The Truth Behind the Veil ✔️

It's True

"So let me get this straight—"

"I don't think you can," Fawn interrupted Sirius a few days later upon returning back to their shared flat. Remus snorted over his tea, ignoring the glare his boyfriend shot in his direction.

Fawn was feeling loads better. She still had to take quite a few Potions to ensure her healing and was still quite a bit sore but was recovering nonetheless.

Regulus had returned to Grimmauld Place. He hadn't wanted to, however it was a necessary evil. He was still despondent, a piece of him missing, broken, though he still was trying hard as ever to keep going. Sirius had signed him up to see a mind-healer once a week. All fingers were crossed that it would help.

Lily cleared her throat from her place on the sofa. James chuckled tensely.

Fawn grinned at the annoyed raven-haired man. "You were saying?"

Sirius huffed. "I was saying," he said loudly, "or rather, asking, if it was true that you really are from the future?"

Fawn closed her eyes, willing herself to stay calm. She didn't know how much this would change things but there was no way she was going to pull a Lockhart on them. Both couples were staring at her, waiting for the truth to be revealed in all its glory. Fawn just wanted to go straight to the Halloween party being held the next day.

"Yes, it's true."

James sucked in a sharp breath of air, resulting in a hiss-like sound. The faucet for the sink dripped, the water splashing into a soaking pot. A dove cooed outside. Sirius' foot shuffled against the floor. Remus' mug clinked against an old chipped saucer.

"How?" whispered Lily.

"It's a long story."

Sirius scoffed, "I think we have time, love."

Fawn shook her head, burying it in her hands before raking her hands through golden-brown hair.

"I fell through the Veil in the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic during a battle against Death-Eaters in nineteen ninety six when I pushed my friend's godfather out of the way of Bellatrix's stunner. Instead of dying as most do when falling through, I ended up coming out the other end on the same day twenty years earlier. It took me a while but I eventually figured out that I can't be sent back unless I complete a mission of sorts—change the future—or rather, the past I suppose.

"I can't really tell you much more because this mission does involve you guys but um- Regulus found out basically on his own so he knows most of it... This is also how I knew about the cloak, the two-way mirrors and Remus' Lycanthropy. I know it sounds bizarre but I swear on my life that it's true."

Lily nodded faintly. "I believe it."

  "Same here," added Remus.

  "Me too," agreed Sirius, "there's no other way Regulus would've been able to make all that up."

James stared at Fawn for a moment before slowly, deliberately nodding as well. "You wouldn't lie about something like that."

A weight lifted. Breathing became easier. The world shifted, the sun came out, a new positivity swept through the flat. Fawn smiled for the first time in months.

"Thank you," she whispered, a stray tear of happiness gliding down her face, "I was so scared that you all would hate me, would think I had ulterior motives. Thank you for believing and trusting me."

  "Well of course Fawnie—" Sirius paused, eyes widening comically. He pointed an accusing finger at her. "—that's how you won all the bets, you dirty cheater! I want my fifty galleons back from over the years!"

Fawn laughed loudly, breaking the tension that had settled among the group. Remus flicked Sirius upside the head and James was crying tears of mirth. Lily had rolled her eyes, a large smile present on her face.

"And who's fault is it for making bets with me, Sirius?"

   He flipped her off. "Yeah, well you're not even born yet so suck on that."

   Fawn waved him off. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."

"Is there anything we can you help with?" asked Lily, deciding that the group could use a break from Sirius' immature dramatics.

"Other than stay alive and don't do anything stupid, not really."

"Well that'll be hard for these two," muttered Remus, pointing between James and Sirius.

  Fawn sighed in amusement. "Believe me, I know." She nodded towards Sirius. "Especially him." The group chuckled, even Sirius failed to make a valid defense.

Finally the night came to a close. The Halloween party the next night required a good night's sleep to prepare for.

*****

Music thudded through the flat mingling with the sounds of glasses clinking together and laughter. The flat was decorated with pumpkins and faux-spiders that Ron would surely have a panic attack over. The punch was spiked with Firewhiskey that had been turned a bright orange color.

For the sake of irony, Fawn, Lily and Dorcas had dressed up as the Muggle interpretation of witches to confuse the Half-bloods and Purebloods who wouldn't have a clue what they were trying to allude to.

Dorcas grinned at their trio. "We are the witchiest bitches I have ever had the pleasure of meeting."

  Lily and Fawn giggled, raising their whiskey glasses. "Cheers to that."

Later that night both Longbottoms and the Potters had disappeared. Fawn had a feeling it was conceiving day. She wondered how long the couples would try to hide it from her even despite knowing the truth now.

Poor Peter was plastered out of his mind and was telling everyone how much he loved them over and over and over again. It was adorable at first but by now it had become a nightmare.

Marlene was making explicit innuendos to the much more sober Dorcas who was trying to shove water down the blonde's throat to no avail.

Remus and Sirius were snogging in a corner.

Fawn, once again, was left feeling very awkward. Regulus could not make it and she didn't know if that was better or worse for her aching, single, heart that now desired a love of its own.

A shot of whiskey seemed to distract her from her lonesome though and the party lived on. Two more years and hopefully the party would still be going with the alive Potters and the free Sirius Black.