sb2 - summer skin
Since the day that the Maurauders had seen Athena defend Lily Evans, they had become as thick as thieves. They had accepted her into their group almost immediately, and wherever Athena was, a Marauder usually wasn't far away. She had gotten along best with James Potter though, and she spent a few weeks every summer at his home in Godrics Hollow. They regarded each other as the siblings they never had and James' parents were always thrilled when Athena would come and stay with them, which worked very well for Athena as the war in the wizarding world was heating up and her Uncle Al was needed more and more away from home. Thankfully he had a friendship with the Potters and felt quite comfortable with Athena staying there, which suited Athena just fine because it meant she got to spend the long summer days in the countryside with her best friend.
"I can't believe your going to be fourth years!" Mrs. Potter said tearing up, she said the same thing every year whenever their Hogwarts letters would arrive.
"Oh come on Mum. Fourth year is not a big deal, 'sides you promised you wouldn't do that again until we were seventh years." James said flinging his wet hair at Athena who mock glared at him, before copying his action and spraying him with her much longer hair.
Mrs. Potter had just called them in from swimming in the lake behind their home and announced that their letters had arrived. Athena and James were sitting at the large kitchen table, perusing their book lists and munching on sandwhiches when another owl came tapping at the window.
"Is that Lily's owl?" James automatically asked, just as he did every time an owl would show up at the house since Athena had arrived last month. She was spending the entire summer with the Potters this year and since Lily was her friend they often corresponded, although she probably wouldn't if she knew that Athena was staying at the Potters with the one boy in Hogwarts whom she despised.
"Yeah James."
"Did she mention me?"
"No James."
James frowned, he had announced in second year that Lily Evans was the love of his life and that they would one day be married, and had been unsuccesfully chasing her since then. Which the Marauders, and the lone Marauderette found quite amusing. Athena read the letter, the usual stuff complaining about her sister Petunia, wondering if they would have a lot of work this year, asking what Athena thought about the latest news in the Daily Prophet. Athena tried to avoid the Prophet as much as possible, learning early on that it only reported the bare bones of what actually happened. The Ministry was still taking the stance that all of the horrible things that were happening were coincidental and in no way related which was absolute rubbish. So whenever she wanted the full story she would owl her Uncle and he would tell her no holds barred the truth. Athena sat down and penned a quick response to Lily's letter and went off in search for her owl Click.
"Mrs. P? Have you see Click around?" Athena called as she looked around at the usual spots were the owls would be during the day
"No, Sorry Teens I let him out this morning with Mango, they haven't come back yet." Mrs. Potters voice came from the laundry room.
Athena grinned slightly at the use of her nickname, the Potters had been calling her 'Teens' or 'Teensie' for as long as she could remember. Mr. Potter had come up with the nickname, and it had just stuck. From anybody else Athena would have despised the name, but she loved it from them, it made her feel like a piece of the family. And of course the Potters were the only people who were allowed to call her by this nickname. Once in third year Sirius had heard James calling her Teensie and tried to call her it, and she went ballistic. She put her letter to Lily in the bedroom across from James'. The bedroom she always slept in, the Potters had decorated it in various Gryffindor memorabilia.
"Oi Teensie! Lets go out to the rock." James said walking into her room and flopping face first on the bed. Athena rolled her eyes but pulled on shorts, and a tanktop over her bathing suit and laced up her canvas tennis shoes. James was impatiently drumming his fingers on the bed as she tied her blonde hair into a long plait.
"Alright, Lets go." She said grabbing her wand off of the dresser and shoving it into her pocket, she was still underage to use magic, but her Uncle had cautioned her to take her wand with her no matter where she went. Her wand was like a part of her, and if it wasn't with in an arms reach, she felt naked and vulnerable.
Athena and James were laughing as they ran through the woods behind James' house. Athena's long braid flew out behind her as they ran over the soft forest floor. They stopped, panting as they reached the edge of the woods, it cleared out into a meadow with long grass. Athena smiled, this was her and James' place. They had discovered the meadow the first day she had ever stayed with the Potters, she and James had gone out exploring and this was what they found. There was a large flat rock in the direct center of the meadow, that they laid down next to eachother like they always did. Tanned skin soaking up even more of the suns warm rays, hands thrown casually over the side of the rock, grazing the tall grass below. A soft warm breeze blew over them, and Athena couldn't help thinking that this was the most perfect place on the earth.
"How d'you reckon Sirius is doing." James asked, rolling over onto his stomach to look at Athena, who was shading her eyes from the bright sun.
"I want to say he's probably doing really well and is happy and well fed, but you and I both know that probably isn't the case." Athena said frowing. It broke her heart that every summer Sirius had to go back to the hell hole known as The Most Ancient and Noble House of Black.
"It just makes me so fuckin' angry you know? I mean if my kid ends up being in Slytherin and a total pureblood jerk, I still wouldn't starve him or Crucio him." James said angrily, his fists in balls, he was worried about his friend.
"I doubt your kid would ever be a pureblood jerk, 'sides aren't you planning on marrying Evans anyway?" Athena said grinning as she turned to look into James' eyes.
"Too right you are, although sometimes I wonder if I've gone mad. I mean the girl can't stand me." He said frowning again, and turned onto his back, looking up at the clear blue sky.
"We've all been asking the same question, but hey who knows what the future will hold." Athena said patting James' hand reassuringly.
"You mean to tell me that you were at Potters house the whole time?" Lily screeched, Athena winced and looked guilty
"Oh come on Evans, Like you would have ever written me if you knew where I was. 'sides you know I go there every summer." Athena defended, her red headed friend had found out her little secret on Platform 9 3/4 and had shoved her into an empty compartment on the train as soon as they stepped foot on the Hogwarts Express.
"I know you stay there every year Athena, but I didn't know you would be spending the entire summer with that vile-"
"Watch it!" Athena warned, Lily Evans was literally the only person on the earth that she would allow to insult James in her presence, but only a little.
"Ah! There you are Teensie.. and Lily!" James said walking into the compartment, looking positively overjoyed.
"Well.. I'll be going then. Your not off the hook though." Lily said and she got up to walk out of the compartment. James made a move to grab her and say something but Athena caught his eye and shook her head frantically. James closed his mouth and allowed Lily to leave.
"What was that for?" James asked, frowning.
"Wouldn't it be nice to start the year with her leaving your presence for once not thinking your a complete arse?" Athena said grinning, James shrugged but his frown left his face, he liked the plan.
Athena looked over and finally noticed that Remus and Peter were standing there staring open mouthed at her. She gave them a quizzical look before waving her hand in front of their eyes and snapping a few times.
"Um? Hello? Anybody in there?" She asked, glancing over and James who shrugged, not having a clue why there were acting that way.
"Huh? Oh sorry. Hi Athena, you look- well you look-..um you look-" Remus snapped out of it first, but his speaking abilities seemed to be hindered.
"Different. You look different." Peter said still staring at her, but he had the werewithall to sit down across from Athena and James, pulling Remus down next to him.
"Alllrighty then." Athena said, leaning over to pinch Peter.
"Ouch! What was that for?" He asked, rubbing his arm where she had pinched it.
"Thats for not writing! Even Sirius wrote this summer and you know how he is" Athena scolded, Peter grinned at her but shrugged, looking down at the floor. The truth was he had begun a million letters to her and to James but always scrapped them because he thought they sounded stupid.
"Speaking of Sirius, where is the ol' git?" James piped up, he had been contemplating his encounter with Lily, and the fact that Athena apparently looked so different that it had stopped Remus and Peter in their tracks. She didn't look any different to him.. but he had seen her everyday for the past two months.
"He got caught by Judy McGlynn, that Ravenclaw girl from the end of last year. She was chewing him out for not keeping in touch." Remus said grinning, Athena rolled her eyes. Typical.
"Guess she hasn't found out about Henrietta Gooden yet then." Athena asked,shaking her head. Henrietta and Judy were best friends, but Sirius had been 'seeing' both of them at once. Athena used to feel bad for the girls that he did that too, but as time went on she realized that most of these girls were morons and really deserved whatever they got, and they were all really only dating him because he was Sirius Black. There was also the small fact that all of the girls Sirius dated hated Athena with a passion.
"No I reckon not, I imagine we'd hear her screaming if she did. Remember when she found out Roger Brown had been flirting with Vespera Gibbs? We could hear her shouting at him from Gryffindor tower." James said smirking, when the girls found out about each other it really wasn't going to be pretty.
Athena shook her head, Sirius Black and his love life were the last things on her mind currently. Sleep was the first. She yawned and stretched out her legs across the bench, leaning on James who was sitting against the window and had pulled out his well worn copy of Quidditch Through the Ages. James automatically threw his arm around her shoulders, resting it on her stomach. She leaned her head back against his body, and he kissed the top of her head gently as her breathing evened, she fell into a comfortable sleep.
"Look darling I'm sorry, but I've really got to go. Uh.. Athena was sick over the summer and I need to make sure she's okay." Sirius said thinking off of the top of his head, he needed any excuse to get as far away from Judy McGlynn as possible.
"Oh really? Athena Dumbledore. Your cheating on me with her aren't you!" Judy shrieked, and Sirius winced. That was a mistake, he should have learned by now not to bring Athena into any conversation with Judy, who was notorious in her hatred for his blonde friend.
"Of course not. We're just friends." Sirius said as he backed slowly out of the compartment, turning and making a break for it as soon as he got far enough out of the door.
"Ah there you are Sirius." Remus said happily as Sirius entered the compartment that housed his friends. Remus put his finger to his lips telling Sirius to be quiet, and indicated James in the corner who had a very attractive blonde sleeping on his shoulder.
"Good to see James is finally over Evans." Sirius whispered to Remus who looked at him quizzically.
"Thats Athena." Remus said simply, a small grin playing about his face. He knew exactly why Sirius was confused. Sirius glanced back at the sleeping girl and felt his heart jump up into his throat. Athena looked different.. She looked amazing. She had grown curves in all the right places over the summer, and was no longer just a blonde stick with eyes. Her skin was sporting a deep tan that contrasted very pleasingly with her golden hair, that had white blonde streaks in it from the sun, from days of running around in the sun with James no doubt. Sirius couldn't explain the feeling he got as he looked at her, I mean this is Athena right? Plain old Athena with the sharp wit who liked to pull pranks and get into fights. Wasn't it? James glanced over at him and saw the way he was looking at Athena and gave him an odd look, before glancing over at Remus and Peter who were silently laughing at him.
"Teens, Love wake up were almost at school, you've got to change into your robes." James whispered into Athenas ear, and for some reason Sirius yearned to be able to do that with her. To have that closeness. His mouth went dry as she opened her trademark big sparkling blue eyes, the same eyes that he had made fun of her for, for three years because they were so big they seemed to take up her face. But she had grown into them, and they were gorgeous and Sirius thought that he had never seen a more beautiful girl in his entire life.
"Huh? Oh thanks. Sirius! We were wondering where you got to." Athena said smiling at him, rosy lips framing her perfect white teeth. Sirius had never noticed how nice her smile was.
"Yeah, Judy McGlynn wasn't happy to see me." Sirius said frowning a little, suddenly hating the fact that Judy had gotten even a second of his time because she was absolutely nothing compared to Athena. He mentally slapped himself, what the bloody hell was going on? This was Athena Dumbledore for Merlins sake. One of his best friends, and he should not be thinking about her like that.
As it turned out the Marauders weren't the only ones who noticed the change in Athena. Much to their annoyance they were now constantly bombarded with their classmates asking questions about Athena's likes and dislikes.
"This is what it must have been like for her, with all of Sirius and James' fangirls." Remus said frowning, Amos Diggory had just been asking them whether or not Athena had a date for the Yule Ball yet. What was interesting was ever since the first day of school all the males in Hogwarts had seemed to go crazy over her, but nobody ever asked her out. Rumor was they were all afraid that Professor Dumbledore would expel them for asking out his niece, which Remus and the rest of the boys thought was rubbish. If anything, they should be more worried about us. Remus thought, grinning. James had been in detention more times then ever this year, fighting every guy that said anything disrespectful about Athena, and there were a lot of them. Athena of course hadn't even noticed the new attention she was getting.
