✯ CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE ✯

❝Sirius Black is my Dad.❞

ESTELLA FOUND HERSELF hidden in a random corridor, her face red and sore with tears. He'd got in; less than twelve hours ago she'd been standing in front of Remus trying to convince him that she'd be safe in Hogsmeade and now apparently she wasn't even safe in Hogwarts.

Sirius Black had been trying to get into her common room; whether he'd been successful or not was unclear, though he'd definitely tried. To get her? To get Harry?

How did he even know their house? Was he stalking them?

All Estella wanted to do right now was cry, and go home. She had a funny feeling that the small house her and Remus lived in would be safer than Hogwarts, unless of course Sirius knew they lived there too.

If he was stalking her and Harry, he probably knew everything by now.

She stayed where she was, not taking a moment to even think about how much of a worry it would be when the Professors realised she was gone. Estella didn't want to be seen. She didn't want to have to hear everyone's theories on how they thought Sirius had got into the castle -- because she knew that of course would be talk of the school.

She was completely alone for atleast fifteen minutes, until a young redheaded girl came running around the corner, more aware of her surroundings than Estella had ever seen anyone be before. Ginny took to a halt right in front of where her older friend was hiding.

"Estella."

"Ginny," Estella couldn't meet her eyes. "Go back."

Ginny looked as though she'd just been asked to eat a venomous spider. "Go back? Are you joking? I can't just leave you here."

"Yes you can. Just go."

"No." Ginny sat down next to Estella, crossing her legs. "We'll go together, that way it's safer. There's a mass murderer running around this school."

"Yeah, I did hear that part," the older girl said grumpily. She was fiddling with her necklace like she always did when she was stressed, staring at her shoes.

Ginny was watching her intently. "Why did you run off?"

"Well," Estella tried her best to come up with a lie, "I was scared Black might have come out of that common room any second. Thought I better run just incase."

"Liar," said Ginny, in a tone which Estella didn't like. "You'd be safer with everyone around than on your own and you know that."

"Don't call me a liar, Weasley." Estella glared at her.

"Well you are lying. I know you're lying."

"Ginny, you should go back," said Estella, calmly. "I don't know why you followed me, but it was stupid. They'll be looking for you."

"For us," Ginny corrected her. "They'll be looking for us both, and I think they'll be happier to find us together rather than alone."

Estella sighed. "I don't want to see anyone right now."

"I'm sorry, Stell, but you might have to. Black is dangeous."

"You don't have to tell me that," she spat. "I know."

"So then why won't you come back?" Ginny was genuinely looking worried now, and Estella felt bad for how she was acting when she saw the look on her face. But Ginny wouldn't understand if she told her; she wouldn't know what it's like to have a father who wants to kill you.

"Estella..."

"What?"

"I care about you, which is why I followed you. You were crying, you were running straight towards a place where a murderer could easily find you. What's wrong?"

Estella took a deep breath, thinking the words she was about to say through. Someone had to know.

"I- um- I might be keeping a bit of a secret."

"What?" Ginny's expression changed quickly from concerned to confused. She was looking at Estella expectantly, waiting for her to continue.

She did. "It's really really bad, and I think a lot of people will hate me if it gets out."

"Estella, what are you talking about?"

"If I tell you, you can't tell anyone," she looked into Ginny's brown eyes, waiting for her word. Deep down Estella was asking herself why she was even doing this, but there was also something in her that really felt a strong need to get it out. And she trusted Ginny. She didn't know why, but she did.

Ginny nodded her head after around thirty seconds. "I won't tell anyone."

"Do you promise?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die."

Estella let out a deep breath, before whispering, "Sirius Black is my Dad."

Ginny's mouth dropped and it filled Estella with immediate regret. She felt tears well up in her eyes and tried to stand up and run, further, before feeling herself be pulled back down to the ground. Oh how she was an idiot for trusting someone.

"I'm sorry," Estella cried. She didn't want to even look at Ginny; she was so ashamed of herself. "Merlin, you probably hate me, I'm so sorry."

"Hate you?" Ginny sounded more confused than she had less than five minutes ago looked. "Why would I hate you?"

Estella rolled her eyes. "My father is the fucking mass murderer everyone is hiding from, why wouldn't you hate me?"

"I'm failing to see how any of that is your fault," Ginny said. "Are you ever around him?"

"Obviously not, he's been in Azkaban for the majority of my life."

"Did he raise you?"

"No. Ginny, let's just be real a--"

"Do you have literally any memories with him?"

"Ginny--"

"Do you?"

"No."

"So then apart from sharing the same blood as you he's really nothing to you, isn't he?" asked Ginny.

Estella sighed. "Well, I guess not, but--"

"But what?"

"Just because you don't think differently of me doesn't mean other people won't," said Estella plainly.

"Anyone who thinks differently of you for that is an idiot," said Ginny. "You're not your Father."

Estella slumped her shoulders, but smiled at her younger friend. "The world would be a better place if everyone was like you, Gin."

Ginny shrugged. "I think not thinking differently of someone for their Father is the bare minimum, really. Unless you were to turn around and say you agree with his actions there's really no reason to dislike you."

"I definitely don't agree with his actions," Estella confirmed.

"So then there really isn't an issue." Ginny looked down at her watch, before her smile changed into a frown again, and she looked at Estella. "You know, we really should head back. It's after curfew and I know we'll be left with a months worth of detention for being out on a night like this. As I was running here everyone was heading the Great Hall, we should join them."

Estella finally seemed to have had some sense knocked into her. She now looked down the corridor, her face in panic. "You're right. My Dad -- well, Professor Lupin -- he's going to kill me if he finds out I'm here."

Ginny nodded and together the two started walking along the corridor as fast as they could, Estella using her wand for light so that they could see where they were going. As they got to the end of the first corridor, Ginny turned to Estella and started whispering.

"So...Professor Lupin, I assume he did raise you?"

"Mhm," said Estella, "and he is genuinely more of a dad to me than Black will ever be. Blood doesn't matter, he'll always be the person i choose as my father."

"And your last name?"

"It's Black," said Estella plainly. "If I could legally make it Lupin I would, but I'd need to get a murderer to sign something for that, so I'll just pretend until I'm eighteen."

Ginny nodded. "Sorry. I guess that was a bit personal."

"No, no, its okay. I guess someone had to know," said Estella,  as they pulled to a halt outside the Great Hall doors. Estella was about to open them when Ginny spoke again.

"So, do you know your moth--" She didn't get to finish her sentence, because at that moment the doors opened and Remus appeared. The Professor stopped at the sight of them, his face a mixture of both angry and relieved. Estella took three steps away from him.

"What do you two girls think you're doing out here?" he asked, very sternly. "Students were given very clear instructions by Professor Dumbledore to head to the Great Hall! And you--" Estella avoided looking at his face of disappointment, "I expect so much better from you than this."

"Dad--"

Remus shook his head. "No, I do not want to hear it. You both better get yourselves in that Great Hall right now, or I will be taking house points."

Estella sighed. "Dad, please, I don't want to be in there."

"Estella, I mean--"

"DAD!"

Remus sighed, but then nodded and pulled the Great Hall doors open. He looked at the two girls. "Ginny, go straight in there and find the rest of the Gryffindors, and make sure I never catch you doing anything like this again. Estella, with me."

Ginny did as she was told, closing the door behind her with a quiet thud. Remus started walking and Estella followed, making sure to keep her pace up so she was close behind him.

"I don't think I need to tell you how dangerous that was, young lady," Remus lectured, as they approached the moving stairs and started walking up them. "Did you even think about what you were doing, going wandering around the school in this situation?"

Estella groaned. "Dad, I panicked. I know it was stupid, but I honestly just went into fight or flight and lost the ability to think. I know I shouldn't have done it."

She could see Remus shaking his head from her ahead of her. "And you took Miss Weasley with you?"

"No, she followed."

"I see," said Remus, and he stopped for a second, lighting his wand. "I didn't realise you and Ginny were such good friends."

"Well, we talk sometimes," Estella explained, but something inside her felt weird. "And, well...Dad, I told her about Sirius."

Remus stopped in his tracks. Estella was worried that he was going to be mad, to tell her that she shouldn't have done that; and to be honest, if he did, she would be able to see his point. Trusting people was stupid most of the time.

"Y-you what?"

"I'm sorry, Dad--"

"I'm not mad," said Remus, "just shocked. I didn't think you wanted anyone to know."

"I don't really, but Ginny said she wouldn't tell. And I trust her," Estella smiled.

Remus nodded his head. "Just...be careful, sweetheart," he warned, as they walked along a second floor corridor. Estella had realised now that they were heading towards his quarters.

They got there after a few minutes. Remus uttered a password, and Estella noticed that he was trying hard for her to not hear this, which made her eyes roll. Once they were inside, he lead her to a small bedroom.

"You can sleep in that spare bed over there," he said, pointing to a tidy bed that obviously hadn't been used in a while. Estella walked towards it. "I need to go and help the rest of the Professors, but I hopefully shouldn't be too late back. Are you going to be okay, Cub?"

"Fine Dad, don't worry" said Estella, climbing into the bed and pulling the duvet over her.

Remus walked over to her and landed a kiss on her forehead. "You know I will, its impossible not to. Try and get some sleep, love."

But that night Estella did not sleep at all. Even when Remus returned in the early hours of the morning she couldn't bring herself to fall asleep, because she was too worried about what was going to happen now.

Sirius had entered Hogwarts, which meant he would be more than capable of doing it again. And that terrified her.

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

A/N: This is a shorter chapter only because I don't like it and won't be able to finish it if I don't publish it now. I genuinely could've had it out over a week ago but ended up rewriting it like five times. Idk why I dislike it so much.