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A Picture can change everything
Hermione had no idea what just happened. One minute she was staring at the picture of her biological parents on their wedding day and the next minute she was standing at the top of the astronomy tower.
She wondered if the picture had anything to do with it. As she looked closer at the picture she noticed that the red headed lady in the wedding dress looked like Harry’s mam.
“No that ain't possible. Lily Evans only had one child and that was Harry but the other person in the picture does not look like James Potter at all, they look like Sirius Black” Hermione thought to herself.
Hermione turned over the picture to see some words writing on the back of it. “ Lily Black nee Evans and Eli Black wedding day. 22nd of December 1979”. It read.
Hermione laughed to herself. “No no it can't be. Professor Black can't be one of my parents, there's no way that can be true. If it was true then why does everyone think that Lily and James got married” she said out loud.
“Because Leo and Nivens thought people would hate them if others found out about their relationship and marriage. They got a lot of stick for it when they were in school so they just wanted to be careful so they made it look like Nivens and Prongs got married and not Leo and Nivens” A male voice said from behind Hermione.
Hermione turned around to see Professor Remus John Lupin standing by the staircase. “Professor Lupin, I did not see you there” Hermione said looking shocked.
Remus laughed “I have been standing here for quite some time Miss Granger. I was actually here before you suddenly appeared out of nowhere” he replied.
“I am sorry if i scared you Professor Lupin” Hermione meekly said.
“No worries at all Miss Granger. Now why don't we go to my office and have a chat over a hot drink so we can get out of the cold and I can tell you more about your parents and how I am to you” Remus suggested.
Hermione thought a second before answering “Aye sure why not, I ain't going to sleep tonight anyway so I might as well find out more about my past”.
Remus nodded and held out his hand and Hermione took it. Hermione felt this fatherly warmth from Remus and was confused on why.
The two walked to Remus’s office not knowing that Minerva McGonagall saw them. “Well it's about time Miss Granger finds out who she is” Minnie thought to herself as she saw them pass.
In Remus’s office, hot drinks were already waiting for them when they entered. “It seems like Hogwarts knew what was happening” Remus pointed out.
“Aye she must be. I find it amazing how Hogwarts just knows at times about things. I have a question, Professor Lupin, do you have house elf's clean your room?” Hermione asked.
“Please Miss Granger call me Remus as you are going to find out about your past soon. Yes I do but only one. Her name is Tipsy, i didn't want her to help me but because i am a friend of Professor Black who Tipsy loves, she helps me. I always give Tipsy time off when she is doing something for me. Professor Black does the same thing but Tipsy always has helped them since 1971 thanks to the late Gideon Prewett” Remus replied.
“Well since I can call you Remus, you can call me Hermione or the name I had when I was a child. It's nice to know that you and Leo are kind to Tipsy even though I do not agree with house elves being used for cleaning and all that jazz” Hermione said.
Remus was taken aback at Hermione calling Eli, Leo. “Why did you call Professor Black Leo, Maya?” he asked.
“So Maya was my name. I can call Professor Black, Leo because I have been speaking to them since 1st year after the troll was let into the dungeons. I am not allowed to use that name to anyone but as you already know them as Leo i don't see the harm in calling them Leo in front of you” Hermione replied.
“Ah, Leo is doing what Professor McGonagall and Sinistra did to them when they were at Hogwarts then I see which is understandable considering how close they are now” Remus nodded.
Hermione took a sip of her drink “Oh Hot chocolate with strawberry sauce, my favourite. Now am I allowed to know about my past along with my parents please”.
Remus laughed at how similar Hermione is to both Eli and Lily and himself. “Well Lily and Eli are your main parents, they got married in 1979 a few months after your birth. James Potter was also your dad considering he looked after you the most but he isn't your father by blood”.
“Then who is my father by blood? Who is this Papa that I have a vague memory of?” Hermione asked.
“That would be me Maya. Me and Eli did it at Christmas 1978 when Eli and Lily were on a break and Lily was really understanding about it cause Eli didn't cheat but was a little peeved off with me because of how much i hurt Eli in 7th Year” Remus responded.
Hermione gave Remus a look of “bitch what did you do to Leo”. Remus knew that look as it was the same look Lily used to give him.
“Well Eli found out a day after their 18th birthday that i was cheating on them with someone else and it had been going on since before summer 6th year” Remus explained.
“And who did you cheat on Leo with?” Hermione asked.
“Their twin Sirius Black” was all that Remus said as he looked to the floor.
Hermione placed down her cup before getting out of her chair “The mass fucking murderer. You cheated on my Nopa with their twin who turned out to be a murderer. I thought you were smart Remus”.
Remus held up his hands “Woah at the time i didn't know he was going to turn out like his family. Look, even Leo almost turned out like their parents but that's a story for another day. Would you like to know how we all met and how our nicknames came about?”
“Yes please and sorry for my outburst Remus” Maya apologised.
Remus chuckled “It is quite alright Maya. Well I first met Leo in Diagon Alley in the summer before our first year. They said that we could sit together on the train and we did. Leo and Nivens also met in Diagon Alley. Come to think of it, nearly all of us met in Diagon Alley. We all properly met on the train ride to Hogwarts and it formed a beautiful friendship. The 5 of us so me Leo, Nivens which was Lily, Sirius and Prongs who was James Potter were talking when we heard something outside our compartment and it was Peter Pettigrew who was getting harassed by some 6th Year Slytherins which then all caused us to dislike the Slytherin, yes i know its bad but we were giving the wrong impression by them. Since then until 1981 we were all friends and now only me and Leo stand”.
Maya was confused on the last part to what Remus said. “What do you mean you and Leo are the only ones standing?” she asked.
Remus shifted in his chair “Well you see three of the Marauders are dead and the other one is in prison so that leaves only me and Leo. i will never leave Leo’s side no matter how hard they try and push me away. I’m surprised that Leo hasn't gone hunting for Sirius themself but then again they always wanted to prove Sirius’s innocence but how can they consider everything that stands against Sirius”.
Maya thought before replying “Maybe because Leo wants to believe Sirius didn't do it or they know that he didn't do. Look i may be wrong and i am only 14 but it may be a twin thing between them for Eli to believe Sirius. But answer me this Remus, do you know where Sirius Black is? Do you or Leo have contact with him? I’m only asking this because I care about Harry as I have always considered him my brother and now it's confirmed that it is”.
“Neither me or Leo have contact with Sirius. Leo did for awhile but once you all joined they stopped. No i do not know where Sirius is and nor that i care really, he took everything that i cared about away from me and messed up Eli even more by taken you away from them. You know Eli believed that you were dead for over 9 years and thinks that you are aboard because they do not know where you are because the version of you hadn't come to Hogwarts” Remus said.
“Merlin Leo thinks I'm missing. Does anyone else know who I am to Leo or that I am here at Hogwarts?” Hermione said.
“No. The Weasleys know that Eli has a child that is your age with your name but they don't know. None of the Professors know that you are here unless Professor McGonagall and Sinistra have realised who you are in three years” Remus replied as he got off his chair and looked about.
Hermione became lost in her own world trying to remember her past. She was surprised that the Weasleys knew that Eli had a child. Which means that Ron knew about her. Ron of all people, the person she had feelings for. Hermione groaned in her mind, not happy with the fact Ron knew about her. She was alright with Percy knowing about her as she had gotten close to him since her first year. The twins were okay in knowing because they never pranked her but Ron, she didn't know how to feel about Ron knowing about her.
Hermione never realised that Remus was back sitting at his desk with something in front of him.
Remus chuckled to himself as he saw Hermione go into her own world as he searched for something. Once he found it, he sat back at his desk and said “Maya, hey Maya come out of daydream land that is something Eli does so you are much more like them than you think, without all the trauma from parents of course well hopefully and a thing that controls their life”.
“Leo goes into their own world as well. I have always done this ever since I was a child. I just do it when I'm doing something not because it's like a coping thing like Leo’s might be” Maya replied.
“Yes for Leo it is a coping thing. Considering what your Nopa has been through, they are doing really well. I thought the news of their brother escaping would shake them a bit but it hasn't” Remus said.
The two sat in silence for a while. Hermione had a lot of things on her mind and she needed them answering. “How did I turn up at the Grangers? Why did Leo’s twin take me away from them? Why didnt Leo come and find me?”.
Remus rubbed his head and sighed “So Sirius took you from Leo on Halloween the day Lily and James were killed. Sirius said he didn't want Eli to hurt you or become like their mother or cousin because while yes Leo has a problem they would have never taken it out on you. You arrived at the Grangers by Sirius with I assume the picture you are holding right now. The reason why Leo didn't come and find you was because for 8 years they were held captive by someone and once they did escape, they found out that you weren't dead and tried to find you. But because you were known as Maya or giving to a wizarding family, Eli had no luck in finding you. You do realise Leo is still searching for you to this day”.
The hairs on Hermione’s arms began to stand up. When she was about 11, she had someone write to her claiming to be her mother looking for her. Hermione thought it was someone who is considered a muggle who placed her with the Grangers, not a pureblood whose child was taken from them. Hermione tried to speak but no sounds would come out, her brain was too much in shock to let her speak. She just stared at her hot chocolate waiting for her brain to work and let her say what she had to say to Remus.
As Hermione was overthinking, she realised something. Remus Lupin was her Professor is her father. While Remus did say that, Hermione didn't take it in properly even though she reacted to finding out that Remus cheated on Eli with Sirius. Even Harry’s Mam is her Mam meaning her and Harry are somewhat siblings.
Remus watched as Hermione grew quiet and then shock spread across her face. “Maya are you alright?”
No response was given from Hermione. Remus grew more concerned about her and wondered if she had the Black Family Curse as this was the second time that evening that Maya had stopped speaking to him but the first time she was in her own world and her emotions were showing, this time only shock appeared on her face and sometimes that would cause Eli to go into their mind and have Alexis come out and if Maya did it have the Black Family curse that would mean he would have to look into the curse properly to see if it is genetic. Remus sat for a few moments waiting for Hermione to come back to the real world and to stop overthinking things if that was what she was doing.
“Maya, are you back with me?” Remus asked gently. He saw Hermione’s eyes move and began blinking, it also looked like she had started breathing again.
Hermione shook her head “Sorry Professor Lupin, i just got stuck in my head again” she replied.
Remus felt a weight off his shoulder. Hermione didn't have the Black Family Curse meaning she was safe from her own mind or well her family. “It is alright Maya, Leo does it a lot and by a lot I mean overthinking and daydreaming but there is another reason why they get stuck in their mind” He said, making Hermione feel safer and calmer. Remus heard himself repeat some words that he had said to Maya not that longer ago and he internally shook his head at himself.
Hermione thought for a second, thinking she may know what Remus or her Papa was talking about. “I think there may be something that causes Leo to be inside of their head a lot. I read it in a book when I heard Sirius Black was out and I wanted to make sure I knew what I or my friends were facing. For some reason I knew connected the dots with Leo and Sirius Black because Leo seems nice while Sirius seems vile” she stated.
“Well do you know what it may be?” Remus asked as he leaned forwards.
“It's called the Black Family Curse. When a Black Family member is born different to everyone else, they develop a certain side to them that is like the family. So with the case of Eli, they must have a different part of them or an evil side to them which may caused a lot of problems when they were younger. Has the evil side of Eli ever made an appearance before?” Hermione responded.
“You are correct with what you have said there Maya but l can not tell you if the evil side of Eli had made an appearance before, it is up to Eli to tell you about their past” Remus said.
Hermione nodded, understanding why Remus wanted to keep things about Eli quite without everyone knowing.
“Right now, it is time for you to go to bed, Maya. It is almost morning and you have school in the morning along with my lesson. Goodnight Maya” Remus then stated.
Hermione got up “Goodnight Remus.” Maya asked.
“One other thing, only when we are out of lessons or speaking in private that you can call me Remus and I will also only call you Maya out of lessons or in private. Now off to bed, you are doing what Leo does” Remus replied.
“I understand. Goodnight Remus” Hermione responded before walking out of Remus’s office.
Hermione finally felt at peace with who she was. After years of searching for their Nopa, she found out that their Nopa is one of their Professors. Hermione now understood why she felt this strange connection with Leo when they first met and why Hermione was so open with Leo.
As Hermione entered the Gryffindor Common Room, she was bombarded by Harry and Ron on why she suddenly vanished from the girls dorm. Hermione waved the boys away and went to her room before going straight to her bed and falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.