Frannie made her way towards Gryffindor Tower, every muscle of her body aching to go back to the Slytherin common room in the dungeons. She had never been to the lion's den, but she remembered the rather irritating portrait who guarded the entrance, forcing passerby to listen to atrocious singing.
It was a pleasant experience to wander through the corridors without anyone staring or paying a bit of attention. For her entire life, Frannie had been known as the daughter of Sirius Black, a mass murderer and later Azkaban escapee, and she had always felt trapped in his shadow. Those who knew him were disappointed she didn't live up to his legacy and the Slytherins happily referred to her as the bloodtraitor's daughter.
Her hand rose to her right arm self-consciously. She was one as well, she supposed. Maybe that was why the blasted hat put her in Gryffindor. Chewing on her lip, Frannie felt a wave of emotion choke her throat. She was going to meet her mother.
Walburga had never spoken of her parentage, insisting that it only marred the Black name. But Frannie had found a collection of letters in Sirius's possession after he died that were all signed by the same name.
"Hello! Are you new?"
Frannie turned around at the bright voice, trying to appear composed as she recognized the emerald eyes of the witch in front of her. She had seen the same gaze on Scarhead too many times.
Lily Evans stood, her hand extended friendlily as she beamed at Frannie. Long, red hair tumbled down to her waist and Frannie regretted cutting her own for the millionth time. Her skin was porcelain, although dotted with several freckles and her pale lips revealed a set of pretty teeth.
Frannie wanted to roll her eyes. Of course, Potter would have a model for a mother. Forcing a smile onto her face and feeling rather uncomfortable, she accepted the witch's hand and gave it a small shake. "Pleasure to meet you."
"Lily Evans." The girl introduced, a head girl badge gleaming on her robes proudly. Her uniform was tucked in at all the right places and there was not a wrinkle in sight. "Where are you from?
"I'm Francesca Smith," Frannie introduced, trying to keep the pureblood coldness from her tone. She was much too accustomed to formal introductions. "I recently transferred from Beauxbatons, with the war and all."
Lily's expression grew solemn for an instant and Frannie could see a flash of fear in her eyes. She knew Potter's mum was a Muggleborn, so it only made sense that she would be frightened. After all, her blood status alone made her an instant target.
The redhead gave another smile, shaking her long tresses and gesturing for Frannie to follow her, her bubbly demeanor returning. "Well, I'll show you to the common room! Gryffindor is the best, you know." Her pink lips curved into a teasing smile. "Just don't tell the other houses I said that!"
"I won't," Frannie promised, grimacing as they approached the painting that guarded the entrance to the tower. A woman took up majority of the frame, her face framed by a set of black curls and her cheeks flushed pink with excitement.
"Lily, dear!" the Fat Lady greeted, looking at the witch fondly. "Who is your friend?"
"This is Francesca Smith," Lily gestured in her direction with a delicate hand. "She's a transfer from Beauxbatons."
Frannie managed a weak grin as the portrait let out a rather ear-piercing shriek.
"Oh, I just adore France," she clasped her hands together, the white silk of her dress quivering with her excitement. "Home to many famous singers, you know."
"Which means you'll never be there."
Frannie spun around at the sound of a boy's voice. James Potter was back, along with the rest of his posse, and he stood eyeing Lily with a smirk.
"Excuse me?" the Fat Lady sent the hazel-eyed boy a look that could kill. "Would you care to repeat that, Potter?"
Lily rolled her emerald gaze, putting a few more meters between her and the Marauders as she stepped forward. "Ignore the toe-rag, Elizabeth. The password's monkswood."
"Elizabeth?" James gaped, his eyes widening as the portrait swung forward, giving him a final glare. "I thought she was the Fat—"
"And this is why your lady skills are only subpar, mate," Sirius Black swaggered over into the portrait hole, offering his hand to Lily, who quickly refused.
James scowled, his tie hanging crookedly as he followed Frannie into the common room. "Says the one who—"
Frannie quit paying attention as she took in the cheery atmosphere, her gaze landing on a set of soft armchairs that Granger had probably always taken up studying. A large fire burned in the corner, lighting the entire space in a soft orange glow. Several Gryffindors lounged, some on sofas and others stretched out on the scarlet carpet. That was the other thing: not a single item in the room was any colour besides red. She couldn't decide whether the tower was homey or just plain obnoxious, but then that was the Gryffindors for you.
"Oi, are you listening?"
Frannie was jolted from her reverie as she turned to look at James, who seemed to have been holding out a hand for a rather long time. "Er.. sorry," she shook his fingers quickly, trying to ignore their warmth. Who knew what charms Potter held, if he managed to score Lily? The redhead looked like she was ready to rip his head off.
"She doesn't want your cooties."
James ran a hand through his hair, making it no messier than it already was. "Actually, Lilyflower, I assure you I am the cleanest of this lot," he jerked his thumb in the direction of his mates.
Remus rolled his eyes, pulling out a rather large textbook and a chocolate frog. "Just last week you and Sirius competed to see who could go the longest without showering."
Frannie suppressed a grin as her godfather disappeared behind a stack of old parchment. He hadn't changed much. Although, he seemed happier now than when she had known him.
"And I still snagged at least five date invitations," Sirius wriggled his eyebrows, giving James a playful shove. "Prongs, on the other hand.."
"I couldn't care less about." Lily interrupted, holding up her palms and gesturing in Frannie's direction. "Now I have head girl duties," she emphasized the words, glaring at James. "Which include showing Francesca here to her dormitory."
"Francesca?" James's lip curled as he shook his head in Frannie's direction, pulling a snitch from his pocket and tossing it into the air. "Your parents must be mental."
Says Fleamont, Frannie retorted silently, rolling her eyes.
"Hey I like it," Sirius swaggered forward, trying to throw an arm around her shoulders, which she quickly ducked out of. "But I think Fran suits you more, doll."
Frannie gagged silently, following Lily up the stairs at a fast pace and trying to shake the lingering pressure from her father's arm. She really hoped he would keep his womanizing ways to himself. She didn't get along with Sirius much at the best of times, and even though he didn't know she was his daughter, it still made her feel queasy.
"Don't worry about Black," Lily pushed open the door to the seventh-year girl's dormitories. "He's an idiot, but he's not a bad bloke."
"Did I hear my man's name?"
Frannie stiffened as a tall blonde got up from one of the four poster beds, her legs clothed in a pair of tight leather jeans. Her eyes were the colour of melted chocolate, mirroring Frannie's exactly. She swallowed, feeling an onslaught of tears.
"Oh, come off it Marls," a dark-haired girl looked up from the other side of the room, where she was watering a rather ugly flower. "Neither of you would ever commit to anything serious."
Marlene McKinnon rolled her eyes, tossing her golden locks behind her shoulder. "Just because I don't want to be boring like you and Frank, Alice—"
"ENOUGH," Lily groaned, banging her forehead against an open palm. "Please, can we not go through this again."
Marlene shrugged, smirking at her friend, her lips painted a bright scarlet. "Alice started it." She raised a pale eyebrow at Frannie. "Thinks that old rhyme about kissing, marriage, and baby should work for everyone."
Frannie swallowed, taking an unconscious step backwards. "I need to run to the loo." Turning around, she barely caught Lily's frown before she burst up the flight of stairs, slamming the door to the first year's bathroom and burying her face in her hands. A wave of sobs racked her body. It was her mother.
After what seemed like ages, the tears finally began to subside and Frannie peered at her reflection in the cracked mirror. Her mass of curls hung limply at her shoulders, seeming as lifeless as she felt, and her dark brown gaze was watery and bloodshot. She was already rather pale (curse the Black genes), but her skin was practically white with exhaustion and a set of dark circles ran under her eyes, making her face look bruised.
Frannie fiddled with her tie, adjusting the knot at the base of her neck and pulling it downwards. The scarlet and gold stripes seemed to taunt her, reminding her that she was out of place and alone. She pulled her hair into a small knot at the base of her neck and took several deep breaths before pushing open the door, ignoring the glare she received from a waiting first year.
"Sorry," she dipped her head as she re-entered the dormitory, where Marlene had begun painting her toenails. Lily looked up with an expression of relief, her gaze softening as she took in Frannie's haggard appearance.
"You must be going through a tough time," the redhead reached over and squeezed her hand gently, her fingers slightly cold. "I couldn't imagine leaving everything I knew behind."
If only you knew, Frannie thought wryly, managing a small smile as she sat down on the nearest bed, sinking into the scarlet comforter. "So, is it just you three in here?"
"Nah, we also have Mary MacDonald," Marlene blew on a freshly painted black nail. "But she's so much of a bloody sweetheart that she volunteers at the Hospital Wing in her spare time. Can you imagine?" her pale nose wrinkled in distaste. "Cleaning bedpans, no thanks."
Lily rolled her eyes, her red hair fanning out on her pillow as she laid down. "That's why magic exists, Marls. Mary does more than that."
Marlene shrugged, hissing as she got a bit of black polish on the skin of her foot. "I'm just saying, there's no way I'm doing something like that when we leave this place." Her brown eyes sparkled as she looked up at Frannie. "I need a bit more adventure."
Frannie bit back another cry of sadness, burying her head in her pillow to hide her pain. Her mother had died before she was nine months old. She couldn't even remember her face.
The other girls in the dormitory continued to chat, talking about Celestina Warbeck's latest hit (which Marlene despised) and their Charms homework. Frannie gathered that she had appeared at Hogwarts only a few days into their seventh year, as Marlene complained about still having to unpack. Closing her eyes, she drifted off into an uneasy sleep.