Not even twenty-four hours into their actual relationship Ellie and Sirius were arguing, and really, it wasn't either of their faults. It had all stemmed from the fact that Dumbledore had told the handsome boy nothing, had said that things were to go as they always did on the full moon, Werewolves in the Shrieking Shack. But with the current rift between all of the Marauders, that wasn't an easy option. Sirius had tried to tell his Headmaster that, Dumbledore had insisted that Ellie and Remus would need to be in the same place tonight.
So the beautiful girl had devised her own plan - her and the big black dog would do this on their own out of the way and leave Moony be with Prongs and Wormtail by his side. Werewolves were solitary beings usually anyway, so having two confined in a small space didn't sound practical, even without this being Ellie's first time transforming.
Where the argument had come though, was over logistics and the finer details that had taken multiple months to iron out where keeping everyone safe was concerned with all of the Marauders, and neither of the couple were willing to compromise, for it was extremely important they got this right.
"I'm not letting you take off into the forest at nighttime alone." Sirius scowled as they huddled together in his dorm's bathroom.
James, Remus, and Peter were preparing to head down to drop the lanky boy off with Madam Pomfrey, and they didn't fancy causing any more tension with them before the full moon rose, so were hiding out of the way until the boys had left.
"Funnily enough, I'm not asking for your permission." Ellie argued back, "And besides, I won't be alone, you'll be right there!"
She was also supposed to go down and meet Madam Pomfrey, for under Dumbledore's orders she was to do exactly as Remus did. But, of course, the beautiful girl would do things her own way.
"So why did you say I couldn't be with you?"
"You're not listening!" Ellie threw up her hands in exasperation, "I said that I don't want you to be there at the beginning, just like with Moony, or right before I transform back. The rest of the time you better not leave my sight."
"Now I think you're the one not listening to yourself, 'cause there's no way on Merlin's earth that I'll just abandon you to drag yourself back up to the castle when dawn breaks."
"It's not your call. I don't want you there and you've got to respect that."
"But why?!" Sirius hissed, wanting to shout but conscious the fact that James was probably stood with his ear pressed against the other side of the bathroom door, "Why won't you let me be there once you've transformed back? We're always right by Moony's side."
Ellie's glare hardened.
"You might be, but I'm not allowed!"
For a moment Sirius was lost over what she meant, confused as to when she'd ever been turned away part way through a full moon. But then realisation hit him like lighting. Until then, it hadn't been something he'd even considered, which was ridiculous when he'd spent so many transformations with Remus, and it had his frustration melting in an instant.
"Cubby, it's not-" Sirius began, reaching up to cup her cheek. Ellie cut him off and batted him away, backing up as far as she could in the tiny bathroom.
"I don't want you there after, I don't want anyone there. I'll manage on my own."
"The full moon is a part of your life now, we'll-" He tried again.
"I'm not debating it anymore."
"With Moony we don't care 'cause-"
"Well, I care!" Ellie roared suddenly, her voice too loud for the space. Sirius blinked rapidly, rooted to the spot, "I care and I don't want to be humiliated like that."
There was no way for the handsome boy to vocalise how badly he wished that she didn't have to deal with this, because whilst she was spectacular and so resilient, being a Werewolf overcomplicated her life where it didn't need to difficult. He felt very much the same for Remus, but he wasn't his girlfriend. Ellie had more obstacles now and perhaps even more pressure put on her shoulders, for if it got out that the Youngest Descendent of Godric Gryffindor was a Werewolf, the Daily Prophet would have a field day. Cyrus' name had been slandered enough in the Ministry, this would ruin their reputation entirely.
But not only that, Sirius could see the fear in Ellie's eyes, no matter how carefully she concealed it. They'd watched Remus suffer for years with no cure, no potion to make it better, no other option but to endure all the symptoms and side-effects, and those things alone were intimidating. Already the beautiful girl had dealt with migraines, being cold all the time, sickness, lack of appetite, constant aches - on their own they were things easy to push through, but all together they'd made her so ill. And she'd not even had Remus to talk to about it.
The run up to the full moon hadn't been as bad for Ellie as it usually was for the lanky boy, but only because Sirius had been watching her like a hawk, sometimes quite annoyingly too. Yet he never complained and his newfound patience was otherworldly.
Before they'd get into bed, he'd almost swaddle her in the thickest jumper he could find so that she didn't get cold; in the morning, he'd eat as slow as her over breakfast so she didn't feel like she was holding him up with her lack of appetite; when she'd ache too much to move or got a headache so bad she couldn't get out of bed, he'd waste no time in rushing to Madam Pomfrey to collect a potion that was supposed to help; but perhaps the most important of all, he never looked at her any differently.
Sirius was sympathetic and cautious with her sometimes, too cautious, but he never looked at her with pity, even if he did feel sorry for her. Ellie knew that her being turned into a Werewolf hadn't fazed him at all, he'd just accepted the information, nodded his head and continued on. This would be a battle they fought together.
"You won't be humiliated." He told her with so much surety.
When they'd started going on full moons as all the Marauders, Remus had set out ground rules that Sirius had been able to understand, for no matter how close they were, they were all still only friends at the core of things. But him and Ellie were in a relationship now, and he couldn't comprehend why they couldn't be mature about this. Granted, if it was the other way around, Sirius would've probably kicked up an even bigger fuss, but the fact that a Werewolf woke up naked after a full moon the next morning was irrelevant in this situation.
Someone had to be there if Ellie was hurt, someone had to be there to scoop her up off the ground and wrap her in something warm when she couldn't do it herself, and there were worse people than her boyfriend that could be tasked with that job.
"The first time I'm naked in front of someone won't be because of a full moon, Padfoot." Ellie spat, a voice in her head desperate to confront him about how hypocritical he was being - he was the one that didn't want to take his top off in front of her that time she had to dress his wound after a scrap with Moony. That, however, was a demon to face another time and she moved on quickly instead, "We're gonna take some clean clothes, stash them somewhere that's easily accessible, and you'll have to make sure I don't roam too far in the night so that I can get myself to them in the morning."
"And where do I go?" Sirius mumbled in concede. Winding her up any more before she transformed was a bad idea, he knew that.
"Up to the Hospital Wing 'cause hopefully Poppy will be back from getting Moony and you can walk her out to meet me on the forest tree line."
"And if you can't meet us on the forest tree line? If something goes wrong?"
"Stop panicking, I'm gonna be fine." Ellie replied too casually, "What was it you said that time? 'What's life without a little risk?'"
Sirius ran an anxious hand through his hair.
"Yeah, that's all fun and games, Cubby. Yeah, that might be our way, but I'm not willing to risk you like that."
"You're gonna have to be."
"Don't say that." He begged.
"I'm asking you to do this for me. I want you to leave me just before the sun rises, so if this all goes wrong, only I'm to blame."
"Don't say that." He repeated.
"Then what do you want me to say?"
"Nothing." Sirius rounded on the spot to face the bathroom door, "Just don't say anything until it's time." He only cast one more brief glance over his shoulder, "We do this the way you want tonight, but you won't ever ask me to do it again... We've both looked death in the eyes once before, and the next time we greet him, it will be together. Tu comprends?"
Ellie took a deep breath to dissolve her frown, padding up slowly behind him as she smoothed her hands over his shoulders. It wasn't quite right, such a tender moment after their first big argument as a couple, but then again, every aspect of their relationship had always been in some form of hyperbole.
The beautiful girl pushed his hair out of the way so that she could kiss the back of his neck.
"Until the sun sets for its final time, I'm yours." She whispered those words he'd written for her on that note.
"And I'm yours." Sirius hummed back with a sigh, "I'll apologise to the boys after tonight and next moon we do it altogether."
And so the couple didn't speak again until they found themselves on the Forbidden Forest tree line, the full moon about to rise. They could only assume James and Peter were currently waiting up by the Whomping Willow to join Remus when the time was right, and Ellie cast a brief glance up at the night sky to check how much time they had. Just enough to get a good distance from the grounds.
Clasping Sirius' hand tighter in hers, she tugged him onwards, ducking around the first few trees with a wavering sense steadiness. She'd been forcing herself to be calm up until this point, but now her heart was in her throat and she was shaking so badly she wasn't sure how she was walking. Thankfully, she could blame that on the cold though.
Whilst Sirius clearly panicked when she eventually let go of his hand, he never said anything in name of keeping his word, those stormy grey eyes swirling constantly as he watched her. Ellie merely set her hand on the tree closest to them, indicating that this was the one he needed to put her clothes by. Which he did, very diligently, whilst the beautiful girl used his wand to magically mark the trunk with a very obvious cross.
That was when it was time for her to go, and Sirius watched the fear in her eyes grow into some dark creature. It wasn't just a nervous anticipation or slight worry, this was overwhelming, stomach churning fear that had her gasping shallow breaths. But there was nothing he could do now, not when they were moments away from the moon rising, and he didn't have any soothing words either. So Sirius did all he could do, padding forward to kiss her forehead gently.
"I'll find you." He whispered, and then he watched her stumble off a little deeper into the forest to transform out of sight, unaware of just how right Dumbledore had been when he'd insisted that the safest thing tonight would be both Ellie and Remus in the Shrieking Shack, regardless of arguments.
No one could've predicted the chaos that followed, how wild her first transformation would be. And she really was hostile.
Moony was only ever playful, bar the odd occasion he got frustrated, but Ellie was as violent as an animal beaten in a cage. Sirius stood no chance, Padfoot left helpless against the beautiful girl in this unfamiliar state - unapologetically aggressive and very likely out for blood. So when she took off further into the forest, having spotted a flash of something silver and desperate to give chase, there was no way the big black dog was able to round her up like they'd agreed. Padfoot couldn't even grab her attention, let alone keep up to make sure she didn't stray too far from where they'd left Ellie's fresh clothes for the morning.
He lost her to the forest, he lost her to the part of her that was Werewolf now, he lost her to herself, and he knew that he wouldn't see the return of his Persephone Eloise until the sun rose.
It was a long night, not that Ellie could remember it of course, and she woke in absolute agony. The type of agony that was sickening, a feeling that screamed I told you so from the universe. She couldn't move as Sirius had worried, and she was so familiar with the metallic twang that hung in the air now, that she didn't need to see the particular shade of crimson that stained her hands, her legs, her stomach, her everything, to know she was bleeding from somewhere. Perhaps all those scars that she had now, the ones that littered her body like fork lightning crackling across a stormy sky, had all torn apart and exposed her to the dirt in which she lay like an abandoned cub curled up.
The only way to know that she was deeper in the forest than she should've been, was because it was still dark here despite the morning, and the trees were more densely packed in clusters that whispered to each other like friendship groups in the common room did. They made sure to remind her how foolish she'd been in believing her plan would be easy and successful, that she wouldn't feel as she did now - on the brink of death or something worse.
"We've both looked death in the eyes once before, and the next time we greet him, it will be together." Sirius had said to her just last night, so Ellie knew she needed to hold on, but she was so exhausted. With more than just the aftereffects of the full moon. Too many times recently she'd been like this, splayed out helpless and bleeding, surely there were only so many times she could come back from that. If this is what her life was to consist of, an endless cycle of catching herself before she fell off the precipice that was the end and then being pushed again as soon as she'd steadied herself, Ellie wasn't quite sure she wanted it. No, she knew that she didn't want it.
Feeling helpless was the worst feeling she'd ever experience, but asking for help was as equally as humiliating and she wanted to be brave like she was supposed to be as a Gryffindor, by house and name. But how could she be brave when she was alone, lying in the dirt, and crying?
Sirius would be waiting on the forest tree line with Madam Pomfrey for her, and she was terrified of what he'd say when- if they ever found her. I told you so. He'd be so angry, he'd be so worried, and the only explanation that Ellie would have was that she'd been too blinded by pride. That she'd been so convinced that she'd be a good Werewolf that they didn't need the same precautions as Moony. It was arrogance that had left her for dead somewhere deep in the forest. It was a desperate need to preserve her dignity that had left her without anyone to help her so much as move her fingers.
And the only way she could think to alert anyone to her location was via a half-formed understanding of the abilities of the Patronus Charm. Sirius had said she'd sent him one the night she'd been attacked in the corridor somehow, and she regretted not pushing Regulus more into telling her how he managed to send one with it, for she needed that now. Even without a wand she'd have to try, because otherwise something else might find her before Sirius and Madam Pomfrey did.
So she whispered the incantation with as much vigour as she could muster, her voice weak and wavering as her tears spilled into the dirt. She croaked out those special words in hopes that the wolf that had done this would rescue her now in apology, and as silver wisps materialised out of nowhere, they seemed to shine brighter than she'd ever seen. So bright, in fact, she had to screw her eyes up tight until the light faded slightly.
Ellie could only hope that her two Patronuses had formed properly so that they could find Sirius and Madam Pomfrey on the tree line and lead them here, but she didn't see them go. Instead, when she finally managed to open her eyes again, something else the colour of silver was stood towering over her.
A Unicorn.
Startling silver so only young still, but stood mere metres away looking down at her curiously. Ellie wanted to call out to it, tell it to run away before it was caught standing still for too long, but she hadn't the energy. Nor did the Unicorn look like it wanted to move. They weren't often inquisitive by nature, but this one had a manner about it that made it feel like an old friend checking up on her.
"Where's your mother?" Ellie forced out, for even in the state she was in, the beautiful girl couldn't overlook any magical creature.
Of course, the Unicorn couldn't reply, yet it crept nearer in a sort of response to say that it was alone too, tail swishing as it bowed its head. Perhaps this had been the foal she'd made friends with in Care of Magical Creatures class in fourth year, or perhaps it was just another that didn't see her as any threat in this state, and after it was stood right over Ellie, it settled on the ground next her. She could imagine it telling her that they both needed the company with the way it lay looking at her, a ridiculous thought, but one that provided at least some comfort.
They both lay there for a long time, too long when Ellie needed urgent medical attention. She whimpered when the Unicorn huffed, whilst she prayed her Patronuses would emerge any second with people trailing close behind. That was if the Patronus Charm really could work like that. At this point, Ellie would accept anything, because she'd had her fair share of peculiar magical situations that seemingly made no sense, or were just impossible full stop. Like the fact that she wasn't just a Werewolf now, but an Animagus too...
An Animagus too.
The idea should've come to her sooner, it was ridiculous how it had slipped her mind when it was such a huge part of who she was, yet here the beautiful girl lay having forgotten she could turn into a scruffy brown dog at will. She was sure there was some comment that could be made about how canine she was, only that was irrelevant now - Ellie had a way of preserving her dignity that she found so important.
The only problem was that she hadn't tried to transform it Cubby since she'd been turned into a Werewolf, and it'd be just her luck that she wasn't able to now.
Whilst Ellie couldn't remember how the night had gone, she could remember the feeling of her skin stretching, how every single one of her bones broke itself to grow and repair into a different shape, the agony of having her insides shuffled around, and the thought of transforming into anything else had the ability to churn her stomach. But she was desperate to turn into that scruffy brown dog in the hopes that the wounds she'd gotten as a different type of canine might not seem so severe that way, and just so no one found her in a naked heap, which meant putting feelings aside and throwing herself off a different cliff.
Somehow it happened, she managed, and the Unicorn didn't flinch once. Not until shouting came in the distance.
Cubby recognised those voices - Sirius', James', Lily's, but she was too weak to make her presence known to them. They couldn't be far, the light of wands kept darting back and forth as if people were ducking around trees in a search party, and then something even brighter came forward. It was her Patronuses returning to her, the spell had worked, and with them followed familiar faces all contort with sheer panic.
"I see her!" Yelled Sirius, voice hoarse as he set off in a stumbling run towards where Cubby lay.
"That's not-" Madam Pomfrey shouted after him.
"Yes, it is." McGonagall interrupted knowingly.
Everyone was rushing over, the search party of five people that Dumbledore had sent once it became plainly obvious to Sirius and Madam Pomfrey that Ellie was missing in the Forbidden Forest. James, Peter, and Lily had all been on their way to visit Remus in the Hospital Wing when they'd stumbled into the chaos, and the messy haired boy couldn't help himself but ask what the matter was - all arguments and ill feelings were set aside as soon as they were told that Ellie's first full moon had likely become a disaster of immense proportions. So Peter had been tasked with sitting with Remus so that he didn't worry, whilst James and Lily offered themselves as an extra set of eyes to help find her.
"Cubby?" Sirius called as he got close, eyes shooting wide as soon as he saw how she was wounded, "Oh Cubby..."
He didn't hesitate in rushing straight for her, but he'd only taken one step before the Unicorn was on its feet and stood in the way. It was restless immediately, stomping its golden hooves in a warning to stay back, but Sirius tried desperately to duck around it.
"Sirius!" James yelled as the Unicorn bucked onto its hind legs, almost knocking the handsome boy backwards, "You've gotta give it space."
"We can't just leave her there!" Sirius protested, rounding on the spot to gesture wildly at Madam Pomfrey and McGonagall being ushered on quicker by Lily, "Do something!"
No one could get close enough to the Unicorn to coax it away, let alone communicate with it as freely as Ellie was always able to do, so they were left stuck so close to being able to help her, yet so helpless. James had to keep a hold of Sirius to stop him from hexing the Unicorn, or perhaps running straight at it and hoping not to get trampled, whilst Professor McGonagall did her best to distract it so that Madam Pomfrey could sneak round. The matron was muttering constantly about how on earth she was to tend to an injured dog, not entirely convinced that it was her patient at all, but James assured her every time that Cubby was.
"She's an Animagus?" Lily had hissed, "Don't tell me that..." James nodded sheepishly, "I thought you looked exhausted this morning. You help Remus, don't you?"
"We can't talk about this now."
"But I'm right?"
"It's not important, Evans!" Sirius spat.
"Watch your tone with me. It's your fault that Ellie even had to endure the full moon like this in the first place." Lily argued just as fiercely.
"Fermez-la!"
"Stop it!" James interrupted, "Minnie's got it."
McGonagall had in fact succeeded in distracting the over-protective Unicorn for long enough for Madam Pomfrey to rush to the aid of the scruffy brown dog. Looking rather bewildered, the matron pulled out her wand and did her best to stifle as much bleeding as possible before she levitated Cubby in the air to move her safely back to the Hospital Wing, both Lily and James rushing to help herd the Unicorn away as Sirius raced to be by Madam Pomfrey's side. He needed to know every detail of what had happened right that second; of course no one knew so his questions went unanswered.
It was either the fact that it realised no one meant any harm by Cubby, or James had terrified it so much with the wild yelling of random noises, that the Unicorn took off into the forest as soon as Madam Pomfrey and Sirius had disappeared. They watched it go, a flash of silver that looked no different to the Patronuses that had long faded, and would never be able to explain why it chose to protect the scruffy brown dog so fiercely.
James had seen Ellie with magical creatures all throughout his life, her way with them didn't shock him anymore, but Lily and McGonagall both had eyes so wide it looked as if they'd just witnessed a miracle. The red head spluttered for words to articulate her confusion whilst the Professor shook her head back and forth, both lost in all the ways the beautiful girl just seemed more magic than everyone else.
When Madam Pomfrey got Cubby back to the Hospital Wing safely, she managed to do as she always did and save her patient. Ellie came back to them in human form once she was stitched up and had been given potions to compensate for all her lost blood, but then they were all back to how they had been a whole month ago - waiting in agony for her to come round properly after the full moon.
Remus couldn't bring himself to look at the beautiful girl but he sat on the end of her bed his knees tucked up into his chest as he combated his own full moon side effects in the name of being by her side, even if this was the first time this month; Peter fidgeted anxiously in his chair, disheveled from the long night; Lily looked just as tortured, rocking onto the balls of her feet in a rhythm that was meant to be calming; James paced between the Hospital Wing doors, watching for the arrival of Cyrus, and Ellie's bedside table where he'd sit Snuffles back up every time he slumped forward from lack of stuffing; and Sirius...
Sirius hadn't been allowed anywhere near, forced to answer to both Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore about what on earth possessed him to decide with Ellie that her transforming 'alone' in the Forbidden Forest was a good plan.
They couldn't know that he'd attempted to be with her all night as Padfoot, but he'd had to be the one to explain why they were now waiting for her to come round after being found half-dead in the Forbidden Forest.
"Mr Gryffin will want to speak to you, I'm sure." McGonagall finished her lengthy scolding by not only giving him enough detention to last him to the end of the year, but by also instilling a fear into Sirius that made him feel physically sick.
Cyrus wouldn't be able to forgive him for this one, not like everything else, his luck must've ran out by now. This time he was sure to be thrown out, told that he couldn't get within twelve feet of her ever again. After Adelaide, Cyrus had started worrying about his daughter so much more, and no doubt he'd declare that this was the last mess Sirius Black would ever drag her into.
The handsome boy didn't know how he'd continue without Ellie Gryffin by his side, but he knew that their relationship was about to be torn out from underneath them.
Even after he'd been dismissed by Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore, Sirius was told to wait outside of the Hospital Wing, behind closed doors and alone in the corridor. It was somewhat cruel, him being the only one that wasn't allowed to see Ellie, but as always, he believed he deserved this treatment. He should've argued with her more forcefully and demanded that she go to the Shrieking Shack, or at least have him be her side the entire time, only he hadn't done and now she'd been hurt again. How many times will you land her in the Hospital Wing? Sirius asked himself. When will you start being responsible? The questions were futile, he'd always be reckless. And besides, Ellie would always be contrary.
It wasn't long until stomping footfalls could be heard echoing down the corridor, and Sirius wasn't surprised to see Cyrus stalking in his direction. The man's face was set like thunder and his dress robes unusually shabby - no doubt he'd been up all night worrying, and when he stopped right in front of the handsome boy, his exhaustion was evident in his bloodshot eyes and untidy beard.
"Were you there?" Cyrus skipped greetings, barking out his question immediately, "All night, were you there as that- that black dog?"
"I couldn't abandon her." Sirius mumbled, avoiding his stern gaze.
"Then explain to me how she got lost."
So he did, and Cyrus listened the entire time, his expression unchanging. Sirius explained how Ellie was manic as soon as she transformed, an animal let out of its change for the first time, and how he couldn't do anything to even catch her attention let alone keep her from running off further into the forest. They wrestled at one point, Sirius had the bruises to show for it, and as he'd been getting back to his feet, Ellie had darted off. He didn't even get a glimpse of what direction she'd sped off in, and Padfoot spent the rest of the night searching for her until he retreated to where they'd left her fresh clothes as they'd agreed, but she'd never shown.
The wounds she'd accumulated could've been from anything, Sirius told Ellie's father, herself or some other creature she came across - there wasn't really any way of knowing. He explained how they knew that Moony attacked himself when there was a lack of pray or distraction, and the new Werewolf had been far more frustrated with everything than he'd ever been, so there was a high probability that Ellie had sat all night clawing away at herself.
"And you protested against this ridiculous plan of hers?" Cyrus asked at the end of his explanation.
"Yes."
"But you let her do it anyway?"
"We argued, she wouldn't concede..." Saying it aloud only had Sirius feeling even more guilty, even more to blame for not protesting more. But ultimately it wouldn't have made any difference, "If I'd have told her no, she would've snuck out alone."
"Because when she transforms back-"
"Werewolves are always naked, there's no way around it."
"Could she not have been sensible for once?" Cyrus muttered to himself, rubbing an exhausted hand over his beard that was more unruly than it had ever been.
Not only had he been up all night worrying about his daughter anyway, but then his worst nightmare had come true just after morning broke. Regretfully, he didn't know much about Werewolves, even after spending a month researching them, because there weren't many texts to go off. Every book he'd read he'd abandoned halfway through as soon as it became opinionated on the lack of respect 'the beasts' deserved. Which was why he was lost, which was why he felt unable to help, and Cyrus was definitely fed up with Ellie landing herself in the Hospital Wing too.
"It was only you, wasn't it?" He asked, still confused as to why there was even a rift between the friends currently.
"She didn't want anyone there, it made no difference I'm her boyfriend- ex..." Sirius stuttered.
Cyrus' eyebrows disappeared into his hairline.
"Boyfriend?"
"Ex." Sirius corrected knowingly.
Now Cyrus was scowling.
"Ex?"
"Yeah." Sirius hummed, finally braving eye contact. There was no way to describe the sickening ache in his gut as he explained, "Maybe she didn't tell you in her letters or whatever but we're in a relationship, a proper one, but you're gonna tell me any second now that I've got to stay away."
"Stay away?"
"'Cause that's what fathers like you do, fend off boys like me."
There wasn't much that could shake the ever stoic Cyrus Gryffin, besides when his daughter was in the Hospital Wing again, but Sirius' confession had completely caught him off guard. Not that he'd let it appear so.
The teenager stood before him was so far from the pale and scrawny eleven-year-old that tumbled into the Potter's living room that first Christmas Ellie and James had been at Hogwarts. In fact, he wasn't even a teenager anymore, but a wizard of age, a near adult. He'd watched Sirius grow as a person, go from flinching to all over people, back to flinching, and now to his first proper relationship, and there was no way that Cyrus couldn't say he was proud - as proud as Fleamont was no doubt. And whilst he still had a lot to learn, Sirius was maturing into a good person, he always had been below his scowling and explosive temper. Someone with a beautiful soul.
Which was why Cyrus stood looking at him now in utter confusion, for so quickly they'd gone from confessions of relationships to them being called off.
"Boys like you?" He questioned, and Sirius crossed his arms over his chest protectively.
"Boys that ruin everything they so much as look at for too long." He replied, dropping his gaze once more as he shuffled his feet, "It's alright, you don't have to say it, I know that's where this conversation is leading and I won't argue with you, Cyrus, I respect you too much."
Ellie's father blinked a couple of times before he decided which angle he was going to come at this from.
"Well, I'm glad you do, but I will just tell you that you're starting to annoy me now, Sirius."
"I know."
"I'm starting to feel as if I might need to be more explicit about my opinions on your relationship with my daughter."
"You don't have to be, I already know."
"Because I'm not quite sure you understand that you're stuck now."
Sirius stilled, looking up with a crumpled brow.
He wanted nothing more than for this conversation to end, for Cyrus to just declare that he was to stay away from Ellie forever more, so that he could retreat up to his dorm, pack his belongings into his Hogwarts trunk and request a room change from Professor McGonagall. Or better yet, take one of the secret passageways to Hogsmeade and appirate anywhere that wasn't the school.
There'd be nothing left for him here, and perhaps it was time he began his life as a recluse in Protea House like he'd thought about when everything fell apart just before Christmas. It was strange how far he'd come since then, how far with absolutely no achievements than maybe breaking up with Flora Buchanan. He'd lost a brother in James, and therefore the Potter's and their generous hospitality; he'd lost all of his friends; and now he was about to lose the one thing that had prevented him from falling into a dark hole of nothingness - his relationship with the beautiful girl.
She stopped him from mulling over how long it was taking him to reclaim everything that Flora had stolen, always there to reassure that it didn't matter how long it took as long as he was happy now, and with Ellie he was so happy. More than happy. She was showing him what that word love meant, and slowly but surely, it was creeping its way into Sirius' vocabulary. He couldn't say it yet, but he believed in it now. She reminded him that he couldn't be reckless anymore because his actions would directly impact her now too, and that was the last thing he wanted.
Ellie Gryffin was good for Sirius, no matter how messy or ugly their relationship had been in the past or would be in the future, for they could be damaged together with nothing but encouragement to grow.
Only, up until that point, the handsome boy had believed that last night would put a stop to it all. Everyone had been so angry at him as if it was his fault the moon ever had to get full, and he'd seen his friends gang up on him when he was to blame all month, so why would this morning be any different?
"Stuck?" He asked, cocking his head to the side when the ghost of a smile curled up the corners of Cyrus' lips.
"With us." Ellie's father declared as if it was obvious, "My daughter chose you, I accepted it a long time before you became her boyfriend, and I'm afraid you don't get to back out now."
"I'm not backing out, I just thought that-"
"I trust you, Sirius. Do you understand that?" Cyrus clapped him on the shoulder carefully, "I trust you with her and I'm confident that you'd never put her in harm's way on purpose."
"Never." Sirius promised, still extremely bemused.
"And I'd like to be as much of a father figure to you as Monty is, maybe perhaps some form of friend as you get older and realise I'm not as boring as I appear to you now, but you've got to be prepared to let us be your family... A family different from the Potters of course."
"You're- I'm good enough?"
"You're more than good enough."
And Sirius hugged him, because he couldn't think of anything that he could say that would do his gratitude justice. It wasn't Cyrus' style at all, but Ellie's father hugged him back regardless, even if only briefly, and patted him on the side of the head when they pulled away from each other. That was him saying 'let's go and see her then', and Sirius nodded in agreement.
Yet there was something off about Cyrus as they walked into the Hospital Wing, as if he was silently preparing himself for something - seeing Ellie perhaps, and he was just even more worried than he was letting on. Whatever it was, Sirius paid it no mind, for he was far too preoccupied with thinking about the beautiful girl himself.
There was no one else in the Hospital Wing besides the group of teenagers up one end all congregated around one of the beds, and as soon as their footsteps were echoing on the stone floor, James' head had snapped in their direction. He didn't so much as hesitate before he was striding to meet them halfway, shoving his glasses up his nose restlessly, and shaking his head back and forth. With just a raise of his hand, the messy haired boy stopped them before they'd even gotten a glimpse of Ellie, like a Muggle policeman stopping traffic, or a Healer with very bad news. Sirius scowled at him and then tried to duck around to the side, but James shot his arm out to get in his way.
Before the boys could start physically wrestling over this, Cyrus cut it.
"What's the matter, James?"
"She's come round and she's fine, Poppy's sorted all her wounds and stuff..." He explained.
"But?"
"But she won't say anything."
"Maybe 'cause you all abandoned-" Sirius spat quickly, only for Cyrus to stop him by setting a hand on his shoulder again.
"Did Padfoot tell you what he did?" James laughed bitterly, "He was the one that abandoned-"
"Both of you, that's enough." Cyrus demanded, "You're supposed to be brothers."
That word, brothers was like a slap in the face. All month they'd not been brothers, they'd not even been friends they were both so angry, and in all honesty, neither could remember why now.
The whole ordeal of Ellie being attacked and then bitten on the full moon was so heavy going that they'd gotten lost amongst their worries and getting justice. Nothing had ever been investigated around who had been the one to curse Ellie the way they had done in one of the school corridors, who had been the one to just about slice her up entirely, that the whole situation had been dragged out longer than necessary, with everyone throwing the blame around still. Perhaps if there'd been some form of resolution, everyone wouldn't have been feuding for so long.
James looked at Sirius, gaze softening as those words Ellie had said to him a month ago echoed in his mind - 'you've been no better than Regulus to him'. A part of himself knew it was true, but at the same time, this wasn't entirely his fault, for Lily, Remus, and Peter were all angry with Sirius too. Though maybe they had been fighting for too long now, it had been made obvious last night that they all needed to be there for each other, only as soon as James went to say something, he was being barged out of the way.
"I want to see her." Sirius grumbled, taking off towards the Hospital bed on his own.
Cyrus pointed his finger at the messed haired boy.
"I won't go home and tell your parents about this argument, but it better be sorted by the time you return, and I'm telling you specifically because I can trust you'll do the right thing." His tone was undebatable, "If you want to join the Order at Easter, you will have to work together, and potentially with others you disagree with too, so you must learn to be less prideful, James, you are not always right."
"But I'm a Gryffindor-"
"As am I, but there is a time and a place for arrogance." Cyrus nodded as if to say, 'you will agree with me', "Just reconcile, please... Sirius is going to need you with what is to come."
"What is to come?" James asked hesitantly, casting a glance over his shoulder at Ellie's Hospital bed and all his friends stood around it.
"What has to be done now." Cyrus hummed as he placed a hand on the messy haired boy's shoulder to guide him towards everyone, "You mustn't be mad at me."
"Mad at you? What do you-"
James was cut off by the sight of Ellie pulling Sirius into bed next to her with a weak smile.
The entire time she'd been awake so far, she'd been staring off into space as if her mind was somewhere else completely, eyes blank and expression tortured, but now she looked no more than just a little bit sleepy. Sirius greeted her with a face full of panic still, but she just reached up to swipe rogue ebony strands out of his face as he settled under the bed sheets right by her side. Ellie's smile only grew when he leant into her touch, shutting his eyes briefly as relief visibly washed over him, and Sirius took her hand gently in his to kiss her palm.
Last month, the last time the rest of the Marauders and Lily had been anywhere near the pair for any extended amount of time, Sirius wouldn't let Ellie that close, or anyone for that matter. And whilst she'd always gazed at him lovingly, the beautiful girl hadn't been that obviously infatuated.
The sight had them all staring.
"You're covered in dirt." Ellie told him in a whisper, the first words she'd spoken yet.
"It was a long night." Sirius replied, kissing the palm of her hand many more times, "We are never doing a full moon like that again, tu comprends? J'étais si inquiet-"
Ellie cut his rambling off quickly.
"Let's not talk about it." She mumbled, pulling her hand out of his so she could reach across to her bedside table and grab Snuffles from where he'd slumped over. Sirius opened his mouth to say something when she winced and then grunted and then clutched her side in pain, but Ellie merely shook her head and slumped back against her pillows. "What's your vote then? Dog or wolf?" She asked as she smoothed the fur down on the top of Snuffle's head.
It was as if no one else was there but Sirius - no Remus sat down the bottom of the bed looking as if he might burst into tears any second, no Peter rocking in his chair, no Lily organising pain relief potions on a little trolley because she felt out of place, no James staring at them in utter confusion, no Cyrus with pursed lips. Ellie spoke like only Sirius existed, and he gazed at her as if she might disappear in a puff of smoke if he didn't.
"Well, I'll be biased, won't I?" The handsome boy replied to her with a slight smile tugging at the corners of his lips, "What's your vote?"
"This whole Werewolf malarkey seems a lot more hassle than it first let's on, I have to say." Ellie huffed, "Did you see my Patronus? Patronuses?"
Sirius' eyes darted towards Remus at the bottom of the bed briefly.
"I did..." He mumbled.
"It means nothing." Ellie shrugged, "Magic's being shitty with me currently. Everything's a little wrong."
"Wrong?" Cyrus cut in, moving closer to the end of the Hospital bed.
"Patronuses are doing things they shouldn't be able to do, I saw mum in this fancy mirror-"
"You saw your mum?" Sirius asked, wrapping his arm around her shoulders to pull her nearer, "When?"
Ellie just shrugged again.
"A while back. You were in the reflection too, everyone was. She said something to me but it wasn't a big deal. I'll show you when Poppy says I'm all healed up."
"You won't, sweetheart." Cyrus told her plainly.
"What do you mean? It was only in some random classroom. The door wasn't even locked."
"No, I mean that you won't get an opportunity to."
"We literally get so much free time, I don't know-"
"I'm taking you home." Cyrus declared too loudly, too confidently, too much like he'd rehearsed this line before he arrived, "Permanently."
Sirius' arm tightened around Ellie's shoulders in the silence that followed, the emptiness in which everyone processed what had been said. Permanently, that word seemed to resonate around the whole Hospital Wing like a declaration of war. James stared at Cyrus; 'you mustn't be mad at me,' he'd said, but how could he possibly not be?
"You're pulling Cubby out of school?" Remus asked frantically, nearly snapping his neck at the speed of which he whipped his head round to look at Ellie's father.
"I am." Cyrus replied evenly.
"Forever?"
"From Hogwarts, yes."
There was another silence, then Ellie let out a weak chuckle.
"No, you're not. That's ridiculous." She said, hooking one of her legs around Sirius' under the bedsheets.
"I'm taking you home, and after Easter, you start at Beauxbatons."
"You can't send her into the Veela den! They'll eat her alive." James shouted dramatically, "And Cubby's shit at French, we all know it."
"All these Hospital Wing visits, all these messes you keep getting yourself into... I've thought it over, discussed it with Camille, and we're in agreement that it is probably safer for you to finish your education in France." Cyrus explained, and whilst he appeared outwardly as stoic as usual, there was a strange reluctance in his eyes, "I've been liaising between Dumbledore and Madame Maxine, Beauxbatons' Headmistress, and the exchange should be very simple considering the Dubois name means a lot over there. Not forgetting Camille's position at the French Ministry too."
Ellie's mouth fell open wide.
"You're not joking..."
"I wouldn't about something this serious."
"Then have you gone mad?!" She cried, "Beauxbatons... I can't go to Beauxbatons, my life is here, between home and Hogwarts, not- not all the way over there."
"You adored France when you stayed with Camille." Cyrus reminded her.
"When I was on holiday!" Ellie paused, "Oh wait, I mean when you shipped me off all summer as the world went to shit!"
"Exactly. There's no threat in-"
"My life, my safety, is no more important than anyone else's, so why me? Why isn't the whole of Hogwarts taking a visit if there's that big of a threat?" Cyrus didn't answer, allowing her to get everything out of her system, "I s'pose you'll stay at home still too? Ship me off to France again as if I'm some disappointment, some failure, some unwanted child you want your hands clean of... Is that it? Are you that scared of me now that I'm a Werewolf? You know, mum would never have-"
"That does not come into this!"
"But you're still scared of me, I can see it in your eyes."
"I am scared for you, Persephone Eloise! Times are dangerous enough without your inability to keep yourself out of trouble. I am sick of being contacted and told you are in the Hospital Wing again, unconscious after some big accident. I am sick of you insisting all is well when clearly it is not."
"I'm fi-"
"Nothing is fine!" Cyrus bellowed, and everything fell so silent that Peter didn't even dare breathe, "You have been attacked, you look ill all of the time, your studies are slipping, you've fallen out with your friends-" Everyone seemed to sink into themselves and turn red, "And now this reckless stunt you have pulled has only put your own life in danger once again! I have been fair with you, always fair, but there will be consequences this time."
"So this is a punishment?" Ellie spat through hot tears that began to stream down her face, "You're sending me away to become remorseful of my actions?"
"If you will only be a danger to yourself, I am putting you somewhere that will at least keep you from the dangers we're all faced with now." Cyrus squared his shoulders, "Your mother came to Hogwarts because of Grindelwald. You shall go to Beauxbatons because of you-know-who."
"And my friends?"
"Will be here when you're home for the holidays."
"Bullshit!" Sirius cut in fiercely, "We were literally just talking, and you didn't think to say anything about this? Or was what you said just supposed to make me feel better about myself and didn't actually mean anything?"
"What I said still stands, Sirius."
"Then why the fuck are you doing this? Why are you sending her away when you know that- Why would you do this now?"
"It's not immediate, as I said before." Cyrus told him, "Home first, Beauxbatons after Easter."
"I won't go." Ellie said with a shake of her head, "You will have to drag me kicking and screaming."
"Don't be childish." The beautiful girl looked as if she could smack her father right then and there, but Cyrus merely brushed down his robes, adjusted the cuffs of his shirt, and looked to leave. He'd be back once Ellie had calmed down, this wasn't him dismissing the fact that she'd been through a lot last night, but he knew he needed to give her time to curse his existence to all of her friends before they could have a heartfelt conversation about how she was recovering from the full moon. "The decision is final, so you will be going." He declared as he took off back down the Hospital Wing in a stride - there were matters to discuss with Dumbledore as usual.
"I'm the Youngest Descendent of Godric Gryffin-" Ellie tried shouting after him, only for her father to interrupt with a call over his shoulder.
"As was I once, sweetheart." He dismissed brutally.
Of course, none of them saw the way his hands shook as he pushed open the Hospital Wing doors to leave. That had been no easier to announce than it was for his daughter to hear.