It's about time I posted don't you think.
WE ARE SO CLOSE TO THE END OF THE YEAR AND I AM SO EXCITED FOR YOU GUYS TO READ WHAT I HAVE COMING UP
so please follow, favourite and review. I love hearing what you guys have to say.
so let's not wait any longer
lego
He had watched vigorously as his godson had stretched out his arm and snatched the snitch. Gryffindor screamed in joy and it took every bone in Sirius's Gryffindor body not to join in. He watched as Harry's house mated lifted him into the air as he held the large golden cup. James would have been so proud. Lily would be crying with joy alongside McGonagall if she were here. But they weren't.
But Harry was focused on something else, he watched someone else. A girl who slowly walked down the wooden stadium steps who was also looking over to Harry, her grey eyes locking with Harry's shining green.
Sirius wined, in small howls and whimpers as he lost the girl in the flood of angry Slytherin students. He ran along the path trying to find her whimpering every time he caught a glimpse but lost her, needing to see her.
He skidded along the high edge of the forest trying desperately to keep up with the moving students and her.
He just wanted to have another moment to look at her. To see her. He had been so close to her last time that his heart had exploded, leaping out of his ribcage as if trying to get closer to her. His daughter had cried and he had been there to console her in what little way he could. He had been so happy to do so, it had been an onslaught of emotions as he stood close to her, and the same feeling filled him now as the students dispersed into their groups and he saw her again.
Her Slytherin scarf was wrapped around her neck. Sirius would not lie, when he saw Atria's Slytherin tie he had not known what to think, his daughter was in his families prized house. He took a moment to tell himself he was not his mother, she was his daughter and he loved her without condition, no matter how good he thought she would look in red.
She walked along with her friend, a blond-haired girl as they spoke walking slowly back to the castle.
'Look at me Atty' he silently prayed as he puffed in tiredness coming at a standstill watching her.
He just liked to watch her, looking at her now he was on cloud nine.
After the war, Sirius imagined many who lost loved ones prayed, begged even for their families to break the barrier between the living and dead and return to them. But Sirius was the only one who knew the beautiful joy that came when they did. For his daughter had broken that barrier and his dead baby girl was still with him, in this world, waiting for him to reach her. And in moments like this, it took all of his self-control not to run to her, but he couldn't.
The other girl threw a flimsy arm around his daughter's shoulders, pulling her close.
He longed for the day where he could do the same. But wrap his arms around her and hold her close determined to never let go of the grey-eyed girl. Soon, he told himself, soon he would have his daughter and no one would take her away from him again, he would not fail again. Soon was not long he told himself over and over again.
And soon was coming extremely close.
After the game Atria went to the library and was deep in study when she saw a very timid Hermione Granger slowly approaching her.
"Black," Greeted the other girl as soon as she had reached the table.
"Granger," Atria said looking up to the other girl, "Is there something I can help you with?" Atria asked her.
"Yes actually," Hermione said moving closer to Atria, her hand gripping her bag strap so tight that her knuckles had turned white.
"It's about um… Buckbeak," Hermione began nervously.
"What about him?" Atria said seemingly disinterested.
"You see I was wondering if you would mind trying to get Mafloy to change his mind?"
"About what? the execution?" Atria asked.
"Yes, Hagrid's devastated and you said it at the start of the year it wasn't his fault and it wasn't Buckbeaks either, in truth the only one to blame is-"
"My cousin," Atria finished.
Hermione nodded before Atria folded her hands in front of her looking up at Hermione. "You punched my cousin, broke his nose by the way, insulted him and you expect me to help you save the giant birds life."
"He's a Hippogriff," Hermione said correcting her, staring down at her shoes.
"I know what it is, Granger," Atria said before continuing with an unexpected response, "I'll see what I can do."
Hermione raised her head in shock, "What? Really?"
Atria nodded, "Of course, as you said everyone who was there knows whose fault it was," She said with a shrug, "I'll try to talk to Draco but I'm not promising anything."
Hermione nodded, a little smile growing on her face before she shook herself straight remembering, "I am sorry, for punching him." Hermione said earnestly.
"Why?" Atria asked, "He was a git."
Hermione smiled at her, her guilt placated. Not that she felt bad at all that she punched Draco, it had felt great. She just didn't want to be on bad terms with Atria.
Atria smiled back, "But maybe next time a small slap, not a punch, much too much blood."
Hermione visibly relaxed at the comment, but still slightly put off by the side of Atria she had never seen.
"What are you studying?" Hermione asked moving to lean over atria's shoulder getting a better look at the page.
"Potions."
Hermione brow visibly raised and a curious glint filled her eyes, "Are you having trouble with the confusion concoction?" She asked.
"No, Why do you ask?" Atria asked still looking down at her work.
"No reason."
The two girls were silently observing the other, would either admit that they could not work the potion out. Atria Black while not prideful was extremely bright and everyone knew it, in first year when Hermione had refused to let Ron copy of her test paper he had skilfully sat next to Atria in hopes of passing.
Hermione too struggled with this potion. It was driving her insane, this year Snape had chosen a potion that she was sure no one would be able to pass not even the Slytherins apparently, but she was not about to admit that to Atria, as well as Atria was not about to admit that to Hermione.
"Out of curiosity Granger, how do you get your potion to thicken?" Atria asked as to not be obvious.
"Well," Hermione paused, "How do you get yours to."
Silence. Atria watched Hermione, whose fingers had begun to twitch and decided to go out on a limb.
"You don't know either do you?" Atria asked.
"No," Hermione admitted, obviously ashamed.
Atria nodded, "So everyone is going to fail this exam."
"I do believe that was Snape's plan," Hermione quipped.
And a thought crossed Atria's mind.
"Hermione I have a suggestion."
"yes?" Hermione asked sceptically.
"I suggest an alliance."
"Excuse me?" Hermione asked her brow furrowed at Atria's suggestion. This was Atria Black, pureblood royalty, suggesting that she, Hermione Jean Granger, muggle-born and Gryffindor help each other.
"We help each other with potions and both pass as well as my assistance with Buckbeak. " Atria said staring up at Hermione hopefully. "So we have a deal?"
Hermione moved forward untucking the chair next to Atria, "Deal."
"Atria!" Adrian called to her upon her entry into the Slytherin common room, "Aren't you going to congratulate us on the game," He asked while he lounged on the couch. Empty bottles lay around the common room, elvish wine? Which atria suspected was what they were all sipping at in their glasses.
"Why?" She asked stone-faced, "you lost," she said making Adrian laugh.
"Don't you just love her," Adrian said addressing Marcus who smirked back at him." Sarcasm and all."
"I think it was rude," Draco said from his corner of the room glaring over at her.
The Slytherin boys smirks fell as did silence before Adrain leant forward, "Draco don't be hard on her." But Atria held up her hand.
"Don't worry about it Adrian he's just being moody." She said, watching her cousin who stared at her darkly. "Draco could I have a word?" She asked cocking her head with an unforgiving stare.
The blonde boy shook his head, a disbelieving smirk on his lips as he sat, not answering her.
"Please?" Atria tried.
Draco eyes became cold as they locked with hers but still, he stood begrudgingly before storming out into the hallway, making it obvious to her he expected her to follow, which she did.
"Well, what do you want?" He asked as she met him.
Atria was quickly losing her temper with Draco's newfound attitude towards her, who was he to talk to her like that. So she decided it was best to get this conversation over and done with.
"Can you talk to your father about having Buckbeaks charges dropped?" Atria asked patiently
Draco staggered, his eyes winding before softly asking, "What?"
"You heard what I said, any way you know you were at fault,"
Draco took a moment and Atria was surprised as it looks as if he was genuinely contemplating it before he turned to her. "No."
"Draco I know we aren't in the best place right now but I would appreciate it," Atria tried to reason with the stubborn boy.
Draco smiled smugly, glaring down at her, knowing she hadn't the courage to ask his father herself. "If it's so important why don't you ask him yourself?"
Atria glared at her cousin, stubbed for words. She knew he had a cruel streak but was never used to being on the receiving end.
"Anyway," Draco continued already knowing her reasons, "Why would I ever do that, the filthy beast could have taken off my arm if it wanted to, I was lucky."
Atria shook her head, "You're not being fair."
"Fair, who cares if it's fair or not."
"I do and you should too."
Draco rolled his eyes.
"Please," Atria said, "he has one last appeal bu-"
"Why all of a sudden?" Draco asked her not caring for what she had to say, "You've had months to make this request but you've left it to the last minute and you never leave something to the last minute, what's changed,"
Atria remained silent.
"Are you doing a favour for your new friend maybe?" Draco asked deeply, his eyes boring into hers as she took a threatened step back.
"No, I was just hoping you would have come to your senses sooner but obviously you still need that little push to do the sensible thing."
Draco laughed "So like you to insult those you ask things of, not exactly the right way to be going about things like this."
"Please,"
Draco looked Atria up and down, brow raised, his prideful cousin begging something of him? He shook his head, "No I don't think so." He said before turning to walk back into the common room.
"You don't have to make up your mind now," Atria told him, refusing to give up. Draco turned back to her. "Sleep on it," she suggested.
Draco shrugged, "I don't think I have too," he said, "My minds made up."
Atria stood over her cauldron in the empty potions classroom, it was her second attempt at this potion. Her and Hermione had been taking turns going to the potions classroom and experimenting but nothing seemed to work, the potion always failed.
"Miss black, what are you doing?" An intimidating voice called making Atria jump. She turned to see Snape standing in the doorway, his face twisted in confusion as he watched her.
"Professor," Atria said nervously "um... I've just had trouble with the Confusing Concoction sir, I was just making my last attempt before the exam."
Snape walked slowly towards her take standing across from her as the angry potion bubbled between them, "What's your problem?"
"I can't get it to thicken properly sir."
Snape's brow furrowed, "You've never had problems in this class before."
"It's just this potion I can't seem to get it right," Atria said annoyed as she watched her potion, wiping her sweaty brow.
He walked around the table, peering over the cauldron before turning off the burner beneath it and with a flick of his wand the cauldron was sent away and a new one its place.
"Wh-"
"Start again," he said blatantly before walking away from her, leaving her to her task.
Atria stared down at the clean cauldron. Before he had come she was about ready to give up and now she not only had to start again but do while he had no other student to pick on but her.
He was working on a potion of his own, a much more complex one, he had ingredients of all kinds lined up on his desk and he moved swiftly and cooly. She was not accustomed to seeing such calmness fall over him while he made his potion, she was used to seeing panicked students rush around their potion like headless chickens just trying to make sure the cauldron did not explode.
Atria began to steadily make her potion again. He made small notes here and there and Atria was careful to write them down as soon as they were made before carefully following his instructions. The potion was near completion before he made his finale note.
A temporary stasis charm was placed on her potion and she looked up to see him lowering his wand.
"Cut it in half," he said just as she was about to drop her newt spleen in.
"In half ?" Atria questioned.
"Yes, it's a very concentrated dosage much too much for the potion to ever properly thicken."
Atria did as he said, putting the small amount of spleen in the bubbling cauldron before continuing to stir her potion in clockwise motions. After only a few moments the potion began to thicken into a smooth paste.
"Better?" Snape asked seemingly disinterested as he stared at his potion.
Atria looked over to him before looking back at her potion, how had he ever thought a student could finish a potion with the textbook recipe. It was completely wrong. All the proportions were different and not everyone was as ambitious as her when it came to her studies. But Atria let it go, well at least her and Hermione wouldn't fail.
"Yes, actually," Atria said sceptically.
"Then I see no reason for you to stay any longer."
Atria rolled her eyes but bottled the potion before cleaning up her station and gathering her notes. As she walked away her curiosity got the best of her as she passed her professor.
"What is it?" She asked peering down at cauldron he stood over. Snape tensed as she looked over at the book in front of him
"Wolfsbane!"
"Yes, Miss Black, wolfsbane, " Snape said impatiently, ready for her to leave.
"Sir, Is There a werewolf at Hogwarts?" Atria asked peering up at her potions professor nervously.
"I'm doing it solely for experimental reasons Miss Black and it is none of your concern," Snape replied quickly killing any suspicion she may have had in its crept.
But Atria still stared down at the potion. The way the orange liquid bubbled, it golden huge was familiar. She had seen many potions in her time but nothing above a fourth-year level but no she had seen this one recently. She turned towards the door and was once again win her way.
"One finale question before you go Miss Black?" Snape asked
Atria turned back to him, "Yes sir."
Snape gazed up at her over his potion, "are accidental magical outburst's a common occurrence for you?"
Slightly put off by his question, she had assumed that this was a subject they would never address again, there meeting in his office, but he stood resolved before her to get an answer now, "Not most of the time," Atria replied truthfully.
"Do you feel perhaps there may be a trigger for such?" He asked her, "A certain emotion or memory even?"
Atria shook her head, in all honesty, most of the time after it happened she couldn't remember. It was almost like a mind and body take over which she couldn't control until it had its way with her. "I can't be sure sir."
"Anger perhaps?" He probed.
"I don't really remember sir it becomes fuzzy after."
That caught Snape's attention as his eyes squinted to look at her, "You don't remember?"
"No, I remember, um... I don't remember how it happened, what I did to make it happen or what I felt as it did I just… I just becomes blank."
The way he watched her made her nervous, she could see he was thinking about so much more as his eyes remained glued to her, but what she did not know.
"Have you ever looked into learning Occlumency?"
Atria shook her head.
Snape nodded before continuing on with his potion, bustling around as he continued "I will discuss the option with your uncle in further detail, You're getting much too old for immature cases of accidental magic."
Atria's brow furrowed, her feet moved once more in the direction of the door but they stilled. No just keep going she told her self, but something else fought of that instinct as she turned back to him.
"Why must you tell him?" Atria asked Snape.
Snape looked up at her, "Do you not wish me too?"
Atria shook her head subtly, not wanting to go all the way and say the words 'yes betray my uncle.'
"No," Snape gathered, "Then I will not."
That was it, he wasn't going to say anything. He continued with his potion as if the conversation had never happened, Atria watching him as he did, confused. No fight? No argument for her best interests? She turned away from him before slowly moving to the door but before leaving she left him with a few words.
"Thank you."
"I'm sorry, I just don't think Draco is going help us," Atria said solemnly as she sat with Hermione in the library.
Hermione nodded, smiling sadly over to Atria "I didn't think it would but thank you, for trying."
"Oh and here are the notes for potions," Atria said placing the notes she had taken from Snape and placing them in front of the other girl.
Hermione picked up the sheet and her eyes widened as she read on, "It's almost a completely different recipe."
"Well it's what worked, " Atria said with a shrug.
"How did you work this all out?" Hermione asked Atria as she read over all of the notes.
"Snape actually."
Hermione put the paper down, "Snape!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Yes, Snape helped," Atria said simply
"Snape helped you?" Hermione questioned.
"Yep, every step."
Atria yes didn't know hormone but she knew Hermione, they where in the same year took many of the same classes and right now Hermione looked pissed, "So much for unbiased," She huffed.
Atria grimaced "I think he was trying to apologise actually."
"Snape? apologise?" Hermione said, the very idea absurd.
Atria tried to describe it, "Well he didn't directly, he just acted strange, not nice that would be too far but not actively cruel if that makes sense."
Hermione took a moment before deciding."No, can't picture it."
Atria nodded smiling at the other girl's playfulness "It was very strange."
"What's he apologising for? Apologise for what?"
"Oh um," Atria stumbled, "we just had a disagreement."
And Hermione didn't ask anymore into it, "Alright," she said.
Atria picked up the notes before taking one finale read and addressing Hermione, "Just don't be too good or he'll know I helped you, like one percent less than perfect."
Hermione laughed, "I'll try."
Exams, while some saw them as a modern form of torture atria did not. Atria didn't understand the fear around exams that every other student seemed to feel. Everywhere, groups of student sat huddled around books making exclamations like, 'how did I not know that.' Because you weren't paying attention moron, Atria wanted to tell them. It wasn't that hard, you listened in the class were the professors actually told you the answers before the exam, took a note, done. But alas not everyone was that smart.
You see, living at Hogwarts meant she had nowhere else to go, so that night as Daphne cried about the exam the next day, Atria stuffed her head in her pillow. Yes, she had felt bad for Daphne but she had offered to help Daphne study weeks ago to which Daphne had declined.
Transfiguration was fine, Atria had no worries as McGonagall gave her small smile after seeing her perfectly turned tortoise from a teapot. And then charms came and she was fine a few wayward questions but nothing to worry about.
But Atria's favourite Exam had been magical creatures, Hagrid was devastated anyone could see it, and as much as Atria wished she could change it, she would never want to change the fact that their exam had been babysitting a worm for an hour. It was the easiest thing she had ever done. However, that does not go to say Draco passed.
Her Potions exam was next and she had memorised her notes off by heart. So when the time came and she stirred her potion it thickened perfectly while Snape towered over her, watching ash she did. She also happened to see the little ninety-seven he wrote down as he passed. Well, Draco wouldn't be bragging about his top marks in potions that summer. She watched while the rest of the class runabout, Neville looked like he was about cry. But Atria did duck down when Snape glared at her while he passed Hermione's potion.
Defence against the dark arts was her last exam for the year, and it was one she dreaded most. The plain suitcase looked extremely intimidating, even with Professor Lupin's encouraging words before she entered, down the small step to face her greatest fear.
The boggart turned and twisted in the air before settling on the form she feared most.
Lucius stood before her, slyly standing as if not a care in the world. Atria had her wand pointed at him, he remained unflinching. He took a small step forward making her flinch. He stopped at that, he turned his chin down pouting at her as she aimed at him.
"Lower the wand Atria," he said softly to her.
Atria couldn't say a word, but she shook her head denying his request.
"We both know you won't do it. So lower your wand." He said it slowly, menacingly and took step after step closer with every word. Soon he was so close his chest was pressed against the tip of her wand.
'Cast the spell,' atria told herself, but the familiar ice of fear spread through her veins.
"No," she said softly to him, her mouth beginning to work.
"No," he said back to her, his teeth showing through his snarl. She shook her head back at him cementing her answer
"If you continue with this behaviour it will end with a confrontation, " Lucius said dangerously, "Which I will win. So lower the wand," he threatened.
She still didn't.
Her wand was slapped out of her hand before he quickly grasped her wrists with his snake-like reflexes, she tried to pull herself away from him but his grip remained firm." We've done this so many times Atty."
"Let go of me!" She screamed at him, he visibly flinched in shock at her anger.
His hand came down hard on her cheek as she hit the floor and Lucius retrieved is own wand."How many times will it take before you learn," He asked as he walked over to her fallen body, Atria watching in fear as he did?
"Cruc-"
The picture was the same from the start of the year, she on the ground as he pointed his wand down at her, dangerous red wisps escaping the tip of his wand. But something was different as she watched the man in front of her before she had been resigned to her fate, she wasn't this time. She snatched her wand from the ground where he had thrown it and pointed it back at him
"Ridiculous," Atria called.
The boggart hissed, Lucius's limbs turned stiff to wood as his body hung in the air limply. Strings appeared in the air to hold him in place some tangling up his wooden limps and neck and for the first time, Atria saw her uncle in a different light, for something he truly was.
A puppet tangled in strings.
Remus watched Atria walkout from the suitcase and back into the streaming sunlight that beat down on the open field.
After a few more tests, which all of the students passed with flying colours, their exam was over.
He packed up the equipment and the boggart and began his trek back up to castle.
But stopped when he spotted her seated form. She sat on a fallen log of the path that led up to the castle, alone.
"Atria" he called over to her.
She visibly jumped before turning to face him, "Professor Lupin she said before turning away from him.
He cooley walked over to her, his hands in his pockets. "Why are you still here?"
Atria shrugged looking up at him, she looked sick, "I would just rather stay here."
"Why?" Remus asked.
"Just wanted to be alone," Atria said plainly, "But you can stay if you want."
"Do you want me to stay?" Remus asked.
"Well if you don't you can go," Atria said, shrugging and looking down at the ground.
Remus gave her an unamused look but she kept going.
"I'm fine by myself, I don't need someone else to make me feel better."
"Alright," he said turning to walk away.
"But I would like you to stay," he heard her call from behind him.
He turned back around, she was looking down fiddling with a loose strand on her robe, tugging and pulling at it mercilessly.
"Was that so hard?" He asked. His only reply was an angry glare with her red eyes. Had she been crying?
"How was it?" He asked standing next to her seated form
"Well, I made it out."
Remus smiled, "A part of me was nervous I would have to come and pull you out."
"Well, you didn't." She said wiping at her eyes, "Did I pass?"
Remus nodded, "Definitely."
They hadn't spoken much in the last few weeks of the year, a rift had grown between them since Atria found out he was her godfather and now he felt her distrust ten times more then what it had been before. But she wanted him to stay, did she want to talk, tell him something. Well, he knew she wouldn't imitate the conversation so that only left it for him.
"Was it-" but she cut him off.
"Don't," she told him her voice cracking, "Don't ask," she pleaded looking up at him for the first time, had she been crying all along. "You can say whatever you want, you can tell me whatever you want, but please don't ask me?" She said already wiping the tears from her eyes.
"I remember when your parents asked me to be your godfather," Remus said softly.
Atria turned to him slowly with wet eyes.
"I was very surprised it was me," He continued smiling at the memory, "I thought it would be James. In truth, I was only made your godfather because your mother had always hated James Potter."
"Really?" Atria sniffled.
"Oh yes, she detested him but had a soft spot for me," Remus said bashfully nodding.
"And I tried," he said looking away from her, "I tried to do what they would have wanted me to do after they were gone." He said sadly. "I didn't even get to trial before it became obvious there was no chance. Your grandmother, while she was incapable of raising you, made it perfectly clear that I would never be able to. And after Narrsica became your legal guardian I wasn't allowed within a mile of you."
"Why not?" Atria pleaded as if not wanting the past to have been true, "What's so wrong about you? I don't understand why it wasn't you!"
Remus smiled sadly down at her his own eyes tearing, "We live in a world of prejudice and sadly the law supports the wrong side."
Atria's eyes rolled making more tears fall, his excuses where becoming riddles and it exhausted her as they danced around the truth.
"But you don't have to," Remus said, she looked up at him, her brow furrowed, "Why are you protecting him?" Remus asked.
Atria wiped her nose on the back of her sleeve," I owe him my life," she replied softly.
"No, you do not," Remus said sitting down next to her," I know he may make you think you do but-"
"But I do," Atria pushed, "without him I would be dead, he protected me, shielded me, he made sure I was safe until the war was over," Atria explained rambling on with weak reasoning.
"I know what happened I was there," Remus said passionately, angered by her words, "I was there when your father came home and found your dead mother, I was there when we knew you were gone and to this day your mother's killer will never be caught or at least he won't until Lucius Malfoys wand is examined."
"What?" Atria asked.
Remus's shoulder's slumped as the tears finally fell onto his cheeks. He couldn't look at her, not while he cried for her.
"What did you just say?" Atria asked again, turning her body to face his.
Remus turned and Atria flinched away as he looked over his shoulder at her, she immediately forgot what they had been talking about as a new revelation dawned on her. He truly cared. He wiped his eyes before looking back at her and he opened his mouth to explain. Explain everything she had questioned, all of it because she deserved to know, she had every right too.
But he would not get the chance to. Not that day because Atria needed a simple answer to a simple question.
"Would you have taken me?" Atria asked, looking at him with wide eyes.
Remus huffed, how could she still not know the answer. "In a heartbeat," he said softly.
That was all she needed to hear.
She moved forward quickly, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, squeezing herself in close to him. She didn't need to wait long for him to return the gesture, wrapping his arm tightly around her pulling her close to his body, his other hand resting on her head as they held each other.
"I just wish it was you," she whispered.