Chapter Twenty-three: Handling It

Not mine.

Twice in one day :) Enjoy!

My dad ended up taking me down to our quarters as soon as Pomfrey finished her first check up. He had seemed to decide it was better to get away from the Hospital wing than to endure anything that Sirius and James might throw at him, though they hadn't said anything yet. Maybe he just didn't want to deal with it in front of me. Whatever the reason, I was fine with being released before everyone else, Sirius included. It also gave us the chance to discuss and negotiate the important matter of my grounding.

"Sit," he commanded as soon as we entered the dungeon like living room. I did as I was told, not wanting to give him anything else to work with. "I assume of course you know why you're in trouble," he said, taking a seat in his favorite chair.

"For sticking to my guns when I know that I am morally and logically correct?" I asked innocently. His face soured and I mentally slapped myself.

"No, for thinking it wise to fight of a fully grown werewolf, no matter if he was your friend or not, it was extremely foolish of you and you are not to do something like that ever again," he scowled.

"You would rather I had let Harry, Ron and Hermione end up as werewolves or worse?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'd rather have you be safe," he corrected sternly, folding his arms and giving me a signature glare.

"Look, even if I had died it isn't as though there aren't people who couldn't bring me back," I reminded him. Or informed him, actually, seeing as his jaw dropped to where it had been last night when James had first walked into the room. "Did you not realize that?" I asked cautiously.

"You…they did…but…how?" he stuttered. Ha, Snape, stuttering. It just seemed a foreign concept to be honest.

"You know what, forget I mentioned it," I said, shaking my head. "Foolish bravery does pay off, though," I informed him. "Had I not been brave enough to go on that wild roller coaster ride for the sake of dear old Dumbles, who knows what would've happened to Lily and James, oh, er, Mr. and Mrs. Potter I mean,"

"You discovered how to…to…"

"If I say yes does that mean we can just skip over the ultimate grounding?" I asked sitting up in anticipation of an affirmative answer.

He frowned but didn't respond right away. I decided my best move was to stay silent and turns out I was right because after half a minute he began nodding. "You have spoken to the headmaster about my role in the Order?" he asked very quietly. Quiet in a less Snape-ish way than normal, I mean. I nodded in response, wondering where he was going with this. "Well, if you carry this much information than I'm afraid that I will have to give up custody. Your safety is being risked just by being…well, you at the moment. The potion will be ready soon but I had no idea the other sort of information you possessed. Kailey, I'm sorry," he said, before lowering his eyes to the ground and shaking his head.

"Who will you give me to?" I asked suddenly very afraid of his answer. I had no idea what families he would consider proper for me to live with much less if they would take me in.

He shook his head again and looked back up at me, his expression drowning in regret. "If I could go back and stop myself, I would never have become a Death Eater," he all but whispered.

"Dad, can I ask you something?" he looked up at me in question. "When I was born…did you want me at all?"

"Kailey, the day the news reached me that you had been born was the day that I went to the Headmaster and begged him to allow me a more important role in the Order. At first I was just a low-key spy, you know. I didn't give all of the information that I gained out of fear. But when I received the news of your birth…that's when I truly became loyal to the cause of the Light. I knew that if the Dark Lord won I would never be able to see you, for your own safety. That became my worst fear." He finished speaking and we were both silent. I felt the prickling in my eyes that meant I would shortly be crying but I didn't care.

"So you're just going to give me up again?" I asked, my voice shaking. "Just like that? Do you even need to spy on him?"

"It is not a question of need, but of your safety. Lucius Malfoy already knows of you and that is a threat enough. I cannot give him or any of the others who are loyal to the Dark Lord access to you in any way. I just can't, Kailey," He looked as upset as I felt and I knew that he wasn't lying.

"Do the others know that you plan to give me up again?" I asked quietly.

"Yes, I'm confident that they heard everything that the Headmaster and I discussed last night in the Hospital Wing, especially considering that we did not exchange words of any sort afterwards." He informed me. "Something which I fear I may have to thank them for at a later date," he added sounding slightly put out and his tone of voice made me smile. "What?"

"It's funny that you're so offended by them giving you a kind gesture," I shrugged. He raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

We were quiet for some time then, each of us thinking to ourselves. I didn't mind the silence but I couldn't help but wonder at what he was thinking about, though I never voiced my curiosity. Eventually, I laid down on the couch and began tracing patterns on the carpet with one of my hands, just staring off into space. There was a knock on the door around noon and it scared me so much that I fell off of the couch. Once I realized I was on the floor, I burst out laughing and Snape raised an eyebrow while getting up to answer the door.

I didn't bother getting up as I continued laughing, though it really wasn't all that funny. I heard Snape open and close the door and I couldn't tell if he was still in the room or not, so I managed to sober myself up enough to sit up and look at the closed door. Whoever it had been was now on the other side, discussing something with Snape. The curiosity that now welled up inside of me got me to stop grinning and my eyebrows furrowed together in concentration. Now I had a choice: to eavesdrop or not? The answer should be obvious.

I walked over to the door and looked through the miniscule peep-hole that was probably used if my dad ever wanted to be left alone by a pestering Slytherin student. I cursed under my breath when all I could see was the back of my dad's head. Not very helpful. I scowled for a moment before deciding to just open the door and see what was going on for myself. That's when the handle didn't turn.

Aw, c'mon! The bloody, stinking gargoyle trusts me enough to go into Dumbly's office without a password but my own dad won't let me in on his conversations? Lame…

I stood back and glared at the door, willing it to open with my mind. Needless to say, that didn't work out so nicely. I began to pace. It would have been fine if I had just seen who he was talking to, but no. He had to play it the hard way. This called for action. We did not just have a serious heart-to-heart for him to go off and keep secrets from me.

I stopped pacing and faced the door as it began to open. I folded my arms and fixed a glare at the door, only to have it fall into a face of pure shock as Snape led Lily into the room. I'll admit it, that one surprised me.

"Kailey, Mrs. Potter and I are going into the potion lab to run a couple of tests on your potion. You may go and find your friends if you like," Snape informed me.

"So…no ultimatum or anything? No 'be careful not to commit any foolish bravery related crimes' crap?" This was very un-Snape-ish behavior indeed.

"The others are all still in the Hospital Wing," Snape informed me, sounding a bit pleased that I would have no choice but to behave myself.

"So long as I don't end up back in one of those beds," I shrugged, exiting the room before pausing. "Does James—er, Mr. Potter know where you are?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

"Yes, Dumbledore sent me down here," Lily answered with a nod. "Not only that, but it was James who suggested that your father might be able to use my help,"

What was the world coming to?

The weekend passed by and news that Sirius Black was to be publically apologized to spread around the school faster than the news that he was actually inside of the castle did. That story didn't finish spreading until Monday at breakfast when he was spotted sitting next to Dumbledore. Only reason he was noticed was because McGonagall had stood up and shrieked "Don't call me MICKEY!" to which he had innocently replied "Who, me?"

Lily and James kept themselves hidden in Gryffindor's old chambers, the same place where the Marauders and the others had stayed after Potter Mansion's final attack. Remus kept to himself despite no one at the school hearing a breath's whisper of his secret. Turns out he had remembered some of that night and he avoided us whenever he could, ashamed at what he had almost done.

"I wish he weren't so stubborn," I told Harry Monday afternoon. The train was due to leave the next day, though neither of us would be on it. Everyone else was busy packing in the tower and it was getting crowded so we decided to take a walk on our own. He had wanted to stay inside with Lily and James but they had insisted that it was too nice of a day for him to spend it all inside. The two of them had been acting strangely, and even weirder was the sudden tolerance that James and Sirius were showing Snape. I had opted to ignore it for the time-being.

"He won't be able to stay away forever, though," Harry reassured me. "He just feels guilty is all,"

"Harry, Lupin plus guilt equals silence. A long, enduring silence which can only ever be broken with one of two things; an outrageous prank or a loud and slightly scary argument. He does not like to forgive himself," I informed him as we steered clear of the lake.

"I think I'd like to see one of these pranks, now that he's got Sirius and my dad," his face broke into a goofy grin whenever he mentioned Lily or James. Even the mention of Sirius was beginning to bring a smile to his face. "Anyway, whichever it is, I'm sure it'll happen soon,"

"I kinda hope it isn't a prank, though," I admitted, running a hand through my hair.

"Why not? Keena always said they were hilarious," he asked curiously.

"Well, they were, to them at least. To me…well, I'm not so sure anymore. You do know who their prime target was, right?" his face fell as he began to understand what I was saying.

"You're right, I doubt they'll do anything to him right now," Harry agreed. "How are you doing with that by the way?"

"Does it even matter? I haven't lived with a parent for over ten years at this point, why bother starting now?" I asked with a shrug.

"Don't lie," he said, stopping in front of me with a serious look on his face. "You're fourteen at heart, and I know for a fact that you want normal parents. Now, how are you handling this?"

I sighed and looked at the ground. "A year ago I was told my mother didn't want me to come back to the States because it's too expensive and I was informed that my birth father wasn't the man I thought he was. Now my custody is being handed off under the table to some random family that I don't know anything about." My voice was shaking by now and I began babbling. "I'm upset, frustrated and nervous. All I want at the moment is a little stability before things start to get even crazier around here,"

I looked back up at him with tears brimming in my eyes. "That's better, now you sound like yourself," he said, pulling me in for a supportive hug. "Feel better now?"

"Yeah, a bit," I replied, grinning a little. "When did you get so good at that?" I asked with a smirk.

He shrugged. "I dunno, I just had a feeling that you had more you needed to say," we continued walking for a bit, heading closer to the Quidditch pitch.

"So…what about you? How are you handling everything that's new?" I asked. He hadn't really talked about how he was coping with his parents' sudden return to life and I was curious.

"I'm not sure," he answered, messing with his hair. "I mean, this is something I've wished for since I was little but…I dunno. They explained why they left and I don't know how I feel about them leaving. And then I wonder how angry I should be with Keena and Remus but I don't think either of them ever referred to them as dead…at least not that I can remember."

We began climbing into the stands to walk around the pitch for a bit. Then my curiosity returned.

"But do you think you'll be happy with them?"

He paused and looked at me. "No, I'll be the most miserable person you've ever met," he was grinning.

"Hey, sarcasm is uncalled for here," I said, wagging my index finger at him. He laughed at my mock glare and we kept walking around the pitch. "Have they told you where you'll be living yet?"

"Well, when we were talking about going home they mentioned something about a mansion and that Sirius would probably end up coming too," he shrugged. "But I can't've heard right, I mean c'mon, a mansion?" he laughed and shook his head.

"What's so funny about living in Potter Mansion?" I asked innocently. "The place has been in your family for generations. Given to the first son when he gets married and the father and his wife move into a different house for retirement, it's a cycle that you get to carry on. Honestly, there really isn't any humor in it," he grabbed my arm and stopped me.

"Are you telling me that I'm moving into a mansion? As in a humongous house with servants and stuff?" he asked his eyes wide with shock.

"Well if you consider house-elves servants, then yes," I said with a nod. "And Sirius will most likely go with you; I don't think he's ever lived on his own before. Actually, none of us have," I added after a moment. "Poor Moony, he's the only one who ever did," I said with a frown.

"Maybe my parents'll have him come too, then," Harry said. "How big is this mansion, anyway?"

"It's um…four upstairs bedrooms, they're huge too, and the master bedroom, which is huger, and then there's the rest of the house…you'll see it when you get there," I said with a shrug.

"So that's a room for me, my parents, Sirius, Remus and then one extra?" he asked, counting it out on his hands. I nodded, raising an eyebrow.

"The guest room," I said. "Most big houses have them, unless they're like the Burrow,"

"Yeah, let's start heading back," he said, turning around and heading for the closest set of stairs.

"Okay," I said, figuring he must want to go and be with his parents again. He'd been making excuses to go and see them, not realizing that the rest of us didn't mind it at all.

We entered the castle to find a large crowd blocking the entrance to the Great Hall, where lunch was currently being served. This crowd, however, was not one made of students. It was made of reporters and cameras.

"Oh, hell," I said, grabbing Harry by the sleeve and heading through a tapestry that led to a passage which would take us around the crowd without a problem.

"Thanks for that," he said as we walked along the narrow hallway.

"No problem," I answered. "But there is a chance they might see you once we get out of here so I'm going to turn into Keena, they might still have a little fear for her," And putting action to words, I transformed into Keena.

"Is that the end of the passage?" he asked, pointing towards where there was a little light showing from behind a tapestry.

"Yep," I said. "Let's be a bit cautious now," I added, as we neared the exit. I looked out first and was happy to note that the backs of the reporters and photographers were still facing us. "C'mon, let's go," I said, gesturing for Harry to follow me.

We were just about to turn the corner when there was a shout. "Look! It's Harry Potter!"

Next moment we were surrounded by the reporters, shouting their questions as the lights from the cameras flashed in our faces. I kept a tight grip on Harry's arm so that the sea of quills and flashing bulbs didn't separate us. But that meant I couldn't get my wand out, either. After about a minute of struggle I found myself standing next to Sirius.

"You two alright?" he asked and we both nodded. "Good, hang on, I'll take care of this,"

"Yes, because you were clearly doing so well before," I replied with a smirk. He rolled his eyes and brought his wand to his throat.

"Sonorus!" his voice boomed over the crowd, causing immediate silence. "Thank you, now if any of you would like your questions answered I suggest you speak with the Headmaster in order to obtain the proper permission, otherwise you can all clear out,"

None of them moved. So much for being an ex-convict.

"Harry, what's it like having your god-parents back?" one of them shouted from the crowd. The cameras began flashing like mad again, but there was enough silence left so that Harry could answer.

I turned to look at Harry to see that he was looking between Sirius and me for advice. I looked at Sirius who just shrugged and faced Harry, giving him a small nod.

"I'm…happy," he answered after a moment.

"Are you going to go and live with them now?" another reporter shouted from the crowd.

"It's a possibility, there are some details to work out," Sirius answered. "Now, if you could all please head up to the Headmaster's to gain official permission, school is still in session here,"

There was grumbling, but the crowd began moving away, closer to the entrance than to Dumbledore's office. They probably had no idea where it was.

The three of us made it to Gryffindor's quarters with no more problems and managed to get there without being followed by any one or any bugs. I figured it was best to keep my eye out for those as well, just in case.

We entered the gigantic gold and scarlet clad living room to see Lily and James bending over some parchments, appearing to be deep in discussion. They heard us coming and vanished the parchments away, sitting up.

"What're you doing?" Harry asked, going over to sit with them on the couch.

"Just discussing some of the living conditions," Lily answered, running a hand thru Harry's messy hair. "Did you have a nice walk?"

"Yeah, but about the place that we'll be moving to, Kailey said that it was…a mansion?" Harry asked, sounding unsure, but excited.

"Didn't we already tell you that that was where we were going?" James asked, sounding confused and slightly amused at the tone of voice Harry had taken.

"Well, yeah, but I didn't think you meant an actual mansion…" Harry mumbled in reply.

Sirius let out his barking laugh. "Did you think they meant a fake mansion?"

I rolled my eyes and Harry and I exchanged glances. "You get used to him," I said, gesturing to Sirius who scowled but then smirked as he flicked his wand in my direction.

I blinked and looked down to see what he had done to me and found that there was nothing wrong. I frowned and looked back up at Sirius who was grinning, though the others weren't laughing.

"What did you even do?" I asked. In a high, squeaky voice. It sounded as though I had just inhaled pure helium from a balloon. Seriously, I could've been a chipmunk with how my voice currently sounded. Now the others were laughing. "Ha, ha, very funny," I squeaked. "Fix it, now,"

"What's in it for me?" he asked with a smirk.

"Your life," I retorted. "Quit being a pervert," I added in a squeak. "Half of me is fourteen," I grinned as his face went blank as he digested what I had just reminded him. I was still Keena for the moment, after all.

Shaking his head and muttering, he flicked his wand at me again before sitting down on one of the chairs and I followed in suit.

"So, what exactly about the living conditions were you discussing?" Harry asked, deciding he was just as disturbed as Sirius was about how I was both of their ages at once. Can't say I blamed them, it was very awkward.

"We were deciding how many of the house elves we were going to bring back with us is all," James said. "Your mum doesn't like the idea of using them, but it's a big house, she won't be able to keep it clean by herself," he directed the last bit at Lily. I frowned. That wasn't true at all, Lily loved the Potter house-elves but I opted to say nothing. For the moment at least.

"How many house elves were there?"

"Six," James answered. "Four of them really only ever cleaned after Keena came to stay with the family, the other two had to make sure she didn't get lost,"

"I never got lost," I argued, immediately defensive. "The only time I did get lost was in the bookshop when you wanted to know how nice of a person Lily would end up being,"

"But how did you end up lost, then?" Harry asked, looking between his father and myself.

"Your dad left me stranded in the bookshop to see if Lily would help me. I ended up tripping over a stack of books and Lily was completely unimpressed with James losing track of his blind foster-sister," I explained, looking at James who gave me a mock glare.

"I was eleven," was his defense.

"You make it sound like you became more responsible," Lily laughed, shaking her head. "Your dad never knew when to be serious,"

"And if he had, your parents would've been going out a lot sooner," Sirius informed Harry, who laughed which made Sirius grin, though the rest of us groaned. "I don't understand you lot, Harry likes my name puns,"

"Harry isn't used to them yet, give it time, Padfoot," James said, shaking his head.

"Alright, so mum and dad met in a bookshop and Keena was there too. What about you, Sirius? When did you meet Keena?" Harry asked, clearly expecting it to be a funny story.

"On the train on the way to Hogwarts during first year," I said as Sirius and James' faces clouded over temporarily, clearly only remembering the bad part of the ride. "I challenged him to eat a Bertie Botts Every Flavor Bean without looking at the color first, said he would be chicken if he didn't," I grinned.

"What flavor was it?" Harry asked, looking at Sirius who was suddenly very interested in a pattern on the carpet.

"Vomit," he muttered when he noticed Harry still staring.

"You should've seen his face," James added, laughing at the memory.

Alright, that's the end of that one! For any references to the Marauder's first meetings, they're in the beginning chapters of Blind Secrets. I hope you review and aren't too mad at me for taking so long! Next is 24!

:-D