A/N: This is going to be a long Severus/OC, over 100 chapters. I PROMISE A HAPPY ENDING (and I don't do that very often, so if you're excited about that you should be!)! So sit back, enjoy. This plot actually came to me in a dream, so that's cool.

-C

"We're moving to China."

Mr. Vibius Abramsen and his wife, Kayleah, had announced this to their seven children one Sunday morning, and the two straight days of packing and refreshing the children on their children on Chinese had begun.

At first, Helene, the second child and aged twelve, had thought the whole thing a wonderful adventure and packed in earnest.

However, by lunch time, her elder sister Virginia explained that this wasn't a holiday - they were leaving forever.

"But I can't leave forever!" Helene whined. "What about Hogwarts? I wanted to see Heidi Sorted into Hufflepuff as well!"

Virginia scrunched her nose.

"Heidi would be a Ravenclaw, obviously," Virginia told her sister. "But none of that matters, because we won't be going back to Hogwarts. We're going to China."

Of course, when Helene began to cry as she continued her now-laborious packing, nobody thought to tell the distraught girl that if she stayed long enough to go to Hogwarts, she would die.

Vibius was the Head of the Hit-Wizards, which was bad enough in a time of war, but Kayleah happened to be a renowned author, covering issues of rights for Muggle-borns.

Ever since Voldemort had started gathering power, the Abramsen family had been practicing the Chinese Kayleah was learning as rapidly as possible, and Virginia, at fourteen, was the only one who understood the pressing need to learn, to pack, to run and hide, although why now and not some other time was a mystery to her.

As it was, Virginia was too busy sulking over the likelihood of never seeing her friends again that she cared little over her sister's distress and didn't try to explain why it was necessary.

And their parents were so panicked, so frantic, that they didn't realize that only Virginia understood the urgency.

When Virginia finished her packing she was ordered to finish Leon, the baby, packing while their father took care of more general things and their mother reviewed Chinese with Heidi and Hillary as she oversaw their packing.

Virginia's absence left Helene quite alone to sulk. She did not want to finish, partly because she knew she'd be asked to help three-year-old Ely, and mostly because she simply did not want to leave.

She cried for a bit on the second day, refusing to leave the familiar safety of her room when Charlie called up to say that food was ready. Eventually her father ordered her to eat, and Helene knew better than to disobey her father when he was in a tizzy, but indeed no one at all paid her any attention when she came down and ate a quick and sandwich. She returned to her room not minutes later and began, once more to cry.

"Not finished yet?" Virginia asked, scrunching her nose again when she came back for bed. "Mum won't be pleased. I finished Leon and Ely today, and I know Mum expects you to help with Charlie tomorrow while she checks our Chinese."

"I don't want to learn Chinese," Helen cried, desperate to convey in her tone all of the injustice of her position. "I don't want to go to Hogwarts! Lexi's family will take me in! Or Orla, or Madara, or even Smilta and Klytie! If they only knew they would keep me! I don't want to go! I can't go!"

If she hadn't been so distraught she would have shivered at the thought of staying with her sworn enemies, Smilta and Klytie Smith, but at the moment, anything and everything appeared preferable to Helene.

Virginia just rolled her eyes, turned over in bed, and ignored her stupid little sister, trying not to think of all the places she'd rather go than China, but she at least knew that it was important, if not why China specifically had become the destination of so many blondes.

Helene worked even more slowly on the third day, but even so there was not much left and she had finished by lunch.

Virginia was already working on packing Charlie's things when Helene was sent in by their father. Their mother was quizzing Virginia on her Chinese and was just saying, "That's quite perfect as well," when Helene entered.

"Finally finished, then?" Mrs. Abramsen asked her daughter. "Go ahead and get started on the toys, then, and why don't you start by introducing yourself in Chinese?"

Helene nodded thickly, moving toys from their chest to the trunk at her sister's feet with the numbness of dread in every motion. Her Chinese was thick as well, poorly accented on top of completely forgetting how to say her age.

After several corrections and running through the same scripted bit several times, Helene's mother finally gave a bitter sigh and said, "Well, I suppose that will have to do for now. Why you can't apply yourself like Virginia... Heidi is already conversationally fluent, you know."

"Tears sprang to Helene's eyes at this reminder that her younger sister ought to be joining Ravenclaw, not going to China. But the tears remained unshed, and Helene just hung her head in her shame.

"Well, go and fetch Charlie's coat from the front hall," her mother ordered. "Virginia, dear, order lunch for me, will you?"

Virginia proceeded to smugly and perfectly order her favorite Chinese pork dishes as Helene went to the front hall to get her brother's rain coat.

It occurred to her as she walked that she probably should have applied herself a bit more to her Chinese, as now it seemed almost certain that they would, in fact, be leaving for China in the morning. Her lifelong home now felt like a skeleton, just trying to get rid of the last of the muscle clinging to its aging bonds.

With a shaking hand she opened the door to the nearly-empty hall closet, seeing the very last raincoat hanging, lonely, on the very last hanger.

Helene was just unzipping the coat to take it off the hanger - which would be packed separately - when several things happened at once.

One of these things was the sound of glass shattering down the hall.

Another was several people shrieking at once so that Helene could not make out which people they were.

And finally she heard angry, unpleasant voices outside, and so without actually thinking about it, Helene dove into the closet, forgetting the coat entirely as she whipped the door closed and cowered in the back.

She could feel her heartbeat in her throat.

A moment later the front door was blown in, and if Helene's throat hadn't closed she would have screamed.

She heard the door close again, and she began to shake.

"Get the upstairs," said a silky voice. "You three that way. I'll check the front of the house and I'll do the spells."

Footsteps went away and she could hear things breaking, people begging and screaming. Helene grasped her own hands together so tightly that she could no longer feel her fingers.

Then the door opened.

A masked, hooded figure in black robes stood in the doorway, looking in at the nearly-empty closet impassively.

"Please," Helene whimpered, not recognizing her own voice. "Please I just wanted to go to school. Please!"

The figure just looked at her impassively.

Finally, it drawled, "How old are you?"

Helene blinked up at him, trying to keep herself collected enough to stay alive.

"I just turned twelve," she sniffed. "Last week."

He watched her even longer, still impassive.

Finally he leaned in, wand out, and she felt sick as she realized that she was to die, just like her family.

Just like her baby brother.

There was the sound of one last, anguished cry and Helene knew when it ended that her father was dead.

Without a second thought she began to cry, quietly and into her hands, but she was surprised when the Death Eater, rather than killing or torturing her, took her arms by the wrist and moved her hands from her face.

"Stay in this corner and be absolutely silent," he muttered, "or I shall have to kill you."

But Helene could not stop sniffling no matter how she tried, and he pointed his wand sharply at her nose and she held her breath, waiting to die, wondering if it would hurt.

"Silencio," he hissed, closing the door firmly on her, leaving her in the eerie dark of the closet.

He was letting her live?

That couldn't be.

She listened carefully as he paced in front of her door, muttering incantations she had never heard before. It felt like an hour before the other Death Eaters returned to the entryway, and Helene held her breath unnecessarily, waiting.

"Anyone up here?" one of them asked.

"Empty," her Death Eater drawled. "Were you expecting someone else?"

"They were supposed to have seven brats. We only found six."

"Perhaps you miscounted," her Death Eater said ironically.

After a long pause one of them replied, "No, there were only six. This one should be about eleven or so."

"Then perhaps it is at a friend's home for the night," her Death Eater said lazily. "I believe that is a common pastime for many people of that age during the summer months. Regardless, it is not here. We shall have to look elsewhere."

Helene leaned forward, not wanting to miss a single word.

Finally, another Death Eater said, "I guess we'd better report, then. He won't be pleased."

Helene thought he was quite right about that.

The others seemed to agree, and finally her Death Eater said, "You had better think of a very good explanation, Dolohov, and exactly how you'll beg for mercy."

She imagined that the one called Dolohov was flushing with anger and embarrassment behind his mask because it was pleasant for her to imagine.

"Let's go," one of them finally said and she heard the sounds of shuffling feet, and when the door finally closed behind them she waited for about three minutes in silence, just in case one of them came back for something forgotten, or to check for her again.

Finally, she got onto her knees, carefully turning the knob.

But the door wouldn't budge, magically locked her Death Eater.

Tears began to spill silently down her cheeks as she realized that she was locked in that coat closet, perhaps (she thought melodramatically) locked in there to waste away forever.

Although Helene had her wand in her pocket, she could not say the incantation to unlock the door until someone lifted the Silencing Charm, and in her distress the thought of attempting the nonverbal magic so many adults did without thinking did not occur to her.

Instead, she thought of her family, all lying dead somewhere outside her little cupboard, although in what horrific physical state she could only imagine.

Virginia, with her perfect golden curls and ocean eyes; Virginia, who already had a boyfriend and would surely have become a prefect next; Virginia was dead.

The two girls had quarreled terribly but they had truly loved each other. Helene felt the hole left by Virginia's death most strongly and immediately of all when she began to reflect on the situation she found herself in.

Virginia had known, Helene realized. She had known this might happen. Virginia must have known things Helene would never have even fancied to guess.

And then there was little Leon somewhere, his tiny hands with their tiny plump fingers never again to grasp out at her in a desire to play.

Ely, with her pretty blonde ringlets and her lips which always looked like she was ready to pout when she did not get her way - she probably was pouting somewhere, her face stuck that way as their father had so often teased it would become.

Helene then imagined her brother Charlie, probably growing cold and helplessly without his coat, which she had never finished getting off the hanger. For a brief moment she thought of trying to get it down in the dark, but why? She couldn't get out and find him, and she wasn't sure she really wanted to.

Hillary would have been helping with lunch. She'd always fancied herself a cook, although she usually ate more than was helpful for tasting. Her pretty white-blonde hair probably billowed around her pale face like a halo. When they had done little plays as children, of Muggle stories, Hillary had always been given the most innocent parts, and always an angel if one was scripted. Sometimes Virginia would make up a role for an angel if they didn't have enough parts.

Little angel, gone to heaven.

And Heidi, sweet Heidi... Helene didn't get on best with Heidi, but she fancied that she did, fancied she ought to, merely because they were so close in age. Even though Heidi was always happiest when she found a quiet corner for a good book, Helene had dragged her into all manner of imaginary adventures, lately of the two of them at Hogwarts, a dream that would never come true.

Helene then began to think over her parents, her lovely mother and father, and how sorry she was that she'd been so terribly disobedient of late, that she had begun to cry with renewed force when she thought she heard the faint sound of what might have been voices somewhere around the front steps.

"Which one did Albus say we're looking for?"

It was a male voice, not too old, but certainly older than Virginia had been.

Helene frowned.

Albus? Albus Dumbledore? How did he know where she was?

"One of his students; didn't give a name," said another, more unfriendly-sounding voice. Perhaps it was the stress in it.

Helene! Her name was Helene!

She heard them come through the front door and without even stopping to think Helene began to pound on the closet door frantically, even though she knew perfectly well that just knocking would have been fine.

Her door swung open moments later and Helene stumbled forward slightly. She found herself looking up at three young men, wands pointed at her.

"Merlin, she can't be more than thirteen," one of them muttered, his face tired and lined, despite his youth.

"What's your name, love?" the man with dark hair and sharp gray eyes asked kindly, kneeling in front of her and lowering his wand. Helene gapped at him for a moment, wondering how it was possible for a human being to be so beautiful.

Then she tried to mime that she couldn't speak, that she'd been silenced, and she felt rather silly, but the wild-haired man frowned and said in his stressed voice, "I think she might have been silenced."

The tired man waved his wand and Helene blinked.

"Thank you," she squeaked experimentally, and at the sound of her own voice she was surprised that she began to cry in full again.

The beautiful kneeling man wrapped Helene in a warm, comforting, good-smelling hug.

"Padfoot," the wild-haired man murmured nervously, "you take her to Lily. We'll canvas the house."

"Hold tight," the voice of the good-smelling, good-looking one said in her ear, and she felt the familiar, uncomfortable squeezing sensation of Side-Along Apparition.

"Sirius, is she okay?" asked a kind female voice. "I just put Harry down."

"Dunno, she's distressed, which isn't surprising since we found her locked up in a closet."

"Oh," sighed the woman, who had beautiful red hair and brilliant green eyes. "Hello, dear. My name's Lily; what's yours?"

"Helene," she replied with a nervous squeak.

"How old are you, Helene?" Sirius asked to distract her while Lily did a few diagnostic spells.

"T-twelve," Helene choked out. "Newly twelve."

"Hogwarts, then?" Sirius said with a teasing smile. "Gryffindor, I hope."

Without realizing, Helene had pulled a face at the suggestion that she might belong to Gryffindor.

"Sorry," she said quickly as Sirius laughed at her expression. "Only, I'm very proud of being in Hufflepuff, you see, and there's this stupid boy in Gryffindor who always teases me in Herbology."

"He probably just finds you pretty," Lily said wryly, handing a confused Helene two cups with potions in them. Sirius barked with laughter. "These are for shock and hysteria," Lily explained. "Other than that, dear, there's nothing at all wrong with you."

There was a loud sound of a whipcrack and the other two men appeared, faces grim.

"How is she, Lily?" the messy-haired one asked, pecking the pretty redhead on the lips sweetly. "And Harry?"

Helene drank the potions as Lily replied, "Harry's napping and she's fine. Just a bit shocked and distressed."

"I'd better get Dumbledore, then," he sighed, Disapparating on the spot as the tired-looking man sat down on the other side of Helene.

"Tea, Remus?"

"That would be lovely, Lily, thank you," he sighed, smiling at Helene. "Feeling better?"

"Yes, thanks," Helene replied, smiling slightly as she felt the surprising truth of the words.

"Would you like tea as well, Helene?" Lily called from the kitchen.

"Yes, please!" Helene replied.

"What, no tea for me?" Sirius asked, feigning hurt and winking at Helene.

"Oh, I've already made you a cup, Sirius," Lily threw back, amusement in her voice.

They drank their tea while they waited and Remus and Sirius did tricks and told stories to delight and entertain Helene until Albus Dumbledore arrived with the messy-haired man.

"Miss Abramsen," Professor Dumbledore said in his soft, firm, and even powerful voice, "please forgive me, but I must ask for your account of events."

Just then, Helene's stomach rumbled, and Lily rushed to make something for the young girl to eat as Helene told, as well as she could recall, every detail from the time her father announced they were leaving for China to the point where she was rescued from her predicament in the cupboard, happily gobbling up the chips and turkey sandwich Lily put in front of Helene on a pretty white plate.

When Helene finished her story, she looked up at Albus Dumbledore's sad blue eyes and said, "Can I stay here until I go to Hogwarts? It's very nice here."

The adults then did that thing which adults do where they all look around at each other, all trying to decide how best to break the bad news, in this case to tell the young girl the thing they knew would upset and disappoint her. Finally, Professor Dumbledore spoke.

"My dear, I must impress upon you that you are still in very grave danger. They are still looking for you, and will kill you if they find you."

"But they won't find me here?" she asked desperately, clinging to Sirius subconsciously, begging to stay.

"I'm afraid it is very possible," Professor Dumbledore said sadly. "I will move you to a safe house until more permanent arrangements can be made, and you will have plenty of company while there. But you cannot go back to Hogwarts, Helene. It is not safe for you to stay in the country. We'll put you somewhere far away, somewhere safe."

"But I don't want to go to China!" Helene cried, weeping bitterly into Sirius's shirt. "I didn't learn my Chinese properly!"

"I won't send you to China, my dear," Dumbledore assured her. "Somewhere you can speak English, I promise you."

The messy-haired one, who she learned was named James, was sent to get Helene's things, with careful instruction from her on which trunk was hers, not Virginia's.

Then Helene was taken to the safe house via Side-Along Apparition with Remus, and he, Lily, and Sirius helped her settle into the strange little house on the sea with one long, straight corridor down the middle and all the rooms adjoining the corridor.

"Here you go, princess," Sirius said happily, showing her into a crisp, clean, white-and-blue bedroom at the end of the hall. "This is yours. Remus and I will be just down the hall, if you need anything."

"Where's Lily?" Helene asked anxiously, looking around the room.

"She's making dinner, dear," Remus said, smoothing her silky blonde hair gently. There was a loud crack. "That'll be James with your things."

Indeed it was, and for all the time it had taken her to pack, it took no time at all for Helene to get settled.

Over the next three days, all four of Helene's new friends played with her in turn, and sometimes a big black dog she'd dubbed 'Snuffles' visited, although Remus wouldn't say to whom he belonged, just "One of the Order."

It was on the third night when they had all five just finished one of Lily's delicious pastas, that Albus Dumbledore finally visited the safe house.

"I have news," he told Helene. "A very kind family in Australia has made preparations to take you in. Owen and Aurora Little. They have children around your age; Phoenix, William, Jade, and Luke I believe they're called. All boys, and they've always wanted a little girl. They live in Perth."

Helene looked up at him, scarcely understanding what he was saying. Australia? Why, that was on the other side of the world! And she wanted to stay at the safe house with Remus and Sirius and Snuffles.

But Helene knew it would do no good to argue, so she nodded and trudged off to pack her things once more, hoping she very much liked the Littles, that the boys did not pick on her, and that she could have a dog just like Snuffles one day.

It took several hours to pack, as Helene took short breaks to cry and each of her new friends came in to say goodbye in turns. Even Snuffles came in right after Sirius left. Snuffles must have sensed she was leaving because he placed his head on her lap and whimpered terribly until she leaned down to hug his neck. He then kissed her face thoroughly until Remus came in looking especially sad.

"Come on, Snuffles," he told the dog firmly, who had begun to whine again. "She needs to get all packed."

Sirius later surprised her by coming in a second time, hugging her tightly, and saying, "You take care of yourself, princess. I hope you come right back to England when this is all over."

When everything had been taken care of, Helene took the international portkey Professor Dumbledore had set down on the table with dread. She took one last deep breath of English air, clutched her trunk ever tighter, and hoped that Australia would be a happy place.