I'm sorry this took so long please please forgive me.

"She just turned away?" Ron asked, baffled as Harry finally recounted his night with Atria.

"Yes," he said, sinking back into his chair, "and then she acted like it had never happened."

"I knew you two had been acting odd lately," Hermione said as she read.

"Well, she is rather prudish," Ron said before giving Harry an I told you so look.

Hermione slammed her book closed, "Oh, of course Ron, if a girl didn't want to kiss Harry she would have to be a prude, or maybe she just didn't want to."

Harry sat up, alarmed, "You think?"

Hermione sighed shaking her head exhaustedly, "I don't know Harry."

"It was just... I think I might ask her to the Yule Ball," Harry explained.

"No," Hermione said, "she is very adamant in the fact she will go alone."

Harry nodded a blank look on his face, "So going alone is better the going with me, is that how she feels?"

Ron shrugged, "Sorry mate."

"Harry no," Hermione said sending Ron a deathly glare. "Just think, She's just got out of the Malfoy's clutches, but Draco still watches her every move, practically breathing down her neck while he does it and all the Slytherins are constantly at her heels."

Harry's brow furrowed, "So she doesn't like me."

"No," Hermione said, pinching her nose with her finger, "I just think she has a lot of other things on her mind."

"Exactly," Ron said, smiling devilishly, "so maybe the yule ball will be an excellent chance to try and take her mind off everything."

"So try again?" Harry asked excitedly.

"Don't try again, she has made it perfectly clear she didn't want to kiss you," Hermione said, rolling her eyes, "Just give her time."

"Okay but I have to go with someone, I have to dance in front of everyone, and I won't dance alone but if I do what will Atria think?" harry asked his eyes darting between his two closest friends desperately for a word of advice.

"I don't know Harry," Ron said with huff burrowing deeper into the Gryffindor common room couch.

"What's wrong with you?" Harry asked.

"She's all you talk about now mate," Ron said, throwing his head back," Atria this, Atria that."

"That's not true."

"It is."

Harry huffed, "Hermione?" he asked, turning to her.

Hermione smiled to her self before standing from her seat, "good night boys."

Harry looked off after her as she left before turning back to Ron and ardently saying, "It's not true."

Things had been awkward between her and Harry in the least since their night in the hallway, small glances where they both pretended they weren't looking at the other.

Would he ask her to the Yule ball?

Even if he did, she didn't even know if she would say yes or no.

No, it was best she went alone, she would never hear the end of it if she went to the ball with the boy who lived.

How long was Hermione going to take, she was late by ten minutes and she was feeling foolish waiting so long she was almost growing bored. But then a familiar head of long flowing blonde hair caught her eye. Daphne looked at her before trying to walk past her, pretending not to have taken notice of her.

"Daphne?" Atria asked, walking quickly up to her once friend, daphne, however, kept walking, "Daphne can I talk to you," she asked, catching up to her.

"About what?" the other girl asked disinterestedly looking ahead of her.

Atria shook her head in disbelief, "You can't still be angry at me."

"I'm not angry," Daphne said boredly.

"Yes you are," Atria said as Daphne tried to brush her off like a fly.

"And why do you care," Daphne asked a cruel twist in her lip, "You're off with your new friends, why do you care about any of us, we're just the people who grew up with you, know who you are."

"It's not like that," Atria said, shaking her head.

"Then what is it like." Daphne snapped finally turning to look at her.

"You were cruel, and you know it," Atria said.

"She's a mudblood, who cares if it was cruel," she said hollowly.

"Me," Atria snapped before shaking her head, "I'm sorry you were right I don't care," she was a fool to think she could get through to Daphne.

She watched as Daphne visibly gritted her teeth before turning up her nose in a familiar aristocratic way, "A Bloodtraitor" she said coldly, "and just to think I was friends with one," she said before storming past Atria.

Atria stood still for a moment taking in her last words. She tucked her hair behind her ear, breathing in deeply as footsteps approached her from behind.

"I'm so sorry I'm late, I lost track of time," she heard Hermione as she walked up next to her.

"It okay, "Atria said, smiling softly, "Ready?"

Hermione nodded, "come on let's get this over and done with."

"Over and done with?" Atria asked, "Hermione, I will not have you talking in such a way."

Hermione laughed, "It's just a dress."

"Yes but you are going with Victor Krum," Atria whispered as they walked.

Hermione shook her head, "I knew I shouldn't have told you."

Atria shrugged, "Well you did," she said, "You will dance with him, and everyone will see you with him, all eyes are on you, use it to your advantage," Dear Lord she sounded like her aunt.

Atria stood in Hogsmeade the heavy keys she had just taken from Gringotts weighing heavily in her coat pockets.

Her fingers were tapping nervously at the side of her leg where was he.

She looked off, and she caught sight of the familiar face. Remus smiled at her, giving her a wave as he approached.

She smiled walking up to him as he opened his arms for a hug, she welcomed the embrace pulling back, "is Sirius near a flew network."

Better," Remus said cheekily before she felt a scratching at her feet.

She looked down at the familiar dog whose tail was wagging wildly his body moving excitedly, as he sat at her feet.

"Padfoot," Remus said as if introducing them.

Padfoot? no this was the dog she met at the start of the year, was it Remus's dog," Remus is he yours?" Atria asked, obviously very confused

"Atria this is Padfoot," Remus explained slower.

Padfoot that's si-, Sirius. It's Sirius.

"An Animagus?" Atria whispered to Remus as she looked down at the excited dog.

"Yes," Remus said as he smiled down at the dog.

She bent down quickly to the dog, "Hello," she said as she ran her hands of the dog's ear, as it excitedly wagged its tail. She shook her head, it was Sirius all along, he had been there from the start of last year.

"Come on," she said, standing up, "I don't have a lot of time."

They had apparated somewhere close to the location, where no one could see them and As they walked through the muggle streets she tried to move as quickly as she could just wanting to get Sirius somewhere safe, even as an Animagus it still made her nervous. She looked down as they turned onto the familiar street. Sirius had begun to get slower and more cautious as if heading toward something he feared. She stopped in front of the townhouse, where the fence with black paint had begun to flake off and rust. Atria opened it with a loud creak and approached the large black doors at the top of the stone steps. She removed the old metal keys from her pocket and put them in the lock, turning the key as the large door opened, letting a sliver of light into the house.

"Quickly," Atria said after opening the huge door and ushering them in.

She stepped in and closed the door behind her, and as soon as she turned around she was taken up in a tight embrace

"Hello darling," He said pulling away with a wide smile, he was wearing a pair of old grey corduroy trousers and a loose button-up shirt, over it, he wore a tattered coat that looked like it had been taken of some poor man on the street.

"Sirius," she said politely with a nod her eyes beaming up at him.

His smile faded slightly as turned, his eyes moved up surveying his childhood home.

Atria looked down the hallway, the Grimmauld place she remembered had almost fallen apart, the wallpaper was cracking and flaking off the walls. The portraits that hung on them had been left behind, and you could barely make out the pictures anymore. It was the picture of decay. A home known for being so grand and magnificent now looked as if it could cave in and collapse on them at any given time.

She swallowed before walking further down to the hallway to the open archway.

"If you please," she said, holding out her arm to the doorway that led to the sitting room. Sirius and Remus filed in before her.

The room was filled with covered furniture where a thick layer of dust had settled over almost every surface.

Sirius took no time in making himself at home not caring as the dust flew up around him when he threw himself onto one of the old couches. Remus opted to lean against the wall crossing his arms as he too looked around the home he had never seen, "So Atria?" he asked, " Why are we here?"

Atria nodded almost forgetting the reason why she had brought them here, "So," she began nervously, " I have been doing some thinking and instead of running around who knows where hiding from the ministry I just thought maybe you could stay here." She said looking over to Sirius earnestly.

She watched as Sirius looked over to Remus and Remus looked at him as if both agreeing it may have been the worst plan ever brought forwards.

"No one comes here," Atria said already trying to defend the idea, "and it's in my name."

"Atria," Remus began softly.

"No I've thought about it," she said desperately, " I have the only key, and we could set up some wards, and you would be safe," she said looking to Sirius pleadingly.

Sirius gave her a kind smile before turning to Remus, "It could work," Sirius said.

Remus nodded, "Yes it could, but it could also go terribly wrong."

"Remus you could stay with him and if anyone comes snooping they would find and man and his pet dog."

Sirius seemed to find that one funny as he gave a small laugh.

"Be realistic," Remus said leniently, "if the Malfoy's or the ministry came and found me living in your house, there would be questions."

"I'm almost free of the Malfoy's," Atria said, "They have no power over this I can do what I like. And besides, no one knows Sirius is an Animagus so he wouldn't be caught."

Remus closed his eyes. She knew she was winning him over she could see by the way he looked at Sirius who was smiling smugly up at him.

"You wouldn't have to live in Knockturn Alley anymore," she explained further, he gave her a look, and she knew without him on board she would get nowhere so throwing her pride to the wind she asked him, " Please?"

There was a small silence before Remus nodded, "okay."

She could have burst with excitement then and there, but she held it in knowing there would be rules.

"But you can't be here all the time or be off too much," Remus said sternly, "if Andromeda gets even a whiff of something being off she'll look into it and people can't be questioning your whereabouts."

"I promise," Atria said nodding along enthusiastically, "letters and a few visits every now and then."

Sirius put his hands on his knees he stood, "just in case anyone wanted to know what I think, I think it's a marvellous idea."

But before another thing could be said the fireplace erupted and a small elf stumbled through the green flames.

"Kreacher?" Atria asked cluelessly as the house-elf looked around in worry before his eyes settled on Atria.

"Mistress is here? Kreacher thought robber had finally come for mistresses fine things, why is mistress-" the elf stopped as his eyes worked up Sirius' legs, his chest before settling on his face. She watched as Sirius' eyes settled on Kreacher with disdain and before she knew it her house elf's face had ruptured red before with a cheetah-like speed pouncing at her father.

"BLOODTRAITOR FOUL INGRATE DOG!" She heard the elf cry as he did, her eyes widened as she went quickly to try and stop him but with a stern voice she had never heard Sirius use before he demanded, "Kreacher stop!" And he did, the elf straightened up as if he had never even moved towards him.

"He listens to you?" Atria asked.

"Of course he does," Sirius said smugly looking down at the elf whose shoulders were moving up and down with angry breaths, "I'm a Black."

"He can't leave now," Atria said looking down at the elf.

"Kreacher must leave," the elf said turning around to Atria, " must go and tell Cissy of the mess mistress is creating, of the treacherous presence of Bloodtraitor." He said turning once more to Sirius who was now staring at Kreacher with a deathly vengeance.

"Kreacher may go to the manor only when needed," Atria said clearly, "and he must not say a word of this to Narsicca or Lucius or Draco is that clear, because Kreacher will do nothing to put me in danger will he?"

"Mistress," the house-elf tried to explain sluggishly, "Bloodtraitor will turn mistress against family, Bloodtraitor will ruin my poor mistress, must leave, yes she must, she must go," he said moving to Atria and trying to reach for her hand, but she held it out of his reach.

"Kreacher stop that is enough," she said sternly, her heart dropped as she watched his heartbreak in his eyes, "Now go clean or something," she said softly turning away from him.

She watched as the old house-elf dropped his arms and slowly moved to the doors, he took one last look at Atria, but she refused to look at him before he walked into the hallway. All she could hear was his mad muttering before silence was left in the room once more.

"Atria," Remus said sternly as if the entire time he had been loosing is patience.

"You already agreed," she said sternly before rushing from the room, he wasn't going to get out of it now.

Yes, the house was far different from the way she remembered. As she walked into the kitchen, the grand dining room that had once been was long gone. Most of the treasures having been returned to the vault. The crystal chandelier which she had once laid under and watched as the light reflected through it and hit the wall, being one. She remembers it was something she would do to pass the time, she would count the rows of rainbows as they struck the wall while her grandmother sat with a cup of tea. Looking up at where it had once hung, all she saw now where cracks in the ceiling that spread across the roof like a web. Kreacher would definitely have a lot of work to do to clean this place up and get it in any order.

She walked over to the fireplace the photos in the frames thick and covered in dust as she picked them up. She picked up the familiar photo, held in an oval silver frame with flowers embedded into the pattern. She used her coat to wipe away the dust revelling the photo of her younger self, maybe just three, spinning around in her blue frilly dress. She put the frame down but her eyes caught onto another. She picked up the frame wiping the dust away as she looking onto the familiar young women. Andromeda, standing with her sisters all well dressed in lovely dresses. Narcissa very young, light blonde hair and blue eyes, smiling widely and giggling at the camera, while Andromeda smiled shyly, her eyes lowering before looking up at the camera bashfully. But the eldest of them stood in the middle. A strong jaw and tight lips, a very pretty girl but the ferocity burning behind her eyes as she stared down the camera had Atria stilled. She wasn't smiling, she wasn't glaring either, she was just looking as if staring directly at whoever this picture was meant to be seen by, her jaw turning up before going back down. She put the frame back on the mantle, letting go of the familiar faces.

"BLOODTRAITOR FILTH GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" She heard a familiar voice screech, echoing through the hallway.

"Grandma," she whispered to herself softly before she began to move quickly to the sound.

"UNGRATEFUL BRAT LEAVE MY HOUSE AND TAKE YOUR HALFBREED WITH YOU." She continued to scream.

"SHUT UP YOU WENCH," she caught sight of Sirius yelling as he tried to take the painting off the wall.

"FOUL LITTLE BEAST LEAVE MY HOUSE!"

"SHUT HER UP SIRIUS, "Remus yelled.

"I AM TRYING!"

Atria pulled out her wand at the moth-eaten curtains on the wall she cast her spell, "Silencio!" She cried before with a flick of her wand she closed the curtains, silencing the old women.

"Thank god," Remus said tiredly collapsing against the wall.

Sirius was breathing deeply, as he ran a hand through his dirty hair. He turned around quickly, not looking at either of them as he made his way up the hall.

"Is he okay?" Atria asked, putting her wand back in her coat.

"Yes," Remus said with a nod, "maybe just a little shaken by the sight of her, but he'll be fine."

"I didn't even know she was still here," Atria said, walking up to the old curtains that hid the screaming matriarch of the Black family.

"Quick thinking on your half, impressive," he said.

She nodded, but her eye travelled up the hall in the direction Sirius had gone.

"Go talk to him," Remus said, "I'll put some tea on."

Atria nodded before looking of nervously down the hall. She hadn't been alone with him since that night last year, and she knew it would happen again, but she wasn't really ready. She walked down the hallway, what if he asked a question she didn't want to answer? Or if she overstepped in something she said. It was a new area for both of them. But he had no problem talking freely with Harry, but then again Harry wasn't his child, she was.

She reached two doors, that while she had been present at Grimmauld place had always been locked, The only two rooms she had been denied access. But now one of the doors where open and she could hear the sound of her father boots pacing around. She peaked her head in through the doorway. His back was turned, but she could see his head moving about as he looked around what must have been a bedroom.

"You're not upset that I didn't write for a while?" he asked as he stood in the room.

"No," she said caught off guard, "I'm bit upset you went to the effort of talking to Harry and not me."

He turned, nodding as he cringed, "I am sorry."

She nodded walking through the doorway, "I know."

She had never been allowed in this room. It had always been locked, her eyes caught the letters on the door that she had once been too young to read, but she could now.

"Was this your room?" she asked, looking at the initials, S.O.B.

"Yes," he said with a sigh as he looked around his eyes settling on the photo that sat on the dresser, "it was," he said softly, "But I haven't been here for 20 years."

"Ahh yes," she said, "grandmothers favourite story."

He shook his head with a smile before lowering himself to sit on the dusty bed, "I hated it here, who wouldn't run away from something like that," he said referencing her grandmother's temper.

"It's just odd," she said looking around the room at the things that belonged to her teenage father, the room was decorated in red and gold, there were still clothes on the floor and books lying open on the desk, it was as if after he left the room and the things in it had been locked away. She averted her eyes from the scarcely dressed muggle girls on the walls, " I always used to find this place very comforting," she said coming to sit next to him,

"My mother, A comfort," he said unbelievably, "did you just see that?" He said, pointing out into the hallway where her grandmother's portrait now rested.

Atria nodded," I think we both saw different sides to her."

"Oh I saw the other side," Sirius said honestly," the loving one, it was the way she used to treat him," he said nodding his head to the left where the other single room laid.

"Regulus?" Atria asked.

He nodded

"She talked about him a lot," she said clasping her hands together nervously," I wasn't allowed to bring you up, or even say your name. She told me almost everything about him though, I think a part of her pretended I was his child."

He scoffed,"well you're mine," he said, turning to her, "and if she did, that only goes to prove how much her mind was unravelling," he said bitterly.

Atria nodded shyly, she hadn't thought about what conversation with him would be like, she imagined they would be strange and maybe awkward but in some way both of their willingness to be open made it so.

Sirius sighed before he began, "Atria we ne-"

"I have to go," she said, standing awkwardly, she wasn't ready for this.

"Already?" He asked, standing up, the sound of disappointment not slight in his voice.

"Before anyone gets too worried," she said, more like before anyone realised she'd been gone too long.

"I'll write," she said noticing the small look of hurt in his eyes and trying to comfort him, "and I'll come over in a few weeks. I might even bring Harry," she said as his eyes lit up.

"This place will be depressing without you," he said, kindly as they walked through the door.

"I'll be back in a few weeks, That's nothing compared to the years we've done before," she said as they walked down the stairs, "and while I'm gone, Kreacher will help you clean this all up and maybe then next time I come there won't be so much dust."

"Are you leaving?" Remus asked as he watched them come down the steps.

"Yes, I left the keys on the table in the lounge room okay," Atria said as she walked up to him, A feeling of disappointment at the idea of saying goodbye to him.

"Have fun," Remus said, hugging her, "it is a dance."

She gave him a tight squeeze, she missed him so much when she wasn't with him, he had become such a vital part in her life, "Bye Remus," she whispered.

"Be safe," he whispered, pulling away as Sirius watched standing awkwardly.

She walked over to Sirius shyly, and he slowly wrapped his arms around her, "bye darling," he said, giving her a soft squeeze.

"I'll see you soon," she said, giving him a small smile and pulling away, "Bye Sirius."

When she left Remus closed the door behind her, and he heard Sirius let out a huff.

"What?" Remus asked as turned to see Sirius' obvious frustration.

"That was nothing," Sirius said disappointedly looking at the doors she had just left through.

"You saw her, She talked to you," Remus said, confused.

"Not really," Sirius said with a shake of his head.

"Give her time Sirius," Remus explained, "she needs it."

Sirius took a deep breath, its hard for Remus to see it but it was hard to accept something like the fact that maybe his child didn't want to talk to him, Remus had got the chance to earn her trust and let her open up to him, but Sirius didn't even have the time to do that. He got letters with no important meaning, trivial things that meant nothing, it was all small talk. And that is all it would be if he didn't get to see her or talk to her if anything she looked at Remus the way he wished she would look at him. She wouldn't even call him dad only Sirius. He knew she needed time, and he was fine with that, perfectly. But he wanted to see her, spend time with her, get to know her and the idea of waiting for the holidays made him so impatient.

"I know," he said, "it's just frustrating."

"Soon Sirius," Remus said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Just not yet."

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