Chapter 1- Syzygy
19th March 1979
Slowly people trickled into 12 Grimmauld Place, Wizards of all sorts: tall as the doorframe, as small as the door handle, old as the building itself, as young as the freshly plastered rubber marks on the floor from the furry of feet, raging red hair to startling midnight black to wispy white locks. All the faces showing different story's and paths that they had chosen and seen.
Grimmauld Place had been quite grubby and frankly macabre when the building was first offered up as the meeting place for the Order of the Phoenix but with a bit of elbow grease, strong disinfectant and magic the place now looked much more homely. The stuffed House-elf heads had been replaced with vases of fresh overflowing flowers, the disapproving portraits of old family members had been taken down and in their places were now beautiful pieces of artwork depicting nature, and most importantly some curtains had been opened to allow the spilling of honey-gold light into the previously dark and depressing rooms.
The guests made there way down the corridor, dodging the umbrella stand that tried to trip them up and into the dining room at the back of the house.
The room felt small but was realistically quite large; the reason for the rooms' almost claustrophobic feel was the excessively large dark wood table that was standing in the middle of the it. The table was covered in maps and quills, teetering piles of books with odd instruments of measurement laying on top, and not to forget the rising amounts of cups of butterbeer and whiskey.
There was a bustle of sound within the dining room coming usually from only a few people. To be specific, 'a few people' in this case, means James Potter and Sirius Black, who were telling a rather loud and extravagant story.
"Then we snuck into the Slytherin dorm right behind them!" James yelled to a rise of laughter, his hazel eyes glistening with joy in the candlelight.
"And then guess what Sirius did! Go on, tell 'em Padfoot!" James called to a handsome man sat on the other side of the table.
"Go on, tell us! Please! Don't leave us hanging! Come on, be a sport!" the crowd egged.
"All right, all right!" Sirius chucked raising his hands to calm them, "I snuck over to the alcohol they had very badly hidden for the party they were gonna' have that eve' and tipped in a very special potion I had bought just for them. Oh you should have seen their faces when they realised! They all ran out coughing and gagging! We'd poured in a 'Maximum Turbo Farts Potion' I had bought from Hogsmead!"
The crowd again burst out laughing, clapping eachother on the back and hitting the table with their fists.
From next to Sirius, Remus made silent eye contact across the table with Regulus as a form of apology for the ordeal he had had to witness, and quiet possibly been a victim of.
Regulus returned the look with a twist of 'I'm sorry that your with my brother' whilst running his hand trough his ash black hair.
Both of them smirked at their silent understanding which caught the attention of both James and Sirius.
"What you smirking at Moony?" Sirius whispered jokingly into his ear, her long black sightly wavy hair falling across his face, hiding their porcelain skin and dimples.
"Just your stupid smile." Remus joked sarcastically as Sirius brushed Remus's strawberry blond hair out of his eyes.
"And what's so stupid about it?" Sirius asked laughing.
"The way it makes me smile, that's just stupid, you shouldn't have that power over me!" Remus said sarcastically lifting his hand to his forehead to pretend to faint.
Sirius' smile was a beautiful one, their grey eyes just had a way of lighting up anyone who looked into them and unfortunately for Remus he tended to like looking into them a lot.
On the other side of the table Regulus was now resting his head on James's shoulder.
"This reminds me of Prom." Regulus murmured to James.
"In what way?" James asked looking down at him, his hand sneaking into Regulus's.
"I'm surrounded by my real family, though it is strange to be in my childhood home." He replied his eyes darting around the room and resting on Sirius.
"It was very brave of you to offer up this house Reg, you didn't have to, but you did. I am here if you want to talk about... y'know... what happened here..." James whispered with a calm sympathetic smile on his face.
"It's not like it caused me any trauma!" Regulus joked. James giggled but his eyes told a story of almost pity as he wrapped his arms around Regulus bringing him closer.
Regulus felt as happy as he could do baring in mind the situation they had all been chucked into. He was allowed to be with James, and openly at that. He was glad that Sirius had come to terms with their relationship and had stopped trying to tear them apart and ignore them.
In came Lily, her red hair blazing behind her, now cut in a long bob. She was wearing a very striking red coat and a large pink floral hat. James wondered how she hadn't been spotted on her way there with the outfit she had on. Following her were Pandora and Mary caught in deep conversation.
"Hello boys!" Lily said dramatically, throwing her hands in the air.
"Once an actor always an actor" James thought, remembering the play she had been the staring role of in their last year.
She took a stool from a tall old wizard and gave it to Marlene smiling. Mary sat down and took off her coat allowing everyone to see her rainbow woollen jumper and denim dungarees.
"Any other spare stools?" Lily called out to a response of a bustle of moving feet and shuffling of chairs as two stools were passed across the table to her, which she placed down for her and Pandora.
Pandora gratefully sat down their long blond hair hanging down lower than her waist as they turned to continue her conversation with Mary.
Lily turned and started to have a conversation with the old wizard that had passed her the stool in the start.
The room was alight with talking and laughing, the joyful story's seemingly contagious.
The door opened and the room went quiet, the atmosphere sucked away through the open door. Dumbldoor walked in followed by a sickly looking Severus Snape.
"What he doing here?" Sirius yelled pointing at Severus.
"He is here because I asked him to be here Mr Black." Dumbldoor replied calmly as he took his already placed out seat beside the fire.
"Accio chair." Dumbldoor murmured as a stool came speeding towards him, which he signed to Severus to sit on. Severus sat down his skin waxy in the fire light. James couldn't help hoping that Severus's long black jacket would get caught in a flame and her would burn to death.
"Let's get started then shall we. Right. Our Auror friends in the ministry have kindly told me that more people are turning to him, mostly out of fear but some they expect to be under the
Imperious curse. Due to the high numbers joining at the moment I have decided that it is the perfect time to place some spies withing his ranks." Dumbldoor said to worried looks from some and agreeing looks from others.
"I have decided to put Severus within the ranks as an almost double spy. He will be joining me in Hogwarts as a 'reporter' for the Dark Lord. And I have also decided to put Regulus Black in as a Death Eater."
"What!" James and Sirius yelled in unison.
"No, he cant-" Sirius started only to be stopped by a raised hand from Dumbldoor.
"I have made my decision, Mr Black, for the good of the Order and for the entirety of the Muggle kind", Dumbldoor said sternly, "The Order Of The Phoenix will not fall if you do as I say. That is all." Dumbldoor clapped his hands and stood up.
The room started to empty and wizards began to leave the house untill there were only a few remaining.
James pulled Regulus into the front room and closed the door. This room felt warmer than the kitchen, the rich red curtains and rugs giving the room a burst of vibrance. They stood there in silence for a few minutes, Regulus staring at the floor, James at his mop of black hair.
"That meeting went very quickly, don't cha' think?" Regulus murmured, still staring at the ground.
"Reg don't try to avoid the topic." James said his voice slightly shaking.
"What's there to talk about?" Regulus dismissed.
"Rebbie!" James called him his pet name softly as he lifted Regulus's face in his hands.
"Ah merde!" Regulus said pulling James hands down and leaning on the wall behind him, "Je ne sais quoi faire".
"Rebbie!" James tried again.
"On en parlera plus tard!" Regulus said putting his head in his hands.
"Pourquoi est-ce que tu ne veux pas parler avec moi?" James asked, trying to get though to his with some french.
Regulus sighed.
"You don't get it James! I'm the only person that can do this. The rest of you are all half-bloods or have Muggle parents or are already know to be against him. Dumbldoor can't just put one of you in and be like 'ça marche!'"
"Reggie!" James tried Sirius's pet name for Regulus.
"Il faut appeler un chat un chat."
"Tu étais complètement à l'ouest!" James yelled and Regulus looked up at him.
"I'm the crazy one? This war is crazy, not me. This not my choice it is Dumbldoor's," Regulus said more calmly putting his hand over James's mouth to stop him from interrupting, "and I made my choice to be loyal to Dumbldoor when I left my family. I left so I could be myself and be with you."
"Reggie..."
"You don't know what it was like Potter," he said softly, "I couldn't be myself, the me that you see. They didn't accept me, nevermind liking you but also being a boy. I had to fight to be seen as who I am, I'm trans, James, and they were a pure blood unaccepting family. They should never be allowed to do what they did to me, nevermind what they did to Sirius. I am here to stop them and I will do anything I can to do so. Vous comprenez?"
James nodded and placed a kiss in Regulus's lips before leaving.
Yes James had understood what Regulus had said but it made him want to stop this more. He couldn't be placed into that toxic environment again, that would not only be dangerous for his body but also his mind. James could remember the first time he saw Regulus on the train to Hogwarts in his second year. The way Regulus looked so scared and thin, the way he hunched over and kept himself to himself. Over time he had watched Regulus come out if his shell, he had become a little bubble of joy and the life of the party probably helped by people noticing his talent and being made the seeker for Slytherin and through dating himself.
James opened the door to the meeting room to see Dumbldoor and Snape in an absorbing conversation, Snape's greasy hair falling across his face like a wee wet fish.
Both of them looked up and saw him. Dumbldoor nodded to Severus and he stood up and left.
Now there was just James and Dumbldoor left in the room.
"How may I help you Mr Potter?" Dumbldoor asked.
"Don't send Regulus in."
"I had a feeling you might say that. But I have made my decision as I said before."
"He's just a child!"
"He was old enough to join the Order therefore he is old enough to do as the Order says."
"Send me instead, please."
"No, Mr Potter."
"I can say I changed my mind!... That I support him! Anything! Please, send me instead." James begged.
Dumbldoor sighed. "James, you can't."
"Why not!"
"Everything must be in place and in order for that to happen Regulus Black must become a Death Eater. And on that note, for this to be convincing, your relationship must be terminated."
There was a shuffle behind them. "What?" Regulus's voice said weakly.
James turned around to look at Regulus, his silhouette shaking under the door frame. He stepped forward and James could see his eyes begin to glisten in the candle light.
James regretted leaving the door open, but then again he wasn't surprised that Regulus had followed him.
"Oh and I would also like to mention that Lily and Mary will be joining me as teachers in Hogwarts. Have a good day." Dumbldoor said and with that he walked out.
Only a few minutes had passed and yet the silence felt like it had gone in for eternity. Remus, Sirius, James, Regulus, Pandora, Lily, and Mary were all sat around the table; the room now feeling large and empty.
"So now your leaving? Off to go teach at Hogwarts?" Sirius asked meekly.
"Yep." Lily replied her ginger hair falling limp around her face, it too had lost a bit of life after it had heard the news.
"What will you teach?" Pandora asked quietly.
"I'm teaching astrology and Lily is teaching potions." Mary replied tears on her dark skin reflecting the light like crystals.
"You'll be good at that." Regulus said his voice wavering.
Sirius swallowed. "So are you and James over?"
"I- I don't know..." Regulus replied looking at James who was staring down at the table so that the others couldn't see his face.
There was banging of the front door and Sirius stood up to go see who it was, once again the silence returned.
A few moments later Peter, Marlene, and Dorcas walked in.
"Hello everyone?" Marlene said suspicious, her quirky outfit of leather dumbbell trousers, a black Gatsby hat, and large sunglasses failing to raise the mood.
"Hello Marls" Mary said standing up to give them a kiss on the lips.
"Hi" said Peter sitting down, followed by Dorcas who went and sat next to Lily.
"Why do you all look so depressed?" Dorcas asked, raising an eyebrow.
No-one spoke for a moment, no-one wanted to break the news. But who would? Regulus was going to become a Death Eater, James and him were being forced to break up, and Lily and Mary were being sent off to work in Hogwarts.
"I'm becoming a Death Eater." Regulus said through gritted teeth.
V"What?" Peter, Marlene and Dorcas yelled in unison.
"Why are you joining him?" Peter asked shocked.
"Dumbldoor said that I am so I guess I am." Regulus replied with a false attitude of 'not caring' that everyone could see through.
Dorcas looked at James. "And your okay with that!"
"I tried to change Dumbldoor's mind but he was adamant!" James said defensively a note of sadness hidden in his words.
"He's a child!" Dorcas half-yelled.
"I was old enough to join The Order so that's old enough for him." Regulus said with a tinge of hate.
Silence.
"Me and Reg have to break up too." James said, "to make it believable. Dumbldoor said so."
"What..." Marlene said quietly.
"Yeah, it's shit." Regulus replied.
"Oh putain! C'est stupide.
Vous ne pouvez pas envoyer un enfant au combat!" Marlene exclaimed.
"Je ne sais pas un enfant!" Regulus reminded her.
"Vraiment ?" Marlene said sarcastically, "tu as 18 ans, n'est-ce pas un enfant?"
"Tu n'as qu'un an de plus que moi!" Regulus yelled.
"Bien. Mais ne viens pas pleurer vers moi quand tu auras mal." Marlene replied.
James still hadn't looked at anyone but was visibly shaking in the corner.
Regulus sighed and went over to him. He wrapped his arm around James and whispered into his ear.
"Marlene." Mary said suddenly as they turned to look at them, "me and Lily are leaving."
"What! Why?" Marlene yelled.
"We've been asked to go work at Hogwarts." Lily answered
"And what does Dumbldoor need you there for?" Marlene said exasperated their blond fringe falling into their eyes.
"We will be working as teachers but he mostly wants us there so we can protect the children." Mary said with her jaw stiff.
"Oh god." Marlene exclaimed, tears starting to run down their cheek, "your leaving me."
"Marls," Mary said pulling them close to her so their head was on her shoulder, "this doesn't mean we're over."
"Everything feels like it's over." Pandora whispered.
"Everything can't be over" Remus thought uncertainty, looking over at Sirius.
A letter from Regulus Black to Andromeda Tonks (d. 21 March 1979)
Dearest Auntie Andromeda,
I fear this my be my last letter to you and this deeply saddens me. I have been set a mission by Dumbldoor which I cannot tell you about but I can tell you about the consequences of it.
My love, James, will have to leave me and though I do not wish to lose his love, I would prefer to lose his heart than his life itself. You see, me doing this mission means that those close to me are in grave danger, and that would include James.
On that note, I will also be distancing myself from Sirius and Remus as I do not wish any harm upon them. I do not know if my brother writes to you so I will update you for him.
Him and Remus are doing very well and have somehow bonded more over their love for Bowie. This is rather annoying for me as they have a hobbie of turning his music up till they can no longer hear their thoughts and start dancing; this event usually falls regularly at around midnight.
Just as they did, I will not be participating in NEWTS and will have to settle with my OWL results. This is a shame as I do miss Hogwarts, though maybe not Sirius's and James's 'pranks'.
Do send on my Happy Birthday wishes to Nymphadora and I am delighted to agree to being her godfather. I hope that we will be able to meet soon, when it is safe for us to do so.
All my love,
R.A.B
Author's note:
Thanks for reading the first chapter- almost 3.2k words! I'm sorry that there are so many new characters in it but I felt like they all had to be introduced 🤣. Also I'm sorry for my French, it's school taught and therefore I don't know a lot of slang and I'm not sure if it's all correct. All feedback, good and bad, is appreciated. 😊❤️
Au revoir