Chapter 14: Unexpected Revelations.

July 28, 1977 Thursday, 8:14 AM

Dorea Potter pushed open the door of the room where her only son, James, was sleeping.
"Wake up, James dear. Time for breakfast," she said briskly.

"Not yet Lily," James mumbled into his pillow.

Dorea laughed. "Sorry to disappoint you but its only your old mum," she said.

James cracked opened a eye and peered up at her. "Marvelous to see you again, Mum," he said brightly.

"Yes, yes, I'm sure. Sweet dreams, I take it?" she asked.

James blushed. "So what's for breakfast?" he asked eagerly, changing the subject.

"Your favorite," Dorea replied. "So hurry up and come downstairs before they get cold."

"Sure thing."

Five minutes later James headed into the dining room where his parents were already eating their breakfast.

"What's wrong, Dorea?" asked Charlus, noting her disturbed expression.

"Nothing. I just get the feeling that someone's calling for me," Dorea replied.

James blinked at her. "Who could be calling for you, Mum?"

"I don't know. Maybe someone is at the door," said Dorea.

She got up from the table and headed to the door. She pulled the door open and let out a gasp of surprise as she saw Sirius sleeping on the steps.

"Sirius, what on earth are you doing sleeping outside? Come on in," Dorea exclaimed, shaking him awake.

Sirius had come to Godric's Hollows, instinctively, since it was where he usually ran to whenever he had troubles with his mother.
But this time, he hadn't been able to go in. How could he? How could he go to the Potters when it was his mother who had killed Dorea Potter's sister and brother-in-law?

"Did you know?" Sirius asked dully, avoiding her eyes.

"Know what?" Dorea asked, puzzled.

"That I'm not really adopted? That the Blacks were my parents all along?" said Sirius.

Dorea jerked back with surprise. "So they've finally told you?"

"No, I overheard," said Sirius.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

Dorea sighed. "We were forbidden to tell you. Since they are your parents, we had to follow their wishes."

Sirius nodded.

"Did you also know that she was the one who had them killed?" Sirius said flatly.

"So you know that too…" Dorea said softly, her eyes widening.
"We always had our suspicions," she admitted, "but were never able find any evidence."

"Don't you hate me? Don't you want revenge?" Sirius said suddenly. "Mymother did it. They would be alive right now if it hadn't been for my mother. You would have your sister with you."
"And Chris, Karen, and Diana would have their parents," he added remorsefully.

"Sirius, listen to me," Dorea said firmly. "You are not accountable for your mother's actions. None of what happened is your fault. Besides, you were only five years old when it happened. There was absolutely nothing you could have done."

"Itis my fault though. She did it because she wanted me," said Sirius.

"I don't believe that," Dorea said quietly.
"You are merely a victim of your mother's greed and ambition. You are not the reason for what she did; you just happened to get caught up in it."

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked curiously.

"You were merely her excuse. She'd always envied Cassiopeia and I believe she simply wanted her out of the way," said Dorea, her eyes turning icy.

"Envied?"

"Yes," said Dorea. Her eyes softened as she looked at Sirius and she hesitated. "I really don't know if I should be the one to tell you this but I suppose it is necessary for you to understand."

Sirius looked curiously at her and silently waited for her to go on.

"I don't know how to tell you this, but well, before your father met your mother, he was engaged to Cassiopeia," said Dorea.

Sirius' jaw dropped. "My father and Mum?" he asked, then laughed, realizing how absurd his statement sounded.

Nevertheless, Dorea understood and she nodded.

"So what happened? They fell in love with different people?" Sirius asked.

"No. If only they had..." Dorea said sadly.
"I don't think they ever stopped though…at least Cassiopeia didn't, up till the very end."

"It was my mother, wasn't it? She came between them," Sirius said flatly.
"Why am I not surprised? How like her," he said bitterly. "So what did she do?"

Dorea "It's not important. What's done is done," she said gently.

"Tell me, please. I need to know," said Sirius.

Dorea sighed. "She told Cassiopeia that she was pregnant with Orion's child through a drunken accident."

"What?!" Sirius shouted, then frowned. "But that doesn't make sense. Chris is older than I am."

"Yes, she lied of course. But Cassiopeia didn't know that. Walburga was family, she didn't dream that she would make up such a lie. In her despair she turned to Harrison for comfort and by the time it was revealed that Walburga had lied, she was already pregnant with Chris. There was no other option than for her to marry him after that," said Dorea.

"But why would my father marry my mother after she'd ruined his life?" said Sirius.

"You're right. Your father would never have married her after what she had done. Finally she took advantage of him when he was drunk and got pregnant with you and Gwen," Dorea finished.

Sirius blanched. "She really would do anything to get what she wants, wouldn't she?"
He looked up at her, his countenance turbulent. "What if I become like her? I have her blood, and you know what they say. That blood doesn't deceive."

"That's not true, Sirius," Dorea protested.

"Weren't you ever afraid that I might turn out to be like her?" asked Sirius.

"Never," Dorea said firmly.
"That 'blood doesn't deceive' line is nonsense. And even if it were so, don't forget that you are still your father's son."

"My father? I never had the impression that you so fond of him," Sirius said wryly.

"Your father is a good person. Personally we've always clashed because of our beliefs but I've always wished that things had worked out between him and Cassiopeia," said Dorea.

"Well, I can't exactly wish that seeing as how I wouldn't have been born then," Sirius commented.

Dorea smiled. "No, of course not. You know, your father and Cassiopeia were very close growing up. Much like you and Gwen. I can't imagine what it must be like for your father, seeing the two of you," she said sympathetically.
"It must be like seeing himself and Cassiopeia."

Sirius nodded. It was all starting to make sense now. How his father had always seemed merely put up with his mother while she was always so eager to please him. How his father who could be so warm with everyone else when he wished was so cold towards his own wife.
And how many times growing up had he seen his father watching him and Gwen with that wistful expression?

Aunt Dorea had said that watching him and Gwen must have been like watching Orion himself and Cassiopeia. And she was right, to the last detail.
Because he and Gwen were another pair that could never be.

July 28, 1977 Thursday, 8:13 AM

Regulus entered Sirius room where Gwen was sitting listlessly in an armchair.
"Where's Sirius?" he asked.

"He left," Gwen replied dully.

Already?
"Why?" he asked, feigning curiosity. But of course he already knew why. It was because of their mother.

Gwen shrugged.

"What did Sirius say before he left?" asked Regulus.

Gwen replied in the same dull voice. "He said we're strangers from now on..." she trailed off, looking blankly at the wall in front of her.

Why would Sirius say such a thing? Regulus wondered. Then he recalled what Sirius had said to him two days previously. 'Don't let her hurt her…'

Of course. Sirius thought that Mother might hurt Gwen. But would shereally do that? She obviously was capable of doing so since she had hurt Sirius but then she had also made it clear that she wasn't particularly fond of him. Her feelings for Gwen were blatantly different…

I'm not taking any chances, Regulus decided. Sirius would never forgive him if he allowed their mother to do anything to Gwen, and neither would he.

August 1, 1977 Monday, 8:01 AM

Gwen went down to the dining room where her parents and Regulus were starting breakfast. As Gwen entered the room, the tension in the room increased since Sirius and Gwen usually came down to breakfast together.

Ignoring Orion's fierce stare in her direction, Walburga smiled at Gwen and cheerfully said, as if nothing was wrong, "You got your letter from Hogwarts, dear."

Gwen took the letter from her and opened the seal, taking out the two letters and a badge.

"Did you get Head girl?" Walburga asked eagerly.

"No. Quidditch Captain," Gwen replied with a slight smile.

"First in the family!" Walburga said proudly.

There was a long shocked silence and to everyone's surprise, it was Regulus who spoke up first.

"You mean second. Just because Sirius isn't with us doesn't mean he's not still part of the family," Regulus said in a hard voice.
"Just because you burned him off the tapestry it doesn't mean you can erase him from the family."

Walburga looked momentarily stunned that her passive, obedient son had spoken so to her but her face quickly contorted with anger. "Fine! All I have to do is leave and Sirius can come back!" she shrieked before leaving the room, taking the tension with her.

Orion turned to Gwen with a smile. "Congratulations. I knew you'd make it," he said proudly.

"Yes. Everyone knew it was between you and Lucius anyway," said Regulus.

"Well, this calls for a treat. How about a new broom when we go pick up your schoolbooks?" Orion said.

"Sure, Dad," Gwen said enthusiastically, then turned to Regulus.

"Which broom do you recommend, Reg?"

"Do you even need to ask? The Nimbus 1700 came out last month. Perfect timing, I'd say," Regulus replied.

Regulus caught a glimpse of wistfulness in Gwen's eyes despite her excited smile. He reached over and squeezed her arm reassuringly. "Sirius will be proud," he told her.

Gwen smiled and nodded. Somehow, he had known exactly what she had wanted to hear.

---

After breakfast, Gwen headed up the flight of stairs and stopped at the door closer to the landing, entering Sirius' room. Everything was exactly as it had been three days ago. The bed was messy and unmade, the armchair was still in it's place near the window, and the Gryffindor banner and Muggle posters filling the wall remained in its place. It was only when she opened the wardrobe that signs of his absence was revealed. His trunk, clothes, broom, and books were all missing.

Gwen closed the closet door and reached for the picture on top of his desk. It had been taken only weeks ago, right after summer vacation had started, and showed her, Sirius, and Regulus in front of their hut in Echo Island.

"Guess what? I got Quidditch captain too," Gwen said, looking down at the picture.

Sirius waved at her from the photo, grinning widely.

"I knew you'd be happy for me," she said sadly.

August 1, 1977 Monday, 8:05 AM

James was with Sirius in his room, trying to coax him to talk. It was highly unusual for Sirius to clam up and he was getting worried.

James heard a tapping on the window and looked up to see two tawny owls at the window. He opened the window and retrieved the Hogwarts letters that they were delivering.

James opened the letter addressed to him and glanced at the list of supplies. He then began to read the second parchment and immediately burst out laughing.

"Ha ha. Guess what, Padfoot? I'm Head boy," said James, still laughing.

Sirius smiled weakly. "Nice try, Prongs."

"No, really. I'm Head boy," James said, shoving his letter under Sirius' nose.

Sirius read the letter and began to laugh as well but it wasn't his usual bark-like laughter. It sounded unnatural, even a bit hysterical, as though he was laughing simply because he couldn't cry.

It was then that James realized with a pang that he had never seen Sirius cry.

August 3, 1977 Wednesday, 2:30 PM

Gwen and Regulus were sitting on Sirius' bed playing, or rather attempting to play, Wizarding chess.

Both were playing dreadfully and Gwen was both winning and losing spectacularly.

Regulus suddenly looked at his watch. "Oh no. I was supposed to meet Morgan at the Leaky Cauldron," he said, referring to his girlfriend Morgan Dolohov.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Get going," said Gwen.

Regulus looked at her with concern. "Will you be alright?"

"Don't be ridiculous. It's not like I'm dying," Gwen snapped, but somehow it came out feebly.

"You sure don't look like it," Regulus muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," Regulus said hastily then rushed to the fireplace.

Morgan was sitting at the end of the pub and Regulus greeted her with a bright smile.

After a brief kiss they each ordered a butterbeer and headed out of the pub where they sat under a shade and began to drink.

"Nice weather today," Regulus commented, looking up at the clear sky.

"I suppose. It's been like this all week though," Morgan replied.

"Has it? Must have been nice. It's been raining nonstop at home," said Regulus.

"What's wrong, Regulus?" said Morgan, glancing sideways at him.

"Nothing. Why do you ask?" Regulus replied, grinning at her.

Morgan didn't reply but leaned her head against his shoulder. "You know, I've never once seen you cry. You always seem so strong," she said.

"Do I?" Regulus smiled faintly. "Would you believe me if I told you that I'd cried very easily when I was younger?"

"Did you?" Morgan inquired.

"You would laugh, but I was very sensitive when I was younger," Regulus said matter-of-factly.

"That's strange. The Regulus I know isn't sensitive at all," said Morgan. "You always appear so aloof and unemotional..."

Regulus stared into the distance for a moment before he spoke again. "I had a friend. We were four when her parents passed away. Naturally she was devastated by their deaths but I was helpless to help her. All I could do was cry with her."

"That's not true," Morgan said suddenly. "Sometimes the best you can do for someone is to cry with her."

"You think so? I would certainly like to think so," said Regulus wistfully.
He let out a deep sigh. "She's always been on my mind, all these years. I can't forget the way she fell apart during the funeral. She lost everything; her parents, her siblings, her old life…I can't imagine how she would have coped."

Regulus stared unseeingly at his bottle of butterbeer before continuing. "I couldn't cry after that. After that kind of experience, there wasn't much worth crying over. My own problems were always so trivial compared to the tragedy she had suffered."

Morgan squeezed his hand. "What's wrong, Regulus? You're usually not one to dwell the past," she said with concern.

Regulus shrugged. "I guess I'm just overemotional what with Sirius running away and all," he said.

The look of concern was immediately replaced with one of annoyance.

"Sirius ran away?"

"Didn't I mention it? He ran away last week," Regulus told her.

"Good riddance," Morgan burst out contemptuously, with relief.

"What did you say?" Regulus asked with disbelief.

"It's okay, you don't have to be ashamed," said Morgan reassuringly.

"I'm not ashamed," Regulus snapped.

"It's okay, no one holds responsible for your brother's actions," Morgan said soothingly.

"Unfortunately, these disgrace turn up in the best of families," she added in a disgusted tone.

"Don't insult my brother," Regulus said dangerously.

Morgan shot him a offended look. "Are you pushing me away because of your family pride? I thought we were closer than that," she said sulkily.

"I don't give a damn about my family pride!" Regulus interrupted her.
"You can say what you want about my family. You can say what you want about me," he hissed, "but don't talk of Sirius that way. Don't you dare insult my brother!"

"What, you're going to choose that bloodtraitor brother of yours over me?" Morgan said derisively. "When has he ever been anything but cold towards you, just for being in Slytherin?"

"Don't speak of what you don't know! What do you know about my relationship with Sirius?" Regulus snarled.

"Sirius Black, the black sheep of the Blacks. Your family disgrace. The abomina—" Morgan continued as if he hadn't spoken and was cut off as he swiftly slapped her across the face.

"Sirius isn't a disgrace. We have our differences, but he's still my brother, whatever Mother says. And I'm proud to have him as my brother," Regulus said defiantly.

Morgan snorted. "Proud," she repeated derisively.

"What do you have against my brother?" Regulus said darkly.

"Other than the fact that he's a bloodtraitor?" Morgan said dryly.

"Don't lie! I should have known from the very beginning," said Regulus fiercely.
"There was always something strange about you and Sirius. It's not simply because he's a bloodtraitor!"

"Don't be ridiculous. What other reason would I have?" Morgan said testily.

"I don't know. You tell me," Regulus retorted.

"I was watching you on your first day and I saw you spot Sirius. I've never seen you look at anyone with as much hatred as you did at him, and that was before you knew who he was. I told myself that I must have imagined it; you didn't even know him. And of course it could have been anyone at the Gryffindor table. Over the past year, you constantly proved me wrong and I occasionally saw that expression resurface. I told myself again and again that I was deluding myself. But now I realize. I have been deluding myself."

"It's not what you think," said Morgan firmly.

"You could had anyone amongst the Slytherins but you never once looked at any of them. Right from the beginning you came to me. I should have known there was something fishy about that. Love at first sight, my arse." Regulus snorted.

"That's because there's always only been you for me," Morgan insisted.

"You approached me because of Sirius in the first place, didn't you?" Regulus accused, cutting her off.

Morgan glared at him, her eyes flashing. "Now you're really being absurd. My hatred towards him has nothing to do with what I feel for you," she said.

"Nothing to do with it? How can it have nothing to do with it? He's my brother. We share blood, no matter how reluctant you are to admit it," said Regulus.
"Tell me, how is it possible for someone to hate one brother and love the other? It's not possible."

"Where are you going?" Morgan demanded as Regulus abruptly got up to leave.

"We're over," Regulus replied curtly.

"What?!" Morgan shrieked incredulously. "You're going to end things between us because of Sirius?"

"No, not because of my brother. Because of you. You're not the person I thought you were, Morgan," said Regulus.

Moran watched him leave, her hazel eyes dark with fury. "You can't leave," she said quietly. "I won't let you."

August 12, 1977 Friday, 7:45 PM

Remus sat in his room, looking down at the picture he held in his hand.

Today was the anniversary of the day he had been bitten. The anniversary of Romulus' death.

Yes, they had been twins named Remus and Romulus. He had always found that a strange coincidence. That they had been named after the Roman founders who had been raised by a wolf and that he had become a werewolf. At times, he even thought that perhaps it had been the inevitable after they had been named so.

But also according to the legend, it should been he, Remus, who should have died. Romulus should have lived.

Remus looked down at the picture in his hand. It was a picture taken on their fourth birthday with their parents on either side of them.
The two boys were so identical that even Remus himself couldn't tell which one was himself and which was Romulus.

His mother came into the room and sat besides him. She peered down at the picture with a soft wistful smile.

"I wonder which one is Romulus," Remus said softly.

"Romulus is the one next to your dad. You're the one next to me," his mother immediately told him.

"How did you know that?" Remus asked curiously.

She smiled. "Mothers know."

She stood up and briskly said, "Come on. We're going to go out for dinner tonight."

---

A hour later, Remus and his parents had just finished their dinner at the local restaurant and were preparing to leave when a middle-aged lady approached them.

"John, Emma," she said stiffly then turned to Remus.

"You must Remus," she said warmly and added," You look just like your mother, dear."

His parents stiffened but didn't comment.

"Well, that's a first. People usually say that I look nothing like Mum," Remus said as he looked fondly at his mother.

"If by 'Mum' you're referring to her," the woman shot his mother a dirty look, "then of course you don't look like her."

"Sofia!" his father said warningly.
"Come on, we're leaving," he said to Remus and Emma.

But Remus sat rooted to his seat.
"What is she talking about?" he asked his parents, then turned to the woman who had just intruded upon their dinner. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, Remus. She doesn't know what she's talking about," said John, glaring at Sofia.
"That's enough, Sofia," he said harshly.

Sofia laughed coldly. "Ashamed to admit your past, John? Ashamed for your son to know that his father abandoned his own mother for a whore? Or perhaps you're afraid for him to know…?" she said silkily.

Remus was now looking at his mother with a betrayed expression. "Is that true? You're not my mother?" he said.

Sofia opened her mouth once more but John interrupted.. "Not another word, Sofia," he hissed.

Instead of being cowed, Sofia merely looked more incensed. "No, John, I refuse to remain silent! How dare you keep Amy a secret from her own son!" she shrieked.

And how dare you make Amy's son call her'Mum'," Sofia pointed contemptuously at Emma, "when she's the one who came between you and Amy? She's the reason Amy was forced to leave and driven to suicide!"

Remus stared at his parents in disbelief as Sofia stormed away.
"Is that true?" he finally asked.

"It's not what you think, Remus," said John quickly.

"I asked you! IS IT TRUE!" Remus bellowed.

His parents looked momentarily stunned at their soft-spoken son's outburst, and Emma who had been watching Remus with a panicked expression from the moment of Sofia's arrival finally spoke up.

"Remus, let me explain," Emma pled.

"Explain what, Emma?" Remus said icily.

"Don't speak to your mother that way, Remus!" said John as Emma gasped.

"Who's my mother?" Remus said coldly. "She's not my mother; she's merely a homewrecker!"
"And to think, all this time I've been calling the woman who caused my mother's death my mum. I don't know how I'll ever ask my true mother for forgiveness," said Remus before he also ran out of the restaurant.

"Remus! Remus!" Emma cried as John comforted her.

August 13, 1977 Saturday, 12:03 AM

Sirius grumbled as he awoke to the sound of a constant 'PING PLING'. He grudgingly got out of bed and headed to the window where the sound was coming from. Sliding the window open, he gingerly stuck his head out of it to inspect the source of the noise.

"Ow!" Sirius exclaimed as a small pebble struck him in the forehead.

"Sirius?"

"Remus?"

"What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? What are you doing here…at one in the morning?" Sirius retorted.

"Actually, it's only around midnight," Remus said casually, checking his watch.

"That's beside the point!" Sirius growled. "Come on, I'll let you in," he added.

Five minutes later, Sirius had opened the door for Remus and had led him to his room. Amongst the many spare rooms, this room was reserved for Sirius and the Potters had had it decorated it to his liking.

'Mother would have been furious,' Sirius thought wryly, once again eying the entwined green and red of the room.

The room was a sort of symbol of what Sirius secretly longed for, deep down. A world in which Slytherin and Gryffindor could coexist peacefully. A world in which he wasn't a bloodtraitor and his family pureblood fanatics. A world where he and Gwen could be together without the constant obstacles which ceaselessly reminded him that he was a Gryffindor and she a Slytherin.

The walls were a rich shade of green while the carpet were a deep maroon. The bedspread on his bed was currently silver though it had been charmed to alter between the four colors every day. By the window, there were two armchairs, one a dark shade of red and the other emerald green while the picture frames on his desk were made of solid gold. On the middle of the wall was a framed painting that Sirius himself had painted.

The portrait showed a image of the magnificent Gryffindor lion entwined with the glorious Slytherin serpent.

All in all, it was like a product of the two common rooms smashed together.

James usually joked that Sirius' room was like having Christmas year round.

As he entered the room, Remus curiously observed the room, having seen it for the first time, then turned back to Sirius.

"So…"

"You want to talk about it?" asked Sirius.

"I'd rather not—yes," said Remus as he changed his mind.

Remus quickly recapitulated the meeting with Sofia and his new discovery. When he had finished, there was a short silence before Sirius gave a wry laugh.

"Life's funny isn't it?" Sirius said sarcastically. "You're distraught because you've just discovered that your mum isn't really your mother and I'm distraught because I've just discovered my mum really is my mother."

"What do you mean?" Remus asked with confusion.

Sirius paused before finally revealing the secret he had been keeping for years. "I was five when my parents died. My mother was—is—Aunt Dorea's sister."

"So…you and James are cousins?"

"We were," Sirius corrected.

"Youwere? How is that possible?" asked Remus, his face twisting with perplexion.

"When my parents passed away, I was adopted by the Blacks," said Sirius, "and for years, I lived with them thinking that they were my adoptive parents."

"And then?"

"And then I discovered that they were actually my biological parents. I was switched with the Davisons' baby." Sirius laughed incredulously. "Switched at birth…"

"That's good, isn't it?" Remus asked hesitantly, bemused by his reaction. "I mean, other than your mum, you get along well with the rest of your family."

"No…that means Gwen and I are really twins," Sirius said hollowly.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Remus stopped, his eyes widening as a sudden thought occurred to him.

"Unless? Merlin…" he breathed.

"What?" Sirius demanded.

"Are you and Gwen going out?" Remus asked, looking utterly taken aback by the idea.

Despite the fact that the look of shock on Remus' face was extremely comical, Sirius didn't laugh but stared blankly back at him.
"I wish. It's only one-sided love on my part. Gwen has always thought that we were twins because our parents obliviated her memory," he replied dully.

Remus nodded. "That explains a lot," he said thoughtfully.

"It does?" asked Sirius.

"Yes," Remus replied.
Somehow, I get the feeling that Gwen didn't quite forget after all, he thought sympathetically

"How did our lives get so twisted?" Remus whispered to himself.