July 16th, 1976

My dearest Mina,

Would you believe it if I told you Father forbid me from using the potion lab on my own? I have to be under the supervision of an elf every time I enter the room, even if it is just to check the inventory. You blow up a few potions and they treat you like a five-years old. How unfair is that? I managed to convince Father I didn't need an elf if you are in the lab with me, so you will have to come often. I changed my mind about adding toad's semen to enhance the effects of the Pepper-Up, but a mixture of powdered crocodile heart and essence of comfrey should be just what I need to obtain the desired effects.

On another matter, Mother says she'll take advantage of Lady Fenwick's tea party to introduce me to society. She says I'm too old to stay locked in the potion lab or the library and should socialise with 'people of my social standing', which is apparently the only way for me to find a fiancé. She didn't appreciate me reminding her no men are ever invited to tea parties and that my sister met her husband by breaking her ankle in an abraxan race and screaming to death until a healer showed up. Very romantic story, as long as we ignore the fact that said healer was actually a vet in training and the race was illegal. Do I need to tell you my sister and her husband came to dinner the other day, or was me retelling the story enough for you to guess? I swear, she made references to their meeting at least thrice. It's as if nothing else happened between them in two years of marriage. Maybe that's what made Mother think of finding me a husband the proper way, just in case I'd be tempted to take example on Adrasteia and ride abraxans without even knowing how to ride normal horses. You'll never know how lucky you are to only have brothers. At least Mother looking for a fiancé for me will save me the effort of having to do so.

Now that you know everything about my personal tragedies, please tell me about yours. Has Rabastan invited Slytherin's quidditch team to invade your garden already, or is he too scared they'll run into Bellatrix? Speaking of the witch, has she caused any trouble yet? If she did, I feel like I should remind you it takes very little effort to prepare a potion that'll have her covered with pustules for the next few days.

All my love,

Pandora Brown

The door of the library had been opened while Hermione was reading her friend's letter, but the girl paid no mind to the newcomer. In a surge of pettiness, she even took her time to finish the letter before reading it again, knowing the intruder would never interrupt her in the middle of something she considered important. She took a moment to consider her friend's last paragraph. What could she tell her of her personal tragedies? I had a run-in with a friend who turned out to be a werewolf, which I already suspected him to be but I almost died and he's been avoiding me since then. The only reason for him not to kill me would be me being his mate which would completely put my life off-track. I also discovered my brother and his monster of a wife joined a terrorist organisation years ago with my father's blessing and now I have to spend my summer with Death Eaters. How could she ever admit something this big? When she finally put down the piece of paper, her eldest brother was seated in the armchair next to hers in a position meant to show a confidence she knew he didn't feel around her anymore.

"Good news, I hope," he questioned casually.

"Not exactly, but it's not bad news either. Is there something I can do for you?"

Her tone was calm, detached, which only made her brother sigh and her heart hache. She hated being mad at him.

"I'm done with my work for today, so I thought we could spend some time together. Maybe get Rab and have a picnic in the garden? Just the three of us."

"Don't bring Rab into this. Him not being mad at you doesn't mean I'll change my mind. Also, I'm pretty sure your wife will be home for dinner tonight, not to mention Father."

"Come on Mina, you can't stay mad at me forever," pleaded her brother.

"Did you quit?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Did you quit? Did you go to your Dark Lord and told him you were done with him and his organisation?"

"No, of course not. It's not that simple, I can't just ─"

"Then I'm still mad."

She took the book that was closest to her and opened it, making clear to Rodolphus their conversation was over. She had no idea what book it was she was reading, or what the words on the page she was looking at were. She just looked straight at her book, hoping her brother would be out of the room by the time she started crying. She cried a lot lately.

Her brother was halfway to the door when Bellatrix's angry screams started resonating downstairs. Rodolphus was out in a matter of seconds, followed closely by Hermione who was afraid Rab was the one her anger was directed at.

Bellatrix was alone when they found her, breaking vases and statues with her bare hands under the unimpressed gaze of several paintings who would no doubt use the first moment of silence to comment on the woman's unlady-like habits.

"Rodolphus! This is a scandal! A betrayal! A waste of pure blood, that's what it is! This whole generation is a waste of blood!"

No matter how mad at him she was, Hermione couldn't help but be impressed by her brother's bravery as she watched him approach the crazed woman, seemingly uncaring of the fact her wand was never far from her hand. His movements were slow, as if he was trying to catch a wild creature instead of his wife. He eventually reached her and forced her to drop the centuries-old vase she intended to destroy.

"What's happening Bella?"

"Sirius is what's happening! The little fucker refused to join the Dark Lord's forces. Locked himself in his room and ran away in the middle of the night! You should have seen Aunt Walburga's face when we went to destroy his door and found posters of filthy muggle slags attached to the walls and no Sirius. She looked ready to burn the whole city down."

She wasn't screaming anymore, but was pacing the room as she ranted under the careful surveillance of her husband.

"It started with Andy and now Sirius. The Black family is doomed! Only little Reggie left to do right by our name… It's not like Cissy would ever fight, but she is a Malfoy now anyway. Her actions wouldn't bring any glory to the House of Black."

Bellatrix suddenly paused and turned towards Hermione, who had done her best up until now to disappear so her sister-in-law wouldn't notice her.

"But you, Rodolphus, you have siblings. Siblings old enough to fight. The Dark Lord wouldn't care that little Mina here is a girl, he didn't care about that when I pledged allegiance."

Almost too quickly for Hermione to see him move, Rodolphus had placed himself between his wife and his sister. Or maybe it was just that she had been too shocked by Bellatrix's words to notice him doing so.

"Mina won't fight."

"Don't be like that," cajoled Bellatrix whose eyes had yet to stray away from Hermione. "I know we already had this talk but she isn't your baby sister anymore, she is almost of age. And we both know she knows her way with a wand. Our army would have much to gain if I could just show her how to achieve her full potential."

"I don't care. Mina is not fighting and that's final."

"Fine," spat Bellatrix. "Rabastan, then."

"And what do you want him to do from Hogwarts? Charm teacups to bite mudbloods? His actions wouldn't bring anything to the Blacks anyway, he's a Lestrange."

"But if I was the one training him─"

"You're being ridiculous. The twins are children, let them be. I mean it, Bellatrix."

Then turning around, he grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her towards the door.

"Don't stay here, you had something to do, didn't you? Come on, I'll escort you back."

Hermione didn't need any encouragement to leave the room. She was fine with anything, as long as it put as much distance as possible between Bellatrix and her, and so she gladly let her brother hold her hand as they climbed the stairs back to the library. Had Bellatrix really been pushing for Rab and her to join the Death Eaters? Had Roddy been the one preventing it from happening? If all of that was true, what did it mean for her brother's allegiance towards the Dark Lord? And, more importantly, how much longer would he be able to keep them from being ordered to join Him?

Back in the library, Rodolphus sat on the couch and, like she had done since she was a child, she sat by his side and leaned on him to read. She ignored his relieved smile and the arm he placed around her hadn't forgiven him, of course, but she could indulge him.

Sure, he was a Death Eater and she hated it, but he had proven he was still her brother. That had to count for something.