Note: I hope you like the prelude! I belatedly realized that FFN doesn't do asteriks because well ... who knows why. So, the narrator's (ME! lol) Mutterings are actually supposed to be seperate. I'm sorry if it reads weird, but y'all are smart. You'll figure it out :-D
Disclamer: I own nothing. Nothing at all except for all character's that seem original. Heck Draco's second middle name isn't mine, if you look in the Black Family History tree you'll see it was the name of Sirius' father (or says the darling Wikipedia ;-) ). Everything here belongs to JK and it is just the insanity of my mind spouting images and words.
The title doesn't belong to me either; neither does the song in this chapter. The title is actually a great song by the Cure and the song in chapter one is (a good but not as great song if you ask me, unless you mean the chorus :-D) is the song 'Hair of the Dog' by Nazareth.
CHAPTER ONE: January 2nd, 2007
BUZZ!!!!!!! BUZZ!!!!!! BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!
BUUUUUZZZZ-KARBOOM!
With a sigh and sleepy little smile Eliza rolled herself onto the other side of her bed and buried her head under her down feather pillow. The wonder of magic and a good aim.
Buh-bye infernal alarm clock.
"Yes, House I know you would have never been able to have solved that horribly complicated problem without me. It's not your fault that you didn't realize it was a brain tumor."
"Oh, Eliza! What would I do without you? You are such a marvelous friend!" Enthused Gregory House, with an odd amount of sincerity and awe in his usual sarcastic tone.
"Oh, you exaggerate my friend. Now, please stop groveling I must go, the love of my life is waiting for me." Eliza smiled warmly, a little pompously, and a lot irritate. She did love helping her friend House and all. However, she just could not wait to spend some time in front of an open fire with the man of her dreams.
In fact she spotted a flash of orange.
Oh, how her beloved made her heart thump with delirious joy. They would go back to their cottage and sip tea and wax poetics of their love. Oh how she adored him. The best of all the male Weasleys her dearest - ...
---
"WAKE UP YOU HORRENDOUS, GIGANTIC COW!!!!!
WAKE UP! Time for shopping! GET UP AND START THAT SOCIAL LIFE. I SAID --- ... You better not think of blasting me as you did that muggle contraption. GET UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
With a groan and a muttered curse that related her magical alarm clock to the canine familiar, Elizabeth swung her feet over the side of her bed, her eyes still bleary with sleep. Despite always being up and walking by the time of dawn, she was NOT a morning person; she just had caffeine and waking spells to thank for that.
Elizabeth paused when her feet reached the cold floor. Something was horribly wrong. Rubbing at her eyes, she crawled over onto the other side of her bed and realized that she had woken up on the left side of her bed. She always woke up on the right side. To make matters worst because she had awakened on the wrong side, she had placed her barefooted feet on the cold floor!
"Oh nooo." The tired groan becoming stretched out by a yawn. "There goes my day."
You the reader must be wondering what in the bejeezness was she muttering about? Well, our lovely Eliza is nothing but paranoid (really she was nothing BUT paranoid, shrewd, and a huge brain. Can you guess what house she was in?) and knew every superstition by heart, taking haste to guide against them.
She strongly believed that her luck would go down the drain for the rest of the day AND she would have a cold, mixed with cramps. After all anyone with a brain knew what waking on the wrong side of the bed meant and what putting bare-feet on the cold wood floor meant.
This all was an absolute guarantee that what would have been a usually efficient day filled with work and work and some more work ... and of course a tad bit more of that thing called work, all that would now end -somehow she was positively sure-with the ruination to do the thing she loved the most. Work.
"Great, just great." She continued to mutter to herself as she walked into the small dark-bluish bathroom of her apartment.
Turning on the hot water in the shower first, because it took a few minutes for it to heat up, Eliza simultaneously grabbed her favorite lavender scented soap and placed it on the ledge inside of the small shower. She also made sure that her shampoo and conditioner were all ready inside to save potential time wasting by going to look for them. Wasting time made one a wasteful person. Time could always be used to do something efficient and wasting it was up there with kicking puppies and forgetting to label things in the fridge. All things that were considered to be absolutely dreadful to Eliza. And Pattersons were NOT dreadful people. Dreary but never, ever dreadful.
Turning towards the sink, Eliza grabbed her toothbrush and a tube from nearby; unscrewing the top of said tube, something niggled at her to check the label … It was her face cream.
With a small sigh, she quickly put it down and crabbed the right container, the Colgate. Smile care you can trust, you know. And in her line of work a good smile was necessary. Talking about smiles, Liza gave herself a small one. She had just stopped herself from putting what would more than likely be horrid tasting face cream into her mouth. That meant something.
That maybe this day of bad luck wouldn't happen … maybe no cramps. Maybe …
Maybe nothing. Nothing bad would happen to her. She was a determined, independent witch. No one dictated her life, never mind some unseen force. Luck was created by oneself; she knew that. She had learned that the hard way. Eliza's smile widened despite the fact her mind had almost taken a trip to Hurtful Memories Land.
Nothing bad was going to happen. It was going to be the same fulfilling day as usual!
Brushing her teeth with more exuberance than she usually did (Our heroine gets a kick and satisfaction of doing things the muggle way), she spit, rinsed and repeated. Quickly washing her face, she twisted her raven hair up into a messy knot on top of her head, carefully and meticulously removed her clothing (which was pointless since she just dropped them to the floor anyway) and stepped into the shower.
However, Luck, being the mind reader that it was didn't like the idea of the too-smart-for-her-own-good-witch thinking that she could control something as old as time and as whimsical as the rainbow, decided to take a little do-see-do away from the woman. In shorter terms, Luck immediately escaped her.
As soon as she stepped into the shower the shock of the cold but usually by this time warm water had her jumping back and stepping on her soap. The soap she quite surely put upon its ledge.
And we all know what happens when you step on soap in a wet area.
"FUUUC-OWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!"
Ex … actly.
S. Emma Taggart buried her face in her hands. It was her hope that if she sunk low enough in her chair people would not notice her sitting with the maniac that was across the table from her.
"Heart breaker, soul shaker ….I've been told about you … Steamroller, midnight stroller .." Siobhan-Margarette Cyan Euphrosyne Taggart did not at all notice her step-sister's discomfort, it could have been because she was so used to the older woman being embarrassed by her it was like the wind shifting course. A natural occurance and not something she bothered herself with unless she needed to bother herself with it.
And currenlty the twenty-two year old was not to be bothered by anyone as she drummed out 'Hair of the Dog' on outdoor table of the Promenade.
For the thousandth time since she was fifteen, Emma wondered what her father had been thinking when he married Aquamarine Myrrh Thorn.
Of all the women out there. It wasn't as if he lacked for options, he was muggle-born after all.
He could have any witch or muggle woman that he had wanted. ANY. He was wealthy enough; surely no Malfoy but he was better off than the Notts and the Bones. He was more handsome than Lucius and no doubt more charming. Her father could have had any woman, and in fact had had swarms of women trying to apparate into their Manor the moment they had buried her mum. But noooo he had to lose his senses suddenly and choose Abesentminded Thorn and her unconventionally strange child.
"Siobhan, stop." What might have been a threathening whisper was muffled for the fact that the older woman was still covering her face in horror.
"Now you're messin' with a son of a biiiiitch!!!!! Now you're messin' with a son of a bitch." The banging on the table came out empathically, dark curls swirling around a heart shaped face as the singer, Sio, bobbed her head with the music in her mind.
Emma shifted under the stares that she just KNEW were being thrown in their direction. "Siobhan!" She tried again, the words coming out in a slight growl.
"Red hot mama …Velvet charmer …Time's come to pay your duuuues … Now you're messin with a son of a-"
"SIOBHAN TAGGART! Cease and desist!!!!" Emma exploded. Was her step-sister daft? Wait no, no point in asking a question when one already knew the answer. Slipping her hands from her face, Emma sat up like a proper lady witch and gave her younger step-sister a proper lady witch glare. There was only so much embarrassment a person could take ... especially in public.
Siobhan Taggart-better known as Cyan to those who were her friends and Yannie by her parents-turned wide blue-green eyes to the direction of flashing dark ones. "Bitch?" She asked unsurely with her right hand about to slam the table.
"Hmmm." Emma growled out rather menacingly for a waif of a woman that was still horribly embarrassed.
Cyan took it upon herself that moment to look around at the other tables. Many of the customers had quit pretending they were eating a long time ago and were either looking at the women in annoyance or a high dosage of amusement. "Wow … everyone is staring."
"Are they now?!" Emma exclaimed in mock shock, irritation dripping from each syllable.
Cyan quickly nodded her head.
"Yeah, they are." Reaching over she grabbed her glass of water, causing some of the liquid to slosh over, and took a sip. "Jeez Louise, Emmy-cakes, if you wanted my attention all you had to do was say may name or give me a tap. No need to screech. Now I doubt we'll get any service." The brunette watched as the blonde woman sitting across from her slowly narrowed her eyes giving her face a demonic quality if Cyan did say so herself. Said demonic face was currently was slowly turning pale than red and then a slight hue of purple in Emma's indignation. "No … No … No n-n-eeeeed? To .. No? Need? No NEED?!"
"What's with you Emzer?" Cyan tried not to tilt her head and watch in rapt fascination as rainbows etched themselves across her step-sister's face. White, pink, purple, blue … wait was she choking? No, there she was with the red … okay, not choking.
It never ceased to tickle her funny how she could so easily get a rise out of her "stiff Brit" of an older sister. Yes, she should feel bad. Feel shamed to be so immature, to find such enjoyment at poking the other woman with the proverbial spoon. And she would have. Would have if her name hadn't been Siobhan-Margarette Cyan Euphrosyne Thorn-Taggart. But she was QUITE sure on her birth certificate those were five of those six names on it. So there was no bad feelings. Just childish glee.
"No … n-n-eeee-grrrrrrrr!!!!!"
Cyan leaned forward slightly and narrowed her eyes before sitting back with a sigh. She had not made the other woman drool in her anger. It would've been funny if she had so she could point it out and watch the rainbow go by again. "Wow, that's a whole lot of anger in that skinny-assed body of yours, sis. You really should take my advice and try that incense therapy. It works wonders." So would some sex, she mentally added.
Slowly, but surely, Emma regained her composure.
Sitting up straighter, she patted her slicked back blonde hair and ignored much of the room that was still looking at their three-chaired table with captivated interest. "I am sure it does. However, I would rather not have my flat smelling like garbage and grass." Came the frigid smile.
"No you would rather it smell like a chain smoker lived in it … Ohhh waaait." Oh, low blow. Point for Cyan. Garbage and grass her long named hiney! None of the incense she made smelled any such way and Em-zer would know that if she descended off of her high horse. It never ceased to grind on Cyan's nerves that her sister thought that wand magic was the only and best way to go; never considering to try nature's remedies and almost having a disparaging comments for techniques that Cyan and her mother lived by. "And another thing, this is America we call them apartments here. Say it with me now. Aaaahhh-paaaaaart-me-" Cyan abruptly stopped when she saw the slight problem behind her.
Well not so much saw but felt. Cyan was always aware of what was around her, even things that she could not see with her two human eyes. It was a Gift her mother liked to say.
To Cyan many times it was a nuisance, mainly because it was one of the extremely rare things she adreed with Emma on … her "Gift's" nuisanceness.
Turning around on her seat, and kneeling on it much as a five year old would, she craned her neck to see what was going on.
"Sit DOWN!" Emma hissed, in exasperation with a slight wariness to her tone.
Why had she agreed to this? Why had she agreed to spend the day with her sister and her sister's "bestest-westest" friend? The twenty-eight year old –though some days it felt older (days she had to deal with her younger step-sister)-let out a sigh. She had done it because her father had asked it of her. And she could never say no to her father, it just wasn't in her to do so. She really did adore the man.
Emma was currently in the country for business and he had thought it a "capital idea" for her to spend the day playing catch up with Cyan.
She adored him SO much she would deal with this … this seven year-old in a woman's body the entire day.
Even if it killed her.
"OHHHHHH!!!!! Here! HERE we ARE! Come!"
Slowly.
Cyan was gesturing madly to a tall Asian woman to come and join them.
The woman was another reason Emma had agreed, albeit reluctantly, to this idiotic day of bonding, pampering, and shopping. Cyan's best friend was as sane as her sister was OUT-of-sane. She was driven where as Siobhan was lackadaisical. Of course the other woman could be as loud and boisterous as Cyan but she knew when as where her Emma's step-sister did not know or just would rather not care. And the other woman could carry a bloody conversation that didn't involve griping over the wonders of meditation and incense. Not to mention that the Asian woman was also a Brit.
Cyan noticed two things were off about her best friends almost immediately.
First of all the taller woman was limping, second of all she was carrying a briefcase.
"You forgot that today was our day to shop didn't you? That's why you're so late. You went to work." Although the tone sounded accusing, the petite brown-haired woman was grinning ear to ear.
Some things could never, ever change. That's why she had set up this day of rest.
"Good morning to you too Cyan." Dark eyes narrowed slightly in her direction as the owner of said eyes sat down a bit gingerly.
Moving from her kneeling position on the chair, Cyan sat down still grinning. "Is that ALL you know how to do? Work, work, work, work some more, maybe work a tad bit more after that, work somemore again, eat, oh and then work?"
"Cyan!" Emma snapped slightly, her tone heaving with admonishment, "Leave her alone. There is nothing wrong with having dedication and a good, strong-"
"Work ethic. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know about all that stuff."
Emma let out a none too delicate snort of disbelief.
Cyan's smiling face fell and her head snapped in the direction of her older sister. There she went again insinuating at what she did wasn't good enough. The fact that she had gotten a GED instead of going to some fancy magic school and working for some ridiculous Ministry meant that she didn't know what real work was. Emma could very much be a stuck-up prick and Cyan was going to relish how much. "Why you-"
Emma smirked and turned her attention towards the young woman sitting next to her in the third chair. Efficiently cutting off whatever Cyan had been about to say she asked, "How has life been treating you Eliza? Quite well I do hope."
Eliza Patterson could not help but smile gratefully at the very familiar scene. It was what she needed in a day gone wrong. Falling in tubs, taking a quick shower in needle ice cold water, getting her skirt caught in the door, having everyone see her smiley knickers when she had stepped out of the public loo, going all the way across Manhattan only to find out that she had already called in sick for work, having to explain to a boss just why she wasn't sick, going back half way home only to remember that she had a whole day planned with Cyan and Emma, having to wait for the next train. And have you any damn idea how feckin bloody hard it is to get just ONE cab in all of New York City?!
To say she was exhausted would have been an extreme understatement but she was happy to be here. Even despite the fact that the maitre d' hadn't wanted to let her go through the restaurant and to the Promenade because she was a tad worse for wear. As if it were her fault she had to sit in a cab where someone had left their near finished lollipop on the seat. As if it where her fault that she fell in the tub and she still hurt all over.
Now to answer the question.
If she were to answer honestly she would have told Emma that today, at least, life had been a bigger temperamental git than Snape … on a good day. However, she doubted the other woman wanted to here her whine about her horrible, terrible, no-good, very bad day. She would save the whining for when she was alone with Cyan.
Speaking of Cyan, Eliza's smile could not help but the fact that her grin widened at the look on the smaller woman's face. She looked like she wanted to take her chair and hit her sister over the head, just because she had cut her off and had insulted her way of life. She wasn't saying that Emma should have done so but that Cyan should have gotten used to it by now. It was fair after all, Emma was giving back as good as she was getting. Never tell Cyan that though. Not at all. Insulting her way of life and cutting her off were things punishable by death or extremely long lectures on the benefits of herbs and crystals.
Placing a calm but firm hand on her best mate's forearm, Eliza spoke. "It has been simply wonderful. I enjoy working with the children and my co-workers are delightful."
Emma nodded and gave a pleasant enough smile. "That is nice to hear, dear. You know though after Hogwarts I always thought you would have done something more … more … more like a private Medi-witch. We all had expected it, you had so much potential"
Eliza rose her dark brows slightly in amusement, and tightened her hold on Cyan when she felt her friend bristle. The only thing worse than trying to put jabs in Cyan's own way of life was trying to put jabs in the way of life of the people she cared about. And that was why she loved the other girl. Her loyalty, dedication, and passion about those she cared about. Cyan would have made a fantastic Hufflepuff if she had went to Hogwarts.
"After Hogwarts many people always thought I would have stayed in England." Eliza said amicably. "But look how THAT turned out."
"Yes … look indeed. I suppose that America has plenty of jobs for a witch of your talent. Though you're not do-"
"WAITER!!"
Cyan harshly interrupted the conversation gesturing for a waiter to come with her free hand and simultaneously glaring holes into her sister.
Same conversation whenever Eliza was around. Why had she left England? Why was she wasting good magical talent in being a child psychiatrist and living as a "muggle". Such POTENTIAL. Well damn it all, Cyan always thought and would always think, it was none of their damn business. Couldn't they see it must have been something big to have made someone like Elizabeth Patterson run? Couldn't they see she was happy now?
Wasn't that what mattered? Of course not nosy-bodied stick carrying people.
Eliza was always so calm and patient when she answered their questions, but Cyan could see it irritated her friend and sent her mind to what she not so jokingly referred to as Hurtful Memories Land. She would always answer prying questions as best as she could, but her answers and subtle requests for privacy went unheeded. Hell, even her straight out demand for it was ignored.
So Cyan did deterrence and distraction. She had got her step-father to manage to get his wizard friends to stop with the 20 questions, and God and Goddess bless him he did. She adored that man. Emma, however, and her witchy-bitchy friend were a completely different story.
One of Emkenstein's friends had even come up to her and straight out asked her, "why is someone as bright as Patterson 'slumming it' with the spawn of mudblood's?" To this day Cyan had yet to find out what a mudblood was because neither Eliza or her dad would tell her and they wouldn't allow Emma or her friends to do so either; however, Cyan was smart enough to know that it was a real bad slur word for something. More than likely people who weren't magical like they were.
So Cyan had punched the mean moron and told her to shove off.
Truth was Cyan didn't know why Eliza had left it all. Sure she wondered but she had straight out told her friend, and anyone else who wondered why, that it wasn't any of her business. She didn't care. It could have been because she used to be a double agent for that war they had some years back or because she stole her friend's brother or man or father, even! Cyan just didn't care. That was then and this was now. Eliza was who she was: reliable, funny, trusth-worthy, and maybe a bit nuts because she didn't understand that nine-to-five should be used as boundaries not something to surpass!
Feeling fingers squeeze through her shirt, Cyan let her anger melt away.
And Eliza was the calm to her storm. It didn't matter to her at all about her friend's past.
Sliding her arm down the table so her finger's could intertwine with Eliza's Cyan turned and flashed her bestest-westet friend a curious look, smile wide on her lips. "Didn't you set that magicky alarm clock to remind you today was shopping?"
So did you like it? Huh?
Huhhhh?! Review please. See that button. See it? Well you have this thing called a mouse ... No not Stuart Little. A computer mouse, use that mouse and scroll that's it ... good little reviewers. If you leave me plenty of nice and/or constructive reviews I will shall give you more tidbits on my characters and who they will end up with.
I am sorry to those who adore Harry and Draco (I adore Draco with the muchums and I adore them together!!!!) but they are not going to be centered if they are mentioned at all ... But don't worry I have plans of plenty ficcies for them:-D
So review anyways!!!!