H I R A E T H
lxi||disowned with nowhere else to go
"What is it?" Maria rushes into the foyer and sees Remus carrying an unconscious Dorcas Meadows in his arms whilst everyone else scrambles into the house behind him. "Shit." Maria quickly moves all the cutlery and plates from the dining table making them smash on the ground but no one bothers as they lift Dorcas' t-shirt and see the large gashes across her middle.
"What happened?" Maria asks frantically, grabbing the medical healers kit they keep in the house, usually for when the two siblings and Sirius would get injured when practicing pranks or quidditch when they were younger.
"We—we were just leaving Alice and Frank's cottage." Marlene sobs, trying to smooth down the dark skinned girl's frizzy hair.
"Got jumped by death eaters." Sirius says, coming to Maria's side and handing her the healing serum. "Tried to apparate but Dorcas got splinched on the way back."
"It's okay, she's knocked out." Lily says quickly when Maria looks at Dorcas' face. She drips the serum over the wounds frantically, that begin to heal over and close.
"She'll be alright." Maria whispers, seeing the blood on her hands, instantly being knocked out of the mindset that she had to help quickly and James wraps his arm around her shoulders, turning her away from the scene and guiding the younger Potter to the kitchen.
"You okay?" James asks, running to taps warm and taking Maria's hands, rinsing Dorcas' blood off of them, using soap to get rid of the stained and dried blood.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Maria whispers and James raises his eyebrows. "Where's Mum and Dad, James?"
"They're going for a check up wt St Mungos, said they felt under the weather." James purses his lips and Maria looks at him.
"You'd tell me if you knew something was wrong though, yeah?" Maria says and James looks at her with glazed eyes and nods.
"Yeah, course." James says and Maria pulls him into a hug. "What's going on with you, Mar?"
"What?"
"You don't wanna be touched unless it's Regulus or one of the girls, you hardly eat anything—Mari you're skin and bones!" James states exasperatedly, his eyes welling with tears. "You look tired Maria."
"Nothings going on with me, James." Maria other whispers, staring at the ground.
"I want to help, M, but I can't if I don't know what's going on."
"I said I'm fine, James!" Maria snaps, walking out of the kitchen and letting the door slam behind her. She bumps into someone and looks up, seeing Remus' dazed face, as he snaps out of it she wraps her arms around his middle.
"Woah, hey." Remus says softly, pulling her into a spare room that has two armchairs facing a roaring fire with candles in the fireplace, the back wall covered in shelves upon shelves of books. "What's the matter?"
"I'm scared, Remus." Maria cries into his shoulder. "I'm so scared—Dorcas could've died."
"But she didn't." Remus grabs her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "Because of you, Mari. That was incredible, don't doubt yourself okay? It's good to be scared, it helps you make life or death decisions."
"Remus. . .I—"
There's a ringing sound that echoes through the manor as well as loud bashes on the front door and Maria looks at Remus before running though the house and to the large, double front doors. Sucking in a breath, she opens the door and locks eyes with some familiar grey ones in the rain.
"Thank Merlin." Maria breathes running over and wrapping her arms around him, making the boy stumble slightly as he drops a bag to wrap his arms around her waist, tears sparkling in his eyes. "What. . ." She sees a clean scratch across his cheekbone and a bruised forming around his eye along with tears staining his cheeks. ". . .happened."
"They blew me off the family tree. . ." Regulus mutters, as if still coming to terms with the fact that he's no longer apart of the Black family. Maria's eyes tear up. She'd witnessed this before, the sadness, the anger, the grief. Seen it all with Sirius, he too arrived on the doorstep to the Potter manor with bags in his arms that he dropped when Maria had tiredly answered the door to see him stood in the pouring rain wearing an expensive suit. He'd told her how he'd been attending one of their family's usual get together with some other members of the sacred twenty-eight when he'd made a scene with his Mother and Father.
Now it's Regulus.
"Reg. . .I'm so sorry." Maria whispers and Regulus stares down at her for a second.
"It's my fault." Regulus says hoarsely. "I broke their rules."
"No one should have to go through that." Maria mumbles, hugging him again and stroking his sopping wet hair, kissing his cheek affectionately.
"I didn't like them, but they were my family, Ria." Regulus sobs into his girlfriend's shoulder and she nods sinking to the floor with him, sitting herself on her legs .
"It's okay, you're gonna be okay." Maria soothes as his body shakes, his face buried in her side as his arms are tight around her waist. "I love you." Maria whispers and Regulus looks up at her, her hair now wet from the rain and water dripping from her eyelashes. He leans up, cupping her jaw and attaching his lips onto hers softly. "I'm proud of you." Maria whispers as they pull away slightly, their noses brushing.
"I'm proud of us."
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After spending at least twenty minutes sat there in the pouring ran together, Regulus and Maria finally enter the Potter manor, leaving some of Regulus' stuff in the foyer before walking into the lounge, hand in hand, where the marauders and the girls are sat whilst Dorcas rests upstairs.
"Reg?" Sirius frowns and Regulus looks up, revealing the purple marks around his eye and the slash in his cheek.
"Hi." Regulus mumbles and Sirius stands up, the brothers staring at each other for a moment before Sirius gives in and steps towards Regulus, embracing him tightly making Maria smiles slightly. She sinks onto the sofa next to James who wraps an arm around his sister's shoulders.
"I'll make some tea." Lily says and Regulus smiles slightly but thankfully at the red head that exits towards the kitchen.
"Lets go get some clean clothes yeah?" Maria whispers to Regulus who nods, taking her hand. "You left some here a few weeks ago." She says, opening the door to her bedroom.
"Thanks, Ria." Regulus kisses the side of her head and taking the grey sweatpants and black t-shirt from her. Maria sighs, lazily flopping onto her bed as Regulus takes off his shirt, Maria propping herself on her elbows. "A picture might last longer."
Maria blinks before glaring at him making him snicker under his breath.
"You're an arse."
"You love it."
"Hmm." Maria pretends to think and Regulus glares at her playfully. "I could survive without it."
"No you couldn't." Regulus says, gripping the board between two of the four posters on her bed, leaning down and Maria sits up, their lips brushing against each other's.
The brunette Potter reaches up and grabs the back of Regulus' neck, pulling his face down so their lips collide messily as he falls on top of her making her laugh, kissing him once again.
Regulus hands slide up her shirt and she shrugs it off quickly, reattaching her lips on his and the tousle haired boy drags his finger tips up and down her sides as his lips move to her jaw and she lets out a breath.
"Mari, Reg, the tea—oh my god!" Sirius screams loudly when he walks into Maria's bedroom, seeing Maria lay in a bra and sweatpants and his shirtless brother on top of her.
"What?!" James and Marlene burst in also, worried because of Sirius' dramatic screech and Regulus groans, propping himself on his elbow so his body covers Maria's practically half naked one.
"Get out!" Maria shouts, looking over Regulus' shoulder and James freaks out, running out of the room shouting something to Lily.
"Fucking hell." Marlene smirks, leaning in the doorway.
"Marlene." Maria groans in annoyance as Sirius walks into the door on his way trying to exit the bedroom with his hand over his eyes.
"Fine, fine." Marlene walks out, shutting the door behind her and Regulus sighs exasperatedly, flopping his forehead on Maria's bare shoulder.
"For fuck sake's." Maria mumbles.
"You're expecting me to go downstairs after that?"
"Yeah. . ."
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