NARRATOR'S POV
It's been a couple of days since Carina found out the truth about her father. The night right after, she went back to the Shrieking Shack, thanks to Crookshanks, with a blanket and food that would last Sirius at least a few days. The next morning, she laid in bed and realised there had always been a reason as to why Lucius hated her so much. He despised her for being the daughter of an Order member. After all, they were the reason Voldemort was defeated.
"Dragon, are you busy?" Carina asks after knocking on Draco's dorm room door softly.
"Come in!" The younger boy calls from inside. Taking a deep breath, she opens the door, smiling when she sees Draco sitting criss crossed on his bed, books all over the place. "Hi, Nina!" He grins at his sister, patting an empty spot next to him. "How're you? You've been studying really hard lately, I've barely seen you!" He points out.
The green eyed girl hums, sitting next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "What're you reading?" She asks, biting her lip.
"Arithmancy," replies Draco, making her smile widen. He is definitely my brother. "I'm taking it next year, for sure! I think I'll do quite well, actually," he adds, flipping a page. "I know I should be practicing for tomorrow," there's a Quidditch match against Gryffindor, the season finals, "But Flint said I'm all worn out, he ordered me to rest."
"That's good, Dray," murmurs Carina, pulling back and looking into his grey eyes. The worse part about finding out that she's not Lucius and Narcissa's daughter, is the fact that she's not technically Draco's sister, but his cousin. "I love you, you know that, right?" She says suddenly. He looks at her with a frown.
"I - I - Nina, you know I love you too, why are you -" Draco begins speaking, an unreadable expression on his face.
They said it often enough, but something about Carina's tone was throwing him off. "I'm just saying," she cut him off gently, ruffling his platinum hair to lighten the mood, making him groan, "I'm your older sister, yeah? Always, no matter what," Draco pushes her hands away, fixing the mess she'd made, flattening out his hair.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," he mumbles, rolling his eyes, "I'll always be your baby brother, I know," he says in a high pitched voice, mocking her. She used to bother him a lot with that, always telling him that no matter how old he got, she'd always be his older sister. Now, it has a different meaning, but he doesn't know that yet. She's not sure he ever will. "Why're you being so weird?" Shrieks Draco when Carina tackles him in a hug.
"I'm on my period, shut up," she lies, squeezing him even tighter.
"Ew, gross, Carina, get off!" Draco screams jokingly.
"Draco!" The girl gasps out a laugh, "It's not gross, it's natural!"
Later that day, Carina's walking through the halls, looking for Cassius and Adrian, when she spots Remus talking to Harry. Immediately, her heart stops. After she got back some of her memories, everything she felt for the man, came rushing in as well. The way he looks, the smile on his face as he speaks to the young Gryffindor, his brown eyes that she used to know so well... Everything about him reminds her of being home. Will he feel like home too?
She stays frozen as Harry and Remus finish up speaking. Harry sees her, turning to the Professor, she hears him mumble something like 'Sorry about the other night, it won't happen again,' and then he walks back to his friends. The older man turns around, his grin widening when he sees her, "Carina?" His brows furrow at the look on her face. It's almost as if - He takes a couple steps in her direction but before he can even make it halfway, she's running to him.
Not being able to help herself, she wraps her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly, standing on her tip toes. Remus feels as if the air has gotten knocked out of his lungs. He's wanted to hug her ever since the train ride, and long before that. Unsure, the older man wraps his arms around her waist, hugging her back. She can't stop the tears from forming in her eyes as she realises where she is. Back in one of her dad's arms. "Are you alright?" He asks, patting her back. "Carina?"
The green eyed girl pulls away, clearing her throat and taking a deep breath, "Sorry, sir, I - I just received a letter from my father and - I'm feeling slightly emotional, at the moment," she lies quietly, swallowing with difficulty as she takes him in. Carina ignores the buzzing in her pocket.
"Oh," Remus deflates slightly. By the way she was looking at him, he thought that maybe she'd gotten her memory back somehow. How stupid of me, just because Harry claims he saw Peter on the map, now suddenly I can't stop seeing Sirius in every little thing, "And how is everything at home?" He wonders, taking his mind off of last night, placing his hand on her shoulder, showing his support.
Carina smiles up at him, "Everything's perfect," she murmurs, wanting to hug the man again. Remus tilts his head at her choice of words, "I mean - everything's okay, it's just, my father is - uh, well," usually she is not a bad liar, but just staring into Remus' eyes and knowing that it's him... "He told Draco he would come to watch him play today," Oh, thank Merlin, that's actually true.
The Professor's eyes softened, "Well, if you'd rather stay in a classroom during the match or maybe go to the library, then I could -"
"No, no," Carina shakes her head, "No problem, sir. I have to watch my brother. He wouldn't be happy if I missed the last game of the season," she says honestly, offering him a small smile. Remus hums, nodding understandingly. "I'll just be out of the pitch before he can see me so I don't have to get in trouble," she shrugs.
In reality, she should be concerned with the fact that she's going to see Lucius the next morning, but truthfully, he is not what's important right now. "Okay, Miss Malfoy," Remus decides to say, "By the way, how are your studies coming? I heard Professor Binns saying that even though you're not in his class, your essays are the most compelling," he couldn't help but smile, chest swelling with pride for his daughter.
"Really?" Asks Carina, smiling right back. "That's great, I had no idea he was liking them - or even reading them at all," she chuckles, unable to stop herself from grinning. "Honestly, History of Magic is probably the subject that I like the least, but don't tell him that," she admits.
"Don't worry, I won't," promises Remus, "Are you looking for your friends?" He asks, and Carina nods. She'd forgotten about them for a second, "Well, c'mon. They were looking for you too. They're at the library, they asked me to tell you if I saw you. Shall I walk you?" Offers the man in a chivalrous manner.
The black haired girl is nodding before he even finishes asking. As they walk together, she resists the urge to tell him about everything she knows. Sirius wants to be the one that speaks to him, let him have this. It's weird to know that Lucius is not her father, and yet, she calls him that. Why can't she call Sirius dad? Something inside her isn't letting up, maybe it's the fact that Remus hasn't been involved in the conversation yet...
***
Next morning, they all wake up bright and early for the last Quidditch game of the season. "I'm sure you'll do great, Dragon, don't worry," Carina pats his back reassuringly as they finish eating breakfast. "Just remember the rules and try to play by them, okay?" Some of the older members of the team would commit infractions. They were quite good at that, actually. Madam Hooch almost never caught on.
"Yeah, leave that to us," Montague chuckles from his spot at the table, taking a final bite of his scrambled eggs.
Cassius rolls his eyes, "You're going to end up costing us, Montague," he mutters. "Don't cheat. We can win, we have a chance. Let's play fair," he insists.
Montague and Flint lock eyes before Flint, the Captain, turns to Bole, his Beater, "Don't listen to these pillocks. You do what you have to do, mate," he tells the big Slytherin, who smirks and nods.
Narrowing her eyes, Carina watches as the team gets up from the table. Draco waits for her, of course, even offering his hand, like he always did. "It's okay, I won't cheat," he promises his sister in a low voice. "I don't know how father would react if he saw me cheating," mumbles the grey eyed boy.
"I don't think he'd care much," admits Carina, walking next to him. As they near the entrance, she sees Fred and George standing a few feet away with Lee and Adrian, who is holding Lee's hand. "Oi!" She whistles at her best friend, waving him over. The long haired boy chuckles, rolling his eyes. "C'mon, lover boy," Fred and George laugh as Lee blushes at her words. Adrian pecks Lee's cheek carelessly and rushes over to his team.
"What a joke," Carina hears Bole mumble under his breath.
"Yeah, right?" She retorts, looking up at him, "Your love life is a fucking hilarious joke," she snaps, making the boy's eyes widen. Everyone, but Bole, including the twins and Lee, bursts out laughing, even more so when Carina raises an eyebrow at him, challengingly, and he continues to walk, neck red with embarrassment.
"Serves him right," she hears Cassius tell Adrian, who nods with a thankful grin.
"What a fucking prick," she mutters quietly, starting to walk slower. "Go, Dray, I'll be there to see you walk out," Draco nods, still chuckling at what just happened, making his way to the changing rooms with the rest of the Slytherin team. Sneakily, she walks over to George, Fred and Lee, hooking her arm with his. Fred can't help but admire her confidence. Just the way she handles herself around everyone forces a smile on his face.
George chuckles, "You're really bad at keeping your mouth shut, and that's coming from me," he says pointedly, grinning at his best friend.
With a small laugh, Carina shrugs it off, "Yeah, well, someone had to say something," she tells him, leaning into Lee's shoulder. Almost everyone is already in the stands, so she's in the clear, "Just came to wish you good luck, Georgie," the red haired boy nods in acknowledgement. Carina turns to Fred, who looks down at her expectantly. "Hold on to that broom of yours, Weasley... I don't want you to fall," she lets go of Lee's arm, "Looking forward to your commentary, Lee!" She calls as she leaves for the Slytherin stands.
"Did she sound sarcastic to you?" She hears Fred asking George, tone hushed.
"Nope," George replies, just as quietly.
Once she's made it, Pansy pulls her to the spot next to her with a light tug, "Hi, Nina," the younger girl smiles up at her, clearly flirting. Before Carina can even say something back, Blaise is flicking Pansy's forehead. "Get away from me, you little -"
"Good morning, Hogwarts!" Lee's voice booms over them. Carina turns to look at his stand. Immediately, her heart falls to her stomach at the sight of Lucius. The man's silver and cold eyes are fixed on her, and he waits. Carina, despite not wanting anything more than to gauge his eyes out, nods in his direction. He smirks, "I am delighted today because we have all been waiting for this match between Gryffindor," the crowd erupts into cheers. "And Slytherin," it is considerably less loud for them.
Figures. About three-quarters of the crowd support Gryffindor, which doesn't come as a surprise. "The fliers have mounted their brooms," Lee announces. Carina looks at the pitch, seeing Draco holding on to his broomstick.
"GO, DRACO!" She screams excitedly, clapping for her younger brother. Pansy follows her lead, as does Blaise a few seconds later.
The whistle blows, "And we're off!" The stakes are very high for this game, everyone knows that. Not only because of the House Cup, but also because of the party that would go on that night. It would be held in the winner's Common Room... whatever the outcome of the match, it's obvious that party will be eventful, to say the least. "Yes! Right off the bat we have Johnson! Who scores the first ten points to Gryffindor!"
Angrily, Flint flies in her direction and crashes into her, making her stumble and almost fall of the broom. "Merlin! Already we have a penalty from Flint -" before Lee can even finish his sentence, Fred is flying over to the Slytherin Captain and smacking his bat against the back of Flint's head with a grunt. The whole audience goes 'ooh' when Flint's face smashes into his broom handle. He sits back up with a furious look in his eyes, wiping his bloodied nose as he snarls at Fred.
"That's my brother's girlfriend, you imbecile!" Fred's shout reaches Carina's ears, making her chuckle and shake her head. Ironic how she warned Flint to not cheat just moments ago.
"Hooch has decided on a penalty for both teams, courtesy of Marcus Flint, and Fred Weasley," Lee says over the megaphone, "We have Spinnet, scoring for the Gryffindor team and Pucey, for the Slytherin team," he watches intently as they both make their shots. "Pucey scores the penalty, granting ten points to Slytherin!" He says with a wide smile. "A great throw from Pucey!" Carina laughs quietly, clapping for her friend. "What a Chaser, that one!"
The game resumes, and Carina can't contain her excitement as she watches Draco fly around with her broom. "You've got this, Dragon!" He has complete control of his movements, demonstrating his ability as a flier.
"Look at that! The Firebolts' precision-balance is really noticeable in these long -" Lee starts praising the brooms that Harry and Draco have.
"JORDAN!" Screams McGonagall, "ARE YOU BEING PAID TO ADVERTISE FIREBOLTS? GET ON WITH THE COMMENTARY!"
Many students laugh at Lee's wit, even applauding the young Gryffindor. "Sure thing, Professor," he says into the megaphone, "Well, here we are... Gryffindor thirty, Slytherin ten, it's pretty tame at the moment, Professor McGonagall -" he cuts himself off when Montague flies over to Bell, who is holding the quaffle. The Slytherin Chaser grabs on to her head to stop her from scoring. It's illegal, but effective. "YOU CHEATING SCUM!" Lee Jordan howls, dancing out of Professor McGonagall's reach. "YOU FILTHY, CHEATING BAST-"
The interference makes everyone cringe, even more so when Bole hits Alicia in the face with his club. George sees this and elbows the Slytherin straight in the face, breaking his nose. Again, Hooch gives out two penalties, "Serves him right," Lee grumbles into the speaker, "So we have, two Slytherins with broken noses, thanks to our own Weasley twins!" The Gryffindor crowd shouts their praises.
"JORDAN!"
"But I'm not lying!" Lee whispers harshly into the megaphone. "Bell scores - and so does Warrington! We are at fifty for Gryffindor, and thirty for Slytherin - it's a pretty close match!" But the Slytherins can't have that. Derrick and Bole, the green and silver Beaters, chuck two Bludgers at Wood, the Gryffindor Keeper and Captain, effectively winding him. When he doubles over, in pain, Flint takes this chance and scores the fourth goal.
This only makes the Gryffindor team angry, and they move to the lead once again after Alicia and Angelina score a couple more times, "Seventy - Forty, ladies, gents and theys!" Lee exclaims with excitement. "Wait a minute! Hold on to your brooms because Potter has spotted the Golden Snitch!" Carina grabs on to the hand railing, squeezing it tightly with nerves as Draco chases after him. "Woo! It's a Firebolt race!" Lee shouts, hanging on to the megaphone for dear life. "Johnson scores as the Seekers continue their race for the Snitch! It's Potter - it's Malfoy - it's Potter -"
"GO, DRAGON!" Carina yells, voice cracking as Draco plummets for the Snitch, hand out.
However, Harry goes the extra mile. He takes off both hands off the broom and reaches out, capturing the Snitch. "IT'S POTTER FOR GRYFFINDOR AND IT'S ALL OVER!" Lee cries out in happiness. "It's the first win for Gryffindor in years! Charlie Weasley would be so proud!" Carina bites her lip as she claps in recognition, feeling disappointed for her brother, who lowers himself to the ground with a cold expression on his face.
"Salazar," grumbles Blaise. "He's going to be insufferable," he mutters, referring to Draco. "I can't wait until I'm on the team so I can push all of them off of their brooms -"
Carina interrupts him mid sentence, "Yeah, because that works," she says sarcastically. "Playing dirty doesn't take us anywhere, Zabini. We have integrity. It's not all about winning. We don't get given points just because we have Harry Potter in our team," she reminds him. Gryffindor always had a clear advantage because of the Headmaster. That much is common knowledge.
Blaise sighs, rubbing his forehead, "Yeah, alright," he mumbles bitterly. "Let's go."
The three of them make their way down to the pitch, where the team is standing, glaring at the Gryffindors. "My boys," Adrian and Cass turn to her with sad looks on their faces, "You played so well!" They chuckle, thanking her quietly before she turns to Draco, "Amazing game, Dray," Carina says softly, hugging him to her chest, arms around his neck as he drapes his around her waist. "It's a bummer but don't worry, next year, the Cup will be ours!"
Draco tries to smile at her, nodding in agreement. "Carina, Draco," comes Lucius' voice from behind the girl. She turns around, pulling back from the hug. It's obvious he is not happy about the outcome. "A word." The Malfoy siblings follow their father, ignoring the nervous looks coming from the rest of the team. "I don't know why I keep expecting you to win," he says, putting both hands on top of his cane. "You have disappointed me, over and over again," he mutters, shaking his head.
"Father, he -" Carina tries to cut in.
"Silence," the raises a sole finger, indicating her to stop. "I will be remembering this interruption, Carina, don't think I won't." The girl's hand closes up in a tight fist. "Now, now, Draco..." The boy is squinting at his dad, staring at him through his eyelashes, eyes full of hatred at the threat towards his big sister. "You don't want to get on my bad side," he warns the platinum haired boy.
Carina purses her lips, begging Draco silently to just go with it. "Sorry, father," he mutters, trying to regain his composure.
"Apologise to your House. It's not everyone's fault you're so incompetent," Lucius tells his son with disdain. "Go, I don't wish to see your face anymore," Draco swallows down the need to tell his father to go fuck himself, nose twitching with anger.
"Yes, father," he grits out, leaving his sister behind.
"Hmm, look at me," Lucius orders Carina, who's eyes were fixed on the ground. Carina stares up at him, sun shining, almost blocking Lucius' expressionless face. "Is there anything you wish to tell me, Carina?" He asks the green eyed girl, who shakes her head instantly. She knows he'll find out eventually, but why ruin her day further? He raises an eyebrow, letting her know she's made a mistake by not answering verbally.
"No, father," she hates that word on her tongue.
Lucius hums, lips in a tight line. "Very well... I'll be seeing you at the Manor in a month." Carina screams internally, wishing she could just go with Remus instead. She knows it's not possible. Her real father is Sirius Black, a man that is running away from Azkaban. Remus never legally adopted her, so he is nothing to her in the eyes of the Ministry... "There are many things I wish to discuss with you," the smirk on his face makes it obvious that whatever it may be, would be painful for her.
With that, he walks away, leaving her standing alone in the sidelines. Carina's fists clench as she tries to breathe and calm down. She's in her head so much, she doesn't feel a pair of intense, yellow eyes, staring at her from a distance.
"Malfoy?" She hears Fred's voice calling for her. Quickly, she turns around to face him. "Are you coming to the party tonight?" His hair is sweaty against his forehead, his hands calloused because of the bat and his smile as bright is as ever. Butterflies swarm her stomach at the mere sight of him.
Carina knows she has to act natural, so she lets a breathy, sarcastic laugh escape her lips, "Is this an invite, Weasley?" She asks almost mockingly, biting her bottom lip.
Fred feels brave. He can feel his heart hammering against his chest as he gazes into her shiny green eyes and his palms begin to sweat. They just won the House Cup after years of coming in second. This might be his only chance with her and he won't waste it. Not anymore.
"Yeah. It is."
AN: omg! next chapter we get all fred and carina <3 i wanted to ask, are you down with spice or not? or just a little? idk. i don't wanna write something you'll hate. lmk.
also, my covid break is over, so updates will be wednesdays and sundays once again! sorry :( i hope you enjoyed these updates while i could. i love you. please VOTE! and COMMENT!
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