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first year,
broken crow
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Kreacher, the house-elf made his way through Grimmauld Place, waking up the residents of the house and their guest. Aimee only had one choice of outfit her white collared shirt, a green jumper with her black skirt. She tried her hair into a ponytail, Aimee neatly folded Sirius' clothes she walked to his bedroom, knocking on his door.

"What?" he grumpily said, as he opened his door, just wearing a pair of shorts.

"I take it your not a morning person," he shook his head "anyway here's your clothes back." he forced a smile across his face, he took the clothes from her, closing his door behind him,

She rolled her eyes, she cautiously walked along the hall, heading downstairs for breakfast. Kreacher had set the table for three people, Aimee sat down she wondered why the table had been set for three. 'Maybe Walburga and Orion were too busy to join them' Orion approached Kreacher, she kept her head down not wanting to talk to the older wizard.

"Kreacher, aren't those boys up yet," he asked

"No master, Kreacher tried but young masters went back to sleep," he huffed as if they has heard their father, Sirius and Regulus walked downstairs. While Regulus was fully dressed, Sirius remained in his shorts.

"Sirius, go and put on a shirt," his mother said.

"Why? I'm in my own house," Walburga shot him a glare, sighing before she spoke again.

"We have a guest and a lady at that," Sirius laughed

"A lady? Aimee's not a lady,"

"That's rude," Aimee said, nudging his shoulder.

Walburga was going to speak but instead watched their interaction with one another and the smile across Sirius' face. After breakfast he went upstairs to change, Kreacher had brought Aimee's bag downstairs leaving at the front door, she smiled at the elf, she would have fetched her own bag down.

"Mistress, Mr and Mrs Burke are here," she hurried over to her mother and father, she wrapped her arms around her father, quickly pulling away when he winced.

"Are you okay?" she asked

"Of course, I am sweetie,"

"We appreciate you letting her stay here," Mrs Burke spoke

"No bother at all, she's welcome here anytime, there's something I have for you if you'll follow me, Mrs Burke," both Regulus and Sirius eyed their mother cautiously.

"I hope you enjoyed your time here," Walburga said, as Mrs Burke smiled at her

"I had a great time Mrs Black, I hope to attend more of your balls," she said, smiling at the woman.

"Why certainly," Aimee turned to Regulus and Sirius

"And you two better save me a dance," she told them, a wide smile grew on Sirius' face

"Of course, Miss Burke," she smiled at him, she gave Regulus a hug

"Don't be a stranger," Regulus told her

"I don't plan on being one," she pulled away, to hug Sirius. Hugging him was different to Regulus, he was taller than her, his chin would rest on her head, Regulus was the same height as Aimee so their chins rested perfectly on each other's shoulders.

"See you at school," he smiled at her, though it fell the very second she walked out the door.

***

Once the Burkes returned to their home, she envied Sirius for having Regulus at home, he had someone. She had to return to silence and loneliness, despite wanting to spend Christmas with her parents, she had to admit she would have preferred to stay with the Blacks.

She would have preferred to have Regulus and Sirius' company, rather than being bored alone in her home. She retreated to her room, to find a card on her bed, she wasn't expecting any kind of letter or card.

To Aimee,

I hope you're having a beautiful Christmas, I didn't know what to get you so just know as you're reading this I'm sending you an invisible hug.

Merry Christmas,
Love Alice.

She smiled, she never expected to receive a card from anyone at Hogwarts. While feeling guilty that she hadn't sent Alice a card, as she was about to write a letter to her, she heard a frustrated growl coming from the garden.

As she looked out of her window, she saw her father and mother out in the garden, her mother shrinking down to a brown fox. Her father morphed into a crow, she creased her brows he didn't fly just standing on the ground, with his head held low.

'Why wasn't he flying?'

She wondered as she made her way downstairs to the kitchen, watching her parents in their animagi forms, she figured this would be the perfect time to ask her parents about becoming an animagus. She quietly walked onto the porch, but with their enhanced hearing they heard her coming. The fox walked towards her changing back into her mother.

"What is it?" her mother asked, she gulped,

"I was wondering if you'd teach me to become an animagus," before her mother could respond, the crow squawked, turned back to her father.

"Absolutely not, and why would you want to become one anyway," her father said, his arms folded across his chest. "Well, why do you?" she had never heard this tone coming from her father before.

"I thought it would be a good talent to have," she answered, "I know it's not easy to become one, that's why I'm asking for your help," she explained.

"Show her," her mother said,

"Show me what?" she asked, her father sighed morphing back to a crow.

"Your father can not fly," her mother said watching the crow struggle to flap its wings.

"What's wrong with him?" she asked, as her father struggled

"Your father injured his arm on our trip," she began "what are arms on a bird?"

"Its wings," she answered, "so if you hurt yourself your animagus form feels it too?"

"Yes, you might think you're ready for this, but you are far too young to understand the consequences," her mother said.

"Well, what could go wrong-

"The fact that you don't know proves you don't have great knowledge of becoming an animagus,"

"Teach me then," she demanded

"Don't take that tone with me," her mother warned "it is not something you can teach, if you truly desire to become one, I suggest you put the work in and accept the consequences should things go wrong," Aimee looked at the crow as he struggled to expand its wings, she sighed

"Okay mother, I'll study as hard as I can, I promise," she told her, leaving her parents retreating back to her bedroom.

The crow changed back to Mr Burke, he held his finger up to his wife, shushing her, until their daughter was out of earshot, he offered Aimee a small smile. Once she was back inside the house, he cautiously eyed his wife.

"You're not actually going to teach her, are you,"

"Why not, like she said, it's a good talent to have," she explained, a grin wide on her face, "could come in useful for the future,"

"You are not going to use our daughter, you already drove away-

"Don't you dare mention them to me, they're traitors that brought shame on this family, Aimee will be able to fix that,"

"How will she?" curious to know his wife's plans for their daughter

"Walburga gave me a letter, she says there's something between her son and Aimee-

"Don't go there, I know what you're thinking," he warned her

"I'm not sure what you're implying?" she questioned innocently

"It's not the answer, you are not going to arrange anything with Walburga,"

"I never suggested an arrangement, we agreed to leave them to it," Mr Burke shook his head at her.

He abruptly left his wife outside, he stormed into the house. Aimee heard the footsteps of her father storming down the hall, slamming the door to his study being him. Her parents had another fight, she wondered if it was her fault for asking them to teach her how to become an animagus.

She looked at Alice's card again, she pressed her lips together, 'It wouldn't hurt to send a letter to her,' Aimee left her room lightly knocking on the door to her father's study, she waited for a second for him to let her in, she opened the door.

"Father can I ask you a question?" she asked shyly, in case he was mad at her.

"Of course," he gestured for her to sit down

"Could I write letters to my friends?"

"Yes, I wasn't aware you had made friends yet," her father said, moving some of his papers from her view.

"Yeah, there are a few girls, Alice, Marlene, Lily and two boys, Remus and Sirius," her father's brow raised upon hearing Sirius' name, amongst her list of friends.

"Sounds like a nice bunch," he said

"Yeah, they are, Remus and I have the same taste in books, Alice is so sweet she even sent me a card,"

"That was nice of her, if you want to write to them, I don't see why you can't,"

"Thank you," she smiled at him, hurrying over to hug him

"No problem sweetie, I need to work now," her father gestured for her to leave his study, she skipped out of the door, he took some parchment and ink, scribbling a letter.

Charles Burke,

I write to you with the confidence that this letter remains between you and me. You're needed back in England, Aimee needs you boys home. I can trust you'll keep her from harm's way, tell the others too, I'll await your letter. Please speak with your uncle first.

The Crow.