Starlit Warrior; Maybe this Chapter will help you understand what the mysterious letter(s) say. Maybe...:D
IMUniquelyStupid; hehe, I like you're name. ANYWAY, thanks for the review. I'm glad you liked the Harry/Sere fluff. There will most likely be more of it soon.
anya; That reminds me a little bit of Buffy... So, I'm glad you reviewed. Umm, I can't really say about if Sere's just gonna be with Harry, or Ron. I think it's fun to have a little triangle. But, staye tuned to find out! You'll find out about the whole Hermione thing in this chapter. And, Sere hasn't read the letter from Lupin yet.
HP FREAK and SM Fanatic: Yes, maybe in this next update you'll find out what the letter says. I'll have to see what way it goes. You will find out about Hermione later on in this Chapter, that I can assure you. Tut, tut, tut. I don't think you're a dumb blond. You reviewed my story didn't you? lol.
Flame Ivy Moon: Thanks for the review! I'm glad you've been reading this (and my other stories as well.) and reviewing it.
fallen-angel: You'll find out what the letter says in the next chapter or two. And there is a reason Hermione is jealous.
Maybe her jealousness will have a bad affect on her friends... ;)
Now to answer the reviews from last Chapter. I'm kind of slow getting to them... lol!
Hn; I am sorry that I cannot answer your question right out. That was a really good idea, though. Hopefully your question will be answered in this Chapter. :D
NixiNox: I like that name! Ah, if only I could tell. But, rest assured (I like using that word. lol.) you will find out soon about it.
Lady Suga: Thanks for the review! And I will start updating faster! Just for you! lol!
fantasy-monkey: Nice name;) Thanks for the review
Ivy Tearen: Thanks for the review! I'm glad you like it!
Kitty Kat-chan: Yes, I LOVE the third book! It's my favorite because it introduces us to my favorite people of all time,
Professor Lupin and Sirius. I really liked the movie, too.
SiLvErFaTeD; Cool way to do a name. Thanks for the review!
Silver Moonlight-81; Thanks for the review. I'm glad you're reading my stories. Thanks :D
Fire Dolphin: Thanks for the review. I know I'm not being very original, but I'm glad you think it's interesting!
Black Mage of Darkness; Hmmmm.... I wish I could answer your question. Maybe this Chapter will be your chapter!
A New Dawn,
Chapter Five,
Letters
Serena picked her head up. She was lying in her bed with the covers pulled up to her neck and the hangings closed around her. She wondered slightly if Mina had anything to do with that.
She layed her head back down. It was throbbing madly.
A minute later a ray of sunshine peaked through her velvet hangings. "Good morning, sunshine!" said the voice of her older sister. She walked in and once again closed the hangings. "How are you doing this morning?"
"On a scale from one to ten I would say twenty below zero." said Serena, holding her head.
Mina just sat there looking sympathetic. "What you need is a day out," she said suddenly. "I figured since it was the week end that we would go do something. Maybe go to Hogsmeade."
Serena smiled. "That's all fine and dandy, but I promised Harry that I wouldn't go to Hogsmeade until he could come with.
His uncle didn't sign his permisson papers. I don't want him to be left out." she said.
Mina grinned. "It seems to me that Harry is turning out to be more than a friend to you, Sere." she said.
"Harry and I are just friends, Mina." said Serena, although the blush creeping onto her cheeks gave her away.
Mina frowned a bit. "I would advise you to pick between Harry and Ron, though. Keeping them both tied around your little finger may not be the best way. If you're not careful you could lose friends and get hurt."
Serena sighed. "I know. Maybe I'll tell them both later. I don't want to depress them, though."
"I assure you, Sere, that by telling them you'll be making them less depressed than if you carry on as you've been doing"
said Mina, patting her sister's feet. "Now it's time to get up. You can't stay in bed all weekend long."
Serena nodded. "I'll come down in a little bit. I want to read through my letter one more time." she said.
Mina nodded and walked out from the hidden bed. She once again closed the hangings, only this time leaving a little bit open so Serena could have light to read.
Leaning over the side of her bed she reached into the cabinet by her bed. She pulled out the letter that her siblings had given her plus the letter that Professor Lupin had given her. She was relieved when she saw that no body had read it.
"How is she coping?" asked Josh from his seat in front of the fire. He was worried about his little sister. She had never been as quiet and sad than she had been for the passed few days.
Mina sighed. "Just like I had expected she would," she said. "I hate how this is tearing her up. And it's gonna get worse,
too. Hermione read the letter."
Josh leaned back in his chair. "I only hope she won't tell anybody else,"
"I wish she wouldn't either. But the thing is, Sere has always been one of the most popular kids her age. She has always had Harry and Ron hanging around her. Hermione is jealous, which isn't a good thing." said Mina, looking around.
In the end Josh and her decided that if everything fell apart around their little sister, they were going to be there for her no matter what.
'Dear Ms. Tuskino,'
Serena read the first few words of the letter.
'After reading this, do not feel ashamed to be mad.'
She looked at it in confusion. Why would she feel ashamed to be mad? Shaking her head she continued reading.
'There are many things in here you most likely will not want to hear. For that I do not blame you.
Doubtless you have read the other letter that was given to you by your family. And you most likely felt a little betrayed by them.'
Serena looked surprised at the letter. How did this piece of paper know her feelings towards her family at the moment.
'I know what you have heard and your feelings on such a matter. It is almost unsettling, is it not? Anyway, to get to the important stuff.
I know how you feel about your friends; them being the most important things to you. I also know that you would do anything for them, especially Mr. Potter.
I know that your impulse to show your friends this letter must be strong, but I must ask you not to.
This year will be hard for you. There is no doubt about that. There will be things that happen this year that will mold you into what kind of person that you will likely become.
You do not have to face them alone, however.
I guess the whole intention of this letter is to explain some things to you.
It all started after I had graduated from Hogwarts. I hadn't planned on it happening since...well, anyway. Let's just say
I hadn't planned on it happening at all.
I met this wonderful lady one day. I guess it wasn't really met. I had seen her before, at school, but it only a little bit.
She was always with different people at different times.
She came over to me and said hello. Asked me how I was doing. Things sort of went from there.
Later on we were married. Then we decided after that it was time to have children. Nine months after THAT our first baby was born.
When that baby was only a year old something happened that changed the course of our lives forever.
Something that still haunts me even to this day.
After that disaster happened this lady and I divorced and she took our little baby with her. I was never to see this baby again.'
Serena's eyes widened as she realized something. She had promised to meet Harry that day by the lake!
Hurrying to put her letter away she ran to get dressed. She hurried and put her clothes on and socks and shoes. Then she ran down to the common room. "Did you guys just see Harry leave?" she asked her brother and sister.
They grinned and nodded. "He just went out that way," said Josh.
"Thank you," said Serena, running out to catch up with Harry.
She held onto her side because it was hurting. "Harry! Wait up!" she called out to him.
He turned around and smiled a little. "I thought you were gonna beat me to the lake." he said.
She skidded to a halt in front of him. "That was when I resolved to get up earlier. I had a change of mind as soon as my head hit the pillow last night." she replied.
Harry grinned. "Well then, let's get going." he said and they started walking towards the doors in the entrance hall.
"It sure is pretty out here," said Serena looking around at all the green trees and grass and leafs and flowers.
Harry nodded. "Nothing beats it," he said.
They went and sat by the lake, watching the Giant Squid laze about above the water for a little bit.
"Did you find out what made Hermione so upset yesterday?" asked Harry, looking at his friend. She seemed to have found it because she had a distant look on her face.
"Yes, I did actually." replied Serena. Then she turned to Harry in a most serious expression. "Harry, we'll always be friends, right? I mean, no matter what, right?"
Harry got a confused expression. "Yeah, why?" he asked.
"Because," said Serena. "I've just found out something that is different with my family and I was just wondering if you would still want to hang out and stuff if I... Oh, never mind. Forget I said anything and let's just enjoy today, okay?"
Still confused Harry nodded. "Okay," he said, looking out across the lake. If there was anything he knew it was that finding out something different about your family hurts... a little more than it should.
They sat there for a moment. Then Serena spoke up. "Where's Ron, Harry?" she asked.
Harry sighed. "He's with Hermione, trying to cheer her up. Apparently Hermione had to tell him something rather important."
Serena's eyes went wide and she had to swallow a gasp quickly. "I wonder what was so important," she said casually.
"I dunno," said Harry. "But I think it has something to do with what happened yesterday."
Serena smiled a little bit. Inside she was actually feeling a little more nervous than she should. "That will be good. Then maybe we'll know..." she broke off at the look on Harry's face. "What's wrong?"
"Something's bothering you," he said, looking at his friend for a moment. Something about her had indeed changed.
Serena looked at him for a moment then smiled. "Oh, nothing major. I just feel bad if I hurt Hermione's feelings. Another thing is I need to quit hanging around both you and Ron at the same time."
Harry looked at her in surprise. "Why?" he asked.
"Because I feel like I'm making Hermione jealous and I don't want that. Besides, what she said the other day was right. I do have you as my friend. And, whether we like it or not we're two of the most popular students in school." said Serena.
Harry sat digesting this before he replied. "People are intitled to more than just one friend, though, Sere. If you want to be friends with Ron I say you should."
"I'm glad you think so, Harry, but I'm going to be cutting my hang out time a little low. I need to start focusing on my homework." replied Serena.
Harry nodded then stood up. "I think we should take a walk." he said pulling Serena to her feet.
"Okay," she said, wondering wether this was going to be good or not.
As they were walking Harry started talking. "Hermione said something interesting about you," he said.
"I'm not a very interesting person, I promise." said Serena.
Harry shook his head. "You're family seems to be, though." he said.
Serena stopped dead in her tracks. "What?" she asked quietly.
"I said, 'You're family seems to be, though'." said Harry, looking anywhere but directly at her.
Serena looked down. "You think there is something fishy going on, don't you?" she asked.
He nodded, a little ashamed of how he felt at the moment but he HAD to know what was going on. What made Hermione so upset?
Serena looked at him and sighed. She remembered the words her sister told her on the subject of Ron and Harry. 'It's better that you tell them now rather than later.'
"Harry, I know you're going to hate me after this, but I have got to be honest with myself, also, as well as you. I owe you the truth about me. I didn't want to believe it. When they told me I felt betrayed; I felt anger; I felt shame. But most of all I felt hurt. The hurt that one day I would have to tell my best friend everything. That hurt has been haunting me for who knows how long. I would rather you hear it from me than from Hermione, anyway. Harry..." taking a deep breath. "I am the only daughter of..." voice breaking into little intakes of air. "...Sirius Black..."
Okay, end of Chapter. I thought you guys might like that. I wasn't planning on being predictable, but the way I have the plot drawn out it would have been impossible to do this any other way. Besides, I think Sirius would make a great dad, so there ya have it. ;)