A Sirius Unicorn
Disclaimer: I own nothing, except the plot and a few OC's you haven't heard of. The world is J.K. Rowling's and a few of my idea's for the Unicorns came from the book, The Unicorn Chronicles, and the movie, The Last Unicorn. On to chappie three!
Chapter Three. I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up to No Good
"Where you from?" Remus Lupin asked conversationally as they all began digging in to the feast.
"Um..." She said pretending to consider which food she wanted first, while trying to remember what Dumbledore had told her to say. "I'm from the Salem Academy, in America." Athena finished at last, selecting several large red apples as she did so.
"Brilliant!" Sirius Black declared giving her a playful grin. "Do they still hunt witches over there?"
"Not that I know of." Athena said truthfully. She was starting to relax a little. All she had to do was pretend that she was talking with Aramos or Alimeda, another one of her friends from Spring Meadow.
"So why'd ya ove ere?" The one called James asked as he stuffed some rolls in his mouth.
"Well, I um,...lost my parents," She said, and in doing so reminded herself that the truth was not far off. "And I came here to live with my older sister and her husband." She finished in what she hoped was a grieving voice.
All four boys gave her looks of sympathy, and muttered apology.
"It's not your faults, and besides, I'm OK now." She lied, putting on a small smile. They all fell for it and started telling her about Hogwarts, quidich, other students, quidich, Hogsmeade, and some more quidich.
'Humans are so easy to fool' Athena thought to herself as she watched Sirius lean back dangerously in his seat, a content expression written on his handsome features.
"So Prongsie," Sirius said addressing James. Athena assumed the nickname was some kind of inside joke, that or they had spiked the pumpkin juice. "Is this the year?"
"This year or never, I reckon. I'm Headboy now. That's got to count for something in her eyes. I mean, she's the Headgirl." James said with a sudden sadness passing through his eyes.
"Who are they talking about?" Athena asked the quiet Remus. She was curious about this teenage werewolf. How could someone living with so much pain on the inside appear so calm and polite?
"Lily Evans. Headgirl, and obsession of James since he laid eyes on her the first day of school seven years ago." Remus said, clearly glad to have someone to talk to besides Peter. The little rat boy had been eating non stop since the feast had begun.
"Why won't she-" Athena began.
"Go out with James?" Remus said finishing for her. "Well for starters, she hates everything about him. Besides that, I think she's unable to see James as anything besides a trouble maker. First impressions are hard to change."
"Are they?" She asked, looking into his gold freckled eyes questioningly. He looked very puzzled at her for a moment, but seemed to decide she didn't mean anything by it and said, "That's what I've been told. Do you know what classes you're going to be taking?"
Before Athena could tell him the classes, however, Sirius interrupted saying, "Oh, let's not start talking about classes yet. Plenty of time for that when we actually have to go to them."
"Don't mind him Athena," Remus said in a mock condescending voice. "They never worry about their classes. It's a wonder they actually made it to seventh year." He then ducked as both James and Sirius threw drumsticks at him. Both sailed over the quick Lupin and hit James and Sirius directly in the foreheads.
Athena laughed, their antics reminded her so much of her and Aramos that for the first time, she thought that maybe Hogwarts wouldn't be so bad after all.
Just as every one was scraping off the last particles of food left on their plates, the plates and food magically vanished and the entire Great Hall fell silent.
Athena was confused for a moment, but then saw that everyone's gaze was directed up at the Headmaster.
"Now that our bellies are full, let's proceed with the annual reminders so that we may adjourn to bed all the sooner." Dumbledore said in a welcoming voice. "For those new to the school, and those that continually seem to forget," he looked pointedly at the Marauders, "The Forbidden Forest is exactly as the name implies, forbidden. Our caretaker Mr. Filch has also kindly asked me to remind you that Zonko's new line of ever popping balloons are strictly not allowed. With out further ado, please follow your house prefects to your dorms and may this be the beginning to another unforgettable year at Hogwarts!"
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"Hey Athena!" Sirius called back over his shoulder as he was heading toward the boy's dorms, "Meet me and Remus here by the stairs tomorrow morning at seven. We can head to breakfast together and I can finish telling you about that Slytherin match we had last year!"
"The one where you 'accidentally' ran your broom head first into their captain as he was about to catch the snitch and break the Gryffindor record of going undefeated five years in a row?" Athena said with a smile. Sirius was so enthusiastic about everything that she couldn't help but tease him just a little.
"That's the one!" He exclaimed and then proceeded to playfully blow a kiss at her and said adding a dramatic bow for effect, "Good night sweet Goddess Athena, twas' a pleasure to meet thee." He then gave a surprisingly girlish giggle and ran up to the boy's dorm, passing an exasperated Lupin who turned around and gave Athena a warm, "Good night," and followed his hyperactive room mate into the Marauder's domain.
Athena shook her head. Getting along with humans wasn't hard at all! She then turned to head to her own dorm when she spied two arguing figures by the crackling fire.
"I don't care how much you think you've changed, James! On the inside you'll always be the same egotistical, arrogant prat!" A red headed girl Athena assumed to be the infamous Lily Evans burst out at a red faced James.
James, taking a deep, calming breath said to Lily, "I'm sorry you feel that way, but I have changed. Even if you refuse to see it, and we will have to work together this year, so like me or not, you're going to have to deal with me." He then turned around and giving Athena a curt nod as he passed, quickly proceeded up to the Marauder's room. It took Lily a few seconds to close her mouth, but once she had, she immediately headed up to Athena's destination. Athena reluctantly followed. She sincerely hoped that Lily wasn't going to be her roommate. Otherwise, she was in for a night of fireworks, and not the pretty kind.
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"Hi! You must be the new girl, Athena Skydancer?" Athena nodded to the bubbly brunette. She was very beautiful, and her smile, unlike so many others, actually made it all the way to her eyes. "My name's Guenivere Pruitt." The girl said introducing herself and holding out her hand.
"Um, it's nice to meet you." Athena said, shaking the smiling Guenivere's hand, unsure if was possible to become friends with too many hyperactive people in one day.
Athena then left Guenivere to her unpacking and begrudingly turned to face her two remaining roommates. Lily Evans and a girl Athena didn't know yet seemed to be very focused on their unpacking. It took Lily ten minutes to put up a poster of the Beetles. Why a group of young men preferred to be labeled as bugs, Athena was unsure, but she did know that Lily and her unknown friend were pointedly ignoring her.
Because she would be staying the duration of the school year in this room, with these girls, Athena thought it wise to start off on the right foot. Though that can sometimes be rather tricky.
"Hi, my names Athena. I don't think we've been properly introduced yet." Athena said, holding out her hand as Guenivere had done and plastering a huge smile on her human facade.
Lily gave Athena a withering look and turned back to her posters, pretending that a forth girl were not even present in the room. Her friend mimicked and after rolling her eyes at Athena continued with making her bed.
Athena slowly put her hand down. Reminding herself that she didn't yet fully know the ways of humans and that perhaps they didn't mean to be as rude as they seemed. Since she was already unpacked, she decided to change and head to bed early. Getting up early on her own was not going to be easy. As she rummaged around for the sleeping garments McGonagall had shown her that morning, Guenivere approached her.
"Hey, I'm sorry for the cold-shoulder treatment you're getting from Lily and Rose. They'll cool down after a while. Lily was just upset that you were sitting with the Marauders. She can't stand them, and James in particular."
"So I've heard." Athena said, not without a hint of sarcasm.
"Lily's usually a very nice person. I hope you get to see that side of her. Rose is just a follower. If Lily forgives you, I'm sure Rose will. She'd follow Lil off a bridge. Anyway, are you meeting the boys for breakfast?"
"How did you know?"
"I overheard in the common room. I think it's smashing! Could I join you guys?" Like everything else about this girl, her question seemed completely sincere.
"Of course. But won't Lily get mad at you?"
"No way! Lily knows I love everyone, egotistical or not. And she knows that any chance I have to be near Remus is a must."
"Are you two dating?" Athena asked, wondering whether Guen knew of Lupin's ailment.
"I wish! He won't give me the time of day. Everytime I want to do something with him, he finds some excuse." Her happiness faded for a second, but then she smiled again and looking Athena in the eye said, "Maybe with you becoming friends with him, you could help me?"
"I don't see why not." Athena said as she began drawing the curtains on her four-poster. She was about to do the last curtain, but saw that Guen still looked unsure, so she added, "Besides, it sounds like fun."
Guenivere Pruitt gave Athena a huge smile before turning in herself.
Even while getting off to a bad start with Lily and Rose, Athena felt pretty good with herself as she drifted off to sleep, dreaming of Aramos and her racing through the emerald trees of the Dark Forest.
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"Rise and shine sleepy head!" A painfully cheerful voice screeched in Athena's ear.
"Go away Aramos, let me sleep another five minutes." Athena mumbled, hiding her face in the pillow.
"Oooh! who's Aramos? A secret boyfriend perhaps?" On this, Athena abruptly sat up, smashing her head with that of her assailant.
"Ouch! He is so not my boyfriend!" She exclaimed indignantly to a cheerful Guenivere.
"You're a might touchy over someone who isn't your boyfriend," Guen said giving Athena a knowing smirk. "But I suppose I'll just have to take your word for it. Now hurry up and get dressed. Sirius and Remus are already down there. Well, actually, Remus is down there, but I don't think Sirius is all there. His brain usually comes back to him around lunch time. And Re-Hey! What are you doing with that sweater?"
As Guen had been rambling, Athena had been desperately trying to get dressed. However, she couldn't remember how to put on a sweater so she tried to step into it. Needless to say, she still needed help on the dressing herself department.
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After several failed attempts and one torn sweater that had been reparoed, the girls were dressed properly and meeting the boys in the common room.
"Hi Athena." Remus said glancing up from the copy of Hogwarts A History he was reading. He then whispered, almost imperceptibly, "Hello Guenivere," and began walking quickly toward the portrait of the Fat Lady.
Athena was bewildered, she couldn't see Sirius anywhere, and Remus certainly was acting strange.
Suddenly her eyes fell on the comfy sofa in front of the fire and she saw him. He was lying face down motionless. Athena quickly left Guenivere to staring at Lupin's retreating form and ran over to Sirius.
Just as she was pulling out her mahogany wand to enerviate him, he rolled over and smiled. She nearly had a heart attack, and smacked him upside the head.
"OUCH! What in the bloody blazes was that for!" Sirius shouted, holding his head.
"I thought you were dead. Next time, um... don't do that," Athena finished lamely.
"I should think not with that arm of yours. You hit like a guy!"
"Is that a bad thing?"
"No, it's a different thing." He said giving her a smile that made a passing fourth year blush beet red. GRRRRRR. "Oh, we better hurry to breakfast, my stomach says it's time to eat and it's usually never wrong." Sirius said and then grabbed her hand and took off toward the passage, Athena snagging Guen as they flew by her.
By the time they made it to the Great Hall, all three of them were skipping along and laughing about how James and Lily had to help the teachers pass out student schedules together.
"I'll bet you a galleon that Lily punches James before breakfast is over." Guenivere said as she took a seat next to Athena at the Gryffindor table.
"He says he's got a new approach this year, so I'll be generous and say she won't sock him till after lunch." Sirius said and began stuffing his face with pancakes, applying copious amounts of syrup and sugar as he devoured.
Athena grabbed some of the Honey Oat cereal and began eating it. Sirius and Guen shared a look. "So, um ever heard of the expression 'got milk'?" Sirius asked with amusement causing Athena to stop her consumption of food.
"Oh, well you see... I just don't like milk. You know, come to think of it, I sort of eat like a horse." They gave her more strange looks. "Not that I eat a lot," she said defensively. "It's just that I like to eat apples, and carrots, and sugar," As Athena said sugar she reached over and stole one of Sirius's sweetened pancakes.
"Hey, I was going to eat tha-"
"And salads, and candy, and um... this Honey Oat stuff. It's no wonder horses are willing to trade slave labor for oats, this stuff is great!"
Sirius and Guenivere were sharing looks that said Athena could do with a trip to Madame Pomphrey's. Although Sirius did look impressed by Athena's sugar tooth.
"Um, I meant in theory. Don't look at me like that you two! I promise I won't change into some monster, right here anyway." Athena said with a laugh. Both Sirius and Guen lightened up after that and the threesome started trading facts about themselves.
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"Hi, welcome to Hogwarts. It's a shame you're not in Ravenclaw, I would have loved to give you the tour." A seventh year Ravenclaw with looks to rival Sirius and brown hair to match said in what he assumed to be a seductive tone to Athena. He had transgressed the Great Hall to stand right next to where Athena was sitting with her two new friends. "By the way, I'm Gideon Pruitt. I take it you know my sister Guen here?" He said with a pearly smile pointing to an embarrassed looking Guenivere.
"Get lost Gideon! Go back to your own table!" Guen said, her cheeks flushing.
Athena just plastered on a smile of her own, much to Sirius's dismay, and said sweetly to Gideon, "No it's Ok, you can stay here and make a fool out of yourself for as long as you want."
Instead of getting angry like she thought he would, Gideon simply smiled even wider and said, "If that's the way you want to play it. But trust me, this isn't over." He then grabbed Athena's hand before she could object and brushed his lips to it sending unwanted shivers down her spine, and just as quickly as he had come, he left.
"Oh yea," Guen said sarcastically, "I forgot to mention that I have two twin brothers, Gideon and Fabian. Both are in Ravenclaw and are the only serious, sorry Siri, competition the Marauders have in the pranking and coolness departments. By the way, way to give Gideon the what for. He hasn't had a girl refuse him since...well, ... a loooong time. That was really cool seeing him crushed!"
"No prob. Hey Sirius, what's wrong? You haven't said anything in a while."
"Oh, me and Gid used to be friends, but we got into a bit of a fight after a fierce quidich match-"
"And a girl both of them were hitting on." Guenivere interrupted.
"If you have to put it like that, yes. But anyway, we just haven't been on very good terms lately." Sirius finished and added as an afterthought, "Besides, my stomach has my full attention right now. Emphasis on the full."
"Oh look, here comes the happy couple with our schedules." Guenivere said as a fiery Lily and a haggard looking James came over carrying the school schedules.
Wordlessly, Lily passed out the three schedules. She made a point of ignoring all of them as she did so, and just as quickly as she had come, she stalked off. James watched her go and then sat down next to Sirius across from the girls.
"Someone just put me out of my misery!" James moaned hitting his head rather painfully against the table. Sirius pulled out his wand. "Sirius, you prat, I didn't mean that literally!" James squealed and then gave a small smile when he saw his friend smirk. "Sorry, it's just that she won't say anything to me and even worse, she refuses to look at me. I've been nothing but kind to her. Sometimes, I think girls should come with a manual. I just don't get them." James finished miserably.
"You know Prongs," Sirius said directing his attention at Guenivere and Athena, "We do sort of have two manuals sitting right across the table from us."
Athena saw what he was getting at and said, "Personally James, I don't see what you like in Lily, but if it's that important to you, I'll try my best to help." Guenivere concurred.
"Wow Athena! We've just met and already you're doing more for me than anyone else ever has!" James exclaimed, and then added hastily at Sirius's death glare, "Besides the Marauders and my dearest chum Padfoot here that is."
Sirius softened and deciding that a change of subject was in order before James could begin to cry, asked Athena, "So what classes you got?" Before he had even finished with the question however, he thought to himself, 'What in the bloody world am I doing asking about classes! I need to quit hanging around Remus'.
That worked to snap James out of his funk and he exclaimed, "Since when does 'I'm so smart I don't have to worry about classes' Sirius Black interested in school? Are you turning into Moony?"