"I can't believe were fifth years. It's going to be amazing the best year yet. I can feel it
Lizzie." My best friend Marie babbles.
I ignore her as she continues on about the usual thing that she's already said a million times.
"It's just another year of school Marie" My other best friend Isabel says as she rolls her eyes.
We look out the window of our compartment and watch as the hiss pass by on our way to Hogwarts.
I look at my two best friends, one the total opposite of the other. The only thing they both have in common is that their both stunningly beautiful. Marie is tan with a curvaceous figure. Her brown curly hair falls to her waist and her doe like brown eyes give her a look of sweetness and innocence. She never seems to stop talking. Personally I'm amazed that she didn't run out of things to say years ago but she always seems to find more to talk about.
Isabel has creamy pale white skin and a figure worthy of a super model. Her short straight blond hair is cut into a perfect bob. Her stunning blue eyes make boys stop in their tracks, and she's as silent as Marie is talkative. Some how Isabel doesn't need word you can pretty much always tell what she's thinking from her body language. One would never guess that the two are sisters; but they are.
Technically Isabel is a year older than both of us and should be in sixth year. Unfortunately the year she turned eleven she got a horrible case of Dragon Pox, it almost killed her. Her parents decided to keep her home after she had recovered. By then she would have been too far behind to catch up so they decided to send her with her younger sister Marie the next year.
We met the first night when Isabel was yelling at me because I was crying from being home sick and it was keeping her awake. Marie step in and defended me and talked to me until I fell asleep. The next morning Isabel apologized and we've all been best friends ever since then.
Their younger brother Michal is starting this year, he ran off with one of his friends earlier.
"So how was your vacation to France?" I ask
"Fine" Isabel says still starring out the window. Marie rolls her eyes and giggles.
"It was more than fine it was incredible we got to spend the whole summer at the beach. We went to all the great touristy spots and I got some amazing stuff. Isabel took some great pictures too. Mostly thought she was either sketching or painting she did a few oils I think." She says she continues with all of the boutiques and stores she bought stuff in.
Isabel stands up and grabs a book out of her trunk. She plops down next to me and hands it to me.
"It's a copy of Shakespeare's collected works in French. I thought it might help you improve your French, although it's doubtful. She says dryly.
I smile "Thank you Isabel I love you too," I say
"Oh that reminds me here." Marie says slipping a delicate charm bracelet off of her wrist and hands it to me.
"I didn't want to forget it so I slipped it on my wrist to give to you. I got it by this adorable little boutique next to the public beach in this little town." She says
I look at the bracelet while Marie continues to with talk of the equally adorable guy that worked at said boutique. The chain is silver with two charms on it one I'm assuming is the original muggle charm and the second I assume Marie added herself. The muggle one is a simple figure of a small dolphin. The second is a mini picture charm that expands when you focus on it. It's a picture of us outside the Hogwarts express on our first trip. It's amazing.
"Thanks Marie it's beautiful." I say
She smiles and brushes me off and continues talking about the boutique and the guy that worked there. I jump and squeal in shock when the door opens and Michel stumbles in and fall onto my lap. I look up and realize that he's not alone I see Potter, Black, Lupin, and Pettigrew. They stand in the door way and glare at Michel.
Black starts yelling at him and my brain shuts down. Before I know what I'm doing I help Michel sit up and I'm standing between him and Black and have slapped Black across the face.
He immediately stops shouting and stares at me in shock.
"Who died and made you Queen Black? What makes you think you can pick on every first year you meet huh?"
He smirks and leans against the door frame.
"Go out with me and I'll never pick on another first year again."
I stare at him in shock.
"What!" I screech.
"You heard me." He says as he reaches towards my waist.
I slap him again and back away.
"Why don't you stare at yourself in the mirror or something you conceited arse" I say and slam the door in his face.
I sit back down the entire compartment is silent in shock.
"Did I just do that?" I ask
For once Marie doesn't say a word she just nods and I notice that Michel has taken the empty seat next to me.
"That was amazing Lizzie!" he exclaims
Amazing is not the word I would have used.
For the rest of the ride no one talks but Michal.
Finally we get to Hogwarts. I jump off the train in need of fresh air.
I wonder slowly over to the carriages and cringe as the Thestrals stare at me. I stand there staring at them Flashes come back to me; the smell of fresh hay, a high twinkling laughter, the smell of her sweet perfume. I start to shake violently until strong arms wrap themselves around me.
I slowly calm down and open my eyes I hadn't even realized that I'd closed them. I look up and see the one face that I don't want to see Sirius Black.
I push him away from me with a shrill scream of No! Falling over and landing right on my backside.
He backs away with his hands in the air I look around for a friendly face but I don't see anyone I recognize. Some people are starring at me others just walk by in a hurry. Sirius moves to the stairs of the carriage and holds his hand out to help me up. I grab it and stand up he helps me into the carriage and I sit down. I'm about to protest when he climb in after me but he cuts me off before I can.
"I don't think you should be riding on your own. Anyway what kind of gentlemen would I be if I let a lovely lady like you ride without any company?" He says smiles as he sits down across from me.
The carriage ride to the castle is mercifully short and silent. I step out and jog into the castle to get away from Sirius. No sooner have I stepped into the castle do strong arms wrap around me and spin me around and out of the way. I look up towards the ceiling and see a large purple water balloon fall and explode right next to where I previously stood. I unfold myself from the arms and look into none other than Sirius once more.
"You seem to be following me Mr. Black." I say slightly annoyed
"Guilty I wanted to make sure you were feeling alright after the carriage ride you gave me quite a scare you nearly leapt from it before it stopped I was sure you had hurt yourself. I'm sorry if you found my company that UN pleasurable."
"No I'm sorry your company was fine I just, well the, I mean, you know what never mind thank you for all of your help Mr. Black." I say stiffly
"It was my pleasure Miss…"
"Canes, Elizabeth Canes." I say before turning and walking away towards the hall as quickly as possible.
I find Isabel and Marie quickly and take the empty seat in between them.
During the entire sorting and feast I can feel Black starring at me and I try my hardest to ignore him. I succeed until the feast is over. I catch look up and see him leaving he catches my eye and winks before walking out. I ignore them and head to Ravenclaw tower with Marie and Isabel. Michel says his goodbyes and heads with the rest of the Gryffindor first years.
That night I fall asleep and dream of mysterious bright blue eyes.
I wake up in the morning to Isabel throwing a pillow at me.
"Come on Lizzie it's time to get up" she grunts
I groan feeling like I haven't slept a wink; the blue eyes are still haunting me.
I get dressed and look around at the deep blue and silver curtains that hang around our four poster beds and know that I'm home again.
I sigh and brush my teeth in the adjacent bathroom there are five sinks with mirrored cabinets above them as well as five simple showers. There is a bathtub in the far corner along with the towel racks next to the toilet.
I finish brushing my teeth and apply my makeup and brush my short hair out.
I look at myself in the reflection of the mirror. I'm nothing special just an ordinary girl red head. Freckles cover every available space of my pale skin. My plain blue eyes look sad, almost lacking a spark of life.
My hair falls just a few inches longer than my shoulders framing my face delicately. My hair is what I get most complements on. My body isn't curvaceous like Marie or model thin like Isabel. I suppose I'm somewhere in-between the two. I grab what my mother calls my Harlot Red lipstick and write on my mirror. First I write my full first name in my normal curvy font in the top left hand corner of my mirror. Then I look at myself again, finally I decided on my good physical trait for the day. I write nice ass in bold letters across my mirror. I look over at Isabel and Maries mirrors. Isabel chose her hair color and Marie chose her eyes. Our other two roommates Caroline and Constance bother chose their eyelashes. We started this ritual in our second year when I came back from winter holiday with yet another new shrink in tow. My parents caught my trying to cut myself after my younger sister told me she wished that I had died instead of…
Anyway they allowed me to return to school only on the condition that a new shrink return with me.
Mrs. Daisy told me to write my name at the top of my mirror and one thing that I liked about myself every day to start off my morning in a "Positive and a self reassuring way!" I can almost hear her overly chipper voice saying it. I giggle. I walk out of the bathroom happy to have such good friends. When I told them about it after the questioned me the first morning they all rallied behind me and have been by my side the entire time. That was the first time I ever told them about my shrinks.
We even all keep journals Marie bought them for us and Isabel decorated the covers for us. I smile and head for the common room grabbing my bag on the way.
I stand next to Caroline and Constance while I watch Marie flirt with some boy in the year a head of us.
Caroline is a small petite girl with medium length black hair and beautiful violet eyes. Constance is a rebel she dyes her hair a different color every few months currently its bright pink. Her tanned skin paired with her almond green eyes make her stand out.
"His name is either Robert or John we haven't gotten a clear answer yet." Constance says nodding toward Marie and her mystery man. I roll my eyes
"Figures we haven't even been here a day and she's already got a boyfriend. I love that girl but how does she do it?" I ask amazed
I walk over and pull her away. "Come on I'm starving give the poor boy a chance Marie." I say
She giggles as I push her out of the common room and into the hallway Constance and Caroline following behind me.
We walk down to the great hall together and sit down next to Isabel.
I pile my plate with pancakes and sausage and dig in.
When I'm done I turn to look at the people around me. I turn to see Black flirting with some girl a few seats down from me. I grip my cup harder than necessary when I go to take a drink.
He's charming her perfectly and she's eating up completely. He looks up and catches me watching I turn and look at Isabel sitting across from me.
"That's disgusting; I mean really does he have to flirt so repulsively at breakfast." She gives me a look that clearly says I'm a hypocrite
"Oh no don't you even go there I wouldn't let Black get within a mile of me if he tried to flirt with me. I mean really what he's no good in the sack so he has to over compensate with his flirting yuck it's disgusting she's practically throwing herself at him."
Isabel gives me a stop talking look and Marie just giggles. I freeze and turn around, looking straight into the hypnotic blue eyes that haunted my dreams.
"Actually I'm fantastic in the sack, I'd be more than happy to give you a demonstration. I promise by the end you'll be throwing yourself at me too." He says I blush furious with myself
"I'd rather lick a cactus Black." He grins and kisses my head and walks away before I could slap him once more. I make a big deal of cringing and wiping away his kiss before returning to Isabel.
She gives me the look once more that says hypocrite and I have absolutely nothing to say anymore. I grumble to myself. Until Professor Casey hands us our schedules. I jump up and leave for class. I groan as I notice my first class of the day, advanced sixth year potions with the Gryffindor's.
Marie looks at my schedule and starts to laugh.
"It's not funny I don't know if I can stand both Professor Slughorn and Sirius Black for a full hour." I say annoyed
"I'm bound to kill at least one of them I know it." She point behind me and I know what I'll find.
I turn around and sure thing there is Sirius.
"Already talking about me to your friends love?" I clench my teeth and dig my nails into my palms trying my best not to hit him again.
"Go away Black I'm not in the mood." I say as I start to walk away. He throws his arm around my shoulders and I try to avoid him but am unsuccessful and he pulls me closer.
"Come on Lizzie I'm just walking you to class we have most of the same classes today." He says handing me his schedule. I scramble for my own schedule and groan. When I realize he's right. I've got double defense against the dark arts before lunch and Herbology after both advanced and both with Gryffindor.
"No damn it Black why can't you just leave me alone?" I ask.
"I'll tell you after potions." He says as we walk through the door to Professor Slughorns classroom.
He struts towards a table in the back where his friends are sitting and I stomp toward the front most tables as far away from Sirius as I can get. Slughorn keeps us busy with a review of potions that I learned over the summer. The class goes by slowly; too slowly I spend more time than I should thinking about the boys sitting in the back of the classroom.
When the class finally ends I manage to slip out and away from Sirius. I get all the way out of the dungeons before he corners me.
"You wound me Elizabeth it's like you don't like me at all." He says
I fight the urge to punch him. "I don't when will you get that through your thick skull? As long as you're here though why not tell me what you want so you can stop bothering me." I say as I cross my arms trying to back as far away as I can get.
He kisses me, his body pinning my arms. He holds onto my waist as my knees threaten to give out.
I don't know what shocks me more the kiss, the butterflies in my stomach, or the fact that I'm kissing him back and never want to stop.
He lets me break the kiss but doesn't step back at all I gasp for air like a fish out of water.
"Go out with me." He asks
My jaw drops and I feel like I might faint.
"No." I say quietly.
He finally steps back the hurt written on his face.
"No?" He says confused
"No." I say more firmly before dashing away toward the defense against the dark arts class room. This time Sirius doesn't follow me.
I don't see Sirius or the rest of his friends for the rest of the day. I cry myself to sleep as soon as classes are done skipping dinner. All I can dream about for the rest of the night is Sirius and that kiss.