Chapter One
Loathing
"Excellent!"
"Positively brilliant!"
"It'll take weeks for the Slytherins to get the stench out."
Laughter echoed in the corridor as three sixteen year old boys ran up the marble staircase.
"First-rate prank. Extraordinary idea once again, Prongs," praised the tallest of the three.
In addition to being tall, he was extremely handsome to the point of being unnatural as well as unfair. He had dark hair that fell into his misty grey eyes with a casual elegance that deeply complimented the nonchalant, devil-may-care aura that surrounded him, and automatically made Sirius Black irresistible to many a girl at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
"Why thank-you. And what an exceptional arm you have, Padfoot. Right into the Slytherin common room!" replied James Potter, a skinny, handsome (though not as handsome as Sirius) boy with ridiculously untidy jet black hair that lacked the grace Sirius' had and hazel eyes framed by round black glasses.
Sirius leapt into a low graceful bow. "My pleasure. Oi, Wormtail! You coming?!"
Peter Pettigrew, a short plump boy with dust colored hair and nowhere nearly as handsome as Sirius or James, clutched a stitch in his side as he fought to keep up with the other two.
"Where's Moony? Boy, did he miss out! It's not a full moon is it?" James asked, frowning slightly.
"He – had – a – Prefect's meeting, didn't he?" Peter wheezed as he finally caught up.
"Ah, right," James said with a significant drop in enthusiasm. "I forgot he was the 'good' boy."
"I swear becoming a Prefect was the worst thing that has ever happened to him," Sirius sighed, stretching out his arms and placing them behind his head.
"That's debatable," said a tired voice to the left of them.
Remus Lupin emerged from behind a tapestry concealing a passageway. He brushed some of his sandy hair out of his weary, honey colored eyes as he approached them.
"How was club goody-two-shoes?" Sirius asked.
"Not as fun as, oh I don't know, dungbombing the Slytherin common room," Remus replied crossing his arms though a small wry smile tugged at his lips.
"Wow, word travels fast in this castle," James said with a grin, "Sorry you had to miss it, Moony, but I suppose that's the price of being the responsible one."
"I suppose so. As 'responsible one,' you guys may want to get back to the common room before you have to pay for the sabotage to the Slytherins' common room. Otherwise, I may be forced to act as Prefect -"
Sirius snorted. "Why? Are they going to give us detention…again?"
"For a start," said a cold voice a few yards in front of them.
The boys groaned as Gwendolyn White stood before them. Sirius' grey eyes narrowed as he fought the temptation to just jinx her out of their way. He hated her with every fiber of his being and wasn't ashamed to admit it. If Sirius Black were to have a completely opposite counterpart it would be Gwen White, not only in the fact her last name was White and she was a girl. He hated everything from the neatly pressed Slytherin uniform to the shining Prefect's badge pinned to her chest to the triumphant smirk that curled at the corners of her lips.
"I think fifteen points from Gryffindor might be a reasonable addition, wouldn't you agree, Remus?"
"You can't do that!" James said irritably.
"Actually," Remus said quietly, "she can. Prefects have the power to take away house points. You know this."
"You should take points from Slytherin then," Sirius said glaring at Gwen, "for being a miserable, nosy, pretentious cun – "
"Sirius!" Remus snapped giving him a don't-make-things-worse look.
Gwen smiled, her eyes glittering spitefully. "Oooo I'd watch myself if I were you, Black. Your record's already nearly the same color as your name –"
"And your soul nearly matches it," Peter interjected.
"No," James corrected putting a hand on Sirius' chest just as a restraint precaution, "people like her don't have souls."
"At least, I'm not a total disgrace to my entire family," she said coolly eying Sirius, "I admire your mother for not dying of embarrassment. The shame must be unbearable."
"Remus, she's insulting us now," said James, "Fifty points from Slytherin I think."
"I can't," Remus said miserably, "Prefects can't take points from other Prefects."
"There's nothing in the rules about hexing them, right?" Sirius growled as he pulled out his wand.
"Sirius, no!" Remus hissed grabbing his wand arm.
Gwen raised her eyebrows. "I changed my mind. Thirty points from Gryffindor."
"But Remus is a Prefect," James argued.
"Yeah," Gwen said with a sinister smile, "but you three aren't."
They stared after her in absolute loathing as she passed to the marble staircase.
"So, I guess my head of house will be in touch with your head of house. McGonagall, right?" She didn't wait for a conformation as she descended down towards the dungeons.
"Honestly, Moony, what's the point of being a Prefect if you can't stop prats like Gwendolyn White?" James said agitatedly.
"There was nothing I could do!" Remus pleaded desperately, "You guys bombed their common room!"
"Come on," Sirius said after finally tearing his eyes away from the stairwell, "Let's not let dearest Gwen-y get the best of us. We've got to keep our heads. We've got plans to make because guess what's two weeks from now?"
James' brow furrowed for a moment before he broke out into a large grin. "Yes!"
Remus smiled as he ran a hand through his hair.
"What's in two weeks?" Peter asked confused.
"Wormtail," James groaned, "We've been through this how many times now?"
"What happens when the moon is big and round?" Sirius asked as though he was talking to a toddler. "Full moon, Wormtail. Best time of the month."
"For you maybe," Remus interjected wearily.
"Oh come on, Moony. You said it yourself that it isn't so bad when we're around."
They started back to Gryffindor Tower and Sirius found himself dreading tomorrow when they'd receive detentions from McGonagall based on Gwendolyn's information. It wasn't the detentions that bothered him. It was her. Gwendolyn White, and how utterly annoying she was. This was more than house rivalry that caused the hostility between them. It was pure unadulterated loathing. Right from the very beginning. Starting their First year…no, it was before that. Before they got on the train to Hogwarts, on Platform 9 ¾. It was loathing at first sight.
Sirius waited anxiously for the train to arrive. Any moment now, it had to be almost eleven. Why was it so late? He wanted out of here, away from his family. Any second now.
"Walburga?" a thin blonde woman called out to Sirius' mother.
"Sylvia!" his mother replied in an over-the-top affectionate tone – the way she always did when speaking to someone she wished to impress.
"It is so wonderful to see you! A son off to Hogwarts I see."
Sirius' mother's eyes briefly met his own warning him not to say a word if he wanted to get on that train.
"Yes," she said placing a hand rather firmly on Sirius' shoulder, "This is Sirius, our eldest."
"This is our daughter, Gwendolyn," Sylvia announced proudly ushering her daughter forth.
"Well, hello, Gwendolyn!" his mother said over enthusiastically then muttered firmly to Sirius, "Say 'Hello' Sirius."
"Hello," he said monotonously.
"Hello, Mrs. Black. Hello, Sirius. It is very nice to meet you both," she said brightly as she dipped into a prefect curtsy.
Sirius rolled his eyes as he nearly gagged.
"Are you going to be in Slytherin as well?" she asked in a what would easily be deceived as sweet tone, but her eyes had a much more prosecuting gleam.
"Isn't that what the Sorting is for?" Sirius asked before he could stop himself. His mother tightened her grip on his shoulder, threateningly.
She forced a charming laugh. "You know, Sirius' whole family has been in Slytherin."
"Same in our family," Sylvia said beaming. "Just imagine, a new generation of Slytherins continuing family legacies! Oh I remember when we were at Hogwarts! I wonder if the common room is still the same. You kids will have to write to us all about it!"
Sirius winced as though the thought of being in Slytherin was a blade cutting into his very soul. Gwendolyn beamed up at her mother.
Sirius' heart threatened to burst through his chest as the scarlet steam engine finally rolled into the station.
"There's the train!" Sylvia squealed. "Oh, Gwendolyn dear, have a good term. Write when you get there. I know you'll do us proud!"
Sirius hurried onto the train after just a mere glance with his mother in farewell, her eyes baring a mixture of "do not disappoint us" and "you better behave."
Students were scurrying to find compartments. Sirius joined into the fray only to find he was closely being followed by Gwendolyn White.
"It's rather exciting isn't it? On our way to Hogwarts, being sorted into Slytherin just like our parents."
"How do you know we're going to be in Slytherin?" he argued, desperately searching for a way to lose her.
"It's tradition!" Gwendolyn said as if he was being stupid. "You're generally sorted into the same house that your family's been in, and you're whole family's been in Slytherin. You'll be in Slytherin."
"Oh yeah? Well, what if I don't want to be in Slytherin?!" Sirius said rounding on her.
She looked as though he had given her personal insult. "Why would you not want to be in Slytherin?" she asked as though he was being unreasonable.
"Oh I don't know because they're evil?"
Gwendolyn laughed, her eyes blazing. "There is no good and evil. There is only power."
"Fine," Sirius said shortly. "Maybe I don't want that kind of power then."
"Well, it doesn't matter what you want because it's been decided for you."
"No, it hasn't," Sirius growled.
"You'll be in Slytherin whether you want to or not," she said as though this settled the matter.
"No," Sirius said glowering. "I won't." His eyes caught an open compartment with a red headed girl and a skinny boy with untidy black hair and glasses.
"But – " Gwendolyn started as he stepped inside the compartment.
"Now, shove off." He said as he slammed the door in her face.
It wasn't until the Sorting when Sirius really started to panic about what Gwendolyn had said.
"Black, Sirius," Professor McGonagall called.
Sirius, avoiding Gwendolyn's piercing gaze, slowly approaching the stool. What if she was right? What if he didn't have a say in what house he was in? What if he ended up in Slytherin?
He tensed as the hat was placed upon his head. Nothing happened…at least not right away.
"Ahhhh," said a voice in his ear, "an age lasting legacy, the noble and most ancient House of Black." Sirius grimaced. "Oh, but what's this? A cry for change. How interesting. How brave. How very brave. Well…where shall you go then?"
There was a pause. Sirius could have sworn his heart stopped beating.
Then, "GRYFFINDOR!"
The first pair of eyes he met when the hat was removed was Gwendolyn's. She looked not only dumbfounded, but positively horrified. Sirius gave her a triumphant grin before making his way towards the applauding Gryffindor table, his heart considerable lighter.
It was a while before "White, Gwendolyn!" was called. She seemed to have lost all the color in her face as she sat upon the stool. Though no sooner had the hat grazed her head, it cried, "SLYTHERIN!"
She looked slightly shaken as she hopped off the stool, but with one glance at Sirius she straightened herself up with pride and marched off to the opposite end of the hall, where she was applauded by her fellow Slytherins.
Ever since that day, she had a vicious vendetta against Sirius. She was always trying to top him in everything, and in some things she could… well, whatever could be achieved by sucking up to a teacher. He couldn't name how many times she had attempted and succeeded in getting him in trouble, some of which she had framed him for and other's…not so much. She had been furious when he had scored higher in his O.W.L.'s than she did. Little Miss Perfect was always out to extenuate his every flaw, and now Sirius had decided he was just about fed up with it.
I know "There is no good and evil. There's only power" is a line from the first movie, but it's going to play a large part in the story, especially with Gwen. You can't think Harry was the only one Voldemort used that line on!
I hope you enjoyed. Check out my other work-in-progress Beyond the Map, if you have the chance!
Reviews are encouraged and very much appreciated, especially since this is the first chapter!