Chapter 3
James Potter hadn’t seen that look on Carina's face in years. In fact, he was pretty sure the last time he had seen her looking anything less than murderous towards him was ages ago, back when they were nothing but school children.
Laying beneath her almost pleasant expression was an emotion that he couldn’t quite place. Confusion? Irritation? A mix of the two?
He hasn't a clue.
“Hello Potter. How- erm- How’s your evening going?” Carina asked. With a puff of air, she blew her dark bangs out of her eyes.
“Me? My evening was splendid.” He said with a smirk, beginning to walk the hall with her in tow, searching for any out of place students. “You had a meeting with the headmaster, yeah?”
Carina grimaced.
She hummed in agreement.
Odd.
There was a storm brewing in Carina’s head.
As she roamed the halls with James Potter (who seemed madly confused by her newfound positive attitude) she got lost in her thoughts.
Oh to be a fool.
She wishes she could’ve been one.
She had read a quote once, in an older muggle book, “That's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.”
She agreed with the sentiment of the quote wholeheartedly.
Instead she was cursed with knowledge, and along with that she was cursed with a hunger for power. Quite Slytherin of her.
She had spent years working towards the goal of becoming head girl. To the point where sometimes it was the only thing keeping her going. When things were especially bad at home, or more specifically, once Sirius had left, she had thrown herself into her schoolwork. She needed to become head girl.
And now any possibility of that happening was going to disappear. There was no chance that Lily Evans, proud Gryffindor and muggleborn would ever write Carina Black a letter of recommendation. While the two had never been unfriendly, Carina had a reputation. One she hadn’t necessarily gained on purpose, but one she hadn’t exactly fought against either.
A reputation that Lily goody Evans would not allow to become head girl.
Her only other option was the boy currently scanning a classroom across the hall from her.
She needed to become head girl.
So that left her creating a list of steps in her mind, a plan of action.
- Completely disintegrate any prenotions James Potter held against her.
- Get James Potter to not despise her.
- Get James Potter to like her.
- Become friends with James Potter.
- Ask James Potter to write her letter of recommendation to Dumbledore.
- Keep all of this a secret from her brothers in the process. (Regulus would just tell her that it wasn’t worth mixing with a blood traitor for. Sirius on the other hand, would assume she was doing something especially evil)
- Drop James Potter. Never speak to him again.
She felt a hand press against her chest, successfully drawing her out of her thoughts, and stopping her from tumbling down a flight of stairs.
Her breath hitched. “Thanks.”
James nodded, but looked at her questioningly.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so much as stumble,” James said. “I didn’t think you had the capacity for clumsiness.”
She huffed a laugh in response.
Maybe this wouldn't be too difficult. Sure, James was annoying and childish sometimes, but he was trusting. Convincing him to trust her would be easy. She also had to admit that he was quite nice to look at. Something she thought would benefit their time together.
Breaking their almost uncomfortably long eye contact she checked the time. Realising it was almost midnight, she knew her time with Potter was over, and she had promised Evan that she would pick up the drinks on the way back to the birthday party starting in approximately 10 minutes.
“Oh, Potter, our shift is up,” She said, pointing a thumb behind her. “I best be going. See you Tuesday, yeah?”
“Yeah, see you then…” James said, confused as too when they had started saying farewell to each other. Or even anything at all.
Carina was basically sprinting down the corridor, portraits occasionally yelling at her to slow down, she had zero intention to do so. She was supposed to meet “Snuffles” five minutes ago. Apparently he was some seventh year that supplied any of the necessary goods for a party, although no one knew who he was, they knew how to contact him.
She rounded a corner, coming to a stop on some almost empty third floor corridor.
The boy in front of her stood alone in the hall, with some old witches hat covering the majority of his face, the shadows of the corridor did her no help in determining who she was dealing with. She could only pray that he was a Slytherin, she could even handle a Ravenclaw if necessary.
“Hello, are you Snuffles?”
The boy seemed to tense at her words.
Ah. A Hufflepuff.
She stepped closer, and offered a friendly smile, hoping to seem friendly to whomever was standing in front of her.
As she stepped forward a hint of light shone onto Snuffles’ jaw.
She stifled a gasp when she saw a small silver scar resting on the edge of the boy’s lips.
She knew that scar, she herself had given it to the boy in front of her. Her older brother. Instantly she was brought to a memory from only that prior summer.
Carina and Regulus were walking around Grimmauld st. far too late at night. Their mother would be upset, but Carina couldn’t bring herself to care. It was the week before Narcissa was scheduled to get married to her fiance Lucius, and their mother had been driving the black twins mad all day.
They walked aimlessly around their neighbourhood but slowed when they saw Sirius sitting on some park bench a block or so away from their house.
Regulus rushed over to him.
“What the hell do you think you are doing here?” He demanded.
“I wanted to see both of you.” Sirius said, sounding mildly embarrassed.
“Sirius, go home. You needn’t pretend to care about our wellbeing anymore. You have a new family. Go back to them.” Carina spoke, an edge to her voice.
Sirius ignored her, he and Regulus both straightened, preparing for a fight.
“I want you to come with me.” Sirius basically pleaded.
Regulus scoffed. “Too little. Too late. We gave you your answer last year.”
Her older brother stiffened at this, remembering how he had been halfway out the door before he had even noticed his younger siblings, saying simply, “You could come with me.”
They all knew that Regulus needed more planning than that.
“Sirius. Leave. Now. Before mother comes out and murders you. We all know that she has it in her heart to do it.” Carina glared at Sirius.
“Not if I do it first.” Said Regulus.
“Oh, has your ‘Dark Lord’ taught you the curse already? I would’ve thought he’d at least wait until you’d graduated.” Sirius spat mockingly.
Her twin lunged at him. But Carina held him back. Stepping between the two boys, Carina spoke evenly. “Sirius. I have already given you two warnings. Leave now, or I will cry bloody murder and mother dearest will tear you to pieces.”
“Oh, so he’s gotten to you too? You plannin’ on joinin’ the ranks? Killing innocents before tea time with your toy Rosier?” Sirius stared down at his younger sister.
She punched him in the mouth, a ring her father had gifted to her for christmas marking a deep scratch in the corner of his lips.
Licking the blood, Sirius stormed off, not sparing a glance behind him as he walked into the night.
Sirius stepped fully into the light of the moon shining through the third corridor's window. Ripping the hat off and letting his dark curls loose he said, “Cari? What the bloody hell are you doing here?”
“Oh, for the love of Salazar. Of course it's you.” Carina ran a hand through her own black curls. “Sirius. Today is my birthday. My sixteenth birthday, and because every Gryffindor of any importance seems to have it out for me today, I have had an exhausting day. So. Now, you are going to give me the alcohol that I know is sitting in that corner, and I am going to the dungeons where a party is waiting for me.”
Her older brother turned, grabbing the box of booze from the edge of the wall and handed it to her.
She grabbed it, handing a pouch of coins to him.
As she turned to leave, a hand grabbed her arm.
“Wait,” Sirius demanded. “I have a birthday present for you. One for Regulus too.”
Carina was appalled. “You mean something other than turning my meal into reptiles?”
“Yes. Something other than that.” Sirius laughed. “I wasn’t sure how I was going to get it to you, but I have it here.”
He started digging through his robes, pulling out a small box, he tossed it to Carina. “For Regulus” He stated.
He then started reaching around his muggle jeans and pulled something out of his back pocket.
Grinning, he tossed her a shirt.
She set the box of booze down and lifted the shirt up to get a good look at it.
It was black with a circle in the middle, just outside of the circle were the words, “The Bitch is Back” and on the inside of the circle sat Elton John with his obscenely large glasses, and the puffiest sleeves she had ever seen.
Holding the shirt in a spot where Sirius couldn’t see her face, she smiled. He knew her well. But as she lowered the shirt, she lowered her smile as well.
“Thanks, Sirius.”
She picked up the box, and turned to leave.
“Er. Maybe don’t tell Reg that the gifts are from me?”
“I think that’d be best.” Carina agreed.
Once Carina arrived back at the Slytherin common room, she was exhausted. All she wanted to do was exchange gifts with her twin, and curl up into her bed and fall fast asleep. But she had a long night ahead of her.
She walked in, plastering on the largest smile she could manage and made her way to a table where the Slytherins had placed glasses and goblets, preparing for the alcohol that she was now carrying.
Regulus walked up to her and took the booze out of her hands, dropping it onto the table.
As he did this, Evan walked up behind her, wrapping her shoulders into a hug.
She leaned into him and sighed.
“Nice shirt you got there.” Commented Regulus, eyeing the shirt Sirius had given her, which she had pulled on over her button up as soon as she got far enough away from the third floor corridor.
“Came from someone unexpected.”
He hummed questioningly. She ignored him.
“Pour me some Firewhiskey, eh Reggie?”
Regulus snorted, and said, “On it, Cari.”
“Rough time in your meeting with the old geezer?” Asked Evan.
Carina laughed, saying, “You can say that again.”
“What even was the meeting about?” Regulus asked.
She groaned, and after chugging some of the firewhiskey, she said, “I saw some first year get hexed, and he wanted to speak with me about it.”
She hated lying to her brother and Evan, but she had a feeling that this was not a conversation she should not share with the boys.
“Mudblood?”
She nodded in reply.
She honestly hated that word. Hated how her brother and friends could speak it so easily. But she could never share that sentiment with others. Especially not anyone in this room. There was a Slytherin that had gone missing, just a year prior, a muggleborn who defended her kind wholeheartedly, even daring to stand up to Bellatrix. Hannah Threpe. Carina was pretty sure she was dead.
Hours and many drinks later, the Slytherin common room was bursting with music and loud conversation. Some fifth year had enchanted the records to flip when necessary, and every once in a while someone would walk over and throw a new record on. She had just seen Evan walk over when suddenly the music currently playing stopped, and something else was turned on. She knew within half a second exactly what song was playing. Across the room Carina locked eyes with her brother, who pushed a groaning Pristy Bulstrode off his lap. They both stood up and walked to the middle of the room together. Many Slytherins, growing confused cleared the middle of the room as the twins pushed towards eahother.
“Do we have to?” Regulus whined.
“Yes.”
And so the twins began. Their dance was something quite strange. It involved quite a bit of jumping and stomping. But they had memorised it years ago, a summer afternoon they had spent with their cousin Andromeda not long before she had gotten burned from the family tapestry.
Dancing along to a muggle song in the Slytherin common room was strange. But even the Slytherins could recognise Elton John’s talent, especially with how often Carina had spoken about him.
“She’s got electric boots, a mohair suit” Sang Elton through the loud speaker of the enchanted record player.
That was their cue.
As often as they did it, this move was still risky. And they executed it flawlessly. The Slytherins in the common room stared in awe as one of the Black twins landed gracefully on the ground.
The song ended and the common room quieted.
“What the fuck?” Shouted Evan from across the room. “How long have you known how to do that? Never once told me you could!”
With that most of the Slytherins returned to their prior conversations.
“Bloody incredible, that was.” Evan said, walking up to the twins.
Out of breath, Carina wheezed a laugh.
Regulus rolled his eyes, but placed an arm over his sister’s shoulder. “The summer before fourth year was a long one. It was hot too. And Andy had all those records.” He looked towards his sister.
She grinned, “It’s when I discovered Elton. Changed my life, that summer.”
Checking her watch she realised that it was almost past three in the morning. Turning to Regulus, Carina said, “I’m quite tired, mind exchanging gifts now so I can head to bed?”
With a nod from Regulus they headed up the stairs to his dorm, stopping at hers on the way.
Luckily the other boys from his room were still down at the party, excluding a sleeping Taylor Shafiq.
They went and sat over on Regulus’s bed and began handing each other their gifts.
Opening up Regulus’s gift to her, she saw an expensive, first addition book, called, "Advanced Quidditch Plays Not for the Faint of Heart."
She looked up at Regulus.
“I saw you eyeing it in Diagon Alley at the beginning of the year.” He shrugged. “Figured you needed a hobby. School alone must be so boring. Also thought you could give me pointers this year, seeing as I made Capitan.”
She grinned, but sacked him on the shoulder for his mean joke.
Both twins knew that Carina would not be able to ever use the plays herself, although she knew how to do most of them. Her parents thought that her choice in hobby was too manly, and not appropriate for a feminine lady such as herself. So she took every opportunity to help the Slytherin's team as possible, spending the past few years giving the Captions pointers on how to win against their opposing teams. Carina also loved Hogwarts' quidditch pitch, and in the spring you could often see her hanging around watching the different teams practice.
Focussing back on Regulus and their gifts she said, “Open mine!”
He started ripping open the parchment she had used to wrap the box and when he opened it he saw an obviously handmade book.
“I made the journal myself, then copied all your favourite poems into it. Even the muggle ones that you hide beneath your bed. There’s still some room for more, and you can write your own as well.”
He smiled up at his sister. “Thank you, really.”
They hugged from the side, Carina resting her head on her brother's shoulder.
She suddenly jumped up, remembering the gift that Sirius had left with her.
She turned back towards her brother, pulling the small box out of her pocket.
“Sorry I crushed the box.”
“Who’s it from?”
“A friend.” Carina sighed, trying to come up with a lie that wouldn’t make him dismiss the gift immediately. “There’s this person, has a bit of a crush on you.” Subconsciously she was laughing her ass off. “Wanted me to give it to you. They were too shy.”
“Oh, ok.”
He opened the box, and inside sat a small set of cufflinks, expensive ones. They had small stars glittering across them, magical ones, and I could see some of the constellations and stars that my family and myself were unoriginally named after.
“It’s beautiful. Tell ‘em I said thank you, yeah?”
“Course.” Carina yawned. “Bedtime.”
She had yet another busy day ahead of her tomorrow. One that involved an intricate plan to get a certain Potter boy on her side.