McKinnon

| CHAPTER TWENTY TWO |

"Sirius Black is your father."
    Sarai could hardly think as the words sank into her head. Sirius Black was her father. A chill went down Sarai's spine as she slowly processed the information. The reason her father was absent from her life, the reason he abandoned her, was far worse than she imagined. Instead of being a coward he was a traitor. 
       Sirius Black was her father.
   Sarai felt her stomach churn as she gripped the edges of the desk to steady herself. Her knuckles turned as white as her face. 
   "So..." She said slowly,  "So why now?" She asked, looking at Remus fearfully. "Why choose to escape and come to Hogwarts now?" 
   Remus shook his head apologetically, "I don't know." He said quietly. "That's the question everyone's been asking." 
  "But why switch sides?" She demanded, "My mum died in the war because of You-Know-Who. Why would he choose to work for him? He loved my mum didn't he?" 
   Remus shook his head again, this time looking at the desk. "They say the grief got to him." 
    "But it doesn't make sense, Uncle Remus!" Sarai exclaimed frustratedly. "They were his family! How could he betray them like that?" 
   Remus didn't reply. Just as lost as she was. It was so long ago. He had hardly known Sirius by that time. "I don't know, Sarai." He said quietly,
    "The war drove me and Sirius apart. He tried to convince James and Lily I was the spy, and I thought he was the same."
    Sarai crossed her arms, as she sat back in her chair. "Then why did he leave me at your doorstep?" She asked, before quickly adding, "Not that I'm complaining." 
   Remus looked up at her. He shook his head, wordlessly.  Sarai glanced around the room and looked out the window. She could see the Whomping Willow in all it's glory resting peacefully in the grass. She shuddered again at the thought of Remus disappearing every full moon under there. Another question popped up in her mind. 
   "So, why Wormtail, padfoot and Prongs?" She asked turning to face Remus again. 
  Remus smiled softly, "Their Patronuses." He said in a airy voice. "Peter's was a rat, Jame's a stag, and Sirius--your father, was a dog." 
   Sarai tilted her head in curiosity. "Patronuses? They could perform full bodied Patronuses?" She asked in more awe than Sarai cared to admit. "Can you do one?" She asked. 
   Remus' smile grew. He stood up, and picked up his wand. He made his way around the table into an open space in the classroom. 
  "Expecto Patronum." He murmured, allowing a soft wisp of white light to emit from his wand. A silvery form began to take shape. 
  Sarai watched in awe as a silvery wolf began prancing around the room. "Remi, that's beautiful." She said softly. 
   "Thank you, Sarai." Remus said beaming. "I've been teaching Harry how to do the same for the dementors." 
  "How does it work?" She asked abruptly, tearing her eyes away from the wolf. 
   Remus was still smiling brightly. "You have to think of a memory. The happiest you can think of." He explained, "Something to combat all of the negative emotions a Dementor feeds off of." 
  Sarai tilted her head thoughtfully. "What's your happy memory?" She asked. 
   Remus walked over and placed a kiss on top of her head, before ruffling her hair. "Story for another time." he said with a wink. "Let me write you that note so we can get you to class." 
--

Sirius Black is your father.

    The words rang in Sarai's head repeatedly throughout that day. The conversation with Remus had been long. He explained the reasoning behind why he had barred her from Hogsmeade visits, why he had gotten so angry when he had found out she'd been sneaking out of the castle to see Snuffles. He explained why he had refused to tell Sarai who her father was. Why he had been so adamant on her remaining with someone at all times as she roamed the castle itself. Why he had taken up the position at Hogwarts. For her safety. But Sarai still had many questions. The conversation needed to be cut short so Sarai could get to her next class on time. Luckily for her, even the professors had seemed antsy about the next day's match. She sat in her Arithmancy class quietly. The only elective she didn't have any of her friends with, or Michael. She sat in the back of the class staring at her textbook blankly.
      Professor Vector had assigned them a study hour. A chance for the very grateful third-years to catch up on the endless homework and studies the rest of the Hogwarts professors mercilessly assigned them.  There were quiet murmurs within the classroom as students were allowed to work together to complete assignments. Professor Vector herself, was seated at her desk looking over the worksheets she had assigned her students a week ago. Hermione was furiously scribbling her books. She had preferred to study alone, which made it easier for Sarai to sit in the back of the classroom, and lose herself in her thoughts.
     At least, it was until Blaise had taken the effort to move his things to the table she was sitting at. He shoved a hand in front of her face and waved it.
   "Oy, Hogwarts to McLupin."
Sarai flinched in surprise as she lifted her head up. "W--what?" She said looking around aimlessly. "Did I miss something?"
  Blaise gave her an estranged look as he slowly took a seat next to her.
    "What's up with you?" He said quietly. He pulled out his potions textbook. "You haven't blinked in like five minutes."
Sarai shook her head. "N--nothing." She lied. "I zoned out, that's all."
     Blaise snorted and rolled his eyes. "C'mon, McLupin," He said, "I know you better than that to believe you. Spill it."
"I don't care what you know," Sarai said irritably as she turned to face him, "Don't you have studying to do. You know, somewhere else."
Blaise leaned back in his chair. "I need help with my potions essay." He said flatly. "Plus, you look pathetic over here."
Sarai frowned, "I'm not pathetic." She said before craning her neck to see what Blaise had written for his essay.
"You forgot to mention fire seeds." She criticized. "And the brewing time is wrong. It's supposed to be nine minutes. Not thirteen."
"And this is why I'm sitting here." Blaise said with a grin. "Now tell me. What's troubled Miss Lioness today?"
"I'm not troubled!" She exclaimed, earning a few stern looks from the other students around them. Even Hermione looked up from her books to give her a scolding look. She then raised her eyebrow at the Slytherin boy seated next to Sarai. Sarai felt the heat rise to her cheeks as she sheepishly mouthed an 'sorry.'
"Ahuh." Blaise said unconvinced. "Suit yourself." He said dropping the subject.
    Sarai reached across Blaise and grabbed his potions essay. She scanned it quickly and hummed thoughtfully.
   "What?" Blaise drawled flatly.
  She cut him off with a sharp look, as if to shush him. She grabbed her quill and began furiously scribbling over Blaise's essay. Her notes were written in neat little letters along the margins of his parchment paper. Sarai noticed Blaise craning his neck to see what she was writing, but brushed it off as she marked over his essay.
   "You're usually much more attentive in class, Zabinski." She said with a frown as she looked over his essay, "How come you're struggling all of a sudden?"
   "I'm not struggling," Blaise corrected her defensively, "I just needed a second set of eyes on my essay."
    He took back the parchment to read over the notes she had written over his parchment. His eyes widened at the markings scribbled over his paper. She had nearly marked through all of his work.
"Sheesh." He said letting out a deep sigh, "Bit of a perfectionist are we?"
Sarai gave him a odd look. "Professor Snape grades harshly. He leaves no room for mistakes."
   Blaise gave her an incredulous look. "He doesn't grade that harshly McKinnon, look." He said pulling out one of his essays from him textbook.
   Sarai grabbed the parchment and looked over his essay. She raised her eyebrows. "I made that same mistake and he nearly docked 10 points!" She said in a harsh whisper. "This is clear favoritism!"
   Blaise covered his mouth with his hand to hide the laughter that was threatening to fall out. Sarai gave him a dirty look. "Oh whatever," She said crossly, "It's not like it's news Snape likes Slytherins more." 
   She handed Blaise his essay back, before turning back to her Transfiguration homework. She finally read through the page she was staring intently at for so long. "Why are we covering Animagi, again?" She wondered aloud. "We covered this start of term." 
   Blaise shrugged from beside her, "Dunno, but it's an interesting subject. D'ya know that animagi can actually communicate with other animals?" 
  A chill went down Sarai's spine. She slowly turned her head to look at Blaise. The conversation with Remus had replayed in her head as she thought of Snuffles. 
   Blaise nudged her gently. "Alright, McKinnon, enough nonsense." He said softly, "What's really going on with you." He pushed. 
   Sarai shook her head, snapping back to reality. She shifted in her seat uncomfortably. "It's private." She whispered. 
  Blaise rolled his eyes, "Oh please, Brownie. I don't talk to enough people to go spilling your secrets. Just spit it out." 
  Sarai sighed heavily, earning another round of warning looks from other students around her. She shot a dirty look back before turning to Blaise. She scooted closer and whispered, 
  "Sirius Black is my father." 
    Blaise widened his eyes, "You didn't know?" He asked incredulously.
    Sarai stared at him dumbfounded. "You did?!" She whispered back harshly. 
  Blaise stared at her as if she had just spoken another language. "Course I knew!" He answered, his eyebrows furrowing. "Lupin didn't tell you start-of-term?!" 
 "No!" She answered nearly raising her voice. 
  Blaise let out a deep breath. "Merlin," he breathed, "The fuck is wrong with him?" 
"Oy," Sarai said in a warning, "He's still my uncle, you know. And how did you find out?" 
  Blaise shrugged, "I heard Mum talking about it ages ago, over Christmas." He then looked at Sarai with what she could have mistaken of concern. "You only just found out?" 
   Sarai nodded, feeling weak. Blaise awkwardly patted her shoulder, "Erm--there there?" 
  Sarai snorted, before erupting in giggles. "That was awful." She said. "I'm never going to you for comfort again." 
  Blaise smirked, "Good, cause next time I'm charging you ten galleons for my services." 
   "You aren't even worth one galleon." 
-- 

    The match between Gryffindor and Slytherin had been eventful. Angelina was nearly thrown off her broom from the Slytherin captain, Oliver Wood was attack unprovoked by two bludgers. And to top it all off, Malfoy had grabbed hold of Harry's Firebolt. Despite it all, to Sarai's delightment, Gryffindor had won the match crushing Slytherin by a landslide. Sarai definitely was in better spirits, with her coin purse feeling heavier from winning the bet with Blaise, and a mended relationship with Remus. But her victory short lived due to the exams rounding the corner. 
  As June approached, students were forced to remain inside the castle, despite the beautiful cloudless, and sultry days dancing around them. Sarai was forced to bully her brain into studying as well as the rest of her House mates. She had even spotted Fred and George Weasley studying for their OWLS. She had spent most of her time in the kitchens with Michael, Dean and Seamus. Especially because Percy Weasley, had made the Gryffindor common room unbearable to study in. 
   "If I have to read this textbook one more time, I'm going to jump off the astronomy tower." Sarai said exasperatedly as she closed her transfiguration book. 
   "Do a flip," Sniggered Seamus, before getting whacked across the head by Dean.
   Michael smiled at Sarai, "It'll be over soon." He promised, before refilling his mug with hot chocolate from Sarai's canister. 
   "What's your exam calender look like?"Dean asked craning his neck to see. Sarai had passed him her exam sheet, so he could see the upcoming timetable for her that week. "Looks like Monday we won't see you at all." 
   Sarai shrugged as she glanced back at her timetable. The next week was definitely going to be daunting. "It won't matter anyways," She said hopelessly. 

"Uncle Remus might kill me based off of how poorly my exams go." 

--