Blue Train
I'm gonna climb aboard and ride until I learn to smile
I'll be knockin' out the blues while I'm knocking' out the miles
With my guitar, beat and rhythm, to the click-clack of the wheels
I'm gonna sing the blues 'cause that's the way I feel
Gonna ride a blue train
1st September 1971
To say it was a relief to be finally going to Hogwarts was an understatement. Especially after the summer the twins had suffered through.
Their final week in Grimmauld had been awful. Walburga seemed to be trying to punish them as much as possible - probably since she wouldn’t be able to again, until Yule. They’d go to bed every night wincing, trying to be strong.
They’d hold each other as they tried to sleep, whispering promises. Promising they’d never hurt each other, never leave each other, never keep secrets. Well, bad ones at least.
Sirius would fall asleep with his new mantra playing in his mind: I want to be brave, I want to be brave, I want to be brave. Ara wasn’t sure if he was broadcasting it to her on purpose, or if he was just thinking it so loud that she heard it. She didn’t mind. It was oddly reassuring to fall asleep to.
Their father had barely spared them a glance in the week before they left - focused on the papers in his office and business with the Wizengamot. It made the pit in Ara’s stomach so much worse, because she had hoped he might offer Hogwarts advice, or tell them to stay out of trouble - she wouldn’t have minded if he’d used the Cruciatus on her, so long as he spoke two full sentences before hand!
Instead he kept his usual distance, more so by not even registering their presence at dinners; instead looking to Walburga when they spoke instead of them.
He finally spoke to them the morning of their departure - waiting by the Floo as Walburga dragged them through. They had woken up late and chaos had cloaked the morning so far. Their mother had decided that since they’d woken up late, they must have done something to their trunks - which she proceeded to search through and find a bag of Muggle sweets they’d traded from a kid in the park (they gave him a sparkly bookmark, which he was very fascinated with). Once those were burned and Walburga felt she had yelled and hit them enough, she told them to pack again before leaving with a warning that they had ten minutes before they were expected downstairs.
The first five minutes were spent with Ara soothing Sirius as he cried out his anger.
As they stood in the hallway by the fireplace, their mother’s hands clutching the backs of their collars as though they planned to run, their father checked they were presentable.
“Make me proud.” Were the only words he spoke, nodding at them once before returning to his office. It made them wince.
At least Walburga’s hatred for them was obvious. Their father, on the other hand, was difficult to read. Ara liked to believe that he was just a coward, but Sirius was convinced that he was just as bad as their mother - that he may not have doled out punishments, but he surely helped their conception.
It was one of the few things the twins agreed to disagree on. Like that reading was a fun pastime, or that that Quidditch wasn’t terrifying.
“Get on with it, the sooner I can return without you, the better.” Walburga hissed, shoving Sirius towards the Floo with his trunk. She couldn’t Side-Along Apparate both of them (and their father, who could, had decided not to come), so she had opted to make use of the less preferred method of travelling by Floo to a small place hidden in the station.
When Sirius was sent through, he understood why no one liked arriving that way. It was dark, smelled like dust and damp, and was on the other side of the station to the platform. Perhaps if it was more interesting, he would have tried to wander off. But it wasn’t. Instead, he stood watching the Floo, trying to stop the gripping panic on his heart. When he had woken up that morning, he had felt like something was going to go wrong. There was a pit of dread in his stomach and after Walburga’s outrage, he knew they were doomed.
It took a minute or so but finally Ara came through the Floo struggling with her things - grimacing. With a nod of permission, he skirted through her memories and saw that Reggie had asked to come, prompting a delighted expression from Walburga. Which absolutely meant trouble.
Shortly, Walburga and Reggie stepped through - Reggie clutching at a cage for one of their family owls. It was a gift from their uncle Alphard some years back - a Long-Eared owl with eyes so wide and amber that sometimes the twins felt that perhaps she understood more than the usual owl. Alphard had wanted the children to name the owl but upon Sirius wanting to name it ‘Arnold’ she had refused their involvement and instead chosen the name ‘Syrinx’ after the myth of Pans flute. She was always desperate to let people know how smart she was.
With a hiss to hurry, the twins were soon being shoved through the station on their way to the platform. Clasping their hands between them, they gawped at the architecture of the place. It was so light! A bit grimy, sure, but sunlight shone through.
See Sirius, Ara squeezed his hand, today is going to be a good day.
Reggie was clutching their mother’s robes with one hand, but had the other secretly clasped onto Ara’s. Sneaking comfort and closeness in secret was a practice they had mastered years ago.
As they made the trek to the platform, Walburga hissed out little digs at the amount of Muggles, how it was ridiculous to have a Wizarding station be fused with a Muggle one. Once they finally made it to the barrier, Sirius was two seconds away from exploding and Ara was hardly better.
They waited briefly as another Wizarding family - one with older children sporting Gryffindor scarves - rushed their trunks through. Walburga miraculously bit back an awful comment about their Gryffindor-ness, seemingly attempting to be civil while in Wizarding company.
It was not a surprise for Walburga to be loudly and bitterly prejudiced - but there were rare occasions that she tried to bite her cruelty back. This was thankfully, hopefully one of them.
Once they were set to go through the wall, Walburga gave no instructions - instead taking Reggie through with the owl. Silently, the twins turned to each other and gulped. Wordlessly, they gripped their belongings, nodded once and turned to the wall.
They ran through it before their brains could kick in with what an awful idea that sounded like.
In the moment that they were sure would be a collision, the wall evaporated around them and they felt the floor change slightly as they blinked in the platform.
The lights were dimmer and orange - Wizarding fire caught in jars. The brick architecture was similar to the Muggle part, save for some flourishes that were oddly beautiful.
After a moment to savour the experience - the thrill of finally being on the platform about to go off to Hogwarts - they turned to follow their mother, who had begun a trek further down the platform with their brother in her grip.
They understood why as they walked. This section was filled with Muggles and their magic children. Further down was apparently where the Purebloods liked to venture - a sea of robes in dark shades. Ara looked back as she walked and watched with a small smile at all the parents fusing over their children. All these people who could never use magic, but were so excited for their children to learn it and be a part of this world. It made her heart ache. She wasn’t sure why and before she could dwell on it, Sirius asked through the bond about the library and soon she was gushing about the books.
He tolerated it all kindly as they finally caught up with their mother - who looked unimpressed that they fell behind in the first place - secretly relieved to have distracted her from gloominess.
As they fell into line with Walburga, a small commotion began just ahead of them.
There was a short ginger girl pleading with a brunette a little older; stood a little away from their parents as they debated. They were muggles, the twins thought, wearing those gorgeous muggle clothes that Ara dreamed about and Sirius planned to buy at the first chance (though, perhaps not the plain brown suit that the man was wearing). The ginger girl began to cry, yelling that she was sorry and that she’d write.
Ara felt her mother yank her arm nearly out the socket as she dragged her away, complaining that the station was ‘overrun’ with Muggle-borns. Though, Walburga didn’t use that word. As soon as Walburga released Ara from her grip, a boy pushed past her, knocking her to the ground in his hurry. She felt her palms skid the ground as she caught herself, the hem of her dress ripped in her tumble. She looked in time to see the boy glaring at her as he walked towards the ginger girl and her family.
Oh. She thought. He heard Wally.
Sirius helped her up and the two joined their mother and brother, ignoring how Ara’s hands were grazed. If Walburga hadn’t spotted what had happened, they weren’t going to say.
Walking behind Wally was preferable. It let them watch as people rushed about the station, hurrying to get their children on the train.
They spied James with his parents - and Ara giggled at how accurate her prediction in Diagon Alley had been.
His father looked exactly like him - same messy hair and dark skin. She supposed it must be a Potter thing, that the son looked like the father save for the eyes. That felt right - perhaps she’d read it in one of the Pureblood Dictionaries that her mother forced her to memorise.
He spotted her and his face broke into a wide grin, his hand raising to offer an excited wave. She forgot herself momentarily and grinned and waved back, prompting a sharp pinch from Walburga who had found her way to beside Ara.
“None of that. We do not interact with those blood traitors.” She hissed, dragging her daughter further down the platform.
As such, Ara and her twin missed the worried look James shot them. They missed the look his parents exchanged, the silent promise sealed with a nod.
“James, did you learn much about the Black twins in your time in Diagon Alley?” His mother asked casually, eyes drifting to regard her son monetarily, seeing his concerned eyes.
“Sirius likes Quidditch.” He offered, gaze still on the girl that he had waved to. Fleamont understood that look. Potter’s had a way of spotting their futures, even if they didn’t understand what it meant.
“What about their family?” His head shot to look at her with that question, confusion clear in his face.
“No? I mean… we were running late and they still had to get their wands and I said they could always go another day but-” he paused briefly, trying to find the right words. “They mentioned that they had to get them that day or their mother wouldn’t let them at all. But I think they were joking.” He scratched at the top of his head, same as his father did when he was thinking. Same as Fleamont had been doing since the start of the conversation, actually.
“Interesting.” Euphemia commented, her best mask of indifference plastered over her face.
“There was this one thing, though.” James spoke nervously, glancing between his two new friends and his mother before settling on her. “They seemed a bit… startled after I introduced you. I asked if they’d seen an inferi,” he smirked, prompting Euphemia to roll her eyes with jest, “and Ara just said you seemed nice but… I think it was more than that. They looked a little sad.”
Euphemia moved to hug her son to her, partly to hide her worried eyes.
Fleamont’s brother had married a woman from the Black family. And though she was civil and intelligent conversation, Euphemia had been glad that they had not had children. Dorea Potter nee Black was excellent company if you were an adult who enjoyed interesting conversation and French literature (and could handle several insults disguised as kind comments a minute), but she did not have a motherly bone in her body. She had spoken once about a cousin of hers who had three daughters to Euphemia - softly chuckling at the awfulness of it.
“We aren’t raised to raise children.” She had explained though sips of tea. “We are meant to birth heirs or die trying. Having a first born daughter is a Black’s greatest sin, having three is grave omen indeed.”
She had thought it a little extreme and perhaps a minor easing of a guilt at not having produced an heir for her husband (not that he had minded) - but seeing Walburga interact with her children felt as though the floor had been swiped from her her.
Naturally, meeting the Black twins in Diagon Alley had made her wary - she knew up close how unrepentant and cruel the family could be. Now, she was regretting her wariness. She had judged the children for a family member that they had not met. It was a petty motive.
With a soft sigh, she released her son and cupped his face.
“Do find them on the train and offer my gratitude for keeping you company last week. And do write to me if you find any causes for concern.” She did not elaborate, but it wasn’t need. Despite her son’s confusion, he nodded and would do as asked. She only hoped the instruction wasn’t necessary.
Meanwhile, a little distance aways, another mother was speaking to her children.
“Do not disappoint House Black. Do not step a toe out of line, do not speak unless told to, don’t you dare cause trouble - I will not tolerate you disappointing our family now you are stepping into society.”
Sirius and Ara merely stared back at her through her tirade - hands gripped tightly.
There was another minute or so of threats and commands but the five minute bell rang and Walburga found an end to her tirade. Her lips stretched into a sort of smile, glad to finally be freed of her burden.
“Regulus, say goodbye.” She prompted. Immediately, their little brother came from his place hiding behind their mother in the folds of her skirt and ran to his siblings.
He hugged Sirius first, begging him to please be safe. Sirius promised, though it was a lie, and the younger boy ripped himself off to cling to his sister in a hug that nearly cracked her ribs.
“Don’t leave me alone.” He whispered to her, clutching at the sides of her dress with fear in his eyes. She was scared too, seeing the way Walburga was glaring at his obvious concern for his sister. If she wasn’t nearly certain that Walburga wouldn’t hit him, she might have pried him off her with worry.
“It’ll be okay, Reggie,” she promised him, hoping it wasn’t a lie. “Wally won’t touch you.”
“I’m not worried about me.” He shook his head, looking at her with wide and terrified eyes. “Be careful.”
“I promise.”
With that, the younger boy squeezed his arms around her in a death grip for a few moments before parting and sprinting back to hold their mother’s skirt. Walburga held an arm around him defensively, and the twins exchanged a look of understanding.
Regulus wasn’t brave. He was kind, thoughtful and polite and their baby brother that they both loved… but he wasn’t brave.
“I expect a letter confirming you are in Slytherin. If I do not… it will not be you who suffers.” She spoke harshly, shooting a look at Regulus briefly. Ara gulped.
“Sure thing, Wally. We’ll get right on that.” Sirius replied sarcastically, grabbing Ara’s hand to direct her towards the train.
“How dare you!” Wally spat as the twins stalked away without a goodbye. Sirius, because he was seething with anger at Wally’s words, and Ara because she was doing her very best not to stay and keep an eye on Reggie. The sinking feeling in her gut didn’t go away as they got on the train. She wasn’t sure if it ever would.
In her daze of worry, she hardly noticed Sirius drag her to a compartment and sit her down inside. She did notice however, when he moved her head onto his lap and started playing with her curls. He was always very touchy.
Do you… do you think we should try? She asked him, biting at her lip. He scoffed at her like she was crazy.
Don’t let Wally get in your head. She’s just trying to loom over us when were meant to be happy today. We’re going to Hogwarts! He shot her a grin and she smiled back softly.
If she weren’t so stressed, the twins complete attitude swap would have been hilarious. It hardly felt like just ten minutes prior she was reassuring him. But then again, they’d always been rather good at balance. She supposed it must be the twin bond trying to keep their magic neutral.
They stayed there in silence for a little while, listening to the noise as students filled the train and moved around. Ara watched the people through Sirius’s eyes, curious as to their new classmates.
They seemed to silently decide to be alone. Ara knew that Sirius was hoping James would find them, just as Sirius knew that Ara was stuck in a loop of worrying. Her thoughts were getting murkier, less solid and more felt - and he knew she was on the verge of one of her episodes.
That was how their mother termed them, preferring that to calling it what it was. The after effects of the torture she had cast against her own child. Worrying was never good for Ara. Her thoughts would fracture as her emotions bubbled and rippled and if it wasn’t contained; her magic would bubble and lash out too.
But Sirius was a practiced brother, and he had plenty of interesting thoughts to distract her. He took her on a trip of their best moments, from the time Ara caught him trying to put a snake in Regulus’s bed as revenge for him taking the last croissant, to the incident in which Ara accidentally made Sirius’s hair purple with a burst of accidental magic.
It took a few minutes, but gradually Ara was able to get out of the traps in her mind and follow along with Sirius’s memories, laughing at the right times and smiling fondly at how young they had once been.
“Always and forever, Hermie.” He whispered to her out loud, the words too important to only be shared in silence.
It was there promise to each other. To be there until the end of their lives. And after that too.
“Promise.” She smiled back.
Without warning, the door swung open and a short boy quickly hid himself inside. He glanced out the glass for a moment, as though checking he wasn’t followed. The twins glanced at each other briefly, amusement sparkling in their eyes.
“Hello.” Sirius spoke loudly, prompting the boy to jump and turn to face them. His blue eyes were wide with alarm, big on his round face.
“Sorry! I can leave, I just wanted to get away before the Slytherin Prefect came back - he was awful - not that I think Slytherins are awful!” The boy rambled, squeaky voiced. It prompted a soft chuckle out of Ara.
“Don’t worry mate, we don’t give a shit about that in here.” Sirius grinned wide at how the boy squeaked at the word ‘shit’. He loved using foul language just to fluster people.
“Sirius, stop being a prat.” Ara teased, before sitting up and sliding so she and Sirius were side by side. “I’m Ara Black, and this oaf is my brother, Sirius.”
The boy gulped once, eyes flicking to the door as though considering making a run for it. So Ara offered him her practiced kind smile. He blushed a little but offered his name back.
“I’m Peter. Peter Pettigrew.” He didn’t offer to shake hands with Sirius, so Ara knew he wasn’t Pureblood. Also, the muggle clothing he donned was a rather large hint. It was odd though. She could have sworn she knew the name, like an imprint of memory - something she read long ago, or someone she met once at something boring. It filled her with this awful sense of unease; she was missing something important, but she couldn’t figure out what it was.
“Nice to meet you, Peter.” She spoke warmly, distracting herself from her odd thoughts before Sirius could pick up on them - and not noticing the suspicious glance he shot her. “Are you a first year too?”
“Yeah.” He smiled nervously, shrinking into himself.
“What house are you hoping for then?” Sirius asked, stretching out a little as he eyed over Peter.
“I’m not sure. I like Hufflepuff-”
“Pish!” Sirius sputtered. “Hufflepuff’s are boring. It’s the House for people who aren’t really that much of anything.”
“Then it’s the perfect place for you.” Ara teased, prompting Sirius to swat at her. She deflected effortlessly. “Stop being mean about Hufflepuff. I think it’s a lovely House.”
He snorted at her but didn’t comment further. Ara turned back to Peter, who looked like a trapped rat. She supposed they might be a little intense to newcomers - but it wasn’t their fault! They’d spent eleven years as siblings, and six of those with an open twin bond.
But she didn’t want to scare off this potential friend, so she lightly kicked Sirius and warned him over the bond to play nice.
“I’m not sure what I’m hoping for.” Ara told Peter with a shrug. “But I’d hope it wouldn’t impact my friendships.” She smiled, hoping the boy caught her double meaning. It took him a second, but his eyes widened and he smiled coyly back.
Rather dramatically, the moment was broken by the compartment door being thrown open by a familiar messy haired boy with squarish glasses.
“James!” Ara smiled as he slid into the compartment.
“Hey! Was that your brother on the platform? He looks just like you, Sirius!” He grinned, slipping down opposite them, not noticing the stranger beside him. “Mum said thanks for keeping me company last week - I was driving her a bit spare - she’d hoped to meet your mum at the station before she dragged you off.”
Sirius huffed in response. Neither twin had any intention of letting their new friends meeting their mother. If they did, their friends wouldn’t want to speak to them ever again, and Walburga would lock them away and ban them from interacting with blood-traitors (as she would so aptly put it).
“Probably for the best James,” Ara shrugged, moving Sirius’s hand into her curls so he’d stop tapping his knee. He did as directed, always so tactile. “Wally was a bit high strung this morning. We woke up late.”
“Ah! Were you in a rush then?” James seemed not to detect Sirius’s tenseness at this line of questioning, nor the way Ara’s smile didn’t reach her eyes, or how her fingers picked at each other.
“We stayed up too late talking about today. It was just a bit hectic this morning packing our trunks.” She lied for them. After all, she was much better at a quick excuse. But Sirius shone at preplanning their excuses.
“I’m Peter Pettigrew.” Ara smiled as her new friend broke into the conversation, looking nervous to have interjected. He seemed less socially anxious and more afraid that he might say the wrong thing and be rejected so early. She felt that ache, that desperation to be loved and cherished and she promised herself to get to know this boy, and to be a good friend to him.
James turned dramatically to Peter, finally realising the existence of the other boy. He awkwardly scratched the top of his head before extending a hand to shake Peter’s.
“I’m James Potter. Pleasure to meet you, sorry for all the rambling and not realising you were here. These two ran off before I could meet them on the platform so I was rather focussed on finding them. I didn’t realise we had another newbie in this carriage.” He flushed slightly, but adopted a cocky grin as he shook the other boys hand rather flamboyantly. Peter finally pulled away a little flustered at the display, but smiling secretly.
“You have a lot of energy, James Potter.” Ara commented lightly, shifting to fetch a book from her smaller bag. Their trunks had been whisked away at the station, but Ara had made sure to pack a smaller travel bag with their robes and some things to do on the ride. As she sat back up, she felt her brother’s arm behind her and leant into it - cracking open her book on Bigfoot’s Last Stand (as she had limited options left that were new to her and approved of in Grimmauld Place).
An easy conversation started between the boys after a short while regarding what they thought the sorting would be like. Sirius was claiming there would be a dragon, despite fully knowing about the sorting hat since Ara had read about it. James was adamant that they’d be fighting a Troll and Peter was just happy to offer a random input every once in a while. Ara continued to read her book, shuffling so Sirius could move his arm to just rest next to hers. After a short while, he reached for her hand and clasped it - still claiming they’d have to fight a Hungarian Horntail.
In the chaos of this discussion, the boys barely noticed the door creaking open.
The ginger girl from the platform slid into the compartment without looking at the others and seated herself right next to the door beside Ara - looking out the glass. The boys noticed her at that, but upon seeing her stricken face and the way she was pointedly not introducing herself or even looking at them, they decided it was best to let her be. Ara agreed with this decision. Though, she inadvertently looked at the girl just as the girl looked to her. The latter flushed furiously, but Ara offered a warm smile so the girl knew she was welcome. She had seen the dramatic display outside and knew this girl was surely having an awful start to what should be a magical day.
The door slid open again and Ara watched as the boy from the platform that had pushed her down entered and sat opposite the ginger girl, an awkward smile more akin to a grimace plastered on his gaunt face. His eyes flickered to Ara briefly, narrowing slightly before he turned back to his friend. She couldn’t blame his distaste for her - but she also couldn’t help but feel Sirius bristle at the sight of the new boy. Trouble was brewing.
“I don't want to talk to you,” the ginger said in a constricted voice.
“Why not?” The boy replied quietly, clearly uncomfortable with having this conversation in a carriage full of strangers. He looked too skinny and uncomfortable in his Hogwarts robes - still bare of a House. He must have been a first year too.
“Tuney h-hates me. Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore.”
The pieces began to click for Ara as she listened in. That was why the girl was fighting with the brunette at the platform. She must have been Tuney. Which Ara found to be the most ridiculous name, and her name was ‘Ara’ for Merlin’s sake!
“So what?” The boy shrugged, which was clearly the wrong move as the girl narrowed her eyes and shot him a look of loathing.
“So she’s my sister!”
“She's only a—” The boy stopped himself before finishing the sentence. The girl didn’t seem to notice, too busy trying to discreetly wipe away her tears, but the rest of the carriage did. Despite being a boy that pushed her over for her mother’s language, he seemed to share her attitudes.
“But we’re going!” he said, voice pleasant with excitement. “This is it! We’re off to Hogwarts!”
She nodded, brushing away some more tears. Her cheeks flushed slightly and she offered a weak smile.
“You’d better be in Slytherin.” That prompted James to add his two Knuts.
“Slytherin?”
The two newcomers shot to look at them. The boy with a barely concealed glare. The girl, with a furrow of confusion.
“Who wants to be in Slytherin?” James scoffed. “I think I’d leave, wouldn’t you.” He grinned, before faltering at the uncomfortable sight of the Black twins wincing.
“Our whole family’s been in Slytherin.” Sirius said, hand still linked with Ara’s - gripping her tighter as she ran her thumb over his knuckles.
“Blimey,” James joked, “and I thought you guys seemed all right!”
The two grinned back at him.
“Maybe we’ll break the tradition.” Ara shrugged, pretending her heart wasn’t pounding against her chest at the idea of failing Walburga. “Where are you heading, if you’ve got the choice?” She asked James, trying to deflect from her own issues.
James smirked at them before motioning as if he held a sword and was swinging it at their heads. Ara giggled.
“‘Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!’ Like my dad.” He spoke proudly. It was odd to listen to James discuss his parents. He didn’t seem to have any strong feelings about them beyond love.
Love, Ara could understand. It was caring even when it hurt you. It was chipping away at yourself to fit someone else’s plans, just because you love them. Love was her mother hating her and Ara still making her a birthday gift. It was her father teaching the boys and Ara watching through Sirius’s eyes as Walburga scolded her, knowing he would never teach her too. Love was holding her twin as he cried, of seeing her baby brother turned into their mother’s pet and feeling helpless. Love was forced upon her as a child and she had not been able to fight it off since.
But, then again, perhaps she couldn’t understand James’s idea of love. It seemed kinder, gentler. Almost simple.
The boy that had joined them, meanwhile, had scoffed at James’s statement, taking it a little too seriously.
“Got a problem with that?” James asked with narrowed eyes, sensing this conversation wasn’t going to be the fun joke he’d intended.
“No,” The boy spoke, though his mild sneer said otherwise. “If you'd rather be brawny than brainy-”
“Where’re you hoping to go, seeing as you’re neither?” interjected Sirius, prompting a snack from Ara.
James burst out nervously laughing as Sirius looked appropriately flustered by his sister’s glare. She didn’t approve of bullying. Peter was still sat in the corner, watching the scene with horror as the girl stood with a huff, glaring at the boys before turning to her friend.
“Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment.”
“See ya, Snivellus!” Sirius called out behind them, despite knowing it would irk his sister some more.
The second the door slammed shut, Ara thwacked him again.
“What was that for?” She demanded, groaning at Sirius’s behaviour. He’d been a lot of things before, but he’d never been mean.
“He tripped you up at the station.” He exclaimed, yanking her hands and presenting her scabbed palms to the boys.
“What?” James cried out, dramatically - eyes widening at the wounds. Peter was sat in the corner, wincing.
“Because he heard Wally.” She shot him a look, prompting him to replay the memory from her perspective, seeing the look of righteous fury on the boys face as he smugly walked away after bumping Ara.
“Well, I didn’t know that!” Sirius groaned after he was done with her version of the memory.
“How’d you see it then?” She asked incredulously.
“I thought he was being an arse!” Without warning, he shot his version at her. It contained him feeling his arm pulled away as he tuned out Walburga, watching his sister fall out of his grip as she hit the ground. To Sirius, the boy had looked back like he was proud of knocking over a girl, and he didn’t like that. Which… fair enough, she understood his actions now.
“He still knocked you over! And your hands are still hurt.” Ara snatched her hands away before Sirius could present them again. James looked positively vengeful, Peter still huddled in the corner, watching the scene with wide eyes.
“Well, that settles it then,” James huffed, not elaborating on what was settled.
Ara glared back at the boys before excusing herself to change into her uniform. It was honestly ridiculous, how overprotective Sirius was. She understood why, of course, but that didn’t mean that she had to like it. If anything, she should be the overprotective one. She knew what she’d done for him as a child, that she was so willing to suffer for his safety.
She supposed that was the difference between them. He wanted to save her from hurting, and he wanted to punish those who did. She just wanted him to be safe and loved. Even if that was at her own expense.
Once she was changed, she made her way back to their compartment.
Things had settled in her absence. The boys were now changed and playing exploding snap. Well, James and Sirius were playing to explain the rules to Peter, who watched on in awe.
It made her beam, the simpleness of the scene, as made her way back to her seat, picking up her book to continue to read.
The next hour was relatively peaceful. There were a few more lively debates about silly things, another few games of snap once Peter could join in. Soon, they were all contentedly watching the view out of the window, waiting for the trolley to go by. Though, the same could not be said for Peter.
Ara had spotted Peter’s eyes flicker over her face seven times in the last minute. She felt Sirius tense beside her, having noticed too.
“What… what happened to your face?” The chubby boy finally asked her - barely able to get out the words despite his curiosity - prompting an outraged gasp from Sirius. Ara rolled her eyes at her twins antics.
The first time someone had asked about her scars, they hadn’t asked pleasantly. After that, Sirius had decided that anyone who asked was a terrible person; no matter how much Ara tried to explain that it was just curiosity most of the time.
If she was honest about it, the scars had stopped upsetting her when she was ten. It wasn’t exactly a big moment that made her stop hating them and start to accept them. She just looked in the mirror one day and realised that she didn’t care.
They’d smoothed over time too - now more of a discolouration spread in tendrils across her left cheek and by her right eye up through her eyebrow to her forehead. If anything, it was a relief that she still had all her eyebrow. And her freckles offset it nicely - making her face beautiful.
Though she and Bella didn’t talk anymore, the kind words from her cousin had never left her.
So it didn’t matter if other people didn’t understand, or asked questions. Because she knew the beauty of her scars, and that was enough for her.
Unfortunately, it was not enough for Sirius - who had now decided that he didn’t like Peter at all.
Quit being a baby, she told him in their mind before answering Peter out loud.
“I burned myself when I was seven.”
“Ouch!” The boy winced empathetically. “That must have hurt.”
See, he’s being nice, she told her brother, who scoffed in their mind.
Still don’t like that he asked, Sirius grumbled in their mind.
Ara shrugged in response to Peter.
“It is what it is.”
That sealed the conversation, prompting Sirius to chat with James anew about Quidditch. Peter would join in every once in a while with a question - not entirely familiar with the sport.
“I’m a half-blood,” he explained, “but my mum left it behind when she married my dad. He’s muggle, you see, and he never really got magic so mum gave it up. Well, until I showed magic anyways. After that, she’d tell me stuff but I didn’t know how incredible everything is until I went to Diagon Alley.”
“That’s where we met!” James beamed at the boy, somehow always happy. It annoyed Ara a little, though she knew she was being ridiculous.
“Really?” Peter beamed. “The wand guy was a bit odd.” He joked, clearly testing the waters.
“A bit?” James scoffed dramatically. “He’s a kook!” The two laughed.
“I liked him.” Ara spoke up, shrugging. “He didn’t seem that strange.”
With that declaration, all three boys turned to look at her. Peter seemed to look like he regretted his joke, James was blinking with disbelief, and Sirius was just raising an eyebrow.
“What?” She frowned at them, turning the page in her book.
“He was mental! Kept going on about how wands pick wizards, and kept telling my mum about this weird creature that wand makers thought would make a good wand core. An invisible creature!” He exclaimed, smiling the whole time.
“James.” Ara spoke with dry seriousness. “Just because you can’t see something, doesn’t mean it isn’t real.”
She didn’t understand why, but he blushed profusely at that - looking back to Peter to discuss their wands. She shrugged it off, looking back to her book - not noticing the look Sirius shot James.
The rest of the journey was quick - the first years watching the sun as it began to set over the Scottish highlands. It was simply beautiful.
By the time the train pulled into Hogsmeade station, the compartment of first years were freshly dressed in their new school uniforms - and itching to start their new adventure. Well, except for Ara Black, who looked like she might be ill.
They made their way off the train, following a roaring voice calling for first years to go to the boats. The twins clasped hands between them, looking across the platform to the crowd of growing first years. Stood, so tall that the eleven year olds barely reached his hips, was one of the coolest looking people that the twins had ever seen. They locked eyes to exchange an excited look, before returning focus to the man as they walked over.
He had mad hair - brown frizziness sticking out around his head like a halo, and a scruffy beard that seemed to have a couple of twigs in it to match. He donned a brown fur coat that was more rips and scratches than fabric, and had the biggest smile they’d ever seen.
When they reached him, he began to lead the group down to a small dock, lined with a dozen little boats.
“Lovely to meet ya, firs’ years!” The man beamed, prompting the majority of the group to smile back. The only ones that weren’t, the twins recognised. All pureblooded from the worst kind of families; the kind Walburga loved to sit and have tea with and discuss eradicating ‘half-breeds’. “No more’n four to a boat.”
The children swarmed to find boats - Sirius’s hand leaving Ara’s as he helped James claim a boat. Rather than immediately jump in the boat, Ara walked up to the tall man that had led them and extended a hand - wanting to make a good first impression (and delay her journey to be sorted).
“I’m Ara Black, sir.” She saw his eyes narrow slightly at her surname, and forced her smile to be a little brighter with hope the man wouldn’t judge her based on surname. “Are you the groundskeeper?” She asked brightly.
“Right you are.” He nodded, though still wary.
“That sounds fascinating!” She exclaimed, prompting a surprised noise from the man. “Would you mind if I came to visit? I’d love to hear about the grounds. Is it true you help protect the Forbidden Forest?” She gushed. The man let out a hearty laugh and nodded, over his wariness and finally shaking her hand.
“Yeh. I recon that’d be lovely. I’m Hagrid.”
“It’s very lovely to meet you, Mr Hagrid.” Ara smiled warmly up at the tall man, who beamed back down at her.
“Ought to get on yer boat now, miss.” He warned with a smile. She nodded and moved back over to the boat her brother had claimed. He was sat looking rather impatient, but once she shot him a look he rolled his eyes and relaxed.
Still stood by the boat, however, was Peter. James was too busy gawping to notice that the poor boy looked green at the idea of the boats. Literally. As Ara scanned the boats, she noticed that practically everyone had boarded except for her and Peter.
Well, there was nothing else for it. She grabbed Peter’s hand, shot him a reassuring smile and dragged him into the boat with her. The poor boy half-fell in, but soon they were sat and the journey was underway.
Once they were out on the water, Peter’s green tint subsided as he gawped at the sight. Hogwarts, in all it’s stone and glory stood strong - magic infused into the castle making it almost glow in the darkness.
“Heads down!” yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached a cliff; the children bending their heads as the little boats drifted through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, that seemed to go under the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbour, where they were ushered off the boats and up through a dizzy path to the castle doors.
Once they were all arrived and huddled together, Hagrid shot the group a wide grin; raising his fist and knocking against the wood three times. The door ripped open rather dramatically, and a brown haired witch appeared.
“The firs’ years, Professor McGonagall.” Hagrid announced.
“Thank you, Hagrid. I’ll lead them from here.” She spoke with a terse smile, face a mask of seriousness. “Follow me!” She bellowed, beginning the final step of the journey. The first years hurriedly followed after her - still gawping at the sight of their new school.
Blimey! Sirius exclaimed at the tall halls and winding staircases. Ara giggled in reply, looping her arm through his as they ventured deeper. They were led to a chamber that led to the Great Hall - the ambiance of older students’ gossip audible through the large wooden doors.
“Welcome to Hogwarts!” The group turned to look at the witch that led them, dazzled by her deep red robes and pointed hat. “The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.”
Ara’s breath hitched and she felt Sirius’s arm tense around hers. Both were too nervous about their sorting to focus properly on her next words; some spiel about House points and cups. The twins locked eyes and saw their panic reflected.
“The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting.” Ara was not blind to how McGonagall’s eyes lingered on James’s hair, Peter’s scruffy uniform - and on the Black twins themselves. There was an almost imperceptible hint of panic as she looked away.
Scanning the crowd, Ara took in all of her fellow students. There were at least a couple dozen of them; all in their unmarked uniforms and chatting. Half of these friendships wouldn’t last past the sorting, and it made her queasy. What if their new friends didn’t want to be their friends if they were in Slytherin? What if she was stuck with the Avery brothers and the Nott cousins?
As she looked through the future Slytherins, her eyes locked with a small blonde girl. She had hair like spun silk - nearly Malfoy white. And she looked alone and terrified.
I’m going to join her. She looks lonely, Ara announced to her twin, flashing him a look of the girl in their mind.
Come back before the sorting!
“I’m Pandora.” The girl announced, the very second that Ara was in front of her. Ara smiled warmly, extending a hand.
“Ara Hermione Black.”
“Oh! Are we doing the fancy introductions?” The odd girl smiled, swishing her skirt so she could curtsy - prompting a little giggle from the other girl. “Pandora Demeter Olivander, my lady.”
She righted herself and the girls fell into a fit of giggles.
“Is your dad the wand seller in Diagon Alley? He was lovely.” Ara asked, remembering the odd but kind man. Pandora looked ten times happier at Ara’s words.
“He’s my grandfather! He looks after me.” She offered no explanation as to why and Ara did not press.
“He was brilliant!” She breathed, her academic mind running over the wand-makers curious words. It was something Sirius loved to tease her over; the way her mind would race with questions about topics she found intriguing. Secretly, he loved it. “Did he help you find your wand too?”
“Of course!” Pandora beamed, presenting her wand with a flourish. It was a dark wood, adorned with little pale carvings of vines and petals. “It’s vine wood, with a unicorn hair core.” She twirled it in her hand effortlessly, looking incredibly proud. Ara couldn’t help her smile growing wider as she pulled her own wand out.
“Here’s mine! It’s redwood with a phoenix feather core.” Pandora’s eyes widened at the wand, and her hands moved on their own accord, inching towards the wood. Her finger’s were only inches away when she flinched back, still smiling.
“Grandfather was so excited about this wand!” She exclaimed. “He made it just before I was born, you know? He was planning on using the wood and core for different wands, but my mother uttered a prophecy and thus the wand was made as it is.”
“A prophecy?” Ara gasped, looking to her wand cautiously.
“Mother had them all the time.” Pandora waved a hand dismissively, before looking around and leaning down to Ara as if to impart a big secret. “Sometimes, I think she made them up.” She whispered with a grin.
The girls fell into giggles again,
“I think, Ara Hermione Black, that I would very much like to be your friend.” Pandora spoke serenely, though Ara noticed the nerves in her eyes.
“I think that would be wonderful.” Ara replied with a wide grin, glad to have found a female friend. From Pandora’s glisteningly happy eyes, Ara suspected she felt the same.
Before either girl could add anything else to the conversation - the doors to the Hall opened and soon the first years were ushered in. As the hoard of children moved, Ara scanned the crowd for her brother and new friends - relaxing when she felt Sirius’s hand in hers, a soft humming through the bond.
She hadn’t even realised that she was nearing another breakdown until his eyes locked with hers and she felt him send confidence through the bond.
Thank you, she squeezed his hand.
In the bustle, she lost track of Pandora - but found herself in the middle of the group of boys.
The first name was called to be sorted, and Ara watched with held breath as the hat was placed. It took a couple of seconds before the hat exclaimed “Hufflepuff!”, sorting an Abbott into their usual house. As the next name was called up, Ara felt Sirius’s hand tighten around hers. They were next.
“Ara Black!” McGonagall called out, once the last person had gone to join the Slytherins. Ara’s breath hitched, and she felt Sirius’s confidence over the bond.
Everything will be okay, Hermie, he promised. Looking into his eyes that matched hers, she couldn’t disagree. So, she nodded to her brother, separated their hands - and made her way to the stool.
The second the Hat was placed on her head, she made her request.
“Put me in Slytherin.”
“Are you sure?” It seemed amused.
“It’s my family’s house.” She offered lamely, knowing that despite her fears for her brother - her heart wasn’t really in it.
“But is it yours? I see a lot of potential in you, magic and power that could either break or heal the world. Now, now… where do you belong?” The Hat mused. “Slytherin would match your bloodline, certainly, but… I do not find their ambition in you. You are a warrior, not a politician. Hufflepuff would be interesting, you share their loyalty though I fear your vivaciousness might kill them.” It chuckled to itself.
“Not Hufflepuff.” She huffed, prompting another dry chuckle.
“Of course not. No, in you I see bravery. A desire to fight and to protect others. I see all your lives, and in all of them you are a true Gryffindor.” She could feel the Hat smiling.
“I’m not brave.” She informed the Hat. It scoffed at that, as though those words were the most ridiculous thing it had heard in it’s centuries of life. “I’ve let bad things happen.” She whispered the final sentence.
“True bravery is not as you think. Your bravery is the strongest I’ve seen. You have fought wars, and you will fight more. I thank you for your sacrifice.”
“I’m a coward. Just put me in Slytherin please.” She begged, hoping the Hat would cave - politely ignoring his confusing declarations.
“You are not a coward, Ara Hermione Black, you are a GRYFFINDOR!”
It boomed the last word and the hat was lifted from Ara’s head. Numbly, she made her way to the table, resolutely not watching Cissa’s hurt expression or how everyone in the hall wasn’t cheering, but instead sat there stunned.
Don’t worry, Hermie, Sirius whispered over the bond as Ara awkwardly found a seat at the Gryffindor table - students around her leaving her a wide berth, I’ll come join you in a sec.
True to his word, as soon as the Hat was placed in his head it yelled Gryffindor and her brother was rushing to join her with a beaming smile. He jumped in the seat next to her, wrapping a reassuring arm around her and muttering on about the feast and where he wondered their friends would end up.
Ara sat there numbly staring at the table, swallowing harshly. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the idea of being a Gryffindor but that she knew her opinion on the matter was irrelevant.
By bedtime, Cissa would send off an owl to her mother, telling her about it all. It wasn’t Cissa’s fault that she was a snitch, she just was. She was her family’s Reggie. Something about younger siblings, Ara figured. But for Ara and Sirius, it meant their parents finding out immediately that they weren’t in Slytherin like they should have been.
“Well, Siri,” Ara looked up to her brother, deciding to be done with pity until she was in bed tonight, “I suppose we’re blood-traitors now.” He beamed at her, amused, and puffed his chest slightly, looking like a smug house-cat.
“I suppose so.” They grinned to each other, hugging briefly in a silent promise to not let their family stop them being excited about this. By the time they’d parted, another boy had joined their house, sitting by the two in the free space - seemingly unaware of the tension the Gryffindors held regarding their two new members.
“I’m Ara.” She extended a hand to this new boy, who froze for a second, as though startled at her offering. It took a moment of hesitation before he shook it warmly. He was sort of lovely looking, with sandy blond hair and bright brown eyes flecked with grey. There was a light splattering of scars on his face, and though she knew it was selfish, it made her feel better about her own scarred face. At least she wasn’t alone.
Little did she know, the boy opposite felt the same.
“Remus.” He smiled nervously, before shaking Sirius’s hand as he introduced himself (with another beat of hesitation).
“Are you excited? I heard we get to learn all kinds of things - I recon I could use them for mischief, at least my favourite cousin used to tell me that…” Sirius began a tirade about school and his excitement and Ara rolled her eyes lovingly.
More sorting occurred and soon the table had all it’s first years present.
The ginger girl from the train had sat down already, though a little away from the twins. Not that they could, or would blame her. James and Peter had jumped into place around them, joining in the conversation and nattering away about classes and hidden passages and all the things eleven year olds find exciting.
There were a few more first years around them - and a second year boy named Frank Longbottom (that seemed incredibly polite) caught Ara’s notice when he blushed as she shook his hand - and soon the feast was beginning.
Ara participated in the conversation as best she could, but the tension of knowing what was to come was too much for her. She sensed Sirius stiffen beside her and saw a flash of what he saw through the bond. Cissa was watching them from the Slytherin table with a look of pure misery. Ara grabbed his hand and sent him a memory of a pretty rock she’d seen a week prior through the bond and he relaxed slightly.
After that, the two participated more in the conversation - eating the food that materialised on the table as they went. Sirius joked with the boys, suggesting pranks or wild ideas, while Ara offered advice on how to not get caught and which things would be too suspicious. The others watched them with awe as they got caught in a little argument about dungbombing their Head of House’s office.
“It would be funny!” Sirius claimed, exasperatedly, as though Ara were being ridiculous.
“Not for the first week! Besides, do you really want to make an enemy of the person that can keep us here over holidays and away from Wally?”
The two stared each other down, neither wanting to crack first.
“So what’s the deal with you two then?” One of the girls (maybe Marley? Ara wasn’t sure of her name) asked the twins through a mouth of food - gesturing between them.
“What do you mean?” Sirius asked with a relaxed tone, though Ara felt his tension.
“Oh come on.” She rolled her eyes with a huff. “You two are the biggest news in years.”
“Why?” Peter nervously asked from beside Ara.
“You don’t know about the infamous Black twins?” The girl choked on her food at this, managing to swallow after another girl slapped her back.
“No. Should I?” Peter asked, resulting in a snort from the other girl.
“They’re Sacred Twenty-Eight. Everyone knows about them.” She explained like it was obvious, despite this only making the boy’s brow furrow more. Sirius scoffed at that, always annoyed when someone brought up their blood status. It only reminded them that their parents were technically second cousins.
“We’re just people.” Ara rolled her eyes, stabbing at her potatoes with her fork.
“People belonging to a Dark House. Who are now in Gryffindor.” The girl continued. “Face it, you two are the biggest gossip in years.”
Ara and Sirius simultaneously gulped, much to their new friends’ amusement.
“So, go on then. Why are you here instead of in the dungeons?” The girl asked, propping her chin on her hand to give them puppy eyes.
“I go where she goes.” Sirius shrugged, taking a bite of meat.
“And I’m the big disappointment of House Black.” Ara shrugged, mimicking her brother. “Made sense to end up here.” She joked, prompting a little laugh from the others.
“If you’re done interrogating us, can I eat my potatoes?” Sirius quipped sarcastically, prompting the girl to go beet red. Ara couldn’t find it in her to feel bad; she was too exhausted.
“I don’t get it.” Peter said quietly after a moment. The others had started different conversations, leaving the twins to their meal. But not Peter. Instead he looked at them curiously, as if trying to solve a puzzle with only a couple clues.
“What don’t you get?” Sirius asked briskly, prompting Ara to elbow him. He told us that he’s a half-blood, she scolded him, he just doesn’t know.
Sirius sighed out loud and repeated the question more kindly to the clearly nervous boy.
“Why should your family dictate your Hogwarts house? Isn’t it just about you? My mum went but she didn’t care where I ended up. She was a Hufflepuff.” He spoke her House with pride, puffing out his chest a little in a way that made Ara beam.
“Because usually, pureblood families all go to a certain house. Like James, his dad was a Gryffindor and now he is. All Potters are. Like how all Bones are sorted into Hufflepuff. Or, how all Blacks end up in Slytherin.”
“Until you?”
“Until us.” She confirmed.
“So it’s a big deal?”
“Let’s just say, be expecting a Howler soon.” She shuddered at that thought, but shook it off and smiled warmly at the babyfaced boy, letting him know that she didn’t mind his questioning. He flushed slightly and smiled back shyly, prompting a huff from Sirius.
I don’t like him, he informed her.
He’s lovely! Just because he asks questions, doesn’t mean you get to hate him. By tomorrow he’ll be in your little group, mark my words.
But he’s nosy!
No, Siri. He’s curious. It’s not a bad thing to be, you know? She shot him a firm look and he accepted defeat, joining back into a conversation with James about Zonkos and how they’d have to visit it in third year. Ara rolled her eyes at his antics, instead taking up a conversation with Remus.
The boy was well-read, telling her about fascinating muggle books he’d read over the summer, even offering to lend her his copy of a book about a sort-of wizard that built a living sweet factory. It sounded incredible.
As desserts were being served, Sirius gave Ara The Look.
They hadn’t named this phenomenon themselves - rather, the responsibility went to Reggie. He told them once that he knew trouble was coming when they exchanged The Look. It proved helpful for Reggie being able to avoid the fallout of their stupid decisions.
Ara nodded to Sirius once, a grin breaking out on her face. She scooped up a chunk of pudding with the largest spoon she could find. Sirius blasted the image of a ginger Gryffindor behind her and Ara flicked the pudding - grinning wider when she heard an exclamation of shock.
Unfortunately for the Gryffindor, Ara was very quick. So quick that when he went to look at the first years to figure out who’d hit him, he found himself stumped - staring down a bunch of eleven year olds who seemed to be innocently chatting and eating dessert.
With that, there was nothing else for it.
Soon more pudding was flung; this time ending up in Peter’s hair. The first years all spun (including Sirius and Ara, who had plastered false looks of shock on their faces) to see the older boy grinning, pudding running down his cheek.
“Food fight!” Another boy yelled, prompting a mad frenzy at the Gryffindor table as the students began flinging their puddings around - absolute chaos erupting at the table. The twins joined in merrily, Ara managing to splatter Remus with fruit sauce and Sirius getting the ginger boy in the face again with chocolate mousse. Even the sorrowful ginger girl joined them after a moment, though she was clearly scanning the group to find the culprit.
The mayhem only grew once a Ravenclaw was caught in the crossfire, yelling at the ginger boy on the table.
“Honestly, Fabian, can’t we have one dinner in peace?”
“No you can’t!” Another, identical ginger boy jumped up from his seat to answer the question. Ara supposed that he was Fabian and the other girl had messed the boys names.
That interaction resulted in Ravenclaw being dragged in, frankly kicking and screaming. And once the Ravenclaws were yelling obscenities, the Hufflepuffs took that as their cue to pelt as many people as possible - including the Slytherins. The whole thing couldn’t have been longer than two minutes before the booming voice of the Headmaster filled the Hall and warned them to stop. It was as though he spelled them all, because no one moved at his words. Not until he told them to sit down.
The entire student population of the Hall begrudgingly fell back to their seats, watching the mess be vanished away from the tables.
It was safe to say that not a single student wasn’t at least touched by some type of dessert.
They were sent to their dormitories with a warning, the Gryffindor prefects dragging the group of gawping first years behind them through the halls - begrudgingly spelling them clean at McGonagall’s request. They pointed out interesting parts of the castle, describing the enchantments and rules as they went. The twins half-listened, stood firmly in the middle of the pack; hands clasped together as they took in their new home.
“It’s so dark!” One of the girls exclaimed, prompting the twins to share an amused look.
To them, this was as bright as they could get. Grimmauld was droll and smelled of evil and prejudice. This was the opposite - entirely neutral but protective magic enveloped them, like a soothing blanket. They could get lost for weeks hunting secret passages!
The two silently agreed to try and spend their holidays at the castle.
By the time they reached the common room and were left to their own devices, there was a hint of tension in the air - a fog of suspicion as the ginger girl glared down the group, scanning them for guilt.
“So who started it?” Lily whined, the second the group was situated at some couches in the corner.
Sirius and Ara exchanged a look, and groans emerged from the group of Gryffindor firsties.
“We didn’t say anything!” They spoke together, but the group all stared.
“You didn’t have to.” Remus remarked with dry amusement.
“It was Ara’s idea.” Sirius declared.
“You rat! You’re the one that started it in the first place, wanting to have an ice cream fight.” She grumbled the last words.
“You were the one that said we should do it at Hogwarts.” Sirius retorted.
“Just because-”Ara began.
“But you!” Sirius suddenly exclaimed.
“I don’t care-”
“But the-”
“Look at-”
“Fine!” Sirius exclaimed, conceding the spat.
The rest of the common room had tuned in by this point, watching them with wide eyes, gulping at the intenseness that was spending time with the twins.
“Are you always like this?” The ginger girl asked incredulously. “You didn’t even speak in full sentences!”
“Why would we need to?” Ara asked her, utterly confused.
“Twin bond.” Sirius grinned, tapping his head and then Ara’s, prompting a scowl.
A sigh of ‘oh’ erupted over some of the first years, save for the ginger girl (Ara really had to find out her name) and Peter.
“What’s a twin bond?” They asked, accidentally in sync. The two looked at each other sheepishly, prompting the group to laugh.
“You don’t know what a twin bond is?” James asked incredulously from his perch on the arm of Sirius and Ara’s armchair.
“I’m a Muggleborn.” The ginger girl rolled her eyes.
“And I’m a half-blood but I grew up muggle.” Peter added nervously. Ara smiled warmly at the boy, deciding that he would absolutely be one of her new friends.
“Quit being rude, James.” Ara gave him a a little shove and he overcorrected in his attempt to stay put, slipping onto the floor with an ‘oof’.
It prompted another little chuckle from the group as James sprung back up and sat by Ara anew. His look of admiration was not lost on the group of first years. Save for Ara, that is, who was blind to his dopey smile as she flicked her hair over her shoulder.
“Twin bonds are just… twin bonds.” Sirius offered lamely. Upon seeing the ginger girl’s raised eyebrow, he scoffed. “I don’t know how to describe it! It just is what it is.” He shrugged.
“It’s like always being together. I always know where he is and he knows where I am. We can talk in our mind-”
“Our mind?” Peter interrupted with confusion. “Like you two share a brain?”
“Oh no!” Sirius laughed. “We just share a mind.”
“Not helping.” Ara grumbled.
“Twin bonds are where magic binds twins together in the womb. It means, in theory, that they can sense each other’s entirety. The bond means a natural bridge between twins minds and souls, meaning they can communicate inside their minds and feel what the other feels.” Remus spoke, as though reciting a textbook.
“Like I can take Sirius’s pain when he’s being a baby.” Ara grinned, flicking her brother, who scowled.
“And I can show her exactly what I’m seeing as if she’s seeing it.” He added with a shrug.
“So would you form a triad?” Marlene asked curiously.
“Fuck no!” The twins exclaimed in perfect sync, looking at each other with a wrinkled nose.
“We’re our own people.” Ara spoke, eyeing the girl nervously.
“Fair enough.” The girl shrugged, and the conversation changed to classes.
Ara learned that the ginger girl was named Lily Evans; even if said girl scowled at her when she politely asked her name. She learned that Peter’s mum was a half-blood like him, that James had been riding a broom since he was three and that he was planning to try out for the Quidditch team in second year. She learned the name of the final other Gryffindor girl - a sweet looking girl with a round face and prominent teeth; Alice Brown, who had an older brother named Robert in Ravenclaw.
They were still introducing themselves when the entrance flung open and a loud roar of laughter broke out into the room.
All heads turned at once to the source; the two red-headed boys from earlier were leading a pack of older Gryffindors. The boys seemed to sense the eyes on them, finding the first years with wicked glee. They made their way over hastily, beaming grins plastered on their faces.
“Well, look at this Gideon.” One of the boys spoke, almost sounding rehearsed. The Black twins knew it wasn’t though. It was twin speak.
“Ickle, bickle firsties, Fabian.” Gideon commented, scanning the group.
“Started a food fight, didn’t they?” Fabian continued, eyes locking with Sirius’s - knowing he’d found a culprit. After all, he knew that glint of mischief perfectly well. He’d seen it reflected in his twin’s eyes more times than he could count.
“It was them!” Lily exclaimed, pointing at Ara and Sirius - who shot her a death glare so wild that she withered in her seat.
The redheaded twins let out a booming laugh at this, making their way to the twins with wide smirks.
The Black twins were pulled from their chair by the others, only to have their hands clasped tightly.
“Two more twins to join the pranking legacy.” Gideon beamed at them, shaking Ara’s hand so excitedly that she thought he might rip her arm off.
“Truly, this is an absolutely marvellous turn of events, isn’t it Gid?” Fabian was now shaking Sirius’s hand with the same ferocity, though the boy seemed not to mind.
“We’ll be expecting big things, firsties-”
“- after all, a food fight-”
“- on the very first night-”
“- is bloody impressive.” The two spoke in turns, something Ara knew she would find endlessly entertaining.
Shall we? Sirius asked, raising his eyebrows as he glanced at her briefly.
The two dropped their arms from the other twins and spoke together.
“Thank you!”
“We appreciate your being-” Ara began.
“- so understanding on this matter-” Sirius continued, relishing in the amused looks on the older boys faces.
“- despite us throwing you the first shot.”
The ginger twins exchanged a brief look before turning back to Ara and Sirius with a sneaky smile.
“Of course!” They exclaimed together.
“After all-”
“- you might have thrown the first shot-”
“- but we’ll get you back.”
The four all smiled to each other secretively before nodding and parting ways without another word. Those surrounding them in the common room were utterly baffled at the events, watching as they walked off.
“Godric, we’ve got two of them now!” One girl exclaimed.
“Four technically.” Remus quirked, amusedly. In the very short time he had interacted with the Black twins, he had seen the thing that most people don’t notice at first. That, despite the twins closeness and similarities, they were their own people.
He followed after the twins, going with them and a couple of boys in the corner of the common room.
“Do you mind if I join?” He asked, silently bracing himself for rejection as four pairs of eyes shot up to regard him. Sirius seemed wary, regarding Remus carefully. It made the latter boy gulp.
“Of course you can!” Ara exclaimed, beaming up at him in a way he couldn’t help but reciprocate.
He sat down with them and opened his book, content with reading as the twins and James talked about prank ideas. Peter would add a flair to random ideas, or tell them Muggle pranks that they could turn magic. It took Remus a few minutes before he joined in - telling Sirius that he ought to use a certain spell for one of his prank ideas. Sirius beamed at him, including him in the discussion, seemingly forgetting his earlier wariness. Remus shot a look to Ara, curious if this was a common thing. Given her wink, he suspected it might be.
The five chatted the evening away, only stopping when a prefect called out to the first years that it was curfew. Begrudgingly, they got up from their seats and made their way to the stairs.
Ara and Sirius parted with a tight hug - the latter making his way to join the other boys on their way up to their dorm. It was the fifth room along; their names neatly printed above the room number. They found their trunks in a neat pile in the middle of the dorm - the boys calling which bed they wanted. Sirius luckily got the one next to the door, and was soon opening his trunk to pull out his things.
“Oh bugger!” Sirius exclaimed as he tore through his trunk, throwing things everywhere.
“What’s wrong?” Remus asked beside him, taking a sneaky peek into the trunk. It was an absolute mess.
“Ara packed my favourite pyjamas in her trunk.” He groaned, still throwing about his belongings.
“Can’t you just ask for them tomorrow?”
“It’s not just that. Half this trunk is her things. We just threw everything in the trunks, you know?” He looked up at the boy with a poorly masked wince. For a moment, Remus assumed it was at him. That is, until he saw the boy return to stare at his trunk defeatedly.
“Didn’t you pack it this morning? Even I didn’t do that.” James joked from his bed, prompting another hidden wince from the boy. Remus watched on, curious and a little concerned.
“I’ll do better next time.” The boy shrugged, beginning to pile the belongings into one pile belonging to him, and another to his sister. “I’ll have to get the other half of my stuff tomorrow from Ara. But she’s chill, she’s…” he closed his eyes for a moment, eyebrows furrowed, and - as if he hadn’t in the first place - he opened his eyes and continued, “already got my stuff sorted out for me, of course.” He laughed, shaking his head with humour.
“Ara’s cool.” Peter smiled, eyes glossy. Sirius snapped his head to look at him with a narrowing of his eyes. With that, Peter very quickly sat up a little straighter. “Not that you’re not cool too!”
Sirius seemed to accept that. At least, until James weighed in.
“Her hair’s so big.” He muttered dreamily, prompting a glare from Sirius.
“No one touches my baby sister.” He warned.
“You’re twins.” Remus remarked dryly, trying to both defuse this weird situation and not accidentally become a part of it.
“Yeah, well I’m older.” He blushed slightly, eyes off to the distance for a moment before he sighed and looked to the boys sheepishly. “Okay, fine. She’s older.”
“Did she just tell you off for saying you were older?”
“Yeah.”
“Can you guys always see what the other is up to?” Peter asked, curiously.
“Nah. We could if we wanted to, but that’d be like being the same person. She just always overhears when I say that I’m older than her. It’s so annoying.” He groaned. “Give me a second, I have to tell Ara off for laughing at me.”
The other three boys chuckled at his expense and waited for his conversation with his sister to end.
“Okay. She’s given me five minutes to do this before she steps in and tells me off.” He turned to look at the boys. “Ara’s off limits. I saw you looking at her, but she’s my sister and no one is dating her. Get it?”
“Got it.” The boys chimed together, amusedly.
“Alright then.” He nodded - not noticing the lack of seriousness.
——
That evening, try as she might, Ara couldn’t sleep. When she’d gotten into her dorm, she’d picked the bed closest to the door - watching as Lily picked the bed on the complete opposite side of the room by the window. Which was fine, Ara didn’t need everyone to like her, especially not some girl that judged her based on a single comment from her brother. Besides, she and Alice had ended up having an excellent conversation about owls and Marlene had dealt with the irate Muggleborn - shooting the other girls a look that suggested she was not at all happy with the arrangement. When Marlene and Ara went to brush their teeth, she made her feelings known.
“Merlin, that girl is annoying.” She groaned, squeezing dirigible plum toothpaste on her brush. At Ara’s curious gaze (as she was used to the more traditional alternative of a toothbrush enchanted to freshen and clean teeth, or her mother scourgifying her mouth) she grinned. “Mum says dirigible plums are good for health, so she made me bring it. I quite like the taste anyways.” She shrugged.
“Can I try some?” Ara asked, knawing at her lip. Marlene beamed in response, passing the tube to her.
Once they’d started brushing their teeth, Marlene resumed her criticisms; surprisingly adept at talking clearly while brushing.
“She just… ugh, she’s just so uptight! She was asking about magic stuff one minute, then bashing the more fun stuff the next. Called Quidditch a death trap!” Marlene groaned as she spit out the toothpaste. Ara held back a little giggle, thinking how she and Lily seemed to have something in common. Perhaps she could use that as a bridge?
Once they arrived back in the dorm, Lily had pulled her curtain across and Alice was waiting in her bed to bid them goodnight. And so they did, curling into their own beds and turning out the nights.
And an hour later, Ara was still awake; staring at the canopy above her bed.
It was the first night since she and Sirius were five that they weren’t sharing a bed. She could feel Sirius feeling the same over the bond, and realising that he was debating going to the girl’s dorms, she quietly got up from her bed and made her way round to his.
Luckily, the stairs didn’t turn into a slide at her presence as the prefects claimed they would, and Ara made her way through. She may not have been there before, but the tug of Sirius calling for her over their bond led her way.
He opened the door for her quietly, grabbing her hand and dragging her to his bed. She hoped his dorm mates were all asleep. Wordlessly, they shut the curtains out to hide them, and shuffled so they were lying on their sides facing.
“How bad do you think she’ll be?” Ara whispered to him, looking at him with big nervous eyes. Sirius absent-mindedly moved her hair away from her face and sighed.
“She won’t do anything to him. I know she said she would, but he’s her little Heir.” He spat the nickname with disgust. “He’s untouchable. Us, on the other hand…”
They left the final words unsaid but lingering in their shared minds - unaware that a certain boy with particularly good hearing in the bed next to them was still awake.
“Come on then, Siri. Time for bed.” Ara whispered to him, moving gently to kiss his forehead goodnight. He did the same, the two shuffling their heads back on the pillow and closing their eyes together.
Despite it all, Sirius had a very good sleep.
Ara, however, was not so lucky.