Red letters
“Hey grace wake up” A boy tugged at her sleeve.
“Remus,mate, wake the hell up!” Another boy shook Remus’s shoulders until Grace abruptly opened her eyes to see Regulus and Sirius staring at her. She immediately moved away from Remus staring blankly at Regulus.
“We’re here” he said with a forced smile, handing her the luggage she had packed.
“Oh, thanks” she smiled awkwardly while taking the luggage. “Um well, bye boys i have to go meet Lily” she gave Regulus a quick hug and shot out her hand towards Remus who looked at it oddly but eventually took it. She shook his hand, nodded and darted out of the compartment.
“Do you fancy little Evans mate?” laughed Sirius leaning over Remus to reach his own luggage.
“Merlin no!” he groaned, shoving Sirius in the ribs making him hunch over. “She’s a friend”
“I wish Lily slept on my shoulder like that.” sighed James sitting next to Remus.
“Bloody hell James I forgot you were there.”jumped Remus shooting up from his seat.
“This behavior doesn’t seem very just friends.”said Regulus rolling his eyes at Remus,grabbing Sirius arm and leaving the compartment.
“Do you really think Remus fancies Grace?”asked Regulus as they walked through the train.
“I dunno,he doesn’t talk about girls, and when I mention Grace he kind of just smiles and that’s about it.”said Sirius finding the exit.
“Oh”
“Why? Do you fancy her?”
“No, but I think she deserves better than Remus.”
“Oye, what’s wrong with Remus?”growled Sirius shoving his brother
“God, nothing! I just don’t see her with him, they’re too different.”he replied stumbling off the platform
“Remus is great, anyone would be lucky to have him.”said Sirius rolling his eyes at the sight of their mother standing against a wall, her black dress hugged her frame in all the wrong ways, her own green eyes pierced through the air and into the faces of her sons.
“Well, goodbye brother.”smiled Sirius, giving Regulus a hug.
“What do you mean goodbye?”he asked, hugging him back anyway.
“You’re mental if you think mother is going to let us talk this summer after we were sorted into different houses.”he sighed still holding on to Regulus
“Oh, right”
“Don’t worry I'll still sneak into your room at night.” He let go and smiled at his younger brother and started walking over to his mother, Regulus watched as Sirius’s walk became small and formal, his chin rested lower near his mother and his eyes never met her own. Everytime Sirius was home it was like his entire personality ceased to exist, he was just an empty shell that his mother loved to try and break.
After finding Lily and Severus the three of them walked off the platform in search of their parents. Secretly Grace had hoped Petunia would have come to pick them up, but of course she didn’t. At the far end of the station stood her parents awkwardly staring at everything from a small corner, the second her mother saw the girls she started waving frantically towards them.
“Mum!” Grace launched herself at her mother who wrapped her in a hug. Her father was already busy chatting away with Lily about the year, Lily loved talking about Hogwarts and her father loved to listen. On the way home Lily sat in the passenger seat still talking about her new classes and surprisingly a little about quidditch while Grace and their mother sat in the back.
“How’s Petunia?”asked Grace, her head resting in her mothers lap.
“Good, I’m sorry for the way she’s acting, we’ve tried to get her to write back, it’s just hard for her, both her little sisters have magic and she doesn’t, of course to me the three of you are magic, but I don’t think she sees it that way.”she smiled down at Grace stroking her hair, her mother had always held a positive outlook on everyone, Lily got that from her, they could never see the bad in a person only the good.
January 3,1973
Platform 9 ¾
The break had been relatively uneventful which was surprising. The Black family had spent Christmas apart, Regulus was sent to every pureblood holiday party as the image of their family. Sirius spent his days with their uncle hoping he would knock some sense into him. The boys did not see their parents aside from the day they returned from Hogwarts, Walburga and Orion spent everyday in the dining room with several other pure blood wizards.The boys didn’t know why but knew asking questions would not end well.
Grace spent her holiday with her mum, baking and shopping, she had bought Petunia,Lily and herself matching bracelets, they each had a pearl on them to match their mothers pearl necklace gifted to her by their father. Petunia wore it for Christmas Day then shoved it in her vanity.Petunia was in 10th year at a private high school near their home so she spent most of her holiday at friends houses, she made it her mission to hardly ever be home. Grace received letters from Ari and Remus, even a Christmas card from James but nothing from Regulus. Remus had said it wasn’t unusual for Sirius not to write to them and he always ended up mostly ok so she shouldn’t worry too much about Regulus but she didn’t know if the boys were aware of how their mother really treated them. Arriving back at platform 9 ¾ felt bittersweet, she had missed her mother and Petunia dearly but her worry for Regulus kind of dampened her mood. As Lily and Petunia bickered over the new record player Lily got for Christmas Grace could only smile happy her sister came with them,her smile dropped the second she saw Regulus bid his mother farewell and walk onto the train. She quickly hugged her parents and Petunia and ran onto the train.
She stopped by every compartment hoping to see the boys until she finally saw Remus sitting in the corner of a compartment with a book.
“Remus!”she beamed at him from the compartment door. He was pale ad the bags under his eyes were deep and darker then before yet he still gave her a warm smile back and invited her to sit down next to him.
“You ok?”she asked happily, taking the seat.
“Yea, tired, i had a busy break” he said yawning
“Oh, ok have you seen Re-”
“Grace!” Regulus ran into the compartment and quickly gave her a hug and sat down.
“Reg! Are you ok? You didn’t write.Where’s Sirius?”she quickly asked scanning him for any signs of pain.
“Relax, my mother doesn’t let us write during holiday’s, Sirius is busy harassing the trolley woman for chocolate frogs with James,if he gets one Dumbledore he’ll have 50.'' He was relaxed and just looked happy to be talking to Grace again.
“Heard my name?” James popped into the compartment with Sirius and Peter right behind him holding chocolate frogs. “Here” he tossed them all a chocolate frog
“If anyone gets Dumbledore, its mine”shouted Sirius unwrapping his third chocolate frog.
“Helga hufflepuff” said Peter, shoving the frog in his mouth.
“Jocunda Skyes”said Remus, Grace watched as all the color washed back over his face as he happily bit into the chocolate.
“Goodrich gryffindor”said James with a mouthful of chocolate.
“And another Helga”groaned Sirius “what about you Reg?”
“Gryffindor” he said watching as the picture faded away
“Dammit!” Sirius slumped down into his seat
“I have Dumbledore”said Grace casually raising her card
“What!” Sirius jumped up and grabbed the card, “Why didn’t you say something?”
“Waiting for you to remember I had one.”she shrugged, breaking off a piece of her frog and handing it to Remus.
“Sly little snake”muttered Sirius sitting back down
“Grace!” Lily poked her head through the compartment door.
“Always a seat for you Lily!”smiled James standing up from his own seat.
Lily rolled her eyes at him and looked back at Grace. “I’m just letting you know ill be sitting with Severus and that Ari is looking for you.”
“Oh shoot, I promised I'd sit with her on the way back.” Grace grabbed her bag from under her seat and stood up, “Try not to miss me so much” she smiled and followed Lily out of the compartment.
“She’s a bloody firecracker”laughed Sirius as she left
“I know”sighed Regulus watching her leave
February 3,1973
Hogwarts
The first few weeks after the break had been busy, every teacher was slamming the kids with work for their upcoming tests. Everyone but Grace was exhausted, she loved it, every subject interested her and she was more than excited to go to every class even when they were given the option of taking the mornings off. James and Sirius had fallen asleep at breakfast every morning after quidditch practice and Remus had just seemed more tired than usual, to be fair after Christmas break Grace had begun to notice Remus more than she did before. She had grown a lot closer to the group of boys Lily despised, aside from Remus. Sirius had been tutoring Regulus and her in defense of the dark arts and Severus had helped Lily with potions and Remus’s notes especially helped.
“Try two drops not one”said Severus leaning over his cauldron with a thermometer.
“The book says one” replied Grace holding the dropper over her own cauldron.
“Don’t listen to the book, or Remus”he scoffed. “Potions is about creating new things, sometimes things can be better if they’re simply experimented with.”
“Ok whatever” she said rolling her eyes adding two drops to her cauldron, the potion started bubbling beautifully and turning a pretty shade of blue.
“Told you”smirked Severus
“Oh shut it, what are you brewing anyway” she asked looking at his pale pink cauldron.
“Amortentia”
“A love potion? That’s a fifth year potion, how do you know how to do it, why are you making it?”
“You ask a lot of questions Grace”
“I’m curious”
“Well, I learned it from Lucius Malfoy, he’s especially good at potions and it turns out as am I, and quite honestly it's not of your business as to why I’m making it.”
“Is it for Lily?” His eyes widened in horror at her accusation.
“I would never do that.” He said looking up at her sternly “You know i would never do that right?”
“Yea yea I’m sorry, it’s just, you fancy her right?” Asked Grace bottling up her own potion.
“No”
“Sev’
“A little, you can’t tell her Grace, were just friends to her”
“Ok, i won't, but tell me what the amortencias for” she smirked
“You little-, fine, Sol asked me to make it, I don’t know for what.”
“Are you guys going to play another stupid prank?”she asked furiously
“No, I don’t know, I think he fancies Posie.”he blurted out
“Oh god ew”
“Keep your mouth shut Grace”
“Yea yea whatever, I’ll see you later thanks for the help” she said, grabbing her things and putting the potion away on the shelves of the classroom.
February 13
Valentine's was a bloody stupid holiday. It was nauseating watching the amount of girls throwing themselves at Sirius. Regulus watched in horror as a howler approached Sirius for it only to be a song asking him to be some girl's valentine.
" l love valentines" signed Grace watching Sirius politely decline the howler.
"Of course you do" Regulus rolled his eyes and started picking at his food.
"oh shit, James! " Grace pointed at James who entered the great hall with a bouquet of white lilies. “
oh this will be good" laughed Severus watching James tap Lily on the shoulder.
"Lily Evans” he got down on one knee holding the bouquet."Will you make me the happiest man on earth, and be my valentine?"
The entire hall went silent as Lily fumed at James. "Never not even in your wildest dreams James Potter.” she stood up and walked right past him and out of the room.
"Harsh"cringed Regulus as James stood up defeated.
"Lily's too quick on not giving him a chance." sighed Grace
"'A chance he'll never get” piped in Severus
"I don't see you asking her” said Tiberius rolling his eyes
"Shut it Nott" snapped Severus
"alright I'm going to study, Reg you coming?”asked Grace picking her up her bag and a piece of toast covered in chocolate spread.
“Yeah”he said, pulling his eyes away from the group of girls surrounding his brother. “I’ll meet you there in a few.”
“Ok” Grace made her way to the library only to find Remus sitting alone asleep over a book.
“Hey Remus” she whispered, slightly shaking him, he bolted upright.
“Grace”
“Are you ok?”she asked sitting down next to him
“Tired” he shrugged, she passed him the piece of toast, “thanks Grace” he smiled warmly taking a bite.
“Figured you were somewhere in here, I didn’t see you at breakfast.”
“Can’t stand Sirius’s fan club” he said, closing the book and eating more of the toast.
“Do you have a valentines?”she blurted out the question and he immediately broke eye contact with her.
“Um, no” he muttered
“I was just wondering, I don’t have one either” there was an awkward silence following her words, they both sat there and waited for one of them to say what they were both thinking.
“I can’t”he whispered
“What?”
“I can’t be your valentines” he said a little louder
“Oh” she sat staring at him “may I ask why, I thought we were friends”
“We are, I just- I’m not um “right” for you”
“We’re friends”
“Yeah”he gulped still looking down
“So be my valentine.”she demanded
“What? I just told you that-”
“You’re my friend and I’m yours and we both don’t have valentines so we’ll be each others, as friends”she smiled
“You’re sure?” He asked again looking up at her
“Yeah” she said “I’ll see you tomorrow ok?”
“Ok”he smiled as she gave him a quick hug and walked away
He stayed sitting there staring at the door, she was a great friend and she was definitely pretty, but that was just about it, she was just a really good friend.
Hogwarts field
“Grace, I’ve got a dumb question”said Regulus leaning against the tree
“Mhm” she said, scanning through her transfiguration notes.
He pulled a small flower from the grass next to him and held it out to her and got on one knee and puffed out his chest the way James had, “Grace Evans”
“Oh you’re terrible” she laughed watching him
“Will you make me the happiest man in the world.” He took a dramatic breath clutching his heart with the flower, “and be my valentine”. The two immediately started laughing, falling to the ground sitting under the shade of their tree.
“So?”he asked again bumping her shoulder, she smiled at him and leaned against his shoulder.
“Alas i already have a valentine.”she sighed dramatically
“What?” His voice dropped and he turned to look at her
“Remus”
“He asked you?”he asked
“I asked him, just as friends” she replied
“You asked him to be your valentine, as friends” he repeated
“Yeah”
“That’s not friendly Grace that’s flirty”he said tensing
“Ok? Who cares, maybe I want to flirt with him” she said defensively
“If he said yes as friends that’s all he wants from you” shrugged Regulus
“Reg”
“Whatever Grace, have fun with your totally not flirtatious Valentine’s Date” he said as he got up and stormed off.
Valentine’s Day
Hogwarts
Regulus sat across from her that day at breakfast not next to her like he always had, Ari was busy chatting away about the flowers Tomas had given her and all their plans for the day and Grace sat there glaring at Regulus the entire time. She went to take a sip of her juice and all of a sudden Regulus put his hand over the cup.
“Don’t drink anything” he mouthed at her glancing at Severus and Sol who were smiling widely as they watched everyone take a sip of their drinks.
“What did you do?”she whispered putting her own hand over Aris cup.
“I’m sorry” he said just in time for everyone to erupt into a very loud obnoxious conversation about Professor Flitwick.
“Im in love with him!”
“No i am”
“I love Professor Flitwick”
Some who had not drunk anything laughed at their friends and the pure embarrassment on Professor Flitwick's face, and others watched in horror as more and more people began to talk.
“The amortentia”whispered Ari to Grace
“That bloody prick!”yelled Grace running towards Severus “You said it was for Sol!”she roared in his face
“Hey hey it technically was”he smirked high fiving Sol
“You ass!” She screamed launching herself at Severus
“Grace please!“ Regulus grabbed her waist pulling her away from Severus
“You two are bloody idiots”she yelled when all of a sudden the crowd was silenced, Dumbledore stood at the center of the room with his wand raised.
“Sol,Severus, Regulus and Grace, my office”he said calmly walking out. Grace looked back at Remus,Sirius and James who were already standing at their table and she saw Lily sitting next to Peter with her mouth wide open.
“Professor Dumbledore Grace and Regulus had nothing to do with this!”yelled Sirius
“Yeah it was obviously Snape and Zabini”followed James
“I applaud you for your chivalry Mr Potter and Mr Black, but I will handle this”replied Dumbledore without turning around
“Professor with all due respect, it wasn’t them”added Remus stepping forward
“Mr Lupin, I will handle this”he said, waving Remus off.
Dumbledore’s office
“Licorice wands” Dumbledore spoke to the statue and walked into his office followed by the four students.
“Now, if one of you can tell me who’s at fault, Slytherin will walk away with 20 house points lost but no detentions, if you don’t, 100 house points and detention for the rest of the year.”
“100 points?”asked Grace, her eyes widening.
“Yes Miss Evans, so I ask you first, who is at fault?”
She looked at Regulus who refused to meet her eyes and then she turned to Snape who was darting her a look of “you better not say a word”
“I don’t know sir”she replied looking at him in the eyes
“You seemed upset at Severus, if you know something .”
“I don’t sir, I was upset because of a disagreement with my sister, I do not know anything about the situation, I swear it.” She kept eye contact with Dumbledore and spoke sternly
“Very well then, Mr Black?”
“I don’t know either, I was trying to get Grace to back off of Severus”he answered honestly about what he was doing, but Grace knew he was somehow at fault just as much as Severus and Sol were.
“Severus?”asked Dumbledore ignoring Regulus’s response
“Sir look I-“
“Severus brewed amortentia and Sol slipped it into everyone’s drinks!” Ari walked into Dumbledore's office holding a small vile of amortentia, “it was in his robes,he left them in the common room”
“Bloody bi-“
“Amortentia is a 5th year potion Severus” said Dumbledore holding up the vile
“One wrong move and there would be horrid consequences, but this, this brew is perfect.”he said tossing the rest of it into the trash.
“Thank you Professor?”said Snape eyeing Sol confused
“Don’t thank me, you and Mr Zabini here will receive adequate punishment which will include brewing the antidote, but Severus, would you like to join Professor Slughorns potion club, it’s usually only offered to 5th years but you my boy have a gift.”
“Absolutely Professor thank you”Severus let out a small smile but quickly realized Sol was staring him down.
“And as for you Ms Greengrass, 10 points for doing the right thing.” Ari beamed at Dumbledore ignoring the looks Sol and Severus were giving her. “Now go and try not to ruin everyone's day, alas it’s the day of love”
They all rushed out of his office and immediately as the statue closed Sol grabbed Regulus by the collar.
“Now what the fuck are you gonna do Black? Cry to your mudblood whore over here, I hear she’s going out with Lupin, isn’t that your idiot brother's mate?” Sol pushed him against the wall, knocking Regulus’s head on the stone.
“Let him go, Sol! Sev do something!” Grace started crying as she reached for Regulus but Ari held her back with fear in her eyes,Severus stared in horror as Sol pounded Regulus repeatedly into the wall. “Severus you coward! Please Sev do something”she cried harder watching Regulus’s unconscious body hit the wall.
“Petrifclus totalus” Sirius aimed his wand at Sol making him freeze up and drop Remus, Grace immediately broke away from Ari and ran to Regulus who was being cradled by Sirius. “James take Sol to Dumbledore now, Peter you go with him.”
Peter and James lifted Sol up and turned to Ari. “Go back to the dorms, straight to your room, don’t talk to anyone ok?”
“Ok ok” Ari wiped the tears from her eyes and quickly started towards the slytherin dorms. Leaving Regulus, Sirius, Remus and Grace.
“Bloody fucking hell, Reggie come on, wake up Reg” Sirius felt for his brothers pulse and exhaled when he found it holding him closer, Remus put his arm around Grace who was gasping for air trying to control her tears.
“We can take him to Pomfrey”said Remus
“She’ll tell our mother, and she can’t know Remus.” Sirius looked up glossy eyed,
Grace had never seen so distraught before and she suddenly remembered the letter from Walburga she had read, their mother could not find out.
“She won’t say anything, I’ll handle it ok, I promise Sirius” Remus looked at Sirius and waited for his nod of approval and then helped him pick up Regulus while still making sure Grace was ok.
“Im going to bloody kill Sol”muttered Sirius holding his brother.
Hogwarts
February 18,1973
Regulus slowly opened his eyes,the room was dark and cold. He didn’t remember what had happened, only that he had woken up in Madam Pomfreys care hours later and then quickly blacked out again.
“Sirius, i said I promised to let you know if he wakes up, which he will, but please darling, you have to leave the hospital wing.”
“Just let me look at him again, and I’ll go ok, ill go” Sirius’s voice was hoarse and he sounded desperate, Regulus didn't know how long he’d been unconscious but by the sound of Sirius’s state, it had been a while.
“Fine, one more time, then you go sleep in your own dorm” sighed Madam Pomfrey pulling back his curtain to reveal Regulus sitting up, confused. Tears immediately welled up in Sirius’s eyes as he grabbed onto his brother.
“You’re ok, you’re awake and ok”he stuttered, running his hands through his little brother's hair.
“Sirius, what's happened, are you ok?” He was suffocated by his older brother's body and his shoulder already damp from Sirius’s tears.
“Sol, he knocked you out and then, and then you didn't wake up for four days and, I thought you were going to die”gasped Sirius’s trying to pull himself together.
“Im ok, im ok Sirius” he held Sirius tighter until his sobbing halted, “i promise you’ll definitely be first to die anyway” he smiled
“Yea, you’re right”said Sirius letting out a relieved laugh