In The Life of Skye Black

By NarnianAslan

Chapter Five

Author's Note: Finally! An update! Okay, a bit of a cliffhanger last chapter, I suppose. Oh and I took a Harry Potter Quiz… and then took it again for my characters… yeah, I got the same end results as Matt… which is scary, cause it came out Slytherin. Skye and Regina got the same CHARACTER result, but different HOUSE results (Skye was Gryffindor and Regina was Slytherin)… the quiz is at: www . theharrypotterquiz . com (take out the spaces). It's fairly accurate. Also: new website! It's: http// slytherclawx. webs. com / index. htm (again, type it in without the spaces)

XxX

"Gerard Rush?" Emily asked.

"That's me."

"Wow…" she sighed. "I'm, er…"

"She's Emily Peterson," I said.

"Yeah, I'm Emily Peterson."

"She's got an unnatural obsession with vampires," Fred grinned.

"…Shut up, Weasley."

"She's a bit star struck at the moment…" Fred continued.

Matt's dad laughed. "And who are you two?"

"I'm Fred Weasley," Fred said.

"I think he currently holds the 'World's Largest Ego' title," I grinned.

"No I don't!"

"Yes you do," Emily argued.

"I'm Skye Black, at any rate."

"Are you really?"

"Yeah…"

"The last time I saw you, you were angry with Matt over missing your friend's birthday party."

"That would be Ginny's party," I said.

"Which wasn't all that fun, anyway," Fred began, "because Mum grounded George and me for putting a spider on Ron's hair."

"Poor spider," Emily said.

"Freak."

"At least I have compassion!"

"Do they always argue?" Matt asked.

"Er, well Emily usually argues with people over their not being as… Emily as she wants them to be. Fred argues to defend his pranks, family, and friends."

"Well I think I've got to go back in. Skye: Matt, Lydia, Antoinette and I are going to be in Hogsmeade tomorrow to meet up with your parents. You're welcome to come; Matt and Lydia haven't been to Hogsmeade before."

"Oh, I'll be there," I grinned. Gerard went back inside of the Great Hall.

"Hey, Skye, I've got a question," Matt said.

"Which is?"

"You and Fred, are you two dating?"

If I'd have had a drink, I would have spit it out. "What? Me and Fred?"

Fred obviously didn't hear; he and Emily were still arguing.

"So you're not dating?"

"No. We're not. We're best friends."

"Okay… It just looked like you might be going out. But I believe you," he added quickly.

"Oh. Right," I muttered. If Matt, who barely knew me thought that, if he saw that I fancy Fred… I didn't even want to consider it.

"Maybe now would be a good time to tell you that my dad's half-vampire?"

"Yeah."

"Er… vampires, and part-vampires too, for that matter, basically have a sort of Legimency…"

"Like you can read thoughts?" I asked.

"Yeah. By the way, Fred's really annoyed at his brother George."

"I figured that."

"Really?"

"Yeah… since Katie's really annoying me."

"Is anyone else going to Hogsmeade tomorrow?" he asked.

"Fred, George, their brother Ron, their sister Ginny, my friend Katie, and Harry Potter, I think."

"Harry Potter?"

"Mm-hmm. He's a really good friend of mine… my dad's his godfather. Ron's his best mate."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah," I said. "Now, I think we should try and break up that argument…"

XxX

Preparing to go to Hogsmeade the next day was chaos. Not because of me… I just put on a Muggle t-shirt, jeans, and some trainers and put my hair in a ponytail… I was ready to go.

Katie? Not so much.

"Come on, Skye! Now… should I wear black or blue or red or gold or purple or are you even listening?"

"Kates, I met Gerard Rush last night, he's perfectly normal… no reason to go all out, really," I said, getting tired of this.

"How can you say that? You've heard Homecoming Havoc, haven't you?"

"Yes, I have. They're brilliant, and they sound even better live, if that's possible. But the fact stands: Gerard Rush is a person. He's got a wife, a son, a daughter… and he's perfectly normal. Now, I think you should chill and just wear what you've got on."

She looked at her outfit. "But this is an old Harpies shirt that John made me…"

"It's fine, Katie. Now, if you'll let me get some food?"

I didn't wait for a response as I rushed down to the Great Hall, sitting down between Ron and Ginny.

"Morning," I muttered.

Ginny pushed a cup of coffee towards me. "Drink it. You need it."

I obliged. I loved coffee. I drank it fairly quickly; I would have finished it in under a minute if it wasn't so hot. I finished my breakfast really fast as well, leaving the table with instructions to Ginny.

"I'm going to go flying for a bit… tell Katie I'll be out on the pitch if she ever comes down, okay?"

Ginny nodded. I grinned and went out to the Quidditch pitch, grabbing my broom on the way.

Of course, I didn't expect anyone to be down there yet, it was only about eight, and it was Saturday.

So when I saw Malfoy flying I was shocked. When I saw Regina, and realized that she was coaching him, I laughed.

He looked down, and within seconds, Regina caught the snitch that I could tell had been recently let out.

"What are you doing here, Blood Traitor?"

"I knew you were horrible, Malfoy, but you're getting coached? Honestly?"

"Like you flew all on your own…"

"I didn't. But, once I knew how, I got it. Haven't needed help since. Well, of course, both of my parents were on the Quidditch team…"

"No one can just fly!" Ferret argued.

"Actually, Draco… don't you remember?" Regina said, landing. He followed.

"No, I don't."

"Oh. When you and your father had gone outside, so he could teach you to play Quidditch, I took the broom that you were too afraid to get on and flew a few laps 'round the manor. I'm surprised you don't remember. You got angry because everyone was paying attention to me for once, and saying that I should try out for the House team when I got to Hogwarts."

I really didn't find that too hard to believe. I mean, my Uncle Regulus was Slytherin's Seeker while my dad was at Hogwarts.

"What position would you play if you went out for the team?" I asked.

"Seeker," she answered simply.

"In that case, I think you should go out for it next year… Harry needs some real competition. Honestly, the last two games against Slytherin, Angelina didn't bother to tell me and Katie to do anything, because Harry caught the snitch in less than two minutes."

"Luck," Malfoy muttered.

"I've seen him play, Draco, and I've told you: it isn't luck. It's skill. And that Potter boy's got a lot of it."

Malfoy glared at her. Oh, this was amusing. "I don't want your help anymore."

"I'll just try for the team next year, then," Regina shrugged.

Malfoy tried unsuccessfully to say something for several minutes, but in the end he decided to grab his broom and storm off to his common room.

"You really were good, though. Don't think I was saying that just to get Malfoy angry."

"That was definitely a part, though, right?"

I shrugged. "Usually is…"

"He's annoying. I know that… but his mother tells me to watch after him. She's not that bad… just spoiled and vain."

"Sounds familiar," I muttered.

Regina, to my surprise, smiled. "Yeah, I know. Plus, I think Draco's father would have a fit if he lost to Hufflepuff in a Quidditch match, which, I assure you, he almost did."

I laughed. "I saw that."

"Hey! Gina!"

Regina turned around. "Josh, what did I tell you about calling me Gina?"

"Not to do it?"

She nodded.

"You didn't seem to mind so much last night…"

"You're an ass."

"What? We were just talking… it's not my fault if people think we did more."

I laughed in spite of myself.

"Josh, this is my cousin, Skye, she's in Gryffindor, a year below us. Skye, this is Josh. He's a Slytherin, in my year and–"

"Pretty funny according to her," Josh said as he indicated Regina, who rolled her eyes. "Nice to meet you, Skye."

"You too. Er… d'you know what time it is?"

"Around nine, why?"

"Because I've got to go and see if Katie's decided on an outfit yet… I'll see you around." I turned to leave.

"Wait a minute," Josh said. I turned around.

"What?"

"Do you live in Ottery St. Catchpole?"

"Just outside of it… why?"

"I thought I saw you in town before, that's all. I live there," he added.

"Oh… well, I've really got to get going," I said. "I'll see you in town, then, Josh?"

"Probably."

I left, muttering, "Dad's going to kill me if I'm late."

Luckily, Katie had made it down to the Great Hall.

"We've got to get going," I said.

"Where've you been?" Katie asked.

"Quidditch pitch," I answered simply.

"Oh. Well… let's go!"

XxX

"Kates, calm down," George said for the twentieth time.

"Calm down? How can I calm down?"

"Er… at least we're not meeting the Harpies again," I said, trying to think positively.

"But Homecoming Havoc is right under the Harpies on Katie's list of favorites," George reminded me.

"Well, you know how to silence her, George, go for it," Fred said, with a smirk.

"Fred, are you suggesting that all Katie and I do is snog?"

"You do more than that?" I asked.

"Yes, we do more than that."

"How much more?" Fred asked.

"None of your business," he said shortly as he strode off to catch up with Katie, leaving Fred and I gaping after him.

"That's something I didn't need to know," Fred muttered. "Bloody hell, the git's identical to me! I don't want to see that!"

"I think I may be scarred for life… where's Ron, Ginny, and Harry?"

"Er… Harry and Ron left with Hermione, promising to meet up with you later… Ginny went somewhere with her new boyfriend, and I think Katie and George just abandoned us to do Merlin knows what."

"It's just you and I, then?"

"Yep. Because I don't think either of us want to look for Katie and George."

"To the Hog's Head!" I said, leading the way.

"At least I know he's perfectly normal," Fred said. "Katie was hyperventilating."

I tried to grin. "I really would like it if the mental images would leave," I muttered.

"You and I both."

"You know, I wonder when Regina's birthday is."

"Oh, it's August thirteenth, why?" a voice made me jump. I turned to find the grinning face of Josh McAllister.

"D'you stalk her?" I asked.

"Nope. I just asked her, actually. She's in the Hog's Head; she says she likes it better there. Why?"

"My birthday's December twenty-first. So she's only a few months older than me?"

"I guess so. I'm over a year older than you. Where are you two headed?"

"The Hog's Head."

"Me too, mind if I walk with you?"

"No," I said. Though I was curious as to why a Slytherin was being so bloody nice.

"Why're you talking to us, McAllister?" Fred asked.

"Well… see, the Slytherins are annoying the bloody hell out of me, and Gina abandoned me for the Hog's Head… I decided Gryffindors can't be that bad, and you seem nice enough. Besides, Weasley, you and your twin pull some of the best pranks, and Skye, you're Gina's cousin. Neither of you could be that bad."

He did have a point, though I was beginning to wonder if he fancied Regina.

"Don't remind me of George…"

"George told him that 'he and Katie do more than snog.'"

Fred shuddered. "Not a mental image I want. Thanks for making it resurface."

I rolled my eyes. "Sorry, oh great one."

Fred smirked. "I knew people would begin to realize my superiority sooner or later!"

"You know something? I just realized that my family hates all that purebloodmania, and they're all pureblood," Josh said.

"Same with my parents. And his parents. Oh! Is that Dora?"

"Her cousin. Probably Regina's cousin… I know she's Ferret's cousin. Bloody ferret calls me a weasel."

"Not to imply anything, but you do realize that ferrets and weasels are closely related, right? I think ferrets are a type of weasel."

"Lovely."

I ignored them, and went into the Hog's Head, where I saw Dora and my parents talking with Gerard Rush and a blonde who reminded me of a slightly older Fleur Delacour.

"Skye!" my dad called. "Where are the rest of your friends?"

"Oh, Katie and George disappeared, Ron and Harry went somewhere with Hermione, and Ginny went off too. Emily didn't come, and Fred should be coming in in a second."

Sure enough, Fred came in as I finished the sentence, asking Josh questions about ferrets. "Seriously? I didn't need to know that! Oh, lovely, what if a Weasley ends up marrying a Malfoy? I couldn't bear that!"

"What are you two talking about?" Regina and my mother both asked. Right, I forgot Regina would be here. She and Josh quickly entered a discussion, though, so it was fairly easy to ignore her.

"He says that weasels and ferrets are related! But I don't want to be related to a Malfoy!"

"Oi, Freddy-boy," Dad said, "You, Aza, Skye, and I are Purebloods. Unfortunately we're all related to the Malfoys…"

"Brilliant," Fred groaned as he sunk into a seat next to me, and across from Dora. I wonder if that's why Ron left so willingly with Hermione…

"We're also related to a load of Death Eaters and nutcases," I added.

"Though, fortunately, the Potters, the Longbottoms, and the Prewetts, and other decent Wizarding families, too," Mum added.

"My mum was a Prewett… but who here has a direct blood link to the Potters?"

"I'm telling you, Lyddie, I do not need glasses!" I heard Matt yell.

"Come on, though, you can't make out faces across the room."

"I don't need glasses!"

"Matt, you know Mikey's got glasses, and you said they were cool. So don't say you don't want them."

"I don't need them, though!"

"Okay, then I guess you can tell me who that boy is that just walked in?"

I looked to the door and saw Harry, who was confused. Ron was next to him, but he only looked hungry.

"Uh…?"

"See? I told you!" his sister yelled triumphantly, dragging him to stand closer to Harry. "Now can you see who it is?"

"You're Harry Potter, aren't you?"

"Er… yeah, I am."

"My sister's trying to tell me I need glasses." He indicated his sister. "This is Lydia. I'm Matt Rush."

Still looking at Harry, I noticed that he and Matt looked a little bit alike.

"Wait for a sec, Matt," Lydia said before running off and returning with a pair of round glasses that looked a lot like Harry's. "Put these on."

Matt put the glasses on. "These aren't even real lenses, Lyddie."

"But it's not so bad is it?"

Fred looked at me, one eyebrow raised.

"Guess not. But I'd rather have glasses like Mikey's. No offense, Harry," he added quickly.

They were standing side-by-side and I saw it. "Blimey… you two aren't related, are you?"

"Are we?" Harry and Matt asked in unison.

"This is just like old times, isn't it, Aza?" Gerard's wife, Antoinette, asked. Mum nodded.

"Wait a minute… if you were mates with my dad, that means you'd have been mates with Harry's dad, James, so were you two… cousins?" I asked Gerard.

"Er… yeah, as much as we both tried to deny it. Are you sure you're Sirius's daughter? He didn't figure it out until James 'disowned' me when we were in fourth year, saying I wasn't his cousin anymore. He 'disowned' me about twenty more times before we graduated. We were still best friends though, don't get me wrong."

Harry, Ron, Matt, Fred, and Lydia were all gaping. "Really? Interesting."

"'Course, after what happened, Sirius and I both tried to take Harry in, I've met the Dursleys, they're a nasty bunch, almost the Malfoys of the Muggle world. Stupid Ministry said Petunia was 'direct family' of Lily, and she had agreed to take him in."

"Thanks," Harry managed to say. Matt took off the fake glasses.

"Well… this has been a rather educational discussion, hasn't it?" Dad asked.

Ron was still gaping like fish. I laughed at him. "Ron, chill."

"But… Harry… Gerard Rush… related?"

Fred raised an eyebrow again. "I think we've established that, Ronniekins."

"Don't…" Ron muttered, his ears turning red.

I laughed.

"Shut it, Skye, I wouldn't dare laugh if I were you."

I stopped.

"Is anyone else as confused as I am?" Josh asked, so I knew he'd been listening. Matt and Lydia's hands went into the air, and so did Harry and Fred's. "Okay, then. That's all I wanted to know."

Wow, this was a random day of chaos. Meeting a decent Slytherin; learning that Regina plays Quidditch as well as I do; learning that… inappropriate bit of information on George and Katie; learning that Matt needed glasses; seeing how much Regina looked like my dad, and therefore my Uncle Regulus (I didn't mention that yet, did I?); and, of course, learning that Homecoming Havoc frontman Gerard Rush was cousins with the late James Potter. Bloody hell.

XxX

Author's Note: well, the first 1000 words of the next chapter were originally tacked onto this, until I checked the word count. Now it's at almost 3000, so 1000 extra words makes a huge difference.

Next chapter we learn even more, and we find out that apparently Josh learns less in school (ha, I had to put that in!).

Reviews are bloody appreciated, and I'm still debating on Fred…

Couples, anyone? I'm taking suggestions, both cannon and non-cannon. Guesses are good, too, but they won't get you anywhere (evil grin).