***This chapter is dedicated to all of my HP Diary Central writers. You guys are wonderful and a great inspiration. Keep up the good work!!!***
Lauralie Black and the Dragons of Yorkshire (YEAR 2)
Chapter 3: Rumours and Reprimands
* * *
"What part of 'we are running late' did you miss?" Rainelda Black shouted up the stairs.
"The part where that applies to us," Lauralie shouted back.
Rainelda shot an exasperated look at the boys.
They all shrugged.
"Girls," James mumbled.
Severus sighed. "I'll go get them." He looked at Lucius as if expecting him to volunteer to go with him.
"Don't look at me," Lucius said. "If you want to go into the lions' den then you are on your own."
Severus rolled his eyes before marching up the stairs. As soon as he opened Lauralie's door he had a bag shoved into his hands.
"Carry that," Lauralie said, strolling out of the room.
"OK, time to go," Narcissa declared, following Lauralie.
Severus merely groaned and followed them out the door.
* * *
The Hogwarts' Express chugged quietly along the British country side. Lauralie sat quietly reading Advanced Potions for the Adventurous Soul.
"You are awfully quiet lately," Severus said.
Lauralie looked up to realize that Narcissa and Lucius had vanished from the compartment. And Severus was looking at her with great concern.
"I'm fine," she mumbled, trying to turn back to her book.
"You're lying," he said firmly.
Lauralie looked up into his eyes and nearly had to turn away. There was just something about Severus Snape's eyes that made you want to confess your deepest darkest secrets.
"You ever just have an odd feeling that something is brewing?" she asked. "You can't explain what, or even why, but you can feel it building inside of you?"
"Something is going to happen this year?" Severus said. It was less a question and more a statement.
Lauralie nodded.
"You know, Hogwarts wasn't nearly as interesting before you got there," he said.
Lauralie couldn't help but laugh.
"What is so funny?" Lucius asked, as the compartment door slid open.
"oh nothing," Lauralie answered. "Where have you two been?"
"To see Ludo," Lucius said, taking a seat. "We lost a chaser."
"What? Why? No on graduated!" Severus exclaimed.
"Bulstrode transferred to Durmstrang," Lucius answered.
"Well, who are we going to get to replace him?" Severus asked. "All of the chasers who'd tried out last year were not good enough to play."
"Well the first years from last year will be able to try out," Narcissa said. "I am sure someone will manage."
Lauralie hid a small smile.
"And I thought we were set for this year," Severus groaned.
Lauralie stood. "I am going to go pay a visit to the little girl's room," she said. "Try not to have a coronary while I'm gone."
She exited the compartment sliding the door closed. She leaned gently against the wall, the beginnings of an idea slowly forming in her mind.
"Do I want to know why you have that self-satisfied grin on your face?"
Lauralie nearly jumped out of her skin.
"Hello Remus, you are looking better."
"Why thank you," he said, bowing slightly. "How have you been? How was your birthday?"
"I loved the book," she said, answering the question he truly wanted to ask.
He smiled. "Good, I'm glad," he said.
They made their way down the hallway.
"You came all the way down here because?" she asked.
"Oh, I was just looking for Lily," he lied smoothly.
Then, as if on cue, Lily came storming down the corridor.
"THERE you are, you left the compartment half an hour ago, we thought you'd gotten lost in the bathroom," she rambled.
"Looking for Lily?" Lauralie echoed in a whisper.
He shrugged sheepishly.
"Hullo Lauralie," Lily said. "How have you been?"
"OK," Lauralie answered.
"You don't mind if I steal Remus away do you?"
"Oh, no, I'm sure I'll make due without him," Lauralie said. "I was just heading this way. I'll see the both of you later."
Remus had a look of 'Why don't I get a say in this?' on his face.
As soon as Lauralie was out of earshot Lily spoke again.
"And how long were you standing outside her compartment waiting for her to come out?"
Remus opened and closed his mouth a couple times before letting out an exasperated sigh. "Fifteen minutes."
"How cute," Lily said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "You do realize that Sirius would murder you if you tried to pursue his sister don't you?"
"Pursue?" Remus laughed. "What are you on about? Laur and I are just friends, besides, who's ever heard of third years actually dating. It's nothing!"
Lily narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"Is there a reason you came to fetch me?" he asked. "Or were you just playing babysitter?"
"Oh," she said, suddenly put back on track. "Gildie stopped by the compartment to give Bridget a dozen roses."
"That boy will NEVER learn will he?"
"He thinks he's God's gift to women," Lily said. "Bridget just doesn't agree."
"So how many people did it take to restrain her?"
"Just Sirius actually," she answered with a slight smile. "I'm surprised she didn't go all giggly and lovesick when he touched her."
They both erupted into laughter.
What they didn't notice was Rita Skeeter emerging from a compartment near where they had been speaking. She sang quietly to herself. "Lauralie and Remus sitting in a tree." She laughed. "Severus and Sirius won't be pleased."
* * *
The Great Hall was all a bustle as the students took their seats. Every one was rowdy, having been reunited with old friends.
"I wonder if this year's sorting will be as interesting as last years?" Lucius pondered out loud.
"Doubtful," Severus answered. "Looks like a pretty average group, don't they?"
Lauralie gazed down the line of new students. There were a pair of identical twin girls among the crowd. And a girl who stood out because of her deep deep red hair and the intense scowl she had on her face.
Definitely a Slytherin!
As the sorting began Lauralie found herself taking note only of the names of the new Slytherins and no one else.
The four new Slytherin boys were Aaron Diggle, Fox Martin, Taylor Bennington and Benny Bogsworth.
Girls who joined the table were Kelli and Kelsi Karrington, the twins Lauralie had noticed. The scowling girl: Nichelle Krimson, and Sadora Sellers.
The twins made it quite clear that they were going to be the new pranksters of the house shaking Ludo's hand with a magical hand buzzer. He hiccuped throughout the rest of the feast.
"I told Mom we'd be in Slytherin," Kelsi said to Sadora.
"She wanted Ravenclaw," Kelli added.
"Could be worse," Ivy Centaury, a girl in Severus and Lucius' year, said. "She could have wanted you to be a Gryffindor."
Nichelle was gazing down the table ignoring the conversation.
"Who is that?" she asked suddenly, nodding towards where Lauralie was sitting.
"Oh, that's Lauralie Black," Ivy answered. She waved to Lauralie who waved back warmly. "She's a second year now."
"She seems so popular," Sadora commented.
"She is. Powerful too. If there are any Slytherins you don't want to cross, it is that group right there."
* * *
Sleep! Please! Lauralie rolled over once more.
She had been lacking sleep for the past couple weeks. Ever since Diagon Alley it seemed.
And when she did sleep she had strange dreams. Images of dragons, and destruction… a pair of fiery red eyes…
Lauralie sat up in bed. "Fine. I give up," she whispered to herself.
She slipped silently down the stairs to the common room, pulling her cloak on as she went.
The common room was deserted as usual at that time of night.
She gazed absently into the fire. What's happening to me?
* * *
There was an unusual amount of whispering when Lauralie arrived at the table for lunch on the first day of classes. She was too tired, however, to pay it much mind. She didn't realize anything at all was amiss until she caught sight of the scowl on Severus' face.
"What's wrong with you?" she asked, startled.
He didn't answer. That's when he realized he wasn't scowling at her, but over her shoulder. She followed his line of sight to the Gryffindor table. He was glaring at Remus.
Lauralie was utterly bewildered at this point. She gazed along the Gryffindor table and realized her brother was missing. She scanned the room to find him talking to Rita Skeeter off near the doors to the hall.
"What is going on?" Lauralie asked finally.
"Rita is just telling Sirius about you and Remus," Lucius answered rather stiffly.
"Me and Remus?"
"It seems she witnessed the two of yours rendezvous on the Hogwarts' Express," Severus hissed.
"Rendezvous?" Lauralie asked. "What on Earth has she told you people?"
"She says she saw the two of you kissing in the corridor," Ivy Centaury leaned over and whispered.
"NONSENSE!"
But no one seemed to hear this as all eyes were diverted across the room to Sirius who seemed VERY perturbed by the news Rita had just delivered him.
He stormed over to the Gryffindor table and pulled the chair right out from under Remus, who came crashing to the floor.
"Oh no," Lauralie gasped.
"I hope Sirius knocks him unconscious," Severus hissed.
"SEVERUS!" she practically shouted. "That is uncalled for. Nothing ever happened with Remus and I. It is just Rita trying to cause problems."
Severus tried to hide his relief. Not that it mattered because Lauralie was on her way to the Gryffindor table by now.
"I asked you yesterday," Sirius snarled. "If there was something going on."
"What are you TALKING about?" Remus asked, getting to his feet.
"You and Lauralie," Sirius snapped. "KISSING in the corridor of the Hogwarts' Express."
"Lauralie and I have never kissed," Remus said. "Ever."
"Someone SAW you," Sirius said, he was moving forward again but suddenly Lauralie was standing in front of Remus.
"Here to save your boyfriend Laur?" James asked.
"Shut up Potter," Lauralie snapped.
"Get out of the way Lauralie," Sirius said.
"Why so you can beat up one of your BEST friends because Rita Skeeter thought it would be fun to try to cause problems?"
"Why would she lie about this?" he growled. "What on Earth is she getting out of it?"
"You are so bloody frustrating," she hissed.
"I'm just trying to protect you," Sirius said, suddenly a bit tender.
"I can protect myself," she replied.
He sighed. It was then that he realized that all eyes in the Great hall were gazing at him. This didn't seem to phase Lauralie a bit.
"I'm just trying to be a good brother," he said, almost sheepishly.
"You are, you just get carried away sometimes," she said. "Now if you will excuse me, there is someone who needs to learn a lesson."
She walked calmly across the length of the Great Hall to the Slytherin table where Rita was sitting.
Rita stood up and laughed. "Oh come on Lauralie it was just a little joke," she giggled. "Lighten up."
Lauralie slapped her across the face. The sound of it echoed through the hall. "I'm not laughing Rita."
Rita was scowling now, she reached her arm back and balled it into a fist but before she could fling it forward Remus was there, holding her arm.
Lauralie growled. "What is with everyone thinking I'm a pitiful little girl who can't fight my own battles?" she hissed at him.
He looked stunned. She stormed out of the Great Hall, the enormous doors slamming behind her. Rita grinned at him with satisfaction. He released her wrist in disgust and went to follow Lauralie.
He caught up with her in one of the dungeon passages.
"Lauralie, please wait up," he called, running down the passage.
She stopped but was scowling at him, her hands crossed firmly against her chest.
"Look, I'm sorry."
"For which thing?" she snapped. "Thinking I was helpless, or feeding Rita a bunch of stories so that you could boost your ego."
Remus stepped back, stunned.
"How could you ever think I would feed Rita such nonsense," he snapped.
"Well who else would Remus?"
This wasn't going at all like he had hoped. He didn't want more fighting, just a lot of making up. He didn't know what to say to that.
"I thought I could call you my friend," she hissed. "Clearly I can't."
"Clearly," he echoed.
She sat stunned. He'd agreed with her. "Fine then Remus," she said, trying not to let the sadness in her heart show. "If this is the way you want it."
She walked away then, and he didn't stop her. Every bit of him told him to stop her, but he didn't. Suddenly he turned around and punched the stone wall full force. "This was never the way I wanted it," he said, rubbing his injured hand.
* * *
Author's Notes: Mwa ha ha ha ha. Special thanks to Michelle for her brilliant brainstorming abilities. She's managed to get a whole nice subplot going that will be lots of fun. Not so much for Remus and Lauralie, but we'll enjoy it.
Next chapter: Remus and Lauralie want to make up, but everyone feeds them stories to convince them not to, but what happens when they run into each other alone? Oh, and QUIDDITCH TRY-OUTS!