Chapter 23 – Curiosity Killed the Cat you Know
After lying in bed for a while Harry decided that he wasn't really tired just yet. So he grabbed his transfiguration essay and headed down to the common room to work on it. He worked on his essay for about a half hour before deciding he needed a break and went up to his dorm to get his invisibility cloak so that he could sneak down to the kitchens. Harry was organizing his work when he heard someone coming down the stairs; he quickly hid his cloak and sat down to make it look like he was going over his essay.
"Oh…Hey Harry didn't think anyone was still up." Olivia greeted as she entered the common room. "I thought everyone was going to bed early because of the game tomorrow?"
"Everyone did but I wasn't really tired so I thought I would work on my transfiguration essay." Harry replied. "What are you doing up?"
"I-I was just going to visit my father."
"Now?"
"Yea…he can only see me at certain times and he gets worried if I don't come. Besides I have a lot to tell him."
"Oh…do you think I could meet him some time?"
"I-I don't know…he's not really a people person."
"Ok…well have fun."
"You too."
Harry sat silently acting as if he was reading his essay but in reality he was watching Olivia. He found it a little suspicious that she was going to meet her father when Harry knew that her father was a muggle. Muggles weren't allowed in Hogwarts so who could she really be meeting? He knew whoever it was they were perfectly safe since Dumbledore didn't seam worried when Olivia had mentioned it earlier but still his curiosity got the better of him. He waited a few minutes to be sure that Olivia was far enough away from the entrance to Gryffindor Tower before he threw his cloak over him and stalked out.
As soon as Harry reached the corridor he spotted Olivia at the very end and then she disappeared. Harry was startled at first until he realized that she too had an invisibility cloak. But although she was invisible Harry could still hear her light footsteps on the stone floors, he just hoped that she couldn't hear his. After following her for a little Harry realized that Olivia was suspicious that someone was following her, for she kept stopping. Twice Harry had almost run into her because he was so close and she stopped so suddenly.
So when Olivia began to walk again Harry waited a little longer and tried with all his might to quiet his shuffling feet. Harry was beginning to wonder exactly where Olivia was headed when he heard her stop again, Harry froze where he was not wanting to be found. It was then that Harry realized that they were standing in front of a giant portrait next to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.
Harry was about to head back to the common room since Olivia hadn't moved for a few minutes, when he heard her mumble something causing the portrait to fly open. Harry snuck quietly as possible through the doorway behind Olivia and found himself in what looked like another common room. There was a huge fireplace with a roaring fire on the left wall surrounded by chairs, couches and a table. The far wall housed two identical wooden doors, and on the wall to the right lay another wooden door. After gazing around the room for a bit Harry realized that they door to the right led to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and that the other two doors lead to the professors private quarters. But the one thing Harry didn't know was why Olivia was here.
While Harry had been observing the room Olivia continued on her way. She approached one of the doors on the back wall, and knocked three times before letting herself in. The noise had caught Harry's attention, but Olivia was too quick, the door was shut before Harry could get a good glimpse at the inside. Harry really wanted to know what Olivia was up to, nothing made sense. His curiosity had gotten the better of him and Harry found himself pressed up against the door Olivia went through trying to hear anything.
* * *
Olivia entered the room and silenced everyone before they could say anything.
"It's just me guys but don't say anything quite yet." Olivia mentally warned
"Eve what's up?" Remus questioned in a concerned tone.
"I had someone follow me here and I don't want them hearing anything that they shouldn't."
"Who followed you?"
"First let me block the sound and then I'll explain ok?"
"Sure"Eve turned to the door and silently cast a sound proof spell over the entrance way so that no one on the outside could hear anything.
"All better." Eve announced as she entered the living room.
"That's good. So how are you Evelyn?" Sirius remarked in his usual sarcastic way
"Oh just peachy keen Uncle Si, I just love being stalked by the ever infamous Harry Potter!"
"Harry was following you?" Remus and Sirius questioned at the same time
"Yea apparently so."
"How do you know it was Harry for sure? Did you see him?" Sirius asked
"Oh I didn't see him because he was wearing his invisibility cloak. Or at least I hope that's what he was wearing since the map never lies." Eve remarked holding out the Marauder's Map.
Remus took the map and looked at it and sure enough there outside his front door sat a dot labeled Harry Potter. Remus then passed the map to Sirius who shook his head upon seeing the same dot.
"Just like his father always sticking his nose in other people's business." Sirius commented.
"Oh and like you were so innocent." Remus quirked.
"I was."
"Whatever padfoot."
Eve watched the exchange between her father and godfather and had to smile despite herself. Despite all to worries in the world these two were jokers to the very last.
"Right so what'd you call me down here for dad." Eve interrupted trying to keep from laughing.
Remus immediately stopped laughing at Eve's words.
"What's you say?"
"I said so what'd you call me down for."
"No…the last part?"
"What'd you call me down here for dad." Eve was still oblivious as to the impact her words were having on her father.
"You…you called me…Dad." Remus choked out
"Well…yea…I guess you've finally grown on me…I told you to just give me time."
"Sirius…she called me dad!" Remus' face split into the biggest grin Eve had ever seen and she was satisfied that she was the one who caused that smile.
Sirius just laughed at his friend's antics although he couldn't blame him. To Remus this was like hearing your first-born child taking their first steps or talking for the first time ever.
"Dad are you ok?" Eve asked at her father's lack of words.
"Yea Eve I'm fine."
"Ok so do you want to answer my question now?"
"Oh…yea sorry. I wanted to tell you that I'm proud of you for acknowledging that your friendships were worth more then a little squabble. Most people would have taken longer before they tried to resolve the problem."
"Thanks…I guess."
"And I also wanted to…ah…advise you of some…things."
"And that would be?"
"Remus are you sure you should bring that up…Now?" Sirius questioned cautiously
"Sirius it's better now then never…or by someone else."
"Alright moony but don't say I didn't warn you."
"What exactly are you two talking about?" Eve voiced.
"Rem here has some advise that you might not like." Sirius supplied
"…And…?"
"Well Eve you see I-I'm not…not sure you should spend so much time with a Slytherin." Remus rushed the last part hoping against hope that Eve hadn't really heard him.
"Oh please tell me that you aren't wrapped up in that whole house rivalry still!"
"Eve…listen it's not that it's just…"
"Just what Dad? Lemme guess Hermione convinced you that Stanzie's bad…honestly dad I thought you had more sense then that!" Olivia accused her voice rising with every word.
"No Eve…. that's not what I'm saying…"
"But you're implying it…aren't you!" Eve practically screamed looked at her father. "Sirius please tell him that he's wrong?"
"Well Eve I would but you see I know some things that you don't, plus I've always loathed Slytherins."
"I cannot believe you two! I would have thought you two would be a little more open and sensitive about people who are slightly different but I guess I assumed to much for the both of you!"
With that Eve grabbed her cloak and map and stormed out of the flat. Remus was shocked at her outburst and reacted to it the only way he could think of, he ran after her. Remus ripped open his front door and saw Eve stalking across the common room.
"Evelyn Ivy Lupin get back here immediately! I'm not finished talking with you! You need to hear my side of the situation!" Remus yelled at Eve's retreating back.
"I don't need to listen to you, and why should I? …You're not my father!" Eve spat back before walking through the portrait doorway and disappearing up to the Gryffindor common room.
Remus stood in his doorway in complete and total shock. He had expected anger and some lashing out from Eve but he never expected this. He felt as if his heart had just been ripped out and replaced with a lead weight, cold and heavy. Defeated Remus turned back into his flat and went straight to his room, to upset to deal with Sirius' taunts of 'I told you so'.
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Sorry this chapter is short but I needed it to set up some future scenes. Sorry about the family drama as well but I promise that it's all there for a reason and it will be explained later. Anyway I hope you like it and I hope to have another, hopefully longer, one posted sometime tomorrow. ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!
~Autumn