Author's Note: This was a weird chapter and I do apologize if a lot, and nothing happen in this chapter. I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter but it's necessary. Please let me know what you think.

P.S- A particular scene I was inspired by Beauty and the Beast's "How Does a Moment Last Forever' particularly the Kevin Kline version. I suggest you listen to it.

~Of Silver & Gold~

Chapter 56: To Build a Home

In her haze, the first thing she noticed was that the decorations were not yet removed, and that there were still some boisterous noises in another room. She did not know why she chose this place, but it felt right. It was the last place she felt true joy and comfort. 'And Family' her mind added and she couldn't help but agree. Without thinking about it, she let the suitcase fall over, her cat running out of her cage and she just found herself standing there. Her heart would not stop beating so quickly; adrenaline ran through her so strongly that her heartbeat was ringing against her ears.

"Angel?" her eyes trailed away from the decorated room to find Harry looking at her in total shock. His eyes quickly showed his emotion: surprise, shock and anger. He said nothing but moved closer and did not pull her against him but rather held her hands. And that did it; she began to cry. It was not the cut that stung, or the blood that had now dried, but rather the heartbreak. He then wrapped his arms around her waist as she clung to him as she cried.

She wanted to be with people that loved her and she knew that Harry was just that person. At the moment she didn't want to explain anything; she just felt hurt, betrayed, violated and heartbroken. So as he pulled her close her sobbing lessened and she merely allowed their bodies to slowly kneel on the floor. He was murmuring things but she wasn't listening; she felt his hands in her wet hair, on her shoulders, tugging the cloth so it wouldn't stick to the wound. Then she heard yelling and realized he was asking for help. She only clung harder and dug her hands into his, unwilling to be pulled away.

…

The atmosphere had changed once Angel had left. It was clear that people had a lost of questions for Harry, and as much as he wanted to answer them, he knew enough to know that it was best to keep some things private. Angel was not one to open up with just anyone and he knew that the people he cared for had not worn their way inside just yet. He kept the intimate details just that; intimate. He would ignore any questions that needed to be told from both perspectives. Instead he merely smiled shyly as the boys eggs him on, and feel a bit guilty as Ginny looked put out. As they all chatted in the sitting room, Harry swore he had heard the pop of someone arriving. He put his mug on the coffee table and excused himself, while Sirius continued telling the rest of them his story.

He walked over towards the main fireplace only to see the last person he expected to find. At first he was confused as to why she was there, that is until he took her in. Her hair was wet, her clothes sticking against her body like she had been dunked in water. But as he saw her luggage, and her face, his eyes trailed towards the bleeding on her collarbone and blood coming from her mouth. He clenched his fists and he couldn't help but get to her. He didn't want to ask what was going on, he had matured enough to know this was not the time. Instead he held her hands, only to see her break in front of him like glass. As she fell against him he held her close and attempted to help her, but it was no use, he was going to ask for help.

"SIRIUS!" Harry called out. "Get a Healer, someone help!"

No sooner had he said this as he heard the stomping footsteps of Sirius. He murmured into his girlfriend's ear that everything would be find, but she merely clung to him, wishing to just curl tighter against him. She was not listening, and her shaking would not stop. He looked up desperately as Sirius stopped to take in the situation.

"Merlin" Sirius murmured.

…

Sirius had been heartbroken as his daughter had been taken away. Her sadness was palpable and in a weird way it had brought him comfort to know that she too felt that she belonged with him. Remus had gripped his shoulder tightly as they both forced themselves not to cry at the situation. It was clear that if anyone loved Angel as much as him, it would be his best friend. The little girl had won them over with her genuineness. She loved so hard and so passionately, that it painfully reminded him of his wife.

The evening had shifted to one where everyone tried to cheer one another up. It was odd but everyone had missed her presence. Ron had no real energy to play chess, Hermione had tried to prompt him but he looked uninterested. Charlie and Bill stayed with their father for the most part talking about their own lives. Harry, Remus and Tonks tried to cheer all of them up in hopes of making the Christmas feeling remain.

The ribbing that everyone had given Harry at the discovery of his girlfriend had been interesting to see. Despite it being his daughter, Sirius too laughed at his godson's predicament. In one private moment he had given Harry his blessing, which was reciprocated with a hug from an enthusiastic Harry.

So this evening as he and Remus were reminiscing of their old troublemaking days, he felt his stomach clench as Harry cried out for help. He jumped over the table rushing to help his godson who sounded frantic. And whatever he was expecting, the scene before him was not it. His daughter was bleeding profusely and clearly in shock as she clung to Harry tightly. The blood from her mouth, and on her clothes had shaken him. Harry tried to calm her down but all she did was sob.

Hearing her cry had been what had made him jump into action. Bending down Sirius picked up Angel into his arms, and had to forcefully have her let go of Harry. Her body was so tense, that is until she turned to see who it was, and in her haze, she allowed her body to curl into her father's. As Sirius yelled for Remus to find the best Healer, Harry found himself sitting on the ground just taking in the scene in shock. His shirt was wet, and some of her blood rested on his face. He felt so helpless as they took her away. He didn't know who caused it but he had a good idea.

….

Remus came in with a young female Healer, and as she took in the scene, she immediately kicked everyone out. Angel wanted to protest, but when she realized that the woman was attempting to protect her dignity she was not going to argue. Instead, she closed her eyes and rested against headrest. The woman unbuttoned her shirt and had her undress before checking her. She murmured things softly, trying to start a conversation, but Angel refused to answer.

"What spells were used against you?"

No answer.

"Are you still in pain?"

Nothing.

Instead the Healer continued her work. It was clear to her that the young girl was in more pain that she could admit. It was painful to see, but she began to delicately check the cut. Angel hissed slightly, as the Healer began to seal the skin.

"You will not scar, do not worry" she highlighted.

But Angel made eye contact with the blonde woman, and from her gaze it was clear that she got the message. 'The scars are already made, you just can't see them.' When the Healer had the decency to look away, Angel slowly masked her expression; there was no need to show weakness to the woman that was healing her. But the searing pain in her joints would no go away. Her nerves were still trembling.

"It was Crucio" she rasped out.

That had gotten the healer's attention and the girl immediately began to give her something for the pain. Angel knew that the Healer had said something but she wasn't listening. Her ears were ringing and she trembled.

"Open your mouth doll" The girl whispered.

Doing as instructed she ingested whatever was given to her. The pain roared through her and she refused to keep crying. She instead griped the bed sheets tightly wanting the healing to be over. She almost winced as the Healer put the salve on her shoulder before the wrapping began to make its way around her. She ignored the flushed expression on her face as the wrap went around her chest and down her waist. The bruises would be healed she was promised.

It was only when the Healer was leaving that she found her voice once more.

"Thank you"

Angel swore she saw a small smile from the woman before she was left alone once more. It was then she let her shoulders sag as she leaned on the bed and let herself realized what had happened in less than twenty-four hours. Her mind shifted back to what had happened and she wondered if there was something she could have done differently, but she knew the answer. No matter how much they loved her, their loyalty was only for family when the same blood ran through them.

She heard the click of her door open, and she briefly looked up only to see the person she first thought of when all of this happened: Sirius. He closed the door behind him and before she could say anything, he pulled a chair close and held her hands tightly. She felt his hands shaking and she squeezed tightly hoping he would understand. 'You're the first person I thought of.' Or something like 'I wanted my Dad' She saw him bit back a few words and instead ran his thumb over her smaller hand and brought her comfort that day. She let herself relax a bit as she now knew she was safe.

"I-I brought you something," he murmured.

She didn't say anything, and instead he gave her a small box, that fit perfectly on her lap. Carefully she opened the box only to realize it held a smaller box: a music box. She lifted it up and stared at it; it was beautiful. The dark box was inconspicuous at first; it had light gold details in curls and small roses rested on the box. She didn't dare ask how old it was. But as Sirius gave her the signal to open it, she did so, only to allow herself to feel something she had forgotten about: Love. The music began to play softly and in the middle was a small rose, red and it slowly bloomed as a pair of dogs floated around it, much like patroni. One dog looked eerily like Sirius and the other…she could have only guessed. She looked over at him as he merely leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"Turn the key once more" he only said.

As she did she felt herself crying. A melodious voice began to run through the room, as the dogs began to grow in size as they dances through the room. She didn't need to ask who it was, she felt it in her heart: Mom.

"How does a moment last forever? How can a story never die?

It is love we must hold on to, never easy, but we try.

Sometimes our happiness is captured.

Somehow our time and place stand still.

Love lies on inside our hearts and always will.

Minutes turn to hours, days to years and gone.

But when all else has been forgotten, still our song lives on."

"Oh" she breathed out before putting it to the side. She didn't dare allow the music to stop, instead as best she could, she pulled herself up.

"Wait, you'll only hurt yourself, I am sor-" Sirius himself was interrupted as he was pulled into a hug. He was relieved he had not hurt her, but then confusion went through him as he heard her sobbing. There was no other way to put it, she sobbed into him, a blubbering mess; broken and he had felt guilty, because if only for a moment he thought he had fixed everything. He had to remember she was still a child. She had so much maturity in so many moments, but he could now only realize it was a façade. He allowed her to curl into him as he pulled her into his lap and ran his fingers through her hair shushing her softly, wanting to comfort her like a true father would.

"I needed you Daddy" she sobbed out.

He knew he was selfish in the moment he realized he was glad she came to him. She trusted him to see her at her weakest, and he was glad. He immediately felt like a horrible person for having her pain be a highlight for him in the sense he was an asset to her in this moment. He loved her dearly, not just because she was his daughter and a missed opportunity, but rather the fact that she was a good person. She was mature, kind hearted, strong, stubborn and in some moments reminded him so much of her mother that it hurt. But as she pulled back briefly and looked up at him, he caressed her cheeks and wipes her tears.

"It's okay to cry, it's okay to mourn, it's perfectly okay to feel" he emphasized it. "Never shut yourself down for the sake of propriety. Darling, you are meant to feel."

She said nothing. She wanted to thank him to beg him to stay with her, but instead, she allowed herself to be held by her father, who did not ask her to toughen up, but rather to just simply be human. Slowly her eyes grew heavy, and she allowed herself to finally rest, with his heartbeat helping soothe her.

…

When she awoke, she was disoriented. Her body tensed for only a moment and in turn she cried out in pain forgetting just how much in pain she was. She winced and curled into fetal position wishing to never move again.

"Are you okay?"

Harry's voice. She smiled softly, and allowed herself to relax despite the pain. She didn't move and instead he moved over to face her. She tilted her head softly and merely looked at him as he sat on the side of the bed. He grabbed her hand lightly, and he rubbed his thumb over her fingers. No one said a thing; instead she really took him in. He was so sweet to her, so delicate and in turn it hurt to know that she had to show herself to be so weak to really realize that she cared for him even more.

"She did this, didn't she?" he asked softly.

The way he whispered it to her, she was surprised and looked up to see the knowing look on his expression. She looked away, not wanting to see the judgment the moment that she nodded. His soft caress changed and he gripped her hand tighter. She did not wince; it did not physically hurt, but she did not care to admit that she felt his disappointment. She knew he was trying hard not to say "I told you so", but he was right.

"I know" she didn't need to hear it. "I thought I was safe…despite it all. But I'm not them" she whispered softly, "I do not…I cannot just do that. She hurt me while training me."

"Training you?"

She nodded. "When he came back…I would be fighting. Harry I don't want to fight."

That was when he really moved; he slipped into the bed and pulled her close. He was delicate and would freeze when she grunted in pain. Somehow they found each other with him wrapping his arms around her and her resting her head against his shoulder.

"I don't want to fight" she reiterated, "I-I'm not strong enough. I could never fight against you"

He tensed briefly and he only kissed her forehead. "You're strong, but I never want you to fight against me, or with me"

"Harry I-"

"No" he was surprisingly firm. " You will never fight. No one I care about will fight for me. I can't lose people."

She sighed softly. He didn't realize it was bigger than him, it was so surprisingly naïve and yet so selfish at the same time. Rather than pull away and tell him the truth, she instead held him close. She did not tell him what she knew; war was coming. With Bellatrix and her uncle being free, and not to mention the amount of Voldemort's followers coming together in her old home. The mentioned of war from Bellatrix, the thrill in her voice made her question if Harry even realized how much bigger it was than just him. She closed her eyes not wanting to dwell on something so dark. Tomorrow would be a hard day for her, she knew and she just wanted to hide out from it. She wasn't as brave as the boy that held her, she was not courageous, but she was strong in her own way, she had to be.

…

A kiss on the forehead, and a hard hug that hurt had been the only thing that Sirius was able to give her. Tonks would take her to the train station, and that way she could avoid any gossip going around. She wanted Sirius to take her, but both knew it was impossible. When he had held her he said something to her that healed her heart just a bit.

"Whenever you need a parent, I'm here, I'm ready" he whispered.

It was a big step for both of them. Many criticized him for being a bad example for Harry, but to Angel, he was perfect. They were so similar; like him, she fought against her family heritage, against their prejudice and she knew that no one understood it better than him.

Flashback…

"Dad, how did you leave?" she asked the night before once the tears had stopped.

He had seemed surprised at the question, that is until he remembered how she had come to him. She had left her family, well no, she had left the people that raised her because she did not believe in their ideology.

"I had to" he began. No matter how much I missed my brother, I could not go back" his eyes shifted to an expression of pain. "Angel I loved my brother so much, but it was no use, he and I were too different. He followed what our parents said. He didn't...he didn't think for himself and I, I could no longer breathe in that house. It was bad enough I was different, being Gryffindor, friends with a werewolf, friends with other sympathetic purebloods" he laughed bitterly. "I was too weak for them."

Those words resonated with her more than she cared to admit. She was incapable of doing dark magic it seemed, she had troll level of dark magic, she was sympathetic to those that were thought of as less, she loved a halfblood. She was a freak amongst perfection.

"Did you ever wonder what would have happened if you had stayed?"

Looking down at her small hands, he intertwined his fingers with hers and sighed. "I would have died darling" he admitted his eyes dark. "I could not take that mark, I could not fight on the side on what I did not believe in. I ran to the Potters to take care of me because I had no choice. I could not be myself there and so I would have died, literally and figuratively."

End Flashback...

So she didn't necessarily have a Potter family to run to, she had something better: her actual father. When she pulled back she kissed his cheek and hugged him murmuring a 'Thank you'. Remus in turn, stood back only to engulf her into his own hug. He was a mentor to her, never once judging her when he was her teacher and she admired him greatly. He briefly told her what to expect for the rest of the year and he kissed her forehead. As he rubbed her shoulder, he told her to change the bandages and be good to herself. She merely hugged her unofficial godfather and nodded.

Harry and the rest of the kids were still asleep, but she refused to wait for them. She wanted to go to the station early, hide out and just ride the train back to the castle without much of a peep.

…

This was the first time that she was not with her parents when saying goodbye. Tonks had shifted into a person that one could not even distinguish if they tried. She was a perfect person to blend into the background. When Angel turned to say goodbye, Tonks was adamant that she be careful and to call her should she need anything. She was given a pocket watch and nodded.

Walking onto the train she knew things that changed. For one thing, there were people already there and as she walked she felt looks on her. She did not know if it was all in her head, or a justified anxiety. But she forced her shoulders to be pushed back, her head high and her luggage held tight. She wouldn't show weakness now. At least that was what she told herself, until she found her old friends sitting together. She froze for a second as she saw them all sitting there. Pansy was sitting closest to the window with Draco by her side. Blaise sat across from them as he chatted over something, probably how the holiday went. Crabbe and Goyle weren't there yet, but there was clearly an empty seat beside them.

And as though he knew, Draco turned to look at her and froze himself. Both stared at one another unsure on how to react. She saw his hand twitch slightly, and she did not know whether to run the opposite direction or move towards him. This was not his fault; her poor brother…no, her poor cousin was unfortunately spineless and did not fight for the principles she knew he believed in. She looked so lost, and she knew that something was off the moment more people began to look at the interaction. It was Pansy that made the decision for all of them. Getting up, she grabbed the door and closed it tightly with Angel being able to see Draco's gaze look away from her, pain evident.

Ouch.

Angel ignored the deep pain in her chest; it was deeper than any wound she had ever felt. She quickly attempted to find an empty compartment and when she did she immediately closed it behind her. She threw her things overhead and allowed herself to break her facade. It hurt so deeply to have him reject her so openly.

He always held her when vulnerable, but his family came first over their bond. She shouldn't have been surprised, but as she felt tears fall she knew she was done for. Looking out the window, she noticed that outside parents were hugging their children goodbye. She longed to feel that love once more, she had it in Sirius, she knew but it was risky. The banishment she received was clear, it was on her terms, but it did not necessarily supersede the promise she made Lucius. She could not tell anyone of her origins, but she had permission to go as she pleased so long as it did not overlap with the previous deal. It was complicated oh so complicated.

...

Taking a deep breath, she wiped her tears quickly, unwilling to let more fall down before she truly broke down. It was hard to be strong, especially when you realize that there was a lot of dependence of those in that compartment. Blaise, Pansy and Draco were her people. They were her first friends, her confidants and now…now people knew something was wrong. She was ashamed in realizing that she was horrified about what people would think of her. It was a fear that she did not care to admit.

The compartment door being slammed open made her jump. Angel tensed up, that is until she noticed that it was Luna. She noticed her moving over and putting her suitcase over their head in the racks. The blonde moved surprisingly graceful as she tugged the door closed, locked it and slid onto the seat across her. The brunette stared a bit unsure as to what Luna would do, but as she reached over and grabbed her hands within hers, Angel did not fight her.

It was one of those moments where Luna wasn't being ditzy or being an airhead; her blue eyes stared intently at the younger girl. Luna knew that Angel was hurting, she wasn't sure what was wrong, but the way people gossiped as she got into the train gave her enough of a hint. So she did what any good person would do; she picked her friend up and would protect her from the world as best she could.

"I got you Princess" Luna said softly.

Angel wanted to protest, that she was not in fact a princess, but all that she could utter was a little guffaw and a watery smile. She knew that sometimes she neglected their friendship; she always put her on the backburner and ignored the flighty blonde because of her eccentricities. But Luna was always there and always somehow helped her to the best of her abilities.

"Luna….I-"

Luna paused, stuck out her wand and muttered an incantation. A silencing charm.

"It's okay to cry, I'm here"

And so Angel did just that. The blonde did not ask for a single thing and instead just let her best friend cry it out. The pain in her heart was evident to Luna and she encouraged her friend to feel. It hurt her heart to hear Angel so broken. She was not just sobbing, some moments she wailed softly over whatever misfortune had come her way and Luna found herself crying as well. She felt every wave of pain hit her as her friend trembled. To her it seemed to be cries of mourning so they both mourned.

It was moments later that she ran her fingers through Angel's hair and hummed softly.

"When the rain is blowing in your face, and the whole world is on your case, I can offer you a warm embrace to make you feel my love." Luna's wobbly voice made it clear she too was crying and it hurt to hear. "..and there is no one there to dry your tears, I could hold you for a million years to make you feel my love"

And there was Luna. Sensitive, loving, unwaveringly loyal Luna Lovegood. The girl loved so hard, that she cried with you. Angel looked up and smiled at her friend whose own cheeks were red from crying.

"I love you too Luna"

Angel laughed through some tears all the more as Luna blew her nose loudly after crying. She appreciated that the girl never asked anything, but she felt for her and that was enough for Angel to realize just how lucky she was to have her as a friend.

"We must stick with one another. If you cry, I cry. If you feel pain I will feel pain and we will heal together. And in turn in the joys, we will be the most joyous"

Nodding, Angel allowed Luna to try to lighten the mood. It wouldn't work but it was nice to hear and talk about meaningless things.

"Thanks Luna…" she breathed out.

Luna merely shrugged.

"That's what best friends do" she said gleefully.

Angel knew the rest of the year had gotten harder, but it was best to note that at least she had Luna there. And if there was a silver lining, and that was the blonde before her. As her friend began to wave her hands explaining her holidays, Angel smiled and tried to follow along. She was never a good friend, but now she would actually try.