Chapter 5
Mary
Mary was jolted awake by a yell cutting through the heavy morning air.
“A lake!”
Mary barely had time to sit up before Sirius came barrelling through the trees, Remus right on his heels. His face was flushed, his hair wild, his grin stretched so wide it looked like his face might split.
“Holy shit, we found a lake!” he shouted, panting as he skidded to a stop in the middle of the group.
The response was immediate. Bodies stirred from where they had been collapsed in exhaustion, conversations halted, and heads snapped toward Sirius with wide eyes.
“A lake?” James was already pushing himself to his feet, rubbing sleep from his face. “You’re serious?”
“Yeah, he’s Sirius,” Remus commented under his breath.
Sirius didn’t even acknowledge the joke, too caught up in his own exhilaration. “It’s not far—four miles, maybe. Clean water, a clearing, loads of space. We don’t have to stay here.”
Marlene stood up, brushing dirt off her legs. “That’s fucking brilliant.”
Lily, however, didn’t look nearly as thrilled.
“We can’t just leave,” she said sharply, crossing her arms.
Sirius huffed. “Why the hell not?”
“Because if—” she cut herself off, shaking her head. “When they come looking for us, they’ll come here. If we go wandering off, we’ll be even harder to find.”
A murmur rippled through the group. It was clear that some people had already been thinking the same thing.
Sirius rolled his eyes. “You want to just sit in a pile of wreckage and hope for the best?”
Lily’s jaw tensed. “We’re supposed to be thinking logically—”
“Oh, fuck logic,” Sirius snapped. “We need to think about survival.”
Lily’s nostrils flared. “And you think running into the woods like a headless chicken is survival?”
“It’s better than staying here and starving.”
Marlene stepped forward. “Lily, come on. The plane is burnt, half the food is gone, and we’re sitting here like we’re waiting to die. We need to move.”
Lily looked at her sharply, and for a second, Mary thought she was going to argue. But then her gaze flickered—briefly, just for a moment, as if she was disappointed.
Mary’s stomach twisted.
“Well, I’m not going,” Pandora said suddenly, arms folded tightly across her chest. “Not when we don’t know what’s out there.”
Barty scoffed. “What, you think there’s something lurking in the trees?”
She shot him a dark look. “I think we should stop acting like we’re in some fucking summer camp. We don’t know these woods. We don’t know what’s safe. Running off into the unknown like idiots is not the solution.”
“I’m with her,” Peter piped up. His voice was clear, his arms clutched around his stomach. “We should stay where we know it’s safe.”
A derisive snort echoed from the side.
Everyone turned to look.
It was Snape.
Mary blinked.
For a second, she had forgotten he was even there.
He had been so quiet, so separate from the rest of them, that it was almost like he had disappeared into the background. He wasn’t part of the group—not really. He never had been. And when he spoke, people tended to ignore him.
Now, though, all eyes were on him.
“I suppose you think this is a democracy,” he sneered. His face was pale, his eyes glinting darkly beneath the curtain of his hair. “As if bickering over where we die makes a difference.”
A cold silence settled over the wreckage.
Sirius let out a harsh laugh. “Christ, you’re bleak.”
Snape’s upper lip curled. “I’m realistic.”
Barty turned, his expression full of something between amusement and disgust. “Who invited you to the conversation?”
More than one person snorted at that. Someone muttered, “Yeah, wasn’t he off sulking in the trees somewhere?”
Snape’s expression darkened, but he didn’t say anything.
Mary glanced around and realized that nearly everyone—everyone—was glaring at him.
She felt a strange, prickling sensation crawl up the back of her neck.
Had he always been this invisible?
“Enough,” James said, cutting through the tension before it could spiral. He rubbed his temples, looking exhausted. “Look, we need to decide. Now. We can’t keep fighting over this.”
A pause. Then—
“We vote,” Sirius said.
Lily exhaled sharply, but she didn’t argue.
James turned to the group. “Alright. Who wants to stay?”
Lily raised her hand first. Pandora followed. Then Peter.
And, after a long pause, Snape.
The four of them stood stiffly among the group, painfully outnumbered.
James nodded. “And who wants to go?”
Sirius’ hand shot up. Marlene raised hers immediately after. Then Remus, Barty, Evan—more hands, one by one, lifting into the air.
Mary hesitated.
She could feel Lily watching her.
But something in Mary’s gut told her that staying here was the wrong choice.
So, slowly, she lifted her hand.
Lily’s expression didn’t change, but her jaw tightened just slightly.
James scanned the group, counting quickly. Then he nodded. “Lake wins.”
Lily let out a slow breath, dragging a hand down her face. “This is a mistake.”
Sirius clapped his hands together, his face alight with something reckless and triumphant. “Too late now. We’ve made our bed.”
Lily turned sharply and stalked away, towards the bags, Pandora close behind.
Snape lingered for a moment longer, his dark eyes unreadable. Then he turned without a word and melted back into the trees.
The decision had been made, but now came the hard part—getting there.
The group turned to the most pressing issue: Frank. His leg—what was left of it—was wrapped in what little medical gauze they had, but walking was out of the question. He was pale, sweating, and barely keeping himself steady where he was layed against a fallen piece of the plane.
“We need something to carry him,” Marlene said, scanning the wreckage.
“We could use a piece of the plane,” Evan suggested. “Like a makeshift stretcher.”
“Too heavy,” Remus muttered. “And too awkward to carry through the trees.”
“We can build something,” Pandora said, already looking around. “Branches, fabric—enough to make a frame we can carry.”
With that, they got to work. Sirius, James, and Remus took charge of breaking apart the plane scraps for anything useful, while Pandora and Lily worked on tying the strongest branches together with strips of torn clothing. It wasn’t perfect, but soon, they had something that resembled a stretcher.
It would have to do.
Lifting Frank onto it was the hardest part—he hissed in pain, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the sides.
“This is fucking humiliating,” he muttered.
“Shut up, captain,” James said, adjusting his grip. “Let us carry you with dignity.”
Frank let out a weak chuckle, but his face was tight with pain.
Once everyone had gathered whatever food they could scavenge, they set off.
It was slow-going. The makeshift stretcher required four people at a time. James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter stuck together at the front, leading the way as they carried Frank. Lily walked with the other girls—Marlene, Dorcas, and Pandora—though she was still clearly pissed. Evan and Barty trailed somewhere in the middle, along with a few others—Snape included—while Mary found herself falling toward the back.
She didn’t mind.
It gave her a chance to breathe, to take in the people around her without being in the middle of the group.
It wasn’t long before she realized she wasn’t the last one.
Footsteps crunched quietly behind her.
She turned slightly, glancing back.
Regulus.
Of course.
He was walking a few paces behind her, silent and composed as ever. His expression was unreadable, but there was something almost… measured in the way he carried himself, like he was calculating every movement, every breath.
Mary slowed just a little, falling into step beside him.
“So,” she said, “enjoying the scenic route?”
Regulus arched a brow, glancing at her. “It’s certainly a route.”
Mary huffed a quiet laugh. “No regrets about voting for the lake?”
Regulus tilted his head, as if considering. “Not yet.”
“That’s reassuring.”
They walked in silence for a few moments, the sounds of the group ahead carrying through the trees—complaints, the occasional shout of hurry the fuck up, and Sirius loudly insisting that he definitely knew where they were going.
Mary stole another glance at Regulus.
She had never really spoken to him before. He was Sirius’ younger brother, sure, but he had always kept his distance from the rest of them. Always sticking in his group. Quiet. Reserved. Almost cold.
But now, stuck in the same godforsaken mess, none of that really seemed to matter.
“Any idea how long we’ve been walking?” she asked.
Regulus exhaled slowly, glancing up at the sky. “Too long.”
As if on cue, a groan rang out from up ahead.
“This is definitely longer than four miles,” Barty complained, his voice laced with frustration.
“No shit,” Marlene muttered. “Feels like we’ve been walking forever.”
“Well, I told everyone to stay at the crash site,” Lily commented. “But no one ever listens to me.”
“Oh, please,” Sirius shot back. “We’d still be sitting around, waiting to rot.”
The bickering was constant—low-level, crackling like an open fire that no one could put out. But before it could spiral into another full-blown argument, a sharp gasp cut through the air.
“Holy shit,” Evan muttered.
Mary quickened her pace, pushing through the trees to see what had caught everyone’s attention.
And then she saw it.
A bear.
Or rather—what was left of it.
Its body lay crumpled in the underbrush, massive and unmoving, its fur matted with blood. Its stomach had been torn open, flesh ripped apart, bones glistening beneath the mess of torn muscle. Flies buzzed over the carcass, the sickly scent of decay curling in the air.
Silence fell over the group.
“What the fuck,” Peter whispered.
James stepped forward, kneeling slightly to get a better look. His face was tight, his jaw clenched. “What the hell could have killed a bear.”
A pause.
Then—
“Wolves.”
Everyone turned.
Regulus stood a few feet away, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the bear’s ravaged body.
“Wolves did this,” he repeated.
Peter frowned. “No way. Wolves don’t attack bears.”
“They do when they’re hungry,” Regulus said simply. “And when they’re in a pack. They’re stronger than people think.”
A new kind of tension settled over the group.
No one had really considered wolves before. Sure, they had worried about food, about injuries, about surviving the elements—but not this.
Not something else out here with them.
Something that could tear apart a bear like it was nothing.
Mary swallowed.
Regulus was staring at the corpse with an unreadable expression.
She nudged him lightly. “Still no regrets?”
Regulus exhaled through his nose. “I may be reconsidering.”
Mary huffed a quiet laugh, but it felt hollow.
Because no matter how much she tried to play it off—
That dead bear?
It meant something.
Something bad.
Barty
The walk dragged on, and every step seemed to take longer than the last. The weight of exhaustion had settled in Barty’s legs.
He shifted his weight, trying to adjust his injured arm. It had started to ache again, and he was more than aware of how much of a mess he was in. His hand had been pressed against the sling ever since they started walking, trying to keep the pain under control.
His fingers twitched involuntarily as the throbbing made itself known.
Evan was walking ahead of him, his movements slower than usual, but it was clear he was trying to push through the pain. The burn marks on his skin weren’t terrible, but they weren’t minor either. His arms, shoulders, and neck were streaked with angry red lines from where the flames had licked his skin. The burns had blistered in a few places, but he’d kept his composure, masking the pain as best as he could. Every so often, Barty saw him wince as the burns throbbed beneath the pressure of his movement.
“Don’t touch it,” Evan’s voice cut through his thoughts, sharp and quick, like he knew exactly what Barty was thinking.
Barty frowned, glancing at him. “I’m just—”
“I said don’t touch it,” Evan repeated, his tone flat.
Barty sighed and withdrew his hand, irritated but not wanting to escalate it. Evan had been acting off all day, quieter, more guarded than usual, and Barty wasn’t sure if it was the fire or just the general sense of doom hanging over them, but Evan was definitely on edge.
“Fine,” Barty muttered. “Just make sure you take care of your burns, alright?”
Evan shot him a glare. “That’s the plan.”
Pandora, walking slightly ahead of them, turned around when she overheard. Her eyes flickered from Evan to Barty with an unreadable expression before she cracked a smile.
“If either of you idiots hurt yourselves more,” she said with a strange level of casualness, “I’ll kill you myself. I swear.”
Barty blinked, his eyebrows furrowing at her. “What, so you’ll put us out of our misery, then?” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Pandora’s lips turned into a smirk. “Exactly.”
She turned back around, but not before giving Barty a wink that felt both reassuring and unsettling at the same time.
The strange moment of levity didn’t last long, though. The distance between them and the others had stretched so wide that now it seemed they were walking in a constant hum of murmurs and occasional grunts, punctuated by the occasional shout or complaint from behind.
“Fuck, this is taking forever,” Barty muttered, glancing back at the others.
The longer they walked, the less Barty could ignore the panic in his chest. The uncertainty. The guilt. The nagging fear that this whole journey had been one wrong decision after another.
Then, up ahead, something shifted.
A voice—Peter’s—suddenly rose, his words cutting through the air.
“Oh my—guys, I think we found it!”
James’ voice followed immediately after, urgent, excited. “It’s the lake. It’s the fucking lake.”
Barty quickened his pace, heart thudding in his chest.
“I told you, didn’t I?” Sirius called out.
The moment the words reached his ears, something clicked in his mind, and all the weight, all the fatigue, seemed to lift. The idea of the lake—actual water, a clear source of it—was the first real shred of hope they’d had in what felt like an eternity.
Barty found himself smiling, the knot in his chest loosening as they picked up their pace, everyone now moving faster, driven by the promise of water, of relief.
They finally broke through the trees, and there it was.
A shimmering, dark expanse of water, stretching out before them. The lake wasn’t large, but it was more than enough. Its surface was smooth, rippling only slightly from the wind.
Before anyone could really register it, the girls—Marlene, Lily, and Dorcas—shot ahead, running.
“Finally!” Marlene shouted, her voice carrying across the group as she reached the water’s edge, kicking off her shoes and splashing into the cool lake with a joyful laugh.
From behind them, the guys—James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter—stumbled forward, still carrying Frank between them. Frank, grumbling and clearly frustrated, let out a loud groan.
“Can’t believe I can’t even go in the water,” Frank muttered as they carefully lowered him to the beach.
“No one told you to lose your leg,” James replied, his tone light despite the exhaustion that clearly weighed on him. His hands were shaking as they lowered Frank gently to the sand, and Barty could see the strain in his eyes.
“Thanks for the help,” Frank grumbled, rolling his eyes. “I appreciate being left in the dirt.”
Remus gave him a look, though his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “We’ll carry you to the water next time, Frank, promise.”
Barty’s heart pounded as he neared the water. The exhaustion from the long walk and the burning ache in his legs faded, replaced by a wave of relief as the lake came into view.
Evan trailed behind him, moving slower, his footsteps more deliberate.
“Come on, Evan,” Barty nudged him with his shoulder. “Hurry up. The others are already in.”
“Just giving you a head start,” Evan chuckled, a slight smirk on his face.
As they got closer, Pandora, who had been walking just behind them, suddenly stopped in her tracks, her voice ringing out, teasing but sharp. “Don’t you dare.”
Barty shot her a mischievous grin, raising an eyebrow. “What? You really think I’ll listen to you?”
Pandora rolled her eyes dramatically, hands on her hips. “Bartemius Crouch Jr., I swear to everything good, if you get in that water, you’re not coming out.”
Barty gave her an exaggerated look of innocence. “Try to stop me, then.”
With that, he grabbed Evan by the arm and yanked him toward the lake.
“Evan! No, wait!” Pandora called after them, her voice laced with genuine concern. “Your burns could get infected!”
Evan glanced over his shoulder, his face breaking into a grin. “When something’s hot, you put it in cold water, right?” he said, shrugging playfully. “What’s the difference?”
Pandora’s lips twitched with a reluctant smile, but her eyes narrowed. “That’s not how it—Oh, fine. Go ahead. Be my guest. But don’t blame me if you end up regretting it.”
Barty gave her a wink before rushing into the water, the coolness hitting his skin like a shock. The others had already reached the water, and the splashing, shouting, and laughter felt like a release.
For a moment, it felt like everything had been forgotten, like the crash and the forest and all the tension they had been carrying had simply disappeared.
Frank
Frank lay back on the sand, propped up by the makeshift lift they’d set up to keep him comfortable. The others were in the water, enjoying the relief of coolness after the long walk. But Regulus was still sitting next to him, looking at the lake but not making any move to join them.
"Not getting in the water?" Frank asked, glancing over at Regulus with a raised eyebrow.
Regulus looked at him, his expression unreadable. "I can’t swim," he said, his tone flat but firm.
Frank blinked, a grin tugging at his lips as he thought it was some kind of joke. "Funny. And I can walk," He said, pointing at his mutated leg—stub?—whatever it was.
But Regulus didn’t crack a smile. Instead, he just looked back at the lake, his hands resting by his sides. Frank felt his grin falter.
“Oh.” He let out a small breath, realization sinking in. His expression hardened, jaw clenching. “Wow. Okay.”
The silence stretched, thick with unspoken words. Frank shifted, sitting up slightly. He winced at the movement but pushed through it. “Sorry about dragging you into all this,” he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re not even on the team, and now you’re stuck here like the rest of us.”
Regulus scoffed, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. “Yeah, well. Not like I had a choice.” His tone was sharp, edged with something bitter.
Frank frowned. “What do you mean?”
Regulus tilted his head, gaze dark. “Sirius,” he said simply, the name falling from his mouth like a curse.
Frank blinked. “Sirius?”
Regulus let out a humorless laugh. “He’s the one who forced me to come. Said it’d be ‘good for me,’ whatever the hell that means. Gave me some self-righteous speech about how I ‘never do anything fun’ and how I ‘need to loosen up.’ Then, when I still said no, he threatened to tell Pandora if I didn’t.” He exhaled sharply through his nose. “And like an idiot, I gave in.”
Frank studied him carefully. “You sound… pissed.”
Regulus turned his gaze toward the lake, fingers tightening around the fabric of his sleeve. “Because I am.” His voice was low, controlled, but there was an undeniable fury beneath it. “Because he always does this. Pushes and pushes and never thinks about what happens after.” His lips curled slightly. “Well, congratulations, Sirius. Look where we are now. Great fucking idea.”
Frank hesitated before speaking. “He probably just—”
“Don’t,” Regulus cut in, his tone cold. “Don’t try to defend him.” He turned to Frank, eyes sharp. “I wouldn’t be here if he just left me alone.”
Frank sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “Well. If it makes you feel any better, I don’t think anyone’s having fun.”
Regulus let out a dry laugh. “Right. The trip of a lifetime.”
Frank smirked despite himself. “Yeah. Real five-star experience. Shame about the lack of room service, though.”
Regulus shook his head, lips twitching in something that almost resembled amusement. “Tragic.”
Frank studied him for a moment, realizing that for all his sharp edges and cold demeanor, Regulus wasn’t as detached as he liked to pretend. He had agreed to come on this trip. He had let Sirius pull him into something so obviously not his scene. Maybe, deep down, he’d wanted to.
Before Frank could say anything else, a voice cut through the air.
“Hey,” Dorcas’ voice, sharp and urgent. “There’s something over there.”
The humor between them vanished. Frank turned his head, squinting toward where Dorcas stood near the water’s edge. The others were still splashing and talking, but she wasn’t looking at them. She was staring past the lake, her expression serious.
“What?” Sirius called, shaking water from his hair.
Dorcas didn’t answer immediately. She lifted a hand and pointed across the lake. “There. Something’s reflecting light.”
That got everyone’s attention. The laughter and splashing stopped as heads turned toward where she was pointing.
Regulus narrowed his eyes, scanning the treeline in the distance. “I see it.”
Frank strained to look, but from where he was lying, all he could see was a glimmer. “What is it?”
“No idea,” Dorcas murmured. “But it’s not natural.”
A heavy silence settled over them. The thought was unspoken but obvious—out here, in the middle of nowhere, anything unnatural meant one thing.
People.
For a moment, no one moved. Then James stood, shaking water from his arms. “We should check it out.”
Lily, still knee-deep in the water, frowned. “Or we should stay here.”
James shot her a look. “If someone’s out there, we need to know.”
“We don’t know if it’s someone,” Lily countered. “And even if it is, that doesn’t mean they’re friendly.”
Sirius wrung water from his shirt, his grin sharp. “Oh, come on, Evans. We just walked for hours to get here. We might as well see what’s over there.”
She glanced toward the distant light again, jaw tight. Frank could practically hear her debating it in her head. Finally, she sighed, dragging a hand through her wet hair. “Fine,” she muttered. “But we all go together. No splitting up.”
James nodded, clearly relieved. “Agreed.”
Around them, people began to pull themselves from the water, groaning as the weight of the heat and exhaustion settled back over them. Clothes clung uncomfortably to damp skin as they wrung out fabric and tried to shake off the wetness. Dorcas flipped her braids over her shoulder and looked toward the sky.
“If we’re doing this, we better hurry up.”
Frank sighed and looked at the four approaching figures with a growing sense of dread.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” he groaned. “You guys don’t have to keep carrying me around like a goddamn sack of potatoes.”
Sirius grinned. “Nah, Cap. We love it. Highlight of our day.”
Frank rolled his eyes. “I could just stay here, you know.”
“Yeah, and then we’d have to carry you again when something inevitably goes wrong,” Remus pointed out, raising an eyebrow.
Frank grumbled under his breath as James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter crouched to hoist him back onto the makeshift stretcher. He winced slightly as they adjusted their grips, but the discomfort was becoming more of an irritating ache then sharp pain.
Sirius, of course, had to make it worse.
“You’re not as light as you look, Longbottom.”
Frank shot him a glare. “And you’re not as strong as you act, Black.”
Sirius laughed, adjusting his hold with a dramatic grunt. “You wound me.”
James rolled his eyes, shifting his grip. “Alright, let’s go before it gets any later.”
Frank sighed, resigning himself to the fact that, for now, he was stuck being carried like a particularly annoying piece of luggage. He turned his head slightly, watching as Lily slung her bag over her shoulder, casting one last lingering look at the lake before stepping toward the trees.
“Let’s get moving,” she said.
As they trudged forward, the excitement from earlier settled into a quiet focus. The group moved cautiously, stepping over tangled roots and uneven ground, the sound of their damp clothes rustling in the air. The sun had started to lower, casting shadows through the trees.
Frank adjusted his position slightly, shifting in the stretcher as the boys carried him. He wasn’t in pain so much as just… exhausted. His leg throbbed dully, but it was manageable. More than anything, he was tired of being hauled around like luggage.
“You better not drop me,” he grumbled.
“No promises,” Peter said cheerfully.
Frank sighed. “I’m going to haunt all of you if I die.”
James smirked. “At least you’d be lighter as a ghost.”
Frank muttered something under his breath, but before he could say anything else, a sudden, sharp yelp split the air.
Marlene practically launched herself into Lily, grabbing onto her arm in a wild panic. “What was that?”
Lily, startled, nearly stumbled but caught herself. “What—Marlene, what—?”
A bird shot up from the underbrush with a loud flap of wings, startled by their approach.
Marlene groaned, dropping her head into her hands. “Oh my god.”
Peter, who had stopped in his tracks, immediately burst into laughter. “You—” He wheezed. “You—thought—a bird was going to kill you?”
Marlene snapped her head up, glaring. “It came out of nowhere!”
“It was a bird,” Peter said between snickers. “The size of your hand.”
“Oh, shut up,” Marlene grumbled, brushing dirt off her arms as Lily helped steady her. “You would’ve screamed too.”
Peter smirked. “Yeah, but I would’ve screamed in a very dignified, manly way.”
Marlene rolled her eyes. “You’re five-foot-nothing and sound like a dying squirrel when you’re scared.”
Frank chuckled as Peter gasped, hand over his heart. “How dare you?”
“You literally shrieked when we saw that mouse last month,” Marlene said flatly.
“That was different,” Peter insisted.
“How?”
Peter hesitated. “…It had beady little eyes.”
Lily snorted, shaking her head. “Alright, alright, we should keep moving.”
Marlene sighed, still glaring at Peter, who was grinning far too smugly for someone who had just been roasted. “I hate you.”
Peter flashed her a grin. “Love you too, McKinnon.”
As they continued walking, the group’s conversations drifted around Frank, the steady rhythm of their footsteps crunching against dried leaves and dirt. The laughter and teasing between Marlene and Peter faded into the background, replaced by snippets of different conversations.
Sirius and James were murmuring about the trees, debating whether they were still headed in the right direction.
Pandora was speaking quietly with Regulus, their voices low enough that Frank couldn’t quite catch what they were saying.
Lily and Marlene were somewhere behind, discussing something about the supplies, their voices a steady hum.
Frank let his head tip back slightly, staring at the canopy above them. The sun sat in the middle of the sky, its rays shining down harshly. The trees stretched tall and endless, their branches tangling together in a way that blocked out much of the light. He swallowed.
They were in the middle of nowhere.
It had been easy to ignore the reality of it when they were still joking around, still teasing each other, still acting like this was just another stupid misadventure. But as Frank looked around, he couldn’t shake the feeling curling in his gut.
They were well and truly lost, in the middle of nowhere.
And they were running out of supplies.
Frank exhaled through his nose. He didn’t say anything—what would be the point? They all had to know it, even if they weren’t saying it out loud. Instead, he kept his eyes ahead, watching as the trees seemed to stretch on forever. The reflection they had seen earlier wasn’t visible anymore, but they had been heading in the same direction for long enough that it had to be close.
Then, just as the exhaustion was beginning to creep in again, the trees thinned slightly.
And there it was.
Frank blinked, his breath hitching for a moment.
A cabin.
It sat in a small clearing, partially obscured by overgrown brush and thick trees. The wood was dark and weathered, the windows shuttered and covered in grime. It looked abandoned, like it had been empty forever.
The group stopped at the edge of the clearing.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Frank’s stomach twisted. There were others out here.
Peter
“Hey, we might not have food, but at least we have porn,” Marlene announced with a laugh, placing a magazine down on the wooden table the group sat around.
There was a beat of silence before Sirius let out a loud, delighted cackle.
“Oh, thank God,” James said dramatically, pressing a hand to his chest. “What would we do without you, McKinnon.”
Sirius grinned. “Finally, something to keep our spirits up.”
Peter leaned forward, peering at the cover, and immediately recoiled. “Ugh. This thing looks older than my grandma.”
James picked it up and flipped through the pages, then grimaced. “Yeah, I take it back. We are in trouble.”
Sirius peeked over his shoulder and made a face. “That’s—Jesus, that’s aggressive.”
Lily groaned. “Put that away.”
“Oh, come on, Evans,” Sirius teased. “We could use a little entertainment.”
Lily shot him a glare. “I’d rather starve.”
Regulus, standing with his arms crossed, looked down at it with an unimpressed expression. “That’s disgusting.”
Dorcas, who had leaned in out of curiosity, immediately backed away. “Yeah, I regret looking.”
Marlene, still grinning, snatched the magazine back from James. “Well, if no one wants it, I guess I’ll have to suffer alone.”
“You do that,” Peter muttered, shaking his head.
But on a serious note, there was no food.
Well, no food that wasn’t a century old and rotting in its own can.
Peter sighed, rubbing his hands over his face before slipping away from the others. The laughter had already started to fade, settling back into heavy reality. He stepped into the other room, where Frank was lying down, his injured leg stretched out as Pandora worked on cleaning it up. The place smelled like dust and dirt, the wooden walls worn.
Frank’s face was tight with pain, but he didn’t say anything as Pandora wiped at the wound with careful precision.
Peter hovered in the doorway for a moment before stepping inside. “What are we supposed to do?” he asked, voice low.
Frank blinked up at him, looking exhausted. “Why are you asking me?”
Peter hesitated. “Because you’re our captain.”
Frank let out a short, humorless breath. “Yeah, and look where that got me.” He gestured vaguely at his bandaged leg. “Flat on my ass, completely useless.”
Peter frowned. “You’re not useless.”
Frank huffed. “Yeah? What am I supposed to do, make you all run laps?” His voice had a sharp edge. “If I was any good at being captain, we wouldn’t be in this mess
Pandora, who had been silent as she worked, shot Frank a look. “Stop that.”
Frank frowned. “Stop what?”
“Being negative,” she said simply, pressing a little too hard on his leg as she wrapped it. Frank winced.
“I’m just being realistic,” he said.
“Well, realism won’t get us out of this. If you give up, everyone else will too.” She tied off the bandage with a firm tug and patted his leg—lightly this time. “So don’t.”
Peter shifted awkwardly, watching as Frank exhaled through his nose and glanced away.
Before the silence could stretch too long, Remus stepped into the room, pushing a hand through his hair. “Good news,” he said, leaning against the doorframe. “The lake is only about a ten-minute walk from here.”
Peter perked up slightly. “So, if we stay, we’ll have a good water source?”
Remus nodded. “Exactly.” He glanced between them, taking in the tension, and then sighed. “I know things look bad, but we’ve been in worse situations before.”
Frank let out a quiet snort. “Name one.”
Remus didn’t answer right away. He opened his mouth, then closed it, rubbing a hand over his face like he was searching his brain for something—anything—to say. But nothing came. Because there wasn’t really an answer, was there? They had never been in a situation this bad before.
Peter shifted uncomfortably, glancing at Frank, who let out a low chuckle, humorless and bitter. “Yeah. Thought so.”
Peter watched as Frank exhaled through his nose, still clearly frustrated but at least not arguing anymore. He figured that was as good as they were going to get for now.
Peter took that as his cue to leave, giving Frank a pat on the shoulder before heading back to the others.
The second he stepped into the main room, he was immediately hit with a sight that nearly made him walk right back out—Sirius and James, crouched over a rusted can of corn, sniffing at it like a pair of wild animals.
Peter’s stomach turned. “Oh, that’s disgusting.”
Lily, standing a few feet away with her arms crossed, looked like she was fighting the urge to strangle them. “Are you two insane?” She stormed over, snatching the can out of James’s hands and holding it away from herself like it might explode. “That stuff is probably older than we are!”
James held up his hands innocently. “We were just seeing if it smelled edible.”
“And?” Peter asked, despite himself.
Sirius made a face. “It smells like death.”
Lily groaned and chucked the can into a corner. “Then maybe don’t breathe it in like complete idiots.”
James frowned. “It was worth a shot.”
Across the room, Dorcas and Regulus were picking through a stack of old wood, flipping over broken planks and rotted beams.
“Anything good?” Peter asked, walking over to them.
Dorcas exhaled sharply, wiping her hands on her pants. “Nope. Just a bunch of useless junk.”
Regulus nudged a particularly splintered piece with his foot. “This place is falling apart.”
Peter glanced around, taking in the dust-covered floor, the holes in the walls, the stillness of the abandoned cabin.
He sighed, stepping away from the useless wood pile. His eyes flicked around the cabin, taking in the others scattered across the dimly lit space. A group of younger students huddled in one corner, whispering amongst themselves. He caught snippets of their conversation—mostly complaints about hunger, exhaustion, and how completely and utterly doomed they were.
Across the room, Barty and Evan were laughing at something neither of them cared to explain. Peter had long since stopped trying to understand them. Barty had somehow found a deck of old playing cards and was attempting to flick them into Evan’s face while Evan dodged.
“You’re terrible at this,” Evan taunted, leaning just out of reach as another card whizzed past his ear.
Barty scowled, grabbing another card. “Shut up. I’m just warming up.”
Peter shook his head, ignoring them as he made his way over to Marlene. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor, flipping through a stack of old magazines, her face twisted in mild disgust.
“Find anything interesting?” Peter asked, dropping down beside her.
Marlene snorted, holding up a page. “Depends. Are you interested in ‘The Top Ten Hottest Hollywood Heartthrobs of 1965’?”
Peter leaned in, squinting at the faded pictures. “Wow. That’s... outdated.”
“No kidding.” Marlene tossed the magazine aside, rubbing her temple. “Honestly, this whole place feels like a memory. Like someone just up and left and never looked back.”
Peter hummed, leaning back on his hands. He and Marlene had known each other forever—long before Hogwarts, long before they got caught up in this whole mess, since before they knew how to walk.
“You okay?” he asked after a beat.
Marlene hesitated, then sighed. “I mean, define ‘okay.’” She gestured around them. “We’re stranded in the middle of nowhere with barely any food, half the group is losing their minds, and our best source of entertainment is this.” She picked up another magazine, shaking it.
Peter grinned. “I dunno. I think Barty’s card-throwing attempts could be considered quality entertainment.”
Marlene rolled her eyes. “Yeah, if you enjoy watching two idiots act like toddlers.”
Peter smirked but didn’t argue. His gaze flicked toward the door, and a thought crossed his mind. He grimaced. “Where’s Snape?”
Marlene let out a laugh, dry and unimpressed. “Outside, wallowing in his own self-pity or something.” She waved a hand. “I don’t know, I didn’t ask.”
Peter wrinkled his nose. “Good. Last thing I need is him sulking in the corner while the rest of us try to survive.”
Marlene snorted. “Like he’d even help if we asked.”
Peter nodded, glancing toward the door again. The sun was low in the sky—afternoon, Peter assumed. No one had come yet.
They were stuck here. No food. No plan.
Sirius
Sirius hadn’t thought about Evan when the plane had caught fire. His first thought wasn’t himself. It wasn’t survival. It wasn’t Peter or Remus or even James. The moment the plane caught fire, the moment smoke filled his lungs and chaos erupted around him, his mind went to one person—Regulus.
The panic hit fast, tightening around his chest like a rope. Then he woke up—disoriented, heart pounding—and the fear turned into something worse.
He didn’t check on Peter’s panic or Remus yelling something in his ear, shaking his shoulder violently. He barely registered James shouting orders. All he saw was Regulus, slumped in his seat, his face pale and covered in soot, pinned down against the floor.
He ran.
His legs moved before he could think, before the pain and exhaustion could settle in, before anything else could matter. His heart hammered in his chest, one desperate thought pushing him forward:
I’m not letting my little brother die here.
Not like this.
Not after everything.
The sun was sinking below the trees and the light through the broken windows had turned a deep orange, reflecting against the walls. People were settling in—laying out blankets and pillows. Their food was already running low. And the cabin had offered nothing useful. No supplies. No hidden stash of food.
Just an unloaded gun and, as Marlene had put it, “enough bullets to kill an army.”
Barty and Evan had seemed far too pleased about that.
Sirius barely paid attention. His thoughts were too jumbled, caught between exhaustion and the memory of flames burning the plane, burning Avery, almost burning Evan. It wasn’t until a voice broke through that he realized someone was speaking to him.
Remus.
Sirius blinked, looking up. “What?”
Remus huffed a quiet laugh, settling down beside him against the wall. “I was talking to you for like, five minutes.”
Sirius shrugged. “Guess I wasn’t listening.”
“No kidding.” Remus stretched out his legs, rolling his shoulders like he was trying to work out an ache. “You look like hell, by the way.”
Sirius let out a dry chuckle. “Yeah, well. We’re kind of in hell.”
“Fair point.” Remus glanced across the room, watching James and Peter lay out blankets on wooden chairs in a poor attempt to build a fort. He turned back to Sirius. “How’s your head?”
Sirius raised an eyebrow.
“You hit it pretty hard,” Remus reminded him, shifting slightly. “Just wondering if you’re still concussed or just naturally this slow.”
Sirius rolled his eyes, opening his mouth to retort, but before he could, Remus reached out and pressed his fingers lightly against the side of his head.
Sirius tensed.
The touch wasn’t rough, wasn’t anything, really—just the press of warm fingertips against his scalp, checking for any swelling. But for some reason, it made his breath hitch, his pulse jump in a way that didn’t quite make sense.
He ignored it.
“I’m fine,” Sirius muttered, shifting back.
Remus raised an eyebrow, but there was a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Right.” He let his hand drop. “Well, you don’t seem concussed, so I guess you’re just an idiot.”
Sirius huffed, shaking his head. “Glad to know you care.”
“Always,” Remus said simply.
It was said in a dry offhand way, and Sirius wasn’t sure why it made his chest feel tight
They sat in silence after that, the quiet between them almost comfortable.
Then, just as casually, Remus said, “Regulus is outside.”
Sirius frowned, glancing at him. “And?”
Remus tilted his head. “And I know something happened on the plane.”
Sirius frowned, “Nothing happened.”
Remus gave him a look—the one that meant I know you’re lying.
“Sirius,” he said, voice firm. “James had to run in and drag you and Regulus out. And then next thing you know, Regulus was yelling and cursing. I don’t see how that’s nothing.”
Sirius exhaled sharply, leaning back against the wall. “It’s nothing you need to worry about.”
Remus didn’t budge. “Sirius.”
Sirius ran a hand through his hair, fingers catching in the tangles. “It’s not—” He stopped, shaking his head. “Look, it’s done, alright? There’s no point talking about it”
Remus just looked at him. Patient. Expectant.
Sirius sighed, rubbing his face. “Fuck, you’re annoying.”
Remus smirked slightly. “So I’ve been told.”
Sirius hesitated, jaw tight. He didn’t want to talk about it. Saying it out loud made it too real, made him look like the villain. But Remus wasn’t going to let this go, and honestly, Sirius was too tired to keep dodging.
So, finally, he said, “We left Evan. On the plane.”
Remus stared at him, his expression shifting—first to shock, then something more complicated.
“Regulus tried to get him out, but he was stuck,” Sirius stared at the floor, jaw tight. “The fire was spreading. We—we didn’t have time,” The words sounded cruel coming out of his mount. “I don’t know how he got out… but it damn well wasn’t because of us.”
“You left him?” Remus’ voice wasn’t loud, but it made Sirius tense.
Sirius exhaled. “Yeah.”
Remus put his hand to his head, glancing away as he processed it. He didn’t speak for a moment, and Sirius hated the silence.
Finally, Remus let out a breath. “That’s an asshole move, Sirius.” His tone wasn’t sharp, but it wasn’t soft either. Just honest.
Sirius’s jaw tightened. “I know.” He had expected an answer like this. Worse actually.
Remus sighed again, slower this time. “But…” He rubbed his temple, like he was trying to make sense of it. “I get it.”
Sirius’s head snapped up. “What?”
Remus met his gaze, still clearly conflicted. “I don’t like it. But I get it.” He exhaled, pressing his lips together for a moment before continuing, “Regulus is your brother. And you did what you thought was right.”
Sirius swallowed. “Regulus doesn’t see it that way.”
Remus gave a small, humorless laugh. “Of course he doesn’t.” He shook his head. “But you and I both know… if it were James or Peter, if it were someone I—” He stopped himself, sighing. “I don’t know if I would’ve made a different choice.”
Sirius stared at him. There was no anger left in his face, just understanding.
“You don’t have to justify it to me,” Remus said, his voice calm but firm. He let the words settle before shifting his gaze toward the door leading outside. “But I think you should talk to Regulus.”
Sirius followed his line of sight, his stomach twisting uncomfortably. “He hates me,” he murmured.
Remus turned back to face him. “No, he doesn’t.”
Sirius let out a humorless chuckle, shaking his head. “You didn’t hear him, Remus. You didn’t see his face. He—” He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. “He looked at me like I was a monster.”
Remus didn’t flinch, didn’t try to soften it with meaningless reassurances. Instead, he simply said, “He’s angry. And maybe he has a right to be. But you’re his brother, Sirius.” He tilted his head slightly. “You think he’d be that angry if he really hated you?”
Sirius swallowed, jaw clenching. “I don’t know if I can fix it.”
“Maybe not,” Remus admitted. “But avoiding him isn’t going to fix it either.”
For a long moment, Sirius didn’t move. Then, with a sigh, he pushed himself up, rubbing a hand over his face before nodding toward the door. “If he kills me, it’s your fault.”
Remus smirked slightly. “I’ll make sure your funeral is a nice one.”
Sirius stepped out into the cool air, the sun dipping low. He spotted Regulus near the tree line, sitting on a rock, arms folded and face turned away like he was doing his best to pretend the entire world didn’t exist.
Sirius walked up slowly. He hovered awkwardly before sitting on the edge of the rock, not close, but not far enough to go unnoticed.
Regulus didn’t look at him. Just tensed slightly, then shifted a few inches away.
Sirius sighed. “Of course.”
The silence that followed was deafening. Sirius kept his eyes on the lake, trying to find something in the water to anchor himself to.
“I just wanted to say—” he started.
“Don’t,” Regulus cut in.
Sirius blinked. “You don’t even know what I was going to say.”
Regulus turned then, expression hard. “Yes, I do. ‘I’m sorry, Regulus.’ ‘I didn’t mean to.’ ‘I was trying to protect you.’ It’s always the same bullshit, Sirius.”
Sirius straightened. “Because it’s true. I was trying to protect you—”
“No, you were trying to control me,” Regulus snapped. “Like you always do. You think you know best, and screw everyone else if they don’t fall to your feet.”
“That’s not fair.”
Regulus laughed bitterly. “Isn’t it? You dragged me on this ridiculous trip I didn’t even want to go on, and then you left someone to burn so you could play hero.”
“I didn’t leave him to burn—”
“You did!” Regulus stood abruptly, voice rising. “Evan was screaming, Sirius! And you ran. You pulled me out and left him there because you couldn’t bear the idea of losing your precious little brother.”
Sirius stood too, heart pounding. “You think I wanted that?! You think I haven’t thought about it every damn second since we got out of that fucking plane? I didn’t leave him because I didn’t care—I left him because I had seconds, Regulus. Seconds to choose between watching you die or dragging you out myself.”
“You always choose for me,” Regulus spat. “That’s the problem. You never trust me to do anything for myself. Not back home. Not here. You treat me like I’m some helpless kid, and Evan almost died because of you.”
Sirius took a step forward, furious now. “Don’t put that on me.”
“Why not?” Regulus shot back. “You already put everything else on yourself—why not the truth too?”
Sirius opened his mouth, but the words got caught.
And then finally, he broke.
“I did do it for myself!” he shouted, hands shaking. “Okay? That’s the truth. I did it for me, because I couldn’t stand the thought of watching you die. Not like that.”
Regulus froze, stunned by the shift in tone.
Sirius’s voice cracked as he kept going. “I didn’t know what else to do. I saw you stuck, saw the fire closing in, and I didn’t think—I just ran. And yeah, I chose you. I always choose you, Reg, because I don’t know how not to.”
His eyes flicked away, toward the darkening trees. “I didn’t want to leave him. But I couldn’t lose you.”
Regulus was silent, still visibly fuming, but something in his expression had shifted. The fury hadn’t disappeared—but it had dulled into something sad.
“I don’t forgive you,” he said finally, voice quiet.
Sirius nodded, jaw clenched. “I know.”
Regulus stared at him for a moment longer, then looked away again.
“I don’t forgive you,” he repeated, but his voice had softened just slightly. “Not yet.”
Sirius nodded again. He didn’t try to argue.
“But…” Regulus sighed, arms crossing tightly over his chest. “I’m not… as angry anymore.”
Sirius looked at him, cautious. “No?”
Regulus shook his head once, still not meeting his eyes. “Still angry. Just not— furious. I don’t want to punch you in the face anymore, so that’s something.”
A short huff of laughter escaped Sirius, though it faded just as quickly. “Noted. Appreciate the mercy.”
Regulus exhaled slowly, like the effort of all this had drained something from him. “I still think what you did was cruel. And selfish.”
“I know,” Sirius said, quietly. “It was.”
Regulus finally glanced back at him. “I get why you did it,” he said, after a beat. “I just don’t know if that makes it better.”
Sirius swallowed. “I don’t either.”
They stood there for a while, quiet between them stretching in the empty air.The sky had dimmed, the sun barely peeking over the horizon.
Regulus looked out across the trees again, voice low. “We could’ve all died, you know.”
“I know,” Sirius said.
Regulus’s hand twitched, like he wanted to do something with it—punch him, maybe, or reach out, or both. But instead he just shoved it into his pocket.
“I’m going inside,” he said eventually, stepping away.
Sirius nodded again. He watched his brother walk back toward the cabin, his shoulders still tense, still angry—but more forgiving
And for the first time since the crash, Sirius let himself breathe.