A/N: Yep, it's been a long time. Well, to put it in a nutshell: busy, camp, writers' block, vacation, high school. And this extra long chapter (for me, anyway) is a reward for your patience! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: This must be getting old, but…I do not own the characters/settings that the great J.K. Rowling has so brilliantly invented…sigh…

BURN THE RUM: Thank you! I'm glad you like the "plot twist"! I just couldn't keep Sirius out of this fic…I love him too much! The Adam thing might be a little confusing, but I'm working on it (I hope the end result will come out good – you'll see). Oh, I always cry at movies. It's one of my many quirks. Happy reading!

Siriusforeva: Hmm…I can see how he's AU. He might edge back to his regular self, but there'll still be unusual times. Let's hope it's unexpected! Thanks for reading!

Writingangel203: neli, you know what's going to happen! But I'm glad you're reading anyway!

Stormcloud-203: Thank you very much! That was very sweet! I'm glad you're liking the stories. Enjoy the chapter!

CherrySprinkles: Hey, Julia! Yay! I'm glad you read my fic! Well, since you need a hug, here's one hugs Julia. See you at school!

"That's…interesting…"

"Er, Harry? Harry?…"

Harry had managed to close his gaping jaw after saying those last words. But shock was a tricky little thing to get rid of, and now he was just staring straight ahead of him, not even aware of Vanessa sitting right across from him. They were in the Room of Requirement once again, this time lighted with a dim green glow. They had been having regular meetings and conversations here for many weeks now. It was an easy way for them to relax and unwind. They would talk many things over, like emotional stability, problems they'd been having, troubles like that – some serious, some not so serious. Other times they would just come to chat about happier things – it was nice to have a person you could just talk to. And this was why Vanessa had told Harry to meet her this day; she needed someone to talk to. Badly.

"So," Harry said as he remembered that there was, in fact, a conversation taking place, "how long have you known?"

"I just found out this morning," answered Vanessa, lying back on her green couch, rubbing her eyes in exhaustion. Clearly this had taken plenty out of her.

"Well, what d'you think of it?" He sat up, leaning over and resting his elbows on his knees, rubbing his hands. "This is not exactly the easiest thing to understand."

Vanessa threw up her hands in exasperation. "Shit, Harry, I don't know what to think!" A sort of subtle fury ignited in her expression. "What, is my father alive? Has my mum gone mad? I mean, she's not exactly the type to just go out and shag someone!"

"Well, something is definitely up, Ness, and until we can get everything straight, there's nothing we can determine from it." Harry's words seemed to calm Vanessa down a little (at least for the time being). He sat back on his couch. "Do you really think she's pregnant?"

"She had a test, so she's definitely pregnant."

"Well, do you think it could be wrong?"

"No, it was a witch's test. Much more efficient than those muggle sticks. They're fool proof."

"I don't know what else to say, then."

"It's ok, Harry, you've said enough. It's just…" Vanessa paused. She didn't know exactly how to word what she was thinking. "It's just that, I half expect someone to cart her off to the loony bin." She looked up, tears trying desperately not to fall from her eyes. "Who is going to believe that a dead man is fathering a child? I mean, it feels like I'm talking right out of a muggle soap opera!"

Harry couldn't exactly help but laugh. After all, this whole thing was a bit farfetched. But knowing Sirius, anything was possible at this point. Still smiling, he assured her, "Vanessa, all you have to do is look up and just realize where we are. Any one of us could be carted off."

And without one word, she curled her lips into a small smile, took a long look at Harry, got up, and walked right out the door. Harry's eyes followed her out, a vague curiosity suddenly creeping into his mind.

-----------------------------

"C'mon, Mel, I'm trying to finish getting stinksap off the walls!"

"Oh, Remus, you're no fun," Mel exclaimed – almost whined – as she pulled her hands away from Lupin's eyes.

"And since when have you been fun?" he laughed, ducking a book thrown at him be a giggling Mel.

This is odd, he thought. Mel was practically bouncing off the walls and was as giddy as a five year old on her first pony ride. And this was the woman who was a hairline away from depression? No way.

Mel hopped up onto a desk and sat on it with her legs crossed. She began staring blankly at the stinksap splattered across the room.

"So, how did this mess happen, anyway?"

"Neville's plant got hit by a stunning spell. Learning how to duel, you know? Anyway, that thing's in its older and more defensive stages of life, so it fought back. And I tell you, if it wanted revenge, it got it. This is going to take a while to get rid of." Remus resumed to cleaning the classroom.

"Oh," Mel answered in a slightly bored tone. She leaned back, resting her weight on her hand, twirling her hair absent-mindedly and staring off into space.

Lupin examined Mel from head to toe.

What the hell is going on?

But just as he was about to question her, Mel beat him to it.

"Remus, I didn't just come here to annoy you, you know. I've got news."

"Oh yeah? What kind of news?" he asked, almost sarcastically, not turning from his cleaning.

Mel played along, pretending to be offended. "It's news you're going to want to know. But if you'd rather be snappy…"

"Fine, fine. Just tell me what it is." He still didn't look at her as he spoke.

"Well, even if I didn't tell you (or you were really dense), you'd find out in nine months time."

For a few seconds, Remus hadn't fully realized the meaning of this statement. He simply continued to wave his wand, clearing his desk of the muddy-green slime that had inhabited Neville's plant. Then it hit him.

"I'm sorry," he said, turning around, "repeat that?"

"I. am. pregnant," she said, talking slowly as if Remus was slightly deaf and couldn't understand English.

"Meaning, you're going to have a baby?" he asked, looking at her, a little bewildered.

"Yes."

"So, you have a little baby inside your stomach?"

"I thought that was a given at this point," Mel chuckled. The look on Remus's face as priceless.

Lupin took a seat on one of the desks in front of Mel. He rubbed one of his eyes and shook his head slowly.

"Alright, then," he said after regaining speech, "how on earth did this happen?"

"Well, when a man and a woman love each other very, very much – "

"No, Mel, you know what I mean," Remus interrupted, crossing his arms.

Mel giggled. "Sorry. Couldn't resist. Anyway, you're not going to believe me if I told you," she teased. He knew very well that she was taunting him.

Remus rolled his eyes. "Mel, give me a break."

"Ok, I'll tell you, but only if you promise to believe me." She sent him a sly smile.

Remus smiled back, not sure if he wanted to know anymore. "Fine," he finally decided.

"Ok," Mel said, smoothing out the skirt of her pale blue dress. "Every night before I go to sleep, I drink some water or some wine from my wedding glass. Well, I don't know if it's the wine, but whenever I drink from the glass, I go some place in my sleep. Only, I don't think I'm dreaming. I'm sorry, this is king of hard to explain."

"It's ok. Please continue."

"Alright. When I'm up there, it's like I'm on a branch of Heaven."

"What do you mean?" Remus questioned.

"Well, what I mean is, er…when I go up there…I always see…Sirius."

"What?!"

"You heard me! At first, he didn't want me to touch him; no hugging, kissing, nothing but talking. So we would continue to meet at night. But something grew around us, I don't know how to describe it. The only word I can think of is temptation, but that doesn't exactly cut it. Anyway, one night, he just held me like I haven't been held in too many years. And there was just something in his touch that escalated this feeling, as if some spell had been laid upon his very fingers. Then one thing led to another and – "

"Ok, I get it," interjected Remus, waving his hand to stop her. "But he's dead. How could he get you pregnant?"

"I don't know, but I am."

"Are you sure?"

Melissa sighed and rolled her eyes. She extended her arm, showing Remus the navy blue line that covered her wrist. On the band was a plus sign written in purple script. She then turned her wrist over to reveal something else in purple letters: Sirius Black.

"Convinced yet?"

"But you know how these things can be inaccurate. It happens all the time."

"Remus, "she said, giving him an obvious look, "we're wizards. We have way more accurate means of testing."

"I know, but still…"

"Moony," she exclaimed, grabbing his shoulders and practically sticking her nose in his face, "trust me. Morning sickness doesn't lie."

"Remus stepped back, eyes wide as if she'd shaken him. "Are you sure it's not just the flu?"

Mel rolled her eyes. "Tell you what," she said, exasperated, sitting back on the desk. "Next time your pregnant, why don't you tell me about the similarities between morning sickness and the flu?"

"Alright, alright. Point taken," he said, defeated.

"What do you suppose we do now?"

"About what?"

Remus slapped himself on the forehead. "Please don't make me go through that conversation again!"

"Well, I don't think there's anything to be done about it. For crying out loud," she sighed, "can't everyone just come off it?"

"What?"

"Why does everyone have to be so…I don't know…against this thing?"

"Mel, no one's against it."

"Look, all I'm saying is that Sirius and I wanted a big family. We kind of made a deal with each other. Do you know how long I've been unhappy for? Vanessa was my only source of feeling, of closeness. And then… Well, I just want everything to come out right for once. Is that so much to ask?" Almost sobbing, but still completely dry, she rested her head on Remus's shoulder.

"It's ok," he reassured her. "Nothing will go wrong. We'll make sure of that."

Remus stared off out the window, but not really looking at the shining grass of the quidditch field in view. All of this had happened for a reason, he knew. But whether that reason was to be prevented or not, he was unsure of.

And it was then that Melissa smiled.

Whatever this thing is, it's either got a terrible catch, or is the most unlikely of miracles.

Or both.

------------------------

"I'm telling you, I don't know anything!" the boy shrieked.

"Yes you do!" he said, his hands edging up onto the boy's neck. "Tell me, boy or I'll crush your throat." He gripped.

The boy gave a tiny gasp, but he was losing speech fast.

Oh, God, what did I do too myself? Wait, what?…

"What the bloody hell are you doing?"

Adam let go of the boy's neck. He was shocked at the strength his own hands had been gripping the boy's neck. But…were they his hands?

"Go on, Riley," Vanessa told the boy, whom she recognized as a friend from class. "And don't you worry yourself about him," she said, shooting Adam a glare. "I'll see you in herbology."

Riley turned on his heel and walked away as fast as he could, trying to keep his calm.

"Look," Vanessa said, turning back to Adam, "I don't know exactly what it is you're planning, but this needs to stop. I knew you were a jerk, but…you actually tried to kill someone. That's…that's evil."

"But I didn't do anything!" he whined in his defense.

"You're sick, you know that?" She turned to leave, but he grabbed her sleeve.

"I swear to you that I didn't lay a hand on him. Now please," he begged, "just hear me out."

Vanessa slowly turned to face him. "Alright," she agreed. "But I'm not doing this because I believe you. I'm doing this because I pity you."

Adam gave a long sigh and settled for her answer. Except…he wasn't quite what he was going to say.

After a long while, Vanessa became impatient. "Are we going to be just staring at each other all day?"

"No, no. I'll start. Like I said, I didn't lay a hand on him, not really. I don't know how it's been happening, but it's like I'm going insane. I've got like a split personality. One side of me is telling me to do these things. I try to fight back, but…it overpowers me…

When Adam stopped, he held this petrified look on his face. His eyes were so wide open, it looked as if it was physically impossible for him to blink. He stared straight ahead, becoming pale as the moon. But instead of backing away, Vanessa stepped closer to him, a feeling similar to worry in the back of her head. Then, shaking as if coming out of a trance, he looked back at her, the blood coming back to his face.

"Sometimes, I come back in the middle of doing something. Like just now with Riley. It's like waking up mid-sleepwalk. I can't control it."

"But…but how can I be sure?" Vanessa asked, her expression becoming suspicious and her voice desperate. "You haven't exactly won me over."

"Just…trust me," he said, his eyes finally locking with hers.

At first, Vanessa didn't pay attention to his eyes so much as his face. His expression appeared almost frightened as he gazed straight ahead at her. And then something happened. She really noticed his eyes when they changed in front of her. She wanted to avert her stare, but…she couldn't. Only when Adam grew paler did their contact break.

He stumbled back and then fell, clutching the side of his head with one hand. Almost instinctively, Vanessa hurried toward him and tried to help him up.

"Are – are you ok?"

His hands inched to a pocket in his robes while his other hand grabbed hers.

"Trust me," he said. And with a smirk, he pulled his hand from his pocket, revealing the syringe with the green liquid he'd tried to use on Ginny. In a flash, he thrust it into the side of Vanessa's neck, released the liquid, and pulled it out again.

As soon as the needle left her skin, she threw a hand over the puncture and gripped it. Not taking her eyes off the hand that held the syringe, she fell back. And with one quick glance up at Adam, she got up and stumbled off, clutching her neck the whole way.

She soon reached the fat lady, but before she could say the password, she lost her balance and fell into the embrace of the wall. A pain was beginning to grow in her neck, like a spreading poison. But soon she found her strength (or at least held back her weakness) and gave the portrait this week's password.

She stepped into the room, standing as tall as she could. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were in the room and she didn't want to let anything slip.

"Vanessa, hey, we were just talking about –"

Hermione was interrupted by Vanessa's sudden (and noticeable) lapse of pain. She collapsed onto the wall again, gasping and clutching her neck.

"What's wrong? Did anything happen to you?" Ron stepped closer to her, but she held up a hand to stop him.

"I'm fine," she said in short breaths. "Just fine."

And then, as if on cue, she passed out into Ron's arms.

-----------------

"What do we do?" asked Ron, still holding the limp Vanessa.

"What, never had an unconscious woman in you arms before?" joked Harry.

"Oh, shut up, Harry!" Ron spat.

"Settle down, the both of you!" Hermione shouted, stopping Harry mid-giggle. "Harry, don't joke at something like this. And Ron," she said, turning to him, "I'm sure you've had plenty of unconscious women in your arms."

Ron turned a light shade and rolled his eyes. Hermione continued.

"Put her on that sofa over there," she said, pointing to a large wine sofa with gold embroidery.

The boys obeyed, resting her head on a gold pillow and propping her feet up on the opposite armrest. Hermione bent down close to her and checked her pulse. She then ran her fingers over the spot on her neck that she had been covering with her hand. There was no trace of a wound.

"She'll be fine," Hermione reasoned. "Just let her rest up a bit and she'll be back to normal by the time she wakes up."

Ron and Hermione got up to leave when they noticed that Harry wasn't following.

"C'mon, mate, don't you want to got to Hogsmede with us," Ron asked.

"Nah," answered Harry, "someone should be here when she wakes up. I could ask her what happened, y'know?"

"Suit yourself," Ron said as headed out of the portrait hole.

"We'll get you something from Honeydukes," Hermione added as she followed him.

"Thanks, see you," he waved bye to them. After they left, he turned back and walked towards the sleeping Vanessa. He stared down at her. Her face had relaxed a bit, her eyelids smooth instead of scrunched in pain over her eyes.

She looked almost peaceful in her slumber, but she frequently shuttered and shivered. But still…

Harry reached down and pushed back a large strand of hair that was hanging over her face. Man, whatever had brought his thing upon her… Oh, he would be sure nothing like this would happen again.

Oh, it was probably nothing. Why are you so worked up about this?

He pulled his hand away quickly, as if the sudden interest of his thoughts had grabbed it back.

Why was he so worked up over this?

Don't worry, he assured himself. It's just a little feeling. No use overacting over something so small.

But…was the feeling in itself small?

He touched the skin on her neck just to make sure of a cut, scar, anything suspicious. But as his fingers slid along her skin, she sprung up from her sleep.

"Please!" she screamed as she flew up.

Harry jumped back, startled at her sudden awakening. "Sorry, I – I didn't mean…"

Vanessa looked around her, as if forgetting that she had been sleeping. Memory coming back to her, she said, "Oh, no, no, I was just – it was…"

"It's ok, you were dreaming."

Vanessa kicked her legs off the armrest and sat straight. Rubbing the side of her neck, she wandered over to the table in the corner that had suddenly caught her attention. She stalked off to it, fiddling around with the objects resting on it. She looked inside the books, and written in each one were the words "Adam Galway". She then noticed a glass bottle, its copper tint glittering in the afternoon sun. She lifted it up cautiously. And turned it until the label faced her.

CAPTAIN JACK'S WASHED UP RUM

"Trust him," she whispered under her breath, rolling her eyes as she turned back to Harry.

"Vanessa, w-what happened to you?"

"Oh, it's…it's nothing," she said, turning her head away from him.

"Vanessa," he said, grabbing her shoulders and forcing her to face him, "you walked in here and collapsed into Ron. It was something."

She sighed, defeated. "Oh, it's just…he's such a bastard!" she shouted, throwing the bottle across the room, resulting in a shower of copper glass.

"Wait, back up. Who is?"

"Adam! I don't know what his problem is, but he's going kill someone if he doesn't stop! I mean, I caught him trying to strangle a boy in the hall, he stuck me with something from this needle, and then he tells me to trust him!" Temper rising, she kicked over one of the chairs at the table. Then, almost suddenly, she felt faint, and her legs began to waver under her. Her eyes rolled back, and Harry, upon noticing this, rushed up to catch her.

It was as if his arms had worked as a stimulant, because she never really fainted. As soon as her legs gave way and he was holding her, her mind came back to her. But then something came to her, lurking up the back of her mind.

You've got him now, right where you want him.

No, she answered back.

Disobedience leads to suffering. Hurt him, lead him, kill –

NO! she screamed in her head. YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HIM!

Very well…

She looked up, directly into Harry's emerald gaze. She didn't say a word, for she felt the most unbearable pain she'd ever felt in her life.

She noticed Harry's eyes grew wide as he reached a hand over and touched the side of her neck. Pulling his hand back, Vanessa saw the blood now resting on his fingers. Looking down, she saw a long trail of blood, trickling down her shoulder.

She looked at Harry and really fell into his arms.

------------------

Vanessa woke up to Harry dabbing a wet rag on her forehead.

"How many times am I going to do this?" she whined, thankful for the cloth to soothe her throbbing head. "I'm sorry, Harry."

"Oh, don't bother yourself. It's always nice to have a woman fall into my lap."

She chuckled a bit, but stopped as soon as she felt a sudden pang in her neck. She sat up and buried her forehead in her hands. "Oh, what mess have I gotten myself into now?"

Harry sat down in front of her and placed a hand on her cheek after pushing her hair out of her eyes. She looked at him, glassy-eyed, but they were still intense.

Those eyes shouldn't be so cold yet, he thought. We've both seen too much in too little time.

"It looks as though you and I are equals, Harry Potter," Vanessa said with a smile, as if she'd just read his mind. "I'm sorry for adding to your list of problems."

"Look, Ness, it's no problem to me. Or any of us. And whatever is going on right now – whatever's happening to you, I – we'll make sure it doesn't hurt you any further."

She continued to look at him, his hand still on her cheek. She smiled her brightest in the longest time Harry could remember. And it was then that he noticed some of the ice in her eyes had melted.

"It's getting late," Harry said. "I'd better head upstairs and get started on my potions essay." And with that, he left her sitting on the couch.

"I should tell him."