Disclaimer: Same as always. Unfortunately, I don't own Harry Potter. You can tell, because the books aren't racy enough.
Author's Note: Serenity will mouth words in this (and later) chapters. When someone says something quotes like this [""] are used. When she mouths a word these are used [''] and it's written in italics. When she writes something the same thing is used. Thanks!
Chapter Two: The Silence of Tears
Serenity paid the witch for the Chocolate Frogs and flopped back down in her seat. James and Remus exchanged the briefest of glances before James asked tentatively, "Everything go fine over the summer?"
"Yeah." Sirius lied. "Family get-together was a bit of a drag though." He looked at his sister who was staring out the window, pretending not to hear them. "Bella and Serenity got into it again. Then Narcissa had to open her mouth."
"Who's Narcissa?" Remus asked.
"My darling baby cousin." Sirius said sarcastically. "Bella's sister. Spoiled little brat. She and Andromeda'll be first years. They're twins."
Serenity looked away from the window at the same time Bellatrix and Lucius passed their compartment. She clucked her tongue angrily as Sirius put his hand on his wand.
"What about your summers?" Sirius asked after the pair ha passed and he released his wand. "Anything interesting?"
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". . . So put me on, don't be meek,
And I'll look deep inside.
When I find what it is I seek
I'll put you with your kind."
The Great Hall erupted with applause, which died away when Professor McGonagall unrolled her list of names. "Black, Andromeda."
A pretty girl with light blonde hair stepped forward. The hate was placed on her head and then—
"RAVENCLAW!" The girl happily went to join the cheering table.
"Black, Narcissa." And identical girl stepped forward.
"Damn, there's a lot of you." James whispered to Sirius.
Sirius nodded. "Yeah, and I've got two more sisters, another brother, and three more cousins." he whispered back.
"SLYTHERIN!"
Narcissa haughtily walked to the Slytherin table and sat down beside her cousin.
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In Potions the next day, Serenity disposed of some of the anger she had displayed on the train. Professor Curtaine had 'written' out the instructions for a Hysterics Potion on the board. Remus and Serenity had no problem with the potion. It was when a Ravenclaw fifth year – Professor Curtaine was the Ravenclaw Head of House – came to speak with him and he stepped out in the corridor that hell broke loose.
"Nice summer, Black?" Bellatrix snapped at Sirius. "Other than Aunt Catherine threatening to disown you, I mean?"
"Yeah, I was really disappointed when she didn't." Sirius replied smoothly. "Then I wouldn't be related to you anymore."
Serenity giggled. The almost voice-like sound momentarily stunned everyone in the room.
Bellatrix recovered first. "Think something's funny, Serenity? Of course, you couldn't tell me if you did." she added cuttingly.
Serenity smiled and stirred her potion. Then she picked up the spoon and flung some of the potion at her cousin. Bellatrix laughed. That laugh quickly turned into shrieks of mirth. She slipped out of her chair and continued cackling, tears running out of her eyes.
Professor Curtaine finally stepped back into the room. "How hass—" He took in the surroundings of the room. "What on earth? Miss Black?" Serenity looked up, but he was addressing the giggling girl on the ground. "What happened?"
Serenity continued to stir the potion, caught Remus' eyes, and managed to suppress another giggle.
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"You really shouldn't have done that." Lily said to Serenity after class. "If you would have thrown too much at her—"
"Would it have been fatal?" Sirius interrupted eagerly.
Lily sighed. "When are you going to grow up?"
"Never." Sirius said, pretending to be mortified and offended.
"I'm not going to grow up!" James shrieked, eyes wide in mock terror. "You can't make me!" The four of them laughed as Lily stormed off down the hallway. "We're twelve." James whined. "Who wants to grow up when they're twelve?"
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Serenity had folded about ten miniature paper airplanes in Transfiguration while McGonagall demonstrated how to turn animals into water goblets. One by one, she flicked them off the edge of the desk where they began to zoom around the ceiling in circles.
Soon, everyone but Lily and Remus (though hardly) was watching Serenity's parade of paper airplanes. "Miss Black!" Professor McGonagall snapped once she realized what her class was paying attention to. Serenity was conducting the airplanes to fly in other shapes now, and had just gotten finished with a heart, when she looked at McGonagall innocently. "Do you find this amusing, Miss Black?"
Serenity nodded promptly.
"Detention." the teacher said in an exasperated voice.
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"No fair." James complained as he added another tally mark next to Serenity's name. "She's beating us again." he said to Sirius, who had been miming throwing his quill at the back of Lily's head.
"She WHAT?" he yelled, loudly enough that more than a few people looked in their direction, including a very annoyed Lily.
"She's beating us again. She's got 107, I've got 88, you've got 91." He looked at Remus who was listening to them with mild interest while reading a chapter in his Charms book. "You're losing." James said. "You've only got . . ." He paused for dramatic effect. "Four."
Remus looked up and smiled. "Damn. And after all my hard work . . ."
"You're hard work?" Sirius cried hysterically, too worked up to notice Remus' sarcasm. "We jinxed the suits of armor to march through the Great Hall playing bagpipes and we're losing! All Serenity did was make airplanes fly in circles!"
James and Remus laughed. The portrait hole opened and Serenity breezed in, plopping down next to Remus. "What did you do?" Sirius asked, eyes narrowed, praying it was a terrible punishment. After all, she was beating them.
Serenity pantomimed writing with the quill she stole from James. "Lines?" he asked, taking his quill back from her. "You're up to 107." he added grudgingly.
Serenity nodded happily and dug her homework out of her bag. Before she opened her Charms book, however, she wrote hurriedly on a piece of parchment.
"Dumbledore wants you to learn sign language?" Sirius asked as he read the note his sister had passed him.
Serenity snatched the note back and wrote more underneath. 'But even if I learned sign language,' she wrote, 'no one but the teachers would know what I was saying anyway.'
"So did you tell him no or what?" James asked. Serenity nodded.
"You said no to the Headmaster?" Lily gasped, spinning around. She had been listening to their halfway conversation and looked completely appalled and shocked.
Serenity rolled her eyes, James laughed, Remus busied himself with his Charms essay, and Sirius glared at her. "Mind your own business." he snapped. "And you're wrong anyway. She didn't say anything to Dumbledore." Lily brushed crimson and turned around.
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Serenity left the Great Hall the next morning, alone. She had forgotten her Charms homework in Gyrffindor Tower. She had just reached the staircase when she felt hands latch onto her arms and drag her down the corridor, into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.
"I told you she wouldn't scream." Bellatrix said gleefully, pinning her cousin to the wall. Serenity struggled hopelessly.
"You were right, Bella." said an amused voice from behind the two girls. Serenity's eyes widened when she saw the two boys behind Bellatrix: Severus Snape and Lucius Malfoy. The latter was holding something in his hand.
Lucius moved toward Serenity and pressed a button on the thin, black object. A blade flew out, half an inch from her face. "Not that we would have to worry about you saying anything, but just in case." He ran the wrong side of the blade along her cheek.
"And we'll pay a visit to Sirius as well, if any of this gets out." Bellatrix spat in her cousin's face and then released her, going to stand by Severus. Both of them had their arms crossed and expressions of grim satisfaction on their faces.
Serenity closed her eyes and silently began to cry as Lucius started undoing her robes.
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Serenity stumbled into Transfiguration class fifteen minutes late, having completely missed History of Magic. There was a tear in the seam of her robes, her hair was a mess, and there was a cut on her left cheek.
Professor McGonagall's hand flew to her mouth and Sirius leapt out of his seat. Serenity only wore that expression when . . .
He ran to the front of the classroom just in time to catch his sister as she fainted.
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When Serenity woke up, she could hear Sirius' yells. "She's my sister and I have the right to stay with her!" he yelled angrily.
"This is a hospital wing, Mr. Black." Serenity cracked her eyes open. Sirius was fighting with Madam Pomfrey. "Your sisters need quiet and—Hello, Professor Dumbledore." she said, for the headmaster had just come up behind Sirius, who turned around indignantly.
"Professor, I need to see my sister. I have to be there when she wakes up!" Dumbledore nodded calmly. Sirius lowered his voice. "I have to."
Serenity clucked her tongue heatedly as she sat up. Sirius practically flew to her bedside. "Are you okay?" Without waiting for an answer, he rummaged around in his school bag until he produced a quill and a piece of parchment. He shoved the two at her. "What happened?" he demanded.
Madame Pomfrey made to move toward the two, but Dumbledore stopped her with a minor shake of his head. He pressed a finger to his lips and surveyed the scene with interest.
Serenity pressed the quill to the paper and prepared to lie to Sirius for the first time in her life. 'Dueling.' she wrote.
Sirius read the paper. "I don't believe you." he said crossly. "Try the truth, Serenity."
'I am telling the truth.' she scribbled.
"You were dueling through History of Magic and part of Transfiguartion? If you're going to lie, lie with conviction." Sirius snapped. "I know what happed, so just the time and tell me who!"
'What do you think happened?'
"You know damn well what I think." Sirius hissed, unaware of the school nurse and the Headmaster watching them.
'No, I don't. I was dueling with Bella. We knocked each other out.' There was no sound except for the scratch of the quill and Sirius' erratic breathing. 'She didn't show up for her first class either. Check if you don't believe me.'
A muscle twitched in Sirius' cheek. "I don't care if Bella missed class!" he yelled. "That just means she was involved somehow! Don't play games with me, Serenity. I know that look on your face too well. You only look that way when IT happens!"
Serenity gritted her teeth. 'Fuck you.' Tears flooded her eyes. Fuck you.
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Sirius cornered Bellatrix after supper. "What the hell did you do to her?"
Bellatrix's blue eyes flashed. "To whom?" she asked venomously.
"Serenity, you bitch!" Sirius yelled, oblivious to the fact that Professor McGonagall was now crossing the Great Hall to where Sirius had his cousin against the wall.
"What don't you ask her?" Bellatrix snapped as Professor McGonagall swooped down on them.
"My office, Mr. Black."
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"What on earth could possess you to scream at her in front of the entire school like that?! I know you don't get along with her, but you seem to make it a point to attack her." Professor McGonagall said as Sirius chewed his tongue and glared at her.
"She had something to do with Serenity." he said, eyes slits.
"How do you know that?" Professor McGonagall asked, her voice losing some of it's edge.
"Bella didn't show up to any of her classes, either. And Serenity said something in the infirmary . . ."
"She said something?"
"You know what I mean." Sirius said irritably.
"Mr. Black, if you know something about your sister, you need to tell someone." McGonagall said.
Sirius crossed his arms and scowled. "I don't know anything about today."
"Think of your sister, Sirius." McGonagall said.
Sirius? Oh gods, she's serious. Well, so am I. "I am thinking of Serenity." he said coolly. "That's why I can't tell you anything." He clapped his hands over his mouth. Oh shit.
"Mr. Black, come with me." Minerva McGonagall said, standing up. She lead Sirius straight to the gargoyle outside Dumbledore's office. "Acid Pop." she said.
Once inside, Dumbledore surveyed the pair of them over his half-moon glasses. "Professor McGonagall, Mr. Black. I thought you were with your sister." he added to the latter.
"Madame Pomfrey chucked me out for throwing an ink bottle." Sirius said, arms crossed, glaring at everything in Professor Dumbledore's office.
"That's what I brought him for, Professor." Sirius looked at McGonagall in shock. "No, not the ink bottle, Black." She looked at Dumbledore. "I believe Mr. Black has information concerning his sister's condition that he's neglecting to disclose."
Sirius' scowl became more pronounced. "All right, Minerva." Dumbledore said. "I'll handle it." After McGonagall left, Dumbledore gestured to chair in front of his desk. "Sit down, Mr. Black." Sirius flopped into the chair.
"Is what Professor McGonagall said true?"
Sirius scowled at the ceiling. "Maybe I should have become a selective mute." he muttered.
"I saw you talking to your sister in the hospital wing, Sirius." Dumbledore said softly.
Sirius looked at him. "You have my attention, Professor."
"Well, I'm correct in assuming your sister told you she was dueling?"
Sirius nodded.
"With your cousin Bellatrix?"
Another nod.
"After that, I'm afraid you lost me, Mr. Black." Dumbledore said apologetically. "You stated that you knew what happened and you wanted to know whom inflicted it. Then you stated Serenity only looked a particular way when 'it' happened. You may understand why I was confused. And, of course, I was unable to hear your sister's response." He smiled softly.
"Serenity's the only other person in that house who's sane." Sirius said. "That's why we trust each other. People don't understand her because she doesn't talk. All they want to know is why. I have to take care of Serenity, Professor. That's why I can't tell you why she won't talk and why she's in the hospital wing. Serenity's got nothing but me and doesn't trust anyone but me and there's no way I'm going to change that." Sirius said stubbornly.
"Sirius, if something is going on in that house, we can fix it." Dumbledore said quietly.
"No idea what you're talking about." Sirius lied. "Unless you mean my parents being what they are and, no offense, but I don't think anyone can change that." Nobody can fix it! Serenity can't tell and neither can I.
Dumbledore surveyed him for a moment and then signed. "You may go. Go to the hospital wing and tell Madam Pomfrey to come to my office, please. You may stay with your sister as long as you refrain from throwing ink bottles."
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Remus and James were sitting with Serenity when Sirius delivered Dumbledore's message to the school nurse. Then he hurried to the side of Serenity's bed where Remus was sitting. "You okay?"
Serenity nodded. 'Fine.' she mouthed. She gestured to James who handed her a goblet of pumpkin juice. She took a drink and handed it back to him. 'Thanks.'
"I've just come from Dumbledore's office." Sirius said softly.
Serenity turned to look at him and started mouthing swear words. James looked at Sirius with his eyes wide. Remus look alternately between sister and brother, frowning slightly.
"I didn't tell him anything." Sirius said. "But you better change your mind about telling me what really happened between you and Bell and whoever else there was or I might change my mind." Sirius said heatedly.
"What happened with Bellatrix?" James inquired. "Is she the one who did this to you?" he asked Serenity.
Serenity continued to stare at Sirius. She ran a hand across her neck like a blade, then clucked her tongue.
Sirius turned to James. "I don't know what happened between her and Bella because first she lied to me and now she won't tell me anything." Sirius snapped.
Madame Pomfrey bustled into the room and then into her office. "All right, you three. Out."
Remus and James scooped up their bags and walked toward the door, but Sirius didn't budge. "Why?" he demanded. "What exactly are you going to do?"
Madame Pomfrey leaned in close to Serenity, ignoring Sirius. "The headmaster wants you checked for internal damage, dear."
Serenity's eyes grew wide as Sirius' grew dark. Serenity grabbed her brother's arm and tried to scramble out of the bed. "You can't do that!" Sirius yelled, not noticing when Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore cam into the room. James and Remus had left.
"You can't do that!" Sirius repeated. "Do you know what would happen if he found out?" Tears were standing in his eyes as Serenity finally got out of the bed and hid behind her brother.
"If who found out, Mr. Black?" Minerva McGongall asked, walking to the bed.
Sirius didn't answer her. Instead he turned around and started talking to Serenity, who was near tears. He hugged her. "It's okay, Serenity. It's going to be fine. I'll take care of it. Don't worry."
Madame Pomfrey felt a lump rising in her throat. No twelve year old should ever have to sound that mature, she though. Never.
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"Sirius, Serenity." Dumbledore said in a grave tone. "This is very important. Unless one of you states what is going on in that house, we have no other choice to but to examine Miss Black. We are bound to perform certain procedures if we suspect a child of being endangered."
"And her not talking didn't tip you off?" Sirius snapped as his sister continued to cry in the chair next to him.
"Serenity always seemed to be happy most of the time, until recently." Professor McGonagall said. "What you said in my office merely made more sense of why she isn't happy now."
Sirius gritted his teeth. "If you already know, why do I have to say it?"
"Confirmation." Minerva stated simply.
"Screw confirmation! I don't care about some damn protocol, it's my sister I'm worried about!" Sirius yelled, standing up.
"This is precisely why we're asking you to confirm what happened." Dumbledore said softly. "You aren't the only who is worried about your sister, Sirius."
Serenity started clucking her tongue and grabbed Sirius' arm, wrenching hi back down into his seat. She pointed first at her mouth, then her ears. "I know." Sirius said softly. "I'm sorry." He looked at McGonagall, whose eyebrows were raised. "She says that just because she doesn't talk doesn't mean she can't hear."
Serenity made more motions, clucking her tongue through her tears. "Serenity, we can't." More motions. "You know what he said would happen if we told." More motions. "What?" More motions. "Jesus Christ, Serenity!"
Serenity pointed to Dumbledore and McGonagall. Her message could not have been more plain. Tell them.
Sirius took a deep breath. "Our dad's been . . ." He paused and looked at Serenity who now had her arms crossed. "He's been raping us—I mean her!" Sirius clapped his hands over his mouth. "Fuck." The word was muffled by his hand, but everyone understood perfect.
"Serenity." Sirius said, as if in a trance, as if trying to convince himself, not the people surrounding him. "Just Serenity. Not us, not me, just Serenity." But the words had already been spoken.
"What about your brothers and sisters?" McGonagall asked softly. "Has your father ever . . ."
Serenity shook her head and looked at Sirius, who had buried his face in his hands. She moved toward him and put her hand on his shoulder.
"Don't!" He pushed her away as his voice cracked. Serenity aught a glimpse of his face at the same time the two adults did.
Sirius was crying.
It's so hard to be someone
And struggle for today
And I'm watching you slip away.
-The GooGoo Dolls
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All right. That's Chapter Two. Thanks for the people who responded. It's so nice to get feedback. I have seven chapters written and I'm currently working on the eighth. I will add up to five and if I get no feedback I will stop. It's hard to type.
Author's Note: I was mute at the mall for about three hours, to study how well people could understand me. It was for pure research. Hard as hell, let me tell you. I'm also going to be mute at school the day after tomorrow. I feel bad for Serenity. However, Sirius can understand her, and I'm assuming my friends will understand me better than my mother.
He's the sneak peek of CHAPTER THREE: TESTIMONY:
"My dad hits me and Serenity."
James and Remus exchanged glances, as if they knew there was more to the story. "I'm sorry." James said softly. Remus put his arm around Serenity, who had silently started to cry again. He was whispering quietly to her.
"It's nothing." Sirius said, waving off James' apology.
"Yeah, it is." James said firmly. "Your dad hitting you is pretty damn serious." Sirius looked at the desk. "And McGonagall suggested foster care? That's pretty thick."
Now Sirius was starting to get mad. "Do you expect us to go back there?" he snapped.
"'Course not." James said. "I expect you to go tell McGonagall you and Serenity are coming to stay with me."