My dad and I hugged one last time. He squeezed me tight, and I squeezed him back. My dad has black hair, peppered with pre-mature grey-ness, and is a lot taller than I am, probably taller than I'll ever be. We don't look much alike except our eyes, blue-green, and our feet. Weird I know, but we both have slightly large feet. My mom has really tiny feet, and before the accident she was really graceful. My dad and I aren't, we're klutzes. Big ones.
He hasn't been the same since Mom's accident, he used to be really happy all the time, but now, it takes all I have to make him laugh. I can't imagine what it's like for him while I'm at school, all alone at home. I know that he sill loves me, that's why when he is home, he tries so hard to be cheery. But it's not the same.
The Express whistled shrilly and Dad kissed my forehead, managing in the process to bump our heads together. We both laughed and hugged one last time. "I love you, be good." He said letting me go.
"Love you too, Daddy." I smiled and hurried onto the scarlet train, yanking my trunk behind me with one hand and carrying the whicker basket containing my obese tabby cat, which was sleeping soundly, in the other.
Not long after I boarded I heard a familiar voice yell my name. "Rissa! Rissa! I'm Head Girl! I got the badge and everything!"
Yep, that's me. Klarissa Admete Sterrling, more commonly known as Rissa. Or to some people as Little Mouse, or Mousey, though I think I've finally managed to shake the nickname. I'm really tiny, short and thin, with bright orange hair that would be curly, I suppose, if I had it cut short. Instead I keep it long and the curls have this weird stretched out look to them. I usually, like now, wear it in a pony-tail anyway, so it doesn't really matter. It keeps it out of my face.
My best friend, Lily Evans, was power walking towards me. Apparently set on not breaking the 'No Running' rule. Lily is a real stickler for rules, and homework, and anything that pertains to school really. I can't say I am though, I'd rather copy her essays than do my own. Her essays usually get me good grades too. She finally reached me, a huge grin on her face, brandishing a Head Girl badge. I returned her smile and hugged her. "I'm so glad! You were a shoe in though. No surprise you got it." I laughed, "So who's Head Boy?"
Lily shrugged, "I'm not entirely sure. But I bet its Remus..." She trailed off, as if trying to think who else it could possibly be. "I've got to go brief the prefects though. I'll find you later; you've got to tell me all about your summer!" We hugged again and headed off in different directions. Lily to the Prefect's compartment at the front of the train, me to the back, where there still might be a few free compartments.
I had gotten pretty far down the train, waving to people I knew and keeping an eye out for James and his Marauders, when I felt a hand close around my forearm and jerk me into a dark compartment. Immediately my hand jerked to the back pocket of my muggle-made jeans. I made to scream as well, thinking it was a group of Slytherins, getting in their first hexing of the year.
But the presence didn't feel menacing, and the hand wrapped around my arm sent pleasant tingles racing through my body. When my eyes adjusted to the dark I looked into the stormy grey eyes of Sirius Black.
--------------------------
I couldn't help gasping. My heart was thumping loudly in my chest, and my breathing became shallow. I slowly gained control of myself. "Merlin's Beard, Black! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"
He was smirking. Why did he have to smirk like that? His dark hair fell with effortless grace into his, once again I say it, stormy-grey eyes. Even when he's nearly scared the living daylights out of me he looks irresistibly handsome. "Seen Evans yet then, Little Mouse?" He asked, lips still curved into a smirk.
Merlin, he was awfully close to me, his face inches away from my own. If someone had told me yesterday that, within twenty-four hours, Sirius Black would be near enough to kiss, I would have told them to get their head checked. "As a matter of fact, I have." I put as much acid into my reply as I could, determined not to let him see the effect he had on me.
I don't think it worked very well, because he kept smirking. "Ah, well, I don't suppose you know who the Head Boy is?" His voice was snide. I think it's safe to say we held a mutual dislike for each other. I mean, he and James often tease me, but sometimes Black really acts like he doesn't like me. And even though I am completely in love with him, I hate him for it. Even though I guess it's not his fault I'm hopeless. But then again, it is his fault he's an arrogant toe-rag. Just like James. James is just a more likable arrogant toe-rag.
"Hmmm... Let me think..." I said sarcastically, "Oh! Could it be Remus?" I asked, mock doubt in my voice. Of course it was Remus; he was the only semi-acceptable applicant for the job.
His arrogant smirk widened considerably. "Nope, Mousey, My dear! Guess again!" Three years ago, I never would have even considered the thought of growling at Sirius Black, but now I could feel a low rumble in my throat. What was I? Some kind of animal? I wrenched my arm from his grasp, turned on my heel, and stomped out of the compartment, slamming the door shut behind me.
My trunk and the basket containing Moosey, my fat cat, were still laying discarded in the hall. Moosey had apparently fallen out of his basket when Black grabbed me, but had gone on sleeping on the floor. I righted my trunk, and placed the whicker basket on top of it. Perhaps I was a bit too rough shoving Moosey into it, because she hissed. Black, in a final attempt to drive me mad, ruined my dramatic exit. He strode casually into the hall, hands in his packets, and smirk still firmly in place, he yelled to me the name of the Head Boy. "James Potter!"
I blame it on shock to deep to fathom that I fell flat on my face.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N
The first chapter. I decided to cut it in half, making it shorter, but I think that was a good place to leave it off. Well, please review, and thanks to those two who did, The-Loquacious-Scholar and HpC0ldplay. Chapter two will be up sometime between Monday and Friday. Unless I get impatient and decide to post it earlier.
Karissa M.
