(A/N:) Oh great God above, you will NOT believe what happened to me.
Well, I guess it started out when we got the Comcast: High – speed thing. It sort of ruined our Internet after that with pop ups and stuff. It became so bad that I had to use AOL for a while. Not that AOL is bad; it's perfectly good. Well, then I began having trouble finding my documents in the files where they were SUPPOSED to be and our computer detected at least two viruses. And in late June, our computer finally gave up and crashed.
RIGHT WHEN I STARTED THIS STORY.
So if you've been wondering why I haven't updated in quite a while, that's the reason. I wouldn't really be on here if it weren't for my dad (being the genius that he is) fixed it so I could type up my story and save it. But it is still very sketchy so my updates will NOT come fast. (Oh, be quiet lorena! I'm lucky I can even do this much!).
Well, without further ado, let the story begin!
Dedication:
To Lorena and Marina for giving me such great ideas for this chapter!
Chapter 1:
Playing with Fire"Foul! FOUL!!!!! OH THAT WAS SO A FOUL! COME ON YOU OLD BAG OF DRAGON DUNG! Oh! Sorry professor, it won't happen again! Yes, I know I said that last time but this time I really mean it! All right professor, I'll – YES!!!!!!!! SLYTHERIN RECEIVES A PENALTY FOR A BLUDGER HIT – MADE BY BLACK – COLLIDING WITH THE SLYTHERIN KEEPER WHILE THE QUAFFLE WAS NOT IN SCORING ZONE!!! GEEZE BLACK, YOU REALLY NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT TEMPER OF YOURS…"
Annabelle Johnson watched, amused as Sirius glared at Melanie and made slashing movement with his club. Melanie only laughed and waved cheerfully at the furious boy, he seemed to be seriously restraining himself from killing her right on the spot.
"She really shouldn't provoke him like that," drawled a voice beside Anna. She rolled her eyes and turned to Rosalyn Goldie.
"Did you know that only half the population of Hogwarts comes to watch the game?" Anna asked.
Lily Evans tore her eyes from the game to raise her eyebrows at her friend. "Why do the other half come I wonder?" she asked curiously.
"Well, if my calculations are correct – which they always are –"
"Except in Arithmacy," mumbled Rose.
"– than about 13% come to take a break from homework, 19% come to cheer on their favorite player, and 18% come to hear what tricks and comments Melanie says during the match."
Lily blinked. "You know, it's amazing how you still fail Arithmacy but can calculate percentages about the Hogwarts population in your head – and get them accurate."
"Some say that it's because she isn't applying herself; others will say it's because she's lazy; but me, I think it's because her will to know more about everyone else's personal life overpowers her much needed education."
Rose hid a smile and Lily snorted. Anna ground her teeth in anger and plastered a honey-sweet smile on her face. "You know what I think it is?" she asked sweetly turning around in her seat. "I think it's because she hasn't had the proper help to help her learn such complicated math skills for the bloody subject; but you would know all about that wouldn't you Lupin? After all, you are the one with that tutoring help."
"Ouch…" Peter Pettigrew murmured softly to Remus beside him.
"Shut-up," he whispered back.
A smug smile touched Anna's lips as she turned back around to watch the rest of the game.
Remus watched as Sirius distractedly hit a bludger, muttering to himself and red in the face. He frowned and looked over at the source of Sirius's anger to see Melanie smiling happily in her seat. Remus sighed heavily.
'I would run if I were you,' he thought out to her softly.
"I TOLD YOU NOT TO PROVOKE HIM LIKE THAT!" Rose yelled out to the sprinting Melanie. Mel ran right up to them and clustered in the middle of their circle. It was a chilly November day at Hogwarts and all of them were huddled up to keep warm. Anna in particular had many layers of clothes on mumbling, "I hate the cold! I hate it, I hate it!"
"No you didn't. You just mumbled it to yourself in the stands; and I'm positive Melanie couldn't have heard you all the way from there," Lily said absently. She looked all around for the livid Sirius but he was nowhere on the pitch. "Come on, we better go back up–"
"GOTCHA!"
Lily, Anna, and Rose all spun around to see Melanie and Sirius toppled over each other, Melanie trying to get free and Sirius trying to pommel her with his club.
"YOU COST US THE GAME ROBERTS!!!" Sirius yelled furiously. "WE'RE NOT GOING TO THE CUP FINAL BECAUSE OF YOU!!!!"
"It – wasn't – my – fault!" Melanie gasped in between ducking and swerving out of the way of his beaters' club. "You – were – the – one – that – chose – to – listen!"
"ROB – ERTS!!!!!!!!" Sirius roared.
Lily, Anna, and Rose all stared open-mouthed at the two, unable to do anything but stare.
With a sudden burst of strength and speed, Mel pushed Sirius away and tore up to the castle. Growling in frustration Sirius got up to run after her, spouting curses like the devil himself. Running a few steps forward, he suddenly flew through the air and fell flat on his face in the mud.
Looking around, he spotted Lily's outstretched foot and would-be innocent smile. He glared menacingly at her and heaved himself off the ground. Throwing one more glare at Lily, he sprinted after the doomed Melanie.
Cassandra Billings hummed to herself quietly, flipping through the pages of the latest Witch Weekly. Hurried footsteps were heard outside the dorm door and her stormy eyes flickered its way. She braced herself inwardly. 'Uh oh…'
BANG!!
Cassie grimaced and faced her dark-headed friend. "Please, don't slam the door!"
Melanie looked at her for a moment, her fear and panic gone, and then shook her head amused. "You have another headache? You think it might rain then?"
Cassie massaged her temples and nodded slowly. Headaches predicting the weather weren't exactly a blessing. "Whom're you running from in such a hurry?" she asked.
Mel's face drained of color and she looked around her room frantically. "I've got to hide!" she wailed dramatically, "Black's after me!"
Cassie looked unfazed. "What did you do to him?"
"I… err… well, you see I kind of…" Mel trailed off. Sighing meekly, she hung her head in shame. "I made him loose the game for Gryffindor," she said in a very quiet voice.
Cassie looked up, all illness forgotten.
"You WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!"
Mel cringed. "I – I didn't mean to! He just took my advice the wrong way…"
"OH AND PRAYTELL, HOW DID YOU DO THAT HOUDINI?"
"I uh… I told him that… that Anna was out in the middle of the field… wearing a bikini…"
Cassie blinked for a moment. "Did… did Anna hear you say that?" she asked suspiciously.
"No. I took the microphone away from my mouth. No one heard but Black and a few of the professors… I think."
"Oh, you thought wrong."
Melanie froze stock still and Cassie's grin became wider and wider. She was staring over Melanie's shoulder at the doorway.
"While you thought that only I heard that dear comment, others did as well. I don't think you covered up your microphone completely Roberts…"
Melanie moaned and turned around slowly.
There sat Sirius Black in all his glory; hovering on a broomstick just outside the girls doorway. Windswept hair all in a frazzle and bright gold and red Quidditch robes rumpled from the game. His ice blue eyes were blazing at her with deep loathing and hatred.
"And who else heard me Black?" Mel asked timidly.
"Ah… Mallory seemed to have heard you loud and clear, despite what you say about taking away your microphone," Sirius said in a dangerous tone.
Melanie's eyes widened. Mallory Lastinson was Sirius's current 'steady' girlfriend. Apparently not anymore, with the way Sirius reacted to Melanie's remark.
"Well, what did she say?" Mel asked not wanting to hear the answer at all.
Sirius smiled but none of the usual warmth was in it. "She told me that if I wanted to look at other girls, that was fine. But I couldn't do it while I was with her. And if you get my gist…"
Cassie's eyebrows rose. "Sirius, I don't think Mel meant for that to happen. You know her, she can't keep her mouth shut when she's up to something…"
"HEY!" Melanie exclaimed to her friend. Cassie shrugged and faced Sirius again.
"You can't punish her for something she can't help. Come on give her a chance! I mean, she's Melanie Gabrielle Roberts."
Sirius snorted. "Her rich mummy and daddy and her pureblooded background aren't going to save her. Her families just as old as mine! Plus, even if she were the Malfoys or the Potters I would still be all over her about what she did to me! She deserves it!"
"ARE YOU SAYING I'M NOT CAPABLE OF TAKING CARE OF MYSELF?!?" Melanie yelled, losing her temper.
"I'M SURPRISED THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO EVEN GRASP THAT POINT!!"
"WELL WE'RE NOT ALL PERFECT LIKE THE ALMIGHTY SIRIUS BLACK!!!"
"I'M NOT ALMIGHTY!!!"
"YOU'RE RIGHT, YOU'RE A–"
"I'M INCREDIBLE!!!"
"NO, I WAS THINKING MORE ALONG THE LINES OF–"
"QUIET!!!!!!!"
Sirius and Melanie breathed heavily as they turned to the two girls in the doorway. Lily and Anna stood there, both seeming to be out of breath. Lily's hair and clothes were rumpled; the ends of her scarf covered in mud from being dragged. She looked like she had just flown on a broom without bothering to tie her cloak, scarf, or hair securely. But her eyes…
Oh, they flashed like the raging storm forming outside.
Anna on the other hand just looked surprised. She looked immaculately beautiful as always, with pink cheeks and nose from the cold outside. Her layers of clothes seemed to keep the rest of the cold out.
"Sirius how did you get up here?" Anna asked curiously.
"That's what I'd like to know," Lily said, folding her arms. Her eyes never left Sirius. "As prefect, I'm going to have to report you."
Melanie jumped for the open opportunity. "I'll make a deal with you Black!" she said quickly. "If Lily doesn't report your presence in this dormitory – which is punishable by expulsion – then you won't pommel me."
Sirius narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. He stared at Melanie, searching for any hidden motives or loopholes. 'If I choose to pound her, then I face expulsion or a lot of detentions; if I choose to take her deal, than I get off the hook but no revenge…' Sirius suddenly grinned evilly. 'Well, maybe not revenge in this form… a different type of revenge will do… plus the time will let me make it extra special.'
"Deal," Sirius said holding out his hand. Melanie sighed in relief and shook it.
"But next time Roberts," Sirius said, backing out into the stairway, "you'll pay dearly."
"You know that he'll probably play some prank on you for revenge," Cassie said when Sirius was gone.
"Yah, but at least I know its coming," Melanie closed the door and walked to Cassie's bed to sit with her.
"What were you reading anyway?"
"Witch Weekly," Cassie replied nonchalant.
"But I thought you hated that magazine!" Anna explained, picking the copy up and leafing through it.
"You called them a bunch of 'stuck–up–people–who–think–they–know–everything–and–pry–into–celebrities–lives–just–for–fun'," Lily declared, coming to join the group. "Rose says 'Hi!' by the way."
"How's she doing?" Cassie asked.
It was the beginning of a conversation that didn't die until at least midnight.
(A/N:) That was a very short chapter… hmm. Alright, I have a question for you guys:
1. Would you like longer chapters (which sometimes means longer waits) or shorter chapters with sometimes shorter waits?
Anyway, I personally like longer chapters on stories but I would like to know what you want. Just curious. Also, I need opinions on some things: would you like me include a commentary at the beginning and end of the chapter by Sirius? It would be funny (I'll try!).
Oh well, all I have to say is review!!!