A.N.—Hey, you can't use the duct tape on me! I'm the Author! I'm all-
powerful! (Remembers that her all-powerfulness only applies to fanfic
characters.) Eh...just kidding.
I know, I know, I'm grossly guilty of Reader Neglect. Tell you what—you get real life to bug off for a month or so, I'll give you a new chapter every day. Or, if that's asking too much of you, just wait till school ends and I'll have way too much free time on my hands. ;)
Now, where were we...
Chapter Eight
How long had he been hiding in the Forbidden Forest, pretending to be just another animal? He couldn't remember anymore. Long enough for winter to come...and he was no closer to his goal than when he first came here.
He desperately wanted justice—and revenge, he could admit that much to himself—but he also wanted to avoid anyone else getting hurt. As long as the Weasley boy and Harry were here, at Hogwarts, he could watch them and the rat. But that would only last while the school year lasted. If he didn't find a good opportunity before June, he would have to make his move, regardless of the consequences. He couldn't let Harry's friend go home with a murderer still in his pocket.
It was hard, hiding out here. The grounds, the school, the forest itself were full of bittersweet memories. The hardest pain came when he saw Harry or Remus walking across the grounds. He wanted to run to them, embrace them, speak to them just once even if he couldn't convince them of his innocence. And he tried not to think of the old days. But the memories came, whether he wanted them or not...
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Sirius was bored. And that was never, ever a good thing.
He couldn't help being bored in class. He wasn't stupid—on the contrary, he was too smart for his own good. He understood things easily, and didn't have patients for students who needed something explained to them again and again. It was the same with Remus and James, but they dealt with boredom better than Sirius. So while Professor Binns re-stated the causes of the Third Goblin Rebellion in the early 1900s, Remus read a book on philosophy that was hidden inside his notebook, and James daydreamed about the upcoming Quidditch match, Sirius fidgeted and resisted the temptation to see if he could throw a pencil through Professor Binns' nose.
He found himself thinking of the night of the Sorting Ceremony. He and his friends had managed to sneak off to the library after they were supposed to be in bed, and they had discussed Celina's placement in Slytherin. Ally had told them that she was a bit disappointed, but not surprised.
"Can I trust you all with a secret?" she had asked.
"Of course you can...you know you can trust us." Lily had said.
Ally shook her head. She was sitting with her legs drawn up and her arms around her knees, making her look uncharacteristically young and vulnerable. "I don't know if I can trust anyone with this. No one outside my family knows."
"Doesn't know what? Come on, you can tell us."
She sighed. "Celina can talk to snakes. She's a Parselmouth. Like Slytherin—and Voldemort."
None of them had been expecting that. After a moment, Peter had asked, "How do you know?"
"She has this pet snake—she's had it since she was a little girl. Just came in from playing in the yard one day with it draped around her neck and asked if she could keep it. Of course, Dad was furious that she'd picked up a snake without knowing if it was dangerous or not, but Cel just looked up at him with the most innocent expression on her face and said: 'He wouldn't hurt me. He told me so.' Well, Dad tried to make her give the snake up, but she cried like he was taking away her favorite toy, and no matter how far away from the house we left it, it kept coming back. Eventually we looked it up, found out it wasn't poisonous, and after that Dad tolerated it as long as Cel kept it in a glass case."
"Freaky." Sirius said. "I mean, about the snake coming back and all that stuff. But when I was a kid, I was convinced I could communicate with animals too. You don't think she's a Parselmouth just based on that?"
"No...there's more to it than that. Celina would talk to the snake, but she wouldn't talk, really...she hissed to it. Even that might have been just a child's imagination, but it would hiss back and it sounded like they were having actual conversations. And then...she started knowing things without being told, and when we asked her how she knew, she said her snake told her. The night Dad died—Celina was visiting Nick, that's why she wasn't there when it happened—she woke Nick up in the middle of the night, hysterical, saying her snake had told her Dad was in danger. He told her to go back to sleep, but she cried and screamed at him until he called the house, just to calm her down by having Dad tell Celina he was alright. And he didn't get an answer, so he rushed over—and found Dad's body." She broke off, looking down to hide the tears in her eyes. Sirius hugged her tightly.
"My God..." Remus whispered. "That story's enough to convince me. But you don't think--"
"_No._" Ally said vehemently before he could finish. "Celina is not evil or anything like that. But—she is touched by darkness, and that's something I don't think she has any control over. She's my little sister, and I love her more than anything in the world—but to be honest, she frightens me sometimes. And I'm not just afraid of her—I'm afraid for her."
"Why?" Peter asked.
It was Lily who answered. "Voldemort's eliminating threats and looking for potential allies. It seems like Celina could be either—or both—of those." Ally nodded, confirming that that was her fear.
Sirius was concerned, as were all his friends, but he didn't see what he could do for Celina or Alexandra—except offer comfort, even if comfort was only a temporary way to make it better. He squeezed Ally's shoulders and kissed the top of her head.
"Well, we'll just have to take care of her. And if Voldy wants to touch her, he'll have to get through all six of us—right?"
"Right." They all agreed instantly.
Ally smiled and raised her head to kiss him. "Thank you. I feel better already." Suddenly she straightened. "What time is it?"
James checked his watch. "One forty five."
"One forty five in the morning?!"
Sirius leaned close and whispered, "Morning, yes. That would be why it's dark outside, sweetheart."
She punched him playfully. "You should all be ashamed of yourselves, letting me go on this long. Bed, everyone, now!"
"Feeling better enough to go back into Mom mode." Peter muttered as they headed for the stairs. A cushion from the window seat hit him in the back of the head.
"I heard that, Pettigrew."
A.N.—First of all, NO Sirius having ADD cracks. The poor darling's sensitive.
Hmm...I think Celina's taking over this fic…she wasn't even in this chapter and she's the most talked-about character...ah, well, she's one of the best I've come up with in quite some time, and apparently not even I can control her.
More soon, I hope. I also have another chapter of my Legolas story written, but I still have to type it...maybe I'll squeeze some work in when I'm supposed to be doing my English homework, eh? (evil grin)
I know, I know, I'm grossly guilty of Reader Neglect. Tell you what—you get real life to bug off for a month or so, I'll give you a new chapter every day. Or, if that's asking too much of you, just wait till school ends and I'll have way too much free time on my hands. ;)
Now, where were we...
Chapter Eight
How long had he been hiding in the Forbidden Forest, pretending to be just another animal? He couldn't remember anymore. Long enough for winter to come...and he was no closer to his goal than when he first came here.
He desperately wanted justice—and revenge, he could admit that much to himself—but he also wanted to avoid anyone else getting hurt. As long as the Weasley boy and Harry were here, at Hogwarts, he could watch them and the rat. But that would only last while the school year lasted. If he didn't find a good opportunity before June, he would have to make his move, regardless of the consequences. He couldn't let Harry's friend go home with a murderer still in his pocket.
It was hard, hiding out here. The grounds, the school, the forest itself were full of bittersweet memories. The hardest pain came when he saw Harry or Remus walking across the grounds. He wanted to run to them, embrace them, speak to them just once even if he couldn't convince them of his innocence. And he tried not to think of the old days. But the memories came, whether he wanted them or not...
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Sirius was bored. And that was never, ever a good thing.
He couldn't help being bored in class. He wasn't stupid—on the contrary, he was too smart for his own good. He understood things easily, and didn't have patients for students who needed something explained to them again and again. It was the same with Remus and James, but they dealt with boredom better than Sirius. So while Professor Binns re-stated the causes of the Third Goblin Rebellion in the early 1900s, Remus read a book on philosophy that was hidden inside his notebook, and James daydreamed about the upcoming Quidditch match, Sirius fidgeted and resisted the temptation to see if he could throw a pencil through Professor Binns' nose.
He found himself thinking of the night of the Sorting Ceremony. He and his friends had managed to sneak off to the library after they were supposed to be in bed, and they had discussed Celina's placement in Slytherin. Ally had told them that she was a bit disappointed, but not surprised.
"Can I trust you all with a secret?" she had asked.
"Of course you can...you know you can trust us." Lily had said.
Ally shook her head. She was sitting with her legs drawn up and her arms around her knees, making her look uncharacteristically young and vulnerable. "I don't know if I can trust anyone with this. No one outside my family knows."
"Doesn't know what? Come on, you can tell us."
She sighed. "Celina can talk to snakes. She's a Parselmouth. Like Slytherin—and Voldemort."
None of them had been expecting that. After a moment, Peter had asked, "How do you know?"
"She has this pet snake—she's had it since she was a little girl. Just came in from playing in the yard one day with it draped around her neck and asked if she could keep it. Of course, Dad was furious that she'd picked up a snake without knowing if it was dangerous or not, but Cel just looked up at him with the most innocent expression on her face and said: 'He wouldn't hurt me. He told me so.' Well, Dad tried to make her give the snake up, but she cried like he was taking away her favorite toy, and no matter how far away from the house we left it, it kept coming back. Eventually we looked it up, found out it wasn't poisonous, and after that Dad tolerated it as long as Cel kept it in a glass case."
"Freaky." Sirius said. "I mean, about the snake coming back and all that stuff. But when I was a kid, I was convinced I could communicate with animals too. You don't think she's a Parselmouth just based on that?"
"No...there's more to it than that. Celina would talk to the snake, but she wouldn't talk, really...she hissed to it. Even that might have been just a child's imagination, but it would hiss back and it sounded like they were having actual conversations. And then...she started knowing things without being told, and when we asked her how she knew, she said her snake told her. The night Dad died—Celina was visiting Nick, that's why she wasn't there when it happened—she woke Nick up in the middle of the night, hysterical, saying her snake had told her Dad was in danger. He told her to go back to sleep, but she cried and screamed at him until he called the house, just to calm her down by having Dad tell Celina he was alright. And he didn't get an answer, so he rushed over—and found Dad's body." She broke off, looking down to hide the tears in her eyes. Sirius hugged her tightly.
"My God..." Remus whispered. "That story's enough to convince me. But you don't think--"
"_No._" Ally said vehemently before he could finish. "Celina is not evil or anything like that. But—she is touched by darkness, and that's something I don't think she has any control over. She's my little sister, and I love her more than anything in the world—but to be honest, she frightens me sometimes. And I'm not just afraid of her—I'm afraid for her."
"Why?" Peter asked.
It was Lily who answered. "Voldemort's eliminating threats and looking for potential allies. It seems like Celina could be either—or both—of those." Ally nodded, confirming that that was her fear.
Sirius was concerned, as were all his friends, but he didn't see what he could do for Celina or Alexandra—except offer comfort, even if comfort was only a temporary way to make it better. He squeezed Ally's shoulders and kissed the top of her head.
"Well, we'll just have to take care of her. And if Voldy wants to touch her, he'll have to get through all six of us—right?"
"Right." They all agreed instantly.
Ally smiled and raised her head to kiss him. "Thank you. I feel better already." Suddenly she straightened. "What time is it?"
James checked his watch. "One forty five."
"One forty five in the morning?!"
Sirius leaned close and whispered, "Morning, yes. That would be why it's dark outside, sweetheart."
She punched him playfully. "You should all be ashamed of yourselves, letting me go on this long. Bed, everyone, now!"
"Feeling better enough to go back into Mom mode." Peter muttered as they headed for the stairs. A cushion from the window seat hit him in the back of the head.
"I heard that, Pettigrew."
A.N.—First of all, NO Sirius having ADD cracks. The poor darling's sensitive.
Hmm...I think Celina's taking over this fic…she wasn't even in this chapter and she's the most talked-about character...ah, well, she's one of the best I've come up with in quite some time, and apparently not even I can control her.
More soon, I hope. I also have another chapter of my Legolas story written, but I still have to type it...maybe I'll squeeze some work in when I'm supposed to be doing my English homework, eh? (evil grin)
