Chapter 7
Emmeline Vance
I wake up Sunday morning early as usually, I then notice Marlene's bed is empty. I freeze a bit… she can't be with… Sirius can she?
I wonder if I should wake Alice and tell her this, but I decide not to, it will just cause drama.
I slowly step out of bed, throwing my robe on and then I walk down to the Common room and can't say I'm anything less than shocked to see Marlene curled up in one of the chairs.
"Marlene?" I ask and nudge her.
She immediately opens her eyes.
"Oh, Em? … Hi,"
"What are you doing here? You weren't with Sirius were you?"
"No." she answers and I know she isn't lying.
"I just couldn't sleep up there, Mary snoring and all that," That I actually know is a lie, Mary doesn't snore, but I let it slide.
"How are you?" I then ask her
"Fine… Why?" she answers
"You were acting strange yesterday.."
"What do you mean by that?" she says rather hotly.
"Well… you point-blank ignored Sirius…. You hung out all night over Remus and a bit over James, but never ever touched or made any conversation or contact with Sirius."
She scowls at me "Black and I are really not into PDA, because we aren't in a relationship. No that it's any of your business, but we don't need to show any affection."
"I know but, doesn't he mind if you… like are with other guys … like flirting and –"
"We're not together and I can touch, flirt with, kiss or shag who ever I want."
"But -"
"There is no but, Black doesn't even care if I flirt with other people, he knows he will get me later." Marlene spits at me. "And he doesn't care about me, cause I'm just "that girl that always says yes." Haven't you noticed? He doesn't even call me by my name!"
I realize why she's snapping at me, I was the last one to find out about her and Sirius, because I'm just Emmeline, I don't really get what's going on with them and I don't meddle with anything. I hardly even get angry. "Marlene, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you-"
"Who's upset?" Sirius suddenly asks as he and James walk into the empty (except for us) Common Room, Marlene freezes and turns away to hide her red face.
I wonder for a second what they were doing outside the tower this early but realize that tears have started to fall from Marlene's eyes, though she tries to hide them
"It's no-" I try to tell Sirius and James but get cut off, like usually.
"What's wrong McKinnon?" Sirius asks and I swear his voice is almost soft.
"Marley, what's wrongey?" James ask and they both walk towards her, but Sirius gets to her first and - surprisingly - snakes his arms around her waist from behind, "Mars…?" I hear him whisper and he brushes a stray off hair away from her face before she fights him off and turns to him to spit something at him, but seems to realize that isn't a good idea and takes a run towards the stairs up to the girls dormitory.
"What the hell?" Sirius ask
"I can say the same thing to you," I bite at him and turn to walk away but his hand locks around my arm and pulls me back.
"Care to explain" He asks - no, he orders me and pushes me down on the couch before sitting on the one versus the one he pushed me on and James sits down next to him.
"Yeah, what's going on Em?" James asks.
"Your best friend," I say ignoring Sirius "Has ruined my best friend."
"Best friend?" Sirius snorts, "Since when do you care about McKinnon or anyone of us?"
"Since even before the time you stopped." I bite back at him. "Though that does seem to be forever."
"Hey don't fight," James sighs "just tell us what the problem is."
"Isn't it obvious?" I sigh frustrated (Yes, I Emmeline Vance is angry) and point at Sirius "It's him! It's always him!"
"I haven't done anything!"
"Yes you have!"
"Yeah? What then?"
I think about it for a moment before answering honestly "I don't really know…"
"Then how can you be sure it is me that is the problem?" Sirius asks victoriously.
"Because she said so."
"When and what did she say?" he demands
"I'm not gonna tell you-"
"If I'm hurting the gir- my…" He hesitates "… friend, I have the right to know."
"Friend?" I snort, "Not likely. Friends don't hurt friends. Friends don't use friends."
"Just. Tell. Me. Why. The. Hell. Marlene. Is. Hurt!" Sirius snaps and I jump up in surprise.
I wonder if I should just tell him, but it makes me feel like I'm betraying Marlene's trust.
"Find out yourself, Black." I tell him before standing up and quickly stalking off and up the stairs and into the dormitory.
– Hunting for Happiness –
Breakfast is awkward to say the least, when Marlene, Lily, Alice, Mary and I all walk together into the Great Hall, the first thing I notice are the glares Sirius sends me, but I'm angry so I just glare back.
Marlene sits in the seat versus James and Mary plops down next to her, making her versus Sirius, I take my seat on the other side of Marlene, versus Remus and Lily on my side.
"Morning," Peter and Remus greet us at the same time.
"Murning," Marlene says quietly and grabs herself some bacon
"Sleep good?" James asks, obviously desperately trying to make conversation.
"Mhm," I answer and pour some orange juice into my glass.
"So are you guys going with anyone to Hogsmeade or just as a group?" Mary asks the guys
"I'm going with Evans," James tells us and juice squirts out of Lily's nose when she realizes what he just said:
"No you're not!" she yells
"Damn, I really thought you'd just let this one slide Evans…" James sighs and we all – except Lily of course, - laugh.
"I'm not going with anyone," Peter then says and Lupin nods in agreement
"Yeah, me neither." He says
Our heads all turn to look at Sirius, but he doesn't respond to Mary's question.
"Who're you taking Sirius?" Lily asks – trying to sound polite, not curious. But truth is we all are really curious.
"I don't see how that could be any off your business," Black retorts and I feel Marlene shudder beside me, so I lean in and whisper
"You okay?"
"Mm-mmhmm," She says but it sounds more like a moan than a real answer, I raise my eyebrows but don't say anything.
"So you're going with someone?" Mary asks, not willing to let anything go.
"Maybe, maybe not" Sirius responds.
"For the love of Godric, Padfoot! Stop groping my leg!" suddenly James chimes up and we all look stunned, surprised or confused at him, except Marlene and Sirius, Marlene blushes and Sirius scowls.
"Sorry, your leg is in the way," he growls out and we all look at him and James confused.
"He's groping Marley with his leg under the table," Remus says shortly not even looking up from his book and Marlene's face turns red like a tomato.
That explains the moaning, I think to myself.
We all look at Marlene who waves a hand at Sirius "Stop looking at me! He's the one groping me!"
Sirius smirks "Don't even try to deny you enjoyed it."
She sends him a glare and stands up "I think I just lost my appetite, see you guys maybe in Hogsmeade," she sends Sirius a one last glare before stomping out off the hall, as she leaves we all burst out laughing and Sirius rolls his eyes before exciting the room just like Marlene. Geez, can't they take a little bit of teasing?
"Anyway Evans, why won't you come with me to Hogsmeade?" James pushes and Lily reddens.
"I've told you before, you are annoying toe rag Potter," she answers a bit angrily.
"Oh, Lily quit the act, I know you are dying to be my friend – but we can be better than that, more than that, if you just agree to go out with me-"
Lily's lip curls for a second then she answers hotly "I can't go out with you and I don't want to, you are the reason Severus and I aren't friends anymore!"
"Me?" James seems offended. Alice, Mary Remus, Peter and I just sit in silence watching them carefully. "It wasn't me that told him to call you a – a –" he cant even say the word.
"If you hadn't been picking on him like you do all the time –"
"I thought you said you weren't going to defend him anymore?" James asks and Lily's cheeks redden.
"I'm not. I'm just telling you why I can't go out with you, because you are a bully." Lily spits hotly and stands up, Alice stands up quickly and so does Mary – so I decide to do as well and then they both run after Lily as she storms out the room, I walking quietly after them.
– Hunting for Happiness –
I don't walk with Lily, Mary and Alice back to the Common room, Lily is upset and I don't really hang with them anymore, so I don't see a reason why I should go with them and instead I walk the opposite direction and enter the Library.
"There you are Em!" The familiar voice of Desiree and see her smiling behind me.
"Hi De," I laugh
"Common now, Val and Cissy are waiting for us!" the brunette says excited.
"Are the guys here too?" I ask her and follow her into the Library
"No Sev and Ave both got detention, so the others didn't feel like coming, but they might show up after detention" She rolls her eyes.
Okay so this is my big secret… I hang around with Slytherin's.
"Em!" Valerie Gamp stands up from her seat at a table far inside the library "Common sit next to me! I've got a spell here you've got to check out, Sev told me about it, it's one of his newest masterpieces –"
I laugh and walk to sit with Valerie next to Narcissa Black who doesn't seem to notice me because she doesn't even look up from her book.
"Heey Cissy," I greet her and she looks up and pushes her beautiful silver-colored hair from her eyes.
"Oh, hi Emmeline," she greets back – she always uses my full first name, never calls me Em like the others.
I know it my come as a shock that Slytherin's would hang around with me, a Gryffindor. But it all started in fifth year, I was assigned to work with Valerie in Herbology and suddenly we just started talking and I realized maybe Slytherin's weren't all so bad… and she introduced me to her friends Desiree and Narcissa and suddenly I was being pulled into some secret Slytherin group which includes Me, Desiree, Valerie, Narcissa, Belby, Avery, Travers, Wilkes and Mulciber (I haven't asked his for their first names yet), Evan Rosier and Severus Snape. – Though, I do not look at myself as a big part of this group, especially when they're planning on doing something evil, it's just nice hanging around with them, most of the time. And this all is the reason why I hardly hang around with Marlene and Lily and the girls anymore… I've turned sides – like they would say. It's just… believe it or not, there is less drama with the Slytherin's than with my fellow Gryffindor mates maybe not much less but definitely less.
Valerie hands me a paper, which has some kind of spell written down on it, Langlock. "Sev's thinking abut using it against Potter the next time he tries-"
"Silence, Valerie," suddenly Avery's voice comes behind us and I look up, realizing he's standing directly behind me, Goosebumps form on my arm – I've never liked Avery … really I've never liked any of the Slytherin boys, they're all so … imitating.
"Don't you tell me to shut up Avery," Valerie growls out. "I'm trying to tell Em about the –"
"Yeah don't." Avery cuts her off again.
"Why not?" Valerie rolls her eyes.
"She'll just go running to James and tell him Snape's plan."
"Common Avery," I roll my eyes, "I'm not going to tattle tale on you guys, I'm not in kindergarten anymore.
"Yeah Ave, she really won't tell." Desiree assures him, giving him a knowing look. Desiree has always had the 'hot's' for Avery and it couldn't be more obvious but he does his best to point blank ignore it – which kind of reminds me of Sirius and Marlene … There is a little pang of guilt in my chest, it somehow feels like I'm going behind everyone's back by befriending the Slytherin's … But I shake the feeling off.
"Talking about me?" Severus Snape's drawling voice asks behind us and I look up once again and straight into his black eyes.
Okay so there is one more thing I have to admit… I, Emmeline Vance, may possible fancy Severus Snape.
A/N: Woohoohoo … Another chapter has come to its end…
Anyways, how do you find Emmeline's story line? Did you expect anything like this? How do you think the Gryffindors would react if they ever found out?
I've got to admit (like I have admitted few times) I don't really like Emmeline, but I do enjoy writing her storyline because its different from the others but I can guarantee there will be just as much drama with Em and has been/is going to be with the others!
The next chapter will not air as soon as this one, because I haven't really finished it ... hehe, but if you remember to review I might remember to finish!
