A/N: I just had a great breakthrough while writing my plan for chapters 40 through 45, so I will happily try to post every day until Sunday when I might take another couple of days break. Thank you all so much for your reviews. Although I have much of the story planned and written, your reviews constantly help me edit and add scenes that I never would have thought of if I didn't know how people were responding to various characters - you are all extremely helpful, thoughtful and probably good looking too :)Enjoy!
Chapter Twenty Nine: No one badmouths my mates
The long and short of it ended up being this:
According to Bertram Aubrey, I had always fancied him, and now that I didn't have my 'Bottle-Specs' I thought that I was in with a chance. Apparently I had begged and pleaded with him and he had resisted until I'd offered to go 'all the way' with him – and him, being only a weak, hormonal boy, couldn't resist the offer and had had a go. I was so slaggy and desperate that I'd let him do all sorts of rude and unheard of things to me, and I'd definitely let anyone else do it with me too.
Yuck.
I had to admit though, he could paint quite a picture – and from the outside, maybe it was even believable. The rumor carried on for the majority of two weeks, although it never seemed to pick up full steam. Mostly I was treated to some giggles or condescending looks from girls I didn't know and then some crude and unexpectedly dirty comments from boys who had previously held circles up to their faces and called me Bottle-Specs. But other than that, I found the insults relatively tame and easy to laugh off.
What was really frustrating was the way the teachers were treating me. It was wholly obvious that they had heard the 'news' and while some (Flitwick, Sprout) had the decency to pretend to ignore it, others (Slughorn, Babbling) had taken to staring at me in utter confusion. During Runes one Wednesday, Babbling had blushed when she asked me to translate an ancient text that involved a story about two prostitutes. You can only imagine how the snickers doubled after that.
It was for this very reason, I very nearly lost my temper with Professor McGonagall when she called me to her desk at the end of her lesson one day, looking like she felt very sorry for me.
"Ooooh, you're in trouble now, wench," Wendelin the real Wench whispered in my ear on her way out.
Marlene threw me a pitying look and signaled that she'd meet me at dinner and I bit my tongue as I stood in front of McG.
"Euphemia," she began and I immediately knew I was in for a lecture. She hadn't called me my full name since before Christmas. "I wanted to talk to you about something I overheard today…"
"Miss, I did not go slutting off with that disgusting excuse for a boy, Bertram Aubrey. And – even if I had – I don't think it's any of your business!" I snapped, before I grimaced and cowered away from her desk.
McGonagall did not seem pleased with my language and she patted a few stray strands down around her head before she looked at me over the top of her spectacles. How did she manage to look so scary and impressive in her glasses, while I had always looked like a bug?
"Miss Savage – what you do or do not do in your personal life is indeed none of my business – nor is it my interest. I was merely referring to you telling Miss McKinnon that you didn't care if you failed your Transfiguration OWL."
I glowed the hottest, brightest red at that and looked at the floor.
"And I'll thank you for never using that tone again with me. Am I clear Euphemia?"
"Yes Professor," I said meekly, still staring at my shoes.
"Now. What am I going to do with you? I was frankly attempting to give you some space, knowing what has been going on with your family – but I can no longer ignore your consistent D's and T's in my subject. I have never had a student under my eye receive a T at OWL and I refuse to let this year be the exception. None of your other Professors seem to report a lack of effort from you – so why is it that you have chosen to give up on my subject?"
"I promise I'll try harder – my mind just doesn't work this way," I admitted, forcing my voice to stay steady. My embarrassment paired with the fact that I did not do well with authority figures (especially not furious ones) was making me fall apart. As I was fiddling with my skirt and trying to look up at McGonagall, there was a soft knock on the door. Taking the distraction as an excuse to take a few deep breaths, I pulled myself together and turned to see that James Potter was standing in the doorway.
"Sorry to interrupt Miss, shall I come back?" he asked, in a very serious, un-Potter voice.
"Ah…no, that's quite all right Mr Potter. How did your interview go with Professor Dumbledore?" McGonagall said, beckoning James into the room.
James walked in tentatively and gave me a little nod, before shrugging.
"Ah, me and Albus – we're old mates by now Miss – hardly felt like an interview at all," he grinned.
"Potter, you are referring to your Headmaster!" McGonagall said sternly.
"Sorry – should I have said one of my best mates?" James smiled, giving me a little wink. I almost started to laugh before I remembered how much trouble I was in.
"Yes well, I did hope you'd take this seriously Potter. As I have said, I think you could be a remarkable candidate."
"Thanks Professor," James said, sticking his hands in his pockets sheepishly. "Anyway, just thought I'd come by and let you know I'd seen the Headmaster. I better get on to dinner now, I've got a few notices to give the team before our practice tonight," he continued, backing out of the room and giving us a wave.
"One moment Potter, I've just had a thought," McGonagall said, tapping her chin and eyeing me. I froze and looked back at my feet. "How would you feel about improving your school performance?"
"Er – sorry Miss but is there a mark higher than an O?"
"Potter, this would be in terms of general conduct. Perhaps it will make up for all the points you and Black seem to lose while you're misbehaving?" McG was standing now, looking at James over her spectacles. It was a really terrifying and convincing expression – but James was having none of it.
"Well, I do tend to win more points than I lose…so again, I think I'll pass," he said, almost mockingly, looking back over the top of his own glasses. How did he have so much nerve? Sometimes McGonagall could make me want to piss my pants just by breathing next to me.
"Potter. I am asking a favour," she said, using a heavy sigh.
"Aw Miss, why didn't you say? 'Course I'll help you," James replied cheekily. I chuckled at this and even McGonagall smiled.
"I'd like you to help Euphemia with her Transfiguration problems on Sunday."
"What!?" James and I said together before we looked at each other and frowned.
"Uh Miss – that's the day after the match…I…I…"
"Will be completely free to help?" McGonagall provided, almost playfully back. I mean, seriously, was there something going on between these two? It was odd how friendly they were.
"Uh maybe Sirius…might…um, be a better fit. He's helped her before."
It was really wonderful that they were talking about me as if I wasn't there.
"No, apparently Mr Black's methods of teaching had no effect on her – I would like you to try instead."
James sighed heavily but finally nodded. "Oh okay then."
"Euphemia?" McGonagall asked, as if it were actually a question.
"Anything not to fail my OWL, Professor," I said, forcing a smile.
"Excellent!" she said looking pleased and returning to her seat and stacks of parchment. "I think this will be mutually beneficial to you both. I'll be sure to mention to Professor Dumbledore how much helping the younger students means to you, Potter."
"Of course Miss," James grumbled, before looking at me and cocking his head at the door.
"Wow, Effie – how thick are you at Transfiguration?" James asked as we headed to dinner together.
"Rude," I said, sticking out my tongue. "We can't all be bloody brilliant."
He smiled. "No, I suppose not."
"So what are you a remarkable candidate for?" I asked grumpily.
He groaned and made a face. "Head Boy."
"You?"
"Me."
"Have they gone mad?" I asked, shutting my mouth abruptly after the words had escaped. I'd gotten too comfortable around James and forgotten that he had a reputation for stringing people who annoyed him up in the air by their ankles.
Thankfully, he laughed.
"I thought so too. But I suppose it couldn't hurt. It'll be good for jobs and such. And I think Evans is up for Head Girl."
"Ahh…of course. The Lily factor."
He chuckled. "You sound like Sirius."
I made a face. I hadn't yet forgiven Sirius for yelling at me over nothing. In fact, I'd refused to look at him for over a week.
"He didn't mean to lose it at you, you know? He feels awful about it," James said, his voice suddenly soft and quite serious. He stopped me before we entered the Great Hall. "Cut him a break, okay? You've been annoyed with him long enough. He just…well, you're his mate… and he cares about you."
And leaving me with that gem, he headed into the Great Hall leaving me there to try to ignore the catcalls of some horrible boys that I didn't know.
The rumors persisted lightly until the weekend – but thankfully the news of my incredible dimness hadn't added fuel to the fire. Bertram Aubrey seemed to be avoiding me all together. I hadn't seen him since the week before – probably because he'd heard how little the rumour seemed to have affected me. Bully for him and better for me! I found that it was almost easy to put the event behind me and instead dread my study session with James on Sunday. I was, of course, disappointed that Sirius had been so easily hoodwinked, but considering the foul mood he'd been in since Hogsmeade, I found that I was happier spending time focusing on the fact that Regulus hadn't believed it for a moment – that the thought of me snogging Bertram was funny. He'd even been quite nice about it in public – though for obvious reasons, hadn't defended me outright. He hadn't made any proper contact with me since Valentine's Day and there had been no word about the Quidditch match, despite him asking me to watch it with him. I was slowly beginning to lose hope until he found me on Friday.
I was walking to Care of Magical Creatures, when some horrible Third Year (who had obviously not received the owl that the joke was over) made a rude comment like 'fancy a bit of this?' and found himself in the full body bind at my feet. I was laughing and looking around for the culprit, when Regulus emerged from the shadows, stepped over the Third Year, gave me one of his gorgeous smiles. He nodded to a small alcove for us to chat in and I couldn't help but shiver with excitement.
"All right?" he asked, his eyes shining as we found ourselves alone together for the first time in almost two weeks.
I felt a bit shy, and blushed as I looked at the floor. "Oh yeah, just slagging around…"
He laughed and shook his head. "That rumor won't last until the end of the day. My brother's been going around squashing it every day for the last two weeks. Aubrey's been in the Hospital Wing with antlers since Monday."
I frowned. "Sirius believed it at the beginning though."
"Well you have to forgive him for that – he can be a bit dim," Regulus said, looking pleased.
I shrugged, feeling uncomfortable putting Sirius down in front of Regulus, but at the same time, annoyed that Sirius had, of course, decided he needed to go around fighting my battles. This was a habit for him and even though he knew I didn't like it, that didn't seem to stop him. I sighed and nodded to Regulus, who was still fighting off a smile at my sour expression.
"I better go. I'm going to be late to Care of Magical Creatures."
"I just wanted to tell you about tomorrow – the Quidditch match," he said, his hand reaching out to hold mine. My ears glowed warm, as I felt his fingers intertwine with my own.
"Have you figured out how we're going to get away with this," I nodded at our entangled hands, "in front of the whole school?"
He chuckled, still stroking my hand with his thumb as his eyes glinted. "We're not. Just meet me in the Courtyard around eleven – right before the match is meant to start. Everyone will be down at the Pitch by then so they won't notice, and I'll show you where we'll be watching the game from."
I raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Okay – but…I do have to go. I promised Marlene I'd watch. I've only managed to see one of her matches so far this year. I missed the one where they throttled you."
He scowled but narrowed his eyes at me playfully. "Well I'll be rooting for them against Ravenclaw – so we'll be on the same side this time. And don't worry – I promise you'll see it and be able to tell her all about the different saves she has."
"Okay then."
"So – Courtyard, eleven?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.
"I am at your will," I said, idly trying not to look into his addictive eyes.
"I like the sound of that," he muttered, lifting my hand to his mouth and brushing his lips over it before he dropped it and disappeared from the alcove.
I had to fight not to dissolve into a puddle of goo because I really was very late to Care of Magical Creatures and couldn't afford to let silly romantic hand kissing get in the way of me and one of the classes I was sure I'd pass.
In the Common Room that evening, after lessons, Sirius unexpectedly sat beside me while I played Chess against Benjy. He said nothing until I'd checkmated my friend five moves later, but smiled when I turned to him.
"Hi."
I just nodded, and turned to open one of my textbooks. Unfortunately it was upside down, so the jig was up.
Sirius placed a hand on it and lowered it back to the table.
"I heard James is giving you Transfiguration lessons," he said, still with that annoying half smile on his face.
Despite this being the first time we'd spoken since our shouting match, I still wasn't very happy to see him – not just because he had believed I might have slept with Aubrey – but also because he'd taken it upon himself to go around defending me.
"Are you going to have go at me about that too?" I asked, snippily.
Sirius shrugged. "I thought about it. I mean, now you've made me look bad in front of McGonagall."
I knew he'd meant to make me laugh, but I just sighed tiredly. "Did you want something then?"
He said nothing, tapping his fingers over my book and looking up at my friends. His face twitched into one of his odd expressions before he looked back at the table.
Marlene and Jasper and Benjy exchanged looks and not very subtly got up from the table to leave us to it.
"Effie look, I'm really sorry. I know I shouldn't have believed all that rubbish. And I know it's none of my business even if you were with someone. I felt like such an idiot that I accidentally let my wand off in Aubrey's direction and put him in the Hospital Wing," Sirius said, biting back another grin.
"I wish you wouldn't go around defending my honour all the time." I looked at him with my eyebrows furrowed and he ducked his head.
"How come you give me such a hard time for defending you? You never say anything when Marlene or Fenwick or Em do…"
I sighed, feeling bad. Even if he did the wrong thing, he always meant well. "Because they give me a chance to stand up for myself occasionally! I am capable of it, you know?"
"I know…I learned that the hard way, I know. But you're my mate – and no one badmouths my mates," he smiled tentatively and I felt my reservations slip away.
It just wasn't fair to include so many brilliant smiles in the same genetic pool. What about poor Billy Stebbins – surely he could have used a more attractive smile that Regulus and Sirius didn't need?
"Look, will you be at the Quidditch tomorrow? I never see you at games," he said, nudging my knee.
"I was at the Hufflepuff one!" I replied and he clicked his tongue.
"You were in a strop with me though and I didn't get to debrief with you," he said, crossing his eyes and making me laugh. He was too easy to forgive. It wasn't fair.
"Well I'll be at this one," I shrugged as casually as I could manage and he grinned as he got to his feet. I glanced behind me and noticed that Emmeline was waiting for him. She didn't look angry, but she was fiddling with her skirt as she waved hello.
"Brilliant. I'll look for you," he said before he headed over to Emmeline.
Oh bloody hell – how would he look for me when I was going to be hiding?
A/N: Quidditch match chapter up next - Regulus galore! :D
