I know in this chapter I messed up on some details… Particularly my description of Narcissa. But keep in mind that I began this story after the Prisoner of Azkaban was published. I changed a lot of things as more books were published, but there are some things that I like better the way I have them, so I am taking creative license.
The beginning of this chapter should have been included in Chapter 7, but so be it. It's not the best chapter. Well written, I think, but not the most exciting. It's necessary though.
Chapter 8
The next morning, Jaguar woke up, smiling brightly, in her bed. It had all been a dream. Then she stretched and realized that there was a large bandage taped to the back of her head, and that the edges of things gleamed slightly, and that sounds seemed to vibrate a bit more… And she realized that it had all been real.
How was the possible? She had killed people, then fallen off a broom… What had she been on?
For some reason, that question struck her as funny, and she giggled helplessly. Maybe Nivea was still screwing with her brain.
Sirius sat up from where he had been lying on the floor and studied her carefully. "Are you okay?"
In response, she leapt off the side of her bed with a loud shriek, tackling him to the floor.
"Oh, Sirius!" she cried into his neck as he patted her back awkwardly and tried to keep away from her bad breath. "You saved my life! I might have died if you hadn't been there!"
He laughed and pushed her away. "Yeah… It was lucky. But are you alright now?"
Jaguar took a moment to evaluate herself. "I think so," she said. "But I'm not sure what caused me to go so odd last night. And everything is different."
"Different?"
"Clearer… Brighter… Like my senses have all gotten stronger."
"Weird," said Sirius. "Well, you did hit your head pretty hard."
Jaguar stood in front of Nivea's house on September 1st, wearing white flared jeans and a jacket, although she wished that she could be wearing her school uniform. As she waited, she crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot exasperatedly.
Sighing several times, she began bouncing up and down. Slowly at first, then faster and faster, she continued this until Nivea, who had been quietly observing from the porch finally stepped forward and grasped her arm.
"You cut that out!" Nivea said, quite sternly, although after Lily and Sirius had told her about Jaguar's fall, she had been rethinking her harsh treatment of the girl. Sometimes it was hard to remember that Jaguar was just a little girl. Only 10 years old, no matter how mature she acted. So she knew that Jaguar wouldn't understand her if she tried to explain how everything she did was out of love, no anger or hate. That sort of thing would have to wait until Jaguar was older. And suddenly Nivea wanted Jaguar to grow up, and mature, and become an equal. They were so alike. Was it too far-fetched to think that someday they might be friends? But at the same time, the only Jaguar she had ever known was the headstrong girl that that glared up at her in consternation at the moment. She would have given anything to have this moment forever. But it would end all too soon. Her childhood would be over as soon as she stepped onto the Hogwarts Express later that morning. Her innocence would begin to fade. Nivea wished that she could warn the girl, but she knew that it would be futile. Giving into a sudden rush of emotion, Nivea swept the girl into an embrace.
Surprised, Jaguar froze for a moment, then, frowning slightly returned the embrace. "Aunt Nivea," she whispered, "hugging you is wonderful and all, but please tell them to hurry up!"
Drawing back, Nivea rolled her eyes, before lowering a pair of bright red sunglasses over them. She said, "We have plenty of time, Jaggie. We don't have to be at King's Cross Station until nine.
It was just after 5 in the morning, and Sirius and Lily were preparing to go off to school still. The only reason they were awake so early was that Jaguar had arisen in a panic at 3 am, certain that they had missed the train. Thinking of that, Nivea added, "If you miss the train, I'll simply call it back."
Now it was Jaguar's turn to roll her eyes. How would her first day of school look if her aunt had to bring the train back into the station just for her and her friends?
She was just excited. She couldn't stop the buzzing that had started in her head and spread to every other part of her body until she was vibrating. Last night she had been so full of anticipation that she had been unable to sleep for hours, until she had finally dozed about 20 minutes before waking up, convinced that she had missed the train and would never become a witch.
Thankfully, she wasn't late, but she definitely was not going to chance going back to sleep. Instead, she had bathed, and then rushed to wake everyone else up. Nivea had been annoyed slightly at first, but smiled warmly at Jaguar.
Jag couldn't wait to see her friends, and to make new friends. She was a people person. They tended to flock to her. She had heard that she gave good advice. And coming from Sirius' sister Ari, that was quite the compliment.
Still impatient, Jaguar finally threw her hands into the air, crying, "Why me!" before stomping up the porch steps and marching into the mansion. Passing a house elf lugging a trunk, Jaguar entered the foyer, and looked through a door into one of the living rooms. A glance told her there was no one inside.
"Siri! Lily!" Jaguar yelled at the top of her voice. "HURRY UP!" A bird squawked somewhere nearby, and the girl continued in that direction.
In the spacious kitchen, Lily and Sirius were digging through the cupboards for sweets, which Nivea had hid from them on the highest shelves. Really, she didn't have to hide them, since her house was so big, they could be set on a table somewhere and remain undiscovered for years. Besides, the hiding place was quite obvious.
Hearing Jaguar's call, Lily had turned and shouted out their location, before comforting the startled owl.
"What are you two doing?" She asked in what sounded like a horror-stricken voice. Hands planted on her hips, and eyes narrowed, she looked like a disappointed mother.
Sheepishly, Sirius and Lily glanced at each other, before the boy replied, "Looking for candy. Why are you in such a hurry anyway?"
"They sell candy on the train," replied Jaguar, ignoring his question deliberately.
"We know that," said Lily, matter-of-factly, rolling her eyes. "But then you have to pay."
"Are you seri—Oh my…" Jaguar spluttered as she came close to losing her temper entirely. "It's CANDY! It doesn't hardly cost anything!"
Lily looked slight put off, but Sirius continued his rummaging without notice.
"Oh fine then!" Jaguar exclaimed. "Top shelf of the top cupboard above the sink!"
After Sirius had climbed up to the candy, she grabbed him by the arm and dragged him all the way to the car, which Nivea was now sitting on top of. As she saw the children, Nivea snapped her cellular phone shut and smiled at them. "Does everyone have everything?"
Since they arrived in London extremely early for the train, Nivea bought them all breakfast at the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley.
As Nivea didn't eat much normally, she ordered only coffee. Lily ordered tea and a croissant. Sirius ordered French toast, and Jag ordered sausages. They each pretended to listen to Nivea talking as they picked at their meals.
Soon, the restaurant became filled with other Hogwarts students, including Ari and Annabelle, who were alone, with no luggage. "Hullo Nivea," said Ari, dropping her American accent for the two words. "We'll be needing a ride back to the station?"
Since none of the new first year students were talking and all three looked a bit pale, Ari teased them with horror stories about the school.
"—and you must never run up the stairs, Lily, because they will shift under you and break your ankles. Speaking of ankles, Sirius, never be late to class…"
Lily, Sirius, and Jaguar were for the most part silent, which prompted Nivea to exclaim loudly that something was wrong with them and try to take their temperatures. They were each lost in private thoughts. Sirius ignored his food, but drank a lot of juice. Lily took one bite out of her pastry, and then settled on sipping her tea. Jaguar cut her sausages into infinitesimal bits, put one into her mouth, and then spit it into her napkin in what she thought was a discreet manner. When she looked up, however, Ari and Annabelle were looking at her in unconcealed disgust.
Finally, the group made it to the station. They had to drag their trunks and pets all the way to platform 9 ¾, which did not technically exist.
"Why are there so many people with owls?" Jag heard one elderly woman inquire.
Jaguar caught Sirius' eye, and they grinned.
As soon as Nivea had entered the station, she had been mobbed by 20 or so witches and wizards Jaguar assumed were reporters. They snapped pictures rapidly, and fired questions at the woman.
The children knew well enough to keep out of the way. Even Ari knew better than to talk to these reporters. Credible ones did not hang around waiting for celebrities so that they could jump out of a bush and startle answers out of them.
Nivea answered their questions with a practiced ease. Lily, who had not immediately scurried out of the way, but was doing a good job at ignoring questions aimed at her, listened.
"Miss Cortez, have you increased the security on your estate lately?"
Nivea studied the man who had asked the question, while she continued to walk, not even pausing. "Is there a particular reason that I would? I have nothing to be afraid of, do I?"
"What will you do if the situation comes to extremes?" a middle aged woman asked.
"Aren't you jumping the gun a bit?" Nivea replied. "We'll see if it happens. But I'll tell you this—whatever happens, the media will be the last to know." Then she laughed.
"Isn't it true, Miss Cortez, that as Revealer, you are able to see the future? And if so, don't you know if it will happen at least?"
At this, Nivea grinned, though it was not necessarily a happy grin. She looked at Lily, rolled her eyes, and shook her head so that her sunglasses slid forward to cover her grey eyes.
"You hear this, Lils? These questions!" Then, turning to the reporters and stopping, she told them, "First of all, it does not work like that. That's like asking something like, 'As a reporter, do you own a pen?' Quite stupid, and a bit rude. And second of all, yes, I do know IF it will happen. But there is no way in hell I would ever tell you. Ciao."
As they walked on, Nivea looked at Lily, and said indulgently, "I'll be on the cover of the Prophet tomorrow, just you wait."
Lily didn't doubt that, although she had no real idea what the conversation between Nivea and the reporters had been about.
Lily's first trip through the brick wall went smoothly despite the fact that she expected to wake up in the mental hospital with a concussion and some busted out teeth.
To Jaguar's surprise and pleasure, her sister Katrine was waiting at the station to see her off. Monica was nowhere to be seen. Jaguar shrugged, although it felt like a stab somewhere in her heart to realize that her mother didn't want to see her off, after having spent no time at all with her during the summer.
Katrine stared around in jealousy, whispering to her friend Danika.
Turning to say something to Lily, Jaguar heard someone call her name. "James!" she yelled, turning to the boy who was stepping off the train. "Have you got us seats?"
"Yes," said Remus, hopping out behind him. "Compartment number 9."
They pulled their luggage onto the train as Ari and Annabelle were joined by a giggling group of girls.
"Malfoy," Jaguar said coldly as they passed a group of children, some of whom Lily recognized from the Ministry Ball. "Snape. Ice."
"Why not just ignore them?" asked James loudly.
"Because," Jaguar replied. "Then I would be as rude as them." She flashed them a toothy smile over her shoulder. Then she said, "I'll die if I end up in the same house as any of them."
They walked back outside to get their pets from Katrine and Danika, who had been watching them. They were still discussing the house system at Hogwarts when Jaguar suddenly froze.
"Oh no!" she whispered, paralyzed. "James! She doesn't know you. Go tell Katrine to bring the animals onto the train."
Her friends all looked around at her. They had no idea what Jaguar was talking about. Finally she cringed and nodded her head a bit in Nivea's direction.
They all looked toward Nivea, who was chatting amiably with a tall woman who had long, greying, black hair, and who was wearing tall silver high heeled shoes, with very expensive matching robes. She looked a bit like a robot. Nivea's tense body language showed her intense dislike of the woman, although she would have looked happy enough to anyone who did not know her well.
Jaguar wasn't looking at Nivea, however. Her attention was focused on a girl her age with black ringlets of hair falling just past her shoulders. Sighting Jaguar, the girl pulled on her mother's sleeves a bit to get her attention, then glided toward the group of children.
"No!" Jag and Sirius gasped in unison. Remus and James looked extremely uncomfortable, and looked around a bit for hiding places.
Lily smiled broadly. "Hi Paris!" she exclaimed, and the same time Jaguar yelled out, "Paris! Long time no see!"
Lily glanced over at Jaguar, to see the dark haired girl glaring daggers at her. It was chilling how murderous Jaguar could look when she was angry.
"I must agree," the girl replied happily, throwing her arms around Jaguar, who looked absolutely horrified, and stiffened.
"Well," Paris continued, "aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?" She grinned at all of them. Her voice was dripping with sarcasm, but she seemed delighted to have them all staring at her as though she had three heads. "Hmmm? Of course, I recognize Lila. I met her at the Ball."
Jaguar stared at Paris with a face that seemed to indicate that she was trying very hard not to breathe. Her grin seemed frozen on her face. "Lily Evans, James Potter, Remus Lupin, this is Paris Morgan. Sirius, you've met her…"
Paris seemed to have lost interest in them. "So, Jaguar. How was your summer? Mine was fantastical! I was soooo disappointed when you said you wouldn't be coming over at all."
Jaguar coughed. "Oh! I was busy…"
There was a pause. It had almost reached a length where it would be considered awkward when Katrine called out, "Jaguar! Your animals!"
Eagerly, Jaguar practically ran over to her sister, making a big show of hugging her goodbye. What she was really doing was whispering, "I thought she was going to Beauxbatons!"
"I know," Katrine whispered back. "So did I. Look—Niv didn't even know!"
To the other four children, Paris asked, "What compartment are you in? I'll be off now, but perhaps I shall pop in for a visit."
"Nine," Lily replied slowly. This girl was much different from the girl she had talked to at the Ministry Ball.
"Thanks, Lila," Paris said, smiling.
"Don't worry if you can't make it," Sirius muttered under his breath.
Paris, walking away, whirled around, narrowing her eyes. "Pardon?" Hmmm? Good!" Then she stomped onto the train.
After boarding the train with Kiwi and Marvin, her cats, and Nikanj and Racer, a raven and an owl that Jaguar owned, she led the way to their compartment.
Jaguar, Lily, and Sirius went outside once again to say their final goodbyes to Danika, Katrine, and Nivea.
The tall woman was still talking to Nivea, but broke off when she saw Jaguar. "Ooh!" She squealed. "Don't you look just darling, Jaggie?"
"It's Jaguar," said Jaguar coldly. "And I suppose that I must."
"You just have to see my new mansion. It's absotively gorgeous! And you and Paris have so much fun together!"
Jaguar snorted, hardly bothering a fake cough to cover it up.
Nivea and Sirius smiled, as Lily looked on, more than a bit confused.
"Give us a huggy!" the woman exclaimed, opening her arms wide.
Jaguar sidestepped away from her, pretending not to hear. "Hello, Jas," she called to Jasmine Asriel, who was boarding the train with some of her siblings. The blonde smiled and waved.
"Oh look," Nivea said tonelessly. "Jezebel, the train is leaving soon. You should say farewell to Paris."
"I should! My goodness! Where does the time go? Well, Nivy, I'll see you soon. Drop by for tea or something! Au revoir!"
"Fake French speaking whore," Nivea said loudly as the woman hurried away, her heels clattering on the ground.
Lily looked slightly horrified.
Jaguar and Katrine, who was covered with marks of dark red lipstick relaxed visibly.
Nivea grabbed Sirius suddenly and ruffled his hair. "Oh Sirius, you're so funny. How will I survive the whole year without your jokes?"
It didn't matter that Nivea hardly spent time with the children. They had always adored her, and liked her even better after spending the summer at her house.
She turned to Lily after kissing Sirius sloppily on the cheek and telling him that he would be a heartbreaker one day. "You're coming home for Christmas, I hope you know. You're welcome to invite a friend or two if you want." She sighed. "You're leaving so soon. It feels like I barely found you and now I'm losing you."
"You're not losing me, Nivea," said Lily, a bit confused.
Nivea shook her head sadly as though it was something Lily was unable to comprehend.
"And Jaggie, remember about your training. I want all of you to try out for the Quidditch teams of whatever houses you're placed in. I shall put my word in with Professor Dumbledore. I love you." She embraced her niece tightly.
"I love you too, Aunt Niv," replied Jaguar.
Nivea frowned. "Where is my love, Remus? Someday he'll be very handsome, Jaguar." She winked in a crude manner. "You might want to hold on to him."
Jaguar laughed.
"Farewell, my children!" Nivea pretended to cry into a tissue dramatically.
As Sirius said goodbye to his sister and boarded the train behind Lily, Jaguar gave Katrine a hug.
"'Trine, you'll have to keep Aunt Nivea and Monica on their toes while I'm gone. I'll send you ideas for pranks, okay?" She kissed her on the cheek, and turned to Danika. "I know you'll miss me as well, but here's a picture…" It was a picture of Jaguar sticking her tongue out at the camera. "For you to remember me by."
Alone, Jaguar made her way back to the train, thinking about Paris. Perfect Paris. Paris the princess. The girl who loved being better than Jaguar and would stop at nothing to do so. All grown ups adored Paris. They thought of her as the perfect little girl. But around children, she was the spawn of Satan. She spoke in a horrible sugary sweet voice which only served to mask her bitterness slightly. She was a sycophant, seeming to want power and attention, but doing nothing to deserve it except whining in her high-pitched voice. In short, Paris was a pretentious little bitch. Jaguar shuddered to image living in the same building as her for the next seven years. And how horrible was it that they both had the same blood running through their veins? What did I do to deserve a cousin like Paris? Jaguar wondered silently.
Inside compartment 9 of the train, Jaguar found Lily, Remus, James, and Sirius. She took a seat between Sirius and Remus, scowling.
"That Paris girl doesn't seem so bad," said Lily.
Jaguar's eyes flared dangerously. "Well, you just had to bring her up, huh, Lily? You don't know her! She is a snobby little whore."
James laughed, lowering a Quidditch magazine he was reading. "She must be really bad.
"Slytherin material?" asked Remus, raising his eyebrows.
Jaguar pushed her hair behind her ears with both hands at once. "Yeah," she replied softly. "And the worst part is, if she really wanted to be in Gryffindor she would be. She can charm the asphalt off a road."
"She's part veela," Sirius added, having not spoken before.
When Lily asked what a veela was, the topic of discussion turned to all sorts of magical creatures, and the first hour of the train ride passed quickly, with James telling Lily everything she had never cared to know about broomsticks, and the other 3 children playing hangman.
At around 10 o'clock, there was a knock on the door. Jaguar jumped, then relaxed as she realized that it was only the lady who ran the Hogwarts Express food cart, wearing an apron that read, "We'll get you there faster than walking will, guaranteed," which Lily had a good giggle over.
Jaguar bought a few packs of Sherbet Balls, some Pumpkin Pasties, and some juice. Lily bought Citrus Sours and Chocolate Frogs. The boys bought a ton of everything—especially Bertie Bot's Every Flavour Beans. Jag found those to be frightening and unexpected, and Lily soon became tired of them, as Sirius and James directed her to eat the repulsive ones ("No, it's bubblegum flavour, I swear. Oh… It was cow dung? I'm sorry… It looked like bubblegum!")
Floating a few inches above her seat, Jaguar listened to her friends argue over which jellybean flavour was best and which was worst. She wondered what they would be talking about if she had died over the summer. It was a scary thought, and she quickly changed to thinking about Hogwarts. She had never even seen the school outside of pictures. She had no idea of what to expect. She knew Lily thought she was at a disadvantage, having been raised by muggles, but the truth was, even as immersed in magical society as Jaguar was, she had no idea what to expect.
Interrupting her thoughts, Jaguar heard a soft tapping at the door. Before opening her eyes, she knew it was Paris. Her stomach clenched and she felt sick. There was something wrong with her cousin. It was as if she had no soul. Jaguar had never even told Sirius that she thought things like that. But Paris was empty on the inside.
Lily opened the door to reveal that Paris was not alone. She was standing next to a girl named Jaessika Ice, and another girl Jaguar didn't recognize.
"Hi, Paris," said Jaguar, still floating.
"Eating Sherbet Balls, I see," Paris giggled. "Do you know how many calories they have?" She continued giggling for a very long time. So long in fact, that it became slightly manic and uncomfortable for everyone in the compartment. "You've met Jaessika, I understand? Good." She seemed to have a habit of answering questions for people, without even pausing. "You simply must meet Narcissa Farling."
"You're Jaguar, right?" Narcissa asked, smiling slightly, her brown eyes studying Jaguar and her friends. She stepped forward, slightly in front of Jaessika and Paris. "Paris seems to think quite… fondly of you," she said, rolling her eyes and making a face.
Sirius broke the silence that ensued. "So, Ice. You'd better get back to your own compartment before you melt."
No one came close to laughing. Jaessika looked at him in disbelief. "As though it's somehow colder in another compartment? Oh, Sirius Black, I'm so hurt by your attempt at insulting me. Because, you know, what you think matters so much!"
Narcissa looked back and forth between the two. "Jaessika, we are just standing here—"
Paris interrupted rudely. "Jaessika may stand wherever she deems fit!" She glared around at each of them as though she wanted to impose her opinion.
"And we'll all listen, because we care so much, right?" Jaguar asked. "I mean, since your opinion matters so much. Hell, even your mother does whatever you say, right, Paris?"
Paris' pretty face scrunched into a sneer, which covered the look that was beneath it. It was something unidentifiable, like she was trying to hold herself together, but wasn't really upset. "I thoughted better of you, Jaggie."
"Too bad I can't say the same for you, Pair. And my name is Jaguar. I understand it's troubling for those of little brain mass…"
Paris opened her mouth to reply, when Jaessika, to everyone's surprise, laughed. "You thoughted, Paris? What are you, two?"
"Maybe you should stop hanging out with these losers," Paris spat, scowling hideously. "They seem to have turned you into a BIG FAT MEANIE!" With that, she flounced out of the room.
Jaessika Ice stared after her, then looked at Jaguar. "I think you may have gotten her to shut up, Brazil. Brava for you." Her voice still held it's normal sneer, but she was simply a born Slytherin. Not cruel or mean-hearted. Then she left, leaving Narcissa standing in the doorway.
"Um… Sorry about that, guys," she mumbled, leaving the room before they could invite her to sit with them.
"At least Narcissa seems nice," said Lily.
"That's what you thought about Paris," said Jaguar darkly. "She's your cousin, too, you know. So ha!"
"Did you see Jaessika's face?" James asked.
"'Thoughted!'" Remus said, bursting into peals of laughter.
As the other three made fun of the girls that had just left, Sirius leaned toward Jag and gave her a thumbs up sign, whispering, "Way to go, Jaggie!"
She grinned at him. In a way, she had always been scared of Paris, and what her cousin would tell adults about her if she made her angry. Paris was brilliant at lying, and nearly always got away with it. But they were older now. Practically teenagers! And there was no way that Jaguar would ever let her cousin push her around again.
"We have got to pull some pranks on her," Jaguar sighed. Of course, her friends agreed.
The rest of the ride passed smoothly, and it seemed like only minutes passed before they had donned their school robes and were exiting the train.
I really don't mean to make my chapters so long, but I suppose it doesn't matter, seeing as I still have no reviews. The next one will be shorter, just so that I can post it sooner.
But if anyone reviews, tell me if they'd prefer a story with fewer long chapters, or more shorter chapters.