A/N: Ooooh! Two reviews! At least somebody is reading this! Welcome swimaura!

Chapter 8

As Christmas drew closer, everyone was making plans for the holiday. Harry was determined to take me to meet Remus Lupin, who Sirius Black had named as Harry's successor guardian if anything should happen to him. Harry liked Lupin immensely and had been pleased by Sirius' choice, and now he wanted us to meet. There was only one problem. Harry had only given me sketchy details about a group that had been fighting Voldemort in secret from the moment Harry announced his return. I knew Professor Dumbledore was involved in some major way, and apparently Lupin was as well. The latter seemed to be staying at their secret headquarters, so the problem was how to get me there without me knowing where 'there' was. Harry, of course, trusted me implicitly and wasn't worried I was any kind of a security risk, but he wasn't so sure the others would be pleased if he told me too much without their prior approval.

To that end, he went to Dumbledore to see if there was any solution to the problem. I'm not really sure if it was something Harry said or not, but Dumbledore agreed to let me go and offered to send us by portkey. But that may have been precautionary, since if we went by Floo powder, I'd have to know the address. By portkey, I could be sent anywhere and not know where I was.

Hermione was going home with Ron for awhile before she joined her parents for Christmas, and Harry made them promise to drop by and visit him and Lupin also for a day or two.

Draco wasn't keen on going home but it seemed preferable to staying at Hogwarts with his few friends gone and a lot of animosity from the Slytherins who would be staying over the holiday.

The first day of the holiday break, Harry and I took our bags and went to Professor Dumbledore's office. Harry had been there several times before, but this was the first time I had been back since my initial interview on trying to come to Hogwarts. The Professor's office was still as amazing as I remembered it being. I didn't have a clue what half the bits and bobs he had in there were or did, but it was fascinating just looking at them. Professor Dumbledore wished us a Happy Christmas and then handed us a chipped teacup. A few moments later, a jerk behind our navels told us we were on our way.

We landed in the kitchen. Harry managed to land on his feet, and I stayed upright by quickly grasping his arm and shoulder. Sitting at the table smiling at us was the man I presumed was Remus Lupin. He stood to greet us but when I turned to face him fully, his face went ashen white, as if he was seeing a ghost, and he stopped dead in his tracks, staring at me. "Deandra? Deandra Tobin?" he croaked.

Harry was gazing at him in astonishment, but hastened to correct him, "Uh, no, Moony. This is Deandra Alleyan." He turned to smile at me, apologetic for his friend mistaking me for someone else, and that's when he saw an equally frozen look on my face.

"How do you know Deandra Tobin?" I gasped. "She was my mother."

Lupin partially recovered from the shock and hastily sat back down at the table, his head in his hands. "Oh yes, of course!"

Harry and I quickly sat down as well, anxious for some explanation of his bizarre behavior. This was not at all the reception any of us had envisioned. Slowly, shakily Lupin seemed to recover his senses and began to justify his reaction.

"I knew your mother at school, at Hogwarts. And after... I had heard she died in childbirth, but you look so much like her it came as quite a shock to see you standing in front of me. Harry's only ever called you 'De' when he has written to me so I never had reason to make a connection before now."

I tried to process this new information; I was meeting an old school friend of my mother's? A sudden thought surfaced, "If you knew my mother, did you also know my father?" He flinched and looked quickly at Harry, who was watching him curiously.

Then the realization hit him and he said quietly to Harry, "You don't know who her father is, do you?"

Harry was as caught off guard by this question as I was, but replied, "No. Even she doesn't know his name."

Lupin blinked in surprise, "You don't...?" He really had not been prepared for this turn of events. Apparently he was wondering how much to tell - after all, if I didn't know, then WHY didn't I know? Had someone purposely kept it from me for a reason? I guess to be on the safe side, he suggested, "Why don't you tell me what you do know and I'll see if I can fill in any of the pieces."

Harry reached for my hand and squeezed it encouragingly, so I took a deep breath and told him what little I knew of my mother's history. When I finished, his face wore a sad smile; almost a tragic smile. And I thought I saw a tear slip down his cheek.

"How ironic that you and Harry should end up at school together and fall in love," he murmured. Harry and I both blushed at the 'fall in love' part; we had never admitted to feeling that much, not yet anyway.

"Why is it ironic?" Harry asked, anxious to know more.

"Because Deandra's father was also your godfather, and your friend - Sirius Black." The silence in the room was so complete, you couldn't even hear the sound of any of us breathing. Maybe none of us were.

I still couldn't take this all in, but Harry blurted out, "Sirius was her father!"

Lupin saw that a much more complete explanation was in order. He got up and poured us each some tea, then sat back down to begin.

While Harry's parents, Lupin and Sirius had all known my mother in school, there had never been any serious relationship between her and Sirius until right before graduation. Their group was already becoming involved in a resistance movement against Voldemort, drafted by Dumbledore in their senior year. Knowing their involvement would place them in great danger, Sirius was reluctant to associate with anyone who hadn't already stepped into that arena, fully aware it could cost them their life. But before he had to address that issue, Dumbledore had drafted Deandra as well and the obstacle was removed. James and Lily were married shortly after graduation and Harry born almost two years later to the day.

Deandra and Sirius had gotten closer and closer, but after Harry was born and Sirius was named as his godfather, their relationship seemed to deepen. Perhaps they were a little envious of what James and Lily had, and wanted it for themselves. Somewhat unintentionally, I happened. When they realized Deandra was pregnant and it was apparent the danger Harry was in because of his parents' activities, Deandra and Sirius decided she and the baby would be safer in America. Deandra's sister and brother-in-law were persuaded to accompany her.

Things got more and more dangerous and Sirius was so involved with the resistance activities, he wasn't able to come visit more than once or twice. Partly he was afraid of being followed and Deandra being discovered. And then when it became necessary for the Potters to go into hiding, things took a very fast downward spiral. The Potters were killed, Sirius was sitting in a cell in Azkaban and Harry was living with the Dursleys.

"And they were never able to marry," I murmured regretfully.

Lupin looked up in surprise, "Didn't you know?"

"Know what?" I asked.

"They were married, just after Christmas, before your mother left for America. Only a few of us knew about it since it had to happen quickly and in secret. Harry's parents and I were the only ones in attendance. I thought surely she must have told her sister and that she would have told you."

I shook my head. "Mum and Dad didn't know. And they never knew why they never heard from my father." Then a new thought occurred to me, "But why didn't he ever try to find me? Did he not know where I was or what?" Somehow it had been easier to think he was dead and couldn't find me than to think he hadn't tried.

Lupin sighed heavily, "Of course he couldn't from Azkaban. After he escaped, he spent the rest of his life on the run and in hiding. I asked him about you once, but it was obviously too painful for him to talk about. He never said why he didn't try to contact you, but the truth is, I think he figured you wouldn't want to know him. He knew you were being raised by good people and he probably thought you were better off without him in your life."

Harry added regretfully, "But if he had been able to clear himself, I bet he would have found you." I could tell he was again blaming himself for Sirius' premature death. Lupin seemed to realize it too. I leaned over and hugged Harry tightly. "It's not your fault. Voldemort is to blame, but not you," I whispered. "I know you would never have done anything to intentionally hurt Sirius...or me."

When I felt the tension in Harry ease, I sat back and really looked at Lupin. I knew he was only my mother's age but he seemed much older. His hair was already graying and he had the worn and drawn look of someone who had lived a hard life. Impulsively I reached over and put my hand on top of his, "Thank you. I needed to know the full story about my parents. I'm glad I finally found someone who had the answers." He smiled weakly at me; I think he regretted not being able to give me happier news.

Incredibly we had been sitting there talking so long that it was already early evening. None of us had noticed missing lunch, but now my stomach was grumbling in complaint. I looked around the kitchen and saw it was minimally stocked. Rising, I asked, "So what is there to eat?"

Lupin smiled ruefully, "Not much, I'm afraid. I don't pay a lot of attention to my meals." By then I was already checking out the pantry and saw that his assessment was accurate.

"Is there a Muggle store nearby?" I questioned.

"Well, yes, but I don't have any Muggle money and I'm not sure you should be going out..."

"I've got money. And you can go with me, to show me where it is. Harry's the only one who is really a target, right?"

I think he wanted to argue, but the look Harry gave him let him know he was probably not going to win. He shrugged in defeat, "All right. I'll get my cloak."

We followed him upstairs and waited in the entry hall for his return. I slipped my arms around Harry and laid my head on his chest. This had been a long, emotional day, for both of us. We certainly had never dreamed the course we were setting all those months ago when first we kissed.

Lupin returned and I gave Harry a quick kiss goodbye, "See you shortly."

He nodded and headed upstairs with our bags as Lupin led the way out the front door.