Days turned to weeks and finally, one day, a snowy white owl swooped into the room where the boys were studying for their N.E.W.T.s and landed on Sirius' bed. A tawny one appeared and landed on Remus'.
Sirius opened his curiously and there was a loud pop and a ton of lurid pink smoke.
"Hullo, Black," said a loud, familiar, and overly cheerful voice. Sirius coughed and spelled away the smoke. He now sported blue-white hair streaked with Slytherin green.
Remus looked at his own letter much more warily and ran a series of spells. Nothing showed up so he carefully opened it, grateful to see it was just a plain letter. He read over it twice, ignoring the Marauders as they bugged him, trying to figure out what it said. When he finished the second time, he took a couple of minutes to absorb it, then started reading it outloud.
Remus,
I do hope Black enjoyed my little gift. Just wanted to let you lot know that I'm perfectly okay - had only a few injuries from the 'Battle of Hogsmead' and Severus and Velli quickly took care of that. Mostly it was just magical exhaustion.
I think, perhaps, in light of everything, I should explain a few things.
You see, there was a prophecy made before I was born, saying 'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches, born to those who thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies. And the Dark Lord will mark her as his equal, but she will have power the Dark Lord knows not, and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives.'
"Her?"Sirius, James, and Peter all repeated.
"Just let me finish - I was really confused too," Remus said before going back to the letter.
'Quite the thing, isn't it? Of course, Voldemort didn't know what he was doing when he gave me my scar - and no, you've never seen it - and he didn't know about the prophecy. I was born July 31st and my parents attended school with Voldemort - whose real name was Tom Marvolo Riddle (see if you can't figure out how he came up with Lord Voldemort) - and they didn't get along at all, fulfilling the 'thrice defied him' bit. I already said he left me with a scar, 'marking me as his equal' and as for my 'power the Dark Lord knows not' - it was knowledge and some skill with a wand. I knew (and I'm not telling how) how far he went along the road to becoming immortal and conquering the thing he feared most - death - and I knew how to destroy what he had set up. I also studied and worked hard to gain my particular skill set. And, obviously, I fulfilled that last bit in Hogsmead, all according to plan.
I didn't lie about my magic-hating relatives, but I found a way around them. They were more than happy to have me run away as soon as I felt I was old enough to take care of myself. That's how I met Velli and Snape. Others told me about my parents and the prophecy - we managed to destroy any record of it; couldn't have it getting in Voldie's hands, now could we? - and helped me learn and reach my potential.
As for the girl thing...well, I kind of lied about my gender.'
"What?" the boys exclaimed. Remus held up a hand to stall any more comments.
'Shocking and hard to believe, I know, but it's true. I don't want to be famous and unable to freely live my life. So I thought long and hard about how to get around that and created Hayden Prosper. Velli and Sev taught me how to be a boy, though I was never ever going to change in front of you lot, glamour charms or not. I still looked pretty much the same - black hair, green eyes, and a fair bit like my dad, only more feminine and with my mum's nose - but I made myself taller. That took some getting use to and I broke a lot of Severus and Velli's things in the mean time. I'm sorry for the deception but I'm still the same person. I never changed how I thought or what I felt, though Sev and Velli made it clear that guys don't share their feelings like girls do so I had to restrain my tongue a few times.
We decided the best way to make sure that everyone believed Hayden Prosper was real was to send him to school. Plus, we felt Sev need some allies after last semester. So I enrolled and we explained the whole thing to Dumbledore and he added some charms to make sure ours stuck - no need to cause an scandal and undo the whole thing. Machiavelli, as I already said, joined for the purpose of lording - even if he denies it - and we kept our ears to the ground, always waiting and planning and teaching you lot as much as we could. You did brilliant during the battle by the way. We're all so proud of all of you. And glad - exceedingly glad you all made it through alive. Tell James I said to hold onto Evans, Peter I said I forgive him, and Sirius that I really enjoy irritating him (and, if you must, that he's not that bad of a person and strangely enough, I count him as a friend; I couldn't tell you why - he can be a right prat - I just do).
I also write all of this to tell you that Velli and I will not be returning to Hogwarts. Severus will. Dumbledore knew what we were about and, when I requested it, arranged for me to privately take my N.E.W.T.s early. I'm very proud to say I passed with all O+s - except Transfiguration. I made only an O but I'm happy to have gotten even that. Transfiguration is my worst subject.
Tomorrow's paper will show a note I sent to the Minister of Magic and the Prophet that is much like this one but more formal and boring and considerably lacking in detail. After all, the whole point of Hayden Prosper was to ensure that I would get to live my life without the press and Ministry breathing down my neck. Can't have them catching on.
Don't worry - though Damien Machiavelli and Hayden Prosper will never show their faces again, you've not seen the last of us. After all, what's in a name?
Sincerely,
Hayden Prosper.
P.S. Do tell my firsties at least some of this (not the girl bit, obviously) and give them my best wishes. Tell them I fully expect them to do well on their exams and to keep up the Good Work. They'll know what I'm talking about. And our lady Gryffindors should probably be allowed into the secret, but I leave that to your discretion as you know them better than I. As girls, they'd catch on faster than you lot did, so I avoided them more. Which was tragic; I missed female company.
Ta!'
"Crazy prat," James said when Remus finished, but he was grinning. "Certainly explains the paranoia. He didn't want us to find out he was a she!"
"And why Snape and Machiavelli were so protective," Sirius said, for once satisfied with the answers he got. He ran a hand through his hair. "How do I look?" That made them all laugh.
Later that day, they dragged the girls to the Room of Requirement - Hayden had eventually told them how to get in - and reread the letter to them.
"I knew it!" Marlene said. "Or rather, I thought he was gay - caught him checking out a guy once, though I didn't say anything about it. He was secretive enough, I figured he didn't want anyone knowing about this either. Now I find out he was a she all along."
"Does explain some of his habits," Alice agreed. They discussed it a while longer and, during the weeks that remained in school, got used to the fact that their mysterious friend was, in fact, a girl.
The next morning, the Prophet featured Hayden's letter - the prophecy rephrased to suit a boy - and sent the Wizarding world into a frenzy over his blunt statement that he never intended to return to the Wizarding world. He wanted peace and he'd have it. Then Snape was suddenly back in school and not even the Minister personally asking Snape had gotten Snape to tell them anything about where the two went. He had only arched a brow, looking faintly Amused, and then turned and walked away, leaving the Minister spluttering in the middle of the grand staircase. He did, however, condescend to accept the Order of Merlin, First Class, on behalf of Hayden at a ceremony, though he refused to say anything.
A teacher had already replaced Machiavelli and students were surprised to find they missed the bizarre and rather impatient teacher that drove them all mad. This one had less of a will to get things done and, eventually, they just kind of tuned him out, following the course schedule Machiavelli set out at the beginning of term. Even the exercising part.
Things flourished in the school - relationships between all houses and years got better and as Remus walked across the stage at graduation, he looked around and had more hope than he ever had before for the school and their world in general.
A month later and James proposed to Lily and Alice also got engaged to a Gryffindor that had been in the year above Remus, Frank Longbottom. Frank and Alice got married in December and James and Lily the following May.
Remus watched the newlyweds as they danced their first dance, and smiled as the best man and maid of honor, Sirius and Alice, joined in as well. That cued the other couples to join and Remus smiled to see that Peter had the courage to finally ask out Erica Lawrence, a Hufflepuff that had been in their year.
"They're a beautiful couple," murmured a woman, coming up to stand beside him. He looked down. She came up to just above his chin and was quite thin. From what he could see of her, she had curly blue-black hair pulled into an intricate and elegant knot. She had alabaster skin and wore a strapless black and silver dress that complimented her slender frame. She also had on silver heels.
"They are," he agreed. "I'm Remus Lupin."
"Hayden Peverell," she said, looking up with bright emerald green eyes and an Amused smile. His jaw nearly dropped as the full implications hit him. "Come now, Remus - don't just stare at me."
"I'm sorry," he said. "I just - you said we hadn't seen the last of you, but I don't know...I just didn't expect you to show up here."
"I know," she said, sounding quite pleased. "I can't wait to see Black's face."
"If you're here, is Machiavelli?" he asked, looking around.
"He's David Matthews now," she said, scanning the outdoor venue as well. "He's the blonde blue eyed bloke chatting up the witch in red at the bar." Remus looked over and saw someone who did look like Machiavelli but more relaxed and wearing a charming smile that had the poor witch blushing and giggling.
He smiled. "I'm glad you guys are back. And we told all the girls, by the way. No one else."
"I appreciate that," she said with a sincere smile, then looked back at the dancing floor. "I must say, it's quite nice to be a girl again. You have no idea how odd it is to be pretend to be a boy for a year."
"Marlene said she caught you checking out a guy once," Remus informed her. Her face turned crimson but she laughed.
"I'm glad it was only once. Who knew Hogwarts boys were so good looking?" she joked.
"I certainly didn't," he said with his own laugh. She laughed again.
"Well, Moony," Sirius said, coming up to him from the side. The first dance had ended and Frank claimed Alice's hand. "Who is this lovely witch?" he added with a charming smile to Hayden, as well as a wink. Remus and Hayden traded looks and then started laughing. "What?" Sirius asked.
"Hullo, Black," she said in that overly cheerful voice.
Sirius did a double take, finally catching on and wolf whistled. "You make a fantastic woman."
"Thanks, Sirius," she said wryly. "I thought I made a rather pretty boy too." Sirius wrinkled his nose.
"He was alright looking," he said, entirely too joyful to even consider bringing up his old grudge. "Not as good looking as myself, but not too bad."
"Again, thanks," she said with a laugh.
"Is Machiavelli coming back as well then?" Sirius asked.
"He's at the bar, talking to the witch in red," Remus said, jerking his head that direction. "Named David Matthews now." Sirius looked around and grinned.
"That's Farah," he said. "Good kisser."
Hayden wrinkled her nose. "I did not want to know."
"Sorry, Hayden," Sirius said with an unapologetic smile. "I'm going to go say my hellos and save Matthews from her - she's too clingy and he strikes me as a guy to hate that kind of thing."
"He does and he'll thank you for it," Hayden said, shaking her head with bemusement as Sirius' winked at her again and headed over. "He hasn't changed at all."
"Definitely not," Remus agreed. "Care to dance?" he asked a few moments later. Hayden looked up and smile, accepting his offered hand.
"I'd like that," she said. She, he discovered after a couple of dances, was quite graceful and just as quirky as she had been before. He was relieved to find that though Hayden was a woman, he still felt at ease around her. Other than in looks, she hadn't changed a bit - though she was more forth coming now. Laughed more. She had a nice laugh - musical laughter.
"And who is this?" James asked between dances. Him and Lily had ended up next to Remus and Hayden.
"This is going to get tiring if everyone asks," Hayden remarked dryly.
"It's Hayden Peverell," Remus said, grinning. "She decided now was a good time to come out of hiding."
James blinked and then understanding followed by joy showed. "Hayden!" he said brightly, giving her a hug. Lily did the same. "I was wondering when you'd show up. You always pick the most surprising moments."
"I do, don't I?" she said, sounding rather proud of herself. "Drives Severus and David mad, but they're just as bad, the hypocrites."
"Is that Machiavelli's name - David?" Lily asked, looking around. "Is he here?"
"David Matthews," she said, looking around again. "He's there - talking to Sirius and a set of twins. I swear, that man..." she trailed off, rolling her eyes.
"Which one?" Remus asked wryly.
"Both, the dunderheads."
In due course, Remus reintroduced her to the rest of the Gryffindors that were in on the secret - adding Frank to the select group - and talked a bit with David. He was pleased not to be insulted even once during the conversation. He also danced a couple of more times with Hayden before Sirius claimed her, then James, then David, and Peter even asked her once. She refused the other guys who approached her, though. The evening passed in light laughter and banter, everyone over the moon about James and Lily, and glad to have Hayden and David back, strange as they had been.
After the wedding broke up and James whisked Lily away from their honeymoon, Sirius insisted they continue the celebration and dragged all eight of them into the middle of London, still in their wedding clothes. He made several Muggle friends when he bought the entire pub a round, announcing that his best friend had just gotten married. In the end, the whole pub proposed a toast to James and Lily, and Sirius bought several more rounds. Remus, Hayden, Alice and Frank all stayed relatively sober and had the tasks of getting their friends home in one piece somewhere in the early hours of the morning.
Remus couldn't have asked for a better night.
Time marched on and Remus found that Hayden had gotten a job in the Alley. He worked in Florish and Blotts and she worked up the street a little ways, at an elite Defense shop. David entered into work for Gringotts and Sirius, James, Marlene, and Frank were all undergoing Auror training (Machiavelli's insane training really paid off then and they graduated top of the class). Lily worked as a Charms Mistress for the Ministry in the Department of Mysteries. Alice wanted to be a stay at home mother (though she wasn't pregnant yet) and took to organizing the grounds of Longbottom Manor. Sara worked for the Prophet and Peter studied for his Herbology Masters. Snape, of course, became the youngest Potions Master in European history.
They all settled into routines, meeting up at least once a month as a group and individually however often they could manage. Remus and Hayden shared lunch hours and met up then, eating at different places all over London each day and sharing complaints about their bosses, their jobs, and talking about life in general. She was the first to say when Lily and Alice were pregnant, but Remus called Sirius' relationship with Sara Johnson long before they became official. She still never spoke much of her past or mentioned names, but she talked more and he found that he truly enjoyed her company. The whole group even managed to get along with Snape, though Remus doubted Severus and Sirius would ever be bosom buddies.
Around October, David started courting Marlene and Peter proposed to Erica. Hayden was over the moon about Marlene.
"She's perfect," she told Remus over lunch one day.
"They fight like cats and dogs all the time," Remus countered, unsure of how far the relationship would go.
"That's my point," she said. "David needs someone who will stand up to him - not a people pleaser. Someone who won't be too passive or too afraid to fight back. Someone to remind him he's not boss and who gives as good as they get. And Marlene is perfect for the job."
"Oh," he was all he had said. He could see that now. "D'you think that Snape will ever get married?" he asked, the thought suddenly coming to him. He was sure that Hayden would find someone, in time, but Snape was as anti-social as it got, snarky, rather scary sometimes, and down right cruel other times.
"Severus?" she said, frowning thoughtfully. "It could go either way - tilted towards him being a bachelor for life, of course - but it would be one hell of a woman that got him to settle down."
"I can only imagine," Remus murmured.
Surprise! Well, a few of you little geniuses (I'm told the pural is genii or something, but I don't like that as much, so oh well...), already guessed my little twist.
Also, I've just realized I never disclaimed this story, so here - I'm not J.K. Rowling or anyone of any company that owns of any part of Harry Potter. I, however, do own this plot and my words. Please don't steal them - or at least let me know.
- C. Lux
