03. PARTING IS SUCH SWEET SORROW

The next day consisted of Elara unpacking some of the clothes she had with her in Romania and starting to get her trunk ready because she knew she wouldn't do it tomorrow before they left. She stuffed the bottle of whiskey between her clothes, hiding it.

When she was done, she walked downstairs with her wand, twirling it between her fingers, and a large book in her other. She sat at the kitchen table and opened the book. It was the one about controlling her telekinesis, which she had been practicing a lot this summer.

She ignored the bustle around her and focused on the book, placing her wand on the table so it didn't interfere. She spent around 2 hours moving small and large things around. At one point, she lifted her father up high, and he swore very loudly, causing everyone to laugh.

When she was done with that, she dropped the book into her trunk, and joined everyone else in the living room where they spent their last evening together in a while. Elara was sat beside Harry on the floor, his head on her shoulder. Theodore was on the couch behind her, and her father sat on the armchair opposite them.

They just sat and talked and had their dinner on the floor all together instead of getting up to use the table. It was nice to spend some time together before they all went back to Hogwarts.

The next morning, she was woken up by Theodore. "Lara, wake up." She opened her eyes and yawned, before closing them once more and pulling the blanket to cover her face.

"No. I'm staying here."

"You can't." He laughed.

"Yes, I bloody well can." She mumbled into her pillow.

"Elara, we have to go to school."

"But do we? I want to stay here, I missed it here this whole summer."

"You can come back in a few months for Christmas. Let's go and scare all the first years. You have to make a good impression as Quidditch Captain." That got her up. She sat up; eyes wide.

"I'm captain!"

"Yep."

"I forgot! How did I forget? What the fuck!" She scramble out of bed and grabbed a pile of clothes she left on top of her trunk and hurried to her bathroom, leaving her boyfriend shaking his head at her amusedly, before he headed to his own room.

After she got washed up, she quickly changed into a cropped band tee, some ripped jeans and then throwing her leather jacket on top. She fished her makeup bag from her trunk and did some concealer, eyeliner and then swiped her red lipstick over her lips. When she was done, she ran her fingers through her hair and then stuffed everything she had left into her trunk, lacing up her boots and levitating her trunk.

She walked down the corridor with her trunk in front of her, and headed down the stairs, dropping it off at the door with the other trunks. Elara made her way into the kitchen, where everyone else was gathered. She sat down on the table, not bothered to drag a chair towards her, and her eyes went straight to the table, looking for the coffee.

Someone tapped her knee and she looked down, following the hand to the smiling face of her godbrother who handed her a warm mug filled with the dark liquid that she loved so much. "Thanks, Harry."

"You're welcome, El." He replied, before sitting down beside her on the table. "Ready for your last year?"

"Absolutely not. I never want to leave, but also, I want to leave at the same time. Man, I'm bloody sick of Dumbledore." She took a sip, before tossing her hair behind her. It was getting longer, and she wanted to change it up. maybe she would dye it when she was back at Hogwarts or cut it again.

"I'll miss you next year." Harry laid his head on her shoulder.

"I'll miss you too. But, I'll come visit during Hogsmeade, and maybe I'll come pick you up some weekends for a day off. I can meet the new Defense teacher, because we have a bloody new one every year."

"Sounds good. I can assure you everyone will be delighted to see you if you come visit."

"Then it's set. I'll come visit whenever I can. Depends what job I manage to snag."

Theodore walked into the room and smiled when he saw Elara. He sat down on a chair beside her legs and she handed him her coffee. He took a grateful sip and handed it back to her before reaching out and grabbing some buttered toast.

Sirius came into the room, and when he saw his daughter sipping on her coffee, he narrowed his eyes. "Elara Black, have you had any breakfast?"

"No?"

"And why not?"

"Because I'm having coffee?"

"Not an excuse. Eat." He grabbed some toast off the table and stuffed it in her mouth, causing her eyes to widen and for her to immediately take it out.

"Bloody hell, Dad. Bit more gentle next time, yeah?"

He rolled his eyes. "Just eat, El. We have to leave soon."

She grinned. "Aye, aye captain." She saluted and finished the toast quickly before turning back to her coffee. She downed the rest of the coffee, not burning herself thankfully as it had cooled down. "I've missed Draco."

"Do you think he's alright?"

"I bloody well hope so. Because if he's not, he isn't going back."

"Yeah, El. I don't think Draco should even go back for Christmas. He's getting older, and if there's any time when his parents will want to turn him, it will be very soon."

"Turn him?" Hermione asked, placing her mug of tea down, intrigued.

"Into a death eater." Theodore spoke up.

"Are most... Slytherins expected to turn?" She asked.

"Not as many as you would expect. Slytherin doesn't actually have that many death eater spawns. And most of them are good people. We've been put under a lot of stereo-typing and all of it is wrong. Slytherin isn't a house for bad people. We're just ambitious. Just so happens that most pureblooded families end up there."

"Why is there a bad reputation about Slytherins?" Ron asked from where he sat beside Hermione.

"Most of the bad wizards did come from Slytherin, but there are bad ones from other houses as well. I suppose they were overlooked. And Voldemort would be a factor as well, considering he was a Slytherin. But so was Merlin, and everyone loves him. My uncle Regulus was a Slytherin, but we love him. Peter bloody Pettigrew was a Gryffindor and he sucks. Suppose most death eaters did come from Slytherin. But hey, look at Draco, his dad sucks but he's a wonderful kid. Look at Theo, Tori, Daph, Bia, Blaise. There's a lot of Slytherins that are really nice."

"So, basically, it's the other houses that are bad because they started this prejudice against you all." Hermione asked.

"Yeah. Glad you get it, Hermione. I knew you were smart." Elara smiled and Hermione laughed. "Maybe we can have a party, and I can convince our prefects to invite the other houses. Most of you won't be trouble, but Fred and George will be, and Harry as well. They're on the do not let in list."

"Us?" George began.

"But, we're angels!" Fred continued.

"Absolute saints!" George finished.

"Of course you are. And I'm a coward." She said sarcastically.

"Alright, let's go everyone!"

Elara stood and headed to the front door, where she took her wand out and shrunk her trunk before stuffing it in her carry-on bag. Then, she placed her wand back in her boot and called out. "Who's coming with me?"

Theodore managed to make his way towards her and stood beside her. "If I wasn't 17, I would."

"Of course you would." She smiled.

Harry made his way over to her, lugging his trunk behind him. "El, could you shrink this?"

"Of course I can." She took her wand out and shrunk his trunk. He placed it in his pocket and then grabbed her hand. "I've got one hand left!"

Daphne managed to push everyone out of the way and grab Elara's other hand. "See you all at the station!" Then, she Disapparated and appeared on the platform. Seconds later, Theodore appeared, with his hands on Hermione and Ron's shoulders.

The others arrived soon after, and from then the goodbyes began. Elara found herself being squeezed by Mrs. Weasley, who made her promise to keep an eye on the twins. "I can't promise I won't join them, Mrs. Weasley."

Then, she hugged Tonks. "I'll miss you a lot, El."

"I'll miss you too, Tonks. Come visit me in Hogsmeade."

"You know I will."

Elara hugged her Uncle Moony. "I wish you could teach us. You were the best Defense teacher we ever had, and I'm not just saying that because you're my uncle. You really are."

Then, she moved onto her dad. And while she was sad, she wasn't as sad as last year, considering she did spend more time with him after then. Elara wrapped her arms around her father's waist and laid her forehead on his chest. "I'll miss you." Her voice was muffled.

"I'll miss you too, little moon. Stay safe and cause lots of trouble."

"I always do, Dad, I always do." She hugged him one last time before wrapping her arms around Harry and Theodore and dragging them onto the train.