Head Over Heels
Chapter 2- Your Guardian Angel
Summary- Twins James and Ariana Potter are attending their seventh and final year at Hogwarts. Chaos ensues as Ariana and the Marauders try to get Lily and James together while Sirius tries to make a little romance of his own.
Your Guardian Angel- The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Author's Note- Okay I realize I did not put a disclaimer in the first chapter, but seriously, if I owned any of this (except Ari) I would be sailing of the coast of Bermuda listening to Jimmy Buffet. Therefore, for the record I do not own any Harry Potter characters this is the only time I am saying it. As I am typing this, I am watching the World Cup USA vs. Ghana. Dempsey just scored a goal! He is now my second favorite Dempsey (after McDreamy of course!)
Now I am not so happy, apparently according to the shitty referees we have at the World Cup there was an invisible foul by the USA giving Ghana a penalty kick. And he just scored; this is not my favorite game. I am switching over to the Ellen Show. Plus it is half time and I am bored.
Chapter 2- Your Guardian Angel
September 1st, dawned bright and sunny with the birds chirping and the wind blowing the last smell of the flowers not scorched by the summer heat. The sight of a big black dog snuffling at her covers awaked a sleepy Ariana. She quickly woke up and looked down thinking it was her new puppy and was surprised to see Sirius in his dog form licking at her covers.
"Sirius! Get out!" she said wriggling from under the covers and revealing she only had on a semi sheer black slip. Sirius changed back into his human self and waggled his eyebrows at her.
"Well expecting anyone last night?" he said as she pushed him off the bed. "Ow! Woman that hurt!"
She began nudging him with foot to get him out of her room. "Go Sirius, what the bloody hell were you doing anyways? Get out!" she yelled giving him one final push out the door.
Sirius collided harshly with the wall with a yell. "Bloody woman I was told to wake you up! There was no need for violence!"
Sirius' voice dragged James out of his room his black hair looking wilder than ever. "Padfoot what the hell are you doing it's 10:05 in the bloody morning there's no need to be so damn excited. It's just September 1st." the rest of James mumbling got lost as he walked back into his room. "Holy Crap! It's September 1st! I still need to pack! Shit! ARI WAKE UP IT"S BLOODY SEPTEMBER FIRST!" he yelled banging on the door of Ari's room.
She wrenched open the door and faced James looking like she had been awake for hours. Her hair was long and flowing into slight curls at the bottom. She had on a jean mini with a pink halter-top.
"I realize that James I'm already packed and ready to go."
"Shit! Why didn't you remind me?" he yelled. He stomped back into his room.
"Lily is going to meet us there James so you may want to dress a little nicer!"
She knew that would catch his attention. James doubled back and stood in front of her. "She's going to meet us there?" he asked his voice squeaking.
Ariana nodded and waved her wand over James. He too, looked extremely put together and –
"Clean! James Potter is actually clean! Whoa, you smell nice too! Wow, Ari, do that charm on me too!" Sirius said jumping up and down like a little kid. Ariana absently waved her wand over Sirius as she picked up Rebel. They all ran downstairs, fresh and clean, to go with their parents one final time to Platform 9 and 3/4. They were greeted by Zephyr and xyla, the family house elves, they were clearly anxious, and looked like they wanted to be anywhere but in front of the Potter children and Sirius.
"Good morning Miss Ariana, Mr. Sirius, and James sirs." Said Xyla shyly as she ducked behind Zephyr.
"Xyla, what's wrong?" when Xyla didn't answer James, Ariana asked Zephyr.
"Zephyr, I want the absolute truth, where are our parents?" Zephyr looked anywhere but at Ariana's face until she knelt down to his level. "Where are they?" She looked at them in fear, "Zephyr, tell me!" Her fears were not quenched when she saw the fire turn green and she saw the Headmaster appear.
James and Sirius rushed towards the headmaster in panic, they swarmed around him asking questions. Ariana said nothing and caught the headmaster's normally twinkling eye. However, the twinkle was gone, and his face was grave. He pulled out his wand and gave it a wave and all the ash was siphoned off his robes.
"Ariana, I need you to come with me. James, I need you to go to the platform as usual. Sirius, you will have to decide whether you go with the Head Boy to Hogwarts or accompany Ariana to St. Mungo's."
"St. Mungo's!" yelled the trio. Ariana took Xyla's hand and saw the crumpled letter. She took it out and read through the tearstains. Later on, it would amaze Ariana how so few words could change her world.
Ari, James, and Sirius,
I saw you last night, all peacefully sleeping, although Sirius snores. You did not know I had already killed your father and let my death eaters at your mother. I made sure to kill your father at 11:59, Happy Birthday.
Sincerely yours,
Lord Voldemort and his faithful death eaters.
P.S. Your gift is in the kitchen.
Ariana dropped the note and ran to the kitchen, she needed her father to not be in the kitchen, she needed him to walk in the door, exhausted, but safe. She ran in the room and saw her father sitting at the table, Ariana cautiously walked up to the ash large table her father hated, and when she saw the look of pure terror on his face, she recoiled in horror. That was an image that she knew she would carry for the rest of her life. She carefully walked out of the room and into the bathroom where she promptly threw up.
James and Sirius, however, had no idea what was going on. The Headmaster for once looked unsure of himself, and when he saw Ariana run out of the room, he made no motion to stop her, even though he knew he would regret that decision for the rest of his life. He told James as easily as he knew how, that his father was dead and his mother was in the hospital, possibly on the verge of death. He had to tell James that he could possibly become an orphan within the next twenty-four hours. He had to tell Sirius that the only stable home he knew was collapsing in around him. After he had told them this Ariana came back into the room. She was pale and shaky, but Dumbledore knew she would recover. Sirius had buried his face into his hands, and was shaking slightly. James, however, was the worst off. He sat in his father's chair, just staring off into space. He did not move, he did not cry, he did not show any emotion at all. Ariana sat shakily on the arm of the chair Sirius was sitting in and put a hand on his shoulder. She knew that the Potters were his first and only family.
"Professor, I want to see my mother." Said Ariana.
"I don't know if tha-"
"It wasn't a question, Headmaster."
Dumbledore nodded, and turned to James. "James, you need to make the train, it's 10:35. You still have time." He nodded slowly but did not say anything. Ariana got up, went to her father's desk, pausing only slightly when she picked up his favorite pen. She began to write furiously on a piece of parchment. "Sirius, have you made a decision?"
Sirius looked over at James and nodded in his direction. "I'll go with James to the train, make sure he's okay, and then go to the hospital with Ari." Ariana looked up from her letter in surprise.
"Headmaster, can you go to the hospital until I" she paused at Sirius insistence, "fine, until we get there?"
He nodded and disappeared with a crack. Ariana grabbed their trunks, shrunk them, and put them in James' pocket. She crouched in front of James and made him focus on her.
"James, we're going to be fine. Everything will turn out okay, remember that no matter what we have each other. We will get him for this Jamie, if you cannot focus on anything, focus on that. We need to be strong to fight him, and to do that we need to go back to Hogwarts. Sirius and I will be back tonight, and if something happens, I'll come get you." For the first time in over half an hour, James made eye contact.
"D'you promise Ari?" he asked sounding more and more like a lost child.
"I swear to you, James. We will get this bastard." She wiped away a tear and gave James a fierce hug. James held on to Ari and cried into her shoulder until they left for the train.
Getting James to the platform took a combined effort from Ariana and Sirius. They took the whole trip by Side-Along Apparation, just hoping that they would not splinch themselves. They fell unceremoniously through the barrier and entered the bustling platform corridor. They were instantly greeted by a chorus of hellos from slight acquaintances who were ignored, not out of dislike, but from the mere shock that someone could be happy during this time. They hustled James into the Head compartment while Sirius left to explain the situation to the rest of the Marauders, Ariana cornered a tan, bouncing Lily.
"Ari! It is so good to see you! Petunia was absolutely horrible all summer going on and on about some new boyfriend. Fat cow." Said Lily without even taking a breath. Ariana finally cast a silencing spell on her just so she could speak.
"Lily, my dad is dead and my mum is in the hospital."
Lily's smile instantly faded away. She looked at her best friend's serious face and a silencing charm was no longer necessary. Ari lifted it with the assurance that she could tell her story. The train began to steam and slowly started off, and Ari panicked.
"lily, read this it explains everything. Don't let James out of your sight and c0omfort him when the prefects meeting is over." With that, she leapt off the train. She looked back and saw Lily's tear stained face mouth 'I'm so sorry.' It was all Ari needed to see, she knew James would be taken care of. Now, she needed to find Sirius, get to St. Mungo's, and see her mother before it was too late.