Disclaimer - Ah, the things I would do if I owned Harry Potter... Alas, it is not to be :( Elena, however, is mine. (Stay away from her!)
AN - I have to apologize. Not only did I not upload for ages, it turns out, I also made a mistake. By now, some of you are no doubt aware that I was going to make Elena the future Lady Black (aka Sirius' future wife). Then, I happened to check out the Black family tree, and found out that they are, in fact, related (I did know Dorea was a Black, but I didn't realize it was so close) And immediately cancelled the pairing. So, my apologies. Though this does give me the opportunity to add in even more OCs, so I don't really mind. Enjoy!
Love of An Aunt
A Harry Potter Fanfiction
Chapter 4
8:07 pm, 15th June 1994
Elena and Harry sat in the car in silence for a few minutes, Harry watching the familiar neighborhood pass by him, now a part of his past. His thoughts rotated between joy (he was finally away from the Dursleys!) to some concern (how will things be with his new aunt?) to happiness (he'd finally be living with someone who cared) to hope (he hoped things would be different) and back again.
Elena looked at him. "Breathe, Harry," she said soothingly.
He turned in his seat to look at her. "Are the Dursleys going to get away for everything they've done?" His face showed anger at the thought.
She smirked. "Take the briefcase from the back and open it." Harry did as instructed, very curious and a little worried by the smirk on the elder's face. "Take out the green file and see what's inside."
"What are these?"
"These," Elena's voice was positively evil, "are proof that Vernon Dursley has been stealing money from his workplace, and been taking bribes. Copies of those have already been sent in the mail – one to the Dursleys and the other to Mr. Grunnings, the director of Grunnings Inc." Harry's eyes were wide with astonishment.
But Elena was not done just yet. "Now, what do the Dursleys treasure the most of all?" Harry blinked, but she was on a roll. "Their social status as 'normal'. So, of course, when an article is printed in the newspaper the day after, copies will be sent to all the neighbors," Elena was positively giddy. "On top of that, Vernon will be fired, and probably taken to court, and he will have to return the money. So they will have to mortgage the house to pay off the debt, which will land them into further debt. And I may just hire a few people to mess around the house – say, tweak the plumbing, or mess with the dishes… just small things like that." Harry was laughing so loud, he could barely breathe.
Elena grinned. It was nice to hear him sound so carefree.
It took Harry a while to stop laughing and catch his breath, but even after, his eyes were noticeably brighter. He also looked more relaxed. "Where are we going?"
"There is a small townhouse in Grosvenor Square, London. I bought it about a month or so back. We'll be staying the night there. I sent an owl to Remus, and got him to bring someone else you'd like to see again. Tomorrow after breakfast, all of us go home."She smiled softly.
"Where is home?"
"A beautiful place you'll find out tomorrow. I'd tell you right now, but I want you to have the whole effect when you first see it. Tomorrow," she assured seeing his slightly worried look, "you'll love it, I promise."
The remainder of the drive was mostly silent. The entire day had been exhausting for Harry, who was now asleep. Elena parked the Bentley back in the garage and got out, flicking a switch to close the garage gate. She then walked to the passenger side and opened the door, smiling at Harry's innocent face in sleep. After a moment though, she shook him softly.
Harry awoke with a start and looked around, trying to figure out where he was. Realizing that he was still in the car, and also feeling Elena's hand on his shoulder, he calmed down and adjusted his glasses before looking up at his aunt blearily. She just grinned and held a finger to her lips, motioning to be silent. He nodded, confused, and stepped out of the car. He made to turn back to get his trunk, but Elena shook her head and motioned to follow her silently. The two crept into the house quietly, leaving the door open.
Upon entering the foyer, Harry could hear sounds of a low conversation from the direction of the living room. Removing his wand, he looked in alarm at Elena, who merely grinned, but also removed her wand. Winking at him, she moved silently to the doorway.
Remus and Sirius were sitting in armchairs facing the empty fireplace. Both were silent, staring at the grates contemplating, though Sirius kept tapping his leg. A nervous tick he could not get rid of.
For a moment, she stared at him, comparing him to the Sirius she knew twelve years ago. He'd taken a shower, and changed into clean clothes, which from the looks of them, looked like they belonged to Remus. His hair was longer, and the curls looked clean, though they had lost their shine. His face looked gaunt, and his cheeks we're hollow. The sleeves of his robe had been rolled back, exposing his bony arms. She frowned for a moment, blinking repeatedly to clear the moisture from her eyes. Then she took aim, and quickly cast four wordless spells, two for each man.
As soon as the spells hit, the two sprung from their seats, wands pointed out at each other, and cast.
"Tarrantulanga!"
"Levicorpus!"
Then Elena's spells tool effect. She grinned broadly, standing a little away from the doorway. Sirius' precious hair had turned into a neon pink Afro, and though he didn't know it yet, his voice had been changed to one of a four year old girl's. And, as Remus' spell had hit, he was also handing upside down by his ankle (thankfully, he was wearing pants). Sirius' jinx, however, had missed Remus, who had a red clown nose, and his voice was now a bleat.
"What the bloody hell..." Sirius started, before shrieking, "Ah! My voice!" His hands clutched his throat as he turned wide eyes on Remus, not daring to speak more. Remus opened his mouth. "Maaa!"
As the two men turned to each other, one shocked and worried, and the other grimacing (he knew who was at fault here) Elena turned to Harry, who hand his hand clamped over his mouth in an effort not to laugh. Biting her lip as well, she beckoned him forward and into the room.
"Harry!" shouted Sirius happily as soon as he saw his godson, momentarily forgetting his voice problems. He clapped his hands over his mouth, but Harry had burst out laughing. Sirius, whose face was becoming steadily redder by the minute, let out a 'growl' that sounded more like a squeak, making Harry fall to the floor from laughing so hard, and Remus braying like a goat, as he too, clutched his stomach and had a hearty laugh.
Laughing softly herself, Elena pointed her wand at Sirius. "Liberacorpus!"
The squeal that Sirius gave as he fell to the ground was so high pitched, even Elena snickered. Remus had joined Harry on the ground. Both were out of breath and gasping from how hard they were laughing. After grinning at them, Elena looked at Sirius.
To find him looking straight back at her.
His beautiful grey eyes were filled with shock and love and...was that a bit of fear?
The grin on Elena's face turned into a hesitant smile as her eyes locked with his. There were a million emotions running through his eyes, and Elena knew she was the same. Without even realizing it, the two closed the distance between them. Without knowing how, Elena was encompassed in Sirius' arms, her face buried in his chest, and his in her hair. Her hands were clenched into fists on his chest, pulling at his robe as his arms we're wrapped around her so tightly she could barely breathe, not that she really minded. Elena breathed him in deeply, re-familiarizing herself with his scent - he smelled like home to her.
Sometime later she loosened her hands, carding one through his hair as she recognized his need for comfort. Bracing herself as he sagged a little, she slowly lowered them both onto their knees. He leaned heavily into her, finally feeling safety in the comfort of her arms. He clung to her as his body shook - not with tears, but with emotion that had been forced deep down inside.
How long they stayed like this, Elena didn't know. She just held the trembling man, running one hand through his hair and rubbing his back with the other, whispering in his ear, "I'm here. I'm right here."
After a long time she slowly loosened his hold on her, standing up and helping him stand up. With a whispered, "come," she led him to his room and sat him on the bed. He sat silently, looking at her as she stood in front of him.
"I'll be right back" she whispered softly. Sirius nodded a little and Elena left the room in search of her pseudo brother and her nephew.
11:23pm, 15th June 1994
Harry and Remus were in the kitchen. Harry was absently sipping a Butterbeer, while Remus had settled for a cup of tea. Elena watched from the doorway, before she moved in, heading straight for the alcohol cabinet, where her hand hovered over a bottle of vodka for a moment, before eventually moving to the Firewhiskey. Summoning a shot glass, she sat at the table across Harry and downed a shot , clinking the glass back down on the table with a thud. Sighing, she looked at Harry, who was staring at her with curiosity etched all over his features. "Ask away."
"What was that?" Harry burst out. "How do you know Sirius?"
Elena chuckled. "Harry, I am a Marauder. And I've known Sirius since I was born; he is, after all, my cousin."
Harry blinked. "Oh."
"Yeah…" Elena looked longingly at the Firewhiskey, before giving in to temptation and pouring another shot and quickly swallowing it before she banished the bottle back to the cabinet. She sighed again, before standing up. "Come on. It's almost midnight, and we have to leave here by 9 am. There are three bedrooms upstairs, one for each of you. I think Sirius and Remus have already chosen their rooms, Harry, so the third one is yours. Don't bother unpacking," she added, as they climbed the stairs, "there's no point."
After Harry and Remus had settled in, Elena returned to Sirius' room. He was sitting on the bed, his back to the door. He was also bent over, holding his face in his hands. Tears pooled in Elena's eyes at the sight, but she blinked them back. "Sirius?"
He lifted his head, turning it slightly in her direction as she entered the room and headed straight for him. The look in his eyes was so… broken, that Elena felt her own heart breaking. She ran her hand through his hair. "It's time to sleep, Padfoot."
Sirius just nodded his head and lay down under the covers. Elena, in a sudden sisterly moment, tucked him in and kissed his forehead before she left the room. After quickly checking on Harry, she retired to her room and leaned back against the closed door. A tear slid down her cheek.
07:58 am, 16th June 1994
She laughed; he found himself enchanted. His emerald green eyes locked with her sapphire blue ones, and the rest of the world disappeared, leaving just the two of them behind. They slowly leaned towards each other, never breaking eye contact; their faces tilted slightly. Their foreheads touched; their noses touched…
Knock.
Harry jerked upright as and gasped; he had been so close to kissing her! Wait, what the bloody hell, he was having dreams about snogging Daphne Greengrass now? Why did he even-
Knock knock-knock.
"Yes?" He called out, his voice hoarse.
"It's me, pup," Sirius' voice replied, making Harry suddenly grin at the 'pup'.
"What is it?" He groaned as he opened the door. A broad grin stretched across Sirius' face when he saw the state his godson was in. Harry's eyes widened when he noticed the grin, turning beet red and slamming the door. Sirius' chuckles rang through.
"Get dressed and come down for breakfast, Harry. Elena's cooking," he said and then his footsteps could be heard thumping down the staircase. Harry blew out a breath and turned to the washroom.
It was to loud laughter that Harry came downstairs to. Elena's laughter, that is. He entered the kitchen to a bizarre sight - Sirius had his head down on the table, Remus was grimacing, and Elena was standing by the stove, laughing. She held a spatula in one hand, which was pointing at the two men. Bacon was sizzling in the pan on the stove in front of her.
Once she calmed down, she noticed him standing there and said, "Good morning, Harry. How did you sleep? Breakfast?"
"I slept well, thank you. And I'll have some bacon, eggs and toast?" He phrased the sentence as a question, which made Elena frown lightly as she plated his food for him, also loading another plate for herself. Joining the three males at the table, she slid the plate in front of him while simantaneously summoning a glass of orange juice for him. "I don't keep pumpkin juice," she said apologetically.
Harry just grinned back. "I don't like pumpkin juice anyway."
Sirius was busy eating and muttering things under his breath. Remus, who was sitting beside him and had clearly heard him, smacked the back of his head. "Ow!"
"There is absolutely no need to call Sly that," he admonished lightly.
Sirius muttered, "Yes, there is," the same time as Harry questioned, "Sly?"
Elena, ignoring Sirius, replied to Harry, "My Marauder nickname is Sly. Lils never really had a nickname because she joined in their seventh year, and by that time the Map was made and all of us were Animagus and all that jazz..."
"Why Sly?"
Sirius snickered, "That rhymed." He got another smack to his head. "Ow! Bloody hell, Moony!"
"Because of my form, of course. I'll show you after we're finished with breakfast."
"Oh, okay." Harry looked disappointed before his face cleared. "So where are we going today?"
Elena smiled fondly. "Home, Harry. This house," she vaguely gestured around her with her fork, "as lovely as it is, is more of a pit stop, and it acts as my address for any Muggle business I have. This house has next to no magical items; even the only Floo connection in the house is upstairs. This is normally where I entertain any non-magical guests since I can barely invite them home without breaking the Statuette of Secrecy." She rolled her eyes.
Harry blinked, but before he could say anything, Sirius interjected, apparently having gotten over pouting. "So, pup, it's time to talk about something very important." He said it with such intensity that even Remus looked up from the Prophet he had been reading and furrowed his eyebrows. "Which Quidditch team do you support?"
Remus snorted, but both Sirius and Elena looked at Harry pointedly. Hesitantly, he said, "the Falmouth Falcons?" He jumped when Sirius slammed his hands on the table while Elena scowled.
"Sirius!" Remus shouted, as he watched his newspaper soaking up his cup of tea. He was ignored in favour of Sirius' smug gloating.
Elena scowled at him and turned to Harry. "As you probably have already realised, Padfoot supports the Falcons. I, on the other hand, am a staunch supporter of the Pride of Portree. Champions of the league!" She pumped her fist slightly. Remus just groaned.
Sirius turned to Harry with a sheepish look. "Quidditch in this family is kind of an obsession. And since Moony is not a fan, he finds it very..."
"Irritating. Annoying. Tiring. Exasperating." Remus supplied.
"All that," Sirius agreed, "whenever we bring up the topic."
"It's half past nine," Elena said. She magicked all the utensils to the sink, where they started washing themselves. "Harry, please check that all your things are in your trunk. Leave the trunk in the room itself, a house elf will collect it later. Sirius, Remus, pack up your rooms as well. We leave in fifteen minutes." Her heels clicked on the floor as she left the three behind.
Fifteen minutes later, the same three stood in the entry way as they waited for Elena. Stepping out and closing the door with a small bag in hand, she blinked when she saw them standing quietly, looking at her. She raised her eyebrow at them, causing all three to look away uncomfortably. "Shall we?" she murmured, distinctly amused.
From her pocket, she removed a tennis ball and pointed her wand at it, "Portus," she softly murmured. The ball briefly glowed blue, and she held it out. Sirius and Remus immediately touched a finger to it, and Harry followed their lead, looking at the ball apprehensively. Elena looked at him and winked. "Prongs," she said, and then they all got sucked into a vortex.
The Portkey reminded Harry of the Floo. Trying to tuck his hands in his pockets, he absently wondered if all forms of magical travel were this uncomfortable. Then he fell to the ground.
He blinked, dazed. Sirius moved into his line of vision, holding a hand out to him. Harry took it and stood up, looking around. "Where are we?"
Elena shushed him before taking him by the shoulders and gently turning him around.
In front of him was a small pedestal, made of stone. There was a small hole of sorts in the center of the circular top. He stepped forward for a closer look. Elena moved to stand beside him.
"Harry," she said gently, "I'm going to need a few drops of your blood."
"What? Why?"
"It's so the wards will recognise you. You will get their full protection. And the wards on this place," she motioned behind the pedestal, where there was nothing but empty space, "may not be as old, but they certainly are as powerful as the wards on Hogwarts. Maybe even more so," she shrugged.
"Alright," Harry nodded. Elena made a small cut on his pointer finger of his right hand and hovered the cut right over the hole, and the two Potters watched as drops of blood trickled down the hole. There was a small flash of light, and Harry felt a feathery feeling sweep him from head to toe. "Look," Elena whispered, pointing in front of them.
In front of them was a majestic castle gleaming in the morning sun. It was about five storeys tall, with two towers reaching even higher. Smaller than Hogwarts, but he could not deny the instant feeling of home that he felt as soon as he laid eyes on it.
"Welcome to Potter Manor, Harry. Welcome home." Elena murmured.
Let me know what you think! :)
