Dying

By: RemmysGal

Author's Note: Hello! I decided to put the A/N at the beginning of this chapter…little change of scenery. Thanks to Lina and Mio for reviewing. Oh, and Victoria and Remus… nothing's happening between them. They're just really good friends and you'll see more of their friendship at Hogwarts in this and the next chapter. This is strictly a Sirius/Victoria. And…I guess…nevermind, you'll have to wait! Well, here's the next chapter…Enjoy!

--------------------------------------------------------------

Remus awoke the next morning to shuffling and muttering through Victoria's apartment. He yawned and stretched in his bed. Then he sat up and looked around his room. It was white, which made it seem a little "girly", and there was a vanity. There was a dresser, also white, and the four-poster bed was also white with a crimson comforter. He rolled out of bed and stood up. Remus began to walk out of the room when he looked down and saw what he was wearing: red plaid boxers. He grinned and decided to get changed.

Victoria was in a tussle when Remus finally entered the kitchen. Her back was to Remus and she was frantically putting dishes and pots and pans away. Remus watched her silently from the hallway for a few moments. Finally he took out his wand and waved it. All of the dishes neatly stacked themselves and placed themselves in the cupboard. The same happened to the pots and pans. Victoria watched, stunned for a moment, before she smiled knowingly and turned around.

"I knew it was you," she said, her smile slowly fading.

"Yeah, I thought you could use some help there," Remus answered. "Are you packed already?"

"I packed last night. I'm ready whenever…whenever you are," Victoria said, albeit reluctantly.

"You're doing the right thing, Vic," Remus told her.

"I know," she replied.

"So, I'll just go get my things then we'll leave. Is that okay?" Victoria nodded. "Be right back, then." Remus went into the guestroom and collected his things. He walked back to the kitchen and Victoria was writing a letter. "Who's that for?" he asked.

"The landlord," she replied. "So he knows what's happened."

"Are you coming back after this?" Remus asked.

Victoria sort of half-shrugged. "I don't know," she said quietly. Remus gave her a reassuring hug.

"Let's go," he said. He pulled out his wand, as did Victoria and they both Disapparated.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Reading between the lines, I think she feels you're a bit conceited, mate," Fifteen-year-old Sirius Black said to James Potter. He, James, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew were sitting near the lake on a warm day in late May. They had just completed the written exam of the O.W.L.S. in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

James and Sirius had also just had a previous encounter with Severus Snape. The encounter included some nasty hexes, Lily Evans, and Snape upside down, showing off his gray underpants and pallid legs. Remus, although it was his duty as a Prefect, did not interfere. Lily Evans had taken it upon herself to end it, rejecting James again as he asked her out.

"Right," James said, clearly annoyed, "Right."

Remus closed the book he had been reading and stood up. "Sad to say, James, but I do believe you were a bit out of line just then."

"Out of line?" Sirius asked him incredulously, "How?"

"Well, de-robing Snape in front of most of the student body, as hilarious as you thought it was, was against the rules."

"Since when did any of us care about breaking rules, Moony?" Peter asked.

"Oh, bugger off, the lot of you. I'm just saying, Prongs, that you might want to tread lightly around Lily Evans,"

"She loves me, she just won't admit it," James said smugly.

"I'm going inside," Remus said, walking away.

"Hey Moony! Where're you going?" Sirius shouted.

"Well obviously I can't get any studying here with you berks, so I'm going to the Library!" He shouted back as he retreated into the castle.

Upon entering the castle, he looked around only to see a blur of black and gold flying at him, pinning him against the nearby wall. Remus blinked, as he looked into the face of fifteen-year-old Victoria Rokaway.

"Why didn't you stop them?" she demanded, her eyes blazing.

"I…" Remus stammered, stunned. "I…I don't know," he finished.

"That," she said, releasing him, "was obvious." She began to walk away. Remus shook his head and jogged to keep up with her, she was walking very fast.

"Well what was I supposed to do?" he asked. She stopped and faced him.

"You…are…a… PREFECT!" she snarled.

"Yeah, well Lily looked like she had the situation pretty much under control," he shrugged.

"Only because you didn't! They're your friends, Remus. And you're my friend. And it's my duty as a friend to tell you when you should stick up for someone. Don't your friends stick up for you? Don't they?"

"Yeah," Remus answered. "But Snape's not my friend!"

"Yes, I realize that, but he's weaker and—"

"Snape's not weak! He knows more curses and hexes than some Seventh Years!"

"But he doesn't have any friends to stick up for him."

"His fault."

"Fine. Nevermind. Forget I even said anything," Victoria walked away.

Remus stood there. It was so hard. He had friends who would possibly get mad if he went against them. But he had a friend who wanted him to do the right thing.

Friendships were so complicated.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was nighttime and all of the houses were dark in Grimmauld Place. There were a few lampposts, but they were not lit. There was a 'pop!' and then a clearly audible "oomph!" in the dark.

"Lumos," a voice whispered. Light immediately illuminated from Remus Lupin's wand. He looked down at the ground. Victoria was sprawled out by his feet. Well, he thought happily, at least we arrived in the right place in one piece. He offered his hand to Victoria and she took it, pulling her up.

"Are…are we…here?" she whispered, looking at him. Remus looked down at her. She was looking up at him, fear in her eyes. Remus smiled softly. Even though she had grown older, she was still the same vulnerable eleven-year-old girl he had become best friends with.

"Yes," he whispered, "we're here." Victoria nodded.

"Where is," she asked, "here?"

"Grimmauld Place." Remus answered. He pulled a small scroll of parchment out of his shabby coat pocket. He unrolled it and handed it to Victoria. It said, in loopy cursive handwriting, The Order of the Pheonix can be found at Number 12 Grimmauld Place, London. "Memorize it," he said simply.

Victoria looked up from the parchment. Her eyes glanced from Number 11 to Number 13. Then she looked at Remus, who was burning the parchment to ashes. "I don't see—"

"Think about what you have just memorized," Remus said. Victoria imagined the parchment. She had barely gotten to Number 12 Grimmauld Place, when she stopped. Houses Number 11 and Number 13 were being squished by the appearing of a house right where Number 12 should have been.

Victoria's jaw dropped. "How—?" she asked Remus.

"Unplottable and hidden behind a Fidelius Charm," Remus explained.

"Oh," Victoria said, simply lacking for a better word.

"Welcome," Remus said, taking her hand and walking up the stairs, "To The Order of the Pheonix." There was a large black door. There was neither keyhole nor letterbox, but a silver knocker in the shape of a twisted serpent. "Remus Lupin," he said, seemingly to no one in particular except the knocker.

"Remus, what on earth—?" Victoria began to ask, but was quieted by a quick 'Sh!' from Remus. The door then slowly opened.

"Ok, Victoria, follow me in, be very quiet in the Entrance Hall, keep walking straight, I'll guide you. Don't bother anything and, whatever you do, don't touch the curtains." Victoria nodded. She looked at Remus, who was now looking around outside, as if he was making sure no one was around. He turned and looked at Victoria, as if saying, well, go in already. Victoria shook her head and walked in the house.

Her first impression was that she would like to turn around and walk right back out. It began with the peeling wallpaper and the threadbare carpets. Then she looked at the cracked gas lamps, to, finally, the serpent-shaped, cobwebby candelabra. She heard muttering from the dark portraits on the walls. She hadn't heard portraits talking in a very long time. But the thing that made her the most wary was the large moth-eaten curtains that obviously didn't reside near a window.

Remus gave her an encouraging pat on the back, and Victoria's feet started to work again. She walked to the end of the hall when the door farthest from the entrance opened. A plump woman with flaming red hair exited. She gave them a warm smile and ushered them into the kitchen.

Victoria let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. The woman turned around when Remus had entered.

"Sorry, Remus, about rushing you in here, but that woman's gone off about seven times today!" the woman with the red hair said.

"Really, Molly?" Remus asked. "We still haven't found a spell to get her off?"

"No, there's no reverse for a Permanent Sticking Charm," the woman named Molly replied. She then looked at Victoria. "Remus?" she asked.

"Molly, this is Victoria Rokaway. Victoria, this is Molly Weasley," Remus introduced. Molly's eyes became large and wide, and she looked like she could cry.

"Oh dear," she said, and scooped Victoria into a huge hug. Victoria returned the hug, if not somewhat awkwardly. "It's so nice to finally meet you. Remus was trying to get in touch with you for ages after…" Molly's voice trailed off.

"It's nice to meet you too," Victoria replied, forcing a smile.

"Well, my husband Arthur's still at work, he'll be home around dinner, Order members are always popping in and out, the children are upstairs, you'll meet them at dinner. Are you any good with cooking charms?" Molly said in a rush.

"Well, um, Mrs. Weasley—" Victoria began.

"Please, dear, it's Molly,"

"Ok, Molly. I don't know if Remus told you, but I haven't stepped into the Wizarding World in sixteen years. I mean, he gave me my wand yesterday, but I'm still trying to get back in my groove." Victoria explained.

"Oh, Victoria, it's no problem. It's the perfect time to practice, then. If you don't mind helping an old bat like me,"

"Oh, Molly, I'm sure you're no old bat," Victor said.

"Oh yes, you've never seen her when she's mad," Remus inputted. "Weasley temper, the children have inherited, no doubt it's from her." Molly smacked Remus on the arm.

"Shoo!" she said to Remus, pushing him out of the kitchen, "we women have to prepare for you men, who are hopeless in the kitchen,"

"Fine," Remus huffed good-naturedly. "I see when I'm not wanted." He turned and left the kitchen, walking up the stairs and out of sight.

"I don't mean to impose, Victoria dear," Molly said as she bustled around the kitchen, conjuring pots and pans with a wave of her wand, "If you don't want to help, you needn't stay."

"No, I like to cook. I just haven't cooked with a wand and magic in quite some time," Victoria explained.

"Well, you've come to the right place to practice," Molly said, pulling a giant turkey out of the oven, and sprinkling seasoning on it with her wand, then putting it back in the oven. "Would you please place five wine glasses on the table? Then fill them with some Elderflower wine,"

"Of course," Victoria said, summoning five wineglasses from the glass dresser. "But, Molly, where exactly is here?"

"The Headquarters of the Order of the Pheonix," Molly stated.

"Yes, I realize that, but what is this place?" Victoria asked. "It's quite…well, filthy,"

"Well that's because no one's lived in it for quite some time. I'm the "housekeeper" here, if you'll use the term lightly. I live here sometimes with my husband and five children. I actually have seven children, but one, Charlie, is working in Romania with dragons, and the other, Percy, he has quite an important job at the Ministry and we're sort of at ends with each other right now."

"You live here?" Victoria asked incredulously.

"Yes, of course. I was worse before we arrived, believe me. The drawing room was terrible, it had a boggart and doxies and a nest of dead Puffskeins. There were also quite a few Dark Magic items."

"Yes, but who lived here before?"

"Why, Sirius did. Sirius Black," Molly said.

"Sirius? He lived here?" Victoria asked, completely and utterly baffled.

"Well, yes, it is his family's house," Molly said, "Goodness, didn't you know?"

"Well, actually, I remember Remus mentioning it, but it never occurred to me that he lived here,"

"Yes, until he was sixteen. Then he ran away. Got his own flat. He never though he'd come back. But once his mother died, the house was his. So he volunteered it for the Order."

"He always said how dreary this place was. Filled with Dark Magic and such."

"Yes, it was quite difficult to clean it out. Especially with his mother screaming at all hours," Molly sighed.

"His mother?" Victoria asked.

"Yes, that's what's behind that curtain in the Entrance Hall, didn't you know?"

"No, no I didn't,"

"Yes, that's Mrs. Black. Or, her portrait. She's put a permanent sticking charm on it, so we can't remove the portrait. That's one of the reasons we're so quiet in the entrance hall, we don't want to bother her. The curtains open and she starts screaming all this nonsense about blood traitors, and it's such a bother to get the curtains closed again, so we try to be quiet."

By this time the table was set and the food prepared. Molly and Victoria placed all of the food on the table and Molly went upstairs to call everyone to dinner.

Victoria sunk into the nearby chair and wondered at the predicament she had just gotten herself in to.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The doorbell rang. Twenty-one-year-old Lily Potter went to answer it, carrying with her a baby. The baby was her ten-month-old son Harry. She opened the door. On the doorstep stood twenty-one-year-old Victoria Rokaway, grinning like a madwoman at the sight of her godson.

"Hey Vic," Lily said, handing Victoria baby Harry, "you can hold him. Merlin, he gets so bloody heavy sometimes, holding him constantly."

Victoria kissed Harry's nose and he giggled, grabbing Victoria's honey hair that hung in her face. "Yes, Harry, how is my favorite godson? Good, that's good—ouch, ouch, Harry let go—no leave Aunt Victoria's hair alone—Harry please," she finally got her hair back and pushed it out of her eyes and behind her ears. Victoria followed Lily into the spacious kitchen, where they would be having their dinner.

"How have you been Lily?" Victoria asked as she sat down at the table and plopped Harry onto it in a sitting position.

"To be completely honest, utterly exhausted. Harry cries half the night and is only quiet when I'm in the room. James is at Auror training half the time and comes home so late. I don't mean to complain, but it's becoming almost difficult to handle," Lily sighed, reaching into the cupboard and pulling out some seasoning.

"Lil, you should have told me," Victoria said, "I work really early, so I could come over after and the nights James is working I'll stay with Harry so you can get some sleep." Victoria noticed the bags under Lily's eyes and how exhausted she looked. Victoria stood up. She conjured a playpen and put Harry in it. "Actually," she said, walking over to Lily, "this looks like it's pretty much under control. Harry's in the playpen and I can watch the food. James will be home in about two hours, so why don't you go take a nap on the couch or in your room for a while?"

Lily's face brightened, but she said, "No, I couldn't. You're here as my guest and I said I'd make dinner. I—"

"Lily Evans, sorry, Lily Potter, you get your arse into bed right now. I've been in this house millions of time and I believe I'm completely capable of watching the food and watching my godson. I'll wake you in about an hour and a half."

Lily smiled. She gave Victoria a hug. "Thank you so much, Vic. You have no idea what this means to me," Lily turned and practically ran up the stairs to her and James' bedroom.

Victoria turned to Harry. "So baby Harry, has Daddy taught you to fly yet?" Harry looked at Victoria with his large emerald green eyes, identical to his mother's. She looked at him, and could almost picture Lily flipping out at her, "You did what?! Took him on a broomstick. Victoria, are you insane?"

"Yeah," she said, turning back to the simmering pot of spaghetti, "I think I'll let your father take that one,"

Harry giggled.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey…hope you liked it…it was kinda long…

Next chapter – Victoria is reunited with Harry…and many of her old school friends…

Please Review!!

Much Love,

RemmysGal