a/n – **I am well aware that this chapter is extremely over-due. I blame, school, exams and my evil boyfriend who has been taking up all my time. This chapter is quite relevant to the story, despites it's somewhat randomness. The story is going to get darker, but I'll try and keep the weird humour in! Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, and remember, if you want to be notified when I update, just leave me your e-mail addy in your review! Thanks!**
… Okay, that must have been written ages ago. I said I wasn't going to finish it recently, because of time and commitment issues, but I am possibly back, with a vengeance! I'm posting chapter eight, and if people like it, then I'll try my hardest to find time to finish it. The story is nearing the end anyways… it would be a waste of all the time I've spent writing if I didn't finish it. Although… it might take me a while… You might be interested in knowing that I have dumped the evil, time restricting boyfriend… he can burn in hell… and I got 2 A's for English in my GCSE's. I was so chuffed… but anyway… on with the fic!
Destiny
Chapter Eight – Once Upon A Dream
It was the middle of January and he still hadn't said more than a few words to her. Why? He was afraid. Afraid and embarrassed. When Sirius had seen Tiffany on the first day back after the Christmas holiday, he had stood still, rooted to the spot. She was more beautiful than when he had said goodbye. As their eyes met, she had smiled shyly, a pinkish tinge appearing in her pale cheeks. Yet she did not look away in embarrassment as he had done. She had gazed at him, and he'd felt her eyes upon him for a long time afterwards, whilst his remained lowered.
It continued to be like that; both stealing glances at the other, sometimes catching their eye and exchanging a smile for one in return. Sirius had meant to speak to Tiffany about their relationship; whether it should remain platonic or whether they should pursue it further. Yet every time he worked up the courage to ask her 'for a quick word' (as he had rehearsed it in his mind many times), she always seemed to be surrounded by hundreds of friends, or at least Lily and Amber. And so Sirius, being quite shy underneath the confident exterior, backed down, as usual.
As if by fate, during a Transfiguration lesson on a miserable Thursday afternoon, Tiffany was placed next to Sirius by McGonagall, who had drawn up a seating plan in an attempt to subdue the rowdy class.
"Hi," she smiled warmly, placing her bag on the desk and sitting down with a swish of her hair.
"Hi," replied Sirius, tensing up slightly.
"So, how've you been? I haven't gotten a chance to speak to you yet, or have you been avoiding me?" Tiffany's amethyst eyes sparkled playfully. Sirius instantly relaxed, feeling grateful towards her for creating their normal, easy-going atmosphere.
"I haven't been avoiding you, and let's face it; I couldn't even if I wanted to, seeing as we're in the same house and all of the same classes." He replied with an eyebrow raised cockily. "I'm fine, you?" He added after pausing for a breath.
Tiffany scrunched her nose up as she grinned, making her look absolutely adorable to Sirius. "I'm good," she nodded. Sirius sighed softly, gazing at her, smitten. Tiff felt his eyes upon her and looked at him questioningly. "What?" she asked, sounding slightly bemused.
"Nothing…" he muttered, looking at the desk.
"Does that 'nothing' mean something?" Tiffany enquired gently.
"Maybe."
"Does that 'maybe' mean a yes?"
"Possibly."
"Does that 'possibly' mean a definitely?"
They continued in this style for a while longer, before McGonagall told them off for talking.
Sirius tried to concentrate in class, he really did, but he couldn't honestly say that Tiff wasn't distracting him. It wasn't her fault though. Just something as simple as hearing an exasperated sigh, or seeing her tuck a loose piece of hair behind her ear, from the corner of his eye was enough for her to dominate his thoughts. I really do need to talk to her, he mused silently.
"Sirius!" Tiffany hissed, elbowing him sharply. Sirius jerked awake, suddenly realising that he had been dozing and the entire class was now staring at him, including a very irate McGonagall.
"Yes?" he said calmly, his clear blue eyes were large and innocent as McGonagall advanced upon him.
"Mr. Black. For the third and final time; which Transfigurati theologist wrote a biographical account of his experiences during his discovery of a transmogrification method which was later named after him?" McGonagall said this very clearly, uttering every word with precise emphasis.
Sirius held her gaze for a moment, before replying, in a very calm and collected voice:
"Doctor Albertus Von Animagious was the first warlock to concoct the exact potion, timed precisely with the correct dates in the lunar calendar and the specifically meditative state of mind, which therefore enabled him to transform into an animal. The term 'animagus' stemmed from his surname, and the title of his biography was; 'Animagi: The Theories and Practises of Transforming Magicks.'
McGonagall stared, speechless along with the rest of the class, par James, Peter and Remus who sat and grinned, for that was the book which had helped them to acquire their Animagi powers.
"Well done Mr. Black, very well done, ten points to Gryffindor…" said the astounded teacher. Sirius smiled at Tiff, who narrowed her eyes questioningly.
After class he finally caught her on her own as they walked slowly back to the Common Room.
"Well Sirius, teacher's pet, I bet you love that eh?" Tiff raised her eyebrows as her perverse sense of humour got the better of her.
"Oh yes darling, because what stunningly handsome young male wouldn't want to be McGonagall's 'bit on the side'? Mind you, she is quite old, about twenty-seven I'd say, therefore, a woman of many experiences." Sirius faked an excited look as Tiff snorted in a most unladylike manner.
"Sirius Black, my innocent mind knows not of these 'experiences' of which you speak," Tiff's eyes grew very wide as she played the part of the little girl tremendously well.
"Well my sweet, if you'd just like to step inside this broom cupboard with me, I can 'show you'," Sirius wiggled his eyebrows suggestively as Tiff placed a hand over her heart.
"I hope you're not suggesting the thought of myself and a broom engaging in sexual activities?" She exclaimed, managing to hold a very serious face whilst Sirius collapsed laughing.
"Not at all my dear, I'd much rather have you to myself." The laughter ceased and silence prevailed as a glance passed between the two sets of eyes.
"Look, Sirius, I…"
"Tiff, before you say anything, just stop." Tiff stopped, frowning and motioning for him to continue. "Will you meet me later? We really need to talk things through…" he said, fiddling with his hands.
"Alright. Where and when?" Her voice was so calm that it unnerved him.
"In the Common Room at twelve?" She nodded. "Good, I'll bring James' invisibility cloak and we can go for a walk in the grounds."
"Okay. I'll see you tonight then?" She tilted her head.
"Tonight." He nodded.
They resumed in walking back to the Common Room. Sirius caught Tiff smiling, and asked why.
"I was just thinking, that now there's going to be an awkward silence until we part." She smiled.
"Well, we all know that the only way to kill silence is by talking, no?" Sirius grinned in reply to her smile – a smile that made rainbows look dull in comparison.
They walked together and talked together and when they finally said goodbye, Sirius touched her cheek gently with the back of his hand. It was a gesture so simple that if you blinked then you'd miss it entirely. Yet to Tiffany, his touch seemed to linger, reminding her evermore of her feelings towards him.
* * *
"What am I doing? And more importantly, why am I leaving a nice warm, dorm room to venture out into the freezing cold, just to talk with a boy?" Tiff muttered to herself, quite sure that if she was being watched then her imaginary stalker would be quite certain that she was classifiably insane. However, we have grown to know Tiffany, and therefore the act of her talking to herself is relatively normal compared to other things she has previously done.
Tiff pulled on her clothes, dragged a brush through her hair and fled as speedily as she could down the stairs. She was five minutes late already as the clock read 12.05am.
"Where've you been? I was just about to come and get you!" Tiff looked around but couldn't see Sirius anywhere.
"Where've I been? Where are you? Or am I supposed to try and find you in the dark when you have the advantage of being invisible?" she said sarcastically.
"Shut up or someone will hear you! Let's go," Sirius took Tiff's hand in his and pulled her under the cloak. They quickly left the school and journeyed across the grounds towards the Lake, on the border of the Forbidden Forest.
"Sirius, where are you taking me?" Tiff hissed, feeling slightly uneasy as they drew closer to the forest.
"Don't you trust me?" Sirius squeezed her hand, feeling her shaking with cold.
Tiff laughed shortly. "Would you think I'm strange if I said I did?"
"Very."
"Then, no I don't."
"Liar."
"So."
"Shh, now you have to trust me. Stay as quiet as you can, and step where I step."
Tiff sighed and gripped his hand tighter, as they were still covered by the cloak. Sirius led her deep into the forest; along winding, narrow paths, under dark and menacing trees, and past the places where strange noises seemed to echo in the darkness. Through the deathly silence where only leaves were heard rustling as they walked. Tiff squeezed his hand for comfort, frightened by the blackness of the forest.
The trees seemed to be getting thicker and more dense. She heard a snuffling noise to her left. Tiffany turned swiftly. There were shadows moving in the undergrowth. She wanted to run. But Sirius held her hand tightly. There was something comforting about him, she didn't know what or why, but she felt safe with him.
"Sirius, where the hell are we going?" she hissed.
"Shh, we're nearly there now."
"Nearly where? Where are you taking me?" Tiff demanded in a furious whisper.
"Shh, just trust me. There's something I want to show you…" Despite the situation, Tiff smiled to herself. Oh, how she could twist his words into something perverse… "You'll like it, I promise."
"Oh, I bet I will." Tiff felt Sirius shake with a quiet laughter.
"You will, I know you will. Right, when we get past these trees I'm going to pull the cloak off. Now, just keep close to me."
Tiff nodded, then smiled in embarrassment as she remembered that she was under an invisibility cloak, therefore her nod would remain unacknowledged.
The trees were so thick here that it was almost impossible to distinguish one from another. They were close together, with hardly any gaps separating them. Sirius pulled the cloak away; Tiff shivered, realising just how cold it was. He took her hand again as he tucked the cloak under his arm. He started walking towards the trees, but Tiff stood, refusing to move.
"Where are we?" she demanded.
"We're in the heart of the forest." Sirius looked up at the sky as the crescent moon emerged from behind a cloud, he then glanced towards the trees. "Tiffany, I'm asking you to trust me one last time. I know you're probably very confused, and think I'm going to attack you or something, but I swear that nothing will hurt you." He took her freezing hands in his, holding her gaze with sincere azure eyes.
"I trust you. I don't know why, but I just do," she replied. "So, where're we going?" She asked inquisitively.
"Somewhere." His eyes sparkled in anticipation as he took he hand and led her into the grove of trees.
The trees around were like black holes; draining the light and locking it away forever. There was a great sense of foreboding in the atmosphere. It was as if the trees were alive; breathing, moving… There wasn't a sound, except for the muffled noise of their footsteps on the forest floor. No birds or animals lived in this place, and none had ever ventured here before on foot.
The air was still and deathly silent. Tiff glanced around cautiously; they were surrounded by a ring of the tallest trees and were stood facing three. Two smaller, withered trees stood either side of the central one. The tree was huge, and seemed to be the blackest in the entire forest. Its trunk was thick and oddly distorted, like faces of old had been trapped in its vast depth.
Sirius led her towards the tree. Stopping a few feet away, he placed a steadying arm around her shoulders.
"Focus on the centre of the tree, on that swirling shape," he said softly into her ear. She nodded, following his instructions as they walked forwards. Tiff was slightly afraid as the tree loomed up in front of her face. As the tree got closer, Tiff shut her eyes tightly, expecting to walk into the rough bark any moment, yet the shock of the wood never came.
Tiff felt an icy chill run through her body for a split second; then everything was still apart from a light breeze that moved her hair gently. Slowly, she opened her eyes to an entirely different scene from the one she had last set eyes upon. She opened her mouth to speak, but found that no words came out. Tiff glanced at Sirius who smiled and looked over the wondrous sight held before them.
* *
*
"Right, I've got a good one!" Four teenagers groaned in unison, sending a dull echo around the boys dormitory. It was 12.15am and they were still too hyper to go to bed.
"Oh really, come on then! This should be good, Amber trying to tell a joke is like a muggle trying to do magic," James mocked, whilst Amber glared venomously.
"Anyway, as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted; I have a joke," said Amber, clapping her hands excitedly.
"Right. What do you do if you're out on a date, and a bird craps on your broomstick?" Amber looked around expectantly; James shrugged and Lily rolled her eyes.
"Enlighten us darling; what do you do?" said Remus with an eyebrow raised.
"You never take her out again!" Amber giggled. Everyone apart from Lily, who was snickering and shaking her head, stared at Amber curiously. "You know, bird as in girl?" Amber raised her eyebrows as a look of realisation came across the boys faces and they laughed. "Well, it took you long enough!" She exclaimed.
"Good one Amber," Peter chuckled, his blue eyes watering to the point of tears.
Amber smiled, basking in the limelight like a cat in the sun. She loved being the centre of attention, and with her classic beauty she fit the role perfectly; like a Greek goddess, made to be worshipped. Although Amber was adored by many people, most of all her friends, she had never been loved by anyone as much as she'd been loved by Remus. He was the one. The only one for her; now and forever. Amber already knew that she'd marry him, probably when they left school. She guessed that they'd have two children; a girl and a boy and although they would inherit the curse of the wolf, Amber would love them so much that nothing else would matter.
Whilst Amber was daydreaming of her future life with Remus, her children and their dogs in a cottage in Dorset, her other half was regarding her intently with a smile of amusement at her aloof expression. Feeling eyes upon her, Amber raised her own large brown doe eyes and narrowed them at Remus.
"What?" she asked, sounding puzzled. Remus sighed heartily and gave Amber the loving smile that he reserved especially for her.
"Nothing darling. I was just wondering how on earth I managed to get you and keep you," he said seriously.
"Aww, come here you foolish puppy…" Amber left her comfortable position on James' bed to sit on Remus' lap with her arms around his thin but lithe shoulders. Remus embraced her tightly, kissing her throat softly.
"I feel so lucky. You're one in a million Amber. I'm so glad that I have you and I'm terrified that you'll go away…" he whispered softly, his voice trembling slightly which betrayed his fears.
Amber kissed his forehead and tilted his face upwards to meet her gaze.
"I'll never go away Remus. I love you more than life itself… I don't think I could live without you. Just promise me you'll never leave me…" Amber's voice quavered softly with emotion as her tear stained eyes shone earnestly.
Remus gazed back at her warm brown eyes with darker ones full of toiling emotions; love, pain and longing all rolled into one.
Gently, Remus cupped Amber's soft face and ran the back of his hand down her left cheek. Amber leaned into his caress and in the split second when their eyes met, they understood. For Remus there was an overwhelming sense of unity, but for Amber it hit her like lightening; sharp, clear and concise. They were meant to be together. It was like a prophecy, a tale written in the stars. He was the other half of her mysteries, her playmate, her betrothed, her soul mate, her destiny…
Remus held his gaze as steady as he possibly could. Then said softly, in barely a whisper:
"I would never leave you. I'd follow you into death and beyond."
As if in slow motion, they moved towards each other and their lips met in an electrifying, tingling kiss. It was sweet and irresistible, like their first kiss under the apple tree in the village where they both lived. The kiss was a sign of their love, and anyone who looked on now would realise a love that strong would never fade away.
* * *
Tiffany took several steps forwards before her legs gave way and she sank towards the ground. Sirius caught her before she hit the floor.
"Are you alright?" he asked, but Tiff wasn't listening. She gazed around at her surroundings, in awe. The place they were, was in stark contrast to the place they had left. The Forest had been dark, scary and unwelcoming. Oppositely, this new place was light, peaceful and overall, safe.
They were in a glade; where the silver trees seemed to shimmer and sway with an inner light, waves of grassland that was unimaginably green, a gentle waterfall and pool that seemed to twinkle and sparkle like crystal in the sun. The whole area was as wonderful and exciting as an alien planet. A violet mist hung in low air giving the place an atmosphere of mystery and intrigue.
Tiff was brought out of her wondering childlike trance by the sound of Sirius' voice.
"That happened to me the first time I came here too." What? "I think it must be the change in altitude. Knocks you off your feet." He was crouching next to her, his hand still on her arm, steadying her balance. Tiff felt comforted by Sirius' presence. He was the only familiar thing in this strange world. For the first time, Tiff smiled at him, reaching to give his hand a gently squeeze. Sirius grinned boyishly and returned the squeeze.
"Come on," he pulled her to her feet and led her towards the crystal blue pool. Sirius stopped suddenly, then placed his hands over Tiff's eyes. "Ever wondered where unicorns come from?" His warm breath tickled her earlobe. As he removed his hands, an amazingly unique sight was held before Tiff's eyes.
"Oh Sirius…" she gasped wondrously. Tiff stared at the pool, which was surrounded by hundreds of unicorns, all shapes, colours and sizes, each one uniquely beautiful. Some were drinking from the cool water of the pool, colts were frolicking in the shallows and mares were dozing peacefully under the silvery branches of a willow tree.
The sight was truly remarkable, and Tiffany made sure that she looked at everything carefully, remembering specific details. Sadly, she realised that she would never see anything as enchanting as these beautiful creatures in their natural environment, drinking safely, without a care in the world.
"Thank you. For bringing me here, I mean…" As if by instinct, Tiff reached for Sirius and the following moment she was being held in his strong arms. She sighed peacefully, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Sirius, where exactly is 'here'?" she asked, her violet eyes questioning his azure ones.
"In all honesty, I'm not exactly sure," he said whilst stroking her hair softly. "I think we're in sort of a haven… a place in between worlds…" He paused as if in mid thought. Planting a kiss on Tiff's forehead, Sirius sat down and gestured for her to sit beside him. "I should explain how I discovered this place… it might make things clearer both for me and you." Tiff nodded, encouraging for him to continue. "Well…" he began. "Tonight's moon is a crescent and on last month's crescent I found this place." Tiff looked at him expectantly. "Well… I was in the forest, when I saw the moonlight shining on the tree we came through. I noticed the whirl in the bark, and then went to touch it and… found myself here…" He paused to run a hand through his hair. "I know it sounds kind of strange, but that's what happened… weird, huh?"
"No, of course not. I find doors to different dimensions everyday," Tiff replied with a sly grin. Sirius frowned at her.
"You don't believe me?" He sounded slightly hurt.
"Of course I believe you, but you have to admit that things like that don't happen everyday." Tiff's eyes narrowed slightly as something that had been lurking in the depths of her mind came to the surface. "Sirius… Why did you bring me here?" She asked, her curiosity sparkled like a violet flame in her wide eyes. Sirius frowned, thinking of how best to phrase the answer.
"I don't know really… it just seemed… right. Like… we were meant to be here… together…" As he said the word 'together', he raised his eyes to meet hers and reached for her hand.
Tiff exhaled gently. Just the simple touch of his skin on hers felt like electricity. She basked in the sweet, dizzying feeling that came with being touched by Sirius. Tiff opened her eyes – she hadn't realised that they were closed – and found herself in his arms. Sirius was stroking her hair with one hand, the other holding her tightly; his face was pressed into her hair, kissing it softly. Tiff held him back as he kissed her hair, her cheeks, her nose and finally her mouth…
As his lips met hers in their first proper kiss – they had kissed before, but not since their feelings had been made clear to each other – both Tiff and Sirius realised how special the other was, and knew instantly that they would never love anyone as much. The scene would remain forever in both of their memories. It could've been a painting; a young couple kissing in a beautiful glade, surrounded by unicorns under a crescent moon.
For a while, neither of them could resist the sweet temptation of the kiss. After what seemed like an eternity, Tiff pulled back slightly. Sirius made an indignant sound and pulled her back. Tiff kissed him back, unable to contest the will of her heart. Sirius planted butterfly kisses all over her neck. This had an awesome effect on Tiff who underwent a pleasantly dizzying sensation with each kiss. She sighed blissfully, enjoying the close contact between Sirius and herself. Sirius sucked on her neck, getting caught up in the heat of the moment. Whilst her mouth was free, Tiff took the chance to try and deter him away from her.
"Sirius… We have to get back before someone misses us…" She said, sounding slightly breathless. Sirius paused for a moment before saying, "I know… just two more minutes…" then resuming in the ravishing of Tiff's lovely neck. He brought a hand up to cup her cheek, and kissed her gently, with such softness that Tiff could feel his love pouring into her. Eventually, he pulled back, his eyes hazy from kissing.
"I…" he began but was cut off by Tiff placing a finger on his lips to silence him.
"I know," she said simply, showing that there was no need for the words. Slowly, they rose to their feet and walked, hand in hand, towards the great tree, which from this side looked magnificent in its silvery light. A few feet away from the tree, Tiff suddenly stopped, and cast a glance back over the glade. She watched the unicorns frolic happily, unaware of the danger found on the other side of the Great Tree. As she gazed over the fairy-tale scene which lay before her eyes, Tiff noticed a secluded clearing where so many bluebells grew that it looked like a lilac carpet. I know this… She thought, overwhelmed by a feeling of deja-vu.
"Tiffany? What's wrong?" Sirius asked sounding concerned, but Tiff ignored him. She watched the clearing with a hawk-like gaze… There! A spark of recognition lit up her eyes as one of the unicorns wandered across the clearing. It was black and gold, and unlike any creature she had ever laid eyes on. It suddenly stopped, sniffed the air, and in a flash it was gone. Tiff took a moment to think, of where she had seen the beast before…
"Tiff?" Sirius shook her arm gently, which instantly snapped her out of the trance.
"Sorry… I was miles away…" Tiff wasn't exactly sure why she didn't tell him about the way she recognised the unicorn, but somehow she knew it was for the best.
Tiff and Sirius made their way through the Great Tree, and back to the castle in the space of half an hour. At the bottom of the stairs, between the two dormitories, they stopped to say goodnight. Sirius kissed Tiff one last time, before turning to go to bed.
Tiff walked languidly up the stairs, deep in thought. On the way back, she and Sirius had both agreed to keep their unconfirmed relationship a secret, as their friends would just say "I told you so", and they would have to suffer yet more teasing. Tiff was glad that she and Sirius did in fact have some kind of relationship, even if it wasn't official. She smiled to herself… some secrets were fun to keep! Through her elusive fantasises, came the primary and most important subject on her mind – the unicorn. She just couldn't quite comprehend how she knew it. There was something so familiar that it was frightening… about the clearing. The whole trip had been amazing… like a dream… Tiff lay down in her bed, with the word 'dream' in her mind.
Once upon a dream… Suddenly, it struck her like a bolt of lightening. Memories came flooding back to her; dreams, thoughts, premonitions, prophecies… As she drifted off to sleep these thoughts remained with her, ready to be put into action the next morning.
* * *
"So?"
"What?"
"What, what?"
"Who is he?"
"Who?"
"Mr. 'I like to suck on girls' necks' Vampire Mysterious – who is incidentally hot hot hot!" Tiff held her head up in a haughty manner, then self consciously re-adjusted her polo neck. "I don't know why you won't tell us, it's not as if we're going to tell McGonagall…" Amber said with wide, pleading eyes. Tiff, Amber and Lily were sat in Potions, where the discussion topic, as in many other groups was Tiff's neck. Unawares to Tiff, Sirius had unknowingly given her a love bite, which had blossomed overnight into a lovely purple bruise. All of Gryffindor had already seen it, including McGonagall who had given Tiff a hazardous look.
"I don't know what you're talking about Amber. As far as I can see, there's nothing wrong with my neck… I just slept funny, that's all…" Tiff took the only route she could in this kind of situation – denial in the form of barefaced lies.
"Oh, come of Tiffikins, We KNOW that you have a secret lover who you meet in the woods for a quick…" Amber grinned, her perfectly shaped eyebrows raised to the ceiling. Tiff glared venomously.
"A quick 'what', Amber?" she said through her teeth.
"A quick… LOVEBITE! You know, sucking on necks, chewing on veins, biting on flesh… Wooo… the kiss of death, heeeeh…" Amber said this very loudly and dramatically, making a vampire-like motion at the end, complete with hissing sound effects. The entire class turned and sniggered as Tiff turned a delightful shade of crimson.
"Just tell us, and the humiliation will be over…" Amber whispered.
"Leave her Amber-roos, she'll tell us in her own time," Lily said. Amber made a disgruntled noise of objection in reply, yet said nothing.
Tiff leant into her hand, which was cleverly obscuring the left side of her neck. She sighed heavily, and let her eyes wander. She found her gaze captured by a pair of crystal blue eyes, which belonged to a black haired by on the next table. His eyes twinkled as he laughed merrily… at her. Tiff didn't change her facial expression, but hardened her gaze, which quietened the chuckles of Sirius. He, James, Peter and Remus turned their chairs round to face the girls.
"Aww, poor Tiff…" said Peter with genuine sympathy.
"Oh, shut it rat-boy, you're just jealous that it wasn't you who gave her that whopper of a hicky!" James exclaimed which caused the others to laugh, Tiff to glare and Peter to turn red and mumble softly.
"So who was it?" Remus enquired, his brown eyes peered at her with good natured inquisition.
"Yeah, tell us, tell us… or we'll kick you out of… The Trio!" Amber and Lily said dramatically. Tiff looked horrified.
"Don't be ridiculous, I invented the Trio, therefore, you cannot kick me out!" she replied haughtily.
"Yes we can, can't we Amber-roos?"
"We sure can Lily-poohs, then we'll be… The Duo!" Tiff rolled her eyes.
"Erm… ladies? The Trio would be…?" Sirius asked, looking confused. Tiff grinned.
"Well, Lily, Amber and I, have decided that feminism is a passing trend, and we must look to the future. Therefore, we have decided that we will abandon 'boys' and adopt the growing trend in muggles, of homosexuality." An excited glance was shared between the boys as they all said as one, "Lesbians!"
"Well done Sparky, and because of our new found glory as female companions, we've given each other pet names. I'm Tiffikins, and they're Lily-poohs and Amber-roos! Cutesy, eh?"
"Wow… my girlfriend's bi-sexual with your girlfriend. Rock on dude!" James hugged Remus in a 'typical bloke' manner.
"Don't forget Mr. Vampire Mysterioh-so-hot's girl is also a lesley bean." Amber winked at Lily, who giggled. Tiff just glared, and Sirius adopted an interested look.
"Eh? And Mr. Vampire Mysterioh-so-hot would be who exactly? Tiffany… you're not… leaving me for Snape are you?" Sirius placed a hand over his heart dramatically.
"Oh my god… Snape!!!" Lily and Amber said in unison, clutching each other excitedly.
"So, Lesbianism is a growing trend, soon there'll be more lesbians than broomsticks, right?" Tiff tried to change the subject, but her efforts were squashed.
"Yeah Tiff, if the only other alternative's Snape I'd be a lesbian anyday!" Amber cackled insanely.
"You're not a lesbian?" Remus looked disappointed.
"No, you retarded werew…errr… weirdo!" Amber replied, cursing herself for the slip of the tongue.
"Oh… I was kind of hoping Tiff'd join us… never mind though," he sighed heavily, although his eyes twinkled mischievously. Sirius' eyes narrowed for a second, which only Tiff saw, then he grinned and said, "I'm sure Mr. Vampire Mysterioh-so-hot would object strongly to that notion Remmy."
"True, if we knew who Mr. VM is. Tiff?" All eyes turned to Tiffany who had busied herself in making the potion that they were supposed to be testing in ten minutes.
"What? I've already told you that there is no Vampire Mysterioh-so-hot or whatever! Now, can we please do some work so we actually have something to test in ten minutes time?" Tiff stressed, getting flustered. Lily and Amber could sense that she saw their fun as more than a joke now, and decided it was time to stop. They moved back, to work with Tiff and quietly got on with the making of the potion. Ten minutes later, Professor Bolooki, the young, attractive Potions teacher stood in front of the class and paired everyone off. Tiff was Amber's partner, Lily was James', Remus was with Peter and Sirius, to his own dismay was partnered with Snape.
"Right class, now the potion you have been preparing this lesson is a simple concoction of herbs and leaves which can be personalised to change the appearance of someone. Of course, it's probably faster and more effective to use an illusion spell, but this method can also be useful to know. Why is this? Ah, Ilianna?" Tiff groaned as the blonde almost fell off her chair, as she was waving her arm violently in attempt to ensure that everyone noticed her. Tiff continued making the potion… her and Amber almost had it…
"Six… I think it says six, there's a smudge on the book. No… sixteen, sorry. Right, sixteen… pinches? of fairy dust… that should do the trick," Amber whispered as Tiff added the final ingredient and stirred the thick, bubbling potion which had turned an unusual shade of green.
"Ok…" Ilianna stood up, to attract even more attention. "Another reason why this potion would be useful is… because it changes your appearance!" Ilianna said triumphantly, ignoring the communal groan of the class.
"Yes dear, that is quite true… but WHY is this useful?"
"Because it makes you look different. So people won't recognise you," Ilianna explained happily. The Professor sighed, and then thanked Ilianna who grinned like a demented cat, sat down, and purred.
"Any other reasons?" he enquired, purposefully ignoring Ilianna's waving arm. To Tiff's surprise, Sirius stood up, scowling at Snape, who returned the glare with a vengeance.
"It'd be useful to know if you were stuck in the mountains or a forest without your wand, and the only materials around you were plants. Then you'd be able to camouflage yourself against dark forces or predators, etcetera. However, if the bearer was animagus, then things would be a lot easier." He added with a sly grin at James, Remus and Peter.
"Thank you Black, finally someone who can think for themselves…" he added in an undertone. Sirius nodded at Bolooki, and then sat back down, giving Tiff a quick smile before completely changing his expression to throw a look of hatred towards Snape who sneered back.
Ok class. We are going to conduct a simple experiment; you will each take half of your potion, and exchange a single hair, FROM YOUR HEAD, with your partner, add the hair to your own share and then consume and wait for a change to occur. Mr. Black?" The Professor raised his eyebrows at Sirius who was scowling.
"Sir, I'd like to change partners. Severus and I are not compatible at all," he said in clipped tones, making it fairly obvious that he was dying to add 'and there is no way I am drinking anything with his foul greasy hair sweat in it'.
Tiff sniggered at his expression, which earned her an icy glare.
"Request denied Black, you'll have to learn to get along with your peers." As Bolooki turned, he smiled, he wouldn't wish anyone to have to even touch Severus Snape's grease filled head, let alone drink the essence of it. Sirius glared at Snape, who glared back. A cold silence prevailed.
"I'll use my hair, you use yours, I think that's for the best…" …you foul haired, disgustingly unhygienic excuse for a wizard. Snape nodded gruffly then rudely turned his back on Sirius, who did the same.
Meanwhile, Remus and Peter had successfully drank their potions, resulting in a light-brown haired Peter and an ash blonde Remus. Amber looked over at him and giggled. She then glanced at Tiff, who was counting down… three… two… one… both girls held their noses and gulped down the potion, which, incidentally, didn't taste as foul as expected. In fact, it sort of tasted a bit like herbal tea… A tingling sensation passed through the girls, lasting a while longer than any other students. Tiff had closed her eyes. She could feel herself changing, and when it finally stopped, she looked up at Amber and squealed.
"Aaah… jesus Amber, you look fantastic!" For it was true, if Amber looked stunning with her glossy auburn hair then she was almost angelically beautiful with Tiff's platinum blonde locks.
"Oh my god, Tiff, you should see yourself! You look wicked darling!" Tiff ran to a mirror and stood, open mouthed with shock at the long mane of gold hair that cascaded down her back. "You cow… why doesn't my hair look like that on me?" Amber pouted.
"Wow…" Tiff breathed, touching her hair tentatively. "Ammie, look at Lily and James," she stifled a giggle, pointing at the reflection in the mirror. It was quite a funny sight. James had dark red hair, which actually suited him; and Lily had black hair that made her look like Ms. Vampire Mysterioh-so-hot! It gave her an unearthly gothic beauty, that didn't quite seem legal, whereas James could've taken the place of any prince in a fairytale, his classic features emphasised by the redness of his hair.
"Ok, now that you've all noticed the, *ahem* changes, you will also notice, that the ones who took the potion early are beginning to fade. You should all be back to normal by the end of the lesson."
But by the end of the lesson, Tiff and Amber's hair was still as vibrant as ever.
"Erm… ladies, just out of curiosity, how much fairy dust did you include?" Bolooki asked when they questioned him about why the effects weren't wearing off.
"Sixteen pinches." His eyes widened, and his lips grew stretched.
"Girls, it was supposed to be 0.6th of a gram. Not sixteen pinches!"
"But… we couldn't read it clearly in the book… that's what I thought it said," protested Amber.
"How long will it last?" Tiff interjected.
"Weeks probably, at the most I'd say two months."
"TWO MONTHS!" Amber and Tiffany looked horrified at the thought of being stuck with each other's hair for two whole months.
They left the classroom dejectedly, and joined their friends who all had their normal hair colour back. Tiff looked as though she could almost cry.
"You stole my hair," she pouted. "You stole mine too." Amber wailed.
"Aww… poor girlies," Sirius patted them both on the head.
"I think we should go to the library, I've heard that's where vampires spend their free time," James said with a wry glance at Tiff who was pouting in an even more childish manner than usual.
"Yes, we can play 'guess the hot mystery vampire who chewed Tiffy's neck'." Sirius grinned, as Tiff just sighed heavily.
"I am never going to live this down, am I?"
"Just wait until we find out who it was, then you'll never be able to live it down." Sirius nodded truthfully, whilst Tiff sighed again. "Aww, not really precious, come on, lets go to the library."
"No, I'm not really in the mood, plus I have something to take care of. I'll catch you all later," Tiff turned and walked off without another word, leaving the others with a feeling of impending guilt.
Tiff wandered through the winding corridors and narrow passages, quite unaware of exactly where she was going until she arrived at her destination. She sat on the floor, leaning against a cold, hard stone wall. She waited, for what seemed like hours, but must only have been fifteen minutes at the most. Out of the shadows a figure came striding towards her, Tiff stood to meet him, answering the inevitable question that he was about to ask.
"I'm here to see Professor Dumbledore," she said determinedly. Professor Jonathon Mondoc sighed, a look of heaviness in his tired eyes.
"Very well," he replied. Tiff was unnerved that he didn't question her reasons for being there, but at least she was getting to see Dumbledore, who could hopefully explain a few things that had been troubling her. "Cherry Drop," Mondoc uttered the password, at which, a gargoyle sprang to life and moved aside to reveal a secret entrance. Tiff stepped through the gap in between the walls and onto the spiral staircase, which was slowly revolving upwards towards a sturdy oak door with a brass lions-head for a door knocker. At the top, she glanced at Mondoc, who nodded in reply. She raised her hand to knock on the door, (completely ignoring the brass lion) when the door opened of its own accord. An old man with a long greying beard looked up from the book he was reading and smiled warmly at the visitors.
"Ah, Miss Zabini I've been expecting a visit from you sometime." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with superior knowledge. He nodded at Mondoc, and gestured towards two chairs for them to sit down. Tiff sat then glanced towards Mondoc cautiously.
"Professor…" she began.
"Tiffany, anything you can say to me, you can say in front of Jonathon. In fact, I think he might be able to explain some things better than I."
Tiff frowned. This wasn't what she'd had in mind.
"Erm… ok. Well…" She took several breaths. "There are several things that have been bothering me. Ok, the first and most obvious one is my parents. I want to know what's happening with them. Why is Voldemort so interested in them joining the Dark Side? What's so special about them? And what did they give you?" Tiff said all of this very quickly, a dynamic spark in her violet eyes.
Dumbledore smiled. "Alas, so many questions, yet so many that may go unanswered." Dumbledore sighed heavily, as if his age was overcoming him. "The most important thing you should know is why Voldemort wants them on his side. You may or may not be aware that he is also attempting to recruit the Potters… but the relevance of that is of little concern that this very moment." He paused to take a breath. "A prophecy has been revealed to a seer. A seer who works for Voldemort…" Dumbledore gave Tiff a sideways glance; causing her eyes to harden as she said without a trace of emotion, "Zane."
Dumbledore nodded silently. "Our spies on the Dark Side alerted us of the prediction, which we immediately set to work on."
Tiff paused unsurely, then tentatively said; "What is the prophecy?" even though deep down she had a terrible feeling that she wouldn't want to know.
Dumbledore and Mondoc exchanged a glance, then the elderly wizard took out a piece of parchment from a draw, put on his half moon spectacles and cleared his throat.
"A descendant of Zabrian blood will overthrow the Dark Lord, claiming his throne either as the Princess of Darkness or the Queen of Light. Which path she follows will depend entirely upon her heart's desires. "
Tiff frowned slightly. "But… what does that mean?"
Dumbledore looked pensive as he regarded her with sad, weary blue eyes that seemed to penetrate her soul. The look in his eyes set alarm bells ringing in Tiff's ears.
"It means… that Voldemort will attempt to kill every female descendant of the Zabini bloodline. And that's the very least he'll do. The Dark Lord cannot afford to be overthrown, and he will take every precaution to ensure that he isn't." The alarm bell had turned into a blaring siren, screaming a warning to her parents who were in so much danger that it was sickening.
"B… but… but where are they? Why aren't they in a safe house and more importantly why is the Ministry not protecting them? They should be protecting my parents not making them work for them!" Tiff was unaware that she was on her feet and shouting, tears streaming down her cheeks. Jonathon rose to his feet to try and calm her, but was unsuccessful as she held him off with a glare alone.
"That was exactly my question. But your parents swore me to secrecy against the Ministry. They'd rather do good while they can rather than be locked away in some safe house…"
"But they're going to die!" Tiff choked through her tears. Dumbledore placed a comforting hand on her arm.
"Nobody knows that Tiffany," he said rather sternly. "But they'd much rather die fighting for good than hiding from the darkness." This was evidently the right thing to say to Tiffany as her tears ceased and she looked more dignified and proud.
"I know they would, but…" Tiffany frowned thoughtfully. "Why does he want my parents? My dad carries the Zabini name and he's not female… so why would Voldemort want them because of that prophecy?"
Dumbledore's brow was furrowed, as the contemplating how best to answer this question.
"Your parents, and James' too, are powerful Aurors. In fact, they are the best. The four together are unbeatable. If Voldemort had their combined strength then darkness would ensue."
"But… that means that… oh my goodness. The only female descendants of the Zabini line are me and Alexia!" Panic flooded through Tiff. "Alexia…" she gulped, her eyes were very wide and scared, resembling those of a frightened deer.
"Do not be alarmed. Alexia is well protected in her boarding school, and I fear no harm will come to her there. As for you however… as long as you're at Hogwarts you will be safe, but never leave the castle alone. Always travel with a large group, just in case." Dumbledore shifted in his chair.
"Yes, but…"
"You're both safe while you remain in school. Trust me Tiffany…" She nodded with a shaky affirmation. There was a long moment of heavy silence. Tiff, whose tears had gradually disappeared, rose to her feet again and started towards the door.
"Thank you Professor, for explaining things to me," she smiled sadly, then walked through the heavy oak door frame.
"Tiffany?" Dumbledore called. She turned on the heel. "Come to me on your sixteenth birthday and we'll have another chat. Bring the box," he said, his eyes sparkling. Tiff nodded and left the room, filled with a new determination and a sense of purpose. She headed for the library and joined her friends, where quite glad to see her. Lily complained that she'd been left with a group of sex obsessed boys, who were drooling over PlayWizard's centrefold, and Amber who proved herself far worse than any boy when she remarked on the size of the blonde witch's chest and asked cheekily what she was planning to do with the wand! Tiff had raised an amused eyebrow at this comment and promptly "rescued" poor Lily. The group laughed rambunctiously at another of Amber's jokes, this one involved Severus Snape, a muggle and Professor Trelawney in a cupboard with enchanted objects and should not for any amount of wizarding gold, be repeated!
If a stranger were to look upon the scene they would smile, remembering their days as carefree adolescents. But the peaceful atmosphere wouldn't last long. This was simply the calm before the storm…
As February approached…