Spells used in this chapter:
Muffliato (muf-lee-AH-to) - This spell fills peoples' ears with an unidentifiable buzzing to keep them from hearing nearby conversations.
"Phoenix, wake up." A voice said softly. Phoenix slowly opened her eyes and came back into the world of the living. Once her eyes opened fully, she saw her roommate, Nyssa, standing over her. "Good, you didn't die in your sleep," Nyssa said sarcastically, "it's breakfast time." Phoenix sighed and rolled out of bed.
As she changed into her Hogwarts jumper and skirt, she looked around the room; the only one left was Nyssa. "Where is everybody?"
"They already went to breakfast," Nyssa explained as she finished fastening her green Slytherin tie. "Oh, and Draco Malfoy is waiting in the common room for you to come out."
Phoenix nodded and Nyssa started to walk out of the room. Phoenix pulled her black boots on and stuck her wand in the right boot. She put her tie around her neck and tied it with one hand and with the other, she brushed her teeth. She took one look at her hair and almost screamed, it was a wavy mess. Phoenix grunted and put a brush through her hair to smooth it down and then pulled it into a ponytail.
She sighed as she walked out to the common room, finding Draco sitting on the couch in front of the fire, lost in thought as he stared at the flames. "Draco?" Phoenix called. He whipped his head around and smiled.
"I almost didn't recognize you with your hair up," He joked as he stood up to walk with Phoenix.
Phoenix rolled her eyes as they walked out of the Slytherin dorm, "Yeah, thanks."
"It'll get better, Nix." Draco said softly.
"How do you know that?"
Draco shrugged and winked, "I just do." Phoenix sighed as they arrived at the Great Hall. "After you." Malfoy said. Phoenix smiled and rolled her eyes as she walked in and sat down across from Harry again. Towards the end of breakfast, Harry was about to say something to her but was interrupted by Dumbledore, who was making his way to the podium at the front of the Great Hall.
"Good morning students." Dumbledore said as the students quieted down. He went on to say that he was glad to be back and all this other stuff about the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, and that Lord Voldemort was back. Then he glanced to Harry and I and paused as we waited in anticipation for what he was about to say.
"We lost a good man," He looked at everyone but Harry and Phoenix, "a good friend. A good caregiver. A good wizard." Phoenix was somewhat disgusted with what Dumbledore was saying and how he was describing Sirius. "We lost a fighter. He was important to so many and touched so many lives. We lost Sirius Black." He glanced at Phoenix who was ready to burst, and she did.
"No!" Phoenix yelled as she slammed her fists on the table. Everyone snapped their attention to her.
"Ms. Potter? Would you like to say something?" Dumbledore asked, surprised.
"Yes I would actually," He invited her up to the podium but she just stood up and stayed in her place. "Sirius was not a good man, he was a magnificent man. He was not a 'good friend', he was a brother to everyone he met. Sirius was not a 'good caregiver', he was like a father to me. He was not a 'good wizard', he was one of the best and he taught me almost everything I know." Phoenix paused to take a breath as everyone watched her very closely. "Sirius was so much more than a fighter, he was a survivor. He was so much more important than what you say and he does not deserve to be remembered like that. He deserves so much more." Phoenix sighed and turned on her heel, ready to walk out of the Great Hall when she heard someone clapping from behind her.
She stopped and turned around. To her surprise, she saw that Professor Snape was the one clapping. Dumbledore joined in and soon, everyone in the room was clapping. Harry stood up and raced over to his sister and pulled her out of the Great Hall. When they got out of the room, Harry pulled her aside and looked at her with a stern face.
"Where were you last night?" He asked. Phoenix opened her mouth to say something but he cut her off, "I waited for you at the window for thirty minutes."
"I was sleeping."
"Sleeping?"
Phoenix rolled her eyes, "Yes Harry, sleeping. What do you expect me to do at 12:00 in the morning?"
Harry took a deep breath before saying, "Well, I don't know...How 'bout meet me at the window like you were supposed to? Like we agreed on the night before."
Phoenix sighed, "Well I was tired."
"Somehow I have a hard time believing that." Harry sneered. Students started to file out of the Great Hall and go to their first class by now so Harry pulled out his wand and muttered, "Muffliato!"
"Why do you have such a hard time believing that I was tired?"
"Because you're my sister!"
Phoenix scoffed, "What does that have to do with anything?"
"Because you should hold to your word and meet me when you promised to meet me!" Harry said emphatically.
"Why are you making this such a big deal? I fell asleep, I'm sorry!"
"Because I need my sister! Sirius-"
"Don't you think I know that?!" Phoenix yelled. Thankfully, since Harry used the Muffliato spell, anyone the walked nearby wouldn't be able to hear their conversation. "I know he's dead. I was there too!"
"Phoenix, I just need my sister right now." Harry admitted as a tear fell from his eye.
"I know, and I'll try harder. Just don't pressure me like this." She said softly. Phoenix wrapped Harry in a hug before they went to their first class.
II~+~II
Care of Magical Creatures was more boring than usual in Harry's eyes. Ron was his lab partner and he couldn't pay attention either. Since Phoenix was new to the class, she was paired up with someone from her own house, who just so happened to be the only other person without a partner: Draco Malfoy.
"Okay students," Hagrid clapped loudly and startled everyone. "Your job; git with yer partner and find at least one magical creature to research and study fer yer final project. Then you will have to present your research in class."
Hermione raised her hand, "When is this due?"
"Two classes from now. Get to work!" Hagrid replied.
Everyone started chatting with their partners about which creature they wanted to study and also freaking out about the due date. Malfoy turned to Phoenix and saw her doodling on her parchment. He leaned over and muttered, "What are you drawing?" This startled Phoenix and she almost hit Malfoy from whipping her head around to face him.
He smirked and moved back to his spot. "A dragon." Phoenix said.
"Cool, let's research dragons for our final project then." He suggested.
Phoenix shrugged, "Sure, why not."
"Can I see your drawing?" Malfoy blurted.
"Why?" Phoenix replied skeptically and smiled.
Malfoy smirked, "I want to see if it's any good."
Phoenix playfully rolled her eyes and handed Draco the piece of parchment. He smiled victoriously and picked up the parchment. His eyes widened when he saw it. "This is really good."
Phoenix' cheeks grew red and she smiled as she looked down at her feet. "Thanks."
"How did you do this in an hour?"
"I haven't the slightest idea," Phoenix admitted. "So when do you want to meet up to do our project?"
Draco pondered the thought for a moment, "Well I have to go visit my father sometime soon. Maybe you could come with me and we could work on it there. There's an old dragon cave close to my house."
Phoenix shrugged, "Sure, what time?"
"Well, we have a free period after lunch. I'll send an owl to my father and ask if it's alright and then see if he responds by the time mail call happens during lunch." Draco decided.
"Sounds fantastic," Phoenix said as Hagrid dismissed them to go to their next class. "Let me know." Phoenix said as she grabbed her book and set it back on the shelf. She waited for Harry, Ron, and Hermione to finish up, but was called to the front by Hagrid.
"Phoenix!" Hagrid called. Phoenix turned around and walked up to the towering man and stood in front of him.
"Yes Professor Hagrid?" She asked.
Hagrid sighed, "I'm deeply sorry about Sirius, he was a great man." Phoenix bowed her head and thanked Hagrid for his kind words. "I thought it was great, what you did at breakfast. Let me know if you need any help putting together something to remember him by."
"Thank you Professor," Phoenix smiled kindly. Hagrid returned the smile and sent her on her way. Harry and Ron had already left for their next class, but Hermione stayed behind. Phoenix caught up with her and smiled, "Hello."
"Hello there," Hermione smiled. "Was I hallucinating or did I actually see Draco Malfoy chatting you up?"
Phoenix snickered, "He wasn't chatting me up, we're partners for our final project."
Hermione raised an eyebrow and smiled playfully. "Sure. You keep believing that." She smirked and ran off to her next class, which Phoenix happened to be in.
"What's that supposed to mean," Phoenix called, running after Hermione. "Hermione!" Phoenix burst into the Charms classroom and sat down next to Hermione. "What was that about?" She asked sarcastically.
"Nothing," Hermione replied sarcastically. Phoenix raised an eyebrow and looked at Hermione for answers. "I've just seen the way he looks at you." She admitted.
"What way? Loathing or sarcastic play?" Phoenix smirked. Hermione rolled her eyes playfully as Professor Flitwick stood in the center of the room. Charms was the last class before lunch and study session afterwards. It went by without any problems and Phoenix started to feel like she had forgotten everything that had recently happened.
Then lunch and study hall came. Phoenix ran to the library before heading into the Great Hall to find Draco. Instead, she found Professor Snape - who Phoenix almost ran into. "Professor, I apologize."
"It's quite alright Ms. Potter, just try to watch where you're going next time." He warned. Phoenix nodded and continued into the Great Hall until she was stopped again. "Ms. Potter?" Professor Snape called from behind her. She turned around and walked over to the professor.
"Yes Professor Snape?" She asked.
"Though I have trouble believing you had an easy childhood, you might want to take it a little easier on your brother."
Phoenix shook her head laughing quietly under her breath, "That's a little out of line Professor, don't you think."
"Perhaps," Snape said plainly. "But if Remus Lupin had not been scared off that night, you would've gotten the same treatment." Phoenix shook her head in disbelief and bit her lip. "Am I wrong?" Snape asked sarcastically.
"No." Phoenix mumbled.
"What was that?"
"I said no."
"Exactly," Snape said softly and started walking away but Phoenix stopped him.
"Professor?" She furrowed her eyebrows at the growing thought, "How did you know that Remus was scared off that night?"
Professor Snape folded his hands behind his back. "Well, he wasn't scared off by Hagrid." He said winking. Phoenix' eyes widened in realization as she processed what the professor had just said.
"So why didn't you do anything?" She asked, but he was already gone. Phoenix sighed before being startled by Draco coming up behind her.
"Hey," He said.
Phoenix jumped a little bit and turned to face the other Slytherin, "You need to stop doing that Malfoy."
"I'll stop doing it when you stop getting startled by it." He promised.
Phoenix rolled her eyes. "Have you heard back from your dad?"
Draco nodded, "Yes, he said it was alright."
"Wicked."
"Shall we head out then?" Draco asked. Phoenix nodded and clutched the book she got from the library as Draco Apparated to Malfoy Manor.
The house was huge; it looked as big as a castle! Draco Apparated the two of them to what looked like a front entry room and accidentally knocked over a vase that was sitting on a round table in the entryway.
"Draco?" A voice from one of the rooms called. A tall blonde man walked into the room and Phoenix had the sudden suspicion she had met this man before. "Bloody hell," The man muttered when he saw Phoenix, "Lily?"