Prologue
Slytherin.
It had to be Slytherin.
She knew it. Her family knew it.
Merlin. The hat had to know it.
Slytherin.
Slytherin.
“Ah, I see, you believe Slytherin is where you must lie,” As the hat whispered in her ear she wondered if the old thing would listen to what she wanted, truly, what she needed.
“Hm. Quite interesting. Quite interesting indeed. A Black, one I would normally sort without any questions. But with that brother of yours last year. Hm.” While the hat seemed to be contemplating her future Carina couldn’t help but remember an interaction that had happened with her mother just hours earlier.
Standing in platform 9 ¾ her mother had stared down both her and her twin as Sirius had left to go be with his friends. She had said, “ Your blasted brother has already made enough mistakes for this family. You will be sorted into Slytherin, and you will make this family proud.”
And with Regulus already seated at the Slytherin table, she knew she had to join him.
Risking a peak at Sirius from across the hall, Carina could see the disappointment in his eyes. Most likely it was because of Regulus’s sorting. But she could also see the slightest glimpse of hope in his eyes. She looked away quickly.
Slytherin.
Slytherin.
Merlin, please. Slytherin.
“Are you quite sure? You would do mighty fine in Ravenclaw.”
She ignored the hat.
Slytherin.
Slytherin.
“Alright. Alright. SLYTHERIN it is.” The hat shouted her house name and Carina quickly got up. Lifting the hat off her head and rushing over to the now cheering table. As she sat down next to a grinning Regulus, she glanced towards the Gryffindor table once more.
She could see Sirius’s head hanging lower than before, and one of his mates had a hand on his shoulder.
James Potter. That was his name. She had ridden on the train with him up to Hogwarts. But with her nose stuck in her book, she had barely even noticed anyone else was there. Although it was quite difficult when Sirius had been dying to introduce his friends from the previous term to his younger siblings.
Carina of course had already heard so many stories of Sirius’ school mates that there wasn’t even a point in being introduced.
Feeling a slight pinch on her arm, Regulus drew her out of her thoughts. She looked up and realised the sorting had finished, and the meal was beginning.
“Ouch! There is absolutely no need to pinch me, little brother.”
“Little Brother? Are you going to lord those six minutes over me for the rest of our lives Cari?” Regulus asked, smiling.
“Of course I am.” She smirked. “They were the best six minutes of my life.”
He pinched her again.
“Twins?” Asked the boy from across the table.
“Well of course,” Carina replied.
At the same time Regulus said, “Obviously.” With an eye roll.
It was now his turn to be pinched by a twin.
“Don’t be dimwitted Reggie, he was only trying to make conversation.”
“Evan Rosier. Pleasure.”
Carina smiled.
“I’m Carina, this is my brother Regulus.” She said gesturing towards her twin.
Later that night Carina found herself tucked into bed. Having unpacked her trunk and gotten to know her housemates she was quite tired, but much too excited to sleep. She thought of what tomorrow would bring.
The first day of class.
And a much needed conversation with Sirius.
As they had been leaving the dining hall Regulus had called out his brother's name. Although Sirius pretended to have not heard, laughing at something one of his friends said, Carina saw him tense.
Sirius ignoring her brother would not be tolerated. They were family. Some stupid colour on their tie shouldn’t change that. Right?
She knew it was more complicated than that. But still, it was immature and selfish of the git to have done that. Regulus had grown quiet after this interaction, and it had taken almost twenty minutes of pestering on her part to get him to smile again.
Walking into the dining hall for breakfast after a restless night of sleep. Carina set her eyes onto the Gryffindor table. She strolled up to see a laughing Potter. A tired looking Lupin. A blushing Pettigrew. And a giggling Sirius. The idiot was giggling like a little school girl.
Carina felt eyes on her as she marched over to her red and gold wearing brother. But she paid them no mind.
“Siri.”
He glanced up, seeming surprised to have heard her voice, acting like he hadn’t heard it in years as opposed to hours.
“Cari. What are you doing here?” Sirius blanched. “You’re a Slytherin. Remember?”
Merlin. Her brother tested her patience.
Getting straight to the point, she asked, “Why did you ignore Reggie last night? You know how he gets when you do that.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He stiffened.
“Don’t you dare lie to me. It’s a waste of your time and you know it.”
Lupin and Potter both laughed at this.
She watched as Sirius turned pale, he almost looked sick.
“Sirius, I just want you to speak to him” Carina spoke softer. “It’s all so new to him and he just wants his brother to be there for him.”
“And what about you?” Sirius asked.
“Well of course he has me, but it’s not the same. I’m his sister, it’s expected of me to be kind to him. But he needs your kindness just as much.”
Sirius grimaced, but continued, “That’s not what I meant.- I-” He stuttered over his words, “It’s new to you as well, who will take care of you?”
Carina questioned for a moment whether or not her brother had completely lost it.
That was not how this worked.
Not in her family.
Not with her brothers.
“I take care of myself just fine.” She tilted her chin up. “See to it that you speak to Regulus by the end of this week.”
Sirius did not speak to Regulus in the next week, in fact he seemed to be avoiding both the Black twins like the plague.
Regulus’ mood reflected this. The longer Sirius took to speak to his brother, the gloomier the twin got.
While Regulus threw himself into making new friends and building relations with his dorm mates. Carina threw herself into her studies. Earning as many house points as she possibly could, and intaking as much information as her 11 year old brain could handle.