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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zUQQG3kpm
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9eLJTTtlk7
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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQFj4A522ii
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmn9WFzmPD
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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2tCf1XJatn
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDN077uUGsE
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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0DUufVzyw2
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVilIjomIr6
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?”856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMOilzX9drX
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sGagON8Kb
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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1NGkFo4KF0
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwNHjwvYmYV
“I will find you, Eliza. Rest assured your place by my side is irreplaceable.”856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCZD25ivQL
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0vbm3qe8BN
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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYrzjUx7mbH
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqdIABT3Jb
“Avada Kedavra!”
“Eliza! Liz, wake up!”856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm4yMFmDSvT
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvG3e9283v4
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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrq6ufl70j
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpXJxjo6xNX
“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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVW5doa0y2E
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiw1JpK6GLg
“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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3yTCfsbGjs
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQqKYuI9WSO
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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlS6LtKcSch
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3JtbwsW1t
“Maybe I should thank dad for that idea, actually,” She trailed, rubbing her eyes tiredly.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv1vSaucU82
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqXY8AvpRrS
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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwrNASAiKac
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KYdHRwU7s
“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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Bx8urNkWx
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9UnZniUta
“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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMi10feyszW
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeR0kRTZ2dp
“She knows who was there. Eliza saw Belatrix and I bet on anything that she will come searching for her niece,”856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0BFEvAPYA
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkK8mjiSm5Y
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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvbXZbTk5xC
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBKbFaQJzxM
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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGNWW55R4NO
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMKyJkeVvB
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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgk3Y8qpLNC
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEdeaB58mf
Much like she imagined, her father’s face wasn’t on the wall.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtoybtdxbgL
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4eRnfMItau
“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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHm2eAMQlq
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmz426B14lg
“It wasn’t your fault.” She stated firmly, “Will my face be added to the lineage?” She asked curiously.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfCLs3zc2aL
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJnKsVGsGmt
“No. You are my daughter and you are seen as a bastard child,” He responded, sighing internally at his quick by the book response.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6xvn2mRgl
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That fact was true and every Black alive –the number decreased a lot, thankfully- would not glance twice at Eliza. 856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2jO9LViDbx
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcrUnYBCtgm
“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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1Rw5xKcZX
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrvWJs3GB5x
“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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJdm2oJaSp
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfXiLmT9JKc
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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkIH0oAZWOL
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhglZXkgPgV
Speaking of him, when Eliza raised her head, she saw his beautiful white owl standing on the other side of the window.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOURDVCUBFV
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaYLni2C4WI
“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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZR0nhHGs4
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡluos1rVtr7
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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFnIiTA2kVF
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0uuVlWa1Yq
“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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFbzcgczAO2
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs9f2hMPZjo
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. 856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPcV4ZrZ6G
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmXwy2oCCj
“You’re failing charms?” He asked more offended than mad. “You can do magic without a wand and you fail charms?”856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQz5JqMIJA
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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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv7h3Eb1YG9
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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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡceUnLY3Cre
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“Are you kidding me?!” She screamed when he disarmed her in the middle of the lesson.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHHwKl1ivMN
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA020ZvkpkM
Sirius chuckled from the other side of the room, swinging her wand in his hand while holding onto his other hand.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWsYG3GIEg4
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4d7MCgetm3
“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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEECI4MdiRP
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs4Us8Kgb5d
“Merlin’s sake, this is not easy,” She breathed before ducking.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYiDRTrj18y
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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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5VRYQmu8gC
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS5yNQQbtyI
“No, you don’t~” She sung, going the other way.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡruh12WKfPQ
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA2mbz5sCco
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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6B7uhYgGOR
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8rvZo1vSbN
“Bombarda!” He screamed, pointing at the cupboards above her, making them explode and fall over her.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIIGRwwEC0r
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxen8AmXd88
Eliza had no choice but to protect herself with a basic charm, “Wingardium Leviosa!”856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqsqb9r6rlj
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYq6c5H0kdD
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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpCPwDDq0jJ
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡquGbO1u2DM
“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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvWuFKi3a02
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2j448gz3bV
“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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw2v5h44yBk
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy9NCxullim
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.856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcCktfnWNhj
856Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJX0C37v2oA
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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