August 27th 1992
"Why can't I just stay with Remus or Keith?" Carina asked desperately.
"It's the full moon, and Keith has Ella and 'Rea over," James explained for the fifteenth time. "I'm sorry, 'Rina, but I really don't have much of a choice here."
"You could not go!" she shot back irritably. "It isn't that bloody important, James, it's just a meeting to talk about your desperation to get a job! Guess what, James?! The job will still be there when I leave for Hogwarts in five days!"
James sighed. "Carina, please. It's only five days."
"In which there is plenty of time for me to lose my temper with Weasley's five, four, three and two," Carina countered. "I don't want to blow up their house, but being stuck around those four gits might just make me lose my temper!"
James looked at her pleadingly. "Carina, please."
Carina sighed. "Fine, but only 'cause you're you. Keep in mind that I'm doing this under protest, though."
"Yes ma'am, Madam Carina," he said teasingly.
Carina rolled her eyes.
CRBCRBCRBCRBCRBCRBCRBAugust 31st 1992
Carina was about an inch away from blowing up at Ronald Weasley. Fred and George were easy enough to ignore once you got used to their pranks, and that was easy for her: she did live with a Marauder, after all. Percy just left her alone, which she thanked her lucky stars for. The youngest Weasley, Ginny, was pretty quiet, but she seemed like a sweet girl all the same.
It was only the fact that Fred, George and Percy were leaving her alone that got her through her time at the Burrow. Sharing a room with Ginny was interesting, and it was a great way to get away from Ron The Git, but it wasn't enough shelter from the git.
Tomorrow.
One more day and she'd go to Hogwarts, where she'd be in a completely different tower than ALL of the Weasley's. She couldn't wait.
One more day…
CRBCRBCRBCRBCRBCRBCRBSeptember 1st 1992
Carina stared at the barrier in horror and anger. Couldn't it have let just one of them through so she wouldn't have to deal with Weasley?! "I give up," she muttered in annoyance. "I'm going to go wait for your parents, Weasley," she snarled, going over to the Weasley's car and plopping down in the expanded back seat.
She waited for fifteen minutes before her sleepiness won out and she fell asleep.
Waking up, she immediately knew that something was wrong, but she wasn't sure what that something was just yet. "RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY!" she shouted in fury. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!"
He had flown the car. Merlin only knew where they were, but they were flying a car. A very visible care. Merlin, save her from idiots.
"It was the only way to get to school," Ron explained.
"I have an owl, you ignoramus!" she shouted, pointing at Hedwig who was asleep in her cage. "You could have sent a letter ahead and told them we couldn't get through!"
"Well I'm sorry we're not all brilliant," Ron drawled sarcastically.
"I hate you, Ronald Weasley," Carina snarled.
It was a very long and tense drive the rest of the way to Hogwarts, and Carina spent most of it fighting the urge to murder Ronald Weasley with her bare hands. Maybe dear ol' Fluffy would want to see Ron… for dinner. Better yet, just drop him in the middle of the Forbidden Forest without his wand and see if he lives through it.
Carina quelled her bitter and furious thoughts and tried to do something breathing exercises to calm down. This worked until they were almost touching down at Hogwarts and Ron crashed the car into the whomping willow.
"Weasley, you idiot," she moaned, praying to Merlin that they'd get out of this.
Ten minutes later, thankfully on the ground and out of the situation where Ronald Weasley held the keys to her safety, Carina was fuming.
Walking into Hogwarts, the first person to spot them was Snape, and Carina mentally winced. This would be bad. But it hadn't been her fault, she'd been asleep when Ron had come up with and started his insane plan!
Then again, if she told them that and they believed her, it was highly likely that Weasley would be expelled. However much of a pest he was, Carina didn't think he deserved that. But did she deserve to get in trouble for his stupidity?
Coming to a decision while waiting for McGonagall, Flitwick and Dumbledore, she cursed every bit of inherited Gryffindor-ness she had. She should just let the git get expelled, it was his fault anyway, but she couldn't do it.
"Sit," McGonagall said with thin lips.
Both Carina and Weasley did so.
"Explain," Flitwick ordered.
Carina explained the story she had prepared. "The barrier wouldn't let us through, Professors, and we went back to wait for the Weasley's at their car, but after twenty minutes with no one coming we decided we had to get their on our own. We decided to fly the car, it was really the only thing we could think of," she babbled, hating that she was making herself look stupid and that she was going to be in worlds of trouble for this git whom she hated. Speaking of which, he'd managed to only looked completely shocked for a second before going along with her story.
"I believe that you have an owl, Miss Black. Why did you not send a letter to let us know what was happening," McGonagall said thinly.
Carina made herself look shocked. "I – I didn't think – "
"That," Flitwick said seriously, "Was obvious."
Dumbledore told them seriously, "The two of you broke tens of rules with this stunt, and by all rights, you should probably be expelled. However, I will leave your punishment up to your heads of house."
Carina had a sinking feeling in her stomach. In the previous year, it had been proven conclusively that if there was one thing Professor Flitwick hated, it was when Ravenclaws did stupid things in public and made it rather obvious. This was NOT going to be good.
"I think points – " Flitwick started.
Carina thought frantically, and said desperately, "When we took the car, term hadn't started, so you really shouldn't take points from Ravenclaw or Gryffindor, should you?"
Both Flitwick and McGonagall stared at her and she fought the urge to look away.
The Professors seemed to have a silent conversation. "Points will not be taken," McGonagall finally said. "Mr. Weasley, you have a week of detentions, and I am writing a letter to your parents."
Ron nodded, looking more scared than Carina had ever seen him.
"Miss Black, you also have a week of detention, and I'll be writing a letter to your godfather," Flitwick said seriously. "Do not expect to get off so lightly if you do something like this again."
Carina and Ron both nodded, Carina inwardly wishing to hell and back that she hadn't covered for Weasley. "You may both eat in here and then return to your common rooms," Professor McGonagall informed them.
They ate in silence and Carina was all too happy when they were done to just get away from Weasley.
"Hey, Black," he called as she turned to walk towards Ravenclaw tower.
"Yes, Weasley?" she asked tiredly.
"Thank you for covering for me," he said shyly. "You didn't have to, and I really appreciate it."
"It's fine," she said, feeling exhausted and drained. "You are an idiot and a git but you don't deserve to be expelled, and if we'd told the truth, you probably would have been. Just drop it and pretend the story we told the Professors was the truth, okay Weasley?"
Ronald nodded.
CRBCRBCRBCRBCRBCRBCRB
September 2nd 1992
The next day was just as bad as the previous one, Carina thought. Ella, 'Rea, and Hermione were all refusing to speak to her, in all likelihood this was because she'd been with Weasley rather than the flying car itself. They had made a pact between the four of them about the git, and they thought she'd broken it. So they were only right to be angry, but that didn't make her feel any better as she dragged herself down to the great hall for breakfast.
Only a few minutes after she arrived, before she'd even had a full cup of her precious coffee, an explosion was heard from the Gryffindor table in the form of a howler from Mrs. Weasley.
"Stealing the car, I wouldn't have been surprised if they'd expelled you, you wait till I get hold of you, Ronald Bilius Weasley! I don't suppose you stopped to think what your father and I would think when we saw it was gone! That letter from McGonagall last night, I thought your father would die of shame, we didn't bring you up to behave like this, you and Carina could have died! I am absolutely disgusted with your behavior, Ronald! Your father is facing an inquiry at work and it's entirely your fault! If you put another toE out of line we'll bring you straight home!"
Carina felt ill. If he was in this much trouble without them knowing she hadn't agreed, how much would he have been in if they thought she'd not known? She didn't want to imagine it. An owl was heading towards her, though. A very familiar owl. Thank Merlin it wasn't carrying a howler.
"Hey Paddy," she whispered, patting her godfathers owls head. "He was pretty angry, wasn't he?" she asked regretfully, and Paddy bobbed his head.
Carina fought the urge to burst into tears and took the letter from Paddy, giving him a bit of bacon and sending him on his way.
With great reluctance, Carina opened the letter and began to read.
Carina Rose Black, what on EARTH were you thinking?!
You and Weasley could have been KILLED, you could have DIED! I have never been so disappointed in you as I am right now! I cannot believe that you did something so stupid! You had Hedwig with you, why didn't you just owl the school or even me?! Arthur Weasley is facing and inquiry at work over this, and it is entirely the fault of you and Ronald!
We are going to have a very long talk about this come Christmas break, Carina Rose, and don't you doubt it for a second. You are extremely lucky that you weren't expelled over this, but not being expelled does not mean that you aren't in trouble.
This has got to be the stupidest thing you have ever done, Carina. You had better be behaving well from now on or you won't have to worry about being expelled, I'll pull you out myself.
Carina… just… It has been suggested that I should not write this when I am as angry as I currently am, but you need to know just how badly you messed up. I am absolutely furious that you would do something so irresponsible, Carina Rose Black!
We WILL be discussing this, Carina.
James Potter
Carina stared at the letter for a second, feeling tears well up in her eyes. She stuffed the letter in her bag, slung the bag over her shoulder, and ran out of the great hall. She didn't stop running until she reached the third floor corridor, where she threw her bag down and sat down leaning against the wall. Making sure she was alone, she let the tears she'd forced herself to hide finally flow.
Why, why hadn't she just let Weasley get expelled… It would be the end of his education, but she wouldn't be feeling like her world was falling down around her, and she wouldn't feel guilty and regretful for something that really wasn't her fault, whatever she'd told the professors.
She had never felt so low in her life as she did right now, not even right after Quirrel's death or when the Dursley's were taunting her. Not once had she ever felt this badly. She should have let him take the blame. She should have, because it was actually his fault, and she really hadn't done anything to deserve this, nothing but be too damned noble and sympathetic to someone who didn't deserve an ounce of either.
But nothing she did now could take back that she'd lied to save Weasley, so she would just have to deal with the consequences. It was a lot easier to do that when the consequences were a few detentions rather than an extremely disappointed godfather. Hell, just about anything would have been better than that letter.
Never been so disappointed in you as I am right now…
Carina bit her lip and then let determination fill her. She could not tell anyone that it had been a lie, that she hadn't had anything to do with the car, because that would get Weasley in trouble. What she could do was keep studying, keep trying, and do her damned best not to think about the conversation she'd be having with James come Christmas break…
CRBCRBCRBCRBCRBCRBCRB
The next day, walking out on the grounds, she was startled by the sight of a large black horse with wings. It took her awhile to realize what it was, at which point she pushed away her emotions and tired to forget that she had killed her last DADA teacher. She had thought she'd gotten past it, but being reminded she had killed a man by the fact that she could see a creature only people who had seen death could see just set her off again…