Remus sat in the curtained off area of the hospital wing watching Catherine as she slept, her hair spread wildly over the pillow.
'So, Kitty, what are we going to do? I've just got you back, and the circumstances suggest that I won't be loosing you again. In fact if I have my way I'm never letting you out of my site again.' He spoke to the room, as he struggled to take in what he saw. She looked so small, so vulnerable, so different to when he had last seen her. She had been so full of life, so strong, after the display in the hall, he seriously wondered about her mental state. 'Sirius, you bloody idiot.' He said softly.
She moved slightly, a small murmur escaping her lips. Followed by a fast string of unintelligible words, suddenly she began to kick and punch at the air, her arms and legs moving as if against invisible assailants. 'No... no... please, not again, not again... please...' She called out, as he rushed to her side, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her gently until she woke up. 'Remus...', her voice was so quiet and he watched as her deep grey eyes, so like her fathers, filled with tears.
He pulled her as close as he possibly could. His arms holding her, one hand stroked her hair, as he spoke softly trying to calm her down. Huge sobs wracking her small frame, merely bone and skin beneath his arms. 'It's ok, honey, it's ok. You're safe and no-one will ever hurt you again. I promise.' The sobs began to subside, but he still held her, almost afraid to let her go. She pulled away slightly and looked up into his eyes. 'I have to admit, I feel much better. And I don't think my backs bleeding anymore. I'm sorry'
'What for? It was my fault for leaving you alone after the fight, I should have guessed what would have happened.' Remus' gut twisted as he fought the urge to get on his knees and beg her for forgiveness.
'I meant, I'm sorry because your robes are all wet. And no-one could have guessed what happened. Don't beat yourself up over it.' She pulled completely out of his arms and turned so she could get out of bed. 'Where do you think you're going, Miss Black?' The school nurse Madam Pomfrey had slid inside the curtains and stood with her hands on her hips looking sternly at Catherine.
'One; my name is Catherine. Two; I know it's currently breakfast time downstairs and I am really hungry. Really.' She had stood and was just about to walk from the bedside, when she glanced down. 'I cannot, however eat in pyjamas. Even if they do have, well what are they?' She pulled the sleeve of her pyjamas up to her eye and stared at it. 'Kittens on them, very nice as they are, it just doesn't work for me.' She pointed at herself, a simple outfit of jeans and a simple strappy tee appeared in place of the feline pyjamas. 'Much better'
'Catherine, I am afraid you're not leaving this hospital wing. I do not feel you are well enough. Don't you agree Professor?' Madam Pomfrey turned to Remus, with a glare that would have probably felled a tree.
'Unfortunately, I don't think you have any control over me. I'm not technically a student and I don't think Professor Lupin here is going to back you up. Anyway, I'm all healed and well. As soon as that glove came off, everything went, barring the rather substantial cut on my back which, however, has stopped bleeding and is currently doing just fine. I just want to go downstairs and have a nice breakfast. Remus will you show me the way?' She smiled at him.
'I'll take good care of her Poppy. I promise.' Remus called as they left the hospital wing.
Halfway down the corridor Catherine turned to him and said, 'Professor'
'I needed some money. Dumbledore offered me the Defence Against the Dark Arts job and I took it. Sirius takes the lessons when I'm indisposed, so to speak'
'What about my money? Why didn't you use that'
'Because the ministry were watching the vault. And anyway I told you I'd never use it. It's your money.' He looked into her eyes.
'Ah, well technically some of it should go to Hermione'
They entered the Great Hall, and were greeted by an excited shout of 'Catherine!' As Hermione came bounding over to her. 'Shouldn't you still be in the hospital wing'
'Well Poppy wanted to keep me there, but I needed bacon and eggs and sausages and food in general really'
'Well, as it's the last day of the year, I don't think the headmaster will mind you coming and sitting with me, will he? You could come too, Professor Lupin, if you wished?' Hermione looked up at the professor.
'I think Poppy would have my skin if I left her, so, ladies choice.' He turned to Catherine.
'Yeah, I think I will sit with you. Be a Gryffindor for one day in my life. Lead on.' She giggled. Her eyes lighting up briefly, and Remus had a quick glimpse of the girl he had fallen in love with, the girl whom he hoped had not been destroyed in the past year.
Hermione lead them across the hall and down the long Gryffindor table to a space next to a rather large bowl of pork sausages. They sat down and Catherine began to quickly pile food onto her plate that had appeared when she waved her hand.
She looked up and across the table and saw the two young gentlemen sat there staring at her. 'Ah, Mr. Potter. Harry, I'm very sorry about last night. I hope you'll forgive me'
The dark haired boy looked at her, 'Are you really Sirius' daughter'
'Yeah, Catherine Alice Abigail Black - Jones. Bit of a mouthful, I dropped the Jones long ago. I'm not a pureblood though, the result of a very short relationship between Sirius and my mother. I was a way of rebelling against his parents, my mother is a 'muggle'? I believe that's what you call them. She's not a witch anyway,' she paused to fold an entire slice of bacon into her mouth and waited until she had swallowed it before continuing, 'she did however convert to Christianity for a while and seemed to think for some reason that I was possessed by the devil. Not exactly the most comfortable of conditions ensued. Remus found out and we took some of the GHS allowance and we put me in a boarding school. And I then had a very nice magic tutor.' She glanced round at Remus, a big smile lighting up her face. Her eyes sparkling.
'Right, just wondered. Why did you never say Professor Lupin?' Harry stared almost accusingly at Remus, as if daring him to answer.
Remus cleared his throat. 'It wasn't my place. It was for Sirius to tell you, not me'
'When did he become your tutor?' Harry turned to Catherine.
'When I was 12. I'm a year older than you, so you would've just been about to start Hogwarts. He tutored me for 2 years then came to work here. I saw him occasionally at weekends'
'2 years before you came to Hogwarts,' Harry turned back to Lupin, 'you still thought Sirius had betrayed my parents. Yet you tutored his daughter? Then in the summer before 5th year, neither of you thought to tell me? It never once crossed your minds to tell one of us about this supposed almighty being who was going to have to come and save my ass?' He spoke quietly but his words were full of anger.
'Harry...' Remus went to start but Catherine cut him off.
'Harry, what did it matter if you knew about me or not. This whole world doesn't revolve around you. Yeah, and I'm pissed off at Sirius for not telling you, but the time to tell you probably never came up. And as for 'almighty being', what the fuck? I don't want to be this,' she gestured at herself, 'I never asked to have to save your ass. It just happened, I was born like this, like Tonks being a metamorphmagus. It's nothing'
Harry looked up at the mention of Tonk's name and shouted, 'Tonks knew, everyone fucking knew, except for me. Tell me, Remus, was there anyone who didn't know'
'There was Ron, Hermione, the Weasley children, plenty of people didn't know. Well even some of the adults didn't know the full truth. They knew about the GHS, but not who she was. Look, Harry, you didn't need to know. Dumbledore decided it was better. For yours and Catherine's safety. It was just until the war was over and the Ministry had calmed down.' Remus was struggling to retain his stoic facade. Speaking slower and slower as he tried to choose his words carefully.
'Yes, because keeping me in the dark would have kept me so safe. What did it matter if the ministry was uncalm?' Harry spat back. Remus opened his mouth as if to speak but Catherine cut him off. 'It just mattered. And keeping you in the dark didn't harm you'
'Why did it matter'
'Because if you had shot your mouth off to anyone, Voldemort would still be here.' She shouted across the table. Everyone in the hall turned to look at her as she stood and pressed her hands on the table.
'No he wouldn't, we would still have stopped him. I would have stopped him. Why do you matter so much?' Harry had stood as well, staring at her incredulously.
'Because all that power had to go somewhere. And it didn't go into a fucking nearby badger.' She spoke quietly but everyone heard her words perfectly, the silence in the hall so total that it reverberated around the enchanted ceiling.
'What? What power'
'Voldemort's power, that's why the last year of my life has been spent in a fucking muggle asylum. The Ministry wanted to know what happened. So they grabbed me and they fucking tortured me for that information. While you got the front page of the newspaper, a First Class Order of Merlin, all the attention, and' she added softly, 'my Father.' She stepped over the bench and ran from the hall.
Harry stood staring at the space where she had just been, shock apparent on his face, 'is that true?' He breathed out to no-one in particular.
Remus stood, stepping over the bench, throwing the napkin he held onto the table. 'Yes.' He said simply before rushing out to find her.
'So, Kitty, what are we going to do? I've just got you back, and the circumstances suggest that I won't be loosing you again. In fact if I have my way I'm never letting you out of my site again.' He spoke to the room, as he struggled to take in what he saw. She looked so small, so vulnerable, so different to when he had last seen her. She had been so full of life, so strong, after the display in the hall, he seriously wondered about her mental state. 'Sirius, you bloody idiot.' He said softly.
She moved slightly, a small murmur escaping her lips. Followed by a fast string of unintelligible words, suddenly she began to kick and punch at the air, her arms and legs moving as if against invisible assailants. 'No... no... please, not again, not again... please...' She called out, as he rushed to her side, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her gently until she woke up. 'Remus...', her voice was so quiet and he watched as her deep grey eyes, so like her fathers, filled with tears.
He pulled her as close as he possibly could. His arms holding her, one hand stroked her hair, as he spoke softly trying to calm her down. Huge sobs wracking her small frame, merely bone and skin beneath his arms. 'It's ok, honey, it's ok. You're safe and no-one will ever hurt you again. I promise.' The sobs began to subside, but he still held her, almost afraid to let her go. She pulled away slightly and looked up into his eyes. 'I have to admit, I feel much better. And I don't think my backs bleeding anymore. I'm sorry'
'What for? It was my fault for leaving you alone after the fight, I should have guessed what would have happened.' Remus' gut twisted as he fought the urge to get on his knees and beg her for forgiveness.
'I meant, I'm sorry because your robes are all wet. And no-one could have guessed what happened. Don't beat yourself up over it.' She pulled completely out of his arms and turned so she could get out of bed. 'Where do you think you're going, Miss Black?' The school nurse Madam Pomfrey had slid inside the curtains and stood with her hands on her hips looking sternly at Catherine.
'One; my name is Catherine. Two; I know it's currently breakfast time downstairs and I am really hungry. Really.' She had stood and was just about to walk from the bedside, when she glanced down. 'I cannot, however eat in pyjamas. Even if they do have, well what are they?' She pulled the sleeve of her pyjamas up to her eye and stared at it. 'Kittens on them, very nice as they are, it just doesn't work for me.' She pointed at herself, a simple outfit of jeans and a simple strappy tee appeared in place of the feline pyjamas. 'Much better'
'Catherine, I am afraid you're not leaving this hospital wing. I do not feel you are well enough. Don't you agree Professor?' Madam Pomfrey turned to Remus, with a glare that would have probably felled a tree.
'Unfortunately, I don't think you have any control over me. I'm not technically a student and I don't think Professor Lupin here is going to back you up. Anyway, I'm all healed and well. As soon as that glove came off, everything went, barring the rather substantial cut on my back which, however, has stopped bleeding and is currently doing just fine. I just want to go downstairs and have a nice breakfast. Remus will you show me the way?' She smiled at him.
'I'll take good care of her Poppy. I promise.' Remus called as they left the hospital wing.
Halfway down the corridor Catherine turned to him and said, 'Professor'
'I needed some money. Dumbledore offered me the Defence Against the Dark Arts job and I took it. Sirius takes the lessons when I'm indisposed, so to speak'
'What about my money? Why didn't you use that'
'Because the ministry were watching the vault. And anyway I told you I'd never use it. It's your money.' He looked into her eyes.
'Ah, well technically some of it should go to Hermione'
They entered the Great Hall, and were greeted by an excited shout of 'Catherine!' As Hermione came bounding over to her. 'Shouldn't you still be in the hospital wing'
'Well Poppy wanted to keep me there, but I needed bacon and eggs and sausages and food in general really'
'Well, as it's the last day of the year, I don't think the headmaster will mind you coming and sitting with me, will he? You could come too, Professor Lupin, if you wished?' Hermione looked up at the professor.
'I think Poppy would have my skin if I left her, so, ladies choice.' He turned to Catherine.
'Yeah, I think I will sit with you. Be a Gryffindor for one day in my life. Lead on.' She giggled. Her eyes lighting up briefly, and Remus had a quick glimpse of the girl he had fallen in love with, the girl whom he hoped had not been destroyed in the past year.
Hermione lead them across the hall and down the long Gryffindor table to a space next to a rather large bowl of pork sausages. They sat down and Catherine began to quickly pile food onto her plate that had appeared when she waved her hand.
She looked up and across the table and saw the two young gentlemen sat there staring at her. 'Ah, Mr. Potter. Harry, I'm very sorry about last night. I hope you'll forgive me'
The dark haired boy looked at her, 'Are you really Sirius' daughter'
'Yeah, Catherine Alice Abigail Black - Jones. Bit of a mouthful, I dropped the Jones long ago. I'm not a pureblood though, the result of a very short relationship between Sirius and my mother. I was a way of rebelling against his parents, my mother is a 'muggle'? I believe that's what you call them. She's not a witch anyway,' she paused to fold an entire slice of bacon into her mouth and waited until she had swallowed it before continuing, 'she did however convert to Christianity for a while and seemed to think for some reason that I was possessed by the devil. Not exactly the most comfortable of conditions ensued. Remus found out and we took some of the GHS allowance and we put me in a boarding school. And I then had a very nice magic tutor.' She glanced round at Remus, a big smile lighting up her face. Her eyes sparkling.
'Right, just wondered. Why did you never say Professor Lupin?' Harry stared almost accusingly at Remus, as if daring him to answer.
Remus cleared his throat. 'It wasn't my place. It was for Sirius to tell you, not me'
'When did he become your tutor?' Harry turned to Catherine.
'When I was 12. I'm a year older than you, so you would've just been about to start Hogwarts. He tutored me for 2 years then came to work here. I saw him occasionally at weekends'
'2 years before you came to Hogwarts,' Harry turned back to Lupin, 'you still thought Sirius had betrayed my parents. Yet you tutored his daughter? Then in the summer before 5th year, neither of you thought to tell me? It never once crossed your minds to tell one of us about this supposed almighty being who was going to have to come and save my ass?' He spoke quietly but his words were full of anger.
'Harry...' Remus went to start but Catherine cut him off.
'Harry, what did it matter if you knew about me or not. This whole world doesn't revolve around you. Yeah, and I'm pissed off at Sirius for not telling you, but the time to tell you probably never came up. And as for 'almighty being', what the fuck? I don't want to be this,' she gestured at herself, 'I never asked to have to save your ass. It just happened, I was born like this, like Tonks being a metamorphmagus. It's nothing'
Harry looked up at the mention of Tonk's name and shouted, 'Tonks knew, everyone fucking knew, except for me. Tell me, Remus, was there anyone who didn't know'
'There was Ron, Hermione, the Weasley children, plenty of people didn't know. Well even some of the adults didn't know the full truth. They knew about the GHS, but not who she was. Look, Harry, you didn't need to know. Dumbledore decided it was better. For yours and Catherine's safety. It was just until the war was over and the Ministry had calmed down.' Remus was struggling to retain his stoic facade. Speaking slower and slower as he tried to choose his words carefully.
'Yes, because keeping me in the dark would have kept me so safe. What did it matter if the ministry was uncalm?' Harry spat back. Remus opened his mouth as if to speak but Catherine cut him off. 'It just mattered. And keeping you in the dark didn't harm you'
'Why did it matter'
'Because if you had shot your mouth off to anyone, Voldemort would still be here.' She shouted across the table. Everyone in the hall turned to look at her as she stood and pressed her hands on the table.
'No he wouldn't, we would still have stopped him. I would have stopped him. Why do you matter so much?' Harry had stood as well, staring at her incredulously.
'Because all that power had to go somewhere. And it didn't go into a fucking nearby badger.' She spoke quietly but everyone heard her words perfectly, the silence in the hall so total that it reverberated around the enchanted ceiling.
'What? What power'
'Voldemort's power, that's why the last year of my life has been spent in a fucking muggle asylum. The Ministry wanted to know what happened. So they grabbed me and they fucking tortured me for that information. While you got the front page of the newspaper, a First Class Order of Merlin, all the attention, and' she added softly, 'my Father.' She stepped over the bench and ran from the hall.
Harry stood staring at the space where she had just been, shock apparent on his face, 'is that true?' He breathed out to no-one in particular.
Remus stood, stepping over the bench, throwing the napkin he held onto the table. 'Yes.' He said simply before rushing out to find her.
