Late August, 1974
Mother fussed over my brother non-stop, since the beginning of the day, as she always did, for the past four years. Father neither joined on her fussing, but didn't try to stop it either. Instead, he watched with a smile as James assured her for the hundredth time he would be fine, he would be careful and that he had everything he might need.
I envied him. I could say I hated him, but that would be only my resentment talking. I didn't really hate him, I just couldn't stand him.
James Potter.
You see, you would think that me, being the girl, the firstborn, would be the spoilt one.
When I was born, I was their miracle. Mother and Father were in their late forties, and almost giving up conceiving. So I was their angel, their little miracle, their perfect child. That was until mother, surprisingly got pregnant right before her fiftieth birthday. And when James was born, they couldn't consider themselves more blessed, for it was a boy, the heir they had given up hope on having, the one that would carry on the family's name and legacy… Their miracle. My family was traditional in every way acceptable on our society. We were pure-bloods, we were rich, we were influent and to keep all of those status, unfortunately, the family was also sexist.
My mother, was a happy case. She was betrothed to my father, but she quickly fell in love with him, so they had a happy marriage. And while father's family was traditional, they had different views than those of my mother's family. Dorea Black discovered she fit much better in the Potter family, not only because of her love for Charlus, but also for her beliefs. Of course, she would never treat anyone badly for their status but she also would like very much if her children, especially James married someone… acceptable.
And marriage had become a sudden worry of hers, and it wasn't difficult to understand why. My parents were not young by any means, and time was not being very kind. Father had dropped his position as Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, and was now retired, only working on caring for the many family assets. Mother had never worked, but had also given up on her social functions, that, although not very important, could be a burden for being so time-taking and in my opinion, boring. I had lost count of how many tea-parties and dinner-parties I was taken to, accompanying my mother, and I was grateful that school stopped me from being available to them.
Now, my mother constantly asked me about my thoughts on betrothals, seeking information about boys I might like and mentioning appropriate candidates to husband. Father never said anything about it, and I liked to think that it was because I was his little girl and he wouldn't like to marry me even if needed.
I was the firstborn, two years older than James. Although I was only sixteen, I was undoubtedly more responsible. And I would be responsible for everything, including my brother if something were to happen to them soon. And I knew, they were concerned about my capability to handle everything. There, entered the marriage issue. If I was married, I wouldn't have to deal with everything alone. Someone would be there to help. I refused to think they were worried about me having to wait until James was responsible enough to arrange a betrothal for me as the man of the family. James was so childish, I hoped my parents knew that if he was the one to arrange anything, I would be old and grey.
"Cassiopeia?"
I was pulled out of my thoughts with mother's voice. She smiled at me, setting her glass of pumpkin juice down and arched an eyebrow.
"Are you alright dear?" she asked.
"Yes" I said nodding and pushed the food around my plate. "I'm not fully awake yet, mother, sorry"
"Well, school starts tomorrow, you should be ready for the morning classes, dear" she said.
"Do you have everything you need?" father asked, buttering his toast as Hooky, our house elf poured him more tea. "We still have time for a last run to Diagon Alley if needed"
"Not if Sirius doesn't wake up" James said, jumping off his seat and rushing out of the room.
"Hooky, prepare the table for our guest" mother said and the elf snapped his fingers, and there was a plate, cutlery and a glass set beside James' place on the table.
"I have everything, father, thank you" I said, resuming the subject.
"Did you have time to use the broom care kit I gave you?" he asked smiling.
"Yes, father, thank you, it was very useful" I smiled.
"Just win all games" he said winking.
"I will" I chuckled.
It was moments like these that I forgot how they were obvious on the preference for James, and I let go of all my resentment for it.
"Of course, she doesn't win alone" mother said, as the boys came in, wrestling and laughing. "And all teams have a fair chance" she said pointedly.
I rolled my eyes at them. While I had no direct problems with Sirius, his behavior when he was with my brother was idiotic to say the least. They were arrogant, obnoxious, boastful, annoying, and so mischievous it drove me mad.
"I'm the seeker, mum. The game is won every time I'm successful" I said. "And I have to say, I'm quite good at it"
"Yes, but your brother and Sirius are responsible for Gryffindor's won matches" mother said.
I wanted to remind her that James precious Gryffindor team hadn't won from my team on his two years as chaser.
"Yes, Cassiopeia, not everything is about you" James said rolling his eyes.
"Do not call me Cassiopeia!" I snapped, glaring at him.
"Mother calls you" he retorted.
Just because I could not disrespect her by snapping at her.
"You can't" I said.
"What's wrong with Cassiopeia?" Sirius asked frowning.
It was the name of my aunt, Sirius' great-aunt. And while I had no problems with her as a person, I hated the name.
"My name is Elladora, that's why" I said, frowning back at him.
"Sorry, darling, I forget you prefer your first name" Mother said smiling.
I still could not understand the name thing. First, she only followed Black's tradition on naming after stars or constellations with me, James got away. And second, she named me, and didn't use the first name.
"What about you, boys?" father asked. "Everything ready?"
"Yes, sir" Sirius said politely. Since mum had already interrogated James on having everything he wanted and needed, the question was more to Sirius. "Thank you for letting me stay this week"
"You're very welcome, darling" mother said, reaching over and patting his hand. "I understand how our family can be… overwhelming"
I winced at her way of saying how ridiculously mad the family could be. Sirius, on my opinion, was unfortunate to get sorted into Gryffindor. His parents were not overjoyed, since he broke the tradition. And just to get the matters worse, Sirius not only was a Gryffindor at heart, but he enjoyed it immensely. He had strong opinions, and he was not afraid to voice them, even if in this house, he was punished for it.
Mother immediately identified with him. She also had different opinions than those of her family, but as she usually said: she preferred to be silent and discreet on them since family altercations were not something she enjoyed, at all. We were not close to the Blacks, but with her option to remain quiet, when we did meet, it was not as bad as it could be. And James was happy for mother's choice, because when he befriended Sirius and realized how much Sirius hated his summers and staying home, it allowed mother to ask her niece, Walburga, to let him stay a few days, or a week, every now and then, and no one questioned it.
"Mum, can Sirius stay over Christmas break when we come home?" James asked, smiling charmingly at mother.
"Of course!" she said immediately.
"Dorea" father warned gently.
She looked at him and frowned, shaking her head before giving Sirius a small smile.
"I'll talk to your mother as soon as possible… At least I'll have time to convince her" she said gently.
"Thank you, Mrs. Potter"
While mother was his great-aunt, since we were not close to the Black family, Sirius never bothered to use family titles.
When I asked to be excused, mother told me to stay and started talking about a tea-party at the McLaggens', and how Mary McLaggen had a charming son, Tiberius. I sat, listening, but not saying anything. I would not fall into any traps. I watched the boys shoveling food into their mouths, wondering if they, at the sight of food, forgot all manners. Mother had given up on admonishing James for speaking with his mouth full, as the boys exchanged words about Quidditch between bites. Sirius was nodding as James recalled the last match they had against Hufflepuff, when he looked up, reaching for his glass. His grey eyes met mine, and I'm sure the disgust at their eating habit was clear on my face, for he swallowed, and quickly wiped his mouth with his napkin. He gave me a hesitant smile, and I couldn't help smiling back seeing the maple syrup on his chin he had missed. His smile widened until it turned into a beaming grin, which I really didn't understand, so I turned away and looked back at mother. She had a cocked eyebrow at me, and an amused smile.
"What?" I asked hesitantly.
She grinned and shrugged, glancing at Sirius – who was back to his conversation with James – before looking at me.
"Nothing, darling" she said. "Nothing"
September, 1974
I frowned as I heard light footsteps, and stopped, turning around. I was not paranoid, I had heard it. But I was the only one there. I continued walking and when I got to the dungeons, the strap of my messenger bag gave away, and the bag fell, all of the books for Muggle Studies and History of Magic scattering on the floor, the parchments flying a few feet away. I heard what resembled a snicker, and I slowly crouched, gathering my books and waving my wand to fix the strap of the bag. I had just gathered the last parchment, and stood up abruptly, turning and reaching out. My hand came in contact with something and I grabbed it, pulling on it hard.
"No!"
"James!" I snapped, recognizing the voice.
As I continued to pull, bit by bit he came into view, and I pointed my wand at him. The cloak finally fell and he continued to try to pull it back.
"I'll rip it in pieces" I threatened.
"It's dad's!" he protested, scowling at me.
I looked between him, Sirius and their chubby little friend, Pettigrew. Sirius watched us fight, while Pettigrew kept looking down the hall, worried.
"I know" I snapped. "Give it to me, and I'll be gentle when I tell him you stole it" I said.
"He gave it to me" he scoffed.
"He… what?" I mumbled.
My fingers loosened around the soft fabric, and he finally pulled it away from me, frowning at me. I couldn't believe it.
"He gave it to you?" I asked outraged.
"Yeah!"
"I'm the firstborn!" I said angrily. "It's mine by right!"
"I'm the male heir!" he retorted.
"James" Sirius said quietly and Pettigrew shifted on his feet nervously.
"I hate you!" I said to him.
He paused, his face going red with anger and glared right back.
"I hate you too, Cassiopeia!"
"What do you want here?" I asked, fighting tears.
"Nothing, we're leaving" Pettigrew squeaked, grabbing James' arm.
"Who's there?"
I froze, glancing over my shoulder as Filch's voice carried down the corridor, a soft meow following. I didn't need to check my watch to know we were past curfew.
James pulled on the cloak, the two boys rushing to his side and disappearing.
"Not so fast, James" I hissed, reaching out.
As soon as I grabbed something, I pulled hard, and the body clashed against mine, sending us both to the ground. Quick footsteps were heard, going the opposite direction from where Filch was coming. I scowled at Sirius as we stood up.
"Great. Now, you will tell me what you were up to" I said.
"Nothing" he said shrugging.
"Well, well…"
I turned around and saw Filch smirking at us, holding a lantern up to his face as Mrs. Norris stood beside his feet, staring at us.
"Detention" he said happily.
"Great" I said turning and glared at Sirius, who sighed.
"I hope you're happy" I grumbled.
The problem with getting detention from Filch was that he had no respect for student's needs, like sleeping. If it had been a professor to find us, we would probably have detention the next day, after our classes were over, but Filch decided we should start immediately. Peeves had done a mess in the library, and since Madame Pince's work did not include dealing with the poltergeist's mischief, Filch should have cleaned it. Now he was snoring away in an armchair by the library's door, with Mrs. Norris on his lap, watchful, and he had confiscated our wands so we had to clean up without magic.
"You were the one that got into a fight with James. If you had just gone into your common room, we wouldn't be here" he grumbled.
"Well, you were in the dungeons, where you should never be, and you were following and pranking me. I think it's all your fault" I said. "And that book is not there"
I took the book from him, and walked to another shelf, looking for the right place to put it.
"We weren't pranking you" he said.
"Yes, and my new dragon-skin bag just fell apart" I rolled my eyes.
"That was Peter. It was not the plan" he said with a sigh, leaning against the bookcase. "I told James not to take him, he can never control himself. On pranking or laughing" he rolled his eyes.
"Why?" I asked frowning.
"He's just silly Peter" he shrugged smiling, running a hand through his black locks.
"No, I mean… Why are you always pranking someone? Don't you find it immature?" I asked.
He stared at me.
"Forget it" I sighed, turning back to the pile of books. "I forget you are fourth years"
"We're not immature" he said.
"Sirius" I chuckled, giving him a skeptical look. "You and James tripped each other every day the last week of the summer. You changed sugar for salt, just to ruin my tea. Last year, you made my hair go green. You threw dungbomb on Herbology class last week…"
"We like to have fun" he shrugged, his lips twitching.
"Alright… Just leave me out of it, please" I said with a sigh. "I hate it"
"Do you…"
"Do I what?" I asked when he trailed off.
"You don't really hate James, do you?" he asked, frowning.
"Of course not" I sighed. "He's my annoying little brother, and he gets on my nerves" I rolled my eyes. "I'll apologize, or call it even if he does something before I apologize"
"You resent the fact that your parents, especially your mother prefer him" he said.
"It's not that" I denied.
"My parents put Regulus on a pedestal for getting in Slytherin and being the obedient son" he smiled sadly. "It sucks, I get it"
"No, you really don't" I said smiling sadly. "You resent your parents for a lot more than that… They are easy to resent… My parents, are good parents, and I really have nothing to complain. I'm just being vain, shallow brat, seeking attention"
"You're not" he said shaking his head, and giving me a smile. "You're none of those things. You are a Potter, and vain and shallow are Black traits. You're perfect"
I smiled and chuckled, smirking at him as I raised an eyebrow.
"You know, I had heard of that sly charm of yours, but never seen in action" I said and he blushed bright red making me chuckle. "Stick to the brainless, naïve girls, those never notice and are most likely to fall for it"
"Too bad" he said quietly.
"Why is that?" I asked, taking a few books in my arms.
"You're not brainless and naïve" he smirked.
I chuckled and he grinned as I walked past him to another row of bookcases.
Late September, 1974
I got on my Silver Arrow, and everything was a blur around me as I flew above the stands, and looked down, watching as Madame Hooch walked to the middle of the field. The Ravenclaw seeker flew by, and hovered a few feet up and to my left, watching me and Madame Hooch. I sat straight on the broom, and played with my gloves, the cold, autumn wind blowing the few strands of hair I couldn't get into a ponytail. The bludgers and the snitch flew and Madame Hooch looked around at all players before throwing the quaffle in the air. As the chasers fought to get the quaffle, and the beaters to keep the bludgers from harming their team players, I looked around for the snitch. The Ravenclaw seeker had flown down, to look for it, but I kept at a safe height, slowly flying around the pitch. As I dodged a bludger, snapping at one of my team's beater to keep an eye out, I saw the little golden ball, circling one of the goal posts of our side. I grinned, glanced at the other seeker, who hadn't seen it yet and leaning down on my broom, I sped towards it. I dodged the bludgers and the Ravenclaw chasers as I advanced, and soon realized their seeker had realized I had already seen the snitch and was following me. The snitch flew up, and I followed, reaching out. The other seeker flew parallel to me, and seeing my fingertips not very far from the snitch, he bumped hard into me. I grunted, straightening back to my path but he slammed into me again, I would return the favor, if he had not been a burly seventh year. As he bumped into me a third time, my fingers finally brushed against the snitch, and I grabbed it tightly.
"Ella!" someone screamed.
I was just getting my balance back from the last bump, ready to turn and raise my fist with the snitch up in the air when something hit me on the side, hard. I cried in pain and fell from my broom, hitting something as I fell to the ground.
I groaned, blinking my eyes to clear my vision as I opened them and winced.
"Ella"
I turned my head to the right and saw James, his friends and a few teammates standing beside my bed. James grinned, and sat down on the edge of the bed. My teammates weren't very happy with the Gryffindors' presence that was clear, but stayed tightlipped.
"Hi" I whispered.
"Hey, glad to have you back" James said. "I was almost sending an owl to mum"
"We won, right? It was not a dream?" I mumbled, blinking my eyes.
"Yeah, we won, you caught the snitch" Richard Ravin, my keeper said and extended something.
James took it from him and showed me the snitch, before laying it on my hand. I winced as my arm hurt when I wrapped my fingers around it. Slowly my teammates filled out and only James, Sirius and his friend, Lupin I think, stayed. Lupin sat on the edge of the bed next to mine, watching us and giving me a small smile.
"What happened?" I asked.
"A bludger hit you pretty hard" Sirius said. "And when you fell you hit the goal post, which knocked you out"
"Broken ribs, concussion, a sprained wrist and a lot of bruises and scratches… nothing fatal" James said.
"Well, thanks for clarifying. I would never have thought you would be at my bedside if I weren't dying" I chuckled, but whimpering as my ribcage throbbed painfully.
"I don't hate you. You're my sister, of course I would be at your bedside… Sprained ankle or almost dying" he said quietly, looking down at my hand.
"Hey" I said, flexing my fingers.
He reached out and I linked my forefinger with his, and he gently took my hand, the snitch between our palms.
"You're my annoying, hell-raiser, ugly git brother, and I love you despite all of that, alright?" I said softly.
He grinned at me and his friend stood up, clapping Sirius on the shoulder.
"We should go" he said quietly.
Sirius nodded and smiled at us, following him. A few feet away, he turned around abruptly.
"Andromeda wanted me to ask if she could visit you" Sirius said.
"Of course" I nodded weakly. "Oh, and… thank whoever brought the flowers" I said looking at the large vase.
"Sirius' did" James chuckled. "Thought it would cheer you up"
"It was Remus' idea" Sirius said, blushing softly on the cheeks as he ran his hand through his hair.
I looked between the boys, and the tall, skinny, green-eyed boy gave me a hesitant smile as he shrugged.
"Thank you, Remus and Sirius" I smiled.
They left and I turned back to my brother.
"When can I get out of this bed?"
"Madame Pomfrey said you'll have to stay two days, but after that, you'll have to take it easy for a week or two" he smiled.
"Great" I deadpanned, closing my eyes. "I'm gonna sleep a bit more, and if you wake me, I will tear your hair out, James" I threatened, just so he wouldn't get used to me being nice.
For the next couple weeks, James and his friends – which clearly were doing it for James – gave up their time to prank between classes to accompany me to classes, carrying my bag and books, and making sure no one would bump into me. The first day, James carried me down the stairs, against my loud protests, and for the next couple days his friends insisted on doing the same. I convinced James to drop it, when Peter had so much difficulty carrying me that he almost fell with me in his arms. It was ridiculous.
So, for the next couple weeks, my few not very close friends avoided me like the plague. Which I guessed to them it was basically true, since I had Gryffindors with me almost all the time. Since I refused to give up on some of my nine subjects, workload was a bit too intense for my state. Remus would help me in the library, denying every day that it was James who ordered him to. I knew James would never stay in the library for longer than five minutes, so I could bet he had asked his friend to make that 'sacrifice' for him. Except Remus seemed to truly enjoy his time in the library, even if he was constantly bothered by me, by going to fetch me books instead of letting me get them myself. At first, I thought he only pretended to be enjoying, so as not to make me feel so guilty and chew James' ear off for making his friends do it. But as he talked to me, genuinely interested on my N.E.W.T. level classes, and my O.W.L.'s, I realized he wasn't lying. Remus proved to be very intelligent, making me forget he was a fourth year – James definitely wasn't that smart. He was also very calm, tolerant and fair-minded, something I discovered on our arguments over Ghoul Studies and History of Magic, when most of the time, I quickly lost my temper, while he remained calm and defended his opinion. He proved himself to be good-natured and very kind, always asking me if he could help, even though he would help even if I said no, and always asking if there was something else he could do when he saw I was in pain or before he left me at the stone wall in the dungeons, the entrance to my common room. Remus had also a bit of a light tongue. As we walked to the Slytherin dungeons one day, and I remembered the day James, Sirius and Peter were there, asking him why he wasn't, he slipped that James wanted the password to the Slytherin common room, and he had not been interested in it. He immediately realized his mistake, and I assured him it was alright, I had imagined it was something like that.
When the third week after I had been released from the hospital passed, and after I went to Madame Pomfrey to have her all-clear, the boys stopped following me around. I hated to admit that I kinda missed James being so brotherly, even though we bickered all the time we were together. I would miss Sirius telling me jokes just to put me in a better mood, despite being babied by my baby brother's friends. And I would miss Remus' company, for he quickly wormed his way into my routine and in my mind I already considered him a friend. I could not say I would miss Peter's awkwardness, even though he had his funny moments.
To my surprise, two days after their babying stopped, I found Remus in the library. For the next week, he kept on showing up when I was there, and we sat together, and he was even able to help me in Transfiguration, a favor I returned by helping him with Arithmancy.
"So, I'll see you tomorrow?" I asked on a Thursday night, as we walked out of the library.
"Can't, Ella, sorry" he said awkwardly, looking down, his light brown hair falling into his eyes. "I… I have to go home, my mum is sick, and I visit her every month"
"Oh. I'm so sorry" I said softly. "If there's anything I can do…"
"No, but thanks" he said shaking his head. "Bye"
He was gone before I could finish my goodbye.
It was Wednesday night when Remus returned. I hadn't seen him all week, and I was talking to Andromeda at the Slytherin table when I saw him arrive at the Great Hall for dinner. I watched as he walked to the Gryffindor table, and sat between my brother and another Gryffindor boy, I didn't recognize. He nodded at something James said, keeping his head down and he looked tired, weary. I frowned, and Andromeda turned on her seat across from me and followed my gaze.
"What has James done now?" she asked amusedly.
"Nothing, it's… his friend Remus, he looks exhausted" I said.
"The tall one?" she asked and I nodded. "Aunt Walburga almost had a fit when Sirius wanted to invite him to their house this summer" Andromeda said and leaned over a bit. "His mother is muggle"
"I imagine the fit she threw" I said rolling my eyes.
"You really don't mind?" she asked hesitantly.
"Ahn… no" I answered hesitantly, because with the Blacks you could never know what was wrong to say.
"I want to tell you something" she said quietly.
"What?" I asked, grinning, because I liked a good gossip.
She nodded her head and stood up. I finished my pumpkin juice and followed her. She didn't say a word until we reached the corridor, which was empty since all students were having dinner.
"I… I met someone, two years ago" she said and bit her lip.
"Really?" I asked smiling. "Tell me"
"Ahn, he had just graduated, so he's almost three years older than me and, he got a job at Hogsmeade's apothecary shop… His name is Edward Tonks, he likes to be called Ted" she grinned. "He's… sweet, and funny and, I think I love him"
"You think?" I chuckled. "You sound like a love sick foolish girl" I said. "In a good way" I added.
"He asked me to marry him, after I finish school, next summer" she whispered, looking over her shoulder at the Great Hall's entrance.
"And? What did you say?"
"I said yes…"
"Congratulations!" I said excitedly.
"No, but…" she scowled and sighed. "He's muggle-born"
"Oh"
Poor Andromeda. Born in the Black family and falling in love with a muggle-born.
"I know, my family will never accept us" she sighed, leaning against the wall.
"Andromeda…" I paused, looking back at the Great Hall. "My mother, doesn't really agree with the Blacks' opinions, but she's married to a Potter, so it's not really that problematic. She doesn't say anything because she doesn't want to severe links to her family"
"That's quite smart. Sirius goes through hell for being so rebellious" she said.
"Well… I say, marry him. If your family doesn't accept… Well, I say screw them" I said and she smiled at my enthusiasm. "You're in love with him, Dromeda. Be happy with him, and if you need anything, I can assure you, I will help you, and my mum probably will too"
She grinned, her eyes watering and she hugged me tightly. I had never been close to her, we talked sometimes because she was my cousin and only a year older, and now I knew why she had been so hesitant to talk to me. What if I was prejudiced like all of our family?
"Thank you" she said when she pulled back. "I'll make you my matron of honor"
"You don't have to" I said rolling my eyes.
"I will not accept no for an answer" she smiled.
"Alright" I chuckled.
We turned to go back into the Great Hall.
"Oh, and by the way… I think the Remus boy? I think you two might be cute" she said, winking as I frowned after her.
"So… I think I got it this time" Remus said pushing his number chart to me. "I'm not sure" he said uncertainly, frowning at the parchment.
I took a quick look at it, bookmarking my book about history, and smiled as I checked it for the second time.
"It's perfect" I said.
"Really?" he asked surprised.
"Yeah, Remus" I said rolling my eyes. "I'm not sure why you're so surprised. You're very intelligent, it wouldn't take you long to get the hang of it"
"Thanks" he chuckled, pulling the sheet back and organizing his things.
"Remus?" I asked, opening my book again and playing with the bookmark.
"Yes?"
"Next Saturday is Hogsmead weekend" I said and smiled at him. "Would you like to come?"
He stared at me, blinking slowly.
"With you?" he asked hesitantly.
"Yes"
"As in… a… hm, date?"
"Smooth, Remus, very smooth" I chuckled and he turned bright red. "Yes, as in… a date"
"Why? I mean, I'm in fourth year" he said confusedly.
"Yeah… so?" I asked frowning.
"Can I give you an answer later?" he asked hesitantly. "I don't know"
"Yeah, sure" I nodded, organizing my things as well. "So… see you"
I waved at him and left the library, going to my common room. I wanted to bang my head against the wall that held the entrance to it. I was thankful that no one was in the common room, and I lay in the couch, and sighed.
"Great. If I can't even get a fourth year to go on a date with me, I might as well give up and date the Giant Squid" I grumbled, watching said squid passing by the windows.
"Don't do it"
I looked up from my book , and looked up, James was standing over me, with his arms crossed and a scowl.
"What?" I asked, frowning in confusion.
"You asked Remus out. Why? You can't do that" he said.
"Actually, I can" I said rolling my eyes. "And it's none of your business. He told you?"
"He asked if it was alright" he deadpanned.
"And you told him off?" I narrowed my eyes at him.
"No… I told him it was fine" he sighed.
"You make no sense, you realize that?" I asked amusedly.
"I didn't want him to think I had something against him. He's fine"
"Then why can't I ask him out?"
"Because… Because you can't. He's my friend. You can't mess with my friends' head. We're in fourth year, and you're in sixth, what the hell are you thinking?" he ranted.
"I am thinking that my brother is an idiot" I snapped standing up and scowling at him. "Here I was thinking you were worried about me… I'm the one he left hanging. I'm the one who didn't get an answer. I'm the one embarrassed, and yet, you come and give a lecture for inviting your friend to go to Hogsmeade with me? You're such a great brother" I said sarcastically and walked away from him.
"Hey, Elladora"
I turned from my conversation with Andromeda, and looked up at Remus. When I looked back at Andromeda, she gave me a smile and walked away. Remus smiled hesitantly as he took her seat, across from me. He was walking on dangerous territory, sitting in the Slytherin table, even if there was just me, Andromeda and a few first years.
"So, about Hogsmeade…"
"Don't" I cut him off with a wince and he frowned. I looked down at my hands, picking at my perfectly manicured nails. "Really, Remus, it's fine. I'm sorry if I put you in an uncomfortable position. It was never my intention…"
"I was actually going to say I would like very much to go with you" he said hesitantly, interrupting me.
I looked up and arched an eyebrow.
"Really?" I questioned.
"Yeah, sorry to leave you waiting, I just… I thought I should ask your brother if it was alright with him. Didn't want to make things awkward" he shrugged.
"Oh" I said, smiling hesitantly. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, of course" he smiled.
"Okay, so… Meet you at 10 o'clock at the courtyard?"
"Great"
"Okay. Now, you really should leave. You're on enemy's territory" I said gesturing to the table.
"Alright" he chuckled, standing up. "See you later"
"See you"
It was just my luck that on Saturday it was raining. I could already see myself getting all wet, as I was not good with charms. I dressed properly for the weather, for winter was slowly creeping on us, and it seemed it would be a bloody cold one this year. I was walking to the courtyard, pulling on my gloves and saw Remus leaning against wall beside the double doors, watching the rain, with his hands on the pockets of his coat.
"Hey"
He turned around and smiled at me, and I want to say he blushed, but I could not say if his cheeks were pink because of the cold or something else.
"Hi" he stood up straight.
Remus was the tallest of his friends, almost towering over James and Sirius. Peter was not even worth mentioning, as it seemed the boy forgot to go through his natural grow spurt when hitting puberty. Since I was older, I didn't lose by much to Remus, but I still had to look up, holding my beret cap on my head as it threatened to slip down my straight hair.
"Nice start, hm?" I asked glancing at the pouring rain.
"I'm sure the Three Broomsticks is warm" he shrugged.
"Three Broomsticks?" I asked.
"Yes… Ahn, the pub?" he asked frowning.
"Oh, yes! Sorry, I never been there"
"Never?" he asked in astonishment. "How?"
"Well, I, hm, don't usually go to Hogsmeade, and when I do, I do some shopping and come back" I shrugged.
"Would you prefer going to Madam Puddifoot's?" he asked with a slight wince. "We can"
"No, please, let's not" I chuckled and he visibly relaxed. "Too much pink and cheesy for my taste. I would like to see this pub you speak of"
"Alright, let's go" he smiled.
We both turned to the door, and our enthusiasm deflated as we looked at the pouring rain. I adjusted my beret and coat and looked at Remus. He waved his hand, conjuring an umbrella, and opened it. We walked into the pouring rain, and I linked my arm through his, so we could stand close and both protected.
"So, I, hm, thought James would freak out when I told him about your invitation" he said as we walked across the school grounds. "He was pretty calm"
I scoffed and he seemed curious about my reaction.
"He told me to stay away from you, basically" I rolled my eyes. "Said something about me meddling into his friendships and age difference"
"He didn't tell me anything" he frowned.
"It was cute how worried he was about you" I shrugged and smirked. "Almost borderline gay, but… cute"
"Ha, very funny" he deadpanned, smiling.
We picked up our pace and just as we were reaching the Three Broomsticks, the rain started to ease a bit. We walked in, the umbrella vanishing with a flick of his wand, and he told me to get a table while he got us something to drink. I got us a table at the back, not really enjoying how many Hogwarts' students were present and turning their heads to watch me. Remus returned with two butterbeers and took off his coat before sitting across from me. He was wearing a dark teal sweater, that made his eyes look much brighter, but also highlighted how pale he was. Of course, living in England and Scotland could do that to anyone. My barely sun-kissed tone of skin was a product of a long holiday at the south of France, a year before I started Hogwarts, and it was practically gone by now.
"So, how do you like your sixth year?" Remus asked.
"It's… going smoothly. With no O.W.L.'s and no N.E.W.T.s yet, it's pretty calm. I'm just adapting to my new classes" I shrugged and sipped the butterbeer, the warm sweet liquid going down my throat and warming me up almost immediately. "What about you? My fourth year was pretty boring"
"It's alright" He smiled. "At least I found someone that enjoys the library"
"Yes, I do not see you, my brother and Sirius having much in common" I chuckled.
"They're great friends"
"So, I heard your mother is muggle" I said, resting my chin on my hand as I looked at him.
"Yes" he said hesitantly and drank his butterbeer.
"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to sound offending… I just, never met anyone muggle, and never have been close enough to muggle-borns to ask about them… I really like Muggle Studies, it's quite fascinating and fun" I said excitedly. "So, how is it?"
"It's really, quite normal" he said chuckling with a light frown. "We can't do magic when we visit her family, but that's about it. The rest of the time we live normally, she's used to magic by now"
"I would really like to meet her, she must be so cool, marrying a wizard and adapting so well into our culture"
"I think she would find you just as amazing" he chuckled.
"Oh! Sorry, I forgot she was ill" I scowled and gave him a small smile as his face fell. "Is it bad?"
"No, not really" he muttered.
"If there's anything I can do to help… Mum was quite skilled in healing magic, she would have applied to St. Mungo's had she not married dad"
"Thanks" he smiled.
I changed topics them, noting that I already knew what books he liked, but that was about it on my knowledge of his tastes. We stayed there for a couple hours, and our butterbeers were refilled a few times. I had heard from James that Remus' family was not as well off as Sirius or Peter, but he insisted on paying and I really enjoyed his chivalry.
I saw James, Peter and Sirius come in and they sat across the room, but James kept glancing in our direction. Remus followed my gaze and gave James a small wave, which James returned with a nod.
"Do you want to join them?" I asked.
"Not really" he said shrugging.
"Come on, then" I said, getting up and pulling on my hat. "I want to go to Honeydukes"
He stood up, helped me with my coat and we walked out. The rain had stopped, but the temperature had dropped severely. I shivered as we walked quickly to the shop, and as on every Hogsmeade visit day, it was full of Hogwarts' students. Ambrosius Flume was the first to see me, and gave me a grin, waving at me. I smiled back and greeted his wife quickly as she passed to refill a jar of sweets.
"I have a sweet tooth" I told Remus. "Ambrosius likes to say that I should be his partner with how much I spend here"
"It's a family thing then? James also likes sweets" Remus said watching as I took a couple of cauldron cakes.
"No, I don't think you understand" I said, turning to him and keeping my expression serious, he frowned. "James likes sweets. I can't live without them"
"Glad you have Quidditch to help you spending all those calories" he chuckled.
I grabbed a couple of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, a box of exploding bonbons, a pumpkin pasty and three sugar quills. I stood by the counter, and Mary, Ambrosius' wife apologized for not being able to attend to me at the time, as she rushed around, wrapping gifts and helping first years. I leaned against the counter, used to the chaos and reached out and took a jelly slug. I popped it into my mouth, being the glutton I was for candies, and wrapped it around my tongue, enjoying its flavor before chewing on it.
"Hm… The best" I said to Remus. "Have you ever had one?"
"Yes, at the Express" he smiled, amused by my antics apparently.
"Take one!" I said, taking another one. "Mary and Ambrosius really don't mind, they know I could never pay them less than what is right"
"No, I actually going to take one of these" he said reaching over my shoulder and pulled back, looking down at me as he unwrapped the acid pop. "I was always curious about what it tasted like"
He offered to me, but I shook my head and watched as he popped it into his mouth. Not even ten seconds later, he winced, and gave up on it, frowning at it.
"Ew, how do they sell these things?" he grumbled, still making a face.
"Oh, come on, don't be such a baby, it can't be that bad" I chuckled.
"It's like lemon, vinegar, pepper and absinth all together"
"Have you ever tasted absinth?" I asked amusedly.
"No… but I reckon it tastes like this" he said smiling.
"Let me see"
I took the pop from him and tasted it. It was actually really bad. I gagged and threw it in a nearby trash, ignoring Remus' chuckles as I reached for jelly slugs.
"Here, this helps" I said, taking one and offered to him.
He looked at the jelly slug I held to his face and hesitantly opened his mouth. I dropped it on his mouth and he quickly chewed on it.
"Much better" he said watching me eat another one.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing" he chuckled.
"Ella, dear, how are you?" Mary said, finally arranging time to attend to me.
"Very well, thank you. How are things going around here?" I asked smiling at her, turning around from Remus.
"Much better now that Hogwarts' students are back" she chuckled, putting all my sweets in a bag. "Anything else?"
"We ate an acid pop, and about seven jelly slugs" I said, reaching for my money. "I'll take a dozen of the slugs"
"I'll cover it" Remus said.
"No, that's my treat for today" I said.
"Ella…"
"Nah, you paid for the butterbeers" I said smiling at his frown and turned back to Mary with a smile. "How much?"
"Four galleons" she said, smiling at Remus. "She's a stubborn one"
"She is" he chuckled.
"This is Remus, a friend of mine and my brother's" I said, extending the gold coins to her.
"Oh, yes, your brother has been here earlier. Bought a bunch of blood-flavored pops"
"Probably pranking the first years" I said rolling my eyes.
"Or the Slytherins" Remus added.
"First year Slytherins" I said shaking my head and took the bag from Mary. "Incorrigible"
We walked back to the castle, thank Merlin, this time without the need for an umbrella, and sharing some of the sweets.
"Ew, no, dog food" Remus scowled after his last attempt at Bertie Bott's Beans.
"I got lucky. Strawberry" I smiled.
"What's the worse you found yet?" he asked.
"Rotten egg" I said frowning at the memory. "I vomited the whole afternoon, what about you?"
"Vomit" he winced.
"I'm torn between Strawberry and Toffee Pudding for the best" I mused as we walked inside the castle.
"Not Chocolate?" he asked.
"No, too normal"
He smiled down at me and I realized the day was over. His common room was up the grand staircase, and I had to go down to the dungeons. I smiled up at him as we stopped at the bottom of the staircase, and even though I would not be going up, I got on the first step, almost equaling our heights.
"I had a nice time" I said.
"Me too" he said nodding, and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Thanks for the sweets"
"Thanks for the butterbeer" I smiled.
"Thanks for inviting me, I really enjoyed it…"
"Ahn, Remus?"
"Yeah"
"Your cue to kiss me was almost three minutes ago" I chuckled.
He blushed bright red, and shifted on his feet. I could see his hands twitching in his pockets as he looked down at his feet. So cute. He looked up at me, opening his mouth to say something, but I leaned in and pressed my lips to his, lightly. It only lasted a few seconds and then I pulled back, blushing myself. He smiled hesitantly at me, and I got down from the step, consequently stepping closer to him. I raised my free hand and grabbed the lapel of his coat, tugging on it. He hesitated, but leaned down and kissed me. I got on my tiptoes so he wouldn't have to bend – a reminder of how tall he was for a fourth year – and he gently cupped my face. When we pulled apart, we were both smiling, our cheeks matching in their hue of pink.
"See you tomorrow?" he asked quietly.
"See you at dinner" I grinned and kissed him again.
AN: Hello again!
I had promised myself I wouldn't start anything before finishing at least one of my other stories - I know, I suck - but I came by so many stories AU where James had a sister, and as I read them, even with the good ones, I couldn't help but think of all different things I would have done. And I also remembered there was a Dorea Potter, née Black, and I thought that was quite interesting.
So that's what brought this on. I have almost a hundred pages ready for this - this first chapter took 15 of them.
I hope you like it.
REVIEW!
xoxo Luuh