It was official. Every girl at Hogwarts hated Bellissia. And every boy had the hots for her. Including Sirius. Ever since that dance/make-out session the first night in the common room, the two of them had been flirting shamelessly. They were careful, though. Still nobody knew of their, ahem, antics. No, the girls hated her for less obvious reasons. They felt very threatened by this new beauty. Even Annette, who knew full well Bellissia and Remus were cousins, could not help but feel a little paranoid Bella was going to steal him from her. So, consequently, she was on the receiving end of many glares and curses, although she was a quick draw and could easily defend herself against them. She also had the Marauders to watch her back.
About a week after September the first, Bellissia finally got her schedule down. She came to enjoy the breakfasts she spent with all of the crew, even if Lily and Annette tended to be less than courteous.
"Pass the butter," Lily growled in Bellissia's general direction.
"Here you are. Might I add you are looking particularly mean and spiteful this morning?" Bellissia shot back. At this, Lily lunged at her from around James and Sirius. Before anyone knew what was going on, Lily was on top of Bellissia with her wand pointed at her throat. Bellissia threw Lily off of her and sent a stunning spell flying her way. Lily dodged it and was about to mutter the Bat Bogey Hex, but a thin woman stepped in front of her. This woman was Professor McGonagall, their Transfiguration teacher and the head of Gryffindor house.
"Really, girls!" she said sternly. "Bellissia, I figured you would want to make a good impression at your new school! This is the third fight this week! And Lily! You are head girl! You should be setting a better example for your peers! Fifty points from Gryffindor and both of you have detention with me tonight!"
Lily was livid. James managed to drag her out of the Great Hall in order to calm her down before classes started.
"What did I ever do to her?" Bellissia wondered out loud.
"Don't you play stupid with us," Annette yelled. "I know what you're up to, you little whore!" She then stormed out of the hall. Remus stared after her, his mouth hanging open.
"What in the world is going on?" he asked.
"I don't know! It's been one week, and suddenly every girl wants to jump me!" she whined.
"And every guy wants to jump your bones, look at that Ravenclaw boy!" They all turned to see a fourth year boy winking at Bellissia and making what he obviously thought was a sexy pose. They all laughed out loud.
"Come on, they day can only get better," Sirius said as he offered her his arm. She slipped her own through it and quickly grabbed Remus's with her other arm. Remus grabbed Peter, and soon they were all skipping down the hall to Charms.
Bellissa tried, but she just couldn't concentrate on what the new professor said. Sirius had told her about the old charms teacher who had retired last year, a large woman by the name of Lilian Jacksmith. This new professor was short, so short in fact; he needed a stool to see over the podium. His name was Professor Flickflack, or Flackwit, or something like that. Again, why all the trouble with names?
When the bell finally rang to end class, Bellissia sighed with relief and went to gather her things. She saw a piece of parchment she had not noticed before laying on top of her desk. When she picked it up, she immediately recognized Sirius's handwriting and smiled. As she crumpled the note in her hand, she walked towards the door. She felt the glares of the Gryffindor girls on her back, so she turned and gave her biggest smile. She then glided out of the room, or as best she could with platforms on.
The note had said to meet in the east hallway with the large scenery painting. As she approached it, she thought about him. What was really going on between them? She certainly liked him a lot, but she couldn't decide if it was because he was drop-dead gorgeous, completely hilarious with a great personality, or if it was because he was totally off-limits, thanks to the over-protective Remus. She continued to think until she reached the end of the hall. Where was he? She would kill him if he made her walk all the way over her for nothing. Just as she was about to leave, she felt a pair of strong hands grab her around the waist and on the mouth. The hands backed her up against the wall. Just as she was about to go from panic mode to hit and run mode, she was that pair of liquid blue eyes and that mop of black hair. At this, Sirius pressed his lips to hers. What started out as a soft(ish) (semi)innocent kiss, quickly turned hot and heavy. After a few minutes, Bellissia pulled away (but not far enough to remove his hands from her back).
"What are we doing, Sirius?"
"What do you mean what are doing? We're making out and really enjoying it!"
"No, baby, I mean are we just going to go for it?"
"Hell yeah!" And Sirius moved his hands to the hem of her shirt. Bellissia grabbed them.
"You know what I mean! Are we official? Are you just going to go slutting off with other girls?"
"Slutting off?"
"Just answer the question!"
"Bellissia, you're my girl. My only girl," he moved in until their foreheads were touching. "Do you want me to be official?"
Bellissia smiled. "Yes I do."
Sirius kissed her neck and she giggled. "Bellissia Maria Angenelo, will you be my girlfriend?"
"Of course, you crazy, but you know we have to be careful. Remus will go postal if he finds out we're together, I mean it!"
"We'll be careful," and at that, they continued where they left off.
It was lunchtime before Sirius and Bellissia surfaced. Her hair had gone from a polished low ponytail to loose, wild, and all-over messy waves. Sirius's hands couldn't seem to stay out of it, it felt like silk, just like he knew it would. They walked to the Great Hall hand in hand until they got to the doors. Bellissia self-consciously smoothed her hair and tugged on the hem of her skirt. Sirius just grinned his cocky grin and pushed the doors open. They easily found James and the others and they sat down in two empty seats across from him and Remus.
"Where have you two been?" Remus demanded.
"Gosh, Dad, we've been in the hospital wing." Bellissia sighed. She was a very smooth liar. A trait she had picked up from Luca, one of her past boyfriends.
"Yeah, Bella was feeling ill and she wanted to have Madame Pomfrey check her out," Sirius piped up.
"Sirius was sweet enough to walk me down there. Remmy, you have such great friends!" Bellissia said.
"Bellissia, you didn't seem si-" James began until he received a sharp kick in the shin from Sirius. "-like you were feeling so well. In fact, you still seem a bit peaky-"
"Well, here, each some chicken," Remus said as he began piling food on Bellissia's plate.
"But I'm not that-"
"Nonsense, eat."
That night Bellissia was doing homework before detention in the common room. She was sitting on the couch, still in her Hogwarts uniform. The room was pretty empty, only a couple of firsties sitting at a corner table. She heard someone on the stairs and turned around. There stood Sirius. She immediately brightened and pushed her homework on the floor. He walked over and sat on the couch next to her, and pulled her thing figure into his lap. He intertwined his fingers with her and looked at her; and they both started laughing.
"I thought Remus was going to make you eat all the food in the Great Hall!"
"I thought James was going to blow it for us!"
They continued to laugh until Sirius said, "You know, since you're sick, maybe I should check you over. Make sure it's nothing serious."
"Go ahead, doctor," she purred. "I have had a stomach ache."
He lightly pushed her onto her back and climbed on top of her. "I'll take a look." He pushed her shirt up and kissed her tummy.
"And I've been getting some pains in my shoulder." He unbuttoned the top couple buttons of her white shirt and planted kisses from the top of her arm to the base of her neck. He hesitated for a second, then kissed her neck until she turned her head and met his lips. They were getting pretty into it: Sirius's hands were all through Bellissia's hair and Bellissia's legs were wrapped around Sirius's. All of a sudden, they heard voices coming from outside the portrait hole. They laid there stock still until they heard it open. Sirius fell off the couch and accidentally pulled Bellissia off with him. They struggled to pull away, but then they looked up to see a very bemused looking James and Peter.
"James, Peter! How are my mates?" Sirius said from under Bellissia. They quickly stood (Bellissia was desperately trying to pull down her shirt. Somehow it was never restored to its original position after Sirius played "doctor").
"Listen, Padfoot, I've been suspicious about you two for quite a while now, and I'll cover for you with Remus," James said.
"Oh thank you, Jamesie!" Bellissia squealed as she threw her arms around him. She pulled back and saw Peter staring at her with wide eyes. She guessed James didn't get too many hugs. Too late, she followed where Peter was staring and realized she had never done up the top few buttons of her shirt. That creepy boy had now seen not only cleavage, but a fair amount of pink lace 34-B bra. She turned a bit and did a couple of the buttons. Peter continued to leer at her like the old man who rand the hot dog stand on 17th back in the city. She had never liked to pass that geezer without a really big boyfriend. She made a mental note to tell Sirius about him. Just as it was getting a bit awkward, Remus burst in the door.
"Hey James have you seen-Bella! Where on Earth have you been? Off with some new guy?"
"Remus that is so unfair!" she cut in.
"It's not exactly like you have a clear reputation," he said with raised eyebrows. "Anyway, McGonagall is about to go over the edge, you're forty-five minutes late for your detention."
Bellissia's eyes got wide. "Shit!" she said as she ran out the portrait hole.
"Hey Remus, what were you talking about 'not having a clear reputation'," Sirius asked.
"Eh, I shouldn't tell you lot!"
"Oh, come on, mate!" James cut in.
"It's not a huge deal, really, she's just been known to get around, you know? I guess it really got started from our Great Aunt Giacinta. I remember as early as third year that old bird would follow Bella around snarling 'lei la ragazza sporca dividendo il suo letto con molti ragazzi'. I don't know much Italian, but roughly means 'you dirty girl who sleeps with many boys'."
They all cracked up. "That cow!" laughed James
"I'll bet she was the one who always complained," choked Peter.
"Yeah, she probably had an awful nickname for everyone. What did she call you, Remus?" Sirius asked.
"Me? I was either 'il ragazzo straniero', the foreign boy, or 'l'estraneo', the outsider. She didn't even acknowledge my mother's marriage, since my dad's not Italian. She called my mom 'la prostituta inglese', or the British prostitute."
"Oh man, did your mom get mad?" asked Peter.
"Uh, not really, she would just say 'curl up and die you old cow!'." They all laughed.
"Hey guys, don't tell anyone else about this, especially Bella, she's still mad at old Giacinta."
"Don't worry, mate. I don't have anyone else to tell it to!" James said.
By the time Bellissia finally got to Professor McGonagall's room, she could tell she was in deep trouble. She walked through the rows of desks up to the main podium where she was standing.
"You are an hour late." Bellissia had gotten lost on one of the trick staircases.
"Yes, ma'am, it won't happen again, I lost track of time."
"I see. And do you think another day of detention would help you to keep better time?"
"If you think so ma'am."
"Hmm, if I think so. You know what I think would help? If you got a watch, Miss Angenelo. Miss Evans is already in my office sorting my spellbooks. Please go in and inform her she is dismissed. You may take over from here."
Bellissia sighed. "So should I plan on coming tomorrow?"
"Oh, I don't know, let's see how tonight goes," she said with the faintest hint of a smile.
Bellissia walked into the office to find Lily amid piles and piles of ancient looking tomes.
"It's about time!" she said. Just as Bellissia was about to say something equally catty, Lily put her hand up.
"Look Bella, I'm sorry I went off at you during breakfast. That was wrong. From now on we're cool."
"Thanks, Lily." Bellissia put her hand out and Lily shook it.
"One thing," Lily said as she turned around. "Right now, of the girls in our dorm, Annie and I are the least of your worries," and with that, she left.
An hour later, every book was in place. McGonagall told Bellissia she needn't come back the next night. She began the long walk back to the tower. She thought about what Lily had said. What was the worst some British girl could do? Still, she thought it best not to under-estimate the mind workings of three seventeen year old girls. She finally got through into the common room and found all four Marauders sitting by the fire with some old looking parchment.
"Hey guys," Bellissia said as she hugged Remus from behind. Remus jumped and James started hastily folding up the paper.
"How was detention?" asked Sirius.
"Not so bad. Pretty good, in fact. Lily and I are cool. She's actually pretty nice."
"I'm glad you're getting along, Bella," Remus said.
"Thanks, Bub. Hey, I'm going to go ahead and go up to bed. See you tomorrow.
"'Night, Bella," Peter called out.
"Goodnight!" Remus said.
"'Night," Sirius said.
"See ya!" James said.
She waved and began walking up the stairs, but the minute she placed her foot on the bottom step, she could feel that something was amiss. The usually bustling stairway was completely deserted, save for one of her roommates standing outside the door. It was Marion, a short, mousy girl.
"Hi Marion," Bellissia said kindly. Marion was obviously startled, when she recovered, she said not a word, but raped twice on the large wooden door.
Two of their other roommates stepped out; the terror twins, Kate and Emalie. Although they were not actually twins, or even sisters, they girls looked exactly alike. They both had shoulder-length sandy blonde hair and cold, icy blue eyes.
"Hello, girls. Having a lovely night?"
"Fab," replied Kate, coldly.
"How about you, Bella?" sneered Emalie.
"Splendid! But-do you mind?-I'm a bit tired. I'd like to, I don't know, go to my room and sleep?"
"Tired, huh?" Well, I don't know if you'll be getting too much sleep tonight, eh Kate?" Emalie said, the corners of her mouth twitching. They moved aside and Bellissia entered the room. Her bed, which happened to be the closest to the door, was completely vandalized, and from the look of it, so was most of her stuff. In bright pink writing was "The Marauders Slut" written all over everything. The curtains from her bed, the sheets and pillows, her trunk and nightstand, and even her books, but what made her the angriest of all was her crucifix, given to her by her mother, passed from mothers to daughters in her family for decades, now read across it "Catholics are Scum." Those slags could ruing her bed and mess up her text books, but when they ruined-no, desecrated!-not only a holy object but an heirloom, they had gone too far. Bellissia threw her trunk open and grabbed her purse, a large black tote bag, and walked out of the room past those laughing maniacs. At the last minute, she snatched up her crucifix.
By the time she had gotten to the common room, she was running. Hot tears were brimming her eyes. She was not going to cry. Not in front of these people. These terrible people.
"Hey Bella, I thought you were going to bed," she heard James say as she raced out of there. She wanted to be anywhere but in that room. She snuck out of the back doors of the castle, outside onto the grounds. She stuck the cross into her bag and sat on a rock. She couldn't stand it anymore. She just let the tears flow. She hated it when people saw her cry. She got it from her grandmamma. "Bebé," she used to say, "to show a tear is to show a weakness." Finally she wiped her eyes and sat back. She fumbled in her purse for a tissue, but she found something more. An old pack of half-empty cigarettes. She used to be an avid smoker, but she had quit a year or two ago. She had felt so strong and in-control then. Now she felt weak and insecure.
"What the hell," she though as she brought one out, along with a lighter, and lit up. "No one cares anyway." That first drag felt like a breath of life. She closed her eyes and enjoyed it. Amazing how one little smoke could have that much of a claming affect, she mused. She sat there for a long time, smoking and thinking. Then she heard someone coming toward her. She quickly stamped out her cigarette and waved the air around her to try and clear it.
"Hi Baby. James told me I might find you here." Sirius!
"Hey Baby. It's been a rough night." She took out her pack of cigarettes once more. She offered one to him as well. He declined. Shrugging, she lit it up and inhaled deeply. He sat down next to her, not saying another word, just easing his arm around her waist. They sat there, just like that for a long while. Finally, Bellissia spoke.
"Why do they all hate me?" All of a sudden, her tears came back. She move into Sirius's lap and sobbed onto his shoulder. She ended up telling him everything. He laughed when she told him what was written on her bed, but sobered up quickly when she showed him the crucifix.
"I'll clean it up for you. Don't worry, Baby, and you are not slut! You are perfect." She smiled on his chest.
"Remus doesn't need to know about this," she gestured with her cigarette, "either. He hates smoking."
"Of course not. You're secret is safe with me." She stood up and took one last drag before dropping her cigarette to the ground and outing it with her foot.
"Let's go," and with that, they made their way up to the castle.