❝"I want to save them."
"You're just saying things that I already know, Nellie."
"You're not going to try and stop me?"
"On the contrary, my little Witch. I'm going to try and help you."❞
***
Viatorem Atramento: Ink Travellers. That was what Noell...
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After the entire fiasco, the five of them, plus Remus were sent to Dumbledore's office while he personally went to contact the Ministry.
Hermione and Remus went to gather their material for the impromptu Hearing that was about to take place, and Ron and Harry went off with Dumbledore to gather any students who could act as witnesses. They wanted to gather a few students who were directly involved in the confrontation, such as those Pettigrew had tried to attack, or those who managed to hit him with their jinxes, as well as some Prefects.
Pettigrew was being kept locked up in a room in the Ravenclaw tower, with plenty of Professors keeping strict guard, despite his unconsciousness.
The security was mainly to stop students from stomping on him, as was the case in the Great Hall when a Hufflepuff "tripped" over him three times. It was a universally shared sentiment but no one wanted to explain where the footprints came from, so extra measures were (unfortunately) taken.
While Harry wanted to stay and talk to Sirius face to face after a long time in a while, he and Ron both knew after the... announcement a mere half hour ago, father and daughter needed to talk.
Because that's what they were, apparently. Father and daughter.
Holy shit, she was not prepared for this.
"If it's any comfort, neither am I." Sirius said with a wry smile, and Noelle started at the realisation she had said her thoughts aloud.
Her face dropped, misunderstanding. Quietly, she said, "You're not ready to be my...?"
"No, no, I am!" He interrupted loudly, realising what she was thinking. "I just meant I wasn't prepared for..." He gestured vaguely between them "...this conversation to happen under these circumstances. I hadn't actually planned for you to find out like that. I had a speech and everything — I wanted to tell you properly, after all this was over, but then Peter..." He ran a hand through his hair, laughing lightly and shrugging. "When you threw him down to the ground like that, I felt the words come out before I could stop them."
Her face warmed. She couldn't stop her fingers from nervously picking at her sleeves. Her mind was spinning, and she could only pick at random of where to start. "How long have you known?"
"The day I met you, actually," he replied, and Noelle looked up in shock to see a wry but soft smile that took away the gaunt shadows on his face. "I didn't realise until Harry said your name, but even then I think... I think some part of me knew. You're a lot like me when I was younger, and even though the time we spent together was very little, these past few months have shown me that even more."
Noelle looked down and smiled. "I've heard that a lot. From my mum and her friend — they never used to tell me who you were, just that I..." she waved a hand at her face, "look like you, and act like you. I think if they ever did tell me though I... wouldn't have believed it."
