Disclaimer: Steffie and her mother belong to me, Rebecca belongs to my sister. Everything else belongs to J.K.Rowling of course...

Chapter 3 : The Boy-Who-Lived and a werewolf

Another week had passed slowly at Grimmauld Place. Steffie spent her time thinking up pranks with the Weasley twins, but it was hard to carry them out with Molly constantly looming over them like an oversized watchdog. She made them all clean rooms in the old house, something Steffie greatly loathed doing, as she had never had to do that sort of work before.

For the first time then, Steffie started to feel a bit sorry for the constant slavery in which the house-elves had to live. She had heard Hermione talking about the S.P.E.W., and Hermione had looked as if she expected Steffie to make fun of her, but Steffie had just turned away. Deep inside, she thought Hermione was right, but she wasn't about to agree with a know-it all like her, Steffie still didn't like Hermione in the least.

Whenever Steffie wasn't busy cleaning up or playing pranks with the Weasley twins and Ginny, she tried to collect information about Remus Lupin. So far, she had found that he had taught at Hogwarts two years ago, he had resigned after only a year, but for some reason, no one told her why exactly. Everybody seemed to keep some secret about him that she wasn't supposed to know. Sirius didn't help much either and to make matters more difficult, Remus kept avoiding her at all cost, she had asked her father if he knew why his friend avoided her, but Sirius had told her that Steffie must be imagining it. It was funny though how Remus had stopped avoiding her on purpose after she had talked to her father about this.

It was now the beginning of August, and Steffie's attention was momentarily drawn from Remus, because she would soon have the chance to meet Harry Potter, who would be coming to Grimmauld Place soon. Although the circumstances weren't good, he had been attacked by a dementor near the house of his aunt and uncle where he lived, Steffie was happy he would be there. The opportunity to meet him was only one of the reasons she was happy; she had seen her father's reaction to the prospect of having Harry there, it made him obviously happy, on the other side, Steffie was growing more and more jealous of Harry.

One day, Steffie was awoken very early by voices.She looked to the other beds in her room, but they were empty. She realised the voices came from the boys' bedroom and the other girls would probably be there to. Annoyed about her waking up this early, she made her way towards the other room.

She kicked the door open, and said withquite a loud voice, 'Good morning to all of you too, thank you for waking me up so early, as a trait, I will let you all choose your punishment yourself.'

A stunned silence had fallen while she spoke. Only when she had finished she looked around the room and saw a face she hadn't seen before. She cocked her head, walking inside the room. 'Hi, who are you?'

The boy watched her in amazement, out of the corners of her eye, she saw Ron inching away from her, and Hermione hold her breath, Ginny appeared to be trying not to burst in giggles.

'I asked who you are', Steffie repeated frowning, 'Or am I such a beauty that you swallowed your tongue by seeing me.'

The boy awoke from his stupor and started blushing a bit. 'Sorry, I'm not used to people not knowing who I am, and certainly not in an environment like this one. I'm Harry Potter. And may I know who you are?' He threw a glance towards Ron and Hermione, who obviously couldn't stand this girl, and wondered how it was possible she earned a look that was worth Malfoy from his friends, and yet seemed to be living in this house with them and be friends with Ginny.

The girl grinned now. 'Oh, you are our celebrity, I suppose I should introduce myself properly then. My name is Persephone Andromeda Black, sir, daughter of Sirius Black and Hecate LaRoche-Black,' until now, she had acted as if she had met a very high placed person, but Harry knew by the look in her eyes she was mocking him, then, her stance became a bit threatening but she still grinned at him, 'but call me Steffie, you might find it very painful if you call me another name.'

Harry gulped a little; he knew he didn't want to be on her bad side. Then something struck him; Sirius had a daughter? He decided he wanted to know her better if she was Sirius' daughter, even though it seemed Ron and Hermione didn't like her. He grinned back at her. 'Sirius never told me he had a daughter, but I am very glad to meet you, Steffie, I hope we get along.'

And with that, they shook hands.

The next days went by just as slowly as those before Harry had come; they spent most of their time cleaning the house. Steffie and Harry often talked while working and they found that they got along pretty well. Harry liked her witty comments and the way she didn't seem to care what other peoplethought of her. Steffie, on the other hand, liked the fact he could take her jokes and light-hearted insults without taking them at heart, knowing she didn't mean them anyway.

Harry soon realised that was the reason why she didn't get along with Hermione and Ron, they just took her comments too serious, while they were only her way to be herself.

In the meanwhile, Steffie was still trying to figure out what was going on with Remus Lupin.

She had come to the conclusion that asking questions didn't get her anywhere, sneaking around and trying to find written information hadn't helped her either. So she decided to turn to the only option left open.

One morning, she sneaked into the room of Fred and George, and nicked their extendable ears.

She knew that her father and his friend could be found talking in the kitchen this day almost every week around the same hour; she hoped they would be there too this evening. She had tried to walk in on their conversation and pick some things up that way earlier, but that hadn't worked.

So, now, she would just eavesdrop with the extendable ears.

Safely hidden from all eyes under Harry's invisibility cloak, which she had nicked out of his trunk, she settled down and listened to the ongoing conversation, or actually, it sounded like a discussion.

'For once, Moony, listen to me. Ignoring and avoiding her really doesn't help you or anyone. She's bound to find out some things sooner or later, and with the way you are acting, it only makes her suspicious about you.' That was her father.

Steffie frowned. What was going on? It sounded like they were talking about her.

'What do you expect me to do, Sirius,' that was Remus, 'it is hard enough for me as it is now, without having to face her all the time.'

What were they talking about? Steffie wondered. Why would it be so difficult for him to face her?

Her father spoke again.

'Did you know she is asking everyone about you, trying to find some more information?'

Steffie heard a sigh, and then Remus' voice sounded again.

'I can't do it. Please try to understand. Like you said, she is only a child.' Steffie felt her anger suddenly boiling, she was fifteen, that's hardly a child anymore. 'Besides, what does it matter if I talk to her now, you know how she is raised, if she finds out I'm a werewolf, she would hate me, and I couldn't stand that.'

Steffie froze, everything she had heard before disappeared from her mind at those last words. So that was what's wrong, Remus is a werewolf.

The next moment, Steffie ran back up the stairs and into her room. She settled herself on her bed, back against the headboard.

What to do now? The question kept repeating through her head over and over again.

Part of her wanted to run away screaming, that was the part that had faithfully listened to the stories of the old nanny who had been taking care of her when she was little.

But she was never one to listen to the beliefs of others.

And that independent part of her that never listened to adults was now telling her that, maybe, her nanny had been wrong. Maybe, not all werewolves were bad, like her nanny used to claim. Come to think of, her father was close friends with a werewolf, wouldn't that mean that Remus was trustworthy?

After a long time thinking, she only ended up with a major headache.

Maybe confronting her father with it tomorrow would be a good idea. And with that thought in her mind, she went to bed.

The next day, she went to her father at the first opportunity she had to sneak away from Molly Weasley's all observant eyes while cleaning.

However, when she found her father, he wasn't alone, in fact, to her dismay, she found him talking with Remus Lupin.

She eyed him warily for a few moments, until he started to shift uncomfortably under her scrutinizing gaze.

At last, she turned to her father and stated a simple 'I have to talk to you.'

Immediately, Remus excused himself and left the room.

'What the matter?' Sirius asked his daughter. He may not know her that well yet, but he had been around her enough for the last few weeks to know that something was bothering her greatly.

As usual, Steffie came straight to the point, and in a typical Steffie-like accusing way.

'Why didn't anyone bother to tell me your friend is a werewolf?' She put an extra emphasis on the words 'yourfriend', as to make sure to her father she thought him responsible for her not knowing.

Sirius sighed and closed his eyes for a second, he had known this would come one day, but he still had no idea how to handle it.

'Steffie, there are a lot of reasons why you weren't told, and most of these reasons must also stay unknown to you', Steffie wanted to protest here, but Sirius put up his hand to stop her, so he could continue, 'for now, Steffie, for now. I promise one day everything will become clear to you.'

Steffie was starting to get very angry by now, she hated secrets, probably because most of her own past had always been a secret for her that she had only recently started discovering.

But before she could reply, her father was speaking again.

'However, one of the main reasons why this was hidden for you, is because we all, and Remus in particular, feared your reaction. Both Remus and I have been to France in the past, we knew many of your mothers' family and family friends. Most of these people don't look friendly upon werewolves, you know that Steffie. And growing up in that environment, it would be highly possible you would have picked up some of these prejudices.'

Steffie knew that he was right, partly, but on the other hand, these people her father was talking about didn't like the fact she was hanging around with Muggles either, and she obviously had never listened to them about that. So why should she listen about their opinion about werewolves. A bit ashamed, she realised she had indeed been listening to them.

Her father was still talking.

'I want you to know, Steffie, that you can really trust Remus, I have been friends with him since I was eleven years old, and I believe I can say I really know him by now. I 'm not going to try and force you, but I want to ask you to give him a chance.'

Sirius finally stopped talking and looked down at his daughter intently, as if trying to read her thoughts.

Steffie was still processing everything she had heard.

Then something struck her mind, she had only been here in this house for a few weeks, but in that time, she had started to get to know her father, he cared about her like she had always hoped a father would, and she trusted him.

And which good father would bring their own child in danger.

If her father trusted Remus, then Steffie too would give him a chance.

With that, she nodded her head and smiled up at her father.

'If you really trust him, I'll give him a chance.'

Sirius smiled too now and hugged her.

After that, Steffie left the room, only to walk into Remus and fall on the ground as she skipped down the hall.

Immediately, she felt a strong hand helping her stand up again.

As she looked up, she found Remus looking back worriedly.

'Did you hurt yourself?', he asked, looking her nervously in the eye.

Steffie realised it was the very first time he spoke to her.

She answered with a typical Steffie-answer.

'You mean to ask if you hurt me? No, you didn't, and I can stand on my own you know.'

He let go of her immediately, and muttered a quiet sorry.

She softened when she noticed how uncomfortable he felt. As she looked at him, she wondered why he had been avoiding her all the time. Was he really that afraid of her reaction? Now as she stood there talking to him, sort of, she was sure she had never doubted him in the first place, if he had not been avoiding her.

She smiled up at him.

'It's alright, I know I'm a bit hyperactive sometimes.'

He looked back to her and smiled.

Suddenly, she realised something she had meant to ask him for some time now.

'Can I ask you something? Do you happen to know a Rebecca Lupin?'

Remus nodded. 'Yes, she is my niece.'

'Thanks, I was just wondering.'

Steffie flashed a smile at him and with that she disappeared down the hall, towards the room she had been cleaning earlier together with Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys. It was probably a good thing she didn't glance back while she walked away, because she could have seen Remus watching her walk away with a slight smile on his lips and a soft look in his eyes.And knowing Steffie, that could have caused a whole lot of other awkward questions without answers.