Strangers
And when we get there, make your play
'Cause soon, I feel, you're gonna carry us away
In a promised lie you made us believe
For many men, there is so much grief
And my mind is proud but it aches with rage
And if I live too long, I’m afraid I'll die
Strangers on this road we are on
We are not two, we are one
3rd November 1972
September bled away with frosty nights; October blinking past with essays and exams. By the dawn of November; it was safe to say that everyone was looking forward to the looming occasion. Anything to distract themselves from the bleary mood around the castle. It seemed to cling to everyone.
Everyone, that is, save for the Black siblings.
As far as they were concerned, life was dandy.
Ara’s nightmares had been growing less frequent, if a bit more disturbing. Flashes of curses in dark halls, dozens of orbs smashing against the ground and suffocating her. She’d wake in a cold sweat; Sirius whispering reassurances over the bond as Lily peered in on her.
Most nights that she had nightmares, Ara would end up scurrying to the boys dorm and jumping into Sirius’s bunk. They always slept better together, after all.
Time bled and soon winter shrouded the Halls. The Black siblings had been glued together since the start of term; the twins speaking as one more often than not.
Their friends would be lying if they said they weren’t sick of it.
They daren’t comment on it, though - warned by James to let it be. The summer had been harsh on them, after all. None of the boys would speak on the matter of the Black family, but those surrounding the siblings could guess. And so, they left it alone.
Especially given how reassured it made their brother.
Regulus often showed up in the Common Room in the evenings; unable to eat with his siblings under Narcissa’s watchful glare. He’d sit beside his sister, chatting mindlessly about whatever silly things the siblings shared. Lily would help him with homework while Remus and Peter quizzed him on his favourite books and things. It was apparent that his closeness to the twins brightened them all.
But nothing brightened them quite like the first Friday of November. The day the twins would be turning thirteen.
It was great luck that their birthday had landed on a Friday. The perfect day, as far as they were concerned.
The boys pranked the Slytherins for them at breakfast; the green-tied lot rushing to the Hospital Wing with bright pink skin coated in blue polka dots. Cards stuffed into the twins’s food; bright grins as the two gawped at the designs.
Their first proper birthday was spent dodging singing suits of armour and conversing with cheering portraits - most students in Gryffindor coming up to them at some point to wish them well. Random students they hardly knew were nodding to them in corridors. Exploding pumpkin juice with lunch that got James and Peter a detention for the following Monday. Even McGonagall had wished the twins a happy birthday. By dinnertime, the two looked as though their faces would surely hurt the next day from smiling so much.
They tucked assorted treats into a hamper they’d borrowed from Alice - confirming with whispers that all their Gryffindor friends would meet them in the boys dorm at eight in the evening.
It was shortly after that time, that all their friends were waiting on the stairs - begging to be let inside.
All the Gryffindors of their year were there, plus Pandora in her bright blue sweater. She stood beside Regulus, chatting about the flowers growing in the Hogwarts meadows. Perfectly happy in their own little bubble while the others knocked on the door once more, informing the twins that they were sure the dorm room looked fine while Ara yelled that it wasn’t perfect.
Finally, with a shared grin the twins finally opened the door to the dorm; popping into the frame as they regarded their assembled friends.
“Welcome to our very first -”
“Birthday celebration, entry is -”
“Dependant on how much you love us.” Sirius finished with a cheeky grin.
“Ugh, I hate when you both do that.” Lily shuddered as she moved past them. “It’s so creepy.”
“Picked it up from the Prewetts.” They merely shrugged in reply.
The others followed them in, finding seats on the assorted pillows and cushions across the floor.
The twins had set up a properly cozy space; lined with fluffy blankets and plush surfaces to sit upon. Almost a bed of clouds, littered with stolen snacks from the kitchens; a crate of bottles beside it. Little jars of blue flame and orange fair lights that offered an otherworldly aura. There was something truly wonderful about the effort the twins had gone too - something so lovely about the warmth they had provided.
“It looks lovely!” Lily gushed as she took it all in, seated beside Pandora and Ara. She reached into her brown satchel; pulling two brightly wrapped parcels from the bag. “Where are we putting presents?” She queried innocently.
“Oh, yeah.” Alice slapped her forehead lightly, quietly telling herself off as she rumbled through her bag.
“What do you mean?” Ara questioned, tilted head in her befuddlement.
“Gifts, Ottie.” Pandora smiled, squeezing her hand. “Because we all love you very much and on their birthdays you give the people you love presents.”
It began to dawn on the twins that this was not a bluff; the two piles of packages growing as their friends added more and more to the numbers. It was when Regulus shyly pulled two gifts from his bag that the twins realised this might be real.
They’d heard of it, certainly. And they’d bought their friends gifts for their birthdays the previous year. So why did they feel so strange being part of it?
“Seriously?” The twins whispered in disbelief.
The severity of the situation finally dawned on their assembled friends. He hadn’t made a joke of his name pun.
“Yeah, guys.” James nudged Sirius gently. “Birthdays mean presents from friends. Shall we get it on with?”
“I suppose.” Sirius blushed; a shy grin spreading across his features. The twins exchanged a bashful look, before pulling their piles of presents closer.
They huddled together, pulling Reg between them as they whispered animatedly over the stacks.
“Well, go on then.” Remus lovingly rolled his eyes. With that, the twins began.
Sirius dove first into the wrappings with childlike glee.
Starting with the smaller gifts from their more distant friends, the two ripped paper from parcel as they beamed with glee at everything they received. Ara jumped to hug Alice upon opening a pair of lovely ruby studs, Sirius sniffling as he announced that she’d given him a pair of garnet cufflinks - for whatever events they’d have at Hogwarts in future. Their happiness to have been thought of shone blindingly; and it was all their friend could do not to wince from it. They had deserved so much more.
Marlene gifted them both new red gloves, explaining that she’d gotten an older year to install a warming charm on them. True to her word, when put on they were pleasantly toasty. As though they had been resting by a fire for a while.
Lily had gifted them a Muggle record - explaining how to pronounce the band name with a laugh that was only slightly at their expense. Sirius fell in love with cool cover, instantly impressed with the Muggleborn when she explained that she’d bought it in a record shop when her family had gone to London for a day out. They made her promise to help the set up a turntable to listen to it on, insisting that their parents wouldn’t notice the missing galleons.
Separately, she gave Sirius a book on Muggle vehicles - pointing out different ones she thought he’d find interesting. He hugged her tightly in thanks, brushing at his eyes as he deflected attention onto Ara. Lily had found her a book on Muggle art and fashion, the cover bright with a painted model styled in yellows and oranges; her hair wild and free. Ara had reached much the same way as her twin.
Pandora gifted Sirius broom polish; a generic variety found in any old retailer. Still, he hugged her in thanks. The two knew that they were only really able to tolerate each other through his sister. He simply didn’t understand her.
For Ara, Pandora had lovingly gone overboard. Two simple woven bracelets, glimmering with magic. On the left, the threads were an array of golden, blue and green shades - reminiscent of the ocean on a warm day - twisted and braided into a string. On the right, an identical design, made up of differing colours. Silvers, lilacs and navy blended together - like the near-night sky in late summer.
“I wove them from wool I found in a market near my home.” Pandora explained, pointing to the different yarn. “The spindle focuses the mind, and the magics. A pair; for the pair of us.” She smiled sheepishly, a faintly pink blush lighting her olive complexion. With that, she pulled the oceanic bracelet from the box, placing it around Ara’s wrist. The girl’s locked gaze.
“You made us friendship bracelets?” Ara whispered, more to herself than Pandora. “You made us friendship bracelets.”
Pandora tied the strands together, smiling fondly as her friend marvelled at her wrist.
“Now we’re together forever.” She grinned, offering her wrist so Ara could tie the strands around it. The two girls shared a long hug; no more words to be said.
After that, Peter sheepishly handed them both a small box. For Sirius, he had made a Dragon out of paper - fit with shaded scales and lashes of fire around the nostrils. The boy declared it was the best thing he’d ever seen in his life. Ara pulled the box undone to reveal little flowers threaded through a gold string. To hang above her bed, he blushed. Ara ruffled his hair with a bright grin.
Remus gifted them chocolate and new notebooks, with midnight blue covers and silver lettering of their initials along the spine. The twins thanked him profusely, excitedly plotting how to charm them to use to communicate over long distances in their mind. If they were going to be trapped at Grimmauld over Yule, they might as well try to find a way to talk to their friends.
The Potter family had sent the twins both hampers of their favourite treats, matching red scarves for the coming winter. Their names were embroidered on the ends.
James added in some products from Zonkos for Sirius, grinning as he explained a new type of dung bomb set to explode glitter with the foul odour. Ara received a new hairclip - a golden feather that she could twist her curls with, that supposedly worked as a quill. He blushed at her marvelling, pretending his mother had picked it out. Only Remus didn’t believe him, glancing at him pointedly.
Regulus gifted his siblings a pair of matching yellow jumpers, with a joke to wear them to the next Hufflepuff match. Inside the folds of knit were their favourite treats; sugar quills and chocolate frogs. Sirius laughed as he unwrapped it, throwing his own present for Ara. As she opened it, a delighted laugh bubbled from her lips. She pulled it from the paper, revealing a similarly cut jumper, this one a shade of indigo that Ara liked. Like the sky on a winter night.
“My turn.” She grinned brightly, presenting a jewellery box to her twin. He blinked in confusion, accepting the long box with a curious glance.
Inside were two necklaces, nearly identical. A simple gold chain, with a coin-shaped pendant hanging from it. Sirius picked up one and turned it over, revealing the designed front. Much like a coin, the design was pressed into the metal - their family crest gently displayed without the words below. A shield with a white line running through it above a simple sword - bookended by two English lions. Replacing the two stars of the top corners, were tiny circular cut stones. Both necklaces with a similar red in the left, but a different shade in the right.
“I figured, we’re probably not going to get any heirlooms of our own.” Ara laughed softly. “So I might as well make some new ones.” She shrugged as though it were something minor and lightly dragged Reggie closer so she could point out the stones. “The one on the left has red jasper and white opal. And the one on the right has carnelian and fire opal.”
Wordlessly, Sirius picked up the necklace from the right and held it for closer inspection.
“So, you got us twin necklaces?” He asked, a wide grin forming on his face - completely missing the small look of sorrow on his baby brother. Not Ara, though. She reached down and squeezed Reggie’s hand, offering a little wink that he clearly didn’t understand.
“In a way.” She replied to Sirius, seeing that his attention was on her. “I figured you’d pick that one, you know?”
“Well, we are twins.” He grinned. “Go on, then! Put it on me.” She rolled her eyes but obliged, clasping the necklace around his neck before he signalled for her to turn so he could do the same.
Once both had the necklaces fastened, they looked to each other with bright smiles.
“What’s the big deal?” Lily whispered to Pandora, not blind to the stunned faces of their friends.
“Head’s of House make new heirlooms. Or their heirs. What Ara just did, was bypass the rules of succession. And it didn’t blow up in their faces.” Pandora laughed out the last words incredulously.
The others followed suit, before the girls started gushing over Ara’s taste in jewellery, Lily commenting that the design was similar to Muggle ones. Ara brightened further at that.
The party began shortly after; Sirius passing bottles of butterbeer that the Prewett twins had snuck in for them as a birthday treat. Lily frowned at the rule breaking, but accepted a bottle nonetheless.
As they popped the caps, Pandora insisted on collecting them; promising to make it worth everyone’s while.
Soft music started in the corner from a borrowed record player with a tiny turntable that only played EPs and singles. James had managed to egg the Prewett twins into lending them it, sticking on the records provided by the older Gryffindors. It was a lot of Wizarding stuff, but they didn’t mind. Familiar enough from overhearing bits and pieces on the wireless.
He reconned they wouldn’t do it for any of the others, but the Prewetts had a rule about twins. Always far more willing once they knew the Black twins were involved.
The second years and their younger Hufflepuff friend spent the evening playing party games. Too young for a proper party, too old technically for childish games; partaking purely because their friends hadn’t before.
They played cards; first exploding snap, and then a Muggle game that Lily and Remus taught them (after the third time the curtains around James’s bed caught on fire). Betting cauldron cakes and chocolate frogs; intermittent pausing to dance to the more familiar tunes.
Lily pulled out assorted Muggle things - a yoyo that the boys spent far too long trying to figure out, and a game of jacks (that none of the other girls quite understood).
The Black siblings looked utterly merry. Surrounded by friends and joy. They kept pushing the others to stay, even as the group began to tire - watching the clock pull past midnight.
Once even Sirius was yawning, Lily announced that it was time for bed - dragging the girls with her out of the door after twenty minutes of goodbyes. Ara managed to wiggle free, declaring that she and Reggie would be sleeping over with Sirius.
The three changed into Sirius’s pyjama collection; Reg donning the red shirt that matched Sirius’s flannel trousers. Ara donned a striped blue top, the trousers in her own dorm, wearing a loose grey pair that matched Sirius’s top. The others shook their heads with amusement as the three managed to fit themselves on Sirius’s single bunk.
Sirius lay half on the pillows, Ara’s head resting on his best as his arm snaked her shoulders. Regulus curled up beside them, Ara’s arm supporting his head as his arms rested on her chest.
They dozed for a little while, until Reg tossed too hard and tumbled from the mattress. With that, Ara awoke; bleary but suddenly reminded of a task she had forgotten to undergo.
As her brother rejoined the folds of duvet, she hopped from her spot and tiptoed towards her bag - pulling the yellow box from it’s pocket.
“Reggie?” Ara whispered, careful not to wake their slumbering friends as she rejoined the bed. The boy looked up towards her with warm eyes; clearly exhausted by their celebration. She carefully sat next to him, careful as Sirius snaked an arm around her middle.
“Have you had a good day?” He asked her softly, a yawn escaping his mouth on the final word as he pulled himself up. She couldn’t help her little giggle.
“I’ve had a perfect day.” She replied honestly. “Except, I forgot something super important.”
“What’s that?”
“Happy not-your-birthday.” She beamed, pulling a small wrapped box from her pocket and presenting it to the shocked boy. He accepted it after a little prodding and beamed as he unwrapped it carefully - rushing to wrap his arms around it once he knew what it was.
It was a simple gold necklace, identical to the ones that Ara and Sirius had now - save for the yellow jasper and black opal stones in the centre. After all, he was a Hufflepuff.
“I was going to wait ’til December, but I couldn’t with that little face of yours.” She breathed out a laugh, pinching his cheek. “But it does mean that the present I was going to give you today has to wait until then.”
“There’s more?” He breathed, eyes wide with joy. She hugged him towards her for a moment, stroking a hand through his hair. It had grown nicely - though Ara thought the sides could do with a trim. She wouldn’t admit that though, not with how happy Reg was that his hair was longer.
“I’ve been planning your birthday since I found out what they were.” Ara admitted. “Of course there’s more.”
“Thank you.” The two lay their heads on the bed, Sirius pulling Ara back onto his chest.
“How’s Hufflepuff?” She whispered softly, barely moving.
“I like it. The common room always feels sunny. I’m still not sure how they do it.” He smiled fondly. “And David’s brilliant. I get along with all my Housemates, even though…” he trailed off, wincing slightly.
“Even though our family is a bunch of blood purists and all of your roommates are Muggleborn?” Ara finished for him. His sad little nod in reply was enough to make Ara wrap an arm around him and hold him to her. “Have you heard anything since that letter?”
He tensed.
“Mother’s been sending me letters.” He confessed quietly. “Telling me to ignore you, or there’d be consequences. She said Cissa will rat on me.”
“That’s because Cissa is a little toerag.”
“Ara!” He gasped, pulling away to gawk at her.
“What? Lily taught me it.” She smirked back. “It’s all bullshit, Reggie. All of these family expectations and ways they want us to be. I’m the eldest. The responsibilities fall on me and not on you.”
“But I’m the heir.”
“You’re eleven.” She rolled her eyes. “So listen to your teenaged big sister, and be a kid for a bit. I’ve got a handle on this.” She smiled, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. There was a secret there. He frowned at her.
“Ara? What’s going on?” She blinked, briefly taken aback, before smoothing it over with a soft sigh. Of course Reggie would see right through her.
“You mustn’t tell anyone, Reg.” She whispered to him, glancing to check the others were all asleep. Scanning her eyes over the hoard of sleeping preteens, she missed the unsteady breathing of James Potter as he pretended to be in deep sleep. Satisfied that they wouldn’t be overheard, she turned back to her brother; knowing through the bond that her twin was out cold.
“I promise.” He threw out his pinky and she laughed faintly, linking her own with his. After a brief moment to collect herself, Ara exhaled and told her brother about that Summer. Of their mother pining her with a hex and telling her about responsibilities. The disgust in her eyes as she acknowledged Ara as her eldest, and the Heiress of House Black. And finally, of the compromise she made to protect the boys.
“No.” He whispered in horror, grabbing her arms as if to check she were still there. “Please, no, please tell me you didn’t.” He shook her desperately, tears building in his eyes.
Wordlessly, she gently lifted his hands from her sides and held them in her own, lifting them up to brush his tears away. Once satisfied that they were gone, she lay his hands down and moved her own to hold his cheeks.
“Father has always pushed too high an expectation onto you. One day, Reggie, you’re going to be in charge of our House and family. But not for a very long time. And if I can keep you safe until then, then that’s what I’ll do.” She clawed out the last words desperately. “We knew it was coming. I’ve been so lucky to have had these last few years.”
“It’s not fair.” He choked out, stubbornly - trying to will himself not to cry.
“No. No it’s not.” Ara sighed, shaking her head as if to dislodge the thoughts. “But I’ve had a perfect birthday with my favourite people in the world. And I have five years before I have to worry about it. That’s plenty of time.”
They both knew it was a lie, but they let it slide. Maybe it was something in the air; still glittery with earlier joy. Or maybe they were both tired of talking about the horrors of their family. Either way, neither spoke another word about it. They held each other close, seeking comfort in their terror.
“Can you tell me a story?” Reg whispered in the darkness, his hand finding his sister’s between them.
It was a tradition from their childhood - of her reading him stories and passages from books to help him sleep when he simply couldn’t. He’d fall asleep to her softly stroking his hair and wake alone but happy.
“I’ve got a new one. It’s about a troll in a bathroom, and a whiny little girl.”
She spoke of her vision, telling it as a child’s tale. Of heroic friends and a girl finding company after months of solitude. When Regulus finally, and silently cried himself into slumber; Ara was there to hold his hand and let him know she wasn’t gone yet. And when she finally began to drift off too, she missed the scratching sounds of a quill on paper - and the quiet sobs of a lovelorn boy.
——
The next morning, she would find an odd shape under her pillow. It was a flat grey box, with a note attached by silver string. Ara would wake her brothers, pulling the box undone.
I heard we did birthdays now. I was looking through my albums, and thought you’d want possession over this one.
N
A piece of photo paper slipped from the box, and Sirius caught it - flipping it over for all three siblings to assess.
Mipsy was fluttering around them, trying to sort out Ara’s skirts and tie Reg’s shoes simultaneously. The three siblings seemed oblivious, huddled in a laugh. Far younger than they were now. Ara’s face unscarred, her eyes heavy with burden. Sirius looking entirely unaware and blissful. Reg’s eyes flickering to his older sister with flashes of vague knowledge. They couldn’t have been older than four, nearly five. Evidence of the time before that fateful day. Given the angle of shot, the fireplace in the background; they knew it was taken by Bella.
And they would start their day with a smile.