Chapter 2 – First Impressions.
Lena's P.O.V
Dinner was a very quiet affair. I don't think it was that people didn't have anything to say, it was just that they weren't comfortable saying it with an intruder in their midst. I'd ended up sat several people from Dad, in between Hermione and Ginny. Both seemed friendly although were much younger than I, and I quickly realised that I was one of the older children. Most of the Order was now gathered around the table and Sirius was filling in Harry on what the Order did. I'd already had this lecture and so my attention strayed, that was until a tall wizard dressed appeared in the open door frame.
"Is it really necessary for the boy to know everything Dog?" My blood boiled a little at the insult. The wizard was dressed all in black and looked to be dad's age. "As he's my godson Snivellus, I think I'll tell him what I believe is to be necessary." I watched eagerly as the two grown men swapped insults. Everyone else around the table had grown silent, yet the twins whispered between themselves and sniggered guiltily, Fred turning to me and pressing a finger to his lips. I looked on in earnest as the adults continued to argue between themselves. Even adults couldn't help it. As the wizard stood lightly into the room I took a little more notice of his features. A long nose and curtains of chin length hair framed large black eyes. As he removed his travelling cape I took in his black robes. The man looked like a bat. But as he finally took in the meal before him, his eyes flitted up to mine. I couldn't help but blush deeply as he obviously took me in as I had only seconds earlier. "A new recruit?" He snapped unhappily. "No. My daughter." Dad looked as if he knew this was going to cause a stir in the man that he obviously disliked. "Someone bred with you? Was she blind? A muggle perhaps?" The anger again bubbled within me and I rose from the table. "Pureblood actually. And the last time I checked, none of your business," my voice much stronger than I felt. I went to push past him into the corridor but he blocked my path his hands resting around my wrists, fire burning through my veins as he stared questioningly into my eyes. "Take your hands off my daughter Severus." Dad was by my side quickly, his wand at Severus's throat. He removed his hands from my wrists and knocked Dad's wand aside, sparks bouncing off the wall, yet he did not break eye contact and stood there looking at me quietly. The flames had ran my veins and its grasp pierced my heart. "Lena, sit back down." Dad ordered and I obliged begrudgingly.
Everyone was silent, not a sound could be heard. "There's enough stew if you'd like to eat with us Severus?" Molly asked quietly. Severus looked from the door and back to me, looking as if he were being pulled in two different directions. "Thank you Molly." He took the empty seat opposite me and I shrugged as Ginny nudged me. Harry pushed Dad to continue their conversation and small discussions broke out across the table. "So your seventh year Lena?" Ginny asked on my left. "Yeah, I am." " And you're coming to Hogwarts with the rest of us?" ah, now that could be a problem. "I'm not sure yet." "We have to speak to Dumbledore first, he might not want a troublemaker in his school." "I left by choice Dad, not force." I shook my head regrettably. So it came to this again. "You were excluded? What school?" Fred seemed eager across the table. "No I left because I hated it, Dad doesn't want to admit he chose the wrong school. Beauxbatons." Stupid school with its stupid students. "So you used to live with your mum?" I answered Ginny's question with a nod not wanting to go into the matter further. I caught Dad's eye and he looked at me sadly. "Why didn't you go back to her then instead of coming over here? Don't you miss her?" My heart stopped. I couldn't do this. Not now. "Lena, Buckbeak's upstairs, why don't you go an' pay him a visit." Dads voice echoed somewhere in my mind. I pushed back my chair and left quietly. I couldn't do it, the apologetic faces and sympathetic hugs. I'd let him explain.
Sirius's P.O.V
"Sirius?" Ginny asked rather quietly. I waited a little to answer, to ensure Lena couldn't hear. "Her mother's gone Ginny. Yaxley's lot got her before Christmas. I stayed over in Europe, in the caves above Beauxbatons to be close to her. They found the body off the South of France. She's been a mess ever since. She should be with her Grandparents in France but she wants to be here. Can't stand the girls at the damn school. They keep baiting her." I shifted in my seat and reached for my firewhisky. Molly reached out and took my hand. Harry looked rather uncomfortable beside me. "You aren't the only one Harry, to lose their mother to those people." Harry nodded. "Just don't treat her like a leper. She needs normal." I nodded at Ginny and she understood.
Molly began collecting the plates and they flew towards the sink, dropping into a bath of soapy water, as they began to clean themselves. The kids left the table and we all began doing our little jobs. It was my fault really. The death eaters knew Maria was communicating with me and knew by getting at her, they knew it would kill that last bit of hope within me. I needed Lena here to protect her. Dumbledore would agree to keep her at Hogwarts and everything would be okay. It had to be.
"Why didn't you tell me Sirius? Maria? I would have been there for you." Remus sat beside me, worry etched across his face. "I didn't know till after we'd lost James and Lily. She owled me. I got carted off to Azkaban and that was it. She visited me when she could and then I only got to meet Lena when Harry freed me. I stayed with Maria for a while, came over here for Harry and then she was gone." "She's beautiful Sirius. She's going to be okay. No doubt the twins will look after her." The older men glanced towards the boys who were sat pulling faces at one another, fondling their chests and pretending to stroke long, non-existent hair. They stopped short realising they were being watched and looked away quickly. The two older men laughed quietly. "She can hole her own. She'll be fine." Sirius reassured himself.
Lena's P.O.V.
Buckbeak's feathers were soft beneath my fingertips and I couldn't help but stare into those large black eyes, staring straight back at me. They were no different to the ones that had me bewitched. Merlin. He was so much older but his eyes. They looked back at her with all the youth and life of someone her own age. "I did not mean to offend you downstairs." My head whipped around, those eyes had found me yet again. "Your father and I, we don't exactly see eye to eye." The corner of his mouth turned up slightly. "My mother was a good woman and did not deserve such a vile, dark comment. She died the death of criminal although the worst shed done in life was carry the daughter of an accused murderer." He grimaced, my words stinging obviously. "Sorry. I just can't stand it right now. People don't talk about her and then you finally do and you make comments like that." I smiled weakly. He picked up one of the rats and through it at beaky, who grabbed it quickly in his beak. "You don't have to bow to him?" confused as he stood beside me to stroke back the feathers on beaky's joints. "We're old friends now aren't we beaky." Beaky responded to his comment and nuzzled his palm. "I come up here after meetings and think things through." I nodded to show my understanding and our hands brushed gently against one another. It sent jolts of electricity through my spine and we looked at each other quickly before looking away in embarrassment. Did that mean he felt it too? "So what do you do for the order?" He didn't look too pleased with the comment and frowned. "I'm a double agent." I whipped around shocked. "Seriously? Figures." "How come?" "All the black." He laughed. "So what do you do if you're not spying." He sniggered at his role being described as such. "I'm a professor at Hogwarts. Potions." "Oh. Well that's great. I mean, I love potions." A teacher!? Seriously. "Yeah, I know right. A teacher. And that will probably make you my student." They both looked at each other, ashamed.
"Dumbledore hasn't actually offered me a place yet, so I guess that means I'm not a student, at least not yet." "That, Miss Black, is something we can work with."