Fallen Angel
James wasn't the only one Peter wanted revenge on.
Chapter 2- Getting Out
In Angel's mind, there was one good thing to be said for Peter Pettigrew- he was dead. That she could thank Sirius for. She knew the rest of the world -probably even Remus- thought he was a mass murderer. She knew everyone thought Pettigrew had died a heroic death. Somehow she couldn't fathom Sirius being a murderer of anyone who didn't deserve it, and Peter was the last person likely to die a heroic death.
But it was over now. She needed to remember that. There was nothing she could do. James, Lily, Sirius, and probably even Remus -it'd never been so long since she talked to them- were all gone, and probably wouldn't want to talk to her again.
She wished Sirius had told her what happened. Something happened, that much she knew. Something fishy was going on. Why would Sirius want to hurt James? It was just too… impossible. You'd need to be an alien to not know how close they were.
Then why was Angel so obsessed with this situation? She knew there was nothing left to be done other than attempt to carry on.
She entered her kitchen, desperate for something to eat. She found some leftovers from her dinner the previous night and began to eat. As soon as she started, she knew she wasn't very hungry at all. She also knew it couldn't be healthy to stay in the house for so long. But who would she visit?
She knew the answer almost as soon as she'd thought the question. Remus. He was the only one left and probably needed her as much as she needed him. Sighing, she turned and walked into her room to retrieve her sandy-coloured owl, Nari. Nari hooted appreciatively when Angel started writing the letter and Angel would have sworn Nari was happy Angel was writing to people again.
"Yes, Nari. I'm going to do something. I can't be stuck in this house." she told her owl.
"Whoo" was the only response Nari could manage, being an owl.
"Moony." Angel responded. She then smiled, amused, at herself. She was talking to her owl again. Nari nibbled Angel's ear affectionately.
She gathered some parchment, a chewed quill, and purple ink. She dipped her quill in the ink and bit it again for the effect. Then she wrote:
Remus-
Wondering if I could come visit. Can't be stuck in this house anymore.
-Angel
It was short and impersonal. Angel thought for a second, then added a postscript.
P. S. I bet Nari's happy to see you.
Nari had always been very fond of Remus, Angel remembered. And it had been a while since she'd seen him. She tied the letter gently to Nari's leg and watched her fade off into the noontime sun. Angel waited. After a short while, she forced food down her throat. Half-way through her bagel, Nari tapped on the kitchen window with a response. Good old Remus, always responds fast.
Angel opened the window and let Nari land on her arm as she took her over to the table where she could sit and rest and watch Angel. She looked tired and Angel made it a point to let her out more often. She pet Nari's head gently, procrastinating opening the letter. Why, she didn't know. But she wanted to drag out every minute. She finally could pet Nari no more, and opened the letter.
Angel-
It would be nice to see you. I think we both need to get out a bit. Want to go shopping in Diagon Alley? Or visit Hogsmeade?
-Remus
P. S. Very. She wouldn't stop nibbling my ear.
Angel smiled. But now she was left with a decision. Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade? She could go for some butterbeer. She took another piece of parchment, and wrote weirdly neat.
Remus-
Hogsmeade sounds great. Butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks? What time? I'm free all day.
-Angel
P. S. Try to answer it all in one letter this time. Nari looks tired.
Happier with this letter then the last one, she asked Nari if she was up to another visit to Remus. Nari nibbled her ear again, and Angel took that to mean 'yes'. She tied it simply to Nari's leg and took her over to the window before letting her free.
Angel wallowed back in the thoughts that had taken over her mind recently. Her school days- how she treated Peter. She remembered how James and Sirius had treated Snape and how she knew, somehow, that Snape had smiled when he heard the news. She broke the mug she'd been drinking her tea in. It wasn't a fact, obviously, but Snape could be seen deliberately showing no emotion at Order meetings. Curse his Occlumency.
Nari flew straight through the open window this time and successfully made Angel jump. As instinctively as Angel's hand reached for the letter, Nari's legs went up. She untied it, in awe at the good shape the piece of string she'd been using for a year was in.
Angel-
Sounds great. See you at 3 o'clock. Gave Nari some Owl Treats.
-Remus
She pet Nari on the head again, and received an ear nibble. Angel returned her to her cage and shut the blinds in the room so she could have a rest. Angel changed into a navy blue robe and her worn sneakers. She brushed -for the first time in who knows how long- her hair and tied it back in a high ponytail. She splashed some water on her face and stepped out the door. She shivered, having forgotten that it was the middle of the winter and she needed her cloak.
She turned back around to get it, and knew immediately that she needed a new one. She vowed to buy it while she was at Hogsmeade, then stepped out the door again, locking it by habit. She, not having a fireplace and preferring not to Apparate, walked to the nearest Neighbourhood Floo Centre. She paid a Sickle to the wizard at the entrance and was waved to fireplace #31. She took some powder from the jar on the side and stepped in.
She yelled, "HOGSMEADE!" probably a lot louder then necessary. She held her breath, but enjoyed the feeling of flames around her, soaking in the heat for when she knew she'd land in cold, snowy Hogsmeade. It was very obviously a Hogwarts Hogsmeade weekend. Tons of children pushed past her to get to different shops, some looking only about eight years younger than herself, some looking about twelve or thirteen years younger. They somehow seemed shorter than she'd been when she was thirteen.
She searched the sea of youthful faces for a familiar one. Remus was the one, however, that spotted Angel. He tapped her lightly on the shoulder as a small girl, probably half their age, stop a few feet from Remus. Emerald green hair fell to her shoulders as she gazed, open-mouthed at him. Her gaze shifted to Angel, and she shot a very evil look toward her. The effect worked, her eyes were an oddly cold shade of silver, before she walked on to catch up with her friends and bumped into Remus as Angel turned around.
"Oh, sorry." she said, her voice sounding very small. She looked familiar, Angel couldn't place it.
Remus stared. He eyed her green hair and his head cocked sideways, "Are you… Nymphadora?" It was Angel and the girl's turn to stare. The girl looked confused. Angel had a look of slightly dawning realization.
The girl found her voice slowly, "Yeah… do I know you?"
"You probably wouldn't remember me." Remus said simply, smiling, "You'd better catch up to your friends."
She nodded, her friends were watching intently from the doorway to Honeydukes, holding up a line of angry-looking students. Nymphadora put a weird look on her face -pained, almost- and a second later, her hair was blue as the sea.
"Didn't want to seem too Slytherin." she explained, "Bye."
Angel realized completely who this was. It was Sirius's little cousin. She was born when they were thirteen. She was a Metamorphagus. She looked from the girl, who was now talking animatedly with her friends, to Remus, back and forth for a long moment.
"Nymphadora…. Tonks?" she asked, to make sure.
Remus smiled again, "She's grown, hasn't she?"
They started walking, using the subject of Nymphadora Tonks as a jumping point in conversation. Reaching the Three Broomsticks, they ordered two butterbeers and took a seat toward the back of the pub, relatively in the middle. Somehow, conversation drifted to jobs.
"We've got to do something with our lives now." Angel said exasperatedly, "I mean, I know it ought to be tough…" She didn't need to tell him what exactly she was talking about.
Remus remained silent for a moment, then spoke, "Have you been getting the Daily Prophet?"
"No." she spat, "Why would I read that rubbish?"
Remus ignored her comment. Angel had never liked the Daily Prophet- it was like a huge gossip column. If only everyone believed the Quibbler like that. "Remember Dolores Umbridge?"
"Toad Woman?" she checked, remembering Sirius and James' nickname for her, "The one that hated your guts? She works at the Ministry now, right?"
Nodding, Remus drained the last bit of his butterbeer, "Well, Toad Woman apparently hated me because I'm a werewolf." Angel gave him a scared look, "No, she doesn't know… I think. But she's very anti-werewolf."
"And that hurts your chances of getting a job?"
"Very much so."
"But you've got enough to live off of?"
"Of course I do. You do too. Remember how we all had one shared bank account? James was apparently a LOT richer than we thought. Some of his earnings went to us… most of it went to Harry."
"Oh. Yeah. But we can't sit around and do nothing for our lives."
"What would we do, though?"
"Anything. We got so many O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s they'll be begging us for any job."
"But what do we want to do?"
"Heal? Teach? I don't exactly think we want to work at the Ministry."
Remus sighed. Angel drained her second butterbeer. The lull in the conversation killed it completely, and they'd covered almost all the subjects there was something to say about. Bashing the Ministry wasn't the safest thing to do anymore. Finally, Angel picked up her cloak and put it on.
"I've got to buy a new cloak, and I should get home soon anyway."
"Nice to have talked to you. It was good to get out."
"Yeah. See you, Remus."
Remus watched her leave. Angel shivered in her cheap cloak as she made her way down the road. She caught sight of a fur cloak and shook her head in disgust, but walked inside looking for something better. Decent-looking material caught her eye. She bought it without a second thought and Apparated home for convenience. She was tired.
She slept.