for himself to follow, while avoiding himself was something that would help not tear time up, and avoid paradoxes, and such.

To clarify Remus's thoughts on Snape and Lily, he did have a crush on Lily in his school years, but he had gotten over that a while back, himself. And of course, now did NOT have a crush on a certain woman. Plus, when James married Lily, he had gotten over any sort of jealous he had over Lily when concerning other men, so it was all not too bad in his mind. "In the end, it might also hurt Severus more. Losing Lily was something that made him side with Dumbledore," Remus suggested as an alternative, "If he loses her then while already having her in a romantic relationship, he might be able to get over her by the time of her death. Unrequited affection is a powerful pain to someone, and once it is requited, depending on the person, the loss is either less or worse. With Severus, I am not sure."

[Ginny Molly Weasley]

Ginny laughed at his comment, “I’m hardly wise. Wiser than Harry or James, they’re a bit rash, but still not wise.” She shook her head, trying to stop the flow of memories and tears from coming on again. She had already cried once today she didn’t need to cry a second time. The memories of Harry and their only kiss were strong on her mind, despite her attempt at stopping them. She wondered how someone could love two men at the same time, because obviously she did. She signed to herself, “thanks, Remus, I’ll probably need as much help as I can get when that comes, even if all you can be is a listening ear.” She was thankful that Remus offered his help to her. She knew that it would be heartbreaking when she had to leave James, but she was glad for the relationship. Even in the few months they had been together she had learned a lot about herself and about where Harry came from. It was interesting, James and Harry were both so brave and rash and strong, but Harry was more humbled and focused on others rather than on himself. It was interesting to see.
She chuckled to herself at his reaction to hearing about Tonks, he obviously had some feelings for her. “Yes, she is. She’s just as bright and cheery and clumsy as the Tonks we know, just so much younger. “ She nodded, “I’m not positive, but his name is Scorpius and he looks just like Malfoy did when I left. Only his eyes are slightly different, less controlling and more open.” She tilted her head, “I don’t think you need to avoid them, as long as you don’t talk about what you know, you look very different from young Remus.”
Her eyes blurred for a moment as she thought, “perhaps he might not react at all to her death and end up as Voldemort’s slave rather than a double spy… that would be a bad future,” she cringed, “hopefully their relationship won’t change anything.” She shook her head to dispel the thoughts of Snape being only on Voldemort’s side. Although Harry wasn’t convinced, Ginny had seen the way he acted and knew that he really was on Voldemort’s side, no matter how much he had done to harm them.

[Remus Lupin "Romulus Cage"]

"Nor Sirius," Remus added with a chuckle of his own, thinking of how Sirius had been the rashest of the whole bunch of them. He was still hung up on Sirius's death, having just gone through it himself, before being transported here. Remus once more shoved the thoughts of his dead friend from his mind, and replaced those thoughts with happy ones, namely those he experienced with... The Order. "I would never let a friend in need go without help," Remus replied with a smile, "I just hope I wouldn't be a hindrance." Which he was sure he probably would be. And anyways, he didn't consider Ginny really a friend, but more like family, like a niece or something like that. All the kids of the Order, especially the Weasleys, he felt were as close to family as he was going to get.

"Good, good," Remus sighed thinking of happy younger Tonks. He hadn't ever visited her, despite his promises when he was younger with Sirius and the others. Remus had lost everyone, and going to see the family of the one he believed responsible wouldn't help at all. So he avoided her. Until Mad-Eye brought her to the Order, and then they met. He did feel very guilty for not seeing her at all. "Scorpius? It definitely sounds like a Malfoy name. Just because he might look more open, doesn't mean he is. Be careful around him, alright? Just in case." He didn't trust the Malfoys at all, but that didn't mean that Scorpius was like them, he knew that. But the Malfoys should be kept on watch, just in case, because of the whole family tradition. "I do need to avoid them," Remus stated simply. He needed to, or he feared he might just fall apart emotionally, and become a wreck. It was just a fear. But he did aim to avoid them, because of that fear.

"I know Severus fairly well," Remus said after a moment of thought and silence, "He would always love her, no matter what happens. I'm sure he'd react, just perhaps not in the same way." Remus was glad that Ginny, unlike Harry, believed Snape was on their side. Dumbledore did, and they had to trust Dumbledore, or they couldn't trust anyone. So he believed Snape, and trusted him and his information.

[Ginny Molly Weasley]

Ginny shrugged, “hindrance or not, you’d be a friend.” To Ginny, him offering his help was more important than whether or not it would actually help in the end. She really did consider him a friend… he was a friend of the family after all, practically an uncle, really. It was mainly because of how much time they spent together that one summer at the Order’s headquarters. Everyone who was around often tended to get close together and Remus, having nowhere else really to stay, spent a good amount of time with Ginny and her family. As did Sirius, really.
“Yes, it’s good,” Ginny smiled to herself, he really did have feelings for Tonks. “I know to be careful around him, I have to be careful around everyone really. But, if he is a Malfoy, he’s got to be different, he’s a Hufflepuff. I feel like if he was like Draco then he’d have a hissy fit in Hufflepuff.” It was true, Draco could be a bit overdramatic sometimes… well, all the time really. “No, Remus, you don’t need to avoid them. You’re afraid to see them because you doubt yourself. If you were to get a job as a teacher here or something and you became close to them, I know that you wouldn’t reveal anything. Just like I know that as much as me or Harry, wherever he is, wants to warn James and Lily, we won’t, because the future would change too much.
“Let’s just hope his reaction doesn’t ruin the future. We’d be hard-pressed to win against Voldemort without Snape helping us out. I know he tells Voldemort things we do, but Dumbledore knows what is told and he’s got ways to protect us all.” She sometimes doubted Snape, but she didn’t jump to conclusions about him, rather, she took in all the information and judged them with a practiced eye. He was doing this all for Lily, and through Lily, for the Order.

[Remus Lupin "Romulus Cage"]

It did mean a lot to Remus that Ginny trusted him as a friend, because really... he didn't have any friends that didn't end up dead in the end, and his best friends were gone... The ACTUAL Order was full of people that were more of colleagues to him, though some, such as the Weasleys, Kingsley, and Tonks, were more of friends and family to him, there really weren't many that would probably consider him a good friend, though he did like having friends and people like him and care about him, no matter what he said or did. So to hear that she considered him a friend, and it wasn't just a one-way feeling. "I haven't been the best friend in the past, especially when dealing with loss of someone," Remus said with a sigh, thinking of Sirius and how he just believed he had betrayed them, not even going to talk with Sirius, or going to his trial at all. He tended to not be the best person to ask when things bad happened...

"Is she alright? I mean, adjusting to this place?" Remus asked quickly with a gleam in his eyes just thinking of her, despite her being so much younger right now, though he only actually knew the one that was 13 years younger than him... so it wasn't like he was being a creeper pedophile or anything... or was he? "A Hufflepuff? That's really odd for a Malfoy." Perhaps things had changed, the Malfoys turned a new leaf over, but it could all be something that could be used to spy on the other side of everything, as Slytherin didn't always have that chance. "Maybe he is using his house to get in the good books of those he could want to spy on, or something like that," Remus suggested.

"Yes I do," Remus asserted, "You don't understand how it is, when you lose everything you love, and you know they are going to die. If you lost your whole family, everyone of your friends, and you were left all alone. If I were... to see them again... then... when I go back, it will make things even worse."

"Yes, Severus is a very important piece in our fight," Remus agreed, "We would have a smaller chance of winning without him. I trust Severus because Dumbledore trusts him so completely, it seems, so I do the same. Them dating... well... I do hope it ends with Severus still joining our side in the end. If there's one thing I know, it is that Severus does care for Lily a lot, and a breakup wouldn't change that... at least I hope so."