A/N: Um, The Scribe's Resurrection has a "trailer." Go to my homepage for the link.
Yeah, a bunch of this seems like stupid filler. But, it's not. I'd never give you filler- at least, I don't think I would.
Ah, "Snape's Worst Memory," guys.
Oh, and this reminds me of the last "Single Draft Prompt" I did in "Mrs. V's" class the other day. Er, the one with MagnaSoles- the shoes that synched you with the earth's magnetic field. Haha.
Part Two begins. Can you notice a difference? And this chapter was singularly hard to write. I dunno why.
The Scribe's Resurrection
Part Two: Chapter Ten
Thursday, May 13, 1976
A large amount of chatter was going on through the fifth years, and frankly, it was driving Selena mad. Every person was discussing what they wanted to be after Hogwarts.
"Dunno 'bout that, mate. I want to be a Curse Breaker."
"Auror," Frank said. "Wanted to be one ever since I was five."
"I think you'd make a great Auror, Frank," Selena said sincerely.
"Thanks. You, Peter, what d'you want to be?"
"I, er, I dunno."
"You've got time yet, Peter. Your meeting isn't until late afternoon."
"When's yours? I already set things straight with McGonagall."
"Mines today at eleven," Selena replied.
"That's in ten minutes," Sirius said.
"Yeah. I'd better be going, then."
"Good luck." Sirius waved. "I'll take notes for you in Potions?"
"Oh yeah, that'd be great, thanks." Selena grabbed her bag and slowly hobbled in the direction of Professor McGonagall's office. When she reached, she found she was slightly late.
"I'm sorry, Professor, the stairs..."
"It's fine, Miss Riviera. Please, sit down." Professor McGonagall sat in a desk with a folder open in front of her. "So, what were you thinking of?"
"An Unspeakable, Professor." Professor McGonagall looked a bit surprised.
"An, an Unspeakable? I should have thought... But yes, the Headmaster told me your fascination with the Department of Mysteries." Selena smiled just a little bit, thinking of Hogwarts and Seven.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Well, you'll need an 'Exceeds Expectations' or higher to get to the N.E.W.T.s in Astronomy, Charms, Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Divination. And nothing but 'Exceeds' or higher to become an Unspeakable."
"Divination? But-" Professor McGonagall held up a hand.
"You will have to study the subject on your own, and take the O.W.L-"
"Oh, Professor, I don't have enough time for that..." Selena's face fell.
"We will make it work," she simply said. "Monday starting O.W.L.s, if you feel overwhelmed, the Headmaster or I will talk to Professor Hominy, and she will take you into her N.E.W.T. class regardless. But do try to learn the material on the O.W.L.- then you'll know what Professor Hominy requires."
"Alright. After that, is there any training to be an Unspeakable?"
"A sixth-month introduction. Oh, and next year you will have to take the Spell Making course. It is for six-years and up only."
"Okay. Thank you, Professor." Selena had been jotting everything she needed down, but then Professor McGonagall gave her a black pamphlet.
"You are very welcome. Best of luck to you."
"Thank you."
Monday Morning, June 7, 1976
"I think I'm gonna be sick," Peter moaned. "I'm gonna be sick."
"It's just Charms," James said. "Charms. Charms is easy, and we studied last night."
"I don't remember any of it. None of it."
"Of course you do."
"Quit whining," Selena snapped. "At least you don't have an Arithmancy one to take today."
"Ohhhh," Peter groaned, going into the Great Hall. Desks had been set up in rows.
"Just calm down," Remus said. "Calm down, Wormtail."
"I'M GOING TO MAKE A TROLL!" He screamed, beginning to cry. Selena's eyes widened.
"Oh, let me get Professor Vector-" But the professor was already there with a Calming Draught.
"Here, son, drink this up. It'll make you feel much better." Peter, hiccupping, nodded and drained the glass. His face brightened. "There you go. I'll bet you'll make a wonderful grade."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome, now take a seat."
Wednesday, June 9, 1976
"How d'you think you did?" Sirius asked, sitting next to Selena. He put another Cauldron Cake into his mouth. They had all just finished coming back from dinner, and it was the evening after the Herbology exam. Sirius was staring without explanation at Selena, and she was so engrossed in her studies that she didn't notice.
"Herbology?" She asked, looking up from a Divination text. "Well, I dunno. I've never really liked it. I like plants and all, it's just, I can never get anything to bloom right. Anyway, I think I did all right. Won't know 'till the summer, though."
"Divination?" Sirius picked up one of the books off the table.
"Erm, yes. McGonagall says I should at least attempt an O.W.L. in it."
"But you've never taken it. What d'you want to be that requires Divination?"
"An Unspeakable."
"You'd have to keep a lot of secrets from me."
"You and everyone else." Selena cleared her throat. "But I don't have a problem with keeping secrets. There're things I don't tell you or Remus or James or Peter."
"You should."
"Should not. It's my business."
"Can you tell me one thing?" Selena exhaled heavily and turned to the boy.
"My house is Unplottable now. Dumbledore preformed the Fidelius Charm on me... To keep my house a secret."
"So no one can tell where you live."
"Nope. If you do, you die. You didn't get a letter about it?"
"No."
"Oh, well, Frank says he did." Selena looked back at her book.
"Tell me something else."
"No. Please leave me be."
"I can't do that. Want me to help you with that, seeing as I take Divination?" Selena considered this, then handed him the book.
"Sure."
"If tea leaves take the shape of an ellipse, what does that mean?"
Thursday, June 10, 1976
Selena looked at her watch. Five minutes until the Defense Against the Dark Arts exam was to be over.
"Five more minutes!" Professor Flitwick exclaimed.
Selena, bored, had finished her exam and had checked over it twice. Defense Against the Dark Arts was her second-best subject. She yawned and scanned the room.
Sirius, a row away, was adjacent from her. His fingers formed a thumbs-up to James. He'd tilted his chair back, already finished himself. A Hufflepuff girl sat behind him, sighing and looking like she'd been hit upside the head with a broomstick; the object of her affections was obviously Sirius. Selena rolled her eyes at the girl, and looked back at Sirius. At the very same moment, he faced her. He winked, and Selena blushed lightly; Sirius smirked, then directed his attention elsewhere.
"Quills down, please! That means you too, Stebbins! Please remain seated while I collect your parchment! Accio!" Selena sighed, remembering that she'd forgotten her borrowed Divination textbooks in the trunk under her bed. She mentally reprimanded herself for being so stupid.
"Very well, everybody, you're free to go!" Selena slowly gathered herself.
"Coming, Selena?"
"I've got to go up to the dormitory for a bit. I'll meet you lot outside later." Sirius frowned.
"Alright. See you." He stepped briskly over to James. Selena limped through the rows of desks and went up the marble staircase.
Selena sighed unhappily. Her leg hurt something awful, and a lump steadily rose in her throat.
Truthfully, she was dreading the end of term. When she got to The Belladonna Estate, what was she to do? Selena now had to take care of herself, she knew that, but how? And she hadn't been inside her house without someone else inside it with her. Certainly now the melancholy had set in the Estate- what would happen when Selena opened the door to let it out?
Selena expertly anesthetized the feelings she had in her heart. She didn't dare think of her parents consciously, for doing so triggered inconsolable tears. Lily had seen the brunt of this at night in the Girls' Dormitory. Quite frequently, Selena had frightening nightmares of how it had happened, and Lily would always rescue Selena from the scary depths of her unforgiving unconscious and wake her up.
She reached the common room and got her things, then went straight back out. Then, she noticed Artemis flying towards her, so she sat on the first step of the seventh floor stairwell. Selena reached up for the parcel, and Artemis dropped it for her.
Selena opened the package and found a beautiful music box. Puzzled, she couldn't find the key to open it, but then a card fell out.
I'm sorry, it said. Use the charm. I really am sorry. She knew instantly from whom it came. She took her BFF charm on her bracelet and fit it inside the groove on the side. A soft click sounded the unlocking of Darcy's consolation present. Selena opened it all the way. A beautiful, rich voice began to sing to a slow, sad tune. The voice, Selena knew, was Darcy's. She always could sing anything. The song was about Darcy, about how she didn't hold the same grudge that her father did, about how she was ready to own up to her father's mistakes. All of this was said in a poetic way.
Selena got a flash of a memory from when they were smaller. Darcy and Selena would be on the neighborhood playground, and oftentimes, someone would tease Selena to no end. Darcy would punch them out, then sing Selena's tears away.
The song changed, and Selena began to tear up.
At those workshops at the library, there was only one thing Darcy would take part in, and she did that exceptionally well. Having a very gifted ear, Darcy composed a song from one of Komali Riviera's poetry compilations when she was seven and sang it at one of those workshops. Darcy never knew what the lyrics meant, and neither did Selena. Mrs. Riviera had refused to explain, but now both the girls knew what feeling it defined. And it was a beautiful song. Selena sang along. It was ironic that this was Darcy's masterpiece. If only Selena had known then that her life could be summed up with this one composition.
And that was it. Selena's breaths became ragged as she stumbled down the stairs. She held out for a while, but then a surge of recognition and extreme sadness overcame her. She hiccupped and ducked into a bathroom.
Selena sat in one of the stalls for a good while, dabbing her eyes with tissue. Finally, when she had gotten a hold of herself, she stepped out and went to the sink. Selena turned on the faucet and splashed her face. Then she looked into the mirror.
"I forgive you- I'm not mad anymore." The music box still played, and Selena sang with a determined face, "I'm gonna make sure I'm gonna get stronger..." Selena took a deep breath and left the bathroom.
-
Selena went outside to the tree she recognized as the "Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs" tree and sat down. She tapped Remus' shoulder, then noticed his stony face.
"What's-" Selena heard a roar of laughter and snapped her head forward.
"Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants!?" James said loudly. The people surrounding him, Sirius, and Snape began to chant their consent. Snape was up in the air, his underwear exposed because he was upside-down.
"He wouldn't," Selena mumbled.
"He would," Remus muttered back. "Where've you been-? James does this all the time."
"I've not seen it. It's sickening. I've never seen such-" But Remus didn't discover what Selena's noun for the two boys' actions were, as she had silenced herself. She stared furiously at James and Sirius.
Once everyone except for Selena and Remus had a good laugh, James and Sirius returned to their places under the tree.
"Did you see him? Fidgety bloke, ain't he?" Sirius sniggered.
"I think, I think we made him cry!"
"I would cry too," Selena declared. "I don't blame him."
"He got what was coming to him."
"And what exactly did he do?" Selena cut her eyes at James and Sirius, wanting an excellent explanation.
"He exists."
"Not good enough," Selena mumbled to herself. Sirius didn't hear. She got up. "I've got Ancient Runes, Potions, Astronomy, and Divination exams to study for. Excuse me." Selena gathered all of her things and made the long trek back up to the Gryffindor common room.
"She's angry, mate," Remus said to a confused Sirius.
"What? What'd I do?"
"She had no idea about you two and Snape."
"What? Well, she'd better get over that. I didn't do anything to her."
"Actually, I think you did," said Remus slowly. "I dunno what, but I think you did."
"Honestly, girls are confusing."
"Right you are, Sirius." James sat propping his head up with his fist, thinking about Lily Evans.
---
Selena carefully drew runes on her parchment from memory, occasionally looking at the book and dog-earing pages.
"Hi," someone said to the left of her. She didn't look up.
"Hi, Remus."
"Hey."
"Hi, James."
"Hi."
"Hi, Peter."
"Hello." Sirius waited for her to greet him, but she did not speak. "Hello?"
"Told you, Padfoot," Remus sighed. He moved over to the couch and sat in it. James and Peter sat on either side of him.
"Are you speaking to me?" Sirius asked.
"No."
"What did I do to make you angry with me?"
"If you don't know, you're an idiot."
"Does this have anything to do with us pulling down Snape's underwear?"
"No, Sirius, it doesn't."
"Good, 'cause I thought-"
"Oh, how thick could you get?" Selena began shoving books into her bag and stood up. The ten other people in the common room stifled their conversation and focused their attention on Sirius and Selena.
"What? What'd I say?"
"Nothing, Sirius. It's what you did."
"What? Is it what we did to Snape?" Selena rolled her eyes.
"Yes!" She exclaimed, exasperated. "And he didn't do anything to you! You just went up and humiliated him, from the looks of it!" Selena turned her back on him, ready to go to her bed.
"I wasn't the only one! How come you're not getting on James?!" Selena, on the first step, whipped her head around.
"Because I don't fancy JAMES!" She blurted this piece of information; face steadily turning crimson, Selena felt like she'd betrayed an awful secret. Sirius was equally red. But she went on, "How could you be so awful to someone?!"
"Because he's a filthy git, that's why!" Selena kept going up the staircase, but Sirius could still see her. She turned around again.
"Oho! So now you've got license to tease anybody you don't like, then? You're supposed to treat everyone- especially people you don't particularly like- with decency and respect, Sirius!" Selena yelled with all her voice.
"What ruddy nutter told you that stupid piece of rubbish?!"
Selena gasped and choked out, "MY FATHER!" She continued ascending the stairs. Sirius' face was horror-struck, like he'd just made 'Troll' on all of his O.W.L.s.
"Selena, Selena, wait!" He ran up the stairs after her, but the stairway transfigured itself into a slide from the step he rested on downward. He fell flat on his back, staring dumbstruck at the now-empty staircase. James went to him. Selena had disappeared into her dorm.
"Well, mate, I think you've got a right piece of work ahead of you mending that one up."
"Thank you, Captain Obvious." Sirius picked himself up and noticed the group of people staring. "What're you staring at? Get back to your books!" He plopped himself down, swearing, next to Remus.
"She'll take you back."
"We were never together."
"Well, Selena'll take you," Remus said, reading his Ancient Runes text. "Just tell her you're sorry."
"She fancies me."
"Yes. You didn't know?"
"No, no I didn't."
"You are so stupid."
-
The quill etched words into the journal, keeping up with Selena's mind. In her thought process, Selena thought it was obvious why she was irritated with Sirius. But, she reminded herself that her mind was her own, and no one could come in unless she said so.
"If he apologizes, I'll be happy. Boys are so complicated. Sincerely-"
Something hit Selena in the head, making her journal fall back onto her bed. A paper airplane waited to be opened. Selena unfurled and read it.
Please meet me under the tree at ten tonight, the scrawl said, Sirius. Selena smiled and looked at her watch. Nine o'clock. Selena calculated the amount of time it would take her to get dressed and quietly hop-step outside. She concluded that she would get up at that moment.
Selena rummaged through her trunk, looking for something to wear. Of course, she could always wear her pajama pants and a sweatshirt, but that thought horrified her. Finally, the raven-haired girl settled on a black gypsy skirt and a white tank with a red hoodie.
In the common room, fifth-years with Ancient Runes studied, and Selena waved to Remus, who was cramming. He grinned, waved, and went back to his work. Selena knew she shouldn't be skiving off Ancient Runes, but she had a more pressing matter to attend to.
Three-quarters of an hour later, Selena glimpsed Sirius under the tree, and on closer inspection, Selena saw a basket and a drawstring bag sitting with him. He looked pensive, with his head tilted and resting in his palm. He didn't see her. The grass muffled her uneven footsteps, so the boy didn't hear her either. Selena stopped five feet away from him.
"Ahem," Selena cleared her throat, pulling Sirius from his thoughts. He looked up, saw her, and smiled. Selena dropped to her knees. "I got your letter."
"I see." Straightening himself up, he sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. If- if it bothers you, I'll stop."
"Stop what?"
"Messing with Snape."
"I don't mind. Er, just as long as I don't see it," Selena added. "But, apology accepted."
"Good, good." They sat for a few moments more.
"You called me out, when we could get in trouble, to apologize?" Sirius grinned.
"No, um, I never gave you your birthday present. I wanted to give it to you myself, but then-" Sirius stopped himself. He wasn't supposed to mention that day, but to his surprise, Selena leaned forward.
"I didn't even notice. Let's see it then."
"Close your eyes."
"Mmkay." After doing as she was told, Selena held out her hands. Sirius placed the drawstring bag in them.
"Open." Upon opening her eyes, Selena studied the peculiar bag. "It's inside."
"I know that." The girl pulled out a pair of silver-glittered flat shoes and pursed her lips. "Thank you?"
"No, no. They're not just any shoes. I made them myself. Dragon hide."
"You made these?! They're amazing." Selena slipped off her own shoes and put on the new ones. "And they fit wonderful."
"Walk in them," Sirius commanded. Raising her eyebrows, Selena picked up her walking stick and pulled herself up.
"What's the matter? They fit."
"Put down that cane."
"I need this-"
"Put it down and walk." Selena did, knowing that she'd fall, but to her surprise, she did not.
"Wh-what are these?!" Selena pranced in circles around Sirius, laughing and giggling while looking down at her feet. "They're amazing! Oh, wow! I'm skipping, Sirius, I'm skipping!"
"Uh-huh." Selena sat on Sirius' right.
"How'd you do it?"
"I bewitched the treads to levitate a little. And the shoe actually makes an invisible sheath around your leg, stabilizing you- but you don't really want to hear all of what I did."
"Was it hard?" She asked earnestly.
"Uh, yes." Sirius scratched his nose.
"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Selena wrapped her arms around the boy and squeezed. "You're so wonderful. Now you can teach me how to lindy hop like at Christmas."
"You can't use them too much," Sirius warned. "You'll get giddy and your feet'll just... You don't want to know."
"I wouldn't use them all the time. They're special." Selena promptly began to take the flats off; Sirius gave a frightened cry.
"Your leg!" He pointed down. Selena's skirt had gone up in her efforts, revealing her lame leg.
"Yeah." Selena stared at Sirius as he traced her knee with his index and middle fingers.
"That's a big scar."
"I don't have an ankle bone. Look." Sirius peered at her leg some more, finding four imperfections on it. The first was a scar that spanned from her thigh down to her calf. The second and third were two depressions- one on the thigh, and one on the knee- where the metal brace had gone in. The fourth was the worst; the protruding piece of bone that should have been on the side of her foot was absent and had left a concavity in her ankle.
"Where did it go?" Sirius, though horrified, couldn't tear his eyes away.
"It broke into pieces. The Muggles had bound them together with metal, but the Healers took out the metal and magicked my leg into staying together."
"Wicked." Selena rolled her eyes, and Sirius met her gaze. "Sorry."
"Anyway." She put her skirt down while Sirius turned to his basket. He pulled out various food items.
"Picnic?" Selena snorted, picking up a strawberry. Sirius picked up a bun and looked toward the lake.
"You know," he began, "I'm thinking of running away."
"From home?" Sirius nodded and laid back on the grass. "Why?"
"My Mum is just... I don't agree with her. Let's put it nicely."
"Agree with her about what?"
"She thinks that anyone worth talking to should be pure-blood. And then somehow, she found out that your dad took down Rosier, and she really hated that. She believes that anyone who's called a witch or wizard should be pure-blood, but she'll just tolerate half-bloods. And what's worse is she's reigned my brother in from the get-go. He's so perfect 'cause he's in Slytherin. And I betrayed the stupid House of Black because I'm in Gryffindor, which, in my opinion, is the better house. I told her that, too. She has the shrillest yells." Sirius looked extremely annoyed, but then his face softened. "But it's okay, 'cause I'm going to live with James 'till I'm seventeen, and then after that, I'm going to live on my own."
"Oh."
"It'll be great. Can't wait for school to be over so I can go shove that in her steak-and-kidney pie."
"I don't want school to be over. I don't want to go home."
"Why?" Sirius asked, being forgetful. But then he remembered, and his whole body stiffened when he looked over to her, wondering what she would say.
"I don't know what to do. I've got a giant house, three cars, and a vault load of gold- but I dunno what to do."
"You could always come visit me at James' house. And bring Remus and Peter along. We'll go find one of those... er, Muggle parties with the big lights and that giant wheel."
"Carnivals?"
"Yeah." Selena started to laugh.
"I'd like that." She sighed happily. "Maybe you and James could teach me how to play Quidditch again."
"You've forgotten? No one forgets!"
"You know what I mean."
"Alright. Yeah. We could. Another reason for you to visit." Several moments passed by, and all of the food was finished; Selena hadn't realized how hungry she had been. A thought came to Selena's mind.
"Thanks for hexing Aubrey, by the way."
"You're welcome?" Sirius cleared his throat and sat up. "Was he really rude or something? Or did you two have a row? Because you looked bloody insane."
"I guess he insulted me, in a way. He took those rumors to heart, and thought he could... benefit."
"No!"
"Yes. It was rather insulting for people to believe I could do that. I like to believe I'm dignified. ... You won't believe how much nicer people are to me now."
"You're very dignified. They should be nicer to you."
"Just 'cause my parents died?"
"Well, I guess that made them realize those rumors couldn't possibly be true."
"They should've known before. Snape did." Sirius grunted. Selena glanced at him. "What? He did. Told me so himself. He said that an ugly thing like me would never have four boys all to myself. He said you four were idiots, but not that obtuse."
"That was a direct insult."
"Made me feel better, actually. I hugged him. He saw the logic in it. Everything he said was true."
"We're idiots?"
"Brilliant idiots, but yes, idiots all the same."
"And you still like us?"
"Sirius, you four are my best friends."
"And you see yourself as ugly? Because you're not."
"I know that, but ugly is a relative term. Snape can call me ugly, because Snape doesn't fancy me, you know."
"He likes someone? Who's the unlucky girl?"
"Can't tell."
"Poor girl." Selena gave a small smile, and Sirius went on, "I disagree with him, however. I fancy you."
"I knew that." Selena flushed crimson, wondering how late in the night it was. She turned her head towards the boy sitting next to her.
"Can I kiss you?" He asked, moving closer.
"Charlotte Ackermann says you don't ask."
"You're not Charlotte Ackermann."
"No, I don't suppose I-" Sirius leaned in at that moment, stealing the words from her mouth with a kiss. A few seconds later, he pulled back.
"I think we should go inside now," he said. "It's almost midnight."
"Oh, um, yes." Sirius stood up first, and then assisted her.
"It'd be faster if I carried you, or if you wore the shoes."
"Piggy-back ride?" Amused, Sirius placed the girl on his back and went back inside Hogwarts with Selena in tow.