Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Thorn awoke to the sounds of muted singing. She grinned and sat up, listening to the words that were being sung. It was basically just a chant praising Gryffindor's endless and incredible superiority over the other houses. Shaking her head as she got out of bed and pulled her robes out of her trunk, Thorn hummed along to the tune of the chant. She knew who it was without any thought on the matter. It had to be Sirius, James, Remus and most likely Peter. "Oh gods, make them shut up!" Morghana groaned from behind the hangings of her own bed.

"Time to get up, Morg." Thorn told her lightly "Breakfast is soon and we have to get our timetables."

"Urgh-mhmm…" was the only reply that Thorn received from her friend before the hangings were yanked back and a rumpled Morghana appeared looking displeased.

"She still isn't out yet?" Artemis asked, coming through the dormitory door and causing the singing from down in the commonroom to become momentarily louder for a few seconds until the door was closed again.

"She can hear you." Morghana said flatly, swinging her legs over and getting to her feet. Artemis just grinned at her.

"Chop chop." The tall girl said after a moment in which Morghana did nothing. "Let's go, get dressed, time for breakfast!"

"Thorn isn't dressed either…" Morghana muttered, heading to her trunk and looking for her robes. Thorn laughed.

"Where's Larne?" she asked "I didn't see her at all last night and now she's gone already?"

"She left about fifteen minutes ago." Artemis told her. "Said she'd meet us in the hall."

About ten minutes later, Thorn had gotten dressed and was running her brush through her long black hair when Morghana announced that she was ready to go down to breakfast. "About time, then." Artemis said with a grin from where she was lounging on her bed.

"Oi… that's enough from you…" Morghana joked. The three girls then left the dorm and headed down through the commonroom and down to the Great Hall.

"There's Larne." Artemis pointed out, pointing to their friend sitting at Gryffindor table beside Lily Evans.

"Hey guys." Lily said as they sat at Gryffindor table across from her.

"Hey Lils," Thorn replied with a smile "How's the Head Girl business going for you?"

"Great." Lily told them "It's fantastic."

"What about hanging out with James?" Morghana asked with a smirk. Lily shrugged.

"It's okay." She replied slowly "He seems more mature this year… he's … different." Morghana grinned at her.

"Where have you been?" Thorn asked Larne with a grin.

"Well," Larne grinned, "You know Cormac McClellan?"

"Hufflepuff seventh year?" Morghana asked. Larne nodded, running her fingers through her wavy brown hair, a small smile appearing and lighting up her face. Thorn smiled, thinking she knew where this was going. She was proven right when Larne continued her explanation.

"We ended up spending the holidays in the same place. My family went to Orkney to this holiday place, and his family were there too and well, we kind of got to know each other… and we got close." She smiled again "Yesterday I spent the train ride with him, and then ate dinner at Hufflepuff table… and then we just hung out a bit after and you were all asleep by the time I got up to the dorm."

"Oh yeah," Morghana grinned "Just how late did you get up there?"

"It wasn't like that…" Larne told them. "Cormac is sweet."

"She's right." Lily said looking up from her breakfast. "He's a real decent guy. One of the nicest guys around."

"That's so great for you." Thorn told Larne.

"Yeah." Agreed Artemis. "He couldn't have picked a nicer girl. He's lucky."

"Ladies." Sirius Black said with a charming smile as he sat down beside Thorn.

"Hey Sirius." Morghana said blankly "Nice song."

"Oh you liked?" Sirius asked with another charming smile.

"…you ever wake me up like that again and I'll castrate you with my bare hands." Morghana replied with a sickly sweet smile at him. Sirius' charming smile faltered.

"I liked it." Thorn grinned up at him. "Thought it was very clever."

"Good." Sirius' grin reappeared. "Did you like the bit about how Slytherins are all into giant boy-loving orgies and allergic to shampoo… we added that last bit just for Snivelly…"

"…I think I must have missed that bit." Thorn replied with a raised eyebrow. Sirius smirked at her.

"I could sing it again if you like…"

"Uh…" Thorn's eyes slid over to the Slytherin table "I think that might not go down so well here as it would in Gryffindor tower." She said gently. Sirius grinned again.

"That's the beauty of it." He replied.

"Wow, you're just itching to hex someone, aren't you…" Artemis observed with a smile.

"Am I that transparent?" Sirius asked in mock hurt.

"Always." Thorn grinned at him.

"I don't know whether to be pleased by how well you know me... or insulted by the fact that you just called me 'transparent'." Sirius said with another grin.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out." Thorn told him kindly.

"Awww." Sirius said, putting an arm around Thorn's shoulders. "You're like the sister I never had. …well…" he looked over at Slytherin table to where Regulus was eating breakfast. Morghana laughed. Thorn looked over at Regulus and tilted her head.

"You know," she told Sirius "your brother saved me from being hexed yesterday."

"What?" Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief "Now I know you're pulling my leg." He said.

"No, really." Thorn replied. "That guy he's sitting next to, Vulcan Zeeman, was going to hex me, but Regulus stopped him."

"Well, why would he do that?" Sirius asked. "The um… differences… between Slytherin and Gryffindor are going to be… rather larger this year than previously… so uhmmm… watch out." Sirius looked around at them all, "He obviously had some ulterior motive." Thorn shrugged.

"I don't know…" she replied, her eyes sliding back to Regulus. Perhaps she should thank him? She debated that for several moments, he had done her a favour, for whatever reason, but if things between Gryffindor and Slytherin were as unstable as Sirius was claiming, should she really risk just walking up to him and talking to him? He might not be as pleasant this time and might even just hex her himself. Eventually, Thorn decided that she would just try anyway. It wasn't like she was useless with her own wand, she could always defend herself if he tried anything. As soon as breakfast was over, she'd thank him.

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"So, Nott tells me that the first fight is next week." Vulcan said to Regulus in a low voice.

"That's starting quickly." Regulus replied between bites of his toast. "Usually it's a least a fortnight before we feel the need to beat the shit out of some Gryffindors."

"Yeah." Vulcan replied "Things are apparently more tense this year. I think a few of the seventh years are pissed that both the Head Boy and Girl are Gryffindors, one a mudblood and the other a blood-traitor."

"Makes sense." Regulus replied. "So? Is it in the same room as usual?"

"Yeah, empty classroom on the fifth floor, same time, at nine." Vulcan said absently.

"Awesome." Regulus replied. He then looked over at Gryffindor table, just wondering which of them would be a part of the traditional underground fights that had been taking place at regular intervals at night between Gryffindor and Slytherin students for years. Regulus had gone to his first fight when he was in second year, and had been participating ever since. He'd even gotten quite good, after having she shit beaten out of him the first few times, as they were physical fights, not magical. Once he had learned how to fight reasonably well, he hardly ever got hurt. He gave a satisfied smirk until he noticed that he was being watched.

Regulus almost jumped when he realised that Thorn was looking across the hall, straight at him. He quickly looked down at his plate. She was looking at him. Why was she looking at him? He dared to look up again and met her eyes just as she looked away. Regulus continued to look at her for a few moments, wondering what could have caused her to be looking his way when he noticed that Sirius was sitting beside her and was now the one looking at him. Regulus scowled and looked down at his plate. Obviously Sirius had been talking about him, no doubt saying something less than flattering. "Mr Black." Slughorn saying Regulus' name got his attention and he looked up to see his timetable being held out to him by his head of house.

"Thanks." Regulus replied, accepting his timetable.

"I trust you'll be attending my exclusive little meetings again this year?" Slughorn asked him with a smile.

"…sure." Regulus replied, knowing full well that Vulcan was smirking beside him.

"Very good." Slughorn said, before moving on to hand out the next timetable.

Regulus looked down to see that he had Arithmancy first thing, so he quickly finished off his breakfast and got to his feet. He would have to go back to his dorm to collect his Arithmancy text books before class. Knowing that Vulcan didn't take Arithmancy, he told his friend that he would see him later and headed for the doors of the hall. Once he was out in the hallway he passed Angela Adamson who smiled widely at him as she passed on her way to the hall. Regulus gave a pleasant smile and had just quickened his step when he heard a "Hey! Wait!" Regulus swung around in annoyance, preparing to bluntly tell Angela that he was busy when he saw Thorn hurrying towards him. Her step kind of faltered when she saw the annoyed look on his face, but she kept walking and an instant later the look had disappeared from his face. "Uhmm.. hi." Thorn said softly when she had reached him. "I'm sorry, but I just wanted to thank you… for what you did yesterday." She began to nervously fiddle with a strand of her hair, twisting the ends around her finger.

"What did I do yesterday?" Regulus asked, confused.

"You stopped your friend from hexing me." She replied, her eyes sweeping around the floor, only glancing up at him for a second and then going straight back to the floor.

"Oh." Regulus said gently. "Yes, I remember." Thorn nodded.

"Well, thank you." She said.

"You're welcome." Regulus replied and Thorn looked up and smiled. Regulus looked silently at her for a moment then asked "You were looking at me in the hall, why?"

"Um…" Thorn said, her dark brown eyes slightly wider than before "I was wondering if I should thank you or not... I mean, with this apparent all-out-war that is meant to be happening between our houses this year. I wasn't sure if you'd hex me or something if I tried to talk to you…"

"Are you surprised that I didn't?" He asked mildly. Thorn raised an eyebrow.

"No." she replied honestly, "I mean, you stopped Zeeman from hexing me yesterday, so why would you just turn around and hex me today. …Although, you did look pretty annoyed when I called out to you."

"Oh, no… I thought you were…" he gestured at the Hall "…someone else."

"Okay." Thorn replied, nodding. Regulus nodded as well.

"Yeah." He said.

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Thorn smiled, "Was it Angela Adamson?" she asked, considering she had just passed the girl on her way out of the hall.

"Actually it was." Regulus replied, his tone darkening slightly. Thorn tilted her head as she looked at him, wondering what the girl had done to annoy him. After a few seconds Thorn realised that she hadn't even told him who she was. "Oh…" she said lightly "By the way, I'm…"

"Rose Hallo." Regulus replied softly.

"…Yeah." Thorn said, staring at him for a second. He knew her name. Why did he know her name? Why did Regulus Black know her name? –oh, she thought to herself He's friends with Aeshire, that's why he knows my name. "Yeah." She repeated with a smile. "But everyone calls me 'Thorn'." Regulus just smiled at her for a few moments and looked as if he were about to say something when Zane Vincent came out of the hall and called to him to hurry up or they'd be late for class. Regulus appeared to pull himself back into check. Thorn noticed how his whole face appeared to change as he waved down the hall at his friend before he looked back to her for a second.

"I have to go." He said softly. Thorn nodded.

"Yeah," she said with a smile "Of course. Thanks again." Regulus just nodded at her once before he turned and headed over towards his friend.

Thorn watched him for a few moments before she turned and made her way up the stairs towards Divination. Well, that was interesting. She thought to herself. She had been surprised by how different Regulus had seemed to how she had thought he would be. Even ignoring most of what Sirius had said about his brother over the years, Regulus had still been so different to what most of the school said about him. Thorn grinned, this just proved that you couldn't rely on Hogwarts gossip. She shook her head, you couldn't rely on an impression formed from a five minute conversation either. She had to remember that. She ran a hand through her hair, wondering at Regulus' apparent sudden change at the end of their conversation. What had that been about? She smiled softly to herself as she turned a corner and continued on towards Divination.

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Regulus arranged his face into his perfect mask as he walked towards Zane. He looked over his shoulder once to see that Thorn was already halfway up the marble stairs. He didn't know what to make of her little 'thank you' to him for what he'd done the day before. Nobody else would have thanked him, so why did she? He vaguely wondered if this was part of some stupid prank of his brother's. An instant later he dismissed that thought, he couldn't believe that Thorn would be a part of that. Regulus resisted the urge to roll his eyes at himself, he hardly knew who she was until yesterday and now had only spoken to her for five minutes, so how could he presume to know anything about her or what she was capable of? He pushed that aside, he still didn't think she'd be part of a plan of Sirius' like that, he may have only spoken to her for five minutes, but in that five minutes Regulus had sensed nothing but genuine honesty from her, something he had found strangely refreshing. He raised an eyebrow as he reached Zane to see that his friend was giving him an odd look. "What?" Regulus asked softly.

"…now you're hanging out with that blood-traitor?" Zane asked. "I thought it was bad enough when it was Aeshire… but now it's spreading!"

"I wasn't hanging out with her." Regulus replied coldly.

"Then what were you doing?" Zane asked.

"Nothing." Regulus told him.

"Obviously you were doing something…" Zane persisted. "You were standing in the middle of the hallway talking to a Gryffindor blood-traitor!"

"Leave it alone." Regulus snarled, quickly losing his patience with Zane.

"Then just tell me what you were doing, because, this doesn't do much for your reputation you know…" Zane told him "What would people think if they heard that you were associating with people like that?"

"They won't unless you tell them." Regulus retorted.

"Hey, word gets out…" Zane said in a non-committing tone of voice.

"Not if you keep your mouth shut!" Regulus growled turning on Zane. He could not have Zane telling people anything about him talking to Thorn, things would be very bad for both of them with this friction that was about to explode throughout the school. They would both have trouble from those in their own houses as well as each other's. "You won't say a thing." Regulus growled at him, fingering his wand lightly. Zane took the threat for what it was and after a moment of hesitation, he nodded lightly.

"Sure, I mean yeah…" he gave a weak smile "I mean, it was nothing, yeah? …nothing important."

"Good." Regulus smiled coldly at him. "Now, let's go to class."

Disclaimer.

I'm not Joanne Rowling.

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