Accidents

October 1972

Paisley held in her wince as she watched a bludger collide with her brother. It was the Slytherin vs. Gryffindor quidditch match, and she always knew there was rivalry between the two teams. She had seen it in the match the year before, but this year it seemed to be rougher and filled with dirty tactics.

The Gryffindor team had some fresh blood on their team and were adjusting to a new playstyle. In contrast, the Slytherin team had no changes this year, and we're playing like a well-oiled machine, and as such, it was causing high tensions between the two teams.

"Was it this bad last year?" Regulus questioned, and Paisley shook her head.

She may have been sitting beside Regulus in the stands, but she had Maxton and Alecto beside her on the left while Regulus had some other first years on his right.

"I'm not too sure what has caused this sort of playstyle this year," Paisley responded.

"You're kidding, right, Paisley." Paisley turned her head and found Rodolphus had leant forward in his seat.

"What are you talking about?" Paisley questioned, looking at him in confusion.

Rodolphus looked at her moment, almost as if deciding if it was worth letting her in on what happened. "You didn't hear it from me." Alecto laughed but didn't say anything. "But I was told that Selwyn and your brother got into it. Now it's passing onto the teams and the match."

"What about?" Paisley questioned, but Rodolphus didn't explain further, just sat back in his seat. At the same time, one of his friends beside him just rolled his eyes before leaning forward.

"Rumours are that Selwyn is requesting you to be his bride."

"He'll have to get in line," Regulus muttered.

"I knew it!" Alecto screeched. "I knew something was going on with you and elder Black."

"Wait, that's who you were talking about during the summer?" Maxton questioned.

"Well, this just got rather interesting," Rodolphus mused, and Paisley turned around to face him.

"Please," Paisley snapped. "You're set to marry Sirius' cousin after your graduation. I wouldn't be surprised if your parents were informed of the conscious decision between my parents and his."

A smirk appeared on Rodolphus' face before he leant forward. "It's more fun this way."

"No, you just wanted to air my secrets Lestrange," Paisley snapped as she turned around, and there was a round of laughter coming from Rodolphus' friends.

"You've been told, Rodolphus."

"Come off it, Henry," Rodolphus shoved him before leaning forward. "You can't tell me that if Selwyn didn't bug your brother enough, he would have let slip about you and Sirius."

Paisley turned around, eyes narrowed. "There is nothing to let slip as you say while my grandfather lives."

"Interesting," Rodolphus mused, but Paisley didn't say anything else as she looked ahead.

She had hoped that no one would find out about what the adults were hoping would come to be of her and Sirius. She didn't want the marriage contract to be put into effect or have her classmates find out because she knew nothing could be done about it while her grandfather lived.

"Sorry," Regulus whispered, but Paisley didn't say anything. She knew it wasn't wholly Regulus' fault as Alecto had been hinting at something for a while now, and it was apparent now that Rodolphus knew the truth.

The quidditch match continued on in the same gruesome manner. In fact, it was so bad that one of the Gryffindor's chasers had been taken out of the game, reducing them from the usual three to two chasers, and it just got worse from them.

It was almost like both teams were attempting to drag the game out as long as possible.

"Do these things ever end?" Paisley heard one of the first years complain, and she couldn't help but laugh.

"The first year is right, though," Maxton added on, and Paisley looked at him. "This match is gruesome, professional matches don't even get this gruesome, and I saw that match between England and France a couple of years ago."

"Ooo, that was a bad match," Alecto cut in, and Maxton nodded, them falling silent as Paisley quickly stood up at the sight of her brother being knocked off his broom.

"For fuck sake," Paisley muttered. She noticed out of the corner of her eye that Regulus had stood up as well, and she softly placed a hand on his arm before she made her way through the stands towards the stairs.

She was just grateful at the exact moment her brother had been knocked off his broom that the Slytherin seeker caught the snitch. She was able to make her way to the grounds and see if her brother was okay.

She made her way through the players of both quidditch teams and found herself standing beside were the Professors were looking over her brother.

"Is he okay?" she questioned softly, startling them, and McGonagall looked over at her.

"Madam Pomfrey is going to check him out. Why don't you follow along to the Hospital Wing?" McGonagall suggested, and Paisley nodded before she turned and walked off behind Pomfrey and her brother as he floated on a stretcher.

Crazy thoughts were running through her mind as to what could potentially happen to her brother. The longer she walked, the worse they got, and she was terrified about something being seriously wrong with her brother.

She didn't even realise she was directed to one of the beds in the Hospital Wing and given a potion until her thoughts calmed. She then realised she had been handed a Calming Draught.

"I'm sorry, dear, you were just muttering to yourself and seemed to be on the verge of a panic attack." Paisley looked up and found Madam Pomfrey standing in front of her, worry etched on her face.

Paisley gave her a small smile. "It's okay. Is my brother okay?" she questioned softly, ignoring the odd look on the Healer's face. Putting it down to a Slytherin, showing she cares for a Gryffindor considering the rivalry in place.

"He will be," Pomfrey responded, walking back to Lucas' bed. "He has a couple of broken bones that will be easily fixed and a concussion that can be reversed by a potion when he wakes up. We just need to wait for him to wake up first."

Paisley nodded as she stood up. "Good, I'm glad."

"You can wait in here until he wakes up. Just don't disturb the other students attempting to rest." Nothing else was said as Pomfrey turned and left, leaving Paisley alone with the resting students.

Paisley made her way to the bed. Lucas was positioned in and took a seat. Still, it was when she did that she noticed a bed that was hidden behind some dividers. She found it odd but decided that the student in question obviously needed some privacy.

She carefully picked up the hand that was closest to hers and held it in her hands as she leant forward, praying that he would wake up soon. She knew Quidditch was a dangerous sport. She had read the reports. She heard stories from other students about the various injuries students had gotten and the professional players that played the sport. Except you don't realise just how bad those injuries could be until someone you cared deeply about had been injured.

"How is he?" Paisley looked up and found Graysen standing there, and she sat back in the chair, carefully placing Lucas' hand back on the bed.

"A couple of broken bones and a concussion, we have to wait for him to wake up," Paisley explained, and Graysen nodded.

Paisley didn't say anything else, just sat there looking at where her brother laid on the bed.

"You don't look too concerned, though," Graysen pointed out, and Paisley's gaze snapped around to him.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm just saying, you're brother is in the Hospital Wing after a match against your own house, and you don't look too concerned," Graysen continued on. Paisley stood up, her eyes narrow as she walked closer to Graysen.

"What exactly are you accusing me of?" Paisley spoke, her voice low.

"Paisley, come on, Narcissa wants to see you." Paisley heard Regulus' voice and felt someone tug on her arm. She merely gave Graysen a look before she turned and found Regulus attempting to direct her out of the Hospital Wing. "Sorry, it just looked like you would lose it any minute."

Paisley looked at Graysen over her shoulder before leaving the Hospital Wing, waiting until the doors were shut before responding to Regulus.

"He thinks I'm behind what happened to my brother," Paisley explained, storming ahead while Regulus attempted to keep up.

"You would never do that to Lucas, though. I've never seen two siblings closer than what you two are," Regulus pointed out, and Paisley stopped walking for a moment, looking around for an empty classroom. She quickly found one and entered it.

She wasn't at all surprised that Regulus followed her, confused by her actions. "Does Narcissa really want to see me?" she questioned.

"No."

Paisley didn't respond. She just walked over and leant against the wall before she slid down and sat on the floor staring at nothing. Her hold on the tears that threatened to build broke, and she started crying. She didn't know if the tears were because of what happened with bother. What Graysen accused her of. Or if it was simply a combination of her annoyance at having her secrets aired during a Quidditch match where her housemates were sitting close by.

"Paisley?" Regulus stammered out as he walked over and knelt in front of her.

Paisley looked up at him, finally having a hold on her emotions, and she wiped away the tears resting on her cheeks. "Sorry, I just couldn't hold any longer." Paisley stood up, pulled the small mirror out of her pocket, checked her appearance, and quickly decided she needed some charms to help remove the look of her crying.

"Are you sure you're okay to leave?" Regulus questioned when Paisley reached the door, and Paisley shrugged, looking back at him.

"Have to be, don't I? We aren't known to show our feelings." Paisley opened the door and left, heading back to the common room despite not being in the mood to celebrate with her housemates.

Paisley didn't dare return to the Hospital Wing as she didn't want to have any more accusations thrown at her by her brother's best friend. Still, during breakfast and lunch, she did notice her brother wasn't present her worries grew.

But it was when she sat down for dinner, once again noticing his disappearance, that she grew distraught.

"You haven't had an update?" Maxton questioned, noticing the odd look on Paisley's, and it quickly disappeared at his question.

"No, I haven't felt like going back to the Hospital Wing in case McKinnon throws more accusations my way. Honestly, I don't even talk with Selwyn. Suppose Rodolphus' comments about a supposed marriage contract between me Selwyn are possibly correct. In that case, it's possible my brother brought whatever happened to himself by provoking Selwyn," Paisley responded, her gaze making its way up and down the Gryffindor table.

"What, you're brother would prefer you to marry a Gryffindor over a Slytherin?" Alecto questioned, raising an eyebrow as she spoke, and Paisley gave her a smile.

"No," Paisley spoke sweetly. "My brother doesn't believe I should be forced into something at such a young age. He believes I should be able to enjoy my childhood and have fun, and when I'm older, then I should worry about marriage contracts."

Maxton let out a laugh while Alecto turned and looked at him. "Careful, or I'll ask my father to start negotiations with yours, and you'll never be rid of me."

Maxton narrowed his eyes, and then he looked at Paisley with pleading eyes. "Off me, if she succeeds, will you?"

"How do you put up with them, Paisley?" Alexandria questioned, having heard the conversation, and Paisley just let out a laugh.

"Honestly?" Alexandria nodded. "They're entertaining. I get free entertainment watching them argue like they do."

Maxton and Alecto shared a look, feeling uneasy as Alexandria studied them for a moment. "Lovely," Alexandria mused. "Alexandria." She held her hand out to Maxton, introducing herself, and he quickly returned it when a smile.

Paisley felt internal pleasure at watching Alecto squirm a little while Alexandria hesitated before repeating the action with her.

"Paisley." Paisley looked over as Regulus' voice cut into their conversation. Still, he just pointed at the Great Hall doors when she looked over at him. She caught sight of her brother entering the room. There was some noise coming from the Gryffindor table as he approached. It caused a rise of conversation from the Slytherin table, but she turned it out and focused on her dinner.

"Maybe now you guys can have someone else to off you both if you get sick of each other," Paisley teased, causing Alexandria to let out a laugh. Still, Paisley didn't hear what Maxton and Alecto said in response as she turned and made her way towards the Gryffindor table.

"Lucas, have you finished?" Paisley questioned when she approached her brother. She noticed that his plate was empty, and she just hoped he had eaten in the Hospital Wing and that she wouldn't be preventing him from eating.

Lucas looked at her for a moment, studying her before he nodded and stood up, looking at his friends. "I'll meet you back at the common room later." Was all he left before he and Paisley left the Great Hall.

"How are you feeling?" Paisley questioned when they were in the Entrance Hall, making their way over to sit on one of the benches.

"Better, I'm surprised you weren't in there when I woke up this afternoon, though," Lucas responded, and Paisley looked at him before ahead.

"McKinnon suggested that I was behind what happened," Paisley confessed, not looking at his brother to see how he reacted.

"Fuck, Paise…" Lucas started, and she turned to look at him finally. "Regardless, I would never think you would be behind something that happened to me from one of your housemates. I hope you know that."

"I also heard that you and Selwyn were getting into it because he suggested getting a marriage contract in place between him and me," Paisley spoke. There was an underlying question in there, and Lucas nodded.

"I said that it wouldn't happen because our grandfather won't allow it. Selwyn didn't like that response," Lucas confessed, and Paisley nodded.

"A part of me thinks that grandfather won't allow a marriage contract with me until I find out who all eleven clan families are," Paisley pondered. Lucas looked at her wide eyes before letting out a laugh.

"I never thought of it that way. Technically it would be the same with me because I, in theory, could have a daughter that would be like you." Paisley nodded. "Yes, I was a little hurt to not see you when I woke up, but I know without you having said anything that you weren't behind what happened. Never think I could think you were possible of harming me."

Paisley looked over at her brother and nodded, taking a deep breath in an attempt to keep her tears at bay. She always knew that she and her brother were incredibly close, that a simple rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor wouldn't come between them.

She also believed that should Lucas ever be removed from the family, they would always be family regardless of their parents' thoughts. She couldn't think of anything that the siblings would allow to come between them. They would always be family.

"I love you, Lucas," Paisley whispered, and Lucas put an arm around her and pulled her close.

"I know. I love you too."