As the Stars Drift By

The Past pt. 2

A/N: Trigger warnings for emotional and physical abuse, fighting between siblings, graphic descriptions of torture, blood and violence, and just general angst

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December 25th 1976 - Fifth Year

Regulus was a genius. Thea had always known this to be a fact, but she was especially reminded of it today. Regulus, in all his cleverness, had found a way for them to both spend Christmas with Sirius -without attracting the ire of their parents.

After Sirius had run away earlier in the summer, their parents had practically forbidden the twins from contacting him or speaking with him. Walburga had blasted Sirius's name off the family tapestry, magicked him out of every portrait and photo in the house, and washed her hands entirely of him. She wanted him gone, completely.

Despite Walburga's wishes, Thea spoke to Sirius as much as possible while at school. Thea figured that her mother really wouldn't know if they talked or not. Hogwarts had protections against scrying and the like, so Thea wasn't worried. Regulus, on the other hand, was, and so he'd pulled away from Sirius. They spoke only in passing and interacted very rarely. Thea knew that Regulus kept away out of fear of their parents. Walburga had many connections, and it was possible that she could've contacted the parents of any number of Slytherin students and asked them to keep an eye on the twins and Sirius. Thea didn't push the subject -she wouldn't force Regulus to interact with Sirius. She thought that the two would eventually repair their relationship as they always had in the past.

But now that Thea was back in contact with Sirius, he'd asked her -as he had two years before- to spend Christmas with him at the Potter's house. Thea wanted nothing more than to go, but she'd had trouble finding a way to go without telling her parents where she was going. She sat on the problem for nearly a month, trying to devise a plan.

Thea had offhandedly mentioned her dilemma to Regulus one evening while they were both studying for their OWLs. She'd thought he hadn't really been paying attention to her words. But then 2 weeks later, he'd told her that he had a solution to her problem.

A false Christmas invitation, from a Slytherin peer of Regulus' -asking him and Thea to come spend the holiday break in Scotland. It was so simple, yet so perfect. Regulus truly was a genius. Their parents would be none the wiser. Thea had been so grateful to Regulus -for solving her problem, yes, but also for being willing to go with her. She knew he probably wouldn't enjoy it as much as she would, but yet he still offered to go with her. She'd do her best to ensure that he had the greatest Christmas possible.

So far, she had succeeded in her goal -or so she hoped. Since they'd arrived at the Potter house, her and Regulus had had nonstop fun and activities to occupy them. James' mum, Euphemia, had been kind enough to let her and Regulus make and decorate cookies with her. Regulus had turned out to be surprisingly good with a piping tool. James' dad had talked quidditch for hours with Reg too - funnily enough they were both fans of the same quidditch league team, the Montrose Magpies. They'd had an all out snowball fight with Sirius and his friends and though they'd been competing against each other on opposite teams, Thea was happy to see Regulus win. Even Sirius and Regulus had started talking more

It was now Christmas day, and Thea had prepared the perfect gift for everyone -including Regulus. Hopefully, it would make him happy and complete her goal of giving him the best Christmas possible. It wasn't often that she got to give gifts so freely, and she may have gone a bit overboard in her preparation, but she was still excited. She'd banished Regulus from the guest room they were sharing last night so she could wrap everything. Mrs. Potter had offered to help Thea with the gift wrapping, but Thea had insisted on doing it herself. Her presents were wrapped rather terribly -after all, she hadn't any previous experience with it and she couldn't use magic for it- but Thea thought the strange folds and creases in the paper gave each present character.

"Up already, Ama?" Regulus asked from his own bed in the guest room -his voice still scratchy with sleep.

"Of course, Reg. It's Christmas!" Thea exclaimed. "I've been up for a while." Thea had indeed woken up quite early. But she'd waited in bed as she didn't want to be improper in the Potter's home. As excited as she was, she wasn't entirely sure how to act. She knew Christmas morning traditions were sometimes a thing and so didn't want to step on anyone's toes, so to speak. If the Potters had any specific traditions, they hadn't told Thea or Regulus about them -so Thea decided it was best to just wait. Even if she was itching to put her gifts under the Christmas tree.

She didn't have to wait for very long -Sirius shortly threw open her door and launched himself onto Regulus's bed. Regulus croaked from the impact, curling up slightly.

"Get off, Sirius," Remus said, attempting to shove Sirius off. Sirius dug his heels into the floor and settled his full weight down, acting as though nothing was happening. Thea giggled. It was nice to see them mess around together, like they had when the three of them were all much younger.

"Afraid I can't, little brother," Sirius said solemnly. "My feet have been stuck to the floor and my bum stuck to this bed." Sirius, turning away from Regulus, made a silly face at Thea. Thea laughed even more.

"You have not been stuck," Regulus huffed, pushing Sirius once more. "And if you don't get off then I really will use a permanent sticking charm on you. Only I'll put you on the ceiling." Sirius, settling his weight even further in, reached over to ruffle Refuls' hair -to his great annoyance.

Thea got up from her own bed and approached the pair. "Alright Siri, don't torture poor Reg," Thea tugged on Sirius hand and pulled him off the bed.

"Oh, so you'll get up for her?" Regulus rolled his eyes, as he joined his siblings in heading down the stairs to the Potter's living room.

"Of course, she's my favorite sister," Sirius grinned, pinching Thea's cheek lightly.

Thea's hands were full of presents, so she could only huff in response. "I'm your only sister!" Thea cried.

"And that's why you're my favorite!" Sirius dashed off down the rest of the stairs. Thea was unable to run after him -at least not without dropping a few gifts. She instead took her time with Regulus, arriving in the living room a few moments after Sirius. Remus and Peter trailed in as well, quickly sitting down. Mrs. Potter smiled at them all from her seat near the roaring fireplace. Upon seeing Thea, she rose from her seat.

"Let me help you put those down, sweet girl," Mrs. Potter said, taking some of the gifts from her hand and laying them below the tree. Thea blushed -Mrs. Potter was very kind. As she placed down the remaining gifts, Thea marveled at the proper bounty that lay beneath the tree. Perfectly wrapped gifts in all patterns and colors, topped with bows, encircled the base of the Christmas Tree. From glancing alone, Thea thought there must be at least 50 gifts. How wonderful.

"Good morning, kids," Mr. Potter called out from the kitchen. Thea could see him and James standing near the stove. She could smell bacon frying and eggs being cooked. It was wonderful.

"Come get breakfast first, kids, and then we'll do presents," The kids all clamored towards the smaller dining table that sat within the kitchen. It had enough seats for everyone but Thea was almost happy to see that they chose to eat her. The potter estate was beautiful and exquisite, to be sure. When she'd arrived, James had given her and Regulus a tour and she'd counted two formal dining rooms. Thea was used to having holiday dinner in cold rooms like that. She was glad to have a much cozier breakfast like this.

Mrs. Potter moved into the kitchen, pulling plates down and setting the table. Thea found herself wanting to help -she felt terrible just being served. Though Thea valued little of her own mother's teachings, she was taught to have manners. And letting a host do everything was bad practice.

"Can I help you set the table, Mrs. Potter?" Thea asked, shyly.

"Of course, sweet girl," Mrs. Potter said, handing Thea some silverware. Thea gladly distributed the silverware, laying it out neatly. As Thea and Mrs. Potter worked on the table, all of the boys helped to bring in the breakfast dishes and lay them out. It was a bit chaotic -Sirius had bumped into Peter in the process, causing him to nearly drop a plate stacked high with pancakes. But in the end, all was well and they were able to prepare the table quickly.

"Right then, dig in everyone!" Mr. Potter declared -and dug in, everyone did. Thea had never tasted food so delicious. Kreacher, her mother's house elf, was usually the one who did all the cooking in the Black household. It wasn't that the food at home wasn't good, but rather that the food here had something special. Something extra.

Everyone conversed and laughed and made merry around the breakfast table. Soon enough, they were clearing the food away and settling down to open presents. Thea was almost vibrating with excitement. She sat close to the tree with Sirius on her left and Regulus on her right. James, Remus, and Peter sat directly across from her, with James's parents sitting between the children.

"James, Regulus -you're both closest to the tree so it's your solemn responsibility to pass out the presents," Mr. Potter winked as he said the words with an air of humor. James playfully rolled his eyes and Regulus laughed lightly -both of them beginning to pass out presents.

Thea's presents, of course, were on the edge of the pile so they got passed out first. She'd ensured that she'd gotten something for everyone -even James' mum and dad. She didn't want to be rude after all. She'd also wanted a way to thank them for not only letting her and her brother stay for the holidays but also for taking in Sirius. She had to ask James what to get them, of course, but she just hoped they both enjoyed the gifts.

"This one's for you, mum, and this for you, dad," James said as he passed the gifts through Remus and Peter to his parents. "Here's one for you Pete. And for you Rem." Regulus passed gifts silently, handing two gifts each to James, Sirius, and himself.

Thea turned to watch James' parents open their gifts. She'd gotten a limited edition Montrose Magpie jersey for his dad and a rare set of magical plant seeds for his mother. As they each opened up their gifts, they smiled at Thea.

"I hope you like them," She said, looking down at her hands. "James told me you loved the Magpies, Mr. Potter. And that you love gardening, Mrs. Potter. They're, um, rare seeds from all over -each enchanted to grow in any condition."

"It's a wonderful gift, dear," Mrs. Potter said, motioning for a hug. Thea got up, accepting the hug. It was warm and strange and new. Thea couldn't ever recall her parents hugging her. She sat back down, turning to face the boys.

"Oh, open the rectangle one together," Thea said, motioning to Sirius, James, Peter, and Remus. "It's sort of a joint gift. The other gift you each have is just for you." The boys tore into their shared gift eagerly -paper flying everywhere. The gift, identical amongst the four of them, was a detailed watercolor pencil piece of the four boys in the great hall.

"It's maybe a bit cheesy, but I thought it was something for you all to have. To share and to remember your days at Hogwarts, since you're graduating soon," Thea's face grew warm as she once again glanced at her hands. She didn't know giving gifts would turn out to be so hard. But when she looked back up she saw each boy looking at her with awe and gratitude.

"You made this?" Sirius said.

"Yes, uh, I saw you all in the great hall -I think it was maybe the day after your O.W.L.s last year And you all looked so happy together -I...I don't know, I just thought it would make a really good piece." Thea knew she was probably mucking up her words again and talking too much. Sirius pulled Thea in for a side hug.

"Its excellent, Thee," Sirius said.

"I love it!" James said, shooting Thea a smile. Peter said nothing but gave Thea a huge smile as well.

"It's beautifully made," Remus said, smiling at Thea as well.

"Glad you all like it," Thea said. "You can open the others now."

Regulus, Sirius, James, and Peter all tore open into the rest of their presents. For Regulus, she'd gotten him an expensive telescope and a star-chart that was charmed to always accurately display the stars in the sky. Regulus had always enjoyed astronomy and he seemed very appreciative of the gift. For Sirius, she'd gotten him a For James, she'd gotten a nice leather, handbound journal. Thea had seen James, in his spare time, writing and journaling. He seemed to appreciate the gift. For Peter, she'd gotten an intricate wizard chess set. He was an excellent player of the game and Thea was certain he'd get use out of it. He grinned upon opening and playfully challenged Thea to a game later on.

Lastly, for Remus, Thea had gotten an illustrated omnibus of the first three books in the Earthsea Cycle series by Ursula K. Le Guin. Thea had admittedly splurged on this gift a bit more than the others. She'd thought long and hard on what to get for Remus. In the past, she'd seen him read and re-read the Earthsea books several times. She had to consult Lily and Maxine to find the books in the muggle world -Thea hadn't the first clue where to find them and her parents would've killed her anyway if she'd asked to go to a muggle shop. In the end, Maxine had located the special edition of the first three books and Thea had known instantly that it was the perfect gift. Remus seemed to agree, as he smiled fondly at the book and thanked Thea several times over.

After Thea's gifts had been opened by everyone, other presents were quickly distributed. Thea was handed several gifts in the process -two from James' parents, one from all the boys together, another from Sirius alone, and two from Regulus. She hadn't expected so many gifts for herself and she was greatly touched by the gesture. Strangely, she hadn't expected James' parents to get her anything at all. She opened their gifts first.

The first was a hand knitted scarf in her favorite color, purple, from Mrs. Potter. Thea loved it the moment she saw it and vowed never to lose it. The second gift was a set of paints -enchanted to make moving portraits- from both the Potter parents. Thea was amazed at such a thoughtful gift and thanked them both profusely.

She opened Regulus' and Sirius presents next. Regulus had gotten her an infinite, duplicating sketchbook -where in she could instantly create a copy of anything she drew with a tap of her wand and then clear the sketchbook page. He'd also gotten her a pair of never-wear leather boots that were charmed to never wear or tear. Sirius had gotten her a charmed, bronze pocket watch. The watch had several dials, each of which would display a different face. There was one for the time, one showing an accurate star chart, one showing the phases of the moon, and a fourth face which Sirius explained she could enchant herself to show important dates or times. They were all wonderful gifts and Thea had hugged Regulus and Sirius so tightly she'd nearly toppled them over.

Thea opened the joint gift from the boys' last. It was a small woven bag. The boys immediately told her to open it and reach inside. Cautiously, she did and found the bag had seemingly infinite space. Moving her hand around, Thea felt a few items within the bag's space. She pulled the first thing she could grab out. It was a tin of charcoal pencils.

Sirius, smiling at Thea's reaction, chimed in. "It's an endless space and we filled it with art supplies,"

"You got this for me?" Thea said, in awe.

"Well we made it," James added.

"Took bloody ages," Peter laughed.

"You all made this?" Thea really felt as though she could cry now. "Really?"

"Yea, of course we did. Well it was Remus' idea actually. He said how you were always losing your art supplies. And so we thought of a way to hopefully prevent that. Had to use an undetectable extension charm." Sirius added.

"You mean I had to use the undetectable extension charm," Regulus laughed dryly. "These idiots nearly exploded the bag trying to cast it before they asked me for help."

"I- I don't know what to say," Thea looked down and tried to discreetly wipe her emerging tears away. She was overwhelmed with emotion and so she let it out in the only way she knew how to at the moment. She pulled all the boys in for a hug. "Oh it's wonderful! Thank you!" The boys all laughed good-naturedly and hugged her back.

The rest of the present opening passed by quickly and Thea was happy to see everyone else open their gifts from the others. Joy permeated the air in a way Thea was unaccustomed to. She loved it.

After the gifts were done, the rest of the day flew by and Thea found herself, as the evening wound down, cradling a cup of tea on the porch. The boys and Mr. Potter had decided to play an evening game of quidditch -despite the cold. Thea was absolute rubbish on a broom and so she and Mrs. Potter had been deemed as the referees of the match. Even in the cold, Thea was warmed by her new scarf and several blankets that Mrs. Potter had brought out for the both of them.

Thea -calming down from the long day- had found herself slightly emotional once more. She did not cry, not fully, but her eyes did shine with tears. Tears of happiness.

"Have a good Christmas, dear?" Mrs. Potter asked, sipping on her own tea.

Thea smiled, certain of her answer already. "Yes, it was wonderful -every moment of it. Thank you again, for letting me and Regulus come. And for Sirius too."

"Of course. You're always welcome back dear," Mrs. Potter said. "Anytime -Christmas or otherwise." Mrs. Potter was resolute and Thea believed her easily. Even in the short week she'd spent here, she could tell they were good people. Kind people.

"Thank you," Thea whispered. "Truly." Thea didn't add more -she felt if she carried on then she really would cry. She didn't want to cry, not at the moment. No, instead she wanted to bottle up this moment, only so she could have it forever. Even if she only got this one Christmas, this perfect holiday, she didn't want to ever forget it.

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April 4th, 1977 - Fifth Year

Thea huffed, blowing her hair out of her face. How Connley convinced her to come tramping through the Forbidden Forest at nearly 4 in the morning, she'd never know.

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" Thea asked, following Connley deeper into the woods. The roots grew thicker and she had to be careful to pick her way over them without tripping.

"Yes, I've already told you," Connley said. "I've been tracking the unicorns all month."

"And we just had to come here now? Why not during the day?"

"I've told you! Nighttime is the best chance we've got to get a clear view of the whole herd! You said you draw best with live subjects and of course I want your drawing to be as accurate as possible."

"All right, calm down," Thea said. "Just you know -it is the Forbidden Forest for a reason."

"Scared of breaking rules, Thee?"

"No. But I am scared of what could be lurking about. You're the creature expert here. Shouldn't you know just how dangerous the forest can be?"

"Stop worrying. I'll protect you from anything dangerous, anyways," Connley grinned lopsidedly. Thea shoved him away lightly.

"Yeah right!" Thea laughed. "Let's get to your unicorns and be done with it."

The pair continued to trek through the Forbidden Forest. Thea did her best not to jump at the occasional snap of a branch in the distance or the call of an owl. Thea trusted Connley implicitly -he wouldn't have taken her here if he thought they'd be in danger. Plus she did want to see the unicorns just as badly as Connley did. Drawing them would be a wonderful treat. As they carried on, there were several occasions on which Thea was certain that Connley had gotten them lost, but at long last the pair came to a still lake in a clearing of the forest.

The trees broke away to make room for the lake and the full moon shined down from above. It was beautiful, Thea had never seen anything quite like it.

"Here!" Connley whispered. "Look!" Connley pulled Thea down behind a large root. Peeking over the root's edge, Thea saw beauty rivaling that of the lake. A whole herd of pure white unicorns gathered at the far edge of the lake. Thea counted about 20 unicorns -several adults and a couple of foals. The moonlight glinted off of their pearlescent horns beautifully. Several of the unicorns moved into the water, bending down to drink from the lake.

"See! I told you!" Connley whispered again. "Can you draw them from here?"

"I'll probably have to move out from behind this root to get a clear view," Thea said. "But yea, I can draw them."

"Okay, they shouldn't attack. But they don't like men so I'll hang back. Be quick!"

"Yes, yes, I'll be quick, dad," Thea rolled her eyes, as she slowly moved out from behind the root. The unicorns stirred, but otherwise did not seem to notice her. As quietly as possible, Thea eased open her sketchbook and took out her pencils. She set about sketching the scene, blocking out the general shapes and angles. Several of the unicorn foals were playing in the water and Thea was able to capture their movements and poses. Her drawing skills had improved over the years and Thea was just happy she had the ability to capture such majestic creatures onto the page.

She knew Connley would want anatomically accurate sketches so she did her best to draw the unicorns fully. She looked up from her page to observe once more, but she saw something strange at the right edge of the lake. It was a stag of all things. There was another shape in the trees, behind the stag, but Thea couldn't make it out clearly.

"Pst, Connley." Thea whispered, turning back to him. "There's a stag, at the lake edge and something is with it."

Connley looked at her like she was mad. "What? Of course there's deer in the forest, Thea! I'm sure whatever's with it is another deer."

"It almost looks like..." Thea trailed off. Whatever the shadowy figure was, it looked almost like a wolf. But why would a wolf be so docile next to a stag -or next to unicorns for that matter. Deer were natural prey to wolves. It wouldn't make sense for a wolf to not attack one. On top of that, the wolf was quite large. It wasn't huge by any means -but from its shadow alone, Thea could see that it stood level with the stag.

"Like what?" Connley hissed. But Thea barely heard him. She wanted to get a closer look, she wanted to understand what was going on. "Where are you going? Thea?"

Thea inched slowly along the edge of the lake -being careful to walk closer to the treeline. She didn't want to startle the unicorns, in case it prompted the wolf to attack. And if it really was a wolf she saw, she didn't fancy startling it either. She didn't want to be eaten after all. Thea made it within about 10 meters of the stag and shadowy wolf form. It was indeed a wolf and it was sitting calmly behind the stag. At a closer distance, Thea also noticed a rat sitting upon the stag's back. How utterly strange.

Connley pulled Thea's elbow, stopping her. Thea pulled away, taking one step closer. A stray branch snapped underneath her feet.

Several things happened all at once. The stag's head instantly turned to the source of the noise and it let out a loud bray. The rat leaped from the stag's back and ran furiously past Thea and Connley, towards the direction of the castle. The unicorn herd startled into motion as one being, and their hooves thundered as they ran into the forest. And the wolf...the wolf seemed to fight itself for a moment, reeling backwards and shaking its head. Just as quickly as the wolf staggered back, a low growl rose in its throat and it crouched into a hunting stance.

Connley pulled Thea down, diving behind a large tree root. Thea could hear the wolf running towards them, its paws beating against the ground, but before anything ever reached them the wolf let out a whine.

Thea dared to peek out, only to see the stag facing off against the wolf. The stag reared back, baying loudly again, before stamping down on its two front feet and lowering its horns at the wolf. The wolf cowered back for a moment, ducking away from the stag's hooves and horns but it quickly recovered. The wolf launched at the stag, biting at it in quick succession.

Connley tugged Thea away. "We have to go now, Thea!" Thea didn't resist. Connley was right of course. The stag was holding the wolf off for now -but how long would that last? They had to go, lest they become the wolf's next target. Thea and Connley ran as fast as they could. Connley pulled her along at such a breakneck pace that she could barely keep up.

A chilling howl resounded through the forest. It only made them run faster.

Thea looked back, trying to see how close the wolf was. In the dark of the night she could just make out a blurred form chasing them. But in Thea's distraction, her foot connected with a root and she tripped, her hand yanking out of Connley's as she fell hard to the forest floor. Thea groaned from the impact trying to scramble up and away. It was too late. The wolf had reached.

Thea rolled over in fear, facing the wolf as it stalked towards her. Thea's hair raised on end as the wolf grew closer. Its deep growl sunk through Thea's bones. She could practically see the salvia dripping from its jaw as it approached. The wolf leaped, closing the final distance between itself and its target.

"Stupefy!" A voice called out. Mid-leap, a blue bolt of energy collided with the wolf, sending it sprawling back into the forest. Thea took the chance to scramble backwards, away from the wolf, and stood up. Connley supported her, pulling her upwards. Sirius pushed past the two, keeping his wand level with the wolf -who was still recovering from the spell.

"S-sirius?" Thea stuttered in shock. How in the world did he even know she was here? How did he find her?

Sirius didn't even turn to look at Thea. His voice was cold and commanding, "Go! Now!" Connley didn't need to be told twice, he grabbed Thea's hand and ran once more. Thea struggled a bit, trying to keep her eyes on Sirius.

The two eventually made it to the forest's edge and exited, pausing to rest near Hagrid the groundskeeper's hut. Thea panted, catching her breath as quickly as she could. Once she recovered from sprinting, she turned back to the tree line, moving towards it.

"What the hell are you doing, Thea?" Connley said, stepping in front of her.

"I'm not leaving Sirius in there alone!"

"Are you mad? You could've been killed!"

"But I wasn't! And now Sirius is alone. I'm not leaving him."

"Sirius is older, he can handle himself! We can go get a teacher right away and send them to help him."

Thea didn't care that Connley was speaking sense, for she was seeing red. How dare he try to stop her? She stepped around him and moved forward anyway. He stopped her again, pushing her back.

"No! Do not be reckless and stupid! You don't even have your wand!"

"I don't care!" Thea shouted. "Something wasn't right with that wolf. Wolves don't normally just go for humans like that. And If you think for one second I'm leaving Sirius alone in there with that thing then you're the crazy one!"

"Absolutely not!" Connley moved to restrain Thea and she struggled against him. In all the commotion, Hagrid emerged from his hut.

"What are you two doing?" Hagrid questioned. Thea and Connley broke out into conversation together, talking over one another as they explained the situation. Hagrid managed to make out just enough to understand what was going on. "Right, you two stay put here. I'll get your brother, Ms. Black."

Thea huffed, but she couldn't very well argue with Hagrid. Connley gave Thea a scathing look, as if to say I told you so. The two sat in silence on the steps of Hagrid's hut. Thea's leg bounced nervously the entire time. She knew Hagrid could hold his own, he was a staff member. But she was scared. She'd nearly been eaten after all. And the very same could be happening to Sirius at that exact minute.

Time seemed to drag on devastatingly slow as Thea waited. But eventually, as the sun just began to rise, Hagrid emerged from the forest. Sirius walked with him. The first thing Thea saw was the blood on his face. The second was the furious expression. He marched straight up to her and seized her by the shoulders.

"Are you mental?!" Sirius shouted, shaking her. "What were you doing in the forest? Why would you go there!"

"I- we were just-," Thea stammered. She'd never seen Sirius so irate -not at her.

"Just what!" Sirius yelled again. His hands dug into Thea's arms. "What was so important! You could've died or been seriously injured! That wolf is dangerous! The whole forest can be deadly! You don't ever, ever go into the Forbidden Forest again."

"Sirius, stop! You're hurting me," Thea cried, trying to pull out of his grasp. Sirius let her go instantly, as though he'd been burned. She backed up, wrapping her arms around herself for some form of comfort. She understood that Sirius was angry, but him hurting her like that made her feel physically sick. She was hurt -not even just from the physical marks she was sure Sirius had left- but from the sole act of Sirius laying a hand on her in anger. It was too much, too close to the way their parents acted. Thea knew it and Sirius knew it too. The heavy weight of what they both had done -Thea putting her life at risk and Sirius hurting Thea out of ire- settled over them, silencing them both, for a time.

"I'm...I'm sorry," Sirius said. "I just couldn't stand it if anything happened to you. So promise me, Thea. Promise me you won't go back into the Forest. Ever."

Thea eyed Sirius, searching for an answer. An explanation. Sirius offered no reason or answer, he only stared pleadingly at Thea.

Thea understood that she could've been gravely hurt, yes, but something about the entire situation didn't sit right with her. Sirius had specifically mentioned the wolf itself being dangerous -as if he knew that fact firsthand. He'd stressed the presence of the wolf over the many other creatures and dangers that lurked in the forest. It was as if Sirius was berating her for specifically encountering that wolf. It didn't make any sense.

"I promise," Thea finally whispered. She didn't see much other choice than to agree. She wasn't itching to go back into the forest now and she had no future plans to enter it either after her encounter tonight. But still something about her brother's incensed behavior irked her

Later that same morning, when they'd all settled back into the Great Hall for breakfast, Thea couldn't put her thoughts to rest. She made little conversation with Maxine or Connley -her voice turned inwards instead. As she thought and ate, Thea observed Sirius, James, and Peter having a hushed and intense conversation. Remus was noticeably missing from the group.

She wasn't certain exactly what was going on. Everything she'd seen -the animal's strange behavior, Sirius' anger, the hushed conversation, and Remus's absence- was like a puzzle piece in her mind. And she planned to keep them all tucked away until the time came when she could slot them together.

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April 8th, 1977 - Fifth Year

"Professor Sprout says you can head in," a fellow Hufflepuff student said to Thea as they exited Sprout's office. Thea thanked the student and took a deep breath before stepping inside.

"Hello Amalthea, dear," Professor Sprout smiled from behind her desk. "Please have a seat." Thea gladly sat down. She'd always liked Professor Sprout's office. It was covered almost entirely in plants -many of them rarer ones- and there were comfy armchairs for students to sit in.

"Alright then, on to your career consultation, my dear," Professor Sprout said, pulling out some papers. "You've got excellent grades in Potions and Charms. Herbology, Arthimancy, and Ancient Runes are all very good as well. I can tell you've a bit of trouble with Defense Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration. But you're doing very well dear."

"Thank you, Professor"

"I think you'd have an excellent career as an alchemist, but I'll turn it over to you. What career are you aiming for?"

"Well...I'd like to be a Healer," Thea admitted. She'd found, as she'd grown, that healing others -helping others- was something she enjoyed.

"Healer is an excellent profession," Professor Sprout said as she took down some notes. "You will have to score well on a fair spread of subjects, however. You'd need to keep taking Potions, Transfiguration, Herbology, Charms, and Defence Against the Dark Arts. All your professors will accept O's or E's on your O.W.L.s to get into their N.E.W.T level courses. I'd say Potions, Herbology, and Charms are easily achievable for you. Defense and Transfiguration you'd have to work harder for.

"I understand," Thea said.

"That's not to say I don't think you can do it, Amalthea. You're a very dedicated student," Professor Sprout smiled. "Just put some extra studying in, perhaps find a tutor, and you'll be right as rain."

Thea smiled in return.

"Right then, as for Ancient Runes and Arthimancy -did you want to take those exams? They're not required for being a healer. You could very well drop the subjects for your last two years."

"I'd like to take the exams -I enjoy the classes."

"Very well then," Professor Sprout said as she signed off several papers. "Professor Vector requires an O to get into her N.E.W.T. courses. Professor Babbling only requires an E. Otherwise, I think we're all settled. Have a good rest of your day, Ms. Black."

"You too, Professor," Thea said, smiling as walked out.

Thea nearly skipped down the hall. She was infinitely happy over Sprout approving her career plan. She'd been nervous for weeks leading up to this consultation and was relieved that it had gone smoothly. Thea knew that DADA and Transfiguration were her weakest subjects. She'd always struggled with performing well in them. It took her twice as long as the other students to master certain spells in those subjects. But to make her dream of being a healer come true, Thea would do anything.

In her joy, Thea hadn't been paying attention and collided straight into another person. Thea stumbled back, startled from the collision, and almost fell. To her luck, however, the person she'd ran into caught her. Thea looked up. It was Remus. Oh god, how embarrassing. He probably thought she was a bumbling fool now.

Remus helped to right Thea, before releasing her. "Steady on, Thea." He smiled, brilliantly, as he always did. Thea had come to admire Remus' smile. More so when she was the recipient of it.

"I'm so sorry, Remus. I wasn't quite paying attention to where I was going."

"That's alright. You did look rather happy before we crashed. Received some good news?"

"Oh yes -something like that. I actually just had my career consultation with Professor Sprout."

"Ah, right, it's about that time. Well -it went good, I take it?"

"Yes, nearly perfect actually. I'm strangely excited for exams," Thea laughed and Remus chuckled along with her. Scratch what she'd said about Remus' smile -Thea liked hearing his laugh better. The deep timbre of it was warm and full.

"You might be the only student in all of Hogwarts history to ever say that."

"Right, I'm sure everyone else would think I'm mental for it."

"Eh, we're all a bit mental," Remus smiled a bit more. "Have a good rest of your day, Thea. Try not to crash into anyone else."

Remus moved down the hallway. Thea hesitated a moment before turning and walking after him. "Remus, wait!" He turned expectantly, looking at her.

"I- could you tutor me?" Thea blurted out. "I mean, I need to get an E or O in Transfiguration and DADA and I'm absolute rubbish at both of them. And Sirius says you're one of the smartest wizards he knows. And you've already taken your O.W.Ls too so you'd know what I need to study on. If you're not busy -of course, you're probably busy studying for N.E.W.T.s next year." She was rambling again. Oh god, Remus definitely thought she was a fool now. But she couldn't stop going on and on. Remus, somehow, for some reason, made her incredibly nervous.

"Slow down, Thea." Remus said, laughing slightly. "I'm not busy. And Sirius flatters me. But if you really need a tutor, then yes."

"Oh. Great then, thank you," Thea stumbled over her words. At least he'd said yes.

"I'll send you an owl with some dates we can meet up. O.W.L.s aren't for another two months so that should be enough time."

"R-right, sounds perfect."

"See you then, Thee,"

"See you then, Remus." Thea watched Remus walk away. Thea was certain that if he'd stayed any longer, he would have heard the fast beating of her heart. He'd called her Thee. It was Sirius' nickname for her -but hearing Remus set her heart aflutter.

Remus affected her in ways she wasn't certain of. Why she reacted this way, she could never be quite certain. Her interactions with him weren't always this way -there were many times she'd have completely normal and polite conversations with Remus. But sometimes she would get a strange feeling in her stomach and a rush to her heart. She'd brushed it aside in the past -dismissing it as a fluke. The reality of it only struck her now.

Oh. Oh. She had a crush on Remus, her brother's best friend. And she'd just asked him to tutor her.

Fuck.

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December 31st, 1977 -Sixth Year

Thea tugged on the sides of her dress, pulling it down. The dress was beautiful, yes, Thea wouldn't deny it. Maxine had dragged Thea around Hogsmeade for hours trying on dresses of all kinds til they'd found the perfect one. When they had finally found the one -a forest green dress with a slit up the leg- Maxine instantly insisted that Thea get it.

"You have to get this one," Maxine had said, as Thea had emerged from the dressing room. "Harvey will totally lose his shit."

Harvey was Thea's date to Professor Slughorn's Annual Slug Club Holiday Dinner. He was a nice enough boy, Thea supposed, she got along with him just fine. Connley had introduced her to him back in fourth year, and while she only saw him sparingly, he was always kind to her. So she'd asked him to accompany her to the club dinner. She'd half expected him to say no -but he seemed thrilled by the prospect.

The idea of asking Remus had floated into her mind, but she'd quickly banished the thought. First of all, Sirius would most definitely find out if she asked Remus. He would then promptly kill her. Even once Sirius had found that she'd asked Harvey to the dinner, he'd declared that she wasn't allowed to date anyone ever. He was joking of course. Mostly. Second of all, Regulus would be at the dinner and his disdain for Remus and all of Sirius' other friends had been growing over the years. He would surely resurrect her after Sirius had killed her and then kill her again. Third of all, and perhaps most importantly, Thea was far too nervous to ask Remus to the dinner. She had so little experience with crushes or anything of the like. What would she have even said to him? What if he laughed at her for asking? So yes, she'd banished the thought of asking Remus and asked Harvey instead.

But now she'd been standing outside the entrance to Professor Slughorn's classroom for nearly 45 minutes -waiting for Harvey to arrive. She glanced around the halls but there wasn't a soul in sight. All the other guests had already arrived. Professor Slughorn was a bit archaic and he insisted that each Slug Club member bring a date. Without one, you weren't allowed into the party. Thea had thought it wouldn't be a problem. After all, Harvey had said yes, he'd agreed to go with her. It was her first year in the Slug Club too -she'd wanted to see what the party was like. It'd probably be the only party she'd experience at Hogwarts anyways.

'I'll wait just a bit longer,' Thea thought, glancing at the enchanted pocket watch Sirius had gifted her last Christmas.

An hour and a half more went by, tortuously slowly, before Thea decided to give up. She sighed. She'd been stood up on her first ever date. Just great. She could hear cheers and laughter from within the classroom. At least the others were having fun.

But now, Thea was all dressed up with nowhere to go. It felt like quite a waste. Maxine had spent hours doing Thea's hair and she'd even convinced her to wear a bit of makeup. What does one do after they've been stood up? Maybe she could pay Sirius a visit -he had a stash of Firewhiskey. Drinking Firewhiskey in her ridiculously extravagant dress sounded like the perfect remedy at the moment.

Thea made the trek up to the Gryffindor common room through the empty Hogwarts halls. Most of the other students were home for the Holiday break. Most Slug Club members had stayed for the party -but of course they were all enjoying themselves at said party. Thea had never felt more alone. At least she had that firewhiskey waiting for her.

At her arrival to the common room entrance, the Fat Lady portrait spoke. "Password, dear?"

"I don't know the password," Thea sighed. "But my brother, Sirius, is a Gryffindor -he should be inside. Please, just this once, let me in." She was tired from her long trek and her feet hurt from the tall hells Maxine had let her borrow.

"Sirius you say? Tall fellow with dark, curly, hair?"

"Yes, that's him!"

"I'm afraid he left a bit ago, he's not inside. I can't let you in, deary, I'm sorry."

"Please, I won't do anything I'm not supposed to. I won't even tell a soul you let me in. Just please." Thea was not above begging at this point.

"I am sorry, but I'm honor bound to not let you in without a password," The portrait said resolutely. At least her expression did truly look remorseful. "You'll have to wait til your brother returns."

Thea sighed in true defeat now. "It's fine, I get it." Thea slumped down, leaning on the staircase post. She brought her knees into her chest, resting her head upon them. Walking all the way back to the Hufflepuff common room felt like a monumental task, one that Thea was not up for at the moment. Maybe Sirius would be back soon. She hoped so, at least.

To her own surprise, Thea felt herself tear up. Emotions swelled in her chest, constricting her throat and making her want to cry. Everything that could have gone wrong seemed to go wrong tonight. Harvey stood her up. She couldn't get into the common room. No one was here to comfort her.

She wasn't even that upset over Harvey. She held little affection for him. He was nice, yes, but she didn't like him like that. She hadn't been expecting him to sweep her off her feet at the party or anything. But still, it would've been nice to go on a date at all. It would've been nice to socialize and make merry. And dance. Thea had wanted to dance. She'd been trained in about a million ballroom dances at the insistence of her mother. But she never once got to put it into practice. Now the chance was wasted, Thea supposed.

Thea let her tears fall, uninhibited. Sometimes a good cry was the solution. It was cathartic -even if Thea wasn't entirely certain what she was crying for.

"Thea?" Remus' voice interrupted Thea's tears. "Are you alright? What are you doing sitting out here?" He leaned down to Thea's level, looking very concerned. Thea was sure she appeared to be in a terrible state. All that makeup Maxine had put on had probably been cried off now. Thea let out a watery laugh at fate making Remus be the one to find her crying.

"Oh, Remus," Thea tried to wipe her tears away even though she knew he'd clearly seen her crying. "Funny seeing you here. You're out late."

Remus frowned, "I just got back from prefect rounds. Have you been sitting here all night?"

"No, no, not all night. I was waiting for Sirius, you see. The portrait wouldn't let me in -didn't have the password" Tears choked up Thea's words as she spoke. Remus didn't seem to be judging her for crying, but still crying in front of him was embarrassing to a degree.

"I see," Remus said nothing more for a moment. "I'd help you find him, but I'm not certain where is either. But I can at least let you inside. Must be cold on the floor, yea?"

"Yea," Thea sniffled, trying her best to calm down. Remus offered a hand to her, pulling her up to stand. She stumbled a bit, but Remus was there to steady her. As he always seemed to be. He didn't let go of her hand until he'd guided her to the common room couch -the one nearest to the fireplace. Remus offered her a worn knit blanket, of which she gladly accepted. She wrapped it around herself tightly, attempting to stave off the chill and her sadness.

"Sorry, I'm not quite sure why I'm still crying." She laughed. Her tears didn't seem to stop. How ridiculous she was. How ridiculous was this.

"That's alright, Thee," Remus said, settling down to sit next to her. "Would you like to talk about it?" Remus was always so kind. Why did he always have to be so kind? Couldn't he be mean and terrible so she could forget about her crush on him? But no, Remus would never be mean and terrible. Thea couldn't even picture such a thing.

Thea managed to calm her crying down to sniffles and a few stray tears. If she couldn't have any Firewhiskey, maybe talking to Remus would be an equal panacea.

"I got stood up." She laughed humorously. "Had a date to the Slug Club dinner and he never showed up. I waited over two hours, all by myself. I didn't even really like the bloke that much -but somehow it still hurts.

"I felt a bit silly, a bit stupid I guess, standing there all dressed up just waiting. So I figured I'd come see Sirius, steal a bit of his Firewhiskey stash. But even that didn't work out," Thea put her hands over her eyes, heaving a sigh. God, she really was stupid.

"I don't think you're stupid, Thee," Remus said, pulling one of her hands away from her face. "I think the boy who stood you up is the stupid one. The stupidest by far.

"Maybe a good thing you didn't find Sirius -he'll probably hex the kid to hell when he finds out. I've half a mind to do the same," Remus smiled. Thea laughed, this time genuinely. Her tears had finally stopped. Remus really was the perfect remedy. Him and his eternally kind words and stupidly charming smile and well...his everything.

After a moment, Remus seemed to light up slightly. "Well, I don't think I can give you any firewhiskey -pretty sure Sirius would kill me if I got you drunk. But I have something else that might make you feel better."

"And what is that, Rem?" Thea asked. Remus grinned as he walked over to an old gramophone in the far corner of the common room. Thea couldn't see exactly what he was doing but after a few moments, music -ballroom music in particular- filled the air.

"A dance, madam?" Remus asked, dramatically bowing and extending his hand towards Thea. "It would be a shame not to dance in a dress so beautiful."

Thea couldn't help but giggle. "Of course, monsieur." Thea took Remus' hand and he pulled her up into a spin. Remus was surprisingly good as he led Thea through the steps of a lively waltz. He dipped and spun her around til she was dizzy from laughter. The sadness of her evening was overshadowed completely by the presence of Remus.

Unknowingly, Remus had made her wish come true. She'd got her chance to dance. And dance they did. They danced until the record stopped. Remus flipped it again and they danced some more. As a slower song played, Thea leaned her head onto Remus' chest and closed her eyes. Remus had a way of making everything feel so enchanting. Dancing with Remus -even alone in the Gryffindor common room- was better than any party Thea could imagine.

Bells chimed throughout the castle, signaling the arrival of midnight -the arrival of a new year.

"Happy new year," Remus whispered.

"Happy new year," Thea said. And it was a happy one. Thea was happy. Incandescently so.

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February 11th, 1977 -Sixth Year

Thea was in trouble. Big trouble.

Thea was unable to draw. Well, rather, she was unable to draw anything but Remus. Every time she sat down to draw her sketches somehow morphed into Remus. She'd be drawing a landscape only to find that she'd inserted Remus into the picture. When she'd doodle on the margins of her class notes, Remus' face would always appear. It was growing to be quite inconvenient.

Since her dance with Remus at the end of last year, she'd been unable to stop thinking of him. She could no longer push her feelings down and away. They sat with her constantly. But she was still unsure of what to do. Confessing was an option of course. But Thea was scared, nervous, and lost.

Thea thumbed through her sketchbook, seeing the aftermath of her predicament. The pages were filled with half finished vignettes littered with Remus. A sketch of the willow trees on the banks of the Black Lake with Remus sitting beneath them. A sketch of the student greenhouses with Remus tending an venomous tentacula plant. A sketch of Sirius and his friends pulling a prank with their faces all half finished except for Remus'.

Remus. Remus. Remus. God, it was nearly driving Thea mad.

"Is that Remus Lupin?" Connley's voice cut into Thea's thoughts. Thea slammed her sketchbook shut, looking at Connley standing behind her. Maxine was with him, attempting to stifle a grin.

"No! I don't know what you're talking about."

"No need to get so defensive," Connley said as he sat down next to Thea. "It was just a question." They were under the same willow tree they'd met under, all those years ago. It had become the designated spot for the three of them to spend time in. Thea had come here to think -but she should've guessed that Maxine and Connley would eventually appear.

"A good question," Maxine chimed in. "Why is Remus Lupin all over your sketchbook?" She leaned into Thea with questioning eyes. Maxine always had a penchant for gossip. It didn't normally bother Thea. It bothered now that she was the subject of said gossip.

"He's not!" Thea cried, wishing a hole would open up and swallow her whole. Anything to escape this conversation.

"Probably just a subject of interest," Connley said. "Nothing wrong with doing an artist's study of someone."

Thea eagerly agreed. "Yes that's it! He's just an interesting person to draw. Good, um, angles and such." Thea felt her face flush and hid, to her best ability behind her sketchbook.

"Thinking about Remus' angles are we," Maxine laughed. "I've never seen you so red. You must really have it bad."

"Have what bad? Are you sick, Thea?" Connley asked. Leave it to Connley to be so forward and direct.

"Sick with love, maybe!" Maxine giggled.

Connley looked between the two girls, his face contorted in confusion. "Love? You're in love with Lupin?"

"Oh for God's sake don't say that," Thea groaned. "No, I'm not in love with him!

"I just may have a very very small crush on him," Thea whispered. Maxine giggled again and Connley's eyes widened.

"I knew it!" Maxine cried. "I totally called it! What did it for you -the expensive art set he got you or the tutoring?"

"I sort of realized when I asked him to tutor me. But I think it was the dancing that sealed my fate," Thea muttered. She hadn't divulged the full details of her dance to Maxine or Connley. She'd only told them that Remus had let her into the common room after she'd been stood up the night of the Slug Club dinner. She didn't overly enjoy lying to her friends, but she'd wanted to keep the memory of the dance to herself at least for a little while.

"What!?" Maxine screeched. Both Thea and Connley covered their eyes and pulled away from Maxine's loud voice. "What dance? You never said anything about any dancing!"

"Well, he did let me into the common room the night of the failed dinner. But I just maybe didn't tell you everything," Thea looked away, ashamed of her lie. At least she was telling the truth now.

"You little minx! Tell me everything right this second."

"Not too much to tell. Most of its what I said to you already. I was crying, Remus came back from his rounds and saw me. He invited me into the common room and asked me what had happened. Only after I'd told him he...he put a record on and asked me to dance," Thea flushed just from remembering the whole event. Whenever she thought about it, it made her heart flutter and ache and this time too was no exception. Maxine seemed to squeal from glee as Connley rolled his eyes.

"I don't see what's so special about a dance," Connley said. Maxine smacked his shoulder.

"You dolt! Don't you see? It wasn't just a dance! It's the fact that he asked her after she'd been stood up! And the fact that they were alone!" Maxine turned back to Thea. "You were alone, weren't you."

"Yes, it was just us. He danced with me until midnight," Thea said. Maxine nearly swooned into Thea.

"Oh my gosh, how romantic!" Maxine said. "This is a surefire sign he likes you, Thea!"

"That's not for certain. I think he was just trying to cheer me up. I had been crying an awful lot."

"No boy -no seventh year boy at that- would dance with you for hours just because you'd been crying. No offense, Thea."

"None taken," Thea laughed.

"I'd dance with you to cheer you up, Thea," Connley said while frowning. Thea and Maxine shared a brief look before laughing.

"Thanks, Con, that's very sweet of you to say,"

"It's the truth," He said, crossing his arms, clearly unamused by the girls' laughter. "I'd do it for either of you, if you needed it."

"We know, Con," Maxine said, slinging her arm around her shoulder. "And we appreciate it. But that's not the point. The point is Thea's crush danced with her. Which means he likes her, obviously!"

"Not obviously!" Thea cried.

"I don't see what the fuss is. If you want to know if he likes you, why not just ask him?" Connley said.

"No!" both Thea and Maxine said in tandem.

"You don't just ask a boy that, you've got to tell him you like him. Confess to him, Thee! Ask to be his girlfriend! I know he'll say yes!"

"No!" Thea cried, standing up. "No way! Not now, not ever. Not in a million years. It's not happening, Max."

"And why not? What's really stopping you? The worst he can do is say no and if he says no, then I'll punch him for you!"

"I can't Max!" Thea said. "I just can't. I'm scared and nervous. That's a huge part of it. But I'm not like you Max. I'm not flirty and social and good at saying the right thing. I can't be direct and forward, like Connley is either. And Remus he's so.... He's so good. So...so nice and kind. Always, to everyone. And he deserves much much better than me. If I say anything to him, if I act on this, that could all go away. So I'm okay just staying right here, where I am. I can be friends with Remus. I'd rather be friends. I may never know whether he likes me back, that's true- but at least this way, I can still keep him in my life."

Thea felt herself tear up. God, why was she always crying nowadays?

"Oh Thee," Max said, pulling Thee in for a hug. Connely joined in too, wrapping both girls in his arms. And Thea found comfort, in the embrace of her friends. She was always grateful for them. The weight of her feelings, of her crush, eased up -shared between the three of them now.

"I guess Max was right." Connley spoke up after a bout of silence. "You do have it bad."

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June 25th, 1978 - Sixth Year

It was Thea's birthday -her 17th birthday in fact- though the occasion had been anything but happy so far. In fact she was rather miserable.

Her parents had decided that a small family dinner would be held -in honor of her and Regulus' birthday. Except it wasn't really in her honor at all, only Regulus'. Her mother was completely ignoring her and her father wasn't much better. Even Regulus himself wasn't around as much as he normally was. Ever since they'd come for the summer, he'd been staying in his room. Thea was uncertain what he'd been doing all that time.

Thea felt alone. More alone than she had before. She was no longer at Hogwarts and she'd have to spend the rest of her summer in this cold, dark, lonely house. Sirius had graduated, she wouldn't be able to see him during her seventh year. And now Regulus was drifting away from her too.

But maybe she could catch up to him before he got too far away. She hoped so at least. Thea stood outside of his bedroom door -a small gift in her hand. She knocked quietly.

"Come in," Regulus' voice was muffled from the other side of the door. Regulus was facing away from her, looking out the window of his room.

Thea entered to see that Regulus' room was a mess. He was usually very organized and liked to keep his things tidy. It was always herself and Sirius who had been the messier siblings. But now Regulus' room was in a disarray. His trunk hadn't even been unpacked from school -it was simply left open at the foot of his bed. It looked as though Regulus had just been pulling clothes from it as he needed them. His normally neat bookshelves were jumbled up -with papers and books laying everywhere. Thea frowned. Something must be seriously wrong -this wasn't like Regulus at all.

"Happy Birthday, Reg," Thea said, approaching him with her gift. Maybe it would cheer him up at the very least. Maybe it would assuage whatever was wrong.

"Hm," Regulus said, taking the gift but not opening it. He didn't say it back -he didn't say happy birthday.

"I...is something wrong?" Thea asked, concerned.

"Aren't we a little old for this now?" Regulus said, holding up the gift. He eyed it as though it was trash.

"What do you mean?" Thea stuttered. She'd always gotten Regulus a gift for every birthday. They'd always exchanged gifts between themselves without fail. Now suddenly Regulus was acting haughty about it.

"Nothing," Regulus said, placing the gift on his windowsill. "Is that all?"

"What do you mean is that all?" Thea shook her head incredulously. "I just wanted to see you. I've hardly seen you since we got back from school. Reg, what's really going on?"

He sighed, clearly frustrated. "What's going on is that there are more important things than gifts right now, Amalthea!"

He'd used her full name. He never did that.

"More important things? I just wanted to get you something for our birthday. Like we've done every year for who knows how long!" Thea raised her voice. "I just wanted to celebrate together, at least for a bit!"

Regulus scoffed, "Celebrate. Right. There isn't anything to celebrate Thea. The world is changing. Everything is changing. And we must change with it. Change or be crushed by it." Regulus' eyes took on a cold light as he spoke. When did he become so jaded, Thea thought.

"You don't think I know that? I just wanted to...to hold on to what we have Reg, Of course everything's changing. Our last school year is coming up. I know everything's going to change and be different. But that doesn't mean we let go of the past Reg. Of what makes us happy." Thea said.

"Just because you are content to prance around and act like nothing is happening doesn't mean the rest of us are too!" Regulus shouted. "I'll not sit here and play happy-go-lucky like you."

Thea was hurt. She wasn't trying to pretend as though nothing was happening. She knew there was a war going on. She knew people were being killed every day. She knew that everything had been changing so quickly and would continue to change. She was just trying to keep some small happiness alive. Regulus had just thrown that back in her face.

"And what, acting like mum and dad is the better option?" Thea spat, her own affect growing cold. "Going along with everything you're told is right? I know you Reg. I know you don't believe that."

"And if I do? If I do believe that what the Dark Lord is doing is right?" Regulus stormed towards her, crowing into her space. Thea backed up until she hit the door.

"You don't!" Thea cried. "There are other ways, Regulus. You live your life in extremes but the answer doesn't have to be side with pureblood elitists or become a blood traitor. You're smart enough to understand that. I know you don't believe what's happening is right. The Regulus I know forms his own opinions."

"You don't know me at all." Regulus said, opening the door. Thea stumbled backwards without anything to hold her up. Regulus pushed her the last bit of the way out of his room and swung the door closed.

She stared at his door for several moments, frozen. That was the first true fight she'd had with Regulus. Sure they'd bickered and snipped at each other as younger children growing up. But they'd never yelled at each other like that. Worst of all, Thea didn't understand why they'd even fought in the first place. She'd come to give him a gift, not to fight with him. But he'd been so aggressive and defensive, striking out at her unexpectedly. In the heat of the moment, Thea had some hurtful things as well.

She regretted the words now, in the aftermath. But she'd been angry. He'd made her angry.

And now that anger sat in her chest. Simmering. Boiling.

But just as quickly as her anger boiled up, it simmered out. Thea was not a naturally angry person. She could get angry, yes, but her anger never held for long. She didn't like being angry at all. Thea slumped against the wall, sitting against it.

"I'm sorry, Regulus," Thea said, loud enough for him to hear through the door. "I didn't want to fight with you. I didn't mean what I said. Can we please just..."

"Just...please, I'm sorry," Thea said, defeated. It was their birthday. She didn't want to be angry or sad any longer. She just wanted to spend time with her brother and try to figure out where things had gone so wrong. She wanted to forget that the fight had ever happened. She wanted and wished and prayed for simpler times. Thea wanted a lot of things -things she would never get.

"Regulus?" Thea asked.

No answer ever came.

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December 20th, 1978 - Seventh Year

Thea was home again for the holidays. Though she wished to be anywhere else in the world. She'd tried desperately to get out of coming home, but it had been to no avail. Sirius had written to her before she'd left Hogwarts, asking her to come to spend Christmas at the Potter's house with him again. Thea thanked him for the kind invitation, but she'd declined it. Thea may have been able to get away with going two years ago, but now the risk was too great -and Thea no longer had Regulus to cover for her anyways.

Since their fight, the two of them had been unable to repair the rift that had grown between them. They barely spoke anymore. She'd left him notes, apologizing about the fight and asking him to just talk to her. Thea wasn't sure if he even read them at all. Whenever she'd tried to talk to catch him in person he acted as though she wasn't there at all.

After their fight. Regulus had spent the rest of the summer disappearing at all times of the day and coming home hours later -often bruised and battered. She'd left him salves and potions outside of his room, but the bottles and cans remained untouched. The start of the Hogwarts term didn't make things any better either.

Thea had seen Regulus actively spend time with groups of spiteful and violent Slytherin students. He'd mingled with many of his Slytherin housemates in the past, but this was different. These groups he'd begun hanging out with actively bullied and harassed muggle born students at the school. It sometimes turned particularly violent -and Regulus stood by and watched it all, sometimes joining in. She'd reported Regulus and his Slytherin group to any Professor who would listen, but whatever connections the students had always got them out of any real punishment. She'd even regularly stepped in between Regulus and his group -protecting whoever they were bullying at the time. It seemed Regulus had told his 'friends' not to harm Thea, as they never physically retaliated against her for it. That didn't mean they didn't verbally attack her -particularly when Regulus wasn't around. She could handle it though -she'd had years of training from her mother after all. She'd take it all too, if it meant helping others and showing Regulus that he didn't have to act that way.

Still, Thea felt a bit helpless, watching her brother walk down a path of darkness. She didn't know what she could do to make him see reason anymore. Words didn't work, actions didn't work, even help from trusted adults didn't work.

When Sirius had left the house two years prior, he'd later asked Thea to come live with him. Thea told him then that she couldn't abandon Regulus -she couldn't leave him alone with their parents. She knew things were taking a turn for the worse even then, but she'd wanted to help Regulus, to save him if she could. Thea had meant what she'd said to Sirius back then and she still meant it now. However, as more time had passed, her hope had begun to diminish. Still, Thea held on to it, tightly -searching for a way to change Regulus' mind.

Thea thought more about what she could possibly do or say to convince him that what he was doing, what he was believing was wrong. Her mother had her cleaning the house with Kreacher. Thea didn't mind helping Kreacher -it gave her more time to think. Kreacher, however, seemed to take an affront to it.

"Kreacher!" Walburga called from the other room. With a crack, Kreacher disapparted away to Walburga's side.

"Yes, Mistress?"

"Go pick up the cakes from Blight's Bakery. And tell my daughter on the way out to clean the entrance hall." Walburga had taken to issuing orders to Thea through Kreacher. Thea -while at home and in the presence of her parents- had been acting on her best behavior, which had frustrated her mother to no end. So in a petty attempt to set Thea off, Walburga used Kreacher as a communication proxy. Walburga's plan had backfired to a degree, Thea was glad to talk to Kreacher. Thea's acceptance of the petty treatment only served to irk Walburga more. Thea took it as a small win, in her own petty way.

Kreacher delivered Walburga's message and Thea sighed quietly to herself as she moved to clean the entrance hall. The Black's were preparing for a grand holiday dinner. At least Walburga, Orion, and likely Regulus viewed it as grand. Thea saw it as a farce. She dreaded every minute she'd have to spend at it -surrounded by her family as well as several other pureblood and elitist families.

Regulus arrived home just as Thea set about sweeping the entryway. He moved past Thea as if she was no more than a ghost. Thea rolled her eyes.

"Oh wonderful, you're home dear," Walburga greeted Regulus with a kiss to his cheek. "Kreacher is fetching the cakes now. I put an order in for your favorite. After all, we have extra cause to celebrate tonight."

Thea's ears perked up. Extra cause to celebrate? She had assumed this was a normal socialite dinner, like the hundreds of others they'd attended and hosted before. What extra celebration could there be?

"Yes, you've done well boy," Orion gruffed from the living room.

"Oh, I'm so proud," Walburga nearly cried. Thea swept her way over to the living room entry as inconspicuously as she could. "My boy, my pride and joy finally joining up with the cause. I can hardly believe it! Can I see it, the-?" her mother's voice trailed off as she looked expectantly at Regulus.

Oh god, Thea thought as her stomach dropped to her feet. No. It couldn't be.

"It isn't some party trick, mother," Regulus said, rolling up his sleeve. Thea could see an agitated mark on his arm, raised and red. Not just any mark. The mark. Thea felt faint, her ears rang. Her broom clattered to the floor. Impulsively, she rushed into the room, grabbing Regulus' wrist.

"No," Thea said, shaking her head. Clear as day, the Dark Mark stared back at her from Regulus' forearm. "No. No. No! You didn't Regulus. You didn't!" Anger rose up in Thea, red-hot bubbling anger.

"Unhand him right now!" Walburga said, pulling Thea away from Regulus. She let herself be pulled away.

"Why! WHY!?" Thea yelled.

Regulus looked at her, his expression cold and unchanging even in the face of Thea's anger. "You know why," he said. He gave no further explanation. None was necessarily needed. The fight she'd had with Regulus flitted through her mind. Everything she'd seen him do in the past year flitted through her mind. The signs all pointed to this -to Regulus' taking the mark. But still, despite it all, Thea had never fully conceived the thought.

The Regulus Thea knew was kind, observant, and sharply witty. He was her twin brother, the one who had always remained by her side. It was that Regulus who had made Thea so determined and hopeful to redeem him. The hope she'd carried, that small piece of it like a buoy in an endless ocean, was crushed. Crushed underfoot by this cold, impassive, and Dark Regulus before her.

Thea stepped back from her family. How could she have stayed in this house so long? She was done.

"No! You're insane, believing the words of a mad, power-hungry, villainous man! And now you've joined him. Can't you see how wrong you are? How wrong you all are!" Thea turned on all her family members, her anger bouncing between them.

"You're killing people, innocent people! Because you're all cowards! And now I can see, I can see it so clearly." Thea looked directly at Regulus now as she spoke. "You'll never change!"

"Such brave and impassioned words," Lucius Malfoy said, emerging from the fireplace with Narcissa, his wife, in tow. The Rosier and Rookwood family followed behind, all of them crowding into the room.

Thea was momentarily jolted out of her anger. In the midst of her speech they must have all flooed in. Thea's blood ran cold.

"L-lucius," Walburga stuttered, snapping into her socialite mode. "We didn't hear you enter. Forgive us."

"Don't worry, Walburga, dear," Lucius smiled. "It seems you had your hands full with this little spitfire." Lucius stepped towards Thea, caging her in amongst the other occupants of the room. He was like a snake, encircling its prey and poising to strike.

"Nothing to say now? Ah, but you blazed so bright just moments ago! Wouldn't you care to repeat your speech for the Dark Lord himself?"

"Surely there's no need to inconvenience his Lordship by calling him all the way here," Regulus said. Thea's eyes flitted over to him.

"No? You disagree?" Lucius said, mockery present in his tone. He wasn't just toying with Thea -he was toying with them all. "How then shall we punish this impudent little girl? We can't, after all, simply let her get away with such scathing words."

No one else in the group spoke up. It was clear to Thea now that in the absence of Voldemort, Lucius was the next top dog. Why else would everyone hang off his every word in such deference.

"Perhaps you were right, Regulus, there is no need to call upon the Dark Lord. No, instead I rather think we can take care of this blood traitor ourselves. And you, Regulus, might be the one to do it.

"Your brother, Sirius defected in the past and became a blood traitor, And now your sister has said some damning and vile things against His Lordship. With this previous history, one might begin to question you and your family's loyalty.

"Carry out the Dark Lord's will. Handle this matter -punish her, dispose of her- and I'm sure your loyalty shall never be brought into question again." Lucius finished. Regulus looked between Lucius and the other Death Eaters in the room. He drew out his wand.

Thea reached for her own wand, as quickly as she could. It was her last defense. She'd make a stand here or die trying.

"Expelliarmus!" Evan Rosier shouted, blasting the wand out of her hand. Thea's last stand fizzled out, just like that. There was nowhere to go, she was surrounded. This was it.

"You know what you must do," Lucius said, taking a step back to the edge of the circle surrounding Thea. Walburga and Narcissa turned away, walking to the far end of the room.

Regulus looked for one moment longer at Thea. Then he cast his spell.

"Crucio!"

Pain. Endless pain. Thea's body dropped to the floor and she began to convulse and jerk, Screams tore from her throat, involuntarily. Her ears began to ring, drowning out all other noise. She could feel her own skin tearing open in a thousand small cuts. Pain consumed her,

The spell ended. Thea panted for breath, attempting to crawl away, to crawl anywhere. Another spell fired.

"Crucio!" Thea jolted, wracked by pain once more. The edges of her mind fuzzed -like static on a radio- taking over her senses completely. As the pain deepened she could no longer see the figures standing above her. She couldn't see anything. She couldn't feel anything but pain.

The spell ended.

Thea twitched with the aftershocks of the pain.

Regulus, in his cruelty, cast a different spell this time. "Diffindo!"

The lacerations that had already been cut into Thea's skin from the Crucio spells deepened, splitting open wider. Thea moaned in pain -a guttural sound from the depths of herself.

"Confringo!"

Fire burned and razed across her skin.

"Bombarda!"

A loud explosion seared across her legs.

"Crucio!"

Thea felt something break within her body.

Spell after spell was fired, without hesitation. She could no longer differentiate between when a spell was being inflicted on her and when she was given a moment's reprieve. Blood dripped heavily into her left eye. She couldn't even scream anymore -her mouth was merely twisted open, but no sound emerged. Thea's consciousness swam in and out during the torture.

How much time had passed by the next time her consciousness rose to the surface, Thea couldn't tell. She could barely form any thought at all. She couldn't move, couldn't open her eyes. She just barely caught the tail end of someone speaking

"-done well, boy," a voice said. "-certain she's dead? Un___unate loose ends, you see."

"Yes," Regulus said. Even now she knew his voice. "She's dead." Dead? Maybe she was dead. She hoped she was dead.

"Dispose of her properly and consider it done. I'll be certain ____ the Dark Lord hears about _______" Thea drifted away momentarily, her mind feeling extremely hazy. Her nerves must've been fried as she could barely feel anything at all, only dull throbs of agony. Thea's mind went dark.

Time passed again and Thea's mind returned to the feeling of herself being carried. She could vaguely feel herself sway over someone's shoulder. She still couldn't move.

Whoever was carrying her stopped abruptly and lowered her to the ground. Thea's entire being ached and throbbed in pain as she touched the ground. Each time she came back to consciousness, the pain returned shortly thereafter. It was excruciating.

Her consciousness was fading again but she could sense a presence standing over her. The presence lingered, for several moments. Thea wondered who it could be. Maybe they would end her pain and release her from this waking nightmare. If only they would be so kind.

The last thing Thea heard was footsteps walking away from her.

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Amalthea Black's mind woke up. She lay against the cold hard ground and stared up at the sky. She'd dreamt, in between her consciousness, of everything that had gotten her here. Of everything that had led to her current condition.

Now she must dream and think of what to do next.

It began to rain. Thea could feel it pelting her skin. Each drop was more painful than the next. But Thea could do nothing to stop it or even shield herself.

Thea lay there for what felt like hours and hours, the rain falling around her. She willed her finger to twitch, focusing hard on making it happen. It felt as though an eternity had passed, but eventually Thea's finger did twitch. Slowly but surely, movement was restored to Thea. But along with it came more, immeasurable pain. Each small movement hurt like she was being tortured all over again.

Thea tried to keep her mind clear and think. She kept her gaze trained on the stars -to the best of her ability. They moved above her, in streaks of light spinning across the sky. In their cold brilliance, Thea sought an answer. Should she try? Was it even worth it? Her first instinct wanted nothing more than to lay down and wait until she really did die. It would be easy. It would be peaceful. Getting up would be harder. Pushing through would be harder. Living would be harder

The stars gave Thea no answer. There was no higher power to guide her. There was no hero who could save her this time. There was only herself.

Thea's mind calmed -like the still waters of a lake. If there was no answer, no higher power, no hero, then why shouldn't she try anyways? Stars and planets and galaxies did not stop moving along their destined paths. Why should she? She'd been tortured, yes, but she'd been left alive. That had to mean something. Thea wanted it to mean something.

So Thea steeled her own nerves and sat up. She took stock of her surroundings through her blurred vision. She was in a forest, one with no obvious end in sight. Her wand was nowhere to be found -or at least she couldn't feel it on her person or on the ground around her. Whoever had left her could return at any moment. These were the facts Thea gathered. All of which led her to conclude that she'd have to get out of here by using wandless magic or through her own steam -and she'd have to do it fast.

Thea pushed through her pain and stood up -quickly collapsing to the forest floor and crying out. Her leg was broken, most certainly. There was no way she'd be able to walk out of this forest under her own steam. She'd have to try something else. She'd have to try landless magic.

Not just any wandless magic, but wandless Apparition. Apparition with a wand was a difficult spell to master. Apparition wandless was another level. Thea was shoddy at apparating -she'd barely passed her test. But it was her best option. Her only option. Fuck it, she'd have to do it.

Thea closed her eyes, focusing and visualizing her destination. She breathed as evenly as she could, pouring all her mental energy into the spell.

Determination. Destination. Deliberation.

Determination. Destination. Deliberation.

Space cracked and warped around Thea. The spell had worked, she was twisted and turned about and sent hurtling to her destination. The force of apparating did not pair well with Thea's current state. Her wounds, some of which had begun to coagulate, reopened and fresh blood poured out. Whatever was broken in her leg seemed to shatter even further. Thea's leg burned with pain. Thea screamed, the sound pouring out of her like water from a faucet.

Her scream echoed and died out as she landed onto a wooden porch. She'd apparated to the Potter's house.

She'd been here only once before, but she remembered what Euphemia Potter had said to her all those years ago.

You're always welcome back dear," Mrs. Potter had said. "Anytime -Christmas or otherwise." She hoped that the offer still stood.

Thea had apparated here, in the hopes that the Potters would help and know what to do. Sirius would be here too, for the holidays. He could help her too. Thea needed someone, anyone, to help her. She'd done the hardest part, she'd gotten herself here. Now she only hoped someone would open the door.

The porch light above her flickered on.

Light. Hope. Help.

Good, Thea thought, blissfully. I can finally rest now.

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A/N: Thanks so much for reading! This chapter is the last bulk of 'flashback' sequences for a bit. The next chapter will carry on from 1978 to 1981 (aka the rest of the First Wizarding War) and then we'll dive into the PoA plot from there! 

Comments and likes are always appreciated!!! Catch y'all on the flip side~