I scanned the platform, not nearly as excited for the start of my seventh year as I felt I should have been. The Hogwarts Express continued to blech steam over the people that were all jammed together, trying to get onto the train.
"See anything?" James asked adjusting his glasses and continuing to search. He was a tall skinny boy with messy black hair and hazel eyes that were distracted as he looked over the crowd.
"Since you asked me thirty seconds ago?" I asked having to keep myself from rolling my eyes. "No."
"Where is she?" he asked looking disappointed, and I tried not to sound too hopeful as I said.
"Maybe she changed her mind."
"No, I know she's here. She said would be. She wouldn't lie."
I glanced at him, an eyebrow raised and he grinned slightly.
"Well, she wouldn't lie to me."
'Well that's true.' I thought blandly. I wouldn't trust Becca as far as I could throw her, but if there was one person she'd do anything to see it was James. Still… part of me was hoping she wouldn't come. I didn't want to see Becca. Things were always such a nightmare with her, not that I could tell James. He put her on a pedestal. He'd never hear a word against her.
"Damn," he muttered looking at his watch. "Sirius, I gotta go. I'm supposed to give the prefects the new passwords. Do you mind looking for her?"
"Fine." I said sourly and he grinned.
"Thanks mate. I'll meet you back in the compartment later."
"Alright."
I watched as he made his way towards the front of the train and was swallowed by the crowd, staring at the place he vanished for a moment, then sighed, and turned to continue looking for Becca.
Rebecca Potter was James's cousin. She was as devious as James, which was probably why they got along so well, but a million times more annoying. I'd only ever met her a few times. Her parents had sent her to Beauxbatons instead of Hogwarts, but we'd run into each other when we'd both been visiting James over school holidays and whenever she was around, I couldn't get rid of her.
It was obvious she was obsessed with me, but even if she hadn't been related to my best friend she'd never be my type. She was a cry baby, she had a temper and worst of all, she never stopped talking. I tried to put up with her for as long as I possibly could, for James's sake, but finally, in my fifth year I'd had enough. I told her off and I wasn't very nice about it. I hadn't seen her since that night almost two years ago, and now that she was back, I was starting to regret some of the things I had said.
'It wasn't as if it wasn't true.' I thought a little guiltily continuing to push through the crowd. 'She had been super annoying.'
Even still, I wasn't looking forward to whatever karma had in store for me now that I had to see her again. So, resigned to my fate, I started to walk down the platform again ready to look for the short dorky girl with acne and glasses. What I found however, was far more appealing.
Standing by the magical barrier that led to the muggle world, was an extremely pretty girl with long dark hair that fell to her waist, hazel eyes, and an expression that looked somewhat familiar…
Forgetting about my promise to James, I walked over to the girl feeling a smile make its way onto my face.
"Hi." I said confidently stopping next to her. "Do I know you?"
She glanced up at me and looked a little annoyed.
"Very funny," she said rolling her eyes.
"I wasn't joking." I continued as she raised an eyebrow at me, clearly unimpressed. "I'm sure we've met before."
"You can stop now."
"I'm serious." I insisted and she looked even more irritated.
"I know that."
"No, I mean I seriously feel like I know you. Wait…" I frowned. "How do you know my name?"
The look she gave me was hard to explain. It was uncertain for a moment, but my confidence increased as slowly, she started to smile.
"You don't know who I am?" she asked questioningly stepping closer to me.
"Should I?" I asked playfully. "I think I'd remember someone who looks like you."
"Someone who looks like me eh?" she said and her smile grew, but it was sly. Not the kind of smile that I was used to from girls. While extremely attractive, there was something about her expression that made my stomach sink.
"I guess I shouldn't be surprised." She continued with a feigned sigh. "After all what were the last words you said to me?"
My body turned to ice. Suddenly, I knew that grin.
"Oh right." Her voice was sickly sweet. "Who could ever like an ugly, annoying little troll like me?"
"Becca." I said in horror and she grinned again.
"Hi Sirius."
"You look… different."
At this she laughed.
"Merlin you're such a prat." She said between breaths. "Were you actually trying to hit on me?"
I felt my cheeks flush as anger shot through me.
"I don't know what you're laughing." I snapped. "It's what you always wanted right?"
It was her turn to blush and I found I took some satisfaction in it.
"Get over yourself." She said crossing her arms over her chest. "Where's James?"
"He had to go on the train." I said flatly and she looked disappointed.
"So he stuck me with you?"
"Yeah I'm just as thrilled about it as you are."
"Why did he have to go on the train?"
"He had to meet with the prefects."
At this she looked confused.
"Why?"
"You're as nosey as ever aren't you?" I asked still annoyed and she glared at me.
"And you're still a git." She snapped. "I guess neither of us have changed."
"I guess not." I said, glowering right back.
She looked as if she wanted to respond, but suddenly, someone shouted over the noise of the crowd and she was tackled into a hug.
"Becca!"
"Blimey James," she laughed and suddenly, she was wearing a genuine smile. "Let me breathe!"
He let go of her still beaming, but looked at me.
"Thanks for finding her mate."
"I thought you were supposed to be on the train." I said with a frown.
"I was but Lily said she would take over while I looked for Becs."
"Lily?" Becca asked with interest. "Is this the Lily I've heard so much about?"
"Yep." James said brightly and she looked at him bemused.
"What were you doing with her? I thought she hated you."
"She used to hate me." He said beaming. "But she's the Head Girl." He continued tapping a badge on the front of his robes. "So we sort of have to get along now."
"No way." Becca said looking at the badge, her mouth falling open in horror. "Who in their right mind would make you Head Boy?"
"Dumbledore." James answered with a shrug.
"Is he insane?"
He shrugged again.
"Maybe."
"Does this mean you're going to be all boring now?" Becca asked looking disappointed. "I expected to have a crazy year now that we're back together again."
"Oh relax Becs we'll have plenty of fun, but I've got to run." He turned to me. "Sirius, could you take her back to the compartment with the others?"
"Yeah, sure." I said reluctantly, but he didn't seem to notice.
"Thanks." he grinned. "I'll see you two later ok?"
"Alright." We said in unison and Becca waited before he was out of ear range before turning to me.
"So, you still do whatever he tells you to." She asked with a grin and a stab of anger went through me.
"Shut up Becca."
"I think it's cute." She said in a baby voice. "He's like the brother you always wanted."
"I said shut up." I snarled and she looked a little guilty as a tense silence passed between us.
"Sorry." She said eventually.
"Whatever, let's just get on the train."
She looked as if she wanted to say something more, but eventually she shrugged, grabbed her school trunk, and together we made our way off the platform.
"So what are you doing here Becca?" I asked as we pushed our way through the various students that were walking up and down the train.
Something of my anger must have creeped into my tone because when she spoke, hers was irritated.
"Merlin Sirius, don't go out of your way to make me feel welcome."
"That's not an answer to my question." I pressed continuing to make my way to the back of the train, Becca close behind me.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" she asked. "I'm going to school."
"You don't go to Hogwarts." I said with a frown. "You go to Beauxbatons."
"Not anymore."
"Why not?" I asked glancing over my shoulder at her.
She didn't answer and it was hard to read her expression. Her face was smooth, devoid of emotion but something in her eyes made me suspicious.
"They kicked you out, didn't they?" I asked shrewdly and her eyes flashed.
"Shut up Sirius." She snapped and I felt a surge of satisfaction go through me as I smirked.
"What'd you do?"
"Who says I did anything?"
"Because it's you." I said turning back down the corridor.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
I didn't answer this but privately thought there had to be a reason Becca was here, and knowing her, it wasn't an innocent one. She must have gotten into some sort of trouble. There was no other explanation why she'd just turn up now after all this time.
"Is it so hard to believe I just wanted to go to school with my cousin?" she asked when I didn't respond.
"If that was the case you would have done it before now."
I heard her make an irritated noise.
"Let's just get to the compartment and get this over with." She said darkly.
We walked in silence towards the back of the train, occasionally jostled by the other students when we bumped into them.
We finally stopped outside the very last compartment, where a short chubby boy with blonde hair and watery blue eyes was attempting to put his trunk on the luggage rack.
"Thank Merlin you're here." Peter said as I stepped into the compartment. "Can you help me with…" but his voice faded as his eyes landed on Becca. "Who is this?"
"Peter is Becca." I said gesturing towards Becca without looking at her. "And why don't you just use magic to lift the trunk?"
He went red and muttered something about not wanting to bother, but I knew better. Peter wasn't the best at magic. He often tried to avoid doing simple spells like this.
"Here." I said taking my wand out of my pocket and giving it a flick. Peter had to duck as his trunk swung up and landed itself in the luggage rack with a solid 'thunk'.
"So you're James's cousin?" Peter said looking at Becca with interest as I took a seat and felt my eyes narrow at the two of them.
"Yeah." She said smiling at him and he flushed an even deeper shade of red.
"You don't look anything like Sirius described." He said.
"Really?" she asked raising an eyebrow and glancing at me. "How was I described?"
"Well…"
"Shut up Peter." I said irritated and he looked a bit awkward but Becca threw me an annoyed look.
"What's got you in such a bad mood?"
"Nothing." I said not looking at her but out the window.
I could feel her eyes on me but refused to meet her gaze. Eventually I heard her and Peter start a conversation, and after a few minutes, I chanced a glance at Becca in the compartment's reflection in the window.
She really did look very different. Seeing her brought up so many emotions I wasn't exactly sure what I felt, but what I did know was that I wasn't happy she was here. It was going to be a long year.
Rpov
I felt a bit guilty for bringing up Sirius's brother, I knew it was a sensitive subject for him but the guilt didn't last long. Not when he was acting like such a brat. He'd never been able to handle people who forced him to deal with his emotions, and it looked as if that hadn't changed.
Sirius was exactly as I remembered him, tall, dark hair, gray eyes. Extremely handsome, with that indefinable air around him that all the popular kids had. As if being cool came so naturally to him, he didn't have to try. It was irritating. Almost as irritating as the fact that he was blatantly ignoring me as we waited for James to find the compartment. But if Sirius didn't want to talk to me I wasn't going to force him to. In fact, it suited me quite well if he didn't.
I continued to talk with his friend Peter while Sirius pouted and glared out the window. We'd just gotten on the subject of quidditch when the compartment door opened and James entered with a boy of average height, light brown hair, and honey colored eyes.
"Ah excellent. You found each other." James said brightly, flopping into the seat next to Sirius who was still staring out of the window. "What's up mate?"
"Nothing." Sirius said moodily without looking at him and I saw James raise his eyebrows, but eventually he shrugged and turned back to the boy who'd walked in with him.
"Right, Remus, this is my cousin Becca, Becca this is Remus." He said gesturing towards the boy.
"So you're James's cousin." He said with interest as he held out his hand for me to shake, which I took.
"That's me." I said grinning.
Now that I'd gotten a proper look at him, I saw he was rather attractive. Not in the devastatingly handsome without trying way that Sirius was, but he was nice to look at. He'd already changed into his school robes, and I noticed a prefect's badge was pinned to the front of them.
"So you're the good one of the bunch." I said grinning gesturing to the badge and he scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"I guess if you want to put it that way…"
At this James let out a laugh.
"Oh please Becca, there's not an innocent person in this compartment, and that includes you."
"Says the Head Boy." I said and he rolled his eyes.
"How long are you going to hold that over my head?"
"Until you prove me wrong." I said and he grinned.
"I accept that challenge."
The next few hours I spent joking with James and listening to any and everything the boys would tell me about Hogwarts. I was excited to get to the castle and start my year with James, but there was just one problem. Sirius spent the whole journey in a huffy, irritable mood, and was raining on everyone's parade. Part of me wanted to hex him, but I knew I couldn't do it, not with James around at least.
I was just walking back from the bathroom where I'd changed into my robes, when the train jostled, and I bumped into a girl out in the corridor.
"Sorry." I said automatically.
"Well look what we have here."
I felt my blood go cold.
I looked up to see a tall girl with dark hair and arrogant good looks. She'd just stepped out of the compartment to my left and was smiling, but her eyes were cold as she slid the compartment door open farther, to reveal several boys sitting in the compartment. I didn't know much about Hogwarts yet, but from what James had said in his letters and what the boys had told me on the train so far, it was obvious that the green on their robes meant they were Slytherins.
"A blood traitor, oh so very alone." Her lower lip jutted out in a babying expression that no one would have believed. "You want to be careful Rebecca. Some people might not be so happy to see you here you know. Not after what happened with you and the mudblood."
"Shut up Bellatrix." I snarled, reaching for my wand. "Don't use that disgusting word around me."
"Now that isn't very nice." She said her voice carrying in a lazy drawl. "Where's your manners Potter?"
I ignored this and she grinned.
"You know I'm a little surprised to see you here." She continued derisively. "After what happened at your last school…"
I felt a pang of fear, cold as ice, go through me.
"I don't know what you're talking about." I said stiffly and she let out laugh.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about. Everyone knows. I'm just surprised you have the guts to show your face here that's all."
"Leave me alone."
"Does your cousin know?" she asked delicately and I froze.
"Shut up." I muttered quietly, looking away from her but feeling my teeth clench.
"He doesn't, does he?" she asked cruelly. "What a shame it would be if he were to find out…"
I lifted my wand.
"I said keep your mouth shut."
"Becca?"
I jumped and both Bellatrix and I looked over my shoulder to see Sirius walking down the corridor, frowning slightly.
"Becca what are you doing?"
But his eyes landed on my wand and he started to jog, looking concerned.
"What are you…" but his sentence faded when he spotted Bellatrix and anger crossed his features.
"What's going on?" he asked furiously.
"Nothing." I said lowering my wand. Now that I was no longer alone, Bellatrix looked less confident.
"I'll see you around blood traitor." she sneered backing into her compartment.
"Shut up Bellatrix." Sirius and I said in unison, and he looked at me in surprise.
She looked between us for a moment, something calculated in her eyes. She then smirked and shut the compartment door.
"You know my cousin?" Sirius asked looking down at me.
"What are you doing out here?" I asked ignoring his question to ask my own.
"I was looking for the food trolley. What was going on?"
"Nothing." I said trying to push passed him.
"Hold on a second."
He caught my hand.
On instinct, I turned with my wand raised, directing it at his heart and his eyes went wide.
"Let me go." I snapped and he released me.
"Blimey Becca." He said putting his hands in the air and giving me a strange look. "What is going on with you?"
I thought carefully about what I wanted to say, but before things could escalate, I heard.
"Oi! Becs!"
We both turned to see James walking down the corridor.
I quickly lowered my wand.
"Yeah?"
"I've been looking for you. You've been ages. Did you forget where our compartment was?"
"She-" Sirius started obviously about to explain what had happened with Bellatrix, but I elbowed him and quickly cut across his sentence with.
"Yeah, sorry." I gave him a sheepish grin and pretended to be embarrassed. "Guess I just got turned around."
"No problem." He said with an easy smile. "I guess it's a good thing you ran into Sirius."
"Yeah." I said making sure not to look at Sirius. I could feel his eyes on me and the last thing I wanted to do was talk. Especially to him.
"Well, let's head back." James said, he then looked at his friend. "Did you find the trolley?"
"No." Sirius said his voice quiet.
I couldn't resist, I looked at him anxiously but he didn't mention what had happened. I guess like me, he didn't want to talk about people like Bellatrix around James. Well, that was something at least.
"Too bad," James said shrugging, clearly oblivious to the tension passing between Sirius and I. "Oh well, we'll be there soon. You can eat at the feast."
"Yeah." Sirius agreed and we followed James down the train back to the compartment.
I didn't pay much attention to the boys' conversation as we finished the journey to Hogwarts. I caught random subjects between their laughter, quidditch, classes, girls. I contributed when James looked at me, but I tried to ignore Sirius, who didn't seem to be in much of a talking mood either. I could tell he had questions about what had happened between Bellatrix. Questions I didn't want to answer.
'Why did he have to run into me then?' I thought bitterly. 'Could the timing have been worse?'
I hoped he wouldn't pry. Sirius was pretty self-absorbed unless something involved his friends. I was hoping that this would shield me from too many questions as the train slowed to a stop outside Hogsmead station, but I was disheartened that it didn't.
James and Remus had gone ahead to help organize the younger students as they exited the train, and Peter had gotten lost in the swell of people moving towards the carriages that took us up to the school. Just as I stepped down onto the station platform, I felt something grab my shoulder and pull me away from the crowd.
"What?" I asked irritated turning to see Sirius looking down at me with suspicious eyes.
"What was going on with you and Bellatrix earlier?" he asked in an undertone so the people around us wouldn't hear us.
"Nothing." I said avoiding his gaze.
"That didn't seem like nothing."
"I don't see how it's any of your business." I countered, glaring at him this time. "Or why you'd care."
This clearly irritated him.
"I don't care." He snapped. "But you're James's cousin. He wouldn't like it if you were messing with Bellatrix and her friends."
"It's not really James's business." I said coldly and I could tell this surprised him, but I went on the offensive before he could react. "And it's not yours. So butt out Sirius. Leave me alone."
His expression darkened.
"Fine, if that's what you want. I'm only too happy to."
I glared at him.
"Good."
He gave me one last look of disgust then turned to make his way towards the carriages, not bothering to look back to see if I was following. I stood there, watching him go feeling anger and fear pulse through me along with the faintest twinge of regret.
'Don't start with that.' I thought irritated with myself then started following the rest of the students after Sirius.
'Why would he care?' I thought savagely as I was jostled by the crowd.
'He doesn't.' My thoughts continued in fury. 'He even said he didn't.'
Anger burned through me but still I couldn't dispel the tiniest bit of regret, as I realized that part of me still wished that he did.
"Get a grip Becca." I muttered to myself so softly I knew no one, despite the fact we were packed tightly on the platform, would hear me.
I knew the only reason Sirius gave any semblance of a damn about me was because of James. If James wasn't in the picture, Sirius would want nothing to do with me. Well, he still didn't want anything to do with me, but at least he wasn't overt about it with James around.
I shook my head but forced these thoughts from my mind as I spotted the boys waiting by a carriage, they weren't helpful to anyone. James waved to catch my attention and I put on a smile, ready to force it for the rest of the night.
The feast went better than I expected. I was sorted into Gryffindor and I spent most of dinner talking to James, Remus, and Peter. I could feel Sirius watching me occasionally, obviously still wondering about Bellatrix, but I ignored him.
At the end of the night, I found myself in my dormitory, with four other girls, all seventh years and Gryffindors as well.
I'd just put on my pajamas when one of them, a pretty girl with long red hair and bright green eyes came up to me.
"Hey, it's Rebecca, right?" she asked and I nodded. "You're James's cousin."
"Yeah." I said noticing two of the girls across the room, both blonde, turn to look at me with obvious interest.
"I'm Lily." She said kindly holding her hand out to shake.
"So, you're the famous Lily Evans." I said with a grin and she looked at me, obviously confused.
I felt my smile grow.
"James talks about you a lot." I explained and the girl on the bed behind her laughed as Lily flushed bright red.
"Shut up Mary." Lily mumbled at the girl and I looked at her.
She had long curly brown hair and bright blue eyes that were looking at Lily with amusement.
"This is Mary," Lily said obviously noticing me look at the girl. "Mary MacDonald. And those two are Tess and Tanya Sarley."
The two blonds waved politely. It was obvious they were related, though the girl on the left had bright blue eyes and the girl on the right had brown eyes.
"I'm Tess." The girl with blue eyes said smiling.
"I'm Tanya." The other one said with an almost identical grin.
Both girls were extremely pretty and seemed good natured, though I could tell they weren't as close to Lily as Mary was.
"So." Tess said giving a shrewd look. "You're James's cousin."
She'd stated it as a fact, not as a question and I wondered where she was going with this.
"Yeah." I said cautiously.
"So that means you know Sirius." Tanya said eagerly.
Lily groaned and Mary rolled her eyes.
"I guess." I said with a shrug and feeling a frown appear on my face. "I haven't spent that much time with him."
"Yeah but you know him, right?" Tanya pressed.
"A little." I said started to feel a little uncomfortable with the way that they were looking at me and wondering why they were suddenly giggling. "Why?"
"The twins are obsessed with Sirius." Lily explained.
"What's he like?" Tess said ignoring Lily and Mary's exasperated looks.
"I dunno," is said definitely uncomfortable now. "You've had classes with him. You probably know him better than I do."
"He never talks to us." Tess sighed.
"He actually pays attention to you." Tanya said a little wistfully and I frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"He kept looking at you all through dinner. Everyone saw." Tanya said enviously.
I didn't know what to say to this so I said nothing at all, instead I pretended to continue unpack my trunk without really seeing what I was taking out.
"So?" they asked in unison and I looked back at them.
"So what?"
"What is he like?" Tess continued eagerly and I turned away from them, uncertain what to say. How could I describe Sirius in something as simple as words? So many feelings bubbled to the surface when I thought of him, that I didn't know how to react. Anger, bitterness, frustration… and something else.
I shook my head and forced them away. I wasn't doing this again.
"Honestly...He's a bit of a prat." I muttered.
Next to me, Lily and Mary laughed.