Secrets and Misery

FOUR

CHAPTER 4

DADA class had just finished and everyone was heading out the door including myself. Before I could leave the room Lupin spoke up to me.

"Ms McKinnon, could I have a chat with you in the afternoon?"

I walked back inside to speak to him properly.

"Sure, when shall I come?"

"How about 4 pm?"

"I will be here."

"Thanks, you can go now."

I did as I was told. After all, if I did not use my time well I would not be able to my next class on time. What did Professor Lupin want to talk about anyway?

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At exactly 4 pm I was on the other side of Professor Lupin's office. I knocked exactly 3 times.

"Come in." Said a voice from the inside. "Good evening." He said as I entered the room.

"Good evening Professor Lupin. I wanted to ask you, why did you ask me to come here?"

"Well, that is a very good question, Ms Black."

"What?" that caught me off guard. "Why are you calling me that? That's not my last name."

"We both know that's not true, you look so much like your father."

"Ok, even if that does make a little bit of sense, how do you know me?"

"Ms Black, I am here for no mistake. I knew your father, in fact, we were very close."

"Yeah but still, there were only a few people who knew who my father was: Dumbledore and the Weasleys."

"Correction, there was one more: Professor Dumbledore, the Weasleys and me. When he knew he was having you I was the only one he told. When I saw you in the Great Hall the first day I knew you were his daughter, your hair, your eyes, the dimple in your cheek, you got them all from him and they are impossible to miss when you know what to look for."

"I did know I looked like him. Do you know how I found out? From the photo in the Daily Prophet the day he got sent to Azkaban, that was the first day I saw a photo of him, the day I found out I was carrying the face of a murderer."

"I am sorry Miss Black, but before that, I never thought he was able to do something like that. The fact that he left you already made us, his friends, notice something was wrong. It was different back then you have to understand that."

"I do but it is still hard, I think I should get going after all this is a whole deal to take in in one night."

"Wait, please. I have something else to tell you and I have a thing for you also."

"Okay."

"I want you to know that I also knew your mother, a lovely woman I may add. "He said as he turned his back on me and started to look for something.

"Yeah, she was. I don't remember much of her but what I do remember is nice memories and that she did everything she could to save my life. She will always be the one person I aspire to be like."

"Take this, I want you to have it." He gave me a photo which contained a group of teenagers, I recognized one of them as my father, to his right my mom and to his left I assumed was Lupin next to Lupin was a shorter boy whom I didn't know. To the right side of my mom was another girl and next to this girl was another boy.

"Who are all these people exactly?"

"Well, all the way to the right you have James Potter and Lily Potter, Harry's parents. You know you two have more in common than you know you should talk to him sometime. Next to Lily, I assume you know that is your mother and your father, after that, there's me and our other friend, Peter Pettigrew, you know the man he... you know."

"Yeah, I know. Thanks, Professor, I think I'll talk to Harry when I see him. Maybe I'll show him this photo. I think it will make him happy to see his parents with their friends."

"Goodnight Miss Black."

"Goodnight Professor Lupin."

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I had just left Lupin's office and before I could take one more step I saw George coming up to me and realised that he and Fred were waiting for me. They were all sweaty and out of breath, and was that food they were holding? Because I was injured I could not play in today's quidditch match, fortunately for me, Oliver had found a replacement. They seemed happy, I guess we won...?

"Hey guys I am going to the common room, are you coming?" I asked them both.

"Yeah, because we won there will be a celebration in the common room. Come on, I don't want to miss anything!" Said, George. After that, we only made small talk all the way to the common room. Once we entered I looked for Harry. I saw him sitting next to Ron and Hermione.

"Guys I am going to talk to Harry, you do whatever you want. See you." I said and completely ignored what they said next and went straight to Harry.

"Hey Harry, can we I talk to you?"

"Umm yeah sure." Said Harry. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I wanted to show you this." I then proceeded to hand him the photo that Professor Lupin gave me." I assume you recognize some of the people there.

"Yeah I do, but why are you showing it to me? I still don't get it?"

"Well, that girl next to your mom is my mother. I guess you can recognise another face in this picture too, next to my mother."

"Yeah I can"

"Well, I'm going to tell you this because I trust you won't tell anyone else. Actually, my name isn't Elle McKinnon, it's supposed to be Elle Black. Sirius Black is my father."

"What?"

"Yes, I know. I just wanted to show you this because you would enjoy seeing your parents with their friends, I can give it to you and leave if you'd like."

"I don't want you to leave Elle. As much as I don't like your father it doesn't mean I like you any less."

I smiled, I knew Harry was a good kid. I just thought no one would want to be friends with the murdered daughter. "Thanks, Harry"

"I never knew our parents were friends, I knew your dad was but not your mom."

"Yeah I didn't know about any of them, but I talked to Professor Lupin today and he told me how alike we were. He suggested talking with you. I thought it might be a good idea considering how we both don't have our biological parents around."

"I never thought of it, I guess Lupin was right."

"Yeah, I now understand why everyone likes Lupin so much, talking with him was really nice."

"Well, I am heading to bed now I am tired. Enjoy the party, Elle." He gave me the photo back.

"Don't you want to take it?"

"No, I have other photos of my parents. You keep it."

"Thank you. Goodnight Harry."

"Goodnight." I went to the party looking for my friends. I found George who seemed to be looking for me too.

"Oh, thank god Elle. Fred just ditched me for dome girl and I couldn't find anyone." George was laughing so I joined him.

"Don't worry I'm here to save the day, as always." George grabbed my arm and pulled me to the dance floor.

Some part of me couldn't be at ease at this right now. Something about knowing that at this very moment,  Fred was flirting it up with some random was a weird feeling. Then again, why should I care? He hates me and I hate him.