Chapter Two

A Pretty Sort of Chaos

My parents were magical.

Not in the sense that they were so amazing they left me in absolute awe. Nothing of that sort, in fact, quite the opposite. No, they both were born from pureblooded magical families and were raised with magical parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, everything of that sort.

However, despite their untainted magical bloodline, my parents decided when they got married that magic and everything associated with it was dirty. Evil, filthy, disgusting—all words my mother used constantly to describe my developing magical abilities. Because of this shared belief, my parents withdrew from the wizarding community and took residence with muggles, where there were no witches or wizards to be heard of.

My parents' shame in their magical background also gave way for my ignorance of my own magical lineage as a child. They refused to speak of it as I grew up, and in terms of normal, our muggle life was as normal as any. Unlike most young witches and wizards, I exhibited no early signs of magic. I fit in fine with my muggle peers. My actions were not alarming to my parents in any way. I didn't blow things up or make things disappear. I was, as my parents thought, "normal." In fact, they believed me to be a Squib, which in their eyes was an incredible blessing. So, the three of us lived a perfectly fine life, where nothing went wrong or out of the ordinary.

Until, of course, the day it did.

The day I turned eleven is a day I will never be able to forget. Not only was it my birthday, but it was also the day I burned the house down.

Complete accident, of course. Later it was explained to me that my magical abilities had been so constrained that when they began to develop, I had contained the abilities so tightly that when I turned eleven, the magic inside of me practically exploded. The day had not been overly significant otherwise.

I was no longer normal, and things were no longer perfectly fine. In fact, my parents saw me as a danger. Not only to their lives, but to their perfect reputations in our community as well. And harming their reputations... well, to my parents, that might have been even worse than death.

My parents soon realized that I could not continue to attend muggle school and pretend as if magic did not exist. No, I had to be sent away where I could be properly trained in controlling my magical abilities, and then afterwards, if I so chose, I could return to a perfectly fine life as a muggle.

My parents had both attended Hogwarts, and though it was far away, it was the best choice my parents had in keeping me safe in the "incredibly dangerous" world of magic.

So that was where I was sent, and that was where I was going now.

First, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and now—finally—my seventh year.

"So, Sirius! How's the new flat?"

I was distracted from the conversation, and heard only half of what was going on. Lily was sitting by the window, making idle conversation with Sirius. I'd recalled briefly Sirius telling us about his new place, but my mind was drifting someplace else currently. In fact, if I'd been in my right mind, I would have likely been bewildered at the ease in which Lily spoke to the group of boys at all. She'd taken to the lot at the end of sixth year, and she'd written to me over the summer that she'd owled James and Sirius occasionally. It should have been very surprising, because Lily had always been my friend and Sirius, James, Peter and Remus had always been my friends separately. Never together.

In no time at all, routine seemed to kick in once more. James was tossing Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans in the air to Remus, who was catching them with his mouth, and Peter was ogling over a wizard card without noticing his chocolate frog as it hopped into Sirius's lap. Sirius grabbed it and Peter attempted to take it back from him, but this resulted in Peter jumping up and down while Sirius held it in the air above his head, laughing and teasing.

Lily looked at me after her conversation with Sirius had ended, and seemed to notice my withdrawl from the group. She frowned. "You feeling okay, Gracie?"

I gave her a nod and exhaled. "Aren't I always like this on the train?" I asked, allowing myself to smile slightly in spite of the swooping gloom. "I'm fine."

Sirius grew bored and gave the frog back to Peter, who appeared to be quite relieved and ate the frog contently. Sirius turned to Lily and me and poked me in the ribs. "Yes, you're always so depressed on the train ride," he said. "Cheer up! We're going to be back at Hogwarts soon and we can eat all the food we want!"

I looked at him and laughed, then fell back in my seat.

"Personally, I think that's reason enough to be happy," Sirius said. "So be happy! And normal."

I nodded. "I will."

It happened every year after I left my parents. I always left feeling like I should have said something more, should have made the good-bye more proper and loving like a child should be to their parents. It was just, difficult. I couldn't explain the feeling to anyone, and I didn't want to make them understand. I wanted to reach out to my parents, but I was too afraid to. They just barely tolerated me as it was; I don't think I could have handled being rejected if I did reach out to them.

"Oh, we better get going," Lily said abruptly, standing up. She pinned her Head Girl badge onto her robes, and nudged James and Remus. "We're going to get in trouble and school hasn't even started!"

James smirked, muttering something about Lily's responsibility, and followed her out of the compartment with Remus.

"I can't believe James is Head Boy," Sirius said, slouching back in his chair and propping his feet up on the seats across from us. "And look at us three! Not even prefects."

"That's because we're too much trouble," I laughed, feeling a familiar warmth slowly spread back into my veins. "Well, except for you, Peter. You're the angel. We're just constantly dragging you into things."

Peter nodded as his hands searched through James's candy, mouth too full to give a reply.

"Think James's given up on his Lily chase yet?" I asked, cocking my head towards Sirius.

"Nah, you should have seen him this morning before we got to your house. This is the year! I know it! I'm surprised he didn't have his head in her lap the way here, the way he was fawning all over her before. He's more convinced than ever, I'll tell you that."

I smiled happily, hoping that James was right for once. Granted, James said the same thing every year, but a girl could hope. And Lily had sat in the compartment with us, after all. That could not be forgotten. "They'll probably end up married or something completely unexpected."

Sirius raised a brow, then pondered on the thought and laughed at the ridiculous possibility. "I'm afraid you've just unleashed a prophecy on us."

"They will. Don't doubt me, Sirius. I don't know about being a Seer, but I certainly do have a good amount of womanly intuition."

"Oh, definitely!" Sirius barked with laughter. "Who would ever doubt the great Gracie Hachette?"

I shoved his shoulder and batted my eyelashes overdramatically. "Oh, you know how to flatter a girl."

He blew me a kiss and winked, an effective end to our mocking charade.

Peter sat back with his hands on his stomach, completely oblivious. "No more candy for me."

Things soon got boring in the absence of Remus, James, and Lily, and the three of us left merely slouched in our seats.

"This year feels the same as every other year," I said, blandly, crossing my arms loosely across my chest.

"It does," Sirius agreed.

Peter nodded.

Sirius sat up straight. "We can't have that. This is our last year at Hogwarts! We should... I don't know... start it with a bang. This is the last time we'll ever ride the train to Hogwarts again!"

"Well, we still have the train ride back," I pointed out.

"But that's not the point. This is our last beginning for Hogwarts. You know?"

Peter and I shared a look, as we both seemed to be on different wavelengths than Sirius. I'm sure he had a point, though, however thick it might have been. Peter sat up in his seat, and said, "What kind of bang?"

I wiggled my way back into a sitting position. "A literal bang?"

"Well... I'd been going for a metaphorical bang originally, but a literal one might work too. Create some kind of chaos? Set off fireworks and run around in our underpants?"

I squinted my eyes at him. "I think you can do that last part alone. Unless, of course, if Peter is willing..." I glanced at Peter.

He shook his head furiously, his face flushing a light pink.

"Looks like you're alone on that one then, Sirius."

Sirius frowned. "Fine, that idea's no good. James woulda done it with me..."

"Probably not. He is Head Boy now, after all."

He exhaled. "Yeah. I guess he wouldn't have... explains why he's Head Boy and I'm not."

"Well, no point in dwelling in the negative," I said, standing up on my feet suddenly and reaching up for my trunk. "I have just what we need..." I ran my hands blindly through various pockets, before coming across a familiar shape. "Ah-ha!"

I pulled out a pile of fireworks, neatly bound together in a plastic packaging, and held it up to the two. "You think this will do?" I honestly should not have had such dangerous weaponry in my luggage, but I'd saved it after a trip to Zonko's last year and had been saving it ever since for the precisely right moment. Everything was always about the right moment, after all.

"Oh, yes yes yes," Sirius said, hopping in his seat and rubbing his palms together. "I haven't been allowed to even touch fireworks since that incident in fourth year..."

I paused, retracting the fireworks from his reach. "What incident?" I couldn't remember Sirius doing anything incredibly insane or ridiculous from fourth year.

He pressed his lips together firmly. "Me and James... set off those fireworks in the girls' dormitory. Remember?"

"Ohhh yeah!" I gasped, remembering the panic the fireworks had created in our dorm. We'd been sleeping soundlessly, and in the middle of the night, random cracking and explosions began going off in our room. All the girls in our dorm panicked—including Lily and myself—and the seven of us ran down the stairs in a mad rush. A couple of the girls were so scared they'd resorted to tears; the rest were either hyperventilating or storming to the boy's dormitory angrily—myself, in particular, as I knew just who was responsible.

I'd yelled at Sirius and James for about a week after that. It was probably the first time he'd mentioned the incident at all, actually, since fourth year.

"Maybe I shouldn't let you touch these, then," I said, narrowing my eyes.

"No, no, pleeeasee Gracie! I'll give you my chocolate frog!" He grabbed a frog from Peter's lap and held it in front of me, getting down on one knee like he was proposing.

"Well... it is our last year." I swatted at his head, and his hand went up defensively to smooth down his hair. I rolled my eyes.

"Pleaseee?"

"And I guess we have no other real options. Peter? What do you say?"

He shrugged. "I guess."

"Come on, Peter," I said. "A little excitement!"

Sirius swatted at my knee. "Are you going to accept my proposal or am I just going to sit here all day like a twat?"

I patted his head again. "Sirius, you're already a twat, so no need to worry about that." I winked at him, tossed the frog from his hands to Peter, and pulled Sirius to his feet.

Sirius made a "hmph" noise and made a grab for the fireworks.

"Hey, so touchy! Chill out." I wiggled a firework free of the pack and handed it to him. "Only because I love you so much."

"Don't lie. You hate me."

I smiled slightly. "Well, maybe a little."

"That's okay. I love you too." He glanced at Peter, crashed down onto the seat next to him, and wrapped his arms around his neck. "And I love you too, Peter! Don't worry, I would never forget you!"

Peter squirmed and I kicked Sirius's foot. "Sirius, you're going to strangle the poor guy," I said, sighing.

Sirius laughed and released Peter, who gasped for air gratefully.

I handed Peter a firework. "This will make you feel better!"

"Sorry, Wormtail. Love hurts."

"Remember that when I shoot a firework up your butt," I told him, swinging the compartment door open.

He growled at me, and I let out a small laugh and peeked my head out the door.

"Should we let them all off?"

"Of course," Sirius said, clearly not understanding why it was even a question. "Are these the sparkly kind?"

"Um, think so. Try it out?"

Sirius took a double-take of the aisle to ensure it was empty; then, he held out the firework far from himself, and tapped the end of it with his wand, saying softly, "Incendio!"

The firework shot off in the opposite direction, exploding in a burst of blue light. It cracked throughout the air, separating as it transcended down the aisle, dividing into bursts of green, red, and white.

The reaction the firework produced was instantaneous; people yelled at the noise, and pressed their faces against the glass to see what was going on in the aisle.

"Bloody brilliant," Sirius said, breathless, as the firework shattered in a burst of sparkly light, and finally died out. The noise died down, and people began rushing out of their compartments, some furious and some in awe. "How many of those have you got?"

"About twenty," I said, holding the package out to him. "They're harmless, too. Except for the noise, of course, but they won't burn you." Which was a relief, considering the number of students who were no longer seated.

Sirius nodded. "Well, we better finish that pack quickly before the prefects get here."

I set off another, and it bounced up and down the hall in a splash of light. The students in the aisle panicked and rushed back into adjacent compartments, creating a loud stampede accompanied by shouts of surprise.

Peter set the next off, and a few students realized that the fireworks weren't going to burn them. A fifth year Ravenclaw, whose name I couldn't quite place, stared up at the fireworks as they passed over her head, and ushered her friends out, assuring them they wouldn't be burned.

The three of us took turns setting off the rest; the train was a mixture of elation and resentment, and the majority of the train was spinning and laughing in the sparks.

I set off the last firework, a burst of red and orange and white, and Sirius grabbed my hand. The last of our fireworks were still in the air, rebounding off windows and walls, dividing into further bursts of light, refusing to die out.

Sirius twirled me in the midst of the light, and I laughed as we danced and spun like idiots. He swung me down in a graceful dip, and then twirled me back to my feet. I gripped his hands tightly and then imitated his gesture, dipping him about half-way, and we continued to laugh until the air was practically stolen from our lungs. I stood him upright and we spun a few times more, until finally the lights faded out, and he released me from his grasp.

"Better than running around in your underpants?" I asked.

"Maybe," Sirius answered, lips forming a small smile. "But you've never experienced that, so you wouldn't know."

"Hm. I think I'll pass, if that was an offer."

The chaos in the aisle was dying down now, and it wasn't long till the prefects would be pushing their way through the crowd to us.

"Hey, you never know," Sirius said, shrugging. "You feeling better now, ol' Gracie?"

"Loads," I said, laughing. "Mission chaos... success!"

We high-fived and retreated into our compartment with Peter, who graciously passed around his box of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans in honor of our victory.

A/N: Thanks for reading, lovelies! Cookies for reviewing! :D