The First Signs of a Storm - Prisoner of Azkaban - Book 1

Chapter 2: An Anxious Encounter

Storm

Storm blinked and took a shaking breath, stepping towards Mr Weasley - extending her hand to him. She did not want to falter in front of any of them, knowing their judgements were scrutinising her from every angle. No, this had to be perfect. She, had to be perfect.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr and Mrs Weasley. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Storm." She paused. "Storm Black."
     The taste of the name previously unknown to her was bitter on her tongue. Her distinctive Russian dialect was not expected by the group; their jaws dropping at the sound of the intimidating, harsh sounding speech. Storm did not feel particularly enthusiastic amongst the company, her skin crawling with the urge to run in the opposite direction and never look back.
"What a polite young woman!" Grinned Mrs Weasley brightly, gesturing for her children to stand in a line around Storm like a suffocating wall of red. "Are you looking forward to Hogwarts, dear?"
     Storm was taken aback by the welcome from the family matriarch. With a nod, she replied almost reluctantly. "I thank you for the compliment, ma'am." Storm bowed her head respectfully, holding eye contact with the witch. "Most definitely," she continued, "Hogwarts, of course, is renowned for its curriculum."
     With a sideways glance at Lexi, who was in happy conversation with Mr Weasley, Storm offered another smile to the witch.
     "And yourself?" She returned. "Have you enjoyed your travels this summer?" Storm did her best to ignore the dumbstruck expressions, looking around at tall teenaged wizards and one young witch - all with bright blue eyes and fiery red hair.
     Like their parents.
     "Introductions later, Molly." Came Arthur's voice again, coming up behind his wife and placing a hand on her shoulder lovingly. "The Portkey is almost ready to go."
     Storm wheeled around to face Lexi. She did not think it a good idea, now that she was here, to head off to a country she had been only to once. But how could she refuse? How could she say no when it was Lexi's home?

     The coolness of the metal bucket against Storm's left hand soothed her nerves and she braced herself for the sickening sensation that was intercontinental travel.
     Surely Storm could handle moving? After all, this would be just one of many adventures she had embarked upon. Why would this be any different?
     Britain would have its people - just as every country did. It would have its customs, it's language. It's life. And that, above all, was what Storm was looking forward to the most.
     "3...2..."
     Mr Weasley's countdown for the Portkey was cut short by the force of the bucket, dragging the group from the floor and into the air. Storm's body grew weightless and the ground below opened up as if it had been cracked and broken by a huge and invisible fist punching a gaping hole through it.
     Storm groaned in frustration. "I hate Portkey's." She muttered darkly under her breath between Lexi and one of the Weasley sons - the oldest of them, by the looks of it.
     "Okay, let go!" Ordered Mr Weasley over the whooshing of the wind in their ears. Gravity took hold of Storm's core as soon as she did as instructed, pulling her towards the solid ground at a rapid speed.
     'Wingardium Leviosa'. Storm conjured the Levitation Charm with ease in her mind - Non-Verbal and Wandless magic already ingrained in her knowledge. Once more, her body was weightless as she stopped, mid-air, hovering ten feet from the ground of a very tall, very grey building.
     "AHH!" A scream boomed through the darkening sky and Storm's instincts reacted instantaneously as she drew her wand from her pocket.
     'Arresto Momentum!'

     "Are you alright?" Storm asked in a worried tone as she made a bee-line for one of the boys who had almost crashed into his sister mid-fall. The boy looked dishevelled, but unharmed as she gave him a once over.
     "I'm fine." Huffed the boy, crossing his arms over his chest. "Fred pushed me into Ginny." The boy threw a dirty look to one of his brothers.
     "Brilliant wand-work." Commented the oldest Weasley son, with a hint of admiration. "I'm Percy." He held his hand out to Storm.
     She took it in her own with a timid smile. "I'd hardly call it brilliant, but thank you. A pleasure, sir."
     "You'll have to forgive my brothers," said Percy in an uninterested tone, "they are most mischievous."
     Storm saw the annoyance in his eyes as Percy Weasley spoke of his siblings. Storm opened her mouth to reply, but was beaten to it when two - almost - identical wizards sandwiched him between them, wearing wide grins.
     "The highest compliment, Perce!" Smirked the one on the left.
     "Just because you don't have a funny bone in your body." Continued the other, whose freckle pattern that dusted his nose differed slightly to that of his twin. "Fred Weasley." The second introduced himself, dipping into a low bow.
     "And the name is George." Said the first, grinning. "Do ignore Percy, he has no sense of humour." He smirked, offering his hand. "Most gracious to be in your company, Miss Black."
     Fred Weasley lifted her knuckles to his lips and grazed them gently. Storm sucked her lip between her teeth and blushed deeply, unused to such greeting.
     "I sense fuckery is afoot." She narrowed her eyes at the two of them as Percy backed away from the exchange, uninterested in the conversation.
     Storm assessed the two of them closely. "Do try harder to pull one over on me." She chuckled with a wink. "It is textbook that twins will attempt a swap." She nodded in the firsts' direction. "You are Fred, are you not?"
    Jaws hung open as George and his brother gaped at her in amazement.
     "-stunned into silence." Came the firm voice of the girl. "That's never happened before!" She sniggered as she took a step towards Storm. "You must share your secret!"
     "No!" Cried the twins in unison, shaking their heads vigorously as Mr and Mrs Weasley laughed alongside Lexi from their ended conversation. "Do not betray us so! Ginny does not need to know." Added Fred as he clutched his chest in mock hurt.

     Turning away from the ambush, Storm walked forwards to the edge of the roof, nausea rising in the stomach at the city below, cars the size of ants moving along the crowded streets.
     London.
Home of many Muggle marvels and secret wizarding societies, hidden in plain sight, secluded, unknown to the outside world. The breeze was cool and the air humid - clouds overhead a contrast to the perfect weather they had departed. But the faint hum of magic tingled Storm's skin as she filled her lungs with the polluted air of England's capital.

     "We'll have dinner tomorrow evening." Storm heard Lexi explain behind her. "Storm and I have a few things we must do tonight."
     Storm refused to turn back around, adamant not to show her visible unease to anyone but Lexi. So, eyes still fixed on the streets below, Storm's heart drummed a rapid rhythm against her ribcage as the Weasley family bid their goodbyes. Storm did not know if anyone bid goodbye to her, as the deafening sound of blood rushing in her ears drowned out everything else.
     "You certainly made a great impression." Lexi said as she joined Storm at her side. "How are you feeling?"
     Heaving a sigh, Storm clamped her eyes shut, hoping to wake up in the confides of the Egyptian Inn. "Positively unenthusiastic." She muttered darkly. But her hopes were diminished when she opened them again and London was still there. "But I'll be fine." Storm waved Lexi off dismissively. "What now?"
Storm neither cared nor wanted to do anything but sleep. She didn't want to go anywhere, eager to gather her thoughts in her own company.
     Alone.
"I thought we could get settled in tonight." Shrugged Lexi. "And then tomorrow, we can do whatever you want."
Lexi held out her arm.
The moment Storm lay her hand on Lexi's forearm, it was like her entire body was being sucked through a water pipe, her lungs constricting at the crushing pressure. Her feet lifted from the ground as Lexi Disapparated with a loud crack!

"Watch it!" Hissed a passerby in fright as both Storm and Lexi appeared with another crack, on a long narrow street of cobbles, their feet meeting solid ground.
"Apologies, sir." Said Storm automatically as she straightened herself, brushing imaginary dirt from her jeans. She looked around the almost empty street, her face morphing into confusion.
     "Diagon Alley? You want to go shopping?!" Storm tutted loudly, rolling her eyes.
     Lexi laughed and shook her head, turning to face a blue door behind her, with a shining bronze '93' above a wide bronze lock.
     "There'll be enough time for that." Added Lexi, tapping the lock in a rhythmic pattern with her wand.
     Click. Click. Clunk.