A/N: Oh gosh, has it been a week already?! Doing weekly updates (at least for the foreseeable future!) as I'd like to be consistent. :). Also chapters are at least 5000 words so you know with every update there's a fair bit to get your teeth into!
Again, I do hope you enjoy!
Day One At Hogwarts
Thursday morning dawned bright and early. Ruby-Jane woke slowly, despite the lack of natural light down in the Hufflepuff quarters, and then jumped out of bed the second she realised where she was. She ran over to Mackenzey's bed and shook her.
"Kenz! Wake up!" She tried not to yell as she didn't want to wake Abbie and Chantelle, but Mackenzey just wasn't budging. Rolling her eyes, Ruby-Jane let Mackenzey sleep and went to wash and dress for the day.
Ten minutes later Mackenzey had gotten up of her own accord and was currently dancing around the dorm in her pyjamas. Ruby-Jane was leaning against the doorframe, watching her in amusement.
"C'mon, Kenz, I want some breakfast, and to get the timetables!"
"All right, all right, keep your hair on!"
Ruby grinned. "My hair is firmly attached to my head. Now, come on! Or I'll drag you down there in your pyjamas!" She laughed at the look of horror on Mackenzey's face.
"I might not care what other people think of me, but I am not letting anyone of any importance see me in these old, tatty things!"
"Anyone of importance, eh?" Ruby-Jane asked, seeing the blush creep on Mackenzey's face as she asked.
"Well, you know, the older students who we're already going to get grief off for being the youngest… and the Slytherins, excluding Troy and Hunter of course…"
"Oh, really?"
"Yes!" Mackenzey declared furiously, before grabbing some robes and locking herself in the bathroom. Ruby-Jane shook her head laughing.
"I was only teasing, Kenz!" She said to the door.
"Yeah, well, it wasn't funny!" Mackenzey replied coming out of the bathroom fully dressed. "And I don't appreciate it,"
"You never do," Ruby-Jane told her.
"Is that such a bad thing?"
Both girls threw some parchment and a few spare quills into their own bags and set off for breakfast.
"I don't know, maybe,"
Mackenzey shook her head. "Get used to it,"
"Maybe I will, maybe I won't. C'mon race you to the Hall!" Ruby-Jane ran off, Mackenzey close behind her until they reached the Great Hall. Breathing frantically, Ruby-Jane yelled "I won!" and entered the Hall.
"That's not fair, you had a head start!" Mackenzey exclaimed, coming up behind Ruby.
"Life's not fair, Kenz. And I so didn't!"
"Ergh, whatever. There are more important things, like food!"
They sat down together on the bench and each grabbed a slice of toast. "I wonder how Kerris is doing. And Troy?"
"Why?" Ruby-Jane asked.
"Well, Kerris is the only one out of the seven of us who isn't with someone else, and Troy's the only first year Slytherin girl,"
"Mm, I suppose… But they'll be fine once they settle in,"
"You think?"
"Yeah. Plus Hunter's got to share his dorm with all those dorks over there," Ruby waved over at the Slytherin table. "I think Pete and Chris got it best though,"
"Yeah, and at least we got each other,"
"Yay!"
"Shut up, Rubes," Mackenzey said, grabbing another piece of toast.
Ruby stuck her tongue out. "Make me,"
"I'd rather not," Mackenzey didn't look amused.
"Okay, let's not argue,"
"Deal!" They shook hands to seal the deal and were soon joined by Chantelle Clifton.
"Have you met that troll?" She asked, taking three slices of toast and a muffin and placing them on her plate.
"What troll?" Mackenzey asked, confused.
"Abigail Harris!"
"Ooh," Comprehension dawned on both girls' faces. "Yeah, why?"
"I don't know how I'm going to live with her! She snores, she leaves her clothes everywhere, she doesn't wear makeup, her skin is so greasy and she doesn't flush the loo!"
"Vain much?" Ruby-Jane muttered to Mackenzey.
"Well, maybe talk to her about it?" Mackenzey suggested.
"Ha! Like you could talk to her! She's so primitive I doubt she even speaks English!"
"Snotty much, too?" Mackenzey muttered back to Ruby-Jane.
"So, tell us about yourself?" Mackenzey asked Chantelle. Ruby-Jane elbowed her sharply in the ribs.
"What did you do that for, you dolt! That's all she needs, an invitation to talk about herself!" Ruby-Jane hissed at Mackenzey on the pretence of picking up some toast she had dropped.
"Sorry," Mackenzey shrugged.
"Well, I'm an only child…"
"That explains a lot," Mackenzey disguised her laugh as a cough and Ruby-Jane looked on amused.
"… And I'm a half blood. Daddy's a pureblood, and you should see his vaults at Gringotts! They're full, and I've got one all to myself…"
"Vaults?" Mackenzey mouthed to Ruby-Jane, shocked.
"… When Daddy says I'm old enough I actually get the key to the vault and he'll let me spend it on anything I want. I mean, once the key's mine he can't stop me, can he?" She paused and looked at the girls in front of her.
"Err, no?" Ruby-Jane answered hesitantly.
"Exactly… So, as I was saying, my mum is a really popular muggle model, she's so pretty, and she says I take after her… So hopefully I'll get into modelling or something when I'm qualified. It's not like I need the money… But it's a good job to be in, lots of respect… And there's no doubt I'll make it… After all, just look at me," she giggled a high pitched whine and Mackenzey winced.
Thankfully that's when Professor Sprout came down the table handing out timetables and Mackenzey and Ruby-Jane grabbed theirs eagerly.
"Whoop! Charms first, with the Ravenclaws!"
"Yeah, but look, second is Herbology with the Slytherins," Ruby-Jane reminded Mackenzey.
"Well, at least we can sit with Troy and Hunter, best of both worlds," Mackenzey grinned.
"As long as I am no one where near those loons Avery, Mulciber, Wilkes and Rosier, I'll be fine," Ruby-Jane said seriously.
Mackenzey laughed. "I think we can manage that,"
"Maybe we better set off now, so we don't arrive late 'cause we have no idea where we're going…"
"Good idea… Chantelle, you coming?"
Ruby-Jane groaned.
"Oh, yeah, sure. Let me just finish this…" As Chantelle stood up she grabbed another couple of pieces of toast and an apple. Ruby-Jane looked at her in disgust.
"If you insist on being nice to her all the time, don't expect me to hang around with you for long periods of time," Ruby-Jane said quietly to Mackenzey as they left the Great Hall.
"Point taken," Mackenzey replied.
Ten minutes later the three Hufflepuffs were totally and completely lost. Spotting a prefect at the end of the corridor they ran towards him and were relieved to see he was a Hufflepuff.
"We're lost," Ruby-Jane stated, unnecessarily.
"We've got Charms," Mackenzey told the prefect, before he had to ask.
He smiled at them. "Follow me," He led them down the corridor, down a couple of floors and down another corridor.
"Here you are,"
"Man, we were lost!"
The three girls thanked the prefect and walked into the room to find people with wands out pointing them at feathers with looks of extreme concentration on their faces.
"There you are!" Kerris beckoned them over. She was sat next to Abigail Harris, who, by the looks of it, had being annoying the hell out of Kerris too.
Mackenzey sat next to Kerris, and Ruby-Jane sat down on the other side of Mackenzey, forcing Chantelle to take the seat next to Abigail. Mackenzey and Ruby-Jane ignored Chantelle's protest and instead asked Kerris how it was in Ravenclaw.
"It's all right, I guess. Those twits Ireland and Jacob are rather irritating though," She nodded her head in the direction of Ireland and Jacob. "And they don't shut up, seriously!"
"We know the feeling," Ruby-Jane grinned, looking at Chantelle.
They spent the rest of the lesson trying to levitate the feathers, and by the end of the lesson Ruby-Jane and Kerris had succeed in levitating their feathers to eye height, and Mackenzey had made her feather twitch.
"I had a feeling Charms wasn't going to be my best subject," she grinned, walking out of the room.
"I think I'll be okay," Kerris said, apparently relieved.
Mackenzey slung an arm round her shoulder. "Honey, you were put in Ravenclaw for a reason,"
"Yeah, you're smart, we figured that before you were even sorted into Ravenclaw," Ruby-Jane added. "You'll have no trouble with any of the subjects,"
"I hope you're right,"
"Darling, we're always right," Mackenzey winked, causing all three girls to laugh.
"Anyhow, I have Defence Against The Dark Arts with the Gryffindors, so I better go," Kerris said, bidding the Hufflepuffs goodbye and heading in the opposite direction.
The four Hufflepuff girls walked down to the greenhouses together.
"At least you can't get lost finding this one," Chantelle commented.
"Yeah," Ruby-Jane agreed. "Pretty annoying if you don't like Herbology,"
The Hufflepuffs entered Greenhouse Two to find the Slytherins already in there. Mackenzey and Ruby-Jane immediately headed to where Troy and Hunter were sitting on a table of six.
"We saved this table for the other two as well, didn't want them to have to put up with Avery and co." Hunter said, waving at Chantelle and Abigail to come over.
"Fair point," Ruby-Jane said, obviously irritated by the other girls already and choosing the seat next to Troy. Mackenzey sat next to Hunter (her conversation with Ruby-Jane that morning still fresh in her mind), and, correctly interpreting Ruby-Jane's direct look, invited Chantelle to sit next to her.
For the next hour the first years had fun discussing the properties and uses of different plants. Flicking through One Thousand Magical Herb and Fungi Mackenzey sighed.
"I don't think I'm going to get this lesson either,"
"We'll help you, Kenz, you know that,"
"There's only so much you can do!"
"You'll be fine, Kenz! You're smarter than you think," Hunter told her, and she blushed slightly.
Ruby-Jane smiled. "Kenz, it's only the first day. If you don't get it, no one is going to blame you…"
"But you and Kerris managed to levitate your feathers in Charms, and I didn't…"
"Maybe we just grasped it quicker, it doesn't make you less smart."
"Come on, it's break, let's go," The four friends left Chantelle and Abigail and climbed the slopes up to the castle and found Chris, Peter and Kerris is the Transfiguration Courtyard.
"How was Defence Against The Dark Arts?" Mackenzey asked, sitting next to Kerris.
"Pretty good, Professor Giddle showed us some useful defence spells, but we haven't practised any yet," Kerris answered. "Herbology?"
"Yeah, it was all right. I was worried I wouldn't get it, but the others convinced me I'd be fine," Mackenzey looked doubtful still.
"I can't really say. I haven't known you that long…"
"That's all right, Kerris, I wouldn't be any more or less convinced if you'd said the same thing as that lot any way," she indicated Hunter, Troy and Ruby-Jane.
Meanwhile Ruby-Jane, Hunter and Troy had joined Chris and Peter sitting with James Potter, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black.
"Ergh, History of Magic next." James Potter said.
"What's wrong with it?" Chris asked.
"It's booorrrriiiinnnnggg," Sirius Black replied.
"Yeah, I've heard from Alixx and Jack what it is… And man, I'd drop it now if I could," Ruby-Jane added.
"That bad?" Chris winced.
"Yup. And worse," Troy answered.
"But you'll be with us!" James said in mock excitement.
"Yay! I can't hardly contain my excitement!" Remus Lupin commented dryly. Troy laughed.
"Hi, I'm Troy Blue, by the way,"
"Remus Lupin," They left the group slightly.
Ruby-Jane grinned at them. "I think a certain two people are going to get on very well,"
"Eww,"
"You're such a boy!"
"Well, duh!"
"Immature at that, too,"
James pretended to sulk.
"Hey, I'm not apologising. Truth hurts my friend,"
Sirius laughed. "She'll put you in your place, James,"
"In her dreams!" he responded childishly.
"Eh, I have better things to be doing with my time anyway," Ruby-Jane said.
"Like what, exactly?" Peter asked her.
"Well, anything," Ruby-Jane grinned back.
"Hey!"
"Grow up, James," Remus told him.
"Sheesh! What do I have to do to get a bit of respect round here?"
"Grow up," Ruby-Jane and Sirius said in unison.
"Talking of another two people who will get on very well," Hunter laughed.
"Shove it, Hunter,"
He held up his hands. "Truth hurts my friend,"
Ruby rolled her eyes. "You're such a dolt,"
"Thank you," Hunter bowed to her.
Peter laughed. "You couldn't tell you two had known each other for ten years already,"
"Ten years?!" Sirius asked, incredulous.
"Yeah… Mine and Peter's parents went to school with Mackenzey's mum, Troy's parents and Hunter's granddad knew our grandmother before she died, so we all grew up together," Ruby-Jane explained.
"Wow, I better get some practise in," Sirius said. "Hello there, I am Sirius Black, and you are?" Sirius extended his hand to Ruby-Jane and she took it.
"Ruby-Jane Pettigrew," She told him.
"Delighted to make your acquaintance, Ruby-Jane,"
She laughed lightly.
"Okay, before Sirius floods the school with his drool, we'd better get to History of Magic,"
Sirius looked up. "I can't believe you just said that,"
James looked confused.
"Why would we want to get to History of Magic? On time?"
James shrugged.
"What we do is wait until a teacher comes along to hurry us along as the bell goes, and then we spend the next half of the lesson trying to find the classroom…"
Ruby-Jane laughed and rolled her eyes as Remus looked at him disapprovingly. Since it was actually time for the next lesson, Hunter, Troy and Kerris had left for Transfiguration together and Remus and Mackenzey had come over
"No, we don't. We leave now," Remus said. Everyone but Sirius started to move off. "Come on, Sirius!"
"No, don't want to!" He pouted.
"Go," Ruby-Jane told Remus. "I'll get him,"
Remus nodded, obviously torn, but turned and left after the others.
"Come on, Sirius, you're being a little immature, and I don't like immature boys,"
Sirius looked up. "You don't?"
"No. To be honest, not many girls, people, do,"
"Oh, all right then," He wrapped his arm round her middle and gave her a squeeze. Ruby-Jane smirked.
"This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship, I feel," Sirius sighed.
"Oh, really?"
"Yes," Sirius declared. "And I'm always right,"
Ruby-Jane laughed openly, evidently disbelieving. Sirius put on a hurt expression.
"Well, we'll see," Ruby-Jane told him, just as they reached the classroom. Remus was waiting outside for them.
"Wow, you did get him here," Remus said in surprise.
"Never doubt a woman," Ruby paused. "Or just me," she grinned.
"But why is his arm wrapped round your waist?"
"He gave me a hug, problem?"
"Oh, here I was thinking you were interested in me, I'm heartbroken!"
Ruby-Jane blushed. "It's just a friendly hug," But all the same she moved away from Sirius slightly.
"Come on, lesson!" Sirius reminded them. They entered the classroom together and quickly hurried to the seats James, Peter, Mackenzey and Chris had saved them at the back of the room. Sirius and Ruby-Jane took the seats behind James and Peter and next to Mackenzey and Chris, whilst Remus sat next to Frank Longbottom on the other side of James. Professor Binns didn't even notice.
By the end of the lesson even Remus was wishing he hadn't insisted they'd come to History of Magic.
"That was the most boring thing I have ever had to sit through!" James complained as they walked to their next lesson, Transfiguration, which they also had together.
"Seriously, half way through I was wishing for Merlin to come down from the Heavens and kill me then!" Sirius said dramatically. Ruby-Jane said nothing to this, and both Sirius and Remus had noticed her seem a bit more detached to Sirius since Remus had teased her.
"Oh, for God's sake, it was not that bad!" Lily Evans, the red head, replied.
"Lily, please," Alice Prewett gave Lily a look. "You were nearly falling asleep too, I saw you!"
Lily blushed. "Oh, all right then, it was horrible! But not enough to make you wish you were dead," she finished, looking at Sirius.
"I was exaggerating!"
"You do that a lot, I notice," Lily said, dryly.
"Okay, please just stop!" Mackenzey intervened, looking between the Gryffindors. "What do you reckon Transfiguration will be like?"
"Pretty good, I reckon," Frank Longbottom said, looking eager.
"Interesting," Remus added.
"Fun! Both my parents had a knack for Transfiguration," James said, seeing the odd looks he was getting from the rest of the group.
They lined up outside the Transfiguration classroom and a minute later McGonagall let them into the room.
This time Alice and Lily sat together again, but Mackenzey and Ruby-Jane sat together to the side of James and Sirius, Remus and Peter took the table in front of James and Sirius and Frank sat with Chris in front of Mackenzey and Ruby.
McGonagall stood at the front of the class and all chatter stopped. "Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts. Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned,"
There was a quiet murmur after these words. "Quiet please. I am about to show you a complex transformation. Watch carefully," She raised her wand and suddenly the desk in front of her was, well, a pig
"Wow!" Peter was openly admiring.
"Awesome!" Alice Prewett was equally excited.
McGonagall turned the desk back and then told them they wouldn't be doing that sort of complex magic for years yet, but it was something to look forward to. They spent the rest of the lesson trying to turn a pin into a matchstick. By the end of the lesson James, Lily, Remus, Ruby-Jane and Mackenzey had all successfully accomplished it, Sirius, Chris, Alice and Frank had all turned their pins into pointy matchsticks and Peter's matchstick was silver but still a matchstick (a degree of success).
"See, Kenz, you're pretty good at Transfiguration,"
"But you're good at Transfiguration and Charms," Mackenzey replied.
"And I bet I'll be a danger in Potions,"
Mackenzey laughed. "We'll see,"
Sirius came up to the girls. "So how'd you find Transfiguration then, girlies?"
"Pretty good, actually. I actually managed to turn the pin into a matchstick!" Mackenzey replied enthusiastically.
"Ruby-Jane?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. It was good," Ruby replied distractedly. "Sorry, I'm just…"
"Away with the fairies," Mackenzey finished, grinning at Sirius. "Don't worry about it," she told him.
Sirius stuck his thumb up in reply, and then fell back to talk to James, Remus and Peter. Frank was walking with Alice, Chris and Lily.
"Hey, Rubes, what's up?" Mackenzey asked her. "You've gone all quiet, and earlier you were getting on with Sirius real well,"
"I just… I told him I didn't like immature boys and he said really? And that's how I made him get to History of Magic, and he gave me a hug and still had his arm round me when we met Remus outside the classroom and Remus teased me saying he thought he was the one I wanted, and it made me think, and I think I'm starting to fall for him, Kenz, and it scares me!"
"Who, Remus?" Mackenzey asked, confused.
"No, Sirius!" Ruby-Jane hissed back.
"Ooh, right. You've known him a day!"
"I know! That's what scares me! I don't know anything about him, but I feel this connection… You know those magical ones the 'rents were always on about? Best friends for life, yadda, yadda, yadda… I just don't feel old enough, and it's pretty scary feeling like this now and about a guy I've just met…"
"It'll be okay," Mackenzey reassured her, giving her a one armed hug. "But you can't give him the cold shoulder! Poor boy doesn't even know what he's done. All he knows is that one of his new friends is being like an ice queen to him,"
"Really? I was that bad?" Ruby-Jane winced.
"Really, now go apologise!"
Ruby-Jane thanked her, and fell back in step with Sirius as Mackenzey joined Frank, Alice, Lily and Chris.
"Hey, Sirius, can I talk to you?" Ruby asked.
"Sure," he replied, surprised.
James feigned hurt. "Can I come?"
Ruby-Jane looked at him. "No," she said shortly.
"Whoa, wrong time of the month for this girly," he said, shaking his head.
Ruby rolled her eyes. "You really need to grow up, James,"
He held up his hands. "All right! I'm sorry, okay?"
"Okay," she smiled at him. "I'm sorry, too,"
"Apology accepted,"
Sirius cleared his throat. "You wanted to talk to me?"
"Yeah," she looked round, "In private,"
The two walked out into the grounds and down by the lake as it was lunch.
"I wanted to apologise for being kind of… Off with you earlier," she started. "Just what Remus said, it scared me, 'cause I think… I think I'm starting to fall for you."
Before Sirius could say anything, she continued, "I'm not saying that I don't want to not fall for you, but I've known you, what a day? And I'm eleven for Christ's sake; I'm not ready for any kind of relationship! Plus I think we have the potential to be really good friends, and I'm not going to ruin that by secretly falling in love with you. It's more the type of falling for that happens in those magical bond things?" Ruby half questioned, not knowing if Sirius was aware of them.
"I agree, we're eleven, not ready for any kind of relationship,"
"Good. It's just I feel this connection, and that scares me, but the more that's out in the open the less there's left to hide, which is good, right?"
"I think so…"
"I'm sorry, am I scaring you?"
"No…" Sirius replied honestly. "I feel that connection thing too, actually. And when I first saw you when you came over to talk to Chris and Pete, you took my breath away. But, as you said, we're eleven, and I, for one, am definitely not ready, in any way, to have a relationship. Plus, those bonds aren't just made for couples. We could just become brother and sister," he grinned.
Ruby grinned back. "So, friends?"
"Best friends?"
"Sirius!"
"Ruby-Jane!" Sirius whined.
She rolled her eyes.
"Come on, RJ, loosen up," Sirius grinned.
"I'll give you loosened up!" Ruby-Jane threatened.
"No, thank you!"
Ruby-Jane laughed. "Well, now that's sorted…"
"Lunch?" Sirius suggested.
"Duh! Race you?" She set off on a head start.
"RJ! RJ, that's not fair! Ruby-Jane Pettigrew, get your butt back here now, so I can race you fairly! Oh, whatever!" Sirius yelled at her, running after her only when he realised she wasn't coming back. "Bloody women!" Sirius growled. "Can't live with them, can't live without them!"
Back in the Great Hall, Ruby-Jane dashed in, closely followed by Sirius. Seeing their friends all sitting at the Gryffindor table, Ruby-Jane casually walked over, Sirius yelling obscenities at her from behind.
"Mr Black, please!" McGonagall said, as she passed Sirius on her way to the staff table.
"Sorry, Professor," he replied, sheepishly, glaring at Ruby-Jane as she laughed openly.
"Revenge will be sweet," he told her, as he sat down next to her.
"What's all this about?" The two new arrivals had received the attention of the other first years.
"Ruby-Jane Pettigrew is a cheater," Sirius declared.
"No, he's just too stupid to run after me when I say race you to the castle," Ruby-Jane corrected, rolling her eyes.
"Because you started running before you even finished the sentence!" Sirius roared, earning himself another look from McGonagall. He waved at her from the Gryffindor table, before turning to face Ruby.
"Then you should have just run after me," Ruby replied, "Like a normal person,"
"I don't like you,"
Ruby smirked. "You do, and you can't help it,"
"So, I do, get over it,"
The others round the table were giving each other confused looks. What were they going on about?
"Care to explain this one?" James asked hopefully.
"Nope," Ruby-Jane and Sirius replied together.
"Damn," Remus said, "I've obviously seriously misjudged their intelligence. I thought they'd not even notice that…"
Everyone gave him an odd look. "Never mind," he muttered.
The Hufflepuff's last lesson of the day was Potions with the Ravenclaws. It was just their luck that their first day was also their longest.
As the desks were in groups of four, Mackenzey, Ruby-Jane and Kerris grabbed one, and both Chantelle and Abigail sat with Sally Ireland and Christie Jacob. The three Hufflepuff boys Brian Fairfield, Andrew MacMillan and John McKay sat together on one side of the room, and the four Ravenclaw boys (Bertram Aubrey, Davey Gudgeon, Warwick Oliver and Joseph Stebbins) sat on the other.
Professor Slughorn welcomed the class and spent the next ten minutes explaining how Potions was useful and necessary and he explained about the different types, and by the end of the talk most of the class was ready to fall asleep. However, for the remainder of the lesson, the class researched different potions and their properties and had to decide on how useful they were based on their ingredients (which served no real purpose except to research what went in each potion). They then had to decide in groups which two potions they would prefer to make, as the next lesson they would be making a start on some of the simpler concoctions.
"I think we should do the Boil-Cure Potion," Mackenzey was saying as they left the classroom.
"It is simple…" Kerris agreed.
"Yeah, and the Forgetfulness Potion seems to be challenging, surely that'll get us points with the teacher…" Ruby-Jane grinned.
"What about the Swelling Solution?"
"Mm, second year work, I think. We could ask,"
"We could just stick with the Boil-Cure Potion and the Forgetfulness Potion?" Kerris asked.
"Okay, sure,"
The three girls stopped walking to high five each other. They only walked on when some older students rudely pushed through them even though they were standing to the side of a wide corridor.
"Rubes?"
"Yeah?"
"What did you and Sirius talk about earlier?"
"Yeah, you were acting a bit weird at lunch, actually,"
Ruby-Jane looked at them. "It was nothing, really. We're fine, don't worry about it."
"If it's nothing, what do we have to worry about?" Kerris asked.
"Just leave it, it's between me and Sirius, okay?" Ruby-Jane snapped.
"Okay!" Mackenzey looked at Kerris. Since when was Ruby-Jane this irritable?
"Okay, one more thing," Mackenzey asked. "Did you tell him what you told me?"
Ruby stopped, and turned to Mackenzey. "Yeah, I did,"
"How'd he take it?"
"Fine, now can we not talk about it? It's over, finished, done, complete, finito…"
"We get it, Rubes!" Mackenzey stopped her.
"I'm sorry, I just don't want to talk about it,"
The conversation moved on, and the girls soon found themselves sat at the Gryffindor table again.
"Aren't there rules about where you sit?" Chris asked.
"I'm not sure," Troy answered.
"Ahh well, no one's complained about it yet," Hunter said.
"True…" Ruby agreed.
"Who cares anyway?" Mackenzey added.
The others shrugged.
"James, pass us the potatoes, please," Remus asked, from the other side of Troy.
James passed the potatoes down past Sirius, Ruby-Jane and Troy to Remus, who was also sitting next to Mackenzey (who was sitting next to Hunter). Peter was sitting opposite James next to Chris who was sitting next to Kerris who had sat next to Lily who sat next to Alice who was sitting with Frank.
"Cheers," Remus called down the table.
"No worries," was James' reply.
"So, Lily, how's Snape?" Sirius asked her with feigned interest.
"None of your business, Black," she snapped back.
"Ooh, Evans, I'm hurt,"
"Good,"
"Hey, Evans, no need to be so harsh," Ruby-Jane said from across the table. Mackenzey looked up; there'd better not be trouble…
"Ha! Have you met the boy?" Evans asked.
"I have, I'm sitting next to him, you dolt. And I happen to like him,"
"More fool you," Evans muttered.
"I'd never have thought you such a bitch, Evans," Troy said.
"Okay, stop the verbal attack; this isn't even your table!" Alice said.
"Excuse me, but Evans started it," Troy said.
"I did not!" Evans objected.
"Hey, all I did was ask you how Snape was," Sirius said. "So, yes, you did,"
Evans rolled her eyes. "Get over yourself, Black, not everyone likes you,"
"I know, Evans. Try having a family like mine, and then you might actually understand what you're talking about," Sirius stood up, having lost his appetite and left the Great Hall. Soon after, James, Remus and Peter left, followed by Ruby-Jane, who Troy, Mackenzey and Hunter went after.
"Hmm," Chris said.
"Hmm?" Kerris asked.
"I wonder what that's about,"
"Just Black being a drama queen, no doubt," Evans said spitefully.
"Hey! Just 'cause you don't like him, Evans, doesn't mean we don't," And Frank and Chris left the hall too.
Kerris gave Lily a smile. "It'll all calm down in the morning," she said.
"Not while Black's still got breathe in his body," Lily muttered.
"Okay, Lily," Alice said seriously, "He hasn't done anything to you and you've known him a day! Will you stop being so bitchy and unfair? Every Black I know has been in Slytherin, and by Black being in Gryffindor, well that's bound to cause some trouble… So give him a break,"
Lily looked at Alice in surprise. "I guess you're right,"
"Apologise," Alice said sternly.
"Yes, Mum," Lily grinned.
"Come on, now!" Alice, Lily and Kerris left the hall together, and went to the Gryffindor common room (in this story they can go in different common rooms!).
Once inside they found the other ten friends sitting by the fire. They approached them, and when Sirius saw Lily he scowled.
"Black, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said what I said, and I apologise," Lily said, meaning every word.
"Apology accepted," Sirius said seriously.
"But this doesn't mean I like you. I will tolerate you, as long as you don't irritate me too much,"
"Yes, Ma'am," Sirius saluted her.
"In that case," Ruby-Jane spoke up, "I apologise to you, Evans,"
Lily nodded her acceptance.
"And me," Troy added grudgingly.
Knowing this is the most she would get from Troy, Lily nodded again.
"So, everyone's good now then?" Mackenzey asked, relieved.
Everyone nodded, happy that Lily had apologised, and they spent the next couple of hours playing exploding snap and wizard's chess. There were a variety of winners (although Lily did not seem to play against anyone she had insulted) when it was time for the people from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin to go back to their dorms.
"Night all!" Mackenzey called as she left with Ruby-Jane, Troy, Hunter and Kerris. They received a quarry of "nights" back before the Fat Lady shut behind them.
"So, what do we think of Miss Evans then?" Hunter asked them, grinning.
"Well, I don't think James, Remus and Peter were amused by what she said, never mind me." Ruby-Jane replied.
"Will you hold it against her?" Mackenzey asked.
"It depends how she acts now…"
"Very protective, aren't we," Troy commented, a rare grin on her face.
"We get on, that's all there is to it," Ruby-Jane replied. "And you know I'd never lie to you,"
"True, true,"
They reached the Entrance Hall where Kerris would go off to the Ravenclaw Tower, the Slytherins down to the dungeon and Hufflepuffs down to the cellar.
"Well, night you lot," Troy said, waving.
"Niiiggghhhttt," Mackenzey replied.
"Breakfast together? Gryffindor table?"
"Yeah, see you there!"
"Eight?"
"Fine by us!"
"Sweet dreams!"
"You too!"
And they all separated into their different houses for the night.
"Hmm," said Ruby-Jane, "I think we might actually manage to keep these friendships,"
"You shouldn't have doubted us," Mackenzey said, shaking her head.
"No, I shouldn't,"
They both brushed their teeth and washed their faces. They returned to the bedroom and climbed into bed.
"Well, that was day one at Hogwarts," Mackenzey sighed.
"Yeahh… Eventful."
"Just a bit," Mackenzey laughed.
"I wonder what the rest will bring…"
"Time will tell,"
"Indeed,"
"Night, Rubes,"
"Night, Kenz,"
A/N: If you think I've written too much with one character or feel one's out of place from chapter one, tell me! And if anyone has a better ending, I would so glad to hear it!