Hate How Much I Love You|| Sirius Black [2]

Chapter 1

The Christmas festivities had calmed down as everyone welcomed in the new year with open arms. The students and teachers had returned to Hogwarts like usual, except Madison. She stood in the side chamber to the great hall, her fingernails between her teeth as she paced back and forth listening to the wild chatter of students which swarmed her into a bittersweet memory of sitting in the hall with her friends, all without a care in the world, loud voices surrounding them like a giant hug.

The voices soon died down and Dumbledore's fluttered out into the air, "Welcome back! I hope you all had a wonderfully festive Christmas ready for a wonderful rest of year learning and having fun. Now, I know that most of you are wondering where our beloved astronomy teacher is. Professor Sinistra will not be returning for the rest of the year due to sickness. I, however, have found the perfect stand-in for her and I know that she will teach you as well as Professor Sinistra did." Students looked at each other in bewilderment as did the teachers who also did not know about any of this-except for McGonagall. "Now I hope all the best for Professor Sinistra and hope that she will return to health as soon as possible, but please join me in greeting our new teacher, Professor M.Parker."

The door to the second chamber opened and Madison took a step out, her walk becoming more confident with each step. She smiled at the students and greeted Dumbledore (in a sickly-sweet false manner, she still didn't like him) before joining a flabbergasted teacher in ragged robes at the teacher's table, sitting in the seat between him and another teacher with long dark hair, who glared intently at the table clapping slowly. Madison Parker greeted the former with a big smile however he did not return such gesture instead stared at her with sad eyes and a slightly parted mouth. "Y-you're here?"

Madison nodded her smile fading, "I'm sorry, I couldn't stay not with everything. I was selfish, I should have stayed with you." She told her best friend, Remus Lupin, who she hadn't seen since she left. If she was perfectly honest, time had not been the kindest to Remus. Late thirties and his hair was thin and greying like no tomorrow. His skin looked youthful but the bags under his eyes and deep scars aged him. She knew it was not his fault nor was it explicitly her fault, but she could have helped prevent a lot of this.

"Shut up, you aren't selfish. In fact, I am glad you had left. You seem to have kept strong and look great, I wouldn't have wanted you to stay just because of me," replied Remus, who gently placed his hand on her knee.

"Moony, you're basically my brother, I wouldn't have cared what you would have said, I would have stayed but I was only thinking of myself, and I apologise for that. I hope you can forgive me." Madison said.

"I never thought that you were thinking of yourself, you don't need to be sorry, I'm just thankful that you are back. Besides, Maddie, you didn't give a toss about what I said when you became an animagi for me." Remus whispered as the woman was still unregistered. "I've missed you, Leo."

"I've missed you too." Madison smiled and gazed over the crowd of students as she poured gravy over some potatoes and chicken. Her eyes landed on a shaggy-haired boy with round glasses sat where his father used to sit at the table. "Is that Harry? He looks just like. . .P-Prongs."

"Yes, that is your godson."

* * *

After the feast, the new astronomy teacher joined Remus in his quarters to catch up more. Madison left years ago and hadn't been around until today so they had a lot to talk about, indulging in some cheeky firewhisky as they did so. "So where have you been?"

"All over really, I stayed in Ireland for two years, then went over to the Neverlands for a few years and then I returned to England, I have been at my parents for about three years, in all honesty, I am surprised I haven't bumped into you with all of my travelling," Madison explained.

"As am I, but I have moved around a lot too but I do mainly live at my parents, to make sure dad is coping."

Madison's face softened, "How is he, in fact, how are you both? Now I feel even worse, I left you not long after your mum-"

"Maddie, it's fine. We're fine, coping, we miss her a lot and it isn't the same but we have learned to carry on. It's a cruel world, we both know that but whilst we are still on it we have to carry on." The woman nodded and embraced her friend in a hug, "I miss them all every day and being back here is awful without everyone. It makes me feel so small even though I am an adult." Her voice was quiet and she didn't want to let go of Remus, Afraid that she would lose him as well. Remus, too, was in the same boat as she, he couldn't bare to lose Madison again. He had lied. He had wanted her to stay, she was all he had left from his friends and needed her more than ever over the past decade.

"I know, but we'll get through it. We have for thirteen years, just no more surprises, yeah?"

"Ma-"

"Dad, can I talk to y-sorry am I interrupting?" A young girl with bright blue hair walked into the room stopping by the door, not a knock on sight.

Madison's eyes grew wider, "Dad?" She looked between the two like a deer in headlights.

"No, sweetheart come in." Remus quickly said, motioning for the girl to enter, "Maddie, this is Belle. . .my daughter."

Madison turned to the blue-haired girl and then back to Remus, again, "W-when did you? What?"

Remus guided Madison towards a seat after she abruptly jumped up in shock and beckoned Belle to join him as he sat with her. "Dad, how do you know Professor Parker?" The beautiful young girl asked.

"Belle, Madison here is one of my best friends from school, she lived next door to me as a child and is like a sister to me. She also knew your mother." Remus explained, "Maddie, you remember I had that relationship back in our seventh year? With Beatrice Florence, well two months before we broke up, we uh, you know and um she fell pregnant. I didn't know this until around about October."

"Beatrice?" Madison coughed in shock, "Who lived down the road?" Remus nodded, "Blimey, and we thought Lily and James were parents first."

"So you guys are like, best friends?"Belle questioned.

"More like siblings." Madison nodded, "And you're Beatrice's daughter? How is she?"

"A bitch."

"Bloody hell, what do you mean?" Belle explained to her about her situation with her mother, a terrible and horrid one, and Madison nodded. "Been as you have said that, I am sorry but I can't fake it, I always thought she was a bitch."

"It's okay. I like it at Miss Peregrine's anyway." Belle shrugged. Miss Peregrine owned a children's home, one which Belle now lives in.

Remus watched with a smile curling his lips as his best friend and daughter interacted, he always had the idea that they would get on. "It's just so weird for me, sorry, it's making me feel old. First Harry and Neville, and now you, Belle, with the gorgeous blue hair, five of my best friends have had kids and here I am, on my lonesome." Madison chuckled.

"Five?" Asked Belle, ". . .Sorry that was rude."

The woman shook her head, "No, no it wasn't. You have your dad, who has you, Lily and James who had Harry and then Alice and Frank who had Neville Longbottom. It's just crazy."

"I think I would feel the same way, to be honest. Can I ask another question? " Madison nodded, "How come you lived next door to my dad if you are Irish?"

"My family and another friend and his family moved to Devon when I was young from Galway."

"That's cool."

"I think so too."