"So Katie and I were talking." Loralei stated as she and Sirius laid in bed Saturday morning. Neither wanting to wake up. The air was cold and the bed was warm.

"That's never good." He teased. "Nothing good comes from two women talking."

Loralei slapped his chest lightly as she laughed. "I think I want to find out who my parents are."

He was quiet a moment. "Why? You never wanted to before."

"I know, but after what Bellatrix said...I want to know why."

"Whoever they were, they abandoned you." He reminded her. "The Potters took you in. Aren't they your family?"

"Of course they are. I'm not saying that they aren't." Loralei told him. "I'm just trying to figure out where I came from, and why Voldemort would want me alive."

"Don't you think that that's one thing that could be left untouched?" Sirius asked. "I mean, if they were worth checking out, wouldn't they come looking for you?"

"Maybe there's a good reason behind them giving me up. Maybe I should find out about them." Loralei said. "I want to. When I become an auror it will be easier to find out too. I can look into the orphanage I was given to."

"If you want to, I'm not going to tell you not to." Sirius told her. "Just don't go looking for something you're not going to find."

"I just want to see where I came from." Loralei told him.

He nodded. "Okay." He said softly. "How can I help?"

Loralei shrugged. "Right now I don't know." She kissed him lightly. "Thank you, love."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Are you stressing about your test Monday?" Loralei asked.

Lily and James came over Saturday afternoon to spend time with Loralei because the best friends hadn't seen each other in months. They almost started crying when they saw each other since they missed each other so much.

"Terrified." Loralei corrected. "I swear, I'm going to pass out before I'm even able to take the test."

Lily laughed. "You're going to do fine. You always do."

Loralei smiled. "Hopefully. I really hope it is no more than that. I would never be able to live down not being able to even start the test." She sighed. "Sam Samson told me that you can't even pass the test, so I don't know how we get our titles as aurors."

"Wow, now I'm even nervous and I don't even take my test for another year and a half." James shivered.

"Me too." Sirius nodded, a far-off look in his blue eyes.

"At least we have time to train a bit more." James raised his hand for a high-five.

"Hell yeah we do." Sirius smacked his hand against James'.

"They're still children, aren't they?" Lily asked Loralei, rubbing her stomach lightly.

"No men ever become men, Lils." Loralei smiled. "They just look like men. They're still thirteen years old inside."

"Why the hell are we with them then?" Lily asked.

"We did this stupid thing called falling in love." Loralei shook her head. "It messes us up. It got you married when you were nineteen."

"Not to mention pregnant."

The room was silent as James and Lily sat there grinning on the couch. Loralei opened her mouth and closed it several times without sound escaping her lips. Sirius started laughing.

"Knocked her up did you? Damn, that tells me what you both have been up to all this time." Sirius shook his head again. "Damn.

Loralei lifted herself off the couch and hugged her friend. "When is baby Potter due?" She squealed. "Boy or girl?" She pulled away to look at them both.

"Boy." Lily told her.

"Just like you told us all those years ago." James smiled, gently putting his hand on his wife's stomach.

"He's due early August." Lily told her. "We were going to announce it to everyone Christmas."

"So we're just special enough to be told early?" Loralei teased.

"Well, we need a godfather." James said. "And you are his aunt."

"I'll be his uncle someday." Sirius said.

"Yes, after the war is over." James rolled his eyes. "This war could last decades. I'm not waiting for my stubborn sister to get her way."

Sirius laughed. "That is the truth, but I love your stubborn sister."

"Your curse, my friend." James rolled his eyes.

Loralei's face went blank. "I just realized something."

"What?" Lily asked.

"If you want to announce this at Christmas, I can't tell anyone that I'm going to be an auntie." Loralei pouted, jutting her lower lip out sadly.

Lily laughed. "Is that the only thing you're going to complain about?"

Sill pouting, Loralei nodded.

"I think we can all live with that." James rolled his eyes.

Remus came running down the stairs, dressed rather nicely in a button-down shirt and black slacks.

"Where are you going?" Sirius called to him as he dashed for the door.

Remus stopped, pausing a moment before turning around. "I have a date with Tessa." He said softly, closing his eyes as he waited for them to make fun of him.

"Remmy's in love." Loralei and Sirius sang together.

Remus rolled his eyes. "I'm going!" He turned around.

"Wait!" Loralei called before walking over to him.

Remus turned on his heel again. "What?"

Loralei reached up and straightened his collar before putting her hands on his shoulders. "Go get the girl." She kissed his cheek.

Remus grinned. "Thanks, Lore."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You're planning Christmas already?" Sirius asked Loralei while she was writing the names of people she wanted to invite on a small piece of paper, using a book to be able to write legibly. She was in bed, with the book braced on her knees, chewing on the back of a pen.

"Yes." Loralei muttered. "So far I have you, me, Katie, Colin, Lily, James, Remus, and his little girlfriend."

"So they're together?" Sirius asked.

"I don't know to be honest." Loralei muttered. "He invited her to our Christmas dinner since she doesn't have any other plans."

"What about Peter?" Sirius asked.

"He's with his parents. They enjoy keeping him close." Loralei told him. "I asked Remus to check. He told me he's sticking to his parents, and I'm not about to take more than ten people for my first Christmas I host."

"Of course." Sirius nodded. "Who's helping you cook?"

"You're not going to offer?" Loralei asked, false offense in her tone and face.

"Would you let me help?" Sirius asked.

She shrugged. "Probably not. You can get the alcohol and set the table. I can trust you there."

He laughed. "So who's going to help you?"

"Remus, James and Katie probably." Loralei told him. "I'll give you a list of things to get when it gets closer. We're going to need nonalcoholic drinks for Lily and James. Until the baby is born, neither of them age going to drink. Isn't that wonderful? I swear, they're soulmates."

"No one ever doubted it." Sirius told her. "Get some sleep, Lore. You have your test in the morning."

"I know." She sighed, putting the three items she had on the bedside table. "I'm so nervous." She took Sirius' hand and put it on her chest above her heart. It was beating quickly, like she had just run a mile.

He moved his hand up her body to her neck and pulled her towards him to kiss her forehead. "I love you, Lore. Get some sleep." He reached over her to turn off her light.

"I love you too."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Loralei woke up before dawn to make it for her test. Katie did the same. They waited in a room neither had seen before in the top floor of the Auror Offices. The waiting room had few chairs, but not many people had to wait at a time before. It was a cold gray room with cold gray chairs. Neither of the girls could sit still.

Katie sat down at first, but began pacing after five minutes. Only one person could be tested at a time, and since it was in alphabetical order, Katie would be going first.

Ten minutes after they were supposed to begin their testing, Katie was called in.

Loralei smiled at her as she went, but it would not reach her eyes. She was worried. They both were.

"You're going to do great." Loralei told her.

"You too." Katie nodded, the corners of her lips turning up slightly. "See you on the other side." She took out her wand.

Loralei nodded. "Okay."

Katie opened the gray door, and stepping through it.

Loralei leaned forward, trying to see what was on the other side. She could see nothing. Somehow, that terrified her more.

Loralei was called in forty minutes later. To her it felt like forty seconds. She felt like she would faint. Her vision went blurry, and she began to see little black dots. She suddenly became too aware of her heartbeat.

Loralei stood, and braced herself for what was about to come. She refused to forfeit her advanced status without even taking the test. She needed to try. She could at least do that. She didn't care if she passed out trying.

Loralei closed her eyes and shook her head as she placed her hand on the door handle. She looked to the white ceiling, trying to calm down her nerves as she opened the door. She took a deep breath before looking forward and walking into the darkness, wand raised.

A/N: Sorry I updated late! I was out sailing in the cold all day! I got a terrible sunburn doing it too! I would have updated Thursday because I didn't have my computer...I could go on, but lets just say circumstances were not in my favor. Haha. Hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving (if you're in the US) or I hope you all had a good week if you aren't!

Jordan Lynn 7: Yes, I have to say I enjoy doing that. I can't stay with one emotion for too long. It's a curse for me. Haha. I try to balance out the light and darkness the best I can! (TBH I started crying a bit too with Laura...)

Guest: Yep! It's going to happen! I just couldn't figure it in with everything going on last chapter! I have a plan for that! It may take a bit, but there's a plan, I promise! I have this whole story outlined! Lore just needs a bit more time to come to that. There's a lot going on in her life, and she's trying to balance it all out. She'll get there, don't you worry!

Cap92A: Thank you! Yes, there is a war going on, even if it's not really effecting them too much right now, it's happening! They're just not allowed to fight because they're still in training, otherwise they would see more.

Yes! I think it's about time Remus got a bit of a love interest! I can't wait to write them. I'm really excited. Haha.

Thank you, Cap!

Blue Luver5000: Thank you, darling!

Diamondgirl3: Yes! I love it! Remus has a crush...you'll meet her soon! Thank you!

Please review!

Kat

P.s. Sorry for the cliffhanger. I couldn't resist.