Ship Of Fools

It all started with a joke. A joke that soon got out of control...

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Hogwarts was a picture of beauty the day the Christmas holidays ended. Snow was covering the grounds in a blanket of silvery white, the sun reflecting of the ice that was hanging on the trees.

It was also the day a new student of sorts joined the school.

The Gryffindor common room was filled with raucous chatter and laughter as friends caught up on the holidays, showing each other what they'd gotten over Christmas. Only a few fell silent as the door opened to reveal their head of house walking in, a figure behind her.

"Now, excuse me please." McGonagall called, and the room fell silent, looking up at the woman stood there, but then their attention was pulled to the girl behind her, trying to keep to the shadows, averting the stares to the woman before her who said-

"We have a new student." She said, then looked behind to see the girl half hiding, then took her arm, pulling her forwards a little, saying under her breath. "Don't be afraid now."

The young girl smiled lightly, then McGonagall turned back to the others, telling them. "This is Adriana Berry. She'll be joining fifth year students. I need a volunteer to help her with settling in... Miss Evans maybe?"

At that, the red-headed girl got to her feet, smiling. "Of course Professor."

She walked over to the newcomer and smiled once more. "Hello. Lily Evans." The girl before her was looking rather nervous, her deep sapphire eyes flickering to the group staring at her. She chuckled weakly, then met the girl before hers emerald eyes, nodding. "Thank you."

McGonagall just said now. "Thank you Miss Evans. Miss Berry, your timetable will be on the bullatain for morning. I assure you."

"Thank you." Adriana said once more, watching the woman leave. She looked around the room once more, then Lily asked, spying the girls trunk beside the door. "Would you like some help setting up?"

"That would be lovely." Adriana nodded, grabbing it and following the flame headed girl to the stairs, going up them, yanking the trunk up the cold stone steps.

She never noticed the quartet in the corner of the room watching in silence. But now, the hazel eyed young man snorted. "Evans, Evans, Evans... always willing to help someone out."

The dark haired one next to him smirked a little, then said in amusement. "And that only makes you like her even more."

"Really Sirius?" James scoffed, and the young man nodded a fraction. "Of course. But-" He got to his feet, the smirk back on his face. "She hates your guts."

"Oh, she's crazy for me don't you mean?"

"You can dream." Sirius snorted, then patted down his pockets, not feeling his wand. He rolled his eyes, then headed off to the dormitories, spying he thing on the bedside cabinet, tucking it into his back pocket, heading back down the stairs.

Suddenly, he collided into something pretty solid, making the person yell in surprise, then stumbled back, Sirius grabbing the figure before him out of reflex.

Grey eyes met sapphire ones now, and Adriana stopped dead, then just sighed. "Sorry. I took the wrong turn out the... errm, other room."

He took in her past the shoulders wavy almost white blonde hair and dark blue eyes, then just said conversationally. "Sure. It's fine."

Adriana paused, then he just said hurriedly. "Sirius Black." He held out his hand for her to take. She hesitated, then took it, saying hastily. "Adriana Berry."

"A pleasure." He said, flashing her a grin as he pressed her hand to his lips, and Adriana scoffed. "Are you trying to be charming or something?"

"Is it working?"

"No, sorry." She scoffed, walking past him as another dark haired young man who stepped aside as she passed by, then went. "Ooh, looking good Evans," as another girl walked past, and she scoffed, but said nothing else. James pouted to himself, then walked over to his friend, saying quietly to him, almost smirking.

"Bet you ten galleons you can't get Miss New Girl to fancy you within a week."

Sirius looked around at that, then laughed. "Ten? Prongs, you seriously don't expect me to attempt that under twenty."

"Fifteen!"

"Twenty."

"Fine. Seventeen."

"I can do this all day James." Sirius smirked, and he finally gave up, going. "Fine! Twenty."

"Pleasure doing business with you." Sirius told him, holding out his hand, the smirk growing as his friend took it, chuckling. "Why thank you Padfoot. Easy money."

"I still have seven days. Don't count your dragon eggs before they hatch." He clapped him on the back twice, then headed back into the common room, plonking himself back down next to Remus who said nonchalantly.

"I heard that little deal you two made."

"And?"

"It's immoral, Sirius. And cruel to Adriana." He told him, closing his book with a sigh and set it down. "All this over twenty galleons?"

"Ah, yes. Why? What are you going to do Prefect." He smirked at the end, and Remus rolled his eyes, picking up his book once more and burying his nose in it again.

-SHIPOFFOOLS-

Adriana was up early for her first day, yanking on her uniform and sorting her tie out, feeling the nerves get to her... but then she remembered just why she had come to this place-

The joy of being home schooled she supposed. And strict, overprotective parents that didn't want to let her out of their sight. This was the only way she could escape.

She was just thankful that the Headmaster had listened to her pleas, assess her knowledge already and allow her to join the fifth years for study before her OWLS.

As promised, her timetable was up on the board, and she scanned it swiftly, finding that she had Potions first with a teacher named Horace Slughorn.

Potions. Oh the bloody joy (!)

"So, how are you liking Hogwarts?"

The slow bubbling of her cauldron was the only sound in Arianas ears until she heard her new friend ask that question.

"Yes, it's nice." Adriana smiled, and Lily raised an eyebrow. "Oh-? You can tell me the truth Adriana."

The white blonde headed girl sighed in defeat, then set her wand down, going. "It's daunting. This place. I was home schooled all my life. Parents... they can be so..."

Lily chuckled. "Annoying?"

"Yeah, that's right. So... um... if I'm not being rude, do you come from a wizarding... um, family-?"

"No, I don't." Lily told her and Adriana blinked in surprise. "Oh-! Wow. That's rare."

Lily knew that the girl was nervous, that she didn't intend on offending her, so she asked herself. "You?"

"The same" Adriana shrugged. "The joy of being raised by muggles (!)"

There was loud laughing just after she finished, and the pair looked to the corner where three boys were laughing at a fourth who had gone wrong on his work, spilling it onto his arm that had caught fire.

"Black, Potter! Stop messing around and put Pettigrews sleeve out now!"

Lily scoffed quietly at that, and Adriana asked. "You know them?"

"Too well. Bunch of toe-rags."

Adriana chuckled at that, then spied the one from the previous night- Sirius. She watched him snigger as the one named Potter batted out the flames on his friends arm, his wand on the floor under the table.

Huh. Lily seemed to have them correct to a T.

Sirius looked over now, feeling eyes on him, and he saw just in time a pair of sapphire ones look back down to her work.

At that, James looked too, seeing the girl, muttering to his friend. "You are so in there."

A scoff later, and Sirius casually kicked his friends w and more under the chair as he reached for it, smacking the back of his head on the wood.

-SHIPOFFOOLS-

Midnight arrived, and Adriana was still up, trying to figure out the homework they'd been set in Potions for Wednesday, scratching her head with the tip of her still dry quill, staring at the blank piece of parchment in total and utter confusement-

What the hell was she supposed to do-?

She growled lightly under her breath, jabbing the closed ink pot and almost breaking her nib, so she yanked out her wand and jabbed it until it was fixed.

"You'll end up tearing a hole through it in a moment."

Adriana looked at that to see the young man that had flashed through her mind walking down the stone steps, wearing a black t-shirt and matching full length bottoms.

He sat down next to her on the sofa with a thump, then put his hands on his knees. "Potions?"

"Mmhmm." Adriana nodded, and Sirius groaned a little. "Fun (!)"

"Tell me about it." She muttered and Sirius smirked. "You could just tell Slughorn that you've never done it before. He'd swallow it."

"That is something you would do right?" She guessed, eyebrow raised. He shrugged, then chuckled. "Guilty. But, I'm really clever you know? I bet I could help."

"Add the fact that you have a massive, inflated head-"

"And you get me." He finished with yet another cheeky grin, making Adriana go. "Brilliant (!)"

Sirius looked to the parchment, then just read the title the girl was scrawling out.

"You spelled it wrong." He told her, and Adriana scowled, looking back to her words as he laughed, making her realize he was joking.

Little shit.

"I think I'll tackle this tomorrow. I'm tired." She sighed in defeat, rolling up the parchment and gathered up her things, looking to Sirius once more. "Thanks for the offer."

"No problem Addy."

Sirius heard her scoff as she reached the bottom of the cold stone steps, then one word muttered under her breath that he almost missed-

"Dick."

-So! I'm not one for writing Harry Potter, and this is my first one to attempt:) so I hope you like it and want me to continue! The chapters will be getting much longer if people want me to carry one:) so! Be nice and leave a review! Thank you x