Lady Stardust

28. 6th Year Begins

September 1, 1976

Ariene sat in the empty train carriage, hours early. She stared at the empty seat in front of her, breathing in small puffs of smoke. She managed to get her hands on some cigarettes at a booth in the station. Ariene looked almost unrecognizable from the snarky, careless, bouncy-haired girl she was last year on this very train. She had become skinnier, unhealthy, her hair was now long, straight, and wispy, like her sisters, pitch black with white streaks. Her eyes had dark circles under them and she had a number of new piercings she had given herself from transfigured objects around her room, as well as pink scars on her back, shoulders, and legs. Ariene had hidden the playful, sarcastic, healthy, quick-thinking girl that had gotten on this train exactly a year ago. Ariene had hidden her and would not bring her back out. A few hours later the train began to fill up, people gave her confused looks as they passed her carriage, and she simply continued twirling her wand around her fingers. She paused when Remus, Peter, James, and Sirius passed, laughing and talking. Seemed like the marauders made up. Interesting. Sirius did a double-take when he saw her and she heard his muffled voice as he turned to the others. Ariene's eyes were droopy from the chain-smoking, and she shifted her gaze to the strange fabric on the seat in front of her. Sirius knocked on the carriage door.

"Oi!" He said, opening the door. The other boys followed.

"Hello," Ariene said.

"Hello. Hello?!" Sirius exclaimed. Ariene raised an eyebrow. "You were away from us for months without a single letter back, you practically completely disappeared, and now you are sitting in a smoke-filled carriage looking like thatand you say hello?" Ariene shrugged. Sirius frowned at her, and James looked between them, awkwardly, before sliding into the empty seat in front of her.

"Are you okay?" He asked. Ariene shrugged.

"Fine," she said. Ariene should be overjoyed to see them again. She should be laughing, hugging them, teasing them. Instead, she just felt empty, maybe a little annoyed if anything.

"I like the new hair," James said.

"It looks like those little animals that smell bad, and they spray you, and- ow!" Remus kicked Peter.

"Are you talking about a skunk?" Ariene asked, raising her eyebrows at Peter. Peter looked at her apologetically.

"In the best possible way," he offered. Ariene frowned and looked away.

"So what are you, goth or something?" Sirius asked obnoxiously. Ariene stared at him for a second. She pulled out another cigarette and James snatched it away. Ariene narrowed her eyes at him.

"Excuse me?" Ariene said, angrily.

"Ariene, what the hell happened to you this summer?" James said, looking her in the eyes. Ariene shifted uncomfortably from eye contact and pushed her hair back with her fingers.

"Nothing."

"Fourth-year Moony?" Peter murmured, making Sirius and James stifle a laugh and Remus glared at him. Ariene studied the kids out on the side of the platform but looked up as she walked by the carriage, smiling and laughing with Mary. She had cut her hair into Ariene looked away, but Sirius noticed her reaction as Marlene passed the cabin. Mary stopped and walked in.

"Sirius Black, you are nothing but rotten," She said, angry. Sirius looked at her, confused.

"What- oh. Mary, I'm so sorry." He said, trailing after her as she left the carriage.

"What was that about?" Peter asked Lily.

"Forgot her birthday," Lily said, distracted. "Ariene, is that you?" She asked. Ariene looked up at Lily, and Lily's green eyes widened.