Hello everyone! I'm impalame. Thanks for showing interest in my story! A few of you might recognize the title. I'm working off an old story I started a while ago, which I saw needed lots of improvement. For those of you that have read the old 'Undeniable Attraction', don't use that as a kick-off. I've deleted, added, changed, modified… you get the idea. Basically it's a whole new story, but I kept the main character.
This will be a Sirius/OFC story (WOOHOO)! I just love Sirius Black… don't you? Anyways, there will also be some Lily/James and Remus/OFC, as well as whatever else I come up with.
I'm really motivated by nice comments, and I welcome constructive criticism too. But please, no flames. If you don't like the story, move on. Don't take up precious air to fume at me while writing a nasty review. That doesn't benefit anyone.
So, without further adieu, I present to you… (tee-hee, that rhymed!)
Undeniable Attraction
Prologue
Blackness shrouded the tiny room, hiding its lifeless inhabitants in darkness. A thin, oddly-shaped figure stood in the corner, and a shorter squatter outline at the foot of the bed. A few colourful, little personalities were scattered along the walls. And in the center of it all a much more human figure slept, unaware of the world around her. Tucked snugly under the embrace of a giant purple blanket, a tiny body squirmed as alertness began to creep into her mind. Little did she know, a more lively person was about to kick that process into high gear.
"Mira! Time to get up, dear! We have to leave in an hour!"
The tiny figure in the bed stirred, feeling the comforting fog of sleep ebbing away, and moaned quietly to herself. Sleep never lasted long enough. It took a lifetime to fall asleep when her mind was buzzing with so much excitement, and it took only a second for reality to come crashing down on her.
And crash down it did.
The girl, Mira Johnson, shot up into a sitting position, looking around the room frantically. It couldn't have been morning already. The bedroom, still bathed in darkness, gave no hint or suggestion of dawn, yet the delectable scent of blueberry pancakes wafted up from the kitchen below. Not a single ray of sunlight had broken through the veil of the window curtains, which had been securely closed due to the lighting show the previous night. And not a sound could be heard from the world outside, not even the tiniest chirp from a bird.
Needing to know for sure, Mira hopped out of her bed and stumbled over to the widow. She pulled back the curtain, only to squeeze her eyes shut and turn away from the sudden luminous attack. Even for the morning, this was unusually bright. But Mira had no time to ponder this because it was, in fact, morning., which meant that she needed to get ready.
She shuffled across the room to the foot of her bed, where the immense outline had been. Now lit up in the radiant morning sun, the object could now be identified as a large, open truck, which was home to various clothing items and books. Laying innocently in stark contrast to the mess next to it, was a small stack of neatly folded clothes and a pair of petite, black ballet flats.
Mira picked up the pre-made bundle and quickly got dressed. After taking off her pyjamas, she slid a pair of comfy, blue jeans on and pulled her arms through a tidy, white-collared shirt. Mira buttoned up the front of her shirt before slipping on her shoes and proceeding towards the floor length mirror (the other formerly unidentifiable object) in the corner of her room.
As she gazed into the mirror, Mira began to take all aspects into account. Even at eleven years old, Mira was aware of her body image, but not at all in a negative way. For instance, she was aware that she was extremely skinny. Mira didn't look on this as a problem, her mother too was a very skinny woman, but was one of the most health-conscious people Mira knew. Another, was her numerous, endless amount of freckles. Unlike most people, Mira loved her freckles because they too, were just like her mother's. They were kisses from the sun, Mira's mother told her. Her blonde hair was another attribute, and besides the fact that it was dead-straight, Mira loved it too. Her nose was small, her ears weren't overly large, and her lips were thin and pink. But if Mira had to pick one thing about herself that she didn't like, it would be her eyes. They were green, just plain old green, which was nothing like her father's beautiful hazel orbs.
Mira turned away from the mirror with a smile and began to toss things into her truck. She was supposed to have packed the night before, and she had, but in her boredom she'd begun to pull things out again. One of which was a book, Basic Spells for Beginners by Sharon Spellworth, which she quickly grabbed from her desk and threw into the mess.
Once her trunk was secure, Mira left her room and headed down the stairs for breakfast. She passed quite a few family portraits on her way to the kitchen, smiling towards the most recent. Now that all of her children were heading off to school, Mrs. Johnson wanted something to be able to look at to see her children. So, weeks earlier, she'd taken the entire family to get a picture done. Unfortunately for her, it did not go as smoothly as she'd hoped.
In the portrait, Mira's mother was frowning with disapproval, while her father tried to physically prevent an impending fight. On either side of him, were Mira's two older brothers, who shared the same look of aggravation. And then there was Mira, doing her best to hold back the giggles that were screaming for escape.
Just as she was recollecting the events that followed, Mira heard a commotion from the kitchen. She made her way carefully down the stairs and walked to the kitchen, where complete chaos was unravelling before her.
"What have I told you both about playing with that snitch? Not in the house!" Mary Johnson chided as calmly as possible.
"Oh, come on, mum," said a boy from the breakfast bar. Kevin was a fourth year at school and the stockier of Mira's two brothers. His blonde hair was cut short - to prevent distraction while playing quidditch - and his green eyes twinkled with mischievousness. "You know we'd never do anything seriously dangerous! Right, Eli?"
Mira's other brother, Elijah, was a third year at their school. He was taller that Kevin, and a tad gangly. His long arms weren't much good for sports, which is most likely why he turned to books. Elijah loved to read, most of the books they had in their family library were either his, or their father's. Elijah's hair was blonde as well, but shaggier and uncut. His eyes were hazel, an exact copy of her father's.
"Right, mum," Eli answered. "At least not intentionally…"
Mary scowled gently at her sons, before smiling at her daughter. Mira was thankful that she was a miniature version of her mother because it meant that she inherited the same 'light up the room' smile.
"Mira, there you are, sweetheart," Mary Johnson said. "Your breakfast is on the table. Have you packed all your things?"
"Yes, mum," Mira answered as she sat down at the table. She dug right into her breakfast, trying to memorize the heavenly taste of her mother's blueberry pancakes, which would be sorely missed once she went to school.
"Good morning, oh sweet sister of mine!"
Mira glance up at Kevin, who was grinning back at her with that twinkle. Danger was abroad; call it a little sister's intuition.
"Ready for school?" he asked, faking innocence.
Not quite sure what to expect, Mira knotted her eyebrows together. "Yes. Why?"
Kevin shrugged in a nonchalant manner. "No reason," he told her. Then he added, "It's just a shame though."
"What's a shame?"
He looked at her sadly. "Well, all that beautiful hair…," he commented as he patted her head sorrowfully.
Mira's eyes widened slightly. "What about my hair? Eli?"
Eli just shook his head with a grin before turning back to his breakfast.
Seeing no help there, Mira turned back to Kevin. "What're they going to do to my hair?" she asked in a panicky voice.
"It's just a few inches Mira, I swear," Kevin assured her.
"They're going to cut my hair!"
Kevin looked at her seriously and said, "You're lucky you're not going to be put in Slytherin. Then they'd have to shave it all off…"
"MUM!"
Mary turned from her place at the stove-top with a sweet smile on her face. "Kevin, stop teasing your poor sister. She's nervous enough as it is. Mira, honey, they won't cut your hair. And it's not good for you to believe everything this one says," she told her, pointing towards Kevin who was grinning with pride.
Mira went back to her meal with a scowl on her face, which didn't disappear until her mother turned to them.
"We'd better leave now. Don't want to be late for Mira's first day," she said.
Smiling, Mira jumped up from her seat and ran to her bedroom, bounding up the stairs. When she entered she ran straight to her bedside table and opened the drawer. Inside was a slim, black box with gold lettering on the side which read 'Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382BC.' Mira opened the box and picked up the wand that lay inside; her wand. It was made of holly, twelve inches, with a unicorn hair core. The crazy, old man who owned the wand shop, Mr. Ollivander, said it was good for charm-work. That'd only made Mira more excited.
She grabbed her trunk and heaved it with all her might, and managed to get it out the door. When Eli saw her struggling with it down the stairs, he went up to help her. He always was the helpful brother.
"Merlin, Mira! What've you got in here?" he exclaimed when they reached the bottom step.
Mira shrugged. "Just some books and clothes. Oh, and my potions supplies of course! I was amazed that it fit in there…"
"Huh," Eli huffed as he finally set her trunk at the door, sounding not all that interested.
"Ready to go, sweetheart?" Mira's mother asked as she pulled on her coat.
Mira nodded with a grin. "Yes, mum," she answered.
Mary Johnson smiled and ushered her children out the door with their things and towards the car. It was beginning to spit rain outside and the sky was clouded over, but it may as well have been sunny. Mira was too happy to notice anyways.
The trip to King's Cross station was a noisy one, what with Kevin and Elijah arguing and Mira chatting excitedly to her mother. They were only a few more minutes away when Kevin asked, "Mum, is Dad still at the Ministry?"
"Yes," Mary answered. "He did try to get off work to see you three off, but he's just so busy these days. I suppose it's all worth the effort; just you wait, in a few years time your father will be Head Auror at the Ministry!"
"That'd be so cool," Kevin commented.
They reached King's Cross with time to spare, but Mira's mother wanted to get them to Platform 9¾ as quickly as possible. They grabbed a couple trolleys for their luggage and headed towards the barrier between platforms nine and ten that would lead them to the Hogwarts platform.
Mira was simply amazed by the magical barrier that seemed not to faze her brothers or her mother. What she found on the other side amazed her even more. A gleaming, scarlet red steam engine rumbled on the tracks, just moments away from taking off. The words Hogwarts Express were painted across the front and Mira felt her heart thump with excitement.
"Come along, Mira dear," came her mother's voice which shook her from her stupor.
Mira quickly followed her family towards the train, her anticipation growing stronger with every step she took. Kevin and Elijah left with a few friends along the way, but Mira just looked on shyly. Her mother, as happy and smiling as ever, put an arm around Mira's shoulders and hugged her close.
"Don't worry, Mira," she said, "You'll make plenty of friends in time."
Mira smiled at her and they walked closer to the train. She could feel the ground rumbling beneath her feet as the great, red beast next to her growled. Once Mira's trunk was on the train, she turned to her mother who was looking on happily. Mira hugged her tightly and felt her mother place a kiss on the top of her head.
"Have fun at Hogwarts, dear," Mary said. "And promise to write often. Remember if you need anything, your brothers are there to help you. And you can always go talk to Professor Dumbledore. He'll help you."
Mira just nodded as the train whistle blew, signalling the five minute warning before the train left. Her mother kissed her forehead again.
"Oh, now my daughter's gone off to Hogwarts! Whatever will I do?!" she exclaimed.
Mira laughed. "I love you, mum."
"I love you too, Mira."
With one final hug, Mira boarded the train with the other students. She made her way along the corridor to the compartment where she'd put her trunk, only to find that it was already occupied. Inside were three boys, talking excitedly to each other. They hardly seemed to notice her as she walked in and sat opposite them, and Mira felt a little bit uncomfortable. What should she say?
As she thought of how to start a nice conversation, Mira looked the three boys over. While two of the boys had black hair, the first one's hair was unruly and it stuck out at odd angles. He also wore round glasses over his big hazel eyes. He was slight, but taller than her still, and had a loud, almost attention-seeking voice.
The other boy wasn't as tall as the first, but had slightly wider shoulders. His hair was dark black as well, but it was cut short and neatly. Also unlike the first boy, he didn't wear glasses. Instead, she could perfectly see a pair of cool, grey eyes that seemed to glitter with amusement.
The third boy was very unlike the other two. His hair was light in colour and his eyes were brown. His skin was very pale, almost sick-like and Mira wondered briefly if he had the flu.
They were talking about Quidditch and Mira was suddenly extremely grateful to her brothers who constantly drilled her with plays and team names and such.
"Ireland's going all the way. O'Brian's the best captain they've ever seen!" the one wearing glasses said to the others.
Mira snorted, which caught their attentions. "Ireland? Are you joking? Germany is the best in the league. Everyone knows that," she said.
"Germany! Hah!" the boy laughed. "Not one of them can even think about getting the snitch before O'Brian!"
Now Mira laughed. "Well, clearly you haven't seen Germany's new Seeker play! Ethelstan can out-fly O'Brian any day!"
All three boys stared at her, amazement clearly showing in their eyes.
Finally, the boy with the glasses asked, "What's your name?"
Mira smiled. "Mira Johnson. I'm a first year."
"James Potter," the boy said introducing himself. "This is Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. You know a lot about Quidditch for a girl."
"I have two older brothers," she told them. "When they're not making me play every position possible, they're drilling me with knowledge."
"Good on them," said Sirius Black with a grin.
Mira was about to comment when the door opened up again. A girl stood in the doorway, looking upset. She looked about Mira's height and had beautiful red hair and pretty green eyes. The girl didn't introduce herself, instead she just walked into the compartment and sat down in the furthest corner from them, turning her face towards the window.
James, Sirius and Remus, who ignored the other girl, were still talking to her.
"Think you'll try out for your house team?" James asked.
Mira shook her head. "I don't think so. First years never make it. Besides, my brother, Kevin, plays for the Gryffindor team. He'd never let me live it down if I came to try-out," she told them.
"Are you that bad?" Sirius asked with a laugh.
"No!" Mira said defensively. "I'm quite good actually. But Kevin thinks Quidditch is too dangerous for girls to play competitively. He just doesn't want me to get hurt."
"That's understandable," Remus said. "It is a dangerous sport."
Again, the compartment door slid open. This time a boy stood there, looking pale and unkempt. He was already changed into his school robes, but that didn't hide the fact that he looked skinny and underfed. His hair was dark and looked greasy even from where she sat and his frown made him seem even more unpleasant.
Like the girl before him, the boy didn't acknowledge them at all and made his way over to the girl. Mira, now curious, drowned out the boys' conversation to listen to the new one going on beside her.
"But we're going!" the boy exclaimed. "This is it! We're off to Hogwarts!"
The girl, who Mira hadn't noticed had been crying, nodded her head and rubbed at her eyes with a small smile.
The boy grinned. "You'd better be in Slytherin."
"Slytherin?"
Mira looked over at James, who had a look of repulsion on his face. She could immediately tell that James proudly held the idea that all Slytherins were bad, something she herself didn't believe due to her mother's kindness rubbing off on her. Remus looked indifferent, while Sirius had gone oddly quiet.
"Who wants to be in Slytherin?" James asked before turning to Sirius. "I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"
Mira saw that Sirius didn't smile at the joke. Instead, rather glumly, he said, "My whole family have been in Slytherin."
"Blimey! And I thought you seemed alright!"
"James! That's not very nice!" Mira chided.
"Maybe I'll break the tradition," Sirius said with a smile at her. "Where're you heading if you've got the choice?" he asked James.
"'Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!' Like my dad," James answered proudly.
The other boy, whose name Mira still didn't know, snorted.
James glared at him. "Got a problem with that?"
"No," the boy said. "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy…"
"Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" Sirius added.
James roared with laughter and Mira, though she thought the comeback was clever, couldn't find the humour in it. Remus too just shook his head and turned away, while Sirius looked quite proud with himself.
The red haired girl stood angrily, glaring at James and Sirius. "Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment," she said, heading out the door.
The boy, Severus, followed her out, casting a dark look at James and Sirius, who were still laughing. James tried unsuccessfully to trip Severus and instead shouted, "See ya, Snivellus!" before the door shut closed.
Mira looked at them seriously. "You two could have handled that a little more maturely, you know," she told them.
Sirius shrugged as he wiped his tears away. "You don't agree with Snivellus, do you?" he asked. "You don't want to be in Slytherin too?"
"No," Mira answered instinctively. "I'd like to be in Gryffindor, with my brothers. Or Ravenclaw; my mum was a Ravenclaw. But I still don't think it's fair for you to tease him like that."
Both James and Sirius shrugged her off. "You'd all better be in Gryffindor," James said. "That's the best house."
Mira nodded quietly before turning to look out the window. She couldn't help but feel bad for Severus and the girl. Though she couldn't fathom the kind of person that would want to be in Slytherin, Mira also wasn't one to judge without reason. And right now she didn't have any reason to not like Severus, even if he wished to be in Slytherin.
She spent the rest of the train ride talking about Quidditch and playing Exploding Snap with the boys. Mira found it was like hanging out with her brothers and soon counted James, Sirius and Remus as her friends.
They changed into their robes before they got off the train and together they made their way over to where the rest of the first year students were congregated. They were told to get into small row boats (conveniently four to a boat) and they sailed across the Black Lake towards Hogwarts.
Mira was amazed by the sight of the grand castle. Many windows were lit up and they sparkled off the lake's dark surface. She could feel her excitement about to bubble over, as could Remus.
"Exciting isn't it?" he said.
Mira smiled and nodded happily.
"Oi! Mira!"
Mira replied, "What Sirius?" as she turned to face him and got a handful of water splashed in her face. She let out a cry as the cold water hit her, some of it running down her front. She could hear James and Sirius howling with laughter ahead of her.
"You are so dead, Black."
An all-out war broke out as the four of them splashed each other, even hitting a few boats around them. Needless to say, they were all dripping wet when they reached the castle. They entered together, still laughing and fighting with each other, when someone cleared their throat.
Mira looked ahead to see a very stern witch looking at them, her hair pulled back tightly into a knot at the base of her neck. She was wearing long, green dress robes and a pointed wizard's hat.
"What is the meaning of this?" she asked.
No one said a word.
The witch sighed and pulled out her wand. For a fleeting moment, Mira thought she was going to punish them, but instead she waved her wand over them and their clothes and hair dried.
"Let this be a warning to you four. Don't let it happen again," the witch said.
Mira nodded along with the others before they ran off to catch up with the other first years.
"That was a close one!" James said.
Sirius nodded. "I thought she was going to hex us for sure!"
"Well, it would have been your fault if she had," Mira told him jokingly.
"Oh, really?" Sirius said.
Mira smiled. "You started it."
"Well, it was just too good to pass up!"
They laughed together as they caught up with the other students who were entering the Great Hall. Mira was awestruck by the sight. There were four great, long tables filled with older students in their black robes and a head table at the front of the hall where the teachers sat. Above them was a magnificent ceiling that looked like the night sky, twinkling with stars.
During her gazing, Mira bumped into someone and she quickly snapped back to reality.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!"
It was the girl from the train. She looked happier now and she smiled at Mira and said, "That's okay."
Mira smiled before running to catch up with the boys, who were muttering amongst themselves.
"Nervous?" she asked Sirius as she came up behind him.
"A little," he admitted. "I don't want to be like the rest of my family. I want to be different."
Mira smiled at him. "Trust me, Sirius, you aren't like them at all," she said.
Sirius genuinely smiled at her and then the sorting began.
Mira waited anxiously for their names to be called, praying that they'd all end up in the same house. She knew it was unlikely, but it could still be possible.
"Black, Sirius!"
She smiled encouragingly at him, but he seemed too nervous to notice. He walked towards the Sorting Hat (James patted him on the back as he passed) and stepped up to it, casting an uneasy glance at the Slytherin table.
The strict witch from before, Professor McGonagall, placed the hat on his head and Mira could see the look of apprehension pass over Sirius' face. She held her breath as the brim of the hat opened wide…
"Gryffindor!"
"Yes!" she cried, before clamping her hand over her mouth. Luckily her shout had been drowned out by all the cheers and applause and only James and Remus had heard her. James looked at her quizzically and Mira shrugged.
A few more people were called up and them Professor McGonagall called, "Evans, Lily!" Mira watch as the girl from the train walked up to the hat and placed it on her head.
"Gryffindor!"
She clapped as Lily made her way over to the Gryffindor table, avoiding Sirius, whom she must have recognized from the incident on the train.
Again, a few people were called up and left to go to their separate house tables before Mira's name was called.
"Johnson, Mira!"
Feeling all eyes on her, Mira hesitantly stepped forwards and walked to the hat. She sat down on the stool and looked into the crowd before her, seeing James and Remus smiling encouragingly at her. Sirius was doing the same, although he had a ridiculously happy grin on his face.
Suddenly, she heard a voice inside her head.
'Hmm, yes I see… very intelligent. Perfect for Ravenclaw; your mother's house. I see bravery too, and kindness. Gryffindor could use more accepting thinkers. Too ambitious for Hufflepuff, and though not totally opposed to the idea, not wishful for Slytherin. Yes… I see…'
"Gryffindor!"
A wide grin spread across her face as the Gryffindor table erupted in cheers once again and Mira bounced off to see her friend.
"You did it! You broke the tradition!" she cried happily as she sat beside Sirius.
He smiled at her. "Yeah… I did."
Remus and James were also sorted into Gryffindor, much to Mira and Sirius' delight. James was absolutely ecstatic though it seemed Lily, who sat across from them, was less enthused. She was especially saddened when her friend, Severus, was sorted into Slytherin.
"Got what he wanted, the git," James muttered, before stuffing his face with more food.
Mira ignored his comment and looked over to Lily, who hadn't spoken a word or eaten any of her meal.
"Hi, I'm Mira Johnson," she introduced. "You're Lily, right?"
Lily looked up and gave Mira a weak smile. "Yes, my name's Lily Evans," she said.
"I saw you on the train," Mira told her. "I was with…"
"I know," Lily interrupted, shooting a glare at James and Sirius.
Mira smiled apologetically. "I'm really sorry about that. They were rude."
Lily shrugged. "It's okay. They don't seem like the kind of people I'd like to hang out with anyway," she said.
"I like them. They aren't all that bad, just… James and Sirius have to learn to think before they speak."
Lily laughed. "Good luck with that."
Mira laughed with her and they talked throughout the rest of their meal, with only a few interruptions from her other friends. When the meal was done, Mira went to get up with Lily, but Lily stopped her.
"I was going to go say goodnight to Severus," Lily told her. "I'll meet you in the Common Room?"
"Sure," Mira said before following the boys out of the Hall.
"We're going to have so much fun, mates!" James exclaimed when Mira caught up with them. "Just the four of us! Me, Sirius, Remus, and… Mira?"
Mira wasn't paying any attention to James. Instead she was watching as a group of first year Slytherins bullied a much smaller Gryffindor. They'd stolen his wand and were tossing it back and forth between them as the smaller boy tried desperately to get it back.
Anger swelled up inside her and she went to take a step forward, but was held back by a hand on her shoulder. Mira looked up at Sirius, who also wore an angry expression on his face.
"Oi!" he yelled as he stepped forward, James and Remus following close behind.
Mira went after them and watched as Sirius and James drew their wands and pointed them at the Slytherins.
"Give him his wand back," James ordered.
Obviously seeing that they were outnumbered, the Slytherins shrugged and dropped the boy's wand at their feet. The boy scrambled after it and if Mira had arrived at just that moment, it would look like he was bowing to the Slytherins. The boy grabbed his wand and scurried off to the side.
"You'd better stay away from him," Sirius warned and the Slytherins scoffed and walked away, chortling with each other.
Mira stepped forward and looked at the boy, who was still standing there nervously. "Are you alright?" she asked.
The boy nodded, but gave no other answer.
After looking at the others for help, Remus asked, "What's your name?"
"P-Peter Pettig-grew," the boy stammered.
"Well, Peter!" Sirius exclaimed. "We're headed off to the Common Room. Care to join us?"
Peter nodded and quickly followed after them, as though afraid the Slytherins would come after him again.
James started his speech again. "This is going to be so great! Just the… five of us! Me, Sirius, Remus, Mira, and Peter!"
Mira smiled. She liked the sound of that.
XXX
There you go! The prologue to 'Undeniable Attraction'! Yey! I know there wasn't really much action or suspense in this one, it was basically meant to give background on Mira. I hope you enjoyed it though! *cough* That means leave a review, please! *cough*
And I'll put a disclaimer in here too: I don't own anything from Harry Potter. They belong to J.K. Rowling… blah, blah, blah… WB Studios… etc… Just own Mira Johnson and other unrecognized characters.
Thanks everyone!
impalame
