10. We had a dream.

The following day, I didn't wake up. Easiest part seeing as I didn't sleep at all. I kept on thinking about my dad's wedding and all those feelings I was losing for him since my first year. "Since I became who I am" I kept whispering.

I had taken a decision back that night, a harsh one but as I was of age, I could deal with the consequences. After all, he had decided this on his own.

I got dressed as casually as I could, put make-up on only to fake a good-night sleep and joined my friends who were eating their breakfast as if it would be their last.

I grabbed a toast before James would put his hand on it and sat on Remus' lap. I looked gravely in his green eyes and saw he too hadn't slept well that night.

He looked back at me and, as usual, it was just as if we could talk without speaking. After a while, he nodded.

"Guys, what would you think about a quick trip in London?" he said as if it was a natural question.

Helen got out of the kitchen at once.

"Could you just ask permission before?" she said as if she was pissed.

I looked intensively at her and she blushed.

"Oh. Yes, well, of course. Just don't stay out late", she said before disappearing again.

"Did I miss something?" asked James who kept looking between the kitchen's door, Remus and me.

"No, you haven't, Prongs. Now finish your breakfast before we go."

I got up his lap and walked towards the window. Was it really a right decision? Was I not tearing apart the little bond I still had linking me to my home?

A hand grabbed my shoulder, and I didn't shudder. I knew he would do this. And as much as I didn't want him to, it was kind of comforting.

"I can understand part of what you're going to do. We'll stay close so that you can call on us any time." he whispered before letting go.

"Thank you" I whispered back before drowning in his blazing eyes.

o°o°o°o

The boys flooed to Diagon Alley, promising that if I wasn't back by eleven, they would rejoin me. I flooed to my father's house, shaking as I landed in the living-room's fireplace.

The room was empty apart from our house-elf, Minny, who bowed to me before bolting in front of me.

"Miss Vala, miss, are you alright, Miss? Aren't Miss supposed to stay at her friend's, Miss? Is everything okay?"

I calmed her down by a gesture. She looked at guard but I knelt before her.

"No, I'm not alright, Minny, but that's not your doing. Now, can you please tell me where Mister is?"

She looked awkward and I understood why.

"Speak, Minny, don't be afraid."

She clenched my dress.

"Mister Joshua is in the library, Miss. He is planning the wedding with Miss Moira, Miss."

I slowly got up. So she was there. Of course she would! If they were getting married, she would live here. Since a while, apparently. How could I have been so oblivious?

So many feelings must have had appeared on my face as Minny looked afraid at once. She must have thought I would have lost my temper. I breathed calmly, wishing Remus would have been with me, and then headed towards the staircase.

As I was making my way to the library, I sensed that I wasn't home at all in there. It was barely a place I lived in, as my grand-ma's house when I was a little girl. The feeling hurt, but it was nothing compared to what I was decided to do.

I opened the door, and there they were. My father was sitting in his armchair, writing what I could imagine were other announcements, and Moira was sitting on the ground, at his feet, looking at a wedding dresses' magazine, looking as if she was thirteen years old.

Her gaze met mine and she freaked out immediately, squeezing my father's leg as if a fire had started. Which it had in my heart.

Dad looked up and met my eyes. He got up quickly and walked to me, trying to make me leave the room. But my body wanted to stay there, to look at that woman, the one I was so stupid to think she would just pass.

"Vala", said Daddy. "Honey, come over here, we'll be better to talk." his voice was almost begging.

My nails long and sharp, I made him let me go with surprising strength and came to sit in my favourite chair, near by the window. I turned it to face them and started to try recovering a normal breathing. When my words reached my mouth, I wasn't planning to scream.

"How on Earth could you do this to me, Joshua? How could you hide this to your daughter? How do you want me to trust you again. How-" and I stopped, feeling that if I continued, I would lose it. "Minny!" I yelled.

"Yes, Miss Vala?" asked the tiny elf shyly appearing at the edge of the door.

"Go and fetch Mister Remus. Quick!" I yelled as my eyes went dark.

Dad went for her and grabbed her hand as Minny disapparated with a loud "crack".

"Vala, I didn't...we didn't tell you because of your...little problem..." he said looking as if he was grounding me.

I got up and clenched my hands into fists, my teeth slowly becoming claws.

"My little problem? You thought I would hurt you? Her? Are you really that confident in your only child to push her away for a harsh temper?"

He then looked really angry.

"It's not a harsh temper you've got, Vala, you're half a werewolf! How do you want me to cope with this?"

I sighed as if it was the funniest joke I've ever heard. Which it wasn't.

"You never coped with it, Joshua. From the first day back in the hospital, you've looked at me as if I wasn't your daughter anymore, and we lived through letters, not through real life, because when you look at me you're disgusted by who I am! Do you finally realise that the love I didn't get from you, my own father, I got it from total strangers who welcome me to their house like one of their blood? Do you realise you never even mentioned the fact that you lived with someone? Do you realise that I'm only losing it right now because you put me aside? This is all your fault!"

I fell on the ground, shaking as I was fighting the urge to kill them. Moira was looking scared to death, and my father (was he really) seemed to be fighting another kind of feeling.

Remus, Sirius and James bolted into the room at that moment. The first ran to me and took me in his arms, ready to protect my family from me. James helped him getting me up and walking me back to the fireplace downstairs, while I could see Sirius fighting himself, as if he wanted to punch my father.

As I passed him, Joshua put a hand on my shoulder. I pushed it back and killed him in one glance.

"I'm of age, now." I said, still shaking. "From now on, consider yourself free. You are not my father anymore. Moira, it was a pleasure to meet you."

He didn't even walked behind me or tried to stop me. He just stayed there, looking as if a train just ran through him, and let me go.

When I landed back in the Lupins' house, I collapsed in Remus' arms.

o°o°o°o

When I woke up, I remember that at first I felt a horrible pain where my heart had been torn apart. There was a huge hole where my family bond should have been, and I felt empty. Horribly empty.

Remus was sleeping at my side in the bed, and Sirius was snoring against the wardrobe. Only James seemed to be missing.

As I moved to sit down, Remus woke up as quickly as possible and yelled when he saw me staring at him. He caught me in his arms and started stroking my hair and kissing my head everywhere he could reach it. I stopped him softly.

"Remus, I'm not dead. Calm down" I whispered, surprised to hear my voice so down.

"Vala, dear, you've been unconscious for more than two days." he softly said before patting my cheek.

"Two days?" I asked before hearing my stomach growl. "Yes, I think I'm hungry."

"You want to eat in here?"

I nodded.

"'comin' back in no time!" he said before kissing my forehead and storming out of the room.

I then spotted Sirius staring at me, as if he was searching something through my eyes.

He got up and went to sit next to me, and carefully he took my hand.

"I know how it feels", he said, and I knew it was true. I knew the story. "What you did was very brave, hard and heartbreaking but brave."

I started sobbing and he took me in his arms. It was the first time that we were alone in the same room and I wasn't afraid of him raping me. It felt fine.

All that day, because I had waken up very early, Helen and Remus had been caring and looking after everything I would need, while John and Sirius were trying harder than ever to make me smile. The only one they got was when Sirius fell off the stairs and landed opening the door and storming in the garden.

James appeared late and I only understood why when he handed me a letter which bore Hogwarts seal.

James, as Head-Boy, had gone to the school to explain the situation to our headmaster. I thanked him with a glance.

"Dear Miss Emerald,

Mister James Potter has been as kind as to inform me of your family situation. I'm aware that it must be very hard for you and be assured that I'm sending you sympathetic regards.

However, I had to inform your Head of House. Pr McGonagall sends you her regards as well and tells you more truthfully that a fall in marks will be tolerated until you feel better.

I would as well advise you to write to the Ministry of Magic soon enough to inform them that your new whereabouts are at Mr and Mrs Lupin who have, as I understood it, accepted to "adopt" you as long as you need a parental presence.

I would be very glad if you honoured me of your presence on Sunday afternoon, I believe it to be the day you plan to come back to school.

Yours truly,

A.W.P.B. Dumbledore."

I fell into Helen's arms as soon as I finished the letter, thanking her with all the strength I had left. She cried over my shoulder but made me understand that I was the closest to their child as I could be. I hugged John as well, and then turned to Remus to greet him with a single "Now we're siblings" before getting to bed.

It was Wednesday already, and I had no idea in which emotional state I would be when I would get back to school. All I knew was that I wanted nothing more than to be obliviated...

…...

I know, it's a horrible chapter. But I don't know why, I saw it coming from the beginning. And now my plot will not be disturbed when something happens to Vala and Remus' friendship... But shush, spoilers!

Review, for Merlin's sake!