Chapter Two: The Sorting
Lucius stepped off the train with an air of disdain as usual, glancing about the station as if it were beneath him, much like everything and everyone else. He smoothed his blonde locks and black silk robes, then turned back to the train.
"Come, darling."
Out of the shadows of the train's doorway came the always graceful form of Narcissa Black, lady of elegant step and pale skin, goddess of perfect fraility and few of word. However, when she did use them to insult some hapless moron, she spoke eloquently and chose well.
Narcissa, like her boyfriend, looked around at the area and frowned at the sheer uninterest of it all before stepping off the train onto the unworthy ground. Her heels clicked on the sidewalk as she turned. "Bellatrix, dearest." A true lady never used petty nicknames, nor did she give anyone a true embrace, only a formal half-hug (as if she were holding an expensive drink and didn't want to spill any on her twice as expensive gown), no matter who the recipient was. Bellatrix also understood this and returned it equally as meaningless.
"Look at them. Pathetic rich prats."
Lily glanced at Sirius. "You're just as rich as she is."
"No, I meant her love slave." He motioned to Lucius. "Boy, I'd like to-"
"Sirius." Remus chided gently from his opposite side.
"Seriously!" Sirius raved. "And what about Snape, that little piece of-"
"Be nice." Lily said sternly. "His girlfriend is my best friend, don't forget."
"Nah, Lucy's great. It's just him that's my problem."
Lily shook her head in shame and Remus laughed a little.
James jogged over and clapped his friend on the shoulder, leaning in close to his ear.
"Sirius, old boy, you know I'd love to hook you up, but that chick's got his grease all over her from when they were-"
"NOT LISTENING!" Sirius said loudly as he walked away, hands over his ears. Lily rolled her eyes and she and Remus followed, Pettigrew waddling at their heels.
A moment later they found themselves inside the castle and seated at their respective tables. Severus and Lucy sat together, Severus looking utterly bored with the whole scenario and much more interested in spending some alone time with his girl. However, Bellatrix and Narcissa had a better plan, it seemed.
"So, Lucille, where do you buy your nail lacquer?" Bellatrix asked as they took their seats in front of the two, Narcissa beside her.
"My name isn't Lucille, it's Lucidra. Actually, it's Lucy. And you're blocking my view of the Sorting, whether you mind or not." She replied flatly while trying to peer over their heads.
"Lucille sounds too girly for you, anyway." Bellatrix dismissed. "So- "
"Isn't that the girl off Muggle television with the husband that's too cheerful? The redhead?" Narcissa pointed out, taking her eyes off her rhinestone-studded nails for a monent.
"Do NOT tell me you watch that crap." Bellatrix glared at her.
"I like Muggle television, and yet you're questioning my nail color." Lucy pointed out, still not looking at them but allowing herself a small smile of satisfaction.
"Really?" Narcissa looked nervous. "D'you think I'd look good as a redhead?" She blurted suddenly.
"Narcissa, WHAT have I told you about speaking out of turn?!" Bellatrix cried.
"I think you'd look fabulous as a redhead." Lucy glanced at her with a smile. Narcissa smiled back gratefully.
"Come, ladies." Lucius appeared behind them and nodded in sheer etiquette to Severus, who chose not to return it.
"Charmed to see you again." Bellatrix said quickly, and got up. Lucy smiled a bit wider, knowing how whipped the temptress truly was after her brother.
"Bye, Lucy!" Narcissa called as she was dragged away after them. "I mean, good day, Lucidra." She put on an air of seriousness and let go of Bellatrix quickly.
"Why do you call those idiots friends, dear?" Severus inquired as Lucy continued to smile after them.
"Etiquette."
~*~
An hour or so of food later found the students in their dormitories, the most exhausted already well into their beauty rest and the larger portion awake and eager to swap stories, especially those who came from Muggle families (they probably would get no sleep tonight).
Lily smiled as she listened to Sirius's roaring laughter in the dorm opposite hers, and guessed James had just said something funny about himself. She was sprawled out on her mattress, ignoring the light chatter of the girls who shared the room with her, choosing instead to gossip with her best friend.
Dear Lucy,
Another year, huh? This one should be really fun, just like before.
You ought to hear Sirius; he's having some time over there. I don't know why you picked Severus over him but it doesn't matter as long as you're happy. He's sweet in a cocky kind of way, but I guess you have a point: I'm not sure if he would be mature enough to be a good boyfriend. He is cute, though, you can't deny that.
I don't know about James. He's not really my type, what with being obsessed with Quidditch and a showoff and stuff. I hear all kinds of things about him. He's really popular, even more so than I'd figured. I guess he does stuff around me to make me want to be with him, but it just doesn't impress me. Am I crazy or what?
By the way, I think Remus is totally crushing on you. I might have overheard him and Sirius planning on his asking you to the Fall Ball in Hogsmeade. He's cute in his own little way, but there's something weird about him, you know?
I only recently met Peter Pettigrew. He's really strange, and that's all I can say right now.
Love-you-mean-it, Lily
Ironically, Lucy was also ignoring Bellatrix and Narcissa:
Dear Lily,
This is going to be a great year, I can feel it!
Thanks so much for putting up with my boyfriend. I know he's not very nice to you guys but he seems like he really loves me. You won't believe it: on the train he gave me this great kiss...it was like our first real one.
My brother is so overbearing. Did I ever mention that? Hah. I wish he and Narcissa would just hurry up and get married and go somewhere else to spawn, you know?
As for Narcissa and Bellatrix, I'm really glad I have a real friend in you. Those two are more fake than Madonna, and that's saying something.
Gosh, I can hear Sirius way down here. Tell him whatever's so funny had best be shared with us at breakfast the next morning, because I can't hear any of the jokes over his laughter.
Love you like a sister (and wish you were!), Lucy
Lucius stepped off the train with an air of disdain as usual, glancing about the station as if it were beneath him, much like everything and everyone else. He smoothed his blonde locks and black silk robes, then turned back to the train.
"Come, darling."
Out of the shadows of the train's doorway came the always graceful form of Narcissa Black, lady of elegant step and pale skin, goddess of perfect fraility and few of word. However, when she did use them to insult some hapless moron, she spoke eloquently and chose well.
Narcissa, like her boyfriend, looked around at the area and frowned at the sheer uninterest of it all before stepping off the train onto the unworthy ground. Her heels clicked on the sidewalk as she turned. "Bellatrix, dearest." A true lady never used petty nicknames, nor did she give anyone a true embrace, only a formal half-hug (as if she were holding an expensive drink and didn't want to spill any on her twice as expensive gown), no matter who the recipient was. Bellatrix also understood this and returned it equally as meaningless.
"Look at them. Pathetic rich prats."
Lily glanced at Sirius. "You're just as rich as she is."
"No, I meant her love slave." He motioned to Lucius. "Boy, I'd like to-"
"Sirius." Remus chided gently from his opposite side.
"Seriously!" Sirius raved. "And what about Snape, that little piece of-"
"Be nice." Lily said sternly. "His girlfriend is my best friend, don't forget."
"Nah, Lucy's great. It's just him that's my problem."
Lily shook her head in shame and Remus laughed a little.
James jogged over and clapped his friend on the shoulder, leaning in close to his ear.
"Sirius, old boy, you know I'd love to hook you up, but that chick's got his grease all over her from when they were-"
"NOT LISTENING!" Sirius said loudly as he walked away, hands over his ears. Lily rolled her eyes and she and Remus followed, Pettigrew waddling at their heels.
A moment later they found themselves inside the castle and seated at their respective tables. Severus and Lucy sat together, Severus looking utterly bored with the whole scenario and much more interested in spending some alone time with his girl. However, Bellatrix and Narcissa had a better plan, it seemed.
"So, Lucille, where do you buy your nail lacquer?" Bellatrix asked as they took their seats in front of the two, Narcissa beside her.
"My name isn't Lucille, it's Lucidra. Actually, it's Lucy. And you're blocking my view of the Sorting, whether you mind or not." She replied flatly while trying to peer over their heads.
"Lucille sounds too girly for you, anyway." Bellatrix dismissed. "So- "
"Isn't that the girl off Muggle television with the husband that's too cheerful? The redhead?" Narcissa pointed out, taking her eyes off her rhinestone-studded nails for a monent.
"Do NOT tell me you watch that crap." Bellatrix glared at her.
"I like Muggle television, and yet you're questioning my nail color." Lucy pointed out, still not looking at them but allowing herself a small smile of satisfaction.
"Really?" Narcissa looked nervous. "D'you think I'd look good as a redhead?" She blurted suddenly.
"Narcissa, WHAT have I told you about speaking out of turn?!" Bellatrix cried.
"I think you'd look fabulous as a redhead." Lucy glanced at her with a smile. Narcissa smiled back gratefully.
"Come, ladies." Lucius appeared behind them and nodded in sheer etiquette to Severus, who chose not to return it.
"Charmed to see you again." Bellatrix said quickly, and got up. Lucy smiled a bit wider, knowing how whipped the temptress truly was after her brother.
"Bye, Lucy!" Narcissa called as she was dragged away after them. "I mean, good day, Lucidra." She put on an air of seriousness and let go of Bellatrix quickly.
"Why do you call those idiots friends, dear?" Severus inquired as Lucy continued to smile after them.
"Etiquette."
~*~
An hour or so of food later found the students in their dormitories, the most exhausted already well into their beauty rest and the larger portion awake and eager to swap stories, especially those who came from Muggle families (they probably would get no sleep tonight).
Lily smiled as she listened to Sirius's roaring laughter in the dorm opposite hers, and guessed James had just said something funny about himself. She was sprawled out on her mattress, ignoring the light chatter of the girls who shared the room with her, choosing instead to gossip with her best friend.
Dear Lucy,
Another year, huh? This one should be really fun, just like before.
You ought to hear Sirius; he's having some time over there. I don't know why you picked Severus over him but it doesn't matter as long as you're happy. He's sweet in a cocky kind of way, but I guess you have a point: I'm not sure if he would be mature enough to be a good boyfriend. He is cute, though, you can't deny that.
I don't know about James. He's not really my type, what with being obsessed with Quidditch and a showoff and stuff. I hear all kinds of things about him. He's really popular, even more so than I'd figured. I guess he does stuff around me to make me want to be with him, but it just doesn't impress me. Am I crazy or what?
By the way, I think Remus is totally crushing on you. I might have overheard him and Sirius planning on his asking you to the Fall Ball in Hogsmeade. He's cute in his own little way, but there's something weird about him, you know?
I only recently met Peter Pettigrew. He's really strange, and that's all I can say right now.
Love-you-mean-it, Lily
Ironically, Lucy was also ignoring Bellatrix and Narcissa:
Dear Lily,
This is going to be a great year, I can feel it!
Thanks so much for putting up with my boyfriend. I know he's not very nice to you guys but he seems like he really loves me. You won't believe it: on the train he gave me this great kiss...it was like our first real one.
My brother is so overbearing. Did I ever mention that? Hah. I wish he and Narcissa would just hurry up and get married and go somewhere else to spawn, you know?
As for Narcissa and Bellatrix, I'm really glad I have a real friend in you. Those two are more fake than Madonna, and that's saying something.
Gosh, I can hear Sirius way down here. Tell him whatever's so funny had best be shared with us at breakfast the next morning, because I can't hear any of the jokes over his laughter.
Love you like a sister (and wish you were!), Lucy