Lupin's True Love

February 16, 1973

Veronica glanced up from her book as Remus walked into the common room. She smiled as he placed a small gift onto the book in front her.

"What's this for?" Veronica gazed into Remus' eyes.

"Happy Birthday, Veronica." Remus hugged her as she shook the gift. "Open it."

"How did you find out?" Veronica's grey eyes narrowed slightly as she put the gift down.

"James spilled his guts." Remus nudged the gift closer to her. Open it before James and Sirius get any bright ideas and come over here...too late."

Sirius bounded across the common room as Veronica rolled her eyes. "Remind me to kill James later."

"Hey!" Sirius stomped up to the table and placed a medium sized package beside Veronica. "She's opening mine first."

"Not in this lifetime." James placed several packages into the table in front of Veronica. "She's opening Mom and Dad's first."

"Happy Birthday, Veronica." Lily walked over to the table as James ran his hand through his hair. She placed a package onto the table. "I hope you like it."

"I'm sure I will." Veronica smiled as Remus glanced toward the window.

"Lacewing's here." Remus opened the window and Lacewing fluttered onto the table in front of Veronica. "I know Mum said that she was going to send you a gift but who's the other one from?"

Veronica looked at the tag and smiled as she took the packages off of Lacewing's leg. "My best friend, Melissa, from my old school. I wrote to her over the holiday and told her where to take a letter to send it to me."

"So she knows you're a witch?" James stared at Veronica.

"Yeah. She's cool with it." Veronica glanced at everyone gathered around her. "Is there a problem with her knowing?"

"Not really but you'd best tell her that she's not to let anyone else know." Sirius sank into one of the chairs around the table. "Well now that everyone is here, how about you open some of your gifts?"

"Not yet. Let's wait for Emma, Jessica, and Patricia. Besides there's another owl at the window." Veronica opened the widow and took the package from the leg of a tawny owl. She took a note from her pocket and gave it to the owl. "Take this to your owner." The owl fluttered away from the window.

"Who's that one from?" James tried to take the package from Veronica as Sirius jumped to his feet.

"Promise you won't get upset?" Veronica tried to hide the package from James as Emma walked over to the gathering.

"Why would I get upset?" James' eyes narrowed slightly as he realized whose owl it was. "I knew I recognized that owl."

"What do you mean?" Sirius tried to get the package from Veronica.

"Think about it, Sirius." James watched as Veronica moved away from him and Sirius. "Who do we love to hate?"

"James..." Veronica pleaded softly. She heaved a deep sigh as she placed the package onto the table. "Okay, okay. I'll tell you who sent it. It was Severus Snape."

"SNAPE!!" James and Sirius snarled as they each reached for the offending package.

Sirius tried to grab the package from the table as Patricia and Jessica walked up and placed their packages onto the table. "You'd better let us check out that...thing...before you open it."

Veronica snatched the package from the table. "Not a chance. You may not trust Severus but I would trust him with my life." She moved the package further out of Sirius' reach. "Did either of you realize that he gave me a book of potions and the ingredients for one potion as a Christmas gift?"

Lily stepped between Veronica, James, and Sirius. She glared at James and Sirius as Remus wrapped an arm around Veronica's shoulders. "Would you want to check a gift that I gave her?"

"You're a Gryffindor; he's a Slytherin. There's a big difference." James threw his hands in the air.

"No differences that I see. We are both friends with Veronica and we both want her to have a happy birthday." Lily crossed her arms over her chest as Veronica placed the package back onto the table. "If she can place her life and trust willingly into his hands, then you two should be able to trust her judgment."

"Fine." James and Sirius flopped back into the chairs.

"Just don't expect us to like it." Sirius glared at the package as if he could make it explode by glaring at it. "I guess we should continue with celebrating your birthday."

Veronica pulled one of the brightly wrapped packages toward her. She ripped through the wrapping paper and tore through the tape on the box. Finally she lifted out a beautiful eagle quill and inkbottle set. "Oh, Sirius. It's beautiful." She threw her arms around Sirius and hugged him. "How did you know I needed a new quill and inkbottle?"

"Lily helped." Sirius blushed slightly as Emma threw the wrapping paper into the fire.

Emma pushed a tiny wrapped package toward Veronica. "Open this one next. It's from Remus."

Veronica ripped through the paper and saw a jeweler's box. She flipped open the box and stared at a beautiful amethyst necklace. She turned to Remus. "How did you know that I like amethyst?"

"Jessica was in on it. I sent my parents a note and had them get it from Diagon Alley." Remus took the necklace from the box and placed it around her neck. "I thought it would match your eyes. Especially when you get upset with James and Sirius."

"It's gorgeous, Remus." Veronica threw her arms around Remus' neck and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "I'll never take it off."

"He gets a hug and a kiss and all I got was a lousy hug." Sirius frowned slightly as Emma placed a hand on his shoulder.

"That's because you're like a brother to me." Veronica smiled as she picked up Melissa's present. She opened the letter and read:

Veronica,

Happy Birthday!! I hope you like your gift. I'm glad you told me to take my letters and packages to the Potters. They're really nice people. Sissy says hi. She's going to be a mother again. Here's a picture of Heather. She's growing like a weed. I hope to see you during the summer holidays.

Love,

Melissa

P.S. I met the cutest guy. His name is David Granger. I hope you get to meet him this summer.

Veronica ripped the brown paper and opened the box. She pulled out a beautiful crocheted ivory shawl. "Just what I needed, a new shawl. I wonder how she knew." Veronica looked around the table.

"It's beautiful." Lily fingered the velvety soft shawl. This would go wonderfully with some beautiful dress robes." Lily pulled her gift from behind James'. "I guess you should open this one next."

Veronica gently placed the shawl on the back of the chair before she tore the paper on Lily's gift. She pulled out a set of beautiful satiny sky blue dress robes. "This is perfect. The shawl matches perfectly. The sapphire necklace that the Potters gave me fits with the whole outfit." Veronica hugged Lily. "I love it, Lily. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Lily hugged Veronica back. "I guess you should open the rest of these." Lily motioned to the rest of the packages sitting on the table.

"Sure." Veronica pulled Severus' gift toward her and ripped off the plain brown paper. She pulled out several bottles and jars of ingredients. She placed them to one side and pulled out a large heavy book of spells and an even larger book of book of potions. "Another book of potions and a book of spells. I can't wait to start reading them."

"He also sent you the ingredients for a potion." James frowned at the pile of ingredients. "I hope he doesn't want to use those books against us."

"He doesn't." Veronica smiled softly as Sirius flipped through the books. "I asked him that about the last book of potions that he gave to me." Veronica pulled James' package toward her as Emma started picking up the paper from around the table and throwing it onto the fire.

Veronica pulled out several books about magical creatures as James took them from her. "I thought you would like to get started on next year's classes."

Veronica flipped through one of the books. "These are great, James." Veronica hugged James. "Thank you."

"Open mine." Patricia pushed a brightly wrapped package toward Veronica.

Veronica ripped off the paper and pulled out several heavy spell books. "What are these for?"

Patricia rubbed the back of her neck. "I thought you would want to get ready for next year's Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts classes."

"Good idea." Veroncia smiled as she moved the books and picked up the gift from Jessica.

"If you don't like it, just say so." Jessica watched nervously as Veroncia ripped open the paper.

Veroncia took out a book titled Ancient Runes: A Study Through History, another book titled How to Make Your Own Pensieve, and several other items. She looked up at Jessica questioningly. "What is all this stuff, Jessica?"

"I thought you would like to make a Pensieve." Jessica started gathering everything together. "It's a stupid idea."

Veronica grabbed Jessica's hands. "No, it's a brilliant idea." She picked up Ancient Runes: A Study Through History and started flipping through it. "I'll even see if Dumbledore will help me with it." She laughed slightly. "Don't be upset if it takes me a few years to get it done. Okay, Jessica?"

"I won't." Jessica hugged Veronica.

"Open up Mum and Dad's next, Veronica." Remus pushed a small package toward Veronica.

Veronica pulled off the paper and opened the small box. She pulled out a beautiful set of amethyst earrings. "They go with the necklace." Veroncia took the small golden hoops from her ears and put in the amethyst earrings. "How do they look?" Veronica turned to Remus.

"Perfect." Remus hugged Veronica. "They're you."

"I'll have to remember to send your parents a thank you note." Veronica pulled another package toward her as Remus moved several of the gifts. She pulled open the bright paper and pulled out a journal. "What's this for, Emma?"

"To keep your deepest thoughts and wishes in, Veronica." Emma took the journal from Veronica. "You're always writing something down on spare pieces of parchment. I thought you could keep all your ideas in one place instead of all over the room."

Everyone laughed as Veronica hugged Emma. "Great idea, Emma." Veronica pulled the last gift toward her. "Last one."

"I wonder what Mom and Dad sent you, Vee." James watched as Veronica opened the lid of the box.

Veronica pulled out a beautiful silvery cloak. It flowed like a gentle waterfall to the floor as Veroncia pulled the rest of it out of the box. "What is this, James?"

"Put it on, Vee." James watched as Veronica swung the cloak around her shoulders. "It's an Invisibility Cloak. Dad thought you would like it."

"These are really rare, aren't they?" Veroncia glanced at James as he nodded. "That means it's really expensive. They don't have to spend that much gold on me." Veroncia took off the cloak and wiped a tear from her cheek.

"They love you as if you were their own daughter." James wrapped his arm around Veronica's shoulder. "They think you deserve the cloak and I happen to agree with them."

Veronica, Jessica, and Patricia began gathering the gifts together as Lily and Emma gathered the remaining wrapping paper and threw it onto the fire. James motioned to Remus and Sirius. They climbed to their feet and followed James from the common room.

"Where are they going?" Emma watched as the portrait door closed behind them.

"To threaten Severus. I already warned him." Veronica picked up several gifts, as did Jessica and Patricia.

"That message you gave his owl." Lily gathered up several of the gifts.

"Yeah. I told him to be on the look out for them." Veronica watched as Emma picked up the last of the gifts. "He knows that I think of him as a friend. He also knows how James and Sirius feel about him." Veronica led the way to the dormitory.

"Where do you want this stuff?" Emma glanced at Veronica's bed.

"Put them on the bed for now. I'll get it all put away." Veronica placed her gifts onto her bed.

Emma, Lily, Jessica, and Patricia placed the rest of the gifts on the bed. Veroncia picked up her new shawl, folded it neatly, and put it in her trunk. Lily, Emma, Jessica, and Patricia left the room as Veronica finished folding her new dress robes and cloak. She gently placed each item in her trunk. She pulled out several scraps of cloth and wrapped each of the bottles and jars before she put them in her trunk. Veronica placed the books beside her bed and put her new eagle quill and inkbottle set into her book bag. She placed the items for the Pensieve in a small nook in her trunk. She stretched as she moved to the door. James, Remus, and Sirius sat before the fire as Veronica walked into the common room.

"I guess you guys didn't find Severus." Veronica sank onto the sofa.

"Sure we did. He told us to mind our own business." James stared into the fire.

"As if you weren't our business, Vee." Sirius' scowl deepened slightly.

"I'm glad he told you to mind your own business. You need to understand. He's my friend and so are you guys. You can't make me chose between you." Veronica smiled at the frown on James' face. "I guess you guys will have to learn how to deal with it." Veronica climbed to her feet and made her way from the common room.