Disclaimer: Everything you recognize belongs to the genius that is JK Rowling. Anything else is a creation of my ambition for all things Harry Potter and Gary Oldman.
Katrina Livingston was glad to be leaving her home for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Her mum was a pureblood witch, her father had been a pureblood wizard before he died, and her step-father was a cruel Muggle who began to physically abuse both of them when he found out they were witches. So when September 1, 1969 came about, Elizabeth brought Katrina to the King's Cross Station before going into hiding until her divorce was settled. She had decided she'd had enough.
Katrina was sorted into the Gryffindor House. The girls in her year were Lily Evans, a Muggle-born witch, Susan Prewett, and Alice Radcliffe. The boys were James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. Within the first twenty minutes, the four girls were the best of friends, and they all disliked James and Sirius. They all found the duo to be too cocky and mischievous for anyone's good, including their own.
The school years flew by in a blur for them. They all passed their O.W.L.s with high scores except Peter. By the end of their sixth year, Katrina had given up on trying to fight off the charm of Sirius Black when he saved her life, after Avery knocked her into the lake for being a 'blood traitor,' knowing Katrina had no idea how to swim. They were now dating as an exclusive item, much to the disappointment of both girls and boys throughout the school.
Katrina was beautiful, there was no way to deny that. She had pin-straight waist-length auburn hair, emerald colored eyes that could knock you off your feet, and a body that many girls had to be dead for several weeks to achieve. She was about five-six in height and had a lithe, muscular, athletic build with a bust most girls needed to buy if they really wanted it. At first glance, you could expect Katrina and Lily to be twins. They looked somewhat alike and got along like sisters should.
Sirius was the envy of most boys in school. He was extremely handsome. He had grey, fathomless eyes, the lightness and darkness varying based on the emotions he felt. His black hair was also a way he expressed emotion. When he was depressed, stressed out, or upset he was in a funk for ages and just let his hair grow longer. When all was right in his world, it was short, and he always let his bangs fall before his eyes with a casual sort of elegance no one else could pull off. He had a toned, athletic body due to hours on the Quidditch pitch.
When they were all getting ready to leave for the summer holiday, Katrina was sulking in the common room, having packed everything the night before. Sirius and James emerged from the boys' dormitory. Both were immediately filled with concern at the look on her face.
"What happened, Kitty?" Sirius asked, sitting on the floor and looking up at her. "I knew better than to leave you alone at breakfast. Talk to me."
"I just wish I could turn into any animal and escape their ridiculous gang-ups," she whispered.
"Well, James and I can help you with that. Just tell us what happened, please?" Sirius pleaded, worried about Katrina. He knew the Slytherins picked Lily apart for being Muggle-born and Sirius for being the first and only in a long dark wizard family line to not be in Slytherin as his younger brother currently was. But the Slytherins really handed out the insults and pranks to Katrina and sometimes James simply because the two of them weren't into the pureblood mania sweeping through the wizarding world led by Voldemort.
"They surrounded me outside the Great Hall. Snape, Black, Malfoy, Avery, Nott, the Lestranges...all of them. Just throwing insults left and right. Blood traitor. Slut. Anything that could possibly cut through a person's very emotional core," she revealed, breaking down. Sirius got to his knees and hugged her to him.
"You leave them to us, Kat. You know we always make them pay," James said, angry. He couldn't believe the level the Slytherins had stooped to this time. He saw the bruises on her arms when they fell out of the sleeves of her robes while she hugged Sirius back. "Which of those slimy, cowardly bastards did that?" he demanded.
"Did what?" Sirius asked, voice slightly muffled by Katrina's hair.
"Look at her arms," James replied as Katrina tried to cover up her arms.
"It's nothing," she tried to bluff. "I was clumsy and slammed my arms into a few things."
"They're hand prints, Katrina!" Sirius exclaimed, pushing up her sleeves to see the angry red marks on her arms. "Who did this, Kitty?"
"Bellatrix. I had just gotten away from the whole gang when she grabbed my arms viciously, slammed me against a wall, and threatened to use...to use the Cruciatus Curse on me if I didn't make Sirius see the light," Katrina explained. "I told her that...that Sirius makes up...his own mind. She...she..."
"She didn't?" James growled.
Katrina shivered. "She did," she whimpered. The two boys held her tightly.
"Come on. We're going to Dumbledore," James said softly. "I can't stand them going after you like this anymore. What we do is harmless, you've been put through physical pain now."
Katrina allowed the two boys to lead her to the portrait hole. "Katrina? What's going on? Where are you taking her?" Lily demanded.
"She was attacked after we all left her to talk to McGonagall after breakfast," James explained. "By Severus Snape and his gang of Death Eaters. We're taking her to Dumbledore."
Lily followed them out of the portrait hole. "You've never gone to Dumbledore before. Which of them took it beyond verbal?" she questioned.
"Bellatrix," Sirius growled. Lily disappeared.
Once they finished up in Dumbledore's office, they returned to Gryffindor tower to get their things for the train ride home. James turned to Katrina. "You mentioned wanting to be an animal, right?" he asked.
"Yeah," she replied uncertainly.
"What if Prongs and I taught you how to become an Animagus?" Sirius suggested.
"I would love that," she admitted.
They brought her up to the sixth year dormitory. Remus Lupin was there, but no one else. He looked up, raising his eyebrows.
"We're teaching her how to become an Animagus so she can escape the worries and tormenting she faces everyday," Sirius said.
"Remus is the only one of us not an Animagus," James began to explain.
"I know. Our parents...his father and mine...were good friends. I've known all along that Remus is a werewolf. Long beyond bothering me, these days," Katrina said. "Could you...show me what you guys become?"
"Sure," James agreed. A moment later, there was a gorgeous stag standing where he had been. Likewise, Sirius had become a big, black dog.
"Peter's a rat," Remus added, since Pettigrew wasn't in the room. James and Sirius changed back. "I heard about what happened with Bellatrix. Are you alright?"
"A bit shook up, but slowly getting over it," she replied.
For the next hour, James, Sirius, and Remus taught her the Animagus spell. Katrina grasped it rather quickly, much more quickly than any of the three males. By the time they went down to the train, Katrina had mastered her Animagus form, which was a sleek black panther. They boarded the train and grabbed a compartment, joined by Peter. Halfway to King's Cross, Katrina left to go across the aisle where Lily, Susan, and Alice were sitting. Sirius and James followed.
"An entire summer without Sirius Black. However will you manage?" Susan teased.
"They're called owls, Sue. The boy is capable of writing a letter," Alice retorted.
"You okay, Lily? You're being awfully and unusually quiet," Katrina said, sitting across from Lily.
"I did something today that I'm not ever going to be proud of," Lily replied. "After Sirius and James told me Bellatrix crossed the line into causing you physical harm, I went looking for her. I...I hexed her. Then I punched her and broke her nose."
"You what?!" Katrina, James, Sirius, Alice, and Susan demanded.
"What came over you, Lily? You're the one always telling us not to give them the satisfaction of retaliation," Katrina said.
"I don't know. I just...snapped. I guess...I was really angry that they attacked you on the last day...scared that it would be me next...and I just let instinct take over. I didn't even know what she did to Katrina before I went haywire, I just knew it had to be horrid because both James and Sirius escorted her to Professor Dumbledore."
Katrina took a deep breath and let it out in a shaky sigh. "The Cruciatus Curse," she revealed.
"Oh, Gods, Katrina," Lily said. She hugged Katrina. "I know it doesn't justify what I did, but...an Unforgivable Curse? They keep stooping to newer lows."
They all saw the fear in Lily's eyes. "Lily, don't be scared. That's giving them exactly what they want. If it's any sort of reassurance, the Marauders and I have already resolved to stick by you two next year. Make sure this doesn't happen again," James said softly, sitting beside Lily. She curled up, leaning into his comforting embrace. Four pairs of eyebrows shot up. Sirius and Katrina covered up smirks.
When they reached King's Cross, Katrina spotted her mother talking to the Potters and the Lupins. She lingered behind James and Remus with Sirius. He pulled Katrina close within his warm embrace.
"Keep in touch, Sirius," she whispered.
"No worries there. I can't stand my family, I'll be writing people all summer just to keep sane. You'll probably have an owl before you even finish unpacking," he said bitterly.
Katrina sighed. "My mother says her door is always open to my friends, Sirius. You have more than one escape route if need be," she pointed out.
Sirius smiled. "I'll keep that in mind. Though, if you don't mind, I think I'd feel more comfortable at the Potters," he admitted. "I'm not dating their child."
Katrina giggled. "I don't blame you."
"SIRIUS BLACK, STOP TALKING TO BLOOD TRAITOR FILTH!" his mother shrieked across the train station.
"And so the summer begins," Sirius sighed heavily.
"You can take it. Besides, just think how much sweeter it will make seeing me again on September first," Katrina mused.
"Cheeky. We could make you a Marauder yet," Sirius retorted.
"Thank you, no." They both laughed softly.
Sirius pulled her into a long, tender kiss. Their eyes met as they slowly parted. "I know it's only been three months, but...I love you," Sirius stated.
Katrina smiled brightly. "I love you, too," she mumbled as their foreheads touched. He kissed her again, with a little more passion.
They grabbed their trunks and walked in opposite directions. Katrina hugged her mother when she joined the small group waiting for her. They began walking out.
"All the times you write to me this year, you forget to mention that you've stopped disliking a certain Marauder and picked him as a boyfriend?" Elizabeth teased.
"Sirius and I weren't sure if things were going to get, pardon the pun, serious. It's only been three months," Katrina explained.
"And...?" Elizabeth prodded, having seen their interactions just now.
"He just told me he loves me," Katrina supplied, blushing.
"Padfoot? Love? Kitty, if you ruin us..." James mock warned.
"Ruin? Ha! He's recruiting," Katrina retorted. James and Remus laughed.
"That's Sirius Black for you," Mrs. Potter sighed. She looked to Katrina. "Marry that boy the first chance you get. I always said you two would be perfect together, and you are."