Stella Nova Edited

by BrooklynFazenbaker

When the Weasley's took in Sirius Black's daughter on Halloween night, they expected him to return for her in a few days. Instead, they raised her alongside their children. How will a Slytherin "Weasley" change the story? Especially when she's a troublemaker and so close to so many snakes... and how will Sirius react to seeing his daughter again? (I do not own Harry Potter)(Edited)

24. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Brilliant," Hermione smiled at Stella as she passed her the spell she'd found to hide what the parchment said.

She'd used the map to work on the spell, making it so people had to tap the list and say a key phrase to show the names and another phrase to lock it.

"This is brilliant," Stella held up the Galleon. "How's it work?"

"You see the numerals around the edge of the coins?" Hermione said, holding one up for examination at the end of their fourth meeting. The coin gleamed fat and yellow in the light from the torches. "On real Galleons that's just a serial number referring to the goblin who cast the coin. On these fake coins, though, the numbers will change to reflect the time and date of the next meeting. The coins will grow hot when the date changes, so if you're carrying them in a pocket you'll be able to feel them. We take one each, and when Harry sets the date of the next meeting he'll change the numbers on his coin and because I've put a Protean Charm on them, they'll all change to mimic his."

A blank silence greeted Hermione's words and Stella smirked. She looked around at all the faces upturned to her, rather disconcerted.

"Well — I thought it was a good idea," she said uncertainly, "I mean, even if Umbridge asked us to turn out our pockets, there's nothing fishy about carrying a Galleon, is there? But . . . well, if you don't want to use them . . ."

"That's not why they're shocked," Stella told her.

"You can do a Protean Charm?" said Terry Boot.

"Yes," said Hermione.

"But that's . . . that's N.E.W.T. standard, that is," he said weakly.

"Oh," said Hermione, trying to look modest. "Oh . . . well . . . yes, I suppose it is. . . ."

"How come you're not in Ravenclaw? Either of you?" he demanded, staring at Hermione and Stella with something close to wonder. "With brains like yours?"

"The hat told me I was like my parents but far too ambitious to be sorted like them, so it stuck me in Slytherin," Stella smiled.

"Well, the Sorting Hat did seriously consider putting me in Ravenclaw during my Sorting," said Hermione brightly, "but it decided on Gryffindor in the end. So does that mean we're using the Galleons?"

There was a murmur of assent and everybody moved forward to collect one from the basket. Harry looked sideways at Hermione.

"You know what these remind me of?"

"No, what's that?"

"The Death Eaters' scars. Voldemort touches one of them, and all their scars burn, and they know they've got to join him."

"Well . . . yes," said Hermione quietly. "That is where I got the idea . . . but you'll notice I decided to engrave the date on bits of metal rather than on our members' skin. . . ."

"Yeah . . . I prefer your way," said Harry, grinning, as he slipped his Galleon into his pocket. "I suppose the only danger with these is that we might accidentally spend them."

"Fat chance," said Ron, who was examining his own fake Galleon with a slightly mournful air. "I haven't got any real Galleons to confuse it with."

"Oh, here," Stella grabbed her coin bag, passing a few to Ron with a lie on her lips. "For Hogsmeade. Dad gave it to me at the end of summer and I forgot to give it to you. Here Gin!"

Ginny took the money with a small smile, neither she nor Ron questioning her. When she waved Fred and George over, the two seemed to know exactly what Stella was up to.

As the first Quidditch match of the season, Gryffindor versus Slytherin, drew nearer, their D.A. meetings were put on hold because Angelina and Stella insisted on almost daily practices. The fact that the Quidditch Cup had not been held the year before added considerably to the interest and excitement surrounding the forthcoming game. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were taking a lively interest in the outcome, for they, of course, would be playing both teams over the coming year; and the Heads of House of the competing teams, though they attempted to disguise it under a decent pretense of sportsmanship, were determined to see their side's victory.

McGonagall didn't assign homework the entire week of the upcoming game. Snape was less obvious, always having turned a deaf ear when others complained about Slytherins hexing other students in the halls. When Alicia Spinnet turned up in the hospital wing with her eyebrows growing so thick and fast that they obscured her vision and obstructed her mouth, Snape insisted that she must have attempted a Hair-Thickening Charm on herself and refused to listen to the fourteen eyewitnesses who insisted that they had seen Keeny hit her from behind with a jinx while she was in the library.

"Hey, Potty, I heard O'Connor's sworn to knock you off your broom on Saturday," Pansy called out to Harry one day in passing.

"O'Connor's aim's so pathetic I'd be more worried if he was aiming for the person next to me," he retorted, which made Ron and Hermione laugh and wiped the smirk off Pansy's face.

"We need to find a way to psych Ron out more," Stella smirked to Draco and Blaise.

"Stella Black-Weasley, did you just tell us to actively pick on your brother?" Blaise asked with a wide grin.

"I've already gave permission as long as it's about Quidditch," Stella rolled her eyes.

"I've got a plan," Draco smirked.

All of the Slytherin's were wearing crowns at the Slytherin table the next morning. When Ron and Harry walked in, many people waved at Ron, laughing loudly as he walked by. Stella was humming a tune under her breath, causing those around her to laugh as they realized that it was the song Draco had come up with on the fly the night before and taught all of them. She was going to convince Peeves to sing it once everyone returned from the game.

"Everyone eat!" Stella yelled at her team, noticing the younger students seeming a bit nervous.

Small vials appeared in front of those ones, stomach soothers that Stella gave a pointed look until they got the message. After everyone ate, the team followed Stella to the changing rooms. They all got changed quickly and Stella stood in front of the team, smirking when she saw the pins.

"Oh! I forgot that I'm in charge of giving these speeches now," Stella admitted, getting a laugh from the team. "Flint would tell you to win or get murdered. I'm not going to do that. I'm hard on all of you because I believe in you. Honestly, this is the best team that we've had in ages. I like the sight of the Quidditch Cup in Snape's office, gives me a bit of a view when I'm stuck in detentions," another laugh. "You are all more than capable and I know that we can do this. So, let's go out there and play a nice, fun, dirty game and show those Gryffindors how it's supposed to be done!"

There were loud cheers from the crowd and Stella could hear the Slytherins singing loudly. Beside Stella stood Blaise, smirking as they watched the Gryffindor team come out. Crabbe and Goyle lurked behind them, swinging their bats playfully. Baker, O'Connor, and Keeny were nervous but doing beautifully at hiding it, causing pride to swell in Stella's heart.

"Bet you a kiss we win by at least a hundred," Blaise told her.

"You're such a dork," Stella smirked, bumping his elbow with her own.

"Offer still stands!" he shouted as Stella walked ahead of the team towards Hooch,

"Captain's shake hands," ordered Hooch and Stella shook Angelina's hand tightly. "Mount your brooms…"

The whistle blew and Stella flew high into the air. The balls were released and the game had truly begun.

"Keeny of Slytherin gets the quaffle first. Good Lord, he's fast!" Stella smirked proudly as she searched for the snitch, eyes catching Harry's every so often as she split her attention between him, searching for the golden ball, and watching out for her team. "Passes to O'Connor, back to Keeny, to Zabini and- SCORE! Ten-zero Slytherin.

"And it's Johnson with the Quaffle. What a player that girl is. I've been saying for years but she still won't go out with me—"

"JORDAN!"

"Sorry, Professor. Johnson ducks Keeny, passes O'Connor – OUCH – hit in the back by a bludger from Crabbe!"

"Good job!" Stella yelled as she flew pass Crabbe.

"Zabini catches the Quaffle, heading back up the pitch and – nice bludger from George Weasley – Zabini drops the Quaffle—"

"You alright?" Stella asked.

"I'm good," he assured her, rubbing his shoulder for a moment before chasing after Katie.

"- Katie Bell with the Quaffle, reverse pass to Spinnet. Dodges Keeny and a bludger. The crowd are loving this, just listen to them, what's that they're singing?"

"Weasley cannot save a thing, He cannot block a single ring, That's why Slytherins all sing: Weasley is our King!"

"Alicia passes back to Angelina. Come on now, Angelina. Looks like she'd got just the keeper to beat! SHE SHOOTS- SHE- aaah…"

Baker blocked the goal, passing the Quaffle to Keeny who took off between Alicia and Katie like a bullet train. The singing grew louder.

"Weasley is our King, Weasley is our King, He always lets the Quaffle in, Weasley is our King."

Stella pretended to conduct the Slytherins for a moment before taking off into the sky, thinking she'd seen something gold above.

"Keeny to O'Connor, O'Connor to Zabini, Zabini to Keeny. Keeny out of bludger range and just the keeper ahead—"

"Weasley cannot save a thing, He cannot block a single ring!"

"— a test for new Gryffindor Keeper, Weasley, brother of Beaters, Fred and George, and a promising new talent on the team — come on, Ron!"

But the scream of delight came from the Slytherin end: Ron had dived wildly, his arms wide, and the Quaffle had soared between them, straight through Ron's central hoop.

"Slytherin score!" came Lee's voice amid the cheering and booing from the crowds below. "So that's twenty-nil to Slytherin – bad luck, Ron…"

Stella rolled her eyes. It wasn't bad luck. Ron just wasn't good enough.

"WEASLEY WAS BORN IN A BIN, HE ALWAYS LETS THE QUAFFLE IN!"

Since when was that in the lyrics?!

"- Gryffindor back in possession and it's Katie Bell tanking up the pitch."

"WEASLEY WILL MAKE SURE WE WIN, WEASLEY IS OUR KING!"

Stella was chasing the snitch and people were starting to notice. Keeny and Blaise both scored twice more and Gryffindor had finally gotten a point before it was announced though.

"BLACK CHASING THE SNITCH!" Lee yelled and Harry started chasing her.

They both dived, flat on their Firebolts. Stella's hand reached out and…

"YES!" Stella screamed, pulling up at the last second and ending up taking a bludger for Harry by accident. "FUCK!"

Stella laid still on the ground as both teams landed next to her.

"STELLA!" Blaise's voice broke through the crowd as he and Ron pushed pass the others, Fred and George right behind them.

"I got it," Stella smiled happily, holding the snitch up.

"Can you move?" Fred asked her.

"Course I can," Stella rolled her eyes before flipping onto her feet, flinching slightly and knowing she probably had a bad bruise that would need to be looked at.

"You tried so hard to save Weasley's neck," Draco's voice spoke up from behind the crowd and everyone turned to see him. "I've never seen a worse Keeper but then he was born in a bin. Did you like my lyrics, Potter?"

"Malfoy," Stella growled out.

"We wanted to write another couple of verses!" Draco called as Blaise pulled her away, looking as angry as she did. "But Stella wouldn't let us mention how fat and ugly his mother is. Couldn't mention his useless loser of a father, either."

Theo had appeared and was carrying Stella again. Harry was holding George while Angelina grabbed Ron and Alicia and Katie held onto Fred.

"Well, I'm sure even the Weasley hovel smells nice when you're dragged up by muggles. Or perhaps you can remember what your mother's house stank like, Potter, and Weasley's pigsty reminds you of it—"

Harry had released George and they both ran at Malfoy, jumping on him.

"Get 'em!" Stella shouted out.

Theo had pulled Stella off of the field at that point, Blaise moving with them.

"My back," Stella admitted now that no one else was nearby, sinking against Theo's shoulder a bit. "Think there's a bad bruise."

"We'll get you looked at," Theo promised, walking her directly towards the castle, still thrown over his shoulder.

"I'm going to kill Malfoy," Stella promised.

"We'll help," Blaise growled. "Your parents are practically saints. They don't deserve all that."

"Had it not been for me seeing that bludger hit you, I would have gone at him myself," Theo admitted.

"Who hit the bludger?"

"Crabbe."

"He's off first line."

Harry and the twins were banned from Quidditch and were sulking when Stella found out, rushing as fast as she could with her injured back to Gryffindor tower.

"It's just unfair," said Alicia. "I mean, what about Crabbe and that bludger that he'd aimed at you after the whistle had been blown? Has she banned him?"

"Stella kicked him off first line," Ginny offered.

"Kicked him off the team," Stella corrected as she joined them, flinching as she sat down. "Theo's reserve now."

"Are you alright?" Fred asked, seeming rather worried.

"Fine. Also, Malfoy's in the hospital wing. Apparently if you hit someone with an 'Anteocultia,' 'Densaugeo,' and a 'Stenius' all at once, you end up sneezing antlers and your own teeth. Who knew? He'll be eating nothing but mashed potatoes for the next two months while his teeth grow back."

"Brilliant," Harry actually cracked a smile.

"You let them sing that song," Ron glared.

"I let them sing most of the song. Did not know that Malfoy had added in the 'born in a bin' bit until I heard it on the field," Stella told him.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because I told Malfoy to stop talking about our parents?"

"No. Why did you let them sing the song at all?"

"Because I like to win and you were already nervous. You were an easy target," Stella shrugged. "Honestly, Ron. You have got to calm down or you truly will just keep giving other teams the win."

Stella left after that, not feeling as welcomed anymore as she slowly left the tower. She stopped to get her breath halfway to the dungeons. Stella sighed, fiddling with her ring and telling Sirius everything that had happened.

'A lifetime ban?' Sirius asked.

'I'm fine, by the way. Thanks.'

'Sorry, Stella…'

Stella didn't respond to Sirius for the rest of the night. She even debated taking the damn thing off as she laid in bed before hearing the lullaby being sang to her. Instead, she went to the boys dorm, knocking softly before Goyle opened the door, giving a glare when he realized it was her.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Who is it?" Theo asked, going to the door and eyes widening when he saw Stella. "What's wrong?"

"Do you have bruise cream?" she asked him.

"Come on," Theo nodded, waving Stella in.

"I didn't get you that badly," Crabbe rolled his eyes.

Stella ignored him, going to Blaise's bed and sitting down. Blaise helped Stella out of her over shirt as Theo rummaged through his healing potions until he found the bruise salve, passing the container over to Blaise and going back to his bed. Blaise closed his curtain, sitting behind Stella and helping her lift her tank top before slowly applying the salve to her back, a large, black bruise to the right of her spine. Madam Pomfrey had given her a minor pain potion that had only lasted half an hour earlier, not realizing just how bad the bruise was.

Stella hissed when the salve touched her and Blaise froze.

"Sorry," he whispered.

"Didn't hurt," she shook her head. "Cold."

Blaise let out a quiet chuckle and rubbed the salve between his hands for a moment before continuing.

"Better?" he asked.

"Yeah," she nodded, sending a small smile over her shoulder.

"How's your crush on Potter?" Blaise asked as he worked.

"Gone," she told him. "Getting ignored and then yelled at kind of killed it."

"Are the two of you still fighting?"

"I don't know," she sighed. "I mean, he's my friend… I think."

"Did he apologize?"

"Nope."

Blaise didn't say anything else as he finished. Stella sighed, leaning back against Blaise and thanking him quietly. Blaise moved them a bit so they were lying next to one another instead, pulling the blanket over them and holding her close.

'Sleep now, my star, under the night sky. When you wake, they'll be no reason to cry. The moon will watch… over you. And then, My love, I'll join you soon.'

Stella drifted off to sleep as Sirius sang to her, safe in Blaise's arms, and she found herself smiling when she woke the next day. Blaise was still asleep and the sun hadn't risen in the sky. She turned her head slightly, seeing his face having relaxed in his sleep. She gave a gentle smile before sitting up, pulling her over shirt back on and heading out of the boys dorm.

'You awake?' she asked Sirius once she was back in her own dorm, her dormmates all asleep.

'I am. And I'm sorry. For everything. Remus was right. I'll do better, be better in the future.'

'I'm going to hold you to it.'

'I'd be disappointed if you didn't.'

She ended up sneaking off to Hogsmeade again, running through the snow to get to the house. Sirius smiled and allowed her in.

"I think you might sneak out of the castle more than I did when I was in school," Sirius joked.

"Well, I've got to break the record, don't I?" Stella joked. "I brought you a few of Fred and George's inventions so you can take a look at them."

Stella explained each sweet to Sirius and he listened with interest.

"Amazing," Sirius laugh. "I wish we'd had these when I was in school."

"They're trying to make something that'll let you daydream in class more freely as well," Stella told him. "They're brilliant, I tell you."

The two ended up on the couch sipping tea in front of the fire.

"Where's Uncle Moony?" Stella asked curiously.

"Dumbledore sent him on a mission to talk to werewolf packs," Sirius shrugged.

"Well, that sounds lovely," Stella grumbled.

"He hates it," Sirius sighed. "Most of the werewolves have given into their… desires so to speak. He once described it as a giant orgy."

"Ew," Stella wrinkled her nose and set her tea down. "Do not need that mental image."

Sirius laughed loudly, head thrown back.

"So, after the holidays, I'll be staying in Grimmauld again," Sirius told her. "The house will still be here if you, Blaise, Theo, or the others need to get away."

"Thanks," Stella smiled as Sirius passed her a key.

"I'm heading out tomorrow to get the house ready for Christmas. I hope you'll join me there? Blaise and Theo are more than welcome to come as well. I mean, they do live there now after all."

"Of course, Da," Stella smiled before frowning. "What classes did you take during your fifth year?"

"Runes, Arithmancy, and Muggle Studies. Why?"

"In Muggle Studies, did you have to do a summer project?" Stella asked him.

"I did," he nodded.

"What was it?"

"My motorbike," he smiled. "What were you thinking for your project?"

"No clue honestly. A motorbike sounds rad, though," Stella smiled back.

"We'll look for one over the summer and I'll teach you how to take it apart and put it back together," Sirius promised, eyes shining at the idea.

"Maybe we can stay somewhere else this summer?" Stella asked. "I understand why Grimmauld is being used but it's not the healthiest place for you to stay. I know it has painful memories for you."

"Well, there is a property East Sheen…" Sirius thought it over. "I'll go check on it before summer starts, get it cleaned up."

December arrived, bringing with it more snow and a positive avalanche of homework for the fifth years. Theo was called in as prefect to help hang decorations, which made Stella laugh loudly when he returned with garland and glitter on him before he stood over her, shaking his hair and robes out so the glitter rained on her. Stella snuck around the school, hanging up mistletoe again for people to get stuck under. Stella also began working on her mum's gift. She was knitting a Weasley sweater for her Mum, something that none of them had somehow thought to do before.

Ginny rushed over to Stella one day and dragged her away to an empty classroom.

"What?" Stella asked with a laugh, Ginny's excitement radiating off of her.

"I've been made seeker," Ginny told her.

"Oh, my Gods!" Stella yelled, pulling Ginny into a tight hug. "Oh, I'm so proud of you!"

"We should get to the meeting," Ginny smiled brightly and the two took off together, reaching the Room of Requirement and skipping in together.

"Mistletoe," Luna told Harry and he jumped away from her. "Good thinking. It's probably full of nargles."

That reminded Stella. She and Ginny were the last ones in so Stella waved her wand behind her, putting mistletoe up somewhere near the door.

"Okay," Harry said, calling them all to order. "I thought this evening we should just go over the things we've done so far, because it's the last meeting before the holidays and there's no point starting anything new right before a three-week break —"

"We're not doing anything new?" said Zacharias Smith, in a disgruntled whisper loud enough to carry through the room. "If I'd known that, I wouldn't have come. . . ."

"We're all really sorry Harry didn't tell you, then," said Fred loudly.

Stella, Ginny, and Luna giggled.

"We can practice in pairs," said Harry. "We'll start with the Impediment Jinx, just for ten minutes, then we can get out the cushions and try Stunning again."

Stella worked with Neville again, who had gotten much better with a wand that was actually for him. After ten minutes on the Impediment Jinx, they laid out cushions all over the floor and started practicing Stunning again. Space was really too confined to allow them all to work this spell at once; half the group observed the others for a while, then swapped over. At the end of the hour, Harry called a halt.

"You're getting really good," he said, beaming around at them. "When we get back from the holidays we can start doing some of the big stuff — maybe even Patronuses."

A murmur of excitement went through the room and everyone began dispersing. Stella had forgotten about the damn mistletoe and was glaring up at it where she was stuck.

"What's wrong?" Blaise asked.

"No, wait!" Stella tried but it was too late. "Damn it, Blaise."

"Damn me? You're the one who put these everywhere," Blaise reminded her.

Stella glared at Blaise and he smirked.

"Come now, Black. I can't be that bad," he joked.

A wolf whistle sounded and Stella turned, finding quite a few people staring at them. Ron and the twins looked rather angry and Theo was trying hard not to laugh, having to bite his lip and look away so he wouldn't. Harry was rather red as he stared at them, mouth slightly open in shock.

"The longer we stand here…" Blaise reminded her.

"Oh shut it," Stella rolled her eyes and Blaise could see the nerves that she was hiding.

Blaise took Stella's face gently in his hands and stared into her eyes.

"I've got you," he whispered to her and Stella heard Lavender Brown and Padma Patil 'aww' loudly at them. "Just trust me."

"Of course, I trust you," Stella whispered back and the 'aww's got louder.

Blaise gave her a smile and leaned in close, stopping just before their lips touched. She nodded and he closed the distance between them. His lips were softer than Stella had anticipated and he held her face gently. Stella wasn't sure exactly what to do so she copied him the best she could. They both felt the spell on the mistletoe break and snow onto their heads. Blaise pulled away slowly, almost reluctantly, and the two stared at each other for a moment. Everyone seemed to understand that they were intruding now and began leaving quickly in small groups.

Theo walked slightly behind Stella and Blaise as the three headed towards the dungeons, none of them speaking as they went. Blaise went straight to his dorm room, Theo chasing after him as Stella knocked on Snape's office door, the two having a meeting time set up a week earlier. He called for her to enter and Stella went to her chair silently.

"Black?"

"Sorry, sir?" Stella's head popped up.

"Has something happened?"

"Nope," Stella blushed. "Sorry, sir. I found something that I wanted to ask you about."

"Is this one of your eleven questions that you have yet to ask me?"

"We can count it as one," she shrugged. "I remember you mentioning a branch of magic once and I came across it in a book recently. I was hoping you could teach it to me?"

"What is the branch of magic?"

"Legilimency and Occlumency," Stella told him.

"You wish to know how to occlude?" Snape asked.

"I do. I was hoping there were books I could read and then you could help me learn after the holidays?" Stella asked.

"I will send you some books over the holidays and, if you would like, we can begin now?"

"Really?" Stella asked, brightening.

"Don't get excited. It will not be pleasant. Reading about the subject will only get you so far though. It's a practical type of magic. You will need to discipline your mind and create a barrier to hide your memories and thoughts behind. I will say that the Black family is known for having natural shields though, so you may have an easier time than others have in the past, myself included."

"Well, that feels a bit unfair," Stella frowned before shrugging. "What do I need to do."

"Let's stand. Wand in hand, now. Clear your mind and empty yourself of emotions," Snape said before pointing his wand at Stella. "Three… Two… One… Legilimens."

Stella was caught off guard by the sudden spell. She felt as if she were floating for a moment before pain hit her. Blaise's kiss was the first thing on her mind, being revealed to Snape in a second. Flashes of memories with Blaise and Theo went through her mind; the three laughing on the train, doing homework in front of the fire, sitting on top of each other in the house in Hogsmeade, both holding Theo after a nightmare, watching fireworks go off by the lake, Stella catching Blaise staring at her a few times, openly flirting with her every chance he got.

"Ow," Stella complained when Snape came out of her head, slowly getting back to her feet. "That was a terrible warning."

"I'm afraid it's the best way to learn," Snape told her with a sigh. "How long have you and Zabini been an item?"

"We aren't," Stella told him. "We got stuck under mistletoe just a bit ago."

"Yes. I found a few third years stuck under some earlier," Snape rolled his eyes. "Again?"

"Give me a moment," Stella closed her eyes, trying to clear everything from her mind before opening her eyes and nodding to Snape.

This time, it was her parents in her mind. Sirius hugging Harry and walking away from Stella, Molly slapping her, Arthur angry for her and facing off against Lucius Malfoy, Remus beaming proudly, Snape smirking as he gave her points.

"Oh, my God. Why is that so terrible?" she questioned before standing again.

"I am digging into your mind," he reminded her.

"Still," she complained.

"When did the altercation between yourself and Molly happen?" Snape asked, eyes narrowed slightly.

"It was just before the World Cup," Stella shrugged before lying. "It's fine. We've talked about it."

Snape took a deep breath and then nodded, waiting for Stella to gather herself and nod. She took a few deep breaths, remembering what Snape had said about walls. She imagined the castle with its wards and stone walls and imagined it held her memories. The important ones were hidden in secret passageways and behind tapestries, the classrooms holding random bits of information. She opened her eyes and nodded.

"Legilimens."

Snape found her castle and smirked, impressed with what she'd thought of already. Nothing was truly hidden yet but it was a good foundation to start with. The Black's and their natural skill towards occlumency were definitely showing. He saw flashes of Stella and the Weasley children playing as kids, singing sea chanties and pretending to bury buried treasure that was actually just some of Molly Weasley's pots and pans. Next, Stella was tossing garden gnomes and gathering eggs before helping cook meals in the Burrow. These memories were warm and happy, a feeling of content settling over the both of them. Snape pulled out of her mind and caught her as she fell.

"Easy," he told her, helping her to a chair. "That's enough for tonight. When you go to bed, I want you to practice clearing your mind and building your shields."

"Okay," Stella nodded, slightly out of breath.

"Here," he passed her a pain potion. "This will help."

"Thank you, sir," she smiled, drinking the potion quickly.

"Off you go," he sent her away.

Stella smirked and left to the common room. She went up to her room, and took a long, hot shower before laying down for bed, ready to pass out for the night after having had someone rustling around in her mind for an hour. She was woken far too early by Snape shaking her shoulder.

"Sir?" she asked and he placed his finger over his mouth, quieting her.

She slipped on her slippers and silk robe, putting her wand in her pocket, before following Snape through the school and to the headmaster's office, getting there at the same time as McGonagall, who was followed by the twins and Ginny. Snape left her with them and headed in a different direction. Harry and Ron were inside with Dumbledore when they entered.

"Harry — what's going on?" asked Ginny, who looked frightened. "Professor McGonagall says you saw Dad hurt —"

"Your father has been injured in the course of his work for the Order of the Phoenix," said Dumbledore before Harry could speak. "He has been taken to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. I am sending you back to Sirius's house, which is much more convenient for the hospital than the Burrow. You will meet your mother there."

"How're we going?" asked Fred, looking shaken. "Floo powder?"

"No," said Dumbledore, "Floo powder is not safe at the moment, the network is being watched. You will be taking a Portkey."

He indicated the old kettle lying innocently on his desk.

"We are just waiting for Phineas Nigellus to report back. . . . I wish to be sure that the coast is clear before sending you —"

There was a flash of flame in the very middle of the office, leaving behind a single golden feather that floated gently to the floor.

"It is Fawkes's warning," said Dumbledore, catching the feather as it fell. "She must know you're out of your beds. . . . Minerva, go and head her off — tell her any story —"

Professor McGonagall was gone in a swish of tartan.

"He says he'll be delighted," said a bored voice behind Dumbledore; the wizard called Phineas had reappeared in front of his Slytherin banner. "My great-great-grandson has always had odd taste in houseguests. . . ."

"Come here, then," Dumbledore said to Harry and the Weasleys. "And quickly, before anyone else joins us . . ."

Harry and the others gathered around Dumbledore's desk.

"You have all used a Portkey before?" asked Dumbledore, and they nodded, each reaching out to touch some part of the blackened kettle. "Good. On the count of three then . . . one . . . two . . .three."

Stella's knees buckled when she hit the floor and she was lifted to her feet again quickly by Sirius. They were in the gloomy basement of Grimmauld. The only sources of light were the fire and one candle, which illuminated the remains of a solitary supper. Kreacher was standing just at the door, staring at Stella in concern. She nodded at him, letting him know she was alright.

"What's going on?" Sirius asked. "Phineas Nigellus said Arthur's been badly injured—"

"Ask Harry," said Fred.

"Yeah, I want to hear this for myself," said George.

Stella, Ginny, Fred, and George all turned to Harry, waiting for an explanation.

"It was- I had a- a kind of- vision…"

He went into the details and Stella felt she was going to be sick. Harry was getting visions somehow pertaining to Voldemort and now Arthur… The man who had raised her, her dad, was in St. Mungos. Fred, George, and Ginny continued to stare at him for a moment but Stella turned away, hiding her face in Sirius's shoulder.

"Is Mum here?" said Fred, turning to Sirius.

"She probably doesn't even know what's happened yet," said Sirius. "The important thing was to get you away before Umbridge could interfere. I expect Dumbledore's letting Molly know now."

"We've got to go to St. Mungo's," said Ginny urgently.

Stella looked around at her siblings; they were of course still in their pajamas.

"Sirius, can you lend us cloaks or anything — ?" Ginny said, noticing as well.

"Hang on, you can't go tearing off to St. Mungo's!" said Sirius.

" 'Course we can go to St. Mungo's if we want," said Fred, with a mulish expression, "he's our dad!"

"And how are you going to explain how you knew Arthur was attacked before the hospital even let his wife know?"

"What does that matter?" said George hotly.

"It matters because we don't want to draw attention to the fact that Harry is having visions of things that are happening hundreds of miles away!" said Sirius angrily. "Have you any idea what the Ministry would make of that information?"

Fred and George looked as though they could not care less what the Ministry made of anything. Ron was still white-faced and silent. Ginny said, "Somebody else could have told us. . . . We could have heard it somewhere other than Harry. . . ."

"Like who?" said Sirius impatiently. "Listen, your dad's been hurt while on duty for the Order and the circumstances are fishy enough without his children knowing about it seconds after it happened, you could seriously damage the Order's —"

"We don't care about the dumb Order!" shouted Fred.

"It's our dad dying we're talking about!" yelled George.

"Your father knew what he was getting into, and he won't thank you for messing things up for the Order!" said Sirius angrily in his turn. "This is how it is — this is why you're not in the Order — you don't understand — there are things worth dying for!"

"STOP!" Stella screamed and everyone looked at her. "I know that we're all scared right now but he's right. There's no way that we should know right now. We need to wait—"

"Easy for you to say!" bellowed Fred. "Your dad is standing right next to you!"

Stella took a step back, shocked. Fred slowly realized what he said and horror appeared on his face.

"Stella, I'm sorry—"

"I'm going to bed," she stated, turning and leaving the room to head up the stairs to her room.

Stella flopped onto her bed, hiding her face in her pillow and letting out a scream that turned into a sob. All of the stress and fear that she was feeling came out, all of the pain and hurt. She wanted Blaise and Theo but they were still at Hogwarts, resting peacefully in their beds and would wake up to find Stella missing. She got up and found some parchment and a spare quill in her desk in the corner of the room and wrote out notes for both of them, letting them know that something had happened to her dad, 'the Weasley one' she specified, and she'd left the castle early and she would see them when they arrived in two days.

"Kreacher?" Stella asked and the elf appeared. "Will you please deliver these notes for me? One for Blaise and one for Theo."

"Yes, Miss," Kreacher bowed before disappearing with the letters.

Stella had nightmares when she finally fell asleep, something she hadn't dealt with in a long time. She woke up at four in the morning, unable to breath as she fell out of her bed. She got to her window and forced it open, sticking her head out of it for the fresh air. Footsteps were heard coming down the hall and Stella pulled back slightly so she could still get air but so it didn't look like she was trying to throw herself out the window as everyone ran in.

"I'm fine," she said immediately. "Nightmare. I'm fine."

Ron reached her first, checking her over before slowly pulling her away from the window. His arms were wrapped around her protectively as he led her out of the room. Harry shut the window and followed them all out, Sirius staring at Stella with concern.

It was almost an hour later that Molly showed up, looking extremely pale as she entered the kitchen where they were all sitting around the table together.

"He's going to be all right," she said, her voice weak with tiredness. "He's sleeping. We can all go and see him later. Bill's sitting with him now, he's going to take the morning off work."

Fred fell back into his chair with his hands over his face. George and Ginny got up, walked swiftly over to their mother, and hugged her. Ron gave a very shaky laugh and downed the rest of his butterbeer in one. Stella laid her head down on the table, letting out a relieved sigh.

"Breakfast!" said Sirius loudly and joyfully, jumping to his feet. "Where's that accursed house-elf? Kreacher! KREACHER!"

"Kreacher?" Stella asked, voice soft and the elf appeared. "Will you help us make some breakfast, please?"

"Yes, Miss," Kreacher nodded and snapped his fingers.

Pots and pans floated around the room and food began cooking immediately. Stella thanked Kreacher as she stood, accepting her mum's hug and holding her tightly. Mum hugged Ron next before pulling Harry into a tight embrace and whispering to him.

"Oh, Sirius, I'm so grateful. . . . They think he'll be there a little while and it would be wonderful to be nearer . . . Of course, that might mean we're here for Christmas. . . ."

"The more the merrier!" said Sirius with such obvious sincerity that Mrs. Weasley beamed at him, threw on an apron, and began to help with breakfast.

"Sirius," Harry muttered. "Can I have a quick word? Er — now?"

The two left, speaking in the pantry for a bit as Stella, Kreacher, and Molly made breakfast for everyone, returning a bit later. After everyone ate, Stella went up to her room and Kreacher appeared, passing notes to Stella; one from Theo and one from Blaise. She thanked Kreacher and he popped away. She opened the one from Theo first.

'Stell- I hope your dad's alright. I let Hermione know as well and she asks that you send word once you know what's happening. Are you alright? We'll see you soon. -Teddy'

'Stella, I am so sorry. I hope he's okay. We'll be there soon. With love, Blaise'

Stella sighed as she put the notes away in her scrapbook. It's where she'd been keeping everything important to her lately. He letters from the both of them over the summer were sitting in there as well. She debated laying down and getting some more sleep but she wasn't tired anymore. She'd probably be awake until Blaise and Theo got to her, too stressed for anything else.

She changed into Muggle jeans and one of Blaise's sweaters along with her winter boots before tying her hair up in a messy bun on her head. Everybody except Harry was riotously happy and talkative as they changed out of their robes into jeans and sweatshirts, and they greeted Tonks and Mad-Eye, who had turned up to escort them across London, gleefully laughing at the bowler hat Mad-Eye was wearing at an angle to conceal his magical eye and assuring him, truthfully, that Tonks, whose hair was short and bright pink again, would attract far less attention on the underground.

"Not far from here," grunted Moody as they stepped out into the wintry air on a broad store-lined street packed with Christmas shoppers. He pushed Harry a little ahead of him and stumped along just behind; Stella knew the eye was rolling in all directions under the tilted hat.

"Wasn't easy to find a good location for a hospital. Nowhere in Diagon Alley was big enough and we couldn't have it underground like the Ministry — unhealthy. In the end they managed to get hold of a building up here. Theory was sick wizards could come and go and just blend in with the crowd. . . ."

They had arrived outside a large, old-fashioned, red brick department store called Purge and Dowse Ltd. The place had a shabby, miserable air; the window displays consisted of a few chipped dummies with their wigs askew, standing at random and modeling fashions at least ten years out of date. Large signs on all the dusty doors read closed for refurbishment. Stella distinctly heard a large woman laden with plastic shopping bags say to her friend as they passed, "It's never open, that place. . . ."

"Right," said Tonks, beckoning them forward to a window displaying nothing but a particularly ugly female dummy whose false eyelashes were hanging off and who was modeling a green nylon pinafore dress. "Everybody ready?"

Stella walked through the glass with Tonks, Molly, and Ginny.

They had arrived in what seemed to be a crowded reception area where rows of witches and wizards sat upon rickety wooden chairs, some looking perfectly normal and perusing out-of-date copies of Witch Weekly, others sporting gruesome disfigurements such as elephant trunks or extra hands sticking out of their chests. The room was scarcely less quiet than the street outside, for many of the patients were making very peculiar noises.

A sweaty-faced witch in the center of the front row, who was fanning herself vigorously with a copy of the Daily Prophet, kept letting off a high-pitched whistle as steam came pouring out of her mouth, and a grubby-looking warlock in the corner clanged like a bell every time he moved, and with each clang his head vibrated horribly, so that he had to seize himself by the ears and hold it steady.

Witches and wizards in lime-green robes were walking up and down the rows, asking questions and making notes on clipboards like Umbridge's. They had crest embroidered on their chests: a wand and bone, crossed.

"Are they doctors?" Harry asked Ron quietly.

"Doctors?" said Ron, looking startled. "Those Muggle nutters that cut people up? Nah, they're Healers."

"Over here!" called Mum over the renewed clanging of the warlock in the corner, and they followed her to the queue in front of a plump blonde witch seated at a desk marked inquiries. The wall behind her was covered in notices and posters saying things like 'A Clean Cauldron Keeps Potions From Becoming Poisons' and 'Antidotes Are Anti-Don'ts Unless Approved by a Qualified Healer.'

Meanwhile, at the front of the queue, a young wizard was performing an odd on-the-spot jig and trying, in between yelps of pain, to explain his predicament to the witch behind the desk.

"It's these — ouch — shoes my brother gave me — ow — they're eating my — OUCH — feet — look at them, there must be some kind of — AARGH — jinx on them and I can't — AAAAARGH — get them off —"

He hopped from one foot to the other as though dancing on hot coals.

"The shoes don't prevent you reading, do they?" said the blonde witch irritably, pointing at a large sign to the left of her desk. "You want Spell Damage, fourth floor. Just like it says on the floor guide. Next!"

"Hello," she said. "My husband, Arthur Weasley, was supposed to be moved to a different ward this morning, could you tell us — ?"

"Arthur Weasley?" said the witch, running her finger down a long list in front of her. "Yes, first floor, second door on the right, Dai Llewellyn ward."

"Thank you," said Mum. "Come on, you lot."

They followed through the double doors and along the narrow corridor beyond, which was lined with more portraits of famous Healers and lit by crystal bubbles full of candles that floated up on the ceiling, looking like giant soapsuds. More witches and wizards in lime-green robes walked in and out of the doors they passed; a foul-smelling yellow gas wafted into the passageway as they passed one door, and every now and then they heard distant wailing.

They climbed a flight of stairs and entered the "Creature-Induced Injuries" corridor, where the second door on the right bore the words "Dangerous" Dai Llewellyn Ward: Serious Bites. Underneath this was a card in a brass holder on which had been handwritten 'Healer-in-Charge: Hippocrates Smethwyck, Trainee Healer: Augustus Pye.'

"We'll wait outside, Molly," Tonks said. "Arthur won't want too many visitors at once. . . . It ought to be just the family first."

Mad-Eye growled his approval of this idea and set himself with his back against the corridor wall, his magical eye spinning in all directions. Harry drew back too, as if about to head to Sirius's side but Mum reached out a hand and pushed him through the door, saying, "Don't be silly, Harry, Arthur wants to thank you. . . ."

The ward was small and rather dingy as the only window was narrow and set high in the wall facing the door. Most of the light came from more shining crystal bubbles clustered in the middle of the ceiling. There were only three patients. Dad was occupying the bed at the far end of the ward beside the tiny window. He looked around as they walked toward him and, seeing who it was, beamed.

"Hello!" he called, throwing the Prophet aside. "Bill just left, Molly, had to get back to work, but he says he'll drop in on you later. . . ."

"How are you, Arthur?" asked Mum, bending down to kiss his cheek and looking anxiously into his face. "You're still looking a bit peaky. . . ."

"I feel absolutely fine," he answered brightly, holding out his good arm to give Ginny a hug. "If they could only take the bandages off, I'd be fit to go home."

"Why can't they take them off, Dad?" asked Fred.

"Well, I start bleeding like mad every time they try," said Dad cheerfully, reaching across for his wand, which lay on his bedside cabinet, and waving it so that seven extra chairs appeared at his bedside to seat them all. "It seems there was some rather unusual kind of poison in that snake's fangs that keeps wounds open. . . . They're sure they'll find an antidote, though, they say they've had much worse cases than mine, and in the meantime I just have to keep taking a Blood-Replenishing Potion every hour. But that fellow over there," he said, dropping his voice and nodding toward the bed opposite in which a man lay looking green and sickly and staring at the ceiling. "Bitten by a werewolf, poor chap. No cure at all."

"A werewolf?" whispered Mum, looking alarmed. "Is he safe in a public ward? Shouldn't he be in a private room?"

Stella immediately glared at her.

"It's two weeks till full moon," Dad reminded her quietly. "They've been talking to him this morning, the Healers, you know, trying to persuade him he'll be able to lead an almost normal life. I said to him — didn't mention names, of course — but I said I knew a werewolf personally, very nice man, who finds the condition quite easy to manage. . . ."

"What did he say?" asked George

"Said he'd give me another bite if I didn't shut up," said Mr. Weasley sadly. "And that woman over there," he indicated the only other occupied bed, which was right beside the door, "won't tell the Healers what bit her, which makes us all think it must have been something she was handling illegally. Whatever it was took a real chunk out of her leg, very nasty smell when they take off the dressings."

"So, you going to tell us what happened, Dad?" asked Fred, pulling his chair closer to the bed.

"Well, you already know, don't you?" said Dad, with a significant smile at Harry. "It's very simple — I'd had a very long day, dozed off, got sneaked up on, and bitten."

"Is it in the Prophet, you being attacked?" asked Fred, indicating the newspaper that dad had cast aside.

"No, of course not. The ministry wouldn't want everyone to know a great serpent got—"

"Arthur!"

"-got -er- me."

"So where were you when it happened?" Stella asked.

"That's my business," he dismissed with a small smile. "I was just reading about Willy Widdershins's arrest when you arrived. You know Willy turned out to be behind those regurgitating toilets last summer? One of his jinxes backfired, the toilet exploded, and they found him lying unconscious in the wreckage covered from head to foot in —"

"When you say you were 'on duty,' " Fred interrupted in a low voice, "what were you doing?"

"You heard your father," whispered Mum. "We are not discussing this here. Go on about Willy Widdershins, Arthur."

"Well, don't ask me how, but he actually got off on the toilet charge. I can only suppose gold changed hands."

"You were guarding it, weren't you?" said George quietly. "The weapon? The thing You-Know-Who's after?"

"George, be quiet!" Mum snapped.

"Anyway!" Dad raised his voice. "This time Willy's been caught selling biting doorknobs to Muggles, and I don't think he'll be able to worm his way out of it because according to this article, two Muggles have lost fingers and are now in St. Mungo's for emergency bone regrowth and memory modification. Just think of it, Muggles in St. Mungo's! I wonder which ward they're in?"

"Didn't you say You-Know-Who's got a snake, Harry?" asked Fred, looking at his father for a reaction. "A massive one? You saw it the night he returned, didn't you?"

"That's enough," and Stella knew they were about to get ran off. "Mad-Eye and Tonks are outside, Arthur, they want to come and see you. You lot can wait outside and come say goodbye afterwards. Go on."

They traded places with the adults and Fred began rummaging in his pockets.

"Looking for these?" said George, holding out what looked like a tangle of flesh-colored string.

"You read my mind," said Fred, grinning. "Let's see if St. Mungo's puts Imperturbable Charms on its ward doors, shall we?"

He and George disentangled the string and separated five Extendable Ears from each other. Fred and George handed them around. Harry hesitated as he was handed one but Stella was left out.

"Go on, Harry, take it! You saved Dad's life, if anyone's got the right to eavesdrop on him it's you. . . ." said Ron.

Grinning in spite of himself, Harry took the end of the string and inserted it into his ear as the twins had done.

"Okay, go!" Fred whispered.

It was a minute later that Harry pulled the Extendable Eat out of his own and looked around at the others.

"What is it?" Stella asked.

"They said that they think You-Know-Who is possessing him," Ron whispered as he continued listening.

"Even if that were true, which it isn't, you still didn't attack Dad. You were at the school, Harry," Stella told him, forcing him to think about it logically.

Harry looked unbelieving and Stella sighed, knowing that nothing she said would help.

"Are you all right, Harry, dear?" whispered Mum, leaning across Ginny to speak to him as the train rattled along through its dark tunnel. "You don't look very well. Are you feeling sick?"

They were all watching him. He shook his head violently and stared up at an advertisement for home insurance.

"Harry, dear, are you sure you're all right?" said Mum in a worried voice, as they walked around the unkempt patch of grass in the middle of Grimmauld Place. "You look ever so pale. . . . Are you sure you slept this morning? You go upstairs to bed right now, and you can have a couple of hours' sleep before dinner, all right?"

He nodded; here was a ready-made excuse not to talk to any of the others, which was precisely what he wanted, so when she opened the front door he proceeded straight past the troll's leg umbrella stand and up the stairs and hurried into his and Ron's bedroom.

The next day, Stella smiled as she helped put up Christmas decorations, Sirius having gone out and bought a bunch to replace the sad ones he'd found in the attic a few days before their arrival. At six o'clock in the evening the doorbell rang and Stella rolled her eyes as Sirius went to answer the door so that Blaise and Theo could get in.

"Oh, Hermione! You've come, too!" Sirius said happily and Stella and Ron ran to the entrance way, smiling as Hermione, Blaise, and Theo walked in.

"Shouldn't we be asking them questions?" Stella smirked, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against the wall. "Make sure they're them?"

"Do you want us to start spilling all your secrets?" Theo asked.

"And in front of your father, no less?" Blaise joked.

"It's them," Stella rolled her eyes.

"We still don't know about Hermione," Ron complained.

"Honestly, Ronald," Hermione rolled her eyes, hand-in-hand with Theo.

"It's her," Ron smirked.

"Come in, come in," Sirius laughed and the three teens walked in.

"Divide and conquer?" Stella asked Ron with a sigh.

"I'll have Hermione get Harry to come out of Buckbeak's room. Us and Ginny will deal with Harry. You fill them in," Ron nodded.

"On it," Stella smiled, grabbing Blaise's hand, who grabbed Theo's as she led them away, Theo and Hermione giving each other amused looks as they released each other. "Come on."

Stella, Theo, and Blaise ended up in her room, Stella explaining everything to them. Both were beyond confused by Harry having seen what had happened but also relieved because it meant that Arthur would live. They told Stella that Umbridge was furious that they'd all disappeared right under her nose and Stella had laughed, feeling a bit accomplished for that at least.

The three ended up not separating from one another for a while, sleeping in Stella's room wrapped around one another. Sirius about had a heart attack when he'd found them the next morning before Hermione had walked into the room, looking a bit confused before smiling.

"I was wondering where you were," she told Theo.

"Sorry," he blushed, thinking he was going to be in trouble.

"Honestly, I don't know why I didn't look here first," Hermione laughed. "You three are always together."

"Bit like you, Harry, and Ron in that sense," Stella smirked as she stretched.

"I'm sorry?" Sirius asked, eyes still wide.

"Sorry," Stella flinched a bit. "Doesn't happen often. Just when one of us is a bit too stressed."

"Draco used to be included in the slumber parties but he's talked badly about Mr. and Mrs. Weasley a few too many times now," Blaise shrugged.

Theo left with Hermione and Blaise went to get dressed. Sirius stared at Stella for a bit, chewing his lip before settling a bit and leaving as well. Stella got changed, wearing Theo's sweater this time as she walked out of her room at the same time that Blaise was coming back to it.

"Sorry," they said at the same time before letting out nervous laughs.

"So, um…" Blaise started.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Stella asked nervously.

"We don't have to if you don't want to," he told her, seeming a bit panicked.

"Last time I didn't talk about one of my best friends kissing me, I ended up getting hurt," Stella admitted. "I think it would be better to get the awkward conversation out of the way."

"That's fair," Blaise breathed and they went back into Stella's room where she shut the door so they'd have a bit of privacy.

"So, um…" Blaise started.

"You said that already," Stella smirked at him.

"So, I did," he nodded.

"Yeah," Stella nodded.

They stood silently for a moment before Blaise finally broke the silence.

"Can I kiss you again?"

"What?"

"Can I kiss you again?" he asked her. "I just… there were people around and there was mistletoe. I want to kiss you like you should be kissed."

"Like I should be kissed?" Stella repeated, eyes wide.

"Stella, I don't think you have any clue what sort of effect you have on people," Blaise smirked.

"Apparently not," she laughed.

"So, can I?" he asked, voice soft.

Stella thought it over for a minute.

Did she want Blaise to kiss her again? Blaise who was a bit of a charmer and had never actually had a girlfriend? Blaise who made out with three people at every party he went to? Blaise, who was one of her best friends, was always there for her, had never made her feel unloved or unwanted, and she trusted with her life?

Yes, yes she did want him to kiss her again.

"Yes," she breathed.

Blaise moved forward and cupped Stella's face with his hands. He leaned down and captured Stella's lips with his own, lips still soft against hers, though a bit more forceful this time around. He pressed her against the closed door, his body molding to hers. Stella let out a small noise when her back hit the door and Blaise pulled away slightly, both breathing heavily.

"I don't know what to do with my hands," she admitted with a laugh.

Blaise laughed as well before leaning in and kissing her again. His hands left her face and took hers, placing one on the back of his neck and the other on his chest. One of his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her body against his as the other wrapped in her hair. She felt his tongue brush her bottom lip and she gasped before Blaise's tongue entered her mouth. She copied his movements and Blaise let out a quiet moan, pushing his body against hers even more. Stella let out another gasp as his hand moved down, gripping her ass firmly.

His lips moved from hers and he kissed down to her neck. Stella arched into him, pressing her chest against his and letting out a quiet moan as he continued, his teeth moving against her skin every so often and causing sharp gasps to leave her. The hand on his chest moved around to his back, pressing him closer. His lips moved back up to hers and he kissed her roughly again, pressing her completely against the door.

They separated a few minutes later, both breathing heavily and staring into one another's eyes as they caught their breath. Blaise brushed her hair behind her ear as he stared into her eyes. They smiled at one another before leaving the room to join the others.

Christmas morning, Stella woke to a pile of presents at her feet. It was the first morning she'd woken alone since Blaise and Theo had arrived, the two sleeping on either side of her every night. She began opening her gifts, finding defense books from Remus and Sirius (though Stella knew it was more Remus than Sirius), a guitar from Remus, a leather jacket from Sirius, Occlumency books and a new journal from Snape, a planner from Hermione, a small, working model of a Firebolt, which Stella already had one of but didn't mind having another, and candy from Ron, trick sweets from Fred and George, and mince pies, fudge, and a hand-knitted, emerald green jumper with the letter 'S' in silver.

She popped a piece of fudge into her mouth before going to her last three gifts. Harry had gotten her a compass for her broom, decorated with Sirius's constellation. Theo gave her a vintage hair pin that looked like a snake, emeralds for eyes and fluorite for scales, which she immediately used to put her hair up in a bun. Blaise had gotten her a golden watch that looked like a snitch, causing her to let out a small laugh since she'd gotten him a pocket watch that had a quaffle on the front of it, a picture of her, him, and Theo inside of it. Blaise must have had the same idea, a picture of the three imprinted on the back of the watch.

After clasping the watch onto her wrist, Stella got dressed, pulling her jumper over her head and made sure her hair stayed in place in the process. She walked out of her room, rubbing her eyes a bit. She had noticed it was still dark as she walked down to the kitchen, deciding to start on breakfast so that Kreacher didn't have to do all of the work. She turned on the radio, made some tea, and got started on the blueberry cinnamon rolls, kneading the dough and letting it rise for a bit before kneading in the blueberries and letting it rest again. She peeled, cut, and boiled potatoes as she pulled four large skillets and a large baking pan out. She sliced mushrooms, cut cherry tomatoes in half, chopped an onion and bell pepper into tiny pieces, and sliced ham into small chunks. Once the potatoes were soft, she drained the water and fried them in oil and butter with the onion and bell pepper before rolling out the cinnamon roll dough and spreading a cinnamon-sugar/butter mixture across it with more blueberries and rolled the dough up before slicing the it into roll sized pieces.

She placed the cinnamon rolls in the baking dish and stoked the fire in the oven before putting the rolls in. She mixed the potato mix with the tomatoes, mushrooms, and ham, mixing in seasonings as she went, before portioning the mixture into skillets, making wells to crack eggs into, sprinkling salt and pepper onto the eggs.

She made an icing for the rolls with cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and heavy cream. Once she pulled the rolls out, she put the four skillets in, making sure the fire was hot enough as she stepped away. Once the rolls had cooled just a bit, she pulled two out, putting them on separate plates and adding frosting to each of them.

"Kreacher?" she called and the elf appeared, already wide awake and seeming confused.

"I'm making breakfast. Made some rolls to hold us over. Would you like one and some tea?" she asked softly.

"Miss is too kind," Kreacher shook his head.

"We're bound to one another, Kreacher," Stella shook her head. "We're supposed to take care of each other, not just you taking care of me. Come. We'll sit at the table together."

"Kreacher cannot sit at the table," he shook his head.

"Where can you sit?" Stella asked.

"Kreacher can sit on the floor," Kreacher told her.

"Kreacher, if I tell you that you can sit at the table with me, will you?"

"Only if Kreacher is ordered."

"I won't order you to do something you don't want to do unless I absolutely have to," Stella shook her head. "How about I get us some pillows and we sit on the floor together. Would that be alright?"

"Kreacher would accept that," he told her and Stella smiled.

"I'll be right back," she smiled before going to the sitting room and grabbing two throw pillows from the couch and hurrying back into the kitchen. "Alright. One for me, one for you. Which do you want?"

"Kreacher will take the black one."

Stella set the pillows down and Kreacher sat. Stella grabbed the plates and two cups of tea and set them between the pillows before sitting as well. She and Kreacher ate in peace as everyone else in the house began to wake. Mum made her way down first, fully prepared to start breakfast just to find Stella and Kreacher eating on the ground, rolls on the stove and hash in the oven.

Mum smiled, patting Stella's head as she went by her. She iced the rest of the rolls and moved them to the table. Kreacher snapped his fingers and the table set itself, plates and silverware flying over with cloth napkins, which folded themselves to look like trees. The kitchen was suddenly spotless as well, dust completely gone and no dust bunnies left under or in the hutch. The cold box was operating at full compacity now as well and the stove seemed to warm a bit more.

"You've been holding out on me, Kreacher," Stella smirked.

"Miss is nice to Kreacher. Treats Kreacher like equal. Kreacher will treat Miss with respect," Kreacher explained and Stella felt her heart soar a bit.

"Thank you, Kreacher," Stella smiled gently.

Molly watched the entire exchange, tears filling her eyes a bit and a smile on her face. Stella went to check the skillets and Kreacher told her it wasn't ready and he'd have it pulled out when it was.

"That's so cool," Stella smirked and Kreacher's ears flapped happily.

"KREACHER!" Sirius bellowed and Stella glared at the door.

"We're in here!" she called back and Sirius walked into the kitchen, seeming confused before his eyes landed on Stella and Kreacher sipping tea on the floor together.

His breath caught in his throat, remembering when Regulus would do the same with Kreacher when they were younger, causing a bond to form between the two. Kreacher had formed a bond with Stella the moment he'd seen her but it was different now. The entire house was suddenly clean and brighter than it had been just moments before and every room felt warmer. He knew Kreacher had done something but he didn't realize that it had been because of his Stella.

"How- What?" he asked, staring at the two.

"Kreacher and I just finished our rolls. There's some on the table if you want one. Breakfast will be done shorty," Stella told him.

"Oh," Sirius breathed, still staring at her strangely. "Okay. Thank you."

"Yeah," Stella smiled and Sirius went to the table.

Molly pat his shoulder as he passed her to sit at the head of the table. He pulled a roll onto his plate and took a bite, almost moaning at the taste.

"Kreacher, what did you put in these?" Sirius asked.

"I made them," Stella spoke up. "And they're blueberry."

"You made these?" Sirius asked in confusion.

"Yeah," Stella shrugged. "I also made the hash that's cooking."

"Duck, please," Kreacher requested and Stella, after years of playing Quidditch and living with older brothers, immediately did.

The skillets flew over to the table, serving spoons flying after them and pot holders slipping onto the handles. Everyone followed in not long after, the smell of food waking them. Stella made sure to grab a few extra rolls and pack them away to take to Dad in a few hours.

"Hoarding food?" Sirius smirked.

"I grew up with Ron. Ya snuck food or ya didn't eat," Stella joked.

"Hey!" Ron yelled.

"She's not wrong," Fred smirked.

"Oh!" Molly yelled, having just opened the gift from Stella. "Oh… I love it."

Stella smiled as Molly pulled the pink jumper on, tears in her eyes before she looked to Stella, smiling brightly.

A few hours later, they ended up at St. Mungos to see Arthur. Stella passed the roll to him and he smiled, pulling her in for a hug and thanking her. When Dad mentioned having gotten stitches, Stella moved with Remus over to the werewolf, who had been staring rather wistfully at their large crowd. The others fled the room as Mum began screaming but Stella just let out a quiet laugh, which Remus elbowed her lightly for, almost making her laugh louder.

"My name is Remus Lupin," he introduced himself. "A werewolf. And this is Stella Nova—"

"A menace," Stella smirked, shaking the man's hand.

The man couldn't help but smile at Stella. She pulled another roll from her pocket that she'd grabbed specifically in case the man was still there.

"I hope you like blueberry," she told him as she set it on his tray. "Made it fresh this morning."

"You don't have to give me your treat," he tried to argue.

"Nonsense," Stella waved him off. "I have a rather large tray of them at the house. Well, unless Teddy gets to them before we get home. Quite the sweet tooth on him."

The man gave a weak smile.

"My name is Walter," he told them.

"It's lovely to meet you Walter," Stella told him.

The man smiled a bit more at that. They made a bit of small talk before Stella excused herself, claiming the need to make sure the other teens weren't causing any trouble… without her.

"You have a wonderful daughter," Walter told Remus as Stella left.

"I do," Remus agreed, not having it in him to correct the man.

"… And you must be Hermione Granger?" a woman's voice spoke up and Stella followed the voice, finding Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione standing in front of Neville and an older woman that must be his grandmother. "Yes, Neville's told me all about you. Helped him out of a few sticky spots, haven't you? He's a good boy but he hasn't got his father's talent, I'm afraid to say…"

"What?" Ron asked and Stella sent an elbow into Ron's ribs so he'd stop trying to ogle patients.

"Hi, Neville. You must be Neville's grandmother, Lady Longbottom?" Stella smiled politely.

"Stella Black," Neville's grandmother gasped. "Oh, you are even more beautiful than I imagined."

"Thank you?" Stella asked.

"Neville's told me all about you, how kind you are," she smiled, shaking Stella's hand gently, "for a Slytherin."

Stella held in her comment and just nodded, not wanting to offend the woman.

"Is that your dad down at the end, Neville?" Ron asked and Stella stomped on his foot, getting him to actually stop this time.

"What's this?" said Mrs. Longbottom sharply. "Haven't you told your friends about your parents, Neville?"

Neville took a deep breath, looked up at the ceiling, and shook his head.

"Well, it's nothing to be ashamed of!" said Mrs. Longbottom angrily. "You should be proud, Neville, proud! They didn't give up their health and sanity so their only son would be ashamed of them, you know!"

"I'm not ashamed," said Neville faintly and Stella decided to step in.

"Neville told me," she lied quickly and Neville stared at her with wide eyes. "He isn't ashamed. He's very proud of them and to be their son, Mrs. Longbottom, of that I can assure you. And Neville has actually been getting much better in school. I'm sure you'll be very proud of his grades at the end of the year."

"Oh, well, I- yes Alice dear, what is it?"

Neville's mother had come edging down the ward in her nightdress. She no longer had the plump, happy-looking face that Stella had seen in the article she'd seen in the library her first year. Her face was thin and worn now, her eyes seemed overlarge, and her hair, which had turned white, was wispy and dead-looking. She did not seem to want to speak, or perhaps she was not able to, but she made timid motions toward Neville, holding something in her outstretched hand.

"Again?" said Mrs. Longbottom, sounding slightly weary. "Very well, Alice dear, very well — Neville, take it, whatever it is. . . ."

But Neville had already stretched out his hand, into which his mother dropped an empty Droobles Blowing Gum wrapper.

"Very nice, dear," said Neville's grandmother in a falsely cheery voice, patting his mother on the shoulder. But Neville said quietly, "Thanks Mum."

His mother tottered away, back up the ward, humming to herself. Neville looked around at the others except for Stella, his expression defiant as though daring them to laugh. Stella just gave a gentle smile, watching as Neville's mother wandered away.

"Well, we'd better get back," sighed Mrs. Longbottom, drawing on long green gloves. "Very nice to have met you all. Neville, put that wrapper in the bin, she must have given you enough of them to paper your bedroom by now. . . ."

But as they left, Stella was sure she saw Neville slip the wrapper into his pocket after giving her a thankful smile. She pat his shoulder gently as he went, giving him a soft smile and quietly wishing him a happy Christmas. The door closed behind them.

"I never knew," said Hermione, who looked tearful.

"Nor did I," said Ron rather hoarsely.

"Nor me," whispered Ginny.

They all looked at Harry.

"I did," he said glumly. "Dumbledore told me but I promised I wouldn't mention it . . . that's what Bellatrix Lestrange got sent to Azkaban for, using the Cruciatus Curse on Neville's parents until they lost their minds."

"I found an article about it my first year when I was trying to find information on Sirius," Stella explained.

There was a long silence, broken by Lockhart's angry voice. "Look, I didn't learn joined-up writing for nothing, you know!"

"Oh, hell no. Let's get out of here," Stella begged, dragging the others away.

On the last day of holidays, Stella was in the kitchen, preparing snacks for everyone for their return back to Hogwarts when Snape showed up.

"Miss Black," he spoke, causing her to jump.

"Sir," Stella said, hand on her chest. "Hi. What are you doing here?"

"He came to talk to Harry," Remus said, coming in behind him. "Do you mind if we take over the kitchen for a bit, Stella Nova?"

"She can stay," Snape stated. "She'll be involved."

"She will be?"

"I will be?"

"What are you involving my daughter in?" Sirius demanded.

Snape rolled his eyes and passed a letter over to Sirius before sitting at the table. Stella shrugged and put a piece of Victoria sponge with strawberry jam and buttercream on a plate and set in in front of Severus with a fork, tea floating over to him in the process. He gave her a nod of thanks and began eating the cake. She continued packing pieces of lemon drizzle cake in little bags and cornish pastries in separate bags, making sure there were enough for herself, Blaise, Theo, Ron, Hermione, Harry, Ginny, and the twins for the next afternoon so they wouldn't have to actually go to the Great Hall for dinner.

Harry walked in just as Stella had finished packing everything up and Kreacher made Snape's empty plate and dirty fork float to the sink to be washed. Stella turned, arms crossing over her chest and finding Snape and Sirius glaring in opposite directions, the silence between them heavy. Remus seemed rather entertained though, trying not to laugh as he leaned against the counter beside Stella.

"Er," said Harry to announce his presence to the two of them.

"Sit down, Potter," Snape told him.

"You know," said Sirius loudly, leaning back on his rear chair legs and speaking to the ceiling, "I think I'd prefer it if you didn't give orders here, Snape. It's my house, you see."

A flush reached Snape's face. Harry sat beside Sirius, facing Severus.

"I was supposed to see you with just Miss Black, Potter. This Black however—"

"I'm his godfather," Sirius stated and Stella noticed that Sirius didn't mention her; so much for doing better.

"I am here on Dumbledore's orders," said Snape waspishly. "And she is your daughter. You do remember that, yes?"

Stella really hated how well Snape knew her. Sirius flushed this time, looking over to Stella who refused to meet his eye. Snape's lip curled in triumph as he turned to Harry.

"The headmaster has sent me to tell you, Potter, that it is his wish for you to study Occlumency this term."

"Study what?" said Harry blankly.

Snape's sneer became more pronounced.

"Occlumency, Potter. The magical defense of the mind against external penetration. An obscure branch of magic, but a highly useful one."

"Why do I have to study Occlu — thing?" he blurted out.

"Because the headmaster thinks it a good idea," said Snape smoothly. "You will receive private lessons once a week, but you will not tell anybody what you are doing, least of all Dolores Umbridge. You understand?"

"Yes," said Harry. "Who's going to be teaching me?"

Snape raised an eyebrow.

"I am," he said

Stella had to hide her face in Remus's arm as she tried not to laugh at the look of horror on Harry's face.

"Why can't Dumbledore teach Harry?" asked Sirius aggressively. "Why you?"

"I suppose because it is a headmaster's privilege to delegate less enjoyable tasks," said Snape silkily. "I assure you I did not beg for the job."

"And how does this involve Stella Nova?" Remus asked.

"She is already taking the private lessons from me," Snape shrugged and every eye turned to her at the news.

"Oh, hey, I'm learning how to Occlude," Stella tossed out with a shrug.

"Why?" Sirius asked.

"I read about it and thought it sounded useful, so I asked Professor Snape to teach me," she answered.

"I will expect you at six o'clock on Monday evening, Potter. My office. If anybody asks, you are taking Remedial Potions. Nobody who has seen you in my classes could deny you need them. Miss Black?"

"I'll be there," she nodded.

He turned to leave, his black traveling cloak billowing behind him.

"Wait a moment," said Sirius, sitting up straighter in his chair.

Snape turned back to face them, sneering.

"I am in rather a hurry, Black . . . unlike you, I do not have unlimited leisure time…"

Stella knew that one had to hurt. Sirius wasn't allowed on missions due to his treatments for being exposed to Dementors for so long. It's why she was never truly mad at him.

"I'll get to the point, then," said Sirius, standing up. He was rather taller than Snape who, Stella noticed, had balled his fist in the pocket of his cloak over what Stella was sure was the handle of his wand. "If I hear you're using these Occlumency lessons to give Harry a hard time, you'll have me to answer to."

"How touching," Snape sneered. "But surely you have noticed that Potter is very like his father?"

"Shit," Remus cursed, already moving towards the two slowly.

"Yes, I have," said Sirius proudly.

"Well then, you'll know he's so arrogant that criticism simply bounces off him," Snape said sleekly. "I also noticed that, once again, you have failed to think of your own daughter. Did the dementors do such a number on you that you forget she exists? Nothing to worry over. Remus and I are doing a rather good job at raising her without your… assistance."

Sirius pushed his chair roughly aside and strode around the table toward Snape, pulling out his wand as he went; Snape whipped out his own. They were squaring up to each other, Sirius looking livid, Snape calculating, his eyes darting from Sirius's wand tip to his face.

"Sirius!" said Harry and Stella loudly, but Sirius appeared not to hear either of them.

"I've warned you, Snivellus," said Sirius, his face barely a foot from Snape's, "I don't care if Dumbledore thinks you've reformed, I know better —"

"Oh, but why don't you tell him so?" whispered Snape as Remus moved between the two. "Or are you afraid he might not take the advice of a man who has been hiding inside his mother's house's for weeks very seriously?"

"Tell me, how is Lucius Malfoy these days? I expect he's delighted his lapdog's working at Hogwarts, isn't he?"

"How does it feel to know that your brain is so fried that you aren't of any use to the Order? To your own daughter?"

Sirius raised his wand.

"DAD!" Stella yelled and everyone froze, turning to Stella.

She hadn't meant to yell it, especially not while looking at Snape out of all the people in the room, but it happened and she was thankful that no one realized who she'd yelled it at. Four pairs of wide eyes stared at her and she glared from Snape to Sirius and back again.

"I am tired of dealing with people acting like four year olds throwing tantrums," she hissed at them. "You are grown men. Act like it."

The kitchen door opened and the entire Weasley family, plus Hermione, Theo, and Blaise, came inside, all looking very happy, with Arthur walking proudly in their midst dressed in a pair of striped pajamas covered by a mackintosh.

"Cured!" he announced brightly to the kitchen at large. "Completely cured!"

He and all the others froze on the threshold, gazing at the scene in front of them, which was also suspended in mid-action, both Sirius and Snape looking toward the door with their wands pointing into each other's faces and Remus standing between them, Harry looking panicked and Stella looking beyond angry.

"Merlin's beard," said Arthur, the smile sliding off his face, "what's going on here?"

Both Sirius and Snape lowered their wands. Stella looked from one to the other. Each wore an expression of utmost contempt, yet the unexpected entrance of so many witnesses seemed to have brought them to their senses. Snape pocketed his wand and swept back across the kitchen, passing the Weasleys and friends without comment. At the door he looked back.

"Six o'clock Monday evening, Potter… Stella."

He was gone. Sirius glared after him, his wand at his side. Stella looked away, a deep blush on her face as she pretended to organize the snack bags in front of her. Remus went to her side, leaning against the counter again and not saying anything.

"But what's been going on?" asked Arthur again.

"Nothing, Arthur," said Sirius, who was breathing heavily as though he had just run a long distance. "Just a friendly little chat between two old school friends. . . . So . . . you're cured? That's great news, really great. . . ."

"Come on," Remus tilted his head towards the door.

Stella followed him out, hiding her face behind her hair, hand brushing Blaise's as she went. By the time they reached the sitting room, Stella's blush had thankfully disappeared. Stella sat on the couch and Remus sat on the table in front of her.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Stella Nova."

"Why do you call me that?" Stella asked. "Stella Nova, I mean. You're the only one who calls me by my first and middle name all the time. I'm not complaining, just curious."

"Well, I guess because Lily and your mother, Marlenne, did. I caught onto it after hearing them say it so often," Remus admitted.

"Ah," Stella nodded, having heard a few stories about her mother from Remus now, having learned that she was excitable and protective, both things Stella had inherited.

"What's going on?" Remus asked her and Stella let out a long breath.

"I feel like the people that I consider family don't all feel the same way about me," she admitted.

"Tell me," Remus urged her.

"Harry and I rarely speak anymore and we were so close before. Molly and Arthur are still keeping their distance. Ginny barely speaks to me. Percy isn't speaking to anyone. Sirius said he'd do better and I thought we were making progress but it seems like I may have been too hopeful. Fred said Arthur isn't my dad when we arrived, which I'm sure was because he was worried about him, but still. Didn't feel good and he's keeping his distance now as well, which means George is, too. D- Professor Snape has to keep a certain amount of distance due to his spying."

"Well, you still have me," Remus smirked, not mentioning if he'd caught her almost slipping up.

"That I do," Stella smiled, grateful that he didn't mention it if he had.

Stella was awake most of that night, unable to sleep. She ended up getting up early, going down into the kitchen and finding Sirius already there.

"Oh," she said.

"Hello," he gave a weak smile.

"Couldn't sleep?" she asked him, walking further into the room to make herself some tea.

"No," he shook his head. "You, either?"

"No," she sighed, sitting at the table beside him.

"I looked into the house in East Sheen," he told her. "Six bedrooms, four loos, a garden room, and a yard that's been spelled so Muggles don't see anything unusual. Cleaned it up while you were all at St. Mungos the other day."

"Do you like it?" Stella asked him.

"I do," he smiled softly. "It's… bright."

"Anything's bright compared to this place," Stella joked and Sirius gave her a smirk.

"Agreed," he nodded. "We'll go there once you're out of school. That is if you still want us to go?"

"Of course," Stella smiled. "Weasley's may be a bit disappointed but I think it'll be alright. They'll understand as long as we visit as often as possible."

"Of course," Sirius smiled brightly. "I wouldn't want to take you from your siblings."

"Fred and George might steal the flying car again just to kidnap me," Stella smirked.

"I'm sure Hermione would help. Anything to help kidnap Theo as well. We weren't leaving them behind, were we?"

"Of course not," Stella shook her head. "You really think they'd let me leave them? Not a chance."

"Because you'd be willing to leave them," Sirius laughed.

"Fair point," she shrugged. "Can we go see it over Easter break?"

"Sure," Sirius smiled.