Sisters Separated by House

Chapter 3: And So It Begins…

That day in the potions classroom cemented a friendship that no one but Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore had seen or had faith in. Brenna and Andrea helped each other pack for the Christmas holiday, and when they had both returned, they had become inseparable. The most painful split came in time for the end of term: Brenna and Andrea did not live near each other, and as a result, they rode home on the Hogwart's Express sitting very close to one another, not talking much. Each girl had introduced herself the other's owl in hopes of keeping up their communications.

As the train reached the platform, Brenna turned to Andrea with tears in her eyes, "Maybe you could take a train to my town and stay with us a bit, d'you think your parents would let you?"

"I know… I sent them an owl before we left school, and I told them that they'd have to tolerate my Muggle best friend," Andrea threw her arms around Brenna, holding her tight and crying into her moisture-frizzed red hair, "And you have to come visit me, too! My family goes all sorts of places, and I always get to bring a friend – they'll get to know you as well as I do!"

The two girls were finally aware of four sets of eyes resting on them. Brenna looked up and behind Andrea's head, and her eyes met with those of Andrea's mother and father, neither of which looked as warm and inviting as Andrea had professed them to be.

"H- hello, Mr. MacGarry, Mrs. MacGarry. I am Brenna Ianevski. Pleased to make your acquaintance," Brenna said in an uncharacteristically meek voice.

"Hello, Little Miss. We gather that there must be something of worth in your talents or person, or our daughter wouldn't have bothered with you. When we travel this summer, you shall be joining us. We will speak with your parents in due time. Be looking for Andrea's owl, and we have already arranged for your fireplace to be connected to the Floo Network," Andrea's father was the one to speak to Brenna. It seemed as if the two sets of parents had already introduced themselves or been introduced.

Andrea had a completely different experience. When she looked up to find Brenna's parents regarding her with warm eyes, the two hurried over to the girls, capturing them both up in a huge group hug.

"Oi, ya must be the Andi we 'eard so much about! So good to meet ya, Little Bird. Yer just a wee bit of a thing, ain't ya? Ah, well, we'll see about that when you come to visit us, won't we?" Brenna's mother babbled happily. Andrea couldn't fathom the cheeky girl from school with this plump, bubbly, utterly cheerful and delightful woman holding her so close.

"I sees ya foun' yo'self a friend, fine'ly. Took ya long enough, ya plump ol' wench!" Brenna's father was much more too Andrea's way of thinking when she imagined Brenna's family. At least fifteen years older than Brenna's mother, Mr. Ianevski was a semi-retired auror. Andrea knew from the stories Brenna had told her that Brenna's parents had met when Brenna's mother had been attacked by a Dark Wizard and Brenna's father had saved her. That had been thirteen years ago. Brenna's father could not countenance a romance with a girl some fifteen years his junior, but Mrs. Ianevski had won that battle of wills, Brenna was born, and the two were married. The only magical child in the family – the only child in the family, actually, Brenna had been raised in magic, and her mother had managed to squeeze some magic out of herself and could perform small, practical spells and charms to ease her home life.

"And you… you must be Andi. Damn pureblood. Yer no Deatheater, are ye? I like the look of ya, but if yer a Deatheater, I'll Avada Kedavra ya meself," Mr. Ianevski eyed Andrea suspiciously, scaring her until she realized that he had been joking. When she finally caught on to the joke, both she and Mr. Ianevski laughed, and were joined shortly by Brenna and Mrs. Ianevski.

"Welcome to the family, dear. Now, we better head over and speak to your parents before they think we've stolen you, heh?" Mrs. Ianevski grabbed her husband's arm and let the girls lead the way.

"Mother, Father, I know that you've already spoken to Brenna, and I figure that you've met or been introduced to Brenna's parents, the –" Andrea began, but she was caught off abruptly by her mother's shrill voice.

"They walked all over the platform, asking people where to find us, telling people that she," Mrs. MacGarry pointed to Mrs. Ianevski, "Is a muggle, and that she," she pointed to Brenna, "Is a mudbl –"

Now, it was Mrs. MacGarry's turn to be cut off, by Brenna's father, "Now, see here, Athina, my wife is a muggle, but my girl is no mudblood. In fact, me wife's even learned some magic, ain't ya there, Tali?"

Brenna and Andrea looked at each other, then at their parents, before saying at the same time, "You know each other!"

It took some time for Mr. Ianevski and Mrs. MacGarry to explain. Apparently, the Ianevski line was pure wizarding folk until Brenna's parents had her and married. So pure, in fact, that Mrs. MacGarry's family had proposed a match between her and Mr. Ianevski when they had first come of age. Then, he'd rescued Tali Bucket and that match had gone out the window.

The girls were dumbfounded. Luckily, the two families had gone into the Leaky Cauldron to sit and have a bite while they told the girls the story. Andrea and Brenna took that opportunity to get their parents to agree to the girls' plans.

"Mum, Daddy, can Brenna go with us to Beaubatons to visit Fleur and Gabrielle? She doesn't speak French, but I can translate for her. Please?" Andrea batted her eyes at her father, and took her mother's hand.

"Mum, Da, can I go, if they'll take me? It'd be just mad if I actually got to do something this summer, other than just hang around the town with the muggles," Brenna pleaded. Her parents exchanged a look, and then nodded their assent. Brenna smiled at Andrea, who turned back to her own parents.

"Well, Mum, Daddy? Please? Come on, now, what's ya get? Say yes!" Andrea got impatient, and used some of Brenna's vocabulary. She received a stern look from her mother in return.

Athina MacGarry turned to her husband, "Come on, now, dear… It's high time that Andrea had a real friend, and this one's her best bet."

"Mum!"

"Hush, Andrea. Well, then, Little Miss – would you like to join us on our trip to Beaubatons?"

"Yes, I would, if my parents will let me, Mr. MacGarry," Brenna said, lowering her eyes and then looking at her parents for their approval. "Mum, Da – can I go with the MaGarrys to Beaubatons?"

"We're going to have to think about it, Brenna," Mr. Ianevski said, looking at his wife and thinking about the family finances.

Athina MacGarry spoke first, "I think that as a sign of peace, and unity between our clans, you should accept our offer of taking your lovely daughter with us, Maark. Besides, you and Tali rarely get a holiday to yourself, now do you?"

Mrs. Ianevski looked at her husband and sensed that his pride was about to hurt the two girls' dream of a holiday free of their House animosity; before Mr. Ianevski could reply, Tali spoke, "Why, thank you, Athina. That would be lovely. Has Andi ever been to the Irish highlands? We've an old family house there, right by the town, and we'd like to invite her to join us there for the end of the holiday. Then, for the shopping days right before the girls go back to school, we could bring her back with us and our two families can spend that time here in Diagon Alley – Brenna hasn't actually spent much time here, and I think that your experience and Andi's could be very helpful for the next term."

"That'd be just grand, right Andi? I can't wait to do Diagon Alley with two real witches! Mum's great, but she was just as nervous as I was when we went shopping for the last term, and Da…well, Da's a guy. Not the same, I tell ya," Brenna smiled at Andi and her mother, and then turned to look at her own parents, "Thank you!"

"Good enough," Mr. MacGarry said, eyeing the two girls, "Now, can we please eat something? We all need to get home. The summer won't last long, and with all you two have planned, you'll need time to prepare. For convenience, we had a telephone put in at our home, when Andrea told us that her best friend was a – ahem, used to muggle conveniences. We'll use that to plan things. Now let's order, eat and get going."

The two families got their food and ate quickly, discussing the girls' school year and firming up plans for putting the Ianevski's fireplace on the Floo Network. When they had all finished, they stood and walked out together, the girls savoring their last time together until the trip to France in two weeks. They said good-bye, and the MacGarry's conjured their magical carriage to carry them to their manor.

Andrea was now pacing back and forth in front of her fireplace awaiting the arrival of her best friend. Brenna had called Andrea everyday to discuss their trip and to ask about the general customs of the students at Beauxbatons. Andrea could tell that Brenna was more than excited about getting out of the house and truth be told, she was getting a little giddy herself. This was her and Brenna's chance to get out and experience their friendship without any kind of house animosity floating around and making them uncomfortable.

Andrea was so caught up in her thoughts that she failed to see Brenna step out from fireplace and lunge towards her in an attempt at a flying hug. Unfortunately, Andrea was still pacing the floor. Brenna missed Andrea by a foot and landed sprawled across the oriental carpet. Andrea heard the 'oompf' that Brenna released as she connected with the floor and immediately stopped her pacing. She quickly turned around but paused when she saw the sight in front of her. Brenna was now sitting up leaning on her arms glaring at Andrea. Needless to say, Andrea broke out into hysterics.

"Oi! It's not funny!"

"Oh yes, yes it is! What were you doing and how did you end up on the floor in the middle of my sitting room?" Andrea choked out in between her growing laughter.

"Well for your information, I was trying to give you a hug since you are my best friend and I haven't seen you in two weeks."

Andrea's laughter immediately came to a stop and she smiled at her best friend. "Well in that case," she began as she ran towards Brenna and flung her arms around her neck, "I'll let you have one!"

"Oompf! Well gee, thank you so much."

"You are very welcome my friend!" Andrea replied.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Brenna droned while patting Andrea on the back. "Uhh… Andi?"

"Yes BEST friend?"

"Could you maybe, you know…MOVE!"

"What? You don't like Andi hugs?"

"At the moment? Not particularly."

"Fine, I see how it is then…" Andrea replied while pulling herself off of Brenna and to her feet.

"Oh cut it out Andi. You know you're not offended." Brenna complimented nonchalantly as she herself got back to her feet.

"I know…now come on! My parents are waiting for us out in the foyer by the big fireplace." Andrea rushed out as she grabbed one of Brenna's bags in her right hand and dragged Brenna along by the hand with her left.

Thanks to the Floo Network, the trip took just minutes. When the four had arrived at the main traveling fireplace at Beaubatons, Andi and her parents stepped out and looked around for Fleur and Gabrielle; Brenna stumbled out and looked dumbfounded at her surroundings. She froze when she saw all the pretty girls in expensive robes staring at her.

"Oi, Andi… they can tell I'm not a full blood. What do I do? Is it gonna be like at school?" Brenna asked Andi in a hurried whisper.

Andi considered her options. She knew that Beaubatons, like Durmstrang, did not usually accept the muggle-born or half-muggles, but she also knew that at that point, Brenna knew her well enough to tell if she lied. Andi took a deep breath, put her arm around Brenna's shoulder and spoke so all in the room could hear her.

"Ya, you're not a full-blood, but you've already been accepted into one of the most respected wizarding families. Surely these are no problem for you? I know you won't attack them, but if they upset you… well, I'm fairly sure that the consequences will keep you from mortally wounding too many of them."

Brenna smiled at Andrea, then clocked her uplongside her head. "You awful git! Now they'll hate me and be afraid of me!"

"Better they fear and respect than laugh and taunt."

The girls turned in time to see Andrea's parents hugging two slight, willowy blonde girls.

"You're cousins, I presume?"

"Yes. The older one is Fleur, and the younger is Gabrielle. She's about our age, if I remember correctly," Andrea dragged Brenna over to her cousins and made introductions in rapid fluent French, then turned to translate for Brenna, "They are impressed that you managed to win over my parents, and they say that they will make sure everyone here knows that you are as much witch as the purebloods. They also have some things planned for us, not just sight-seeing."

And so the girls' French vacation began. Brenna began to pick up some usable French for when Andrea was in the bathroom or otherwise indisposed. They got to see the Eiffel Tower, but both girls, being afraid of heights, did just that – see the Tower. Neither one would climb it. They enjoyed the Louvre, but found it to be overblown. Brenna tried to be adventurous with the food, but eventually she and Andrea were both hitting the local Mickey D's a couple times a day.

Three days before the girls were to leave to go back to the Irish highlands to finish the summer holiday, Fleur woke the girls with an hour left to sunrise.

"Oi, Fleur, what's yer get? I'm sleeping, 'ere," Brenna groused as she rolled over to look at the blonde.

"I cannot tell you 'ere. You must come wis' me, and you shall bos' see. Come now, we cannot keep 'er waiting," Fleur tugged both girls out of bed roughly, "Do not bother to dress in regular clothing. Throw your cloaks on and hurry down to the dueling fields. No time to waste."

Brenna looked at Andrea and saw that she truly had no idea what was happening. Both shrugged into their cloaks and grabbed their wands, not knowing what was coming.

"No, not those cloaks – your school cloaks! Uch, you two are the same. Let's go!" Fleur threw the girls' house-colored school cloaks to them and pushed them out of the room.

When the three arrived at the dueling fields, Andrea and Brenna saw Andrea's parents, her cousins, the headmistress, Madam Maxim, and two girls of an age with Andrea and Brenna.

"Ladies," Madam Maxim boomed as the two approached the group, "You have been selected to take part in an exam that will tell me if you are talented enough to take part in an elite summer program offered here at Beaubatons. If you pass, you may partake of this course any summer between now and your graduation from Hogwart's. If you fail, however, and still survive, you may not take this exam again and you will be required to swear never to tell anyone of this, ever. You will be tested in Transfiguration and defense thereof, Potions—" at this, Brenna groaned, "and Charms and defense thereof—" then it was Andrea's turn to groan, "Do not worry overmuch. I have had communications with your professors and families, so that many people think that you are qualified for this. Wands at the ready for defense against charms!"

Brenna and Andrea reflexively backed up against one another, back to back, to make sure they each had at least one side fully protected. Each threw up a full shield, so in effect, they had two shields surrounding them at any given time. As the two girls they were defending against threw curses and charms at the girls, the air was filled with different colors of smoke and sparks. As their opponents tired, Brenna whispered to Andrea.

"When the one on your side drops her wand again, we strike. Our special one-two punch, okay? On my mark… one, two.."

Andrea's opponent wearily lowered her arm, just enough for Andrea to see and for Brenna to catch out of the corner of her eye.

"Now, Bren!"

The girls had used time between their assignment and the end of the term to come up with a new charm that would both shove back the target and burn his or her wand arm to the point that it would be useless without significant healing.

"AVERTETE ADUREMINI!" both girls yelled simultaneously.

Both of the girls' opponents were sent flying backwards and were left unconscious before they even hit the ground. Immediately four healers, two to each girl, were rushing onto the field to gather up the opponents and rush them off to the nearest wizarding hospital.

"Congratulations girls, you have completed the charms test and have shown excellent skills in defense against attack. Your next test shall be a potions test. One student shall make a hiccupping potion and the other shall make the antidote. I will allow you to choose which of the two each of you will complete."

Andrea knowing that Brenna was not as strong as her in the potions decided that it might be best if she take the antidote seeing how they were a bit more complex. Overall, she had confidence that Brenna could complete the hiccupping potions since it just happened to be one of the many potions that she had used to demonstrate technique to Brenna during their study sessions.

"I'll take the antidote, Brenna you can complete the hiccup potion." Andrea said as she turned to look at Brenna, who just mouthed 'Thank you!'

The two girls followed Madame Maxim into the potions class room and took their seats across from one another at one of the many potions tables.

"You may use anything available in the store cupboards, please begin." Madam Maxim insisted.

Both girls walked directly over to the store cupboard and began pulling out the ingredients they would need. After about ten minutes of searching, both girls returned to their place at the table and began to setup their cauldrons. Both girls worked in silence, Andrea cutting up her newts legs and Brenna stirring slowly in a counter clockwise direction. Cutting and mashing and grinding, both girls worked feverishly until both of their potions were complete. Andrea quickly filled two viles, one with the potion and one with the antidote and brought them up to Madame Maxim.

"Well done girls and in record time. Now, which one of you wants to test it?"

"I will Madame." Brenna answered slightly hesitantly.

Brenna held the potion bottle up to her mouth and gave one more hopeful look in Andrea's direction before downing its contents. Immediately Brenna began to hiccup, to the point where it hurt her abdomen and throat and she was doubled over in pain.

"Excellent girls. I see you have completed the hiccupping potion and quite expertly I might add." Madame Maxim praised.

Andrea quickly handed over the vile containing the antidote and Brenna quickly drank its contents. For a few seconds it seemed as if the antidote were not going to cure Brenna of her hiccups but after about a minute her hiccups subsided and she was able to stand straight once again.

"Fantastic girls, absolutely fantastic! Not only have you excelled at creating the hiccupping potions but you have proven that you are able in defending yourselves as well with its antidote!" Madame Maxim praised the girls once again.

"Now on to your transfiguration test. The rules here are to get past the line of professors I have assembled in the middle of the field. You can use any means of transfiguration to complete your task. Please stand facing the teachers and get your wands at the ready." Madame Maxim explained as they once again approached the dueling field.

Both Andrea and Brenna lined themselves up next to each other in front of the line of about fifteen assembled professors. With wands raised, they waited for the next move from the professors. They waited, and they waited, and they waited some more. Both were getting anxious and slightly annoyed.

At last one of the teachers at the far right sent a transfiguration charm right for them. Immediately and without any discussion, both girls set up a force field around the two of them and the spell rebounded off back towards the teachers. Neither knew what their next move would be but both of them were thinking on overdrive trying to figure it out.

"Andrea? Do you trust me?"

"What?"

"I said, Andrea do you trust me?"

"Well yeah of course…you trust me too right?"

"Really, that's not the point right now. I have a plan so listen to me closely." Brenna then leaned in towards Andrea's ear and began to tell her of her plan as to how they were going to get around the long line of professors. Andrea nodded in agreement and by the time Brenna was done explaining her idea Andrea had an evil smirk across her face.

Both girls lifted their wands toward one another and yelled "ES LUPUS!" Blue streams shot from the tips of both girls' wands and wrapped around the other. Slowly both girls began to transform. First it was the ears, then it was the teeth and hair and eventually their bones rearranged themselves and left standing where the two girls once stood, were two beautiful wolves, one with blue eyes and one with green. The professors were absolutely shocked as the two wolves came charging at them and easily cleared their heads in one long jump. By the time the professors turned around, the girls were already back to their normal state and were looking at each other wide-eyed with their mouths hanging open.

"I didn't know it would do that!" they both exclaimed. "Woah…" the girls said again in unison.

"Girls, amazing job. Why did neither of you tell us you were animagus?" One of the professors asked.

"We didn't know." Both girls answered in unison again.

"Well I will let Professor Dumbley-dore know and he can help you with your registration papers. Fantastic job girls you are more than welcome to come back to our summer program any time you wish!" Madam Maxim boasted.

"Thank you Madame!"

"Yes, thank you Madame!"

The next few days were full of tears as the girls packed their bags in preparation to go to the Irish highlands to finish off their holiday with Brenna's family. Fleur and Gabrielle helped the girls down to the main fireplace, then gave them tight hugs before they stoked the fire.

"Girls, you'll be going first, as you are going someplace else. If anything untoward happens, send for us at once, as well as for Brenna's parents. Other than that, be safe and we'll see you in Diagon Alley," Andrea's dad spoke as he clasped each girl in turn on her shoulder. Strangely enough, Brenna had been able to form a bond with Andrea's parents, especially since they had discovered she was an animagus.

Brenna turned to Andrea and they walked toward the fireplace together.

"Wait! Andrea, Brenna! Wait!"

The girls turned to see Fleur and Gabrielle racing towards them.

"What? What is it? We need to go, my parents are expecting us," Brenna said irritably, still sore form her hiccupping potion, which in her opinion, had worked too well.

"Look! Everyone is here to see us off!" Andrea pointed to the great hall behind them, filled with all of the student body of Beaubatons. She looked at Brenna, then turned to the assembly and bowed, pulling Brenna with her. Everyone bowed back.

"Still think blood matters, Bren?"

"No. Hows bout you, Andi?"

"Shut up and let's get moving."

The girls' time in the highlands and at Diagon Alley was far too short. Soon, the girls were bundled into the Hogwart's Express for another term in separate houses.

When the girls arrived at the school, they were met with silence, awe, and fear. Their professors had a new respect for the talents they had shown, but still resented them for their previous disruptive behavior. The students who knew about the girls being animagus were both jealous and afraid. The students who did not know were afraid and resentful at their lack of knowledge of the situation.

Entering the Great Hall, Brenna hugged Andrea tightly before heading down to her own House table. Seeing some of her House friends, Brenna sat down amidst screeches, giggles, and rabblerousing.

As Andrea headed to her own House table, she heard many things, very few good. Sitting amidst her previous roommates, Andrea searched the growing Gryffindor crowd for her best friend. Catching Brenna's eye, she motioned for Brenna to read the charmed paper Andrea had given her.

I hate this. Why can't we sit with our friends at the first feast? Damn it. Oh, well… meet me later before lights-out?

Brenna read the note, then wrote back, Sure, hon. Outside the Great Hall, okay?

Andrea read the note, then smiled at Brenna before turning back to her table.

Brenna, back at her own table, sighed and resigned herself to a term of not seeing her best friend enough. Oh, well, might as well look forward to greeting the new first years, she thought to herself.

The night was a blast and a real surprise: Harry Potter, the boy who lived, had become a Gryffindor. Along with him, Ronald Weasley, a pureblood with much talent, and Hermione Granger, a muggle-born, not too unlike Brenna, and with brains, beauty and talent, surely a match for any.

Draco Malfoy, a smarmy boy with too much going on beneath his surface, became a Slytherin. Brenna recognized him from pictures Andrea had shown her from her childhood. Apparently, the Malfoy and MacGarry families were old friends. Had Draco been born first, Andrea probably would have been betrothed to him to preserve the two lines. As it was, birth order had saved her, and the two were close friends, not unlike Brenna and Andrea.

When they met before lights-out, Brenna and Andrea had much to say to each other.

"I've got another like me as my roommate! Hermione didn't want to spend all her time with purebloods!"

"Draco made it into Slytherin! I'm so proud! My lil' bro's here with me!"

Just then, Filch headed down the corridor the girls were in. Remembering their run-ins with the insufferable man last semester, the girls hugged and promised to spend time together later.

The girls second term passed rather quickly. Soon, they were packing to go on a trip Brenna's parents had planned for the summer. The girls were going to Bulgaria to visit Durmstrang and Brenna's cousin, Viktor Krum. Then, they were going to see the dragons in Romania with Brenna's father on a trip to gather different dragon scales for wands, armor, and potions. Everything for learning.

More to come. We love you all. Please read and review. Next chapter: we meet the Weasleys formally, and more on Cedric.