Aaron kept his promise to Sirius; it was easy to since Remus didn't go to Sirius' funeral, they hadn't spoken in so long that Remus said he didn't think he even counted as an acquaintance. Aaron didn't tell him that he went Unfortunately, he hadn't counted on Lily and James Potter deciding to renew their friendship with Remus.

Aaron swept rain-soaked hair out of his eyes and knocked twice on his father's door. Rain dripped from the tip of his nose as he waited. Finally, he let himself in. Three heads turned to look at him, the graying blond hair of his father, and two less familiar, Lily Potter's still-fiery red one and James Potter messy black one.

"Aaron!" his father cried. "I had no idea you were coming."

Aaron quirked an eyebrow. "Well, I didn't tell you so how could you have known?"

Remus chucked. "Very funny. Anyway, these are the Potters. You've ever met, but they're old friends of mine from Hogwarts.

Aaron shifted uncomfortably, realizing suddenly what the Potters could tell his father, "Actually, we have. I- I went to Sirius' funeral," he admitted, a trifle guiltily.

Remus, completely nonplussed, look from his son, to his friends, and back again. "How- how did you even know? I didn't even know until it was over... it wasn't in the paper was it?"

The Potters shook their heads in unison, now distinctly uncomfortable. James stood up, pulling Lily with him by the arm.

"We should go," he said.

Remus, befuddled, waved him down. "No, no. Not at all..."

"No, really. We should go," James said firmly. "Lils..."

"Good-bye, Remus," she said, giving him a hug. "I hope we see you again soon."

They went out quietly; Aaron shut the door behind them with a soft click.

"What is going on? What are you not telling me?" he demanded.

Aaron couldn't meet his eye. Irrationally, he felt as though he had done something wrong, though he knew that, technically, he hadn't.

"Dad, I don't- I think-," he inhaled deeply and released it slowly. "There's something I should have told you before. Honestly, I wasn't planning on telling you. Ever. Sirius- Sirius made me promise I wouldn't say anything."

Remus kept getting whiter and whiter. He moved to a cabinet in the corner of the living room, opened it, removed a small glass and a bottle of whiskey, and poured himself a generous measure. He gulped it down and poured another. "You're going to tell me something awful aren't you?"

Aaron nodded. "Several months ago, I met the man of my dreams. And just when I was about to tell you, you know, make the grand announcement, he figured out that I was a wizard. He was too, so I was thinking, 'Damn, this just keeps getting better and better. I'll never have to hide anything from him.' And then he asks if I went to Hogwarts, 'cause that's where he went as a kid. I did, and we're laughing and having a grand old time remembering and what not, and then I mention you."

Remus looked up in shock.

"Turns out you two knew each other. Pretty well, in fact. He figured it out, of course. He was... really upset. I mean, really, upset. Said he didn't know how he didn't realize in the first place, except you never told him that you were pregnant... speaking of which, why did you never tell me that you two were together for years before I came along? You let me believe for my entire life that I was the product of meaningless sex." Aaron switched from sad to angry in a heartbeat, and all of a sudden, all the vile thoughts he had been suppressing came spilling out. "Why didn't you tell me Dad? Why cover it up? What could possibly have happened that you could block a person out of your life to that extent? What about my feelings? My whole childhood I asked about my other father and you lied to me! I don't understand! Why couldn't you just tell me? And then, I fucking slept with him! Do you know how that makes me feel? I was in love with him and I never even got to say good-bye! Because he was so torn up when he found out that he killed himself!"

Aaron stopped shouting at his father, his voice choked by sobbing. "None of this would have happened if you had just told me the truth. Or him."

Remus' face was buried in his hands. Ho took them away and his face was streaked with tears. "I'm so sorry Aaron. I never meant for any of this to happen. I was a coward, I made a mistake not telling you. But believe me, I never thought this would happen. If I could do anything to change it I would do it in a heartbeat."

"But you can't Dad. You can't."