"HOW DARE YOU DO THIS!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.
"You're overreacting, as usual," Sirius said casually.
"OVERREACTING? YOU TURNED ME INTO AN UNCONTROLLABLE METAMORPHMAGUS!"
"I think it suits you."
I turned and looked into the mirror. My hair suddenly changed color from green to a bright red. My face continuously shifted. My clothes were constantly changing.
"I rather like that look," Sirius said as I morphed into a blonde with a perfect body and a perfect face. I was wearing a short blue dress.
"Naturally! You're like every other male, always following his—"
"What is going on here?" Prue asked coolly.
"Just look at me." I was now a brunette with a huge nose.
"Sirius, I'm quickly tiring of your battles with my sister," Prue said.
"She started it!"
"Actually, you're the one who first cursed me," I pointed out.
"Oh yeah."
"Regardless, you will both be joining me for detention."
"That's not fair at all," Sirius said.
"Why should I get detention?" I asked.
Prue shushed our whiney complaints. "You two have been begging for this."
I suddenly turned very cold as I remembered something Dumbledore had told me. I opened my mouth to speak but could not utter a word.
"What now, Phoebe?" Prue sighed.
"I... I'm going to be expelled."
"You are not," she said. "It's just detention."
"No, I really am going to be expelled," I said. "Dumbledore told me that if I got one more detention, I would have to answer to the headmaster. It's school policy. No one can do anything now." I stared blankly at Prue. My legs felt as though they would not hold my weight much longer. I wanted to shrug this off, to not care, but this was way too real to be nothing. I hadn't even taken my N.E.W.Ts yet. What was I going to do?
"Phoebe, you have to get out of this. You always do," Prue tried to assure me.
"You don't understand. When I talk with Headmaster Dippet, I always say the wrong thing."
Prue looked worried now. "You'll think of something."
"No, she won't. Not this time," the cold voice of Lucius Malfoy announced.
"Malfoy, get to where you need to be," Prue commanded.
"Dumbledore can't defend you anymore, the stupid muggle-lover. It's not surprising he'd take a liking to filth like you," Malfoy plowed on, ignoring Prue's warning.
Prue's face flushed with anger. "Detention, Mr. Malfoy."
Malfoy smirked. "Soon the school will be purified of such garbage as you and your sisters."
Prue was clutching her wand tightly, desperately trying to control herself. For the first time ever, I felt that I could not do anything.
Malfoy looked at me while I constantly shifted forms. "I can understand why that muggle father of yours left."
Fury burst within myself and I pointed my wand, but Sirius was quicker.
"Pellerus!"
Malfoy and his gang disappeared.
"Where did you send them?" Prue asked, her clutch on her wand loosening.
"One of the forbidden rooms," Sirius replied. "They'll be caught and given some more detentions."
I faced him. "You defended me."
He looked uncomfortable. "Yeah, well, I couldn't let him say that stuff," he said and shrugged.
"Well…" I started.
"Thank you," Prue ended.
"But we're still worst enemies," I promised.
"I wouldn't want it any other way."
Late that night, I was up and pacing down in the Gryffindor common room. I had two things bothering me: my upcoming meeting with Headmaster Dippet and Sirius. At first, I wondered why he would even enter into my thoughts. Curiosity about his actions? (He had taken off the curse while I was walking away, which surprised me even more.) General dislike? I bit my lip as the last possibility came up.
"Undeniable love? No, no, please no. I like what we have," I pleaded with my emotions. A little voice in the back of my head, as expected, spoke the truth.
You've been in love with him ever since you were thirteen, it said. You just chose to turn that into hatred.
"Grr." It was amazing how the secrets could so easily be brought out by dread. Well, that wouldn't be an issue if I got expelled. So I didn't have to worry about the Sirius.
That turned me to a more demanding matter: my expulsion. Once the headmaster had learned of my new detention, I was informed of a meeting with him bright and early on Saturday morning. I knew what would happen. I would be presented with all my past crimes, and then I would argue with the headmaster. He would get angry and expel me. For the first time, I felt afraid of punishment. I would have to go to a muggle school. I would be separated from my friends. I would have to live with Grams. A giggle slipped out. That quickly turned to a shiver. Tomorrow was Friday, my last day of freedom at Hogwarts.
With that terrible thought in mind, I curled up in a chair and slowly drifted off to sleep.
"Phoebe, wake up. You have to get ready for classes. Wake up, hon," Piper said, gently patting my face.
I opened my eyes a little. "Piper, I'm afraid. I don't want to leave Hogwarts. All those things I did before, they seem so silly now."
She didn't say anything. She instead gathered me up in her arms and hugged me close.
Things always worked out for me. So why didn't this magical influence work anymore?
I barely tuned into the lessons. I could think of nothing other than the upcoming difficulty. I didn't eat during the day. That made Piper worry.
"You can't starve yourself, Pheebs," she said during dinner.
"You always mother me," I said, mustering a weak smile.
"It's my job."
"Phoebe, come with me," Prue said as she walked up. "Piper, you come too."
She led us out into the hall. "I have a way to stop you from saying anything you'll regret."
"Praise the Lord! What is it?"
"A modified version of your bad girl spell." Piper smiled a little despite herself. "It's a good girl spell. You'll be as good as Piper. Ready?"
I nodded eagerly. "Do it."
"Okay. She's been too bad, she could do better, she'll not get mad, she'll be like Piper."
I could feel the change.
"Phoebe, would you ever think of causing trouble for the teachers?" Prue asked me.
"Absolutely not. It would impede their ability to teach us," I said in a timid voice that resembled Piper's.
"Great!"
That night was even worse than the one before. I knew I would not get any sleep, so I resorted to pacing the common room again. My nerves were shot. My lip was chewed down and bleeding. My hands shook every time I lifted them. No thoughts ran through my head. Only the knowledge that I would soon be home with mom and Grams echoed in my mind. I knew I wouldn't have problems with mom, but Grams would lecture for the first month or so about blowing my future. It wouldn't be a pretty welcome. I felt almost close to tears. Perhaps that was an effect from the good girl spell.
I sat down and stared into the ashes. I was glad that I didn't feel any pity for myself. Guilt was a prominent feeling, second only to fear. I could accept the fact that this situation was entirely my own fault. But now I had to deal with the repercussions. I would have preferred a mountain of guilt.
I jumped when I heard someone come down the stairs. I turned and saw… "Sirius? What are you doing up?"
He hadn't seen me. "Oh, I'm sorry, Pheebs. I didn't realize you were here. I couldn't sleep. I'll go—"
"No, don't. I don't want to be alone right now. Here, sit down."
Of course. I was inviting my worst enemy to join me in my weakest moment. Why didn't I just tell him to start with the ridicule? But… he had never called me by my nickname before.
My insides did a strange melting-thing. Oh, right, I was in love with Sirius. I had been ignoring that. I had hoped that it would go away, but now that Sirius was here, the warm and mushy feelings were back full-force. Sickening.
He sat next to me on the couch. "Worried about tomorrow?"
I nodded. "I really regret my misdeeds."
"Misdeeds?"
"Good girl spell. It seems to have expanded my vocabulary a bit," I explained.
"Oh."
Why was he being so kind? Why was he listening to me? Why wasn't he going on about how he wasn't going to miss me, or how the school the school was much better off without me? Why wasn't he saying the terrible things I had come to expect from him?
Perhaps this was an eye-opener for him too.
All of a sudden, I was pouring out the things I had been thinking about. I couldn't stop myself as the words tumbled from my mouth. "Dumbledore has always gotten me out of trouble, but this time I know he can't do anything. I..." I paused a moment, wondering if I was really going to admit this to Sirius. "I'm afraid."
He was silent. He obviously was not used to me showing emotion.
"I'm sorry, Sirius, for the way I've acted in the past. It was so stupid of me." I sucked in a breath. "I want you to know that I've never hated you. I only did that stuff because it was fun, and I guess it was. It was. A type of..." He looked at me and nodded, urging me on.
How could I say this? How I could I tell him what I had just realized yesterday? I couldn't expose my complete vulnerability to him, not now, not ever. And yet, I still spoke the words.
"Flirting, I suppose. I just wanted to clear that up before I get kicked out of Hogwarts." I looked at the ashes again, not wanting to catch his gaze. I nervously twirled a lock of hair, wishing I could disappear.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. I just had to admit that stupid thing to him. Why wasn't he laughing? Why wasn't he...
My thoughts stopped as his hands slipped around my body, pulling me closer to him. I looked into Sirius's eyes, and I saw exactly I had been feeling. I saw turmoil, but I also saw peace. Acceptance was the problem, and we were both struggling with this new concept. I liked him, my enemy. I had fought with him for years, and this was how my feelings repaid me?
Then, we both got onto the same thought, which was basically: to hell with it all. And Sirius leaned in… I could still stop this, I could stop this… And he pressed his soft lips against mine. The hunger in me opened, and I parted my lips. And then, I tasted Sirius.
It was all over now. There was no going back. I was kissing my worst enemy, and I was liking it.
A loud gasp awoke me. Groggily I opened my eyes and sat up. Sirius, who had been holding me, was also awoken.
"Fraternizing with the enemy, eh Padfoot?" James said furiously.
"No, James, you don't understand," I said.
"I certainly do. How long had this been going on, hmm? When did you decide to betray the Marauders?"
"How could he betray you by spending the night with me?" I said.
"We took an oath," James continued on, "in which we promised to never become romantically involved with one Phoebe Halliwell."
"James, you broke the oath for him when you put a love spell on me," I said.
"That was different," James said. "That was just a spell. This is betrayal."
"Now hold on, mate—" Sirius started.
"I don't want to hear it!"
I had to stop this. I was not going to leave behind a path of destruction, not after all that I had already done.
"James, it's my fault," I said. "I put a spell on him. I was just about to take it off. Er-santius." I gave Sirius a meaningful look, pleading with him.
"Uh, I can't believe you would do this, Pheebs, er, Phoebe!"
James appeared to accept that. "This war isn't over."
"It soon will be." Glancing at the clock, I saw I had ten minutes to ready myself. I quickly did so and ran up to the headmaster's office. Dippet was waiting for me in front of the gargoyle. He murmured the password and I followed him. When we reached his office, he gestured for me to sit.
"Well, well, Miss Halliwell. Here we are yet again." Dippet surveyed me carefully. "As you know, there is a limit on the amount of trouble one student can cause during their time at Hogwarts. You have passed that limit." He paused, seemingly for affect. "I believe you know what is going to happen to you."
I nodded, unable to speak.
"You have earned over one hundred fifty detentions and two suspensions during your time here at Hogwarts. You should have been expelled ages ago, but you have had certain defenses."
A blush spread through my cheeks. He looked taken aback by it.
"Anyways, your continued disregard for the rules has become more than an aggravation as of late. You distract the teachers and the students and make it difficult for anyone to get their work done. I'm afraid, Miss Halliwell, that I have no choice but to expel you from Hogwarts."
I felt like I couldn't breathe. It was official. I was out.
"Please gather your things. You will leave tomorrow."
"I don't quite agree," a most welcome voice said. Dumbledore stood next to me and looked at the headmaster. "There are a few things that make it unwise for you to expel the young Halliwell."
"Such as what?" Dippet said.
"Such as her destiny, which you know as well as I do."
"I am aware of that, but she is able to pursue that on her own," he replied irritably.
"Not true. If she is separated from her sisters, the consequences could be dire."
I stayed completely silent. What on earth were they talking about?
"We should not discuss this in front of her."
"But do you agree that they will not remain close if they are separated?" Dumbledore persisted.
"I suppose."
"She is far too important to be placed in a muggle school, just as her sisters are."
"But her file—"
"As to my knowledge, Phoebe has caused little disruption to the balance of the school."
"There have been several complaints about her," Dippet said.
"From Peter, Lucius, and Severus. That is hardly a firm basis for expulsion."
Dippet struggled with himself. "Fine. Have it your way, Albus, but I'm placing her under your watch. If she so much as utters one curse—"
"Expulsion. I will watch her carefully." Dumbledore led me out.
"Professor, I don't know what to say."
"Just promise you won't curse a soul."
"I promise on the blood of the Halliwell line."
"Very good."
It was good that I was back in Hogwarts, but now I had Sirius to deal with. I just had to go and let him kiss me. I mentally kicked myself. Well, it was best to deal with him sooner rather than later…
Piper
"So?" I asked Phoebe anxiously.
"So… I'm free!"
"Fabulous!" I squeezed her in a great bear hug.
"Can't breathe!"
"Sorry." I released her. "How'd you manage to get off?"
"Dumbledore. He said some weird stuff about my destiny and my connection to you two," Phoebe said, motioning to Prue and I.
I looked to Prue, who looked as clueless as I.
"He's starting to sound just like Grams," Prue commented.
"Oh yeah, I wanted you to tell you something," Phoebe said. "I have officially sworn off all mischief. I'll follow the rules and cause absolutely no trouble. I'm not sure what I'll do about the Marauders, but I don't think that will be too big of a deal." She smiled in an odd way.
"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked.
"Nothing," she said quickly.
Prue and I exchanged looks.
"Anyways, I've got to go. I have to meet… someone." She walked out quickly.
"I do believe our little sister is going out with someone," Prue said.
"The only question is, who?"
"That shouldn't be hard to find out."
"Let's combine our efforts," I said.
"And we'll begin with the interrogation of Natalie."
It wasn't until a few days later that we got a chance to corner Natalie.
"I honestly have no idea," Natalie said. "I've asked her a few times, but she just smiles and says that that's her business."
"It's the same with us," I sighed.
"Is there anyone who would know?" Prue asked hopefully.
"If she hasn't told me, she hasn't told anyone," Natalie replied. "You better off spying and eliminating guys. I know that's what I'll be doing."
"Don't get yourself into any trouble," I warned.
Natalie chuckled. "Right. What about you two?"
"We have the upper hand. We're not expected to be sneaking around." Prue's face lit up. "Wait one minute. I know exactly who would know."
"Who's that?" I inquired.
"Well, it's more like two people. First, Lily Evans. Next, James Potter. I happen to be giving him detention for three nights this week. Lily will be easier to approach. I leave her to you, Piper."
I nodded. "I'll talk to her right now."
Lily was sitting in the library, looking rather distracted. When I said hello to her, she jumped.
"Oh, hi Piper."
"Lily, I have to ask you a question. Do you know who Phoebe's going out with?"
Lily giggled a little. "I've got an idea."
"Can you tell me?" I asked.
"Yeah, I guess," Lily said. "Are you really sure you want to know?"
"Why? Is it someone I'll hate?"
"Probably," Lily said. "You'll have a fit over him."
I was dying of curiosity. "Just tell me."
"I'm not exactly certain who it is, but I know that she's going out with one of the Marauders."
I stared blankly at her. "But she hates all the Marauders. How could she go out with one of them?"
"I don't know, but it seems that she is."
"Well, thanks." I turned to go, but stopped as I remembered something Phoebe had asked me. "Phoebe asked me to say this to you. This girl's too good, bad she must be, bring out a different side, make her like Phoebe. Congratulations. You are now free to claim James Potter."
Lily smiled a Phoebe smile. "That's a good idea." She strutted out in a fashion quite unlike her own. This was something I had to see. I followed her silently.
"Oh, James." She snapped her fingers, and she was in a tight leather outfit and high heel boots.
He turned. His jaw dropped. "Lily, wow. Is that really you?"
"Yeah. Quite a change, wouldn't you agree? I'm bad now, and it's freed me in so many ways." She walked up to him and caught him in a deep lip lock.
I walked away smiling.
In the middle of the night, about a week later, realization struck me. I sat up quickly. Of course! It was so obvious now. Phoebe was going out with Sirius Black. I blinked in the darkness. Hold it! This was not a good thing. Sirius was the one boy I had strictly forbidden Phoebe to go out with. "No rule breaking? She broke my rule!"
I wanted to wake her up and yell at her, but I couldn't get up and go off to the Gryffindor tower. I would have to settle for telling Prue.
There was no need to get up, however, for at that moment, Prue threw open the curtains around my bed.
"Piper, I've just realized that Phoebe's going out with Sirius!" she whispered urgently.
"So have I. State your source."
"Potter. He said that Phoebe put the amorus spell on Sirius recently and that he's been disappearing constantly. What's your source?"
"Lily."
Prue grinned. "I noticed she's under the influence of Phoebe's bad girl spell."
"That would be my doing. A little promise I made to Phoebe."
"It worked well. I've never seen James so obedient."
I yawned. "But what are we going to do about Phoebe and Sirius?"
"I have no clue."