November went by quickly, and I was glad. The winter months were never my favorite, and I just wanted to go home for Christmas.
Ron and Hermione decided to stay at school, and so did Harry, but I decided against it. I missed my mum, and Miranda planned on staying, so I could finally get away from her.
Before Christmas holidays, there was one final Hogsmeade visit. Obviously, I couldn't go, so I felt pretty bummed out.
I waved goodbye to Ron and Hermione and headed back up to Gryffindor Tower with Harry.
"Do you want to go to the library?" I asked. He shook his head.
"Psst— Harry!" Harry and I turned around to see Fred and George peering out from behind a statue of a hump-backed, one-eyed witch.
"What are you doing?" Harry asked curiously. "How come you're not going to Hogsmeade?"
"We've come to give you a bit of a festive cheer before we go," said Fred, with a mysterious wink. "Come in here..." Harry followed Fred and I stood there, unsure of what to do.
"Sorry, Ella. We'll catch up with you sometime." George waved to me and I frowned. Why did they want Harry and not me? I walked off and wandered through the castle again. It seemed to be the only thing that helped me clear my head.
"Oh, hello Ella." I saw Professor Lupin making his way toward me.
"Hello, Professor." I greeted him.
"Would you like to join me for some tea?" he asked me. "Seeing as everyone else is at Hogsmeade?" I nodded and followed him into his classroom and then up into his office. He poured me some tea and I took the cup gingerly.
We sat in awkward silence for a moment, and I noticed that Lupin had even more picture frames in his office. Every picture included the same people I had seen in the other photo: James Potter, Lupin, a blonde boy, a curly-haired boy, and my mother.
"Professor, who are the people in those photos?" I asked. "Was my mother friends with any of them?"
"Yes, Ella. Your mother was friends with all of them." He sipped his tea and I looked at some more photos. There was one of just Lupin and my mother.
They were sitting next to each other, and my mom had her head on Lupin's shoulder. He was holding her hand.
I turned my attention to another photo. It was Lupin and my mother, and they both looked like young adults, maybe in their early twenties.
James Potter was also in there, with a redhead that I assumed to be his wife, Lily. I also saw, in the corner, the curly-haired boy.
But he was older here, and he looked very different; his face full of life and his hair neat. Suddenly I knew who he was.
That man was Sirius Black.
"Is something wrong, Ella?" Professor Lupin asked me. "Your hair is silver, you know."
"I— I just remembered. I left something in the library— and I need to go get it." I stood up quickly and set my teacup down. "Thank you for the tea, Professor." I plastered a smile on my face and hurried out of his office.
Professor Lupin had known Sirius Black. And so had James Potter. And so had my mother. Did this mean that Lupin was the one who let Black into the castle? Was he helping Black get to Harry?
***
I said my goodbyes the next day and made my way to the Hogwarts Express, where I was joined by Fred, George, and Lee Jordan.
"So why aren't you staying at school with Ron, Harry, and Hermione?" George questioned.
"I felt like going home." I said simply. "Miranda's staying at school, so I can get away from her, plus I can't miss out on Molly's Christmas dinner."
"Molly?" Lee looked confused.
"Our mum," Fred and George said simultaneously.
"Molly and my mother are good friends. I've grown up with the Weasleys." I explained.
"And we have Christmas together every year." Fred added.
***
When I arrived back home, I hauled my trunk up to my bedroom and changed into some more comfortable clothes. As I brushed out my hair, I rehearsed what I was going to say to my mum in my head.
"Hey, Mum?" I called.
"Yes, what is it, dear?"
"I have some questions." I said nervously.
"Go on, ask away," she told me, putting down her book.
"We have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor this year, Professor Lupin." I waited for a reaction, but she kept a straight face. "He says you two knew each other."
"Oh, well yes. Remus and I were friends at school." she said.
"Yes, that's what he told me." I responded dully. "Were you guys anything more than friends?"
"Er— Ella, you shouldn't be asking these questions." she told me.
"So it's true!" I exclaimed. "You and Lupin had a thing! But how long? In the picture it seemed like you two were together when Harry's parents were together."
"We ended things long before you were born, if that's what you're implying."
"Were you together when Miranda was born?"
"No."
"But— but how? Miranda was born in 1977, right? You had to have been with someone!" I said frustratedly.
"I was with someone, though it was not a serious relationship. I was only eighteen when I had Miranda!"
"Eighteen?" I blurted out. "You were eighteen?"
"I've said too much," she said, "yes, Ella, I was eighteen. Miranda was— she was a surprise."
"She was an accident." I corrected.
"No, an unexpected surprise. We were not expecting a child so young, but it was a blessing. We were both very happy when she came."
"Who's we?" I asked. "You mean Miranda's father?"
My mother went silent.
"That's enough questions for today." and then she stood up and left.
***
Finally, it was Christmas Eve, which meant traveling to the Burrow for Christmas.
"Ella! Happy Christmas!" I was immediately greeted by a cheerful Mrs. Weasley, and she wrapped me in a tight hug.
"Hi, Mrs. Weasley," I said, smiling.
"Now, you can throw your stuff in Ginny's room. I already have a bed made in there for you." I hurried up the stairs and walked right into Ginny's bedroom.
"Hi Ella," Ginny smiled as I threw my backpack on the extra bed.
"Hi, Ginny. How's your holiday so far?"
"Pretty good, how's yours?"
I suddenly had the urge to tell Ginny everything I had found out over the past month.
"Look, I have some huge secrets to tell, but you can't tell anyone." I told her.
"I wouldn't dare! Now come on, tell!" she patted the spot next to her on her bed and I sat down.
I started to explain everything, starting with Lupin and my mother and ending with Sirius Black. Ginny looked bewildered.
"Lupin was friends with Sirius Black? Are you sure?"
"I'm positive. They were in photos together!" I said defensively.
We continued to talk and come up with theories until Mrs. Weasley called us for dinner.
Everything was delicious, of course. Mrs. Weasley was an amazing cook, and I loved all of her food.
After getting seconds, and then thirds, Mrs. Weasley ushered us all off to bed.
"You won't get your presents if you don't sleep!" she said as we walked up the stairs.
Though I tried to sleep, I was still wide awake an hour later. I glanced out the window and saw that it was snowing, so I rushed to slip on a coat and boots before tiptoeing out the door.
I hated the cold weather, but snow at night was completely different. It was peaceful, and it felt like the whole world was just silenced in a blanket of snow.
"And what are you doing out here at a time like this?" I sat up to see Fred standing by the door.
"I'm watching the snow, isn't that obvious?"
"Why? It's just snow," Fred sat down next to me.
"It's more than that," I told him, laying down again. "Everything looks so peaceful, and the snow just makes everything magical."
"Maybe I'm not looking at the same snow you are," Fred said. "All I see is snow. And cold."
"You can't see cold!" I laughed.
"You definetly can! For example, you are shivering. That is cold." I rolled my eyes.
"I'm not that cold, and it's a small sacrifice for the beautiful view." He laughed.
"Take my jacket, then." He took off his sweater and handed it to me.
"I have a coat," I told him.
"Well it's obviously not keeping you warm enough." I sighed and took the sweater from him. It was his signature Weasley sweater, with an 'F' on the front.
We layed on the grass in silence for a long time. Eventually I started to get sleepy, so I stood up and walked back to the house. I made my way up to Ginny's room, still wearing Fred's sweater.
"Oh, do you—" I turned to ask Fred if he wanted the sweater, but he wasn't there, so I went back into Ginny's bedroom and curled up under my blankets, gazing out the window as I got drowsier and drowsier.
The last thing I saw before falling asleep was Fred, still laying on the ground, grinning widely at the sky.