Song:
Arabella (Arctic Monkeys)
"Makes you wish that you were the bottle"
"I can't believe my idiot cousin is stealing you again!" Narcissa complained, opening the curtain of her dressing room slightly to grab the dress Callisto was holding. "It's supposed to be a shopping trip, for fuck's sake!"
"Dear brother always had a flair for the dramatics." Regulus commented, snickering slightly.
"He said it's an emergency." Callisto argued, sitting on the couch next to Regulus. "Besides, I already have a dress, so we wouldn't spend the entire trip here anyways."
"You have a dress?" Regulus asked, confusion evident on his face. "When did you get it?"
"It was supposed to be my dress for the wedding reception." Callisto explained. "Since the wedding was a disaster, I never wore it."
"I'm coming out everyone!" Narcissa announced, pulling the curtain and stepping out of the dressing room. "What do you think?"
"Hideous."
"Change everything about it and I'll love it."
"It's not that bad." The Slytherin tried to argue, staring at her reflection in the gold plated mirror. It looked like a very elegant dress on the hanger, but the light beige color seemed to blend awfully well with Narcissa's skin tone and the lace resembled an old muggle couch. "On second thought, I would rather wear a potato sack."
"Try this." Callisto handed her a dark green dress, with a deeper neckline compared to the previous dress. Narcissa looked at the dress a bit skeptically, but before she was able to complain, Callisto shoved her in the dressing room and closed the door shut.
"What color is your dress?" Regulus asked, observing a drawer filled with ties. He pulled out a maroon one, observing the silky material for a brief moment before he carefully placed it back in place.
"Dusty blue." Callisto answered, stifling a yawn. "Why are you asking?"
"Well, since I'm taking you to the ball, my tie has to match your dress." The boy cheekily answered, enjoying the surprised look in Callisto's face.
"Since when are you taking me to the ball?"
"Since now." Regulus responded, lifting two ties from the drawer. "Which one looks better, Claire?"
"You're taking Callie to the ball?!" Narcissa's head popped out of the changing room curtain.
"Don't act too surprised." Regulus remarked, smirking. "We all know that Lupin is too much of a coward to ask a girl out, Callisto's pride is the size of my aunt's ass, and I refuse to appear there alone or with some dumb chick I've never talked to before."
Narcissa's face contorted in disgust, "Let's keep any comments about my mother's ass to a minimum, please."
"Your mom has a big ass?" The blonde blurted out, receiving a warning glare. "Anyway, why are you not asking someone from your year? Like, that Greengrass girl."
"I'm quite fond of my brain cells." He clarified, pointing at the two ties again. "Come on, Claire. Which of the two?"
"The right one." The girl answered, receiving the famous Black smile that both siblings seemed to possess. "Don't smile like that at me, Little Black. I wasn't born yesterday."
"Yes, I'm not a pedophile."
"Guys," Narcissa interjected, coming out of the dressing room with a big smile on her face. Unlike the other dress that could make the most gorgeous women look like walking potato sacks, this dress represented everything Narcissa Black wanted to feel like. Elegant and a bit dangerous.
Callisto just stared at her, clapping slowly, as Regulus almost shed a tear of pure joy as the three hour long dress hunt came to an end.
"Go pay for it right now, do you hear me?" Callisto urged her, pushing her back into the dressing room.
"This is the dress, Cissy!" Regulus emphasized. "No other dress will ever come close to this, except for your wedding dress and your funeral dress."
"Why the funeral dress?"
"You want to be dead and ugly?"
~ ~ ~
Callisto thought that Regulus and Narcissa would have been kind enough to walk her to the Three Broomsticks, only to be met with two stern, negative head shakes. So, the girl made her way to the pub on her own, looking at the couples passing by. After all, the "emergency" was anything but an emergency. She already knew that the moment the girl Sirius was pining after came off stage, all eyes would turn to her. Part of her hoped that Remus' eyes wouldn't, while another part of her wished he'd fall head over heels for the unknown girl. She wouldn't have to be rejected then; at least not in the proper way.
The small pub finally appeared at the end of the road, and Callisto walked a bit faster. She was probably already a bit late and the last thing she wanted was a very angry Sirius. The girl hadn't witnessed a Black's fury first hand, but everyone that had, said the same thing.
Apparently it could make you shit yourself from fear.
Callisto opened the door of the pub, immediately being greeted by the warmth of the enchanted fireplace and the sweet, distinct scent of butterbeer. She had been to the pub a few times before, but she had never seen it this crowded. At this point, there were groups of people just standing up in the corner of the shop, drinking their butterbeer without a single care in the world. She had never hoped this intently that her friends would be sitting on a table. Her feet hurt from Narcissa dragging her around in every single shop, and holding her coat had become increasingly frustrating.
"Over here!" A voice said, causing her to turn to the direction of the noise. James had stood up with his hand raised, motioning for her to approach them.
The girl walked over to their direction, letting out a sigh of relief as she saw the empty spot next to Remus.
"You're late!" Sirius hissed, shoving a huge glass of butterbeer in her direction. "Where were you?"
"Your brother took a stupid amount of time to find a tie." Callisto argued, taking a sip of the cold liquid. "Where is your girlfriend anyways?"
"My sweet angel is coming out in a bit." Sirius' expression softened dramatically, a lovesick expression in his grey eyes. "The others saw her before."
"She's gorgeous." Lily shrieked, slamming both her hands on the table. "Like, insanely beautiful. Merlin, I'm heating up."
"I'm hotter." James stubbornly muttered, looking straight at his butterbeer. "I found her rather sour looking."
Peter snorted, "She's not, mate."
"Everyone, shut up!" Sirius ordered, running a hand through his hair. "Act natural."
"You're standing like someone shoved a stick up your a-"
"Shut up!" The black haired boy hissed, looking at Peter like he was going to throw the entire table at him.
"Where is she?" Callisto subtly asked Remus.
"Probably behind us."
"You came!" Sirius greeted with a smirk, pushing Marlene further on the wall and patting the seat next to him.
"Why are you so surprised?"
Nobody noticed Callisto's expression faltering at the sound of the girl's voice. There was something oddly familiar about the soft, yet assertive tone and the soft, italian accent. It tickled parts of her brain that she wished would shrink and die with time. Every nerve in her body was practically begging for her to turn around and put an end to this mystery forever, but she was stuck in the uncomfortable seat. She didn't have to wait much longer though, because the girl took her place next to Sirius.
Her hair was longer than Callisto remembered, but the dark color had remained exactly the same. She hadn't given in the temptation to lighten her hair, despite what she used to say. It wouldn't suit her as well, Callisto knew that. Perhaps that was why she hoped she had done it. Her blue eyes were as always, sly and way too fucking intelligent. That was what had drawn her in at the first place. It was like a day hadn't passed, making Callisto feel like it was one of Sirius' stupid pranks.
Otherwise, what the hell was Monica Ricci doing in one of the smallest villages in the entire country?
"You two know each other?" Sirius asked, staring at the two girls with the smile of someone who knew way too little. Perhaps ignorance in this case was bliss, because Sirius looked way too happy at that moment. "Monica? Callisto?"
"No, we don't." Callisto lied, clearing her throat.
Monica's smile faltered at that, but the dangerous gleam in Callisto's eyes was enough for her to play along. "She just looks a lot like someone I used to know."
"I have one of those faces."
"Indeed." Monica mumbled, the tension in her chest building up with every glare Callisto sent her way. It would have been much simpler if she had told the truth, that was for sure. Perhaps then Callisto would have let her explain and Monica wouldn't be forced to sit with the girl she once called hers, while pretending to not know her.
"Everyone, this is Monica Ricci." Sirius introduced, breaking the silence. "Monica, these are James, Lily, Peter, Marlene, Remus and Callisto."
"Callisto." Monica called. "That's a very pretty name."
"If you say so." Callisto stated, the hostility in her voice throwing Remus off. He glanced at the glass of butterbeer she was holding, her grip on the handle being so strong that Remus truly believed it would smash the glass in pieces. He took the butterbeer from her hand, leaving it down on the table.
"What's wrong?" He whispered, a concerned look in his eyes. If he has been a bit more focused on his surroundings, he would have noticed Monica throwing daggers on him with her eyes.
There were two reasons behind the girl's distaste. The first one was based on pure jealousy, when she saw how comfortable Callisto seemed to be with him and vice versa. The second was rooted in something much bigger than her. Unlike Callisto, Monica paid attention in DADA and she could clearly understand that Remus wasn't a normal teenage boy. After all, if there's someone with senses superior to a werewolf, it has to be a vampire.
"Nothing, Rem." Callisto reassured him, giving him a small smile. "You have a new scar."
"Yeah..." Remus mumbled sadly, rubbing the new scar on his jaw. "Is it very obvious?"
"It suits you." The blonde complemented, forgetting momentarily about Monica sitting opposite from her.
"Remus, can you pass me a butterbeer?" Monica asked, the desperate need to get Callisto away from him growing by the second. The boy nodded and passed her a glass, giving her a friendly smile.
"So, where are you from, Monica?" Lily asked, leaning closer to James.
"Italy." The girl answered, drinking some of her butterbeer. "But I moved to Bulgaria with my parents when I turned ten."
"Callisto is from Bulgaria!" Peter exclaimed, not noticing the suspicious look in Marlene's and Lily's eyes. The two girls exchanged a look, wondering the exact same thing:
What were the chances that Callisto's Monica was also Sirius' Monica?
"I used to live close to the port in Bourgas." Monica stated, her eyes fixed on Callisto.
"I used to hang out there." Callisto commented, trying to ignore Monica's persistent stare. She always had a magnetic gaze and Callisto used to like that a lot about her. Things were different now, though. She couldn't stand it.
Callisto pulled out her pack of cigarettes, putting one in her mouth as she frantically searched in her bag for her lighter.
"Shit..." She mumbled, remembering the lighter left on top of her nightstand. How was it possible that every time she needed something, it was forgotten on her nightstand?
"Organic cigarettes, huh?" Monica laughed, pulling out a lighter from her pocket. "I used to know a girl who smoked these. Whenever she was nervous she'd smoke two at a time."
Callisto let the second cigarette back in the package, feeling as if everyone's stare was on her.
"Callisto does that too." Remus chuckled, shaking his head. "It's oddly entertaining."
"No, I don't." The blonde murmured, shooting him a dirty look. If only Remus knew who Monica was, then all friendly comments would be cut short.
"Let me light it for you." Monica offered, leaning over the table and placing the lighter right under Callisto's cigarette. Their eyes met as a small red spark appeared, the flame of the lighter reflecting slightly in Monica's eyes. "There you go."
"Have you been playing guitar for a long time?" Sirius asked, completely oblivious of the tension between the two girls.
"Two years." Monica answered, putting the lighter back in her pocket. "I was playing before that too, but not with the guys and without getting paid for it."
"Only two years?" James wondered, looking impressed. "It looks like you've been doing it for much longer."
"We practice a lot." The girl explained. "I used to play in a pub in Bulgaria before, but the crowd wasn't always the best."
Callisto knew exactly what Monica had meant, but she didn't let it affect her. At the time she had dismissed the vampire's dislike for werewolves as a natural thing, but now it terribly irritated her.
"And how's the crowd here?" Sirius questioned. Callisto could clearly see this was an attempt at flirting, but Monica didn't seem to realize it.
"Much better." The girl answered, giving him a small smile. "I don't think Callisto heard us play."
"No, I didn't." Callisto answered, pointing at the shopping bag next to her seat.
"Did you get a dress?!" Lily excitedly asked. "Shoes? Accessories?"
"No, I already have everything." The blonde opened the shopping bag, pulling out a large book that was closed shut with a metal lock. "It's a potions book."
"That's boring." James commented, as groans of disappointment erupted at the sight of the book.
"I have to go for my last song." Monica announced, glancing at the clock opposite from her. A wave of relief washed over Callisto. She would just wait for Monica to go on stage and then all she had to do was make up a random excuse and leave as quick as she came. "Also, I was thinking we could all maybe go for food or something after."
"We'd love to!" Sirius immediately accepted. "Right, guys?"
"Sure." Normally Callisto agreed with her friends, but this time she felt like smashing her head on the hardcover book until she either fainted or suffered permanent brain damage. Perhaps then, Sirius wouldn't practically be begging her to stay with his eyes.
"Great! I'll see you all in a bit." And with a last smile, Monica stood up and walked away from the booth, heading to the staircase leading to the basement of the pub. Callisto followed her with her eyes, her shoulders relaxing when she was out of sight.
"So, Callie." Sirius began. "What did you think of her?"
"I'm not convinced." Callisto stated coldly, not allowing herself to feel bad when Sirius' smile dropped. "I think you could do better."
"Like who?" Remus asked, anger bubbling in his chest. To him, the reason Callisto was negative towards Monica was obvious. The blonde was obviously madly in love with his best friend, and she was too hurt to like Monica. He would have probably felt the same way about Sirius if they hadn't been like family for seven years.
Callisto rolled her eyes, "Anyone but her."
Luckily enough, Callisto wasn't made to provide more explanations. The sound of the drums made Sirius' head snap to the stage. Another wave of dread filled Callisto at the familiar sound. She used to be in every show, cheering her up until her voice got hoarse and her hands hurt from clapping.
"Arabella's got some interstellar-gator skin boots
And a Helter Skelter 'round her little finger and I ride it endlessly"
At least she didn't know the song, Callisto thought. She hadn't seen her practice it endless times before; there were no memories of it. However, that didn't mean that all the times she had been in one of their practices didn't come flooding back. She could smell her distinct fragrance, mixing with the air freshener Daniel was desperately using to get rid of the smell of concrete and old tires. She could hear the distortion of her guitar, the nervous foot tapping, the laughter that ensued whenever one of them messed up a chord or when Daniel's voice broke.
She wasn't brought back to reality until she felt Monica's eyes fixed on her, the singer and Monica singing one after the other.
"That's magic in a cheetah print coat
Just a slip underneath it I hope
Asking if I can have one of those
Organic cigarettes that she smokes
Wraps her lips round the Mexican coke
Makes you wish that you were the bottle
Takes a sip of your soul and it sounds like"
Callisto didn't notice Marlene's eyes falling on the coat behind her back, the cheetah print sticking out like a sore thumb, before the Gryffindor glanced at the table where Callisto's pack of cigarettes still was. The Slytherin seemed to be hypnotized, panic rising in her chest when she realized who the song was about. If Marlene's suspicions seemed illogical before, the doubt casted in her mind started to disappear as Callisto nervously shoved the pack of cigarettes in her pocket and let the coat slide behind her back.
Cheers and wolf-whistles erupted from the tables as the song finished, the sound making Callisto's head spin. The loudest table out of all was hers, with all of them shouting and clapping, except for Marlene who was in deep thought and Remus who was trying to calm Sirius down.
Unfortunately for her, the extra commotion created by her friends seemed to have caught everyone's attention on stage. All she could do was pray that she wouldn't be visible to them, but thinking she'd be lucky at that moment based on how her day had gone would be madness. Her eyes locked with the singer and he glanced at Monica, who was thanking the crowd. Daniel and Andrei were nowhere to be seen, something which made Callisto suspect that they had left Monica behind. After what had happened, both boys were terribly angry at Monica, but she hadn't predicted they'd abandon her completely.
"Are you okay?" Remus' voice snapped her out of her trance. She turned to look at the boy, the concern in his eyes worrying her. How freaked out did she look at that moment? And for how long could she be a good friend to Sirius before she sprinted out of the pub and never came back?
"Yes, I'm all good." She responded, forcing a smile. "It's noisy in here."
"Rightfully so." Marlene chimed in. "They're a bunch of hot, talented people. What did you expect?"
"You don't want to know..." Callisto mumbled. She had expected not to see her ex girlfriend, not now or ever again. She had expected to see a bunch of strangers and a girl Sirius happened to have a crush on; nothing more and nothing less.
"You were great!" Sirius exclaimed as Monica approached them again, a wide smile on her face.
"Thank you!" She exclaimed, running a hand through her hair. "There's a pretty cool place right outside Hogsmead. We can go eat there if you want."
"Sounds good to me." Sirius agreed. "You're all coming, right?"
Last time Callisto said no in a crowd of positive answers, the DADA teacher got kicked out. What was the worst thing that could happen this time?
"I'm not sure I can." The girl answered, faking a sad smile. "I promised to help a fifth year with Potions."
Lily raised an eyebrow, "Since when do you help fifth years?"
"She's hopeless." Callisto blurted out. "Worst case I've ever seen."
"You're playing." James stated confidently. "You never help people you know are going to fail."
"Okay, fine." Remus groaned, standing up. "I'm the worst case. I just asked Callisto to lie because I didn't want others to know."
Everyone turned to Callisto, who was staring at Remus, trying to understand why he would lie. Most importantly, how did he even know this was just an excuse? For all she knew, helping a fifth year wasn't a ridiculous lie.
"Oh, I see how it is." Sirius smirked suggestively. "You two have about two hours with the dorm empty."
"What?" Monica blurted out.
"You know it!" Callisto smiled, giving him a thumbs up. She grabbed Remus' arm and hurried out of the pub, dragging Remus behind her. When the pub was out of view, Callisto finally stopped and dropped his arm.
"Why did you lie?" She breathed erratically.
"Why did you lie?" Remus retorted, putting his hands in the pockets of his pants.
"Because I didn't feel like spending the entire day with a stranger." Callisto answered. There was some truth to what she was saying, but she doubted Remus would see it that way if she tried to explain to him why she didn't want to be with Monica.
"She wasn't that bad." Remus pondered. "You should have seen some of Sirius' old girlfriends."
"No, thank you." The girl sourly replied, annoyance flashing in her eyes. Remus felt his heart dropping again at her response. It was obvious she was in love with Sirius. How could he have been so blind before?
"I don't think she liked me very much." The boy commented, trying to distract himself from the upsetting discovery. Callisto had noticed that Monica looked annoyed whenever Remus spoke, but the true reason behind this was much different than what they both thought. "I guess her not liking me is more of a compliment though, because she did love you. "
"She didn't." Callisto argued sharply, making Remus raise his hands in defense.
"Someone's pissed today." He mused, smirking slightly at the look she gave him. "What are you going to do now?"
"I'm probably going to work on a potion." She replied. "It's a cure for my condition, but it hasn't really worked yet."
"I could always keep you company." Remus offered with a small smile. "If you want, that is."
Callisto nodded, "Maybe you'll learn a thing or two."
"Fuck you, Claire."
"You've already done that, Lupin."
~ ~ ~
Enter Monica Ricci.
Yes, I did use the song from arctic monkeys, because I thought it fit the scene and I wasn't about to write my own song. I'd probably end up dying from embarrassment.
Anyway,
I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Thoughts on Monica so far?