The inevitables

“Oh. My. God. You. Had. Four. Boys. At. Your. House. I am totally jealous you have to tell me all about it!” Mary was shaking me with every word as the train took off.

“Mary! Let her breathe!” Lily giggled.

“It was just my brother and his friends! I don’t see the big deal.” I laughed at my friends.

“The big deal is that Sirius Black stayed over at your house! I bloody wish!” Mary swooned.

“And Remus was there too right?” Lily’s face turned redder than her hair. First Mary and now Lily? Good thing Marlene was the opposite of boy crazy.

“James and Peter were there too!” Marlene smiled, we all looked at her like she was crazy. “What? You guys said names, I wanted to say names too.”

“So tell me about Sirius I want to know everything!” Mary said wide eyed. I immediately felt guilty. Sirius wasn’t on the train, neither was Regulas I checked. I didn’t want to tell my friends of Sirius’s home life, nor my failure as a friend. Luckily Lily seemed to be able to read my mind.

“How about first I tell you the story of me telling of Severus!” She said which got everyone’s attention. I silently thanked her.

* * *

Sirius and Regulas didn’t make their appearance at dinner nor on Sunday. James was a complete and total wreck I had to help him. After he tried to find out answers from Mcgonagal, I told him something I’d never thought I’d say, I go fly with him.

“Where are the brooms?” I asked Marlene.

“What?” She questioned everything about me, I didn’t blame her.

“Like where does Madam Hootch keep the extra brooms?” I tried to be casual.

“Why?” Lily asked.

“I.. want to go flying?” I said under my breath.

“Sorry what was that?” Mary asked.

“I told James I’d go flying alright?!” I said.

“What?” All three of my friends said at once.

“Haze, you barely flew when we had a flying class!” Mary noted.

“You don’t even own a broom when your brother owns like five.” Marlene brought up.

“When was the last time you wanted to fly?” Lily asked.

While all my friends had valid points, I needed to be there for James. I wanted to tell them the truth but that wouldn’t be fair to Sirius. Sirius hated his family and probably didn’t want what happened spreading around school.

“Look I can’t really explain it but.. something happened over break and I just… I have to go flying with my brother ok?” I sighed, I didn’t want to fight but they were pestering me.

My friends seemed to understand for they didn’t ask any more questions. Marlene told me where the brooms were kept and they let me go without saying another word. I met James at the quidditch field and got a broom from the closet. Peter sat in the stands with snacks.

Now, as you can imagine, James is a much better flyer than I am. He flew literal circles around me. But the important thing is that he wasn’t alone.

I flew the broom about as high as the stands. James flew in circles and loops and donuts while I just sat in the air.

“I’m sure Sirius is alright!” I yelled as James flew past me. He wasn’t dangerous or anything, but I was just a little bit scared he would accidentally knock me down. Just a little bit.

“Maybe his parents transferred him to Beauxbatons.” Peter shrugged. I whipped around to face him.

“Why would you say that?!” I yelled, Peter looked rightfully threatened. Why would he put that idea in James’s head?

“What?! It’s a possible option!” Peter defended himself.

“It’s not helping!” I hissed. James flew over.

“Sirius is fluent in French, what would stop them from sending him to Beauxbatons? What if he never comes back?” James panicked, I gave Peter a mean look.

“We’ll first of all the commute would be horrible, I mean France is all the way across the country. Plus they wouldn’t move him in the middle of the year! That’d be ludicrous.” I tried, I really did.

“Yeah if anything they’d send him first thing next year!” Peter said, I couldn’t believe his idiocy.

“Look tomorrow is the first day of lessons, I’m sure he’ll show up by then. I mean his parents value his education more than anything.” I said and I flew around James to make it more convincing.

“Yeah, yeah you’re right. Yeah he’ll come before tomorrow!” James smiled, I needed to keep his peace.

“Wanna race?” I asked.

“Of course!” James smiled even wider and we took off.

* * *

Sirius Black was the first one in transfiguration the next day. The only problem was that everything about him was gone.

“Holy hair-“ Marlene was the first to notice.

“Wha- holy hair is right.” Mary’s eyes widened. Sirius’s hair was shaved off entirely. He looked skinny, his features pointed out even more thanks to his bones. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. No one could.

“Who’s that?!” Peter announced himself behind us. Sirius turned to reveal even a more horrible truth. His eyes were sunken and dark, his face was pale white, paler than normal.

“Sirius!” James gasped, I didn’t blame him. Lily grabbed my arm and sat us down at our table, Mary and Marlene went to their table eyeing Sirius and whispering.

“What happened over break?!” Lily whispered to me. She sounded very concerned for someone who didn’t like Sirius.

“His mum…” was all I could make out. I can’t believe she did this to him. I needed to find out what else she did to him. I needed to talk to Regulas.

“His mum did that?!” Lily looked like she was about to cry, all I did was nod.

“You have to promise not to tell anyone ok? This isn’t our secret to tell. My parents are working on how to get him out of that house but until then.. this is one rumor he doesn’t need.” I grabbed Lily’s hand so I knew she was paying attention.

“Of course yeah. I won’t tell a soul.”

“Not even Mary and Marlene.” I said and she nodded.

After transfiguration, I ran to my portrait friend. I had Lily come out with an excuse of why I was gone. I needed to find Regulas and I knew Violetta would know. I ran to her as fast as I could, once again running was getting easier.

“Violetta! I need your help!” I rushed my words.

“Ah! Miss Potter! I was wondering when you would be back.” She smiled at me, but I didn’t have time for pleasantries.

“Do you know where Regulas is?” I asked.

“Hmmm hmm… Regulas.. have you seen the young Black around?” She asked the painting next to her.

“Who?” The painting asked.

“Young first year, short hair, very moody.” She described. The painting scratched his chin and muttered to himself.

“Violetta, I’m kind of in a hurry!” I mentioned impatiently.

“Oh there he is, Regulas! Regulas dear!”

I turned around to see the young brother holding his books. He was all alone, perfect.

“What did that horrible women do to him?!” I walked up to him.

“Be careful how you speak of my mother!” He snapped.

“Funny how all I had to do was say horrible women and you knew it was about your mum.” I cracked a smile.

“Get out of my face you- you pathetic little..” his brain was trying to come up with an insult. I assumed he was struggling since he normally went to blood status.

“Oh please tell me! What exactly is it you have over me!”

“You little blood traitor!”

“Oh no.. I like everyone instead of being a horrible person to half the school! How dare I?” I said sarcastically. “At least I don’t let my brother end up looking like an abused and abandoned dog!” I snapped.

“I tried!” I noticed tears filling up in Regulas’s eyes, “I tried ok!? I tried to get him to behave he just wouldn’t listen! I tried to keep my parents distracted so they wouldn’t notice him! I tried to heal everything they did all without magic ok?!” He looked like he wanted to break down and sob. I know how difficult Sirius could be, apparently when at home it all fell on Regulas.

“What’d they do to him?” I asked in a softer tone this time. Regulas looked up at me skeptically. “I just want to help him.” I said.

“Ok..” Regulas sighed, “I’ll tell you.”