Éthérée

you double-cross my mind (45)

Gossip was deadly.

Till the coming morning, the news of the little encounter in the common room had spread like wildfire. Everyone at Hogwarts knew what had gone down between the group of students that late night. Apparently an unnoticed 4th year was doing his homework, perched on the windowsill, and he saw the entire situation unfold. Long story short, the marauders, Lily, Marlene, and Alice were the hot topic for the next day. And they had no idea how long they would actually have to spend in the limelight.

"Why isn't she at breakfast?" Sirius asked, looking around the Great Hall. Remus gave a half- hearted shrug, a frown painted on his face. The auburn haired boy had absolutely no idea what had changed with her, that over a matter of hours, she had turned into a vile and cruel person who belived in blood supremacy. Sirius turned towards James, raising his eyebrows, trying to get an answer. But the Potter boy was looking down at the table, his expression hurt. Something had happened to his sister, his twin, and he had no idea what it was. Something had changed, and he didn't know why. Sirius let out a frustrated sigh, slamming his spoon down onto the oak table. Peter's head swiveled towards his action with surprise. The Pettigrew boy had a similar expression to the others, confused, shocked and mostly hurt at Audrey's actions that previous night.

Sirius was the first to notice the familiar sound of Audrey's boots, clicking on the floor of the Hall. He swiveled his head towards the entrance so quick, that he might as well broken his neck. The other boys along with Lily, Marlene and Alice followed suite. Sirius' breath quickened slightly at her sight, she had that effect on him. He had questions, she had answers, and he wanted them.

"Audrey!" Peter called out loudly. The blonde staggered in her steps a little, and glanced at the boy just the slightest, before continuing on towards the other end on the hall.

And sat next to Narcissa Black, and Evan Rosier.

*

"What the fuck," Lily breathed out, her emerald eyes wide at the Potter's actions.

Marlene gulped nervously. "C'mon she has to be doing that for a reason. Maybe a-a prank! Or some stupid Marauder shit. Please tell me it's some stupid Marauder shit," she said looking at the boys. That was probably the first and the last time they would see her face twisted into a pleading expression

Peter shook his head. "I'm afraid it isn't stupid Marauder shit. Nothing could have entailed sitting down with them," he sneered out the last word.

"What's she doing? There has to be an explanation," Alice said, running a hand through her short hair.

Sirius was shocked, to say the least. Vixen sat there, mingling and talking with the people he hated the most. The people who were the reason why he had scars on his back and nightmares in his sleep. The people who didn't even think of stopping Walburga and Orion when they cut their son's skin, and kicked him, and left him bleeding, shriveled up on the floor. Audrey must've felt his eyes on her and as if by some force, she met his gaze. Instead of the soft, warm smile he was used to, the one that would lighten his day no matter what, the one smile he looked for in a room, he was met with a scowl and a cold gaze. Her eyes were like ice, narrowed into slits. He physically flinched at the severity of hate that radiated from her in that moment. Tears clouded his vision. His throat closed up slightly with a sob that was fighting to get out. With trembling fingers, he gripped the dark oak, and pushed himself up pushing the table forward slightly with his force.

*

(The same scene but with Audrey's POV)

She had no control over herself.
At least that's what it felt like. Walking into the Great Hall, she willed herself to veer towards the Gryffindor table, but her body went the opposite way, towards the emerald house.

She heard Peter call out her name, she merely got to glance towards him before her head snapped back and her feet moved forward.

"Stop it, I have to go to my friends," her brain screamed, but her body didn't listen. It was listening to another force, another mind wholly. She continued on her way to the Slytherin table.

She felt the gazes of her friends boring into her back and she wanted to scream. To tell them what she was going through. To tell them exactly what had happened that night, and who had done it. To comfort Remus with a hug, and apologise for the other night, and to ruffle James' hair and assure him that his sister was still there, still present. And most of all, she wanted to stroke Sirius' cheek, let him know that there was no way in hell that she would ever fraternise with the people who caused him so much pain.

Instead, she continued on her way towards the Slytherins, head held high, looking down on everyone, away from her Marauders and her girls.

She sat right in the middle of Narcissa Black and Evan Rosier.

The Black whipped her head around to look at her, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, raising an eyebrow questioningly. Audrey looked back at her, matching her cold gaze, and Cissa gulped a little, but her expression did not falter.

"I finally had some sense knocked into myself and realised I had been hanging been hanging out with the wrong people. So take this as an olive branch of sorts. Now that I understand the importance of staying away from mudbloods, blood traitors and disappointments, I can finally be with people equal to me," she replied with a slight shrug. Narcissa smirked cautiously at her answer.

"You sure this isn't another trick Potter?" she asked.

"I swear on it Cissa," Audrey replied with a sly grin, and the Black chuckled in reply, raising a glass of pumpkin juice towards her. Audrey clinked glasses with her, large grins spreading across their faces.

Now, Narcissa didn't trust Potter just yet. But seeing the pained look on the Gryffindors' faces, something made her feel as if this wasn't another stupid prank. And she had a way to test the Potter's loyalty.

Evan wrapped an arm around Audrey's waist, and pulled her in. He trailed his fingers up her thigh and rested them there, squeezing her flesh roughly. Audrey slightly winced from the inside at his force, but all that was displayed outside was a flirtatious smile.

Now, one person who was the most intrigued with this interaction was another member of the Black clan. Regulus Black had no idea why would Audrey Potter ever, in a million years, come sit at the Slytherin table and fraternize with the likes of his sister, and Evan Rosier. Ever since Audrey had sat down, his mouth had been partly open, and his spoon, that was dropped down into his breakfast bowl out of shock, was drenched in milk. A girl attempting to flirt with him was left on the sidelines as he saw the conversation go down. A cough from his side broke him out of his trance.

"Done goggling at the girl, Black?" Theodore Nott commented with a smirk. Reggie had to stop himself from rolling his eyes in annoyance at the boy. Instead he plastered a sarcastic smile onto his face and glared at Nott, which shut him up.

"Came down mate, I'm just saying. Besides I don't have a problem, it's just that your brother and her brother could kill you for looking at her like that," he remarked before going back to reading the Daily Prophet.

"I'm not looking at her like that, hell I'm not looking at her like anything," he replied in a tone had signified that he was done with the conversation. Silently he gathered his things and walked out of the Great Hall. Who cared if Potter was going against her very morals, that she stood by like a saint. It was a free country after all. But there was something very unsettling about how Rosier looked at her. The girl sitting beside him followed him out with expectant eyes.

"Tell you what Potter, do this for me, and then we're friends," Cissa said slyly, sliding a piece of parchment towards her. Audrey eyed it cautiously, her eyes flickering between Narcissa and the paper a few times before she extended her arm to grasp it, unfolding it quickly. Her eyes moved quite fast across it, and her mouth twisted into a cunning smirk. She nodded and Cissa grinned sipping her juice, looking quite content with herself.

***

sorry for the wait, but it's here now!

please vote and comment, i adore interaction <3

until next time (which won't be too long, hopefully)

-kaash.