Chapter Two: Beginnings
(1st February, Australia)
Justine Snape yawned languidly and wondered why the hell she was up before the sun. Then the memories came flooding back and she remembered that today was the first day of school and Kris would be here in half an hour to take her to her 6 o'clock flight to Brisbane. Five o'clock in the morning was not a natural hour. She slipped from her bed and left her room to grab some munchies.
Her mother kind of stumbled into the dining room just as Justine was finishing her pop-tarts. Even as docile as she was, Julia was stunning; she was in fact the Anchorwoman for the five o'clock News on the AMN network. The Australian Magic Network was a unique hidden magic channel that could only be access on an Austar box by way of a wand.
"Morning Mummy!" Justine smiled, "You get rid of me today."
"And not a day too soon." Julia laughed, "You're ruining my social life, but seriously, get your butt into gear - Kris will be here in 20 minutes and I've got to get to the studio. The bastards paged me."
Justine dashed upstairs and changed into the clothes she had chosen for school. It wasn't really appropriate to wear robes in public places. A black sleeveless turtleneck sweater and a short black pleated skirt later she was standing in front of her vanity messing with her makeup. She had long darkest brown hair and emerald green eyes framed by long curling lashes.
She just had to pack her personal stuff, her pocket book, journal, wallet, head girl badge and mobile phone were easy to grab and throw in the bag, but she had to run down the hall and borrow her mothers shrink'em case to make her broom, wand and beaters club look no bigger then pretty pencils.
She was in the process of throwing shoes into the draw on the bottom of the trunk when the phone rang. It was Aunt Gweneviere, checking to make sure that Julia had gotten her ready. It was a running joke that Julia and her big brother Daniel were hopeless at packing. In fact Tegan, Justine's cousin, was falling apart as she spoke.
"Yeah I'm fine, Mum left post-its all over the house to remind herself to pack things. For awhile there I thought she had painted the fridge yellow. I'll hand you over. But take malicious glee in reminding Tegan she has to be ready in 15 minutes."
Justine heard her Aunty Gwen call that piece of information to Tegan. This was followed by a screech then accompanied by some loud cursing. Justine giggled and handed the phone to her now dressed mother.
With five minutes left Justine was properly packed. Her whole life was in her Kallaix Academy trunk. She walked over and open her jewellery box, putting on the silver heart locket that Gwen and Daniel had given her last Christmas. Inside there was 2 wizard photos the first was of a man with dark brown hair and flashing green eyes. He smiled up at her and winked. This was her father, he had died just before she was born.
The second was of a man with shoulder length black hair and longish features. In this photo he was looking uncharacteristically proud and happy but her memories were of a harder man, one who rarely had time for most people and those very people thought him evil. He called her his light, what kept him on the right side. Severus Snape, her father's brother. The two men with the most impact on her life.
She sighed.
Picking out of the draw next to her bed a wooden box in which she kept her jewellery in while she was at school, she began to pack her favorite things. First was the engagement ring that her father had given her mother a pretty square cut emerald surrounded by diamonds. Then a thin gold chain with a gold medallion that read "Kris's Gal" on one side and "Mark's Gal" on the other. Lastly, out of the big things was her grandmother's diamond set followed by a whole tangle of fake and glittery pretty things.
She picked down to the bottom of her jewellery box when her hand encountered something velvety and warm. Justine frowned and dug out the green vevet bag with silver tassles. Recognition hit her with such force that she gasped and dropped the bag before she could stop herself.
A diamond cuff bracelet. An inch wide band of glittering white perfection. The small clasp holding it into circular glory the starting point of a small silver chain ending in a heart shaped black opal. Holding the opal up to the sun, Justine would see the play of colours in its depths. She knew it so well she didn't even have to take it out of the bag to know every detail.
"Justine, hon, Kris is here", her mother called up the stairs followed immediately by Kris's familiar, "Hope you're not decent" as he entered her room. She went over and gave Kris a hug; he was one of her oldest friends. Kris was powerfully built, with brown hair and blue eyes. She couldn't remember a time when Kris and herself weren't close. She had grown up with Kristopher Crompton. Kris's mother had been her mothers best friend when they were at school. Kris's father was the Australian Minister of Magic - Gregory Crompton and Kris was expected to follow his father into the Ministry. But they forgot one thing. Kris didn't ever follow. He was a leader.
"So, from your incredibly smug expression, I'm geussing your Head Boy."
Kris grinned and pulled his badge from a pocket.
"Dad was excited, mum cried. Truly embarassing"
Kris shook his head, grinning.
"Our mothers had frappochinos the other day. Congratulations Head Girl."
Justine giggled and flashed her best smile
"Seeing as how you're here, you can take my trunk downstairs." Justine said as she pulled her shoes on.
Kris looked her up and down. Justine could tell what his mind was doing.
"Before you even start, stop. Get my trunk downstairs boy."
"Yes ma'am, anything you say."
"Oh bite me."
"Gladly."
Justine turned onn him with a raised eyebrow.
"Fine", he said with mock grumpiness, "I'll just do as I'm told. I'm so unappreciated."
He levitated her trunk and as he passed Justine kissed him on the cheek.
"That's better.", he grinned exuberantly, "see you downstairs."
Justine turned to stuff her jewellery box for school into her small carry on bag with her school robes she was going to change into en-route. Then, as she zipped the bag and picked up her handbag, did she spot the green bag still lying on the floor.
She put her carry on over one shoulder and was just about to walk away when impulse directed her to pick it up and slip it into the zip compartment inside her handbag.
Kris's black Jeep had been a birthday present from his parents when he'd arrived home last year. It was muggle equipped with CD, aircon and a monster speaker system. But it also had a small-space-o-gram, allowing them to easily slip through traffic and a light-changer, for pesky red lights. Today, because the sun was shining and the weather was warm, they sped along the Sydney freeway's with the top down.
When they pulled up in front of Tegan Hall's house, just on the outskirts of the CBD, Justine was sort of glad. To put it frankly Kris was an exuberant driver, and the music didn't help calm him.
Tegan's mother answered the phone the same time as she answered the door.
Gweneviere Hall possessed a natural grace that gave her the ability to keep cool in the direst situations. She was obviously expecting Kris and Justine because she just kept chatting heading into the lounge waving them upstairs.
Up in Tegans room, which was affectionately dubbed the 'chemical lab', they found it in a mess. Not your ordinary "Tegan's bedroom mess", but another sort altogether. Justine was given the distinct impression that Tegan had been testing nuclear weapons in her room. Tegan's clothes were all spread completely over the bed, her books strewn into the bottom of her open trunk, her shoes were all mismatched and her smalls were…well surprise, surprise, at least they were in a neat pile on the end of her bed.
Tegan was in her small en suite pulling on her jacket when Justine found her after leaping over the many piles of crap all of which Tegan said were in their proper places. She was wearing long, black, fitted dress pants with silver pinstripes and a black top. Tegan packed in her own haphazard way, which generally meant tossing things from one end of the room to the other hoping they landed in the vacinity of the trunk, meaning nothing fitted and everything spewed out of the top.
Right when Tegan seemed that she was going to completely lose the plot, screaming "You stupid, evil, butthead of a trunk. You were sent from the depths of Hell to torment me!!!!!!" Gwen walked into the room and affectionately patted her daughter on the head. She pointed her wand and repacked the trunk neatly in a matter of seconds.
"Thanks." Tegan mumbled.
Gwen kissed her daughter on the head and seemed to glide into the bathroom to pack the forgotten toiletries. Meanwhile Tegan, Kris and Justine trooped downstairs to where Tegan's dad, Daniel Hall, was sitting eating his breakfast. When the trio entered the room Tegan ran over to take a seat next to her dad, wrapping herself around his arm while Kris stole a piece of toast.
"Are you off already?" he asked the group.
Kris and Justine moved off to let Tegan say goodbye to her dad.
Daniel Hall was tall with soft brown eyes and a twinkling smile which he had passed onto his children. Justine walked over to where 20 year old Mark, Tegan's older brother was watching AMN. Even as dishevelled as he looked at twenty to six in the morning he had wanted to get up to say goodbye to his sister.
"Hey what's on?" Justine asked as she sat on the couch next to him. He looked up at her and smiled.
"Your mum in an hour." the cousins grinned at one another, knowing how much Julia cursed being the anchorwoman of the 6:30 Sunrise News. But she wouldn't hear a word against it.
Mark was, for lack of a better word the newest teenage heart-throb. Since graduating from Kallaix, Mark had made a string of successful teenage movies under the psudonym of Mark Grey, in an effort to keep his family anonymous. Tegan was often heard commenting how annoying it was to have chicks hate you because you got to go to the movies with your brother.
"So back to Kallaix?" Mark questioned, "And Head Girl to boot. I wish I was in 7th year again."
"I don't", said Gwen as glided into the room, "You were a moody 17 year old."
"And your still the favorite child" Tegan grumbled mutinously, "and you still get a bigger bedroom."
"Your brother gets a bigger room because his doesn't look like a pigsty." Gwen retorted.
"But it's an ordered pigsty." Tegan protested.
Everyone joined in the laughing which was finally broken by Kris's, "We've got to go pick up Ally in two minutes, COME ON PEOPLE, let's get moving!" as he levitated Tegan's trunk and headed towards the car. Tegan gave her father a big hug and wished him a good day at work. Daniel was the head of The Ministrys of Magic Department for Preservation and Concealment of Magical Creatures. This meant he spent most of his time working towards perserving the secret of the Australian Dragon Reservations, of which most of Australia was.
In fact, Kallaix Academy was possibly the most secure place in the world for this very reason. Not only did it have all sorts of magical wards, but it was protected by four guardian dragons, each one the symbolic emblem for one of the four houses, Wentworth, Steelwell, Petersen and McEwan. Not every school had four full size Dragons protecting the students.
After many hugs all around, they were racing down the freeway squeezing through traffic heading into the city. Only a few minutes later, which scared the girls, they pulled up in front of a huge house in an upscale area of town and buzzed for the wrought iron gate to open. Alyson Deveréaux stood on her front porch wearing a white suit tapping her foot pointedly.
"You're late." she said bluntly as they pulled up.
"It's cool; we've got a whole ten minutes to get to the airport." Kris said as he levitated her trunk to the boot, helped her into the back and took off screaming.
(Meanwhile, back at Hogwarts)
Ron stormed out of the Great Hall in disgust. It seemed that even dinner was no longer a safe haven from Malfoy. Up until now the Slytherin boy had eaten at the Slytherin table, and Harry had eaten with Ron and Hermione and his friends in Gryffindor, as was proper. And then tonight Harry went and invited Malfoy to eat with them at the Gryffindor table. Ron had stormed off the moment this invitation had been offered, since he was sure that Malfoy would accept, and he didn't want to get pulled into spending an entire dinner trying to be civil for Harry's sake.
Ron didn't understand, why was Harry saw blind? How could he think that Malfoy had just suddenly turned over a new leaf and was now 'the good guy of the year'? How had Harry managed to forget everything that Malfoy had done to them throughout the years that they had been at Hogwarts? Particularly fifth year, when he had made their lives living hell?
He knew it was no use talking to Hermione, she would only respond with, "Harry thinks that Draco has changed … maybe he has. I think we should give him the benefit of the doubt," or some bullshit like that. Her being with Harry had made her impossible to talk to in situations like this one.
Rounding a corner, teeth grinding in anger, Ron walked straight into Seamus and they both fell over.
"Whoa, watch where your going Weasley, although that was a fantastic impression of Snape!" Seamus answered easily as he righted himself, grinning at his dorm mate.
Ron half smiled in return, then the scowl returned, "Wanna come down to the kitchens with me? There's no way I'm going back to the Hall to eat tonight."
Seamus looked a little shocked, but grinned and nodded, gesturing for Ron to lead the way. "So, uh, wanna talk about it Ron?" he asked tentatively.
"It's that stupid Malfoy again," Ron said moodily. "Meals were some of the few times that Hermione and me had Harry to ourselves, when it could just be us, the way it always used to be. Now Harry's inviting 'Draco' over to eat with us! I mean, can't Harry see that he's going to get stabbed in the back?"
Seamus, from slightly behind Ronald shook his head. Ron had flatly refused to accept the changes going on in Hogwarts. Personally, Seamus had spent a little time hanging out with Malfoy, in sword play for the DC and they had hung out at Hogsmede telling each other jokes one day, and as far as Seamus could tell, Malfoy was just a guy with a wicked sharp sense of humour and a aversion to people who he deemed as stupid or annoying. Ron unfortunately fell in this category.
Ron continued ranting, oblivious to his companion's thoughts on the matter, "These days it's always 'Draco would you like to sit with us in Potions class' or, 'Draco do you want to come and fly with me?' or, 'I'm sorry, Draco and I are going to work on our homework in the library, but you're welcome to come along as well.' What happened to us? We're supposed to be his best friends! Yet he's always got other things to do, it's always Draco first and then an invitation to us an after thought!"
Seamus decided to take the easy way and asked, "Ron, have you considered that maybe now they're brothers they might have just found they like each others company?"
"Brothers," Ron spat, "They're brothers in name only! They hated each other! They can't have just put all of that behind them and moved on. Malfoy certainly wouldn't have – he holds grudges. This is just some elaborate plan to gain Harry's trust and then utterly betray him. I know it is, Malfoy wouldn't have made friends with Harry for anything else. I try to be civil, because I know it hurts Harry when Malfoy starts an argument, but there's only so much I can put up with! I've tried talking to Harry and Hermione. Harry just looks at me sadly and changes the subject, and Hermione tells me that I'm not looking deep enough, and that Malfoy might have really changed!"
Seamus was trying very hard to contain his thoughts. He figured that Ron was going to face every one of his arguments irrationally so he tried a different track. "Maybe the whole brother scene is as new to Malfoy as it is to Harry, I mean, he never really had family as close as he has now, and it might be a case of 'you've found a good thing hold onto it'."
"Yeah right. As if Malfoy cares about things like families," Ron snorted derisively. "Trust me – he's only doing this because the Dark Lord put him put him up to it."
Seamus flinched, a muscle in his jaw working hard. "Weasley, your making some really nasty accusations there."
Ron shrugged moodily. "I just don't like it!" he burst out. "Why can't Harry see what's right in front of his face?"
A cool voice came from behind them, "Maybe you are just too blind to see it Weasley, but I have changed. And you may rest assured, Harry is in no danger of betrayal from me," Ron spun around to see Draco standing behind him, a harsh look in his silver eyes. "Or maybe you are just jealous. It was suit you, I think, to be jealous whenever something good happens to your friends. You're just to immature to realise that Harry needs every good thing in his life he can get right now. I've made an effort to be nice to you, but it's getting more difficult with each passing day to be forced into the company of juveniles like yourself. If you had bothered to remain for but a few moments, rather than storming off in a childish display of temper, you would have realised that I did not accept the invitation, because while Harry is my brother, there are still those in Slytherin who are my friends. Harry and I have come to an agreement, like the maturing adults that we are, that mealtimes are to be reserved for our housemates. We are both well aware that our relationship is … shall we say, not well received by various members of both our houses, and to attempt to dilute that hostility, came to our decision.
Seamus just gave Ron a meaningful look and walked away, hoping that by walking away, he would demonstrate the maturity that Ron seemed to be incapable of displaying. He wasn't at all interested in being brought into Ron's war against Draco. As far as he was concerned, if Draco had convinced Harry that he had changed, that was good enough. Besides, Draco had been being nice to the Gryffindors, and had, after no small amount of effort on Seamus's part, developed something of a sense of humour.
Ron glanced between Draco and the retreating Seamus, then hurried off down a corridor, leaving Draco to watch him with an expression similar to that which he might wear when he was looking at something slimy and disgusting, like a slug. Then Draco turned and walked back to the Great Hall to sit with the Slytherins and wish, not for the first time, that Remus really had been his father and he'd never heard the name of Lucius Malfoy – if it wasn't for his father, he wouldn't have to deal with any of this crap that some of the Gryffindors, Weasley in particular, were giving him. Why couldn't he just be accepted?
Sydney airport was busy as usual, no matter that it was 6 am. Nevertheless, most people noticed the young man seated in the café. He was the sort of guy most young women would die for and most men would automatically want for a friend.
He was tall and lean with muscular arms and chest defined under his charcoal grey dress shirt. His steel grey eyes were accentuated by his shirt, and his blond hair hang in bangs around his eyes and brushed his collar. People jokingly told him he looked like Trunks from Dragonball Z.
Alexander Kidson. Ax to all of his friends, Alex to those with a death wish. He was sipping on a latte, thinking that hour was ungodly. He grinned as he looked down at the black bag at his side. It contained a set of school clothes and other things he referred to as junk. One such non essential item was the mobile he had gotten for Christmas that was altered to work on magic levels. It had been a present from his best friends.
Speak of the devil, they had just arrived. Among them the only 3 chicks that he had never been able to control. First in was Alyson, his cute little blonde. Most people thought they were a couple but she was more like his twin sister. Medium height with fantastic silver eyes. She was the softer sweeter aspect of the group, but a hell-raiser when she wanted to be. Spotting him she flashed a huge smile and waved.
Tegan Hall, the rebellious teen personified. She was witty and clever and well known for her natural ability with animals. Her shoulder length hair couldn't really be defined as one colour. She called it brindle, he called it tortoiseshell. She had soft brown eyes, but Ax would never fall for it because he knew she was not as innocent as she looked.
His best friend Kris. Natural born redneck. Probally the most popular guy at school because everyone loved him. His hair was spiked into crazy little peaks and his little boy expression alone spoke volumes. He was in one of those moods, meaning that Ax was in for a long flight.
Then came the one girl he could truly call his equal. Justine Snape's flashing green eyes and smiling mouth gave her the most disarming qualities. She was smart, loyal and incredibly mischievous. She had the annoying quality to make you do just what she wanted without you even realising it. Ax constantly had to remind himself to never ever upset Justine, she had a vindictive bitchy streak and was as stubborn as a mule.
They came and joined him at his table.
"You'r late." He stated bluntly.
"I know the feeling" Alyson responded
"Well Tegan took hours as usual, and Kris had to wait for the ministry guy to pick up his precious Jeep." Justine put in as she settled herself on Axs lap. Justine noticed that the red head at the table next to her was giving her and Ax envious looks. This was no new thing to Justine. Ax was, to put it frankly, the biggest playboy at Kallaix. In other ways he was her male equivalent loving mischief and possessing a vindictive temper.
Only seconds later their flight was called and they headed for the tarmac. Outside they were met by the other prefects who were going on the small plane to Brisbane. They were all 6th or 7th year students being marked off a list by Saul Thorpe-Townsend, McEwan prefect and all round joker. He strolled over with a bright smile lit up by the newly rising sun and said, "Well don't you guys look all business like. Sad to say these holidays went way too long, I miss school."
Justine laughed as Tegan gave a small shudder and responded, "That's not natural, not natural at all."
The two hour flight to Brisbane was taken by chatting, card games and a rauctious game of Monopoly.
At ten to eight when the plane touched down in Brisbane the group split up, but most of them were going to end up in the same place anyway, The Golden Plaza. It was a huge wizarding shopping centre right in the middle of Brisbane, hidden so that muggles could never find it.
The five made their way to a taxi that went into the city just up from the Suncorp building where they entered a small coffee shop on the edge of the park. The layout meant that they were able to swerve around the back of the shop to were another room was hidden. The security man checked them out then, an after an exubarent chat with Kris whom he recognised, he let them into the Mall.
The massive atrium with open centre showed all five floors with their white marble floors and gold trim. Bright displays and flashy lights lit up the shops all the way down to the bottom floor which was the food court and Gringotts Bank. They stood at the top most rail looking down at the busy shopping world. They all headed to a quick trip to Gringotts Wizard Bank to get money from their accounts and exchange muggle money.
Gringotts was set in the right hand corner of the ground floor. Being a smaller version of British Gringotts, with not so many vaults, nor the gothic style. Rather it was incredibly Victorian with walnut panelled walls and burgundy velvet drapes. The front desk of the bank was heavy mahogany with golden fixtures.
Behind the desk hung a massive painting of a country landscape by moonlight, with plently of blacks and greens. Goblins ran up and down serving customers. Justine needed to use the Floo transaction system to get money from her London vault so she joined that line.
Alyson and Kris shared a cart down to the vaults, and Tegan and Ax were going to join the exchange line later.
Justine was addressed by a Goblin wearing a green uniform.
"Ma'am may I help you?"
Justine flashed her best smile.
"My name is Justine Snape. I wish to make a withdrawal from my London Vault."
"Yes ma'am, I'll need your vault number, key and signature here."
He indicated a line on a golden parchment on the podium in the room Justine had just been shown into. She recited her vault number and gave over her vault key. Next she picked up the feather quill and signed her name in the middle of a creamy parchment. The burgundy ink began to glow an intense light and Justine had to turn her head from the sheer intensity.
When she was able to look again her own feminine handwriting had rearranged to read 'Justine Snape, Vault 396, London'.
Justine looked questioningly at the goblin who stared blankly back and said, "Security check.". He then gestured to the blank black wall.
"Your London vault will arrive in a moment. I will leave you in privacy to conduct your buisness."
He walked to the wall, inserted Justine's key, turned it, then walked back, returning her key to her and left.
Suddenly the back door of the bank seemed to erupt with silver white flames. Justine threw up one arm to sheild her eyes ranting under h breath, "This is why I don't bloody touch my London account".
When the flame retreated to the very edges of the walls she was able to walk over to see her vault on the other side. Piles of inherited gold sat in front of Justine. She piled gold coins into a bag. This money had been left to her by her dad, Calis Snape, when he died. Calis had, along with his brother Severus, inherited the family gold. And her fathers half was now hers. She was heiress with estate and everything, although she had never seen them.
When her mother was 8 months pregnant with her, he had died. Justine really didn't know what had happened, it hurt her mother to speak about it. She finished collecting her coins all the while thinking about her father…..
For the second time that day he sat waiting for the rest of the group to hurry up.
"What's taking so long?" he muttered to himself.
Ax stood up and stretched out his back. Tegan was off changing his money, they did a deal: she did this for him and he would buy her the pair of shoes she had fallen in love with on the second floor.
Ax had never known his perents they had died shortly after he had born. He had instead been raised by his previously confirmed bachelor Uncle, Darcy at his home in Cork, Ireland. Darcy hadn't been prepared to have a kid, but Ax would always be greatful to Darcy for the way he had stubbornly refused to give his nephew up. Sure he wasn't the best parent, teaching Ax unconciously to be a womaniser and playboy but he had been there when nobody else was. Darcy was also proud when Ax was offered a position at Kallaix Acedemy, little did he know he had Severus Snape to thank that for.
He just had to say one thing, he would never voluntarily spend two weeks of his holidays at Saul's house ever again. Although Alyson's mansion would be the cushy deal, Justine's apartment had been fun, and for the first time, when he was living with Tegan, he felt like he had a mother. Even as he charmed himself into her life, he didn't realise that she had so firmly charmed herself into his heart. He had a thing for Gwen. She made him cupcakes.
Ax had started his schooling at Hogwarts, and could still remember the first day of fourth year when the exchange students had arrived from Australia and France. Alyson Deveréaux (who had come from Beauxbatons), Tegan Hall, Adam Blake, and the lady herself, Justine Snape from Oz. She was his first non-controllable female which annoyed him to high hell. She had taught him to respect so the blow was lessened when Alyson and Tegan didn't conform either. Alyson was more like his twin sister and Tegan had a healthy lust for mischief. He would do anything to protect his girls, anything to keep them from being hurt. Damn, he had done it before and would do it again in a heartbeat.
Ax opened his eyes and waited for them to accustom themselves to the darkness inside the Fifth year Griffindor boys dorms. A storm raged outside, typical weather for late November as his first four years at Hogwarts had taught him. His senses told him that it wasn't Neville's snoring that had woken him up as usual, and Harry, Dean, Ron and Seamus were sleeping too. There was definitely human voices and they weren't happy.
As he walked down the hall he began to distinguish the words.
"I swear I didn't do that, you have to believe me! I wouldn't do that to you, I love you."
"You filthy lying bitch. You say love me? Did you laugh in secret at me? Every time you said you loved me, did you close your eyes and picture his face?. You whore."
"Oh God! Don't tell me you believe this, do you have any proof or are you just getting off on all this pain? Is this why you followed me back here?"
Slap Ax rounded the corner he saw, from the railing above the pair, as the girl fell backwards landing on the stone floor. She tried to sit up but failed. As she rubbed the back of her head, her sobs intensified and her hand came away covered in blood.
As she looked back up at the boy Ax got a profile look at her, it was Justine. That bastard was manhandling Justine. Without thinking Ax pivoted over the railing, dropping down and landing between the pair. Within a millisecond his sword had slid out and was now being held at the boy's throat. One of the perks of being a sword mage: you got a big swishy sword.
"Touch her again you bastard and I swear I will kill you."
"Fuck off Kidson, you don't understand!"
With a quick movement Ax left a line of blood along the boys jaw line, not deep enough for any real damage, but enough for healthy flow and the boy immediately back off swearing profusely, mainly directed at Justine. The boys faced each other, steel grey facing silver.
"That wasn't very nice, now are you gonna get the hell out of our common room or am I gonna have to get the rest of the house? They all have a nice healthy hatred of you."
The other boy shot a glare at both of them before turning and walking out.
A week later Severus Snape had arranged for scholarships for all of the Australians to go back to Australia to re-attend the prestigious Kalliax Acedemy, along with Ax. Severus had pulled him aside and said to him in a voice that Ax had never heard before,it was full of anguish. "She's hurting, Ax, I should never have brought her here. Take care of her. Protect her. Promise me she'll be safe."
And he did.
For this school year Darcy had sent him his money in the muggle form, as he was backpacking somewhere in the depths of the Amazon, the very reason Ax had not been able to go home for the holidays. The money had been rectangular and made from paper. Highly amusing to him as a purely wizarding kid. Tegan and him had spent 15 minutes stupidly laughing and making jokes such as, "Oh no, my wallet's wet! My money is dissolving, it's melting, meeeeelting."
Tegan got back from the exchange desk while he was grinning at the memory.
"Dear god, what could make you grin like that? Could it be a girl? Oooh you like her."
"Considering I was thinking about you, you should be worried."
Tegan gasped in mocked shock and said, "You were having indecent thoughts about moi?"
Ax flashed his best grin and parried, "No, you would just like to think I was." Ax and Tegan grinned at each other and were joined by Alyson and Kris, freshly back from the vaults.
"Let's go amigos." Kris called.
"Nah, now you have to sit down and wait. Justine isn't out yet."
Kris rolled his eyes and said, "Trust Princess Justine to take forever, I have beauticians to see, hairdressers to talk to, I have to pick up my prom dress and just look at my manicure!!!" Kris was screeching at the top of his lungs, "Some people just don't appreciate true beauty."
Justine, Ax noticed, had witnessed the entire scene from the other side of the room,and was now laughing so hard that she was doubled over and leaning on the doorframe. Kris took this as a cue to jump up and grab her, swinging her out of the bank.
Tegan leaned over and whispered to Alyson and Ax, "We are so not with them."
"No, of course not, they're complete strangers." Ax responded.
Tegan shook her head."Never seen them before in my life."
"Of course not."
Alyson suddenly stood and laughed "We have to hurry or we're gonna lose them."
Tegan shook her head. She was used to this, her friends were bloody idiots, but funny nonetheless, idiots.
It was half past eight and for the next twenty minutes the group wandered around buying all the books and equipment they would need for their seventh year of school. They picked up their potion gear just before heading the the foodcourt for brunch. It was the rendezvous point, so to speak.
The team had arranged to meet with the other prefects, who just happened to also be their school friends.
They entered around ten to nine, and immediately spotted the group. Two tables had been dragged together and 5 people were crowded around chatting and laughing loudly. First was Tanya Bussa, the pretty red haired Petersen prefect. Justine could swear she had done something different with her hair. She was laughing insanely at something Adam Blake had just said. Adam, who was the resident quidditch fanatic, was known for his crazy, impulsive streak, (Which was reflected in his blonde tipped spiky hair). Next to Adam, Saul looked like he was about to pass out from laughing. Making Adam just grin harder.
Jacque Quaine and Jeffery Campbell were nearby, and judging from the piles of chinese food in front of them, they had split a banquet. They were happily chatting between mouthfuls. The two were the school sweethearts, as well as the Steelwell prefects.
Justine watched as Ax went over to join the laughing group and Kris and Tegan migrated to the food. Adam dragged Alyson into his lap and blew raspberries on to her shoulders, Alyson squeaked loudly and tried to struggle away, which caused giggling all over again. Justine moved her chair to be between Saul and Jacque.
"How was your holiday?" Justine asked the whole group unitedly. People started to tell the stories of their summer holidays. When it got around to Alyson and Jeffery they both stood grinning. Alyson began with, "I received a letter from school, telling me I was this year's Wentworth prefect. This, of course, can mean only one thing."
People all started to smile suspiciously at Justine, whom had been the prefect for the previous two years.
"But the proverbial plot thickens when we add in the fact that I am to take young Kristopher's place as the Steelwell prefect," Jeffery, ever the tease, paused before adding, "So show us the frigging badges already."
Justine and Kris dug out the small, shiny golden badges they had received, and it was hugs and congratulations all round.
Tegan laughed, "And if Kris didn't think he was the best already, now he's got the stupid badge to prove it."
"Well he is in Steelwell after all." Jacque added just before Adam passed Alyson to Ax and stood up to say.
"I've got more good news. I've got the final list for who's on the school Quidditch team," then added as an after thought, "Oh yeah and I'm the Wentworth quiddich captain."
Eveeryone gasped. "Why did they send the lists to you and not the rest of the house Quidditch captains?" Saul asked voicing the question that most were thinking. Adam went decidedly red.
Ax's voice broke through the ensuing silence, "Because he is obviously the school Quidditch captain."
At Adam's nod of consent there were screams of laughter and congratulations. The school headmistress, Jean Wadsworth had held school team auditions and the players for the interhouse teams were usually chosen on this day too. Tons of people had tried out for various positions, and it was all coming down to crunch time.
"Well tell us already!" Tanya broke out. "It's not like you're not dying to."
Adam stood and said, "Drum roll please" and in true dramatic style announced, "May I introduce, this year's Keeper, the girl we all know, love and secretly fear this MISS JACQUELINE QUAINE!"
Jacque bellowed, "Of course I am!"
Adam continued, "Our new team Beaters who won't be beaten, the bashers who love to bash, the two who protect the rest of us poor players… MR JEFFERY CAMBELL AND MISS JUSTINE SNAAAAAAPE!!"
Justine sprung out of her chair and jumped in the air, Jeffery caught her in mid jump and swung her around shouting "YES" at the top of their lungs. Adam continued, "I've got two fellow Chasers so ladies and gentlemen, may I give you KRIS AND SAUL!!!"
Kris jumped up on his chair and began an impromptu dance, yelling "Oh yeah who's your daddy?!" and Saul in response jumped on his chair and bellowed, "I'M YOUR DADDY!! ON YOUR KNEES BIATCH!"
Everyone just laughed and cheered
"Well guys! Nice to see we can be so noisy as to be kicked out of the shopping centre at this ungodly hour but seriously!" It was eventually Tegan who brought the group back down to earth.
"Hang on," Justine asked, "we're missing a member of the team."
"Yeah Adam, you owe us a Seeker." Saul pointed out.
Adam grinned and took perverse pleasure in looking slowly around the group scratching his chin, "Hmm, yes I suppose I do, don't I? One problem, I just can't remember who it is. Jacque could it be you? Or Kris could it be you?" He stopped and went on, "No, no could it be you Tegan?"
Tegan just gave a snort of disbelief, "Yeah right."
Suddenly out of nowhere Adam stopped and said, "Oh I remember now!" and place his hands on Tanya shoulders from behind.
She went bright pink and started laughing, "You're not serious," she choked out. "I only tried out as a joke."
Adam said, "I saw your try out, you were really good."
Ax watched the girl. For the past two years he hadn't given her a second glance when she had accompanied him to the school prefects meeting. She had been a mouse, with baggy boyish clothes and unkempt carrot hair.
Now she was different. She was still tiny, but now her clothes were nice. She looked around the group and no longer hid behind shyness and blushes. Her hair billowed around her shoulders in golden red waves, her hair sparkled from the sunshine spilling in from above.
Who was this new Tanya Bussa? She intrigued him, and that really was saying something.
Justine voice dragged him out of his contemplation. "Well what are you doing?" she was asking him.
Crushing back down to earth he realised that the group was splitting up.
"I'm coming with you of course" he responded hoping it was the right answer. Justine looked at him as though he had just announced he was getting a sex change. And everyone started laughing. Kris slapped him on the back and said, "Good one mate!" and headed off after Alyson and Tegan, "She just told you she was going to ladies room and we were going to meet at the quidditch shop for fittings." He called over his shoulder.
Ax grinned and followed Justine towards the ladies room saying, "We can be toilet buddies!" in a fake gay accent.
He stole a glance over his shoulder.Tanya was laughing gleefully as she collected her things. He didn't understand why but he was glad.
At a quarter to ten, with heavier bags and lighter wallets they taxied back to Central Station in the very heart of Brisbane. They gave their tickets to a porter who directed them to a private platform.
Another security check later and they were looking at the gleaming titanium finish of the Kallaix school train. The train was fairly new, comprising of five opulent carriages and a gleaming engine. The front three cabins were for the junior school, with open plan seating, sets of seats on either side of the aisle. Each could fit 50 or so students with the front one containing a canteen area. The fourth carriage was made of small cabins each seating six or so students with an aisle running down one side for the majority of the senior school and the final fifth carriage was half comprised of cabins and then the prefect lounge.
The prefects room was massive, magically expanded. Though on the outside it looked to be a normal carriage, the inside could have housed a king's ball, but changed to compensate for the number of people housed within.
In the centre of the room was a large round glass table mounted on a titanium frame, surrounded by ten chairs. Eight of these chairs were colour coded to their respective prefects house colour, and when the prefects sat down, their names would appear on the back. The last two chairs were black, for the Head students.
Around the edge of the room were cosy lounges, and cabinets full of games and a game console for entertainment after the main meeting was concluded.
The prefects filed in, chatting, and took their respective seats. Kris tried to take the larger, more comfortable looking of the black seats, but Justine shooed him off, informing him loudly that she was far more important than he was, and therefore deserved to have the larger of the seats. There was no such problem for the other prefects, as their seats were all identical in shape, size and comfy-ness.
Kris looked bemusedly around the talking gathering, wondering what he was supposed to do. "I think you should get them to stop talking," Justine muttered out of the side of her mouth.
"How?" Kris demanded, but no help was forthcoming. "Y'ALL SHUT UP!" Kris finally decided to yell, effectively silencing the group. When he was sure that everyone was looking at him, and paying attention, "As the residing Head Boy of Kallaix Academy this year, I offically call the first senior prefects meeting to order."
Ax stared at Kris for a moment. "Wow," he muttered to Tanya, who was sitting next to him, "He actually has a brain."
"Probably picked it up from all the pompous parties his father has to have," Tanya muttered back.
Ax was first surprised that Tanya – had spoken, then realised what she had said, and guffawed loudly, and everyone turned to look at him.
Ax looked at them all, then quickly pointed at Tanya, "It was her," he said quickly.
"Yes, she sounds a lot like a six foot tall blonde male," Justine quipped back immediately.
Ax blushed slightly.
"Aww, lookit him blush," Tanya teased, and everyone, like Ax, turned to stare. Tanya looked at them, then ducked her head slightly, hiding a grin.
"If we are over Ax's ability to blush now," Kris growled from his smaller seat, "Can we get on with what we are supposed to be doing?"
Everyone turned now to look instinctively at Justine, expecting her to say something to get the meeting going. Justine looked down at them with a slightly surprised expression on her face, then pointed at Kris, "What're y'all lookin' at me for?" she demanded, "I just stole the seat – he does 'Important, I'm the big man at the head of the meeting thing'."
"So, we all know about the Unicorn Hunt, but we don't know much about it yet, so we'll discuss it in more detail later. On more important matters, we have to seriously discuss the details of our footy match with that Muggle team down the coast. Last year's fireworks charms when we won was totally acceptable – Dad was kept busy with clearing that up for months afterwards and couldn't practice with me."
Saul rolled his eyes, "So important," he yawned.
Kris shot him the dirtiest look imaginable. "Watch out Saul," Justine said in a loud stage-whisper, "He's got a wand and he's not afraid to curse you!"
Saul got the hint, grinned and shut his mouth with an audible 'click'.
"But really Kris, he does have a slight point – there are other things we have to do this trip, and if you must bring the football game up at all this year, it would be a better idea to discuss the details of it with the football team, not us!" Justine said.
Jeffery piped up, "What am I? Vegemite toast?" As the co-captain of the school football team, he was highly insulted.
"Vegemite toast? Where'd you get that?" Adam demanded. "I'm part of the football team too, and it's not that important to the prefects. Justine's right, the football team is the one you should talk to about strategy too. Most of the people here just know to cheer when the ball goes through our goals."
"Here, Here!" yelled Saul exuberantly, then 'click'ed again when Justine looked at him.
"So what's more important than footy?" Kris asked.
"Food!" Tegan yelled immediately.
"Good point, I second that!" Kris agreed. "This year we really have to talk to the house elves about a monthly fish and chips night, and whether or not pineapple fritters will be available."
"Wow, this just gets better," Saul said, looked sideways at Justine, 'click'.
Alyson looked up, silver eyes reflecting the light, and flicked her hand in the air, "What I'd really like to know is what we have to do at the Sorting Ceremony today?"
"Do we have, like, a leaflet on that or something?" Kris enquired.
Jacque gave him a cool look, "If you'd read your letters properly, yes, there is," she sorted through a small pile of papers which had appeared in front of all the prefects, then selected one and held it up. Surrounded by a group of four dragons were the words, Prefect Roles in the Sorting Ceremony.
Alyson nodded emphatically, as she had the self-same leaflet open in front of her and was scanning it as they spoke.
The rest of the trip they spent in the prefects lounge, attempting to keep Kris from getting on to the subject of footy, they knew that once he got on the topic … well, suffice it to say that would be all they heard for the rest of the trip, unless Quidditch was mentioned. The boys migrated to the games console, and despaired when they found a football game installed and ready to play.
Whenever Ax scored a try in the match, he looked over to see if Tanya was watching, but she never looked up from the book that she was reading, sitting next to Justine, who was doing the same thing.
"What kind of book is 'I Want You Baby'?" Saul asked, watching Justine with interest, waiting for the reaction.
"If I told you," Justine said, not looking up, "You would laugh at me. Since that's completely unacceptable, I guess you'll just have to use that thing in your head. I believe it's called a brain. Read the title, and think, I know it's hard …"
"Do you want someone to hold your hand?" Tanya asked, smirking slightly.
Ax glared, since Saul had managed to managed to get Tanya's elusive attention and he hadn't. Then he scored a try, "Yes," he said quickly, remembering her question.
Jacque was using her palmpilot, while Alyson and Tegan played exploding snap.
"Uh oh." Tegan said.
"What?" Alyson asked.
"We kinda scorched the table." Tegan said in a sheepish voice.
Alyson rubbed the scorch mark with her fingers, "It's not coming off." she said.
"What are we going to do?"
"Well, we can just kind of arrange the cards over the top and 'accidentally' forget we were playing a game and walk away." Alyson said reasonably.
"Yeah, but everyone would know we were the last to play with them, that idea would only work in the younger years' carriages."
"Well what do you suggest we do smarty pants?"
"Well we could always blame Saul, he won't remember if he did it or not. We can say he did it last year. Or we could always blast the table to pieces and blame the cards."
Justine just rolled her eyes and put down her book. Pointing her wand at the table she said, "Scourgify", causing pink bubbles to foam up everywhere.
In a blink of an eye the scorch marks disappeared.
"Oh, thanks." Tegan said.
Hermione rounded the corner, late already for her designated meeting time with Harry, but she really couldn't help that she had been caught up helping Professor Flitwick restore his classroom to order, she was after all, the head girl.
Hermione grinned as she got to the top of the stairs leading her into the entrance hall and stopped dead. Padma, that slimy cow, had her hand resting on Harry's shoulder. She saw red for a moment, her grin becoming a fierce scowl and her mood swinging into anger.
Walking down the stairs she plastered a smile on her face, and Padma looked up and grinned back. Did she not understand that all this flirting was disgusting? She was supposed to be with Ron, after all. Kissing Harry on the cheek Padma left before Hermione even reached them, and she got only a vague wave from the girl
She was still staring after her when strong arms wrapped around her waist and the familiar smell of Harry filled her nostrils as he kissed the side of her neck.
She smiled and turned to hug him tightly, "I'm sorry I'm late Harry," she mumbled and looked up at him.
Harry grinned, "I was almost in tears without you, look, see the slight glisten," he pulled a face and turned his head on a weird angle pointing to his left eye and Hermione couldn't help but laugh.
"Sorry love," she said, beaming at him, "But you seemed to have someone to pass the time with …?" she trailed away into question, to see what Harry said about Padma, at once jealous and angry that she should be jealous.
"Who? Padma? She was just asking where Ron was," Harry shrugged, and kissed her, on the lips this time. "I told her to try the library, but that he's probably working on top secret Unicorn Hunt stuff and shouldn't be disturbed."
Hermione had forgotten what her earlier question was, the moment his lips touched hers. She kissed him passionately and leant back grinning at him. "You know what Angel? I think I'm falling deeper in love with you everyday."
Harry gave her a wink and hugged her close, "What do you mean you think, you damn well better be!" he kissed her again before she could assure him that she would love him forever.
It's always a unique moment for everyone, she guessed. The moment when the students of Kallaix Academy get thier first veiw of the manor on the first day day of school. For the older students it was a time of homecoming, serenity, a time of familiarity.
For the middle school it could best be called a time of excitement, if there is a word to describe the students' natural high. But none could match the look of pure enthrallment on the face of the first years. The astonishment at the beauty of the grounds, the awe at the castle itself.
Justine smiled to herself as she watched her "home" ramble past the small carriage she was sharing with Kris, Alyson and Tegan from Serenity Crossing Train Station to the school. She could remember the first time she had made this trip. She had been a little firstie, shaking with exitement like everyone else, and her return, and newly transferred back from Hogwarts for the begging of fifth year. She had still been blown away.
The first thing you saw when you came through the wrought iron gates that were set into the sandstone walls surrounding the front of the school was the dying light shining on the lake. Sparkling deep blue turned indigo by the rapidly approaching night, surrounded by towering trees. The crimson foliage of the Flame Tree, the soft yet vibrant violet of the Jacaranda. The massive Camphor Laurels and the bursts of golden in the Wattle.
Willow trees dipped their silver branches into the lake and the ground was covered with very green, softgrass. Flowers grew all over the grounds in little ordered patches and hedges edged every walkway and drive. In the twilight these details weren't clear, but Justine knew them by heart.
They rounded the lake and Justine was delighted to see that the McEwan dragon, a glistening blue water serpent dragon, had decided to come and greet the students home. She was the maternal dragon, and the students were always safe swimming in the lake as she would watch over them. She cooed hello to everyone as they passed.
As she drove up the way, lined by massive fig trees and meticulously kept hedges she was given tantilising snippets of the castle by night. A huge dusky sandstone building full of colonial stained glass and ivy growing on the walls.
The elegant spiky red Petersen dragon stood off to one side, enjoying the attention from the Students. "She's such a poser," Tegan commented. "Her breed gives my Dad hell, constantly posing for muggles to take photos."
As the carriage stopped, Justine looked up to see the spectral presence of the ice bluish Steelwell dragon circling overhead, and from the smells she could smell from the kitchen, assumed the Wentworth dragon would be skulking around the back of the Manor, hoping for a nice house elf to take pity on it and bring it something to eat.
The dragons were spoilt rotten by the students and staff alike, but they had lived here since eggs, as had their parents before them, and earned their keep as the guardians of the school.
"Welcome home," Kris said as he climbed down and offered his hand to Justine, "We have to go find Mrs McGuire to get the list of names we have to call for the ceremony. Did you get your bag?"
Justine smiled and took his hand, "Yep, let's go."
They met up with the others as they went up the front stairs, "Hey,are we all ready for the Ceremony?" Alyson asked the group.
Justine laughed as Alyson walked all the boys through the ceremony again.
She was about to follow everyone up the stairs when somone rudely pushed past her, causing something in her bag to dig into her side. Reaching into her bag she took out the now familiar green tassled bag, and shaking her head took out the bracelet and put it on.
"Wow! Where on earth did you get that?Are those rocks real?" Asked Tanya, who was the only one left, with Ax.
Justine looked up at them. "I got it from the only boy I ever loved. My love just wasn't good enough for him". She laughed bitterly as Ax grabbed her hand and squeezed it tight, leading her into the Manor.
OMG! Chapter Two! (Princess has had way too much sugar!)
Thankyou so much to all of the reviewers! This is actually my first Fanfiction I'm publishing (ebil Wolfmoon's had ton's) so it's so great to read your reveiws!
goDDarkness - OMG you rock! your review was soooo helpful for our orientation! Don't worry, the Unicorn Hunt is NOTHING like the tri-wizard tournament! Draco's charachter will make more sense soon,I promise!
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Princess Freaks out cause she got to write the thankyous OMG Thankyou Everyone! REVEIW FOR US! (flames accepted - helps usdevelop - note that Draco is getting better, we fixed him after the last comments - in the next few chapters we develop him)