I thought I would update this week-end, but as I worked Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday well ... Here I am, Tuesday !
I arranged a bit the story (put chapters 1 & 2 together as the first chapter wasn't really one) ... I think this story'll end when it'll be Christmas (I mean Christmas in the story) and I'll make another story that'll cover the end of the year ... Otherwise, the Challenge won't be hmm ... the main story for a few chapters (after all, they're teens and they have love problems) but it'll come back very strongly ...
I do not own any Harry Potter characters ...
8. Detentions and Delivery
It took half-an-hour to train Rose to hold her tongue and to make her swear she would say absolutly nothing about Marpessa and Sirius's relationship. Still, when Sirius had left the girls, Marpessa was worried about the situation. The secret she'd been keeping was finally discovered by someone. But, everytime she had imagined Sirius and her being caught, it was Lily and not Rose who discovered the truth. Thus, the situation was dangerous, as Rose was far more curious and undisciplined than Lily.
"So how long has it been ? How did you meet ? Did he seduce you first or did you seduce him ? Why are you keeping this all secret ? Why didn't you tell your best friends ? Are you seeing him frequently ? Did you meet his parents ? Does he kiss well or does Aglaia exagerate ?"
Rose's questions seemed to be endless and Marpessa answered to them all in an annoyed voice, sighing every two seconds.
"It started during our fifth-year ... He seduced me first, but it took him months ... Thought it would be better for my safety to keep our relationship secret ... His parents hate Muggle-born, well not only his parents, his whole family is er ... very special ... And Aglaia never kissed Sirius !"
Marpessa yawned, blushing a bit as she remembered all those moments spent with Sirius.
"Hey Rose, isn't your Toffee, there ?" she exclaimed suddenly, pointing a little black cat hidden behind a tall and shiny armour.
"What ?Tthat bloody cat has escaped again !"
Hearing his mistress's tone of voice (not very friendly), Toffee decided it would be better for him to run away, and he did it swiftly, throughout the Entrance Hall.
"Toffee ! Come bak here !" yelled Rose, at the top of her voice.
"Hush ! If Filch caught us here, we're not better than dead !" muttered Marpessa, holding her friend by the arm.
"I can't let him go away ! I have an authority to maintain !" said Rose, escaping as quickly as her cat did previously. She had totally forgotten that it was ten and that no students were supposed to be out of their Common Room.
Marpessa, left alone in the corridor, finally followed her friend, in order to help her catch the cat before someone else, perhaps Filch or Mrs Norris, found them. It wasn't very easy to chase Toffee silently and more difficult to send a curse to him while he was zigzaging, but Rose managed to get out her wand and to aim.
"Stupefix !" she cried triumphantly, sure she would not miss Toffee. True, she didn't no miss her spell and true,once again, she did aim very well. Only one thing went wrong: the little black cat had jumped on something enormous and very ugly which revealed itself to be Argus Filch, the Caretaker of Hogwarts. The spell hit him on the chest and he fell on the floor with a loud "BANG". Avoiding the crash, Toffee had fled and hit Mrs Norris while racing. Filch's cat immediatly showed her claws and the two cats started fighting noisily, ignoring the Caretaker's stiff body. Very anxious about the fact that they could be discovered in front of a Stupefied Filch, Marpessa tried to jinx Toffee but ended up cursing Mrs Norris ... At least, the cats were silent now.
"Rose, we'll be expelled for that !" she said blankly.
"It's a disaster, no one will believe our story ..." said Rose in a feeble voice.
"CAULDWELL ! HASTINGS ! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING ?"
It was Coldstuck, the old DADA professor, who seemed delighted to find two outlaws Gryffindors, one stunned Argus Filch and one stunned Mrs Norris. He could not repress a cold laugh and his nostrils were quivering with impatience.
"Fifty points from Gryffindors !" he said loudly, like if he had just been promoted Minister of Magic, "Detentions and a little private chat with your HeadHouse. Professor MacGonnagal will be very interested by your explanations of this ... unusual situation !"
Marpessa woke up at dawn next morning. The four other girls were still sleeping and she could hear one of them snoring . She was not very happy about what happened last night, wether it was the fact that Rose knew all about Sirius and her, or the fact that MacGonagall broke her voice shouting at them half-an-hour. Obviously, the Professor did not believe their cat-pursuit story. Ah, that Sirius ! Marpessa regreted (not a very long time) that he had a face (and a body) so charming ... It always took her a strong will to tell him "no". After dressing herself quickly, Marpessa headed to the Great Hall, avoiding carefully Mrs Norris and her extremly grumpy master. Filch was, if it was possible, even more than usually.
The Great Hall was empty and Marpessa was eating slowly her eggs, when someone suddenly sat beside her.
"Sirius, you won't believe what happened -"
"It's not him", said the boy. He had the same silky black hair than Sirius, but except that precise detail, he had no resemblances with his older brother. He was short, not tall, skinny (no muscles !) and had a very weird hooked nose who gave him the profile of a vulture. Regulus Black was a true Black, no doubt.
"What do you want ?" asked coldly Marpessa.
"Could you give this letter to my brother ?". He put an envelope on the table, as he didn't want to touch a Mudblood hand.
"I see you still call him your brother. 'Thought your mother blasted him ... Anyway, why don't you give him that rubbish yourself ?"
"I know you've been to his house this summer. He may no react as strongly with you as he would with me", said Regulus in a hushed voice, like a hissing "Have a good day".
He left Marpessa who was staring the letter, a bad feeling growing inside her. News from the Black family could not be good.
"What's that letter ?" asked Lily, sitting in front of her friend.
"News from home ..." replied Marpessa, coughing and hiding the envelope in her pocket.
"Ah ? Your parents are -"
At this very moment, James and Euphrosyna entered the Great Hall, hand in hand. Lily glanced at them and bit violently in her croissant. She could not stand that couple, they looked so stupid together ... And what was James finding so incredible about that scarlet woman ?
"Having fun, Prongs, are you ?" said Remus, during the Charm class.
They were practising the Protean Charm on which they would be asked at their N.E.W.T. This was among the hardest Charm they had to perform and some incidents sould be occuring during the course.
"Er ... The Protean Charm's not really my favourite", answered James, who was winking every second to Euphrosyna.
"I mean, Euphrosyna ... It's not serious, eh ?"
"Yes it is. Why wouldn't it be, Moony ?" said James, bemused.
"And lily ?"
"Lily what ?" he said, trying no to look concerned. But his reddening cheeks betrayed him. "Oh well", he mumbled, "Maybe I'm still thinking about her ... sometimes ..."
"Gorgeous girlfriend you have there, Prongs !" yelled suddenly Sirius, squeezing himself between his two friends.
"Where were you, Padfoot ?" asked Remus, raising his eyebrows.
"Concluding with a fan", said Sirius laughing in his dog-like way. But inside his pocket, his hand was gripping firmly his letter.
"You sure ? 'Cause ... Talking of conclusions ... You're not doing any lately, am I mistaking Padfoot ?" said James, sniggering.
"What did I just say ? This year will be a busy one, the ladies are wild, I swear !" declared solemnly Sirius, his hand on his heart.
"We mean that you're flirting with girls as usual, but we actually never see you kissing them like you used to do everywhere ...every hour of the day ..." explained Remus.
"Ah ! That's because I found some new dark places where I can bring them ... Very dark places !" He smirked.
"You sure ? Euphrosyna told me Aglaia's always complaining about your strange behaviour. She said you're flirting but you won't go er ... any further. See what I mean, mate ?" said James, sending imaginary kisses to his Grace.
Sirius threw a dark look to his friend and groaned a bit, like dog.
"You're little sweetheart's just jealous of Aglaia, 'cause I never paid attention to her. Never really liked red hair ..." said casually Sirius, executing his Protean Charm as easily as if he had been performing a simple Levitating Charm.
James and Remus glanced at each other, their eyebrows highly raised. They would have liked to go on with their interrogation, as they knew very well that Sirius did not tell them the whole truth, but they were abruptly interupted by a flying Professor Flitwick. Emmeline Vance and Hestia Jones's Protean Charm had accidently met and caused a little explosion.
"Hey Cauldwell !" yelled Sirius at the Gryffindor table, in the Great Hall.
He was five seats from her, but instead of getting on his feet and to walk towards her, he had decided that it was less effort to shout and disturb everyone.
"Heard you're joining the Detention's Addicts Club ! Got yourself in trouble with old Filch ? Stunned his cat, haven't you ?"
Every single Gryffindors - and every Hogwarts students - could hear that. A lot of them laughed, some applauded, as the Caretaker and Mrs Norris were not very popular among the students. Marpessa went all red and she shot a death glare to Sirius. But before she could say anything, Lily replied fiercily :
"You should shut up Black ! Detention's like a hobby for you isn't it ? Don't you spend all your free time in it ?"
"Ooooh ! Evans ! Going as well ?"
"No !" she said, offended.
"So why do you think you're concerned then ? I'm talking to your adorable little friend", said Sirius in a mocking voice.
He winked at Marpessa and produced a wonderful I-am-the-king-of-you-all-ladies which made almost all the girls sighing.
"It was an accident, nothing else !" went on Lily, his face growing red with anger. "Nothing like you or that Potter jerk ! You're doing your stupid pranks on purpose !"
"Stunning Filch and its cat ! It must have been carefully planned !"
"Who're you calling jerk, Evans ?" demanded James, standing up.
"You, git ! You should recognize yourself, it's been years now ! Big-headed idiot, pathetic fool, egoistical -"
"Evans ! Detention ! You're a Head Girl, you should be a shame of yourself !"
"Professor I er ... They provoked me ..."
"In my office ! You know they're always teasing you ! Now !" said the harsh voice of Professor MacGonagall. "And I don't think you need to end that list of yours !"
James and Sirius waved goodbye at Lily, laughing to tears.