OK PSA - no way in hell rollis is gonna be finished in 200 chapters (i just wanted to say this) so i went ahead and made the part two of blood and chocolate - what was the point of saying this, i don't know. but now YOU know that if you're enjoying this we have much more than forty three chapters worth to go with their story ;) <3
Platform 9 3/4 was warmed by several tall steel lamps with glowing amber heat exerting from the small holes that let bits of their light show through. It was a significant contrast from the rest of the nonmagical station where the cold winter air bit at sweaters and made tips of noses and ears flush red with the frostiness. There were dozens and dozens of families sending off their children after the month together with teary eyes, knowing it would be the last time they saw them for months. Many students' bags were more loaded than when they had departed Hogwarts due to the gifts showered upon them by their families. It was a bittersweet goodbye for most of these happy little pods.
For Hollis Rosier, the goodbye from her family was only sweet.
She had been through quite a bit of a dilemma for what clothes to wear to the station that morning. Whenever Hollis had been cut before, the locations of the bloody marks had always been easy to conceal as long as she wore the proper clothing.
Now, however, the dark red line that hadn't fully healed yet despite Monty's help was not so smoothly hidden. The mark traced from the slope of her shoulder to behind her ear, making it impossible to cover up even if she kept her hair entirely down.
To the station, Hollis had opted to wear Remus's large Gryffindor sweatshirt and a pair of black sweatpants that made her quite literally look like a blob of cotton. It was exactly the opposite of what her parents wanted though, plus it was ten times more comfortable than some outfit that actually exemplified some sort of fashion sense.
This baggy sweatshirt had a wide neckline on Hollis's smaller frame compared to Remus, and it made the line fully visible. Hollis hadn't made an effort to come up with an excuse, she would rather just let someone ask and give them such a menacing glare that they backed off.
Unfortunately, Hollis was sure that Remus, James, and Sirius already knew what happened to her. They most likely had also figured out that she was the one who made them fall. Hollis really didn't want to avoid them, but it was going to be hard to look them in the eye after what they knew.
A stomach twisting thought occurred to Hollis.
What if they had told their parents?
Adults didn't quite understand what it was like to be a teenager during a war. They didn't understand that when they tried to do the right thing to them, it could put the younger generation in some deep shit.
And if the Potter or Lupin parents were going to try and do something against the Rosiers, the only thing it would do was end up hurting Hollis even further.
With every time that the Rosier apparated to Platform 3/4, their goodbyes became shorter and shorter. This time, Hollis didn't even turn back to look at them and started walking away the instant her legs were stable enough from the apparition.
With every fiber in her body, Hollis didn't want to go meet Regulus under the same stairwell as last time. But she knew for a fact that several Death Eater meetings had occurred over the break. And if Dumbledore was going to trust the information Regulus gave her, then Hollis was going to need a Dark Mark to show for it.
The Black boy was already waiting for her in the cramped space, and Hollis immediately noticed how damn tired Regulus looked. She imagined that Death Eater meetings weren't the most pleasant thing to be a part of, but Regulus looked scared for life at whatever had happened at Grimmauld Place, Nott, Malfoy, or Rosier Manor where most of the meeting were usually held.
There were bags painted in a dark purple with a heavy hand on milky white skin under brown eyes that were far too dull. His hair was fallen over his cheekbones carelessly, Regulus hadn't even bothered with his appearance.
As a matter of fact, both Slytherins were looking pretty rough.
"I'll take it you didn't have the best winter break either, then?" Regulus suggested weakly to Hollis with a sad smile as he looked at the cut on her neck.
Hollis laughed softly and gave Regulus a gentle hug that it seemed like he very much needed. Regulus smiled a bit more at Hollis's touch. It was something he found very comforting, something that felt like for a moment, the world was going to be okay.
"When the Dark Lord wants a meeting, the mark burns," Regulus whispered as he and Hollis broke apart. "And it's not a gentle warning. It hurts so bad, Hollis."
The way that Regulus's voice snapped with tears made Hollis want to curse something. When someone close to her got hurt, that was when the most of her anger got released.
"Can I see?" Hollis asked, and Regulus tentatively nodded.
The seventh year boy pulled up his white sleeve to reveal that widely feared tattoo.
.｡*ﾟ+.*.｡ ﾟ+..｡*ﾟ+
"Have you seen her?" James asked Remus, Sirius, and Peter as they paced through the station looking for Hollis so they could all board the train together. "Anywhere?"
The other three boys shook their heads and frowned.
"It's bloody impossible to find anyone in this mess," Remus grumbled. Even his significant height advantage over most of the adults wasn't helping this time.
Sirius stopped in his tracks as he saw something by the stairwell.
"Brilliant."
James and Peter didn't even have to know who Sirius had seen. All they had to do was look at the expression on his and Remus's faces.
"Regulus?" Peter sighed, looking at James to see if he had guessed correctly.
"The one and only," Remus said sourly as the four Gryffindors began to walk towards the two Slytherins.
.｡*ﾟ+.*.｡ ﾟ+..｡*ﾟ+
Hollis gently held the bottom of his forearm in her palm and stared at the skin under and surrounding the tattoo. Oddly, the flesh formed a circle of his normal skin tone where the Dark Mark was, but it became pink and inflamed the second it exited that circle. Almost like the spell that had put on the tattoo also had a built-in protection system.
Hollis narrowed her eyes at the echo of the three lines remaining from when Regulus had cut himself with a frown.
"I think I can get some Murtlap Essence from Greenhouse Five if I use the clo- if I'm careful," Hollis amended. "That should help with the redness and the lasting sting."
Reguls smiled softly.
"Leave it to Hollis Rosier to know how to heal anyone," he said, and Hollis smiled a bit sadly.
They both knew where that experience had come from.
"Sorry to interrupt the lovely little gathering that you two are obviously having here, but I would personally like to get on the train in time with Hollis," came the irriatated voice of Sirius Black to his older brother.
None of them liked the way that Hollis and Regulus were talking about the tattoo on his skin that all the Gryffindors loathed with a fierceness.
"Or spend too much of her time with a Death Eater," James added with spite in his tone.
Hollis hated when they got like this. Turning to Regulus apologetically, Hollis saw his eyes widen in panic.
"When?" Regulus muttered under his breath, not caring about the Gryffindor boys standing a yard away.
Hollis knew exactly what he was talking about.
"Just before tomorrow night," Hollis said in such a low tone only Regulus could hear. That was when the next DADA 'club' meeting was being held.
Regulus walked right between James and Remus instead of going around them like he could have easily.
"Will you just drop it?" Hollis asked, letting the disgust show on her face. "What is with you and saying Death Eater at every moment you can?"
Remus's green eyes widened in disbelief.
"That's what you're talking about?" he cried, keeping up with Hollis as she started to walk towards the train. "That, when you know good and well what we heard over Christmas?"
Hollis turned to give Remus a sharp look.
"Talking about the past won't change it," Hollis retorted. "And yes, I am particularly eager to relive that night, thanks for being so considerate."
"Yea, well, I don't particulary enjoy talking about hearing my girlfriend getting abused, but here we are as well," Remus replied, grabbing Hollis's hand and pulling both of them to a stop. "But if neither of us like it, that's just even more the reason to talk about it, Hol."
Hollis couldn't deny that any of this wasn't true.
"Fuck you and your perfect replies, Remus Lupin," Hollis huffed.
Remus smiled softly at Hollis's complaint.
"I enjoy being the only one you can't come back to," Remus said, and Hollis jokingly narrowed her eyes at him.
"Yes, rub it in all you want," Hollis told the tall boy as they stepped onto the train. "It must be very amusing."
Remus was about to reply before his eyes fell on the target of the Severing Charm for the first time. Hollis noticed his silence as she walked down the narrow carpeted corridor and turned around to see Remus with a frown on his face. It was obvious what he had just noticed.
"Remus-" Hollis started with a pleading tone for him not to press it, but she was cut off by the tall boy's lips on hers.
Remus pulled down the cream blinds of the compartment with one hand and locked the door with the other.
that was a lot - i think a lot of remus's motivation is just to prove regulus wrong lol
4th chapter of the day!
1.7k words
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