Come What May

Chapter One

Summary: Set after Never Alone, this follows the story of Ripley and Oliver's relationship. They are now both twenty-one, still together. This story doesn't follow the very path of the books, but has some mentions, of course. It will also follow these couples Ron/Hermione, Ginny/Harry, Jess/Carson and a hint of Bill/Fleur.

The rain pattered musically against the window panes of Grimmauld place, the thunder adding a drumming sort of beat, and the lighting an eerie feel. Though the house was being lived in again it held the same things that the Black family had possessed furniture, and the sort. Sirius Black's mother hung in the hallway ready to scream as another Auror who lived there walked by.

"Mudblood! Filthy scum!" The portrait yelled,

"Oh for the love of god! SHUT UP!" Ripley Todd roared dropping her duffel bag. The now twenty year old Auror picked up the nearest breakable and flung it at the portrait. "For the love of all things sacred woman get an after life!"

"How dare you—"

"Oh I dare!" She screamed back, pulling on the curtains. "If you were alive woman I'd fuckin' kill your sorry ass!"

"Ripley!" Remus Lupin ran over grabbing the side of the curtain. They tugged it shut together, panting afterward. They stared at eachother for a long moment before Lupin pulled her into a tight hug. "Welcome home."

"Feels like it." She said with a grin. "Wood?"

Remus offered a kind smile. "No word."

"Oh," the smiled faded away. "That's fine," she said with a shrug. She hadn't seen her boyfriend in three months.

"He'll be here soon."

"He better," Ripley muttered lifting her duffel. Remus smiled and led her into the kitchen. Sirius Black looked up briefly from the Daily Prophet and nodded a greeting. Ripley gave him a slight wintry smile. They had many arguments on a daily basis about nonsense things. She set her bag down, opened the fridge and got a beer. She knew then Molly Weasley had been by because it was Ripley's favorite beer, considering Sirius didn't leave it was obvious.

"That's attractive," Sirius said dryly. "Beer drinking woman."

As if to spite him she twisted the top off and took a large gulp. "Guess you don't know my brand of woman. That's odd, considering that I heard you were the man-whore of Hogwarts, anyone, anywhere, anytime."

"Ripley," Remus warned making himself a cup of tea. "Sirius stop antagonizing."

Ripley childishly stuck her tongue out at the ex-criminal, and lifted her bag. "I'll be in my room."

"She started on it," Sirius muttered as the door swung closed. "Pain in my—"

"Just remember she goes on your little outings in the woods with you," Remus sat down with his tea, eyeing his best friend. Sirius scoffed, and went back to his newspaper. "She misses Oliver."

"Too bad for her."

"She loves him."

"Not my problem."

"She doesn't want to lose him."

"Touching story, why do I care?"

"I can't comfort her padfoot, you can."

Sirius sighed tossing aside the paper. "You're not gonna stop are you?"

Remus gave him a tilted head look. "No."

"Fine."

--

"Come in," Ripley called over her shoulder as she unpacked her bag. She listened to the slow, hesitant steps and sighed. "He sent you, didn't he?"

"How'd y'know it was me?" asked Sirius sitting down, uninvited on her bed, she tossed him a quick scowl. "Alright, would you rather me cut to the chase?"

"I knew it was you because you shuffle your feet when you walk, Remus has quite footsteps and always waits for me to open the door, Oliver's not here because if he was we would be rolling naked on the floor—"

"Okay, that's good enough," Sirius held up a hand to stop her. She smiled and took a swig of her beer. "So, things with you and Oliver are good?"

She turned toward him, half folded tee shirt in hand, brown eyes thoughtful in the dim light given off by the lamp. "Well enough, I suppose for not seeing each other often."

"Oh good, good."

"Sirius, you don't care about my personal life, or relationships so just spit out whatever you came here to say."

"Alright, Remus is worried that if anything should happen to Oliver you would let your feelings get in the way of your work, and the wizarding world would be fucked."

"Did you honestly just say fucked?"

"Yes."

"I taught you a bad word."

"Honey I knew that word long before you did."

"Don't call me honey," Ripley said turning. "And listen closely. I love him, I miss him, but that does not mean I'll forget my job, okay? We took a vow, I took a vow to serve, protect and defend," She lifted up her right sleeve, and showed a tattoo. Two wands were crossed over a shield with those three words surrounding it. "I became an Auror to do just that, and a man will not fuck it up for me. Alright?"

He smiled slightly. "I always knew I liked you on a basic level."

"Funny, feel the same way 'bout you." Ripley tossed her empty duffel into the corner of her room, finished her beer, and sighed. "Is there any word at all about Oliver?"

"None, but rumor has it Death Eaters are starting to stake out Hogsmead."

"Really?" Ripley moved to her desk, where her work bag was laying open, files spilling out of it. "They were in Diagon Alley last week." She pulled out a file, checked its contents and tossed it on the bed. "Doesn't leave the room."

Sirius glanced through it, and skimmed the report, grey eyes widening slightly. "Really?"

"Really, really," The American replied. "Their force has shifted into the U.S. and my buddies up in Canada said that Voldemort's even gone as far as Quebec."

"Mass army."

"Pretty much."

"So, what does that mean for us?" Sirius handed the folder back, and watched her tuck it back into the bag.

"It means we're gonna need every eligible person to fight."

"I was afraid you'd say that."

--

Oliver sighed heavily as he entered the safety of Grimmauld Place, knowing his luck Ripley was still in America doing whatever it was she did best. He smiled a little as he hung up his jacket, he couldn't wait to see her, it had been too long, and he had many things tucked up his sleeve. One of which was—He winced as the portrait began screeching, and yelling. He, unlike his girlfriend, could walk by without swearing at the woman. Though the pounding headache he already possessed did not like the loud, glass shattering screams of a deranged, dead woman.

He heard her before he saw her standing in the kitchen placing things in the muggle dishwasher. Oliver paused, eavesdropping. "Look Sirius all I'm saying is I don't have to go with you on your nightly jaunts through the woods."

"Y'know you're really becoming a bitch."

"I'm not a bitch, I just don't like you," Ripley glared at Sirius over her shoulder.

"Watch your mouth," Molly warned as she made dinner. "There are young ones in the house."

"Not from where I'm sitting, there's just an old hag," Sirius muttered. The American caught it, and scowled, lifting a knife to throw.

"Ripley," Remus's soft, yet stern voice drifted in from behind Oliver, he turned ashen. Lupin smiled, and winked. "Enough. What would Oliver say?"

"To be a good lass, and don't kill anyone," Ripley answered. "But what do I know? I haven't seen him in forever."

"Wonder why."

"Fuck you."

"Ripley!" Molly chided again, this time turning with wooden spoon in hand. The American huffed, and slammed the door to the dishwasher shut. "Honestly, what's Oliver going to say when he gets here tonight?"

"Tonight!" Yelped Ripley.

"Now she worries," Sirius muttered. She tossed him a glare, accompanied by a snarl. "Though he is outside the door." Sirius smiled as Remus covered a laugh with a cough.

Ripley paled. "He's what?"

"Out here lass," Oliver waved an arm inside the kitchen. She cleared her throat, straightened her shirt, and nodded to the others before ducking out. "Hi." He grinned at her.

"My room, now."