Silvia and the Rising Moon [EDITING]

Bearstrength: A Soviet Wizarding Academy

"Can Sienna sit in our cabin?" Sirius had an arm around his girlfriend's waist.
"Sure," James said. Calypso was already sitting next to him.
"Oh, uh, hey guys. Can I sit here too?" asked Silvia cautiously.
"There's no room," James groaned.
Silvia rolled her eyes. She wasn't going to let James Potter ruin her first day of her fourth year. This year was the year that the entire school, with parent permission, would pay a visit to Bearstrength, the Soviet school located in right outside of Belarus. She had been anticipating this trip since it had been announced last year. There would be another ball, which she did not plan on attending, and Hogwarts students would get a taste of Bearstrength's education program. It was exciting to finally get a taste of Russian history.
She followed Blaire, Lydia, and Dixie into a cabin where Anastasia sat with Hermina Kenra, Selene Coldwater, and Charlie O'Hara. They all crammed together as the train began to move. Hermina and Charlie were now sixth years, and each had been chosen to be prefects in the previous year.
"Do you think I can be a Hufflepuff prefect?" Anastasia asked hopefully.
"Of course," Hermina said reassuringly. "You're a great student, Ana. There's absolutely no way that you can't be a prefect."
"I'd say she can be head girl," Charlie added.
Silvia nodded off, uninterested in the girls's banter. She was too deep in though, nervous, scared even, of what she had heard before leaving the station...

The Lupins always arrived ten minutes before the Hogwarts Express left the station. Aunt Lita and Blaire would accompany them. This year, the family met with Vincente and Amelia Rispoli, Sienna's parents. The two were perhaps, Silvia believed, the cutest muggle couple she had ever seen. Amelia wore her red hair down past her waist and let her sky blue dress brush against her ankles. Vincente had dark. sun-beaten skin, and spoke with a jolly Italian accent that could make anyone feel at home. The two had a whimsicality about them that didn't make it obvious that they were, in fact, muggles.
Sirius slipped by, introducing himself to Amelia and Vincente before walking Sienna to the train. The Rispolis waved kindly to Orion and Walburga Black, who only glared disapprovingly back in response. It was Regulus who had informed his parents that his brother was in a relationship with a muggle born. Silvia watched as Orion cursed the Rispolis under his breath.
"Lyall, I can't help be afraid," Silvia heard Lita say softly. "I was reluctant to sign Blaire's papers for Bearstrength. If the American's don't trust the Soviets, why should we?"
"Lita, it's just an attempt to make peace," Lyall sighed. "No one's going to want to hurt a bunch of children."
"These children aren't just any children, they're the future of the wizarding world here in the UK. Dumbledore is just putty in Pietro Romanislav's hands, putty in You-Know-Who's hands," Aunt Lita argued softly.
Lyall rolled his eyes. "Romanislav agreed to stay neutral against You-Know-Who, he's a headmaster, for Merlin's sake! Lita, I know you just finished writing that article for the Daily Prophet, and I know you're a concerned parent, as am I, but the kids will be safe at Bearstrength. As long as Dumbledore is there, they are safe."
"I suppose so," Lita agreed. "I can't help but worry."
Suddenly, a young student ran up excitedly to Aunt Lita. "Excuse me, Miss, are you Lolita Einrich, writer in the Daily Prophet?" He held up the front page of last Sunday's post, bearing the headline: "Bearstrength Academy: Cultural Experience or Death Trap? Reasons Against Allowing Your Child Permission to this Soviet School. By: Lolita Einrich." A small picture of Aunt Lita waved to the right of the headline.
Lita smiled. "That's me!"
The boy frowned. "Thank's a lot for writing this article. Now my parent's won't let me go to Bearstrength with my friends, and its all your fault." He stormed away angrily.
She continued to smile as he stormed off. "You're welcome for saving your life, brat," she said cheerfully.
"Gee," Hope laughed. "Your first hater, Lita, how does it feel?"
Aunt Lita scoffed. "Haters can hate, but I'll still make money
"I agree with you, Lolita," Amelia piped in. "I know what You-Know-Who has done to muggles and muggle borns. I only agreed to allow Sienna to go because my sister-in-law, Ezinma, told me that she was chaperoning."
"You-Know-Who killed a family of goblins earlier this year," Lita said. "Who knows when he will begin killing families like yours or mine. I've prompted Gustav against joining the Death Eaters, however, I fear this choice could lead to my family being killed despite our high blood status."
It was suddenly that Hope spotted Silvia standing nearby, listening to the entire conversation. "Oh, Silvia, darling, quickly, the train is going to leave in two minutes," she said, helping her daughter take her luggage to the door.
She hopped on and spotted Sienna and Sirius snogging in the hallway before knocking on a nearby cabin door. She heard him ask if the two of them could sit before walking inside. Silvia followed to see Remus, Peter, James, and Calypso already sitting. She asked if she could join them and she was quickly denied by James. Rolling her eyes, she quickly joined Blaire, Lydia, and Nixie. Before she could walk away, she heard a voice call her name. She quickly spun around to see Sienna and Sirius standing in the hallway, staring at her.
"Oh, hey guys," she said. "What's up?"
Their eyes rolled to the back of their heads before they transformed. The train shook and the lights quickly shut off. Sienna now stood in tight, black robes, with black eyes and pink scars across her face. She stood outside in the moonlight as wind whipped her hair. Other people dressed like her stood around her, waving their wands and shooting green lights to the sky. Sienna and the others faded away to reveal Sirius, standing in a prison smock, screaming, before falling into a veil with a smile on his lips.
Around her, all she could hear were voices.
"...killed a family of goblins..."
"...hurt a bunch of children."
"Cultural Experience or Death Trap?"
"...Prompted Gustav... Death Eaters."
She suddenly awoke, gasping for breath, in her seat in the cabin. Blaire, Lydia, Dixie, Anastasia, Charlie, Hermina, and Selene stared at her as she darted forward, forcing her eyes to open.
Anastasia blinked. "Silvia, are you alright?" she asked cautiously.
"Yeah, I'm fine, I just-" She bolted out of the cabin and hurried toward where Sirius and Sienna were. Forcing the door open, she stood there, panting, staring at the couple.
"What do you want, Selena?" James asked.
"Silvia," Sienna called. "What's the matter, you look like you've seen a ghost."
Silvia paced her breathing. "Oh, everything is fine. I was just sleepwalking."
"You never sleepwalk at home," Remus commented.
"It's new," she explained. "It's from the... anxiety."
"I didn't know you had anxiety," said Remus.
"Oh, well," Silvia said. "I do... as of right now. Fun fact. Bye!" She hurried away without closing the door.
"She really shouldn't self-diagnose like that," said James. The others nodded in agreement.

"Welcome to Bearstrength Academy of the Soviet Union!" Headmaster Romanislav had a thick Russian accent and a pointed beard. He dressed in woolen robes and a Russian fur hat. Silvia couldn't help but notice his crooked nose.
     They had all been informed the year before that the school was powered by the strong heart of a dragon. It was incredible how a dragon's heart could be the powerhouse of the cell that was Bearstrength. The school had been improved by multiple expansion charms in order to provide rooms and space for its new guests. About three-fourths of Hogwarts students had been granted permission to attend Bearstrength for the semester. The remainder went to school at Hogwarts as usual.
     The Great Hall at Bearstrength was marked by many flags and banners bearing the hammer and sickle, much like the student's uniforms. There was a grand today of three-hundred and eight students attending Bearstrength that year, all pure blood, all self-entitled.
     Another ball had been announced that day that the staff of Bearstrength would support. The same rules applied to that of Hogwarts. Silvia turned happily to Sienna.
     "I suppose you're going with Sirius?" she asked.
     Sienna blinked. "What? No, why would I?"
     Silvia frowned as she studied her friend's confused expression. "You are his girlfriend, correct?"
     "Oh," she laughed. "No."
     "What?"
     "We broke up a long time ago. I thought I told you."
     "No," Silvia said, slightly annoyed. "What happened."
     "He's too much of a player. We decided to just be friends back in May."
     "May?" Silvia asked in shock. "Sienna, its September! You've been faking this for six months?"
     "Oh, no. We only do it in front of Sirius's parents. It makes them mad."
     "Bloody hell. And you didn't think to tell me?"
     "I guess I forgot." Sienna paused. "Hey, are you and Peter still going steady?"
     "What!? Peter Pettigrew?"
     "Well, yeah, I saw you two snog."
     "You're out of your mind, Sienna. We were never going steady."
     "Thank Merlin. You're too pretty for him."
     Silvia laughed. "You're too pretty for Sirius."
     Lydia sat down next to Silvia. "Sirius is very pretty," she commented. The girls laughed.
     Meanwhile, Remus found himself sitting not with his friends, but with Anastasia Clydesdale. He was nervous. Despite reliving the possibilities of this moment over and over again in his head, he still felt his tongue going numb. He wasn't sure what love truly was at fifteen years old, but what he felt now seemed very close.
     She turned to him and smiled. "Hello, Remus. Isn't this exciting?"
     "It sure is." His face went hot. He looked down quickly.
     "Are you alright? You look like you have a fever."
     "No, no, of course not. Excuse me." He cleared his throat and wiped his forehead. "I was just thinking about the dance."
     Anastasia frowned. "Yes. The dance."
     "Well, you see, Anastasia, I–" he cleared his throat again. "I wanted to know if you wanted to go with me. Like, be my date." His voice shook as he spoke. He frowned as Anastasia shook her head.
     "Remus, no, I can't do that. I'm sorry."
     "It's alright," he said, heart pounding painfully. "Just tell me why. Tell me why every time I ask you something like this, you reject me."
     Anastasia sighed. "I suppose it's time I tell you. You have to promise to never tell anyone what I'm going to say. Please, don't think differently of me."
     Remus nodded.
     "I've never told anyone this before, but I trust you enough." She moved close to him, her voice became soft and quiet as she spoke. "I don't like boys."
     He swallowed hard, taking in the full meaning of her statement. What a painful secret to have. It must have been very hard for her to let him down every time he asked her to be his. Remus understood that Anastasia was different, but different isn't always bad. But, in 1975, not everybody could understand a secret like Anastasia's. Remus hid her secret deep down where no one could find it. In exchange, he whispered to her, and only her, his deepest secret, one that he hadn't told anyone before, not even Silvia.
     Anastasia nodded. The two embraced.