Chapter Three

It was the next day, the day after Elliot's encounter with Cedric, after Fred had gotten them both in detention and the day after she had to spend the said detention with Fred and Snape, sorting out the Professors ingredients cupboard.

Elliot sighed as she got ready for classes. Should could help but think about the Summer. The way her father was more cruel than ever, the way her mother acted as nothing was wrong, even though she saw her bruises and heard her screams and cries and the way that her little sister knew nothing about it.

Her sister attended Hogwarts, but their father told them to act like they don't know each other, to save the families representation within the muggle world and the wizarding world. Their father was a well educated man, well respected too. But everyone always criticises the eldest, being Elliot. It doesn't bother Elliot any more, she had gotten used to being ignored by her wishes at home, to pretending that she didn't exist.

She grabbed her book bag of her bed and started to make her way to the Great Hall for breakfast. It was a Thursday, meaning that she had DADA first, which was one of her favourite subjects. Professor Lupin had only started this year, as well as Professors Black and Potter. She had heard rumours that the three of them had only gotten their jobs due to the fact that Professor Dumbledor owed them something, but rumours aren't always true.

"You look like you haven't been asleep, love." George said as Elliot made her way to the empty seat.

"Yeah...I've been struggling recently." she said quietly as she grabbed some toast for herself.

"Maybe you should go to the Hospital Wing?" Fred questioned, worried for his friends health.

Elliot shrugged as she ate her toast. At that moment the twins little siblings, Ron and Ginny, and Ron's friends, Harry and Hermione, sat across from the trio. Everyone but Elliot was making conversation, she just couldn't concentrate at all, maybe she did need to go to the Hospital Wing.

"I'm going to go for a walk around the lake before class," Elliot said as she stood up, not looking at anyone.

"Do you want someone to go with?" Fred asked her.

She just ignored him and walked out of the Great Hall. As the young girl walked around the lake she pulled out a cigarette and her lighter. She inhaled the toxic smoke and exhaled slowly. Her mind was all over the place. She was hardly sleeping at night as she was scared that her dreams were real, as if she was in the moment all over again. She didn't want to go back to her families home. She couldn't.

"Am I going to pretend that I can't see you, Miss Smith?" a deep voice said from behind her.

Shit! Fuck! Elliot thought to herself, as she turned around to see a very handsome Professor Black. She looked over him. Black curly hair past his shoulder, blue-gray eyes, his goatee neatly trimmed and...

"Excuse me Professor, but can't I say the same thing to you?" Elliot laughed.

"Well...we have a little joker don't we?" Professor Black asked as he chuckled at her comment.

He too was smoking.

"Professor Dumbledor knows, he just said to do it as far away as possible...so I don't give others an idea."

"Yeah, it's okay. I'm not going to say anything." Sirius smiled.

Elliot gave a weak smile back and smoked the rest of her cigarette.

"We should be heading back in a minute, classes are starting soon."

"I know...I just needed some time to myself..."Elliot trailed off, thinking of what she was before she was interrupted with her thoughts.

"Anything you want to share, Miss Smith?" the older man asked.

Elliot sighed. She thought about it for a minute or two. Could she really trust a teacher? Could she tell all of her life problems to a man that she hardly knows? She decided against it and shook her head, her hair grazing softly against her back.

"Well, my doors always open, Elliot." she looked at him, he sounded so sincere and as if he cared at what was bothering her.

She gave Sirius a weak smile and they both headed back to the castle in silence. Sirius looked over the girl next to him. He had heard of the stories from his colleagues and his Godson of what kind of girl she is, it reminded him of himself when he was her age. A ladies man. But in this case the opposite way round. He noticed little things about her, how her dimples were visible, even when she wasn't smiling, how she blushed when he caught her smoking.

"What lesson have you got now?" he found himself asking the girl as they got closer and closer to the castle.

"DADA," the girl replied.

"Ahhh, Defence Against the Dark Arts. He's a good teacher you know, Professor Lupin. He's got a good lesson planned for you today. He's doing it with every year, except first years, as he feels that you all haven't been giving the ability to succeed."

"What's the lesson, Professor?"

"Boggarts."

Elliot inhaled deeply. Her mind and heart were racing at the same time. Sirius caught on and stopped her.

"Elliot, are you seriously okay?"

"I...I can't..." she was stumbling for words, tears in her eyes.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey. It's okay. Take a deep breath in...and out. In...and out." Sirius was standing in front of her, crouching slightly so he was at eye level with her.

"C'mon, let's go to class. I'll tell him why you're late. C'mon, it's okay, like I said earlier, my door is always open to students Elliot." Sirius said calmly, an arm around her shoulder trying to comfort her.

Professor Black knocked on the door of Professor Lupin's then opening it, allowing Elliot to step inside. She found her place next to George and stood there silently, not wanting to answer any questions just yet.

"Can I have a word?" Sirius asked Professor Lupin.

"Right, I'll be just outside if any of you need me." Professor Lupin told the class as he made his way to Sirius.

They left the door ajar, in case any of the students got rowdy and needed to intervene or if his students needed him.

"What's up? Why's Miss Smith late?"

Sirius sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I was at the lake, having a smoke and so was she, so I joked about it and she joked back but I noticed that something was wrong with her. We've both heard stories about this girl, they told us to watch out for her, but that wasn't the girl that they had told me about, the girl I saw at the lake was something different...she seemed...I don't know...depressed? Remus, I'm telling you now, something's up with her."

Remus hummed and nodded his head.

"I even had to calm her down before she came to class, she was close to tears and I didn't know what to do."

"What made her close to tears? Did you say something you weren't supposed to?"

"No, no. Nothing like that. I asked her what lesson she had now and told her what it was about."

"People are scared of their deepest fear, that's what essentially Boggarts are. So it's her deepest fear that caused it. Cheers, mate. I'll make sure to look out for her when it's her go." Remus said as Sirius walked away.

Remus stepped back into the classroom and the students hushed.

"Right, now if we all stand up at the front here, yes, yes, come on everyone." The students all gathered around the slightly worn-out man. "And put the tables and chairs away," with a flick of his wrist the tables and chairs were nearly stacked in a corner. "And begin the lesson. So, who can tell me what a Boggart is?"

Elliot zoned out, looking at the container that was keeping her fears away. It moved slightly, causing the students to jump. It moved again. Elliot had to look at her feet.

She jumped out of her thoughts as everyone was repeating "Riddikulus!"

That's all I have to do she thought to herself. Riddikulus and it will change.

With a flick of Professor Lupin's hand music started to play, Elliot looked around and saw that she was in a line, close to the front. And then she heard a click, knowing that the container keeping the Boggart locked away was open. Her palms were sweaty, as the line got shorter and shorter. Four people in front of her. Three. Two. One person in front of her.

"Well done!" Professor Lupin laughed as he watched the Boggart vanish back into the container.

"Elliot, you're next,"

She inhaled and opened her eyes. The Boggart was changing when suddenly it took form of her father.

"Ha, call yourself one of us, girl? I don't think so! You're nothing! Just a good beating and a shagg-"

The Boggart had changed into a Full Moon. Through her tears she saw Professor Lupin standing in front of her. He made the Boggart disappear and locked the container, as well as turning off the music.

"Class dismissed," he said as he looked over at the teenager crying, "Elliot, stay behind."

Students groaned as they got their belongings and left the classroom. Fred and George looked over their shoulders to make sure that Elliot was okay before leaving the classroom.

The next chapter will include what Remus says to Elliot, as well as some other scenes. Please let me know how this is for you, I love feedback!