A Good Time For Change

Chapter 6

In Dave Roberts´...Er...In Landon Potter´s Old Den...Four Hours and One Supper Later...

"Okay," Shawn said. "You´ve said your piece. I believe it entirely. With the exception of the flying car," she teased, staring pointedly at Ron. "So, Malfoy was delivering a message from his mum to Dumbledore?" Ron nodded. Shawn nodded right back. "Now, do you want to know what´s been going on with everyone since you´ve left, or do you feel like leaving that as a mystery?"

"Oh, do tell, Shawn," Kelli said. She was thoroughly stuffed after the excellent dinner--prepared by the family cook. "I´m full to bursting, and feel like a good laugh."

"Well," Shawn began, but a tap on the window interrupted them. The three turned and stared, seeing a large, gray, tawny owl. Shawn´s eyes went wide as saucers. She rushed over to the window and pulled it open. Dropping its letter, the owl gave a short hoot, and then swooped back out the window. Shawn was practically catching flies; her mouth was so wide open. Handing the letter to Kelli, she gulped. "Tomorrow´s my birthday. August 28^th." Looking at the clock, she said, "Never mind. Today´s my birthday. It just turned midnight."

Kelli slit the envelope open. "I don´t know why you´re surprised," she said. "The Potter´s come from a very long line of witches and wizards. Teddi not being accepted is more of a shock to me than anything else. I mean, by the muggle definition she´s definitely a witch." Ron chuckled, and Shawn gave a wide smile. Kelli held the letter in front of her. "Yup. Right here in green and white. You´ve been accepted."

Shawn hugged her sister ecstatically, and then hugged Ron, who blushed crimson. "Oh, don´t blush," Shawn snapped. "I´m just overjoyed and in hug-over-drive-mode." She began to sing in a `cha-cha-cha´ rhythm. "I´m going to Hogwarts! I´m going to Hogwarts!" Standing up, she began to do the Bunny Hop. "Everybody!" Ron and Kelli joined her, and they bunny-hopped all around the room. They were having a grand time--that is, until the front door burst open.

A harsh, teenage voice rang out. "Shawn!" it barked. "Where are you, you lazy little toad? You´ve got to come help unpack!" Kelli mouthed, `Teddi?´ and Shawn nodded. The sisters gulped.

Shawn rushed the witch and wizard behind the curtains. "Stay here," she whispered. "Don´t make a sound, and don´t move."

Just then, a teenager came in, smacking her strawberry bubble-gum, loudly, in that way only teenage girls have. Teddi had grown into a rather pretty young woman. She had a nice figure, and a rather dark complexion, a sharp contrast to Kelli´s blood-drained face, which Kelli could see plainly in the window. The older girl´s once sausage-like curls had been permed out, and it was cut in a short, raven-black bob.

"There you are," she drawled, sounding amazingly like Draco Malfoy. Teddi eyed the rustling curtains. However, she wasn´t very bright, and attributed it to her own, sudden appearance. "What´re you doing in Daddy Will´s study, you little brat?"

Shawn watched the floor, meek as a mouse. Teddi continued. "You know he´ll have your head for being in here." The little girl said, nothing, though she smiled slightly, but, hidden behind the curtain, Kelli was positively fuming. Hold it. Stop and rewind. Who´s Daddy Will?

"Well, well, what have we here?" asked a pleasant, male voice from the door. In walked a broad-shouldered man, of about 6´5" in height, with sandy-brown hair and laughing, blue eyes. He had a generally pleasant look about him.

"Shawn," Teddi said, pointing an accusing finger at her younger sister, "was in here sneaking about your things." Shawn´s mouth dropped open. About to speak out, she squeaked in horror as Kelli dashed out from behind the curtains.

"How dare you, you pompous pig!" Kelli cried. Teddi looked stunned, as the hand seemed to come at her in slow motion. However, she was quickly brought back to reality as the hand made a nice, round slapping sound on her cheek. The older girl howled, a bright red mark in the shape of Kelli´s hand plain upon her dark, sun-tanned face.

"I´ve had about enough of you, and you´ve only been here for thirty seconds! You haven´t changed a bit. `Cept, maybe, for the fact that you don´t look like you´ve got sausages sticking out of your head." Kelli paused. "Well," she tugged Teddi´s short hair, causing her to howl again, "this isn´t much better, come to think of it."

The two other girls gaped, and Ron dashed out from behind the curtains, grabbing Kelli´s shoulders from behind. Kelli shrugged him off, and the man spoke.

"Excuse me, miss," he said, politely, "but would you please explain your presence, here?" Aw. A real charmer. NOT!

"Yes, actually, I could," Kelli said, calming down. "If you´ve read Dave Roberts´ will, then you certainly know he left his property to be left to his daughters--and none to his wife." The man nodded, wondering in what direction this very odd conversation was headed. "Didn´t you ever wonder if there was a reason everything was split into three parts?"

"I see," the man said, sitting down in Landon Potter´s old, leather armchair. Kelli gritted her teeth, but decided no to judge the man too quickly. "Well, then. Kelli, I presume?" Kelli was shocked, and could only nod, but didn´t allow herself to expend the luxury of dangling her mouth open. The man winked at her in a conspiratorial fashion. "The name´s Lupin. William Lupin. Call me Will. Or Daddy Will, if you want. It´s very good to finally meet you. You´re a living legend, `round this place. I´m your new stepfather."

Kelli nodded. She´d assumed as such. Ron just stared at her in awe. He hadn´t the foggiest idea how she could take all this in stride. Noticing the slump of her shoulders, he realized she couldn´t. "Sit down," he ordered, which Kelli promptly did.

Teddi was pouting, her tiny brain not fully comprehending what exactly was going on, and Shawn was beaming. "Daddy Will, I´m so, so glad you´re happy," Shawn said. `Daddy Will´ smiled at the eleven-year-old before turning to Ron.

"Take a seat. I assume you´re a Weasley?" Ron nodded. "Good. Take a seat next to my stepdaughter, there." He did. "Fantastic." Will paused. "How´re Arthur and Molly?"

"Good!" Ron croaked.

"Good to hear," Will said, happily. "So, what´s the number of the brood now?"

"Seven kids, sir. Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred and George--they´re the twins--and then there´s me and Ginny--that´s short for Virginia."

Will nodded, smiling. "Remus owes me ten galleons," he muttered under his breath.

"Excuse me, sir?" Ron sounded slightly surprised. He glanced quickly over at Kelli, who had a serene look on her snow-white face. Kelli´d always been extremely pale, but now she looked as if she´d been emptied of blood, entirely.

"My little brother and I had a running bet since he was in first year," Will said with a smile. "Remus bet ten galleons that Molly and Arthur would have two kids. I told him he was crazy. He thought I meant they wouldn´t have kids. Then I placed a bet they´d have more than six. Your sister won me ten galleons, son." Will let out a friendly, booming laugh, that sent a chill down Kelli´s spine.

It wasn´t the laugh itself. The laugh was pleasant and friendly. However, it was almost exactly like Remus´, but louder, and shoulder-shaking. Kelli squeaked out something. "What was that?" Ron asked.

Kelli whispered in his ear for nearly a minute. Her soft lips tickled his right ear, and he could smell her warm breath. Chocolate and pumpkin pie...Ah... He barely paid attention to what she was saying. Ron blushed to the tips of his ears, and then turned to Will. "She--she says..."

Kelli muttered, "Not that part!"

"Oh." Ron blushed even more. He was now the shade of red that seemed to be reserved only for Weasleys--which, if you ask Draco Malfoy, makes up half the population of Great Britain. "Kelli says that she´d like Teddi and Shawn and myself to leave so that she can have a private conversation with you." Teddi and Shawn looked about to protest, but left meekly, followed shortly by Ron, after one look from `Daddy Will´.

"You know who my father was," Kelli said softly. It wasn´t a question. She didn´t look up at the tall, familiar-looking man in front of her. However, she saw him nod. The fluttering of sandy-brown hair was unmistakable.

"I do indeed. He was a fine man, Lee."

Kelli´s head shot up, and her eyes blazed. "Don´t you ever call me that," she said in a soft, but scathing voice. "Never. That was my father´s pet name for me. Nobody´s called me that since--since--"

"I understand," Will said.

Kelli looked back at her hands. "I truly admire your hands." She looked up.

"What?" she asked.

"I said I truly admire your hands," Will said, walking over and sitting down next to Kelli on the couch. He looked at her hands. "White as snow. Fingers so long and graceful." Will held her hand up, and placed it against his own. "The palm is half the size of mine, but the fingers are just so long. They look quite elegant. I assume you play the piano?" he asked, releasing her hand.

Kelli nodded, rubbing the spot on her wrist he had held. Will hadn´t held tight, but his grip seemed to burn. Reminded her too much of--

"We need to talk--" Will began.

Kelli cut him off. "No. I can´t handle it right now." Will nodded. "You--you´re...never mind. Look...I´m going to take Shawn to Hogwarts with me. Whether you like it or not. Now. I´ll get her supplies and everything. I´ll see to it that she comes home during the holidays, unless she truly doesn´t want to." She stood up. "I´ll owl at the start of term. And occasionally to tell you of her progress. I´m sure Shawn will be a fine student."

Will nodded, thoughtfully. "I suppose I might see you over one of the holidays?"

Kelli nodded. "I´ll--I´ll drop by for a quick visit over the Easter holiday. Did--does--does Remus know you´re here?" Will nodded. "´Thought as much," she muttered, walking briskly from the room.

As the door clicked shut, Will murmured, "Goodbye, love."

~*~~*~~*~

After Kelli´d introduced Shawn to the gang, and explained what happened, leaving out the most important detail, she left her little sister with everyone else in the common room. Kelli motioned to Harry. She led him out the portrait hole, and began walking.

Harry ran to catch up. Kelli was a speed-walker, born and bread. "What´s the matter? Besides everything else you said in there. It´s gotta be a real shocker, but Ron says you took it like a real trooper."

Kelli nodded. Harry looked around. Is she leading me to the Astronomy Tower? They walked on in silence, until they ascended the stairs of a giant tower. Guess so. When they reached the top, Harry shivered. However, Kelli seemed to be completely unsusceptible to the cold. She stared at the stars for a moment, sitting upon the parapet.

"Harry, haven´t you ever wondered about your Dad´s family?" she asked, staring at the stars forming the constellation of Orion.

Harry was startled. Where´d that come from? he wondered. "Well, yes. Never really had the courage to ask anyone."

"Your father´s parents were Alicia and Thomas Potter. Alicia´s maiden name was Ellington. They were both Gryffindors here at Hogwarts." She paused. "Your--your grandparents had three children. Cynthia--who was stillborn. Several years before you father. Then, identical twins James and Landon." Harry was shocked.

"I--identical twins?"

Kelli nodded. "Landon Potter was a Ravenclaw. As you know, your father was a Gryffindor. Landon got perfect marks in all his classes, and was very bright. He--" Kelli snickered, "often helped the Marauders plan their pranks." She paused. "Anyway...he disappeared soon after graduation."

Kelli looked at Harry, who was staring at her in awe. He looked about to say something when Kelli held up a hand. "If you interrupt now, I don´t think I´ll be able to continue." Harry nodded. Taking a deep breath, she said, "He became a secret agent for the agency I work with. Landon Potter took on the identity of Dave Roberts." The boy´s eyes grew wide, but Kelli continued. "Dave Roberts married Leeann Callaway. They had three daughters, Teddi, Kelli, and Shawn. Just after Shawn was born, he--" tears welled in her eyes, but she rapidly blinked them away, and stared back up at Orion.

"He disappeared." Kelli took a deep, shuddering breath. "Landon began covert operations in Alaska, and all the government´s contact with him was lost. Leeann married after the MIA potter was pronounced dead by the government of Washington, D.C. She married William Lupin, Remus Lupin´s older brother." The young witch stopped talking. She turned to look at Harry. "That´s--that´s all I know about your family, really. At least on your father´s--and my father´s--side."

Harry looked at her in disbelief. Nobody could make up a story that crazy. "I believe you." The shadow of a smile flitted across Kelli´s face, which she covered with her hair, like a curtain being drawn closed. "That means we´re cousins, doesn´t it?" Kelli nodded. "Well...I don´t fancy being cousins with your sister Teddi. She sounds as bad as Dudley."

"Oh, trust me, she´s even worse than Dudley." Kelli slapped a hand over her mouth and looked at Harry wide-eyed. She let out a squeak. "I shouldn´t´ve said that."

"What´d you do?" Harry asked.

"Nothing! I did nothing! And it definitely didn´t involve chucking pumpkin pies at your obnoxious, piggy cousin!" Kelli groaned. "I really am not good at keeping that kind of secret. Government secrets? Fine. Matters of life and death? Fine. Chucking pumpkin pies at obnoxious cousin´s cousin? Nope!"

Harry let out a laugh. Kelli sighed. "Ron said he´d tell the others," she said quietly. "I wanted to tell you myself."

Harry looked at Kelli. His entrancing green eyes widened. "You guys like each other, don´t you?"

Kelli stared at Harry. The blush on her cheeks told all. "Wha-what are you talking about, Potter? Are you daft? Of course not! Ron´s my friend! One of my best friends! He--he..." She sighed. "I´m hopelessly in love with the ruddy git."

Harry hugged her. "That´s fantastic!"

"Yeah, well, I haven´t told him. I don´t think he likes me that way."

"Of course he does!"

"Why do you say that?"

"Maybe because when he´s sleeping he drools, smiles, and says your name over and over and over like the Energizer bunny?"

"That´d do it."

"Yup."

~*~~*~~*~

Shawn was sitting in the Gryffindor common room, alone, tossing her wand from one hand to the other. She couldn´t help pondering what Mr. Ollivander had said.

"What your ancestors were, you are, and what your children will be. You have a great future ahead of you, Miss Potter. A very great future, indeed... After a phoenix gives it´s third feather, none of it´s others are quite as magical. This wand contains the third feather of a very...special phoenix." He had paused, and seemed almost...hesitant.

"You shall do great things, Miss Potter. But let us not forget where our loyalties lie. The Potters have a very great history. You don´t want to let them down, do you?" He´d finished wrapping the wand back up in the box, and handed it to her. Just as she was about to walk out the door, he called out, "Do your best, my dear." She nodded, and as she walked out, she could´ve sworn she heard him say, "For all our sakes..."

Shawn´s wand was nine and a half inches--a sharp contrast to Kelli´s, which was thirteen and three quarter inches--with the tail-feather of a phoenix encased in pure rowan wood, from the oldest Rowan tree in Ireland. Apparently, it was very good for charms. That sounded good to her. Then again, pretty much everything about her new life sounded good to her.

She stood up, shaking her raven-black hair from her eyes, and stuffing her wand into the left sleeve of her robes, like her sister did. Shawn walked over to the portrait hole, and ran into a red-haired figure with an "oof!"

"Sorry," Ron and Shawn muttered. Ron was rubbing the side of his head.

"My fault," Ron said, helping the small witch up. He dusted himself off. "How´re you liking Hogwarts?"

"Very well," Shawn said. "Very well, indeed..."

"Good to hear," Ron replied. They were silent for a moment. Looking everywhere but at each other. Ron absentmindedly ran a hand through his thick, red hair.

"Why don´t you just kiss her?" Shawn asked.

Ron seemed startled. "What?" He looked around the common room, as if checking to make sure nobody else was in there.

"Kiss her, dammit. It´s plainer than the nose on your face that you two are head-over-heels for each other. As you once said, `Maybe if he shoved his tongue down her throat.´ Why not?" Ron gaped. Shawn shooed him out the portrait hole, and shouted, "Don´t come back `til you´ve had a good snog!" just as Harry and Hermione rounded the corner, holding hands. Ron blushed, and dashed off.

"What was that all about?" Hermione asked.

"I told him to go snog my sister," Shawn said, as if she were merely commenting on the weather. She twirled her wand like a muggle baton. "Hey, since tomorrow´s the first day of term, do you think we could have a little party, tonight? Professors and all?"

Harry looked at Shawn, then Hermione, and then back to Shawn. "I don´t see why not!"

Shawn smiled and walked out the portrait hole, it was about to swing shut when she grabbed it and shouted back at the two. "If I come back and you two aren´t snogging, I´m going to go Medieval on you!"

Hermione turned to Harry blushing. "What is with everybody?" She was about to continue when Harry silenced her with his lips.

At first, Hermione went rigid, and then she seemed to relax. Hermione wrapped her arms around Harry´s neck as Harry ran his hands through her hair. She felt his tongue teasing her lips until she opened them. Harry heard Hermione moan as he ran his tongue across hers. This only made him intensify the kiss.

Several minutes later, they pulled away breathless and blushing. "Well..." Harry said.

"Well..."

"Ah..." Gwen was leaning nonchalantly against the doorframe. She twiddled her fingers at the lovebirds in a happy, dreamy greeting. Doing a perfect imitation of Hermione´s cockney accent, she said, "´Ave a good day, lovebirds." Then, she disappeared out of the portrait hole.

Hermione was blushing a deep crimson, and she looked at Harry. Harry said, "Hermione, I--"

"Harry?" she interrupted.

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

"Right-oh," he said, leaning in for another kiss.

~*~~*~~*~

Ron peeked into the room where he heard someone strumming on an acoustic guitar. Kelli was sitting on a stool, smiling and playing her guitar, Shawn sat on the ground in front of her, awe-struck. "It´s so beautiful," Shawn breathed.

"Thanks. Want to hear the words?" Shawn nodded. Ron stood at the door, listening. "You can come in, Ron." Blushing, Ron took a seat on the ground next to Shawn. "Alright, here goes."

Kelli took a deep breath, and starting strumming on the guitar, again.

"What am I gonna be when I grow up?

How am I gonna make my mark in history?

What´re they gonna write about me when I´m gone?

These are the questions that shape the way I think about what matters..."

Kelli smiled as she continued. No longer nervous, she started to put her heart and soul into the song.

"Well, I have no guarantee of my next heartbeat.

Maybe the world´s too big to make a name for myself.

But if no one wants to read about me when I´m gone,

Seems to me that right now is the only moment that matters...

"You know the number of my days.

So come paint your pictures on the canvas in my head.

Come write your wisdom on my heart.

Teach me the power of a moment,

The power of a moment,

The power of a moment, yeah.

"In this land where the least is greatest,

Where God gives us strength, and fools confound wise,

And forever brushes up against a moment´s time,

Leaving impressions, and drawing me into what really matters...

"You know the number of my days.

So come paint your pictures on the canvas in my head.

Come write your wisdom on my heart.

Teach me the power of a moment,

The power of a moment,

The power of a moment, yeah.

"I get so distracted by my bigger schemes.

You show me the importance of the simple things.

Like a word, a seed, a thorn, a nail, and a cup of cold water!!!

"You know the number of my days.

So come paint your pictures on the canvas in my head.

Come write your wisdom on my heart.

Teach me the power of a moment,

The power of a moment,

The power of a moment, yeah.

`Cause you know the number of my days.

So come paint your pictures on the canvas in my head.

Come write your wisdom on my heart.

Teach me the power of a moment,

The power of a moment...

The power of a moment, yeah, yeah..."

[A/N: This is a really great song by Chris Rice, called the Power of a Moment. I make NO CLAIMS! It´s all the property of Chris Rice and all his affiliates, and whatever...]

After strumming a last few chords, she ended. Kelli looked up, nervously. Shawn waved, and ran out. Ron and Kelli´s mouths became Os as they heard the lock click. Dashing to the door, they fumbled with the handle, and heard giggling outside. The look on Kelli´s face was that on pure fury.

"Do you have your wand, Ron?" she asked, hopefully, turning to the redhead. Ron shook his head. Kelli groaned. "This is just great. I left mine in my bag. Shawn´s got it!" She pounded half-heartedly on the door, knowing the little girl was gone. "Yeah, this is bloody fantastic. Unless Harry uses the Marauder´s Map, they´ll never find us! But, of course, it´s been confiscated by the ministry!" The little witch slid to the ground with a moan, soon joined by Ron.

Kelli pounded her forehead with her fist. "Note to self," she muttered, continuing to hit her forehead, "never trust sneaky little sister." She took a deep breath, and turned to Ron.

"So, let me get this straight," Ron said, taking a deep breath, "we´re trapped in here until your little sister further discloses our location?" Kelli nodded. "Well, that means we should get out in...the next few hundred years. Think they´ll ever find our remains?" She let out a half-hearted chuckle.

"Honestly, Ron. We´re going to be bored to death. What on earth was the little brat thinking?" Ron bit his lip, and Kelli´s head turned towards him with an audible crack. "Ouch! What´ve you done, Ron, I know you had something to do with this whole mess. Ow! OW! OW!" she cried, rubbing her neck.

"Stop moving," Ron said, moving her sideways, and kneading the flesh of her neck with his thumbs. "Feel better?" he asked. Kelli nodded, and then groaned happily.

"I don´t know what you´re doing, but keep it up," she said, her eyes closed. Ron smiled, and took his hands from her neck. "Hey!" Kelli cried, spinning on him. "Why´d you stop?" She stopped at the look on his face. Eyes growing wide, she asked, "What´re you going to do?"

Kelli found out the next moment, as Ron started to tickle her mercilessly. "Stop it!" she cried, giggling madly. She was rolling around on the ground, laughing uncontrollably, and Ron wasn´t letting up. "Mercy! Mercy! Uncle!" Ron stopped, but soon realized he was positioned on top of her.

"Um..." Kelli said, face flushing. "You can get off of me now." Ron blushed, too, and rolled off. However, Kelli didn´t move. She was studying his face intently.

"What, do I have a bogie hanging out of my nose?" Ron asked. He pretended to check his nose. Kelli merely sat up, and stared into his eyes with a confused look. "Honestly, Kelli, you´re starting to freak me out."

"Ron," she said slowly, as if testing the word on her tongue. Kelli cocked her head to one side. "Kelli." She turned her head the other way, still staring in Ron´s eyes. "Ron and Kelli." Pause. "I like the sound of that."

Ron blushed and said, "Yeah. We make a great team. Maybe we could pull some pranks together sometimes. Perhaps go for a little adventure in the Forbidden Forest. Fancy going for a nice, little stroll with Aragog and all of his charming, little kiddies?" He rolled his eyes and Kelli smiled.

"That´s not quite the way I meant," Kelli said, slowly, leaning closer to him. Ron could smell her quick, panting breath. She smelled of chocolate and pumpkin. [A/N: That was a shameless plug for the fic: Chocolate and Pumpkin Ice cream, in the Astronomy Tower. It´s a George/Hermione, fic, which would normally squick me out, but is very well written! Read it!] "I meant, more like..."

Ron put his index finger to her soft lips. "I know what you mean," he murmured, leaning closer to her.

"Really?" she asked, raising her eyebrows ever so slightly, her lips tickling Ron´s finger. The boy nodded. "Show me," she said. Or, she would´ve, except her mouth was encased in that of her one, true love.