The Princess and the Pauper
One is a spoiled, rich brat from a muggle family. The other, a poor yet satisfied pauper that comes from a wizarding family. Could they ever meet and… fall in love? Not your average Cinderella story, I promise you!
Alerae- Oh, I love it, trust me!
AngelStar88- Yes, they do. Thanks, and I think I did, didn't I?
Hpfan- thanks!
Lily Evans- thank you!
Myst- Floppyfish! I will!
Heart2heart- I'll try! Floppyfish!
Jellybeanoasis- Squishysquids!
Satans Little Princess- Yes she should! I will.
NicolaPadfoot- I believe I R&Rd your fic… try not to get too attached to Binah, she might change. Merci beaucoup!
Hyper Princess- Sugarbeets!
Thistlemeg- SqueegeeSponges! Hope the wait wasn't too long!
Title suggestions, please!
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"Binah! Come help me prepare for the party!" Lily trilled.
Sighing, Binah appeared in her mistress's doorway. "Yes, Miss Lily?"
"It's time to get ready for my party. Begin by braiding my hair," Lily said imperiously. As Binah divided it into three sections to braid, Lily added, "In lots of little ones."
Binah sighed again, and took tiny sections of Lily's abundant hair to braid.
An hour later, she snapped the last elastic around Lily's hair.
"Good, now twist it up like we did at the beginning of the summer."
One more week, Binah thought, just one more week of this.
"What are you standing about for? You have to go get changed into your uniform. I won't have a shabby lady-in-waiting."
Binah couldn't have vanished any quicker with magic. She spent as little time getting ready as it was possible. Petunia rarely called on Binah, and when she did, it was usually just an excuse to talk. Thus, Binah was able to steal a few more precious moments reviewing her books and practicing spells.
"binah, it's time to go down now," Petunia said softly from outside the door.
"Coming, Pia!" Binah called. It had been she that had come up with Petunia's nickname, and she hated hearing Lily use it. It just came out wrong.
Binah stood uncomfortably to the side. This year would be like every other year: the guests would come talk and play with Lily and Petunia while Binah hid in the shadows. What a dull day.
But it wasn't going to be. She saw three people enter: a lady and a gentleman (Mr. and Mrs. Black), and a scowling boy that must be their son.
He seemed familiar… frantically going through her memory, she realized that it was the boy that had crashed into her at Diagon Alley. Sirius Black! She'd never known that Mr. and Mrs. Black had a son.
Sirius recognized Lily as the snobby girl who had demanded that her servant give up her pet. He scowled even harder and shoved the present his parents had picked out at the girl. He hated being this rich. He always had to go to dull parties without his friends.
Binah was about to greet Sirius when she remembered that she'd be in big trouble if she did. She drew back and sat on the window seat.
Sirius saw the movement and turned to see who it was.
"Hello," he said. "I believe we ran into each other in… while shopping."
"Yes, we did," Binah said, glancing around nervously. Lily was deep in a conversation with one of her friends.
"What's your name again?" Sirius asked.
"Binah. And you are Sirius Black. But we shouldn't be talking to each other, I'll get in trouble."
Sirius looked disappointed, mumbled something, then wandered off.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
"Why did Sirius have to go to that stupid party? Now I have to de-gnome the yard by myself." James was very, very angry. "Why can't we buy a nice house without gnomes!"
"Because we haven't the money, dear. At least we have magic to fix the roof and such. Poor muggles can't do that, and are much worse off than us," Mrs. Potter said softly. "But don't worry. Something good will happen soon."
James sighed. It was really hard not to worry when they were so poor. He'd taken on so much responsibility that he was much too solemn for an eleven-year-old boy.
His father doesn't help much, never being around. Mrs. Potter wished her son could have a better life, but it was impossible. He'd just have to wait.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
"The party was awful," Sirius informed James. "We had to do everything Lily suggested, and it was all girly stuff. I still can't believe that stuck-up snob got into Hogwarts!"
"Don't worry, Siri. It won't be that bad," James said, trying to comfort his friend.
"We have it better than Binah, at least," Sirius said, his mood clearing up a bit.
"Binah?" James asked blankly.
"Binah," Sirius confirmed.
"No last name?"
"None. I asked." Sirius had managed to force Binah into talking a few times at the party. "She's an orphan, but was hired at the Evans's house to be Lily and Petunia's 'lady-in-waiting.' She's never lived anywhere else that she can remember."
"Is she pretty?" James asked teasingly.
"Nope. Very young looking, too. Hufflepuff, I'd expect. Can I have another cookie?"
"Yep," James said, while thinking, Good thing Mum hides most of the cookies when Sirius comes over. His mother loved to bake, but the only things she could make well were cookies.
It was August thirty first, and Sirius was sleeping over with James so they would go to the Hogwarts Express together. Sirius was telling James all he knew about Lily and Binah, as well as many other children. He tended to be invited to many parties because of his wealth.
"Boys! Go to sleep now!" Mrs. Potter called from outside the door.
"Okay, Mum!" they bother replied. They both cracked up laughing at Sirius calling Mrs. Potter 'Mum.' {A/N: That's something I'd do… calling my friend's mom 'Mum.'}
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
It was Binah's last day of servitude. Sure, she'd be going to an orphanage during the summer, but anything was better than dealing with Lily Callista Evans ever again.
Lily had already bid her family good-bye and disappeared through the barrier. As Binah was about to follow, she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Binah… I just wanted to tell you that you've been like a little sister to me, more so than Lily. I'm going to miss you so much! Be sure to… to 'owl' me a lot. I'll have you over sometime this summer, too," Petunia said, her voice a bit choked with tears.
Binah embraced Petunia and said solemnly, "I will. I promise," before turning and walking slowly through the barrier.
This earned her many odd looks on the other side. First and second years always ran through the barrier, they didn't walk slowly.
Binah somehow managed to load her trunk into an empty compartment, and left for a moment to put her trolley away.
"Binah! Come load my trunk for me!" she heard Lily bellow from a little ways away.
She ignored her and jumped back on the train.
"Binah! How dare you not help me?" Lily demanded, following her.
"You forget I'm no longer your servant," Binah said coolly. "Maybe if you ask for help, I will, and if you're lucky, let you sit with me."
Lily froze. She never asked a lower-classed person for anything. But she had no choice. "Fine. Will you help me load my trunk?"
"Yes," Binah said. And she said she was so strong. I got mine on by myself! Lily seated herself next to the window, across from Binah with her cat on her lap and owl stowed overhead.
'Mind if I sit here?" a boy asked, poking his head in. "Everywhere else is full."
Binah was the one to reply. "Sure! What's your name?"
"Remus Lupin," the boy replied, shaking hands.
"This is Lily Evans, and I'm Binah."
"Have you got a last name?" Remus asked, looking curiously at Binah. She shook her head. "Are you serious?"
"No, he is," Sirius Black and another boy had just entered the compartment, "I'm Binah, remember?"
"Yep! I'm Sirius Black," Sirius said, sticking his hand out. No one took it.
"James Potter," the other boy said.
"You're a wizard?" Lily asked of Sirius incredulously.
"Yes," he said coldly, glaring at her. He took a seat beside Binah, James on his other side, and Remus nearest the door. That side of the compartment was crammed as none of them seemed to want to sit next to Lily.
The ride was passed with Lily making snide and spiteful remarks and Sirius, James and Remus joking with each other. Binah was pretty silent, aside from when food came. She said something about being sad to have no money to buy anything, and Sirius announced that he'd buy James, Remus and Binah some of his favorites.
The four got on a boat together, and then Lily insisted on sitting with them. Binah nearly fell into the water when Lily moved around a bit, but Remus grabbed her.
The castle was breathtaking, and Binah couldn't believe that she was going to be living there.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
"When I call your names, you will come up and place the hat on your head," Professor McGonagall said.
She went through a few names, then came to "Black, Sirius." After a pregnant pause, he was declared a Gryffindor.
It was only then that Binah realized she had no last name. How would she be called? She was worrying about this when she heard, "Dumbledore, Binah."
"Dumbledore?" she asked blankly.
Realizing that she didn't know, Professor McGonagall simply said, "Yes. That's you."
Binah stumbled up to the chair, thinking, How can I be Binah Dumbledore? I never knew my last name!
Ah, but you are. He is your grandfather, the headmaster is.
Then how come I was sent to the orphanage and never told?
After a pause, the voice that hadn't startled Binah said, You will find out in good time. Now, which house shall I place you in?
Not Ravenclaw and not Slytherin?
The hat laughed at her hopeful tone. I wasn't planning on it… you could do well in Hufflepuff right now, but Gryffindor would do you well. The choice is up to you.
I think I'd like Gryffindor… that seems to be where my friends will end up.
Very well, GRYFFINDOR it is.
The table farthest to the left exploded with applause, and Sirius was standing up whistling.
Lily, a girl named Arabella Figg, a boy named Mundungus Fletcher, James, Remus and another girl named Kora Schnozzlewoogan were also sorted in Gryffindor.
Dumbledore (My grandfather, Binah reminded herself), stood up and made a short speech that concluded with the appearance of…
"FOOD!" Sirius shouted, causing most of the Gryffindor table to laugh.
About halfway through the meal, Binah accidentally flung a spoonful of mashed potatoes at James, who shot some peas at her in retaliation. The peas hit Kora, though, so she threw some spinach at Remus (she thought he'd done it), who just tossed the whole platter of chicken into the air. It hit nearly everyone, and the Gryffindor table was drowned in a food war, with Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff joining in. Lily was the only one out of the three houses that wasn't battling; she was hiding under her chair.
Laughing, Dumbledore sent them all off to bed, saying that the hall needed to be cleaned.
Binah had a sinking feeling about being in the same house and dormitory as Lily. It would be a very difficult stay indeed. Just as she thought she had washed her hands of the brat…
The rest of her thoughts were lost to sleep.
*** *** *** *** ***
Reviewer's Quotes!
I've decided to do a little 'tasting' thing, where you all give me one of your fave quotes from any of my fics (and who said it or who it's about). I'd really appreciate it if you copied it out and left it in your review! I just figure that way, I could see what types of things you all like the best, and work them in a bit more. Thank ya'll greatly!
Rini
Oh yeah, and if any of you could read One Reason to Die, Three Reasons to Live, and let me know if I should continue and give suggestions, I'd be grateful! It's another L/J fic.