Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
The Slytherins' gift
From the compartment I was sharing with Erin I waved to my parents on the 9 ¾ platform. I felt both very thrilled to start a new year and get away from my family for a while, not that I didn't love them but it was nice sometimes to be able to get away but then also a anxious feeling hit me, it was almost my last year and I didn't have one clue what I wanted to do with my life. I've always wished I was one of those person who just…knew. Erin was busy reading a muggle magazine. It was something about a man named Elvis Presley, whoever he was who had been found dead a couple days ago. As I gazed out on the landscape someone opened up the compartment door, it was all of the Marauders who walked in. I couldn't honestly believe that this was happening. Remus sat down next to me, and James sat down next to him. Sirius had in a quick movie sat down besides Erin, whose magazine suddenly didn't seem so interesting anymore as she was chatting with him. Peter was next to Sirius.
"I hope sixth year isn't as hard as everyone says" Peter said
"No. It's going to be worse," James said
"I'm just happy if I can go through it and survive to live" Remus said
"We all know you're going to get top marks in everything Remus. It's Sirius that should worry" James said and Sirius suddenly looked up from his conversation with Erin by the mention of his name.
"About what?"
"No comment" James said and laughed.
"Since this is our sixth year we just have to make our pranks better than ever." Sirius said
"Well, then we have to start now, don't you think?" James said and they smirked at each other." They were up to something and I had no clue what. It seemed like Sirius and James were the only ones who knew since they were the ones exchanging looks.
"I think we should give Regulus and his Slytherin friends a gift"
"Definitely" James answered and they walked out of the compartment together with Peter who followed them. Leaving the compartment to Remus who was rolling eyes, Erin who had quickly started to read the magazine and me. I couldn't help but wonder exactly what they were going to do and what they meant with a " clean gift". All I knew was that it didn't look good for the ones the prank was being played at.
"How they two haven't been expelled yet amazes me" Remus said
"Well…teachers usually just like to put on a punch of rules, and then threaten with punishment. Not a big fan of actually doing the work." I answered.
"Do you remember our last defence against dark arts teacher, Mrs Townshead?"he said
"Remember? Where do you think I got this scar on my elbow for. She is the only teacher to have ever dislike me. I mean, who wouldn't want a student who's quiet and does all the work?"
"She had probably failed in the class "how to behave with humans". So, what do you reckon our next teacher will be like?"
"Well…after Mrs Townshead it can only be better, can't it?" Suddenly the door to the compartment open quality and there James, Sirius and Peter ran in panting loudly. They went back to their seats as we other just watched them in amazement.
"Can you imagine their faces when they'll see what we have done?" Sirius said grinning
"Priceless" James said.
"I know I'll regret this later. But what exactly what were you doing?" Remus asked.
"Well, thank you for asking Remus" James said. "We went to Slytherins' compartment."
"And put on the cloak" Sirius continued
"As we walked in when they went out to buy from the trolley. We went in" James said
"And then we took all the girls' clothes from their luggage and switched it with the guys" Sirius said. My chin must have been down to the floor. I can't believe that they actually did that. What if the teachers would realise what they've done? Remus seemed to be thinking in the same lines.
"And who's brilliant idea was this?" He asked.
"It was Peter here who came up with the idea" Sirius said as he gave Peter a clap on the back.
"I see" Remus said and made a murming sound, which sound much like "idiots".
During the rest trip I mostly read, not joining in the conversation. Every now and then a girl or group of girls would walk in our compartment and started to talk, or…drool is more of the right term because of Sirius. It was easy to see he liked the attention they gave him. He was even nice to a third year Hufflepuff who walked into the compartment, stood there blushing for a long time as she watched Sirius. When he asked her what her name was she ran away red as a tomato in her face.
Even though I was reading I could hear someone waking angrily in the hall. I looked through the window see Lily, she was probably one of the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. She had dark red hair and beautiful green almond shaped eyes. It was easy to see how James could never let her go. She may not know it but those two are meant to be. Such a perfect love story they would make. Lily, the stubborn girl who the popular Qudditch guy falls over heels for. The guy asking her out, and she's rejecting him. Not a usual thing for him since he gets everything he wants. Thinking about it they are both stubborn as a donkey. It's a donkey match in heaven. James seemed to notice her too as he ran out.
"Pumpkin!" he said. She glared at him.
"So how has your summer been? Been thinking of me? Because I've thought about you every day"
"First of all, don't call me pumkin, it's a stupid nickname and I'm not you pumkin. And I know. I got the letters you sent me. Every day. Can you just please leave me alone now?"
"What's the matter darling?"
"Argh" Lily said as she walked away from him.
I didn't actually say much for the whole trip…I actually don't think I said anything at all. I just don't think anything of what I said would intressted anyone, no not at all when I think about it. As everyone one got dressed in their school uniform I realised something when Helena decided not to button the buttons she usually did and her skirt was way shorter than it was meant to be. Helena was totally flirting with Sirius! First I thought it was because she didn't want to tell him to shut up. And I could tell by the look on Sirius face that he didn't exactly have anything against it. Not that I didn't think he would. I actually didn't care, there is no way I would actually have a chance with Sirius and Helena didn't know how I felt about Sirius…if I even felt something for a person I've never talked to.
As we got of the train I pulled Helena to the side.
"Do you like Sirius?"
"Is it that obvious?" She said and put on some lip gloss. This was so not the Helena that I shared secrets with and was silly with. She had changed. A lot. Or perhaps it could be me that had changed?
"I thought you didn't like him" I asked her.
"Well…you know people change" You don't say. I gave her an angry gaze.
"You don't get it do you? He needs someone that will control him, and which who he will love. It's a known fact that he has never committed to a real relationship. But with me, it's different" Helena said. WOW, was she really saying this? She had to be thicker than I thought. I may have a huge crush on Sirius but I know there's no way to change that guy. He's only going to hurt her.
"Do you seriously want to do this? Getting involve with Sirius is the perfect way to get a broken heart"
"WHY can't you just be happy for me?" She screamed at me and I took a couple steps back. I stood there watching her comptelety numb.
"Just because that you have never had a boyfriend doesn't mean other people can" She said and walked away pomporius to where Sirius was standing ( luckily not in the near range of me). Merlin, my best friend was a total bitch. I can't belive she had just said that. I was only trying to protect her. We had always had a very weird relationship and we often fought. That's how I had found Remus but sometime told me that this time wasn't like the other times. As I got on the carriage without anything that lead me to Hogwarts I sat together with a couple of Rawenclaws all I could think about was how lucky I was that Helena wasn't in the same house as me. As the Hogwarts castle came closer and closer I wondered what this year was going to be like.
After eating in the beautiful Great Hall I went straight up to the painting with the fat lady.
"Password please"
"Oh" I had totally forgot that I needed to ask the Head boy, Headgirl or one of the prefects for the password. As I waited as I was starting to fell a bit bad after eating all that food. This was my sixth year still I never seemed to remember not to eat too much on the arrival day. A headboy, Gavin Hill walked up the stairs with almost the whole Gryffindor house.
"How was your summer" He asked me
"Boring. And yours?"
"Really good actually" he said. Can't he just get on with it and open the freaking door?
"Choclate frogs"he said and the painting with the fat lady opened the way to the Gryffindor. So that was the password, easy enough, We walked in, and I was a bit smashed down by everyone running everywhere. If there is one thing I truly hate it's small areas with a large amount of people. It always made me fill uncomfortable. The common room was my favourite place in the whole castle. It was just something calm and warm over it and was for me holy. But when it was filled with people and therefore noise I couldn't handle it. As most people were standing in the common room I decided to go to my dormitory.
As I had started to pack up, but it was mostly laying on my bed reading when Lily walked in. She looked upset.
"Hey Becky"
'Hi Lily" I watched as she sat down next to the bed to me and buried her face in the pillow. I could hear her make strange noises. I wasn't sure what to do? Would she think it would be weird if I asked her what was going on? I whispered the words, "how are you" to myself. I've this thing that I've to say something quietly before saying it.
"Are you all right Lily?"I asked her and she looked up from her pillow. I could see her face coverd with mascara that was smudge all over the face and her eyes were teary.
"It's….silly really" She said and I waited for her to continue.
"Snape and I had a really big fight…" Wow, looks like my friendship wasn't the only one that hadn't been broken tonight. I stepped out of my bed and sat down next to her. I don't know why really I did it, but it felt like the right thing to do.
"It's not silly. People fight all the time and say things they don't mean. But it's normal to get upset" She looked at me, her eyes still full of tears.
"It's…well okay don't tell anyone this, right? But he's planning to recruit to Voldermort. You've heard about him right?" She asked me. It was not hard not to know who he was since he was written in the newspaper the whole summer. The thought of him me made me wanna just crawl into a little baby. But surely he wasn't as horrible as they said. And we have aurors. Lots of them. It will be all right.
"Yes, I've heard about him"
"So I told him how bad Voldermort is and he's stupid. I mean, even Potter wouldn't do that"I looked at her.
After a moment of silence, I decided to go back to my bed to read.
"Thank you Beck" I had to admit that I liked how she used a nickname on me. It made me feel like we were friends.
"What for?"
"For listening to me and making me feel better" I didn't know what to say. She was actually insinuating that I had done something right…and it really boosted my confident hearing her say this.
Alice, Mary and Dorcas Meadows walked in and when straight to Lily's bed where they all started gossiping. I continued my packing up and I could see Lily looking at me several times.
"Hey, Beck do you want to come here and talk to us?" She smiled and asked. I thought for a moment.
"I'm going to have to do my packing first" I lied. I was tired after the trip, packing up and eating. I just didn't feel like talking, I would just sit there saying nothing and I couldn't be bothered to do that. I slowly began packing, making it take longer then I wanted it to. It was mostly books I had in my bag. The lesson started tomorrow and I was starting to panic about all the work that lay ahead of me. Was all this studying ever going to be worth it I wondered. I've always loved getting "O" but it was just so much working getting there. For me the most difficult part was speaking up in lessons. I never did. I was just terrified that I would end up saying the wrong thing and everyone would laugh at me. I decided to give Lily and the girls a try. I mean, they might not care that I'm boring and perhaps they can make me talk. I looked around to see that all of the girl's had fallen asleep on Lily's bed. I smirked as I put on my pyjamas and went to bed. Maybe some other time I would talk to them bit right now I was going to sleep.
Thanks for everyone who put the story on their story alert list =)
Hope you all enjoy reading this story so far. And soon there'll be some Sirius/Becky action ; )
