My Satin Doll
By: Realmi
Chapter One: They can't take that away from me
***
Ilana Miren wasn't a normal person. In fact, she wasn't really a person; she was a Halfling: born to a wizard father and a fairy mother. At the age of eleven, she studied her father's form of magic at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where the magic world was introduced to two other of her abnormalities: them being, her naturally azure hair that came down to her thighs and a pair of retractable sliver dragonfly wings.
But what was even odder about her was that she, Ilana S. Miren, was a fully functional animagas by the age of six. Ilana turned into a fox. Unlike her old friends James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew, she was legal. And now, she was off to Hogwarts once more to teach the History of Magic and to learn a few things herself.
***
Ilana smiled happily as she closed a large oak trunk filled with clothes. So much for my wardrobe, She thought as she moved the trunk to the floor. Her hand reached into the pocket of her green sweatshirt and she pulled out her wand (17 inch, cherry wood, dragon's heartstring). She then pointed it at her queen sized bed (complete with black satin bedspread with matching pillows and a stuffed animal penguin) and with but a simple wave, her bed shrunk to the size of a doll's bed. The same was soon done to her chest of drawers, stereo system, and piano.
She gingerly picked up said furniture and placed them all into a burgundy carpetbag. All set for tomorrow! She thought happily. The doorbell rang just then, "Oh, it must be him!" She said happily. She then glanced down at her sweatshirt and boxers. Smiling slightly she waved her wand again and her pajamas were instantly replaced with a sleek black skirt that came down to her ankles and a lilac blouse.
She ran down stairs and opened the door. There stood her closest friend Remus Lupin, in the black tuxedo she bought him for Christmas three years ago. "Hey, babe," she smiled embracing him. "I'm glad you can make it."
"And miss your final performance as a lounge singer? Never," he said dramatically. "Please tell me you're not wearing that are you?"
"My stage outfit is at the club," she said grabbing a trench coat from her closet. The pair walked down the streets of London in a comfortable silence until they came upon the night club Crimson Atlantis. Outside were posters plastered all over the place reading, "Singing good bye a songbird: Ilana's last performance."
Ilana and Remus went through the backdoor and then straight to her dressing room. Remus sat down on a lofty couch as Ilana went behind a screen and changed into her stage outfit. As she stepped out from behind the dressing screen Remus allowed himself to let out a low whistle.
She was, in not so many words, completely dazzling. She was wearing a black velvet shirt, fishnet gloves, a long black skirt with a lacy fringe just past her ankles, and high, spiky heels. Her long blue hair was simply cascading down from her head in long, silky tassels. "Wish me luck?" she asked offering him a hand to hold, she was clearly nervous. Remus smiled and walked her to the curtain.
'You don't need it," he said before kissing her cheek and leaving for his place in the audience.
The place looked like an illegal liquor club in the nineteen 20's. Complete with gangsters playing cards. The manager, a balding man with a red face, came upon the stage mike in hand. "Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to think that for the last eight years you have been coming to the Crimson Atlantis for the good service and drinks, but in all honesty, we've all been coming for one reason. And her name is Ilana Miren. Sadly ladies and gents, this is her last performance," he paused briefly and patiently waited for the boos to end. "Ilana has asked to have this entire show dedicated to her hero: Frank Sinatra, and of course divas always get what they want. So with out anymore from me, I give you Ilana!"
Ilana stepped from behind the stage curtain making everyone believe that she was some goddess coming straight down from Mount Olympus. She stepped up to the microphone and messed around with it for a while, "After eight years you'd think I'd finally figure out how to work this damn thing!" she smiled, causing the audience to laugh. Finally, she was ready to sing. With in no time the sound of her sweet alto voice had filled the room.
After a few songs, Ilana paused, looked out to her fans and sighed. "I'm gonna miss you guys, really I am, but here's a little something to remember me by," the sweet sound of jazz came piping hot out of the piano as she ended with her favorite song:
"There are many, many crazy things
That will keep me loving you
And with your permission
May I list a few?
The way you wear your hat
The way you sip your tea
The memory of all that
No they can't take that away from me
The way your smile just beams
The way you sing off key
The way you haunt my dreams
No they can't take that away from me
We may never, never meet again, on that bumpy road to love
But I'll always, always keep the memory of
The way you hold your knife
The way we danced till three
The way you changed my life
No they can't take that away from me
We may never, never meet again, on that bumpy road to love
But I'll always, always keep the memory of
The way you hold your knife
The way we danced till three
The way you changed my life
No they can't take that away from me"
And like a dream, it was over. She bowed and left, Remus following after her. She quickly undressed folded her stage clothes and put them neatly in a bag that was in her dressing room. "Was I good?" she asked Remus when he stepped in.
"Splendiferous," Remus said warmly. The pair went back Ilana's home in the same comfortable silence. "I'll be here at nine thirty to take you to King Cross."
"Honestly, boy, I can ride a bus there all by myself!" Ilana said jokingly.
"Not since Dumbledore told us that Voldermort was at Hogwarts last year! He might try something!"
"In front of a whole bunch of people, Remus, I doubt it, greatly," Ilana said.
"You never know, Ilana. Besides, I want to say a proper good by to my dear friend," Ilana smiled, said her thank yous and goodnights, and walked inside her home.
***
Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasly were about to board the train when a flash of blue caught their eyes. Through the portal of platform 9¾ walked a short, blue haired woman wearing a khaki trench coat caring a burgundy carpetbag. Next was a taller man wearing a travel worn brown trench carrying her trunk (which was clearly labeled Ms. Ilana S. Miren). The man placed her trunk down on the steps of the train cart behind theirs. "Weird," Ginny said simply.
"Is she a new student? I've never seen her before," Hermione said.
"She doesn't look that young… maybe she's a new teacher."
"But The Defense Against The Dark Arts post is already filled by Mr. Lockhart," Hermione said.
"Maybe he dropped out to write another book."
With a look that clearly read I'll-die-if-that-happens-to-be-the-case; Hermione said, "I hope he hasn't," Ginny laughed and she and Hermione boarded the train.
Ilana give Remus tight hug around his neck. "I can't believe it! Me! A teacher! I was the biggest trouble maker back in the day!"
"I don't know, James and Sirius gave you a run for the money," Remus said with a chuckle. A brief flicker of pain flashed through his friend's eyes and he instantly regretted his words.
"McGonagall says he's just like them, Remus," Ilana said, her voice lower then normal. "And that he acts like Sirius, has Lily's eyes, flies like James, has a knack for getting for getting in and out of trouble like…" Ilana's eye fell downcast and Remus gave her a hug.
"'…And if some child of yours were alive at that time, you would live twice, in it, and in my rhyme,'" Remus said softly. Ilana chuckled a little.
"Shakespeare, Sonnet 17, Muggle Studies 3, fifth year," Ilana said.
"Right on," Remus said. The shrill sound of the train whistle cut them short. "Bye, Ilana."
"Bye, babe," Ilana said, grabbing her trunk and stepping on to the train. Me! A teacher! She thought once more in disbelief.
***Fin: Chapter One***
Endnote: Don't own any of the characters except Ilana. Not making any money, this is the same for all the up coming chapters. Hope you all liked it, I had fun writing it! Reviews are accepted, read, thought over, and sometimes even answered!