AUTOPHOBIA - G. WEASLEY

Third Year: Secret

✯ 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."