A/N: Well this is the beginning to my first Harry Potter story. I love Sirius Black and so this is a romance story with him. I have a lot of the story already written but with this one, I don't want to post anymore until I finish with it. Because I am working really hard on making this a good story. So let me know what you think. Your opinions mean the world to me.
P.S. I do not own anyone or anything that you recognize from the books/movies. They belong to someone else. But the plot and everything else you don't know belongs to me.
Chapter One
Dreaming of the Past
The atmosphere in the halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was that of any other year since the school had first been founded more than a thousand years before. Student's were scurrying around, arms full of books, looking out for a quiet place to study or covert with there fellow classmates. Even with the soft chill lingering in the air, there remained a sense of urgency in the hearts of many students and staff. For the school year was finally ending and the annual O.W.L's were at hand for the 5th year students.
Sitting in the far corner of the Griffindor common room, unaffected by the commotion around her, lingered a most peculiar young woman. She was hunched over a stack of parchment, scribbling furiously. The soft scratching of her quill was the only sound that penetrated the deafening silence that surrounded her. The rest of the students paid little attention to her existence and continued on with there usual business, as if she was merely apart of the room itself. However, even though the young witch had been attending Hogwarts for almost five years now, her name was completely devoid of existence among the large population of upper class students. Yet the few brave Griffindors, who had mistakenly encountered her over the years, found her awkwardly sinister appearance rather peculiar and departed as soon as possible. These unfortunate circumstances made it rather hard for her to acquire a friend among the throng of bustling students, all who wanted nothing to do with someone such as herself.
Yet even though most of the school and staff refused to take the time out of there day to befriend her, she had found that most of the male population considered the young woman's appearance to be quit intriguing. She had most often felt the warmth of there gaze on the back of her neck, as they starred at her from across the room. Her eyes; like thick fog after it rains, made a strange contrast to the darkness of her pure black hair as it fell in soft curls framing her face. With skin as pale as snow and lips the color of blood, she looked rather mysterious and unapproachable. Like something, the students had seen inside a Defense Against the Dark Arts book. However, she was nowhere near dangerous or frightening in any sense. Just out of the ordinary for people stuck in such a conservative and structural environment.
Completely oblivious to the stares she was receiving, the young girl continued on working far into the night. Soon the common room had long been emptied and the fire had died down, leaving nothing but a few glowing embers that reflected the eerie red glow on the walls. Therefore, it was in no surprise that the young women jumped when the portrait hole opened and in climbed none other than the notorious troublemaker, Sirius Black. He turned around and the portrait hole shut with a loud bang behind him. He took one-step towards the staircase and stopped short, staring with wide eyes into the far corner of the room.
"What are you still doing up?" Sirius asked sharply, his voice shaking with confusion and mistrust. The last thing he had expected was to run into a classmate at so late an hour.
The young girl was taken aback at being addressed directly and seemed to ignore the smugness in his voice. It had been many long months since she had last been spoken to directly by another student. She hesitated for a moment and then responded.
"I should be asking you the same question." Her voice was rough from lack of use and she yawned with exhaustion. "But go ahead, you don't need to worry. I won't speak of this to anyone." She waved her hand, signaling for him to depart.
With a node of his head, Sirius turned around and thought about continuing up the stairs to the boy's dormitory. Yet something strange was holding him firmly to the ground, preventing him from moving. It was as if Sirius could feel her intense gray eyes penetrating into the back of his neck. Turning around once more, against his better judgment, he stalked over to the table she was sitting at.
Placing down the quill slowly, the young witch looked up into his dark eyes. "Do you want something?" However, Sirius averted the question.
"What's your name?" He asked.
"Why do you want to know?" She responded curiously.
The more she thought about it, the less she could come up with a reason why one of the most popular kids in Griffindor house would care who she was, unless she was somehow involved in another one of his stupid jokes. Of course, if that were true, it would be no surprise to her. Everyone knew that Sirius and his little pack of miscreants were the pranksters of the school. It remained a mystery to many, as to why they had yet to be expelled. Nevertheless, it had been passed around through many mouths that old Dumbledore pitied Black for his terrible home life. His parents were brutally rough on him growing up and his mother was a huge supporter of the dark arts. Last summer Sirius ran away from home and now lives with James Potter, his best friend and fellow troublemaker. Yet unlike all the other females in the school, the girl sitting in front of him felt neither pity nor sympathy for Sirius; considering her own excruciating circumstances.
"You don't talk much do you?" Sirius asked curiously. His dark black hair fell into his face as he craned his neck to get a better look at what she had been writing on her parchment.
"No actually I don't and that's how I prefer it." She spoke rather abruptly as she slammed one of the many books shut in front of her and to her amusement, almost closing his nose in the binding.
"Why?" Sirius asked as his mouth curved into a slight grin. He could see her face scrunching slightly in aggravation. However, he soon became startled at the fierceness in her gaze as she glared up at him.
"Did it ever cross your mind that maybe the reason that I don't speak is because I have no one to talk too. If you haven't noticed Sirius Black, people find me rather intimidating and how should I put it…umm, scary. Of course, maybe it's best like that, if it prevents them from asking stupid questions such as yourself." She suddenly paused and let out a soft laugh. "Yet somehow I don't understand how people like you can make such accusations. When not many of them even have enough courage to come and speak to me themselves. Therefore, they end up following the misgivings and stories that the rest of the school makes up. If they did, then maybe they would actually find out that I am not really as cold and distant as I seem. Of course…I don't know why I'm telling you this. I don't expect you to know what I mean since you're exactly like all the rest of your mates." When she had finally finished blurting out all of her frustrations, they were left with a long and uncomfortable silence. The young witch started to feel quite embarrassed for her lack of self-control and she half wanted to scream out in anguish as Sirius starred at her with curiosity in his eyes. "Good night," she said sternly as she got to her feet. Sirius noticed her hands shake as she gathered her things to leave.
"Wait!" he yelled after her departing figure. The loudness of his voice echoed throughout the common room. "You haven't answered my question yet."
"And what question was that?" She asked with her back still facing him.
"Your name," Sirius responded and watched as her head lowered towards the ground as if ashamed.
She then turned around quickly, taking a long hard look at the sharp features of his uniquely chiseled face. She was trying hard to decipher whether or not this confrontation was just another one of his pathetic jokes. However, when all that remained was sincerity, she smiled softly in his direction. Her startlingly white teeth seemed to shine in the darkness.
"It's Elissia," She said. Then with a swish of her robe, she continued up the stone steps and disappeared into the shadows…
Elissia jerked upright in her bed as a cold sweat poured down her face. It had been many long years since she had last recalled any bit of her childhood. She shuddered as the young reckless face of Sirius Black lingered in her mind. Elissia's past was dark and full of corruption. There were very few things in which she cherished, nor wished to remember. Throwing off her covers and pulling on her dingy black robe, she went downstairs to get a drink of water and wash away the remains of her dream. On her return trip from the kitchen, she looked longingly out the window and flinched as the red dawn rose over the vast stretch of land surrounding her house.
It had been no more than seven years before when Elissia had decided to use the money that she had saved after her departure from Hogwarts, to buy a house of her own in the country; way from the troubles of her life. The whole purpose of this house was to keep out any disturbances from the outside world. To give Elissia exactly what she wanted, to be completely and utterly alone. Yet what she didn't know was that to be alone would mean losing the one thing that meant more to her than life itself.
When Elissia returned to her bedroom, she walked over to the large window that led out onto the balcony. With one last solemn look out across the landscape, she pulled the black curtains closed; blocking out the sunlight and engulfing her in total darkness. Elissia then cautiously made her way over to the nightstand and turned on the lamp, filling the room with a welcoming yellow glow.
Sitting down on the black satin covers of her four-poster bed, she lifted up a large brown leather bound book that had been sitting on the opposite stand. In golden letters it read, "Madness Behind the Ministry" by Thorbort Cringle. Elissia laughed as she remembered one of her classmates from her own days at school.
Thorbort had been in Hufflepuff house. He was always a slightly timid boy with golden blonde hair and a squished face. He had no friends of his own and spent most of the time in the library with his overly large nose stuck in a book. Thorbort was very intelligent and got high marks on all of his exams, yet he could never quite meet the standards of pure power that Elissia had. Yet it's funny how things change. Now he is an ex-ministry official who had been fired for smuggling illegal loads of doxie dust and selling it to willing buyers at the Leaky Cauldron.
Elissia opened to the inside cover of the book but something strange began to happen before she could start to read. She heard a series of small taps coming from outside her bedroom window. Curious as to what it could possible be, Elissia stood up and began taking tiny steps forward. She reached into the pocket of her robe and pulled out her wand. Brandishing it out in front of her like a sword, she attempted to pull back the curtains. However, at that exact moment the tapping stopped.
The next thing she knew a piece of parchment came flying out of the chimney on the far wall. Elissia screamed and jumped backwards as what appeared to be a letter zipped passed her head and smacked into the wall. Looking down in shock as it lay crinkled on the floor; she reached out and reluctantly picked it up. With shacking hands, she opened it. Elissia read aloud to herself and it seemed as if the whole house listened to her voice.
Elissia,
Your days of hiding have come to an end. There is much we need to discuss. Expect me in two days time. Hope you are well.
