By Knowing Angels
Summary: Viviana and Halia thought they would have an uneventful summer
mourning the death of Sirius Black. Until he came out of the
closet...literally. HP/OC. NOT A SLASH!
Chapter Three: Gang Aft Agle
Halia looked over to at Viviana and (unsuccessfully) suppressed a giggle. When Viviana's gaze met Halia's, she too snickered indiscreetly. And so began an avalanche of wild laughter. After a murderous glare from Derrick, both girls ducked around to the back of the car and took deep breaths, trying to calm themselves. After several failed attempts, they succeeded.
"Are you two quite done?" Sirius asked dryly, not even bothering to look over at the girls.
"Nearly," Viviana replied in a rather chipper voice.
"Oh, hell," Halia responded. "I'm not."
"I still don't get what you two are laughing about," Derrick replied from somewhere in the engine.
Halia and Viviana caught one another's eyes once more and dissolved into laughter.
"Oh, honestly," Sirius snapped, now a bit peeved. "For Godric Gryffindor's sake, Derrick, put your shirt back on!"
"It's hot up here, though!" Derrick protested. "I'm the one who's fixing the engine, after all!"
Sirius stalked away from three other young people, muttering something about teenagers and hormones. Finally Viviana and Halia got themselves under complete control. After a moment, they heard Derrick's voice.
"When is the last time you got the oil changed, Viviana?"
"Uh..." Viviana replied, her head tipped to the side. "Two months ago?"
"No," Halia cut in slowly, "that was my car. We haven't changed your oil since Spring Break."
"Oh, that's right."
Derrick emerged from the front of the car, glaring at the two girls. The effect was somewhat lost, however, because the girls were gaping openly at him. He had indeed taken off his shirt to check the engine, and the girls couldn't help but notice how well he looked.
"Have we told you lately that you're hott, Derrick?" Viviana wondered aloud.
"I know, I'm only good to look at," Derrick assured her, though his voice was dripping with sarcasm.
"Oh, don't be so hard on yourself," Halia chided, standing up. "You're handy for fixing cars, too."
"Damn good thing, too," Derrick snapped. "You should be getting your oil changed once a month. They even give you a little sticker that tells you when to change it. Ever notice it?"
"I didn't know it was that important," Viviana protested.
"Well, it is! Now we have to walk to the nearest town, which we passed half an hour ago, and get oil for this piece of crap!" Derrick shouted.
"My car is not a piece of crap!" Viviana yelled back. "Why don't you just use water?"
"Because if you use water, the entire engine will melt together! Why don't girls know anything about cars?" Derrick replied scathingly.
As soon as Sirius heard the shouting, he hurried back to where the car was. Halia, on the other hand, had edged away from the two. She'd seen their fights before, and refused to be part of another. So Sirius found the two irate teenagers looking as if they were about to pull wands and duel.
'Except they aren't wizards,' Sirius reminded himself. 'They're not like Harry.'
"What's the matter, you two?" Sirius calmly inquired, checking his own temper.
"Blondie here hasn't had her oil changed in about three months. Now we have to walk back to the nearest town, which will take hours, to get some," Derrick explained with a glare.
"I am not blonde," Viviana snapped.
"Had me fooled," Derrick sneered.
"Alright, let's just get going," Sirius suggested diplomatically. "Arguing won't get us there faster."
"Halia!" Viviana called. "Where are you?"
"I was hiding out," Halia replied while climbing out of the car.
"Right. Well, we're going to walk back to the next town. Grab our purses, okay?" Halia reached back into the car and tossed Viviana's purse to her. Then the four started down the road in not so companionable silence.
"This is entirely your fault, Vivi," Derrick accused after about twenty minutes.
"Stuff it, Derrick," Viviana and Halia chorused.
Two hours later, the foursome arrived in town. Derrick had once more removed his shirt. Halia and Viviana had taken off their sweatshirts, all sense of modesty abandoned. Sirius was still fully clothed, but he was beginning to consider following the young people's examples.
"So," Viviana began tersely, "where does one buy oil?"
"From a hardware store," Derrick drawled as if speaking to a small child.
Viviana glared at him once again and Halia said consolingly, "Don't worry, Vivi, I didn't know either."
Derrick leveled another sour look at the girls and entered a store on their left. A neon sign that read Dave's Hardware (with several lights burnt out) was flickering. A few mosquitoes could be heard buzzing around in the hot night air. Sirius, Viviana, and Halia followed Derrick in the store.
"Oil's in aisle six," A short, fat and balding man with grease stains on his shirt was saying.
"Thanks," Derrick said curtly and stalked off. Viviana and Halia offered the clerk small smiles and hurried after Derrick. Sirius followed close behind the girls, frowning as he saw the man leer at the two girls.
"Here," Viviana said taking the oil can from Derrick, "I'll buy it."
"All right," Derrick replied. He thought it better not to mention that he would have made her anyways. After all, better to let her think she was being benevolent.
They made their way up to the cash register where the man gave the girls no trouble after a poisonous look from Sirius and Derrick. They exited, with Derrick bemoaning, "Now we have to walk all the way back to the car!"
Halia, with her gaze focused on a group of teenage boys loitering in the parking lot drawled slowly, "We'll see about that."
Fixing a disarming smile on her face, she sauntered over to the group. Viviana watched on with a mixture of horror and awe as her friend flirted easily with the boys, who apparently were playing right into her hands. After a moment she smiled again and walked back to their group.
"They said they have room for two. They're heading that way, anyways," Halia said in a triumphant tone. "Vivi and I will go to the car, change the oil, and drive back for you two, okay?"
"Derrick and you will go," Sirius interrupted curtly. At Halia and Viviana's confused looks he clarified, "I was a teenage boy once, too. I'm not sending two girls with a group of sixteen year olds."
"They're eighteen," Halia corrected.
"Derrick's going."
"Oh, fine."
"Besides, Lia," Derrick added while slinging an arm over her shoulder, "neither of you will know how to change the oil."
"Point."
At the approach of Halia and Derrick, the boys exchanged uneasy glances. Apparently they hadn't been expecting the girl's "friend" to be male. Seeing their looks Derrick tightened his hold slightly on Halia, who gave him a scathing look. When had he become so possessive?
"Well," said the driver, who Halia introduced as Dan, "get in, you two."
"Thanks so much, Dan," Halia said with a sweet smile as she took a seat in the back. "We really appreciate your help."
"Yeah," Derrick said as he pushed Halia over to the window and sat next to her, "thanks." Halia once again glared at Derrick and turned to look out the window in moody silence.
Forty minutes later Viviana saw her car rolling down the road. Viviana could tell Halia was speeding by the way the dust billowed behind the car. The tires screamed as Halia jammed on the breaks and pulled the car to a stop. After shutting off the engine she stepped out saying, "Good as new!"
"Not that it'll last long the way you drive," Derrick complained.
"Oh, stop griping," Halia snapped. "I've had enough of you for tonight." Tossing the keys to Viviana she added, "I'm tired. You can drive."
"Damn," Viviana replied. "I was hoping to sleep." Looking to Sirius she asked, "You can't drive, can you?"
"Only flying motorcycles and I haven't seen that in sixteen years."
Viviana and Halia looked at one another for a moment and then nodded. Tossing the keys over to Derrick Viviana warned, "Just don't get us into an accident."
Derrick grinned and slid into the driver's seat while Sirius took shotgun. Halia and Viviana climbed into the backseat where they attempted to get comfortable. Soon they were fast asleep as Derrick drove them to the nearest airport under the pre-dawn sky.
Viviana was chatting lightly with a dark haired boy with bright green eyes and glasses. They were sitting by a lake, throwing bread to something in it. Suddenly he turned his gaze to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. His expression was solemn and determined. He murmured something as he looked away from her, over her shoulder. Then his face was hard set and on the verge of panic. He was shouting her name and shaking her.
"Vivi! Vivi!"
Her eyes snapped open to see Halia leaning over her, looking concerned. Looking over Halia's shoulder Viviana could see Sirius and Derrick looking back at her with worried expressions from the front seat. Halia backed up, letting Viviana sit up.
"Are you okay?" Halia asked with a confused look. "I just shook you a little to wake you up, and you nearly knocked me out!"
"Sorry," Viviana responded with a frown. "I was still dreaming, I guess."
"I see. Well, we're at the airport," Derrick informed her while getting out of the car.
An hour and forty five minutes later, the foursome was back at the car. Sirius was in a foul mood, muttering darkly about Muggle methods of traveling. Halia and Viviana were doing their best to avoid the older man. Surprisingly, Derrick was the calm one.
"It's no big deal," he assured Sirius in a pacifying tone, "we'll just find a hotel to stay in overnight. We'll leave first thing tomorrow morning."
"You don't understand," Sirius snapped. "I haven't seen my godson in two years. His seventeenth birthday is coming up, and I have to be there!"
"Mr. Black," Halia interjected timidly, but cut herself off at Sirius' glare.
"Don't call me Mr. Black. My father was Mr. Black."
"Uh...right...sorry," Halia apologized haltingly. "I just...I know you miss Harry and all but I'm sure you'll be there on time."
"Let's just find somewhere to sleep," Sirius commanded moodily, getting into the car. The three teenagers exchanged wary glances before slowly climbing into the car.
The strangeness of the situation was beginning to dawn on them all. A strange man had come out of Viviana's closet, who they had all assumed to be Sirius Black. The fact still remained however, that no proof had been offered. Now they were stuck with an angry stranger. They each were wondering, a little too late, what they had gotten themselves into.
The hostess at the hotel was shooting impatient glances at the four standing before her. The two girls looked uneasy, the boy was giving them an amused smirk, and the man was in a bad temper about something. With a sigh the hostess asked her question again.
"Would you like one or two rooms?" She was shooting strange glances between the girls and Sirius.
With a flush, Viviana realized what it must look like to her. Forcing her voice to stay calm, she turned to Sirius and said, "I dunno, Dad, what you think?"
Sirius frowned at the title, but responded as casually as possible, "Two, I suppose."
The girl behind the desk raised an eyebrow at them, but then was busy with the computer. After typing for a moment, she handed over two hotel keys.
"Rooms 309 and 310. I put you in adjoining rooms, but you can lock the doors if you'd like," She informed them brusquely.
"Thank you," Halia and Viviana murmured as they picked up their suitcases. They followed Sirius and Derrick into the elevator they were holding. Once the doors were closed, all three teenagers turned to Sirius. The raven haired man raised his eyebrows at them, and they exchanged uneasy glances.
"Listen, Sirius," Viviana began uneasily, "I realize this is after- the-fact and a bit awkward, but we need to know: how can we be sure you are who you say you are?"
Sirius considered them silently for a moment. Just when Viviana was sure that he wouldn't respond he smiled cynically and stated definitively, "You can't. You're right-I could be anyone. I'd like to point out how foolish it was for you to come all this way with a stranger who you didn't even trust," at this point he sent each a withering glare, "each of you. However," he continued with an almost sarcastic smirk, "I wouldn't have gotten this far if not for you three, so I suppose I have your foolishness to thank.
"Like I said, I can't convince you that I'm Sirius Black, but I can tell you that I'm from the wizarding world," Sirius continued, irritated, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small sack. He tossed it to Derrick, who caught it deftly. "There are Ten Gallons, seventy Sickles and six Knuts in there. As a Wizard, I can give you a Wizard's Oath that I will not harm any of you."
Halia and Viviana exchanged uneasy glances, still not completely convinced. He did have money that matched the description of the currency in the books. They didn't know much about Wizard Oaths, though. For all they knew, they didn't exist. Sirius saw that they still weren't convinced, and sighed in frustration.
"Here," He said, tossing one key to them. "You three can stay in your own room. I'm not asking you to travel to England with me, either. All I ask is that you get me on the air pain."
"Airplane," Halia automatically corrected. Sirius waved his hand dismissively.
"And I'm coming," Viviana added. "I know our house was locked, and Halia was in the closet a moment before you came out of it. I want to know what happened."
"Me too," Halia agreed. They both turned to Derrick.
"There's no way I'm letting you two wander around England on your own," He informed them. The doors opened with a ding, and the four moved down the hall to their rooms. The three teenagers said their goodnights to Sirius and walked into the room.
In half an hour, all three were washed up and in their pajamas. Halia and Viviana had their own beds, while Derrick had grudgingly taken the couch. With a yawn, Viviana turned over and fell asleep. This time she didn't dream.
Early the next morning all four were rushing into the airport. Their plane didn't leave for another five hours, but they wanted to be sure nothing went wrong. They were halfway up a flight of stairs when Viviana stopped short with a gasp.
"We don't have passports!"
Sirius swerved around to look at Viviana in confusion, "What do you mean? Why do we need passes?"
"Not passes," Halia replied with a groan, "Passports. We can't leave the country without them!"
"Sweet Merlin," Sirius growled, putting his head in his hands. "We're never going to make it for Harry's birthday."
A/N: (Angel Black) Well, there you have it. And only three months after it was promised!...sorry. Anyways, sorry about how choppy it was at the end. My mind was whirring around faster than I was typing. So hopefully Never Knowing will be so kind as to fill in whatever holes I made this chapter with her next. So, go on and yell at her to get a move on!!
(Never Knowing) Now it is my turn to thank Annah. Thank you ever so much for the new problem that needs fixing. I'm jumping with joy over the events that have taken place. Okay, so she finally got it out. That's good. Hopefully it won't take me that long to get out Chapter Four. But blame AP English if it does. Or perhaps my lack of Spell-Check. Or the fact that I feel like I have SARS.
Reviewer Thanks/ Answers:
KatFay: Our sincerest apologies for opening new wounds. We regret to have caused mental damage to you. And now, three months later, is the update.
Raven Dragonclaw: We're very pleased you think so! AB says: Oh that's so sweet, isn't it Callie? NK says: Thank you, even though Annah truly regrets not updating quickly. AB says: I'm sorry. I'm a horrible procrastinator.
Alura: AB says: At least someone finds us amusing. NK says: Add one to the 'People who Think We're Amusing' list! Total now equals 7. AB asks: Who are the other six? NK replies: Erm...
Luna: NK says: High five! We got intrigue! AB says: At least we're not inspiring. That would be creepy, eh? NK says: True dat. AB says: Fo shizzle.
Mysticaldreams: There was quite a discussion between the two of us on how to reply to this. An argument ensued, in which we fought over who the original creator of the premise for this story. Let it be said that we have come to the conclusion that we are in fact the same person, and have both become frightened by the implications. It's really weird. So we decided to move on.
Book Worm: You are hereby sent to Handy Land.
KatFay: You again! We can absolutely guarantee that Vivi is neither Voldemort's or Tom Riddle's daughter. Wizards' Oath included.
Black-Moodring: Well, here's your update. And we're still disturbed about sharing the same mind.
Andyquack: If tomorrow never comes I would want just one thing I would tell it to the stars and the sun I would write it for the world to see And it's Youuuuuuuuuuuuu The light changes when you're in the room Oh it's Youuuuuuuuuuu Oh it's You.
When nobody understands You come and take the chance, Andy You get me You look into my wild mind Never knowing what you'll find Still you want me all the time, yea you do Cause youuuuuu get me
It's not the pale moon That excites me That thrills And delights me Oh no, it's just the nearness of Monkey!
Tuesday Morning In the dark I was finding out Who you are Who you aaaaaare
You're our Prince Charming!