Roses All The Way Down【Sirius Black】

ⅩⅦ. 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐟𝐟

An hour later, she arrived back at the dormitory. She went to her room and put on her pajamas. Lily and Dorcas walked in and, upon seeing the signs of clear crying, ran up to her.

Lily threw her arms around Virginia's neck, "I don't think I need to ask how Slug Club went. I'm so sorry I couldn't go this time."

"It's really okay Lil and I'm sorry but I'm never going again," Virginia said, awkwardly sliding out of her embrace.

"What happened," Dorcas asked, her voice full of sympathy.

"Pandora happened," she said, shrugging like it didn't matter. The door opened again and Alice and Marlene came in fighting with pillows they had stolen from the common room. Mary walked behind them, shaking her head and chuckling under her breath. As soon as she saw the scene before them, she kicked Marlene and slapped Alice's arm to get their attention. They paused, looking annoyed, until they saw Virginia.

"Oh Ginny," Alice simpered, running to her trunk and opening up her freezer compartment. The only thing Virginia could think was, seriously, is everyone calling me that now??

Mary and Marlene looked awkwardly at each other. Lily stepped back from Virginia and the other two girls hugged her at the same time. Alice bounded over with icecream and a large spoon. She then lightly took Virginia's wrist and dragged her to the floor. All the girls sat down as well, directing their full attention to the girl.

She felt herself shift uncomfortably, "do you want the bad news, the good news, or the weird news first?" She supposed there was no avoiding this conversation.

They all looked at each other. Mary finally answered, "good I guess."

"Sirius and the rest of the Marauders made me feel a lot better. So that was nice."

"That is nice," Alice agreed kindly.

"Uncharacteristically nice," Marlene grumbled under her breath. No doubt she had noticed that Virginia had chosen Sirius to pull out of the four boys.

"So now the bad?" Lily asked gently.

Virginia shook her head wordlessly, "it's too much. Too... heavy."

Lily bit her lip, looking at the other four girls for some sort of help. They had nothing to offer. They couldn't make her talk, although she clearly desperately needed to. They knew that whatever was going on - the entirety hadn't been shared with the boys. They knew she had to be exhausted.

"Mulciber assaulted me," Mary said with a slightly cracked voice, "Lily's the uh- only one who knows this actually. He and Severus."

"One of my aunts crossed paths with some rising dark wizard this summer and well... she died," Marlene spoke up, scratching the back of her neck.

"Petunia is my sister and we were best friends but she's officially left me. The person I care most about in the world thinks I'm a freak," Lily sniffed.

"My mom is really sick and the Mungo's healers don't know if she's going to make it," Dorcas said. Marlene put her hand on top of Dorcas's.

"Both of my parents are dead and I live with my uncle," Alice said with a shrug, like it didn't matter.

"We all have a lot of stuff. Really bad stuff. Really heavy stuff," Mary summarized, "let's trauma bond, darling."

Virginia felt a part of herself break. She explained everything. The pieces she had omitted with Sirius and the ones she had done the same for with Peter. She talked about how bad family (only for a sentence or two), how she was dirt poor (which the other girls didn't know how to react to) and how she felt like didn't belong. Then she paused and took a breath, before saying, "and the thing is, I shouldn't even be there... I'm just there because of a dumb thing I didn't do anything to get. I was just born with them."

"With what?" All the girls chorused, looking confused.

Virginia's nose twitched, "you can't tell anyone."

"I'll kill anyone who does," Mary said challengingly, looking around at all of them.

"I would never," both Marlene and Dorcas said.

"My lips will always be sealed for you, you're my best friend," Lily said, tilting over and putting her head on Virginia's shoulder.

"Pinky swear," Alice said cheerily, extending her pinky. Virginia grinned and took it before standing up.

"There is a reason for this," she explained slowly, as she removed her shirt to reveal just a bra underneath.

None of the girls looked perturbed, just incredibly intrigued. She took a deep breath.

She felt an incredible amount of discomfort slide away as she arched her back. And out of it - protruded two things. Two identical light gray wings with tiny gold flecks flapped in the room. The wingspan took up much of the space, spanning from the end of one four poster to the end of another.

For a moment nobody spoke and then Alice squealed, "can you actually fly?"

Everyone shushed her except for Virginia who just smiled slightly. She liked the feeling of not being judged. She lifted one leg up until she was standing like a flamingo. Her wings twisted and then flapped up and down. It sent a gust of wind downwards, sending the dust on the floor out in a great plume. Her other foot slowly lifted off the ground until she hovered a few inches.

"So that's why you're so good at Quidditch," Mary said like she was realizing something grand.

"Actually, they're very different. And besides I rarely ever fly. Maybe once or twice a year. I mean it totally sucks keeping them in all the time but y'know..."

All the girls gaped at her.

"You have wings," Dorcas began.

"And you've rarely flown?" Marlene finished.

"Obviously not, did you hear the part about her parents?" Mary interjected, slapping both of them upside the heads.

"Well you can have them out here," Alice said kindly, "this is a magic school. You're not around muggles anymore."

"Yeah seriously Gin, you should!" Lily added. The other girls all nodded.

Virginia chuckled and shrugged, "we'll see."

"Wait-" Dorcas interjected, "what was the weird news?"

"This is so not the time Dorcas," Marlene said, shaking her head before turning to Mary, "right?"

"No, it's fine," Mary said sensibly.

Marlene turned back to Dorcas, "I was joking."

Dorcas flicked Marlene. A war ensued.

"You're both idiots," Mary grumbled before looking back at Virginia, "so the weird thing?" She acted like nothing was happening behind them as Dorcas and Marlene tackled each other.

"I have a date. Not a real one, I mean... it is real but although he's nice enough and whatever. I just... can't date."

"But the kiss!" Lily said, looking worried.

"I was thinking... I might just kiss one of you?" She said slowly, "I can omit some truths to make it seem like it meant a little something but we decided nothing romantic."

"Ew," Dorcas said from the floor where she was pinned under Marlene, "kissing girls is gross."

A shadow passed over Marlene's face, "do you actually mean that?"

"Of course not, idiot," Dorcas chuckled, wriggling underneath the other girl, "I'll kiss you Gin."

"No you won't," Marlene said with a laugh, although she sounded oddly serious.

"I'll do it," Lily interjected sternly. No one dared object.

Virginia pulled her wings back into her and then pulled her pajama shirt back on, "anyway I'm off to bed."

"Wait!" Mary called out, "I did tell you that you're trying out with me for Quidditch, right?"

Virginia's eyes widened, "uhhhh no?"

"We are," Mary said simply, "we have to be on the pitch at 12. Sound good?"

Virginia shook her head with a little smile, "sounds perfect."

She jumped into her bed and fell asleep almost immediately after she finished her prayer.