Chapter 6: Aurora Kapranos.
The next morning, I sat alone at the Slytherin table watching the owls fly in. I was expecting a letter, but it was hard to stay awake. It had been a late night, and I had stayed awake thinking of how I was going to survive this year. It's not that I was worried about my N.E.W.T.S., I knew my stuff in the classes that counted.
To tell the truth, I was worried about being alone again. Despite the fact that I had a reputation as a loner, my status was by circumstance rather than by choice, and by the time I was old enough to go to Hogwarts, I had reluctantly accepted the fact that no one was going to want to be associated with a Kapranos. Then I met Alastor.
Alastor and I stuck together most of the time. We looked out for each other and kept each other company. When I became a prefect, he gave me a foe glass, remarking that I would need it now more than ever. That was last year, and I hadn't seen him since his graduation. Smiling sadly, I ran my hand over a silver ring on my left ring finger that was shaped like an eye and inlaid with sapphire.
Looking up, I saw that Malfoy's snowy owl had landed, and even Snape's wiry little screech owl had arrived with mail. About halfway through the meal, a large great-horned owl landed in front of me. Stroking the bird's feathers, I untied the pouch around his leg and extracted both a letter and a small parcel. Tucking the parcel into my lap, I held the letter up to my face, scanning for the point that would disarm the curse I was sure was keeping the envelope secure. Finally I saw it, but before I could do anything, the letter was snatched out of my hands.
Looking up, I saw who had grabbed my letter and felt an overwhelming surge of hatred. The heavily-lidded eyes of Bellatrix Black leered at my letter. "A letter, huh? This must be what you were up all night mumbling about."
"Give that back," I hissed angrily, "You'll be sorry if you don't."
Ignoring me, she turned the envelope over in her hands, "Hmmm…wonder who it's from. There's no name on the outside, so let's open it and see." She began sliding her fingernail under the flap.
"Oh, by all means, do open it," I murmured so she couldn't hear me. I knew what would happen, and I didn't even flinch as she screamed.
Glancing up, I saw that a large gash had opened across her face and the envelope had turned blood red in her hands as a familiar voice emanated from it: "Bellatrix, I suggest you put this letter down before I am forced to hurt you more that I already have," the voice took on a tone of menace, "And don't think I wouldn't welcome the chance."
Pressing a hand over her face, she threw the envelope at me and ran from the room. As it landed in my lap, it returned to its normal coloring, and I saw a deep blue eye retreating back into the paper. Opening the envelope, I unfolded the note inside. Confident that no one would bother me, I began to read the spidery handwriting:
"Dear Aurora,
I am sorry I didn't write sooner, but my training has kept me quite busy. However, I fully intend to meet up with you at Hogsmeade this weekend. (Preferably at the Hog's Head if that is quite all right.) I'm assuming that someone did indeed attempt to open this before you, so you will have all the more reason to make good use of my gift. In the meantime, send Shirak back with your reply, he'll have an easier time finding me than Aloysius would. Hope to see you soon.
Yours truly,
Alastor Moody"
Tucking the letter into a pocket, I began unwrapping the package until I revealed a small, polished silver mirror. Baffled by this uncharacteristic gesture, I flipped it over to see another note attached to the back, which read:
"Should have included this bit in the letter itself, stupid of me not to. Either way, this is a two-way mirror; I have the twin to it. Whenever you wish to talk to me, simply look into the mirror and speak my name.
Alastor"
Smiling thinly, I turned the mirror over in my hands a few more times before placing it in another pocket. Taking a sip from the flask I always carried on me and left the room. I had Defense Against the Dark Arts first, and I knew it was going to be a long day.
Chapter 7: Remus Lupin.
"Class, would you excuse me for a moment?" I looked up to see Professor Willows slip out into the hall with a first year Hufflepuff student, a strange look on his thin, pale face. Hastily, I shot a glance at Aurora, who though writing her notes on the nature of the Imperius Curse, was keeping her eyes carefully trained on the door.
Less than a minute later, Professor Willows stuck his head back inside, "Kapranos, Professor Slughorn wants to see you in his office."
Professor Slughorn was the potions master, not to mention the Slytherin Housemaster, and as she stood up and gathered her things, there was no doubt in anyone's mind as to what this was all about. As she walked toward the door, she cast a scathing look over the entire class before giving me a different, yet still annoyed look.
Several minutes after Aurora vanished, Professor Willows continued the lesson, and it was almost half an hour before she returned, followed by a scowling Bellatrix Black.
Sighing in frustration, Professor Willows turned on the young women. "You've missed a lot of notes," he snapped, "Miss Black, look on with Malfoy. Kapranos, you'll be catching up with Lupin here."
As she settled beside me and began copying, I looked at her sideways and asked under my breath, "How'd it go Aurora?"
Not looking at me, she replied, "As well as it could have Moony, as well as it could have…"
Not wishing to press the issue, I decided to simply watch her copy down my notes (I was already done with mine) in a careful, if old fashioned handwriting. Looking closer, I saw that her notes were littered with small sketches of the moon in pretty much every imaginable phase except full, as well as sketches of scenes and creatures that couldn't have been seen through human eyes. At the time, I didn't give it much thought, but looking back, I probably should have.
By the time class was over, Aurora had been done for about twenty minutes, and before I could even gather my things, she was gone.
Chapter 8: Severus Snape.
As much as I liked seeing Bellatrix get knocked down a peg, it annoyed me that Kapranos was able to get away with it. She really infuriated me, but not as much as she worried me. She worried me mainly because by all accounts she knew my secret; knew that I was not the pureblood I presented myself as. She knew my alias too. There was no telling what else she knew about me.
But as much as she infuriated and worried me, she was also truly baffling; a real puzzle. Here she had all the makings of a perfect blackmail plot, but she did nothing about it. It made no sense to me, and I found that rather annoying. Still, she had bailed me out of trouble several times, and I suppose I owed her for that.
As far as I knew, no one was aware of who was saving me, and no one knew my alias. It was our secret I suppose, and it helped me keep my dignity. Still, I did not like it. She made me nervous.
Chapter 9: Sirius Black.
"What was that???" I hissed as Moony sat by me in Herbology Class. We had the class with Hufflepuff, so I didn't bother checking my tone of voice.
Looking at me calmly, he sighed; "What are you talking about Sirius?"
I narrowed my eyes, "Don't play dumb with me! You and that Slytherin girl!"
Sighing again, he resumed his notes. "What about it? I asked her how it went".
I raised an eyebrow, "You wanted her to get off?"
Moony rolled his eyes, "Would you rather see your cousin happy?"
"Fine," I growled, "Have it your way Lupin, but don't come crying to me when she breaks your heart."
At this, he jerked his head toward me, "I told you! It's not like that!"
Glancing up from their work, James and Peter looked at the two of us with worried glances. Shaking my head at them, I went back to my notes. If Lupin wanted to be a brainless git, that was his business. I couldn't do anything about it.
Chapter 10: Lucius Malfoy
"What were you looking so smug about?" Bellatrix Black glared at me from across the table.
Raising an eyebrow, I glanced up, "Whatever do you mean Miss Black?"
Looking up shyly, Narcissa said softly, "I think she's referring to how you reacted to the situation between her and Kapranos. Namely, that you seemed to find Bellatrix's plight amusing."
Smiling wanly, I shrugged, "It was amusing. We might as well face it, you just can not touch Kapranos."
"But you hate that bitch!" Bellatrix snarled, "Why the hell would you be amused by her doing shit to me?"
At this, I could not help but laugh a little. The girl was so impulsive it was not even funny. Okay, it was funny, but that was not the point. "Oh come now Miss Black! You must admit she is worth watching! Hell, the girl is pretty much untouchable as it is."
The elder Black sister narrowed her eyes, "How do you figure? She has no allies in the school at all."
I nodded, "True, but she is also a prefect. Not to mention," I paused, simply for dramatic effect, "She is the sole scion of House Kapranos. If anything happens to her, or if she fails to produce a pureblooded heir, then House Kapranos dies with her. Her father, Alexander, will do anything to prevent either of those two things from happening."
Looking at me suspiciously, Narcissa pursed her lips, "How do you know all this Lucius?"
I smiled at her, "She is my cousin. Her mother was my father's sister. It is just rather hard to spot the Malfoy blood in her because her grandmother was a Black."
"Nevertheless, she's a blood-traitor, Malfoy. She may be Slytherin, but she's no different than that treacherous cousin of mine!" Bellatrix spat, "I won't stand by while she ruins the bloodline of one of the last pureblood houses in England!"
Narrowing my eyes, I gave her a cold look, "You will not touch her. If anyone deals with her, it will be me, got that Miss Black?"
Scowling at me, she nodded and remained silent for the rest of the class.
