It had been beautiful, but then again, so had a lot of things.

He didn’t say much to other people, but I often caught him talking and laughing with the other three. He seemed sort of sad, I guessed, in a strange sort of way.

“Tallulah darling, you forget what we are.”
Was he implying another message, or were his words purely all in good fun? I wasn’t so sure.

The truth was I was too much of a coward to even face my own brother let alone teachers, students and especially Sirius Black.

“You look beautiful.” He murmured, sliding an arm around my waist and kissing me gently. I kissed him back, not caring that I was 15 and he was 19. He loved me and my parents liked him. He was perfect.

And the thing was I didn’t mind so much about the danger anymore. School for me was always going to be dangerous, there was always going to be that risk.

“So Master Black has found himself a lady, and about time too!”
“Rosmerta m’dear,” James said. “That’s exactly what I’ve been saying.”

I hadn’t killed him. That at least I should be grateful for. Well, that was what I told myself anyway.

It was our second Christmas without Rosalind and Evander Wiley, but the pain hadn’t lessened.

Two things happened that month that put an end to the string of perfections that had flown our way. The first came in the form of a letter.

“That’s me?” I asked, horrified by the thought. The boy next to me nodded. “And that’s you?” He nodded again. I swallowed, looking at the weak, pale reincarnation of myself down below.