Disclaimer: Nope, still not mine…

Updated: Tuesday 28th March 2006 (OMG! I kept to my deadline! Is that a flying pig?)

Chapter Fourteen: Just Friends?

Estella had never seen Dumbledore look so mad. In the brief moments before her Portkey had activated, the headmaster looked positively livid. Hearing later how Lucius Malfoy was admitted to St Mungo's unable to recollect the day's events or account for his condition, Estella almost wished she had not used the Portkey. Almost. Lucius Malfoy had been close… too close. By the time Estella had clasped her hand around her pendant, the polished tip of Malfoy's wand was brushing across the fabric of her school robes.

Though the required wand to flesh contact was not achieved, a spell was cast. Caught up in the moment of activating her Portkey, Estella did not catch the intent of Lucius' action; but it was widely suspected to be non-verbal. However the delivery, the effects were instantaneous. Thankfully, the Portkey had whisked her to safety before the spell could be completed, and the bookshelf behind the man's intended target had borne the brunt of the curse. That said, the concentration of magic around her as she used the Portkey did not leave Estella unscathed. At the best of times, Portkey use left the magical traveller a little disorientated or nauseous, but when mixed with outside magical forces, the symptoms were magnified.

Sirius had been in the library of his former childhood home doing research when the wards had alerted him to a disturbance upstairs. Upon finding his daughter lying unconscious in a pool of vomit, the bewildered man had initially believed the sight before him to be a rogue Boggart. Afterwards, he couldn't apologise to his child enough for the mix-up. In order to prevent Sirius from exacting revenge upon the hospitalised Malfoy in a fit of anger, Dumbledore had arranged for Estella to recover in her father's care. With Tonks resuming her role as Estella's double, the cover story involving an unsupervised potions accident was established, with 'Estella' spending a week in the Infirmary.

Because Dumbledore had 'meddled' with the memories of both Umbridge and Malfoy, the issue of Estella's guardianship was no closer to being resolved. What's more, because Lucius Malfoy could remember nothing of his meeting with Estella, he could not be questioned about his intentions or held accountable. While it was apparent that Dumbledore had acted in the best interests of school security by concealing the fact that it was possible for students to possess emergency Portkeys, Estella couldn't help but wonder if the Order leader had an ulterior motive in keeping Lucius Malfoy at large. With Lucius putting heat on the Department of Family Services, Sirius was dependent on Dumbledore for access to his children, and, as such, the old man could reacquire some control over their lives.

Her absence from the student body was not without its own consequences. In order for Tonks to maintain her cover for an extended period, the impostor's visitors (in the Infirmary) had been limited. Unsurprisingly, these impositions did not appear to apply to Harry, who, armed with his Invisibility Cloak and the knowledge that the girl in Madam Pomfrey's care was Tonks, came and went as he pleased. No one had expected that to be an issue, but then no one had expected Harry's frequent visits to be caught by more than one pair of observant eyes.


Quidditch try-outs had come and gone, and the two male members of her Ravenclaw circle of friends had both made the house team. It was not unusual then, for John and Reg to disappear after classes. If there wasn't a physical practice, the Ravenclaw team would strategically theorise, studying documented game plans of their predecessors and procrastinate. With Estella working extra hard to catch up on her classes and make progress on her other project, it felt like she never saw them. Busy though she was, Estella could not deny that something had changed. Whenever she sat with the boys in class, Reg was overly talkative, going to lengths to compensate for John's sudden quiet and aloof behaviour around her.

"All right, what's up with you?" Estella had cornered John in the Broom Shed after practice and was not going to step aside until she had some answers.

"Let me by, Estella," said John quietly, a strange weary tone to his voice. "I need to go shower."

Estella leant forward and sniffed experimentally at John's Quidditch Robes. Over the overpowering aroma of wet grass and broom polish that characterised the interior of the musty shed, she could detect a faint whiff of sweat. She shrugged. "I think I can handle it."

"Estella," John warned, becoming increasingly exasperated, "I don't have time for this! I have Arithmancy to study…"

"Make time." Estella almost growled as she stood firm. Seeing John's eyes widen, she changed tactics. Bowing her head in a submissive show of defeat, she sighed. "I just want to know what's wrong."

Estella's display of vulnerability emboldened the young Ravenclaw boy, and he let his anger rise to the surface.

"Wrong?" he asked, surprising both Estella and himself with the vehemence behind the statement. "You want to know what's wrong? For a Ravenclaw you sure can be thick some times!"

"John!" Estella's mouth fell open in shock and she found herself taking defensive action. "I sure as hell didn't come here to trade insults..."

"I'm sorry." John cut her off, his tone suddenly remorseful.

Curiously, he looked the girl in front of him in the eye. Spluttering, he shook his head in disbelief at her puzzled expression. "You really don't get it!" he muttered, mostly to himself. "You really… you really don't know…"

"Know what?"

"I like you." John blurted out in a rush of breath.

Blinking slowly at her friend's affirmation, Estella rolled her eyes. "Of course you like me!" she said, completely missing the point. "We wouldn't be friends if you didn't – why'd you think I'd not know that?"

"No, I mean…" John's voice trailed off as he reconsidered his options. Taking a different approach, he moved the conversation into cooler waters. "How come we couldn't visit you in the Infirmary?"

"What?" Estella was surprised by this sudden line of questioning. Her stay in the 'Infirmary' had been weeks ago. "Is this why you've been avoiding me? Because you were upset about not being able to see me while I was recovering?"

"Yes… no…" John was getting flustered, and he began running a hand through his hair compulsively. "I just want to know why we couldn't see you. I was worried and no one would tell us anything, and then whenever I tried sneaking in, Harry was there and well… how come he could visit you and we couldn't? There, I said it!"

"Huh? What… oh…" the facts slowly began to piece together for Estella. "John, Harry is my father's godson, right?" John nodded. "Well, that means that he's practically family, and you know what Pomfrey can be like… I doubt she even wanted Harry there, but he probably played the family card."

"Oh, so you don't like Harry then?" John looked almost relieved.

Frowning slightly, Estella began to wonder just where her friend was going with this.

"Why would I not like Harry?" she raised a brow. "It'd be pretty hard to live with him if I hated him."

"But you hardly spoke to him after the start of term!" John frowned.

"So? We had a fight… I told you that… it happens…"

"But ever since you got out of the Infirmary, you can't get enough of him…" John was becoming increasingly agitated.

"Yeah, because every time I try and speak with you lately, you brush me off… and all Reg wants to do now is talk about Quidditch and Elsie's all wrapped up in that Hufflepuff guy. What was I supposed to do?" Estella was equally agitated. Though her latest encounter with Lucius Malfoy had served well in patching things up between herself and Harry, ever since she'd been back things just hadn't been the same between her friends and herself. This, added with her Order responsibilities and the continued threat Malfoy, Umbridge and the clueless Ministry posed to her home situation left Estella emotionally bereft.

"Yes, but Malfoy?" John said disgustedly, digging deeper into the cause of his dissent. "Really, Estella!"

Estella froze. What did John know about Malfoy? "Malfoy?" she asked. "What's he got to do with any of this?"

"Now you really must be thick to not notice the interest he's been showing in you lately." John pointed out, before narrowing his eyes at the girl he was unconsciously advancing towards. "And you must really think I'm thick if you didn't think I'd notice how much you've been looking at him since you got out of the Infirmary. I'm not stupid, Estella. I saw him loitering around the Infirmary too. So, what, did he manage to get in? What's with you two? You can do a lot better than some slimy Slytherin."

Like a bolt of lightning, everything became resoundingly clear in Estella's mind. Replaying their recent conversation in her head, she realised with a gasp that John's behaviour of late was attributable to jealousy and that, if his previously misunderstood admission was true, then he truly liked her. Moments earlier, as the course of their bizarre interlude led her thoughts to drift on the stresses of her life; Estella had been on the verge of tears. Now, as she looked into the thoughtful, impassioned gaze of one of her closest friends, she began to feel… something else.

"My uncle happens to be a Slytherin!" she said quietly, hoping that the slight defensive nature she felt whenever someone knocked her uncle's house would prove distracting.

"You know that's not what I meant." John's voice was virtually in her ear as he leaned in close.

Inhaling sharply as she fought to regain control of her senses, Estella became aware that, at some point in their conversation, John had backed her up against the door, and he was now standing alarmingly close to her. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw the profile of the young man before her begin to visibly tremble under her gaze. Nervously, she licked at her lips, not even aware that she was doing so, and mentally thanked herself that she had something solid to lean back against.

"Estella, I…" John leaned his face in again and was lost for words when their eyes met. Too caught up in the spiral of emotions surrounding them, neither teenager paid any heed to the approach of footsteps outside. Before either of them could get a grasp on what was happening, the door that Estella had been leaning against was flung open and they found themselves in a rather compromising position, sprawled at the feet of a group of teenagers.

Taking in the sight of the tell-tale livery of the defending Quidditch champions, Estella found a particularly knobbly pair of knees and trained her eyes upwards to look at their owner. Harry was looking so livid, it was positively comical. Overcome with an attack of the giggles, Estella became increasingly aware of the heavy weight pinning her down.

"Oi, John, you big oaf! Gerroff! You smell!" she giggled even harder, equally amused and humiliated by the sniggers and knowing looks of the players around her.

Hearing his team mates begin to whistle and cat-call at the busted pair made Harry even more indignant. Seeing this, Estella laughed even more, completely oblivious to John, who had scrambled to his feet muttering awkward apologies and was now trying to help an uncooperative Estella to her feet.

"Merlin!" she exclaimed, clambering uncoordinatedly to her feet and leaning heavily against John as her eyes sought out Harry's. "I don't think I've laughed so hard since that time you got your foot stuck in the trick step and my uncle…"

A shrill, piercing ring of a whistle being blown cut the rambling girl off and brought her to her senses. Stiffening slightly, Estella straightened and shot Harry an apologetic look as he lowered his Captain's whistle from his lips; his mouth still very much pressed into a thin line, as though his mouth were still wrapped around the shiny metal device.

Watching the silent exchange between the two dark-haired teens, John did not relinquish his possessive hold on Estella. His arm had instinctually snaked around her waist while she had required assistance finding her feet. Now that he was familiar with the feeling, he found he was not going to let go unless prompted. That Estella had made no move to pull away and had instead leaned into him as they faced down the leering Gryffindor Quidditch team filled his heart with unmistakable joy. Schooling the wide smile from his face with a fair amount of effort, he began to pull Estella away from the Broom Shed.

"C'mon, let's leave the Gryffs to their practice," he said, whispering into Estella's ear, secretly relishing in the scent of her shampoo and chuckling lowly when her hair brushed his nose as she nodded.

Walking side by side in the direction of the change-rooms, the pair made the most of the companionable silence, each losing themselves in their respective thoughts as they made their way up the hill.

"Estella," said John hoarsely as they reached the door to the change-rooms. Pulling the girl in his arms around so that they were now facing each other, he found her eyes. "Come… come to Hogsmeade with me?"

Feeling inexplicably dizzy at the implications of this moment, all Estella could do was nod dumbly in response. Then, before she knew it, John had kissed her cheek in parting and darted off into the change-rooms without another word. Turning on her heel, Estella's palm flew up to reverently cup the cheek John's lips had touched. Though she'd been kissed like that many times by other people, somehow this time was different.

Smiling dazedly as she sauntered back towards the castle at a languid pace, Estella was oblivious to the pair of emerald green eyes watching her every move. Waiting outside the Broom Shed whilst his team fossicked around inside for the best brooms whilst making up lewd stories about what the two Ravenclaws had been up to within its walls, Harry's grip tightened on his Firebolt. Spotting Estella's reaction to John's chaste kiss, Harry's eyes narrowed; and as his thoughts drifted to the Ravenclaw Keeper, he found himself unable to comprehend the torrent of feelings in his mind.


"I don't believe this!" Estella scowled at the reflection in the mirror defiantly. "If I want to go to Hogsmeade with a friend and I'm not breaking any school rules in doing so, then you can't stop me!"

"I can revoke your Hogsmeade privileges!" Sirius threatened, his voice sounding oddly recycled as it reverberated through the glass. The latest Order meeting had been the day before, and it had been Harry's turn to attend. Estella's mind was still incredulous that Harry had seen reason to fill her father in on what he thought he'd witnessed by the Broom Shed earlier that day that she was struggling to put words to her derision.

Taking advantage of her uncharacteristic silence, Sirius continued. "Don't play me for a fool, Estella," he said. "I know as well as anyone what Quidditch players do when they lure a girl to the Broom Shed! And now Harry tells me he found you both behind the Greenhouses! I don't care that you had your brooms with you… you're not one to go off flying one on one with a boy without telling anyone where you are and staying out of sight of a teacher. You're smarter than that!"

"Oh, am I?" Estella snapped, her voice rising with every word. "YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU ACTUALLY THOUGHT I WOULD DO…THAT… IN THE BROOM SHED!" Clearing the spittle from her chin, she continued in a hoarse voice barely above a whisper. "I wish Remus were here! He doesn't jump to stupid conclusions! Just because you played Quidditch and did I-don't-even-want-to-think-what in that blasted shed it doesn't make you an authority on all Quidditch players! If you really must know, I cornered him; as for the Greenhouse, I was helping John prepare for try-outs. Now, you can believe that if you want to, but know that if you don't I will consider it a personal insult."

"Damn it, Estella!" Sirius' reflection in the mirror was disrupted as he switched hands to rub at his face. "It's not that I can't accept that… that… that you're growing up…" his voice faltered as he fought to find the right words. Not willing to watch his daughter grow up was precisely the problem, and both of them knew it. "It's just that Harry sounded so concerned when he told me, and I began to think that maybe this John bloke is up to something… men are better at sussing each other out like that, sweetheart."

"Don't you 'sweetheart' me, you condescending git!" Estella shrieked. "So you don't trust my judgement, is that what you're saying? That you will take Harry's word over mine because he's a 'man' and I'm a lowly girl? What century did you spring from?"

"I didn't mean it like that!" Sirius exclaimed, retracting his previous statement hopelessly. "It's just, well, it's just like how you were about not wanting me to go with you to the station…"

"So are you saying that I can't go to Hogsmeade at all?" Estella narrowed her eyes at her father's apologetic look. "What about Harry, then? I suppose he still gets to go because he has Order business to contend with? Oh I really don't believe this!"

The Order business Estella was referring to was a joint initiative by both teenagers to establish a place in Hogsmeade that would appeal to those students with Muggle heritage. With the Dark Lord gaining power and making his presence known in the outreaches of magical society, the Ministry had begun to take the security of Hogsmeade and the Hogwarts students very seriously. Scrimgeour had wanted to cancel the students' Hogsmeade visits entirely, but Dumbledore had stood firm. With Muggleborn and half-blood students forming the most likely targets for Voldemort sympathisers, one of the primary objectives of the Order was to devise something that would concentrate the susceptible population of the school in a manageable perimeter within the village.

Originally, the plan was to visibly limit the number of places students could go. The Aurors stationed in the wizarding municipal could not possibly patrol every inch of the village while it was being overrun with hundreds of rowdy teenagers. Members of the local community however – store owners on the outskirts in particular – had demonstrated an unsettling aversion to the proposed security measures and so a more covert form of protection was sought. The idea of creating an under-aged, Muggle-themed dance club had come from the absent musings of Estella shortly after she returned from her unscheduled stay in London. Harry had taken to the idea like a Snitch to flight, and, busy enough with her own Order responsibilities, she let Harry run with it.

All involved knew there was an element of risk involved in publicly encouraging prospective targets to congregate at one widely known location. If Voldemort were to suspect that the venture was in any way Ministry-driven, then he would be likely to have his Death Eaters attack out of spite. However, so long as people thought that it was a student-driven initiative, funded by the generosity of a mysterious benefactor, then it would be safe. Voldemort was no fool, and he rarely struck out at large groups of wizards without provocation. History had proven that Voldemort revelled in textbook bully-tactics: gathering a large group of Death Eaters to pick off wizards one or two at a time. The few times Voldemort had launched full-scale attacks – like the one in Hogsmeade early his campaign while Estella had been in the past – may have done a lot of damage, but were not without a cost to the enemy and so, rather rare.

"Estella, I don't want you going to Hogsmeade," Sirius roused Estella from her musings. Echoing his daughter's words as she had previously pleaded with him not to go to King's Cross, he continued. "Please… worrying about one of you running about outside the protections of the school wards is torturous enough."

"I'll stick by Tonks, and it's not like we'll be alone! Reg'll hang out with us too, and with his uncle part of the Ministry's deployment of Aurors and his brother Roger living in the village there'll be more than enough eyes watching out for us. Not to mention I have my Portkey…" at her father's stubborn and unrelenting look, she scowled. "But what am I doing trying to convince you that I'll be safe? This has nothing to do with Voldemort; you just don't want me to go with John!"

"Estella," said Sirius carefully. "Now is probably not the best time for you to be complicating your life with a romantic interest. Isn't that what you told Harry, anyway?"

"For the last time, John is not a 'romantic interest'!"

"Does John know this? Harry seems to think he's smitten…"

"Oh for the love of Merlin, will you shut up about Harry!" she snapped. "The only reason he's so shirty about John is because I as much as told him that his precious Cho Chang is a conniving, emotional basket-case who only wants to go out with him because of his fame!" she glared at her father's unsurprised look. "Oh, let me guess," she drawled, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You give Harry's pursuits your blessing! Well, let me tell you something, Sirius Black: if you're so dead set about Harry being better at reading John's intentions, then let me tell you a thing or two about that bitch Harry has his eye on…"

Recognising his beloved wife's temper manifesting itself in the miniature form of their daughter, Sirius couldn't help but burst into loud, uncontrollable laughter.

"What are you laughing at?" Estella growled at her father's mirth. "It was not my intention to be funny!"

Sirius' head disappeared as he apparently doubled over. Because the mirror was still firmly clasped in his hand, however, the connection was upheld and Estella continued to hear her father's guffaws.

"Oh, Merlin…" he managed between gasps of air. "Now… now… Severus… good Lord… you're killing me here!"

"I don't have to listen to this!" Estella shouted, again appreciative for her foresight in spelling the curtains around her bed with privacy charms. "Go ahead and revoke my Hogsmeade privileges for all I care! But let me warn you that I will be going to Hogsmeade with John either way."

"Oh, Estella!" Sirius sobered suddenly, though he chuckled slightly in incredulity. "You don't understand… I… I… promised Harry I wouldn't say anything… but I can't go on like this… we're going around in circles…"

"What in Bluebell's Flames are you talking about now?" Estella screwed up her face at yet another reference to Harry. "And another thing, what makes Harry so damn special? You should listen to yourself, Dad! Everything's been Harry this and Harry said that! What's Harry got to do with who I choose to spend my time with?"

"Estella, can't you see it? Harry's jealous!" Sirius blurted out.

"Of what? Of the fact that my suitors aren't a mass of attention-seeking cows and spineless whelps who can't even stand to be in the same room as me because of something I may have done as a baby?"

"No, you daft bookworm!" Sirius admonished his daughter, marvelling in the fact that his child could be sharp as a knife when it came to book smarts or holding her own amongst a group of adults when yet she could be so utterly clueless when it came to peers her own age. "Harry's put out that you don't consider him as one of your… what did you call it… suitors. He's jealous of John!"

"What? That's preposterous!" Estella spluttered, though inwardly she had to admit that it accounted for a lot. "He's like a brother!"

"Estella…" Sirius took a deep breath as he tried to find the right approach. "You may have grown up with full knowledge of who Harry was in relation to you… but Harry didn't even know you existed until he was eleven. Yes, at first he was drawn to you because of the connection you had to his past, but now he's starting to notice boys show an interest in you… well let's just say I can't blame him for considering you a 'stellar' catch."

"Oh, ha, very funny!" Estella rolled her eyes at her father's pun. Inwardly, her mind was spinning at the implications of her father's words. Just what had he and Harry talked about after the meeting? Smirking in an attempt for good humour, Estella went on. "Please don't tell me all this just now doesn't just amount to you trying to play matchmaker! I thought you were joking with all that stuff before…"

At her father's sheepish look of hope, Estella stamped her foot in vain – for the act of physical indignation was lost through the conveyance of the mirrors. "Dad!" she whined pathetically. "C'mon! I'm not saying you're right about how you think Harry feels, but did you ever stop to think that maybe I don't want Harry to think of me in that way?"

"Yes." said Sirius simply. "And I came to the conclusion that perhaps you don't even know what you want."

"Wow, Dad, that was truly profound!" Estella drawled in a fake tone of commendation. "Pray tell what led you to assume that?"

"Just why are you so against Harry showing an interest in Cho Chang, Estella? Think about it." Sirius asked his daughter bluntly. "It's not like you to exhibit such open disdain towards another."

"Says he who also said that it wasn't like me to cavort around on a broomstick behind the Greenhouses, and yet I did that!" Estella pointed out glibly. "Maybe I am just protective of Harry's interests because I. See. Him. As. A. BROTHER!"

Sirius sighed, the implication that he perhaps did not know his daughter as well as he had thought cut at him. "Just hear me out on this kiddo. Ask yourself if Cho really deserves your judgement, or if you are driven by the fact that you wish Harry turned to mush around you…"

"Are you suggesting I'm jealous of Cho Chang?" Now it was Estella's turn to laugh – though, and Estella would never admit this, her giggling was mainly a cover for the consideration she was giving her father's suggestion. Trying to convince herself more than anything, Estella shook her head. "Why would I want to have Harry as a belligerent puddle of nerves at my feet? He's such better company when he can construct whole sentences!"

Sirius chuckled at the imagery. "I'm sure he is, kiddo," he said lightly. "I guess it's only for you to know if you've ever craved anything more with him."

"Oh, and if I did, I suppose that would be something you'd approve of!"

"I wouldn't object." Sirius admitted. "I just want to see you happy, sweetheart. When I see you and Harry together… I don't know if it's just wishful thinking or my mind's been swayed by the games James and I used to play… but I see more…"

"Look…" Estella cut her father off. "I can't promise that I'll never see merit in the idea that Harry and I are meant for each other, but right now it's John who I want to hang out with, and if you truly want to see me happy you would give me your blessing." She took a breath. "It's not like I'm absolutely smitten with the guy and have started planning for a future with him! I'm still only thirteen, and John's a guy I get along with really well. What's more, he's stuck with me since day one and I trust him. Isn't that enough reason to do the polite thing in accepting his invitation? We're not talking about a Gryffindor here, Dad. It would have taken a lot of guts for him to get up the nerve to ask me, I couldn't say no."

"Oh," said Sirius, looking visibly more relaxed now he was a little more informed about the extent of his daughter's experience with boys. Though deep down he knew his daughter was smart enough not to indulge in the kind of fraternisation that gave the Broom Shed and courtyard behind the Greenhouses their reputations, Sirius had been unable to remain unaffected by the mere association of his child being in the proximity of those areas with a member the opposite sex. "I'm not so sure I'm any more comfortable with the idea of your accepting dates out of some sense of duty."

"Dad, trust me, okay?" Estella looked at her father pleasingly. "I didn't really mean what I said earlier about going to Hogsmeade without permission. You're my father, and it wouldn't be right to defy you, even when you're being a complete idiot."

"Oh, and there I thought you were apologising!" Sirius feigned a look of hurt before smiling slightly. "I'm going to regret saying this, but I think I'll be glad to see you use your better judgement when it's clear I'm being stupid and reckless with my own."

"I think it's best if I pretend I didn't just hear that." Estella smirked evilly. "Though as a show of good sportsmanship I feel it is my duty to inform you that a Pensieve memory will be kept of the admission should ever I need to turn your words against you!"

"I wouldn't expect any less from a child of mine," admitted Sirius, his mood lightening. "Lily and your mother always used to warn Prongs and I that our sins would be revisited upon us via any child we fathered. Of course, they always said that before they knew they'd marry us. Never said a word of it after they each got pregnant… though sometimes I wonder that with all the pair of you put me through, there wasn't a hint of Divination in the girl's comments after all. It seems like no coincidence that I was three times as bad as what Prongs ever was and I am the only one to live long enough to be turned grey by our spawn."

"Aha!" Estella stubbed the forefinger of her free hand at the mirror in triumph. "You admitted it! It is you who is turning grey – not just Moony!"

Sirius sighed in mock defeat. "Yet another thing I've come to regret saying this evening. Remind me again why I called?"

"Uh, to make things between John and I so hopelessly impossible that I would have no choice but to fall into the arms of a boy-I-consider-a-brother?" Estella raised a brow in challenge.

"You make it sound so… so wrong!"

"Well," Estella said flippantly, going in for the kill. "I must say you're getting better. At least you're no longer trying to set me up with my godfather!"

Sirius blushed. "I thought we all agreed not to talk about that!" he protested. "I was 15, and how was I supposed to know you were really my daughter from the future?" he huffed. "Fine. I'll admit it. I'm a lousy match maker! Go to Hogsmeade with John. He's a Ravenclaw, so he shouldn't need warning about what will happen to him if he hurts you…"

"Oh, don't worry, I think Uncle Sev will be quite effective in that department." Estella grimaced, wondering how John had fared with the man while she was held up by Umbridge and Malfoy that day.


John tactfully avoided Estella until a few days short of the Hogsmeade weekend. He told her then that he didn't want to give her a chance to back out; but if Estella was honest, she'd been far too busy with study. Ravenclaws, as a rule, thrived when saddled with supplementary reading. Though the conscientious pupils varied in terms of their intelligence and ability, there wasn't a Ravenclaw that wasn't well read.

The morning of the Hogsmeade visit, Estella found that she was strangely nervous. As much as she supposed the outing was her first real 'date', part of Estella could not reconcile the boy who had always just been a good friend, with what he now represented. The fact that their friendship was evolving worried her in the sense that she didn't know what would happen if things between them now didn't work out. Her father's words to her during their mirror conversation several days earlier echoed in her mind still, and yet she was no closer to finding an answer.

Harry, for his part, appeared to be sulking. When the Boy-Who-Lived caught word that Sirius had given Estella his consent to go to Hogsmeade with John and her friends, his whole demeanour changed. What little Estella saw of the Gryffindor – which wasn't much since the logistics of being in different years and houses made it difficult to see each other at all – she was quick to note the terse, strange looks he was casting her way. When the sour-looking Gryffindor 'coincidentally' found himself in the same carriage as Estella and her friends, she knew she was in for a long day.

"Oh, hi Estella," Harry said casually, feigning surprise as he squeezed into the carriage that would lead them to Hogsmeade. Ron and Hermione, Estella guessed, were on Prefect's Duty, each accompanying a carriage of third years for their first Hogsmeade visit. "I'm glad I bumped into you…"

Looking at the fifth year across from her, Estella shifted closer to John and merely raised a brow. When no one spoke, Harry cleared his throat. "I, um, was hoping to go over some things with you before the, um, set…"

Recognising the code words for 'Order Business' in Harry's bungled delivery, Estella frowned.

"Can't it wait?" she asked politely, gesturing her head slightly towards John. "John and I have plans, and aren't you supposed to be going to Hogsmeade with Cho?"

It had been all over the girl's dormitories that Cho was going out with Harry. The fact that the self-involved girl had, complete with her own little posse of aspiring admirers, taken over the dormitory bathroom to see to her vital preparations for 'the date' made the news pretty hard to miss. After being turned away from the shower blocks earlier by Cho's personal shadows, Estella got secret satisfaction from the reality that Cho Chang was nowhere near as important as she believed she was. For all intents and purposes, Harry now looked as though he'd just been reminded of a Dentist's appointment. Seeing him blanch slightly, Estella didn't miss the fact that he was quick to try and cover up that he had forgotten about his date.

"Oh, yeah," said Harry nonchalantly. "I'm meeting with her at Madam Puddifoot's after the launch."

"After the launch?" Estella's lip curled. "What, Cho doesn't want to be seen hanging off your arm when you open the club in front of practically the entire school? That's not what we heard, hey Elsie?"

Estella leaned over John to look across at her friend who was sitting with her date on the same side as Harry. Having witnessed Cho's Lockhart-like melodrama over the past few days, Elsie could not nod her agreement fast enough.

"Everyone was so sure the launch was the only reason Cho was getting so tarted up. Sorry Harry." Elsie said.

Harry looked between the two girls in the carriage with a look of dawning comprehension. Up until now he had been certain that Estella's observations of Cho had been borne from a marked bias. Rather than admit to the possibility of being wrong, he scrambled to defend the girl who was not there to defend herself. "Maybe she was just a little over-zealous in making herself meet the dress-code for Madam Puddifoot's," he said weakly, and Estella could just see that he really wasn't looking forward to the storm that was bound to meet him in Hogsmeade.

"Dress code?" Reg, who was sitting on the other side of John and going stag for the day, spoke for the first time. "Never heard of any dress code there, mate."

An uncomfortable silence passed over the group, and Estella found that she was falling for the pleading, lost look on Harry's face. Making an impulsive decision, she twined her fingers into John's hand and took a deep breath. With what she was about to say, she didn't want John to forget who she had agreed to go out with. "Well I guess it works out for the best," she said simply. "Since only I can help you with that thing at the launch. Would get a little bit crowded with someone like Cho prancing around seeking attention."

"It's the only thing she's good at seeking." Reg sniggered, revealing the House's inside joke about their over-the-top Seeker.

"Oh?" John's grip tightened on Estella's hand in surprise. Estella winced, but it wasn't on account of her hand.

"I'm sorry, John," she said sincerely. "It'll only be for the hour leading up to the launch. I thought you and Reg wouldn't mind the opportunity to check out that new Quidditch display that they reviewed in Quidditch Weekly without the non-Quidditch-mad fan amongst you. I'll hook up with you after the launch and then we could get some, uh, alone time."

"Oh, all right." said John resignedly.

Though he had been quick to accept the plans, Estella knew from his expression that he was rather perturbed at being kept out of the loop. John was the typical Ravenclaw all-rounder, and one resoundingly clear characteristic of the unassuming Quidditch Keeper was that he prided himself on keeping abreast of information. Realising that her friend also like to plan everything meticulously, Estella chewed on her bottom lip in regret.

"You, you didn't have plans for us, did you?" she thought to ask, though she knew the damage had already been done. "I'm sorry! I didn't think! I should have…"

"It's all right." John cut her off. "Actually, I was kind of going to drag you around to the Quidditch display. Well, no, not really, but I didn't make any plans… I didn't want you to think I was one of those guys who insists on making all the decisions."

"I'm still sorry," said Estella humbly, silently hoping that Harry would realise just how much he'd owe her after this. "I feel terrible for not paying you the same mind."

John shrugged. "This is all new for both of us. I don't know about you, but I'm all for making the most of what we get."

The rest of the journey passed in silence, with but a few ideas thrown around regarding how best to weather Cyclonic Cho's wrath.


"Thank you!" Harry leant in and whispered in Estella's ear after they had parted ways with the occupants of their carriage and avoided a natural disaster with Cho. It had not been pretty.

"You realise you're really going to have to work double time to make the afternoon worth it for Cho." Cho was not the only girl Harry was now indebted to, but truth be told, Estella had enjoyed being on hand to see Cho find out she wasn't able to be the centre of attention at the club launch.

"Don't remind me," Harry groaned.

"You forgot about her, didn't you?" Estella smirked, but then frowned when she saw the look on Harry's face. "Harry, what is it? Surely the launch hasn't frazzled your mind?"

"I… I… oh, I guess I was just nervous about it so much that I pushed it completely out of my mind and got so caught up in the preparations for the, you know, for the old crowd." Harry bumbled. "Yeah, that's it."

"Right," Estella said, scepticism evident in her tone. "You sound so convinced. I'm not even going to try asking you why you invited her in the first place…"

"It's nice here," Harry said suddenly, stopping in his tracks to turn and face Estella. "This… I mean here… now… you and I… it… it reminds me of summer, you know? I miss it sometimes; but this, this is nice."

"Yeah, you already said that," Estella said quietly, looking up at Harry with a strange expression on her face. Feeling suddenly self-conscious, she rubbed at her arms in search of a distraction. The crisp, fresh climate of early October left a slight chill in one's bones when still. Already, they were able to trace the path of their breath in the air. Lowering her gaze, Estella turned her head to the side and sighed. "I miss it too."

By the time Estella brought herself to look Harry in the eye again, he had stepped in towards her. As he began to lean in so close to her that she could feel the warmth of his breath on her nose, Estella's senses were made aware of his cologne for the first time.

'Since when does Harry where cologne? Where'd he get cologne from?' Estella's mind was so full of questions she didn't know which way was up. She sniffed discreetly. 'Damn, he smells good!' she found herself thinking before she could stop herself. 'What am I doing? This is Harry! Harry! What's Harry doing wearing cologne anyways? He admitted forgetting about his date with Cho, so who's he out to impress I wonder?' she gasped as an answer hit her square in the face. 'Oh! No… oh no!'

About to go into a full-blown panic, she sought out Harry's eyes for confirmation. Before the inexplicably close Gryffindor could open his mouth to speak, they were interrupted by two people Estella had never thought she'd be so happy to see.

"Oi! Harry, mate! There you are!" An enthusiastic Ron Weasley trailed up to them, a breathless Hermione coming up behind him. Regarding Estella with a passing glance, he gave his friend a questioning look. "It's all over The Three Broomsticks that you're standing Cho up at the launch."

Harry and Estella exchanged a bewildered look. Merlin, news travelled fast! Seeing Hermione catch her breath and open her mouth to speak – no doubt a lengthy diatribe about the dangers of walking away from a group and how they should set an example for the third years – Estella stepped away and turned to leave.

"Don't go!" Harry put his Quidditch-honed reflexes to the test by reaching out and grabbing her arm, stopping her. "I thought you were going to come with?"

"You're a big boy now, Harry. You don't need me to hold your hand." she said, trying not to admit as much to herself. "But I want you to!" said Harry, blushing. "I mean, I would like you to be there. The whole thing probably wouldn't exist without your inspiration."

"Big boys also have to learn that they cannot always get what they want, no matter the amount of flattery they use." Estella grinned. "Relax, I was only going to allow you some time with your friends. I'm sure Tonks is flitting around all the new Muggle features – don't you think someone ought to make sure she doesn't blow anything up before we even get started?"

"What d'you mean, Estella was the inspiration? Inspiration for what?" Ron frowned at the oblivious pair when they turned and blinked at him in surprise.

"Leave it, Ronald," said Hermione sternly, giving Harry and Estella a knowing look. "I'm sure anything we need to know will be disclosed to us in due course."

Estella nodded in gratitude. It was becoming apparent that Hermione had come to accept that there would invariably be things Estella knew that she wouldn't be permitted to know. Ever since the bushy-haired Gryffindor had come to such a conclusion, Estella hadn't missed the renewed amicability that had been forged between them. In some ways, Hermione had really been her first friend. When her peers in primary school had outcast her for being different and the older students of Hogwarts steered clear of her because of her uncle's reputation, Hermione had been one of the only ones who would pay her any mind. Of course, once Harry and Ron had saved her from that Troll and become firm friends with her she'd had less and less reason to seek the resident non-student out, but at the end of the day, when it came down to gender, Estella had been the one Hermione could identify with most.

Hermione's insecurities and feelings of inadequacy and jealousy that had surfaced over the time spent together at Grimmauld Place had, however, managed to change their friendship forever. In a lot of ways, Estella figured that it was a natural progression… Hermione could no longer be a role model that Estella could aspire to and learn from. That particular dynamic had run its course. Now, they very much had their own lives, and apart from a passing civility, they didn't have much to do with each other. Seeing Hermione back her up, however, warmed Estella in that it showed that, no matter what had passed between them and how much they had both changed over the last half of summer, she still had someone she could depend on where it counted.

Locking eyes with the brown-eyed girl and passing a silent thanks her way, Estella excused herself quietly and headed towards the Dance Hall.


"Moony!" Estella half-yelled across the empty Dance Hall that had been transformed into a Muggle disco. The only other occupant of the room was a tall, lanky man bent over a sound desk. When the man had turned into profile as he rummaged through a pile old vinyl records, she had recognised him. Tearing across the freshly-waxed dance floor, Estella paid no mind to who could be watching from behind the screen of smoke billowing from the charmed smoke machine. All she could focus on was the man across the room, now aware of her presence and facing her with open arms.

"Ooomph!" Remus stumbled back, knocking a few records off the table behind him with the force his goddaughter had ploughed into him. Chuckling into her hair as he re-acquainted himself with her scent and feeling as though a missing part of him was now returned. "Surprise!"

Wrapping his arms around her and swaying to the refrains of an unheard song, Remus began to hum. Tightening her hold on her godfather in response, Estella sighed contently into the familiar folds of her godfather's robes as she tried to figure out the source of the tune her godfather was humming.

"It's now or never…" Remus half-sang, half-whispered into her hair, a wry grin on his face. "Come hold me tight…"

"Elvis, Uncle Remus?" Estella twisted in her godfather's arms to look up at him in surprise. "Y'know none of the students will stick around if you play anything predating their births."

Remus shrugged. "That's why your cousin was in charge of the song list and I am just a pretty face," he looked down at his goddaughter with a thoughtful expression. "It surprises me that you're even familiar with Elvis…"

"Remus," Estella pulled away and shook her head in amusement. "I spent nearly four months in the mid seventies, remember? I stayed in a dorm with a hormonal fifteen year old Muggleborn girl who wished she was Priscilla. How could I not know Elvis?"

At that, Estella pulled away entirely and made a beeline for a keyboard she'd noticed by the mixing desk. Touching the sensitive notes experimentally to see if it was on, Estella rested her hands across the glossy keys while she re-familiarised herself with the position. The tune coming back to her, unbidden, like an imprint of her soul seeking breath, she began to play.

"Love Me Tender." Remus recognised the song and placed a hand on Estella's shoulder as he moved to stand behind her. A long-buried memory surfaced in his mind, causing his hand to jerk with the intensity.

"What is it?" Estella stopped playing and tilted her head back to look at her godfather.

"Keep playing." said Remus hoarsely, nudging her gently. The child complying, Remus reigned himself in before trusting himself to speak again. "Who… where… how do you know the music to this?"

Estella paused in her playing again as a pained look came over her face. Leaning back into the comfort of her godfather's embrace as his arms circled her shoulders in response, she sighed. "Did you know there was a room at school where Mum used to try and teach Lily how to play the magical way?" Feeling Remus' chin tap the top of her head as he nodded, she exhaled slowly. "One of the songbooks Lily brought in from her Muggle lessons had some Elvis songs in it." she tinkled her fingers across the keys and picked up where she'd left off. "Mum rather preferred the classical pieces, but she showed us anyway. It was the first time, I think, that I ever thought to learn current songs and stuff and not just what my uncle provided me with. I really ought to practice more, though. I need to work on my sight-reading, instead of just relying on the charms and rote methods. Merlin, I can't even remember the last time I played… I didn't realise how much I missed it… missed the peace."

In the time Estella had taken to complete her musings, she'd finished playing the song. Rubbing her upper arms in appreciation, Remus kissed the back of her head.

"That was wonderful," he said. "Just how your mother used to play it. She used to play it when she was pregnant with you, I think. Both Selina and Sirius were like excited school children when they learned how foetuses can hear after a few weeks gestation. Your mother would play, and your father would sing… I remember visiting with them when we were celebrating Harry's Christening. Your Mum wasn't showing yet, but still, she insisted that we all have conversations with her belly."

"Really?" Estella turned into her godfather's arms and looked up to him with hungry eyes. "How come I'm only hearing about this now? I may have been more motivated to practice if you'd told me this a year ago!"

Remus looked down at the child in his arms apologetically. "I'm sorry, cub," he said sincerely. "So much was happening around us while your mother was pregnant, that the little details that are of most relevance to you are not as sharp as they should be. I only remembered that particular memory when you started playing."

"It's all right, Uncle Remus," she said solemnly. "I do understand. I think you have done a fantastic job of letting me know about my parents as I was growing up without both of them. If not for you, I may not have even seen a picture of them until Dad escaped!"

"Oh, I'm sure you would have found a way to convince your uncle eventually." Remus' lips formed a thin line as another thought struck him and he pulled away, frowning. "You know you really should be more careful. I was not expected in Hogsmeade today, how did you know I wasn't a Death Eater in disguise?"

Estella furrowed her brow at the sudden change in subject, taking a while to regain her bearings. "Uh, because you weren't expected in Hogsmeade?" she responded, though it had sounded more like a question. Shrugging at her godfather's silent request for a more substantial answer she frowned. "I don't know. I just… knew…"

Pulling her into a hug once more, Remus nodded. Neither of them could really understand it, but Remus believed his cub when she said she'd just known it was him. On some level, he supposed it was like pack wolves in the wild and how a stray always found their way home.


The rest of the morning leading up to the launch was spent with Estella assisting Remus set up the hall whilst confiding in him all her recent doubts and worries. Knowing the man had only ever been a mirror-call away was a comfort to Estella, but with not wanting to endanger her godfather's cover my initiating mirror-contact and craving the physical comfort the man's stabilising presence could give, nothing could beat a meeting in person.

Shortly before the doors were to open, Tonks arrived with Harry and but for a short while it was as though they had recaptured the magic that had bewitched their summer holiday. With everyone working together, the launch went off without a hitch. Harry gave a flawless delivery of the address forwarded to him by the project's 'Muggle benefactor' and between Harry's friends and Estella's, Cho had been kept at arm's length until after the festivities had concluded. Estella had lost track of Harry after that, but was too swept up in her godfather's company to pay much attention to anything.

"My father is positively a bad influence over you!" Estella marvelled at her godfather as they squeezed into Tonks' tiny flat above the main street after sneaking out of the Dance Hall, their job there finished. Tonks, meanwhile, had said something about picking up some supplies and meeting them later.

Not even her father knew about Remus' visit, and as for Dumbledore, well the man still assumed his faithful servant was still out in the field, undercover.

"Won't your mission be jeopardised by you being here? My goodness, forgive me! I've been so wrapped up in telling you my news I simply did not think to ask how you were holding up without your potion!" Estella looked at her godfather in concern.

"That's all right, sweetheart. You don't have to ask after me for me to know you care," said Remus warmly, pulling her to him. "The transformations have not been so bad while I have been in the company of others. The wolf is a pack creature and is not as anguished when amongst its own kind."

"What about the bloodlust?" Estella asked unsurely. The man's explanation thus far did little to appease her mind.

"Alas, I do not remember what happens when the wolf is in control." Remus stiffened slightly as though the thought of that disturbed him. Cupping either side of Estella's face, he crouched slightly so that their eyes were level. "But I assure you that all measures are taken to preserve the lives of the innocent. They are not a violent pack, the ones who have accepted my presence."

Estella nodded, a steady lump forming in her throat as she stood in awe and admiration of the man before her. Even after all he's seen, all he'd been through with the wolf of mind again, it touched her heart to see that he could be so gentle. Resolving then that the man before her would always be her godfather no matter what he did while undercover, she was oblivious to the lone tear that traced a path down her cheek.

"I love you, Uncle Remus," she whispered as his practiced hand deftly wiped away all evidence of her tear. "Nothing could change that."

"Aw, shucks little lady," Remus drawled in an appalling Western accent, his eyes bright with his own unshed tears. "You always know what to say to bring a grown man to his knees."

Shaking her head at her godfather's aloof brand of humour, she chuckled dryly. "So, you staying here with Tonks are you now? Don't suppose that has anything to do with why you neglected to tell my father about you coming here, then?"

"You know full well that if I of all people could see reason to sneak off to see you, there would be nothing stopping him." Remus pointed out in a brief moment of sensibility. While Remus was slight and accustomed to blending into the shadows, unseen, Sirius lacked the finesse to remain anonymous in the field, and with him currently being sought after by the Department of Family Services for 'monitored assessment' they both knew how foolish it would be for him to come somewhere with such a saturated Ministry presence. Smirking, Remus continued. "I have to set a good example."

"Oh, and you're doing such a great job!" Estella said mockingly, looking around the small one-room flat pointedly.

Leaning done to speak conspiringly in his goddaughter's ear, Remus cleared his throat. "Grown wizards, Estella," he whispered, his lip curling, "are more than capable of conjuring an extra bed."

"They are also capable of a whole lot more," said Estella suggestively. When Remus wheeled back to look at her in shock she smirked victoriously. "What?" she asked innocently. "With you AWOL when I'm seeing Dad every other weekend at meetings, who do I have to set an example for me?"

"Oh, I don't know, your uncle, perhaps?" said Remus, still unable to believe his ears.

"Oh, and I've always secretly aspired to wear heavy black robes and grease my hair!" drawled Estella. "And I've spent hours in the library looking for a spell that could make my nose like that but, you know what? When I really stop to think about it, I really do think that nose on my face would be really unbecoming."

Unable to help himself, Remus laughed heartily and commended his goddaughter on keeping a straight face. "Now that's music to my ears!" Tonks praised as she breezed into the room with a small bag of groceries. "Wotcher, baby cousin!"

"Too busy to get the shopping done, eh?" Estella asked suggestively in acknowledgement of her cousin's greeting.

"Oh, I've been run off my feet like you wouldn't believe!" Tonks sighed tiredly and made short work of packing away her meagre supplies into the small kitchenette.

"I think you'd be surprised by what I'd believe." Estella dead-panned, smirking at her godfather playfully. Tonks had yet to look at her face. "You eat out a lot then, I take it? Say, Moony, what are you doing for dinner?"

"Watch it, you!" Remus blushed at Estella's indirect questioning. Unsurprisingly, everything was going over Tonks' head, but having first seen this branch of humour in the child's father, Remus was more than familiar with the signs. Seeing Sirius' influence over his daughter gave him a sense of completion. That didn't mean he had to always like it. "Don't you have your own friendships to dissect?"

Estella's eyes widened in a mix of shock and guilt. Suddenly aware that she had just stood John up, her stomach fell. "Oh, crap!" she swore, and slapped herself in the head. Chancing a look out the window, where she could see the time on the clock tower, she blanched. "I was supposed to meet John two hours ago!"

Before she could act on remedying her mistake, the tiny window letting light into the small room imploded, sending tiny shards of glass flying into the room in all directions. Not having time to draw her wand, Estella was thrown back from the window by the force of the implosion, her hands instinctively flying up to protect her face as she barrelled into her godfather behind her, the pair of them landing in a heap on the floor. Tonks, meanwhile, had fallen backwards behind a bench, conveniently landing out of harm's way.

"What the hell was that!" Estella cried out, wincing as her movement caused the fine layer of glass dust on her body to irritate her skin. Noticing places on her arms where larger pieces of glass had penetrated the skin, she sucked in a breath. "Ow!"

Smelling the blood before he saw it, Remus froze. "Hold still!" he implored to the girl fallen against him as he pulled his wand out. "The glass on your skin will cut into you."

Having been away from the window when it exploded, Remus was unhurt. From the angle of where he had been standing, he had seen the slight shimmer of a curse headed for the window and was in the process of trying to shield his goddaughter when the glass shattered inches from her. Small as the room was, he'd just not been close enough to the child at the time, and could do little more than cushion her fall.

With a terse flick of his wand, Remus banished the glass, moving quickly once it was gone to assess Estella's injuries. Luckily, she had been turning away from the window when it smashed, and her reflexes had ensured that it was her hands and forearms that sustained injury and not her face. The rest of her, Remus suspected, had been protected by her cloak and the large clasp in her hair.

"Are you all right?" Tonks rushed over, muttering her discontent at the hooligans who got their jollies from smashing people's windows. "Remus, is she okay?"

"She," Estella said banefully, "just has a few scratches. Nothing a good soak in a bath full of potions won't fix. What was that?"

"Probably just some of the local louts out terrorising the neighbourhood," Tonks frowned. "They've been smashing windows along the backstreets for weeks, though this is the first time they've hit around here."

"That's because it isn't them," Remus' head shot up as his sensitive hearing picked up the sound of screaming. By the time he had leapt to his feet and levelled his wand, Estella and Tonks could hear it too.

"Surely not!" Estella inched towards the window in disbelief.

"Estella!" Remus cried out in alarm and physically yanked Estella away from the window. Not that she'd been anywhere close enough to be in danger; the alert werewolf was simply slipping into protective mode. Looking from Estella, to the window, to the door, to Tonks and back again, he nodded decisively. "Portkey. Now."

Estella's mouth fell open. "No!" she protested, instantly trying to pull out of her godfather's reach and get to the door. "Harry's out there! He's probably alone with Cho, and she's completely useless! I'm not leaving him!"

"Estella! Activate your Portkey, now!" Remus shook her slightly. "We need to get out of here!"

"No!" Estella raised her chin defiantly. "I'm not a coward! I will not run and hide!"

"Estella!" Remus growled, and Estella didn't think she'd ever seen him looking so angry.

Faltering a little in her resolve, Estella's could only gape at her godfather in surprise. Before she could so much as confront him for answers, Remus suddenly pulled her to him, pinning her arms at her sides. Caught off guard by his wiry strength, Estella was powerless to act as he said four words that froze her to her core.

"I'll be right back," he promised Tonks before tightening his hold on the girl in his arms and Apparating her away.


Being appointed Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor did not preclude Severus from continuing his private potions research. Samples of blood he had taken from Estella early in the Summer had proved instrumental in mapping a blueprint for an antidote to the immune-suppressant potions Lucius Malfoy had tried to get Estella dependent on. Once term had began, he'd had little time to expand upon his research. Even though the school now had another certified Potions Master in residence, Severus knew he could not ask his former teacher and mentor to assist him. To do that would mean to admit to the man that he had abused his talents by creating such a terrible, cruel potion to begin with, and though Severus did not consider himself a man of vanity, even he had his pride.

Losing himself in the shimmery liquid as it simmered peacefully in its cauldron, Severus allowed his thoughts to drift to his niece, as they often did. After the incident surrounding Lucius' unannounced trip to the school, Severus had layered a number of security wards and alarms on his niece's person. Now, he would know when Estella ever activated the Portkey again, just as he would be able to sense the extremities of her emotion as they related to fear, anger, or physical pain.

The act of trying to tap into any other feelings, Severus thought, was not very mindful of his niece's right to privacy; and so he did only what would give him peace of mind. On some level, Severus almost wished he'd expanded the scope of the charm to be able to detect other feelings. He knew of one boy who had asked her along to Hogsmeade, and had not been blind to the looks a few other students had given her. The child may not have been cut from a mould of stunning beauty, but she had charisma, and her wit and nonchalance around the opposite sex unwittingly drew them to her in droves. She wasn't like other girls her age, who would sit and giggle and be incapable of speech in the company of a boy. Severus knew that this was because she had grown up with men all around her, but it did nothing to help him accept the attention his niece was attracting.

"She doesn't even realise it!" he muttered, frowning, as a strange feeling pooled in the bottom of his gut. Initially unable to place the cause of the sudden discomfort, he jerked violently, sending the cauldron spiling to the floor as his eyes flew open in recognition. Estella had either just Flooed or been Apparated somewhere, for his connection to her suddenly felt more distant.

Without paying the spoiled potion on the floor any mind, the man was across the room and out the door. Perhaps more disturbing than his niece's unexpected departure from Hogsmeade, was the sharp stab of anger Severus had felt pulse through him before their connection stretched. Whatever the means of travel, it was apparent that Estella did not like it. Halfway up the staircase from the dungeons where he worked, Severus was in for yet another sickening surprise.

His Dark Mark was burning.

A/N: And you thought last chapter was a cliff-hanger? evil look

Next Chapter: 11th April 2006