Thanks everyone who reviewed chapter 18! creelluka, FromEyesToMind, iwantsprezzatura, HT188 and xXRosexScorpiusXx you really motivate me to continue writing, and I love reading what you think about the situations and the characters! (I actually check my reviews every night praying for one to be there, sad I know). At any rate, you are the lifeline for this story.
I'm also glad that some more people are following/favouriting the story. It means that I must be doing something right!
Alas, here is the end of the Polyjuice fiasco - they really didn't know what they were getting into. Enjoy!
'Potter!' Someone banged on the Gryffindor common room door.
'How rude!' the Fat Lady could be heard saying.
'Potter, come out right now! I have the password, damn it!'
'You are not a Gryffindor student, Mr Black.'
Regulus's ears pricked up at that. What was Sirius doing? He quickly finished dressing and shook the still sleeping "James".
'James!' There was no reply.
Remus entered the room and threw the covers off of the sleeping boy with an expert flick. 'James! Regulus Black is waiting for you outside the corridor, and I don't think I've seen anyone so angry in my entire life.'
'Tell him to go away,' Emma said but sat up anyway, rubbing her eyes. 'Why are you calling me James anyway?'
'Come on, there's no time for your games Prongs,' Remus said impatiently.
It seemed to dawn on Emma that she was still James. She looked at Regulus, wondering what had happened, but he still looked like Sirius.
'I'm coming, I'm coming,' she grumbled as she was called for again. She put on her robes over her (James's) pyjamas, and wandered outside of the portrait door…right into Sirius Black's wand. 'Whoa. Why are you pointing your wand at me so early in the morning?'
'Come with me,' he marched out into a different corridor for privacy, but a gaggle of students followed them. 'How dare you? I trusted you, I trusted you! I thought you were looking after him!'
'Who?' Emma racked her brains. Had Fluffy eaten Sirius's pet rat by mistake? She didn't think Sirius was the type to keep a rat, but she knew he didn't have an owl or a cat.
'My brother, you idiot!' It was unnerving to have Regulus - usually so calm - scream at her.
'He's fine, isn't he? I saw him this morning: he still looks like you though.' Emma didn't understand.
'I woke up this morning to what? Lestrange congratulating me on getting the call. The call from "the Dark Lord". I specifically told you to help him stand up to our parents, to tell him that wizards aren't all pure-blood fanatics. I TRUSTED YOU!' he yelled again. 'And you betrayed me. And him. HE'LL BE KILLED BECAUSE OF YOU! And I'm going to make you pay.'
The jinx barely missed her as Emma dodged behind a pillar. 'What the hell, Black?' she shouted, but the hexes kept flying, and in the end she found herself on the defensive, shouting out "Protego" every two seconds whilst trying to process what Sirius had just said.
'Don't you think your brother has a mind of his own?' she yelled back between hexes, backing down a flight of stairs. 'Or are you blaming me because he hates you so much?' she taunted. 'Worried that your only brother was driven away by you abandoning him?'
'I wasn't the one who abandoned him,' Sirius said, but she saw the flicker of hurt and uncertainty in his eyes. 'I wasn't! I tried my best to make him understand!' He sent another jinx flying, but his heart wasn't in it.
She drew a breath to hex him back, but just then she saw herself and Sirius-Regulus arrive at the top of the staircase, pushing the crowd of students aside. This must be an odd spectacle to watch...
'What the hell do you two think you're doing?' James yelled with her voice, but Sirius ignored him, focusing on his brother.
'I can't believe you. If I could disown you twice, then I would.'
'What? Where is this coming from?' Regulus was as nonplussed as Emma was. He had spent as much time as possible ignoring Sirius.
'Don't play dumb with me dear brother,' Sirius sneered. 'You're nothing to me now, do you hear that? You're as bad as our parents. I still hoped that you might come around, but this…This is unforgivable.'
That seemed to anger Regulus. More students gathered around, anxious to hear the row between the Black brothers.
'You know what's unforgivable?' he asked in a low voice, walking down the steps until they were nearly nose to nose. 'You running out on your family. Did you even stop to think about anyone other than yourself? Did you know that our father - the one you say is "nothing" to you - went out to search for you every night for a week before he found out you were at the Potter's?'
'I -'
'Did you know that he tried to convince our mother not to blast you off the tapestry, and put your running away down to "teenage antics"? Mother had to blast a hole in his hand before she could remove you from the tapestry.' Regulus drew nearer with a cold expression on his face and dropped his voice to nearly a whisper.
'Our parents were invited to Bellatrix's Death Eater ceremony this summer. She told the Dark Lord she wanted to kill you for being a traitor. Our father, the noble Orion Black, begged for mercy and was rewarded with the Cruciatus Curse from Bellatrix - his own niece. The Dark Lord soon put a stop to it, but made it clear that our father better know where his true loyalties lied. That is unforgivable, Sirius, and that is why you were right all those years ago. You're not my brother at all.'
Just then, Professor Slughorn arrived. Regulus stepped back, visibly shaking, and the students dispersed, whispering among themselves.
'Good, you're all here. I was worried I would have to send a student to round you up. The Potion is ready,' he seemed to notice Regulus. 'Mr Black, are you quite alright?'
'Yes Professor. I'm just eager to put this behind us.'
Emma didn't think he was only talking about the Polyjuice Potion.
After that Regulus made sure Emma couldn't catch him alone. He swapped the Prefect patrols so that they were paired up with different people, and suddenly became very concentrated in Potions class. Slughorn was thrilled. People asked him about his fight with Sirius, praising him to his face, saying he'd cracked behind his back. Only Rabastan had figured out what was going on, and he apologised profusely for having let slip the information.
Regulus wasn't exactly his calm self either - when Sophie confronted him about their missed study date, he ended up hexing her teeth so that they didn't stop growing until she reached the hospital wing. After that, the rumours quietened down. As for Sirius, he couldn't resist making snide comments whenever they crossed paths; in retaliation Emma sent him scathing looks, but Regulus simply pretended he didn't exist. Poor James was torn, unable to decide what to do, so he ended up not saying anything at all. The twins' relationship didn't exist much in school anyway, but it was enough for Emma to know he would defend her if it came to a head.
Two weeks later, she was pinning the Slytherin tryouts in the common room, having finally found a time that coincided with her busy schedule. The Hufflepuff team seemed determined to beat them out of sheer number of practices that year.
'Listen up!' she stood on a table. The Slytherins quietened. 'Tryouts will be held this Saturday morning, at breakfast. All positions are open, so those having previously been on the team have to sign up too! Oh, and the first Hogsmeade weekend will be three weeks from now. That's all.'
Murmurs broke out throughout the room. Avery had played favourites, either keeping his friends or existing Quidditch players on the field, but the problem was that both Beaters and their Keeper had left the year before. They would be starting with half a fresh team, and Emma was worried. She planned to win the Cup, but it would only be possible through a combination of good coaching and raw talent. She had purposefully put the tryouts on a Saturday morning: only those dedicated to being on the team would miss their lie-in and breakfast.
'Bit mean, isn't it?' Alecto raised an eyebrow.
'I need the best,' Emma replied, taking out her Transfiguration homework.
'If this is your way of trying to make up with Regulus, I think it's pointing out the obvious that this won't work,' her friend said. 'Oh come on, don't give me that look. You two have given up on your late-night mutterings in front of the fire. Face it Ems, you've been replaced by someone younger and more interesting.'
Emma laughed, but in a way it was true. Regulus and Barty had become fast friends, though the latter was two years their junior. She looked over towards the other side of the room. They were engaged in an animated game of chess, with several onlookers. The only person Emma had seen to beat Regulus was Lucius Malfoy, but it seemed like the younger boy had the upper hand here.
'Is it because of... you know... what happened between you and Sirius last year?' Alecto asked quietly. 'Did something happen again?'
Emma appreciated her friend's tact. 'No, nothing like that.'
And for some reason she ended up telling Alecto about her dad burning everyone's letters.
'Regulus is upset that I missed his birthday. He thinks I ignored him, and when Sirius arrived at my house, well... he wasn't pleased,' Emma finished. It was at least part of the truth.
'Who would be, with a blood-traitor for a brother who went off to his friend's house? I can't believe you slept with someone who turned out so disappointing,' Alecto sighed. 'Well, I know better than anyone how easily a mistake like that can be made.'
'I never actually slept with Sirius,' Emma said, suddenly desperate for someone to know the truth other than her brother. If anyone could understand, it was her best friend. 'I... It was easier to let people believe that than tell you what really happened.'
Alecto gave her a long look. For a minute, she seemed like she was going to ask her about it. Then she picked up Emma's homework and tossed it aside.
'Who writes a three foot essay on Conjuration anyway?' she grinned.
'There's only so much you can say on the subject,' Emma smiled thankfully in return. 'I can't get past the two foot mark.'
'Write bigger,' Alecto advised. 'Hey, do you think Professor Imago will accept "being chased by centaurs and rescued by a stray hippogriff" as a divine dream?'
Emma snorted. 'Depends on the meaning you give to it.'
'I will be betrayed by what appears to be good, and saved by what appears to be dangerous?' Alecto spouted, waving her quill theatrically.
'He loves that kind of philosophical stuff,' Emma laughed. 'I can't believe you even kept that class.'
'Hey, easy pass,' the redhead scrawled something on her parchment. 'Not all of us can sweet-talk Flitwick into giving her two homework-free weeks. How did you do that exactly?'
Emma shrugged in what she hoped to be a mysteriously superior way. In truth, it was during the Polyjuice Potion, so she had no idea. She had been taking full advantage of it though.
'Fine, keep your secrets. You know you're becoming a lot like Regulus nowadays,' Alecto complained. 'You never tell me anything anymore. I'm off to bed, coming?'
'Nah, I'm going to plan the Quidditch plays,' Emma said, taking up a new roll of parchment.
'On second thought, I'm not tired. You might be good at Quidditch, but I excel at making people suffer for what they want.'