Wicked Ways

((Authors’ Note: Blaise Zambini, the mysterious Slytherin from the first book in the chapter where the sorting hat goes through names, has now been dubbed male for our purposes. Wild debates have flown over if Blaise is a male or female, well in this story, he’s a male. I would suggest you get used to it. You’re gonna need to. – WickedSisters))

Chapter 4 – “Auditions and Practice”

The next morning Avari woke up and yawned happily, stretching out on her dark green and black sheets. Fluffing the pillow underneath her head she looked around. It wasn’t time to wake up yet, but she was so excited she couldn’t help it. With a silent little scream she bounced up and got dressed, putting on a black floor-length skirt with her knee-high boots, and a big fluffy black sweater. Humming loudly and snapping her fingers in time with the song she left the girl’s room, slamming the door loudly, making a few groups yell at being woken up so early.

Walking up the steps from the dungeon she finally saw the light of day, or the lack there of. The stars were still shining, although the light of dawn was just starting to creep over the horizon. Thinking to herself, she wondered how well kept their Quidditch pitch was and wandered outside, the air cooling as autumn approached.

She spotted someone else walking outside, and noting the long brown hair that matched her own in length she let out a piercing whistle, followed with a small tune at a lower pitch, knowing if it was Tuardae that the other girl, with her acute hearing, would hear it. It was Tuardae, because she heard the end of the tune coming back to her own ears.

She trotted to catch up, grinning at her sister, who glowed just as she did. “You didn’t . . . did you?” she asked.

Tuardae giggled. “I’m not like you. Well, not completely. I got onto the team of my own good skill. Maybe just a little sexual tension, but with my talent. You, on the other hand, I know did something. Tell me.”

Avari grinned before saying slyly. “I just got a very large bag of candy, that’s all. Oh, and a position on the team.” She shot Tuardae a grin, who was laughing in her soprano voice. “I’m not sure what position, I’ll find out later after classes though.”

They watched the sun coming up, both giving details about the night before.

“He’s so confident. I wouldn’t mind easing my way into something more than the Quidditch team if I’m lucky,” Tuardae said, finishing her story.

Avari grinned. “Well, I certainly win for creativity.”

“So when do I get some of this candy?” Tuardae asked.

Avari snorted. “I earned that candy fair and square.”

“Yeah,” Tuardae snorted. “The hard way right? Very hard from your description.”

They laughed as they walked back up into the front hall, watching a few sleepy looking students going into the breakfast hall. Most of Hogwarts’ students skipped breakfast because it was either too early for them and they wanted to sleep in, or they were cramming for a test. Tuardae and Avari waved goodbye and went to their own tables, Avari sitting lightly down a few feet from Draco, who looked at her out of the corner of his eye. The entire Quidditch team was around him, asking why they had to give the new girl an audition. He was looking a little uncomfortable as he mumbled some made up answer.

Tuardae on the other hand was looking down the length of the table, trying to see if there was anyone she could sit next to. Gryffindor table was almost never full for breakfast, and finding someone she knew that she could talk to was sometimes a problem. Unlike her sister, Tuardae was a social creature, and craved attention. She felt a hand rub across her lower back before it stopped, an arm wrapping around her side and looked over to see Harry smiling at her. “Sit over here with me.”

They sat down, Tuardae smiling as she pulled food onto her plate. “Where’s Ron?”

“Sleeping. He stayed up last night reading a letter from Fred and George, his brothers. They’ve created something called Bovine Bon-Bons. Ron ate one – they sent a box – and every time you finish a sentence you moo. We’re not sure how long it’s lasting, but he stayed up all night talking to himself, hoping it would wear off before Potions today.”

Tuardae laughed. “So when’s the first Quidditch practice?”

Harry grinned. “Can’t wait to climb back on can you?”

Tuardae smiled slyly. “Hmmm, sometimes its like getting on there for the first time.”

They ate breakfast, trading a few more sentences like these in-between bites. Before they got up Hermione joined them, and berated Harry about not finishing his History or Magic homework the night before. She and Tuardae had a long conversation about the Merfolk Riot Act of 1765 and argued the finer points of the political struggle. Harry looked at them as if they were insane and pushed his food around on his plate boredly.

Tuardae got up, saying, “I need to get my books and change, I’ll see you guys in Potions.”

Harry jumped up, rattling the plate on the table in his jump. “I’ll come with you.”

Hermione shot him a dirty look from behind the Daily Prophet.

“I left my book,” he said, blushing.

As they walked out of the breakfast hall Tuardae glanced over at her sister who was looking at the pair with sly eyes. Tuardae wiggled her fingers in greeting before subduing a giggle and leaving the Hall. Avari just smiled in return and stood up to go get her books and to change before class. She heard footsteps behind her, soft soles of expensive leather. “You know, you really shouldn’t follow people who can hear you.”

Draco stepped next to her. “After class today, before dinner, you get your trial run. Be on the Quidditch pitch and don’t be late or you get no chance on the team.”

“Unless I can ‘persuade’ you again.”

Draco snarled, showing his teeth. “You filthy bitch, how dare you hold that against me.”

Avari smiled at him, fluttering her eyelashes again. “Oh, I won’t. I just thought the idea would be fun. Thanks for the candy by the way, really sweet.” He was blushing like mad at this point, almost furious. “Like some other things,” she said with an evil giggle before disappearing down the hallway to the girl’s room.

By the time she reemerged Draco was gone, and the stragglers were running off to classes. She walked calmly through the dungeons, heading for the Potions classroom. A few Gryffindor seventh years were running, trying not to be late. The class door closed right as Avari sat down next to Tuardae, who was flushed red and quiet, but with a teeny smile on her face.

Snape made his way into the classroom, snapping at people to get them to quiet down. “Today we’ll be attempting the Blood Boiling potion, which heats the blood, used mainly to reverse hypothermia, for any unlucky witch or wizard who is caught in a storm and unable to conjure fire.” Snape sneered, looking down at Neville. “Why a witch or wizard cannot conjure fire is beyond me, but some under stress, simply cannot make any spell work at all.”

Neville glared back at Snape but looked away under such a strong gaze.

“These are your instructions, get to work. You have an hour.”

Tuardae and Avari looked at the board, then at each other before sighing. They started working on the potion, moving quickly but surely, having already made this potion at their old school. They were finished before anyone else, and sat there, watching their potion simmer for the correct amount of time, listening to other people’s conversations as they talked over their cauldrons.

“Draco, why are you giving her a trial? She probably sucks. Maybe she sucked on you?”

“Shut up Pansy, before I tell your boy toys your can lick pussy as well as dick, and prefer it.”

“Ron, you’re doing it wrong. You’re supposed to cut them vertically, not horizontally.”

“Harry, when did you get so smart?”

“I’ve been studying late at night.”

“I’ve been wondering why you’ve been staying in the Common Room so long.”

“Studying.”

“With Tuardae,” whispered Hermione, from her station with Neville, as she reached over to stop him from dropping the wrong ingredient in the pot.

“Sorry Hermione.”

“Tuardae eh? You actually getting anywhere?”

“Not fast enough,” said Avari with a giggle.

Tuardae smacked her sister. “Shhh! I want to hear this!”

“Oh please, you actually like him? You’re getting soft.”

“Not soft. I just happen to get along with the brain that’s attached to the head. It’s not my fault you don’t,” she said, sticking her tongue out at Avari, who did the same in return.

“You’re done already?” drawled a voice from behind them.

They immediately sucked in their tongues and looked up at Snape, who was looking at the violently purple potion in the cauldron. They nodded with firm approval. He leaned over, right in-between them. He sniffed the potion once before pulling a vial out of his sleeve and bottling some of it. He motioned for them to stand in the front of the classroom. “Class, a demonstration.”

The entire class halted and looked up. Only half were done and waiting for the potion to simmer, the other half were still in the ingredient stages. Snape turned to the girls, and said, “Which one of you wants to get frozen?”

Avari pointed at her sister swiftly. “Her. She likes winter, freeze her.”

Snape nodded and said, “Celsiaculo!” and Tuardae went frostbitten, small pieces of ice clinking as they fell and landed on the floor. Her lips were purple and her skin was starting to turn blue at a rapid pace. Snape pulled on her bottom lip and opened her mouth slightly, pouring the liquid in and rubbing the blue-tinted skin on her throat. She swallowed and after a moment her skin turned flesh colored again and she started giggling.

“It tickles!”

“It is also the correct way to brew the potion,” Snape said with approval. “You both get a passing grade.” He turned to the class, who was watching with wide eyes. “Each of you will choose who in your pair will drink the potion, now get back to work.”

The class went back to work, scurrying with motion. Avari and Tuardae were given the assignment to move among their own houses and make sure everyone was doing all right, making their own potions. Avari went off with an evil grin while Tuardae shook her head and moved along the Gryffindors, on the occasion giving off small pieces of advice or stopping to talk quietly.

Avari’s first victims were Crabbe and Goyle. “Why the fuck is your potion yellow? Wow, you two are dumb.” She watched as they grew red with anger before lowering their heads. “I’ll help you if you tell me what you did.”

After listening to them talk for a few seconds she said, “Okay, enough, you two messed up big time.” After a few minutes she had the potion a light lavender color, and said that was all she could do to help, and walked to the next desk, grinning wickedly at Draco and Pansy. “And how are the two love bugs doing this morning? Sucking blood as usual?”

Pansy hissed at Avari before glancing at Draco, then kept putting away the utensils into her potions kit.

Draco snarled silently at Avari as she lifted a leg and sat herself up on the desk, stirring the potion by swirling her finger, guiding the mixing stick to stir on it’s own. “It looks like you two didn’t do too bad.”

“Bad?” spat Draco. “I’m the best student Snape has!”

Avari grinned and looked over at Tuardae who was talking to Hermione and Neville, showing Neville how to cut the roots correctly before saying, “It looks like you’ve been ousted from that position. We’re a far cut above you Malfoy, and you know it. Get used to coming in second to me,” she said with a grin before taking her leg off of the desk and walking away, leaving Draco to grind his teeth.

At the end of class Tuardae and Avari took their seats again, watching the class one by one go through and get frozen, and then unfrozen. Hermione and Neville did well, mainly because Hermione made sure Neville didn’t mess up too bad. Goyle had to have some of the sister’s potion fed to him, after his own just froze him further. Avari tried not to snicker, and ended up getting elbowed by Tuardae when Snape glanced over at them.

At the end of class the sisters left each other after looking over their schedules, Avari to Runes with Hermione (they usually had arguments, but got along all right as long as they were debating the subject), and Tuardae went off with Harry and Ron to Divination. Ron was still mooing after every sentence, but it wasn’t that loud, so he was hoping they would stop soon. Harry kept Ron talking though, because it made Tuardae laugh.

When they walked into the Divination classroom Trelawney looked over at the threesome and said, “Ah! Child of the Woods! I knew you would arrive today!”

Ron snorted. “Of course you would, her name’s on the list isn’t it?”

The class chuckled and Tuardae sat with Harry and Ron while Trelawney went through the role, calling off names. Putting down her roll she clasped her hands together with a smile. “We shall start off the semester by water scrying!” she said with a smile. Lavender and Parvati squealed with excitement. “Now, please, the water bowls are in the light blue cabinet, Mr. Longbottom, please, Seamus will bring you yours.”

Harry and Ron stood up and went to get their water bowls. Glancing back at Tuardae, who had not even gotten out of her chair. She pulled a padded velvet pouch out of her leather bag, and pulled a seamless glass bowl from within it. She was setting it on a piece of black velvet when they returned. After filling it with water from a pitcher on the table she covered it with a piece of white silk and looked at both of them as they did the same.

“You have your own?” Ron asked with disbelief.

“ It’s a tradition in my family,” she said. “Whichever talent you show the most ability with, you get the tools of the trade. I was the best in my family at Divination, Avari was better at Runes, so she has her own set in black onyx.”

Harry and Ron just blinked at her with disbelief.

“Now, stts ots of mine,” Trelawney began. “Look into the water, look into the future!” She clapped her hands and the class went to work, looking down into their bowls.

“Do you see anything yet?” Harry said to Ron.

“I think there’s a bug in my water,” he said, poking the water.

“What about you Tuardae? . . . Tuardae?”

He looked up and she was staring down in the water, her eyes wide, but still relaxed looking as she gazed into the water, the white silk in her hand. Harry looked down into the water and saw white swirls misting through the water, though he could see no patterns in it. He looked back up Tuardae, who’s eyes had not left the water. He hit Ron’s arm, who was still gliding through the water, trying to get the bug out.

“What?” he said, before looking across the table at Tuardae and the misty water.


* * * * *


Avari was sitting in Runes class, not paying attention to the professor who was going on about a new spell. She’d used this spell before. If you knew someone well enough, and had a focus – something of that persons – you could see how they were doing, tell what they were thinking. Avari looked down at a bracelet she had on her wrist, silver with a black onyx and an amethyst that matched the color of her eyes, and another charm with an emerald and a moonstone. Their parents had made sure that each girl always had these bracelets, so both would always have a focus.

“Now, pair up, switch quills, and see what you can find out about your partner.”

Hermione handed Avari her quill and they traded. Avarin’t n’t paying attention while Hermione threw her stones, she was still thinking about her family, and Tuardae and their odd bond of kindred and sister-ship. Hearing Hermione gasp she looked up at the other girl, who was staring at her with wide eyes. Looking down at the stones she simply thought, “Crap.”

The stones told their secret, something thouldould never be let known. Avari looked at Hermione with a dead serious face, wondering what to do, when their Professor walked over. Her hand shot out and hit a few of the stones in Hermione’s pattern, skewing them. She cringed, seeing the pattern, hoping the teacher wouldn’t ask why Avari’s mind was on muffins, when the professor said, “Maybe you should start eating breakfast Avari. Your turn,” and walked off.

Avari kept looking at Hermione, and they both looked at each other for a long time before Avari got ready to throw the stones, noticing Hermione was looking rather nervous herself. After the stones halted, it was Avari’s turn to stare, wide-eyed, at the studious girl. “Some things, I just don’t need to know,” she said quietly to the Gryffindor girl.

“Likewise. You stay quiet, and so will I.”

“Deal.”

Hermione turned away, stiff shouldered after she took her quill back from Avari, to look through her Rune books, pretending to study.

Avari looked down at the Runes and picked them up, carefully, and clutched her sister’s focus. Throwing the stones, she wrinkled her nose. “So . . . that’s what she thinks of him,” she said, looking at a certain stone in position to three others. “Now, if only I can get her to do that,” she said, shoving the stone over closer to another with a grin.


* * * * *


Tuardae, who had been staring into the water bowl, having gotten half of the classes attention with her misty bowl and her unwavering attention to it, sneezed, knocking herself out of her trance. “Ow!” she said, rubbing the spot in-between her eyebrows. “Damnit Avari,” she said, mumbling. “Stop throwing the stones while I’m in class.”

She looked up at the class who was staring at her and started blushing. Looking to her left she let out a little squeek, as Professor Trelawney was sitting right next to her, her face inches from her own. “What did you see, young Tree Child?”

Tuardae gulped. “Uhm . . . The Dark Lord?”

The class’ went wide.

Trewlaney said, “Child, are you serious?”

Tuardae suddenly felt her sister throw the stones again, and took on Avari’s attitude. “No, I have the Third Eye, the Devine Talent, and I only thought I saw the Dark Lord,” she said, her voice dripping sarcasm. She got up and emptied the water from her bowl back into titchitcher and wiped out the droplets, putting it back into the bag and picked up her back p lea leaving the classroom with a huff.

“What did I say?” Trelawney asked quietly.

Ron and Harry looked at each other and shrugged.


* * * * *


Avari found Tuardae sitting glumly underneath the Whomping Willow. She hummed to the tree and the limbs stopped moving until she was next to the trunk, sitting next to her sister. She wondered why she was missing lunch to her her sister, when she remembered that if Tuardae was pissed, life would suck unless she was making fun of Malfoy.

“Do you have to throw stones about me while I’m in class?” Tuardae finally whined.

Avari grinned. “You are so stupid when you’re angry,” she said, before getting smacked in the arm. “Aww, c’mon, I was wondering how you felt about a certain things.” Tuardae glared at Avari through the side of her eyes. “Okay, fine, so I dug into your mind a little, screw me!”

“I thought Malfoy was doing that.”

“How dare you! We have NOT had sex!”

“Yet.”

“True.”

They looked at each other for a long moment before collapsing into giggles. Avari caught her breath before saying, “But I hate him! I only did that to get on the Quidditch team. And speaking of which, I’ve got to go, I need to change to get into my Quidditch gear.” They hugged and Avari hummed to the tree again and walked out, the limbs swinging again after she was a safe distance away.

She trotted down the hallways, most of the students running around, happy classes were over for the day. A puffskein flew over her head and she chuckled, liking the little fuzzy pets. She passed Hermione in the hallway, talking to Parvati Patil, the two passing girls locking eyes and growing quiet again. Parvati looked at Avari until they passed and started hissing at Hermione, demanding to know what was going on.

Avari slunk into tommoommon room, noting the Quidditch team off in one corner, talking in low voices. Draco wasn’t talking, but watched Avari cross the hall into the girls’ dormitory. She went through her trunk until she found the right pair of jeans and a long sleeves shirt with very loose sleeves that stopped two inches below her elbows. She pinned her black braid up to her head in a bun and grabbed her broom, whistling as she carried the Firebolt out to the pitch.

The Slytherin team was there, all wearing their Quidditch robes and looking, to Avari’s eyes, very ugly, Draco the only one shining through with his cold beauty. She grinned broadly at them and mounted her broom, flying a few circles around the pitch before Draco drew alongside her. “You’ll be up against Crabbe, Goyle, and Blaise. Don’t kill yourself, I wouldn’t want those pretty little hands of yours to get hurt.”

“Just so I can stroke you off right?” she said, turning to look at him.

He glowered at her before barking orders to pass up the Quaffle. He shoved it hard into Avari’s chest and said, “Live, and maybe I won’t make your life a living hell, bitch.” He flew off, just as Crabbe and Goyle came at her head on. She dove, shooting underneath them, and headed for the goals. Blaise was guarding them well, moving with her, sometimes against her, watching the motion of her broom.

She was about to throw into the far left when she head something to the left and dove, circling back as Goyle rushed into the spot where she had been moments before. Crabbe was where she was heading, wielding a Beater’s bat at her. She pulled up and shot to the left, having to spiral away from Goyle, who had come after her, also armed with a bat. With a growl she kicked Goyle away, landing the hit straight into his arm and shot towards the goal, speedinst ast and pulling her body close to the broom, picking up speed.

She flew to the left then cut back, Blaise darting with her. With a grunt she threw the Quaffle back through the center hoop, feeling her arm strain, knowing it wasn’t supposed to bend that way. Blaise missed the Quaffle, the red ball sliding through his fingers and through the hoop. She spiraled downward, narrowly missing the bat that went whizzing at her head.

“You ass! I’d already thrown, you can’t do that!” she spat at Crabbe.

He chuckled and they all went down, Malfoy holding the Quaffle. “So, you are good. Shocking.”

“Jealous?”

“You’re on the team. Third Chaser.”

“Third?!”

“Third! You’re lucky to be on at all! Everyone, head inside, it’s almost time for dinner,” Malfoy said, and everyone turned and headed back in. Only Draco and Avari, who was growling with rage, stayed out in the fading light. “You know I’m better than that you poisonous son of a bitch.”

“My mother is a bitch, this I know.”

“Why the hell am I third chaser?”

“Because you’re only good enough for a green bag of candy.”

“I’m going to make your life a living hell Malfoy.”

“I’ll enjoy the distraction.”

“Asshole.”

“Slut.”

Smack!

There was a handprint across Draco’s pretty face, his hair slightly mussed with the force of the blow. Avari was breathing heavily. “I am NOT a slut you gutter-born spawn of filth. Pansy, and a handful of those other bitches that get passed around the common room on busy nights, THOSE are your sluts. I am NOT a slut, and you’ll do well to reme tha that Mr. Malfoy,” she said, before spitting on the ground in front of him and walking off.

Draco stared at her as she walked off and heard a voice say, “You’re staring at the wrong part of her anatomy,” Pansy said softly.

“That’s because it’s a lot nicer than yours,” he said without turning around, and walked off.

Pansy glared after Draco. It had been like this since he’d found out she slept around. They’d had sex once, and he’d been disgusted with her and never even touched her since. And now this new, pretty little ambitious bitch was here to draw away her precious Draco. Well, Pansy thought, glaring after the two of them, she’d make sure Avari would never touch Draco, just the way Draco never touched her.

* * * * *

Dinner was an interesting buffet of conversation, although Tuardae didn’t pay much atten to to what her own table was saying. She was too busy listening over the strain of the hall, to what her sister was saying to Blaise. She would have to ask her sister why she was suddenly ready to sit in Blaise’s lap, giggling and offering him sweets. It was so unlike her sister to just throw herself at someone.

“Awww, Blaise, look! Strawberries! Do you want one?”

“Uhm, sure?”

“All right. Ooooh, look, a big one!”

Tuardae twitched a little. Oh dear, she’d found the strawberries.

She watched as Avari fed Blaise strawberries, the boy blinking in surprise at getting attention from such a beautiful girl. If Tuardae was lucky, Avari wouldn’t notice the fine ground confectioner’s sugar, then she’d be eating them too. Damn. She had. Watching Blaise get fed strawberries wasn’t as odd as watching Avari eat strawberries when she was in an odd mood. It was like sex when Avari did it, when she wanted to at least.

Of course, watching Blaise blush his his new turn of attention was very interesting. Tuardae’d hadn’t thought boys could turn that color.

A hand sliding across her hip and onto her thigh, giving a firm squeeze drew her attention back to the table. She lookedectlectly at Harry, who was grinning, “I thought that would get your attention. C’mon,” he said, withdrawing his hand, “You haven’t even put food on your plate.”

Tuardae blinked before looking down at her plate, completely void of food. Seamus and Ron were already starting on seconds. Looking around she tried to decide what to eat, when Harry was already putting food on her plate. She grinned as he filled her plate with chicken, ham, greens and biscuits. She tried not to snort her milk as she took a sip, when he put three large strawberries on her plate. She coughed, and ignored the funny look Harry gave her, and started eating.

“So how did your first lesson with Trelawney go?” Hermione asked Tuardae.

“Oh, it went fabulous,” Ron answered for her. “She pulled out her own scrying bowl, and Trelawney kept calling her all these names that sounded like trees and stuff. Tuardae got fed up and left class early, and Trelawney didn’t even deduct points!”

Hermione stopped to eye Tuardae, and the two looked at each other until Parvati elbowed her in the ribs. “So,” Hermione said with a snicker. “Did you actually see anything in the water?”

Everyone around them at the table who was in clasat dat day went silent as Tuardae pushed her food around on the plate. “A few things. The first Quidditch match, my parents, the Dark Lord – ”

At this moment a burst of laughter and shouting came from the Ravenclaw table next to them, and the Prefects and the Head of Ravenclaw took several minutes to quiet them down. By the time it was quiet enough to speak again, Tuardae was talking to Harry about the new practice schedule for the Quidditch team, and Hermione’s attention was pulled away by Parvati whispering something into her ear.

Towards the end of dinner, Tuardae finishing up her strawberries, trying not to pay attention to the fact that Harry just stared at her, she caught her sister’s eye and shot her a questioning look before tilting her head over to Blaise. Avari simply blinked, moved her eyes to Blaise, blinked, looked at the opposite end of the table, and blinked, looking back at Tuardae, shrugging innocently.

Tuardae’s eyes traveled down the table to see Draco, with a growing purple bruise spreading across his right cheekbone who was glaring down at Avari’s end of the table, then back to Blaise. She looked at her sister and raised an eyebrow while her sister mouthed “Whomping Willow, after curfew” at her. She nodded and turned to Harry, putting the last strawberry in her mouth and playing with it a little, a smile growing on the black-haired boy’s face.