See, told you I was trying to get them out ;) I got two reviews, so I'm going to do that and get on with the story.
Hydralupis: Of course, I wouldn't ever have killed him, ever! He's my favorite 3 And how would Harry be if I broke them apart?! D: I'm offended friend! And I can always write, just not post ;) stupid internet...
Cc4s: Thanks :)
The train pulled to a stop in Hogsmede in the middle of the night. As usual, the first years would be taking the boats to the castle and the older kids got to ride in the carrages drawn by Threstles. Serena supposed she'd be able to see them this year, since she'd watched her father die. The thought terrified her.
James, Lily, Peter and Remus hopped up and grabbed their stuff from the over head compartments while Serena stared dutifully out the door. Kids streamed by, eager to get to the castle, and filled the corridor, making her extremely nervous. Only Sirius, sitting just inches away from her noticed as the other four filed out, getting lost instantly in the crowd.
"Are you okay Serena?" He asked her, looking puzzled. She shook her head and huddled in a ball, resting her forehead on her arms. "Hey, tell me what's wrong." His voice had gotten softer, but it was also closer than she remembered. She dared a quick glance to find him just a foot away from her.
"I don't like large crowds..." she let the sentence trail off, peeking over Sirius's shoulder at the kids still streaming past. Sirius turned around slightly, his lips twisting into a frown as he watched the kids for a moment.
"Point, I'm sorry, we'll wait in here, how about that?" He turned back around and met her eyes. She frowned a bit and met his eyes with a puzzled expression.
"You don't have to Sirius, I've done it plenty of times," she muttered, relaxing.
"Let's just say, I want to, and you don't need to be alone." He smiled and sat down next to her. "Besides, it's never fun battling the crowds." His smile was like an illness and she found herself smiling as well. Several of the kids outside looked in and whispered to their companions'. Some where in the back of her mind, Serena knew those whispers weren't any good, but she just didn't care anymore. Let them talk, it's not going to affect her one bit.
"Rumor's are gunna fly," she commented off-handedly, laughing a bit. "Yea, I believe they will," Sirius laughed with her, staring out at the other students. Still a few of them gawked at the two sitting alone in the compartments and laughed.
Finally the crowd thinned out enough that Serena felt comfortable. She got up silently and grabbed her trunk from the overhead compartment and waited while Sirius grabbed his. Only one or two students remained in the corridor, lagging behind the others like Serena and Sirius.
He dragged their trunks behind him again, much to Serena's distress. "You don't need to do that, I'm not completely helpless," she stamped her foot and glared at the floor. "I don't care, I wanna do it," he replied, smiling. She rolled her eyes and led the way off the train and into the last carrage of the night. Nobody else remained, and they got it all to themselves.
"Well, this is new." Sirius muttered, staring at the dim-lit interrior.
"Never had a carrage for yourself?" Serena asked, laughing.
"Well, no, usually I go with my mates, but Lily has taken my place this year it seems." Sirius replied, laughing.
"Maybe her and James will finally get together eh?" She smiled.
"I hope so, James has been trying for so long to get her." Sirius replied seriously.
She studied him, her head cocked slightly to the side. "He must really like her to have kept at it for so many years." She noted. Sirius nodded and looked away. She cocked her head to the other side in puzzlement and shrugged. "You ready for this school year?"
"Oh, you should already know that answer, and it's no by the way," he laughed, turning back around to face her.
"Well, why not? It's going to be loads of fun." She laughed with him, dripping sarcasm into every word.
The carrage stopped suddenly, sending the teens into a sprawl on the floor. "Damn, that hurt," Serena groaned as she sat up. Sirius nodded his agreement and got out. She could hear him unloading the trunks in the back. "Need any help?" She asked as she stepped out to join him.
"Nope, got it," he muttered as he hefted her trunk out. She rolled her eyes but didn't protest this time, knowing it was pointless. "Ready?"
"Yup," she set off down the path, noticing the lack of students. She could see the first years gathered on the beach, just now landing, and laughed. She remembered how scared she'd been her first year here, wondering if she was even going to make any friends. Her dad had assured her she would, but she hadn't believed him.
Once they got inside, she grew nervous. Laughter drifted in from the open Great Hall doors and she glimpsed the four long tables filled with students of all ages. She trembled in fear and glance over at Sirius, who read her expression. "Let's go put these up, then we can hide out until the feast is done." He led the way up the long staircase, towing both trunks behind.
It was a silent walk, save the portraits that moved around, murmuring and laughing. Most everybody was in the Great Hall, enjoying a feast and listening to the announcements of the first-year houses. Every once in a while, the two would pass others trying despartly to stay hidden. They'd exchange silent nods and be on the way, best way not to attract attention.
By the time they reached Griffyndor tower, the Headmaster had finished talking and the sorting hat was beginning his song. The portrait hiding their entrance glanced curiously at them but slid by when Sirius uttered the password. They entered the dimly lit hallway behind the portrait and continued on until it opened into the big common room. Furniture was set around loosely, gathered around the fireplace and various studying tables. Scarlet and gold were the only color's that really decorated the whole place, since those were the house colors.
"Here, I got it now, since you can't go into the girls dorm." Serena took her trunk and Umbra and headed up the stairs. The spiralling stairs were bland and dull, nothing but stone the entire way up. The dorm room however, had about eight beds set in a circle. Sure, there are more students, but that's why it's magic. The bathroom's were off to the side, and each trunk was set in front of the four poster beds. Umbra's cage would remain at her bedside, but the bird himself would be allowed to fly where ever he wants.
She got herself ready in no time at all and walked back down the stairs. She expected to be alone, that Sirius would've left and decided he didn't want to be her friend anymore. But she was surprised when she got down and found him waiting by the fireplace. "Hey, you ready to disappear?" He wagged his eyebrows and made her laugh.
"Sure, let's disappear." They took off, going through the portrait again and out into the crazy stairs. Instead of going down, they headed up, going towards the astronomy tower. Serena had always loved the astronomy tower, she loved being high up, away from the ground. That's also why she loved being Beater for her team.
"Here we are," Sirius walked into the very top of the tower where you could over look school grounds. Nobody would be coming up here tonight, since it was the first day back. "The best part? We'll be far away from them little first years as they try to find their dorms," he chuckled, standing next to Serena at the very edge. Serena laughed and nodded. The grounds looked beautiful tonight.
"Hey, what are you thinking about?" Sirius asked after a moment.
"I'm thinking about how beautiful it is tonight, and how unlucky I am." She replied.
"Why unlucky?"
"Because everything bad that happens is attracted to me it seems. I'm an orphan at the age of fifteen. I never had a mom...your best friend is a jackass at the best of times. I dunno Sirius...it's always seemed as if I was fighting the world alone. But at least with my dad, I knew I really wasn't. Now, well, now I know it's me against the world." She sighed, sitting on ledge.
"But you're not. I'll help you fight the world off." Sirius stared at her. She stared back, wondering what changed over the summer.
"What's changed?" She asked him, still staring at him.
"I saw the real you, not the one you put on for school, but the girl underneath." He shrugged, staring out at the Forbidden Forest.
"The real me," she repeated.
"Yup, the real you."
She looked over at him to find he was still staring into the forest. She thought about that. The real me? What the hell does he mean? She couldn't wrap her head around the concept. She'd always believed she showed the best of her on the outside, the real her, but maybe she'd been lying to herself...
Her thoughts were broken as she spotted a dark, shadow like creature flying over the trees of the forbidden forests. If she hadn't known better, she would've assumed that Dementors had come onto the grounds, but she knew that wasn't a dementor. That thing was something much more dark and evil.
"Sirius, do you see that?" She gulped. He nodded and backed away from the window. Serena slipped quietly down and stumbled back, almost falling. Sirius caught her before she fell and set her back on her feet. "Thanks," she mumbled as they descended the stairs to where Professor Dumbledoor was standing in front of his office.
"Ah, young Sirius and Serena, come on in." The old man muttered a password and disappeared up the staircase. The two teens followed, spooked. "Now, what has you both here tonight?" He asked as the door shut.
"We, uh, saw something over the forest sir," Sirius spoke up immediately.
"Could it have been threstles? They've been flying around a lot lately." Dumbledoor smiled, his eyes twinkling behind his half-moon specticles.
"No sir, it looked like a dementor, but it wasn't, it brought worse than just sadness." Serena spoke up next.
Dumbledoor considered this, feeding Fawkes, his phoenix. His musing made the teens nervous, and they shuffled nervously as they waited for Dumbledoor to say something else. "Children, I wouldn't worry about it, everything is fine here in Hogwarts. Go back to your dorms and sleep, get ready for classes starting tomorrow." The old man dismissed them and watched the two walk out.
He had feared this for a long time. And the fact that those two young students had just seen that form only made it worse. He shook his head and rubbed Fawkes. "Well, dear boy, everything I've ever feared his coming true." Fawkes cawed and stared curiously at the headmaster.
Meanwhile, the two teens rushed up the crazy stairs to their tower. "I'm going to pretend I never saw that figure..." Serena muttered as they waited for some stairs. Sirius nodded, looking spooked. The ran the rest of the way completely silent. Neither really wanted to talk about what happened, nor knew what else to say.
"Friggenfocks," Sirius muttered as they stood in front of the portrait. It slid back and they let out a sigh of relief as they stood in the mostly empty common room. It seemed James and Lily had been talking on the couches, and fallen asleep there. Serena chuckled as she pointed them out. Sirius smiled and nodded.
"Blargh!" James let out a strangled cry as they pushed him off the couch. Lily woke with a start and rubbed her eyes. "What the bloody hell mate?" James glared from the floor up to Sirius.
"Sorry, couldn't resist mate." Sirius laughed. Serena snorted and slapped her knee, laughing. James glared at his cousin and then looked over to Lily. "They get you too?" He asked her, standing up.
"No, I woke up when you cried out." Lily laughed. James looked down with his jaw clenched.
"I'm gunna get you back!" He swore before heading up to the dorms.
Lily shook her head and waited. "Goodnight Sirius," Serena laughed, waving and heading up with Lily.
"So, where were you two during dinner?" Lily asked as soon as they were alone. Serena turned to her and shook her head.
"We disappeared. Not really, came up here, put up our stuff and went to hide before all them first years hit the hallways." Serena shrugged, not interested in talking about it anymore.
"There's gotta be more, you were alone with Sirius Black!" Lily laughed.
"We talked, that's it," Serena sighed as they entered the sleeping area. "Goodnight Lily." She headed straight for her bed and snuggled under the covers, thinking of none other than Sirius.
Yay! Hehe, crush developing! I loved writing this chapter...also, you might have an idea of who's going to be the main bad guy :D Review! Chao!