September 12th, 1976
Mia spent all day in the common room after Fred stormed out, hiding from everyone else. He was furious with her, and she knew that, but there was nothing they could do. History said they died, so they had to. Still, she understood his anger and could only hope he calmed down. She hated him being angry with her - he was all he had of their time, and the only person she could talk to.
She read until dinner, when she decided she was too hungry to skip another meal. She'd shed her robes before lunch, when students would inevitably wander through to pick up forgotten items or even take a nap. With a sigh, she stuffed her book back in her bag and walked out of Gryffindor Tower, thanking every founder and deity she knew of that she didn't run into the Marauders.
She took the long way round, through the dungeons, hoping to avoid anyone. She wasn't entirely sure where she'd be sitting, but she knew she had to eat, and students weren't allowed in the kitchen, especially during meals.
After a few minutes, she found herself walking past the mostly empty dungeons to the Great Hall. She kept to herself as she passed a group of Slytherins, but her steps faltered as she reached an alcove where two students were looming over another, who was on the ground with some nasty cuts on his face. She recognized the position easily, having been in it herself during her early time at school before she learned to fight back. She pulled her wand and shot the Bat Boogey hex at both of them before they even noticed her. When they turned around to yell, or maybe go to the infirmary, she saw they wore Gryffindor ties.
Shaking her head, she just stared at them. "Madame Pomfrey can fix that, but I am disgusted. Gryffindors. Aren't you supposed to be courageous? That was just cowardly, cornering him and attacking him, two on one. You don't deserve to be in that house." One of them looked like they wanted to argue, or maybe curse her, so she waved her hand, putting up a shield before they could do anything. "Go to the infirmary - that's going to get worse over time." With that, the pair of them ran off, and she waved her hand again to lower the shield.
Mia kneeled before the student, holding out her hand. "Are you alright? I can't believe they'd do that. It's despicable." She shook her head sadly, sincere in her worries. "I can't imagine how they got into Gryffindor." She raised her hand to heal his cuts, but he frowned and shoved it away.
"Don't bother. What do you want?"
Mia blinked. "What do I… what?"
"What do you want from me?" the boy stood up - not the easiest feat, it seemed - and stared at Mia warily, though he also looked vaguely annoyed.
"Nothing?" she frowned. "I hate bullies, and fighting." She sounded uncertain and, while he was distracted, raised her hand again and pointed it at his face, twisting her wrist abruptly. "Episkey!" She smiled as she heard the telling crack of the bone snapping back into place. "Scourgify!" She cleaned the blood off of his face so she could see his injuries more clearly and winced slightly. They hadn't been going easy on him. "You should get some Dittany on those cuts before they start to heal, or they'll- gah!" She grunted as he shoved her into the alcove and glared at her.
"Stop helping me, Little Lion," he snarled at her, and she paused, not because of his words - though she was shocked he assumed she was Gryffindor - but rather because she could see him. She stared at him, dumbstruck. He had long, obsidian hair tied back with a leather tie. His eyes were a sharp, silver grey mixture that pierced her soul in an odd way, and reminded her vaguely of Sirius. He had sharp, aristocratic features that were twisted into a sneer, but she felt like it was forced, like it didn't fit quite right.
And then suddenly, a name fell into her mind and she was certain she was right.
"Regulus Black." His name was smoke escaping her lips, and there was a painful sadness in her eyes that confused Regulus.
"Do I know you?" His words were a little softer, but they were still demanding and confused.
"I… No, you don't." But I know you. I know of you. I know that you have a good heart, and I know you died trying to stop a war that you shouldn't have been a part of. I know that I want to save you, Regulus.
"Then why did you help me?"
"Because you…" deserve saving. "You were in trouble." She smiled at him a little.
"I was fine, Little Lion." The edge was gone from his voice, and she shook her head a little.
"I- no, I'm not… I'm actually in Slytherin," she admitted with a shrug. He considered it for a moment.
"You've got a Lion in you," he said simply, and she blinked.
"Um… you need dittany," she nodded to herself, pulling open her bag and shoving her entire arm in until she reached the potions. She shuffled around until she felt the small vial and plucked it up, pulling her arm out. "Aha! I knew I had more in here… Almost out, but still." She opened it and dropped some on his face quickly, watching the cuts sizzle as they healed together. After a few seconds of grumbling, he straightened up to watch her drop the vial back in very carefully, putting it back exactly where she found it before turning to him again.
"Why do you have Dittany in your bag? Couldn't you just go to Madame Pomfrey?"
"Um…" she shrugged. "Emergencies." She bent down and picked up his fallen books, her eyes landing on the one on top. "Advanced Potion Making?"
"Yeah, I skipped a year," he shifted slightly under her gaze but she soon looked at the book again with a sigh.
"I can't get it. I'm great in all of my classes, but… I've never been able to get it. I'm usually a little lost, especially since I just transferred here and I'm behind, which is rare, mind you."
He gave her a crooked smile that made her smile and her hearts race. It looked a little like Sirius's smile, but this one was far less common, she was sure. "I can help you out, if you'd like. I don't have a lab partner, so we can sit together and talk you through. I'm a little bit ahead, anyway."
Mia grinned brightly. "That sounds great. Thank you."
He gave her a small smile. "I never caught your name."
"Mia."
"Just Mia?" he raised an eyebrow and she hesitated.
"If I tell you, you won't change your mind, will you?" he blinked at her and shook his head slowly. "Mia Potter."
"Potter."
"Yes, well… I'm their ward. There was an accident, and it wasn't… safe, so I had to move here, and my name is unsafe."
"Okay," he accepted the lie. "Why aren't you wearing your robes?"
She shrugged. "I had a fight with my friend and spent the day in Gryffindor Tower. It was empty and I've not been to Slytherin common rooms yet, so…" She smiled slightly. "I didn't want them to see me and hex me or something."
"Good thought," he rolled his eyes.
"I don't… really understand the rivalries between the two, honestly. Everyone thinks every single Slytherin is Dark, and everyone thinks all Gryffindors are good, but that's not the case."
Regulus shrugged lightly, plucking his books from her hands. "They're old prejudices. It doesn't matter if they're true - everyone's gonna think they are, anyways."
"Do you?"
Regulus considered her for a moment. "No."
"Good," she grinned. He watched her for a long moment. Her loose curls had been pulled up into a tight, high ponytail and waved behind her head as she spoke animatedly.
"Would you like me to show you around the common room?" he asked with a genuine smile. "Everyone should be at dinner, so it'll be empty."
"I'd love that," she smiled so bright he thought it might light up the entire castle. Still, he offered her his arm and the two set out on the short walk to the common rooms.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
James frowned, staring at Remus like he was insane. "Wanna try that again, Moony?"
"I'm serious, Prongs, I think they're Death Eaters!"
"No, Moony, I'm Sirius," the boy said. Remus shot him a look, but he just smiled brightly.
"Why do you think they're Death Eaters?"
"Okay, look, it's just suspicious. They appeared out of nowhere in the Forbidden Forest in the middle of the day, Mia can't even tell us what her injuries are and she lied about them-,"
"Actually," Sirius sighed. "She told me."
"What?" James frowned. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"Because it's really serious, and I can't," he shrugged. "I won't share something like that without her permission."
"But you trust her?"
"Yes," Sirius nodded firmly.
"But still," Remus sighed. "Dumbledore had to kick us out of his office so they could talk privately-,"
"Exactly!" Sirius sighed. "Dumbledore talked to them himself. Don't you think he'd know if he let Death Eaters in?"
"Not necessarily," James admitted. "Snape is here, isn't he? And the Carrows, and Avery, and McNair, and Dolohov, and pretty much every pureblood Slytherin in the school."
"See? So, they could've tricked him. But that's not all," Remus told them, continuing. "Mia knew exactly where she was going this morning, remember? She ran to the DADA room and her only excuse was a good sense of direction."
"Maybe it was a coincidence, Moony," Sirius sighed.
"Maybe," Remus nodded. "But then I went back to the common room to rest during my free period, and I heard them talking. It was bad. Mia sounded… she didn't sound good. Fred was angry. She said, 'Sirius was meant to be saved,' and then… She said someone had to die."
Silence fell in the room as James and Sirius pondered over their friend's words.
"Are you sure?" Sirius whispered. He was a raging mixture of emotions, but more than all, he was confused.
"Dead sure."
"Do you have to phrase it like that?"
"Shut up, Prongs, this is serious," Remus sighed, realizing his second mistake of the conversation.
"No, I'm Sirius. Geez, I thought you guys knew this stuff."
"Not the time!" Remus snapped. Sirius sighed, shrugging.
"Look, I trust them. I know it sounds bad, but I'm sure they have a perfectly good explanation, Moony. If you're really so worried, we can ask them later and demand answers." With a sigh, Remus reluctantly agreed, and they sat back and ate the dinners that James snuck up from the kitchens before dinner had begun.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
After touring the common rooms and, hopefully, establishing some sort of friendship with Regulus, Mia snuck into the kitchens and asked for a plate of food, which was happily given to her by a cheery house elf. She took it to the seventh floor and paced, asking for a room to relax in until she was ready to pick up her stuff and settle into her dorm.
When she walked in, she grinned brightly. It was a library with a large couch and some chairs, a wicker basket full of blankets, throw pillows scattered everywhere, and a roaring fire. It was perfect, and she settled in with her dinner and a book about theoretical transdimensional travel that had been written by a witch but published in the muggle world.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
It had been three hours, and Mia was nowhere to be seen. James had begun to wonder if it really had been a fluke and Mia had gotten lost when Fred finally walked into the room, frowning to himself.
"Have you seen Mia?" James asked him. "We wanted to talk to the two of you."
"No."
"Well, will you help us find her?"
"No."
"Er, James?" Sirius called. "She's not here."
"I know that, bloody idiot, that's what I'm saying."
"No, she's not here." Sirius waved a paper in the air and James's eyes widened. Fred looked over and saw what he was looking at.
The Marauder's Map.
Suddenly, he knew where she was. "If I take you to her, will you let me leave and go to bed?" He asked quietly.
"Swear it on Padfoot's grave," James nodded firmly while his brother whacked him with the Map.
"Hey!"
"Shut up, Pads," James rolled his eyes. Fred, however, began walking, impatient.
After a short walk, Fred began pacing in front of a tapestry, and the Marauders stared at him.
"Um, Fred?"
After two more turns around, a door appeared, and Fred smirked. "C'mon. Let's make sure she's in there, and then I'm leaving."
"Aye, aye, Captain."
OoOoOoOoOoOo
Mia had fallen asleep with the book on her lap. It was a particularly deep sleep, because she didn't hear the door creak open. She didn't hear the quiet footsteps coming toward her. What she did hear, however, was some loud cursing and someone crashing to the floor.
Standing up quickly, Mia's hand waved around the room, disarming all four people immediately. She caught all of them in her left hand and stared. "Oh."
"What was that for?" Sirius pouted, picking himself up off the floor.
"I… I didn't know it was you guys," she sighed.
"Merlin," James gasped. "That was silent and wandless, Mia!"
"What do you guys want?" she looked between them before her eyes settled on Remus, finally noticing the cool detached look. "What's going on? Why is Fred here?"
"Gee, thanks."
"No, you prat," she rolled her eyes. "You're mad at me. I don't care if you're… ugh." She gave up and rubbed her face with her free hand, still holding their wands hostage. She didn't trust Remus, not right now. She was certain that if he had his wand, it'd be pointed at her.
"You two have some talking to do. And I'll need you to show me your left arms." And it clicked for her. Sure, she had been a little sloppy in covering her tracks, but why on earth would he think they were Death Eaters?
She lifted her sleeve carefully, shifting the wands to her left hand. She shoved the clear skin at him, proving herself. After a second, Fred did the same, and Remus relaxed a little bit.
"Okay. Who has to die?" He asked bluntly, taking note of the shocked and pained look on Mia's face and the angry one on Fred's.
"How did you… We were alone!" Great defense there. He totally trusts you now.
"I have good hearing. Now answer the question!"
Mia glanced at Fred, and he did something he would regret.
"I wonder what would show on the Map if you were out of the room, Mia." His voice was disturbingly calm for the amount of anger it held, and her eyes widened, realizing what he was trying to do.
"Wha… Map? How do you know about that?"
"You literally waved it around in the common room," Fred answered easily.
"What do you mean, though? Are you saying this is why we couldn't find her? Because she was in here?" Fred nodded as Mia looked on in horror. What would happen if they found out?
And then, while she was distracted, Remus reached over, hitting her wrist gently but still hard enough that she dropped the wands in her hand. He grabbed them all swiftly before they hit the ground and handed them back out, except for Fred. He pocketed the dark wand and turned to Mia with his own pointed at her.
"Would you mind stepping out of the room for a minute, Mia?"
"Yes, I actually would mind, Remus."
"I'm sorry, but I must insist."
Mia warred within herself, debating, but in the end she refused to fight him. So, she turned and reluctantly made her way to the door. She turned to look at Fred. "I hope you know… whatever comes after this, it's your fault." And then she opened it and stepped out.
Remus pulled out the map, opening it up after tapping his wand on it and stared down at it.
"So, what's it say, Remus?"
"Who is… Hermione Granger?"
Mia silently walked back into the room, closing the door behind her. She moved back to the couch and sat down, all of the boys following her. Sirius sat next to her as she curled into the corner, and she gave him a small, weak smile.
"What I am about to tell you… you probably won't believe," she sighed. The boys looked between them and then turned back as she began. "My name is Hermione Granger. I got my Hogwarts letter when I was eleven. I'm the brightest witch in school. I mastered silent casting in third year and wandless magic in fifth. I left school last year, after my sixth year, to help with the war."
"That doesn't make sense, Mia. You just started here," James protested softly.
"I was born on September 19th, 1979."
There was silence for a few beats before Sirius spoke. "That's… impossible."
"I assure you, it's not impossible. Do you remember the glass I had in my chest?" The three nodded, and she took a deep breath. "I was wearing something called a time turner around my neck. Long story short, it exploded, and we got sent back in time."
"I've read about those," Remus said slowly. "They contain the sands of time. But they're only supposed to go back a few hours."
"Exactly," Mia nodded. "This was an accident. I have a few theories on the intricacies of it, but no solid proof on them."
"So… what were you talking about, in the common room?" Sirius asked curiously.
Mia tensed. "There's a war. People die. Voldemort-," everyone in the room, bar Mia, flinched and she rolled her eyes. "Kills a lot of people. Fred saw someone, someone we know dies. And we argued. We just… we can't save people. That's not how time works. When he and I were talking, I mentioned Sirius…" she glanced at him, and he looked at her curiously. "We know you. In my third year, you were in danger. My best friend, Harry, and I saved you using my time turner. It's the only legal form of time travel. I was using it for my studies to take all the classes available - Professor McGonagall got it for me. But the only reason we were able to save you is because we already did. Time isn't malleable, not really. It's all… fixed. So even though we know some people are going to die… we can't…" she took in a sharp breath, trying to keep it together. "We can't save them, no matter how much we want to."
"You saved me?" Sirius stared at the girl, wide eyed. "I owe you a life debt, kitten." He didn't sound bothered by it, but Mia tensed.
"No… you don't. "Not now. You did in the future. Just as I owe Remus a life debt in the future, maybe two of them, not that he'll let me do anything about it…" She trailed off, annoyed at the reminder, but Remus's eyes widened.
"What do you mean, you owe me a life debt? What happened?"
Mia looked at him, lifting her shirt up to show an ugly, deep scar on her ribs, just below her bra. "June 18th, 1996, my friends and I fought Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries." Her voice shook slightly at the memory. It was one of the worst nights of her life, only rivaled by her time at Malfoy Manor. "Dolohov hit me with a curse that would've killed me so that he could restrain me."
She kept her eyes steady as she lowered her shirt but pushed the side of her pants down just a little. "June 31st, 1997, Bellatrix threw another dark curse at me," she avoided Sirius's furious stare as she motioned to her hip where another angry scar was unmistakable. "Remus pulled me out of the way before it could hit me too badly. I'd have died slowly and painfully if he hadn't."
Sirius touched her hip gently and she blinked as he did. He still looked angry, but also sorrowful, like he wished he could've stopped it. "Bellatrix is despicable. She's the worst I've ever met, and she's hurt you twice?"
Mia winced as the others looked at her sharply. "Someday she'll get what she deserves." Sirius was silent as she gently pushed his hand away and crossed her legs, hugging a pillow to her chest. "The world isn't all bad. Hogwarts is great when something isn't trying to kill Harry, and the wizarding world is nice, forgetting the bigoted pureblood traditions and values. The war was gone for years, you have to understand. Everything was light for the first few years I knew it."
"I know him," Sirius stated, looking at her still. He hadn't looked away since she'd begun speaking and she resisted the urge to squirm.
"Huh?"
"You said I went back into battle, after Harry. I know your best friend."
"I… yes," she answered lamely.
"How?"
"Padfoot, maybe now's not the time," James suggested gently, and Mia nodded.
Remus shook his head, frowning. "I just… I don't get it. You're from the future. How can you two accept this so easily?" He stared at his friends as Sirius shrugged.
"Some of the things she and I talked about last night just make more sense now," he answered, referring to her reluctance to let him attack his cousin.
"Yeah, it kinda makes sense."
Remus threw his hands in the air. "But they haven't proven anything."
Mia stared at him. "You want proof?" He nodded quickly. "You're a werewolf, and they're animagi, along with Pettigrew."
"And you… aren't afraid?" Remus asked carefully.
"Merlin, mate, get over yourself. You're a little extra furry once a month, but otherwise you're just a bookworm with a pension for pranks." Fred grinned at the Marauders. "Oh, we know so much."
"Fred," Mia warned. "Be careful." She sighed as he rolled his eyes. "But I'm going to work on getting us back. We can't stay here. Can you imagine if Voldemort-," four flinches "Honestly boys, it's a name! Get over it!" She huffed before continuing. "Anyway, can you imagine what he would do if he knew there was someone with invaluable knowledge sitting right under his nose?"
"Okay…" Remus nodded. "So we get you two home."
"Yes, but I've got some… other things I have to do, too."
"Fine, okay, but we'll help you."
Mia nodded warily. She wasn't sure she could do it alone anyway.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
"I had an idea," Mia looked at Fred. They were still a bit rocky, but she honestly didn't feel like spending energy being mad at him, and he seemed to agree.
The five of them had decided to spend the night in the Room, since it was too late for her to introduce herself to her dorm mates, she had nowhere to go, and they refused to leave her. When the decision had been made, the Room had replaced the bookshelves with five large and comfortable beds, something Mia was extremely grateful for.
At about midnight, Mia had gotten up for hot cocoa and another muscle relaxer as the last one wore off early. They were now seated in the big chair, which could've fit three teenagers, talking quietly.
"That doesn't sound good," Fred joked.
"This is serious, Fred," Both of them waited, out of old habit from their time at Grimmauld Place that had been renewed by a younger Sirius, for the usual joke, but relaxed when it never came. Mia continued. "I think I found a way for Fabian and Gideon to survive."
Fred choked on his drink. "What?"
Mia patted his back gently and nodded. "We need to break into the DOM again. Preferably tonight."
"Sign me up," the redhead grinned brightly.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
Fred wasn't as enthusiastic as he had originally been. No, the idea of breaking into the DOM was a bad one at best, a suicidal one at worst. It hadn't been hard to leave Hogwarts and it was even easier to break into the Ministry. The DOM was guarded, but not very well. Mia had said it was guarded as well as the Ministry had been in the future.
What had broken his enthusiasm had been finding the Veil. Mia had been marking the doors as she went, leaving a note on each of them as she tried to find the Time room. She had opened the door to the Veil, and Fred felt sick. Which, he guessed, was better than how Mia was doing. She stared blankly at the Veil, a cold look in her eyes. She closed the door softly and marked it before moving on.
Five doors later, they found it. It was… less than impressive. It was literally just a room filled with a bunch of time turners in bins. Still, Mia surged forward and began sifting through them, glancing at them for a moment before putting them back and moving on.
"Hermione? What are you looking for, exactly?"
She grumbled a bit, leaning over into a large bin with her head and arm inside before standing up, her arm in the air victoriously. "I found it! The runes are special. I wanted to see if they had a rune for protection. They did." She waved a small hourglass at him and dropped the chain around her neck. "Can you apparate us out? I'm not feeling up to it."
OoOoOoOoOoOo
"So, what are you gonna do with it?"
They had slipped back into the Room silently and settled back down on the chair. He was facing her with an excited smile on his lips.
"I found a spell after requesting some books," she said, waving her hand to the small stacks of books the Room had provided. "I'm not sure how the Room had it, since time turners are so new in this time, but it did. The spell helps you remove and place the sands of time from the hourglass. If I can get two out safely, I can place it in something else, like a locket, and make a portkey. See? A timekey! And then, when they're attacked, they can just activate it like a portkey and they'll be sent to the future. Theoretically. Your mum will lose them for about eighteen years, but getting them back eventually is better than never."
"Blimey, Hermione, that's… that's bloody brilliant!" She grinned brightly at the praise. "How do you know it'll work?"
"Well, the sands are extremely volatile, so I think that when they're mixed with a spell, it'll be as extreme as an explosion. I just have to be careful setting the date."
Fred nodded before pausing, frowning to himself.
"What's wrong?"
"Well… it's just… couldn't that get us home too?"
Mia stared.
"Oh. Oh. They could!" She grinned. "You're right! Merlin, Fred, we can go home!"
OoOoOoOoOoOo
Septmber 13th, 1976
Mia stayed up all night studying the time turner, but by six in the morning, she decided to grab her things and make her way to Slytherin common rooms.
She was surprised to find everyone in her dorm awake when she got there, and she smiled brightly at them. "Hello! I've just transferred."
"You're Mia Potter," one girl said, raising an eyebrow. She nodded slightly. "I'm Marlene McKinnon."
Mia recognized that name. Sirius had told her about Marlene.
"Emmaline Vance," a voice called, and she looked up as a girl stepped out of the bathroom. She knew Emmaline, in the future. She was in the Order.
"Where's everyone else?" she wondered, looking around the curiously empty room. The girls shrugged.
"There's a lot of sixth year girls, so we have an extra dorm this year. It'll just be the three of us," Marlene answered kindly. Mia nodded and set her stuff down at the end of an empty bed. "Where'd you transfer from?"
"Oh," she blinked, looking over at them. "I was homeschooled."
"Why the change?" Emmaline wondered as she brushed out her hair gently. Mia shrugged, looking away from them.
"It just wasn't safe at home anymore."
They were all quiet for a few moments as Mia got settled. She was slightly uncomfortable, but she knew both of these girls were at least loyal to the light, which made her relax.
A sharp gasp brought her out of her thoughts, and she whipped around to see Emmaline covering her mouth with wide eyes of horror. "Mia, what is that?"
She blinked, following her gaze until it fell on her arm, where her sleeve had fallen up while shoving things in her bag. Her gut twisted as Marlene's attention fell to it as well.
"Great first impression," she sighed. Marlene stomped over, grabbing her arm gently to look at it angrily.
"Where the hell did you get that?"
"A Death Eater," she sighed, gently pulling her arm away from the girl.
"That's why you're not safe at home?" Emmaline whispered, horror lacing her voice. Mia just nodded, letting her assume. "Oh, Mia…"
"I'm fine," she sighed. "But we'll be late for class." And with that, she ducked out of the way and left the room, not running but quickly enough that they couldn't ask questions. They didn't follow, and she was grateful for that. She felt sick as she made her way through the halls. She was right though - it had gotten late, and it was nearly eight by the time she reached potions.
She glanced around the room and rolled her eyes as she noticed the boys missing - a fact which was quickly remedied as the Marauders barreled into the room, slamming into her and nearly sending her to the floor. Her descent was only stopped by a pair of arms catching her, and she smiled gratefully as she straightened. "Thank you, Regulus."
"They do that every day," he warned, pulling her over to her seat as the boys righted themselves. "At least, they have so far."
"You'd think they'd learn how to set an alarm clock," she sighed. He gave her a small smile.
"Friends with them?" he wondered as she glanced at them while they finally took their seats. She looked back at him.
"I am, or at least James, Remus, and Sirius. But I have no ulterior motives for wanting to be your friend, I promise you that."
It was a lie, in a way. She wanted to save him.
He looked at her for what felt like a few of the longest moments ever before nodding. "Alright."
OoOoOoOoOoOo
"Kitten." She turned to see Sirius walking towards her and Regulus. She'd felt his eyes on her the entire time, and she'd heard the outraged whispers when he noticed her. Class was over, and most people had left, but Mia and Regulus had stayed behind to help Slughorn put away materials. James had gone with Remus and Peter to talk to Slughorn and put away his own perfectly brewed potion.
"Yes, Sirius?"
"What are you doing with him?" Sirius spat. Regulus flinched a little, but she seemed to be the only one that noticed.
"He's my partner, and my friend. He's helping my catch up."
"I thought I was your friend," Sirius frowned, looking hurt.
"I didn't realize I was limited to one friend only. What if James thought I was his friend, or Remus? It'll break their hearts," she rolled her eyes. "Not to mention Fred. I've known him for years."
"I just mean…" Sirius sighed, frustrated. "That's my brother."
"Really?" she blinked in mock surprise. "Regulus Black… huh, I see it now."
"You know who he is, and you still want to be friends with him?" Sirius asked, getting more upset. "Don't you know who he is? What he is?"
Regulus flinched, and Mia's anger soared. "Don't you ever think, Sirius Black, that I don't know well enough to pick my own friends. Didn't it occur to you that I, of all people, know who I can trust? Or do you want me to judge you on the sins of your mother? Your father? Bloody Bellatrix?"
Sirius paled slightly, and she didn't miss the way his eyes slipped to her arm. She glared deeply as he continued regardless. "I'm not like them, but he is, Mia! He's done things, too! He's a bloody death eater!" Sirius pointed aggressively to Regulus's left arm, but Mia grabbed Sirius's and twisted it hard.
"You think this world is white and black, good and bad, Death Eater and not. It isn't. Don't you dare assume I don't know what I'm doing! And don't you dare ever lift a finger towards him again - he's done nothing to you. That's a warning. I suggest you listen." Her voice was the sort of calm that gave both brothers shivers, and Sirius took a step back to look at her, twisting his arm out of her grip in a way that had to hurt, though he didn't show it.
"I thought you were smarter than that, Mia." His words were sharp and angry and slightly sad, like he'd been let down. Mia's eyes widened as she heard him insult her intelligence.
"You insulted Regulus. You lifted a hand toward him to do god knows what. Then you insulted me, but worse than insulting me, you insulted my intelligence. I thought you were smarter than that, Sirius." And as he'd seen her do before, he silently and wandlessly used magic, but this time to hex him. With an angry wave of her hand, his head began to grow. It grew and grew until it looked like a bobble head, unable to control the perpetual nodding of his now inflated head. James, Remus, and Peter got back just in time to see her hex him and stared on, mouths open and in shock.
Mia waved for Regulus to follow, who'd been staring between her and her brother silently, and stomped from the room, quietly trekking through the castle until they reached the Room. When they were inside, she slammed the door shut and began pacing angrily.
"I can't believe him! Absolutely horrible. He's got no right-,"
"Who the hell are you?" Regulus demanded softly. She felt a familiar tug in her mind and slammed up her walls.
"I'm a friend," she sighed, slowing down to lean against the back of the couch and look at him. "I want to help you."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean…" she shrugged. "I mean I know you don't like where you're at in life. I know what you've done, and I want… to save you, I suppose."
"Save me." She nodded. "I don't need saving."
"Voldemort," she began, ignoring his flinch. "Doesn't care about blood purity. He cares about power. He will torture and murder anyone for any reason. He'll ask you to do despicable things for him, and tell you it's really an honor to do them. He'll destroy you, and I really don't think you wanted to be there at all."
"I'm not-,"
"It's okay," she muttered. "I'm not going to tell anyone."
He stared at her for a long moment. "Sirius looked at your arm… are you…?"
She blinked. "What? No. It's just… it's just a scar." He stared, unbelieving, so she moved her sleeve up enough to show the scar, but not what it was. He nodded and fell silent. She waited.
"Okay."
"Okay?"
"Yes. You want to help me, then help me, Little Lion."
She scowled. "I don't like nicknames."
He laughed softly. "That's too bad."
OoOoOoOoOoOo
Sirius stomped into the Gryffindor common room looking angry and guilty. Fred glanced up and saw a myriad of emotions across the Marauders faces. James was amused, and Remus looked upset, while Peter just looked… confused.
"What the hell happened? Where's Mia?" As he said her name, he realized whatever had happened probably had to do with her. He'd only ever seen such interesting expressions on Harry and Ron after she argued with Ron and he'd been hexed. Oh, this should be good.
"She ran off with a bloody Death Eater," Sirius growled. Fred's eyes widened, startled.
"What?"
"What he means," Remus said calmly. "Is that Mia is with his brother, Regulus." It didn't clear much up for the redhead. He'd never heard much about Regulus aside from the fact that he was Sirius's brother and that they weren't close.
"I'm sure she's fine. Why is he so angry? Even if something happened, she's held her own against five of them at once before, and that's just what I've seen. I don't know since they left home." His mind drifted back to what she'd told him of the battle of the DOM. Death Eaters had ambushed them and were all over. Ginny, Luna, and Neville had battled together. Harry had run ahead, and Ron was attacked by… brains. She told him that before she could help her friends, Death Eaters had surrounded her, and she'd been forced to fight alone, everyone else having moved on. It was only when the Order arrived that she'd had any chance of finding Harry. She had made it out of that fight with one scar and more anger than pain.
He realized with a start that the Marauders were staring at him in wonder. "What?"
"She… took on five Death Eaters at once?" Sirius asked, his eyes wide.
"Yeah. She didn't have much of a choice. Would've died, otherwise." Fred frowned, thinking of his little brother. He spoke quietly now. "Her friends would've died."
"She sounds amazing," Peter said, smiling. Fred shook himself and forced a smile.
"That she is, Pete. Incredible." He said honestly. "But what happened?"
James spoke before Sirius had the chance. "Not sure. I think they fought. When we got there, he had a growing head and she left with Regulus." Fred cringed. He'd seen that before, and he knew why. Only Madame Pomfrey had ever been able to remove that hex.
"Did you insult someone she considers hers, or did you insult her intelligence?" He asked, looking at Sirius. The boy frowned, confused.
"What do you mean, someone she considers hers?"
"Well… she's possessive. She gets close to someone, and they're hers. She forms bonds with people pretty quick," he shrugged. "Take Harry, for example. He was hers. When someone insulted or threatened him, she used the bobble head hex. Did it once for me, even, during the uproar against Umbridge. The bird was lucky that old toad didn't know who it was, or I imagine she'd meet the blood quill, too. Still, I bet she'd do it for you three, too."
"Why not me?" Peter pouted. Fred rolled his eyes.
"She hasn't met you yet."
"Oh, yeah."
"Hold on," James interrupted, frowning at Fred. "What did you say about a blood quill?"
"Oh. Well, there's this ministry toad that took over DADA in my seventh year, her fifth year, and she was… awful. She used blood quills in detention with Harry, and used Veritaserum on students. She tried to crucio Harry, too, but Mione interrupted her."
"That's illegal," James gaped. "How was she allowed to do that?"
"Fudge didn't really care," Fred shrugged. "Let's get back to the issue at hand. What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything!" Sirius huffed, crossing his arms. "I just… well... Oh, shit."
"What'd you do?"
"I called her stupid for being friends with Regulus," he sighed. "I didn't mean to. It's just that anyone who knows someone is a death eater and still willingly spends time with them is one too or isn't too bright."
"Or," Fred rolled his eyes. "She knows something you don't about him, and you just fucked up."
Sirius paled. "Maybe I should find her and apologize."
Fred nodded a little, standing up. "I'll come with you. Might be able to help."
OoOoOoOoOoOo
"I'm not sure I can be saved, Mia."
She looked over at him quietly. They'd sat next to each other on the couch and were silent for a while. Her eyes fell on his arm, and she reached gently for it. She tugged his sleeve up slowly, and he stiffened but said nothing. She touched the lines gently, her fingers warm on the most hated part of his body. "You can be saved, Regulus," she whispered, rubbing his arm gently. It sent tingles down his entire body. "I promise. And I promise I'll be the one to do it."
It was silent after that as he thought. They sat there together and he continued to push on her Occlumency walls as she pushed back. She had a feeling he could easily bust through them if she slipped even a little bit, so she put all of her focus into her mind. Eventually, Regulus stopped pushing and just traced lines on her hand, the one that still rested on his arm.
"Why me?"
"Because," she began carefully. "You're the only one I truly trust. You just don't belong there in this very special way."
"What do you mean?" He frowned at her, turning to look in her deep brown eyes.
"I mean you won't be the only one I save, but you'll be the only one I trust like this, Regulus. I… I would trust you with my life."
And, looking back, Regulus would realize that it was the moment he truly gave in and let himself trust her.
"Why do you want to save us, though? What's the point?"
"Because you don't deserve to be stuck," she sighed, shaking her head. "You don't deserve this utter darkness."
He nodded a little, watching her big, golden brown eyes stare right back. "I think I'm glad I met you, Mia Potter."
She smiled brightly, a smile that was only meant for him. "And I am forever grateful that I've had this… unique opportunity to meet you, Regulus Black."
OoOoOoOoOoOo
Mia had sat with Regulus for another hour before they both had to leave for class. She didn't actually care that much about her classes, but she wanted to make some appearances, even if she didn't always show up.
She gave him a hug and a peck on the cheek before disillusioning herself and running straight to Runes. She knew he wasn't in the class, but she didn't want to run the risk of running into Sirius.
When she arrived at class, she dropped the spell and walked in. Unsurprisingly, she was the first one there. She also wasn't surprised when Remus walked in barely a minute after her. He gave her a gentle smile, walking over and sitting next to her.
"They've been looking for you."
Mia quirked an eyebrow. "Not you?"
Remus shrugged. "Fred said it'd be better if it were just him and Sirius." Mia sighed. Of course Fred was helping him.
"I refuse to stop being his friend, Remus. I don't give a shit what Sirius thinks of his brother. He's my friend and that's not going to change. I won't stop being Sirius's friend, either, as long as he gets his head out of his ass."
"Ah, but he loves putting it there," Remus smiled. "I think it's great that you're friends with him. Besides, Fred pointed out that if you were with him, you probably knew more than Sirius. Then he told us that if Regulus tried to attack you, you could very well hold your own. I agree, by the way, having been disarmed by you so quickly." He winked. "I trust you, Mia."
She smiled back at him, relaxing a little. "Thanks, Remus. I've always trusted you, present and future alike." She paused. "Would you like to know something about yourself?"
Remus nodded, raising an eyebrow.
"You were our DADA professor in third year," she grinned as his eyes widened. "Best one we had."
"You're kidding."
"Not at all, Professor Lupin."
He groaned loudly, wondering if he'd ever lose the name.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
When Runes was over, Mia and Remus had established a comfortable friendship, one that made Mia extremely happy. They walked out together, standing close, only to be ambushed halfway down the hall by Fred and Sirius, who pulled them both to an empty classroom that looked like it hadn't been used in a century.
"Would - you - let - go!" Mia sputtered, screaming at Fred. She was stiff as she held her hands in fists, resisting the urge to pull her wand. She could understand, sort of, why Sirius would think it was a good idea, but not Fred. He'd known she was in the middle of the war. Hell, he'd seen her broken because of it. She smacked his arm hard as they closed the door and he released her, which was, in retrospect, his own mistake. She pulled her arm up and slapped him, a cracking sound resonating within the room when her hand made contact with his arm.
"Ow! Bloody hell, woman, that hurt!" Fred yelled at Mia, rubbing his arm. She glared darkly at him.
"You really thought it'd be a good idea to ambush me in the hall and grab me?" She shook her head angrily. "I was in the middle of a fucking war, Fred! You might as well have ambushed Mad Eye!" He paused, looking sorry for the first time since they'd entered the room. Before he could bite out an apology, she turned to Sirius. "What the hell do you two want?"
Remus quietly put up a silencing charm around the room before moving next to Mia in a silent offer of support and resigned himself to be referee if things got out of hand… again.
Sirius looked at her with a mixture of shame and sadness. "We wanted to- er, I wanted to talk to you."
Mia huffed, crossing her arms. "Make it quick."
"Er, right, well I wanted to apologize."
"For?"
Sirius winced. She wasn't going to make this easy for him. He needed to know exactly why she was upset with him.
"For insulting Reg and… your intelligence. Just generally assuming I know better."
After a long moment, Mia nodded. "You're right - Reg is a Death Eater. But he hates it, and you'd do well to remember what I said. The world isn't black and white, good or evil." She paused, considering her words.
"Sirius, I've killed for this war." She saw Sirius straighten, and she felt Remus shift beside her. She'd not spoken directly about what she'd done, and she didn't want to, but there were things he needed to understand. "I have ended a life. I have blood on my hands. I just… don't regret it." She sighed as she watched the look on his face.
"It's not something I wanted to do, or want to do again, but it's necessary, because that's what war is. You… haven't been pushed into it, not the way I have. I was always going to be a part of it, even if I hadn't met Harry." She ran her fingers through her hair shortly. "War is nothing without Death. The good guys, the bad guys, we all kill. It's not good and bad or black and white. If you're in the middle of the war, your white turns… grey. It just becomes harder and harder for normal people, yourself included, to decipher who is good, because, in all honesty, we can't tell, either."
She looked at Sirius pleadingly. "So stop assuming. Train yourself to look for who is mostly good, beyond what's obvious. Look for mostly okay instead of good, because… you just won't find it."
She stared at him quietly for a moment before she waved her wand at the door and took down the spells, leaving in a much darker mood than when she'd entered.
OoOoOoOoOoOo