Carina McGonagall is named after the constellation containing the second brightest star in the sky - and it just so happens one Sirius Black is named after the brightest. They've always had an interesting relationship throughout the years - pranks...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
13th June 1976
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
It had been an agonising week and a bit for Carina and the Marauders. Carina was far more tricky than the boys had expected, and she was avoiding them with ease.
Pandora had made it her mission to make Carina laugh and the two girls could often be seen running up the Astronomy Tower to see the sunrise at ungodly hours, even when Carina often didn't go to the Ravenclaw dorms until the early hours of the morning anyway.
Carina had thrown herself into her Prefect duties and her studies for the last few weeks of her fifth year and her mother had noticed. After a particularly awkward Transfiguration lesson, in which Carina had completely ignored the pleading eyes and many, many paper aeroplanes of Sirius Black, Minerva decided it was time to step in.
"Mr Black? Do you mind staying for a little chat?"
"I would answer that, Professor, but I get the impression that I don't really have a choice," Sirius said, almost begrudgingly, as he pulled up a chair in front of McGonagall's desk. "Wise decision, Mr Black." Minerva adjusted her glasses before looking at the boy in front of her. She folded her hands on the desk before proceeding.
"Now, Mr Black, you must know I usually prefer to stay out of my daughter's personal life. I really do not enjoy the conversations around it, at all. I will not enjoy having this conversation. However, the situation seems a little more...dire than the usual." "Professor, I don't see what you expect me to do, I've tried to talk to her - " "Mr Black, I'm not expecting you to be a damn miracle worker! I just...."
She sighed and Sirius could see the face of a mother in pain written in her eyes.
""I just want you to understand the full situation. My daughter.... She was at her happiest with you. Honestly, I've never heard her talk as much as when you two first started dating, you know she's normally very quiet. But now.... She's shutting people out again. Carina... She has a habit of ignoring issues and feelings by distracting herself with other things. It just isn't healthy. And I know that she cares about you a great deal. The issue is most likely that you have... bad moral judgement at times - "
The look Sirius got from over the glasses told him that Minerva knew everything about the Snape incident. "And I think Carina is under the impression that you all hate her for her reaction to... Recent events."
"But we don't! We love her and we know that we were the arrogant trollshits!" Minerva cringed at his choice of words but continued nonetheless.
"I think you and I may be aware of that, Mr Black. The problem is that I doubt she sees it like that. Carina has a tendency to overthink many things and if there was ever a situation in which this habit would display itself, it would be this one. Now, go enjoy your break time, Mr Black. I'm sure you have plenty to think about."
And with that, she hurried him out.
Sirius thought it over in his head as he walked. He really liked Carina. A lot. He was sure of that, if nothing else in the situation. And.... although he would never admit it, he did feel a little bit bad about the Snape thing. Only a little bit. He wanted to make up with her.
But first he would have to find her.
Lily and Carina were hanging out in a secret alcove in the library with all the other girls - Marlene, Dorcas, Pandora and Mary. No one else ever went in there - as it required a charm you only learnt in your fifth year to get in and you had to hit the exact place on the wall with your wand for it to open for you - and the sounds of other students in the library could only vaguely be heard through the walls.
All the girls sat around lazily, reading and talking on the little seats in the boiling little room; there was a sweltering heat set upon the entire castle, and outside, under the direct warmth of the heating sun was practically unbearable to the northern born students of Hogwarts who were used to wind, rain and general British chilliness. Mary had cast a cooling charm on the little section of the library and cold air was being blown out of the end of everyone's wands onto their faces to try to reduce the heat that was radiating throughout the huge building. But their relaxation couldn't last as break was coming to an end and there was a third period lesson to attend in about five minutes.
Everyone gathered their belongings up and sent their books soaring back onto the shelves they were from. Carina and Lily had both enchanted fans which flapped persistently at their faces to relieve the warmth.
"I can't believe," Lily began, as she lazily flicked through a magazine. "That you ever dated Black. He's such an arsehole." Carina looked at Lily with an eyebrow raised. "We technically haven't even broken up. And he's not that bad, Lil. None of them are. They're just..... not the best at understanding situations. Sure, they pick on Severus and that's definitely not fair, not at all, but there are times where he does deserve some consequences for his actions. Like when he brings up Sirius's family, especially his brother, and James's mum, like completely unprovoked. That's not right either." "Maybe but Severus can't defend himself from big bullies like them. They should pick on people their own size."
Carina stared, befuddled, at her friend, before scoffing. "I can't believe you'd forgive him so fast already. Especially after what he called you! He's such a bigot! And have you seen some of the hexes that boy uses? Half of them are made up and completely experimental! He could've killed James and Sirius multiple times with the way he used curses and you'd still make excuses for him! Neither of the boys are in the right, but I know for a fact that James and Sirius would never intentionally physically hurt Severus. Never. Maybe they would damage his ego but his ego is big enough to handle it, just as much as James's. They're teenage boys, they do stupid teenage things! But Severus is involved with the wrong crowd and he is also at fault; just as much or more so than Sirius and James!"
All of Carina's suppressed anger had come flooding out at Lily, and normally Carina would have felt awful. But there was something about the hypocrisy and double standards that Lily had that just...upset Carina.
Because she did absolutely love her boys still. And they weren't all bad. Not by any standards, but especially not compared to some of the people Snape hung out with.
Taking a deep breath, Carina gathered her stuff and fled the library.
