December 17th - Shrieking Shack
It was the night of the full moon, and four out of the five marauders were anxiously waiting at the courtyard for Poppy to bring Remus out to the Whomping Willow.
Nephera had a horrible feeling for that night, although she didn't know why. Alarm bells were going off inside her head for no apparent reason, and she found her eyes constantly darting across the courtyard for any sort of danger.
There was also the fact that there had been no assassination attempts for quite some while, letting a sort of eery and fragile peace envelop the school.
"Everything alright Nephie?" asked James
The four boys had learned to trust Nephera's gut feelings, and so whenever they saw her uneasy, they tensed almost on reflex and started looking around as well.
"It's quiet tonight, isn't it?" she asked
"It's always quiet during the night," answered Peter, "I'm sure it's nothing, Mortem,"
The girl only hummed in response, still unconvinced about the whole thing. Sirius, who was smoking a cigarette next to her took note of this and extended his hand, letting her take a drag as well. He had become very familiar with Nephera's mannerisms, and so he knew that whenever she got into such a mood there was little that could talk her out of it.
Despite Peter's assurance, the four of them were a lot more alert, sweeping their eyes across the courtyard as they waited for the mediwtich and their fifth friend.
Nephera had a good reason to be worried, since down in the Slytherin dorms, Avery, Mulciber, and Lestrange had broken into Mulciber's alcohol stash and had gotten drunk out of their minds.
"Did you see Winchester today?" slurred Mulciber, "With Black? Admit it Lopheus, you're jealous,"
Lestrange downed the rest of the firewhiskey in his cup, before answering, "I wasn't jealous, it's better that we're not married anyway, wouldn't want a known bloodtraitor as a wife,"
Avery laughed loudly at his friends' obvious denial. Growing up with Lestrange meant that the Avery boy had been subjected to his best friends' long rants about Nephera for years, even before they started Hogwarts, "Sure, mate, whatever helps you sleep at night. Can't blame you, honestly, she's a bloody sight, that woman,"
"Don't let you-know-who hear you say this," grumbled Mulciber, "We have a deadline, and it's slowly growing near,"
The grave reminder prompted the three boys to drink some more, this time not bothering with pouring out the alcohol but rather drinking straight from the bottles they were each holding.
"Kill her before graduation," scoffed Lestrange drunkenly, "As though she's just any ruddy person. That woman has nine lives, I swear,"
Mulciber replied something, but it missed Avery's ears. The blonde boy was lost deep in thought, although the alcohol in his system was making it hard to draw simple conclusions. By that point, the boy really couldn't see any other option, if poison and curses had failed, they'd have to use the killing curse.
"We have do it," he took in a deep breath, "We'll have to use the curse,"
They all had more than one reason to want the brunette dead. She had sent Avery's father to Azkaban, tarnishing his family's reputation, she had killed Mulciber's father, and she had sent those letters at Lestrange's father last Christmas, leading to the boy almost being disowned.
On top of that, she had embarassed them more times than they could count around the school. Most students feared them, if not all, with the exception of five people, the marauders, and herself. That had always been the case, ever since the very first year, and the group of junior Death Eaters could never quite let that go.
In a manic state which could be fuelled by firewhiskey, "Let's do it now," slurred Lestrange, getting up, "Let's just get this blasted thing over with. I heard her talking with Pettigrew about how they'd be meeting in the courtyard at midnight, let's just go do it,"
Seeing the blank looks on his freind's faces, he kept talking, "Look, it'll be our heads on the chopping block if we fail t this. He might not kill us, but he'll hurt us, a lot. You've read his letters, he wants her dead more than anything else, are you really willing to risk it all for her? For the girl that killed your father, or the girl that put your father to prison? She's been making a fool out of us for the past seven years?"
In their drunken state, that speech motivated them more than it should've, and so they clambered out of the dorm, "Should be wake up Black and Nott?" asked Avery
"Don't forget about Snape," added Mulciber
"No one cares about Snape, and no, we're not calling the others, let's just get this done with," replied Lestrange, tripping slightly on the rug of the common room, "Besides, the Dark Lord will reward those who manage to kill her. Do you really want to share the glory?"
The other two laughed maliciously, and ran as quietly as they could muster through the corridors. Filch was an evergrowing danger, but they knew that he never ventured near the dungeons. No ever did, they realized, barring Slytherins or when the students had a potions class.
Eventually, they made their way outside and they stopped abruptly to catch their breaths, "There," slurred Mulciber, "To the womping willow,"
Turning their heads, they saw the three Gryffindors and the Slytherin making their way towards the aggressive tree, "What the hell are they doing?" asked Lestrange
"Nevermind that, you said that it would only be Winchester and Pettigrew, they're all here," snarked the third Slytherin, "We can't take all of them,"
Lestrange took a step forwards, "So what? We can take them, come on,"
The other two followed, running briskly through the snow, trying to avoid to slipping. Unluckily for them, the ice snapping under their feet and their small grunts as they tried to balance carried through the empty grounds, gaining the attention of the four teens.
"Shit," said James, gripping his wand "What now?"
Nephera took a step forward, "We can't let them see Moony, nor any of you transform," she sighed, "They're drunk, I can easily take them, I'll draw them away, you go under the tree. Do not let him out tonight, keep him in the shack,"
"Are you insane? Need I remind you that they're here to kill you?" snarled Sirius, stepping in front of her
"I've done it before!"
Peter stepped up, "There is barely any time for-"
He was cut off by a loud howl, accompanied with Mulciber yelling out, "Sectumsempra!"
James swiftly threw up a protective shield over all four of them, "Whatever it is, we've got to do it now!"
One quick glance between the four of them was enough to communicate a plan. Nephera and Sirius broke away from the pack, running the opposite direction from the willow which led the three Slytherins to follow them, taking their attention off of James and Peter.
Hearing Moony's howls of pain grow louder, the two remaining Gryffindors knew that they had to get down there. Checking to ensure that no one was looking at them, Peter transformed into wormtail, tapping on the root of the tree and allowing James to slip in the passage under the tree.
Nephera and Sirius were firing curses and hexes at the three drunk Death Eaters, but the trio was holding their own.
"Expeliarmus!" yelled Sirius
"Are you fucking- Scopum!" she targeted Avery, but the boy jumped to the side and missed, "Are you fucking kidding me Sirius? Expeliarmus? Do you not know any other spells?"
The boy mumbled something incoherent under his breath, but took a leaf out of Nephera's playbook and started using more malicious spells.
Everything turned ten times worse, however, when Lestrange pointed his wand at Nephera and she saw a flicker of darkness cast over them, "Avada Kedavra!" she fell on the ground swiftly, the curse barely missing the top of her head
When he heard those words, Sirius swore time stopped. In the span of a second, less than that, even, he was filled with dread like never before. He woulnd't- couldn't see Nephera die in front of him, for he'd surely never recover from it. Everything moved in slow motion, and he found himself unable to move, to breath, to do anything.
The green light emitted from Lestrange's wand.
Nephera falling to the ground and the look in her eyes that was full of fear.
He breathed out a sigh of relief when he saw her move again, the color returning to his face and his fear being replaced with fury like no other for the boy that dared put her life in danger. He never wanted to see her like that again, the fear in her eyes, the almost childlike longing of wanting to live longer than that moment.
Though, his moment of weakness and lapse in attention left the window open for Mulciber to stun him and sent him flying a few feet into the air.
He recovered quickly, though, fuelled by the same protectiveness that had always filled him when it came to Nephera.
"Sirius, relax-"
"Do not tell me to relax when they're firing the killing curse!"
"It doesn't matter," she yelled back, dodging another spell, "The curse requires a lot of power and malice, you need to find joy in it. They don't have that power, we'll barely get a nosebleed!"
"Oh well then- Protego- That makes me feel so much better," he snapped sarcastically
Mulciber was duelling with Sirius, while Avery and Lestrange had focused on Nephera, "Not to interrupt the lover's quarrel," spat Avery, "But we're trying to kill you here,"
"Key word: trying," sassed the Gryffindor
Apparently, the alcohol in the Death Eater's system only reminded them of all the times the brunette girl had wronged them, making their movements sharper and more dangerous.
"Sectumsempra!" yelled Nephera, but Mucliber dodged it
It became awfully clear to her that this way now a fight for her life, but more importantly, Sirius's life. The three Death Eaters in front of them were angry and drunk, and her eyes widened when it dawned on her, "Stop!" she yelled, and everyone stopped firing curses but still held their wands up
"Why is it that everyone always listens to her?" asked Avery from where he was standing opposite Sirius, and the Gryffindor snorted in response
The two looked at each other with utter disgust at the thought that they had agreed on something.
"Talk, Winchester, before we kill both of you," snarled Lestrange
The girl only smirked, making the other three Slytherins tense. They had seen that expression before, and it never signified something good, "Have you forgotten, in your drunken states, who you're duelling?"
"It's three against two, Winchester, and this isn't like that petty duel last time. Not even you can survive the killing curse," said Mulciber, tightening the hold on his wand and darting his eyes between Sirius and Nephera
The girl cocked her head, "For once, I'm not talking about me, darling,"
Sirius supposed the situation looked comical from an outside perspective. Five people, standing in a circle, pointing their wands at each other and having civil conversation while at it.
"Have you forgotten the vow? Tom's part of it was rather vague, he promised that no harm would come to Sirius and the other marauders," the other three Slytherins exchanged a glance, their eyes widening
The Gryffindor of the group laughed, "Holy fuck, I almost forgot about that myself. I mean, honestly, lads, you might've just killed the bloke back then when you stunned me,"
"They're just trying to stall, to come up with a plan," came the wrongful reasoning of Avery, "What are we even doing talking here? Let's kill her!"
"And risk killing Sirius while at it?" asked the girl while the raven-haired boy pouted and fluttered his eyelashes sarcastically, "Put your wands down and go back to the dorms, and we'll forget all about this little exchange,"
Her point was only amplified when Remus let out yet another howl in the distance.
The Death Eaters exchanged a look, silently communicating with one another. They had the advantage at that point, Nephera and Sirius might be fantastic duellers but the Gryffindor barely knew anything about Dark Magic, while Nephera was too busy looking out for him to properly duel them.
At the same time, though, the girl was right. Voldemort's part of the vow was rather vague, and up to interpretation. No one knew if it only covered the marauder's deaths or any type of harm, even the aforementioned stunning spell.
"How do we know you truly won't say anything about this?" asked Avery, not yet putting down his wand
Sirius's smirk matched Nephera's as he moved to stand next to her, "You don't," he replied smugly
Lestrange opened his mouth, but was interrupted by Mulciber making one last attempt at gaining the favor of the Dark Lord, "Avada Kedavra!" he whispered, flicking his wand
Nephera, who had her eyes focused on Lestrange missed the whispered words and the barely-there movement of the wand, but Sirius didn't.
Pulling her sideways, behind him, the green light missed her once again and she breathed in relief. This feeling of relief was shortlived, however, when she saw what happened next.
"Crucio," yelled the Gryffindor, anger over the fact that the vermin in front of him almost killed his girlfriend
Mulciber fell to the ground, yelling and crying in pain, but Sirius didn't relent.
No one else moved to either stop him or help the boy on the ground, far too shocked by the sight in front of them.
Because at that moment, this wasn't Sirius, the Gryffindor, the infamous heartbreaker of Hogwarts, the marauder.
This was Sirius Orion Black. Pureblood, heir to the Black name and fortune and firstborn of Walburga and Orion Black.
Slapping his arm and his focus, the curse stopped and Mulciber was able to breathe again, "Get out of this castle, run before I kill all of you with a flick of my hand."
The silence was deafening, her deadly tone and harshness in her eyes registering in everyone's mind. Said silence was only broken by Avery and Lestrange running, half-carrying and half-dragging Mucliber with them.
Once they were out of sight, Nephera turned to look at her wizard, who was staring at the spot where the three death eaters had just been standing, "I want them dead," he stated gravely, "More than that, I want to hurt them,"
Tony's words from their argument last year eachoed in her ears. Funny how that worked, how some things, no matter how much time had passed, could never be forgotten.
This is what happens to the people who care for you.
She was cancer, she thought, spreading and killing everything in her wake. Sirius had become just like his parents, his boggart, his greatest fear, and it was all her fault. She knew that if the roles where reversed, she would've done much worse than that, but then again, her morals had always been bent.
Sirius's hadn't. He was the good one, the Gryffindor, not the person causing pain but rather the one alleviating it.
She had done that. She had changed him, made him into something he hated, something he feared most of all.
She moved in front of him to make him focus only on her, "Are you alright?"
When his eyes connected with hers, he breathed out a sigh of relief, "You're not hurt," he breathed, ignoring her question
"I'm fine, but Sirius I-"
They heard footsteps, and raised their wands instinctively only to see Dumbledore and McGonagall run outside, "Nephera, Sirius," breathed the older witch, relieved, "What on Earth happened?"
The boy's glare hardened as he gazed upon the Headmaster, "Something that could've been avoided had the Headmaster listened to us and expelled the bloody Death Eaters when he could."
The shocked expressions on both the Professor's faces were enough for Sirius to keep talking, "Mulciber, Avery, and Lestrange ran outside, they fired the killing curse at Nephera," he remembered that he needed to cover his own tracks as well, "They disarmed me at some point, used my wand to cast the Cruciatus curse. Nephera sent them running at the end, I'm assuming the've reached outside Hogwarts by now and apparated away."
"Merlin," breathed McGonnagall, "We must inform Moody immediately, are you two hurt?"
"No," replied the girl, her voice hoarse, "We're both fine," physically, at least, she thought
The older wizard nodded, taking account of the way the boy was inching his body slightly in front of the girl's, as though to protect her of him. Nephera's influence truly went deeper than he thought, "I will send word to Madeye, you two should return back inside,"
He turned swiftly, and Sirius almost snorted at the fact that this man seemed to present himself as someone who cared about his students. His sneer was interrupted however, when Minerva pulled the both of them into a a short yet strong embrace.
"Right," said the older witch, pulling away and smoothing over her robes, "You two go to sleep, it's been a long night,"
She walked away, but the two teens did not make any move to follow her orders. Sirius turned towards his witch, wanting visual confirmation that she was still, in fact, alive, while Nephera had a faraway look in her eyes.
"I'm sorry-"
He cut her off by a shake of his head. He knew of the girl's tendency to blame everything on herself, and there was no doubt that she blamed herself for him casting the torture curse, "No, hey, listen to me, you do not get to blame this on yourself, alright?" he took her face in his hands, running his thumb over her cheekbone, feeling the familiarity of her cold skin against his finger, "They tried to kill you, Nephera, I don't regret casting it for a second, and I know for a fact that I'd do it again,"
She shook her head, "I remember your boggart, your worse fear, it was turning out like your parents-"
"And I haven't," he stated confidently, "Because my mother cast that blasted curse to hurt me for no good reason, I did it to hurt the person who dared put your life in danger. What you don't understand, Mortem, is that all my morals go to hell when it comes to you. If anything happened to you I'd slaughter everyone who played any role in it, and I'd do it with a goddamn smile on my face,"
She couldn't help the warmth from rising to her cheeks when she heard that, "That's quite a terrifying fact,"
"Maybe," he hummed, smiling brightly, "But I need you, Nephera Lilith Winchester, I need you next to me more than anything else,"
And perhaps 'I need you' would be their 'I love you'.
A/N
3.2k words
cute? cringy? who the fuck knows at this point
it's really hard writing her character, because Nephera's obviously flawed, which is what i wanted since it makes her more realistic
oh well I'll figure it out eventually
don't forget to comment and vote!
xx