Chapter 5
The weeks leading up to Christmas break moved quickly. James Potter was busy. Busier than he supposed he had ever been, between his role of Gyffindor’s quidditch captain, Head Boy duties, tutoring Carina, and spending every extra moment he had with his friends, his schedule was absolutely packed. But, James honestly did not mind sharing his time with the younger Black sibling. Tutoring her had honestly been quite enjoyable, and with the patrols that they worked together twice a week, the pair spent almost an hour together every day, excluding the weekends of course. He learned through their meetings that he had misunderstood her as a person. Still though he wasn’t sure if he trusted her. From Sirius’s recounts of his childhood, she could be cunning and manipulative in a way that allowed her to get exactly what she wanted.
Tonight being the full moon, and the last scheduled tutoring session the pair would have before the holiday, James needed to find a way to cancel on her without arousing suspicion.
Something that he supposed was impossible with someone like Carina Black.
Those siblings were always suspicious of something.
James was walking towards the library where the map had said she would be, when screams echoed down the corridor, coming from an old classroom.
James took off in a run, where it seems the rest of the school was gathering around two duelling students.
Pushing through the crowd, he realised that it was not a duel that was happening.
A second year Hufflepuff lay on the floor while Carina was standing over him, her wand pointed towards a wound that it seemed she had given to him.
As quickly as he could, James disarmed her.
“Black!” James shouted.
Carina rounded on James, an angry glare dancing along her sharp features.
“Potter, give me my wand back. Now.” She demanded it with such conviction that James was itching to give it back to her. But he held strong.
“What the bloody hell is going on?” James asked in response.
She glared at him harder, realising he was not giving back her wand anytime soon, she turned away from him.
She pointed to a skinny third year standing on the outskirts of the circle.
“You. Take Tyler to Pomphrey. Now.”
The boy grabbed the second year, picking him up with an ease that James wouldn’t have expected from such a small boy, and scurried out of the room, in the direction of the hospital wing.
“Potter. My wand.”
“Not until you tell me what happened.”
Carina’s glare softened just slightly.
“Potter. I will tell you everything, as soon as you have returned my wand.”
Glancing around at the audience surrounding them, James realised that this would not be the best place to have this conversation.
“Follow me.”
James walked with Carina following behind him until they reached the seventh floor left corridor.
He paced in front of the empty wall.
Finally the doors to the room of requirement appeared.
It currently took the form of an office-like room.
Looking closely, James realised that it was just like an interrogation room from one of the muggle mystery movies he had seen with Remus that summer.
James took a seat, gesturing for her to join him.
Carina looked quite put out, but sat down at the chair across from his own.
“What happened today?”
Carina rolled her eyes at him, then stared pointedly at a bit of dust on the table separating them.
“Give me my wand.”
“Explain first.”
“Potter, do not test me. Give me my wand.”
“You need to explain first. Cause from where I’m sitting, I as Head Boy should be discussing your expulsion with the headmaster right now. So I suggest you tell me exactly what happened before I start assuming things.”
“Start assuming things?” She scoffed. “Obviously you’ve already begun to do that.”
“You’re right. I have. So why don't you tell me exactly what happened? So I can make my way over to Dumbledore’s office to get you expelled for cursing a second year Hufflepuff.” James spoke, venom dripping out of his mouth with every word.
Her mouth bubbled with laughter.
“I’m sorry. I’m supposed to take that threat seriously?” Carina laughed in his face.
James felt disappointed at the turn their relationship seemed to be taking. The pair had come to an understanding in the past few weeks, or so he thought. They had almost been friendly. Not friends of course, but friendly. And here she was mocking him, after she was the one caught hexing a younger student.
“My family is one of the most powerful households in the entire wizarding world. And you expect me to take a threat from you seriously.” She laughed again.
James straightened his chair.
“What happened to you?” James looked her up and down, she looked exhausted. “I didn’t think that you were like that.”
“Have you maybe considered that you misunderstood the situation?” That maybe your first impression of the interaction was wrong?”
He hadn’t.
“What do you expect me to believe? I walked in and you had your wand pointed at the fucking kid.”
“I was helping him, James.”
“Oh, helping. Of course. Just like how your mother used to help Sirius.”
She stood up abruptly, slamming her hands onto the table, she said, “Don’t you dare say another word. Give me my wand. Now.”
“No.”
She stepped around the table then, eliminating the few feet of space between them.
“James Fleamont Potter. Give me my wand.” She spat at him, glaring holes into his eyes.
He stared down into her shorter form then. “Not until you tell me what happened.”
“It is none of your business. It does not involve you.”
“It does now.”
Their chests were touching now, as they continued to glare at each other. James was sure this was the closest the two had ever stood, and he could not help the flurry of emotions in the pit of his stomach.
“I’m sure that some story has already spread throughout the whole school. Go ask someone else.”
Her grey eyes bore holes into his own.
“Why can’t you just tell me. Merlin, Black, it can’t be that difficult.”
“Because you won’t believe me.”
“I will. Just please, explain to me what happened.” James softened his tone. “You were in the library one second, and the next you’re hexing some twelve year old. What happened in between?”
Carina took a step back, and crossed her arms over her chest. “How do you know I was in the library?”
“That doesn’t matter now.” James cursed himself for his mistake.
“I heard the screaming. Just like you did.” Carina began, “I figured as a prefect I should see what was happening. So I left the library. When I reached the corridor,” She held back a sob. “They had Tyler dangling from the air while they all took turns throwing curses at him.”
“They?”
“S-Severus, and Mulciber.” She choked out. “I stopped them before he got too hurt, but-”
Carina paused
“It wasn’t enough. I should have been there sooner.” A stray tear leaked from her grey eyes. “I never do enough.”
James had a feeling that they were no longer talking about Tyler. Carina really started crying then.
He really didn’t know what to do with a crying girl.
Sure his mum had taught him to be respectful and kind to girls, but how to deal with them while they cried? James was at a loss.
He reached out an arm, grazing his fingers against her forearm in a way that he prayed to Merlin was comforting.
“You did all that you could. You couldn’t have been there any sooner.”
“It’s my bloody fault he was there in the first place.” Carina blurted, running a hand over her face, she said, “I tutor Tyer, in charms. He’s a muggleborn and doesn’t really understand the concepts.”
James didn’t know what to say to this, but when he remained silent, it only seemed to make her spiral more.
“I should’ve walked him back to his common room. I should’ve helped more. He’s just a kid. He was just a kid.”
James had heard about Sirius’s childhood for years, even though it was obvious he still hid some of the worst parts. What James hadn’t considered was how his seemingly spoiled younger siblings' childhoods had been.
“He’s safe now. He’s taken care of.” James affirmed her.
Neither of them truly knew who they were talking about anymore.
Carina wiped her eyes.
“What’re your plans for the winter holiday?”
Carina visibly stiffened at the question.
James drew his arm back to his own side.
“I’m sure Sirius would love it if you joined us at my house for break. My mum and Dad wouldn’t mind either.”
“Oh James, I’m perfectly fine at my own home, I have some responsibilities I have to take care of.”
He wasn’t sure if he believed her. He had to remind himself that this girl wasn’t his responsibility.
“James, can you give me back my wand now?”
He nodded, handing it back to her. “I’m sorry. For assuming earlier.”
“It’s alright, I would have assumed as well.” With that she turned to leave the room.
Stopping at the door, she asked, “No tutoring tonight?”
“I think that’d be for the best.” He smiled at her. “Have a good break.”
“You too James.”
He wasn’t sure when she had begun to call him James as opposed to Potter, but it was not a change that he minded.
James sat alone in the Room of Requirement for longer than he would care to admit after Carina’s departure.
He didn’t know what to think of the girl. And as of late, she dominated his thoughts more often than not.
But she was his best friend's little sister. And the two had a strained relationship at best.
Carina was a mystery to James is all. With her guarded eyes and cold, but sometimes kind expressions.
James loved a good mystery.
So he just needed to get it out of his system is all. Shake it off.
James wandered back towards his common room slowly.
He was supposed to meet the rest of the Marauders back there in ten minutes so they could begin to prepare for the long night ahead of them.
As he made his crawl back towards the tower, James tried to shake thoughts of Carina out of his head, but he couldn’t help but feel scared about the younger Black sibling. James knew what took place in that house, and he wasn’t sure he believed that any of it had stopped when Sirius had moved out.
With the thought of her going home for the upcoming holidays his stomach twisted with worry.
James stood up straighter, physically shaking the thoughts out of his head he greeted the Fat Lady with the password before entering his common room.
It was late that night, and Carina went for a walk, needing to escape her common room and her brother’s gaze.
The twins hadn’t spoken since that night outside of the kitchens, and Regulus had lowered himself to glaring at his sister. This was not the first time that the pair had ignored each other, and it would not be the last. But they always pushed their feelings to the side when it was time to return home, they needed to arrive as a united front, and be on the same page.
Carina wandered the grounds, knowing that she would be in immense trouble if she was caught, but she had the prefect rounds memorised and chose her path wisely.
She gazed into the forbidden forest. Looking closely, something moved quickly throughout it.
She shivered.
The forest had always irked her a bit. Maybe it was the creatures that she knew lay within its dark borders, or maybe it was the way it seemed the forest always looked back at her. Daring her to step closer.
Tracing the movement with her eyes she made out what appeared to be a stag, chasing after a dog.
She turned, allowing the creatures their freedom as she continued her stroll.
She basked in the moonlight.
She, like many other Slytherin’s preferred the comforting quiet that night offered.
Her thoughts turned towards her elder brother as she continued walking, now nearing Hagrid’s hut.
She thought of his smile, the one that protruded his face more often than not since he had left home. Since he had left the burdens of protecting his younger siblings from his parents' wraths. She missed him dearly. And while Regulus was good at hiding his feelings, Carina knew that he missed their brother as well.
As thoughts of her brother raced through her head, Carina didn’t notice the patch of mud under her feet. She slipped and began tumbling down the large Scotland hill.
A small scream tore out of her thought as she slid down the hill, the occasional rock and stick tearing at her skin. Finally she reached the end of the slope, but not before slamming her head into a rock.
Her skull pounded in pain and she found herself drifting to sleep, but not before seeing a figure rush towards her.
She thought it looked like an angel.
James heard the scream tear though the woods.
Looking towards Sirius, he hoped to convey the meaning of his thoughts through his eyes before he took off in a run through the woods, running to the sound of the screams.
Sirius would understand, would know that he had a better shot of controlling Remus, along with Peter while James figured out the situation outside of the woods.
James sped towards the girl, laying in a heap of limbs, her identity hidden by the night.
But he knew that hair.
Had known it since he was twelve.
And the curve of her waist.
Although that one came a bit later.
Carina.
Quickly he ran over to her, changing out of his animagus form in a flash.
As he appeared at her side she mumbled under her breath before swiftly falling asleep.
He scooped her up into his arms and began walking as fast as he could towards the castle. But as he entered the castle, he didn’t turn towards the hospital wing, instead he tore through the halls in the direction of the Gryffindor Tower.
Madam Pomphrey would have too many questions. He would bring Carina to her in the morning, and make do with the few healing spells he had learned in his years spending the full moon with Remus.
As he reached the common room, he was grateful he hadn’t run into any prefects.
He stumbled through the portrait and started making his way towards his dorm when he was stopped by a voice.
“Potter? What in Godric’s name are you doing?”
He paused. Lily. Of course it would be Lily.
“Er. I-”
“Eugh James. Why on earth are you dragging an unconscious girl to your bedroom?”
He thought up the best lie he could.
“Party- She- er- She drank too much. Couldn’t very well take her to the snakes den myself.” He smirked.
“A party? On the night before break?And why is she all covered in mud?”
“Bonfire.” James grinned at her hoping she would let him go. “Welp. Have a good break Lily.”
He turned and ran up the stairs to his dorm before the redhead could protest.
He set her down on his bed and began performing the few healing spells he could recall.
He hoped it would be enough.
He placed a finger under her nose, to check if she was still breathing and her nose twitched at the movement.
James couldn’t help the flutter of feelings in his stomach at that small movement, but he could ignore it. So he did.
“James?”
He hadn’t noticed her eyes flutter open.
She blinked at him through her long lashes.
He sat on the edge of the bed.
“Are you alright? You took quite the tumble.” He grinned down at her.
“Oh.” She furrowed her brows. “I did?”
“Yeah, but don’t worry. I got to you in time.”
She snorted, then clutched her head.
“Thank you.”
“Anytime.” He smirked. “But maybe don’t go wandering the grounds alone at night anymore. Yeah?”
“Sure Potter.” She smiled at him sleepily. “Anything for you.”
She then fell back into whatever slumber had claimed her earlier.
He brushed a piece of hair out of her hair before whispering “Sweet dreams.”
He performed a cleaning spell, taking all the mud off her. But he noticed her still wearing her robes, and transfigured them into something more comfortable. He thought to remind himself to teach her that spell at one of their tutoring lessons.
He wanted to stay with her, but he knew that his missing presence would make an impact on the events of the rest of the night. He checked her breathing once more before making his way back to the forest.
When Carina woke up, she had no idea where she was. Her head pounded, and she couldn’t open her eyes quite yet. Around her, voices were distorted by curtains that surrounded the bed that she was laying on.
“No! Padfoot, stop.”
“What’s the problem? I just wanna make sure the bird’s ok.”
A patch of light shone through the curtains before it was closed again.
She could hear a scuffle.
“Prongs. What the hell?”
“She-”
Carina slowly peeled her eyes open. She stiffened at the sights of red and gold curtains above her.
She blinked and the curtains opened. Standing there was Peter Pettigrew, while her brother and James scuffled on the floor.
She groaned and rubbed her hands over her face. This had to be a joke. Another one of her brother’s sick pranks. Maybe he had learned how to control someone's dreams. But she knew by the pounding in her head that this was real.
James and Sirius looked up at the same time, looking past a frozen Pettigrew to her.
“Carina?” Sirius’ voice cracked at her name.
“Hi brother.”
Sirius stood up from his position on the floor, running a shaky hand through his hair he asked, “Are you ok? What happened”
She would have told him, had she any idea what had happened.
Carina stood up and stretched next to one of the beds.
The three boys in the room continued to stare at her.
“Where’s Lupin?”
“Hospital wing.” Said James.
Peter pinched him then.
“What? She needs to go there anyway.”
“Ha- No. No hospital wing for me.” Carina shook her head. “Although, send Remus my best wishes.”
“You tumbled down a fifty foot hill. You need to go to the hospital wing.”
Carina ignored James’ protests.
Looking down at her clothes, she grimaced, realising that these were not her Slytherin robes.
“Who changed my clothes?”
James blushed. “I did-” Sirius rounded on James. “With a spell. Promise.”
She released a breath and began her walk to the door.
She paused. “How did you find me?” James smiled sheepishly.
“I was going for a walk.”
“And you found other sleeping arrangements?” She pointed towards his bed in which she had just stepped out of.
“Yes, of course.” James nodded his head excessively.
Carina squinted at him, but assumed he was telling the truth.
“How’d you know it was his bed?” Sirius asked questioningly.
Carina froze slightly, truthfully she had assumed from the scent.
“Only James Potter would have quidditch snitches etched onto his sheets.”
Peter and James laughed at this.
“So do you.” Sirius spoke quietly.
She paused, blushing lightly.
“Haven’t in years. Mum burned ‘em.”
“You never told me.”
“You never asked.”
This was not a conversation to be had in front of the boy’s friends and they both knew it.
“Have a good holiday boys. See you in the new year.” She grinned hoping to rid the room of the stale turn the conversation had taken.
She turned to leave the room.
A hand stopped her. She glared at it.
“You really do need to go to the Hospital wing. You hit your head pretty hard.”
“Let go of my arm. Now.” She glared up into her brother’s eyes. She glanced towards James. “Thank you for helping me James. But I really must be going.”
She peeled her arm out of her brother’s arm and walked swiftly out of the room.
When she arrived back in the common room she was stopped by Regulus.
“Where were you last night? I went to your room to talk. Prepare for the meeting. But you weren’t there.”
“I went for a walk.”
“I checked with Susan Rowle this morning and she said you never made it back to the dorm.”
She grimaced lightly.
“It was a long walk?”
Regulus looked her up and down, inspecting her clothes.
“What in Merlin’s name are you wearing?” Regulus paused“You know what? I don’t want to know. If you were with a boy. That’s fine. Just please, for the love of Salazar, let him be a pureblood.”
Carina’s face wrinkled in disgust.
“I-”
She paused. “Yes Reggie, he was a pureblood.”
“Good.” He nodded once, his black curls bouncing on the edge of his forehead. “Get ready. Mum wrote. We meet him tonight.”