Hi, I'm trying to get as many chapters out as possible before I go back to school so expect quite a few updates in the next week or two. I would like to say a big thanks to Araytigre for all the consistent , constructive reviews and support, as they always make me want to write more. I've been fiddling with my earlier chapters which were ridiculously short so that's why all the numbers are a bit messed up now but the content's still identical. Also I know the story's taken quite a sudden change but let me know what you're thinking so please keep reading and reviewing, and let me know what you think

XOXO- C

In the few days after Draco and Ella first hooked up, they carried much like what had become normal for them. Get up, get drunk, get laid. It was their new pattern and neither one of them could complain. Ella was glad for the distraction. Although the alcohol worked wonders in numbing her pain, it didn't stop her from wallowing in her thoughts. They had never spoken about their little arrangement, but they never needed it. Both knew it was just sex, nothing else. Most men's dreams, or so you would think. Time was passing slowly and all the hours, days and weeks were lumping together as one.

Late one night, there was a vigorous tapping at the window. Ella pushed her unsteady body off of the sleeping Slytherin boy next to her. Wrapping a dressing gown around her, she opened the window and an owl swooped in, carrying a letter. She instantly recognised the neat scripture on the front.

Ella,

Haven't heard from you in a while; none of us have actually. I know it's a stupid question and that you're probably not, but I hope you're okay. I know you probably haven't forgotten but the Karkaroff trial is in only two days time and Dumbledore has asked me to summon you to my place, where you can meet with your attorny and ask any questions you may need to ask. Send me the address of where you're staying and I'll pick you up from there at 12pm sharp tomorrow.

Padfoot

PS look out for a tall blonde man- it's my latest my latest disguise

Ella's hand shot to her mouth, the shock outweighing the remaining numbing effects of the alcohol. She had completely forgotten about the upcoming trial. She was dreading it, not just because she had to stand in front of a court full of people and explain the sorted details of her relationship with Igor and go through pain of having to relive what he put her through, but she had to face all the sympathy from everyone. That was the brilliant thing about Draco, he was cold hearted and uncaring and that was exactly what she needed right now. No amount of sympathy could ever lessen the pain, it only made it worse. She knew deep down that it was only because they cared but that didn't make it any easier.

"What's that?" Draco asked, rubbing his eyes blearily as he sat up.

"Just a letter from Si-" She stopped herself quickly, "Remus," She tried to correct herself although Malfoy still looked hesitant.

"About...?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"The trial's in two days," She sat down on the edge of the bed with a heavy sigh.

"Oh, worried?" He questioned casually, no emotion in his tone as always.

"Guess so," She shrugged nonchalantly, twisting her hands into tight knots.

"Talk," He instructed. This took Ella by surprise, leaving her mouth hanging open. Men never wanted to talk, especially not man whores like Draco.

"There's nothing to talk about really," She lied in the longing of not having to go into her emotions. That was the thing with alcohol, it either keeps emotions at bay or allows them to drown you like a tsunami.

"Well, allow me to take your mind off things," Draco drawled, smirking wickedly as he poured another two drink from the desk then placed a fag in his mouth and lit it. Ella obliged by downing her drink, before taking the cigarette of the blonde boy and taking a drag herself.

"And how do you plan on doing that?" She asked him with an equal wickedness. Smirking even more, he leaned forward, pressing his lips on her own. "I like the sound of that," She teased as he began to undo her dressing gown.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

Ella sat at the bar, dressed in distressed denim jeans and a loose fitting checkered shirt. She had had to shrink most of her clothes after her pregnancy but some of them had never quite returned to the fit they once had. She ordered a drink from the bartender, the hangover of the night before's, as she waited the arrival of Sirius. She nibbled at her previously well manicured nails and ran her hands through her short blonde hair nervously.

"Excuse me, miss," A gruff voice addressed her from behind her, "Do you know of Miss Potter's whereabouts?" She spun around quickly to see a tall, rugged blonde man.

"Padfoot?" She asked cautiously.

"Ella?" He asked, shocked at the drastic transformation of the girl compared to the last time he'd seen her. "You look...different," He said with a deep laugh as he gripped her in a tight embrace. "Very different," He added as he set her down and glanced over her.

"I wanted a change," She said shortly, turning back to face the bar, desperately wishing she had come down earlier to have drunk more.

"Remus was right to be worried when he heard you were staying on your own in a pub. We thought you were staying with other friends when you didn't ask to stay with us but really? Drinking at this time?" He almost scolded, shocked at, now he looked closer, how much of a train wreck she had become.

"What does it matter whether it's am or pm? A drink's a drink," She shrugged dismissively, downing the rest of hers.

"And this one drinks around the clock," The bartender added as he passed, causing Ella to scowl at him. Sirius gripped her upper arm in one hand and her trunk in another, before addressing the bartender.

"Get her room turned down and set up for your next customer, she won't be coming back," Sirius instructed the man, "If she's left any possessions have them stored and we'll collect them within the week,"

"Yes, sir," The bartender nodded and Sirius led a protesting Ella out into the backyard before disapperating with a crack. Ella felt as though she was being sucked into a vacuum and all the air was being squeezed out of her. The spinning, combined with the excessive amount of drink she'd been ingesting since the beginning of the summer holidays, which was now catching up with her through an almighty hangover which would only be cured with alcohol, the moment her feet touched the ground, the intense spinning still carrying on inside of her head, she threw up on the pavement.

"woah woah," Sirius comforted her, patting her back and holding her hair until she was done, "Come on, let's get you inside.

Inside of Grimmauld Place was dark and dusty and it was very quiet in comparison to the busy wizarding pub Ella had just spent the previous two weeks in. Sirius led her through to the long kitchen, where he took a seat and gestured for to to take the one next to him.

"How you feeling?" He asked, he eyes, which had returned to their normal stormy grey, heavy with concern, as he placed a, what Ella assumed to be a comforting, hand on her leg, although it was doing the opposite.

"It's questions like that, that are the reason I didn't want to come here for summer," Ella shot at him, pulling away from his touch and began pacing around the kitchen. Sirius grimaced, fighting to keep his temper under control, deliberating whether he should for Remus to return to have this conversation with her, seeing as she was obviously so feisty at the minute.

"I know you're having a shit time of it at the minute, but it will get better. You'll find a way through it and the first milestone is this trial," He said, also rising out of his chair, the volume of his voice slowly rising. Ella laughed a sharp bitter laugh, unlike any other Sirius had ever hear come from her lips. He didn't know whether it was stress and sadness that was imprinted on her face or the new, drastic hairstyle but all of a sudden, the young girl looked about ten years older than she was and much less like her mother.

"How do you know what I feel?" She bit. "Do you have any drink in?" She asked bluntly, deciding that seeing as he was obviously aware of her drinking, and it wasn't exactly a secret that he himself like a drink, that he wouldn't be shocked or any less likely to provide her with some than if she put it indirectly.

"Yes but you're not touching a drop until after this trial," He said resolutely, purposely ignoring her first question as it would most likely prevoke an argument, "If you turn up either severly hungover or drunk out of your mind, it could seriously jeopardise your case and the sick bastard could get off with nothing," He warned her.

"I don't even really care about the stupid case," She said sullenly.

"There's no point talking to you while you're like this," Sirius gave up, walking determinedly towards her, and began rummaging in a cupboard behind her and pulled out a small vial, "Here, take this- it's a hangover tonic- then go and take a shower and clean and sober yourself up before Dumbledore and you attorney get here in an hour," He commanded, before leaving the room, taking her case and showing her to her room. "Oh and Ella," He called as she entered her room, a plainly decorated room with a large double bed in the centre and a large, imposing wardrobe, "Don't let Moony ever see you in this state or he'll be on your back until you have children your own age," He said lightly as he turned back down the stairs.

~~~~~~C~~~~~~

An hour, and a thorough shower, later, Ella was dressed in a small denim skirt, reaching half way down her thighs, and a strappy navy camisole, complimenting her newly blonde hair, which she'd dried with her wand so as it lay in its natural bohemian waves and straighten her fringe so as it lay millimetres above her eyelids. She quickly smeared foundation and concealer on, in attempt to hide her heavy bags and washed out complexion, and laced her eyes with a thin layer of eyeliner to try and make them look more lifted and lively.

"Ella, you need to go and meet Professor Dumbledore," Sirius called up the stairs, which she descended, as composed and slowly as she could. Shooting Sirius a worried look, she left the house and headed for the small cafe they had arranged to meet in, across the road.

"Good afternoon Professor," She smiled politely as she entered and took a seat at their table.

"Good afternoon to yourself, Miss Potter," He greeted kindly as though their last encounter, in which she'd been so terribly rude, had never happened, "This is Mr Simon Dawson. He has been working on your case and will be representing you tomorrow,"

"Lovely to meet you, Miss Potter," Mr Dawson, a tall broad shouldered man, who looked as though he was in his early 40's, with smart, slicked back black hair, dressed in a smart ebony suit, "Now, I would just like to go over some things for tomorrow, if that's alright," He said formally, to which Ella nodded, giving him permission to continue, "First things first, I would just like to clarify that what I have been told is true," He stated.

"Okay," Ella nodded uncertainly, feeling her headmaster's twinkling eyes peering down at her curiously.

"So, did Mr Igor Karkaroff take you in to live with him during the year you were on the run from Beauxbatons Wizarding School?"

"Yes," Ella nodded solemnly.

"And during that stay, Mr Karkaroff made inappropriate advances towards you, am I right?" Ella nodded once again. "Good, and when you came to Hogwarts in the September, him as your headmaster, you attempted to end the affair to which I understand he did not take so well?" He asked.

"No," Ella said, looking at the table, "He didn't take it very well,"

"What did he do in retaliation?" Mr Dawson continued. The meeting carried on in the same fashion, with Mr Dawson just checking that what he had found out was all, indeed, correct. He had obviously done his research as he seemed to know almost everything there was to know, or certainly that she wanted anyone to know, about her and Igor's relationship.

"Finally then, Elspeth, is your attire for tomorrow. The defendant is being trialed for inappropriate relationships with school students; attempted sexual assault; physical assault and statutory rape. Therefore, I suggest you dress yourself down a bit, as you do look old for your age and whilst the judges cannot use the fact you look older than your age as a reason to not charge him, it will help you if they subconsciously think of you as younger, so light make up and I don't know maybe high necklines, no tight fitting clothes or short shorts and maybe a headband or something,"

"So basically make it look as though Igor's into the prepubescent teens," Ella joked bitterly. She hated that she had to jump through so many hoops just to prove he was guilty.

"Exactly," He said with a light hearted smile, gathering his papers into his briefcase, "Do you have any questions for me?"

"No, I don't think so," She shot an empty smile at him. As nervous as she now was for this hideous trial, at least it took her mind off of her daughter and her ex boyfriend.

"Brilliant, I shall see you tomorrow then," He said, standing in his seat, "Get lots of rest, tomorrow's going to be a long hard day," He waved to the young girl and old wise professor as he left.

"Do you feel ready?" Dumbledore asked his student in a positive tone.

"As ready as I'll ever be," She gave another hollow, bitter laugh that she was now so accustomed to it was second nature, "Is that all, Professor?" Knowing that look on her headmaster's face all two well.

"There is one more thing," He said hesitantly, "I'm sorry to bring this up as it angered so greatly last time I did, but I don't suppose you'd be able to give the ministry a statement about the night in the Graveyard after the trial would you? It's just, because only Harry has said anything and you have stayed quiet, Fudge is using it as an excuse to make your brother out to be fabricating the whole thing as some form of way of overthrowing the minister,"

"That's absurd, he's not even fifteen yet, why would he want to overthrow the minister unless he, himself, was Voldemort?" She spat in disbelief.

"My point exactly, Elspeth. Now will you be able to do so?" Ella looked at him for a long time, deliberating.

"I'm sorry, Professor," She spoke quietly as she shook her head. She didn't deserve to be in Gryffindor, she was a complete coward. She couldn't even come out and tell everyone Voldemort was back to help her brother, "I can't," She spoke weakly.

"I understand, my dear child," He said standing up, holding out his arm to lead an ashamed Ella back to Grimmauld Place.

"Professor," She said, looking at him with big vulnerable eyes, "I was hoping that perhaps I could ask you about something?" She asked hesitantly as they crossed the square.

"Sure," He smiled kindly.

"That night, when I was fighting Tom- after he'd blasted me to the ground- he came to finish me off but something happened I don't know what it was. I had lost my wand yet when I put my arm up to protect me, he was sent flying back into the air. I think I did it," She said hesitantly.

"It certainly sounds as though you did. I've been waiting for something like this to happen," He said with a thin smile, his eyes twinkling with a knowing look.

"What does it mean though Professor?" She asked, sounding far too much like a small child for her liking. She hated not knowing something. It made her feel defenceless and vulnerable.

"It means, my child, that you preformed wandless magic unintentionally. Wandless magic is a very advanced type of magic, and is something that many wizards and witches will not accomplish in their lifetimes. It's made more powerful when you are in danger, as you were that night. From young I always believed that you possessed unusual powers, as even as a mere 30 month old, you could already do things with out meaning to, like blowing up your father's glasses when he told you off once," The Headmaster chuckled at this fond memory, "Why you possess such powers, I do not know but that is why I felt that you could not live with your aunt as your brother did and that a wizard run orphanage would be more suitable. I am sorry for seperating you and your brother and I am sorry if you had an unpleasant time in the life I chose for you but know I did with your best interests in mind," The headmaster finished.

"Thank you, Professor," Ella smiled at him gratefully before entering Grimmauld Place with a deep sigh. Tomorrow was going to hard, she knew it but only if she'd known just how hard.