1 march 1976 - midnight
aquila black was going insane.
she could feel it in her veins. every second glance she took, she swore she could see someone following her.
it was dark outside, the corridors cold, as the usually glistening walls that were full of life and beauty now seemed dull and dark, as if they were closing in on her.
she rushed through the halls of beauxbatons in a panic. every twist, every turn, it all blurred together, and she didn't quite know where she was heading. all she knew is that she had to get away.
get away from what? she also didn't know.
she felt a dark presence in the back of her mind invading her every thought, scream, and shout. her mind was trying to fight back, and it was giving her a migraine.
that same presence followed her down the hall, and by the fifteenth turn, her eyes were blown wide in fear.
her chest heaved as she ran. a dark figure following her.
"what the fuck is that!?" blaise screeched, throwing himself next to cassie and curling into her in fear.
"leave me alone!" aquila screamed, though it seemed the dark figure didn't hear her, continuing at the same grueling pace that sent her spiraling.
"stop it! stop it! stop it!" she cried, violent sobs ripping from her vocal cords as she couldn't breathe.
as she looked behind her, she tripped, she slammed against one of the pale walls, sliding down it and curling up against it.
heartwrenching cries tore through her, shaking her body as she tugged at her raven tresses, her sharp nails digging into the sides of her head, embedding maroon crescents that seemed to grow permanent.
no one had any idea what was going on, everything on the screen was happening so fast, it was hard to understand.
aodhán nuzzled closer into aquila's side, scared of the dark figure, and aquila only rubbed his back in attempt to calm him down.
the dark figure got closer and closer, causing the sixteen year old to rock back and forth like a mere child.
because that's what she was.
she was still just a child that had to grow up too fast.
who longed for her mother to care, who longed for her father's love, who just wanted her brothers.
but she realized as the figure got closer, that no one was coming to save her.
"stop it right now, that's so depressingly sad!" hailey whispered, pulling regulus and emmett closer to her as she became worried for aquila.
she pounded her fists against invisible restraints as she screamed in distraught, "go away, please, go away!"
her screams and pleads reverberated through the halls, however, they never once reached the ears of its sleeping inhabitants.
the dark figure consumed her, choking her, as she begged for her brothers.
"siri! reggie! no, no, no, stop it!" aquila screamed, pleaded to any godforsaken person that would listen.
regulus, sirius, and the older sirius all froze as their named ripped from her vocal cords.
regulus choked on a sob, wishing his future self was there to wrap aquila in his embrace.
sirius felt awful, a pit growing in his stomach. even when she was angry with him, she still begged for him, for he was her safety. she subconsciously knew that sirius would protect her.
older sirius had tears prick his eyes. he had no idea about this, he looked towards his twin who looked pained as she met his gaze.
the figure stayed put, placing even more weight on her throat, and all aquila could see were the flickering red eyes that haunted her every waking moment.
tom riddle. the dark lord. the man from the party.
those eyes that still burn into her skin.
the sight only made her struggle harder, scream louder, claw at the arms of her attacker.
blood spilled from her arms, as tom tightened his grip, digging his fingernails into her arms.
then he was gone. just like that, he evaporated, as if he weren't there in the first place.
"the hell?" marlene burst out, thoroughly confused.
aquila blinked, still screaming, as if waking up from a dream that seemed so real.
as she beheld her surroundings, she was not in the halls of her school, but rather in the dark mountainous forests that surrounded it.
blood seeped from her arms and head, dried tear streaked down her face. she looked as if someone really had attacked her.
she slowly made her way back to her dorm, shaken.
as she observed herself in the mirror, she found scratch marks on her arms, face, and saw dried blood in her hair from her own nails.
aquila was sure she was going insane.
she just knew it.
"i hate this, she shouldn't have to suffer through this alone!" felicity cried. lily was not a fan of the cries that sounded from the smaller girl, so she moved closer and enveloped her with a hug that seemed to calm her down greatly.
james potter was heartbroken and lonely.
sure he had his friends, but they also had other friends.
james just wanted something, someone to live for. to love unconditionally. someone to pour all of his love and energy into.
to him, he thought that aquila was that person. he still did, he didn't know how, he just knew she needed him.
he would walk the corridors of hogwarts at night, searching for any sign of where she had gone. she had disappeared, taking his heart with her.
he could feel her, the sadness and hurt that her heart seemed to be bathed in. but he could also feel the longing, the pain, and when he felt a stab to the heart in the middle of the night, he couldn't help but wish he was there to comfort her.
"whoa, wait! feel her?" sirius questioned, whipping his head to look at his best friend.
"yeah, what do you mean feel her?" evan asked, eyebrows furrowed.
he felt the pain, and he went running.
to where? he wasn't sure, but he just knew that something was pulling him to her.
remus' eyes widened as he looked to his older counterpart, who was already looking at him and gave him a nod, telling the younger that he was right in his theory.
the pull led him to the seventh floor, to a blank wall.
what was he supposed to do with a wall?
he went back to bed feeling hopeless. and for the thousandth time, his throat closed, the obvious sign of tears.
he sobbed into his pillow, heartbreak taking its toll.
aquila gripped onto his hand from behind aodhán, both moving closer together, moving aodhán to be pressed in between them both in a comforting hug.
he missed her, even when she was never his.
he missed her with every bone in his body, every ache of his heart, every thought was of her, every waking moment, she was at the center of his universe.
she was never his, no matter how much he wished she was.
sometimes, that's how children view the stars. they wish they could touch them, hold them, even when they will forever be out of reach.
james wanted to touch her, hold her, love her, but he couldn't.
he didn't know where she was, and it broke his heart.
he thought of the wall that he was led to, and it convinced him that he was going mad without her.
because what is a boy without his star?
heartbroken, lonely, and confused.
17 march 1976
aquila was blank. she was a ghost. she went to classes, did her work, but skipped all the meals.
nobody noticed.
she didn't have her friends, brothers, or even her potter boy to notice that she was starving herself.
"her potter boy?! the ship is sailing!" marlene cried, victoriously.
"uhm, not yet! girl, she's still angry at everyone, how is the ship sailing!" lily asked, confused.
"it just is, lils, it just is, trust me." the blonde nodded, only confusing everyone else.
she couldn't stomach her food, she just ended up sick.
she also couldn't rid herself of the darkness that seemed to follow her everywhere she went.
she had night terrors that ended with her waking up to new wounds.
she still felt the tug in her heart, the tug to somewhere she didn't know.
she didn't know what it was, what it wanted, but she ignored it.
the tug on her heart scared her. she had never felt something like it before, and it scared the hell out of her.
euphemia and fleamont looked at each other with a knowing look, and euphemia beamed, knowing exactly why she was feeling that tug.
she no longer thought of her friends, though she missed them with her whole being.
she couldn't think about the pain, the betrayal, the heartbreak she felt when she found out the truth.
she couldn't bear to remember the look on felicity's face when she sneered her way.
so she turned it off.
aquila no longer showed emotion, she forced herself not to feel it either. she was blank.
her eyes conveyed nothing. they reflected the darkness that only she saw.
she continued to see the shadow figure everywhere she went.
"ah, yes, the creepy ass shadow that may or may not be real..." barty shivered, not feeling good about the fact that his sister was being followed by some mysterious shadow figure.
she kept on with her days, going to class, going back to her empty dorm, her lonely dorm, where she had nothing but the comfort of ares and nova, whom both whimpered every time she was near, as if they could feel her pain as well.
nova curled up on her left, ares on her right.
aquila stared up at the ceiling, where the night sky was projected.
and once more, the constellations mocked her.
the thought that her life had once been perfect, and now it had all gone to shit.
the constellations laughed. sirius twinkled in delight at her misery. regulus was nowhere to be seen. orion was turned away from her. and aquila was the only constant. of course. another reminder that she was the only one she could depend on.
aquila laughed sardonically, only to dissolve into maniacal cackles that turned into sad whimpers.
aquila was slowly but surely losing herself to the black family madness, and nothing was going to be able to save her if they didn't come soon.
"please, please get there soon..." euphemia pleaded, not wanting the girl to have to suffer more than she was already.
aodhán was angry. he had not seen his friend for two months. it was like she had vanished off the face of the earth. he knew it was their fault. those awful gryffindors and slytherins that made her upset.
older aodhán blushed and sat closer to his mum, feeling embarrassed at his past actions, as she looked down at him in amused confusion.
he thought that if he confronted them, made them apologize, he could get his friend back.
of course she would come back, then, he could hug her and tell her it would all be okay.
these thoughts were what led him to approach the tall brunette boy wearing crimson and gold, standing about in the corridors with his friends, the group of snakes standing within sight.
the tiny blond walked angrily up to the bespectacled messy-haired boy that he had seen following his aquila.
the older boy looked sad, but aodhán didn't care. he walked up to him and pushed him, his eyebrows pushed together in anger.
"whoa! little bro just went after someone three times his size for you, keila!" evan whistled, impressed at the bravery of the puff.
"whoa, buddy, what's up?" james questioned, caught offguard as the little first year tried to push him, not managing to move him in the slightest.
"what did you do to her!?" aodhán cried, only getting more upset, hitting the taller boy with his fists, "what did you do with her!?"
"whoa, whoa, whoa, who are you talking about, kiddo?" james asked, flabbergasted, trying to catch the flying fists.
"you know who! what did you do with my aquila! you made her upset, and now she won't come to see me at all, and it's all your fault!" aodhán yelled, hyperventilating, stomping his foot on the ground to emphasize his point.
"aww... that's so sad!" hailey said, looking towards the small boy in between james and aquila, who blushed under her gaze.
regulus heard mention of his sister's name, and he perked up, watching the boy, who was still attacking james unsuccessfully, intently.
"wait, listen, listen!" james breathed, catching the his wrists, and softly holding them back from the assault, "aquila? when was the last time you saw her?"
"right after those slytherins over there made her cry!" the boy pointed accusingly over at the group of slytherins, who had now gathered near and were watching in interest.
regulus froze at that. he made his sister cry? he certainly hadn't meant to, he wanted to help.
the rest of the boys also tensed, not realizing that they had made her cry. they had never seen her cry before, and it made them feel worse that they were the cause of her tears.
"when was the last time you heard from her?" james choked, red rimmed his eyes. this was the closest they had gotten to finding out where she had gone.
"she sent me a letter after i hadn't seen her for a couple weeks. she said she was going somewhere away from here, that she wouldn't be able to see me for a little bit, but that i shouldn't worry about her, but i am, i know somethings wrong, and i know that it's all your fault, you made her upset, you made her leave me here!" he yelled, worked up and upset. his fists were curled tightly as his face turned bright red.
older aquila looked at the boy next to her with sadness brewing in her starry eyes. he looked back at her, silently telling her it was okay, before putting his forehead to her neck.
"wait, that's so cute that you sent him a letter to let him know, rather than just disappearing!" aspen commented, looking at her godmother with reassurance and sympathy.
james thought the boy was adorable, but now was not the time. he grabbed the boy's hand, gently, and started down the hallway.
the groups of lions and snakes (with the two badgers in tow) followed after the determined boy.
he led them to the seventh floor, to the wall he had been visiting every day for the past month, trying to figure out its meaning.
regulus paused, knowing what this was.
his feet moved to touch the wall. he swore, if she was here this whole time, right under his nose, he would freak out.
he also realized his stupidity. in all the places he searched for her, the room of requirement had not once came to mind.
"i keep coming here, it's like something's pulling me here, but it's just a wall. it's making me go mad, what am i supposed to do with a wall, and what does it have to do with aquila?" james rambled, pacing in front of it trying to explain, and in doing so, thinking of aquila.
ivy, daisy, and aspen shared a wide-eyed look as they figured it out too, looking at their mother who only smiled mischievously, holding dean and lyndon closer to her, kissing their foreheads as they slept on her chest.
after he paced quite a few times, the groups beside regulus jumped when a door appeared.
"what the fuck?" sirius squawked, before james slapped his shoulder and nodded towards aodhán.
"watch your language!" james hissed, looking to make sure aodhán had not heard the profanity that left his best friend's mouth.
sirius raised his hands in surrender.
"that's so cute!" aurelie exclaimed, pouting at the adorable paternal display.
aodhán took the first steps, ripping open the door, "aquila?! aquila!?" he called desperately, only finding an empty flat.
he ran inside, james quickly following him, trying to catch up to him, but only finding the same empty flat that aquila had left.
the breathing of many of the students caught in their throats.
regulus could smell aquila in the room, it drove him mad. she had been here, but she wasn't here.
aodhán rushed around the whole room, begging for aquila, james holding him back from breaking something when he couldn't find her.
"aquila! come out! i need you!" aodhán cried, tears spilling from his eyes.
cordelia felt the tears come to her eyes. she knew exactly how he felt. she felt the same pain when she realized she would never see her brother again. she felt the same way as she sobbed over his cold, unmoving body after the third task.
a sob broke from her lips as she watched the screen, and harry rushed to the girl, and brought her into a hug, whispering to her, and holding her close as he teared up too, knowing what she was thinking about, and feeling overwhelming guilt.
regulus could feel the same tears building at his eyes. he felt as if he was in the same position as aodhán.
the hogwarts students stood in the empty flat, disappointed.
they had come so close, yet they were so far from finding her.
what they hadn't found was a certain broken portkey on the ground. they hadn't found the letter stashed in the drawer next to aquila's bed. they hadn't found anything, but they soon would. it was only a matter of waiting.
a/n: my poor baby aodhán! all he wants is his bestie, aquila. i can assure you that all will be found out and fixed in the next chapter (maybe) ;) i love james so much, he's literally so babygirl. anyways, are there any theories on why james can feel aquila and how he found the room of requirement without trying?? if not, it will be explained in future chapters!! <3 hailey
published: le mercredi 10 avril 2024
word count: 3,053 words.