Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its copyrights.

This is the first in a series of one-shots based in the same universe as my story "Two Gryffindors and a Slytherin." It takes place in 1995 (5th book; OoTP) and it begins just before the Weasley's and Serena go to Grimmauld Place for the first time.

010101010

"I can't believe I'm meeting my dad for the first time- that I can remember at least, and my biological dad, not the one I've lived with my whole life," Serena said, bouncing on Fred's bed in a fit of nervous energy.

"From what Ron's said, he's pretty cool once you get past the crazy inmate part of him," Fred said cheekily from across the room where he and George were prepping their things for the move to London. Serena had been staying at The Burrow for the past couple of weeks.

"Do you think he'll like me?" she asked in a moment of weakness.

"C'mon, Love, what's not to like?"

"And what do I call him? I call Moony Dad most of the time; do I call him dad too? And what if he hates me because I'm in Slytherin? And, oh my Merlin, what if-," Fred had suddenly crossed the room and taken her face in his hands; pressing a quick kiss to her lips to effectively quiet her worrying. He said,

"Serena. You're amazing. There's no way he could not be proud of how you've turned out."

"Even if I'm a Slytherin?" she asked skeptically.

"Even then," Fred said cheekily.

"Oy! Would you two love birds tear yourselves away from each other so that we can finish packing please?" George called from across the room, after lobbing a couple of wadded up t-shirts at the pair.

"Oh George, you're just jealous because you can't bring Lee with you," Serena said.

"Damn straight I am," George admitted, tossing a worn out shoe into his trunk.

"Its ok George," Serena was suddenly behind George, and talking seductively in his ear, "I'm sure Fred wouldn't mind if I kept you company too. After all, you're always talking about how people have been able to tell you two apart since Fred and I got together."

Fred was just barely keeping his laughter in, as he and Serena watched as George's ears slowly turned beet red. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore, and Fred started cackling, Serena joined in as George whirled around with an enraged expression. That expression didn't last long, and he joined them in laughter.

Much too soon for Serena's liking, they were all standing on a curb in what was possibly once a very nice neighborhood in London, but was now extremely run down. They stood shivering in an unseasonably cold rain across from where number 11 met number 13.

"All right, now everyone read this and pass it along. Whoever gets it last, pass it back to me," Mr. Weasley instructed as he passed a slip of paper to Ron. Once the paper had made its rounds, Mr. Weasley incinerated it, and told them all to focus on what it had said.

As they watched, a building sprouted up, pushing the ones on either side apart to make room. As soon as the building stopped inflating like a balloon, Mrs. Weasley began ushering them all towards it.

"Come now; hurry everyone, before the Muggles see!"

They all piled into the front hall of the semi-derelict building, and the very first thing Serena saw (besides an awful severed troll leg umbrella stand) was her dad. Not the biological one she had yet to meet, but the one that had raised her; Remus Lupin.

"Dad!" she exclaimed running towards him. However, the curtains on one wall snapped open to reveal a truly terrifying portrait of a woman who began screaming insulting epithets at them all. They all clasped their hands to their ears, as Remus and Mr. Weasley lunged forward to close the curtains. Once the curtains were closed, Serena looked around sheepishly and whispered,

"Sorry."

"That's ok, love, should have told you before you came in," her dad said, placing an arm around her shoulders and squeezing.

A door down the hall opened, and a head of black hair stuck out.

"What's with all of the commotion out here?"

Serena stepped away from her father's warm arms, and stared at the man before her.

"Hi. Dad," she said slowly and in awe.

"My goodness. Serena, darling," Sirius was equally wide-eyed, as they moved meeting in the middle of the corridor in their first father-daughter embrace.

"Why don't we move this into the kitchen," Remus said, ushering the Weasleys down the stairs. He turned to Sirius and Serena, "We'll see you later; you two catch up."

"Thanks. Come on, let's go up to the drawing room," Sirius said, showing Serena up the stairs.

Once in the drawing room, they settled on adjacent couches, and sat in awkward silence for a moment.

"So, I see you're wearing a Gryffindor scarf; does that mean you're in Gryffindor?" Sirius asked.

"Oh, no; this is Fred's. I'm not in Gryffindor," Serena said.

"Oh, then let me guess: you're in Ravenclaw, right?"

"Uh, no…"

"Really? You didn't really strike me as a Hufflepuff."

"Well, I'm not. I'm in Slytherin actually."

"Oh. You're a Slytherin?"

"Yeah… But, its not like… Houses aren't really that important anymore. I mean, I know when you were in school, you didn't really associate with anyone outside your House, but its not like that now," she tried to explain, but she could see he wasn't buying it.

"I can't believe you're in Slytherin," he said, standing, and pacing agitatedly.

"It's not that big a deal," Serena tried.

"Of course it's a big deal!" Sirius shouted. "You're in bloody Slytherin! You're nothing like I hoped you'd turn out!"

Serena stood up angrily; "Well excuse me, Dad!" she raised her voice in anger, "I like being in Slytherin! I'm essentially the queen of the house!" The two were so caught up in their argument, that they didn't notice a quiet knock on the door.

"And you know what else? I like potions; I'm awesome at potions, and my favorite professor is Professor SNAPE!" The rage that had been building inside Sirius at the knowledge that his only daughter was a Slytherin snake snapped at her admittance to actually liking Snivellus as a professor. Without conscious thought on his part, his hand raised to smack the Slytherin out of her. Everything slowed down; he saw her eyes widen when she realized he was going to hit her, and then what felt like a steel band closed around his wrist stopping any movement on his part.

Time returned to normal then, and he looked to see Remus, looking particularly un-amused, holding his wrist.

"Serena, Professor Snape is here, and he said he would like to speak with you. He's in the kitchen; it's that door right off the front hall that we came out of when you first got here," he said calmly, quietly, as though he hadn't just stopped his best friend from striking his daughter. Serena nodded, looking teary, then turned and quickly made her way out of the room.

As soon as the door closed behind her, Remus threw Sirius's wrist away from him and said quietly;

"Don't ever raise your hand to my daughter again."

Sirius had no idea what made him look Remus in the eye and say, "Your daughter? Last I checked she was my daughter."

Remus's gaze got even colder, if that was possible; "You and Naomi may have created her, but I'm the one that's raised her, even before you went to Azkaban. I am just as much, if not more of, her father than you are.

"The time has passed, Sirius, for you to continue to act like this. It is no longer acceptable, if it ever was, for you treat people like garbage based on superficial reasons like Hogwarts House. Grow up, Sirius."

He left then, leaving Sirius alone in the suddenly dark and cold drawing room.