Trepidation

Prologue

Serephine was in no hurry at all to go anywhere. She didn't understand why her father insisted on her presence at every event, and further more did not understand why he left her immediately upon their arrival at the event.

However, today was different, as her father was not rushing to a work meeting or a beneficial gala, but to his late wife's childhood home in the middle of muggy London. Serephine did not understand why he would want to come here either. As they walked up the steps, a sudden excitement grew in the young girl's stomach. She was unaccustomed to visiting family and secretly hoped they were more energetic than her mysterious father. Her stomach fluttered in anticipation as her father knocked on the door. Slowly the door opened, revealing a somewhat ugly house-elf with a short stubby nose and long floppy ears.

"Master Hugo, it has been a long time." The elf half-growled.

"Yes, here." Serephine's father replied, handing his cloak and hat to the elf as he passed the threshold into the house. She was reluctant to enter the house, but stepped inside anyway once her father gave her a pointed look. She smiled at the elf, delicately placing her own cloak in his arms.

"Thank you." She said meekly. The elf sneered at her and hobbled off, muttering foul words under his breath.

"Come, Serephine." Her father barked, leading her down the slim hallway to a tiny kitchen where a man sat at a short wooden table. Serephine was unused to the simple and plain decor, along with the seemingly inexpensive furniture due to her father's vast fortune and his need for high class living. "Orion." Her father announced, shaking the other man's hand as he stood.

"Hugo, we have much to discuss." Orion said, his face dark and stern. He gave a sideways glance to the small girl that trailed behind the aristocrat. "Perhaps in the drawing room?"

Hugo glanced down at his daughter, "Serephine, go upstairs and find your cousin. Perhaps you two can busy yourselves."

Serephine knew better than to disobey, and swiftly left the kitchen and climbed the stairs, admiring the photos on the walls. In all honesty, she did not know who to look for she had never met her cousin before, but was just as happy to explore the house. As she walked down the narrow hallway, she heard footsteps creeping behind her. Serephine turned to see a boy her age, tiptoeing in what she assumed was an attempt to scare her.

"Aw! I thought I thought I was going to get you for sure!" The boy cried, crossing his arms.

"I do not see how, as your footsteps were practically resonating through the hall." She replied, looking at him curiously.

The boy looked her up and down, scrunching his nose at her. "You're weird. Who are you?"

"Serephine Legreste, and you are?" She continued, pressing her skirts down in order to smooth them.

The boy did not reply, but scrutinized her again. "You looked funny."

"I look funny? Perhaps you should look in a mirror once in a while." Serephine said, appalled by the boy's behavior.

He let out a giggle, offering a mock bow. "Sirius Orion Black, at your service, milady."

Serephine tolled her eyes at Sirius who puffed his chest out haughtily. "You're a fool." She commented, fighting the urge to smirk at his antics.

"You act like a grownup."

"And what is wrong with that?" She asked, smoothing her skirts again.

"Well, you're a kid aren't you?" He giggled, gesturing for her to follow him. They entered into what Serephine assumed was Sirius' bedroom. There were miscellaneous charmed toys buzzing around and making noises and there were moving pictures hanging around the room. "You want to play with me?"

Serephine did not respond as he sat on the floor and pulled up a wonderful looking toy that moved on its own accord.

"Come on, don't act all grown up. You can be a kid with me." Sirius added, smiling at Serephine with missing teeth. Serephine smiled back, sitting on the floor next to him and started a beautiful friendship that would never break.

Fast Forward A Few Years...

"Come on, Sirius! You're not even trying!" The girl cried, letting her back rest against the chair she sat in.

"I am trying! You're just better than I am!" He shouted back, telling a the knight to move to E5.

Serephine smirked and moved a bishop, successfully winning for the third time in wizards chess. "Perhaps you should practice more." She commented, smirking at her cousin.

" Yeah, yeah, you only like to play because you know you can beat anyone. It's not fair." Sirius replies, kicking his feet up on the table.

"It's a game of cleverness, Sirius. You're just daft." She said, sticking her tongue out at him.

Her and Sirius had grown close over the years, frequently writing and visiting each other every chance they got. Although her father did not approve of the relation with "lower class", he allowed her communication with Sirius.

"Oh I'm daft, eh? Then explain this!" He said, holding out his Hogwarts acceptance letter and waved it in her face. "Where's your acceptance letter, Seri?" He taunted.

She snatched the letter from his hands, glowering at him. "You know I am already enrolled in Beaubatxtons."

"That preppy school is no place for someone like you! You should come to Hogwarts with me!" He said, taking the letter back from her.

"You know my father wouldn't stand for that."

"To hell with your father! Why if he were here I'd—"

"You'd do what, Sirius?" A deep voice said from the hall. Serephine stood quickly and tucked her hands behind her back as she recognized her father. " Come, Serephine, we have been here far too long."

She practically ran to her father, offering Sirius an apologetic smile before departing with the mysterious aristocrat.

The cousins both went their separate ways, one attending Beauxbatons and the other Hogwarts. Letters from Sirius everyday caused envy to settle in Serephine's stomach. He had made friends quickly and sounded as if he was having all the fun in the world. Serephine had not made any friends, and was constantly drowned in homework and dance lessons. She found it silly that a school of magic would focus on dance so much, but she couldn't expect anything less from a French school. Each summer Serephine would meet Sirius for a month, to which she found he had invited his friends along too.

This is where is goes downhill.

The first time Serephine had met James Potter, she had been utterly stricken with how handsome he was. Every day they spent together, the more deeply she fell in love with him.

It went on for years like this, until one day she had enough courage to ask her father to transfer from Beauxbatons to Hogwarts.

"They are far more superior in education and I can attend OWL and NEWT classed to help me further my career." She pleaded, desperately making a case for her to transfer schools. "Not to mention, I could actually make friends there! And you and mom met at Hogwarts. I think I—"

"Alright." He said, looking wearily at his daughter and her constant nagging. " I will allow it. But you must maintain perfect grades or else I will pull you out of the school and place you back into Beauxbatons."

Serephine had not felt this level of happiness before, and went to bed that night far too excited to get any actual sleep.

While it may have taken a while to get to the beginning, it was a beginning nonetheless, and it was the start to a beautiful tragedy.