A/N- Well, the contest has been won! Obsessed With Snuffles reviewed with the correct answer. Nil Desperandum is Latin for Do Not Despair, which is kind of the theme of this story. Now, as for this chapter, Harry heads off to the Burrow, a major secret is revealed, and Sirius and Remus make an appearance! What's not to like ;) but anywayz, on to the messages, then the story.
~*Obsessed~*~With~*~Snuffles*~- Congrats on winning! Who cares how you figured it out, as long as you win ;) As soon as I finish, I'll send you the preview I promised. Listen With Your Heart has also been updated. And in answer to your question, no, Snape is not Ari's dad. Her real father is a Muggle, whom we will eventually meet towards the end of LWYH.
Paige- Tempting as it would be, Perdita and Harry will not be getting together. Perdita will get a boyfriend, but it won't be Harry. Ginny/Harry, however, is a distinct possibility...
Bobo- Well, as you saw from the A/N, the meaning of the title has been solved. I might have another contest though, we'll see, so you may still have a chance at winning something :)
LoonyLoopyLisa- Evil ff.net, how dare it overload when you try to review ;) Glad you like the story too. The beginning is kinda slow, but it'll pick up later, I promise.
Ayla Lupin- Hehe, you always like my chapters :) But I'm glad you do! Cyaz online!
Ravenclawer- Thanks. I love doing stories no one else has thought of, and I know I've never read a story about Peter having a child. I've read plenty about Remus and Sirius, though, and thought Peter deserved the same chance :) Thanks for the review!
greeneyed*redhead- I don't mean to kill them off so much, but it gives the stories an element of sadness to work with. Plus, less charecters that I have to worry about :)
anniee- Thanks, I'm glad you like it! And here's the next chapter, so you don't have to wait anymore!
Sabrina Potter- Hehe, nice try, but I already told you what the title meant, so you can't try to win ;) I mgiht have another contest later though, haven't decided. Glad you like the French stuff though, its fun to write, and I like having the culture clashes :) Plus, I can have her say stuff in another language, and no one will understand her!
*********************
Dear Harry,
I'm glad to hear you're doing well. Remus and I have finally finished the assignment Dumbledore gave us. I wish I could tell you more, but I can't, in case this gets intercepted. I know, they never have been in the past, but I really don't want to take any chances, do you? Anyway, I'm back at Remus' now. I hope you got the birthday present I sent. It's actually from Remus too. He paid for it and I thought of it. Hope you like it.
Sirius
Harry smiled as he packed the letter in his trunk along with everything else he was taking to Ron's. That included the birthday present Sirius had sent him. He had picked out what looked a little like a Rememberall, but according to Sirius, it was different. It was something called a Dangerall. If he looked into it and thought of a person's name, it would appear in the orb. If the letters were in white, the person was safe, but if the letters were in red, that person was in danger. Thinking of the gift made Harry remember that he still had a letter to send with Hedwig.
"Here you go, Hedwig." Harry smiled, stroking her feathers affectionately. "You be sure to go to Ron's when you're done, okay?"
Hedwig hooted softly and nipped his ear playfully.
"That's my girl." Harry grinned, holding her out the window so she could take off. As he was leaning out the window, however, he heard a familiar voice shout his name.
"Oi! Harry!" shouted a familiar red head.
"Ron!" Harry grinned happily. "I wasn't expecting you for another few hours. And...is that your car?"
"Dad borrowed it from the Ministry." Ron called up to him. "We figured Floo Powder would be a bad idea, judging from last year."
"You got that right." he laughed. "Speaking of which, you don't happen to have some of your brothers' toffees, do you?"
"Sorry. Mum checked us on our way out." Fred called, stepping out of the car. At least, Harry thought it was Fred. It was hard to tell at this distance. Heck, it was hard to tell up close too.
"You coming down or what, Harry?" George grinned.
"Yeah, haven't changed your mind, have you?" Ron joked.
"And stay here? I'd have had to lose my mind to want to stay." Harry shouted back, ducking back inside to go open the door for them. Mr. Weasley was already waiting at the door, apparently studying the doorbell.
"Hello, Mr. Weasley." Harry grinned.
"Simply fascinating." Mr. Weasley smiled as he stood up. "Oh, hello Harry. Ready to go?"
"Sure am. My trunk's just upstairs."
"We've got it, Harry." George smiled, heading up the stairs with Fred.
"Where are your aunt and uncle, Harry?" Mr. Weasley asked curiously.
"Hopefully, China." Harry muttered softly. Ron barely suppressed a snort of laughter, being the only person who had heard Harry. "They're hiding actually. They left this morning and told me I'd better not be here when they came back."
"Don't drop it, Fred!" George shouted from the top of the stairs.
"I won't drop it if you don't rush me."
"Boys." Mr. Weasley warned.
"Coming, dad." Fred called. Seconds later, the pair appeared at the top of the stairs, lugging the heavy trunk. They stood there a second, resting the trunk on the ground so they could catch their breath. Then, with a brief smile at one another, they teetered the trunk on the edge of the top stair, sat down on it, and rode it all the way to the bottom, laughing and cheering the whole way. The ride ended abruptly when they hit the wall.
"That was great!" George laughed, though both he and Fred immediately stopped laughing when they saw the look on Mr. Weasley's face.
"Want to give it a try, Dad?" Fred asked innocently. Mr. Weasley couldn't help it; he burst out laughing, along with Harry, Ron, and the twins. Mrs. Weasley had always been the disciplinarian; Mr. Weasley found their antics too amusing to stay mad with them.
"You two take that out to the car while I repair the wall." Mr. Weasley smiled.
************
The trip from Privet Drive to The Burrow took a surprisingly short time, mostly because Mr Weasley could make the car jump several miles at a time. The whole trip took less than fifteen minutes. Harry had hardly stepped out of the car, when he heard two voices calling to him, and the sound of running feet approaching.
"Harry! You're here!" Hermione cried, running across the lawn with Ginny. The two girls had been waiting on the front porch for them to get back.
"I missed you so much!" Ginny added as she and Hermione tackled him, hugging him tightly.
"Help!" Harry cried, laughing. "I'm being attacked by girls!"
"Sounds like a dream come true to me." Fred grinned as the remaining Weasleys walked towards them.
"I second that." George added. "Except that one of them is Ginny. That's just wrong."
Hermione and Ginny stood up, laughing. They pulled Harry to his feet and hugged him again.
"Sorry about knocking you down, Harry." Ginny said.
"Yeah, we've just missed you." Hermione added.
"What about me?" Ron asked, slightly hurt.
"She tackled you yesterday." Ginny laughed. "And I see you more than I like."
"Of course, she only tackled him because he hid her copy of Hogwarts: A History." Fred pointed out.
"Oh shut up, all of you." Hermione snapped. Luckily, she didn't hear George whisper to Fred that neither Ron nor Hermione had seemed to mind being that close together.
Mrs. Weasley, as always, was glad to see Harry. She gave him a tight hug, and immediately offered him food. Harry couldn't help smiling. Mrs. Weasley was the first person who had ever acted like a real mother to him, and he felt Ron was very lucky to have her. The Weasleys were Harry's favorite family in the world, and he felt truly accepted when he was around them.
Percy stayed locked in his room working until Mrs. Weasley called him for dinner. He greeted Harry as formally as he always did, much to the amusement of the twins. He threw them a dark look, but otherwise pretended not to hear them. After dinner, Harry hinted to Ron and Hermione that he had to talk to them, so they excused themselves from the living room quickly and headed for Ron's room. After checking the hall for any listeners, Ron settled himself down on the bed with Hermione and Harry.
"So, what did you need to talk to us about?" he asked cheerfully.
"I got a letter from Snuffles." Harry said, showing them the letter. "He's staying at Professor Lupin's right now."
"I hope he isn't found." Hermione said, reading through the letter.
"Yeah." Ron agreed. "But he's been careful so far. I'm sure he'll be fine."
"What's this present he sent you?" Hermione asked curiously.
"Oh, its something called a Dangerall." Harry said, going to get it out of his trunk. "If I say a person's name, it will appear in it. If the letters are white, the person is fine. But if they're red, they're in danger. I think it's a hint to stop worrying about him."
That made all of them laugh.
"We should give one to Professor Trelawney." Ron laughed. "Maybe it'd finally convince her you're not going to die every time she predicts it."
"Oh, that crazy old bat." Hermione muttered. "I still can't understand why you don't just drop the whole class and take something sensible like Arithmancy."
"Because that would require us to think, Hermione." Ron grinned. "This way, if we ever need a quick fix on homework, we just make up a load of misery, and we're done in no time."
Hermione made a noise of disapproval, but said nothing more.
"So, did Sirius tell you who any of the 'Old Crowd' were?" Ron asked curiously. "Or even what they are?"
"Nope. He's afraid the letter might get intercepted. Can't say I blame him, really." Harry said honestly.
"I'm sure Sirius will be just fine." Hermione assured him, noticing the small look of worry on his face. "The Ministry doesn't even know he's in the country again, they'll never find him."
Harry was cut off from replying by a loud crash that sounded from the closet. Ron sprang to his feet, white faced, and rushed over to the closet. He threw the door open to see Ginny sitting in a heap on the floor, half buried under the contents of the shelves that had fallen. She looked up, half scared and blushing, at her older brother.
"Ginny!" Ron shouted. "What are you doing in here?!"
"Nothing." she said meekly.
"Why were you hi-" Ron began, but stopped abruptly, going even paler than before. "You were eavesdropping, weren't you? You heard us talking about…about…"
Hermione and Harry suddenly came to the same realization that Ron just had. Ginny had heard everything. She had heard them talking about Sirius. She had heard them say where he was hiding. Seconds later, they were both on their feet as well.
"Ginny, you can't tell anyone what you heard." Harry said in a rush.
"Tell them what?" she asked, sounding a bit accusatory. "Tell them that you've been writing to a murderer? That you know where he is? The same person who tried to kill you two years ago?"
"Ginny, its not-"
"I can't keep quiet about something like that!" Ginny shrieked. "What are you doing writing to him anyway?"
"Ginny, shut up!" Ron ordered, fearing his parents would hear them.
"No, I won't-" she began, but he cut her off. He grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to sit down on the bed.
"Ginny, for once in your life, shut up and listen to me." he said. She did, though she still glared up at him.
"Ginny, you have it all wrong." Harry told her. She gave him a disbelieving look.
"Harry, you're not going to-" Hermione began, surprised. But Harry cut her off.
"I have to." he replied. "She's already heard this much, and we can't do a Memory Charm on her or anything. Not without getting a warning from the Ministry. We'll just have to trust her."
Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but seemed to change her mind before she spoke. She simply shut her mouth again, gave a small sigh, and nodded. Harry glanced at Ron, who was still looking furiously at his sister. He relaxed a bit when he caught Harry's eye and nodded as well. Ginny looked at all three of them in utter confusion.
"Ginny." Ron said, more serious than Harry had ever heard him be. "What we tell you does not leave this room. Got it?"
Ginny nodded slowly, wondering what this was all about. Harry took a deep breath and began to speak.
"Ginny, Sirius Black is innocent."
"He's wh-" Ginny began to shriek, but luckily, Ron moved quickly and clamped his hand over her mouth.
"Shh!" he hissed at her. "Don't yell! Mum and Dad will be up here in a second."
Ginny nodded slightly and Ron slowly removed his hand from her mouth.
"Sirius is innocent." Harry said again. To his relief, Ginny didn't shriek again. "And he's my Godfather. That's why he's been writing to me."
Ginny opened her mouth, but no sound came off. It just hung open as she stared up at Harry.
"Back in third year, you remember how Sirius was caught, but he escaped?" Harry continued. Ginny nodded. "Hermione and I helped him escape."
"But why?" she asked, finally finding her voice again. "If he was trying to kill you-"
"He wasn't trying to kill Harry." Ron said firmly. "He was framed. Sirius never betrayed Harry's parents."
"Then who?"
"Peter Pettigrew." Harry told her.
"That wizard he killed?" Ginny asked.
"How do you know that?" Hermione asked, surprised that Ginny knew this much.
"I listened to people." Ginny said, flushing slightly.
"How much do you eavesdrop anyway?" Ron asked, sounding angry again.
"Well, how else am I supposed to know what's going on?" she asked hotly. "No one ever tells me anything."
"It doesn't matter, Ron." Harry said before an argument broke out. "It just makes it easier to explain. But yes, Ginny, Sirius tried to kill Pettigrew, but Pettigrew blew up the street and faked his death. Without him, no one knew Sirius was innocent, let alone prove it. So Sirius was blamed. Everyone thought he'd betrayed my parents, but it was really Pettigrew who did."
"What?" Ginny gasped.
"My parents made Pettigrew their Secret Keeper instead of Sirius. They assumed everyone would think they'd used Sirius, so we'd be safe." he went on. "But Pettigrew was the spy the whole time. So it backfired."
"Oh God..." Ginny said softly, sympathy in her voice. "But...if he was after Pettigrew, why come to Hogwarts?"
"Because my dad, Sirius, and Pettigrew were all unregistered Animagi." Harry told her.
"They were?" she asked in surprise. The trio nodded.
"My dad was a stag." Harry told her. "Sirius is a big black dog. And Pettigrew..."
"Was Scabbers." Ron finished.
"Scabbers?!" Ginny cried. Ron had to put his hand over her mouth again, and held it there until she had calmed down. She tried to shout for about a minute, most of it made incoherent by Ron's hand, but they could pick out that she was just as furious as Ron had been that their pet rat had been a traitor, and a Death Eater. Finally, when she was calm again, Ron removed his hand, ready in case he had to muffle her again.
"Sirius saw the picture of your family in the Daily Prophet, when you won that prize." Hermione picked up the story. "When Fudge was inspecting Azkaban. He recognized Scabbers, sitting on Ron's shoulder. We met them both in the Shrieking Shack at the end of third year. Sirius and Professor Lupin told us everything."
"Professor Lupin?" Ginny asked. "What's he got to do with all this?"
"He's the reason my dad, Sirius, and Pettigrew became Animagi." Harry told her. "They found out he was a werewolf. They could keep him company during full moons as animals, without being in danger of being bitten."
"They did something that dangerous, just to help their friend?" Ginny asked. "How sweet!"
Harry, Hermione, and Ron couldn't help grinning.
"What happened to Pettigrew?" Ginny asked.
"He escaped." Ron told her. "He went back to You-Know-Who. He's the one who helped him regain his powers at the end of last year."
"That's horrible." Ginny said. "And to think, he lived with us all that time!"
"I know." Ron said sourly.
"So, all this time, he's been writing to you?" Ginny asked Harry.
"Yup. Ever since we helped him escape." Harry told her. "He was hiding near Hogsmeade during the Triwizard Tournament. I even got to see him. He's hiding at Lupin's now though."
"I hope he's safe there."
"He will be." Ron assured her.
"Does anyone else know he's innocent?" Ginny asked curiously.
"Well, Lupin does, obviously, and Dumbledore of course." Harry said. "McGonagall, Snape, and your parents all know too. I think that's everyone, that I know of at least."
"How'd you know we'd be in here talking, anyway?" Hermione asked her.
"I didn't." she admitted. "I was in here looking for some Spell-o-tape for my Potions book, when I heard you coming. I knew Ron would be mad that I was in his room, so I just hid and hoped you'd be gone soon. You probably wouldn't have heard me at all, if a spider hadn't crawled across my arm and made me jump against the shelves."
"Spider?" Ron asked, going pale.
"Don't worry, I think the shelf fell on it." Ginny told him.
"Good." Ron grinned. "Crush the little bugger!"
They all burst into laughter. Ginny sat and talked with them for the rest of the night, their newest co-conspirator in keeping Sirius' secret. Harry had a feeling that his next year at Hogwarts was going to be a lot better than the last.
***************
Dear Sirius,
Thanks for the Dangerall. I really like it, and now I don't have to always wonder if you're okay. Tell Remus thank you also. I'm glad to hear everything went well, and that you're okay. Everything here has been fine. So far, no nightmares or anything. I even managed to have a nice day a few days ago. I met a Muggle girl about my age in the neighborhood. She's Mrs. Figg's granddaughter. It was better than being around the Dursley's all day. I'm just glad I won't have to see them again until next summer. By the way, I'm going to Ron's today, for the rest of the summer. If you need to contact me, that's where I'll be.
Harry
Sirius frowned slightly as he reread Harry's letter. It couldn't be, he thought, could it? Nah, you're just letting your imagination run away again, Sirius. You're just seeing connections where there are none. Aren't you?
"Something wrong with Harry?" Remus asked, glancing up from his Daily Prophet to see the curious look on Sirius' face.
"No, nothing like that. He sounds fine. No nightmares yet." Sirius replied.
"The key word there being yet?" Remus asked, smiling slightly and raising an eyebrow. In all the years Sirius had known him, he had yet to figure out how Remus had learned to raise a single eyebrow.
"Well, considering everything that happened to him at the end of last term, I'm surprised he's doing as well as he is. I mean, meeting Voldemort like that would be a scary thing for anyone, especially a teenager. And seeing a fellow student murdered in front of you...but no, he sounds fine."
"Then why do you look so puzzled?"
"It's just something else that he mentioned. I don't think he even believes it's really important, it's just..."
"Just come out and say it, Padfoot." Remus prompted gently.
"Does Arabella have grandchildren?" Sirius asked. Whatever Remus had been expecting, it certainly hadn't been that.
"I'm not sure." Remus said, thinking a moment. "Why do you ask?"
"Something Harry said. He said he spent the day with Mrs. Figg's granddaughter. I know Arabella lives near him, according to Dumbledore, but I don't know if this is the same Mrs. Figg we're talking about." Sirius said, sitting down and tossing the letter in front of Remus. "It seems like too much of a coincidence for there to be two different Mrs. Figgs in the same area. Though, he said the girl is a Muggle anyway."
"You're right though, it does seem odd. But I don't remember her ever mentioning a granddaughter staying with her when we talked to her." Remus said, tugging at a lock of his hair. He often tugged at his hair when he was deep in thought, and Sirius knew better than to interrupt his thoughts. He simply waited until Remus stopped. "I guess the only way to find out would be to ask her."
"All that thinking and that's the best you could come up with?" Sirius grinned. Remus threw a pillow at him and went back to studying Harry's letter.
"But she can't have a granddaughter, can she?" Remus continued, looking just as confused as Sirius now. "I mean, Kassia wasn't pregnant before Peter supposedly died."
"Whatever happened to her anyway?" Sirius asked suddenly.
"Kassia? God, I haven't thought about her in years." Remus chuckled, sitting back in his armchair. "I haven't seen her in years either, come to think of it. The last I heard, she had gone to France."
"Really?"
"Yeah. It was just after James and Lily died. She stayed for the funeral, and Peter's of course. Then, she suddenly packed up everything and moved to France. I heard from her a couple times, but I lost contact with her after a while. I wonder whatever happened to her?"
"You'd know better than me." Sirius said. "Why did she leave anyway? She loved it here. I remember Peter trying to persuade her to leave the country with him, to get away from the Death Eater attacks, but she wouldn't do it."
"Too many memories, I suppose. She took Peter's so called death very hard. She said she had to get away from here if she was ever going to recover." Remus replied. "Plus, I think she was a bit afraid that you would break out of Azkaban and come after her too."
"I got quite a reputation after I was sent there, didn't I?" Sirius managed to laugh.
"You had a reputation before, just not the same kind." Remus chuckled.
"Ah yes, the Lady's Man." Sirius grinned. "There were only two women that never worked on."
"Yup. Lily and Kassia." Remus laughed. "Although I think Narcissa very nearly beat the Hell out of you once."
"That was first year, and only because I put the Frog Spawn in her Pumpkin juice."
"Which you fully deserved." Remus chuckled. He put down Harry's letter, and got up to make some tea. Sirius settled himself back against the couch, and promptly fell asleep.
************
Kassia walked down the aisle, her face hidden behind the lacy veil she wore. Her white dress shone in the lights of the church. Dumbledore led her down the aisle. Her father had died when she was twelve, otherwise he would be here. Her mother was good friends with Dumbledore, and he had been like a second father to her. She beamed at him from behind the veil as he led her down the aisle. Remus, with his werewolf hearing, was able to hear what they whispered to each other as they walked down the aisle.
"Thank you for doing this, Uncle Albie." Kassia whispered.
"Its my honor, Kassia." Dumbledore replied. "Your father would be very proud of you."
"I just wish he could see me."
"He can, my dear." He assured her. "He can."
"What are you grinning about?" Sirius whispered quietly to Remus.
"Nothing." He replied. "Just wondering if Peter knows how lucky he is."
"Oh, I think he does." James said quietly. Remus was the best man for the wedding, while Sirius and James were ushers. Lily was Matron of Honor, while Kassia had asked Corrine Lockhart (who was much easier to get along with than her twin brother) and her cousin Antoinette Val Jean to be bridesmaids.
Peter fidgeted nervously as Kassia and Dumbledore walked down the aisle towards them. Remus reached out and patted his shoulder reassuringly. Peter gave a weak smile.
"You'll do fine." Remus told him.
"Yeah, there's nothing to it." James told him. "The hard part is done. You got her to say yes."
"Thanks, guys." Peter said, still sounding nervous, but looking much more relaxed now.
"Hey, what are friends for?" Sirius grinned. Kassia and Dumbledore were only a few feet away now.
"Showtime." James whispered. Peter took a few steps forward as Dumbledore held out Kassia's hand to him. Peter took it, smiling at them both. You could almost see him relaxing now. Sirius saw Kassia give Peter's hand a small squeeze as he led her up towards the minister. Dumbledore took his seat next to Arabella, who was almost crying now, watching her daughter.
"Dearly beloved." the minister began. "We are gathered here today to witness the union of this witch and this wizard. Who gives this woman away?"
"Her mother and I do." Dumbledore said, standing up as he spoke. Kassia smiled warmly at him.
"If anyone here feels these two should not be wed, let them speak now, or forever hold their peace." The minister continued. Sirius had been joking earlier that he would kill anyone who objected. Which was the reason Lily was giving him a warning look now.
"Peter, take you bride's hand and recite the vows which will unite your lives as your hearts have already united." the minister instructed.
"I, Peter Robin Pettigrew, take thee, Kassia Lynn Figg, for my lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part."
"I, Kassia Lynn Figg, take thee, Peter Robin Pettigrew, for my lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part."
"Have we the rings?" the Minister asked. James, who was nearest to the ringbearer, nudged him forward, grinning at the little boy. He stepped up towards the minister, holding out the little pillow which the rings rested on.
"The wedding ring is the outward and visible sign of an inward bond which unites these two hearts in endless love. It is a seal of the vows Peter and Kassia have made to one another. Bless, O God, these rings, that Kassia and Peter, who give them, and who wear them, may ever abide in thy peace. Living together in unity, love and happiness for the rest of their lives." The minister spoke. On cue, Peter took Kassia's ring from the pillow. Kassia handed her boquet to Lily and turned, beaming, to Peter. Peter slipped the ring onto her finger and recited his part.
"Kassia, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, With this ring, I thee wed."
Kassia now took Peter's ring from the pillow and put it on his finger in turn, holding his hand as she spoke.
"Peter, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, With this ring, I thee wed." Kassia recited.
"In as much as you have each pledged to the
other your lifelong commitment, love and devotion, I now pronounce
you husband and wife, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit." the minister announced. A wave of relief washed over
them both.
"Those whom God has joined together let no
one put asunder." the minister finished, looking at Peter.
"Peter, you may kiss your bride!"
He hardly had to tell the new couple this. The words had barely left his mouth when Peter had pulled Kassia to him and kissed her. Arabella was crying harder than ever now, and Peter's mother looked tearful as well.
"Whoo!" Sirius cried, cheering Peter on. "Go Peter! I think he has you beat for wedding kisses, Prongs."
"Sirius!" Lily yelled across the aisle at him.
Sirius...Sirius...Sirius...
"Sirius? Sirius, wake up." Remus said, shaking his friend's shoulder. Sirius woke with a start.
"Wha?" Sirius asked, looking around.
"You fell asleep." Remus told him.
"Oh." Sirius said, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.
"You okay?" Remus asked, watching him with concern.
"I'm fine." Sirius assured him. "I just...had an odd dream."
"Oh?"
"Well, not really odd." Sirius admitted. "I was...dreaming about Peter and Kassia's wedding."
"Oh." Remus said quietly.
"I wonder..." Sirius said, thinking aloud. "If he was already a spy that day."
"If he wasn't, it must have happened soon after." Remus said. "They were married only a few months before Harry was born. And a few months later, we found out Voldemort was after James and Lily. If he was going to get a spy among their friends, that would have been the time to start."
"You...you don't think Kassia knew, do you?" Sirius asked suddenly. "Do you think she knew, about Peter being-"
"No." Remus said, cutting Sirius off. "Kassia wouldn't have kept quiet about a thing like that. She was too close to Dumbledore. She would have said something."
"Rem, she was his wife." Sirius said. "How could she not have known?"
"We didn't either." Remus pointed out. "He kept everyone in the dark about his activities. Is it so unusual that he would have kept Kassia in the dark too?"
"I guess not." Sirius admitted. He felt foolish for even thinking it now. Kassia was one of the most honorable people he had ever met. She always did what was right. She wouldn't have kept quiet about Peter being a Death Eater, if she had known. Besides, she was too close to Dumbledore.
"Well, you need to get in contact with Arabella anyway." Remus said after a long silence. "You can ask her about Kassia then, and about any grandchildren she might or might not have."
"Yeah." Sirius said, laughing a bit. "But first, food!"
"Some things never change." Remus chuckled as Sirius headed for the kitchen.