Show Me Where You Fit

You’re on your own
In a world you’ve grown

And your friends are gone
And your friends won’t come
So show me where you fit

June 17, 1976  

Liv Potter cast a quick Tempus charm and watched as an image hovered above her face: 1 AM. Perfect, they won’t expect a thing. She sat up in bed and tucked a strand of her inky-black hair behind her pearl-studded ear. A yawn escaped her mouth as she stretched her arms over her head. She had stayed up late for the past two nights, spending hours planning retaliation for the awful bullying her closest friend had experienced earlier in the week—at the hands of her brother James Potter and his marauding friends, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. Her brother had crossed a line, and he had dragged his friends with him. Since neither the Gryffindor’s Head of House nor the school’s Headmaster had taken any action, Liv decided it was up to her to defend her friend and teach them a lesson. She would best the Marauders at their own game—the Slytherin way. 

She flicked her wand to open the silver and green hangings draped around her four-poster bed, the fabric rustling softly. She paused before exiting, straining her ear to hear any sound or movement. The only noise she picked up was the quiet snores behind her dormmates’ bed hangings and the water from the Black Lake, which lapped against the dormitory window, creating a soothing rhythm.  

Her fluffy duvet wrapped around her body, teasing her to stay in bed, but she slowly pushed it aside and slid off the edge. A blast of cool air hit her body as she stood up from her cozy bed, making her shiver in her T-shirt and jean shorts. Tiptoeing across the room to her desk, she grabbed the muggle sweatshirt hanging haphazardly over the chair and picked up her leather bag on the ground, which leaned against one of the chair’s legs. She was glad that she had remained in her after-class clothing instead of changing into her pajamas—better to avoid any chance of waking up her dormmates with extra movement. A noise from one of the beds caused her to freeze in her tracks. Her roommate mumbled something incoherently in their sleep and rolled over. She listened for any more movement before she continued towards the door. After no other sound or disturbance happened, she spelled the bed hangings closed and rushed out of the room. 

The Slytherin common room was thankfully empty when she descended the stairs from the dormitory. While her eyes scanned the dark space, she let out the breath she had been holding in. A roaring fire was alive in the marble fireplace; its flames danced across the room in shadows. Liv walked to the black leather couches in front of the fire and set her bag down on a cushion to free up her arms so she could throw on the sweatshirt. As she tugged the hem down with one hand, she unzipped the bag with the other to double-check that the catalyst for the prank remained where she placed it.  

She grabbed her wand from the back of her jeans shorts pocket and pointed it at the bag’s opening. “Accio Time Disc,” she said lowly. A small, silver glass disc flew up and out of the bag, landing in her upturned palm.  

Liv glanced at the shiny metal, catching her amber eyes in the reflection. The weight of the disc was light, but it felt heavy in her hand. Silver metal encased half of the oval object—the other half in transparent glass. She held the object against the firelight and watched as small gems and sand sifted through it. It was a curious item—its magic had called to her when she had found it during Easter hols while at home in Potter Manor.  

Her father, Fleamont, worked as an Unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries. He often brought various objects home for continued research. Her mother, Euphemia, scolded her father as he was not a cautious man and tended to leave his objects out in the open around the manor, not confining them or his research to his study. After many years of scolding and object disappearances, thanks to her mother’s perfected vanishing charm, her father realized that confining his research to the study was their household's best course of action. Although protection wards locked down the room, Liv could easily break them down by the time she was in her third year at Hogwarts. On many occasions, Liv would take refuge in her father’s workspace, avoiding Jamie—as she liked to call her brother—and his band of misfits. Her father’s study was on the opposite wing of the manor, where most of the family spent time together and gathered, giving her time alone as the group rarely ventured into that wing.  

On the day she discovered the magical object, James and his mates decided it would be hilarious to enchant all her shirts into bikini tops. Sirius could barely contain his smirk as he watched her narrowed eyes shoot daggers at him. At least Remus and Peter had the decency to look embarrassed and had begged for her mercy. Liv was a Slytherin, and she would reign down retribution when the time was right, so instead, she had left them in a whirl of fury and camped out in her father’s study to control her anger.

The disc-looking object had sat on her father's desk next to an open notebook, the sands and gems shimmering, drawing her in. She had scanned his handwritten notes and observed the sketch. From what her father had documented—the object was a portkey with a time turner component if activated. The original creator illegally made multiple ‘Time Discs’—its patented name—and was imprisoned in Azkaban for his apparent treachery. Time turners were rare, and since time was fickle and should not be meddled with, using them outside of Ministry approval was unlawful—and adding a portkey element to the time turner was unforgivable.  

Regrettably, she had left the Time Disc behind when she returned to Hogwarts, but when the idea of the prank came to her the previous day, she knew it would be the perfect device to set the whole plan in motion.  

She had called her house-elf, Tippy, to her dormitory and asked that the elf bring the device from her father’s study to her. Tippy had been hesitant but did as her mistress requested. The small elf had warned her that activating the device would require more concentration than just saying Portus and that she had to focus on the date and time she wanted to travel to, even if it was within seconds of where she wanted to be. She had asked Tippy how she knew, but her feisty elf had just shaken her head and disapparated to the manor, utter disappointment weighing her large ears down as she disappeared.  

Liv took one last look at the Time Disc and tossed it back into her bag. She slung the long strap over her shoulder and was about to make her way toward the oversized door that opened to the Dungeons when she looked down at her feet and groaned—she had forgotten her trainers back in the dormitory. She blew out a breath and then shrugged. At least her feet were clad in soft socks—she couldn’t risk returning to her dorm without someone noticing. 

“Forgetting something?” A low chuckle startled Liv. The sound came from the mezzanine where the common room study nooks were situated. 

She lifted her gaze toward the familiar, warm voice and smirked. “Regulus Black, you’re supposed to be sleeping. What are you doing out of bed? Worried about me?” 

“He is worried; I am ensuring that neither of you get caught out of the dorms after curfew.” A silky but strained voice answered her.  

Her two closest friends casually left the shadows of the bookcases and walked to the railing that overlooked the common room. Both leaned against the dark wood. Severus Snape gave her a pointed look while Regulus offered a rare smile.  

Liv loved Regulus’s smile—it was warm, genuine, contagious, and a gesture he rarely shared outside their small friends’ group. His black, wavy hair fell artfully over his face while his deep-set eyes bore into hers. Flecks of silver within grey shimmered in amusement at her predicament.  

“May have left my trainers under the desk in my room.” She found herself returning his warmth with a small smile of her own. 

Severus sighed languidly and slowly descended the stairs to the common room’s main level, where Liv stood. Regulus followed. 

“I suppose I can’t talk you out of this sophomoric prank, Livinia?” Severus stood across from her by the fire, arms crossed.  

Liv shuddered at her given name. 

“She hates when you call her that.” Regulus gave her a sympathetic look as he came up next to her and stood, shoulders touching. He brought his hands from behind his back and held up a pair of her trainers. 

“How?” Her eyes brightened in surprise. “You know what, I’m not going to ask—thank you.” She stood on her tiptoes and gently placed a light peck on Regulus’ cheek.  

His face immediately flushed pink. “It was nothing, really—I just know you, Liv.” 

Liv held Regulus’ arm for balance as she slid into her trainers and spelled them tied. Regulus looked down at her and cleared his throat.  

She turned to Severus and answered his question. “Sev, my brother and Regulus’ deserve a taste of their own medicine.” His obsidian eyes looked at her apprehensively. “Ugh, don’t give me that face—you want it just as badly as Reg and I do. They were awful to you. And they never let up. We can’t let it go unpunished—as a matter of principle.” 

All three friends paused a moment, remembering the previous day when both James and Sirius accosted Severus after their Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. Both boys had taunted him, sent hexes his way to cleanse his mouth, took his wand, and had turned him upside down in front of the entire school at Black Lake. Regulus and she had interfered, but neither sibling listened to reason—they were too late, anyway, as the damage had been done when Severus called the girl he loved a mudblood.  

There was a long history of vitriol between Severus and the four Marauders, something which started on the first day of their First Year at Platform 9 ¾. James had knocked over Lily Evans at the platform in a rush to board the train. Lily was Severus’ best friend from home, and she quickly became an infatuation of her brother’s. Severus never forgave James for knocking her over, and James never forgave Severus for being one of Lily’s closest friends. To her credit, Lily remained friends with Severus until that fateful day.

She was sure James basked in Lily ‘finally seeing reason at what a git Severus was’—but she knew Severus never meant what he said. He loved Lily with everything he had; however, being in Slytherin with pure-blood politics was complex for a half-blood like Severus. If he wanted to blend in with a den of snakes, he had to go the extra mile, even if it meant frustratingly making an arse out of himself.

They encouraged Severus to apologize to Lily, but she refused to acknowledge him.  

Severus seemed to turn into himself as he remembered what he lost, but Regulus pulled his close friend out of his thoughts. “Slytherins take care of their own.” 

Liv grabbed Severus’ hand and squeezed it. He needed to know that she and Regulus would never abandon their friendship. 

Severus sighed again, something he often did, but she swore she saw a slight twitch of his mouth in appreciation of his friends. 

“Fine,” Severus huffed, “but let’s go over the details again.” 

She wanted to object, but refrained. “Alright. Hurry though, I’m wasting time talking with you lot,” she teased. 

Severus raised an eyebrow in her direction. “Time Disc? You have it?” 

“Yes, obviously .” She tried to mimic Severus’ unbothered tone, to which he rolled his eyes. She patted the side of her bag where the Time Disc sat. 

“Amusing,” he drawled. “I observed you looking at the device earlier. Please tell me if you remember how to activate it.” 

She nodded, black curtain bangs falling into her face. “Point my wand and say Portus et Tempus —then concentrate on Potter Manor and the exact room I want the berks to wind up in.” 

Regulus chuckled at the descriptor. Severus merely rolled his eyes. 

“And we know for a fact your parents aren't residing at the manor?" asked Regulus as he walked up the main stairwell toward the common room exit. 

Liv and Severus followed his lead.  

“Yes, they are on the continent until the end of term, and we arrive home from Hogwarts—which means the Floo is disabled, leaving only one way for Jamie and Sirius to return...” 

“The Night Bus.” Regulus finished. 

Both of her friends snorted at the thought of James and Sirius—pure-blood princes—taking the Night Bus back to Hogwarts. 

“And who are you transporting first?” Severus knew the answer as they had painstakingly reviewed the plan and perfected it, but Slytherins were thorough and knew that failure was not an option, so asking for the umpteenth time was necessary.  

“Sirius first, then Jamie. If I have enough time—Remus and Pete. They were idle and didn’t join in your mistreatment, so if I don’t get to them, I’m okay with it.”  

Regulus had a thoughtful expression on his face. “Sometimes I think being idle is worse.”  

Severus hummed in agreement.  

Liv smiled internally, remembering why her friendship with Regulus and Severus was important to her. Besides being beyond brilliant in their studies and sharing the same dark humor which she appreciated, both boys had a deep understanding of what friendship meant, of the difference and nuance between action and inaction, between right and wrong, and when morally grey was necessary. They always did what was right for those they loved, albeit sometimes quietly, as Slytherins—an unusual characteristic for their House.  

When they reached the common room exit, she turned her back to it and faced her friends. She rested her hand on the leather bag’s strap and took a deep breath. 

“You have the Gryffindor password?” Regulus asked quietly. He looked at her worriedly.  

She offered a reassuring smirk. Her brother had given it to her easily over breakfast, never thinking she might abuse it. “Oh, yes, I do.” 

Severus grunted at the look of glee on his best friend's face. “As the muggles say: pure evil .” 

"Taking that as a compliment, Sev,” she said, grinning.  

"As you should,” he agreed. 

Regulus fidgeted with the sleeve of his jumper for a moment, then reached out and touched her shoulder, drawing her focus to him. She could tell he felt anxious about the prank, but he hid his anxiety behind carefully constructed walls. Even so, she knew her best friend and sensed his hesitation.  

“What’s wrong, Reg?” she asked calmly, trying to ignore how his hand seemed to burn through the layers covering her shoulder. 

Regulus momentarily stared into her amber eyes and rubbed his thumb along her hidden collarbone. “I can’t—can’t shake this feeling that something might go wrong with tonight’s prank.” He shifted from one foot to the other, his usual stoic demeanor lost to his anxious thought. 

“We’ve gone through the ins and outs of the prank—we’ve left nothing to chance.” She looked at him in earnest, trying to banish his worry. 

Severus interjected, too. “I absolutely trust Liv to see it through.” 

Regulus turned his head towards the fireplace and sighed. “As do I.” He turned back to her. “Just… return to us immediately after the prank is done.” 

“Of course.” She sent him a reassuring smile. “If you’re truly worried, Reg, I’ll only send Sirius and James. I’ll leave Remus and Peter to worry about their better halves.” At the slight jest, Regulus inhaled slowly and sent a nod. “Alright boys, time to exact our revenge.” 

Severus finally gave her a genuine smile and nodded his head at Regulus. “I’ll wait for you by the fire.” He walked away, leaving Regulus and her at the door. 

A beat of silence passed between the pair before each spoke. 

“I guess I’ll—” 

“Liv be—” 

They both laughed, a bit awkward.  

Regulus brushed away strands of hair that had fallen into his eyes, then took Liv’s hands in his, entwining their fingers. She felt the spark of magic that always seemed to pass between them whenever their skin touched. His thumb absentmindedly sought the pearl bracelet that hung around her wrist, a gift he had given her over Christmas hols. Black family protection magic imbued the bracelet, alleviating some of his worry.  

She glanced down at her wrist, where their skin connected. She reveled in the feel of Regulus’ thumb and the bracelet’s magical signature, which wrapped around her own magic. 

“I’m glad you’re wearing it,” he whispered as he rotated each pearl with his thumb until he felt the small snake charm that clasped the string of pearls together.  

When he gave her the bracelet, he worried she would not understand the significance. Marriage contracts and betrothal gifts were common among pure-blood society. Parents sought out contracts between the pure-blood families, hoping to finalize one by their child’s sixth year at Hogwarts. This allowed the couple two years to get to know one another before a magical wedding took place after graduation. Liv had understood the bracelet’s significance. He should have known she would. She was a pure-blood witch, after all—the Potters, although not Sacred 28, were descendants of the Peverells, and they followed pure-blood customs, too. She had happily accepted his gesture, cementing the beginning of their courtship. 

It had taken Regulus four years to realize that Liv was the witch he desired to build a life. He may only be 15, but the way his magic sought hers every time he entered a room was all the proof he needed to pursue his best friend. She was his fate, his destiny. He would work his entire life to be good enough for her and make her endlessly happy. 

“Be careful, yeah?” He held her gaze, and her world seemed to pause. His eyes were a beautiful, stormy grey that threatened to swallow her whole. Always intense and brooding, she knew that she was the calm to his storm and that she would weather any storm with him because he truly meant everything to her. At 16, she knew Regulus Black was her other half and equal in every way. Their friendship had blossomed into admiration, and that admiration was quickly turning into a deep love. 

“I’ll be careful,” she promised.  

Regulus wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight against his body. Liv rested her head on his chest and inhaled deeply. Her senses met the comforting smell that was purely Regulus: gourmands, Earl Grey, broom polish, and mint. 

She removed herself from his arms and stood on her toes, gently placing a soft kiss on his mouth. “Be back soon.” 

She watched as the corners of his lips turned up and how he absentmindedly brought his fingers to the ghost of where her lips had been. She opened the door, glanced over her shoulder one last time, and stepped into the Dungeons. 

Liv cast a low Lumos , lighting the tip of her wand as she began her ascent to the Gryffindor tower. She avoided the main halls and corridors when she could, taking the memorized shortcuts James had shown her on his Marauder's Map. The map was a fascinating piece of magic, and it was one she knew Remus had been heavily a part of. James, Sirius, and Peter were not known for their studious natures, and since the map took expert-level charms, it had to be Remus.  

As she climbed closer to her destination, she thanked her lucky stars that the halls were extremely quiet and that Mr. Filch was not prowling about outside after hours in search of students. 

Gryffindor tower came into view in no time—and soon enough, she stood in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady. She cleared her throat, and the painting narrowed its eyes, glancing at her lit wand. 

“Password,” the Fat Lady requested. 

“Grata Domum,” she spoke clearly. She stifled a smirk behind her hand—thanking Merlin that James was gullible enough to give her the Gryffindor password. He probably assumed she would use it in case of an emergency, but he should have known that his Slytherin sister would use it when it was advantageous. Besides, if her brother were in her shoes and the roles reversed, he would abuse it, too. 

The Fat Lady arched a surprised brow but swung the door open.  

She stepped through the frame and entered a small but warm common room. She whispered Nox, extinguishing her wand. Red and golds, colorful tapestries, and mismatched furniture filled the space she had stepped into. It was quiet, much like the Slytherin common room, with a roaring fire still lit in the main fireplace. She wanted to look around more and take in the Gryffindor home that the Sorting Hat had almost placed her in—but time was limited, and she had to make it to her brother’s dorm.  

Using her wand, she cast a disillusionment charm over herself. A shiver ran up her spine as she felt the magic flow over her body, making her invisible. Once she knew the charm was set, she carefully made her way toward the spiral staircase on the left. She climbed the stone steps until she reached the fifth-year dormitory and silently spelled the door open.  

As she stepped through into the room, her ears were immediately met with light snores and the sound of a cat purring. She prayed the cat would not wake up and let his owner know of her presence. She paused and then slowly closed the dormitory door. Her eyes eventually adjusted to the darkness. She had been in James’ dorm before, but it had been a while since she enjoyed time in the Marauder’s sanctuary. Five standard poster beds were situated in a semi-arc. If she remembered correctly, Sirius’ bed was second from the right. Stealthily, she crossed the distance to his four-poster bed and pulled back one of the curtains. She peeked her head in and smiled—Sirius was sound asleep. 

So as not to disturb him, she carefully climbed onto the bottom of the bed, ensuring not to sit on his feet or legs or shift the mattress. Once she felt situated, she drew the hanging closed and took a few deep breaths. She thought Sirius would be as careless sleeping as he was in his waking hours, but his face looked pained, worry wrinkles etched across his forehead. He moaned once or twice, jerking in his sleep. She did not want to make the connection, but Regulus often slept similarly. A part of her wanted to smooth out the worry across his forehead, but she hesitated. She was not there to comfort her betrothed’s older brother—she was here to exact revenge. She shook her head, tucking the longer parts of her bangs behind her ear, and situated her leather bag in her lap.  

“Accio Time Disc,” Liv whispered. Like before, the disc landed gently in her palm. 

She set the disc on Sirius’ chest and pointed her wand at it. “ Portus et Tempus —Potter Manor,” she said. She channeled her mind to focus on James’ room: four walls covered in quidditch and muggle band posters, the shaggy maroon carpet, the queen-sized bed with deep-blue hangings, the stuffed hippogriff that he hid when his friends came over, the desk with moving photos of their childhood, the smell of boy with a cleansing charm to mask it. 

The disc began to glow while the gems and sand swirled around one another. She shifted uncomfortably at the edge of the bed, making sure not to touch Sirius. She watched, so utterly transfixed by the disc’s whirled movements that she did not notice a hand reach for her wand. As soon as she felt her wand bend, she lost her focus. The disillusionment hiding her body and face fell as her eyes grew wide. Oh shite , she thought. 

“Potter?” Sirius raised his head, lifting his body to rest on the back of his forearms. His voice was scratchy and deep from sleep, and Liv shivered at the sound. His hand remained grasped on her wand as the other rubbed the sleep from his eyes. The Time Disc slid down the covers and stopped on his abdomen. “What… What are you doing here?”  

“Damnit, Sirius! You’ve broken my concentration!” she whispered aggressively. Panic and a tinge of excitement took over as the sand and gems in the disc began to whirl faster. She yanked her wand out of his grasp and pointed it back at the Time Disc, refocusing on the destination. 

He looked at her, startled, but then smirked. “You could have just told me how you felt instead of sneaking up on me in the middle of the night, love.”  

“Shut it, Black,” she hissed. “As if I would ever sneak up on you for the reason you’re alluding to.” 

His smirk grew into a broad smile, so in irritation, she sent a smirk of her own. He had missed the Time Disc resting against his waist and was in for a rude awakening. 

Unfortunately, the glow from the Time Disc became so bright that it illuminated the space within Sirius’ hangings with a blinding white light. 

“The fuck?” He scrambled in his bed, squinting, and tried to find the origin of the light.  

She sucked on her teeth while making a move to get out of his bed from behind the hangings. Any moment now, Sirius would disappear to the manor.  

He reached through the blinding light and caught her wrist in his hand before she could exit. 

“Siri, let go of my wrist!” She used the childhood nickname she and Regulus had given him, hoping he would listen. She tried twisting her arm from his grasp, but it was useless. He had a vice-like grip and was not letting go. 

“What are you playing at, Liv?” Heat spread across his cheeks in confusion, his voice getting progressively louder. He blindly pulled her to him so fast and with such force that she felt the Time Disc shatter between them. 

Shards of glass dug into her abdomen, and she winced in pain. Well, that was not part of the plan , she thought sarcastically.  

Sirius immediately let her go when he heard her wince. “Shit, I didn’t hurt you, did I? Livvie—” He used his nickname for her, and it turned something tight in her chest. 

She looked down and noticed that her sweatshirt and top had ridden up in her jostle with him, letting her mid-section take the brunt of the disc’s break. 

Sirius’ eyes grew big as he watched a glow spread across Liv’s skin. She noticed the look of shock on his face and looked down at her own skin. The sand and gems covered her stomach, setting into the small nicks across her flesh from where the glass shards had cut her. It seemed as if she was lighting up from the inside. This was not good. She had no idea what would happen if the Time Disc broke mid-portus and covered a person. 

The glow grew into streams of light that poured out of her skin.  

“Oh gods… Siri–” she managed to let out before she became light-headed. 

The pair locked eyes, and sheer panic took over their expressions. Liv’s form began to waver and flicker in and out of existence in front of Sirius.  

“Liv… no, no, no... fuck!” Sirius desperately reached for her, but his grasp met air. It was too late.  

Liv vanished before Sirius’ eyes with a loud crack, leaving him alone in complete darkness.