Call it what you want {Theodore Nott}

chapter thirty-two

The three of them piled down the stairs as they bumped into more people on the ground floor.

"Well look who we have here Freddie." Said a mischievous voice.

"Did not expect to see you here little female Malfoy." Replied a very similar voice and Amy could hear the smirk.

She turned round to be greeted by Fred and George Weasley . She never really had many interactions with the twins but she always saw them causing trouble at school and found them really quite funny. They have always been a big influence on her friend group.

"Don't associate me with that ferret." She said sounding very serious.

The group made their way into the dining room where there were more people sitting down. Amy recognised one of them immediately as their fake eye turned straight to her. "Was beginning to think you weren't gonna turn up." He growled.

"Behave Alastar." said a much more calm voice. Remus Lupin was sitting at the other end of the table next to Sirius Black. His presence calmed Amy down as he didn't hate her, well, she thought so anyway.

She smiled to him gratefully and sat down next to Hermione. There was another person in the room who Amy didn't recognise. She seemed to be the youngest out of the rest of them, but still older than Amy. She had a pale heart-shaped face, dark twinkling eyes, and long hair that was a violent shade of purple.

Everyone began eating Mrs Weasleys well-made dinner and Amy couldn't help but feel out of place. What she  wouldn't do to have her friends here. She would have even put up with listening to Iris rant about boys or Blaise practicing his new pick-up lines on her. What she wouldn't do to have Theo here.

She was suddenly pulled out of her thoughts when she realised that everyone's eyes were on her. She shook her head slightly. "Oh I'm sorry what was that?"

"I  said, I suppose all of your friend's know that you are here." Said Moody, annoyed that he had to repeat himself.

"Oh, no no one knows I'm here." Amy politely reassured. "No one?" He questioned again. She looked around to see everyone still looking at her and could feel herself getting uncomfortable. "Not even your parents?" Moody pushed.

"No I told them I was somewhere else..." Amy replied. Moody just scoffed and lightly laughed to himself, "yeah right." He said. Amy felt more intimated right now then she did when she had Barty Crouch Jr teaching her about unforgivable curses. "I bet they're on their way right now or informing the dark lor-"

"Alastar enough." Sirius Black, who was at the head of the table, was now staring down at the man on the opposite end. "Do not come into my house and disrespect anyone who has the right to be here." He said calmly but everyone could tell he was angry.

There was an awkward silence but everyone slowly soothed back into their conversations. Amy stayed silent and looked to Sirius and couldn't help but wonder why he would defend her.

••••••••••••••••

After everyone had eaten, they all started heading upstairs. However, Amy stayed down there and found herself looking around the house.

She can across a door by the stairs which she seemed to have missed earlier. She quickly looked around and saw that there was no one in sight, so she turned the door knob and pushed it open.

The room was completely empty. There was no furniture, no pictures or any kind of snake ornaments which the house seemed to be flooded in. There was nothing except a forest green tapestry covering one of the walls. It looked immensely old; it was faded and looked as though Doxys had gnawed it in places. Nevertheless, the golden thread with which it was embroidered still glinted brightly enough to show her a sprawling family tree dating back (as far as Amy could tell) to the Middle Ages. Large words at the very top of the tapestry read:

THE NOBLE AND
MOST ANCIENT
HOUSE OF BLACK
"TOUJOURS PUR"

Now Amy thought her family was pull of pride but she had never seen anything like this before. There were tons of faces and names scattered around the walls. She noticed how some of them had burns.

"Lovely isn't she" The voice made her jump and she whipped round to see Sirius leaning on the door frame watching her. She immediately took a step back from the tapestry. "I'm sorry I was just, curious.." she said still looking at all of the faces.

"No need to apologise." He said and he got up from the wall and began walking over til he was next to her. Amy's eyes still scanned the wall. "You're not on here" she said confused.

"I used to be there," said Sirius, pointing at a small, round, charred hole in the tapestry, rather like a cigarette burn. "My sweet old mother blasted me off after I ran away from home - I told you she's lovely."

"You ran away from home?" She asked, now turning to look at him.

"When I was about sixteen," he said. "I'd had enough."

Amy looked away after hearing that. She wished she had the Gryffindor bravery to run away from home for good, but she knew she had nowhere to go. "Thank you for earlier.." she said looking back to him.

He smiled slightly as he still looked at the wall In front of them. "I know what it's like to be seen as corrupt because of your family," he turned his attention to her, "and if Harry trusts you then so do I." He added.

Amy raised her eyebrow in surprise. "Harry trusts me?" She couldn't help but ask out loud.

"Have you given him a reason not to?" He asked her smirking. That made he realise, that she hadn't given Harry a reason not to trust her. She hadn't given anyone a reason not to trust her. Yes, her parents weren't exactly the most pure people but that has no effect on her and what she does and she had just only found out about them.

" He will be here in a few days ," he said, "He also mentioned how you turned him down for the Yule Ball." He said smiling. Amy's eyes widened slightly. "Oh yeah..." she said scratching the back of her neck, "forgot about that."

Sirius lightly laughed to himself and walked towards the door. "Goodnight Amy." He said as he walked out and down the hallway.