In The Life of Skye Black

By NarnianAslan

Chapter Six

Author's Note: my website: http// slytherclawx. webs. com / index. htm (again, type it in without the spaces)… I've got an idea where this is going, so it may seem to have a better plot.

XxX

"Who else needs a firewhiskey?" Dora asked. "I mean, Butterbeer for those not of age yet."

"Brilliant! I'm seventeen! I want a firewhiskey," Fred said.

I sighed. "Lovely. Well, I think I have to go talk to Regina over there."

I stood up and walked over to where Regina and Josh were sitting.

"This has been a crazy day, hasn't it?" Josh asked. "I think I learn less during school!"

"Because you sleep during class," Regina muttered.

"Do not!"

She grinned. "How come your cauldron caught fire while your head was down in Potions?"

"I was… thinking?"

"Not buying it. So, what brings you over here?"

"Besides the fact that I think Fred's getting royally sloshed? I owe you a bit of information, don't I?"

"Er… yes, you do, actually."

I'd been thinking on what I could tell her, something somewhat useful, without giving too much away. I might need some blackmail for later, even though she seemed noticeably nicer. Maybe it was an effect Josh was having on her? I got the feeling they didn't usually hang around together much.

"Well," I said, taking in a breath, "I'm not going to tell you who he is, but I can tell you this: he grew up in London, with Pureblood-crazy parents. I think he even snuck off to Muggle London once or twice."

Regina made no effort to hide her surprise. "Muggle London? And my mum's still in love with him?"

"I don't think she'd have known."

"That's what I mean. My mum's completely oblivious. Your mum, on the other hand, seems quite sane, with common sense."

"I can't have had too much common sense if I married Sirius, could I?"

I jumped. My mum had joined us. "So you're Meissa's daughter. I'm quite glad you don't act like her."

"So am I," Regina said. "She's bloody mental. She insists that I don't try out for the Quidditch team, ever, because it's not appropriate for young ladies. Then every time I'm home and we eat dinner together, she expects me to wear a gown. I'm half tempted to rip an expensive one up and pin it back together and wear that."

"I did that once," Mum said thoughtfully. "Meissa nearly fell out of her chair in shock. My parents yelled at me, but Sirius and his family was there, he and his brother found it quite amusing."

Josh grinned. "Sounds amusing. My family's not so proper, I'm happy to say. They don't really care about blood-status or any of that. Most of my family's been in Ravenclaw, anyway."

"Dad went to dinner once wearing an old pair of sweatpants, grinning about how his family never would have allowed it."

"They wouldn't have," Mum reminded me. "Sirius snuck off to several Muggle concerts, and after one of them… I think it was the Sex Pistols, he talked in cockney and wore ripped up robes just to make his family angry. It only worked on his parents. His brother had some sense of humor. They got along decently at home, just not at school. Except, I can remember one instance."

"Seriously?" I asked.

"Yes, Sirius got caught up into a five-way fight, magic and all. Let me see, it was Mary Macdonald, James, Lily, Frank Longbottom, and Remus was trying to break it up. Sirius was hit with four hexes, two of which are still unknown, and Remus's shield charm made him fly into a wall. Of course, Remus, Frank, and James took him to the Hospital Wing, where Pomfrey let Sirius lay down on one of the beds. He wasn't able to move his arms, but managed to order Remus and Frank to shut the curtains so no one could see. Anyway, I went in there with them, and later, his brother came in with a nasty hex that I'm fairly sure was Dark Magic. Pomfrey told him to lie down, coincidentally in the bed next to the one Sirius was in."

"Who would be stupid enough to get caught up in a five-way fight?" Josh asked. Mum glanced over to the others, where Dad was trying to sing. He was failing miserably. "Never mind."

Mum laughed. "Well, seeing me, he knew Sirius must've been in the bed with the curtains drawn. He asked him why the hell the curtains were pulled. Sirius moaned something about his beautiful face and his hair being singed. Sirius and his brother cared about their hair more than any other boys I've ever met. So, his brother didn't laugh."

"Hair's pretty important, but hiding because it's singed?" Josh asked. "That's just stupid…"

"I know. So Sirius asked why his brother was in there, obviously not seeing that he'd been hexed pretty badly. It just spurred into a completely civil, no, brotherly conversation. I told James, but he didn't believe me. I wouldn't have if I hadn't seen them before, at home, and I was the one listening to it!"

"Were they really that bad?" Regina asked.

"At school. They weren't like Meissa and I were. We never got along; we were polar opposites."

"Mum… why aren't you over with them?" I asked.

"Well…"

"Mum, there's a reason you aren't drinking, isn't there?"

"I'd tell you that your father should help with this conversation, but he's too busy butchering Black Sabbath. Let's go talk somewhere off to the side, all right?"

I nodded, and followed Mum over to the other side of the Hog's Head.

"Skye, dear…"

"You're pregnant," I said.

She bit her lip. "Your father should have been here, but I really don't think you'd want to hear him sing lullabies. And, yes."

I gave her a hug. "Seriously?"

"Yes," she grinned. "And your father has a bet going with Mrs. Weasley. He says it'll be a girl, but Molly says boy."

"What happens if he loses?"

"He has to fork over twenty galleons and stop singing in front of her."

"Oh bloody hell, I hope it's a boy… I'm getting a headache."

Mum laughed. "Regina acts just like her father, do you know that? Honestly, if I were to see them, side-by-side, the same age, I'd say that they were twins."

I nodded. "She doesn't act like a normal Slytherin. Neither of them do. And Regina told Malfoy she'd be trying for the Seeker position next year."

"If she plays even remotely like her father, it'd take Harry to beat her, no lie."

It's odd how we're having a normal conversation after that bit of news, isn't it?

"I saw her earlier. She's brilliant. I told her to try out, because Harry needs some competition and Malfoy sucks."

"You come home next week, don't you?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Did you know Josh apparently lives in Ottery?"

"Does he? I suppose you'll be seeing him around town this summer, then."

"S'pose so."

"I got along with Regulus," Mum said. "He wasn't as bad as your father tries to make him out to be. He was a Death Eater, yes, but… he was nice. He's the one who told me to run away. Sirius told me that whatever I decided on doing, he'd still be there for me. You know what was funny? When we were younger, it used to be Regulus, Sirius, and I. Meissa was always too proper. He threatened to kill Bellatrix. I think to this day that if one of us, Sirius or myself, had tried just a bit harder, he might still be around."

"Mum…" Oh yeah, she was pregnant. Happy to sad in under a minute.

"He was really sweet when he wanted to be… I think you'd have gotten along with him. From what I've heard… Lizzy Poe tried to stop him. She tried to stop him from becoming a Death Eater. The last time either of us saw him was at Gerard and Antoinette's wedding. I was polite to him, and Sirius was civil, but when he said goodbye, I knew something was wrong. But… let's not think about that. Do you know what was funny?"

"Hmm?"

"Seeing Harry and Matt earlier, Merlin they were just like Gerard and James. Now, I'm sure you'd like to be with your friends as well… except, perhaps not Fred."

"No, not Fred," I muttered, seeing him trying to sing as well. He was better than Dad, but he was slurring. "I think I'd rather show Matt and Lydia Hogsmeade, if they still want to see it, that is."

Mum smiled and I walked over to Matt and Lydia, who were talking with Josh and Regina.

"But, see, Ballycastle's got to be the best!"

"No, no, no. It's the Magpies, honestly!" Josh argued.

"What are you two stupid, the Tornadoes are going to win!"

"You're all wrong," I said, joining in. "Pride of Portree is going to beat everyone else out and win the league, again."

"Well, can we all agree that the Cannons will come last?" Lydia asked.

"Yes," we all chorused.

"So," I began, "Who wants to see Hogsmeade?"

XxX

A week later, I sighed as I sat down on my now packed trunk.

"But George is so sweet, Skye," Katie sighed.

"I've got a bloody awkward question."

"Well, get on with it."

"How far have you two gone?"

Her face got red. "Er… you were right, that's an awkward question, there."

"You haven't."

Katie grinned guiltily.

"Blimey, Katie, how long have you been going out?"

"Three weeks?"

I rolled my eyes.

"It was only once, actually, and we were both a little bit sloshed."

"Still."

"Well, how high are your moral standards?"

"Higher than yours."

"How long, then?"

"Dunno, maybe a year. Could be more."

"Are you kidding me?" she asked. "A year?"

I raised an eyebrow. "The point of it is to be abso-bloody-lutely sure."

"Marriage?" she asked.

"Maybe, I dunno yet, Katie, I haven't even got a boyfriend."

"Fred apparently thinks you've got two of them…"

"Explain," I ordered.

"Well, he was glaring at Josh McAllister all week, and I know he caught up with you in Hogsmeade… and apparently Emily says he thinks you fancy Matt Rush."

"Is he mental?" I asked. "I don't think I'd ever date Matt. He's brilliant and all, but really…"

"Forget I said anything, then," Katie muttered.

"I can do that," I answered. The truth was, I wanted to forget she said anything.

XxX

On the train, Fred and I sat alone together, again, and I was really wondering if Katie was lying, and had had sex with George more than once.

I really wouldn't put it past her, she was practically in love with him, and he with her.

"I'm going to murder him," I heard a voice mutter. "Murder. And I'll be sure that no one finds his bloody body… I'll pour acid on it if I have to!"

There was a knock on the door, and a different voice asked, "Can we come in?"

"Sure," Fred answered. He really hadn't been himself lately…

"Draco Malfoy is going to die… maybe I'll kill him and then transfigure his body into a teapot and give it to his parents as a gift."

"Now you're really starting to worry me."

Regina and Josh came into the compartment, and I remembered something.

"Fred, guess what Katie told me?" I whispered in his ear.

"What?" he asked after shuddering slightly.

"That she and George–"

"Stop. I don't want to hear any more. Honestly. Does identical mean nothing to you?"

"Good point."

"I'm going to murder him," Regina repeated.

"What, exactly, did Malfoy do?"

"He told my mother, my bloody mental case of a mother, that I was rebelling and trying out for the Quidditch team, and –Heaven help us– wearing jeans! Then he said that I was planning on spending my summer over Josh's house… she just sent a howler, so now I'm contemplating ways to kill Draco."

"Try out for the Quidditch team. That'll kill him," Fred piped up. "Or I could just send a couple of bludgers his way this summer… I hate that ferret."

"Don't," I said. "He'd find some way to get you back, and you know it."

"Unfortunately…"

"Though next year I could sneak into the Slytherin common room and ruin his face…"

"Shame he actually bought that soap, too."

"You seriously hate Draco Malfoy, don't you?" Josh asked.

"Yep," Fred said.

"What would you do if, say, twenty-five or so years from now, one of your nieces fell for his son?"

"What? But… but… he's a ferret!"

"Unfortunately, there's a point in that. If they were to get married, the Malfoys would be related to you," I said.

"Well… at least it's not Bellatrix," he muttered. "She's your mental family."

"Malfoy is too, unfortunately. I'm closer related to him than I am to Neville and Harry."

"Well… Tonks is his first-cousin, at least you're not her. I mean, Bellatrix is her aunt, who'd want that?"

"No one. And, you realize, if you become directly related to the Malfoys, then you'd be closer related to Bellatrix?"

Fred gagged.

"So… if we put all of our minds together, we could get some payback on Draco," Regina smirked. "Are you in?"

"Yes," I answered.

"No," Josh answered.

"All three of us getting payback? Three of Hogwarts' most scheming minds? I'm in."

"Well… I'm going to read now, because obviously you three have got plotting to do."

"Not so fast, McAllister," Regina said. "We might need you too."

"Great," he muttered. "Just great. Tell me this, are you going to listen to your mother?"

"Hell. No. I'm going to try out for Quidditch, wear jeans, and I'm going to spend my summer in Ottery St. Catchpole."

Josh rolled his eyes.

"If you have to actually run away, I'm sure you could stay with us…" I said. What was I saying?

"I'll keep that in mind. Now… I've got a bit of personal blackmail on him…" Regina smirked.

XxX

Author's Note: right, well, that's chapter six. Next up, is an overview of most of the summer, as I want to get into HBP as soon as possible. Summer will probably be two chapters long…

This'll probably last through HBP.

(And what Josh said to Fred: "What would you do if, say, twenty-five or so years from now, one of your nieces fell for his son?" is a direct reference to my shipping of Rose Weasley/Scorpius Malfoy)

Review.

I'm still accepting guesses/suggestions on pairings, and even on what Regina's blackmail is. Though, if you guess a pairing, I won't tell you. Suggestions are appreciated. Is the baby going to be a boy or girl? What's the name? Suggestions on that, too.

Again: Review. Why? Because I still haven't made up my mind on Fred. And, if I don't get reviews, I might take pity on Malfoy.