Chapter Twelve: Act III, Scene II: Belief

A/N: Some violence toward someone who deserves it. Warnings for a bit of discussion surrounding the World Cup, Avery's general presence.

Phoenix was not the only person who seemed to realise that something was amiss with Beth. As winter's chill began to descend over Hogwarts, Mariam invited Beth to The Three Broomsticks with her and Claudia. Although Beth still wasn't entirely certain what she thought of Claudia, she felt that she needed as many friends as she could get. She drummed her fingers against the edge of the table as Mariam and Claudia discussed their upcoming plans for Christmas.

"Hey. You okay?" Mariam peered at Beth, expression concerned. "You've been super quiet. More so than usual."

"I'm fine." Beth brushed a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, but she noticed that Mariam and Claudia exchanged grim looks.

"No, you aren't." Claudia's mug of butterbeer clunked to the table, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Look, we aren't stupid. We heard about what happened at the Quidditch World Cup over the summer."

So, everyone had heard. Beth couldn't help but feel bitterly angry that everyone had got Mitchell's side of the story and not hers. Who would even listen to her? Mariam might, but Beth knew that Claudia was the sort of girl who liked to flirt with the Slytherin boys. Why would she believe anything Beth said?

"I think everyone's heard." Beth's voice was clipped.

"You've been different since." Mariam spoke softly, reaching out to touch Beth's hand. "More withdrawn."

"What do you think happened?" Beth's brow furrowed. Even if Phoenix had said something, she wasn't close enough with Mariam and Claudia to have mentioned the event to them. There was pity in Mariam's dark eyes that made Beth more agitated, shifting her hand away from Mariam's.

"I think you didn't want to." Claudia stared down into the depths of her butterbeer. "You were never interested in Mitchell, were you?"

Beth didn't know what to say, so she remained silent. Mariam bit down on her lip, as though the unsettling quiet just confirmed her suspicions. She leaned back in her chair and glanced at Claudia, whose fingers were wrapped tight around her mug.

"When we were in fourth year, Jeremy Maroni from Hufflepuff made me give him a blow job after a Halloween party. I didn't really want to, but he kept pushing and pushing until I just said yes and went along with it, because it was easier that way."

Claudia's honesty sucked the breath from Beth's lungs. She'd never imagined that something so awful had happened to another girl in her year, though she remembered the crude rumours circulating after that particular party. Mariam rested a hand on Claudia's shoulder as the other girl took a deep breath to steady herself.

"I don't remember what happened." Beth's voice was barely above a whisper. "We were really drunk. I just woke up and...I realised what had happened. It's all a blur to me."

"He's always been a sleazy piece of shit," Mariam said venomously, raising her eyebrows when Claudia opened her mouth as if to interject, "You know it's true. He was part of the Phoenix Black fan club for a bit and once he realised that wasn't happening for him, he tried to flirt with anyone else in our year. Beth never went for it."

Tears blurred Beth's vision as she stared down at her butterbeer. It was a relief for other people to know what had happened, to believe her. She reached up and wiped at her tears before they could fall, sniffing. This time, when Mariam reached out to touch her hand, she didn't pull away.

"Do you remember what happened to Maroni?"

Beth vaguely recalled. "Didn't he break his nose putting a book back when it fell on his face?"

"Something like that." Mariam's wicked grin told Beth that wasn't what had happened at all, and she understood why the pair of them were here. Claudia's smile told Beth that she had an unlikely supporter. "We could make it happen, you know. No one would have to know. Boys usually get embarrassed at getting the shit kicked out of them by girls."

"I...I don't want to start any more drama." Beth shook her head fervently. If Mariam and Claudia went for Mitchell, he would know she was talking shit. Not to mention, he'd already graduated Hogwarts. When would they even get the opportunity to give him a taste of vengeance? She bit down on her lip. "No. I don't think it's a good idea."

"Okay." Mariam nodded, but she looked disappointed.

"Just remember, you have us." Claudia assured her. It was strange to think this was coming from a girl she'd once perceived as a rival for Regulus's affection. Maybe she'd been too harsh in judging Claudia. "Always."

Beth hadn't spoken to Regulus since his cutting words at the Quidditch World Cup. She wouldn't say she had actively avoided him, but she certainly hadn't sought out conversation. His words still rang clear in her mind, stinging like an open wound despite the fact that he hadn't heard her version of events. When the Slytherin Quidditch team headed in from a practise session, Beth kept her nose buried in her book, drowning out the chatter surrounding her.

"Beth." Regulus approached, colour in his cheeks from training and his black hair ruffled. He sounded a little out of breath, and when she realised he wanted more than just to greet her, she reluctantly lowered her book. "Can we talk? In private?"

"Um, sure." Beth marked her page and tucked the book under her arm and followed Regulus from the common room. He looked good in his Quidditch robes, though she pushed that thought firmly from her mind. Curiosity and suspicion mingled in her mind, but she tried not to overthink it as Regulus led her up to the ledge he knew she frequented for reading. Once they were there, he sighed deeply, raking his fingers through his hair.

"Look, about the Quidditch World Cup…"

Alarm coursed through Beth. "It doesn't matter."

"It does matter, Beth." Regulus's grey eyes shone with guilt, and she knew at that moment Phoenix had talked to him. She bristled, slim frame tensing as she prepared for Regulus's judgement. Surely it couldn't be anything worse than what he'd already said. "I jumped to conclusions, and I was...I was cruel. I can't even begin to think of how much that would have upset you."

"What did Phoenix say?" Beth's voice was barely above a whisper, and she could already feel tears threatening the periphery of her vision. Fuck, was she really going to cry about this again? She was frustrated with herself for getting so emotional about it every time it came up.

"She told me what happened. The truth about what happened." Regulus clenched his jaw, hands balling into fists. "What Mitchell did."

"What does my side of things matter?" Beth asked, voice hoarse with the anguish that clawed its way up her throat. "You made up your mind the next morning. I'm sure everyone else did the same."

"He assaulted you." Regulus shook his head fervently, grey eyes alight with something she didn't quite understand. "Beth, that's not okay."

"Who would believe that?" Beth demanded, fingers curling tightly around her book as a mirthless laugh escaped her. "What Mitchell says goes, apparently. I don't even fucking remember what happened. Who would listen to me over him?"

"Beth." Regulus reached out hesitantly, his fingers stopping just short of brushing hers. Beth realised exactly what was stopping him: the fear that she would flinch from his touch. Her trembling hand reached out to his, fingers linking through his. "I believe you. Always."

She was so used to doubt and disdain, people looking at her like she'd made something up for attention, eyeing her like she was just some easy girl who'd fallen into Mitchell's bed. The idea that Regulus chose her, that he believed her, made the tears fall down her cheeks and a choked sob escape her lips. It was like a heavy weight had shifted from her shoulders, and she threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shirt.

Whatever she and Regulus had been building, Mitchell had knocked it down with his careless cruelty. What had been one night at the Quidditch World Cup for him would haunt Beth forever, even if she couldn't remember the whole thing. She didn't think she had the space for romance with Regulus right now, but she could damn well use a friend. It was the thought of friendship, not love, that comforted her as Regulus stroked her hair and rubbed her back in soothing circles.

"I'm sorry." Beth drew back, wiping her eyes and trying to compose herself. "I'm a mess right now."

"You have every right to be." Regulus's expression was one of concern as he observed her. She wished she could wipe that worry from his eyes, though she also understood why it was there. He cared about her, and it warmed her heart. Perhaps she had underestimated the Black twins and just how fiercely they loved, whether romantically or platonically.

"Please don't do anything," Beth pleaded, fingers tracing up the spine of her book, "I don't want to start shit, you know? I just want to move past it."

"Only if you pair with me for the next Potions assignment." Regulus grinned, and Beth couldn't help but give an answering smile. Maybe they were going to be okay after all. Nodding in agreement, Beth returned to the common room, feeling lighter than she had in a long time.

Phoenix was good at maintaining the charade that everything was fine, and she might have perfected the charming little smile that everyone else believed, but Beth knew better. She noticed it prominently during their Prefect meetings, the way that Phoenix couldn't quite meet Robbie's eyes all the time. Although the Head Boy was nothing but kind to her, and Phoenix didn't seem to have an issue with him personally, there was something unspoken there that left unease gnawing in the pit of Beth's stomach.

"What's with you and Robbie Daniels?" Beth asked quietly during their Charms study session in the library.

"We're Head Boy and Head Girl." Phoenix looked up, arching a cool eyebrow, but Beth saw the panic that flared in her grey eyes.

Beth sighed heavily. "You know what I mean."

"I really don't, Beth." Phoenix turned her attention back to her notes, scrawling down something else. She might be married, but Phoenix had made it clear that she didn't want to be a housewife. It seemed even she didn't know what she wanted to do when she finished Hogwarts, but she wanted to obtain the marks to decide for herself.

"You know the truth about Mitchell." Beth lowered her voice, leaning in closer. "So why won't you tell me what's going on with Robbie?"

"Nothing like that." Phoenix's head shot up, and she shook her head fervently. She bit her lip and glanced around to make sure they weren't being overheard before she scooted her chair closer. "Look, if I tell you something, you have to promise you won't say anything. Not to Robbie, not to anyone."

Fortunately, Beth was better at keeping secrets than Phoenix. "I promise."

"Last year…" Phoenix took a deep breath, and something dark gleamed in her eyes. "Some of the Slytherin boys went on a little excursion out to the Forbidden Forest. They invited me to join them, and it turned out they were participating in a bit of a Death Eater initiation."

Dread chilled Beth's spine. "What does that mean?"

"It means performing curses." Phoenix gnawed at her lip. "It was Evan's turn, and he performed an Imperius Curse on a student. That student was Robbie Daniels."

"What?" Beth hissed, Phoenix pressing a finger to her lips to shush her. "I mean...does Robbie not remember it?"

"No." Phoenix shook her head. "They erased his memory afterwards. But Beth...it was fucked up. I can't get it out of my head. They didn't make him do anything too terrible, but it was the fact that he just had no control at all. He was just a puppet on strings. The idea of having that little control...it scares the shit out of me."

Beth processed this information in silence. She knew that many of the boys they knew were Death Eaters, Evan included. She knew they did terrible things, and yet somehow realising that they did it at Hogwarts, that they'd done it in front of Phoenix, made it all the more real and unsettling. No wonder Phoenix could hardly look Robbie in the eye, when she knew what had happened to him and he was blissfully oblivious.

The question on the tip of Beth's tongue refused to go unasked. "Was...was Regulus there?"

Phoenix smiled bitterly, and Beth's heart sank as she realised the answer before her best friend even spoke.

"Yes. He was."

Returning home for Christmas was no longer the welcome respite it had once been, especially when Richard's business function involved inviting many of the prominent pureblood families to their house. Unfortunately, Phoenix would be spending the holiday with Evan, leaving Beth with Thomas for company. Luckily, Mariam and Claudia came to the event, mainly because Beth was insistent upon having some friends her own age there.

"I don't understand." Jessica had a frown on her pretty face as she leaned against the wall with a flute of champagne in her hand. "You've never had these girls around before. It's usually Phoenix or Lorna. What's going on with you, Beth?"

Beth ignored her. She didn't feel like pouring out her heart to her stepmother. If anything, it felt like Jessica had only grown more callous once Beth had discovered the truth of her heritage. She didn't belong in this pureblood world, in this upper-class society. She felt like a pretender, someone on the periphery who would never fit in, who would never belong.

"Beth, there you are!" Claudia flitted over with her typical overenthusiastic smile. Mariam followed more quietly. Beth was incredibly grateful for their presence predominantly because the Averys were in attendance, and that included Mitchell. It was the first time she'd seen him since the Quidditch World Cup, and she didn't know how long she could pretend she was okay with that.

"We could slip up to your room and read Witch Weekly or something," Mariam offered, but Beth shook her head, knowing that would only lead to an argument with Jessica about her lack of participation.

"It's fine." But it wasn't, because Mitchell and Isaac were approaching and it felt like a bucket of icy water had been poured over Beth's head. "Shit."

"Ladies." Mitchell stuffed his hands in his pockets, seemingly oblivious to the poisonous looks that Claudia and Mariam shot him. "Looking good tonight."

"What do you want, Mitchell?" Claudia asked icily, physically placing herself between Mitchell and Beth. Although she highly doubted that he would do anything stupid at a function, she was immensely grateful for the other girl's move. Realisation dawned in Mitchell's brown eyes, and he scoffed derisively as he looked between them.

"Oh, right. Beth's fed you that bullshit about the Quidditch World Cup."

"It's not bullshit," Beth said, quietly but firmly.

"Whatever." Mitchell cast a glance at Isaac, who was helping himself to some tequila someone had left on the bench. "You can talk whatever shit you want now, you might regret it, but you and I both know you liked it."

Beth's entire body went rigid, hands balling into fists. She stared Mitchell down as he turned and headed over to Isaac. It was once she knew he wasn't looking back at them that she broke, hurrying from the room with bile rising in her throat and tears burning in her eyes. The clack of heels alerted her to the fact that Claudia and Mariam had followed her as she stumbled into the downstairs bathroom, gripping the edges of the sink so tightly her nails went white.

"Beth?" Claudia closed the door and locked it behind them, leaning against it as she inspected the blonde girl.

Beth's knees trembled and she sniffed, her whole body shaking violently. How could she go back out there and pretend everything was fine? How was she meant to maintain this charade, and was it for her benefit, or Mitchell's? She reached up to wipe her eyes, and Mariam placed a hand gently on her shoulder. When she looked up, the other two girls were exchanging a calculated look.

"You just hang tight here, honey." Claudia reached out and squeezed Beth's hand. "Splash some water on your face and take a moment to breathe, okay? Mariam and I will be back with some alcohol."

She unlocked the door and stepped out, Mariam following her with silent determination. Beth did as she'd advised, the cool water refreshing against her skin. She focused on breathing in and out deeply, the solitude like a comforting blanket wrapped around her. But the more Beth thought about that meaningful look that Mariam and Claudia had shared, the more troubled she was by it.

Emerging from the bathroom, she re-entered the function to see that Mariam and Claudia were nowhere in sight. Isaac was over by the hearth with Thomas, but Mitchell was missing too. The back door had been left ajar, strange considering the frigid cold of December and the fact that Jessica always complained when the cold was let in.

"Fuck," Beth hissed under her breath, heading outside and closing the door behind her. Gripping the ledge, she peered down into the dark backyard and saw that three figures were out on the path down near the studio. One of them was on the ground. Although Beth didn't give a shit what happened to Mitchell, she did care about the repercussions, and so she stumbled down the steps and across the lawn.

Mitchell was the one on the ground. Claudia and Mariam stood over him, the former with a wand in her hand and the latter kicking him repeatedly in the ribs as he groaned in pain. Vicious glee lit up Claudia's face, while Mariam had donned a dark scowl. When Mitchell eased himself up slightly, Beth could see that his face was bloody.

"Go near Beth again and I swear, I will smash your skull right open. Got it?" When Mitchell was silent, Mariam grabbed a fistful of his hair and smacked his head against the concrete, the sound making Beth grimace. "I asked if you understood me."

"You're gonna regret this, Shafiq," he snarled.

"Do I need to repeat the fucking question?" Mariam demanded.

"No." Mitchell's voice was venomous. "I get it."

"Good boy," Claudia crooned, reaching down to condescendingly pat his dark curls. She straightened up to see Beth, and it was only once both of the girls were done with Mitchell that Beth folded her arms over her chest.

"Okay, what the fuck?"

"Just taking care of business." Claudia shrugged nonchalantly. "Boys need to learn that you don't just get to mess with girls."

Beth waited until Mitchell eased himself up and stumbled back toward the house. She didn't know if he would attempt to fix himself out of embarrassment that he'd been beaten up by two girls, or if he'd head in bloodied to enact vengeance. She wished she could say she didn't care, but it was the fallout that concerned Beth.

"I said I didn't want drama over this."

"Relax." Mariam didn't appear too perturbed either. "You think that piece of shit is going to want people knowing a big bad Death Eater like him had the shit kicked out of him by girls? He won't say anything."

"That's one hell of a gamble." Beth planted her hands on her hips. Claudia and Mariam were her friends now, as unlikely as that might have seemed a year ago. It didn't mean she condoned them committing violence on her behalf. She wanted to be better than the Death Eaters, especially remembering the story that Phoenix had told her about Robbie Daniels, a story that still made unease prickle across Beth's skin.

"Trust us," Claudia said, far too chirpy for Beth's liking.

"This isn't happening again." Beth shook her head vigorously. "It's over now."

She turned and walked back toward the house, but as final as her words had sounded, she still doubted them. Was it over? Could it be, when she had the distinct impression that Mitchell would want to get them back for crossing him?