Soundlessly || A Weasley twin Fanfiction || Discontinued

Chapter Thirteen

Between classes, homework, studying for my O.W.L's and trying to help my father, there really hadn't been much time for sleep the last couple of weeks. I'd been grumpy for days now, and I couldn't remember the last time where I didn't have anything to do, even if it was for just a minute. Term had only just barely started and I already desperately needed a break.

Fred and George knew something was up, and they tried to respect my privacy, but they started to notice that all the stress was taking a toll on me. On multiple occasions, they had offered to help me with school work, they'd offered to listen to me, to tell them what was wrong, but time and time again I had politely turned down the offer. I wanted to take them up on it, I really, really did, but I knew that I would tell them things that I wasn't supposed to tell them. I wouldn't be able to keep to myself if I would accept their offers.

Remus too, had noticed my change in behavior, and asked me about it every day. Each time, it was getting harder and harder for me to lie to him. I wanted to tell him everything, but I knew I couldn't. So, every day, I faked a smile and told him I was fine and 'just stressed about school.'

Communicating with Sirius through the locket made me miss the man even more, no matter how stupid that sounded. I spoke with my father, but I wanted more. I wanted to see him, smell him, hug him. I wanted to converse about things that didn't have anything to do with the current situation. I wanted to get to know him, I wanted to tell him about myself. I wanted to introduce Fred and George to him, I wanted him to meet Juggy. I wanted him to be my father, but he couldn't be the man I needed. Not yet.

The library was mostly deserted, I was one of three students left in the hall filled with old books. It smelled lovely, like Ink on parchment, with a hint of a sweet perfume lingering in the air. I loved the library. 

I was researching Animagi, trying to find something about their transformation process. More specifically, them getting stuck in their animal form. I had been searching for weeks and still not been able to find anything.

Remus would know.

"That's right, he would. That old bookworm. But you mustn't tell him anything, you can't. You must find it yourself. It must be in one of these books. There are a billion of them!" My father's voice echoed through my mind.

Well, if somebody would help me, this would all go a lot faster. I thought. I was annoyed that he wasn't doing anything himself, but I had to remember that he couldn't exactly waltz into a library and find the information himself. Somebody had to do this for him.

My hand was playing with the pendant around my neck absentmindedly as I stared at the pages in front of me. The letters were blurry as I was too tired to actually concentrate on what I was doing. My eyelids were heavy and I was fighting to keep them open.

A tap on my shoulder made me jump out of my skin, and I quickly slammed the book in front of me shut. Turning around I saw George sitting on the seat behind me, looking confused and slightly amused at my reaction.

"Merlin! You scared me George." I signed, sighing in relief.

"It's just me, don't worry." The boy smiled slightly. "What are you reading?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Just something my dad recommended. Remus, not Sirius. I wouldn't know if Sirius would've read this book. I'm not even sure if he can read... But I don't know where Sirius is, so it was Remus. Yeah, Remus suggested I'd read this book and-"

George grabbed hold of my wrists stopping my hands from moving.

"Alex, you need to stop rambling. Why would you even mention Sirius?"

My face paled, as my heartbeat steadily increased. Oh god I'm screwed. My mouth opened and closed as I looked him into his eyes. Desperately his eyes were staring into my own, begging me to tell him what was going on.

"Alex please. I can't do this, I can't see you like this. Fred and I are worried about you, and you're not talking to us! We don't know what to do. Are you in trouble? What is going on with you?" His lips moved quickly but clearly and I was able to catch each and every, dreadful word. I couldn't lie to him. Not anymore. I had to tell him.

"Alex, dear god, don't you dare." Sirius' voice rang through my mind desperately.

No dad, you need to believe me when I tell you that we can trust him. I can't do this by myself. I can't lie to him dad. I just can't. I'm sorry. I'm telling him.

"But Ale-" I pulled my hands free of George's grip and took the locket from around my neck, placing it on the desk carefully.

"You have to promise me, you won't tell anybody what I'm about to tell you. Not Remus, not Lee, not even Fred. Alright?"

George nodded unsurely, "Alright, I promise."

¨

"God damn it Alex, I told you not to tell anybody." Sirius grumbled as I hung the jewel back around my neck.

Yeah, and I told you I wasn't good at hiding things.

"Bloody hell, you're your mother's daughter." I paused, being taken aback by his response. Remus had never really had the heart to tell me much about my mother. Just a few small things here and there, but he couldn't talk about her much. I guess he found it to be too painful. He'd admired the woman a lot.

Will you tell me about her, dad? About mum?

"All in good time, love. We need to fix this situation first. These fleas are going to be the death of me. Don't you have some kind of potion against fleas for Jug? He doesn't seem to have any trouble with them."

So Jug has been hanging out with you, huh? I was wondering where he keeps running off to all the time.

I could only imagine the smirk on the middle-aged man's face as his next thought entered my head.

"The beef tastes as good as I remembered it."