Author's Note: It's been over a year. Life got in the way. Another year older. A new baby. A new job. A new username - on AO3, PaganArrows. It's been hectic. . . Here's the next chapter. This one will answer the question that I know has been on your mind: What is Talis's heritage? Read for the answer.

I don't know which part startled me from my sleep the most: Harry kicking the hell out of me, or his screaming in my ear. All I knew was that one moment I was dreaming some awesome dreams then the next I was wrestling with a squirming teenager. He writhed as if he were placed under a curse; it was painful to watch. As I fought against him, a terrible, cruel, but joyous laugh erupted from him. It was maniacal, insane!

"Harry! Harry, wake up!"

The tears that blurred my vision surprised me. They raced down my face to land on the teen below me. "By the Gods, Harry! Wake the fuck up!"

Harry did not seem to hear me. The laughter had increased in the volume.

I didn't know what to do. Shaking him did not work, and I refused to strike him. With a wretched sob, I hopped out of bed and yanked on the blue jeans from yesterday.

"Where are you going?" demanded the wolf from her picture.

I turned my acid green gaze to her. "I need help," I admitted over the sound of Harry's laughter. With a glance back at the suddenly psychotic teenger, I fled my room then my dormitory, unsure if I was actually running to get help or fleeing from my deranged lover. I darted down the hall towards the portrait of the Fat Lady. I knew there were two Gryffindors whom knew what was going on and could put a stop to Harry's insanity.

The Fat Lady was asleep when I skidded to a halt in front of her, but she startled awake when I tapped on her frame as gently as I could in my state of distress. "Tah-lees?"

"My dear, I need to gain entrance to the Gryffindor common room," I said quietly, though my heart was racing. "I do not know the password, but I would not lie about whom I am."

"I'm not sure," she replied groggily.

"Please, my dear lady." Never in my time at Hogwarts, as a student or an assistant, have I begged at a painting. "It is important."

The Fat Lady glanced around the hallway at the other portraits. All were snoring or talking in their sleep. After a few more moments, she finally replied, "I will only do this for you, Talis. But you need to know the password the next time."

"Of course," I reponded, grateful for her help. "Thank you. Thank you so much, my dear." When the portrait swung open just enough for me to slip inside, I did not hesitate.
The fire in the grate had died down to ashy embers, but there was still a warmth to the common room. There were no students pulling all-nighters. I headed towards the boys' dormitory stairs; even though I was an assitant, I could not go up to the girls' dormitory. The attempt alone would wake up the entire House and send Minerva running to see what was going on. It was easy enough to find the fifth years' room.

I opened the door slowly and reached for my wand. It wasn't there. I had left it on my dresser. Cursing under my breath, I stepped stealthily over to Ron's bed. The redhead was snoring a bit loudly. I gently shook his shoulder, though my panic made my movements jerky.

"Ron. Ron!" I whispered.

Dean Thomas grunted in his sleep but continued snoring after a few moments.

"Ronald Weasley!"

" - hm? Wha -"

Blue eyes blinked open, heavy with sleep. Ron rolled over and looked up at me. "Talis?"

"Ron, I know it's late, but I need your help," I said quietly.

"With wha?" He sat up, rubbing vigorously at his left eye with a balled fst. "Where's Harry?" he asked when his opened eye glanced over at the empty bed by the window.

"That's why I need your help," I said.

"Can't it wait until morning?"

I gripped the nearest shoulder of his shirt and gave a few tugs. "Come on, Ron. Your help is greatly required. Harry is going mental, and I don't know what to do."

At the mention of his best friend in peril, Ron seemed more awake. He gave himself a quick shake as if to literally shake off the sleep then pushed his covers down. "Alright." I let go of his shirt, and he slowly swung his legs over the edge of the bed and got to his feet. "What's going on?"

"I'll explain on the way."

Ron followed me out of the dorm, down the stairs to the common room, then out of the portrait - which I had to very carefully open as the Fat Lady had fallen asleep again and I did not want to wake her. Once we were halfway down the corridor I glanced at the now awake redhead.

"I didn't know what else to do, Ron, and I am absolutely sorry for waking you at such an hour. Harry - Something happened to him. He was sleeping just fine, and then . . ." I shuddered as I recalled the maniacal laughter. "The laugh was something I had never heard before. It was insane."

"Wait!" Ron halted, and I paused to look back at him. "Harry was sleeping in your quarters?" He narrowed his eyes at me. I was impressed by how loyal and protective he was of his best friend. "Is there something going on between you two?" he demanded.

I slowly blinked, swallowing my fear. "Ron, I will give you a perfect explanation after we deal wtih Harry's predicament. He is more important at the moment."

The glare never left Ron's face, but he continued on down the hall at my side. "Damned right you owe me an explanaiotn," he snarled under his breath.

The wolf was in her portrait, her amber eyes wide. A shiver set her fur on end. "He's quieted down," she informed me. "He wants to know where you went."

"I'm here now," I said. "Lupus cor."

The portrait swung open, and Ron and I clambered in. I rushed across my small living room to the still open door to my room.

"Harry?"

"Tal." Harry was sitting up in bed, the black sheet pooling around his thin waist. I tried to hide the grimace when I saw the purplish-blue love marks on his neck and chest. There was no doubt Ron saw them too. I had not thought to glamour them before I left the room. "Where did you - Ron?"

Ron stepped out from behind me. From the corner of me eye, I could see his eyes widen as he took in how undressed his best friend was. "You owe me," he hissed at me as he stepped closer to Harry and my bed. "Talis woke me to help, Harry," he said to his friend. "What happened?"

Harry's bright green eyes turned from me to Ron. "I - I'm not sure," he muttered. "He's really . . . really happy."

I glanced from my beloved to his best friend. Who was this 'he' Harry spoke of?

"You-Know-Who?" asked Ron, frowning.

"I think something happened," said Harry. "Something good. This has happened before," he murmured, probably catching sight of my confused frown. "My scar. It's a connection to Voldemort." Ron visibly flinched at the name. "I can . . . see into his mind. I don't know if it works both ways, though," he admitted quietly.

I breathed a quiet sigh. My poor love. He is so young, yet has had so much thrust upon his shoulders. His connection to Voldemort via the scar must not be known to others, or I would have heard about it by now. A small part of me was a tad bit upset that he had not confided in me before about the connection, but then I remembered that I had secrets I kept from him, such as my heritage. Harry was only fifteen. He should not have to have such responsibility. It was too much. I am honestly surprised he has not exploded, internally or externally, from all the stress from the unneeded responsibilities.

Harry must have taken my silence as a rejection. When my eyes focused back on him, he was looking at the blankets in a dejected manner. "I suppose you don't want me around anymore," he whispered, possibly forgetting his best friend was in the same room. "I understand, Talis. I really do." His skinny shoulders moved in a half-hearted shrug. "You didn't sign up for this."

"Oh, Harry." I moved away from the gaping redhead to sit beside Harry. "Love." I gently cupped his chin and raised his head so I could look into those gorgeous green eyes. "This doesn't scare me. You have a cursed scar; abnormalities are always a possibility when you have one." I released his chin to rest my palm against his cheek. I searched his green eyes for anymore signs of discomfort, especially since we were being so intimate with Ron right beside us. "And I'll always want you around," I whispered.

Harry sighed quietly, but a hint of smile formed on his lips.

I almost smiled back, but a heavy fist to my upper arm made a snarl appear instead. I was shoved off the bed. I curled my lips as a socked foot pressed down on my chest, pinning me to the floor. I glared up at the fuming redhead. "The fuck is your problem?" I growled.

"You said you weren't taking advantage of him!" Ron raged, a vein pulsing in his forehead. His face darkening to the point of rivaling his hair. "You wake me, in the middle of night, to help my best friend, and here he is, in your bed with no clothes on! If you're not taking advantage of him, then what the fuck do you call this?!" he demanded, pressing his heel into my ribs.

I coughed. "H-He's here on his own f-freewill," I growled.

"Like I would believe you." Ron almost looked dangerous as his blue eyes narrowed to mere slits of rage.

"Ron!"

From my spot on the floor, I watched as a naked Harry flung himself off the bed at his best friend. They collided then tumbled to the floor beside me. I sucked in a couple breaths to ease the pain in my chest. I could hear the two friends scuffling around on my right. Slowly sitting up, I turned to watch as Harry finally managed to pin Ron.

"Will you just stop for a minute?!" Harry said angrily. "I'll explain everyhting. Just let me get some clothes on."

Ron glared at his best friend as Harry rolled to the side and snatched up his jeans from yesterday. With a groan, he got to his feet and pulled them on. I winced at the bruise that was forming on his side; he must have hit the floor harder than I thought. After fastening his jeans, Harry reached out a hand to Ron, whom looked at it for a moment before accepting his friend's help. I look up at the two younger teenagers. Ron was looking from Harry to me expectantly. I knew we had to come clean to him about our relationship, but this wasn't how I wanted to tell him. Judging by Harry's frown, I knew he was thinking the same thing.

"Sit down, Ron," said Harry with a small sigh. He led his best friend over to the bed and straightened the comforter before sitting down. Ron eyed the blanket skeptically for a second. "It's clean, Ron," Harry reassured him.

Ron's frown deepened but he sat down next to his friend. His narrowed eyes flashed to me as I scooted across the floor to sit by Harry's feet and leaned against his legs. "Well?"

"Ron, this . . . this wasn't how I wanted you to find out," Harry began quietly. "I was going to tell you eventually." He brushed a hand through his midnight locks. "Ron, Talis and I . . . well . . . we're together. He's my boyfriend, and I'm his."

Blue eyes widened alarmingly, flicking between Harry and me. Then they returned to their previous glare. "You're fucking with me," he muttered.

Harry shook his head. "Honestly, I'm fucking Talis."

I would have laughed if the situation was not so tense.

"Is this something that just recently happened?" Ron demanded.

"No. We've kinda been together for a few months," said Harry.

"He's older than you!"

"I'm well aware. He's only four years older than me; it's not like he's in his thirties or something."

"How do you know he's not taking advantage of you?"

Harry rested his hands on his knees and sighed quietly. I reached up and gently took one of his hands in my own. "Talis was actually against this at first," Harry explained. "He was worried because of the age difference. He didn't want to do anything to jeopardize his job. I'm the one who made the first move," he continued as Ron opened his mouth. "I kissed him first. If anything, I'm the one who pushed myself on him. I'm the one who started this. Talis knew the consequences if we were to get caught, but I was the one to convince him to be with me."

Ron stared at us, but he seemed to be deflating a little. "You're not joking, are you?"

Harry shook his head. "I'm being completely serious with you, Ron."

"Are you gay?"

"No. I'm not gay. Well, not all the way. Talis said I could be bisexual, meaning I have a preference for both males and females. You already know Talis is gay." Harry twitched his fingers. "We're still the same, just together."

"And you're obviously not a virgin anymore," Ron commenting, once again throwing a glare down at me.

"Don't blame him," Harry growled, catching the look Ron sent at me. "I started that as well. Talis was reluctant to take my virginity so I gave it to him on my own free will. I trusted him, and I still do. He has never hurt me, and I doubt he ever would."

"I'd give my life for him," I said.

We fell into a silence that was awkward and calming at the same time as Ron processed all that Harry had told him. I watched as rage gave way to annoyance then to a stressed calm. I figured he may have more questions for us, but he did not say anything for a few minutes. Harry had removed his hand from my grip to gently rake his fingers through my dark brown hair. It was a calming gesture, but I could tell by the stiffness in his movements that he was nervously awaiting a reaction from his best friend.

My eyes were starting to drift close from Harry's stroking whe nRon finally spoke. "How the hell do you do it?"

"Do what?" asked Harry."

". . . Have sex?"

Harry chuckled, and I knew the high tension had surpassed to a calm atmosphere. "Out of all the things I've just said, that's what you're going to ask about?" He smiled at his friend. "It's not as complicated as you think, though it does hurt if not done right."

Ron shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut. "Okay. Nevermind. I don't want to know." When he opened his eyes he was met with a cheeky smile from Harry. "Shut up," he muttered. "Does Hermione know?"

"I don't think so," Harry said, "but she's smart; I'm sure she'll figure it out eventually."

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Hagrid was on probation. That Umbridge toad saw to that. Ultimately, I felt like an absolute failure. I was there when she decided to evaluate Hagrid's class that day. I could have done something more to help him out, but I had even pushed passed normal assitant teacher duties by taking over when Hagrid became flustered by Umbridge's annoying questions and assumptions. I could not help thinking it was partially my fault his probation happened.

"It ain't yer fault," Hagrid had said when I visited him yesterday.

But, still, I felt horrid.

Harry had noticed I was not in a right mood the moment he found me when I returned to the castle. When I told him about Hagrid's predicament, he also told me that I had nothing to do with Umbridge's prejudices. His sneaky kisses in the hidden passages behind the portraits helped a bit, but they could not change my mind.

Uncle Salo tried his best to cheer me up as well. He had taken up residence in a room near the kitchens and Hufflepuff common room entrance. It used to be a spare classroom, but he managed to magick it into a small but cozy living space. He and I had polished off a bottle of mead while sitting before a warm fire and talked about how Umbridge was taking over the school; she had created yet another decree, Number Twenty-Six, I believe. Apparenty, teachers and assistants were not allowed to tell the students about anything we were not teaching about. It was hard to see the looks of disappointment on the students' faces when they asked about something that happened outside of school, and we had to tell them that it was not any of theirs or our business.

What had been printed in the newspaper was also a topic Salo and I talked about. Ten Death Eaters, a fancy name for Voldemort's followers, had broken out of Azkaban Prison. That could not have been an easy feat to pull off. They had to have had help from something or someone in order to get away with it. I had mentioned to Salo that Alice and Frank's son, Neville, was currently attending Hogwarts. Salo had been good friends with the Longbottoms and it had torn him up when he realised Bellatrix Lestrange was one of the Death Eaters to have escaped. We both agreed that Umbridge's decree was related to the breakout.

The only thing that seemed to be a decent distraction nowadays, besides my beautiful boyfriend and his greatly improving kissing skills, was the D.A. meetings. I had confided in Salo about the meetings and how I was teaching them about the Dark Creatures of the world. Salo had been interested in what we were learning, but was quick to remind me that I was to leave out any mention of our heritage. I was not allowed to drop any hints, which I agreed to.

Another thing I was not allowed to do was to be overly affectionate towards Harry in Ron's presence. He was still a bit weirded out by the fact that his best friend was involved, romantically and sexually, with the older teacher's assitant. I did not blame him a bit and agreed to keep the lovely stuff to a minimum around him. Ron seemed to have made it his mssion to interrupt any alone time Harry and I had during the day, whether it was in a secret passage or my own quarters. But he could not stop Harry from sneaking out in the middle of the night under his invisibilty cloak while he was snoring his head off.

"Mr. Creary?"

I blinked, shaking my head a bit, and refocued on the students sitting on the pillows before me.

Hannah blushed a brilliant pink when I looked at her. "You kind of dazzed off, Mr. Creary."

"My bad," I said, running a hand through my hair. I cleared my throat. "Alright then. Where were we? Oh, yes!" I raised my wand and tapped the blackboard. At once a strange, fluffy-looking, bird-like creature appeared as if an invisibile hand was drawing it with chalk. "This is a very unusual bird. It is a fascinating creature, but dangerous if handle improperly. The blackboard does not do this bird justice," I explained, throwing a glare at the board. "In reality, this beauty can come in a variety of vivid colors, such as bright orange, briliant pink, lime green, or vivid yellow. You may have seen quills of such colors in Florish and Blotts. The long, beautiful quills? Those are most likely Fwooper feathers. Though it is colorful, it can be particularly hard to spot unless you are looking fo rit." I looked at the students. "Does anyone know the name of this bird?"

"It's a Fwooper, isn't it?" asked Fred Weasley.

"That's right. I'd give you points, my friend, but the teachers are starting to notice random points being added to the vials in the Great Hall." I sighed queitly. "You students deserve it so much, but I'm afraid I would have to give away the D.A., which I simply refuse to do."

Fred smiled encouragingly. "You teaching us this stuff makes up for it."

There was a murmur of agreement from the others, and I beamed happily. "Thanks. Anyways, yes, this is called a Fwooper. It can be found in the forests and jungles of Africa. Their eggs are patterned in way that resembles jewels, and the shells can be sold as jewelry if the procedure to preserve them is done right. You may not find any in Hogsmeade, but I stumbled upon a few in Diagon Alley. Very expensive," I added as some of the girls' eyes glazed a bit.

"How are they dangerous though?" asked Zachariah, arms crossed.

"They will literally drive you insane," I answered. "Their cry has been known to cause mulititudes of witches and wizards to lose their minds. Uric the Oddball, may the Gods bless him, learned this the hard way. Apparently, he listened to his pet Fwooper's song for a quarter of a year without pause; Fwoopers can sing continuously, which is actually kind of amazing. He . . . um . . . He went to the Wizards' Counsel to talk about how the Fwooper was just a misunderstood creature. Naked. Nothing but a dead badger on his head." I stifled a chuckle. "He tried to convince them that it was a toupee."

The students laughed heartily. I knew they had to heard of Uric the Oddball in some of their classes; he was usually brought up as a reminder not to screw up.

"The Fwooper, as I had mentioned, can be sold as a pet. But it will need a Silencing Charm every month or two, depending on the individual and the intensity of their song. A license is also required to own one." I saw some of the younger students turn to each other and heard Hagrid's name being mentioned. "Don't worry," I assured them. "Hagrid only likes the birds found in the forests. A Fwooper would not interest him."

Looks of relief were passed around. I caught Harry's emerald gaze as he leaned against the wall with Hermione and Ron. The female of the trio was looking from Harry to me intently, then her brown eyes stared into mine for a moment before flicking to Harry. It was a question, an important one. I answered by giving a curt nod. Her mouth dropped open for a moment before she turned to Harry and whispered something in his ear. His eyes widened then narrowed a bit as he nodded as well.

Hermione found out. It happened a lot sooner than I expected. I watched her turn to Ron and make a few motions with her hand. Ron whispered something to her. I knew he was confirming her suspicions.

The tension between the four of us did not settle even after the lesson and the other students had safely returned to their common rooms.

"You didn't tell me you and Talis were together," Hermione said, obviously hurt about being left out on the big secret.

"Well, you know now," said Harry as he settled beside me on the floor. I leaned back against the cool wall, allowing the chill to help relax my muscles. Harry inched closer until he could rest against my side. Together we looked up at Ron and Hermione. With a somewhat scared look at the witch, Ron lowered himself down onto a pillow. "It's not like it's something we can just blurt out. Talis would get into so much trouble."

"But I'm one of your best friends, Harry," Hermione protested. "You can tell me anything, even that you're gay. You know I won't judge you."

"I'm bisexual, not gay," Harry replied. "To be honest, I'm shocked you didn't figure it out sooner." He reached behind him to grab my hand and gently pulled it until my arm was wrapped around his torso.

"What are you going to do if someone finds out?" Hermione started to pace in front of us. "Talis, you are older than him! You could lose your job, or, worse, be sent to Azkaban."

"I know, Hermione," I said. "As Harry told Ron before, I did not start this relationship. Harry did." I glanced down at Harry and hushed him quietly as he opened his mouth to protest. "But I refuse to let him take all the blame. He wanted to pursue me, and I finally relented. I care for Harry. I honestly do. I know I'm older, Hermine. I know the consequnces. But . . ." I looked down at Harry. His emerald eyes stared back. This time I could not deny the love I saw in those deep green pools. "I just can't stay away."

Hermione stopped pacing. "Have you tried?"

I snapped my gaze up to her. "Of course I have."

"What's going to happen after the school year is over?"

"I don't know. I can't predict the future like Trelawney."

Ron let out a snort of laughter. I remembered that the trio did not believe in Trelawney's predictions.

"Aren't you scared of hurting him?"

"I'd never hurt him."

"What about your . . . heritage?"

My mouth dropped open. How could she ask such a thing? She could not possibly know what that is. I know I may have mentoned it to them or they overheard it, but she could not know. . . "What about it?" I asked once I was over my shock. "I will not let it get out of hand. I take a potion for it. Snape has been helping me by brewing it, as it's a very complicated and ultimately unknown potion."

"It's not Wolfsbane Potion, is it?" asked Ron.

I shook my head. "No. This is a potion that had been passed down from my grandparents. My father and my uncle required it. I need it now, and so does my mystery sister, I think."

"Is you heritage dangerous?"

"Deadly." I gave a little shudder. "But I have control over it, as long as I take my potion every other week."

"Harry, are you sure about this?" Hermione asked after a few moments.

Harry nodded once then leaned his head back against my shoulder. "More than anything in the world," he replied.

Hermione stared at us a little longer before sighing quietly. "Please be careful, Harry. You know Ron and I won't say anything. Talis, if you get caught -"

"Then I will take full blame," I said quietly.

That seemed to satisfy the witch. She was smiling warmly at me when the four of us finally left the Room of Requirement fifteen minutes later. She and Ron flashed glances at Harry and I as we walked back to the Gryffindor common room. I knew they were watching to see if we would dare to hold hands, but I kept my distance from him. As much as I wanted to hold his hand, I knew doing so out in the open would be a very bad decison. But I did manage to steal a quick kiss when we arrived at the Fat Lady's portrait.

"Good night, love," I whispered against his lips. I could see Hermione and Ron watching us out of the corner of my eye. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Can't I stay with you tonight?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No. Your roommates will start to notice your disappearing," I said.

"It'll be worth it."

I shook my head, smiling softly.

"All right." He backed away a step; I could tell he was hesitating. After a few moments, he finally whispered, "I love you, Talis."

I felt my heart swell almost painfully. "I love you too," I replied quietly. "Get some sleep." I shut the portrait and wished the Fat Lady sweet dreams. "That boy will be the death of me," I muttered to myself as I walked back to my own dorm.

The wolf was waiting for me as I approached. "You're late, Talis," she observed.

"Lupus cor," I said.

The portrait swung open and I clambered inside. "We had another meeting," I said once the portrait was firmly shut behind me. "I taught the kids about Fwoopers, and we practiced some more stunning spells." I tugged off my shirt and tossed it onto my sofa. "Neville is improving at a rapid pace."

"Do you believe he is increasing his power due to the Death Eater ourbreak?" asked the wolf, appearing in her rose portarit. "The Lestrange Death Eater was the one whom attacked his parents, correct?"

I nodded. "Yeah." I did not question how she knew of the outbreak or Neville's parents. She probably heard the news through the other portraits. I flopped down on the sofa and leaned my head back, releasing a sigh. "I never ask. How are you?"

"Very well, thank you." The wolf sounded startled, as if she had never been asked such a question.

"Did you ever wonder why you were painted?"

"The man whom painted my portrait told me I was a replica of a living wolf," she replied. "He had seen a large grey wolf when he and his brother were tending their flock of sheep. He feared the wolf would attack them, but was surprised when it sat down at the edge of the field and watched them. His brother kept watch that night, fearful the wolf would take a lamb after nightfall. The wolf did no such thing. When another wolf came at the flock with malicious intent, the first wolf drove it away, protecting the shepards and the flock. In his gratitude, the man sold wool to buy paints and a canvas. It took him five months to complete my painting. When he died, I was sent to the castle, as any other place did not have room for me to stretch my legs. Here I am, and here I will stay."

We sat in silence for a few moments. "That's amazing. I wonder if some of that wolf's soul was transferred to your painting." I looked over at the painting. "You are wise and kind."

"We both are forced to live with steroetypes," the wolf said. "We are viewed as wild animals that should be chained and locked up. And, yet, we have not done any harmful actions towards others."

"It's our fate, isn't it?"

"It seems so. Go to bed, Talis," she added as I yawned behind my hand. "You've had a long day."

I rose slowly from the sofa. "Alright. You talked me into it." The wolf gave a smal huff of laughter. "Good night."

"Pleasant dreams."

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A couple days later found me in the Great Hall sitting with the Gryffindors. I honestly had nothing better to do so I was drawing on a spare piece of parchment while Harry and Hermione were chatting quietly in front of me.

"Oh, I forgot to ask," said Hermoine. "How was your Valentince's day?" She spared a quick glance in my direction. Almost at once Harry and I turned a light pink. "Well?"

"It was . . . nice," Harry replied carefully. "We didn't get to go to Hogsmeade, but we hung out in his dormitory."

My blush gaveway to a smirk. He was being polite about it because Hermione was one of his best friends. Not only did we hang out on Valentine's day, I had to put strong Silencing Charms up in my bedroom so the entire castle could not hear him screaming my name as he orgasmed over and over. By the time night had rolled around, Harry was a breathless, blushing mess. My sheets needed to be repaired because he had ripped them out of passion.

Hermione seemed to have caught on; a light pink shading had taken over her face. "Nevermind. I don't need details."

Harry's face surpassed pink for a few minutes before he composed himself. "I didn't say anything."

"Your face said it all," Hermione said.

I snickered quickly and returned to my drawing when Harry shot a glare at me. The two younger teens delved themselves into a converation that I toned out. I was so busy drawing that I actually jumped a bit when Ron dropped down beside me. "Woah." I looked at the muddy teen next to me. "How goes, Ron?"

Ron let out a grumble then started piling food on the plate in front of him. Ginny joined us not too long after, just as muddy-looking as her older brother.

"How was Quidditch practice?" asked Harry.

"A nightmare," Ron muttered.

Hermione looked from Ron to Ginny. "It couldn't have been that bad."

"It was," said Ginny. "Angelina was almost in tears at the end."

I looked at the younger redhead. "It'll get easier," I said quietly. "Angelina is new to the game of being captain. She's still learning, just as you are. Give her a chance."

Ginny sighed quietly but did not comment further. Instead, she set her sights on the food in front of her.

"What are you drawing, Talis?"

I looked up at Hermione and tried to stifle a grin. With a quick glance around, I shoved the paper towards her. Her mouth dropped open in disbelief. "If she finds this, you are in so much trouble."

"Worth it," I muttered as she showed the picture to the others. Harry, Ron and Ginny did their best not to laugh, but failed. I smiled as Ron's and Ginny's spirits were lifted at the comical drawing. Hermione returned it, and I smiled at the toad that looked remarkable like Umbridge being blown up into a crude balloon.

"Talis. Umbridge."

At Harry's warning hiss, I withdrew my wand and quickly set it on fire.

"Tut, tut, Talis. You know better than to set fires in the Great Hall." Umbridge waddled up to where Ron and I were sitting; I hastily stowed my wind. "That is bad manners." She wagged a stubby finger in my face; if I were not in the presence of the others I would have bitten her. I gripped the edge of the table to try to curb my anger. "I know you have a hard time being civilized," she chided with a sinister smile on her fat face, "but this is no place to act like a wild animal, though I doubt you can hardly help it." She gave a girly chuckle then walked off.

"Talis!" Hermione's voice broke through my rage.

I snapped my gaze to her. "What?" I snarled.

"Y-Your hands."

"My hands?" I followed her gaze. My fingers were still gripping the tabletop, but my fingernails had been replaced by jet black claws, each about two inches long, the tips embedded in the table. My grip had chipped the wood. I looked up, but not at Hermione. I caught Harry's green gaze as he also looked up from observing my claws. "I . . . I gotta go." I quickly hopped to my feet and walked away, shoving my hands in my pockets to hide the claws.

As soon as I stepped out of the Great Hall I fled towards the Entrance Hall then through the front doors. I heard someone calling for me. I knew it was Harry. Ignoring him, I raced across the grounds to the Forbidden Forest. No one could find me in there. For a moment I cursed myself for not taking my potion, then I remember that I had! I didn't know what the hell was going on with my body. I lengthened my stride until I was in the safety of the trees.

"Talis! Talis, come back!"

Harry's yells hurt my heart, but I could not go back to him. This was too dangerous, even for the Savior of the Wizarding World.

My vision started to tunnel the further I ran into the forest.

This had to be done.

I love you, Harry, but . . . I can't let you see the monster I truly am.

-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-

". . . He should wake . . . Had a hard night . . ."

"What happened?"

". . . Family secret. Very dangerous."

My head felt like it had been beaten against a stone multiple times. There was a tingling in my hands. I twitched a finger, and groaned quietly.

"Talis?"

A hard yanking sensation in my stomach had me rolling onto my side and losing whatever I had eaten in the past twenty-four hours. It landed with a loud smack on the floor, and I flinched at the smell. When my stomach was empty, I flopped over onto my back, gasping for breath. "Fuck . . ."

"Now, really?" The voice of Madam Pomfrey spoke up. She muttered a cleansing spell, then I felt something cold being pressed against my forehead. I opened my eyes a tiny bit. The nurse was leaning over me, worry evident in her usually stern face. "Talis? Can you hear me?"

"Mm . . ." I tried to nod my head but a pain in my neck put a stop to that.

"Alright. I'm going to give you a pain potion. Can you open your mouth for me?"

I did as told and swallowed the bitter liquid when it hit my tongue.

"You're very lucky your uncle found you this morning, and not one of the students. You would have given them a fright, you being without clothes." Her stern tone returned. "You should have come straight to me, or to Professor Snape. Running into the forest like that! I am honestly surprised you are alive."

"Please spare me the lecture, Mother," I murmured, throat aching a bit. The potion was doing its job; the pain was dulling to a slight throbbing before vanishing altogether.

My arm received a light smack. "You had some of the students scared to death," Pomfrey continued. "Mr. Potter was in near hysterics this morning. Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger could not calm him down; he required a Calming Draught to even sit still."

I blinked up at the nurse, fully opening my eyes. "I'm sorry," I whispered.

Pomfrey's eyes softened. " I'm not the one you should be apologizing to, Talis." She looked up to my other side. "You definitely owe him an apology for scaring the living day lights out of him."

I shifted to follow her gaze. Harry was curled in the chair next to my bed. He had folded his arms on the side of the chair and rested his head on them. His eyes were closed as if he were asleep. I winced as he opened those gorgeous green eyes. He did not smile when he saw I was awake. He did not react at all, just stared. There were questions swimming in those deep green pools, but right now was not the time to ask. I knew that this time I would not be able to avoid him. I had to give him the answers he was looking for.

"I'm sorry, Harry, for scaring you," I murmured gently.

He did not reply.

I could hear Madam Pomfrey setting some bottles down on the bedside table. "Take these when you are able to sit up, Talis. Do you hear me?"

"Yes, ma'am," I agreed, not taking my eyes off my boyfriend, if that was what he still was to me.

Madam Pomfrey closed the curtains that encased my bed before bustling away. I could faintly hear her chiding another student for something. Knowing she was distracted and no one could see us, I finally gave into Harry's angry, questioning gaze. "Go ahead, Harry."

He uncurled himself and sat up. His emerald eyes were twin flames of anger and pain. It was a few moments before he finally spoke, "You are a complete and utter arsehole. You are a deranged shite. You thinking running off into the forest was the best idea! What kind of person are you? Are you even a person!? What the hell is going on?"

I blinked at him. Even angry as hell, he was still beautiful. "Harry, listen -"

"No! You listen, Talis Creary." He leaned foward in the chair. "You can not just run off into the forest every time something shitty happens to you! Yes, Umbridge pissed you off, but you should not have run off like that! What are you trying to hide? Your uncle found you naked, Madam Pomfrey was not lying about that." His voice dropped to a whisper. "Do you have a secret . . . lover?" The heartbreak in his voice almost shattered my heart. "Were you meeting him in the forest?" Unshed tears made his eyes shimmer.

"Harry." I reached out and rested a hand on his knee. He tensed under my touch. "You are my one and only, Harry James Potter. There is no one else I want by my side. You are the one I love," I added, giving his knee a gentle squeeze. "Please believe me." Grunting a bit in pain, I tried to sit up. After a few tried, I was finally successful. "Harry . . ." I blinked hard and sighed. "I'm not . . . I'm not entirely human," I finally admitted quietly.

"Then what are you?"

I shook my head slightly. "There is no name for us."

"Us?"

"My uncle and I, and I think my sister, are the only ones like us who are alive. The rest of our family was killed off when they would not join Voldemort." I sighed again. "We are the product of an accidently breeding. My father passed it on to me; it's genetic." I stared into Harry's green eyes. "It was something that was not supposed to happen, but it did anyways. My grandmother . . ." I swallowed thickly. "Harry, my grandfather - his name was Timothy - was a werewolf. He had been bitten when he was a teenager, while he was here, at Hogwarts. He met my grandmother, Leona, and fell in love. My grandmother's family resented my grandfather when they found out about his conditon. They tried to set up an arranged marriage with a very wealthy man. But love knows no bounds. My grandparents fled after graduating Hogwarts and eloped before settling down."

I paused in case Harry had a question or two. When he didn't speak, I continued, "It happened on a full moon in December. My grandfather always went into the forest to change and spend the night as a werewolf. My grandmother would stay at the house with the windows and doors boarded up. I guess one of the windows was not properly shut. My grandfather broke into the house and . . . mated with my grandmother. She did not believe it was rape because she loved my grandfather dearly. He was broken-hearted when she told him what happened the next day. They didn't think such a coupling would create anything. Nine months later my uncle and father were born; they were twins."

Harry blinked and was quiet for a moment. "Then your father met your mother and they had you," he finally said. "You are the second generation of an accidental breeding."

I nodded. "I'm an abomination to this world. A hybrid's offspring, and a homosexual. Both are problematic, but I handle them the best I can. The genetics, which I call 'the heritage,' can be surpressed with a potion."

"That dark grey one on your dresser?"

"That's the one. Tastes awful, though. Like fresh earth mixed with dirty socks." I glanced down at the hand on Harry's knee. The claws had returned to my normal fingernails. "The potion works well, unless we are overcome with strong emotion."

"You were angry at Umbridge, and your nails became claws."

I nodded. "Rage is one. Lust and love are two others, which is why I have to keep myself in check when we are making love."

Harry flushed a bit at that. "Why did you keep all this hidden from me? Did you not trust me?"

"Honestly, I was afraid you would be scared off. You are my everything, Harry. The best thing that has happened to me, though the day I received my Hogwarts letter is a close second."

"Talis, what happens when you let your heritage overcome you?"

"We become something that is a combination of a human and werewolf. We literally become our hybridization. Our minds stay human, but the rest of us becomes oddly proportioned. Longer limbs. Our faces elongate into a naked muzzle. Claws. Harry, I truly look like a monster when I allow it to take over. And I don't ever, ever want you to witness that. I know you have seen things no other fifteen year old has, but I am literally the stuff of nightmares." I looked down at my blanketed lap. The shirt Madam Pomfrey had put on me had reddish-brown speckles. My blood. "Harry, I fully understand if you no longer want to be with me," I murmured. "It's a lot to take in, and I know being with what can only be a natural born killing machine is a terrible idea. I love you, Harry, and I will honor whatever choice you decide." I turned my head to the opposite side of Harry. I heard him get up, and waited for his footsteps to march away. Instead, I felt a weight on the side of my bed. A hand gently cupped my chin and forced me to look at him. Harry's green eyes were no longer blazing with anger; they shown with understanding.

"Talis, you are an idiot." He glanced at the curtain briefly before leaning forwards and gently pressing his mouth to mine. "You are you, and I love you for you," he whispered against my lips. "Now I understand why you went into the forest. You didn't want to hurt me, or the others, right?"

I nodded.

"You were only doing what was right. Yes, it did hurt when you didn't come back. I must have looked like an idiot yelling for you." Harry ran a hand through his jet black locks. "Talis, I love you, but you scared the hell out of me."

"I'm sorry, Harry," I whispered then softly kissed him. "I honestly, truly am."

"I forgive you," he murmured back, lips brushing mine as he spoke. "Thank you for telling me about your heritage."

I sighed quietly. "I guess it was time for you to know."

"Hey, Talis. You awake?"

Harry grumbled under his breath as he moved back to his chair. A few moments later Salo stepped around the curtain. His dark green eyes surveyed the damage for a moment before he looked at Harry. "He told you?"

"Yeah."

"You're not going to tell anyone else, are you?" Salo asked with a growl.

Harry shook his head. "I wouldn't do that to Talis, or you."

"Good. We're trying to keep a low profle. Talis might have told you already, but Voldemort is trying to find he and I in order to recruit us to his side." Salo sat down in the spot Harry had vacated. "We would rather die than serve him." He glanced at me, and I nodded in agreement. "Harry." Salo's voice dropped to a low whisper. "I know you are my nephew's mate. His scent is all over you." Harry blushed as Salo continued, "You need to understand that we are dangerous creatures. Are you okay with that?"

"Yes, I am." Harry stared up at my uncle. "Talis told me everything. I honestly do not think of you guys as an abomination. The . . . coupling of your parents was not intentional. I am not afraid of who you are," he said.

I smiled at him. "Harry and I can get through this," I said.

Harry returned my smile with a brilliant grin.

Salo shook his head. "Boys."