Alright guys, here's the second chapter! Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed, you guys make my day.
ALSO- I've decided that I'm going to update this story every Monday. Just so you guys know :)
ONE MORE NOTE- It says third year was the year of the Wilkes Walkout in the last chapter, but I meant to say fifth. I went back and fixed it today, but just in case, I'm also writing it here.
Celia Kilmer's Word of the Day: Tohubohu
It means what it looks like- chaos. But it's a lot more fun to say. Toh-hoo-boh-hoo. Say it out loud. I promise it's worth it.
There was a time before the blind panic, I reflect inwardly, throwing myself at the ground to avoid yet another unknown jinx. There was a time before all I could see was red hair flying in all directions and flashes of bright light and narrowed bright green eyes. Before all I could feel was terror, and before all I knew was that I had to keep moving, keep throwing up shields, keep the inevitability of my defeat away for as long as I could.
The bell rings, and I almost fall to the ground in relief.
"You were fantastic!" Lily gushes, running over to me. "Much better than Ellen Patsky."
"Yay…" I say weakly, making my way over to my bag. Way too much exercise for the first day of classes.
"What do you have next?" She asks.
I pull out my timetable. "Muggle Studies" Then I remember that Gen isn't in that class either. None of my friends are. Only one other seventh year Ravenclaw took the class, and the only time I talked to him was to ask if he could pass the gravy. God, I should really have made more friends in the last six years I spent at this school. Maybe I should go to that party with Gen after all.
"I don't have that class." She says, frowning. "Why is it everyone even mildly interesting took Muggle Studies?"
"It's an interesting class." I say.
"Easy O." Potter says, throwing an arm around her.
"Easy O." Black says, coming up behind me.
"Easy O." Pettigrew echoes.
"What class do you have, Lily?" Lupin says despairingly. "These idiots have no interest that might actually lead to them learning something."
"Herbology?" Lily asks, her eyes shining with hope.
"Herbology." He confirms excitedly.
They high five.
"Congratulations." Black says dryly. "You're both nerds."
Potter cackles, and then those two high five.
"So immature." Lily sighs.
"Positively juvenile." Lupin sniffs.
He offers her his arm, and she takes it. Arm in arm, with their noses in the air, they stroll out of the classroom.
Muggle Studies is actually a really interesting class. Sometimes. Honestly, Muggles come up with the most amazing things. They have stuff we can't do even with magic.
Sometimes muggle things are brought in and we can try them out. It's those times that it's actually a really interesting class.
Sometimes, though, Professor Kerry decided she was too busy to bother teaching us a subject most of us were taking as a joke, and tells to get in groups and discuss "muggles and their…I don't know, just discuss something about muggles".
Today is one of those days.
Somehow I'm part of a group consisting of the Marauders minus Lupin, and three other people that I don't know.
"Hey! Wilkes Walkout!" A blonde girl who told me to call her Marlene says when I'm introduced to her.
I cringe.
"She doesn't like to think about it." Black provides.
"Why not?!" Marlene looks astounded.
"That's what I said!" Potter says.
"The day you stormed out of Professor Wilkes class was one of the best days in my life." A boy I have yet to be introduced to says, with a hand to his heart.
"I'm Alice." An adorable girl tells me, giving me a wave. "Would someone please tell me what the Wilkes Walkout was?" She demands, turning to everyone else.
"Where were you in fifth year? Under a rock somewhere?" Black demands.
"Italy." She says shortly.
There's a collective 'oh yeah' from the group.
"Okay, okay!" Marlene says excitedly. "I wanna tell the story."
I groan. "How about no one tells the story, and you all let me rest in peace."
I'm ignored.
"Okay, so, um, in fifth year, there was this really horrible teacher named Wilkes who taught defence, right? He never taught anything, he took away tons of points for totally arbitrary reasons, and sometimes he made students cry. Anyway, so one time he started yelling at Kilmer here. And it went on and on, and he insulted literally everything. Her intelligence, her weight, her hair- which I think is very nice, by the way- "
"And then Kilmer stood up." Potter interrupts.
"Hey!" Marlene says. "I was telling the story."
"This is my favourite part!" Potter argues.
"It's my favourite part too!"
"Oh, Jesus Christ!" Alice says. "I just want to know what happened!"
"Fine!" Marlene snaps, and leans back looking immensely dissatisfied.
"Anyway," Potter says with a smug expression. "Kilmer stood up, and her face was bright red, and we were all like 'is she going to cry?'. Then she opened her mouth and said 'If you're not going to teach, then fuck off'."
I wince at the memories flooding back in. I thought I was so tough, swearing at a teacher.
"Wilkes looked pissed, and he was going to say something but she kept going. I don't remember exactly what she said, and I'm pretty sure at one part she was making words up but the gist of it was her saying he was an idiot and she was there to learn and enjoy the class, and if he wasn't going to help with either of those, he should just shut up." He continues animatedly. "And then she stopped talking, grabbed her bag, and started to leave. She was about to walk out the door when he took out his wand and pointed it at her back and the-"
"And then this blonde beside her, who had been laughing her arse off the whole time, put the body bind curse on him, then walked out after her." Marlene finishes, sticking her tongue out at Potter who scowls.
Gen had still been giggling when she caught up to me in the hallway. I had gone to my room and hidden under the covers for the rest of the day. Badass extraordinaire, that's me.
In the end, Dumbledore had come to talk to me, and after I'd told him my story, he told me he'd fire Wilkes immediately.
Wilkes got fired, I got my brush with popularity and Gen got to miss her next class.
"That sounds so cool!" Alice says, her eyes wide. "I can't believe I missed it."
"Trust me, the story makes me sound a lot more rebellious and daring than it was in real life." I say. "I almost peed my pants afterward, I was that worried I would get expelled."
"Her face was so blotchy and red, it was like a tomato gone wrong." Black adds.
I glare at him. Just because it's true, doesn't mean I want to hear it. And it was true. I was going through puberty. I had acne, my voice cracked, I sweated a lot (explaining the red tomato face) and I still thought that owning nine dictionaries made one 'cool'.
Horrifying.
Thankfully, the subject is changed to muggle music, and I happily contribute the little knowledge I possess about muggle rock bands.
When the bell rings I have learned more about the Beatles than I had ever hoped to know, and I'm calling them all by their first names (turns out the boy whose name I didn't know is named Frank) upon their insistence.
I've only met these people today, and I'm on better terms with them than I am with three of the people I've lived with for the last six years.
Marlene and I are walking to Ancient Runes together, and the others have split off into different directions based on their different classes.
When Marlene hears that I have nine dictionaries, she grins and pulls me aside. "Do you want another one?"
I shrug. "Sure."
She grabs my arm. "Come with me."
We've gone about two feet, when we bump into two guys from Gryffindor.
"Oh, hey." Marlene says, though she doesn't sound too excited.
"Hey, Marly." One of them returns. The other nods. Note to self: learn to nod in acknowledgement when people say hello, it looks super cool.
"This is Celia Kilmer." She introduces. "The Wilkes Walkout girl."
I smile. "Hi."
The one who nodded earlier, looks me up and down, and a slow grin spreads across his face. I shift uncomfortably, my smile fading a little. I've seen looks like that before. He opens his mouth, and I try to silently compel him to shut it again.
It doesn't work. "Babe, if you come up to my dorm, I'll help you learn something you'll definitely enjoy."
The smile completely disappears. My mind races to come up with something to retaliate, but nothing comes to mind.
"Two out of ten." Gen says, coming out of nowhere, and looping an arm around my shoulders. "Pathetic, completely lacking in any originality whatsoever. It really should be one, but I gave you a pity point. It was just…"
She turns to me expectantly. I don't hesitate. We've done this before. "Inadequate?" I suggest. "Dismal, paltry, pitiful, contemptible-"
"Contemptible!" She says in an 'Aha!" tone, pointing at the Gryffindor, whose face is flushed. "It was just contemptible overall."
He looks angry, and starts to reply when someone interrupts. "Genevieve?"
Gen looks confused for a second, and then the confidence that was there a few moments ago vanishes, and she squeaks and dives behind my back (useless, seeing as she's taller than me).
Now, it's my turn to be confused. I stand on my tiptoes to peer over over the boy still in front of me. Unfortunately, students are still navigating the halls, and I can't make out anyone special.
"Who was it?" I turn around to hiss at Gen. She's gone.
I turn back around, and see a Slytherin tie right in front of my face .
I look up and see one blond, elegantly raised eyebrow.
My gaze moves down a little, and I see a mouth set in a straight line.
I look back up. "Hey."
"Where'd she go?" Finn Spencer asks, completely ignoring my greeting. I decide to ignore his indecorous behaviour just this once, and shrug.
"No idea." I say, not entirely honestly.
"Is she ignoring me?" He demands.
"What?! Of course not!" I say, lying through my teeth.
"Why?" He asks, looking distraught. Poor guy.
"Why isn't she ignoring you?" I feign ignorance, going all the way, eyes wide and everything.
He gives me a look.
"Look, I'd love to help you, really." I say, lowering my voice. "But I can't."
He sighs, and my heart melts.
"But, if I was to help you, I would tell you something along the lines of; Gen's probably going to be in the library in between the Magical History and Popular Myths and Fables stacks."
Finn's whole face lights up, and all my guilt fades away. It's for her own good, I tell myself firmly.
Marlene closes in as he leaves. "What was that all about?" She whispers.
"I can't tell you." I whisper back. Making sure Finn's way ahead of me, I start to move forward.
"Where are you going?" She hisses.
I'm not really sure why we're being so quiet, but it fits the mood so I go with it.
"The library."
"I'm coming too." She says resolutely.
"No!" I say, panicking. Gen would never forgive me.
"I won't tell a soul, I swear! I just want to see what happens!"
"Nononono! We can't intrude on their privacy." I sigh, turning away. "And that includes me."
Marlene tilts her head to the side, and looks at my face. "Alright." She says finally. "Come look at my dictionary."
I follow her into the Gryffindor common room, to the girls dorms, into her dorm, and then watch as she rifles through her trunk, and then pulls out a cloth wrapped book.
"My great-aunt left it to me." She says. "She died last summer. Big book nerd, according to mom."
"I'm sorry." I say, somewhat uncertainly. She doesn't really sound too cut up over it.
"Don't be." Marlene replies, unwrapping it. "I never talked to her, so I'm not really that upset."
The wrapping falls open, and inside is the thickest and most beautiful dictionary I've ever seen. It's old and a mahogany colour, with gold engravings, that swirl all over the page, making beautiful flowery shapes.
"This is a dictionary?" I breathe out.
"It's really more like a magical encyclopedia." Marlene says. "Spells, potions, magical creatures, that sort of thing. It's kind of expensive, though, are you sure you can afford it?"
"I'll figure something out." I say, tearing my eyes away from the book. "How much?"
"Twenty galleons." She says apologetically.
"Twenty!" I exclaim. "I don't have that much money! I barely have any money!"
"Sorry." She says, and she really does sound sorry. "But I can't cut it down. I need exactly twenty galleons, and people have offered to buy it for a lot more. I just figured you should have since you like this kind of stuff so much."
"Don't sell it!" I beg. "Just give me a little while."
She nods. "Sure. You can have until Christmas break."
I let out a sigh of relief. "Thank god."
I spend the rest of the day mulling over how to get more money and worrying over Gen. I haven't seen her since the Finn incident, and so far I've looked everywhere. I decided to go back to the dorm half an hour ago. If she doesn't show up by midnight I'm going to Dumbledore.
To pass the time, I think of ways to get money. I can't get a job, I can't borrow the money since I probably won't be able to pay it back, and I doubt I could get away with robbing people. I've decided to sell all my possessions, when Gen bursts into the dorm.
"Should I get back together with Finn Spencer?"
"Where have you been all day?!" "You didn't show up to any of your classes, you didn't come to lunch or dinner, Gen, it's 10:30!"
She winces. "I know, I'm sorry! I just… needed to think."
I sigh. "I told the teachers you were sick."
"Have I ever told you I love you?" She says, jumping onto my bed.
"Yes." I reply. "Either take off of your shoes, or get off my bed. And yes, you should definitely get back together with Finn Spencer."
She sits up and begins to unlace her boot.
"Of course," I continue, not bothering to hide my irritation. "You won't tell me why you broke up in the first place, so I could be wrong."
She grins at me. "Some other time." Then she flops down on her bed, and rolls over.
"Are you going to sleep?!"
"Yeah." She says, her voice muffled by the pillow.
"You can't sleep! You haven't eaten anything!"
"Too tired to go to the kitchens." She mumbles. "I'll have a big breakfast, Cee, don't worry."
"Aggh!" I growl. Stomping over to the door, I put on my boots. "Stay awake, Gen, I'll bring you some food, okay?"
She mumbles something I take for acquiescence.
I'm walking out of the kitchens (My older brother had told me how to get there in first year), when someone grabs me, and yanks me into a nearby broom closet.
I'm about to open my mouth and scream, when I hear Filch's voice muttering right outside.
"Students out of bed… but we'll catch them, Mrs. Norris, my sweet, won't we?"
I swallow instead, and try to figure out who I'm being held against. It's a man, I decide. No boobs. I can feel his breathing. When I hear Filch's footsteps fade, I turn around to try and figure out who this is. One arm moves, so it's no longer wrapped around my waist, I hear someone whisper Lumos, and then I look up into the grinning face of Sirius Black.
"Hello, love." He says.
"Hey." I say, and then for some reason, I nod my head in the same way I saw that asshole do it earlier. Well, I try to do it the same way, but my head just jerks gracelessly. His grin widens. I flush and look away, and that's when I realize that we are in a really awkward position.
One of his arms is still wrapped around my waist, and thanks to my choice to turn around, my boobs are pressed up against his chest.
"Perfect timing, actually, Celia." He continues, as though completely unaware of this. "Marlene told me you needed some money."
I can't help it. I snort. "Let me guess, you just happen to have twenty galleons laying around, and you want to gift them to me."
"Actually, my parents cut me off, so I'm very broke. I do, however, happen to have a way to get you those twenty galleons."
I raise my eyebrows skeptically.
Sirius smiles. It's very attractive. It makes my stomach feel all twisty. I'm so busy mulling over his attractiveness, I don't hear what he says next.
"Pardon?" I say politely.
"Go out with me."
I'm not really as happy with this chapter as I could be, but the next one's going to be better. More Sirius! More Jily! Reviews motivate me to work both faster and better ;)