Hello, people, and welcome to the first collaborative work of myself,
Desertrain, and my co-author, Saku! After much hard work and. . . .Saku,
you're in my way, we can't both type at the same time. . .wait, don't take
the keyboard!. . .Hey, that's my mouse!. . .You'll get your turn in a
moment. . .Wait a minute. . .AHH! NO TICKLES! THAT'S CHEATING!!!
:: Desertrain falls under the chair in the tickle attack wrath of Saku, and Saku quickly usurps the chair and the computer. Saku, to add insult to the injury, sticks her tongue out at Desertrain before continuing with the disclaimer, etc . . .::
What she _meant_ to say is that this is our story by me, Saku and _my_ co- author, Desertrain! We both don't own the characters many of you can recognize . . . I do hope it's original enough! Hey- You! Noooo! It's _my_ chair after all!
::Saku is butt-bumped by a slightly mad Desertrain out of the chair and onto the floor with a soft 'oomph', as Desertrain smiles sweetly and bats her eyelashes at Saku before continuing her typing.::
Ahem. Now, as I was saying, this is our story, in WHATEVER order our names go, and we sincerely hope you enjoy it. As Saku says, the characters you recognize we don't own, and the characters you don't recognize (Such as Kaite) we do. Yay! We can claim characters!
::Desertrain does little happy dance at claiming characters, only realizing her mistake in letting go of the keyboard when it is grabbed from under her by Saku::
HEY!!
::Saku laughs manically.:: Erm.alright! I'd also like to say that this story is based off of the books!!! Everything should be exactly from the books; nothing major has been changed up. Now onto the story! Right my little pet?
::Saku grins wolfishly at Desertrain, her good friend who was dancing. Desertrain scowls back.::
Right. As she said, we've tried to keep this true to form, and hopefully we've succeeded. We really do hope you enjoy our new story! Oh, and to get more where this came from, check out our independent author sites! I'm still Desertrain, and Saku is Heero's Otherside (Gundam Wing AC fanfics only!). We hope to see you read those, as well! Anyway, unless Saku would like to say anything else. . .
Only that tomato soup is best eaten without the Cheetos! *Saku nods her head, then walks away, playing with her Chinese calculator and decides to leave the rest up to Desertrain because the only other things Saku is interested in is reviews now! Desertrain raises her left eyebrow at Saku's retreating back, shrugs, and turns back to the computer.*
Okay, then. Remember to eat your tomato soup _without_ Cheetos from now on, ya'll hear? And take Saku's advice-reviews, people, reviews! The food that soothes the savage writers, and makes them write more! Otherwise they're likely to come after readers with wet noodles and rolled up newspapers. :: Desertrain grins evilly and starts boiling water and rolling up newspapers.:: SAKU! Come help!
Hope you enjoy!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?
Secrets
Muggle and Wizarding weather men predicted that it was going to be sunny, only to be proven wrong by Mother Nature. The rain outside was pouring like no other day, lightening streaked across the sky accompanied by a loud shout of thunder, roaring its approval of the display of lighted power. Tall grasses swayed in the wind, howling with vengeance as a train sped past the wild country, holding a precious cargo in its padded innards; the future witches and wizards that would change the world in ways one would not believe sat comfortably, yet anxiously, inside. Hogwarts was nearing. . .
Kaitlyn Abigail Cirtos was sitting calmly on the train next to her best friend, Lily Evans, who was talking animatedly about a boy she was infatuated with for the past six years. They were on their way to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as seventh years. Even though Kaitlyn had been home schooled all these years, she was at a more than appropriate level to rejoin those of her own age in an actual school setting. And as an American delegate, it was up to Kaitlyn to make sure that all her new friends became educated in the proper use of Americanisms, the same way she would be learning the proper use of the Briticisms* that she loved so much. Unfortunately, Kaitlyn had some abnormal secrets of her own. After meeting Lily, who had been on vacation with her family in New York City, in the underground library of Wiaza Boox, they had quickly become fast friends. They could have been twins, the way they had stuck to each other like Spellotape to a wand in the short time they had spent together! After some thought on Kaitlyn's side and, of course, her mom and dad, they decided that secrets between friends could ruin a lovely relationship.
Kaitlyn smiled; too distracted by the sudden memory of the past to hear her friend exclaim what she thought the boy should change to make him her perfect match.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
**Flashback**
It was the middle of June, and Kaitlyn waited in the small living room for Lily to come over, almost wearing a path from the coffee table to an oil- painted portrait of herself as a five year old. The five-year-old Kaitlyn frowned worriedly then went back to brushing her porcelain doll's hair, making the doll squeak happily. Lily would be walking from her hotel to meet Kaitlyn in her apartment complex to talk about something that made Kaitlyn different from other girls her own age, besides the fact that she was an advanced witch.
Kaitlyn's mom and dad, Jaina and Kolin Cirtos, sat together on the faded flower print of their love seat, holding hands as they waited with baited breath for Kaitlyn's first friend since 'The Incident' to come over. They were almost as nervous as Kaitlyn. There came a soft knocking at the door to the Cirtos' apartment, making Kaitlyn's parents start violently as she ran to answer the door.
"Hey, Lily!" She hugged her best friend. It was a gift to find someone that you became best friends with in a flash. A rare incident, something similar to love at first sight.
"Hullo Kaite*!" She grinned widely as she hugged her best friend lovingly. "Pleasure to see you out of the house on such a beautiful day!" Lily added sarcastically with a slight bit of tease. Kaitlyn suddenly became shy as she let Lily and her parents into her small, quaint, yet homey apartment. The two older Evans' looked curiously around as they walked through a small foyer, emerging into the living room of Kaite's apartment. The walls were baby blue, and filled with pictures of the time over the years. Some of the pictures were of a young, newlywed Mr. And Mrs. Cirtos, some of a baby Kaitlyn with her parents, but the overwhelming majority were of Kaitlyn's growth from babyhood to her late teenage years. In contrast to these home-taken photos were the several issues of Witch Weekly sitting on the coffee table. One, in particular, featured a newly famous young Wizard, one Gilderoy Lockhart, who was being presented with a certificate as winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award. The Evans' took all of this in quickly, the Wizarding world, though new to them, was very interesting seeing as their own child was now connected to it. They greeted the Cirtos' warmly, and sat down in the seat offered by Kaite.
"Would you like something to drink, Mr. and Mrs. Evans?" Kaitlyn asked politely, making a point to wait (for a change) until after her parents and Lily's parents were done talking and greeting each other.
"Yes dear, a cup of herbal tea if you have any." Mrs. Evan's smiled maternally at Kaitlyn.
"Yes, ma'am, we do!" She rushed off into the kitchen, Lily following after her grinning.
After the girls had left the room, Kaitlyn's parents explained the issue, and a gasp could be heard from the Evans'. After a few more hurried whispers everything went quiet. Kaitlyn stifled a sob. She knew they were talking about her being . . . oh, how she hated it. They probably wouldn't let her hang out with Lily anymore! Kaitlyn slowly gathered the boiling tea and magicked it to float onto a tray. Being home schooled, she had special privileges to use magic in her house even though she was under aged by the law of The American W.I.C (Wizarding Intelligence Center). She had to practice somehow. A certificate on the wall above her bed proved this to be so. Kaitlyn rolled her wand in between her fingers for a minute. The feel of red wood and the essence of leithifold along with a strand of unicorn hair produced a smile of recognition. Where would she be without her powers? Especially in her horrible condition?
"I dunno Kaite. You're awfully quiet. . ." Lily edged her way towards her friend, putting the tea kettle gingerly onto the tray which lay on an old table before tackling her friend to the ground tickling her madly
"No!!!" Kaitlyn screamed with glee, trying to breathe as her friend attacked ruthlessly. Finally she managed to roll out from under her best friend and waved her hand at Lily dismissively.
"One more like that and you'll be suspended!" Kaitlyn mocked the Boox's librarian's tone. Another fit of giggles emitted from the two seventeen year old girls, who were acting like they were fourteen. "I think we ought to bring the tea to my mum. She gets really tetchy about things like that," Lily whispered as she stood up, offering a hand to Kaitlyn, grinning when Kaite pouted stubbornly before grabbing it roughly and pulling herself up. "We shan't keep Mistress Evans waiting then!" Lily snorted before grabbing the tray and walking back into the living room in a dignified manner.
"W-why thank you dearie." Mrs. Evans smiled up at Kaitlyn once again, but with a little look of pity, and a touch of fear.
"No problem, Mrs. Evans!" Kaitlyn piped, ignoring the look that nearly tore her heart in two. /Remember . . . Mr. and Mrs. Evans are muggles; I shouldn't scare them too badly. But I want to go so badly! I can't help that I am what I am; I may beg my parents to let me go anyway, I'm old enough after all! But I want to meet Lily's friends, school, even her nasty, mean sister. Oh, the countless tricks I could play if I go!! But I just want to be with Lily, really./
Kaitlyn's parents looked at Kaitlyn sternly and she took a deep breath, "Lily. I need you to sit down for a moment." She waited for a minute, trying to gather her courage. What she was about to do was now and would always be hard.
Lily, noticing Kaite's discomfort asked, "What's wrong?" She stopped the urge to hug her best friend, knowing it would only make things worse, and then she found out why Kaite was so upset. After Kaitlyn had explained, Lily stared for a moment, before sitting down hard on an old armchair.
"You're a . . . a . . ."
"Yes, I'm a werewolf." Kaitlyn rubbed her left eye childishly as it had begun tearing; running into the bathroom sounded good at the moment.
"Oh Kaite. . . why didn't you tell me before? Can you smell me? Am I too fragrant?" Lily looked at Kaitlyn upset, surprising everyone in the room. Her parents glanced a look at each other; if Kaite could turn into what the Cirtos's said, then a nearly-full grown wolf in the middle of adolescence could tear apart flesh like scissors to some string, and here their daughter was merely wondering if her fragrance was annoying! The Evan's weren't quite sure what to think at this point, and decided to see what their daughter, as an educated witch, thought of the situation before making their judgment too quickly.
"Erm. . . not too bad. It's easier to smell you in a crowd, though with your distinct scent." Kaitlyn dared a small smile, trying to stop her heart from pulsing so fast and her chest heaving in terror of rejection.
Lily laughed, "Good! I wouldn't want to scare you away! Now I'll have to take better care of my hygiene. . ." She scrunched up her petite nose before flinging some beautiful, shimmering red hair from her face. "Now if that's the only reason you made that huge fuss of bringing my parents here and all. . .can she come?!" She looked up at her parents, pleading with her eyes, and then Kaitlyn's parents with a sweet pout that made her seem five years younger, it would be up to their parents whether Kaite could stay and live in England until school started.
Kaitlyn grinned before putting on an act also, her cute puppy-like eyes plus Lily's affirmation made the grown-ups mind up for them. This was the reaction that Mr. and Mrs. Evan's had been waiting to see.
"Alright." They all said simultaneously, and then began making plans. They began laughing and talking, which included gossip about the Wizarding and muggle worlds. Everything was underway.
Lily's and Kaitlyn's eyes went as wide as saucers before they screamed their delight.
**Flashback ends**
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
She sighed, staring out of the window and mused, /I'm sure nobody will notice me for what I really am. Unless Lily . . ./ Kaitlyn glanced at her happy friend and sunk back into her misery. /I know Lily wouldn't betray me like that. Lily likes it here a lot, but she didn't come from America, the land of the 'free'. Not in my . . . condition either, which is hard 'nough to live with alone. My accent separates me even further! They talk so . . . proper. And have a queen and king . . . and . . .and. . . I wish I were back at home being home schooled by my 'rents./
Homesickness wrenched throughout Kaitlyn's stomach, wringing it through and through and making Kaitlyn's usual appetite shrink a great amount; even when Lily tried to offer her a chocolate frog, Kaite refused. Lily tried not to notice Kaitlyn's abnormal mood and filled the disturbing silence as best as she could, trying to make her friend think about something other than her problems.
"Hey Kaite. I think we should get dressed and go see some of my school mates!"
"Oh Lily. . .you know you only want to see James." Kaite grinned. It was so noticeable that Lily wanted to talk with James, ever since he had sent her that letter during the summer.
"Well. . .that's also on my to-do list!" Lily blushed scarlet. "But you do have to admit that it was rather sweet of him. . .I really do think he will change his ways. . .and Remus is very reliable!"
At this, Kaite smiled. She remembered the event; it had happened during the two weeks that she had spent in the Evans' home before leaving with Lily for Hogwarts. The third day that Kaite had been at Lily's house, an owl had arrived for Lily from the group of friends she claimed called themselves 'The Marauders'. Lily had looked at the note in dismay. 'It's from all of them' she had complained then. Lily let the owl back through the window then sat on her bed, Kaite looking over her shoulder. The letter had read:
/Dear Lily,
I have come to see the errors of my ways. I hope to speak to you on the train ride to Hogwarts, to also meet the new girl you wrote Remus about.
With All of the Love in the World,
James Potter
Lily - Sorry, James and the rest got into my letters from you! Terribly sorry. I told him that he didn't impress you with his childish antics. Trust me; this should make up for the favor I owed you. Tell your friend if she's already there that I greet her with my sincerest wishes.
Good Friend,
Remus
PS- I do hope James doesn't figure out that I intercepted this before it was too far gone! James really has changed!! Give him a chance!!!/
"Oh, now there's the smile I'm used to! Where had it gone?" Lily asked, seeing the corners of Kaitlyn's mouth turn upward. She had been so worried about her friend; ever since they had left the Evans' house Kaitlyn had been quiet-not a normal thing for Kaite. Kaite turned her head to Lily, attempting to smile or laugh.
"It's silly. . ." Kaite said as she pulled on the brand new school robes that she had gotten in Diagon Alley just the day before.
Lily shook her head violently. "Nothing that bothers you is silly to me. If you will let me know what's bothering you, maybe I can help. . .?" Lily trailed off, letting the statement hang as a question. Kaite nodded.
"It's just this whole going to a school in a new country thing. Everything is so different than what I'm used to. Even the side of the road that you drive on is different!" Lily nodded her understanding.
"I know how you feel." She told Kaite. "When I was in New York, I felt kind of small, as if I could disappear under the weight of an entirely different culture; I never knew the world could be so vastly different! But then I met you, and I had a point to hold onto."
Kaite's smile this time was genuine. "You've hit the nail on the head, I think. I mean, England. The Continent. Europe. . .These are things that I never saw myself visiting for more than maybe a week-long vacation! And here I am going to school there, here. I've never really been around kids my own age much; you're the first friend I've had in years, since The Incident, anyway, and that happened when I was younger, on that vacation. I suppose I'm just worried that I'll stick out like a sore thumb, and that being the new girl, and American to boot, that you'll be the only one who'll want to be friends with me. . ."
Again, Lily shook her head violently. "Don't you dare say that, Kaitlyn Cirtos! I know several people that would want to be friends with you. One in particular. . ." Lily grinned mischievously.
Kaite perked up. "Really?"
"Yes! And if they don't agree right away, we always have each other."
"Lily?" A boy who looked about their age poked his head into Lily and Kaite's compartment. Kaite was floored, instantly recognizing him as James Potter and she had to admit, Lily's crush on this boy was justified, if his looks were any measure for the rest of him. James Potter was quite handsome; with startling hazel eyes dancing out from behind his glasses and a mop of untidy black hair, long enough to just brush the collar of his school robes and stick out almost everywhere else. James was just about to step into the compartment when he was flung forward by a push from a schoolmate, to land directly in Lily's arms. Both teenagers blushed, and disentangled themselves as the other three Marauders piled into the train compartment. From the looks of the others, Kaitlyn could easily put names with faces from Lily's descriptions. . .
The one who had pushed James had to be Sirius Black, with his dark hair, swarthy skin and black eyes. Right behind him was Remus Lupin, quietly smiling and shaking his sandy brown head at Sirius's antics. And following the last must have been Peter Pettigrew, the only short one of the bunch, with his eyes cast to the floor and his hand over his mouth, trying desperately not to burst out into laughter at his friend's expense. James looked sharply at his three friends, frowning.
"Some friends you three are. I'm trying not to screw things up and this is how I greet the love of my life!" James yelled, not seeing the pleased look that crossed Lily's face at the thought that James had really changed and was being so outspoken about his feelings in front of her and his friends. She noted that he hadn't tried to impress her nor brush up his hair once. She didn't dare tell Kaite about how pleased she was to hear him say Lily instead of the usual Evans. . .
"Because it was funny." Peter said, having gotten control of himself. He looked at Lily. "Hello, Lily. This is your new friend?" Lily jumped, realizing that as well as she knew Kaite, none of her other classmates had met the American girl.
"Oh, right: Kaite, this is everyone. Everyone, this is Kaitlyn Cirtos." Lily introduced, assuming that Kaite had already put names to the faces.
Kaite began to shake hands with everyone. "Hi, nice to meet you." The boys looked slightly startled at Kaite's blatantly American accent. They had known, of course, from reading Lily's letter to Remus that Kaite was American, but it was still a surprise to hear it. But they hid their surprise well, and all willingly shook hands with Kaite. A friend of Lily's, after all, was a good friend indeed.
The last one to take Kaite's hand was Remus Lupin.
He decided to be a true gentleman, swooping down to kiss the back of her hand, earning a glare, a laugh, and a roll of the eyes from his best friends; he didn't, however, see the huge grin from his good friend Lily. When Remus had entered the compartment, he had noticed something odd. A change in the scent of the compartment, to not quite entirely human, or something of the sort. He had brushed it off, even though it made the latent wolf in him nervous. But as soon as he took her hand and he got a whiff of her scent, he knew what it was that had caught his attention. And he knew that she knew what he was, too.
Kaite giggled in amusement as Remus swooped down upon her hand, but the giggles froze in her throat as she saw him stiffen, and lightly sniff her hand under the guise of kissing it a second time. She felt his suddenly shaking hand tighten slightly on hers, just before his head came up and she met his eyes. And for the first time, she truly looked into Remus Lupin's eyes. They were brown, like hers, and flecked with bits of gold and green and a wild color. But it wasn't the color as much as the alien look that Kaite recognized. She saw it in the mirror every morning-the look of someone with a secret. The look of someone who knew what it was like to be hunted, with the fear of hunting. Kaite unthinkingly drew in a deep breath, and inhaled Remus' scent. A large lump appeared in her throat as she realized that he knew about her secret.
Because Remus Lupin was also a werewolf.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
*Briticisms = for those of you not familiar with the term, those are just like 'Americanisms'-terms that are used in the one country, but may not be in the other. Like instead of the word friend, you use mate. Or, what gets my mates most of the time, the spontaneous bad British accent (the girl who was raised in the heart of the deep south trying to use a British accent-it's actually funny if you try to imagine the British accent mingled with the Southern one. . .)
*Kaite is pronounced: Kate
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Now, people, here is the point where you click on the little button that says REVIEWS. Please? We don't know what you want unless you tell us. Some people are already telling us that we might want to up the rating later (you can guess why, ya'll are smart), and YOU HAVE TO LET US KNOW YOUR OPINION! Else how can we give you what ya'll want?
Besides more! *Saku adds with a wink*
Upshot: Review. Now. Thanks from both of us!
:: Desertrain falls under the chair in the tickle attack wrath of Saku, and Saku quickly usurps the chair and the computer. Saku, to add insult to the injury, sticks her tongue out at Desertrain before continuing with the disclaimer, etc . . .::
What she _meant_ to say is that this is our story by me, Saku and _my_ co- author, Desertrain! We both don't own the characters many of you can recognize . . . I do hope it's original enough! Hey- You! Noooo! It's _my_ chair after all!
::Saku is butt-bumped by a slightly mad Desertrain out of the chair and onto the floor with a soft 'oomph', as Desertrain smiles sweetly and bats her eyelashes at Saku before continuing her typing.::
Ahem. Now, as I was saying, this is our story, in WHATEVER order our names go, and we sincerely hope you enjoy it. As Saku says, the characters you recognize we don't own, and the characters you don't recognize (Such as Kaite) we do. Yay! We can claim characters!
::Desertrain does little happy dance at claiming characters, only realizing her mistake in letting go of the keyboard when it is grabbed from under her by Saku::
HEY!!
::Saku laughs manically.:: Erm.alright! I'd also like to say that this story is based off of the books!!! Everything should be exactly from the books; nothing major has been changed up. Now onto the story! Right my little pet?
::Saku grins wolfishly at Desertrain, her good friend who was dancing. Desertrain scowls back.::
Right. As she said, we've tried to keep this true to form, and hopefully we've succeeded. We really do hope you enjoy our new story! Oh, and to get more where this came from, check out our independent author sites! I'm still Desertrain, and Saku is Heero's Otherside (Gundam Wing AC fanfics only!). We hope to see you read those, as well! Anyway, unless Saku would like to say anything else. . .
Only that tomato soup is best eaten without the Cheetos! *Saku nods her head, then walks away, playing with her Chinese calculator and decides to leave the rest up to Desertrain because the only other things Saku is interested in is reviews now! Desertrain raises her left eyebrow at Saku's retreating back, shrugs, and turns back to the computer.*
Okay, then. Remember to eat your tomato soup _without_ Cheetos from now on, ya'll hear? And take Saku's advice-reviews, people, reviews! The food that soothes the savage writers, and makes them write more! Otherwise they're likely to come after readers with wet noodles and rolled up newspapers. :: Desertrain grins evilly and starts boiling water and rolling up newspapers.:: SAKU! Come help!
Hope you enjoy!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?
Secrets
Muggle and Wizarding weather men predicted that it was going to be sunny, only to be proven wrong by Mother Nature. The rain outside was pouring like no other day, lightening streaked across the sky accompanied by a loud shout of thunder, roaring its approval of the display of lighted power. Tall grasses swayed in the wind, howling with vengeance as a train sped past the wild country, holding a precious cargo in its padded innards; the future witches and wizards that would change the world in ways one would not believe sat comfortably, yet anxiously, inside. Hogwarts was nearing. . .
Kaitlyn Abigail Cirtos was sitting calmly on the train next to her best friend, Lily Evans, who was talking animatedly about a boy she was infatuated with for the past six years. They were on their way to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as seventh years. Even though Kaitlyn had been home schooled all these years, she was at a more than appropriate level to rejoin those of her own age in an actual school setting. And as an American delegate, it was up to Kaitlyn to make sure that all her new friends became educated in the proper use of Americanisms, the same way she would be learning the proper use of the Briticisms* that she loved so much. Unfortunately, Kaitlyn had some abnormal secrets of her own. After meeting Lily, who had been on vacation with her family in New York City, in the underground library of Wiaza Boox, they had quickly become fast friends. They could have been twins, the way they had stuck to each other like Spellotape to a wand in the short time they had spent together! After some thought on Kaitlyn's side and, of course, her mom and dad, they decided that secrets between friends could ruin a lovely relationship.
Kaitlyn smiled; too distracted by the sudden memory of the past to hear her friend exclaim what she thought the boy should change to make him her perfect match.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
**Flashback**
It was the middle of June, and Kaitlyn waited in the small living room for Lily to come over, almost wearing a path from the coffee table to an oil- painted portrait of herself as a five year old. The five-year-old Kaitlyn frowned worriedly then went back to brushing her porcelain doll's hair, making the doll squeak happily. Lily would be walking from her hotel to meet Kaitlyn in her apartment complex to talk about something that made Kaitlyn different from other girls her own age, besides the fact that she was an advanced witch.
Kaitlyn's mom and dad, Jaina and Kolin Cirtos, sat together on the faded flower print of their love seat, holding hands as they waited with baited breath for Kaitlyn's first friend since 'The Incident' to come over. They were almost as nervous as Kaitlyn. There came a soft knocking at the door to the Cirtos' apartment, making Kaitlyn's parents start violently as she ran to answer the door.
"Hey, Lily!" She hugged her best friend. It was a gift to find someone that you became best friends with in a flash. A rare incident, something similar to love at first sight.
"Hullo Kaite*!" She grinned widely as she hugged her best friend lovingly. "Pleasure to see you out of the house on such a beautiful day!" Lily added sarcastically with a slight bit of tease. Kaitlyn suddenly became shy as she let Lily and her parents into her small, quaint, yet homey apartment. The two older Evans' looked curiously around as they walked through a small foyer, emerging into the living room of Kaite's apartment. The walls were baby blue, and filled with pictures of the time over the years. Some of the pictures were of a young, newlywed Mr. And Mrs. Cirtos, some of a baby Kaitlyn with her parents, but the overwhelming majority were of Kaitlyn's growth from babyhood to her late teenage years. In contrast to these home-taken photos were the several issues of Witch Weekly sitting on the coffee table. One, in particular, featured a newly famous young Wizard, one Gilderoy Lockhart, who was being presented with a certificate as winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award. The Evans' took all of this in quickly, the Wizarding world, though new to them, was very interesting seeing as their own child was now connected to it. They greeted the Cirtos' warmly, and sat down in the seat offered by Kaite.
"Would you like something to drink, Mr. and Mrs. Evans?" Kaitlyn asked politely, making a point to wait (for a change) until after her parents and Lily's parents were done talking and greeting each other.
"Yes dear, a cup of herbal tea if you have any." Mrs. Evan's smiled maternally at Kaitlyn.
"Yes, ma'am, we do!" She rushed off into the kitchen, Lily following after her grinning.
After the girls had left the room, Kaitlyn's parents explained the issue, and a gasp could be heard from the Evans'. After a few more hurried whispers everything went quiet. Kaitlyn stifled a sob. She knew they were talking about her being . . . oh, how she hated it. They probably wouldn't let her hang out with Lily anymore! Kaitlyn slowly gathered the boiling tea and magicked it to float onto a tray. Being home schooled, she had special privileges to use magic in her house even though she was under aged by the law of The American W.I.C (Wizarding Intelligence Center). She had to practice somehow. A certificate on the wall above her bed proved this to be so. Kaitlyn rolled her wand in between her fingers for a minute. The feel of red wood and the essence of leithifold along with a strand of unicorn hair produced a smile of recognition. Where would she be without her powers? Especially in her horrible condition?
"I dunno Kaite. You're awfully quiet. . ." Lily edged her way towards her friend, putting the tea kettle gingerly onto the tray which lay on an old table before tackling her friend to the ground tickling her madly
"No!!!" Kaitlyn screamed with glee, trying to breathe as her friend attacked ruthlessly. Finally she managed to roll out from under her best friend and waved her hand at Lily dismissively.
"One more like that and you'll be suspended!" Kaitlyn mocked the Boox's librarian's tone. Another fit of giggles emitted from the two seventeen year old girls, who were acting like they were fourteen. "I think we ought to bring the tea to my mum. She gets really tetchy about things like that," Lily whispered as she stood up, offering a hand to Kaitlyn, grinning when Kaite pouted stubbornly before grabbing it roughly and pulling herself up. "We shan't keep Mistress Evans waiting then!" Lily snorted before grabbing the tray and walking back into the living room in a dignified manner.
"W-why thank you dearie." Mrs. Evans smiled up at Kaitlyn once again, but with a little look of pity, and a touch of fear.
"No problem, Mrs. Evans!" Kaitlyn piped, ignoring the look that nearly tore her heart in two. /Remember . . . Mr. and Mrs. Evans are muggles; I shouldn't scare them too badly. But I want to go so badly! I can't help that I am what I am; I may beg my parents to let me go anyway, I'm old enough after all! But I want to meet Lily's friends, school, even her nasty, mean sister. Oh, the countless tricks I could play if I go!! But I just want to be with Lily, really./
Kaitlyn's parents looked at Kaitlyn sternly and she took a deep breath, "Lily. I need you to sit down for a moment." She waited for a minute, trying to gather her courage. What she was about to do was now and would always be hard.
Lily, noticing Kaite's discomfort asked, "What's wrong?" She stopped the urge to hug her best friend, knowing it would only make things worse, and then she found out why Kaite was so upset. After Kaitlyn had explained, Lily stared for a moment, before sitting down hard on an old armchair.
"You're a . . . a . . ."
"Yes, I'm a werewolf." Kaitlyn rubbed her left eye childishly as it had begun tearing; running into the bathroom sounded good at the moment.
"Oh Kaite. . . why didn't you tell me before? Can you smell me? Am I too fragrant?" Lily looked at Kaitlyn upset, surprising everyone in the room. Her parents glanced a look at each other; if Kaite could turn into what the Cirtos's said, then a nearly-full grown wolf in the middle of adolescence could tear apart flesh like scissors to some string, and here their daughter was merely wondering if her fragrance was annoying! The Evan's weren't quite sure what to think at this point, and decided to see what their daughter, as an educated witch, thought of the situation before making their judgment too quickly.
"Erm. . . not too bad. It's easier to smell you in a crowd, though with your distinct scent." Kaitlyn dared a small smile, trying to stop her heart from pulsing so fast and her chest heaving in terror of rejection.
Lily laughed, "Good! I wouldn't want to scare you away! Now I'll have to take better care of my hygiene. . ." She scrunched up her petite nose before flinging some beautiful, shimmering red hair from her face. "Now if that's the only reason you made that huge fuss of bringing my parents here and all. . .can she come?!" She looked up at her parents, pleading with her eyes, and then Kaitlyn's parents with a sweet pout that made her seem five years younger, it would be up to their parents whether Kaite could stay and live in England until school started.
Kaitlyn grinned before putting on an act also, her cute puppy-like eyes plus Lily's affirmation made the grown-ups mind up for them. This was the reaction that Mr. and Mrs. Evan's had been waiting to see.
"Alright." They all said simultaneously, and then began making plans. They began laughing and talking, which included gossip about the Wizarding and muggle worlds. Everything was underway.
Lily's and Kaitlyn's eyes went as wide as saucers before they screamed their delight.
**Flashback ends**
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
She sighed, staring out of the window and mused, /I'm sure nobody will notice me for what I really am. Unless Lily . . ./ Kaitlyn glanced at her happy friend and sunk back into her misery. /I know Lily wouldn't betray me like that. Lily likes it here a lot, but she didn't come from America, the land of the 'free'. Not in my . . . condition either, which is hard 'nough to live with alone. My accent separates me even further! They talk so . . . proper. And have a queen and king . . . and . . .and. . . I wish I were back at home being home schooled by my 'rents./
Homesickness wrenched throughout Kaitlyn's stomach, wringing it through and through and making Kaitlyn's usual appetite shrink a great amount; even when Lily tried to offer her a chocolate frog, Kaite refused. Lily tried not to notice Kaitlyn's abnormal mood and filled the disturbing silence as best as she could, trying to make her friend think about something other than her problems.
"Hey Kaite. I think we should get dressed and go see some of my school mates!"
"Oh Lily. . .you know you only want to see James." Kaite grinned. It was so noticeable that Lily wanted to talk with James, ever since he had sent her that letter during the summer.
"Well. . .that's also on my to-do list!" Lily blushed scarlet. "But you do have to admit that it was rather sweet of him. . .I really do think he will change his ways. . .and Remus is very reliable!"
At this, Kaite smiled. She remembered the event; it had happened during the two weeks that she had spent in the Evans' home before leaving with Lily for Hogwarts. The third day that Kaite had been at Lily's house, an owl had arrived for Lily from the group of friends she claimed called themselves 'The Marauders'. Lily had looked at the note in dismay. 'It's from all of them' she had complained then. Lily let the owl back through the window then sat on her bed, Kaite looking over her shoulder. The letter had read:
/Dear Lily,
I have come to see the errors of my ways. I hope to speak to you on the train ride to Hogwarts, to also meet the new girl you wrote Remus about.
With All of the Love in the World,
James Potter
Lily - Sorry, James and the rest got into my letters from you! Terribly sorry. I told him that he didn't impress you with his childish antics. Trust me; this should make up for the favor I owed you. Tell your friend if she's already there that I greet her with my sincerest wishes.
Good Friend,
Remus
PS- I do hope James doesn't figure out that I intercepted this before it was too far gone! James really has changed!! Give him a chance!!!/
"Oh, now there's the smile I'm used to! Where had it gone?" Lily asked, seeing the corners of Kaitlyn's mouth turn upward. She had been so worried about her friend; ever since they had left the Evans' house Kaitlyn had been quiet-not a normal thing for Kaite. Kaite turned her head to Lily, attempting to smile or laugh.
"It's silly. . ." Kaite said as she pulled on the brand new school robes that she had gotten in Diagon Alley just the day before.
Lily shook her head violently. "Nothing that bothers you is silly to me. If you will let me know what's bothering you, maybe I can help. . .?" Lily trailed off, letting the statement hang as a question. Kaite nodded.
"It's just this whole going to a school in a new country thing. Everything is so different than what I'm used to. Even the side of the road that you drive on is different!" Lily nodded her understanding.
"I know how you feel." She told Kaite. "When I was in New York, I felt kind of small, as if I could disappear under the weight of an entirely different culture; I never knew the world could be so vastly different! But then I met you, and I had a point to hold onto."
Kaite's smile this time was genuine. "You've hit the nail on the head, I think. I mean, England. The Continent. Europe. . .These are things that I never saw myself visiting for more than maybe a week-long vacation! And here I am going to school there, here. I've never really been around kids my own age much; you're the first friend I've had in years, since The Incident, anyway, and that happened when I was younger, on that vacation. I suppose I'm just worried that I'll stick out like a sore thumb, and that being the new girl, and American to boot, that you'll be the only one who'll want to be friends with me. . ."
Again, Lily shook her head violently. "Don't you dare say that, Kaitlyn Cirtos! I know several people that would want to be friends with you. One in particular. . ." Lily grinned mischievously.
Kaite perked up. "Really?"
"Yes! And if they don't agree right away, we always have each other."
"Lily?" A boy who looked about their age poked his head into Lily and Kaite's compartment. Kaite was floored, instantly recognizing him as James Potter and she had to admit, Lily's crush on this boy was justified, if his looks were any measure for the rest of him. James Potter was quite handsome; with startling hazel eyes dancing out from behind his glasses and a mop of untidy black hair, long enough to just brush the collar of his school robes and stick out almost everywhere else. James was just about to step into the compartment when he was flung forward by a push from a schoolmate, to land directly in Lily's arms. Both teenagers blushed, and disentangled themselves as the other three Marauders piled into the train compartment. From the looks of the others, Kaitlyn could easily put names with faces from Lily's descriptions. . .
The one who had pushed James had to be Sirius Black, with his dark hair, swarthy skin and black eyes. Right behind him was Remus Lupin, quietly smiling and shaking his sandy brown head at Sirius's antics. And following the last must have been Peter Pettigrew, the only short one of the bunch, with his eyes cast to the floor and his hand over his mouth, trying desperately not to burst out into laughter at his friend's expense. James looked sharply at his three friends, frowning.
"Some friends you three are. I'm trying not to screw things up and this is how I greet the love of my life!" James yelled, not seeing the pleased look that crossed Lily's face at the thought that James had really changed and was being so outspoken about his feelings in front of her and his friends. She noted that he hadn't tried to impress her nor brush up his hair once. She didn't dare tell Kaite about how pleased she was to hear him say Lily instead of the usual Evans. . .
"Because it was funny." Peter said, having gotten control of himself. He looked at Lily. "Hello, Lily. This is your new friend?" Lily jumped, realizing that as well as she knew Kaite, none of her other classmates had met the American girl.
"Oh, right: Kaite, this is everyone. Everyone, this is Kaitlyn Cirtos." Lily introduced, assuming that Kaite had already put names to the faces.
Kaite began to shake hands with everyone. "Hi, nice to meet you." The boys looked slightly startled at Kaite's blatantly American accent. They had known, of course, from reading Lily's letter to Remus that Kaite was American, but it was still a surprise to hear it. But they hid their surprise well, and all willingly shook hands with Kaite. A friend of Lily's, after all, was a good friend indeed.
The last one to take Kaite's hand was Remus Lupin.
He decided to be a true gentleman, swooping down to kiss the back of her hand, earning a glare, a laugh, and a roll of the eyes from his best friends; he didn't, however, see the huge grin from his good friend Lily. When Remus had entered the compartment, he had noticed something odd. A change in the scent of the compartment, to not quite entirely human, or something of the sort. He had brushed it off, even though it made the latent wolf in him nervous. But as soon as he took her hand and he got a whiff of her scent, he knew what it was that had caught his attention. And he knew that she knew what he was, too.
Kaite giggled in amusement as Remus swooped down upon her hand, but the giggles froze in her throat as she saw him stiffen, and lightly sniff her hand under the guise of kissing it a second time. She felt his suddenly shaking hand tighten slightly on hers, just before his head came up and she met his eyes. And for the first time, she truly looked into Remus Lupin's eyes. They were brown, like hers, and flecked with bits of gold and green and a wild color. But it wasn't the color as much as the alien look that Kaite recognized. She saw it in the mirror every morning-the look of someone with a secret. The look of someone who knew what it was like to be hunted, with the fear of hunting. Kaite unthinkingly drew in a deep breath, and inhaled Remus' scent. A large lump appeared in her throat as she realized that he knew about her secret.
Because Remus Lupin was also a werewolf.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
*Briticisms = for those of you not familiar with the term, those are just like 'Americanisms'-terms that are used in the one country, but may not be in the other. Like instead of the word friend, you use mate. Or, what gets my mates most of the time, the spontaneous bad British accent (the girl who was raised in the heart of the deep south trying to use a British accent-it's actually funny if you try to imagine the British accent mingled with the Southern one. . .)
*Kaite is pronounced: Kate
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Now, people, here is the point where you click on the little button that says REVIEWS. Please? We don't know what you want unless you tell us. Some people are already telling us that we might want to up the rating later (you can guess why, ya'll are smart), and YOU HAVE TO LET US KNOW YOUR OPINION! Else how can we give you what ya'll want?
Besides more! *Saku adds with a wink*
Upshot: Review. Now. Thanks from both of us!