Black // Marauders

62. Psycho

Persie's face fell as her eyes welled with tears and she turned to Dumbledore, "He can't do that! That's your decision, isn't it? How can he do that?"

"Persephone, I just want you to take a deep breath and calm down. I think we can discuss this further when you have actually gotten some sleep." Dumbledore said softly, as she furrowed her eyebrows at him, "Are you serious?! I've just been kicked out of school! I'm not going to calm down?!"

"Persephone-" Dumbledore warned her, before she pushed herself out of the chair and stormed from the room into the waiting area, where a little wizard held her wand ready to give her. She stretched a hand towards it and felt it whizz into her palm as she continued on her way out into the main corridor and saw his face pale out of the corner of her eye.

The Ministry was now rammed with witches and wizards on their lunch breaks, running between offices to try and find their friends as she crossed over to a grate and Apparated out on to the street above them. Before she could Apparate again, someone materialised beside her and grabbed her arm to stop her from turning.

"What are you doing, Alastor?" She asked him angrily, before he held on to her more tightly, "Pers, you can't do anything about Fudge. Just chill out. You don't know what Dumbledore's going to agree with him yet."

"Agree with him about what?! I can't even finish my exams. I can't be an Auror. I'm fucked, Alastor." Persie exclaimed, before he sighed, "I know you're angry. I get it. But to stop them from screwing you over anymore, you need to just lie low for a while, alright?"

She nodded begrudgingly, before he slowly released his grip on her arm and swallowed, "Let's go home, okay?"

Persie nodded again, before turning on the spot and landing outside of her front door. Alastor landed beside her a few seconds later, before producing a key from his robes and throwing it across to her, "Ready when you are."

She stepped forward and opened the door. It swung open almost too easily from the loose locks, before she swallowed and stepped inside. It was desolate and dark and everything felt cold. Not warm and homelike, like usual.

"Why don't I bring some people round? We can have a get together to celebrate?" Alastor suggested, glancing at Persie's dead and emotionless eyes as she padded inside of her house, "Pers?"

She nodded smally and slowly, before turning her head back to him and flashing a small smile. He smiled back, before trudging off and leaving out of the door. Persie entered the kitchen and opened up a cupboard to take a glass and pour herself a cup of water, but her hands were shaking so much, she just dropped it into the sink and leaned her elbows on the side to put her head in her hands.

A creak on the stairs made her raise her head suddenly as her heart picked up speed again and she pulled her wand from her pocket.

"Pers?" Someone said quietly as she internally cursed at herself and she stuck her head out of the kitchen door, "Regulus?"

"What happened? Are you alright?" He asked, before she shrugged, "Stage Three psycho and I can't go back to school but other than that I'm top drawer."

She could feel her face begin to quiver a little as she raised her hand to her eyes and felt Regulus wrap his arms around her, "Why are you crying?! That's great, isn't it? You aren't going to prison or anything!"

"Look, Reg. You need to get going back to the castle. Alastor's coming back in a minute and you don't need to deal with that so." Persie said as she pulled away from him and wiped under her eyes.

"Pers, I can't leave you in this state-" He started before she shook her head, "What? I'm fine. Honestly, Reg, just get back to the castle. Dumbledore should be there by now."