Chasing Dreams (A Harry Potter Marauder fanfiction)

Playing With Fire

The carriage shudders to a halt and I let Lily jump out ahead of me before following, eager to be in the Great Hall again. The warmth hits me in a blast, a relief from the crisp air of September. The first years are, as usual, terrified looking. I smile as I look past them to the teacher's table. McGonagal stands in front and to the left of Dumbledore, thin lipped and fierce, but I can see, after five years, the unmistakable twinkle when she looks at the students. She loves them really. I'm sitting down next to Marlene, Lily and Alice when a strong pair of arms wrap around my waist from behind and a happy voice whispers to me. "Hello, Skye." Jared greets. I go cold all over as I turn to face him, plastering a false smile on my face. He wraps his arms around me, smiling broadly. I know people are looking; we are the only ones standing up right now. Well, apart from four boys, who quiet down as they walk past, James and Sirius glaring. "Can you keep your hands to yourselves in public, please?" Sirius asks angrily. I roll my eyes. "Your one to talk." "Don't be jealous." Jared and I reply at the same time. "Students!" Dumbledore calls in a soft voice, clapping gently. I roll my eyes at Sirius and James, before sitting down. They, however, feel the need to make a scene. "Yes, Professor?" James asks, turning with a goofy grin. "Is there a problem?" Dumbledore asks them, smiling, his blue eyes twinkling. "Well you see, I don't, personally, think that public displays of affection should be allowed in the Great Hall. I mean, there are first years. They're innocent." A few teachers chuckle and the people in the hall start to giggle nervously. "It's your choice, since your the principal, but really." "Well." Dumbledore responds thoughtfully. "Mr. Potter, your friends behaviour is no worse than the behaviour exhibited frequently by your other friend, Mr. Black." He answers. James' grin increases and Sirius flushes slightly, his cheeks heating up. I roll my eyes as the hall laughs and shrug off my robes, sitting in my jumper. "Yeah, but-" "Perhaps, Mr. Potter, you would like to continue this observation of your friends behaviour in Professor Dumbledore's office after the feast." McGonagal speaks up crisply. Now it's James' turn to turn slightly pink, although he covers it with an airy decline and a casual nod as he takes a place one person down from me. Again, I roll my eyes as Dumbledore smiles before beginning the usual- "forbidden first is forbidden ("really?") and the list of banned objects which seems to grow every year. I wait impatiently for the food until finally, the headmaster smiles. "Tuck in!" He announced happily, sitting down. Plates and plates of food cooked to perfection appear in front of us and I hear the fist years gasp in shock. Lily smiles at Jared just as Sam sits down on my other side, smiling. "Hey, how was the train ride?" I ask him. "It was good, I suppose. Yours?" He smiles up at me. "Yeah, I can't complain." "Oh hey, Skye! Are you trying out for the quidditch team this year? Jared asks from my right hand side. I shrug carelessly. "Maybe, I don't know. Are you?" "Yeah, I got really into it over the summer! I think I'm going to try out for seeker." He says happily. Sam smiles at his older brother and the three of us, Lily joining in occasionally, get into a long conversation about quidditch and what we all did over the summer. I leave out the bit about my Mum. It's not the time.
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"Move it, girlie." An ignorant ASS of a seventh year snaps at me. "Make me." I bark at him, standing my ground. He rolls his eyes and steps around me, the other way. "Manners cost nothing!" I call after him. "They do for you, apparently." A voice says from beside me. "Sirius, come on, mate, leave her alone." Remus tells hi friend as I glare at Sirius. He smirks in response and looks at me. "What's that supposed to mean?" I ask him as we walk up the stairs. He rolls his eyes in an infuriatingly haughty manner. "You're still annoyed about last year? Honestly, Skye, I thought you and Moony were the mature ones! You still hold a grudge against me?" Peter watches us silently and James' eyes flicker between us both, watching. Lily stays quiet with Remus and we come to a stop outside the common room. "Yes, I do! And frankly, I have a right to." I reply hotly, crossing my arms over my stomach. I can feel the bottoms of my hair heating up. My heart beats faster and I start to panic. No one can find out about.. Well, my newest problem. I can't lose control. I can't lose control. I can't. Lose. Control. "A right?" Sirius splutters, and I'm relieved to see no one has realised the tips of my hair beginning to light. "Don't be so stupid, Skye!" "IM being stupid? You were the one who used me just so you could prove a point, you were the one who behaved like an asshole, and YOU were the one who caused all of this! So don't say I'm being stupid when you don't even know the definition of the word." I spit venomously at him. Sirius rolls his eyes again. "You know Moony told me to owl you this summer but I didn't because I knew you'd be like this! Your so.. Unreasonable. What did you even do all summer, eh? Did you just sit in your room by yourself? Did you just mope around your house and talk to your Mum? Did you-" I slap him. Hard. Right across his angry face. No one can talk about my mother. No one. Hot tears spill over my eyes and I try to ignore them, to wipe them away, to tell myself that people like me don't cry. "Your being stupid." I tell myself in my head, over and over as the five of them stand there, shocked. I watch Sirius' face turn a deep red where I slapped him and finally it happens. The dark red at the bottom of my hair sparks off and catches fire, causing my hands to come alive with a dancing flame in each palm. I sigh and, taking a deep breath, leave them all stunned before walking away, wiping my tears.