To Settle

Lara

So there we were, the two Grey, Gryffindor twins.

Lily Evens and Alice Smith greeted me with big smiles as we were leaving the hall and proceeded to link my arms with theirs as we walked up the stairs. (Lily pointedly ignored James: "Evens will you go out with me?"). Their other friend, the odd blond, was a Ravenclaw and I found myself feeling a little disappointed I wasn't going to be hearing as much of her funny thoughts.

The castle was an extraordinary place with portraits everywhere, the inhabitants weaving from picture to picture, and suits of armour that seem to me to be a little bit too alive. The long staircases seemed to move from place to place and the two girls tried to explain the complex timetable for them as well as the hundreds of shortcuts and secrets.

How on earth would I ever be able to navigate this place? It seemed to me that it would take a lifetime to know even a half of the secrets in this place, this school.

We eventually came to a large portrait of a richly dressed woman who surveyed us regally as we approached us.

"Password?" She said majestically.

"Tabulas novas" Lily replied and the portrait swung open to reveal a whole in the wall, which we climbed through.

We entered a warm room with lots of large sofas, thick carpet and a roaring fire in the grate. The only people in the room were the Marauders and my brother who were all laughing about some joke James had just told. I sent Alex a goodnight message and followed Lily up a staircase.

I was then introduced to my other roommates.

There was Tabby Grant, a girl with brown coppery hair and modern thick framed glasses, and Amy Farmer, a tiny girl with thick black curly locks and huge brown eyes. Amy was the most hyper girl I had ever met. She kept bouncing up and down and she was forever talking at a speed much too fast to comprehend. When she saw me she immediately ran to me and began gushing over me, her eyes sparkled in her happy little face. Tabby, the more subdued of this duo, had to physically hold the girl down by her shoulders to prevent her hitting the roof.

I'd laughed and found myself loving this crazy girl who barely reached my shoulder.

"Sorry about her" Tabby said, fondly patting the girl on her head "beginning of a new year, y' know – it's a very exciting event for her, all that pent up energy from the summer just goes crazy"

Amy had answered by giving me an unbelievable beam that seemed to touch her whole face.

"Well it's very nice to meet you. It's been us four in here for a long time now. Five years in fact. Not that I don't love everyone here, which I do. But it's lovely to have a new person. It almost make this year seem new to me as well, it's so exciting! That can be you bed if you want, right next to the window which is cool, though you might not like it. Some people are awfully afraid of heights –"

"Don't worry, that's brilliant" I interrupted her stream. She managed to make her initial sheepish smile into a full blown grin (quite an achievement if you ask me).

"Sorry, I do tend to ramble on. I'm just so excited!" she jumped up and gave me a hug around my waist.

After detangling myself from the energized sixteen year old, I began to settling into my new four poster bed. Amy had been right when she'd said I was right next to the window and I found myself staring out into the night. It was a lovely room, it was warm and cosy, and I was with the friendliest people I had ever met. My old friends from Berlin had been colder and harsher than these bubbly people; they would have turned their noses up to Amy's enthusiasm. I had always just let things flow when I'd been with them and I would suit myself to fit in with their ways; It's not that they were mean, they were quite kind almost all of the time, they just had a sort of reserved detachment about them.

I could feel people's consciences relaxing around me, dulling with sleep, and I pulled out my night dress and shut out their thoughts.

Alex sent me a sleepy message saying goodnight from his dorm and I replied, feeling his tired state pull me toward my own slumber. It was always difficult not to feel sleepy when surrounded by others, especially Alex, who felt tired or were asleep and so it didn't take long for me to slip into slumber.

Alex

Me and Lara got word from father the next morning while we were eating breakfast.

It came in the form of a howler that our family owl, Erin, delivered with lofty impatience. Lara had been the first one to notice the scarlet letter and, after nudging me, we'd exchanged uneasy glances. I queasily reached for the now smoking letter and paused. I had nearly decided to run for it when Lara had impatiently grabbed it from me and opened it.

No point delaying the inevitable.I briefly heard her say before the voice of Alexander Grey had boomed out across the hall.

Every one stopped and looked at us, their hands over their ears.

HOW DARE YOU DISCRACE OUR FAMILY! DIDN'T WE EXPLICITLY TELL YOU TO HOLD UP OUR FAMILY NAME! YOUR MOTHER AND I ARE NOW BEING DOUBTED, AFTER EVERYTHING WE'VE WORKED FOR, BECAUSE OF YOUR INSOLENCE AND CHEEK! WE DIDN'T SEND YOU TO THAT SCHOOL SO THAT YOU COULD SHAME THE NAME OF GREY! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU TWO YOUR GOING TO REGRET THE DAY YOU DECIDED TO DISOBEY US!

And the letter burst into flame.

Remus

The room was silent after the letter had finally burst into flame and I was reminded of the day Sirius had got a similar letter from his mother. That morning everyone had began talking soon after it had finished, probably thanks to Sirius's smug, if shaken, smile. But this time was different, the war was in full flow and such a letter with threats like that held more meaning now.

The twins were even more pale than usual and were staring at the smoking pile. Lara seemed to be beyond anger while Alex just gazed blankly at the wisps of smoke floating into the air.

This fiery girl jumped to her feet, her lips were quivering and her hair had come out of its tie, she looked like she was about to scream. Alex just sat there, his vacant stare almost as frightening as Lara's electric emotion.

I looked between the two nervously.

Then, just as I thought the tension in the room was about to explode, Lara's fury and Alex's indifference both changed instantly.

Lara seemed to become suddenly drained and collapsed onto the bench her face in her hands and Alex stood, took out his want, and vanished the pile of smouldering ashes. He looked around at the many face turned in his direction and did the last thing anyone expected of him.

He smiled.

"You can all stop looking at us now you know. I happen to be looked forward to eating my toast – an activity I don't need anyone else's opinions on thanks" and he sat down and, true to his word, began eating toast.

The room relaxed and everyone returned to their previous conversations and food.

"Wow, you were really telling the truth when you said your parents wanted you to be in Slytherin, eh?" James said to Alex across the table.

"Oh yes, I bet I bet they were just thrilled to learn we weren't the same Death Eater scum that they are" Lara said tiredly raising her head to look at the group of people surrounding her. Her eyes met mine and she smiled reassuringly.

"You and I both, my family is on the verge of disowning me because I hate You-Know-who" Sirius said with a sad smile.

The twins looked up empathically and smiled.

"Well, this is all much too depressing for breakfast talk if you ask me" James said, buoyantly breaking the tension "how would you two like to help us in a good old start of term prank?"

"Uh ow. Resist the temptation Greys, you don't want to get mixed up in this toe rag" came a familiar voice from behind me.

"Lily Flower! Will you go out with me?" I chuckled at James' never-ending pursuit of Lily.

"No Potter I won't" she said stubbornly, throwing her hair over her shoulder.

"You know Lily I think I'll take your advice. I'd much prefer to take the micky out of you lot and my dear brother when you get detention than join you" Lara said grinning and standing to leave "I'll see you a break and yes Alex I am that mean"

Alex pouted, gently punching his sister on the arm. She laughed and began to follow Lily, who had linked their arms.

"Fine then evil, have fun in Ancient runes" he called after her jokingly, the sarcasm thick in his voice.

"Ha, Arithmancy!" she shouted back – equally teasingly and left the room with Lily.

I shook my head in amazement.

"You two are so bazaar!" I said, grinning at the strange boy in front of me.

"Of course, you'll get used to it after a while." He replied knowingly.

I checked my watch and saw that lessons started in fifteen minutes. I got to my feet, swinging my bag over my shoulder.

"Do you know your way to Arithmancy Alex? I could show you, it's on the way to Ancient Runes."

He agreed and we left the hall together after giving James, Sirius and Pete a quick wave, they had a free period.

"So you're another Rune person? Ugh, great, you'll like my sister then. She's all into that" he said, grimacing with a disappointed voice.

I chuckled, blushing internally at the mention of Lara.

"How come you don't like it?" I asked inquisitively.

He grinned, sending me a sly look.

"Well, it's not that I actually find it that bad to be honest. I took it third year with Lara and she took Arithmancy with me, but they weren't really to our liking so we ditched them. It's sort of like an ongoing argument between us and we tease each other about the lessons. Also, we like to magnify and draw attention to our differences"

I nodded and puzzled again over these strange twins.

We had come to the top of the main stair way by now and I steered us towards the stairs that would take us up to the sixth floor. I mentally mapped out our path, noting that the staircase I usually used wouldn't be going the right way because it was the Monday of an odd year. I turned to the left and pushed open the door that pretended to be a wall.

"I'll never be able to find my way around this school! There are so many staircases that move and doors that hide and god knows what else!" Alex said in horror as I muttered a spell to open a hidden staircase to the fourth floor.

I laughed and patted him sympathetically on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, that's what we all think. You start to pick up shortcuts fairly quickly. And you have the added advantage of being friends with the Marauders" I smile and lead the way.