Chapter Four
Two Birds in a Cage
--
There's got to be more to life than chasing
down every temporary high.
--
October 1, 1970
The house of Slytherin was everything I'd expected it to be and much more. The dungeons that housed the common room and dorms were as dark and bitter as the students who inhabited them.
I kept to myself, spending as much time as I could with Lily on the grounds or up in the Owlery. I rather liked the upper tower that housed the owls. No one ever trespassed there once the sun went down, leaving me to myself and the owls of course. They made much better company than my housemates anyhow. I'd spent several of my nights up in the Owlery, making my bed upon the hay. That was how the rumors began. When I started spending more time away from my bed at night tales of my vampirism began to rise, but that was only after I was declared a werewolf. I found it humorous along with Lily, as did Sirius, though I think he was the one who started the gossip that I was secretly a vampire. I refused to deny the grossly false stories, choosing to allow my fellow classmates to draw their own conclusions. I figured that as long as the Slytherins feared me then I would be left to myself, and that was exactly how I wanted it.
During classes, I reluctantly partnered with Severus when we were forced to pair up. He was the only person who didn't believe I was dangerous, and I really don't think he would have cared if I was. I think Lily had asked him to at least attempt to be kind to me since I wasn't exactly personable, though neither was he to be quite honest.
Lily had flourished socially as I knew she would. It was impossible to dislike Lily, literally. I couldn't for the life of me understand why she insisted on spending all her time with me and Severus. We were the two least likeable human beings not only in Slytherin but in the entire school. I couldn't bring myself to question it, however, because whatever the reason was that she found to be my friend was good enough for me…
For the first time since I'd arrived at Hogwarts, I was excited. No, I was ecstatic. Today was the day of our first flying lesson with Madam Hooch, the first year flying instructor. She was young with choppy brown hair and distinct, bright yellow eyes. I'd been anxious to get back on a broom since the day we'd gotten here, and now I'd finally get my fix.
Lily and Severus, however, we're not so pleased. Neither of them had ever flown upon a broom before, and they wished they could go an entire lifetime without doing so. Lily looked rather ill as the three of us along with Alice Abbot and Mary MacDonald walked towards the line of brooms that had been placed upon the grass inside the Quidditch pitch. I had restrain myself from running to the brooms. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the foul foursome were bringing up the rear, James and Sirius's eyes as bright as the sun once they locked their gaze on the broomsticks. I may have been able to restrain myself from running to the flight site, but Sirius's obvious immaturity prevented him from acting like a civilized human being. He took off like a bat out hell from behind us, once he came near my side, I extended my ankle and tripped the git. He fell flat on his face, earning a hardy laugh from James, giggles from the girls, and rather pleased snort from Severus. Sirius had skidded forward, dragging his chin along the grass to the point where he spit mud out from his mouth. I halted my strides, looked down at the fallen moron and smirked pleasantly at him.
"Let's hope you can fly better than you walk, Black," I hissed, whisking by him without another word.
"You know I've always been able to fly circles around you, Morgana," he snapped, pushing himself up to his elbows before James helped him to his feet.
"Yeah, only because you don't know how to fly straight," I shouted back over my shoulder.
The four Gryffindor boys claimed their brooms across from us four girls and Severus. Sirius and I were opposite of one another, our eyes locked, competing in an unofficial staring contest. Sirius and I had always been competitive against each other in everything since we were little kids. It didn't matter how silly or insignificant the task, we would claw the other's eyes out to win. When it came to Quidditch, forget about it. I was surprised we hadn't killed each other by now. We'd come so close to knocking each other to our deaths midair so many times that I'd lost count years ago.
"Welcome class, to your first flying lesson," said Madam Hooch, slowly striding in between the two lines of broomsticks elegantly in her tall black boots. "I'm sure some of you will have more experience than others, but I am confident with just the right amount of confidence and effort that all of you will be perfectly capable of being topnotch flyers in no time."
I noticed Sirius whisper something that was apparently hilarious to James (who stood beside him) because it drew quite the chuckle from the unkempt-haired boy. I knew it was undoubtedly an insult concerning my flying abilities. My jaw tightened, determined to prove my capabilities.
"Now to begin, please stand beside your broom, extend your right hand and say "UP," Madam Hooch instructed. "With some conviction, please."
It took me one attempt for the broom to snap immediately into my grasp, unfortunately the same result occurred to Sirius as well. James got it on his first attempt too, while it took Lily and Severus over a dozen demands for their brooms to slowly levitate off the ground. I thought Lily may burst into a fit of happy tears when her broom finally floated into her tiny palm. I smiled kindly and nodded approvingly at her. Her eyes were wide, smiling in an almost inhuman style.
"Once you have a firm hold of your handle, please mount your broom, easy now," said Madam Hooch, her hands laced tightly behind her back as she strolled between the two rows of students like a drill instructor. "Hover only a few feet above the ground- Black, Potter, I said a few feet."
The two buffoons had shot up twenty feet into the air, looking down at the struggling beginners below like they were of lesser stature. Rolling my eyes, I watched with vengeance as they gradually lowered themselves back down to the rest of the class' level. Bloody show offs.
"To properly move your broom just think of where you would like to go such as right, left, forward, etc," said Madam Hooch. "It is really quite simple. You have complete control over your broom- Mister Pettigrew, I don't know where you learned to properly fly a broom, but you don't-"
Peter Pettigrew's plump body fell off his broom and landed harshly onto the grass. His three friends along with most of the Gryffindors erupted in laughter, even Pettigrew smiled childishly and shrugged. I frowned disapprovingly, narrowed my gaze, and stuck my nose high in the air.
"Well, anyhow," Madam Hooch sighed, looking down at Peter momentarily without comment before returning her attention to the rest of us more competent students. "Spread out and try practicing your control. If you're a beginner, don't fly higher than a few feet off the ground at first."
I was gravely disappointed with what this lesson was turning into. I had expected to have the opportunity to show off my flying skills and feel the cool autumn breeze against my cheeks, that liberating feeling that was one of only a few things that could warm my icy heart. Then I heard Madam Hooch's proposal that caught my interest immediately.
"For those advanced flyers, do I have a couple volunteers to demonstrate the abilities of a Snitch and-"
"ME!" Sirius and I said simultaneously, our arms shooting into the air at rapid speed.
Our eyes locked after we'd realized we had each other for competition, smiling wickedly. I could feel Lily's eyes on me, surprised at my sudden outspoken remark. I barely spoke to teachers let alone in class. Madam Hooch's neck jerked back as a reflex, shocked at how fast she had her two volunteers.
"Er- alright then, great," said Madam Hooch apprehensively, pulling the small familiar golden orb from her pocket. "Now, you two know the rules, first to catch the Snitch wins. Let's keep this clean and-"
She didn't get to finish her sentence. Once that winged orb left her fingertips we were off, sending a gust of wind so strong in her face that it knocked her on her backside. We were zooming up, up higher and higher into the air. Our eyes glued to that shiny devil, yet feeling the presence of one another so close that I could smell Sirius's disgusting musk beside me. I felt that familiar feeling of cool air, freezing my cheeks but warming my insides. There weren't many things that made me feel free, but flying was one of those things. The only downside to my love for flying was that Sirius shared it as well. He felt as trapped as I did and once a broom was beneath him all his worries disappeared along with any inhibitions. Sirius and I were two birds in the same cage, trapped behind metal bars that would never be opened. We'd never be released from captivity no matter how hard we fought, our wings would always be clipped to prevent our escape. We could never breakaway from where we came from, we were eternally caged birds so whenever we had the opportunity to fly we had to take it.
"Back off, Malfoy," Sirius shouted, the wind whipping back his straggly black hair.
"Never," I bellowed.
Sirius abruptly nudged me harshly with his shoulder, trying to sway me from my path. However, I was a trained hunter, nothing could distract me from obtaining my kill. A distant call from Madam Hooch to play fair or something like that was drowned out by the dull ZOOM sounds from our high speed maneuvers. The Snitch suddenly took a path directly vertical above the center of the pitch, Sirius and I spun in an elegant twister like manner, spinning about to gain more altitude than the other. When I saw Sirius's hand outstretch out of the corner of my eyes I nudged him even harder than he had nudged me. His hand shot back to grip his broom to avoid falling, and I smiled, pleased with my actions. The Snitch then took a nosedive, plummeting towards the earth. My length raven-haired locks flew behind my head like a wild horse's mane.
"Damn it, Morgana," Sirius yelled, matching my speed again.
"Oh, just shut up," I screamed.
Pulling up at the last possible moment, the Snitch remained horizontal a couple feet off the grass. A dozen of our classmates dove in every which direction to avoid being pummeled by the pair of us at our heightened speeds. Madam Hooch was shouting indistinguishable words just before I leaned forward on my broom, extending my open palm to grab the Snitch. Sirius did the same. The winged orb dove down another foot and the two of us plummeted face first onto the ground, toppling atop one another several times before I finally came to a halt on top of him. Both of us were out of breath, our faces inches from each other, sweat dripping from our foreheads. Once our senses were regained only a few seconds later, I opened my palm proudly, holding my prize: the Snitch. Sirius gritted his teeth furiously and threw me onto my back to snatch it from my hand. Before we knew it we were rolling around on the grass like a pair of rabid animals, clawing and biting at each other for the Snitch that I had already won and refused to give up. The typical cliché circle of students encompassed our violent scene, looking on mindlessly until Madam Hooch took a firm hold of each of our shoulders to separate us. We continued to fight to get to one another for an additional minute or two while she physically dragged us towards the castle, leaving the rest of the class in stunned silence behind.
A smile graced my lips at the sight of blood trickling from Sirius's nose. That was courtesy of me, and I was rather proud. If my own lip wasn't in immense pain and tasting of blood then I would have been ecstatic even. Handfuls of grass occupied our dark hair, our robes dirty, ripped, and wrinkled beyond repair. My skirt had a six inch slit that had appeared in it that was definitely not their prior to our dispute. Our eyes remained locked upon one another, breaking the gaze would show weakness, something neither of us were raised to acknowledge we posessed. Madam Hooch, looking utterly flustered, kept muttering something about "unbelievable, irreprehensible, idiotic, immature." She didn't need to explain where we were going. We knew exactly where our destination was: Dumbledore's Office. That was where all the teachers sent students who were too out of line to handle. When we approached the spiral stone staircase that typically remained sealed off came into sight my assumption was confirmed. With a stern shove forward, releasing our shoulders, Madam Hooch nodded for us to climb the steps to our inevitable doom. The two of us looked back at her over our shoulders, sending her looks as if we were questioning her seriousness of this threat. She crossed her arms snugly over her chest and nodded towards the opening again. Frowning reluctantly, Sirius shoved me forward to lead the way up the steps. I shot him a nasty look but knew now was not the time to seek my revenge. That could wait.
Dumbledore's Office was exactly as I'd pictured it. It was decorated with countless doodads and unknown figurines. Golden instruments brightened every inch of the enormous circular room. Bookshelves served as wallpaper while a solitary mahogany desk occupied the center of the room. Beside the desk, the most magnificent aspect of the room caught my eye: a Phoenix, a real live Phoenix. Without a single inhibition, I blindly strode forward towards the beautiful avian. The Phoenix looked old, but it didn't distract from its wonder. It almost seemed to grin at me as I approached it, smiling in a trance of amazement. Sirius rolled his eyes like I was an idiot from behind me, pulling grass from his dark locks.
"Hello there," I said pleasantly, gently petting the top of the bird's head. It cooed quietly against my fingers, leaning against my skin.
"Too bad you can't be that nice to… you know, a human," said Sirius, frowning severely.
"Too bad you can't comprehend when to shut up like… you know, a bird," I snapped.
Suddenly, a ball of flames erupted, encompassing the bird within its fury. I gasped, stumbling backwards. With another flash of light the same place the bird had just been was now occupying a pile of ashes. My eyes were the size of saucers, my heart beating wildly. I'd successfully inadvertently murdered the Headmaster's pet.
"What did you do, Morgana?!" Sirius gasped. "You killed it!"
"I- I didn't do anything," I breathed. "I swear!"
"You must have done something because-"
"Not to worry, Miss Malfoy," a calm, yet commanding voice interrupted: Albus Dumbledore. "You didn't do anything wrong. Fawkes has merely come to the end of this life. I've been wondering when this day would finally come."
"I'm sorry for your loss, sir," I frowned, looking down at my Mary Janes.
"Don't be, my girl," he smiled warmly, looking down at me over his glasses. "What many do not know about the Phoenix is its ability of rebirth. It is best known for its tears capable of healing any ailment, but its ability to die then be reborn is just as wondrous in my opinion."
No sooner had Professor Dumbledore spoke those words had a tiny beak popped out from beneath the pile of ashes. He was right, a baby Phoenix was fighting to climb out from the dust. I smiled to myself, and Dumbledore appeared intrigued at my interest in the Phoenix.
"Would you like to hold him?"
"Oh, I couldn't," I said quickly, erasing the smile that had unknowingly graced my lips.
"I insist," said Dumbledore, brushing off the chick and handing it to me.
Cradling it in my hands, I held it against my chest, brushing his feathers tenderly. Sirius stared on at me, amazed at my ability to be kind most likely or just at the fact that Dumbledore didn't automatically take a firm dislike to me like most people did. Even when told prior of my personality people hated my character. I overheard Alice Abbot and Mary MacDonald refer to Severus and myself as mangy stray cats that Lily took in out of the kindness of her hear, and that we should be pitied not feared. I hadn't been too involved with conversation with them since then, not like I really had been before.
"He's taken a liking to you," Dumbledore grinned, "but I wager visiting Fawkes is not what brings the two of you to my office this afternoon. Tell me, what happened?"
The two of us started talking as fast as a hummingbird's wings, each pointing directly at the other. Dumbledore did not react oddly, however, he merely nodded kindly, apparently taking in the nonsense we were rambling on about. He must have had ages of practice because I could barely understand the words coming out of my own mouth let alone Sirius's, and how Dumbledore managed to multitask both of our explanations was beyond me. We were both gasping for air when we finished each of our sides of the story, and Dumbledore never lost his genuine grin.
"And who caught the Snitch then?" he asked calmly.
Shifting the tiny bird into my left hand, I pulled the golden Snitch from my right pocket and flattened my palm to show my catch. Dumbledore slowly accepted the orb from my grasp and examined it as if he'd never seen one of such majesty before.
"It sounds as if you'd make a fine Seeker, Miss Malfoy," Dumbledore said quietly, his eyes still surveying the Snitch. "And by the looks of Miss Malfoy's lip, it appears as if you would prove to be a prominent Beater, Mister Black. However, I fear if the two of you cannot remain neutral then it is unlikely that either of you will survive until your House's Quidditch Try-Out's next fall."
Sirius and I looked sideways at each other, either of the corner of our mouths' curling up into matching arrogant grins.
"Though I do not agree with your violent antics, I cannot condone a bit of rivalry," said Dumbledore, placing the Snitch in his pocket and carefully accepting Fawkes from my hands. "Life would be rather dull without a bit of friendly competition. Next time the two of you decide to practice your abilities please place more emphasis on the friendly and a bit less on the competition, alright?"
"Yes, Professor," we chimed in together, crossing our fingers behind our back.
"Good," he nodded, pleased with our agreement. "Now, that will be ten points from each of your houses, but I think I can excuse a sentence of detention as long as you refrain from such displays again."
"Thank you, sir," we replied.
"Very well," he smiled, placing Fawkes upon his perch once again. "Now go on and return to your next classes in a much more civilized manner, if you please. I'd also recommend stopping by Madam Pomphrey's office beforehand so that she may take a quick look at your battle wounds."
We nodded and scurried down the stairs before he could change his mind and serve us with a pair of detentions. We breathed a heavy sigh of relief as the spiral staircase closed behind us.
"That was lucky," said Sirius.
"I know," I replied, looking from Sirius to the hallway that led to Madam Pomphrey's. "So… race you to the Hospital Wing?"
"You're on," said Sirius, a wicked grin spreading across his face, contradicting everything Dumbledore had just instilled in us.
I took off towards the Hospital Wing, only getting a few yards before Sirius had tripped me like I had done to him outside only an hour earlier. I, however, gripped the rear of his robes and took him down with me. Both of us fought each other to climb to our feet first, wrestling like a duo of baboons against the stone floor to win. Neither of us knew that no matter the winner, we were both the losers in the game we were playing.
--
"Dumbledore hasn't changed," Harry mumbled to himself, smiling despite himself, plopping down upon the bed.
"What in bloody Christ's name is going on?" Ron shouted, landing harshly on the bed along side his two best mates as well. Hermione covered his mouth immediately, holding her index finger against her lips to shush him fiercely. They couldn't be heard by the outsiders, especially not Sirius. Harry looked to Hermione, the logical one of the trio for answers, she had none.
"As much as I hate to admit it," Hermione sighed. "I second Ronald's grotesquely ineloquent sentiment. This is all rather bizarre, isn't it? I mean, this woman… this girl, is Lucius Malfoy's little sister… Draco's aunt, and no one has ever breathed a word about her before, not once. It's not impossible, but it's just odd that-"
"I just don't understand why Sirius would have this girl's diaries," said Harry, "I mean they obviously disliked each other and it isn't like they were related in any way. It doesn't makes any sense."
"What do you wager she's keeping from everyone?" asked Ron, looking over to Hermione who was flipping through more wrinkled pages.
"I don't know," she frowned, "but it is obvious it's a burden on her conscious."
"I've got another question," Harry interjected in an almost perturbed tone. "She was best mates with my Mum and no one has mentioned a single word-"
"You didn't know about Sirius until two years ago, Harry," Hermione corrected him gently. "Just because someone isn't mentioned doesn't mean they never existed."
"I know that, Hermione," Harry frowned, "but this is different."
"Maybe we're making a big deal out of nothing," said Ron, smiling awkwardly, shrugging his gangly shoulders. "It's possible that he stole this girl's diaries as a prank, you know, to be cruel. It wouldn't be all that surprising, would it? It's no secret they hate each other."
"Doubtful, Ronald," said Hermione, shaking her head. "I'm not doubting your logic, but I can't imagine Sirius would put so much effort into holding onto these diaries after so many years. If he was going to use them as blackmail then he would have had them at Hogwarts and then chucked them, right?"
"You'd think," Harry shrugged.
"These pages are all covered in dirt," Hermione grimaced. "I can't read the writing for a few pages. It looks like it was dropped in a mud puddle or something."
"Maybe it's dung," Ron smirked, earning a swift punch in the arm from Hermione. "Bleeding hell, Her-"
"As I was saying," she began again, smiling proudly to herself. "She didn't write much for awhile, but the next readable entry is dated… November 7th, 1972... That would be about two months into their third year, right?"
"I thought you didn't want to invade Sirius's privacy," Harry smirked, crossing his arms pompously over his chest.
"This is more of an educational opportunity, Harry, I misinterpreted your intentions before," she blushed, making hasty excuses for her actions. "Besides, we're not invading Sirius's privacy, per say, if anyone's it would be Morgana's and we don't even know if she's… you know… alive."
--
A/N: Um, thank you so much for all the reviews. You guys are amazing, seriously. I appreciate it so much. I've just gotten back into this fic for some reason. I am eternal Sirius lover, and I am basing Morgana Malfoy a lot off of Morgana Le Fay, so I love her an equal amount. You may catch the hints at the Arthurian legend that I've tossed in since Chapter One. I think there are three… anyways, I hope you liked this chapter even though it was sort of just one scene. The fic will become much more steady once I reach their 5th year which will be moderately soon. It will all make soon why her diary is all gross and screwed up once they move onto the next one during her 5th year. I'm excited.
PS: Her relationship with Lily will be less one dimensional from now on. I know I haven't been too descriptive so far, but I plan on having them have more one-on-one conversations from now and explore their friendship etc. Oh, && sorry about any typos for now. I'm heading home and I don't have time to properly edit before I post this. I'll correct it soon, promise!
PSS: What have you enjoyed so far? Are you liking Morgana, or is she coming off too cold? Do you know what her secret is?
Coming Soon: Morgana faces off against Sirius and James in more ways than one, will Sirius choose to expose Morgana's one weakness? Family ties loosen and the unwanted bond Sirius and Morgana share grows in response whether they like it or not.
Review, please.