It's been written in the scars on our hearts, we're not broken just bent and we can learn to love again

I looked up at him. "But Lincoln, that's what was normal, for us anyway." I reminded him. I sighed. "We didn't have parents that tucked us in at night, or that would say they loved you. We may have had a few moments like that, you with your father and me with my mother, but we both know what was normal for us. It's not normal for most people, but it is for us." I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "But you have me now, you always will. I'm not sure if I can make up for all the crap in your life up to this point, but I'm sure as hell going to try."

I chuckled sadly.  "Well, you can team up with the Lupins... they're sure trying to make up for everything, too," I said to Juniper.

"I think I just might do that." I said, trying to lighten the mood. "You deserve to be happy and to be here today." I looked up at him with smile. "You are proving them wrong everyday, just like you've always taught me." I kissed his cheek, pulled back slightly and sighed. "I love you, so much. I never thought I would find someone who would love me, knowing who and what I am. You have shown me time and again just how wrong I was about that."

I smiled at Juniper.  "I'm glad that I have done my job then," I teased.  I was glad that I was proving to Juniper all that she was worth.  I never thought that she would need to prove to me what I was worth, though.  I was glad that I had people like her and the Lupins in my life... it was something that I needed.

I smiled back at him and gave a small laugh, happy I could make him smile. "You have never had a problem doing your job before, why should now be any different?" I teased slightly. I leadned back againest his chest and began tracing one of his scars. "You're one of the best things that has ever happened to me."

I sighed and my smile faltered slightly.  "And I think you are the only person who would ever say that to me," I said to her honestly.  There was a point in my life that my father almost would have said that... it had been his choice to save me from the fate of the rest of my family.  But then things did not work out the way he had wanted them to.  And then my life was hell.  For the years that I had lived with my grandparents -- after he had told me the truth about everything before he was murdered -- I had wished that he would have just let the Death Eaters kill me.  But between Juniper and Dean... they brought light into my life a little bit.  And then the Lupins took me in and everything changed completely.  No one except for Remus and Chloe knew that I had been adopted before... I had confided in them that I was weary of them taking me in because my past experience was not so kind.  They, obviously, proved me wrong.  The mantra of my life.

I realized I had gone off in my own little world and focused back to reality.  I kissed the top of Juniper's head as we half laid half sat in bed.  "Sorry... totally just switched the mood back to melancholy..." I said to her apologetically.  I just hoped that my brooding did not show entirely on my face.

I wanted to counter Lincoln, there were other people who would say he was the best thing that happened to them, but he was somewhere else mentally. I waited while Lincoln was in his own world for a moment, wondering what exactly he was thinking about. Suddenly he was back and kissed my forehead. I smiled up at him. "That's okay, you know that's me most of the time, so I'd say it's your turn anyway." I replied, trying to joke about it. I leaned back against him and traced one of his scars on his arm again. "Did you want to talk about it?" I knew he would probably say no and shrug it off but I wanted him to know I was here if he ever did want to talk about anything.

Did I want to talk about it?  Not necessarily.  Should I talk about it?  Probably.  And especially to Juniper.  I loved her and she deserved to know everything.  She needed to know everything.  "You know the Carrows?" I asked, just jumping right in.  I was sure she did; she was a Malfoy.  They knew all the Purebloods.  "Amycus and Alecto are my mother's siblings," I said, nearly tasting bile in my mouth from just the htought of being related to them.  Alecto used to not be that bad... but then Austin died.  Things changed... but it was not the worst it could be until my mother went to Azkaban. 

"I'm pretty sure that they had my grandparents under the Imperius curse... the last night I was with them, they said things... I figured it out while I was in St. Mungo's healing and being taken away by the Lupins," I said quietly, never even admitting that to the Lupins.  One day, I was sure everyone would know all of my dark secrets.  The things that I kept hidden the best that I could.  I would have to tell Juniper about what had happened to my real family at one point, but just talking about the ones I lived with and grew up with was hard enough.

"The Carrows!?" I shook my head slowly, there was no way he was related to the Carrows. He was too nice, too good to be related. Draco and I knew the Carrows, they were horrible and were the ones who had taught us some hideous spells. "Genevieve." I said, remembering the third siblings name. "She was your mother?" That explained so much when it came to Lincoln. He never had a chance at a normal life, just like Draco and I.

And for them to put his grandparents under the Imperius curse? I shook my head slowly. "I am so sorry for everything you went through." I told him sincerely as I looked up at him. I was so grateful to the Lupins for taking him in and saving him from all the hell he had gone through. "You deserve so much better then them. You deserve a family like the Lupins."

Her reaction was a little better than I expected.  "Yes... Genevieve," I said to her.  Just the way that Juniper said her name told me she knew exactly who my mother was.  "At least not biologically, though."  I was unraveling my sorted past to Juniper... and I had a hard time speaking about it in general.  "My father, he... he had to be initiated into being a Death Eater.  I don't know the entire story -- I dunno if I ever will -- but he had to go to my parent's house because she was a blood traitor.  I'm assuming he had other Death Eaters with him... but from what I gathered, he couldn't kill me like he could my real mum.  Lucky me, though; he's actually my biological father."

I sighed and shook my head.  "I am grateful every single day for the Lupins... I honestly don't know if I would still be here if it weren't for them," I added softly.  I did not look at Juniper at all while I spoke of this.  I was very good at keeping a mask on my face of how all of this affected me, but I knew that she would be able to see right through it -- just like the Lupins.  I took a deep breath and rubbed the back of my neck a bit.  "When I took Pansy somewhere safe, I went back to my old house, you know.  Besides it being a bloody mess, it just... brings everything back."

I listened to what he said and tried to sort it out in my own mind. "So Genevieve isn't your biological mother? But Riley is you biological father?" I asked after a moment to confirm. Then what he said actually hit me. "He killed your real mother?" I asked, shocked. I shook my head slightly "I am so sorry." It was the only think I could think to say. "I am so glad he couldn't kill you though. I am so greatful you're here, now."

"The Lupins are amazing." I agreed. I looked up at him, wishing he would look at me but understanding why he couldn't. "I don't know what I would do without you Lincoln, so I'll be forever indebted to them for being there for you." I hoped he knew how serious I was being. "Without you and Draco, I don't know if I would be here either." I admitted with a sigh.

I tiled my head slightly. "You went back to your old house? Why?" I asked, not accusing, but curious. He could've gone anywhere but why would be go somewhere that brought up such bad memories?

I nodded to confirm her question.  then I shrugged.  "That's the story... I dunno if she or her husband somehow survived... but as I had never been searched for and from what I overheard and finally pieced together, I think she's gone," I said to Juniper honestly.  "Never knowing someone and finding out they're dead isn't as bad as what you may think... it's better than seeing someone in so many different ways and when they are finally changing having them killed in front of you."  Of course I was speaking of my dad at that point.

I finally looked at June and tried to give her a reassuring smile.  "I'm glad we all found each other, then," I said to her as casually as I could.

I furrowed my brow slightly.  "It was the only place I could think of that no one would ever go searching for me," I said to her.  "Who in their right mind would go back to a place that was so horrible and painful to hide to be safe when it was never a safe place before?"