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This wasn't exactly how he imagined spending Easter break.

Harry stood with Sarai outside of her childhood home. Sarai clenched her fists at her side with shaky breaths. "Why am I so nervous?"

"Because you are about to question everything the people you love most have ever told you."

"Well," Sarai elbowed him. "You're wrong about that."

"Then why are we here?"

"I mean they aren't the people I love most, exactly. Even though I do love them, I've always felt disconnected. You lot are what means the most to me; I would follow all of you to the ends of the earth."

"Which is why I'm here for you," Harry assured her. "Just doing the job an older brother is supposed to. You're family."

"That means a lot, Harry."

Harry had been wondering how he found himself filling in for Ginny, but now he didn't mind. Sarai felt like a part of his family, and he should be there for her...especially since Ginny had a meeting with the florist that he desperately didn't want to attend.

They walked into the house, warmly greeted by Sarai's surprised aunt and uncle. Aunt Leslie kissed both their cheeks. "What are you doing here, sweetie?"

"Can we sit in the living room?" Sarai asked instead of answering.

"Of course," Uncle Preston answered. They made their way into the living room, sitting across from each other on the couches. "What's going on?"

"You told me my father's name was Jonathan Wilcox," Sarai said slowly.

"It was," Leslie tensed. Preston leaned forward. "What about him? He died a little after you were born. We've told you all this already."

"Did you know he was a wizard?"

"W-what?"

"Did you...know...that he was a wizard?"

"Erm..."

"Because he played quidditch," Sarai went on. "Jonathan Wilcox was a chaser on the Hufflepuff quidditch team. He won a few awards."

"There has to be many Jonathan Wilcox's in the UK, right?" Preston suggested.

"Uncle Preston, please tell me the truth," Sarai begged. "I looked in the library for records, he won awards and got his picture taken for the newsletter—he looks just like me. He went on to work at the Ministry of Magic in our Department of Mysteries; he was shockingly ambitious and rose quickly to assist the head of the department." she pulled a picture out of her pocket and put it on the coffee table. "He looks a hell of a lot like the man in your photos."

Leslie and Preston exchanged nervous looks as they warily eyed the moving photograph of a young man in blue wizard's robes with a proud smile on his face.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Sarai insisted.

"The man who brought you here didn't want us to," Leslie said stiffly. "It was a part of this whole scheme of his."

Sarai seemed to choke on surprise. "A man brought me to you?"

Preston settled in as if preparing for a long story and began speaking. "About a year after my brother—your father—died, a man showed up at our doorstep. He asked if I was the brother of Jonathan Wilcox. I told him yes, and that I knew about magic. He told us a story.

"He said that he was in love with a woman named Tamara Greengrass. They'd been lovers at Hogwarts, but instead of marrying this man, she'd accepted the arranged marriage her parents had planned for her years ago. Apparently, Tamara was currently in a very unhappy marriage. Despite this Charles Greengrass fellow being a good man, she loved the man who brought you here instead. She'd been trapped in this marriage for a few years, had a child barely out of the womb, and had gone to a bar in some wizarding village and gotten quite drunk. She met our Jonathan there, and had a one night stand because he looked quite similar to the man she really loved.

"When she discovered she was pregnant, but she hadn't...been intimate...with her husband since the birth of her first daughter, she had a fit and went to the man who brought you here, begging him to help her. Of course he did. She claimed to go on a spring retreat, took her other daughter, and carried the baby to term while hidden with this man. When she had the baby, she asked the man to discover who the father was and make sure the baby was safe, but unbeknownst to anyone, even her. She named the child Astoria, and gave her a necklace before leaving. She couldn't raise the child because bastards were looked down upon in her circles of society. It would've grown up very unhappily and she only wanted the best for the child, who looked nothing like Tamara or Charles, only like Jonathan."

By now, tears fell down Sarai's face. Harry took her hand and more closely examined the picture on the table. "Excuse me, but what was the name of the man? The one who Tamara loved and who brought Sarai here?"

"Padfoot, I believe it was," Preston said slowly.

Harry almost choked on air.

"He told us that he kept you for a few months before he took on the responsibilities of another child," Leslie went on, tears falling silently down her face. "His best friends had just died, they were apparently very important people, and the child was important as well. He went about finding your birth father, though all he had was the name Jonathan. It took him almost two years with two children in his care to find Jonathan. By the time he discovered who Jonathan was, your father had already died in an experimental project for that ministry of yours...he was developing spells or something and one went wrong. Anyways, he located us, and told us that as much as he adored you, we deserved to have you. He'd been having you live under his roof as Sarai, to better keep you hidden, and we accepted that. We called you Sarai White, just as he said. You were the most darling little thing, and I couldn't give you up. I wouldn't."

Sarai didn't answer.

"He's been funding your wizarding life," Preston said. "He wanted to be connected to you, even though you weren't his daughter. He's acted almost as an absent godfather."

"You..." Sarai choked back tears. "You have lied to me my entire life! You said I was muggle born, that you knew nothing about my mother, and that my father knew and loved me. He didn't even know I existed! You knew my mother's name and a man who had deep attachments to her! Everything you've told me has been a lie."

"No, no, you are our niece, and we love you," Leslie said fiercely, standing with Sarai. "Astoria or Sarai, you are our little girl."

"I don't know what to say," Sarai sputtered before darting out the back door. As her aunt and uncle hunched over in sadness and tears, Harry rushed out the back to follow his friend.

He found her sitting on a swing of an old play place. She was digging her feet into the dirt, head down so that her hair covered her face. Sarai didn't enjoy people seeing her cry.

"You know," Harry cleared his throat. "Sirius took me to meet my aunt and uncle one time."

Sarai sniffled. "Really? And?"

"They despised me. You would think my aunt would want to know the only tie she had left to her only sister, but she didn't. They called me a freak and told me to never bring 'my sort' around their family again."

"What's the point of that story? I don't mean to be rude, but..."

"The point is that your aunt and uncle love you, and only wanted what was best for you. Your mother wanted you to have a happy life. And Sirius..."

"Sirius?"

Harry shifted as she finally looked up. Her red eyes and wet face made him sad, but he moved on. "I think the reason why we feel like we know each other so well is because we spent part of our childhood together. We lived together like brother and sister for two years. We basically are estranged siblings."

"You think this Padfoot bloke is Sirius?"

"I know it is," Harry chuckled dryly. "Padfoot is an unusual nickname, and it's been Sirius' nickname since his time at Hogwarts. My dad's was Prongs."

"Oh, Merlin's beard," Sarai covered her mouth. She took a few moments to absorb it all. "Well, you best come swing with me while we contemplate our lives and how to handle this. I suppose this is your second time, hmm?"

"Yeah," Harry agreed, settling onto a swing. "I suppose you can look at the situation and be reminded that you don't have a predestined bride."

"You can't complain, you love Ginny."

"It was never about Ginny," Harry shrugged. "It was always about the people I cared about lying to me. But, this year, I've realized how it only makes me miserable. I forgave Sirius for magically binding me to someone he chose, I can forgive him for this."

"He lied to my face, Harry," Sarai shook her head.

"To protect the secret of the only woman he ever loved," Harry replied. "He was always told me about a girl he loved and how he never recovered, but he couldn't ever be with her. She sounded amazing."

This put Sarai into deep thought. Conversation ceased for a bit and they simply swung in silence. Sarai continued digging her feet in the dirt and Harry looked at the clear sky, marveling that it was such a sunny day and yet things felt a little dreary.

"Come on," he said suddenly, standing up. "Let's go back inside and talk things out."

)-(

Things smoothed over with Sirius. Sarai and he had a long talk about her mother and the reasons she kept her daughter secluded from the judging eyes of high society Slytherins. They also talked about his funding her and the sort of relationship they would have, which Sirius didn't mind at all having. He cared for her like a daughter, watching from afar in a fatherly manner.

Harry and Sirius were even alright. Harry was slightly miffed about the whole situation, but he stuck to his New Year's resolution that he would forgive a little more easily. He and Sirius had a long talk about any more secrets (which he swore he had none of) and how to rebuild their relationship again.

By the time the drama of Easter break was over, Sarai had met her birth mother, been able to talk to Daphne Greengrass as a sister, and had been the subject of gossip among the Pureblood society.

Returning to school was interesting, to say the least. Some people wanted to talk to Ginny because of the upcoming wedding, some to Sarai because of her parentage. They each received their own amount of criticism, but also compliments. They suddenly found themselves the most talked about people at Hogwarts, despite everyone's desperation to finish the school year with high marks as final exams rolled around the corner.

Along with the revelation of Sarai's true history came the birth of Remus and Tonk's baby boy, Theodore (Teddy) Remus Lupin. Harry had been asked to be the godfather, which shocked and overjoyed him to the point of tears. He was only two months old and Harry already spoiled him relentlessly.

One day in late April, Harry sat by the lake with Ron, Neville, Seamus, Dean, and Draco. He picked at the grass in front of him, feeling the sun of the unusually warm April day. He'd already removed his tie, sweater vest, and cloak, and was considering removing his trousers next. It was bloody hot.

"I'm considered one of the biggest arseholes and bad influences of our generation," Draco said randomly. "And I've never once actually broken a rule that wasn't wandering the halls after curfew."

"I don't think I have either," Dean admitted.

"We've broken loads," Ron motioned between he and Harry. "But nothing that can really get noticed."

"You don't think everyone knew about your incident with the troll in the girl's lavatory?" Seamus frowned.

"That was different."

"How?!"

"We saved lives, Seamus."

"I don't think that's the point," Dean cut in. He looked at Draco. "What did you have in mind, mate?"

"I don't know," Draco shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't want to get detention the day before finals start, but I do wish I could do something before graduating Hogwarts."

Harry thought to how they were all sweating, all wishing they could somehow cool down. He stood up. "Anybody fancy a swim?"

"We aren't allowed to swim in the Black Lake," Neville frowned. At the looks everyone gave him, he looked down. "Oh, right. Breaking rules and all."

"Come on, Longbottom," Draco stood up. Within seconds, he'd shed his shirt and was working on his trousers. "Live a little."

Harry was doing the same, despite the squeals of girls also scattered around the grounds. "What are you lot going to do? Watch us?"

"Well alright," Ron hopped up as well and began removing his clothes. "Last one in has to snog the giant squid!"

That got the boys moving.

Ginny enjoyed the warm Saturday, walking around the grounds with her friends. Her shorts and thin shirt did little to keep her cool, but she ignored it. Final exams started the next day, and she needed a break from studying. Even Hermione was out of the castle, which had taken some convincing.

"Merlin's beard!" Pavarti exclaimed. "Girls, look!"

The small group of girls turned their heads to spot the boys from their group standing by the lake, removing their clothes.

Hermione and Ginny gasped. Sarai and Lavender gaped. Luna tilted her head in quiet observation. Hermione almost squealed at the sight of Ron stripping his shirt off to reveal a surprisingly buff torso. Ginny herself bit her lip as her fiancé stood from the water, letting it slide down his body.

The best reaction though, was Sarai. She watched Draco glide over the surface of the water with a slightly awed expression. Ginny had to admit that he was extraordinarily beautiful, with an impressively sculpted body. When he stopped swimming and came to stand knee deep in water and wait for others, Sarai's hands shook slightly.

"He's beautiful," Sarai whispered. "How can someone be so beautiful?"

"I don't know," Pavarti whispered, eyeing Dean. "It's so wrong."

"Let's join them," Ginny said abruptly.

"What?" Hermione pried her eyes from her boyfriend. "Are you mad? We'll be so much trouble!"

"Hermione, don't you ever want to just break the rules?" Ginny said in exasperation. "Come on! It's our last two weeks before we're considered real adults. I get married in less than a month! Let's just do something fun, even if we get in a little trouble. No teacher will give us detention that will pry us away from studying, and I know McGonagall would never take away points this close to the end. Since she'll deal with our punishment, I think we're safe."

Hermione nibbled her lip. Instead of responding, she only walked to where the boys clothes lay by the edge of the lake and shocked everyone around her by taking off her shirt and shorts, and running into the lake towards an utterly baffled Ron.

The rest of the girls followed suite, quickly running into the lake once they'd removed a little bit of clothing. Ginny laughed at the sight of Sarai climbing on Draco's back and pushing him under water.

"You'll be the death of me, woman," Draco sputtered when he came back up. "Have you decided you'll marry me, yet?"

"Of course not," Sarai answered. "We're friends. Good luck getting more than that."

"I'll take my chances."

Ginny turned away from them and focused on Harry. "Do you have any idea how much trouble we'll be in?"

"Do you have any idea how much I simply don't care?" Harry sassed, wiggling his eyebrows. "I give it about five more minutes, so make it count, Weasley."

Ginny pecked his lips. "Come and get me."