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CHAPTER SIX:
EMERSON THE EMPATHETIC
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REMUS LUPIN HAD NOT HAD MANY INTERACTIONS WITH ATLAS BLACK FOR TWO REASONS: the first reason was because he rarely showed up to his lessons, and secondly because every time he looked at him he found himself wanting to take both him and Harry into his care.

Remus had also seen how different both Atlas and Harry had grown up.

He half been made aware of how much the two hated each other, which to him was wistful considering how close they were when children.

However, despite the fact Remus didn't know Atlas he still noticed something was wrong with him for the past week. Unfortunately though, Remus did not have a chance to ask him what was wrong because he didn't have him for any lessons today. He did see him in the hallway and called on him but either the black haired boy didn't hear him or he choose to ignore him.

Dawn came into defence and was surprised to see Snape was at the stop of the class writing. The class was getting full and she quickly went over and took her usual seat.

However someone quickly put their feet up when she went to walk, and when she looked up she seen Black.

She gave him a glare, he raised his hands up and moved his legs. He grinned at her as she sat down.

"Why are they sitting behind us?" Dawn whispers to her two friends lowly.

"We can hear you, you know?" when Atlas' voice came into her ear, Dawn jumped slightly and turns quickly. Him and his two friends all looked at Dawn and her friends with the most judgmental looks but they were used to it. Atlas, however kept his eyes on Dawn. "Not that it is your business Kale but we would prefer to not sit at the front of the class whilst Snape is here."

Dawn rose an eyebrow, and looked at Black. "Because he's going to move the three of you?"

"Look at that!" Atlas leans forward and before Dawn could reply, he had tapped her temple. "Not just a pretty face."

Both Calum and Emerson rolled their eyes, unlike Colleen and Drew who glared at them. All of their friends had found Atlas' interest in teasing Dawn annoying.

"Sorry I'm late, Professor Lupin. I -" Potter's voice came through the door, thankfully stopping them all. Everyone was able to see the clear look of disappointment on his face when spotting Snape.

"This lesson began ten minutes ago, Potter, so I think we'll make it ten points from Gryffindor. Sit down." Snape replied.

"Where's Professor Lupin?" Potter asked, still not sitting.

"He says he is feeling too ill to teach today," Snape told him with a twisted smile. "I believe I told you to sit down?"

Potter stayed where he was. The class was all looking back and fourth between the two. "What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing life-threatening." Snape said and Dawn was sure that he sounded disappointed. "Five more points from Gryffindor, and if I have to ask you to sit down again, it will be fifty."

Harry walked slowly to his seat and sat down. Snape looked around at the class.

"As I was saying before Potter interrupted, Professor Lupin has not left any record of the topics you have covered so far -"

"Please, sir, we've done Boggarts, Red Caps, Kappas, and Grindylows," Granger began quickly, "and we're just about to start-"

"Be quiet," said Snape coldly. "I did not ask for information. I was merely commenting on Professor Lupin's lack of organization."

"He's the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had," Dean Thomas says boldly, and there was a murmur of agreement from the rest of the class. Snape looked more menacing than ever.

"You are easily satisfied. Lupin is hardly overtaxing you - I would expect first years to be able to deal with Red Caps and Grindylows. Today we shall discuss... werewolves."

Dawn looked up from her book, interested.

"I've encountered a werewolf once. It was an ugly thing." Black says loudly, "He wore glasses and his name was Potter-"

People laughed. Harry heard the comment and had decided he would take the detention for hexing Black.

"But, sir," Hermione begins, distracting Harry who was beside him and quickly interrupted him taking his wand out. "We're not supposed to do werewolves yet, we're due to start Hinkypunks -"

"Miss Granger," Snape told him in a voice of deadly calm voice. "I was under the impression that I am teaching this lesson, not you. And I am telling you all to turn to page three-hundred and ninety four. All of you. Now!"

"Which of you can tell me how we distinguish between the werewolf and the true wolf?" Snape asked, ignoring Hermione. "Anyone? Are you telling me that Professor Lupin hasn't even taught you the basic distinction between -"

"We told you, we haven't got as far as werewolves yet, we're still on--"

"Silence!" snarled Snape. "Well, well, well, I never thought I'd meet a third-year class who wouldn't even recognize a werewolf when they saw one. I shall make a point of informing Professor Dumbledore how very behind you all are. Black, the answer?"

Atlas glances down and the book and reads word by word in a monotone voice. "A werewolf and true wolf have many differences. A werewolf can differs from the true wolf in several small ways. The snout of the werewolf is much more-"

"Do not mock me, Black. I did not ask you to read from the page."

Atlas instantly replied with, "You didn't tell me I couldn't-"

"I'd expect you to know the answer."

"My hand wasn't up though, was it, sir?"

Snape and Atlas looked at one another, but Snape doesn't get a chance to comment because Granger shouted out the answer, as if someone had a wand to her head and forced her to. Atlas rolled his eyes.

"Five more points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know-it-all!" Snape shouted, the Gryffindor girl went red and looked at the floor with a river of tears in her eyes.

"You asked us a question and she knows the answer! Why ask if you don't want to be told?" Weasley shouts, surprising everyone.

"Who knew Weasley was actually able to speak." Calum muttered, eyebrows raised.

"Detention, Weasley! And if I ever hear you criticize the way I teach a class again, you will be very sorry indeed."

No one made a sound throughout the rest of the lesson. They all sat and made notes on werewolves from the textbook, while Snape prowled up and down the rows of desks, examining the work they had been doing with Professor Lupin.

"Very poorly explained. That is incorrect, the Kappa is more commonly found in Mongolia. Professor Lupin gave this eight out of ten? I wouldn't have given it three."

"Luckily Lupin is my professor not you." Dawn replied instantly.

"Detention, Kale, my office tomorrow." Snape hisses lowly, and she didn't reply only continued writing. He then moved onto Atlas and claimed his work had been marked easily - and suggested favouritism from Lupin which made no sense to him as Atlas never even spoke with Lupin.

When the bell rang at last, Snape held them all back despite the shouting Emerson did about needing to go to lunch.

"You will each write an essay, to be handed in to me, on the ways you recognize and kill werewolves. I want two rolls of parchment on the subject, and I want them by Monday morning. It is time somebody took this class in hand. Weasley, Kale, stay behind, we need to arrange detention."

Dawn had already been out of the classroom and she heard him shouting for her to come back, but she hadn't cared in that moment. Dawn was already half way down the hall when Ron came out of the room after her.

"Snape wants you." Ron tells her, and she shrugs softly. Harry and Ron both join them coming over with them. With everything that happened in the last few weeks, Dawn realised she hadn't wanted to spent her year doing stuff she didn't want to do. Not to mention the fact that they could have all died when Sirius Black was in the castle. "He's angry."

"Ah, well, I'll go the detention." Dawn snickered, Harry and Ron laughed unlike Hermione who sent the girl a small look. "Or maybe I won't. Something tells me I'm going to want to stay as far away from his as possible."

"If the look on his face was I'd anything to go by I agree." Harry mentions, before quietly adding once the three Slytherin's who they all despised walked by. "Snape's never been like this with any of our other Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, even if he did want the job. Why's he got it in for Lupin? D'you think this is all because of the Boggart?"

Dawn was confused and sent Harry a confused look - out of all of them she found he seemed the most speakable. Ron was also quite nice, but he seemed a little closed off. Hermione, on the other hand, was possibly the worst. She seemed awfully judgmental of everyone and everything. Dawn had seen it first hand in second year when she interrupted and corrected Colleen in Herbology.

"What do you going after his job?" Dawn asked him curiously, furrowing her brows. Even though she wasn't exactly comfortable around them and never spoke to three, she still wanted to know what they meant.

"Oh. Didn't you not know that Harry thinks that Smape is trying to kill Lupin to get his job?"

Dawn thought it had been a joke at first but when she saw the look Hermione was giving the messy haired boy, she realised he was being serious. The claim sounded unbelievable at first but she could see where it might have came from.

"It might sound ridiculous, I swear but hear me out-" Harry glanced at the opposite two Gryffindor's and Ravenclaw. "During Hogsmeade last week, I was talking with Lupin and he gave Lupin some sort of potion and now he's sick-"

"You think Snape poisoned him?" Colleen asks.

"I don't think he would be smart enough to do that. Especially in your company." Drew adds.

"I don't know," Hermione told them pensively. "But I really hope Professor Lupin gets better soon."

All of the third years continued to walk to the Great Hall and down the stairs, all in massive bundles. Dawn, Colleen and Drew all ended up walking still by the Gryffindor three. It was silent between them for a few moments between them before Dawn turns to Ron.

"What punishment did he give you?"

"D'you know what that prick-" Ron began, and it caused all of them except Harry to flinch and Hermione to shout at him. He seemed to angry that he didn't care. "is making me do? I've got to scrub out the bedpans in the hospital wing. Without magic!"

Harry made a face. "Without magic?"

"Why couldn't Black have hidden in Snape's office, eh? He could have finished him off for us!"

Dawn rolled her eyes before glancing ahead waiting for the stairs to move. However, she noticed Atlas and his three friends had been watching them all. They must have heard what Ron said because all three of them were glaring at him. Dawn, even thought she didn't want to admit it, found the three of them intimating.

Dawn glances to Ron. "You might want to keep your voice down."

Ron didn't seem to care, but when he saw who was starting at him, he quickly nods. "You're right." he says quietly. "I really hate that guy."

"I can't help but feel a little bad for him." Dawn says once they stairs comes and the three Slytherin's had gone a good few people ahead of them. "Oh, come on? It can't be very nice can it?"

"I agree, even though he is a rude insufferable boy, I can't imagine how annoying it must be to have everyone talking about you." Hermione agrees quietly, surprising Harry and Ron.

"And his sister." Drew added. "She's been the talk of the Daily Prophet for months now. They've not even got one picture of her. Everyone has been trying for months I heard."

"Plus, everyone knows that they don't talk to one another." Hermione mentions as they enter the Great Hall.

"She probably knows how much of a prat he is." Dawn mutters, rolling her eyes and they all sat down. Dean and Seamus joined them and sat across from Dawn who sent them a small nod of acknowledgment.

"Whatever he's a rude prat anyway." Harry interjected, shaking his head. He found his mind trailed over onto wondering if his sister was like him. Siblings often tended to be similar but he didn't know that of course as he had no one alive except himself in his family. "His sister is probably the same."

"It's weird how she didn't come here with him, isn't it?" Seamus mentions.

"A little." Hermione agreed. "It is probably a good thing though. Two of them?"

"I don't think that'd be good." Harry muttered.

Across the room, both Emerson and Calum had been watching Calum. He sat across from them both, in their usual seats at the end of the table, angrily taking another slice of sweet pumpkin pie. He added almost four slices with cream and ate them all in one go without eating them all.

Anyone he knew the boy knew he was a stress-eater and a bad one at that. When he noticed both his friends were starting at him, he gave them a look.

"What?"

"Nothing." Emerson muttered.

"Alright. What is your problem?" Calum asked, and Emerson let out a small sigh glad to not to be the one to have to speak with him. The two of them knew he hadn't been in a good mood since the night his father came and sent the letter to her sister. "You've been in a bad mood for a week and we know it's not your father-"

"It's not my father." he grumbled.

"Then what is it?" Emerson asked, and he glanced over towards her. He let out a small sigh and turned away. Emerson had come realise that Atlas hadn't been good at expressing how he felt - he didn't open up about his feelings. In first year, both she and Calum thought that it was because he was a Slytherin and it was expected. "What's wrong with you? You can tell us, Atlas."

Atlas sighed. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Neither do we but you're clearly upset!" Emerson says, before realisation hits. She leans over and whispers, "Oh. Did your sister reply to your letter?"

A look came upon Atlas' big brown eyes and instantly Emerson and Calum knew that was it. Neither of them seen him in this bad of a mood until now. However he cleared the look out of his eyes and shook his head.

"No it's not my..." he brought his voice lower. "Sister."

Just by his tone, it clearly was. "Did she not reply to your letter?"

He nods swiftly. She did."

Calum's eyes widened, partly in excitement. "Well, then? What did she say?"

However Emerson was looking at him, and instantly knew the news had been good. To drop them off his back, he instantly leaned down and reached into the pocket. He had a few things in his robes - such as gum, a cassette tape, and lastly the letter his sister sent him this day last week.

He kept it around in his pocket ever since she replied to it, it came back from France, less than two hours of him sending the letter which he found insanely fast. He was hesitant in handing over the letter, and did so slowly.

Atlas, her writing was incredibly neat.

I appreciate you sending this letter. I do, and I know you must have been hesitate in sending in.
I know why. Because it's to late for either of us to form any sort of attachment to one another, and I've come to accept this, maybe you should too.

I have a family, and you have one too. For everyone's sake, I think it's best if we leave it at that.

For my own feelings, please don't write to me again.
- Aurora Aleksander.

Both Calum and Emerson read the letter and almost instantly had the same reaction. The first reaction was immediate anger at his sisters words came his words harsh, mean words. Most importantly they were unnecessarily. The two of them both leaned in closely beside one another making sure that they were reading the same thing.

She had told him in-short to not write to her ever again.

"I'm sorry we made you write the letter, mate, that wasn't right of us-" Calum began.

"No, don't blame yourself. I was stupid to write it anyway." Atlas told them, shaking his head. He tried his uttermost to not show his disappointment in his tone. "I shouldn't have wrote to her."

Emerson wanted to hug him badly, as did Calum, but they all rarely hugged.

"Still," Emerson tells him quietly. "We shouldn't have pressured you into writing her a letter."

Atlas looked across at Emerson. He always knew she was an empathetic person. He also knew she was probably feeling as though the letter was her fault, alongside Calum's but mostly hers. Because that's how kind, selfless and often at times to empathetic she was. Part of him even wanted to blame her, he wanted to just blame someone for it - he wanted to pass the blame onto whoever would take it.

And Emerson sat there, her royal sapphire eyes staring at him like she wanted him to blame her.

She had a golden heart, maybe it was the thing he liked about her the most.

"It's not your fault. It's not either of you two's fault." he told his two friends, in a small voice. "I shouldn't have wrote to her. It was a mistake, I wouldn't make the same mistake twice."

His two friends remained quiet and even though he focused back on finishing his pumpkin pie, he could see them exchanging looks.

Atlas found his sister's response to his sister had probably been the last straw for him, he decided to complete remove her out of his thoughts for the rest of his mind. He had done it long before this year and he could do it again. Except this time, instead of thinking of meeting her and happiness, he thought of how hurt he felt at his words.

He had officially decided he was no longer going to acknowledge the fact he had a twin.

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"You don't have a thing for Kale, do you?"

Atlas, Emerson and Calum all made their way to the Quidditch pitch for the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor match. The match was initially suppose to be against Slytherin but Draco claimed he was still in no case to play, even though everyone knew it to be different. Atlas was disappointed, he was looking forward to the Quidditch match.

Atlas gave a small laugh. "No, of course not. She's a Gryffindor. I just like teasing her."

"Ah, right." Emerson nods, seemingly curious.

"It be weird, right?" Atlas questioned, as they neared the pitch. Even from their distance, they could see how full it was. Everyone was excited to see the first match of the year. "Cause she's a Gryffindor."

"Yep."

"Definitely."

"She is kinda cute, though, right?" Atlas asked them, crossing his arms over his chest. He titled his head softly and thought of Dawn Kale. She could be quite annoying in classes but she was most certainly not the worst of the lot. She didn't seem to ever make many comments about his house unless someone made one about her own house. He still wasn't the most found of her, but he would admit that he enjoyed watching how embarrassed she got easily. "I mean for a Gryffindor...she's interesting."

"I never really noticed her." Calum muttered, and thought about it. He told himself Kale was a pretty girl but he didn't find himself thinking about her at all for less than a second. He knew she was a nice looking girl but unlike Atlas and probably many other boys, he hadn't thought anything of it. "I suppose she's pretty."

"That's what I was thinking." Atlas agreed, unlike Emerson who examined her nails. The three of them made it to pitch and Atlas spotted just the girl he was talking about. "Speaking of Kale. Be right back."

The black haired boy ran towards the brunette who was by that changing rooms tying her shoes. The rain was pouring down at a tremendously horrible rate, as the boy ran over. Emerson found herself staring at him as he walked away trying to figure out what the feeling she felt was - maybe part of her was worried. Calum nudged her into the shoulder with a slightly concerned look.

"You alright?"

"What? Oh, yeah let's go grab seats."

Across the way Dawn had been typing her shoelaces but only stopped when someone came over, leaned down and tied them quickly for her. When she saw the outline of a leather jacket she didn't need to even look up to know who it was.

"Morning." Black said, and Dawn didn't even look up from her shoes, and she stood up from the bench and grabbed her broom. "Someone doesn't seem very happy about playing against Hufflepuff."

He was right but she wouldn't let him know that. She prepared for the last three months to play against Slytherin, she was ready to play against all the players and studied the way they played during trials and practise. Now within the space of a few days it had all been changed. She still had high hopes that they would win - she was on the team meaning it was high - but she was still not happy about the change.

"You can thank your..." Dawn paused unsure as to what Draco was to him. He noticed this. "You can thank Malfoy for that one, and by the way I'm not nervous if that's what your thinking, I never get nervous. We're going to win this game and then play Slytherin-"

"Oh, wow." Black interrupted, and Dawn gave him a look. The two of them were standing by the changing rooms and she noticed how when the two Weasley twins came out that they gave them a small look.

Dawn looked up at Black. "What?"

"Do you realise how much you talk?" he questioned, brows furrowed seriously. Her face morphed into immediate surprise at those words, offence even. "Good luck in your game. I'll be rooting for Gryffindor."

Dawn rolled her eyes looking away from him. "No you won't. That's a lie."

"You're correct." he says, taking a few steps back and sending her a small nod. "I'll be rooting for you since you have that massive obvious crush on me."

Dawn shot him a warning look but it simply bounced off his arrogant head as he turned around and made his way to the Slytherin stands. She hoped that she wouldn't have anymore encounters with him - but part of her did find him amusing.

When Dawn made it to the centre of the pitch, Harry gave her a small look, he probably saw her with Black but she didn't have a chance to speak with him because Hooch blew her whistle and the game started.

When the game started, the wind was so strong and furious that they staggered sideways as they all flew around. If the crowd was cheering (and she hoped they were she scored three goals) she couldn't hear it. As half time was nearing, she was almost shoved off the broom by one of the Hufflepuff's. She couldn't see who it was but she had an idea that it was Cedric Diggory.

Thunder soon followed the dooming rain and dark clouds.

When Dawn was sweating so much that she had to take a break she noticed Harry was flying insanely high into the sky. It was much higher up than the stands and it caused her to exchange a confused look with Oliver Wood.

"That's boy gonna fly off his broom. We need to call a timeout." Oliver shouts. "I called for time-out! Come on, under here-"

Dawn didn't want it to end - she found the thrill, the adrenaline of playing Quidditch enduring. It was almost like a high when she played, she never wanted to stop. The rushing feeling of excitement ran left her veins as she got down from her broom.

The sky was getting darker, as though night had decided to come early. All of them huddled into the corner of the field, away from the Hufflepuff's who also called a meeting, and they stood under a large umbrella that Oliver summoned.

"What's the score?" Harry came down off his broom, and ran over towards them, however it was a bad mistake because of the mud. He fell right down on his back into the mud and it caused the entire team to turn to him in shock. He got up as though nothing had happened. "Er the score? What's the score?"

Dawn placed a hand over her mouth, warning herself not to laugh. She knew it would seem very rude and when the small snort escaped her lips, she did feel just that.

"We're fifty points up," Wood answered. "but unless we get the Snitch soon, we'll be playing into the night."

"I've got no chance with these on," Harry said exasperatedly, waving his glasses.

Dawn turns to him with a look. Did he really not know the spell? Without hesitation, she took them out of his hands.

"Give me back my glasses-"

She took her wand out. "Hold on-"

"I can't see anything!" he says, being dramatic.

"Impervius!" she whispers, twice. Everyone looked at her and she explained, "Fourth year spell, Oliver. Would expect at least one of you on the team to know that one." she looks towards the older members of the team. "They repel water."

"Thanks." Harry says taking them out of her hands and trying to see if they worked.

"Brilliant!" Oliver mentions, sending them all a nod. "Dawn, keep at the good work. And Harry, try find that bloody snitch. Okay, team, let's go for it!"

They all grabbed their brooms and flew up into the sky. Dawn almost fell off her broom when the match started, and straight away Harry and the Hufflepuff seeker both flew by each other trying to grab the snitch. She could barely see it but she could see the flicker of gold going higher into the air.

Suddenly she was hit in the head when Fred Weasley threw her the quaffle. He gave her a look and she quickly flew down and grabbed it before the two people flying by her tried to. When she had it, she extended her arm back and flew it forward so far to George Weasley who caught it. By the time, she got closer to the goal, Angelina then caught it and passed it to her. She flew it through the middle hoop and scored.

When no one cheered, she turned to the crowd and seen where their minds were.

It was like Harry Potter wanted to be dramatic everyday of his life. How did this happen? He had been falling down-mid air off his broom, and inches from the door. Everyone screamed and she was certain the loudest one she heard was Oliver's. He almost landed on the floor, and would have been dead if it wasn't for Dumbledore who shouted out an unheard of spell and stopped him.

Dawn got down off her broom and went straight into the changing rooms when she realised that they had lost the match, or even worse it was a draw. Maybe Black had a good reason for disliking Potter, cause right now she sure did.

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okay I'm not the happiest with they chapter and it was mostly a filler chapter but at least I updated!

Also, what did you think of Aurora's letter?

Honestly I love prisoner of Azkaban but there's not much to write in it that happens! I'm kinda just taking every chapter as it comes but I'm very excited to write the ending chapter and Christmas moments, well have a lot more! I'll also be diving outside of Atlas/ Emerson/ Calum group cause of course this is a joined story of everyone : but obviously since they're new OC'S they needed focus for the start.