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LIANA had always broken rules.
It wasn't like she had tried to, more like she would just do what she wanted without thinking first.
In fact she would get detentions for months in Beauxbatons, for things such as exploring the grounds alone at night, she had tried to argue that she was lost, but she had been attending Beauxbatons for a whole month by then which made her excuse hardly plausible.
Perhaps that was why she crept along the dark abandoned corridors at eleven thirty at night with Grey. The siblings trying to reach the sanctuary of the kitchens, where Grey had assured her that they would be safe from the boundaries of authority to continue their plan, also known as, eating as much food as they could while pretending to work.
"Tickle the pear," instructed Grey in a hushed voice as he guided Liana's hand to the painting that he knew blocked the entrance to the kitchen.
"What?" Liana looked at him with the 'are you serious face?'
"Just do it Liana" Grey rolled his eyes in exasperation. Liana huffed and gently rubbed the canvas while looking unamused at Grey who just smiled infuriatingly back.
"What is this supposed to be doing?" She asked, still running her fingers over the painted pear, which she hadn't yet realise had begun to wriggle and chuckle under her light touch.
"Look," grinned Grey and gesturing behind Liana's head. Liana turned to see the laughing pear from beneath her fingers squirm a little before the painting swung open like a door on hinges.
"Wicked!" She breathed as she stepped through. Grey cast a few shifty glances around for any teachers or prefects on the look out for misbehaving to student at night, which they clearly fit the bill for, but luckily for them the hallways were still empty.
Grey then followed his little sister into the warm, homely light of the Kitchen, the house elves bustling round them.
"Master Holly, did you bring your little sister with you this time sir?" Squeaked a very overexcited looking house elf that came up to about Liana's waist, the girl grinned over at her brother who shifted uncomfortably.
"I only mentioned you once" he muttered looking down at the ground. He hated any kind of lovey dovey sibling stuff and avoided it like the plague, preferring just to be his usual awkward self.
"Oh come off it, I'm brilliant, I'm sure you spent hours talking about me," Liana teased.
"Nice to meet you" she added as she greeted the house elf politely. The house elf practically levitated with excitement.
"my name is Dobby and I is honoured to meet you Miss" Dobby bowed low his ears flopping against the floor and his wide eyes seeming to grow even larger as he took in her appearance.
"you looks very familiar Miss, does Dobby knows you from anywhere?" Asked Dobby in slight confusion.
"I'm sorry Dobby, I don't think so," shrugged Liana as she helped herself to some cake that had been placed on the table next to her.
"Come on Liana, I have to help you with your homework so Christina doesn't have a fit during your exam time, Dobby-" Grey paused as he saw Liana smiling to herself in a self satisfied way, she was secretly very happy that her brother had mentioned her to the elves.
It wasn't very often that any of the Holly's even spoke about family these days, so to be mentioned felt like a honour.
"I'll be sure to bring Liana back soon," promised Grey with a nod, looking hard at the table legs and blushing slightly.
Dobby clapped his little hands and suddenly more house elves gathered all around them, trying to hand them food and drinks as the pair made their way to the corner of the room where there was a little more seclusion.
When they had finally politely brushed off the persistent house elves, Grey pulled a piece of parchment out from where he had hidden it in his robe pocket. It looked like a page that had been ripped out of a library book. Liana tossed her charms textbook onto the table and sighed.
"Okay, let's start then."
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REMUS John Lupin had been having a good day so far. The classes had been fairly uneventful. Of course there had been the second year class where Colin Creevey had managed to magically superglue himself to his desk, but other than that it had been a rather peaceful day.
However that was before he encountered the third year Gryffindor class.
And oh boy were they a class.
To start with Harry was in that class and he was the spitting image of James, even down to the way he would try and flatten his hair when he thought he saw Liana looking, or adjust his glasses, how he would keep his head down but still joke around with his friends made it almost impossible for Remus to focus.
Then there was Hermione Granger, the smartest witch of her age for sure. With an extensive knowledge, perfect manners and a very kind heart. Ron Weasley, with an appetite the size of the titanic and the maturity of a seven year old but it was easy to see how these three were some of the most popular teens of their year or even the school. They all had looks, humour and brains.
Finally, the most noticeable student for Professor Lupin was Liana Holly. She was someone he found very hard to figure out, despite always thinking of himself as good at reading people. She seemed unreadable. She had the kind of aura that radiated secrets but easily matched the other three with her good looks and personality. She was a very captivating person, the kind that would make you feel special if she chose to give you any attention at all. Somehow Remus Lupin still couldn't quite fathom her, maybe it was because her looks reminded him eerily of a woman he used to know.
Liana stood beside Ron and Dean that lesson, her arms lazily flung over both their shoulders as she leaned back casually, her bag tossed at her feet and her hair looked even more tangled than usual, her Gryffindor tie no where to be seen either. Professor Lupin couldn't bring himself to even tell her off.
"Now today we will be studying a new creature," he introduced as he circled the quaking wardrobe that stood before them, instantly drawing the attention to himself and silencing all conversations.
"Does anyone have any idea as to what this is?" He asked smoothly.
"That's a boggart that is," called out Dean from his place beside Liana, his arm casually trying to snake round her shoulder. Liana snorted quietly and swatted his hand away.
"Twerp" she muttered under her breath. Dean only laughed slightly, apparently unfazed.
"Correct Mr Thomas, now can anyone tell me what a boggart looks like?"
This time it was Hermione who answered.
"No one knows-"
"- where did she come from?" Ron exclaimed in surprise as he turned behind to see Hermione standing next to Harry. No one paid any attention to Ron however and Harry just shrugged. Liana frowned as she watched Hermione tuck something golden and sparkly down the front of her robes as she spoke, but Liana didn't ask.
"Boggarts are shape shifters, they take the shape of whatever frightens us most," she finished ignoring Ron.
"Now that gives us a advantage doesn't it, have you spotted it Harry?" Professor Lupin called on Harry, who had been letting his focus slip slightly as he watched Liana shove Dean away again, snapped his attention back to the class.
"Erm-" he paused as he thought for a second, trying desperately to ignore Hermione who was practically leaping into the air such was her desire to answer.
"Because there's so many of us the boggart won't know what shape to become?" It sounded more like a question than he intended it to but Professor Lupin nodded proudly.
"Excellent Harry, now Neville-"
The poor boy shrank back the instant he heard his name being called.
"Come on Neville," grinned Liana encouragingly as she noticed this and she gave him a tiny shove to push him forwards again. Neville shot her a petrified look however.
" -What frightens you the most?"
There was a distinct pause as all eyes turned to look at Neville with curiosity. Neville quivered for a moment before answering, his bottom lip wobbling slightly with nerves.
"Professorssnape" he mumbled all in one go, refusing to meet the eyes of anyone around him.
"What's that?" Professor Lupin cupped his ear and smiled lightly at the shaking boy.
"Professor Snape" Neville admitted more slowly and his cheeks flamed red as there was a chorus of laughter from around the class.
"Ah yes he terrifies all- and Neville you also live with your grandmother is that correct?"
Liana had no idea where Professor Lupin was going with this.
"Yes but- I don't want that boggart to turn into her either-"
Liana had stopped listening to the conversation by now. She left Dean and Ron and drifted back to stand next to Harry, resting her head on his shoulders. Harry felt his heart beat a little faster as Liana comfortably adjusted herself on him. He and Liana hadn't really spoken as much as her and Hermione, this was all uncharted waters for Harry.
"Liana, where were you last night by the way?" Hermione asked under her breath as Neville and Professor Lupin continued to talk.
"I had something to do with my brother," she brushed off, trying to avoid the questions.
"what were you doing?" Harry questioned, his interest now peaked as he looked down at her tired face on his shoulder. She truly was extremely beautiful, her eyes wide and innocent blue as she gazed up at Harry sleepily, and her red curls like soft ringlets of silk.
"Just homework. I find concentration really difficult- so sometimes Grey will swoop in and help me out," She confessed, rather embarrassed to be telling her new friends how she struggled in school.
"I highly doubt you've ever done a piece of homework in your life, even with Grey's help," snickered Hermione with an amused expression.
"You'd be surprised," yawned Liana with a smile at the girl.
But she shot upright with a small shriek seconds later when Neville successfully transformed Professor Boggart Snape into wearing his Grandmother's clothes and snorted loudly with laughter.
"Wonderful Neville! Now everyone form a line" instructed Professor Lupin amid laughter as he settled himself against the wall to watch, slipping a record onto his record player, the soft tunes of muggle music filling the air.
Liana eagerly elbowed her way towards the front along with everyone else and watched Parvati, Seamus and Dean encounter their boggarts. She practically wet herself with laughter at Ron's reaction to the spider and playfully nudged him out the way as she realised it was her turn.
"Focus Liana, focus," nodded Professor Lupin as his eyes followed the curious girl closely.
Liana raised her wand, still not entirely sure what was going to come out of the Boggart but when the roller skating spider began to morph it hit her what it was but it was too late to step away now. Sure enough from within a woman stepped out.
She had long chocolate hair and soft hazel eyes filled with sadness, her features delicate and sharp, giving her a doll like face. She stared at Liana as if she had just seen her for the first time ever before.
"Darling-" the woman tried to edge forwards.
"Ridikulus" Liana barely breathed the spell, her eyes glued wide open as if she had just seen a ghost.
The woman suddenly morphed into a plant pot on the ground, branches swaying happily, but that didn't stop Liana staggering backwards into Hermione. Hermione gripped Liana arm in worry and to stop the girl falling over.
"Liana?" Professor Lupin attempting to sound comforting despite not having a clue what had just happened as he stopped the record player immediately and began to make his way over to her.
Professor Lupin gnawed the inside of his cheek as he looked the girl up and down, things were beginning to click in his head and he had a nauseous feeling in the pit of his stomach if he was right. He had tried for the longest time to hope his mistakes from his youth wouldn't come back to haunt him. But, unfortunately, that didn't seem to be the case.
"Can I go the toilet?" Liana asked, a smile plastered over her face quickly to try and mask the incidents that had just occurred.
Without waiting for a reply she turned on her heel and dashed away. Hermione felt a stab of sorrow for her and looked to Ron and Harry, none of them understood what had just happened.
Which could only mean one thing: that there was more to Liana Holly than what met the eye.
And they were going to find out very soon what that was.
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AN
I'm so sorry this is such a late and probably boring chapter but I hoped you enjoyed it anyway!
Comment of the day: what is or was your worst subject at school? ( mines French lol, I completely suck )
Xoxo
Edited: 9/4/19
Re-edited: 28/7/19