Chapter 2
After a lengthy argument with Kreacher, which ends with Harry agreeing to redo the entire dining room and letting Kreacher make him lunch. Harry takes the box into the kitchen with him to wait for his lunch.
This letter is on lined paper from a notebook rather than any kind of parchment, with torn and frayed edges. The paper is much thinner and the dents from its folds deep. Settled into the kitchen chair with a muttered thanks to Kreacher for his new tea, Harry unfolds it carefully.
Remus,
Good lord, what does your mum put in those Welsh cakes? They’re truly brilliant! Please tell Hope I adore her and she’s the best baker in the entire world! I hope she’s feeling better.
Remus, I truly understand what you mean about being in love with a friend. It’s such a fine line my love and I wish I had some advice, least of which so I could take it! I love Mary, I deeply, truly, wholeheartedly am in love with her. Just like you I’m terrified. What if I tell her and she doesn’t love me? What if it ruins the friendship? This ache in my chest is hard but at least I get to keep her so close to me.
Not a day goes by I don’t think of her, don’t crave her touch, her lips and her smile. Like you I’m struggling with the summers. At least at Hogwarts I can see her every day. Now I live for these letters. I savour them, every word is like a gasp of air. I feel pathetic. Perhaps we should start a support group and invite Alice to join. We can have weekly meetings where we gush about what our friend/ secret love did to make our tummy’s swoop that week.
I will say at least in my situation I’m the flirt. Although that’s almost worse, I flirt with her and she just chuckles and brushes me off with a playful wink. I want to grasp her shoulders and shake her until she listens when I tell her I adore her. I want her so badly my teeth ache. My teeth Remus! Just avada me, it’s for the best. I can’t imagine how it must feel to be flirted with and assume it’s false though my love. They must be like physical blows to you when he smiles or throws himself on your lap. God I’m re thinking all those times we were together, he’s always all over you Remus my heart aches for you!
This has been a useless letter hasn’t it? Oh well, perhaps we should continue this, vent to the other until we gain the courage to do something about it. Or until we actually get some advice.
Can we meet in London at some point over the summer? I know this brilliant hot chocolate place we can visit? I miss you already Remus. I love Mary but every conversation hurts and you know I adore Marls but she’s always on. You’re one of my best friends too. If I had a brother I imagine he would be like you. Unfortunately I just have Tuney and her bullshit. Let me know either way, I could catch a train down to you if you wanted? I’m always here for you Remus.
Yours,
Lily
Harry blinks and tears spill over his eyes. His mothers handwriting, carved into this paper likely by a biro of some sort. A letter to Lupin over summer. Harry had known they were friends. But not this close. She thought of him like a brother. And who was Lupin in love with. Who is Mary? Aside from his own guilt and grief Harry knows the only answers he will ever get are in the letters. The next one in the box is parchment again, the fancy kind once more and Harry folds it to catch a deep smell of cologne.
Regulus,
I know you were drunk and probably having some gay crisis or whatever but if you ever kiss Barty again I will kill you. Childhood best friend or not.
Barty doesn’t know it yet but he’s mine.
Evan Rosier
Harry scoffs at the letter and picks up the next in the same fancy, thick parchment.
Evan,
Do stop being such a twat, it’s unbecoming. I think you have me confused with someone else, I do not have crises.
I will agree I made a strategic error, I was unaware of your claim. Please accept my apologies as well as my advice that you pull your fat thumb out of your stupid arse and do something about it before Barty realises he’s hot and fucks his way through the school.
Regulus
Baffled, Harry places that letter with the previous and opens the next.
Pandora,
What am I supposed to do now? Thank you ever so for the warning about your brother. Don’t even try and pretend you didn’t know he was arse over tit for Barty, he might have hidden it from me but you’re his twin and a seer. Why would you let me make such a fool of myself! I could have lost both Evan and Barty and you know what they mean to me.
I’m upset with you for this. I undoubtedly shall forgive you however I will be sulking about it for the foreseeable. You can earn my forgiveness by ensuring Evan forgives me and does something about Barty. I’m not going to spend the rest of our time at hogwarts watching Evan cry because Crouch works out how hot he is and fucks around like the arrogant twat he is. That’s without Barty working out Evan likes him and feeling guilty.
How is your father? Is Evan keeping you safe or do I need to come over? I have an idea about your betrothal, there’s an estranged Malfoy cousin on the market, pure enough for your father to agree but weak enough not to be a threat. He’s quite batty apparently, right up your street. I know you love those girls but I can’t think of a way to get you everything and for now the priority is safe. Once Evan stops being mad at me I’ll talk with him about it. Let me know your thoughts please.
Yours till Hell,
R A B
Harry lowers the letter as Kreacher places a bowl of hot soup and bread in front of him. Barty Crouch, as in junior, assumedly. So Luna’s mother was twins with Evan Rosier who was in love with Barty Crouch Jr and close friends with Sirius’ brother. Pandora and Regulus evidently had a much closer and softer relationship than those Regulus shared with his male friends, kisses notwithstanding. An entire different kettle of fish with Regulus being gay. Never mind that Pandora was also in love with his mother? And Mary perhaps? Is that why these letters are here? Why would letters between death eaters be treasured in the same box as letters from those killed but the death eaters? Lupin’s cover letter rings through his head again. ‘Things that might allow you to understand the careful balance of light and dark within us all.’
Harry looks at the small collection of letters in the lid again. Without the knowledge of what those people became all Harry sees is letters between stressed teenagers. The part of Regulus’ letter about Pandora being betrothed bothers Harry.
“Kreacher, what can you tell me about Pandora Rosier’s betrothal?” Harry looks up to the elf who turns from the skin to watch Harry for a moment.
“Master is asking about Master Regulus’ friend?” Harry nods and Kreacher moves closer to the table “Pandora Rosier was powerful, but Master Regulus and his friends is keeping it secret, her magic was unstable, bubbling up like soup on the boil, She was clever though. Clever and kind. Her father wanted to get rid of her. Called her a squib, he did. Master Regulus wanted her safe, said she was a rare flower in a field of dirt. He asks the family for a match, tolds them she was crazy, no magic. Master Regulus said he was doing the Rosiers a favour so they would owe the family, they would. Master Regulus got her safe, sent her to France before things got bad.”
“Her father wanted to get rid of her?”
“Yes Master, Master Regulus is saying they be dangerous wizards in dark ways and he is not having it sir.”
Harry sits back and stares at the letters again. He knows Regulus took the horcrux but in truth, Harry never really thought about what that meant. Regulus was just a boy trying to keep his friends safe. With a heavy heart, Harry eats his soup.