Espial by Clarry
Chapter One: War's Outbreak
* Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers, not me. *
AN- this is the story of Emma Nott briefly mentioned in Basilisk Dreams. Cassandra Vablatsky also features in this story. Set long before the events of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
I've put it in the Lily/James section as I couldn't think where else it would fit. It doesn't really have a category though of course it is Lily/James. I just don't go into that very much.
*
Sixteen year old, Emma Nott put her quill down with a sense of satisfaction. Finally all of her holiday homework finished! Emma was a pupil of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and was approaching her seventh and final year there.
Emma glanced at the magical clock on her wall that not only told her the time, but also the date, planet alignment, lunar phase and season. It was the date that she looked for: August 25th. Only five days until she was back at school, back amongst her friends.
Nott Manor, her family's stately home was a quiet lonely place and she was more often by herself than with her family. At school though, at Hogwarts, Emma had friends- at school she was always laughing.
She picked up the photo of her school friends that sat on her desk. The moving figure waved and smiled at her, she smiled back fondly.
There was Cassandra Vablatsky, small, pale and dark haired, next to her stood Lily Evans with her stunning green eyes and long copper hair, and with his arm around Lily was skinny James Potter with his messy black hair. Beside him serious Sirius Black his eyes dark and watchful a small secret smile playing across his face. Half hidden by Sirius was tiny Peter Pettigrew- cowering in the shadows like always yet smiling all the same. Finally at the end of the bunch was Emma's best, the friend troubled Remus Lupin with his messy brown curls and frowning grey eyes.
She knew that she had taken the photo. It had been a good day- the day they had finished their O.W.Ls almost two years ago. Emma smiled remembering that day, so much fun and laughter.
"Missing the mudbloods?" Came a sneering voice from her bedroom door.
Emma scowled at her twin brother; Crispin had the unbearable look of superiority on his face that he wore whenever their father involved him in his business. She tried to avoid his aqua coloured eyes that mirrored her own and stood to leave the room. He caught her arm and pulled her back.
She looked up at him (despite their being twins Crispin was a full head taller than Emma) and shuddered at the evil grin that had spread across his face.
"What?" She demanded.
"It's started," He told her. There was an evilness to his voice that she had never heard before and his eyes that glittered mercilessly were now very different from her own.
"What has," She asked, pulling her arm free of her grasp.
"The war!" He announced with relish.
She took an involuntary step backwards her mind flooding with terror.
"It's true then?" She asked her voice small, and shaking with terror.
"Yes," He replied, "Your mudblood friends are for it now!"
*
Hours later Emma sat in the long grass at the end of the orchard- as far away from the manor as she could go. Beside her, sat Remus Lupin. His dark grey eyes were stormy and his brows where knitted together in concern.
"So this Dark Lord's the one behind the disappearances?" He asked her.
She nodded grimly.
"And now he's declared war on muggle kind?" Remus said thoughtfully.
"Yes," Emma replied, "And the muggle borns."
"What?" Remus exclaimed, "But Lily, Cassandra."
"Will be targets," Emma said with a shiver.
"Have you warned them?" Remus demanded.
"Yes, of course I have, I wrote to them as soon as Crispin told me." She said.
"What else do you know?"
"Not much," Emma replied feeling useless, "Only what I've told you. I know my father's deeply involved with it all, and Crispin just as much."
Remus looked at her horrified, "And you?"
"Remus! How could you! What a question to ask! I knew my father was into something evil but I didn't know what and I certainly was never involved in it! And never will be!"
She got up to walk away, furious rage bubbling up inside her. How could he? How could he accuse her of following her family?
"Emma wait!" He called after her; "I didn't mean it! I."
She stopped and turned to face him, her eyes snapping dangerously, she had expected advice, sympathy and understanding from Remus: but this? How could he think so little of her?
"Look Emma," He said, "Surely you can understand me asking, I mean Crispin's your twin."
"Yes!" She said cutting him off, "But I'm not like him, you of all people should know that."
Remus' expression softened, "I know, I'm sorry Emma. I don't know how you do it."
Angry words nearly escaped her, but she quelled them, "Don't know how I do what?" She asked instead.
"Keep it up. I mean your family is infamous for their evil deed, every one of them Slytherins, all of them except you. How are you so different?" Remus asked
He'd made this sort of comment often before and Emma would usually laugh it off and change the conversation. Yet she could see that this time Remus was deadly serious.
"I met you." She said, "I followed you on your adventures before we went to Hogwarts."
That silenced him as he lowered his eyes, thinking it over. Remus and Emma had first become friends when they'd met in the same spot in which they now sat. Emma could clearly remember the day eight years earlier when she had come across a trespasser in the Nott Grounds. She soon discovered that he was not Irish and had only moved to the country when his father had been giving a job in the nearby town. He was obviously miserable to have left friends behind in England and he was obviously lonely and so they had become fast friends and soon Remus was encouraging Emma to explore further and further from the manner- even as far as the village in which he lived.
That of course was before Remus was made a werewolf and it was Emma's role in helping him get through the initial years that had deepened their friendship even as children of ten years old.
At Hogwarts they seemed a lot less close than they where. For Remus spent most of his time with the boys and Emma spent most of hers with Lily and Cassandra. Of course the other's knew that the two where so close but it was not often spoken of.
"When I met you," Emma started, "It was around the time the Crispin started changing. We were like proper twins once you know, then he started hanging more and more around father's study and we drifted apart. You are more like my twin then he is."
She looked up to meet her eyes, the emotion she saw there was unreadable. He looked almost disappointed.
"A brother?" He asked quietly.
She nodded mutely confused by his change in emotion, his grey eyes bored into her, making her feel very uneasy for a moment, before releasing her and looking away.
"Things will change," He said changing the subject abruptly. "You know that don't you?"
"Yes," She whispered.
"You're with Dumbledore?" He asked solemnly.
"With him and my friends." She replied, "Forget my family, I'm on your side."
"But Emma it is not so easy to turn from your family," He said, "Not even one as evil as yours."
"I know." She replied, "But I will."
"You're still meeting us tomorrow?" He asked, smiling suddenly.
"Of course!" She replied, "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Eleven o'clock Fortescue's ice cream parlour?"
"Yes," She laughed, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."
*
When she got back the manor was full of people. Coming in from the kitchen entrance Emma could hear the din of one of her mother's cocktail parties. She sneaked out of the kitchen and quietly made her way to the main entrance hall.
She could see the light from the party creeping along the wide passage that lead to the grand hall but she slinked against the wall and made for the grand staircase. She was halfway up when a voice froze her in her tracks.
"Emma." Her father called, "Where have you been?"
"I've." She started.
"Never mind," He cut in, "This is a historic day and I will not let my daughter miss out: Gryffindor or not. Come and join the celebrations."
She began to protest that she was too tired but thought better of it. Her father looked menacing his handsome face bathed in the half-light of the entrance hall. His blue eyes glittered dangerously and his pale skin seemed to shine with a ghostly luminosity. His robes were green: expensive and impressive. For all his handsome features, straight nose and dark curls worn to his shoulders- he was not pleasant to look at- a deep maliciousness made his appearance unpleasant.
She forced herself to move back down the stairs. Once again her father stopped her.
"No, go and clean yourself up first- we can't have you in that muggle filth."
"Yes father," She managed to mutter before bolting up the stairs.
She found a house elf waiting in her room. Lipsy had been working at the manner for as long as Emma cold remember and was a miserable, frightened creature that did as she was told and never questioned anything.
"I have a bath prepared Miss," Lipsy said.
Emma smiled, "Thank you."
After bathing quickly Emma opened her wardrobe and instinctively reached for the scarlet robes that where her favourites. Checking herself she reached instead for the black ones, although she refused to copy her family's Slytherin green she had best not remind them about how different she actually was. Wearing Gryffindor colours would make her stick out like a sore thumb.
She pulled the robes on and brushed out her long silvery curls and pulled them back from her face and secured a section with a jet clip. Looking in the mirror she realised with surprise that she looked pretty stunning. Her ash blonde hair contrasted sharply with the black of her robes and her cheeks where rosy. She was like her mother even down her aqua blue eyes, good cheekbones, and slightly pointy chin: she was glad not to resemble her father.
"Very nice dear," Her mirror said sleepily.
She sighed: next to her friends, Cassandra thought exquisite for her Russian looks and Lily the perfect example of an English Rose she often went unnoticed as the run-of-the-mill blonde from the rich Slytherin family. Why was it that she looked pretty on a night when she was stuck among evil, plotting, dark wizards?
*
As Emma entered the hall a feeling of impending doom settled within her. The hall was unusually full and Emma could tell straight away that this was not simply another of her mother's cocktail parties.
The hall was a room of mammoth proportions: the walls where a dark stone colour and had an imposing feel unfriendly feel. The ceiling was covered in murals: mostly depicting snakes. The floor was impressive; it was brilliant green marble- magically charmed to shine without being slippy. It was also very costly. Emma hated it; it was her parents showing off yet again.
She didn't recognise most of the people who stood in groups laughing and drinking champagne from expensive crystal flutes or danced in the centre of the hall to the boring music that seemed to come from nowhere. Emma groaned inwardly, it was going to be a very long night.
Feeling hungry she crossed to the far end of the hall where there were various nibbles and delicacies spread out on a long table. Nothing looked very appetising and she half-heartedly picked up some sort of pastry and nibbled on it.
"There you are!" Came her mother's high-pitched voice from behind her, "I did wonder whether you would show your face at all."
Emma bit back an acid comment about how she'd rather be anywhere else and forced a smile.
"Now that you are here though, I've spotted someone who'd make an excellent match for you."
Emma sighed; her mother was bent on arranging a marriage for her with some rich well-to-do young boy when Emma hadn't even finished school. Long betrothals, her mother often remarked, where the best.
"There he is with your brother," Peony Nott hissed, "The blonde one."
"They're nearly all blonde," Emma said sarcastically, it was true though, nearly everyone in the room had light hair, it seemed to be a Slytherin trait. She realised that her father was actually pretty unusual in his dark hair. As was her brother's best friend, the greasy Severus Snape with his lank black hair.
"Don't be facetious Emma." Her mother said, "over there, look!"
Emma followed her gaze. Se almost snorted her contempt: Lucious Malfoy. Handsome but arrogant and someone she couldn't bear to be in company with. For a start he was ten years older than her and had recently inherited his father's fortune after the old man's sudden death: he would see her as an insignificant little girl.
Emma watched him swagger away from her brother and go to Mrs Malfoy- an ageing woman dressed in widow's black. No, she wanted nothing at all to do with him.
"Just wait and see," Her mother said, drifting off.
She was not left in piece for long though. She soon found herself approached by her year mate Narcissa Stonewall. Narcissa although considered a 'beauty' walked around as if there was something unpleasant underneath her nose.
"You know," Narcissa said, "I almost forget that you are a Nott, you spend so much time with those mudblood friends of yours."
"Leave them alone," Emma hissed.
Narcissa laughed coldly tossing her long blonde hair. Emma thought that for all her perfection she was like a vulture: ready to feed off Emma's mistakes. Emma scowled and stormed off.
Who did she think she was? How dare she! Mudblood indeed, that word was being used far too often for Emma's liking!
Emma sunk back into the shadows and was wondering whether or not it was safe to go off up to her room when someone caught hold of her arm. She swung round expecting to find Crispin there ready to demand something new of her.
Instead she found herself looking into the face of Luscious Malfoy, his cold blue eyes seemed to mock her and his white-toothed smile was insincere.
"A dance fair maiden?" He asked.
Emma nearly gagged, and fought hard not to laugh, "fair maiden", what was he on about? She was about to refuse and walk away when she realised that her mother was right behind him nodding and motioning for her to accept.
Mutely she allowed Lucious to lead her onto the dance floor and half heardtedly moved her feet in the boring dance that only involved a few simple steps.
"My aren't we quiet?" Lucious said.
"Shut up," Emma snapped, "I'm only doing this to please my mother."
He laughed, "Oh you won't discourage me that way, you know."
"What?"
"Playing hard-to-get," He said slimily.
"I am not play." She began to say loudly but lowered her voice when people cast disapproving looks their way, "I am not playing hard to get," she whispered, "I don't want anything to do with you."
"Tut tut Emma," He said, "Aren't you enjoying the celebrations?"
"I can think of better ways to spend my time" She muttered.
"This really is not the way to capture a husband," Lucious said condescendingly.
" I don't want one." Emma replied her expression stony.
The dance ended and Emma struggled free of his grasp.
"I'll make you change your mind." He said.
"You won't." She replied, walking away.
*
She was in a very bad mood by the time that she finally got away from the party and was able to go to bed.
She couldn't sleep though angry thoughts where chasing each other around in her head. Lucious Malfoy: how dare he presume that she would like him? Her mother trying to sell her off to the highest bidder! Narcissa continuing to mock her! Everything the list was endless.
Most of all though she was disgusted with herself, she had just attended a party where people where celebrating the uprising for Lord Voldemort! A party where everyone except herself hated all muggles and muggle borns and wished them dead.
Above all she felt guilty; it was as if she had betrayed her friends.
*
The next morning Emma met her friends at Florercen Fortescue's ice-cream parlour as promised feeling groggy, tired and uneasy. The Slytherin's words at her parent's party repeated themselves over and over in her head.
Her friends too looked grim. James filled them in on what his father, an auror, had told him.
"He said its been going on for a lot longer," James said bleakly, "But it's been kept under-wraps."
"Then the death-eaters started shouting about it," Sirius said: whose father was also an auror.
"Don't I know it." Emma muttered darkly.
"Your father?" Lily asked.
"Yes, him, mother and Crispin. They even held a party to celebrate last night."
There were indignant moans as her friends exclaimed their disgust at it and the Deatheaters' behaviour. Emma whole-heartedly agreed.
"And that's not the worst of it either," Emma said miserably, "They made me stay. I even had to dance with Lucious Malfoy!"
As she finished she banged her hand on the table in frustration attracting disapproving looks from a bunch of old witched sitting at the next table with their strawberry sundaes
"That bad Em?" Remus asked.
"You've got no idea! They're just all so. so. evil!" Emma said angrily.
Her friends stared at her with a mixture of pity and alarm; she suddenly felt very uncomfortable even among her own friends.
"Well look on the bright side of things," Cassandra said quietly, "It's only a few more days till we get back to Hogwarts."
"Juts four," Said little Peter Pettigres speaking for the first time.
"Then you can get away from all the Slytherins." Cassandra said.
Emma met Cassandra's bluish grey-eyed gaze: it held a deep understanding. Something had changed about Cassandra, Emma could tell. She'd had a vision involving her, that's what that look meant. Cassandra was a true-seer and was plagued with riddling visions of the future.
It was a gift but unreliable and her visions often proved to have a completely different meaning to the one that she had deciphered. They where however getting clearer and clear, and bleaker and bleaker.
Emma shifted uncomfortably under the seer's gaze and wondered what it was Cassandra had known about the outbreak of the war before it had happened.
Remus jumped in to change the subject, sensing Emma's discomfort, "So what are we going to do today?" He asked.
"Shop!" Lily said grinning.
The four boys groaned.
"Lil!" James groaned, "We've got all of our school supplies."
"Well I'm looking for a new set of dress robes," Cassandra said more brightly.
"You don't need them Cassie," Sirius said grinning at the raven haired Russian and for the first time Emma noticed with delight a certain spark between them.
Cassandra reddened and suddenly became extremely busy with searching for something in the handbag she carried.
"I wouldn't mind new dress robes either," Lily said, "What about you Em?"
Emma nodded, "Dress robes would be great."
"Well we're going to look round the joke shops then," Sirius said.
"Yes, sorry Lil, but I couldn't bear another day clothes shopping." James said winking at his girlfriend.
"Joke shops sound good to me." Remus said.
"Aren't you a little old for that?" Emma asked him, laughing.
"Never too old to have fun, right Wormtail?" Remus said directing the question towards Peter who was as always the quietest of the boys.
"No." Peter said giving a weak smile and pushing his glasses further onto his nose.
"That's settled then?" Lily asked standing up.
There was a chorus of general assent, Emma added her money to the coins on the plate that held the bill for their ice creams and stood up.
"We'll meet back at Quality Qudditch Supplies at four o'clock ok?" Remus asked.
"Yep." Cassandra replied, "See you then."
"Bye," Emma said.
Cassandra and Emma watched on as Lily kissed James on the cheek, making him blush deeply as the other boys sniggered. Emma smiled: they where a lovely couple.
"Bye," Lily called, finally joining Emma and Cassandra who watched as the Marauders disappeared.
"Where to then?" Emma asked.
"Madam Malkins?" Cassandra suggested.
"Perfect." Lily replied.
In higher spirits Emma set off down Diagon Alley with Lily and Cassandra, laughing and talking. One thing she couldn't shake from her mind though was that these two girls, her best friends (aside from Remus) where hated so much by everyone in her home the previous night just for having muggles as parents. If Crispin had his way they would both be dead.
*
Lily was in the dressing rooms trying on emerald green dress robes that Cassandra said would go nicely with her eyes. For Emma it was the perfect chance to ask Cassandra what she had foreseen.
"What have you seen for me Cassie?" Emma asked quietly.
"I'm not sure," Cassandra replied her grey eyes serious, "I had a vision, it was definitely you though. It was a lion surrounded by snakes: a Gryffindor among Slytherins."
"What then?"
"I don't know. Then I saw us, our little group of friends, and you moving away. I couldn't tell the figure clearly but she was taller than me and shorter than Lily and had curly hair. It had to be you."
"Moving away?" Emma asked thoughtfully, feeling suddenly sick. What did it mean? Was she to be torn away from her friends?
"Listen Emma don't dwell on it," Cassandra said, "It could mean anything."
She was stopped from saying anything else by the curtain of Lily's cubicle being drawn open and Lily steeping out looking stunning in the emerald green dress robes.
"Well?" She asked.
"Wow Lily! They look fantastic on you!" Emma said, smiling.
It was true; her friend did indeed look fantastic. Her coppery hair spilled over her shoulder's contrasting in a strange yet attractive way with the emerald green of the robes. Her skin was pale and clear another contrast to the brilliant green of the robes and her own emerald eyes mirrored the colour.
Emma sighed; she could never be called stunning compared to Lily.
"So should I but them?" Lily asked.
"Yeah definitely." Cassandra nodded fervidly.
"Of course," Emma agreed, adding her own encouragement.
*
Emma and Cassandra however where not so lucky in their search for new dress robes, which they had, decided would be the ones they wore to the Graduation Ball at the end of the year. Lily had already brought shoes and a cloak to match hers before Emma and Cassandra had even tried anything on.
Eventually they came across a small quaint looking little shop just off Diagon Alley. The owner was a little witch who fussed around Emma and Cassandra disappearing and coming back with the perfect robes for each of them.
The three where exhausted by the time they came to meet the boys outside of Quality Qudditch supplies.
"You certainly didn't waste your time did you?" Remus said, eyeing the numerous bags they carried.
"And you obviously did," Emma retorted pointing at the Zonko's bag he carried.
"Going in?" James asked staring longingly into the window's of Quality Qudditch supplies.
"I need new gloves." Emma said, remembering her tattered leather Qudditch gloves with their numerous holes.
"I thought you said those gloves are lucky?" Sirius the team captain said.
"They are but they're a little sad now. I don't think they'd last another game," Emma replied sadly, feeling even a little guilty for replacing her beloved gloves.
"So if Gryffindor suddenly start to loose we can blame you can we?" James asked.
"I'll tie them to the end of my broom," She said, drawing as laugh from them all, even a weak one from Peter who looked even more miserable than usual.
*
"Did you have a good time dear?" Her mother asked lazily when Emma got home.
"Yes," She replied.
"What did you buy?"
"Dress robes," Emma replied, equally as lazy. She didn't bother telling her mother about the gloves, she'd always been disappointed that Emma played the game.
Peony Nott would have much preferred it if Emma was all prim and proper and never went out in the sun to risk ruining her complexion. She was constantly tormented by the fact that it was the male twin who cared for his looks and the female who brought the family recognition in the field of sport.
Crispin, who had entered the room on hearing his twin's voice rummaged through a bag she had left in the corridor.
"New gloves?" He asked nastily, "They won't help you beat Slytherin you know."
Their mother gave a horrified squeak, "Crispin" She said, "We'll have none of that house rivalry when you're at home. Twins ought to stick together. Families ought to stick together."
The last part was directed towards Emma. She looked away and slumped into an uncomfortable armchair.
"Don't slump Emma." Her mother said sharply.
"Don't scowl so Emma," Her brother added.
Emma resisted the urge to scream in frustration and bit her lip instead.
"Don't bite your lip Emma, its bad for them!" Her mother said.
Emma stopped, feeling helpless. While at home her every move was watched. She couldn't wait to get back to Hogwarts where Crispin might spy on her while Snape waged war with the marauders, but she had a lot more freedom- and was not under constant scrutiny.
She cast her eye wearily around the lounge, like the rest of the manor it was decorative but bleak. A few green tapestries hung on the cold stone walls. The furniture was again green and the theme of the room, like them all in the manor was snakes. An empty fireplace bit into the wall and above that hung a family portrait.
The portrait although wizarding was rarely moving. Her father, Maximus Nott and her mother Peony sat smiling smugly most of the time, in front of them Crispin looked plotting. Emma's picture moved the most, flitting in between them and looking bored. Emma hated the portrait. It was so typical of the Notts and told the world what they where like. She was thankful that her picture rarely stayed still for long enough for anyone to get a good look at it.
"I'm going to bed." She muttered.
"Don't."
"Mutter I know, I know," Emma cut her mother off, "Goodnight."
Her mother looked taken aback and couldn't speak as Emma stalked out of the room.
Despite feeling utterly miserable by the time she got to her room, Emma was too tired to mull over the day- or the news Cassandra had given her. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillows yet her dreams where riddled with snakes and the idea of being plucked from her secure little clique of friends.
*
AN- the end finally, there was no telling when that chapter would finish. Anyway a few explanations:
Blond Slytherins- I know that bit sounds a bit strange but I wrote it in mind of the idea that Voldemort is like Hitler and wants the perfect Arian race etc. Snape would be different because there is obviously some good in him and as for Emma's father well, you'll just have to keep reading to find out what happens.
Lucious Malfoy- Ok so I guessed for his age in comparison to Lily and James (and therefore Emma). I don't know if it's right or not.
Thanks for taking the time to read this, your thoughts and opinions would be appreciated.
* Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers, not me. *
AN- this is the story of Emma Nott briefly mentioned in Basilisk Dreams. Cassandra Vablatsky also features in this story. Set long before the events of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
I've put it in the Lily/James section as I couldn't think where else it would fit. It doesn't really have a category though of course it is Lily/James. I just don't go into that very much.
*
Sixteen year old, Emma Nott put her quill down with a sense of satisfaction. Finally all of her holiday homework finished! Emma was a pupil of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and was approaching her seventh and final year there.
Emma glanced at the magical clock on her wall that not only told her the time, but also the date, planet alignment, lunar phase and season. It was the date that she looked for: August 25th. Only five days until she was back at school, back amongst her friends.
Nott Manor, her family's stately home was a quiet lonely place and she was more often by herself than with her family. At school though, at Hogwarts, Emma had friends- at school she was always laughing.
She picked up the photo of her school friends that sat on her desk. The moving figure waved and smiled at her, she smiled back fondly.
There was Cassandra Vablatsky, small, pale and dark haired, next to her stood Lily Evans with her stunning green eyes and long copper hair, and with his arm around Lily was skinny James Potter with his messy black hair. Beside him serious Sirius Black his eyes dark and watchful a small secret smile playing across his face. Half hidden by Sirius was tiny Peter Pettigrew- cowering in the shadows like always yet smiling all the same. Finally at the end of the bunch was Emma's best, the friend troubled Remus Lupin with his messy brown curls and frowning grey eyes.
She knew that she had taken the photo. It had been a good day- the day they had finished their O.W.Ls almost two years ago. Emma smiled remembering that day, so much fun and laughter.
"Missing the mudbloods?" Came a sneering voice from her bedroom door.
Emma scowled at her twin brother; Crispin had the unbearable look of superiority on his face that he wore whenever their father involved him in his business. She tried to avoid his aqua coloured eyes that mirrored her own and stood to leave the room. He caught her arm and pulled her back.
She looked up at him (despite their being twins Crispin was a full head taller than Emma) and shuddered at the evil grin that had spread across his face.
"What?" She demanded.
"It's started," He told her. There was an evilness to his voice that she had never heard before and his eyes that glittered mercilessly were now very different from her own.
"What has," She asked, pulling her arm free of her grasp.
"The war!" He announced with relish.
She took an involuntary step backwards her mind flooding with terror.
"It's true then?" She asked her voice small, and shaking with terror.
"Yes," He replied, "Your mudblood friends are for it now!"
*
Hours later Emma sat in the long grass at the end of the orchard- as far away from the manor as she could go. Beside her, sat Remus Lupin. His dark grey eyes were stormy and his brows where knitted together in concern.
"So this Dark Lord's the one behind the disappearances?" He asked her.
She nodded grimly.
"And now he's declared war on muggle kind?" Remus said thoughtfully.
"Yes," Emma replied, "And the muggle borns."
"What?" Remus exclaimed, "But Lily, Cassandra."
"Will be targets," Emma said with a shiver.
"Have you warned them?" Remus demanded.
"Yes, of course I have, I wrote to them as soon as Crispin told me." She said.
"What else do you know?"
"Not much," Emma replied feeling useless, "Only what I've told you. I know my father's deeply involved with it all, and Crispin just as much."
Remus looked at her horrified, "And you?"
"Remus! How could you! What a question to ask! I knew my father was into something evil but I didn't know what and I certainly was never involved in it! And never will be!"
She got up to walk away, furious rage bubbling up inside her. How could he? How could he accuse her of following her family?
"Emma wait!" He called after her; "I didn't mean it! I."
She stopped and turned to face him, her eyes snapping dangerously, she had expected advice, sympathy and understanding from Remus: but this? How could he think so little of her?
"Look Emma," He said, "Surely you can understand me asking, I mean Crispin's your twin."
"Yes!" She said cutting him off, "But I'm not like him, you of all people should know that."
Remus' expression softened, "I know, I'm sorry Emma. I don't know how you do it."
Angry words nearly escaped her, but she quelled them, "Don't know how I do what?" She asked instead.
"Keep it up. I mean your family is infamous for their evil deed, every one of them Slytherins, all of them except you. How are you so different?" Remus asked
He'd made this sort of comment often before and Emma would usually laugh it off and change the conversation. Yet she could see that this time Remus was deadly serious.
"I met you." She said, "I followed you on your adventures before we went to Hogwarts."
That silenced him as he lowered his eyes, thinking it over. Remus and Emma had first become friends when they'd met in the same spot in which they now sat. Emma could clearly remember the day eight years earlier when she had come across a trespasser in the Nott Grounds. She soon discovered that he was not Irish and had only moved to the country when his father had been giving a job in the nearby town. He was obviously miserable to have left friends behind in England and he was obviously lonely and so they had become fast friends and soon Remus was encouraging Emma to explore further and further from the manner- even as far as the village in which he lived.
That of course was before Remus was made a werewolf and it was Emma's role in helping him get through the initial years that had deepened their friendship even as children of ten years old.
At Hogwarts they seemed a lot less close than they where. For Remus spent most of his time with the boys and Emma spent most of hers with Lily and Cassandra. Of course the other's knew that the two where so close but it was not often spoken of.
"When I met you," Emma started, "It was around the time the Crispin started changing. We were like proper twins once you know, then he started hanging more and more around father's study and we drifted apart. You are more like my twin then he is."
She looked up to meet her eyes, the emotion she saw there was unreadable. He looked almost disappointed.
"A brother?" He asked quietly.
She nodded mutely confused by his change in emotion, his grey eyes bored into her, making her feel very uneasy for a moment, before releasing her and looking away.
"Things will change," He said changing the subject abruptly. "You know that don't you?"
"Yes," She whispered.
"You're with Dumbledore?" He asked solemnly.
"With him and my friends." She replied, "Forget my family, I'm on your side."
"But Emma it is not so easy to turn from your family," He said, "Not even one as evil as yours."
"I know." She replied, "But I will."
"You're still meeting us tomorrow?" He asked, smiling suddenly.
"Of course!" She replied, "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Eleven o'clock Fortescue's ice cream parlour?"
"Yes," She laughed, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."
*
When she got back the manor was full of people. Coming in from the kitchen entrance Emma could hear the din of one of her mother's cocktail parties. She sneaked out of the kitchen and quietly made her way to the main entrance hall.
She could see the light from the party creeping along the wide passage that lead to the grand hall but she slinked against the wall and made for the grand staircase. She was halfway up when a voice froze her in her tracks.
"Emma." Her father called, "Where have you been?"
"I've." She started.
"Never mind," He cut in, "This is a historic day and I will not let my daughter miss out: Gryffindor or not. Come and join the celebrations."
She began to protest that she was too tired but thought better of it. Her father looked menacing his handsome face bathed in the half-light of the entrance hall. His blue eyes glittered dangerously and his pale skin seemed to shine with a ghostly luminosity. His robes were green: expensive and impressive. For all his handsome features, straight nose and dark curls worn to his shoulders- he was not pleasant to look at- a deep maliciousness made his appearance unpleasant.
She forced herself to move back down the stairs. Once again her father stopped her.
"No, go and clean yourself up first- we can't have you in that muggle filth."
"Yes father," She managed to mutter before bolting up the stairs.
She found a house elf waiting in her room. Lipsy had been working at the manner for as long as Emma cold remember and was a miserable, frightened creature that did as she was told and never questioned anything.
"I have a bath prepared Miss," Lipsy said.
Emma smiled, "Thank you."
After bathing quickly Emma opened her wardrobe and instinctively reached for the scarlet robes that where her favourites. Checking herself she reached instead for the black ones, although she refused to copy her family's Slytherin green she had best not remind them about how different she actually was. Wearing Gryffindor colours would make her stick out like a sore thumb.
She pulled the robes on and brushed out her long silvery curls and pulled them back from her face and secured a section with a jet clip. Looking in the mirror she realised with surprise that she looked pretty stunning. Her ash blonde hair contrasted sharply with the black of her robes and her cheeks where rosy. She was like her mother even down her aqua blue eyes, good cheekbones, and slightly pointy chin: she was glad not to resemble her father.
"Very nice dear," Her mirror said sleepily.
She sighed: next to her friends, Cassandra thought exquisite for her Russian looks and Lily the perfect example of an English Rose she often went unnoticed as the run-of-the-mill blonde from the rich Slytherin family. Why was it that she looked pretty on a night when she was stuck among evil, plotting, dark wizards?
*
As Emma entered the hall a feeling of impending doom settled within her. The hall was unusually full and Emma could tell straight away that this was not simply another of her mother's cocktail parties.
The hall was a room of mammoth proportions: the walls where a dark stone colour and had an imposing feel unfriendly feel. The ceiling was covered in murals: mostly depicting snakes. The floor was impressive; it was brilliant green marble- magically charmed to shine without being slippy. It was also very costly. Emma hated it; it was her parents showing off yet again.
She didn't recognise most of the people who stood in groups laughing and drinking champagne from expensive crystal flutes or danced in the centre of the hall to the boring music that seemed to come from nowhere. Emma groaned inwardly, it was going to be a very long night.
Feeling hungry she crossed to the far end of the hall where there were various nibbles and delicacies spread out on a long table. Nothing looked very appetising and she half-heartedly picked up some sort of pastry and nibbled on it.
"There you are!" Came her mother's high-pitched voice from behind her, "I did wonder whether you would show your face at all."
Emma bit back an acid comment about how she'd rather be anywhere else and forced a smile.
"Now that you are here though, I've spotted someone who'd make an excellent match for you."
Emma sighed; her mother was bent on arranging a marriage for her with some rich well-to-do young boy when Emma hadn't even finished school. Long betrothals, her mother often remarked, where the best.
"There he is with your brother," Peony Nott hissed, "The blonde one."
"They're nearly all blonde," Emma said sarcastically, it was true though, nearly everyone in the room had light hair, it seemed to be a Slytherin trait. She realised that her father was actually pretty unusual in his dark hair. As was her brother's best friend, the greasy Severus Snape with his lank black hair.
"Don't be facetious Emma." Her mother said, "over there, look!"
Emma followed her gaze. Se almost snorted her contempt: Lucious Malfoy. Handsome but arrogant and someone she couldn't bear to be in company with. For a start he was ten years older than her and had recently inherited his father's fortune after the old man's sudden death: he would see her as an insignificant little girl.
Emma watched him swagger away from her brother and go to Mrs Malfoy- an ageing woman dressed in widow's black. No, she wanted nothing at all to do with him.
"Just wait and see," Her mother said, drifting off.
She was not left in piece for long though. She soon found herself approached by her year mate Narcissa Stonewall. Narcissa although considered a 'beauty' walked around as if there was something unpleasant underneath her nose.
"You know," Narcissa said, "I almost forget that you are a Nott, you spend so much time with those mudblood friends of yours."
"Leave them alone," Emma hissed.
Narcissa laughed coldly tossing her long blonde hair. Emma thought that for all her perfection she was like a vulture: ready to feed off Emma's mistakes. Emma scowled and stormed off.
Who did she think she was? How dare she! Mudblood indeed, that word was being used far too often for Emma's liking!
Emma sunk back into the shadows and was wondering whether or not it was safe to go off up to her room when someone caught hold of her arm. She swung round expecting to find Crispin there ready to demand something new of her.
Instead she found herself looking into the face of Luscious Malfoy, his cold blue eyes seemed to mock her and his white-toothed smile was insincere.
"A dance fair maiden?" He asked.
Emma nearly gagged, and fought hard not to laugh, "fair maiden", what was he on about? She was about to refuse and walk away when she realised that her mother was right behind him nodding and motioning for her to accept.
Mutely she allowed Lucious to lead her onto the dance floor and half heardtedly moved her feet in the boring dance that only involved a few simple steps.
"My aren't we quiet?" Lucious said.
"Shut up," Emma snapped, "I'm only doing this to please my mother."
He laughed, "Oh you won't discourage me that way, you know."
"What?"
"Playing hard-to-get," He said slimily.
"I am not play." She began to say loudly but lowered her voice when people cast disapproving looks their way, "I am not playing hard to get," she whispered, "I don't want anything to do with you."
"Tut tut Emma," He said, "Aren't you enjoying the celebrations?"
"I can think of better ways to spend my time" She muttered.
"This really is not the way to capture a husband," Lucious said condescendingly.
" I don't want one." Emma replied her expression stony.
The dance ended and Emma struggled free of his grasp.
"I'll make you change your mind." He said.
"You won't." She replied, walking away.
*
She was in a very bad mood by the time that she finally got away from the party and was able to go to bed.
She couldn't sleep though angry thoughts where chasing each other around in her head. Lucious Malfoy: how dare he presume that she would like him? Her mother trying to sell her off to the highest bidder! Narcissa continuing to mock her! Everything the list was endless.
Most of all though she was disgusted with herself, she had just attended a party where people where celebrating the uprising for Lord Voldemort! A party where everyone except herself hated all muggles and muggle borns and wished them dead.
Above all she felt guilty; it was as if she had betrayed her friends.
*
The next morning Emma met her friends at Florercen Fortescue's ice-cream parlour as promised feeling groggy, tired and uneasy. The Slytherin's words at her parent's party repeated themselves over and over in her head.
Her friends too looked grim. James filled them in on what his father, an auror, had told him.
"He said its been going on for a lot longer," James said bleakly, "But it's been kept under-wraps."
"Then the death-eaters started shouting about it," Sirius said: whose father was also an auror.
"Don't I know it." Emma muttered darkly.
"Your father?" Lily asked.
"Yes, him, mother and Crispin. They even held a party to celebrate last night."
There were indignant moans as her friends exclaimed their disgust at it and the Deatheaters' behaviour. Emma whole-heartedly agreed.
"And that's not the worst of it either," Emma said miserably, "They made me stay. I even had to dance with Lucious Malfoy!"
As she finished she banged her hand on the table in frustration attracting disapproving looks from a bunch of old witched sitting at the next table with their strawberry sundaes
"That bad Em?" Remus asked.
"You've got no idea! They're just all so. so. evil!" Emma said angrily.
Her friends stared at her with a mixture of pity and alarm; she suddenly felt very uncomfortable even among her own friends.
"Well look on the bright side of things," Cassandra said quietly, "It's only a few more days till we get back to Hogwarts."
"Juts four," Said little Peter Pettigres speaking for the first time.
"Then you can get away from all the Slytherins." Cassandra said.
Emma met Cassandra's bluish grey-eyed gaze: it held a deep understanding. Something had changed about Cassandra, Emma could tell. She'd had a vision involving her, that's what that look meant. Cassandra was a true-seer and was plagued with riddling visions of the future.
It was a gift but unreliable and her visions often proved to have a completely different meaning to the one that she had deciphered. They where however getting clearer and clear, and bleaker and bleaker.
Emma shifted uncomfortably under the seer's gaze and wondered what it was Cassandra had known about the outbreak of the war before it had happened.
Remus jumped in to change the subject, sensing Emma's discomfort, "So what are we going to do today?" He asked.
"Shop!" Lily said grinning.
The four boys groaned.
"Lil!" James groaned, "We've got all of our school supplies."
"Well I'm looking for a new set of dress robes," Cassandra said more brightly.
"You don't need them Cassie," Sirius said grinning at the raven haired Russian and for the first time Emma noticed with delight a certain spark between them.
Cassandra reddened and suddenly became extremely busy with searching for something in the handbag she carried.
"I wouldn't mind new dress robes either," Lily said, "What about you Em?"
Emma nodded, "Dress robes would be great."
"Well we're going to look round the joke shops then," Sirius said.
"Yes, sorry Lil, but I couldn't bear another day clothes shopping." James said winking at his girlfriend.
"Joke shops sound good to me." Remus said.
"Aren't you a little old for that?" Emma asked him, laughing.
"Never too old to have fun, right Wormtail?" Remus said directing the question towards Peter who was as always the quietest of the boys.
"No." Peter said giving a weak smile and pushing his glasses further onto his nose.
"That's settled then?" Lily asked standing up.
There was a chorus of general assent, Emma added her money to the coins on the plate that held the bill for their ice creams and stood up.
"We'll meet back at Quality Qudditch Supplies at four o'clock ok?" Remus asked.
"Yep." Cassandra replied, "See you then."
"Bye," Emma said.
Cassandra and Emma watched on as Lily kissed James on the cheek, making him blush deeply as the other boys sniggered. Emma smiled: they where a lovely couple.
"Bye," Lily called, finally joining Emma and Cassandra who watched as the Marauders disappeared.
"Where to then?" Emma asked.
"Madam Malkins?" Cassandra suggested.
"Perfect." Lily replied.
In higher spirits Emma set off down Diagon Alley with Lily and Cassandra, laughing and talking. One thing she couldn't shake from her mind though was that these two girls, her best friends (aside from Remus) where hated so much by everyone in her home the previous night just for having muggles as parents. If Crispin had his way they would both be dead.
*
Lily was in the dressing rooms trying on emerald green dress robes that Cassandra said would go nicely with her eyes. For Emma it was the perfect chance to ask Cassandra what she had foreseen.
"What have you seen for me Cassie?" Emma asked quietly.
"I'm not sure," Cassandra replied her grey eyes serious, "I had a vision, it was definitely you though. It was a lion surrounded by snakes: a Gryffindor among Slytherins."
"What then?"
"I don't know. Then I saw us, our little group of friends, and you moving away. I couldn't tell the figure clearly but she was taller than me and shorter than Lily and had curly hair. It had to be you."
"Moving away?" Emma asked thoughtfully, feeling suddenly sick. What did it mean? Was she to be torn away from her friends?
"Listen Emma don't dwell on it," Cassandra said, "It could mean anything."
She was stopped from saying anything else by the curtain of Lily's cubicle being drawn open and Lily steeping out looking stunning in the emerald green dress robes.
"Well?" She asked.
"Wow Lily! They look fantastic on you!" Emma said, smiling.
It was true; her friend did indeed look fantastic. Her coppery hair spilled over her shoulder's contrasting in a strange yet attractive way with the emerald green of the robes. Her skin was pale and clear another contrast to the brilliant green of the robes and her own emerald eyes mirrored the colour.
Emma sighed; she could never be called stunning compared to Lily.
"So should I but them?" Lily asked.
"Yeah definitely." Cassandra nodded fervidly.
"Of course," Emma agreed, adding her own encouragement.
*
Emma and Cassandra however where not so lucky in their search for new dress robes, which they had, decided would be the ones they wore to the Graduation Ball at the end of the year. Lily had already brought shoes and a cloak to match hers before Emma and Cassandra had even tried anything on.
Eventually they came across a small quaint looking little shop just off Diagon Alley. The owner was a little witch who fussed around Emma and Cassandra disappearing and coming back with the perfect robes for each of them.
The three where exhausted by the time they came to meet the boys outside of Quality Qudditch supplies.
"You certainly didn't waste your time did you?" Remus said, eyeing the numerous bags they carried.
"And you obviously did," Emma retorted pointing at the Zonko's bag he carried.
"Going in?" James asked staring longingly into the window's of Quality Qudditch supplies.
"I need new gloves." Emma said, remembering her tattered leather Qudditch gloves with their numerous holes.
"I thought you said those gloves are lucky?" Sirius the team captain said.
"They are but they're a little sad now. I don't think they'd last another game," Emma replied sadly, feeling even a little guilty for replacing her beloved gloves.
"So if Gryffindor suddenly start to loose we can blame you can we?" James asked.
"I'll tie them to the end of my broom," She said, drawing as laugh from them all, even a weak one from Peter who looked even more miserable than usual.
*
"Did you have a good time dear?" Her mother asked lazily when Emma got home.
"Yes," She replied.
"What did you buy?"
"Dress robes," Emma replied, equally as lazy. She didn't bother telling her mother about the gloves, she'd always been disappointed that Emma played the game.
Peony Nott would have much preferred it if Emma was all prim and proper and never went out in the sun to risk ruining her complexion. She was constantly tormented by the fact that it was the male twin who cared for his looks and the female who brought the family recognition in the field of sport.
Crispin, who had entered the room on hearing his twin's voice rummaged through a bag she had left in the corridor.
"New gloves?" He asked nastily, "They won't help you beat Slytherin you know."
Their mother gave a horrified squeak, "Crispin" She said, "We'll have none of that house rivalry when you're at home. Twins ought to stick together. Families ought to stick together."
The last part was directed towards Emma. She looked away and slumped into an uncomfortable armchair.
"Don't slump Emma." Her mother said sharply.
"Don't scowl so Emma," Her brother added.
Emma resisted the urge to scream in frustration and bit her lip instead.
"Don't bite your lip Emma, its bad for them!" Her mother said.
Emma stopped, feeling helpless. While at home her every move was watched. She couldn't wait to get back to Hogwarts where Crispin might spy on her while Snape waged war with the marauders, but she had a lot more freedom- and was not under constant scrutiny.
She cast her eye wearily around the lounge, like the rest of the manor it was decorative but bleak. A few green tapestries hung on the cold stone walls. The furniture was again green and the theme of the room, like them all in the manor was snakes. An empty fireplace bit into the wall and above that hung a family portrait.
The portrait although wizarding was rarely moving. Her father, Maximus Nott and her mother Peony sat smiling smugly most of the time, in front of them Crispin looked plotting. Emma's picture moved the most, flitting in between them and looking bored. Emma hated the portrait. It was so typical of the Notts and told the world what they where like. She was thankful that her picture rarely stayed still for long enough for anyone to get a good look at it.
"I'm going to bed." She muttered.
"Don't."
"Mutter I know, I know," Emma cut her mother off, "Goodnight."
Her mother looked taken aback and couldn't speak as Emma stalked out of the room.
Despite feeling utterly miserable by the time she got to her room, Emma was too tired to mull over the day- or the news Cassandra had given her. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillows yet her dreams where riddled with snakes and the idea of being plucked from her secure little clique of friends.
*
AN- the end finally, there was no telling when that chapter would finish. Anyway a few explanations:
Blond Slytherins- I know that bit sounds a bit strange but I wrote it in mind of the idea that Voldemort is like Hitler and wants the perfect Arian race etc. Snape would be different because there is obviously some good in him and as for Emma's father well, you'll just have to keep reading to find out what happens.
Lucious Malfoy- Ok so I guessed for his age in comparison to Lily and James (and therefore Emma). I don't know if it's right or not.
Thanks for taking the time to read this, your thoughts and opinions would be appreciated.