Never before had Oriane seen so many people sitting at their small, birch table in her life. Normally it had just been her and Esme, and Remus on occasion, but the day Sirius Black joined them was the first time that table had felt crowded.
Their set up was… uncomfortable, to say the least. Esme refused to sit directly next to Sirius, but that put them in the equally awkward position of sitting across from one another. And so Oriane and Remus were their buffers, separating the once lovers from any form of cruel interaction. Though, the two looked less than thrilled to be caught in the crossfire.
"So," Remus spoke up, leaning forward on the table, "shall we begin?"
Oriane, who sat right across from him, couldn't help but lean forward as well. She wanted to do anything within her power to attempt to make things less uncomfortable. "Of course."
"Alright then. Well, as we all know, one of the main reasons Esme sent you to Hogwarts last year was to protect you from Sirius, and because I was there as a professor. Obviously things have changed since then. Sirius has been proven innocent," he enunciated the word innocent while glancing at Esme, "and I am no longer a professor at Hogwarts.
"Normally this wouldn't be an issue, as any threat to you and Harry would be gone for the most part, however there is one complication. At the end of last year you mentioned you had visions in front of Peter Pettigrew just before he escaped."
A sigh escaped the young girl as she lowered her head. "Yeah, I'm still kicking myself for that one," she muttered to herself.
"I had the pleasure of speaking with Professor Dumbledore not too long ago, and I learned some information about this upcoming school year that may be beneficial to us," Remus continued. "Firstly, it sounds like security is going to be tighter around the school this year. After Peter's long going espionage act, and the Ministry's failure with the dementors, other more magical and practical security elements will be in place. What they are, I can't say, but I can only imagine it'll be extremely difficult for anyone on the outside to get in if they're not welcome.
"Secondly, and perhaps most important, they had to replace the Defense Against the Dark Arts position for another year in a row now. They've hired Alastor Moody for the job."
"Alastor Moody?" Esme repeated. "As in, Mad-Eye Moody?"
Confused, Oriane looked between the three adults around her. "Who's that?"
"He's an Auror, and a good one at that. Surprised the old bat is still alive, though," Sirius chuckled. "He's an amazing man, and he helped fight in the war against Voldemort. Though, he can be a bit peculiar at times, and maybe a bit-"
"Mad?" Esme interrupted.
Sirius shrugged. "I was going to say paranoid. The man only ever drinks from his personal flask, and eats only the meals he prepares for himself. Absolutely terrified that someone will attempt to poison him."
"Yes, well, despite his quirks I trust he'll make an excellent teacher," Remus assured. "He's been fighting dark wizards for longer than most people have been alive. I recommend taking great care to pay attention in his class, especially as times grow more uncertain. The things he teaches you may just save your life one day."
"Don't take everything he says to heart, though," Esme advised. "He'll make you just as much of a lunatic as he is."
Oriane's head was beginning to spin with all the conflicting messages being thrown her way. It was obvious Remus was trying his best to remain a mediator in the conversation, yet there was still too much tension between Esme and Sirius for her liking.
"Is there anything in particular I should watch out for this year? Do you think Peter would try and go after Harry and I again?" she asked, attempting to steer the conversation away from Mad-Eye Moody.
"Doubtful," Sirius said bitterly. "Despite being sorted into Gryffindor, he's quite the coward."
Really she should have seen the answer coming. With how pathetic he acted when they had revealed his true identity, she was highly doubtful he would attempt to go after them again. Not alone, at least.
"Theoretically you should be able to live the happy and normal life of a regular Hogwarts student. Although…" Remus spoke, a smile beginning to form on his lips, "I have heard of a certain surprise for the upcoming year."
"Surprise?" Oriane repeated, worried.
"I won't spoil it, but I can assure you it will be something to look forward to," Remus assured her.
Though the girl was tired of well kept secrets, she had a feeling this one would actually be worth waiting for. There was no shame or regret behind Remus's voice when he spoke to her. She was a bit annoyed with it, but the start of term would begin soon enough. As she learned last year, secrets could only be kept for so long anyway.
"Alright, is there anything else we should keep an eye on?" Esme interjected. It seemed as if she was rather in a rush to get the two men up and moving out of their home. Even though the whole interaction had been rather awkward, Oriane hated to see them go so soon.
Remus shook his head, "no, that should be all." His gaze then settled onto the man sitting next to him, giving him a look that was almost challenging. "After all, we should get this one back in hiding."
Sirius could only grin, mostly aiming it at Oriane. Yet, just as he and Remus were about to stand from the table, a terrible crashing sound came from the nearby window. Everyone turned their heads, alarmed until they saw a flustered owl angrily hovering just next to the glass.
"Perhaps your windows are a tad too clean, Esme," Sirius teased as he stood from his seat.
He stood and opened the window, allowing the owl to swoop in and perch on the back of Oriane's chair. Esme couldn't help but grimace at the poor creature's ruffled feathers as it did its best to shake itself off with the large newspaper in its beak.
Sirius gladly relinquished the poor owl of its baggage. The creature then made a sound that was almost similar to a growl before it pushed itself off of its seat and flew out the window once more. Snickering, Sirius began to flip through the pages of the newspaper, eyes scanning over every word.
"Do you often make a habit of reading other's mail?" Esme asked lowly.
"Am I not allowed to read the Daily Prophet?" he retorted as he began to pace in a circle.
All Esme could do in response was sigh as her head fell into her hands. Whatever energy she had while planting those honking daffodils had suddenly seemed sucked out of her. She didn't even have the energy to argue with him anymore, and though Oriane liked that they weren't yelling anymore, she couldn't decide if that version of Esme was any better.
"Alright Sirius," Remus sighed, standing from his seat, "we really ought to get going. After all, you weren't supposed to be here in the first place."
But whatever Remus was saying was too far away for Sirius to hear. He had stopped his pacing and instead stood like a statue, staring down at the newspaper stuck between his stone-like fingers. Any smirk on his face from his previous taunting and teasing had vanished and instead something else crossed his face. It was odd, and terrifyingly similar to the look in his eyes when they had revealed Peter Pettigrew.
There was something… unhinged about it.
"Sirius," Remus repeated again, this time more forceful.
"What the hell is this," Sirius breathed, eyes still glued onto the newspaper. "Jean and Anais Morissette Found Dead at their Residential Home in Paris…"
At first Oriane didn't really think much of the title. Really the only part of it that was familiar was the use of her last name. Other than that, she had no connection to those people. Still, the look on Sirius's face… he seemed angry. No, beyond angry. It was a type of fury that Oriane couldn't comprehend.
"Just over a decade after the death of Camille and Hugo Morissette, along with their son Alarick, Jean and Anais Morissette were found dead on the 27th of August. Very little information of their death has been released by the French Ministry of Magic, however they have determined there was a great struggle before their demise. Several witnesses have claimed to have seen a man leave their residence late Saturday night shortly before the Bureau of Aurors arrived on scene. The suspect has not been caught."
After he finished reading the article, Sirius tossed the newspaper onto the table where it slid and hit Remus's folded hands. He rubbed his chin as a heavy sigh escaped his chest.
"Bastard," he muttered.
I was Junior Minister in the department of Magical Calamities at the time. The scene of his death was almost as bad as Pettigrew's. Whoever finished Alarick off was…
It hit her chest so painfully she almost couldn't breathe. She hadn't thought about that day in so long she had nearly forgotten the conversation she had overheard. She pulled the paper away from Remus's side of the table and looked over the words, reading them over and over again.
"There was a great struggle before their demise," she repeated. Then her attention turned to Sirius. She nearly jumped away from the table as she made the connection. "Corneleus Fudge said the scene of my fathers death was one of the worst he had ever seen, and they mentioned him again in the paper…"
"Minister Fudge mentioned that to you?" Sirius questioned, almost more angry about that fact than over what he read in the paper.
Oriane retracted. "Not exactly. It was something I overheard him mention when he, along with a few of my professors, were talking about the death of mine and Harry's parents. It was the day we both learned the truth and… I don't know, it's stuck with me since."
Whatever anger Sirius had was suddenly casted in Esme's direction. She faltered slightly under his gaze, yet she refused to move her eyes off of him.
"You didn't tell her?" he asked, seething. "You didn't tell her any of it?"
"I can't go through this again," Esme said quietly as she shook her head.
"So you didn't tell her," Sirius said with a bitter laugh before turning to Oriane. "So, what, you had to learn it all from the Minister himself?"
The girl shifted uncomfortably in her seat as she threw a glance at Esme. She was watching Sirius intently as he waited for Oriane to answer.
"He didn't know Harry and I were there in the Three Broomsticks," she explained carefully. "We got to overhear the whole story. About how Harry's parents were marked for death. How my father wanted to protect you as their Secret Keeper. That whoever killed him must have held a lot of hatred towards him…"
Her eyes wandered back to the newspaper. Every time she read over the title she couldn't help but get a terrible sinking feeling in her stomach. Really, she had no idea who any of those people mentioned were besides Alarick, her father. But she knew that if they brought up the death of her father, among others in her family, someone was thinking that their deaths were connected. That, coupled with what Minister Fudge had mentioned about the scene of her fathers death, a terrible sense of dread began to hang over her head.
Sirius interrupted her spiraling thoughts by pulling his chair out from the table and moving it closer to hers. Soon they were side by side, and close enough that Oriane could make out this glint in his eyes. Maybe it was anger, but something in her gut told her most of it was fear.
"If you're wondering if this killer who killed the Morissettes in France is the same who killed your father and grandparents, I think you're right. I'm thinking the same thing," he admitted carefully. "I was there with your father the night he died. We were in some stupid shop in London when we were cornered by a handful of Death Eaters..."
"Sirius," Esme warned carefully.
"What?" Sirius spat, his attention suddenly turning to Esme. "Should I wait for her to learn this from strangers in a bar again?"
"She's a child!" Esme pleaded.
"And she deserves to know about her family just as much as any other child!"
Esme gave up fairly quickly after their short argument. Perhaps a part of her knew Sirius was right, or maybe she was just tired of fighting. Either way, she fell silent, allowing Sirius to continue.
"Your father was an Auror, so he was no stranger to fighting Death Eaters. He had faced them and won several times, even at his young age. So when they came after me, we started to fight them together. All seemed to be going fine but then…"
Sirius paused for a moment as his eyes began to wander away. They glazed over, almost as if he was seeing everything unfold in front of him again.
"He caught sight of someone. Most Death Eaters wore masks to conceal their identity, or intimidate their enemy but this man wore no mask. I had never seen such a look of terror on Alarick's face before. Whoever it was, he recognized him. So he sent me away, telling me to run to safety." He paused for a moment, eyes finally flickering back to Oriane. "I should have stayed and fought with him but the look in his eyes… it was a look your father never wore. It terrified me."
A terrible silence fell over the table as everyone soaked in Sirius's words. Not even the daffodils outside were honking anymore. A heavy weight settled over them, and Oriane could feel her heart begin to pound in her chest.
"So, that's why you think the same man who killed my father just killed Jean and Anais in France?" Oriane concluded.
Sirius nodded. "We think so. After Alarick's death, we also found out that his parents were murdered shortly before he was. I think it's safe to assume it was the same man who killed them as well. Almost like they were being hunted."
"What reason would someone have to go after my family?" Oriane asked. "When my professors spoke with the Minister, they made it seem like my mother was the main target because of her abilities as a Seer. Why would someone go after my father's side of the family?"
This question caused an uneasy shift in the three adults at the table. They looked between one another for a short moment before their attention was brought back to Sirius.
"We don't know," he admitted. "Your father very rarely offered up information about himself, let alone his family. Even to us, his closest friends, he would only share very little."
That fact wasn't inspiring much confidence. If this man was smart enough to evade being captured by authorities on several counts he certainly was dangerous. Dangerous enough to spark an obvious fear in the adults around her.
Enough to terrify her father.
"You're thinking he's going to come after me too," she concluded quietly.
She didn't need to hear their answers to know that she was correct. First her father, her grandparents, now some distant relatives. Someone was after them and they weren't doing a very good job at keeping it a secret.
"As it stands, I think it's safe to assume you're now the last of the Morissette bloodline," Remus explained. "However, it's much easier to protect you from the safety of Hogwarts than anywhere else. Like I mentioned before, security will be tighter this upcoming year, and you'll have one of the best Aurors there as well. If someone wants to hurt you, they'll have a lot more to go through than some residential home or a shop."
Again, she was banking on the burden of putting her life in the hands of others. It was all she had done the previous year when she was attempting to hide from Sirius Black. Yet he managed to make his way into the castle several times. She was certain the only reason she survived that year was because everything turned out to be a lie all along.
If this man, this Morissette killer, were to find her, she knew she would have no such luck a second time around.
"I think that's enough for now," Esme spoke up softly.
Any glow or warmth in her face had faded to nothing but a dull light. Between seeing Sirius for the first time in years, to talking about events of the past she didn't want to re-live, Esme was reduced to a tired husk. That look in her eyes, the fatigue of existing, was almost more scary than seeing her angry.
"Right," Remus agreed with a nod of his head. "We'll head home, then."
Remus gave Sirius a sort of demanding look before he stood from the table. Sirius followed shortly after his friend, and the two men looked at the rather stunned girls sitting at the table. Oriane, frosty eyes staring off into space, and Esme, who did her best to look anywhere but where Sirius stood.
"Sorry for the trouble," Sirius said bitterly before bursting out the door.
This left Remus alone with the two girls, who for a moment could do nothing but look at them as if he could get them to feel the apology ready to seep out of his body. Yet his eyes finally wandered between them enough that they landed on the pink scars of Oriane's left arm.
He grimaced.
"Ori," he spoke up carefully. And the girl looked up at him, any frost in her eyes thawing like he had pulled her out of some cold lake. And whatever words he was going to say before escaped him. "Have fun at the World Cup."
She smiled and gave him a playful wave goodbye as he quickly ducked out of the cottage. Things were quiet again after they left, yet neither of the girls dared to move. Instead, Oriane sat there, listening as the daffodils honked after Remus and Sirius before they were quickly cut off with the sharp crack of their disapparation.