Updated: Tuesday 8th March 2005
Disclaimer: See Chapter One
Chapter Forty Two: The Mini-SnivellusDespite how much Estella loved to learn, as she entered into the last months of her elementary schooling, she began to hate school. The other children were both jealous and spiteful towards her. Jealous, because she got to see Harry Potter every dinner time from across the Great Hall and she lived at Hogwarts – a place they were not to see until after they turned 11, if at all – and spiteful because of the stigma the name 'Black' held in history; and in their increasingly aware minds. The laughed at her because she didn't have a 'proper' family like the other children, and ridiculed her for her eccentricities. Stories about her Uncle's legendary behaviour, greasy appearance and uncaring nature at school filtered down from her classmate's older siblings, who encouraged the children in her class to 'give the mini bat hell from me'.
In the midst of it all, Estella kept mum. Throwing herself into her schoolwork and staying in the classroom during playtime to help her teachers, Estella became outwardly withdrawn and introverted. At night, she would cry herself to sleep, and whenever someone asked her how school was, she'd focus only on the things she was learning. Severus, of course, had noticed the dark circles that had began manifesting themselves around his niece's mirthless eyes and the closed expression she cultured to her face. Fatally, however, he – and in fact all who came across her – had overlooked it as a reaction to the child spending too much time around the dank looking Potions Master. Severus himself felt regret in the possibility that his actions over Christmas may have driven her to becoming so withdrawn from him. It was not until a chance walk past her school with Remus that the werewolf had smelt the anxiety rolling off of her in waves and confronted her about it.
"What's the matter, cub?" Remus halted in his step as they passed the playground of the Preparatory School, the distinct aroma of anxiety tickling at the senses of the alpha wolf within. "Got a test on Monday?"
Estella stopped and leant her back against her stilled Godfather's form. Looking up at him curiously, she frowned. "I'm top of my class, Moony, like I would be worried if we did have a test!" She replied absently, her eyes shifting distractedly between the school and her Godfather's concerned orbs.
Remus followed his Goddaughter's gaze and narrowed his eyes. Placing a protective arm around his charge's shoulders his brow furrowed when he noticed the child began exhibiting the physical signs of the scent he was smelling: her small trembling hands subconsciously clutching her re-emergent Padfoot toy closer, and twitching over the pocket of her robe Remus knew she carried her father's wand in.
Resigning himself to get to the bottom of his Goddaughter's distress at another time and place – a time not so close to the full moon when the proximity of the cause of his Cub's stress didn't make him want to give in to his baser alpha wolf defences and rip into whoever was causing the problem. Giving the child a reassuring squeeze, Remus stepped away from the school, deciding misdirection (and a rapid change of scenery) would do them both some good.
"Last one to Honeydukes is a lousy dueller!" He quipped, mock-running from Estella then following her at a languid pace, hot on her heels, as she tore past him; all her ails temporarily forgotten.
It was whilst they were in Honeydukes that Remus saw firsthand the source of Estella's anxiety. Having spotted several of her classmates enter the store, Estella had gone into a mild state of panic, frantically tugging Remus towards the stairs leading to the cellar, desperate to leave for Hogwarts immediately via the secret trapdoor passageway. It was immediately apparent to the wolf that she was acting in such a way in a blatant attempt to conceal her presence from her classmates.
"But I thought you wanted to come over to my place this afternoon?" Remus had asked, puzzled, letting her lead him to the stairs. Normally, Estella would leap at the chance to spend the weekend in Muggle London. They'd spent the morning planning what movie they were going to see at the multiplex even.
Glancing over her shoulder warily, Estella paused momentarily as though weighing out two lesser evils. Tearing her eyes away from the front of the store, she looked at Remus apologetically and said, rather unconvincingly: "I don't want to."
Now, that Estella was so fearful of her classmates that she wouldn't so much as walk past them in the presence of someone she knew would protect her, spoke volumes to Remus. That she would also forgo a trip to the Muggle world said even more. Was she that scared? Or was her shame of that fear a deterrent?
Holding himself back as Estella tugged and pulled fruitlessly at the trapdoor, her little limbs too weak to bear the weight of the door, Remus leant against the balustrade at the foot of the stairs and folded his arms.
"Remus! I can't open this door on my own, y'know!" Estella said exasperatedly, looking up at her Godfather expectantly. "What?" She added, when she saw his expression.
"Sit down, we're not going anywhere." Remus said firmly, pointing to a tea chest and not taking no for an answer.
Estella sat down heavily and slumped, her head looking downwards. "Why?"
Remus crossed the room and knelt at his beloved Goddaughter's feet, placing his hands on her knees gently. "Because I know you don't want to leave." He said softly.
"But I do…" She said, her voice wavering.
"Estella, I can smell when you're lying." Remus said. "Besides, wanting to cut our day short and wanting to escape the presence of your peers are two entirely different things and I know you'd never want to cut your time with me short."
Estella's head shot up in shock and she looked into her knowing Godfather's eyes. "You think so highly of yourself…" She said in a thinly veiled attempt at humour.
"Hush child," Remus said soothingly, cupping her cheek with his hand, hardly buying the tough girl act. "What say we wait until they leave then we can go upstairs, pay for our purchases, and head on over to my place, watch a movie, and then maybe you can think about telling me what just went on then, hmmm?"
Estella nodded, "I can tell you now, Uncle Moony." She said softly, a lone tear escaping down her cheek.
Remus sighed and pulled the distraught child into an embrace. In one swift movement he lifted her up and turned them both around so that he could settle on the tea chest with Estella on his lap.
"OK, sweetheart," Remus cooed in her ear as he rubbed comforting circles on her back. "Take all the time you need."
After Estella's tears – which had descended into uncontrollable sobs as she released months of pent up emotion under her Godfather's patient ministrations – had subsided, the child leant into Remus and began her tale. She told Remus of the months of cruel taunts and bullying she had encountered since school had returned from Christmas break, leaving nothing out. Really, the children in her class had always been a little cruel and aloof towards her, but since she had that misunderstanding with her Uncle over Christmas, she'd become a little more sensitised to their constant put downs. Previously, she was quite secure and content within herself to accept things as they were and keep to herself, ignoring them.
Inwardly, Remus felt the alpha wolf rise within him, ready and eager to jump to his cub's defences in the most heinous way imaginable.
"Have… have you told your Uncle any of this, cub?" Remus asked hesitantly, knowing that he would have a lot of questions for Estella's guardian if the man had knowingly ignored this information.
Estella, however, shook her head timidly. "Uncle Sev wouldn't do anything. He doesn't care."
Remus narrowed his eyes. "Estella, you don't really believe that do you? Don't listen to what those fools in your class think they know. What happened at Christmas was an unfortunate misunderstanding. Your Uncle didn't intend…"
Estella lowered her head. "I know, I know. But everyone says…"
"Estella," Remus said warningly. "Look at me, I'm serious when I say this. Your Uncle cares about you and he would be rather surprised if he thought you didn't know that."
Estella looked at Remus quizzically. "You're not Sirius, silly, you're Moony!" She said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Estella!" Remus growled.
Estella looked at Remus seriously. "Yeah I know Remus, it was a cheap trick." She paused, suddenly finding her hands extremely fascinating. "I didn't mean to say Uncle Sev didn't care about me, just that he wouldn't care that I was being picked on."
"How does that make sense, Estella? I guarantee your Uncle would be out to hex some ass – just like I am - if he found out what those little snots were doing to you!" Remus exclaimed, puzzled.
"Thanks Moony!" Estella shot Remus a coy smile. "But it's different with you. You weren't picked on in school like Uncle Sev was."
Remus' eyes darkened. Estella had yet to find out that he had indirectly contributed to her Uncle's torment in school.
"So I heard," Remus said carefully. "But I would have thought your Uncle's experience would have made him even more willing to help you through this because I am sure when he was growing up he wished he had someone to rely on."
Estella shook her head slowly. "Or he could just tell me to suck it up and put up with it because that's what he had to do when he was at school!"
"So you did speak to your Uncle Severus about this then?" Remus blurted without thinking.
Estella gave Remus a triumphant look. "See! You know he'd say that too!" She said.
Remus gave in. It wouldn't be out of character for Severus to be spiteful and embittered about his own childhood experiences and let it get in the way of his better judgement. Then again, the man had proven from day one that he was capable of doing things out of character. When it came to Estella, anyway.
'But this is a child's heart we're playing with' Remus thought. The mere chance that Severus could give such bad advice at a time where Estella was already in a fragile state this wasn't worth the risk.
"I'm glad you felt you could tell me, cub." Remus said, sighing.
Estella shrugged. "You asked."
"So what do you want me to do about it?" Remus asked thoughtfully. "I'm open to anything. Maim, kill, any of the hexes in '1001 Hexes you'll never forget'… ALL of the hexes…"
Estella shrugged, fighting back a laugh. "I don't know. I just want them to bring them down a peg or two… like I used to be able to."
"I know," Remus said, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "We could always tell your Uncle and watch him set a few things straight with them! The man positively makes Seventh years want to wet themselves, can you imagine the reaction?"
Estella cringed. "That's not a very good idea Moony. Part of the reason they tease me is because Uncle Sev is scary like that, so making him scare them out of being bullies will just be perpa…perpetrating the circle."
Remus looked at his goddaughter, astounded at her profoundness.
"My, my, Estella. That was profound! Wherever did you learn a word like 'perpetrate'?"
Estella smiled wanly. "Let's just say I've had a lot of time spent alone in the library." She said darkly. "With Hermione Granger."
Remus shook it off. He'd heard about the Granger girl. It was a relief at least that Estella had one like-minded soul she could identify with. "So, having your Uncle scare the little brats from ever accepting their Hogwarts letters is a no go?" He said, ticking the idea off his fingers. "Although I hope you do realise that regardless of if we get your Uncle involved in this, I will be telling Severus when it's all sorted."
Estella looked at her godfather fearfully. "Do you have to?"
Remus nodded solemnly. "How do you think he will feel if he found out from someone else, hmmm?"
Estella sighed. "Alright. We will tell him, but after we got them to stop, OK?"
"What do you think we should do?" Remus asked.
"Well I can't beat them up because there are more of them than me and plus I would be just as bad as them if I tried to do it." Estella mused, counting off the thought with her finger. "And I can't prank them at school because if they know I did it, they would tell the teacher and I would get into trouble and if they didn't know it was me it wouldn't stop them teasing I don't think." She looked Remus directly in the eye. "And I can't challenge them to a duel because I can't use magic outside of Hogwarts wards and they probably don't even have a wand, let alone know any spells!" She sighed. "So what do you think I should do?"
Remus looked at his Godfather proudly, the mischievous glint back in his eye. "I think you have your answer right there, cub."
Estella spluttered. "Which one… what, you mean challenge them to a duel? How on earth can I…"
Remus smiled. "I have a plan," was all he said.
End Chapter: The Mini-Snivellus