Disclaimer: I am not J. K. Rowling and do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any profit off of my fanficition.
Author's Note: Hey all! I've decided to see what happens with this story. To make all of our lives easier, whenever I need Adeline to speak French, I'm just going to write it in English and you can use your imaginations to make it French. It'll make more sense for you so you don't have to look up what every French word means, and I don't have to learn how to speak French, it's a win-win. Thank you for reading, I hope you all have a great day!
-Karla Kwick
September 1969
"I'm so excited to be here!" Two little girls, nine years old, sat together nervously examining the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic dining hall, blue and gold banners spanning the entire ceiling above them. Wood Nymphs stood stationed around the walls, serenading the students during their meal, which combined with the lush gardens outside the windows created quite a calming environment.
The girls were surrounded by other students, all fluidly speaking French to each other. Adeline nodded in return, the lack of response doing nothing to deter her new friend. "I hope I get to see a veela. Like a real veela."
Adeline said her first words; "I'm one-thirty-second veela."
"Woah, really?" Her friend's eyes lit up. "I'm a muggle born but when I got my letter I read all about magic. Are veelas really that pretty?"
A strange look crossed Adeline's face. "What's a muggle born?" The question popped from her lips, confusion bubbling.
The new friend looked at her strangely, "I thought you said you were from a wizarding family? Wouldn't you know that?" Adeline only shrugged, a slight blush forming on her cheeks. "A muggle-born is someone who has non-magical parents." Adeline made a noise in recognition.
"Like a mudblood?" She asked, her innocent eyes widening. Her new friend seemed nothing like her parent's description of mudbloods. Dirty, unsavory people with IQs lower than their House Elf, Remy's. Adeline examined the girl further trying to find a noticeable flaw in her sweet demeanor. The girl's face contorted in anger, turning a surprising color of red.
"I heard that was a really awful thing to call someone. One of the older girls told me not to be friends with someone who called me that." Hurt could be seen clearly in her eyes before she got up and walked away, leaving Adeline alone on the bench.
September 1977
The group sat cramped in the small compartment, chatting happily until the door was slammed open. Twelve eyes turned to stare at Adeline's figure, framed on either side by Sirius and Remus.
"Addie!" It was impossible to figure out which voice belonged to whom; The cries of the six friends jumping up and lunging at the door beat the hollars at any Quidditch match.
"Hey mates. Heard you were worried." Adeline greeted her friends laughing, hugging each one as they sat down. The group squeezed even closer to let the three in.
"What the bloody hell happened?" James Potter asked, clapping her on the back.
"Got kicked out." Adeline sat down on the floor, spreading her legs out in front of her.
"Okay, we got that from Sirius. What happened after?" Lily Evans's voice was the next to ring out, coming from her position in the corner nearest the door.
"Just bummed around. Worked at the Leaky Cauldron." Adeline shrugged off her friends' questions, sliding down the wall more.
"That's it? You just bummed around? Didn't think to visit anyone? Write maybe?" Lily again, a slight hostility in her voice.
"Nope." Adeline paused. "How were your summers?" She took a moment to gaze around the compartment. Faded tapestry curtains hung from the windows and the doors. Wall paper with a strange circular pattern that reminded Adeline of eyes watching her papered the entire cube, setting a backdrop for her friend's reproachful stares. The group was made up of Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Alice Fortescue, Lily Evans, James Potter, Marilyn MacDonald, Peter Pettigrew and Sara Flanagan. They all sat, eyes fixed on Adeline. She, however, couldn't help but smile. Marilyn sat next to Remus, hand shyly in her lap after accidentally touching his shoulder, a light dusting of blush found across his face. Lily diagonally across the compartment from James, still having not come to terms with their newfound friendship. Adeline could guess how each of their summers went, could write out calendar of each one of their lives.
"Well I guess being disowned was in style this year." Remus's quiet voice came from across the compartment. Adeline's head snapped up, piercing first through Remus then directly to Sirius.
"What's he talking about?" Adeline's voice was sharp, worry being masked as confusion.
"Oh, he means me. Mam and Dad decided they didn't like my accent." Sara Flanagan piped up, getting a few giggles from her companions. Her Irish accent circled the compartment for a few seconds, hanging in the air. Adeline, however, didn't waver, her gaze still fixed on Sirius.
"Yeah, there was an event." Sirius's voice was back to how it was when she first saw him on the train: low and gruff. After waiting a few seconds in silence he sighed and began to speak again. "After you left my family came to visit yours, I asked where you were, we got in a fight. I left."
"Where did you stay? Why did you leave?" Adeline spit her questions.
"I stayed with James. I turned to my friends when I needed help Adde." His gaze narrowed down in her. Everyone else inspected the two, eyes shifting back and forth with every sentence.
"I'm flattered you would follow my lead, Sirius. Although I doubt you made as dramatic an exit as I did." Adeline relaxed against the wall, seeming to deem Sirius okay. He cocked a smirk and leaned back as well, letting his tension go for what seemed like the first time since they pulled away from the platform.
"Sorry, I tried but just couldn't compete. Maybe I'll rekindle the relationship so I can give it another shot." Adeline was the only one who laughed. "Who's up for a game of exploding snap? I got a new deck. This one's not rigged." The sudden change in demeanor made it clear the conversation was closed. Each member silently gave up getting any information or peace of mind from Sirius or Adeline, instead choosing to follow their lead and relax into the train.