Lauralie Black and the Dragons of Yorkshire (YEAR 2)
By Lauren M. Snape
Chapter 7: Confessions and Confrontations
Remus sat alone then, staring into the fire. He knew that if he went after Sirius he would merely push more for Remus to tell him what had happened. And the more thought he put into it, the more he believed that it was a bad idea for Sirius to know the whole story.
Lily came and sat in a chair near him. The urge to confess had been always overwhelming in the presence of Lily. Something about her innocent green eyes made you want to spill the deepest darkest secrets of your soul. She didn't say anything, or ask anything, she just sat there gazing at him and waited.
Remus released a sigh. "I kissed Lauralie."
Whatever it was Lily had been expecting that must not have been it, as she looked quite surprised. "You what?"
He recounted the story for her, and she sat quietly and listened. "Wow. No one knows?"
"Well, I've not told anyone, though I am fairly sure Snape knows."
"That's why he was threatening you," she said as the pieces started to sort themselves out in her head. "Have you talked to her since then?"
Remus gave her a look. "Did you forget the line in the story where she said, in no uncertain terms, that she didn't want to know me anymore?"
"Rem, she was just angry, I'm sure now that she's calmed down she doesn't feel that way."
"Actually, I think angry is just a wee bit of an understatement there. Livid would more properly describe her frame of mind." He paused. "I mean, it's my fault. I don't know what came over me. I don't know what I was thinking."
"You weren't thinking."
"Thanks Lil."
She smiled. "Anytime."
"But you can see now why I don't want to tell Sirius."
Lily was silent for a moment. "I can see how he may not appreciate that," she said. "But you not telling him is making him angry as well."
"It's none of his business."
Lily laughed. "You see this is Sirius we are talking about. And the way he sees it since it involves one of his best friends and his sister, it is very much his business."
* * *
The party raging in the Slytherin common room was the biggest Lauralie had seen so far. Mike Sater and Ludo Bagman had gone out and reappeared with a stock of sweets and butterbeers. But the main difference Lauralie noticed was that this time she was getting a great deal of the attention.
"You saved the game Lauralie," Ludo boomed, slapping her on the back proudly. "I'll admit I had misgivings of putting you on the team, but you proved me wrong. Proved you could do it. No one can question your Quidditch skills anymore."
"Thanks Ludo," she said.
The only one there that didn't seem to be celebrating in the least was Rita Skeeter. Usually at this point in the party she would be throwing herself on every player she could get to. However, now she was sitting in a chair on the far side of the room, sipping a drink and basically ignoring everyone around her.
"Is Rita trying to be anti-social?" Lauralie asked.
"Who cares… chess?"
* * *
"You know everyone is here celebrating your victory and you are over here hiding, and playing chess," Mike Sater said, flopping into one of the chairs near the fire.
"We enjoy chess," Lauralie answered simply. She lay on the floor, propped up on a single elbow, her hair cascading over her back.
"So I suppose it would be a waste of time to try to ask you to come dance with me?"
"Yes," Severus answered for her without hesitation. Lauralie had to work not to laugh at the look of complete seriousness on his face.
"No thanks," she answered. "Thanks for the thought though."
Mike shrugged. "Suit yourself."
"You didn't have to say no on my account," Severus said as his rook overtook one of Lauralie's bishops.
"What? Even after you said no for me?" There was a tone of challenge in her voice.
Severus was silent for a moment. "Perhaps I overestimated my importance and influence in your life."
He was gazing down at the floor next to the chessboard. Lauralie placed her hand under his chin and forced him to look up at her.
"Don't be ridiculous," she said.
Severus suddenly felt very caught up in her eyes, and very aware of her fingertips under his chin. He raised his hand to hers, leaning towards her. He was almost sure he was imagining that she was leaning in as well.
An explosion on the other side of the room caused them both to jump back. The twins went by giggling and looking singed. Severus merely glared after them.
"I don't believe it!" Lauralie said suddenly.
"What?"
She ordered her Knight into place, before smiling up at him in a smug manner. "Checkmate."
Severus stared down at the board as she got to her feet.
"Dance with me." It wasn't a question, more a request.
Severus was gazing up at her with a look of horror on his face.
"I… don't … dance," he said in a strangled voice.
She was looking down on him calmly, the firelight reflecting in both of her eyes. She tossed her hair over her shoulder before speaking again.
"Then I guess I'll have to take Mike up on his offer," she said indignantly, turning to walk away.
She hadn't gotten two steps before Severus was on his feet, nearly tipping over one of the chairs in the process.
"Its just… I don't really know how to dance," he muttered as low as he could, reaching out to seize her arm.
"Don't be silly, I'll teach you," she said, her eyes glimmering in amusement as she lead him further into the large group of dancing Slytherins.
Severus was sure he had never felt so claustrophobic in his life. There were arms, legs, and torsos in every direction. It was like they were surrounded by a living, breathing wall of people.
"First of all, don't be so stiff," Lauralie said. Severus was dragged out of his thoughts as she reached forward and placed one hand each on Severus' hips. "Move your hips a bit."
Severus' breath caught in his throat as she forced him into motion. "I'm better at slow dancing," Severus admitted.
"You are doing fine." She smiled up at him as they danced.
They were talking over the music, he moved closer to her after a while. Yelling to be heard was getting tiresome. "I'm proud of you."
This had the exact effect he had been hoping for. She hugged him. "I couldn't have done it without you, you know that right?"
"I don't know about that."
Heads turned as the Common Room door slid open with the sound of grinding rock.
"Professor Lestrange, have you come to join the celebration," Lucius asked.
"Have you any idea what time it is," she asked. She was clutching her green dressing gown around her and looking severe.
"We're just having a little party, Professor."
"I don't mind you celebrating, but when McGonagall comes to tell me that I am not properly doing my job as Head of Slytherin house it is time for bed!" She let the words settle in, someone shut off the music. "I don't want to hear any more complaints about you lot tonight."
There was a mumbled chorus of "Yes, Professor.".
"Also, please note that anyone late to one of my classes tomorrow due to oversleeping will receive a week's worth of detentions. Goodnight!"
"Figures McGonagall would rain on our parade," Lauralie commented. "Guess it's off to bed."
Severus leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "Goodnight, Lauralie."
Narcissa bustled over and seized Lauralie by the arm. "Come on, I want to talk girl talk," she hissed, leading Lauralie away. "Night, Sev."
"What do you suppose that was about?" Lucius asked.
Severus shrugged. "Must be a girl thing."
* * *
Lauralie flopped down onto her bed, tossing her cloak onto her trunk. "Girl talk?"
"Yes, girl talk," Narcissa said, sitting tailor fashion at the other end of the bed. "It seems the only people you talk to anymore is Severus or the guys on the Quidditch team."
Lauralie was about to contest but changed tactics at the last second. "Really?"
"Lauralie!"
"Sorry! Its just that with practices and school"—
"And Severus," Narcissa added for her.
"What does Severus have anything to do with this?"
"Oh, please!" Narcissa rolled her eyes. "As if I don't see you two hugging, or him kissing you."
"On the forehead!" Lauralie interrupted.
"That's not the point, the point is Sev is completely in lust with you."
"Don't be silly," Lauralie said. "Sev and I are friends."
"Fine, be blind, but I see the way you look at him." Narcissa crossed her arms over her chest.
"And I see the way you look at Lucius, but you don't hear me jabbering on about how it is interfering with our friendship."
"You just had to bring Lucius into this didn't you."
Yes, because I think you are being unfair," Lauralie argued. "Severus and I are close, but so are you and Lucius."
"I just miss you," Narcissa said quietly.
"I'm sorry," Lauralie said. "I'll be better about it."
"Okay, thank you," she paused. "You don't happen to notice how Lucius looks at me do you?"
Lauralie had to fight off a fit of giggles. "I'm not good at reading Lucius' face. He's good at hiding how he feels."
"So is Severus, but you can always tell."
"That's because he's Severus."
"Oh, well silly me."
* * *
Lauralie walked into the Great Hall to be greeted by mild applause.
"Well that was different," she said, helping her self to some bacon.
"Right now you are every Hogwarts girl's role model," Lucius said.
"Always something else to put perfect Lauralie Black in the spotlight," Rita Skeeter hissed as she walked past.
Severus glared. "You mean there is always something else to make you jealous, Rita."
She ignored the comment and kept walking.
"Annoying prat," he said. "Just ignore her Laur, she's not worth it."
"I was ignoring her."
"I can't believe we are still behind in house points though," Narcissa said, with a sigh.
"Perhaps that is because the Gryffindors are so much more behaved than you all."
They turned to see Professor Lestrange, arms crossed over her chest, looming over them. For a split second Lauralie thought she looked an awful lot like a vulture.
It was always hard to tell if she was in a good or a bad mood.
"Hullo Professor," Lucius said, silkily. "What brings you down from the head table?"
"I wanted to talk to you four," she uncrossed her arms in one quick, smooth motion. "You all have found yourselves at the center of attention. And because of that you now have a responsibility."
"Because we all need more of that," Narcissa said.
Professor Lestrange continued as if she had not heard this. "You see those hourglasses? Notice something wrong with them?"
"Aside from the fact that the 'bronze' sand in the Ravenclaw hourglass is more gold than anything else?" Lucius asked.
"I've always wondered why they didn't use blue," Narcissa said.
Professor Lestrange slammed her hand on the table. "Let me make this as monosyllabic as possible," Lestrange hissed, menacingly. "Notice how the hourglass with the red sand has more sand in it than the one with the green sand. You need to make sure that doesn't remain so."
She stalked away with out another word.
"Monosyllabic has far too many syllables!" Narcissa called after her.
"Are you trying to get a poison slipped into your next potion?" Lauralie asked.
"Don't be silly, we're her golden group, you heard her," Lucius said. "She wants us to influence the rest of the house into staying in line."
"Actually, I think she just wanted to make sure we didn't pull anything that would lose points," Severus said.
"Us? Lose points?" Lucius laughed. "NEVER!"
* * *
"So why are you and Lauralie not speaking?"
Sirius had been springing this question, and many variations of it, on Remus all week in hopes of surprising an answer out of him.
James rolled his eyes. He gazed around the Library shelves around them. The tension in the room was so thick that he was sure that he could reach up and touch it if he wanted to.
He shifted his gaze to Remus, who had stopped reading, his eyes fixed at the same point in the book that it had been a moment before.
"You really do not want to know, Sirius," Remus said, his eyes remaining on the book.
"But I do."
"Fine." Remus looked up, meeting Sirius eyes. "I kissed her."
Whatever Sirius had expected him to say, that clearly was not it. It was a couple of moments before he responded, and even then all he said was: "You kissed her?"
"Yes."
Comprehension was filtering into Sirius' eyes. "That's what Snape was talking about," he said slowly. "That's why he threatened you, because you touched Lauralie without her permission."
Remus shifted his eyes away. "I wouldn't let her pull away, even though she tried," he said in a small voice. "She slapped me."
"You BASTARD!"
Sirius pulled his wand out but Remus was faster. "Expeliarmus!"
This, however, may not have been the best thought-out plan, as the now-wandless Sirius bodily flung himself at Remus.
The table they had been working at toppled over, sending papers, quills and ink everywhere. Sirius seized the collar of Remus' school robes and slammed him up against a bookshelf, heavy volumes rained down around them.
"Of all the girls in this school," Sirius growled. "You had to lay your filthy paws on the one that was my sister."
"I didn't mean to violate her, she just looked so beautiful that night," Remus mumbled. "I wanted…"
Sirius punched him hard in the face. "You are not allowed to want anything like that from my sister."
Remus punched him back. "I thought I was your friend, don't you trust me?"
"Not anymore," Sirius answered.
James tried to step into the fight that ensued, but it was no good.
He stood back and watched them tumble to the floor. Sirius, hair a mess, was hitting Remus unmercifully. Remus seemed to be taking far more than he was dishing. James had never seen the contrast between his two friends. Sirius was muscular, well toned from many Quidditch practices. Remus, on the other hand, was thin, bordering almost on sickly. He was weakened by the curse he was forced to endure for so long.
It was an unfair fight at best. They rolled along the library floor, bumping into table legs and knocking over chairs.
It was shortly after they managed to knock over a bookcase that Professor McGonagall and Madam Pince turned up.
"What on Earth is going on here?"
McGonagall seized Remus by the back of his robes, pulling him out of the fray. It took both James and Madam Pince to hold Sirius back.
"I am utterly appalled by your behavior." McGonagall said. "Physical fighting. Destruction of school property. And overall trying my patience. I could have you suspended for this."
Sirius and Remus looked away. Madam Pince looked too furious to speak, she was surveying the bits of book and paper strewn around the area.
"A hundred points from Gryffindor," McGonagall said. All three boys opened their mouths to protest. "For both of you. Two hundred total." She gave them a look so severe that they couldn't even think of saying anything. "And a week's worth of detention with me, together. I don't want to hear of any more problems, understand me?"
They both nodded.
"Potter, feel free to escort them to the Hospital wing for tidying up," she said, eyeing Remus' bleeding nose, and Sirius' cut lip. "I trust I don't need to tell you how completely disappointed I am in the both of you."
She turned and left, leaving the boys alone with their injuries.
~*************************************~
Author's Note: Super de duper thanks to Torias, who Beta read this chapter for me, and will hopefully continue doing so in the future.
ROLE PLAYER CALL: I am looking for anyone who is interested in getting into a role-playing organization revolving around this series. If you are interested in writing and role playing please email me at thetigressfatale@yahoo.com or IM me at TigrisSheerKahn
And, anyone want a preview of the next chapter? Here's a brief quote:
"It rose onto its massive hind legs, at its full height it towered over even the highest trees of the Forbidden Forrest.
Lauralie gazed up at it. She knew what was coming long before it happened. It opened it massive jaws and the last thing she saw was fire, then all was black."
Drooling yet?