Author: Hi everyone! New Chapter for His Shining Light! Thank you all for your reviews and favs, you guys are amazing! Have an amazing week!

" You're going to try out for the Hufflepuff Quidditch team?" Lily asked curiously as they sat in the center of the courtyard. " No offense El, but you can barely walk without tripping. What would happened if your on a broomstick and you fall?"

" Well, it helps when there aren't Slytherin's trying to trip her every twenty seconds." James said causing Lily to give him an irritated look.

It had been two weeks since Sirius had apologized to Elaine and the Gryffindor boys had started spending time with the girls, much to Lily's irritation.

It was mainly so that Sirius could show Elaine that he didn't actually hate her.

She was still slightly gun shy around him, though. She'd occasionally jump whenever he tried to talk to her, also to Lily's irritation. Mainly due to the fact that James was always trying to impress her or to catch her attention.
The red haired Muggle Born girl was very protective of her friends and Lily had already promised to hex him into oblivion if he so much as looked at Elaine wrong.

" She's actually not terrible." Sirius said so bluntly to everyone's surprise.

A stunned silence fell over the group causing him look up from his book. Everyone, including Elaine, was staring at him in confusion and disbelief.

" What? She's not." Sirius said honestly. " She could use a bit on practice but she isn't terrible."

" When have you actually seen her on a broomstick?" James asked, a smirk on his face causing Sirius to kick him.

" When had that class that Madam Hooch taught with the Hufflepuffs!" Sirius said awkwardly.

" That was in our First Year!" James scoffed.

" Well she did a lot better then you, Mr. Gryffindor Seeker!" Sirius snapped making James remember when his broom bucked him right off his broom into a puddle of mud.

Madam Hooch had not been pleased.

" Please tell me you'll at least be trying out for Chaser!" Lily said hurriedly.

Elaine was silent.

" THE BEATER POSITION!" Lily screeched causing several Ravenclaw First Years to scurry past.

" When you get the spot, could you not send the Bludger at me?" James asked, flashing her a handsome smile.

Her face flooded almost as red causing Sirius to stamp on his friend's foot.

" Are you sure you want to try for the Beater position?" Remus asked curiously.

" W-Well I…think it would be good for me." Elaine said shyly flipping through her Transfiguration book.

" Good for you?" Sirius asked.

" To you know…work out…frustration." Elaine said causing everyone to stare at her.

Sirius didn't think Elaine's face could have gone any redder.

" Are you alright, Lainey?" Remus asked, his voice filled with concern. " Has anyone been picking on you?"
" Like Bella?" Sirius asked angrily.

He hated how his cousin Bellatrix picked on the younger students. Yet she seemed to have a particular hatred of Elaine and he didn't understand why.

He had his answer when she remained silent.

" She's been harassing you." Sirius growled.

" It's nothing, really!" Elaine said quickly which only seem to irritate him more.

" Why don't you stand up to her?" Sirius asked.

" It isn't as easy as you think, Sirius." Lily said calmly. " It's easy for you, you've been standing up to Bellatrix your entire life…but for someone like Ellie, who is so sweet it's a little harder."

" Well, maybe you should learn how to duel." Sirius said locking eyes with Elaine. " Show Bella that enough is enough."

" I don't know…" Elaine said when before she felt a hand clasp around the back of her neck. Jerking her head backward.

She stared up in shock at the face of Rodolphus LeStrange's blank, emotionless black eyes. " Come with me." He said coldly causing her heart rate to quicken.

" Let go of her! She's not a Kneazel!" Lily snapped suddenly.

" No one was talking to you, girl. Mind your own business." Rodolphus said not bothering to look at her. " Come with me."

Elaine stood nervously gathering her books and placing them into her bag. She quickly followed after Rodolphus only looking over her shoulder to give her friends a small, cautious smile.

" Where are we going?" Rodolphus heard Elaine ask nervously.

He didn't respond until he opened a door to a nearby classroom. " Close the door."

Upon doing so he turned to face her, wand drawn causing her to take a step backwards.

Fear etched on her pale face.

" You're an embarrassment." He said calmly to her surprise. " More so than your mother ever was. She at least she'd never put up with the likes of Bellatrix and her lot."

Elaine gulped, her hand creeping into her sleeve for her own wand. " Someone like Bellatrix shouldn't be a problem for a LeStrange."

" What are you-"
" Drop the act and stop playing the clueless wonder. You're a good little actress but I know you know who your mother's family is." Rodolphus growled as he saw Elaine's face become more fearful. " I have no idea why you pretend to be some kind of timid little niffler but don't try to act that way with me."

" When did you figure it out that I knew?" Elaine asked cautiously.

" I had a feeling since we met on the train. There's no way that your mother would have sent you to Hogwarts where the Blacks and I are without telling you."

He was right.

Her mother had eventually told her about who her family was. She had told her about the brother and nephew she had had before being disowned.

How that, no matter who Elaine ended up loving she would never not be welcomed home. That Winifred and Jonas would always love her.

"I realized that you weren't incompetent when I saw you accidentally turned Narcissa's hair into slugs. The Black sisters may be dimwitted but I'm not." Rodolphus said, a smirk on his handsome face. " You're not entirely clueless. Why you pretend to be is beyond me and I don't really care why. Only that you're embarrassing our family!"

" The family that chucked my mum out for marrying my papa." Elaine said angrily.

" Yes, that one. Now take out your wand."

" What?"

" You heard me. Take it out." Rodolphus said raising his own and aiming it at her. " You may have some skill in charms but you have an ocean of room for improvement."

" Are…are you teaching me to duel?" Elaine asked earnestly.

" I won't tell you again, draw your wand!" Rodolphus commanded before calling out a spell.

" EXPELLIARMUS!" Elaine called barely managing to dodge his attack.

Rodolphus easily deflected her attack. " You need to put feeling into your attacks or they'll mean nothing!"

The next few minutes felt like eternity as all Elaine was able to do was dodge her cousin's attacks.

An opening…that's all she needed.

And she when she finally saw it, she only slightly hesitated…and that was all Rodolophus needed before he hit her with the full body bind.

The Third Year slammed, stiff as a board, onto the stone floor.

Rodolphus LeStrange walked calmly over to where his cousin lay. " Never…ever…hesitate." He growled dangerously. " One day, it'll get you killed."

He smirked at the irritation in those familiar cat shaped eyes. Squatting down beside her he continued. " Like this, you're completely helpless. Anything could be done to you."

Fear darted through her eyes at his words.

" If I were you, I'd steer clear of the Blacks. All of them." Rodolphus said calmly. " They bring nothing but pain and suffering."

His own cat shaped eyes showed little mercy in them as he spoke.

Standing he delivered the counter curse and Elaine was able to move once more.

" We'll continue these lessons every week in a place of my choosing an hour after dinner." Rodolphus said sheathing his wand back into his robes before making his way towards the door.

Elaine stared at him curiously, deciding to take a moment of bravery. " Are you really doing this for the family?"

Rodolphus paused mid stride, cocking his head slightly at her question.

" Are you doing this for the family's image or…because-"

" Don't delude yourself!" Rodolphus snapped, not bothering to look at her as his face reddened. " Personally, I don't give a damn about you and I never will."

He continued to make his way to the door and as he reached for the knob he heard her say.

" You're wrong about all of them, the Blacks I mean." When he didn't respond she continued. " Andromeda isn't bad. She's one of the nicest people I know."

" Because she's using you to make herself feel better. She wants to be so different from her family that she thinks being friends with you will get you there." Rodolphus said his fists clenching. " She's as manipulative as the rest."

" I don't think so. When she talked to me on the train…her emotions were true."

" You're so naïve, it'll get you killed one day." Rodolphus said.

" I don't think you're as cold as you try to be." Elaine said twiddling with her fingers. " I think you do care a little about m-"

WHAM!

She hadn't seen him cross the room but before she could blink he had grabbed her by her collar and slammed her onto the floor.

" I don't give a damn about you, you little Blood Traitor!" He hissed into her ear, the hold on her collar tightening to the point she was gasping for air. " The only thing I care about is my family's status and you not destroying it more then your whore mother has!"

" Let go of her!"

Rodolphus looked up to see Sirius, James, Remus and Lily all standing over them, wands drawn and pointed squarely at his head. Peter Pettigrew at the doorway, his trembling hand gripping his wand.

" Get off her." Sirius said his voice filled with the promise of murder.

Rodolphus glanced down at his cousin, her green eyes filled with fear. Disgust at his own actions had washed over him.

His father had raised him that blood was everything but he had caused someone of his own blood pain.

This wasn't what he had set out to do.

In truth, he did care about the little red head.

As much as someone like him could.

For two years now he had been successful in diverting most of Bellatrix and Narcissa's attacks on his cousin.

However, he was growing tired of it.

Elaine's younger twin brothers had been Sorted into Ravenclaw that year. He was busy keeping an eye on them as well. He didn't have time to make sure his fiancée and her crew didn't harass the three siblings.

He had thought that if he taught Elaine how to duel it would build her confidence and she would stand up to Bellatrix. Teach her brothers how to duel, so that they could fend off Regulus Black and his goons.

" FLIPENDO!" Lily yelled sending the Seventh Year flying.

Remus reached down and pulled Elaine safely behind them. Once she was behind them, he aimed his own wand back at the boy who glared at them from his spot on the floor.

" Rodolphus LeStrange, Seventh Year Slytherin Prefect. Picking on a little girl!" Sirius growled dangerously as the tip of his wand started to glow. " You best shove off, LeStrange!"

" Remember what I told you, Winters." Rodolphus snapped before storming from the room.

" Are you ok, Ellie?" Lily said worriedly giving her friend a once over. " We should never have let you go with him!"

" He didn't hurt you did he?" James asked cautiously.

" Should we go to McGonagall or Sprout?" Peter asked as he managed to make his way to them, his face visibly pale. " Or maybe Professor Slughorn?"

" Going to a teacher more then likely would only make things worse." Sirius said. " Slughorn favors the Slytherins and if a student isn't part of his stupid little club he really could care less about them."

Lily blushed at his words.

Slughorn had recruited her to his club last year when she had shown excellent skill in almost all of her subjects. She really only needed the occasional help in Herbology, to which their friend Alice would tutor her.

" Winters, you're not hurt are you?" Sirius asked as he noticing how much her hands were trembling. He didn't understand the urge to pull her comfortingly to him. His family didn't do things like that.

Showing emotions for another person was considered beneath them.

Occasionally, his younger brother would try to climb into his bed after a nightmare but when their parents had found out the two would be beaten. His brother for being weak and afraid…him for allowing his brother comfort.

To his knowledge, his parents never showed feelings for each other. As far as he could tell, they merely tolerated each other. Their marriage had been arranged by their parents in order to keep the bloodline pure.

He had seen Elaine with her family at Diagon Alley the month before their Third Year began. He saw how her father opened doors for her mother. He would wrap his arm securely around Winifred's waist and kiss her lightly.

He'd see Winifred fuss over her children, wiping their faces off with her kerchief or kissing their foreheads. Jonas had helped Elaine pick out a kneazel of her own, actually taking time to explain the different breeds and their temperaments.

Elaine's brothers had complained about wanting a pet of their own to bring to Hogwarts but Sirius had seen their parents explain that their sister had earned her pet through her grades and hard work. Not once had he seen her parents hit their children or give them a look of anything but love.

The family was so different from his own that it made him envious of Elaine.

Another reason he treated her how he had these past few years.

He now realized that he had been jealous.

He wished his own family were like that.

Now he realized why Elaine was so kind.

She had been raised to be like that.

She had been raised in a loving home where all they expected from her was to be happy and healthy…the occasional good grades were also appreciated.

Sirius looked up to see Remus trying to calm Lily, who was ranting about wanting to go and hex Rodolphus.

" H-Here…" He whispered adjusting the red head's collar before noticing the small bruise there.

Anger floored him at the sight.

" Sirius?"

He looked up to see her looking at him in concern. " What's wrong with you? Did you hit your head or something?" He asked causing her eyebrows to raise. " You're the one who was assaulted and you're concerned about me?"

" I guess there must be something wrong with me." She said quietly.

" No…" He said quickly, gently pulling her to the side and trying to ignore James' curious gaze. " Winters, I shouldn't have said that…"

" Sirius…" Elaine said taking his hand shyly. " Thank you."

" F-For what?" He asked, oblivious to James and Remus wrestling with Lily, trying to keep her from interrupting the two.

" You didn't have to come find me." Elaine said shyly.

" Lily and Remus were worried." He lied quickly. In truth he had almost panicked when Rodolphus took him from their study group. He knew what the LeStrange family was like and he knew how manipulative Rodolphus could be.

" Well, thank you either way." Elaine said squeezing his hand lightly. Before she pulled away she leaned in and gave him a quick kiss to the cheek.

" Ew! Ellie, please!" Lily groaned as Sirius' grey eyes widened.

" Common Evans, Winters' seems to have let it go, why can't you?" James said.

" Because Ellie's to trusting!" Lily snapped. " Someone needs to look out for her!"

" Evans!"

" Lily, wouldn't the fact that Sirius came to make sure Elaine is alright mean he thinks of her as a friend?" Remus said quickly.

Sirius saw how Remus words made Elaine flinch slightly.

He cringed at his friend's choice of words. He knew Lily wasn't convinced.

He knew Elaine had a crush on him.

The thought that he only saw her as a friend would be as bad as thinking he hated her.

" I don't hate you." Sirius whispered, slipping a chocolate frog into her robe pocket. " But seriously Winters, did you hit your head when he threw you down?"

" Not to bad…" Elaine admitted causing Remus make her to sit in a nearby chair. Running his hands over her scalp, he checked her to make sure there wasn't any serious damage.

" You might have a bruise but I don't think you should see Madam Pomfrey." Remus said calmly. " Did you lose consciousness?"

" No?" Elaine said awkwardly. She didn't like making people worry over her.

" Are you nauseous? Dizzy?"

" No…"

" Remus, are you thinking about being a Healer when you graduate?" Peter asked quickly. " You're really good at taking care of people!"

The compliment made Remus' face redden.

" I haven't decided what I want to be." He murmured shyly.

" You'd make an amazing Healer, Remus." Elaine said to Lily's agreement.

" Thanks guys." Remus said blushing more.

Rodolphus sat in his dorm room with a pillow over his eyes. He hadn't meant to lose control as he had with Elaine.

He had set out to help her.

To try and get her to be able to defend herself.

Why had he lost control?

Was he really like the rumors of his family?

" Heard you went off with the Blood Traitor."

Rodolphus groaned as he heard the obnoxious voice of Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa's fiancée.

" So what did you do with her?" He sneered over at him.

" None of your business, Malfoy."

" Let me guess," Lucius said making his way over to Rodolphus, a disgusting sneer on his pointed cruel face. " What did she taste like?"

WHAM!

Rodolphus slammed his fist square into Lucius' face, knocking him straight to the ground.

" If you ever imply that I'd dishonor myself by touching someone as filthy and vile as a blood traitor again I'll find a torture method that makes Filch envious." The blonde paled at the Prefects words. " And if I were you Malfoy, I'd steer clear of the Blood Traitor." Rodolphus said grabbing ahold of the Fourth Year's collar. Pulling him closer so that Malfoy could see the how serious he was.

" If Narcissa catches you anywhere near that girl she's curse you into oblivion. Not even Dumbledore will protect you."

His voice was as cold as ice as he wiped Malfoy's blood onto the teen's robes. " And then, Bellatrix will have a turn on you. I'll enjoy every minute of watching you squirm as she tortures you."

A glint of pleasure darted through his black eyes as he continued. " Oh she'll truly enjoy carving you up. Knives are one of the few torture methods that she loves. She truly, truly enjoys peeling the flesh off of someone."

Fear darkened Malfoy's eyes.

" But it won't stop there, for the fun of it, I'll join in." Rodolphus said leaning forward and whispering into the teen's ear. " I've been contemplating the best torture methods from Medieval times and I'd love to have a test subject who can converse with me."

He could have swore Malfoy had wet himself.

" Do we have an understanding?" Rodolphus asked curiously.

Malfoy nodded quickly.

" And that means not only you, but your little minions will stay far, far away from Elaine Winters…correct?"

Another nod.

" Good." Rodolphus said calmly before sinking his free hand into Malfoy's blonde locks and twisted.

A whimper of pain came from the teen.

" And in regards to the vast improvement to your looks…you ran into a door." Rodolphus smirked as the blonde teen began to sweat. " Correct?"

Another nod.

" Good. Now piss off."

Rodolphus had never seen Malfoy move so fast before. The very sight of it brought a smile to his face.

TAP!

TAP!

TAP!

Rodolphus turned to one of the few windows that was located near the dungeons. A small grey and white speckled owl was there, tapping away at the window with a small note clasped in its beak.

Opening the window, the owl hopped in and dropped the note on the windowsill. It hooted sweetly at him cocking its head to the side that reminded him of Elaine.

He nodded a small thank you to it as he took the note in his hand. Opening it he saw small, neat and elegant script writing there and the scent of lavender wafted from it.

I'm still interested in

dueling, if you are still

willing to teach me that is.

Elaine

He heard a small peep before a soft fluttering of wings followed. Rodolphus felt the tiny owl land on his shoulder and bop its head against his cheek. " I'm not sending my response now, you can leave."

A small peep was his reply before the owl hopped onto his pillow and settled in place as if to take a nap.

1995

Sirius didn't realize how long he had sat there with Elaine. He hadn't paid attention to night changing into day. He didn't notice Madam Pomfrey coming in and checking her bandages.

At the moment all he was concerned about was holding her hand.

Making sure that he didn't let go.

The last time he had, he hadn't seen her for twelve years.

Twelve long years.

When he had first broke out of Azkaban before he had began his search to find Wormtail he had gone to see her.

He had to see her.

He had to physically see her…to know she was alive and alright.

He had found her at her small cabin in the Scottish Highlands beside a small loch.

There were trees and flowers everywhere.

A small vegetable garden near her house.

A medium sized smoke shake that from the scent of it, contained venison and various other types of meats.

It was the kind of home they had always talked about having.

One where that he told her he couldn't wait to carry her over the threshold and start their lives together.

To raise their children in.

Their children.

Sirius dipped his head at the thought.

He had run what had happened that day several times through his head and he didn't understand how he had managed to curse her…but he had…and he would hate himself forever for it.

He should have listened to her that day.

He should have given her his wand.

At least then, when he had gone to Azkaban, Elaine would still have had their child.

Proof that he loved her.

Proof that he hadn't lied to her.

That everything he had told her was the truth.

" Please El, please…" He whispered lightly, tears forming in his grey eyes. " Open your eyes…say something, please. Anything. Hate me, yelled at me, hex or curse me…just…just open your eyes!"

He tensed as the door closed behind him.

Winifred was probably awake.

He waited for the spell to hit him.

For the screaming to start.

But it didn't.

Confused, he looked over to the door to see Elaine's brother Ezekiel standing there, his black eyes unreadable behind his oval shaped glasses.

" We need to talk."