Secrets, Secrets

Ari was out cold until lunchtime. It was Mr. Weasley that came to wake her, and she determinedly ignored him.

"Ariana. I know you're exhausted, but you've got to eat."

Ari groaned as the smell of food reached her nose. "No," she grumbled into her pillows

"On the contrary, yes," said a stronger voice.

"Sirius," Mr. Weasley started, "can you-?"

"Can I what?" Sirius' tone was startlingly icy. "She's my daughter, Arthur, for Merlin's sake let me explain."

A couple minutes later, Ari felt a spot beside her sink in. Sirius was sitting beside her on the bed, frowning slightly. "Ariana," he began gently.

"Mmmm?" Ari said vaguely. "I'm listening."

"Ari, I'm so sorry," Sirius whispered, his voice cracking slightly. Ari sat up so quickly she groaned.

"Sorry for what? For my kidnapping? For my cover-up?!" Her tone was harsher than she meant it to be, but it had to be said.

Sirius sighed and looked away. Ari caught a single tear escaping his control, so she did the only thing she could think to do--she hugged him. Sirius was caught off-guard, but returned the hug, glad his daughter still wanted something to do with him.

"All of it," he said heavily. "I'm sorry for everything." He launched into a tale of what had happened since she and her mother disappeared, making sure to leave out some details. Ari was amazed, but he was cut short by a shout from downstairs.

"PETTIGREW! SIRIUS, THEY'VE GOT PETTIGREW!!"

Sirius bolted from the room with Ari on his heels, ignoring the shouts from a particularly ugly portrait. Ari wrinkled up her nose and turned back to the foot of the stairs. The shouts had drawn Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny downstairs; twin redheads were at the door, on either side of a cowering, bound, round man.

"You." Sirius' whisper was a growl that made Ari instinctively back away; she tripped and fell onto the bottom stair, where she stayed. "You ruined my life, you bastard. Twice. Ruined Harry's. Ruined Remus'. Ruined--" He glanced at Ari. "Oh yeah... you don't KNOW. Know why you don't know? We didn't want you to ruin another life!" Sirius kicked out at Pettigrew's shin; the latter whimpered pathetically. "YOU RUINED MY DAUGHTER'S LIFE, YOU SLIMY COWARD!" Sirius was in a true rage, and it was apparent that even Pettigrew had never seen him like this.

Harry was looking between Sirius and Ari, comprehension dawning. Ginny gave Ari a sympathetic look while Ron stared at Pettigrew with disgust on his face. Sirius had walked away, shaking his head and muttering something about "showing who's a real blood traitor." Ginny sat down next to Ari, gently drawing the girl's eyes away from the dust on the floor.

"Okay, those two that brought Pettigrew? They're two more of my brothers, Fred and George. They've got this brilliant joke shop at Diagon Alley, we'll have to go there when we go to get our school stuff." Ari nodded weakly.

"Okay," she said quietly, blinking. Her head was throbbing dangerously again, and she knew if it took any more pounding from yelling she would undoubtedly be sick.

There was a crack, and Ari winced. One of the redheads was back, and he called out to Sirius. "Oi! Sirius! Mate, you're wanted at the Ministry ASAP! Madam Bones said something about wanting to meet Ari!"

With an odd look, Sirius reappeared, grabbed Ari by the shoulders, and Apparated them both into the Ministry of Magic. The gleaming gold gates entranced Ari as Sirius led her to a lift. The only other person on the lift had bright pink hair; Ari suddenly recognized her as the one who had Apparated her away.

Sirius grinned. "Ny-"

"Don't!" The other cried, covering her ears. "Sirius, please, no! Not in front of Ari!"

Rolling his eyes as the lift clambered on, Sirius turned to Ari. "It's about time you met one of your cousins. Ariana, this is Nymphadora Tonks, who likes being called by her last name, but who is called Nym by me."

Tonks looked slightly affronted, but just shook her head and swatted her older cousin lightly. "You never will grow up, will you?" They walked off on the same floor, Ari listening to them avidly. Her headache had been quieted into a dull ache; as usual, curiosity was getting the better of the young witch. Tonks turned back to Sirius.

"Kingsley wanted to talk to you about something, but I really don't have a clue what."

"Oh, okay?" Sirius said questioningly, leading Ari into the Auror office and over to Kingsley Shacklebolt's desk.

Kingsley grinned and handed Sirius a couple of letters. "Seems to me, Sirius, that they want you back pretty badly."

Sirius shook his head. "They'll have to wait, Kingsley. You know why, it's been discussed."

"Aye, I do, but what do I tell people like Scrimgeour?"

"That I have something else to take care of before I can come back. But I will come back, rest assured."

Kingsley laughed. Sirius led Ari back out as the Auror called "And the offer gets upped with every denial they get!"

Ari was laughing now too. "You were an Auror?" she asked, impressed.

"Oh yeah," Sirius replied, stopping. "Long story." He knocked on the door he stopped at, and a cheerful female voice told him to enter.

Madam Bones was seated at a rather cluttered desk in a spacious office. Sirius smiled at her, and she grinned back. "Is this Ariana?" she asked, nodding to Ari. When Sirius nodded, she smiled and addressed the other. "I could tell... not if I didn't know who you were, but since I do, I see both of your parents in you. You'll no doubt be a fine addition to whatever job you take." Leaving Ari glowing under her praise, she turned back to Sirius, and they discussed what could and could not be announced when the announcement about Pettigrew's capture was made.

"All down to those Weasleys," Sirius grinned as they left.

Later that afternoon, Ari was up in her room with Ginny and Hermione, flicking through a magazine and talking about nothing. She sat up, and looked at the redhead leaning against her trunk. A frown formed between Ari's eyes as she watched the girl read a book avidly. "Can it really be that interesting?" she wondered aloud; personally, she'd rather read an action novel any day.

Ginny laughed. "Yeah, actually... I wasn't sure if I'd like it when Fred sent it to me, but I've really become absorbed! I think it's part of a series, I'll have to check."

There was a knock at the door, and Ari called out that it was open. Sirius stuck his head in. "Ari, you need to come downstairs, there's a couple... school issues that need to be handled."

Tilting her head to one side not unlike a puppy, Ari laid the magazine aside and slipped her flip-flops on before following him to the drawing room. A wizened wizard sat waiting, with a patched old hat resting on the table. Sirius nodded to him, and shut the door on his way out.

Ari suddenly recognized him, and grinned. Her mother had spent countless nights telling her stories about the famed Hogwarts headmaster, who now smiled back. "The first thing we need to handle is what house you will be in. I have an idea, but we still need to find out." He motioned to the old hat, which Ari put on.

Rather than shouting, as her mother said it did at the official Sorting, the hat quietly announced its decision to Dumbledore. "She's a Gryffindor, sir, rightly as anything."

"Now," the headmaster said after setting the hat on the table, "I need to know about your classes. What were you continuing with before you had to leave?"

Ari thought. "Potions, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Defense, Transfiguration, Charms, and Herbology."

Sirius came in holding a letter, which Dumbledore took and scanned. "Ah! Top of your year! Excellent... Miss Granger has been saying no one was challenging her enough!"

When she escaped back upstairs, Ginny and Hermione (who had peeled herself away from a huge stack of old notes) immediately wanted to know what had been discussed. Ari leaned back against the pillows, ticking it off on her fingers. Hermione frowned when Ari mentioned her classes.
"What were your O.W.L.s like then?" she asked curiously.

"All 'Outstanding,' except Ancient Runes, which was an 'E.'"

Hermione was staring at her, impressed. "Wow! So I really do have a challenger for top of the year!? How much do you study? How-?"
Ari held up her hand. "I don't over the summer, Hermione! Summers are for relaxing and having fun!! And..." she gasped. It was Monday, July 27^th. "Tomorrow's my birthday!!"

Ginny looked at Hermione sideways. "Harry's birthday is Friday! Your birthdays are so close... I bet Mum has a combined party!"

"That'd be so cool," Ari agreed, her American accent getting the better of her. She launched into party ideas with the others, only dropping the discussion when a disgruntled-looking Ron called them to supper.