Chapter 20 - My Family

I walked out of professor Lupin's office. I looked down into my hands and saw that I was still holding onto the black photo album that professor Lupin showed to me. I looked around the halls and saw students walking to and from class. I looked at my watch and saw that it was about time for me to head to Potions. I thought and decided that I didn't want to attend the rest of my classes for the day. I wanted to think about everything that was happening.

As I walked into the Gryffindor common room I saw Angelina sitting in the corner scrambling together the last of her Defense Against the Dark Arts paper. This semester I had rarely seen Angelina. Before I became close with the twins Angelina and I were never apart. I was beginning to miss my cousin. She was the only person to fully understand me and not judge me. My heart began to sting a little. If Lupin was my father... Angelina was not family anymore. I clutched the album in my hand and bit my lip.

She barely noticed me walking over to her and sitting down across from her. I sat and stared at the table for a while before she looked up. "Hey Ava! Long time no see!" She looked at her watch and then looked at me. "Shouldn't you be in class right now?" She raised an eyebrow.

I nodded. "Yeah but I decided to take a break." I ran my fingers through my hair. "I could say the same about you."

She smirked and continued to write on her paper. "I know. I put off that DADA paper Snape assigned when Lupin was gone. Wood kept me busy with Quidditch. God that man is mental!"

I nodded and set the album down at the table. I watched Angelina quickly scribble the last of her paper. Soon she was finished and placed the parchment into her napsack. She sat back and looked up at me. "So... what's going on with you and the twins? You two are inseperable. It's like we've switched places!"

I smiled. "Yeah I know. They can't get enough of me."

She raised an eyebrow. "I thought that was just Fred." She stood. "Or maybe you two can't get enough of each other." She started walking towards the stairs. "Let's go to my room. Katie and Alicia are gone. We can be free to talk. And you can tell me all the juicy details about what's been going on."

I stood and followed her to her room. I walked into her room and sat on Katie's bed. Angelina shut the door and jumped onto her bed. She turned onto her side and rested head on her hand. "So spill. How long have the two of you been shagging?"

My eyes widened. "Who told you?!" Immediately I turned red. The look on Angelina's face told me that she had never found out. She was just joking. I sighed. "I must stop doing that!"

She immediately sat up and sat on the edge of her bed. "Okay! Spill!!"

The two of us sat on the edge of her bed and talked about the whole Fred situation. Her eyes widened when I told her about how Fred found me and the two of us ended up sleeping together. She sat back. "Why were you crying? What happened? Want me to kill someone for you? Remember I am your cousin!"

I got a sharp pain within me when she said, 'cousin'. I looked down at the floor. Angelina, worried, knelt on the floor and looked up at me. "Ava?... what's wrong?"

I sighed and looked down at her. "I'm not your cousin..."

She raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?" She sat back. "You denouncing me as your cousin?"

I shook my head. "Lupin is my father..."

She stood and sat back on her bed slowly. "...Lupin?" She stared at me intently before laughing. "Oh come off it Ava! Professor Lupin... your Father?"

I sighed and handed her the album Lupin had given me while I was in his office. I began to tell her the whole story about how I heard Lupin and Dumbledore talking and what Lupin told me in his office. Before I could finish talking my eyes were filled with tears. Angelina quickly sat next to me and held me close. I cried on her shoulder. "I'm so confused Angie... I've lost the only family I've ever known. I don't know what to do..."

She held me tightly and sighed. "It's ok Ava... Did you talk to your father... uncle Anthony... about it?"

I shook my head. "I haven't... I was waiting before I asked. I wasn't sure how he would react..." I wiped my eyes. "Lupin wasn't in my life because of him. I don't know what he would do to me... or to Lupin for that matter."

Angelina gently rubbed my arm, calming me down to a light sob. "Would you want Lupin as your father?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know... I don't know what to think... He's the only family I have."

Angelina pulled me from her shoulder and looked at me. "You know that's not true... I'm your family..." She wiped a tear from my cheek. "No matter what I will always consider you my family. It's not blood but the heart which makes us family..."

Remus closed the door behind Ava and turned to look at the dog standing in the middle of his office. He walked to his desk and sat down on his chair. When he looked up the dog was no longer a dog. THe dog had morphed into someone close to his heart.

"Sirius... what do you want?"

Sirius Black walked to the door quickly and locked it. He then scurried to the chair in front of Remus' desk and sat. He looked at Remus. "Who was that? She looked familiar..."

Remus sighed loudly and sat forward. "I helped you find a way out of Hogwarts and now you're back. You still have not told me why you are here. Is it Harry?"

Sirius coughed. "Do you perhaps anything to drink?" Remus rolled his eyes and pulled out his wand and conjured a goblet filled with water. Sirius grasped it and quickly emptied the goblet. "Thank you Remus..."

Remus stood. "You need to tell me why you're here Sirius before I send you back to Azkaban!"

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "You would do that to me Remus. Your friend?..."

Remus began to raise his voice. "You were quick to turn in James and Lily!"

Sirius continued to sit and speak calmly. "It was not me Remus. You know I would never betray them."

Remus turned and faced the window. He sighed quietly. He knew Sirius could never do that. When he heard of Sirius' capture he was completely in shock. Deep down he knew Sirius could not turn in James and Lily. He looked down. "I know Remus... what do you want?"

"I've seen Peter..."

Remus turned and looked at Sirius is utter confusion. "Wormtail?..." He shook his head. "But Wormtail is..."

"Dead?..." Sirius stood. "On the contrary... he's in animagus form. He is with Voldemort. He's the one who betrayed Lily and James. I had found that out." He slowly walked towards Remus. "He framed me Remus! He must be turned in!"

Remus rubbed his head with his fingers. He looked up at Sirius. "I'll help you Sirius."

Sirius smiled lightly and let out a sigh of relief. He walked to Remus and patted him on the back. He looked around his office. "Very nice Moony... I've always seen you working as a teacher here..." He walked around and looked at his desk. Lying underneath a book he saw the corner of a picture. He pushed the book away and grabbed the photograph. He smiled. "We were so young!"

Remus walked over to Sirius and looked at the photo. It was a picture of the 6 of them. Sirius had his arm around Peter. Lily and James were sitting in the middle. James had his arms around her and was kissing her cheek. In the middle was Remus and Vanessa. Vanessa was perched on Remus' back and holding bunny ears behind his head while Remus smiled into the camera. Sirius studied the picture and then looked at Remus. "How is Vanessa?"

Remus was immediately filled with sadness. He turned away from the picture and sighed. "She died a while back..."

Sirius sat the picture on the table and walked over to his friend. "Sorry mate... She was a wonderful woman..."

Remus nodded, but didn't respond to Sirius. Suddenly Sirius picked up the picture again and looked down. "That girl... the one in your office... she's..."

"Vanessa's..." Remus finished Sirius' statement. Remus turned, "and mine..."

Sirius sat back against the desk and stare at Lupin. "Yours?"

Remus nodded.

Sirius scratched his head. "Does she know?"

Remus nodded again and sighed. "Don't know what good it will do. She looked repulsed when I told her."

Sirius crossed his arms across his chest. "Well how would you feel Remus... you think you belong somewhere and find out you belong elsewhere. Give her time Remus... If she's anything like Vanessa... She'll come around..."

Remus nodded and looked down as Sirius stood to pat Remus on is back.

Dear Readers,
Hello again! I know... quick update! I'm in class right now and I decided to write the next chapter. Ah the joys of college. You can bring your laptop to class and the teacher will never know if you're taking notes or writing the next chapter of your fanfiction story! I don't condone this readers!!!!!! Remember that!!!! But hey... it's good for your that I'm doing haha. Anyways... PLEASE REVIEW! I get a crap load of people reading this but very few people review. Reviews make me happy and want to post more! I enjoy writing this and I would like to know if you're enjoying it!

x.o.x.o
Tinkie

p.s. In class yesterday (I know... bad Tinkie!!!) I wrote down the entire outline of the rest of the story! So I have no reason to dawdle. I have the skeleton written. All I need is the time to write down the rest of the story!