Chapter 21

                                    

                                          
I dropped my fork and it landed on the table with a clatter. "Tortured?!" I said, my voice barely a whisper. I felt Harry's arm protectively round my shoulder and Molly Weasley was by my side in a flash shouting "I TOLD YOU SHE'S NOT READY TO KNOW!" While cupping my face in her hands. 
                          
"Remus give me some chocolate she looks like she's about to faint." Lupin grabs a massive bag of chocolate out of his pocket and next thing I know Molly is shoving it all in my mouth in an attempt to stop me from passing out. 
                          
I stood up from the table. "I just need some air, may I be excused?" I didn't wait for an answer before I was out of the room and into an empty sitting room. I leant against the wall trying to catch my breath, the room spinning around me. Once I felt my breathing begin to return to normal I noticed a dresser, with a whole load of pictures on it. There were pictures of Sirius, Remus, a man that looked exactly like Harry that must be his father and another man, who looked like me. I picked up the picture and looked closely. I've only ever seen the one picture of my dad before, the one that Harry gave me. He looks just like me, his blue eyes identical to mine. 
                          
"You're the spitting image of him." I heard a voice from behind me and saw Sirius leaning against the door frame. 
                          
"I've only ever seen one picture of him before"
                          
"Your mother hasn't told you much has she?" 
                          
"I think she's just been trying to protect me, but I don't think she realises that I'm older now, she can't protect me forever." 
                          
"No she can't, and you need to know, you need to have something to fight for when it comes to it." 
                          
"What happened to him?" 
                          
Sirius took my hand and sat me down, he took a seat opposite me and looked at the photo in my hands. 
                          
"Benjamin Greenwood was one of my best friends. We all loved him, and he was the first to have a baby, you. He adored you so so much, you and your mother were his whole world. Until you were a few weeks old you all lived here, all of us looking after you, your father was part of the order too." 
                          
He showed me another picture, of my mother, father, Sirius, Remus, James potter, a pregnant Lily Potter and a tiny baby in my father's arms. Me. 
                          
"Then Harry was born and you two were basically raised together, before everything became unsafe. Your father was the smartest person I ever knew, he knew about Voldemort long before any of us had a clue, and took your mother and you down to Brighton to raise you away from it all just before you turned one. The night James and Lily were killed your father was there. He tried to hold the death eaters off so they could run, but they captured him, and instead of killing him they did something even worse." 
                          
I gulped. "What did they do?" 
                          
He looked down at the photo of my father and back at me. "They took him to their headquarters, and tortured him for two years. He was treated worse than a house elf. Beaten every day and locked in their cellar. He tried to stay strong, he was determined to get back to you and your mother, but he soon became too weak to deal with it all and one of them killed him, we don't know which one, but it wasn't the dark lord." 
                          
It was only when Sirius' arms were around me that I realised that I was crying. It all makes sense now, why I was raised away from this world, why my mother never told me. 
                          
"Now Victoria, they know that he had a daughter, you, and they know that you would grow up to be one of the greatest witches of your time, which believe me you are well on your way to being that, that's why your mother didn't let you go to Hogwarts. Because she knew that they would soon come after you. But soon she knew that we would need you, and your skills in Dumbledore's army, that's why you were sent to Hogwarts last year. It's all been written in the stars for you. You're so much like him I can't believe it, I remember when you were so tiny." 
                          
"I'll fight, I'll do whatever you need me to do. I'll do it."
                          
"There's that fighting Gryffindor spirit. Can I ask one more favour of you Victoria?" 
                          
"Anything." 
                          
"Look after Harry. You're so good for him. In every letter he's written to me he can't stop talking about you and how much he loves you. As long as he has you he'll be ok. If James and Benjamin could see you both now they'd be so so proud." 
                          
He gave me one last hug before saying "now, enough doom and gloom, I think you and Harry need a catch up." He winked at me before leaving the room and I sunk into my armchair, trying to take everything in. 
                          
I soon headed upstairs to find Harry and saw him, sat on his bed stroking Hedwig. He stood up when he saw me and said "Remus has told me everything, it's ok you don't have to tell me it. Come here." He opened his arms and I fell into them, and he stroked my hair as I closed my eyes against his chest. Then I remembered what Sirius said. 
                          
"Hey Harry?"
                          
"Yeah?" 
                          
"Do you love me?" 
                          
"Huh?" I turned to look at him, his face bright red. "Sirius told me what you wrote to him, Harry Potter you loveeeee meeeee" I said, teasing him and bopping his nose. He smiled. "Ok ok, yeah I do", then he looked away before continuing with "what about you?" 
                          
"You're alright I guess." 
                          
"Oh Thanks." 
                          
I kissed his lips quickly before saying "I'm just kidding, of course I love you." Harry swallowed hard before eventually saying "ok, brilliant." I kissed him again, deeply this time, and he gladly kissed back, each of us pouring every ounce of emotion into the kiss.