if this was a movie – taylor swift
"but if this was a movie you'd be here by now."
Sofia woke early the next morning. Mostly because of Regulus shifting as he sat up.
"I should go," he said when he noticed she was awake.
Sofia didn't move. She nodded weakly, not looking at him. She closed her eyes and hoped he got the message that she didn't want to be disturbed.
They hadn't had sex. After a soft kiss, Regulus had lain down beside Sofia and he'd held her all night. Sofia felt so at peace and safe and just loved in his arms and knowing she'd never get that feeling again made her want to just stay awake the entire night. But she hadn't been sleeping well and she hadn't felt so relaxed in a long time so sleep had ended up overcoming her after two in the morning.
She felt the bed shift as he stood. Then some shuffling as he put his clothes on. Then the door shut.
And that was it. He was gone. For good.
Sofia kept going. She tried not to dwell on Regulus. It was too much to bear. She even kind of made up with Lacey—or at least made up enough so that Lacey was perfectly willing when Sofia snogged her in an empty cupboard one day. Sofia had meant to shag her, but her stupid broken heart wouldn't let her when Lacey's robes went over her head.
It was maybe a week later that Sofia was approached by one pissed off Eliana Travers after Charms class one day. For a second, Sofia feared she had found out about the Room of Requirements incident, but it didn't seem too likely.
"What did you say to him?" Eliana demanded, her hands on her hips.
Sofia scowled. "What are you talking about, Travers?"
"You said something to him. I know you did. He's been staring at you when he thinks I'm not looking. All week."
Sofia smiled. "Hardly my fault your boyfriend is obsessed with me," Sofia said. Initially, she thought she might use The Event as ammo against Eliana, but now it seemed something too sacred to even mention to Travers.
Eliana was practically foaming at the mouth. "You stay the fuck away from him, Bessonova. Or you'll regret it."
Sofia's brows raised. "You really think you scare me, Travers?"
"He's my fiancé!" Eliana shrieked. But she didn't seem to have more of a comeback.
She was about to walk away when Sofia stopped her. "Wait, Travers."
Eliana turned back, pissed off. "What?" She snapped.
"Look, I can't speak for Black, but I swear I won't even look in his direction if you just answer me something."
Eliana seized Sofia up. She didn't seem convinced but relented. "What is it?"
"Why do you like him?"
Eliana seemed confused by the question. "Reg?"
Sofia held in an eye roll. "Yes, Eliana. Reg."
Eliana thought for a second. "He... he's always been good to me. I know he can be kind of... cold, but everyone always thinks I'm so stupid just because I'm not very good at school and... magic in general. But not him. You should see some of the other guys my parents wanted me to marry... Reg might be standoffish but he's by far the best option out of all of them." She held in a shudder. "Not to mention the cutest one."
Sofia hadn't been expecting that answer. She thought about the pureblooded guys in their year. Sofia would never wish marriage to them on any girl. She almost actually wanted Eliana to marry Regulus. Almost. Sofia kind of got why Eliana was so possessive of Regulus.
Sofia nodded. "Okay."
Eliana remembered she was supposed to hate Sofia then. "So... you'll stay away from him?"
"I will."
It seemed like Eliana hadn't been exactly expecting that response. She looked at Sofia nervously. Then she nodded once and left.
It was a relief when the Christmas break rolled around.
Sofia and Sirius walked up the stairs to the flat in ridiculous red and green elf costumes and Sofia hadn't felt this happy in a long time.
"So... who's gonna tell your family elves are not nearly this cute?" Sirius asked.
Sofia rolled her eyes. "I think Vanya would be scarred for life if he saw a real elf."
They'd had to go outside in the costumes because it turned out that Sofia's mother had forgotten to pick up a few presents at the mall and so, she had forced Sofia and Sirius to go first thing on Christmas Eve before all the shops closed.
"Hey, hold on," Sirius took Sofia's arm before they reached her flat. "There's something I want to say before we go in."
Sofia nodded, hoping it wasn't something bad.
Sirius shifted and brought his gaze up to meet hers. "I... wanted to apologise."
Sofia's brows went up. "Apologise? What the hell for?"
"This summer... I was out of line, trying to... kiss you and shit after you'd just broken up with Regulus. You were in a vulnerable position and I took advantage of that. It was wrong of me, and I feel awful about it."
Sofia took a breath. "It's okay, Sirius. You don't have to apologise at all."
He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I do, Sofia. I don't know what I was thinking. I knew you didn't want to be with me and I should've respected that. Please, just accept my apology."
Sofia sighed softly. "Of course I accept it, Sirius."
He smiled slightly. "Thank you."
Sofia took her shopping bag filled with presents and walked the few feet left to the door of the flat. She entered the flat and it took her a second to realise how oddly quiet it was. The place was never quiet when all three kids were in there.
She heard Sirius's sharp intake of breath and turned to him, seeing what had startled him. There, on the living room wall, over the multiple family pictures hung, letters in a deep red that seemed like blood. FILTHY MUDBLOOD.
Then below, YOU'RE DEAD.
Sofia felt like the air had been knocked out of her. She ran. As quick as her legs would take her. She slammed the door to Ivan and Roman's room open. It was empty. Then to her and Natasha's room. Also empty.
Then, she opened the door to her mother's room and she felt like a knife had just pierced through her heart. Her mother and Roman laid on the floor, unmoving. Blood was pouring out of Roman's body.
Sofia dropped to her knees, hands shaking as she tried to find the source of the bleeding. "Romy," she choked out.
She started to feel for a pulse but she couldn't feel a thing.
"She's alive. Just knocked out." Sirius was leaning over Sofia's mother, wand at his side.
Sofia could barely speak over the sobs that were threatening to leave her throat. "Can you... I can't feel—"
Sirius rushed over towards Roman and then the closet door opened and Sofia startled, only letting out a breath of relief when she saw it was Natasha and Vanya.
They both rushed over to Sofia and Vanya threw himself into her arms. His body shook.
Natasha's face was tear-streaked, her eyes red and puffy. "They—they broke in and Mami t-told us to hide a-and not come out until—" She broke down into sobs.
"He has a pulse but it's faint, we need to get him to Saint Mungo's," Sirius said from Roman's side.
Sofia stood with Vanya in her arms and pulled her sister into an embrace.
"Can't we take him to a Muggle hospital?" Sofia asked.
"Those wounds are from a curse... I don't think it can be fixed without magic," Sirius said. "It'll be okay, Death Eaters can't get into Saint Mungo's."
Sofia nodded shakily, no way around that.
Sirius woke Sofia's mother with a wave of his wand. She was in distress upon seeing her son bleeding on the floor. Sirius didn't give her time to freak out, he grabbed Roman's arm. "I'll meet you there in a few," he said to Sofia before Disapparating.
"¿A dónde se lo llevó? Mi bebé, Sofia, tenemos que ir," the woman freaked out.
"They went to the hospital, he'll be okay, mamá."
Sofia led Natasha and Ivan to her room and sat on her bed, holding the both of them until they stopped crying. Ivan ended up falling asleep.
Sofia went out to the living room with her mum and tried not to look at the nasty words on the wall. "What happened?"
Sofia's mother took a deep breath, sat on the sofa. "I was just preparing dinner and... the door flew open... I remembered what you said and I managed to yell at the kids to hide in the closet before they came in. I didn't see their faces. There were three of them, I think all men. They wore robes like yours, but their faces were hidden behind these weird masks. They wanted you... said they knew you were here. I told them you didn't live here, like you told me. But they wouldn't take no for an answer. Then there was noise in my room... I thought they were going to kill us.
"They went in there and Roman had come out... he shouted at them... told them to leave us alone," she sniffled. "Then one of them raised his wand towards Roman and... and hexed him or something. He fell down and started bleeding all over the place. I tried to ambush the one that did it... I flung one of my steel pans at his head but the other two got me... they... they hexed me too. I was in so much pain, I thought for sure I was about to die. But then I passed out, and next thing I know you were here."
Sofia's breath hitched. Fuck, fuck, fuck. How the hell had this happened? She leaned towards her mother and wrapped her in a hug. "I'm so sorry, Mami. This is all my fault."
She shook her head. "It's not your fault, Sofi. But I thought you had put some spell on the flat so that no one could get inside."
Sofia swallowed thickly. "There was only so much I could do. I wanted to put it under the Fidelius Charm but it's complicated and I can't cast it. I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault, cariño."
Sofia sighed. "We have to get you guys out of here. I don't know why they spared you today, but I'm not taking the chance that they'll do it twice. You have to leave the city, the country actually."
"You're not coming with us?"
"It's safer if you're not with me. It's me they want, after all."
Sofia's mum let out a sob. "I'm not leaving you here, Sofia."
Sofia tried to steel herself. "You have to, Ma. I'm not going to put you in danger. Papa should go too. You can all go to Russia, and I can get Uncle Vova to cast the Fidelius Charm just to be extra safe."
"I... I'm not sure your father can travel far in his condition."
"You won't be going the Muggle way. I'll get you a Portkey. It might make Papa a little dizzy but he'll be fine."
"We'll discuss if you're coming later, but right now I want to go see Roman."
Sofia bit her tongue to stop herself from arguing any further. Her mother was right. Now that Natasha and Vanya were calmer, they should go see to Romy.
Sofia Apparated them to the hospital and they found Sirius quickly. He sat in the waiting area and rose as he saw Sofia and her mother. He informed them quickly that Roman would be fine but he was currently being sewed up.
The three of them sat there in silence. Sofia tried to think of a reason why the Death Eaters had spared her family. Not that she wasn't thankful. But she hadn't been home, her family had been utterly defenceless. Maybe the Death Eaters wanted something from her. She couldn't think what though.
The message on the wall had been threatening, but she was a lot more scared for her family than for herself. She had magic at least. She could defend herself.
Sofia's mind went to her dad. They were supposed to see him the next day for Christmas dinner, and the last time Sofia had seen him he looked... frail. He definitely wasn't up for a Death Eater attack, even just as a scare tactic.
Roman was okay. He tried to pretend like he was totally unaffected but Sofia knew better. He was scared. They didn't go back to the flat when Roman was discharged, they stayed over at their father's place. All three of Sofia's siblings had terrible nightmares that night. Sofia didn't sleep. She kept watch over her family alongside Sirius.
She had them out of England the next day.
"Are you sure you don't want to stay with us?" Sofia's mum asked after they took the portkey to Uncle Vova's house.
"It's not that I don't want to stay... I just don't want to put you in any danger if the Death Eaters are after me... I can't stay," Sofia answered.
Her mother took a long look at her. "You don't have to go back to school though."
Sofia sighed. They'd discussed this already. "If the Death Eaters know where I am, then they won't go after you, and the best way to let them know where I am while still keeping a modicum of safety is Hogwarts."
Tears glistened in the woman's eyes. She didn't speak.
Sofia ran a hand through her hair. "Not to mention that... if I leave Hogwarts... they win. They want to drive Muggleborns out of the school and out of wizarding society, and if I let them intimidate me into dropping out of school, they freaking win!"
Sofia's mother nodded once, resigned. Then she said, "Your abuelo would be proud of you."
Sofia definitely wasn't expecting that. But she supposed her mother was right. Her grandpa had been a revolutionary in his time, he'd never been one to back down in the face of adversity. Her paternal grandparents as well. Sofia gave her mother a small smile.
"Just promise me you'll take care of yourself."
Sofia didn't want to scare her mother any further, so she forced a smile, hoping it was reassuring. "Of course, Mami."