A/N: Second half of the prologue! Hope you enjoy. Review, review, review!

August 12, 1987

When Ellie decided to move out of Malfoy Manor several years ago, it hadn't been too difficult deciding where to live. The flat that had once belonged to her and Sirius had sat vacant for years. It wasn't all that hard 'adjusting' some Ministry documents to list Ari as the recipient of all of Ellie's belongings in the event of her death, and Sirius already had Ellie listed as the beneficiary in his will. Therefore, after a small argument with Dumbledore during which Ellie told him in no uncertain terms that this was one thing she would not budge on, Ellie moved into the flat.

After a particularly trying day at work, her favorite thing to do was come home and change immediately into her pajamas, something she wasn't able to do at the Malfoy's. Currently, Ellie was enjoying a glass of wine on her couch with the soothing voice of Rod Stewart wafting through her Walkman's headphones-also something she couldn't do at the Malfoy's. The Walkman was one of her favorite Christmas gifs Sirius had ever gotten her, besides the ruby paw necklace that still hung around her neck.

Ellie readjusted on the couch, leaning back to get more comfortable as she flipped through the photo album in her lap. This had been her birthday gift from Lily one year. The pages were filled with pictures of Ellie, Lily, and the Marauders throughout their friendship. Photos of Ellie and Lily, with some of Lucy Johnson and Mary McDonald in there as well, made up a large portion of the book, as they were fast friends early on in their years at Hogwarts.

Images of James, Sirius, Remus and Peter were further towards the back. Ellie paused often when looking at these. Some picture were of the boys solely. The pictures were taken on Hogwart's grounds; James would be leaning against a tree, wand twirling in his hand, Sirius was often lying on the ground taking a nap, off to the side Remus would be reading, and Peter would usually be talking, though to whom no one ever really knew.

She continued flipping through the pages before one picture in particular caught her eye. Lily had taken it right when Ellie and Sirius had first moved in together.

The couple was sitting together on their new couch, the very one Ellie now occupied. Sirius sat at the edge with his head towards turned James, who sat in the chair next to them. In James's lap was Lily-her gift at nonverbal magic made it very easy for her to levitate the camera and take the pictures without being noticed.

Ellie had her head in the crook of Sirius's shoulder. She snuggled further into his when his hand rose to stroke her hair.

It was an innocent moment. A blink in the grand scheme of things. Still, Ellie would kill to be able to relive it.

All of her musings of better times turned her mind to Harry. He would have just turned seven. Against her better judgement, and with a head led largely by the bottle of wine she'd consumed in the last hour, Ellie journeyed to Little Whinging.


She arrived at 12 Privet Drive at a quarter til 9. Hoping to blend into the darkness, Ellie clutched her cloak more tightly to her and made her way towards the large bay window that looked into the living room.

What she saw there made her blood boil.

Lily's sister Petunia and her husband were sitting on the couch, mindless watching whichever program was currently airing. Their son, Dudley, sat at their feet playing with some sort of miniature motor vehicle that lit up and made the most annoying noises.

Ellie noticed Harry in one corner of the room. While his aunt, uncle, and cousin were occupying themselves with entertainment, her godson was painstakingly dusting a cabinet full of china. China she doubted even had some speck of dust on it.

Furious, Ellie drew her wand from her cloak. Within seconds, the TV was had combusted into a melted heap on the floor and Dudley's toy had begun chasing him around the room. While his family members ran about the room, Harry stood off to the side, laughing quietly.

A small smile appeared on Ellie's own face. As her gaze lingered on the dark-haired boy who already looked astonishingly like his father, she felt for a moment as if her old friends were smiling with her.

It was near eleven when Ellie finally returned home. She closed the door a bit too forcefully. Seeing Harry tonight and leaving Privet Drive without him had turned her mood sour. She made her way into the kitchen to pour herself a drink, and it was was there, on the table, that the red envelope of Dumbledore's Howler lay waiting for her.

June 5, 1988:

"Auntie come here!" Small hands tugged Ellie out thru the door that led to the garden, "Look what Father got me!"

Ellie had only just knocked on the Malfoy's front door when Draco had yanked it open and pulled her inside. It was the boy's 8th birthday, and apparently his favorite present was outside at the moment. Sure enough, once outside Draco ran up to a brand new Comet 260 broomstick, fresh out its wrapping paper.

"Father gave it to me this morning!" He eyed the broom adoringly for a moment before his face turned bitter. "Mother won't let me on it yet though. She says its too dangerous."

Thank goodness one of them had some sense. "Then we'd best wait to use it then, yes?"

Draco mumbled something incoherently, then asked, "Did you bring my lemon tart?"

"Maybe." Ellie drug out the word dramatically.

His face fell "Auntie you promised!"

"It's inside." Ellie barely got the words out before the boy was rushing back indoors. "Careful Draco!" She hollered after him. Cissy would skin her alive if he fell while charging after sweets.

Ellie arrived in the kitchen to find Ari's godson with a face covered in sugar and a mouth full of lemon tart.

She cocked her eyebrow at him and was met with a crumb speckled grin. Unable to resist, Ellie lowered herself down to the floor. Once seated, she stretched her legs out before her and moved Draco into her lap. Without the use of her wand, she slowly levitated the remaining lemon tart off of the counter and into her hands. Over the course of the next ten minutes the two ate the entire thing.

The light click of heels signaled Narcissa entrance. "What's going on in here?" She glared down at them with hands on her hips.

Ellie and Draco looked guiltily up from the floor

"Sorry Cissy, he's just too cute to say no to." Draco smiled and blinked his blue eyes at her. Ellie couldn't help but chuckle right before hugging him closer and peppering his cheeks with kisses.

Narcissa rolled her eyes, "Honestly Ari, he walks all over you."

"You're just jealous you didn't get any."

"No...but Lucius may have want wanted some."

"I'm fresh out of lemon, but I'll bring by something else tomorrow."

"Just as long as you don't bring that pecan pie again."

January 11, 1989

Sirius would always be the love of her life. Ellie had realized this years ago. Nothing would change it.

She struggled with the idea of moving on. How was it fair for her, who Sirius thought dead, to find happiness, while he sat in a cell convinced that everyone he knew and loved was dead. It felt like a betrayal. However, nearly nine years after his imprisonment Ellie made the decision-with much encouragement from Albus-to move on. Or at least attempt to.

Fionn Doherty had approached Ellie weeks ago. He worked for The Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Ellie suspected as a Hit-Wizard, a conclusion she arrived at after asking four times what his job was and never receiving an answer. Despite his job description, Fionn was a kind man. He brought her lunch when she refused to join him during his. He walked her home despite her attempts to persuade him from doing so. He was good, something Ellie hadn't been around in a long, long time.

And Merlin, he was gorgeous. Ellie may have been celibate, but she wasn't blind. When he'd finally cornered ellie to ask her to licht, she'd been the envy of everyone female Ministry employee and at least a few men as well.

Tonight, Ellie had Fionn had just arrived back at the flat after their third date. As usual, he pressed a light kiss to her lips, "Goodnight, Ari," he whispered.

Before he had chance to full away, Ellie laced her hands together behind his neck. "Would you like to come in?" She whispered against his lips.

Fionn drew back from her. "Are you sure?"

No.

"Yes."

Fionn cradled her the back of her head in his hands and kissed her gently. After allowing it for a moment, Ellie pulled away, disentangling her hands from behind his neck. She took Fionn's hand in her before unlocking the front door and drawing him inside.

The pair slowly made their way to her bedroom, clothes discarded haphazardly along the way. They stumbled into the bed, Ellie entirely naked and Fionn in the process of ridding himself of his boxers. Once that had been accomplished, he crawled towards Ellie, trapping her underneath him with elbows rested on either side of her head.

Fionn's green eyes stared into hers, gentle and affectionate. He placed a chaste kiss on her forehead, then lazily move his lips to her neck, her breast. There her stopped to tease her nipples, his tongue bringing each to a point.

He drew back to stare. "You're gorgeous," he muttered.

Fionn then proceed to continue his pathway downwards. His teeth nibbled her waist. His tongue lightly trailed over her hip. Over her birthmark.

When he finally reached the apex of her thighs, Ellie was panting with the urge not to bolt. She willed herself to relax and grasped his hair in her fists as he ran it through her folds.

For several minutes his mouth remained on her, lightly stroking. Ellie looked down to see his grey eyes gazing up at her.

Fionn's eyes aren't grey. Ellie blinked.

Grey had turned back to green.

She sighed and ran her fingers through Fionn's shoulder length black hair.

Only, Fionn's hair wasn't shoulder length. Nor was it black.

Ellie blinked again.

This time, grey didn't fade to green, and dark blonde hair remained black.

"Sirius." She whispered.

"What?"

Slowly, the image of Sirius cradled in between her thighs morphed back into Fionn's features. His eyes were filled with hurt as he stared at her.

"I'm sorry." Ellie mumbled as she wiggled out from under Fionn, immediately picking her dress up off the floor.

"What's wrong? Fionn questioned. "Did I hurt you?"

She zipped her dress closed. "No. I-I just." Ellie sighed. "I can't do this."

And with that she left the bedroom, running down the hall and out the door of her own flat, her heart sick and her body still begging for attention it had only ever-and likely would only ever-receive from Sirius.

August 3, 1990:

Ellie reclined comfortably in a chair opposite Dumbledore's desk. Over the years she'd found herself more and more relaxed in the man's presence. They'd struggled the first few years due to him keeping Harry from her, and even now she would occasionally feel a strike of hatred towards him for that, but for the most part Ellie had come to like the Headmaster.

On his part, he spoke to her more familiarly and kept her in close confidence. Ellie had to suspect that the latter was largely due to her close connection to the Malfoys. As grandfatherly as he seemed, Dumbledore alway had his reasons, nothing was ever done without some alternative motive.

Dumbledore sat opposite Ellie, reclined in his own chair. "I trust there is a reason you wanted to meet?" He asked with raised brows.

She leaned forward to rest her elbows on her knees. "There have been rumors circulating lately, Albus. Some of the old Death Eaters have been travelling, and I've heard a few of them have started...moving."

"'Moving' how exactly?"

"Mcnair has applied for a Ministry job, and Avery has put in a request to become an Auror-surprising considering he only just avoided Azkaban." Ellie hesitated. "Also...Lucius had a visitor the other day. I came to visit with Narcissa and he was showing Quirrell out."

"Quirinus Quirrell?"

Was there another Quirrell? "The same. He looked very suspicious Albus."

"He's taken a sabbatical this year." Dumbledore mused, "He mentioned travelling."

"Well all I'm saying is you might want to make sure he isn't travelling the world on Lucius's gallon. An expedition funded by the Malfoy's sounds like trouble we don't need."

September 1, 1991:

Finally.