Disclaimer: OK, you really should know by now that nothing but Bryn belongs to me.

Chapter 18 - Midnight Memories: That night, Bryn couldn't sleep. There were two main reasons for this; the ever more complex mystery of her mother, and, of course, Blaise. She stood, walking over to the window and sitting on the wide sill with her knees drawn up to her chin. She stared out at the night sky, her face bathed in the moon's silver glow.

She started dozing off, still sitting there, and then she heard voices playing in her head. They seemed to be flashbacks of an earlier time, a time she barely remembered.

"So, Lily, how do you like motherhood?"

"It's alright. James is trying to help, but men are hopeless." The women laughed.

"I had the same problem. He'll lighten up. Here, put Harry in the playpen with Bryn."

"But he's so small yet."

"He'll be fine."

And that wasn't the only one. But the others were less pleasant.

"Damn it, Jaz, why are you being so stubborn?"

"Me! What about you? You've accused one of your best friends of being a spy for Voldemort without any evidence!"

"He's a werewolf. Voldemort's promising that werewolves will have a good place in his new order; maybe he just wants a decent life."

"I don't believe that. Remus isn't the type."

"Do you always think the best of people?"

"No, I'm just sure you're wrong. If it's anyone, it's Peter."

"Peter? He's scared of his own shadow; he'd never have the stomach for that Dark Arts!"

"More likely him than Remus."

"I give up."

The last one was another argument, but with the man called Remus instead of about him.

"He's innocent, and I know it."

"All the evidence -"

"The evidence is wrong! He was framed, or Imperiused. Merlin, first I'm defending you to him, and now I'm defending him to you!"

"Defending me? Why?"

"He said you were the spy."

"Pointing fingers to take suspicion off himself, I guess." He sounded sad.

"He's not a Death Eater!"

"His whole fam -"

"Look at my family! They're no better!"

"Jaz, are you going to appeal his sentence?"

There was a sigh. "No. I can't risk being tossed in Azkaban myself, and I wouldn't put it past Crouch to do it. I can't leave Bryn alone, and although I'd want her left with you -"

"The Ministry would never allow it."

"Exactly... Remus, I wanted you to know, I'm leaving."

"What? Where are you going?"

"America. I don't want Bryn growing up under the shadow of what happened to her father."

"I understand, but I wish you wouldn't leave... We're all that's left, you and I."

"I know, and I wish things were different. But they're not, so I guess this is goodbye."

Bryn snapped awake. "Whoa," she whispered. That interesting dream/flashback sequence had certainly given her more information. Her father was apparently convicted of a crime, murder by the sound of it, but her mother had been convinced that he was innocent. Why? Blind love? Or did she have proof that she was afraid to share, for risk of being jailed herself and leaving Bryn alone? A rush of hot guilt ran through her. Was she indirectly responsible for the continuation of what may have been her father's wrongful incarceration? She hoped not. And what was with people calling her mother 'Jaz'? Was that a nickname derived from her real name? Jasmine, perhaps? It was a clue though, and Bryn was grateful. The only question was how to use this newfound information to gain the answers she sought.

A/N: R&R!