Chapter 4: Take Care
"So that could have gone better." Riley sighed, tossing herself into one of the many free chairs in the empty Gryffindor common room. She looked around at the red and gold decorations with mild distaste, watching them sleepily as they flickered in the dim firelight. "Who would have thought food would be such a distraction?"
Cassieopeia coughed in mock politeness, sitting beside her friend and scooting her chair closer to the large fireplace. "I'm sorry; I'm supposed to be surprised that you thought with your stomach?"
"I was referring to Sirius and Potter!" Riley exclaimed with a laugh. She winced. "But I guess that is hypocritical." Cassieopeia raised an eyebrow. "But only a little!" Riley insisted, squirming in her seat as the many cushions she had placed there threatened to envelop her. "Did you have any luck with Remus Lupin?"
"A little." Cassieopeia shrugged and sat forward in her chair, resting her face in her hands and rubbing at tired eyes. "He was distracted by the noise and his friends. But before that…"
"Mmm." Riley said with a nod, sinking deeper into her chair. Her spine looked as though it was about to bend in half. "He seemed nice."
"And James was too busy bothering Lily." Cassieopeia added, referring to one of the girls they now roomed with.
"Yeesh." Riley said, widening her eyes dramatically as she looked up at her friend. "Boys." Cassieopeia lifted one hand and gave Riley a dubious look. "Well, we can at least start by making friends with her." Riley added, her tone much more serious. "That at least might get their attention."
"I suppose." Cassieopeia said, sitting up to stare into the fire before them. "But that might not give us the right—"
"Friends of friends isn't good enough, is it?" Riley finished for her. "Well, we know about the full moon…"
"I think we should work on something for then and just be friendly before that." Cassieopeia put in. "It gives us a bit more than a week."
"I am planning on asking them for directions." Riley sighed. "This castle—I swear, I'm going to end up trying to learn Potions in a men's bathroom."
"Good plan." Cassieopeia chuckled. "Anything else?"
"We need to find a better way to meet privately. And I think we should start exploring or searching or whatnot as soon as we can; we can't pin all our hopes on them. Though Dumbledore did tell us where they like to hang out… But no… I don't know." Riley said. She tried to say more but was interrupted by an enormous yawn. "Da-huuuaaah… I mean, dang it."
"Tomorrow." Cassieopeia said with a smile.
Riley nodded and, with a great deal of effort and drama, got out of the chair and headed for the stairs to the girl's dormitory. She was rubbing her eyes but she still managed to glare at the large red tapestries hanging next to the door. With a shake of her head, she lifted a foot to the first step. Then Cassieopeia called her name.
"Nox?"
"What's up?" Riley replied, not bothering to turn around.
"What took so long? With the hat, I mean." Cassieopeia wondered, still sitting before the dying fire. "Dumbledore did tell it Gryffindor, right?"
"Ha." Riley said, her lips twitching into half a smile. "Yeah, but it still likes to think it out and… I'm a paradox, that's what; he—it? It couldn't decide."
"Yeah, it did that to me too." Cassieopeia said, feeling a slight sense of relief; whether it was for deciding to enter Gryffindor or for not being the only one considered for Slytherin, she wasn't sure. Then another thought occurred. "Which other house?" Cassieopeia added, turning to see that Riley had managed two more stairs.
"Which other house?" Riley laughed and turned to show her friend a rueful smile and wrinkled nose. "Ha. No." She shook her head and began to climb the stairs, calling back over her shoulder. "It was torn between all four."
"Oh, Riley." Cassieopeia told the fire, hearing her friend clunk away. "That is so you."
The only reply this time was an exhausted giggle.
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The next morning, a very hungry Riley bounced down half the stairs and tumbled down the other, much to the amusement of the first years behind her and the dismay of Mary Macdonald, who had been below her. After a heartfelt and flustered apology, Riley helped the other sixth year to her feet and then fled through the portrait hole, smashing into several chairs in her hurry to get to breakfast.
She needn't have worried; Cassieopeia had awoken early and saved a seat amongst the group of Marauders and several of their friends. Riley sat down with a thump and a wince, grinned across the table at the startled Sirius Black, and waited for Cassieopeia to finish her discussion with Remus(who Riley hadn't really met), Lily(who had introduced herself before bed the night before), and a rather flummoxed James(who Sirius had introduced but who she also hadn't really met) about whether or not Hogwarts curriculum was more advanced than their American school.
"And what do you think about the, um, 'curriculum', ah… Sorry, through all that bloody arguing last night, I never caught your name." Sirius interrupted suddenly, smiling wickedly at Riley. She frowned around a large pile of cinnamon toast, knowing he had intended to catch her unawares.
"It's Nox." She said flatly. "Riley Nox. And I'm not sure how I can judge what I haven't seen yet." She paused, considering her toast again. "I'd imagine it would depend both on the class and the teacher."
"Mmm." Remus said. Both of Riley's answers were almost impossible to argue against.
"How was your morning, Riley?" Cassieopeia asked politely.
"Almost killed a girl." Riley said somberly
"What? Did she try to cut in front of you on your way to food?" Cassieopeia joked quietly. Riley turned red and Sirius and James burst into laughter. "Are you serious?" Cassieopeia gasped.
"No! I mean…" Riley sputtered, knowing the four boys were all listening curiously. "I was in a hurry to get to breakfast and… I kind of basically accidentally tackled her down the stairs." Riley took a bite of toast. "She was actually very nice about it… Though that might have been out of fear that I would attack her again."
There was another rumble of laughter around her and, after another round of reintroductions and first introductions, the conversation turned to food and expectations of homework. As the bell grew close to ringing, Riley nervously spoke up.
"I don't suppose any of you have got Divination first thing?" Riley asked, knowing she sounded slightly desperate. "Or something around there?"
Cassieopeia was already shaking her head. "Remus and I have Care of Magical Creatures on the grounds." The two of them stood, looking apologetic. "We actually should get going."
"Nice to meet you, Riley." Remus said with a smile.
"I have Divination next." Peter said as their friends walked away, sounding excited. Riley's eyes widened slightly, remembering his future, but she forced herself to smile with relief.
"I've got it too." Sirius cut in, tapping his schedule dramatically. "And I can help you if you need to catch up."
Riley leaned over, reading the schedule upside down. "Ooo, and we've got the next two classes together, too." Riley grinned, trying to keep her gaze evenly between the two of them. "You two are my heroes!"
"I could too help her with catching up." Peter was saying at the same time.
James entered the conversation then, looking annoyed. "Wormtail, you've been complaining about Divination for the past three years—"
"Two years." Sirius corrected.
"Don't pretend to understand it now." James finished sternly, standing to follow the fleeing Lily out the door.
"I'm not pretending!" Peter began hotly, turning a brilliant shade of red.
"Oh, come on, Pettigrew. Just because Remus took Cassieopeia doesn't mean you need your own American to show off." Sirius drawled.
"Um, guys?"
"I'm not copying Remus!" Peter squeaked.
"Um, shouldn't we get going?"
"We're just kidding, Wormtail. Honestly." Sirius rolled his eyes. "Sorry, Nox. What were you saying?"
"Class?" Riley said pointedly.
Sirius sighed. "If we must." He joked. Riley gave him her cutest laugh and he grinned. "After you, my dear girl." He said, waving a hand airily. "Oh and you, too, Nox."
Peter glared at him.
Riley grinned triumphantly and shoved three apples in her pockets.
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Author's Note:
Hi!
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Oh, and thanks for the reads and reviews!
IWontGiveUpOnYou: :P
Guest: Thank you! I will try!
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Up next for Nox and Black?
Fwoopers and a toad.
PS Sorry for the weird '.' thing. I'm having some issues with my desire for spaces between sections.