Moonstruck
Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter series or any people in it. Septimus and Rosella Black are of my own creation, along with their mother, to create a different view of the story line. Everything else is J.K. Rowling's. (This takes place during PoA)
Septimus looked up at the Hogwarts Express from the bottom of the totem pole. It wasn't that he was short, he just clung to the shadows, letting others tower over him in their own self-importance. Not everyone was that inflated though, Septimus just liked to think it was so, and that way he'd have an excuse to avoid people. He could make friends if he wanted, but he wasn't sure that he did. He loaded his trunk onto the train for the second time in his life, and hopefully not the last. He wasn't sure he'd make it through this year alive. Ever since Sirius Black had escaped from Azkaban he'd been looking over his shoulder. Hoping not to see the man his mother claimed was his father. He relived the day she died, again and again, looking for an answer. Why had she died? Why did she leave me alone to look after-
"Sep!" Her voice rang throughout the fog. Septimus jogged back over to his ten-year-old sister and knelt so her brown eyes were level with his hazel.
"You can't leave without saying goodbye." Rosella chided, straightening his collar. Despite being younger by two years Rosella was always the level-headed one in their family duo. "Especially when I have to spend the year with the muggles by myself, and you not saying goodbye would make the year even worse Sep." She said, satisfied with his collar and moving on to dust his shirt off.
"Hey, cut it out." Septimus batted her hands away in mock annoyance. "And I was on my way back to say goodbye Rosie." He said looking straight into her eyes. "Now promise me you won't get into trouble."
"When have I ever-?"
"Don't start with me Rosie. Your magic will be even more pronounced this year and you're are going to need to control it." Septimus warned, his tone un-joking. His sister was the best person to grace the earth, but she did have a mischievous streak, one that she inherited from her mother apparently. "You can't get into trouble now, or all those years in the orphanage will have been for nothing."
Since the age of seven and five, Septimus and Rosella Black had been residents of a muggle orphanage in London. Their single mother had died from the lasting effects of an unforgivable curse, leaving Septimus to care for his younger sister with only one piece of inheritance: Black. On her death bed, Septimus's mother had pleaded for him to accept what she was saying. Sirius Black was innocent. Septimus had no idea of what she was talking about. Who was Sirius Black? Why had she kept his father a secret? What was the man being accused of? But his mother had kept those secrets to her grave, leaving Septimus to figure it all out in his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Rose looked at him her eyes pleading. "When can we leave that place?" She whispered. Septimus sighed, at his sister's expression. "When it's safe."
The ten-year-old mimicked her brother's weary exhale, as the train whistle sounded out. "You'd better get going, or you'll miss the train."
Septimus smiled at her and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "How would I function without you Rosie?"
"Terribly," She sniffed, giving him a shove. "Now get on the train!" Septimus grinned and hopped on, sticking his head out the nearest window.
"I'll behave if you make a friend this year." Rosella called, as the train began its chugging. "Deal?"
"Deal" Septimus shouted, only for it to be drowned out by the whistle again. And the Hogwarts Express was whisked away, almost like magic.
Septimus found himself alone in a compartment-thankfully-as the train trudged on. But the peaceful environment didn't last long as he started his work. Septimus unrolled the old Prophet that he had kept on his person for weeks. SIRIUS BLACK ESCAPES FROM AZKABAN the paper shouted up at him. All across the paper were annotations written by Septimus in his search for answers. The majority of highlighted sections were located in the history of Sirius Black, detailing his murder of Peter Pettigrew and twelve muggles. Why had he gone to see Pettigrew in the first place? Septimus thought, frowning. The name Pettigrew tugged at Septimus's mind, but before he could pursue it, his compartment door opened. "Sorry, do you mind? Everywhere else is full." The voice emanated from a flaming red-headed girl that stood in the doorway. She looked slightly annoyed, as if someone had just told her to get lost.
Septimus shook his head and gestured to the empty bench in front of him, before reabsorbing himself into the paper. The girl sat down, looking grateful and watched him curiously as he circled another key phrase. "What are you reading?"
"Newspaper." Septimus said unhelpfully, without tearing his eyes from the print.
The girl rolled her eyes. "Obviously, what are you reading about?"
"….News." Septimus said after a pause.
The redhead seemed to be restraining herself from a noise of exasperation. Instead she took out her wand and began muttering incantations under her breath. Septimus sneaked a glance at her. She seemed to be in his year, and looked like a nice person. Freckles dominated her face and her chocolate brown eyes were narrowed in concentration of her spells. Wait, why am I staring at her? Septimus refocused on his work trying to avoid being distracted by her. 'I'll behave if you make a friend…' Rosie's voice laughed. He didn't smile, but his lips twitched in a way only his sister could make happen.
"Have I done something to amuse you?" The redhead asked, her concentration broken.
Septimus shook his head. "No, it was just something my…" He trailed off, picking a new subject as he leaned forward. "You're Ginny Weasley aren't you?" He asked, taking in her physical appearance again.
Her eyebrows rose an inch. "You got a problem with that?"
Septimus shook his head hurriedly "No, I'm not like other people in…" His voice faded again, leaving out the rest of his sentence. I'm not like the other people in my House, which happened to be Slytherin.
Ginny scrutinized him carefully, trying to find the meaning of his unspoken words. "So you know my name, care to tell me yours?" She asked curiously.
"Septimus." Septimus said, shifting back in his seat.
Her eyebrows lifted again, "Got a last name Septimus?"
"Youngblood." He answered automatically, hoping his face didn't give him away. To not draw suspicion to himself, he had always used his mother's maiden name as a surname, instead of the infamous Black. He doubted even most of the teacher staff knew his true identity.
Ginny wouldn't be fooled by his misdirection though. "Youngblood… that's an old Pureblood family name…"
Septimus winced as they drew nearer to dangerous territory. "Is it? Oh, never knew! Now if you don't mind-"
Ginny kept going; "You're that kid in Sly-"
Septimus whipped the paper back up, cutting her sentence short. He hated being reminded of his House. He hadn't wanted Slytherin. But blood came first in the wizarding world. His family, while maintaining their 'Pureness' had not been Death Eaters when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named rose to power. But before they saw what he was willing to do to rise to power, they had supported many ideas that the Dark Lord had. When Septimus's mother became of age, she fled from the Pureblood mania, living a fulfilling life, away from her darkened childhood. That was where she met Sirius Black…who was running from the same thing.
Ginny gently pulled the paper from Septimus's face. "I won't judge you based on your House. You can't be all bad, considering the fact that you let a blood-traitor into your compartment." She said kindly.
Septimus nodded, touched that she would give him a chance.
"Besides, I saw you at Platform 9 ¾. Anyone who clearly loves a little girl that much isn't a bad person." She smiled.
"That was my little sister." Septimus said awkwardly. She had seen him?
Ginny nodded. "I figured as much. How old is she?"
"Ten," Septimus said trying to hide a smile at the thought of his baby sister.
"So she'll be at Hogwarts next year?" Ginny asked, but before Septimus got a chance to answer, the door slid open again.
As usual, per Hogwarts train ride, Draco Malfoy was making an appearance, accompanied by Crabbe and Goyle, or Dumb and Dumber as Septimus thought of them. Every semester, Malfoy tried to 'recruit' him (Unsuccessfully I might add) into their group of third year Slytherin scumbags. The answer always ended with drawn wands, and this time Septimus felt would be no different.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the only goody-two-shoes in the House of Salazar Slytherin." Malfoy drawled with a smirk down at Septimus. "Not hanging with good company are we Youngblood?" He mocked with a jerk of the head in Ginny's direction. "Or maybe I should be saying that to you Weasley. I wonder what your oaf of a brother would say if he saw you chatting up a Slytherin."
Ginny flushed with anger, her mouth opening to retort but Septimus beat her to the punch. "Stuff it Malfoy, and get out of my compartment."
Malfoy sneered at him, drawing his wand. "Why don't you make me?"
Septimus's wand slipped from his sleeve into his hand threateningly. "If that's what it takes."
Crabbe and Goyle cracked their knuckles as Septimus and Malfoy stared each other down. Septimus gripped his wand a little tighter, waiting for him to make the first move. Malfoy opened his mouth, his wand raising an inch, when a streak of scarlet whisked by Septimus and knocked the wand out of Malfoy's hand. Septimus spun to see Ginny on her feet, glaring at the trio.
"Beat it." She said in a deadly voice that made even Septimus nervous. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle wasted no time in exiting the compartment, tripping over themselves in their hastiness to get away from Ginny.
Once they left she sat down, oblivious to Septimus's gobsmacked expression. When she turned her eyes towards him she frowned. "What?"
Septimus was still looking at her with an awed look on his face when he said, "You're amazing."
Ginny colored a little, but not noticeably as she replied with a thank you. Septimus was about to elaborate when suddenly the train jolted to a stop. Caught off guard, he and Ginny both flew forward and nearly crashed into each other.
"What the Hell-?" Septimus began when the flights flickered off.
"Septimus? Where are you?" Ginny asked panicking. She reached out with her hands until she found his arm which she clutched to.
"Hey it's alright-." The train gave another jolt and Ginny crashed into the door while Septimus was sent reeling into the window.
"I'm going to go find my brother." Ginny cried as the door slipped open for her exit, leaving Septimus alone. He sat down shakily wondering what was going on. He heard people outside calling out in worry and fear, and he shut his eyes in attempt to block it all out. Whispers stood out in the back of his mind. They were growing louder, who is that, mutterings of dark things, demented voices getting louder, stop talking! They were screaming inside of him-why is it so cold?!- Septimus wrenched his eyes open as the door slid open once more. A hooded figure stood in the threshold. With growing horror, he realized what it was. It raised a dead hand and pointed at Septimus.
"No." Septimus moaned. "I'm not him. I'm not him!" Two more appeared at either side of the first. They glided slowly towards him. "No! It's not me!" Septimus cried. "I'm not him! I'm just his son!" Closer and closer-"No! I'm not Sirius Black! I'm-." The rain smashed against the roof of St. Mungos. His mother was dying. "Septimus." She whispered, tears falling from her eyes. "Your father… he was a good man… an innocent man…" Her words became more spread apart as she clung on to her final moments of life. "Promise…promise me…that you will find him, that you will understand. Make him understand…that you are his." Septimus shook his head. "Mummy don't go, please don't go." His mother wouldn't listen, couldn't listen. "He…would be proud…of you. I…am proud…" "Mummy? Mummy-!?"