Maybe Memories

So lost within the blissful night, Sirius wasn't sure when they ended up on the bed. Either way, he was glad and Estelle slept peacefully. The sun had already risen and there were no clouds in the sky. It was a perfect, sunny day.

He sighed contently and stroked Estelle's forehead. It was so nice to live in the muggle world and pretend all was well. It was lovely to feel as if his only worry was whether Estelle's father liked him or not. It was so, so refreshing to be worry-free.

Subconsciously, no matter what extent of happiness he felt, he knew the dangers they were still in. Every night in his dreams, the cackle of his mad cousin haunted him, the fliers with WANTED so boldly across them, the 'dark mark' hovering in the air, like in a picture he'd seen on inside the daily prophet, and, worst of all, Lucius Malfoy having a hold of Estelle again. These unpleasant nightmares brought him back tot he honest, harsh reality that Voldemort was lurking with his followers, determined to kill anyone and everyone who stood in the way to creating a perfect world and having immortality. Soon, his brother would be part of this...

He shook it away for a few more days. He, Estelle, and Jame spent the following day together.

Another thing on his mind, was Estelle finding out more about her mother. He kept pestering her to either ask or start snooping. Estelle, though highly against it, decided to ask her father.

"Dad, was my mum, my real mum, a witch?" she asked, bluntly and simply.

Arnold Grant's face went white, as if he'd seen a ghost.

"Could you at least tell me her name?" Estelle bargained.

Arnold looked like he'd swallowed a spider, knowingly. Almost as if he could feel the spider still crawling in his throat but his mouth was glued shut. Finally, he spoke, "Her name... was Daphne Danvers," he spoke her name in the same way wizards spoke of Voldemort.

"Danvers," Estelle muttered," Daphne Danvers. Was she a witch?"

Arnold still looked like he was choking on a spider. His face had turned from white, to purple. "She was..."

"What happened?" she asked, "I need to know."

"She left," Arnold said simply, "Just left... Now question me no further..."

Estelle turned on her heel and went up the stairs. Following close behind, Sirius felt sick, wondering why he had to make her ask in the first place...

"Hey, I'm sorry I made you ask," he said, reading the hopeless expression on her face. He grabbed her hand.

She turned away from him. "I'm fine," she said, in the most upset voice he had heard her use since the first time she learned about death eaters.

He sighed and pulled her close to him, "You'll be okay."

The rest of the visit, he felt guilty, because he could feel the tension between Estelle and her father. Still, he didn't want to leave her side, when he had to go back tot he Potters. His worried lessened no more once he returned. Mr. Potter was once again in St. Mungo's. This time, James had no choice but to tell him why.

"He received a package last summer with no name on it..." James said, "It's a recurring pain..."

"Are you kidding me?" Sirius asked.

"It was a cursed book, I'm afraid..." Mrs. Potter said, looking much paler, and thinner than Sirius had ever remembered, "One of the most terrible curses... that slowly takes you life."

Sirius nodded. The rest of the summer wasn't very pleasant. During their trip to Diagon Alley, the five marauders encountered more wanted posters. One, with a very vicious looking man who was grinning stuck out the most, to Remus.

WANTED: Fenrir Greyback
Use cation when approaching this werewolf. He is known to go after children. Parents, beware.

Remus narrowed his eyes then looked away, quickly.

"Is he the one?" Estelle whispered.

"He's the one," Remus muttered, "And now, he's giving us all bad names..."

Estelle squeezed his hand once before the five of them moved along.

The train ride was much quieter than usual. Peter was staring aimlessly out the window. James was looking at his shoes. Remus was reading. Estelle was holding hands with a very tired Sirius. There was a gloom in the air, and when they reached the Great Hall, the sky above was grey.

"Good evening, good evening," Dumbledore began, "another year begins. Some of your faces are new, where most are old. I am afraid that I do not have much good to say this year. But please, keep in mind, as these days become darker, inside these walls you are protected. and if you ever find yourself in need of help, do not hesitate to ask."

Sirius watched Peter shift uncomfortably in his seat. He set his gaze across the Great Hall at the Slytherin table. Regulus was having a conversation with Snape.

"Mr. Filch has asked me to remind you that the rules are posted inside all of the house common rooms on the bulletin board. the Forbidden Forest is still forbidden, New rules have been added though, including; no leaving the castle after seven in the evening., first through third years will be escorted to class, and you are all required to under-go random checks at any time. Security measures have been expanded.

"I must remind you, once again, if you find yourself in a difficult situation, please, do not hesitate to ask. Now, off to be you go."

How cheerful," James muttered, rising from his seat. "Alright, you little brats, first years, follow me. Keep with your houses. Eyes on my Gryffindors..." On top of everything, James had been made head boy and Lily Evans was head girl.

"James!" Lily exclaimed, "you can't talk to them that way..."

By the end of the week, the mood had gotten no better. Sirius put his arm around Estelle.

"Ever thought about asking Dumbledore about your mother?" he asked.

"Oh, yes, and bother the headmaster during such a time?" Estelle snapped, "Besides, I've found that my mother didn't attend Hogwarts. My father gave me a box full of her belongings, all containing evidence that she attended Beauxbatons Academy of Magic."

"What's that?" Sirius questioned.

"Beauxbatons? A French school for magic."

"There are other schools for magic?" Sirius questioned.

"Well, of course," Estelle said, "How do you think it's possible for other languages, cultures, and countries to combine."

"Yes, but MClagan is Irish and so is O'Keith. The Boltravik sisters are Hungarian."

"I'm French," Estelle added "It just depends on residency, I suppose."

"Right."

"So, how are the Boltraviks?"

"Funny..."

Estelle chuckled.

During the first full moon, Prongs ended up spraining his left leg, therefore James had an unidentified sprained wrist to take to the nurse. Madam Pomfrey was hardly surprised to see the five of them. She mended the wrist and did not push for a better story than the lousy one James told.

The mood James was in was often hard to break him out of. Except during the first Hogsmeade weekend when he and Lily went on their first official date.

Peter wasn't around, as usual. After one butterbeer, Remus excused himself from the Three Broomsticks, feeling out of place with just the two of them. Sirius shrugged and he and Estelle went on a walk.