Disclaimer- I own one character and the plot the rest is the work of JK Rowling's.

Chapter 2

Harry had returned that night and explained everything to Hermione and Ron the next day. They sat in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom that way they could talk with out being heard by anyone besides the whinnying ghost. Myrtle cried aggravatingly as she floated around the bathroom causing facets she passed to explode. Harry, Hermione and Ron sat away from the splash zone and whispered quietly.

"Her name is Nichole, and apparently she believes Black is innocent!" Harry almost shouted as he rethought the facts. Hermione listened carefully, but Ron seemed to be watching the rain run down the window pane. Then all of a sudden Ron sat up straight and looked at Harry.

"Nichole? Bloody hell I know who that is!" Ron said he shouted. Harry and Hermione leaned in closer as Ron began to explain. "She is a friend of my parents I remember seeing her a few times when I was young haven't see her in years though. She's an Auror she used to train under Mad-eye Moody and once he retired she took his place." Hermione rolled her eyes, and Harry groaned. A loud crash of thunder rand threw the bathroom as they thought.

"Head of Aurors, and she thinks Black is innocent wonderful protection we have!" Hermione reply. Ron looked out the window and rubbed his neck. "They have every right to expect she let him out."

"She couldn't have." Ron murmured. Harry turned furiously on him and jumped to his feet.

"Why not? She thinks he's innocent and she is head Auror she could have easily….." Harry was shouting angrily. He had caught Myrtle's attention and she conspicuously drifted over to them. The three paid her no notice and went on arguing.

"I heard my parents talking, Harry. Nichole was banned from Azkaban because she thought he was innocent." Ron explained, and Myrtle squealed. Finally they looked up at the ghost was floated gleefully above.

"Nichole Tonaree! I remember her. I hear she's insane now." Myrtle sung like a gossiping teenager before she sulked back into her whine. "Poor thing. Her and Lily used to plot in here all the time. You know Harry you're nothing like your Mum she used to visit me all the time……" Harry rolled his eyes and got up as the bell for class rang outside. Hermione and Ron followed closely behind, and Myrtle screeched. With a loud crash the bathroom became flooded. They next class they had was Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Lupin, and though Harry knew that the Professor had no idea Harry had heard everything Harry still felt guilty. They walked quickly to their seats, and waited as the Professor set up something up front.

"Class today we are to be working on dueling. An art of fighting used for years to settle debates of the minds, to earn respect, and to defend ones self. Now if you turn to page three hundred and ninety there is a chart of proper duel techniques." Lupin said in a rather cheerful voice as he pulled down a chart over the blackboard with an enlarged photo of the page in front of them. The class buzzed with excitement at the chance to duel hopefully it would end better then it did with Professor Lockhart.

"Ready for a rematch, Potter." Malfoy sneered. Professor Lupin held up his hand for silence, and the class fell into a hush.

"Now I know about your experimenting with dueling last year, but I don't plan to have you duel each other." Groans of disappointment rang out, and Lupin held up his hand again. "We will however be using dueling dummies which….." A knock rang at the door. Lupin raised and eyebrow. "Come in." He called. The door was gently pushed aside, and a woman with long brown hair stepped in.

"Sorry to intrude. Is this a bad time?" Harry looked to Ron to see if his suspicions were confirmed. Ron nodded and looked back at the door. Nichole stood at the door with her hands in the pockets of her robes. She wore a long black cloak with the Auror emblem stitched on the chest. Harry looked to his Professor who smiled at the guest.

"No, not at all actual you can help me." Lupin laughed. Nichole groaned slightly and rolled her eyes walking down the aisles of seats.

"With what? I'm a horrible teacher." She admitted walking to the front of the class. Lupin pointed to the board and a smile lit up her face. "Ohhh dueling. That I can do." she laughed and with flick of his wand Lupin moved all the tables in the front to the sit of the room.

"Class change of plans Nichole and I are going demonstrate." Lupin announced. The class whispered excitedly moving the desk to the side to sit on. Nichole laughed and raised an eye brow at the teacher.

"Really Lupin, Do you want that humiliation?" She smirked at him. Lupin shrugged and readied the class room. Nichole walked over to wear the student were seated and drew a line on the floor in front of them. She raised her wand and shot a stunning spell it bounced off an invisible wall and shot across the room. The students screamed, and Nichole struggled to hold back a laugh.

"The line in front of you in a spell proof barrier that way no deflected spells can hit any of you, but you must stay behind the line." Lupin instructed. Nichole walked back to the center of the now vacant floor. Malfoy and his cronies snickered behind Harry.

"I heard she's insane Lupin doesn't stand a chance." Malfoy laughed it was only loud enough for the students to hear, but Nichole's head shot in their direction.

"Now if I was insane." She said making her way back over. "Is it really wise to say so while I have a wand in my hand and a license to kill?" She asked and Malfoy paled backing up.

"Wait-Wait until my father hears about this!" He yelled. Nichole scoffed, and smirked at Malfoy.

"Aren't we a little old to be hiding behind Daddy?" She mocked and the Gryffindors giggled as Malfoy's mouth dropped open. She turned around to walk back and continued talking. "But if your father still wants to bring up a case then so be it. I'll just claim insanity then." She laughed. Lupin shot her a warning glance and she smiled sweetly at him. 'joking' she mouthed to him; he just sighed as took his place in front of her.

"Now the first important part of the duel is the stance." Lupin turned to the side with his wand pointed out in front his feet spread slightly, and his other hand in the air like the proper fencing stance. Nichole turned her feet to the side, but had her torso at an angle facing him her back arm was slack and her wand arm was held out in front. "Next is positioning your attack. You want to catch your opponent off guard." Lupin spun his wand causing a purple spell to fly at Nichole's feet, but with a jerk of her wand the spell was casted off. "All moments

"I think they get the idea. What kind of duel Professor? First fall?" She challenged. Lupins back hand fell and his stance became more natural.

"First Fall." He repeated, and the two bowed. Nichole was the first to make a move she side stepped and sent a Blasting Curse in Lupins direction. Lupin summoned a table in front of him to block the curse. It with a thundering crack causing splinters of wood to shatter like glass, but before the splinters had even begun to fall Lupin fired a DisarmingSpell. Nichole threw her wand in the air and ducked as the spell pasted over her head. She caught her wand and the battle raged on the students cheered and shouted as spells flew in every direction. After twenty minutes they still fought each trying to stop themselves from laughing as the door swung open hitting the opposite wall. The two stopped dueling as a very disgruntled Potion Master entered.

"Well, well teaching or playing Professor?" Snape scoffed strolling into the room. Nichole rolled her eyes and crossed her arms as he approached. The tension could be cut with a knife as the fun atmosphere drifted away.

"We were showing the proper art of dueling Professor." Nichole spat. Snape scowled in disgust making his way over to the pair. His eyes were dark, and the light shown off the grease in his hair.

"Class dismissed." Snape growled, and the students scattered like cockroaches in the light. Soon the three adults were left alone in the classroom. "Professor Lupin I would watch what you do if I were you. After Sirius Black attacked the Gryffindor common room it's a miracle you're allowed on the premises."

"That's a coward's threat Severus. You know it is I who believes Sirius is innocent not Remus." Snape glared at her response, but remained speechless as he exited the room. Nichole turned around and smiled at Remus. "So how have you been?" She asked since the two hadn't had time to catch up yet. Remus shook his head at her change of attitude and went to rearrange the furniture.

"I have to admit, Nichole I'm surprised you showed." Remus told her moving the desks back with his wand. Nichole shrugged flicking her wand to fix a broken table.

"Well I would have answered when you called, but I was on a mission and…." She stopped as Remus spun around and stared at her. He looked angry, and Nichole shifted in his gaze. "Wrong choice of words?"

"Nichole for the love of god! Are you trying to kill yourself?!" Remus rarely got angry, but when he did it was quite scary. His eyes narrowed as he waited for a response, but all Nichole did was fidget.

"Stop it!" She yelled when she couldn't handle it anymore. "I'll tell you, but first lets get out of the building these walls have ears." Remus nodded in agreement and the two made their way out in silence. The soft autumn breeze blowing sent Goosebumps up Nichole's arms and she pulled her cloak tighter around her. When they were finally away from the castle, and walking along the edge of the forbidden forest Nichole sighed.

"Okay look I'm not trying to kill myself, let me start off with that, nor am I insane. Remus the last twelve years have been hard as you well know, and I couldn't do what you did. I couldn't move on…" She stopped and ran a hand angrily threw her hair as if something pained her. "I am going to tell you this because I trust you Remus, but please you can't tell anyone else." She pleaded desperately. Remus looked off as if trying to decided.

"Nichole, if you know where Sirius is then, I am going to tell Dumbledore."

"No! That's not what I'm about to tell you I haven't seen Sirius in twelve years!" She practically cried gripping on two Remus sleeve. Remus bit his lip, and gave in.

"Fine, if it's anything else I won't tell." Nichole sighed as she built up the courage to tell him. Remus began to worry as she struggled to find the words.

"Remus I-I I was 3 weeks pregnant that night." Remus mouth fell open, and he stood speechless. The night Lily and James were killed Remus and Nichole had been on patrol for the order. They arrived at the scène just in time to see Peter get blown up. The blast almost killed them both as well. Even with seeing the proof Nichole swears it was a set up, but the Ministry wouldn't listen.

"Did Sirius know?" Remus had to ask, and Nichole shook her head. Tears brewed in her chocolate eyes, and she bit her lip to hold them back.

"No, I had just found out that morning. The only person I told was Lily I was going to tell Sirius the next day after the patrol, but…." Her voice broke and the tears finally spilled over she quickly tried to wipe her eyes. This was all starting to make sense to him. The reason why she believed he was innocent even after what she saw. The reason she goes on suicidal missions. He hugged Nichole like a brother would a sister, and she gave up trying to hold back the tears, and cried into his shoulder.

"Nichole, did you have the baby?" He asked quietly, and Nichole shook her head wiping her eyes on the back of her sleeve.

"No, between the explosion that night, and the emotional distress…" She didn't need to finish for him to understand. "Remus I know this will make no sense to you, but I want to see Sirius. If he did do it I need to hear it from him, and if tells me he didn't then I will believe him. I still love him. Twelve years didn't change that." Remus wanted to get mad, but he couldn't so he just sighed. He looked down at his watch.

"I hate to cut this meeting short, but I have a class." Nichole nodded and hugged him again. "Don't disappear again." He told her, and she smiled softly.

"I'll be around." She said walking towards the exit of the grounds. Remus watched her for a second before he turned back to the castle. As soon as they were gone a scruffy black dog walked out of the forest, and took off towards the gates.

Ok so Usually I don't write with out reviews but I thought I get at least two chapters up since my last summary was bad. Hope you enjoyed. Italian American