Chapter 3: The Gift

When I went downstairs the next morning, everyone was talking about Harry's mistake at his Aunt and Uncle's. Apparently, he accidentally blew up his Aunt Marge… Heh. I sat down and asked for a muffin and some light coffee. Tom, the owner gladly gave me the meal, free of charge. The whole place went to a low whisper when Potter walked into the room. He still wore clothes that looked too big and his hair was untidy, like he never brushed it. It seemed to make him tense up knowing that everybody was watching him… talking about him. I kind of knew how he felt. He took the empty seat next to me, and put his forehead on the counter.

"I take it you're a little tired," I said jokingly, keeping my voice low so no one but him would hear.

He lifted his head a bit and looked intently at me. Our eyes meshed, his sharp emerald gaze seemed like he was judging me. I looked away, beginning to feel uncomfortable.

"Just a bit," he said. I felt relieved that he even replied; I was beginning to feel stupid.

"I'm Emi Bl-" I stopped and decided that saying my last name to him probably wouldn't be the best thing. "My name is Emi." I tried to recover, biting my lip I waited.

"I'm sure you know who I am," he laughed.

"Actually…" I smiled.

"Oh in that case…" he said wryly. "I'm Harry." He extended his hand to me and I shook it casually. We laughed a minute.

"Well. I got to get going. It was nice, um, "meeting" you Harry." I giggled and ran up to the room.

That's it Emi, make a totally fool out of yourself… I thought, splashing warm water on my face. Wake up. That wasn't you. I looked up into the mirror and shook my head, seeing the worn person across from me. It's not the same… Nothing here is you.

--

I caught Malfoy looking at me again. Everywhere I went he seemed to be there. It's kind of weird… He was a total jerk to everyone else, but a real sweet heart to me. Always trying to talk, or buy me things if he couldn't talk, which I gave back and told him to "Sod off." He gives off this loving vibe, though I know I should ignore it.

"Malfoy, what do you want?" I asked him, removing the book blocking his head.

I was in the bookstore, when I noticed a figure moving at the same speed behind the shelf I was looking at.

"Oh. Nothing I was just picking out a book for when I go back to school," he replied.

"Are you trying to come off as a idiot?"

"Because I read that makes me an idiot? Wow real mature there." I sighed and walked to the end of the bookshelf, of course Draco followed.

"You never quit do you?"

"I just wanna know why I'm an idiot?"

He was right and I went blank. Nothing I could have said could have helped me there. I was like a fish out of water. My cheeks went red as the blood rushed to my brain. He took a step closer; I stumbled back onto the end. I could feel his breath on my face now, making my stomach flutter. For some reason, there was proverbial sparks flying between us, and it made my body feel electric.

"I'm waiting Black." At those words, something clicked in my brain. He knows who my father is… My eyes nearly fell out of their sockets as I tried to recollect myself.

"How…" Nope… Not recollecting…

"I have my ways." I know I should have felt violated… I kind of was.

"And your point is?"

"Humph." Humph? That was it.

"My birthday is today."

This is true. Today I turn 13, August 15th. He put his hand against the wall, right above my shoulder and stared at my face. How was I supposed to resist him? I leaned in some and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. He startled back like I had done minutes before, mouth hanging open.

"Wha?"

"I needed some way to celebrate," I said smirking. I walked over to him and helped him close it with my hand. "You better close that before you catch flies."

My fingers lingered for a moment before I turned around and left the shop. Some of the girls around giggled as his eyes followed me out of the store. My knees felt weak- they were like jell-o. What had I just done? I had just made a fool of myself that's what. Never in my life have I been so embarrassed, or promiscuous.

"Blackie wait!" I heard Draco call back to me. I kept walking. I didn't want to face him again, at least not now… on the crowed street. "I said wait!"

"What!" I yelled, turning around to face him again.

"I just wanted to tell you… uhhh…"

"Spit it out I have places to be." He leaned in, like I had done to him and returned my kiss. I was a statue. Nothing in the world was going to make me move then. Everyone had seen that! Everyone! Oh, man, how humiliating.

"Happy Birthday." Then it was like he disappeared. The crowd pushed in between us, separating us. Yeah… Happy birthday to me…

--

Harry and I hung out. I watched him do his homework and listened while he explained some of it, as we kept getting free sundaes at the ice cream parlor. He went to the Quidditch supplies store a lot, and explained the game to me. I found it fascinating. The whole concept of playing games on flying broomsticks seemed like some kind of fairytale… though this whole week seemed to be one too. He told me about him being the youngest seeker in under a century, and about his Nimbus Two Thousand. The Firebolt in the window seemed to glow, grabbing the attention of everyone that passes by, especially Harry's.

"I should've known Malfoy would pay the Slytherins to get on the team," he said eyeing the Nimbus Two Thousand and One in the corner.

"Yeah. He seems like a total jerk," I complained. "I never want to know him."

My stomach did turns every time we mentioned Malfoy. I should have changed the subject, but no, I was stupid and I had to continue with it. But I have to say- anything about Draco intrigued me.

"He is. There's no one on this Earth that I hate more. I like the Dursley's more than Draco."

"Hmmm… Actually I'd rather have Draco instead of my aunt." He gave me a weird look and we pushed the door of the shop open. "Well, of course going off of what you've told me. He's probably jealous that you're better than him." Of course Malfoy was walking past us with a snooty looking woman. He shot me a weak smile then a death glare at Harry. I sighed with defeat. This is crazy.

One day we were deciding where we should go eat lunch… of course we had to stop by the Quidditch shop first.

"Harry! HARRY!" We drew our eyes off the broomstick to see two of Harry friends sitting at Florean Fortescue's. They were waving at him and smiling. One was a boy with flaming red hair and lots and lots of freckles. And the other was a young girl with long curly brown hair and tan. Suddenly I felt anti-social. No more people… please!

"Uhhh. Harry I think I'm just going to go back to my room." He looked puzzled.

"Why Emi?"

"I'm very tired." The truth is, I just didn't want to meet any more people. Yeah, his two friends are probably really nice, but I hate people looking at me like I have two heads. "I'll see you tomorrow on the Hogwarts Express! And if not, I'll see you at the feast!" I yelled as I walked in the direction of The Leaky Cauldron. When I looked back he wasn't there where I left him. Breaking into a run, I let my head swim with thoughts of alone time, muttering, "Excuse me" and "Sorry" the whole time while bumping into people.

"What can I get you Miss Black?" Tom asked me walking up to the counter wiping a glass. I climbed onto the tall bar stool and replied dryly.

"A new family origin," I said into my hands. He turned around and poured a cup of coco and placed it in front of me.

"On the house," he told me when I reached for my pocket. "Are you that scared about what people are going to think of you?" Tom gave a quizzical look.

"Not really. I usually ignore it, but now with him on the loose- People are most likely to think I had something to do with his escape."

"Now, how could an inexperienced witch like yourself help someone break out of Azkaban?" I shrugged my shoulders and took a sip of my hot chocolate, finishing it off, wondering if I should take offense to what he just said.

"People can be pretty stupid at times." I looked around. Not many inhabitants were here today. Then someone caught my eye. It was that guy from the other day, but this time he was looking straight at me. I narrowed my eyes to see if the same inscription was on the tattered briefcase. Professor R. J. Lupin. The name sounds familiar, but from where? I thought again.

"Another one Black?" I shook my head no and slid off the stool. I made my ways towards him, but it was him who initiated conversation.

"Emily Black?" he questioned me with great intensity, like I was a bomb that would explode at any minute. His eyes darted around the room, as if he was were searching for something other than me.

"How did you know?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. He took a seat in a booth and motioned for me to the same. "No thanks. I like standing better."

"You look just like your mother did when she was your age," he commented, grinning slightly. I just kept my mouth shut. "OK. I'm guessing you want to know who I am?" Did I? "I'm-"

"Professor R. J. Lupin," I interrupted. "I know who you are... it's written on your bag." I pointed to the bag. My feeble attempt to anger him wasn't working.

"You certainly have the wit of you father. I can't deny that."

"How do you know my parents?" I couldn't tell where this was leading. Actually I was a little freaked out. I haven't talked to many people who were so calm about speaking about my parents.

"I went to school with them. Both were Gryffindors, very good friends to the Potters. But perhaps you already know that."

"Of course. Who doesn't?" I made my voice low on the last part, hoping he didn't hear it. "I do wish you would sit."

"Why does me sitting down have to be so important? Last time I was told to sit down I was informed that my father had escaped, and look what that brought me?" I sat across from him and placed my hands on the table. "What do you want?"

"To let you know who I am," he stated. I stared at him, dumbfounded. What? Why?

"Er- Why?"

"I was a good friend of James Potter too." Good god. Don't "friends" of James Potter ever go away? I'm tired of people trying to confront me by using his death as an excuse.

"So? There are many people out there that claim that very same thing."

"And of your father," he continued.

"What?"

"We all were in the same group of friends."

"And that's what you wanted to tell me? That you know my father? Oh gee thanks." I got up and began walking towards the stairs but something stopped me. This guy could be the key to my past... my mother's death. I turned and went back to where he was sitting.

"Back so soon?" he asked, with a twinkle in his hazel eyes.

"How much do you know of my mother?" I took my seat again.

"You mum? Oh, your mother and Lily were easily the two most beautiful girls in the school. Well, next to Cara Rushvish," he said the last bit a little quieter, but the twinkle remained.

"I've heard that before." Rolling my eyes, blah blah blah.

"OK. She was never married to Sirius; they pretended to have a false marriage because of the birth of their first child, Alexzandyr. I presume you also knew that too." His face looked a little sad with the mention of my brother, the gleam in his eyes wasn't there anymore.

"My Aunt used to called my dad a "good-for-nothing-liar" and that my mother wasn't any better. So, to some extent I did. I just want to know how she died." He held his breath for a moment, his eyes staying plain.

"Have you ever heard of the "dark mark"?"

"No."

"It's a spell that formulates in the shape of a skull with snake coming out of it's mouth, that followers of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named used to cast it above houses of those they killed. It's fear throughout the entire Magic World. No one ever wants to see it again."

"OK." I was beginning to get bored, if he didn't start telling me information I wanted to actually hear, I'd leave again.

"Well, the night your father was sentenced to life in Azkaban, that mark appeared over your mother's house. She refused to go to trial because she didn't want to see Sirius like he was… in chains and looking miserable. The court wasn't going to make her take the stands if she didn't want to. I was on my way to see- er -check on her to see if she was alright and tell her the grave news when I saw it- the mark"

He drew in another breath again, and cracked his knuckles. The sound made me flinch a little. "I went inside and I saw Annie, your mother, lying on the floor. But the amazing thing is you and your brother were unharmed." He face looked paler than Malfoy's, like all the blood was suddenly drawn out of his face. "Except for a small cut on your neck."

"My neck?" I subconsciously rubbed the fading scar on my neck.

"Yes. All though I do not feel it is for the same reason Mr. Potter has his."

"Are you saying I did it to myself?" I demanded. "I was only a year old!"

"No, no, no. Calm down. Your brother has one just like it. Don't worry. I think it was the Death Eater's way of telling us you two were mortal. Maybe to make up for the fact Harry Potter lived." I closed my eyes tight and opened them again hoping this would be a dream. Harry Potter is The-Boy-Who-Lived and I… well I was The-Girl-Who-Didn't-Care.

"But why would they kill her?" I questioned, realizing I was still seated in the booth and was fully awake.

"To tell the truth, that is one of the questions I still ask myself. Why."

"You don't believe my father did it, do you?"

"What? Betray his friends, or murder 13 other people?"

"Any of it!"

"I'm not sure." Outrageous! How come everyone thought he was guilty! Lupin even went to school with him and thought he was!

"Didn't you trust him? I mean, believing for 12 years that one of your best friends is a Deatheater is kind of harsh…"

"I did trust him…"

"Then what changed?" I locked eyes with him for a second.

"Everything…"

"Well, I'm not sure if I should trust you. If you can't believe that your own friend is innocent how are you going to believe his daughter is?" I got up and left, this time not going back… without a glance.

I plopped down in a chair in my room and stared at the blank wall in front of me. Alexzandyr... I haven't seen him in almost seven years. My aunt had him sent away to some foster home in America. I shivered at the thought of him. I missed him, but something about him always bothered me...

--

"You ready kid?" The cab driver asked me as I closed the car door behind myself.

"Yeah." He looked back in the rearview mirror at my owl. She was flapping her wings rapidly and hooting, making it very hard to decipher what emotion she was telling us. He started the car and not much to later we were at King's Cross. I gave the cab driver the fee Dumbledore gave me and pulled the trunk on to a trolley. I got weird stares from passing people, but I decided to go with it. I don't suppose they saw a girl in black robes with an owl as a pet, everyday.

Searching for platforms nine and ten didn't take long but where was nine and three quarters. I stood there trying not to look too stupid, when I saw him, Draco Malfoy, and his parents, walking towards the very place I was standing. Not wanting to talk to him at the moment, I pulled my cart out of view and watched them carefully. They stopped at the pillar between 9 and 10, and moved sideways slowly until they hit the wall. Except they didn't hit the wall... they went right through it!

Oh I get it! I pushed my trunk and bird over to where the Malfoy family was just standing and leaned on the wall. I fell straight through and looked around. It was like I was in an entirely different station! In front of me was a red train with the words "Hogwart's Express" writing across it. 'Amazing.'

I loaded my trunk on the train and found a good compartment and immediately went to find Draco.