Chapter 48
As they quickly left the courtrooms, Sirius glanced down at Rochelle worriedly. To be frank, he wasn't sure what to do or say. Her eyes were red, but it was no longer with grief or despair, as it had been for the past few days. There was something different in her eyes. A burning determination. It scared Sirius.
"Are you all right?" he asked her, having just pulled off the Cloak. She had her arms wrapped around herself as they walked through the hallways of the Ministry, but she didn't look at him.
"I'm fine," she said coldly. "I just want to get out of here, please."
Sirius nodded. He wasn't sure what made him do it; but he put an arm around her shoulders as they quickly found their way to the Floo Network. Her body curled into his gratefully, and Sirius couldn't resist the warmth that he felt. It reminded him of nights spent together, curled up in the Room of Requirement so long ago. His hand stroked her arm comfortingly as they reached the long hall filled with fireplaces on either side.
Sirius was about to approach one of them when he felt Rochelle stiffen suddenly under his grasp. Looking down at her he saw that her gaze was fixed on something near the other side of the room. Her eyes flashed with anger.
Abraxas Malfoy smirked as he watched his niece untangle herself from Sirius and march over to him. Her eyes flashed dangerously, and her fists were clenched as she trembled with anger. Sirius ran after her, trying to pull her back, but she shook him off violently.
"Rochelle," Abraxas greeted. Lucius was standing silently, the sight of Rochelle marching towards them seeming to startle him. "May I offer my sympathies? It is most unfortunate that-"
"I don't want your bloody sympathies," Rochelle hissed. "You're not just a disgrace to my family, you're a disgrace to wizards and witches everywhere! I am ashamed to be related to a vile human being like you, and – let me go, Sirius! I hope you die and rot in hell!"
Sirius tried to restrain Rochelle, as she attempted to hit Malfoy. He gripped her around her waist and pulled her back, shocked at the amount of strength she seemed to have when she wanted to assault someone. Rochelle kicked and flailed, screaming for him to let her go. "Sirius, stop it! I want to kill him! I want him to die the way he had my parents killed! Let me go!"
Abraxas watched them struggling, with his eyebrows raised. Then he looked at Sirius. "I'd keep an eye on her, if I were you. She'll end up in a ward in St. Mungo's along with all the other crackpots." Then he turned around, and he and his son flooed away.
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"But how could he lie?" James wanted to know. "I mean, they both took the Veritaserum, didn't they? How could they lie unless that's what actually happened?"
Rochelle gave him a dark look, causing James to flinch slightly. "That's not what happened."
"Sorry. I didn't mean it that way, I just-"
They were sitting in Sirius' living room, hours after the trial. Rochelle had taken a while to calm down. She'd kicked and screamed the entire time Sirius dragged her home, leaving him with a considerable amount of bruises. She calmed down after a while, though, once Lily and James came over. They brought Remus, who was staying with them for a while. Rochelle managed to compose herself long enough to greet him politely.
Lily interrupted James' apology, looking thoughtful. "But Veritaserum isn't infallible, is it? I mean, it's not fool-proof, that's why it's not regularly used in trials. What disturbs me is that the Council agreed to let the witnesses testify under Veritaserum. If you ask me, it sounds rather convenient."
Rochelle nodded. "That wouldn't be too hard for Abraxas. He's a powerful wizard, not to mention a Death Eater. I'd be surprised if he wasn't trained to resist the effects of Veritaserum. It was his plan all along; to lie under the potion's effects while I'd be forced to tell the truth. He managed to make me look like an idiot and the Council discredited everything I said."
There was a long silence. Sirius sat up. "More Firewhisky, anyone?" James and Remus nodded their approval. Lily shook her head, while Rochelle stared thoughtfully into the fire. Sirius paused, looking at her. "Rochelle? More Firewhisky?"
"Hm?" Rochelle glanced up at him, blankly. "Um, no, thank you. The last thing I need right now is to be drunk."
Sirius shrugged, heading back into his kitchen. He kept an eye on Rochelle's slouched form as he pulled out more bottles of Firewhisky. His shoulders still hurt from when he'd had to restrain her at the Ministry; Rochelle wasn't exactly tiny or frail, but it was still an enormous amount of strength when compared to her body size. He supposed grief could do that to you. He was just closing the refrigerator, when the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," Lily volunteered. She swung the front door open, and smiled when she saw Albus Dumbledore standing behind it. "Professor! Please, come in."
Professor Dumbledore ducked his head slightly to get in through the doorway, and then smiled around at the people sitting in the living room. "Well, quite a gathering we have here! Miss Vittori, I think I have someone you'll be rather pleased to see."
Rochelle sat up, surprised, until she noticed the tiny figure that was hiding behind the Headmaster's huge frame. Her eyes lit up. "Dipsy! Oh my goodness, are you all right? Where have you been?"
The house elf seemed a little startled when Rochelle jumped out of her seat to embrace her. When she pulled away, the elf was teary-eyed. "Dipsy is fine, miss. Dipsy thanks miss for her concern."
Professor Dumbledore smiled down at them kindly. "There's nothing to worry about, Miss Vittori. Dipsy has been offered a position in the Hogwarts kitchens, which she was rather reluctant to accept without your permission."
Dipsy nodded. "Dipsy did not want to accept, because Dipsy thought that miss would need her."
Rochelle smiled. Her blue-grey eyes had lit up more than they had in the past few days, and Sirius found himself staring at her in surprise. How was it that a simple house elf could make her so happy? He watched as Rochelle laughed lightly, the sound making him feel suddenly nostalgic. He could see those small dimples at the corners of her mouth, but he quickly turned away so that he wouldn't be caught staring at her. Remus was giving him an odd look.
"Oh, Dipsy, that's so sweet of you," Rochelle replied. "But you should go to Hogwarts. You'll be happy there. Didn't you once tell me that one of your sisters worked there?"
Dipsy nodded. "Miss is very kind to remember."
"Well, then you must go. Here, I'll just…" she glanced around the room, with a frown. "Does anyone have any clothing? Oh, here; take this. You're free now."
Sirius was so caught up watching the smile on Rochelle's face that it took him a moment to realize what Rochelle was handing the teary house elf. "Hold on; that's my jacket!" he protested. "I bought that when we went to a Wimbourne Wasps game last summer, you can't just give it away!"
Rochelle barely turned her head to look at him. "Watch me," she replied simply, before turning to Professor Dumbledore. Sirius glared at her, but Rochelle wasn't bothered."Thank you so much for bringing her here, Professor. I wasn't sure what had happened to her, and I couldn't really go back to the house…"
Professor Dumbledore smiled. "Of course. As a matter of fact, the reason I sought out your house elf is because I thought she could answer some questions about the trial today. More specifically, how the Malfoys managed to lie under the influence of Veritaserum."
Rochelle nodded. "We were just talking about that. Abraxas could have done it, I have no doubt. I mean, he does work for the Dark Lord. But it is the fact that Lucius took all the efforts to keep me safe and then helped send my brother to prison that bothers me."
"Dipsy? Would you perhaps like to explain?" Dumbledore asked her.
Dipsy was still clutching Sirius' jacket, and looking a little teary-eyed. Sirius winced as she used the sleeve to wipe her eyes and then nodded. "After Dipsy apparated miss here, she went back to the mansion. Master Malfoy was worried; Master thought that he would be in trouble. He didn't want anyone to know that he had helped miss. So Dipsy apparates Master Malfoy back to his home and erases his memory for him."
There was a pause. Rochelle stared at the house elf. "You… you wiped Lucius' memory? He doesn't remember anything of that night?"
Dipsy nodded.
"I believe, Miss Vittori, that Mr. Malfoy feared the consequences, should his father or Lord Voldemort find out that he had helped you," explained Professor Dumbledore. "Clearly he did not want to risk either of them reading his mind, so he had your house elf both erase and alter his memory so that he would think he was at home all night. Hence why he could say it confidently under Veritaserum."
Rochelle sat down slowly, her mind racing. "I feel terrible. He was just trying to help me…"
Sirius frowned. "Professor, that doesn't make sense. You're saying a house elf could alter someone's memory so well that even You-Know-Who wouldn't be able to detect it?"
Professor Dumbledore nodded. Remus Lupin was the one who spoke up. "Sirius, their magic is different from ours. Stronger, at times. It makes perfect sense."
Sirius frowned.
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Professor Dumbledore left soon afterward, and James, Lily and Remus stayed for dinner. Rochelle was silent for a while, and her mind seemed to wander as she picked at her food. Sirius watched her for a long time, wondering what she was thinking.
Together, the three men managed to drain Sirius' stock of Firewhisky. By the time Lily, James and Remus wished them goodnight and left, there was a pleasant buzzing in the back of his head. He sat down by the television and started to nod off, when he noticed Rochelle standing hesitantly by the door. He sat up.
"Rochelle? Are you all right? Why haven't you gone to bed yet?"
Rochelle sighed, and sat down opposite him on the sofa. It was difficult, being so near him; especially when he always seemed to be concerned about her. Part of her wished that Sirius would just kick her out of his home. At least then she wouldn't have to battle with her emotions all the time. "I, um, I can't really sleep. Lily forgot to leave some Sleeping Potion for me. She usually brews some, but… I suppose she thought I was feeling better and didn't need it."
Sirius sat up and looked at her. Rochelle was sitting in her dressing gown, looking tired. Her eyes had circles around them, and Sirius realized that she'd had a long day. "You can't sleep without the potion?"
"Well… it's not a matter of falling asleep so much as staying asleep," she replied. When he gave her a confused look, she shrugged. "Nightmares."
Sirius frowned. Of course. It had barely been a week since her parents had been murdered, no wonder she couldn't sleep without having terrible dreams. "I can call Lily up, if you'd like…"
"No, she's probably sleeping," Rochelle muttered. "It's all right; I'll be fine. I actually came here because I, erm, I wanted to thank you."
Sirius stiffened. "What for?"
"For coming to the Ministry with me today. You didn't have to," she admitted. "I mean, after what… what happened in the kitchen that night, I didn't…" she took a deep breath, as she tried to clear her thoughts. "What I mean to say is, I appreciate that you were there for me. I needed you."
"You're welcome," he replied softly. He couldn't control the jab that went through his heart at her words. I needed you. It reminded him of what James had said, just the previous day. You love her, and she needs you. What's the problem? He tried to clear his head of those thoughts, and kept his eyes on the tired girl sitting in front of him. "You know what, I might have some Sleeping Potion in the cabinet. I'll go check, for you."
Rochelle nodded gratefully, and watched as Sirius slowly got up from the sofa. He winced slightly, held his arm, and then stood. Rochelle frowned. "Are you all right? Does something hurt?"
Sirius shrugged. He had to admit, he still had scratches and bruises on his arms from when he'd restrained Rochelle earlier that day. But he knew that seeing them would just make her feel guilty. He shook his head. "I'm fine. Just a little stiff."
Rochelle raised an eyebrow, and slowly walked over to him. She tugged at the sleeve of his t-shirt and lifted it up, wincing at the bruises and long nail marks on his upper arms. "Gosh, that looks awful, you look like you were attacked by a Hippogriff."
Sirius cracked a smile. "Something like that."
"But these look so fresh, almost as if…" her eyes widened in horror. "Merlin, Sirius, did I do that to you? At the Ministry this morning?"
"Rochelle, honestly, it's all right," he insisted, not wanting to see her face fall, as he knew it would. He watched as her lower lip trembled, and she looked upset. Her hands dropped his sleeve quickly, and went up to her mouth.
"Oh gosh, Sirius, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize what I-"
"Rochelle, it's fine."
"No, it isn't, those are nail marks! They could get infected if you leave them like that, and then it'll hurt even more. Do you have Dittany? Or anything at all?" she demanded.
"Honestly? I don't know. I mean, there are a few things in the cabinet in the kitchen, but I'm not sure if…"
"I'll check. Sit down," she told him, quickly. Sirius sighed, and waited as he heard her rummage around in the kitchen. She returned a minute later with a small bottle, looking upset. "There's only a little bit left, but it'll have to make do. You really should visit the apothecary sometime, Sirus, there's barely anything there in case of an emergency. I'll make you a list of what you might need. A few disinfecting potions, and a couple of basic creams for burns and sprains… and maybe something to mend bones as well, you never know when you might fracture a wrist- "
"All right, Healer Vittori," Sirius joked. She blushed, and Sirius found that the sight made his own face grow warm. He'd missed the way her cheeks would flush and her eyes would flicker to the ground when she was embarrassed. "I'll go tomorrow. Why don't you come with me?"
Rochelle nodded, as she carefully uncapped the bottle. She glanced at him, and he watched in surprise as her cheeks flushed even more. "You should, um…" she gestured vaguely towards his shirt, and Sirius frowned for a moment before he realized that she was asking him to take it off.
He nodded, and pulled the shirt off so that Rochelle could see the extent of his scratches. She stepped closer, and slowly began to spread the dittany over his shoulders, where the nail marks were the worst. Sirius bit his lip as her fingers moved deftly over his upper shoulders and arms.
"Ow, it stings," he hissed, as the liquid came into contact with the raw flesh.
"Stop being a baby," Rochelle scolded him, but her dabs became a little softer. "There. Better?"
He nodded, and sat awkwardly as she continued her work. It was difficult; he had a sudden urge to pull her into his arms, and hold her tight. He kept his gaze on the other side of the room, and controlled himself. His gaze landed on the empty coat rack near the door. "You owe me a Wimbourne Wasps jacket, you know. You handed mine off to your house-elf."
Rochelle smiled. "Well, you'll have to remind me again after a few days. I'm a little broke at the moment."
He craned his neck around to look at her. "What do you mean?"
"Well, it's not like I ever had any money of my own. The Ministry confiscated my parents' will after the murder. They've just released it; I got a letter this afternoon, telling me that I would have to go down there sometime to claim whatever they'd left me. Until then, I'm penniless."
"Oh." Sirius was surprised. "Is your inheritance much? Sorry, if you don't mind me asking…"
"I don't know," Rochelle muttered bitterly. "I never asked my father what he left me in his will, did I? I'm sure it's enough; money was something my family never really lacked. I'll have to make arrangements for Royce' inheritance to be sent to Carmella…"
Sirius nodded. There was a little more silence, as Rochelle slowly moved to stand in front of him. She started to apply more Dittany to his collarbone, and Sirius sat silently, resisting the urge to wince. Rochelle noticed his expression.
"Sirius, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I was just furious…"
Sirius nodded. "it's all right, I understand. To be honest, I wish I hadn't held you back. Maybe then, these scratches would be on Abraxas Malfoy's face, instead of me."
Rochelle nodded. "Maybe." She looked thoughtful for a moment, and sighed. "I don't know what came over me. I've never lost control the way I did when I saw him at the Floo Network this morning. I just… Merlin, for a moment I just wanted to wrap my hands around his throat and watch as the life went out of his eyes."
Sirius was startled at the violence in her words. He looked up at her, surprised. It was clear from her expression that she meant it. Rochelle sighed, as she turned over the bottle to get more Dittany. "Maybe he's right. Maybe I'll just end up in the mental ward at St. Mungo's."
Sirius frowned. He took the bottle of Dittany and set it aside, before taking both of her hands in his. Rochelle looked surprised, but he gripped her hands anyway. They were warm and comforting. "Rochelle, listen to me. You're not crazy. Your parents were murdered, of course you're angry. Abraxas Malfoy is a disgusting man, and the fact that you want revenge is understandable."
Rochelle looked down into Sirius' grey eyes. They were staring at her with a passion, that made her tingle inside. Her knees felt weak, and she was terrified that she might fall onto him for a moment. She gripped his hands back tightly. "You know, I've never really said his name before."
Sirius frowned. "You-Know-Who?"
Rochelle nodded. "I did once; when I was fighting with Father. But I've always been to scared of him to… it seems silly. The man cold-bloodedly murdered my parents, and I couldn't even say his name."
Sirius watched at her blue-grey eyes clouded over. There was a burning determination in them, and Sirius found himself clutching Rochelle's fingers even tighter. She didn't notice. Her eyes flickered up to his for a moment, and the raw emotion startled Sirius.
"I want him dead."
Her voice was cold, and distant. There was a long pause, as Sirius stared at her.
"Which one?"
"Both of them. All of them. I want them dead."
Sirius stood up slowly, still clutching her hands. His eyes stared straight into Rochelle's as he pulled her closer. For a moment, the light buzzing in his head took over, and he almost gave in to the urge to feel her soft lips against his. Once of his hands untangled itself from hers, and he used it to grip her neck, pulling her closer to him slowly.
Rochelle's breath caught in her throat. He was just inches away, and she couldn't tear her eyes off his face. His warm breath fanned across her skin, and his hand gently stroked her cheek. "We'll get them," he whispered softly. "For you. I'll do it myself if I have to, Rochelle. I'll do anything."
Rochelle couldn't stop the explosion in her chest. It was exactly what she wanted to hear. She wanted to feel his gentle touch, to have him say that he would do anything for her. Her eyes closed slowly, but before she could allow herself to say something, he'd pulled away sharply.
"W-what…?" Rochelle was startled, as he tore his hands out of her grip and quickly stepped away. His expression was grim, and he turned his eyes towards the floor, rubbing his hand over his face.
"Sorry, I'm a little drunk. I shouldn't have touched you like that," he muttered. Rochelle shook her head, trying to say something but before she could, he reached for his shirt and pulled it over his head. "Goodnight."
And he walked into his room, closing the door behind him.
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A/N – There you go, guys! Another nice, long chapter! Of course, long doesn't mean good, so I want your opinions on it, of course!
What do you think of the way Rochelle's grief is progressing? I wanted to make a smooth transition from guilt and self-blame into anger and the need for revenge. And honestly, I kind of wish she HAD clawed out Abraxas' face.
And what about Sirius and Rochelle's relationship? Too fast? Too slow?
Skylar Alpha, I never even thought of Polyjuice! I wish I'd considered it before, I could have done things a little differently... And yes, your lighthearted chapter should be here soon.
Let me know what you think!
