disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, just Arabella. Just to let you know, updates might be a little bit slower as I am back in school once more, but I promise not to abandon this story or you guys anytime soon. Hope you all like it!

The Daily Prophet

There it was. The truth. The truth that had been hid from her for years. Arabella was lying on the carpeted floor with her heart pounding against her ribs. She feared that her bones would pierce her heart. But she silently wished for it to happen. She wanted to disappear from this world. She wanted the pain in her chest to leave. She wanted her head to stop spinning and for her body to go numb. How could they? How could they not… they lied to her… they deceived her… Did they honestly believed that she was not strong enough to see her mother for who she truly was? She was strong enough. She wanted to see her mother's faults and trials. She was once deprived of learning from her mother and knowing her, but this was different. This was deliberate and cruel. This was a different sort of pain.

She slowly sat up and picked up the pieces of parchment that contained Kassandra's words. Her body felt more alive than ever before. She was aware of her anger and she was aware of her body now more than ever. Her breath was hollow and her ears ringing. She could still hear Kassandra's screams as she made her way downstairs towards the kitchen.

Remus and Sirius were sitting at the wooden table. A half empty bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhisky was in between them. Sirius sat down his empty glass and Remus filled his up. They both looked up at her the moment she entered the kitchen.

"How… how was it?" Remus asked carefully.

Arabella's fist crumpled the letter. Her nose flared as she threw it at them and hissed, "You lied to me."

"Arabella," Sirius began, standing up, "we can explain –"

"Oh, I'm sure you can," Arabella said heatedly. "Explain to me why you lied to me for years. Don't you think I deserve to know the truth? Don't you think I deserve to know who I'm named after? You even wanted to marry her, and you still didn't tell me," she shot at Remus.

Remus was taken back. He looked at Sirius and then at Arabella. "How did you know that?"

"My darling mother overheard your conversation at her wedding," snarled Arabella. "But that's not the point –"

Remus reached out for the pieces of paper and began reading them himself. Arabella fumed at the sight as he and Sirius passed the parchments between each other, smiling and point at various points. They were ignoring her. They did not care what she had to say.

"Listen to me!" she shouted. "I am standing in front of you and you can't even look at me! For god's sake, I am – I need – look at me – URGH!"

She kicked the chair in front of her and walked around the kitchen for a minute. Her anger kept rising and rising. She wanted to do so many things. She wanted to destroy the chair and she wanted to lock herself in her room. She wanted the truth, but she doubted that right now. She needed… something. She needed something to help cool her anger.

Remus and Sirius watched her carefully, but she could see their curiosities getting in the way. She grabbed the pieces of paper and sat down on the chair she kicked. She took a couple deep breaths and tried her best to compose herself.

"I have some questions," Arabella said roughly, "and you are going to answer them."

Remus and Sirius looked at each other for a moment before turning back to Arabella.

"Go ahead," said Sirius, gesturing towards the letter.

Arabella took a deep breath and quickly scanned the letter. "Why did Hekabe marry Abel?"

"We don't know," said Remus, shrugging. "He might have been nicer towards her than Kas, but I have no idea."

"I always hated him," Sirius said shortly. "Never knew when to keep his mouth shut."

"It says here that Arabella set him straight once," said Arabella, pointing at the parchment. "Abel was complaining about you, Remus, and she didn't like."

Remus slowly took the parchment from her and read it, slowly smiling. "I always… I always wondered why he didn't speak to me anymore. Probably couldn't find anything nice to say."

"As if that was possible," said Sirius. "Abel was a nasty man. There was nothing good about him."

Arabella nodded and scanned the letter once more. "I thought Alice Longbottom was an Auror. It says here that she left the program."

"She is," said Remus, "or rather… she was one. She rejoined the program after Voldemort's downfall and rose through the ranks quickly. She was a talented witch. There was no stopping her after the war. They were popular once, but that all changed quickly."

Arabella nodded once again and then said, "All right then… I want to see them. I want to see their bodies. Let's go."

Remus and Sirius looked at each other and she could sense her anger flaring up.

"I thought you had more questions," said Sirius.

"I probably do," Arabella said simply. "But I can't think of them now and all I want to do is see them. You both have kept this away from me for far too long. I think I deserve to see their bodies and pay my respects, don't you think?"

Remus sighed and got up. He walked up the stairs and Arabella followed him. She quickly glanced back at Sirius and saw him grab the pieces of parchment, his movements so greedy and hungry. Kassandra was his wife once. He would want to see her writings. She turned away and quickly closed the door behind her. No words were exchanged between her and Remus as she grabbed his arm, Apparating them straight to Godric's Hollow.

He led her through the kissing gate and into the graveyard. She stood in front of her mother's tombstone as he took out his wand and muttered a few words under his breath. In seconds, three other tombstones appeared in front of her, bearing the words of her lost relatives.

Arabella Antheia Torell
BORN November 11, 1961
DIED August 6, 1978
May We All Fall Happily Together

Hekabe Korina Christos
BORN April 19, 1937
DIED December 1, 1980
Love Is A Blessing and A Curse

Isaak Kain Anastas
BORN January 3, 1937
DIED December 1, 1980
The Courageous Man Laughs

Remus had hide them from her for years. They had visited Kassandra so many times over the years, but never once mentioned the fact that her family was here as well. She could have brought them flowers and whispered sweet words for them. She could have traced their names with her fingers and thanked them for their sacrifices and promised that they will never be forgotten. But they were ignored for years. They were forgotten by family. By blood.

She never felt so ashamed of herself. How could she not have asked about them? She never once asked Remus or Andy or Ted if Kassandra had any brothers or sisters. She never asked if she had any grandparents. She knew of Walburga and Orion Black, but not of Hekabe or Isaak. Her heart ached for them in a way she had never felt before. She could have known them. She could have lived with them. If they were alive, they would have been together. They would wake up next to each other and Isaak would have given Hekabe a sweet kiss before going to work. Arabella Torell would have been married to Remus and Kassandra would be alive. She would have no reason to go undercover and risk her life. Her mother would be at Grimmauld Place right now, sitting beside Sirius and whispering words of love towards her husband.

Arabella would have a family. A little rough around the edges, perhaps, but a true, pure family nonetheless. Sirius would have stayed with them and she might even have a little brother or sister. Maybe even both. For years she only had Remus, Andromeda, Ted, and Nymph. But Andy and Ted weren't her parents and Nymph went to Hogwarts. Remus was the only true parental figure in her life. He was all she had for years. He was everything and more and he lied to her. Sirius has been locked away for something he did not do and she used to hate him with every fiber of her being. She was only starting to get him back, but, at times, it almost felt pointless. She could have had a family. A real family with a mother, a father, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, and everything in between. They might be an odd bunch, but they could have been her odd bunch and she would be proud to call them hers.

In another life, in another universe, she would not be crying in front of her mother's tombstone.

"I'm so sorry," whispered Remus. "She didn't want… we didn't know what to do so we hid them for years. I shouldn't have but… we thought it was best."

"We?" Arabella asked thickly.

"Me, Andromeda and Ted."

"Of course," she whispered. "Why didn't you tell me about Arabella? Please…" she said roughly, "don't lie to me. You loved her once. Why don't you talk about her?"

Remus as quiet for a while, staring at Arabella Torell's tombstone. He then said, "Remember how you felt after Kassandra died? You could… you could barely talk about her. Every time someone mentioned her, you would cry and cry for the whole day. Remember that feeling?"

It was unbearable. At a young age, there was a gaping hole in her heart that Bellatrix took away from her. She did remember the feeling. She did remember the pain. She was young, but she could still recall it to this day.

"What's your point?"

"It isn't easy, talking about someone you once loved," said Remus, "especially if they… if they're gone. I never got to say goodbye or tell her how much she meant to me. It's wasn't as though she died an old age, surrounded by the people she cared for and in peace. She died during a riot with Death Eaters everywhere. It was hard knowing that the last time I saw her was truly the last time."

She looked at him and her heart felt a little tug. The look on his face was of sorrow and pain and she knew it all too well. He was staring at Arabella Torell's tombstone intently and she wondered if he ever came here by himself. Did he talk to her? Did he tell her about his day and pretended as though she was right beside him? Does he pretend that she never died and imagined a life where she was his wife? Does he miss her?

She wanted to know. She wanted to hear the truth out loud. But she knew that look all too well and left it alone. All that pain, all that sorrow, she didn't want him to feel it any longer, not matter how much of it she felt at that moment. She quickly grabbed his arm and they both stood up.

"Come now," she said quietly. "Sirius is waiting for us."

A small smile appeared on Remus's face and she gave one in return. She didn't forgive him or Sirius, but she could never stay mad at him for too long.

Remus entered the kitchen as Arabella headed for her room. Sirius was not there anymore. He must have gone to bed. The bottle of firewhisky was still out on the table and more than half the bottle was empty. He picked it up and scoffed at the sight before putting it away. He didn't want Arabella to see how much Sirius had finished by himself.

The letter was still on the table by the time he washed and put away their glasses. Kassandra made him promise that he would not read it. The letter was written and designed for Arabella. When the time was ready, she had to read it. Kassandra told him and Sirius what to do, but never said when or know what was going to happen in between. Sirius had gone to prison and she was murdered by Bellatrix Lestrange years later. His promise seems pointless now, in hindsight. Perhaps this realization is the reason why he picked up the letter and quietly began to read.

He already knew most of everything Kassandra wrote. He had known about Kassandra putting up with Abel and how Isaak regarded Arabella as his daughter in every way but blood. He let out a chuckle, remembering Fabian, Gideon, Frank, Alice and just how much he was truly smitten with Arabella Torell. There was no point denying it. He shouldn't have done so all those years ago.

However, he did not know that Arabella had spoken to Abel about him. He knew the man never liked him and thought that no one, especially a wizard, was worthy of dating his daughter. And she had defended him. Her heart was always gentle and she was always sweet. It does not surprise him, but pleasant, nevertheless.

For years, he had watched her grow to be more than Kassandra's little sister. She was small, but she was clever, brave and peaceful. He was always amused around her company and found himself yearning for her as the years went on. He always felt guilty. Kassandra had been his friend for years and it almost seemed like a betrayal towards their relationship. But when she kissed him in the corridor, not caring if anyone saw them, it made all his worries disappear. She had accepted him, despite all his fault and his numerous attempts of finding someone else for her. But she had come back to him, time and time again, a little bit more angry perhaps. He remembered the warmth of her body and the curve of her lips. Her eyes were always beautiful. He always thought they were of the sea and she would lightly shove him away, blushing.

He remembered her face when she was offered a position in the Order, the way her eyes glossed over when Crouch stopped contacting her, and the way she broke down over Summer's death. Most of all, he remembered the way her body was against the cobbled some steps of Diagon Alley and the felling in his chest when he finally realized she was gone and left him behind. He shouldn't have fallen in love at such a young age. It was foolish of him to have done something so stupid and immature. Even now, he still curses himself for doing such a thing. But he was a child, and children are often foolish. He was no different.

He went to bed hours later, dreaming of crystal seas and wet sand between his toes. He dreamt of her in his arms, smiling and laughing as the waves crashed against their bodies. When he woke up the next morning, he was pleasantly surprised to see Nymphadora Tonks already there with Sirius in the kitchen. Her hair was yellow today and it was tied into a high knot. Her usual bright smile was now replaced with a frown and a look of worry and concern. Sirius was sitting at the table, looking tired and slightly hungover. A cup of coffee was in front of him, as well as two newspapers.

"What's wrong?" asked Remus.

Tonks sighed and said, "Dad quit his job."

Remus raised an eyebrow. In all the years he has known Ted, he was always proud of his work for the Daily Prophet. "Why? What happened?"

Sirius picked up one of the newspapers and he read the headline on the second page, groaning.

ARABELLA BLACK: AS DANGEROUS AS HER FATHER

"He tried to get them to stop," said Tonks quickly. "He told them it was ridiculous to publish a slandering piece against a school girl who is barely of age. He fought against them for hours and days and even threatened to quit. He was doing his best and pulling as many favours as he could to stop the article from going out."

"Tell him what they ended up saying," Sirius said bitterly.

Tonks heaved another sigh and said, "They told him that it wasn't hard to find someone to cover the travel section. He resigned last night when they began to print."

Remus closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. Ted was always a good man with strong values. It shouldn't surprise him that he quit his job, but he shouldn't have had to. The Daily Prophet shouldn't have published this piece in the first place. They are harassing Arabella. They are staring a smear campaign against her, discrediting her and her accusations. Gods, why would anyone do this against a little girl?

"What's the other paper?" he asked. It couldn't get worse.

"Mum sent this over," said Tonks. "She said that one of the names sounded familiar in the obituary section, but wasn't sure. Then I showed Sirius –"

"Look for yourself, Remus," said Sirius bitterly.

Remus clicked through the paper and felt his heart stop for a moment. A part of him wanted to laugh, the other part felt numb at the sight.

Abel Edan Torell II

Abel Edan Torell II, 60, of London passed away yesterday evening, July 8th, 1995, at his home in town with his nurse, Pam Newtwell, by his side.

He was born on May 29, 1935 in Lancashire to Jacob and Elaine Torell in a more secluded part of town where his ancestral house has been guarded and well-kept for years before he demolished it years ago for the money. He was a graduate of Nottingham University and quietly lived off of his family's money once his father had passed away. He loved watching the afternoon telly and walking around town.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his grandfather, Abel Edan Torell, a war general for whom he is named after; a wife, Hekabe Christos; daughter, Arabella Torell; and his dog, Smitty. He had no brothers or sisters. The service will be held on July 13th at Little River Memorial Center in Lancashire where he will be buried next to his parents.

"Did you know he never worked?" Remus asked Sirius.

Sirius shrugged and said, "Never cared to ask. But that doesn't matter. The old man was bitter and horrible. What matters is the Daily Prophet and what we're going to do."

"What do you mean?" asked Tonks, looking at both of them.

"Are we going to show Arabella or are we going to pretend it doesn't exist?"

"We can't keep this from her, Sirius," said Remus. "She's a grown child. She deserves to know what's going on, even if we don't like it."

"They attacked her, Remus!" snapped Sirius. "They bashed her in the papers! They shouldn't be doing that!"

"We've seen the other things they've published about Harry. We shouldn't be hiding this from her. We have to be honest with her."

Sirius glared at him and said, "She's just a kid."

"No, I'm not," said a small voice behind Remus.

Remus, Sirius and Tonks turned to see Arabella step away from the darkness and towards them. She looked tired and worn out. Her eyes caught the newspapers in Remus's hands and she sighed in resignation.

"God, what happened now?"

ARABELLA BLACK: AS DANGEROUS AS HER FATHER

The daughter of Sirius Black is dangerous sand unstable, writes Kurt Mathers, newly-appointed Senior Correspondent of the Daily Prophet. Recent events have brought the child's behaviour into light and such events should cause for some alarm for parents of Hogwarts students.

Arabella Black is the daughter of mass-murderer Sirius Black. A man who has killed 13 people with a single curse and is widely regarded as the more infamous prisoner ever to be held in Azkaban. He has broken out of the fortress years ago, but one wonders whatever became of his daughter. Did she follow in his footsteps or decide to carve out her own destiny? Our results may shock and sadden our readers.

There have been several reports indicating that the girl has indeed been following in her family's footsteps with numerous claims of violent outbursts that have resulted in harm against many other students. It seems as though she has her father's temper as she continually prowls the corridors of Hogwarts. Her history of violence does not start with her father, perhaps. After all, his own temper had to start somewhere else and what better idol than his own cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange.

Perhaps one of You-Know-Who's more loyal and intense followers (second only to Sirius Black), Bellatrix Lestrange has no problem reminding everyone what she is truly capable of. After the fall of You-Know-Who, her and her husband, Rodolphus, managed to avoid imprisonment for years, hiding underground with her brother-in-law, Rabastan, and close friend, Barty Crouch Jr. On August 11th, 1983, little Arabella's life turned upside down. You-Know-Who's followers came out of hiding and her life turned for the worse. Or so we thought…

Her mother, Kassandra Anastas, was murdered in front of her and one must have thought that the little girl would have realized the dangers of the Dark Arts. After all, she had witnessed it and experience it first-hand. We at the Daily Prophet thought she would have turned out like Anastas, but it seems as though she has embraced the Black name. Since entering Hogwarts, under the watchful eyes of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, she has attached multiple students over the years, both foreign and domestic, while continuing to show disrespectful attitudes towards her professors. Recently, she has claimed to have seen the supposed rebirth of You-Know-Who alongside Harry Potter, the boy who defeated the Dark Lord himself.

This rash declaration occurred after the death of Cedric Diggory, a once handsome boy of 17 and one of the Hogwarts's champions. Black has claimed that many Death Eaters have returned to You-Know-Who's side after his rebirth. But how could this have even occurred? How does a dead wizard come back to life when there have been no previous record of such an act happening in our history? Was this a quick cover up to diverge the attention from herself and her own involvement? Did her temper get the best of her? Did she use You-Know-Who as a cover up, knowing that the appearance of such a wizard will strike fear into our hearts once more? What truly happened the moment Cedric Diggory set off for the Third Task?

Regretfully, we do not have answers at this moment. As more accusations come to our office, we only have more questions. Albus Dumbledore should consider keeping a close eye on Arabella Black as she is set to board the train to Hogwarts this September.

A week flew by and Arabella locked herself in her room. She had refused to leave and barely ate the food Remus and Sirius placed outside her door. She did not want to talk about Kassandra, Isaak, Hekabe, Arabella Torell, Abel or the Daily Prophet article. The only time she left her room was to go to the washroom and to bring numerous volumes of books into her room. She had sent a letter to Ted one afternoon, asking for the leaf of a mandrake, without sending another letter of gratitude.

She had done as much reading and research as possible to keep her mind occupied. She did not want to think of the article or her family. Instead, she focused on her research and project. She was going to be an Animagus. She was going to do it one way or another.

Within two weeks, she had prepared the potion, thanks to the numerous ingredients Ted sent to her. He pitied her. Though she would have normally despised such a feeling towards her, he had good intentions. What he did for her was sweet, in a way, but she felt as though it were her fault. He is now jobless and without income for the foreseeable future. Andromeda's potion business was enough for the next couple months, but what after that? She was branded a liar for telling the truth. Voldemort was back, but the Ministry and the Daily Prophet were more content in ignoring the matter. They had compared her to Bellatrix Lestrange, but failed to mention how the woman cut up her skin freely and how she murdered Kassandra in front of her as though it were some lesson.

Arabella gripped her book tightly before closing it. No matter, she will focus on other things. She will have to, or else she will grow mad.

There was a loud pop and Arabella opened her eyes, groaning. She lifted her head from under her pillow and looked around, squinting. Sirius was standing in the middle of her room. He crouched down and picked up one of her books, inspecting it carefully. He then looked at her notes, a slight look of confusion on his face.

"How did you get in?" asked Arabella, her voice low. She had barricaded the door last night when Remus came knocking.

"Apparation," Sirius said.

"Thought you couldn't do that here."

"Dumbledore made a small exception. We're all worried about you."

"That's nice," said Arabella, wanting to roll her eyes. She got up and stretched her arms.

"Thinking of becoming an Animagus?" asked Sirius, indicating to the books and notes. "Takes a lot of resilience."

"Yeah, I figured, why the hell not?" said Arabella, standing up slowly. "Sounds fun."

"It's illegal."

"You're one to talk," Arabella said quickly. "What was it again, fifth year?"

Sirius gave her a small smile and said, "Something like that, yes."

"Well, I've got some catching up to do, then," said Arabella, taking the book from Sirius's hands and pausing. She then said, slowly, "Perhaps… perhaps I could do what you did for Remus, you know… Be there for him when he… when he transforms and keep him company… so that he doesn't have to go through it… go through it alone…"

Sirius's eyes were shining and she couldn't quite place him at that moment. Was he proud or severely angry? Did he think she was a foolish little girl that did not know what she was talking about?

"You have a kind heart," Sirius said softly. "Did anyone ever tell you that?"

Arabella blinked. She shrugged and shook her head. "I – I don't think so. Maybe Remus did or Andy, but I – I can't remember honestly."

"I expected you to be more angry, somehow," said Sirius. "More angry at me and your mother and Remus. But you're quite the opposite, aren't you? You're somehow… you're somehow better than us. Kinder, stronger, softer and more resilient."

Arabella did not know what to say. Her heart soared at his words and she gave him a small, awkward smile. After what the Daily Prophet wrote, she felt as though she needed to hear those words.

"Um," Arabella began awkwardly, before clearing her throat. "Thanks."

Sirius's smile never left his face, even as he said, "I promise to help you if you help me with something else first."

"What's that?"

"A special potion."

Thank you so much for reading! Tell me what you all think of this chapter. I wasn't completely pleased with it, but I couldn't look at it anymore. My head was spinning! Since it has been established that Dumbledore and Harry were severely bashed by the media for what they've said about Voldemort and his return, it was only natural to do a piece of Arabella, showing the world that she is alive and discrediting her as soon as possible. I tried to make the article seem poorly written with more accusations than facts. I feel as though that sort of tactic really plays on the heartstrings of many people and their fear that someone (like Arabella) wants to cause chaos and panic in their world unnecessarily.

Regarding Abel, originally I left his fate up in the air. He sort of slowly disappeared and I really wanted to give him a definite ending this time around. I don't want him to start popping up all of a sudden. I am currently working on a one-shot (maybe two...) starting from the moment Mad-Eye meets Isaak and Hekabe, and it ends around the time he dies. So Abel does show up and you can see more of him there, but after developing him, I realized that he wasn't needed any more in this story.

Also, if there's any sort of AU or one-shot you guys would like to see, let me know! I'm pretty much open to any ideas. Don't be afraid to let me know, either comment on this story or send me a message. I hope to hear from you!