good things fall apart • sirius black

Naked truth

Whatever panic Ellie had about her Animagus form melted away in the excitement of actually being able to transform, and the Marauders were more enthusiastic than they ever were the next morning. James carried Peter in a piggyback as they ran out of the Great Hall after breakfast; Remus tried to keep up with them; and Ellie and Sirius trailed at the back.

The handsome boy had been grinning at her all morning, a completely infatuated lovesick grin, that everyone noticed but her. It was as if his prayers had been answered when he saw a chocolate brown ball of fur sleeping on his bed this morning, and the joy hadn't worn off yet.

Why he so desperately wanted her to turn out as a scruffy dog, was a question Sirius didn't really have the answer to, but he'd not been able to get the idea out of his head ever since he'd found out about her Patronus changing. It was something to do with the comfort of knowing that their souls were just the same as their friends had always been able to see they were, and just the thought that they were potentially made for each other made Sirius giddy.

Remus had very reluctantly suggested they take a trip to visit the Shrieking Shack because it was a Sunday and they had no lessons, for everyone wanted to be prepared for when the next full moon came. As of yet, they hadn't discussed what exactly that night would entail, but for now, seeing the shack was a good start. Though willingly taking a visit to the place Remus hated with such a passion wasn't exactly an exciting trip, despite their joyous moods.

Peter clutched the Marauder's Map tightly just in case they needed it, and James let him down off of his back as they neared the castle grounds, Remus catching up with them quickly. Ellie and Sirius still wandered at the back, the latter slipping his hand into the beautiful girl's subtly as their steps never faltered once. Gazing at the side of his head, she watched as Sirius pretend nothing had happened, the same lazy smile across his features that had been there all day. What had gotten him so daydreamy was a mystery to her, but it was in this confused state, that she didn't notice that her other friends up ahead had come to a halt.

"Ellie, I've been looking for you, hey!"

Darren Wayne leaned in between James and Remus who'd formed a shield to stop him from getting to the beautiful girl, Sirius' grip tightening around her hand.

Ellie sighed internally, for in all honesty, she'd completely forgotten about the sixth year who so desperately fancied her still. After she'd made up with the boys and gotten carted off to Grimmauld Place so quickly, there hadn't been much time to speak to him, and she couldn't even recall the last time they'd spent time together. Though something told Ellie he'd probably been trying to get her alone for a long while.

"I heard you went away for Easter, so I wanted to-"

Only when Ellie and Sirius came to a stop in front of him, did Darren really take in their appearances - not Sirius' exactly, but more the huge scar across the beautiful girl's right cheek. His expression dropped completely as his skin paled, mouth shutting tight when he cut himself off. That was all it took for the boys to form a defensive huddle around their friend, Remus and Sirius swapping places silently so that the two black haired boys could stand in the front, and Peter dropping to Ellie's left.      

"You- Your pretty face..." Darren stammered out, reassembling someone who'd been told a relative had died. 

"A Quidditch accident over Easter." Ellie blurted out the explanation she'd decided was going to be her default one when someone asked her about her scars, but the slight shake in her voice gave her away. Remus just wrapped an arm around her shoulders to bring her into his chest.

"But... You- You look..." James and Sirius wore the same nasty expressions, and it wasn't helping Darren form coherent sentences as his eyes continued to stare at Ellie.