Chapter Two – Growing Up

A couple months after the first argument, late at night when everyone should be sleeping, Sirius crept into his twin's bedroom, sliding under the sheets on the bed. Shaula, led on her back, turned her head to the side, staring into bloodshot grey eyes. His cheeks showed dried tear tracks.

"Why don't you ever say anything? Do you think the muggleborns are bad like mother and father say?" Sirius croaks out, his voice breaking the silence of the bedroom. Shaula shifted so she was lying on her side, facing her brother. She pulls at her sleeve and gently wipes at his cheeks, a few tears falling down his face. Sirius bunches up his own sleeve and uses it to wipe at his nose, forcing a grimace from Shaula.

"No, muggleborns are good people, I know they are. I just don't like arguing with mother and father... They scare me," she whispered back. He simply nodded and wiped at his face as they lay there in the darkness in silence for a few moments.

"How do you know muggleborns are good people?" Sirius asked and Shaula bumps her forehead against his softly before responding.

"Well they probably won't all be good, like how not every pureblood is good. I mean look at mother and father. They aren't good people, but we are. So that must mean the same applies to muggles and muggleborns too."

Sirius nodded slowly, letting the information sink in. The twins quickly freeze though when they hear the door creak open. Slow footsteps make their way to the bed and suspicion fills Shaula. She lifts her head to Sirius panic, who's eyes widen as he grabs on Shaula's arm to try and tug her back into the bed. Shaula grins though when she sees Regulus standing next to her bed.

"I heard Sirius get out of bed…" The youngest of the three siblings trails off as Sirius turns his head to look at him. Shaula can only laugh quietly to herself and lifts the blanket, a silent invitation eagerly accepted as Regulus climbs in and crawls in between the twins. Sirius lets out an annoyed huff but lets Regulus snuggle in and the elder wraps an arm over Regulus as the younger curls into Shaula's chest, her arm also over her brothers. The trio don't move throughout the night, all sleeping deeply as they remain cuddled into each other.

Over the next couple years, Shaula grew closer to her two brothers, acted civil towards Kreacher and her parents and attended galas, etiquette lessons, 'play dates' with potential future suitors and tried to remain hidden in the background.

She was known as the intelligent, sophisticated Black. Sirius was known as the rambunctious and rebellious Black and Regulus the shy and respectful Black. Each sibling had their defining traits and despite what Orion wanted to believe, he knew that Sirius would be no Slytherin. However, he had hope for the other two children. Walburga did not have hope though, she only had expectations that were to be met or harsh punishments were to be given. Perfect Slytherin sons that would carry the name Black for generations for the boys and a perfect Slytherin daughter who would make a perfect wife and bear perfect pureblood children.

On Shaula's seventh birthday, she received a black journal with silver lining and her name engraved on the front in cursive with a beautiful matching black quill with silver accents and a pot of ink. She filled the whole journal with every bit of knowledge she had of what would occur in the future in just under a month. She used a grey lace ribbon to tie around the book and kept it hidden under a floorboard underneath her bed, promising to herself to charm the book with a password once she learnt how. Once the book was completed, she asked her father for another journal for Christmas.

This next journal was black with green lining and her name written in cursive on the front again. This one she used to plan out events, theories and possibilities that could make not only hers, but her brother's lives' easier in the future. She didn't want Regulus to grow up without Sirius and to die young again. He was her brother and she loved him so much, she knew it was selfish of her, but she wanted him safe. But she also knew she needed him to get Voldemort to use Kreacher for the locket. Otherwise, how else would she grab one of his horcruxes?

She tried to find a way to make Sirius' life easier for when he was put into Gryffindor. From thinking of getting the Potters to adopt him after the first year to manipulating her parents to believe that Sirius was going to be an inside spy and make everyone believe in the 'correct' views of the blood supremacy.

Years past, Walburga remained horrid, Sirius continued to argue for the muggleborns, and Orion stayed out of the way usually. (Mainly in his office.) Regulus and Shaula focused on their studies and remained in the background, wanting no visible opposition against their parents.

However, during many nights over the years, both Regulus and Sirius would sneak into Shaula's room and they would talk about everything, offering comfort to each other. They'd snuggle into her bed together, sometimes crying, sometimes making up silly stories or little games that they wouldn't normally be able to play around their parents. Night was their time be themselves, to let themselves have that moment of fun and comfort they couldn't get during the day.

When she and Sirius turned eight, she began to hear whispers of a dark lord rising. Muggles and muggleborns being killed. She knew that Voldemort was beginning to gain his reputation, Death Eaters were soon going to be crawling all over the place.

That night she lay in bed, her thoughts running rampant as she thought of the coming years and who she could trust, what she could do. Would she trust Peter? Would she help Severus or condemn him for acts he had yet to commit? Would she ask the Sorting Hat for Slytherin? Or would she go into another house? How was she going to protect James, Lily and Remus? How would she protect Sirius and Regulus?

Too many questions went through her head and before she realised it, tears were rolling down her cheeks, desperate gasps for air filled the room as her chest heaved painfully. Her head ached and her throat sore.

What if it all failed?

What if she was killed before she could even change anything for the better?

Was she going to be another Dumbledore and manipulate everything?

Choked sobs escaped her lips with the only noise in the filling the room now being the occasional loud gasp for air.

In the morning she woke up with a splitting headache, dry lips from breathing through her mouth in her sleep and bloodshot eyes. Her pillow was damp and stale tear tracks covered her face as bits of crust wrapped itself around her nostrils from her snot. Giving a slight cough as she unsteadily got out of bed, quickly walked into the closest bathroom and washed her face of any evidence of last night's crying and tried to carry on as if it never happened. No one at breakfast said anything when they saw her slightly red eyes, though Sirius and Regulus gave her concerned looks, most definitely making plans to go her room that night.

A/N:

Hello guys! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, followed and favourited my new version. For everyone who has come from the old version, thank you for continuing to read this. For those who are new, read the old one if you want, there will be slight alterations here and there but this is mainly just a better edited version of the old one, so you aren't missing anything.

Anyway guys, thanks so much! What do you think of Shaula so far? Or of Reggie and Sirius? Personally I love Reggie, he's my little baby and I adore him so much.