Firstly, I must apologize to everyone for this long wait. School started not long after the last chapter so I didn't have much time. But about a few weeks ago, I had everything typed up and ready to publish, until my laptop messed up and I lost this chapter. I can only hope this chapter will fulfill your expectations.
Secondly, thank you to everyone who have reviewed, favourited and followed this story. Those email notifications make me really happy.
Thirdly, this story was added to "The 'Miss Potter' Collection" and that's like my favourite female harry story collection so I'm really happy about that.
Lastly, enjoy this chapter!
DISCLAIMER: everyone knows but I'll say it anyway. I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANY CHARACTER IN THIS STORY (sad...) THEY ALL BELONGS TO J.K ROWLING
Chapter 3: Awkward Questions
Slam
"I'm not a baby anymore you know." The door gave no response, and staring yielded no further results. At some point, Holly realised that Sirius must have cast a silencing charm on the door. Defeated, she decided to go along with his suggestion.
She easily found Remus in the library engrossed in a book, as usual. He had been strangely distant this holiday, she thought it was due to the news of the werewolf clans offering Voldemort their support. "Hi Remus," it was weird to call one of your former professors by their given names.
Remus Lupin looked up to see his favourite former student "Hey Holly, what brings you here? I thought you were nice and cosy in the drawing room with Snuffles curled up by your feet."
"Couldn't I just drop in?" Suspicious.
"You were most reluctant to leave your spot by the fireplace for dinner, so why are you here?"
Holly pouted, Remus always saw through her tricks. Perhaps it was the years of experience with the marauders back in their school years – oh wait.
Was there really an easy way to break the news? Holly was a Gryffindor, and she decided that she had to brave the storm. "James Potter and Sirius Black from the past has time travelled to the drawing room." Remus choked on his water and dropped his book, Holly went forward to help him.
"Jame- *cough* Siri- *cough cough* time travel- *cough* drawing room!?" His voice was croaky but Holly could understand. Sure Remus had been expecting some troublesome news, but not at this level.
"Ummm Yes?" No point crying over spilt milk.
Remus took a moment to gather himself, then stood up straight and declared "I'm going to kill him." And marched out of the library will Holly on his heels.
He easily took down the charms and wards on the door and opened it gracefully just in time to hear some good-natured banter."
"It's a miracle you actually thought about work Pad." Oh Merlin Holly wasn't joking. It was James, the same man who had been dead for these 15 years.
"HEY! I do have a brain you know, I just choose to put it to more entertaining uses." Ah, and pre-Azkaban Sirius.
As a marauder, Remus had to have his say "yes, you certainly did."
"Remus." And there was the Sirius of his time, he looked exhausted, furious and a bit nervous. Ha, picture perfect expression indeed.
"Sirius, what the hell happened." Padfoot was about to open his mouth but Remus interrupted. "No not you, the other Sirius, our Sirius."
"They –we – I performed a time travelling spell." Oh yes, this was going down very well. You could just tell by how high the arch of Remus' eyebrow was getting
"You?" Sirius Black of the past and present both looked a little indignant at his underestimation of their abilities. "You performed a time travelling spell that sent you" a look at the two told him they were in their senior years, and James didn't have his Head Boy badge yet "about 20 years into the future?"
Sirius shrugged, but he honestly couldn't recall any such trip "Yeah I guess."
Blunt honesty, at least better than poetically crafted lies. "So what now, they'll need a place to stay until we send them back."
"The spell lasts for seven days." All heads turned to Padfoot. "After the seven days is up magic will send us back, all good." Padfoot delivered this vital piece of information with a charming grin, as if time travel was of the same importance as a levitation charm.
Remus looked at Sirius, they seemed to be thinking among the same lines.
"What will we tell the order?" Ever the practical one, Remus had to be the one to bring up the big question. "And what will we tell them-" a nod to the boys "about-" a glance at Holly.
"They already know who she is."
"Yeah, I know she's my future daughter." They turned to James. "But, can someone tell me who her mother – my wife will be?" Another big question no one was too willing to answer, and it was so easy to see that glint of hope in his eyes, for he only had eyes for one special girl.
This made Sirius and Remus very uneasy, as Holly said, they needed to explain. Oh what an awkward explanation it would be indeed. Remus heavily doubted they would believe what happened, or what will happen – for them anyway.
"Where will they stay?" Ever so kind and compassionate, Holly had taken note of the darkening sky and decided it was time to call it a night, and deal with the troublesome issue of time travelling tomorrow.
"Here, we have lots of spare rooms." It was true, Grimmauld place might look small from the outside but expansion charms can do wonders. "Luckily we cleaned out all of the west wing." The west wing was dedicated to entertaining and housing guests.
"I won't have my own room?" Padfoot frowned, he might not like Grimmauld Place all that much but he had a sentimental attachment to his bedroom, wouldn't anyone? He had thought earlier that year when he left home he would never see this place again, but apparently magic proved him wrong.
"It's currently my room." Sirius replied drily. No one could argue with that.
"Great, I assume you two have already eaten?" two synchronised nods "Good. Holly, if you'll please take them to the west wing then, perhaps they'll like to share a room?" Remus was tired, and didn't want to deal with two egoistic Siriuses.
"Yeah."
"That's fine."
"Excellent." And the two left along with Holly.
Remus saw Sirius looking after them, a somewhat worried expression over his face. "Sirius" He didn't even react. "Sirius" Still no reaction. "SIRIUS!" Ah good, he heard. You could tell by the way his shoulders jumped, if he was any less guarded he would have yelped like a puppy.
"What the Fu-"
"Explain." He had no patience left for nonsense.
"What?" idiot.
"Explain what the hell happened."
"Um, me and James' past self travelled 20 years into the future?" Yes, that was quite clear.
"And…?" expand, please.
"And what? What else do you want me to tell you?"
"If he is your past self…"
"If he is my… Oh Merlin."
"You understand now."
"Oh Merlin's beard… Oh shit oh shit Oh SHIT." He was now pacing around, in growing frustration and confusion. "I swear Remus, I can't remember any of this."
"This doesn't add up Sirius, if he is your past self you must have memory of this." Remus paused for a suitable word. "Adventure."
"Well, I don't" He really didn't, although there was a weird sense of déjà vu when they first arrived.
"Then how do you explain all this?"
Sirius ran his hand through his hair, now frequently washed and very handsome. "I really don't know Remus, I really don't. If he is really me, then I would never forget this, and I would never have let Pettigrew be-" He choked on his words. "James and Lily would still be here if I remembered." His shoulders dropped as remorse overcame him.
Remus felt a little guilty for bring such memories back to the only (because that rat was a filthy traitor and most undeserving of the friendship they showed him) best friend he had left and went forward to give him a pat on the back.
"Oh shut up you, I believe that you don't remember any of this. Do you really think I would have thought you capable of killing Lily and James?"
"You did for 12 years."
"I didn't, not at first. But over the years, as I suffered from my condition alone month by month, devoid of the happiness we shared during the nights of the full moon during our Hogwarts years, my bitterness overcame my loyalty to our friendship, and I am so sorry, I know you have forgiven me but I can never forgive myself. I disappointed James by letting Holly live with Petunia for 10 years without checking on her once. I should have-" He was cut off by a punch to his shoulder.
"Stop, just stop. I'm a free man now, as I should always have been, and Holly lives with us now. Everything is fine, well they could get better I admit." Thoughts of Voldemort and certain annoying unwanted house guests temporarily dampened his mood.
Remus chuckled, at least he didn't openly blame him. He knew Sirius carried a grudge, but it was buried deep within him. Besides, he couldn't really blame him for feeling that way. "Now, what say you to a drink or two to drown our sorrows?"
"I say: perfect." And the two former marauders went off to drink their heads off. Just missing the mop of black hair at the doorway.
The three teenagers walked awkwardly down the hallway, with Padfoot leading them and scowling at portraits of his ancestors every once in a while with a passing remark. "Nasty gargoyles they are…" or "Another ancestor who I'm almost ashamed to share a name with." James thought they would be the ones ashamed to have this dog share their name.
As a result, James and Holly were forced to follow after him, since Padfoot is (or will be in this case) the master of the house, even though Holly was the one charged with the duty of guiding them, but it was clear Padfoot knew his way around his house.
Unable to keep the silence a moment longer, he turned to the girl walking alongside him and blurted out "so, you're my daughter." Well that wasn't awkward at all, James suddenly realised how weird he sounded. Even in the magical world it wasn't everyday your father's past self travelled to your time. "Oh no sorry, I meant-"
Holly laughed, this was her father? He really was a bit dorky, but she could see that this situation unnerved him a bit. "It's ok, this must be really strange for you."
Relief washed over him. "Yeah, to be honest this was all that Jerk's idea, so sorry for interrupting your night like that." Oh Merlin he was getting quite nervous. He must have completely ruined the fatherly admiration she held for him with his stuttering tongue. While on that note, where was her father - his future self?
"Hey Prongslette, Where's Mr Prongs?" Damn it Sirius, just butt in like the insensitive prick you are why don't you.
A strange expression passed over Holly and all her emotions closed off, was that occlumency? "He's... Not here."
"On a merry holiday with your mother I bet, aye?"
"I suppose you could say that." Her tone had suddenly turned very frosty, and the magic aura around her seemed to be growing tenser. "Oh look, we're here, goodnight." She planned to flee the scene as soon as possible, she did not have the energy to deal with this tonight.
"No wait!" Holly winced and looked down at her wrist, James had grabbed her. Her years of malnourishment with her loving relatives had given her a delicate figure and James was no frail boy.
As if sensing her pain, James glanced down and let go as if on fire "I-I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to-"
Holly held up a hand 'its ok, sleep now. We'll clear things up tomorrow with a fresh mind, alright?"
"Yeah."
Holly smiled, her father-dear was looking quite contrite, and she didn't want him to sleep with such negative thoughts. So she walked to him and hugged him "Oh come here." She also wanted to answer one of her biggest questions.
James was too surprised to stop her, and simply returned the embrace.
Briefly, Holly wondered if this is what life would've been like if not for Voldemort, life with her loving parents – like the Weasleys – warm hugs from her father and loving kisses from her mother, she unconsciously snuggled closer to James, until that fleabag interrupted.
"Mate, don't get too cosy, she'll be your daughter."
Holly and James jumped apart, blushing in embarrassment and barely restrained anger respectively.
"Well goodnight then." And Holly left the two with that.
"Hey Mate."
"Shut up."
"Ha-ha, don't get too mad."
James' reply was silence, until "I hate you."
Padfoot grinned "Now now, that's not true at all, and you know that."
"Don't make those jests again, they're not funny." James was quite serious. Padfoot chortled but stopped when he saw his best friend's expression.
"Ok ok, I'll stop. I'll stop. Happy?"
James nodded "you better."
Padfoot thought James could do the whole father-parenting thing very well.
Later on, when they were all snuggled up inside their thick, soft blankets armed with warming charms, Padfoot stated "Well I can't blame you, she is hot."
James glanced at him warily in the dark "She'll be your goddaughter, you heard yourself. I've never heard Sirius Black sound so…"
"Serious?" a brief stretch of silence ensued, until a pillow mysteriously found it's way smack bang right in the centre of Padfoot's face. "Owwww, Proooongs."
"Shut up and goodnight, I wish you have a great pranking dream."
"You too, hopefully you will dream prank Snivellus good."
"As if I want him in my dreams."
"Ah of course, you want to dream of your wife-to-be! Well I can't blame you, the finished product is quite something to behold. But please keep it down will you? I'm a heavy sleeper but too much moaning will-"
"I swear if you don't stop…"
"Yeah yeah goodnight" and a second later "but do tell me the juicy parts in the morning" and another pillow found its way to Padfoot's face.
Holly went downstairs and walked towards the drawing room in hopes of finishing the chapter of her book, until she heard a heartfelt discussion going on. It warmed her heart as she overheard the conversation between Sirius and Remus.
When the truth all came out that night in the Shrieking Shack it was clear they still had a great friendship, but after that night she didn't get to see them much, and it was only after Sirius gained custody that she saw the unspoken tension between the two. She could understand, she would probably feel it herself. The bitterness that one of your best friends would believe you capable of betraying your other best friends and the guilt of condemning one of your best friends to 12 torturous years in a prison so feared the name itself can dampen the mood of the bravest Gryffindor. Their friendship most likely could never be the same again, but life was getting better, and that's all Holly wanted.
She quickly moved out of the way when she saw them heading towards the door, and decided she should head to bed as well. It'll be a long day tomorrow, she thought tiredly to herself.
Moments later, she had to throw up silencing charms around the room to block out the drunken laughter drifting up from her guardians.
Thank you for reading.
Please leave a review on your thoughts for this chapter. I appreciate constructive criticism.
I am working on the next chapter now, hopefully that will be up in less than 2 weeks.
