She thought her life was over – but fate gave her another chance, in a world of magic. Now, running around Hogwarts with James Potter and his friends, she's about to make choices that will change the future in ways she never thought possible…
Marauder's Phase
CHAPTER NINETY-THREE
Beauxbatons And Durmstrung
The next day, I felt like a wreck, and I probably looked like one too. But that wasn't the reason people were staring at me in the common room, and on the way down to breakfast.
"What do people think?" I whispered to Lily, as we crept (well, I crept, she walked normally) past a group of leering Slytherins on the second floor.
"That you had something to do with Professor Slughorn leaving." Lily said simply.
"Well, then they're right, aren't they?" I said, a little too darkly.
"Yes, but people shouldn't talk about it." Was Lily's reply. "Trick step." She reminded me, just in time, and I jumped over it. I guessed Lily could tell that I was a little bit spacey today.
The boys met us outside of the Great Hall, and we all walked in (today under a sunny enchanted sky that did not match my mood) together. Everywhere I looked, it seemed, people were staring at me, the freak who'd punched Bellatrix Lestrange in the nose and then caused a teacher to retire. It was enough to drive anyone insane. I felt like a freak. I'm sure they were all thinking that.
"Are you alright?" Sirius asked me for the fifteenth time since last night, and it finally got on my last nerves.
"Yes." I said acidly, so acidly in fact that he winced ever so slightly, and turned to James, striking up a conversation as to whether or not the students from the other two schools played Quidditch or not.
The other two schools. Oh, yes, I had completely forgotten that the students from Durmstrung and Beauxbatons were arriving today, and I wondered who else's minds it had slipped, in the excitement of what had happened yesterday.
After seeing the way I'd snapped at Sirius (my boyfriend) the other Marauders and Lily seemed to think it best not to talk to me at all during breakfast, which was just fine but it also left me with nothing much to do except worry about things.
It was deeper than what had happened yesterday, way deeper then that. After what Molly had told us - she had a son, who was being taken care of by her parents - I had started to wonder about what would happen later on down the track, and whether the events of the future really would follow the course they'd been designed to run in the books.
Would everyone I knew and loved die?
I sighed, and stabbed at a piece of bacon. I love bacon, but today I just wasn't interested in it (a first!).
Peter, who was sitting across from me, suddenly leaned over and asked: "Are you going to eat that?" He pointed to the bacon.
I sighed. "No, you can have it." I surrendered the bacon.
Sirius swung around to face me. "Now, hold on a minutes Ems, you never let me have any of your bacon!"
I just sighed again, louder this time, and put my elbows up on the table to rest my head in my hands.
Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Sirius' eyes widen, and he quickly reached out and put a hand on my shoulder. "Whoa, what's the matter love?"
"Life is what's the matter," I groaned. "Things have to change. People die, people get convicted of crimes they didn't commit, people get hurt, people change!" I wasn't aware of everyone sitting around me at the Gryffindor table staring at me, as well as a few neighbouring Hufflepuff's, but they were. I went on: "And there isn't a thing I can do about it! Just this year, just this one single freaking year – our LAST year – I wish that nothing bad happens!"
"News flash for you, Pax," I stiffened, as I heard the voice of Bellatrix from behind me. "You already caused a bad thing to ha-"
Bellatrix didn't get to finish her sentence, because I'd suddenly turned around and leapt on top of her, punching her in the face again.
***
After the teachers pulled me off of Sirius' cousin, and Professor McGongall had yelled herself hoarse for fifteen minutes, the Marauders, Lily and I went to our classes. During Potions class, Professor McGongall came into the dungeon. After giving me a stern glare, she informed us all that they would have a new Professor by Monday, and that we'd better spend the duration of the lesson time studying.
After she left, everyone but me began talking about the Triwizard Tournament, and the students who would be coming from Beauxbatons and Durmstrung. I just sat there quietly, with my arms on the desk out in front of me and my head hidden from the world, until I heard approaching footsteps, and felt Sirius stiffen at my side, much the same way I had at breakfast time.
I looked up quickly.
A pair of silvery grey eyes, framed by black hair, looked back down at me.
"Emma," Said Regulus Black, very quietly so that only I could hear him. "I'm sorry about anything my cousin said to you about what happened yesterday."
I looked at him, surprised. "Don't be, Regulus," I replied. "It wasn't your fault." I added, glancing swiftly down at his left arm. Was his Death Eater mark hidden by anything more than just his robes? What if the teachers found out about it?
Regulus didn't miss my glance, and paused. "Umm…Em..?"
"I need to see you after class." I said quickly, startling everyone including myself.
Sirius glanced quickly from Regulus to me and back again, before putting his arm across my shoulders as if to remind everyone just who my boyfriend was. "But, Em hon, the delegates…"
"It won't take long." I promised, just as the bell rang, signaling a half hour early finish from lessons for that day.
Everyone stood up quickly, excited to be welcoming the students from the other magical schools. Since we'd all suspected that we wouldn't have a teacher for this lesson, none of us had our bags with us, leaving all but two to go to the front of the castle and welcome our guests.
Lily, James, Peter, Remus and especially Sirius eyed Regulus suspiciously and warily as he glanced at me.
"You five go," I said firmly, pointing in the direction that the other Gryffindors and Slytherins had gone. "I will catch up." They didn't move. "Go!" I snapped.
They went, but Sirius kept looking over his shoulder at us, and Remus was tightening his hands the way he did when he was worried.
Suddenly, Regulus and I were alone in the corridor.
"So," I said, crossing my arms and leaning back against the stone wall. I really couldn't believe I was standing in a corridor alone with a Death Eater but, then again, this was Regulus, who had saved my life on three separate occasions, and who had given me a locket that had proven once and for all that I was a pure-blood (and that I might in fact be from this world…). I wasn't worried. "You've got the mark?"
Regulus nodded wordlessly, his silvery eyes never leaving my hazel ones.
"May I see it?" I asked, suddenly curious. I had never seen a Death Eater mark before, now that I thought about it, despite the fact that I'd been grabbed, tortured and kidnapped by about fifty of them in the past.
Regulus looked surprised for a second, but then he nodded. He held out his left arm, and his right hand drew back the black sleeves of his robes. I held my breath, as he removed a black armband that was covering…
"The mark…" I said in a voice that was barely above a whisper. There it was, black with the skull and the snake. From where I was standing, I could see that it was black and, as I moved closer still, to get a better look, I was startled to see that it grew even darker. "The Dark Mark…oh Reg, did it hurt?" I found myself asking before I could stop myself.
Regulus looked as surprised as I felt. "Uh…no, Em, it didn't."
"Don't lie to me."
"The Cruciatus Curse is ten times worse."
"I believe that." I raised my eyebrows. "Reg, your master is trying to capture me for reasons unknown."
"I told you," He replied, clenching his left fist. "I only did it because of Mother!"
I sighed. "Oh, who cares what the reason is, but now you and I are…well…" I trailed off, and bit my lip, looking to the side.
"We can still be friends, can't we?" Regulus gave me a look that reminded me of the fox Todd, from The Fox And The Hound.
"How?" I asked, just as a huge powder blue carriage pulled by massive palomino Pegasuses soared past the window.
"Oh wow!" I cried, rushing to the window, as Regulus hid his Dark Mark arm again. "It's the Beauxbatons people!" Regulus joined me at the window, just as a mast began to rise up from the lake. "And there's Durmstrung!" I pointed excitedly, because nothing in the movie could've prepared me for the amazing scene that was taking place before my very eyes. "They came by ship…somehow…"
"Somehow…" Regulus echoed, with a grin, as a very large woman emerged from the powder blue carriage that was parked on the front lawn, and the people standing by the shores of the lake got drenches as a massive tidal wave rose up from around the ship. "Hey, how did you know which each one was?"
"Intuition." I replied instinctively.
"A woman's intuition?" Regulus guessed.
"Maybe." I smirked. Okay, now THIS is weird…if Reggie and I CAN'T be friends anymore because of circumstances…then I don't think I'll be able to accept it…
***
Dinner was fairly uneventful, since everyone was so busy admiring the new arrivals, and nobody gave me a second glance after awhile about my second fight with Bellatrix. I caught her glaring at me across the table whenever I glanced at Regulus. And he, in turn, was glancing back at me. I must've stabbed myself with the fork eight times between the first drinks and the Bavarois.
After awhile, however (and during Dumbledore's speech) I began to notice a few more things. For one, how beautiful the Beauxbatons students were. It was hard to miss. Girls with perfectly clear skin, beautiful shiny hair and sparkling eyes. And guys that looked like Carmichael Ackerly, our old Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher. Their headmistress was indeed Madam Maxime, and I heard a few people up and down our table commenting on her height. I also noticed how Hagrid kept on looking at her, which made me wonder…
The Durmstrung girls were nothing special (albeit, they looked like they could take on yours truly in a fist fight and win) but the boys were really strapping young men, and strong-looking too. Many girls were admiring them, as well as the Beauxbatons boys. Their headmaster was not Igor Karkaroff (which did not surprise me) but an equally old man. He looked nice enough, though not as nice as our own headmaster.
"Excuze e moi?" Said a beautiful voice that interrupted my thoughts as it came from directly behind me, and both Sirius and me turned around.
Standing there was a real-live Fleur Delacour, except that she was possibly even more beautiful than that, which made me realize that she might be half-Veela instead of three quarters or whatever Fleur was (is? will be?). She had beautiful and I mean STUNNING blue-purple eyes, long silvery blonde hair and her skin didn't look like it knew what a blemish was.
I suddenly felt incredibly ugly.
Sirius' mouth dropped open, and a strange pink blush spread across his face. I knew the look, and I kicked him under the table, as the stunning apparition of beauty said to us: "You 'ave finished with the bouillabaisse?"
Since Sirius and I were glaring at each other, James replied: "Yes, it was…great." He lied, and handed her the dish.
"Merci." She smiled prettily, and carried the dish back to the Ravenclaw table (the Durmstrung students were sitting with the Slytherins).
When she was gone, Lily reached across the table and smacked Sirius upside the head. "Put your eyes back in, Padfoot!" She said sternly and, I couldn't help it, I laughed.
It felt good to laugh after so long. "Yeah, he'll need them to win the tournament, unless he's planning on doing it blind!"
The Marauders and Lily seemed glad to know that I was back to my old self again.
Well, sort of…
***
No One's P.O.V:
"I wouldn't ask you to do it if we didn't very desperately need a new teacher, Madam." Dumbledore said politely.
The head that was sticking out of the emerald flames in the fire-place smiled, but the smile seemed forced and insincere. "Of course, Albus. I do what I can for Hogwarts, and for the greater good."
"Thank you, Madam," Dumbledore bowed to her. "When can you be here?"
The woman's head suddenly vanished, the flames in the fireplace grew and, suddenly, the woman's entire body stepped out of the fireplace and into Dumbledore's office, scattering ash everywhere.
"Why, I can begin right away, of course." She said, her smile growing as it showed pointed teeth.