Arcane [Sirius Black]

Chapter 5 - Huh...France, You Say?

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IT WAS EARLY in the morning on the first of September, 1975 that Diana sat on her bed, blankets neatly made, and a packed case by her side.

Her stomach churned with nerves but she stuffed them away as best she could. There was no avoiding it, she would have to push through the day no matter how scary or embarrassing. No matter what, by tonight, she'd be in bed in her new dorm and in the morning she'd be starting classes.

She could never sleep before something of importance, even if she was just excited — nerves of any kind made her feel sick and left her tossing and turning for hours.

At one point she'd just decided to get up. It would be better to be alert and ready with time to adjust than to waste time reaching for sleep that wouldn't come.

Eventually, Lumpy appeared in the room, opening the curtains and levitating her trunk away out the door.

"It is time to leave, Miss Diana."

She nodded and stood on shaky legs.

Her parents were in the drawing-room downstairs. Her mother was pulling on a long coat while her father sat in an armchair paging through his newspaper. His dark eyes flitted up toward her when she stepped through the door.

"Your mother will accompany you to the station. I have work business to attend to."

"Yes, father."

"I expect you to be on your best behaviour this year. You'll be sorted into Slytherin and you'll blend in at first, correct?"

"Yes, father."

"Once you are respected, I know many families with students studying at Hogwarts — you should befriend them as soon as you can. Like I always say, connections are key, especially now. Perhaps you'd get along well with Michel Avery? I heard he's a handsome fellow too, good money them. Or Evan Rosier? Lots of choices, many could be good suitors someday as well."

"Suitors? I'm sorry but you're getting ahead of yourself there," Diana interrupted. Her father squinted his eyes and stiffened.

"You should be thanking me for supplying you with information like this. You've grown up with the comfort of wealth, born into a privilege far more delicate than you might know. I doubt you'd understand how to get on without that, no money to spoil yourself with silk and jewels. Who you choose to associate yourself with speaks a great weight of your status. Next time I make a suggestion such as this, do not talk back to me."

Diana bit down on her lip to stop herself from explaining she didn't care about the spoils of wealth or the privilege of a supremacist family; stop herself from explaining that if she did care about having jewels and silk she could simply up and work for it herself.

He would never understand her explanations anyway.

"Now, I'm nearly late for my meeting at the Ministry," He stood and looked toward Diana's mother, "Catherine. I suspect you can handle the rest."

"Yes, dear," She smiled loftily and allowed a kiss to her forehead as the man left the room. Her smile dropped when he was gone and she looked to Diana as if she were a chore.

"Alright, let's go. Grab on." She held out her arm and Diana grasped it with her hand, just barely having time to reach for her luggage before the world became a dizzying swirl of colour.

They landed in an alley off the street from King's Cross, where honks of car horns and loud chatter filled Diana's ears.

The two women dodged muggle businessmen and families lugging baggage toward St. Pancras International. Catherine Montgomery had a permanent scowl on her face as she attempted to avoid touching anything as if she'd get the plague.