AN:
Hi all! Today is November 3! Which means, canonically, Sirius Black's birthday!
To celebrate, here's a new chapter!
Unfortunately, this one is perhaps a little darker than some of my others. But next chapter, more fluff and Christmas!
Please enjoy!
Bitter wind howled through the cracked window, snow dancing beside scraps of parchment and Droobles Best Blowing Gum wrappers. Mary screamed hysterically, rocking back and forth and waving her wand around like a madwoman . Emmeline sat with her back to the window, trying to calm her hysterical friend. Alice was being tended to by Lily, a large cut from broken glass on her face and hands. Dorcas and Hestia hid in the bathroom for safety, while Marlene and Rose had their wands trained on their friend and hated every moment of it. "What in Godric's name happened?" Rose demanded, looking to her twin (the most gifted witch in their year) for answers. Lily's heartbroken emerald eyes reflected her helplessness and fear, she didn't know.
"She was fine, we were laughing about finally going home for the holidays" Emmeline spoke up, wringing her hands nervously. "Then we passed some Slytherin's."
"Mulciber" Marlene spat, Mary's screaming increasing in it's volume. Rose felt sick.
"What about the Snake?"
"Him, Black (not your one, the other one) and Nott were talking about Avery having the right idea" Emmeline whispered, her already pale skin paling even further. "I heard them mention the Unforgivables."
"Avery mentioned torture during your prank" Alice remembered, turning cornflower eyes on Rose. "It isn't-?"
"The Cruciatus? No." Rose shook her head, angry at what had been done to her sweet friend. "That would be much more painful for her. Mary wouldn't be able to move like that, let alone hold a wand. The Cruciatus is the most unimaginable agony that feels like it won't ever stop, and you can feel yourself nearly going mad from it." Alice made a horrified noise, looking as ill as Rose felt. "If I'm right, and what James and Sirius have described is true, then it's the First."
"The First?" Marlene's face begged Rose not to be saying what she thought she was.
"The Imperius Curse" Lily muttered, blood draining from her cheeks.
"Botched, by the look of it."
"Why?" Alice stood up, fury on every part of her warm face. "Why would Mulciber do that to her? Use an Unforgivable?"
"Mary's a muggle-born" Lily said quietly, pieces coming together. "They need no more excuse than that." Rose felt her scars tingling and pushed away the urge to scream. It was so unfair; Mary was one of the sweetest girls in the world, she didn't deserve this. "Rosie" Lily pushed her wand down gently, her own taking it's place. "Go get McGonagall. You Marauders know the fastest way to her office. Please, hurry."
Sirius and James met her at the bottom of the stairs, alarm on their handsome faces. "We heard a scream before it muffled" James rushed out. "Is everyone-?"
"No time. Mary." Rose shook her head, grabbing their hands. "McGonagall." Not for the first time, Rose was grateful that the Marauders could read each other so well. James and Sirius just shared a look and dragged her to the Portrait Hole, the Fat Lady opening with a muffled groan of unhappiness. James led the way, long since having memorised the way to their Head of House's rooms; they never knew when they might need to have one of them run interference for the others. Rose, for once, wasn't thinking of such things, her mind focused on getting to McGonagall and finding a way to help Mary. It was Sirius who made sure that she didn't bump into anything on their fevered run to the right room, his arm wrapping around her as James pounded on the unremarkable door. McGonagall opened the door a fraction, wrapped in a red dressing gown and frown.
"Potter! What in Merlin's name-?!"
"Professor, it's Mary" Rose interrupted desperately. "We think she's been Imperised. Only it didn't work. Please, this isn't a prank. You have to come quickly." McGonagall didn't waste any more time on words, she just strode through the corridors and let nothing get in her way.
The common room was as empty as when the Marauders left, every sane person asleep in their beds. "You three, wait down here" McGonagall instructed, pointing at the cluster of seats by the banked fireplace. James flicked his wand, the flames burning merrily once again. Rose leant into Sirius, letting his warmth and safety remove the shock from her body. His arms pulled her tight against his chest, his body as tense as a bow string. James sat down heavily opposite them, his hazel eyes unreadable.
"Someone Imperised Mary?" James demanded, anger burning in his voice. "Who? How?"
"Emmeline said they passed some Slytherins on their way up to bed tonight" Rose repeated dutifully. No secrets. "Mary reacted badly when Marlene said Mulciber's name. She was screaming already, but it got worse, Prongs."
"Mulciber couldn't charm a spider into making a web" James growled. "How could he-" His voice trailed off as he realised. "Botched? He used an Unforgivable just to practice? And didn't bloody cast it properly?!"
"Don't wake up the castle, Prongs" Sirius warned quietly, his own fury smoldering in his voice. "Who else was there, Rosebud?"
"Nott" Rose replied, not wanting to say Regulus and ignite the anger within the dog animagus. "Em said that they overheard them talking about how Avery had it right, and that the Cruciatus curse was too good for muggle-borns."
"Nott is a fifth year" Sirius stated far too calmly. His brilliant mind had already put the pieces together. Now he just deserved the confirmation. "His best friend is-"
"Regulus" Rose agreed, closing her eyes tightly. She couldn't stop seeing Mary screaming and sending random curses around the dormitory. "Merlin, Siri. Is this how you felt?"
"Along the same lines" he murmured, pressing a kiss to her temple. The pain in his voice was fresh and deep. Worry for Mary, anger and concern for what his brother was getting up to. "Is there any part of my family that isn't going to be a Death Eater?"
"Andromeda?" James suggested, the first Black to dishonour the family. Sirius' betrayal worse because he was the heir.
"Potter, Black" McGonagall called, her eyes gentle with understanding in the firelight. "Miss MacDonald will be well, we're going to take her to the Hospital Wing soon." Rose slumped in relief, letting out a shaky breath. Sirius dropped his head to her shoulder, feeling the same relief. "Just this once, look after Miss Evans tonight. Her sister seems under the impression that this incident has brought back recent memories."
"Thank you, Professor" Sirius said, oddly solemn.
"Nothing to thank. Now, bed! Off with you!"
James took it upon himself to explain the nights events to the inhabitants of the sixth year boys dormitory. Frank and Benjy were instantly on their feet, demanding to know why they hadn't been told before, while Rose just felt so drained that she wanted the whole thing to be over now. James skillfully handled the situation, calming the tension with a few well-chosen words. Remus tossed aside his book (a heavy volume on the study of Ancient Runes) and drew a calming breath in through his nose. With a wave of his wand, his parchment rolled up and drifted to his cabinet, his green eyes following it absently. Peter's eyes burned with fire, his fists clenched in anger, jaw clenching on and off. "Hogsmeade really was just the beginning, wasn't it?" Silence greeted Peter's words, nobody wanting to admit that he was right, that somebody should have seen that and prepared for it.
"School is supposed to be safe" Lily's voice murmured from the doorway, Alice already in Frank's arms.
"There's nowhere safer" James smiled sadly. "Which is a sad commentary on the state of the wizarding world." Remus sighed his agreement, a collage of articles cut from the Prophet on the wall behind him.
"Not a word about it when we get home" Lily warned, eyes burning.
"You're right" Rose agreed quietly, the Marauders looking at her in surprise. Unsurprisingly, it was Sirius who first understood.
"The war is coming whether we go to Hogwarts or not" he said thoughtfully. "Stopping you from coming back will only make it worse on you all. And" his eyes twinkled as he pulled Rose closer to his side. "Christmas isn't the time to have bad news. Only happy news, like Mary being fine in the morning."
"Or Mulciber being expelled?" Alice added hopefully.
"Dumbledore will never let that happen" James growled, running a hand through his hair. He wore a hole in the carpet with his pacing, Lily's hand on his arm stopping him. A question was shining in her eyes. "He will always give his students the benefit of the doubt. Mulciber might get suspended if we're lucky, otherwise we might have to resign ourselves to hearing that we have no proof that the scumbag-" James broke off with a cough, eyes meeting Sirius' calmly. "He's going to be let off, isn't he?"
"Naturally" Sirius replied, his tone dripping with disgust. "Nobody will take a muggle-borns word over a pureblood. My family's been getting away with things for years using that rationale." He turned and sent a fist flying into his bedpost. "You stupid bastard, Reggie. He's going to get himself killed." Rose watched on helplessly, unable to do anything to take away his pain and worry for the brother who would soon be his enemy. James laid his hand on his shoulder, silently offering strength and compassion.
"It's late." Remus' voice broke the silence eventually. "We've got our last day of class in the morning, and we've got to pack for the holidays afterwards."
"Mulciber might not be able to spell for shit, but the snake's got a good sense of timing" James muttered, meeting the Marauders' eyes significantly. "I only wonder at what he wanted to make Mary do."
"Not thinking about that tonight, Prongs" Sirius replied tiredly. "Moony's right. We need to get some sleep."
"Are you pranking me, Black?" Remus demanded, eyes shining with playful mirth. Sirius rolled his eyes in reply, shaking his head at the bookish werewolf.
"Moony, Moony, Moony" Sirius tutted, throwing his concern covers back like this happened every night. "Don't be a pillock. I'm a Marauder; if I were pranking you, you'd bloody well know about it." Rose saw Remus throw up his hands in sheer exasperation, a giggle escaping her lips. Sirius winked at her, pleased with himself. Of course he was, that was Sirius Black's default setting. Lily crossed to Rose, hugging her tightly.
"You sure you're going to be okay here tonight, Rosie?" Rose laughed softly, stepping back from her sister.
"There's nowhere in the world that's safer, Lil" she murmured, just for her twin to hear. "One day, you'll see that too." Lily only smiled sadly, turning to face the other Marauders.
"Black!" Sirius' grey eyes shone with solemn sincerity.
"I solemnly swear" he promised, not even letting Lily say a thing. Rose raised her eyebrow at him but he just shook his head minutely, telling her not to press it. James let out a yawn, faceplanting in his pillow. Lily laughed softly at his antics, Alice kissing Frank once before leaving with her friend. Benjy groaned at the clock, slamming his curtains shut with a rude mumble about the sodding Slytherins bloody timing. Frank shrugged at them and followed his friend's example, his curtains closing with a gentle swish. Snoring was already coming from Peter's bed, and James's chest rose and fell with even breaths; the stag was asleep too. In a bed nearby, Remus had his head buried under the covers, the werewolf doing his usual trick of talking himself to sleep after a stressful day. "It's the Muttering Moony Show" Sirius quipped, his eyes impossibly soft. "One more day and we're off for Christmas."
"Dad's going to love you all coming" Rose smiled, trying to keep the mood light. The memory of Mary's screams broke in, Rose's eyes squeezing shut in a vain attempt to get rid of it. "How long can we keep pretending? How long do we have to act like the war isn't happening outside these castle walls? What's going to stop it from coming inside again?"
"As long as it takes, just a little while longer, and Dumbledore" Sirius said softly, lip tweaking up in amusement. Rose longed to be persuaded and reassured by his words, but a little voice chattered at back of her head.
"And what if we can't? What if we lose, Siri?"
"We can, because we're the Marauders" Sirius told her firmly, grey eyes holding her in place. "And there's nothing that we can't do if we do it together. Prongs may be irritating when he says it, but he's right. And if we lose, my darling, then we'll lose fighting for what we believe in, for freedom from puritanical bigots like my family, from murdering bastards like Voldemort and my deranged cousin. If we lose, it won't matter, because when we lived it was for what we believed in, for friendship and family, not for hatred. If we lose, we'll lose together, and by Godric we'll put up one hell of a fight." Sirius caressed her face gently. "We have a future worth fighting for, and I'm not going to let anyone forget it; least of all the Death Eaters trying to take it away from us." One look into those impossible grey eyes and Rose felt her concerns swept away. Lips gently met her own, both pouring every ounce of faith, trust and unspoken love into the kiss. She fell into his embrace, safe from the whole world and everything in it.
Elsewhere in England, men and women in black robes and skull masks descended upon a small muggle village. They swept through the town like a plague - killing, burning and torturing everything in their path. Savage laughs and chanting mixed with the screams of the dying, tormented muggles. Bellatrix Lestrange cackled madly, deadly beautiful as she danced through the village, her wand blazing with light - a beautiful instrument of death, just like its mistress. Blood pooled in the gutters, death and despair infusing the very air. Frost crawled over the windows, creatures in tattered black cloaks flew over the town, sucking deeply from the banquet before them. Pale skinned ethereal beings joined the mayhem, bending over prone bodies, fangs stuck in the soft flesh, blood running down their chins. A smoky green skull and snake watched over the chaos, approving like only its creator could. This wasn't an attack, it was nothing more or less than fun - a show of what the Death Eaters could do without even trying. War had reached the muggles, and they wouldn't even know it.
Thank you for reading.
Next chapter... Christmas in Cokeworth