"Alright there, snakey?"
Liza rolled her eyes as Gideon shoved into her shoulder, slightly too hard to be considered teasing. It nearly caused her to stumble into the family in front of them.
"She's just contemplating switching houses." Fabian's call trailed from where he walked several paces in front of them. The oldest twin was always eager to be the center of attention. "Being a right git does get old, after all."
Letting out a low grumble, Liza adjusted the strap of her shoulder bag and wondered once more why in Merlin's beard Molly had decided the twins were old enough to go to the platform by themselves. At this rate, she wouldn't make it on to the train. She checked the worn wristwatch for good measure. The longer hand was five marks from reaching eleven.
She settled for another glare at the back of her seventh-year brothers, who exchanged a high-five with gleeful expressions. King's Cross was busier than usual this late in the summer. The unpleasant odors of petrol and sweat stung her nostrils as she narrowly dodged a small cluster of muggle children. She allowed herself a brief stab of jealousy. Their school had to be far more stable than Hogwarts.
It wasn't that she hated the castle. Liza reflected on her reluctance while she pressed her way through the crowd between platforms nine and ten. Her tall frame parted the swarm of bodies easily, although she winced as a rogue elbow grazed her hip. But she wasn't exactly thrilled to return.
"You ready?" Gideon grinned as he positioned their trolley in front of the brick wall, his stance balanced and eager to spring into a run. His trunks and personal items had been haphazardly stacked onto the bottom level. It would be a miracle if everything made it to Hogwarts. "Don't be nervous, Lizzie."
Liza bit her tongue at the nickname. If she made any mention of her hatred for it, her brothers would never refer to her by anything else. It was one of the many tactics she had learned over the years while sharing a room with resident pranksters.
"This is my sixth year, you know," she admonished curtly, tilting her head to look up at the sign hanging from its iron post. "I've learned not to follow you pair by now."
Sure enough, a jet black "11" was emblazoned across the thick plastic instead of a "10." If Liza had followed Gideon's direction, she would be sprawled on the pavement. Just as she had been in first year, although at least Molly had been there to scold the twins. Their older sister was the only one terrifying enough to make them behave.
Fabian sighed, running his hand through his ginger locks with a disappointed shake. The ginger strands were just long enough to brush the tops of his ears. "I hoped the snake pit would have numbed your senses a bit."
Snorting, Gideon angled himself away from the eleventh platform. "There's certainly a severe lack of brains."
"One, Severus is at the top of my class," Liza retorted, annoyance tightening her stomach as the Slytherin insults began to pile up once more. During summer, her brothers normally left her alone (outside of a few dungbombs), but Hogwarts always seemed to bring their prejudice back in full force. "Two," she wrenched the trolley back from Gideon. The maneuver was no easy task considering his muscled biceps. She silently cursed Quidditch and its bloody workouts. "I have crashed face first into those bricks one too many times. Not happening again."
"Aw, sis," Fabian swung a lazy arm over her shoulders while Liza planted herself towards the proper barrier. "We just got to get a bit of practice in. Can't lose our title as Hogwarts's most infamous pranksters, you know."
A small grin tugged at the corners of Liza's lips. Finally, an opportunity had presented itself. "Thought that was already taken by.. what do they call themselves again?" she tapped her chin in mock contemplation. "The Marauders?"
Her brother's face turned an identical shade of purple. It was a colour that contrasted terribly with their orange freckles.
"Those wankers—"
Liza lost the rest of Gideon's response as she pushed herself into a run, feeling the familiar tug as her body passed through the bricks and onto Platform 9 ¾. Surveying the scene before her, she took in a deep breath of the comforting steam. It burned her lungs with a blooming warmth.
Several meters away, the scarlet engine puffed the stream in a merry spiral, a welcome sight after a several hour car ride with the twins. Liza swore the twins refused to apparate just to torment her. After all, they had turned of age last year.
To her right, a pair of gossiping fourth years cooed over a Pygmy Puff, the golden Hufflepuff emblems on their robes shining as they prodded the creature's purple tufts of fur. Not far off, a mother cried over her embarrassed-looking first-year while she tugged at his collar fretfully. The boy was nearly crimson with discomfort.
Liza allowed a slight smile to cross her face as she thought of her sister and how she was certain to act the same once her children reached Hogwarts age. Molly had graduated a handful of years ago and already had three boys of her own. Bill, Charlie, and Percy were among Liza's closest friends. Considering the younger couldn't even read, she had to admit that was rather depressing.
"Alright, enough dawdling." Gideon prodded her shoulder with his wand. The hickory wood dug painfully into her muscle. "Go find your evil compartment."
Allowing herself one more eye roll, Liza squeezed her brother's hand. She smiled innocently as she pressed her fingernails into the delicate flesh between his fingers. "Love you."
"We hate you." Fabian and Gideon cheerfully chorused together, their blue eyes sparkling amongst the smog wafting from the train's chimney.
Liza snorted as she brushed a strand of orange hair from her face and disappeared into the crowd. It was sort of an unspoken rule that she and her brothers went their separate ways at school. They weren't (usually) rude to each other, but with the house rivalry that conducted most school relations, it was easier to pretend the other didn't exist.
Sometimes, the isolation did sting. Liza tried not to linger on the thought while she swung up onto the steps leading into the train car. But the moment she had been sorted into Slytherin, a line had been drawn between her and her siblings. It was one that would endure until her graduation.
Trotting across the aisle, Liza pulled her hair back into a loose coil, not bothering to secure the hanging strands behind her ears. With her ghostly skin and freckles the colour of carrots, there was no point in keeping up appearances. Wizarding World or not, redheads were largely considered freaks of nature.
She finally reached the last compartment at the end of the car. There were no official areas designated by house, but the students had formed silent barriers. Anyone who didn't have an emerald tie never crossed the door in front of her. At least the alliances were predictable.
Liza slid upon the compartment door. The wheels protested at her weight, giving a painful screech.
"Finally!" she grinned at the sight of her best friends, who didn't bother to look up and acknowledge her presence. This was the typical Slytherin greeting. "Aren't you two a sight for sore eyes?"
Myra Rowle grimaced as she took in Liza's disheveled state, her dark skin as luminous and smooth as ever. Her lips glistened with an expensive gloss that Liza was certain would take her months of work to afford. A silver Prefect badge was pinned at a meticulous angle on her chest. "Do you even use the hairbrush I bought you?"
"That's a lost cause and you know it," Liza chirped, settling down and pulling a hefty volume from out of her shoulder bag. She found it was rather productive to always carry a book or two. The cover sometimes helped her avoid social interaction. And kept her out of the eyeline of the rest of her house. "Nice to see you too, Reg."
Her smile faltered as she properly observed the boy, who looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. His hands were dry and cracked. Beads of blood dotted his flesh.
Regulus Black was a worrisome enigma. In years past, Myra and Liza were about the only ones who were able to coax him from his bitter shell. She had gathered his home life was miserable at best. Regulus was usually irritable and silent in the days after the holidays. Now, Liza couldn't help but notice the muscle twitching in his jaw and the way his fingers tapped irrhythmically on the window glass.
"You alright?" she whispered, leaning forward to scan his expression. Myra shot her a warning look. If she showed too much interest, Regulus would clam up almost instantly. It was a delicate balance to walk.
"Fine," the Slytherin snapped, removing his hand from the glass as he stared out at the platform. His dark curls hung in a scraggly mess over his eyes. Not that Liza could judge, but Regulus was usually the more impeccable of the pair of them.
She shrugged, feigning nonchalance as she propped her scuffed flats on the seat next to him. The action was one of Reg's greatest annoyances. "Just checking. You look like an Inferi that's been killed twice over."
"Liza!" Myra looked horrified as she cast the boy another furtive glance. Always the proper friend, she pursed her full lips. "I see your brothers have only passed on their flippant attitudes. It takes me weeks to re-train you in proper etiquette after the summer term."
"I was put in Slytherin for a reason," Liza attempted a smug smirk, trying to hide the insecurity that broiled in her stomach. Even Myra spoke of the twins in a hushed tone. It was as though she was afraid of them listening in.
Gideon and Fabian had left quite a legacy to live up to and, although Liza told herself she didn't want to try, she couldn't help but wish for an ounce of their charisma. Maybe it would make her days at Hogwarts more enjoyable. She hated the feeling of being stuck in their shadow.
"Seriously Reg, what's going on?"
The Slytherin flinched nearly imperceptibly, and Liza stiffened. Not for the first time, she wondered exactly what Regulus had witnessed at 12 Grimmauld Place. Still, he made no response and continued to stare off into space. There was no reaching his attention.
Liza puffed out a long sigh as she caught Myra's pleading gaze. It would be best to drop the subject. Her fingers worried with a spare thread hanging from her jumper. Despite being a year her junior, Regulus Black was nearly unshakeable. His parents had made sure of that. Something had gone terribly wrong this summer.
---
"Myraaaaaa, give me some different news," Liza waved her jelly slug in the air, thrusting it towards the girl. "Lucius and Narcissa are a decade ago. Haven't they been betrothed since birth?"
Beyond the window, the outskirts of London swept past in a blur. Liza had calculated the duration of their trip and reckoned that the Hogwarts Express traveled much faster than it appeared. Luckily, the trolley provided a welcome break in the monotony of the train's whistling.
"But they're actually going to get married this time," Myra's lips were set in a disapproving line that reminded Liza eerily of Professor McGonagall. It was the very same look Liza received whenever she struggled to transform a button into a cockroach (because why wouldn't one want extra vermin)? "Narcissa wrote me just last week."
Regulus looked up from where he was prying open a chocolate frog box. The Slytherin never ate the sweets but had a sufficient collection of cards. His mood had boosted slightly after a couple hours of Liza and Myra's antics. Sometimes, Liza felt like she spent more time performing for her friend's amusement than genuinely being herself.
"It's true." His nose wrinkled in disgust. "Evidently, I'm to be in the wedding party."
Liza chortled, nearly choking on the wad of sweet in her mouth. It stuck in the back of her throat painfully and she coughed to bring it back up. "Like a ring-bearer?"
Regulus scowled, noticing Myra's barely stifled laugh. "Nothing so muggle." He tossed the chocolate frog box onto the seat beside him. Evidently, it was a character he already had.
"Oh, so to grease Lucius's hair, then," Liza smirked, tossing her own locks behind her shoulder in a mimic of Malfoy's arrogance. "Surely, the stick up his arse prevents him from being able to do it himself."
At this Myra burst into laughter, her shoulders shaking as she tried to cover her mouth. To Liza's delight, Regulus's lips twitched. The crack in his armor was widening.
"You pair need to let loose once in a while. I hardly ever seen you laugh." Liza slouched back in her seat, accidentally crushing the box of Bertie's Every Flavour Beans. She wasn't in the mood to eat them anyways. Last time, Gideon had given her a boogey flavour disguised as lemon. The memory of the salty taste still stung her tongue.
Myra sobered, a crease lining the skin between her brows as she glanced towards the compartment door. "You're lucky, Liz. Your family is full of blood traitors." At Liza's flinch, her face slackened. "I just mean, you don't have to worry about the pressures we do. How to make conversation, find the right partner—"
"Then don't." Liza reached for Myra's hand, ignoring the girl's attempt to draw it away. Her fingernails appeared like misshapen nubs beside Myra's gleaming talons. "Screw them, My."
A scoff broke their heated glance as Regulus shook his head. The longer of his curls danced over the tops of his eyes. "Like that's an option for any of us."
"I don't understand why you can't—" Liza broke off her pleading as she noted Regulus's fearful glance outside the glass. Despite their isolation, he was always afraid of eavesdroppers. She bit her tongue, not wanting to cause further trouble. Fabian and Gideon had always pushed her to speak her mind. It was a lesson that Liza had had to untrain herself from during her time at Hogwarts. Here, silence was safety.
"Shut up," Regulus snapped, his eyes flashing before he rose to his feet. His half-eaten pile of sweets still waited in on the cushion beside him. "Do yourself a favor, Liz and stop talking about things you don't understand." Spinning on his heel, Regulus pulled open the compartment door. The irritated jerk in his step was evidence of his anger. "I'm going to go find Nott."
Liza watched his retreating form disappear down the aisle, her chest twisting with a mixture of frustration and guilt. They had been having the same stilted argument for years.
There was a soft touch on her hand as Myra offered a tight smile, her fingers quickly leaving Liza's skin. Physical contact was rare between them. Myra usually became deeply uncomfortable with the embraces Liza offered. "Just let him be." Her coffee-coloured eyes darkened to a near ebony. "We're all under a lot of pressure these days."
"Because of Vol—The Dark Lord?" Liza quickly corrected herself in a muted whisper. Her brothers would be ashamed to hear how she had adopted some of the Slytherins' terms, but it was in the interest of self-preservation. She'd been cursed for less in the common room.
Myra just offered another strained smile in response before she stood, smoothing down her already crisp skirt. The Rowle family prided themselves on their impeccable appearance. "Think I'm going to go change."
Liza frowned. "But we still have—" she was interrupted as Myra disappeared in the opposite direction that Regulus had taken. A painful silence descended on the compartment. She took another halfhearted bite of her jelly slug.
The faint pulse of loneliness was a companion Liza had become well acquainted with during her first year at Hogwarts. Outside of muggleborns, bloodtraitors were hated by Slytherins the most and it had been nearly impossible for Liza to make friends. That was until Regulus began school. By pure chance, he had needed her help navigating the library (not that he all enjoyed approaching her). Afterwards, Myra had seen fit to join them, despite being in Liza's year. Evidently, the witch had deemed Regulus's presence as capable of combating whatever damage Liza would bring to her reputation.
Although she had enjoyed their friendship for five years, Liza hated the moments of solitude that crept upon her when Myra and Reg were busy elsewhere. She had spent many dark nights in the library or reading an empty classroom. Breakfasts after quidditch practices when no one else was awake. She was too introverted for her brothers, too Slytherin for the Gryffindors, and too bloodtraitor for the Slytherins. If she were honest, she wasn't even sure of her own beliefs. The Gryffindors insisted that they were the example of heroism and morality. But she had seen how they disguised their cruelty behind their gleaming reputation.
Letting out a long sigh, Liza tried to shove the deprecating thoughts away. Hogwarts was her only refuge from the world that waited beyond. With a quick tug of the door, she left her compartment behind her and headed towards the north side of the train. The Gryffindors were well known for their stupidity and, at the very least, she could find some entertainment.