Chapter 4 Prefects and Packing

For the next couple of days tempers ran high at grimmuald place from Emily's comment of "Thank God they let you off Potter, living with you all year would've been unbearable" and Harry's "Got out the wrong side of the bed this morning did you Emily? Pity I thought Wolfsbane would control PMS".

They reached the end of the holidays and Ron and Hermione's celebration dinner on becoming Gryfindorr prefects, Emily was sat in the middle of the table surrounded by the Weasleys. She sat in the middle of several conversations joining none instead looking down the table at her father and Potter, who were both looking extremely sullen, she could see why her father was, she wouldn't want to stuck in a house with so many bad memories 24/7 with herself either. Potter on the otherhand was a mystery.

"Oy Potter! What's got your knickers in a twist?" she called down the table.

"Nothing", Harry said scowling at her.

Emily watched him for a minute noticing his glances at Ron and Hermione.

"You're jealous aren't you? You think that you should've got prefect because you're the boy-who-lived" she said a smirk appearing on her face as his face went red.

"Why would you have been chosen Potter? How many deaths is it you've caused now? Five?" She called at him mockingly

"Emily!", Sirius warned her, she completly ignored him and continued,

"You know Potter, I can see why Dumbledore chose Ron, I mean considering the crap you've lead him into he has to be one of the most loyal people ever and I'd be willing to bet that his patronus is some kind of dog."

Ron leaned forward across the table towards her, "Look I'm flattered and everything Emily but could you please just stop it."

She arched one beautiful eyebrow at him and continued, "I can also see how useful Ron could be for the first years...I mean I'm sure that Ron would be great in advising first years who are having issues with wanting to prove themselves and..", she said shrugging her shoulders, "I can symthethise, I felt really insecure in first year, do you remember Mark?"

"Oh yeah" said Mark laughing reluctently, "All the Veela sixth years thought I was really cute and kept doing all my homework for me, Em had to put in a tonne of work to keep up she ended up exhausted by Easter."

"Then in second year they didn't think he was quite so cute, so he had to do all his own work"

Around the table people were starting to laugh.

"Mind you Em as far as I re-call you were little-miss popular in third year, all those fifth and sixth year boys asking you out."

"Oh yeah", Emily said starting to genuinly smile, "Do you remember Emile Sarcoa?"

Mark frowned, "He was the one who tried to get you drunk during breakfast wasn't he?"

"Yeah, he claimed afterwards that he's only wanted a snog, so I slapped him for spikeing my orange juice and then dragged him into the broom cupboard..."

"Yeah", interuppted Harry, "Now that we've established that Emily's a werewolf slag can we..."

Harry's words were interuppted by Mark punching him in the face and breaking his nose.

There was a stunned silence as the crack echoed around the kitchen and blood started pouring down Harry's face. Emily and Mark took one glance at each other and Mark's now bruised fist and very swiftly exited the room.

As they ran up the stairs three at a time talking very fast as they went.

"You know you didn't have to do that you know", Emily said a glimse of her past self still poking through the cold mask.

"No I didn't have to punch him", Mark said smiling at her,"But you looked so happy for once and he ruined the momment plus no one..", He added is tone gaining a steel edge,"insults a member of my family like that."

Emily stopped on the landing across from her room and hugged him tightly.

"C'mon" Mark said releasing her from his embrace, "We'd better get packed up, we'll get the first ferry out of here, your right it was a mistake to come, we'dve been better staying in Beauxbatons in the first place."

"Mark. Wait.", He turned back to face his sister,"I think actually it's good that we came, we saw our father and we know he's going to be happier with just Potter and we can go back to Orange with clear consciences."

They smiled grimly at each other and started to pack. Just as Emily was about to lock her trunk, her father's voice came ecohing around the house.

"Harry James Potter, Mark Sirius Black and Emily Julia Black. Get in this kitchen now!"

Emily paused, why was he bothering to get them downstairs? send off party?

She met Mark on the landing and headed into the kitchen with him.

Sirius was sat at the head of the table with Remus and Molly Weasley stood behind him. As Mark and Emily entered the room, Harry walked in from the pantry with his nose back to normal.

"The three of you sit down." Sirius said glaring at the three of them.

Emily and Mark glanced at each other and sat as far away from Harry as possible.

"No Harry not there sit next to Emily"

At Sirius's instructions Harry moved to sit next to Emily, she drew her elbows in trying to stay as far away from him as possible.

"Right", Sirius said, "It has become very clear that there are issues between the three of you, You should all be ashamed of yourselves you behavior has been immature and unfair on the rest of us. Emily and Harry, you should not be goading each other, Mark punching Harry in retaliation was definetly not appropriate, I'm putting all three of you on gardening duty, the garden is a mess and I expected it to be presentable by the 1st of september. Is that clear?"

They all nodded, Harry seemed to be in shock that Sirius was actually disiplining him rather than being his normally cool godfather.

"Good, Now get to bed, you've got long days for the next week."

Emily smiled to herself as she walked back upstairs, perhaps there was hope for her father after all.