chapter 4
"I better grab some fire wood. D'you want to wait here? I'll be back in a sec," Lily said. Pandora nodded and watched as Lily ousted herself up from the grass and walked deeper into the forest, casting a small grin back in her direction as she left. Pandora's stomach swelled, her heart full of this jittery feeling she was unfamiliar with, it was unfamiliar but so exciting- quite like this journey.
Pandora heard a twig snapping behind her, and she whipped around. Her heart plummeted to her stomach. Standing between the trees, in the dim night, glowering was Walburga.
"Mother-" Pandora began, her hands shaking.
Walburga raised her eyebrows at her, her mouth twisted into a horrible insincere smile. "Mother? You think you have the right to call me that? After blatantly disobeying me? Do you know how disrespectful you are?" Her voice was sharp.
Guilt swarmed Pandora's stomach. "I- Mother, I'm so sorry- I just- I really needed to see those lights-"
"Those stupid fucking lights! I swear to god, Pandora- what the fuck is this stupid childish obsession? Seriously- do you know how foolish you are? I'm surprised you're not dead yet." Pandora felt as if she had been slapped across her face. Her mother had been saying that to her for as long as she could remember- that she was childish.
Childish. Juvenile. Foolish.
That's what she had been told her whole life. Perhaps it was true. Or perhaps she was just soft and kind- characteristics so rare in this world.
"Come on, Pandora. Come home with me where you'll be safe," Walburga said, her voice growing softer, but it still made Pandora ill.
"N-no."
"No?"
"I'm sorry, Mother, I truly am, but I'm eighteen tomorrow and I had never been outside before and I think I've proven myself strong. Plus- I've- I've met Lily- and- and I think she likes me- as a person, you know?"
A look of fury crossed over Walburga's eyes. "Fine- Pandora's strong enough for the world now, she doesn't need me any longer. Discards my love of eighteen years for a person who shows you mere attention for less than twenty four hours. Well let me tell you one thing, Pandora. She's going to leave you sooner or later- everybody will, except me. This... disease that you have? Nobody will accept it except for me. I'll see you when you come crawling back, crying that I was right." Walburga turned away, disappearing through the trees.
Lily appeared, throwing the wood onto the floor and plonking onto the grass next to Pandora. When she saw her face, Lily's jaw tightened and concern flashed across her eyes. "Are you okay?" She asked.
Pandora shook her head, shaking away what her mother said. "Hm? Yep, fine- just lost in thought, I guess," Pandora smiled. Lily's gaze lingered on her for a moment longer, before she turned to light the fire.
Once it was lit, Lily yawned and leaned back against the tree next to Pandora. "We'll get to the town square by tomorrow evening, just in time for the festival and then the lanterns."
Pandora smiled, tucking her feet beneath her. "Thank you," she whispered, her eyes dropping slowly as she dozed off into sleep.
☆☆☆☆
Lily awoke the next morning to the bright sunlight beaming warmly onto her face. She watched as Pandora stirred awake beside her, her face slightly squished against her hand, where she leaned against the tree, strands of her golden hair falling over her face. She had such a pure look of innocence that Lily was truly in awe of. Lily didn't know the full story, but she knew if the girl was locked in a tower her whole life, things couldn't have been all that pretty- yet she carried herself with such a kind aura that drawed people in- it drew Lily in anyway.
Lily wished she could be like that- kind and pure- but she just felt so... angry. Life hadn't been easy on her in the slightest,she had known love once- unconditional love of her wonderful parents- but everything was momentary wasn't it? Everything was momentary when people saw you as discardable, and that's what Lily was. The second Petunia was born- with all of her medical problems, Mr and Mrs Evans simply couldn't afford to raise two children.
They promised Lily she would go to a good loving home.
But Lily was abused everyday in orphanage. Beaten by the older children. Half starved by the workers. Sexualised by the likes of Severus and his gang.
She was so angry. So full of blind rage. She wished she could be soft and sweet like Pandora. How she longed for it.
Lily, despite not having found a family in the orphanage, had found a family of true friends in the neighbourhood, thanks to the one and only Sirius Black.
Sirius Black had met Lily Evans when he caught her stealing a loaf of bread in the market, and insisted she come back to his home for a real meal, where she had met the infamous James Potter, heartthrob of the town. But beneath his thin layer of arrogance, James was simply the sweetest person Lily had ever met.
She's thankful everyday for that piece of bread she stole, or else she wouldn't know Sirius, James, Remus, Peter, Mary, or Marlene, and God did she love them with her whole heart.
She's connected with Sirius on a level taht she never has with anybody before. He too had family trauma, and was disowned, however, he got lucky in a way. He had James' family take him in.
Like Lily, he too had a younger sibling, who seemed to hate him. Refused to talk to him. Lily didn't know what her sister looked like. Once she left that house- involuntarily- she made the choice never to go back.
In fact, Lily was quite looking forward to introducing Pandora to her friends. They'd love her, for sure.
Pandora's eyes began to flutter open, and she looked up at Lily and smiled. "Morning," she said through a yawn.
"Morning, sleep alright?"
Pandora nodded. Lily's eyes lingered for a beat longer than necessary on her face. Pandora seemed... troubled, but Lily couldn't quite place why. She was the one who wanted to go see the lanterns, insisted on it, in fact. However, Lily was quite glad she did insist. She found her self a little glad she had met Pandora.
Lily nodded to the trees in front of them as Pandora stood up, brushing the twigs and leaves off her pale pink skirt. "The village is about an hours walk from here. I could get us some food from a friend there? You hungry?"
Pandora nodded. "Alright. Lead the way," she smiled, her eyes soft.
○~~~♡~~~○
"James- oi- James!" A voice hissed in the darkness of James Potter's bedroom. James awoke with a start, the warm hand shaking his bare shoulder.
"Huh?" His voice was groggy, confused. That wasn't either of his parents voice, nor would Sirius wake him so gently. And... he didn't think he had slept with Regulus the night before.
The lamp flickered on beside him and Regulus' pretty face came into view before him. James grinned sheepishly at his boyfriend. "Hey, Reggie, don't remember you sleeping here last night," he rubbed his eyes and took his gold rimmed glasses from Regulus's hands, pushing them onto his nose, smiling as Regulus's blurry face came into focus.
Regulus grinned and kissed his nose. "I didn't. But look- I need to talk to you about something."
James sat up, serious now, and traced his fingers over Regulus's knuckles. "Sure, sure, you alright?"
Regulus nodded. "Look, I've found something out, well- I think I have- I can't be one hundred percent certain, but if I'm wrong- then, well I'll be very confused- but you see, I can't tell the person who this effects just in case I am wrong- because, you know, Iike I said, I'm not certain and-" he rambled nervously.
"Hey, alright, I get it... wanna tell me instead?" James asked.
Regulus hesitated. "Well, you see- its a long story and-"
"I'll listen."
Regulus grinned, a look of relief washing over his face. "Alright, so- erm- maybe it'd be best if you don't comment or say anything until I'm finished speaking," James nodded and mimed zipping his lips shut, "Alright. Remember in second year when you and Sirius and Remus and Peter learned the old myth about animagi and you thought it was really cool so you decided to help Remus out and learn how to do it even though it was forbidden? But, you know, you had good intentions so it was okay. I- erm, well I didn't have good intentions, I just wanted to prove that I could do it before Sirius... so, I ermm.. Well I did it, but I transformed a lot more often than you guys," Regulus was ignoring the way James' jaw hung open. "So one day about... six years ago now? Before I left home for good, I got into this awful fight with Mother because she... Well, you know how she is, she was angry about a lot of things and angry that Sirius left, so she told me-hey, by the way, I am over this now, Jamie, don't like, try comfort me or anything because I am FINE, but she said- that she wished whoever took the missing princess took me too, but she understood why they didn't, you know, because I'm just a lousy quieter copy of Sirius, and that the missing princess was actually wanted-" Regulus stopped when he felt James pull him into him and rested his chin on Regulus's shoulder.
"I promised I wouldn't comment until you were done," James explained when Regulus tossed him a puzzled expression. Regulus's heart warmed, and for the millionth time he wondered what he did to be so lucky as to have sweetheart James Potter as his boyfriend. He squeezed his hand and continued.
"So I left the house for a while, you know, before I went to Evan's, because I didn't want to come here where Sirius was- I didn't really know you well, and Evan has more than enough room in the Palace, being the fucking Prince, but anyway, I went to this forest- I walked for ages in my animagus form and I reached this tower. I wanted a rest, I'd been walking for god knows how long. But when I got inside, there was... this girl- all alone in this tower- my age at the time- eleven. She was so... excited to see me. It was obvious she didn't have much company, but she told all about how she was there out of danger, how her mother cares so deeply for her, and if her mother knew even an animal had her location, she'd be in danger. I didn't want her to be in danger, she was so kind to me , and fuck knows I needed a little bit if kindness. So I left before her mother arrived, and she told me when her mother went to town and I visited her everyday. Everyday for six tears, but, erm... Lily found the tower the other day-"
"Lily? As in my friend Lily? As in Lily Evans?!"
Regulus nodded. "She made some sort of... deal? I think that's what you would call it. The girl in the tower- Dora, she had taken this satchel of Lily's- Lily clearly cared about it because she agreed to show Dora the lanterns in return for it." Regulus took a pause.
"Did... what was in the satchel?"
Regulus winced. "Lily stole the lost princess' tiara. My bet is she was going to sell it to benefit her. You know how she is- too proud to accept financial help from you or Sirius, and she wouldn't in a million years go to Evan- their circles don't even cross!"
"She- she stole the tiara?! Did- Did she know you were there?"
Regulus shook his head. He wasn't even friends with Lily, after all. He was merely Sirius Black's younger brother- and he hadn't spoken to his brother in years. Sirius didnt even know that James and Regulus were dating. Sirius had his friends, and Regulus had his own. Their paths didn't need to cross. Not yet, anyway.
"So, they're on their way to the village- to see the lanterns, then Lily will get the tiara back, and God knows what she'll do with it. But, James..." Regulus hesitated. He was almost certain what he thought was true.
"What is it?"
"I think- I think this girl might be the lost princess."
James' eyebrows raised as his mouth dropped. "What- as in- huh?! The Princess?! The lost one? What?"
"I know, i know it's crazy. Practically eighteen years and not even a sighting of her- everybody assumed she was dead. But James, think about it. She was locked in this tower for 'safe keeping' from her 'mother', alright- she told me her name was Dora. Evan's sister is called Pandora. Ut fits a little too well to be coincidental, don't you think?"
James looked bewildered as he slowly nodded. "But, Reg, this is crazy. If she really is the lost princess, then..." he trailed off, Regulus thought about it too- from the perspective of his best friend. Evan's life would be changed forever. He had, for as long as he could remember, lived in the shadows of the tragic disappearance of his little sister, and now, for her to show up on her eighteenth birthday- it would be overwhelming. Regulus knew, out of everybody, he would have to tell Evan. It would be for the best.
"I know- I know it's big, and I'm sorry for dragging you into this, but I know Dora, and you know Lily- we need to find them before Evan does."
James nodded, squeezing Regulus's hand.
"James, we need to find whoever kept Dora away for that long. She can't be safe, whoever she is."