Hello everyone!
Wow, so I guess last chapter was popular. Even more than the death of mum and dad. Who am I kidding? That was what everyone was waiting for.
More romance fluff to come, but this chapter's gonna focus on Rabastan - everyone's favourite mischief maker (apart from James, maybe).
Thanks to Guest (x2), Sunny, Blue Ocean, creelluka, SNicole25, meowzac, Blue Luver5000, BraiveHart, AACM25, Freedom to Rarity, Nik1804, lizy2000, Cae-Leigh Anne, FullMoonOntheWater, xXRosexScorpiusXx and 19irene96 for reviewing! You made my week!
Guest 1: Glad I gave you the feels. That was my intention.
Sunny: You'll find out soon enough! I try to update every Friday (European time), but if I'm going somewhere, I either update before or after (depending on how much of the chapter I have done).
Blue Ocean: Why, thank you! Glad you liked it.
Guest 2: Emma meant that Alecto should cast a Memory Charm, but she didn't use the right words, apparently... Glad you like the characters!
'Oi, lovebirds.'
Emma blearily opened her eyes, rubbing them to remove the dryness. Why was she so thirsty? And what was a guy doing in her room?
Emma's memories of last night came into focus at the same time as the room. She realised that she had fallen asleep on the common room sofa, the fire burning away as usual. Well, that explains the dehydration.
Regulus groaned as he took his arm away from her, rotating his stiff shoulder no doubt. Emma felt a little jolt in her stomach. So she hadn't dreamed it up. Repressing her grin for fear of encouraging Rabastan's teasing, she realised that Regulus was grimacing from the pain in his arm. She felt a little guilty for sleeping on it, but the scene before her eyes more than made up for it. The questions was, what happened now?
'I see you're not even trying to deny it,' Rabastan continued, making sure his tie was properly straight in one of the mirrors above the mantle piece. He glanced at their reflection. 'So...?'
How is Rabastan acting so cool about this? Emma asked herself. There was no way he knew she fancied Regulus. And good luck finding out about any of Regulus's secrets, she snorted inwardly. That boy's face was as emotive as a rock if he put his mind to it.
'How about you keep it to yourself for now?' Regulus asked.
Emma's head shot around so quickly she got a crick in her neck. She gasped, massaging the burning muscle.
'Not sure the lady likes that idea,' Rabastan helpfully informed his friend, leaning against the wall to watch the show.
'Don't be a Gryffindor,' Regulus replied disdainfully. 'It's not as if we're going to hide this, but... there's no way I'm giving Sirius ammunition after what I did last week. Besides, who knows what Dumbledore's people would do with the information? They're already trying to use Narcissa as bait against Lucius.'
'Hey, I'm more than capable of removing myself from that kind of situation,' Emma protested indignantly. She would not be reduced to the wallflower state that Narcissa had found herself in.
'I know,' Regulus said, smiling. He moved as if to kiss her, but his eyes slid back to Rabastan and he settled for putting a hand on her arm instead. 'But I'm not sure I want to deal with James's wrath now that he's become more concerned about you.'
Emma grinned in reply, her fears of this night being like the last falling away. Still, it was better safe than sorry As Regulus moved away, she pulled him back by the robes to kiss him. It was much better out of the rain.
'Ew, guys,' Rabastan waved his arms, separating them. 'I'm right here, you know. Anyway, Emma knows what I want in return for keeping the peace.'
Regulus raised an eyebrow in query, but Emma just gave him a mysterious look.
'I haven't forgotten, Rab.'
'Just making sure,' a comb appeared in the green-eyed boy's hand, as he combed his hair back. It fell back in wavy locks that James would have killed to obtain so he could impress Lily. 'Well, make sure you clean up your act before breakfast. If no one spots those lovey-dovey eyes, then they deserve to be blinded by the sight.'
Emma shook her head at Rabastan's antics, but scooted away from Regulus anyway, just in case there were any other early risers. She agreed with Regulus on the fact that they should keep... whatever they had... on the down low. However, her reasoning was more that she didn't like other people finding out at the same time as Emma herself. If this was going to work, then she wanted it to be her and Regulus, no complications.
She looked at the grandfather clock – it was barely six in the morning. What was Rabastan doing up so early? As she turned to ask him, the secret door swung shut.
Guess I'll have to wait 'till the next Potions class, she thought, certain that he was up to no good.
'So,' Regulus said, moving closer again. 'What's the plan... girlfriend?'
His eyes took on the deer-in-headlights look from last night. As his mouth opened to backtrack, Emma couldn't resist poking fun at him. Who knew when she would be presented with another golden opportunity?
'Who said I'm your girlfriend?' she asked teasingly, pushing off the couch. She could have heard a pin drop in the stunned silence. She paused at the top of the girl's staircase, uncertain of her boldness, before deciding to push forwards. 'Although, if there was a boy who knew how to get into the secret room above Hogsmeade station...'
'We do have a free period in common this morning...' Regulus's voice trailed off. His cheeks went red as he realised the implication of her words.
'You mean you... I-I'll see you there,' he stuttered hurriedly and nearly ran into the boy's dormitory, leaving Emma chuckling in his wake.
Who knew it was so easy to make Regulus Black blush?
Regulus, you lucky git, Rabastan thought with a wry grin.
Neither of his friends had turned up to breakfast that morning and Rabastan could guess all too well the reason why. Later, he would find out that his roommate's mind wasn't quite so dirty, and would feel better about himself. In the meantime though, he didn't begrudge his roommate; Merlin knew he had waited long enough. Rabastan couldn't even begin to imagine pining after Lucinda Rosier for that long.
In fact, he wasn't sure what had happened with Lucinda. One moment, he had been teasing her, business as usual, and the next he had been admiring the way her golden hair caught the light. Suddenly, he found that he quite liked her annoying, but funny lectures and the way she took care of the rest of them.
Alecto and Barty were chatting away next to him, but he turned the noise to a quiet buzz in his head. Enough thought about romance – he had bigger fish to fry. Namely, Amelia Bones. Through a cryptic letter, his brother had warned him of the threat she posed to the Dark Lord's reign.
Rabastan was under no illusions that she would ship them off to Azkaban the minute they graduated. So his solution was simple: get to her first. If he failed, then he was sure that the school would protect him. After all, he was a good student with a (fairly) good track record. Sure, he might skip a class here or there, but no one pegged him for an "evil Death Eater". But let's make sure this plan works anyway, yeah? a voice nagged in his head.
He watched as the young professor ate her breakfast, stealthily slipping out and around the Great Hall the minute she had cleared her plate. He would have asked Alecto to perform a powerful Memory Charm – Salazar, she could make them good – but he was worried her magic already had too distinctive a pattern to it. Alecto was about as subtle as blunt axe.
Besides, there were only so many Aurors that could turn up dazed in an alleyway before the Ministry for Magic put the pieces together. If Amelia Bones lost her memories, they would bring the Law Enforcement department swarming over Hogwarts like ants. And Rabastan wasn't quite ready to leave Hogwarts yet. He liked the steak-and-kidney pie too much for that.
He knew that the Defence professor's class with the third-years would take her outside, down to the lake. What she didn't know was that he had obtained several Hinkypunks from the gamekeeper, known for his obsession with strange animals. The giant man had only been too willing to sell a couple of the creatures for the name and location of a gambling pit which specialised in the buying and selling of restricted creatures.
Rabastan had spent his morning lashing the creatures to the spot, telling them they would get fresh bait if only they did him this favour. They didn't need to know that the fresh bait would be them, once he threw them into the lake. As a sign of his goodwill, Rabastan had Accio-ed deer to their hiding spots. He had to bite back a laugh at the sight of the animals zooming towards him, if only because he needed to duck.
Maybe I should ask Alecto to Obliviate that memory, he thought, suppressing a shudder of disgust as he remembered the way the Hinkypunks fed. Here she is!
Amelia Bones was striding towards the lake. Rabastan watched with baited breath from his hiding spot. It was now or never.
She didn't even notice the first Hinkypunk, but the second caught her glance. It darted across the path, leading her towards the forest. Rabastan sent a few more leaves scattering across his trap, admiring his handiwork. You could only tell there was something wrong if you looked closely. It had been hard to dig the ten-foot deep pit, but worth it. He had borrowed some non-stick wax from Barty, who was almost as good as Severus when it came to inventing spells. Multiplied tenfold, Rabastan had been able to coat the length of the hole with it. Anyone who fell in would have a hard time getting out, especially if he took their wand.
If the animals in the Forest got her, no one would be implicated in the unfortunate accident.
Bones was drawing nearer. There was no time for a last-minute Disillusionment Charm, so Rabastan retreated further into the trees. The final Hinkypunk was dancing in the distance, emitting human-like noises.
'Children?' Amelia Bones called. 'It is not quite dawn; it is not safe to be in these woods alone.'
Too true, Rabastan thought. Just a little bit further...
Suddenly, a shriek cut through the air, like fireworks on bonfire night. Rabastan's head shot up, his eyes scanning the horizon. There was nothing. He went back to his vigil, only to find that the professor had disappeared.
'Shit,' he swore. 'I almost had her!'
A shadow moved through the trees ahead; it could only be the Defence teacher. Rabastan followed at a slower pace, unwilling to give himself away. All thought of stealth was lost when he saw what had drawn Bones attention.
There, twenty feet above the Black lake, floated a very large replica of some fop's wavy blond head.
'What's going on?' Emma asked, watching the crowd of students swarming out of the Entrance Hall.
Regulus shrugged. They had been on their way to the kitchens when they were met with the sight of Prefects and staff yelling at throngs of students, portraits running here and there into others to gossip about what might or might not have happened.
Grabbing Regulus's hand – she still felt a thrill of adrenaline whenever she did, as though it was still some forbidden fantasy – Emma shot trip jinxes here and there, clearing a quick path outside. From there, it was easy to follow the trail of students to the Black Lake.
Whatever she might have expected, she could never have foreseen the scene that unfolded out before her.
There, in the middle of the lightening sky, was what could only be described as the enlarged head of a thirteen-year-old boy. Wavy blond hair perfectly framed an oval face, cheeks still pudgy from baby fat. If the head hadn't been so enlarged, one might have overlooked the slightly too-large nose, the eyes obviously squinting at the rising sun. The reason for this was because there, in the middle of the face, a practiced smile grinned in the form of large, pearly-white teeth.
Several professors were casting spells into the air, attempting to remove the atrocity from the Hogwarts skyline, but to no avail. Professor Bones had caught the culprit – an easy feat when there was nowhere to hide. In fact, it seemed as though the third-year was enjoying the attention immensely, waving to anyone who would glance his way. He ignored the Defence teacher's repeated pleas to find out the appropriate counter-curse, claiming that he would only remove the object once the whole student body had the opportunity to admire it.
Emma was dumbstruck.
After assessing the situation, Regulus tugged on her sleeve and pointed. Rabastan was skulking in the entrance of the trees behind the cordoned off area, evidently waiting for the commotion to die down. What's he gone and done this time? Emma asked herself with an audible sigh. They made their way down to the waterfront, only to be stopped by Professor Flitwick.
'I'm sorry, but students may not bypass the restricted section. We don't yet know how Mr Lockheart has achieved this level of spell casting. There's the high possibility that he has found a powerful artefact and has simply claimed all credit.'
In a side-mutter, the Charms professor added: 'It wouldn't be the first time...'
'Prefects may stay to help control the situation,' Professor Archedis, teacher of Arithmancy, reminded his colleague.
'Yes, yes, of course,' Flitwick nodded. 'You two try to get the students back to the castle. There really isn't anything to see here.'
Regulus turned back; probably to come up with a plan in private, but Emma noticed that McGonagall was nearing the spot where Rabastan was hiding. That probably wouldn't have been a problem, if it was anyone other than Rabastan. He would be taken in as an accomplice to the boy's quest for fame and would be punished for what he was actually doing in the area. And with Rabastan, who knows what that could be?
'I believe that it is some sort of variation on an informative spell,' Archedis was telling Dumbledore. 'I've been trying to read the numbers that assemble it, and there is a strong chance that the number four is key to this sequence. Four is used in directional spells too, and what better landmark than an image sent into the sky for all to see? That being said, don't you find that it oddly resembles the Dark Mark You-Know-Who uses to announce his presence?'
The last sentence caught Emma's attention. Of course, she thought, pulling her wand out. It's simple.
'Emma,' Regulus warned, realising a split-second too late what she was going to do.
A pure white beam of light shot out of Emma's wand, directed at the annoying face. She took great satisfaction in seeing the makeshift portrait disintegrate. A collective "aah" could be heard from the crowd of students, who immediately broke up into groups to discuss how great the prank was and to debate on whether Lockheart could really have cast the spell.
The boy in question groaned in disappointment. He shot a look of loathing towards Emma – evidently; he had spent a lot of time inventing the spell. Emma wondered who would have been so careless as to put the idea in his head. Rabastan? She asked herself. It would explain why the Slytherin was there.
Before she had time to go over and question him herself, she found herself being beset by fellow Prefects.
'How did you do it?'
'Did you know about what he was going to do?'
This last one was from Helen the Ravenclaw, who Emma liked rather less than Regulus did. Though that was mainly to do with their pairings in Potions. Stop being a hypocrite, Emma, she internally reprimanded herself. You stole his partner from him when you paired up with Rabastan. Luckily, she was saved by her Arithmancy teacher.
'Brilliant work, Miss Potter,' he said, clapping her on the back. 'You're a natural at curse-breaking. Of course, this wasn't a curse, but you found the magical sequence with ease! Instead of working on the current curriculum, why don't you instead write an essay on the essence of Mr Lockheart's spell work and how you deduced the formula to dissipate it?'
Emma wondered if she hadn't just made life more difficult for herself in creating this new homework. Still, the old professor's remarks fended off any other questions people might have had. His voice still carried weight in the castle and soon enough people's attention was concentrated elsewhere.
Regulus had disappeared, probably considering Rabastan a greater liability than herself. Better not go to the forest then, she thought. With any luck, Regulus would corner their reckless friend and bring him to the kitchens. In the meantime, Emma was starving. She had been up for three hours without anything to eat. As she turned back to the castle, Emma's eye caught that of Amelia Bones. The young woman's gaze was hard, suspicious even.
Emma no longer wondered whether life would become more difficult. She was sure.