Charles shook his head.

"Hold up a minute… you guys spent two years looking for this chick, and she just suddenly… appears out of thin air." he rolled his eyes. "Smells like set up to me."

"It wasn't." Sirius said, his face happy for half a second before it fell again. "She was really back."

"Then why are you all…?" Charles gestured to Sirius' downcast expression.

"She was… different when she got back." Sirius murmured.

There was a huge 'welcome home' party for Melody at Grimauld place. Everyone from the Order was present, including their families. Camera's for the Daily Prophet had come, trying to get first pictures of the returned hero, reporters interrogating her on what her time spent imprisoned by You-Know-Who was like. She put on a good show, laughed, smiled for the camera's, and went along with the banter. But I could tell that she was dying to get away. After one particularly lengthy interview I wrapped my arms around her waist and pressed my lips to the skin of her neck.

"Want to go upstairs?" I asked. Melody turned in my embrace and nodded.

"I'm getting a headache from all the frosting on that cake." she giggled, but to my ears, the sound was off. It wasn't as good natured as it usually was. We walked up the stairs, ignoring the macabre pictures on the wall, and made a bee line straight for the upstairs balcony. We stepped out onto the terrace and she wrapped her arms around her torso as a cold breeze descended down. I wrapped her in a hug, trying to warm her. My heart fell a little when she stepped away from me, her hands covering her face as her shoulders shook with silent sobs

"What's wrong Mel?" I asked softly touching her shoulders tentatively, rubbing my hands down her arms when she welcomed my touch.

"All their questions," she turned slowly, her eyes lowered to the floor. "I don't remember any of it Sirius. The past two years. All I remember is a dark, cold room that I never left. Only my memories of my family, my friends." she paused, and looked up, tearstains on her cheeks. "Memories of you. They were the only thing that kept me fighting." She leaned into my chest and took a deep breath. "Can we stay up here? It's just so loud downstairs." she whispered into my chest, closing her eyes. I lowered us onto the bench and she tucked her feet underneath her, pulling the folds of her dress around her legs to keep them warm. We sat there for a long time, and finally, her breathing slowed. She was asleep.

"Sirius?" James called. I hushed him as he stepped onto the terrace. "How's she holding up?" he asked, leaning against the archway bricks.

"She's asleep." I murmured, pulling her closer. James eyed me warily and sighed.

"I suppose out of all the air heads she could have picked, I'm glad it's you." James smirked, and reached down to brush a strand of hair from her face. "Has she told you anything… about the past two years."

"She said that all she remembers is a dark room." I hissed, my voice was strained. "I wanted to ask her if there was anything else. If she remembered if they tortured her, or interrogated her or…" I cut off and squeezed my eyes shut in anger. "I don't want to ask her though. Just in case…" James nodded that he understood. Just in case she reacted that way again.

"I just want to know what they did to her." James growled, pressing his forehead against the bricks. "I want to know why she's acting so different. Why she isn't the little girl I could just pull into my arms, tell her everything would be okay, and have her believe me." he beat the bricks with his fist, wincing the moment it made contact.

"All questions that will be answered with time." came a wise voice from behind James.

"Professor." we both hissed with surprise. Albus Dumbledore pushed his half-moon glasses up his crooked nose and smiled softly.

"When she is ready to tell us the rest, she will. This isn't something she's going to get over during the night." Albus said, nearly floating over to a bench across from Melody and I, and sitting down sinuously. I glanced down at the sleeping girl that was curled up in my arms. She looked so innocent. I could hardly think about what might have happened. I nearly had to have James take her as anger ripped through me. What if they had tortured her? How many nights did she spend in that room she remembered, calling out for her mother, her father. How many times would she have called out for me? My stomach twisted and an acidic burning began in the back of my throat. How many times had she cried out my name, crying because I couldn't be there? I swallowed thickly and buried my face in her hair, wishing I could take the memories of it away from her. Somehow allow her peace in a world she never should have been forced to enter.

If any of them had hurt her, I would kill them. Blindly and unjustly. I would kill anyone that even sympathized the bastards that had done this to her. I knew they deserved worse. Melody sighed unconsciously, her small hand fisting in the cloth of my shirt. It brought me back from my anger and I kissed her hair softly, groaning inwardly at myself. Melody deserved better than a murderer.

"She is good at hiding things, isn't she?" Dumbledore asked. James gave him a scathing look.

"She could hide an elephant in a cupboard if she had to." he snorted. I glanced up at him, and his eyes told me that was a story for a later time. I snickered, having no doubt she would have been able to do just that.

"Correct. Now." Dumbledore stood swiftly, a little faster than someone his age should have been able to. I nearly rolled my eyes, and asked myself 'since when does Dumbledore ever act his age?' "I believe I saw a particularly delicious cake downstairs, and it's not going to eat itself." he headed for the archway, and then looked back at me. "You two make a very wonderful couple." and disappeared. James snorted as my ears heated. I wanted to reach back and smack him, but instead simply pressed my lips to Melody's hair. James rolled his eyes and left me alone with Melody. I sighed and let my head rest against the brick wall, wondering if she noticed the changes in her personality we had. In the week after her return, those few of us who had been close to her before noticed a few changes. They were small, but they screamed to us.

The first thing I had noticed was her gait was no longer like a dance every time she moved. It had become more like one fluid motion, where one step blended into the next, no buoyant bounce that had always been there. At the most random of moments she would flee from a room and disappear for hours. Only when she wanted to be found did she come back, the only evidence of her tears were bloodshot, weary eyes. She never cooked anymore. It was as though she were here only in body, and that our Melody was still locked away somewhere, fighting to come all the way back to us.

I looked down when she stretched, her eyes opening slowly. She turned her head and smiled up at me, her warm hands wrapping around my own, bringing my fingers to her lips. I smiled softly and kissed her hair, then rested my forehead against her temple.

"I'm worried." I whispered, but she didn't look up. She stared down at our entwined hands, her fingers nervously stroking my knuckles.

"I know." she hissed, squeezing her eyes against tears. "I'm sorry. I know I'm different. I'm really trying Sirius." she mumbled, then looked up at the stars, her blue depths reflecting each one like a mirror.

"I'm here to help. Anytime you need me." I promised, kissed her neck and stood, holding a hand down to her. "Come on. They'll start wondering where you are soon enough and come looking. Melody giggled, again the sound was off, but not as bad as it had been before. A small flame of hope ignited in my chest. We walked downstairs and I left her with Lily and Harry in the living room. James pulled me into a quiet hallway, hissing for me to keep quiet.

"Did you talk to her?" James asked quietly. I sighed.

"A little bit. We should talk to the Order about what we should do. Half of them are here already." I glanced down the hallway, to make sure we didn't have any eavesdroppers.

"Yeah." James groaned, gritting his teeth. "I just can't stand to see her like this. I know she's trying to hide it. I wonder what they did…" anger flashed through my body, turning my gaze red. "Calm down Sirius." I glanced up and pulled my fist back, rubbing my bleeding knuckles. James sighed and fixed the hole I'd punched in the wall. Melody rounded the corner, a small smile lighting her face. But it was quickly lost when she saw my hand.

"What did you do?" she cried, alarmed. She raced towards me and cradled my bleeding hand between her own, warm ones.

"I was being stupid." I muttered quietly. Melody rolled her eyes and pulled out her wand. The door opened and we all looked up to see who was walking through the door.

"Hello." Albus greeted. Melody's grip tightened around my hand, and a growl was building in her chest.

"Ow… ow, ow ow!" I winced. Melody shook her head and looked at me. "Melody!" I hissed.

"Sorry love!" she released my hand and bit her bottom lip, her gaze was abashed.

"How are you feeling Ms. Potter?" Melody shook, and she didn't look up at him, her eyes and lips were tight when she answered.

"Fine sir." she hissed.

"I overheard you kids talking about a meeting. When does the meeting start?" Albus asked. Melody's eyes flashed in the light and her fingers twitched.

"We should start it as soon as the Prophet people leave.." James answered. Melody blinked slightly, her pupils dilating. Albus nodded, and moved towards the Family room. Melody watched him and the moment the door swung closed, she ran down the hallway, towards the door. James and I looked at each other, and ran after her, arriving just in time to see Melody pulling out her wand, pointing it at Albus' turned back.

"Avada…"

"Expelliarmus!" I shouted, forcing Melody's wand to fly from her hand. The spell also knocked her against the wall. Albus turned quickly, his eyes going wide with surprise. James swept up Melody's wand and I knelt in front of her.

When she looked at me, her eyes weren't blue, but a blank, colorless gray. The same as his had been when I saw him that night. My stomach clenched with fear.