As the lecture went on, and make no mistake that's what it was, Elena couldn't help but tease the silly ravenclaw she partnered with.

It was an unwilling partnership on his end, he was terrified of her for some unknown reason. When she looked at him she saw a man running, disappeared and went with the wind. She really just wanted to see who this Alex Nellie was supposed to marry was. What she saw made her disappointed.

So he was only eleven, he didn't grow into any elements of confidence yet. He was awkward and dorky. Too tall for his own clothes, stiff as if he didn't know what he was doing with himself. He was just like every ravenclaw she knew and it disappointed her. Elena had taken up the past time of messing with him if only to pass the time. If asked she would state that it was simply to toughen him up. Not that anyone would believe that, she was Elena Potter. Why would she be so needlessly cruel?

"Miss Potter!" The priest's screech made her wince.

"Yes Priest Merlin?" She tried to smile her kindest smile, the one her mother made her practice before visiting the local Temple.

"I would expect you to pay attention. Seeing who your Father is, perhaps he has taught you all that I am saying already!" He said.

She kept up her smile but she panicked. He hadn't made any attempt to teach her anything but the barest of all basics. He was no messenger, one of the lower ranked teachers, he didn't know much she was sure.

"He has indeed Sr." She wished she ripped her tongue out. Why had she opened her mouth?! She was dull wasn't she?

To her surprise the priest smiled the first real smile. His eyes were shining with excitement, "Has he? Oh wonderful! So that brother of yours-" he blinked. "Ah James was it? So he knows more than he leads on!" He went off muttering to himself.

Inwardly she patted herself on the back, smiling your way through your lies was the best trick. She did feel bad though for James. Poor poor little James.

Today was no longer good. The jester priest had the audacity of forcing her to dance! Dance!

A dance that she hardly knew mind, a dance she never wanted to learn. But oh of course it's required. Of course it would be! Because why not?!

They had been told to pair up with someone else for this. She had smiled at Alex and practically shoved him at Nellie as she claimed Regulus for her partner.

Nellie looked incredibly awkward to be anywhere near as close as they were. The floor could have swallowed her up and she still would have been cringing.

"You know I'm starting to really think you're a real Potter." Regulus said to her. It was quiet, but still managed the smallest whisper.

"Why did you never believe it?" Her face hurt from holding her practiced smile. "I'm not a good dancer." They started to get in position. Another priestess had joined and they started to demonstrate the first part of the dance.

"I'm fairly proficient, I was at least."

"I'm counting on it then. Can't be upstaged by these children."

"You know we're children as well yes?"

"We don't count."

"Of course not Elena. Of course not."

It was probably the worst lesson of his life. That was saying something as he had trained under Bellatrix once upon a time.

The lesson was sufficiently goofy to put a smile on his face for a while. As he walked out of the hall, Nellie on one side and Elena on the other, it was easy to forget his Grandfather's death.

He had written before he died. Regulus didn't have the heart to open it yet. How could he? The last words of a man that had meant too much to him. A man he shouldn't care for. A man who had done so much wrong, yet all he did was love Regulus like no other.

Nellie tugged his arm and spun him around her. He laughed but pulled away. She hardly noticed and pulled Elena into her grasp. They were so happy. So natural.

What was that like? To look at a family member and see what they could be. They could be great. They could be powerful. If only you work harder and harder.

That's what the church said. But the church could be wrong.

"Stop frowning you'll get lines little brother!" Sirius in all of his glory stood behind him. He couldn't see but he could imagine, he would be slouching. Maybe his tie was gone and his hair not completely combed but a careful mess.

"How did you know I was frowning?" He couldn't help the childish squeak.

Now he moved in front of him. Nellie and Elena glanced for a moment but they were too involved with their conversation. Elena maybe though, she may have half an ear out.

"Because I know you Reggie." He continued on before he could get mad at the name, "When the going gets tough-"

"Stick like you have a personal sticking charm yeah yeah I get it." He shrugged his brother's hand away from his shoulder. He couldn't help it, when he looked at him he saw the murderer. What he could be.

Now it was Sirius who frowned. No doubt he would have said something scathing had she given him the chance. "Where's James?" Elena was looking at Sirius as if he had just appeared before his eyes instead of minutes before.

"Oh running from Filch. The usual!" The carefree tone of his voice sent a bolt of anxiety down his chest. "Should be running this way soon, why? Did you three do something?" Now he knew why he was anxious. Sirius had a face he made when he thought something naughty was going down. The face was devious and scary. A face that his father did everything he could to suppress.

"Mmh." Elena coughed into her elbow. Nellie laughter against the wall.

"Oh!" The word left his mouth as he started the laugh along. "Good going by the way Elena."

"What? Don't leave poor Sirius out of the loop!"

"I may have told Priest Jester that Father taught us far more about the church than he did. Like way more? Father hardly mentions anything." Sirius' eyes opened comically. His mouth hangs open as he gasped.

"Elena! James is going to kill you for that. Oh this is good. You're going to get him studying ha! Can't ruin your pops reputation." He shook his head. "Good one there. Revenge for the cat? Sorry about that yeah? I may have helped him get her and well yeah."

"So I have you to blame? Well in that case-"

"Elena I know this is your fault!" The screech of her brother led her to a halt. So this is where she died? Regulus wondered how it would happen, since her brother's hand hadn't been his top guess.

"I'll see you later Sirius! Nelona I'm gonna need a hand - uh thank you." She glanced at Regulus with an eyebrow raised.

Shaking his head he made a slight motion with his hand. With a grimace Nellie dragged her away deep into the tunnels. Sirius narrowed his eyes as Regulus pulled his attention away from said tunnels.

"Sirius." It was his time to shine. Where Elena excelled at making you look at her and think nothing, she could work with anyone. Regulus found that he was the master of the family. Pulling them just right. Years of extra experience of playing the baby. He knew what must be done and when. The naive little boy was gone.

He pulled him away now, from the crowds and the screaming of James. His friends hadn't seen them and couldn't save him now. "Sirius please?"

"Reg what's wrong? I can't help if you don't say anything." Just as soft, for a moment his heart constricted. He was reminded suddenly of when they were little, in another life where Sirius would dote on him.

"I'm scared." It was a hard thing to admit. Because it was the truth. He played with lies with truths. He played so much he sometimes got lost.

("Don't you want to help? Don't you want them to scream?")

He swallowed. "Without him how will the house survive?"

His brother slumped with relief. "Was that it? Reggie don't worry about that, Father knows what he's doing. Even if it doesn't look like it. Trust me!" He smiled.

He returned it but still he felt fear. "I don't understand why he does things." Sirius continued. "But we don't have to understand to trust him."

As he listened half heartedly he thought of the real crux of his curiosity. "Okay."

"Better? Good! Just because you're a snake doesn't mean you can't come over to the table and ask for me to get it? You better remember that."

He patted his head and started to leave.

"Wait Sirius!" His brother turned still smiling. When he smiled like that all he could see was the young man he would become. "Why did the priest single out Elena about her father?" Sirius blinked for a moment considering him with surprise.

"You already know? It's been a few years now, jeez Reggie Merlin catch up." He threw his head back and laughed. "He's Priest Arthur! Of course he picks on James about it all the time. Right ol' joke he is trust me. Jest that is not they're dad!"

"Oh." Was that all he could say? Oh? This was big. No, this was bigger than big. Not only was her father the third highest ranking in the church, that brought the Blacks influence up. They were safe!

New information, new plans, new ideas. He couldn't stop smiling as he ran to the astronomy tower. She should be there hiding from her brother by now.