Maria and Tony
Summer was an unbearable experience for both Regulus and Grace. Regulus spent his summer following around the soon to be husband of his cousin Narcissa,Lucius Malfoy. His mother thought it well he spend his summer under the wing of a “true” slytherin, so that any gryffindor qualities were wrung out of him. He watched as Lucius’s openly practiced the unforgivables and ranted on and on over the importance of blood purity and the stain mudbloods have left on their perfect world. It was a speech he had heard several times before, from his mother,his father, his cousins and the majority of the sacred 28 pure blood families.
Grace spent her summer caught in between screaming matches in between Lily and Petunia.She desperately missed both of her sisters and continuously tried to fix things with Petunia but she would ignore her or spend the days out with her school mates so that she wouldn’t have to talk to Lily or Grace. The only positive from the summer was hearing all about Hogwarts from Lily, she learned of the house cup and how gryffindor always nearly lost due to the trouble its students caused, this year the reason for their downfall was none other than James Potter. According to Lily he pulled the nastiest pranks on Severus who they so horrendously nick named “Snivellus”. Grace thought the name slightly funny but never dared admit it to Lily, Severus had always been nice to their family but there was always something off putting about him. Lily complained of James all summer, he had proposed to her in the Gryffindor common room after gryffindor won the house cup, he wasn’t even on the team. She proudly told Grace of the hexes she learned to use on James and then she gifted Grace a book “Common Hexes for a wizard or witch”. Slowly the first day of Hogwarts crept around the corner and Grace made her first trip to Diagon Alley while Regulus walked behind his mother into Ollivanders.
August 22,1972
Diagon Alley
“Black walnut,phoenix feather, 9 ½ inches, suits you doesn’t it” smiled Ollivander as he handed Regulus his wand, before he could respond his mother rushed him out of the store only for them to bump into a small freckled girl with hazel eyes and auburn hair and a slightly taller girl with long red hair and bright green eyes.
“Oh my god i am so sorry” the girl with hazel eyes said looking up to meet his own grey eyes.
“Don’t even worry about it.” he found himself smiling down at the girl who returned the favor with her own smile allowing her dimples to show.
“Grace Evans, hi!” she blushed as she reached out her hand towards him.
“Regulus Black” he said, letting another small smile slip from his face.
“Black?” suddenly he remembered there was another girl there as well. “You must be Sirius’s brother, I’m Lily Evans, Sirius is friends with my friends” said Lily lightly smiling.
“Yes Lily Hi!” smiled Regulus, if he had been honest he didn’t know Sirius had made any girl friends, he had never brought her up, or any girl for that matter.
“Regulus, what are you doing, we’re going home, now!” his mother grasped his hand and pulled him out of the store and he left the two girls with a small nod.
“He seemed nice!” smiled Grace following her older sister deeper into Ollivanders.
“If he’s anything like Sirius “nice” would not be my first choice of words.” Lily tugged at her sisters hand and shoved her in line to get her wand.
September 1,1972
Platform 9 ¾
“Oye you ready to go Reg?” Sirius stood infront of his little brother eager to get on the train clutching his luggage.
“Yeah, yes i’m ready, goodbye Mother.” Their mother pulled Regulus into an embrace with a smile just as she whispered into his ear,
“Do not, for the love of Merlin, let this family down.”
Grace’s eyes were glued to the bright red train stopped before her, she felt much more nervous then she did when she was only here to drop Lily off. The only thing putting her mind at ease was the pleasant thought of being sorted into gryffindor with Lily and meeting her friends and enjoying her first year at Hogwarts just as much as Lily had her first year.
“Take care of her will ya Lils, and both of you must write everyday and send lots of photos, but most importantly have fun my little witches.” Their father pulled them both into a hug and passed the girls on to their mother who’s eyes were glossy with tears. Petunia refused to come drop Lily and Grace off, the sting of pain that had left Grace with was still quite fresh but Lily had acted like it was no big deal. As she glanced around the platform she saw the boy from Diagon Alley, Regulus Black , and who she had assumed was her brother Sirius. Both boys were dressed in quite proper clothing, Regulus had his hair pulled back just enough so that his sharp jawline would show, his brother although also dressed elegantly wore his hair down and hanging in front of his face along with his shirt untucked and his tie slung around his shoulders. She took Lily’s hand and together they made their way onto the train.
September 1,1972
The Hogwarts Express
“Hey Sev, mind if Grace joins us?” smiled Lily to Severus who was sitting alone in a compartment seemingly waiting for Lily’s arrival. He politely moved to the side so that Lily could sit next to him as Grace took her seat across from them both.
“I had forgotten she would be joining us at Hogwarts this year, excited i take it?” asked Severus extending a smile her way.
“More nervous then excited.” smiled Lily as she opened up her newest book from Lily, “Hogwarts : A history”.
“ Come on Reg, you can sit with the boys and i” Sirius hauled his little brother into a compartment already partially filled by three boys, one tall thin boy with sandy hair and green hazel eyes with scars lacing his face who was already nose deep in a book, a short stubby boy with blonde hair and two rather large front teeth and lastly a boy with curly brown hair and circular glasses who was speaking rather loudly about a particular miss Lily Evans.
“I heard her sister is coming to Hogwarts this year.” said the sandy haired boy.
“Where did you hear that?“ asked the boy with the glasses.
“She wrote to me over the summer.” sighed the sandy haired boy not looking up from his book.
“Bloody hell she wrote to you Remus? What’s a boy gotta do for a letter from her?” sighed the boy with glasses.
“‘Maybe be less of a twat ey James?” said Sirius interrupting their conversation.
“Sirius! And you must be Regulus, i’m James, James Potter and that bloody prick there is Remus Lupin and over there is Peter Pettigrew.” said James as he gestured to the remaining boys in the compartment. The two other boys looked up and smiled at Regulus who softly smiled back. As Sirius and Regulus sat down next to Peter, he couldn’t help but feel safe among the boys. They all sat and talked of their summers happily, sharing treats from the trolley and cracking jokes, somewhere deep down Regulus hoped to be sorted into Gryffindor solely do that he could stay here with Sirius and his friends.
September 1,1972
Hogwarts
The Sorting Ceremony
Nervous
Scared
Excited
Bloody terrified
The thoughts ran through both Grace and Regulus’s head as they both stood among the crowd of incoming first years.Slowly names were called followed by the cheer from their corresponding houses who had just received a new member.
“Regulus Black” Professor Mcgonagall’s voice boomed throughout the great hall. Grace's eyes darted to him, his face remained still as he walked up to the sorting hat but his grey eyes showed the absolute fear coursing through his veins.
His eyes glanced over to his brother who was sending him a reassuring smile from his seat at gryffindor table holding up his two thumbs, he looked over at the slytherin table and thought of his mothers words as the hat draped over his eyes.
Another Black? The sorting hats voice echoed into his ears.
You wish for slytherin but i see you long for gryffindor
“No, i wish and long for only Slytherin” replied Regulus.
You are cunning and ambitious there’s no doubt you’d do Slytherin house quite proud, but there’s a braveness to you, a courage. A courage that would suit Gryffindor quite nicely.”
“Please for Merlin’s sake put me in Slytherin” begged Regulus, closing his eyes.
“Slytherin!”
He let out a soft sigh and let the cheers coming from the slytherin table distract him from the obvious frown spread across his older brothers face. Grace felt a twinge of sadness at his sorting, she had hoped to get to know him more and being sorted into gryffindor was sure to make that significantly more difficult. Several more names were called and after each sorting her anxiety only grew.
“Grace Evans.” the sudden quietness of the great hall brought her out of her anxiety induced trance as she walked up to the sorting hat and let it fall over her eyes.
Hello Miss Evans
“Hello.” whispered Grace unsure wether or not other people could hear her.
I assure you only i can hear you right now
“Oh” sighed Grace with relief.
I know exactly where you belong Grace, and i hope you trust my decision as you will grow to see how truly fitting it will be.
“May i have a hint to where that is, where i belong?” asked Grace
I find it best you find out with the rest of your peers, Good luck then Miss Grace Evans.
“Slytherin”
She felt her smile drop and then quickly pick back up as she saw her sister sending her a warm smile and Regulus Black smiling up at her and gesturing to an open seat next to him at the slytherin table.