A Time to Turn Back
For those too impatient to suffer through my nonsense ranting, feel free to scroll down.
A/N: I won't bother falling over myself apologizing for how late this came, you probably don't want o hear it. To tell you the truth I had the entire chapter written only three days after I posted the first one. Really, I did. But I showed it to my sister and she said that one scene was disgusting and that I should edit it out. It was kinda discouraging, so I put off editing for a couple of weeks. I decided to keep the scene anyway…you'll know which one it is. I hope that future updates will be at weekly or at the most bimonthly, not triweekly.
To everyone who very kindly pointed out that Sirius Black had black hair….thanks and a salute to you… I kinda knew that, but for some absurd inexplicable reason I wrote him with blond hair (mixed him with Remus or something) …I'll just go with Emily's very awesome suggestion that he dyed it? M'kay? I apologize to anyone who's going to have nervous break down cuz his hair'll be dyed blond instead of black.
One last thing- there's a challenge at the end- just to see if anyone knows a bit of history related to Harry Potter (and the Death Eaters).
Disclaimer: If Harry Potter was mine I'd release the 5th book now and not wait until the summer for whatever 'marketing reasons.' But, alas, it's JKR's, and 'tis not my decision to make.
To Tim who's not gay, but gets manicures anyway, and lets his girlfriend talk him into painting his fingernails green and red for the holidays only to be stopped by security in an airport twice, proving that being male with painted fingernails makes you a suspicious character, and a possible terrorist. This chapter is for you, bro.
Chapter 2: Sirius's Potter Dilemma
The first thing Draco saw when he opened his eyes was not the white colors of the Hospital Wing, not the whitewashed walls, or hospital sheets. He saw green.
Sitting up immediately, thinking that it was Harry Potter's green eyes, which would most certainly mean that he was back to own his time.
Back to 1994.
What a strange dream, he thought, rubbing his temples, wondering why Harry Potter would be in the Hospital Wing in the first place. Probably some Dementors scared him off his broomstick.
But as his blurred vision came into focus, he could see that although the bright gleam of green that was the defining pigment for Harry Potter's eyes, was still shining, it was not a scar-faced boy, but a redhead girl who stared down at him.
"Sirius, are you okay?" she asked, leaning towards him from her seat. Draco just fell back on the bed moaning.
"No, no…"
"Well I thought it was rather nice of us to rotate staying with you after you fainted-"
"I didn't faint!"
"Yes you did. James told me your eyes just rolled up and you collapsed. If that's not fainting I don't know what is!"
"I just wanted to…take a nap, I hadn't gotten a proper night's sleep." Draco paused, his eyes widening. "James? James who?"
Now the girl was giving him a strange look. She propped her chin up with her hands before stating: "Were some brain cells knocked out of you that you, Sirius Black, don't know what you're best friend's proper name is and- "
"WHAT?!"
Draco leapt out of bed, rushing to the mirror. He hadn't realized it this morning, but the blond hair, was not real…
He fingered the roots, touching the faint remnants of a coarse, black shade…it was dyed.
Black hair. Sirius Black.
Sirius Black. He was in the body of a mass murderer. Of a crazed lunatic. Of a genius who had discovered how to -
"Okay…what is wrong with you? You're giving me the creeps."
Draco could see the redhead's reflection in the mirror, her expression an undecided mixture of puzzlement and anxiety. He lowered his head to study his hands.
The same hands that held such power to kill 12 Muggles and a wizard with one blow. To be the only wizard to escape from the clutches of Azkaban….alive.
"Sirius?" The redhead stepped towards him. "Are you sure you're not obsessive compulsive or anything about mirrors?"
Draco was trying not to shake, while slowly raising the blue eyes that were not his to stare at his and the girl's reflection in the vanity mirror of the Hospital Wing.
To tell or not tell.
Now, that was the question. To tell the redhead that he wasn't Sirius Black, that he was Draco Malfoy…that he was from the future.
He opened his mouth, ready to spill out the truth, ready to admit that he'd been caught up in some twisted Polyjuice/Time Turner accident, ready to be sent to Dumbledore to be dealt with properly.
But something made Draco shut his mouth so fast that he bit his tongue before the words slipped out.
Something he didn't understand, but kept ringing in his ears, screaming that the truth would only cause panic, that he could figure out how to get back on his own.
Living someone else's life for a short while could be fun, he reflected, noticing how much taller he was for the first time… (even in a fake blond's and an incriminated wizard's body)…and what was the worst that could happen?
"I'm just a little…dizzy."
The redhead's reflection grinned at him. "Well that's understandable since you did knock your head when you fainted."
"How many times do I have to tell you? I didn't faint!" Draco whirled around to face her.
She just arched an eyebrow. "Now, aren't we turning into Mr. Macho?"
Draco opened his mouth to retort when the door to the Hospital Wing swung open and in stampeded the Harry Look-alike, the plump boy, and the shaggy blond one.
"Oh, good you're up," stated the shaggy blond.
"Lucky wizard got to miss History of Magic." The plumb boy clutched his throat and made a gagging sound. "That has to be the most boring class ever- who wants to learn about history anyway? It already happened, it's over and done with, so why do we need to know it?"
"Maybe because if you understand history, you'll understand the events of present day better."
The almost clone of Harry scoffed, "Oh, please, Lil, when will the dates of those Goblin Wars ever be of any use?"
"When history repeats itself?" offered Draco. The three boys gave him a peculiar glance, while the redhead, Lil, just beamed.
"See, Sirius, agrees with me!"
"And I agree that all of you should go to class since Mr. Black has recovered and stop taking up space in the Hospital Wing!"
Five heads spun towards a very infuriated (and much younger noted Draco) Madame Pomefry. Five sets of legs dodged out of the Infirmary before the Medical Witch could drown them with any more of her wrath.
"Sheesh, she needs to take a chill pill," muttered the blond.
The redhead glanced at her watch. "We're going to be late for Potions, you prats!" She darted off down the hall towards the dungeons.
The Potter twin rolled his dark brown eyes. "You'd think she was actually looking forward to Double Potions with Slytherins."
"Slytherins," repeated the plump boy, saying the name as if it were something revolting he had stepped in. Draco had to bite his tongue hard to keep from retorting.
Stupid, arrogant, stuck-up, Gryffndors.
*************************
Sirius made his way down the corridors towards the Great Hall. He stopped on the occasion to admire a few paintings that had been hung, and how several sets of drapes had been replaced. He didn't know about the second to last step of the stairway leading into the Hall and that it had begun a habit several years ago of disappearing, trying to catch unsuspecting 1st years.
As a result (quite to the step's surprise and glee) Sirius went tumbling down, tripping as he tried to save himself from crashing into the hole in the stairway. Consequently, he landed on a poor boy who squealed with fright.
Snatching himself up quickly, Sirius offered a hand to him.
The boy refused it, jumping to his feet, watching him with very wide, very scared eyes. "S-s-sorry, Malfoy."
"Oh, it's alright…I didn't see you. It's my fault really. You're not hurt, are you?"
The boy didn't answer… his face devoid of any color, he just backed slowly away before darting into the Great Hall.
Sirius shrugged. What a weird boy.
He could hear the sounds of other students from down the corridors making their way into the Hall. He pushed through the forming crowd, stumbling into the large room, noting how overcrowded Hogwarts had become over the years. By instinct he headed towards the Gryffndor table, nearly filled already.
Sirius ignored the scowls he was receiving as his eyes settled on an all too familiar black haired boy, munching contently on a blueberry muffin.
"James!"
Sirius pounced upon his best friend, enveloping him into an embrace…a form of affection he had never reserved for his friend.
But he couldn't help it…he was not alone- James was there too…somehow- they could figure this out together…they-
"-What the hell do you think you're doing?"
The boy snatched himself away, shoving Sirius off and drawing his wand all in a quick, defensive movement.
Sirius straightened his shoulders, overwhelmed by the leering green that surrounded him, and the foreign object that pierced his friend's fair skin.
He reached forward, unaware of the gawking Gryffndors, to brush back the dark bangs. They were unmistakably James's- such awful, messy, black hair.
Sirius's lips parted as he breathed: "What happened?"
James jerked his forehead back, flinching at his touch when a towering flamehead appeared at his side. "You know very well what happened you Slytherin-"
"James-"
"Stop saying that name!"
"What-"
"I guess you've fallen off you broomstick one too many times, Malfoy," stated a bushy brown haired girl in a snotty voice standing on the opposite side of James with her arms folded stubbornly. "That you can't even remember who Harry Potter is!"
Harry Potter.
Potter.
Harry.
Was he-
Before Sirius could retort, the brown haired girl stated she had suddenly lost her appetite and dragged the two boys off.
It wasn't until two carrot tops catapulted some oatmeal onto his robes was Sirius able to think properly.
"Dray- cie," called a redhead in a high falsetto.
"No, it's more like Dracy-cooo!" stated his clone.
Sirius brushed off the oatmeal before disappearing into the halls, (his appetite had vanished as well) working out what had exactly happened with Mr. Green Eyes.
***********************
Draco's mind worked furiously while he stared at the backs of his companions. If he was in the body of Sirius Black in 1975 that would most certainly mean the identities of his companions would have to be-
"Mmph."
A hand covered Draco's mouth and someone shoved him into the stone wall of the Dungeon's corridors, but before impact the wall evaporated, allowing Draco to plunge head-first into a dimly lit room.
"What was that for?" He dusted himself off to face his 'kidnapper.'
In the light from a few burning candles, floating mid-air Draco could make out the lines of a girl giving him a very sultry look. The familiarity of her was unmistakable. Her angelic face, which exaggerated by the candlelight, spurred faint reminders, but of who…Draco was unsure.
"I missed you this morning," pouted the girl. "I heard you were in the Hospital Wing."
"Hmmm." Draco glanced around the room, taking in the cushioned chairs, layered in a carpet of dust, and a painting of a unicorn peacefully drinking out of a glimmering pool, oblivious to the two intruders.
A hidden room.
She stepped forward, taking his hands. "You have such nice hands."
"I get manicures."
"Since when did Sirius Black get manicures?"
"When Sirius Black though it was best to break his awful habit of biting his fingernails."
"Since when did Sirius Black start speaking in third person? It makes you sound like an egoist."
"I'm not an egoist- that's a person with poor taste, more interested in themselves than in me."
She giggled, venturing closer, her hands still clasped over his. "You know I just used that compliment about your hands as an excuse to touch you."
Draco recoiled, but the girl didn't seem to notice.
"I was thinking about those plans we've been making."
"What plans?"
"You know-"
"I forgot."
"I was thinking about the Sirius Junior suggestions. I haven't exactly warmed up to the idea, so don't go get your hopes up."
"Sirius Jr.?"
Who was this ridiculous girl who was so intent on making marriage plans? Not just marriage plans, but naming future children at age 15? He thought about telling her that Sirius would never have any children,…
But deciding that if he wanted to keep his cover as Sirius Black, he'd better start acting more like Sirius, less people become suspicious.
Now what would Sirius Black do if he was in a dimly lit room with a girl who was smiling at him like he was the greatest person to ever walk on the face of the earth?
Now what would a typical mass murder do?
Now what would your average traitor do?
No…he wasn't asking himself the right questions.
What would a typical 15-year-old boy do?
Draco leaned down (mentally rejoicing the tall body he now inhabited) kissing the girl on the bridge of her nose. Well- he hadn't exactly counted on the height difference to be that inhibiting.
But the girl just grinned, raising her chin and forcing herself onto her tiptoes to kiss him properly.
The sensation was so familiar that it bewildered Draco beyond belief. But it wasn't like kissing Pansy….
He found himself pulling her towards one of the cushioned loveseats, and she went willingly, allowing herself to be pushed down on her back, as Draco propped himself up with his elbows, hoping that he wasn't crushing her.
A strange, almost disembodied voice in his head said that he should be in Potions right now, but he ignored it.
Instead, Draco pulled his head back to kiss her neck, as she breathed his name. It wasn't until she said it a second time that he realized what she had done.
"Draco."
"What?" He jerked his head up, confused. She couldn't know…she wouldn't…
"I'd like to name one Draco. It's so…mysterious and powerful. It's Latin for dragon, you know."
"I do know," answered Draco, or rather choked.
"I think Draco should take precedence over Sirius Jr. Or at least if he has my blond hair he should be called Draco."
Without any evidence of emotion on his face, Draco jumped off the small couch, walked over to a small trash can and promptly threw up.
The girl sat up. "Oh, honestly! It's not that bad of a name is it, Sirius? You don't need to get all dramatic about it!"
Draco couldn't answer. His vision felt blurry, although his surroundings were all in perfect focus, and his stomach still pounded with a lurching necessity to empty itself of its contents. He wiped the corners of his mouth, shuddering with disgust as he touched his lips.
In the name of Merlin…what had he done?
Turning slowly, he faced the girl, her fair hair more apparent now, and her all too familiar face.
"No it isn't-" he swallowed hard. "-Nacrissa."
****************************************************
The route to the library was still long and winding, with that same portrait of some famous, wrinkled, old goblin staring gloomily at passerbys, hung at the left of the entrance. Sirius didn't give the goblin a second glance.
He had never been one for libraries. Who needed to know stuff that already happened anyway? It's over and done with. Maybe that's why he had such a low grade in History of Magic.
But now Sirius was searching the shelves for anything that could tell him something.
Maybe it had been in the air, an ominous foreboding that hung in the corridors and even seeped into the Great Hall. Or the way the doors, the floorboards, virtually everything creaked louder than normal.
Like something was different about Hogwarts- and it wasn't just those remodeled bathrooms.
Or perhaps it was the fact that maybe realization was beginning to settle in. The black haired boy's angry green eyes flashed again in Sirius's head. He bit his lip….well of course….why wouldn't he be?
Sirius pulled out a random, worn, but very heavy book, and settled down to read with a stubborn determination.
He scanned through the pages, before recognizing that it was an updated version of Hogwarts, A History.
"Hmph."
Resting his chin in one hand while the other flipped effortlessly through the pages.
"The founders….quarrel…split...the impact of the later Goblin wars on Hogwarts, the death of the 20th Headmaster…blah, blah…Oh- hey, it's James!"
And so it was. His black haired friend zipped around on the broomstick in the picture before landing with a triumphant grin on his face.
Sirius glanced down at the description.
"James Potter, Gryffndor and Head Boy, in his final seventh year match against Ravenclaw, broke the school record for career points scored by a Chaser. Scoring 80 points in his last match as part of the Gryffndor house team, Potter beat Reginald Fairfield's previous record from 1879 of 980 points with an astounding accumulated career record of 1,030."
"Head boy, huh? Didn't think such a bossy, authoritative position would have suited you," grinned Sirius. He then noticed a small asterisk by James's name. A little note in the bottom of the page stated to turn to page 1,496 for more information about the Potters.
Sirius flipped forward to the directed page.
There was a picture at the bottom of a small, squishy face peering up though a bundle of blankets, a woman clutched him, cooing at him softly.
He averted his eyes to the above text:
"In the following years, Hogwarts witnessed an era of dark times plagued by raids, Muggle torture, and massacres of a group known only as the Death Eaters. This cult was prompted and lead by the teachings of the Dark Lord, Voldemort, or more commonly referred to as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or You- Know-Who.
"Although the Dark Lord and his followers posed no real threat to Hogwarts, (he had made it clear that he would never break his oath of allowing the school, his only home, to remain standing), Hogwarts was still at the brink of closing its doors to students permanently to become a base for Aurors when a turning point in wizarding history occurred."
Sirius paused in his reading upon hearing the sound of the door opening and the swish of robes. His eyes settled on the two sidekicks of…of…the green- eyed boy. The stuck-up girl narrowed her eyes at him before flouncing away with Freckles at her heels. He shook his head before continuing:
"-on the evening of October 31, 1981, the Dark Lord himself attacked the Potter household. Both Lily and James Potter, Hogwarts graduates of 1978 were killed. But their one-year-old son, Harry Potter, when the killing curse was placed on him miraculously survived.
"The curse was reflected back onto the Dark lord, although not destroying him completely, but left him powerless…Hogwarts remained a school of witchcraft and wizardry…the boy, the only person to ever survive the killing curse was placed in care of his Muggle relatives…
"The hiding place of the Potters was given to the Dark Lord by an informant, Sirius Black, a previous friend of the Potters. Peter Pettigrew, another Hogwarts graduate, followed Sirius Black after the murders, and was able to corner him on a street of a small Muggle town.
"Tragically, Black fired an explosion from his wand, killing 12 muggles, and Pettigrew who died instantly in what would be known as the final massacre of the Dark Lord's era. The only part ever found of Pettigrew was a finger…
"…Black was tried, convicted, and found guilty on the charge of murder on fourteen accounts, and on November 18th 1981 was sentenced to a life imprisonment in Azbakan….In the aftermath, Hogwarts-"
Sirius reread the page five times. It wasn't until his sixth when someone started to massage his shoulders that he looked up.
"You're so tense, Draco," stated Parkinson.
She rested her chin on his shoulder, peering down at the article.
"Hogwarts, A History? Eeeew…why are your reading such a dull book?" She didn't wait for an answer. "Come on, it's Double Potions with the Gryffndors and Snape will get annoyed if we're late."
Numbly, Sirius followed, not bothering to put the heavy book back, and as he exited the library he could still faintly hear a mother's soft words speaking to a little baby.
As soon as he stepped into the hallways, there was no longer the soothing voice to ameliorate his amounting guilt and disgust. Just the blond's obnoxious prattle and their echoing footsteps were the only sounds left to comfort him.
Keeping his eyes locked straight ahead of him, he struggled to keep his thoughts there too, not to allow his mind to drift back into the library, and not to think, to question, or to wonder, what he, Sirius Black, was capable of.
And all he had to look forward to at the end of the winding hallways was a class taught by his most hated enemy.
~La fin.
Next chapter: Potions class and etc.
Tada! For anyone who thought the Draco & Nacrissa scene was revolting and had to stop reading the story, I hope it's a comfort that none of that'll happen anymore. It just amused me in a very twisted sort of way to write it.
Yeah both Draco & Sirius are a little slow on the uptake…they'll figure it out who's who by the next chapter…hopefully.
Okay, here's a challenge that I imagine is easy for those intellectuals seeping with vast knowledge: Historically, what is the name Death Eaters related to, (and I presume the name could even be derived from)?
Hint: (KKK= wrongness)
A rank of Lieutenant will be awarded to the intellectual who guesses correctly.
*salutes*
Salutes go to:
Mickey, Irene, Addicted Reader, Peachyjanie, Twinnie, FeatherQuill, Anya Malfoy, Tara, ramblergirl,
Ginzai, Evie, orla potter, Mayleesa, padfoots girl, teeDee, Keitaro, Jivanna, Kat, Emily, Kellie, Chika, Kaylin, Renaissance, AniMourner, snowdiamond, Princess of Mirrors, Sakura,
and….A-Chan.
Thanks for reviewing, it really made writing this go so much faster, such inspiration and encouragement came from them
Rank of Sergeant to:
A-Chan: For being the first to review
Renaissance: For making me laugh
Orla Potter: For giving me a gold star
FeatherQuill: For writing in all caps
Sakura: For being so enthusiastic
Emily: For giving me some ideas
Mayleesa: Just cuz I think your name is wicked awesome
For those who'd like e-mail updates, just give me an address and request it, and it shall be done.
You have been spared the wrath of the evil, rhyming review poem, but beware if you do not review it will return to taunt you.
For those too impatient to suffer through my nonsense ranting, feel free to scroll down.
A/N: I won't bother falling over myself apologizing for how late this came, you probably don't want o hear it. To tell you the truth I had the entire chapter written only three days after I posted the first one. Really, I did. But I showed it to my sister and she said that one scene was disgusting and that I should edit it out. It was kinda discouraging, so I put off editing for a couple of weeks. I decided to keep the scene anyway…you'll know which one it is. I hope that future updates will be at weekly or at the most bimonthly, not triweekly.
To everyone who very kindly pointed out that Sirius Black had black hair….thanks and a salute to you… I kinda knew that, but for some absurd inexplicable reason I wrote him with blond hair (mixed him with Remus or something) …I'll just go with Emily's very awesome suggestion that he dyed it? M'kay? I apologize to anyone who's going to have nervous break down cuz his hair'll be dyed blond instead of black.
One last thing- there's a challenge at the end- just to see if anyone knows a bit of history related to Harry Potter (and the Death Eaters).
Disclaimer: If Harry Potter was mine I'd release the 5th book now and not wait until the summer for whatever 'marketing reasons.' But, alas, it's JKR's, and 'tis not my decision to make.
To Tim who's not gay, but gets manicures anyway, and lets his girlfriend talk him into painting his fingernails green and red for the holidays only to be stopped by security in an airport twice, proving that being male with painted fingernails makes you a suspicious character, and a possible terrorist. This chapter is for you, bro.
Chapter 2: Sirius's Potter Dilemma
The first thing Draco saw when he opened his eyes was not the white colors of the Hospital Wing, not the whitewashed walls, or hospital sheets. He saw green.
Sitting up immediately, thinking that it was Harry Potter's green eyes, which would most certainly mean that he was back to own his time.
Back to 1994.
What a strange dream, he thought, rubbing his temples, wondering why Harry Potter would be in the Hospital Wing in the first place. Probably some Dementors scared him off his broomstick.
But as his blurred vision came into focus, he could see that although the bright gleam of green that was the defining pigment for Harry Potter's eyes, was still shining, it was not a scar-faced boy, but a redhead girl who stared down at him.
"Sirius, are you okay?" she asked, leaning towards him from her seat. Draco just fell back on the bed moaning.
"No, no…"
"Well I thought it was rather nice of us to rotate staying with you after you fainted-"
"I didn't faint!"
"Yes you did. James told me your eyes just rolled up and you collapsed. If that's not fainting I don't know what is!"
"I just wanted to…take a nap, I hadn't gotten a proper night's sleep." Draco paused, his eyes widening. "James? James who?"
Now the girl was giving him a strange look. She propped her chin up with her hands before stating: "Were some brain cells knocked out of you that you, Sirius Black, don't know what you're best friend's proper name is and- "
"WHAT?!"
Draco leapt out of bed, rushing to the mirror. He hadn't realized it this morning, but the blond hair, was not real…
He fingered the roots, touching the faint remnants of a coarse, black shade…it was dyed.
Black hair. Sirius Black.
Sirius Black. He was in the body of a mass murderer. Of a crazed lunatic. Of a genius who had discovered how to -
"Okay…what is wrong with you? You're giving me the creeps."
Draco could see the redhead's reflection in the mirror, her expression an undecided mixture of puzzlement and anxiety. He lowered his head to study his hands.
The same hands that held such power to kill 12 Muggles and a wizard with one blow. To be the only wizard to escape from the clutches of Azkaban….alive.
"Sirius?" The redhead stepped towards him. "Are you sure you're not obsessive compulsive or anything about mirrors?"
Draco was trying not to shake, while slowly raising the blue eyes that were not his to stare at his and the girl's reflection in the vanity mirror of the Hospital Wing.
To tell or not tell.
Now, that was the question. To tell the redhead that he wasn't Sirius Black, that he was Draco Malfoy…that he was from the future.
He opened his mouth, ready to spill out the truth, ready to admit that he'd been caught up in some twisted Polyjuice/Time Turner accident, ready to be sent to Dumbledore to be dealt with properly.
But something made Draco shut his mouth so fast that he bit his tongue before the words slipped out.
Something he didn't understand, but kept ringing in his ears, screaming that the truth would only cause panic, that he could figure out how to get back on his own.
Living someone else's life for a short while could be fun, he reflected, noticing how much taller he was for the first time… (even in a fake blond's and an incriminated wizard's body)…and what was the worst that could happen?
"I'm just a little…dizzy."
The redhead's reflection grinned at him. "Well that's understandable since you did knock your head when you fainted."
"How many times do I have to tell you? I didn't faint!" Draco whirled around to face her.
She just arched an eyebrow. "Now, aren't we turning into Mr. Macho?"
Draco opened his mouth to retort when the door to the Hospital Wing swung open and in stampeded the Harry Look-alike, the plump boy, and the shaggy blond one.
"Oh, good you're up," stated the shaggy blond.
"Lucky wizard got to miss History of Magic." The plumb boy clutched his throat and made a gagging sound. "That has to be the most boring class ever- who wants to learn about history anyway? It already happened, it's over and done with, so why do we need to know it?"
"Maybe because if you understand history, you'll understand the events of present day better."
The almost clone of Harry scoffed, "Oh, please, Lil, when will the dates of those Goblin Wars ever be of any use?"
"When history repeats itself?" offered Draco. The three boys gave him a peculiar glance, while the redhead, Lil, just beamed.
"See, Sirius, agrees with me!"
"And I agree that all of you should go to class since Mr. Black has recovered and stop taking up space in the Hospital Wing!"
Five heads spun towards a very infuriated (and much younger noted Draco) Madame Pomefry. Five sets of legs dodged out of the Infirmary before the Medical Witch could drown them with any more of her wrath.
"Sheesh, she needs to take a chill pill," muttered the blond.
The redhead glanced at her watch. "We're going to be late for Potions, you prats!" She darted off down the hall towards the dungeons.
The Potter twin rolled his dark brown eyes. "You'd think she was actually looking forward to Double Potions with Slytherins."
"Slytherins," repeated the plump boy, saying the name as if it were something revolting he had stepped in. Draco had to bite his tongue hard to keep from retorting.
Stupid, arrogant, stuck-up, Gryffndors.
*************************
Sirius made his way down the corridors towards the Great Hall. He stopped on the occasion to admire a few paintings that had been hung, and how several sets of drapes had been replaced. He didn't know about the second to last step of the stairway leading into the Hall and that it had begun a habit several years ago of disappearing, trying to catch unsuspecting 1st years.
As a result (quite to the step's surprise and glee) Sirius went tumbling down, tripping as he tried to save himself from crashing into the hole in the stairway. Consequently, he landed on a poor boy who squealed with fright.
Snatching himself up quickly, Sirius offered a hand to him.
The boy refused it, jumping to his feet, watching him with very wide, very scared eyes. "S-s-sorry, Malfoy."
"Oh, it's alright…I didn't see you. It's my fault really. You're not hurt, are you?"
The boy didn't answer… his face devoid of any color, he just backed slowly away before darting into the Great Hall.
Sirius shrugged. What a weird boy.
He could hear the sounds of other students from down the corridors making their way into the Hall. He pushed through the forming crowd, stumbling into the large room, noting how overcrowded Hogwarts had become over the years. By instinct he headed towards the Gryffndor table, nearly filled already.
Sirius ignored the scowls he was receiving as his eyes settled on an all too familiar black haired boy, munching contently on a blueberry muffin.
"James!"
Sirius pounced upon his best friend, enveloping him into an embrace…a form of affection he had never reserved for his friend.
But he couldn't help it…he was not alone- James was there too…somehow- they could figure this out together…they-
"-What the hell do you think you're doing?"
The boy snatched himself away, shoving Sirius off and drawing his wand all in a quick, defensive movement.
Sirius straightened his shoulders, overwhelmed by the leering green that surrounded him, and the foreign object that pierced his friend's fair skin.
He reached forward, unaware of the gawking Gryffndors, to brush back the dark bangs. They were unmistakably James's- such awful, messy, black hair.
Sirius's lips parted as he breathed: "What happened?"
James jerked his forehead back, flinching at his touch when a towering flamehead appeared at his side. "You know very well what happened you Slytherin-"
"James-"
"Stop saying that name!"
"What-"
"I guess you've fallen off you broomstick one too many times, Malfoy," stated a bushy brown haired girl in a snotty voice standing on the opposite side of James with her arms folded stubbornly. "That you can't even remember who Harry Potter is!"
Harry Potter.
Potter.
Harry.
Was he-
Before Sirius could retort, the brown haired girl stated she had suddenly lost her appetite and dragged the two boys off.
It wasn't until two carrot tops catapulted some oatmeal onto his robes was Sirius able to think properly.
"Dray- cie," called a redhead in a high falsetto.
"No, it's more like Dracy-cooo!" stated his clone.
Sirius brushed off the oatmeal before disappearing into the halls, (his appetite had vanished as well) working out what had exactly happened with Mr. Green Eyes.
***********************
Draco's mind worked furiously while he stared at the backs of his companions. If he was in the body of Sirius Black in 1975 that would most certainly mean the identities of his companions would have to be-
"Mmph."
A hand covered Draco's mouth and someone shoved him into the stone wall of the Dungeon's corridors, but before impact the wall evaporated, allowing Draco to plunge head-first into a dimly lit room.
"What was that for?" He dusted himself off to face his 'kidnapper.'
In the light from a few burning candles, floating mid-air Draco could make out the lines of a girl giving him a very sultry look. The familiarity of her was unmistakable. Her angelic face, which exaggerated by the candlelight, spurred faint reminders, but of who…Draco was unsure.
"I missed you this morning," pouted the girl. "I heard you were in the Hospital Wing."
"Hmmm." Draco glanced around the room, taking in the cushioned chairs, layered in a carpet of dust, and a painting of a unicorn peacefully drinking out of a glimmering pool, oblivious to the two intruders.
A hidden room.
She stepped forward, taking his hands. "You have such nice hands."
"I get manicures."
"Since when did Sirius Black get manicures?"
"When Sirius Black though it was best to break his awful habit of biting his fingernails."
"Since when did Sirius Black start speaking in third person? It makes you sound like an egoist."
"I'm not an egoist- that's a person with poor taste, more interested in themselves than in me."
She giggled, venturing closer, her hands still clasped over his. "You know I just used that compliment about your hands as an excuse to touch you."
Draco recoiled, but the girl didn't seem to notice.
"I was thinking about those plans we've been making."
"What plans?"
"You know-"
"I forgot."
"I was thinking about the Sirius Junior suggestions. I haven't exactly warmed up to the idea, so don't go get your hopes up."
"Sirius Jr.?"
Who was this ridiculous girl who was so intent on making marriage plans? Not just marriage plans, but naming future children at age 15? He thought about telling her that Sirius would never have any children,…
But deciding that if he wanted to keep his cover as Sirius Black, he'd better start acting more like Sirius, less people become suspicious.
Now what would Sirius Black do if he was in a dimly lit room with a girl who was smiling at him like he was the greatest person to ever walk on the face of the earth?
Now what would a typical mass murder do?
Now what would your average traitor do?
No…he wasn't asking himself the right questions.
What would a typical 15-year-old boy do?
Draco leaned down (mentally rejoicing the tall body he now inhabited) kissing the girl on the bridge of her nose. Well- he hadn't exactly counted on the height difference to be that inhibiting.
But the girl just grinned, raising her chin and forcing herself onto her tiptoes to kiss him properly.
The sensation was so familiar that it bewildered Draco beyond belief. But it wasn't like kissing Pansy….
He found himself pulling her towards one of the cushioned loveseats, and she went willingly, allowing herself to be pushed down on her back, as Draco propped himself up with his elbows, hoping that he wasn't crushing her.
A strange, almost disembodied voice in his head said that he should be in Potions right now, but he ignored it.
Instead, Draco pulled his head back to kiss her neck, as she breathed his name. It wasn't until she said it a second time that he realized what she had done.
"Draco."
"What?" He jerked his head up, confused. She couldn't know…she wouldn't…
"I'd like to name one Draco. It's so…mysterious and powerful. It's Latin for dragon, you know."
"I do know," answered Draco, or rather choked.
"I think Draco should take precedence over Sirius Jr. Or at least if he has my blond hair he should be called Draco."
Without any evidence of emotion on his face, Draco jumped off the small couch, walked over to a small trash can and promptly threw up.
The girl sat up. "Oh, honestly! It's not that bad of a name is it, Sirius? You don't need to get all dramatic about it!"
Draco couldn't answer. His vision felt blurry, although his surroundings were all in perfect focus, and his stomach still pounded with a lurching necessity to empty itself of its contents. He wiped the corners of his mouth, shuddering with disgust as he touched his lips.
In the name of Merlin…what had he done?
Turning slowly, he faced the girl, her fair hair more apparent now, and her all too familiar face.
"No it isn't-" he swallowed hard. "-Nacrissa."
****************************************************
The route to the library was still long and winding, with that same portrait of some famous, wrinkled, old goblin staring gloomily at passerbys, hung at the left of the entrance. Sirius didn't give the goblin a second glance.
He had never been one for libraries. Who needed to know stuff that already happened anyway? It's over and done with. Maybe that's why he had such a low grade in History of Magic.
But now Sirius was searching the shelves for anything that could tell him something.
Maybe it had been in the air, an ominous foreboding that hung in the corridors and even seeped into the Great Hall. Or the way the doors, the floorboards, virtually everything creaked louder than normal.
Like something was different about Hogwarts- and it wasn't just those remodeled bathrooms.
Or perhaps it was the fact that maybe realization was beginning to settle in. The black haired boy's angry green eyes flashed again in Sirius's head. He bit his lip….well of course….why wouldn't he be?
Sirius pulled out a random, worn, but very heavy book, and settled down to read with a stubborn determination.
He scanned through the pages, before recognizing that it was an updated version of Hogwarts, A History.
"Hmph."
Resting his chin in one hand while the other flipped effortlessly through the pages.
"The founders….quarrel…split...the impact of the later Goblin wars on Hogwarts, the death of the 20th Headmaster…blah, blah…Oh- hey, it's James!"
And so it was. His black haired friend zipped around on the broomstick in the picture before landing with a triumphant grin on his face.
Sirius glanced down at the description.
"James Potter, Gryffndor and Head Boy, in his final seventh year match against Ravenclaw, broke the school record for career points scored by a Chaser. Scoring 80 points in his last match as part of the Gryffndor house team, Potter beat Reginald Fairfield's previous record from 1879 of 980 points with an astounding accumulated career record of 1,030."
"Head boy, huh? Didn't think such a bossy, authoritative position would have suited you," grinned Sirius. He then noticed a small asterisk by James's name. A little note in the bottom of the page stated to turn to page 1,496 for more information about the Potters.
Sirius flipped forward to the directed page.
There was a picture at the bottom of a small, squishy face peering up though a bundle of blankets, a woman clutched him, cooing at him softly.
He averted his eyes to the above text:
"In the following years, Hogwarts witnessed an era of dark times plagued by raids, Muggle torture, and massacres of a group known only as the Death Eaters. This cult was prompted and lead by the teachings of the Dark Lord, Voldemort, or more commonly referred to as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or You- Know-Who.
"Although the Dark Lord and his followers posed no real threat to Hogwarts, (he had made it clear that he would never break his oath of allowing the school, his only home, to remain standing), Hogwarts was still at the brink of closing its doors to students permanently to become a base for Aurors when a turning point in wizarding history occurred."
Sirius paused in his reading upon hearing the sound of the door opening and the swish of robes. His eyes settled on the two sidekicks of…of…the green- eyed boy. The stuck-up girl narrowed her eyes at him before flouncing away with Freckles at her heels. He shook his head before continuing:
"-on the evening of October 31, 1981, the Dark Lord himself attacked the Potter household. Both Lily and James Potter, Hogwarts graduates of 1978 were killed. But their one-year-old son, Harry Potter, when the killing curse was placed on him miraculously survived.
"The curse was reflected back onto the Dark lord, although not destroying him completely, but left him powerless…Hogwarts remained a school of witchcraft and wizardry…the boy, the only person to ever survive the killing curse was placed in care of his Muggle relatives…
"The hiding place of the Potters was given to the Dark Lord by an informant, Sirius Black, a previous friend of the Potters. Peter Pettigrew, another Hogwarts graduate, followed Sirius Black after the murders, and was able to corner him on a street of a small Muggle town.
"Tragically, Black fired an explosion from his wand, killing 12 muggles, and Pettigrew who died instantly in what would be known as the final massacre of the Dark Lord's era. The only part ever found of Pettigrew was a finger…
"…Black was tried, convicted, and found guilty on the charge of murder on fourteen accounts, and on November 18th 1981 was sentenced to a life imprisonment in Azbakan….In the aftermath, Hogwarts-"
Sirius reread the page five times. It wasn't until his sixth when someone started to massage his shoulders that he looked up.
"You're so tense, Draco," stated Parkinson.
She rested her chin on his shoulder, peering down at the article.
"Hogwarts, A History? Eeeew…why are your reading such a dull book?" She didn't wait for an answer. "Come on, it's Double Potions with the Gryffndors and Snape will get annoyed if we're late."
Numbly, Sirius followed, not bothering to put the heavy book back, and as he exited the library he could still faintly hear a mother's soft words speaking to a little baby.
As soon as he stepped into the hallways, there was no longer the soothing voice to ameliorate his amounting guilt and disgust. Just the blond's obnoxious prattle and their echoing footsteps were the only sounds left to comfort him.
Keeping his eyes locked straight ahead of him, he struggled to keep his thoughts there too, not to allow his mind to drift back into the library, and not to think, to question, or to wonder, what he, Sirius Black, was capable of.
And all he had to look forward to at the end of the winding hallways was a class taught by his most hated enemy.
~La fin.
Next chapter: Potions class and etc.
Tada! For anyone who thought the Draco & Nacrissa scene was revolting and had to stop reading the story, I hope it's a comfort that none of that'll happen anymore. It just amused me in a very twisted sort of way to write it.
Yeah both Draco & Sirius are a little slow on the uptake…they'll figure it out who's who by the next chapter…hopefully.
Okay, here's a challenge that I imagine is easy for those intellectuals seeping with vast knowledge: Historically, what is the name Death Eaters related to, (and I presume the name could even be derived from)?
Hint: (KKK= wrongness)
A rank of Lieutenant will be awarded to the intellectual who guesses correctly.
*salutes*
Salutes go to:
Mickey, Irene, Addicted Reader, Peachyjanie, Twinnie, FeatherQuill, Anya Malfoy, Tara, ramblergirl,
Ginzai, Evie, orla potter, Mayleesa, padfoots girl, teeDee, Keitaro, Jivanna, Kat, Emily, Kellie, Chika, Kaylin, Renaissance, AniMourner, snowdiamond, Princess of Mirrors, Sakura,
and….A-Chan.
Thanks for reviewing, it really made writing this go so much faster, such inspiration and encouragement came from them
Rank of Sergeant to:
A-Chan: For being the first to review
Renaissance: For making me laugh
Orla Potter: For giving me a gold star
FeatherQuill: For writing in all caps
Sakura: For being so enthusiastic
Emily: For giving me some ideas
Mayleesa: Just cuz I think your name is wicked awesome
For those who'd like e-mail updates, just give me an address and request it, and it shall be done.
You have been spared the wrath of the evil, rhyming review poem, but beware if you do not review it will return to taunt you.