Chapter 11: Conquests
The wind howled and the snow swirled, but the Slytherin Quidditch team would not be deterred so easily.
"Foren has acquired some really good players this year, but so have we," Khyana had said in her pre-game pep talk. "We can take this one, team, I know we can. We beat Gryffindor, and if we beat Ravenclaw too, the only thing left to do is beat Hufflepuff, and then whoever's in the finals with us. We can do it, I have faith! Now let's go!"
Now, as the teams flew in the biting cold and the crowds cheered madly, Khyana was vaguely aware of what was going on around her, but not so much so that she lost her concentration. It was difficult to see in the swirling wind, but Khyana didn't need to see. She knew the pitch like the back of her hand, and it was a good thing, too, because she planned on winning this one, just like she had the last.
The first weekend in December was usually the first snow at Hogwarts. But this year, the first snow had fallen two weeks before, giving the Quidditch teams a chance to practise in the conditions they would be playing in. It was the last game before the Christmas holidays, and everyone was eager to see how it would turn out.
Khyana had lost track of the score after Ravenclaw had scored the seventh time, tying up the game. At that point, she had flown over to Sara and given the brunet a long talk about effort.
"If you want to win this one, Sara Lynae Wilkes, you better pick up your pace and increase your effort!"
"You're one to talk, Yana! Get out there and score some goals!"
Furious, Khyana had flown off. She had yet to score a goal in this game. Mel and Cailean had stolen all her thunder thus far.
When Madam Elsen's whistle blew to end the game, Khyana alighted on the ground, pleased with her two goals, but wishing she could have scored more.
"Slytherin win!" Madam Elsen called, and the Slytherin players again left the field in smug happiness.
When Khyana left the pitch much later, Kelria and Sara were not waiting for her. She had not expected them to, after her exchange with Sara, but she felt sad about it nonetheless. She walked up to the castle in cold silence.
When she reached the school, she found that dinner was already underway, so she slipped in quietly and sat beside Kelria.
"Where have you been?" Kelria asked.
"Out at the pitch," Khyana replied, reaching for a chicken leg. "I needed to clear my head."
Kelria nodded and didn't press the matter.
That night, rather than endure Sara's cold silence, Khyana wandered the hallways, ever keeping an eye out for Cam. She took a book with her, so she could find a quiet place to sit and read and just relax.
Finally, she came across a window seat on the seventh floor in an alcove, and sat down in the deserted hallway to read her book.
"So, Miss Malfoy, you have defeated both Gryffindor and Ravenclaw at Quidditch. How do you feel?"
Khyana looked up to see a teasing grin on the face of Sirius Black, and grinned evilly.
"I feel absolutely marvellous, Mr. Black," she replied, standing. She always felt awkward when sitting in the presence of those who were taller than her.
"Indeed, I expected as much," Sirius grinned.
Khyana laughed. "Did you come all the way up here to ask me how I was doing, Mr. Black?" she asked teasingly.
"Not exactly," Sirius admitted. "There was something else…"
Khyana's heart was pounding. 'Oh no,' she thought desperately.
"What was that?" she asked, trying to keep her voice light.
"This," Sirius replied, and he leaned down and kissed her.
Kelria was in a very bad mood indeed. Khyana and Sara were apparently in a fight, and they weren't speaking to each other, which left Kelria in the middle. She hated being in the middle.
She decided she didn't want to stick around and listen to Sara complain about Khyana, so she made some lame excuse and left the common room in search of more pleasant company. She found it in the form of Lily Evans, in the library.
"Hey, Lily."
"Hey, Kelria. What's up?"
"Not much," Kelria replied. "Sara and Khyana are fighting, Khyana's gone off to find Cam, and Sara's complaining, so I left."
Lily nodded. "Good idea. Best not to get in the middle of Slytherin fights. I know from experience."
"Yeah," Kelria agreed.
"Hey, have you talked to Alice lately?"
"Not really, why?"
"She's been looking all over for you guys, she wants to invite you to her house for the Christmas holidays."
"Oh really? That's awesome, I'm sure Khyana and Sara will be thrilled. I'll have to ask my mom, but I'm sure it'll be fine."
"Oh, so you do have parents," Lily said.
"Yeah," Kelria replied, confused. "Didn't you know that?"
Lily shook her head. "We've been wondering about it for a while now. You've never mentioned them before."
"Oh, really? Well, I live with my mom. My dad left us when I was really little, I haven't seen him since I was two. So yeah."
"I'm sorry, Kel."
"Don't be," Kelria said dismissively. "I've gotten over it."
"Well, I'm glad," Lily replied. "I don't think I'd ever be able to live if my dad did that to us. I might end up having to live with Petunia…ugh."
"Who's Petunia?"
"My older sister. She hates magic."
"Awe, that sucks," Kelria sympathised. "I take it you two don't get along that well, then?"
"Not at all," Lily agreed. "She's getting married this summer, though, so I won't have to deal with her anymore."
"Well, that's good at least," Kelria said.
"Yeah, it is," Lily agreed, then looked back at the piece of parchment in front of her. "I should get working on this. It's getting late."
Kelria looked at the clock over the bookshelves and gasped. "Merlin, it's almost 11 o'clock! I should get going, see you, Lily!"
"Bye," Lily replied, waving as she returned to her essay.
Khyana lost all sense of time. She was a little angry with herself for how easily she had given in to Sirius' kiss, but she had known for a while that she liked him, so she wasn't entirely surprised.
Finally, she came back to her senses as Sirius moved to trace her jawline with kisses.
"Sirius," she murmured.
"Hm?"
"Sirius, we can't," she said softly.
"Can't what?"
She pulled away, but didn't move his arms from her waist.
"Not now, Sirius."
"Why not?"
Khyana allowed herself a little smile. "I still have a boyfriend, Sirius. I can't cheat like this."
Sirius deflated a little, and then nodded. "I understand."
"Thank you," she said, moving away. "I should get going. I'll see you around, Sirius."
"See you," Sirius agreed.
As soon as Khyana was out of sight of Sirius, she stopped dead and collapsed on the floor, dazed. What had just happened?
The next day, Sunday, Khyana, Kelria and Sara all slept later than usual, as they had all gone to bed very late. Khyana had crept into the dormitory around midnight, having gone for a walk to clear her head after her encounter with Sirius. Kelria had gone straight to bed after she returned from talking with Lily, but it had taken her a while to fall asleep, especially after Khyana had returned so late.
When Khyana woke, she dressed quickly and went on a quest: the same quest she had been on for the past month.
Finally, her efforts were rewarded, as she found Cam studying with Laura in the library.
"Cam, I need to talk to you," she said, approaching them. "Hey, Laura," she added.
Laura did not smile back, and Cam stood slowly.
"Alright," he said, following her to a corner of the library.
"Cam, this isn't working. We never see each other, and I know you like Laura, and this just isn't going to work. I'm sorry."
Cam nodded stiffly. "Laura told me you were going to break up with me. Well, I guess this is goodbye, Khyana."
"I guess it is," Khyana agreed, seething that Laura had broken her confidence like that. "Goodbye, Cam."
Khyana left Cam standing on his own in the library, and walked past Sirius on her way out, grinning at him. He smiled back.
She left the library thinking, 'Well, Khyana, you've done it. Now you have no excuse not to go out with Sirius…'
Later that same day, Kelria found herself with absolutely nothing to do. Quidditch practises were over, as the season would not start up again until the spring, so she didn't even have that to distract her. She sensed that something was up with Khyana, but didn't feel like dealing with more drama right now.
She went for a walk and found Lily, Alice and Sara in the library, huddled around a piece of parchment on a table.
"Hey, ladies, whatcha doing?" she asked, approaching.
Lily immediately covered the parchment with her body, then breathed in relief and sat up as she saw who it was.
"Oh, it's you, Kel. I thought you were Yana for a moment."
Kelria furrowed her brow in confusion. "Do I sound like Yana?"
"No," Sara explained, "But we can't let Yana know what we're doing."
"What are you doing?"
"Planning a birthday party for Yana. I was just about to send Sara to get you," Lily explained.
"Oh, that's cool," Kelria said, sitting down, feeling a little upset that she hadn't been included in the plans earlier. "When's her birthday?"
"Next Saturday," Alice said. "Oh, now that I've got you both here, I might as well ask you. Can you two come stay at my house over the Christmas holidays?"
"Yeah, for sure," Sara said immediately. "I don't have anywhere else to go."
"I have to ask my mom, but I'm sure it'll be fine," Kelria answered.
"Alright."
"So, anyway. We were talking about location. We were thinking we could ask one of the teachers if we could use their classroom, since we're all from different Houses, and we can't have it in a common room…and who should we invite?"
"Why do we need to invite anyone else?" Sara demanded. "It'll just be the five of us."
"Lily wants James to come, and Yana's always been friendly with Remus…and lately she's been pretty chummy with Black, too. We should invite them."
"If we invite them, then we have to invite Pettigrew, too." Sara pointed out. "And Yana hates him."
"Well, Yana will just have to deal," Alice said, waving her hand dismissively. "So, those four, us four…anyone else?"
"What about her boyfriend?"
"She doesn't have one. She broke up with him this morning, Black told me," Alice replied, and the other three looked surprised.
"How did Black find out before us?"
"He talked to Jones, apparently. I haven't seen Yana all day."
"Neither have I," Sara agreed. "I wonder what she's up to."
"I dunno, but for now, wherever she is is good. We don't want her walking in on us."
"Oh yeah."
Khyana had, in fact, gone back to her seventh floor alcove to sit alone and think. So many thoughts were swirling around in her head, she didn't think she'd be able to contain them all.
"Whatcha thinkin' about?"
She looked up, startled, and grinned as she saw Sirius' smiling face.
"Nothing really. What brings you all the way up here?"
"You broke up with Jones this morning."
"Yes, I did."
"Without reason."
"I had my reasons."
"Khyana, did you break up with Jones to go out with me?"
"Cocky, aren't we, Black?" she said, standing, her face unreadable. "If even you have to ask me that, maybe I shouldn't have broken up with him in the first place."
She left the hallway, and Sirius stared after her in dumbfounded disbelief.
A/N: Well, there you go. There's your drama...more to come...I'm such a drama queen! Oh well...Anyway, I'll try to get the next chapter up very soon, I don't have to work tonight or tomorrow, so I should be able to get a lot done, because I don't have anything else to do, and I will be home by myself, likely...Sunday I have to go to a funeral, so there might not be any more updates for a while after this. Happy Reading! (Wow, I'm cheesy...)
