Your Love Is Mine For The Taking

The nauseating feeling dissipated as soon as it came. Vanessa peaked open one eye, scanning for any sign of familiar red hair, but what she saw was a dirty and dark room. The room looked slightly elegant in its own, dirty way. The walls were black or dark blue carpet, cobwebs in the far right corner. A mop was working steadily on the dirty wooden floor, back and forth, back and forth; wringing itself out in the bucket of muddy looking water. All of the furniture was pushed back out of its normal place, small scuff marks evident leading to where it used to be.

'So this is where Sirius grew up...'

"Sirius? Fred? George? Mione?"
"Vanessa!" Vanessa didn't get the chance to take a foot out of the fireplace and dust herself off before Hermione collided into her, embracing her in a tight hug. Vanessa would've normally freaked if someone hugged her, the past few months she just hasn't wanted to be touched, at all. But this was Hermione, her friend, she gladly returned her hug." Well I've missed you too." chuckled Vanessa as the two parted. Hermione had barely changed, same brown fluffy hair and shy smile. Hermione looked her over, dusting her shoulders for her, "Sorry bout that, just haven't seen you in a while. How have you been?" she asked curiously whilst Vanessa examined her new surroundings, it was quite eloquent in a strange way. Very pure blood like home.
"Surviving, and you?"
"Worried half to death, its been a mad house around here, you know? What with the order and such. You surely knew about Harry's trial right. Oh, it was awful!"
Vanessa nodded, of course she heard about Harry's hearing, her mother did work at the Ministry. Not to mention when she got his letter, Hedwig nearly pecking off her fingers. "Yeah, thank God he didn't get expelled. I wasn't too worried though, I mean he was just defending himself and that muggle cousin of his. What the hell did the Minister want him to do? Let the dementors finish 'em both off. I swear, Fudge is gonna get us all killed cause he can't face the music that Voldemort is really back." Hermione winced at the name, her brows raised in thought, "You know things are going to be different when we go back to Hogwarts. " Vanessa sighed, walking into a slim hallway, Hermione at her side. "Its going to be strange, suspect the Ministry will want to know every last detail of the goings on, you reckon so?" Hermione opened her mouth to respond but before she could the moth eaten curtains to the right of them flew open, exposing the portrait of an old woman in a black cap. She was screaming, an earsplitting screech, as though the Cruciatius curse were being performed on her "MUDBLOODS! FILTH! SCUM! BY PRODUCTS OF VILENESS! BEGONE FROM THIS PLACE! HOW DARE YOU BEFOUL THE HOUSE OF MY FAMILY!"
Vanessa slammed her hands over her ears, trying to block out the elderly woman's awful squalling. "Remus! Help me close the curtains!" She heard Sirius yell from upstairs. Vanessa and Hermione moved away from the portrait, both had their hands clamped tightly over their ears but it hardly help drown out the horrible noise that the woman in the portrait was making. Sirius and Lupin came flying down the stairs, their eyes scrunched in distaste at the screaming.
"YOU!" The woman in the portrait pointed at Sirius. " DAMN BLOOD TRAITOR! BRINGING SHAME TO MY FLESH." The elderly woman screamed at Sirius, wagging a wrinkled finger at him as he and Lupin were fighting with either side of the dirty curtains attempting to pull them close. "Shut - up!" Sirius yelled over the woman's atrocious howling before he and Lupin, with great effort, shoved the curtains closed. The two men sighed once the howling stopped. Both Vanessa and Hermione dropped their hands at their sides, a look of bewilderment crossing Vanessa's face, "What the bloody hell was that?" asked Vanessa, glaring at the moth eaten curtains. Sirius turned to her and laughed at her expression, "Hello Vanessa. I see you've finally met my mother." He replied grimly, throwing the portrait a look. "Oh, charming woman." said Vanessa with acridity in her voice as she glared at the curtains.
Sirius chuckled, running a hand through his curly brown locks, "I swear it hasn't changed. The drop of a pin makes the woman go on a rave. She's been doing this for the past few hours, everyone coming around. " Vanessa tilted her head to the side, examining Sirius. He looked much better than he did the last time they had met while he was just surviving off of rats in a cave. His face was scarred with age but still handsome, his teeth weren't as yellow as they used to be, showing off his perfectly even boyish grin. "Why haven't you just removed the portrait?" asked Vanessa, throwing a contemptuous glance at the portrait. Sirius and Lupin exchanged looks, smiling, "Believe me, we have. Tried everything, but apparently she used a permanent sticking charm. Guess she never really wanted to leave the place. Can't see why." said Sirius, casting his eyes around the small, dimly lit hallway with a bemused expression.
"I quite like it." said Vanessa, running her fingers along the carpeted walls, "Its beautiful, in its own Gothic type way."
"Always the optimist aren't you? Just like that mother of yours." said Sirius, a twinkle forming in the center of his dark eyes. Vanessa suppressed a small giggle, noticing her mothers wavy sheet of blond peaking just behind Lupins shoulders. Vanessa heard her mother clear her throat. Sirius turned around, almost startled by the sudden noise, standing stiff as a board as he faced her mother.

"Oh, didn't see you there, Ava. Its been a while hasn't it?"
Her cheeks immediately turned a light shade of pink, a smile forming at the corners of her mouth. Hermione and Vanessa exchanged looks, both felt a bit uncomfortable at the moment, feeling as though they might be intruding upon something intimate. "Well, uh we're going to go upstairs. " said Vanessa, grabbing a hold of Hermione's arm, pulling her near the stairs. Both girls looked sympathetically at Lupin, he looked as though he was choking on his laughter.

"Glad we got out of there before the snog fest insude." said Vanessa, Hermione tugging her around the corner. Hermione chuckled as she pushed open the first door on the right, Ginny, Harry, and Ron waiting for them. The room was spacious, dark wood floors and walls. Two large bed pushed up against the wall one with Ginny laying down on top of it, her head dangling off of the bed, watching Ron and Harry play wizards chess. By the looks of it, Harry was losing, badly. As soon as Hermione opened the door all the way, Ginny's head perked up, Harry and Ron didn't move. "Nessa!" exclaimed Ginny, hopping off of the bed and into Vanessa. Again, she stiffened a tiny bit but relaxed against into the embrace.
"How was your summer?"
"It was alright, was in America for a few weeks. Interesting place."
"Loads of muggles I suspect."
Vanessa nodded, sitting down on one of the beds, one foot underneath the other thigh. She looked down at the board in between Harry and Ron and smirked, Harry's knight was chasing Ron's shrieking queen all around the board. Hermione sat down next to Vanessa, mimicking her body position whilst she suppressed a yawn. "How were the muggles. Other than saving your cousins life." Harry looked up at her, absentmindedly running his hand through his always untidy black hair, "Horrible as usual. At least I didn't get expelled right?" said Harry, referring to his hearing last month. Vanessa shrugged, she didn't expect him to be expelled. How could you charge someone with a crime when they were doing it to save their lives? It made no sense. "I knew you weren't. There wasn't any logical way I could see it happening. I mean, didn't you blow up that cow of aunt of yours in our 3rd year."
Both Harry and Ron exchanged glances, laughing at the thought.
"Besides," Vanessa continued. " Hogwarts wouldn't be the same without you." said Vanessa, giving him a reassuring smile. Before Harry could open his mouth two loud POPS! popped behind Vanessa's ears, making her jump in surprise.
Ron's owl, Pigwedion began hooting loudly, fluttering around the room. Fred and George plopped down behind Vanessa, identical smiles spread across their faces. By some grace of God they had passed their apparation tests, more than likely one of the only test they'd passed that year. The twins laid a hand on her shoulder; Vanessa involuntarily jerked at their touch.

'Stop being so obvious, just calm down. Its only Fred and George.'

"You alright Nessa? Didn't scare you too bad did we?"
George asked with a hint of a grin. She shook her head, displaying her own smile, "No, I'm alright. Just a bit jumpy is all, sorry bout that." said Vanessa, rubbing her forearm gently. The goosebumps fading as her skin began to heat up. "Shut it, Pig!" yelled Ron as he stood, swatting angrily at the small hooting owl fluttering above their heads. Ron, as tall as he was, didn't have to jump too high to catch the small bird and fight him over to his cage. At this, Pigwedion began twittering even louder, squalling like an angry four year old who wasn't getting what they wanted. "Oh honestly Ronald, just let him fly around, maybe he'll be quiet then." said Hermione, watching Ron tentatively. Ron snorted, "Oh yeah, that was real quiet what he was doing. Besides you don't have to constantly listen to him, he's only going to get louder."
"And locking him in a cage is going to get him to be quiet?" Hermione questioned as her voice began to rise.
"Fine, lets try your way then, see what happens!"
Ron let go of Pigwedion, setting him down on top of the dresser, watching him in an accusing manner. Pig looked reproachful as he hopped to the far corner of the dresser, he clicked his beak angrily at Ron before he began to clean his feathers. A haughty expression formed across Hermione's features, her mouth twisting into what would've been a smart remark but she was interrupted.
"Before you two get into it,"
"-again."
"We came to tell you breakfast is ready."
Finished Fred; George shooting Hermione a look of warning. Vanessa felt her stomach growl anxiously at the mention of food. "I take it your hungry." said Fred as he lifted himself off of the bed.
"Does your mum even feed you?" asked George as he pulled Vanessa up from the bed with little effort. She almost jerked her hand away from him but she caught herself.
Its just Fred and George, get a grip.
All seven bounded down the staircase, in a hurry to greet Mrs. Weasley's always fantastic cooking but something caught Vanessa's eye.
"What the f-"
"Oh, those. Don't mind those Nessa, just past house elves."
"Don't mind those? Don't mind, they're heads of bloody house elves."
"Don't ask me to explain it, I don't understand either." said Hermione, looking sympathetically at the snouts of the house elves. It was the strangest thing Vanessa had ever seen, rows of them, plastered on the wall like you would a prestigious award. They had their own plack, head in the center and beneath the names of the elves and how long they'd been there. Now Vanessa was a pure blood, but that didn't mean she looked down upon house elves. Sure, they creeped her out a little bit but, putting their heads on placks like its an honor, it was disgusting and some what humiliating.