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Chapter 15:
Nerves and Swerves
"There is nothing for a case of nerves like a case of beer." - Joan Goldstein.
It was the day the Hogwarts Express would leave Platform 9 and 3/4's.
People inexperienced in such events would have called the morning of September first at the Potter Manor complete chaos. Bridget, however, with her two teenaged brothers and teenaged cousin, was used to such mornings and preferred to call it controlled chaos-- mostly controlled, at any rate. After all, Mrs. Potter and Mrs. Lupin knew exactly where everything and everyone was; it was the boys who were completely confused.
After waiting a half-hour outside (she had packed the night before), sitting on her trunk with a book in hand, Bridget was starting to feel the anxiety of the day creep up on her. She hadn't told anyone-- including Gumi-- but situations like being one of only two new students over the age of eleven at a deplorably small, tight-knit school was likely to give the girl a panic attack. She didn't like being the center of attention with a bunch of strangers; she wasn't too fond of meeting strangers, either, no matter how good she was at faking it. Bridget closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to keep herself from hyperventilating.
"Bridget?"
She jumped, falling off her trunk and onto her back. Well, at least she wasn't panicking anymore. "Um, hi, Peter."
The boy peered down at her before helping her onto her feet. She fidgeted nervously with her book and the hem of her school shirt (which was somehow still untucked, despite the three times she'd tucked it in since dressing that morning). "Are you all right, Jet?"
"Fine. I am perfectly fine." She sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than anything, and, possibly worst of all, she didn't even seem to notice.
"Uh-huh." Peter shot her a concerned glance and promptly turned back towards the house. "PRONGS! GET YOUR ARSE OUT HERE!"
"Peter!" Mrs. Potter scolded from the doorway where she was directing traffic. She gracefully stepped out of the way as James came barreling through. "Language, please."
"Sorry, Mrs. P."
"Sorry, Mum," James added, pulling on his school blazer.
Mrs. Potter gave him a suspicious look. "What are you sorry for, James?"
"It was all Sirius's idea. I swear I... didn't." James's ears turned red as he realized that his mother had no idea what he was talking about. "I mean... um... I'm sorry for being a blight on your wondrous and otherwise enjoyable life. I am a horrible, horrible son." There was a stony silence where Peter tried not to smile too widely. "I love you, Mum," he finished desperately, grinning with a calculated charm that worked on most people.
"I love you, too, James." He let out the breath he'd been holding. "But that doesn't mean you're off the hook. For whatever it is that you've done this time."
Mrs. Potter went back into the house, and James sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Bollocks. She's going to kill me."
"What'd you do?" Peter asked once James's mum was out of hearing range.
"Last night I accidentally--" James shook his head. "No matter now, what was it you wanted, Pete?" He finally looked over at his friend, and noticed Bridget hovering uncertainly behind Peter, which hadn't happened since, well, ever. "Are you all right, Jet?"
She gave him a small smile probably meant to reassure him, but it was so unlike her usual one that it just made him more worried. "I'm fine. I am perfectly fine."
"Uh-huh."
Of course, Peter found it more worrying that she hadn't noticed that he and James had both asked her the exact same thing and she'd responded the same way. At least it gave him an example to help him explain his worries to James. He pulled the boy to the side. "I think she's nervous."
"Bridget? About school?" he asked incredulously, eyebrows disappearing under his fringe of unruly black hair. "There has to be something else. She could probably take N.E.W.T.s now and pass." He frowned thoughtfully to himself. "Of course, so could I."
"Focus. This isn't about you and that's not the what I mean." Peter sighed, trying to figure out how to explain nerves to someone who never got them. Luckily-- he still had no idea what to say-- he was saved by Bridget tripping over her own trunk. Again.
The two boys rushed over to her and James picked her up, placing her back on her feet. There was a moment of awkward silence where she would normally make some off-handed comment about not being able to walk properly before Bridget latched onto James, burying her face in his shirt. She was shaking. Badly. James wrapped an arm around her shoulders, giving her another concerned look before nodding at Peter, acknowledging that the other boy was probably right. There was something wrong.
"What has you so nervous, love?" he asked, bending down so he was closer to her level.
Bridget pulled back, although she was still clutching his shirt with a white-knuckled grip. "I, um, I don't like people." She flushed red. "I mean, I don't like meeting people. A lot of them. All at once. I've had panic attacks because of less before. And now..." The blood drained from her face, and her eyes got incredibly wide. "Hogwarts is so big."
"Right," James said, unsure as to how to respond. Hogwarts really wasn't all that big. "Why don't you wait in the car? I'll be right back."
He should probably get Sirius, who was with Remus helping Kagumi look for something she'd misplaced (Sirius had probably hidden it and forgotten where he'd put it, but James wasn't going to be the one to tell her that; although the results could have potential amusement...). He glanced back down: Bridget had her face buried in his shirt once again and she was probably wrinkling his blazer, but that wasn't important. He wasn't sure he could make her let go; he certainly didn't have the heart to. He exchanged a look with Peter, who shrugged and caught the sound of Sirius getting smacked. It seemed that Kagumi had indeed discovered that he'd hidden something from her.
"I can get the rest of your stuff, Prongs," Peter suggested. He was thinking along the same lines as James. Besides, having Sirius there was likely to make everything worse, as good as James's intentions were. Peter wasn't too sure what had happened between the two of them, but she'd been jumpy around him and Sirius had taken to preening when she was around; there was no other word for it. "You can put her trunk in the boot and wait here. I'll tell your dad." As Peter stepped closer, he muttered to James. "I think she meant big in the sense that there's tons of people she doesn't know, Prongs."
James stared after his friend, who came back in sight a moment later hauling a trunk that was taller than he was. Although a funny sight, James was preoccupied by the shaking girl in his arms; he wasn't sure how to calm nerves, since to his knowledge he'd never really had them, but he'd do his best.
"Sirius, love-- Sirius-- SIRIUS, SLOW DOWN THE CAR!"
Vivian Potter hung onto the seatbelt for dear life, in the passenger seat of the car. Kagumi was laughing, her arms thrown around the back of the driving seat, where Sirius Black rested one hand on the wheel and the other dangled out the window carelessly; she actually seemed to enjoy the recklessly fast driving (Mrs. Potter had caught a glimpse at the speedometer at one point and nearly fainted; they were doing well over seventy kilometers an hour on the way into London). Remus cringed as the line of traffic got closer and Sirius showed no signs of stopping.
"Sirius!" Vivian cried out, shielding her eyes; the impending crash she was so afraid of never happened.
"Calm down, Mrs. P. I know what I'm doing," Sirius said coolly, as the front end of their car just barely missed another car; from the dark blue color, and the rude gesture hanging out the passenger window, it was James's car. Sirius returned the gesture, and Remus and Kagumi rolled their eyes as one. Their wry look met over the two owl cages and Remus looked away first, unsure of what he was interpreting in her gaze. Kagumi smiled in a self-satisfied sort of way, her bangs whipping frantically in the fierce wind as Sirius mashed the gas again. Mrs. Potter gave a little groan and hid her face in her hands.
Remus checked his pocket watch, which he'd received that March as his coming-of-age gift: it was gold, etched with the picture of a violin, and the bow and handle of the instrument were inlaid with beautiful golden-oak. "Padfoot, it's almost eleven. The train leaves at eleven."
"Moons, really now, you think I don't know that?" Sirius flashed a grin over his shoulder at his friend, and Kagumi grinned broadly as the world titled sharply; she distinctly felt the inertia carry the car onto two wheels as their ride skidded into a parking spot perfectly. "No worries. We're here."
"Sirius Valentine Black, I am going to kill you one day," Mrs. Potter muttered as she shakily got out of the car. "And I am never letting you drive again."
"Well, Mrs. P, you did say that driving in the middle of downtown London scared you," Sirius said reasonably, hauling three trunks from, well, from the trunk.
"Well that's changed. Now it's your driving that scares me."
Laughing, Kagumi got out, her bangs sticking every which way, and took hers from him. "That…was wild," she said, eyes bright and shining with adrenalin and excitement; it was a similar look to the one she wore when flying.
Remus turned to the smiling girl, extending one hand. "Do you need any help-- oh."
Remus stared as the girl single-handedly pulled her trunk and held the owl cage that held Pueo in her other hand, striding for all the world as if she knew where she was going. Remus and Sirius shared a glance, and both chalked it up to "Things That Weren't as They Seemed."
Shrugging, the boys took off after the girl, ready to catch up with James, Peter and Bridget, who'd ridden with Mr. Potter. He'd done the smart thing and refused to let James drive. Mrs. Potter threw her arms around her husband.
"Warwick, I love you." She said loud enough for the teenagers to hear. Sirius rolled his eyes. "And I will never criticize your driving ever again."
This year was different, as much as his parents attempted to ignore the fact. His brother was a seventh year-- the year he was supposed to officially become the Black Heir-- and it was very obvious that he wasn't with them. Regulus Black frowned, leaning against a wall with an polished grace bred into him, and surveyed the crowd for new prosp-- well. He examined the girl through his fringe, taking in her traditionally styled hair, the Malkin's-tailored uniform, and the aristocratic lines of her shoulders and back. Perfect.
"Pardon me," he said smoothly, giving her a grin he'd learned from years of following his brother. "Do you need assistance?"
Bridget turned towards the almost familiar voice, wondering if she was going to get another surp-- oh my. This boy looked freakishly like Sirius. They had the same traditionally handsome features, and he had a build that was only slightly thinner than Sirius's with eyes that were blue rather than gray. Bugger it all, she had horrid luck.
Regulus hoped that he was the first to meet whoever this new girl was-- at least he hadn't seen Sirius or any of his Gryffindor friends around. "No, thank you," she said with a small, polite smile that seemed to actually be genuine. Then again, he was rather distracted by her large, almond-shaped eyes. "I'm waiting for a friend." That seemed like a neutral enough thing to say. Many people had friends that weren't related to Regulus Black or named Potter.
"Ah, well, allow me to introduce myself. I am Regulus Black." There was a spark of recognition in her face and her lips twitched into a slightly wider smile. Good, she'd heard of him... or his family. Either way she hadn't run off in a self-righteous Gryffindor-ish huff. "Slytherin."
"Bridget Griffins," she responded. There was an odd drawl to her voice, a hint of a Yankee accent. He wasn't too well informed of their hierarchy-- Mother was so wary of the colonials-- but Griffins was definitely one of their more prominent pureblood names. "I'm afraid I haven't been Sorted yet."
"Regulus?" an imperious voice asked from behind him. His mother studied Bridget with a sweeping look that would make most girls wither, but she looked steadily back with a polite expression.
"Mother, may I introduce Bridget Griffins. She's a new student." His mother's eyebrow arched up-- transfer students weren't often accepted; she must be brilliant or extremely well connected. Or both. "Miss Griffins, this is my mother, Walburga Black."
She opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by Potter. He strode up behind her, wrapped an arm around her waist, and glared at Regulus. Bridget seemed to melt gratefully into Potter's side; it seemed the Potter heir had found a pureblood to moon over rather than the red-haired Muggleborn.
"Black," Potter said coldly, acting as if Regulus had stolen his only brother rather than the other way around. He nodded respectfully at Regulus's mother, although it looked painful. "Madame Black."
"Potter," Regulus replied as his mother barely returned the nod. It was an unfortunate necessity; Potter was still the heir to one of the most powerful and pure families in Great Britain. Someday they might need his lineage, so for now they conceded with the barest of pleasantries.
"I'm afraid I must steal away Bridget." First name, they knew each other; the girl hadn't been pawned off on Potter because of some unfortunate family connection. "I'll give Sirius your regards."
Bridget resisted the urge to hit James. He could be such a jerk sometimes. "Was that really necessary?"
"Yes," he said firmly, not even looking at her. He was treating her more like a small child that needed to be told what to do rather than an almost-grown woman who could think through things herself. It was quite annoying.
"Oh, please," she drawled. The anxiety was not making her mood any better; she was much more likely to snap at people when stressed.
James spun her around, leaning down close to her with an expression that was so serious and adult that it frightened her. "Bridget, they may be related to Sirius, but Regulus and Walburga Black are nothing like him." Well... that wasn't entirely true, but it wasn't like she could tell him. "They are Blacks through and through. Pureblood maniacs who think people like Lily don't deserve to go to Hogwarts, who support insane fanatics like Voldemort. I guarantee you that Regulus will join the Death Eaters if he hasn't already." He was right about that, at least. "And Walburga disowned her eldest son for doing nothing more than what was right, for defending innocent people. I want you to stay away from them because it's not safe, not because I'm being prejudiced." Wow, James was a lot more insightful than she'd given him credit for; she hadn't even mentioned that. "Besides, it would kill Sirius. He's still not over what his mother did."
The Marauders and Kagumi sat in their compartment, talking about the events from a couple of weeks before. They'd long since settled in with goodies, snacks and enough intellect to keep themselves amused during the long train ride. Bridget had disappeared for a while, but the others stayed right where they were, discussing different things; James was a little surprised at how much the girls' presence over the summer had opened Peter up.
The topics of discussion were as wide and varied as the occupants themselves, ranging from politics to mischief-making; the current discussion centered on Remus's attack, and he'd sheepishly admitted what had gone through his head.
"Moony, come on. How could you think that?" Sirius asked, his arm a comfortable anchor around both Kagumi and Remus. Remus shrugged, red-faced.
"You actually thought we'd just leave you with them?" Peter asked, his blue eyes narrowing in hurt.
"Moons, seriously," James said, pelting his friend with a Chocolate Frog box; Remus simply opened his mouth and popped the Frog in his mouth and grinned around the kicking legs.
"Disgusting. That's my line," Sirius tossed an arrogant sniff, and for a split second, he looked so much like the family he despised. "Now, then, Mr. Lupin, Siriusly, you wouldn't believe us anyway. Not in that state."
"I blame the kriffing silver paint," Gumi added, her head tilted back against Sirius's arm, eyes closed and occasionally popping a piece of Drooble's Best. "It bloody well messed with his sanity."
"What sanity?" came three voices, and the entire group laughed as Peter dug around in his trunk for the Exploding Snap deck. It was only a matter of time, after all, before someone got bored and something exploded; might as well be something designed for it.
"So," a voice drawled from the door. Everyone turned to look, and saw a slim, black haired boy leaning against the doorframe with an effortless grace that seemed oddly familiar... "Here you are, Brother."
"Reggie!" Sirius said, all smiles; only Kagumi and Remus were able to feel his body tense up. "Slumming it with us blood traitors? How's Mummy?"
"Better, now that you're not around," he snarled. From the look on the boy's handsome face (or, well, it would have been handsome had he not been glaring painful death at his brother), he was about to start in on another insult when a femininely cleared throat whipped his head around.
Kagumi slowly slid her arm around from Sirius and noticed Regulus's eyes following every movement; she was careful to make it seem more sensuous than it was. Since the younger Black seemed desperate to believe the worst of his brother, perhaps a show was called for. Kagumi felt what she called her Slytherin Face slide on, and the arrogance seeped from her every pore; ignoring how it felt too natural for her tastes, she smirked purposely.
"Well, well," Regulus's eyes followed her long legs as they uncrossed and she stood. "Who are you?" he asked. "My brother's newest plaything?"
"It's no concern of yours whether I am or not," she replied coolly, eyes taking him in. Kagumi arched her back for one second, and he noticed her posture. "Kagumi Pheonix." Regulus took her halfway extended hand and kissed the air above it; the boys watched with a little awe as she inclined her head, one leg stretching out behind her at the same moment, like a choreographed set dance. He didn't let go of her hand, and didn't seem too worried about it as she slid it up to rest directly at his breastbone, the gesture looking far too casual and sensual for any of the four Gryffindors' peace of mind.
"I don't recall any Pheonixes in Britain."
"Pureblooded American-Irish. You're safe with me, Reggie," the insult on the word was plain. "Let's see." Her eyes trailed over him appraisingly. "You must be a Black. Not that I'm insulting you, of course-- I have the greatest respect for your incredible family tree, burc'ya-- but I was spending time with Sirius. If you want my attention," she grinned, gently backing him out the door with one hand on his chest; every movement of her hips somehow managed to swirl the uniform skirt enough to draw attention, "you'll have to wait your turn like a good boy."
And with that, she left the boy fuming in the hall as she shut and magically locked the door, then draped herself elegantly over Sirius's lap; his arms went around her mechanically, and he found himself reappraising the girl he'd just seen with the girl who'd quickly won a piece of his heart over the summer. They were two totally different people.
"What was that?" he asked.
"That," she yawned lightly, winking at James, whose mouth hung open, "was my Slytherin Effect. What do you think?"
"I think you shut him up for a while," Jams said. Peter nodded, carefully taking stock of Kagumi's body language as she rose and plopped herself in between Sirius and Remus. She seemed for all the world like their friend from the summer, but with a lingering trace of that unnerving haughtiness.
"Now," she said brightly when Regulus had left the hall, "what were we discussing?"
"My kidnapping." Remus watched her, seeing a new side and one that reminded him too much of Sirius's Cousins. At least it was Andromeda rather than Narcissa or Bellatrix. Peter flicked his blue eyes towards her every now and again as he dealt out cards.
"Bridget calls it your Wolfnapping," James remembered suddenly. At the mention of Bridget's name, Sirius grinned in the same self-satisfied way he had as when he'd returned from the trolley.
"Wolfnapping?" Remus muttered, horrified. "Merlin... Regardless, I never saw it coming. I mean, I knew of Anti-Lycanthrope groups around, but thought I'd covered my tracks better than that. It's odd, like someone knows."
Kagumi sat squashed between Sirius and Remus, stunned from the force of what she'd just realized. Intended or not, we've managed to change things. Remus just said it himself and we put him in danger because we weren't prepared for what could happen. Suddenly short of breath, feeling so very out of place, she flung the door of the compartment open and set out in search of Jet. This revelation called for some contingency plans.
"There's something you should know, Jet," Kagumi said to her distracted friend. She was staring out the window intently, as though the passing countryside had the answers both girls were looking for. Brow furrowed, Kagumi crossed her arms, and drew up her courage again.
"Gumi, really, what is it now?" Bridget asked.
She sounded a bit tired, and probably wasn't paying much attention to her, concentrated as she was on the fact that she'd just passed Sirius in the narrow hall. He had grinned at her in a way that made her stomach clench and cheeks heat up, bringing to mind all of the small things he'd tried in their final days of summer. It had been... sweet in an odd, fumbling way; Sirius obviously didn't usually, well, court the girls he was after.
"Jet, I think that we should face..." Kagumi cleared her throat nervously; the girl's reaction to this was not going to be good, especially after that little tizzy they'd gotten into their first few nights here. "We need to face the fact that since we arrived-- Jet, are you listening to me?"
"Yeah, 'course I am," she mumbled in a decidedly distracted manner. But Bridget's eyes were closed, and her face was pinched in a way that reminded Gumi of that night in the guest bedroom, when she'd had to face her own growing attraction-- whether it was grudging or willing-- to Remus. It clicked then, the way Sirius had been grinning when he returned from tracking down the trolley witch with an almost tentative offer of sweets (he'd tossed another grin, and a pumpkin pasty to Gumi, but the grin hadn't been the same... thankfully) and she sighed.
"That's why I said that James Potter just ran starkers down the hall right?" Kagumi deadpanned.
"Yeah, I'm te-- wait, he what? I told him not to piss off Lily today." Jet's eyes swung over to her friend, who was leaning against the door of the very last compartment with her arms folded, frowning tightly. The look of shock was almost enough to soothe Kagumi's irritation...almost.
"Bridget, if you don't want to talk to me right now, then say as much. But don't ignore me just to think about darling Sirius. He's not going anywhere, trust me. He's taken a shine to you the way that James did to Lily."
"Kagumi, I'm sorry, I'm just a little distracted. Besides, he's not darl--" Jet stopped at the dark look on Gumi's petite face, almost visibly drawing backwards.
"Nevermind then. Wouldn't want to 'distract' you..." With a bit of excessive force, Kagumi left the compartment, shutting the door so hard that the pane of glass cracked in three different ways.
Crap.
Bridget sighed deeply, shaking her head. She couldn't face Sirius, couldn't face Gumi, and the other Marauders were playing Exploding Snap and eating some of the sweets that Sirius's arms had been laden with. She sank against the wall, eyes closed tightly, and her hands began to shake. She was starting to panic, and it wouldn't do to freak out alone on a train full of strangers. She took several, supposedly calming deep breaths, trying to center herself, and fled to a place where she knew she would be left alone-- the girls' bathroom. Bugger, she wasn't entirely sure what to do at this point, but hiding seemed to be a good idea for now, until she got her courage back, at least.
Bridget was nervous. She'd never been very good at any sort of girly, emotional heart-to-heart and she really wasn't sure how to go about it. Still, she already knew what Gumi thought about the situation, and she really did need a second opinion. The worst part was that things had been fine, especially in light of the article set to come out that very day, but then Sirius had gotten... carried away. He'd picked her up and swung her around and... well, he had very nice eyes. He was hard to resist; it just wasn't fair.
She groaned and let her head fall in her hands. Currently hiding away in the train's bathroom, it wouldn't be very long before someone was sent to see if she was okay, and she knew exactly who would volunteer. Bridget wasn't too thrilled about the prospect, as she'd been effectively avoiding being left alone with him for the rest of summer holidays, and all for one, simple reason.
Sirius had kissed her. Although, to be fair, it was entirely possible she'd been just as much at fault; it's not like she'd turned away or anything.
And it was the root of all of her problems. Well, all of her problems with Sirius, the whole "suddenly transitioning dimensions because two extradimensional beings, possibly extraterrestrials decided that they were bored" thing couldn't be traced back to him. She pictured herself clinging to him that night in Remus's room, thought of the way his smirk had felt against her lips, and how he'd tasted of mint, and-- She cut herself off from that line of thought, blushing furiously. Again.
God, it would be so much easier if she didn't turn bright red whenever she even thought about it. How was she supposed to talk about it? Frankly, she just didn't know what to do. Bridget had never been in this sort of situation before and she enjoyed spending time with all of the Marauders (even, surprisingly, Peter); she didn't want to screw this up for a spur of the moment, short lived romance with a boy notorious for breaking hearts. The entire situation made her think of a James and Lily type of ordeal.
That's it. Bridget stood up, opening the door and cautiously sticking her head out. She needed to find Lily, and it would be best if she did so before anyone else found her. Namely Sirius, maybe James if he... well... started paying attention to anyone besides Lily. And she knew that Gumi was rather upset with her at the moment, (she'd never taken well to being ignored or shut out-- a bad flaw in her family-- and Bridget had enough trouble merely trying to open up) so that ruled her out as well; besides, the Irish girl was currently entertaining the other Marauders anyway.
"Severus, I don't want to hear it." Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Bridget's lips quirked into an amused smirk. How appropriate. Bridget made her way closer to the compartment door, hand hovering uncertainly over the door as she wondered whether she should interrupt or not.
"Lily, I said I was sorry. What more do you want?"
"I don't want your apologies until you can prove yourself to me again. Don't ever tell me you're sorry unless you really mean it, not just because you don't want to lose me. I don't even know you anymore." Lily's voice took a sad turn. "I'm sorry, Sev. I can't be friends with someone who agrees with the crap coming out of Voldemor—"
"Do not speak his name."
"See? You're afraid and you refuse to fight for what's right." A weary sigh followed the statement and Bridget could picture Lily's face crumpling. This was getting awkward. "Leave me alone."
She had been feeling a little guilty for eavesdropping, but now Bridget could tell that Lily wanted this conversation to end as much as she did. She opened the compartment door, ready to pretend she had just heard Lily's voice.
"Sorry, Lily, but can I speak with you?" she asked politely.
Lily whirled around, eyes widening. "Oh, Bridget. You startled me."
"Sorry. I could really use another girl to talk to right now," Bridget shrugged casually. "I already know what Gumi thinks, but I also know that Gumi is, for all her bluster, a horrendous romantic at heart. At times I think she would rather play matchmaker than Quidditch."
"All right, Bridget. I'll be done in a minute." Lily's lips quirked at the image of the tomboyish Gumi swooning with delight as one of her plans paid off.
"No matter, I'm leaving now," the male voice came from behind Lily. A boy stepped from the corner of the compartment towards the door and Bridget could only stare. For once, the descriptions of the Muggle Potter series were startlingly accurate: Snape really had a hooked nose. His skin was a bit oily, but that was more likely from the horrors of adolescence and hormones than anything else. And his hair...
Black eyes seemed unsurprised to see Bridget, so she stared right back. "Would you move, girl?" he commanded. Bridget immediately felt herself going on the defensive, a single eyebrow arching regally (although she'd never admit it).
"That was polite," she replied reflexively. "Could you ask nicer?"
"If you were worth the effort, perhaps. Now move."
Bridget crossed her arms, and, had Gumi been in the little compartment, she could have told Severus Snape that her friend's stance meant that she wasn't moving until she had her way. "Not until you say please. You're lucky I'm not holding out for an apology for calling me 'girl.' Normally I don't react as nicely."
Snape rolled his eyes and looked at Lily, who raised empty hands to proclaim her innocence to the cabin. She wasn't going to get involved. To be honest, she wanted to see how Bridget would hold up against Severus; not many people stood up to him so brashly.
"Fine. Please move." Every syllable sounded as if it were being wrenched from him with the Cruciatus, but he had said please. Bridget gave him a bright smile that momentarily stunned him-- merely because it was so different from the unamused glare she'd been gracing him with previously-- before moving to the side and shutting the door behind him.
Lily smiled; this girl had potential. "What was it you wanted to talk about?"
Sirius stared after her in a slight state of shock, wondering where he had gone wrong. That… that had never happened before. Bridget had stood there, cheeks tinted a becoming shade of pink the entire time, and refusing to meet his eyes until the very end when she told him, Sirius Black-- after a lot of hedging and stumbling-- that she'd prefer to just be friends.
"Wow. She's gone up a notch in my books," a familiar, similarly shocked sounding voice said from his right. "I don't think I've ever heard of that happening before."
"It hasn't," a second familiar voice said.
"She should be given an Order of Merlin; no one's ever been able to shut Padfoot up for this long."
Finally, Sirius snapped out of it and turned to glare at his three best friends. Then he noticed that they looked just as surprised as he was. He sighed.
"Don't worry about it, Padfoot," James said, slapping him on the shoulder in what was probably supposed to be a bracing way. "That means she's one of a kind, worth the wait. Bridget's a smart girl; she'll come around in time, like Evans."
This would normally warrant some sort of disbelieving, mocking statement, especially since the Head Girl had not "come around," but it was only met with silence.
"You know," said Remus thoughtfully, "I actually think Lily might be warming up to him." At the incredulous looks, Remus shrugged. "Well, she certainly hasn't been as hostile or violent towards him. So there's... progress."
James's face lit up, and they were able to move on to slightly better conversation topics. Sirius, however, drifted off on his own, still baffled. The more he thought about it, the more confused he got. She certainly hadn't minded when he'd done the deed; in fact, she had seemed as enthusiastic as he'd been, even if she had been a little... innocent. So why, he wondered, ignoring his friends' looks, was she going shy now?
"Maybe it's because she doesn't like you that way." Peter suggested, leaning down. Sirius jumped only enough that his friends would notice, and glared darkly.
"Hey, don't give me that look. You were the one thinking out loud." Peter sat down beside his friend, aware that the other boys were watching as well. "It's a bad habit of yours."
"Or," Remus said after a moment, "it could be your reputation for being-- how should I say it?-- fickle." He nodded once, to himself. "That's about right. When a girl bores you, you move on."
"Moony has a point, Padfoot." James clapped his best friend on the shoulder. "You go through women the way a niffler goes through dirt. Always searching, never stopping, never slowing down." James stopped a moment, then laughed at something. "Reminds me of the time Kady got locked in the pantry and ate all the sugar as an elflet; Merlin, the way she ran around…" James trailed off, eyes bright at the fond memory.
"Well, we'll see who's laughing tonight," Sirius threatened. Then his gaze softened as he noticed Bridget stopping the trolley witch as she made her final rounds down the hall. "You know..."
"You're right," James answered the unspoken question. The two boys could practically read each other's minds and Remus and Peter didn't even try to keep up with it. Luckily, they also tended to explain themselves within seconds. It was probably a good thing that the two boys were Gryffindors, and therefore on the "Light" side of this coming war, because they'd make horrible and more than likely unsuccessful villains... or frighteningly good ones, now that Remus stopped to think about it. They would only be truly effective when on the same side. "We should do something special for the girls tonight. It's their first time to Hogwarts."
Remus gave himself over to the inevitable and shook his head. "As long as you don't get anyone piss drunk again. That debacle with the Hufflepuffs last year almost got us expelled." He sighed. "Again."
Professor Albus Dumbledore stood up, before the Sorting of this year's students. "This is weird, since when does he make announcements before the feast?" Sirius hissed to James. Now James, who'd had his share of dumb moments (probably more), took a moment to arm himself with some patience. He'd learned a few things over the summer from the girls, like when to pick his battles. After all, smacking his best friend with the nearest thing (currently a tureen waiting to be filled) wasn't conducive to pleasant dinner conversation.
"Since there hasn't been a transfer student, let alone two, in over three hundred years!"
"Right..." Sirius grinned sheepishly, and turned his attention back to the Headmaster. "Totally knew that."
"...And it gives me great pleasure this year, before the Sorting, to announce our good fortune in having two American Transfer Students. Miss. Pheonix is straight from Wild Mountain Magic Preserve on the East Coast and Miss Griffins has been schooled in her home in Hawaii; they will be Sorted with the first years. Professor McGonagall?" He gestured to a severe-looking woman in square spectacles who perched a ratty old hat on top of the stool. In a very surreal sort of way, the large rip near the brim opened and formed into lips of a sort; the Hat was preparing to sing.
"I bid thee greetings with my yearly song.
Though brought forth to Sort, I must first warn
Of where we be-- on the cusp of brewing fate--
And the danger of hate and friendships forsworn.
Gryffindor was boldest of them all.
He, born of fire and war-torn strife,
Chose those of honor and courage,
Determined souls, to whom to give new life.
Hufflepuff, the kindest, gentle soul,
Wished to give an earthy home
To children to whom loyalty was known;
Fair, hardworkers given no more need to roam.
Ravenclaw had hopes flying high as the wind
To teach those possessing sharpest wit,
And a desire to learn, to know
That destiny is theirs to be writ.
Slytherin, of lake and magic strong,
Selected to have in his hold,
The wry and the cunning, ambitious young ones,
To whom imparted secrets untold.
Remember the darkness to come, the shadows that fall.
Hogwarts' Heirs bid her children stand tall,
Be quick to defend her, not to divide
Let not this safe haven fall to foolish pride.
Unite in victory and in triumph,
But know the profound sorrow,
For the lives given gladly:
All for a better morrow."
After the halting, and unsure-sounding, applause, the first name was called, and more soon followed. Each House cheered for its newest members, or booed the newest rivals, and Kagumi smiled as she noticed Sirius and James hissing at the Slytherins. Though she had no problem with Slytherins herself, it was amusing to watch the boys; truly, they took Interhouse Prejudice to new heights.
Finally, the name came: "Griffins, Bridget!" Jet sighed and walked up to the stool, hesitantly putting the hat on her head and a sharp pain shot through her head. She could feel more than see memories and thoughts flashing through her mind and it was making her dizzy.
I apologize. It is more challenging to Sort older students, and the methods I use must be more. . . intrusive.
"Yeah, sure, fine. Can we get to the point, then?" She shifted on the stool. "This isn't the most comfortable of seats and my head hurts." She knew that she was being irritable, but the Hat didn't seem to mind.
Very well. The Hat hummed, reminding Bridget of relatives who would look her up and down, sizing her up and appraising her worthiness. It wasn't a feeling she enjoyed.
You would do well in Slytherin.
"What? No, I wouldn't," Bridget said, rather shocked at the implication. "I'd get annoyed with the lot and try to hurt someone. Besides, if I got Sorted there I have a nagging suspicion James and Sirius would disapprove."
You are extremely loyal to those you care about, it continued, ignoring her side-comments.
"I just met them."
And intelligent.
"I dunno, I've done some pretty stupid things, just ask my mother." With a grin, she added, "Or Gumi."
But, I'm afraid there's only one place for you.
Bridget's eye's widened. She'd gotten distracted and now— "Don't you dare put me in Slytherin you—"
"GRYFFINDOR!"
"I will tear you apart at the seams and no amount of thread or magic will ever be able to put— Gryffindor? Did you say Gryffindor?"
Yes, Miss Griffins, now join your Housemates.
Still a little confused, she set the hat down and quietly walked off to the Gryffindor table, where the boys were cheering louder than anyone else.
She was bright red once she'd managed to find her seat between Remus and James and across from Sirius, looking smaller and younger than she had the entire time they'd known her. Much to Sirius's annoyance, she burrowed under James's arm, trying very hard to hide from the attention. If anything, it was bound to make things worse: everyone would either be shocked that the Marauders-- James, in particular-- were paying particular attention to any girl, let alone the new one, or-- and Sirius found this much more likely-- they'd find her bashful smile just as charming as he did.
"What's so great about an American?" a snotty boy, maybe a third year, muttered under his voice. To his bad luck, he happened to be sitting next to Sirius. His back went ramrod-straight, and he whirled around, and grabbed the boy. Remus and James jumped towards him, but the bench got in their way. By the time they'd disentangled themselves from each other and the three first years they'd knocked down, Bridget had reached across the table with her hand over Sirius's.
"It's fine. Let it go."
Sirius glanced at her and pulled the boy close enough so that everyone could hear his low, dangerous voice, but would be hard-pressed to understand what he said.
"Let me tell you something, Adams, that girl is one of the most amazing people I know," he growled before realizing that the Great Hall had gotten a bit too quiet. He could feel McGonagall's disapproving gaze from across the room and was afraid to see the disappointment on Bridget's face. Forcing a smile, he set the boy back down and watched as "Newton, Bevin" became a Ravenclaw.
The eyes boring into the back of his head seemed to get worse, so he turned around. There, standing in line, Kagumi shook her head and gave him the look she usually reserved for James or Remus. It was the look that said, "We'll talk about this later." He groaned. A Gumi lecture was not something he particularly wanted to endure right now, and getting drunk was sounding better and better. He whispered the idea to James, pausing the conversation when Kagumi's name was called.
She tried to move her right foot; it didn't work. Taking a deep, calming breath, she closed her eyes and opened them again. McGonagall began tapping her foot, and the whispers were getting louder by the second. Dumbledore leaned forward slightly, as if waiting to see what would happen.
A glance at the Gryffindor table caught her friends' eyes. Jet rolled her eyes and nodded towards the Hat while James and Sirius were busy whispering to each other, and Peter was crossing his fingers for something. But it was Remus's reaction that startled her into moving. He smiled, and gave her an almost sheepish Marauder Sign, one of the simpler ones: Good Luck. She smiled right back, signed thanks and, with renewed confidence, stepped forward.
Finally, the brim of the musty hat fell across her eyes, and she knew what Harry had meant in the Potter series: it was rather unsettling to have one's memories examined. Good Lord, how many difficult students must I Sort this year? The Hat sounded irritated, and Kagumi chuckled mentally, even as a sharp pain flashed behind her eyes.
I'm sorry.
No, you're not, but I suppose in your shoes, I might find this amusing as well. Now be still and let me see where you belong. Kagumi laughed in her head, even through the twinges, and relished the feeling she'd been waiting for years. You've obviously been thinking about this since you read that first book, yes? At Kagumi's shocked silence, the Hat gave off a feeling of amusement. Yes, I know that you and Miss Griffins are not from this world. It's all there, in your head, you know. The memories from your own time. In fact, those are mostly what I'm working from.
Have you reached a verdict, Messer Hat? She dared to ask. She felt oddly giddy, and a bit lightheaded; briefly, she wondered if Sirius or James had slipped something into her Cauldron Cake on the train before remembering that she'd unwrapped it herself. Then she recalled that she'd felt something similar on successful pranks, and decided that it was just adrenalin. She firmly told her endorphin system where it could stick its mood swings.
Oh yes, in fact I've reached four of them. Well, one with three other deciding factors. The Hat really sounded rather put out. You obviously know that you're loyal. Take the way you mother your friends, when you let down your guard enough to truly care about something. You're fair, for the most part, and practical, and know that no matter how unpleasant a task may be, if it needs to be done then it needs to be done. Also treatment to your brothers suggests that Hufflepuff would be a nice fit, but not quite the right one.
And your second verdict? Kagumi asked, having a sinking feeling as to where this was headed; her light mood began to rapidly evaporate and a gnawing sensation crept up on her.
Well, you're rather brilliant. You and the Griffins girl are too smart for your own good, and you know it, even if she hasn't a clue, so there's also the possibility that Ravenclaw would suit you very well indeed.
And? Kagumi prompted.
You're ridiculously brave, very nearly reckless and incredibly stubborn. That could mean Gryffindor, you know. Oddly enough, the Hat sounded as if it expected her to object.
...And that would be a bad thing?
Not at all, really, but the place that you most belong, my dear, is in Slytherin. Kagumi couldn't speak from horror. All right, so it wasn't terrible, but the thought of being away from those she'd come to care for so desperately prompted her to object, however politely she could. The Hat could feel her objection building. Let me finish. You're not without ambition, even you can't deny that. You have a cooler view of life than many of your friends, and you understand that there are shadows within the light. That in order to achieve good, perhaps one must use darker methods than the preferred way. Kagumi frowned, trying to view herself as the Hat was speaking. It made a certain amount of sense, but she wasn't exactly keen on blowing up her own ego, so she'd never really noticed anything until the Hat began pointing her attributes out.
While you are intelligent, as I said when I suggested Ravenclaw, the way you show that intelligence is through cunning. You are, for lack of a better word, sly. You prefer artful solutions, even when they are explosions, the Hat was definitely amused at the memories of the various times something had gone boom in her life, and you seek to protect not only yourself but others as well. Any unethical solution, such as what you sought the night the Lupin boy was kidnapped, you took upon yourself without thinking. You knew that you could handle doing what you thought had to be done, and didn't want anyone else's conscious burdened by that decision. And that personifies Slytherin house.
I beg to differ, but from what I've heard, the Slytherins these days don't see it that way. Kagumi sighed mentally, aware of the growing whispers. Everyone's eyes were upon her, and it was a little intimidating. The professors, with the exception of Dumbledore, wore varying degrees of shocked expressions, and Kagumi could feel the heat rushing up to her forehead.
Not all Slytherins are bad, these days, but perhaps I was wrong. You personify what Slytherin house should be, what it was. What it can be again, with someone to guide them.
So that someone should be me? Oh, that's cold. Now I feel guilty. Not that all Slytherins are bad, that's not what I meant, but I know the constraints of my own temper; truthfully, Mr. Hat, you really must want me expelled if you wanna put me in Snake City. You have any idea how many detentions I'd have from the first week alone? The Hat was getting irritable again, and Kagumi wondered just how much time this was taking. McGonagall seemed to be holding a discussion via facial expression with Dumbledore, who had his hands clasped; Kagumi could see his expression, and suddenly wondered if the Headmaster was connected in some way with the Hat itself. She'd have to ask him eventually.
Well, what do you suggest then? You'd make a mockery out of all the rest of the Houses, my dear, and obviously you don't want to go where you most belong, so I give up and wash my hands of it! Kagumi stuffed her knuckles in her mouth, and tried to stop the cheeky comment she could feel. She didn't succeed.
But you don't have hands... The Sorting Hat sighed audibly, and McGonagall's eyebrows went up even more. She could feel the decision it was making, could feel the choice that it thought wasn't right, but it knew what she wanted.
Fine! Off with you. GRYFFINDOR! It's obvious that that's where you want to be, if only to be with your friends. Kagumi reached up to pull the Hat off her head, relieved. Oh, and tell your 'brother' that I still haven't forgiven him for nicknaming me Batty Hatty, the voice whispered against her ears as she handed the hat to the Deputy Headmistress. Avoiding everyone's eyes, Kagumi sat next to Sirius and buried her face in his robes, missing Remus's sharp look.
Now, the entire table and most of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were looking at them in shock, as were two Slytherins with interests in the Gryffindor House. Both of the new girls had their faces hidden in the robes of two of the most well-known students in the school, who were always assumed to be insular and unwelcoming, if not unfriendly, to people outside their own group. The girls were mirror images of one another: Bridget on the one side with James, and Kagumi on the other with Sirius.
Both boys were focused on their respective girl, wrapping a protective arm around their shoulders and speaking in quiet, concerned voices, which left Remus and Peter to deflect the questioning and somewhat hostile looks. Peter shrugged at the table and turned back to his plate, making an effort to be seen as being nice to the girls. Just because they were friends previously didn't mean that they wouldn't be, but if the girls were seen as affectionate with all of them, it might help defuse some of the rumors that were bound to take root.
"Gumi, love, are you all right?" Sirius asked with concern; his friend trembled beneath his arm, and if she shook much harder, she'd be rattling his teeth.
"I'm okay, just a little disturbed." Her voice was a little throaty and deeper than normal, as it usually was when she first woke up, or when she was upset. The hands gripping his robes were a bit bloodless, and much paler than normal, a testimony to the amount of pressure she was exuding on the cloth.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, beginning to rub her back in soothing circles; he could feel the tension begin to bleed out of her at the soft affectionate touch and remembered what she'd said the day she'd made all those deliciously chocolaty brownies: If you want to comfort me, affection works best. She shook her head, which felt incredibly odd for him, as her nose was resting against his clavicle, leading to a curious rubbing sensation.
He tried not to react, but when she shook her head again he had to or burst. The shock value alone was enough to make her raise her head: Sirius had giggled like a girl. Brow furrowed, she stared. "You giggle? Like a girl, even."
"I'm a little ticklish. Back off." Finger raised threateningly, she grinned shakily. He shook his head, and settled his arm around her shoulders. "Well, if you want to talk, you know you can. I'll always listen."
She nodded, and leaned her head against him again. Sirius noticed her eyes close when the food began to appear, that Remus was glaring daggers at him. One hand, the one not around Gumi's shoulders, raised and Sirius used a Marauder sign: Not my fault.
Remus looked thoroughly disgruntled, and Sirius would've bet all the money in his Gringotts vault that he knew why, even if his friend didn't. And Sirius got to thinking, a little more seriously, and an idea came to mind. Maybe it would help both of the girls if all of us shared our experiences with the Sorting Hat...
"I will say this: it was close," Kagumi whispered, feeling mildly shaken; the familiar, comforting scent of Sirius was helping slowly but surely. She'd always wondered whether she would end up in Gryffindor or Slytherin, and now she knew. Thank Merlin for the Marauders, she thought fervently, or I would've been under the lake. Not that it would've killed me, but I really don't feel like stretching my patience after these past few months.
But now, as the Marauders gave her backslaps and hugs all around, she had a mystery. Half horrified, she watched Sirius fill his golden plate heaping, and Remus, with his newly acquired, but oddly accurate sense of her moods, diffused the brewing lecture by prodding her into trying some treacle; she'd always wondered what it tasted like. The light, heady banter that had characterized their summer in a fantasy world quickly took her mind from the odd happening with the Sorting Hat.
It wasn't until she was leaning against Sirius, her back against his and head resting on her knees that she remembered the Hat's rather amused comment. My brother. But my brothers are still safe in our world...Or at least, they'd better be.
Kagumi sat by Jet, and sighed contentedly. These chintz armchairs really are very squishy. Her mind wandered back to the train ride. She'd been hit with a rather harsh realization, and was still trying to think of a way to broach it with her friend. After that heated argument on the train, she'd flushed angrily and left the compartment, shattering the window as she passed and Kagumi didn't want a repeat experience.
Jet turned to her expectantly. "You wanted to talk, Gumi?" she asked mildly, still quite obviously put out by her friend's odd behavior.
"Yeah. Well, as I tried to say before, I... I um, well, there's no easy way to say this, but... I've noticed things," Kagumi cleared her throat, trying to keep her mind on track; Jet's shirt was making it difficult. It was the same shirt she'd worn the night they'd arrived in this world: Save a Broomstick, Ride a Chaser. It was funny enough not to get her thrown in detention if McGonagall saw it, but raunchy enough to keep everyone's eyes bright with amusement. Jet shrugged, bringing Gumi's attention back.
"Really now?" Jet asked, with a slight upturning of her lips. "I am told that if you have eyes, you tend to notice things. I can clearly see two eyes on your face."
Kagumi cheerfully flipped her off before saying, "Can we be serious here?"
"How can we? I think we're lacking the pertinent anatomical details required to be Sirius." Jet smirked a little, her arms still wrapped around her knees. Gumi, who'd known the girl for quite a while, was glad that they'd left the Feast early and that the Common Room was mostly empty; Bridget would never have been relaxed even the tiniest bit had it been otherwise.
Kagumi gave her friend an evil grin. "So now you're concerned with his 'pertinent anatomical details?' Intriguing." The other girl flushed from the neck up, and Kagumi got a strange sort of satisfaction. Ha. Payback for that blasted tape from the birthday party. Even if I never find it, I'll remember this as my revenge. "Seriously though, and not a word, I want to try and talk to you about what I wanted on the train. I didn't mean to stalk off like that, but... well..."
"... I suppose we can try to talk it through." Jet muttered, without any inflection in her voice; it was as if she was waiting for Gumi to reveal what she was thinking before making a judgment on it. Kagumi had a sinking suspicion that if Bridget knew what was really going through her head, she'd probably strangle her.
"And Raminus said we'd been sent here for a reason, though the low-down, dirty, family-posing bastard wouldn't even tell us what..." Gumi narrowed her eyes, then jumped as a nearby blank portrait loudly cleared its throat in indignation, in Ram's voice. It seemed, though, that the two girls were the only ones who could hear it.
"Hey! I resent that! My parents were legally married when I was born!"
"Oh shut up," Jet muttered, idly throwing a Silencing spell at the black canvas.
"Now, now, Jet." Gumi's green eyes were dancing with mischief.
"Did you see that?" Cordan gestured excitedly. Raminus nodded, his mouth still Silenced. Technically, the girls' spells shouldn't have been able to pierce between the realms, but Ram had long ago stopped being surprised by anything they did. It just went to show that the boys had chosen well. He did wish that the girls didn't have to test their progress on him, though.
"And there haven't been students who weren't properly Sorted since a decade after Hogwarts was founded. It's been difficult before, but the Hat hasn't given anyone a choice since Clarke was Sorted. Do you know what this...?" he trailed off, finally noticing the unamused glare that his oldest friend was leveling at him. Raminus threw his hands to the ceiling. "Okay, not so much 'choose your fate' as 'you belong here, but you're too damned stubborn.'" At Raminus's pointed look, Cordan threw his hands in the air, mirroring Ram's exasperated gesture. "All right, one case of each. Happy now?"
"Why doesn't it surprise me that she belongs in Slytherin?" Cordan asked, rolling his eyes. Raminus had very eloquent eyebrows, he noticed, lovingly drawing his wand; this was too good to pass up. "Your name is only Raminus karking Slytherin. Heir to the Lake House and all that rot." Raminus lowered his eyebrows, scowling, and used a Marauder hand sign: I know what you're thinking. Don't. Cordan smiled innocently, with his best, "Who, Me?" expression. But 900 odd years of friendship and fights had left Raminus immune to his best friend's ploys.
"I guess I should un-Silence you, huh?" Cordan asked, with a similar sparkle to the one in Bridget's eyes.
Uh-oh, Ram thought. Not good.
"I guess-- how should I put this-- I think perhaps, since we've been given one hell of a chance, we should take advantage of the fact that we are in the seventies, able to meet people that we've only ever dreamed of meeting before," Kagumi suggested softly. Jet had already warned her, through their modified sign language, that the boys were attempting to sneak up on them. Her request wasn't too obvious, was it?
"I suppose," Jet replied noncommittally. Her eyes were a little cooler than normal, and Kagumi noticed that she hadn't really looked at her much. It was a sign that she was irritated with her. Well that was fine, Kagumi thought irritably, she could be irrational too. But what Kagumi didn't realize was that it hadn't escaped Jet's notice that Kagumi had very carefully mentioned nothing about changing anything, so for the sake of not wanting to fight anymore, she refused to let the tiny little voice calling her friend a hypocrite get any louder. For tonight, at least.
"I hate to admit, I'm pretty fond of them." Kagumi smiled maliciously. "But just because they're our friends doesn't mean that they're off the hook. IMPROMPTU PILLOW FIGHT!" Her normal lilt disappeared as she raised her voice loudly enough to be heard and Kagumi whirled around, throwing a pillow at Peter before he could duck.
It hit him square in the face, and slid down to his chest; Jet started laughing at his stunned expression. This, of course, made the boys set down whatever they were carrying (sounded like bottles) and each pick up a pillow, chasing Gumi. She grabbed two pillows and started beating James and Sirius indiscriminately, until a bad throw caught Remus in the back of the head.
Kagumi had to giggle at Moony's affronted expression, and that prompted him into retaliating, alternately defending her from Peter and James, and whacking her himself. Sirius joined the fray joyfully, time and again, dodging the occasional pillow from Bridget, who was too busy laughing to really put any effort into it. The teams and alliances switched, and changed and morphed, as if someone had enabled the randomizer for life, until it turned into an all-out, no-holds-barred pillow fight; there was a memorable moment when Kagumi stood atop one of the couch arms, much to the amusement of Gryffindor Tower, and yelled out, "Take no quarter!". Finally, when all of the combatants lay on the floor and nobody could manage enough energy for another swing, the fight ended and Kagumi smiled contentedly. This, this must be heaven... she thought, as her eyes drifted shut contentedly.
"So," Sirius said, sometime later as feathers drifted softly to the plush carpet, "We have a surprise for you girls, for your official first night at Hogwarts. A tradition, of sorts, from the Marauders." Kagumi looked up from where she was draped, halfway over an ottoman, and quirked an eyebrow imperiously. Or, rather, it would have been imperious had she not been upside down. Bridget shook her head, all the anxiety that had been forgotten in the pillow fight beginning to come back as she curled up, settling herself in the armchair next to James and across from Kagumi.
Definitely not good. "When I said Un-Silence me, Cordan Gryffindor, I didn't mean like this!" Raminus's normally alto voice had been altered to a pipsqueak similar to that gained from inhaling helium. The resulting fight took their attention away from the Mirror, which showed James levitating bottles into any waiting hands. "Get back here, you pompous arse!"
"You know," James slurred only slightly. A tower of Butterbeer bottles leaned towards him, and he waved his wand rather disjointedly. The tower straightened, but then began leaning the other way, which impressed Kagumi; he was completely sloshed and he still managed decent spellwork. Even though they'd warned her that the fresher brews were stronger than normal, she'd dismissed it; now her head felt sort of watery, and she feared that if she moved too much, she might float away.
"This isn't good, James -hic- Nathaniel; getting us like this on our first night at Hogwarts," Kagumi scolded. Or attempted to, rather; it might've helped had she been looking in the right direction. Kagumi giggled, and then her eyes crossed slightly as she tried to focus them on something.
Remus was stifling laughter behind his book; this was a normal sight with the Marauder's first night at Hogwarts, or Last Night at Hogwarts, or, well, anytime to celebrate, really; he rarely joined in, and so was designated their official Put-To-Bed Person. Peter was quietly betting with said laughing boy on who would pass out first: Sirius, who was waltzing and weaving at the same time, alone and singing vaguely off-key, or James, who was sprawled halfway on one of the couches, absently waving his wand until little gusts of colored wind began coming out the end.
"Personally," Moony managed, in between gales of laughter, "I think it'll be Griffins." The Hawaiian girl had been nursing the same bottle of unrested beer all night, but it seemed to affect her a bit more strongly than the others, either that or the excitement was too much for her. Remus was betting on the butterbeer; he'd seen the girl pull three all-nighters in a row before. She was currently curled in between the arms of a cushy chair like a cat, dozing and listening to her friends banter.
Sirius grabbed Kagumi's arm and hauled her to her feet, spinning her around and nearly tipping them both over. A few of the other students looked on with plain amusement, like Kamal Thomas, the half-African, half-British wizard who'd welcomed the new arrivals with open arms, but Lily Evans was glaring daggers at James. When Bridget, who'd happened to look up in time to see her glance away, quietly informed him of this, he got a strange light in his eye.
"I think I love her, Bridge." This declaration was, by far, the most sober-sounding statement to come out of James's mouth since the pillow fight, which had left feathers all over the common room. Lily was muttering angrily, trying to clean the mess up.
Bridget tried to suppress her smile. "I'm--"
"Oh please," Kagumi said as she sat down, still swaying slightly. Bridget frowned at her before glancing back at James. She pushed herself up into a sitting position; there was no way this conversation could end well. For lack of a better phrase, she had a bad feeling about this. "You don't know what you're talking about, James."
"And what do you mean by that?" James asked, trying to focus his eyes on her.
"Well, to be quite blunt--"
"When are you anything but?" James grumbled, without any true rancor.
"As I was saying. Jamesie boy, to be very honest, you don't know her. You only know the superficial things about her, and I don't think that equals love. Lust, most certainly, but not love." Kagumi looked at James directly, (or as directly as the situation allowed) and was frighteningly sober for the moment. "You're rather like a dog, love, that's chasing a car: you'd have no idea what to do with it if you actually caught it."
"You calling me a dog?" James said indignantly, attempting to sit up straight and ending up falling on his head. "Ow." He rolled over and fixed Gumi with a gaze probably designed to stop the girl's brewing temper, but all it achieved was making him look as wide-eyed as though Gumi had changed colors.
"I thought I was the lovable puppy," Sirius said, large, glassy eyes focused on his bickering friends.
Bridget pulled out her wand, hoping she wouldn't have to mediate a fight...again. Peter sighed, and Remus kept a wary eye on the situation, aware of just how irrational James could be at the best of times, let alone when so smashed he could barely stand straight.
"I never said you were a dog, James, just that you wouldn't know the first thing to do if you actually managed to win her heart!" Kagumi was getting heated now, and no one noticed Lily Evans inching closer, trying to catch every word; the bag containing the feathers had fallen to the floor, unheeded. Lily was stunned, and had certainly never expected to hear the strangers defending her, especially from someone they seemed so close to. James and Bridget, certainly, and to a degree James and Kagumi, although the short girl seemed much more centered on Sirius; but there had been no lack of affection and camaraderie between the four pranksters and the two new Americans.
"I am not a dog!" James seemed stuck on the accusation, however misinterpreted it was. He finally managed to get off his back and to his feet, looking down at the shorter girl while Bridget nervously glanced between the two, her bottle forgotten and stuck between the chair arm and the cushion.
"Would you get off the damned dog kick and listen, James? I'm just saying maybe you should actually try to get to know her!" Kagumi stomped her foot and promptly lost her balance, just managing to catch herself on Remus's shoulder; he winced and rubbed the sore spot where her thin, but strangely strong fingers had dug into his collarbone.
"I do know her! And I also know that she despises me!" James roared, ruddy in the face. The entire Common Room was quiet, watching the pair fight; Remus heard more than one wager being laid.
"For someone who got to be Head Boy-- which might I add you're setting a fine example by being despicably drunk-- you are dense as hell!" Kagumi screeched right back, stepping forward and causing James to stumble back and fall into the couch again. "She only despises the way you treat her, like some sort of a frackin' trophy or prize! You try to be someone else, and never consider that she might actually like James Nathaniel Potter for who he is! Instead, you try to impress her and only end up driving her away! I've got some news for you, ner vod. She doesn't want to know how good at spellwork you are, or how accurate your hexes on her friend are. She doesn't want to know how many girls you've had drooling at your feet. And maybe," Kagumi's green eyes were cold and distant, with none of the mercy James knew lurked within her soul; instead, the girl's gaze looked very much as it had the night she heard of Remus's kidnapping.
"Just maybe, James, you should do some soul searching, assuming you have one, and figure out whether you 'love' her," her dainty hands made sneer quotes, and the sarcasm behind the icy word was palpable, "because you want to, or because she told you no..."
"Forty-seven times!" James shouted back, his lip a little more full than normal; on anyone else, it could have been called pouting. James truly looked hurt and a little embarrassed. Lily was mortified that he'd actually kept count, and several heads turned to glance at her before returning their gaze to the fight; it was as if the Common Room was wary of breathing too loudly, and thus diverting the circling anger onto themselves. "No one else has told me no."
Kagumi pointed her thin finger right at James's nose and his eyes crossed; if the argument hadn't been so serious, and so very loaded with emotion, it would have been comical. "So she's 'the one who got away?' She's 'irreplaceable', right? Much as I love your parental units, Potter, maybe they should have told you no more often as a child! She's right; I don't know how you fly so well with that damned ego of yours! You can't ever love someone else until you love yourself, and I don't mean narcissism!" Kagumi leaned away, her eyes suspiciously bright; if one who knew her tuned out the words, and simply listened to the tone of Kagumi's voice, they would have known immediately that though she thought she was right, having to say it was breaking her heart.
Raminus and Cordan stopped their chase-and-tag (which the fight had turned into) so suddenly that Raminus skidded on the hem of his robe, and crashed into Cordan, sending both young men tumbling into the wall. That tone of voice, they had learned over their years of spying on the girls, was never good. That tone meant trouble, and not the sort easily forgotten.
"What is going on?" Cordan asked quietly.
"No idea," Ram said. "Let's find out thought."
When they'd caught up to speed with the argument, the two shared a worried glance, and both uttered a single sentiment, albeit it in different languages.
"Oh crap."
"Osi'kyr."
She'd been turning it over all summer in her head, and something, maybe the simple statement that had been a little thoughtless, or maybe it was the summer of listening to James Potter wax poetic about someone he really didn't know well, but something had sparked this flame inside Kagumi's conscious and she knew that she'd lit a roaring inferno, so there was no chance of forgetting what was being said.
"Oh, she's mad now," Sirius said matter-of-factly, leaning down between two fifth years. "She's using the big words. You know, she's the only one outta us who uses big words when she's smashed..."
"I'm not nosy!" Kagumi shouted, her face a brilliant pink. Remus found it rather endearing, until he squashed the thought completely. Not her, Lupin. Not anyone...
"Really? First you invade my home, then you attack my friend, now you try to give me advice on my love life? I'd call that being nosy!"
Bridget's eyes narrowed. Now he was going too far. At first it had been about Kagumi's reckless temper and him defending his fragile male ego; now he was just lashing out and at her, too. She hadn't done a damn thing.
"I did not invade, Potter!" Kagumi's voice, no matter the volume, was icy. "I was invited because my family dumped me here! I didn't mean to hit Peter, but he's forgiven me," ("Well, you can't really be angry when she makes those brownies," Peter said to Remus blandly, who nodded absently.) "and you haven't! I thought we were friends."
"Think again!" James said, just as frostily. Lily found herself sympathizing with Kagumi, who looked nearly in tears. Correction: was in tears.
"You know, Moons, I think James might take your spot as her favorite person to fight with," Sirius stage-whispered, eyes still trained on Bridget's wand, which was still poised in case of violence. Well, more violence than normal with an angry Kagumi. This fight between two of his friends was killing him; he hated seeing Kagumi and James at each other's throats, and he hated even more not being able to do anything about it. Sirius, inebriated though he might be, was still smart enough and had enough experience in dealing with both the angry Irish witch and his own best friend that he understood this fight a bit more than most; he knew that this fight needed to happen, that to get the real issues out and dealt with, a little shouting and a few names and some fairly unpleasant truths were a small price to pay, considering the alternative.
"And furthermore, I would only be giving you advice on your love life if (a) it was love, and (b) you had a life! Good night!" Kagumi turned on her heel, storming up the stairs to the seventh year girls' dorm, raging all the way about dimwitted men and fragile adolescent egos. Jet sighed something as she went after her friend, and Moony looked at her sharply. It sounded a lot like, "Well, that was subtle."
"Go away, Bridget!" Kagumi said harshly, the happy mood of the pillow fight gone; in its place was a frothing fury that covered a bruised heart. The drinks had not only loosened her normally disciplined tongue, fueled her temper, which was never good on its own, and made her dizzy, but it had also soured on her stomach, and made her head ache; she'd pay for the fun in the morning, even more than she was right now.
Bridget could tell that her friend was tired, and the crying was just exhausting her further. But Bridget didn't know that the conversation with the Hat had spooked Kagumi more than she'd care to admit. Idly, some part of her mind wondered whether she should have accepted the place in Slytherin. The idea of being in Slytherin was rubbing Kagumi's mind raw, and the argument with James, which now that she was looking back, had escalated a bit too easily, had only aggravated an already stressed mind.
"I'm not going away, Gumi. Not until you talk to me." She calmly sat down on her new four-poster, situated between Kagumi's and another girl's. Her friend was still crying, her breathing harsh and ragged. No matter what she said, and yes, she was still ranting, Kagumi had cared quite a lot about James. She'd not quite hit it off the way she had with Sirius, nor was there any of the ignored tension like between her and Remus, but she was fond of all of them. Reaching out, Jet stroked her friend's hair, noticing the way the now-quiet girl leaned into the touch; Gumi always had a need for reassurance and affection after an upset.
The girl had cried herself out, and was breathing much softer than a few moments ago. Bridget looked down at her friend's tear-streaked face, and she realized that, frankly, she was fed up with the whole thing. It was a stupid argument, true, but it had crossed the line.
That was it, she decided, as she gently pulled Gumi's curtains shut. She'd had enough.
Sirius, thanks to a bucket of very cold water brought to him by a sympathetic House Elf, was the first to notice the soft, rapid footsteps coming down the stairs. "Hey, Gum-- Oh."
Bridget was walking calmly, if briskly, towards James. Without even pausing to acknowledge the other three boys, who had been discussing the fight between their two friends, Bridget walked right up to James. He had been staring into the fire, but stood when he heard her approaching. She stopped in front of him and slapped him right across the face.
Hard.
The Common Room went silent, and everyone stared at the pair, at Bridget standing there cold as ice, and James rubbing his jaw. Sirius and Remus were shocked beyond belief with identical gaping faces, but Peter could see how very tense Bridget was. She might have had her voice under control, but her spine was ramrod straight.
Eyes hard and flat, she folded her arms elegantly across her shirt and waited.
"Um...yes, Bridge?" James said so softly he could barely be heard in the dead-silent Common Room.
"I'm just waiting for you to tell me that I'm not your friend either, James," she said sweetly. "After all, almost every argument you used against her applies to me as well."
Her voice was calm, as though she were asking him to pass the pepper at the dinner table, and James just stared back. Bridget blinked, tilting her head as if she was curious rather than completely furious with him. He ran a hand through his hair.
"No, I would never-- Not to you." He winced when her brown eyes got even colder and her expression went blank. That probably hadn't been the wisest thing to say-- Bridget was loyal if anything. It would also propel the rumors about the girls and the Marauders to new heights in the morning, although neither James nor Bridget realized that; Peter groaned as he realized that he and Moony would have to field the rumor mill until it died down.
"Really?" she interrupted harshly, arching an eyebrow. He faltered, opening and closing his mouth several times. Noticing how very close the girl was to him, he began to backpeddle in an attempt to get farther away from the surprisingly intimidating girl, but she just followed him; Kamal grabbed Lily's arm, where it hung limp as she watched the spectacle, and tugged her into the empty chair beside him. Still, no one spoke.
Arms still folded, voice still cold and calm, Jet rolled his eyes when James didn't say anything, scoffing. "You are such a stupid, fucking jackass."
"What?" he said, eyes wide. He'd never heard her swear before, none of them had; the girl was known for making up odd sayings instead of cursing; Kagumi was the one who had a list of curses as long as she was tall, but never Bridget.
"We were invited by your parents to spend the summer, Potter," she flung the last name at him as though it were a weapon, and James flinched as if he'd been hit. Bridget had never used anyone's surname. She'd said it was a Hawaii thing, "because they didn't want us to be alone. Kagumi and I were perfectly content to stay here; the two of us have always enjoyed exploring. But they invited us. I'd like you to think about the facts next time you decide to deride someone for things out of their control because-- and I'm not sure if you've ever experienced this or not-- it really sucks to have everything decided for you without any sort of input." Her eyes flashed in the firelight as she passed the hearth in her eerily quiet pursuit of the stumbling boy.
"Moreover, James, if this is who you really are, this pigheaded, spoiled, self-centric ass," she said, finally uncrossing her arms and making her way over to the table where the other three Marauders sat. She sat in an empty chair, propping her feet on the table; in the dim light her features were uncharacteristically fierce, nearly ominous and her eyes were almost black instead of the normal chocolate brown, hard. She smiled sharply, "I don't think I want to be your friend, so you don't have to worry about me imposing on you ever again."
She picked up her book, effectively ending the conversation, and the Common Room slowly picked up its chatter, though it seemed a bit subdued. Reluctantly, looking very much like he was ready to flee if she even hinted at taking out her wand, James sat down at the same table, only to be completely ignored by the girl. She seemed to staunchly look right through him, only glancing up when he pulled the chair in, and he winced.
He was used to getting those looks from Lily, as though he were just a part of the scenery, but from Bridget, from a girl that he'd spent his entire summer actually getting to know instead of snogging to keep himself occupied, it really hurt. Shamefaced, he looked down and listened to the trivial small talk around the room, fidgeting absentmindedly. Sirius flicked his eyes towards his best friend, but no one else seemed to acknowledge James's presence; he didn't seem very interested in the conversation, either, wrapped up in his own thoughts.
After an hour or so, Bridget was still reading, but hadn't relaxed completely-- or at all, really. Peter noticed the lines around her mouth, normally nonexistent, were deeper than he'd ever seen them and her jawline was taut; he was good at noticing little things like that, able to see past people's facades regardless of how good they were. Bridget's was probably one of the best he'd ever seen. Her eyebrows furrowed together for a split second before she slammed the book down; James nearly fell off the chair he started so badly.
"You do realize what you've done, right?" she said, sounding completely frustrated.
It took James a moment to realize that she was speaking to him again, if only for the moment. Slowly, he looked up into her eyes; they weren't nearly as cold as before, but she was still obviously angry with him.
"Tomorrow, Kagumi is going to track down whoever your worst enemy is in this painfully small school and make friends with him. And you know what their common bond will be?" She leaned a bit closer. "Their anger for you. Believe me, no one does grudges the way Gumi does. Except for me, maybe." She shrugged, then leaned back, frowning thoughtfully. "Let's think, your worst enemy." The other boys' eyes got wide as they came to a collective realization.
"Now that would be Severus Snape, wouldn't it? That Slytherin who used to be friends with Lily?" Bridget smiled coldly; it wasn't a pleasant expression. "You have just screwed yourself over, my dear." She leaned closer. "And if I have to be nice to someone who I think is a jerk just because he's friendly with my friend, I am not going to be a happy person." Her voice lowered. "And you do not want me mad at you. I'm much less forgiving."
Without another glance, Bridget Griffins walked up the stairs to the girl's dormitory, and left the four boys glancing amongst themselves.
Peter was the first to speak. "She wouldn't really do that, would she? Kagumi, I mean." He had no doubt Bridget would carry through any threat she made.
"No," James scoffed, "'course not. Snape's a Slytherin."
"I dunno," Remus rubbed his chin thoughtfully, thinking back on flashing green fire and the scent of anger. "Pheonix does have quite the temper."
Sirius was quiet, still staring at the staircase Bridget had walked up. "Did anyone else think that was hot?"
Author's Notes: There it is, finally. Our newest. We're so sorry that we're late, but it's been…A very stressful few months lately, including university, moving and deaths. Everyone's alright though, for now. It's just been stressful. But we got it done and now we're progressing. Notice that this one is longer than a lot of the others: that's because I know that we've deprived you guys. Also, if you haven't noticed, we've started doing quotes now, and since we're revamping the entire series, you might want to go back in a few weeks and reread through it.
Anyway, sorry for taking so long, and here it is, enjoy. And for some odd reason, the Song won't format correctly. To recap, we had our first view of Severus Snape and Regulus Black; what could they be thinking?
Kagumi's Note: ner vod means my friend/comrade/brother. Burc'ya means friend, and it can be used in sarcasm, as exampled above. Ner vod means my friend, comrade or brother. Osi'kyr is a strong way of saying "Oh no," or "Oh, crap." Not used lightly.
Keep reading to see how the fight affects the Marauders and their friends. And what about the tutors that Dumbledore arranged for a few chapters ago? And how will the girls do with their first full day of school? And what about Jet's prediction?
Coming next chapter:
"Poor thing," Kagumi said warily; she'd never really cared much for Kreacher, but had a suspicion that he would play an important part in the future worlds for the Potterverse. That is, if she and Jet didn't manage to bollox everything up.
"Not really. He's always liked Regulus more anyway. Speaking of Regulus," Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Did you know that he was staring awfully hard at you and Jet this morning?"
"Really now?" Bridget asked, a faint blush spreading across her face as she copied the notes from the board; seemed that as long as she had something to work on, something to occupy her mind, she didn't worry too much about being in such a new place. "From what Peter told me, Gumi gave him quite a show."
"What was up with that, anyway?" Remus asked irritably, uncomfortable remembering how he'd been unable to look away from the spectacle the girl had made of herself; the memory of her hand sliding so smoothly up the younger Black's chest had made his blood boil every time he thought about it. He pushed the oddly pleasing image of punching Regulus Black (which in itself was odd; aside from those few temper outbreaks, and the full moon, Remus Lupin was never violent) out of his mind and settled for opening his textbook with such force that James, Sirius, Peter and Bridget all jumped and turned to look at him.
Kagumi shrugged; no matter how hard Remus slammed things, it wouldn't change what she'd done and it wouldn't change the fact that she enjoyed making him squirm even if he didn't know why. "He saw what he wanted to see. He's so eager to believe the very worst of Sirius, and I have half a mind to set him straight once and for all." She grinned widely. "I have a lot of experience with younger brothers."