Ch. 4: Illegal Actions

                                    

                                          
4/1 : Happy birthday Fred and George Weasley - April Fools always did suit you two.
Song for this Chapter: When Did Your Heart Go Missing - Rooney


Ch. 4: Illegal Actions
     "You have everything, right Elle?" Hermione asked once more for at least the third time in the last thirty minutes. 
     Rolling my eyes, I grabbed my trunk and snapped the top shut. "Yes, Hermione Jean - I have everything. I've only been conscious for a few hours. It's not like I was able to lose anything." I was waltzing around in the same sundress I had worn to Trey's wedding. 
     When I'd first gone to change, I realized I hadn't shaved in the last few months, and generally felt a sort of sickly ickiness that I needed to immediately scrub from myself. Long gone were the excessively long nails and oily scalp. The hair would need to be cut, too, but that would have to wait.
     Moaning to myself, I rubbed my stomach and clutched the door knob to the bathroom. 
     "Letter, you all right? You don't look so great..."
      I rubbed at my burning stomach and groaned. "I don't know whether I am extremely hungry or sick." 
     There was a silence for a few moments as I thought it over and the sound of boots clomping up the stairs distracted me from those thoughts. 
    "You are no doubt starving," Sirius called from the left of me, leaning against a peeling wall and rubbing the side of his head. The side I had bashed in with a lamp. "I told you that you needed food. Now, your stomach wants more." 
     "Oh." I frowned, knowing he was probably right but not feeling it was worth saying aloud. I turned to him as I snapped my school trunk closed with a sense of finality. "You know, the fact that you're somehow 'Dumbledore's friend'," I emphasized with finger quotes, "was never really explained to me. Care to tell?" 
     Sirius grinned, what I assumed to be, a rare smile. His steely eyes crinkled around the corners and he shook his head with a curt, short burst. "It's not for me to tell, to be honest. It is something for you to discover; perhaps Dumbledore will tell you."
The corner of my mouth lifted up into a small, half-smile and I chuckled a little - drawing my trunk behind me as I walked down the stair case. "Thank you for taking care of me. I'll be sure to send you a vase of flowers for a gift." I winked at Sirius and he rolled his black eyes mumbling about how that 'wasn't necessary'.
      Hermione intertwined her arm with mine as we stooped inside the fireplace, bidding Sirius goodbye. "I'll see you very soon, yes?" Sirius addressed Hermione with warmth and she grinned back.
"I believe my parents are having us hosted here for the winter holidays - it should be very fun." Hermione nodded and Sirius opened his arms, gesturing around the large, empty manor. 
     I turned to look at my twin in surprise. We were staying here over the holiday? I ran my tongue over my back molars, forcing down a reaction. I wondered if our parents even knew who Sirius Black was, or if Hermione had somehow smoothed things over with them to get them to stay. 
    For a split moment, I wondered if she'd simply charmed them to get her way. I bit back a chuckle at the thought. Right, like Hermione would ever be able to raise a wand against Mum and Dad.
"Well - you all are always welcome inside these doors." Sirius's gaze turned on to me with a small wink. "Even you - trying to kill me set aside. You are welcome here." Sirius turned to leave, then looked back for a second. "You have a check up at St. Mungo's in December. They will be getting in contact with you some time soon."