It was dark and very cold. The only light was coming from the end of the hall. She was in the kitchen, standing at the table with a cup of fresh tea beside her hand and a napkin in the form of a rose on her lap. She knew she was there; she could see her hands moving so she was sure it was her body and no one else’s.
With slow moves and a blurry vision she grabbed the handle of the cup and brought it closer to her nose. It smelled like mint and honey and it made her feel a certain familiarity that she couldn’t quite explain.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8RDlkm2tTa
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Eliza heard movements above and quickly went towards that direction, a direction she knew yet couldn’t see well. She was being led by reflexes and long forgotten memories that suddenly surfaced.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ07h68odXIZ
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It was just like in those muggle movies she had seen where the victim was drugged and could barely see in front of her. But she was stable and hasn’t even once stumbled towards the stairs; moreover, she could make some parts out like the pattern on the wall or the light coming from upstairs.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGA4L1gDouH
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With one hand grasping the railing, she realized there was someone leaning against the wall, looking scared yet at the same time completely mesmerized by what was happening in front of him. She turned her head to her right and noticed three men in black robes, a woman with crazily messy hair and a certain lack of sanity (she was screaming something but it was hard to decipher exactly what ).
Getting closer, Eliza noticed features that she could vaguely remember, like the man with long blonde hair or the stuffy man leaning against the wall. She also noticed a skinny man leaning across the crazy woman with his hands folded in front of his chest, sneering at the sight.
And then there he was, the man with a cloak over his head pointing at a woman who was bravely facing her enemy.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8sycVI9J3
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At some point, Eliza felt like the whole house started to sway, making her feel nauseous. Trying to steady herself, she grabbed onto the closest people she could find: the crazy woman and the sneering man. After a few words of hatred exchanged between them, she heard the cloaked man speak,
“Is this how you repay the kindness I showed you?”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwuwn03yZa
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Suddenly, the man turned around and looked straight into her green eyes. For a moment, those blue monstrous eyes froze every cell in her body and she stopped breathing for the whole time he was breathing.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu7TvQFXUbM
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“I will find you, Eliza. Rest assured your place by my side is irreplaceable.”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqpzJ7mgVnA
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He didn’t speak but those words echoed in her mind, coming from somewhere. With one quick move of his hand, the monster hissed and pointed the wand at Eliza instead of the other woman.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqRxTTczJnm
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“Avada Kedavra!”
“Eliza! Liz, wake up!”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAK3W1cduRq
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Eliza jumped out of her bed gasping for air and sweating like never before. She was trembling all over and her expression was one of sheer fear. Sirius wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling her into his chest and rubbing her hair gently.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEufbj01X3Q
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“It-it was him! The dream- I was there in the back watching as he- as he,”
She wasn’t coherent but how could she after what she just witnessed. The brunette grabbed him by his clothes tightly, pulling him down her level.
“He’s looking for me. Voldemort is-” She hissed staring straight into her father’s eyes.
It was later that day when she could remember her dream in detail. She knew Pettigrew and Malfoy were there but she had no idea who the others were.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8IlNn6z0Wy
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“Maybe I should take her home with me,”
Eliza heard Remus say. He was very worried and he had good reasons to be. Remus Lupin let Eliza stay for the whole break with her father, in the old Black Mansion hidden from the muggle eyes and everything was going well until last night.
Since Remus has been acting like her father for longer than Sirius, the animagus called his friend right away for help.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7lIrD2V5o
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Eliza was locked out of the kitchen in order to 'be protected' as the two adults said but through some ingenious way, she connected her senses to Furvus’ so she could easily sneak in locked placed and see what Furvus was seeing, smell what he was smelling and so on.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuPqqbykT06
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“Maybe I should thank dad for that idea, actually,” She trailed, rubbing her eyes tiredly.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXNGHeknq44
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Anyway, she had to use her eyes and perk her ears to find out what they were keeping away from her. She hated secrets and it seemed there were quite a lot in the Black family.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWq1s9CVZhx
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“She doesn’t know, Remus. Voldemort is gone and we have nothing to fear!”
She heard Sirius’ dog-like voice beam without even eavesdropping; he was really loud.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWWb5AhkDtK
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“You heard what she said,” Remus combated but it didn’t sound very strong. “Ophelia protected Eliza until the moment she died. She protected your daughter from knowing a secret that could break her,” Remus whispered aware that Eliza could hear through the door.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsVar9l2AJI
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“She knows who was there. Eliza saw Belatrix and I bet on anything that she will come searching for her niece,”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVom2N1eeva
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Well that was a new piece of information that Eliza didn’t particularly want to know. The woman screaming death and insanity with her antics was Eliza’s aunt.
Knowing that bit, Eliza blocked the connection with the eating Furvus and went in her room. In the corridor, she noticed someone moving in the back with a very nasty spine that looked uncomfortable to live with.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ01mcXuV7ci
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The house elf was the first ugly face that she met when she arrived but it was still uncomfortable knowing that some little creature could sneak and even kill you in your sleep.
Eliza was in her room when Sirius walked in. Actually, per say, she wasn’t in her room, she was in a room that had the faces of the Black family members, no matter how close or how far on the lineage. She found it by pure luck on the first floor and she was genuinely curious who those people were.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPueuDwA2Nb
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She had her hands linked behind her, those green eyes scanning every name and face on the wall up to recent years. There were many faces and most of them seemed very smug; like they have done miracles for the bourgeoisie, which she was sure they haven’t.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHF5lVkoK5B
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Much like she imagined, her father’s face wasn’t on the wall.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo0uZsYZbuR
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“Snivelly got that right,” Sirius surprised Eliza when he suddenly appeared behind her. “I am a deception for my family,” He continued softly placing one hand on her shoulder.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJYrEyDvblo
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“It wasn’t your fault.” She stated firmly, “Will my face be added to the lineage?” She asked curiously.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoKVR7I2axh
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“No. You are my daughter and you are seen as a bastard child,” He responded, sighing internally at his quick by the book response.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9JzOxg8eH
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That fact was true and every Black alive –the number decreased a lot, thankfully- would not glance twice at Eliza. 811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3RvBAwPy9V
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“The family name will be forgotten once I marry,” She started a bit disappointed that once she will marry both Black and Molley will be names gone with the wind. “Or maybe I won’t marry,” She trailed, glancing at her father bemusedly from the corner of her eye.
He seemed to be conflicted between letting his daughter marry or not.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbPxxO70TtQ
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“Let’s not think so far into the future. I don’t feel ready for that kind of lesson,” He mumbled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and leading her out of the room.
Remus ended up spending the night and even having butter beer with his friend. Their laughter was crazily loud and her room was on the second floor- too close for her liking. It wasn’t a surprise when next morning, she found them having hangovers while her eyes were sore and their laughter was still ringing in her ears.
“Men,” She mumbled, searching for the frying pan.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8B5DsNtgeU
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Eliza was good at cooking, which was a surprise for everyone because she never cooked before. Actually, next to what Remus used to make, muggle studies taught her that she didn’t have to manually do everything and she could find recipes on the telly, some more interesting than others.
Right after school finished, she got a letter from Hermione with certain shops she should visit for all kind of stuff.
Actually, Hermione was still keeping in touch even if she knew the truth. Harry didn’t visit with Sirius still hiding. On the other side, they were sending a lot of letters to each other.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDQdECgSvb
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Speaking of him, when Eliza raised her head, she saw his beautiful white owl standing on the other side of the window.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVNygZjiHrL
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“Another letter from Harry?” She flinched when she heard Sirius’ loud voice right behind her. “What does it say?” He asked, grabbing bacon straight from the hot pan.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWuxSFvvCGL
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Eliza opened the window enough for Hedwig to sneak inside and give her the letter. She smiled softly and patted the beautiful owl, a bit jealous that Willy wasn’t friendly at all and would lose most of her letters or get them very late to their destinations.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcpEEDCTuyX
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“He’s been kept on a weird diet but not anymore. Remember the cake we sent him for his birthday? It seems he survived with it and a few others he got from the rest. It seems he got an invitation to spend the remaining weeks the Weasleys. They're going to the World Cup. He says he'll write to me about it later.” She gave her father the short version of the lengthy letter.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJ5jcBDGAz
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He really wrote a lot and he was looking forward to seeing her at school. Eliza’s eyes squinted in amusement and a wide smile unconsciously formed on her lips.It was nice, having friends and all.
"What about you? Did he send you any letters?" She asked before treating Hedwig with some snacks.
"Of course. I'm his godfather after all. Anyway, how are your studies, young lady?” Sirius started in what sounded like a mock fatherly voice. “Extraordinarily well, I presume?” He asked, his tone not even once wavering.
Eliza turned to her father with one eyebrow raised, “If failing muggle studies and charms, then yes.” She responded, wiping her hands on her pink apron which she bought last week. 811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz59bKl4OJR
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“You’re failing charms?” He asked more offended than mad. “You can do magic without a wand and you fail charms?”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQlDsTPE4w
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“I do well on everything else, though; especially potions and defense against dark arts.” Eliza added innocently, like that was everything that mattered.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYcLFskVvT
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“Of course you do,” He trailed narrowing his eyes at her.
The next few days passed with Sirius tutoring Eliza on charms because, as he very strictly said, she was the daughter of two extraordinary wizards and failing any subject, especially charms, was unforgivable.
Eliza was a bit happy that she had to write an essay of numerous pages about defense spells because Sirius was not going easy on her; if anything, she was feeling like he was stricter than Remus because he had the right to.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4HhWWRtKF
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“Are you kidding me?!” She screamed when he disarmed her in the middle of the lesson.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUp6sPrMcoO
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Sirius chuckled from the other side of the room, swinging her wand in his hand while holding onto his other hand.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaoT0OLYULx
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“I’m going far easier on you than my parents, Liz.” He sneered.
He wanted her to be strong like him and never believe her place was anywhere but where she wanted it to be.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQldnxdTJY
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“Merlin’s sake, this is not easy,” She breathed before ducking.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWGYIgxzdc1
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“I want to see your Patronus!” He screamed at some point, sneaking closer to her from the other side so he could surprise her.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjPfoGmbWhv
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“No, you don’t~” She sung, going the other way.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoj7be44ocv
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It was quite a funny sight from an outside point of view, like Remus’. Sirius was crawling along the left side of the table while Eliza was crawling along the right side, towards the place Sirius just left from. It looked like children games. Remus chuckled when Sirius noticed Eliza moving towards the other end of the room and quickly jumped on his feet.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTaIq5XkSju
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“Bombarda!” He screamed, pointing at the cupboards above her, making them explode and fall over her.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ70RTT2hFQO
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Eliza had no choice but to protect herself with a basic charm, “Wingardium Leviosa!”811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdEx4BegFjY
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Sirius raised an eyebrow smugly when he noticed his daughter do the movements of the charm with her hand like she was conducting, and the pieces started to levitate. Eliza wasn’t stupid and quickly threw them towards her father, forcing him to duck.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYZah9qqhKM
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“Isn’t this so much fun?!” Sirius exclaimed, knowing that Remus was just outside the door.
The werewolf man sighed and pushed the door wider.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpsxRxhCAPK
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“I think you should stop now,” Remus responded, rubbing the back of his neck, annoyed. It was late and he had to leave early in the morning so he wanted to sleep. “Eliza will learn more at school, just like she’s supposed to,” He continued, breaking Sirius’ enthusiasm.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHXuyRov5b
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Since Sirius was focused on Remus, Eliza had the opportunity to get her wand back and run as far as possible from there.
“Fumos,” She whispered, making the hand gesture towards Sirius.811Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0uGHGloXPL
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The whole room was engulfed into smoke. In the end, Remus opened the window but Eliza was gone and so was her wand. Sirius turned to Remus with a bright smile and wide eyes. He was proud of her.
Thankfully, for Remus more than Sirius, Eliza had to return to the house she has been living in for most of her life because she had to leave for Hogwarts in two days.
The first being to welcome her was Furvus, whom she had to leave at home because he wasn’t very fond of going out. On the other hand, it felt quite good to be back home.
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