I UPDATED!
FYI, there's a lot of French in this chapter. If you don't speak French, learn it, pull up an online dictionary, or just skip those lines. (Don't worry; the story makes perfect sense without them.)
Moving on…
There was a knock on the study door. Dumbledore and Sirius looked up quickly; McGonagall did not, however, as she was still comforting Elysa, who was sobbing into her shoulder, all student-teacher pretenses forgotten.
Dumbledore cleared his throat as he walked across the room toward the door. Sirius had the impression that Dumbledore was expecting whoever it was that was knocking.
Dumbledore opened the door; outside were six people standing together, some looking sad and some looking angry. There was an elegant woman in a red silk cloak standing in front. She appeared to be the most collected.
"We 'ave 'eard ze news, Dumbledore," she said sadly in a thick French accent.
Dumbledore smiled sadly. "Ah… well, come in, come in…"
The woman entered the room, closely followed by two other women and three men. Though they were all of different ages – one of the men looked to be in his early twenties, one of the women looked to be past fifty, and the rest were somewhere in-between – they were all good-looking, well-dressed people. Despite their blatant sorrow (the older woman was sniffling hopelessly, one of the men kept wiping his eyes, and the rest fared no better), they looked strangely impressive walking into the sitting room.
Elysa, her face streaked with tears, looked up in surprise. "Ely!" the elegant woman cried, hurrying forward.
Elysa began to cry harder. She mumbled something in French as the elegant woman reached her.
"Cherie, je sais. Je sais… Il sera bien," the elegant woman murmured. Sirius and Professor McGonagall stepped back as she and the older woman knelt on either side of Elysa. The elegant woman pulled Elysa into her lap and began to whisper to her in French. The older woman squeezed her hand and began to speak to her as well. The other four people – the remaining woman and the three men – were all speaking to Dumbledore.
"So… what iz it that 'as 'appened, exactement?" one of the men asked. "We received notification from your Ministère zat zis 'Voldemort' 'as murdered Gerard, Marie et les enfants... Comment est-ce possible?"
Dumbledore sighed. "Voldemort a tué beaucoup de gens," he said, shaking his head slowly in sorrow. "Je ne sais pas quand il s'arrêtera, mais…" he trailed off.
Sirius was not even remotely surprised that Dumbledore spoke French. Lately, actually, it seemed that everybody spoke French but him.
Dumbledore had offered the four people seats and now appeared to be explaining the situation to them. Feeling that he had no place in that conversation, Sirius turned back to Elysa, who was still being rocked gently by the elegant woman, and whose sobs had died down to silent tears. She looked over the woman's shoulder at Sirius, who felt his heart break, seeing her in such distress. Elysa reached her hand out to him, and he took it.
The elegant woman and the older one turned to look at him, too. "Qui est ceci?" the elegant woman asked Elysa quietly, looking Sirius over with a quick and mostly-indifferent glance. Sirius forgave her the indifference; after all, the woman had other things on her mind.
"Il s'appelle Sirius," Elysa whispered.
"Qui?" the older woman asked, not quite making out Elysa's answer.
Elysa, who was still looking at Sirius with tears uncontrollably welling up and running down her cheeks, squeezed his hand. "Mon ami," she repeated. She gave Sirius a shaky smile, and he smiled back weakly. He wished he could do something more for her – anything.
By this point, the four other people had finished speaking with Dumbledore. They all looked very glum, but determined. "Ely," one of the men said. Elysa looked away from Sirius, though she did not let go of his hand, and over at the man.
She tried to smile but couldn't hold it for long before breaking into tears again. Ely… if only they wouldn't call her that. That was what her parents called her. That was what Roland and Bianca and Celeste called her. "Ely, réveillez-vous!" "Ely, nous mangeons le dîner.""Ely, jouerez-vous avec moi?"
That was usually not what her relatives called her. They called her Lysie, or Elysa, just like the people at school. It was only when they were being affectionate or gentle, such as right now, or that time three summers ago when she had gotten sick and spent a week in bed, that any of them called her Ely.
And Sirius was the only person who called her Lys, though she wasn't sure why it was just him; "Lys" seemed like natural progression from "Lysie." Actually, when Elysa had thought about it a few days earlier, she had realized that she would feel strange if anybody other than Sirius called her "Lys." She hadn't been sure exactly why at the time.
The three men and the third woman had come over now, and the elegant woman had helped Elysa to her feet. Everybody was embracing her and telling her that everything would be alright. They had heard the news and had come by flu and by Apparition straight away, they explained. The six of them present – Tante Cerise, the elegant woman; gran-tante Renée, the older woman; Serena, Elysa's father's cousin, the third woman; oncle Harman, one of the men; oncle Orville, the man who had begun talking to Dumbledore in English; and Alixandre, Elysa's cousin, the younger man – had been in close vicinity of Paris when tante Cerise had learned of the murders, and had thus Apparated to tante Cerise's office as soon as they had heard the news. The six of them, minus oncle Orville's wife, tante Austine, who could not leave her children unattended, had Apparated in stages all the way to the Ministry of Magic in London, where they had met with the three Aurors briefly before traveling by flu powder to Dumbledore's office to take care of their neice/cousin/first-cousin-once-removed.
Sirius, who was no longer holding Elysa's hand, had turned away from her reunion with her relatives to glance at Professor McGonagall. McGonagall's expression was one of deep remorse mingled with relief. After all, it could not have been more obvious that Elysa was in good hands; considering the circumstances, of course, Elysa could not have been a better position. She was an orphan now – and at this thought Professor McGonagall felt a few new tears form at her eyes – but she had scores and scores of loving, caring relatives who would make sure that she would get along and be healthy.
Professor McGonagall looked over at Sirius, who she had noticed was watching her. She hadn't quite appreciated before how close Sirius and Elysa were to one another. All of her observations over the last six-plus years had shown Sirius to be something of a playboy, going out with different girls ever fortnight and doing god-knows-what with each one. And Elysa… she was a good student, and smart, but it hadn't been until this past year that she had really become confident.
Professor McGonagall had noticed at one point that Sirius Black had started dating Elysa Fauchelevent, and she hadn't given it a second thought. At one point months later, after coming upon the two of them making out in an empty classroom (something that she found students doing far too often), she had realized that Sirius had been dating Elysa for a lot longer than he did most girls. However, she still did not think much of it.
Now she did. There was just something about the way Sirius and Elysa acted toward one another that just seemed… intimate. Mature. Something. Professor McGonagall wondered how affected Sirius was by the murder of Elysa's family. She looked at him and knew it straight away from the look in his eyes: he was devastated.
Elysa's relatives had now found themselves seats and were settling down to speak with Dumbledore some more. Tante Cerise had Elysa by her side, and Elysa rested her head on her aunt's shoulder, her face red and puffy, blowing her nose occasionally on the handkerchief her cousin Alixandre had given her and looking exhausted from all of her crying. Despite her feeble efforts, tears kept leaking out, and so she was still wiping her eyes constantly.
When one of Elysa's uncles began to speak with Dumbledore in French again, Professor McGonagall said, "Mr. Black, perhaps we should return to the common room now?"
Sirius looked back up at her. "What?" he said. "Oh, right… I guess so…"
Elysa looked at Sirius; she did not want him to leave. But then again, he wasn't going to be able to remotely participate in the discussion her uncles were now staging with Dumbledore. Sirius looked back at Elysa, wanting to know how she felt about him leaving. Elysa swallowed and wiped her eyes, not taking her eyes off of his face. Sirius understood her sentiments. "Don't worry; I'll be waiting for you back in the common room," he said. "I'll see you really soon."
Elysa smiled shakily and wiped her eyes again. "Okay," she mumbled, barely moving her lips; she was exhausted. Being devastated took a lot out of you.
Aunt Cerise stroked Elysa's back soothingly as Professor McGonagall ushered Sirius out of the sitting room. Elysa watched him go, wanting more than anything to go with him. Though she felt very safe and loved surrounded by the relatives who had flocked to her aid, she would feel more content with him.
Elysa listened dully to the conversation her uncles were now staging with Dumbledore. They wanted to take her back to France soon, for the remainder of Easter break if possible, perhaps for a few weeks into the continuation of term until everything had been sorted out. Elysa was too tired to think very hard about what they were saying; she would think about it later.
Tante Cerise noticed that Elysa was almost falling asleep through her silent tears and nose blowing. Elysa felt dazed with exhaustion as tante Cerise told the others that her Ely needed to sleep, that this could all be discussed in the morning. By this point, it was nearly midnight. Elysa did not resist as Professor McGonagall, tante Cerise, and Alixandre led her back through the halls of Hogwarts toward the Gryffindor common room.
Sirius had arrived at the Gryffindor common room an hour earlier not knowing what to do with himself.
"Oy! What happened?" James called as Sirius climbed back through the portrait hole.
Lily noticed the disturbed look on Sirius's face the moment he turned toward them. "Sirius!" she exclaimed. "What is it?"
Sirius sighed and flopped down on the couch next to them. "Lysie's family… Voldemort got them," he said dully.
Lily and James stared at him, open-mouthed in shock. "That's terrible," Lily whispered. "Oh, poor, poor Lysie…"
James didn't say anything; he was watching Sirius closely. Sirius was staring at the flames crackling in the fireplace. He suddenly let out a moan and buried his face in his hands. "I don't know what to do," he whispered. "I just don't know what to do…"
Lily put a comforting hand on his shoulder. She was feeling quite shaken up by this instance and wasn't exactly sure what to do herself. James stood up and came over to Sirius's other side and patted his back. "Don't worry, mate," he said soothingly. "It'll be all right… we're here for you; we're here for both of you… and she has all that family; she'll be fine…"
Sirius rubbed his forehead and rested his chin on his palm to stare at the fire again. "Yeah… but… I don't know… the look on her face when Dumbledore told her…" he shuddered and buried his face in his hands again.
James and Lily glanced at one another over his hunched back. Lily had tears in her eyes; she couldn't help it. Her throat had gone dry and she felt as if she had been punched in the gut. James sighed sadly and turned to watch the flames in the hearth.
"We'll wait for her with you, Sirius," Lily offered.
Sirius made a muffled noise which Lily took as an "okay."
And so the minutes passed. Lily and James both fell asleep eventually, but Sirius hardly noticed. He was staring intently at the dying embers in the grate. Slowly, the common room emptied around them, until only Sirius and the sleeping James and Lily, who were sprawled on opposite ends of the long couch, remained.
The clock on the mantel struck midnight. Sirius watched the minute hand as it slowly ticked on: one minute, two, three, four… He gave up just as the portrait swung open and Professor McGonagall, Elysa's elegant aunt, and her young cousin entered, leading Elysa herself. Sirius jumped up and hurried over.
"…just needs to get some rest," tante Cerise was saying to Professor McGonagall. Elysa saw Sirius and broke away from her aunt. Sirius put out his arms and Elysa rushed into them, and he held her for a long moment. Tante Cerise and Alixandre gave the merest hints of sad smiles.
"Right… well, she ought to just go up to bed, I don't see what else…" Professor McGonagall trailed off. "Though I suppose one of us ought to–"
"I'll take care of her," Sirius interrupted. He didn't care what they thought of him, but damned if he wasn't going to do anything. Elysa said something muffled into his shoulder, and Sirius stroked her back reassuringly.
"Ah… well, Mr. Black," Professor McGonagall said, turning to tante Carise. "I'm afraid male students cannot go up the stairs to the female dormitories…"
"She can sleep in mine," Sirius said, keeping his voice completely steady. "Nobody's there tonight but me anyway; James fell asleep on the couch, as you see…" He stopped stroking Elysa's back to jerk his thumb toward James's sleeping figure. Then he started stroking it again. "And besides," he continued, "all of her roommates are gone for break; you can't make her sleep in there alone…"
Sirius felt Elysa tighten her grip around his waist. He had been right: she really, really didn't want to be alone.
Professor McGonagall gave a look of not wanting to drag this out any longer than necessary.
"Ah… cher, what say you?" tante Cerise asked Elysa gently.
Elysa turned her face, which was still tearstained, away from Sirius's chest to look at her aunt. She nodded bluntly.
Tante Cerise gave a sad smile. "Well… bonne nuit, Ely. Sleep safely."
Elysa smiled vaguely and gave an enormous yawn. Her face felt stiff from all of the tears she had shed. She knew she probably looked like crap, but she didn't particularly care at the moment. As Sirius put his arm around her and led her slowly up the stairs to the boys' dormitories for the second time that day, Elysa wanted only to lie down and never get up again.
When they reached the seventh year boys' dormitory, Sirius led Elysa inside and sat her down on his bed. Elysa leaned on her hands and stared at a spot on the wall, too tired to think anymore. Sirius strode toward the door. "Accio pajamas!" he said.
Elysa giggled; she couldn't help it. It was a funny incantation.
Soon enough, her silk nightgown came speeding down the hallway from her dormitory. Elysa wondered vaguely whether anybody had noticed it flying through the air. Sirius turned to smile at her as he caught it.
Elysa yawned enormously. She felt her eyelids beginning to droop as Sirius came back over to her. "Just get into your PJs, then you can sleep," he said gently.
Elysa rubbed her eyes, trying to stay awake, and looked up at him. "Help me," she said dully.
Sirius smiled slightly. "Okay," he agreed. He slid off her shirt and helped her with her bra and pulled her nightgown over her head, smoothing it down over her stomach. Elysa, her eyes barely open now, kicked off her shoes and skirt, took her hair down, straightened her nightgown, and crawled to the head of Sirius's bed, where she flopped under the covers and closed her eyes.
Sirius moved her discarded clothes over to the dresser and then got into his own pajamas.
As soon as Elysa closed her eyes she started thinking again. She thought about her parents and her brother and her sisters, of how they must have screamed when Voldemort arrived to murder them. Elysa began to cry again.
Sirius, who had just finished changing, hurried over to her. "Hey," he said, sitting down next to her and running his fingers through her tangled hair.
Elysa could not stop sobbing. The moment's rest she had just taken had completely rejuvenated her sorrow. Vaguely, Elysa wondered if she would get any sleep tonight.
Sirius crawled into bed next to her and put his arms around her. "Shhh," he murmured. "It'll be okay… just sleep, Lys, just sleep…"
Elysa cried into his chest, leaving a damp spot on his T-shirt. Sirius stroked her hair and wondered vaguely if Elysa would get any sleep tonight.
"I… just… c – can't…" Elysa gasped at last, "I c – can't stop thinking… about… about…" She drew a long, shuddering breath, trying to get herself under control. "Did they… did they… suffer? Or…" She started crying again, not able to stop herself. Images of Roland and Bianca and Celeste, screaming in terror and pain, were flooding through her head.
"I'm sure they didn't," Sirius said quickly. "I'm sure it was… really quick…"
Elysa drew another shuddering breath. She looked up at Sirius, her face streaked with tears and her eyes puffier than ever. She was holding onto him as if he were a lifeline. "S – Sirius," she whispered. "I... I sh – should have d – died, too… if I had gone b – back…"
Sirius shivered involuntarily and held her closer. As he gazed into her sorrowful dark eyes, he knew that she was right. It was an obvious fact, but he hadn't gotten around to thinking it straight-out yet: if Elysa had returned to see her family as she was supposed to do for Easter break, she would have been killed.
What would I do then? Sirius thought to himself.
He did not know.
"Well, you didn't go back; you're okay," he replied, his voice oddly choked.
Elysa looked at him imploringly, tears still leaking out of her eyes. "He w – wanted to kill us all… my whole f – family here in E – England… t – tante Cerise s – said so... oncle B – Brice and c – cousin Cardell h – had to g – go back to F – France until it's s – safe… Sirius, wh – what am I going to do?"
Sirius let out a shaky breath and kissed her forehead gently. "You'll do what your family says," he said quietly. "They'll protect you."
Elysa began to cry into his shoulder. Sirius stroked her hair some more and said, "It's okay… don't worry, Lysie; don't worry… I'm know your tante Cerise will keep take care of you…"
Elysa tightened her grip on him again. She was shuddering with the effort of crying. "But I want to be able to see you," she whispered.
Sirius felt as if he were going to cry now, too. "Hey, you will," he said gently. "You'll have to finish school, for starters…"
Elysa looked at him, their faces inches apart. A few strands of wavy hair had gotten wet and were stuck to her cheek; Sirius slid his hand along her silk nightgown up to her face and pushed them behind her ear.
Elysa took a deep breath. Then she said, "Sirius… what if she m – makes me leave H – Hogwarts? She m – might w – want me to go to B – Beauxbatons or… something…"
Sirius felt his stomach turn uncomfortably. "She won't," he said, trying to sound very confident. "What's the point? You're just as safe here as you would be there…"
Elysa sighed shakily. Her aunt knew this, of course, but she might still decide it was better for Elysa to be in the home country rather than oh-so-far away in Britain.
Neither of them spoke for a few minutes. Sirius traced his fingers over Elysa's back while she closed her eyes and tried to breathe more evenly.
"I don't know why he had to go after my family," she whispered at last, her eyes closed, finally managing to keep her voice steady. "I thought… I thought he was trying to protect people like us… I thought he wanted purity of blood…"
She drew a shuddering breath and snuggled closer to Sirius. "Why did he do it?" she repeated, her voice oddly high-pitched. "I just don't understand…"
Sirius wasn't sure what to say. He did not know the answer to her question, for starters; attacking the oldest wizarding family in Europe when one was preaching purity of blood just made no sense. Sirius was sure there was some other reason behind Voldemort's attack, but, as he did not know anything specific, and as he did not want to make Elysa start sobbing again when she was finally beginning to calm down, he kept quiet.
Elysa hugged herself and rolled onto her back, gazing up at the dark canopy overhead. Her mind was spinning. She was trying not to think about her family, but she kept thinking, by default, about Voldemort, and every time she thought about him she imagined him arriving at her house in Kent and murdering her parents and Roland and Bianca and Celeste. She kept forcing her mind away from that scene and back to Voldemort, and so her stream of thought was, "Voldemort kills people. He killed my… Voldemort kills people. He killed my... Voldemort killed my… merde, what am I going to do? Voldemort… he killed… AH!"
Sirius kept his arms around her. He stared at her profile intently, trying to discern what she was thinking. Elysa suddenly gave a shaky gasp and covered her face with her hands. "Sirius," she mumbled. "Don't ever leave me."
Sirius opened his mouth. He didn't say anything for a moment. Elysa wrapped her arms around herself again and turned her head to look at him. She did not know what she wanted him to say, but hopefully something that would help her relax and fall asleep and forget all of this until morning.
Sirius looked at her in the darkness for a moment. He could make out the contours of her neck, her chin, her nose, her mouth, her tangled hair spread on the pillow. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead softly, as a parent kisses a small child, and he said quietly, "Elysa, I love you. I will always love you. I will always be there for you. I will always take care of you. And you don't ever have to worry, because, I promise, I will never let anything bad happen to you again."
He had hit home. Elysa stared back at him in the darkness, suddenly feeling much calmer. She brought her hand to his face and ran her fingers down his cheek. Then, in a flash, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly. It only lasted a moment; the next second, Elysa Fauchelevent, feeling close to collapse with exhaustion and momentarily forgetting all of her fears, snuggled more deeply into her beloved's arms and fell asleep.
A/N: don't worry; the story gets happier (sort of) again soon.
...Review, please?
tulips car - I shall!
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StringBean458 - yeah well, stuff came up.
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