September, 1975
I grunted as I walked onto the platform, holding the handle of my suitcase with both hands. Placed over my shoulder was my satchel and an extra clothing bag. I blew my hair from my face as I approached the entrance to platform 9 3/4.
I took a moment to rest, wind from the moving train blowing past my face. I sat on my suitcase and placed my bags on the ground close to me, giving my shoulder a break. I waited a few more minutes before I decided it was time. Just as I grabbed my suitcase once again, I made my way to the wall of platform 9 3/4. But I was stopped short by a familiar voice.
"Reesa!"
Turning around, I smiled when I saw Marlene walking towards me, pushing her carriage and with people who I guessed were her parents a few feet behind her. Placing my suitcase down again, I gave Marlene a hug before waving to Mr. and Mrs. McKinnan.
"How have you been?" Marlene asked. She looked around, probably for my parents. She must've saw they weren't there and then she must've seen my hair because then she said, "Guessing from your new style, your parents ditched you as punishment."
I nodded, picking up my suitcase again. "Yup. I'll tell you about it on the train."
Marlene said goodbye to her parents and then we ran onto the platform. It was busy with students boarding it and soon Marlene and I were looking for Lily and Lydia in one of the compartments. Once we did, I would then explain exactly what I did and what my parents decided was fit punishment for the utter disgrace I've caused my family.
We found them in one of the compartments, seated beside each other. Lily had her arm over Lydia, who's eyes were puffy, presumably from crying. Her coily black hair was a mess and her clothes sloppily put on.
"Oh my gosh, what happened?" Marlene asked as she and I went to her.
"Peter Pettigrew happened," Lily replied and then she frowned at my hairstyle.
"What did that slimball do?" Marlene asked, crossing her arms.
"I wrote to him all summer," Lydia said, her voice choking. "But he never replied. I mean I thought we were something! But clearly we aren't. Maybe I'm not smart or pretty enough."
I was never going to allow Lydia go think that way about herself. "You're smart and drop dead gorgeous, Lydia. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. And maybe there is a good reason why he never wrote back."
Lydia looked unsure. With a sigh I sat down beside her and wrapped my arms around her. Even though many people have called Lydia naive, she was smart. In fact, she was the best of us at Transfiguration and Potions, though she never bragged about it. She was also really beautiful, with thick hair anyone would be jealous of and ebony skin that complimented her deep-brown eyes that twinkled in the sun.
If there wasn't a reason why Peter was ignoring her, that I really questioned why he would let such a girl oit of his grasp.
Lily knocked me out of my stupor by saying, "Maybe Cerisa can find out what's wrong. After all, she could ask Black."
My eyes widening, I gave her a look. "Um, what?"
"Oh, could you, Cerisa?" Lydia asked, her eyes wide with hope. "It would mean so much to me."
I so didn't want to talk to Sirius, at least not at the present moment. I would rather I wait until the middle of the school year, like always, to even be in the same room alone with him. It was better, easier that way. At least for me.
But then I saw the look in Lydia's eyes and I couldn't help but melt. Therefore, I exhaled and nodded, putting my hands up in surrender. "All right, all right. I'll talk with him, but one of these days Lily has to talk with James to get information."
Lily was about to argue and protest, gut Marlene quickly changed tye subject. "Now that that is settled, perhaps Cerisa can explain her new style and her new punishment from her parents?"
Lily and Lydia both looked at me, eyes filled with attention. Sighing, I explained everything. I explained why my hair now reached just before my chin and why it had crimson red streaks in it. I explained why my owl was not with me—my parents thought it ample punishment—and why I had to walk to platform 9 3/4 alone. Then I explained that Veronique would be my babysitter this school year to make sure I didn't do anything 'scandalous'.
When I finished, Marlene laughed. "I love how your parents think that doing all this will make you comply. Don't they realize that you're basically a Slytherin and a Gryffindor morphed together? There is no taming you. No sir."
"You got that right," Lily agreed. "Cerisa Belvidera Kaiser: untamable Chimera."
"Chimera?" Lydia asked with a small, amused smile.
"Yeah, cause she's both snake and lion," Marlene explained.
My smile widened but then it disappeared completely when after a while more of talking, Marlene turned to me with a smile and said,
"Perhaps you should find Black now. You know, to find out the scoop about Pettigrew."
I was about to decline but Lydia gave me her puppy dog eyes and her pout and I couldn't argue. Therefore, I rolled my eyes and prepared myself before leaving the compartment in search for the Marauders.
I found them on a different car of the train. I looked through the glass of their compartment and I grimaced at how messy it sas. There was also the overpowering smell of chocolate. I knocked before opening, making the three Marauders inside look at me. That's right, three. Sirius was not, in fact, present.
"Hello, Cerisa," Remus greeted with a smile. "Can we help you?"
I returned the smile. "Yes, actually. Where's Black?"
"Probably snogging some girl in an empty compartment," Peter replied with a grin.
A weird feeling entered my heart and I couldn't figure out what if was for the longest time. But then I did and it made me really, really, really, really annoyed.
"Oh, is he? Well then..."
Unsure of what to do, I simply looked at the three boys, who had changed a little over the summer. James's glasses were different than from last years and he had gotten a lot more handsome. Remus bore more scars and his eyes seemed a lot older than his age. Peter also became very good looking, despite not being very thin. Most of all, their voices were now all fully deepened, like a true man's.
"I suppose if he isn't here," I started, about to walk away. "Then I guess—"
"Why hello there, Kaiser!"
I was now facing Sirius, who gave me his idiotic charming smile before sliding past me—a little too close, if you ask me—and sitting down beaide James. Like James, Sirius had also changed. His hair now reached his shoulders, but despite this he was so incredibly good looking—
Pushing that thought aside before it could fully form, I cleared my throat. "Hello, Black." When I noticed a smear of lipstick beside his lips, I added. "You have a little something there..."
"Ah!" Sirius quickly wiped it away before looking back at me with a lopsided grin. "So what do you need?"
"How was your summer?" I asked, hoping I could learn something about Peter. "Uneventful?"
"Mostly, yeah," James said. "But it was awesome, as always."
"Hmm, interesting..."
Remus frowned, "Why do you ask."
I shrugged, walking away. "No reason..."
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September, 1975
When I told Lydia that Peter was apparently not busy during the entire summer, she burst out crying. Then Lily and Marlene formed a plan. This was to ensure Peter would forever regret ignoring Lydia and making our precious Hufflepuff cry.
So as school began, the first order of business was for us girls to completely ignore the Marauders, even Remus—which neither one of us liked doing but Marlene said it was necessary. I was okay with phase one, because it meant I didn't need to see Sirius with any more smeared lipstick on his face.
Phase two was for Lydia to talk with other guys while Peter was around. Peter actually tried to talk with Lydia on more than one occassion and when she ignored him—which she hated doing—he was always awfully confused. That made me confused, because Peter was a smart guy and he should've known by know that he hurt Lydia.
Phase three was never established and so it was already mid-September and our plan had come to a stop. At present, Marlene and I sat down under a large tree, trying to come up with phase three.
"How else could we make Pettigrew suffer?" Marlene asked, twirling a strand of blonde hair.
"Put worms in his soup?" I suggested, not really trying. "Or maybe we can lock Peter in a room with worms."
Marlene looked at me. "Why worms?"
"I heard he's afraid of them."
"Huh." Silence. "Did you hear about the attacks?"
I nodded. "A muggle-born and her entire family were killed. They say You-know-who orchestrated it."
"I'm worried for Lily and Lydia," Marlene admitted quietly. "They're both muggle-born and I would've be able to stand it if anything happened to them or their families."
I looked at Hogwarts castle, where Lily and Lydia now were. I sighed. "I know, Marlie, I know."
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So that's the stsrt of year Five. Don't worry, there'll be more Marauders in the next chapter. Read and review! Love yah!
