third pov
december
over the weeks to pass, sirius did everything in his power to show aquila how sorry he was. he brought her flowers, he wrote her a song, he bought her gifts, he greeted her in extravagant ways every time she caught his gaze, and he would ask her how she was feeling every chance he got.
aquila had been confused. she was sure that she was mad at him, and she knew that he was aware of the fact. but he just kept trying. she was even more confused because as he continued, she was more on her way to forgiving him, which was definitely not something she foresaw happening when she agreed to let him try.
now, with the end of the year of 1975 approaching, it was the time of yule, where students went home to their families.
something that both aquila and regulus were dreading. going home meant torture. having to suffer through family dinners, go to yule balls hosted by the sacred 28, dressing up in the most uncomfortable of clothing, and most of all, being cut off from the outside world, with no form of contact, as their owls were taken from them as they entered the house.
euphemia looked at the siblings with sad eyes, knowing that no child should have to fear going home.
orion felt a pit in his stomach, as if he knew something bad was going to happen.
james and sirius were overjoyed however. christmas in the potter household was magical. the potters made the most delicious meals, decorated their christmas tree, baked cookies, went christmas shopping in diagon alley, hosted a christmas party, and played in the snow as a family. the boys were excited as this would be sirius' first real christmas, as the black family never really celebrated it besides the siblings.
james, although nervous for seeing what would happen to his beloved, beamed at his best friend, who managed a weak smile.
sirius couldn't help but be worried for his siblings as he packed his trunk, getting ready to head for the train. he was lost in the memories of how yule was spent in that dreadful household, and he was scared that he may never see his siblings again if they were to go home for the holidays.
aquila was lost in thought as she also packed her trunk. she was coming up with ways that she could help regulus get out of that terrible house.
"aqua?" aurelie's voice snapped her from her thoughts as she shut the lid to her trunk.
"yes, aura?" aquila responded, as though she had been listening the whole time.
"are you okay, my darling?" aurelie asked, concerned as she watched her best friend's eyes become glassy.
"of course!" aquila responded, as though she were happy.
"are you sure? you can tell me what you're thinking about if it helps you feel better." aurelie assured, moving next to the black heiress as she sat on her bed with a huff of hopelessness.
nova and ares sensed her sadness and jumped up on her bed, now quite a bit bigger as they had grown in the past month and a half. they sniffed at her before whining and curling up with their heads in her lap.
"i just..." she stopped, breathing deeply as she choked up, smoothing out ares hair before continuing, "i just... i don't want to go home, and i definitely don't want reg going to that awful place..."
"you shouldn't have to be afraid of going home, love." euphemia assured, looking to the girl who softened under the gaze of the older woman, sinking into james and hailey, who was still next to her.
"honey, why don't you want to go home? aren't you excited for the holidays and getting to see your dad?" aurelie confusedly questioned, rubbing her back, trying to understand why her friend wouldn't want to go.
"they... they're horrible to us, aura, they're absolutely terrible. it's mostly mother, but i just can't go back there, it reminds me too much of sirius." aquila cried, tears rolling down her face, and landing on the fur of her puppies, who sat up and licked the tears off of her face.
"is this more so about your parents or about sirius?"
"i don't know, aura, this is the first yule i've spent ever without my twin, my other half, and it hurts knowing he's somewhere where he'll be happy and laughing while reg and i are suffering and in despair." aquila sobbed, aurelie swooped her into a hug as aquila cried into her chest. "i'm not even mad at him anymore, i was never really mad at him in the first place, i was more angry at the fact that we couldn't go with him. that he got a way out and we had to stay in our own personal hell. i want him to be happy, aura, but i never imagined it being without us."
older sirius looked down in anguish, hating that aquila had felt this way, and remembering how he had felt that following night.
"this is hitting hard..."
"i know, keila, i know, just let it out..." aurelie cooed, as she pulled aquila closer to her.
they stayed sitting on aquila's bed as she let out her bunched up emotions until her tears ran dry, and nothing was left but sniffles.
"now, i know you don't want to, love, but we must get going to the trains or their going to leave without us."
"okay, let me get my trunk."
and that was that. aquila placed a spell on herself to make herself look as though no tears were shed, and grabbed her trunk, as her and aurelie headed down the staircase, meeting regulus and charlotte in the common room, before they all made their way to the train.
the train ride was almost silent with the exception of felicity, but even felicity's babbling couldn't cheer aquila up. she sat frozen, looking out the window at the snowy fields, wishing nothing more than to be back in her dorm room. felicity had volunteered to take ares and nova over the break as she knew that aquila would rarely be home to have the time to give them the things and attention they needed.
at the moment, the dogs laid on the floor, their heads resting on both of aquila's feet.
'it's almost like they know something was going to happen' older aquila thought, wincing, as her brother in law noticed and sent her a concerned look.
the ride to king's cross station felt almost as if it went in a blur, and too soon did they arrive at the station.
aquila and regulus said their goodbyes quickly, before rushing to the platform so they didn't keep their mother waiting, knowing they would be in trouble for being even a second too long. aquila's face was blank with hidden despair as she kept her hand gripped with regulus' as they weaved through the crowd, to their mother, who had a look of disgust as she eyed the people surrounding them.
the hall glared at the woman on the screen with hatred filling the air.
walburga set her eyes on her two children and sneered at them as she caught sight of her eldest. she lunged for aquila's wrist as she aggressively pulled her daughter towards her.
"HEY!"
"LET GO OF HER!"
"BACK OFF YOU BANSHEE BITCH!"
shouts of protest filled the hall as older aquila winced once more and rubbed her wrist as if remembering the pain that came with it.
aquila hissed in pain, trying to pull her wrist away from the grasp of her mother, but ultimately failing as her mother pulled her even closer.
regulus watched in fear, as his mother already appeared to be angry at his older sister, which was normally not a good sign for when they got home.
sirius also witnessed the situation from across the platform, and he paled in fear of what his mother might do to his sister.
james and sirius had been greeted by euphemia and fleamont potter, who hugged both boys and welcomed them home.
james and his parents noticed sirius' distress, and followed his eyes to where walburga black had aquila's wrist in her grasp as she pulled her close, as aquila seemed to be in pain.
james was easily angered by this display, and euphemia gasped, as the potters stalked towards the black matriarch.
"how dare she touch my aquila!" "how dare she touch that poor girl!" james and euphemia burst as they were making their way towards the trio of blacks. sirius tried to stop them, fleamont following, knowing this would probably end badly.
aquila listened to her mother in fear as she hissed at her, "you, girl, have caused us embarrassment with how much weight you have put on, what are you thinking, letting yourself go as much as you have, you won't fit into your dress with the pounds you've put on you horrid girl. that's no food for a week, maybe that'll show you to keep the strict diet we have you on."
"HOW DARE SHE?!"
aquila looked down at her body ashamed of the small pudge of her stomach, that was still there from her breakfast this morning.
walburga aggressively grabbed her chin, and made her look into her cold, dead eyes.
"you will not be eating anything for at least a week, do you understand me you fat little bitch?" walburga spat, as her nails dug into the skin of aquila's cheeks.
"she can't do that! there's absolutely nothing wrong with her or her body!" aurelie spat, looking at the aurors who held walburga, as if debating whether they would stop her from attacking the woman.
"yes, mother." aquila whimpered as she tried to pull away.
walburga's hand was ripped away from her face as regulus caught her, the two looking to the force that hit their mother.
that force had been euphemia potter, who had their mother pinned to a pillar made of brick that was on the platform.
"yes! go mama mia!" older hailey cheered, looking at the woman with nothing but love.
james could be seen as he breathed heavily in anger.
"that's kind of hot, love..." aquila whispered in james' ear, making him blush.
sirius rushed to his sister, soothing her face that was inflamed from the nail marks by their mother, pulling his siblings into his grasp as he checked them over.
"you do not touch or speak to your children that way, you're lucky my husband doesn't arrest you right now for child endangerment!" euphemia seethed, holding walburga to the wall as fleamont came up behind her. "children are a gift and you do not treat them in such a way that they are scared in your presence. they should be loved and cherished, not hated and shamed. walburga, if i ever hear you speaking to your children in such a way again, i will not hesitate to have your children removed from your care. look at the way your daughter looks at you in fear with tears in her eyes! you're children shouldn't fear you walburga!" she hissed, as people were watching now.
"should've done it, monty..." older sirius shook his head, sadly, knowing what was to come.
james looked over to aquila, who locked eyes with him. she had tears bubbling up in her silvery eyes, and he walked towards her, and grabbed her, cupping her face, soothingly running his fingertips over the nail marks, then to her wrist, which were already blooming blue, purple, and black from a bruise that was surely to form.
"are you okay, love?" he whispered, bringing her into his embrace, which caused her to stiffen before slightly warming up in his arms.
"yeah, potter, i'm okay." she whispered back as she kept her eyes on their mothers.
aquila had never felt maternal love before. not from the moment she was born. but now, in the coldness of the platform, she felt maternal warmth from the woman who had pinned her own against the wall to protect her. she kept her eyes on the small but mighty woman and stepped back, grabbed regulus, and walked closer to the two.
"do not tell me how to parent my children, euphemia. you have no idea the trouble they cause, and if anything they deserve it, now get your filthy hands off me before i remove them myself." walburga spat at the smaller woman before euphemia whipped her hand up and slapped the matriarch, the sound reverberating off the walls, and causing the platform to go silent as people stared wide-eyed at the display.
"oh, she ate that up!" hailey said, snapping her fingers in appreciation.
"go, mia, go!" barty hyped her up, upset that walburga had laid her hands on his older sister.
"how dare you? you filthy blood-traitor! take your band of gryffindors elsewhere and perhaps worry about your son and his stray instead of my children." walburga screeched at the potter matriarch before violently grabbing aquila's already bruised wrist, and regulus' hand, and apparated to the black ancestral home.
"i don't like this, i have a really bad feeling about this..." aurelie trailed off, also feeling her stomach drop.
once in the safety of her own home, walburga slapped aquila across the face, causing her to fly against the wall and cry out in pain.
"regulus you are to go to your room and not come out until i send kreacher to get you." walburga hissed at her son as she squeezed aquila's wrist.
"but-" aquila gave him a look that told him to retire, "yes, mother." he stated, before slowly going to his room, glancing back at his sister in fear.
"no, don't leave her!" sirius begged, looking on with fear, knowing what his mother would do.
as soon as they heard the door close, walburga placed a curse on aquila to make it so she couldn't move before throwing jinxes at her, cutting her body open in different places, causing blood to seep into her light clothing like the watercolor paint she used so frequently.
"i think i'm going to be sick..." rabastan commented, looking at his older sister figure with wide, terrified eyes.
aquila's begged and pleaded as loud as she could, but they fell on deaf ears. what she didn't know, was they were loud enough for orion and regulus to hear, and both of them were silently breaking down to the sounds of her pleads.
regulus was slowly breaking down off screen as well, charlotte holding him, while moving closer to aquila.
"what the bloody hell was that, girl? you've been associating yourself with blood traitors and mudbloods after i specifically instructed you to not go anywhere near them, what were you thinking?!" walburga screamed, hitting her with multiple other dark curses, causing pain to fill her body once more.
"and to think you learned your lesson last time, aquila..." walburga tsked, before grabbing her wand, pointing her wand at her daughter, who winced before the spell had hit her,
"crucio"
the godforsaken spell that always ruined her life.
the pain was as if thousands of searing hot knives were piercing through her skin, spreading fire through her veins, stabbing her millions of times nonstop in millions of ways.
the screams she let out were heartbreaking as they ripped through her vocal cords.
she screamed and cried as if it would get rid of the pain, but it wouldn't. she knew it wouldn't. but she prayed that it might cause her mother to stop.
tears were streaming down the faces of every single person in the hall. lucius malfoy was crying as well, looking to where his little sister figure was on the floor.
it didn't. it was as if the screams fueled walburga's enjoyment. she put more energy into the unforgivable curse, and it sent aquila into a spiral.
she couldn't even feel the screams being released from her mouth, as her vision went blurry, and she pleaded with her mother in a last attempt to get the pain to stop.
"no, stop, please make it stop! mummy, please, no! papa help me, please! papa! papa! papa! sirius! sirius help me, make it stop! reg! reg! reg, make it stop, please! please! no! stop it, i'm sorry, i'm sorry, i'm sorry!" aquila pleaded between screams as she caught a glimpse of the dark sky.
sobs broke from the mouths of the people mentioned, as well as her family.
the constellations were laughing at her pain.
she was sure of it.
orion was in his study, listening to the pleads of his daughter, and it brought back the memories of the first time he found her, covered in her own blood, bleeding out on their floor.
the screams stopped abruptly, and that caused orion to panic.
"no, no, no, no!" sirius repeated over and over again, as remus gripped onto him tightly, also worried for the girl.
older sirius, remus, and hailey were all clinging to aquila, not having experienced the scene first hand.
the children from the golden era were frozen in shock, tears flowing freely down their cheeks without any sign of stopping.
he rushed to the door of his study and ripped it open.
he ran down the staircase as quickly as he could, silently sending a 'stupefy' walburga's way, which stopped the curse sent towards his daughter, and knocked her against the wall, out cold.
his gaze was moved to his daughter, who was staring straight ahead, her eyes looking lifeless, as blood pooled around her once more, her body was unconsciously twitching from the amount of pain it had just endured, and there were cuts and bruises all over her body from the relentless curses that had been thrown at her.
screams of agony and grief filled the hall as they saw her body.
no one seemed to notice that older aquila was there, very much alive, for they were too caught up in the moment.
james held aquila close to him as he sobbed and looked away from her body, as it filled his heart with pain to see her so lifeless.
he rushed to his daughter, trying to heal her, but it wasn't working. she looked dead. he checked for a heartbeat...
nothing.
~~~~~~~~~~
a/n: guys i'm so sorry to leave you on a cliffhanger, i promise this isn't the end, there is still much more to go, but this is what you have been given, as i didn't want to write the rest as of right now, and it's dramatic. i'm sorry that this one is beyond depressing, but i felt like last chapter was a bit too happy, and aquila needs something that draws her away from the gryffindors again, so james can save the day, and help her heal, and then everything will be sunshine and rainbows (maybe ;)). anyways, i love you all, and i hope you enjoy these last two chapters that are being posted after months and months of waiting.
published: 24 janvier 2024
word count: 3,199 words