Chapter 38
"You know what!"
"What?"
"You know what?!"
"What? What!"
Alice Prewett slammed her Explosive Snap deck on the floor, making it scorch up in indignation. "I should've just gone with Frank! Who does that woman think she is anyways?!"
"His mother?" Lily muttered into her book, tired of the subject.
"You said something?" Alice asked, turning to look at her best friend.
"Ah? Haa – no, just…. Reading the book out loud for myself…"
"What for? Never mind. I can't believe he's too afraid to tell her we're dating! You ever hear of something like that before?!"
"Never." Lily said monotonously, still mostly invested in her book.
"I should've just gone with him and been all 'Hey I'm dating this guy – what'cha gonna do about it hu?!' You know?"
"Completely agree." Lily mumbled.
"You do?! Really?!"
When Alice rounded on her, Lily had to retract and try and follow the conversation again. After a strange silence she was pretty sure she got it. "Oh yeah, that's bound to win his mom over."
Lily had spent the rest of that hour shielding her precious book from what remained of Alice's Explosive Snap deck.
Finally defeated, Lily glanced sadly at what remained of her book. The Hogwarts librarian was going to murder her. She sighed, eyeing Alice, and wondered how bad her mood was, still.
Gathering bravery, Lily walked over to her friend and said the only thing she knew would get Alice's foul mood to break.
"What?" Alice asked sharply when she noticed Lily approaching.
"…Want to steal from Slughorn with me?"
Alice blinked, hostility washing off of her. "You mean for that potion?"
"Yes."
Alice considered her, but caved pretty quickly. "Fine. What's the plan?"
"Did you already send out those Zonko products you bought for Marlene's Christmas gift?"
"No, why?"
"Because we're going to need them."
Roxanne slide the compartment door, just as they heard the warning call saying the train will arrive at the station in ten minutes.
Inside the compartment was only one student, a guy. For a moment Roxanne feared it'll be Frank again.
"Where have you been?!" Sirius Black shot haughtily as soon as he could, trying to grab three owls at once, dressed in strangely fashionable muggle clothing.
"…Around?"
"Look here Roxanne! This isn't going to work if I keep getting left with your stuff to carry – "
"When did you ever - ?!" Roxanne called back, indignant that he was shouting at her as soon as she walked in.
"That time with your bag! It sends a bad message – I can't be seen as that bloke who's left in the compartment like some weirdo to worry about other people's crap!"
Roxanne snapped. "I don't even have crap for you to carry! I don't have a pet here, and the suitcase is mine to drag!"
Sirius rolled his eyes at her royally. "Who cares? The point is that nobody knows nothing here is yours – they just know I'm babysitting stuff – what am I – Mother Gryffindor?!"
Sirius was suddenly looking cheerful at having taken his misfortune out on her and seemed to lean back, dumping the stuff in his hands on the empty chairs now that she was here.
"And what's with your muggle cloths?!" Roxanne demanded, not happy at all.
"Hot, right?" he winked at her.
"It's definitely… sharp. Very… muggle like."
"What you'd expect from someone who O'ed his Muggle Studious OWL! I'm getting ready to repeat the grade on the NEWT level at the end of the year – I'll send a copy of it framed for my parents." He said with satisfaction.
Roxanne, who heard all about his parents both from her uncle and from him himself these past few days, couldn't help but laugh along, her anger dying out as suddenly as it flared up. "I'd suggest visiting their house and permanently sticking it on the door."
Sirius looked like he was considering it, then he frowned. "Better not, I'd rather not have to actually see them."
"Fair enough." Roxanne shrugged. She saw Mary and Marlene's things were gone – they must have changed and grabbed their stuff, leaving to depart with other friends from the train. "Where's… Frank?"
"I sent him to fetch Jamie." Sirius said, yawning as sunlight passed by the window.
They shared a silent, peaceful moment. And Roxanne was almost willing to relax when Sirius started singing.
"Rooooooooxanne…" Sirius hummed.
"What was that?!" Roxanne set on him.
"What?"
"What was that!"
"What was what?" he shrugged, looking perfectly innocent.
"Don't mess with me Sirius Black!"
"I seriously don't know what you're talking about!" he smirked, and walked out of the compartment. "I'll go check out where Prongs is!" he called cheerfully.
She stared after him. No way. There is no way this song followed her here, years into the past.
That stupid, stupid, song!
But she remembered that it was considered pretty old when she was born, so maybe those stupid muggles already publicized it?
Oh Merlin.
Knock knock knock.
"Come in."
The office door opened and Alice Prewett entered the chamber.
The Potions' Master, Professor Slughorn, was sitting behind his desk, looking up to see her enter. In the chair across from him sat one of the best potions students in their seventh grade; Severus Snape.
When Alice looked at him lazily, Severus and she shared a glare.
"Oh yes, Miss Prewett. What may I help you with?" he asked kindly. That Slughorn remembers her so well, when he only bothers to remember top grades students says plenty… on how terrible she was at potions.
"Filch sent me, Professor." Alice said, annoyed. "He's distributing the presents people sent the staff and there's one for you that's misspelled, or was it that the package was suspicious? I don't know sir. But Filch is bent on disposing of it –"
"Disposing of it! Madness! That mad old man is off his balance! Does he even understand how many ex-students of mine are important characters in the wizarding world – respectable – great -! What does he think it is – that someone will send – will send - Dragon Dung?! Those are prized gifts!"
"He claims it's an illegal shipping of Dungbombs sir, he swears he can smell them."
"Dungbombs! That horrid wheezing – ! Mr. Snape, I must go take care of this business now, excuse me – yes, I'll answer your questions later – yes, goodbye now."
Snape turned slightly red, and picked up his potions book from the table, and got up, carrying it under his arm.
Slughorn rushed to the door and bypassed Alice, calling "Lead the way Miss Prewett!"
"Coming Professor!" She yelled, then turned to Snape and said "Spending Christmas with the teachers? That's adorable."
Snape spluttered in rage; Alice always had a certain talent for bringing that out of people. However she quickly skipped out of the classroom after Slughorn, not leaving him with any time to react, or to grab his wand.
Alone in the office, the dark boy's long hair splattered his nose. He stood, defiant, for a minute. Then he resigned himself and left, heading quickly for his common room.
When the sound of his steps faded to nothing, Lily Evans took off the Disillusionment charm and walked quickly to the storage room.
After Sirius was down on the platform, Roxanne and Frank came off the train, leaving James last to struggle with his suitcase. Roxanne was blinded with noise and masses of families and chaos, understanding that no matter what year it is, some things just don't change. Roxanne waved Frank goodbye awkwardly when he dragged his suitcase to where a tough-looking woman stood, waiting for him, when Sirius tensed next to her.
Roxanne looked around at him, sensing something is wrong. Behind him she could spot Mary and Marlene hugging each other, their families waiting for them.
Sirius was looking properly disgusted and alarmed. Following his hollow vision she spotted a woman in the crowed. Sirius then quickly turned away and looked determined to pretend he wasn't seeing the woman.
"B-bye guys! S-see you after the holidays!" Peter popped up from somewhere, carrying his trunk over to his mom, and James - who was still on the train having trouble with his trunk - called "See ya Wormtail!"
"Happy Christmas!" Sirius yelled, looking for all the world like the woman didn't exist.
Thoroughly disgusted at the idea of Peter Pettigrew having a happy Christmas, Roxanne let herself wonder what the deal was with the mysterious woman that set Sirius off and made him look so completely repulsed.
"Alright you two – you're really not helping me with this thing?!" James demanded, nearly getting squashed under the weight of his suitcase.
The woman Roxanne found herself staring at was absolutely beautiful; slender, tall, with long thick black curls and heavy-lidded eyes.
The woman turned her huge eyes and met Roxanne's eyes full on in an unnerving manner.
Roxanne's body seemed to understand before her mind did.
She felt sick, she fought to keep her cool, she fought harder to keep her breakfast inside of her stomach, but she fought hardest against the instinct that told her something bigger and more dangerous was in front of her, and she was its prey.
All around them parents welcomed their kids, happy of the thought of spending Christmas with them. The thumping of the crowd, the buzzing of the students, the rolling trolleys, and the bumping of the trunks all cheered in Roxanne's dulled ears.
Unlike with her Aunt Dromeda, she didn't feel any doubt. Not for a moment. She knew who this woman was; Bellatrix Lestrange.
-END of ch.38-