Forlorn Hope s.b.

flying is fun, duh

"What do you think is in there?"

"Probably the secret recipe to cauldron cakes that taste much better here than they do at home." Remus muttered, his face right next to Elara's as they stared with curiosity into the Restricted Section of the library. 

Elara giggled and started to wander through the rows and rows of books. Remus was next to her, his shaggy brown hair falling in his face every time he wanted to get a closer look at a particular book. Elara's curiosity for the Restricted Section was on her mind, the different books and artifacts that lay just beyond the locked door. It thrilled her to think about learning things that no other students could.  

Remus watched the girl as her slender fingers trailed along the spines of books that had been sitting on the shelves for decades. He liked having Elara as a friend, she was kind and had a liking for classes so he knew that he could probably always count on her for studying. He noticed that she would get a sort of twinkle in her eye, as if they suddenly brightened whenever she talked about a subject that interested her. He thought that one Elara was a good balance from being with the other three most of the time. 

Having walked the entire library twice, Elara decided that as the sun began to set behind the rolling Scottish highlands that it would be a good time to talk to Sirius. They walked together through the hall and to the seventh floor where the entrances to both Gryffindor and Ravenclaw resided. Instead of taking a right when they reach the top of the stairs, she continued left with the scarred faced boy who looked at her with questioning, 

"What are you doing?"

"I want to see if Sirius is okay. I figured he might be in your dorm?" Elara inquired. While she couldn't actually go into the Gryffindor common room, seeing as only members of the respected house could enter, she hoped Remus would check for the presence of the Black boy. Remus nodded, "Talk to him about what happened at breakfast? You think that is a good idea?"

"I think that he might not want to admit that he wants to talk to somebody. You know, you're his mates, I'm just a girl that he doesn't have to see everyday and maybe he would be more comfortable about that? I just want him to know that there are people there for him and that he is great just the way he is, Gryffindor or not."

Remus was once again almost stunned by the empathy that the eleven year old could have for another. She was nice, kind enough for a Hufflepuff and a part of him wonders why she wasn't wearing the yellow and black patch on her robes. No doubt that she was clever, anyone could see that if they had a simple conversation with her. He also saw how he got both James and Sirius out of detention that he knew they would have gotten had she not come up with a cunning lie to get them out of it. It was a very Slytherin trait. Then again, here she was, asking to speak with a boy that had said less than two dozen words to her since they met. She had the courage of a Gryffindor and Remus didn't think that he had every met someone as versatile as she. 

"I'll check to see if he's here."

Elara nodded a thanks as Remus whispered the password to the Fat Lady portrait that lead to the Gryffindor common room. She thought about what she would say to Sirius when she saw him. She didn't want to come on too strong, making him think that he was forced to tell her something he didn't or shut down completely and tell her nothing. If he didn't want to talk, she was okay with that too. Elara was strong-minded, she could be there for the boy as just a presence so he wasn't alone. 

Remus appeared a few minutes later and he shook his head. Elara's shoulders slumped, but she quickly straighten back up and plastered a smile on her face, "It's okay. I'll try and find him, thank's Remmy." 

Elara left the portrait and Remus could feel a smile of his own on his lips at the nickname she had called him. Only knowing her for a few days, Remus was still wary of new people and letting them get too close to him. After all, he saw himself as a monster. A monster cursed to transform every full moon into a beast, a werewolf. Coming to Hogwarts was one of the most terrifying things he had ever done, he couldn't believe it when he got his letter in the mail. He thought that it must have been a mistake, surely they wouldn't let a werewolf study there? Nevertheless, Professor Dumbledore made arrangements for the boy, planting the defensive tree known as the Whomping Willow that protected a secret tunnel that lead to the Shrieking Shack. He spent his full moons there, alone, in pain, and dangerous.