A.Note: I do not own any of the characters in the story, though the plot line is my original idea and all that good stuff...
Meet Emmeline Vance, fifteen year old Ravenclaw and future member of the Order, smart to an extrodinary measure, but nothing could have prepared her for what was waiting at Hogwarts for her at the start of her fifth year. This had to be worse than the O.W.Ls themselves... There was no knowing how she'd ever survive.
Meet Augustus Rookwood, sixteen year old Slytherin and future member of the Death Eaters, believes himself the most skilled in tact, and nothing will prevent him from obtaining what he wants, nothing. Not even an ill-mannered fifth year girl who just happens to know his weak spots.
"Get back, you bloody fool!" Her face was red, and tears twinkled in her almond brown eyes. This could not be happening to her, not now. The fifth year Ravenclaw was torn as she stood there, towered over by the sixth year Slytherin who had long since been her so-called enemy. Part of her, the larger half, wanted to pound him into oblivion, despite the fact that doing such would just make her look even more foolish. The other more guarded half of her just wanted to run away, but Emmeline Vance, no, she never ran, not even when it came to him.
He on the other hand was tall, at least a foot taller than her, already having hit puberty, or at least a growth spurt. Emmeline figured it was probably more of the latter, but one could never tell, now could they? His dark brown hair fell into his even darker brown eyes. Even she couldn't deny that he was handsome; no but that didn't mean she should like him in the least, and that's what she proclaimed daily. Augustus Rookwood, sixth year Slytherin, a strong supporter of the blood war, and future death eater. Totally wrong for her! But she couldn't help but feel the smallest tinge of remorse at acknowledging that.
No, this was no time for that. He was the one who had brought this upon her, how could she think of going soft now? How could she go back on her values and her beliefs? The truth of the fact was that she couldn't, not now, not ever. If only things had been different… different people, different time. Things might have worked out then… What was she thinking? Emmeline must be going crazy if she thought that anything ever could have come about between them, they weren't even friends, much less on speaking terms.
"Now, Miss Vance." Rookwood's large hand came to a rest on her rather small frame. "I do believe you best be moving on. You see, I'm a prefect and talking back to me…" He wagged the pointer finger on his free hand at her as her face distorted into a scowl. "That could be seen as a serious offense… say enough for a detention?" He raised his eyebrows at her, but she would not give, she just would not break. No, Emmeline had a stubbornness about her, that of a mule.
"Mr. Rookwood, if you don't mind. I do believe this is considered harassment, which is also quite against the rules." Emmeline brushed his hand of her shoulder with a bit of difficulty. She backed away quickly. No, she would not break down in front of him, no matter how much of what he'd said had offended her. No way, no how would she let Augustus see her in any state of vulnerability, no matter how small. That would just make him think more highly of himself. "Now, sir. If you don't mind, I have a class to be getting to. And the horrors of being late, McGonagall would have my head." Her tone was not any kind of endearing or respectful nature, more over she was mocking his so called authority.
Turning on her heel, Emmeline took small, swift steps down the corridor and around the corner. But the image of that crooked, victorious grin was emblazoned in the back of her mind. Why did this have to happen to her? This was the year of her O.W.Ls, one of the biggest years of her life, and all she could think about at the moment was the boy who had made her cry, as the first tear slid down her cheek, creating a trail for more to follow.
& & &
As he watched the brunette storm from the room with a mix of anger and pain, the grin stayed in place. Augustus Rookwood took nothing from anyone. No, he was better, and he would prove it. This was his second to last year at Hogwarts, but his name was already known well by the students, and the fact that he was headed towards becoming a death eater was no longer a secret amongst the other students. After all, they were not quite as oblivious as Augustus liked to believe.
When the small girl rounded the corner, he could have sworn he'd seen a tear fall, but he was too far to be sure. Emmeline Vance. She was a difficult one, she was. Not like most other girls either. And as much as he hated to admit it, they both had much in common. Not only that, but as far as he was concerned, she was his toughest match, match in wit and in debate. Nobody was quite like this one.
Since his second year, when they met upon freak accident, Augustus and Emmeline had been at each other's necks. He remembered the details quiet vividly. After all, it takes a lot to make him dub anyone such a childish annoyance, especially when such a title comes out of fear that she could surpass him in something he considered himself best.
He had only been a second year, though he was already over 5 feet by then. So what, he had been at least 5 inches taller than most of the other 12 year olds in his year? Height ran in his family, there was nothing he could do to help it. So getting to the point. It was the first day back to Hogwarts and during the sorting ceremony, some of his friends were pointing out promising students to each other, especially some of the older students.
"There's Black's brother." Avery had been sitting next to him that evening. "Rookwood, you think he'll join his brother in Gryffindor?" His voice was more of a sneer and everyone knew he was mocking the elder of the two Black brothers, Sirius his name was. After all, it was no secret that the Blacks went way back, and every one of them was in the proud Slytherin house, well until Sirius came to Hogwarts. And the funny thing was the boy seemed much happier there to be honest.
"Me? Are you taking a poll Avery?" His crooked grin crept over his lips as he peered at the young boy who easily could've passed as Black's twin rather than his younger brother. "I think the boy looks better off than his brother. Two sickles says he gets into Slytherin." After all, common sense tell you there's only one black sheep in every family, not two and it seemed as though that position was already taken.
Sure enough, Augustus's hunch proved true and he was two sickles richer. Things went on in much of the same manner until there were only three or so students left, he couldn't remember anymore to be sure. But what he did remember was this. There were still two boys standing there, and then behind them there was a small girl. There was an air of confidence about her, but that wasn't what caused the chatter amongst his housemates.
"Is that Vance?" Avery asked pointing, and at first Augustus had thought he'd meant the young boy that was left beside the girl as the other approached the hat, but then he noted that his finger was aimed towards the girl. He found it odd that Avery held any kind of particular interest in the girl. She didn't look like much of anything special to him. "I wonder what house she'll be sorted into." He twisted his face into some sort of thinking expression.
Augustus knew things, he knew everything, but he hadn't known about this girl. That didn't make any sense, but he wasn't about to be the one who asked the stupid questions, especially when everyone else seemed to know what Avery had been referring to. Lucky for him, there were some idiots among them.
"What do you mean," asked a rather lonesome boy, one who had only recently taken to actually associating with most of them. Severus, Severus Snape. Poor foolish heartbroken boy. Not that Augustus really cared, no he hadn't cared in the least. Better him look foolish than himself.
"Of course you wouldn't any idea what I'm talking about." Avery looked rather irritated at this interruption. "But seeing as you're running with us now, I guess I best explain." He sighed and his face shown that he'd like to do otherwise, but Avery had a surprisingly high tolerance for people such as Snape. "Vance, her parents are purebloods. But one was a Slytherin, the other was in Ravenclaw. I heard my parents talking about her the other day. Wonder if the girl will be in her father's house or her mum's."
That was rather interesting, one cunning and devious parent, one more intelligent but more calm… how a Slytherin and Ravenclaw ever ended up together could be considered some sort of mystery within itself. Most Slytherins married within the house upon graduating from Hogwarts, after all, that's how many of their parents had come together in the end through some arranged marriage. While he was thinking these things through, Augustus must have been ignorant to the conversation continuing around him, at what appeared to be Snape's expense.
"Why it matters, Snape, is because I've heard things about her. Apparently, my mum and her dad used to be friends during school and he still speaks with them occasionally. They think she's a promising young girl, and they say she's real smart." Avery now turned to look at him, square in the eyes, as if taunting him, trying to get him riled up. "Says she might even surpass you, Rookwood." There was a devilish glint in his eyes as he turned back to the sorting hat as the girl stepped up to take her turn. "With any luck she'll be in our house and we can get her to do all our work for us." He snickered as the hat slipped down over her head and fell around her shoulders. But Augustus was still hung up on what Avery had told him… She might even surpass you. Impossible! Nobody, nobody beat him at anything, not on his watch.
Turns out that Avery's hunch didn't come to reality, seeing as young Emmeline Vance had been placed into Ravenclaw. And it was a darn good thing too, he wasn't sure what he'd have done to her if she was in Slytherin. Things probably would have turned out worse than they had in actuality. But turned out the thing that had turned him against the young Ravenclaw, the one he may have just sent off crying with little regard to her feelings, was nothing but a foolish housemate of his, and in fact nothing the girl herself had done.
A tinge of guilt pulled at the corner of him, but he easily pushed it back and ran his hand over his coat sleeve which had a little dust on it from where he had brushed against the wall earlier. Why he found it so rewarding to beat Emmeline Vance could be easily explained, it always could. But it seemed so trivial and if anyone asked, he would never admit to it. After all, Augustus Rookwood was not intimidated by anyone… least of all a little girl. And apologies had never been his thing, so as he spotted a group of Slytherins leaving the Great Hall he grinned that crooked fake grin of his. Might as well get along, no need to cause trouble. Mum wouldn't be happy about that now would she. After last year, he was already on thin ice, and Augustus couldn't afford to get in trouble, not even with his distant mum because while he may have appeared slightly arrogant, okay very arrogant, he was a big crusader for respect, well at least for those he considered older and wiser than himself. So again, he should be feeling no remorse for what had just happened, even if something inside of him was trying to convince him otherwise.