(Might be a bit of a language problem in here, not sure what the rating should be, though…)
September 2nd 1993
They had been back at school for less than a full day, and Carina wanted to rip her hair out. How did all teenage boys possess the ability to drive her absolutely insane?! If she had to listen to Malfoy taunt her about Pettigrew, or her cousins ask her if she was okay, or Terry and Stephen acting like she was some sort of goddess for much longer, she was going to seriously injure something … or someone. And it was only barely breakfast, for Merlin's sake!
"Oh you have got to be kidding me," she mumbled in horror, looking at her schedule.
"What is it?" Hermione asked with concern.
"Arithmancy, which is great, is followed by potions, which is horrible, followed by lunch, which is okay, followed by care of magical creatures, with of all people teaching it, HAGRID!" Carina said, letting her horror seep into her voice. "We're all gonna die," she moaned.
Hermione cracked a wry grin. "I doubt Hagrid would let that happen," she said diplomatically.
"His definition of danger and mine differ extremely," Carina responded flatly.
"Hey, Black, do you think the blood traitor will protect you when Pettigrew shows up for you?" Malfoy taunted. "Or will you be leaning on the mudblood this time?"
Carina seethed silently, forcing herself not to respond. What right did that little scumbag have to talk about Uncle Keith and Hermione like he was better than them! It was insane!
"Or maybe you'll find a guy desperate enough to date you," Parkinson sneered from Malfoy's side.
Carina mentally counted to ten, but her control broke when Malfoy replied to Parkinson, "Please, Pansy, no one is that desperate! Not even Longbottom!"
She could see that Neville Longbottom was reddening in embarrassment at the Gryffindor table, and tried to decide how to react. "Oh, don't worry, Draco, I'm sure that there's someone who might be desperate enough to give you a pity date," she said sweetly. "For instance, maybe the two bit whore following you around like a lost dog?"
Malfoy and Parkinson both looked outraged, while most the people within hearing distance were muffling laughter or looking excited.
Draco regained his cool quickly, "You'd really do that for me?"
Carina looked at him in disgust. "First of all, I don't do incest, Cousin. Second of all, I was referring to pug-face Parkinson. And third of all… even if we weren't cousins and I was a cheap whore, it'd take a WHOLE lot more than two knuts for me to be willing to even look at you."
Malfoy looked even more outraged, and Carina inwardly danced at the victory.
"Miss Black, Mister Malfoy, is there a problem here?"
Damn it, Remus, I was enjoying that! "Not at all, Professor," she said in a sweet tone that was a LOT different than the one she'd used on Draco moments before. In fact, if Remus hadn't known her well, he'd probably have believed her.
"Right, C – Miss Black," Remus said skeptically.
Carina interrupted, "Everyone knows that you know me, there really isn't a point in hiding it."
"I'm trying to be impartial," Remus said dryly.
"You're her 'uncle', that isn't going to happen," Draco said in disgust.
"If he's my uncle, and I'm your cousin, there's a 50/50 chance that he's your uncle as well," Carina retorted, and almost laughed at Draco's pale face managing to pale even more. It would be worth the lecture she would get for that comment later just because of that expression.
"All right, stop where you are, all of you," Remus said sternly, and Carina nearly groaned. She had hoped they'd manage to make him forget about whatever he had overheard. "Ten points from Slytherin, twenty from Ravenclaw, Miss Black, if I hear you talking like that again, it won't just be point loss."
Carina glowered at him.
"I believe you've all got classes to get to." Remus said pointedly.
"How in Salazar's name did he hear what we were talking about when he was still on the other side of the room?" Malfoy asked in his obnoxious drawl.
"Malfoy, use your head, you imbecile," Carina said tiredly, walking away. "I'm sure your death eater father has mentioned it once or twice."
Malfoy's face purpled with rage, and she felt Hermione wince from behind her. Carina had a felling she knew why, and it was confirmed by Remus saying, "Miss Black, I do believe we need to have a discussion."
"I hate my life," she mumbled in disgust, reluctantly following Remus to his office. They entered and he shut the door and looked at her evenly. "Is there a reason you're in such a despicable mood?"
"Hundreds," she retorted bitterly.
"I'm quite sure they don't explain you calling a classmate – what was it? A two-bit whore? Or deliberately baiting someone who you knew would respond… or even –"
"I. Don't. Care." Carina said with controlled anger. "I was not going to sit around and watch that smug blonde bastard taunt me, he started it, so why am I the one you're lecturing?"
"Sit down, Carina," Remus said sharply, and Carina realized with a start that during her mini-rant she'd stood up. With a disgusted look at Remus, she sat back down. "Because even if his comments were low, they were directed at you, not at one of your friends who hadn't said anything. You are also the one who refused to let it drop when it should have."
Carina crossed her arms and scowled.
"What is wrong with you?" Remus asked in exasperation.
"The fact that males exist," Carina replied in a growl. "And that all teenage boys are IDIOTS! Why in Merlin's name can they not just let it DROP!? Stephen and Terry, who have been my semi-friends since first year, are treating me like I'm some kind of goddess, and Ryan and Andrew are treating me like I'm made of glass! Malfoy is even worse this year than he's been in the last two years, and I don't even want to KNOW what Weasley is up to now!"
Remus blinked, and then bit his lip, and Carina could tell he wanted to laugh.
"Did you ever notice that you and 'Weasley' have the same enemies?" Remus asked in a FAR too innocent tone for Carina's liking.
"Anyone with an ounce of logic knows Malfoy is an arrogant, sexist, self-centered, obnoxious pig with no regard for anyone but himself. It's not hard to be his enemy."
"You're both friends with Ryan and Andrew."
"Ryan and Andrew are my cousins," Carina countered, wondering where Remus was going with this.
"So is Mr. Malfoy," Remus countered.
"Do you have a point?!" Carina asked exasperatedly.
"Nothing, nothing," he said innocently. "You just reminded me of another red-head I once knew."
Carina's eyes narrowed, and she thought through the stories she'd heard of her parents time at Hogwarts… "Oh, eww, Uncle Remus! That is so wrong!"
He chuckled. "Sorry, but you did sound a lot like her."
"Well, I'm sure that the lot of you deserved it," Carina shot back dryly. "You do know that I'm missing Arithmancy, right?"
Remus winced. "Right, about that…" he looked unaccountably nervous.
"What?" she asked anxiously.
"…you have Arithmancy with Gryffindors," he said with a small wince.
"So?" Carina asked. "It's not like Weasley has the brains to – oh, please to Merlin tell me that you're joking!" Carina switched tracks in mid-sentence at the look on Remus' face.
Remus shook his head. "Sorry."
"Why in the hell would he do that!?" Carina asked in horror. "The boy barely ever picks up a book, and only ever does it grudgingly! I would have thought he'd be doing the bare minimum with the easiest classes: Divination and Muggle Studies."
Remus shook his head again, "Sorry, 'Rina, he's taking Care of Magical Creatures, Arithmancy, and Muggles studies – you were only right on one."
Carina groaned. "If someone up there thinks this is funny, they have a twisted sense of humor," she said, looking up as if directing her comment towards the heavens.
Remus scribbled out a note and handed it to her. "Give that to Professor Vector, and hope that there's no open seats by Mister Weasley."
Carina glowered at him and grabbed the note, shaking her head in amusement at Remus' antics. He didn't honestly think she'd end up with Weasley, did he?