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The Girl in my Arms	By : PotionMaster Category: Harry Potter > General > General Views: 3778 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Title - The Girl in my Arms

Author - K

Archive - You actually want this? Knock yourself out, just tell me where.

Pairing - Snape/Lupin/Arabella (OFC)

Disclaimer - she's mine, everything else belongs to JKR, and if she'd just bring out

the next book already I might not feel the need to do this.

Warnings - none I can think of

Spoilers - set after Book 4 so for all of the books I guess, but really if you haven't read them yet why are you wasting your time with this rubbish?

Notes - This is my first HP fic so bear with me if some of the characters aren't quite right yet. One of the main characters can't speak and so communicates with sign language shown =like this=. Thoughts are shown *like this*.

Feedback - please, constructive criticism is always appreciated, a simple yay I liked it would be unexpected but greeted with much squeaking and bouncing, somewhat equivalent to Tigger on a caffeine high.

Arabella Pettigrew shouldered her way through the crowds at King's Cross station, slowly making her way to platform 9 3/4. As she stepped through the barrier and onto the platform she saw it, the Hogwarts Express. It had always seemed to her as if it were alive, a magnificent beast, like a dragon, sitting there puffing great clouds of steam into the air; but whereas the sight of it had once terrified her, now it felt like she was coming home. For a moment she imagined she had stepped back in time over 15 years.

The platform was full of Hogwarts' students, some already in their robes, all milling about aimlessly as they waited for the train to be ready to leave. A young blonde girl, too tall and graceless as yet to be called attractive, struggled with a large trunk while trying not to drop the satchel she had slung over her shoulder or the squirming black bundle under her arm which would, on closer examination, be revealed as a sleek black cat.

"Peter, wait up. I can't manage this on my own," she called after an older boy who was already getting on the train, but he ignored her. "Peter damn it, you said you'd help!" She looked around to see who else she could ask for help but the only students she recognised were a couple of Slytherin seventh years. *Hmm, Lucius Malfoy, well he won't be any help, too busy holding court to his satellites, but Severus Snape, that's more promising. He's always been nice to me, but I doubt he'll want to be seen with me after Sirius' little prank last year. Oh drat the boy, why couldn't he have kept his nose out of my business and left Severus alone?*

"Need some help, Bella?"

She was so startled by the voice that she shrieked and nearly dropped her cat. "Good grief, James, you scared me out of ten years' growth there. Didn't anyone ever teach you that sneaking up on a witch is a good way to get turned into a frog!" she grumbled good naturedly as she turned to face the two boys who had come up behind her without her noticing. Both a couple of years older than her, they both wore matching scarves in red and gold, and had prefect badges pinned on their robes, but there the similarities ended. One was shorter than she was with the build of an athlete. He had a shock of brown hair that looked like a bird's nest most of the time and he wore round wire-rimmed glasses, covering blue eyes, which smiled at her happily, testifying to his almost permanent good mood. The other boy was the same height as she was with classic matinee idol good looks. He embodied the phrase tall, dark and handsome from the roguish glint in his eye to the black robes, which always seemed to be in motion, swirling around him dramatically and occasionally revealing the muggle clothing he wore underneath. *Wow, I swear he painted those jeans on. *

"You wouldn't turn me into a frog Bella, you love me too much," laughed James. "Now what had you so engrossed in thought that you didn't hear us call out to you? Is there a boy somewhere Sirius and I have to threaten?"

"Actually, I was contemplating whether I needed help with this trunk badly enough to risk asking Snape, which I wouldn't have needed to do if my rat of a brother hadn't abandoned me as soon as we got onto the platform. And one big brother is enough thank you very much. It's hardly surprising I don't have a boyfriend with the Marauders glowering at any boy who dares to get within ten feet of me. Now be a dear and put this lot on the Express for me."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Right away, ma'am."

The exclamations came simultaneously from the two boys. Arabella settled for sticking her tongue out at them as she led the way to a compartment that her roommates were saving for her. She looked over her shoulder at her companions, she might grumble about it at times but it really was very comforting to know how much they cared, even if her dorm mates did think she was insane when she claimed to feel nothing for any of the beyond brotherly love.

Arabella shook her head to clear away the shadows of what used to be which had haunted her ever since she agreed to return to Hogwarts. The Marauders wouldn't be coming to her aide this time. She looked around the platform to see if there was anyone she could prevail upon this time and stopped dead. *James - no it couldn't be. * The boy in question was so like James that she almost imagined him a ghost.

"Harry, for goodness' sake stop larking around and get on the train," called a girl from the doorway of one of the carriages. "We want to get a compartment as far away from Malfoy as possible or you and he will be fighting the whole way there."

"And how is that a bad plan, 'Mione?" asked a redheaded boy as he grabbed the other end of Harry's trunk and hauled it on board. Arabella laughed silently. *Some things never change, I guess. Somehow Hogwarts wouldn't seem right without a Potter and a Malfoy going at it hammer and tongs. * Unable to resist meeting James' son as soon as possible she approached the boys as they loaded a second trunk into the train. She noticed that once they were through the doors the girl who had called out to them earlier was levitating the trunks along the corridor to an empty compartment. She tapped the redhead on the shoulder.

=Excuse me, could you boys give me a hand loading this onto the train please?=

The boys both looked at her with open mouths as if she'd grown a second head. *Damn, they don't understand me. I knew I should have brought a translator with me but Dumbledore wanted the kids to get used to me signing as early as they could. *

"She asked you to help her with her trunk, idiot. Hi, I'm Hermione, Professor. The headmaster said we'd be getting a new Professor this term. He also suggested we try and learn some basic sign language but it seems some of us didn't bother." The girl reached out to shake hands with the new professor while glaring at the boys.

"Oh sorry. I'm Ron Weasley and this is Harry Potter." Ron grabbed one end f the trunk as he spoke and he and Harry loaded it onto the train.

"Where are you sitting, Professor? I'll put it in your cabin for you," asked Hermione.

=I don't know yet. Are there any compartments free?=

"Um, I think we got the last one actually, but why don't you sit with us? I'd love a chance to practice my signing on an actual person as opposed to illustrations in a book." Hermione paused, "If you don't mind sitting with the students that is. I mean I'm sure we can find seats elsewhere if you'd prefer to be alone."

Arabella put a hand up to stop the girl before she started babbling in earnest. =I'd be happy to sit with you. You don't seem to need to practice your signing though, you've understood me perfectly so far, but maybe we can teach these two the basics.= Arabella smiled at the girl.

The two boys, wearing identical expressions of confusion looked at each other, but before they could speak Hermione sighed and said, "She's sitting with us. Honestly did either of you even open a book these holidays?" Without waiting for a reply she turned and led them all to the compartment where she had stored their luggage.

As they settled in Hermione turned to Arabella and said, "I'm assuming you're this year's DADA professor but I don't know your name."

=Correct, Hermione, but I'm planning on staying more than a year. Although I suspect that's what my predecessor's all thought too.=

Hermione laughed and relayed this to the others.

"Let's hope so. Maybe we'll actually learn something this year. The only one worth bothering with was Lupin," Ron said.

"Personally I'll settle for you not trying to kill me," said Harry ruefully.

=Well I certainly promise not to kill any of my students but I don't know whether you'll see me as an improvement on the others or not. Remus is a hard act to live up to. I was hoping to meet you before school started Harry. I knew your father very well when I was at school.= She paused to allow Hermione's translation to catch up with her speech and then continued. =My name is Arabella Pettigrew.=

There was a brief stunned silence as Hermione finished translating, and then all hell broke loose, all three of them throwing questions at her at the same time. Again she held up her hand for silence.

=One at a time please. I'll answer any questions you have but not if you keep shouting them at me by the dozen. Harry, you start.=

"Um, well - Pettigrew? Does that mean you're related to Peter Pettigrew?"

=He was my older brother. I'm two years younger than he and your father were.=

"Was, but, I mean you know he's still alive don't you?" Hermione interrupted.

=Not as far as I'm concerned. He died nearly 15 years ago; Wormtail is no relation of mine. You're safe from me Harry, I promise you. James meant far too much to me for me to ever hurt his son.=

"Well, you would say that wouldn't you. How do we know you're not here to try and lure Harry out of Hogwarts and kill him?" Ron questioned.

"Ron," Hermione gasped, clearly horrified that he would say such a thing to a teacher.

=He has a good point. Maybe if we'd all have been a little less trusting when I was your age Peter would have been caught before he could do any real harm, but honestly do you really think Professor Dumbledore would have hired me if he had any doubt where my loyalties lay?=

"'Cos he's had such a great record with DADA teachers so far!" fumed Ron.

"Honestly, Ron, she's right. Crouch was using Polyjuice potion and Dumbledore couldn't be expected to know he wasn't who we thought he was, Lockhart wasn't exactly evil, just nuts, Lupin was one of the good ones and - Okay I'll give you Quirrell, but he's hardly likely to hire a relative of the man who was responsible for my parents' deaths without making sure she's on the right side," Harry said thoughtfully.

=Thank Harry, but I'm glad one of you at least is so cynical. It makes me feel a little happier about your safety.=

"Would you tell me what it was like being at school with my parents? Remus and Sirius weren't really around long enough to talk to me much about them and the only other person I know who was actually at school with tem is Snape!"

=Of course I will. What do you want to know, Harry?=

"Anything."

=You'll have to be a little more specific than that, Harry. We've only got a couple of hours before we get to the school.= Arabella laughed.

"Well I know that he was in the Quidditch team, and that he was Head Boy but I don't know anything about what he was like."

=He was one of the kindest and most generous people I ever met. He was the big brother I wish I'd had. He and the rest f the Marauders all sort of adopted me when I first went to Hogwarts. I used to complain that it was like having four big brothers but I loved how protected they all made me feel. Sirius was fun to have around because he was always ready to help me get into as much trouble as possible; Remus was much quieter, a shoulder to cry on sometimes, someone I could pour out my troubles to and rely on to just listen; but James, oh James was the one I went to whenever I had a problem. He helped me with my homework, coached me at Quidditch and scared off any of the Slytherins who tried to pick on me - he even fixed me up on a date a couple of times in his final year!=

Arabella's hands dropped to her sides as she lost herself in memories for a moment, fortunately allowing Hermione to catch up as she had fallen behind as Arabella's hand signs had got faster.

"You played Quidditch?" Ron asked.

=Oh yes. I was the Ravenclaw Seeker for five years.= Arabella sighed happily.

"You weren't in Griffindor like the rest of the Marauders then?" Hermione queried.

=No, I was more bookish than the others. Wasn't interested in Quidditch much at first either, but I surely did love to fly and James started to teach me some basic moves in my second year. Our seeker graduated at the end of that year and I joined the team at the beginning of my third year. Generally the Ravenclaw team is fairly weak, too many academics, not enough athletes, but for a while there we were the best.=

"Did you ever win the Quidditch cup?" Harry asked.

=Once, in my fourth year. We beat Griffindor to it by a handful of points. It all came down to our last game against Slytherin. First and last time the Griffindors have ever cheered for Slytherin. If we won we would win the cup, if Slytherin did, it would go to Griffindor. That was the year Lucius Malfoy and I demolished the staff stand.=

"You what?" the boys cried when Hermione finished translating."

=We demolished the staff stand. Oh don't look so shocked it wasn't intentional. We were thirty points up at the time and I was desperate to catch the Snitch and end the game there and then. Suddenly out of the corner of my eye I saw it flash past me towards the stand and I took off after it, with Lucius right on my tail. He was about even with me when I reached out and managed to grab it. Unfortunately we were both so intent on catching the Snitch that we hadn't been paying much intention to where we were going and by this time we were much too close to the stand to either swerve or stop, although we did try. Anyway we both ploughed headlong into it and brought it down on top of ourselves. Lucius and I ended up sharing the hospital wing for a couple of nights, along with Binns and Jameson, the old potions master. I thought we were going to get detention for the rest of our lives but Dumbledore said it was just a sporting accident and warned us to be more careful in future!=

The three children laughed uproariously at this, when suddenly the door to the compartment swung open.

"Typical of a Weasley to be making such a racket. Terribly common wouldn't you say boys?" sneered a superior looking Draco Malfoy, flanked as ever by his two sidekicks, Crabbe and Goyle.

Standing up Arabella signed, =For someone who is so keen to criticise others' behaviour I'm surprised you're not more mindful of your own. Didn't your parents ever teach you that it's rude to interrupt a private conversation?=

"Who are you>", he asked, looking her up and down arrogantly.

=One of your Professors Mr. Malfoy so you can wipe that superior smirk off your face and show some respect before I start having to dock points from Slytherin before we even get there.=

"Oh I don't believe it, first Dumbledore hires a werewolf and now this. He really is scraping the bottom of the barrel." Draco grinned at his fellows as he said this and they laughed appreciatively.

=Ten points from Slytherin.=

"Ten points from Slytherin."

Arabella's signs were simultaneous with a voice from behind Draco. He whirled around only to come face to face with his housemaster.

"You really should learn to show some respect to your elders Malfoy." Snape sneered.

"But she's -" Draco started.

"I suggest you think about your next words very carefully unless you want us both to double our deductions and start the term with 40 points being taken away from Slytherin as opposed to the 20 you've already managed to lose."

Draco shut his mouth with an audible snap and he and his friends stalked off, muttering things that both teachers decided it would be wise not to hear.

=I could have handled him myself Severus,= Arabella signed with a reproachful look.

"I have no doubt of that Arabella, you never had any problems putting his father in his place after all." Snape remarked. The other occupants of the carriage, temporarily forgotten by their elders, looked at one another in astonishment. Could it be that Snape was actually smiling?

=I'm surprised to see you travelling by Express. I would have thought you'd already be at Hogwarts with the rest of the staff.=

"I had some business to attend to elsewhere which made it convenient to return with the students. However, I shan't detain you any longer, I can see your travelling companions would not appreciate my company." Snape nodded at Arabella and turned to walk away.

"Wow," said Harry. "He was almost charming there."

=He often is if you can see behind the mask he wears.=Arabella replied. =Now, what else would you like to know about your father's school days?= she asked looking round at them, and so the rest of the journey passed happily as Arabella reminisced to her heart's content. Snape's odd behaviour forgotten by the students for now.

The Great Hall was decked out with the badges of all four houses as was traditional for the first day, the ceiling showing the dark clouds which currently encased the school and warned of a thunderstorm to come. Arabella couldn't get over how different everything looked from this end of the hall. *Never thought I'd find myself sitting at the top table. I wonder what James would think if he could see me now. * She could almost hear his voice in her head, laughing at her for feeling awed still buy her old professors. 'Why shouldn't you be there, you're as bright as them any day!' Bella laughed at the direction her thoughts had taken. *I wonder what you'd say about everything else that's happened since you all sat in the crowd and watched me graduate. I wonder what you'd say about him. * Looking across the table she caught Snape's eye and smiled at him before turning her attention to the new first years who were entering the hall ready to be sorted. The Sorting Ceremony was kind of fun from this perspective she thought as she watched the students join their new houses, paying special attention to those joining Ravenclaw since her room were in their tower and she was to be their assistant housemistress this year. All too soon it was time for Professor Dumbledore's speech and when he introduced her she felt several hundred pairs of eyes focus on her, partly she assumed since the job had such a bad reputation by now and partly to see the sister of the 'hero' Peter Pettigrew. *Oh the joys of being related to a celebrity. Suddenly I feel even sorrier for Harry than I already did. At least his parents actually did what they're famous for. I wonder how they'd react if they knew what Peter was really capable of. *

"Hmm, now as some of you may be aware Professor Pettigrew is unable to speak and communicates through sign language. I did suggest that you try and learn it over the holidays but I'm sure it slipped the minds of some of you." Dumbledore glanced at Arabella as he said the last part with a twinkle in his eye. It seems he had been paying attention when she told Minerva about her journey here after all. "Wee are arranged for a translator to be available until Christmas by which time I assume you will all be fluent enough in sign language not to need one. I'm sure Professor Pettigrew will be happy to give any of you who need it extra assistance if you just ask. From Christmas points will be deducted from anyone trying to use communication difficulties as an excuse in her classes. That is all." As he finished he clapped his hands and the tables filled with food causing the students to turn their attention from the newest DADA master to the far more important business of eating.

=What's all this about a translator, Albus? You told me we wouldn't be needing one.=

"And you told me I was overestimating our students. If what you told me about your journey holds true for the rest of the school in general then I must believe that I was unfortunately mistaken. I'm sure you'll approve of my choice for the position; we were very lucky to get him. He will also be taking over some of Professor Valerian's duties in Muggle Studies in preparation for her upcoming retirement." Dumbledore smiled at a prim looking woman sat at the far end of the table.

"Who have you hired, Albus?" questioned Minerva suspiciously, Professor Dumbledore only ever looked this happen when he had done something particularly devious that he knew the rest of the staff wouldn't approve of.

"Remus Lupin," he said smiling delightedly.

=But I thought that the parents were terrified of him?" = asked Arabella, trying to suppress her laughter at the tortured groan which came from the direction of the potions master.

"Well it seems I managed to reassure them with regards to the efficacy of a certain potion and in these troubled times many of the parents apparently feel a werewolf might be just the deterrent to intruders that we need." Albus was positively beaming by this stage.

"I wonder where they got that idea," muttered Severus.

=Thank you, he'll make the perfect translator and it'll be nice to see him again after such a long time," =Arabella replied. *Always assuming he and Severus don't kill each other that is. *

"Just as long as he's not bringing man's best friends with him," growled Snape, looking Dumbledore directly in the eye.

"Well, I believe he did mention a friend's dog who stays with him from time to time," said Dumbledore.

Snape groaned again *Bloody brilliant! * and then left, muttering something about some preparations he had to make for the start of term. As the rest of the staff left the hall at the end of the meal Arabella pulled Dumbledore aside.

=That wasn't very nice, Albus!=

"No, but it was fun my child, " he said with a wink.

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The Girl in my Arms