It has never been my object to record my dreams,

just the determination to realize them.

Sunday, December 16th, 1973

Training Grounds, Hogwarts

If Eleonore Darensbourg had to be entirely honest, the past week went so slowly, she wasn't sure if it went backward or forward. She had stood next to her boyfriend's bed for most of her free time and ignored Sirius Black's stern gaze for the remaining time. Quidditch practice wasn't all that, mostly because the grounds were now covered in a thin layer of snow but otherwise, because a certain beater kept mumbling 'still not a good idea' in her ear.

When he said it again, about 350 feet high up in the sky, Ellie lost her patience, immediately turning her attention from the practice towards her teammate. Her eyes shifted into dead cold and somehow Sirius knew it had nothing to do with the weather. "You need to shut your mouth." She yelled, pointing her finger at him, her other hand firmly wrapped around her broom.

"Have you started it yet?" He simply questioned, putting the bat he carried casually on his shoulder.

"Don't make me kick you off your broom."

Sirius chuckled, knowing she would never actually do that. In their troubled friendship, he knew somewhere they both did care a little about one another. "I'd like to see you try." His eyes widened though when she immediately shifted her back, initiating a sudden forward movement towards him. Her broom made speed as Sirius' his moved further away. "HAMBLIN, DARENSBOURG WANTS TO KILL ME AGAIN!" He shouted loudly, hearing a whistle coming closer to their racing brooms.

"You're such a fucking pussy." Ellie muttered, still keeping her gaze on Sirius' amused faced. In all those years one thing hadn't changed, he could still draw the blood from under her nails if he wanted to.

David wasn't surprised by the combust, he had gotten used to the two of them bickering. James was Potter always trying to meddle things so he wouldn't hear them. If the Quidditch captain was entirely honest, he would have kicked them off the team a month ago, but he knew then his chances of getting that Quidditch cup would be close to none. David Hamblin was well aware that they were turning out to be the two most popular kids in school. Sirius Black because of his handsome features and bad boy attitude which made all the girls swoon somehow. Eleonore Darensbourg because she was starting to look more and more like she stepped out of a magazine with her pretty face and long legs and the fact that she was basically almost good at everything. Except, well, dealing with Sirius mocking her all the time.

It was still a bit too early to end practice but that didn't stop him. He whistled once more and flew back down to the ground, stepping off his broom with his team mates looking confused, "Practice is over. If you can't take this serious, then you shouldn't be here at all." David simply yelled, grabbing only his broom and walking off the field. "Black and Darensbourg can clean up the rest of the supplies."

Ellie was still hanging in the air, shock covering her face as the rest of the team flew down, a little annoyed with the two of them. "Thanks a lot Black. You've managed to piss off David, the one person no one can possibly piss off."

"I wasn't alone in this." Black simply spoke, shaking his head as even James shrugged his shoulders and walked inside the changing rooms.

"You always start it. Could you just get off my back for once? I've had enough on my plate these last weeks, okay. I just wanted to relax and play a little Quidditch and somehow you've managed to ruin that for me as well. I don't know why you feel the need to always get on my last nerves but it's getting old news, find someone else." Ellie spoke clearly, not waiting for a reply and flying off to catch the bludger.

Sirius Black didn't even reply, he knew he'd get stunned if he did.

Friday, December 21, 1973

Hogwarts Express

As Ellie's head was lying upon her boyfriend lap, she tried to ignore the new scar on his right hand as his fingers traced the skin of her forearm. It was a reminder of his last transformation and she knew Remus tried his best to conceal it at all times. "Next Christmas break you'll come to visit my house, right?" She questioned hopefully.

An edge of fear traced Remus his expression but he hid it well, the merely thoughts of meeting Ellie's parents officially freaked him out more than he'd dare to say out loud. It wasn't because he thought he wouldn't be a gentleman, because he knew he would but just the reminder of the big gap in between them scared him immensely.

School was just school. They wore the same outfits every day, they had the same books and a familiar environment. Entering Ellie's social circle out of school would be… It would be right there in his face. Just how different they just were, his scabby cottage, her big mansion, his worn out clothes, her satin dresses, her well raised attitude and his… His condition.

No, he didn't want to face it all just yet.

"Let's hope so." Remus smiled a little forcedly.

"So what are you plans?" She didn't dare to bring up her concerns for his next transformation. Every time she asked about his last, he shut down immediately.

"Probably sleeping, a lot." He smiled gently, his fingers touching hers softly. "And writing you, of course."

"You could use some sleep after all the stuff that's been going on." She spoke carefully, "I hope you'll feel better when you get back to school."

"I'm sure my mom will take good care of me."

"I know she will." Eleonore smiled, his mother always seemed friendly. She seemed shy though, but Eleonore thought that was because her green eyes were always covered in some thick brown curls from her hair. His mother always waved at her at the station.

The rest of the train ride went on quite silently. Ellie was glad that they had some private time, but couldn't help but feel a certain distance in between them. It scared her a little, she had a feeling Remus was pulling back somehow. She would have talked to him about it, she tried to in the last couple of days but he always waved it off.

She hoped it was just the tiredness of his hard transformation and the exams. She hoped she'd get her old Remus back after New Year.

Monday, December 24 , 1973

Freefolk House, Hampshire, Great Britain

Christmas Eve was spent the usual way Eleonore Darensbourg knew how. Her parents would hire the same French chef they always hired when it was a holiday or special occasion and an extra three house elves just to help him out. Minnie would always walk around a little more grumpy than usual because she now had help in the kitchen and couldn't do things on her own. She remembered a few years back that her parents actually asked Minnie to have dinner with them and the house elf started crying and throwing a tantrum because she thought her parents didn't want her help anymore. It took a week in between Christmas and New year to finally get her to calm down. Minnie was over the moon when her parents told her she could prepare the entire New Year dinner by herself.

"So how is school, Eleonore? Are you nervous for your results?" Her father questioned, a smile in his eyes as he chewed gracefully on some lobster.

"I think my tests went well, everything should be fine." Ellie nodded her head, happy to be back with her parents once again. A slight hint of nervousness overtook her as she still had to ask for her parents' permission for the animagi training. She knew she was planning on doing it tonight, when her parents started giggling after sipping too much elf wine.

"Even potions?" Her mother taunted a little bit, knowing it wasn't Ellie's favourite subject.

"Even potions." Eleonore nodded her head, she actually had a good feeling about the girding potion she had to make. It had the bright shiny golden colour it was supposed to have and it smelt rather foul, which she knew was normal.

"So, what does 1974 have in store for our beautiful daughter?" Casius Fulco Darensbourg spoke a little curiously.

"Well…" Do it now, do it now. "You know my grades from Transfiguration are always exceptional." Ellie answered carefully.

"Yes and I've heard from Minerva that you haven't been in detention for over a month, so I'm proud of you." Her mother spoke, smiling.

"Well…" She was actually planning on using a little lie, telling her parents that Professor Mcgonagall asked her to enter the animagi training, just so it would look a little less suspicious but now that she knew her professor had spoken to her parents, she wasn't quite sure if she would be able to tell that lie. "I've been thinking about entering animagi training."

Silence entered the room as both of her parents suddenly stopped chewing. She noticed her mother placing her crystal glass of red wine back upon the oak table. "A- animagi training?" Gisela questioned silently, "But dear, why? It's a very complicated and dangerous process."

"Professor McGonagall said I would be well at it. It would come in handy in the future and I would really enjoy it. I know I can do it." Eleonore pleadingly looked at her father, knowing he had the end say in all of this.

"Aren't you a little busy with your usual school work and Quidditch practice? It's a very intensive process, Eleonore." Her father finally spoke sternly.

Ellie knew she had to bring in the big guns because her parents didn't seem as convinced as she was. She had to use their Achilles heel, the only one she knew her parents had. Her own safety and wellbeing. "Professor McGonagall said it would protect me, later on in life. I would be able to transform and get out of dangerous situations if I ever ended up in one." Her eyes adverted from her mother's expression, which softened, to her fathers who looked interested. "We all know times are getting darker." She finally said it. That one sentence she had upon her tongue for the last two years. The one thing her parents tried to cover up for her so badly it was actually cringe worthy to watch. "I'm not a little girl anymore, I'm not stupid."

The silence was deafening as her father took a big gulp of his wine, his eyes finally met with hers and she finally registered the acknowledgement in them. "You're right. You're not a little girl anymore, you're almost a grown up. Merlin, you look like a grown up." His right mouth corner turned upwards. "And I want you to be safe, always. I wouldn't survive anything happening to you." His hand reached out to her arm, gently covering the golden wristband that she now always wore. The one that held their house words, the one her father had given her a few Christmases back. "If this training will help you to keep you safe and you are willing to give your all, then I can only encourage it but only under the careful eye of Professor McGonagall."

"Of course father." She nodded her head. "I'm very grateful and I'll do my ultimate best."

Feeling slightly bad because she lied about why she wanted to go through the training, she now recognized herself that she indeed, had some Slytherin in her blood.

Monday, December 31, 1973

Potter Mansion, Somerset, West Country England

She couldn't really see why again, she had to spend her New Year's Eve with James Potter. This had been the second year in a row and frankly, she would have preferred to spend it with Minnie. She tried to convince her parents to let her stay home, but it was no use. They had already promised the Potters that Eleonore would come along. Casius and Gisila actually told Ellie that James had asked himself if she came along, he insisted that she did.

Eleonore didn't trust his actions whatsoever and she knew he was up to something.

As soon as the front door opened, her eyes squinted towards the background, trying to see if that damn James Potter was hanging in a chandelier to scare her off. "Casius! Gigi! Ah, Eleonore! Every year you grow so much!" Fleamont Potter spoke. Ellie noticed that he even had less hair than the year before, which she didn't think was actually possible.

"Fleamont! Glad to see you!" Her father spoke cheery, giving the man a firm handshake. Immediately after he was invited into the house, followed by her mother and herself, a house elf took their coats.

"Another year has passed, merlin time flies. Before you know it our kids will be married and having children of their own!"

Eleonore tried not to laugh as her father covered up his panicked expression with a forced smile. "Ah well, let's not get ahead of ourselves, shall we?"

Fleamont Potter turned towards Ellie with expecting eyes, making her a little uncomfortable, "James should be in the library, you should go ahead and look for him." Ellie kept her suspicions to herself, thinking it was a little odd that James Potter would be in a library but didn't think twice about it. She knew where the beautiful room was and made her way towards the back of the house, knowing the library had a view over the Potter's big garden.

Her figure hugging, royal blue dress draped behind her and the only thing she could hear was the sound of laughter in the background from her parents and the Potters and her own heals clicking on the hard wooden floors. "Jamie?" She questioned more loudly, entering the hallway that led towards the library. "I think your father thinks we'll be getting married in a few years and that sounds awfully upsetting. If you ask me, I think mister Potter already had a drink or two too muc-" Her sentence stopped immediately after she looked up and finally registered another person sitting next to James Potter.

"Well hello." His cheery voice spoke, a way too big of a smile covering his face. "I thought you'd never get here."

"WHAT is he doing here?" She brutally pointed at the young man sitting in a black suede suit.

"Not the warm welcome I was anticipating to get but we'll get there." He casually waved her words off. "I'm sure we'll get along better in 1974."

Eleonore squinted her eyes at him, not even replying and turned her head towards James. "You could have sent me a little warning. At least give me some time to get sick by standing outside naked in the cold so I wouldn't have to be here."

"Oh honey, there's still some time." Sirius grinned, pointing at the snow outside. "Don't go too far off in the woods though, we'd like to keep an eye on you. You know, for your own safety."

Ellie was nearly ready to wrap her hands around his throat when James jumped up, "Okay, one, that's disgusting Sirius, she's our sister. Two, if Remus would have heard you he would have killed you by now."

"Darn right, he would have-" Ellie mumbled only to be interrupted by James once again.

"Three, Ellie stop being such a jerk to Sirius, he just said hello, try being nice." She was about to argue that he started it by actually saying a sarcastic hello instead of a real one but before she could, James held up his finger to quiet her. "I don't want any arguments, it's New Year's Eve. I want us all to get along and enter 1974 peacefully and if you must know Ellie, I didn't know Sirius was coming until this morning. I did not have time to write you a letter."

She could see Sirius shifting his eyes in discomfort and knew it had something to do with his parents so she shut her mouth immediately. "Okay fine, it's one evening, I'm sure I can cope. It's going to be fine." She spoke, more to herself than to the guys.

"Great." Jamie spoke, clapping his two hands together. "We'll have a nice dinner with our parents and then hang out a little, we'll have fun."

"Yeah, I'm going to see what my parents are up to anyways." She was about to turn around when she felt a hand covering her upper arm.

"Wait! We still have some time to talk, how have things been with Remus?" Jamie questioned, his eyes pleading her to stay and be pleasant.

Eleonore's eyes shifted towards Sirius, not sure if he actually told James about her animagi training or not. His returned expression was blank, as she noticed him biting his own cheek. "I think things are okay." She softly nodded her head.

"Have you been able to speak to him about his transformation on the train?"

"He erhm-" Ellie sighed, rubbing the back of her hand on her forehead in frustration. "He blocked me off. I can't really get through to him. I'm hoping he'll be better when he gets back to school."

Sirius remained quiet and for that she was glad. James nodded, looking a little sad at her, "I'm sure he'll come around." It was obvious to her that Sirius hadn't spoken to James about her starting the training, which actually surprised her in a good way. She knew they always told each other everything. They were practically attached at the hip. She also wondered why he'd been able to keep her trust. "Anyways, we should go introduce Sirius to your parents." James smiled, ignoring the way Sirius nervously scratched his hair and adjusted his shirt.

"Don't be nervous." Ellie had noticed it too, she never expected him to be as edgy as he was. He was always mister cool. "My parents are actually two of the most kind people in the world."

"That's true." James nodded his head, smiling friendly. "Remus is lucky to maybe have two in laws like your parents in the future."

"Hey about that, I would appreciate it if you guys didn't say anything about Remus just yet. My parents are not aware of the fact that I'm dating, let alone have boyfriend." She spoke, looking at the two friends.

"Yeah, of course. A boyfriend. " Sirius mumbled, shaking his head. "Remus."

Eleonore looked a little odd at his unusual behaviour but shook it off quite quickly, "Great. Then we should get on. It's a good thing my father doesn't like men with long hair."

"Wait, what?" Sirius spoke with a high voice, touching his small pony tail.

"Ellie, stop it." James spoke, laughing it a little.

She laughed along, "I'm joking, my dad loves everyone. I'm sure he'll love you Sirius."

Walking towards the dining room with the three of them, James Potter couldn't help but whisper in her ear, "I'm guessing your father really doesn't like men with long hair."

She giggled, "Oh he doesn't but that's not my issue."

James couldn't help but look amused, a sudden look of anticipation covering his expression, "Oh!"

Even Sirius looked a little confused, "What?"

"I was just wondering…" James spoke, looking at Ellie with great expectations. "Have… Have you heard from Lily? I mean I sent her a big letter, asking her how she was and wishing her a happy Christmas. I mean, I even added a red rose and you know how hard those things are to find in the Winter."

Eleonore rolled her eyes at the usual Lily Evans interrogation, "When have you sent her this letter?"

"Like, a week ago." James answered.

Ellie didn't dare to say that Lily and her had written a couple of letters, the last one receiving the day before yesterday. She somehow knew it would ruin James his night. "No, no, I haven't heard from her actually but I think she mentioned before Christmas break that her owl was getting sick." She ignored Sirius looking in ultimate non believe at her with one eyebrow raised.

"Oh okay, well I'm sure she'll write when Trius gets better." She wasn't surprised when James remembered what Lily's owl's name was. The poor kid would never get over her best friend.