AN: Hello, all. I've started a new story! I'm very excited for it so let me know your thoughts and ideas in a review! All feedback is welcome, the good, the bad, and the ugly!
Chapter 1
It was a cold December night in 1974. It was the type of cold that no matter how long you sat by the fireplace or the amount of firewhisky you drank, you just couldn't seem to rid yourself of the teeth chattering and chills that accompanied it. The streets of muggle London were littered with Christmas decorations and delicate snowflakes were falling from the sky heavily, landing on the roof tops of the crowded flats downtown.
Katherine Anne Selwyn leaned her petite form against an icy brick wall, staring stonily at the small grungy pub across the street. She took a long and desperate drag from the cigarette that she held shakily in her gloved hand. A couple of drunk muggle men who were avoiding going home to their wives and children called out to her from across the way.
"'Ello, beautiful! Fancy a smoke?" One called to the thirteen year old girl, while the other whistled at her as if she were some kind of mutt. Katherine crinkled her nose in disgust at the piggish men, who were no doubt in their late forties.
"No thank you, gentlemen." She replied snootily, waving her own fag in the air with contempt, "As you can see, I'm set." Katherine was almost brave to the point of sheer stupidity, and never seemed to think things through. Her attitude and reckless actions always seemed to do more harm then good in the majority of situations. The two muggle men were offended by the young girl's hostility.
"Oi, you little trollop, no need to be rude." One shouted back at her, his words slurred together but there was no mistaking the malice in his tone. The other man stared at her hungrily, he looked as if he wasn't even paying attention to the words being said by his bickering friend and the teenage girl across the street. All he was interested in was how the young girl would look without all those layers covering her small but curvy frame.
"Piss off, you manky old men," Katherine muttered. The men couldn't make out the words she had uttered, but could tell by the attitude that so obviously accompanied her expression and words, that it was nothing polite.
"Maybe we should teach the little slag a lesson," The man who had been quietly eyeing Katherine said gleefully to his angry drunk friend, who stumbled a bit upon hearing his voice.
"You hear that, little trollop? We're coming to teach you a little thing about respect!" The two men started to cross the street towards Katherine, who then realized that antagonizing a couple of men outside of a grimy pub hadn't been her best idea.
"Oi, my brother's right inside. He's a big brawny fellow, not the kind of git you'd like to cross." Katherine said, cocking an eyebrow, trying to maintain her confident posture. The men laughed, they were getting closer to her, she noticed, their appearances lit up by the flickering street lights. Their coats were tattered, and they gave off the impression of desperately needing a wash.
"Oh really, where's he at then?" The first one laughed, mockingly. She grasped her wand from inside her coat pocket, cursing under her breath something about a "trace" and a "ministry" of something or other, which the men thought nothing of.
"Benjy," Katherine bellowed, edging her way in the opposite direction of the men who were snickering again, "Benjamin Selwyn," she tried again, before taking off in a complete sprint, surprising the men and causing them to chase after her, shouting. She knew her brother was somewhere in the bar but he was nowhere outside, and the boisterous noise from inside most definitely would prevent him from hearing her calls for help.
Katherine ran as fast as her short legs would carry her, her breath ragged in her ears. The cold made it even harder for her to get air. Why hadn't she just stayed home? She should have sucked it up and ignored her mum and dad, and stayed in her room like a good girl. She darted from alley to alley, trying to disappear into the maze that was downtown London. The only thing keeping the men from catching up to her was their drunkenness, which inevitably slowed them down considerably.
As Katherine rounded another corner she felt a firm grasp tighten around her arm, thinking it was one of the men from the bar she prepared to let out a bloodcurdling screech just as a large hand positioned itself on top of her mouth. Whoever it was pulled her into a door on the side of the building she was passing.
"Shut the fuck up, Selwyn." She heard a familiar voice hiss in her ear. She bit the hand in surprise, causing whoever it was to yank their hand away and swear violently.
"Sirius Black?" Katherine sputtered in shock, finally placing the voice. It was very dark in wherever he had pulled her off the street, so she couldn't see him at all. "What the hell are you doing here?" Her voice was nothing above a whisper, she pressed her ear against the door, nervously listening for her attempted attackers.
"Saving your arse," Her savior rolled his eyes and then scoffed, "Besides, I live in London."
"But how did you even find me? London's an awfully broad city," Katherine asked, suspiciously. She narrowed her eyes at the boy, although there was no way he could see her in the pitch black, who had all of a sudden became extremely sheepish, his haughty attitude disappearing. "Were you stalking me, Black?" She said, her voice raising a little louder then she meant to. He shushed her angrily, and she grimaced.
"No I was not stalking!" The boy named Sirius replied indignantly. "I just happened to be sitting on my steps when you walked by, and I was curious!" The Black's lived in Number 12 Grimmauld Place, which was only a few blocks from where the Sewelyn family resided. Katherine crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance.
"So you followed me, then?" She snapped back at him. He ignored this comment.
"So this is the thanks I get, huh? You know, for saving your bloody life, Selwyn?" Sirius asked irritably.
"Right," Katherine mumbled apologetically after a brief moment of silence, "thanks for that." Sirius softened a bit.
"Don't mention it," he replied huskily. The pair waited a few more minutes in silence before he spoke again. "Why'd you have to go and get those pervy old tossers all pissed off at you, Selwyn. It's like you're always looking to get yourself killed." He waited readily for her venomous reply but she was silent for so long he must have came to the conclusion that she was ignoring him, and decided to leave the subject alone.
"I was looking for Benjy," Katherine said softly after what seemed like forever, "I've followed him to that bar before, ya know, to see where he goes when he disappears all night." He waited for her to continue, undoubtedly surprised that she was actually explaining her craziness, Katherine Anne Selwyn hardly offered any explanations for her irrational decision making.
"He had just gotten into a huge fight, ya see," Katherine continued, and they could both hear her teeth chattering from the cold, "With Mum and Dad," she quieted for a moment, debating telling Sirius the next bit of a story. "The fight was about me," her tone began to get a little watery, much to her chagrin. "You know how it is, being the only Black to be sorted into Gryffindor, it's like you're a guest in your own house," she swallowed a lump in her throat, "an unwelcome guest."
"I suppose," Sirius replied, sighing. He ran his hands through his wavy dark hair, "Except in my case, I'm more like the dog that shits on the carpet all the time and eats everybody's nice shoes," He said bitterly. Neither of them said anything for a moment.
"Where are we?" Katherine asked, distractedly.
"It's an abandoned toy factory," Sirius said, shivering. "Might have to come back and explore when it's light out. It's a bit creepy, isn't it?"
"Just a bit," Katherine muttered, "I'm imagining old dolls missing their heads, so I'm kind of glad we can't see anything." She contemplated for a moment, "How did you even get in here, Black? It's not like you could use magic to open the door."
Sirius chucked, "I picked it of course," he sounded proud of this fact.
"That fast? Pretty impressive, Black." Katherine said. She didn't need to see him to know he was smirking smugly.
"I am quite impressive, saving the lives of damsels in distress," He chuckled when he heard her scoff.
"Damsel in distress, my arse," She muttered, "I would've been fine on my own." She said, although not completely convinced.
"We can probably get out of here now," Sirius yawned, reaching for the door, "I'll walk you home."
They pushed open the old wooden door and Sirius peered out into the street, making sure nobody was in the old alleyway. "It's clear," he said, grabbing Katherine by the hand and pulling her out into the street. She stiffened visibly at his touch, which he promptly ignored.
"Any idea where we are, Selwyn?" Sirius asked, swaggering down the alleyway in his usual overly confident manner. Katherine sighed and ran her fingers through her thick black hair and thought for a moment, taking in their surroundings.
"Well, I suppose I might've lost track of the number of turns I took," She mumbled, "I suppose we could ask for directions, we can't be too far off."
"Who do you suppose we ask," Sirius rolled his eyes, "It's past midnight, the only people we'll find are drunks." They strolled down the street together, looking for something familiar. It had been a few minutes since Sirius had nonchalantly dropped Katherine's hand, much to her relief. "So," Sirius began after a moment, "Why were your parents fighting with your brother about you?" He asked, curiously. Katherine smirked darkly.
"Why do you care, Black?" She said quietly. Sirius shrugged indifferently.
"I'm just curious what the lovely Katherine Anne Selwyn did this time," He drawled, smirking at her. Katherine had a certain disdain for Sirius Black, not because he was a proud blood traitor, but because of his smug attitude and superiority complex. Either of which could have been due to his account of being an insufferable teenage boy, or a son of the most noble and ancient house of Black.
"My parents were talking about sending me off to Beauxbatons." She stopped walking, slightly shocked and annoyed that she had chosen to share this fact with Sirius Black.
"But why," Sirius frowned, "Besides the fact that it's all the way in France, you've went to Hogwarts your whole life. Everyone knows Hogwarts is the best of the best, as far as schooling goes."
"They've found out I've been socializing with muggleborns, and despise Dumbledore's encouragement for blood equity." Katherine scowled, "I don't want to go to France. I love Hogwarts and my friends." She looked at the ground sadly. "Benjy was able to convince them to let me stay, telling them stories of the Beauxbaton education being inadequate compared to that of Hogwarts, he works high up at the ministry, so they trust his judgement. He said that although Dumbledore's a crackpot muggle lover, that he's one of the most powerful and influential wizards of all time, and that I'll learn the most from his school. So I'm allowed to stay as long as I don't associate with any muggleborns or blood traitors." She looked up at Sirius with tears of fury sparkling in her icy blue eyes. "If they hear of me disobeying their orders I'll be shipped off to France," her tone was mostly monotonous but had a bitter edge to it.
"It's infuriating how they think they can dictate who we talk to, isn't it?" Sirius said quietly after a moment of thinking. "Not only that, but also dictate our ideas, actions, and entire lives all together." His tone was deathly quiet and filled with anger. Katherine nodded sharply, surprised that she was agreeing with the boy about something.
"I love my family, Black." She said quietly, "I just wish I could be who I am without worrying about bringing shame to them, or that they'll stop loving me." They were passing a muggle diner, which must've been open 24 hours. She grabbed Sirius's wrist and pulled him towards the door, relieved to change the subject before he replied to her somewhat intimate remark. "Come on, let's ask for directions in here." He didn't resist, and allowed the small raven haired girl to pull him inside the diner and out of the dark empty street. They sighed happily at the rush of warmth upon entering the dining. It was such a relief to get out of the negative temperatures outside.
"Can I help you?" An old and unamused waitress called from the counter that she was scrubbing. Katherine opened her mouth to answer, but Sirius beat her to it.
"Yes, can we get two cappuccinos?" He drawled, giving her his slightly crooked and flirtatious smile, which Katherine had seen make many girls melt at school. She had to bite her tongue to stop herself from snorting. The waitress, although older, was still not immune to the good looking fifteen year old boy's charm.
"Sure," she sighed, "Give me five minutes, love." Sirius thanked her and led Katherine over to a booth. They were the only ones inside the small diner besides the waitress, an old homeless man sleeping in a corner booth, and a single cook who was cleaning the kitchen.
"I thought we were just asking for directions?" Katherine cocked her eyebrow at him, smirking. Although, she was secretly glad to have an excuse to stay out of the house a bit longer. Sirius shrugged.
"I felt like a cappuccino, so I figured I'd get you one as well."
"Impeccable manners you have, mister Black." She said sarcastically.
"Always, my lady." He smirked at her before pulling her hand up to his mouth and planting a soft kiss on it. Katherine blushed and yanked her hand out of his grasp.
"Keep your revolting lips away from me, Sirius Black." She muttered, annoyed at the undoubted redness her cheeks had acquired. He laughed, rolling his eyes.
"You're so cruel to me, Selwyn. Must I remind you again that I saved your life tonight?" His grey eyes pierced her blue for a moment before she looked down at the table in annoyance.
"How long are you going to hold that over my head?"
"I dare say forever, love." Sirius laughed again as the waitress brought them their cappuccinos. They sipped their drinks in silence, resting their cold hands on the sides of the warm coffee mugs.
"What's it like, being in Gryffindor?" Sirius asked Katherine, making her jump in surprise, she had been staring off out the window in the midst of the comfortable silence.
"Well you know," Katherine blinked in confusion, "You're in Gryffindor too." Sirius rolled his eyes impatiently.
"Well, yes. But I meant for you," He looked into her eyes, waiting. Katherine thought for a moment.
"I love being in Gryffindor." She said curtly. "I've made amazing friends, I love living in the tower, and I don't think I would have been happy being sorted anywhere else." By anywhere else, they both knew she meant Slytherin.
"Why weren't you sorted into Slytherin?" Sirius asked bluntly.
"Why weren't you?" Katherine shot back at him. "And why are you only asking me this now, you didn't seem to care after it happened. Even though we're the only two of the ancient pureblood families to not be sorted into Slytherin in over a century if not longer." Her words were laced with a slight malice, which shocked Sirius. He didn't say anything, he just continued to stare at her curiously.
"We were even sorted into the same house," She hissed angrily, "and you're only just approaching me now about this? You've been in Gryffindor for three and a half years and I have been for two and a half, and you've never approached me about it. Why do you care now?"
"Maybe because I've come to realize over the years, that you're more than just the stuck up pureblood princess that I assumed you were," He said guiltily, causing her to narrow her eyes at him. "And," he continued, "Maybe I was jealous that even though you were sorted into Gryffindor, your family still loved you." This caused Katherine to stare at him in surprise.
"I'm sure your family loves you, Black." She said wearily. He looked her dead in the eyes.
"That's just it, though. They don't." He said in a tone of such finality that she didn't bother to argue with him. After another few minutes of silence in which they finished their cappuccinos, Sirius waved the waitress over and paid for their drinks.
"Excuse me," Katherine said to the old woman who was picking up their empty mugs, "Could you possibly give us directions to Hawthorne Lane in Islington?"
"Sure dear," she grabbed the pen off her apron and a napkin on the table and jotted down some quick directions to the street the Selwyns lived on. Sirius peered at her from across the table, intently. Katherine glared at him, annoyed that he was staring at her. He smiled slightly, before turning to his wallet and leaving a tip on the table.
"Thank you very much," Sirius flashed the waitress a charming smile before standing and holding the door for Katherine, who curtly stepped out of the diner and glanced at the directions in her hand and began to lead Sirius in the direction towards home.
The two walked in silence, only conversing when deciphering the waitress's directions. They were both shivering profusely by the time they saw something they recognized, the pub Katherine had been waiting for Benjy at. It was nearing 2am, so the last of the stragglers were filing out of the bar and beginning to stumble home. Katherine noticed her brother was not among them, he must've left sometime while she was off with Sirius.
Sirius inched closer to Katherine as they passed the bar, and glared at the passing men, causing her to snort.
"Seriously?" She grinned at him. He raised his eyebrows.
"What?" He replied, surprised that she was smiling at him.
"Stop acting like a rabid dog that's about to strike anytime a bloke looks at me," she rolled her eyes, "You're a scrawny teenage boy who's not old enough to use magic outside school," she paused for a moment, smiling. "Although I do appreciate the gesture."
Sirius's cheeks reddened slightly, "I don't know what you're talking about, Selwyn. And I am not scrawny!" he scowled at her. Katherine just grinned at him cheekily, causing him to glare at her.
The two teenagers continued bickering lightly as they finally reached Katherine's street. When they reached her house, a regal looking building with a high fence around it, Katherine paused and turned to Sirius, slightly reluctant.
"Thank you, Black. If you hadn't been stalking me-"
"I wasn't stalking!"
"-then who knows what could've happened to me." Katherine shuddered, ignoring his interjection.
"You're welcome, Selwyn." Sirius grumbled, slightly put out from being referred to as a stalker.
"Right," Katherine swallowed, "Well, get home safe then." She said awkwardly as she made her way to unlock the gate. Suddenly, without thinking, she turned back around one last time and gave Sirius a quick peck on the cheek.
"Goodnight, Selwyn." He said, slightly flustered, his hand resting on his cheek in surprise. He then added weakly, "Or should I say 'keep your revolting lips off me'?" Quoting Katherine from earlier. She snorted at this, although she was slightly embarrassed.
"Goodnight," She replied curtly with her back to him, before tapping her wand on the gate causing it to swing open, and then closing it firmly behind her after one last glance at Sirius.