Cherish Forever
Number One
Piper was slowly nodding in and out of a tormented slumber as she sat in her compartment on the billowing scarlet snake that was the Hogwarts Express. Far away, she heard Ron and Hermione arguing about something that probably had no meaning what-so-ever. They tended to do that a lot. Piper smiled inwardly. She wished Ron and Hermione would just stop this stupid charade and go out with each other already. She knew they had been madly in love with each other since second year, but were too afraid to admit it. Without even opening her eyes, Piper knew Harry was silent. He had been pushing everyone away since the whole happenings with Voldemort, the Department of Mysteries, and Sirius' death. He had been silent all summer, staying in his room and barely eating. Piper had been trying to snap him out of it, but without any success. It seemed that for Harry, death haunted him, Piper thought sadly to herself, as she finally let herself fall into that tormented slumber, and with that, she saw that image the replayed in her mind every time she fell asleep.
-----
It had been a day like any other day in a little town called Wiltshire, just a shy of Dublin, Ireland, on the outskirts. Piper and her twin brother, James, had decided to go to the lake behind their house, because their parents were working. They weren't allowed to go there on their own, seeing as they were only 4 years old, but Piper had begged James to take her.
"Please, Jamie. Can we go? Please?" Piper had whined.
"Alright, alright, alright. We'll go. But only for an hour. Mum and Dad will be home soon," Jamie gave his exasperated reply. Piper squealed and jumped up and own with delight. They had changed into their swimming costumes and left for the lake
After playing in the sand, James was hot and wanted to go for a swim. Piper stayed behind and watched. She didn't know how to swim. She watched from afar as James swam to cool himself off.
In a sudden movement and splash, James was gone. Piper screamed and called out for him for what seemed like and eternity, but with no reply. She looked into the water, hoping, wishing, begging for him to come back. But he never did.
Piper ran up to the house, not even bothering to pick up her things, to find that her parents just returned. She managed to splutter out what had happened and her father ran down to the lake, while her mother pulled her tight and gave her a hug that told her everything would be alright.
-----
"...you stupid git," Piper heard an angry voice spit venomously. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes to find, to her dismay, Malfoy and his little posse. The person who had done the insulting, Ron, was up on his feet and Hermione had her wand at the ready, while Harry just sat there, looking lethargic, as if he hadn't even noticed Malfoy, which Piper thought that he hadn't. He was still really depressed. Piper stood up.
"What the hell is going on here?" Piper asked with her loud, clear voice. She despised Malfoy and everything he stood for.
"Well, Austin, we were just talking about how big of an arse Black was to go and get himself killed, don't you agree?" Malfoy replied with that oh-so-cocky smirk on his face that made Piper want to throw-up.
"Why don't you shut your bloody mouth!? Your father was stupid enough to get himself landed in Azkaban, where he will rot for the scum he is!" Piper spat back at him, her famous temper flaring.
"You better watch your tongue you little bitch" Malfoy started.
"Malfoy, why don't you do the world a favour and stop breathing!?" Piper yelled at him. Malfoy just scowled and signaled Crabbe and Goyle to follow. Once they left, Piper and Ron sat back down and peace was once again restored in the compartment.
"You didn't have to do that, Piper. I was ready to take him down,"
"I know you were, Ron, but I just can't stand him. And, what right does he have to say that about Sirius?" Piper replied. She stood up to go sit beside Harry, letting Ron know that their discussion would continue another time.
Piper put a comforting arm around Harry's shoulder, and Harry looked at her with a weak, yet grateful smile. For the rest of the ride, there was a silence in the compartment. Not an awkward one, but a comfortable one. Everyone had something to think about. Ron could think about Hermione and vice-versa, and Harry could think about the good times he had with Sirius, which left Piper to think about dating prospects for the new year.
Piper suppressed a laugh. She hadn't dated in a while at Hogwarts, but she had been asked. She didn't fancy anybody...well, that wasn't exactly true. She, even though she hated to admit it, even to herself, that she had a tiny crush on Professor Snape, the potions teacher. No matter how much of a hard-ass he could be, Piper always thought she saw softness flicker in those onyx eyes. She just thought he was so mysterious, and he was kind of... cute.
She lost her trail of thought, when the train that she was actually on stopped.
"We're here," Hermione said, as they started to gather their things and head off the train.
"Firs' years, this way!" A familiar, booming voice called over the crowd of people and the four looked up to find Rubeus Hagrid, games keeper at Hogwarts, looking for the first years.
"Well, 'ello, you four!" Hagrid called, and they waved back to him. They proceeded to make their way to the carriages and Thestrals. While Ron and Hermione couldn't see them, Piper and Harry could, Harry, for the obvious reasons, but Piper because she had seen a man beaten to death in her mother and father's pub three years ago. It hadn't been pretty.
They climbed into the carriage and as it made its way up to the castle, they talked about everything from who was hot, and how they thought would be their DADA professor this year. They always seemed to end up with the weirdest ones.
They made their way up the stairs and followed Professor McGonagall into the Great Hall to sit at their Gryffindor table. On the way, Piper gazed up at the staff table and saw a man with a very stout body, and brown, balding hair and a very boyish charm about him. Piper looked to see those familiar onyx eyes, belonging to Snape, looking around the room with no interest what-so-ever. Hermione was the first to speak.
"He doesn't look all that crazy, now does he?" She pointed out as a matter-of-fact.
"Don't be too quick, Hermione. Even the most normal looking people can be the craziest," Piper replied.
"Yeah, just take a look at Piper!" Ron joked and everyone burst out laughing, while Piper put a look of mock hurt on her face.
"I'm hurt, Ronald, I really am," was Piper's reply, while Ron's smile turned to a scowl in seconds. He hated the name 'Ronald'.
"Attention, everyone," came the voice of the beloved Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, "Before we start the feast, I have a few announcements to make," Everyone groaned. Every last person was starving.
"Some things never change..." Piper muttered. Harry let out a small laugh and Piper realized that that was the first time he had laughed in a long time.
-----
It had been a day like any other day in a little town called Wiltshire, just a shy of Dublin, Ireland, on the outskirts. Piper and her twin brother, James, had decided to go to the lake behind their house, because their parents were working. They weren't allowed to go there on their own, seeing as they were only 4 years old, but Piper had begged James to take her.
"Please, Jamie. Can we go? Please?" Piper had whined.
"Alright, alright, alright. We'll go. But only for an hour. Mum and Dad will be home soon," Jamie gave his exasperated reply. Piper squealed and jumped up and own with delight. They had changed into their swimming costumes and left for the lake
After playing in the sand, James was hot and wanted to go for a swim. Piper stayed behind and watched. She didn't know how to swim. She watched from afar as James swam to cool himself off.
In a sudden movement and splash, James was gone. Piper screamed and called out for him for what seemed like and eternity, but with no reply. She looked into the water, hoping, wishing, begging for him to come back. But he never did.
Piper ran up to the house, not even bothering to pick up her things, to find that her parents just returned. She managed to splutter out what had happened and her father ran down to the lake, while her mother pulled her tight and gave her a hug that told her everything would be alright.
-----
"...you stupid git," Piper heard an angry voice spit venomously. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes to find, to her dismay, Malfoy and his little posse. The person who had done the insulting, Ron, was up on his feet and Hermione had her wand at the ready, while Harry just sat there, looking lethargic, as if he hadn't even noticed Malfoy, which Piper thought that he hadn't. He was still really depressed. Piper stood up.
"What the hell is going on here?" Piper asked with her loud, clear voice. She despised Malfoy and everything he stood for.
"Well, Austin, we were just talking about how big of an arse Black was to go and get himself killed, don't you agree?" Malfoy replied with that oh-so-cocky smirk on his face that made Piper want to throw-up.
"Why don't you shut your bloody mouth!? Your father was stupid enough to get himself landed in Azkaban, where he will rot for the scum he is!" Piper spat back at him, her famous temper flaring.
"You better watch your tongue you little bitch" Malfoy started.
"Malfoy, why don't you do the world a favour and stop breathing!?" Piper yelled at him. Malfoy just scowled and signaled Crabbe and Goyle to follow. Once they left, Piper and Ron sat back down and peace was once again restored in the compartment.
"You didn't have to do that, Piper. I was ready to take him down,"
"I know you were, Ron, but I just can't stand him. And, what right does he have to say that about Sirius?" Piper replied. She stood up to go sit beside Harry, letting Ron know that their discussion would continue another time.
Piper put a comforting arm around Harry's shoulder, and Harry looked at her with a weak, yet grateful smile. For the rest of the ride, there was a silence in the compartment. Not an awkward one, but a comfortable one. Everyone had something to think about. Ron could think about Hermione and vice-versa, and Harry could think about the good times he had with Sirius, which left Piper to think about dating prospects for the new year.
Piper suppressed a laugh. She hadn't dated in a while at Hogwarts, but she had been asked. She didn't fancy anybody...well, that wasn't exactly true. She, even though she hated to admit it, even to herself, that she had a tiny crush on Professor Snape, the potions teacher. No matter how much of a hard-ass he could be, Piper always thought she saw softness flicker in those onyx eyes. She just thought he was so mysterious, and he was kind of... cute.
She lost her trail of thought, when the train that she was actually on stopped.
"We're here," Hermione said, as they started to gather their things and head off the train.
"Firs' years, this way!" A familiar, booming voice called over the crowd of people and the four looked up to find Rubeus Hagrid, games keeper at Hogwarts, looking for the first years.
"Well, 'ello, you four!" Hagrid called, and they waved back to him. They proceeded to make their way to the carriages and Thestrals. While Ron and Hermione couldn't see them, Piper and Harry could, Harry, for the obvious reasons, but Piper because she had seen a man beaten to death in her mother and father's pub three years ago. It hadn't been pretty.
They climbed into the carriage and as it made its way up to the castle, they talked about everything from who was hot, and how they thought would be their DADA professor this year. They always seemed to end up with the weirdest ones.
They made their way up the stairs and followed Professor McGonagall into the Great Hall to sit at their Gryffindor table. On the way, Piper gazed up at the staff table and saw a man with a very stout body, and brown, balding hair and a very boyish charm about him. Piper looked to see those familiar onyx eyes, belonging to Snape, looking around the room with no interest what-so-ever. Hermione was the first to speak.
"He doesn't look all that crazy, now does he?" She pointed out as a matter-of-fact.
"Don't be too quick, Hermione. Even the most normal looking people can be the craziest," Piper replied.
"Yeah, just take a look at Piper!" Ron joked and everyone burst out laughing, while Piper put a look of mock hurt on her face.
"I'm hurt, Ronald, I really am," was Piper's reply, while Ron's smile turned to a scowl in seconds. He hated the name 'Ronald'.
"Attention, everyone," came the voice of the beloved Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, "Before we start the feast, I have a few announcements to make," Everyone groaned. Every last person was starving.
"Some things never change..." Piper muttered. Harry let out a small laugh and Piper realized that that was the first time he had laughed in a long time.