Better - The Marauders

TWELVE

The girl exited the dungeons swiftly, brushing past some third-years who were making fun someone from Hufflepuff house by the sound of it. Never one to get involved, Elladora brushed it off and continued her path towards the Great Hall for breakfast. She came across many couples that were staring at each other with such adoration in their eyes that she wanted to be sick. Fortunately, she did not see any of her fellow Slytherin's that loved to taunt her, only Isadora Burke, who just simply gave her a look, one she did not return. Elladora was better than that.

When she arrived to the great hall, she hesitated for a moment, glancing between her house table and the Gryffindor table, where her four...friends...were sat, not having noticed her presence yet. She cautiously made her way over to the table she wanted to sit at, plopping down on the bench and reaching straight for her goblet, bringing it up to her lips.

"Hi, Elladora." Peter smiled at her, biting some of his toast as the other boys looked up, also smiling at and greeting the Slytherin, who got herself a bowl of porridge and started to eat it. She lifted her hand and gave a meek wave.

"You should try some sugar with that." Sirius said, pushing over a sugar bowl to her. She looked at the white grains and frowned, she had never had sugar before.

"No, thank you." She said quietly and went back to her oats as the boys began to converse, muttering to each other. At one point, Remus turned and smile at her, receiving a nod in response as she started to feel slightly out of place.

These boy were talking about something, obviously secretive. Elladora got ready to finish her porridge and leave, she figured that they wanted their privacy and that's what she would give them. The last spoonful of porridge glided down her throat as she looked up again at the boys, who had stopped talking to one another.

"So Elladora," Sirius started, looking up at her as the rest did too. "Your name...it's a bit of a mouthful, is there a nickname you prefer to go by?" He asked and she slowly shook her head.

"Well," James piped up, leaning forward so the girl could see him and his round spectacles more clearly. "We're going to have to give you one." He said and she froze slightly, ready for the odd names they might throw at her.

"Elladora, let's see. Ella...no, too boring," Sirius began to mutter under his breath. "Dora...Dora, that's unique." He suggested and the boys nodded fervently, turning to face the girl herself, who was thinking over the name.

"Okay." She nodded and the long-haired boy's face broke out into a smile and he grinned at her, his perfect, white teeth on display. "Dora." The name sounded so unfamiliar that it didn't even sound like she was talking about herself.

"Dora, it is." Remus grinned and she took notice of the bags under his eyes and the forced smile, the full moon was tonight, he must be absolutely shattered.

"Do you need any help tonight?" She asked slowly, hesitantly pouring herself another bowl of porridge, she was afraid of looking greedy but she just couldn't get enough of the stuff. "With the full moon?"

James and Peter froze, slowly turning their heads whilst Remus and Sirius were quick to protest, telling her that it was too dangerous, to which she gave them a bored look but just left it, returning to her porridge, with a sense of relief and worry, relief because of she helped them then she would probably get attached, and worry because no matter how long they had been doing this, they could get severely injured.

"You know?" Peter asked her before turning to Remus. "She knows?"

"She's always known." He shrugged, glancing at her as she also glanced up at him, gulping nervously as owls started to fly through a window. She waited awkwardly for the big black owl, but it didn't come and she visibly relaxed, returning to her second bowl of porridge.