Chapter 7

I walked around the house, waiting to see if he was going to show up or if I'd been stood up yet again. It wouldn't be the first time. I had been stood up once before because the gentleman found out I had a six-year-old daughter and didn't want to deal with it. I don't know why I was so nervous about this date; it wasn't like I had never been on a date before. I had just never been on a date with a wizard. At least, someone I knew was a wizard at the time. Did Sirius count, even though I didn't know he was a wizard? Was there a certain protocol that I was supposed to fall back on? Were there different rules? Would I make a total fool of myself?

'Krista, even your thoughts ramble,' I said to the empty room as I forced myself to sit on the couch.

I picked up the clicker and turned on the telly, flipping through the channels. There was nothing on Saturday mornings save cartoons and shopping shows, and maybe the ending of a local news program. Lately, I found the news far more depressing than usual and opted not to bother with it.

I had had one complete date since Sirius was arrested in 1981. It was with a random guy from a local pub I visited when my writing wasn't going as planned. Grace stayed at my mother's and we went to dinner and a movie. He never called back, though I can't say I was upset. I'd long decided I was content with my dating life as it was, nonexistent.

After a quick glance at the clock, I forced myself to get off the couch and head to the bedroom and look over my clothing selection. Were jeans too casual? A dress too formal? It was the middle of October and the weather was warm again, but a hint of briskness was in the air that always let you know winter was on the way.

I stared into my closet for ten minutes, finally decided on jeans and my favourite green blouse. 'Can't go wrong with jeans,' I said, changing out of my house clothes and into the outfit.

Rummaging through my jewellery box, I tried to find my green earrings and matching necklace. I searched through drawer after drawer, finally moving to my lingerie chest where I kept my boxed jewellery. Instead of finding the green earrings, I pulled out a long bracelet box. 'What the…?'

Taking the box, I sat on the bed and slowly opened the lid. It was the charm bracelet Sirius had given me all those years ago. I fingered each charm, smiling as I remembered when he gave me each one. We were so happy. What happened?

As I stared at the silver bracelet, I jumped nearly a foot in the air as the doorbell rang. 'Coming,' I yelled, quickly catching the clasp and wrapping the bracelet around my wrist.

I struggled to clasp it as I made my way quickly toward the door. 'Hi,' I said, pulling the door open and smiling up at him. I quickly felt better about my outfit choice as Remus was dressed in dark jeans and a brown sweater.

'You look lovely,' he said, a pink tinge showing on his cheeks. He moved to open his mouth again, but thought better and just smiled.

I felt my own cheeks burn and I smiled shyly. 'Come on in.' I stepped aside, letting him walk through the door. 'Just give me another minute. I'm almost ready. I just need to find my earrings.'

'Not a problem. I'm a bit early.' He sat quietly on the couch as I returned to the bedroom. Now where did I put those earrings? I searched each drawer again, finally finding them buried beneath a pile of socks in my sock drawer. How did they end up there?

'No matter, you found them,' I said, sliding the earrings through my holes before hooking the necklace around my neck and making one more glance in the mirror. After one more fluff of my hair and quick sprits of hairspray, I took a deep breath and walked back to the living room. "So where are we going?" I asked once I had entered the room.

My date stood when I entered and I felt suddenly like I was in an old black and white movie where the gentlemen stand when a lady enters a room. "Well I figured we could go for dinner then wander the town." He held out his hand and I took it, after grabbing my purse off the end table.

We walked out the door and he paused, letting me lock it behind us. "How are we getting there?"

'I hate to ask, but would you mind driving? The only other way to get there is to apparate, but I'm not sure you would enjoy that.'

'Sure, I don't mind driving. What is apparating?' I wasn't sure I wanted to know, but I couldn't help but ask.

He smiled and held out his hand again. 'Apparating is moving from one place to another in the blink of an eye. It is almost like teleporting in muggle science fiction movies. It's rather awkward if you've never done it before. You feel like the air is being sucked from your lungs.'

I must have made a face because Remus laughed. 'You're right, I don't think I would enjoy that much.' I turned and double-checked the doorknob, making sure it was locked tightly before smiling up at him. 'So, where to?'

Remus directed me toward a small restaurant near where we entered Diagon Alley in August. We were seated and made polite small talk, reminiscing about before our lives went to hell. We laughed about the parties and avoided bringing up the one person we couldn't bear to talk about. It was pleasant to sit and talk to him, and I had forgotten how much I enjoyed his company.

'I have something I need to tell you,' Remus said, taking a slow sip from his water glass. 'Grace came to talk to me about her father last week.'

Startled, I nearly dropped my fork onto my plate. 'She what? What did you tell her?'

'Very little. I know you want to keep her in the dark on the subject, but Krista, she needs to know something. She's figured out he's a wizard and you told her we were all friends. It's only a matter of time before she puts two and two together.'

'I just can't tell her,' I whispered, laying my fork down on the table. I looked up into his eyes, my own glistening with tears. 'I don't know how she'd take it.'

Remus reached across the table and took my hand in his. 'Kris, she's stronger than you think she is. I'm certain she could handle at least a little information about him.

'Just think about it. I'm sure you would much rather have her find out about him from you, rather than someone at the school.'

I forced a smile and slowly pulled my hand from his. 'I'll think about it.'

We sat in silence for the next few minutes, each picking at our respective plates. 'Are you ready to take a walk?'

'Sure,' I said, depositing my napkin on the table and retrieving my purse from under the table.

Remus placed a few bills on the table and took my hand again, leading me out of the restaurant. 'Let's walk to the Alley, shall we?'

We cut through the same pub as before, The Leaky Cauldron, and walked to the back alley. This time, Remus paused to talk to a few people inside, only taking the time to introduce me once. I didn't mind though; I wouldn't now how to introduce him if I had run into someone I knew.

Remus tapped a few bricks and the wall opened, exposing the fantastic alley behind it. A smile broke out across my face as I took in the sights. 'What are you smiling for?' He asked in an amused tone.

'It's just so amazing. I can't believe I had no idea this even existed.'

'It is fascinating. Let's take a walk. Maybe you can do some Christmas shopping for Grace.'

'Oh, that sounds like a wonderful idea! Though, I wouldn't have the faintest idea what to get her from here. What do wizard children like?' I looked around at the shops, shaking my head at some of the things I found there. Broomsticks and a strange assortment of balls were in the window of one shop, and herbs were in the window of another. To think, my daughter was a part of this world now!

I quickly grew tired of walking the streets and led Remus to a small bench where we sat down. 'So what did you do before you started teaching?'

Remus glanced over at me, obviously startled by my strange question choice. 'Well, I tutored some local children during the holidays and have done a few odd jobs. It's been hard for me to find steady work lately. I was pleasantly surprised to receive the owl from Professor Dumbledore offering me the job at Hogwarts.'

'Oh, I'm sorry,' I said, unable to think of something different. 'I'm sure you make a wonderful teacher.'

'Compared to who they had last year, you would probably be able to teach the subject,' he said with a laugh, leaning back against the bench.

He slowly raised his arm and wrapped it around my shoulders, seemingly to give me plenty of time to pull away. Instead, I found myself leaning in toward him and resting my head on his shoulder.

I caught sight of his face out of the corner of my eye and sat up slowly. Reaching up, I traced the longest scar on his cheek with my finger. 'What happened?' I asked quietly, hoping he wouldn't be upset at my intrusion.

He took my hand in his and ran his fingers along the palm of my hand, sending shivers down my spine. 'When I was young, I was attacked by a small pack of wolves. My mum told me not to go out to play, but I didn't listen. It was late and they caught me before I made it back to the house. My dad managed to scare them off before they did too much damage.'

'I am so sorry,' I whispered, wishing there was something else I could say.

'It's fine. I hardly notice them now,' he said, but I knew he was lying. The way he said it, it felt like he was hiding something. But I had already intruded enough for one day, if he didn't want me to know, I wouldn't ask.

We walked once more through the alley before Remus spoke again. 'I'm sorry, but I need to head back to the school soon. It's my night for patrolling with the Head Boy.'

'What are you patrolling for?' I asked, letting him lead me back towards The Leaky Cauldron.

'Normally we patrol to see if kids are out of bed and that sort of thing. Now, we have to look to see if Sirius entered the castle. Not that he would be able to,' he amended, seeing the look of fear on my face. 'He can't get in, it's impossible. And like you said, he doesn't know about her, so she's safe.'

My heart was pounding in my chest, but Remus was right. Sirius didn't know about Grace, he couldn't. There was no need to worry about her.

I drove back to my flat and Remus walked me to the door. 'I hope you had as good a time as I did,' he said when we reached the door.

'I did, thank you very much.' We stood on my doorstep in the traditional post-date awkwardness.

'I promise to write soon and I'll keep an eye on Grace for you.'

'Thank you,' I said softly, smiling up at him. In a quick burst of confidence, I stood on my toes and lightly kissed his cheek. 'Have a good night.'

Hoping to save us both from more awkward silences, I unlocked my door and stepped inside. 'I hope to see you again soon. Good night, Krista.'

'Good night, Remus.' With that, I shut the door and locked it before leaning against it. I heard a loud crack from my front step and somehow knew he had disappeared.

What was I doing? Could I get into a relationship with him, knowing he was Sirius' best friend?

The next few days I spent hiding in my flat, working on my next novel and just watching trashy shows on the telly. The weekend went like a flash and here it was, Thursday already. The date stuck in my mind and was the sole reason for my self-inflicted isolation. It was October 28th and twelve years ago, Sirius Black asked me to make our relationship 'official.' We had gone on a date before then, but this was our 'official' anniversary. Did he remember? Did he even care?

I had tried to forget about it every year before this. However, with Sirius' escape and Grace being at Hogwarts, I was unable to push the date out of my mind. It stayed there, creeping back into my thoughts when I was least expecting it.

I spent the day doing nothing. It was a Thursday, and I had already turned my latest draft in to the editor and it was to be sent to the publisher. There was nothing to distract me from my thoughts, so they ran freely through my head.

What would have happened if he had never murdered James and Lily? Would we be married by now? Would we have other children or would Grace still be an only child? She would have known about Hogwarts before now. He couldn't keep that a secret forever, could he? Of course, he might have been able to hide it until she got her letter.

I was lying on the couch, staring up at the ceiling, trying to find images in the paint. All I could see were magic wands, owls and quills. My eyes shut slowly, and I focused on clearing my mind. Maybe I could push Sirius from my thoughts.

I slowed my breathing and relaxed each muscle. When that was finished, I pictured a beautiful sandy beach, sun shining and the waves crashing on the shore. If I concentrated hard enough, I could smell the sea air and feel the sand between my toes. Then I counted backward from fifty, inhaling on each number.

After what felt like only a few minutes, I sat up completely refreshed, my mind clear of the negative thoughts that had plagued my mind. I glanced at the clock and my jaw dropped. It was now five in the afternoon… I had laid down at two. My hands rubbed my face and tried to clear away the fogginess that had enveloped my brain.

There wasn't much edible food in my kitchen, so I rummaged around for peanut butter, bread and jelly. Some crisps were in a bag, and I placed them on my plate with a dill pickle. I was quickly reminded of my dinners while at Uni. A sudden wave of emotion crossed over me and I felt sad, longing for days of old. I missed the days when Rebecca and I would stay up late, pouring over our class notes and enjoying late nights of ice cream and gossip.

Sitting down in the living room, I slowly ate my sandwich, my poor excuse for a dinner. I never made dinners like this for Sirius when we lived together. He cooked the meals most of the time, and damn, was he a good cook. Liz was always excited when he brought lunch to the office. He'd bring her an extra plate and she'd take it back to her desk, filled with delicious food. Although, I did managed to cook a few times for Sirius and his friends.

Sirius POV

Sirius stood outside the window of Krista's house. He glanced in, his heart breaking as she ate her dinner. All she had was a sandwich, crisps and a pickle. She had barely moved all day, lying on the couch. Sometimes her lips moved, and Sirius wasn't sure if she was talking to herself or someone else.

His heart ached as he watched her. He wanted to see her, to feel her in his arms or even to just be close to her. The moments in the park was like a dream come true and it was hard to be even this close and not speak to her.

It was now or never. Now was the time to give her back all the memories he had taken from her twelve years previous. Why he picked now, of all times, wasn't clear. He just knew she needed to know. Maybe she'd remember something and know he wasn't guilty. 'Memor Monumentum' he whispered softly with the wand he had borrowed from a witch down the road. Borrowed did mean he planned to return it, just not at the moment.

Krista POV

Out of nowhere, I had an ambush of memories. Memories that I hadn't had before now. Were they real or did my imagination make them up? I remembered Remus being at our home to tell us about Dorcas' death; I remembered Sirius telling me he was a wizard; I remembered James and Sirius coming to my rescue, when Michael attacked me.

Michael attacked me. He attacked me twice, once in my home and the second outside the office. He had kidnapped me and brought me to a house out in the middle of nowhere. Sirius and James managed to rescue me both times. Michael was one of the evil Death Eaters Sirius worked to capture and imprison. Michael was going to kill me, and if they had been just sixty seconds later, he would have.

I remember being in his living room, when he told me what he was. We met at a pub by my flat and made our way back to his house. He summoned a photo from the other room by magic. It was a picture of James, Lily, Remus, Peter and himself. Surprising me even more, he made a glass appear out of nowhere, and then filled it with water.

Why was I remembering these things now? What happened that caused me not to remember any of this. What did Sirius do?

Sirius POV

Sirius watched her, closely, as she sat. Her eyes looked around, confused. She planted her feet on the floor and was looking around the room. That's when he knew it had worked. Her mouth formed words, and he could read a few of them. His name appeared, as did James and Remus.

That was when she started pacing. Only a few more minutes he thought, then I have to leave. I've seen her, and if I stay, I'll only endanger her even more.

Sirius's eyes made one more pass around the living room. He smiled at the photos on the wall and the bookcases, filled with books, just like Krista. One picture in particular caught his eye. It was on the bookcase closest to him, it was tilted towards the window and he could see two people in the frame. One was most definitely Krista. Her shoulder length brown hair framed her still beautiful face. It was the small person she knelt next to her that confused him. The young girl had her arms around Krista's neck and she was holding tight. The girl had the same colour hair as Krista, but she couldn't have a child, could she? Unless it was a niece.

No, it was most definitely her daughter, but with whom? Krista wasn't married, he had checked into that. Maybe a one-night stand gone wrong and she ended up with the baby. It was inconceivable to think anything else. She was a cute kid too, had a nice wave to her hair that she definitely didn't get from Krista.

But Krista wasn't one for one-night stands. Unless… Sirius' thoughts stopped mid sentence. The kid can't be mine… can she?

Krista POV

I began pacing around the living room, trying to think of what could have happened. The only plausible thing was that he modified my memory before leaving that night. He had come back nearly in tears

That would be the last time I saw him, he left while I was still asleep. It would have given him plenty of time to cast the spell, changing my memories. But why? Why would he do that? Was it because I could testify against him? Was it because I knew that he was supposed to take care of James, Lily and Harry? Why?

AN: I am so sorry! I don't even know what happened for such a delay! Summer came so quickly that I just lost track of time!

But I hope you enjoy this long chapter that originally should have been two. Do let me know what you think and again, I am so sorry for the delay!

Thanks to: Faith910, anonymous, Whitters32, LilyCalliePotter, LadyStrider17, Sxburns, amrawo, Ayine, the_werewolf_gal, Dreamsb223, fruityloops156, DreamsMelody, SaffyGirl, fRANkiEGirL61, ., restoringthehistory, and ktmt1120 for reviewing the previous chapter!