something about consequences
The Slytherin Common Room was practically empty while Kayda waited for her friends to return from Hogsmead—she spent the few hours she had until they got back reading the first pages of several books on the many shelves in the dimly lit room.
When the time came, she made her way slowly from the dungeons to meet the others above ground.
She was only waiting in the cold for a few minutes before she could see Freya’s platinum hair bouncing up and down in the distance, souring higher than everyone else—she had her arms wrapped around Theo’s neck and Kayda suspected she had her legs around his torso and his own arms locked behind her knees.
As suspected, Freya spotted Kayda first and promptly began kicking at Theo as if he were merely a horse to her. He refused to walk any faster despite it. Daphne and Pansy rushed ahead and instantly embraced the smiling girl.
“That’s a warm welcome,” she laughed, attempting to hug both girls back the best she could while they shivered like hell.
“I figured y-you’d be warm—“ Pansy chattered, her teeth loud in Kayda’s ear, “y’know, w-with the whole dragon thing.”
After rolling her eyes, Kayda stepped back from the pair and held her hands out in the middle of the huddle they’d made. A loud crackle and flames had sparked, Daphne and Pansy put their own hands to it.
Freya may as well have leapt from Theo’s back when she crashed into Kayda—who placed a small kiss on top of Freya’s head to make up for being unable to reciprocate the hug.
“Frey, did you miss me for me? Or for my warmth?” She smiled at the girl, who didn’t seem to be as cold, the scarf and hat she’d put on that morning were more needed when the sun started going down.
“You, obviously.” Freya grinned, her tongue sticking out between her teeth as she propped herself up onto her toes. “The warmth is suuuuch a benefit though.” She hummed as she put her hands out to the fire with the others.
The boys had followed a lot slower, greeting Kayda with a smile and maybe a light rub on the shoulder—and then instantly using the fire in her hands to warm their own like everyone else.
“How about we just—go inside, might be easier than all of us trying to get—“ Blaise sniffed, nodding his head towards the corridor that would lead them to warmth and the Grand Staircase.
The fire disappeared almost immediately right before Kayda pushed through her friends and ran down the corridor with Freya close behind.
At the staircase, they continued running straight down towards the dungeons—until Daphne calls out to them all.
On the opposite side of the staircase, high above them—was a massive crowd of Gryffindors standing right outside of the portrait leading to their Common Room.
“What’d you reckon’s going on up there?” Daphne asked, more to herself than them.
“Why do we care?” Draco scoffed. “They’re Gryffindors.” It looked like it hurt him to even say the word.
“Yeah,” Theo laughed, walking up a few steps to get a better view, “sucks for them, but our common room door works…and is warm inside.” He leant closer to Daphne’s ear, attempting to get her to stop being so curious.
“I want to know what’s happening.” She said, defiantly.
Pansy giggled and followed the curious girl as she began walking back up the stairs. After Freya followed the two girls, Theo reluctantly did too. Blaise rolled his eyes and did a slight jog to catch up to Pansy and Daphne ahead of the couple.
“So, how was Hogsmead?” Kayda asked, still watching them, after Draco sighed loudly and leant back against the bannister.
“Was good,” he said blankly, “I thought you’d have—gone up there.” Draco nudged his head behind him. “Seen as your boyfriend’s probably watching with the rest of ‘em.”
“Boyfriend’s probably at the Quidditch pitch.” Kayda corrected, a laugh echoing her words. “He’ll be training non-stop for the next two weeks, even goes as far as sleeping in the broom closet.”
Draco laughed, before he realised what exactly the noise that left his mouth was and he clamped his lips shut.
“Won’t help them win,” he shrugged, grinning slightly.
Kayda didn’t respond for a second, her attention was on Dumbledore as the old man made his way through the Gryffindor crowd towards the portrait.
Her body moved towards it and the words barely came out. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, Malfoy.”
She squeezed Freya’s forearm when she reached the girls side, she was up on Theo’s back again—even then she was trying to get taller so she could see what was happening. Kayda heard Draco huff again behind her, he’d followed her.
“Don’t you have like—super vision, Black?” Theo groaned, clearly tired. “And can you not share it with this pain-in-the—“
“If she did, she’d have done it already.” Freya mumbled, cutting him off quickly despite only partially listening to what he was saying.
Peeves appeared suddenly in front of Freya—who very almost fell onto the floor far below her, had Draco and Pansy not pushed at her back to keep her stable.
“Peevey,” Kayda waved her hand at his foot, passing through it, “what’s happened?”
Peeves cackled loudly, rolling around in the air. “Strange of you to ask…Black! Believed you knew dear ol’ dad was back.”
Before any of them could react, the poltergeist had zoomed to Dumbledore.
Kayda cursed herself—she’d been trying to be subtly clueless. Next thing she knew she was pushing past several other students, both younger and older until she reached Dumbledore herself.
The Headmaster only glanced at her while Peeves was talking, who’d begun explaining what’d happened, “he got very angry when she wouldn’t let him in, Professorhead,” the ghost flipped around and grinned at Dumbledore from between his own legs, “nasty temper he’s got, that Sirius Black.”
─ « ⋅ » ─
"I’d bet galleons she helped him get in."
The following hour made Kayda really question if anybody was capable of whispering anymore.
“Heard she didn't go to Hogsmead, either—too much of a coincidence if you ask me."
"For fucks sake—" Kayda grumbled, Freya squeezed her hand as they walked through the Great Hall—they'd all been ushered inside the grand room and the rest of the students who'd been elsewhere joined them not long after. "My father does one stupid thing and suddenly, I'm all over it."
"I know, hun," Freya used her other hand to rub up and down on Kayda's arm, "it'll pass, I'm sure."
"Unless she did help him!" Theo jumped in front of them, grinning and looking as though he was trying to mimic Peeves.
"Shut up, Theo!" Freya pulled a face at him and shoved herself and Kayda past him as he laughed.
Even an hour later, the comments didn't rest up, every-time she walked past someone who thought themselves brave enough to make one, they did—relentlessly. It seemed to be their only form of entertainment.
“I’d have thought they wouldn’t be risking shit like that,” Pansy tutted, glaring at a Gryffindor girl who’d whispered something to her friends, “considering…y’know.”
“You should cremate one to send a message, Black.” Theo shook his head, he too was shooting daggers at groups of students staring at them as they made their way down the hall again.
They’d been walking for ages, most people had sat down, Blaise and Draco had managed—but Kayda just couldn’t keep still. The girls and Theo wandered mindlessly around the hall with her.
“Black-!” It was Harry, he was walking straight towards them. He didn’t reach her, Theo very quickly stepped in between them. “Get out the way, Nott.” He spat, only glancing up at the taller boy.
“How ‘bouts you just piss off, Potter.” Draco called from where he stood not too far away—he’d probably gotten up at the first sign that Harry was making his way towards the group. “Nobody here wants anything to do with you.”
Hermione and Ron had been stood not too far behind him, but when Theo shoved Harry’s shoulder after the boy tried yet again to get closer to Kayda—Ron was there in an instant threatening to do the same back.
“What, Harry?” Kayda sighed and walking through her friends, shaking her head at Draco when he reached her side.
“Did you see what happened to the portrait?” He asked eagerly, “like actually see it?”
Kayda nodded, “what does that matter? Half the school did.”
“People are saying—“
“We know what they’re fucking saying, mate.” Theo spat, stepping up to the smaller boy along with Draco.
Kayda rolled her eyes and turned around, exasperated. Daphne followed her as she made her way back through the hall towards the door.
“I’m not even surprised.” Someone whispered as she shoved past them. “She looks the type, y’know what I mean?”
“I cannot be arsed for their stupid little arguments over nothing today.” Kayda muttered as they walked. “Just can’t today.”
“They’re boys,” Daphne laughed lightly, “no matter what, they’ll find something to shove the other over. Potter’ll come out worse—I wouldn’t worry.”
“I’m not worrying, Daph.”
Pansy came running up behind them, speaking rather loudly to get their attention before she reached them. “I think Nott’s going to hit that idiot boy.”
“Seriously?” Kayda halted, glancing back at where she’d left them. Freya was grinning when she looked back at Kayda—it fell the instant the dark haired girl shook her head sharply.
“It’s ‘cause they care about you, Black,” Pansy shrugged, “that’s why they do this sort of stuff.”
“No, it isn’t, Pansy.” Kayda took a deep breath. “It’s because they hate Potter, and any reason to argue with or fight the ‘Chosen One’ is like a golden bloody snitch to them.”
“And they’re boys.” Daphne added.
Freya seemed to have been able to drag her brother and boyfriend away from the chosen one just in time before Dumbledore entered the room.
“We are doing a search of the castle,” he announced, “for your own safety, you’ll all be sleeping in here tonight.”
With a wave of his hand, a large pile of sleeping bags appeared in an empty corner of the room. Several students, mainly first years, ran to get one immediately.
“Merlin, this sucks.” Blaise exhaled loudly, having joined Theo and Draco when Ron started getting involved too.
“Look at it like it’s a massive sleepover!” Freya grinned, jumping up on Daphne’s shoulders excitedly, whose knees buckled under the sudden weight.
“We all know whose sleeping bag you’ll be crawling into, Frey.” Pansy giggled, Freya laughed with her and Theo just rolled his eyes and watched as they skipped off excitedly to get a sleeping bag.
Draco glowered at the tall boy. “Don’t even think about it, Nott.” He warned.
─ « ⋅ » ─
The comments weren’t any easier to ignore when everyone settled down into their own groups, huddled up in their sleeping bags beside one another.
“She probably helped him out of Azkaban too!”
“How would she have done that? It’s heavily guarded.”
“She’s a Fabeldyr, she could’ve—“
“They’d have seen a giant dragon blasting the side of it, you idiot!”
It was even later when Dumbledore entered the Great Hall again—most people were sleeping, the light from the tip of his wand hitting shut eyelids as he scanned the room for a moment before landing on Kayda, who was playing with a low flame in the far corner of the room with Freya watching, completely mesmerised.
The flame spiralled around her finger by her feet, licking at the stone floor gently. Every breath from Freya’s lips made it flutter softly before it grew bigger.
“Miss Black?” Dumbledore called quietly when he was stood a few feet away from her. She looked up sharply and the fire vanished immediately—plunging their dark corner slightly further into darkness.
“Yes, Professor?” She asked, not bothering to stand up to talk to the man.
“I need to speak with you,“ he spoke evenly, but attempted to keep his voice down, “outside of the Great Hall, Miss?”
“But Sir,” Kayda didn’t attempt to change her expression, she spoke blandly, “there’s an Azkaban Escapee on the loose.”
Freya reached out and squeezed her, still warm, hand for a moment.
The Headmaster sighed. “You and I both know that you won’t come to any harm from him—I’m more at risk.”
“Sure.” Kayda sighed. When Dumbledore began to walk away, she was obligated to follow.
They didn’t reach the door, Snape came rushing down towards them before they’d even gotten halfway across the hall.
“Headmaster,” he began, glancing at Kayda and continuing with a scowl, “the whole of the third floor has been searched and Filch has done the dungeons; he’s not here, not anymore.”
Dumbledore clicked his tongue, “and the Astronomy Tower? Professor Trelawney’s room? The Owlery?”
“All checked, Sir.”
“Very well, I can’t say I expected Black to linger,” Dumbledore sighed, “he may have spent the last twelve-years in a cell, but he’s still cleaver.”
“Yes. Quite the accomplishment, isn’t it?” Snape tilted his head, once again his eyes flickered in Kayda’s direction. “Entering the castle by himself. Have you any ideas on how he managed it?”
Dumbledore paused. A quiet shuffle beside them drew Kayda’s eyes to the floor beside them—Harry was lying in his sleeping back with his head propped up so he could listen in.
“Several—each as unlikely as the next, I’m afraid.” He sighed heavily, clearly tired.
“Do you recall our conversation at—uh—the beginning of term, Sir?”
“I do, indeed, Severus.”
Snape seemed to shift uncomfortably. “Then you’ll remember that I brought to you my concerns about your appointment of—“
Kayda glared up at the man.
Dumbledore cut him off sharply. “I do not believe a single person inside this castle would help Black to enter it.”
“Yes, it just seems—almost impossible—that Black could have entered the school without inside help—“ He spoke with such urgency, you’d have almost thought he knew the wooden horse had soldiers inside it when it was dragged through the gate.
“Severus.” Dumbledore snapped the long haired man’s eyes from the girl instantly. “Not a single person.” His tone was surprisingly calm.
Snape nodded. “Yes, Headmaster.”
She and Dumbledore walked past the bitter man and out into the hallway, where he took a deep breath.
“Now I need you to be honest with me, Miss Black—so that I may be honest with the Minister.” He stated, his face stern and eyes narrow. “Are you—“
“No, Sir!” Kayda almost shouted. “I did not help my father break into Hogwarts.”
He grinned, chuckling slightly, “thank you, Miss Black—however, that was not my question.”
She retracted slowly, clicking her tongue and staring at the floor, “my apologies, Professor.”
He had that mischievous glint in his eyes when he spoke again. “Are you still being brave?”
There wasn’t a single thing anybody could tell her that would make Kayda think that one day she’d understand her Headmaster.
Her own eyes narrowed, “yes, I am.” She replied, slightly unsure.
“Good.” He smiled, after a moment, he began to walk away from her—just before turning around again. “Small bit of advice, if I may?”
Kayda nodded.
“Without a password, it’s impossible.”
She tilted her head. “Wouldn’t bother with the tower again, Sir—don’t worry.”