A/N - Hello all! Thanks to my reviewers, I really appreciate your thoughts! Thanks to all who are reading as well. Just know that reviews make me smile all day and who doesn't want a happy author? ;) Enjoy!

Chapter 10

Secrets Revealed

17 December 1977

Hogsmeade weekend dawned bright and clear, although the few clouds gathering in the distance made Catherine's eyes narrow. Hopefully the snow would hold off until the evening, she wanted to finish her Christmas shopping today and had no desire to do so in a blizzard.

She and Sharon did indeed end up walking into the village together, the two couples hand in hand in front of them.

"So what happened to Matthew?" Catherine asked, as they walked across the grounds. "I thought the two of you really hit it off at the ball."

"We did," Sharon agreed. "But, I guess it was just too hard for him, with his housemates and all."

"What do you mean?" Catherine asked in puzzlement.

"The other boys in his year are very pro You-Know-Who," Sharon replied, shuddering a bit. "Not to mention the 6th and 7th years. Matthew's a pureblood and I'm only half, so," she shrugged.

"That's horrible," Catherine said, anger flashing in her eyes.

"I know," Sharon agreed, mouth turning down into a frown. "There aren't that many truly purebloods left, even Matthew can only go back four generations or so, and if they keep marrying each other," she grimaced in revulsion. "And Matthew agrees with me. But he broke things off just to try and keep the peace in his dorm. 'I didn't get sorted into Gryffindor for a reason' he told me." She gave Catherine a half-hearted grin and Catherine put her arm around the other girl's shoulders.

"I'm sorry," Catherine said.

"Thanks," Sharon replied. "Elena said that's what I get for trying to date a Slytherin."

"I wish people wouldn't say things like that," Catherine said. "I mean they're not all bad. Even Matthew isn't bad. A chicken yes, but not bad. Sometimes I think that the rest of us force the Slytherins to act the way that they do." Sharon gaped at her in surprise.

"Okay, not all of them," Catherine agreed, grinning. "But some of them, surely."

"Maybe you're right," Sharon said. "In any case, I don't think I'll be fancying anyone from Slytherin again, any time soon." Catherine chuckled and linked arms with her friend as they made their way down the main street in Hogsmeade.

After lunch at the Three Broomsticks, the four Ravenclaw girls split up. Sharon headed back up to the school and Elena and Myra went off with their respective boyfriends. Catherine begged off from joining any of them by saying she had a bit more shopping to finish and then made her way towards Honeydukes. She looked around before sneaking quickly toward the back of the building and checked to see if Sirius had arrived. Seeing no one, she leaned against the building and glanced at her watch. It was five minutes after one, she had actually been worried about being late, so she was surprised not to see Sirius waiting for her. She shrugged her shoulders thinking he must have gotten held up somewhere with Peter.

Her mind began to wander as she fingered the packages she had shrunk and put into her pocket after buying them. She just needed to pick up some chocolate for Remus from Honeydukes and her Christmas shopping would be finished.

Even as she was finishing this thought, she felt breath on her cheek and whirled, pulling her wand from her pocket as she did so. She was greeted with nothing. No one stood to the side of her and a quick peek around the corner of the building did not show anyone retreating either. Perplexed, Catherine frowned and moved back around the corner. Had it been the wind? But no, it was definitely warm and the wind wasn't blowing in any case. She shivered and had decided to go back out to the street and wait for Sirius there, when she heard a voice behind her.

"Been waiting long?" Sirius asked, as she whirled around again to see no one there.

"Sirius?" she said, wondering if she was hearing things now. There was a low chuckle and Catherine thought she saw a slight ripple in the snow bank across from her. She heard a muttered incantation and then Sirius appeared before her eyes. Catherine gasped and Sirius chuckled again, coming towards her and kissing her on the cheek.

"Was that you?" Catherine asked. "That breathed on me before, was that you?"

"Guilty," Sirius replied, holding up his hand, palm facing her.

"You scared me half to death," she growled, punching him in the arm. "What was that?"

"Disillusionment charm," Sirius replied, rubbing his arm where she had punched him. "Damn it woman, why do you always have to do that?"

"Because you're always doing things to annoy me," she retorted. "Disillusionment charm?"

"Yes, we just learned them this week," he replied.

"Can you put it on other people?" she asked, brow quirking in thought.

"Probably, why?" he asked.

"Well, I was just thinking you could disillusion both of us and then we could walk around Hogsmeade together." She grinned happily and he put his arms around her and kissed her.

"Can't talk around other people though," he said. "And we can't buy anything."

"I know," Catherine replied. "But at least we could pretend that we're just a normal couple for one afternoon." Sirius tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled sadly at her.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"I know you are Sirius, you don't have to keep saying it," Catherine insisted.

"I just wish this damn war was over," he continued.

"I know that too," she replied. "But it's not and next year you won't be here so it won't be so hard to pretend. Although then it will be hard for a different reason." He nodded and kissed her forehead. "But I want you to know something." He looked down at her and she took a deep breath. "Once I'm out of school, if the war isn't over yet, I'm not going to pretend anymore. I'll be fully trained and of age and there won't be any reason to keep this from anyone. I'll be able to protect myself." She looked at him stubbornly and unflinchingly until he sighed.

"Fine," he said. "But not until you're out of school, especially since I won't be here to," he trailed off as she glared at him.

"If you know what's good for you Sirius Black, you won't finish that sentence," Catherine said her voice deadly quiet. "I don't need you to protect me." He gulped visibly.

"I was going to say, I won't be here to kiss you," he said in mock offense. She rolled her eyes and his expression turned solemn. "I do mean it though, Catherine, not until you graduate." He stared at her, almost daring him to contradict him.

"Fine," she said. "But the day I graduate, I might just take out a full-page ad in the Daily Prophet telling everyone that I love you." He laughed his bark-like laugh that Catherine loved so much and she grinned and kissed him. "Now about that charm." Sirius smiled and tapped the top of her head with his wand, then did the same to his own. If Catherine hadn't been holding his hand, she would have never known he was there.

"Hmm, this might make kissing you awfully hard," Sirius said and Catherine could just imagine his cheeky expression. "But I guess I can fumble around."

"Very funny, Mr. Black," Catherine replied as she pushed his hand away from a certain part of her anatomy that was definitely lower than her face. "Now, I believe you agreed to escort me around the village."

"Certainly my lady," he said and Catherine saw another ripple in the snow behind him and assumed he was bowing. "Right this way please." She giggled and he tugged on her hand, then wrapped his arm around her waist and they walked around the building. Catherine sighed in contentment as they began to stroll down the street, her head on Sirius' shoulder. She knew that no one could see them, but she pretended that the smiles she saw were being bestowed directly on the two of them, in acceptance and approval. Somehow, the rest didn't really matter right then.

July 1993

'Too bad I never actually graduated and couldn't follow through on my promise', Catherine thought to herself as she looked out into the garden from the kitchen window. 'I should have said once I was of age. Although that wouldn't have made any difference either, I guess.' She sighed and crossed her arms in front of her, turning to glance at the clock on the wall.

"Time to start thinking about dinner," Catherine said aloud as she went to the refrigerator to pull out ingredients for the meal. As she sliced and chopped, her mind wandered again, but she stopped it knowing that the next few things she would remember were definitely not ones to end the day on. Not with the children arriving home soon, at any rate. Those were better left for the night when there was no one there to see her cry.

"Although there was one more completely happy one," Catherine said to the onions she was chopping. "Two actually."

January 1978

Christmas had come and gone and Catherine was back in King's Cross making her way down the platform to the train. She was looking for Sirius the entire time, not having seen him since they left school for the holidays. She had wanted him to come and meet her parents, but once she arrived home, had changed her mind.

Her mother had been keeping in contact with Myra's mother and the two had become fast friends. The MacKenzie's had invited the Powell's to spend New Year's Eve with them and Catherine's mother was even talking about possibly hooking their house up to the Floo Network, permanently, so the two women could visit more easily. Catherine realized that introducing her boyfriend to her parents would be big news, news that her mother would almost certainly share with Mrs. MacKenzie, news which would then almost certainly be passed on to Myra. And Catherine could come up with no legitimate reason to convince her parents to keep Sirius a secret without discussing quite a few things she had no intention of discussing with them.

As she boarded the train and stowed her trunk, she pulled Sirius' gift from her pocket. The two had not exchanged gifts before they left school, thinking they would see each other at least once during the holidays. Catherine hadn't even had her walks as an excuse to meet with Sirius as the rest of the break after Christmas had been blustery, frigid and snowy. No one in their right mind would have contemplated taking a walk in it. Catherine hadn't even had the heart to send Galena out in the storms very often, only doing so twice. Sirius was less cautious with his own owl, although the third time he sent Leo out, the bird had refused to leave with Catherine's reply for almost two days, instead sharing Galena's perch and riding out the storm. When Catherine had sent back her letter, she told Sirius to keep the owl at home and give the poor thing a break. So she hadn't heard from him in over a week.

When she saw him on the platform, her heart began to beat faster in her chest. He was scanning the windows as he walked by and Catherine waved frantically to him until he spotted her. Turning to James, who was holding hands with Lily, Sirius said something. James nodded and then Sirius climbed the steps into her car, pulling his trunk behind him.

He burst into her compartment and dropped his trunk on the floor. She jumped up from the seat and threw her arms around his neck as he began to kiss her. She pulled away after only a few seconds, breathless already.

"Sirius, what if someone sees," she said, as he pulled her back toward him. He pulled his wand from his pocket and tapped her and then himself on the head, but never spoke the incantation. As she felt the dripping sensation of the Disillusionment charm, she saw Sirius disappear in front of her and then he was kissing her again. One hand slid up her back and fisted in her hair as the other tightened around her waist and pulled her impossibly closer to him than she had already been. His lips moved from hers to her neck and he nuzzled her jaw with his nose. She squeaked when he found the spot behind her ear again and then pulled his mouth back down to hers. They finally broke apart, both gasping for breath, even as he continued to pepper small kisses on her cheeks and her forehead and her jaw.

"You can do that nonverbally now?" she asked, moaning when his lips found the hollow of her throat.

"What?" he asked, between kisses.

"The Disillusionment charm," she gasped again.

"Mm, guess so," he said. "No more talking." The kissing continued and they found their way back to the seat in the compartment. Things had become more heated, the kisses more fevered and Catherine soon found herself reclining back against the wall of the compartment, Sirius hovering over her. She shook herself mentally. They were on the train, for Merlin's sake, everyone was still boarding and if anyone looked into the compartment and seemingly saw no one inside, there was nothing stopping them from coming in.

"Sirius, stop," Catherine said, pushing lightly on his chest. He groaned and dropped his forehead to hers, but pulled back all the same and sat up. He kept hold of her hand so she would know where he was.

"What?" he said, pulling her up to sit next to him.

"You have to make me visible again and you need to go," she said. "What if someone had come in?" He sighed and she could tell he was running a hand down his face.

"You're right, I'm sorry," he said. "I just missed you so damn much." He had found her face and cupped her cheek.

"I know, me too," she replied, kissing his palm. She felt him shudder. "Tonight, after the feast."

"All right," he said and leaned forward to kiss her one more time. Then he tapped the top of her head and she could see herself again.

"You'd better stay invisible until you can get to another car," Catherine said before he could cancel the charm on himself. "Can you do it to your trunk too?"

"Yes," he said turning and picking up one end of the trunk and then it too, became invisible. "I love you."

"I love you too," she replied, smiling and then she jumped up. "Wait," she said.

"What?" he asked.

"Let me open the door. There are too many people for no one to notice if a door opened mysteriously on its own." She walked toward the compartment door and almost tripped over his trunk. Sirius, having the advantage of actually being able to see her, grabbed her arm and pulled her back upright. She grinned sheepishly at him, then pulled open the door to the compartment, walking out into the corridor and keeping it open until she heard a whispered, 'out'. Letting the door go, she glanced up and down the corridor as if looking for someone, then shrugged and walked back into her compartment.

A few minutes later, the whistle of the train blew and the door was pulled open again, a red-faced Myra standing in the doorway.

"What happened to you?" Catherine asked taking in her friend's disheveled appearance.

"Almost…missed… train," Myra panted, flopping down into the seat across from Catherine. "Had…to run…through whole…station." She closed her eyes and collapsed on her side on the seat. Catherine covered her mouth to try and stifle her laugh, but was unsuccessful. Myra opened one eye and glared at her friend before closing it and giving in to gulping breaths once more. Once she had finally recovered, she sat back up and looked at Catherine.

"So, how was the rest of your holiday?" she asked.

"Uneventful," Catherine shrugged.

"Mine too," Myra agreed. "Do you mind if I go find Ian? I told him I'd look for him this time."

"No, go ahead," Catherine replied, smiling at her friend. "I don't understand why you just don't ask him to sit with us."

"Well, there is David," Myra said, looking away from Catherine.

"Oh right, I forgot," Catherine said, her cheeks reddening. "I don't mind if he comes along though, if he doesn't."

"Are you sure?" she asked, tipping her head to the side and looking quizzically at her friend.

"There's no reason why we can't be friendly with each other," Catherine continued. "I would understand if he feels weird about it though."

"Actually I think he would be okay with it. He's been talking a lot with Sharon over break, Ian told me," Myra replied.

"Really? That's great, for both of them," Catherine gave Myra a genuine smile.

"Okay then, I'll go and see if they want to join us. Maybe Sharon will come too," Myra said, getting up and walking out of the compartment. Catherine leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes, smile lighting her face as she thought about her moments with Sirius earlier. She was very much looking forward to after the feast.

Myra returned sometime later, alone.

"Didn't they want to come?" Catherine asked, surprised that at least Ian wasn't with her.

"Oh they're coming," Myra said. "They're just finishing their game of exploding snap." Catherine nodded and pulled a novel from her bag that her mother had gotten her for Christmas.

"When did you get here?" Myra asked, contemplative expression on her face. "On the train I mean?"

"I don't know about twenty minutes before we left," Catherine replied. "Why?"

"And were you in this compartment the whole time?" Myra continued, ignoring Catherine's question.

"Yes. Myra what is this all about?" Catherine asked, her brow furrowing deeper with each question.

"Oh, just something I heard while I was talking to Sharon," Myra said, innocent expression on her face. Catherine forced herself to stay still and met Myra's gaze.

"And what did Sharon have to say?" Catherine asked, trying to mimic Myra's innocent expression.

"Just that when she was on the platform, she looked up at the train into this very compartment and saw someone who looked very much like Sirius Black snogging someone who looked very much like you. From the back of course, but I don't think there's anyone else, in the upper years anyway, with hair quite as curly as yours. And then, this is the strange part, the two of them just vanished," Myra finished, a penetrating stare on her face. "Would you happen to know anything about that?"

"Nope, not a thing," Catherine replied, her heart beating rapidly, her mouth dry. Myra studied her for a few minutes and Catherine somehow managed to smile.

"Catherine Powell that is the biggest lie I've ever heard!" Myra exclaimed. "I know it was you."

"Oh? And just how do you know that?" Catherine inquired, astonished at her ability to continue to speak normally when her heart had now migrated into her throat.

"Because I've known you for almost five years and you're my best friend and I know when you're lying," Myra retorted, crossing her arms in front of her. "And it would explain quite a few things, especially why Sirius Black ran out of the Halloween ball right after you did." Catherine stared at her friend, trying to decide what exactly to tell her. Finally she sighed and put her head in her hands.

"Fine, you're right," she said between her fingers.

"I knew it!" Myra said in glee, large grin on her face. "How long?"

"Since last June," Catherine replied, putting her hands in her lap and looking up at Myra. Myra sat gaping at her, her mouth hanging open in shock.

"Last June?" Myra repeated. "You've been dating Sirius Black since last June?"

"Yes," Catherine said, smirk on her face. "Why what did you think?"

"Since the ball maybe," Myra said, still looking shocked. "Wait a minute, then when we were in Diagon Alley?" Catherine nodded, giggling a little. "Did you sneak off and meet him?"

"Yes, after you and your mother left," Catherine confirmed. "I never really needed ink."

"Why have you been keeping it a secret?" Myra asked, suddenly confused again. Catherine sighed.

"It's a long story, one that I will tell you, but for now, I'll just say that purebloods do not take kindly to other purebloods dating mudbloods," Catherine said.

"Don't call yourself that," Myra admonished. "Besides, I'm a pureblood and I don't care."

"Well, most purebloods don't feel the same, unfortunately, especially those that can claim pure blood back hundreds of years," Catherine said.

"Like the Blacks," Myra said, understanding.

"Yes, like the Blacks, along with some others," Catherine agreed. "It's actually down to Sirius. He's scared there would be some kind of reprisals and they would be against me because his blood is too valuable to be spilled. So he insists on the secrecy."

"But all the stories about him, all the girls he's supposedly with," Myra said, trailing off and looking at Catherine.

"Just stories," Catherine assured her. "Many perpetuated by him just to keep appearances up, some spread by girls who wish he was pursuing them. Still, it all just helps us in the end."

"So what happened this morning?" Myra asked.

"That was the result of not seeing each other for three weeks and not thinking enough before we let our, um, feelings get the best of us." Catherine colored and Myra snickered. "The disappearing was Sirius casting a Disillusionment charm on both of us. I'll be surprised if Sharon was the only one that saw us." Catherine began to worry her lip between her teeth.

"So no one else knows?" Myra asked.

"Remus does," Catherine admitted. "But only because he walked in on us after we ran out of the ball." Catherine suddenly thought of something. "Myra you can't tell anyone about us, not even your mum. And we have to convince Sharon that she didn't see what she thought she saw. Did she tell you this story in front of everyone?" Catherine began to panic again.

"Relax, no, she told me in the corridor," Myra said. "Mostly because she thought she was seeing things, especially with the two of you disappearing like that."

"Good, then it will be easier to convince her that she imagined it," Catherine said, heart rate slowing down once again.

"Catherine, are you sure," Myra began, but Catherine interrupted her.

"Myra, I promised Sirius, I promised him I would keep it a secret until I graduated," Catherine insisted. "He's so worried for me, scared that something terrible will happen if anyone knows. If he thinks that other people suspect, he'll break it off 'for my own good'. I can't lose him Myra, I won't!" Catherine's voice had risen throughout her rant and she was now near shouting, her heart pounding again.

"Okay, okay, calm down," Myra said, putting a hand to her friend's arm. When Catherine drew in a shuddering breath, Myra moved to the opposite seat and pulled Catherine into a hug. "We'll figure it out, everything will be all right," she murmured rubbing Catherine's back as Catherine calmed herself. "You really care about him, don't you?" she asked as the two pulled apart.

"I love him," Catherine said simply and Myra gasped.

"You l-love him?" Myra stuttered out and Catherine nodded, shy smile gracing her face.

"Yes, since the beginning really," Catherine admitted. "I can't explain it, it just, is." Myra nodded.

"Then I guess we need to figure out how we're going to convince Sharon she's gone round the twist," Myra said, grinning widely. Catherine laughed and hugged her friend again and the two began whispering as they waited for the others to arrive.

Later that evening, Catherine stood in the study room, waiting for Sirius. She smiled at the conversation she and Myra had had with Sharon once the group had joined them in their compartment. A few well-placed questions and suggestions had convinced Sharon that she had indeed been seeing things, or at least not seeing what she thought she did.

"Now if only no one else saw us," she said aloud.

"No one else saw us what?" a voice behind her asked and she gasped and turned around.

"Hello, love," Sirius said, smirking as she flew across the room into his arms. He kissed her and then led her to the couch. "So what were you saying when I came in?" Catherine sighed and told Sirius the story. When she was finished, he was frowning, but deep in thought as well.

"Well, what are we going to do?" Catherine asked, nudging him when he didn't respond right away.

"I'm not sure," he said, rubbing a hand down his face. "Merlin, I'm so stupid." He got up from the couch and began to pace.

"Sirius, it wasn't just you," Catherine said. "We both were a bit, overzealous." Sirius looked at her out of the corner of his eye and then glanced away as he continued to pace. Catherine frowned at his expression. "What are you thinking?" Sirius stopped but didn't look at her.

"Maybe it would be better if we," but before he could finish Catherine had jumped off the couch and put her arms around his neck.

"No, it wouldn't be better," she insisted. "It would be horrible for both of us." She hugged him tightly and let out a sigh of relief when his arms came around her waist and he hugged her back. The two stood in silence for a few moments before Catherine pulled back from him slightly. "I don't care if anyone saw, I don't care if the whole school saw."

"Catherine," he said, warning in his voice.

"I mean it Sirius, it doesn't matter," she returned.

"It does matter, your safety is the only thing that matters," he said firmly.

"The only thing?" she asked, a frown forming on her face.

"Of course not, you know what I mean," Sirius insisted.

"So we're back to the original question then. What are we going to do?" Catherine said. "And if you say anything about breaking it off, I will punch you." She glared at him and Sirius grimaced.

"Well, I suppose there's really nothing we can do," he said finally. "Not right now, at any rate. We'll just have to be extra careful and wait, see if we hear anything." He kissed her temple and she snuggled closer to him. "So, Myra knows." He led them back to the couch and sat down with an arm around her and Catherine laid her head on his shoulder.

"Yes," Catherine said. "You're not upset are you?" She looked up at him and he planted a soft kiss on her lips.

"No, I told you it was all right to tell her," he said.

"I wasn't going to," Catherine said. "But she basically guessed and with the issue with Sharon I knew I'd need an ally."

"Of course," Sirius agreed, playing with her hair. "Cat, I told you, if you trust her, I do too. Remus knows after all. It's only fair one of your friends knows as well." Catherine nodded absent-mindedly, enjoying the feeling of his fingers running through her hair and then looked up at him again.

"Wait. Cat? Where did that come from?" she asked. He shrugged.

"Just thought of it one day," he said. "It's less of a mouthful than Catherine. I won't use it if you don't like it."

"No, I like it," she said smiling. "I like 'love' even better."

"Hmm, I can't say that I disagree with that," he replied and then bent down and captured her lips once more.

As the term rolled along, Catherine found herself being buried with more and more work. It seemed that the teachers had realized that O.W.L.s were only a few months away and were trying to cram as much information into their students as possible. Sirius was similarly affected, except with N.E.W.T.s in his case, and the two were often together in Catherine's study room. Sirius often had to be convinced to actually study, although he seemed to enjoy helping Catherine more than studying for his own classes. Of course, he also preferred to interrupt their studying with other activities and while Catherine would feign irritation, she never tried too hard to stop him.

Having Myra know what was going on helped Catherine immensely. She had often felt guilty for lying to her friend. And Myra and Remus, as well, were two more sets of ears to pay attention to any gossip going around about Sirius or Catherine. So far, none of them had heard anything and Sharon had only told Elena of her apparent misconception of what she had seen on the train. The four girls had a good laugh about it one night in the dormitory and it was never mentioned again.