Order Only -- Private message to Sirius Black and Remus Lupin

[alt_mcgonagall]

I believe I am calm enough to write this message now.

Explain yourselves. I am utterly shocked.

1. How could you do such a thing to Dora?
2. How could you do such a thing to the baby?
3. How could you do such a thing to us all?

Remus Lupin, I am particularly surprised and angry with you. You are a family man now. You have absolutely no right to put your own childish wants first. What is more, you have had many years to determine your sexuality and indeed which person you like best. You committed to Nymphadora and then, as soon as times became difficult, you abandoned her. Have you even considered her humiliation? That her husband prefers the company of another man to hers? I do not think I need to say anything more on the subject.

Sirius Black, I had believed that you were only a harmless troublemaker. This goes far beyond harmless trouble.

I do not have anything to say to either of you further. If I did I should have to send a Howler and damn the consequences.

Comments

[alt_sirius]

Minerva,

Remus is in the shop at the moment but that's all right, I don't want to wait to set the record, er, straight. (Sorry!)

1. Dora did it to us, in a way. She's the one who realised why things weren't working for her and Remus the way they ought.


2. No one's doing anything to the baby. She's got her mother and father and a devoted uncle who all love her unconditionally and will have equal share in raising her. She's fine.


3. I'm not sure I follow. I'm sorry if you were caught flat-footed by that contemptible elf's revelation but quite honestly, Minerva, it wasn't any of your business. It's for me, Remus and Dora to work out and we're working it out.


4. You haven't asked but no one's going to make any changes that will expose the Order or cause unwanted attention 'round the Ponds' household. And no one's abandoning Nymphadora, for Circe's sake! As far as anyone else is concerned, they're still married and they're going to stay married, unless we can think of a way to dissolve the union without drawing scrutiny. That's not something we need to worry about right away, though, and until we do have to address it, we're just a rather unconventional but nonetheless functional family.

While we're at it, I resent the implication that I somehow caused their relationship to fail, as well.

[alt_mcgonagall]

A masquerade of a marriage? I'm sorry, Sirius, but I believe that I know quite a bit about masquerading, and it won't be that easy. You have always had the luxury of simply moving on when the water got too hot. Nymphadora and Bea do not.

As for the Order, I think you should know that while I am in no way concerned with the basic morality of your situation -- rather, concerned with the well-being of those who seem to have the least to gain -- Pomona is, and is threatening to leave posthaste rather than associate with reprobates such as yourself.

[alt_sirius]

Would it help to talk to Pomona directly?

[alt_mcgonagall]

I am not sure that she wishes to speak to you.

She does not wish to speak to me, in any case.

[alt_sirius]

Well ... perhaps Allie? She's always able to smooth her feathers. Plus she's known longest, we were all using her as rather a sounding board. Maybe she can convince Pomona there's nothing reprehensible going on.

[alt_lupin]

Pomona is threatening to leave the Order over the bed arrangements at 12 GP?

Yes, perhaps Allie can talk some sense into her. This REALLY ISN'T ANY OF HER BUSINESS.

[alt_mcgonagall]

As for causing their relationship to fail -- if it has failed, then it will be impossible for Bea to have a loving home.

And I have a hard time understanding how you could not have caused it -- driving Dora to realise that things were not working, indeed.

[alt_sirius]

Listen, Dora and I both know rather a lot about growing up in a home that isn't loving and trust me, Bea is bloody well cherished by all of us. And we all do care about each other, of course we do! We're trying to manage with the least amount of hurt. I'm not saying it's perfect, parts of it are well difficult. But while it may be non-traditional to the point of being radical, it's not adversarial, either.

As for the root causes .... Yes, all right, I suppose at one level I caused it - indirectly. But it's not as if Remus and I have been having an affair behind Dora's back. Merlin's beard, Minerva. I should have hoped you all thought better of me than that!

[alt_mcgonagall]

Well, when nobody is told of these things one naturally assumes the worst. No matter who the principals may be.

[alt_sirius]

Yeah, ta. Story of my life, innit?

You know Remus is an extremely private person and with all he's been through it's no wonder.

I wasn't about to make some announcement from the rooftops before we were ready.

If Kreacher hadn't opened his gob no one would be any the wiser and the three of us would have had more time to settle into a new routine.

And then the news wouldn't have had to come as such a shock, either.

[alt_lupin]

Things were never going to work between Dora and me. No matter how hard either of us tried.

Because I'm gay. We were drawn together by our loneliness, and by the fact that we both desperately wanted a family, and it was enough for a while. But not for a lifetime.

Marrying her was a mistake, but I can't bring myself to regret having Bea.

[alt_mcgonagall]

I am feeling rather more in charity with you now, for whatever that is worth. Sirius has talked me out of a good bit of my frustration -- although I still do have Pomona to think about, and convince to stay.

[alt_lupin]

Thanks, Minerva, for assuming the best after Kreacher decided to share the happy news with the entire assembled Order. It's good to know that my friends, given incomplete information from a disgruntled half-mad house-elf, are ready to give me the benefit of the doubt.