Chapter Five - All About Lily, Nomomom
{ Charlotte Evans }
Lily had been avoiding Charlotte all morning. She had even gone so far as to wake up earlier and leave their shared dorm before Charlotte had gotten out of bed, not giving her a single passing glance as she stormed out, her bag swinging determinedly on her shoulder.
Charlotte could pretend she didn't care, but given that Lily was the only person she talked to most days, it was impossible not to feel slighted. How could Lily act like Charlotte was in the wrong after embarrassing her in front of Potter and practically the entire school?
Word had spread fast. Everyone seemed to be talking about the heated exchange between Lily Evans and that girl—Lily's sister, though most still didn't seem to remember Charlotte's name. To them, Lily fighting with Potter was an everyday occurrence, but this? This had been something new, something worth gossiping about.
Frustrated by the whispers and the unwanted attention, Charlotte had skipped breakfast, opting instead for a walk around the grounds. It was still early, the fog lingering across the dew-covered grass, and the quiet allowed her to breathe. If she could, she'd spend the whole day outside, but skipping class wasn't an option. No matter how angry or confused she was, she wasn't going to let her studies fall behind.
Back in Potions, Charlotte sat toward the back of the classroom, only half-listening to Professor Slughorn's animated tale of a Minister for Magic who'd died after consuming Alihotsy-flavoured fudge. She was one of the few students who hadn't dozed off during the professor's rambling story. Slughorn stood at the front, his belly shaking as he laughed at his own morbid tale.
"Of course," he chuckled, "the poor man only took one bite before collapsing! What a way to go..."
Charlotte raised her hand before she could stop herself. All eyes turned toward her, and she immediately regretted it. But it was too late to take it back.
"Yes, miss…?" Slughorn paused, squinting toward the back of the room, clearly struggling to place her. "My dear, I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you before. New, are you?"
A few snickers broke out, most notably from the front, where Sirius Black sat beside Potter. Potter wasn't laughing, but Charlotte could see the smirk he tried to hide behind his hand.
Her stomach twisted uncomfortably, but she forced her expression to stay neutral. "Evans, sir. And no, I'm not new."
Slughorn looked perplexed. "Evans?" He glanced toward the front where Lily sat with Alice Longbottom, neither of them looking back. "Ah, of course. Lily's sister."
Charlotte bit back her annoyance. "Yes, sir. I was just wondering what your story has to do with today's lesson."
More chuckles, but this time the sound felt like a release. Others had clearly wondered the same thing. Slughorn's stories were legendary for their irrelevance.
"Ah, right you are, Miss Evans," Slughorn said, as though he hadn't just forgotten she existed. "Today, we will be brewing the Alihotsy Draught, a rather tricky potion that induces hysteria. You'll need to partner up and collect your ingredients—by the end of class, I expect a perfect batch from you all."
Charlotte hurried to collect her ingredients, moving with precision through the storeroom while the others were still dragging themselves out of their seats. As she sat back down, preparing to work alone, an all-too-familiar presence dropped onto the stool beside her.
"Morning, love," Sirius Black greeted with a lazy grin, his arm brushing hers. He didn't bother giving her any personal space, and Charlotte scooted to the side, trying to put a foot of distance between them.
"Hello, Sirius," she replied flatly, forcing herself to sound disinterested.
Sirius looked amused, clearly unfazed by her lack of enthusiasm. "Something I can help you with?" she asked, glancing sideways at him.
"Well, now that you mention it…" He waggled his eyebrows, leaning closer.
Charlotte simply stared, face blank, until Sirius looked almost confused. "Forget I asked," she muttered, turning back to her textbook. Despite the closeness, she kept her composure. Inside, though, her heart was beating faster than she cared to admit.
He let out a chuckle, as if he hadn't just tried to unnerve her. "So, 'partner,' am I cutting or are you?"
"You cut, I'll brew," she answered, handing him the knife and ingredients. To her surprise, Sirius got straight to work, efficiently chopping and separating the ingredients with a level of care she hadn't expected.
They worked in silence for a while, Sirius cutting and Charlotte stirring, occasionally exchanging brief comments. She found herself grudgingly impressed at how well they worked together. Then, of course, Sirius had to ruin it.
"So, Potter tells me you've got a little deal going with him," Sirius said casually, sliding the knife and ingredients across the table like it was a normal conversation topic.
Charlotte paused, resisting the urge to throw the ladle across the room. "I guess that means my business isn't really mine anymore."
Sirius smirked. "What's your plan with all this, anyway? Becoming an Animagus and... what? Surprising the world?"
Charlotte gripped her ladle tighter, stirring a little more aggressively. "You really think I'd tell you?"
"Fair enough." Sirius leaned back, arms crossed. "But you're not exactly keeping things subtle either."
Her eyes narrowed. "And what's that supposed to mean?"
Sirius just shrugged, flashing a grin. "You're hiding something, Evans. I see it. And whatever it is, you're not in this alone anymore."
Charlotte kept her gaze on the potion. "Is that you offering to be in my corner?"
Sirius's grin softened, just a touch. "Maybe. Just saying—it doesn't hurt to have people in your corner."
The weight of that hit Charlotte harder than she expected. She'd always been on the outside, even with Lily. But now, here was Sirius Black, of all people, offering to help her. He and James didn't seem to just see her as "Lily's sister" anymore. They saw her.
Charlotte gave a small, hesitant smile. "And what would I have to do in return?"
Sirius's grin widened. "Oh, nothing too difficult. Just keep us entertained. You've already got a good start—helping James chase after Lily and all."
She rolled her eyes, a chuckle escaping despite herself. "Right. Because that's going to be loads of fun."
"You'd be surprised how much fun we have," Sirius quipped. "Besides, who knows? You might even make a name for yourself."
Charlotte scoffed, stirring the potion again. She'd long given up on being anything other than Lily Evans' shadow, but Sirius's offer planted a small seed of hope. But before she could dwell on it, Sirius leaned in conspiratorially.
"By the way," he said, lowering his voice, "you've heard of the Marauders, right?"
"The Marauders?" Charlotte raised an eyebrow. "What is that, some kind of exclusive prank club?"
Sirius grinned. "Something like that. But it's a bit more than pranks. We're good at getting things done—things other people can't manage. You know... like becoming Animagi."
Charlotte's breath caught, but she quickly schooled her features into indifference. "That so?"
"Oh, don't worry," Sirius chuckled, "James will show you the ropes soon enough."
"You're all a bunch of show-offs," she muttered.
Sirius just laughed. "Maybe. But trust me, it's more than showing off."
Before Charlotte could respond, the potion began to simmer, signaling its near completion. Sirius gestured to it. "Better finish this up before Slughorn marks us down."
They worked in silence for the next few minutes. The only sound was the bubbling of the potion and the soft clinks of glass vials as they added the final ingredients. Finally, the brew turned the deep violet it was supposed to, and Sirius sat back with a satisfied grin.
"Perfect."
Professor Slughorn waddled over, eyes lighting up as he inspected their work. "Excellent! Excellent! Twenty points to Gryffindor!"
Sirius bowed dramatically as a ripple of laughter spread through the class. Charlotte shook her head, amused but exasperated by his antics.
As Slughorn moved on, Sirius leaned toward her again, voice dropping to a near whisper. "Remember what I said, Evans. If you want to make a name for yourself, just say the word."
Charlotte didn't respond. Her mind was spinning with Sirius's cryptic comments as he sauntered back to his usual seat. It felt strange having him in her corner, even stranger considering the Marauders' reputation. But one thing was clear: nothing about this arrangement was going to be simple.