DISCLAIMER: I have seen many a funny disclaimer, but I do not have one to use so I do not own Harry Potter, if I did I would be rich and I would be putting this story in a book as opposed to this website. I own Amanda Marciano. You cannot have her to use, nor can you use the Demangels, I do not own the idea of the Demangels, I have gotten permission from the owner to use them now... On with the story!
CHAPTER 6
SIRIUS AND REMUS (Butterbeer)
I followed Sirius and Remus down to the classroom. James had already left, following Lily, and Peter was getting extra help in a different class at this time. I was nervous beyond belief, and my stomach was cartwheeling, something that the rest of my body couldn't do. I had once tried gymnastics to get friends, but I couldn't do a cartwheel, let alone some of the more complicated floor moves, such as roundoff-back handspring-back tucks or anything on bars at all, and the beam and the... I just couldn't think about it couldn't think about it. I walked into the classroom and instantly wanted to turn back. That wasn't an option for me though, so I tilted my head down and looked at Sirius's shoes which were in front of me, and that led me on. Remus was behind me sort of as a guide. Sirius led me to a table in the back and we sat it. There was room for one other at our table, and James soon filled that void, leaving Lily with Tara, Christy, and another girl I didn't know. I wanted this to be over with. I shrunk down more in my chair and looked down at my lap. I felt an arm around my shoulder and I instantly sat up straight, pushing whoever off me. It was Remus, I guessed by the puzzled and slightly offended look on his face.
"Sorry, reflex," I mumbled. He rubbed my back, but than Professor McGonagall stepped up and called he class's attention to herself.
"OK I think it would be wise for us to do some review work on our first day back, so I would like each of you to change your hairstyle and color, and than put it right again. You may begin," I had never done this before, and didn't know what to do. I looked at Sirius, but he was too busy trying to turn his long blue hair back to normal. How did he do that so fast? I looked at Remus, and saw that he had a pink bun on his head. Every time he tried to fix it again it would flash normal, but soon would be a pink bun again. I soon saw that it was James, who had it seemed gone bald, but just as I realized this his hair began to grow, and it was blond. It grew to the floor, and than it started to shrink. Apparently James knew a spell so that Remus couldn't undo it and as Remus tried to de-pink bunify I asked James for help. He taught me how and soon I had short crimson hair. I immediately turned it back to the long black hair I loved. Class continued wiht reviewing things, some of which I knew and some I didn't. After that we had Potions. We walked down there, Remus still with a pink bun, and met up with Peter. We stepped into the classroom, and I wanted to die, right there, it smelled like my dad's house used to. I stopped in my tracks and looked around. Peter nudged me forwards and I walked forwards. Everyone looked pale. I sat next to James and Sirius. Sirius was muttering something about his mum and James started crying. I didn't know what this had to do with them, but I didn't care. I was overcome with the smell of my dad's house. I blocked my nose. The professor came in, I later found out his name was Slughorn.
"Ok class, lets get started. I can tell by your faces, that you recognize the smell in this room. It is the smell that you smelled during the very worst time in your life. Depression. You will be brewing depression. As it is a difficult potion whoever gets it closest will get a bottle of something special," I looked at Remus, and he pointed to a small cauldron in the front that was bubbling. I opened my book and found it. Halfway through the class Professor Slughorn told us that we should be almost done, and to let them stew for a while stirring them every 2 minutes. I picked up my book and went to close it, but a slip of paper fell out I picked it up and opened it. It was blank. I went to shove it into the back of my book I saw a spell written there, pointing to another piece of paper. I figured what's the worst that could happen, but I decided to save it for later. I stirred my potion. By the end of class my potion was smelling like my fathers house. The book said that a properly brewed potion will smell strongly of whatever you smelled during the worst moments of your life, and taste like what you tasted. Professor Slughorn walked around sniffing each potion, and stirring a few. Peters was not smelling of my father house, but was smelling of nothing, it didn't smell like anything. Slughorn stopped at his.
"Peter, Peter, Peter, what are we going to do with you? Did you add the unicorn hair before or after the root?"
"A-after sir," said Peter
"Exactly. You brewed a superb potion of happiness, not depression. That will count against you, but the fact that it si brewed correctly is wonderful. If you smell the potion of Peter here you will smell your happiest memory," I didn't smell anything. Did that mean I was living my happiest memory? I didn't know. He stopped at another Potion, before he came to mine.
"Severus Snape. What a wonderful potion. Blood red in color, like water in texture, smells of my worst memory," he walked on and stopped at mine. "Another wonderfully brewed potion, only your's is almost as thin as a gas only not water. That is a texture that even I can't get to. You are amazing at potions Ms...I'm sorry, I don't know your name,"
"Amanda Marciano," I said.
"Right. Well you are a wonderful potions maker," He moved on, complimenting Lily's too. After he had walked around he went up to the front.
"Well it seems that we have a tie. Lily Evans, Severus Snape, and uh Amanda Marciano. That is what you said your name was right?" I nodded and followed Lily up to receive a little bottle that it was ful of multicolored swirling silvery liquid.
"Use this when you are bored, overwhelmed, or scared. If you are bored it will make things exciting, if you are overwhelmed it will calm things down a bit, and if you are scared it will comfort you. You just need to say a spell and drink a small sip and than everything will be better," He wrote down the three spells on a small piece of parchment, and handed it to me, than did it to both Severus Snape and Lily. Than Slughorn said "You have enough for 15 doses here, because I'm being generous," I walked out and into the bathroom, and took a small sip and said the spell to calm things down, than I walked out. The boys were waiting outside the door for me, except for James.
"We have a free period, and so far we don't have homework," Said Sirius. I nodded, feeling a little woozy, and I fell over, catching myself with the doorknob.
"Are you okay?" asked Remus as Sirius Scooped me up.
"I think you should go to Madam Pomphrey," said Sirius and he began to walk, still holding me.
"Put me down! I'm just hungry ok? I didn't eat lunch yesterday really, or dinner or breakfast today,"
"Ok well than we'll go to the kitchens," He turned around so suddenly that my hair flew behind me.
"Put my down!"
"Ok!" he said and because of how he was holding me, he was able to put my head down first. I was upside down and I didn't like it. I wrapped my arms around the bottoms of his legs.
"SIRIUS!" I yelled.
"Let go and put your hands on the ground. I've got you,"
"No! You pick me back up and put me down right!"
"Fine, fine," he said, than flipped me over ery quickly and easily. "Amy, you need to gain some weight,"
"Well I'm trying, but I don't know how to get to the kitchens," Sirius and Remus gave each other looks and each grabbed one of my hands. They began running.
"YOU GUYS! I CAN'T RUN!" I yelled as I stumbled. Remus and Sirius stopped running, and we began to walk. Suddenly Remus picked my up and put me over his shoulder, then they began to run again.
"REMUS I DON'T KNOW YOUR MIDDLE NAME LUPIN! YOU PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT!"
"I want a hamburger," said Sirius, as Remus ignored my attempts to get him to put me down. I suddenly noticed, that Remus other arm was swinging pretty close to my face. As he ran I grabbed his arm and bit it.
"OW!" he said stopping. He practically threw me down, but I landed on my feet, just barely. Sirius grabbed my arm to stop me from falling backwards down the stairs. Remus gave me a look like I had done something wrong. Great. Lily is mad at me, now Remus is too.
"Moony, She didn't know. She doesn't know,"
"Yeah but still, it brings back the memory,"
"Fine, but It's not her fault. I think you should tell her though,"
"Tell me what?" I asked.
"I am a werewolf," he said. I think he expected me to get emotional, but I didn't see what that had to do with him throwing me.
"So? You're still Remus," I said. I was careful not to show my emotions through my eyes. My eyes are a greyish brown color, and grey eyes are the easiest to read emotion in, but brown is the hardest. I loved how my eye color confused people trying to read my emotion.
"Amanda," he began again. I held my breath. I hadn't been called Amanda since the train ride when Sirius gave me the name Amy. Even though it was only yesterday it felt like a lifetime ago. "When you bit me, you bit in the same spot that I had been bitten in when I first became a werewolf,"
"Oh Remus! I'm sorry! I didn't know! If I had I wouldn't have bitten you!" I only was half lying. I had known he was a werewolf, but I hadn't known it was his arm that he was bitten in.
"Fine, Whatever, you didn't mean it. Lets go," He said. I could tell he was unsure if I could keep his secret. If I was the type of person who didn't mind physical contact, I might have hugged him at that time. Instead I said in a hard voice
"Remus. I know don't trust me right now. I know you well enough to see that," He opened his mouth to protest, probably with a 'you just met me you can't know that much about me' type speech, but I continued "It is a gift. I can look into eyes and see emotion, fear, hope, trust, and even desire. I know you much better than you think I do. I promise you that your secret is safe with me," I said, than I poked him in the shoulder. I don't know why, but it felt right. Pokeing people soon came to be my way of showing affection. Most people would hug or kiss, I would poke. The more times I poked you, the more I liked you. That was the first time I had ever poked anyone before.
We contined down to the kitchen and met a few funny looking creatures that I was told were called House Elves. I asked one to get me a few crackers, and it obeyed quickly.
"And A..." Sirius started than bent down to whisper to the elf. When it came back it had a bottle without a label
"What is it?" I asked when it was handed to me
"Just try it," said Sirius. I took a small sip. It was like drinking, for lack of a better word, happy.
"So what is it?" I asked taking another sip.
"Butterbeer," he said. I spit it all out everywhere, including all over him.
"YOU BASTARD! YOU GAVE ME BEER!"
"Its not like regular beer...you cant get drunk off it...or at least I don't think so," I relaxed a little, but handed the bottle back to him. I was still a bit shaken by it. I ate some crackers and than take a few chocolate frogs, and stuff them in my bag. Now I have chocolate.
"Amy, I'm going out flying. You want to come?" asked Remus. I know now that he considers us friends.
"Sure," I say. I tried to smile, but I began to cry. I wasn't sad, they were tears of joy. I thought tears of joy were a myth. I had never had any experiance with them. Remus hugged me and my body tensed, but I didn't push him away. I allowed him to hug me, and Sirius soon hugged me too. I lifted my arms and wrapped them around the two boys and began to cry harder.
"Sorry," I sobbed. I was sorry I was causing them problems. I felt that I was making their lives harder with all my guilt.
"Don't. Not your fault" said Sirius, seeming to read my mind. I hugged him harder.
