This will have a few chapters, mostly of key events throughout the years and some random ones in between. It'll definitely show a different Carina. Hope you enjoy!
I appreciate effort.
No matter how
small, silly, or
irrelevant, I
appreciate effort.
–billy chapata
Hermione Granger sat alone in her compartment on the Hogwarts Express, bent over her copy of Hogwarts: A History. She was reading it for the second time, eager to know as much as possible and see if she had missed anything.
She had tried to befriend a few on the train beforehand, but no one had taken a shine to her. Some had even sneered at her and called her names until she left, decidedly upset.
Well, at least she had a book. That more than made up for it, she supposed, and there were always other people. Perhaps she just hadn't met a good one yet.
So engrossed in her book, Hermione did not notice that there was a rap on the compartment door. When it slid open, she glanced up, startled, heart racing at the scare.
"Sorry," said the girl in the doorway quietly.
She would have been just a bit taller than Hermione herself if she were standing, but she was also unbearably thin. She had a long curtain of black hair, unkempt, as it was, and gray eyes. That itself was unusual, because Hermione knew that you didn't see too many people wandering about with eyes that color.
"It's alright," Hermione told her kindly. "I'm Hermione Granger. And, you are?"
"Carina Black," the girl shifted uneasily. "Er, can I sit here? No one else...everywhere else is…"
"Full?" the brunette finished. "Yes, I know. Here, let me…"
Together, they only barely managed to hoist Carina's trunk up onto the rack.
"Are you a muggleborn as well? I was so excited when I got my letter, you know, it was all so surreal!"
"No," Carina shook her head, voice never changing from the soft tone it had first been.
"Oh," Hermione deflated, expecting the worst. "Pureblood, then?"
"I guess," the other witch averted her eyes. "I didn't know, until they told me."
"Where are your parents?"
"Dead."
"Oh. I'm sorry."
"Yeah."
Hermione was silent for a few moments, unsure of how to proceed with this new person, when she noticed a strange discoloration around her left eye. It looked strange, offsetting in contrast to her pale skin, and rather...powdery?
Without thinking, she leaned in closer for a better look, and Carina flinched away so violently that she hit her head on the window.
"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry," Hermione said hurriedly, reaching out, but stopped herself when the other girl winced and threw up an arm. She backed away. "Are...are you alright? I didn't mean to startle you, it's just, there's something along your eye, there…is that makeup?"
Slowly, Carina nodded.
"Well, why have you got that on, then? Have you got a black eye or something?"
There was another nod.
"I see. Well, you know, if you were going to try to hide it, you could have done better finding something that suited your skin tone, so it wouldn't be as noticeable. What happened, anyway? If that's alright, of course!" she added hastily.
Carina was already furiously wiping at her face with the sleeve of her robes. "Fell."
"You fell?"
"Down the stairs."
"Really?" Hermione could not stop herself. It sounded like a valid excuse, but she had heard stories on the news and learned about some things in school that were making her suspicious.
"And...and then into the wall," blustered Carina, when she noticed Hermione's eyes catch on the large bruise on her forearm where her sleeve had ridden up. Hastily, she yanked it down.
"Walls make bruises shaped like hands?"
Carina flinched again, drawing her knees up to her chest as she mumbled, "Please stop."
"I only want to help," said Hermione earnestly, but when she noticed how the other girl seemed to shrink in on herself, frowned and tried to calm. "I'm sorry. I'll drop it."
"Thank you," Carina seemed relieved.
Hermione, though she really wanted to speak more, did not, instead merely picked her book back up and started to read again.
Minutes ticked by slowly, and finally, after an hour, the brunette felt a light tap to her knee.
She glanced up, noticing Carina sheepishly drawing her hand away, cheeks tinting pink.
"I...it's dreadfully boring, don't you think, having to wait?"
"Not if you have a book," Hermione hefted her own. "Would you like to read with me?"
Carina carefully moved so that they sat side by side, heads bent together over the book as Hermione pointed out the information about the various houses.
"I'll probably be a Slytherin," muttered the other girl. "Or a Hufflepuff."
"Why?" Hermione frowned at her.
"It's nothing," Carina abruptly scooted away.
"Please?" the brunette sat the book down and angled to face her, pleading. "Now I'm curious, and if I'm bothering you you can just say so, but I really can't help myself and I'd really like to know—"
"I'm not brave. Or smart."
"That's it?"
"I dunno," Carina shrugged, ducking her head. "My...my foster father tells me I'm evil sometimes."
"Slytherin doesn't always equate to evil," Hermione scolded, unable to help herself. "Though, I guess they do have a darker reputation than the rest...I wouldn't like to go there, myself. And Hufflepuffs are loyal and just. Are you not loyal?"
"I-I dunno," Carina was flustered now. "I've never had a friend before."
"You're not loyal to your famil—oh."
"Yeah…"
Hermione was honestly at a loss of what to say. Carina averted her eyes, sinking down into the seat.
She all but jumped out of her skin when the compartment door slid open, hand fumbling in her robes for her wand. To do what with at this moment, Hermione did not know.
Carina stilled, however, upon realizing that it was only the trolley lady, and hastily dug out a handful of coins. Hermione gaped when she turned around with an armful of sweets, the money gone, and nudged the door shut again.
Carina actually looked far more earnest than before as she dumped them into her own seat and dug in. She was initially surprised at first, as Hermione was, at the Chocolate Frogs (they both squealed at that), but tore its head off in no time.
Halfway through the pile in under ten minutes, mouth stained with chocolate, Carina finally deigned to glance up.
Her cheeks flushed.
"I...do you want some?" she tried, embarrassed. "I didn't think...I've never had so much of…"
Of money or sweets, Hermione gathered.
"Where did you get so much?" Hermione couldn't help but ask, curious. "Of money, I mean. Only the richer wizarding families can afford to run around with that much in their pocket...wait, your last name is Black, you said?"
"Er, yes," Carina jingled her pocket, ducking her head. "I didn't really understand when they mentioned the currency at first...it took me a bit to figure it out...apparently my family is a big deal."
"A big deal because they're one of the older lines!" Hermione remembered, sitting up straighter. "The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black...they're one of the oldest, wealthiest, largest families!"
"If I had so many relatives," the raven haired girl mumbled. "Then why did the goblins tell me I was the last Black?"
"Well," the brunette across from her frowned, thinking hard. "I suppose it's because really, you are. If your parents are...and if you're the last of the main line, the only one carrying on the name, then you really are the last Black. But not the last of the family itself, which branches out into many distant relatives for you."
"They could have taken me in," Carina swallowed hard.
"I-I suppose they could have," Hermione realized she had made a mistake and upset the other girl in her excitement. "I'm sorry, Carina, I didn't mean for it to sound that way. Maybe there's a good reason?"
"Or maybe they didn't want me."
Carina Black deflated into her seat and did not speak for the rest of the train ride, sweets forgotten.
Hermione went back to her book, but eyed the girl every now and again to check on her. Hopefully, when they got to Hogwarts, things would get better.
~~~xxx~~~
Hermione stared about the entrance hall of Hogwarts with the other entranced first years, Carina pressed close to her due to the line of students. She was shaking, and Hermione wished there was something she could do, but she didn't know what.
So, she talked. She told the other girl, though she could not see her, about how the ceiling was enchanted, and about how the castle was built. She spoke the story of the founders, and mentioned in passing at how the Sorting Hat was a creative idea to sort students.
The others around her were muttering amongst themselves, and she could hear some not so good things, but ignored it. Carina was still quivering, and she breathed to Hermione, "When are they sorting?"
"Soon, I think," Hermione whispered back. "Are you alright? Nervous?"
"No!" came the defiant response, before there was a soft, resigned sigh. "Maybe. Claustrophobic."
"Oh!"
Hermione was about to say something else, but was cut off as Professor McGonagall unrolled her scroll and began the sorting.
~~~xxx~~~
"Black, Carina!"
Carina slowly broke free of the crowd the second time her name was called, moving up to the platform on shaky legs. She sat on the stool, and the Hat was placed upon her head.
She had expected it to talk, but it did not mean that the friendly enough "Hello!" had not startled her so badly she fell off the stool.
Cheeks burning, glad she couldn't see the hall with the hat over her eyes, she fumbled about for a moment until she was sitting back down again.
Now that you're all settled, said the Sorting Hat amusedly. Are you ready to be sorted?
"I-I guess so," Carina mumbled unsurely. Her fingers gripped the edges of the stool hard.
Hmm...oh, dear. I see. I've seen many a child like you, Miss Black, the Hat softly spoke to her. You would do well in Slytherin, you know. You're cunning, resourceful. Slytherin could help you on the path to greatness…
Mr. Hat? Carina thought, uncomfortable in knowing he could see everything she had ever gone through, ever done. I don't think that would go over well.
You could become a formidable figure indeed in Slytherin, it prompted sternly. At least consider it. It may not be the most trusted of houses, but Slytherin could turn you into someone truly stunning. It is not as bad a house as it is made out to be, despite its reputation.
Please don't, the raven haired girl's mind whirled with images of being picked on by other girls, by older years who would surely see her as fresh meat. Greatness sounded quite tempting, but she just wanted to be safe for once. She did not care about much else. She wanted a home.
I see, I see, tutted the Hat, sighing. Well, I do understand. Let me delve a little deeper...ah, you are truly no Ravenclaw, perhaps not a Hufflepuff, either. Not quite a good fit. Slytherin would be near perfect for you, you know, but Gryffindor would do nicely. There's a muchness in you many others don't have that that house in particular is famous for. Bravery, chivalry, honor...perhaps these are not your most dominant qualities yet, but they will grow in time. I see no reason why not.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Carina yanked the hat off her head and all but threw it at McGonagall, who watched her trip over herself in her haste to get to the Gryffindor table, which was cheering. The other houses, bar Slytherin, clapped politely.
She seated herself farther away from her new housemates, in the corner, at the edge, alone. No one paid her much attention after that, not when she wouldn't speak to them.
Besides, she hated being crowded. It reminded her of being locked in and hiding in closets, or under beds, or being trapped in a garbage bin as a young girl, all alone.
Carina lay her head down, avoiding the stares. She could hear the snatches of whispers, ones that said, "Hatstall...hasn't happened in ages...took eight minutes, I timed it…"
It didn't seem like it took eight minutes. It only felt like a minute at most.
In all honesty, Carina very nearly fell asleep, exhausted as she was, when there was a tap to her shoulder.
She bolted upright, flinching away instinctively. Hermione Granger stood over her, looking unsure.
"Is this seat taken?" the brunette asked hesitantly.
Carina, ever so slowly, shook her head. She proceeded to rub her eyes as Hermione slid onto the bench beside her.
"What took so long for your sorting?" Hermione frowned at her. "Did something go wrong?"
"No," lied Carina, shaking her head at the thought of Slytherins and hatstalls. "No, it just wanted to talk. It...it saw some things."
"Oh," Hermione dropped the subject, thankfully, and the two silently watched the rest of the sorting together.
When it was over and the food appeared, Carina couldn't have been more surprised.
That seems to be happening a lot lately.
She could not help practically salivating at the sight of all the rich, diverse food, and she saw a black haired, bespectacled boy further down with the same expression. Vaguely, she could sense some sort of kindred spirit in him, in the way he moved and gazed at the feast with poorly disguised hunger.
Carina decided to ignore it for now, and piled her plate up high.
~~~xxx~~~
The dorm had three others in it: Hermione Granger, Parvati Patil, and Lavender Brown.
Carina's bed was in the farthest corner, by the window, for which she was glad. Even when her curtains were drawn, she discovered that just a bit of moonlight filtered through, making sure she was not caught in complete darkness.
It wasn't that she was afraid of the darkness. No, to be honest, she thrived in it. She could see well enough after having adjusted to it, and the was never worried, as other children were of what lurked in the shadows. Why should she, when foster parents were so much worse?
Besides, the darkness was good for hiding, and at night, she had always loved to gaze up at the stars, at the moon. The mystery that was up there intrigued her, and she had spent many days in the library studying constellations.
She even remembered her own, very vividly.
The Carina constellation is located in the southern sky. Its name means "the keel" (keel of a ship) in Latin.
She had a favorite star, even, though she did not know quite what had drawn her to it. It had just always intrigued her.
Sirius, also known as the Dog Star, is the single brightest star in the night sky.
Carina curled up in the window sill, bringing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She spotted the moon, not quite full, and the stars gave her a sense of peace she had not felt since coming here. She was no longer worried, not when the constants in her life were right there, watching over her.
Just like Sirius, she thought, catching sight of the star after a few moments. She smiled at it. I always did like dogs…
One time, she had been accosted outside the library by a strange man, and a stray dog had chased him off before anything could happen. She had wanted to take it home, had even tried, but her foster mother...she had taken it to the pound, where it had been put down due to its age and missing eye.
"Better get to bed," came a soft voice from outside her curtains, and then they were pulled aside. Hermione Granger hovered there, chin up.
"I guess," Carina agreed quietly, before pausing. Something had been bothering her all night. "Are we friends?"
Hermione looked a bit startled, possibly hopeful. "Are we?"
"I-I'd like to be."
"Then yes!" Hermione cried eagerly, all but bouncing. "Yes, of course we can be friends! Oh, this will be so great, my first friend here—"
"My first friend ever," Carina laughed softly at her enthusiasm, before hesitating. "Would you like to have a sleepover?"
The brunette stared at her, as though puzzled. Carina fidgeted anxiously, wondering if she had said something wrong.
"I've never been to one before."
"Neither have I," Carina sagged in relief. "I think we're supposed to sit up together and talk, maybe play games…"
"But we're supposed to be in bed…" Hermione frowned.
"I know. I-If you don't want to…"
"I...I guess it couldn't hurt to stay up a bit longer," Hermione offered her a small smile, before looking stern. "But only a bit, mind you. No longer."
"Alright," said Carina, actually managing a smile of her own as she scooted over. "C'mon, then."
Hermione climbed in, and they closed the curtains.
They stayed up perhaps a bit later than they were supposed to, but time flies when you're having fun, of course.
~~~xxx~~~
Classes came and went, and Carina was getting used to the fact that she wasn't likely to be smacked for a mistake here. The only person she really feared was Snape, though the older Slytherins and some larger, younger ones did give her the heebie jeebies.
Gryffindor house itself was full of rowdy, reckless, fun loving people, but most of them were fairly nice. Except, of course, in this very moment, Ron Weasley.
As Hermione shoved past, books clutched in her arms and face hidden by her hair, Carina felt it.
A spark.
She had never actually been properly angry before, not really. She had never had any cause to bicker with anyone, or fight. She had spent most of her life running from foster siblings, or being bullied by other students. She had always lay down and taken it.
But this was Hermione, who was running away to cry, who had been bullied just as much as she had. Perhaps she could have been a bit less bossy with Ron, but she was only trying to prove herself.
Heart pounding in her ears, Carina intercepted Ron Weasley and Harry Potter before they could move any farther.
"She was only trying to help," she shakily told him, even as he huffed at her.
"She's a know it all," Ron defended. "I had it…"
"You didn't," Carina straightened a bit when she noticed he was not hostile.
Come on, you're a Gryffindor, you can do this…
"And I'm her friend," Carina repeated, more firmly. "Y-You hurt her feelings, and you need to apologize."
"What? No way!" Ron's ears turned red.
Carina forced herself not to shrink away at his louder tone, instead curled her fingers around her wand and slowly drew it. "You will."
Ron's eyes widened, and he fumbled for his own.
Carina hastily flicked hers, praying it would work, and watched as his wand soared into the air, out of their reach.
"Give me my wand, or–or—"
"He'll apologize," said Harry Potter quickly, shooting his friend a look. He turned back to Carina, emerald eyes apologetic. "Can we have his wand back? Please?"
A bit embarrassed, Carina let the wand clatter to the floor, and Ron stowed it away in his robes, face flushed.
"I-I better go after her," she excused herself, and then turned on her heel and all but ran away, leaving two bewildered boys behind.
~~~xxx~~~
Carina had to admit, after Hermione had sent her away, she had not expected to be drug straight back to the bathroom by the boys because a Troll was let it.
She also did not expect to be paralyzed in fear because of said Troll, which was looming over them.
"Carina, move!" Harry shouted.
The troll swung its club, and he pushed her out of the way. Carina came to her senses, then, and rose on trembling legs, edging along the wall. The boys were distracting it, which meant that left her to get Hermione, who could no longer move…
Hermione was pressed against the wall, eyes wide and glazed.
"Come on," Carina hurriedly told her, tugging at her robes. The other girl did not budge. "Hermione, we need to—AH!"
She didn't know how she managed it, but she shoved Hermione aside and threw herself to the ground, hands over her head as debris rained down on them. The troll made an unhappy sound when its prey was not crushed and made to swing again.
"OI, SMELLY!" Ron Weasley yelled. He chucked a pipe at the troll, and it turned its attention to him, angrier than before.
Ron gulped and made hasty motions to Carina as Harry tried to come to his rescue.
Carina crawled to where Hermione sat, terrified, and shook her hard. "Hermione!"
The brunette snapped out of her daze and squeaked, turning to point. Harry Potter was dangling in the air, held firmly aloft by the troll, and Ron looked as though he were inwardly panicking.
Carina swallowed and scooted away from Hermione, manuevering to hide behind a sink. The other girl called after her in a whisper, but Carina paid her no mind and peered arond the corner, fingering her wand.
You can do this, she thought firmly. Just remember...what can I use? I read a book on jinxes...think, think...oh!
The troll let out a roar, and Harry yelped as he was swung around.
Carina leveled her wand at the same time as Ron.
"FLIPENDO!"
"WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA!"
The troll's club flew from its hand, and in the moment it stared at it in befuddlement, Harry was sent rocketing away. He hit the floor hard and skidded through the debris, back ramming the wall, but he caught Carina's eye and gave her a thumbs up.
He was alright.
Carina sagged in relief. She had been worried something bad would happen, or that it wouldn't work.
The club dropped on the troll's head.
When the troll collapsed, the whole bathroom shook, and Carina carefully moved around the unconscious beast and to the others.
"Well…" Hermione said after a moment, eyes a bit wide. "That was...certainly something. Good work with the spell, Ronald."
"Er, thanks for helping," Ron mumbled, ears tinting pink. "And, sorry about earlier."
"Thanks for saving me back there. That troll would've fallen on me, I bet," Harry reached out to Carina, who flinched away on instinct. He frowned at her, his expression contorting in thought, before shaking his head. He held out a hand instead.
Carina, after a moment's hesitation, shook it.
"It's nothing," she replied, and drew her hand away. She was trembling from the surge of adrenaline, heart still pounding hard.
"What on earth happened in here?" came a loud voice.
Carina winced at the thick Scottish brogue, her mind flashing as McGonagall, Dumbledore, and Snape towered over them. Behind her eyelids, she could see fists raising, hear shouting…
The spell was broken when Harry Potter instinctively put himself in front of her.
"It'll be alright," Ron muttered to her, patting her back rather awkwardly (a tad too roughly) when he noticed her shrink in on herself. "See, look, Hermione is...lying? Bloody hell!"
The boys were gaping at Hermione, who stood tall and told McGonagall that she had went looking for the troll, that they had saved her.
"Miss Black," the sharp voice cut across Carina, who peered up through her hair, swallowing hard. Her classmates were all staring at her, wondering what she would do. "Is this true?"
McGonagall's eyes pierced through her, as though she expected Carina to do something...what, the girl did not know.
"Yes, ma'am," Carina said firmly, pleased to hear that her voice did not waver.
"I see. Well...off with you all, then, if you aren't injured. Back to your common room. And, five points to each of you...for sheer dumb luck."
The four wasted no time in scurrying away, hissing eagerly among themselves at the points that had been added.
"I can't believe we got away with it!" Ron cried.
"No kidding," Harry shook his head. "I thought we'd get detention, or be expelled…thanks for covering for us, Hermione."
Ron's ears tinted pink, and he stopped for a moment, shuffling his feet as he mumbled, "Er, yeah, thanks. Sorry about earlier...was rude of me."
Hermione managed a smile. "It was nothing. Thank you for coming to save me, all of you."
Carina was silent, but she felt her heart warm as they trooped up to their common room.