𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝒪𝓃𝑒

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Tense...

It was an underlying sort of tension. One that you can't tell is there... not immediately. It takes a certain level of knowledge, of the situation, of those involved, to begin to see it... to feel it.

Remus Lupin could see it... and shit, he definitely felt it.

Everything in him told him to just leave. To get to a place that, at the very least, didn't feel was growing increasingly more and more suffocating. To get up and leave the two causing this to their own conversation. But at the same time, he felt the need to be there... as there... that moment was just as unpredictable as it was tense.

You never know just how a Blackwell will react after all.

And Remus would acknowledge that it was silly of him to worry over... Albus Dumbledore was perfectly capable of dealing with a lashing out from a teenager. But to be completely honest, he stressed more about how that teen would lash out on her behalf.

Because Iris Blackwell was in Remus Lupin's care... so he needed to be there. For that moment was a conversation that could never go well.

And to Remus Lupin, it was off to a horribly expected start when those dreaded words left Albus Dumbledore's mouth. Ones he was aware were coming, having been prepped for this conversation days before... but still couldn't help but flinch from hearing yet again.

"Hogwarts will be host to the Triwizard Tournament this year."

He had said more; of course, Dumbledore was anything but direct... but all Iris Blackwell would hear was what mattered... all she would react to was what mattered.

And so, Remus would once more flinch away as he watched the girl before him.

A spark of anger jolted her body. Her back going ridged, her eyes narrowing as they locked onto Dumbledore, jaw clenching... a spark of anger that she made known but could keep reeled in... Remus did feel a bit of relief at that.

And he would find himself able to relax a bit in his seat when Iris Blackwell kept herself level enough to make a productive conversation of this, "I was under the impression that it was deemed too dangerous to run. Why is the Ministry suddenly bringing it back?"

Allowing himself to take a sip of tea, Remus leaned back in his chair as he darted his eyes to Dumbledore. Awaiting an answer as he himself took on the role of just silently observing the conversation and the ever-ready-to-change mood of the girl.

"Cornelius has turned his attention to the improvement of international relations once more—"

Iris scoffed, cutting him off as she moved her eyes away, out the window, "Under your direction, I assume? That fool has never had a thought of his own..., especially a good one."

Dumbledore simply smiled, his eyes twinkling as he brushed aside the interruption, continuing on as if it had never happened. "And many members of the Ministry are in support. New rules have been set to assure a less tragic experience than those of the past. Such as the new age restriction, students must be seventeen in order to enter their name. Unfortunately, it means the schools will only be sending over their sixth and seventh years, which puts a damper on allowing our younger students to connect with those their age."

Both Dumbledore and Remus would find themselves watching Iris together for a moment. Watched as she closed her eyes and hummed, taking a moment to think on what little information she had.

Upon opening her eyes again, Iris once more met the calm and steady gaze of Dumbledore, "Only reason you would be telling me is if my people are allowed to be involved... which of course they would be. The tournament was canceled all on its own... no one ever thought to put in place a law that our people cannot get involved. And with no one on the throne...."

She carried off, eyes darting away quickly as she took in a breath, but before Remus could reach to shake her, Iris shook her head and continued on, "But old laws state that a selected Shifter gets their own delegates. They still support their school, but their party includes a representative from their own crest and a representative from the Royal Crest.

Eyes narrowing, Iris finished off with a question, "What do I need to know?"

Remus threw Dumbledore a nervous look, feeling as a tension seeped back into the space.

Even Dumbledore seemed less than sure on continuing, his smile gone, "Three Shifters have taken up an interest in joining, two from Durmstrang and one from Beauxbatons." Iris' gaze remained steady, brushing aside the information as she awaited what was to come, "And the Royal Delegate will be Ryker Peverell."

...

BANG!

Iris was gone in a second, her chair thrown back from her sudden leave.

Remus stared wide-eyed after her, rushing to get up himself and follow her into the sitting room. Entering from the hallway, he was about to call out when he noticed she was gone. Vanished away into what he could only assume were the green flames of the fireplace, off who knows where.

Remus fell back into one of the armchairs, running a hand over his face as he watched the green fire dance in the air...

Iris Blackwell was in his care... and now he had no idea where she even was...

Iris Blackwell was in his care, something that was not proving in any way to be simple.

~~~~~~

Number 4 Privet Drive was a perfectly normal house located just southwest of London in Little Whinging, Surrey. Located within one of those perfect little neighborhoods where every house looked to be an exact copy. From the actual plan of the house down to even the length of each freshly mowed lawn.

A cookie-cutter neighborhood where only the most normal of people could ever really live. Where the most exciting events of the day were sitting before the television and watching for changes in the weather. Where the biggest scandal was when Mrs. Johnson painted a pink flower on her mailbox. Where absolutely nothing odd could ever have possibly lived.

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Number 4 Privet Drive... home of an oddity.

Of course, the perfectly normal residents of the house did their best to hide away their abnormality. After all, Vernon and Petunia Dursley were nothing if not the poster family of normal. Vernon is a director at a firm that makes drills. Petunia is a perfectly nosy housewife. Their son Dudley was awfully spoiled. A near-perfect cookie-cutter family for the perfect cookie-cutter neighborhood.

Near. The only thing keeping them from being perfect was none other than Harry Potter, Petunia Dursley's nephew... and the most massive secret that came with him. A world behind him... a world as far from normal as you could get.

The Dursleys did their best to ignore Harry Potter, to keep him as separate from themselves as they could. To keep his secret from the rest of their perfectly normal world... but things couldn't always work out for them.

The world far too unpredictable... so every now and again, there were disruptions to whatever sense of a normal life they grasped onto.

And that day... it came in the form of Iris Blackwell.

She had walked up to Number 4 Privet Drive with such confidence that neighbors had to have assumed she was familiar with the residence... something the Dursleys most certainly did not want anyone to believe.

For Iris Blackwell, she was a connection to not only their odd nephew but also the horribly strange world from where he came.

Petunia knew it from the moment she opened the door, from the moment she met those odd eyes. The dark green eyes with that fire of cobalt blue around that pupil. Those familiar eyes... eyes that once belonged to a man her sister would hang around from time to time. Eyes of a family that practically owned the front pages of the paper at one point in the distant past. Eyes of a little girl who all but vanished off the face of the Earth years ago when her father died.

Eyes of a Blackwell... maybe not quite a normal family to the rest of the world... but rather famous. Blackwell's, a family Petunia Dursley knew to be very careful around... for yeah, they were anything but normal. Just not for the reasons many seem to believe.

So, blessed... or maybe cursed, with knowledge of who she was dealing with, Petunia could only flinch back as she was met by the girl's question on the whereabouts of Harry Potter. Inviting the girl inside, Petunia led her to the sitting room and motioned for the girl to sit as she ran off.

And so that was how Iris Blackwell ended up sitting in a blue armchair within the house of Number 4 Privet Drive. Tapping her fingers absently as she awaited the arrival of her friend. Taking note of the happenings of the house.

How Petunia whispered an explanation to Vernon, who was enjoying some tea in the kitchen. Sending him off to hunt down Harry as quick as possible as she herself grabbed Iris a promised glass of water.

How Vernon's heavy steps sounded off as he climbed the stairs, shooting the girl a quick look as he passed by the doorway.

How Dudley peaked from around the corner, trying not to catch the girl's attention as he gawked at her.

Petunia rushed back in, handing the glass of water off to Iris with her head bowed down. Avoiding eye contact... something she didn't need to do as Iris didn't even bother to spare the woman a glance.

Petunia would then sit down on the couch rather stiffly as she ignored the growing tension in the room. Eyes darting over towards the doorway, undoubtedly waiting for her husband and nephew to make their way down the stairs. Ready to get rid of the teen girl.

Vernon's heavy footsteps would come only a second later. Trudging into the sitting room as he locked his eyes on the girl sitting comfortably in his armchair. His neck turned a bit red as he forced himself to be polite, taking up a seat beside his wife as he announced, "Harry will be down in a moment."

Iris once more didn't even bother with a response, simply taking a sip of water as the tension in the room continued to grow.

...

The sound of lighter footsteps on the stairs could not have come as more of a relief. Petunia and Vernon chose to stand abruptly as Harry joined them in the room, his own green eyes turned on the still seated Iris with many questions.

Taking one last sip of water, Iris placed the glass on the coffee table while she stood. Brushing past the Dursley couple, she addressed Harry and only Harry, "Want to go for a walk?"

Harry shot his aunt and uncle a glance, noticing their stiff faces and how their eyes were practically pleading for the girl to leave their house. So shooting Iris Blackwell a smile, Harry nodded, "There is a park down the road."

~~~~~~

Stepping out from the house, Iris shot Harry a smirk, "I get the feeling they didn't like me very much."

Harry laughed a bit, thinking back on the looks they had given her and the relief that flooded his aunt and uncle's faces as they could close the door on his friend, "Means you should stop by more often."

Iris smiled to herself, relaxing a moment as she allowed her shoulders to slouch. Kicking a lone rock forward with each step as she walked down the sidewalk, "Petunia had a few run-ins with my father years ago. Got on his bad side one time."

Cringing back at the thought of getting on the girl's bad side, Harry would admit to a bit of pity for his aunt. Having experienced butting heads with the girl... having the anger of a Blackwell directed your way was far from pleasant.

Giving her rock a big kick Iris watched it fly off a couple feet in front of them. Allowing her a moment to look around, raising an eyebrow at a particularly nosy neighbor who watched the teens pass by from out her window. "Could not stand living somewhere like this."

Harry nodded absently, not really taking a moment to consider why exactly she felt that way. Just accepting it, as Harry already knew what it felt like to live there. And from experience, he couldn't stand it.

"Where do you and Professor Lupin live?"

Approaching her rock once more, Iris kicked it off even further, it still landing directly in their path. "Some town out in the countryside, in the House Over the Hill as the locals call it. There is a stream nearby. Not many trees, though. Secluded, which works out best for us." Iris smiled at Harry, "Also, he is just Remus to you now."

Harry shrugged away the notion of breaking his way of still calling Remus a professor. He was the best one they had had so far, so if anything, it was a sign of respect, if not just pure habit.

Reaching her rock once again, Iris gave one last big kick, sending it off into the distance before following Harry in crossing the street. The sad little park was empty as they approached it.

Picking up her pace, Iris passed Harry and quickly walked over to the swing set. Her feet still able to touch the ground as she sat down. Holding onto the hot metal of the chains, Iris gently moved her legs. Building up a small amount of movement, just letting herself lightly sway on the swing while Harry joined her.

"Some exciting news awaits us upon returning to Hogwarts..." she paused, "Ronald is gonna be particularly interested."

Not thinking much of it as he began to sway in his swing, Harry just nodded, "Are you warning me not to hope for a normal year?"

Picking up her momentum on the swing, Iris smiled at Harry, "You should just know by now to expect something to happen. But there is no logical way to get yourself into trouble with what is coming."

"I'm Harry Potter. There is always a way."

And conversation died there. Not awkwardly. No, it just died.

Harry was good for quiet moments. No one else had quite the aptitude towards simply existing as Harry Potter did at times.

His lack of observational skills and his lack of interest in asking questions unless prompted by some need for his own safety... made him great for the quiet moments. Something everyone needed from time to time. And it was something Iris could greatly appreciate the boy for.

He didn't give much of a thought about her sudden appearance at his house or her own quiet attitude. He didn't notice that something may be wrong. And so, it made him perfect for just ignoring problems. To have someone to exist with for at least a short time.

~~~~~~

Iris returned back to the House Over the Hill hours later. Reappearing in the same green fire, she had vanished into that morning.

Iris would show no visible surprise at finding a very tired Remus Lupin still sitting on the couch and show no concern as he looked up to ask, "Where did you go?"

Giving no more than a shrug, Iris nonchalantly answers, "Just for a walk. I'm going off to bed."

And so she left. Not even taking note of the worry lines on Remus' forehead or the way he sighed as he watched her go.

Hours she had been gone. Practically all day. It worried Remus to the point of sitting in front of a fireplace all day awaiting her return. And yet Iris Blackwell saw nothing wrong with that. Not with her absence and not with how her authority figure would react.

Iris lived her life like she had no one to answer to.

And Remus was very lost on how he was supposed to handle that.