A loud bang sounded through 12, Grimmauld Place and the door to the bedroom
where Lupin and Lana were sat flung open.
"Youre awake!" Harrys green eyes that had looked so dull lately had a shine to them, and he almost ran over to Lana and hugged her.
Lana smiled slightly as she hugged Harry. "Nice perfume, Harry." She whispered in his ear, then tipped him a wink as he let go of her.
"Dont know what youre talking about." he said, flushing.
Laughing, Lana pulled him into another hug. "We'll talk later."
"Are you alright? You looked...Bad when they first found you." Harrys eyes scanned Lana.
"Im fine. Im alive arent I?" she said, although a part of her wished she had died. Better dead than alone.
Hermione, Ron and Ginny walked into the room. Hermiones eyes suspicously looked over Lana and Lupin, then returned to Lana. Her eyes flickered back and forth, and Lana knew this meant she was trying to work something out, or was doing some very quick thinking.
Ginny walked over and stood next to Harry, giving him a brief, shy smile.
"Hermione." Lana said, and Lupin gave Lana a discreet pinch.
"Yes?" Hermione said.
"What are you trying to work out?" Lana asked.
Flushing, Hermione stammered, "N-nothing."
"Dont lie." said Lana, and Lupin pinched her again.
"I - I just - Well, its just - Like Harry said, you were...Bad when they found you. Covered in bruises and scratches. You had one on your forehead, where some debris fell down from the house. That alone should have injured you greatly."
Lana could see where this was going, and Lupin warned her again with a little pinch that got him a slap on the arm. "What are you getting at?"
"Well now...After 2 days....You dont have a stratch on you."
Harry stared from Hermione to Lana, then back again.
Ron goggled. "Shes right you know, you looked like youd gone ten rounds with Bella - " then he stopped, remembering it had been Bella that killed Sirius.
Ginny put a comforting hand on Harrys arm, and he let it rest there for a few seconds before shrugging it off.
Lupin coughed loudly, and Lana stood up with a sheet wrapped around her. "I have to shower. I do have a job to go to."
Hermione glared slightly, then turned and left the room.
"Hey, kid - " Lana shouted, and Hermione stopped. "Ever thought about becoming an Auror?"
Grinning, Hermione walked from the room, Ron and Ginny following her. Harry looked at Lana.
"We'll talk later, Harry." then Lana added - "Oh, and, take good care of her."
Lupin sat on the edge of the bed.
"That goes for you too." Lana said, pointing to the door.
"Lana - "
"I know, I know, I didnt tell you what I did, but we were interrupted, can I help that, no. But I want to shower because Im sure I stink, then I have to go talk to Dumbledore, my boss, Harry, and you. And its now -" she looked at the clock - "11 am. I have things to do. Ive been out of it for 3 days."
~*~*~*~*~*~ HALF AN HOUR LATER ~*~*~*~*~*~
Lana stood in front of the mirror in her bedroom in 12 Grimmauld Place. Being here wasnt so bad for her, because she hadnt been around when Sirius was here. But she did remember the fights Sirius and his mother used to have when they stayed here one weekend. Screaming, cursing, until Lana froze her. That was when she discovered her 4th power.
Her hair was down, straightened. The layers hung below her chin. Parted in the middle. Shiny red lipstick made her full lips look perfect. A black v- neck jumper with sleeves that came just past her elbows. She quickly conjured a bandage to tie around her right wrist, to hide the scar that had been torn open again when she had used her powers. On her left wrist was a cut that was about 1 inch long, so she conjured another bandage, the same length as the other, to cover that one.
Dark denim jeans sat low on her hips, but high enough to she could sit down comfortably. Her boots were black, with low heels. She placed her wand in a pocket on the outside of her leg.
"Come on Lana, you can do it - Keep your game face on. Youve had plenty of practice." Thing is, she thought, you dont want to tell them the truth because it hurts so much. But you have to. Not like Dumbledore, with his lies and his half-truths.
Taking a breath, Lana walked across the room and opened the door. Their was an immediate wash of hot air and the smell of cooking. Her stomach growled loudly. The noise was just about tolerable, and Lana closed the door behind her and walked across the hallway and down the stairs.
At the very moment Lana got to the bottom of the stairs, someone rang the doorbell and that started the portrait of Mrs Black screaming.
"Ive told people a thousand times NOT TO RING THE DOOR BELL!" Mrs Weasley shouted, coming banging out of the kitchen door.
Lupin and Moody came out to pull the curtains across.
"FILTHY HALF-BREEDS, MUDBLOODS, BLOOD TRAITORS, WEREWOLVES, VAMPIRES, IM GLAD MY ANCESTORS CANT SEE WHAT A MOCKERY THE HOUSE OF BLACK HAS BECOME, GET YOUR FILTHY HALF-BREED HANDS OFF OF ME!"
Lana jumped, she had never seen or heard the painting before. "O--kay...." she said, walking down the hall. "Hey wait a minute," she said to Lupin and Moody who were struggling with the curtains.
Standing in front of the portrait, Mrs Black took one look at her and screamed. "YOU! DANGEROUS GIRL, FIRESTARTER, BAD BAD, SHAME YOU DIDNT JOIN VOLDEMORT, YOU COULD HAVE RULED WITH HIM ! FILTHY, DIRTY GIRL, MURDERING MY REGELUS, YOU SHOULD HAVE KILLED SIRIUS, FILTHY, WORTHLESS PIECE OF TRASH OF A SON."
Lana flinched at her, then laughed. "Nice to see you too, Mrs Black." She turned to Lupin and Moody, raising her voice to get over the screams of her. "Why have you never took it down?"
"Cant find a spell that will work." Moody replied.
Shrugging, Lana flicked her hand and the curtains covering the portrait set on fire, and Mrs Black stopped screaming insults and just screamed. "Hey, whaddya know, it works!"
Moody laughed. "Burn it all then."
"Nah," Lana said, conjuring up some more curtains and pulling them across the now silent Mrs Black. "Its the only entertainment weve got around here. Besides, I wanna see her face when Sirius walks back in."
Moody gave Lana a look that she didnt like. So did Lupin.
Moody grabbed Lana by the wrist, hard. "Ow." she said.
"Youre lucky nobody else is can hear you." he growled, then let go of her wrist. They turned to see who had just walked in.
It was Snape. "So the little hero is awake." he drawled.
"Fuck you Snape." Lana spat.
"And have Lucius' cast offs? I think not." Then he swept into the kitchen, leaving Lana flushed angrily and her fists clenched.
"Git," said George, who had just apparted in from Buckbeaks room, as he walked into the kitchen.
"Yep." agreed Lana.
She shook herself off and looked back at Lupin and Moody. "I - What should I do now?"
"Maybe you should learn to control your mouth," Moody said, half-jesting, half-serious. "I need to speak with you."
"Okay then." she said.
"Not here..." he said.
"Okay then." she said. "Just give me a minute with Moony."
Moody nodded and walked out of the front door.
Lana took a breath and smiled slightly at Lupin. "I guess you can guess from what Snape said just then what I did."
Slowly, Lupin nodded. He wasnt sure how he felt about anything. So confused right now.
"It wasnt just that tho, there were - are, reasons that I did things that Im not proud of and would rather forget, but I cant. I have alot of explaining to do, I know, and I will, later. Just - dont form any opinions of me till then, okay?"
"Nay, youre my best friend. To be honest, youre all I have. And what Ive heard, Im not impressed, but neither am I going to....I dont know." he said, being as honest as he could be.
"Can I get a hug?" she asked, opening her arms a bit and stepping closer.
"Course you can," he said, grinning, ruffling her hair as he hugged her tightly. "Do I need to tell you to be careful?" he whispered.
"Love you," she said, then turned and walked to the door where she found Moody leaning against the wall at the bottom of the front garden.
"So," Lana said, "Where did you have in mind?"
"The Shrieking Shack" he said, then disapparated.
"Youre awake!" Harrys green eyes that had looked so dull lately had a shine to them, and he almost ran over to Lana and hugged her.
Lana smiled slightly as she hugged Harry. "Nice perfume, Harry." She whispered in his ear, then tipped him a wink as he let go of her.
"Dont know what youre talking about." he said, flushing.
Laughing, Lana pulled him into another hug. "We'll talk later."
"Are you alright? You looked...Bad when they first found you." Harrys eyes scanned Lana.
"Im fine. Im alive arent I?" she said, although a part of her wished she had died. Better dead than alone.
Hermione, Ron and Ginny walked into the room. Hermiones eyes suspicously looked over Lana and Lupin, then returned to Lana. Her eyes flickered back and forth, and Lana knew this meant she was trying to work something out, or was doing some very quick thinking.
Ginny walked over and stood next to Harry, giving him a brief, shy smile.
"Hermione." Lana said, and Lupin gave Lana a discreet pinch.
"Yes?" Hermione said.
"What are you trying to work out?" Lana asked.
Flushing, Hermione stammered, "N-nothing."
"Dont lie." said Lana, and Lupin pinched her again.
"I - I just - Well, its just - Like Harry said, you were...Bad when they found you. Covered in bruises and scratches. You had one on your forehead, where some debris fell down from the house. That alone should have injured you greatly."
Lana could see where this was going, and Lupin warned her again with a little pinch that got him a slap on the arm. "What are you getting at?"
"Well now...After 2 days....You dont have a stratch on you."
Harry stared from Hermione to Lana, then back again.
Ron goggled. "Shes right you know, you looked like youd gone ten rounds with Bella - " then he stopped, remembering it had been Bella that killed Sirius.
Ginny put a comforting hand on Harrys arm, and he let it rest there for a few seconds before shrugging it off.
Lupin coughed loudly, and Lana stood up with a sheet wrapped around her. "I have to shower. I do have a job to go to."
Hermione glared slightly, then turned and left the room.
"Hey, kid - " Lana shouted, and Hermione stopped. "Ever thought about becoming an Auror?"
Grinning, Hermione walked from the room, Ron and Ginny following her. Harry looked at Lana.
"We'll talk later, Harry." then Lana added - "Oh, and, take good care of her."
Lupin sat on the edge of the bed.
"That goes for you too." Lana said, pointing to the door.
"Lana - "
"I know, I know, I didnt tell you what I did, but we were interrupted, can I help that, no. But I want to shower because Im sure I stink, then I have to go talk to Dumbledore, my boss, Harry, and you. And its now -" she looked at the clock - "11 am. I have things to do. Ive been out of it for 3 days."
~*~*~*~*~*~ HALF AN HOUR LATER ~*~*~*~*~*~
Lana stood in front of the mirror in her bedroom in 12 Grimmauld Place. Being here wasnt so bad for her, because she hadnt been around when Sirius was here. But she did remember the fights Sirius and his mother used to have when they stayed here one weekend. Screaming, cursing, until Lana froze her. That was when she discovered her 4th power.
Her hair was down, straightened. The layers hung below her chin. Parted in the middle. Shiny red lipstick made her full lips look perfect. A black v- neck jumper with sleeves that came just past her elbows. She quickly conjured a bandage to tie around her right wrist, to hide the scar that had been torn open again when she had used her powers. On her left wrist was a cut that was about 1 inch long, so she conjured another bandage, the same length as the other, to cover that one.
Dark denim jeans sat low on her hips, but high enough to she could sit down comfortably. Her boots were black, with low heels. She placed her wand in a pocket on the outside of her leg.
"Come on Lana, you can do it - Keep your game face on. Youve had plenty of practice." Thing is, she thought, you dont want to tell them the truth because it hurts so much. But you have to. Not like Dumbledore, with his lies and his half-truths.
Taking a breath, Lana walked across the room and opened the door. Their was an immediate wash of hot air and the smell of cooking. Her stomach growled loudly. The noise was just about tolerable, and Lana closed the door behind her and walked across the hallway and down the stairs.
At the very moment Lana got to the bottom of the stairs, someone rang the doorbell and that started the portrait of Mrs Black screaming.
"Ive told people a thousand times NOT TO RING THE DOOR BELL!" Mrs Weasley shouted, coming banging out of the kitchen door.
Lupin and Moody came out to pull the curtains across.
"FILTHY HALF-BREEDS, MUDBLOODS, BLOOD TRAITORS, WEREWOLVES, VAMPIRES, IM GLAD MY ANCESTORS CANT SEE WHAT A MOCKERY THE HOUSE OF BLACK HAS BECOME, GET YOUR FILTHY HALF-BREED HANDS OFF OF ME!"
Lana jumped, she had never seen or heard the painting before. "O--kay...." she said, walking down the hall. "Hey wait a minute," she said to Lupin and Moody who were struggling with the curtains.
Standing in front of the portrait, Mrs Black took one look at her and screamed. "YOU! DANGEROUS GIRL, FIRESTARTER, BAD BAD, SHAME YOU DIDNT JOIN VOLDEMORT, YOU COULD HAVE RULED WITH HIM ! FILTHY, DIRTY GIRL, MURDERING MY REGELUS, YOU SHOULD HAVE KILLED SIRIUS, FILTHY, WORTHLESS PIECE OF TRASH OF A SON."
Lana flinched at her, then laughed. "Nice to see you too, Mrs Black." She turned to Lupin and Moody, raising her voice to get over the screams of her. "Why have you never took it down?"
"Cant find a spell that will work." Moody replied.
Shrugging, Lana flicked her hand and the curtains covering the portrait set on fire, and Mrs Black stopped screaming insults and just screamed. "Hey, whaddya know, it works!"
Moody laughed. "Burn it all then."
"Nah," Lana said, conjuring up some more curtains and pulling them across the now silent Mrs Black. "Its the only entertainment weve got around here. Besides, I wanna see her face when Sirius walks back in."
Moody gave Lana a look that she didnt like. So did Lupin.
Moody grabbed Lana by the wrist, hard. "Ow." she said.
"Youre lucky nobody else is can hear you." he growled, then let go of her wrist. They turned to see who had just walked in.
It was Snape. "So the little hero is awake." he drawled.
"Fuck you Snape." Lana spat.
"And have Lucius' cast offs? I think not." Then he swept into the kitchen, leaving Lana flushed angrily and her fists clenched.
"Git," said George, who had just apparted in from Buckbeaks room, as he walked into the kitchen.
"Yep." agreed Lana.
She shook herself off and looked back at Lupin and Moody. "I - What should I do now?"
"Maybe you should learn to control your mouth," Moody said, half-jesting, half-serious. "I need to speak with you."
"Okay then." she said.
"Not here..." he said.
"Okay then." she said. "Just give me a minute with Moony."
Moody nodded and walked out of the front door.
Lana took a breath and smiled slightly at Lupin. "I guess you can guess from what Snape said just then what I did."
Slowly, Lupin nodded. He wasnt sure how he felt about anything. So confused right now.
"It wasnt just that tho, there were - are, reasons that I did things that Im not proud of and would rather forget, but I cant. I have alot of explaining to do, I know, and I will, later. Just - dont form any opinions of me till then, okay?"
"Nay, youre my best friend. To be honest, youre all I have. And what Ive heard, Im not impressed, but neither am I going to....I dont know." he said, being as honest as he could be.
"Can I get a hug?" she asked, opening her arms a bit and stepping closer.
"Course you can," he said, grinning, ruffling her hair as he hugged her tightly. "Do I need to tell you to be careful?" he whispered.
"Love you," she said, then turned and walked to the door where she found Moody leaning against the wall at the bottom of the front garden.
"So," Lana said, "Where did you have in mind?"
"The Shrieking Shack" he said, then disapparated.
