Petal in the Rain
Chapter 35 – The Duel
Soft rain coated the highlands in clouds of mist, soaking through Lily's unbound hair. Above her, storm clouds swirled, shifting from spectral white to gunmetal gray, readying for the first spark of lightning. Hoarfrost bit at blades of grass and a chilled wind blew through the trees—trees that whispered warnings to run.
Standing there in the vast clearing by Hogwarts' ancient cemetery, Lily felt different from one minute to the next—at times lifeless and hollowed out, then brimming with a storm of emotion far more foreboding than the weather brewing around her.
She closed her eyes and turned her face skyward, willing the rainwater to wash away the fear that was making her veins twitch like a circuit board about to short out. They very air seemed electrified around her—a writhing, alive entity trying to knock her off balance. Perhaps it was that Hogwarts castle seemed far away now—partially eclipsed by rolling, craggy hills and the beginnings of the Forbidden Forest—or that she was alone with the dead, asleep beneath crumbling stones.
Forcing a deep breath, Lily trained her eyes forward, her knuckles turning white around the handle of her wand.
You need to focus: to watch for your opponent's weakness. Tease it out into the open. That's when you strike.
Lily trembled—whether from the late October chill or from nerves, she couldn't be certain. Was she afraid to lose, to relent to the price she'd agreed to pay if she did? Was it fear of being caught and the consequences that may follow? Was it the potential for violence, for injury, or the motivations that drove her opponent? Or was it that she was going down a path she may not be ready for—may not recognize herself in?
She knew somehow the death eater attack in Hogsmeade had changed things—had changed her. Everything was grimmer, like a piece of the sun had been blotted out that day and it hadn't shone as brightly on the wizarding world since. It was one thing to know there was darkness out there—a snake lurking in the shadows—and to be told your life was in peril, but to see it, experience it, see panic reflected in the eyes of others…it had all become much more real for Lily. The figment of her nightmares wasn't just Lucius Malfoy and the other masked man who had come looking for her that morning at St. Madeline's; there were so many more dark things—dark people—out there, all intent on waging war on the innocent.
This is a battle worth fighting, Lily reminded herself. It wasn't just about proving herself strong or worthy, or even about standing up to a bully: it was to protect a friend.
As the rain began to intensify a figure emerged from across the clearing, descending into the valley bordering the cemetery and Forbidden Forest. The time had come.
"Black," Lily said, stiffening as the svelte boy drew closer, coming to a stop almost nose-to-nose with her. She refused to be intimidated.
"I knew you'd come," Regulus purred, pulling a hand through his wet hair to keep it out of his face. His eyes were predatory, darkened with a sense of gleeful anticipation—like he was going to enjoy devouring her whole.
"You know my terms. I want your word that you'll uphold them if I win."
"I can't promise forever, Rockford. That's too much to ask."
"Until you graduate then," she demanded. Rain slithered down her forehead and along the line of her jaw, set with determination. "I won't agree to your ridiculous terms otherwise."
Regulus' smile expressed his deepened satisfaction. In the distance, a cloud illuminated with electricity. "I'll go easy on you, little Dumbledore. I can't have you looking like damaged goods when you're on my arm at the Halloween Ball. Now, shall we?"
Lily's eyes shifted to a point over Regulus' shoulder where a copse of trees swayed in the wind. Her stomach knotted before meeting his gaze again. "Can I also have your word that you won't try to kill me?"
Regulus appeared caught off guard. "Kill you? I must truly be a villain in your eyes for you to say something like that."
"Well you're certainly not a hero," Lily said, her tone solemn.
"Is that what you're after? A hero?"
"I'm not sure why it would matter to you," she replied, her breath hanging in the cool air between them. "Your word, Black."
Regulus smirked, his bravado returning. "Don't fret. I have no intention of causing that pretty figure of yours any real damage. We'll shelve any spells that could maim or gravely injure—though I can't imagine you knowing any. Satisfied?"
Lily ran a hand through her hair, slicking back the sopping strands falling over her eyes. Their gazes locked, both searching for any sign of weakness in the other. To think: as they prepared to fight, rain soaking them through and thunder crackling in the distance, students were tucking into a warm supper.
"First person to forfeit or become immobilized wins the duel," Regulus said after a period of silence. Though night crept closer, his dark eyes never lost their dangerous luster. "Think you can handle that?"
"Let's get on with it."
Earlier that day…
Alice stared off into the distance, idly swirling a spoon in her china tea cup steaming with a herbal brew. The Great Hall was abuzz with brunch activity, but even the noise of enthusiastic chatter and clinking utensils couldn't hold her attention.
In her lap lay the latest edition of The Daily Prophet. As had been the case all week, the news revolved around the attack in Hogsmeade, headlines reading, "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Launches Attack on Vulnerable Children," "Death Eaters Strike Against Hogwarts," "Lady Aurora Rockford Among Injured in Hogsmeade Attack," and "Lords Band Together to Battle Back."
Since then there'd been calls by many to improve security in public locations, as well as Hogwarts itself—even talk that dementors from Azkaban may begin to patrol the grounds. She shivered at the thought of the slimy, soul-sucking creatures. But the fact was, her own mother had written to her, insisting she leave Hogwarts and return home. Luckily her father had been able to talk her out of it, probably with rhetoric along the lines of, "Alice will never be married off to anyone of worth if she hasn't been seen to finish her education."
Her throat tightened as she continued to stir her tea. The death eater attack had landed Aurora and Rudolf nearly two days in Hogwart's Hospital Wing. She'd been at their sides as their lungs were magically cleared of dust and debris, their cuts knit back together, a broken arm repaired and even the tip of an ear regrown. It was a useless feeling, seeing her friends in pain and not being able to do anything about it. While they had raced headlong into a frightful situation to protect fellow students, she had cowered in an alleyway alongside Regulus of all people, paralyzed with fear and uncertainty. While Madam Pomfrey and her nurses tended to their wounds, she freshened flower vases and organized cards and gifts sent by peers who were thankful for their heroism.
Alice's eyes drifted back to the newspaper, finding a photograph of Aurora. She was covered head-to-toe in filth, unconscious and cradled in the arms of James Potter, Rudolf being carried off on a stretcher behind them. Even covered in grim, Alice felt only admiration for Aurora when she looked at the photograph, though it was tinged with feelings of her own guilt and inadequacy.
She's the epitome of a Gryffindor…I'm just pathetic.
Alice thought Aurora and Rudolf deserved every gift and word of esteem given to them since the attack. They—along with James, Sirius, Remus, Frank and even some other students who'd participated in the skirmish—had been extolled as selfless champions all week, both in person and in the papers. She felt so proud of them, and—if she were being honest—quite covetous.
Sighing, Alice folded up the publication and placed it on the table. Despite Aurora receiving praise at school, Alice didn't think she'd been given as much credit as she was due in papers. That photo of her in James' arms was being used everywhere, like he was some hero leaping into action to save the damsel in distress, but that wasn't accurate, was it? Where were the photos of she and Rudolf jumping into action? Emmeline had nearly burst into tears when she saw the snapshot, green with envy. Who wouldn't want the special honour of being saved by the gallant Lord James Potter? But Alice vehemently disagreed with her and the other society ladies; there was nothing to covet about being trapped under a pile of rubble and getting half your ear blown off.
What had truly surprised her about the attack in Hogsmeade was that student gossip didn't revolve around He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or his followers, but the relationships of the people involved. Following the publication of the damsel-in-distress photograph, many were speculating that James was in love with Aurora; yet, she'd also been seen out on a possible date with Sirius, who had gotten into a fight with his brother, Regulus—but, it was Rudolf who had been at her side and protected her from the falling rubble!
Alice placed a finger to her temple and rubbed it in small circles. Clearly most people's priorities were severely out of whack. Was she that bad? That shallow and one-dimensional? Although…if she continued to be honest with herself…she had re-played a particular part of the battle in her head many times over: the part that included Frank gathering her up in his arms with a look of concern, whisking her away to—
"I had two blokes on the Quidditch team accost me this morning about who my good friend Aurora was going to the Halloween Ball with! Can you imagine?" Rudolf snorted, materializing out of nowhere. He cozied up beside Alice at the breakfast table and reached for a jug of pumpkin juice. "Something tells me she won't be selecting them for the great honour."
Alice managed a smile for Rudolf's sarcastic greeting and picked at an egg-white omelet that had grown cold. "You jest but I've had my fair share of students prodding me if the two of you have dates. Apparently your heroism has made you both very attractive candidates."
"Really?" Rudolf grinned, earning a jab. "I'd like to think I'd earn just as many propositions as before the conflict, thank you very much."
"Unlikely," Alice teased.
"I thought the three of us might go to the Halloween Ball together," Rudolf said, shovelling bacon into his mouth. "I quite like the thought of two ladies on my arm."
"What makes you think Aurora doesn't already have a date? Every time I bring it up she goes quiet and changes the subject," Alice replied, thoughtful. "It makes me think she'll be going with somebody noteworthy – perhaps Sirius? It isn't unheard of to have an attendant who isn't a current student. Just look at Narcissa and Lucius."
"You're probably right," Rudolf sighed, wistful with contemplation of the coupling. "You will go with me though, won't you? I can't stand the thought of having to go with anyone else."
"If I must," Alice quirked a smile. "You're lucky I'm not courting anyone."
"No one is good enough for you, love."
Alice chuckled, shaking her head. Mid-retort, she spotted Aurora near the entrance of the Great Hall, trading what appeared to be furious whispers with Regulus Black. The smile slid off her face: from what Alice could tell, whatever was being exchanged between them seemed to be upsetting Aurora.
"Look," Alice prodded Rudolf to take notice. "This is happening more and more lately—what do you think Regulus is up to? He's making a point of seeking her out, almost on a daily basis."
"That prat just doesn't know when to quit," Rudolf grumbled. He was about to rise from his seat when Aurora broke off the conversation and headed their way.
"Morning," she half-mumbled, taking a place on the bench across from them.
Rudolf gallantly poured Aurora a glass of pumpkin juice and passed it to her. "Everything alright? What does Regulus keep cornering you about?"
Alice watched as Aurora shifted uncomfortably in her seat—she could tell she was carefully considering her answer. "You know him, always spewing vitriol. I don't know why he continues to approach me when he knows I can't stand him."
"That could be exactly why he approaches you," Rudolf scoffed, plunking another piece of bacon into his mouth. "It could also be your 'relationship' with his brother. Everyone knows how much he despises Sirius. You saw that firsthand in Hogsmeade."
"I think you mean 'friendship,'" Aurora raised a brow at Rudolf, matching his air quotes with a pair of her own.
Alice took a sip of her tea. She mused, "Perhaps he's secretly in love with you and wild with jealousy that his brother is a rumoured beau of yours?"
Aurora's eyes grew wide. "Don't make me spit out my pumpkin juice!"
Rudolf snorted and Alice tittered. "Sorry. You just never know. You're the most popular lady at school, and many consider him the most popular lord—there may be something there when it comes to his intentions toward you."
"I'm not the most popular lady at school," Aurora grumbled, stabbing her fork into a fried tomato.
Alice shook her head, amused. Lady Aurora Rockford must be the only girl in existence to wince at the thought of being admired. Most society witches could only dream of achieving her status, yet she seemed to balk at the very thought of it.
"Looks like they've already started to decorate for the Halloween Ball," Rudolf declared, trying to transition them from what was becoming an awkward topic. Indeed, there was a gigantic mound of pumpkins waiting to be carved and magicked to float along the enchanted ceiling piled up in the Entrance Hall. "Any idea what you're going to dress up as?"
If possible, the topic seemed to make Aurora even more sullen. What was wrong with her today? Was the impact of the Hogsmeade attack still weighing on her? The closer Alice looked, the more she could detect there was something truly off about her—some underlying nervous energy.
"I haven't even thought about it," Aurora divulged, pushing her plate aside. "I might have to send an owl to Madam Malkin to see—"
Alice jumped when a sound thundered behind them. Aurora rose from her seat as everyone else at the Gryffindor table swung around to get a look at the commotion.
Still seated at the Ravenclaw table was Nymphadora Tonks. At least, Alice thought it was her—it was hard to tell as an enormous bowl of baked beans had been dumped over her head and now covered the girl from the top of her head to past her shoulders. Raucous laughter sounded from the Slytherin table, but it wasn't only Slytherins who appeared to find the prank funny, a smattering of students from all Houses chuckling or whispering to friends.
"Who is responsible for this malicious prank?" Professor McGonagall shouted over the turmoil, leaving her position at the teacher's table and heading toward Nymphadora. Amelia Bones—and to Alice's surprise, Aurora—were already at her side, brandishing their wands to clear the mess off the scholarship student. Alice had no idea how she'd gotten over to her so quickly.
As more teachers began to rise from their seats to accost students about the incident, most heading toward the Slytherin table for further investigation, Nymphadora shook off Amelia and Aurora and beelined out of the Great Hall, her face blotchy and red.
"Poor girl," Rudolf tut-tuted, watching the scene unfold beside Alice. "She must be grateful to have someone like Aurora attend to her so publicly."
Alice frowned. "I'm sure she's feeling anything but grateful at the moment, Rue."
Rudolf coloured. "That didn't come out the way I meant."
"I know what you meant," Alice sighed, folding her arms. "And I thought the same thing: that she's a scholarship student, low on the social ladder, and yet counts Hogwarts' elite as her friend. How did she get so lucky? Makes me feel ashamed to have thought it, too."
As the hubbub continued to unfold, Alice caught sight of Aurora looking towards the Slytherin table. There was no mistaking: she and Regulus were having a staring stand-off, the lord's eyes sparkling with trouble. He got up from the Slytherin table without causing a fuss and slipped out of the Great Hall. Alice watched as Aurora followed in his wake.
"I'll be right back," Alice told Rudolf, rising from the table before he could protest. She headed in the direction of where Aurora had slipped away.
When she entered the main hall—much quieter than the chaos she had just escaped from— Alice didn't see Aurora or Regulus anywhere. Frowning, she made for the stairs, thinking Aurora might have headed to the common room to blow off some steam.
There's something going on with her…maybe she just needs someone she can trust to talk things over with? Or it's a female issue she isn't comfortable mentioning in front of Rudolf?
Alice froze mid-step when she heard fervent voices sound from an alcove behind the staircase. Knowing one of the voices to be Aurora's, she sat down on the stair she'd been ascending and listened through the banisters.
"You just can't get enough of me, can you Lady Rockford?"
"You disgust me, you know that? Why do you keep torturing your own cousin like that?"
"She's no cousin of mine. She's even more of a disgrace to my family that my brother is, and that's saying something."
"Is this more bloodline bullshit?"
"Tsk tsk, language my lady."
"Even knowing how vile you are, I still can't believe you'd do something like that to a family member. Do you have no honour at all?"
"That half blood was never considered a part of my family. Her mother decided to sully the Black name long ago by marrying a muggle. You can't think any of us would accept the offspring of that hideous coupling? I consider it my duty to remind her of her place in this school, which shouldn't have admitted her or any of her ilk in the first place. Your dear uncle is the reason the prestige of this school is going down the toilet, now we're on the subject."
"It's a shame you let such prejudice rule your life, Regulus. I pity you for it," Alice heard Lily breathe, a touch of sadness in her voice. "Nymphadora is my friend and I'm not going to let you hurt her anymore."
"I cannot fathom why you care for a witch so beneath you. She isn't worth even a moment of your time or attention. You embarrass yourself by associating with her. I implore you to be better than you uncle; don't let his misguided liberalism tarnish your reputation, too."
"She is worth more than you will ever be, Black, even if her blood was the colour purple—which is why I've decided I will duel you after all."
Alice sucked in a breath, trying not to gasp and give herself away. Duel?
"Is that so? After your initial bluster, followed by the timidity inherent to your sex, you've finally come around have you? Did the lustful thought of being on my arm at the Ball finally overcome you? I'm sure the allure of losing is very tempting indeed."
"It never ceases to amaze me how full of yourself you are, Regulus. When I win, my terms are this: you and your cronies will never do anything to harm or humiliate Nymphadora again. In fact, you won't so much as glare in her general direction. Understood?"
Alice clutched her throat, experiencing waves of anxiety as she waited to overhear Regulus' answer. "Meet me at the cemetery at the edge of the Forbidden Forest tonight, just as the feast is beginning. That way no one will be outside to interrupt us. I'm very much looking forward to it."
There was no denying: Lady Aurora Rockford was an enigma.
It was hard to say exactly what possessed him to follow her onto the grounds, which were cool and wet with an October drizzle—hardly a setting a true lady would dare venture into without fretting over her hair or complaining of the cold. But Aurora was no typical lady—not in the slightest. That was becoming more apparent every day.
Even out of the corner of his eye, he could sense she was tense during breakfast. Sullen, anxious, eyes darting furtively, yet dimming with steely resolve following the humiliation of Nymphadora Tonks. Had she spied the goon who'd done the deed?
His cloak dragged across the damp grass as he neared the Forbidden Forest, its trees rustling with raindrops and mist floating between its thick trunks. He was far enough behind her to go unnoticed, a skill he'd mastered in his early school days. People were still far too trusting of the shadows.
It was clear where Aurora was heading, but why?
Coiling his slim silhouette behind the profile of a tree, he peered toward the dark clearing, black eyes trained on her as she paced back and forth. Her fingers were buried in her brunette hair, cradling her head like its contents were about to spill out.
When she shuddered a breath, he felt an unusual lurch in his chest. He watched as Aurora pulled her wand out of her peacoat pocket and brandished it toward an ancient tree. With vigor, she muttered a spell and viciously flicked her wrist, sending a flurry of different spells hurtling forward. Angry scorch marks began to mare the tree's bark, one patterning over the other until ash began to crumble and coat the ground below it.
Flashes of colour reflected against his eyes as he watched the assault, awed by the rush of emotion arousing the girl's raw, wild power. What had inspired such frenzy in her? Had caused her to lash out in such a feral way?
Aurora let out a strangled cry—something between a war call and a sob—and loosed one final spell, causing bits of tree bark to explode like fireworks. She sank down to her knees.
"And what did that tree ever do to you, pray tell?"
Aurora's attention flickered up to him when Snape stepped out from behind the tree. He was mildly alarmed that she didn't seem all that surprised to see him.
She looked away, eyes glassy, settling her dejected gaze forward. Trepidation bubbled up within him when she remained silent. He didn't like the feeling.
"Get up," Snape commanded. Aurora slowly rose from the pit of mud, keeping her gaze averted. What the devil was wrong with her? Why wasn't she snapping at him to quit ordering her around?
"What's wrong with you?"
Aurora remained silent. She appeared to be trying to compose herself, but was doing a piss-poor job of it. Snape closed the distance between them and grabbed her wrist, forcing her attention back to him. Distaste flickered. "Answer me."
"It's none of your fucking business," Aurora retorted, yanking her arm away from him.
"Stop acting like a child," Snape demanded, though hearing such a vulgar word slip from between her lips gave him a peculiar rush. "Tell me or I'll make you. You are aware I'm not above breaking a few school faculty rules."
Aurora scowled, but the expression morphed into a brow set with worry. "I…can't tell you."
"Yes you can."
"No I can't," she maintained, stubbornness returning. "You'll either expel me or try to stop me and I can't have either."
"If you intend on trying to murder Potter, Black or any of the other tedious prigs you hold company with, I promise not to get in your way."
Aurora rolled her eyes. "Is that your attempt at a little joke?"
"I very seldom joke, if you hadn't noticed."
She smiled, sending a jolt through him. "I may have picked up on that."
"So tell me what's going on," he pressed again.
Worry returned to Aurora's features. Snape could tell she was debating whether to tell him the truth. "I've made a deal with someone to do something that could get me expelled, and…well, potentially result in far worse consequences."
"What's worse than getting expelled? Are you in some kind of danger?"
"I'm not entirely sure," she replied, pacing to the other end of the clearing.
Snape hissed his next command, making her going rigid. "Tell me. Now."
She turned, her eyes softening. "Promise you won't stop me?"
"I can't promise you anything yet."
Aurora sighed and leaned against a tree. "I'm dueling Regulus tonight at suppertime. If I win, he's sworn to never hurt his cousin Nymphadora again. If I lose, I've sworn to go to the Halloween Ball with him."
Snape's eyes narrowed with the information. Aurora's instincts that she may be in peril were sound. She was the niece of a powerful and influential wizard at the apex of a movement based on tolerance and equality, while the Blacks were staunch believers of a brand of wizarding conservatism that tipped toward violent extremism. From his observations of the boy, Regulus was a pillar of his family's ideology—quite unlike his idiotic older brother—and his motivations towards Aurora were therefore questionable and likely anything but innocent.
For Snape, the question therefore wasn't if the lord's motivations were malicious, but how malicious. Was his goal to force Aurora to accompany him to a school function where he could then carry out some kind of social assassination? Or did he just want to get her alone so she was vulnerable to an attack?
Lurking in shadows had its advantages, and as such Snape had become privy to some talk among Slytherin's senior male populace about carrying out acts that would prove their devotion to a cause supported by their families. It was something he had not reported to Headmaster Dumbledore as of yet, as he wasn't sure if it was merely masculine boasting or true plotting—but was this duel Regulus' chance to enter the ranks of a dark wizard who was now dominating headlines in The Daily Prophet?
"From your meltdown I assume you are aware this is a bad idea," Snape finally muttered, meeting Aurora's panicky gaze. "Regulus is not someone who can be trusted—especially not by someone like you."
"I know that," Aurora frowned. "But I'm sick of him torturing Nymphadora and I'm going to put an end to it."
"How admirable," Snape drawled, earning her ire. "Though perhaps you would be better served protecting yourself, rather than falling on your sword for her. She is a play-thing for him—you are a prize."
A blush crept onto Aurora's cheeks. "I don't know what you mean."
"What is more worth Black's effort? Tormenting his nobody-cousin or causing damage to the niece of Lord Dumbledore? I doubt he cares enough to do any real harm by Miss Tonks, but with you…there could be something worth achieving."
"I'm not going to back down—" she breathed in response. "—and I won't let you talk me out of it. I'm going to blast him so hard onto his backside that he's going to cry out for his mother."
A small laugh escaped from him, making Aurora's eyebrows knit together. "I'd like to see that. And I intend to. Where are you meeting?"
"What?" Aurora's mouth fell open. "You mean you'll come to the duel—in secret?"
Snape nodded. "If Regulus tries anything untoward I'll be there to intervene."
"You mean if he tries to murder me?" she chuckled uneasily, the joke falling flat.
"Luring a lady who he believes hasn't the faintest possibility of overtaking him to a remote place where no one can hear her cry for help—there's no saying what he might try to do," Snape replied, watching Aurora pale as he affirmed the stark reality of her decision.
"Thank you," she whispered, reaching for Snape. Her small hand squeezed his, spreading warmth down his arm. He hadn't even thought to flinch. "For not stopping me…and for being there in case something goes wrong. The truth is I feel so relieved to have told somebody."
When she let go of him, Snape felt cold again. "We haven't got much time. Pick up your wand. You'll need all the help you can get."
"You do not want to know the conversation I just overheard a bunch of seventh year boys having about your girlfriend," Sirius announced, banging open the door to James' office and closing it with equal force. "It seems our plan has thoroughly backfired: rather than our pursuit warning people off Lily, we've fanned the flame of their desire."
James placed his quill back in its ink pot and tiredly removed his glasses, massaging the bridge of his nose. "I really do wonder why Dumbledore allows you into the school when you don't work here. I'll have to have a word with him about that."
Ignoring him, Sirius plunked down into a chair across from James' desk. "You look like hell, Jamsie—did you know?"
James grimaced. Truth be told, he felt like hell too. The week since the attack in Hogsmeade had taken a physical and emotional toll. His days were split between teaching and Order meetings, which had increased in frequency since the brazen Hogsmeade attack that had resulted in casualties on both sides of the battle lines. There was no denying it: things were worsening by day and Voldemort was becoming bolder, toeing outside of the shadows.
His nights, meanwhile, had been spent covertly holding vigil at Lily's bedside until she was released from hospital, the rest spent in bed with her. Even clutching each other close, they'd both had sleepless nights. The memory of her buried under rubble still haunted him.
As to what haunted her, he wasn't sure. She'd been so quiet and introspective since the attack he hadn't even had the heart to give her a hard time for inserting herself into the battle. He was too afraid she'd clam up even more; that a void would begin to grow between them.
That is, if it hadn't given birth already.
"Is there something I can help you with?"
"No need to lash out at me, Potter. Just tell me what's on your mind," Sirius replied, crossing his legs and propping them up on James' desk.
What's on my mind? James grimaced, mind racing. Where to begin? The world around us is going to shit because of an some evil wizarding dictator with warped ideals, my girlfriend—whose been forced into hiding and who I can't be with publicly—has barely uttered a word to me all week and is hell-bent on getting herself killed by all appearances, and I've caught a potential death eater—never mind my biggest enemy during my school days—sneaking into her room to watch her sleep. And I stood and watched him do it. That's not disturbing at all.
"I've got so much on my mind I think my head is going to explode," James replied, gritting his teeth and leaning back in his chair. "I doubt you have the emotional capacity to hear it all without your own brain splattering across my desk."
"Your faith in me is inspiring."
James leaned forward, gathering up his face in his hands. "I don't know where to go from here. With Lily."
Sirius looked at him quizzically. "How do you mean?"
"We're in this…weird place together," James started. Saying the words he'd been mulling over out loud made him instantly exasperated, if not a little relieved. "We're not communicating. I feel like she leads this secret life I don't know about. I can tell she's keeping things from me, I just don't know what, and I don't particularly want to broach the topic, what with the Hogsmeade debacle. She's fragile right now."
"Lily? Fragile?" Sirius snorted. "Therein lies your problem, mate—you continue to underestimate her. That girl is like a bull in a china shop half the time."
Sirius offered James a cigarette. He took it, uncaring if it stunk up his office and yellowed all the paperwork he was grading. Most parchments were already speckled with coffee stains. After a long draught, he continued, "And that's causing me an equal amount of stress. It's like the harder I try to protect her the quicker she is to jump at any sign of trouble. I mean, for fuck's sake, running into a death eater battle?"
"I'm proud of her for that," Sirius countered, blowing smoke from his nostrils. "Some of those kids could have been killed without her and Brand. Looks like she inspired Dora and a few others to jump in, too."
"I'm not saying I'm not proud of her as well, but she's gallant to a fault. She's blowing her cover by acting the total opposite of a lady," James retorted. "And she's obsessed about proving herself in Defence. If that isn't a red flag to Voldemort, I don't know what is. And do you want to know the worst part of it all?"
"Any firewhiskey stashed behind these books?" Sirius inquired, standing up to peruse James' bookshelf. "Go on."
"The worst part is that everything she's done has rendered me more like her father than the man she's courting, which is probably why she's afraid to tell me everything. I hate it," James leaned back again, glaring hard at the ceiling. "I'm not wooing her or taking her out for fancy dinners, I'm goddamn disciplining her."
Sirius wiggled his eyebrows. "Sounds kinky."
"Ugh, I wish it was," James groaned. "And now I'm just stuck in this abyss where we continually move backwards instead of forwards. I'm…if it continues like this, I'm afraid I'm going to lose her."
"So now you've said that all out loud, what are you going to do about it?" Sirius asked, butting out his cigarette. "Stop acting like her father and start acting like the guy who used to infatuate every girl in this school."
"I'm a teacher now, and she's a student," James reminded him. He pulled his fingers through his mess of brown hair. "I can't lose my footing at Hogwarts. It's my best way of keeping her close."
"You have a bloody invisibility cloak and a magical map, Potter—not to mention more connections than most in society. I think you have a better chance of making a secret courtship work than most."
James drummed his fingers on his desk, pondering. "You've got a point."
A soft knock sounded at his office door, making James and Sirius straighten. Sighing, James extracted his wand to eradicate the smell of smoke looming in the air, then called out, "Come in."
He was surprised when Lady Alice Prewett poked her blonde head in, her face creased with worry. James rose to his feet. "Hello Alice, please come in."
Alice looked furtively between he and Sirius. "H-Have I come at a bad time, Professor?"
"I don't teach you any classes, Alice, so no need to call me that in private. Do you need a word?"
Sirius shrugged and got to his feet, but Alice cut in. "Maybe it's best that you both hear what I've come to tell you. I…I wanted to tell this to someone who I knew I could trust to have her best interests at heart. I don't want her to get in any kind of trouble…but I think Aurora may be in danger. It involves your brother, Sirius."
Wind whipped about James' thick cloak as he, Sirius and Alice scurried across the castle grounds in a mounting downpour. His boots made the damp grass squelch with every hurried footfall, coating the back of his trousers in mud.
"Are you sure you shouldn't go back?" James heard Sirius holler at Alice, who he was helping to negotiate the uneven landscape, now sloping downwards.
She shook her head, lips blue. "I'm not going until I know Aurora is safe!"
James hadn't the time to pester the girl to go back inside and let them handle the situation. All he could do was keep moving and hope that he got to Lily before anything had transpired—that, and wonder how she continued to get herself mixed up in trouble.
There were a thousand different scenarios running through his head as to why Sirius' brother would not only challenge Lily to a duel, but demand she attend the Halloween Ball with him should he win. Did Lily not realize she could be falling into a trap, or did she just not care? Her newfound lust to triumph in Defense, paired with her noble goal of protecting a friend, may have landed her in more chaos than she knew.
James' throat tightened as they neared the cemetery, anxiety building. If he found them dueling and tried to stop it, he'd have to report them both to Dumbledore. His position as a teacher would forever be undermined in the eyes of Regulus if he didn't, and he couldn't give the Slytherin boy any leverage over him or the others. But what, then, would that mean for Lily and her career at Hogwarts?
As they climbed out of one valley and began to crest the hill towards the cemetery—nestled at the bottom of another valley along the edge of the Forbidden Forest—James dropped down to his elbows and knees. Sirius and Alice did the same, all three peering towards the bottom of the vale. There, Lily and Regulus were assuming dueling positions.
"What are you doing?" Alice whispered, the girl's blonde ringlets limp with precipitation. "Aren't you going to stop them?"
James shifted his gaze to Sirius, who also seemed to be mulling over their options. "Do you think she could win?"
Sirius didn't miss a beat. "Hard to say—I'm betting she's got a decent chance. Reg is an arrogant prick and he hasn't seen her in action. He's going to underestimate her."
"If I break it up now I have to bring them both to Dumbledore. But if I let them take a crack at it and she wins…"
"Then the only cousin I actually like won't be harassed for the rest of her school days."
"What?" Alice blinked, looking between the two lords. "You're going to sit back and let Regulus harm Aurora? I can't believe I'm hearing this…"
"Your friend is stronger than you think," Sirius said to Alice, his expression reproachful. He turned back to James, the two all but ignoring her again. "Better to let them hash it out and intervene if Reg tries something. If she wins, we turn a blind eye and pretend we never saw it happen. She won't like you interfering…"
James knew that to be true. If he stopped Lily's efforts now, he'd continue to descend into fatherhood where she was concerned. However, her safety was more important to him than her ire. Could she actually win?
You need to focus: to watch for your opponent's weakness. Tease it out into the open. That's when you strike.
Snape's words continued to echo in her mind as Lily began to pace back and forth, wand secure in her hand. Somewhere in the distance her tutor was hiding in wait, prepared to assess the forthcoming exchange should it tip towards real danger. Even with that knowledge, Lily's stomach was wound in tight knots, acid coating the back of her throat.
Her opponent prowled on the opposite side of their makeshift battlefield, rain shifting around him, mouth crooked with a devilish smile. With nightfall deepening, Regulus' looks gradually transformed into ghostly, his skin a pale glow against his damp hair. The longer she took measure of him, the harder the rain came down around them, now blowing in thick sheets of icy precipitation.
"Will you make the first move?" Regulus' teasing voice sounded above the howling rain. "Or do you want me to lead this dance?"
Lily remained silent and never broke eye contact.
She could tell her prolonged muteness and inaction was beginning to aggravate Regulus. Like her, he seemed determined not to show his hand first, yet the absence of their usual banter seemed to bore him.
"Come on little Dumbledore, don't be shy…" Regulus cooed.
Suddenly a jet of golden light sprang out of his wand and straight toward Lily. She jumped as it landed at her feet, making the wet ground sizzle. Her nerves jangled together like the gamekeeper's keys.
Regulus' cat-like grin returned. "Catch you off guard?"
Taking a deep breath, Lily muttered an incantation and propelled her own disarming spell toward Regulus. The red light streaked over his shoulder, barely ruffling a hair on his entitled head.
"Oh dear…I hope you've got more than that," the fetching boy mocked, offering a disappointed pout.
When Lily repeated the spell—this time aiming it squarely for his chest—Regulus balked and side-stepped out of the way.
"That's better," he goaded, eyes sparkling. "Go on, try again."
"Has anyone ever told you," Lily exhaled, flicking her wrist and sending another bolt toward Regulus, "that you talk too much?"
"Why don't you try to shut me up then," Regulus purred, laughing as he sent a spell barreling towards her.
Lily stumbled as she dodged the hex. Pull yourself together.
"You know, I always knew there was something different about you," Regulus waited until Lily regained her balance before repeating his spell-work, which she deflected with a shield charm. "There's something dormant lying beneath that pretty face of yours…something I intend to unleash."
Lily gritted her teeth, her stare withering. It only seemed to intensify the Slytherin's amusement. "The only thing you're going to unleash is a deeper hatred for you."
Upon hearing his laughter, Lily lashed out more violently—a flurry of indigo-coloured spells that momentarily shook Regulus' resolve.
He straightened. "There's a fine line between love and hate, Aurora. If you're not careful, you might find yourself tipping in the wrong direction…"
Lily's face warped into amused disbelief. "I think I can be relied upon to never, ever love a creature like you, Regulus."
She barely managed to erect a magical barrier when Regulus volleyed his own precise spell work towards her. Lily's knees sank into the mud, arms wobbling as she held the shield in place. His reaction was angrier than she had anticipated.
"You can't honestly believe you're above me," Regulus retorted, his sneer more bitter than amused. It took her a moment to realize his façade was slipping—that a vulnerable underbelly was beginning to show. "The respect and power your name commands pale in comparison to mine. I'm practically magical royalty. A pathetic little girl like you should count herself blessed to hold my attention for even a moment. Blessed that I even know she exists."
Does his derision originate from me being the invented niece of Dumbledore, or because I resist him? If he counts me as an enemy—as the antithesis of his breed of people—why does he care so much?
Lily got back to her feet, mud streaked across her legs and Defence uniform. She hesitated, trying to formulate a plan to test a theory that was taking root.
"Go to hell, Black!" Lily cursed, throwing her might behind a spell that she aimed to miss him.
Eyes sparking, Regulus intensified his own magic, sending a scathing beam of acrid light towards Lily. Swallowing, she intentionally paused before moving out of the way. She cried out when the spell seared across her arm, tearing open the fabric of her sleeve.
She fell to her knees, clutching her damaged appendage. Crying out again, she made the sob sound as authentic to a pathetic little girl as she could manage.
Though wet hair tumbled across her face as she glowered down into the mud, Lily could see through falling tendrils that—rather than strike again while she was helpless—Regulus had paused, wand arm falling to his side. As he began to walk over to her, she saw worry creasing his face.
When Lily whorled back to her feet, she felt only a twinge of guilt when Regulus' eyes went wide as she yelled, "FLIPENDO!"
Lily's knock-back jinx launched a surprised Regulus soaring into the air. After what seemed like minutes, he fell to the ground with an audible, rain-soaked thud. Though winded, he scrambled to his knees, trying to suppress his heaving. The look he gave her was vulturine—a mixture of shock, fury, and—appallingly—thirst.
"Why you little bitch…" Regulus declared. His smile could only be described as filthy…curling along his teeth as his eyes ravaged over her. "You may regret having done that."
"Doing what?" Lily taunted despite her instincts telling her that she was in danger. Regulus was a wild animal she couldn't trust—and how he would strike at her, she didn't know. "Showing you how a pathetic little girl can kick your arse?"
Regulus let a pleasurable groan escape, lips twisting. "For giving me permission to show you no mercy…"
"PROTEGO!" Lily shouted just as he began bombarding her with spells—spells that were so intense the very ground around her was exploding with multiple impacts, her shield rippling beneath his efforts.
Lily broke off her charm and dove to the side, rolling to get back on her feet. Her body hummed as she began to weave charms in between Regulus'—body-binding curses, knock-back jinxes, disarming and petrification spells, anything and everything she had learned through her lessons with Snape and her late-night extracurricular reading. Some spells she only knew of in theory, yet they seemed to flow out of her wand with ease. The sheer power that continued to amass within her and burst outward felt exhilarating, and the harder and faster she fought, the stronger she felt—an avalanche of fire gaining momentum and destroying everything in its path.
Perhaps her impulse to demolish and devastate should have scared her—yet all Lily could do was give into the gratifying, alive feeling.
Though the magic within her beckoned her to push harder, Lily's body began to waver under the strain of physically and magically evading Regulus' spells while producing her own. She was heartened to see that he also appeared to be struggling, though it seemed less than she was. It was clear she had more work to do.
"Come on, Rockford, don't give up on me now," Regulus mocked when Lily scarcely blocked one of his spells, her breathing becoming labored. "Surely you don't want your punishment to stop here…"
Lily growled at the innuendo and snapped her wand so sharply in his direction that her blasting curse scorched Regulus across the chest just as he tried to contort out of the way. He gnashed his teeth under the impact, swaying on his feet, but erected a shield as Lily tried it again. Protected behind his charm, she watched as he ran his fingers across the torn fabric of his shirt. Rather than look alarmed, he looked…aroused.
"Naughty girl," he growled. The rapacious look in his eyes was almost enough to make her bottom lip tremble. She could see plainly that he was getting excited by the fight. Whether he was caught up in the sheer power and frenzy of it, or liked the thought of her getting hurt—or maybe even getting hurt himself—she didn't know and didn't want to know. It made her tremble all the same.
"Lumos Maxima."
Lily was diverted from her unsettling conclusion when Regulus illuminated the sky above them, briefly turning the black, cloudy canvass into amethyst. Her eyes followed the light, gripped by the possibility that someone in the distance would see the flare-up and find them.
The distraction was exactly what Regulus had been counting on. With the flick of his wrist, Lily's wand involuntarily flew out of her hand and into his. She could barely register the shock of it when Regulus used that very same summoning spell on her.
"Accio," Regulus commanded with a smirk, causing the wind around Lily to concentrate in a way that swept her off her feet and towards the triumphant boy. She screamed as he caught her by the shoulders when she slammed against him, her feet returning to the ground.
"Let me go," Lily hissed and wriggled, pushing against Regulus' chest. "How dare you!"
"I think the winner deserves a kiss, don't you?" Regulus tormented, his black eyes greedy. "Though I suppose I can settle with giving you one first."
Lily gasped when he pressed his cold lips against her neck. He moved up and down its curve, keeping her arms locked in his unforgiving hands, and nibbled at her ear. Panicking, she dug her knee so hard into Regulus' groin that it caused him to keel over in a yowl of pain. Once freed, she stumbled back and picked up her wand, which he'd dropped with the shock of her blow.
Rage gripping her, Lily harvested a handful of wet mud and slapped it roughly against the arrogant lord's face. She wanted to use her bare hands to beat him senseless for what he'd done.
"If you're trying to spur me into murdering you, you're doing a damn good job of it," Regulus spat between groans, simultaneously trying to wipe mud from his face. "I should've wrung your little neck instead!"
"Pick up your wand you disgusting rat! This fight isn't finished," Lily commanded, her entire body thrumming with the urge to extinguish the foul boy.
Just as he moved to grab his wand, two figures manifested in Lily's peripherals. When Regulus also noticed them, they both sheathed their wands.
"You told someone about the duel?" Regulus demanded, nostrils flaring.
"Of course I didn't," Lily returned, some of her wrath dissipating. "It was probably your illumination charm that gave us away!"
Regulus grew grave. "No matter. I've won our little fight today. If we aren't expelled, you know what's expected of you," he stated, seeming much less worried about the possibility of expulsion than was likely.
"I didn't forfeit and you didn't immobilize me," Lily hissed. "And no, holding onto me for five seconds doesn't count. If anything, I just immobilized you."
Before Regulus could retort, the stern, rain-drenched features of James Potter and Sirius Black became clear through the mist. Any remaining colour drained from Lily's face.
"You two picked a gorgeous night for an evening stroll," Sirius chirruped, his tone light but his eyes communicating something entirely different. Lightning flashed in the distance.
"I could say the same for you and Professor Potter," Lily countered warily, her gaze locking on James. She was surprised to find his expression cool—if not unconcerned—making her wonder if he'd witnessed what had just transpired between she and Regulus.
"We were patrolling the grounds and saw a bright light. We thought it might be a distress call," James explained, his eyes unreadable. "Would you care to explain what you're doing?"
"It's really not any of your concern, Potter," Regulus spat, though his voice sounded pained, his groin obviously still smarting from Lily's blow.
"I disagree," James replied, his tone turning lethal. In that instant, Lily knew he'd seen everything. "You see, it would reflect poorly on me as a professor if I were to let Miss Rockford here finish you off. I also don't want the bother of writing to your parents, explaining that you've been blown to pieces by a society lady."
A spark of delight gleamed in Lily's eyes; she took his retort as an immense compliment. Before Regulus could rejoin, another person entered their ranks.
"What do we have here?" the velvety voice of the Potion's professor sounded from behind James and Sirius, causing both men to tense.
James' eyes narrowed as Snape came into view. Though the rain was driving down harder than ever, the bat-like wizard didn't have a noir hair out of place—the result of some clever rain repellant charm. "That's what I was investigating until you interrupted, Severus. Curious that you should also be patrolling the grounds in such an onslaught?"
Snape didn't seem fazed by the insinuation that his presence was anything but coincidence. "Would you care to enlighten me as to what's going on, Potter? And don't bother responding that it's none of my business. Lord Black is in my House and thus he's my charge."
James hesitated. "Nothing to worry you, Sev—just a friendly exchange in an effort to bridge relations between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Isn't that what you were telling me, Aurora?"
When Lily looked to Regulus, he was smirking triumphantly. James was trying to get them off the hook for her sake, and the Slytherin boy knew it. She wondered if he'd regret his decision later on.
"I suppose you could say that," she eventually replied.
James and Snape continued to stare at one another, both calculating their next move. Lily knew that any fool could see by their torn clothing and ragged appearances what she and Regulus had been up to. What were they silently discussing between one another? Would Snape risk losing face in front of James or Regulus but simply letting them all walk away as if nothing happened?
"Report back to the castle, Black, and don't let me catch you so close to the Forbidden Forest again," Snape eventually broke the silence, a sneer curling over his teeth as he grabbed a fist full of Regulus' shirt and pushed him forward. "Let's go."
After towel-drying her hair and changing out of her torn Defense uniform, Lily begrudgingly plunked down into her vanity chair to allow James to tend to the wound on her arm—not to mention the bruises blooming across her body like wilted flowers. The night had gone horribly array, yet she couldn't help feeling a sense of relief to be back in her warm, cozy room with people she trusted.
"Must every one of my relatives be a bloody git?" Sirius complained, kicking off his muddy boots and moving to lounge across Lily's plush bed. She and James both ignored him, though Mimi—who had appeared with a pot of hot tea, bacon sandwiches and dry wood for a roaring fire—squeaked with suppressed horror, dirt splashing onto the lacey duvet.
"I know you're mad and I know what you're going to say," Lily breathed to James, trying to meet his eyes. His attention remained trained on her mottled skin, which he was trying to knit back together with magic. "I was stupid to be goaded into a fight with Regulus and I put myself in unnecessary danger—but I did have a reason."
James sighed, brown eyes flickering upwards. His messy hair was in complete disarray, still drenched with rainwater. "Alice told us. She overheard a conversation you had with Regulus and was worried about you. She's the reason we found you."
"Alice? I can't believe she reported me…"
"She didn't report you," Sirius rolled his eyes, still stretched across her bed, an empty tea cup in his hand. Mimi moved to pour him another haphazard cup. "She came to us, your friends. The poor girl thought you were going to get yourself killed for Merlin's sake."
"Well I didn't—" Lily shot back, suddenly defensive. "—and if it wasn't for you two interfering I probably would've won that fight. It would have meant your pompous brother would've left Nymphadora alone for the rest of her school days."
"What makes you think Regulus was going to fight fair?" James said quietly, moving away from her side to look out the window onto the grounds. "We saw what that swine did to you. Why do you think we intervened in that moment? It had gone too far."
Lily swallowed hard. "Did you see what I did to him back?"
When James looked back at her, Lily felt the world shift: she could see agony reflected in his eyes—anger, sadness and conflict. "He deserves far worse. He's lucky he's not dead right now."
A chill crept down Lily's spine. She wasn't sure she'd ever seen James so angry. She got up and moved to the window, reaching for his hand. "I'm sorry—I didn't do this to hurt you."
"You continue to venture into dangerous territory," James whispered in return, extracting his hand to run it through his mop of hair. "I understand why you did it—and why you did what you did in Hogsmeade that day. In fact, I even admire you for it. But the more you act the hero, the better the chances you're going to end up dead and our entire plan for not."
Lily stepped back, surprised by James' candor. She sighed, taking a cup of tea from a quiet Mimi and curling up by the fire, a crocheted blanket around her arms. "I hear what you're saying…but you can't tell me that you and Sirius wouldn't have done the same thing, or that you don't risk your life every single day for the Order's cause."
"She has a point," Sirius said, earning a glare from James and a half-smile from Lily. "The difference is, we work as a team and you continue to go rogue. You not only risk yourself, but your lack of trust puts the people who can actually help you in compromised positions too. You know I'm not one to lecture—but James' authority has been weakened; he covered for you and both Regulus and Snape know it."
Lily's smile soured, guilt spiking. She held her ice-cold hands near the fire's flames, wiggling her fingers. "I'm sorry…but I'm not going to ask either of you for permission to do what's right."
James groaned, sinking into Lily's vanity chair and taking off his glasses so he could massage the bridge of his nose for the second time that day. "You're impossible, did you know?"
Lily smirked. "I've never been one for rules."
"You would have made a great Marauder," Sirius snorted, joining her on the floor before the fire. "Do you have any whiskey?"
Just then a flash of lightning irradiated the violet sky outside, bringing to their attention the presence of a hoary owl outside Lily's window. James moved to open the window and retrieve the envelope tied to the ghostly creature's leg.
"Black envelope, silver lettering and a family crest…" James drawled, dropping the letter into Lily's lap. "Whoever could that be from?"
Sirius' eyes narrowed as Lily ripped the letter open. "That reminds me: why didn't you tell us that Regulus has been paying special attention to you? I thought our brotherly showdown in Hogsmeade was a one-off, but it appears he's taken an indisputable interest in you."
Lily bit down on her lip, removing the pristine parchment from the letter. "I promise you I've given him no reason to. I spurn him at every turn. It honestly didn't seem worth mentioning."
James and Sirius traded a look as Lily began to read the letter aloud:
My dearest Lady Rockford,
How unfortunate that our little get together was cut short. I had a delicious time putting your skills to the test. You continue to prove there's more to you than meets the eye.
With no clear winner, I propose a new deal: that we both fulfill each other's requirements. An exchange of sorts, though for you it will be a win-win.
Don't delay in your reply—my charity will only last so long.
-R
Lily watched as James's face twisted in disgust. He turned on Sirius, temper flaring. "Since when is your brother so desperate that he needed to resorts to bribes to get himself a date?"
Sirius snorted. "This just continues to promote my theory that I'm adopted."
"Ridiculous," James scoffed, looking to Lily for encouragement; instead he found her looking toward the fire, her contemplation puzzled and unfocused. "Lily Everard, do not tell me you are actually considering this."
Lily's eyes betrayed her uncertainty. "Do you think Regulus' motivations are truly malevolent? I'm not so sure. Maybe this will be worth the risk…"
"You must be joking…" James groaned, jumping out of his chair and throwing up his hands, exasperated. "Were you not the one who overheard Regulus talking to his cronies about carrying out an act that would curry favour with Voldemort? Do you not think causing the niece of his greatest enemy harm might just do the trick?"
"There was this moment during the duel…" Lily interrupted, turning her attention from James to Sirius, hoping he could unriddle his brother. "I wanted to test a theory…I purposely let one of Regulus' spells graze my arm. When I cried out and feigned pain, he let his guard down…I saw his face fall, like he was concerned for me. It was his opportunity to take me down and he didn't take it."
Sirius' brows raised in disbelief.
"What is it?" James demanded of him immediately.
Sirius paused, turning to his best friend. "If there's one thing I know about my brother it's that he values pure, ancient bloodlines," he started. "He thinks Lily has that, as well as immense respect and popularity. There's nothing Regulus is more hungry for than fame—he wants a legacy that no one will forget."
"Merlin," James whispered, sitting on Lily's bed and gathering his face in his hands. He looked like he'd aged 10 years. "You think that prat actually likes Lily?"
Lily swallowed, looking to Sirius for answers. He grimaced. "If not you, than the idea of you. When you think about it, you have everything he wants—or thinks he already has. He might believe you're the only one worthy of him, irrespective of your Dumbledore lineage or Gryffindor loyalty."
"This is our chance," Lily climbed to her feet, her conviction steadfast. "This deal won't only mean protection for Nymphadora—it could mean information for the Order too. Let's use this situation to our benefit. James…?"
Both Lily and Sirius studied James, whose features had gone slack. She held her breath, preparing for James to pronounce what a preposterous idea it was—and nearly fell over when he finally declared, "We'll need a plan."
Author's Notes
A big thank-you to all of you who continue to read this fanfic—especially those of you who have been following this story for so, so many years. Your loyalty and cries for quicker updates continue to propel me forward—from a 16-year-old newbie writer to an almost 30-year-old still writing fanfic!
PS – If you haven't already, join the 'Petal in the Rain' by pratty-prongs-princesse Facebook page for a sneak peek into future chapters and to bug me about updating!
-ppp