Chapter I: August - November 1972
CRASH
"ELARA! SIRIUS!" Their mother, Walburga Black's voice rang through the house, "STOP YOUR CHILDISH ACTS THIS INSTANT! SIRIUS, STOP RUINING YOUR SISTER!"
"Yes Mother," they both agreed, quickly straightening up. Sirius used a simple 'reparo' and the vase, which was cracked into a million pieces, came back together into a rich purple, antique vase that was probably older than Merlin himself. Elara poked her brother and smirked, "I win." The two had been chasing each other around the house, playing 'I'm not it.' The game went as the title suggested- the objective was not to be 'it.' It was by far their favourite game to play, one that drove their parents, especially their mother, insane to no end.
"That didn't count! Mother-"
"Uh-uh, fair's fair, big brother. I win this one," she claimed victoriously. Sirius, being much larger and having longer legs, usually won their matches. Elara's only advantage was that she was smaller, and could sometimes be harder to catch. "I'll get you next time, you just watch and see."
Their brother, Regulus Black, sighed at his siblings' antics as he spotted the broken vase. "Are you two 11 or 5?" The three were at the foyer, which was a thin, narrow hallway. At the end of the hallway was the stairs, where Regulus had just come from. "He's actually 12," she pointed out.
"Whatever. Break that vase any more and a 'reparo' won't work. Don't want Mother to put you in The Room, do you?" Elara and Sirius paled slightly at the mention of The Room. Elara hadn't been put there since she was 7, but that was incentive enough for her to quit her mischievous antics. Or, rather, get better at hiding them.
Sirius, on the other hand, wasn't as lucky, being put there immediately upon his return from school. The Room had a very interesting history. It had started years ago when their mother was just a child. She had stumbled upon this room when her brother, Alphard Black, had shoved her. There was this one wall, which was situated right at the foot of the stairs, which sunk in once engaged in contact, and, as a result, would swallow you up and into a wooden, damp, cramped room that could hold a 9 year-old-child perfectly. Anything above that was just smushed in. Walburga, being the lovely woman she is, sent her kids into The Room when they were misbehaving. Needless to say, it was effective. Harsh, but effective. "Don't talk about that room," Sirius said, "My back still hurts from that."
The three siblings went to the dining room, where their parents were. The table was set with eggs, toast, and bacon. Sirius took the seat by Orion, who was at the head of the table, and Regulus sat next to Walburga near the foot. Elara sat in the middle, as usual. "Mother, may we please go to Diagon Alley today?" It was the middle of August and school was starting in about two months. Their shopping could wait for a little while longer, but she was ecstatic to start Hogwarts and really couldn't wait any longer. She felt like she had been waiting for her entire life. "If we must," she simply replied. Walburga was a woman of few words unless she was reprimanding her children (Elara and Sirius, never Regulus). Orion was much more friendly but usually capitulated to his opinionated wife- a trend that was very unusual in pureblood families. The Black children knew that Walburga's word was always final, even if in public Orion was the one who voiced said decisions. After all, it really wouldn't do for the Head of the Black family to be seen deferring to his wife. "What is it you need?" Orion asked conversationally.
Elara moved her eggs from side to side, the fork gently clinking the plate. "Some books, an owl, preferably, a wand, new robes, I think that's all."
"Hmm," Walburga hummed noncommittally, " Yes, I suppose those would be necessary, wouldn't they? I presume I shall have to accompany you?"
"What? No, Papa can take us, Mother."
"Don't be so foolish, Elara," she snapped, "A woman's robe shop is no place for a man. We will need to get you some appropriate robes- I do hope you will learn how to dress and act accordingly by yourself."
She scowled, "Of course, Mother." She knew 'dressing up' meant putting on makeup (wasn't she too young for that?) and keeping her robes nice and pristine, ditching her more worn robes that she was reluctantly allowed to wear around the house. "Such a face is unbefitting of a young lady," Walburga scolded. Elara relaxed her features to satisfy her mother, who only returned to scolding her about the rate she was eating at. "How do you expect to ever be a proper wife if you eat like an animal?"
Elara tuned out as her mother went off on the usual rant- usually about how she'd make a terrible wife (as if she was worried about that at the age of 11!), or how she'd be a disgrace to her family name if she didn't straighten herself up (she wasn't that bad. Okay, maybe she wasn't always graceful and elegant and whatnot, but she was when it counted), or how she should take (insert name's) example. The woman was just never happy!
Elara looked longingly at the children running amok the streets of Diagon Alley, jumping and yelling cheerfully. They looked like they were having fun. She wished she- what was she talking about? They were mudbloods and half-bloods, not fit to stay among elite and noble families such as hers. She should be looking in disgust at them, not wishing she were them. How could someone act like that in public? Weren't these people taught manners? Walburga prodded her back sharply to make her spine erect. Then again, at least their mothers weren't behind them at all hours of the day, barking at them to be the perfect lady.
Their robes shopping took absolutely forever, even though she really didn't need that many robes- all in silk, of course. And, as if that wasn't enough, she also purchased many sets of posh blazers for weekend wear.
Two hours and 45 minutes of being pricked, measured, and prodded at, Elara and Walburga had walked proudly out of Twilfitt and Tattings and met the male members of the Black family outside Flourish and Blotts, where Orion had kindly bought Elara's books for her. The family then walked into Ollivander's. Ollivander was a very odd man, Elara decided. She knew her parents didn't approve of him, but seeing as this was the best wand store around, they would just have to do. He took Regulus's measurements and 10 minutes later, Regulus was waving his new wand. It was a nice 9 1/2 inch, Elm wood, with a core of Unicorn hair wand.
He called her up next and she had tried about two dozen before finding a wand that called to her- a 13-inch, Cherry Wood, with a Dragon Heartstring core. Walburga and Orion quickly paid for the two wands and left the store. After buying Regulus and Elara two owls- named Achilles and Atlas, respectively. Elara couldn't wait until she'd finally get to go to Hogwarts.
"Sirius, please!" Elara whined.
"No, Ellie. I've already told you-"
"Just one more! How can I go to Hogwarts without knowing anything?"
"You know plenty!"
"Yeah, like your friends' names. James Lupin-"
"It's James Potter, idiot. You're mixing them up."
She rolled her eyes, "Whatever, I'm not interested in them. I want to know more about Hogwarts."
"Fine, the staircases move, the classes are boring, Professor McGonagall is the best professor at the school, Flying class is totally cool, ummm, oh, if you sleep too long your dormmates will dunk you in cold water. That's all you really need to know."
She scrunched her nose, "What if I get put with a mudblood?"
He gave her a reprimanding look, "Then you get put with a muggle-born. They're not different than us, I swear!" Elara changed the subject, not wanting to argue about that. It was one of the only things that she and Sirius always disagreed on. If they really weren't so different from them, then why would her parents hate them? When Sirius came home, he came home with lots of stories of adventures that he and his 3 friends went on. They seemed to get into a lot of trouble together, but Elara found their escapades amusing. She wondered if they'd let her join in...no, knowing Sirius, he'd probably ignore her in front of them. But perhaps...no, what was she thinking? She'd be put into Slytherin and he'd hate her right? "What're you thinking 'bout?" Elara wrapped her arms around her older brother's neck and sobbed against his chest. "Wh-what if I'm a S-slytherin, Siri? Will you hate me? I don't want you to hate me!"
"Shh, Elara, I could never hate you, even if you were a slimy snake."
"Do you promise?"
He took her pinkie and wrapped his own around it, "I pinkie promise. You can't break them, you know. They're stronger than anything." She grinned and fell asleep peacefully on him, her troubles momentarily forgotten.
"SLYTHERIN!" Elara watched her twin walk proudly to the table of snakes, who welcomed him enthusiastically. She wondered where she'd be put. She knew Sirius wanted her to be in Gryffindor, and she loved her older brother. He was her role model, and she wanted to be just like him when she grew up. Sirius was always right...well, almost always, anyways. But, would -could- she take her family's wrath just to please her brother? They only let Sirius come back home because he was the heir. But, she wasn't as necessary to the Black family as her brothers were. Sirius was the heir, and Regulus was the favourite, poster boy. They might go as far as disowning her if she wasn't put in their house. And, all her cousins were in her house. Meda and Bella were out of Hogwarts already, but Cissy's still here, and Elara knew that the elder girl was waiting eagerly for her to be put in Slytherin. Elara's greatest role model was Sirius, but her second was Cissy. Cissy was like the sister that she never had, and despite being cousins, the two had a bond like sisters. How was she supposed to not let down either Sirius or Cissy? Would Cissy stop liking her if she was a Gryffindor?
"Black, Elara." She strode up to the hat, her mother's etiquette lessons running through her mind. Hmmm, curious.
'what's so curious?'
A blank slate, that's what you are.
'I'm confused.'
I can see a different, viable future for you in each house. You could be brave and noble, loyal and hardworking, intelligent and wise, and cunning and ambitious. Which would you prefer?
'Isn't that your job?'
It is, and you being a Black should automatically put you in Slytherin, but you're both the same and completely different from your family. Should you choose Slytherin, you may go on to do great things, but you will forever be lost in their path. Should you go elsewhere, however, you might find strength from places you'd never expect.
Elara looked at the anticipated faces of her cousin and twin over at the Slytherin table. Regulus. She might have more in common with Sirius, but she loved her twin more than anyone else. And, looking at his face, he needed her. The hat was wrong, she wasn't as strong as Sirius. She just hoped Sirius would stick to his promise and not hate her. If that's what you choose, then, "SLYTHERIN!" Elara joined her new housemates, sitting next to Cissy, who was Head Girl this year. She squealed and drew Elara into a bone-crushing embrace. "Cissy, I can't breathe!"
"Sorry, I'm just so excited! My favourite cousin, here at Hogwarts! I am going to have so much fun showing you around!"
"Just don't let Reggie hear you say that," she winked. Cissy smiled warmly at the girl. Elara rather looked a lot like Cissy, except that her hair was black and her eyes were grey instead of the lovely blonde and blue eyes that Cissy wore. It was like looking at a mirror of her own self at that age. The two girls had dreamed of the day that she would start Hogwarts since they were little children- well, Elara was little, Cissy, not so much. Despite their age difference, Cissy had treasured the summer and winter breaks that she had spent with the child. With two brothers, she really did need a sister figure, and so, that's what Cissy was for her. Cissy herself had two sisters, both older than her, but Bella was a bit...no, not a bit, she was very insane and felt more like someone who she had to try and impress rather than want to impress. The latter job fell to Meda, who was drawing further and further from her, she felt. She was hiding something and it hurt that she didn't trust Cissy enough to tell her. The two girls used to be like two peas in a pod when they were younger, Bella always being too extreme for either to really relate. Bellatrix Lestrange née Black took 'Black insanity' to a whole different level.
She remembered Meda taking her around the school when she was just a first year. The two sisters had a grand time, and it was a memory that she looked back at fondly.
The Headmaster said a couple of introductory words and various amounts of food appeared on the table. Elara stuck to roast chicken, roast potatoes with gravy and peas, and Yorkshire pudding. She kept her manners in mind, making sure not to eat like a buffoon. She wouldn't be getting a howler from her mother before the first day was even out. (Walburga had a knack for finding everything out).
Elara's first week of school was quite uneventful, yet busy. Hogwarts was absolutely HUGE which dozens of staircases that moved at the most inopportune moments. It was a maze of hallways, nooks and crannies, and classrooms- both used and abandoned. Her classes were all over the place, making getting around a difficult task. Her teachers were alright- though she didn't get why Sirius liked McGonagall so much. It wasn't that she disliked the professor. It was that she just didn't quite make an impression on her. She enjoyed Potions and Charms very much, though Slughorn, the Potions professor, really wasn't the best professor ever. He wasn't a bad professor, exactly, he was lazy. It just had to be her luck that he was her Head of House.
On other notes, Cissy was doing an amazing job as Head Girl and took her job very seriously. Elara spent most nights doing her homework with her cousin, who made it a point to help her with her homework. She felt quite babied, but she didn't object. She guessed that compared to Cissy, she was a baby- though she resented that just a little bit.
She really was relieved when Sirius smiled at her when he passed her in the hall her third day. She could tell that her brother was a bit disappointed, but he was going to hold up on his promise nevertheless. "This is my seat, move," a boy with straw-coloured hair and freckles ordered. He was quite short for his age; she was about 2 or 3 inches taller than him, though she wasn't sure whether this was because she was tall or he was short- perhaps a mixture of the two. She glared at him haughtily and coldly replied, "I was sitting here first, Blue, and I will not move."
He cocked an eyebrow as if to size her up but took the seat next to her. "Barty Crouch."
"Elara Black." His eyes widened in recognition and she smirked. He probably thought she was some cowering mudblood who'd give him his way. As if. "I'm not sure why you're so surprised. Do the black hair, grey eyes, and high cheekbones not give it away?"
He blushed, "I, uh, didn't notice. My apologies."
"Accepted."
"Silence, class. Today we will be learning the levitation charm. Does anyone know what its incantation is? Miss Black?"
"Wingardium Leviosa."
"Very good, good. 5 points to Slytherin. Get started." A chorus of sloppy Wingardium Leviosa's consumed the classroom. Elara didn't get it on her first or second try, but her feather raised marginally on her third attempt before falling limp once more. She groaned in frustration. "It's swish and flick, not flick and swish," Barty informed matter-of-factly. She scowled but followed his direction and found that it was a success. "Thank you."
"It's beginner, really." She'd made herself look like a fool. She wasn't stupid, and she was actually quite adept at casting spells. She'd grown up learning the Dark Arts, after all. Her parents had just never seen fit to teach her simple charms like this. She was used to more complex incantations and wand movements. "Great! If you still haven't gotten it, please practice and see that you master it before our next lesson. Mr Crouch, 5 points to Ravenclaw for getting it correct on your first try. That will be it for today." The class went out in single-file as the bell rang.
The rest of the day had gone by fast and Elara was in a good mood after getting even with Barty by stopping him from dropping porcupine quills in his cauldron before removing it from the flame. "Mimi!" Cissy called when she walked into the Common Room. "Come here!"
"Yes?"
"Severus, this is Elara Black, my favourite cousin. Mini, this is Severus Snape, he's Luci's mentee." Elara slightly gaped. Lucius Malfoy was not known for his charitability unless it had profited him. He didn't take charity cases. If he had taken Severus Snape under his wing, he truly must have been incredible. "He's the best in his Potions class and has quite a hand at the Dark Arts," Cissy said, looking at the boy proudly.
"How? He's a half-blood!" She said out of jealousy. Cissy was her cousin, she shouldn't be looking at anyone else like that, and especially not someone who wasn't a pureblood. She knew Snape wasn't a pureblood name- it sounded muggle. She knew that Lucius wouldn't have taken a mudblood in, nor would one be put in Slytherin, thus, he must be a half-blood.
"His mother is a Prince, which makes him half a pureblood. She'd taught him all she knows. The Princes are very adept with Potions, you would be remiss in not receiving his help."
"Pleased to meet your acquaintance," he stiffly said, looking very displeased. Cissy nudged him slightly and he offered his hand to her. Elara looked at it with mild disgust but took it. Saying Severus wasn't a good-looking boy would be an understatement. He wasn't ugly, exactly, but his skin was pallid and pale, his frame was lean and thin, his shoulders were rounded and angular, and he had long hair which came down to his shoulders, jumping his face. He looked awkward. His robes were not second-handed, but they weren't the fine quality that she and her brothers had either. "I was thinking that perhaps Severus could help you master Potions in exchange for books from the esteemed Black Library. Deal?" Severus's black orbs considered the offer before nodding once.
"But I don't need help with Potions! I do just fine! Besides, how much older is he than me, even? Would he be the right person to tutor me if I needed it?"
"Mini, there's nothing wrong in receiving help. I know you do fine in potions, but you could do better, can't you? I just want the very best for you!" Elara sighed and considered her cousin's odd request. Her parents had assigned many tutors to her and her brothers so that they were well-prepped for Hogwarts, but Potions was not a subject which they had focused on. No, it was the Dark Arts and Charms that they had been taught, along with a few potions here and there. She knew enough to know how not to blow up a cauldron, but that was it. She really did want to get better at Potions- it was an interesting subject. Besides, she didn't want to let her cousin down. "Very well, I suppose."
"Thank you, Mini." The Head girl went off on her patrols and Severus trudged through the room and opened the corridor which acted as an exit.
"Now?"
"When else, Princess?"
"I'm not a Princess!" For every step he took, she was taking two. Couldn't he slow down even a little? Jerk.
"Oh, really? Stuck up? Check. Thinks you own the place? Check. Hasn't worked a day in your life? Check, check, check. Sounds like a princess to me." Not having a retort to that, she ignored him and followed him up to the seventh floor. "Why are we going to the Gry-" she shut her mouth. How stupid could she be? She practically gave their Common Room entrance away. True, Sirius never told her exactly where it was, and she didn't know their password, but it still was wrong. "You are lucky I already know where the Gryffindor Common Room is, you foolish girl. Here."
"We're going to brew in an empty corridor? Lovely."
"No, you idiot!" He muttered something under his breath over and over while pacing back and forth. She leaned back at the wall, wondering whether he had gone mad or something. Suddenly, the wall was replaced with a large oak door. Severus opened the door in a mock-gentlemanly posture and invited her into a room that was probably the size of the potions classroom. There was one long wooden table with matching stools down the length of the room. Severus went to the far right corner and opened a cupboard which was full of cauldrons, mortar and pestles, scales, and various glass vials. Next to it was another cupboard, this one full of potions ingredients. Severus set up their station while Elara sat next to him, watching him eagerly over his shoulder. "What are you working on in class?"
"Cure for boils."
"Alright. What base shall we use?"
"Water?" she asked as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
He rolled his eyes, "What kind of water?"
"There are multiple types?" She asked dumbly. Severus went on to explain the difference between distilled, carbonated, purified, stilled, and other water types. Elara soaked it up- she'd never know that there was so much more to consider when making a potion. "Purified or carbonated."
"Why?" He prompted.
"Depends on whether you want to base our ingredients off of our base, or use our ingredients to cancel out our base. I'd rather do the former."
"Alright, then. Get started." She poured some purified water into the cauldron and poured the snake fangs that Severus had crushed for her." Severus heated it to 250 degrees for no less than 10 seconds, waved his wand, then set a timer for 35 minutes. "Since it is purified water, it is already slightly heated, and won't need more time. Though this particular potion can need up to 45 minutes, it depends."
"What now?"
"I am going to do my homework, I don't know about you." Severus grabbed his bookbag and took out his Transfigurations homework, which took the form of a jar full of beetles. Elara took a look at the insects and recoiled. "That's disgusting."
"It's homework, princess. If you want to be good at Potions, you'll have to interact with many disgusting things." He opened the jar, took a beetle out, closed it, and transformed it into a beetle. 'Great, only...15 more to go.' He was the first one to get it, and as so, was expected to do his housemate's homework assignments for them, even though, with some practice, they would -at least most of them- be able to do it themselves easily. He repeated the process, slowly getting through the entire jar. "Argh!" The Black girl yelled in frustration. Severus spared her a glance. She had broken her quill in a fit of anger. "Calm yourself."
"I'll never learn this!"
"What is it?" He asked, mostly to shut her up.
"The transfiguration alphabet. So much to decode!" Severus really wasn't the person to ask since he wasn't the best at Transfigurations. He got by, but why waste time on a subject he wasn't interested in? "It's just memorization. It isn't that hard."
"For you maybe, Mr I'm-always-right," she scoffed. 30 frustrating minutes later, the timer rang and Elara added the horned slugs and removed the cauldron from the flame before adding the porcupine quills."
"Stir 3 times, then twice counterclockwise," Severus instructed, looking up from his Charms essay.
She did as he said, "Why?"
"Stirs it better." As she waved her wand over the potion to set it, it emitted a magenta pink smoke. She distributed it evenly into the flasks and wiped some sweat that formed by her brow. "Need some?" He asked.
She wrinkled her nose, "I don't think I'll need it any time soon, no."
"Suit yourself. I'll send it to the Hospital Wing, in that case." He helped her clean up and they left the room together. "I will meet you same time next week."
"Okay. Er, thank you."
"How was it?" Cissy asked. She patted the spot next to her on the sofa, and Elara took it gratefully, sitting cross-legged and facing Cissy. She was exhausted. Cissy grabbed her hands and looked at her, nonverbally asking if she could paint her nails. Elara nodded and watched her cousin drawing black lines with her wand on each nail, starting with her thumb and moving on to her index and so on. "You were right, he really is a genius," she grudgingly agreed.
"I knew you'd see it my way. How are you finding Hogwarts?"
"I dunno, it's okay I guess."
Cissy sighed, "You should be making friends, Mini."
Elara groaned, "I have friends!"
"Reggie doesn't count."
"I don't need friends." Turns out, belonging to one of the most prestigious families makes you quite intimidating. People talked to her, yes, and they did try to befriend her, but she could tell that if she did accept those advances, it would only be political friendships, not real ones. Her family already had enough connections as it was, and Regulus could handle making more. Besides, she had her brother and his friends if she ever got bored, but for now, Cissy was enough. "It will make your experience here more enjoyable, Mini. I can't do everything for you, and I'm leaving this year."
"Don't remind me."
"Done!" Elara admired her nails, which were black, excluding her ring fingers, which had silver snakes on them. "Thanks!" Cissy was about to reply, but the floo had turned green and out stepped Lucius Malfoy, Cissy's betrothed. He froze, noticing that they weren't alone. "Miss Black. I didn't see you there," he greeted politely.
Elara smirked, "Luci. What are you doing here? Surely you aren't breaking Hogwarts rules?"
"I just wanted to have a word with my beloved. What are you two up to?" He came closer, stopping just opposite of them. "May I?" She reached her hand out to him and he held it, inspecting Cissy's work. "It's beautiful."
"Careful," Elara warned, "Just because you're a boy doesn't mean that she won't paint your nails as well."
He grinned flirtingly, "Well then, I'd say I'd be the luckiest man on Earth, wouldn't I? As long as it's not in public, of course." Elara giggled, thinking of what people would think if they saw the Malfoy heir's nails painted like a girls'. She watched Cissy melt, her pale cheeks getting a pink colour. She loved watching these two, it was clear to anyone with two eyes that they were both enamoured with each other. She wondered if Luci would still love Cissy even if he wasn't betrothed to her.
Walburga and Orion Black got along well, but they certainly didn't love each other. Elara couldn't remember a time when it had been any different, quite honestly. Cissy and Lucius were so different. He looked at her as if she were the only girl in the universe. Elara didn't quite believe in soulmates, but if they were true, Cissy and Lucius would be it. She'd known Cissy before she met Lucius, but she could no longer imagine a world where Cissy wasn't with Lucius. 'If only his brother were more like him,' she thought bitterly.
Cissy looked hesitantly between her and Lucius. "Lu, I think maybe it would be better if we continued this another day."
He looked at Elara and reluctantly nodded. "Shame."
"No, I was going to go to bed anyway," Elara said, getting up. Her nails weren't completely dry yet, but they weren't completely wet either.
"Are you sure? You were here first, I wouldn't want to kick you out."
"Yes, I'm sure." She loved her cousin and cousin-in-law-to-be, but there was only so much of their lovey-dovey nonsense she could take at once. "You go on ahead and do whatever it is you teenagers do these days."
"I have a couple of ideas in mind," Lucius winked. Cissy shushed him, pointing at Elara. 'Teenagers.'
"Actually, Miss Black, would you mind taking the couch tonight?" She shrugged and Cissy went to get her a blanket. The Head boy, a half-blood from Ravenclaw, was out, visiting his ill Grandmother and wouldn't be back until the next week. "Thank you, Mini." Cissy threw the blanket over her and pressed a kiss to her temple. She heard Lucius kiss Cissy and then they disappeared into the bedroom. She wondered what they were doing that required privacy. Making out? Maybe she didn't want to know.
"Ellie," Sirius called, "Wait up!" Elara turned around to see her brother and three boys walk up to her.
"This is James Potter," he pointed at a tall, thin boy with black, untidy hair. "Remus Lupin." He was a boy with light brown hair, scars across his face, and shabby robes. "And Peter Pettigrew." A short, plump boy with mousy-brown hair stepped forward. "Charmed," she said. She recognized Potter as a pureblood, albeit blood traitors. That made Lupin and Pettigrew half-bloods, or worse, mudbloods. "We could show you around," Potter suggested arrogantly.
"Thank you, but I'm afraid you are a week too late. Cissy already showed me around."
"She doesn't know this place like we do, Ellie," Sirius said.
"Don't be ridiculous, Siri. She's been here much longer than you and your band of cohorts have."
"Hey! We're no band, and it's called being nice. A Slytherin like you should try it sometime!" Potter said.
"Excuse him," Lupin said, "She's right, Sirius. It is a bit too late for us to show her around. We should have offered earlier."
"Just one sec, guys." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and they separated from his friends."I'm really sorry I didn't talk to you earlier." He sat cross-legged on the grass, letting go of her and she followed. She played idly with a chunk of grass. "Are you disappointed in me? For not being a Gryffindor?" She didn't think that she would be able to handle it if he was disappointed in her. She knew she deserved it, the hat did give her a choice, after all, but she just couldn't choose Gryffindor. "I'm disappointed that you're not a Gryffindor, but I'm not disappointed in you, Ellie. You're my little sister, how could I ever be disappointed in you? Silly girl."
"I'm not a girl!" She swatted away his hand which ruffled her hair. Why were people so obsessed with her hair?
"Oh really? Are you a boy, then?"
"N-no."
"Then you're a girl."
"I'm not a little girl," she amended.
"Never said you were."
"You implied it."
"Think what you will, sis. Have you made any friends yet?" Elara sighed and shook her head, telling her brother that she didn't need friends before he could go on about how friends are important and blah blah blah. "...really, I don't need friends."
"Everyone needs friends, Elle."
"Not me. Speaking of friends, yours sounds great."
He wore a fond grin, "They are. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you hung with us, you know. They're pretty cool like that. James is funny and good-natured, like me. Remus is the nerd and...Peter's Peter. They're all cool." She could tell, even though Sirius seemed confident, he was very nervous inside. She wondered why he cared so much about her opinion of his friends. To be honest, they didn't make much of an impression on her, but she'd only known them all of two minutes. She had expected Sirius to neglect her once she started school, but he had surprised her by doing the exact opposite, instead trying to integrate her into his friend group. She was equal parts annoyed and flattered. On one hand, she was tired of people trying to make her friends for her- if she wanted them, she'd have them. But, on the other, if her brother was friends with them, how bad could they be? Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad, having friends. "Thanks." Did she want to be known as 'Black's sister who follows him and his friends around like a lost puppy?'
"How's Reggie doing?"
"Soaking up the attention," she answered. Regulus was the quietest of them all, but he was quite popular in Slytherin. He took his newfound popularity in stride, but she knew that he loved every minute of it inwardly. "We have all the same classes."
"Do you sit together?"
"Only in DADA." She and Regulus were both the best in that class, though Regulus topped her by a little bit. Her knowledge was more practical than his, and there really wasn't much practical work for first years. Besides, they were both better at the Dark Arts. It wasn't as if they were ever taught defence against it. Regulus was the more studious one, absorbing information like a napkin to water. Elara didn't care much for the theoretical part. It was nice to know, she supposed, but it was just so boring. "Okay, that's good. That makes you slightly more approachable."
She sighed, "Siri, I have a twin. That's a built-in best friend. I don't need anyone else. I have you and Cissy, don't I? I'm fine."
"Just because you have a built-in best friend doesn't mean you shouldn't have others. You can't always count on Reggie." She tugged on the clump of grass forcefully and watched the strands fall off her hand. She should have known that he wouldn't have dropped it that quickly. "I've gotten along just fine without friends, Siri."
"But we don't have to not have friends anymore!" She didn't think that he understood that she didn't really mind the way things were. She might not have had any contact with the outside world other than her cousins, Aunts, Uncles, family friends (AKA allies), and the occasional tutor that was hired, but she always had Regulus and Sirius. Her life might not have been perfect, but her family was always enough.
"Perhaps." They fell into a comfortable silence and she watched his friends who were at a distance. Potter had Pettigrew in a headlock and was running his fist on the shorter boy's scalp. Lupin stood back, laughing at his mate's antics. Having friends looked nice and fun. She could see why they appealed to people. She found herself lost in their playful actions for a while before returning to reality. She was a pureblood. She couldn't act like them- having any care in the world. She shoved the 'why' that always came to mind. Because they were better, obviously. "Come with us, sis." He helped her up and she joined the group.
"Where were you?" Regulus asked. He was sitting in the Common Room and doing his homework.
"Weren't you doing homework when I left? With Siri."
He nodded, "You should too." She groaned but retrieved it. She really didn't have that much, only Herbology and Astronomy today, but she just didn't feel like doing it.
"Mother and Father sent you a letter. I forgot to hand it to you." He fished an envelope, which was now crumpled, from his pocket. She thanked him and retreated to the Head Girl dorms. She carelessly ripped the letters open and read them. 'They couldn't have even bothered to send it to me.'
Elara,
Congratulations on being put in Slytherin, I had expected it. Thank goodness your time with your older brother hadn't completely ruined you. Be a good girl, don't disgrace the Black name.
Mother
Dear Elara,
I am quite proud of you, my daughter. I had hopes that you would be a Slytherin, and you have exceeded all of them. I have heard that you are doing well in your classes, keep it up. Your education is just as important as anything else. I hope that you are finding Hogwarts enjoyable. My advice to you is to remember, Princess, that you rule the world if only you had the resources to do so. Slytherin will help you find where you need to be in life. You will find that there are only followers and leaders in this world. It's a kill or be killed world. I have all beliefs that you will accomplish many great things in your time at Hogwarts. I have no doubt that you will keep your brothers in line, to the best of your ability. You will never be alone, just keep that in mind.
With all my love,
Papa
Elara threw her mother's letter away and keep her father's in her bookbag to put elsewhere later on. Paper was where Orion Black was most vocal, and she had savoured each and every one of his letters. She knew better than to hope for him to write much- that was left to her mother, as most everything else was. She penned a quick reply to both her parents and went off to the Owlery to send it.
When she reached the base of the circular building, she heard a girl giggle somewhere inside. She really had hoped that she would be alone. A girl with bright red hair and emerald green eyes was with Severus Snape. They were hunched back, sitting against the wall on the floor. Severus scowled when he noticed that they had company and the girl gave him a questioning look. "Black," he greeted.
"Severus. Don't mind me, I'm just sending a letter home." She hooked the letter to Atlas's foot and the regal black owl took off into the distance. "Well, then. I will be seeing you Monday."
"Whatever." Severus and Lily had been strolling the grounds when Lily had wanted to go send a letter to her sister. Severus didn't really understand why Lily was so quick to forgive her sister. Petunia was a contemptuous, unpleasant girl who really had no redeeming qualities as far as Severus could see. She took every chance she got to inform Lily of how much of a freak she was and she had made Lily upset quite a few times. And, still, Lily insisted on trying to smooth things over, no matter how many times Severus told her that Petunia's views wouldn't change. Once a muggle was set against magic, that was it- there was no changing their mind. Severus would know.
Rehashing old arguments wouldn't do any good, so he had just nodded and followed her instead. She had sent her letter and they sat there in the owlery, talking about the arrogant prat, James Potter, which led to a discussion of the best hexes to use against him. Not that Lily would ever approve of taking such action. That was when he noticed that Black (the female) had invaded their space. Well, technically, it wasn't theirs, but he didn't want her there, all the same. Then, the girl mentioned their meetings, gathering Lily's attention. "Who's she? What was that about?" She inquired curiously.
"Black's sister. I've been put up to tutoring her."
"Oh? Is she bad at Potions like her brother?"
"Quite the opposite, actually." Even though he didn't like to admit it, he would concede that she did have some true potential.
"Why haven't you told me?"
"I didn't think it was important," he explained, trying to ease the hurt in his friend's eyes.
"Why does she need tutoring if she's already good at the subject?"
"I think it's more of an effort to get her to have more connections, Lils. Her cousin, the Head Girl, Narcissa Black had put me up to it." Lily's eyes narrowed a bit at the mention of their Head Girl. Narcissa was a good Head Girl, but she was a bit pretentious. Well, more than a little. She had immediately struck Lily the wrong way. Narcissa was lovely with kids, but she neglected anyone who wasn't a Slytherin and especially those of lesser blood. She wasn't horrible to them as the Head Girl their first year was, but all the same. Lily didn't understand how such a person could get put in such a place of authority. No, sweet little Lily didn't really understand that that was how the world works. Rich, classy people would always be up there, even if they didn't deserve to be, no matter which world you were in. Lily didn't understand why one had to suck up to said people. She wanted a world where everything was equal and fair. Fair. He scoffed at the idea, later when he was in his room. He was only 12 -well, almost 13- but he already knew that there was no such thing as fair.
Lily was in for a harsh reality check. Ideally, Narcissa shouldn't have been chosen as Head Girl. A Head Girl or Boy should be fair to everyone, not just a select group of people. Narcissa had the patience but she also had prejudice. She was only chosen because her last name was 'Black' and Severus accepted that was how the world worked. People at the bottom would always have to work three times harder than people at the top. Lily was naive, though Severus wouldn't have her any other way. He let out a long exhale and turned on his side. It was just so hot. Lily had left in a huff earlier that day when she found out where they brew. Didn't she understand that he had nowhere else to brew? If he had, he wouldn't have shown Black the Room of Requirement. She'd get over it, wouldn't she?
After 10 minutes, Severus got tired of lying in bed and went to the Common Room. He could do some homework, perhaps. "Who's there?!" A frightened voice squeaked. Severus lit a light on his wand, revealing a wid-eyed Elara Black. He groaned and sat at the opposite end of the couch, where she was. "What are you doing here?" He demanded gruffly, "It's past curfew."
"You're past curfew as well," she pointed out, her voice still pitched high.
"I'm older. Go to sleep."
"I can't," she whispered, "What if an Acromantula finds me?"
He couldn't help the snort that had so ungracefully come out of his mouth, "That's impossible. We're inside. Unless you're planning a journey to the Forbidden Forest..."
"No, I'm not! I can't help it, okay? They're scary."
"They are, I suppose, but you needn't be scared of them. Your brothers are dunderheads." Her forehead scrunched as if she were deciding whether she was offended or in agreement with him. "I guess. I'm still afraid of them."
"Fine, stay here, I guess," he relented, unsure what to do. He didn't know how to deal with little girls, truthfully, and as long as she didn't bother him, he wouldn't make her go. She glared at him but snuggled closer in her blanket. "Homework? Didn't you finish yours already?" She asked.
"I did. This is a Dark Arts book." He observed her reaction for any hint of fear, but she had acted as if he had told her that he was doing potions homework. Well, she was from one of the darkest families. She was bound to have grown up with the Dark Arts, and thus, wouldn't be cowered. If that had been Lily...
The two sat in silence at opposite sides of the sofa for a couple of hours, until Severus had heard the soft snores beside him. 'The idiot girl fell asleep!' He had to wake her up. He didn't like her at all, but he wasn't cruel enough to allow her the fate that would meet her in the morning should anyone find her like this. He shook her awake and her arm flew, hitting him square on the nose. He staggered backwards, his hand covering his bruised appendage protectively. It wasn't the first time he'd been hurt there and it really didn't hurt that much, but it did sting a little and he wasn't expecting it. His glare receded a bit when he saw the girl's frightened expression. It was clear that she hadn't been fully in control of her facilities. "You can't fall asleep here," he explained shortly.
She nodded and groggily got up, stretching her body when she did so. "Thank you, Severus," she yawned and left him in peace. The room felt a little empty now, without her presence, but he quickly got reaccustomed to it and went on reading for another hour before turning in.
"What are you doing here? Move."
"There's nowhere else to sit, Crouch." Elara set her stuff next to Barty and Regulus. 'As if he owns the whole place.'
"You're doing it all wrong," Barty said haughtily, pointing at her Astronomy homework. "You've got your movements of the planets all wrong." Elara held her breath in so she wouldn't blow up at the boy. Regulus, noticing his sister's murderous expression, checked both of their work. "Actually, she's got it right. You've skipped one, see?" Regulus went over his work with him. "I don't understand," he admitted, looking admittedly embarrassed. Elara let her brother handle this one. She had a good understanding of Astronomy, but Regulus's was much more extensive. Barty attentively took notes as Regulus went on a lecture. Elara had gotten curious about the meanings behind her and her siblings' names, but Regulus had conducted extensive research on not just the constellations they were named after- well, her brothers were named after constellations, she was named after a moon of Jupiter- but other constellations and planets as well. Really, Regulus soaked up all the information he could get. He was quite the know-it-all. "I'm out," Regulus said, "I want to fly. Do you want to come?"
"No thank you," Elara and Barty declined. Regulus shrugged and left the two in a very awkward silence.
"Not a Quidditch fan?" She asked, returning to her work.
"Not at all. You?"
"It's fun enough to watch, I suppose. I don't play it, though."
"Can't ride a broom?"
"Well, obviously I can ride one, and I can ride them well enough, but I'd rather leave the flying to my brothers. You?"
He shrugged, "I'd rather stick with my books, which won't get me killed." And just like that, a friendship started to bloom.
"What's going on here, blue?" Elara had just been hanging out with Barty Crouch. She had found, in the past few weeks, that she and Barty had quite a lot in common, even though he was by far the smartest person she'd met. It really did get annoying at times, since he seemed absolutely perfect at every subject. He had some problems with Potions, and he never would be a potioneer, but he still was good enough to be considered a good student, and one of Slughorn's favourites. He had a few problems with Astronomy, but other than that, he passed effortlessly in his classes.
How was it that she spent most of her time with nerds? Elara herself wasn't dumb, exactly. She got good scores- well, good enough that Walburga didn't chew her out for not doing better. She wasn't as academically inclined as Regulus, though.
Elara really didn't expect to actually like Barty. She liked Regulus because, even though he was very intelligent, he was her twin brother and she had to like him. She didn't have to like Barty. He was extremely haughty and conceited and could be a great pain to be around sometimes, but there was another side of him- a weaker, more insecure one- that occasionally came out when his guard was down. She wasn't trying to be hypocritical, she knew that she was a bit arrogant as well, but compared to Barty, she was the humblest person on Earth. Takes one to know one.
They spent most of their time in the library. It was hard to spend time with friends outside of your house, and neither of them were outdoors people either. The library suited them just fine. They didn't always end up doing their work, instead messing around. It was the first week of October, and it was starting to get chilly outdoors. The trees had taken on nice, vibrant shades of red and orange, and the air had a crisp feeling to it. She was returning from the library, going back to the dungeons, when she heard some voices on the ground-floor courtyard, which was close to the Transfiguration classroom.
That was when she had seen a group of four boys in a semi-circle. She instantly recognized them- how could she not when one of them was her own brother? Potter, Lupin, Pettigrew, and Sirius were surrounding Severus Snape. None of the boys had noticed her yet. She was about to leave them when Potter caught her attention. "See, Snivellus, we don't allow slimy snakes to best us. Let's teach you a-"
"Severus!" Elara cut in. The group of boys whipped around, each of them looking shell-shocked. Sirius's face paled at the sight of her and Elara looked past them, at Severus. "It's time for our lesson, remember? I've been waiting for you forever." Severus stared at her suspiciously but nodded and followed her, glad to be out of the situation. They walked to the Room of Requirement, even though they didn't really have a lesson. "I don't need your help," he snarled once they were safely in.
"I know you don't. I wanted a lesson and you were there," she smartly replied. He glared at her once more but let the issue drop. 'Males and their Male pride,' she scoffed. She glumly sat, watching Severus brew Girding Potion. He had said that she wouldn't learn it for another two years in class, but if she wanted to get better, she'd have to challenge herself. Problem was that she couldn't focus. She'd just seen her brother, her hero corner a defenceless boy. She really didn't like Severus. He was intelligent but he was also demeaning, patronizing, and arrogant. He was a half-blood as well, not to forget. He never smiled and he didn't talk unless he needed to. Except for that red-haired girl he hung out with all the time. She could understand why Sirius hated Severus.
Still, that didn't excuse Sirius's behaviour. Severus might have been an odd kid, and pretty much intolerable, but he didn't deserve that. Why did she care? He was a half-blood. Sirius was pure blood and her brother. 'He's half pure blood,' she remembered. That still wasn't the same thing. His mother married a muggle. That was even worse than marrying a mudblood. But, Cissy liked him and Lucius accepted him despite his blood status. She knew her Aunt and Uncle were much more relaxed about blood status than her parents were. And, she had heard that Lucius worked for the Dark Lord. She wasn't sure if it was true or not, but her mother seemed convinced and proud, so that was enough for her.
She decided that she needed to watch herself. She couldn't be seen defending half-bloods. What would her mother say? "Are you paying attention?!" Elara broke out of her thoughts and apologized. "I don't want to be wasting my time here."
"I apologize, it won't happen again."
"See to it that it doesn't."
"May I have some?"
"What would you need it for?" She thought about it and shrugged. He cleaned up and placed his bookbag on the table.
"I am going to do my homework here. You may stay or leave."
"Severus?" She called, breaking the silence. The two had settled into a comfortable routine; they would brew on Mondays and Fridays and do their homework immediately after. Something had shifted in their relationship ever since she had "saved" him from Potter and his friends. They weren't friends, exactly. Severus still thought she was too stuck-up, and she still thought he was too uptight, but they didn't hate each other anymore. Severus could grudgingly admit that he didn't totally hate their lessons, and Elara kept her complaining to a minimum. "What?"
"My brother...does he and his friends do that often?" She had been avoiding Sirius since that incident, which took place two weeks ago. Sirius had tried cornering her down with no success. Regulus and Cissy had noticed that something had happened between the two, but Elara kept tight-lipped. She wasn't exactly sure how they would take it. Cissy seemed to like Severus, but Sirius was family while Severus wasn't. And, Regulus would probably think that Severus deserved it. Elara knew on an intellectual level that perhaps he did- half-bloods were definitely below purebloods. If only she could get that through her head. "It's none of your business."
She was silent for a couple of minutes, knowing that her suspicions were true. Her stomach churned and she felt sick. It wasn't as if he were a mudblood. That would be completely different. "I'm sorry," she said finally. She grabbed her book bag and left.
"Elara! Please wait."
"I'm not in the mood, Sirius," she said grumpily.
"I'm sorry."
"You're sorry? You're sorry?"
"It wasn't what it looked like."
"So you weren't about to hex him, 4-on-1? My mistake then," she said sarcastically.
He stumbled, knowing that he had dug himself into a deeper hole, "Look, Elara. Snape's not someone who you'd want to get friendly with."
Elara exhaled exasperatedly. "If I wanted to get 'friendly' with him, it would be none of your business. He's just tutoring me in Potions, and I'd rather keep on good terms with him." Sirius looked like he wanted to argue but he wisely let the subject alone, instead, putting a hand on her shoulder and squeezing it lightly. "Will you forgive me? I miss you, sis."
"Fine, Siri, I'll forgive you, but please stop interfering in my life. I thought you wanted me to make friends."
"So he is your friend," he sulked. Elara kicked him lightly on his shin and he scowled. "Fine, fine."
"Are you coming home for Yule?" She asked to change the subject to something more agreeable. Yule time was her most favourite time of the year. Every Yule, her family had hosted a large dinner. Many old pureblood families were invited, but it was also the only time of the year that her entire family was together in the same room. Sirius hadn't come home the previous year, choosing to spend his holidays with his friends instead. She really did hope that he would come home this year, but judging the look on his face, she'd be disappointed. "I can't stand it there," he admitted.
"Oh." She wasn't really sure what to say to that. She knew Sirius had...problems with their home situation, but she hadn't expected him to distance himself this much. He'd have to come around someday, but she still was a little worried about him. "Ellie, why don't you stay here? Do you really want to go back there?"
"I do, Siri. Cissy will be there, and so will the rest of the family."
"I don't understand why you-"
"Leave it, Sirius. It's fine. We spent last Yule apart as well."
"I know, but I thought it would be nice to spend it here together."
"Maybe next year," she sighed dejectedly.
"I feel like I barely see you anymore. What have you been up to?" Cissy said one evening when the two girls were doing their homework on a table that was by the hearth.
"I made a friend," Elara told. "Barty Crouch. I've been hanging out with him."
"Isn't Regulus friends with him?"
"Um, yeah." A black-feathered owl with a golden amulet wrapped around its neck swooped through the window and dropped a letter to Cissy. "Who's it from?"
"Meda. She hasn't written to me in a while. I wonder what it's about..." She neatly folded it and stored it in her pocket to read later. "Anything I can help you with?"
"Not really. I only have to write 9 inches on the fire-making spell and then I'm finished. You have anything?"
"No. Come," she got up from her chair and helped Elara up. "I'm hungry."
"Cissy, dinner's already over," Elara reminded her, "This is what you get when you skip dinner to study for your N.E.W.T.S." Cissy had been studying so furiously for the end-of-year exams, stressed out of her mind, that she occasionally forgot to eat. Elara didn't understand why she was so nervous- Cissy would do great. She was getting her N.E.W.T.S. in Astronomy, Charms, Potions, DADA, Transfigurations, Herbology, and History of Magic, which was still more than most students received. Of course she wouldn't end up actually needing them, since she was set to marry Lucius right after she graduated, but it was still nice to receive them. "I know. We're going to the kitchens."
"Kitchens?"
"Yeah, I'll show you." They went up to the Entrance hall and through a door, which had a staircase that led downwards. This brought them to a brightly lit basement corridor. The walls were lined with food-themed paintings. "Watch." She went up to a portrait of a fruit bowl, and with her pointer finger, lightly tickled it. The pear, to Elara's surprise, shrilly giggled and had transformed into a door with a green handle. "After you." Elara opened the door and the sight before her had amazed her.
The kitchen was a large room with a high, vaulted ceiling. There were 5 long tables, which mirrored the ones in the Great Hall. Edging the walls were counters that held heaps of pots and pans, and at the opposite end of the room, was a brick fireplace. There were hundreds of house-elves, each staring blankly at the new occupants. Cissy ignored them and went to the far left corner, where a wooden cupboard was. Elara followed her closely, feeling weirdly uncomfortable with the creatures. She'd never seen so many at once. Her family only had the one, Kreacher, and Malfoy Manor had quite a few, but the Malfoy elves stayed out of sight unless called. She had no idea that Hogwarts had so many. She thought Dumbledore would be against them, calling it slavery or whatever.
The cupboard, which turned out to have an undetectable expansion charm, as Cissy told her, was actually more like a pantry. "What do you want?" Cissy asked as she rummaged through the cabinet. "Whatever you're having," she responded. 10 minutes later and a bag full of treats, the two were back at their dorm. They had brought some sandwiches, -which Cissy ordered the elves to do- cauldron cakes, strawberries, and some biscuits. It was quite a lot and they'd definitely have extra. "Take a break, Cissy." Elara closed Cissy's textbook and took it away from her, effectively stopping her attempt at more studying. "N.E.W.T.S are like 7 months away, taking a break one night won't kill you!"
"Mini! Give it back!"
"No. We're spending time together tonight, no books."
"You're just jealous," she whined.
"Maybe. Wanna play exploding snap?"
"No. Chess?" Elara nodded and Cissy set up the board. Elara wasn't the biggest fan of the game, and she already knew Cissy would win, but it was a relaxing game, even if she wasn't very good at it. Elara got the light pieces, and Cissy took the dark ones. Elara made her pawn move to H4, and Cissy followed her pawn to A6. They battled back and forth. Elara was losing, Cissy having captured a bishop, two rooks, and many pawns. She still had her knights and her queen and king but was in peril of losing her queen. 10 minutes later, Cissy had checkmated her and the game ended, Cissy victorious. "Good job," she placated. Elara scowled and stuck her tongue out in a childish manner at her cousin. "Thank you, Mini. I needed that," Cissy said, leaning back on the sofa with a sigh. She contently closed her eyes, a slight smile resting on her face.
Elara thought that Cissy was the most beautiful girl on Earth. Arguable, Bella was more beautiful than Cissy, but Cissy, unlike her eldest sister, had a good heart and was much more ladylike than Bella. She was as fair as her sister, dark. Narcissa Black was a tall, slim girl. She had a pale face with high cheekbones and her jawbone was highlighted. Her eyes were blue, and her hair blonde. Her lips, chin, and nose were all upturned, giving her a gentle sort of look. She really was beautiful. "Any time, Cissy," she replied.
A/N:
1). My potionlore knowledge is really low, that was just something I made up in my head. It's probably incorrect, but there's not much canonly so...
2). Lucius is still a Death Eater, and he will be the Lucius Malfoy we all know and love (well, some of us anyway). I don't believe that he's a monster to his family, and I do believe that he does truly love Narcissa, hence the 'nice' Lucius.