BLOTCHES OF smudged mascara ran down the sides of Lavender Brown's cheeks as she yelled at the older Gryffindor boy with such suppressed anger Liv feared the entire tower would crumble at her feet because of the noise. She'd never seen her friend in such a state, many boys had come and passed when it came down to Lavender Brown, though none of them had ever been yelled at like this – maybe Andrew Ross had finally pushed the boy-crazed girl over the edge. As he stumbled backwards, desperate to retreat from the enraged girl, he'd tripped over the couch and Liv had to pretend it wasn't the funniest thing she'd seen all week, suppressed her giggle, and continued to frown in concern for her friend once more. The moment Andrew fled from the hysteria and out through the portrait whole Lavender fell to her knees, her loud sobs echoing through the empty common room – minus the few forst years who were unlucky enough to be trapped in the fight who now stood mouths agape.
"Who's the girl?" Liv demanded running to Lavender's side – Dean following short behind. Liv at least hoped there was another girl, it usually was.
"Some Hufflepuff whore," She continued to sob, aggressively kicking over the closest chair. Dean picked it up with a huff. ""I thought the people in that house were supposed to be nice,"
"If we're using stereotypes Gryffindor's are supposed to be brave, so quit crying! You're better than this, Lav. You're better than him,"
Liv punched Dean's arm roughly, giving him a stern look before turning to Lavender, again with concern. "Don't listen to him, of course you're allowed to be upset,"
"No, no," She sniffed wiping away the last of her tears. "He's right. I need to suck it up, I can't give him the satisfaction,"
"That's more like it, Lavender!" Dean cheered, and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Liv pushed the boy away, knowing they were the last thing Lavender would want hanging around her at such a time, and pulled her up by the arm.
"Come on," she said. "We're going to be late for potions – we'll fix this makeup on the way, okay?"
*
"You're late,"
Livs first potions lesson of the year had gone off to a bad start – not that it was possible for a potions class to ever go good, but she'd probably just earned herself another detention. She huffed a quick 'sorry' to Professor Snape and slipped into her seat next to Padma – and to her displeasure, opposite Draco and his friends. Pansy, pawing at Draco's injury once more, and the other three boys flicking what suspiciously looked like rats tails at each other.
"Does it still hurt, Draco?" Pansy cooed, stroking her slim fingers over the slings material. "It looks so sore,"
Pansy began to pout. Padma tilted her head into Liv's – her laugh as soft and smooth as velvet. "What a loser," She whispered through her giggles.
"It does," Draco nodded in response. "Infact – Professor Snape? I can't do my potion, you know, because of my arm,"
From the shadows of the potions classroom where Professor Snape's desk was trying its hardest to be hide away in the dark, Liv clearly saw he hadn't even looked up from his desk, and spoke as if it had been planned all along. "Miss Black can do it for you as she thinks it's acceptable to walk into my class late,"
Liv stopped for a moment in disbelief. Wanker! She wasn't quite sure if she was thinking of Snape or Draco – it was fitting for them both. She sulked her way to where the Slytherins were sat, giving the Gryffindor's a longing look back.
"Grow up Draco," She spat at her cousin. "There's nothing wrong with your arm,"
"Tell Promfrey that,"
Liv looked down at the ingredients Draco had managed to lay out on the table with a sigh. She was good at potions, really good, but she did not enjoy the class one bit. She'd rather get kicked in the stomach by a Hypoggriff in her Care of Magical Creatures class than chop up the rats tails in front of her. She thought of Ron's rat scabbers and her stomach churned. The sweet little creature's tail would never deserve to be mutilated and layed out like this. Nonetheless, she picked up the knife.
As if by magic, Hermione and Ron began to bicker at their table about the rat. Liv chuckled to herself – Ron clearly didn't know how cats work, and seemed to be annoyed by the way Crookshanks was always after Scabbers.
"He's a cat, Ron!" Hermione stressed. "What do you expect?"
"I expect you to train him," Ron threw his hands in the air and gestured wildly, as if it was a simple solution. "Scabbers is going to die of stress if that ginger piece of shit is trying to kill him all the time!"
"Oh! Please, Ronald!" Hermione said furiously, cutting up her daisy roots dangerously fast. "The only ginger piece of shit is you!"
"Merlin, Granger, I love it when you curse," Padma smirked. "Such a badass,"
"How are you feeling, Lavender?" Padma could be heard asking a moment later – followed by a long sigh from the other girl.
"The same I felt 20 minutes ago," She'd snapped back.
"You're the strongest person I know," Padma reassured. "That's what I love about you. It never takes you more than a couple hours to get over a stupid boy,"
"It's different this time," Lavender said, considerably calmer this time. "He was the first one to say he loved me,"
The air fell silent around the surrounding Gryffindor's. The 'L' word wasn't something that was thrown around often – especially when it came down to Lavender.
"You don't tell a girl you love her and then cheat!" Lavender had flung the knife she'd been using to chop up daisy roots forward, where it stabbed into the table infront of Ron. He jumped back in shock as Hermione let out a soft laugh, probably out of spite to annoy him further, and Liv struggled to hold back her laugh, too. Ron looked diviledd
"Psycho," Ron breathed, pulling the knife out from the tables wood - rufing to hand it back into Lavenders possession. He thought this would save her from taking someones eye out.
"I should have known this was going to happen, remember in divination? The thing you are dreading will happen in the next three days – and now it's happened!" Lavender continued, replacing the knife with a spoon where she frantically stirred at her brewing potion. Liv watched as Hermione rolled her eyes, she too wasn't a fan of the class.
"Honestly, Lav, I know you're upset, but I still can't believe you turned down Angus Walter!"Padma sounded shocked, though impressed.
"Angus Walter asked you out?" Liv gasped. "Isn't he.... 18?"
"Do you really think I willingly did such a thing? Jesus, Padma. It's clear you've never been in a relationship," Liv and Padma's eyes immediately found their way to each others as they stared at each other desperately in secret. Liv quickly looked away. "You're not supposed to date anyone for at least six weeks after a breakup – because then you'll look too desperate,"
Lavender was stirring her potion with such force Liv once again feared there would be an accident.
"It doesn't matter, with this massive pimple on my face no boy is going to want to date me anyway,"
Padma snatched the couldron from Lavender's grasp the way Ron had taken her knife. "You're going to ruin our potion if you're not careful! Besides, didn't I tell you to put some of that cream on it?"
"Padma!" Lavdender stressed, "I told you – I'm not putting fucking foot cream on my face,"
"It's not foot cream!"
"It's specifically says –"
"It's cream, that just happens to be advertised for feet, you can use it anywhere,"
"They'd make more money if they advertised it for face cream instead of foot cream, don't you think?"
"Whatever. I'm telling you it works, do you see any pimples on my face?"
"Ugh!" Lavender squealed. "You always have to rub it in, don't you!"
With that, Lavender jumpred from her seat and fled from the class letting the door slam hard shut behind her. The class, unfazed and used to such tantrums, stared for just a moment and continued as if nothing had happened.
"Your friends," Draco began. He looked as though he'd just smelt something disgusting. "They're freaks,"
Liv put her hand on her hips, and nodded towards Crabbe and Goyle. Crabbe was sat, mouth wide with his eyes shut. Goyle was dangling a rats tail high above his head, over the hole of Crabbe's mouth. In a second, he'd let go of the tail.
"Yeah," Liv responded. "My friends are the freaks,"
She turned back to her potion, well, Draco's potion, and began to feel even more nauseated by the rats tails. She threw her hands up in the air. "I can't do this. Blaise, please?"
She offered Draco's friend the knife, and let her hand brush against his own as she held it out for him. He took it, and without a word began cutting up Liv's rat tails. She grinned to Draco - she'd only done it to annoy him, and by the look on his face, it had worked.
"Hey, Potter!"
"Don't drag Harry into this-"
"Heard the news? They reckon Sirius Back's been sighted." Draco's eyes shined malevolently to where they were fixated on Harry. Harry stayed silent, whereas Liv fought the urge to literally scream. She hadn't heard the news, and hoped it was just another of Draco's sick idea of a joke - but she coulnt be sure, and she couldn't risk it either.
"Thinking about catching him yourself? If it were me id have done something by now, not stayed here in school like a good boy. id be out... looking for him.."
Harry, again, stayed quiet. That's what Harry was good at, staying quiet. It was what Liv admired so much about him, as she was the opposite. She always had trouble keeping her mouth shut, especially when trying to be provoked.
"Mind - if you do, i'd consider taking Liv with you. I suspect she wants him dead just as much as you do,"
Liv had gasped. Draco had crossed the line and was a second away from revealing the truth, leading her friendship with Harry to an end. She stared at him longingly, Padma too eyed warily, the three of them the only people in the class to know the truth. Draco just continued to smirk playfully.
Harry hadn't yet looked at Liv – Liv was afraid to ever make eye contact with him again. "Why would I go looking for him?" Harry asked cluelessly.
Draco leaned in cllose to the Gryffindor table, Liv did the same, making sure she could hear whatever he was about to expose. His eyes narrowed, and he breathed: "Don't you know?"
"Shut your mouth, Draco," Liv warned, not expecting him to turn to her – his face just a few inches from her own.
"Or what?"
Punching him would have been a good idea, but there was a loud crash. Everyone in the class simultaneously turned to the cauldron pot that was now laying on the ground next to Padma's feet.
"Oops," she shrugged. Liv could have ran up to her and kissed her with thanks. Snape had emerged in one swift movement.
"Clean it up, Miss Patil-"
"-I was just about too -"
"- without your wand,"
With a scoff Padma picked up the closest cloth and began wiping up the spilt potion where the cauldron had fell, and with Liv's help, the potion was mopped up in no time.
"We've got an idea," Dean whispered.
"We'll take all the blame," Padma added with a nod.
"What are you on about?" Liv whispered back – Their ideas never seemed to be sensible.
"This," Dean held up a strange looking potion ingredient. He'd stolen it from Snape's storage cupboard while they'd been clearing up the mess. "It's boomslang skin,"
"What do I do with it?" Liv asked, confused.
Padma laughed at took the boomslang skin from Dean and placed in Liv's own hand. "I thought you were top of the class?"
"It'll react with the potion and explode," Dean nodded. Liv's face fell with concern. "The potions harmless, just an awful shade of green that would definitely stain his pale skin,"
"Okay," Liv smirked, catching onto the plan. "What do I need to do?"
"Just slip it in the potion," Padma said simply. "It'll take about 20 seconds to react. Get Malfoy to stick his head over and, boom, he's covered in green slime,"
Liv strutted back to the Slytherin table, lightly shoving Pansy from her spot beside Draco – gentle enough to raise her eyebrows as if to say 'what? It was an accident' when, clearly, it wasn't. She swiftly dropped the boomslang skin into the potion with purpose, and quickly turned to Draco.
"Does this smell right to you?"
Liv wasn't an actor – Liv wasn't a good liar, either. She tried her best to sound as innocent as possible, as if she wasn't about to prank her cousin once more, but it wasn't so easy. Though, on a plus, she hopefully wouldn't have to take the blame this time.
"Why? Have you fucked it up?"
"I couldn't if I tried," Liv snapped back, because Liv was top of the class when it came to positions so, truthfully, it would be very hard for her to mess any potion up to begin with. "Just take a whiff – does it need more daisy roots?"
She tried to rush him, though carful not to act suspicious, as Draco stuck his head over the cauldron to take a sniff, Liv flashed her eyes to Dean and Padma who were smirking from the other side of the room. Padma was mouthing as she counted down.
'3....2...1'
There was a slight boom. Most eyes fled to Seamus – as it wouldn't have been the first time he'd blown up a potion. He looked down himself, shocked to see his own potion still intact, and finally found the culprit of the exploded potion himself.
If Draco wasn't covered in green goo, his face would be glowing red with anger.
"Ewwww! Draco! Come here," Pansy pulled up the sleeve of her jumper and began to wipe at Dracos face – he shoved her off and turned straight to Liv.
"WHAT THE HELL, BLACK?" Draco yelled, running his hands down his face and splashing the green goo all over Crabbe and Goyle. The whole class was laughing, especially Liv – until Snape appeared.
"Purposely destroying a potion in hopes it causes harm, Miss Black?" He sneered. "You just earned yourself a months detention,"
"Wasn't me," Liv shrugged, continuing to laugh as Draco stormed from the room.
"It was them, Professor," Pansy grinned, pointing a finger towards Padma and Dean.
"Detention. A month,"
*
"Keep him in your bloody dorm!" Ron yelled.
"It's just a cat, Ronald!" Hermione yelled back.
"He's a piece of Satan, you mean?"
"Oh no," Harry sighed, suddenly halting. Liv was the only one who noticed, as Hermione and Ron continued to bicker and soon found themselves around the corner of the hallway
"What's up?" Liv asked.
"I've got to tell Mcgonagall I didn't get my hogsmede form signed,"
"You didn't get your form signed?"
"Obviously not," Harry said with a small smile. "You know what my Uncle and Auntie are like"
Liv sighed. "You're right, sorry," She held his hand in her own. "We'll go to transfiguration now and tell her now. She'll let you go, right? Maybe she'll even sign the form herself,"
"But –"
"Don't worry about it, Harry," Liv reassured. "It wouldn't be fair for you to miss out on something this big. Besides, you've got to try butterbeer with me – that shit is so good,"
"Okay," Harry sighed, and let Liv drag him by the hand down the Hogwarts corridor. The short journey to Transfiguration was spent with Liv telling Harry every thing she'd ever heard her Father tell her about Hogsmede – Liv was just a little bit excited to go.
"I don't believe you're that excited for my class to arrive an hour early," McGonagall spoke as they entered the class. "What is it you want?"
"Go on, Harry," Liv encouraged, pushing him forward slightly.
He cleared his throat and began to fiddle with his fingers. Liv thought it was so cute how shy Harry was. "Professor – uh – my Uncle forgot to sign my Hogsmede form,"
McGonagall looked up for a moment, and back down to the stack of papers in front of her. Harry looked to Liv desperately, for McGonagall hadn't said a word.
"He can still go, right?" Liv asked.
"I'm afraid not," She said flatly. "Rules are rules – no exceptions,"
"Not even for the boy who lived?" Liv encouraged – but it didn't work.
"No form, no visiting the village," McGonagall said firmly.
"Can you not, you know, sign it for him?" Liv suggested, Harry awkwardly looked away.
"I'm sorry, Potter, but that's my final word,"
Liv sighed and flounced out the room in disappointment, Harry following short behind.
"It's not fair," she said. (any louder and it would have been considered shouting.)
"It's alright," Harry tried to convince with a smile.
"It's not," Liv snapped. "It's not alright. It's bullshit. It's –"
"Liv!" Harry stressed. "I'll survive not going to Hogsmede,"
"Okay," Liv nodded. "I'll bring you stuff, I promise,"
Harry nodded with a soft smile. "Alright,"
"Liiiiiivvvvvvv!"
Padma had appeared, arms wide ready for a hug. Liv bad mood immediately changed as she ran into her arms, laughing nearly as hard as she had when Draco was stained green.
"I've been looking for you everywhere! Come on, let's go to lunch,"
Liv groaned. "I've got a detention, remember? Professor Lupin, I'll meet you when it's over,"
Padma pouted.
*
"Afternoon," Remus smiled as he opened the door for Draco and Liv's detention. "Take a seat wherever you want. I want you both to write everything you learnt about Dementors. A whole page, if you can,"
Draco pulled out the chair infront of him and slumped down – the chair closest to the door, the chair closest to his escape, in his head. Liv did the opposite, she followed her father down to his desk and took a seat closest to the front of a class. He put her detention paper down infront of her, to which she began to read:
You don't have to do anything. Don't tell anyone.
Liv immediately turned to Draco, who was silently scribbling away at the back of the class, and returned a grin back to her Father. He was grinning too.
"I get to go to Hogsmede on the weekend," She whispered, quiet enough for Draco not to hear.
"That will be fun, you'll enjoy it," Remus smiled from behind the pile of papers he'd pulled out to begin marking. Liv let out a sigh.
"I might not go, though. Dean and Padma have a detention, Ron and Hermione are arguing and Harry didn't even get his form signed,"
"He didn't?" Remus looked up with concern. "Poor chap,"
"Yeah... he's pretty bummed,"
Liv took a moment to think. She didn't know much, but she knew her Dad and Harry's Dad had been somewhat friends – family, even. And in some parallel universe where war didn't rule the world Liv and Harry were family too. Family or not, Liv would do anything for Harry and if Liv was able to guilt trip her Father into thinking he was Harry's last chance to get a form signed, last family member available, Harry might be able to enjoy Hogsmede with Liv as well.
"I'm not surprised, they're like, borderline abusive,"
Remus had accidentally knocked his cup of tea of the side of the desk. He cleaned it up with one swift wand movement. "Abusive, you say?"
"They're horrible, that family. They have this weird thing about magic, refuse to go near it or speak of it. I don't know why they're raising a Wizard, to be honest, but they take out their hatred of magic on Harry – like it's his fault,"
Liv knew it was wrong, but she was happy to see the guilt tripping was working! Besides, it was for a good cause, surely?
"It's really sad, actually. They used to make him sleep under the stairs, and, well, you've seen him! He clearly doesn't get fed enough," Liv began to exaggerate, and act sadder than she truly was. Some would say she defiantly was the daughter of Sirius Black.
"That poor boy," Remus said quietly.
Seeing the guilt tripping was definitely working, she decided to dive in quick with the make or break question: "So can you sign his form?"
Remus shook his head, Liv let her head fall against the tables wood in annoyance. "You know I can't do that – as much as I wouldn't want him missing out. I'd do it in a heartbeat if I could,"
The guilt tripping mission had failed, meaning Liv was now simply pissed off.
"If you and his Dad were best mates, were practically cousins, right? Which means your his uncle.... so sign his form – as simple as that," she said, annoyed at her Father.
"That is absolutely not how it works," Remus smiled. Besides, I am nothing more than a teacher to Harry, no matter how close his father and I were,"
Liv groaned, this time letting her head fall back against her chair. "You are so annoying,"
"Olivia, stop doing that!" Remus stressed. "You're going to get a headache! Or brain damage if you hit your head everytime I annoy you,"
"Don't annoy me then!"
"It's my job," Remus smiled." He's James Potters son, for Merlins sake! I'm sure he'll find a way to sneak out,"
"You're saying you'd let him sneak out?" Liv raised a brow.
"That's not what I said,"
"That's so what you just said!"
"No it's not!"
Hearing footsteps, Liv turned to see Draco sulking down towards them, detention paper filled with writing in his hand. He slammed it down on the table without a word, and sulked back down the tables.
"Thank you, Draco," Remus said. He turned to Liv. "Next detention you're doing the work,"
"There won't be a next time," she smiled innocently, and then jumped up from her chair in excitement. "I'm going to go make a plan to sneak out right now,"
"Don't get caught!"
*
"Harry!"
Harry dropped his ham sandwich in surprise as Liv threw her hands on his shoulders from behind and shook him from side to side.
"Harry! Harry! Harry!"
"What? What? What is it?" He asked hurriedly, picking up his glasses that had slipped off his face.
"Merlin," Padma scoffed. "You speak to Potter before you speak to me?"
"We need a plan," Liv slumped down beside him. He looked at her, confused.
"For what?" He asked.
"For you to escape and sneak out to Hogsmede!" She replied as if he was stupid. "Duh!"
Harry stayed quiet, and Liv wondered why he wasn't as excited as her about her idea to sneak out. He slowly pointed somewhere behind her – she spun round on the spot to where a small second year boy was stood.
"Um, Olivia –"
"Liv. Just Liv – I only get called Olivia when I'm in trouble," Liv interrupted. "Shit! Am I in trouble?"
" – right... Liv. I'm not sure, Professor Dumbledore would like to see you in his office at 2pm" Colin Creevey said nervously.
"Right, okay. Thanks Colin," Liv said.
Colin didn't move. The surrounding Gryffindor's stared, all as confused as each other.
"Hiya, Harry," He said suddenly.
"Hello, Colin," Harry nodded.
Liv struggled to contain her laughter, and snorted into the side of Harry's shoulder. Colin Creevey was still obsessed with the chosen one.
*
Herbology was usually know for being the chill class, the class where you simply slip on some gloves, rummage around in some dirt, and catch up on all the gossip with your friends. Though, this particular Herbology lesson was filled with anxiety – quite the opposite of chill.
Liv had been staring at the clock for 20 minutes. She'd never notice the little clock hand move so slow, she could have sworn it had not moved for at least five minutes. Liv was absolutely dreading going to Dumbledore's office – not that it was her first time. Any second now the clock hand would finally reach the big two and....
"Professor sprout?" Liv called to the other end of the greenhouse where the plump witch was bent over some green plant-pots. "May I be excused? Professor Dumbledore wants to see me,"
She bent up, wiped her wisps of hair out from in front of her eyes, and smiled at Liv. "Of course, Dear! Off you pop!"
She reached Dumbledore office shortly, slowly getting more and more anxious as to why Dumbledore wanted to speak to her. It might of been the prank, although Padma and Dean had already taken the blame? Or was it Sirius Black? Was Draco right and it was true he'd escaped?
She whispered the password to the stole gargoyle and ran up the steps three at a time but rushed to a halt hearing the voice of her Father – and she frowned.
" – they made him sleep under the stairs, Albus. Under the stairs! They don't give him access to any of his schools books over the holidays, he can't study, he can't do homework. He can barley contact his friends –"
"He's never raised any concern –" Dumbledore had interrupted.
"When has he ever raised concern over anything?" Remus spoke. Liv could practically hear the grimace on his face.
Then it was silent.
Liv contemplated opening the door. She'd had her face pressed up against its wood ease-dropping and wondered if she should simply turn around and walk away – or bolt in at this awkward time. Liv wasn't a quitter, though, so Liv reached for the door knob.
"Why didn't you bring him to me, Albus?"
This made Liv stop. Her hand dropped straight back down to her side (she was careful not to let it slap hard against her mouth) and once again had her ear pressed to the door.
"I would have taken him in, I would have looked after him. We both know that's what James would have wanted. Why didn't you just give him to me?"
Remus sounded distressed... desperate. Maybe this was how it always sounded when Remus spoke about his past. Liv wouldn't know, she'd never heard him talk about such a thing. He never let her see his vulnerable side.
Liv could hear Dumbledore take a deep breath. "I brought you Olivia, and Olivia only because that's all you could have handled at such a time,"
"I would have tried," Remus said monotonously. "And I would have done a damn better job then those muggles,"
"I know muggles aren't the most compatable guardians for a boy of magic ability, but bringing Harry to the Dursley's was what I believe was right. What I believe was best for you, and best for Harry," Dumbledore insisted.
"For some reason I don't believe a word you're saying," Remus said sadly.
"You have a hard time trusting people, I see," Said Dumbledore.
"You would too if the person you loved most in the world betrayed you,"
Liv pushed away from their door. She'd heard enough, and what she heard was an invasion of privacy, surely? She'd never heard Remus so upset, so full of anger, especially towards a man he respected so much. Liv took a shaky breath, and pushed open the door with significance.
"Ah, Olivia,"
Liv watched as her Father's face softened as he turned around. He place an arm on her shoulder and held her close.
"You wanted to see me, Professor," She spoke quietly.
"Yes, please take a seat," Dumbledore gestured towards the large chair sat the opposite of the desk he was sat at. Look took a seat, and noticed her Father did not leave from the room.
"We think it's best for you to stay here at Hogwarts during Hogsmede trips,"
Liv shuffled her feet nervously. This is about Sirius Black. Draco was right, he'd been sighted. He's been sighted and he's on his way to get me.
"We?" Remus responded before Liv had the chance – not like she had anything to say. Well, anything she was willing to speak about in front of Dumbledore, anyway.
"Professor McGonagal and I have discussed the matter. The same for Harry – for your own protection,"
"But how am I supposed to explain to Harry –"
"No," Remus said, and began to pass this is ridiculous. He's doesn't even know about her,"
Remus began to pace around the office, he ran his hands through his hair as he did when a full moon was close. Liv could tell he reeeallly needed a cigarette right now. He began to stammer.
"I – I don't even know how it happened, but he would have told me. He would have told me if he knew she was pregnant... he – he told me everything,"
"Well," Dumbledore said simply. "It's apparent that wasn't the case,"
"Yes," Remus said through gritted teeth."Apparently so,"
"So we can't be surprised if he kept the pregnancy a secret too."
"It's hogsmede, Albus," Remus said sternly. "Sirius Black is not going to be hanging around Hogsmede, with dementors patrolling the place every night,"
"You want her to go?" Dumbeldore asked, his eyes flashed with a look of defeat.
"I want her to go," Remus nodded.
*