C, at least your classes are about to end. Here, classes start June. And then we end in March. :|

Nicko, don't feel bad for Sirius. :) I have something planned for him. ;)

Thanks to all who reviewed! You guys rock hard. \m/ Enjoy this latest chapter. And, oh yeah... Since it's a sunday: you'll hafta wait all over again. *sigh* A week, okay? :)

35. THE PALE FACES

Jolie simply stared at Sirius. "What is it?"

Sirius took in a deep breath. He didn't know how to start. "I... I've been hiding something from you."

Jolie frowned. "Huh?"

"Ever since we met."

"You've been hiding something? From me?" Jolie asked, astounded.

"Yes," Sirius looked guilty, "and I can't keep on doing this anymore."

"Sirius, what are you talking about?" Jolie put both her hands on Sirius' shoulders.

"I'm talking about—you."

"I don't understand," Jolie frowned.

Sirius sighed at how difficult this was. "What can't you understand, Jolie? Do I have to explain everything? Can't you just notice what it is?"

Jolie was taken aback. "Sirius, I'm sorry I can't understand. I can't notice everything, and apparently, you do a very good job hiding things."

Her words stung him a little. "Jo... please, please don't get mad at me."

"Why would I get mad at you? Have you done something wrong?"

"Yes... in a sense."

"What is it?" she asked, slightly fearful.

"Promise me you won't get mad."

"Sirius, I can't be sure of—"

"Promise me!"

"...Fine. I promise," Jolie said softly.

Sirius looked straight into Jolie's eyes. "I can't be fully... happy. When you're with... Remus," he said slowly.

Jolie frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Jolie, please don't act like you don't know. From the ball, I know that you've got a hint of what I'm talking about."

She remembered—the day Sirius kissed her.

"I... I suppose—"

"I love you, Jo. And that's that," Sirius shook his head.

They stared at each for what felt like hours to them. In a split second, Sirius stepped forward and took Jolie's face in his hands and he kissed her.

It was as if something snapped between the two of them. Jolie was kissing him back. To her, it felt different compared to Remus. That warm spark she would feel inside of her every time she and Remus would kiss was tame compared to this moment with Sirius.

Jolie clutched the collar of Sirius' shirt as he pressed his lips harder against hers. Then suddenly, Jolie opened her eyes and she realized what she had been doing. She was about to pull away when—

"Jo?"

Jolie turned nervously to look at the doorway. "Uncle Billy... sorry, I—what is it?"

Sirius looked somewhat embarrassed. Uncle Billy was frowning slightly, "I was about to call you so you could see Justin."

"Oh," Jolie replied in a small voice as she let go of Sirius, "Yeah, I'm coming." And then she looked at the boy in front of her. "Wanna come?"

"Yeah, sure," Sirius said in a quiet voice.

Uncle Billy, Jolie and Sirius went into a small but bright room together. "He's over there," Uncle Billy pointed to a blue crib.

Justin chuckled in a high baby voice and was mumbling in gibberish. Both Jolie and Sirius grinned.

"Wonder if I ever made my brother happy like this," Sirius muttered to himself.

"What was that?" Jolie asked him, still not taking her eyes off of her younger brother.

"Nothing," Sirius quickly replied. "Has he said his first words yet?"

"He has. The summer before I went to Durmstrang, his first word was 'Mama'. Bit early for his age, actually," Jolie said admiringly.

Uncle Billy smiled as Justin stretched out his arm at him, closing and opening his tiny fist. "I'll leave you kids with Justin first, right? Be careful," Uncle Billy said as he left the room.

He went up the stairs and called out, "Jacob?"

"Yeah?" Jacob said in a muffled sounding voice through laughter. He was in the boys' room with James, Lily and Remus. They seemed to be having a good time getting to know each other.

"So, wait, wait—" Jacob laughed. He pointed to James. "You can turn into a stag?"

James nodded proudly.

"But you didn't inherit the ability, you just learned it? Jeez, that's so cool and—"

"Can you come out a minute, Jake?" Billy Black opened the door.

"Yeah, sure," then Jacob looked to his new friends. "I'll just be moment, okay?"

When Billy and Jacob were out of the room alone, Jacob asked, "Yeah, what, Dad?"

Billy was not smiling. "You better talk to Jolie."

"What do you mean?"

"I went out of Justin's room to go and call her, and just outside the doorway, I saw her and Sirius. I thought she was with Romulus?"

"It's Remus, Dad," Jacob corrected his father. "Why, what were Jo and Sirius doing?"

"They were kissing, and that's why I want you to talk to her later, okay? When you guys find some time alone later at the bonfire. Don't make it obvious—I don't think Remus knows. I don't know why they were kissing, but still... talk to her, son. I don't want any conflicts while these kids are at my house."

Jacob's smile rapidly faded away. "Sirius and Jo? What the heck—where are they?"

"With Justin," Billy answered.

"He sure looks like a lot like you," Sirius told Jolie.

"Nope, he looks like James. I mean, look at their hair! Both messy," Jolie laughed. "We got our features mostly from my mom. Cassandra had sleek, black hair... Howell was a blonde, but his hair was messy, just like Justin's. It would never lie flat."

Sirius looked at Jolie. "And the eyes?"

"Howell had hazel eyes. Justin and I got it from him... My mom had a shade of deep blue," Jolie smiled.

"You wanna... go out?" Sirius asked tentatively.

"To where?" Jolie asked, smiling.

"To anywhere," Sirius laughed mildly.

"Let's go somewhere quiet... Like, the forest, maybe," she said as she picked up Justin in her arms.

They took the back door of the house and soon, they were out.

"Come on, let's go... Just beyond those trees."

They kept on walking and the last rays of sunlight for the day was peeping through the leaves. They talked about random things and about themselves.

They didn't notice that they've gone a bit too far.

"Where are we?" Sirius asked, putting his hands on the back of his head.

"We're not lost, don't worry. I still recognize this place... But I think we've wandered out of the Quileute Reservation," Jolie frowned.

Suddenly, there was movement around. Swift movement, Sirius and Jolie could hear fast footsteps. The trees started to move as something ran past them.

Then there was a funny scent.

"Sirius, get behind me," Jolie said loudly. She recognized that scent.

Then they heard rapid whispering within the trees. It was like a fast creature was watching them. "Jo, what's happening?" Sirius asked in a stiff voice.

And then, it all happened so fast—

There was a blur that pounced in Sirius' direction but was quickly blocked by a white wolf. Then, there was another blur, another creature that pinned the first one to a tree.

Vampires.

The one that had pounced was a blonde male, with pale skin and raging eyes. He had picked up Sirius scent.

"Jasper, no! Don't forget what Carlisle said!" The other vampire warned him in a high, bell-like voice. This one was a petite, pretty female with almost-paper-white skin and a short pixie-cut hairstyle.

The vampire called Jasper was panting and still staring at Sirius like he was something he wanted to devour and Jolie bared her teeth and growled at him.

The female vampire turned to look around and her delicately featured face brightened. "Wait a minute—I know you," she said to the white wolf.

"You're one of Bella's best friends... A wolf with white fur... You're Jolie Daniels, aren't you?" she let go of Jasper. Luckily, he was able to get a grip of himself and he no longer attacked.

"I'm sorry. Jasper's our newest vegetarian. I'm Alice," she looked at Jolie and then up at Sirius.

Jolie slowly walked back to her clothes which was left on the ground when she shape shifted. She buried herself underneath them in all the right places and went back to her human form.

She walked back and was positioned in front of Sirius.

"Oh, no, don't worry—Jasper won't hurt him," she said in a singsong voice. Sirius stared at Jasper and Alice. They both looked so beautiful, so perfect.

"It's 'Jolie Potter'," Jolie corrected Alice. "And you're... You're the Cullens," she said in a cautious voice.

Alice smiled at her. Jasper stared at Jolie with unblinking eyes, "You're one of the wolves," He spoke for the first time.

It was as if all forms of rivalry was forgotten. And surprisingly, Jolie smiled back at the vampires.