I could still hear Ron whimpering in the corner as he watched his once pet rat transform into a middle-aged man. It was hard to recognize him from the picture that sat on the mantel back at the cottage. He was much more straggly and feeble looking now.

"Remus. Sirius!" Peter said almost jovially as he came face-to-face with his once best friends.

It was sickening to hear the fear in his voice.

"Harry," I said very solemnly.

Harry kept staring at Peter Pettigrew, but I knew he was listening.

"This is the man who took our parents from us," I continued seething.

At the sound of my voice the rat-man turned around and scampered closer; much like a rodent.

"You… you must be Lena's daughter. And… and Harry… you look so much like James," he squeaked, making me recoil back in disgust.

I raised Hermione's wand, so it was almost pointed at his nose. He looked at it while I saw the nervous sweat drip down his neck.

"GET AWAY FROM THEM!" Sirius howled as he and Remus took Peter by the arms and threw him against the back wall.

"Don't you dare bring Lena and James up in front of them! You betrayed your best friends and they have suffered the consequences," Sirius said in an angry and hurt tone.

It dawned on me then that Sirius had known this secret for twelve years whereas the rest of us were only just finding out now. That must have been a heavy burden that could have cost anyone their sanity. But looking at Sirius now, all I could see was the deep hurt that was driving him for revenge.

I turned to look at Harry who had a conflicted look on his face. I knew he was struggling to believe in what I was saying about Sirius and what Sirius was saying himself.

Hermione had even piped up to ask why Peter hadn't tried to kill Harry before if he had been sleeping in the same dorm as him for three years.

But I already knew the reason.

"He is a coward Hermione," I said evenly. "An insult to the title of Gryffindor and a follower to those more powerful than him."

"Marnie, you believe me?" Sirius asked in a quiet voice.

I looked into his sad eyes and saw only the truth and anguish behind them.

"You had the opportunity to kill me in Hogsmeade and didn't. You had the chance to kill Harry that night when you broke into the castle. I saw it in your eyes then and I see it now. I believe in your innocence even if you were cruel to my mother in school," I finished and watched him flinch.

The pained look on his face told me I didn't have the full story but there wasn't time to discuss matters further.

Remus and Sirius had their wands pointed at Peter for the final blow and I inwardly awaited it. This darkness that I had been carrying for Sirius was now projecting tenfold onto Peter. But just as I wanted the life of my mother's betrayer to end, I heard Fred's words in the back of my mind. I heard him saying that seeking revenge is not an act of bravery. Bravery is overcoming the hate to do what is right.

But before I could say anything Harry stepped forward.

"We bring him to the school so the dementors can take him away to Azkaban," Harry said firmly.

I knew he now believed Sirius and was wanting to do the right thing.

"But he killed your parents," Sirius said a little desperately.

"And it would be a poor repayment for my parents if their best friends became murderers," Harry continued.

"Marnie?" Remus asked, looking at me with a sullen expression.

I nodded and took Harry's hand in support.

Remus then tied Peter up and shackled him between himself and Ron who had surprisingly volunteered.

Remus also raised a still frozen Snape with the hovering charm and lead him out of the tunnel back towards the school.

Remus had since returned my wand which had caused me to give back Hermione's. We were all walking in single file and I had my eyes set on Peter to make sure he didn't escape. The agreement was that if he went to transform, we would kill him.

I couldn't help looking over at Sirius and catching glimpses of the man who I had hated all my life. It felt as if waves of guilt were washing over my body realizing he had wasted twelve years of his life away from his family; our family.

He was quietly chatting with Harry and I was too distracted to tell what they were talking about.

It wasn't until we came out to the clearing that Harry took my hand with a big grin on his face.

"Marnie, once we prove Sirius is innocent, he can actually be my god-father!" he said excitedly.

Obviously, this had been what the two of them had been talking about.

"No, you can't take Harry away from me!" I said rather protectively and selfishly.

I had waited so many years to have Harry back in my life and I didn't want to have to give up living with him and having him a part of our home.

"Marnie," Sirius said as he bent down to look me in the eyes. "I would never take Harry away from you."

He looked a little awkward as he stood only inches away from me.

But, feeling the remainder of my energy escape I collapsed into his arms and unceremoniously started to bawl.

Sirius thankfully took it in stride and gently put his arms around me before giving me a firm hug. Despite how malnourished he was from prison; his embrace was warm and comforting.

"You could come and live with us," I said abruptly.

I could feel Sirius' soft chuckle.

"One thing at a time Marnie. But that does sound nice," he replied before I looked up at him.

I smiled at him and saw his eyes shining back.

But the moment was severed when we heard a panicked scream from Hermione.

I whipped my head around to see Remus' body convulsing.

Merlin, he was turning.

The next moments went by in a blur as Peter took the moment of panic to transform and escape. Ron was hobbling to try and get Hermione up towards the castle whereas Harry and I stood in horror.

I had never seen Remus transform. Obviously, we accepted him for what he was and let him run around outside during full moons where we would often hear his howls in the distance. But, the topic of his transformation had been sort of taboo and I had most definitely never seen it before.

"Remus, my old friend. Stay with me," Sirius said as he ran up to Remus and tried to hold him against his own fragile looking body.

But Remus continued to convulse before I started to see the changes.

"Children, LEAVE! I've got this handled," Sirius bellowed before changing into the Grimm-like dog I had seen so many times over the last year.

I looked in panic at the two men who were always supposed to be like family to me. Peter, who was no where in sight was the reason I didn't have a mother or god-parents anymore, but Sirius and Remus were always supposed to have been in my life. And now they were fighting each other for all of us to stay alive.

"Marnie, we have to go!" Harry said in a saddened voice.

I knew he must have felt as anxious as I did. He grabbed my hand as he helped Ron with his injured leg and Hermione helped guide the levitated Snape back to the castle.

I tried not to turn back as I heard the injured whines from behind us.

My anxiety started to heighten before I felt a wave of cold wash over my body.

I couldn't stop reliving my attempt to torture Sirius or reminding myself of how I had hated an innocent man who should have helped raise me. The thought of growing up without Harry or the screams from my mother as she was tortured.

I looked up to see probably a hundred dementors coming towards us. I swallowed, and it felt like ice down my throat.

"Think of something happy!" Harry yelled.

I tried to wipe my mind clear and think of Sirius coming to live with us. Of Cedric telling me he loves me. Of Harry coming to live with us.

My vision was going cloudy while I only heard screams in my head.

"Squib lover thinks she can save him. She knows too much…" I heard a cackling voice in my head.

I wanted to ask who was talking but my voice had gone mute. The cold inside me felt as if it had frozen my insides.

"We need to think of something happy," Harry said in a mumbled tone.

Through the fog in my vision I saw a silhouette with red hair coming towards me.

"Fred?"

XXX

I could feel myself resting one someone's shoulder as I slowly gained consciousness.

"Cedric?" I asked lightly.

"Len, what are you mumbling about?" I knew this voice…

"Wake-up sleepy head," I didn't want to see this again, but my eyes opened anyways.

"Sirius?" my mother replied softly, not at all surprised to wake up on the arm of Sirius Black.

"You've been up late studying again," Sirius said with that same lazy grin.

He looked so handsome as I studied his face, not at all too skinny or paled from his time in Azkaban.

"I want to be ready," I said firmly.

I watched his grin fall.

"We aren't going to graduate for another year Lena. Why can't we enjoy what we have going on right now?" Sirius asked.

"I am enjoying it. But I want to make sure I will get to enjoy my future. I want to be able to have a family and watch them grow up in a world where I am not scared of Death Eaters. I am ready to join the fight and I will do everything I can to prepare before then," my mother continued.

I ignored my pang of sadness and kept reminding myself that Sirius was innocent, and he was just being a git like schoolboys sometimes are.

"Lena, I want to join the fight as much as you do. For once, I feel as if I have too much to lose and I know my family will be on the opposite side. But Hogwarts won't last forever, and I don't want the Death Eaters to be the reason I waste this time," Sirius said, still trying to keep himself collected.

"Well, not everyone has the luxury of being at Hogwarts. Some people are standing vulnerable on the outside and summer is not too far off. We need to know how to protect ourselves," mum said more decisively.

"Merlin, he is all you talk about!" this time it dawned on me who he was talking about.

If they were in their sixth year then mum would be dating my dad by the end of the term, which looked pretty soon by the look of the season.

"Well, I care about him. He's my friend, and yours. Just like I'm your friend," mum replied calmly.

"Well, friends can be replaced," Sirius said seething before getting up and storming away.

The frustration I had felt after watching this memory the first time rose up but then my vision started to cloud. When it came back into focus, I was sitting in the tunnel that leads out to the Black Lake from the castle. It's funny that my mum and I use the same tunnel when we wanted some time alone.

"I knew you would be in here," I heard a deeper voice say from behind me.

My mother doesn't turn to look at him, but I already know it must be Sirius. She probably did as well.

"What do you want Sirius?" mum asks abruptly.

I can tell she's upset by her tone.

Sirius sighs, probably knowing the same thing.

"I know Joss asked you out," he said simply.

My mum turns her head to look at him.

I can feel her quickened pulse and sweaty palms.

"Why haven't you agreed yet?' he asks.

"Because I don't want to lose you," mum says quietly.

Sirius chuckles and puts his arm over mum's shoulder.

"Lena, you are the first girl who ever showed me respect and saw past the Black façade. Because of this you are the first girl I ever loved, but you already know that."

I feel my mother's pulse quicken and a small smile break out, but Sirius continues.

"And as hard of a time as I have had coming to terms with it, I know I blew it. I should have been there when you found out about your dad…" I knew my grandfather had fallen ill suddenly and died while my mother was still in school.

"And I shouldn't want to slow you down from preparing for the real world. Joss has always been the one there for you and as much as I didn't want you to date anyone else, Joss is one of my friends who I do care for," he stopped and brought his thumb up to brush away the few fallen tears running down my mother's face.

"You were the first one I ever loved too," she whispered back.

He sighed but had a smile on his face.

"I know that too Lena. But I'll make you a promise. I will prepare for the fight we have coming and do everything to keep you and Joss and the rest of our friends safe. I'm not going anywhere Tress," he said seriously and playfully at the same time.

"I'll keep you to that promise," my mother replied with her own smile.

I felt as if I was intruding on a very intimate moment from my mother's past but was also relieved to see that Sirius and my mother had buried the hatchet long before the night she was taken from me.

"Marnie. MARNIE! Wake-up," I heard someone urgently calling my name.

My eyes flew open to see Hermione and Harry standing over my bed with wide grins.

"What?" I asked annoyed, realizing I had a splitting headache.

"Come see!" they said, Harry taking my arm to guide me to the window.

I was sure I was still dreaming when I saw Sirius floating… no riding on a hippogriff… outside the window.

"How?" I asked dumbfounded.

"Harry will explain later," Sirius said kindly. "Marnie, about what you said about me and your mother…"

"I take it back!" I said urgently.

"What?" he asked, baffled.

"I saw the truth. I know the whole story of what happened," I said, knowing he would probably think I was insane.

But he just smiled and looked at me with fatherly affection.

"That locket," he said quietly, somewhat out of the blue.

I reached up to hold my ruby pendant.

"That locket was always so full of secrets," he said vaguely before we heard yelling from outside the door.

"I have to go Marnie, but I promise I will keep in touch," he said before turning the hippogriff, which I now noticed was Buckbeak, and flew off into the night.

"Marnie, we have to get back into our beds," Hermione said urgently as we all darted back.

"IT WAS POTTER… OR O'HARA!" Snape said as he barged in before giving me a scathing look.

I'm sure he remembered I was the one who had attacked him.

"Severus think about the insinuation you are making. Poppy has been here the whole time," Professor Dumbledore said softly while being accompanied by a very frazzled looking Minister for Magic.

"I've heard enough," Minister Fudge said before leading the other two men out of the hospital wing, as abruptly as they had entered.

Hermione and Harry spent the rest of the evening explaining the events that took place with Hermione's time turner to myself and Ron. I was actually disappointed that I hadn't figured out that's what Hermione had been using to get to her classes all year, but then again, they were hardly ever used. I was also a little hurt that Harry hadn't woken me up, but they had explained there was little time and they felt it best that Ron was not left alone. I took their explanation in stride and was overall happy that Sirius and Buckbeak were safe.

Madam Pomfrey thankfully let us go the next morning just as breakfast was being served. Unfortunately, Ron had to stay because of his leg but we promised to come back and check on him. I wasn't even down the stairs from the hospital wing before I saw Fred, followed by George and Cedric, running up the stairs.

My heart filled up with the realization of just how much they cared for me as I ran past Fred into Cedric's arms.

"Are you okay Mar?" Cedric asked in a worried tone.

I buried my head into his chest and took in his wintery scent.

"Of course," I answered happily before being escorted down to breakfast where I had to re-tell the events from last night to my friends; leaving out the time turner and my dream.

"Where's Remus?" Harry asked after I was done retelling my story to my friends.

In last night's madness I had almost forgotten that the full moon had caused most of the complications.

"We should go check on him," I said as I stuffed the last of my eggs into my mouth.

"Erm, Marnie," Alicia said awkwardly.

"What is it Leesh?" I asked confusedly.

"Well, it's just…" she started.

"We know Professor Lupin, your uncle, is a werewolf," Lee finished more directly.

"What? How?!" I asked, completely shocked as to how they figured it out.

"Well, we were going to tell you a little more delicately," Fred said with a directed glare across the table, "but the whole school found out last night or this morning."

I felt dread fill up my body. I knew how werewolves were treated throughout the wizarding world. I also knew I had kept a secret from my friends and the twins for five years. Then there was also Cedric.

But Cedric just clasped my hand and squeezed it comfortingly while the others looked at me with worry, not fear or disgust.

"We have to go find him," I said while Harry nodded.

The rest of them seemed to understand as we raced off towards his office.

"Remus!" we both said as we ran into the Defense classroom and saw him stuffing his things into his trunk.

"Hello, you two," he said with a tired and guilty look on his face.

But he opened his arms as we approached and hugged us tightly for a few moments.

"We didn't tell!" I started once he had let go but he just put his hand up to cut me off.

"I know you didn't Marnie. You and Harry have guarded my secret and I know that was a hard burden to bear. It was Severus who told everyone, and the rumour has since spread," he said with a shrug.

"But that's not fair!" Harry started but Remus stopped him again.

"Letting Sirius go was too much for him, I guess. Plus, after last night it is apparent at how dangerous it can be to have a werewolf loose at a school," he said with dread in his eyes.

"You didn't hurt anyone uncle," I said soothingly.

He looked at me with a pained look.

"But, I could have just as easily," he said with finality.

"So, you're leaving?" Harry asked.

"Yes, I thought it courteous to leave before all the letters come tomorrow from the concerned parents," he explained.

"But you were the best Defense teacher we've had!" I said defiantly.

"I appreciate that Marnie, but I must leave before things become worse," he bent down to close his trunk but pulled out a piece of parchment before latching it.

"I believe this is yours," he said, handing the map over to me.

I looked down at it and heard Remus' words ring through my ears about betraying my mother. Plus, the twins had already bestowed it to Harry and we knew all the secret passages.

"Here," I said, decidedly giving it to Harry.

He took it graciously and hugged me, probably not knowing what he wanted to say.

A little while after Remus led Harry and I out of his office before he closed the door behind him with his trunk in tow.

Harry went on ahead, but Remus took my shoulder and paused to say something.

"I just wanted you to know that I know what Sirius did during your Hogsmeade visit with Cedric," he said while I blushed furiously.

"We were just walking," I said, trying to defend my honour.

"I just wanted to say that Sirius was always very protective of Lena, and when you were born that carried onto you as well," Remus explained.

"I know they dated," I said.

He paused and looked thoughtfully at me.

"When we thought Sirius had been the spy, Joss and I agreed that we should protect you from him and his past with your mother. But now, I'm glad you know the truth. There was never any tension between Sirius and Joss, and they both cared for Lena in their own way," Remus continued.

"I do like that Cedric boy of yours. I know he treats you well," Remus added with a smile.

I felt my blush return and gave Remus one last hug before escorting him to the door. I knew I would see him tomorrow when I returned from school, but in that moment, it felt like it would be a lifetime.

The End of the Year Feast was actually pretty irritating as the rumours spread about my uncle and the escape of Sirius Black. Although, thankfully the two weren't tied together. I worried about Sirius and when we would get to see him again. This was doubled by the fact that Harry would have to return to his aunt and uncles for the first half of the summer and Cedric was also going on another trip with his father. But my friends, especially the twins, had promised to keep me entertained for the summer. I was truly fortunate that they had stood by my family when the news of Remus broke out. Most of them had actually thought it was pretty cool they had a werewolf for a professor. Anything was better than that dung brain Lockhart. But for now, I was sad at how things had been left and frustrated that Peter had gotten away. It didn't look like this summer was going to be a very good one.