Steel Bars

Chapter 7-A Vital Clue

Danni's eyes widened with horror and denial. She shook her head furiously.

"No," she said firmly. "No way. No way am I related to a Death Eater!"

Remus was watching her. A strange feeling began arising in him. He'd known Danni since the first day and now there was a strong possibility she was related to something they'd all been set against.

"It could be a mistake," James offered. "Those initials could stand for Emily Robyn Morris, the world famous witch who back in the 1300s helped save a Muggles life?"

They all looked at James now. Danni was still shaking her head.

"Have you been able to open that locket up?" Remus asked, forcing his voice to remain cool and nonchalant.

Danni shook her head.

"No, I've tried everything,"

"Everything?" James asked with a sly grin on his face. He was looking at Danni with a strange expression on his face. Remus knew what he was thinking. Using violence to open the locket up.

Danni must've sensed this too because she folded her arms over her chest and bit her bottom lip, chewing on it thoughtfully.

"James, I've not tried smashing it if that's what you mean," she said.

James shrugged.

"That might be the only way to see if there's a picture of someone inside there. That would be the ultimate test to see who you really are related to,"

Remus hated to admit it, but James had a point.

"I think that's the only way, Dan," Remus said quietly as he kept the book open to Elizabeth's page. It had a picture of her standing behind the bars of Azkaban grinning widely. Danni sighed and took off the locket, handing it over to James. James placed the locket on the table and took out his wand.

"Reducto!" he said.

A jet of light erupted from the tip of his wand and hit the locket. The light missed the locket, but instead hit the table, causing a large chunk of the wood to be torn off. However, the locket was opened now. Remus was a bit reproving at the fact that school property was damaged, however his interest and attention was turned onto the locket.

Danni lifted it up and gingerly opened the little door with her long fingernails. She pried it open. There was a picture of a woman with long dark brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. She showed it to Remus.

Remus felt as though a rock had settled into his stomach. He slowly picked up the book and showed it to Danni. There was no doubt she was related to Elizabeth, the infamous Death Eater.

Danni's eyes filled with tears. She couldn't believe that she was related to someone who was working with the Dark Lord. James was stunned. The look on Remus' face was enough. She burst into tears and angrily threw down the remains of the locket, brushing past James and storming from the library, not even caring that she wasn't under the Invisibility cloak. All she knew was she had to get away from this.

Danni entered the courtyard and took a seat on the stone bench beside the water fountain. Behind her the water tinkled softly. She sat, and leaned forward burying her face into her hands as she cried. All her life she'd wondered about her family and who she was related to. Now she finds out she's related to one of the most dangerous Death Eaters known in History. Elizabeth had infiltrated a Muggle village and then nonchalantly began killing them for no reason one by one. She would set up the least likely Muggle suspect, shifting the blame onto someone else. The only thing was she never used her magic. It was all done by hand. That's what made her so lethal. No one would ever suspect a witch would do something like that without using any magic. Eventually, Elizabeth moved back into the magical community. She did the same thing, still using the Muggle techniques of murder. It scared half the community to bits because they were all thinking that a Muggle had come into their 'realm'. She was also known to deliver unsuspecting witches, wizards and Muggles to Lord Voldemort for pure torture for fun. She would use the Imperius curse on them, so they had no idea what was going on. Danni sobbed uncontrollably now, her cheeks damp with the trails of tears as they rolled down. Suddenly, she heard a voice coming from her left side.

"Danni? What are you doing out this late? You're out of bounds,"

Danni looked up to see Severus standing there. He was the Slytherin Prefect.

"Go a head and take points from Gryffindor," she sobbed. "I don't care."

Severus looked at her startled.

"I'm not going to take points away. I was just wondering why you were out of bounds so late," he inquired as he took a seat next to her, but she scooted away.

"I just found out that I'm related to one of the worst Death Eaters known in history!" she sobbed to him. "Elizabeth Ryans Masterson."

Severus froze.

So that must've been about her locket then, he thought to himself.

"Someone as vile and cruel! The Marauders probably hate me now!" she sobbed.

Severus cleared his throat.

"Well," he said slowly. "I always had a feeling you were more Slytherin than Gryffindor."

Danni lowered her hands from her face and glared at him.

"You jerk!" she sobbed as she jumped to her feet. "I AM NOT NO SLYTHERIN! That is the last thing on this earth I want!"

Severus suddenly looked upset and also stood.

"No! I mean…" his voice trailed off but Danni shook her head furiously.

"Stay away from me!" she said and tore back into the castle.

Remus was sitting back in the Gryffindor common room massaging his temples. James had told Sirius what had happened and now they were discussing it.

"It doesn't matter to me," Sirius said angrily. "She's still Danni. We've known Danni for nearly six years now. I highly doubt she'll want to turn us all over to You-Know-Who."

"I know that," James said quietly. "But it does change things slightly."

"Not to me," Sirius snapped and sat down in the chair in a huff and folded his arms over his chest. Remus was the only one who hadn't spoken yet. Just as he was about to speak, the portrait entrance opened and Danni burst in. She'd been crying hysterically. Her eyes were red and puffy and her cheeks were tear stained. Immediately, Sirius got up and went over to her, hugging her. Danni seemed stunned for the moment as Sirius released her.

"I know you guys probably hate me now," she said quietly.

"No, Dan," James said quietly. "But we will need some time to get used to the idea. I mean we know you would never hurt anyone. But just give us some time to adjust."

Danni felt even more miserable. Sirius gave James a snarl before retreating to the boys dorm. James followed then Peter giving Danni a small smile. Now, Danni was alone with Remus in the dorm. Danni approached him and took a seat beside him. However Remus got to his feet. Danni looked up at him.

"Danni," Remus said quietly. "This is bad…really bad. The Death Eaters could be coming for you."

"Remus I know!" she sobbed fresh all over again as she stood up. "I never wanted this to be true but it is! You KNOW me! Would I ever hurt the people I love?"

Remus stood in front of her, towering over her to the point she had to tilt her head back to look up at him.

"That's just it! I don't know!" he shouted at her, causing her to cringe. "Death Eaters are the most sinister beings alive. If you were related to Elizabeth, that could mean that your parents were in the same boat! You're entire family could be Death Eaters and you could be working for them right now!"

"Do you honestly believe that?" Danni shouted back at him as angry tears now formed in her eyes. "Do you honestly think I'd turn my back on you, on everyone that's close to me and work for Voldemort? Shit Remus! I'm just now finding out my history!"

Remus briefly cringed at the mention of Voldemort's name but he quickly recovered and stepped even closer to her, putting his face close to hers so that their noses were inches apart.

"You could've been faking all these years! The Sorting hat made its first mistake," he said coldly. "Putting you in here with us when you belong with Snivellus and the rest of the slime Slytherins."

Those words stung Danni as though someone had whipped her. Danni just looked at him in complete shock and disbelief. Remus' angry expression now faltered slightly.

"Well," she said as her voice shook from emotion. "The only mistake I ever made was becoming friends with you. Oh. And don't worry. I won't be here in the morning. I'm leaving. I'm going to Dumbledore right now requesting that I leave. So you won't be in the presence of slime anymore."

With that, she turned and stormed from the common room.

Remus watched her go and sat down frustrated. One half of him wanted to believe that she was herself, that nothing had changed. But the other half was now concerned about her past and the fact that she was related to Elizabeth. Remus sat, burying his head in his hands. He loved her, still more than life. Why was he acting like this now? He should know she'd never harm anyone and just because she was related to a DE, didn't mean she was the same way. Besides, the Sorting Hat would've picked up anything troublesome. She would've ended up in Slytherin for sure. But she didn't. She was put in Gryffindor for a reason. Remus decided that he needed to talk to James too, but first, he wanted to apologize to Danni…if she was still wanting to talk to him.

About an hour later, Danni still had no returned from Dumbledore's office. Alarmed he got up and left the common room, not caring that he could get into trouble for being out of bounds. He used his werewolf senses and managed to track Danni's scent. He jogged down the corridor and turned left, tripping over something solid. Remus landed on his stomach and pulled himself up onto his hands and knees and turned around crawling to the solid object. It was Danni. A large bleeding gash was on her temple and it trickled down her temple. Her eyes were closed.

"Oh geeze, Danni!" he whispered urgently and hovered above her, gently but urgently shaking her awake. She didn't stir.

Danni moaned and emerged from the murkiness. She could hear voices from somewhere around her. They were whispering feverishly about something. Slowly, Danni opened her eyes and blinked a few times, clearing her vision. She soon realized she was lying in the hospital wing. She turned her head slightly and saw Remus, Sirius, James and Peter standing around the cot that she was lying on.

"For Gods' sake Remus! You know her! We all do! Why are you all quick to pass judgment on her even though we've known her for six freekinyears!" Sirius was hissing at Remus.

"I'm not saying that! I'm only worried that her 'family' will come and get her putting all of us in danger!" Remus hissed back.

"Guys shut it," James said in a firm tone. All eyes were suddenly on Danni. Sirius was the first to step forward and sit beside Danni on the bed.

"How are you feeling?" he asked in a solemn tone.

"Like a hippogriff stepped on my head," Danni moaned.

"What happened?" Remus asked finally coming forward but warily stood at the foot of the cot.

Danni frowned, trying to think exactly.

"Well, after I left the common room," she threw Remus a cold look that would've frozen the stunning spell. "I turned a corner and someone lunged at me. All I remember is something solid and heavy connect with my head. I don't remember anything after that."

Sirius glared at Remus too. James sighed.

"Dan, I'm sorry for the way I acted. I know you'd never turn on us. I'm sorry," he apologized automatically.

Danni turned her eyes onto James. She sighed too.

"It's alright," she said. "I mean it doesn't mean I'm gonna turn dark any minute. You all know that."

Sirius and James nodded, along with Peter. Remus was the only one who hadn't spoke yet.

"Come on mate," James said to Sirius and Peter. "Let's tell Dumbledore what happened."

Remus opened his mouth to protest but it was too late. The three of them had left the hospital wing, leaving Remus and Danni alone in the wing.

Remus slowly approached the cot and sank onto it near Danni's thighs. He was staring at his hands, which were folded on his lap. Danni watched him, waiting for him to say something.

Finally Remus spoke.

"Danni, I'm so sorry for the way I behaved. I should've known you would never turn against us," Remus said quietly keeping his eyes locked on his hands. Danni blinked before answering him.

"Remus, it's fine. I know what a shock that must've been for everyone. But I assure you…I'd rather chew off my own foot than join the dark lord."

Remus nodded and then rambled on.

"It-it was just hard for me to accept that someone I care about was related to someone who had done so much evil in both the Muggle community and magical," he said without stopping for breath.

Danni raised an eyebrow at him.

"And it was hard for me to accept that someone I care about to believe that I would actually turn against him,"

Remus raised his eyes to meet hers and gave her a sheepish grin.

"Tou Che," he said breaking into a grin.

Danni grinned back and leaned forward, snaking her arms around him and pulling him close. Their chins rested on one another's shoulders. Remus' expression though Danni couldn't see, was one of love for her. He briefly closed his eyes and nuzzled his face into the groove of her shoulder.

Danni felt him do this and she did the same. Her expression was the same toward Remus, all though he couldn't see her.

Lily had entered the hospital wing after hearing what had happened to Danni. As she quietly stepped into the hospital wing, she spied both Danni's and Remus' faces and decided that enough was enough.

"Oh for Heavens' sakes you too!" she cried, making them jump apart from being startled. "Why don't you just admit to one another how you feel already?"

She stepped into the wing and stood at the end of Danni's cot with her arms folded and there was an amused expression on her face.

"Huh?" Remus asked clearly confused. "What are you talking about?"

Lily moved her eyes onto him.

"Well," she said slowly. "I know that Danni loves you. And Danni, I know for a fact that Remus loves you. So why don't you too just admit to one another?"

Both Remus and Danni looked at each other.

Danni was frozen. So, everyone else knew Remus loved her? Why hadn't he ever said anything? Perhaps he was scared a voice said in Danni's head.

Danni reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Is this true, Remus?" she asked quietly in awe and silently feeling elated and happy.

Remus was unsure of whether to reply or not. He glanced from Lily to Danni trying to find the right words.

"Err," he began clearly nervous and as he looked at Danni, he realized that he'd better say something. He wanted to let her know how he really felt toward her. "Yes it is."

He finally said quietly.

Lily watched with a smug expression before she cleared her throat.

"Well anyway, my duty here is done. Dan, I'm glad you're alright," she said concerned before turning and leaving the hospital wing. Remus avoided looking at Danni as she carefully sat up and scooted closer to him.

"Why haven't you said something about it?" she inquired curiously, keeping her eyes on him. Remus shrugged one shoulder.

"I was embarrassed and I wasn't sure if you felt the same way or not," he answered.

Danni grinned.

"Well, I do," she said at last.

Finally Remus raised his eyes to look at her. There was joy filling his chest. He grinned and then Danni slowly broke into an identical grin. Remus wasn't sure if he should make the first move or not, but Danni took the initiative first and leaned forward. She kissed him on the cheek and hugged him again. Remus hugged her just as tightly.

A few days later, Danni was released from the hospital wing. She still had no idea who had hit her or why. She had no idea things were about to get even more horrifying.