Side Door To The Great Hall.

"Have you reviewed that potion with Professor Slughorn?" my mum asked me, smoothing out my robes and giving me a Gimlet Stare. We were in the Retiring Room off The Great Hall getting ready to make a bit of an entrance. It is unfortunate, but apparently eating with the faculty is one of the Traditions when parents visit a child at Hogwarts. "So lovely!" she cooed, then paused. "…You need to make sure that everything is set, you understand? Otherwise I am not certain you'll do as well as you hoped. Make sure everything is alright with that partner of yours. Snape, isn't it?"

"Yes, mama," I grumbled, trying to pay attention to the muffled voices coming from the slit through the door, and only half hearing my mum speak. I could just imagine Lucille craning her neck over Camilla's head to try and see us. "His name is Severus. He's the top of his class in his year. We're almost finished. We just have to show it to the professor. He'll like it, promise."

"Oh, have you made an appointment? You're about halfway done with the potion, I take it?" I nodded. "How much longer do you have? Two weeks?"

"About that, yes."

My mother finally stepped back. "You don't know the exact time?" she asked. "You have everything under control, don't you? I don't need to call in your sister Bella, do I? Because I'd be happy to. You know how excellent at Potions she is. She'd be sure to give you that step up you need."

Knowing that I absolutely did not want my older sister involved in a parent's scheme to patronize, I replied, "No, mum. You don't need to call Bella in. She's probably very busy as it is." Pease don't continue talking, I begged. Just zip it for once in your life.

"Not too busy for her little sister!" My mum smiled, showing her incisors. "But, good! I do hate to bother her so much! With her new baby and everything she is a very busy girl." I rolled my eyes. A new baby didn't stop my mum from lecturing me! Oh, no. "Now, where is that lazy father of yours? I swore he was just here! That man!"

I laughed. "They like to test the waters on occasion by running away," I said. "Keeps things exciting." When my mother gave me a quelling look, I decided it was past time to start eating. "Papa is trying to have a talk with Polly. He said it might take a while."

"Oh, that's right. That's right. Polly has a girlfriend, is that correct? A little miss named Samantha?"

I shrugged, feeling impish. "First I've heard of it, frankly. I only know of one Samantha among the Ravenclaw second years and she certainly would never go out with him."

"Evelyn!"

"Sorry," I said, smirking on the inside. Apollon had thought that I could be taken down? Well, little boy was wrong! "It's just that Polly's a bit of a hard case," I explained. "He's a bit antisocial."

"Like you were?" my mum parried. "Stop talking badly about your brother! Polly is a dear, dear boy! You know he has trouble relating to people—he's so smart—and you just compound it. I won't have you alienating him."

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Won't happen again! It's just sometimes he—."

"I am sure tonight it won't!"

The next moment, my father stuck his head in through the open door to the side room and beckoned us. "All ready?" he asked. "Good." He placed a hand on Polly's shoulder and squeezed. Polly winced.

I grinned. "Good talk then?"

My father ignored this. "Come on! Your Headmaster has just given his Speech. We can eat now."

"Ah," I said. "Lovely! Agony approaches!"

"What's that, darling?" asked my mum. "Be nice now."

"I'm always nice," I muttered. "And it's always my Downfall."

Walking into The Great Hall beside my parents and younger brother, Apollon, I made a point to not look at any faces for very long. This was the worst sort of spectacle, this was. I know I am being stared at. Across the room, Black perked up in his seat and fluttered his fingers at me.

"Ah, the Ransoms!" Headmaster Dumbledore greeted my parents and gestured them into seats at the end of The Head Table next to Flitwick. "Miss Ransom, Mr. Ransom, why don't you two go sit down with The Ravenclaws?"

"Yes, Professor," Apollon and I chimed.

"Excellent! Off you go!"

Walking quickly to escape Apollon's pinch, I slipped in next to Camilla.

"'Well?" said Lucille. "How did it go?"

"Horrible. It was horrible. The most embarrassing talk possible. How else did you expect it to go?"

"Certainly it wasn't that bad," said Camilla worryingly, taking it upon herself to serve me some potatoes. I tried to decline and move my plate away, but Camilla would not be cowed. "They can't possibly know everything."

I gave Cam a glance filled with promise.

She gasped, misinterpreting it. "They didn't find out about Quidditch?" she said.

"Of course not!" I said. "They're way too slow for that. But it was still horrible. They could still find out."

"Best not let your brother hear that!" advised Lucille, nodding down The Table ten faces. We all glanced in Apollon's direction. Truth be told he actually was sitting with a female. Hmmm. I had just been trying a joke at his expense. "He'll use it against you."

"They'll have to find out eventually, I guess," I responded philosophically. "Though, you're right, Lucy, I would prefer it if it weren't tonight." I shivered suddenly. "It's cold in here! I think Merlin's sending me a Wave Of Foreboding! Need to watch out!"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Lucille snapped. "Do you have to see them off after Dinner?"

Camilla hummed triumphantly when I started cutting into my potatoes. "My parents?" Lucille nodded. "Unfortunately. They'll want to kiss me goodbye."

"Seriously though!" said Lucille. "Evelyn, I'd watch what you say about them. Some of us would kill to get as much attention as you do!"

Knowing this to be wise advice, I still muttered, "Attention's not everything, Lucy. Look what it's gotten me."

"Oh, yes!" Lucille cried, sarcastic. I stared at her. "You're so unfortunate! Two parents who give you so much love that you're actually sick of it! How awful it must be! How incredibly terribly awful!"

"Shut up," I said. "You have it all wrong. You know it's not quite like that."

"All I'm saying," Lucille shrugged, "is this: be thankful for what you have. One day it might not be there."

"Aren't we a Miss Happy-Pants this evening? What brings this on?"

"Remus told me some stuff."

"Ah," I said, with heat. "About Black, I imagine."

Lucille glared at me. "Yes."

"What Pearls did Beautiful Remus have to offer you? Finally thinking for himself now, is he? Grand. Good for him."

"I'm not telling you now!" said Lucille. "Not when you're all snitty from your mum! You'll have to wait for us to get back to our dorm room."

"How convenient you are. What a gal!"

"Thank you."

Tamara and Camilla had been watching our by-play like this was usual course. And, of course it was. Lucille and I always bickered. "Congratulations on making the team, Evie!" Tamara told me, changing the subject. She probably hadn't sensed any tension however. Tamara probably had just been waiting a while to congratulate me and could no longer hold it back. "We're proud of you!"

Touched, I put a hand to my heart. Lucille rolled her eyes. "Thank you. Your support means a lot."

Always one for cheer, Tamara smiled. "You're welcome!"

After Dinner, Black joined my brother and me in a walk up to our parents.

"Oh, Christ."

Apollon sneered. "Why is a Gryffindor walking with us?"

"He can't stay away," I said. "He's like my stalker. Don't pay him any mind. Just keep walking, Polly."

"I don't know what you think this is!" snarled Black, grabbing onto my arm and physically dragging me when my legs looked to have locked. Polly looked on curiously. "But it better not be what I think this is."

"Disappointed that nothing's going to plan?" I asked. "Polly, I'll meet you in a minute, alright?"

"Oh no," said my brother. "This looks quiteinteresting. I think I'll stay!"

"And I think I'll turn your nubbins into cotton balls!"

Polly snorted. "As if you could with mum and dad looking on!"

I started advancing. "You—."

"Polly!" Black intervened. "Why don't you be a good boy, and go on up now, alright? Raisin and I need to have a little discussion."

"Do you like her?" said Polly loudly, apparently wanting to know. "You could do a lot better, you know. That bird I saw you with last week for instance."

"Merlin!" I breathed. "Polly, you're going to die. Just come closer and I'll get it done. Do you hear me? I am going to kill you."

"Mum won't let that happen!" Polly told me.

"Well, you better run to her!" I advised. "You don't know how far I'll go unless you take another step closer. Do we really want to chance this? You're such a small boy. Much smaller than me. Do we really want to chance this?"

"Listen to your sister," Black said to my brother with a smirk. "Wise words!"

Polly looked over his shoulder at our parents beckoning to us. "They're looking at you anyway, Evelyn! You're going to be sorry!"

"Well, I am sorry!" I said, "I am sorry I have such a dumbarse for a little brother. But you're messing with the wrong girl at the wrong moment."

With one last sneer, Apollon walked away.

"You will be sorry!" Black promised me in a whisper once my brother was out of ear shot. "Just wait! I suppose we should smile now, yes? Your mum is looking quite twitchy. Doesn't like strange boys touching her daughter it seems. How sweet."

"Only because she smells a rat," I replied, trying to out-walk him. "Why are you holding onto my arm, Black? Let go." I tried to discretely shake him, but holds on strong, as we know.

"That's impossible," he murmured. "Both are impossible."

"What?"

"Yes. For one: if I let you go then you'll walk away." I rolled my eyes. Genius, this one was. "And two: Pettigrew is the rat, not me."

"What are you talking about? Have you been into the Muggle glue again?" I put a hand to Black's forehead. "You do feel feverish!"

"That's my rage bubbling over," Black commented.

"Lucille says that little kiddies like to eat it," I continued, pretending obliviousness. "It's a bad thing, Sirius. Causes brain damage."

Black gave me a speaking glance. "You just called me 'Sirius,''' he informed. "You know that?"

I paused, feeling a blush come up. "So I did. Well? That's your name isn't it? A more wonky name was never heard certainly, but I did hear your mum was crazy."

"She is!" Black agreed equably. "But that's a discussion for another time! Look, here we are! This is your mum I take it, Raisin?" Black snaked his entire arm around my waist and fused me to his side.

"Oh!"

With his other hand, Black reached out to take my mum's hand. "A lovelier woman was never seen!"

"Who are you?" my mum asked. "Why is your arm around my daughter?"

"Evelyn didn't tell you?" said Black. He turned to me. "Oh, darling, how could you?"

"What?" I hissed. "What are you doing?"

"Hush!" he said. "Hush. Princess, what am I going to do with you? Not telling your parents! Oh dear me. And after all we've been through!"

My father stepped in. "What's your name, son? You look familiar. I assume our families have met before?"

"I'm sure they have!" said Black. "I'm a Black." My mum gasped. "Sirius Black."

"You're that boy!" my mum said. I grinned happily now, glancing at Black standing next to me. He looked unfazed, but that would certainly all change in a moment. "Get your hands off my daughter!"

"I can't," Black said. "She's just irresistible."

"Black!" I said. "Stop it!"

"Why?" Black asked. "Why should I stop? You invited your parents here—I think it's only right that I should meet them. I was going to anyway, yes? Yes?" I wouldn't answer him. "I don't see how I couldn't, Evelyn," he said. "Seeing as how you've been telling tales."

"Listen, son," said my father, trying to sound calm. "I don't like your attitude. And I don't like this proprietary hold you have on my daughter. I think you should remove yourself right now. Hanging off her like a limpet—."

"It's disgraceful!" my mother added.

My father nodded. "Step away, Mr. Black. There's a time and place for theatrics and this obviously isn't it." Thankfully The Hall was basically empty except for our little group, but by the way I had been focusing on Black's Mania, I wouldn't have known if our argument was getting recorded on The Wizarding Wireless. Off to the far left, I spied Headmaster Dumbledore rocking on his heels and humming some tune.

Polly sneered. "He's her boyfriend, mum! He doesn't have to let her go!"

"What?" my mum said. "Evelyn, is this true?"

I paled. "No!"

Black grinned, hugging me closer. "She's just shy, aren't you?" he said, patting me on the bottom familiarly. "It's understandable! We're still so new and I think I went around this the wrong way. You see, I—."

"Evelyn!" my mum said, eyes drawn to Black's hand intently. "Is this true?"

"No!"

"Is this just…just some lover's spat you called us here for?" my mum continued. "Because if it is then I have to say—."

I shook my head rapidly. This was going all wrong! "No!" I said. "No! Of course it isn't! Why are you believing him?" I gestured at him. "Black is the Devil!"

"The Devil, huh?" my father mused. "Maybe he is. I have certainly never seen you so emotional over a regular boy before."

I glared at Polly when he started laughing hysterically. "Because Black is not a regular boy!"

"Why, thank you!"

"He's mad, he is!" With a lunge, I tore myself away from him. With my parents looking on in horror, I straightened up and brushed off my robes—in effect trying to brush off Black's Evil Touch. "He's not a regular boy at all! I told you what he did to me!"

"And I believe it!" my father said, frowning. "But it also looks like we haven't gotten the full story. Son," he addressed Black, "Could you perhaps Enlighten Us? I think it would be best now if my wife and I heard both sides."

"There is only the one side!" I said. "That of the Righteous!"

"Evelyn!" chastised my mum. She shook her head. "I don't know what's happened to you since we saw you over the summer, but you have changed, and I don't think it's for the better. You were never so rude."

"You were never so rude!" I said, enraged that my parents were being reeled in by Black's charm. "You're supposed to be on my side! What is this? What is this? The Inquisition? Where they torture people into admitting false deeds? Into admitting heresy? I mean, what the fuck?"

"Language!" said my father. "Evelyn! Calm down, can you do that for me?" I frowned darkly. "This yelling can't be good for you!"

"No," Black agreed. "Her face is all mottled!" He reached out a hand in supplication, and I leaned away. "Evelyn, dear—."

"Merlin's Blue Balls!" I said, making my mother gasp. Polly continued laughing. "You need to shut it, you!"

"Maybe we should all sit down?" suggested Black, gesturing to the side door leading out of The Great Hall. "A solid surface might make Evelyn feel more the thing."

My parents nodded, and soon, thanks to a no-longer-humming-now-silent Headmaster Dumbledore, who had been watching the proceedings with what looked like Supreme Amusement, we were all ensconced in The Retiring Room again.

"This isn't happening!" I muttered, feeling the need to rub my temples. "This is just a dream. I'll wake up."

Black nodded knowingly. "Diggory did tell me you dream about me. I'm flattered!"

Ravenclaw 6th year Girls' Dorm Room.

0100. I'm not going to go into Detail right now. I want to lie down on my large canopied bed, and pull up the covers, and enact a silencio, and pass out. I don't want to think about how Black got my parents to buy his machinations. I don't want to think about how, technically, Black didn't lie about anything, how he just put a different light on what he did, making it sound more flattering for him. I don't want to think about anything!

I want to erase this entire evening from my memory.

My parents left around four hours ago with the idea in their heads that Black had still done a naughty thing, and was deranged certainly, but compared with how much he liked me, a little acting out was expected (and even desired!), since it only proved how infatuated Black was.

I came up here in distress after shaking a smug Black off—Polly had followed on our heels just to be contrary—and seriously, I cannot stop this onslaught of feelings.

Thank Merlin I made The Team, that's all I have to say. We have practice tomorrow, and I am going to beat the arse out of our Keeper. I am going to fly so well, so hard, that the wind is going to blow these traitorous thoughts right out of my head.

MFRG don't understand the situation. Lucille thinks what Black did is actually somewhat funny (I blame Lupin's influence!). Camilla is deranged enough to think that Black has a bit of a fancy for me; that everything is one big act to just get my attention. Tamara is surprised I can't realize Black is In Love With Me Already.

Well, Black is not. Black is not in love with me.

I mean, what tosh!

What Tosh!

I shoo-ed my friends away with warnings that I would travel up to Gryffindor Tower tonight and knock on The Fat Lady's Portrait and demand that Black come out and present himself for a duel if they did not stop going at me. Lucille actually became genuinely concerned that I would ruin my chances with Black as a potential swain, and so got everyone to shut up.

They think Black wants to be my swain?

Ha!

My parents think Black is my swain?

Well I have news, and that news is this: Black will never be my swain. Thinks he can act like a seven-year-old with his first crush, well, not likely! This is Hogwarts! Not some Muggle Primary School. I deserve respect from people and I will be respected.

"Stop thinking so loud!" Lucille complained groggily, turning over in her bed. "I can hear your rumblings from way over here!"

I sneered through my bed hangings, directing it with laser-like precision at Lucille's forehead. "I am trying to stop, You Mad Divining Cow! Cut me some slack! I've had the Day From Hell."

"There's always tomorrow!" replied Lucille. "It's a new day, tomorrow."

I groaned. "You're right! Tomorrow might be twice as bad!"

"Go to sleep!" Lucille said. "You, in All Her Glory, who decided she didn't want to talk to us, her very best friends. Well, this is your reward!"

"You go to sleep!" I muttered. "You'll see. You'll all see. Tomorrow is going to be awful."

I moved my pillow over my head and smothered a scream in it. My father was right. I usually am not this emotional. I don't know what's wrong with me.