The following day proved to be rather tense for both Remus and Sophia. So far Remus and Sophia had successfully avoided each other as much as possible, but by dinner, that idealistic dream vanished. Remus sat at the table chatting vivaciously with Harry and Sirius, while Sophia sat upstairs on her bed reading through a novel. She had promised Molly to be down as soon as she finished the chapter in the newest muggle mystery novel. Sophia already knew who the killer was, but it was satisfying to prove her theories right.

Once she had finished, she put on her sandals and walked downstairs to the kitchens where everyone was having dinner. She was however, slightly deterred in the foyer when she saw Severus walking in. He simply tipped his head in acknowledgement of her and continued to walk, yet Sophia stood on the last step staring after him. She desperately wanted to know why he was here, in the Order's headquarters, but that could wait until later. Rolling her eyes in exasperation, she swung around the railing and walked into the kitchen, briefly noticing Remus's presence before she took a seat, unfortunately for both of them, it was right across from him. Remus took the first step in trying to create a somewhat civil, if not friendly, friendship. "Good evening Sophia."

"Good evening." She replied stiffly.

"I trust your day was a pleasant one?"

"As much as can be in this dark place-no offence Sirius. And yours?" Sophia decided to follow his game.

"I can't complain." That ended their brief conversation, and Remus returned his attentions to Sirius and Harry. Sophia rolled her eyes and concentrated on her meal. Finally growing weary of her own silence, she turned to her right and saw a lovely red-headed young woman slumped in her seat. Sophia narrowed her eyebrows slightly and decided to talk to her.

"Hello." The girl did not respond. Sophia tried again, "Hello..." She said a bit louder, the girl looked over at her quickly and her eyes made an apologetic gesture.

"Were you talking to me? Sorry, I guess I was daydreaming." The young woman said quickly.

Sophia laughed lightly, "It's fine, I do that too. You're...Ginny correct?" The girl nodded and Sophia feigned relief, "That's a relief, I have always been horrible with names, I swear I don't know how I'm going to teach, I'll never remember anyone's name."

Ginny tried to laugh, "You'll do fine, I'm sure. At least better than our past teachers. The only tolerable one we've had was Professor Lupin." Sophia's eyes widened in surprise at Ginny's revelation.

"Remus...I mean Professor Lupin...taught at Hogwarts? When?"

"Oh it was a while back, my second year, Harry's third." Ginny said.

"Did he quit?"

"Technically...yes...but he would have had to leave, parents had found out about the Professors...well something that couldn't be changed, so he saved everyone the hassle and he left."

"Really?" Sophia stated, mildly interested. "He was a good teacher?"

Ginny nodded, "One of the best. Moody was a good teacher too..."

"Alastor Moody?"

"You know him? Well, he wasn't really Moody, he turned out to Barty Crouch."

"Senior?" Sophia asked skeptically.

"No-no junior." Ginny clarified.

"That sounds about right, he never was a good man."

"You knew him?"

"I knew his face and reputation." Sophia responded.

"What else do you know?" Ginny asked as she sat pushed herself up in her seat.

"Oh things that would make you laugh until you cried."

"Like..."

"Like when Sirius ran naked through the Hogwarts yards in winter." Sophia giggled. Sirius heard this and spoke up.

"Hey! What happens in the past stays in the past!" He said indignantly.

Sophia rolled her eyes. "Sure Sirius, you'll find a way to leak all my nasty secrets to Harry so I might as well get a head start."

"Sirius may have run naked through the yards, but at least he didn't try to seduce the Potions Master." Remus threw in.

Sophia's eyes widened. "Two on one...not fair, and I did not try to seduce the Potions Master, that was James."

Everyone shuddered at the memory of their fifth year when James mistook the Potions Master for a Potions Mistress. "Good ole Jamsie, not the brightest one." Sirius stated.

"Most defiantly a memory I try to forget." Sophia stated.

"Why? It was hilarious!" Sirius and Remus said at the same time.

"You two are sick." Sophia remarked in mock disgust before she wrinkled up her nose and laughed. Harry and Ginny looked at each other in a way that screamed, 'Those three are insane!'

The tension dissipating, Sirius leaned forward and began to talk to Sophia, "So, darling of my heart, how was America."

Sophia folded her arms across her chest and leaned back in her chair before replying, "Fascinating."

"How so?" Sirius prodded.

"Well I lived the muggle life, and I must say it is a charming one. I saw a lot of the other side, and the simplicity of it is astounding."

"Explain." Remus threw in. Sophia threw a look at him before she continued.

"Well...they are so much like us, yet different. They like to read, they like sports, they laugh, smile, fall in love, fall out of love, and die. They have hatred, and they have acceptance. I will hand this to them though, they dress better than us. I just don't understand how muggles can be hated by choice wizards and witches when we are so much a like."

Out of the entire conversation, the only thing Remus really heard was Sophia's..."fall out of love." Shaking his head he leaned back, what did he care how she felt about him, he hated her now...right? No. Dinner passed for everyone rather slowly, and after the beginning of dinner, Ginny soon quieted. After dinner was through, she stood up and excused herself. Sunset had begun, and Ginny found her solace with the setting sun. She pushed open the door and walked down the street to a park where a hill stood. On that hill, she could look out across and stare straight at the horizon, it was almost as if she could touch it. Ginny took of her light jacket and placed it on the ground, she then sat down upon it and brought her knees up to her chest.


Harry had felt the need to escape the house after dinner. He was tired, and he needed to think. He needed silence, he needed to find hope. Ever since Harry had stepped into the wizarding world his life had changed. He had expectations of him that he never wanted. He had defeated Voldermort once, so he would do it again. There were dozens of prophecies about him, none of which was he ever told about until he himself found it out. He was sick of having things hidden from him, and Sophia's sudden arrival had only intensified that. Shoving his hands into his trousers, Harry kicked the dirt with the edge of his black and white Converse sneaker. Sniffing, Harry lifted his head as he came upon the very same hill Ginny sat. He narrowed his eyes and the shadowed figure before him and then walked silently up to her. He stilled slightly as he saw the tears falling from Ginny's eyes. She made no noise, she didn't need too. The wind played small games with her red-locks and Harry looked at her with a new admiration. She was beautiful.

"Hey Ginny." Harry said softly. She quickly turned her head to his voice and visibly relaxed and tensed at the same time.

"Hullo Harry." She whispered as she returned her attention to the horizon before her.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked as he walked closer to her.

She simply shrugged. "Thinking."

"About what?" He inquired as he stood over her. Ginny glanced up for a second before turning her head away again. She did not answer him. "Is something wrong Ginny?" She shrugged.

"I..." She broke off.

"Can I sit?"

Ginny gestured to a spot next to her, and Harry folded himself to the ground beside her. "What's up?" He asked her. She sent him a blank expression. Harry could still see the trace marks in her makeup from the tears. Harry folded his knees up and hooked his arms around them.

"What do you plan to do after Hogwarts?" Ginny asked him. Harry cocked his head to the side.

"To be honest that hasn't been the highest priority of my life over the past two years. I guess it all comes down to Voldermort." He responded honestly.

"Doesn't it always?" She whispered. She dipped her head and looked back up. "Doesn't it terrify you?"

"What?"

"Fighting him." She stated simply.

"I've fought him before."

"Not like this. There's more on the line. Before it was...it was just about getting rid of you, now it's about getting rid of everything."

"Can you explain?" Harry prodded.

"The fact that everything I love or have loved could vanish in a solitary moment because of a figure...a man...that terrifies me."

"It should."

Ginny stood up and ran her hands through her hair before dropping her hands to her sides and looking down at Harry, "Then how can you be so cool? He took everything from you! He has tried to kill you so many times! He haunts you, he mocks you, and he provokes you, yet you are still so cool! How?" Ginny practically yelled as she looked into the emerald depths of Harry's eyes as Harry stood up.

Harry searched Ginny's brown eyes for a moment, "Because I have to be." He replied simply. Ginny groaned at his inadequate response.

"Don't you ever just want to-I don't know break something. Tell everyone to forget it. Fight for themselves? That you're done and through?" She said exasperatedly.

"A lot of the time, yeah. Ginny what is this about?"

Ginny closed her eyes and turned away from him. "I still hear him in my head. Echoes, yet everything he says is new. It's been getting stronger lately. I don't know what that means, but I can't get him out of my head...I can't..." Ginny broke off as a sob strangled her words. Harry walked up behind her and turned her around. He wrapped his arms around her as Ginny cried. The two stood there for a few minutes, and finally her sobs quieted down. Harry slowly pulled the two of them to the ground. He pushed her hair out of her eyes.

"Does anyone else know?" He whispered gently.

"No, and please don't tell anyone okay? My family has enough to deal with. My mother worries about you, your like her seventh son." She said as she laughed softly. "I'm not too close to anyone else. Wow I'm pathetic."

"Hey...why do you say that?"

"Look at me! I'm crying on the shoulder of someone who could honestly care less about problems that are trivial to you. I most likely look a mess too."

Harry smiled at her and shook his head side to side. He then grasped her face and wiped away the smudged mascara from beneath her eyes. Ginny blushed softly and tried to avert her eyes, but Harry's gaze remained steady, and she reluctantly looked back up at him. Harry's thumb continued to make gentle movements across her soft skin. Slowly he leaned down and ever so lightly their lips met. The kiss was innocent, sweet, and yet held a spark. Shocked, Harry pulled back. "What? What's wrong?" Ginny asked.

Harry shook his head, "That wasn't right, you're Ron's little sister, I shouldn't have..."

Ginny held up her hand to stop Harry. "Don't worry about it. It was a mistake right?" She declared.

"Right. It won't happen again." Harry confirmed. Ginny looked at him incredulously for a moment, before she stood up and walked quickly back to the house. "Ginny...Ginny wait!" Harry called after her. She kept walking. Harry sighed and ran his hands through his hair and rested them on the back of his neck. Finally he looked up.

"Good job Potter." He whispered.


Back at 12 Grimauld place, everyone had taken their plates to Molly. Sophia stood in the kitchen with Molly while Sirius and Remus walked into the parlor. Remus fell down into a nearby chair with a grunt while Sirius walked over to study the bookshelves. He turned around to see Remus sitting with his hand covering his eyes and at the moment Sirius decided to go talk with Sophia. He shuffled into the kitchen and Sophia and Molly turned around.

"Hey Molly, may I borrow Sophia for a moment?" Molly looked at Sophia and shrugged.

"She's all yours."

Sophia laughed and walked with Sirius out of the kitchen. The two walked up to Sophia's room and sat on the couch in front of the fire place. "What's up?" Sophia asked as she turned sideways to face him. Sirius looked at her.

"Just saving you from the wrath of Molly's cleaning."

She laughed, "Well I thank you much. But I sense an ulterior motive."

Sirius sighed, "Okay you got me. Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"And you won't get mad?"

"...I can't promise that."

Sirius laughed, "Fair enough. Okay, I just want to know...why didn't you ever write?"

Sophia looked confused, "Huh?"

"When you were gone...you never wrote."

"I didn't keep in contact with anyone..."

"You kept in contact with Lily..."

"That was a different circumstance Sirius."

"How?"

Sophia groaned, "Because I knew things and still know things that you don't."

"Merlin Sophia, that's what you have been telling everyone! If you "know" so damn much then explain!"

"Calm down Sirius!"

"I am calm."

"Then why are you yelling?"

"I wasn't yelling...I was merely raising my voice."

"Well don't."

"Answer the damn question Sophia."

"Why didn't I write? I couldn't. Why did I write to Lily? Because in those last few moments I knew I would not see her again before she died. When you know that, you tend to want to keep in touch, keep some sort of relationship, I've had a lot to regret, but I did not want one of those things to be breaking off contact with my best friend when I knew she was going to die before I saw her again."

"I almost died!" Sirius yelled.

"I know." Sophia whispered as she turned her head away.

"So that shoots a hole in your theory."

"No it doesn't, why? Because your alive. Because I knew you wouldn't die...not before I saw you again."

"I spent the better part of my life in Azkaban, everyone that knew me betrayed me, and people still think I murdered all those people, and you never even wrote to tell me whether you had joined the majority or believed my innocence. But then-" Sirius broke off, "it's not like you knew anyway."

"I knew. And I knew you didn't do it."

"How did you know?"

"I-"

"You what Sophia? Huh? You just knew?"

"Albus told me you had been arrested." She stated simply.

"Do you have the slightest clue what it was like for me?" He yelled, finally standing up and leering over her. "It was hell...pure hell."

"I know."

"How?"

"BECAUSE I SAW YOU!" She screamed.

Sirius took a step back, "What?"

Sophia stood up and walked to the fireplace where flames of a fire now danced. She stared into the orange heated depths for a few moments before she turned around, taking in a deep breath, "When Albus told me...I took a muggle flight over. I...I went into Azkaban...dreary place, I don't know how you stayed sane. I saw you. But Sirius there was nothing I could do! They wouldn't even let me talk to you."

"Right...if you were there, I'd have seen you."

"Are you really that dense?" Sophia asked incredulously.

"What?"

Sophia snorted in impatience. She then screwed up her face and all of a sudden her hair became black and her skin tone turned to a deep tan. She then smiled her new smile before returning back to her pale complected, red-headed self. Sirius gaped at her and swallowed before speaking.

"Bloody hell Sophia, you're a Metamorphmagus!" Sirius exclaimed. Sophia smiled softly as Sirius shook his head in disbelief. "How come you never told anyone?"

Sophia shrugged, "I wasn't really able to control it during my years at Hogwarts, so it only happened like four times, strange I know. Anyway, when I left for America, I took lessons and voila I am able to change at will. How do you think it was so easy for me to stay hidden?"

"This is just plain weird." Sirius said.

"Sirius?" Sophia ventured.

"Yeah?"

"How did you live through it?"

Sirius clenched his jaw, "I knew I was innocent, and I held onto that. You know what Dementors are like...they suck all those happy feelings away. I've never had that much happiness in my life, and when I was thrown into Azkaban for the snivilling worm Peter, I lived in anger."

Sophia shivered, "I couldn't have done it."

Sirius whispered, "You could have." Sophia looked at him intently after he said that before walking back to the couch and sitting down.

"No...no I couldn't. I am sorry that you went through that, and I am sorry for what happened at the Department of Mysteries."

"Were you there too?" Sirius asked.

Sophia smiled forlornly, "No, but it broke my heart when I found out. I think I read the letter four-hundred times, it was enough to make the parchment fall to pieces. How did you survive?" Sirius opened his mouth to begin to explain when a loud shrill filled the house. Sirius groaned. Sophia spoke up, "Mommy dearest?"

"I don't know about the dearest part." Sirius mumbled, "We'll continue this later? Okay?" He said loudly. Sirius opened the door and ran out to the portrait. "Shut up you foul venomous woman!" The woman in the painting turned to him, "Don't even start." He warned her. He then went immediately to work along with Harry and Ron to shut the drapes. When the chaos was through, he turned around, "Hey Tonks."

Nymphadora Tonks winked as she shook Sirius's hand, "Hey Sirius, long time no see." Remus appeared from the parlor and smiled at Tonks. Tonks turned her head to the right and saw him. She laughed and waved before running up and hugging him. Remus ushered her into the parlor, shutting the door behind him. On the landing Sophia stared down at Remus's back and the shutting door.

A/N: Okay I realize I probably misspelled some choice names and places...I apologize, no need to correct me on that, I know.  And remember this is Harry's seventh year, so the relationship between Tonks and Remus will occur soon. To my reviewers:

Lossenrhos: Oh I almost explained Sirius didn't I? Ha! You won't get it that easily, but no fear it will occur soon.

Crazaylady: Living in Alabama, I can only say that the girls don't even see "Southern Hospitality" we just expect it, selfish I know. Pardon my late update...I had Rent and well Rent rocks my world.  Yay Angel, Collins, and Mark!

Zesuit: Only slightly, and Im sure slightly painful, you may bow instead.  That was rather demanding.

Okay, to keep me up with a schedule I want um...six reviews by next Friday.