I've always been a high achiever. Now, as I'm boarding the Hogwarts Express to start my 4th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I don't plan on breaking that pattern. I can't.
"Kaia!"
I turn around at the sound of my name to see one of my best friends, Sirius, waving at me from the other side of the platform. I can hardly contain my smile as we both break into a sprint towards each other, pushing people out of the way until I'm close enough to throw myself into his arms for a bear hug.
"I've missed you, Padfoot," I tell him as we pull apart
"Same here. Your parents still didn't come to say goodbye?" He replies, looking around to see if I came to Kings Cross Station alone, yet again.
"Nope. You'd think after 4 years, they'd realize that their disapproval can't keep me away."
My parents went to Hogwarts as well when they were teenagers and both from pureblood families, but moved into the muggle world shortly before I was born and never left. They wanted me to have a "normal" childhood, they believed that magic was unnatural and cause more harm than good. Until I received my Hogwarts letter (which my parents desperately tried and failed to hide) when I was 11, I didn't even know that magic was real. The only reason they even let me stay in this school is that my grades here are so great, and they value intelligence more than anything.
"I'm sorry, Kai. They'll come around eventually" Sirius says, sympathetically.
"Eh, you know I don't care all that much what they think, I barely see them. Now let's get on the train before it leaves without us!" I exclaim as we step onboard. "What about your family? Have they been any better?"
Sirius' family disapproved of him greatly. When he was sorted into Gryffindor upon entering Hogwarts, he discontinued a generations-long line of pure Slytherins. Ever since then, his parents have all but disowned him.
"I don't think they'd be all that bad if my brother, Regulus wasn't such a kiss-arse. With him constantly being their perfect son and all, it makes me look even worse to them" he sighs. "My only hope is that since that you and he are in the same year, you beat him in the class rank again. My parents were actually pissed at him for coming in second to you, especially since he's Slytherin and you're Gryffindor!"
I'm about to respond that I can beat Regulus in my sleep when the compartment door we're about to pass slams open and another one of our best friends, James Potter, emerges.
"Took you long enough! Everyone's here but you two" he cries, yanking us into the compartment. He's right; our whole friend group is inside.
"If it isn't everyone's favorite fourth-year!" says Remus Lupin as I give him a hug. Almost all of my friends are 2 years ahead of me because I take mostly advanced classes, making me younger than everyone in most of my classes. As I said, my grades are the only thing keeping my parents from pulling me out of Hogwarts. All or nothing, right?
I say hi to Peter Pettigrew as well before taking a seat next to Lily Evans.
"Are you taking 6th-year courses with us this year?" Lily asks me.
"Of course! Who else will James cheat off of?" I laugh.
"I still don't understand why you didn't let the sorting hat put you in Ravenclaw, Kai. You'd love those fellow nerds" James says.
"I told you, my parents were Ravenclaw. I don't want to be like them, I have to prove that I'm different. Just because they didn't fit in the wizarding world doesn't mean that I don't" I explain.
After talking for a while, we all put on our Gryffindor robes watch as the train pulls up to Hogwarts. The school that I call home looks just as beautiful as ever. As everyone exits the train, another 6th-year, Severus Snape, approaches us. More specifically, Lily.
"Hello, Lily. I hope you had a good holiday" he mumbles to her.
"You as well, Severus!" Lily replies with a distant smile before he walks back towards his fellow Slytherins.
"I'll never get why you associate with that weirdo, Lil. It's obvious he has a hopeless schoolboy crush on you" James says, defensively.
"I'm just being nice, James. You should try it sometime" Lily replies.
We all make our way to the Gryffindor table and quiet down as the sorting ceremony begins and the sorting hat begins calling out the names of first-years.
"I remember when we all watched you up there, Kaia," Remus says to me.
"Yeah, you argued with the sorting hat for a solid 5 minutes" Sirius laughs.
"You all should be more thankful that I did, or you wouldn't be sitting with my amazing self right now" I tease. I met the group that day. After I was finally sorted into Gryffindor, Lily asked me to sit with her and the boys. She said she liked that I wasn't afraid to fight for what I felt was right for me.
"I, personally, thought you would be put into Slytherin with that determination," Peter says to me.
"Then Kaia would be best friends with my brother. He did get sorted right before her, after all!" Sirius exclaims.
I turn around to look at the Slytherin table and make immediate eye contact with the one and only Regulus Black. I turn back around immediately, telling myself he must've been looking at his brother, not me. I laugh along with the rest of the group at Sirius' comment, forgetting what he even said.
"Oh, that reminds me!" Sirius continues. "My parents found out over the summer how the school has been pulling Kaia up to her accelerated courses and were outraged. 'How dare the school give more opportunities to someone other than our precious Regulus?'"
We all laughed at his impression of Mr. and Mrs. Black, then Remus interrupted "So what'd they do? Sue Hogwarts or something?"
"Patience, Moony! I'm getting to it!" replies Sirius. "No, they didn't sue. But they did all but force the school to pull Regulus up to the same spot."
"Let me get this straight" Peter responds. "Your brother is going to have classes with us?"
"Kai's just going to outrank him even more now" James adds after Sirius nods to Peter's question.
"Your parents must hate me, standing in the way of the almighty Black path to success and all," I tell Sirius.
"Quite the contrary, love. If you were Slytherin, they'd probably replace me and Regulus with you" Sirius explains. "Always saying things like 'I bet Kaia Claire is practicing spells right now while you sit around doing nothing, Regulus!' Honestly, they might even admire you."
I laugh, but I really am wishing that my own parents were proud of me for my magic. But Sirius' parents are far from good to him, so I have no right to complain.
Soon, the annual feast magically appears (literally), and we all go quiet for the most part as we enjoy our food. As I'm eating, I feel someone tap my shoulder which leads me to turn towards its source.
"Miss Claire, I'm incredibly glad to see you back," says one of my favorite professors, Professor Slughorn.
"Likewise, Professor" I reply.
"I was hoping I could speak with you in my office tomorrow morning if you are available."
"Of course, sir! May I ask what about?"
"All in due time, my dear. I will see you soon" Slughorn answers, walking off.
"Ooooo, suspenseful!" James teases. "Maybe our little Kaikai is getting kicked out of all potions classes!"
"If anyone's getting kicked out of potions James, it's you" Lily replies.
I shrug it off, but I'm even more curious. Professors rarely ever have meetings with students, especially not before schedules have even come out. As time passes, I begin to worry; did my parents do something?
YOU ARE READING
Unrequited (Regulus Black)
Fantasy"I hated you from the moment I met you. But I've loved you for what feels like lifetimes longer." Kaia Claire was never even supposed to go to Hogwarts. She was never supposed to date her best friend. Especially considering this, she was never suppo...
