Arch of Wand who is too lazy to sign in: (1)*looks surprised* I like Whose Line TOO! *disbelieving face number… which one were we on?!* (2) Remus is a sweetie. *grins and pats him on the head* (3) I get my very own reverse psychology crap, yey!
CS: Lol. *grins* I would use your character… 'cept I have one of my own already! She'll make a debut later, but her part in this story isn't all that large. I'm planning writing her story after this.
Niniane, Lady of the Lake: LOL. Road-kill… I've heard that somewhere before… and I think I'll use it in this chapter… *raises an eyebrow*
Snowfire the Kitsune: *gets plowed over by the mischief* Meh heh. I myself am debating whether she'll spill or whether I'll save that for a terribly cliché chapter that I've planned. Hm… *rubs her chin*
Empress Guinevere Sparrow: *sends you some cake and chocolate for not sending evil Dobby and Gollum offspring after her* Ah, smelly cheese does wonders….
galadrielhermione10067: You know… I'm glad I made her a Muggle too! I thought that'd be a bit more original.
DistinctVagueness: Thank you! I was quite iffy about the journal entry, but it seemed like a good way to pass through large gaps of time. There will be more journal entries every now and then.
Autumn Darkness: :P You're weird.
"Moonlight on the Water": Barbados, cool! Thanks for the review!
The Rori: Thank you!
Dakilang_MotMot: Thank you! I hope this is soon enough for you!
"blahblah": Lol. That's what I always think at the end of a chapter. "That's it? Sheesh!"
Haldirs-Wife: As I said to galadrielhermione10067, I thought making her a Muggle would be a bit more original.
Muse-Calliope: Lol. Supermarket Sirius. *snorts* I am considering making myself a huggable Sirius doll to take to university next year. Wonder what kind of rep that'll get me…. Oh, and by the way… that link to the picture didn't work… drat!
The Elven Wolf: Takeout! *runs off to find the Chinese in her fridge… food, not person… yeah…* Lol. I still haven't figured out that monkey thing.
Thanks to Hathor The Beta!
December 30, 1976It was Day Five, and three days away from the day that the students would return for term. The castle was quiet. Time was spent wandering to the library or roaming the common rooms.
Casey, for one, was glad that everything was so dead. Being homeschooled was a disadvantage when it came to a social life, and she was tired of being on her toes day in and day out. She would have gladly sunk into the background and devoted her time to observing. Sirius, however… ugh! He was so freaking incessant about everything. After only five days, Casey tended to agree with Lily: they were insufferable prats! Not that they (they being Sirius and James) weren't incredibly charming as well, but Casey hadn't people-watched all her life for nothing.
At the moment, she was curled up in a blanket in a window seat, wishing for something to read, but above all, lost in her thoughts. As it was still holiday, everyone was still sleeping, but Casey had woken up early and hadn't been able to go back to sleep, so she had quietly pulled the comforter off her bed and had shuffled downstairs. She briefly considered going through one of the piles of junk that the Marauders had left lying around, but quickly decided that this was unwise, as it was something the Marauders had left. For all she knew, it could be a trap to catch Snape trespassing on their turf (they considered all of Hogwarts theirs, but still).
She hadn't seen Snape very much, and when she did, it was fairly uneventful. Sirius, who had taken to sitting determinably at her side whenever possible, did nothing more than whisper subtly degrading comments about the Slytherin in her ear. As the professors were unusually near, Sirius and James could not do what they really wanted to, and Snape was unable to retaliate properly. Casey found it considerably annoying that she was being used to get at Snape, and tried to sit elsewhere, but the Marauders, she found, were cleverer than that. Five minutes after she sat down, Sirius was back at her side, puffing out his chest and declaring his greatness. At that point, Casey had stolen Peter's fork out of his hand and poked Sirius in the ribs. "Stop doing that," she had said. "You look like a blowfish." Sirius claimed that he wasn't speaking to her. She wished it were true.
Only five days in, and she was already homesick. Lily was wonderful, of course (who would have expected any less?); a bit of a stickler for the rules, but wonderful all the same… but Casey wanted Kari and Lisa, who would bring out her quirkiness and give back with some of their own. Dumbledore was patient and wise, and an awesome adult, but he couldn't always be there to listen to her. Voldemort was out there, and nobody knew what she did; they would fight on, not knowing that all it took to free them was the child of James Potter and Lily Evans.
Casey leaned her forehead against the cold window and watched her breath cause a round spot of fog. Idly, she drew whirly patterns on the glass, watching them meld together as the glass cleared. Again, she breathed heavily onto the window. This time, she spelled out "MWPP Time." Over and over she drew things in the window. "Sirius," "Potter," "Lily," and "Moony" (along with a little clear circle to go along with it and represent the moon).
"I didn't think you were the type to get up early," a voice teased from behind her.
Casey spun around. Lily was smiling at her. For a moment, Casey panicked. Could Lily see the "Moony" behind her on the glass? Could she see the moon? Lily wasn't stupid; she'd probably figured it out years ago…. "I'm not," Casey finally choked out, smiling nervously. She turned back to look out the window, and was relieved to find her drawings had vanished. "I just woke up."
Lily smiled in understanding. "Well," she said, glancing down at Casey's apparel, "you have about forty-five seconds to get back in our dormitory before the boys come out. They would generally sleep in during the holidays, but Remus said Sirius has been dragging them out of bed every morning to see you."
Casey sighed heavily and slid off the window seat. Sirius's attention was flattering and all, but couldn't he just leave her alone for one morning?
Just as she entered the girls' dorm and shut the door, something slammed open the boys' dorm door and thundered down the stairs. A second later, a loud voice called, "Good morning, Evans! Lovely day for a romantic walk, isn't it?" Casey could practically hear Lily rolling her eyes.
Casey quickly pulled on a set of robes and headed back downstairs. She was surprised when, instead of marching about as they usually did, Sirius, Remus, and Peter were sitting soberly in various places around the room, while James was standing by the window, looking very seriously at Lily, who looked typically angry. "I didn't write that, Potter," she was saying venomously.
"Then who did?" James asked solemnly.
Draw what? Casey wondered.
Lily glanced at Casey and Casey glanced at the window. Oh.
Everyone else had seen the glances too, and turned to Casey. She looked from person to person, unsure of what to do. When she saw Remus… oh, poor Remus! He looked a hundred times sicker than he had the day before, and to top that he was scared.
Casey quickly snapped her mouth shut. Think fast, think fast, think fast! It was the most important unwritten rule of all: don't reveal the future. Um…. "Draw what?" she finally asked, calling on her large eyes to portray innocence.
"'Moony' on the window," Sirius supplied, studying her with no small amount of wariness.
"O-oh," Casey stuttered. "Well… that's what you call Remus, isn't it?"
"Why'd you draw it with a moon?" James asked testily.
Who told you it was a moon? Casey wanted to quip, but just shrugged and said, "I dunno. I figured he just liked the moon or something." The others stared at her blankly. Casey rolled her eyes. "Moony?" She shrugged again. "What's the big deal?" She paused, and then grinned at Sirius playfully. "You didn't think I'd draw Remus's butt on the window, did you?" Sirius let out a bark of laughter, and even Remus chuckled with relief.
"Come on, let's go to breakfast," Sirius said, slinging an arm around Casey's shoulders.
For once, Casey didn't shake it off. She allowed the comfort he was most likely unknowingly offering to sink in as she shoved her shaking hands into her pockets. Crisis averted.
* * *
Casey shifted nervously in her seat. She knew that she shouldn't be scared to ask. After all, it was only Lily. But that was just it: it was Lily. Lily was important; Casey was just any other girl. There was nothing special about her… except that she'd managed to time-travel.
"Lily?" she said shakily. Lily looked up and smiled encouragingly at her. Casey swallowed. "Um… I'd like to get some books from the library. You know… to catch up a bit… where is the library?"
"Would you like me to take you?" Lily asked.
Casey glanced sideways at Sirius, who was leaning into the middle of the table, consorting with the other Marauders. "I think," she said slowly, "that if both of us leave at the same time, they're bound to notice."
Lily grinned. "I'd have to agree. All right." With a few swishes of her wand, she'd produced parchment and a quill. Minutes later, Casey was able to slip out of the Great Hall without Sirius noticing.
Lily had made a list of some books that she recommended for catching up. A History of Magic was at the top of the list, and there was a small note beside it. It said, "Thought you might want to know a bit about the Wizarding World." Casey smiled and looked at the directions to the library. Could they have put it any farther away? she wondered, tucking the parchment into her pocket.
Hogwarts was an awfully gloomy, spooky place when you were alone. The only light came from glowing torches, which caused more than one shadow to be black and menacing. Casey began rolling her feet so that they didn't make any sound. Why did she let things like that get to her? Every frightening movie she'd ever seen began to flash through her mind. What Lies Beneath, Signs, The Rings, The Exorcist….
"Geez," she muttered. "It's not like something's going to attack me."
"That really depends on what you would call 'attacking.'"
Casey nearly jumped out of her skin and spun around. "Snape!" she gasped. Stupid idiot can't even look decent like Alan Rickman. She frowned. "Wh… hi."
Snape raised one shiny black eyebrow. His skin glittered in the torchlight. "Hello."
Casey pursed her lips. "I'm Casey."
He gave her a contemptuous once-over. "Indeed."
Casey frowned at him again, fiddling with her side of her robes. "Can I help you?" she finally asked.
"Oh, I think that you can," Snape said, one lip curling. "You have interesting tastes when it comes to choosing your friends."
Casey snorted. "I think my friends chose me."
"Indeed."
"You say that a lot," Casey pointed out, plucking up enough courage to talk back a bit.
"You should watch your tongue unless you are prepared to demonstrate your worth," Snape snapped.
Casey blinked. Whoa, chill, dude. "Sorry…"
Snape gave her the once-over again. "Tell me, what is your parentage?"
Oh, crap. Think of a way out, think of a way out, think of a way out! Up until now, I've been sorted into Slytherin; I'm cunning… think of a way out! "I'm not a 'mudblood' if that's what you mean," she said shortly.
Snape's eyes glittered triumphantly. "You are pureblood then?"
Pure Muggle, apparently, yeah. "Yes."
Casey had never known anyone who looked evil when they were happy, but Snape's lips curled into a sadistic smile. "Welcome, then. I'll admit, it seems strange that you would arrive so late in the year…."
"I was homeschooled until now," Casey offered, hoping that this explanation was acceptable.
Something flickered on Snape's face. "And you came to finish your schooling."
Casey nodded, still fiddling with the side of her robes.
Snape nodded back and seemed to suddenly think of something. "The manner of your arrival was odd; it seemed as though you apparated…"
"But you can't apparate on Hogwarts grounds," Casey finished.
"No, that is possible," Snape said slowly, and Casey gulped. What good was listening to Hermione if she could even be right? "I was going to say that you are too young to have an apparating license."
"I know," Casey said, thinking quickly. "It… it was a portkey. I charmed it myself and I've never done it before; that's why I ended up in the Great Hall instead of the Entrance Hall."
"Ah," the Slytherin acknowledged. "Perhaps if you show me the charm you used, I can point out what went wrong."
Uh oh. "I don't have my wand," she said swiftly, glad that she had a reasonable excuse.
"That's all right." Snape pulled a polished wand from his pocket. "You may use mine."
Warning bells sounded in her head. She couldn't get out of it; she was completely alone in the hallway with Snape, of all people! "Oh, um… your wand may not work for me," she sputtered, shying away from him.
"We'll see," Snape said, eyes bright. "Give it a wave. Let's see if it makes sparks."
Crap, crap, crap! Snape had put the wand in her hand and was watching her expectantly. She couldn't wave it! Nothing would happen and a Death Eater would know! "I… I don't want to," she said, trying to shove the wand back into his hands.
Snape sneered and gripped her hand tightly, forcing her to keep holding the wand. "Oh, I think you should."
Casey shook her head, trying to pull her hand away. "No."
"Wave it!"
"No!"
Snape's grip tightened and Casey winced. "Wave it," he spat, his voice deathly calm. With a flick of his wrist, he dropped her hand in such a way that she waved her hand… and the wand.
Casey's breath caught in her chest. Nothing happened. Oh no.
Snape gave her a feral grin, snatched the wand, and backed her into a wall, holding the wand loosely under her chin. "Well, now. Isn't this interesting? A squib at Hogwarts. How lucky for you."
"Filch's a squib," Casey said defensively, trying to look down at the wand, and thankful that the Slytherin had come to the wrong conclusion.
"Filch is employed here. You, however, are a student."
Casey tried to look nonchalant as she shrugged her shoulders. "Dumbledore's a good man."
"Oh, yes," Snape sneered. "He takes in mudbloods and squibs and… what's this?" he said, looking cruelly surprised. "I'm sure that you know Lupin's little secret by now, don't you? You've been accepted into their group so readily. Tell me, where does Lupin go once a month?"
Oh crap, oh crap, oh bloody crap! "I just got here," she said. "How should I know?" It was difficult to breathe.
"If I were you, I would not be so impertinent when there is a wand held at your chin."
He had set himself up too easily, and Casey, ever the motion picture scholar, quipped, "If you were me, I'd be ugly." Thank you, Peter Pan.
"Shut up," Snape snapped childishly.
Again, the movie bug just had to bite. Wrinkling her nose, Casey said, "Dude… you need a tic tac." Good Burger, I salute you.
He probably hadn't understood the tic tac comment, but Snape flushed all the same and the wand pressed into Casey's neck. She whimpered as Snape moved closer, glaring at her angrily. "Where does he go every full moon?"
"I hardly think that you should expect her to know everything yet, Snivellus. She only just got here, after all."
Never had Casey been gladder to see Sirius Black in her life. Snape immediately let Casey go and stepped back, his attention focused instead on Sirius. Sirius kept his blazing eyes trained on Snape, but said, "Casey, go on to the library. I'll come and get you in a bit."
Casey nodded and nearly ran to the hall to the library.
Exciting enough, I hope, to make up for the large amount of time between updates. Review, please!