Chapter 65 - Cor

OoO

"How are Barty and Evan?" Regulus asked after they switched tea for fire whiskey. Harry was asleep, curled up in a ball next to Izzie.

"Haven't heard from them in while. We tried to keep in contact but without you two... Last I heard, Barty was travelling the world with doctors without borders and Evan works in the department of mysteries. He got married eight years ago, I think. Has two kids." Remus said, sitting on a chair in front of him.

"Good for them. We should visit them once we got a better handle on everything." He said to Izzie.

"Yes, I want to see Lily and James too, but I need to process everything first. It's been a lot."

"No kidding." Remus chuckled dryly as he swirled the drink in his hand. "We thought you were dead; we had a funeral and everything."

"When - when did you give up?" Izzie asked with a small voice as she stared down at her drink.

"Years." Sirius snapped. He had been quiet for most of the night, just gazing at her. He jumped up from his seat, knocking over his glass. "I searched for years! I refused to have a funeral because I believed I would find you. I refused for years! I thought you were death but no, you just been having your best life without me! Shacking up with some other bloke!"

"Sirius!" Reg and Remus cried out. Harry had woken up from Sirius's voice and looked with large eyes at his godfather.

"I didn't know you existed!" Izzie screamed with tears in her eyes. "You don't think if I knew, I wouldn't come back!? You were the love of my life!"

"And now you found another!"

Her tears started to fall roll down her cheeks now. She slowly rose to her feet, and Reg and Remus followed her movements. "I can't believe you." Her voice was so silent, they barely heard it. Then she apparated out of the flat.

"Are you mentally insane?!" Regulus screamed, poking his brother hard in the chest. "Don't you think she has a hard time as it is? Do you want to know how it feels like for us? It feels like we had just woken up the day we got abducted. Fifteen years have passed, and we build a life yes, but now it feels like yesterday we both were in love with you guys. That you -" He poked his chest even harder. "Were her fiancé. Our heads are on the verge of exploding with the memories of two different lives pressing in our heads."

Sirius felt ashamed and already regretted everything he said, even before his brother started to lecture him. He didn't know where it came from, since the moment he saw her, he wanted to hold on to her and never let go, yet he screamed and accused her.

"Have you heard her lyrics? 90 percent of them are about you! Even if she didn't know you, she had dreams, probably memories that wanted to surface. That's what her lyrics are all about. And since you went to her show, you should know how her Patronus looks like."

Remus looked confused between the brothers. Harry's voice carried through the silent room. "It's a dog, exactly like Uncle Siri's."

"Right!" Regulus pointed out. "So deep down, her heart knew it belonged to you. And yes, she's engaged the Cor, but she never looks at him the way she looked at you. But now you just drove her into his arms. I need to go to her."

"Where are you staying?" Remus asked, stepping forward and grasping his arm. He looked afraid he would never see him again.

"I'm not comfortable telling you in present company." He sneered to his brother. His eyes softened when he glanced back to Remus. "I'll send you a message tomorrow. I'm not leaving, not again." He reached up and gave him a small kiss. "I still love you." Before Remus could answer, he disappeared with a pop.

"They are alive." Remus fell back on the couch, touching his lips. Then he glared at Sirius. "And you drove them away."

"I fucked up, I know." Sirius groaned in his hands. "Even after all those years, I still fuck it up when it comes to her."

"Can you take Harry home? I need time to sort my thoughts, and so do you."

"But -"

"I will let you know once I know more. Just – think about what they must have gone through."

"Fine."

"Should we contact mum and dad?" Harry asked as he tugged on his shoes. "They would want to know."

"Let's talk about this tomorrow, it's been a long night." Sirius said clapping his back.

Remus watched them walk to the fireplace before they disappeared in green flames. He leaned his head back against the couch, staring up at the ceiling. "They're alive."

OoO

"Isa- Cassandra?" He called out once he stepped in the hotel room. They were staying at the top floor of a fancy muggle hotel. It had two large rooms, each with its own ensuite bathroom and private balcony. The two rooms were separated by a large and open living area with a kitchen.
Cor was nursing a glass of whiskey, his eyes fixed on the closed door of his and Isabelle's room. He looked tired and worried. It was all unfair. For him, for Isabelle, for Cor. "Cor?"

He broke his gaze from the door and turned to look at him. "What's going on, Roan? What is happening?"

"We regained our memories." He said sitting down at the kitchen table. Cor sat down in front of him.

"Your memories? After all this time?"

"Yeah, we remember everything. A few details are still fuzzy but – Yeah, we remember."

"Those people at the hospital?"

"Are from our past." His English accent was coming back again.

"Can - can you tell me?"

"I can tell you parts of it, but somethings are for Cassandra to tell."

"I understand." He nodded, his eyes finding the closed door again. When he looked back, Regulus started talking. He told him about Hogwarts and their friends, about the bad relationship between them and their parents. Their real names. But he didn't say anything about her relationship with Sirius, even though he saw that Cor wanted to ask so badly. "That's a lot of information. How are you dealing with it?"

"I only got my memories back a few hours, I haven't dealt with anything." He rubbed his temples tiredly.

"Why don't you sleep with Cassie – Izzie -" He frowned, shaking his head. "You're going through the same thing; I'll sleep in your room."

"Thanks, Cor." He offered him a feeble smile as they stood up. "I'm - I'm sorry, this must not be easy for you."

"Don't worry about me. Just make sure that you two are alright."

Regulus watched him disappear inside his bedroom. Cor was a good guy. This is horrible, it's all horrible. He sighed before he walked over to Isabelle's room. He knocked on the door before slipping in. Isabelle was sitting in the bed against the headboard, she was looking at the wall opposite of her.

"Isabelle." He whispered as he climbed in the bed next to her. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against him. "Breathe, Isabelle."

She took in a deep trembling breath. "I love him."

"I know." He knew she was talking about the both of them, which made everything so much worse. "We will figure this out, I promise."

She curled into his side, his fingers skimming through her hair. "Remus is still very fit. You were blushing."

"I was not." He bristled.

"You were." He could feel her smile against his chest. "Famous, handsome, player, Roan Sable blushed because of his high school sweetheart."

"I did not." He tilted his head. "Shut up." She laughed fully then, after a night like this it made him smile. "Let's get some sleep, try to clear our heads."

"Where is Cor?"

"He wanted to give you space. He's in my room."

She yawned, her eyes flittering closed. "I don't deserve him."

"You deserve everything." He kissed the top of her head, but she was already asleep.

OoO

After a long, hot shower, she entered the living room. Regulus and Cor were sitting at the kitchen table that was filled with food. Regulus looked up when he heard her come in and walked over quickly.

"I'll give you some time. I'm going to see Remus. Come to his place or send me a message and I'll come back."

"Ok." She kissed his cheek. "Don't go blushing too much."

"I don't blush." He muttered as a blush crept up, then next minute he was gone.

She looked to Cor, who was looking down at his cup of coffee. His sandy blonde hair hung forward, covering his brown eyes. He was so handsome, a few years older than her. He has been her manager first, it took a few years before they became anything more. He asked her to marry him two years ago, after dating for three years. "Hi."

He looked to her, even though his eyes were sad, he gave her a smile. "Hi." She surged forward and he jumped up from his seat, opening his arms just in time to catch her. She nuzzled her face in his chest, while he held her close.

"I'm so sorry about yesterday."

"It's okay." He murmured against her hair. "It must be so confusing for you."

She chuckled dryly. "Yeah. I don't deserve you."

He cupped her cheek with a smile. "I believe I'm saying that to you for five years now is that I don't deserve you."

She reached up and kissed him, slow and sweet. His grip around her tightened. "I love you."

"I know." His hand was in her hair. "Want to tell me about that guy who kissed you? I'm guessing he's your ex?" She opened and closed her mouth a few times. "Roan or Reg, he filled me in for a bit, but he left out that guy."

"Oh."

"Let's sit down." He kissed her lips softly again, before guiding her to the couch. He pulled her against his chest. "You can tell me anything."

So, she did. He listened carefully and didn't interrupt her once. His jaw didn't twitch, or his hand didn't clench. His hand was just stroking her hair softly. After she told him everything, she asked with a shaking voice.

"Do you hate me?"

"I could never hate you, baby." He kissed her temple. "Whatever happens, I could never hate you." She clutched his shirt tightly, burying her face in his chest, tears escaped despite her trying to hold it back. "Shh, it's going to be okay. I love you, and if you need time, I understand."

She lifted her head from his chest. "What do you mean? Are you – are you leaving?"

"If you want me to. If you need your space to figure everything out, your feelings for me, for Sirius. I will give it to you."

"I don't know what I want." She admitted. "But I don't want you to go."

"Then I'll stay for you and Roan. As long as you want me to."

"You're amazing." She reached up to kiss him again. He kissed back, a little more passionately than before. Her mind couldn't shake the fact that he was pulling back already. She leaned her head against his when she pulled back. "I'm going to see Remus. I will call you if I'm going to stay or head here."

"Alright." He kissed the top of her nose. "In case you stay at Remus's, you have rehearsal tomorrow."

"I know." She smiled a little before giving him a chaste kiss. "I love you, Cor."

"I love you -"

"You can call me whatever feels right to you. I'm used to both." She chuckled softly.

"I love you, Cassie."