A Siren's Song

Chapter 11

Wednesday October 14th 10:00pm
Lupin's residence/ aka Sirius's hide out.

Remus was enjoying a cup of brandy in the small office connected to his room. Sirius was most likely taking a nap or pacing the floor in the living room. He seemed to be waiting for something to happen; anything at all would have been fine. He was starting to understand how James felt all those years ago; cooped up and bored.

And then suddenly there was a knock at the door. Sirius stood wand at the ready; but alas it was just Snape.

"Something the matter?" Sirius asked as a frown crept up onto his face marring his features.

"What makes you think something is the matter?" Severus asked, "It just so happens that I have something to discuss with you; a matter that may or may not take a while to discuss depending on your ability to be serious."

"Oh but I am Sirius," Sirius said with a laugh. The age old joke never seemed to get old, no matter how many times he said it. "Come into the kitchen, I'll fetch Remus."

"I think that it might be better if we were to discuss this alone first," Severus said uneasily, "whether or not you tell Remus is entirely up to you."

"Discretion it is," Sirius said, "lead the way oh mighty bat."

"Watch it dog breath," Severus said snootily, "I could just ignore your cousins wish and let the girl fend for herself."

"Wait a second," Sirius said, "which cousin are you referring to?"

"Kathrin," Severus said, "your cousin, sister to Narcissa, Andromeda and Bellatrix."

"But she died years ago, on some fool mission, that Dumbledore sent her on while Remus was away," Sirius said bitterly, "Remus hasn't been the same since."

"Oh?" Severus said trying to gouge how much he knows.

"I've heard rumors that she may or may not have been pregnant at one time," Sirius said, "but no one knows if a child actually exists, Remus was a bit heartbroken to hear that the rumors were false."

"Then perhaps you should read this," Severus said, handing him the bundled letters he'd received from Hermione just a short while ago. He had promised to drop them off the following day; but he thought the process would move along faster if he just arrived for his appointment 14 hours early.

Sirius opened the letter addressed to Hermione from Kathrin. "No this can't be," he said opening the letter.

Dearest daughter,

Hermione my dear, if you are reading this letter, than I must have passed into the land of the departed. It has always been my fondest wish that you live a long happy life, so you must forgive me for placing you with a set of muggle parents to guard you and to keep you. Please do not blame them for what has come to pass. I know that you have questions my love, and I shall endeavor to answer them for you in this letter.

If your mother gave you this, then you must have made the first step in changing you're your birthright. If you have handsome boys drawn to you it is because they can see you for what you are, a beautiful young lady. Don't take these words lightly, for I'm sure that you are the most beautiful of girls. You were a beautiful baby, so I can imagine that you will be a beautiful woman someday.

As I was saying before I was distracted by your beauty. There will be boys that can see you for what you are they will find you attractive and they may very well vie for your affection. They my dearest daughter, are your potential mates. There will be boys/ men that can see you for what you are, that are not attracted to you; but do indeed find you beautiful. There will also be those who can't see you for what you are, and will still see you how they've always seen you. They will be the hardest to convince because they cannot see you how the others see you. Oh and never forget that there may be some girls that find you attractive, others if they can see you or sometimes if they can't, can get very jealous. We won't go into how I know that, ask your uncle, should you ever meet him. Asking about 6th year and the girls from Ravenclaw. I'm sure he remembers it, and in case you don't know who I mean, I'm talking about Sirius black. Actually he'd be your cousin, but he was always as close as a brother to me. Mother never approved of our friendship, neither did she approve of your father. Don't worry I haven't forgotten.

Your grandmother if you want to call her that didn't know about you or about my marriage to your father. I renounced the black name and went into hiding when I became pregnant with you. It was your headmaster Albus Dumbledore that helped up marry in secret and hide away from you-know who. My father in all his greed tried to sell me to that monster. Told him one night to escape torture that one of his daughters was a siren. So I ran, to Dumbledore and he hid me away somewhere only he and your father could find me; we were married that night. A few weeks later he was sent on a mission for the order and by the time I realized I was pregnant with you it was too late to bring him home. My only regret is that he didn't get to meet you before I died.

I'm not sorry, this mission I'm going on I will most likely not survive, and if I do manage to live I won't ever see you again my sweet Hermione. I hope that's what the grangers named you, for Hermione has always been one of my favorite names. I read it once in one of Shakespeare's plays, I don't remember which one it was; but the name stayed with me. Much like you father did when I met him in my fifth year. It's true he's a year younger than I, but I felt so drawn to him that I couldn't take my mind away from him.

Alright my dear the time has finally come to tell you who your father is, I hope you're ready. Your father is a man named Remus Lupin. As I last saw him he's no family left only the friends he went to school with. He most likely will not believe you are his child so, show him this letter. Show this letter to Sirius first, he'll confirm that it was indeed I who wrote this. The code word is and will always remain as; your mum is a stupid Bint… I bet her portrait sings all your faults and disloyalty to the family like; just like auntie will mine I'm sure. Enough sad thoughts, give my love, to James and Lilly.

Anyway, my dear daughter I hope that you live a long and happy life. Stay safe, don't play with too many young men's hearts and remember that I loved you first.

You're mother

Kathrin black

"Oh god," Sirius said standing from where he was sitting. He dropped the letter onto the table and raced from the room. Severus wasn't sure if he should follow him or not. A few moments later Sirius stormed back into the kitchen holding the door open, "are you following me or not?"

Severus grunted in approval and rose from his chair, grabbing the letters he made a quick exit and followed Sirius to the attic. Remus sat in the library reading oblivious to anything going on around him. It wasn't that he didn't care about everyone else; it was just that he was thinking how great life used to be before it all went sour. The aftertaste of what happened 15 years left a bitter taste in his mouth. Why did things always have to go bad? Oh Kathrin, why did you have to disappear without me? Remus thought in his head.

Meanwhile Severus followed Sirius up into the attic, "what are you doing?" Severus asked.

"The part of the letter she said the password was and would always remain, 'your mum is a stupid Bint,' right?"

"Right," Severus said impatiently, "are you going somewhere with this?"

"Well Kathrin was like a sister to me, she and I shared almost everything," Sirius said excitedly, "we kept a trunk in the attic that would only open with a pass code or a word. Anyways she said the password in the letter."

"She said a phrase," Severus said a bit confused, "how do you get a single word from that?"

"The only word in that sentence capitalized was Bint," Sirius said pointing his want at the trunk while saying the word, "that is obviously the code word."

Sirius pointed his wand at the chest and said the words to the spell that keeps the chest locked. When it opened all the dust shook loose from the top of the chest causing Sirius to sneeze. Inside the chest was photo albums and journals, on top there was a letter.

Sirius opened the letter there were only a few words.

Dearest Sirius,

Cousin if you are reading this then you received the letter I wrote to my dearest child. I ask that you see that she gets these things, well if she wants them that is. I can't imagine the pain you've gone through after all these years, and I hope that you are and remain well. Please give my love to James and Lilly; but most of all give my love to Remus and my little Hermione. Although I imagine that she's not so little anymore.

Your cousin,

Kathrin

On the top of everything that was inside the trunk was a photo album. When he opened it he was surprised to see Kathrin and Remus. It was a picture of when they had first married. After a few more pictures that Kathrin managed to take while in hiding. Next there was a picture of a little baby girl, who he believed to be Hermione. She really was a beautiful child.

"I should show this stuff to Remus," Sirius said.

"I'll leave you to it," Severus said, "Let me remind you that there is a girl at Hogwarts who is waiting for a reply from her father, or at least her uncle. "

"Tell her I'm on the case," Sirius said, "telling her we'll get word to her before Halloween. Remus will be there if it's at all possible. And even if it's not he'll be there."

"I won't make promises to her that you won't be able to keep Black," Severus said seriously, "I won't see her anymore upset that she is. Her mother trusted me with her wellbeing since neither you nor Lupin were able to be there. I won't let her down, family or not."

Sirius was surprised to hear such words from this man. Sirius and James had spent the better part of seven years trying to make his life a living hell or the equivalent thereof. "Alright," Sirius said, "tell her I will do the best I can with the man. No false promises, tell her that I'm glad she's my family, after all she is the only part of my favorite cousin that I've left. Tell her to call me uncle instead of cousin, though cousin sounds weird considering that her mother always called me brother."

"I will," Severus said, "remember what I said. Her family or not I will hurt you if you don't keep her heart in mind."

"Promise taken," Sirius said, "keep an eye on her and Harry won't you?"

"Always," Severus said before heading down the stairs towards where Remus was hiding in his library. Opening the door he was surprised to see Remus standing looking out the window staring at a picture. "What is that you've got there?" He asked.

"Kathrin took this picture before on our anniversary," Remus said, "I wasn't there, as I was on a mission for Dumbledore, trying to sway the werewolves to join our cause. Dumbledore must have taken it, she was pregnant you know. I've no idea what happened after that, Dumbledore never gave any explanation."

"I think perhaps you need to go up to the attic," Severus said, "Sirius has some news he wants to share with you."

"Oh, of course," Remus said, "I'll be off then. How long have you been here?"

"I had some news to share with Sirius," Severus said, "news that would be better told to you by him than by me. I will return tomorrow morning for the meeting as planned. I thought it best that I deliver the news tonight. You best be off before Sirius drags you up the stairs by your hair."

"Alright," Remus said with a half-smile, when had Severus started calling Sirius, Sirius?

Remus watched Severus leave through the front door before heading up to the attic to join Sirius. What on earth could he be doing in the attic?

"Sirius," Remus called walking in through the door, "where exactly are you?"

"Over here," Sirius called.

Remus walked through the maze that was Sirius's attic, after turning the last corner, he imagined that they were somewhere in the middle of all the junk that Kreacher seemed to collect. "What is that you have there?"

"Here I thought you might like to see this album," Sirius said handing the album with the baby Hermione.

"Is this who I think it is?" Remus asked, looking at the pictures of him and Kathrin after they had gone into hiding. He was surprised to see himself looking so young, he was wearing his pajamas, and she was wearing a very pretty night gown. "I remember taking this picture, it was just after Dumbledore married us, and we couldn't have been in that cottage for more than a couple of weeks."

As Remus looked through the album he found a picture for every day they were at the cottage before the mission. Oh how beautiful she was. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw a picture of the most beautiful child. "Who is this?" Remus asked.

"That would be your daughter mate," Sirius said with a knowing smile. "Here read this letter, and then there is another letter for you."

Remus reluctantly opened the letter that Sirius handed him first. After reading through it, he looked to Sirius. Remus frowned at him and then looked again at the letter. He read the letter silently to himself again. "This can't be right? Can it?"

"It can if you'll let it," Sirius said, "read the second letter, quickly now."

Remus read the letter from his daughter, as if he didn't already know who she was. He hadn't spent all of last year teaching her in defense against the dark arts. He had wasted the last 15 years of his life doing meaningless dribble, when he could have been spending it with his daughter. He could have spent the last 15 years with family, with the last bit of Kathrin he had left.

Dear Remus,

I would write you as father, but I should wait until you decide to accept me as your daughter. My muggle parents told me a few days ago that I was adopted and then mum's letter explaining that I'm a siren of all things. She didn't go into very much detail on the subject. Well you've read her letter or I'm presuming you have since your reading this letter.

I look forward to your reply; if possible I was hoping we could meet next Hogsmeade weekend. I await your reply, in hope that you will agree.

You're daughter

Hermione

Remus looked at the letter; a smile crept onto his face. "You're saying that Hermione Granger is my daughter?" Remus asked, "Are you positive?"

"Are you really going to go that route?" Sirius asked a little disappointed that his friend could be so blind.

"What other choice do I have?" Remus asked a little shocked at Sirius's outburst.

"You have a lot of choice actually," Sirius said, "Madam Pomfrey can determine with a spell if she's your daughter. Severus Snape can do a potion that will show paternity after putting the child and the father's hair in. There is always St. Mungo's, they have a paternity test."

"That's not what I meant," Remus said annoyed; but oddly comforted by the fact that Sirius was going to try and talk him out of over thinking, "I can gather from her letter, that she's her mother's daughter. Their handwriting is very similar; I think I knew it before this. I mean Hermione has always written excess amount in her DADA homework. I always liked to read her papers last because then I could pretend it was Kathrin writing to me. Why didn't I see it before?"

"I don't know, none of us saw it before," Sirius said, "she helped Harry save my life last year and I couldn't help but think she looked familiar. But seriously what are you going to do about your daughter? Are you going to send a letter back with Snape or do you want to owl her yourself?"

"I've got one better," Remus said with a grin, "were due to have a meeting here in the morning. I'll just ask Dumbledore if I can accompany him back to the castle. I'll ask Dumbledore to have her come to his office during lunch or something."

"Seems like a good plan," Sirius said, "but you forgot one very important thing mate."

"What's that Sirius," Remus asked.

"I'm coming along."

And for the first time in days Remus laughed.

X.x.x.

Wednesday 14th back in the common room.

Neville, Ginny and Hermione's return to the common room had been right around curfew; after stopping in the dungeons to give the letters to Snape. Upon entering she was confronted by Ron, who hadn't talked to her at all that day. She was going to say something, because he was standing right in front of her, just staring at her.

"What are you looking at?" He snapped at her.

"You," Hermione said trying not to smile at the joke she had inadvertently made. Usually when someone angrily asks you what you're looking at you say nothing; but you see that just wasn't true.

"Well stop," Ron snapped, "I wish you would just go away, disappear."

"Be careful what you wish for Ronald," Hermione said remaining calm, or at least trying to, "you might just get it, and then where would you be?"

"My vision would be clear of you," Ron said angrily, "I don't tolerate traitors."

The only traitor I see here is you, Hermione thought to herself. She stood motionless as Ron turned away. After he disappeared from the room Hermione found herself wrapped in the arms of Fred and George. She couldn't help but cry, what had she done to make her hate her so. "Why does he hate me?" She asked.

"He doesn't," George said, "but I agree that there is something wrong with him."

"We'll drag him to madam Pomfrey tomorrow," Fred said, "for now just relax against us. If it turns out he hasn't been drugged or something we'll owl mum, she'll straighten him out."

"Thank you," she said before she sank into the couch between Fred and George. Her head rested on George's shoulder, each was holding one of her hands. You could see the tracks the tears had left on her face, from earlier.

Meanwhile Ginny waited at the bottom of the dorm steps while Neville went up to the dorm to look for Harry. When he arrived up the stairs, he and Ron seemed to be having a staring match of epic proportions.

"Harry," Neville said, "might I have a word with you down stairs?"

"Of course," Harry said with a sigh, "this conversation isn't over."

Harry followed Neville down the stairs to where Ginny was standing, "we need to do something about the way my brother is treating Hermione. It's not right; she's done nothing to him."

"I heard what he said earlier in the common room to Hermione," Harry sighed, "I don't know what's gotten into him."

"Could it be a spell or a potion," Ginny asked.

"I don't think so," Harry said, "I think we just need to keep them away from each other until things blow over."

"That's your plan?" Neville asked disappointedly, "I thought you would actually try to find out why Ron's being such an ass. But it's obvious to me that you just don't care about Hermione enough to do anything about it."

"Neville," Ginny said shocked, "what's gotten into you?"

"Since school started I've started to see Hermione as the sister I never had," Neville said, "perhaps its cause she's a distant cousin; but I won't allow Ron to mistreat her anymore. She's done nothing to him, and even if she had that's no reason to call her a traitor. She would never betray her dearest friends, not even on pain of death or dismemberment."

"Really Neville," Hermione said from behind, "pain of death or dismemberment. Have you been reading muggle books over the summer?"

"A couple yeah," Neville said, "a couple of books that include pirates. Can't remember the names of em though. But I couldn't resist Hermione; it was too good an opportunity to pass up."

"That's alright," she said coming to stand in-between him and Ginny. She wrapped an arm around the two of them, "Harry you're my best friend, and you won't ever loose me; but I can't continue to allow Ron to talk to me the way he did tonight. I would never betray you, as Neville said, even on pain of death but perhaps not dismemberment; I like my hands a lot."

Harry laughed at her reference to Neville's speaking, "I understand," Harry said, "I guess I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow. I have to go and sort Ron out, but it seems all we've been doing is having staring contests, he hardly talks to me."

"Go on Harry," Hermione said, "it's time for bed anyways."

"Hey," Harry said calling to her before he headed up the stairs, "how are things with you dad?"

"Don't know," she said, "I wrote the letters and sent them, and it's just a matter of waiting now. I really wish we could include Ron but I doubt he'd care anyhow. He seems to be very angry with me."

"Don't worry he'll come around," Harry said.

"By the time he comes around," Hermione said to Harry's retreating back, "I may not be able to forgive him."

Harry stopped and turned his head, looking back at the face of a Hermione he didn't know. She was sad and angry; you could see where the tears had been by the tracks on her cheeks. I really am an idiot, Harry thought to himself, I had to go and choose the pig head over the pretty girl didn't I?

Hermione said good night to everyone and headed up to bed. After she readied for bed, she noted that she wasn't the only one getting ready for bed. As quietly as possible she climbed into bed, shutting the curtains on her bed, and muttered a silencing spell. After she was sure that no one could hear her, she cried. She cried so hard it sounded like sobs, oh what she wouldn't do for her mother right now.

Meanwhile Harry and Ron were sitting in the boy's dorm, not talking or anything. "I hope your happy," Harry said.

"Why would I be happy?" Ron asked, "I'm obviously not."

"Why are you being so rude to Hermione," Harry asked, "it not like she's done anything to you, or anyone for that matter?"

"It doesn't matter what she has or hasn't done," Ron said, "It's what she's going to do."

"How do you know that the traitor is her?" Harry asked, "How do you know the traitor won't be someone else close to me?"

"What are you saying?" Ron asked slightly annoyed, "are you saying that I'll betray you?"

"You've already betrayed Hermione," Harry said, "and she hasn't even done anything to you. Unless you count the time at the burrow where she turned evil and duct tapped you to a chair."

Ron laughed, "That was pretty evil of her wasn't it?" He said, "I just can't help but feel that she's keeping something from me. She obviously has a secret or two, so what's to say that it won't include selling you out to the enemy?"

"If that's what you really think," Harry said, "then you don't know Hermione at all. Before you say anything about taking sides, you should know that I haven't taken sides at all. But tonight I made a decision to sort you out, so until you can say two nice words to her, you're to leave her alone. This means I'll spend all my free time with you. That means she'll be alone a lot."

"Wait you picked me over her?" Ron asked surprised. He hadn't expected this. Over the last three years Harry had remained neutral when he and Hermione fought or had a disagreement. Without comment Ron finished readying for bed, "good night."

"Night," Harry said, to his friend.

Down in the common room, Neville, Ginny, the twins and some of the other 5th year Gryffindor's sat in the common area mostly in silence except for breathing. Neville and Ginny looked at each other before she too, got up and left the common room, heading for bed. So too followed the rest of the girls.

"What are we going to do about Ron?" George asked.

"Dunno mate," Fred said.

"Just leave it be mate," lee said, "they'll work themselves out; but perhaps we should hex the little bugger while he's sleeping."

"Na," George said, "that's going to easy on him."

"I don't know," Fred said, "Hermione has a lot going on right now."

"Perhaps we should see how tomorrow goes," George said.

"I wonder what Harry and Ron are talking about?" Neville said.

"I bet he's telling him to stay the hell away from Hermione," Fred said.

"Do you think that Hermione is a traitor because she's kissed Cedric, and is talking to Krum from the Drumstrang School?" Ginny asked.

"No," Fred, George and Lee said together.

"Then why would Ron think like that?" Ginny asked, "unless he's jealous of the attention she getting. Or he's jealous because he likes her."

"I don't know Ginny," Neville said.

"You didn't see the way he acted at home when Hermione came for the last few weeks of summer," Ginny said, "he practically ignored her. Except for the time she Duct Tapped him to the chair because he woke us up to make him something to eat."

"what she what?" Lee asked, "What is duck tapping?"

Ginny laughed, "not duck tapping, Duct taping. It's a muggle thing that's used to bind things together like rope only it's sticky on one side."

"sound horrible," Lee said, "and you say she did this to Ron? What did he do when he was free?"

"tickled her in retaliation," George said, "it was beautiful."

"you would think that," Fred said.

"I'm surrounded by fools," Ginny said, "well I'm off to bed, let's hope that things go better tomorrow."

"Yes," Neville said standing up. He walked Ginny to girl dorm steps, "Good night Ginny."

"Good night Neville," Ginny said.

A/N: i want to thank everyone for the lovely reviews, as promised Sirius and Remus did enter the chapter. i hope that you liked the chapter.

P.S. I don't own Harry Potter