A/N- First full chapter and introduction of my character, Elizabeth Woods. Her nickname is Elle, just so you know. I know I said in the prologue that the story would be told from multiple POVs, well that has changed now and I am sticking with third person.
Read & review.
September 1st, 1970.
Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end. - Semisonic, Closing Time
A new time.
A fresh start.
"I will not tell you again—stay out of this!" A man's voice raised as he panted through his state of rage. In the corner of the room, a woman moaned, her eyes gushed with blue tears.
"Please, leave her alone, my darling--" The woman protested, whimpering as she did.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP HELEN! YOU IGNORANT BITCH!" The man raised his hand to the woman causing her to back up against the wall even more...Distant voices, crying, but somehow not human but...
...Elizabeth Woods awoke that morning with the most unusual feeling. Not good , but quite frankly, not bad either. She stumbled gingerly out of her bed, grabbing her glasses off the bedside table as she glanced at the clock.
9.00am.
For the first time in many years, she was going to be glad to be rid of this room. This house. Her home. Or at the least the place she called "home."
At the bottom of her small bed, a brown trunk was positioned unevenly on the rusty floorboards of her bedroom floor. Her floor was abysmal; covered in clothes and old paper, and an unusual array of muggle literature, which Elizabeth had a become a huge fan of. Muggle literature was not uncommon to say the least, seeing as Elizabeth lived in a muggle household.
She wasn't really that much of a book worm at the best of times, but she had througly enjoyed the works of an authour named Emily Bronte, whom of which she had become inspired by. Muggle literature had changed her whole perception of novels, and one book in particular she had read was called "Wuthering Heights." Set in the Yorkshire moors, Elizabeth found the concept and the contrast of Heathcliff and Catherine's love intruiging. It was like the malfunction of their complicated love was threatened by everybody around them. People forcing them apart and telling them they couldn't be together. They say you should never stand in the way of love, and Elizabeth had always fantasised the idea of "forbidden love". To her, it focused her and she had read the book in great depth for the whole of that entire summer.
Her cousin on the other hand, was a contradictory to love. He believed in nothing less than it, almost like he loathed it with a passion. Elizabeth loved her cousin despite his secretive ways. He was so concealed, so hidden from the world, something that Elizabeth could never quite get her head around, never mind trying to figure him out. Severus was never much of a talkative person, but he had been there for her through everything life has thrown at her, all of eleven years, half of it, if asked, she wouldnt be able to recall. It was like a bunch of memories that she had pushed to the back of her mind. She had become accustom to it; it was like second nature to her. No need to dwell on the past.
That summer had been the most unusual yet, for a number of reasons. Not only had she discovered that both her and Severus were going to Hogwarts, which was a magical school, but Severus had made an acquaintance with a young girl who lived down by road. A muggle-born girl, and her equally dumb sister. Elizabeth didnt care too much for her. For anyof them. She especially could not stick the girl's sister. She had proceeded to call Elle a freak; something that angered her. The other girl, the witch, she was a bit too stuck up for her own liking. She couldn't understand why Severus liked her, but Elle had made no extra effort to tease Severus constantly whole summer for sneaking off to see her and talk to her in his spare afternoons.
Elizabeth laughed as she reminised a certain event that occured during the holidays, something that she decided to let slip by and mock her cousin about at an appropriate time. As she removed her pyjamas, she slipped into a pair of jeans, a tshirt and grabbed a grey cardigan off the chair and threw it on over her clothes. She grabbed a pair of black sneakers and slipped her feet into the them, adjusting them accordingly.
She walked over to the mirror, and brushed her long, messed up black hair. She felt no need to make even the slightest effort and meerly tied her hair up into a loose mesy bun; her long side bits of her hair framed her porcelin face. Her deep blue eyes excentuated her face, making them stand out amongst her ebony hair. Her lips had the slighest tinge of rouge in them, and her cheeks flushed a light pink. She always saw herself as a plain girl, and she was.
"Elle?" A solemn voice stirred from behind the door whilst knocking.
Elle moved across her messy floor, almost tripping over some paper and slipping on a pair of socks, and opened the door, to reveal her cousin, Severus.
"Are you almost ready?" He asked, his voice low on expression.
"Yes I am." She responded happily. She left the door open, quickly grabbing the remainding things she needed to put into her trunk. After she finished shoving her muggle clothes,school books, assortment of other necessities (including her prank collection she had picked up in Diagon Alley earlier in the summer, against both her cousin and auntie's knowledge), she clambered around looking for one more thing she needed.
"Sev, have you seen my book?"
"What book?" He asked with no interest whatsoever.
"Never mind, found it!" Elle grabbed her copy of "Wuthering Heights" and placed it into the another bag she was taking on the train with her, containing her robes and her wand (just in case).
"God, must you insist on taking that nonsense?" Severus sneered sarcastically.
Elle rolled her eyes at her less than enthusiastic cousin.
"You know your problem Sev," Elle paused, as she attempted to flatten the opening of the trunk by sitting on it. " You just don't appreciate good literature!"
Severus meerly smiled in the corner of his mouth at his deluded cousin.
"I just dont understand why you enjoy these muggle books so much. Its not like they speak the truth or anything. They are so... soppy."
Elle laughed at Severus. He was so narrow-minded about a lot of things. He never thought outside the box, unlike her.
"Are you never open to fact that you might be wrong about muggle literature? I mean, you have never even read a muggle book, so how can you honestly make even a minor judgement?"
Severus rolled his eyes at his deluded cousin. "I have read the backs of the books and thats enough for me thanks. And in answer to the first question, I am never open to any fact that I could be wrong about anything!"
Elle shook her head at him. They were both complete polar opposites; but many qualites they possessed were the same. Both stubborn, both clever and both extremely sarcastic. It must have been a genetic thing.
"So looking foward to seeing...ooo whats her name... Princess Perfect today?" Elle sneered at Severus.
Severus rolled his eyes, and lowered his head. " I dont know," he said shurugging his shoulders, "and by the way, her name is Lily. Lily Evans."
"Whatever, I dont care too well for names. She will always be Princess Perfect to me." Elle joked, much to Severus' annoyance. Severus stood up and moved towards the window, and Elle watched him as he did.
"You know, I think you were well in there Sev." Elle said, trying to stir him for more information, meanwhile trying to reassure him.
"Whats that supposed to mean?" he snapped.
"I think she should ask her to be your girlfriend." Elle began to make kissing noises, whilst Severus' face became suddenly blank, like he did not know what to say. "Dont be ridiuculous! I dont even like her in that way!" he stammered. He picked up a small ornament off her windowsill, picking it up and admired it. "Who said I even like her at all?"
"Paranoia can be a bitch my'dear. Jeez, just admit Sevvie, you like her!" Elle proceeded to make kissy noises behind Severus' back. He slammed the ornament on the windowsill. Sensing that he was getting annoyed, Elle stopped immediatley, and rubbed the back of her neck. Despite being the most unusual summer, it had been the most eventful. They both had the scars to prove it.
"It will be okay Sev. Hogwarts is going to be brilliant!"Elle tried to sound enthusiastic. It wasnt clearly was not working. She went and stood beside him, gazing out of the window, looking out onto the back yard. "We can do whatever we want to there."
Severus sighed solemly. "Yeah, but for how long? A month? Three months? How long Elle?" he has a tone of aggrevation in his voice. "Lets face it, no matter how long the we stay there, eventually come Christmas we will have to come back here. We won't be able escape it forever y'know."
Elle nodded in agreement. He was right. He always was, even if she didnt admit it. "But just think, for those three months until then, we can enjoy it. We can be happy. Or try to be". Elle could only wish. This was the only escape she could ever plan to achieve. It was the only option she had.
"Right do you have everything?" Eileen Snape asked, as both the children stepped out of the car and onto the pavement. Eileen Snape was not your average witch. She was a changed woman. She was tall and lanky, just like Severus was, with mid-length black hair which was greying slighlty. She had always been thin, but over the summer she had shrunk even more. Her clothes hung off her, her sketetal frame looked weak and brittle, her veins on her arms rose high and were clearly visible. Her eyes were sullen; they were once a striking brown which had degraded over the years to a mere pool of black. They were emotionless. Expressionless.
"Yeah we do." Elle replied, grabbing her trunk off Severus. Severus merely stood there, his hands in his pockets of his dark blue coat, his collar up covering his neck.
"Okay," Eileen paused. "Well, take care, both of you. You need to look out for each other, especially you Elle. Take care of Severus will you." She winked as she said this, causing Elle to giggle. Severus didnt see the funny side, but then again, he never did. "Bye Auntie Eileen" Elle hugged her and Eileen placed a small hesitant kiss on her cheek. Even though Eileen was not always the most maternal person, Elle loved her like a mother, and respected her like one too. She was the only mother that she had really ever known.
Severus edged akwardly towards his mother, giving her a small hug, before turning his attention back to the pavement, shuffling his feet. Elle and Severus grabbed their trunks, and waved as Eileen drove off. Elle couldnt help but feel sentimental. It was the first time they had both ever been away from home, mainly because they were never permitted to do. Tobias would never allow it. It was miracle he had allowed them to come here to be perfectly honest. It was like a breath of fresh air to both Severus and Elle.
It was like the start of something new.
"Should we go?" Elle asked eagerly.
"Sure." Severus replied.
They both began to walk up towards the station, their trunks trailing behind them. "Shame we can't use magic to manoever these bloody things eh?" Elle joked.
They made their way onto the platform of Kings Cross station, and Elle found it nothing less than daunting to say the least. Thousands of people swarmed the platform of the train station, it was hard to distinguish the muggles from the wizards. Elle took her ticket out of her pocket, and looked hard peering over her glasses at the writing on the ticket.
Platform 9 3/4
"Bloody muggles." Severus mutted under his breath, but just enough that Elle heard him. She frowned as him as he said this. Elle thought long and hard as they approached platform looking up at the platforms labelled 9 and 10.
"There is no such thing." Severus concluded. "It's mad!"
"Think outside the box Sevvie." Elle smiled as she saw a boy run at the barrier between the two platforms, and then disappearing into it. Severus, who was looking the other way, was oblivious to this. He kept looking round, like he was looking for something. Or someone.
"Sev, pay attention." She slapped his shoulder, and he turned to her attention.
"What?!"
She indicated her head towards a group of children, no older than herself and her cousin and watched as they each in turn, ran at the barrier. "Thats how we get there."
"Thats insane! And so are you Elle." Severus huffed. Elle smiled happily. "Well what gave you the reason to think I was ever sane?"
Severus smiled grimly at her. She tugged on his sleeve, dragging him over to the barrier. "Lets do it."
Severus went first. Then it was Elle's turn. She was nervous. She had seen it done, but she feared that it would go wrong for her. Things usually did. She held onto the trolley tightly and began to make a running start towards it. Anyone that was paying even the slighest attention to her would think her completely barmy to be running towards a platform wall. Little did she know she was going to fuck it up when she collided with somebody else on her way. She crashed head first into another person. Not just any person. A boy. Not just any boy. The boy.
She fell to the floor, banging her head as she did. She put her hand to her temple.
Blood. Fucking great.
"Jesus, watch where you are going!" The boy shouted at her.
"Excuse me. Ever heard of an accident?" she replied sarcastically. The boy stood up briskly, brushing himself down, before looking down at Elle who was holding her hand to her head. "Shit, are you bleeding?" the boy cursed, curiously.
"Thank you for noticing Captain Obvious!" Elle replied sarcastically. Elle tried to stop the bleeding by taking a tissue from her jeans pocket and pressing against her temple.
"You want me to help you up, Miss?"
"Since when did you become a gentleman all of sudden?" Elle said accepting his hand, as he pulled her up. Their bodies were close together as he pulled her up, thrir faces just inches apart. She looked at him, appreciating fully what she was looking at. His shaggy dark hair hung gracefully ove his face, but just enough that it revealed his eyes. Those eyes. Those deep grey eyes. So enticing, so mysterious. His grip was tight on her own hand. It was weird. It was like time was standing still, and for several minutes, neither of them spoke. He was beautiful. Elle couldnt stand him already.
"You can let go of my hand now." Elle spat. The boy looked at Elle, before releasing it. "Sorry."
Elle composed herself, the boy's eyes still remained fixated on her. "What? Are you waiting for something?"
"Yeah, you got a name?" He smiled, flashing his teeth. His beautiful smile...
"Maybe." She answered briskly. That was a stupid response Elle thought.
"Well, are you going to tell me what it is?" He sounded seductive as he said this, not that either of them would have understood or even picked up on what seductive was or meant.
"Fuck you." Elle said, shaking her head at the boy.
The boy smiled as her said this. "Believe me, if I could, I bloody well would."
So arrogant. So idiotic. So gorgeous.
"Eh get lost." Elle shook her head at the boy.
"I guess I will see you on the train then yes?" The boy walked through the barrier, smiling an arrogant smile as he did. Elle meerly shook her head.
Elle walked nervously along the corridor of the train, looking for an empty seat. She got her luck when she found a carriage that was occupied by non other than her very own cousin, and his new friend. Princess Perfect herself. Lily Bloody Evans. Sat across from her cousin and Lily was a boy with dark brown hair. She reached for the door handle, not knowing that somebody else was thinking and doing the exact same thing. As she put her hand on the door handle, another hand placed itself on top of hers.
She jumped back and turned to face the person whose hand was on top of hers. She turned to see a boy, sporting light sandy brown hair, piercing amber eyes and a nervous look on his face.
"Sorry." Both Elle and the the boy said it quickly at the same time. They looked at each other, before laughing slighlty at their random mistake. Elle turned her attention away from him, trying to hide her smile. He was a handsome boy, and Elle was embarassed to say the least.
"Hi, my name is Remus. Remus Lupin." He held out his hand in order to seem polite.
Elle blushed. "My name is Elle Woods." She shook his hand, to which Remus smiled.
"Are you aware that your head is bleeding?" he asked innocently. Elle sighed. "Yeah, some jerk ran me over with a trolley. Long story"
Remus giggled. "Well, Elle Woods, do you want to share this carriage?"
"Sure." She smiled, blushing slightly. "That's if my cousin does not mind." Remus smiled as he opened the carriage door, allowing Elle to enter first. She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and smiled as sat down.
Severus and Lily, who were in deep conversation were now looking up at Elle and Remus. The boy who was already seated looked up from eating his sandwich, and watched as Elle and the boy took a seat next to him, opposite Severus. "Do you mind if we sit in here? Everywhere else is full?" Remus asked.
The boy who was seated nodded nervously, almost as if he had received a death threat. Elle felt it appropraite that she introduce themselves and put this poor boy out of any unecssary fear. "I'm Elle Woods, and this is Remus Lupin."
The boy acknowledged us and smiled. He didn't seem so nervous now. "I'm Peter. Peter Pettigrew."
They all shook hands, and resummed to sitting back in they seats returning to akwardness. "Am I allowed to talk to you Sev?" Elle questioned.
Severus looked up at me, sternly. "Sure," he paused, and Elle could tell that he was a little more than annoyed that she was in the same compartment as him. "You remember Lily?"
Lily Evans smiled nervously at Elle. "Oh course I do. The girl with the wacky muggle sister. The one that called me a freak? Yeah, I remember her." Lily blushed. Elle could tell she was embarrased. Elle also realised she had been a bit insensitive.
"My sister is not wacky. She is just--"
"Misunderstood?" Elle interupted. "Yeah, I know the feeling."
Everything went silent.
"So..." Elle began. "Everybody excited about Hogwarts?" Severus and Lily had gone back to the conversation, and Remus was the only one to respond."I am. I can't wait. I here they have this huge library with every book you could ever imagine." Remus exclaimed excitedly.
Elle smiled. "You read?"
"Oh course. I have already read through all the school books. "Hogwarts: A History" is truly fascinating."
"I havent really had the pleasure of reading it yet. I have been busy reading "Wuthering Heights". Now that is a truly fascinating story."
"I have never heard of it."
"Oh...Its a muggle book. I will lend you it some time if you wish."
"Thanks." Remus blushed. " Whats it about?"
"Love."
Peter screwed up his face in disgust at the mention of the word love, which caused Remus and Elle to both giggle slightly. "Its a good job I can't read." Peter said.
"I think I will pass in that case, Elle." Remus replied.
" You are missing out mate. I am being serious." Elle put emphasis on the word "serious."
Suddenly, as if on cue, two people approached the cabin door, looking like they were deep in conversation. The two boys sniggered, and began nudging each other when they looked into the compartment. "Thought I heard my name somewhere." The boy with dark shaggy hair entered the cabin followed by another boy, who had short hair, which was jet black, and extremely messed up, even more so than Elle's was.
Elle looked up at the boys in discontentment. Escpecailly at the fact that the jerk boy had just allowed himself into the cabin without permission. "Oh its you." Elle replied. "I assure you that nobody called your name. Unless of course it was jerk."
The boy merely smiled. " Hello stranger." He said placing himself between Elle and Remus. "James make yourself at home mate." He invited his friend into the cabin, much to Elle's dislike. The boy with the jet black hair, sat next to Peter on the other side, who again became very boy, who Elle now knew was called James, smiled sweetly at Elle, and neither of the boys paid any attention to Lily or Severus.
"Hows the head?" Jerkboy asked.
"Perfectly fine. Thanks for asking." She answered coldly.
"And who is this? Your friend? Your boyfriend?"
"My friend."
"Whats your name mate?" He said directing his question at Remus.
"Remus Lupin." He shook hands with Remus.
"And you?"
"Peter Pettigrew." And then the same to Peter.
Elle huffed slightly. He was so rude yet he was trying to be a perfect gentleman. Such a sneak. The convesation turned when a discussion about Hogwarts comenced.
"You better be in Slytherin," Severus directed this comment towards Lily.
"Slytherin?" James enquired. " Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I would leave, wouldn't you?"
Sirius who was still sat next to you did not break a smile. Nobody did. "My whole family have been in Slytherin." Jerk boy answered.
" Blimey mate," James replied. "and I thought you seemed alright."
"Well, maybe I might break the tradition. Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?"
James lifted what Elle presumed was an invisible sword. ""Gyffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!" Like my dad."
Severus made a small, disparaging noise, making James turn to his attention.
"Got a problem with that?" James questioned. Elle's instinct was to jump to her cousin's defence, but she knew that Severus could stick up for himself. She would jump in only if she needed to.
"No," Severus replied."If you would rathe be brawny than brainy--"
"Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you arer neither?" Jerkboy interjected. James roared with laughter. Elle turned looking at Jerkboy in disgust.
"Excuse me mate," Elle began, angger building up inside of her. "but don't talk to my cousin--"
"He is your cousin?" He exclaimed. "You are joking right?"
"No actually—he is my cousin. Right Sev?"
Severus blanked Elle, as Lily sat up, rather flushed. "Come on Severus, let's find another compartment." James imitated her lofty voice, as both her and Severus got up.
"Catch you later Elle." Severus said.
"See ya, Snivellus!" Jerkboy called out, as the compartment door slammed.
Elle was left alone with the boys. One of which she could not stand. James, looking rather embarassed with himself and spoke first.
"I am James by the way. James Potter." He held out his hand to Elle. They shook hands, seeing as they never had chance when they first got into the compartment. "Yeah, I figured that when jerk boy addressed you." Elle shot at nasty look at the boy sat next to her. James laughed.
"Jerk boy. Catchy. I like it." Elle hated how smug he was.
"I take it then, that you and Sirius have already been introduced?" James questioned.
"Unfortunetly." Elle responded. The boy slummed back in his seat, hands behind his head. "Well, James, my friend. This is the girl I told you about. Y'know, The okay one."He smirked.
Elle wanted to hit him. "Okay? I am just okay?"
"Well, I guess if you wanted me to change my opinion, you could try. Under my terms." Sirius smiled his crooked smile. Elle glared at him. She leaned it, almost as if she was going to kiss him.
"I would rather kiss a giant squid." She whispered in his boy looked shocked. Gutted, even. Elle sat back in her seat, rather comftable at her clever remark.
"Man, did you just get shot down mate." James joked. Remus and Peter merely smiled at James' comment.
"What did you say your name was?" Sirius asked.
"I didn't." Elle replied.
"Well, I am Sirius Black." He held out his hand. Elle, not wanting to degrade his ego further down than she already this morning, shook it, keeping her grip as firm as his.
"I am Elle. Elle Woods."
"Well, Miss Woods," he kissed the back of her hand. "which house are you going to be sorted into?"
"Any house that you are not in, Mr Black will suit me fine."
James and Remus sniggered. Sirius meerly smiled at Elle.
"I have a feeling that we are going to get on, most wonderfully."
"Are you trying to mock me, Mr Black?"
"Nope," he paused. "Just trying to woo you m'dear."
"Well," she paused, leaning in once more. "Good luck with that." Elle released her hand from his, to which Sirius looked disappointed.
"Well, I do have seven years to sway you m'dear, so, keep that in mind."
"I tell you what, if you can change my mind, or sway my opinion of you in any way Mr Black, then I will pay you 10 galleons."
"Well then, you best start saving up. Or you could just give me the money now and save yourself the embarassment." Sirius winked.
"We'll see." Elle paued. "Anyway, I am going to change into my robes before there is a big cue for the toliets."
" Maybe I will join you." Sirius winked again. Elle frowned before shaking her head. She picked up her bag, and made an exit for th cabin door. Sirius grabbed her wrist as she did.
"Au revoir, ma cherie." He winked as he did this, and Elle tried her hardest not to let her legs give way. She gave a small smile. "Later Black." She said, with a sudden harsh coldness in her voice. "Bye, Woods" he sneered back at her. She slammed the cabin door, trying to get away from him as far as possible. Nobody had made her feel like that.
Hatred combined with love.
Elle knew that from that moment, that she was never going to get on with Sirius Black.