Hello everyone! I'm updating again! Twice in one week, aren't you lucky?
Mind you, I'll probably have to go to just one chapter a week soon. I want
to get Part 1 finished before my serious GCSE revision so I can keep
posting. Part 2 will probably come after it. So why is it I have all the
ideas for Part 2 *now*?
Anyway, onto the story!
Chapter 17 – Pensieves, grandparents and houses
---Magic's Haven, 7th July 1981---
"Oooph!" Kathryn complained, falling out of the fireplace.
"Kathryn!" A shriek sounded and two small bullets plunged into her.
"Uh, hi Paul, hi Adalia. Mind letting me up?" Kathryn asked.
"Oh, sorry!" Adalia gasped.
"S'okay." She smiled. "Now, just a sec." She pointed her wand at herself. "Refrigerare." She was clean once more. "I love that spell."
"Why don't you use scourgify?" Adalia asked.
"Too harsh on skin and clothes, it's more suited to household things." Kathryn explained, pulling out her bag and returning it to normal size. "Where's Lily?"
"James ran in and whisked her away into the garden. I think Peppy took her trunk upstairs to your room." Adalia explained.
"Those trunks are huge and heavy!" Kathryn exclaimed, rushing out of the living room and up the nearest flight of stairs, only to encounter Peppy the house-elf. "Locomotor mortis." Kathryn incanted.
Instantly the large trunk was floating.
Peppy looked at her helper. "Miss Kathryn, you is back!" She smiled.
"Yes, I am. What have I told you about calling me 'Miss'? Please, Peppy, you know I don't like it." Kathryn begged, as they headed for Kathryn's two rooms – one a bedroom, the other a living room, study and just doing everything except sleeping room.
"Yes, Miss Kathryn, but it doesn't feel right."
"Well, only if you really want to. It just... irks me, is all."
"Did you have a nice time at your friend's?" Peppy asked. Her English was better than most house-elves', though she occasionally fell back on it. This was, apparently, thanks to Kathryn, for Peppy had always looked after her and was, therefore, her favourite house-elf. The older Kathryn liked her because she had a good sense of humour as she had discovered in the few moments she had spare in the previous holidays.
"Yes, I did, thanks. Y'know, I never realised how big this house is." Kathryn mused, fully appreciating the size of the wizarding stately home.
As Kathryn approached her room, a small boy left one of the other doors, it appeared to be Paul's. As soon as he saw Kathryn, he stopped.
"Are you okay?" Kathryn asked.
The boy tore back into the room he had just left. "Who was that?" Kathryn asked Peppy.
"That's Ian Lewis." Peppy explained.
"Why is he here? Is he a friend of Paul's?"
"Yes, but his family was murdered by He Who Must Not Be Named. He is staying here for protection."
Kathryn gasped. "Oh dear God, that poor kid." Then suddenly another thought occurred to her. "How is he going to cope with eight over-amorous teenagers in the house? For that matter, how are Adalia and Paul going to cope?"
"They'll probably ignore you, like we house-elves do." Peppy answered.
Kathryn grinned and turned the doorknob to her door. It was locked.
"Locked?"
"You put a spell on it. Only I can get in when you aren't in the house." Peppy explained.
"Oh yeah, I trust you." Kathryn grinned. She whispered a password. "Cadbury's." The lock and doorknob glittered for a moment and a click announced that the spell was no longer active. She opened the door.
Sunlight streamed into the fresh, airy room that was her bedroom. Another four-poster bed had been placed on the opposite wall, the other side of the door. Kathryn dumped her bag on her bed and laid Lily's trunk and owl's cage to rest at the foot of the bed. She observed that her own trunk was at the foot of her bed and had clearly been unpacked. She opened the door to her 'living' room and observed a pile of books stacked on her desk along with her other school equipment.
"Thanks for unpacking, Peppy."
"It's what I do."
"Yeah, but I still appreciate it, which is more than some people would." She looked momentarily bitter about the shabby treatment of some house- elves by their masters and mistresses.
She took only a few minutes to unpack her bag and then ventured over to the large windows (framed by Gothic arches) and opened the glass doors to step onto her balcony. She grinned. The view was spectacular. This 'wing' of the house was known as the Wing of Devils, also known as the Wing where the Orenda children spent their time, also any of their friends or orphans who were staying stayed there. (A/N: Sorry, but I *adore* old stately homes, so she sort of had to live in one!)
Below her, she heard a squeal. James was chasing Lily around the garden with a watering can he had charmed to continuously spout water.
"Hey!" She yelled. "Lily, you need to unpack!"
Lily stopped and looked up. "No! I'll do it later!"
"She needs to get clean!" James explained.
Well, that did explain the watering can.
Kathryn smiled and ran downstairs, her wand caught in a loop on her shorts. Before she got to her friends though, there was a loud "OW!" and then a whoop of joy.
Kathryn entered the main living room of the Wing of Devils.
"Kathryn!" A voice yelled and she was encompassed in a hug.
"Sirius!" Kathryn smiled. "Surely seeing me doesn't make you *that* happy!"
"Oh it does, but even better, I found a house!" Sirius explained.
"That's great! Where?"
"London. Four-bedroomed, two bathrooms, a kitchen, living-room, dining-room and study room. Oh and a cellar. Not to mention magical." Sirius grinned.
"That's great!" Kathryn hugged him again. "Wait a minute. Wouldn't that cost loads in London?"
"Yeah, cost me a thousand galleons, but thanks to Uncle Alphard, I had that. Also, it was on the magic market, not the Muggle market. It has several magical upgrades." Sirius grinned.
"Why so big?" Kathryn wanted to know.
"So when we finish Hogwarts, you, James and Lily can live with me!"
Kathryn raised a brow. "And why would we want to do that?"
"Because I'm an exceptional person!" Sirius explained.
"Mm-hmm." Kathryn smiled. "But not exceptional enough yet."
His face fell. "Why?"
"You haven't given me my hello kiss!"
"I'm so sorry."
Sirius swept her up in his arms and bent her back as though in a dramatic scene from a play (such as Shakespeare, or just the Tango). He kissed her with a smile.
"Eurgh!" A voice from the doorway announced.
Sirius and Kathryn swiftly broke apart.
"PAUL!" Kathryn yelled.
"Yes?" He asked innocently.
"Why do I have a little brother?!" Kathryn spread her arms and looked up, as though asking God. "WHY?!"
"Because I'm so cute and sweet." Paul replied.
"You're annoying. By the way, you'd best tell Ian I don't bite. He scarpered like I was a rampaging hippogriff when I asked him if he was okay before."
"He is, he's just a bit nervous. And you're so intimidating and all..."
"Me? Intimidating?" Kathryn could barely believe his words.
"Yeah."
"Good grief!"
Sirius grinned. "Anyone else here?"
"James and Lily are in the garden. James is chasing her with a watering can." Kathryn answered.
"Cool. Anyone else?"
"Nah. I haven't even seen Mum and Dad yet." Kathryn sighed.
"Dad's at work. Mum's in the library." Paul answered.
"It'd be great if I actually knew the layout of my own house, wouldn't it?" The girl sighed.
Paul grinned and ran upstairs.
"We always do have our romantic moments ruined, don't we?" Sirius grinned as his girlfriend drew him out of the room and towards the garden.
"Yep."
In the garden their two friends were now soaked to the skin and still running about.
"Hey, guys!" Sirius called.
"Yep?" James asked as Lily dodged his clutching arms.
"I got a house!" Sirius shouted, celebratory.
"That's great!" Lily grinned.
"James, quit chasing Lily, will you? You're ruining the lawn." Kathryn informed him tartly.
He grinned. "Sorry, milady Kathryn. After all, you own this fine stately home."
"Actually, my parents do. And I don't even know my way around it. Not to mention I don't remember any of the secret passages."
"You don't?" Sirius looked shocked.
"Nope. Why, do you know them?"
"Yes."
"Good, you can show me."
"I will. And I'll enjoy it." Sirius grinned.
At that point, Elise Orenda appeared.
"Kathryn, is that you?"
"MUM!" Kathryn grinned, and ran to hug her mother.
"Hello, dear. How many have arrived so far?" She wanted to know.
"Just us four. I don't think the others are arriving until later. Alura and Radella only get back today. They might even wait until tomorrow. I haven't had the letter they promised." Kathryn scowled.
"And the boys?"
"Remus won't arrive until tomorrow. He's, uh, ill." James explained.
"It's the full moon, isn't it?" Elise asked.
"What the... Mum, how did you know?" Kathryn was flabbergasted.
"I was friends with his mother at school. She wrote to me when he was first bit by the creature, asking if I had any contacts who knew of a cure." Elise explained. "Unfortunately, there isn't one yet. I know there are researchers who are working on a cure, or at least some way of making the transformations less painful. There's a room Remus can use. I believe Olden's great-great-uncle or something also had the problem and the family, being one of the few sane and sympathetic ones, built an underground chamber specifically for him. It's locked by silver, and I believe the earth surrounding the chamber actually helps counteract the severity of the transformation. It makes it less painful. Remus can use that the night of the full moon."
James and Sirius stared. Kathryn grinned. Lily smiled.
"Merlin, Kathryn, does your family have any bad points?" Sirius asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you have no bigotry towards werewolves and suchlike, you don't care about blood unless it's pouring out of you, you're all strong in magic, good Quidditch players, wealthy, definitely on the side of good, do I need to continue?"
"You forgot absolutely dazzlingly attractive." Kathryn grinned.
"So I did." Sirius grinned back.
"And can I point out that we have serious problems with bigots, the house of Slytherin, Dark magic, have furious tempers, Mum and I have prophetic dreams we can't tell anyone about unless it's really important or we know the dreams were sent to be prevented, we're sickeningly good at everything and we all have one extreme and intense fear that will near cripple us?" Kathryn wanted to know.
"Those aren't so bad."
"We dislike Slytherins to the point of cursing them. That's bad. Leila hasn't done it, but I've been told that I'm the fourth of the Orenda children to do so."
"What's this about phobias?" Lily asked.
"We all have one." Elise explained. "Even me. For instance, my husband is petrified of snakes to the point where if he sees one, he faints."
"Let's hope he doesn't come across a Runespoor then." James joked.
"Three heads, urgh." Kathryn shuddered. "I don't even know what my fear is. In my coma, I was terrified of heights, but that clearly isn't the case here."
"Scared of drinking potions?" Sirius suggested.
"Nah, I don't faint in class, do I?"
"Scared of Voldemort?"
"I call him Moldyvort, I don't think that's as a manifestation of fear."
"We'll find out at some point. Let's just hope we do before that fear kills you."
"Oh thanks, Sirius, that's really brightened my day." Kathryn told him sarcastically.
Kathryn and Sirius bickered playfully while they followed her mother into the house. She showed the boys to their rooms (again with a bedroom and living room), which they were to share, and then they all began to explore.
"What are you doing?" A voice cackled. "Out, damned spots, out I say!"
"Avia, quit quoting Shakespeare!" Kathryn ordered. (A/N: Quit quoting! Ha ha!)
"Why should I do that?"
"Can you cope with eight teens with hormone-poisoning?" Kathryn asked, grinning.
"I'm not sure. Mind you, your grandfather and I..."
"Oh, I do not want to know!" Kathryn yelled. "If there's anything a teen does not want to know about, it's their parents' or grandparents' or any family members' sex lives. Gross!"
"Even when your grandmother only looks thirty-five?"
"Yes."
"Darn."
"Yep."
Sirius grinned. "So, do I get to call you Avia, or is it just Great Lady of the Book of Pranks?" He hugged Kathryn from behind her.
"Well, seeing as you're practically one of the family now..."
"Avia!"
"I suppose you can. You two, however, just call me Tina."
"Tina?" Lily asked.
"It's short for Coventina. The only one who calls her that and stays alive is Dumbledore, and that's only because he's older than her." Sirius explained.
"Yeah and he actually looks old." Kathryn grinned.
"Well he is a hundred and thirty years old." Lily pointed out.
They stared at her.
"How do you know that?"
"I, uh, you know, asked him." But Lily's tone suggested that a little bit of magic had greased the question.
"Does he know you did?"
"Yeah, I was practising. Remember in November? It was the third Monday."
"After I'd been in hospital?"
"Yeah."
"Got you."
"I heard you had ten detentions, Neptis." Avia informed her granddaughter as she fell in step with the exploring teenagers.
"Yeah."
"Can I ask why?"
"Yeah, three for pranks, five for attacking Slytherins in some way shape or form, one for being late due to being hexed by Snape and one for being overly affectionate in the corridors." Kathryn always grinned at the last one.
"Who did you get that from?"
"Swindale. He seems to think that if he isn't happy, no one else should be."
"I know. He taught when I was at school."
"You're seventy!"
"I know."
"God, wizards and witches do hang around for ages, don't they?"
"Yes. Now, more seriously, I'm very disappointed."
"Why?"
"That's so few detentions!"
"But Avia..."
"What's more, you got caught! If you're going to prank someone, you do not get caught!"
"It's only because the teachers assumed it was me."
"They must have had proof."
"I have a habit of leaving a pentacle symbol in some form or other. Otherwise they'd just assume it was the Marauders, and I don't think they need my help to get into trouble."
"Certainly not." Sirius sniffed, pointing his nose in the air.
Kathryn pulled the nose down and kissed it. "Don't do that."
"Yes, ma'am." Sirius said meekly.
"You've got him twisted round your little finger, haven't you?" Avia asked.
"I'm not sure, I think there's a tangle because in some cases, I'm twisted around *his* little finger."
Avia groaned. "You two are as bad as I was. In fact, you're as bad as several major couples in history, all of them were wound around each other's fingers and all of them ended tragically. Treasa and Medwin, one murdered, Mystique and Ynyr, she died saving the world, he died shortly afterwards, leaving their young son in the care of his mother's sister until he was old enough, Loren and Raquel, both murdered, Flamma and Solum, the first couple, cursed by his mother, he died, and she went crazy. Not good."
Sirius and Kathryn exchanged looks. The woman had just described four of their previous lives. It didn't spell out a good time for their relationship, but they had already found that to ignore their feelings could be even deadlier. Kathryn, of course, already knew some of what would happen, and a niggling idea in the back of her head was to spell out the way to defeat the curse, though she didn't yet know it.
"That's nice to know. Our life could well include murder, separation, insanity and death." Sirius remarked sarcastically.
"Murder certainly. I mean, with Voldemort here, what's to say our friends, family, colleagues, aren't going to be murdered?" Kathryn sighed, knowing some truth of it.
"You're a happy soul, aren't you?" James asked.
"So I'm told."
"I haven't got any family to worry about." Sirius sighed.
"Most of those who are blood relations, no. But family? *We* are your family, Sirius." James clapped him on the back.
"Don't forget your cousin Andromeda, the sane one of the sisters Black." Kathryn grinned. "I mean, Bellatrix is, frankly, cracked, and Narcissa, well, you just need to look at her taste in men."
"I know. Andi, of course, was a disgrace for being a Gryffindor, and even more so when she married Ted Tonks last year. She's got a kid on the way now." Sirius grinned. He liked Andromeda, more commonly known as Andi, for the fact that she was the only other sane member of his family. "Blasted off the tapestry, just like me."
"When were you blasted off?"
"When I ran away."
"Yes, I forgot that. Have you noticed how anyone who's half-decent related to the Blacks gets blasted off? You, your uncle, Andro –"
"Andi. She hates being known as Andromeda."
"Is that why she calls her daughter such a strange name then?" Kathryn asked. Sirius looked like he was going to ask her a question and then changed his mind. She continued. "Andi, the Weasleys..."
"How did you know I was related to the Weasleys?"
"You said so. Something about being a cousin to Molly through marriage and Arthur being your second cousin once removed or something."
"Sounds about right."
"And they aren't on there because they are absolutely lovely people." Kathryn grinned.
"You know that, how?" Avia asked.
"Dreams, my dear Avia, dreams. Or more specifically, coma. One of the their sons is Harry's best friend, he isn't born yet. And the twins, who I don't think are born yet either, well, they're friends of Harry's too. Harry gives them some money to start a joke shop."
"Why?"
"Because he didn't want the money."
"How much?"
"A thousand galleons."
"My son gave that much away?!" James looked scandalised.
"He didn't need the money." Kathryn explained. "It had bad connections. Besides, how else were they to finance the shop?" She grinned wickedly.
"I think we'd get on well with them." James grinned.
"Well, they liked you guys. Even though they'd only met two of you."
"Huh?"
"Don't ask. Anyway, being such sweet and innocent First-years, or it might have been Second-years, anyway, they found a piece of blank parchment in Filch's office, in a drawer marked *Highly dangerous*." Kathryn paused dramatically.
"Don't tell me." James grinned.
Kathryn had a swift memory of Harry saying exactly the same thing. "Well, they owed the secret of their success to Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. And then handed the map to Harry when he was barred from going to Hogsmeade."
"Why was he barred?" Lily asked, curious. She didn't know that she was Harry's mother, but she still wanted to hear about him.
"Um, it wasn't safe, *supposedly*." Kathryn rolled her eyes, the truth was that he didn't have permission, but she couldn't tell them that.
"How did this conversation get to my insane relatives to Harry being forbidden to go Hogsmeade?" Sirius asked.
"No idea." Kathryn shrugged. "What's this?"
She frowned at a large door, the words 'Dni fot eslel larof seilleiv eht otni' engraved in gold on the dark wood. (A/N: Reverse the letters and change some of the gaps to find out what it says. Same works on the inscription round the Mirror of Erised.)
"What does that mean?" Sirius wondered.
"I don't know." Kathryn murmured. "Avia?"
"The door is always locked. No one can get in there. Nothing will open the door." She explained.
"Oh. Never mind. C'mon, we've still got the West Wing to check out." Kathryn grinned.
Some areas of the house clearly weren't used, and not even entered except by house-elves who kept them clean. Kathryn and her friends (Avia disappeared) searched through them, finding odd little nooks and crannies, funny little bits and bobs, and occasionally interesting and unusual magical things.
"What's this?" Lily pulled out a large stone basin. Inside it, something silvery sat, silent.
Kathryn stared. "Isn't that a..."
"Pensieve." Sirius finished. "Why would someone leave a pensieve hanging around in an unoccupied part of the house?"
"Maybe it's an old one. One used in other times." James suggested.
"By one of my ancestors." Kathryn mused. She looked into the substance, which had now started to swirl. A picture formed. A young woman. One who looked like her. "What the...?"
It was too late. Her fingers brushed the substance, she was sucked in. But not before Sirius had grabbed her ankle and joined her.
Lily looked at James, panicked. "What do we do?"
"We take it to Tina or Elise, that's what we do." James told her, picking up the basin.
Swiftly, the two of them walked to the occupied areas of the house, where help would be.
"Ow." Kathryn complained as she hit floorboards.
"Uh-huh." Sirius agreed.
"What're you doing here?"
"I grabbed hold of your ankle, trying to stop you. As you can see, I failed." Sirius explained. "Now what...?" He stopped, staring at the scene behind his girlfriend.
"What?" Kathryn turned, and took an involuntary step back.
To one side, a figure stood, hidden in shadow. Clearly, the memory was theirs.
The young woman who looked like Kathryn looked fearful. She wore an old fashioned, almost Tudor style of dress, or maybe they were robes. She wore a veil over her hair and ornate jewellery.
"Where is he? I can't feel him!" The woman panicked.
"Mystique?" A voice asked.
From the shadows, a young man appeared. Sirius gasped as he saw a man almost his double, wearing Tudor doublet and hose, at which he wrinkled his nose, under black robes.
"Ynyr! Where have you been? Why can I not sense you any longer?"
"Our curse. I think it's become active."
"That means..."
"Soon something will occur, separation, death, and our son..."
"He will live. He will live, have children, die a natural death. It will be one of my blood, my soul, and my magic who ends this curse. We cannot."
"Well, whatever the curse decides, if we are to die, let it mean something."
"It will. She of pure and magic name, of my magic, my soul and my appearance shall help defeat this curse."
"He of star's name, of true ideals, of the true nobility of his house, of my soul, my appearance, of earth, shall help defeat this curse. Only they can."
"But how?"
"Even when dead, still can they live, it is the power the elements can give." He told her.
"What...?" Kathryn began, but at that moment, she felt something yank her out of the pensieve.
"Ow!" Kathryn exclaimed, falling on stone patio.
"Are you all right?" Elise asked, rushing to her side.
"Yeah, just a bruise, is all." Kathryn replied.
"Speaking of bruises, how did you get the one on your jaw?" Sirius wanted to know, getting up from his own position on the ground.
Behind him, James cast a truth spell. "Veritas."
Before Kathryn could stop herself, she revealed, "Vernon Dursley hit me." And clapped a hand over her mouth.
"Kathryn!" Lily shrieked. "Why didn't you say anything at the time?"
"Because I fixed it so he could never hit anyone again." She explained. "I created the spell. It gave me the chance to use it. All I did was call him a jerk. He was saying how we're unnatural. I told him that in our world, he'd be considered unnatural and told him to back off, then called him a jerk. The spell should help him control his temper." She looked satisfied.
"What did you see in the pensieve?" Her mother asked.
"Mystique and Ynyr. They believed the curse on them had become active. They then said how it can only be defeated by she of pure and magic name, of her magic, her soul and her appearance, and one of star's name, of true ideals, of the true nobility of his house, of his soul, his appearance and the earth." Kathryn replied.
Lily, James, Avia and Elise stared.
"What?" Sirius and Kathryn asked, exasperated.
"They're speaking about you." James replied, equally exasperated.
"No."
"Yes. Kathryn, your name means pure, though Tina reckons it comes from magic. More importantly, your surname means magic power. You have Mystique's wandless magic, you contain her soul, and from paintings I've seen, you could pass as her twin." James informed her. "Sirius, your name comes from the Dog Star. You hold the true ideals and nobility of your house, you hold his soul, you look like him, and your power stems from the earth."
"I was hoping it meant someone else." Kathryn sighed. "I was hoping it couldn't mean me."
"But you can beat this curse! In those resurfaces, they spoke of you as knowing a future you couldn't change and changing what you could as soon as you are able. The separation, you can correct that. You know who we are. That has to mean something."
"But I'm not alive then!" Kathryn yelled.
"How do you know that? Maybe you ran for some reason!" James argued.
"I..." Kathryn swayed and fell to the floor.
"What's happening?" Elise exclaimed.
"She's having a vision." Sirius replied, grasping his girlfriend's hand.
"What? She only has those in her sleep!"
"You do, she doesn't. Well, she does. For really strong ones, or important ones, sleep forces itself on her, though normally she feels very tired first." Sirius explained.
"I hope she's alright." Her mother prayed anxiously.
"Me too." Sirius murmured, trying to ignore the fact that she looked so scared.
* * *
A/N: Attack of the evil cliffhanger! I'm so awful. Right, I'll either post next Wednesday or Friday. And... God praise Broadband! However, the e- mail's all wacky, so we might have to change it to out hotmail accounts. Which means that we may become individuals. Though I don't doubt Thriodien will still make comments. *Looks around furtively to make sure Thriodien hasn't heard*
Okay, now, to my lovely reviewers...
egastin77: Yes, I will post up soon!
Rhinemjr: Cool name! Glad you like it!
And last, but not least...
Saturnpyroprincess: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Another person who doesn't think Kat's a Mary-Sue! (See Lobo Diablo?) I hope there was enough lovey-doveyness in this chapter for you! If not, never mind. It's a pre-written story, but I'm open to ideas! I like writing the interactions between characters, especially Kat and Sirius, it's fun! And yeah, I think it deserves more reviews too!
Anyway, ta ta for now!
Lol, Tanydwr
Anyway, onto the story!
Chapter 17 – Pensieves, grandparents and houses
---Magic's Haven, 7th July 1981---
"Oooph!" Kathryn complained, falling out of the fireplace.
"Kathryn!" A shriek sounded and two small bullets plunged into her.
"Uh, hi Paul, hi Adalia. Mind letting me up?" Kathryn asked.
"Oh, sorry!" Adalia gasped.
"S'okay." She smiled. "Now, just a sec." She pointed her wand at herself. "Refrigerare." She was clean once more. "I love that spell."
"Why don't you use scourgify?" Adalia asked.
"Too harsh on skin and clothes, it's more suited to household things." Kathryn explained, pulling out her bag and returning it to normal size. "Where's Lily?"
"James ran in and whisked her away into the garden. I think Peppy took her trunk upstairs to your room." Adalia explained.
"Those trunks are huge and heavy!" Kathryn exclaimed, rushing out of the living room and up the nearest flight of stairs, only to encounter Peppy the house-elf. "Locomotor mortis." Kathryn incanted.
Instantly the large trunk was floating.
Peppy looked at her helper. "Miss Kathryn, you is back!" She smiled.
"Yes, I am. What have I told you about calling me 'Miss'? Please, Peppy, you know I don't like it." Kathryn begged, as they headed for Kathryn's two rooms – one a bedroom, the other a living room, study and just doing everything except sleeping room.
"Yes, Miss Kathryn, but it doesn't feel right."
"Well, only if you really want to. It just... irks me, is all."
"Did you have a nice time at your friend's?" Peppy asked. Her English was better than most house-elves', though she occasionally fell back on it. This was, apparently, thanks to Kathryn, for Peppy had always looked after her and was, therefore, her favourite house-elf. The older Kathryn liked her because she had a good sense of humour as she had discovered in the few moments she had spare in the previous holidays.
"Yes, I did, thanks. Y'know, I never realised how big this house is." Kathryn mused, fully appreciating the size of the wizarding stately home.
As Kathryn approached her room, a small boy left one of the other doors, it appeared to be Paul's. As soon as he saw Kathryn, he stopped.
"Are you okay?" Kathryn asked.
The boy tore back into the room he had just left. "Who was that?" Kathryn asked Peppy.
"That's Ian Lewis." Peppy explained.
"Why is he here? Is he a friend of Paul's?"
"Yes, but his family was murdered by He Who Must Not Be Named. He is staying here for protection."
Kathryn gasped. "Oh dear God, that poor kid." Then suddenly another thought occurred to her. "How is he going to cope with eight over-amorous teenagers in the house? For that matter, how are Adalia and Paul going to cope?"
"They'll probably ignore you, like we house-elves do." Peppy answered.
Kathryn grinned and turned the doorknob to her door. It was locked.
"Locked?"
"You put a spell on it. Only I can get in when you aren't in the house." Peppy explained.
"Oh yeah, I trust you." Kathryn grinned. She whispered a password. "Cadbury's." The lock and doorknob glittered for a moment and a click announced that the spell was no longer active. She opened the door.
Sunlight streamed into the fresh, airy room that was her bedroom. Another four-poster bed had been placed on the opposite wall, the other side of the door. Kathryn dumped her bag on her bed and laid Lily's trunk and owl's cage to rest at the foot of the bed. She observed that her own trunk was at the foot of her bed and had clearly been unpacked. She opened the door to her 'living' room and observed a pile of books stacked on her desk along with her other school equipment.
"Thanks for unpacking, Peppy."
"It's what I do."
"Yeah, but I still appreciate it, which is more than some people would." She looked momentarily bitter about the shabby treatment of some house- elves by their masters and mistresses.
She took only a few minutes to unpack her bag and then ventured over to the large windows (framed by Gothic arches) and opened the glass doors to step onto her balcony. She grinned. The view was spectacular. This 'wing' of the house was known as the Wing of Devils, also known as the Wing where the Orenda children spent their time, also any of their friends or orphans who were staying stayed there. (A/N: Sorry, but I *adore* old stately homes, so she sort of had to live in one!)
Below her, she heard a squeal. James was chasing Lily around the garden with a watering can he had charmed to continuously spout water.
"Hey!" She yelled. "Lily, you need to unpack!"
Lily stopped and looked up. "No! I'll do it later!"
"She needs to get clean!" James explained.
Well, that did explain the watering can.
Kathryn smiled and ran downstairs, her wand caught in a loop on her shorts. Before she got to her friends though, there was a loud "OW!" and then a whoop of joy.
Kathryn entered the main living room of the Wing of Devils.
"Kathryn!" A voice yelled and she was encompassed in a hug.
"Sirius!" Kathryn smiled. "Surely seeing me doesn't make you *that* happy!"
"Oh it does, but even better, I found a house!" Sirius explained.
"That's great! Where?"
"London. Four-bedroomed, two bathrooms, a kitchen, living-room, dining-room and study room. Oh and a cellar. Not to mention magical." Sirius grinned.
"That's great!" Kathryn hugged him again. "Wait a minute. Wouldn't that cost loads in London?"
"Yeah, cost me a thousand galleons, but thanks to Uncle Alphard, I had that. Also, it was on the magic market, not the Muggle market. It has several magical upgrades." Sirius grinned.
"Why so big?" Kathryn wanted to know.
"So when we finish Hogwarts, you, James and Lily can live with me!"
Kathryn raised a brow. "And why would we want to do that?"
"Because I'm an exceptional person!" Sirius explained.
"Mm-hmm." Kathryn smiled. "But not exceptional enough yet."
His face fell. "Why?"
"You haven't given me my hello kiss!"
"I'm so sorry."
Sirius swept her up in his arms and bent her back as though in a dramatic scene from a play (such as Shakespeare, or just the Tango). He kissed her with a smile.
"Eurgh!" A voice from the doorway announced.
Sirius and Kathryn swiftly broke apart.
"PAUL!" Kathryn yelled.
"Yes?" He asked innocently.
"Why do I have a little brother?!" Kathryn spread her arms and looked up, as though asking God. "WHY?!"
"Because I'm so cute and sweet." Paul replied.
"You're annoying. By the way, you'd best tell Ian I don't bite. He scarpered like I was a rampaging hippogriff when I asked him if he was okay before."
"He is, he's just a bit nervous. And you're so intimidating and all..."
"Me? Intimidating?" Kathryn could barely believe his words.
"Yeah."
"Good grief!"
Sirius grinned. "Anyone else here?"
"James and Lily are in the garden. James is chasing her with a watering can." Kathryn answered.
"Cool. Anyone else?"
"Nah. I haven't even seen Mum and Dad yet." Kathryn sighed.
"Dad's at work. Mum's in the library." Paul answered.
"It'd be great if I actually knew the layout of my own house, wouldn't it?" The girl sighed.
Paul grinned and ran upstairs.
"We always do have our romantic moments ruined, don't we?" Sirius grinned as his girlfriend drew him out of the room and towards the garden.
"Yep."
In the garden their two friends were now soaked to the skin and still running about.
"Hey, guys!" Sirius called.
"Yep?" James asked as Lily dodged his clutching arms.
"I got a house!" Sirius shouted, celebratory.
"That's great!" Lily grinned.
"James, quit chasing Lily, will you? You're ruining the lawn." Kathryn informed him tartly.
He grinned. "Sorry, milady Kathryn. After all, you own this fine stately home."
"Actually, my parents do. And I don't even know my way around it. Not to mention I don't remember any of the secret passages."
"You don't?" Sirius looked shocked.
"Nope. Why, do you know them?"
"Yes."
"Good, you can show me."
"I will. And I'll enjoy it." Sirius grinned.
At that point, Elise Orenda appeared.
"Kathryn, is that you?"
"MUM!" Kathryn grinned, and ran to hug her mother.
"Hello, dear. How many have arrived so far?" She wanted to know.
"Just us four. I don't think the others are arriving until later. Alura and Radella only get back today. They might even wait until tomorrow. I haven't had the letter they promised." Kathryn scowled.
"And the boys?"
"Remus won't arrive until tomorrow. He's, uh, ill." James explained.
"It's the full moon, isn't it?" Elise asked.
"What the... Mum, how did you know?" Kathryn was flabbergasted.
"I was friends with his mother at school. She wrote to me when he was first bit by the creature, asking if I had any contacts who knew of a cure." Elise explained. "Unfortunately, there isn't one yet. I know there are researchers who are working on a cure, or at least some way of making the transformations less painful. There's a room Remus can use. I believe Olden's great-great-uncle or something also had the problem and the family, being one of the few sane and sympathetic ones, built an underground chamber specifically for him. It's locked by silver, and I believe the earth surrounding the chamber actually helps counteract the severity of the transformation. It makes it less painful. Remus can use that the night of the full moon."
James and Sirius stared. Kathryn grinned. Lily smiled.
"Merlin, Kathryn, does your family have any bad points?" Sirius asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you have no bigotry towards werewolves and suchlike, you don't care about blood unless it's pouring out of you, you're all strong in magic, good Quidditch players, wealthy, definitely on the side of good, do I need to continue?"
"You forgot absolutely dazzlingly attractive." Kathryn grinned.
"So I did." Sirius grinned back.
"And can I point out that we have serious problems with bigots, the house of Slytherin, Dark magic, have furious tempers, Mum and I have prophetic dreams we can't tell anyone about unless it's really important or we know the dreams were sent to be prevented, we're sickeningly good at everything and we all have one extreme and intense fear that will near cripple us?" Kathryn wanted to know.
"Those aren't so bad."
"We dislike Slytherins to the point of cursing them. That's bad. Leila hasn't done it, but I've been told that I'm the fourth of the Orenda children to do so."
"What's this about phobias?" Lily asked.
"We all have one." Elise explained. "Even me. For instance, my husband is petrified of snakes to the point where if he sees one, he faints."
"Let's hope he doesn't come across a Runespoor then." James joked.
"Three heads, urgh." Kathryn shuddered. "I don't even know what my fear is. In my coma, I was terrified of heights, but that clearly isn't the case here."
"Scared of drinking potions?" Sirius suggested.
"Nah, I don't faint in class, do I?"
"Scared of Voldemort?"
"I call him Moldyvort, I don't think that's as a manifestation of fear."
"We'll find out at some point. Let's just hope we do before that fear kills you."
"Oh thanks, Sirius, that's really brightened my day." Kathryn told him sarcastically.
Kathryn and Sirius bickered playfully while they followed her mother into the house. She showed the boys to their rooms (again with a bedroom and living room), which they were to share, and then they all began to explore.
"What are you doing?" A voice cackled. "Out, damned spots, out I say!"
"Avia, quit quoting Shakespeare!" Kathryn ordered. (A/N: Quit quoting! Ha ha!)
"Why should I do that?"
"Can you cope with eight teens with hormone-poisoning?" Kathryn asked, grinning.
"I'm not sure. Mind you, your grandfather and I..."
"Oh, I do not want to know!" Kathryn yelled. "If there's anything a teen does not want to know about, it's their parents' or grandparents' or any family members' sex lives. Gross!"
"Even when your grandmother only looks thirty-five?"
"Yes."
"Darn."
"Yep."
Sirius grinned. "So, do I get to call you Avia, or is it just Great Lady of the Book of Pranks?" He hugged Kathryn from behind her.
"Well, seeing as you're practically one of the family now..."
"Avia!"
"I suppose you can. You two, however, just call me Tina."
"Tina?" Lily asked.
"It's short for Coventina. The only one who calls her that and stays alive is Dumbledore, and that's only because he's older than her." Sirius explained.
"Yeah and he actually looks old." Kathryn grinned.
"Well he is a hundred and thirty years old." Lily pointed out.
They stared at her.
"How do you know that?"
"I, uh, you know, asked him." But Lily's tone suggested that a little bit of magic had greased the question.
"Does he know you did?"
"Yeah, I was practising. Remember in November? It was the third Monday."
"After I'd been in hospital?"
"Yeah."
"Got you."
"I heard you had ten detentions, Neptis." Avia informed her granddaughter as she fell in step with the exploring teenagers.
"Yeah."
"Can I ask why?"
"Yeah, three for pranks, five for attacking Slytherins in some way shape or form, one for being late due to being hexed by Snape and one for being overly affectionate in the corridors." Kathryn always grinned at the last one.
"Who did you get that from?"
"Swindale. He seems to think that if he isn't happy, no one else should be."
"I know. He taught when I was at school."
"You're seventy!"
"I know."
"God, wizards and witches do hang around for ages, don't they?"
"Yes. Now, more seriously, I'm very disappointed."
"Why?"
"That's so few detentions!"
"But Avia..."
"What's more, you got caught! If you're going to prank someone, you do not get caught!"
"It's only because the teachers assumed it was me."
"They must have had proof."
"I have a habit of leaving a pentacle symbol in some form or other. Otherwise they'd just assume it was the Marauders, and I don't think they need my help to get into trouble."
"Certainly not." Sirius sniffed, pointing his nose in the air.
Kathryn pulled the nose down and kissed it. "Don't do that."
"Yes, ma'am." Sirius said meekly.
"You've got him twisted round your little finger, haven't you?" Avia asked.
"I'm not sure, I think there's a tangle because in some cases, I'm twisted around *his* little finger."
Avia groaned. "You two are as bad as I was. In fact, you're as bad as several major couples in history, all of them were wound around each other's fingers and all of them ended tragically. Treasa and Medwin, one murdered, Mystique and Ynyr, she died saving the world, he died shortly afterwards, leaving their young son in the care of his mother's sister until he was old enough, Loren and Raquel, both murdered, Flamma and Solum, the first couple, cursed by his mother, he died, and she went crazy. Not good."
Sirius and Kathryn exchanged looks. The woman had just described four of their previous lives. It didn't spell out a good time for their relationship, but they had already found that to ignore their feelings could be even deadlier. Kathryn, of course, already knew some of what would happen, and a niggling idea in the back of her head was to spell out the way to defeat the curse, though she didn't yet know it.
"That's nice to know. Our life could well include murder, separation, insanity and death." Sirius remarked sarcastically.
"Murder certainly. I mean, with Voldemort here, what's to say our friends, family, colleagues, aren't going to be murdered?" Kathryn sighed, knowing some truth of it.
"You're a happy soul, aren't you?" James asked.
"So I'm told."
"I haven't got any family to worry about." Sirius sighed.
"Most of those who are blood relations, no. But family? *We* are your family, Sirius." James clapped him on the back.
"Don't forget your cousin Andromeda, the sane one of the sisters Black." Kathryn grinned. "I mean, Bellatrix is, frankly, cracked, and Narcissa, well, you just need to look at her taste in men."
"I know. Andi, of course, was a disgrace for being a Gryffindor, and even more so when she married Ted Tonks last year. She's got a kid on the way now." Sirius grinned. He liked Andromeda, more commonly known as Andi, for the fact that she was the only other sane member of his family. "Blasted off the tapestry, just like me."
"When were you blasted off?"
"When I ran away."
"Yes, I forgot that. Have you noticed how anyone who's half-decent related to the Blacks gets blasted off? You, your uncle, Andro –"
"Andi. She hates being known as Andromeda."
"Is that why she calls her daughter such a strange name then?" Kathryn asked. Sirius looked like he was going to ask her a question and then changed his mind. She continued. "Andi, the Weasleys..."
"How did you know I was related to the Weasleys?"
"You said so. Something about being a cousin to Molly through marriage and Arthur being your second cousin once removed or something."
"Sounds about right."
"And they aren't on there because they are absolutely lovely people." Kathryn grinned.
"You know that, how?" Avia asked.
"Dreams, my dear Avia, dreams. Or more specifically, coma. One of the their sons is Harry's best friend, he isn't born yet. And the twins, who I don't think are born yet either, well, they're friends of Harry's too. Harry gives them some money to start a joke shop."
"Why?"
"Because he didn't want the money."
"How much?"
"A thousand galleons."
"My son gave that much away?!" James looked scandalised.
"He didn't need the money." Kathryn explained. "It had bad connections. Besides, how else were they to finance the shop?" She grinned wickedly.
"I think we'd get on well with them." James grinned.
"Well, they liked you guys. Even though they'd only met two of you."
"Huh?"
"Don't ask. Anyway, being such sweet and innocent First-years, or it might have been Second-years, anyway, they found a piece of blank parchment in Filch's office, in a drawer marked *Highly dangerous*." Kathryn paused dramatically.
"Don't tell me." James grinned.
Kathryn had a swift memory of Harry saying exactly the same thing. "Well, they owed the secret of their success to Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. And then handed the map to Harry when he was barred from going to Hogsmeade."
"Why was he barred?" Lily asked, curious. She didn't know that she was Harry's mother, but she still wanted to hear about him.
"Um, it wasn't safe, *supposedly*." Kathryn rolled her eyes, the truth was that he didn't have permission, but she couldn't tell them that.
"How did this conversation get to my insane relatives to Harry being forbidden to go Hogsmeade?" Sirius asked.
"No idea." Kathryn shrugged. "What's this?"
She frowned at a large door, the words 'Dni fot eslel larof seilleiv eht otni' engraved in gold on the dark wood. (A/N: Reverse the letters and change some of the gaps to find out what it says. Same works on the inscription round the Mirror of Erised.)
"What does that mean?" Sirius wondered.
"I don't know." Kathryn murmured. "Avia?"
"The door is always locked. No one can get in there. Nothing will open the door." She explained.
"Oh. Never mind. C'mon, we've still got the West Wing to check out." Kathryn grinned.
Some areas of the house clearly weren't used, and not even entered except by house-elves who kept them clean. Kathryn and her friends (Avia disappeared) searched through them, finding odd little nooks and crannies, funny little bits and bobs, and occasionally interesting and unusual magical things.
"What's this?" Lily pulled out a large stone basin. Inside it, something silvery sat, silent.
Kathryn stared. "Isn't that a..."
"Pensieve." Sirius finished. "Why would someone leave a pensieve hanging around in an unoccupied part of the house?"
"Maybe it's an old one. One used in other times." James suggested.
"By one of my ancestors." Kathryn mused. She looked into the substance, which had now started to swirl. A picture formed. A young woman. One who looked like her. "What the...?"
It was too late. Her fingers brushed the substance, she was sucked in. But not before Sirius had grabbed her ankle and joined her.
Lily looked at James, panicked. "What do we do?"
"We take it to Tina or Elise, that's what we do." James told her, picking up the basin.
Swiftly, the two of them walked to the occupied areas of the house, where help would be.
"Ow." Kathryn complained as she hit floorboards.
"Uh-huh." Sirius agreed.
"What're you doing here?"
"I grabbed hold of your ankle, trying to stop you. As you can see, I failed." Sirius explained. "Now what...?" He stopped, staring at the scene behind his girlfriend.
"What?" Kathryn turned, and took an involuntary step back.
To one side, a figure stood, hidden in shadow. Clearly, the memory was theirs.
The young woman who looked like Kathryn looked fearful. She wore an old fashioned, almost Tudor style of dress, or maybe they were robes. She wore a veil over her hair and ornate jewellery.
"Where is he? I can't feel him!" The woman panicked.
"Mystique?" A voice asked.
From the shadows, a young man appeared. Sirius gasped as he saw a man almost his double, wearing Tudor doublet and hose, at which he wrinkled his nose, under black robes.
"Ynyr! Where have you been? Why can I not sense you any longer?"
"Our curse. I think it's become active."
"That means..."
"Soon something will occur, separation, death, and our son..."
"He will live. He will live, have children, die a natural death. It will be one of my blood, my soul, and my magic who ends this curse. We cannot."
"Well, whatever the curse decides, if we are to die, let it mean something."
"It will. She of pure and magic name, of my magic, my soul and my appearance shall help defeat this curse."
"He of star's name, of true ideals, of the true nobility of his house, of my soul, my appearance, of earth, shall help defeat this curse. Only they can."
"But how?"
"Even when dead, still can they live, it is the power the elements can give." He told her.
"What...?" Kathryn began, but at that moment, she felt something yank her out of the pensieve.
"Ow!" Kathryn exclaimed, falling on stone patio.
"Are you all right?" Elise asked, rushing to her side.
"Yeah, just a bruise, is all." Kathryn replied.
"Speaking of bruises, how did you get the one on your jaw?" Sirius wanted to know, getting up from his own position on the ground.
Behind him, James cast a truth spell. "Veritas."
Before Kathryn could stop herself, she revealed, "Vernon Dursley hit me." And clapped a hand over her mouth.
"Kathryn!" Lily shrieked. "Why didn't you say anything at the time?"
"Because I fixed it so he could never hit anyone again." She explained. "I created the spell. It gave me the chance to use it. All I did was call him a jerk. He was saying how we're unnatural. I told him that in our world, he'd be considered unnatural and told him to back off, then called him a jerk. The spell should help him control his temper." She looked satisfied.
"What did you see in the pensieve?" Her mother asked.
"Mystique and Ynyr. They believed the curse on them had become active. They then said how it can only be defeated by she of pure and magic name, of her magic, her soul and her appearance, and one of star's name, of true ideals, of the true nobility of his house, of his soul, his appearance and the earth." Kathryn replied.
Lily, James, Avia and Elise stared.
"What?" Sirius and Kathryn asked, exasperated.
"They're speaking about you." James replied, equally exasperated.
"No."
"Yes. Kathryn, your name means pure, though Tina reckons it comes from magic. More importantly, your surname means magic power. You have Mystique's wandless magic, you contain her soul, and from paintings I've seen, you could pass as her twin." James informed her. "Sirius, your name comes from the Dog Star. You hold the true ideals and nobility of your house, you hold his soul, you look like him, and your power stems from the earth."
"I was hoping it meant someone else." Kathryn sighed. "I was hoping it couldn't mean me."
"But you can beat this curse! In those resurfaces, they spoke of you as knowing a future you couldn't change and changing what you could as soon as you are able. The separation, you can correct that. You know who we are. That has to mean something."
"But I'm not alive then!" Kathryn yelled.
"How do you know that? Maybe you ran for some reason!" James argued.
"I..." Kathryn swayed and fell to the floor.
"What's happening?" Elise exclaimed.
"She's having a vision." Sirius replied, grasping his girlfriend's hand.
"What? She only has those in her sleep!"
"You do, she doesn't. Well, she does. For really strong ones, or important ones, sleep forces itself on her, though normally she feels very tired first." Sirius explained.
"I hope she's alright." Her mother prayed anxiously.
"Me too." Sirius murmured, trying to ignore the fact that she looked so scared.
* * *
A/N: Attack of the evil cliffhanger! I'm so awful. Right, I'll either post next Wednesday or Friday. And... God praise Broadband! However, the e- mail's all wacky, so we might have to change it to out hotmail accounts. Which means that we may become individuals. Though I don't doubt Thriodien will still make comments. *Looks around furtively to make sure Thriodien hasn't heard*
Okay, now, to my lovely reviewers...
egastin77: Yes, I will post up soon!
Rhinemjr: Cool name! Glad you like it!
And last, but not least...
Saturnpyroprincess: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Another person who doesn't think Kat's a Mary-Sue! (See Lobo Diablo?) I hope there was enough lovey-doveyness in this chapter for you! If not, never mind. It's a pre-written story, but I'm open to ideas! I like writing the interactions between characters, especially Kat and Sirius, it's fun! And yeah, I think it deserves more reviews too!
Anyway, ta ta for now!
Lol, Tanydwr