"Ugh! My head is killing me", James said coming down the stairs, and into the kitchen.
"That's just your brain trying to comprehend it's own stupidity", Grace said from her seat on the couch without taking her eyes off the book she was reading.
She looked up when she heard someone laugh. It was Sirius. He ran away from his house last year and showed up at the Potters doorstep drenched from head to toe with only 2 suitcases in hand. He looked like he'd been through hell and back. It was 2 in the morning and Grace was the only one awake, because she couldn't sleep, so she was just sat by the fire reading. When she heard the banging she got scared for a bit because Mr and Mrs Potter were out on auror business, leaving her and James alone that night. She had her wand out even though she wasn't allowed to use magic outside of school, but the stranger outside didn't need to know that. When she did open the door she saw Sirius. He just whispered a 'Hi ' and then collapsed. She had dragged him inside and managed to put him on the sofa, and his luggage on the floor next to it. She had then rushed to James' room to wake him up, and they stayed by Sirius' side all night and they cleaned his bruises with the muggle first aid kit their mother had. They stayed up all night till their parents got home, and then explained the situation. He had been living with the Potters since then.
"Hey you're my best friend! Stop laughing it wasn't even that funny!!" He said to Sirius.
"Sorry mate, but you gotta admit that that was at least a little bit funny" He said trying to hold in his laughter. Key word: trying.
James just rolled his eyes at him."Why must you be so bitchy and rude to me all the time?" He asked turning back to his younger sister.
"I'm not being bitchy nor rude I'm just stating the honest truth." Grace said before mumbling, "As I'm sure Evans would agree."
"How dare you bring Lilypad into this." He gasped dramatically before throwing a pillow at her face.
"Yes well your Lilypad still thinks that you're an, and I quote, 'arrogant little toe-rag'" Grace retorted catching the pillow and fixing her glasses before putting the pillow on the sofa so she could rest her head on it.
"She's got a point, mate. Just accept it. Evans will never say yes. You've been trying to get her to say yes for 5 bloody years now!" Sirius said.
James gasped dramatically, "How dare you two! Lily will go out with me I just know it besides 6th years the charm."
"That's what you said last year too, and the year before that, and the year-"
"Yeah, yeah!" James cut Sirius off waving his hand, "but this is the year, Padfoot. I just know it. Lily Evans will finally go out with me" James slung and arm around Sirius, and sighed dreamily probably thinking of all the ways he was going to harass Lily into going out with him.
"You know I never understood why you call each other those nicknames" Grace said, confused.
Both boys simply chuckled nervously before saying at the same time, "Inside joke."
"Right..."
🥀
"Ready kids?" Mom asked.
"yep" Grace said.
"Was born ready" James.
"Hell yeah" Sirius.
Then one by one they closed their eyes taking turns running at the wall between 9 and 10 - at Kings Cross station - with their trollies. Before they knew it they were greeted with the loud chatter of students bidding their parents goodbye before getting on the train for another year at Hogwarts, and the first years crying into their mothers arms saying how much they'll miss them over the school year. The familiar atmosphere of platform 9 and 3 quarters relaxed the Potter siblings, and Grace immediately turned towards her parents to bid them goodbye before getting on the train. James and Sirius had already said bye and left to find Pete and Remus.
"Oh come give me a hug, kiddo." Fleamont Potter said to his daughter and she gladly obliged while laughing lightly.
"Okay, okay, my turn." Said Euphemia before embracing her in a bone-crushing hug.
"Too...tight..." The black haired girl strained out.
After she was finally let go she turned around to leave. She was just about to board the train before she heard her mother calling her name. She hugged her one last time before handing her a tuppleware box filled with small cakes.
"Do give this to Marlene, and tell your friends I said hello! Oh and make sure to write every week, and keep an eye on your brother for me, ok?" She hugged Grace yet again and kissed her forehead.
"Of course mom. I really have to go now other wise I'll miss the train! Bye, I'll make sure to write to you and dad every week!" She hugged her father one more time as well before boarding the train just seconds before it left the doors closed and they left the station.
Grace turned around and bumped into someone. She looked up and was met with a pair of familiar grey/blue eyes staring back at her.
"Black" She nodded her head in greeting.
"Potter" He said after a minute of silence nodding before pushing past her, and walking away to the other side of the train.
Jerk. She thought.
Regulus Black. She only had two classes with him last year, and even then they never really spoke or exchanged more than 5 words. She didn't know him all that well, but from what Sirius told them about his brother he was really smart and a good person, but was manipulated by their mother. Sirius said that before Hogwarts they actually enjoyed each others company and would even had some good memories together. But after Sirius got sorted to Gryffindor they became distant, cold. No matter what Sirius said Regulus Black could be a real jerk when he wanted to be. However, they were still brothers at the end of the day, and Grace knew that they cared for each other, but both were just too stubborn to admit it. Regulus was cold towards everyone other than his closest friends: Evan Rosier, Barty Crouch Jr, Pandora Lestrange, and Dorcas Meadowes. Dorcas and Grace were Hufflepuffs while the marauders and the girls were Gryffindor. Regulus and his friends - other than Dorcas - were Slytherins. She don't know why exactly Dorcas was friends with them or how they even met, but she didn't question it. If Dorcas was happy being friends with them then so was she.
She shook her head and went to find Marlene. After checking almost every compartment she finally found Marlene sitting with Alice and Dorcas.
Opening the compartment door she immediately jumped on Marlene. They both fell off the seat and fell to the floor. They started laughing and hugged each other. They stayed there for a while before Marlene saw the box in her friends hand, and snatched it without a word. By the time Grace got off the floor and fixed herself Marlene had already eaten half the cakes from the box.
"Marlene!!" Grace whined. "I can't believe you like food more than me!"
"It's Marlene what did you expect?" Dorcas said grinning and getting up to hug her best friend.
She laughed and agreed. Marlene's one true love was food. They were really meant for each other especially since she never shut up about it. She hugged both Alice and Dorcas and they laughed and talked the whole time until Lily finally got back from prefect duties. That's when James and his little posse showed up. Lily of course groaned the moment she saw James and told him to go away. James as always ignored her protests and proceeded to ask her out and flirted with her while she sat there with a sour expression on her face.
Sirius sat between Marlene and Dorcas and flirted with them knowing full well that they were dating. But this was Sirius Black we're talking about. The man thinks that everyone's in love with him. Remus apologised for his friends behaviour as always, and took a seat next to Alice as they talked about which subjects they were most looking forward to for their 6th year at Hogwarts.
Peter sat next to Grace and they shared a bag of candy he always carried with him. In Graces opinion peter was definitely her favorite and then was Remus. Sirius and James she could care less about (even though that's a lie and she would do anything for them, but they don't need to that). Pete always helped her with Care of Magical creatures because he always got an 'Outstanding' in that subject, and they would often study in the library together with a bag candy by their side before her brother and his friends dragged him away to play another prank on 'Snivellus'.
Even though she was a year below her brother and the rest of their friends she didn't care. She loved them to death, and thought of them as family. Besides they'd only be here for two more years before Grace would be left alone at Hogwarts, so she decided that she would have the best two years ever. Little did she know that she would make some new friends - who James and Sirius would definitely not approve of because they were all Slytherins but what they didn't know couldn't hurt them right?