A/N: Now the real story starts! You guys might hate me for this chapter. Just a fair warning. Also, I have updated every day because of pre-written chapters but now, school is catching up and I do have two more pre-written chapters but you can expect updates once a week or once a fortnight.

MsPaigeMeadows: Ah, you meant Remus. Well, like I said earlier, I have plans for Sirius ;) I tried writing a Sirius/OC story (and indeed, two chapters are directly from that story but very modified) ;) But it crashed and burned and I never put it up here -_-

DeathByHanging: Thanks :)

Disclaimer: When are you going to get it through your thick heads? I don't own this! Gosh… (does an awesome Harold TDI pose)


"Bonsoir, Maman," I said, kissing Maman on the cheek.

"Bonsoir, bébé fille," she said softly, giving me a hug.

"Bonsoir, Papa."

"Bonsoir, Nicole."

I made my way down the hallway to my room, stopping to say goodnight to Sophie on the way, who had just gotten into bed. Once I was in bed, I lit up my wand (I was now seventeen and could therefore use magic) and examined the photo album of me and my friends that Lily had given me last Christmas, especially the ones at Lily's seventeenth birthday, which we had held in the common room. There was one of us five girls, one of me and the Marauders and even one of me and eleven-year-old Luc, who had started his first year that year (Tante Marie and Oncle Alain had allowed him to come to Hogwarts).

The highlight of the night definitely had to be when James got so drunk on Firewhisky that he tried to kiss Lily, who had punched his face in. Alice and Frank had gotten together at the start of our sixth year and Remus and I went on regular walks together where we'd just talk and enjoy the peace. On one of these, we'd even caught Bella and Sirius having a 'good time' in a broom closet.

"You can't tell the others!" Bella had begged. "Please! We want to keep it a secret for now!"

"Why?" Remus had said curiously.

"Well…you know what Sirius is like," Bella had replied, earning an, "Oi!" from Sirius. "I don't want Lils, Marls and Alice to get mad because they think that Sirius is taking advantage of me." It was true; Sirius had slept with quite a lot of girls throughout our sixth year, earning himself a reputation as a womaniser.

"We won't," I had promised. "But if Sirius does take advantage of you…well, let's just say that he and Mr Fist will become very well acquainted." He had actually gulped at those last words and fervently promised not to hurt Bella.

So all in all, it had been quite a fun year. When I got to a photo of Remus smiling that smile of his at the camera, my stomach lurched and I felt my cheeks warm up.

What? What the hell am I feeling? He's my friend! I thought furiously and flipped to another photo.

My seventeenth birthday had been a month later but nothing really exciting happened there, apart from the usual drunkenness, snogging in broom closets and doing the dirty in quiet places - all very usual when it comes to senior-only parties, from what I was told.

We'd had another party for James a few months later and while it wasn't as eventful, it had still been quite fun. I'd had to hurry poor Luc away when James and Sirius got drunk and started belting out really rude lyrics to perfectly ordinary songs and Marlene had drunkenly kissed an alarmed Peter but Lily's party had been far more eventful.

I bolted upright when I heard a crash in the living room and I softly jumped out of bed and opened my door a crack.

"No! I'll never join you!" Maman screeched.

"Crucio!" I heard a harsh female voice say and Maman started screaming. I took a sharp intake of breath when I saw her writhing on the floor.

No! No! Help! Someone, anyone! I begged in my mind.

"Avada Kedavra!" There was a flash of green light and Maman lay still on the ground. I started to cry quietly as they started on Papa and then I saw Sophie's door open and her head peep out curiously.

"Non! Sophie!" I hissed and I darted forwards, grabbed her and pulled her into my room before the Death Eaters could see. I shut the door just in time to block the flash of green light that extinguished Papa's life.

"Maman? Papa?" Sophie whispered.

"Soph…Maman and Papa are gone," I murmured. She stared at me.

"But they'll come back, right?" Looking at her sweet, innocent face made my heart break but I had to force myself to say, "Non, petite ange, they are not coming back." Sophie stared at me for a second before bursting into tears.

"Come on, we have to get out of here!" I hurried over to my trunk and shrunk it before popping it into my pocket and seizing Sophie's hand.

"Now, Soph, you have to be a good girl and not let go of my hand," I said and she nodded, still crying. "Sur trois. Une…deux…"

SMASH.

My door flew open and Sophie screamed and pressed herself into me as a group of Death Eaters entered.

"Lucius," I sneered, acting braver than I felt.

"Nicole," he sneered right back. He then looked at Sophie. "Oh, is this your little sister? I don't believe I've offered my congratulations."

"Go to hell," I spat as Sophie whimpered. Malfoy tutted.

"Dear me, I believe that you need to learn some manners," he said. "I thought that French people had good manners."

"Can I teach her respect?" a crazy-looking but beautiful woman asked eagerly. Malfoy mock-bowed.

"Go right ahead, Bellatrix."

Go figure, your best friend shares part of her name with a deranged Death Eater, was my last thought before I was overcome with pain. I rolled around on the floor, screaming and feeling as if a thousand hot knives were stabbing me. Distantly, I could hear Sophie screaming too and when the pain stopped, I lay on the floor, shaking.

"What about that respect, Nicole?" Malfoy asked. In response, I weakly spat at his feet as I sat up and his face contorted with rage.

"I gave you a chance," he hissed. "Clearly, pain doesn't seem to do anything to you. Bellatrix?"

"I'll enjoy this even more," she grinned and before I could stop her, she pointed her wand at Sophie and screeched, "Crucio!" Sophie writhed and thrashed around, screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Stop! Please! STOP!" I screamed and Bellatrix ended the curse. Sophie lay next to me, shivering and crying.

"Now then, Nicole, listen up because this is a one-time offer," Malfoy said silkily. "You can join us or we'll torture your sister and then kill her." He held out his hand and I stared at it.

If I can distract them for long enough, I'll be able to Apparate away with Sophie! I thought and I turned to Sophie.

"Obtenez le Dungbomb dans ma table de chevet et quand je dis, jeter," I murmured to her and she nodded furiously. I kissed her on the forehead, stood up and faced Malfoy.

"You win," I sighed and slowly stretched out my hand to take his. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sophie slowly edging towards my bedside table and saw that my own little distraction was working; no one noticed her.

"Hurry up, we don't have all night!" Rodolphus Lestrange snapped and I shot him a look of pure hatred. I saw Sophie signal that she had the Dungbombs and as I clasped Malfoy's hand, I shouted, "Jeter!" I pulled my hand away from Malfoy's and ducked just as Sophie threw a Dungbomb. It landed on the floor in front of Malfoy and as the Death Eaters coughed and tried to block the horrid smell, I grabbed Sophie tightly and took the Dungbombs.

"Accrochez-vous bien!" I said and when Sophie squeezed me to let me know that she had heard, I threw the rest of the Dungbombs and Apparated away, the last sound I heard being the Death Eaters' furious splutters.

Sophie and I ended up in James' street in Godric's Hollow and we walked the rest of the way, the house becoming visible as we passed the wards which recognised me as a friend. I became aware of a sharp pain in my leg and vaguely remembered hitting the bedside table while under the Cruciatus Curse. It didn't hurt enough to be broken but it hurt enough to make me limp slightly.

When we reached the front door, I knocked weakly and collapsed, the pain in my leg increasing. It didn't seem like anyone had heard, so I told Sophie to knock and this time, I heard footsteps.

"Who in Merlin is - Nicole! What's wrong? What are you doing here?" I felt James' strong arms pull me up and help me limp into the house as tears streamed down my face. He gently sat me down on a chair and I heard someone hurry into the kitchen.

"James! Who was it?"

"It's Nicole, Mum!"

"Nicole? What are you doing here?" But I couldn't answer; I was too upset and too shocked to say anything.

"Mum, can you make them some hot chocolate?" James asked and his mother must have nodded because I heard her hurrying around the room which, I slowly realised, was the kitchen.

"James! Who is - what are Nicole and Sophie doing here?"

"Siri!" I heard Sophie run past me and she must have jumped on Sirius because he made a small 'oomph' sound.

"Nicole? Nicole?" James gently shook me and I looked up to see him looking down concernedly at me, though his outline was a little blurred due to the tears in my eyes. "What happened?" I opened my mouth but no words came out and I ended up shaking my head wordlessly.

"Sophie, can you be a big girl and tell us exactly what happened?" Sirius asked Sophie gently and I saw that he had picked her up and she was nestling her face in his shoulder. She looked up and nodded.

"Well, I was going to sleep and I heard a loud noise so I opened my door and I saw these bad people hurting Maman and I wanted to do something but Nicki stopped me! And they shot a green light at her and Papa and they stopped moving, like they were asleep! Nicki told me to be quiet and hold on tight to her but then the bad men came in and made her scream and then -" She broke off and heaved a huge sob.

"They tortured her too," I whispered, my voice brittle in my throat. Mrs Potter gasped and I saw James and Sirius exchange murderous looks.

"It's bad enough that they'd do it to a teenager but to a child?" she said incredulously.

"What happened next?" I hadn't noticed Mr Potter enter the kitchen. Everyone looked at Sophie but she started to cry into Sirius' shoulder again and I had to continue the story.

"They offered me a place with them," I said hoarsely. "I used it to distract them while Sophie got my Dungbombs and we used them to get away."

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry," Mrs Potter said sympathetically, placing two steaming mugs of hot chocolate on the table. "Drink up, it will make you feel a lot better." Sirius slowly put a hiccupping Sophie down on another chair and handed her the mug, which she sipped from slowly.

"Maman…" she sniffed. "Papa…"

"With your mother and father gone, that means that you have to listen to Nicole, ok?" Sirius said to her quietly. "Will you be a big girl and comfort her and be good for her?" Sophie looked at him and nodded determinedly.

"I'll be a big girl," she said, crossing her arm over her chest. I smiled a watery smile.

While we drank our hot chocolates, Mrs Potter started arranging a room for us, asking if we had any relatives who could take care of Sophie while I was at Hogwarts.

"They all live in France," I replied. "My cousin, Luc, will be in his second year at Hogwarts and since he can't stay with us, Tante Marie and Oncle Alain might have to move here, which would be bad for Rosalie and Pauline because they go to Beauxbatons."

"Oh dear, that is a problem," Mrs Potter said worriedly.

"One of your cousins might be able to, wouldn't they?" Sirius frowned. "Remember Sacha, Nicolas and Mathieu? Could one of them be able to move here?"

"I'd have to ask," I said quietly.

"You and Dad can look after Nicole and Soph until then, can't you?" James said suddenly. "We have plenty of space, don't we?"

"Well, yes, that shouldn't be a problem," Mr Potter said after looking at his wife.

"Really?" I said gratefully. "You'd do that?"

"It would be our pleasure, dear," Mrs Potter smiled.

"Oh, thanks Mrs Potter." But James' mother gave me a stern look.

"None of that Mr and Mrs Potter stuff," she scolded. "It's Charlus and Dorea, ok?" I nodded. "Now, how about we get you girls off to bed? I think you two should sleep after your ordeal."

"I want to sleep with Siri," Sophie sniffed. "He'll keep the bad people away."

"Would you?" I looked at Sirius imploringly. "She's only four and the last thing I want is for her to have nightmares of Death Eaters."

"It's no problem, of course I'll do it," he said and I stood up and kissed him on the cheek gratefully in thanks.

Once I separated from the boys and my sister, I climbed into bed in the room next door to James and Sirius' room (they said that they preferred to share) and I fell asleep instantly.

I'm running down the hallway of my house towards my room but it doesn't seem like I'm moving anywhere - the door refuses to come closer. My limbs turn to jelly and I fall down, only to see Bellatrix torturing my mother.

"Avada Kedavra!" My mother screams and is still and then Bellatrix repeats it with my father. I can only watch in horror as my limbs feel heavy and I can't get up. Lucius Malfoy appears and points his wand at me, before his face turns into my father's, his eyes glazed white and his skin pale.

"You did this to me, Nicole," he rasps, making his slow way over to me.

"No! No I didn't!" I yell, trying to get up. Bellatrix turns into my mother, her eyes rolled up, her skin clammy and white.

"You killed us, Nicole," she croaks.

"No!"

"You killed us, Nicole," my parents sigh, my mother bending down and grabbing me. "Now we will do the same to you!" My dad slashes his wand at me and a flash of green light streaks towards me.

"NOOOOO!" I bolted up, screaming madly and I heard a door slam, before mine was opened.

"Nicole!" James and Sirius ran up to me and sat on the bed next to me as I shook heavily.

"Are you ok? Was it a nightmare?" James asked, rocking me back and forth, and I nodded.

"M-Maman…P-Papa…I killed zem," I sobbed, my accent returning in my distress.

"You did no such thing!" James said firmly.

"Oui, I d-did! I c-could have d-done somezing!" I sniffed.

"And what would have happened to Sophie?" Sirius said and I looked at him. "You did the right thing in getting Sophie out of there. What would've happened if you charged in and was killed?"

"S-Soph would be d-dead."

"Exactly. So be thankful that you at least got Soph out of there because there was nothing you could have done for your parents. And I know that they'd agree with me." Slowly, my sobs subsided as I realised that he was right; there was nothing I could have done for Maman and Papa without getting killed and then poor Sophie would never have made it.

"Y-You're right, Sirius."

"Do you want to sleep with me and see if that'll keep the nightmares away from you?" James asked me. "Not in that way!" he added hastily when Sirius and I stared at him. "We're just friends - no, siblings! You're like my sister and Sirius, Remus and Peter are like brothers to me - isn't that what siblings do?"

"Are you sure Lils won't mind?" I said with a weak smile.

"Under the circumstances, I think she'd force you in with me," James answered. "And besides, how do I know she'll even accept me this year? She's rejected me for the past six years."

"We'll just have to wait and see." I gave a watery chuckle and then James and Sirius led me to their room.

"She really likes you," I said as I watched Sirius get back into bed and Sophie instantly clung to him, despite the fact that she was asleep.

"I really hope she gets over it soon," he said, shaking his head.

"Aww, I find it cute," James grinned. "Paddy has a little four-year-old admirer."

"Ah, she's grown on me," Sirius shrugged, ignoring James. "She's cute and all but she's not my type."

"It's just a little childhood crush," I said. "I doubt that a four-year-old could fall in love."

"Anyway, shouldn't we be getting to sleep?" James suggested and I nodded as he climbed into bed and I followed, snuggling into his arms.

I knew that he didn't like me like that - in fact, I didn't like him like that too - but his embrace was comforting and when I fell asleep, the nightmares were only on the edge of my mind.


Translations:

- petite ange - little angel
- Sur trois - On three
- Obtenez les Dungbombs dans ma table de chevet et quand je dis, jeter - Get the Dungbombs in my nightstand and when I say, throw


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