BEYOND SECRETS AND LIES
By: Chiki Yumeshisa

Disclaimer: I solemnly swear I am up to no good….okay, fine! Harry Potter does not belong to me. All original characters/ideas are mine to claim though.

AN: Thanks for the encouragement my lovely reviewers! I haven't been able to write for the longest time due to continuous exams and work. But here we are – yet another chapter! Sorry to taking so long! Please enjoy. (Yay! Professor Lupin!)

>Chiki

Warnings: A bit of mediocreness ahead. All needed for the story though.

Chapter 8
- Surprises -

It was no surprise to find the hallways were deserted. The school seemed bigger and gloomier than ever, now that the students were gone.

At the end of the hall, Harry caught sight of Madam Hooch and Professor McGonogall talking with each other. It reminded him that he had yet to answer Angelina's request. Perhaps it would be better not to join…the last time he had, he had suddenly switched personalities and Paris was not fond of flying at all.

Making his way to the Hospital wing for his usual checkup, he heard Cecil's voice upon entering.

"…Still nothing, Madam."

"Well you'll have to make sure you continue to do the tests I have developed for you." She looked up and seeing Harry standing at the doorway, motioned him in. "Mr. Potter, I was wondering when I would see you today."

"Hello, Harry." Cecil said, warmly turning his head in the direction of Harry's footsteps. For some reason, his demeanor seemed to be like that of an adult's instead of one his own age. Harry liked that about him – he was not like the others who squealed or acted immature in his year.

"Hi, Cecil." He responded, stepping forward. "Did I interrupt anything?"

"No, I'm just about finished." Cecil said. "I'm going now." That said, he got up from the bed, stepping down gingerly. Today, his eyes were wound with a white bandage, so that his hair stuck up in tufts around his head when Madam Pomfrey fondly ruffled it.

As he slowly exited, Madam Pomfrey began her daily check up on Harry. He waited impatiently for her to finish before he ran out, intending to catch up to the younger boy. However, by that time, Cecil was long gone.

Disappointed, he turned around in the opposite direction, intending to go back to his dorm, only to crash headlong into someone holding a stack of papers. These papers scattered upon impact, and Harry fell back with a grunt. Wincing and dreading who it would be, he peered up.

"All right, there, Harry?" Professor Lupin asked, reaching down and offering his hand to help him up.

Relieved, Harry took the proffered hand. "S-sorry about that, sir." He mumbled. "I tend not to look where I'm going."

"My fault as much as yours." The Professor said, kindly, pulling the young man to his feet. Today, he looked shabbier than usual, his sand-brown hair a mess and his face was very pale. A few scratches were visible, but the smile he wore seemed to banish those negative factors. He bent down to pick up the papers and Harry followed suite.

From what the boy could tell, they were tests from first year students, newly graded. "Can I help you carry anything?" He asked, seeing Lupin teeter a bit with the large stack.

"As a matter of fact," Lupin hoisted the stack up gently, "I wouldn't mind some help getting these to my office."

Together, they managed to bring the papers safely down the hall and up the stairs without any falling. Harry placed his stack gingerly down on the desk once they entered.

Lupin's office was anything but dark as his subject he taught spoke of. In fact, a record was blaring is music across the room from a beautiful brass player. Colorful photos of previous Defense Against the Dark arts professors lined the wall along with several that held specimens that the students were currently studying.

There was a merry disarray to the room and it felt strangely welcoming. How anyone would be able to find anything in the clutter, Harry had to wonder. Lupin however, did not seem to care as he brushed various pieces of parchments on his desk to the side, so he could place down his stack.

With a sigh, he turned to see Harry's eyes wandering his room curiously. They fell on the professor's battered bag, which so proudly displayed his name – the very bag his loving parents had given him on his first day of school at Hogwarts when he had attended so very long ago.

Then, they fell on a jar, not quite so cleverly hidden. As Lupin made a move to distract his pupil's attention, the boy faced him.

"Wolfsbane, sir?" It was not really a question, but a demand. A look of understanding passed Harry's face as he realized why the Professor looked out of sorts that day.

Lupin smiled stiffly, on his guard as he eyed the boy. "Very good, Mr. Potter. It seems you know your potions as well as your Defense."

The slight praise earned him a grim smile in return. "Professor Snape likes to give us 'educated' detentions."

At that, Lupin laughed, sounding strained. "I'll bet you get into a right many of those?"

Harry graced him with an answer. "Not as many as I used to."

Lupin walked over to his bookshelf, picking up the bottle and storing it safely in his closet, out of view.

"You should be more careful, when trying to keep your secret safe." Harry told him, his gaze never flinching. Lupin smirked

"I'm just glad that my other students aren't as perceptive as you." He tugged his tweed jacket down to settle more comfortably around his shoulders. "I suppose you would know about keeping secrets, hey?" They were provoking each other blatantly, but neither wanted to rise to the bait. As two people who had learned to be wary in every circumstance, they played their words carefully.

The look on the Professor's face turned dark as he leaned over his desk to peer at the boy before him. "Are you afraid, Harry?"

Now it was Harry's turn to bark a laugh. "Oh, please sir – there are worse things to fear than having a werewolf for a Professor."

"Such as?"

"Such as the night."

Professor Lupin straightened, visibly relaxing for the first time since their small spat. His smile came easier and this, he bestowed upon his student. "Yes…the night."

Harry sobered too, feeling much more at ease. "I'm glad we agree on something."

Lupin reached over and tousled his dark unruly hair. "How extraordinarily similar you are like your father – he used to keep me on my toes with his snipes too. We used to argue often, just to see who would win."

Harry listened, impassively. The most he'd ever known of his father was that he had acquired his looks and that he had had a knack for trouble. "My father is dead." He stated, flatly. "There is nothing I can do about it." A certain loathing was in his voice.

Lupin seemed to catch it. "Why so angry, my boy?"

Feeling his emotions overwhelm him suddenly, Harry bristled, his green-gray eyes flashing. "I should have died too!"

"…Harry…"

"Because they're dead, I go through hell!" His hands had fisted themselves. "Do you know what those people did to me?"

"No! Harry!" Lupins hands had gone out and grasped his shoulders, shaking him. "Don't think about that. Don't dwell on your misery!" For good measure, he shook the boy again. "Do you understand?"

Those eyes had now grown wide with fear. Gently, Lupin bent slightly so that he didn't tower over the boy, furthermore scaring the child. "You must realize that there are people who love you – enough to die for you. It is your duty to live for them: if not for their sake, then for yours."

"Yes…sir…" Harry murmured, trying not to let his embarrassment show. He was letting his emotions slip so easily those days. He pulled away then, heading for the door.

"You've got a lot to be proud of," Lupin called, as he sat down in the chair behind the desk. Harry froze by the doorway at his words. "Maybe it's time you look at your qualities instead of your faults."

Harry did not respond, lingering for lengths at the door before he exited, leaving Lupin in his study, alone with his thoughts.

0-0-0-0-0

On the second day, Harry was miserable. Already, he had gotten into a spat with one of his Professors. Accordingly, the Professor just had to be a close friend to his late father.

Thus, he spent the rest of the day in his room, doing, of all things, his Potions homework. Strangely, it brought him comfort as he debated which ingredients worked best to make an advanced sleeping drought. I might have to use it myself, he thought, amused.

Flipping through his reader, he bit down on the end of his quill. It would be harmful to humans if he added too much Menthel leaves, and wondered whether animals would be affected at all by the strong substance. He found himself wondering if it would affect Professor Lupin with his condition.

Suddenly, a tinkling voice spoke from beside him. "Good day!"

Smiling, Harry set down his quill. "Hi, Abcde! Did you have a good rest?"

The fairy nodded, beating her wings excitedly. "Am I bothering, Owner?"

"No, it's okay." He said, eyeing his two page report. "I think I'm about done anyway. Could you keep that color down a bit, please?"

Her wings had turned to that bright yellow and she gasped, giggling. "Oh, right…sorry…" She turned it to a soft blue color instead.

He eyed her for a moment, as she went back to flapping around in her lantern, looking around the room interestedly from where she was positioned. Now that the lights were on, she could see things clearly, unlike the night before. "Are you hungry?" He asked.

The Fragile Fairy shook her head.

"Do you even eat?" He asked. She shook her head again, pressing her face against the lantern's glass as she gazed at the photo of his parents.

"So all you basically do is sleep?"

"Owner asks a lot of questions." She said, pushing away from the glass and her wings turning a dark purple.

Startled, Harry blinked. "Well, I've never heard of Fragile Fairies before. I don't know how to take care of one…."

Abcde twirled slowly. "We need sunlight, or we grow dull." She beat her wings and they turned a lighter shade of purple. "That's why we're usually hung outside….but I like it here in Owner's room: it's interesting to look at. I usually saw the same thing day after day and it got very boring."

Harry scratched his forehead. "Well, I guess I could move you around every once in a while. Since the sun is gone for the day, I will have to hang you by the window tomorrow morning. How does that sound?"

"Lovely." She sang, her voice lilting. "Is Owner okay?"

Harry contemplated that, as he set his parchment aside. "I guess so. Abcde?"

"Yes?"

"You can call me Harry, all right? 'Owner' sounds weird."

"If Owner says so." She giggled again, bringing her thin glass hand up to her mouth. "I mean, if 'Harry' says so."

Nodding once, Harry put his quill inside its box and put the stopper in the ink bottle. As he was returning both to his bag, he saw the rolled parchment he had opened the other day in the dining hall.

A very special Christmas gift is going to be given to you on then.

"Why couldn't Professor Dumbledore just send the gift to me?" Harry wondered aloud. "Why do I have to go all the way up to his office? I don't even know his password!"

Abcde seemed to pay his outburst no mind as she flitted across her lantern to stare at the posters that hung by Seamus' bed. So, Harry was resigned to pondering his thoughts in silence.

He wondered if Dumbledore just wished to speak to him about his sickness in private and just in case the letter had gotten into the wrong hands, they would be non-the-wiser. After all, his letter had sounded like an invitation to a party – surely he could not be the only one invited?

Yes, he thought, it's just to discuss with me something dealing with my sickness. A churning feeling started up in his stomach at the prospect that maybe, just maybe, Dumbledore would give him good news. Maybe they had found a cure!

"Is Harry going to go to bed now?" Abcde asked, now having turned around to face him.

That didn't sound like such a bad idea. Outside it was dark, and from the toll of the Clock Towers' chimes just moments ago, he knew it was just past 11 o'clock.

He smiled, snatching up his pajamas from the foot of the bed. "Yeah, I'm going to go to sleep. Now, turn around, I'm dressing."

0-0-0-0-0

The next day, Harry sat facing the lake, sitting on a rock. Perched beside him was his owl, Hedwig, seeming to blend in with the background of snow. His fingers went out to trail through her feathers, absently and she let him, pecking now and again at his arm for a treat.

It was going to be dark soon, but he did not want to go back inside. Angelina had spoken with him again during lunch that day, and had cajoled him into trying out for the team. What use it would be to join the team halfway through the school year? Still, she had persuaded him, saying that their current Seeker had gotten to be very unbearable and that she would not mind for an excuse to get him off the team.

Being such a pushover, he relented.

Eyeing the darkening sky above, he thought about the times he had flown – it was like leaving all your worries behind on the ground. If only that could happen.

Behind him, a twig snapped.

He turned his head so fast in the direction, he felt his neck crick. "Who's there?"

Rubbing at the spot dolefully, he was surprised to see Cecil, standing there. He still wore the white bandages around his eyes and he was dressed warmly in heavy robes and wore the yellow and black scarf from the House of Hufflepuff. This time, however, in his hand he held a long, slim, white cane.

At the sound of his voice, Cecil smiled. "Ah, I found you at last. Can I sit down?"

Harry blinked. "Uh…yeah, sure…how did you know I was out here?"

"I searched the school and Susan Bones told me that you'd left the building hours ago." He held up his cane as he sat. "I'm not as familiar with the outside of the castle as I am with the inside." He placed the device down by his side as he made himself comfortable on another rock.

"Is someone looking for me?" Harry asked, blinking a piece of snow that had decided to land on his eyelash, away.

"Professor Dumbledore says for you not to stay out too long or you'll catch a cold." He responded. "He told me you were sitting by the lake."

Harry looked up at the old building, as if trying to see whether the Headmaster was looking out one of its many windows. After a while, he returned his gaze to the lake in front of him. "Why haven't you gone home for the holidays?" He blurted. "Are you the same as me? You don't have a home to go to?" Abcde was right: he asked a lot of questions.

If he thought Cecil would be defensive in his answer, he was mistaken. "I have a home." Cecil said, quietly. "But a home is not a home without people."

Feeling a boldness come over him, Harry asked his next question, "What happened?"

"My parents are divorced." He said, non-chalantly. "Both are Muggles and both don't care to have me, being what I am." If he was upset about that, he hid it very well. "Still, I'm their son, and they felt obliged to continue to support me." He turned his head to where Harry sat. "I'm an outcast like you. And because of their loathing, I did the unthinkable…."

Here, the dark haired teenager decided not to prod any further. Not knowing what to do with his hands, Harry began to pick up the snow, packing it into small balls. It was cold and wet; the perfect type with which to build. So he began to make a miniature snowman by his feet. Hedwig seemed intrigued as she blinked her round eyes at it.

For a long while, there was silence, and Harry did not think that Cecil would continue. But then, to his surprise, he did. "I tried to rid myself of the magic. I tried to hex it out of me – isn't it weird? I tried to use magic to nullify my magic – well, it didn't work. It only resulted in me becoming blind. Since then…I've never seen a sunrise or a sunset…" If anything, the telling of the tale sounded very casual, as if it did not bother him in the least.

"So I live alone when I'm not in school, with a nurse who comes every two weeks to check on me," He continued, drawing his knees up to his chest and clasping his hands around them. "And I've been trying everything to get my sight back – Madam Pomfrey says that I should just go to St. Mungo's…but I don't want to miss school."

Adding a nose, eyes and a mouth with the pebbles on the ground that he had uncovered, Harry did not say anything. He didn't know what to say. All he could think of was that it was a very foolish thing to have done. But then again….what he himself had done a long time ago had been more than foolish – and there was no magic that could ever undo it.

Finally, he responded, lamely, "I'm sure you'll find a way." And as if to amend for it, he quickly added, "I mean, you managed to memorize your way through Hogwarts! It would have been reasonable if you memorized Durmstrang, but it's a mind-blowing feat for this school."

Cecil chuckled, and when he did, a misty cloud formed each time he let out his breath. "I didn't memorize all of it, just the important places – it's my fetish, since I was a kid, even without being blind. I liked to count anything and everything. Call me a weirdo if you'd like, but I'm glad I do – it helps me a lot."

Finishing off his snowman and deciding that it looked very lopsided, Harry dusted his shaking fingers off from the remaining snow. He was chilled to the bone and suddenly very tired. Drawing his cloak around him more securely, he tilted his head in the direction of the younger boy. "I'm sorry to hear about your parents…and I don't think you're a weirdo. Being blind is nothing to be called a freak over." He got to his feet, helping the boy stand up.

Another wave of boldness took over him. It wasn't bad to want some company, was it? So far, the vacation period had been rather dull. "Say, Cecil, what do you say to hanging out in my dormitory tonight? I've got someone you might want to meet, and she's really nice."

"A-a girl?" Cecil asked, in a voice that squeaked. Cute. So he was shy around girls.

Harry smiled slowly. "Yeah…yeah you could say that."

Skeptical, the younger boy shrugged. "I guess so…if it's okay with you…won't we get into some sort of trouble?"

Ah, yes, trouble. "What the Professors don't know won't hurt them." He said, dusting his cloak off from the accumulating snow. His hair was soaked so that it looked just as unmanageable as ever, and a mist had formed over his glasses.

And that was how Cecil came to be in Harry's room that night after dinner. Of course, being very unfamiliar with his surroundings, the white cane was present with the boy, as he explored.

Harry had settled once more on his bed, picking up his quill and his parchment intending to tackle the essay Professor Binns had set them to deal with. It wasn't due until much later, but it was always safe to get it out of the way. He let Cecil roam around, occasionally calling out for the boy to watch his step or to elaborate on his surroundings.

The blind boy's hands finally touched upon Abcde's case, who was watching him with great interest. "Harry, what's this?"

"It's my Fragile Fairy." Harry told him before Cecil could pick it up and shake it experimentally.

Taking it as her cue, Abcde spoke up. "Hello!"

Cecil dropped the case in surprise, earning a yelp from the girl and a cry from Harry, who immediately stooped to rescue her.

"Sorry!" the young Hufflepuff cried, fumbling for his cane. His face had gotten paler and he nervously licked his lips. "Is she…is she hurt?"

"She'll be fine." Harry said, before Abcde could so much as voice a complaint. "I'm sorry I didn't warn you."

"Is this who you wanted me to meet?" Cecil cautiously drew closer, his fingers going out to splay themselves against the glass of her container.

"Yes. Her name is Abcde. Abcde, this is Cecil Parley from the House of Hufflepuff. He'll be our guest tonight."

Abcde twirled, looking to have forgotten about her fall earlier. "Hello, guest!" She switched her colors from green to blue again and again as if to impress him, but Cecil with his impairment, obviously could not give a satisfactory reaction.

He smiled shyly. "Hi, Abcde." His now unbound eyes were looking right past her, and the fairy frowned, obviously not liking the fact that her light was not being commented on. "Forgive me, I can't see you, but I'm sure you're as beautiful as your name." He said, as if reading her mind.

At that, Abcde was tickled pink – literally. Her wings shone such a bright pink that Harry could not help but wonder if somehow Cecil would be able to see it. He was glad that they were getting along. He pulled his parchment closer, wondering how to start his essay while the other two chatted.

As the night progressed, the three of them settled into a more comfortable routine. Cecil had perched himself onto Ron's bed with the Fragile Fairy in his lap, while Harry casually leant against one of the pillars of his bed, reading through the passage of his History of Magic text book.

It was hard not to fall asleep through it, as he pretty much did not care for what had happened back then. He was more interested in the here and now, not how many people had died during the Dark Ages. He was mildly interested in the old relics wizards used to use – some of the stuff had been banned, while others just did not exist anymore. What a waste. He would have liked to try some of the things out, no matter how dangerous they were.

Of course, he could not state that in his essay unless he wanted a big T on it. Sighing, he picked up his quill once more, dipping it into his ink. The Usefulness of Wandless Magic in the Olden Age was a difficult topic to talk about – he did not know nearly enough of it.

"Wandless Magic would be great to use on Snape." Harry sighed, itching to write it down but knowing he could not.

To his surprise, Cecil laughed. "I wrote something similar in my Transfigurations essay." He crossed his legs under him as he spoke. "Professor McGonogall gave me an A for my comments on how Professor Snape would look better as a tea cozy." He stuck out his tongue, playfully. "I guess I deserved that."

Harry joined in on the laughter, dipping his quill again into his ink. "I'm sure Professor Binns won't mind a little Snape-bashing."

0-0-0-0-0

They were woken up quite suddenly, to a strange sound. A small crash and a muffled hoot caused the pair of them to jump upright in bed.

Cecil turned his head in the direction of the sound, while Harry pulled his covers off, moving toward the open window. Fluttering just inside of it was an owl who seemed extremely cross having had to wait for a long while before someone had noticed her.

She was covered in snow, which she promptly shook herself free of, and beside her, sat a very long parcel. Upon seeing someone awake, she hooted once more, as if demanding a treat after having delivered something so large and cumbersome. Harry decided to indulge her, giving her a niblet that belonged to Hedwig.

The owl hooted once more, taking flight in the room to perch onto Harry's bed, preening her feathers as she watched him crouch beside the package.

"A delivery?" Cecil wondered aloud, having heard the sound of wings and an owl cry.

"Yes." Harry murmured, fumbling his way over to his desk to get his glasses and then stoop once more before the package. He tried to blink away his sleep, but only resulted in yawning.

"Who's it from?" Cecil asked, leaning forward, scratching his head and yawning, too.

Harry picked it up, the weight of it surprising him. It felt very familiar. The brown paper surrounding it did not speak of who had sent it. It read 'Mr. Harry Potter, Dormitory, Hogwarts Castle.' But apart from that, nothing more. "It doesn't say…" Harry murmured.

Cecil had now grabbed his cane and had cautiously felt his way across the room to where Harry sat, still holding the package aloft.

"Well, open it, then." The younger boy said, excitedly.

Harry yawned again, and clumsily did as Cecil had bid him, unwrapping the package and letting out a small gasp. Inside, was a note. At first, the letters made no sense, and Harry quickly realized that it was in a different language. It said, "You forgot to bring this with you when you left us. Keep in touch – Filip."

A broomstick looked up at him, the words "Aerovis 3000" carved into its handle in shining gold lettering. A grin lit Harry's face, at the sight of it, and he reverently traced the word's letters as he contemplated the note that had come along with it.

Bulgarian….

Filip.

Well, what a very pleasant surprise indeed. The last time Filip had spoken to him had been during his first year in Durmstrang – and that was before he had found out about Harry's sickness. After that, he had steered clear like everyone else.

Filip had been Harry's first ever friend…

Why all of the sudden? Harry wondered, as he lifted the broom from its wrappings. He hadn't bothered to contact him at all throughout his stay at Durmstrang…

Pushing the wrapping paper away, Harry felt the familiar wood beneath his fingertips. This same broom had been discarded and left behind purposely, after the incident with Paris. He was glad to see it again, despite the embarrassing memories it brought with it.

"May I?" Cecil asked, breaking his train of thought.

Reluctantly, Harry let it go, watching as Cecil fumbled to find his wand that was trapped somewhere in his school bag.

"What are you…?"

"Specialis Revelio." Cecil said, tapping the broom lightly. When nothing happened, he handed the broom back. "Just checking, see, to make sure that this hasn't been jinxed in any way."

"Thanks." Harry said, taking it back. "I never thought of that."

Cecil yawned again and jumped when the owl decided that she had rested enough and that it was time to fly once more. She spread her great wings and flapped, making it to the window and into the night sky. In her lantern, Abcde glowed a bright orange, as if to get some attention.

Harry ignored her, picking up the paper littering the floor. "Sorry about that owl waking you up," he said, as he placed the paper into the wastebasket in the corner. "I never expected it to fly in either." He placed the newly acquired broom under his bed, as Cecil climbed back into Neville's bed that he had borrowed for the night.

Taking a glance at the clock, he realized that it was only 4:56 in the morning, and rubbing at his forehead tiredly, he clambered back into his own bed.

"You have no excuse to not join the Gryffindor Quidditch team now," Cecil said, falling back onto his pillows with a grin, "With an Aerovis, you've got a better chance against the Slytherins' Seeker."

Feeling as if his brain were stuffed with cotton, Harry asked, "Who's the Slytherin's Seeker?"

"Draco Malfoy."

Oh joy.

The thought of playing against that spoiled brat made Harry feel queasy. As Cecil dropped back off into sleep, he lay awake, unable to find a comfortable position to lie in. The fact that Filip had written to him kept plaguing his mind and finally, he pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill and began to write a letter back.

It felt odd to write in Bulgarian again and was surprised he still knew how.

Dear Filip,

Thanks for sending me the Aerovis.

He paused, not knowing what else to write. Finally, he put his quill to the paper again.

Professor Snape teaches here, too. If not for him, I would be perfectly happy staying here at Hogwarts. And I've got real friends here so maybe I can start over. I miss Bulgaria – I'll definitely visit there when I have the chance. I'm hoping to hear from you again.

>Harry

He rolled the page up after re-reading it and set it by his table so that he could send it tomorrow with his owl. He knew that he had been rather crude with his wording, but he felt they were true. He was tired of being used and discarded.

Taking his glasses off, he fell back in bed as well, and into a peaceful slumber which included dreams of him flying with the rest of the Gryffindor team, laughing and being cheered on.

To Be Continued….

AN: Thanks so much guys for reading! I hope that the chapter has intrigued you even in the slightest bit. Again, I apologize for not being able to update very quickly, but do remember that I live for your reviews. Do be kind to leave me one again! Also, if anyone is interested in joining the yahoo group I created, you can find it on my profile page – this will enable you to find out about updates and my thoughts on the story, etc.

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