Author's Note: Hey all! :3 So this is my first attempt at a HP fanfic. Hopefully it isn't a complete fail. XD Anyway, there will be three books in total (if I get fans that like my writing, that is), and I already have all of book one completely planned out, chapter by chapter, with basic layouts of books two and three. So, -ahem-, without further ado, here's the first chapter of Brightly's Breakthrough: The Spark (Book One).
Chapter One
The fire-breathing turtle was getting on my nerves. It wasn't just the fact that it was trying to burn me, necessarily, but I was trying to feed it, and it still had the audacity to try and singe my eyebrows off!
"Here, crabby-crab," I muttered, cautiously waving the lettuce in the air as I watched the fire crab, today's lesson in Care of Magical Creatures, narrow its eyes and size me up, obviously taking in my burns and ruined robes, trying to decide whether or not I had had enough of its torment.
My friend, Lyla, was a good five yards away, watching from a slightly safer distance as I tried, once more, to approach the crab. "Good fire crab. You don't want to-" Oh, but apparently, it did want to. I yelped as the crab turned its rear toward me and suddenly shot another wave of flames, this time catching my sleeve.
What else could I do besides run to a safe distance and roll in the dirt? I heard Lyla laughing, and I sent a glare her way, though I knew she couldn't see it.
The crab just had to shoot fire out of its rear end too, didn't it? I grimaced and stood up, wiping the dirt off of my robes and leaving the dropped lettuce where it lay on the ground. As I approached Lyla, I couldn't help but notice that the fire crab was now wobbling towards the vegetable, making my eye twitch in annoyance. That was all it took to feed the darn thing? To leave the lettuce on the ground and walk away?
"Oh, shut it." I snapped at Lyla, the smell of burnt hair making me gag. Apparently, the crab had singed a chunk of my braid. Perfect.
"Sorry CJ," She smiled at me, her perfect set of white teeth gleaming as the flames of a different fire crab reflected off of them. I couldn't help but flinch at the pained cry of a fellow classmate as they too endured the excruciating burns.
Honestly, what was going through Kettleburn's mind when he decided to bring in a dozen fire crabs to class? Was he going to enjoy having a few fingerless students?
…you know, even though it technically was part of the curriculum for Fifth Years to learn about them.
"Why don't you try and feed 'em next time? Then we'll see whose laughing."
Lyla scrunched up her nose. "Nah, I don't think I could pull off the singed hair look."
I couldn't help it. I rolled my eyes at Lyla's words. She was the only person I knew that probably could pull off the look. Delilah Mathers was, to put it plainly, gorgeous. She had flowing, platinum blonde hair that ended in natural ringlets, with a pale and flawless complexion, as well as a slim build and cobalt blue eyes. She was a typical magazine cover model, and she knew it, too.
The only difference about her and those models was that she wasn't a b**** about her appearance. She didn't purposely try and make others feel inferior because of her stunning looks. I had long since learned to not be jealous of Lyla, though there were points when I couldn't help but feel envious of her.
"All right class," Professor Kettleburn announced, glancing at all of our red and grimy faces, "that's enough for today. We'll continue the lesson on Thursday."
A chorus of relief swept through the class, and I gathered up my satchel, slinging the bag over my shoulder as Lyla began to ramble on, aware that I wasn't paying attention, but not possessing enough low self-esteem to care. As we walked up the beaten path to Hogwarts, I allowed my thoughts to wander as Lyla's voice became like a quiet buzz in the back of my mind, ever present, but never ceasing or changing in tone.
Finally, my lack of attention must've cut through the blonde's rough exterior. As we entered the castle, Lyla suddenly snapped her fingers in front of my eyes. "CJ! Earth to Corina…Corina Jalyn!"
The use of my given and middle name made me frown at her, and she grinned, knowing she now had the floor. "As I was saying, I had this dream last night that involved a dancing house-elf and whipped-cream pancakes-"
The look on my face made her crack up, and I smacked her arm. "That's not funny!"
"That's what you get for not paying attention!"
I grumbled before rolling my eyes. "So what were you really saying, then?"
Lyla walked confidently, but swung her arms at her sides to seem casual. The gesture would've made me seem awkward, but somehow, she pulled it off.
"I was asking you what your Fifth Year's resolution was."
"Oh."
Great, now I felt like a horrible best friend. The Year's Resolutions (as we so smartly decided to call it) was something that we made up back in Second Year. At the start of every new year at Hogwarts, we would ask each other this question. We would then have to answer, and if the resolution came true by the time summer rolled around, we would gladly treat each other to a meaningful gift that would help us remember our resolution, and that it was achieved.
So far I had achieved only one resolution, and had a chocolate covered strawberry necklace to show for it. Don't ask what the resolution was about.
Lyla on the other hand had two gifts. One was a pin that said 'Transfiguration Master' and the other was a stuffed barn owl plushy.
Still a little miffed that she had toyed with me earlier and hadn't assisted me in feeding the fire crabs, I sucked in a breath and smirked before speaking in a horrible imitation of Lyla's voice.
"My Fifth Year's Resolution is to actually pass my OWLS!" Was my cheeky reply. The comment elicited a scowl, and Lyla tossed her head in a dramatic manner, her blonde waves bouncing elegantly off her shoulders.
"Really CJ? Really? I sound nothing like that, first of all, and that not my resolution. Get serious. That's something Lily would say, for sure. Not you."
I smiled, for it truly was something the vivacious redhead might suggest. But Lily didn't know of the Year's Resolutions. This was something just between Lyla and I.
"I dunno, Lyla. A lot of things could happen. I mean, we're only a month into term. But.." I stared at my hands as we walked. "I guess my resolution would be to finally ride a broomstick again."
Now, let me explain. Sure, I've been on a broom before. Once actually. When we had our flying lesson in our First Year. But that's it. Stuff happened on that day concerning me and a gargoyle that I would rather not discuss. Ever since, I've refused to get back on a broom. Maybe this year will change that.
Lyla didn't show sympathy, which I appreciated. She instead nodded before speaking. "My resolution is to date a guy for longer than three months."
I let out loud cough and stared at her, a smirk plastered to my face. "Well, I guess I can plan on spending my pocket money on myself this year."
I ducked the swing she took at me and tightened the grip on my satchel. She gave me her signature 'Lyla Look', with her lips in a thin line and a crease in her forehead.
"You're so unsupportive, child. It could happen!"
"I know you, Lyla. It ain't happening."
With a final roll of her eyes she pushed the double doors open, and I almost ran towards the Gryffindor table as mouth-watering aromas filled my nostrils. It took all of my self-control to not steal a plate of chicken from a second year as they delicately munched on a dinner roll.
My stomach growled, and I plopped down on the bench beside Lily, Lyla taking a seat on my other side. I piled my plate high with mashed potatoes, corn, steak, bread, gravy, and anything else within my immediate reach, earning disgusted glances from both of the females seated next to me.
"One day you're going to blow up like a balloon and be too fat to float." Lily admonished, staring in horror at my potato filled cheeks.
At least I had the decency to swallow before replying.
"Hi to you too, Lils."
"She's right, though." Lyla commented, taking a bite from her chicken sandwich. "I don't know how you look so good with such terrible eating habits. Not to mention your midnight strolls to the kitchens."
I forced down the too-large piece of steak I had cut, and was getting ready to speak when Lily suddenly gasped, staring at my hands.
"Merlin's pants! CJ, what happened to your hands?"
I almost choked on my steak, but Lyla thwacked me on the back, and I swallowed the meat before gasping out a response, my eyes watering. "Pants, Lily? Merlin's pants? Whatever happened to just saying bloody hell?"
Lily frowned, her lips pursed. "Oh, don't you start. What happened to your hands?"
"Kettleburn happened." Lyla answered, and I nodded in agreement before shooting her a meaningful glance.
"Though you were an asset as well, if I recall, Miss Mathers."
Lyla stuck out her tongue, and Lily still looked confused, so I decided to take pity on her and give her a better in-depth explanation.
"Professor Kettleburn brought in twelve fire crabs for today's lesson. Our goal was to feed them a whole cabbage with minimal to no burns. And it would've been okay, too, if somebody had decided to pull their weight and take a few hits."
"I've already tolled you, hon," Lyla chided airily, "I don't do smoking hairstyles."
"Of course you don't," I muttered.
Lily gave us both exasperated looks and shook her head. "I'll help you with the burns later in our dorm."
Lyla and I stared. "How do you plan on doing that?"
The look she gave us made a shiver go down my spine. "I want to be a Healer, remember? I may have gotten a few books over the summer with some basic beginners spells."
"And you want to test your skills on me? What am I, a puppet?"
"Please, CJ?"
"Sorry Lils, but it's not going to happen! There's no way in Merlin's pants I'm going to become an experiment gerbil! What if you jinx off my fingers?"
She pouted, jutting out her lower lip. My eye twitched, and I let my head fall into my hands as I felt my resolve break away. "Fine. But I swear on Godric Gryffindor, if I am rendered incapable of brushing my teeth, so help me you are going to become my personal rag doll."
Lily grinned cheekily. "Deal! Thanks CJ."
I waved my hand. "Yeah, yeah."
I shoveled down the rest of my lunch, but a loud howl of laughter from further along the Gryffindor table made my head shoot up in curiosity. The noise was coming from none other than Sirius Black, and he was doubled over clutching his stomach as the other Marauders all began to laugh as well, Peter pointing gleefully at the Slytherin table.
What I saw made me chuckle, but I didn't dare do anymore. Lily would have my neck.
Right before my watchful eyes, the Slytherins all turned to flames. Not literally, of course. Their hair becomes a mixture of maroon and bright gold, giving off the illusion of fire. But this isn't what breaks my careful composure and sends Lyla and I into hysterics like the rest of the Gryffindors already had.
It's when they start burping "I love Gryffindor" in tones ranging from high and squeaky to low and drawn out that I'm clutching onto my sides as Lyla rests her head on my shoulder, trying, and failing, to stifle her laughter. I even think Lily starts to crack a smile, but I blink and the twitch of her lips is gone to be replaced by a snotty scowl. Typical Lily. Before she can storm down the table to reprimand the Marauders, McGonagall steps in and beats her to the punch.
"POTTER! BLACK!" Funny how she always seems to leave out Lupin and Pettigrew. As if they had no involvement whatsoever which, by the way, is completely untrue. Usually Lupin is the mastermind behind every prank, and I've heard that Peter isn't too bad at coming up with some actual rib-tickling ideas. But you never know. Sometimes Potter and Black really are the only ones to pull the strings. Apparently they call it 'going rogue' from the 'Marauders'. Completely clever in their eyes while Lily finds it 'idiotic'. I'm not quite sure who I agree with most, though.
McGonagall goes off in a rage at the two, and I tune out her voice as I sling my satchel over my shoulder, catching the words 'detention' and 'trouble' as I rise from my seat. Lily and Lyla both give me curious looks, and I shrug. "It's a long walk to Herbology. I'm guessing you'll just catch up?"
"Sure, sure." Lyla nods and Lily takes another bite from her buttered toast as I turn, ready to leave the Great Hall when I stumble backwards, having slammed into someone heading in the same direction. My eyes shoot up and meet those of Sirius Black.
"Sorry," he mumbles, barely sparing a glance at me before walking off with the rest of the Marauders like nothing had happened.
"Ugh, rude." Lyla seethes, but I wave her off, not angry at Black's lack of manners.
"At least he has enough decency to apologize."
Lyla scrunches her nose and rolls her eyes. "Hardly."
I shake my head, an amused smile on my face before I turn away once more and head towards the greenhouse.
-TIME SKIP-
The heat was almost unbearable as later after Herbology, Lyla and I began our ascent to the Divination classroom. Even though Hogwarts was a magical school with vanishing ink and moving staircases, they obviously weren't magical enough to provide the school with a proper air condition system. Figures.
I climbed the ladder with Lyla on my heels as we pushed into the classroom, Professor Twilly glancing briefly at us, disinterested, even though we obviously had arrived late and interrupted the lesson.
This is why I think, for once, Lyla and I were smarter than Lily. We took Divination with easy-going Professor Twilly while she drowned herself in Arithmency and Ancient Runes. For someone so smart, I sometimes have to wonder what goes on in that brain of hers. Maybe it's a redhead thing.
We sat down at our usual table and immediately began to zone out, the heat becoming even more intolerable as Professor Twilly refused to crack a window even just the slightest bit.
"Stupid git." Lyla hissed, her cheeks genuinely turning pink. "Oh no, the windows must stay closed to capture the astounding aura of mystery in the air! Give me a frickin break!"
I let out a rather un-lady like snort, and Professor Twilly shot around so quick the wind could've cut my cheeks like kitchen knives.
"You know the answer, Miss Brightly?"
My mouth must've looked something like a fish's as I gaped at him. Luckily for me, though, Black's voice rose up from where he and the rest of the Marauders were seated.
"Who's Brightly? Isn't that a Third Year?" The look of honest confusion on his face would've wounded my pride if I had truly given a damn about whether or not he knew who I was. Fortunately for me, I didn't give a damn, so my pride was still most definitely in tact.
I think at least half the class laughed at Black's clueless face, but I couldn't help but notice that the other half seemed to agree with him. Who was Brightly? Was there such a person at this school?
I had to admit, that did put a dent in my pride.
I was always shy around everyone except for Lily and Lyla, sure. That was the way it went. Lily was the smart, demanding one, Lyla was the pretty, ostentatious one, and I was CJ, the quiet, sometimes sarcastic one. I knew that I had a tendency to not speak in public (or to anyone at all, really), but the fact that fellow classmates whom I had gone to school with for almost five years now had no inkling of who I was, well, that was enough to bruise anyone, I'm sure.
"Mr. Black, please stop asking such idiotic questions."
Professor Twilly's remark immediately put a smile on my face, though it disappeared as I noticed that Lupin was inclining his head towards me with Black following his friend's gaze. So boy genius was showing his dumb friend who I was. Great.
Luckily the disruption had caused Professor Twilly to forget about me, and he turned back to the lesson. For the next hour Lyla and I endured scorching heat, tea leaves, and death sentences. Fun? Not even close.
I felt like a kid on the last day of school when class finally ended. In my hast to pack I dropped my quill and was ready to reach down and grab it when a swift hand beat me to it.
Lupin was standing before me, Black, Potter, and Pettigrew with him.
"Here," Lupin said, handing over my quill, "I think you dropped this."
I gave him a smile and took the quill back. "Thanks Lupin."
"Don't mention it Corina."
I cringed, and Lupin seemed to understand. "Sorry. What do you usually go by?"
"Brightly is fine."
Lupin nodded and gestured with his hand back at the rest of the Marauders. "Well, Brightly, this is-"
"Trust me, I know who the Marauders are, Lupin. Everyone does." I gave him a slight grin before turning back to Lyla, whose gaze was fixed on Lupin's face.
I could see the look in her eyes and had to hold back a groan. Sadly for Lupin, he was caught in Lyla's radar. I actually felt bad for the guy. He was the most tolerable out of all the Marauders.
Before Lyla had a chance to flirt though, Black's voice penetrated the air. "Are you new?"
He was staring curiously at me, and I clenched my teeth. Didn't Lupin explain to him who I was during the lesson?
"No," I retorted, crossing my arms, "Are you ignorant?"
Potter, Pettigrew, and Lupin didn't bother to hide their snorts as I continued to stare incredulously at Black. "You bumped into me after lunch today, remember?" The blank look he gave me in return was enough to make me let out a frustrated sigh. Was there no way to break through his thick skull?
"Never mind." I muttered, grabbing Lyla's wrist and tugging her out of the classroom. For the next few weeks, I would question how Black passed his exams every year with such a pea sized brain as his.
Author's Note: So, what did you think? I know it isn't very exciting (it is, after all, the first chapter), but I needed to set you guys up with a basic idea of who CJ and Lyla are, and what there relationship is with the Marauders at this point in time. Obviously (or maybe not so obviously, depending on how well I portrayed my point) the girls aren't close with the guys, and seldom talk to them at all. But fear not, this will change as the story progresses. All I ask of you now is to click that magical little button you see before you.
Sincerely,
Blue
