Rough Waters |Sirius Black

Chapter Sixty Seven

The day that the twins and Eleanor were supposed to open Weasleys Wizard Wheezes, things did not go according to plan. Due to some unforeseen circumstances that involved Artemis drawing a wand on Eleanor, all hell had broken loose, causing a delay to the shop. They were called upon early to go and find Eleanor who had left the shop after her and Fred got into a spat. Apparently, the young man had taken his own wand out and told Artemis to leave, causing Eleanor to become upset.  

Nixie bit her lower lip as Remus was in hysterics about his daughter leaving the shop, believing that Artemis was setting Eleanor up in a trap to be captured. She tried to reassure the man that she didn't believe that was Artemis' intentions, but  Remus was not having it. The look he shot in her direction was deadly, and even she wasn't going to go up against him. He left the shop along with everyone else to go look for her, but Nixie only had the question on her mind of who was planning on staying behind if Eleanor decided to return on her own?

The woman took it upon herself to stay inside the shop, rubbing at her forehead to try to prevent an incoming headache that she could feel coming.  She really hoped deep down that it was all a misunderstanding and that Artemis really wasn't turning on them. All horrible memories of Sirius and Remus turning on each other when they could have relied on one another. An innocent man had been accused and end up spending twelve years in Azkaban and would have spent even longer if he hadn't escaped.

She waited patiently, sitting on the counter when suddenly the door opened to the shop and Eleanor returned. 

"I guess people should listen to me more often," she said quietly to herself before turning back to Eleanor. "You're back, safe and sound."

Eleanor didn't look very happy as she wore a frown on her face.

"Yeah Dad found me first and nearly attacked an old friend,"Eleanor told her as she walked over and then sat down beside her on the counter. "Why are you in here alone?"

"Just in case you decided to come back. Everyone is out searching for you right now. I should probably notify them that you're okay-"

"Don't worry about that. Dad is taking care of it already."

A moment of silence passed between the two women before Nixie was caught off by Eleanor's question pertaining to the past.

"When it came to Peter how did no one suspect he was the traitor of the group?" she questioned in a low voice.

Nixie's head turned to her abruptly, her eyes slightly wide.

"Pardon?"

"Why did no one suspect Peter was the one trading information? I mean, he was a rat after all."

Nixie sighed placing her hands onto her lap.

"Sirius and James were best friends and while all of them were like brothers, it was those two that were the closest. As you can tell since Sirius was named Harry's godfather."

"And you his godmother-"

"That was by Lily. Lily put all her trust in Sirius and me, and they wanted Sirius to become the SecretKeeper but at that time, Sirius believed we were much too obvious to be left with that responsibility. He and James believed Remus was the traitor among the group."

"But why?"

"Because of your father's lycanthropy," Nixie admitted. "It played a large role, during that time the Dark Lord was actively using werewolves, including Fenrir Greyback. You have to understand that during our time and even now, werewolves are not accepted members of society but the Dark Lord promised those who followed him that they would be."

"So they believed my dad was a traitor."

"Information was getting out somehow and no one knew who was doing it. Because your father was so intertwined in our group...well...no one would have believed Peter would be capable of such a thing. Peter wasn't exactly the most daring or the smartest of the group...he seemed fitting...how wrong we were."

"What happened after...you know..."

"After Lily and James deaths, you mean?"

Eleanor nodded.

"Well, it was horrible, the entire Order was grieving. We had lost many at that time..but, of course, losing my best friends was horrible enough but to then find out that Sirius had been accused."

"Did you believe that he did it?"

"No, at first I was in too much shock. I was in so much denial that it even happened in the first place, but Sirius was accused of not only betraying Lily and James but killing twelve muggles and Peter. When they only recovered a finger, I had no idea what to think. It seemed as though everyone believed that Sirius had gone rogue. I...I really lost my mind during that time Eleanor and your father, I'm sure he didn't know what to think at the time. Perhaps if the two hadn't jumped to conclusions against each other.The werewolves joining Voldemort's side didn't help at all. Your dad was left pretty stranded after that..."

Eleanor bit the inside of her cheek feeling terrible.

"With Sirius in Azkaban, and the Order dispersing for everyone's protection, your father was left as I .."

"You went back to the sea?"

"I did. It sounds like the most coward thing to do but even with Voldemort defeated. for the time being, the death eaters were relentless in their pursuit of members. They were going after everyone, and we had to wait until the Aurors collected them up. I couldn't even join my mother's people at the time."

"Why not?!"

"They want nothing to do with the wars on land, Ellie. I was a threat to their serene life underwater. I had no idea where everyone had run off to."

"So you were all alone?"

"I was with my mother. Throughout the years, I just spent my time in the water, I refused to go on land. And I'm sure your father suffered greatly being alone."

"It sounds like you all did."

"Your father is still haunted by his mistakes, though, Eleanor. He will never forgive himself. He doesn't think he deserves to be happy."

"It wasn't his fault, though."

"Your father is very hard on himself, Eleanor."

"I need to talk to him, right now."

"Why don't you just wait here until the others get back?" Nixie said standing up as Eleanor rushed to the door.

"No, I want to talk to him now."

"Ellie wait!"