The Bewlay Brothers
In the blessed and cold
In the crutch-hungry dark
Was where we flayed our mark
Oh, and we were gone
Kings of oblivion
7th January 1973
Ara was still so distraught after the incident of Boxing Day that Regulus had offered to join them for the journey. Leading to the Black trio sat opposite a trio of Gryffindor boys - a tense silence in the cabin as the train shuddered along its route. Ara’s face was buried in Sirius’s shoulder, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. Her hand gripped tightly in Regulus’s; his fingers soothing her knuckles.
The boys opposite were sat stiffly and awkwardly - uncertain how to help their friend in her time of crisis. Especially when they had no idea why she was in crisis.
Not until she moved her arm to wipe at the tears forming in her eyes.
“What the hell is that?” James’s eyes bulged with horror as he pointed down at her arm. Oh, not her arm. Her wrist.
I… I can’t, she muttered through the bond, desperation tacked onto her words.
“It’s a betrothal bracelet, James.” Sirius spoke firmly, his hand moved to hold his sisters - ignoring the pain as she gripped on tightly. “I assume you’ve seen one before.” His eyes narrowed, daring the boy to say something he’d regret.
James might have been his best mate, but right now his sister was falling apart and he refused to let his friend make her feel worse. James was not very good at tact when it came to Ara and boys. Which benefitted Sirius usually, having his mate help him protect his sister from creepy upper years that said their parents were in contact to arrange something. Sirius knew little of his parents decisions, and had never been able to dismiss them with certainty.
At least he could now, he supposed bitterly.
“Are you alright?” Peter asked, placing a gentle hand on Ara’s knee. Good old Petey, he thought. Reggie meanwhile, eyed the Gryffindor with distaste, uncomfortable with the clear crushes two of her friends presented on her. How Sirius hadn’t spotted it… he wasn’t sure. And sure Peter may not visibly have a crush but he’d heard stories. Enough to be suspicious.
Ara looked up to her best friend and sniffed slightly.
“As alright as I can be.” She half-smiled, eyes weary.
“You never said.” James spoke softly, still watching Ara with that odd look in his eyes. He only had that look with her.
“I didn’t know it was happening until I went there for Yule. I think Wally didn’t tell me so I wouldn’t try and sneak off to yours,” she rubbed at her eyes, willing them to stay dry. “At least he isn’t at Hogwarts.”
“Can I ask who?” Remus interjected, speaking in a calm tone despite his golden eyes.
“Olin Flint.” She winced, watching James and Remus’s hands curl into fists.
“I don’t… I don’t know that name.” Peter admitted quietly.
“You wouldn’t, Petey.” She reassured him. “He graduated fifteen years ago.”
All three boys winced at that. It was horrifying. Their best mate was to be wed to a man in his thirties. A man from a Dark House.
“How long?” James asked through gritted teeth, his anger flaring as he thought through dozens of plans to get her away from it. Plans he’d been forming for weeks already, thinking he had more time.
“When I turn seventeen. The Yule after.” With that, Ara slumped into her seat and buried her face in her little brother’s chest - awful sobs escaping her.
Four years. Only four years before she was to be married.
It was unfair, cruel, every other hideous word the boys could think of.
“You’re all coming to mine for Easter.” James declared, trying to cool his rising temper. “Auntie Dorea will be there, she can help.” He said it so certainly that they could not help but to hope.
The delicate smile Ara gave him distracted his temper momentarily, softening his heart. Upon Remus’s knowing look (seriously, he had to talk with him at some point about if he knew of James’s little crush), he blushed profusely and looked out the window until he felt his face cool.
As the train trudged along, Ara drifted into a half-sleep - waking as they pulled into the station. The boys opposite were still slumbering. Her head was on Sirius’s shoulder, his head leant against hers. Reggie was sprawled across her lap, her hands in his hair.
He was still transfixed in sleep, still young and naive enough to look peaceful. And, Merlin she wouldn’t ever tell him… but sometimes, her heart broke at the sight of him. She would never tell anyone, not even Sirius. Not that when she looked at him, it was like she saw through him sometimes. And she knew in her heart that his days were numbered, more so than her own.
It terrified her.
Because she was half certain her baby brother would never reach adulthood.
In all her dreams, his name had never been spoken.
“Reggie.” She whispered, running her fingers through his hair. His nose twitched and gradually his eyes began to flutter open. “Did you sleep well?” She smiled down at him. If anyone else asked him that, he’d accuse them of trying to baby-talk him. Not his big sister though. She never babied him.
“Are we here?” He yawned, prompting a little giggle from Ara. He felt it radiate through him, and couldn’t help but to laugh too. Their giggles awoke Sirius, who clearly blinked into consciousness with utter confusion, and then deadly seriousness. It flickered away immediately as he caught onto his sibling’s good moods. He laughed with them, though unsure why, before his mischievous gaze flickered and eventually lingers don his sleeping friends.
He shot his siblings a smirk before summoning his wand and jumping from the seat to loudly shout “Aguamenti!” - dousing his friends in water.
They jumped up, spluttering in disoriented discomposure; wiping water from their soaked faces.
“Are you serious?” Remus spluttered, wiping water from his face as he shook out his growing hair.
“Always.” The boy winked in reply, barking a laugh at the pun.
The others merely rolled their eyes, following as the Black siblings dragged them up to the castle.
They greeted Hagrid as he organised the carriages, promising to come by for tea at some point. After offering it for over a year, the group felt they should probably make good by the end of the term.
“Ottie!” A voice called from behind them as they found a carriage, Peter already tucked inside.
Ara spun with glee, jumping to hug the willowy blonde girl that had snuck up behind them. They twirled around for a few seconds, laughing as they greeted each other.
“How’s your grandad?” Ara asked, finally, as she pulled back.
“He got a fresh order of dragon heartstring in so he was busy all of Yule. But Xeno from my House invited me to hunt welderwalden in the fields by his home.” Pandora beamed. “It’s shaped like a rook.”
“How remarkable.” Ara grinned, her features strained by the expression.
“Not as remarkable as the feast we shall eat.” Pandora grinned back, linking their arms and gesturing to the others as she pulled Ara into the carriage beside Peter. “Onwards!”
The others followed with amusement, clambering in and setting off on the track upwards.
They chatted about their breaks, of their families and silly events. The Black siblings stayed quiet, sharing sad smiles as they listened in longingly.
The muted mood was noticed as they slumped down at the Gryffindor table, Reg parting with a tight hug and an unheard whisper. Others surrounding them kept looking to the twins, frowning at how they huddled together with heavy gazes. The Prewett twins tried to engage them, but the Blacks merely shrugged and curled in deeper.
Even a perfect pork roast, with all the trimmings (even Yorkshire puddings!) could not raise the twins’s mood. They barely touched it despite their hollow cheeks, picking at the potatoes. It dampened the evening in a way the boys knew that the twins did not know. Remus joked once that it was as though they were so caught in survival mode, that they sometimes struggled to realise the impact they had on those around - too focused on getting through the day.
It was apt in a way James suspected Remus hadn’t thought in depth. And right now, the twins were desperately slinging to each other; holding on like drowning men to a raft.
He found Remus’s eyes, shooting the boy a pointed look. At the blond’s frown, James mimicked opening a box - a charade of excitement as he pretended to inspect the contents. Upon Remus’s knowing nod, James grinned back, nodding to the girls.
No words were needed for the exchange, Peter catching on with a bright expression, slipping silently from the table to approach the Hufflepuff bench - whispering with Regulus. Remus, meanwhile had whispered the plan to the girls. Somehow Pandora was sat there; appearing without warning.
Sometimes it spooked him how she always knew when something was going on. Once or twice, when he was planning a prank and she crossed his path - she’d tell him whether it would succeed or not.
The girl had not been wrong once.
Still, despite how eerie he found her, Ara loved her. And that was enough to make her a friend.
——
Do you want to stay with me tonight? Sirius held Ara’s arm in his - the only thing holding his twin up. Still raw from curses and cruelty.
Yes please, she murmured, leaning her head on his shoulder as their friends led them up the staircase towards their tower. It began to turn as they walked, moving to place them half a corridor closer to their destination. Reggie’ll come by after he’s spoken to his dorm mates.
Recon he’ll stay the night? Sirius wondered as they climbed off the final staircase.
Probably, Ara shrugged against him.
Strolling before them, their friends whispered amongst themselves; Marlene rushing ahead with a wink. Conspiring while the twins stayed ignorant.
They didn’t clock the excitement, nor the nervous laughter from their friends as they entered the tower - Sirius speaking for the two in claiming sleepiness. It wasn’t until their friends started squeaking and looking nervous in their parting to the dorms that the twins began to realise something was afoot.
“Stay down a minute?” Peter begged them, eyes flicking to their assorted friends as they ran upstairs to find the goods. He had somehow taken the role of designated distractor. “You don’t want to fall asleep before Reg shows up.”
The two exchanged a glance, eyes glassing for a moment before they looked to Peter with suspicion.
“Suppose not.” They voiced together, moving to slump onto a loveseat in waiting.
They joined Pete in a game of exploding snap, movements sluggish and worn. The other boys bright (and frankly adorable) nature was a far more soothing presence than any other would have been. Amongst the bustle of the other students roaming about, Peter crafted a bubble of peace. It was a skill Ara had impressed her admiration for once - his tan cheeks pinking at the compliment, so unused to them.
The game lasted until a card flicked from the deck onto a pillow - nearly setting a third year alight. Luckily, Regulus showed his face at that time. He greeted his siblings with a weary smile; imparting that the Prewetts had let him in, and told him to look after them as they dramatically presented his entry.
In their little huddle, they missed the signal given by Remus at the foot of the boy’s staircase. And the hurry of Ara’s dorm mates up past him on the way to the boys dorm. As Remus vanished with them, Peter turned back to the trio.
“Do you wanna head up?” Peter asked the siblings, Ara’s slump of relief the only confirmation needed. “My mam bought me some comics for Christmas if yous want to claim interest before Marlene snaps ‘em up.”
“Any more Spider-Mans?” Reg asked shyly, still nervous around the older lot.
“I got the finale of his showdown with Kraven.” Peter grinned, nodding towards the dorm.
With surprising stealth, Peter ushered them away from the crowds of students. He even intercepted and redirected the Prewett twins without the siblings seeing. Though their sad faces did rattle him a little as he got the Black siblings up the stairs.
As they reached the dorm, he slid to the front - knocking first. Much to the others shock.
Waiting for the door to open, all Peter could do was offer an awkward half shrug. To his relief, the wait was short. James pulled the door open with a flourish - holding the doorframe as he presented the room with his free hand.
It was made up similarly to the twins’s birthday. A floor coated in cushions and pillows; blankets strew atop in red and gold swirls. All the Gryffindors of their year in the same room, grinning within the pit of comfort.
But that wasn’t the thing that froze the siblings. No.
The large box and pile of assorted wrapped items stunned them.
“What is this?” Ara whispered horsely, eyes misted as she looked at her friends.
“We figured we should save your presents until we were sure you could open them.” Remus explained, as the twins gawked at the pile, and then back at the assorted group of their friends, all here just to cheer them up after an awful holiday.
With misty eyes, they reached for their younger brother - pulling him between them to help unwrap the bundle of gifts. They started with the ridiculously large box, pulling the bright blue paper covered in the image of a plump man in red. Underneath it, and the wonkily taped cardboard,
The Gryffindor boys puffed their chests at the twins’s astonishment, explaining that Lily had accompanied Peter (as he lived closest to her) to the city to buy it in a proper Muggle shop but that they had paid. They’d then huffed it to James’s house; Fleamont and Charlus working together to charm it to work in a magical environment. It must have taken them all Christmas to get it done. All their friends joining in to make it work.
With that, came the collection of records.
Lily bought Sirius this album called ‘Hunky Dory’, claiming the man in the shop raved it and thought the singer was going to change the world. Sirius grinned at that, turning it over to spy the tracks as Lily turned to Ara to explain her selection. “Beggars Banquet’ by The Rolling Stones. Apparently Lily had an older cousin that played her the album over the holiday, and she had immediately thought of Ara when she heard it.
Marlene had bought them one of T.Rex’s first albums, explaining that the band used to have a longer name. Remus had then informed the group that he had told her that.
The only magical record of the bunch came from Alice; a disc of Celeste Jorkins greatest hits. They thanked her, reassuring that she was one of their favourite musicians.
To the relief of the siblings, Regulus was not left out of the fun. Once the box for the record player was out of the way, Peter and James had pulled gift after gift from under their beds. Reg ended up swallowed by copious amounts of sweets and books - the pile as big as he was! The younger boy grinned at his hoard happily, munching on a chocolate frog as he beamed at the group. James even promised to get him a proper penknife, and to send the one Walburga had given him to Dorea to be inspected. The beaming, sugar-high grin the boy gave him as James ruffled his hair was kept forever in the snapshot of Lily’s muggle camera.
Finally, Pandora handed her gifts to the siblings.
Suddenly the collection of bottle caps made sense. Pandora had threaded a chain of crystals and beads, a cap at the end to tie it off. To tie on their book bags, she explained. Additionally, she had given Regulus a wand holster, like those Aurors wore. The boy hugged her tightly in thanks. In the pink paper, Sirius unwrapped a pocket knife; set with a black hilt lined with gold. Able to undo any lock, she smirked. He grinned as he flicked it open, marvelling at the golden blade and Pandora’s shocking thought. Ara rolled her eyes at her twin, focusing on her own gift; a golden hairpin with an ornamental otter at the end, and a tip sharp enough to cut through bone. Ara couldn’t help her own smile, understanding the hidden meaning behind these gifts. Protection, but with trust that they could look after themselves.
Once the paper was put away, and the twins had sworn to spoil their friends rotten over Easter; their friends shared tales from their merry holidays.
James lamented over the difference in food at Hogwarts compared to his home - the twins chiming in with agreement that the spices his mother used were incomparable. Apparently Lily’s sister was still a cow, but Marlene’s newborn brother was adorable. They discovered that she had a sister in the year below named Daisy - the girl sorted into Ravenclaw House - as well as a newborn brother. Apparently her parents had her and her sister rather young; only just starting on making a male heir once the girls were at school.
She showed pictures of her baby brother; his tiny tufts of blond matching that of his sister so eerily. Sweet stories the twins lapped up; beaming as they watched the photo loop on the newborn’s giggles.
And when they went to sleep, it was together - in a lump of limbs atop a pile of cushions and blankets. They woke late for their first lesson; still carefree and laughing in the face of deducted House points and detentions. Save for Lily, who (naturally) kept trying to hurry everyone up as she forced her bedhead into a bun. Though, even she couldn’t help her giggles as McGonagall scolded them for being twenty minutes late - the woman’s face bright purple.
When they went to Potions and saw Slughorn the same colour, the group had burst into laughter; another chunk of House points lost.
They’d learn at lunch that the Prewett twins had done it. A potion in every teacher’s breakfast drink; irreversible without an antidote or time to fade.
It was their Christmas present to the Black siblings.
And despite the toll the month of holiday had taken; it was a happy day for the Black siblings. Because they were so very loved.