A/N: So just thought I'd clear something up real quick. I know it's taking Sirius a long time to re-enter the story. That's by design. And I don't want ya'll getting the idea that it's going to be all sunshine and rainbows when he does. This is definitely a Sirius/OC story though, not Severus/OC like it may be starting to seem like.

Let me know your thoughts, and please review/follow/favorite :)

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize belongs to JK Rowling.

September 1993

Ellie leaned back in her chair across from Narcissa and her mother, exhausted but still desperately attempting to keep her eyes open. Her hair was lackluster, having not been washed for two days, and she was wearing robes from the day before. She had been up all night nearly every night this week dealing with extra work at the Ministry due to the most recent sighting of Sirius Black.

"Why they insist on running you into the ground over this, I have no idea," her mother huffed while still sipping delicately on her tea. The women were at a small cafe located just a short walk away from Narcissa's house. No one had ordered anything besides tea, something Ellie was starting to regret due to the increasing volume of her stomach.

"I still think it's ridiculous they think he had anything to do with the Dark Lord," Narcissa said.

Lorella, Narcissa, and most other You-Know-Who supporters were of the firm belief that Sirius had nothing to do with the Potter's deaths. He was never spotted at a meeting. Never joined in on the man-hunt, and frankly, was too much of a blood traitor to ever consider joining the cause. No, they all believed that Sirius had heard about the Potter's deaths and had lost his mind; killing a street full of muggles due to insanity. Peter had tried to stop him only to be caught in the crosshairs. Of course, you'd never hear a single one of them voice this opinion. Sirius Black should be tucked safely away in Azkaban as far as the Death Eaters were concerned.

"And the dementors? Can you believe?" Narcissa continued. All three women shuddered. As cold and arrogant as they believed themselves to be, the thought of the guards of Azkaban sent chills down their spines.

"I think it's absolutely ridiculous that they have those things hovering around Hogwarts," said Ellie.

"Oh, I meant the train. Well, that too of course, but did you hear about what happened on the way to Hogwarts?" Narcissa set down her cup and leaned towards her.

Ellie threw a confused glance at her friend, "I haven't heard anything."

A gleam appeared in Narcissa's eyes which she only ever got from gossiping. "Draco sent word just the other day that the train was stopped by the dementors. They boarded and searched every single compartment."

"In vain, surely." Lorella said, aghast.

Narcissa shook her head. "Black wasn't on the train, no. But Draco said that Potter fell to the floor when the creature came near him. Supposedly he started hearing things and passed out."

Ellie felt her gut clench. It'd figure Harry would have an adverse reaction to those soul eating creatures. "What happened to him?"

"Draco says the brat's fine. Remus Lupin stepped in to save the day."

"No!" Lorella's eyes widened, "The werewolf is teaching at Hogwarts?"

Instead of lashing out at her mother, like she wanted to do, Ellie said with a hint of disgust, "Amelia was in meetings for days with Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. An obscene amount of formal complaints came out after the announcement, and some parents were even trying to press charges against Dumbledore for child endangerment."

"I don't blame them at all. I shudder to think of the danger Draco is in this year." Yes, because Voldemort's attempt to come back both years before weren't dangerous at all. "Did I tell you about what happened in Care of Magical Creatures?"

Lorella and Ellie shook their heads.

"Dumbledore appointed Hagrid, of all people, as professor, and on the first day he brought in a Hippogriff! The thing attacked Draco; sliced his arm right open!" Narcissa had become flush, a rare reaction. "Well, you can be well assured that beast won't be there much longer."

"Hagrid, or the Hippogriff?" Ellie couldn't help but ask.

Narcissa glared at her, "You aren't funny."

"I'm sorry." She really wasn't. "I'm sleep deprived."

No," her mother said matter-of-factly, "You're sex deprived."

Narcissa laughed.

"Mother!" Ellie exclaimed, mortified. That, she did not find it funny.

"Really though, dear, it's been at least...two years?" Lorella was thinking about Ellie's old suitor from the Ministry, Fionn Doherty . Little did she know, there had been no sex. When she passed him in the halls now Fionn didn't even look in her direction.

"Longer than that," Narcissa said into her cup.

Her mother was appalled, "No! Honestly, Ariella, I'd just die if the frequency of my relations were any less than the two weeks that they already are!"

"I'll just say I'm a very independent woman and leave it at that." She turned her nose up at their laughter.

"Speaking of," Lorella said, "there's this wonderful new product out that's come out that's meant to stimulate-,"

Ellie stood abruptly, shoving her chair back with red cheeks, "And on that note, I'll be off. Bust day tomorrow!" She nearly ran out of the cafe, her tormentors laughing all the while.

October 31, 1993

Ellie stared at the bottle in front of her, wishing desperately that it weren't quite so far away. Somehow it had ended up on her nightstand, while she had ended up on the floor. It wasn't an ideal situation.

She strained her arm upwards, fingertips just barely touching the cool glass. Ellie nudged it once...twice. The bottle slid further away. Sighing, she heaved herself up off of the carpeted floor. Ellie picked up the firewhiskey, frowning at its weight. She hadn't drank this much, surely.

Ellie heaved herself back into bed, it was harder than she'd thought it'd be. The bed was king-sized, the mattress firm, yet squishy. She'd had it for ages. In fact, on the day they moved in she and Sirius had-

Sirius. Her heart cramped. That's how she'd wound up on the floor.

It was Halloween, a day she loathed and wished during any normal year that she could just sleep through. Instead, she had forced herself to go to work, function normally, and look at the face of her ex-lover plastered around every corner. And to make it worse, this was the first year since Lily and James's deaths that she and Severus wouldn't be meeting. According to Albus, his potions master could not be spared to make the journey to her, and Ellie could not sneak in due to the presence of the dementors.

Perhaps it was juvenile, but the fact that she was now drunk and miserable alone was so much worse than being drunk and miserable with someone else, even if that someone was Snape.

Their unexpected friendship over the years had been a saving grace. They had a lot in common; a fact that took Ellie a while to accept. Both had terrible childhoods, both sought refuge at Hogwarts-though admittedly, Severus was far more academically inclined while Ellie held more of a social status-and both had made grievous mistakes which led to them where they were now. Alone, old, and miserable.

The fire whiskey burned as Ellie took one sip, and then another, until the bottle was empty.

Her headache the next morning was bloody awful; one hundred times worse than the time she and Lily had drunk two bottles of Mrs. Evans's tequila. At least she wasn't being yelled at now.

She was, however, at work. And so far it wasn't shaping up to be the uneventful, routine day her head and stomach were desperately hoping it'd be.

Ellie had stumbled into work this morning only to immediately be told to go straight to Hogwarts. The Ministry had received word overnight that Sirius Black had broken into the castle and attacked the Fat Lady in a desperate attempt to get to Harry Potter. All signs pointed to Black having already left the grounds, so a team of aurors wasn't necessary. No, Amelia had decided to send Ellie and a handful of aurors in training to get statements and figure out what exactly had happened.

She had nearly forgotten what it was like to be at Hogwarts during the day, as it was rare for Ellie to ever be called to the castle on official business... Still nursing her hangover, her first stop had been to Dumbledore's office.

"Ah, Ms. Stroud. Please come in." Ellie's closed fist hovered over the door. Show off. Features schooled into disinterest, she pushed open the heavy wooden door and stepped into the office.

Dumbledore had gathered several of his professors together to assist in briefing her. Severus, McGonagall, and Remus occupied chairs across from the Headmaster's desk, and to Ellie's surprise, Peeves the Poltergeist hovered at his shoulder.

Her old transfiguration professor started at her, almost menacingly. It was a familiar expression, one she had been on the receiving end of often enough in school due to her skill at costing Gryffindor house points. That said, the same glare was far more poignant when it was a result of your old Head of House thinking you were a twin murdering Death Eater.

Which, technically, she was.

Remus and Severus sat as far apart from one another as they possibly could. Well, to be fair, Remus was sitting in his chair quite comfortably while Severus leaned all the way to the left in his, as if the extra foot would kill him somehow. She noted with some humor that Severus's normally waxen skin looked even worse than usual; his eyes more sunken. He was as hungover as she was, which was impressive considering he likely had returned to his rooms late last night; she'd had all night to get to her level of drunk.

Upon her approach from the doorway, Dumbledore made to summon another chair. "I'll stand," she said, projecting an air of indifference she'd mastered over the years, "I expect this to be quick."

McGonagall narrowed her eyes even more. Remus cocked an eyebrow. Severus cast a haughty look at Peeves, who had cackled.

"Very well," was all Albus said.

Ellie squared her shoulders. She summoned a clipboard into one hand, and a quill into the other. "Why don't you tell me, briefly mind, what exactly happened last night."

McGonagall shot to her feet, "Why don't you show some respect, you-!"

"Minerva." Albus said softly, "That's enough."

Teeth grinding, the witch slowly lowered herself back into her seat.

Ellie looked expectantly at Dumbledore, "Go on."

At approximately 8:30pm last night an intruder had slipped passed the cloaked guards, broken into Hogwarts, and sought entry to the Gryffindor Tower. When denied entry, this intruder had then knifed the Fat Lady and escaped before anyone saw him. Several Gryffindors had come across the...carnage...on their way back from the Halloween Feast.

The intruder was, of course, Sirius Black. This, on the word of a portrait.

"And when did you arrive on the scene, Headmaster?" she asked while scribbling away on her parchment.

"The Gryffindor Head Boy, Percy Weasley, sent for me immediately. Professors McGonagall, Snape, and Lupin arrived soon after."

"And The Fat Lady was gone?"

At this, Peeves spoke up. It was odd, seeing him so subdued. Ellie was far more accustomed to the incredibly obnoxious flippancy he usually displayed. She, James, and Sirius had been given detentions many times due to Peeves drawing unnecessary attention to them. It was incredibly difficult to sneak into the kitchens with a screaming poltergeist following after you the entire time. Likely it was Dumbledore's presence that was keeping him in line.

"Saw her running through a landscape on the fourth floor, I did. Screaming something awful, too." His attempt at apathy was almost funny. "Though, I did manage to hear her mention what happened…," he let his voice trail off.

"And?" Ellie asked, not at all in the mood for mindgames.

"Well it was Sirius Black, of course!" Peeves waved his arms excitedly, "Lost his mind when The Fat Lady would let him in, you see. Slashed her all up!" The cretin was so animated Ellie could almost see a hint of red in his cheeks.

"That will be all Peeves, thank you." Dumbledore said quietly.

As he left, pouting, Ellie asked, "How long after all this happened did the students find the portrait?"

"Based on my conversation with The Fat Lady, Mr. Black attempted to enter Gryffindor Tower just after 8:30pm. The students came across the scene at approximately 9:10pm, and I arrived shortly after followed by Professors McGonagall, Snape, and Lupin."

Ellie jotted down everything he said. "And it was then that the castle was searched?"

"Professor Mcgonagall, Professor Snape, and myself did an immediate sweep of the castle while the Headmaster and Professor Flitwick gathered the students in the Great Hall."

"Who searched where?"

McGonagall spoke up, "I searched Floors five through six, Remus searched three through five, and Severus searched Floors one and two as well as the dungeons. There was no sign of Black in the castle."

"What about outside of it?"

"Hagrid searched the immediate vicinity, however, I thought it best to leave the dementors to search the grounds more thoroughly," Dumbledore responded.

"Yes, because obviously they did such a thorough job of it before that monster got in," McGonagall spat.

"That does raise the question," Ellie said, vanishing her quill and tucking her clipboard under her arm, "as to how exactly a wanted criminal managed to breach Hogwarts with dementors stationed at its gates and the most renowned Headmaster under it's roof."

A scoff drew her attention to to Severus. "Isn't it obvious?" he drawled. "It was Lupin."

Oh, here we go.

For his part, Remus looked unperturbed, McGonagall, however, could hardly contain her rage at the accusation. She stood and faced Severus, "You know as well I do that he would never help that murdering bastard!"

Ellie quirked an eyebrow. "Easy Minerva, there's a lady present." It was times like these when she really enjoyed pretending to be her sister. "Besides, it's a valid point. Mr. Lupin's known affiliation with Black make him an obvious accomplice." Sorry, Remus.

Remus held up a hand before the Gryffindor Head of House could round on her as well. "It's alright Minerva." He addressed Ellie as McGonagall sat back down, seething, "Sirius Black is responsible for the murder of three of my best friends. He left a child without parents. He betrayed everyone who loved him. Rest assured I had nothing to do with him entering the castle last night. I'd sooner see him get the Kiss."

Outwardly, Ellie stared at the man, disinterested and bored. Inwardly, she was crumbling. This is someone who had known Sirius for a decade; someone Sirius would have gladly died for one hundred times over. He loved Remus like a brother. A pit of anger formed in Ellie's stomach. Severus she expected this from, but Remus? The fact that he was so quick to believe Sirius had betrayed Lily and James; it infuriated her. Though, Remus was the only other person alive besides Sirius who knew about him being an animagi; the fact that he hadn't mentioned this was...interesting.

She glanced over at Dumbledore who was watching her intently. It was almost as if he knew her internal struggle, as if he could see her fighting for control. "For what it's worth," he said, "Severus and I disagree on this matter. I have no doubt whatsoever that Professor Lupin had anything to do with the attack last night."

"Remus, there are aurors in the Great Hall waiting for instruction. Please tell them they may begin their inspection of the grounds and the castle provided they do not disrupt any of the students. They may speak with Percy Weasley if he wishes to talk." The Remus nodded and left, eyes downcast.

"Minerva, please have Mr. Filch locate The Fat Lady again. I believe she has moved since last night. And ensure Sir Cadagon does not hinder the Ministry's investigation in any way." He said the last part with a twinkle in his eyes. "Ms. Stroud will meet you in your office in half an hour."

Dumbledore slowly rose to his feet, robes billowing around him. "This is a formal letter to the Minister requesting the removal of the dementors from Hogwarts. Clearly, their presence has not so much as dissuaded Sirius from coming after Harry." Though he was being sarcastic, Ellie noted the barely concealed rage in his voice.

She withdrew the parchment from his outstretched hand, "Sirius isn't-"

"Oh hell, woman. Are you completely daft?" Severus stood from his chair and approached her. "He broke into Hogwarts, shredded The Fat Lady's portrait, and then disappeared without a trace. It was premeditated and violent." If he had his way, Severus would serve Sirius to the dementors on a silver platter, and as much as she valued him as a friend, Ellie would sooner die than let him.

Looking at the seriousness of their faces, she could tell their minds were entirely made up. In reality, she should have accepted this years ago; no one believed Sirius was innocent. Yes he had broken into the castle, yes he was enraged...but it had to be because of something besides Harry, she was sure of it. What no one seemed to notice was that Sirius had been a student at Hogwarts, he knew the Halloween Feast began at 7:00 pm and concluded at 9:00pm. He had known the students would not be in their dorms.

Instead of trying once again to plead Sirius's case, Ellie withdrew the clipboard from under her arm and vanished it. "Are we done here?" She went back to using her sister's tone of voice.

Dumbledore and Severus regarded her, the latter tense and ready for an argument, the former with intense speculation.

"Have you had any contact with Sirius Black since his escape?"

Ellie couldn't contain herself. "I know my place, Albus," she spat. "You've drilled it into my head repeatedly since I threw that thrice-damned wall on my sister!" She was yelling now, but she couldn't seem to stop. "I may not be the most intelligent person, but I know that in the long run, staying away from Sirius keeps Harry safe."

"Now," Ellie took a deep breath and exhaled, "are we done?"

Dumbledore inclined his head.

"Good." She cleared her throat, and started towards the door, "I don't expect the aurors to take too long; there's not much they can do with word of mouth evidence. I'll send my report for your signature later this evening, if that isn't too much trouble."

"That will be fine." Dumbledore said calmly before reminding her, "Please make sure the Minister receives that letter."

"I will," Ellie said as she pulled open the door, "fat lot of good it'll do you though."

The door slammed shut behind her.