Knowing's of a Nobody

by lalupinn

Elladora Greenhalgh is in her final year at Hogwarts. Summer is over and the students have returned from their safe and loving homes. Only, El's home is neither of those things. She finds sanctuary at Hogwarts, and also within a boy named Sirius Black.

3. Chapter 2

p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"Chapter Two/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5; min-height: 19.6px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5; min-height: 19.6px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"El stumbled from the classroom and fell into the arms of earth and honey. It was comforting, soft, and safe. She looked into the eyes of Sirius Black before throwing her arms around him and burying her face into his chest./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Hey, its okay." He cooed, a little shocked. Her quiet sobs muffled by his jacket and tears dampened his t-shirt as all of the emotion that threatened to overflow in class finally did. In his arms, she felt safe for the first time in her life and it was a feeling she could get used to./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"She hugged him instinctively, as if she had done it thousands of times before. Only she hadn't. This was a first for the both of them and Sirius looked confused and slightly taken aback. He looked at her perplexed, holding his hands stupidly by his side as if he didn't know how to use them anymore. After a moment of awkwardness, he softened and held her in his arms, keeping her cocooned in safety for as long as she needed it. He stroked her hair soothingly as eventually, she calmed and the tears stopped. She could feel his heart beating close to her own and it comforted her./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"All of her stress, panic and humiliation seemed to ebb away while he held her close to him, cushioned from the harshness of this world but was brought back to it when Sirius's voice spoke softly in her ear, "While I'd love to stay here all day, we will be lost in the chaos if we don't move soon."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"He was right, of course. She didn't move or open her eyes, but her ears pricked to the sound of distant rumbling. It was the familiar sound of students bustling their way through the corridors and heading their way. Students were talking loudly, laughing together as they approached, and El heard a distinct wolf-whistle as a couple of third years noticed the pair embracing one another./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Mhmm." she mumbled without thought, pulling away slowly and hid her face from him. She wiped her tears on the back of her sleeve and tried to walk away from him without saying a word, but he held onto her hand and pulled her back to face him./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Hey, a cuddle like that usually goes alongside a date." He winked at her, but his cheeky grin was replaced with a soft smile when she did not return his amusement. His expression was calm, gentle, caring. Three things that Elladora hadn't experienced much before, but it called to her like a siren soothing a sailor onto shore./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""I'm sorry," she whispered, still holding his hand as he shortened the gap between them, "I don't know what came over me."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"She looked into his cloudy eyes but found no storm there, just sunshine. His hand cupped her cheek and she pressed herself into his touch, blushing a little./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""No need to apologise. After how that troll treated you in there I honestly can't blame you. Besides, I've been told I give the best hugs, apparently I 'feel like home'?" He laughed, reciting what he'd been told by Moony once before. He rested his arm around her shoulders and they started walking through the corridor./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Not at all, you felt safe." El replied suddenly./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"Sirius slowed, contemplating her words with a sudden sadness. He knew exactly what she meant because he felt the same way. It broke his heart that she could relate to his upbringing, but perhaps he could support her through it. At least she wouldn't have to be alone, and it looked like she very much needed a friend. If something good came from his past and his pain, maybe the burden wouldn't feel so heavy./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""I'm sorry, I didn't – "/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""If you say sorry one more time I'll hex you, Greenhalgh." He spoke warmly, challenging her with a smile. "Shall we go somewhere a bit… quieter?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"Her brows furrowed, surveying him and his intent with curiousness./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""To talk, dufus. That's all. You look like you are in need of a friend."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Oh…" she spoke softly, considering her next move./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"Yes… a friend is exactly what she needed right now, but she hadn't ever considered Sirius Black to be her friend… not really. He was barely even an acquaintance. Sure, they knew each other from classes, but she could probably count the number of times they had spoken to each other before on one hand. He always seemed to be so wrapped up in mischief and having fun with his friends, giving the Professors a hard time, hexing Slytherin's… and she had her studies. El probably seemed boring in comparison to him. It was like he was the sun and she was the moon, because the two could not be more different. /span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"His presence was soothing to her, even if she couldn't put her finger on why. Whenever they had class together, El would often catch him already gazing at her, sometimes accompanied by the occasional wink, usually when he'd given the Professor's a cheeky remark or back-chat. But Sirius Black was known for being a ladies man and a bit of a flirt, so she didn't give it much thought./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"But he seemed to see her more clearly than anyone else did, somehow, he knew her secrets. She felt a twinge of fear inside her. Was it that obvious to everyone else, too?/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""A friend?" she said, curiously./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"He nodded and she smiled, "A friend."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"After taking her smile as approval, he turned to pace down the hall, pulling her behind him./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Come on, keep up slow coach," he smiled back at her, "I know the perfect place we can go."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""But what about our lessons?" she argued, "We have Charms!"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Charms Schmarms. I'm sure Flitwick won't mind if we miss one lesson. I bet he won't even realise we're gone." Sirius winked and continued to pull her behind him, beaming, his face full of the mischief that so often lay there./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""That's easy for you to say, he's not your head of house Sirius."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Well, if we get caught, you can say it is all my fault. I'm in trouble often enough he won't doubt that for a moment." He barked a laugh and quickened his pace, they sprinted through the halls of Hogwarts and left behind a trail of laughter./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"Sirius refused to let go of her hand and whisked her through the winding corridors and out into the grounds of Hogwarts. A playful giggle graced her face in spite of herself. She knew she ought not to follow him, nothing good could come out of skipping class, but curiosity got the better of her. It was thrilling, exciting, and a little fun. And after the abysmal summer she'd had, a little fun is exactly what she needed./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"As they left the castle, the light threatened to overwhelm Elladora. She squinted and raised her other hand to shield her eyes from the sun as it glared on them both, on this fine Autumnal day./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"The grounds of Hogwarts had become a rolling expanse of auburn, there was a beauty so complex in natures falling cycle that even the reaper would pause to drink in its splendour. The hues of orange and earth combined to make a beautiful autumn canvas, leaves fell from the trees in graceful pirouettes and kissed the ground with a softness unexpected of nature./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"For a moment, El was lost in it magnificence. Never before had she contemplated how wondrous Hogwarts really was. She supposed after several years of living within its walls made you numb to its beauty, but today it was revealed to her with a new light. She liked it, and upon seeing it, her heart was briefly healed from the madness that was her life./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"He pulled her further and further away from the castle and across the fields without looking back./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Where are you taking me, Black?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""You'll see, Greenhalgh." He smirked./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"Eventually, they stopped beside the Black Lake which was glistening beautifully in the sunlight. In its stillness, it reflected the clouds and birds flying overhead and for a moment, she thought she could be flying./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"Sirius turned, finally, and smiled./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""After you." He said./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Uh, after me, what?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"He laughed a little before repeating, "After you." He pointed behind him, towards an old and wooden rowing boat. It was tied to a very small pier that didn't look strong enough to hold anyone, let alone the pair of them./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""You've got to be joking?" she laughed now, uncertain at his sincerity. "You can't be serious if you think I'm getting on that thing."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""I am both Sirius and serious," he barked a laugh and continued encouragingly, "come on, its safe, I promise you."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"She glared at him, not sure whether to take him for his word, or whether this was just a sly scheme to see her fall face first into the lake. He seemed to read her mind, because he added, "Oh, come on. The boys and I use it all the time. Its stronger than it seems. Look–" he marched towards the dock and climbed into the boat, grinning like the show-off he was. He began to jump, admittedly very carefully, and encouraged her to follow./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Come on! I haven't got all day. You can either come with me or sit there and sulk until I get back."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Or I could just leave you there and go back to class."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Well, yes, or that. But what would you rather be doing, sitting in a classroom bored out of your tits listening to Flitwick drone on about fuck knows what, or go on an adventure with a very handsome and albeit, wonderfully skilled and intelligent young man?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""You're a vain one aren't you?" she scoffed, still eyeing him suspiciously./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""It isn't vanity when it's the truth."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Ah, the words of a scoundrel." She challenged him with a grin./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Look, if you don't, I'll have to come and get you myself, and who knows… I might accidentally drop you in the lake." He laughed, "Be adventurous for once, Miss Prissy, harness your inner Gryffindor." It was his turn to challenge her now, and she fell for it./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"With a smile, she began to stride towards the deck./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Hurry up, I haven't got all day."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"El grinned at him. She couldn't believe that less than an hour ago she was in the depths of despair and now she felt whole again. Even if it was just for a moment, she tried to hold it for as long as she could. She heaved herself into the boat with caution, and cursed Sirius for rocking it intentionally./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Piss off, will you!" she scowled at him, grasping the sides of the boat with desperation./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""You can swim, right?" he questioned her./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Of course I can swim. I just don't fancy meeting whatever's underneath the water is all."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"He reached for the oars and began to row, slowly, across the rippling waters and out into nothingness./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""I take it you've never been in the Slytherin common room then?" he asked./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""I- what?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""The Slytherin common room. Have you ever been in it?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Considering I'm a Ravenclaw, obviously not."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Smart arse. Besides, you don't need to be in a house to sneak into their common room." He grinned, failing to hold such a secret close to him./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"She narrowed her eyes in suspicion./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""You?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"He smiled./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""But how?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""The entrance is located behind a bare stretch of wall in the dungeons. The password, like ours, changes every so often. We just happened to be listening when Slughorn blurted the new password to some Slytherins in the hallway."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""You didn't." she laughed./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""We did. Prongs, Moony, Wormtail, and I."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Who?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""James, Remus, and Peter. Those are our nicknames."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Oh… and may I ask what your nickname is?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Ten points to Ravenclaw if you guess it."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"She laughed./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Bighead?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Ooooh," he recoiled as if hurt from physical blow and hissed a little. "Harsh. I'll have you know, my head is perfectly beautiful shape." His hand flew to his head and he ruffled his hair dramatically, grinning at her./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Sphincter? Wank weasel? Bird brain?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"He howled so loudly that he reminded El of a whining wolf. She joined him in laughter, but stopped when the boat began to rock./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""You're such a charmer, you know that?" he grinned, "But no. As good as those suggestions are, you didn't quite get it right. My nickname is Padfoot, though I'll be sure to assign Peter with one of those, I'm sure he deserves it after today."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"Her smile fell and was lost within the waters. She was brought back to earth after being away with the fairies for a while, as she knew she would. For a time, she had forgotten all about the previous lesson and had hoped everyone else had too. But she was wrong./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"The light faded from her eyes a little as she focused on something beyond him, detached from the ordinary and replaced with wonder. There was naught but silence as he rowed the boat across the lake now. He noticed the change in her and scolded himself mentally for mentioning what happened in Lambert's class. His intention was to comfort, not to bring back any unwanted feelings./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"The boat hit land and it brought her from her reverie./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""We're back, so soon?" she asked./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Not quite."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Then, where?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""No mans land, we call it." He stepped out of the boat and tied the rope around a sunken post, before stepping back towards her. He held out his hand to her and she took it, caressing his hand with her thumb and savouring the warmth of his touch./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""If you follow me, I'll show you the best view in Scotland."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"They climbed over high tree roots and overgrown bushes, wading through feral grass dotted with wildflowers. He stopped suddenly and bid her to close her eyes… she obliged, a little questioningly, but she trusted him./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"She closed her eyes and sound took over. The bird noise above was prominent. Trees rustling and the waters gently touching the shores, bringing the boat to the dock with slow, soft, hits. The sound of a soothing breeze brought with it a calming sensation to El and she smiled. Just as she got the urge to peek at Sirius, he scolded her, "Don't even think about looking. I'm nearly done."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"She could hear him scuttering around, making noises and uttering incantations under his breath. She heard, /spanspan style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-ItalicMT; font-style: italic; font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"accio/spanspan style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;", /spanspan style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-ItalicMT; font-style: italic; font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"incendio/spanspan style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;" and another she hadn't heard before./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Okay, hold out your hand to me."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"She reached for him and he pulled her close, still not opening her eyes. He led her forwards and she could feel the grass tickling her legs. She smiled. He returned it, and pulled her closer./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Okay, you can sit, if you like."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"She furrowed her brows, but sat down with her eyes still tight shut. The ground below her was soft and comforting, not like the hard and rough floor she was expecting. She opened her eyes and saw a blanket lay there, adorned with several cushions and a bouquet of wildflowers sitting upon it, freshly picked by Sirius himself. After running her hand across them, she looked up at him and beamed, but then her breath was taken away by a wondrous sight./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"It was Hogwarts, in all its glory, glittering over the sea of shining waters. The sunlight hit the castle and illuminated all of its beauty against the forest that surrounded it. She hadn't really thought about how big Hogwarts was, but now she did. It was huge. Humongous, even. It seemed to drown the mountainous backdrop that lay behind it and for moments, she was breathless. The skies, the architecture, the nature… all of it came together to build the most beautiful masterpiece./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Oh, Sirius. It's wonderful." She whispered, in awe at everything./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"And then, sadness washed over her. She didn't want to leave. This was her last year at Hogwarts, her last year of safety, and she didn't want to leave it. She tried to push her sadness away, as far away as she could, but Sirius seemed to see it too./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""What is the matter? Don't you like it? Is it too much, I can change it if you'd prefer?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""No… its all beautiful. Thank you so much… so much. Words can't explain my gratitude."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Then what is it?" he cocked his head to the side as if this would help him figure her out./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"She smiled softly, "It's just… Hogwarts is my safe place. It's the only place I feel like home, and its our last year… and… well, I–"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Don't want to leave." He finished the sentence for her, looking into her eyes deeply. Their eyes met briefly, shared with sympathies, before Sirius sat beside her./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"He sighed, "I feel the same way. Or, I did, until very recently."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""You do? But why?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"He smiled, a little awkwardly./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""I'm sorry, it doesn't matter. You don't have to say." She apologised, averting her eyes back towards the castle and sat rigidly./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"But he responded almost at once, kindly, "My home isn't a great place to be either."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"After they shared a look, he continued, "My parents… my family… aren't very nice people, lets put it that way. Have you ever heard of a dark wizard named Voldemort?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""V-v-voldemort?! You're related to Voldemort?!" she shouted./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"He howled again. "Merlin, no! But they believe in his ways… his ideals… they think that he's got the right ideas about the way things should be. I'm fairly sure they'd feel immense pride if I was to become one of Voldemort's Death Eater's. And I'm sure you can imagine the immense hatred they felt when their heir, their first born son, doesn't share the same ideals as they do and is known to be a /spanspan style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-ItalicMT; font-style: italic; font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"blood traitor/spanspan style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"." He rolled his eyes./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"El was stunned to silence, gazing straight at him. Yes… she could imagine. Because her family hated her for similar reasons. She couldn't believe how similar the pair of them were./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"Sirius continued, "They hated me from the moment the Sorting Hat placed me in Gryffindor, rather than Slytherin. I'm fairly sure they hated me long before then, but the sorting kind of… set the hatred in concrete."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"He laughed harshly, gazing across the lake and at the castle. There was silence now and she wanted to reach for him; to hold him; to tell him it'll be okay./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""I'm sorry, Sirius. I'm so sorry." She scooted closer to him a little and rested her head on his shoulder./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Its okay, really. I'm okay. I finally found the opportunity to leave and I took it. This summer was my escape, and I'll never go back there. I'd rather die than step foot in that grim, old, place again."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Where did you go?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""James's place. His mother and father took me in… like a second family. They're my true family. Well, them and the marauders. Sometimes in life, the family we choose far outweighs the ones we were given at birth. Blood doesn't necessarily mean love… I think you'd agree."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"She paused. He was speaking truths that made her feel slightly uncomfortable. "Yes," she said, "but Sirius, why are you doing this for me? I mean, we haven't really been close friends, so why?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Why? Because I saw the look on your face back in the classroom and I knew. I just knew. There was fear and familiarity in your eyes. It reminded me of how I was… back then… when I felt lost. My life was consumed by anger that didn't belong to me, all of the time. It was like I was ready to blow at any point over the littlest of things… the lack of control… the fear… the shame… the abuse… all of it just made my life hell for years. And I took it out on my friends, on people who didn't deserve it… until someone reached out to me and offered me a way out."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"El wanted to move, to look up at him, but she couldn't. She was fixed to the spot. He was explaining exactly how she felt. For years, she thought she was alone; that nobody else could possibly know how she feels; that nobody would believe her, and here he was, mirroring her exact thoughts./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""I… I… I know exactly what you mean."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""I'm sorry you do." He said, holding her hand tightly in his. He stretched his arm around her and held her close. "I'm sorry your parents fail to appreciate just how great you are."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"After brief silence, she spoke softly, "Some days are harder than others. Some days I'm here, and I can forget about who I really am and the home I come from. But others… well, others are like today. And I seem to carry their hatred with me everywhere I go. Their hatred of me is an ocean and I drown in it sometimes."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"El held back tears at this point, staring at the hills and Hogwarts. Sirius stayed quiet, holding her and stroking her arm. /span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""I've tried so hard to please them and change who I am for them, but it doesn't make a difference. Why don't they love me Sirius?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"Her voice cracked and tears began to flow now. She was being extremely vulnerable with someone she hardly knew, but she didn't seem to mind. El carried what happened at home with her in silence all these years, it was nice to speak freely with someone who understood. She sniffled and wiped her eyes on the back of her sleeve once more./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""It isn't your fault. Their minuscule brains aren't capable of understanding and appreciating how brilliant you are, El. They are dull and dreadful people. They are the bad ones, not you. Don't ever think of changing who you are to please anybody, especially them. I know it's easier said than done, but don't let them dull your shine just because it may hurt their eyes. You have people in your life who love you, and I know it doesn't feel enough – that love won't come close to the love you're supposed to get from parents, but it can be enough. I promise."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"He held her hand to his face and kissed it. "And I promise, you aren't alone anymore. You're safe."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"Before she knew it, she was crying hard. Tears streamed down her face. It was like all of the pressure she had been carrying around with her for months had finally been released, just a little. And it didn't overflow with the ferocity that she feared, but seeped softly and was cradled by someone kindred; by someone who cared. And that's what meant most to her. She cuddled into him and he let her. Sirius held her while she cried, running his fingers through her hair and telling her that it's okay. /span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"It stayed like this for a while. Neither of them minded, or tried to move from the understanding they both shared. "Thank you for everything Sirius, it feels like I can breathe a little again."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"He smiled and said, "There's no need to thank me, little one."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"After a while, El asked the question she was dying to know the answer to. "Sirius?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Hmm?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""How did you leave?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"He looked at her with a little sadness to his eyes and after a moment, he answered./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""James." /span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"He looked down at her and smiled a little, remembering./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""I went to the Potter's. They had always been like a family I never had. I was accepted, loved, cared for. After one particularly bad argument at home, I decided the time was right to leave for good. It had been something I dreamt of for a while, but I stuck around in the hopes… well… in the hopes they'd… change? I don't know. I still felt torn between the constant need for approval from my family, the desire to gain their love and affection… but also the need to be safe, happy, free."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""It was Christmas, and I returned to Hogwarts for the last time. I had always been able to hide the bruises and scars my parents had so kindly given me, but not this time. My friends saw them, realised at once what had happened. And James insisted I stay with him. I hesitated of course, not wanting to be a burden on his family… but sometimes, you just have to let people help you." /span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"He smiled at El./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Their home felt like what I had always dreamed of a home feeling like. Safe. They showed me love and kindnesses I'll never forget. I finally had space to heal from years of bullshit."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"Sirius stared at Hogwarts, still holding El./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Oh, Sirius. I'm so sorry. You are very brave, and I'm so glad you're safe." She held his hand with both of hers and smiled sadly at him. /span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""How did your family react? Were they sad? I mean - did they try to stop you? Apologise?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Sad? Ha!" He barked a laugh again, a bitter one this time. "No, they didn't care. I was blasted off the family tree, shamed and disowned. They didn't want to hear from me at all. I was no son of theirs."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"Sirius seemed to sink into bitterness for a while and wallowed in it. But he came out of it eventually. Thoughts and memories of how horrible life was seemed to flash through his mind, feelings of hopeless desperation clung to him. He shook it off./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""But it's okay, honestly. I didn't expect any different. I knew they'd react that way. I think the only reason I stuck around for so long was through fear. I have a younger brother, I was scared for him."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Regulus?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Yeah, Reg." He nodded, "I was scared they'd hurt him like they hurt me. I didn't want that, so I stayed. Even when it was unbearable. I spent so many years protecting him, but eventually I realised that in their eyes, Regulus could do no wrong. He was their golden boy, he didn't need me. But I do still worry from time to time, I'd never want him to go through what I did. Part of me will always feel guilty for leaving him in that house, alone, with them. I don't think he will forgive me in a hurry either."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Oh Sirius… I'm sorry. I'm sure he will be okay."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"He smiled, and squeezed her hand./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""He will be. He was always their favourite; their perfect pureblood son." He sounded a little bitter, almost resentful, but softened slightly seeing her face. "I'm sorry, I suppose the hurt is hard to forget sometimes. I spent years wondering why… why they didn't love me like they loved him. I hated him for it, though it wasn't his fault. I hated him but I still felt the overwhelming urge to take the fall for him whenever father saw red."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"Sirius's eyes gazed over and El could tell he was somewhere else again. Lost in memory, probably. She cuddled into him and whispered, "You are so brave, Sirius. So brave. I can't imagine how hard that must have been."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"This pulled him back from his thoughts and into the present moment. He smiled a little, "Yeah."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"She hugged him tighter but then sat up straight, picking several flowers from the ground around her. "Do you ever speak to Regulus now?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""No."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Really? I thought he'd be the one who saw your parents for what they truly were."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""I thought so too, but we were both wrong." He watched her fiddle with the flowers, arranging them in a circular shape on the floor. She was pouting in concentration and Sirius couldn't help but chuckle softly before continuing./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""No, he wanted nothing more to do with me after I ran away from home. Even now he won't talk to me, look at me, or acknowledge my existence. It's like I don't exist. I tried talking to him once, to try and explain myself, but he hexed me and called me a filthy blood traitor. The brother I once knew, is gone. He sounded like my parents perfect child. I suppose now he is…"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"He choked on his words slightly, the numbness rising. "I don't even know why I'm telling you any of this. I've never told anyone all of this before, not even James. But you… you are calming to me. I'm not sure why."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"El smiled brightly./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""I feel the same way."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""I suppose, what I'm trying to say… is that you're not alone, Prissy."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"She chuckled./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Thank you, Bighead. You're not alone either."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""I mean it. You've got me, and I can always offer you a place to stay if you need it."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Oh, I'm sure Mr and Mrs Potter would love another outcast living at their house."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""I'm sure you'd be welcome at the holidays." /span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""And what about when we leave? What then?" she said./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"Her smile fell again, not wanting to admit how desperately lost she felt. This is the last year, and then what? What on earth is she going to do? She couldn't go back home. Six weeks in summer is enough, never mind permanently. The thought briefly washed over her like the slowly setting sun, and despair kicked in./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Oh god," she moaned, "I don't think I can do it, I really don't."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""You don't have to."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Where the hell am I going to go?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Look… I don't want you getting the wrong idea… but you can live with me."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"The silence was a little stiff and awkward. She looked at him, puzzled./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""My Uncle Alphard has left me a small estate in his fortune, alongside a considerable amount of Galleons. Come December, I will have a place of my own waiting for me when I leave Hogwarts. I heard my parents were furious about it, and wanted it for themselves." He laughed. "Blasted Uncle Alphard right off the family tapestry, I bet."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"All El could do was stare at him, still puzzled./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""If, by the time July comes and you still don't have anywhere to go, consider it. You are welcome to stay with me."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""But…" she said, confused./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Well, I say /spanspan style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-ItalicMT; font-style: italic; font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"me, /spanspan style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"but I think Moony will be living with me too. There's five bedrooms, so there's enough room. My friends will visit every so often, I guess you'd have to get used to Peter. But please consider it, yeah? Promise?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""But… are you sure?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""Positive. Now promise you'll consider it?"/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;""I promise, Sirius, thank you." El stared at him in shock, amazed at his generosity. "Thank you."/span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5;"span style="font-size: 17.07px; font-kerning: none;"She kissed him on the cheek, and she could swear he blushed a little./span/p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5; min-height: 19.6px;" /p
p style="margin: 0px 0px 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 17.1px; line-height: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; color: #d4d4d5; min-height: 19.6px;" /p