Fifth Year III.
The next morning Rhea sat in the Great Hall between Fred and George eating her breakfast. The judgmental glances still present from every direction but it wasn't quite as bad as the other night during the dinner. Still enough to be uncomfortable though. Rhea however tried ignoring it. There were more important things ahead. For example her classes. She needs to be in a good shape to soak up as much knowledge as she possibly can. And later on, she will spend her time studying in the library. Revising all the spells and whatnot. Clearly a full schedule. And she still needs to fit Quidditch practices in there somewhere.
It's Woods last year and knowing him he will be even more persistent to win than the last years. This was his last chance and if he was unbearable until now, this year was sure to prove to them that he can do far worse than that. In short, they were in for a very tiring year. As Rhea was reaching for some bread Fred pushed her timetable in front of her which he got from Professor McGonagall who was distributing them with her wand.
She grabbed the paper from him and scanned it with her eyes. Given that she chose so many classes her schedule was chock-full. Only a few free periods were allowing her some rest before she would have to sweat on the Quidditch pitch. It was just lovely. Fred who was curious about her timetable peeked over her shoulder to look at it as well.
"Bloody hell, do you have any time to breathe this year?" He asked, somewhat teasingly but overall he was amazed by the determination. And maybe a bit worried about the stocked-up agenda as it wasn't allowing her much free time that she would spend with him. And of course with George. How were they supposed to prank people this year if she was this busy?
"I don't need to breathe, I need to pass my O.W.Ls..." Rhea argued defensively, hiding her timetable, face down on the table. She knew Fred would be critical about this. George would just give her his concerns but would drop them quickly. Fred however was persistent and always had to get what he wanted. But this time he won't. Rhea was not about to give up her classes just because Fred thought she was overworking herself. She had a family reputation to save here.
Every time someone hears the name Black they immediately think of Death Eaters, some think of her father's reputation which was preceding her every step she took. She wanted to change that. Needed to show the world that the name Black didn't define her path. She wanted to be known as a hero. Someone that saved people, she had to be an Auror.
Of course, her biggest dream was laying somewhere else. But that was not something that would clear her name for her. And that came first. The thousand years of wrongdoing that the Black family ever did, needs to be broken somewhere and Rhea planned on being the first one to make it that far. That's why she took so many classes, why she was so hard on herself. This was the year that would decide everything. If she fails her O.W.Ls she has no way of turning out to be the greatest. And she sure aimed for that.
"Wonder what's so funny?" George muttered, noticing how all of a sudden Slytherin started snickering and laughing unnaturally loud. They were mostly serious and quiet. According to the twins, they were silently judging and in a hushed tone boasting about how they were better than others. Rhea never believed that sure some of them were mean but not all of them.
She glanced towards the table seeing the large group around Draco who seemed to be telling some funny story. Of course, since it was coming from him it could only be assumed that he was making fun of someone. Rhea noticed Edmund and Althea sitting not far from the laughing group. Edmund rolled his eyes at the loudness, scooting a bit closer to the platinum-haired girl next to him. They looked cute together.
Out of nowhere Harry, Ron and Hermione came to breakfast. Hermione told Harry something, something that sounded like 'ignore them'. She didn't understand for a moment until she heard the shrill voice of Pansy Parkinson yell from the other side of the Slytherin table.
"Hey, Potter! Potter! The Dementors are coming, Potter! Woooooooooo!" The pug face shrieked. Rhea rolled her eyes but had to stifle in a laugh when she noticed Edmund covering his ears with a displeased look on his face. Not only Gryffindors find Pansy annoying.
Fred handed Rhea the timetable for the third year and she handed it to George who was closer to the three.
"New third-year course schedules," said George, passing them, over. "What's up with you, Harry?"
"Malfoy," said Ron, sitting down and glaring over at the Slytherin table. Rhea looked over to see the group hollering with laughter as Draco pretended to faint overdramatically. She rolled her eyes at the immature behaviour.
"That little git," George muttered from next to Rhea. His face showing no emotion whatsoever. Malfoy just wasn't worth the twins' time. Only Rhea sometimes pitied the boy. According to her, his teasing was just a defence mechanism that he acquired. But sometimes even she had to agree that his mouth was taking him too far. "He wasn't so cocky last night when the Dementors were down at our end of the train. Came running into our compartment, didn't he, Fred?" George asked, glancing over at Fred who was stuffing his mouth with food.
"Nearly wet himself," Fred spoke, mouth full of food, giving a contemptuous glance at Malfoy. Rhea remembers just vaguely how Malfoy crashed into their compartment. Looking like a scared cat splashed with water. Huge icy blue eyes, hands trembling and bottom lip quivering. Even if at that time Rhea didn't feel the greatest, since her head felt like it would explode any moment and her chest was tightening, chilly blood running through her veins and an endless void spreading inside her heart as if vanishing her happy soul. Yet she still managed to hug Draco and shield him from the black figure that was passing by their compartment.
Even if Draco wouldn't admit it to himself he felt safe with her. It was like when he was with his mother. Maybe even better because he didn't feel the fear from Rhea. The girl was suppressing everything in her when the younger boy was near her that time just so she wouldn't make him nervous. But he couldn't admit it out loud. He was afraid to admit it even inside his head. He was prohibited from even speaking to the daughter of Sirius Black. Even if she was supposed to be something like his cousin from his mother's side. His family disowned her father therefore she wasn't part of it as well.
He shouldn't be even acknowledging her existence in the school. What more she is a Gryffindor. Another disgrace. But he couldn't help but feel some sort of familiar connection with the girl. Too bad she was already too cooped up by Potter and the Weasleys.
"I wasn't too happy myself," George continued explaining, trying to make Harry feel better about the incident on the train. "They're horrible things, those Dementors..."
"Sort of freeze your insides, don't they?" said Fred. Rhea remained silent, bringing the cup with her favourite mint tea to her lips. Taking a small sip of the hot liquid.
"You didn't pass out, though, did you?" Harry grumbled in a low voice. Feeling slightly ashamed when remembering the situation. Rhea peeked over George to look at the boy with messy raven hair and glasses. Giving him a kind and encouraging smile.
"I was quite close to it if I'm honest. Don't worry Harry, it's nothing to be ashamed of. No one was feeling at their best that time." Her kind words seemed to work magic. She somehow always knew how to make people around her feel better. It was a great gift of hers.
"Yeah forget it, Harry," George joined in supporting Rhea. He was always the more empathetic one out of the twins. Fred was rather interested in consuming his breakfast and from time to time glancing over at Rhea just to make sure she was all right. "Dad had to go out to Azkaban one time, remember, Fred?" Fred gave him a soft nod of his head while chewing on his breakfast. George rolled his eyes and continued. "And he said it was the worst place he'd ever been, he came back all weak and shaking...They suck the happiness out of a place, Dementors. Most of the prisoners go mad in there."
At George's words, Rhea started thinking. Her father spent quite a long time in Azkaban. Even if he escaped his sanity was sure to be broken. Maybe only tiny fragments of it remaining. Maybe not even those. What if he had forgotten about her completely, it was 12 years after all. So much could have changed during that time and so much had changed. The thought itself was breaking her even more than the fact that her father was now the most wanted man in the wizarding world. Fred noticed the sudden change. The face she pulled on whenever she was too deep in thought or worried about something. That was the face she had on now.
"Anyway, we'll see how happy Malfoy looks after our first Quidditch match," Fred said cheerily towards Harry, trying to gain Rhea's attention but her expression stayed the same as if she didn't even register he said anything. "Gryffindor versus Slytherin, the first game of the season, remember?" He tried again but got no response out of it. Letting out a huff of air he looked over at George who was still not done with his breakfast. "Well, I think it's high time we get to class don't you George?"
"What?" The other twin asked surprised through a mouth full of food. A piece of bacon hanging from his mouth.
"Exactly, come on Rhea," Fred said dragging Rhea up from her chair, breaking her train of thought. George watched as they walked down the hall towards the doors. Giving out an aggravated sigh as he reached for a piece of toast which he stuffed in his mouth whilst standing up to follow the two out of the Great Hall.
***
The intrusive thoughts have left her mind during the day. The classes filled up her mind completely. Not a single thought about her father crossed her mind. Even when she was sitting outside with her friend Edmund. The two of them studied for O.W.Ls outside since it was still warm and sunny out. It was one of those rare times that she could spend with him since now that he was with Althea and Prefect he had just a limited time in his schedule.
But she was somewhere else with her mind. Thoughts fixed on remembering as much from the textbook in front of her. There was nothing else that could interest her more than the ink-filled pages laying in front of her. Edmund was talking to her the whole time, completely aware that she was somewhere else in her thoughts.
"I am so glad that I have someone who I can talk to and that will fully listen to me," Edmund stated sarcastically, flipping the page of his book. His brown eyes lifted from the book to glance at her focused state. When he received no response he rolled his eyes and nudged her, almost knocking the old textbook out of her hands.
A faint, surprised gasp escaped the girl, as she tried to secure the book in her hands. Once she was sure it wouldn't fall out of her hands she turned her head dramatically slow towards her friend. A blood-freezing glare set in her eyes. Edmund just chuckled shaking his head. In his eyes, the girl looked rather cute, but since he has a girlfriend he wouldn't dare to say it out loud.
"Are you writing your memorials and you needed some extra spice into them?" She growled, annoyed that she was interrupted from her studying trance.
"Um...what? No...but I was worried you were forgetting how to breathe," Edmund stated matter of factly while Rhea proceeded to search for the page that she was previously on. "And here we go again," Edmund muttered, reaching forward to take the book from her hands, getting a whine of disagreement from Rhea. "I think you are done."
"I need to study!"
"No, you don't, you've been studying the whole summer!" Edmund argued back. Thinking back on the time over the summer when Rhea wouldn't even answer his letters because she was so caught up in studying.
"It's not hurting anybody." Rhea snapped, reaching up to grab the book back but Edmund's long arms held it too high for her to reach. Infuriated Black stood up to yank the book from him but of course, the Slytherin boy had fast reflexes and stood up as well, easily towering over the short girl. No matter how high she jumped she had no chance to reach.
"You are completely ignoring your friends." The tall dark-haired boy said, his eyes catching on something behind Rhea before turning back to look down at her.
"Am not."
"Oh really? What are those gingers of yours doing today?" Rhea stopped her attempts to grab the book. Thinking back on what Fred and George told her they would be doing. But nothing came to mind. Was she not listening to them? Or did they just not tell her? But they usually talked about everything. On the other hand, when was the last time she had a proper conversation with those two? Without zoning out about school, or her father?
"Pranking?" It was a shot in the dark and based on Edmund's expression she could tell that it was a miss.
"Sure, that's why Fred seems to be on a date there," The tall Slytherin said, nodding in the direction behind Rhea.
"What?" Rhea quickly spun around. Her eyes were quick to find the tall ginger who was leaning against the tree, flirting with a beautiful Ravenclaw girl. Her strawberry-blonde hair was falling towards her waist, the tips reaching the rim of her skirt. She still had her school uniform on. The tie tied so expertly that it made Rhea frown at the sight of her own messy red and gold tie.
She looked perfect. Rhea's eyes burned when she noticed Fred holding her hand. Their fingers entwined. She saw the twins flirt with many girls before. It was a whole harem of them every year. But never was either of them holding their hand and flirting this intensively. This surely was a date. The simple red rose that the girl was holding in her hand was just a confirmation of it.
There still was an option that it was George, but even if Rhea wanted to believe that she wasn't that stupid. She could tell the twins apart without even looking at them properly. And this was definitely Fred. Fred with the most beautiful Ravenclaw girl in the school. Lydia Martin.
"Oh...um...good for him," Rhea managed to stutter out of herself. She didn't know what was wrong. It was just Fred on a date. Nothing special. Why was her throat so tight because of that? Her stomach growling even if she had eaten just an hour ago. She felt an urge to just march there and curse Lydia out of there, but why? Lydia never did anything to her. They never even talked more than three words. It was so strange.
She felt anger but at the same time, terrifying anxiety overlapped her body. Sending a flow of cold sweat through her body. Rhea no longer cared about studying. The textbook that Edmund held in his hands now lost all her interest. All her focus now on the couple that was standing not too far away from them. When Fred leaned closer to the girl and whispered something in her ear causing a deep red blush to spread on her already rosy red cheeks. The girlish giggle that left her lips started a whole raging fire inside Rhea.
"I think I have to go. Yeah...talk to you later." Rhea muttered, quickly collecting her things.
"This is yours," Edmund said handing her the book before she could leave. Without a word, Rhea grabbed it and almost sprinted back inside the castle. Deciding that she was done with the outside world for today.
Edmund stayed standing in the place like frozen. His eyes still followed the place where Rhea had disappeared. The confused look on his face while he tried to figure out what was happening.
"Hello, love." A sweet voice of his girlfriend said from behind him. Finally ending the stupor. He looked at her, a smile reaching his face as he pulled her into a warm hug.
"Hey."
"Weren't you supposed to be studying with Rhea?" Althea asked confused. She was supposed to join the two here once she was done with the choir practice. But when she came there was only Edmund staring in a direction of the castle.
"We were...but after we saw Fred on his date with Lydia Martin she just took off," Edmund said with a shrug. Still slightly concerned about the strange behaviour of his friend. Althea looked in the direction of the date between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. The wheels in her head-turning at full speed.
"Do you think she maybe..." Althea hinted her thoughts to her boyfriend who at first wanted to shake his head but then the thought sank in. And all of a sudden it was all clear.
"Oh, my Merlin..."