Author's Note: I own nothing, all is J K Rowlings.
A New Beginning
Sirius Black turned to his friend, James Potter; 'Prongs it's our first week back, it wouldn't be the same without a little bit of detention!'
'But what about Lilly?' James whispered.
'Oh come off it,' Sirius sighed turning round to see where the object of James' desire was. Instead he was confronted by a girl he didn't recognise staring at him, she looked away immediately.
He laughed he often had that effect on girls. She must have been the new one they were all talking about when he had entered the hall. He had missed the beginning of the sorting as he had been rendezvousing with Brooke Norton in the second floor bathroom. It was a shame the new girl wasn't better looking, Gryffindor common room was in desperate need of some top quality crumpet.
He turned back to James, 'So is that the new third year?'
'Yeh, she's a bit scary looking isn't she? I thought she would defiantly be in slytherin, she looks like a banshee with all that black hair.'
'Wonder why she's only just joined this year?'
'Dunno mate, Dumbledore didn't say.'
'Hi I'm Lily Evans.'
'I'm Holly King, are you in third year?'
'Yes, I guess that means we'll be sharing a dorm,' she then gestured to the four girls sitting opposite. 'This is Svetlana, Jessica, Moira and Layla, they're in third year too. Guys this is Holly she's going to be moving into our dorm'.
They murmured a collective Hello and smiled, some more enthusiastically than others.
'So like why are you only starting this year?' It was Layla. Holly flinched, she had forgotten how brutally blunt teenagers could be. She hesitated, should she lie or tell the truth. She settled for a lie.
'Urm… I've been really ill'.
'For two years?' asked Jessica dumbly.
'Yes, I should have started Hogwarts with the rest of you, but I've been too sick to attend school' she lied. From the shape she was in at the moment, it was quite believable.
'Where you at St Mungo's?' inquired Moira
Holly thought fast, 'My mum's a nurse; she looked after me at home.'
'So you've been home schooled?' quizzed Layla.
'Yeh sort of, but I was very ill so I'm rather far behind with my studies.'
'I'll tutor you!' screeched Lily, 'we can meet in the library in the evening, or I could even see if we could borrow a classroom for a couple of hours…'
The other girls raised their eyebrows 'Lily's second home is the library, or actually perhaps it's her first,' joked Moira.
Lily looked a bit hurt, 'Just because I spend my time reading books rather than fawning over stupid boys like you lot.'
'Talking of which' rounded Jessica 'how gorgeous is Sirius Black looking this year?
'He's gotten taller and broader,' giggled Jessica.
'I hear he's with Brooke,' murmured Svetlana.
'That bimbo, he could do much better' swore Jessica, mouthing a quick sorry to the blonde Svetlana next to her.
'I prefer James, he's already captain of the Quidditch team and he's only in his third year!' swooned Layla.
Lily gave her a nasty look, 'James Potter is a nasty, arrogant, little…'
'Yes, Evans…?' it was James.
Lily continued, 'I was just saying…'
'…How much you love me? how you've been hiding your infactuation for years?' James suggested.
'No I was just about to say how much I despise you and…'
'Go out with me Evans?' he interrupted
'No'
'Please'
'No!'
'Oh Come on, you know you can't resist me'.
'Last time I checked Potter, no actually meant no!' she shouted crossing her arms in annoyance.
'You can't deny that Prongs here doesn't have charm' the boy next to James interjected. Making his friends near him laugh. Holly looked up and again was confronted by the compelling eyes of the handsome stranger.
Layla, Jessica and Svetlana practically had heart attacks. They laughed hysterically, it really wasn't that funny.
'Sirius can you please make him stop looking at me like that!' Lily begged her face contorted with disgust. James' mouth was slightly open and he looked rather dazed that she had said no, like the words weren't quite reaching his brain.
'C'mon boy, put your eyes back in. My apologies ladies', Sirius said flashing that winning smiled and turning back to his friends.
Holly laughed, 'I think he like's you.'
'You think?' lily replied sarcastically 'I hate him, he's such a twat, thinks he's god's gift…'
Holly sat and listened to lily's tirade all the way through dinner. It was extremely comforting to get caught up in someone else's trivial problems rather than being lost in her own.
She fell asleep feeling the happiest she had done in years.
The next morning she went down to breakfast with Lily, everyone else was perusing their timetables and complaining. Holly helped herself to a stack of American style pancakes, some scrambled eggs, sausage and bacon and proceeded to drown her whole plate with maple syrup.
The boy sitting opposite eyed her with awe 'I take it your hungry'.
She looked up shocked and then she saw his smiling face. 'I'm Remus' he interjected.
'Hi I'm Holly; I'm trying to gain weight'. She explained.
'If only I was so lucky' sighed one of her roommates Moira, she was looking glumly at her bowl of bran flakes.
'Trust me it's not that fun,' replied Holly. 'I don't even like meat, but I've been told to eat as much protein as I can get my hands on'.
The boy laughed, 'How are you finding your first day at Hogwarts?' he asked.
'I love it, it's so beautiful' she replied enthusiastically.
'Which school were you studying at before?'
Before she could answer they were interrupted, 'Hey Moony already chatting up the new girl' Remus blushed. It was Black, 'C'mon Mate remember that 'thing' we need to do'. He cocked his head towards the entrance hall where James and another boy where loitering.
'Can I finish my breakfast? Remus asked his friend.
'Bring it with you!' implored Sirius.
Remus threw up his hands 'Fine!' He turned to Holly 'it was nice to meet you, I'll see you round,' and with that Remus grabbed a slice of buttered toast and left, Sirius gave Holly a cheeky wink and followed him. If she hadn't already witnessed his flirtatious behaviour last night she might have been flattered. But she had seen him wink at at least six other girls at the feast the night before. Sirius Black certainly thought a lot of himself she thought.
'What are you playing at we said eight o clock last night,' complained James.
'No you said half eight,' retorted Remus.
'I didn't!'
'Leave him alone, he's just embarrassed because he was having a good old flirt with the banshee,' teased Sirius.
'Ooooo did you find out her story' squealed Peter Pettigrew, their mousy friend.
Sirius ignored him and carried on 'I mean mate who am I to stop true love, if you like that sort of thing by all means be my guest'.
'Oh shut up, I was merely being friendly and polite, 'countered Remus, used to Sirius' games.
'Janet Smedley; her Dad's in the Ministry, she said she's been here all summer and her dads in prison!' continued Peter.
'Oh come off it guys, stop being such wankers' exclaimed Remus, finally pushed over the edge by Peter's incessant speculation.
'Well you must admit she's a bit odd, all that dyed black hair and ghoulish white skin,' James argued feebly.
'She's naturally blonde though you can see her roots. She must dye it,' Remus mused.
'Remus Lupin, you dark horse, you like her!' taunted Sirius.
'Don't be a burk Black,' replied Remus, 'It's obvious she's had a hard time and she doesn't need an arsehole like you calling her names'.
'I still think you fancy her,' mocked Sirius.
'Oh why don't you just fuck off' muttered Remus but there was no malice in it, he knew what his friend was doing. Soon they were all laughing.
The lessons went by in a blur, Holly was trying so hard but she was so far behind everything was a chore. She knew this year was going to be a busy one; she had extra lessons in everything. Luckily she had befriended Lily who loved studying more than anything in the world and she was practically wetting herself at the thought of being Holly's tutor and spending their evenings in the library. Holly was sure she would be less thrilled once the initial novelty of magic wore off. Writing an essay didn't become any more interesting when you swapped the subject from The War of the Roses to the Goblin Rebellions of 1675.
Author's Note: Please review as I'm unsure if iIshould write anymore of this story. Thanks.