She's not for everyone and she knows it.
People find her different and strange.
She dances in the rain, laughs when she cries, and loves through her pain.
People fear the unknown and they've never met a girl like her.
August 3rd, 1971
It has been three months since Eliana was given to the Potters. She has fallen into a pretty easy and fun schedule: Play with James, take walks with Charlus, and read in the library with Dorea. It was simple and just what Eliana needed.
On one particular day, Eliana woke up and went to her bathroom. There, she took a shower, brushed her teeth and her hair and then walked into her walk-in-closet.
Once there, she saw all the left-over space she had and decided it was finally time to do something with it. What to do with it.
She had no idea.
So, she just stood there until a thought came to her.
"Uh, Ellie, what are you doing just standing there?" James asked upon walking into her room.
"I'm trying to figure out what the hell I'm going to do with all the extra space in this closet." She answered. James came and stood right next to her, looking into the closet just as she was.
Silence passed between the two for a couple of minutes before James broke it by excitedly yelling, "Oh!" The sudden noise made Eliana jump and flinch in fear. James, having realized what he did said, "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you Ellie, I just had an idea."
"No, it's okay. Um, what was your idea?" Eliana asked, calming down her nerves.
"Well, we could make a fort out of blankets and pillows. Then, we could use it for whenever you have nightmares or panic attacks. How does that sound?"
"... You know? That sounds pretty good." Eliana agreed.
"What were you two up to today? Eliana, you never came for breakfast and neither came down for lunch." Dorea asked James and Elinana when they all sat down for dinner.
"It's a twin secret. Between me and Ellie, sorry mum." James responded; Eliana nodded.
"Well, whatever it is just make sure it's not you could get in trouble for." Charlus told his son and daughter.
"Don't worry, it's the complete opposite actually, it will help me. Jamie came up with the idea." Eliana informed them.
"Okay, as long as you are both safe and having fun." Dorea smiled, "Now, tomorrow we are all going to go to Diagon alley, and I expect you two to be on your best behaviors. Understand?"
"Yes." They replied.
"Good."
The following morning the group of four went to Diagon alley. First, they went to Gringotts for money and then they went shopping for school supplies for both James and Eliana.
Once they were done Dorea said, "Now that we are done, you both may go to a single store of your choosing alone for half an hour before we leave to go home again, okay?" James and Eliana both agreed and rushed away to their favorite stores after thanking Dorea.
James went to 'Quality Quidditch Supplies' while Eliana went to 'Flourish and Blotts'.
After a little while of looking around, Eliana glanced down at the watch Harry had given her for her 16th birthday that not only was her sweet 16 in the muggle world, but also her first birthday free of her parents. However, only Harry and Sirius knew that, but Sirius died before she got away from them.
While checking the time, she turned around and took a step forward, smashing right into a person and stumbling backwards. "Oh, I'm so sorry." she said.
"No, don't apologize, it was my fault, really." A voice told her. Eliana looked up to see who she was talking to. When she looked up, she saw a skinny boy with long, straight, jet black hair, and black eyes. And that's when she realized.
Severus Snape was standing in front of her.
Eliana could only stand there in shock for a moment. The man who sent her back in time to 1971 was standing in front of her but instead as an eleven-year-old boy.
"Um, no, I wasn't looking where I was going... I'm-uh, I'm Eliana Potter." She introduced herself, Snape did say the first met in Diagon ally for the first time and they became best friends.
"Severus Snape. It's a pleasure to meet you, Eliana. Are you cousins with James Potter?"
"Um, no. James is my twin brother." Eliana explained
"Oh, I was not aware of the fact James Potter had a twin sister." Severus explained.
"Not many people are... I was with family for a couple years, hence why not many people know about me." She lied surprisingly easily.
"Ah, that would explain why. I understand." Severus nodded
"Ellie!" James shouted, walking over to them. "It's time to go back home." He looked over at Severus, "What are you doing talking to him?"
"James, don't be rude." Eliana scolded before turning back to Severus. "I'm very sorry, but I must be heading home. However, I will see you at Hogwarts."
"I will see you then."
Once home, Eliana felt the long day finally catching up to her and began feeling dizzy.
"Are you alright, Eliana?" Charlus asked her
"I'm fine... Just need to go take the test." She informed her parents.
"Oh, alright, call if you need anything." Dorea told her.
"Will do." Eliana said, making her way up the stairs. James had already gone to his room to put everything in his trunk for Hogwarts while Eliana helped put everything else away that Charlus and Dorea got when she and James went to different stores.
Once up the stairs, Eliana stumbled to her room, leaning somewhat against the wall for support. After she got upstairs, she slowly made her way to her room as quietly as possible, so she didn't attract the attention of James.
In her room, she picked up her bag, sat on her bed and opened it. First, she put a new needle into her finger pricker, next she put a test strip into her blood glucose meter, then she picked up the finger pricker, prinked her finger and put a tiny bit of blood onto her test strip. While waiting for the result, she put a small band-aid on her finger and put the finger pricker away.
Once she looked down at the result, is said: 58.9 mg/dL.
"Shit." Eliana swore after seeing the result. Quickly, she grabbed her bottle of insulin, a clean, new needle, loaded insulin into her needle, and gabbed the needle into her left arm closer to her shoulder.
"What the hell are you doing, Ellie?!" James shouted, standing in the open the doorway to her bedroom.
"Jamie." Eliana said, looking up to see James standing there, wide-eyed. "What are you doing?"
"What am I doing!? What are you doing?!" James shouted while Eliana took the needle out of her arm and threw it into the garbage.
"Answer me first."
"Fine. I was in my room, heard you say, 'shit' so I came over here to see what was wrong and then all I see is you stabbing yourself in the arm with that thing!" James exclaimed. "Now what were you doing?!"
"I was inserting insulin into my body." Eliana informed her bother.
"...What?"
"Come sit down." Eliana patted the seat next to her. James walked over to her and sat down on the bed next to her, waiting for her to explain. "A couple years ago, I was diagnosed with type one diabetes. It's something that was discovered in my small town where I was before here, but not anywhere else. I was one of the first to be treated with this new technique. It's something that is still under wraps, and no one knows about it. Meaning you can't tell anyone." She tried to explain without telling him she was from the future.
"But what is it?"
Eliana sighed, "Type 1 diabetes is when the body doesn't produce insulin. The body breaks down the carbohydrates you eat into blood glucose -or blood sugar- that it uses for energy."
"And what's insulin and carbohydrates?"
"Insulin is a hormone that the body needs to get glucose from the bloodstream into the cells of the body. And carbohydrates are one of the three major food groups."
"Got it. Oh, Ellie, I'm so sorry. You have horrible PTSD, and you have type 1 diabetes. I'm so sorry. Is there a cure?"
"No, I have to live with it for the rest of my life." Eliana said with a small, sad smile.
"Well then, teach me how to do the test and I'll do it for you, so you don't have to stab yourself."
"Oh, no, James, you don't have to. I'm okay with stabbing myself with a needle. I've been doing it for years."
"No. You will teach me, and I will help you." James told her firmly. "I am your twin brother, and I want to help you. I want to do this. Please."
"...Okay." Eliana sighed
"Yes!" James exclaimed. "...Do mum and dad know?"
"Yeah, the do. I kinda had to tell them so they wouldn't ask why their daughter becomes dizzy and stabs herself with a needle every other day."
James chuckled, "Well, now you have me. So, teach me and whenever you need it, tell me."
Eliana smiled softly at James, "Thank you."
"Anything for you, Eliana, anything for you." He told her, wrapping her up into a hug.
September 1st, 1971
The day finally came where James and Eliana got onto the Hogwarts express. Both twins were excited, though Eliana was admittedly less excited. James was excited because he has never before been to Hogwarts and can't wait to make friends and cause trouble. Eliana was excited because she finally got to meet eleven-year-olds Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Lily Evans. However, going back to Hogwarts still made her panic a bit after the war. She knew she would have to face all her old demons there, thankfully, the place where Fenrir Greyback attacked her was somewhat hidden so she wouldn't have to face that for a while.
"Be good you two. Don't get into too much trouble so soon. Maybe wait a year before you bring out the big stuff." Charlus told them, making them laugh and Dorea smack his arm.
"Charlus! Don't encourage it." She sighed, "Stay out of trouble. Both of you, Merlin knows you can get into it very quickly. Now, James, did you bring everything? Books, potions, clothes, undergarments?"
"Mum!" James shouted
"Oh shush." Dorea told the boy before turning to Eliana, "Same with you? You have all of your insulin bottles, needles, finger prickers, test strips and blood glucose meter?"
"Yes, mum. Don't worry. I've been dealing with this for years now. Mainly with no help. I've got it." Eliana told them.
"Yes, well, now you have help and you will take it. Come here." Dorea pulled Eliana into a hug while Charlus did the same with James, "Is there anything you want or need to tell me?" She whispered into her ear.
"Umm..." Eliana thought about the question and an answer popped into her head, having remember something Sirius told her when she spent time with him at Grimmuald Place. "Yeah, we're going to be bringing Sirius Black home with us for Christmas." Eliana whispered back.
"Sirius Black?" Eliana nodded, "If you say so. I trust you." Dorea pulled out of the hug, and they switched. She hugged James while Charlus hugged Eliana.
"Stay safe, Princess. Write me every week. Keep me updated on your insulin levels, how you're doing in school, both socially and academically. I want to know. I want to be kept updated, please." Charlus whispered to Eliana during the hug.
Eliana felt tears coming into her eyes as she heard Charlus say this. After eighteen years, she finally had a father who cared about her. Her biological father didn't give a shit about her or how she was doing, so to have a father who does, even if he wasn't her biological father, meant the world to her. "I will daddy. Don't worry." She told him.
"Thank you, Princess." They pulled out of the hug after he said that, and she stood next to James While Charlus stood next to Dorea.
"Well, this is a goodbye for now. We'll see you at Christmas." Dorea told them; it was clear the woman was close to tears.
"Bye mum, bye dad!" The twins shouted, walking into the Hogwarts express.
"So? Where should we go?" James asked his sister
"To find an empty compartment." Eliana answered, pulling James with her until she found an empty compartment. According to the stories Sirius told her, he would come in first, after having been kicked out by some 'wanna-be Slytherins' -or so how he put it- next would be Peter and then lastly Remus. Sirius never did tell her how Peter and Remus ended up sitting with them, but now she knows it's up to her to make sure they do.
After about fifteen minutes of talking with James, the compartment door opened and in stepped a skinny, tall boy with obsidian black hair that went down to just below his ears and green eyes. It was eleven-year-old Sirius Black.
"Hello you two. Can I stay here? I just got kicked out by some wanna-be Slytherins -not that I want to be a Slytherin- I want to be a Gryffindor. In the house of the brave."
Eliana almost let out a laugh at the fact that eleven-year-old Sirius phrased who he was sitting with the same way thirty-five-year-old Sirius phrased who he was sitting with.
"Yeah, of course you can stay, right Ellie?" James asked
"Yeah, of course." She smiled as she looked at Sirius, she missed him so much in her time. No one really knew how close she and Sirius had been before he died. He was like the father she never had. She knew she could tell him anything and everything and did just that. He was the first person she told about her diabetes and the second about her awful parents -Harry being the first-.
James looked at his sister and saw what looked to be a look of grief in her eyes. Almost the same as when she saw himself for the first time. "I'm James Potter and this is my twin sister Eliana Potter."
"Hey, I'm Sirius Black. Nice to meet you two... I'm gonna call you Firefly." Sirius informed Eliana.
"Um, why?" Eliana asked, confused
"Because you seem to light the way like a firefly." Sirius shrugged, sitting down next to her and across from James.
"I hate nicknames."
"Too bad."
Eliana just rolled her eyes and let James talk. She smiled to herself, knowing that she is currently watching the very beginning of the ultimate friendship between her best friend's father and her best friend's godfather.
"What house do you want to be in?" Sirius asked
"I'm hoping for Gryffindor. All Potter's have been in Gryffindor." James answered
"How 'bout you, firefly?"
"Um, I don't know, probably Gryffindor as well."
"Amazing! Then, the three of us can be best friends." Sirius smiled.
It wasn't too long after that when there was a loud 'bang' outside the compartment. Eliana jumped to her feet immediately, wand in her hand, not that she needed it, she knew a great deal of wandless magic. Carefully, Eliana opened the door. Just as she did so, she saw two fifth year boys about to hex a first year. Just in time, she put a shield charm around the boy and then sent bat-bogey hexes that them both.
"You okay?" Eliana asked the boy once the fifth years ran away. As she came closer to the boy, she noticed that he looked like a younger, much more groomed Peter Pettigrew.
"Y-yes. Thank you." Peter said, standing up.
"How about you come join us?" Eliana offered
"R-really? Would that be okay?"
"Of course." She smiled, leading him into the compartment and taking her seat next to Sirius While Peter sat next to James.
"Holy shit, firefly. You can do magic?!" Sirius exclaimed
Eliana rolled her eyes, "We can all do magic, Sirius, that's why we're going to Hogwarts."
"No, but no first years should know how to do those spells. I don't even know what the one that sent the fifth year away was."
"It's called a bat-bogey hex. It's actually really fun to cast, but not so much if you're the victim. Not that I know that from experience, I just know people who have had it put on them."
"Wow. How do you know this much?" Peter asked
"I always come prepared. I've been through a lot more than you would think a small girl like myself would have. I know things." Eliana shrugged.
"I've learned not to ask about it." James told them
"So, who are you guys?" Peter asked
"Eliana Potter."
"James Potter."
"And Sirius Black" Eliana, James, and Sirius all answered respectively.
"And you are?" James asked Peter.
"Peter Pettigrew."
"Nice to meet you, Peter Pettigrew. Now our merry little band of misfits of three has become a merry little band of misfits of four." Sirius said.
"Well, at least we're merry." James pointed out.
"That we are, James, that we are."
After another twenty minutes of listening to Peter talk to James and Sirius, Eliana finally has had enough. She knew it would take a lot of patience to be able to even tolerate him after what he did, but her insulin levels are low, and she doesn't want to have to do her shot in front of Peter. Sirius, she didn't mind. He was the first she told in her time, so she doesn't care if he knows now. But she did care about Peter knowing.
Knowing her patience was wearing very thin, she got up from her seat and headed towards the door. "Ellie, where are you going?" James asked
"Just on a small walk. I'll be back soon."
"Do you want me to come with you just in case?"
"No, it's okay. I can protect myself Jamie, you know I can. You stay with Sirius and Peter. I'll be back soon." James nodded reluctantly and Eliana headed down the aisle.
For a little while she just walked, not caring where she was going because she knew she would find her way back. But then she saw a young boy sitting down on the floor. Deciding he seemed sad, she walked over to him. As she got closer, she noticed who was sitting on the floor. and smiled to herself. "Hey." She said.
Remus Lupin looked up at Eliana and then looked around the surrounding area, "Hey me?"
"Yeah, who else would I be talking to?" Eliana smiled
"Um, I don't know."
"Well, I'm Eliana Dorea Potter and you're Remus John Lupin."
"How did you know that?" Remus asked, astonished.
"Your bag says, 'Remus J. Lupin' and then John is a pretty common name, so I took a jump at it. I got it right, didn't I?"
"Yeah, you did." Remus nodded
"How about you come with me, Remus? Apparently, I'm creating a merry little band of misfits." Eliana said.
"...Um, okay?"
"Great, let's go, I'll lead the way."
Once Eliana and Remus reached the compartment and opened the door, they saw James and Sirius eating Bertie Bott's Ever Flavor Beans while Peter watched. "Everyone, this is Remus Lupin, Remus, this is my twin brother James, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew." Eliana introduced.
"Hey Remus." James, Sirius, and Peter said.
"Hello everyone." Remus smiled shyly.
Eliana plopped right back down next to Sirius and Remus sat on the other side of her. "Firefly here has apparently taken a liking to build merry little band of misfits." Sirius said, putting his arm around Eliana's shoulders.
"What can I say?" Eliana smiled and shrugged as she continued to speak, "Sometimes, when you put a bunch of misfits like us together, you get a bunch of assholes. But sometimes, you put a bunch of misfits together... And you get a family."