Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
AN: A big thanks to my amazing Friend and beta Hpgirl4ever
HP
There was nothing Harry could do to avoid being bombarded with questions as he entered the common room. He was in no mood to answer let alone put up with the millions of questions Ron and Hermione were shooting off faster than they could breathe. Instead, the youngest of the trio continued to make his way to the staircase that would lead him up to the silence and solitude he so desperately wanted at the moment.
"Harry?" Hermione's voice called out from somewhere behind him causing him to stop with his foot on the first step, the worry etched in her voice very apparent. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine Mione. " Harry lied quickly, not wanting the questions to go on any longer than they needed to at the moment. "Just tired that's all."
"Alright." Hermione sounded uncertain and almost upset, but Harry wasn't going to turn around, afraid that it would lead to more interrogating questions that he would have to answer to get them off of his back. "We just wanted to make sure you're okay Harry."
With those final words, Harry bolted up the stairs at record speed, and was more than happy when he found the boy's dorm empty. The silence was relaxing as Harry fell ungracefully onto his four poster bed. His mind slowly wandered back to the conversation he had with Elizabeth down by the Black Lake.
It was good to know that he hadn't driven the younger girl away with the secret that even his best friends didn't know, but he still wasn't completely convinced that she would always be there for him. All of his past experiences told him not to believe her because in the end he always ended up worse for wear, everything was always worse when Uncle Vernon was confronted by a school nurse or a concerned teacher that wanted nothing but the best for him. But if only they knew how much worse they had made it, they would have stayed away. If they would have realized that the reason he had always been absent for a long period of time after was because they cared, because after they left, he would get the most horrendous beatings of his life.
EB
Elizabeth slowly made her way down the long cold corridor to the common room. The mixed feelings of hope and anxiety began to fade away as she began to relax. It felt good to have finally given up the secret she had been holding onto all week. However, that was only the first part to the problem, now came the second: transitioning from being the only child of the potion's master to being the younger sister of the boy-who lived, all without letting anyone on either side acknowledging what was taking place.
HP
The next morning found Harry walking down to the Great Hall with Ron and Hermione. He had no real desire to be in their company, but at the moment it was better than walking alone.
"Are you alright Harry?" Hermione asked after several moments of silence.
"Yeah." Harry lied. He wasn't alright, he had so many pent up feelings he felt as if he were going to explode. If only they were as easy to talk to as Elizabeth, Harry thought as he slowly descended the stairs. Why did Elizabeth have to be a Slytherin? Why couldn't Gryffindors and Slytherins get along? Why couldn't he just keep himself together? Why was Elizabeth the person he counted on the most? All of these questions raced through Harry's head as they entered. The Gryffindor paid little to no attention to where he was going, instead he allowed Ron and Hermione guide him as he searched the Slytherin table for any signs of his sister.
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Elizabeth was finding it hard to concentrate on Blaise's words as she followed Harry with her eyes, it was obvious he was looking for her, making it somewhat apparent that he had not forgotten their conversation the night before.
"Are you feeling alright?" Blaise's voice rang in her ear, inevitably pulling Elizabeth out of her reverie.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Elizabeth questioned as she tore her eyes away from Harry to focus her attention on Blaise.
"Because you're staring at the Gryffindor Golden boy." Blaise stated before leaning in to whisper the words "Do the two of you have something going on?"
"We have nothing going on." Elizabeth said curtly, "unless being related means you have something going on."
"And if I don't believe you?" Blaise asked in a skeptical tone.
"Then that's your problem." Elizabeth smirked as she stole a quick glance at Harry who was playing with his food at the Gryffindor table. "Besides, why do you care? I thought you were perfectly happy with all of the decisions I made?"
"I am perfectly happy with all of the decisions you make up until the point you start falling head over heels for the 'Savior' of the wizarding world." Blaise replied as he shifted to the right, blocking Elizabeth's view. "Besides, it's annoying to hear Draco complain about you and your choice of company."
"But Draco always does that." Elizabeth smirked as she picked up her school bag and slung it over her shoulder. "No matter whom I'm with."
Hp
Harry watched Elizabeth as she made her way from the Slytherin table and out into the Entrance Hall. He knew that was his chance to get away from Ron and Hermione and talk to Elizabeth.
"I'll see you guys later." Harry said as he pushed himself away from the Gryffindor table and his half eaten breakfast.
"Harry, you haven't finished eating." Hermione pointed out as she looked up at Harry with questioning eyes.
"I'm not hungry." Harry answered honestly as he began to walk towards the doors.
"Where are you going?" Ron called after him, making Harry stop. There was no way he could say 'to hang out with Elizabeth' without getting angry remarks from both Gryffindors and several others as well. After all, who would want to hear that the Golden Boy was friends with a snake anyway?
"I need to work on my Transfiguration homework." Harry lied as he turned to look at his friends, hoping they bought it. Harry was more than relieved as he saw the satisfaction on Hermione's face and the questioning look on Ron's. Gosh, he was getting pretty good at this whole lying game, or so he thought.
As soon as Harry was out of the Great Hall he quickly scanned the Entrance Hall for any sign of Elizabeth. She was nowhere to be found. Harry felt his heart sink down to his stomach, he had been so happy to have a chance to spend time with her after a whole week, but the lack of her presence in the hall crushed that. It seemed like hours as he stood in the middle of the hall, lost in his thoughts and what appeared to be self pity.
"You look cute when you're upset." The voice he was hoping to hear echoed through the massive walls. "Then again seeing you upset bothers me." Slowly Harry turned himself around and found Elizabeth leaning against the wall that led to the dungeons.
XXX
Harry looked somewhat pitiful in Elizabeth's mind as she watched him silently from her place in the shadows. But she couldn't blame him for looking that way, especially with the direction his life had taken, and it had only gotten more complicated, but that's what she was for right? She was supposed to be the one that fixed all of his problems. The one that he confided in when things became too much to bear. She was supposed to be the sister he wanted, he needed.
"You look cute when you're upset." Elizabeth found herself saying as she moved out of the shadows, becoming more visible as Harry turned himself around. "Then again seeing you upset bothers me."
"That's one person." Harry muttered as he locked eyes with Elizabeth.
"Sometimes having one person to lean on is better than having too many people with no one to depend on." Elizabeth stated as she pushed herself away from the wall and closed the gap between them.
"Why couldn't we have met before all this?" Harry asked as he felt Elizabeth take his warm hand into her own.
"Who knows?" Elizabeth replied. "We can ponder that later; first we should go before anyone see's us."
XXX
Harry let Elizabeth to lead the way out to the grounds. He had no clue where she was taking him, but he really didn't care. He knew he was safe with her, no matter what Ron and Hermione said. They didn't understand what it felt like to be an outsider or that not every Slytherin was working for Voldemort or that Elizabeth was actually his family, someone he could lean on without worrying about the consequences of showing weakness.
"So what do you want to do?" Elizabeth asked, drawling Harry out of his musings.
"Can we just talk?" Harry asked in a low voice, as if ashamed by the suggestion.
"Sounds good to me." Elizabeth replied as she pulled Harry towards her before wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "I think we need to get to know each other a little better, what do you think?"
"I'd like that." Harry stated, in fact he loved the idea. It would give him a chance to relieve the pressure that was still in his chest and remove the world from his shoulders for just a little while. And he would even get to know his sister a little more in the process."
"Music to my ears." Elizabeth smiled as she looked at the boy she held in a one-armed hug. "Now why don't we find a private place to spend our day?"
XXX
Elizabeth felt herself smile as she began to lead the way down a familiar path. She wanted to take Harry somewhere special, somewhere she had spent her free time when she was a child, somewhere where her father showed he could be a human being, somewhere no one would find them.
"Do you feel any better?" Elizabeth asked as she glanced at the older boy next to her.
"Not really." Harry said honestly, feeling no reason to lie to the girl that he depended on.
"What's bothering you, besides your overbearing friends that won't let you breathe?" Elizabeth questioned as she removed her arm from around Harry's neck and allowed it to fall to her side.
"Lots of things." Harry murmured as he looked over at Elizabeth to see her staring back.
"Like what?" She persisted, genuinely interested.
"Like what's going to happen to me when my uncle finds out I told someone." Harry replied softly as if someone might overhear.
"He's not going to touch you." Elizabeth stated firmly as she, once again, grasped Harry's hand. "I promise. Dad and I will do what we can to protect you."
"Like your father cares about me?" Harry spat, anger evident in his eyes.
"He's your father too. And yes, he cares about you Harry." Elizabeth said, "I know he does, he might not say or show anything, but I think I know the man that raised me."
"How do you know that he'll help me?" Harry demanded, his voice rising as the continued to make their way down the path.
"Because I told him." Elizabeth snapped, causing Harry to stop in his tracks.
"You did what?" Harry's voice dropped down to its normal level, his sudden anger gone just as soon as it had flared.
"I told him." Elizabeth repeated as she stood just out of range of her brother's arms, just in case he wanted to throttle her. "I had to, he knows more than anything how you feel. He can help you."
XXX
Authors Notes: OMG . . . So sorry it's been awhile since I have updated, but school has been getting in the way and I had tremendous writers block. Sorry it's not the best chapter, but it's kinda necessary.