In Which Artemisia Receives a Gift
LadyLindselot
The Marauders, Artemisia, Althea, and a pensive Lily trudged to there seats.
Long, oak tables sprawled the length of the Great Hall. The staff table was adorned with a black velvet runner bearing Hogwarts crest and gold tasseled points. Banners sporting a lion, raven, snake, or badger hung from the enchanted ceiling that now resembled the star-speckled sky outside. Torchlight danced along the stone walls and gave off pleasant warmth that was a great relief from the crisp autumn air outdoors. The headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, sat regally but casually with the rest of the staff surrounding him. To Lily, his robes shifted from amber, to crimson, to gold, and to tangerine like the color of the autumn maple trees back home in Surrey, offsetting his vibrant and sparkling azure eyes.
Suddenly, he glanced up from his conversation with Professor Thistlethorp, the herbology teacher and looked over with interest at the grand doors of the hall.
All the students turned their heads, following his lead, and looked expectantly at the doors. The scrape of a the doorknob turning and being abruptly pushed open by a dark haired witch with stern gray eyes and high cheek bones made everyone in the hall smile. Professor Minerva McGonagall herded a mass of nervous first years walk shyly through the center isle between the Gryfindor and Hufflepuff tables.
"Now, when I call your name I want you to put on the hat." She lifted the ragged and patched witch's hat off the stool. The transfiguration teacher looked down at a papyrus scroll that curled daintily at the edges.
"Ardis, Tabitha."
"Ravenclaw!" Screeched the hat at a ripped seam near the wide brim. The students at the far right clad in bronze and blue ties and banners sporting a proud eagle waved and cheered the new Ravenclaw first year to their table.
"Chang, Li Nah."
"Hufflepuff!" The table beside the Ravenclaws exploded into applause as a blushing Li Nah scurried to join their ranks.
"Noctis, Ares."
"Slytherin." Polite applause was dulled out by the noise made at the table on the far left. Fortunately, it covered the boos and cuss words that were called from the Gryfindors. Ares trudged with dark eyes downcast and slumped into a seat beside Severus Snape.
Sirius leaned over the table to James and whispered loud enough so James, Peter, and Remus could hear. "They make quite a couple, Snivellis and that new guy, Arses, or something." The boys sniggered. Both Lily and Artemisia pointedly ignored Sirius's remark and kept their eyes determinedly on the Sorting Hat.
After the last first year was sorted, ("Ziemmer, Kirana!" "Hufflepuff!") Albus Dumbledore leaned over the dark wood table at the students who sat before him. His long, white beard trailing him and half-moon spectacles glinting, the headmaster said simply, "Tuck in."
Golden platters appeared before all the young witches and wizards. Amber encrusted goblets and pitchers filled with milk, water, pumpkin juice, and butterbeer materialized to the awestruck first years that shouted in surprise. Glazed turkey, roasted ham, and fried chicken were heartily gobbled up and soon the Great Hall was filled with the familiar sound of utensils and idle chatter.
The marauders were leaning over the table, probably discussing what they were planning to do that night or what kind of prank to play for the first time in that semester. Artemisia, on Lily's right, was conversing with her twin brother in hushed tones. He had come over from the Ravenclaw table somewhere in the middle of Sirius's third helping of haggis and sweet potatoes.
Unconsciously, she glanced over at the Hufflepuff table, at a small gaggle of giggling and chattering seventh years. Unsurprising to Lily, Althea was in the midst of all of them constantly turning her head to address or laugh at someone who sat around her.
"It doesn't bother me. It doesn't bother me one bit." She repeated under her breath as a mantra. She stared down at her chicken smothered in chunky gravy. "It doesn't bother…Oh, hell." Lily scowled down at her plate.
She thought about what Artemisia would say if she knew that Lily was inwardly pining. She glanced up at her friend who was now shaking her head emphatically, fear in her violet eyes at Apollo, who's equally violet eyes were dancing wickedly. Instantly, she knew what the fiery, dark-haired girl would say.
"Now that you're Head Girl, Lily, we can go into the restricted section of the library and look up hexes and curses to throw at them. I got this great book this summer called Revenge: The Tome of Curses and Hexes for Retaliation at Flourish and Blots this summer and I marked this one about making hair grow out of the nose and ears and armpits for a week! Or this one, that makes you shoot out boogers and snot every time you say a certain word…" That's what Artemisia would do, something to slap into Althea's face and non-to subtly, either. Ergo, she would do something extravagant and flamboyant to make Althea a laughing stock.
"Oy, Evans, trying to telepathically make your chicken explode, or something? You've been staring at your food for like, ever and making the most hilarious faces in the world!" Sirius laughed so hard that spittle combined with now thoroughly mashed sweet potatoes sprayed onto Peter's robes.
"Hey!" squeaked Peter indignantly. He tried wiping off the regurgitated food off his neatly pressed robes with his sleeve with a sulking look on his face.
The headmaster clanked his goblet to get the school's attention. The last of the food disappeared from the plates leaving them polished and tidy. Sirius, who was holding two drumsticks in both hands, looked at the professor loftily. "Om ot don 'et!" He complained his mouth full. Peter ducked the food missiles by diving under the table and huddling with his knees to his chest, looking thoroughly disgusted.
Albus's eyes twinkled but ignored Sirius's blunt statement. "All students are to return to their common rooms after lights out." Some people snorted and looked pointedly at the Marauders at the Gryfindor table who smiled and winked cheekily.
"Our caretaker, Mr. Vice-Meyer," he gestured to the back of the hall to a tall, lanky, and sour looking man. He had stringy hair and a large nose. "Will insure this, along with the Prefects and Heads. Good night to you all, and please follow you're house Prefects to the dormitories." He bowed away from his audience.
Crispen McGravy and Leda Acropolis, the two Gryfindor prefects, herded the mob up to the staircases that shifted and creaked. Many of the Hogwarts ghosts popped out to greet new and old students and paintings waved to the cluster as they passed by.
"Good 'ol hoggy, warty, Hogwarts, eh, Evans?" Inquired Sirius jovially as he playfully draped his arm over her petite shoulders. Artemisia snorted when she heard what he said. The crowd of now tired Gryfindors came to a stop before a portrait of a fat lady in a hot pink, satin gown. She looked down her nose at all the sleepy children and said proudly, "Password?"
Sirius smiled roguishly at the portrait guardian of the Gryfindor commons and dormitories. "Viola, baby…" he began sensually. The Fat Lady's eyes bulged and her face became an attractive shade of plum. "You, you imbis-"
Leda intervened, stepping neutrally between the two, before The Fat Lady could finish her sentence. "Phoenix feather." She stated diplomatically looking up at Sirius sternly. The Fat Lady huffed angrily and swung open on invisible hinges. She purposely hit the wall to vent her frustrations.
"Now we have a portable, mini Evans running around as Prefect, a nice, little succession." James said to Sirius who howled in laughter. Lily scowled at the two as she and Artemisia helped usher their fellow classmates up the spiral staircase to the dorms above.
Finally, only Remus, Sirius, James, Lily, and Artemisia were left up. They pulled overstuffed chairs and couches near the crackling fire.
"Someone's singing, my Lord, Kum bi ya…" sang Sirius with a cheesy, off tune voice. "Someone's singing, my Lord, Kum bi ya…" he swayed in his seat on the couch with his lit wand bobbing in the air like a lighter. The marauders laughed, Lily snorted, and Artemisia rolled her eyes. "Oh, Lord," he continued in a sing-songy voice, "What the Hell is that?" With his free hand he pointed to one of the window surrounding the fireplace.
They all turned around to see an old barn owl pecking at the window, trying to get in. Remus furrowed his brow. "A little late for owl post." He commented.
"Ariel!" cried Artemisia surprised. She rushed to the window and yanked it open. The owl called softly and soared in on a gust of raw wind. Tied to its leg was a long white box. Artemisia quickly pulled down the pane and hurriedly untied the hemp that secured the bundle to the owl. "This is my brother's owl. I told him not to send them but dammit…" she trailed off as the ruddy gold and dusty charcoal colored bird swooped down to land comfortably on her shoulder.
The girl and owl plopped down without much care to grace. Artemisia lifted the lid about a half-inch before gasping and slamming the box down again.
"What is it, Missy?" Lily asked, concerned.
"Yeah, what is in the box, Engledew?" He got up and leered over Artemisia's shoulder suggestively.
She looked dazed. "I told him not to…" she glanced down at the container then up at Sirius. Lily saw her best friend's eyes harden but then start to dance mischievously, just as her brother's had done at the Welcome Feast.
"Are they toys?" He pressed, obviously oblivious to what had flashed in Artemisia's eyes.
Artemisia sent him a sensual smile as she stood up so that she was inches from his face. She pivoted, splayed her hands over his broad chest and shoved him down with surprising force onto her chair.
"It's a good thing Peter isn't here," James whispered to Lily. "I think this is going to turn out to be rated R, and you know how sensitive he is." Lily didn't answer him. Her eyes were wide and her jaw was slack. She stared dumbstruck at her best friend and Potter's best friend, both of whom, she thought she knew well. Lily's eyes shifted onto Remus who sat on the chair next to her and frowned.
He was stiff, with his jaw clenched tightly, and he was glaring daggers at Sirius. Remus was gripping the arms of his chair in a death grip and his fingers were twitching as though he wanted nothing better than to strangle his friend.
This bothered Lily. She knew that Remus didn't always care for Sirius's easiness but he had always tolerated it. But now, when he was trying to woo Artemisia, he was tense. "What is going on?" She thought.
Meanwhile, Artemisia had Sirius right where she wanted him. She was positioned on his lap facing him. "How gullible men can be when they are being seduced." She inwardly snorted. Artemisia leaned forward and whispered into his ear, "Close your eyes."
Instantly they became glued shut with a silly grin on his face.
Sending a secret smile to Lily she opened the lid all the way revealing twin long blades that glinted like water in the light of the full moon. She lifted one up from its protective tissue as Lily gaped and James gaped. Artemisia tested its weight before her eyes settled onto the anticipating Sirius.
Neatly, she pointed the tip of her silver, sapphire and moonstone encrusted sword to Sirius's throat. "Open them."
Lazily, Sirius complied with the simple command and his eye lashes fluttered open.
At first all he saw was the twin, twilight colored pools of light that were Artemisia's eyes. Then he felt cool, hard, and sharp metal press against the soft skin of the column of his neck. And he screamed. Like a baby.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Artemisia quickly stifled him with a slightly callused hand over the teenager's mouth. The fire had died from her eyes and she looked almost sheepish. "You're going to wake half the tower, Black."
Slowly, she removed her hand from his lips. He was gasping and choking on his own breath. "What…Is…That?" He managed finally. His eyes cautiously eyeing to blade before him.
"My training sword. I use it to practice swordsmanship. It is and heirloom of my family passed from one swordsman to another. The warriors on my father's side are famed swordsmen, you know, Knights of the Realm and all. It was my brother's and then, since he has no son, he has bestowed it upon me." Artemisia explained as she sheathed the weapon back into the safety of the box. "Most definitely, NOT a toy." She added.
Sirius nodded vigorously and was silent for a moment before he groaned loudly.
"What is it, Padfoot?" James inquired, a grin spreading across his features. "Sore?" He sniggered.
"No," Remus answered for Sirius. He seemed to have lost his stiffness. In fact, he looked rather relieved, Lily noticed. "It's just, for a minute there; Padfoot thought he was going to get laid." He finished conversationally a half smile turning the corner of his lips.