Reunions and truths - 5
After the feast was over, the students having eaten their full, the house Prefects were called upon to collect the first years and lead them to there new homes. Harry and Ron walked slowly along the corridor that led to the Gryffindor tower. They were both happy to be back at Hogwarts, and Harry was over the moon to be so close to his Godfather. "Ron, there is something about the new Professor that worries me." Harry stopped and looked at Ron. "How so, Harry? she seems ok to me."
"I don't know, I might be overreacting, but the dream I had keeps coming to mind.* I don't know why." He shrugged his shoulders and started walking again.
"Maybe you should have a talk with Snuffles, Harry." Ron caught up with Harry as they turned the corner and headed for the painting of the Fat Lady.
"First years, the password for the entrance to the Gryffindor common room is Dark Crystal, and you will have to remember it as the Fat Lady will not let you in unless you know it." Hermione spoke loudly to all those who where gathered around the front entrance. She had picked this password because it reminded her of a book she had read once.
Harry whispered to Ron making sure no one around them could hear the rest of the conversation. "I will, Ron, but not just yet. I want to see what happens." Ron nodded in agreement, as they made their way up too their room. It had been a long day and both boys had started to feel tiredness creep in.
Elsewhere in the castle, Severus Snape quickly made his way to the headmaster's office. He wanted to talk to Dumbledore about Professor Raven Star. He didn't like her and didn't like the idea of a telepath being in the same breathing space as him.
He stalked down the corridor and stopped outside the gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore's office. He snapped the password "Jelly Frog's" and the gargoyle opened up, revealing the moving staircase.
To Snape's surprise, he was greeted by Dumbledore a few steps away from the front door. "Ahh, Severus, I had a feeling you'd want to speak to me. Let me guess, you're here to complain about Professor Star?"
The old wizard smiled as Severus grunted and nodded his head.
"Did you know about ability," Snape spat out.
"Yes, I did, Severus; it was one of the reasons why I hired her." Dumbledore sat down in his favorite chair by the open fire place and gestured to Severus to join him.
"Now let me reassure you, Severus, Professor Star is no threat to you. She has no plans to invade your thoughts; that is unless you allow her to."
"Yes, Headmaster, I'm glad to hear that." Severus relaxed slightly. He didn't like telepaths. They were, in his opinion, freaks of nature.
The tone of the headmaster's voice had changed from its usual kindness to that of a warning. "But I must warn you, Severus, if you try to bait her like you must have done at the welcoming feast tonight, I will not be held responsible for any actions she feels the need to take against you. Star is a very strong woman and doesn't take being tormented lightly."
"Now, if you'll excuse me, Severus, I must go check on our new arrival." Albus stood up and ushered Severus towards the door.
Star sighed. She'd left the Great Hall so quickly after dinner that she was sure she'd snubbed anyone who wanted to speak to her afterwards. Her headache was getting severely worse and the thought of standing around talking made her feel ill. She flopped down in the over stuffed chair in the sitting room of her new quarters. She'd not had a chance to see much of them earlier. Minerva had quickly pointed her in the direction of the rooms and had given her the password that would let the painting know who she was.
From the looks of it the house elves had been in the room. The fire had been lit and it gave out a welcoming glow that warmed the room as well as Star's body. Closing her eyes, Star tried to meditate a little, hoping it would take some of the edge off her now mind blowing headache.
"Headache any better my dear?" The voice of Albus startled Star slightly; she opened her eyes to look at him and winced in pain. "I guess not. Here you go my dear, I had Poppy mix you up a pain reducer potion." He handed her a smoking goblet, which she took gratefully.
Wrinkling her nose slightly at the smell of it, Star gulped down the drink in one mouthful, trying not to gag at the taste.
"In all these years you'd think they would do something about the taste of that stuff. It's horrible." Star coughed, which made Albus laugh. She then placed the empty goblet on the table next to her. After a few seconds she could feel the sharpness of her headache start to ease. Sighing happily, she smiled up at the headmaster.
"Thank you for that. I felt like my head was going to explode." "That is alright, my dear; the last thing I would have wanted was one of my staff exploding on her first day." He laughed, watching Star stand up and he moved over to give the poor thing a hug.
Albus felt Star relax as he hugged her; she was so dear to him and after all these years, it was a relief to his mind to have her back inside the walls of Hogwarts.
"Did Severus talk to you about what I did to him at the welcoming feast?" Star broke off the hug and sat down again. Albus sat down in the chair opposite to Star's and nodded at her. "Yes, he did, and I let him know that you will not be taking unannounced trips through his mind."
"Oh, good. The last thing I need is a problem from him, even though it's to be expected from Severus. He was a prat at school, too," Star laughed. Her head was feeling much better; the extra strength pain killers had worked wonderfully. Star leaned over to rest her chin on her hand as she looked at the headmaster. "I just have one bone to pick with you Albus. Why in Merlin's name didn't you tell me that Remus was teaching here? I nearly had a heart palpitation when I saw him in the staff room before."
"I'm sorry, my dear, I completely forgot about Professor Lupin when I spoke to you last. I do hope you'll forgive me." He smiled as she nodded that she would. "I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that another member of your past is at the school as well, but not in a teaching role." Star looked at him puzzled. Who on earth could he mean? She had seen Harry and Remus. Who else could be here?
"A school friend of your brother's is here under my protection; one Sirius Black." Albus chuckled at the expression on Star's face when he said that name. Her jaw had dropped; a look of shocked surprise plastered itself to her tired features.
"Sirius is here, too, I don't believe this." Star got up out of her seat and started to pace slightly, she didn't know what to do. One part of her wanted to hide. Having to face her friends after all these years scared her to death. Another part of her wanted to rush on over to wherever they were staying and see them, not caring about the reaction she got.
"Calm down, my dear, you'll do yourself an injury." Albus stood up and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Headmaster, I don't know who I should go visit first - Remus or Sirius." She looked at him, a little scared.
"Might it help you to know that both men are staying in the same place?" Star nodded her head. That piece of information made things a hell of a lot better.
"Why don't I show you the way to their rooms. They're not far from your own, and you can take it from there?"
Nodding, Star followed the headmaster out from her rooms. He led her along a passage way and down some stairs. Turning, he stopped in front of a painting. The painting's theme was a landscape with small animals running around. As she looked closer, one of the animals stopped and looked at her.
Albus whispered quietly so not to startle the animal, "Are Professors Black and Lupin in?"
One of the bears in the picture growled and stood up on its hind legs. "Yes, they are in. Do you want to speak to them, Headmaster?" Albus shook his head." No, but the young lady here would like to."
"Wait one moment while I go ask if they want visitors," the Bear growled and ran off.
"I don't know if I can do this, Albus." Star looked at him. She was shaking slightly and felt really scared.
"It's the right thing to do, Star. Just think, now you'll have someone other then an old wizard to talk to when you're upset." His joke made Star feel a little better, but she was still scared stiff.
"I'll leave you to it. Relax, Star, you'll do fine." Albus patted her shoulder and set off down the hallway.
*********
"Hey, Moony, will you hurry up with the whiskey! I'm dying of thirst here." Sirius kicked his boots off as he got comfortable on the couch; he was happy to be back at Hogwarts and didn't mind sharing the same common room as Remus.
"Keep your fur on, man; I'm trying to find a mug." Remus yelled from the other room.
"Excuse me, Professor Lupin," a bear called from the painting that hung on the wall over the fireplace.
"Yeah, what can I do for you, Finny, my main bear?" Sirius stood up and walked over to the painting looking at the brown bear.
"There is someone outside who is wondering if Remus and you are up for a visitor."
Sirius scratched his head then called out for Remus to come in to the room.
Remus strode back in to the room quickly. "What is it,* Black?"
"Finny here says we have a visitor outside. Are you expecting anyone?"
"Who is it, Finny?" Remus looked at the brown bear.
"Headmaster Dumbledore and a woman, but it seems that it is only the woman who wants to visit. Do you want me to tell them you're busy?"
"No, Finny, tell them we would like the company of a lovely woman." Sirius smiled wickedly at the bear and watched as he turned and ran out of the picture.
They both turned. The painting opened to reveal the new Divination Professor. She was standing at the threshold of the room, not sure if she wanted to come in or not.
"Please come in, welcome to our humble abode." Sirius walked to the door way, with a sweeping gesture, ushered Star in.
"Hi, umm thanks." She looked at Sirius then at Remus, smiling shyly.
"I just wanted to introduce myself better then I did in the staff room before dinner." Star walked into the middle of the room and looked at the two men standing in front of her. Keeping the charade up, Star looked at Sirius.
"I don't think we've met. I'm Raven Star and you are?"
"Sirius Black. It's a pleasure to meet you, Raven Star," Sirius said with all the smoothness he could muster.
"Are you a teacher here, Sirius?" Star smiled trying not to show how nervous she was.
"Oh, yes, Sirius here is the best teacher in the world." Remus nudged Sirius then winked at Star.
"Ha ha, old man, very funny. No, I'm not a teacher here, just a guest of the headmaster's."
"Raven Star, would you care for a drink? Sirius and I were just about to have some whiskey."
Smiling, she nodded. "Yes, please."
"Sirius,* would you help me a minute." Remus looked at his friend then turned and walked into the next room.
Star watched as the two men left the sitting room. She let out a huge sigh, and then dropped her face in to her hands.
"This is hopeless, I'm a fool, I should have never agreed to this." Star looked at the door way, thinking, if she just left now, the two wizards wouldn't notice and would think she was just a little weird.
"Padfoot, there is something about that girl that I can't figure out." Remus looked at his friend. They where whispering in Remus's bedroom. "She seems so familiar."
"I know what you mean Moony. It's like I've met her before, but for the life of me I can't figure it out." Sirius scratched his head thinking.
They both looked out at Star though the small crack in the unclosed door. She was looking at the picture over the fire place seemed to be mumbling to herself.
"She seems nervous, I wonder why." Sirius looked closely at her.
Suddenly, she turned and headed for the main door way. It looked like she was about to leave.
Remus quickly opened the door. He was holding two bottles of whiskey, and Sirius followed him out with three mugs. "Leaving so soon? I hope we haven't scared you," he called out to Star as she was about to open the door.
Stopping suddenly, Star turned around, a guilty look on her face. "No you didn't, I was." She stopped not really sure what to say. Remus noticed her slight discomfort. Putting the bottles down on the coffee table, he walked over to where Star was standing. Smiling at her, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Is everything alright, you seem worried about something?"
I"Damn you, Remus, how could I ever keep anything from you?"/I
"Yes, I am worried about something. I have this little problem and Albus thought it would be a good idea that I talk to you about it."
"Oh, did he now? That was nice of him." Remus guided Star over to the couch and she sat down.
"Well, if you have something that Dumbledore thinks I can help you with, then you'd better join us for a drink." Sirius handed her a mug as he sat down next to her.
After Remus had poured the first drinks, Sirius looked at Star. "So what seems to be the problem?" He took a sip of his whiskey and waited.
Star took a deep breath; she looked at both men then spoke.
"Star light, Star bright. I am the first little Star that you see in the night. High above, with the moon so bright."
Star stopped as she saw the expressions of the two men change. The little poem she had recited had been a favorite of James' from their childhood. She was about to start again when Sirius raised his hand to stop her. "How do you know that poem, who told it to you?"
"Yes, good question. How do you know that poem?" Remus looked at her, his eyes growing angry.
Closing her eyes, Star lowered her head and whispered. "My brother wrote it for me, Moony."
At that very moment, both men jumped up yelling, "WHAT!" The noise startled Star she pressed back into the couch trying to avoid them both.
Remus stared at Star. He couldn't speak;* his brain was running a million miles an hour.This couldn't be right, not after all these years.
"Jenn?" Sirius looked at Star, staring deeply at her, trying to see anything that would give him the right clues to make her be his little star.
She looked back at him, not knowing what to do or say. "Yes, Padfoot."
Before Star could say another word, Sirius jumped her, wrapping her up in the biggest hug she had ever had, which made Star squeak.
"Merlin's Beard, Jenn, where the hell have you been? I've missed you so much." He hugged her harder, trying to make up for all the lost time.
She squeaked again, which made Remus snap out of his daze and laugh. "Sirius, you're squishing her to death, let the poor girl breathe."
Hearing what Remus had said, Sirius let go of Star and held her at arm's length, looking at her again. She smiled weakly at him. He noticed she looked tired.
"Hey, do I get a hug, too?" Remus sat down behind Star on the arm of the couch. She turned around and looked at him, then wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly.
Remus hugged her shoulders. He noticed that she had started to shake, and then the sound of muffled sobs started.
"Oh, Jenn, please don't cry, we're not mad at you." Remus started to stroke her hair. He looked over her head at Sirius, who had started to get misty eyed.
"I'muth forry," was the muffled reply from Star.
Letting go of her, Remus gently placed his hand under Star's chin and raised her face to look at him.
"No need to be sorry, honey. I have a feeling this has been a lot harder on you."
Sniffing, Star smiled. She remembered how caring Remus always was, and how much of a comfort he had always been.
"I've missed you, "she whispered to him.
"I've missed you both." She turned to look at Sirius, who was still looking slightly stunned.
Finally Sirius spoke. "When did you get back?"
"I've been back in England for about three weeks now, and they have been the most full on three weeks." Star picked up her mug and drank some of the whiskey. It tasted harsh and bitter, but she didn't care. "So have you been filled in with what's been happening since you left?' Sirius's voice was flat, without emotion at all.
Star's shoulders slumped; her face dropped whatever small amount of happiness it held. "Yes, I am aware of what I've missed." She stood up. Walking over to the fireplace, she turned and looked at both men. "Don't you think I wanted to know what had happened? I only found out three weeks ago that most of my family was dead," Star yelled.
Remus gasped. He couldn't believe this. He was sure they had tried to contact her when James and Lily had been killed.
"We tried to contact you Jenn. I went to the Ministry and asked them to pass on the news, and a member of your department said they had." He stood up walking over to her, but at the same time Star backed away.
"Oh, they did alright. I was given a box of my personal effects when I got back, and in it were letters, and one of them was from you, Moony, sixteen years too late, telling me that James and Lily had been killed and Harry had been sent to live with the Dursleys."
Sirius was shaking his head. It was unreal how could they do that to her.
"One light point in this whole sordid affair is how satisfying it was after I broke the nose of my new supervisor. When you're angry, the sound of bones breaking is quite lovely," she chuckled. "Just between us, that guy will never keep anything from me now."
Remus couldn't believe what he was hearing. Jenn using violence, and enjoying it; this was just wrong. "Jenn, what happened? You where never like this."
"Life happened, Remus. The training changed me, the job changed me."
Sirius poured himself another drink, and then looked at Star. "That's one thing I want to ask you about, Jenn. What was the job you got? You didn't really tell us much about it at the wedding, just that you'd been employed by the Ministry and couldn't stay around."
Star stopped pacing and she started to chew on her thumb. Could she tell them about it, would they understand? Maybe it was time to tell the truth, it couldn't hurt.
"I was training for ten or so years in the Ministry as a Hit Auror, and also working in the Unspeakable section. Being pretty much used for my gifts." She flicked her nails, thinking. "Then, for the last eight, I've been either working undercover or learning the mysteries of other magical communities, and how they could be best used as a form of tactical warfare."
"Heavy action, Little Star." Sirius stood up. All this information Star had been offloading was starting to really overwhelm him.
"Yeah, I know, can be a bit funky in one hit." Star winked at him and started to rub her eyes. Either the alcohol was starting to kick in with the potions she had taken, or she was seriously in need of sleep.
"Ya know something, I'm getting the feeling that either I'm getting drunk or about to fall asleep."
Remus looked at his pocket watch. It was past 2 o clock he also was starting to feel tired." And with classes starting in the morning, it might not be a bad idea if we get some sleep."
"Sleep?" Sirius pouted. "I don't want to sleep, I want to party. Let's celebrate the return of our Little Star, Jenn Potter." Sirius grabbed hold of Star's hands and pulled her close to him. She laughed as he started to spin her around in a silly sort of waltz.
"Oh, no, I just remembered something." Remus looked at the pair as they danced. "What are we going to tell Harry?"
Star stopped dead, her face grew very serious. "Nothing, you're not going to tell him a thing."
"But, Jenn, you can't keep it from him," Remus pleaded.
She looked at them both sternly. "I can and I will. Trust me, Moony; I will know the right time to tell him so no giving it away. It also means no calling me Jenn; I've answered to Star for ten years now, so no blowing my cover." The men both nodded, both understanding what it was like to hold secrets
Sitting back down on the couch, Star let out a loud yawn. She was guessing that the potion was the real reason for her tiredness. She was usually a light sleeper, not getting very tired, unlike now she was feeling dead on her feet.
"Star, one question. Did you send Harry a dream featuring you?" Sirius looked over at the couch and noticed that Star's head had fallen back and her eyes where closed. He chuckled, guessing that question wasn't going to be answered now.
"Best not to wake her, old man, she looks so peaceful." Sirius looked at Remus, who was nodding in agreement.
After the feast was over, the students having eaten their full, the house Prefects were called upon to collect the first years and lead them to there new homes. Harry and Ron walked slowly along the corridor that led to the Gryffindor tower. They were both happy to be back at Hogwarts, and Harry was over the moon to be so close to his Godfather. "Ron, there is something about the new Professor that worries me." Harry stopped and looked at Ron. "How so, Harry? she seems ok to me."
"I don't know, I might be overreacting, but the dream I had keeps coming to mind.* I don't know why." He shrugged his shoulders and started walking again.
"Maybe you should have a talk with Snuffles, Harry." Ron caught up with Harry as they turned the corner and headed for the painting of the Fat Lady.
"First years, the password for the entrance to the Gryffindor common room is Dark Crystal, and you will have to remember it as the Fat Lady will not let you in unless you know it." Hermione spoke loudly to all those who where gathered around the front entrance. She had picked this password because it reminded her of a book she had read once.
Harry whispered to Ron making sure no one around them could hear the rest of the conversation. "I will, Ron, but not just yet. I want to see what happens." Ron nodded in agreement, as they made their way up too their room. It had been a long day and both boys had started to feel tiredness creep in.
Elsewhere in the castle, Severus Snape quickly made his way to the headmaster's office. He wanted to talk to Dumbledore about Professor Raven Star. He didn't like her and didn't like the idea of a telepath being in the same breathing space as him.
He stalked down the corridor and stopped outside the gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore's office. He snapped the password "Jelly Frog's" and the gargoyle opened up, revealing the moving staircase.
To Snape's surprise, he was greeted by Dumbledore a few steps away from the front door. "Ahh, Severus, I had a feeling you'd want to speak to me. Let me guess, you're here to complain about Professor Star?"
The old wizard smiled as Severus grunted and nodded his head.
"Did you know about ability," Snape spat out.
"Yes, I did, Severus; it was one of the reasons why I hired her." Dumbledore sat down in his favorite chair by the open fire place and gestured to Severus to join him.
"Now let me reassure you, Severus, Professor Star is no threat to you. She has no plans to invade your thoughts; that is unless you allow her to."
"Yes, Headmaster, I'm glad to hear that." Severus relaxed slightly. He didn't like telepaths. They were, in his opinion, freaks of nature.
The tone of the headmaster's voice had changed from its usual kindness to that of a warning. "But I must warn you, Severus, if you try to bait her like you must have done at the welcoming feast tonight, I will not be held responsible for any actions she feels the need to take against you. Star is a very strong woman and doesn't take being tormented lightly."
"Now, if you'll excuse me, Severus, I must go check on our new arrival." Albus stood up and ushered Severus towards the door.
Star sighed. She'd left the Great Hall so quickly after dinner that she was sure she'd snubbed anyone who wanted to speak to her afterwards. Her headache was getting severely worse and the thought of standing around talking made her feel ill. She flopped down in the over stuffed chair in the sitting room of her new quarters. She'd not had a chance to see much of them earlier. Minerva had quickly pointed her in the direction of the rooms and had given her the password that would let the painting know who she was.
From the looks of it the house elves had been in the room. The fire had been lit and it gave out a welcoming glow that warmed the room as well as Star's body. Closing her eyes, Star tried to meditate a little, hoping it would take some of the edge off her now mind blowing headache.
"Headache any better my dear?" The voice of Albus startled Star slightly; she opened her eyes to look at him and winced in pain. "I guess not. Here you go my dear, I had Poppy mix you up a pain reducer potion." He handed her a smoking goblet, which she took gratefully.
Wrinkling her nose slightly at the smell of it, Star gulped down the drink in one mouthful, trying not to gag at the taste.
"In all these years you'd think they would do something about the taste of that stuff. It's horrible." Star coughed, which made Albus laugh. She then placed the empty goblet on the table next to her. After a few seconds she could feel the sharpness of her headache start to ease. Sighing happily, she smiled up at the headmaster.
"Thank you for that. I felt like my head was going to explode." "That is alright, my dear; the last thing I would have wanted was one of my staff exploding on her first day." He laughed, watching Star stand up and he moved over to give the poor thing a hug.
Albus felt Star relax as he hugged her; she was so dear to him and after all these years, it was a relief to his mind to have her back inside the walls of Hogwarts.
"Did Severus talk to you about what I did to him at the welcoming feast?" Star broke off the hug and sat down again. Albus sat down in the chair opposite to Star's and nodded at her. "Yes, he did, and I let him know that you will not be taking unannounced trips through his mind."
"Oh, good. The last thing I need is a problem from him, even though it's to be expected from Severus. He was a prat at school, too," Star laughed. Her head was feeling much better; the extra strength pain killers had worked wonderfully. Star leaned over to rest her chin on her hand as she looked at the headmaster. "I just have one bone to pick with you Albus. Why in Merlin's name didn't you tell me that Remus was teaching here? I nearly had a heart palpitation when I saw him in the staff room before."
"I'm sorry, my dear, I completely forgot about Professor Lupin when I spoke to you last. I do hope you'll forgive me." He smiled as she nodded that she would. "I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that another member of your past is at the school as well, but not in a teaching role." Star looked at him puzzled. Who on earth could he mean? She had seen Harry and Remus. Who else could be here?
"A school friend of your brother's is here under my protection; one Sirius Black." Albus chuckled at the expression on Star's face when he said that name. Her jaw had dropped; a look of shocked surprise plastered itself to her tired features.
"Sirius is here, too, I don't believe this." Star got up out of her seat and started to pace slightly, she didn't know what to do. One part of her wanted to hide. Having to face her friends after all these years scared her to death. Another part of her wanted to rush on over to wherever they were staying and see them, not caring about the reaction she got.
"Calm down, my dear, you'll do yourself an injury." Albus stood up and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Headmaster, I don't know who I should go visit first - Remus or Sirius." She looked at him, a little scared.
"Might it help you to know that both men are staying in the same place?" Star nodded her head. That piece of information made things a hell of a lot better.
"Why don't I show you the way to their rooms. They're not far from your own, and you can take it from there?"
Nodding, Star followed the headmaster out from her rooms. He led her along a passage way and down some stairs. Turning, he stopped in front of a painting. The painting's theme was a landscape with small animals running around. As she looked closer, one of the animals stopped and looked at her.
Albus whispered quietly so not to startle the animal, "Are Professors Black and Lupin in?"
One of the bears in the picture growled and stood up on its hind legs. "Yes, they are in. Do you want to speak to them, Headmaster?" Albus shook his head." No, but the young lady here would like to."
"Wait one moment while I go ask if they want visitors," the Bear growled and ran off.
"I don't know if I can do this, Albus." Star looked at him. She was shaking slightly and felt really scared.
"It's the right thing to do, Star. Just think, now you'll have someone other then an old wizard to talk to when you're upset." His joke made Star feel a little better, but she was still scared stiff.
"I'll leave you to it. Relax, Star, you'll do fine." Albus patted her shoulder and set off down the hallway.
*********
"Hey, Moony, will you hurry up with the whiskey! I'm dying of thirst here." Sirius kicked his boots off as he got comfortable on the couch; he was happy to be back at Hogwarts and didn't mind sharing the same common room as Remus.
"Keep your fur on, man; I'm trying to find a mug." Remus yelled from the other room.
"Excuse me, Professor Lupin," a bear called from the painting that hung on the wall over the fireplace.
"Yeah, what can I do for you, Finny, my main bear?" Sirius stood up and walked over to the painting looking at the brown bear.
"There is someone outside who is wondering if Remus and you are up for a visitor."
Sirius scratched his head then called out for Remus to come in to the room.
Remus strode back in to the room quickly. "What is it,* Black?"
"Finny here says we have a visitor outside. Are you expecting anyone?"
"Who is it, Finny?" Remus looked at the brown bear.
"Headmaster Dumbledore and a woman, but it seems that it is only the woman who wants to visit. Do you want me to tell them you're busy?"
"No, Finny, tell them we would like the company of a lovely woman." Sirius smiled wickedly at the bear and watched as he turned and ran out of the picture.
They both turned. The painting opened to reveal the new Divination Professor. She was standing at the threshold of the room, not sure if she wanted to come in or not.
"Please come in, welcome to our humble abode." Sirius walked to the door way, with a sweeping gesture, ushered Star in.
"Hi, umm thanks." She looked at Sirius then at Remus, smiling shyly.
"I just wanted to introduce myself better then I did in the staff room before dinner." Star walked into the middle of the room and looked at the two men standing in front of her. Keeping the charade up, Star looked at Sirius.
"I don't think we've met. I'm Raven Star and you are?"
"Sirius Black. It's a pleasure to meet you, Raven Star," Sirius said with all the smoothness he could muster.
"Are you a teacher here, Sirius?" Star smiled trying not to show how nervous she was.
"Oh, yes, Sirius here is the best teacher in the world." Remus nudged Sirius then winked at Star.
"Ha ha, old man, very funny. No, I'm not a teacher here, just a guest of the headmaster's."
"Raven Star, would you care for a drink? Sirius and I were just about to have some whiskey."
Smiling, she nodded. "Yes, please."
"Sirius,* would you help me a minute." Remus looked at his friend then turned and walked into the next room.
Star watched as the two men left the sitting room. She let out a huge sigh, and then dropped her face in to her hands.
"This is hopeless, I'm a fool, I should have never agreed to this." Star looked at the door way, thinking, if she just left now, the two wizards wouldn't notice and would think she was just a little weird.
"Padfoot, there is something about that girl that I can't figure out." Remus looked at his friend. They where whispering in Remus's bedroom. "She seems so familiar."
"I know what you mean Moony. It's like I've met her before, but for the life of me I can't figure it out." Sirius scratched his head thinking.
They both looked out at Star though the small crack in the unclosed door. She was looking at the picture over the fire place seemed to be mumbling to herself.
"She seems nervous, I wonder why." Sirius looked closely at her.
Suddenly, she turned and headed for the main door way. It looked like she was about to leave.
Remus quickly opened the door. He was holding two bottles of whiskey, and Sirius followed him out with three mugs. "Leaving so soon? I hope we haven't scared you," he called out to Star as she was about to open the door.
Stopping suddenly, Star turned around, a guilty look on her face. "No you didn't, I was." She stopped not really sure what to say. Remus noticed her slight discomfort. Putting the bottles down on the coffee table, he walked over to where Star was standing. Smiling at her, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Is everything alright, you seem worried about something?"
I"Damn you, Remus, how could I ever keep anything from you?"/I
"Yes, I am worried about something. I have this little problem and Albus thought it would be a good idea that I talk to you about it."
"Oh, did he now? That was nice of him." Remus guided Star over to the couch and she sat down.
"Well, if you have something that Dumbledore thinks I can help you with, then you'd better join us for a drink." Sirius handed her a mug as he sat down next to her.
After Remus had poured the first drinks, Sirius looked at Star. "So what seems to be the problem?" He took a sip of his whiskey and waited.
Star took a deep breath; she looked at both men then spoke.
"Star light, Star bright. I am the first little Star that you see in the night. High above, with the moon so bright."
Star stopped as she saw the expressions of the two men change. The little poem she had recited had been a favorite of James' from their childhood. She was about to start again when Sirius raised his hand to stop her. "How do you know that poem, who told it to you?"
"Yes, good question. How do you know that poem?" Remus looked at her, his eyes growing angry.
Closing her eyes, Star lowered her head and whispered. "My brother wrote it for me, Moony."
At that very moment, both men jumped up yelling, "WHAT!" The noise startled Star she pressed back into the couch trying to avoid them both.
Remus stared at Star. He couldn't speak;* his brain was running a million miles an hour.This couldn't be right, not after all these years.
"Jenn?" Sirius looked at Star, staring deeply at her, trying to see anything that would give him the right clues to make her be his little star.
She looked back at him, not knowing what to do or say. "Yes, Padfoot."
Before Star could say another word, Sirius jumped her, wrapping her up in the biggest hug she had ever had, which made Star squeak.
"Merlin's Beard, Jenn, where the hell have you been? I've missed you so much." He hugged her harder, trying to make up for all the lost time.
She squeaked again, which made Remus snap out of his daze and laugh. "Sirius, you're squishing her to death, let the poor girl breathe."
Hearing what Remus had said, Sirius let go of Star and held her at arm's length, looking at her again. She smiled weakly at him. He noticed she looked tired.
"Hey, do I get a hug, too?" Remus sat down behind Star on the arm of the couch. She turned around and looked at him, then wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly.
Remus hugged her shoulders. He noticed that she had started to shake, and then the sound of muffled sobs started.
"Oh, Jenn, please don't cry, we're not mad at you." Remus started to stroke her hair. He looked over her head at Sirius, who had started to get misty eyed.
"I'muth forry," was the muffled reply from Star.
Letting go of her, Remus gently placed his hand under Star's chin and raised her face to look at him.
"No need to be sorry, honey. I have a feeling this has been a lot harder on you."
Sniffing, Star smiled. She remembered how caring Remus always was, and how much of a comfort he had always been.
"I've missed you, "she whispered to him.
"I've missed you both." She turned to look at Sirius, who was still looking slightly stunned.
Finally Sirius spoke. "When did you get back?"
"I've been back in England for about three weeks now, and they have been the most full on three weeks." Star picked up her mug and drank some of the whiskey. It tasted harsh and bitter, but she didn't care. "So have you been filled in with what's been happening since you left?' Sirius's voice was flat, without emotion at all.
Star's shoulders slumped; her face dropped whatever small amount of happiness it held. "Yes, I am aware of what I've missed." She stood up. Walking over to the fireplace, she turned and looked at both men. "Don't you think I wanted to know what had happened? I only found out three weeks ago that most of my family was dead," Star yelled.
Remus gasped. He couldn't believe this. He was sure they had tried to contact her when James and Lily had been killed.
"We tried to contact you Jenn. I went to the Ministry and asked them to pass on the news, and a member of your department said they had." He stood up walking over to her, but at the same time Star backed away.
"Oh, they did alright. I was given a box of my personal effects when I got back, and in it were letters, and one of them was from you, Moony, sixteen years too late, telling me that James and Lily had been killed and Harry had been sent to live with the Dursleys."
Sirius was shaking his head. It was unreal how could they do that to her.
"One light point in this whole sordid affair is how satisfying it was after I broke the nose of my new supervisor. When you're angry, the sound of bones breaking is quite lovely," she chuckled. "Just between us, that guy will never keep anything from me now."
Remus couldn't believe what he was hearing. Jenn using violence, and enjoying it; this was just wrong. "Jenn, what happened? You where never like this."
"Life happened, Remus. The training changed me, the job changed me."
Sirius poured himself another drink, and then looked at Star. "That's one thing I want to ask you about, Jenn. What was the job you got? You didn't really tell us much about it at the wedding, just that you'd been employed by the Ministry and couldn't stay around."
Star stopped pacing and she started to chew on her thumb. Could she tell them about it, would they understand? Maybe it was time to tell the truth, it couldn't hurt.
"I was training for ten or so years in the Ministry as a Hit Auror, and also working in the Unspeakable section. Being pretty much used for my gifts." She flicked her nails, thinking. "Then, for the last eight, I've been either working undercover or learning the mysteries of other magical communities, and how they could be best used as a form of tactical warfare."
"Heavy action, Little Star." Sirius stood up. All this information Star had been offloading was starting to really overwhelm him.
"Yeah, I know, can be a bit funky in one hit." Star winked at him and started to rub her eyes. Either the alcohol was starting to kick in with the potions she had taken, or she was seriously in need of sleep.
"Ya know something, I'm getting the feeling that either I'm getting drunk or about to fall asleep."
Remus looked at his pocket watch. It was past 2 o clock he also was starting to feel tired." And with classes starting in the morning, it might not be a bad idea if we get some sleep."
"Sleep?" Sirius pouted. "I don't want to sleep, I want to party. Let's celebrate the return of our Little Star, Jenn Potter." Sirius grabbed hold of Star's hands and pulled her close to him. She laughed as he started to spin her around in a silly sort of waltz.
"Oh, no, I just remembered something." Remus looked at the pair as they danced. "What are we going to tell Harry?"
Star stopped dead, her face grew very serious. "Nothing, you're not going to tell him a thing."
"But, Jenn, you can't keep it from him," Remus pleaded.
She looked at them both sternly. "I can and I will. Trust me, Moony; I will know the right time to tell him so no giving it away. It also means no calling me Jenn; I've answered to Star for ten years now, so no blowing my cover." The men both nodded, both understanding what it was like to hold secrets
Sitting back down on the couch, Star let out a loud yawn. She was guessing that the potion was the real reason for her tiredness. She was usually a light sleeper, not getting very tired, unlike now she was feeling dead on her feet.
"Star, one question. Did you send Harry a dream featuring you?" Sirius looked over at the couch and noticed that Star's head had fallen back and her eyes where closed. He chuckled, guessing that question wasn't going to be answered now.
"Best not to wake her, old man, she looks so peaceful." Sirius looked at Remus, who was nodding in agreement.