Bad Romance
By Lily Orange
When disaster strikes for cousins Caitlin and Emmy Piper, they are taken from their Albanian home by Ministry of Magic officials to live with Caitlin's father's old school friends, Charlus and Dorea Potter, in Britain. The same night, Sirius Black decides he has had enough of his pureblood maniac family and runs away to live with the family of his best friend James Potter. On September the 1st, Regulus Black sees his brother for the first time since he ran away – with the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. Romance, humour, friendship, mischief, heartbreak and tears ensue – and will Caitlin and Emmy find peace in their relationships?
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - anything you recognise, I don't own :)
A/N: Guess what? It SNOWED!! I woke up this morning and looked out of the window and there was all this beautiful snow on the ground. :D Anyway, sorry about that random note there! Thanks to sarlovesoccer, MissCharStar, Squid7000, Kuroi Kasai, xolunaxx, DSS Special Agent and Deevee White for reviewing; thanks to LunaPadma and Deevee White for adding my story to your favourites and thanks to Lady Drama for adding my story to your alerts!
Most of you were saying in your reviews that you were eagerly anticipating the arrival of Regulus - so I hope this doesn't disappoint! His character will develop as the story progresses so this is just the moment when Regulus meets Emmy for the first time. I hope you like it, please review!
Chapter Ten
Those Violet Eyes
When Lily and Remus had finally left the carriage to finish off the Prefect duties they were supposed to have been doing whilst they were actually telling jokes and funny stories about the summer, Aretha kicked the boys out for a minute so they could change into their school robes. Emmy peeled off her new jumper and replaced it with the alien school uniform that felt so strange on her skin – she was used to the light weight summery uniform of her Albanian magical school. They had worn that uniform with sandals for their school shoes because it was so hot out there. Now on her feet were smart patent Mary Jane style shoes with a T-bar that were fashionable without being too stylish.
"We're nearly at Hogwarts now," Aretha said conversationally to break the somewhat awkward silence that had descended upon the carriage once the sparkling personalities of the boys had left. Aretha had observed already, although only having known them for a couple of hours, much about the two new girls. Caitlin was the quiet one – she was almost studious in the way she wrote the letter in the corner of the carriage, assiduously writing down what Aretha thought to be her personal feelings to her correspondent, who remained a mystery. Caitlin was undeniably dazzling; it was quite obvious by the way that when boys passed the carriage, they stopped to stare at her. She was quite oblivious, her attentions absorbed in the parchment, quill and midnight blue ink before her, and only offering something in the way of conversation when she believed something was significant enough to be said.
Emmy was the epitome of a glittering personality herself – she was quite patently a genius in the intelligence levels, when she laughed it was an uproarious sound that was contagious, she was kind in the way she addressed her more inhibited cousin and it was quite clear that she was comfortable meeting new people. Now the boys had left, however, Aretha wondered whether she appeared so at ease speaking to them because she had the support of Sirius and James, who complimented her character flawlessly. Though this may have been the case, Emmy was instantly likable – she was somebody Aretha envisioned as being a good friend to her, Lily and Mary. If she got into Gryffindor. Her intellect could quite easily place her in Ravenclaw, but her bold and comical ways could put her in Gryffindor. She was kind and friendly too, which was undoubtedly a trait of Hufflepuff.
Aretha smoothed down her grey skirt, which had been intentionally shortened so that it ended a couple of inches above her knees, exhibiting her shapely legs, which were encased in knee-length lighter grey socks which she had pushed down slightly to make her uniform look less perfect. The top button was undone on her shirt and her red and gold Gryffindor tie was tucked into a buttoned up cardigan underneath her black robes. She turned round to see that Emmy and Caitlin were both dressed the same, but had on plain black ties with the Hogwarts crest emblazoned across the knot instead. She also noticed that, though Emmy was a couple of inches shorter than her, she had longer legs – her skirt appeared slightly shorter than the mandatory knee-length and the socks reached her mid-calf.
"I'm really excited!" Emmy said happily, breaking the silence once again. Her attempt was more successful than Aretha's, however, as it encouraged the introverted Caitlin into the conversation too.
"I'm kind of worried about the sorting," she confided, anxiously picking at her nails.
"Don't worry, you'll be fine," Aretha smiled altruistically. She remembered her sorting – it had worried her to no end, but she had lived through it and now had a whale of a time, partying, joking and, obviously, working. There was just a higher proportion of the former...
"Thank you," Emmy said appreciatively, "hopefully we'll be sorted into the same house as all of you, then at least I'll know people!"
"The only people that aren't very nice are the Slytherins, but as long as you don't bother them, they don't bother you," Aretha advised judiciously.
"I'll remember that," Emmy chuckled as the boys barged back into the compartment, demanding that they should be able to sit down again because it was boring in the corridor and once they had hexed Snivellus there was nothing else that was fun to do.
"Snivellus?" Caitlin echoed in confusion.
"Severus Snape, our nickname for him," Sirius said, his face contorted with disgust, displaying his contempt for the boy.
The two girls had heard much about Severus Snape, Lily Evans' ex-best friend. Apparently he had called her a "Mudblood," and she refused to forgive him. James had said that Lily was better without him as he hung around with soon-to-be Death Eaters like Avery and Mulciber.
"We're about five minutes away, so grab your stuff!" Remus declared, rejoining them in the carriage. They left their trunks, as they were taken up to school from the train, but grabbed their wands and stuffed the uneaten treats bought off of the trolley (Sirius had gluttonously purchased three-quarters of the stock) into their pockets. Emmy and Caitlin gave each other a quick hug as the train was brought to a halt. Outside the Marauders, Lily and Aretha saw the familiar lights of Hogsmeade Station – it was like coming home.
They filed out of the carriage and into the corridor – Aretha first, followed by Lily, Remus, Caitlin, James, Peter and then finally Emmy and Sirius, who were chatting some more about Quidditch.
The crowd of students trying to exit the train meant they were virtually pushed out, carried by the crowd. Sirius held onto Emmy's arm in support so they were not separated by this – but as they were pushed out, Emmy unintentionally banged quite forcefully into an unsuspecting boy.
He turned round, intent on giving whoever had just shoved him an earful and perhaps showing them a hex or two that he had perfected over the summer whilst he was alone without his brother there. He opened his mouth to start ranting at her, but when his shimmering grey-blue eyes met the violet eyes looking at him apologetically, he was stopped abruptly.
Before him stood an absolute angel – she was a couple of inches smaller than him, with honey blonde hair cascading down her back enchantingly, her skin was beatifically pale, so pale it almost emanated a silvery glow, and her eyes! Those eyes, they were an astonishing shade of violet – but when he looked at them closer, he saw innumerable colours speckled in her irises; sapphire blue, emerald green and chocolate brown, to name but a few. They lit up her goddess like face, which had thoroughly captivated him.
It was love at first sight.
"I am so sorry," she said earnestly, giving him a nervous smile.
"It's fine, absolutely fine," he replied, grinning widely and charmingly. Although he may not have been as good-looking as his older brother, he could tell she was vaguely impressed. He was still taller than her, about six foot, and although he had a slim build, he was surprisingly strong. He had dark straight hair that flopped in his eyes in a manner that some of the girls in his house told him was quite handsome – but was overshadowed by his older brother.
"That's good – I'm sorry, I don't know your name, I'm new," she continued as the crowd continued to move them further away from the train and up the platform.
You don't say, he thought brightly. He was about to answer her when he saw that she had a large and familiar hand softly holding hers on her other side. He looked up and met the stormy grey eyes of his older brother, who glowered at him disapprovingly.
"Come on, Emmy, let's go and find Hagrid," Sirius declared, narrowing his eyes and glaring at his younger brother malevolently.
Regulus Black felt sad that she was now pulled through the crowd by his domineering older brother – she gave him another of her stunning apologetic smiles as Sirius steered her away, in the direction of Rubeus Hagrid, who would be taking everybody to be sorted.
So her name was Emmy, at least he knew that. It was something. But she was friendly with his brother – no doubt she was close to him by the way he was holding her hand protectively in the crowd.
He rejoined his Slytherin friends, Gibbon, Dolohov and Crabbe, but still couldn't stop thinking about that enigmatic beauty he had just run into. Even the fact that she was friendly with his brother and no doubt the Marauders and that girl that James Potter was so in love with (as was Severus Snape, Regulus knew, though he had never deigned to admit it) Lily Evans and her stupid friends – which meant she probably wasn't going to get sorted into Slytherin – he still felt inexplicably drawn to her, like a bee to honey.
"Alright, Reg?" Dolohov asked him as he jumped into the nearest carriage with them and sat down, looking back towards the group of first-years standing with Hagrid. He could see Emmy towering above them, and another girl who was noticeably taller with dark hair. He watched Emmy intensely as their carriage jolted off towards Hogwarts, until the impenetrable darkness obscured her from his vision.
"Reg?" Dolohov repeated, perplexed. He peered out of the window and saw nothing, nothing that Regulus could have been staring at anyway.
Regulus snapped out of his momentary reverie and looked back at his friends. "Oh yeah, I'm fine," he quickly said, dissolving any suspicion they had. They looked away, accepting his answer instantaneously. Regulus sneered at this – as Slytherins, they were supposed to be cunning and deceitful, but they couldn't tell when someone was lying very well, or trying to conceal the truth. It was almost laughable, their ineptitude at this.
When they stepped out of the carriage at the top of the hill, in the shadow of the rather portentous-looking Hogwarts castle, Regulus glanced down to the Black Lake – yes, he could see the little fleet of boats, led by the slightly large one, sat in by that giant Hagrid, sailing across, all of their occupants staring at the castle with silent awe etched upon their young faces. He briefly smiled, remembering exactly how that felt – how it felt to see the castle for the first time, the lasting and indescribable impression it left.
He took a seat at the Slytherin table, next to Gibbon and opposite Dolohov. On his other side sat a particularly attractive seventh-year girl named Seraphina Ornys, who was exotic and interesting – but in Regulus' opinion, she paled in comparison to Emmy.
"Hi Regulus, have a good summer?" Seraphina asked in her usual flirtatious manner, her voice sugary sweet and velvety. Just a day ago he would have lapped up the attention Seraphina provided him with, but now he wasn't bothered. According to Seraphina's friend, Astilbe Moore, also a Slytherin, Seraphina was particularly taken with Regulus.
"Yes thanks," he answered, rather abruptly, and Seraphina pouted slightly as she saw him turn to watch the large oak doors that he knew Professor McGonagall was standing behind, lecturing the new students about the Sorting.
Moments later, they burst open, and Professor McGonagall, the rather ascetic Transfiguration teacher, strode in, followed by meek-looking first years and, at the back, the two new girls. Regulus instantly smiled when he saw Emmy – just as beautiful and as blonde as he remembered. Next to her stood the other girl, the brunette, who seemed to be the object of a lot of stares from the boys of the school, but he was too taken with Emmy to notice.
What Regulus failed to realise was that right at that moment, Sirius had clocked him staring avariciously at Emmy, and was disgruntled. There was no way he wanted his Death Eater-in-training brother anywhere near her. They didn't know how Emmy's parents had died, but they had presumed it was because of a Death Eater attack – and now her guardians had died because of the Death Eaters. It would just have been too much pain for her to bear, knowing he associated with and aspired to be like the likes of those who had killed her aunt and uncle, Caitlin's parents.
"When I call your name," Professor McGonagall announced, her voice so austere everybody stopped looking at the new girls and turned their heads to view the Head of Gryffindor House, "you will come forward, sit on the stool and I will place the Sorting Hat on your head, and then you will be sorted into whichever house is deemed suitable for you."
There was a deep intake of breath as Professor McGonagall glanced at her list to ascertain the first name.
"Anderson, Michael!" she called. An auburn-haired boy eagerly leaped forward to the stall and rammed the hat down on his head. A few moments later, the hat shouted,
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
The Hufflepuff table cheered and everyone else clapped lightly whilst Professor McGonagall read more names off the list and more people were sorted.
"Daniels, Thomas!"
"RAVENCLAW!"
"Davison, India!"
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
"Day, Rosanna!"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
The Gryffindor table erupted as the first girl to be placed in their house ran down and found herself a seat at one end of the table.
"Eagles, Enid" became the first Slytherin female. McGonagall carried on through the alphabet, until she suddenly shouted,
"Piper, Caitlin!"
Caitlin gulped anxiously, and walked through the small group of first years left to be sorted. Hundreds of pairs of eyes followed her to the stool and watched her sit down self-consciously as Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head.
Aah...
Caitlin flinched as she heard the strange voice of the Sorting Hat in her own mind. It was an ethereal feeling, but nevertheless she listened closely as she heard it speak to her.
You have recently suffered a great personal loss... such tragedy will never be forgotten, and you certainly have changed completely since it happened... before, perhaps a bold, effervescent and outspoken Gryffindor whose extroverted ways would have won her a million friends. Now, a quite, assiduous and introverted individual who is not likely to return to her vivacious ways... You want to focus on your studies... to gain good qualifications and to train a profession worthy of making your deceased parents proud... You are prepared to shun partying and romance in order to achieve this new ambition... Working hard and making a few close friends is what you want, better make you...
"RAVENCLAW!"
The Ravenclaw table cheered and whooped deafeningly as Caitlin blushed and joined them. Two sixth-year Ravenclaw boys squished up in order to make room for her, and they all began to shower her with admiring glances.
James and Sirius were slightly worried – they knew how reticent Caitlin could be, she had only just begun to warm up to them. It would be harder for them to look after her if she was in a different house to them. They knew people in it – Lily, Aretha and Mary, who were sat a little way down from them, were friendly with a couple of Ravenclaws who were really nice. Sirius had dated – very briefly – one of them, a cute bookish girl named Nathalie Partridge, who would probably befriend Caitlin.
Emmy was surprised – when she had read up on the different houses and what qualities belonged to the students in the houses, she was sure that Caitlin would go into Gryffindor. Before what happened, she would have been the quintessential Gryffindor student, embodying their fun-loving and daring natures perfectly. Now, she supposed, her cousin had changed.
Emmy didn't have much more time to ponder this before her own name was called –
"Piper, Emmanuelle!"
Regulus watched her devotedly from his seat, ignoring the seductive looks Seraphina kept shooting him, batting her eyelashes and smiling coyly. So that was her name... Emmanuelle... It was so beautiful, just like her.
Emmy seated herself on the stool and felt Professor McGonagall lightly drop the hat on her head. She didn't move when she heard the voice of the Sorting Hat inside her own head... it was the sort of thing she expected...
So the cousin of a new Ravenclaw? You, too, have experienced much personal tragedy... though you don't forget it, you bounce back and have learned to love life and not be afraid of it... An incredibly intelligent girl I see, much more intelligent than everyone else in her year... Things come naturally to you, you are a natural-born learner... Funny, occasionally mischievous and easily likable by many people... Though you shall devote yourself to studies, simultaneously you'll balance it with parties and night time excursions... You are brave and proud without being rude and ostentatious... you are the archetypal –
"GRYFFINDOR!" it roared, and thunderous applaud met her ears as she sat down at the Gryffindor table next to Sirius. She was completely unaware of the sad look that Regulus Black gave her.
In truth, he knew there was no way Emmanuelle Piper was going to be a Slytherin. She was far too... smiley and genuine. She was the sort of person who told people things, she was kind, she cared and she was... brilliant. He had never felt so immediately endeared to a girl before, not even Seraphina, who was growling enviously at the way even the Slytherin boys watched Caitlin Piper at the Ravenclaw table, who was nervously conversing with the people around her.
Emmy could see the students on the Ravenclaw table coaxing Caitlin out of her shell, and was pleased. She was glad her cousin looked happy and cheerful – although she wasn't in the same house as her, she was going to ensure that she looked after her as much as possible and always made sure that she was as happy as she could be. She meant the world to her.
Just as the two boys she could now say she was closest too in the whole world, apart from Caitlin, did.
What did you think about Regulus and the whole different House thing? I thought that would make it less predictable... Thank you for reading, please review! And don't forget to check out
:) x Lily Orange x (: