Trying not to do like his daddy did -- December 1993

I pulled my cloak around me tightly as I made my way down to Hogsmeade.  I had told Hermione to go on ahead with Harry.  His godmother sent him a note with her permission to go down.  I walked quickly against teh blustering wind.  I saw another straggler and caught up to them, seeing tha tit was Dean.  "Hey," I said, surprised that he was coming into the village.  he got even more antisocial since his dad escaped Azkaban.

I was surprised by a voice near me.  I turned my head slightly and saw Ron walked with me now.  "Why aren't you with Harry adn Hermione?" I asked.  I had needed to get away from teh castle.  I did nto want to deal with the younger students asking me about my dad, nor the older stuents who did nto want to go to the village.  At least in Hogsmeade people would be preoccupied by teh shoppes to talk to me about Sirius BLack and where he could be.

I loved how I was questioned for not being with the other two.  "They went on ahead," I said simply.  "What are you doing out in the open?  You'll be around people..." I trailed off, not entirely sure how to take the look he was giving me.

I stared at Ron while he spoke.  Was he really planning on being a smart ass right now?  I sighed.  "Well... I'm not the beset hermit out there," I pointed out.  I really was too outgoing to be a hermit.  But I just hated most people because they found ways to be imbeciles.  I did not do well with idiots.

I chuckeld and shook my head slightly. "Well, you're more than welcome to join us once we get out to the village," I told him, offering civil company was about all I could do really.

I laughed a little darkly.  "Yeah... a mass murderer's son with his alleged next victim," I said to Ron.  "Like that wouldn't draw attention to ourselves.  I don't think Harry would like that either."  The one thing Harry adn I both despised the attention we received sometimes.  Of course the attention on me only increased after the secape of dear old dad.

"Well... then there's that," I said simply, shrugging.  We walked in silence for a little while.  "Can I ask you a question about everything, though?" I knew it was a touchy subject so I was not sure if Dean would let me.

I knew it would be only a matter of time before even those who tried to avoid the topic would bring it up.  I sighed and nodded.  "What is it?" I asked, giving Ron permission.

I ran a hand through my hair.  "Well... do you really think that he'll come for Harry?  I mean... he's his nephew..." I trailed off, unsure how to really broach the subject.

We walked up the snowy path and the village was in front of us.  "I honestly don't know," I replied.  "He wouldn't be in Azkaban for twelve years if he was innocent.  But with everything Uncle Remus and everyone says, he'd never do that."  I just had no idea what to think anymore.

Well, at least he was being honest.  "Has he tried to contact you, Lenni, or your mum?" I asked.  I knew tat it would be stupid for an escapee to do that, but I was curious.

I shook my head.  "Not that I'm aware of," I said.  "At least... he hasn't tried contacting me."  Who kne wif he contacted Mum or Elena?  Neither one said anything.  "It'd be stupid, though.  Ministry workers were surrounding Grimmauld Place and everything to do with us all summer -- as far as I know it's still that way."  Whether he was innocent or guilty, he definitely was not stupid.

That made sense.  "I think Dad mentioned that," I said after a moment.  "That had to suck."

I chuckled bitterly.  "That is an understatement," I replied to Ron.  I shook my head.  "They were watching the Lupins, too... I think they died down on them, though."  The only thing the Ministry did not know was that Dad was an unregistered animagus -- something I actually aspired to be.

I could not even imagine.  "I don't know how you handle it," I said honestly as we approached the joke shop.  I pointed to it to see if he wanted to go into the warmth.