To Be So Lonely

31

"Ah! Elowen," Sirius rose from the elegant wooden chair with a small smile. He looked more humane than the last time Nel had seen him almost two years ago. He looked plumper, his sharp features less angular, hair shorter around his shoulders, neater too. "Although, I believe you go by Nel, is it?"

She nodded still shocked, consciously reaching for the wand she kept inside of her sleeve.

"You knew where Sirius Black was all this time and you didn't claim the reward?" She gaped at Snape.

Snape's face twisted into a sour sneer which told her he would've definetly done it if he had the choice.

"It's complicated," Sirius said running a hand through his hair. "You can take the room in the topmost floor, Krecher will help you with your belongings."

She looked between the two men confused, before making her way upstairs. Turning she almost kicked a small person.

"Sorry," She stepped back seeing an ancient looking house-elf. "Kreacher has come for your belongings as Master Black said."

"I have none," She said making her way up.

"What is you," It wasn't a question. It sounded more like wonder. "Nasty little brat are you?" He narrowed his large gray eyes. "Oh, if my poor Mistress knew, the scum they have let into her house oh how she'd cry... What would she say to old Kreacher," He rambled as he turned into another of the tall house's many hallways.

"Freak," She suddenly heard a womanly voice say. Turning at the stairs she looked around. "Scum of the Earth," confused, Nel looked up to see a woman- well, her portrait. The woman glared and cursed in her direction, still struck by the situation she said nothing and finally reached the room.

'Do Not Enter Without the Express Permission of Regulus Arcturus Black', a sign hung above the old door. Entering, the room, like the rest of the house, was covered in dust and cobwebs. It probably hadn't been opened in over a decade.

The heavy curtains in the room where emerald and silver, the Black family crest was beautifully crafted on the bed's headboard with a motto that read 'Toujour Pur' underneath. Who knows what that mean. On the opposite side of the room, there was a massive collage of yellowing newspaper, it almost seemed like wallpaper.

She set up her trunk and enlarged it, quickly hiding Snape's book at the very bottom, underneath her clothes.

Heading downstairs she decided to light a cigarette to calm her creeping anxiety. What was this place? Snape was covering for Sirius Black? What was she doing here? She inhaled deeply allowing the smoke to warm her lungs. Not only that but- She finally had Sirius Black in front of her, she would finally get answers. Who was she? Where was her family? Did she have a family? What happened that fateful night?

She began picking at her cuticle anxiously and smoking with more urgency, her steps pacing from one side to the other before returning to the dinning room.

"What are you going to tell her? That we're at war? Have you lost it Snivellus?" Black exclaimed.

"The only thing I've lost is my patience," Snape warned in a hushed tone. "Saintday is not to have any involvement in Order of the Phoenix matters. Direct orders from Dumbledore..."

Nel hadn't meant to eavesdrop but she couldn't help it, she found herself crouching at the bottom of the staircase carefully listening. Making mental notes about what the two adults were saying.

"Begone from this place! Your mere presence befouls the house of my fathers - filthy mudblood no doubt!" The portrait of the mean faced woman shrieked at her making the adults shift topic.