AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yes, I've done it again, yet ANOTHER fic! -sweatdrops- Erm, anyhow, this one is featuring Sirius Black and an original character. Oh, by the way, this fic was inspired by this picture from artdungeon(dot)net: http/www.artdungeon(dot)net/general/template.php?pblackbros Go check out the rest of her work, it rocks! Anywho, enough of the plugging, read on! Oh, and the name is pronounced "Ree-AH-nuh" And yes, term has only just started. It's the seventh year.
A Paradoxical Life
Chapter 1: Strange Sortings
Rianna Le Fey wrapped her fingers around her mug of hot chocolate and sighed, staring into the delicious depths. It was raining outside, but inside the Hog's Head Inn, it was warm enough. And there wasn't anyone else, so she had her solitude. The other kids were probably over at the Three Broomsticks or someplace like that where it was bright and bustling and they could be all friendly with one another.
She sighed and turned her head to the left, the better to stare out of the window at the gray evening as raindrops splattered against the glass pane. She stirred her drink absently so that the chocolate wouldn't settle at the bottom while her other hand traced random designs into the rough, wooden tabletop. She was so much stranger than everyone else. And while no one pointed it out blatantly or indeed to her face, there always seemed to be a rift, particularly noticeable on days like this.
She was like a walking paradox, an unfunny jest, a sunny thunderstorm, a harmless tsunami, a Gryffindor in Slytherin. Feeling the twisting of her features in a scowl, Rianna thought back to that day six years ago when the wretched hat was placed on her head and she sat in the middle of the Great Hall, shivering slightly from the cold outside and wondering what would happen.
"I see!" the hat had exclaimed so that only she could hear. "This is a shrewd one indeed! Are you brave enough to be in Gryffindor, then? Or cunning enough for Slythering? Which do you think, eh?" Rianna had wondered whether her pigheadedness counted for actual bravery or not. The hat had chuckled at that and implored her to ask herself.
She'd never considered herself cunning, really. Or brave, for that matter. She was a firewitch, as she'd found out soon enough, and a direct descendant of the enchantress Morgan Le Fey. Firewitches were born, not made, rather like Metamorphmagi, and they tended to have rather fiery tempers. It was this temper of hers she'd learned to manipulate into either courage or cunning as the situation desired. As she mused, she came to the realization that even this little bit of manipulation was cunning in its own right, so maybe she really should be in Slytherin…
No sooner had she thought this, then the hat announced it to the Hall and the students at the table to the far right had cheered while most others had opted for polite applause. Some were jeering quite openly, but Rianna ignored them. She hadn't realized at the time that Slytherins had something of a reputation. She simply assumed it was a House like the others with special characteristics. This was, in essence, as it should be. But humans are imperfect creatures, after all is said and done.
So here she was, a sixteen year old girl possessing the disposition of a Gryffindor who was placed into Slytherin. Well, she'd be turning seventeen in little over six months, but that wasn't the issue, now, was it. The Gryffindors all scowled as she walked by in the halls because she was a Slytherin, and most of the Slytherins weren't sure she deserved to be in their midst. She wasn't scathing enough, she cared too much, and she wasn't showing the Gryffindors the proper amount of disdain.
Well, the last bit was rather hard for her to manage, seeing as how she was nearly a member of their scarlet and gold clad selves. And as far as putting on airs…she was never one for those. Shrugging and staring into the cracked tables she scolded herself for her incriminating thoughts. It wasn't all quite as bad as she made it out to sound.
She did have at least one friend. Admittedly, he was more like a kid brother, but that was fine with her. He found it amusing and entertaining when she was so vexed her hair started to catch on fire and its black color went from dark to flaming red and then literally burst into flames. It was an unconscious habit of firewitches that they couldn't control. Seeing him laugh usually made her grin and then she was no longer upset at whatever had gotten her started. He always acted as though he appreciated her kindness, so it worked both ways.
The door burst open and a sopping wet boy looking no older than twelve made his way in, a green and silver scarf tied around his neck, nearly choking him. He sloshed his way to Rianna's table and unloaded what looked like half of Honeydukes at her table, then grinned broadly. She laughed and loosed his scarf for him, motioning for him to take a seat.
"Reg! What're you doing here?" she asked him.
"Knew you'd be here somewhere, so I thought I'd bring you something!" Regulus Black replied, beaming and wiping his face. "Eat up, the stuff's great! Look, Bertie Bott's have added a ton of new flavors and here's a new thing they've come out with, Banshee Brownies. Go on, try everything." He watched her tentatively try a bean, make a face, and spit it out, laughing delightedly.
Her one purple eye and the other blue one (something she'd inherited from her great great great aunt, the enchantress) both eyed the Banshee Brownies suspiciously for a moment, then took a small nibble. Immediately, she winced as an ear piercing shriek was heard. Rianna clapped her hands over her ears and cringed, curling in on herself. She could feel her hair start to change color slowly and the ends were smoking already. Through the crack in her eyes, she saw Regulus roaring with laughter, slapping his thighs, thoroughly entertained. Not that she could hear him over the screaming.
A few seconds later, the nerve-grating sound ebbed away into the distance and shook her head to clear out her ears. Regulus was still chortling softly and she turned to glare at him. "Oi, you! How can you be laughing with that wailing scream echoing bloody murder?"
He grinned boyishly and informed her, "Only the person who's eating it can actually hear it." He tapped his temple. "It's all in your head." He was looking quite proud of himself at having foiled her into taking a bite, and she grinned at that, too. Her hair had settled down by now. Glancing out the window again and realizing the rain had let up slightly, the firewitch stood, gathering up the sweets and stuffing them in the pocket of her robes.
"Come on, Reg, let's get back before it starts pouring again."
He stuffed the remaining sweets in his pockets and looked at her quizzically. "I thought you said you liked the rain."
"I do, but it wouldn't do for us to get soaked to the bone on our way to the castle." She adjusted his scarf so it wouldn't strangle him. "Besides, you'll catch a cold if you're out in it too much."
He grumbled something about being mothered around all the time, but didn't complain as she lead the way out of the Inn and into the gale. It had indeed subsided somewhat, and the pair of them made a dash for the castle. Just as they reached the steps, it started pouring buckets again. "So much for not getting wet," she told Regulus, grinning and shouting to be heard over the storm.
They struggled up the steps right behind a group of students who had apparently had the same idea as they did. The group opened the door, glanced back at her, and before she could smile and accept the open door, it closed with a resounding thud. Rianna scowled and tugged at the door with all her might. As it started to open a little, something made it tug sharply shut again and she knew they were using magic to try and keep it closed.
Tugging with all her might, she staggered back as it became as easy as it should have been. The girl caught her balance quickly, however, and jammed a foot in the door way, grabbing Regulus by his robefront, she shoved him in before herself, then slipped in quickly, letting the door snap shut viciously behind her.
Breathing hard, she turned to glare at the group. The one with unruly black hair and glasses was pointing his wand at Regulus. Angrily, Rianna grabbed the back of the younger boy's robes and pulled him protectively behind herself. Turning to the bespectacled wizard, she said irritably, "Oi, you asinine imbecile, try picking on someone at least half your size, would you? And put the wand away, you look ridiculous."
The boy with brown hair to the right of the wand weilder turned quickly to hide his grin. The black haired boy to his left arched an eyebrow and came to stand next to him, sauntering and flanking him as though to say, "Come again?"
"You heard me," she said shortly, and made to stride out of the Entrance Hall. The two boys blocked their way. The brown haired one was off to the side, looking as though he wished his friends weren't doing what they were. Another boy that looked a bit like Regulus, only pudgier and with dirty blonde hair tugged at the second boy's robes and whispered, "She's a girl, Sirius, just forget it."
Sirius smirked and all but spat out, "She's a Slythe."
Rianna's eyes flashed. "And what?" she asked. "What does that say about me, the fact that I'm a Slytherin?" There was that temper again, she warned herself. It wouldn't be a good thing if she either fried the students or the school.
Sirius snarled. "It means you're filth and rotten to the core, is what!"
She'd figured out who he was now. It had been nagging her in the back of her mind since they'd run into the group. It was Sirius Black, older brother of Regulus Black, and held the chief in mischief. The others were undoubtedly James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. It was easy to tell which was which. Rianna gazed at Sirius with a cool, level gaze, than slunk an arm protectively around Regulus.
She smirked slightly, the edges of her mouth curling up. "Play nice, now, Black," she said, eyes flashing in victory as Sirius's widened at the sight of Regulus, whom he hadn't noticed before. She felt Regulus huddle into her, not wanting to face his brother.
Rianna strode past the boys, this time, with no interference, and made it into the Great Hall. Halfway to their dormitory, Rianna pulled Regulus aside and whispered some advice to him. "Look, Reg, don't let him run all over you like that! You're every inch the man that he is, and then some, because you're not as stupid, cocky or immature as he is. Look him in the eye next time." She pointed to her own asymmetrically colored orbs. "Right here, aright?" He nodded, but she got the sense that he only wanted to get on to the dormitory and was saying whatever it took.
Sighing, she reached into her robes for a sweet and handed it to him as they made their way down the damp stone passageways, getting nearer and nearer to the dungeons. "There, now, he's just a bully. Eat that and we'll be at the common room in no time." Regulus took a huge bite of whatever was in his hand without looking, then cringed and winced as the banshee's shrieks filled his head. He glared at her through his squinted eyes and she laughed, then ran for it. Served him right, tricking her like that earlier.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I realized you all are beating me to update my other fics, but I just had to get this one out of my head. And Rianna's soo not a Mary-Sue, lol, score! Look, it's 6:46 in the morning! That says something of my inspiration, right? -puppy dog eyes- lol, please review it! -smiles-