Padfoot's Puppy

Chapter Six

'The Crest'

"H-how did your mother die?" Sirius asked, his voice wavering with fear. Starting to get angry, Amber decided that she wouldn't answer anymore questions. She'd already said too much, and the questions were starting to get more personal. And besides, why would it matter to them how her mother had died, they never knew her!

Sirius started to ask the question again, but one glare from Remus made him stop. Amber stared at the window, hoping that they'd get the hint that she would not answer anymore questions. They were out of luck.

"Why don't we go sit down?" Remus suggested. Glaring at Amber, his face pale, Sirius nodded, and dragged over a chair towards the chesterfield. Remus stared at Amber expectantly, and reluctantly, she walked over to the chesterfield and sat down. Remus sat down beside her, and for the longest time, no one spoke. Sirius looked as though he was about to start crying, while Remus was staring at his friend with concern. Amber felt awkward and out of place, wondering what she could have said to have made the two men like this.

"How long were you with the Malfoys for?" Remus finally asked. Amber didn't answer; she just stared at her feet. Remus sighed, and looked back at Sirius. Sirius shook his head, and Amber couldn't figure out why. She hated this; she hated being confused more than anything else. At least if she was scared, she knew what was happening.

"How did you end up with them?" Remus tried again. Amber still refused to answer though. They may not be her enemies, but they were starting to pry into her history, and that was one thing that she refused to let them do. No one needed to know any of it.

Remus seemed to give up, and the three of them sat in silence. Remus was staring at Sirius, while Sirius was staring at Amber, and Amber was staring at the wall. It was starting to get cold, and before long, Amber was shivering. Her sweater was big, but it wasn't very thick, so it kept out no cold air. Remus noticed, pointed his wand at the fireplace, and in a second there was a roaring fire. Amber watched in amazement, she'd never learned how to do any magic, Lucius and Narcissa had kept her hidden from everybody, she'd never gotten a letter from Hogwarts that she knew of.

"What's that?" Sirius asked suddenly, still staring at Amber. Amber looked away from the fireplace, and in horror realized that Sirius was looking directly at the chain around her neck. Usually, Amber kept her sweaters zipped up all the way to make sure there was no way anyone would find it, but since she had been going to the cliff, she'd left it unzipped. In all the commotion, she'd forgotten all about it.

Ignoring Sirius, Amber quickly went to zip up her sweater, but Sirius was faster and grabbed the chain, starting to pull it out. Immediately, Amber grabbed the chain to stop Sirius from seeing the crest.

"Don't!" She said, her voice filled with fear. Sirius and Remus glanced at each other before they both looked at Amber curiously.

"Why not?" Sirius asked slowly. Amber didn't answer, she just shook her head. She didn't know what to say to his question, she couldn't exactly say that she didn't want him to see it because he could use it against her father!

"It's ok, let us see it." Remus said softly, trying to loosen Amber's grip on the chain. Amber refused to let go though, she couldn't let go, and no one was supposed to see the crest!

But Remus was stronger than Amber was, and within minutes, he got Amber's grip loose enough that Sirius could pull the crest out. When he saw it, his face went white and there was a look of horror in his eyes. Remus looked horrified as well, while Amber wanted to burst into tears. She'd failed her mother, she'd let someone see the crest. If her father wasn't already dead, he probably would be soon.

"How did you get this?" Sirius asked, his voice flat. Amber was shaking, and she didn't answer.

"Tell me how you got this!" Sirius said, starting to sound angry. Amber started shaking even more, but still she didn't say anything. Remus glared at Sirius.

"Not like that!" He hissed. Sirius glanced at him quickly, but then he continued staring at the crest, shock and horror written across his face. Remus looked at Amber, shaking slightly himself.

"We won't hurt you or anything, but please, tell us how you got the crest." He said softly. At first, Amber wasn't going to answer, but what was the point now? They had seen it, answering some questions wouldn't be any worse. And besides, they'd figure it out soon enough.

"M-my mother." She stuttered, looking at the wall once more. Never before in her life had Amber felt so bad, not even when she'd hit Mister with the rock (though now she wished that she'd hit him harder). Her mother had only asked her to do one thing, and she'd failed at it.

"Your mother gave it to you?" Remus asked in disbelief. Slowly, Amber nodded, feeling a slight numbness come over her. She couldn't believe what had happened. She could take being captured by two complete strangers, but this? This was horrible!

"Where did she get it from?" Remus asked, glancing at Sirius worriedly. Sirius looked as though he were about to break down into tears. Amber couldn't figure out why though, it's not as though he had failed her mother.

"My father." Amber replied. Both Sirius and Remus stared at her in horror, and then looked at each other. Amber was starting to get really curious now, but she didn't bother to ask what was going on. There was no point, no one ever told her anything.

"Y-your father gave that to your mother?" Remus asked, as if he couldn't believe it. Amber nodded, and slowly, started to tell them everything. There was no point in hiding it anymore, she'd failed.

When Amber got to the part where her mother killed herself, Sirius stood up abruptly and left the room. Amber and Remus watched him go, and then they looked at each other. Finally, Amber worked up the courage to speak.

"What is going on?" She asked, her voice trembling. Remus hesitated, and glanced at the room Sirius had disappeared into, and then looked back down at her.

"Nothing." He said finally. Amber couldn't help it, she rolled her eyes. She was right, they wouldn't tell her anything, no one ever did. She didn't know why she even bothered asking questions.

"What happened while you were with the Malfoys?" Remus asked curiously. Taking a deep breath, Amber told him all about it. How she was hidden in a closet whenever someone came over, how Narcissa and Lucius had never been nice to her, how Dobby the house elf and Draco had been her only friends. Remus looked angrier and angrier the more she told him.

"That's horrible! Doesn't surprise me though, Lucius was always like that!" He said angrily once she finished. Amber stared at him in surprise. She knew that Remus was Lucius' enemy, but she wasn't used to being around people who didn't like him.

After that, Remus didn't say anything, and neither did Remus. Sirius didn't come out of his room, and slowly, Amber felt herself slip off into a deep sleep.

Author's Note: Yay, another chapter, I'm on a roll! Sorry it sounds so rushed, my brother doesn't quite understand that writing takes time…oh well, I liked this chapter…and yes, chesterfield, I put that word in just for you!!!