A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Talia, who left for university this past week. And to everyone else, sorry it took so long to post, I wasn't feeling up to writing, but I've recovered, hah.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN A Realization

As the Marauders were sneaking around Twelve Grimmauld Place, Talia was in a rather deep sleep in her bedroom. Her covers had been kicked down to the bottom of her bed, as she flopped around on top of the thick spread. She continued to make such a commotion that soon Lily and Ophelia had gathered outside of her bedroom, ears strained for any further whimpering.

"What's going on?" Lily whispered, pressing her head against the door.

"She could just be having a bad dream." said Ophelia.

"Should we wake her?"

"I guess."

The two girls tentatively entered Talia's room and approached her.

"Hoods..." she muttered, "Where's mum? Back door... run!"

Ophelia shook her awake. "Tal, wake up."

She bolted straight up, glancing crazily around, before her pretty, brown eyes rolled back into her head.

"What's wrong with her?" cried Lily, "Make her stop!"

Talia's frail body began shaking, as if she were standing in a basin of ice-cold water.

"I can't! I don't know what's wrong with her!"

"Mai! Mai get in here!"

Ophelia slapped her sister across the cheek. "Talia! Stop it! Please... wake up!"

As if on cue, she stopped, remaining eerily still.

Mai ran into the room, her hair aflutter."What's going on?" She noticed Talia, who had now slid onto the floor. "What's wrong with her?"

"We don't know. What do we do?" shrieked Lily.

"Let's get her to Mungo's." she answered, taking out her wand and muttering, "Wingardium Leviosa."

They brought her down the stairs to the sitting room.

"How are we going to this?" asked Ophelia, motioning to a floating Talia.

"Take her down." said Mai, "Bring her in, we'll be right behind you."

She wrapped her arms around Talia's waist and pulled her into the fireplace. Lily poured some Floo powder into her hand. "St Mungo's Hospital."

After a few moments of spinning around in the dirty grate, they emerged in the wizard hospital. Ophelia dragged her friend over to the information booth. An elderly lady with lilac-coloured hair sat behind the desk, reading Witches Weekly.

"Oh hello dear." she twittered. "What can I do for you?"

Ophelia frowned and looked to Talia. "My... she, er.. I don't know what happened. Can't you... get a Healer to see her? Now?"

The woman looked around before ringing a silent bell. "They'll be around shortly."

"Shortly?" she repeated. "She needs th--"

A tall wizard apparated next to them, looking rather bored. "What seems to be the matter?" he asked haughtily.

"Sh-she passed out. Well actually, she was sleeping and--"

The Healer passed a wrinkled hand over her face and snapped his fingers, causing three Trainers to appear next to him. "Take her to the Second Floor. Put her in room seventeen." As the workers carried her off on an invisible gurney, the Healer turned back to Ophelia and conjured a clipboard. "What is her name? What is your name? What is your relation to her? How long has she been unconscious?"

"Er.. Talia Westenra--"

"Westenra?" he looked at her suspiciously. "Any relation to Zachariah Westenra?"

Ophelia shrugged. "I don't know."

"Continue."

"My name is Ophelia Lupin. Talia's my sister. Well, surrogate sister if you want to get technical. She was talking in her sleep and we went to wake her up when she started shaking like mad and then went cold."

The Healer nodded and continued to joy down notes. "You say Miss Westenra is your surrogate sister, and yet you have no idea if she is related to Zachariah? What is her mother's name?"

"I don't know. I'm sorry, why exactly is this rele--"

"How can you not know the names of her birth parents?"

"My father brought her home and told us not to ask questions." she sighed, becoming impatient with his questions. "She has no memory of her life before she came to stay with us. Is this serious, is she going to be alright?"

"She'll be fine. And how old was she when you're parents adopted her?"

"Er.. nine, I guess."

"Right. I will go see to Miss Westenra, and I would ask you to find the names of her parents. It may help somewhat. I would advise you not to visit your friend until I have had sufficient time to observe her." said the Healer, as he stalked off.

"Don't you people keep records of that kind of thing?" Ophelia muttered to herself, as she turned round to see Lily and Mai standing apart from her. She motioned for them to come over.

"Why was he asking you so many questions?" asked Lily, nervously running her hands through her long hair. "Where's Talia?"

"He took her to the Second Floor..."

Mai glanced over to where the golden sign hang, listing off the various departments. "Tal has a bug?"

"I guess." said Ophelia, heaving her shoulders. "He wants me to find out the names of her parents. I don't see what good that'll do."

"You mean her... real parents?" Lily dropped her voice as she did when she cursed.

"Yes. Hell if I know, Noah never once mentioned them."

"What room is she in? Let's go see her." suggested Mai, making her way towards the lifts.

"We can't. We're not allowed to." Ophelia mimicked.

"Well that's bull--"

"Mai!" hissed Lily. "You can't swear in a hospital."

She patted her stomach, "Well, can we make proper use of the time and maybe get something to eat? I haven't had breakfast yet, I could really go for a spot of sausage.. and maybe eggs."

"Sorry, but I think it's only tea and pastries here."

"I'll have to settle then. Come on."

Mai led the two girls onto the lifts and after a few moments, they stepped off on the Fifth Floor. As they made their way into the tea room, Lily ogled some of the overpriced hospital souvenirs.

Her emerald green eyes widened as she held up a porcelain replica of a medicine vial. "How much is this?" she asked the witch behind the counter.

Ophelia grabbed her friend by the elbow. "No Lily, keep walking."

Sulking, she did as she was told and joined them at a round table, ordering a cup of Morning Jasmine.

Mai swirled her finger around in the white foam of her drink.

"Could this have something to do with all those times she was late at Hogwarts?" said Lily suddenly. "Remember, during the last week of school she kept showing up late..."

"Er.. that was my fault." Mai answered sheepishly. "I was having some... problems. I didn't mean to burden anyone with it, but she just happened to walk into... it."

"Oh." nodded Ophelia, not wanting to press her friend for more than she was willing to tell them. "Well then I guess that covers that." She picked at the cranberry muffin Lily had gotten her, thinking of any way that would get her out of seeing her parents.

"Are they in here?"

The voice sounded nearly identical to Remus'.

"I don't know! It's not like I have bloody invisible vision!"

"Padfoot, that doesn't make any sense. How could you have--"

"Ah, there they are." said Sirius, as he made his way over to the girls. "How are--"

"How'd you know we were here?" interrupted Ophelia.

"We left a note." said Mai, as she pushed away her cup and looked up at the Marauders. "What took you so long?"

"We had to stop off at my house." answered James, munching on a biscuit. "My mum missed me."

"And we had to drop off my things." Sirius added, pulling up a chair next to Ophelia. "We saw Talia, before the stupid Healer kicked us out. She's sleeping."

"He told us to come back in an hour." replied Remus.

"Do you know the names of her parents? Because he seemed pretty adamant on knowing..."

Her brother shrugged. "No.. am I supposed to? I'm sure Noah would know."

"You should go ask him then." Ophelia smiled sweetly.

"I should?" Remus chuckled. "Oh no, he told you to do it. I think it would be good therapy."

"Therapy? What do you know of therapy? You don't take Muggle Studies."

"My dad's books." said James, "You know how he is, leaving them about the house."

"Go together?" she suggested.

"I don't think so. You couldn't pay me enough to set foot in that house."

"Oh, and you think I'm any different? Plea--"

"Would you stop? Talia is in the hospital right now and you're arguing?" cried Lily, raising her hands. "Why don't you just draw straws?" They stared back at her blankly. She grabbed two straws from the counter and broke the end off one. "Now each of you pick one."

Ophelia glared at her brother and chose the straw nearest her.

Remus took the remaining one. Which was about an inch longer than hers.

Lily shot her a sympathetic look. "Sorry. That means you lose."

"Which means I have to pay Noah a visit?" she snorted, getting to her feet. "Splendid, that's just how I wanted to spend my day."

She left the tea room and made her way down to the lifts, when a heavy hand came down on her shoulder. She spun round to face Sirius.

"I thought you could use some company." he grinned.

Ophelia stepped onto the elevator. "I don't think so. We had this conversation yesterday, remember? If I'm not allowed to go to your house, you can't come to mine."

"First of all," began Sirius, crossing his arms over his chest, "My parents are evil, yours are only annoying."

She opened her mouth to argue the point but he pressed a finger to her lips.

"Secondly, I know you really want me to come. I'd make Helena feel oh-so-proud of you."

Ophelia pursed her lips, pretending to think on the matter. "Okay." she said finally.

They stepped off the lift and went over to the golden grates at the entrance to the hospital.

She cocked her head to the side and looked at him. "You want to be a gentleman?"

"Yes..." he answered cautiously.

She nudged him forward. "Go first."

He shook his head but grabbed a handful of powder regardless. "You owe me."

"Thanks Sir."

"Endroit de Lupin." he muttered, before disappearing within the green flames.

Ophelia reluctantly ducked inside and repeated his words.

A few moments later she tumbled out of the fireplace, Sirius catching her in one swift motion.

Noah and Helena were staring up at them.

"Hello Ophelia." her father smiled. "Sirius was just telling us that Talia is in St Mungo's."

She sat down stiffly on a couch opposite them, Sirius shuffled over to her. "I need you to tell me about Talia's parents."

They exchanged a nervous glance. "I would rather tell her about that before anyone else."

"Well unfortunately that's not an option, seeing as she is laying unconscious in Mungo's." she replied coldly. "Her Healer told me that knowing the identity of her parents may help her, so I'm here."

"What was his name?"

"Who's name?"

Noah rolled his eyes impatiently. "The Healer who's looking after Talia."

"I don't know... Abrahm?"

"Abrahm? Listen to what I'm about to tell you--"

"What else would I do?"

"I'm serious. Do not under any circumstance repeat what I am about to tell you to this Abrahm character. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

He eyed Sirius skeptically. "Maybe we better do this in private..."

Ophelia took his hand in hers. "I can tolerate you speaking to me as if I were a dunce but not when you imply that you can't trust him, I swear to Radagast I will hex you."

"Fine." said Noah, setting his jaw. "What do you need to know?"

"Everything. I wouldn't have come here for anything less."

"Talia is the child of Zachariah Westenra and Margarite Lividus." he began gravely. "She was in Slytherin... and was put there for good reason. When Talia was seven years old, her father discovered the true loyalties of his wife, and he took their daughter. Margarite used a tracking charm and soon found them. She killed her husband and brought Talia back to live with her. She spent the next two years growing closer to Voldemort, and using the Imperius curse in order to make Talia carry out their dirty work, and a Memory charm was placed on her."

"The night that Remus was attacked," Noah continued, "Your mother and I were in Wales, inquiring as to the whereabouts of Westenra. We discovered he was dead, and on further inspection, we found Margarite still living in Zachariah's house. When we arrived, the house was on fire. I knew he had had a child, and feared they were still inside, so I rushed in, and luckily found dear Talia sitting in the foyer, as calm as could be. I took her outside and asked her where her mother was. She pointed back into the house, saying 'The tall man sucked her into his wand', and that was all she could remember. That, too, she has forgotten over time."

"Was it Voldemort?" asked Ophelia, once she felt it was okay to speak.

"I can only assume so."

The room was silent as they tried to digest what they had just learned.

"And my must insist once more that you do not tell Abrahm." Noah said. "Talia's identity must be known to as few people as possible, and only those she deems are worthy of the knowledge."

"So what do I do?" she chuckled. "Sneak her out of the hospital?"

"No. Tell him you were unable to reach your parents and you know no more than what you told him. Can you do that?"

"I think I can handle it." answered Ophelia sarcastically, rising to her feet.

Helena quickly stood up, who until this moment had remained silent and still as a statue. "Would you like to stay? You and Sirius are welcome to stay for lunch..."

"Lunch?" repeated Sirius.

Ophelia elbowed him in the ribs. "Maybe another time."

"When?"

She moved to the fireplace. "I don't know what my schedule's like, I'll have to get back to you." She tugged at Sirius' sleeve. "Come on."