"I'm in Gryffindor, Lily's mate." I narrowed my eyes at James in particular.
"Lily, as in Evans?" Euphemia was grinning, she definitely knew who Lily was.
"Yep." I winced as she dabbed the cut.
"She's gonna help James here with winning Evans' heart, aren't you Novak?"
So this was the 'setup'. I was in deeper trouble than I had thought only ten minutes ago. I sighed, "I sure am."
*
Alright let's go back fifteen or so minutes, just about the time I was moments away from a spiralling descent into chaos...
So life was going pretty well for me. Despite the war and all. We just got connected to the floo network, my grades in Herbology were finally improving and I hadn't broken my wand in the last six weeks. A personal achievement I must say. Everything was as good as it could be.
"Mum! I'm going to Lottie's! You want anything from Aunt Mara?" I called from the living room, fastening my cloak.
"No sweetie, you have a nice time! Be back by five!" She shouted from the kitchen. The smell of chicken and herbs were already wafting in, making my mouth water.
I took a handful of powder from the little ornament box and crouched into our little fireplace, "Lottie's house!"
Now I don't know if I did something wrong but evidently fate- or rather misfortune- intervened with my plan to visit my family.
Maybe I muttered?
Mum always tells me to speak clearly. Either way something lead me not to my cousin but in fact to the house of a complete and utter stranger. Green flashed around me as wind hurled me from side to side. God this was a terrible idea. I tumbled out of an entirely foreign fireplace, "Merlin's balls!"
Everyone in that room was staring at me. One guy with long black hair, another with sandy brown mess of curls and a plump woman at the stove. It took me a few seconds to realise that it was Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. Sirius Black.
Two of the four Marauders.
Shit.
Oh he wouldn't let me forget this moment. He'd probably even make some witty comment any moment.
"Uncle Monty!" Remus shouted, sticking his head out of the door, "James!"
"No no no..." the words were clicking together. The woman had the same black hair as the Potter boy, and she couldn't be Black's mother, wasn't he disowned? This was the Potter's house. Oh, I was in really deep, deep shit.
"Moony! What the-" James and his father rushed in, their mouths wide open when they saw me, soot-covered on their kitchen floor, "what the Hell?"
"Potter." I spat, he was an arch enemy of a friend, and therefore my enemy. Though landing on my butt in his kitchen wearing a cheesy shirt saying my dad went to Wales and all I got was this lousy t-shirt did unfortunately make me seem a little pathetic.
Remus was probably the only one I actually talked to, "It seems Miss Novak was lost her way."
Sirius knelt in front of me, and pulled me up slowly, "I'm sorry, I have to say this but, did it hurt? When you fell from heaven?"
And there it was, the witty comment.
"Sirius!" James' mother scolded, rushing over to me, "My dear, are you hurt?"
My head felt like it would explode, "Err I don't really-"
"Oh my God you're bleeding!" Remus cried out, pointing to my face.
I touched my temple gingerly, "Oh I am."
Mr Potter- I heard Lupin call him Monty?- muttered to his wife, "Euphemia if you could get some water and a towel."
She shared a quick glance with her husband before ushering me into the chair Sirius had just been sitting on, "Make your self comfy... I'm terribly sorry I didn't catch your name."
"Aylin." I smiled, hoping they couldn't see my cheeks under the soot, which had probably gone bright red. Euphemia and Monty left the room temporarily, leaving me with the boys, "Um hi."
They were standing awkwardly shoulder to shoulder, and James was the first to speak, "Hi. So... what brings you to our humble abode?"
At first glance, the place didn't seem very humble, in fact rather big, "I was trying to go to my cousin Lottie's house and..."
"You mumbled?" Sirius raised an eyebrow smugly. God he was so annoying, "They don't sound so similar."
"Shut up. Accidents happen." I spat, rolling my eyes.
"I heard accidents happen to you a lot. How many times has your cauldron exploded?" Black leaned against the door frame.
"Says the guy who burned his eyebrows off."
"I'm not the one who can't use floo network." He retorted.
"It will be quite the story to tell..." James ran a hand through his God-awful mess of hair.
"She just fell out of your bloody chimney Prongs!" Remus smacked him around the head. What was it with these nicknames? First Moony then Prongs?
"Exactly, hilarious." Sirius' grey eyes seemed to be scheming something wicked as he nodded once to James, "But..."
We could possibly negotiate." James smirked, "How's about we play setup?"
"What-" I was interrupted by the Potters coming back into the room, Monty with his wand and mama Potter with a bowl and cloth.
"Scoot over son." She beamed at Sirius, who did so without hesitation. She sat in front of me, putting the bowl and cloth on the table, "let's clean that cut up for you dear." I could feel the three boys' eyes on me as Mrs Potter dabbed at the cut, "So how do you know my boys?"
"I'm in Gryffindor, Lily's mate." I narrowed my eyes at James in particular.
"Lily, as in Evans?" Euphemia was grinning, she definitely knew who Lily was.
"Yep." I winced as she dabbed the cut.
"She's gonna help James here with winning Evans' heart, aren't you Novak?"
So this was the 'setup'. I was in deeper trouble than I had thought only ten minutes ago. I sighed, "I sure am."
YOU ARE READING
The Collision Theory | Remus Lupin
FanfictionThey were reckless, she was not. They were loud, she was not. They were graceful, she had lost count of how many times she'd tripped on the stairs. Yet one fireplace and a blackmail-induced deal later, Aylin Novak ended up in...
