Ravenclaw's Shadow

Chapter 48

"Is there somewhere we can go that's a bit quieter?" I ask, glancing around the pub.

"Sure," George takes my hand and leads me out of the pub. We walk through the village and into the Shrieking Shack.

"I always wondered what did all this," George comments, looking around at the broken furniture and scratched walls, "it can't have been ghosts."

"It was a werewolf," I say, running my fingers over a scratch in the wall, "Professor Lupin, actually."

"How do you know that?" George asks frowning.

"It's, uh, complicated," I laugh. George pulls a few old cushions together and we sit down.

"So, are we sharing our secrets?" George asks. I sigh and look at my hands.

"How about I go first?" George says quietly, "you don't have to share if you don't want to."

"Okay," I nod. He takes a big breath.

"Fred and I bought a place in Diagon Alley," he says, "a shop, I mean. We've been perfecting products all year. We'll have it ready and open by the summer time."

"George, that's amazing!" I exclaim, "why didn't you tell me?"

"Because, well, because we're not going to stay at Hogwarts until the end of term," he says, "we'll be leaving in a few months, we're not sure when yet, when we're ready."

"Oh," I nod, "I mean, I get that. I'll miss you, though."

"That makes two of us," he says, brushing my face gently, "that's... Not all."

"There's more?"

"You know Sirius Black?"

"Well, not personally," I say.

"I do," George says, "I mean, literally. We stayed with him over the summer holidays and Christmas."

"Sorry," I say, shaking my head, "could you run that by me again?"

"He's innocent," George says, "he was framed. He's hiding out, at the Headquarters of the Order. He's a bit grumpy, but I like him."

"'He's a bit grumpy but I like him'," I repeat slowly, "the Sirius Black?"

"Yeah, he's Harry's godfather," George nods. I shake my head.

"Are you going to tell me that You-Know-Who actually bakes very well?" I ask. George laughs.

"I told you it was big," he says, "so, do you think you can share?"

"Mine is even bigger," I say, "it... It could change everything. I'm not... What I seem to be."

"Aurelia," George takes my hands, "if you want to tell me you were born a boy, that's okay. I'll love you no matter what."

"Thanks," I laugh, "it's not that. I'm... I'm a vampire."

George stares at me for a moment, then bursts out laughing.

"Oh, come on," he says, "if you don't want to tell me, fine, but think of something better than- fuck me!"

I've extended my fangs and bared them at him. George is looking at me in complete shock. I retract them quickly and bite my lip, watching him anxiously. He feels his neck.

"I haven't bitten you," I say.

"This makes a lot of sense," he says, "I thought you knew your vampires strangely well."

"Yeah..."

"Okay," he nods slowly, "I can deal with this. I wish I'd listened to Lupin a little better now."