As the remaining weeks of summer began ticking by, the joy in Cordarri Castle was on the rise. Everyone could see a marked change in Sirius' demeanor as he was able to roam the grounds freely and wasn't surrounded by the constant reminder of his pained family history. Draco was grateful for the ability to put distance between himself and Harry. He felt more in control in Eleanor's home. He grew up there, he had the memories here, he felt as though he had more domonion than anyone else, which was beginning to restore his confidence.

Eleanor always had a bit of a nervous energy around her. She hadn't stopped feeling guilty for not thinking of this solution sooner. She was obviously trying to make up for her guilt by playing perfect hostess, making sure everyone's needs were met quickly and efficiently. Draco hovered around her, wanting to be helpful but feeling a little misplaced. He felt more comfortable at the castle than he did at Grimmauld Place, but he was still figuring out his new role in this new organization with these new people. For someone who grew up in an old family that was loyal to their traditional ways, all of the new was confusing him. He just wanted things to slow down. He knew he was safe, he knew what he was doing was right, but it was hard to be just sometimes.

Harry and Draco grew very good at avoiding each other in the castle, which comforted them both. However, much to Eleanor's delight, their interactions when they were forced to be in the same room, were usually civil - though seldom friendly. So it came as a shock when Harry knocked on Eleanor's door one afternoon as Eleanor and Draco were sprawled on the bed playing cards.

"This is hardly what I was expecting when I came up to find you. I was prepping for the worst." Harry said jokingly.

"You all think so little of us when we have given you no reason to." Eleanor sat up and crossed her arms.

"Have you forgotten about the broom polish incident?" Harry asked, leaning against the doorframe, laughing slightly. Eleanor's mouth dropped open and she looked at Draco in shock that this story was being brought up again. Draco simply turned his mouth into a thin line and cringed slightly.

"The broom polish incident was pretty bad…" He let out quietly.

"Oh Merlin, it was, wasn't it?" Eleanor hid her face in her hands at the memory of it.

"Anyway," Harry continued from the door, still chuckling softly at Eleanor's mortification, "our OWL scores came in, and so did our supply lists." Draco shot up and began walking out of the room the moment the words left Harry's mouth, while Eleanor was more reluctant to face her scores and the reality of her boring classes due to her lack of imagination when it came to her future career.

"Bit excited, is he?" Harry muttered to Eleanor as they walked slowly down the stairs and into the kitchen where the mail was waiting.

"He studied really hard for them, and he's been hoping to get good enough grades to get into a program with the Ministry after Hogwarts."

"He wants to work at the Ministry?" Harry wrinkled his nose slightly.

"I know, I know. Politicians can be kind of sleazy, but I think he really wants to right the wrongs done by his father. Both in the Ministry and otherwise." Eleanor explained.

"He told you that?" Harry clarified.

"In lesser words." Eleanor smiled sadly. "He's been going through a lot needing to rethink his loyalty to his family. I think he really just wants to make the Malfoy name one that is remembered positively. Don't tell him I told you that though, he'll get embarrassed."

"Yeah because me and Malfoy sit around gabbing about things you've told us." Harry rolled his eyes a little and nudged Eleanor's shoulder playfully as the pair entered the kitchen. Draco had his nose already deep in his letter, and he handed Eleanor hers without looking up.

Eleanor slowly peeled the envelope open and began unfolding the parchment, the sheer lack of Os and Es on the page caught her eye immediately and she almost wanted to look away. Eleanor didn't always struggle with school, but it had been a hard year for her. She bit firmly on her thumbnail as she began reading.

Astronomy P

Care of Magical Creatures E

Charms A

Defense Against the Dark Arts A

Herbology O

History of Magic D

Muggle Studies P

Potions T

Transfiguration A

She looked up from her page with a twinge of shame. Draco and Harry were both smiling slightly to themselves as they read their scores. Remus and Sirius entered the kitchen from the patio door with cups of tea in their hands.

"OWLs?" Remus asked with a supportive smile, walking straight to Eleanor who folded her parchment in a hurry and stuffed it back in the envelope.

"As expected." She answered shortly, shoving the envelope into the pocket of her shorts. This caused Draco's eyes to snap up to look at her. He seemed like he wanted to say something but his mind was preoccupied with his own good marks.

"Oh they can't be that bad, my love." Remus said, putting an arm around her shoulders.

"It's fine." Eleanor shrugged him off and walked towards the pantry to grab something to eat.

"How about you, Harry?" Sirius asked, looking over his godson's shoulder and letting out a small 'whoop' of praise when he saw it. "Look at that!" He took the parchment from Harry's hands to examine it closer. "You obviously got your mum's brains, huh?" He asked excitedly. "Looks like you and your dad got the same History of Magic grade." He continued laughingly. "I'm so proud."

"How'd you do, Draco?" Remus asked politely as Eleanor's head remained firmly in the pantry, trying to hold back tears at her own mediocrity.

"Uh, well…" Draco seemed reluctant to share, though Eleanor knew he would normally love the opportunity to boast. He didn't seem to want to do it in front of her. "Mostly E's, an O here or there." He tried to sound nonchalant but everyone could tell he was proud.

"Well that's very good." Remus said kindly. "Eleanor, love, let's take a walk."

Eleanor rolled her eyes at his request, knowing he was going to try to comfort her by telling her that she had been through a lot and that it was normal for grades to fall. Eleanor didn't want to hear it because it wouldn't make her feel any better.

"I really don't want to talk about my OWLs." Eleanor let out an annoyed voice.

"Oh good, neither do I." Eleanor furrowed her brow and turned to face him in confusion. She began to walk out onto the patio with him, thinking it could be more information about what Voldemort had wanted with the potential future child of her and Draco, though Remus had been intentionally mum on the subject as of late. "McGonagall wrote to me." Lupin said as the two entered the garden that Eleanor lovingly tended to.

"Oh?" Eleanor asked, fear gripping her heart that her head of house was disappointed in her.

"She has been contemplating some possible schedules for you this term and wanted my input. I, however, want yours." Remus began, pulling parchment out of his pocket and looking at the different options that McGonagall had apparently outlined. "It seems as though there are not a lot of NEWT level classes for you, considering many of them require an E," Eleanor began fidgeting with her hands and tears filled her eyes. "McGonagall and Flitwick are willing to take you into their classes because they know what a trying year you had and how good you are at Transfiguration and Charms. Obviously, Hagrid and Professor Sprout are very excited to have you back."

"So a schedule with only four classes? What an absolute joke." Tears did fall out of her eyes now.

"Well, you could do only four if you wanted to. But Both Hagrid and Professor Sprout have asked you to do some extra work, helping prep for classes, assisting in teaching some of the younger students." Remus spilled out quickly. "You could do one, or you could do both on top of your classes. McGonagall thinks you have a bright future in caretaking, in many fields."

"Caretaking?" Eleanor repeated in shock. "What a sexist stereotype I've fallen into. I am only good for taking care of others because I'm a woman?" Her breath was coming heavily.

"No, my love, it isn't because you're a woman." Remus put his hand on her back. "It's because you have a good heart and a knack for making others feel loved."

"What the hell am I supposed to do with that? Take care of people's pets? Or become a damn gardener?"

"There are a lot of options that working with Hagrid and Professor Sprout will prepare you for. McGonagall is going to work with you this year to plan for your seventh year based on what you would like to do after school." Remus explained slowly again. "What McGonagall and I would like to know is whether you would like to do both teaching assistant jobs, or just one?"

"How about I just drop out now since I only earned two of my classes, and my other two had to lower their standards out of pity?" Eleanor snipped, ripping a leaf off of a plant she was walking past and ripping it angrily between her fingers. Eleanor had never felt more subpar. She'd never been as smart as Hermione or Draco, she had never been able to keep up with them, but she had always been able to stay a bit above Harry, and from the sound of Sirius' praise, he had more than a single E and O. She knew the year had been hard, but she should have been better than this. Maybe she just wasn't as good as she thought she was. She began kicking at the dirt as she ground her teeth. "What's the point of sticking around if all I'm going to be able to do is...is -"

"You're sounding rather spoiled, my love." Remus cut her off through gritted teeth. Eleanor stopped walking abruptly and stared at her father emotionlessly, trying to wrap her head around what he had said. Remus had never been stern with her, he had gently put in his opinion when he felt necessary, but this scolding tone was something that Eleanor hadn't heard. Spoiled? What did that mean? "I don't mean to sound harsh, I don't, but I believe it would be more beneficial to be grateful for the opportunities you are being granted by understanding professors than to be angry at your lack of OWLs."

Eleanor was silent for a moment, taking in what she said. She supposed she could have been more gracious. She bit her lip in contemplation. "I'm sorry." She let out, knowing her father had struggles in Hogwarts as well and was granted a lot of opportunities despite his future being unsure. "It's hard sometimes being surrounded by the two smartest students in the school, and Harry Potter who is phenomenal, and Ron who everyone loves. Seeing my scores...I don't know, I'm just disappointed in myself. I feel like I'm failing."

"You've had an unfairly difficult year. You lost your parents, your relationships were complicated, your mental health was suffering. No one thinks less of you because you can't take another Potions class. However, I think it is important that you give yourself that same understanding rather than rage about not doing as well as you thought." Remus took a breath. "Some people have no opportunities once they leave Hogwarts. Some people have very limited job options due to circumstances out of their control, so talking about those job options like they are beneath you is very insensitive. Everyone has a part to play, and everyone is valuable."

Eleanor's cheeks went red and her eyes stayed firmly on the ground. She and her father had been raised in very different worlds, and she didn't know how to take herself out of the spoiled life she lived to realize how other people interacted with the world around her. "Can you tell me more about your life?" Eleanor asked softly. "And more about my mum?"

"My life?" Remus said softly. "My life was, well, erm...lonely, then not so for awhile, then lonely again, and now not so much again." Remus smiled sadly. "We can get more into that a bit later," He sucked in a breath, "but your mum I can talk about." He put his arm around his daughter's shoulders. "I could talk about her for ages."


It's here! So, like many others, I've found myself with quite a bit of free time recently. With that time I was able to finish up the little spin-off about Eleanor's mother and Remus! I posted the first chapter a bit ago, but now the whole thing is posted for your enjoyment! Please go check out All the Lonely People! I hope you are all finding ways to stay mentally and physically well during this scary time we are all living in right now. Take care of yourselves!