Chapter 9

LB

The first night that I strolled around the castle as Loki, I didn't go outside. I only explored the castle itself. So, when the group led me to the quidditch field, I looked around with interests. The Beauxbatons field was the same size of course, but the tribunes weren't decorated in different colours. The stands were larger as there we're more students, but in France they were just in a light engraved wood, the school crest was engraved in the wood and the teams' logo's were scattered across the stands. There wasn't a section per team. Everyone was scattered around the pitch. Beauxbatons being such a large school had 10 teams, and since they had no houses, the teams were made a long time ago by the students who founded the different clubs that you could join. Hogwarts didn't have many clubs, which is probably why everyone was so stuck with their own house. That actually brought me up with an idea…

I was so lost in thought again as I walked the field, I didn't see the others gather broomsticks.

"Do you fly?" Lee asked, nudging his head to the others.

"I fly a little. Not something I consider my favourite activity though." I shrugged. "You?"

"Same as you. That's why my job is next to the field, not on. What is your favourite activity then?" He asked as we stopped by the twins and Angelina, who fell quiet as they listened in.

"Wouldn't you like to know." I grinned.

"See!" Fred pointed at me. "Mysterious."

"Cautious, more like." I countered. "I know you guys for five days, so trust needs to be earned."

"I think she gave us a challenge, Georgie." Fred nudged his twin with a grin and they both leaned forward.

"We're going to break the wall you're hiding behind, Lupin-Black." George said.

"Good luck with that." I steered the conversation away. "Is one of them for me?" I gestured to the brooms.

"You fly?" Angelina asked, handing one over, and I smiled.

"Are you flying, mate?" George asked Lee, who shook his head. The twins and Angelina climbed their brooms and shot up in the air.

"Come on, Lee. Fly with us."

"No, I'm good." He waved his hands in front of him.

"Fly with me then."

"You just said we know each other for only five days, we hardly know each other. And you want me to trust you on a broom, in the air!" He pointed upwards dramatically.

"I see your point." I tapped my lips. "How about this… you fly with me, and I tell you something about me."

"Depends on what that something is." Lee grinned. "I don't need to know if you have pets or something."

"I don't." I chuckled. "Ask me now, and if it's something I want to share, I'll tell you… after."

"Oh, hm." Lee frowned as he thought about what to ask. "What is your favourite activity?"

"I can answer that." My smile wide as I climbed the broom and held out my hand for Lee. "So, what about it?"

Lee cocked his head at me, trying to figure out if it was safe before he took my hand and took his place behind me.

"Hold on." I instructed. "De la Barre! Just hold my waist, Jordan." I laughed as he didn't know where to put his hands. He finally clasped his hands together around my waist and pushed us off the ground. Lee's grip became tighter as we flew higher. I was flying just above the stands and had a beautiful sight of the castle.

"How did you get Lee to agree to fly with you?" Angelina asked shocked as she and the twins flew over.

"I have my ways." I grinned, as I felt Lee's head against my back. "You okay there?"

"Fine." He mumbled in my sweater, and I chuckled.

"Look at the castle, Lee. It's beautiful." I said as the sun was started to lower. "You guys should really see Beauxbatons, it's even more magnificent." I sighed as I leaned forward on the broom.

"You miss it?" George asked coming up next to me.

"I do. It's a lot different than here, I don't fit in here."

"Of course, you fit in." Fred said coming to float in front of me.

"I don't." I shook my head, and I felt Lee lifting his head. "I'm not one for clicks, or groups. The whole house thing here… it doesn't suit me. They put you in a box here. Hufflepuff's kind and loyal, Ravenclaw's studious, Slytherin's cunning or like you guys said prejudice and Gryffindor is brave. It looks like you're put in a box here and if you don't act like it, you're an outcast. I heard about that Granger girl, about her first year here." I took in a deep breath. "Sorry, I don't mean to talk ill about Hogwarts."

"I can see your point actually. Even though the professors tell us they want us all to get along, from the age of 11 we're being put in a group that sleeps, eats and take classes together." Angelina said to my right. "It's not ideal, to say the least."

"No wonder the sorting hat had such difficulties placing you." Lee said behind me.

"But it's not just that... the whole Black thing. I don't really care what other people think, but I just want to curse anyone who judge me just because of my name."

"Can I ask, why did you keep his name?" Angelina asked.

"It was my mother's wish."

"Can you tell us about your parents?"

"Sirius Black, I guess you all heard the story?" The others nodded in silence. "My uncle actually thinks there is something off about that story, about what happened that night... but even still. He's my father in blood, nothing more. My mum wrote to him when she found out she was pregnant and again when she gave birth, but she never got an answer. It broke her heart."

"You think he escaped to come find you?" George asked with a horrified voice.

"No." I shook my head. "He never contacted me or my mum. He doesn't care about me." My voice wavered a bit. "But I don't need him to, I have Remus." The silence filled the air around us. "Okay, I think I shared more than enough. Let's fly over the forest!" I said excitedly and flew off.

"Nooo!" Lee screamed at the sudden movement. "There are dangerous things in there."

"I'm not going in, relax Jordan." I laughed as the others followed me. My eyes scanned the forest beneath us, and I already started mapping out the grounds to go explore in my wolf form. I still felt Lee shiver behind me. "Fine, I'll go back." I chuckled and turned around.

"Let's go to the boathouse." Fred called over and flew to the black lake. I landed softly on the wooden floors in front of the boathouse next to George.

"Wasn't so bad, was it?" I asked as I turned to Lee.

"No." He smiled. "Until you flew up to the Forbinnen Forest. So, tell me."

"Not now." I grinned as I glanced to the others and Lee nodded with a wink.

"What was that?" Fred leaned his head on mine. "What were you two talking about?"

"Nothing to concern that big red-head of yours about." I chuckled as Angelina led me inside the boathouse.

"Big head?" Fred gasped, touching his head all around, while the others chuckled. George transfigured one of the wooden chairs into a large couch. Lee sat on the right end, Angelina next to him, then me, George and Fred at the other end.

"So, the boys asked about the girls in Beauxbatons. But what about the boys?" Angelina's eyes wide. "Or should I say, was there someone, boy, girl, I don't judge, that had your interest?"

"There was." I said and the rest all leaned closer with interest. "There is. It's complicated." I shook my head. "What about you four?"

"Still searching for the one." Fred sighed dramatically.

"The one? You're fifteen. It doesn't need to be the one, it needs to be fun!" I laughed. "You're only young once, enjoy before it's over." I turned grim as my thoughts wandered to my mum.

"She's right." Lee suddenly said, trying to steer the direction away from me. "We are young! We should be having fun. When's the first Hogsmeade weekend?"

"The last weekend of October." George said.

"Brilliant. Oi, Johnson, want to go with me to Hogsmeade?"

I smiled widely as Angelina's eyes turned into saucers and the twins nearly fainted from shock. The air was silent, and I nudged Angelina to speak up, because Lee's smile was faltering.

"Oh – yeah, uhm." Angelina stumbled as she came out of it. "I would love to." The blush evident on both of their cheeks.

"Isn't that sweet." The twins cooed, and I punched them both on the arm. They both glared at me, but their lips twitched.

LB

"I think we should head inside." I said as I leaned forward and pointed to the other side of the lake. The dementors that guarded the school were coming closer to the castle, and you could feel the cold air creeping up. The others followed my gaze and saw the hooded figures come closer, they simultaneously jumped up.

"Do we have time to bring the brooms back?" Angelina asked sounding a little scared.

"You guys go to the castle. I'll get them back." I said as I already started to collect the brooms.

"No! You can't go alone!" Angelina glanced from me to the hooded figures.

"I'll be fine. I'll probably be at the castle the same time as you guys."

As I was busy with the brooms, I didn't see the three boys exchange glances with each other.

"We'll go with you." I turned to see the twins step closer and reached for the brooms. "You two head back to the castle, we'll meet you there." Fred said to Angelina and Lee as he climbed on one of the brooms.

"Seriously, it's not necessary." I said putting the spare broom on my back with a simple spell.

"Stop protesting, it won't work." Angelina laughed as she passed me. "We'll see you at the castle doors."

"Let's go then, before they get too close." I said as I looked behind George to the dementors. "Don't you dare offer to carry the spare broom." I snickered as I climbed the broom. George looked flustered for a moment before he grinned wide, and I flew out of the boathouse.

When we reached the quidditch pitch, the dementors were floating over the black lake. We put the brooms in the storage room and headed back to the castle, the twins on either side of me.

"So, uhm." George started and the boys glanced to each other over my head. "What where you and Lee talking about?"

"You're too curious." I shook my head with a smile. "I promised to tell him something about me, making me less 'mysterious' as you guys say, if he went flying with me."

"And what are you going to tell him?" Fred asked.

"I'm going to tell Lee, not you two.

"But-" They pouted. "What if we can do something for you?"

I stopped and looked at them with raised eyebrows. "What do you think I need?"

"Don't know yet, but we'll figure it out."

"Hm, until then..." We had reached the castle doors, but Lee and Angelina weren't there. "Angelina? Lee?" I called inside, no answer. "Where are they?" I turned to the boys.

"Probably got send away by a prefect or a teacher. We'll see them in the common room."

"So, no tour then?"

"Why wouldn't there be a tour?" Fred asked as they both raised their eyebrows.

"Well, Angelina and Lee are gone. And it's nearly curfew."

"Are you afraid to be alone with us, Lupin-Black?" Fred purred as they both stepped closer to me.

"Afraid? Of you two? Please." I chuckled. "Lead the way then, Weasley."

The boys looked a little surprised by the lack of effect they had on me, but they both looped an arm through mine and led me through the castle.

As I already knew where my classes were, they took me on a different route. Showing me hidden classrooms, abandoned parts of the castle, hidden passageways, short cuts, the whole lot. They just showed me the girl's lavatory with the story of what happened last year, when we heard footsteps come closer.

Before I knew it, they had pulled me inside a small alcove. George had pulled me flush against him, one hand on my waist, while he placed his fingers on his lips with the other.
Fred was standing behind me. Not just behind me, he too was flush against me, his chest and abdomen prominent on my back. Like I said, the alcove was really small, I barely had space to move my arms, but from the sudden jolt into the narrow space, they were twisted in the wrong way. So, I moved and jiggled a bit and brought my hands up to rest on George's chest. My eyes fixed on the little crook in the tapestry so I could watch the corridor. The boys breathing became heavier and I felt something grow against me on both sides. I had to bite my lip from laughing and try not to look either of them in the eye. When the sound of footsteps receded, I looked up to George.

"Cosy." I chuckled softly. "Do you two bring all the girls in here?"

"Hm -" George's eyes dark as he looked at me. "No."

"Not here anyway." Fred purred in my ear. "We have a more spacious place for that."

"Well, as fun as this was." I wiggled on purpose between them, and I chuckled as I hear a small groan escape from the both of them. "I better get back to my room."

"Aren't you coming to the tower?"

"No. It's too late. And I promised to write some of my friends from Beauxbatons after a few days." I shuffled out between them and stuck my head out of the tapestry. "Tell Angelina and Lee I'll come by the common room tomorrow. Night, boys." I said and slipped out once I saw the coast was clear.

LB

What I didn't see or hear, was that the twins stayed there a little longer. They told me about it years later. They stood in the alcove for a long moment, trying to gather themselves, trying to reduce a certain swelling. After that had passed, they talked in hushed voices as they made their way to the tower.

"She's going to be the death of us, George."

"Tell me about it." George rubbed his face.

"Do you think she could be... You know?"

"I - I think so. We never had such a strong connection for someone and certainly not this fast. And we both like her but -"

"We still need to get to know her, not frighten her with..."

"Not only that, Freddie. You heard her." George sighed as they climbed a moving staircase. "There was someone from Beauxbatons..."

"Yeah." Fred frowned. "But he's not here. Even if they are still together, doing the long-distance thing... it won't last, will it?"

"I wish I knew, Fred. Fortuna Major." He said as they reached the portrait, and they climbed in. "Let's just wait and see. We don't even know if she's interested."

"We could ask her to Hogsmeade."

"We could, but not as a date. Too soon, too confusing and too much explaining of triads." George whispered. "Like you said, try not to frighten her. So-"

"Taking it slow."

"Yeah." George nodded before they sat down next to Lee and Angelina in the corner of the common room.