November 21st, 1976
Mia stared at Sirius in silence. He was watching her carefully, and she could see the gears turning in his head.
"Wanna say that again?"
"We need to do a blood bonding ritual."
"So, I did hear you right. You are insane."
Mia had found the ritual in the days she'd been forced into rest. It had rested in one of the books Regulus had gotten from Grimmauld Place. She knew it was dark magic, but she didn't care. "It's important, Sirius. I know how serious - don't do it - I know how serious what I'm asking is, but I know what I'm doing. Do you trust me?"
"With my life," he said immediately. She gave him a sad smile. His life was exactly why she needed to do this to begin with. "Look, Mia, it's not that I don't trust you. It's just… when James and I were younger, we kinda did a blood brothers thing. So you'd be bonded to him, too."
She shrugged. It didn't bother her at all. "That's fine. He's already my brother." Sirius shook his head, sighing.
"Fine. I hope you know what you're doing, Mia."
She grinned brightly at him and kissed his cheek. "I do. I did a lot of research to find this bond." She led him into the circle she had drawn on the floor. It was covered in runes and very carefully placed. There were odd candles on the outside of the circle, and she smacked his hand when he moved to touch one. "Don't touch anything. This took me hours to set up."
She had him stand on one side of the circle and placed herself across from him. She grabbed his hand and twisted it until it was palm up in the middle of the circle. Pulling out her wand, she waved it over Sirius's hand, muttering in a language he didn't recognize. The entire thing, he was certain, was deep, dark magic, but he knew it had to be important if she were dipping into the darker magicks. He remembered the book she'd pulled out on her first day of class and trusted that she was informed enough to handle a bond like the one she was making.
She looked at him and nodded at the knife in her hand. She was shaking a little, but she managed to hold steady as she pressed it into his hand and sliced it open until there was a small pool of blood. She turned his hand over silently, squeezing his blood onto two runes only.
She then cleaned off the knife and handed it to Sirius, pointing quietly at the runes for her. Nodding, he repeated what she'd done, though she could see him wince as he split her skin open. She tilted her hand over and let the blood drip onto the right runes before turning to Sirius.
"Do you, Sirius of the House Black, Heir to the House Black, bond yourself to me, Mia Potter of House Potter, for all eternity?" Mia asked, staring at the boy in front of her. She'd written Dorea and asked her if, in binding rituals, she needed to use her old name or her new one. According to the woman, magic would accept both, but any rituals would be stronger when bound to an Ancient and Noble House, and since Mia had been taken into the House, she was free to use it.
"I do."
"Through the Veil of Death, will you heed my call for all eternity?" Sirius shivered at her words, his eyes wide.
"I will."
Mia waved him on and they repeated the vows in reverse, Mia promising the same as he had. She doubted they'd need it, but it was always good to have a backup.
The circle glowed a dark blue color and they both felt something around their wrists, like a tight bracelet, being burned into their skin. It lasted a few minutes and then it was gone, along with the blue light, leaving behind a thin black circle on both of their wrists that resembled a muggle tattoo.
They stood there, staring at each other for a long minute before Mia grinned brightly. "Thank you."
OoOoOoOoOoOo
"You did what?"
"Ow, Severus, not so loud," Mia winced, rubbing her temples. She'd had a headache from the magical drain the ritual had caused. It technically called for three people - the two being bonded, and then one to bond - but Mia had refused to involve anyone else, and she knew she was powerful enough to handle it regardless.
"You bound yourself to Sirius Black," he repeated, staring at her with wide eyes. Avery was sat to Mia's left, examining her wrist quietly.
"Mia," Avery spoke slowly. "This resembles a very dark ritual. What did you do?"
"Probably the one you're thinking of," she shrugged. "And I'm extremely exhausted from it, so if you could lower your voice, Sev, that'd be wonderful." Both boys stared at her for a long moment, making her fidget uncomfortably. "What?"
"Did you do the ritual yourself?" Avery asked carefully. She nodded, shrugging.
"I know it calls for three, but I can handle it, and I didn't want anyone to be involved in the dark magic if they didn't have to be. They didn't."
"Merlin," Severus said. Avery nodded. She looked between them.
"I didn't think it was that big of a deal," she said, nervously picking at her robes. "Do you think it messed up the ritual?"
"No, this looks right," Avery answered, shaking his head. "But it just means you're… much more powerful than you probably think."
"Why?"
"Well," he seemed to struggle deciding what to say. "The last person that tried bonding a blood binding ritual while being part of it had their core completely drained during the ritual since she was using the core as she was binding it to someone else's. It killed her."
Mia reeled, silent as she processed his words. "I'm just tired. My head hurts, sure, but I'm not… I don't feel near death or anything."
"Well, I suddenly feel even more confident in your abilities," Avery told her truthfully. "I don't think the Dark Lord could even do that."
Mia sat quietly, processing the new information as her friends turned back to their homework.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
December 4th, 1976
Mia was walking with her boys to the pitch before the game started. She was wearing Regulus's jersey happily, and only got a few odd looks for wearing a Slytherin jersey and walking with the Gryffindors.
She'd kissed her boyfriend good luck earlier that day and had separated to support her other friends as he went to the pitch for an early morning practice. She had one arm linked through Sirius's and the other through James's, grinning happily as she walked with them, joking and talking quietly. Remus was the commentator for the season, so he was already in the box with McGonagall, going over the rules that he'd promptly ignore, just as every commentator did.
When they reached the locker rooms, Mia gave her boys a peck on the cheek each, wished them luck, and then separated from them. Fred had gotten a last minute spot as a beater when one of them had been pulled quickly from school - something that was happening more lately, like in Mia's original sixth year. She made her way to the Slytherin stands and found Avery and Severus. They separated, forcing her to sit between them. Rolling her eyes at their dramatic concern for her safety, she sat down and smiled. She was bouncing in her seat in secretive excitement by the time the teams reached the pitch. James, Gryffindor captain, stood in front of McNair, the Slytherin captain, and shook his hand roughly.
The game started quickly, and Mia smiled, hearing Remus commentating. "And the quaffle is in the air! Gryffindor chaser James Potter catches it and passes to Longbottom. Longbottom catches it and… he throws it and scores!" The crowd cheered loudly.
The game continued on easily until Mia saw the Gryffindor seeker, John Travers, straighten and stare ahead at something. He'd found the snitch. She glanced at the boys next to her and grinned before raising her wand and silently muttering the necessary charm to enact the spell she'd carefully woven in the night before, shrouded in darkness and modified muggle repelling charms, making it work like a ward so no one saw her.
The effect was instantaneous. The Gryffindor stands were yelling in anger as they looked at their robes, which were now green and silver. Slytherin burst into laughter or clapped, along with a few from Ravenclaw and even fewer from Hufflepuff. All of the players, including the Gryffindor seeker - the intended target - all spared a look at the stands. By the time he looked back for the snitch, it had disappeared into the sky once more.
"They're gonna kill me for this," she laughed brightly as Sirius spotted her in the stands and raised an eyebrow, looking annoyed and amused.
"You have no self preservation, Sano," Avery sighed, though he, too, looked to be enjoying her fun.
"And it looks like Regulus Black has spotted the snitch! Black sends a bludger - Sirius Black, that is - at his brother, but it's intercepted by Bulstrode and thrown back at Fred Potter and… Regulus Black has caught the snitch! Slytherin wins, 210 to 70."
OoOoOoOoOoOo
December 9th, 1976
Mia turned into the large room where her friends would be waiting and stopped short at the sight in front of her. It was confused, a little blurry and she knew it was a boggart immediately, but she couldn't help the fear that crawled into her chest and made itself at home.
In front of her was Bellatrix Lestrange, wand out and pointed. She was laughing and screaming, but she stopped, shifting into something else. Suddenly, it was Dolohov, whispering in her ear, promising to hurt her and do whatever he wanted and waving his wand around, ready to curse her. She felt a sob build in her chest at the sight and backed up slowly, wrapping her arms around herself. The thing shifted once more into possibly the worst of the three.
On the floor were the bodies of Regulus, Avery, Severus, James, Lily, Remus, Sirius, Fabian, Gideon, Harry, Ron, and Fred. They were in a large pile and there was blood everywhere. She let out a scream and tried to run forward but was stopped by a pair of arms wrapping firmly around her. "No!" She screamed, struggling. "Let me go!" She gasped, a sob breaking through. "Regulus!"
"Mia!" Regulus called, his voice confusing her thoroughly. She stared at his body, bloody on the ground. "Mia, it's not me. Hey, turn around. I'm okay."
"Regulus," she whimpered. He held her tight to his chest and turned her around as Severus walked in and quickly got rid of the boggart, shivering at the sight in front of him.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
"I'm not upset," Mia sighed, annoyed. It had taken her nearly an hour to calm down completely back to normal, and when she had, they'd explained what happened.
Regulus had previously wondered about the bracelets they shared and whether they alerted them to perceived threats or to real, current attacks. He didn't want to put her in danger, though, so he'd found a boggart - which were, while frightening, essentially harmless - and placed it in the room for her to find. He'd realized that the bracelets didn't, in fact, inform one another of a perceived threat, but was then horrified to find her breaking down at the sight of her loved ones dead bodies.
"I'm serious," she promised. "It was something we needed to know. If you'd told me about the plan, I don't know if I'd have been as afraid."
"I'm sorry," he whispered again, still peppering kisses across her face. She let him. She'd forgiven him, but it was his turn to forgive himself.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
December 11th, 1976
"Yaxley and McNair will be given the Mark over the break," Avery whispered.
"Mm." Mia was flipping through a book of runes, frustrated.
"There will likely be attacks throughout the holiday. I suggest you be careful and ensure you go nowhere alone."
"Mmhm," she responded absently, reading a page closely.
"Sano, are you paying attention?" Avery asked, gently pulling the book from her hands just as she finished reading it.
"Huh? Of course," she lied badly. She looked across the room at Severus and Regulus who were spread out, finishing their homework. "Boys, come here. I think I've found something."
Her Slytherins walked over, plopping down in the chairs next to Avery, who was across from her, separated by a small table.
"Take your shirts off, all of you." Regulus and Avery took theirs off quickly, as they all knew she was looking for something that had to do with them, but Severus hesitated. She gave him a small, kind smile of encouragement and he took his off reluctantly. Avery wasn't surprised at the scars on his housemates chest and back, but he saw the look of rage and horror on their leader's face. She didn't say anything, though, but only drew her wand and pointed it at her boyfriend.
"Ready to be my guinea pig, love?" She asked with an evil grin.
He narrowed his eyes at her. "I trust you." She placed a kiss on his cheek and started muttering an incantation. When she was done, she drew a paw print on his torso, small and just on top of his ribs. It glowed for a minute before it settled in and turned the same matte black color that resembled tattoo looking bond that was on her wrist. She stepped back to look at her handiwork before pulling up her shirt a little to see the same mark in the same spot on her, ignoring the way Avery glanced at some of the more obvious scars that showed for the brief moment.
The paw print was small and looked like a tattoo on his ribs, but if someone of the Light - in Dumbledore's Order - touched their wand to it, they'd know he was on their side. Mia had taken the idea to Dumbledore, and he'd approved greatly after she insisted it wouldn't change a thing, stating the clear need for spies and his want to save souls. He told her he'd get the news out to the Order and to make sure she did it before break.
She waved Severus over and repeated the process, once more feeling her own ribs burn slightly before it faded as his did, too. She gave him a small smile and a peck on the cheek before she pulled Avery over as well. He stood still as she did the same to him. When she was done, her soft smile made him abruptly remember why he was doing this. He saw how alive she was, and realized that it was people like her that made life worth living.
He hadn't come to her to find a friend, or family, but he'd gotten both, and it made him feel a little better about the otherwise hopeless world around him.
"Thank you, Sano," he said quietly, his voice thick with emotion and nearly a whisper.
She turned to him, shock written on her face. "It should be me thanking you. I literally couldn't do any of this without the three of you."
"Without you, I'm not sure it'd be worth doing, Sano."
OoOoOoOoOoOo
December 21st, 1976
"Mia, are you purposefully trying to make us miss the train, or are you just really bad at managing your time?" Sirius asked impatiently.
"Shush. I have something for you, and it's important that I give it to you now." She said, shoving a black box with a silver bow into his hands. He grinned at her cheekily.
"You didn't have to get me anything, kitten."
"Yes, I did, Sirius. Now open it," she demanded, the seriousness in her voice surprising him. He did as she said and opened it, pulling out a beautiful but plain silver chain. "It's a portkey to Potter Manor. I made it last night. It'll take you straight there - through the wards since you've been keyed in since you were eleven - as long as you're wearing it and say Portus."
"Mia, I don't know what to say." He slipped it onto his neck and hugged her tightly. "I love it." She hugged him back close, breathing in the smell of him.
"Just promise me you'll wear it," she asked. He nodded a little as they separated, his fingers moving to find it and fiddle with it.
"I'm never taking it off, kitten," he said sincerely. "I promise."
She smiled gratefully and made her way to the train, separating from him to sit with her Slytherin boys for a while. She still needed to give Regulus his, and Sirius had been right - they were running pretty late. She slipped into the compartment that held her boyfriend and friends and sat happily on the bench with Regulus, tossing her legs onto his lap. She reached into her robes and pulled out another box, the same black with a silver bow and handed it to her boyfriend. He took it gratefully and opened it as she explained what it was.
"It'll set you outside of the wards, since you've never been there, but Dorea said she'd have an elf looking out for you and that you're always welcome there." She gave him a soft smile. "I know you probably won't use it, but if you're in a lot of danger, or you need somewhere to go… it's there."
He accepted it gratefully, placing it around his neck. She smiled happily at the sight and leaned her head back, closing her eyes.
It was barely a half hour of silent travelling before a question occurred to her - one that she'd been meaning to ask for months. "Hey, isn't anyone suspicious about you three hanging out with me while I hang out with James and Sirius and them?"
Regulus shared a look with his friends before shrugging. "We just told them you were our little spy in their group. No one cares."
She laughed brightly. "That's brilliant."
OoOoOoOoOoOo
Mia was sprawled across the bench on the train, her head in Remus's lap as he read to her and stroked her hair. They had become comfortable together, and had established a kind, close friendship based in safety - he became a place she could go to just calm down, or even rant about things he didn't understand and then lie there as he read to her afterwards. It was something she cherished greatly.
Now, he could smell the anxiety on her. So, he had tugged her down and began reading where they left off in some obscure muggle book that neither of them had ever seen before. Every once in a while, Mia would interject, commenting on some confused grammar or how outdated the ideology of the book was, and Remus would smile to himself and agree wholeheartedly with her.
Eventually, Remus thought Mia was nearly asleep when she sighed and opened her eyes, looking up at him. "You have a mate." Remus blinked at her.
"I have a what?" he asked, startled.
"You have a mate. You're older than her, but when you finally get over yourself and finally get together… Merlin, Remus, you're so happy. It's a forever kind of thing, and I love watching you two together. You balance each other out… literally," she laughed softly, though there was sadness in her eyes. "She's rather clumsy. You catch her a lot."
"I… I have a mate," he said incredulously. "But… what about-,"
"You do not infect her, Remus," Mia said impatiently. "You take necessary precautions to keep her safe. Besides, you couldn't hurt her if you wanted to. It's just how mates work."
"I'm… happy?"
Mia nodded hard. "You are so happy."
"Why are you telling me this?" he asked, frowning.
"Because I wanted to see someone have hope."
OoOoOoOoOoOo
December 23rd, 1976
"Dorea, you don't have to do this."
"Of course I do. Now go on. We only have an hour before we need to get home." Dorea gave the girl a loving smile and patted her on the shoulder, sending her away to the shop.
The two had grown close over the time they'd been there, owling constantly. Since Dorea and Charlus had figured out their circumstances, Dorea had become her confidant in as much as she could, excluding anything to do with James or Sirius. They'd easily grown attached to each other, and Dorea had confided that she felt as if Mia had always been her daughter. The words had made Mia emotional, especially considering she'd permanently Obliviated both of her parents before the war.
With a bag of money inside her beaded bag that Dorea and Charlus had insisted she take, she made her way through Diagon Alley, looking around for the gifts she needed. She'd explained to them everything she needed, and they'd easily given her the money, stating that anything that was important to her, was important to them, too.
She made her way into a goblin jewelry store and placed her order, which was large, but she paid extra and was assured it'd be ready the next day and sent to her through owl post, along with seven identical and already made rings.
Satisfied with that, she made her way over to Ollivanders and smiled kindly at the harried wizard, who looked exactly the same as he had when she'd seen him before she left, except much healthier. She made her way with as little conversation as possible, picking out everything she needed - wand holsters and a second wand for herself - and paying for it quickly before escaping, her breath quickening. He, unfortunately, had served as a great reminder of Malfoy Manor and she felt panic rising.
She was tense as she made her way quickly through the bustling stores. Her wand dropped abruptly into her hand as someone grabbed her wrist and pulled hard. As she fell into a small alley between two stores, she shoved her wand into their face, pushing hard until they were backed against the wall.
"Sano!" the person called. She paused, taking a deep breath. She felt herself shaking badly as they put their hand on her arm and gently pushed it down. She let them, closing her eyes to calm her breathing. "I'm sorry. I tried to warn you, but you didn't pay attention."
"What are you talking about?" She asked, opening her eyes hesitantly. Avery was staring at her nervously, looking concerned for her. She pushed down the annoyance and waved him on as he hesitated.
"You were marking us," he explained. "I was speaking to you as you looked through the book, but you weren't listening. I didn't get a chance since, and I thought you'd heard. There's to be an attack today. Now."
"Fuck," she whispered, looking around. She knew Dorea and Charlus had made their way to Gringott's and hoped that they stayed there long enough to stay out of danger. "Okay. Thank you."
"I did not mean to startle you," he said slowly. "The raid is in an hour. If you call the aurors, they can evacuate in time."
"Yes, of course," she agreed, ignoring his apology. "I'll call Fabian and Gideon."
"Are you okay?" he asked bluntly, looking her over. She shrugged self consciously. He'd caught her in a bad moment, but she knew she was still shaking. Ever since Regulus had figured it out, she'd been much stricter in taking her potions, but she still found herself shaking and in pain if she didn't. She'd taken one that morning, but it had been nearly eight hours, and it was almost worn off.
"I'm fine," she sighed. "Look, I need to get a message to Fabian. I'll see you at the ball, okay?"
Avery agreed reluctantly, watching as she ran through the crowd toward the bank, his nerves on fire.
Why did that small woman have to worry him so much?
OoOoOoOoOoOo
December 24th, 1976
In the end, Mia had reached Dorea and Charlus waiting in line still at the bank and quietly informed them of the situation. She'd already stopped to send Fabian, Gideon, and Dumbledore messages, and once the three had arrived at Potter Manor, Charlus sent out more messages, one of which went to Mad Eye Moody, much to Mia's relief, as she knew he lead a great many aurors at the moment.
Charlus informed her later that night that because of the warnings she'd received, no one had been hurt, and they'd even been able to capture at least four Death Eaters. With that victory in mind, she relaxed, smiling as she heard a tapping on her window. She opened it quietly and pulled the package away, handing the bird some bacon she'd broken into pieces and saved for that exact occasion. The bird accepted it gratefully and flew away quickly into the storm.
Turning to her package, she took a deep breath as she opened it. There were eleven separately wrapped rings, all in small, velvet boxes which were, in turn, inside of velvet bags.
She pulled all of them open and set them on her desk, looking down in satisfaction. The rings she ordered were made specially by goblins to absorb and trap magic or anything that had magic, the same way the Gryffindor sword had absorbed and kept the properties of the basilisk venom.
After organising the rings, she looked at the first two in the line. They were nearly the same, a rich red and gold and black down the middle, but one had a stripe of brown mixed in and the other had purple. Those two went to Fabian and Gideon.
There was another pair that were similar. They were each black, outlined in silver, but one had a red stripe down the middle, while the other had green. Those two went to Sirius and Regulus respectively.
Another ring was smaller - less like a class ring and smaller, more feminine in nature. It was a soft pink and a beautiful rich red with blue mixed in, reminding Mia of spring flowers. That ring went to Lily.
One was rather simple, a Gryffindor red and gold, and it went to James.
The next one was a soft brown with an earthy green and blue, which was meant for Remus.
After that was a beautiful emerald mixed with silver and a subtle plum. It would go to Severus.
Then was a soft silver with dark blue and a deep green gems spotted through it, and that was for Avery.
The last two were for Mia and Fred. Mia's was smaller, like Lily's, and it was a beautiful, pastel purple with a deep blue and a silver that matched Sirius and Regulus's eyes. Fred's was a deeper purple with a brilliant orange wrapped around it.
She spent a few minutes casting different spells on the rings for protection - each ring would function as a shield, giving the owner easy access to their wand while protecting themselves. They would also absorb any dark magic sent at them that she could manage. It wouldn't handle Unforgivables, but it would take care of at least a few common dark spells. After placing the protections on the rings, she turned all of them into portkeys and sat down, satisfied with her work.
Mia sighed and worried her lip between her teeth, putting the rings away. She remembered the night when Sirius told her she couldn't save everybody. She'd not been able to forget it. Was he right? She didn't want her work to be for nothing, and she didn't know if she could handle losing everyone.
She shook away the thoughts, sifting through her bags and bringing out some more things to wrap. She'd let the house elf, Tilly, take most of it after arguing for ten minutes. She'd been left shocked as the small elf skipped out of the room happily, holding her gifts in her arms and whistling. She'd gained an appreciation and healthy fear of the little thing, and decided to let her do whatever she wanted. She'd spoken with Dorea about house elves and the woman had explained in depth the bond the elves needed in order to survive, and had sent along books as well that told her exactly the same thing. She'd relaxed after that, but she still wanted to do things for herself if she could.
After wrapping the few gifts she'd hidden from Tilly, she made her way over to James's room and plopped onto his bed, finding Fred and James playing exploding snap by the window.
"How can you play that after what happened last time?" Mia asked, wrinkling her nose at the sight. Fred spared her a quick glance before turning back.
"Well, are you gonna come stand over here with the time turner?" he rolled his eyes. "Maybe we could go visit my grandparents when they were in school."
Mia ignored him, laying flat on the bed. Her mood had been slowly declining all day, anxious and worried about Sirius.
Ten minutes later, Fred looked up at the bed after the small explosion covered James's face in soot. He frowned, glancing at her hands gripping the edge of the bed so tightly that her knuckles were turning white from the pressure.
"Mia."
Nothing.
"Mia."
Nothing.
"Mione."
Nothing.
"Hermione!" He said loudly, causing her to jump and swear loudly. She looked over to him, frowning in annoyance.
"That's not my name anymore, Fred. How many times do I have to tell you?"
"Well, I tried using Mia, and you didn't hear me," Fred sighed, ignoring James's snickering.
"What do you need?" She asked, glaring at her brother, promptly silencing him.
"You're making yourself sick worrying," he told her gently. "I thought your fingers were gonna fall off if I didn't say anything." He smiled kindly as James pushed himself out of his chair and moved over to her, sitting down. She turned on the bed until her feet were hanging off the end and her head was in his lap.
"What's got you so worked up, Mia?" James asked, stroking her hair gently. He heard her mumble "nothing" and shook his head. "It's something. Can't you tell me?" He asked, and she looked up at him with a sad, dark look on her face.
"No."
James frowned but nodded, reaching out to grab her hand as Fred moved onto the bed too, moving behind them and lying down next to Mia. She rolled onto her back and James let himself fall back onto the bed so that they were all lying down but continued to gently pet her hair. "Look on the bright side, Mia. Tomorrow is Christmas!" James said, grinning like a kid. Mia gave him a faint smile.
"Yeah, it is." She paused. "And if you wake me before seven for less than a life or death situation, I will give Lily every bit of blackmail I have on you." She grinned. "Which is quite a lot, Jamie."
James rolled his eyes and reached over to poke her stomach. "I'll let you get your beauty sleep, don't worry, Mia Mine."
OoOoOoOoOoOo
"You filthy blood traitor!" Walburga wailed, waving aggressively at Bellatrix who then sent another long and painful Crucio at her young cousin. Sirius writhed in pain, his throat burning and raw from the silent screaming, his uncle having long ago silenced him. Regulus stood in the corner of the room, spending all of his energy making sure his expression was unreadable.
Bellatrix held the crucio for ten minutes before Orion told her to stop, looking irritated and possibly worried. "Are you ready now, boy?" Bellatrix asked impatiently. They'd been at it for an hour and Sirius was still as stubborn as ever.
Sirius spat blood at her, and Bellatrix, despite Orion's loud protests, screamed another crucio. He wondered when he'd begin to not feel it as much. His body was balled up in as tight of a circle as he physically could as he endured the torture, waiting for it to be over.
Another five minutes later and Cygnus scowled, pushing his daughter's wand to her side. "He isn't worth it, Walburga. Just blast him off the damn wall. Regulus here can carry on the Black legacy."
"Fine. He's no son of mine, damn blood traitor," Walburga muttered angrily, leaving the room, presumably to blast him off the family tree. Her husband and cousin followed and Bellatrix did as well, but not before throwing a few deep slicing hexes at Sirius. Eventually, it was just Sirius and Regulus in the room, and his brother ran to him, pulling his chain from his robes. Sirius looked at him darkly.
"Come with me."
"I-I can't," Regulus shook his head, his voice breaking. He pointed his wand at the chain around Sirius's neck and sent him away, blinking tears from his eyes. Sirius disappeared with a soft pop, and Regulus let himself fall to the ground, wishing more than anything to be with his brother.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
Mia felt a burning tug on her wrist and looked down, seeing the black line turn a bright gold. It took her a few minutes to understand, and she ripped the blanket off of herself and ran, stumbling down the stairs and into the drawing room where she found a bloodied and broken Sirius. She let out a sob and ran to him, falling to her knees and lifting him into her lap. "Sirius? Love, please look at me. Please, oh fuck, please look at me," she begged, holding him tightly against her, aware that it helped with the immediate after effects of the cruciatus. "Fuck- Jamie! Fred!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, trying to wake her boys.
When they got down there, they found her covered in Sirius's blood and gripping him, sobbing quietly. It broke her to see him like this, and she was painfully reminded of his death.
"M-Mia? Oh, shit…" James gasped, running next to her. "Tilly!" There was a pop and a house elf appeared, already holding a first aid kit.
"Mistress Mia already told Tilly and the others about tonight, she did. Told us to be ready, yes she did," the house elf explained, setting to work.
"Mia… you knew?" James asked, shocked. Mia nodded a little, her sobs growing louder with her guilt. Fred had disappeared up the stairs again to find Charlus and Dorea.
"I- I did everything I could, Jamie," she hiccuped quietly. "I gave him a portkey so- so he could come home, come get help." She was shaking as she held Sirius, refusing to let go. James moved to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as he watched his broken friend.
"You must've saved his life, Mia."
"Don't let him die again," she begged quietly to no one in particular.
Dorea flew down the stairs, Charlus at her heels. "Where is he? Where is my son?" She yelled, hysterical. Mia was startled by her desperation and was too surprised to fight when Charlus pulled Sirius's limp body from her arms. He moved immediately over to the fireplace and walked through it, disappearing to St. Mungo's.
Mia collapsed to the floor, staring at the blood soaked into her pyjamas and coating her arms. James moved forward after speaking quietly to Dorea and pulled her into a tight hug, Fred joining on the other side. The three sat there for a long time, nearly an hour, before someone suggested they try and get some more sleep. Unable to part, the group all made their way to James's room and laid on his bed together, silent but all worrying for their friend - their brother.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
"He died."
"James-,"
"Tell me about it," the boy asked. Mia gave him a long look.
"It was the battle of the DOM. The Order found out we'd gone, and they came to help. The only reason we were there…" she dug her nails into her palm, trying to distract from the pain. "Harry had been having nightmares, ones that could've been real. He saw Sirius being tortured, so we went. The Order came to help, but we- I was… being held back by Dolohov. He made me watch as Bellatrix cursed Sirius, knocking him into the Veil of Death." Her voice cracked. "He died. Do you… remember those days when I disappeared along with Sirius?"
James nodded slowly.
"Reg was trying to help me find a certain memory, and we stumbled on Sirius's death. I was… a mess. I don't remember much from those days. I just know both of them stayed with me."
James had flipped over and was watching her face as Fred slept silently on her other side. They were nose to nose now, and he wiped away some tears that had fallen while she spoke. "I can't imagine…"
"No, you can't, and I don't want you to try. Did Sirius tell you about the ritual that we did? That I asked him to do?"
"He just said you did a blood bond, like he and I."
"I assure you, it was nothing like yours. Jamie, I know I shouldn't have, but… I can't…"
"Mia, what did you do?" He asked carefully. She hadn't really told anyone outside of her Slytherins about the ritual, and no one else had recognized it.
"It was some… pretty dark magic. Most people use it to enslave other people, sometimes it's used in old pureblood marriage bonds, though it became illegal in 1836. He knew. I know he did. He let me do it. I just… I'm bringing him back, Jamie, when I get back home. I can't let him leave me like that. He can't die, James." She paused, staring at her brother. She couldn't save him. Could she? "James… I need to ask you a favor."
"Anything."
"No, it's serious. I need you to swear it on your magic."
"Mia?" He frowned at her deeply. "What is it?"
"There's going to be a point in your life… when Harry is a year old, that Voldemort finds you," she began. She knew she was too emotional, but she wasn't completely certain why this wasn't possible. "And he's going to kill you." She felt James still and began speaking quicker now to comfort herself and him both. "I have a way to save you. I need you to use it. Your family will survive as well. I promise." She felt bad lying. She knew Lily wouldn't survive - couldn't survive - but James could, and Harry deserved that. She deserved that.
James looked at her for a long moment. "I, James Charlus Potter, swear on my magic that when Voldemort finds me, I will save myself instead of dying."
Mia sagged in relief and pushed herself into his arms, tears flowing down her cheeks. "Thank you."
OoOoOoOoOoOo
December 25th, 1976
The three slept for two hours before they were woken by a tired but smiling Dorea. She got them dressed and fed quickly before rushing them over to the hospital to see a damaged but very much alive Sirius.
Mia was sitting on Sirius's left and holding his hand while James and Fred were on his right, James holding his hand and Fred touching his shoulder. They were all silent and tense as they sat with him. Charlus had gone home to contact Sirius's uncle, Alphard Black, about gaining custody of Sirius now that he'd been officially disowned.
Mia felt a small squeeze on her hand as Sirius opened his eyes slowly. "Sirius!"
"Hey there, kitten," he said quietly.
"Padfoot," James said at the same time as Fred. They shared a brief look before turning back to their friend, James speaking alone now. "How do you feel?"
"Like my insane cousin helped my mother try to kill me," he laughed weakly.
Mia winced.
"Sorry," he gave her a small smile. She knew how it felt to be tortured by that woman, and she didn't think she'd ever find jokes about it funny. She smiled back weakly before nodding at James and Fred.
"I'll go get Dorea and a nurse." She left quickly, leaving the three boys alone.
"My mother wanted me to-,"
"I know," James cut him off. "Mia told us."
"She… knew?"
James nodded sadly. "She was in a really bad place all day yesterday. I guess I get it now."
"That's why she gave Reg and I the portkeys… fuck," he groaned. "She knew, and she saved my life, Prongs."
"She thinks it's her fault," Fred told him sadly. "We tried telling her that she saved you, but she just said you shouldn't have gone through it to begin with."
"That's fucking stupid," Sirius scowled before his mind shifted to another matter. "Reg wouldn't come with me. He sent me home but he wouldn't come with."
"I'm sure he had a good reason, Padfoot."
"Maybe."
Mia walked back in with a large man and his mother - his adoptive mother, the one he called mum and loved with all his heart - in front of her. When everyone was in the room, she left again. Sirius let the nurse run his tests and shove potions down his throat while Dorea held his hand. When the nurse left, Dorea took a seat next to her son.
"Alphard delivered some papers for us to adopt you this morning."
"Good," he nodded firmly. "You've always been my mum."
"And you've always been my son. He's also setting up a trust for you and setting aside some of his own properties since he has no children of his own. You'll be well off, including the trust we've got for you."
"Thanks, mum."
"You're welcome, lovebug."
OoOoOoOoOoOo
"He's the third door on the left," Mia pointed to Remus.
"Aren't you coming too?" Remus frowned. Mia shook her head, releasing him from the hug. "Why?"
"You should go quickly. I don't know when the nurse will be back," she informed him, ignoring his question.
"Mia, why don't you want to see him?" She shrugged and he waved for her to sit down in the chairs behind them. "What's wrong?"
She sighed, moving her arm in front of him. Her wrist was still glowing slightly, and his eyes widened. "This is how I knew he'd gotten here. It was burning – it still is – and I knew he was dying. I found him, Remus. He was… it was so bad. And I could've stopped it all. I could've prevented it, but I let him go back to that hell without a warning."
"Mia… you've said you can't change anything. Besides, he's better off free of that house. He's always said that Mr. and Mrs. Potter were his real parents, and now that's legally true. He's better this way." He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close.
"I know. And I don't want to imagine what would've happened – what could happen, I guess – if he had gone back to Grimmauld Place. Have you ever been there?" He shook his head. "It's awful. It's like… it's like the entire place is one huge dementor."
"You've been there?"
"Yes. Sirius offered it to Dumbledore as headquarters for the Order and we all stayed there at the end of summer. It was horrible. He always looked like he was being… I don't know, suffocated?" She shook her head. "I've not been back in nearly a year. I don't think I ever want to go there again."
"Come see him with me, Mia. It's not your fault that this happened, and he knows that."
"You don't know that, Remus. What if he doesn't? What if he blames me?"
"You know this is Sirius we're talking about, right? He'd never blame you, even if it were your fault. You've got him wrapped around your finger, Mia."
"I don't know…"
"But I do. So, come on. Just go see him for a few minutes." Remus insisted.
"Fine." She said stiffly, standing up with him. She held his hand tightly and looked at him. "But if he blames me, I get to say I told you so."
"And if he doesn't, then I get to say it." She scowled and they walked toward the room, hand in hand in silent comfort.
Sirius looked up when the door opened and smiled, seeing Remus and Mia walking in together. He'd hoped his logical friend could talk her into seeing him. "Hey."
"How ya feeling, Pads?" Remus asked, sitting at the end of his bed. Mia stood next to him but far enough away that she could leave if he asked.
"Like shit. How was the moon the other day?"
"Shit," Remus responded, shrugging.
"This is a shit Christmas." Sirius muttered.
"At least we're all together. Er… mostly. Where's Pete?" James frowned. "Didn't someone tell him?"
"I sent him a Patronus this morning. He didn't respond, but I wasn't sure he could even cast one." Mia said quietly. "It is Christmas morning. He might be coming later." She suggested. She normally would never cover for him, but she wanted to make Sirius feel better, even just a bit.
"Can I have a minute with Mia?" Sirius asked, looking at his friends. Mia's stomach clenched as James, Fred, and Remus left the room, leaving her alone with Sirius. Remus shot her a supportive look and she stepped closer to the bed.
"You knew." He stated.
"Sirius, I'm so-,"
"I knew, too."
"You- you what?" She asked, confused.
"I knew." He repeated.
"How could you possibly-,"
"Because something of the sort has happened since I was eleven. Maybe not quite this bad, but it's happened. But Mia, I've also never had a way out if it did get too bad. Not to mention my brother has never sent me away. Bella went overboard this time. I'd have died if it weren't for you and… and for Reg." He sighed, shrugging slightly. "I'm not mad, Mia. You saved me. I owe you a life debt, Mia Potter."
"I- life debt? No, Sirius, you can't! It's my fault it even happened, you don't owe me anything, much less a life debt." She said stubbornly.
"Nope. Even if you buried me alive and then rennervate me, I would owe you a life debt… kinda. They're complicated. I owe one to my brother, too." He shrugged slightly.
"But that- that doesn't make sense! It's my fault, Sirius!" She insisted, getting upset. Sirius sighed and reached out for her. She walked closer and he pulled her onto the bed to lie next to him. She hesitantly rested her head on his shoulder.
"It is not your fault, Mia. My mother is insane, and the rest of my family isn't too far off."
"I know your mother is awful, believe me. Grimmauld Place is like it's made out of Dementors, I know. But I should've warned you-"
"And then it wouldn't have happened and you wouldn't have known to warn me, and so it would've happened. No matter what, this had to happen." Sirius said, rubbing her arm gently.
"I- I guess so." Mia said, frowning.
"You can't blame yourself for everything, Mia love. The guilt will eat you alive." He said quietly. "Please promise me you won't." He was looking at her, and they were too close for her to look away.
"I… Fine," Mia said, defeated.
Sirius grinned brightly and hugged her tightly. "Good. Now take a nap with me. James said you two only slept for a couple of hours."
Mia nodded and closed her eyes, willing herself to relax. They stayed like that for hours, even as people came to see him. It was the most restful sleep either of them had had since the night with Regulus in the Room.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
December 28th, 1976
"Sit down!" Dorea said sternly as Sirius, who was across the room, tried to stand.
"Mum, I'm bored!" He said, whining like a child.
"I don't care. You are healing, and you're lucky I'm letting you sit at all! You should be lying down." She responded sharply. James was next to Sirius snickering as he helped clean the room. The Potter New Year's Ball was in a few days, and Dorea had always made the boys help clean for it. This year, Sirius had begged to help after days of bedrest, being cared for by Mia. She'd agreed only on the condition that he not leave his chair for anything and ask for whatever he needed.
"Mum!" He whined. He would never admit it, but he loved her fussing over him. He hated worrying her, and he knew this made her feel better.
"If you complain one more time, Sirius Orion, I will send you to your room and not let you out until you're completely healed… while Mia and Tilly both heal you." She smirked when Sirius cringed. As much as he loved Mia, her worry had been overwhelming, and she'd channeled it into the healing, something that wasn't much better than fussing over him constantly.
"Yes, mum."
"Hey, what's this?" James asked, loud enough for his mother to hear. He'd been going through an old cupboard he'd found the day before that was hidden in the wall, sort of like a safe. He'd managed to open it and was looking at a small, green box. Dorea stood and walked over to him.
"I'm not sure," she muttered, waving her wand over it and nodding. "No dark magic. Let me see." She sat down next to them and picked it up, opening it. A small gasp escaped her lips.
"Mum?"
"The House of Potter is a patriarch, right?" Her sons nodded, waiting for her to continue. "There aren't many heirlooms for the daughters of the House. Your dad couldn't find any when we got married, but they were rumored to be hidden all over the house." She answered, pulling a beautiful red and green bracelet from the box. It was thin and the metal was twisted like tree roots, two roots intertwining - one red and one green. "It seems you've found one."
"Can we give it to Mia?" James asked immediately, Sirius nodding with him.
Dorea smiled at her sons brightly. "That sounds like a brilliant idea. Why don't we find something for Fred, too? We'll give it to them tonight after dinner."
Dorea summoned another box, this one holding some rings and a few bracelets. She handed it to her boys and they set to work, picking out the perfect thing for their brother.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
"We would like to welcome you two into the House of Potter." Charlus said, smiling gently at Fred and Mia.
"I thought you already did, though." Mia replied, frowning.
"We asked you to be our wards, yes, but this is… different. We'd like you to be bonded to our house." He clarified. Fred looked hesitant, and he smiled. "It won't bother any other bondings to any other houses, Ancient and Noble or not."
"Really?" Mia said, grinning.
"Really."
"I'd love to."
"Me as well," Fred said, smiling happily.
"Wonderful! We'll do the ceremony after dinner, if that's alright with you."
"That sounds great," Mia said, smiling brightly.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
"Do you, Hermione Granger, wish to enter the Ancient and Noble House of Potter?"
"I do."
"Do you promise to protect it and uphold its ancient values, and to live by the standards of a Potter?"
"I do."
"Do you swear that you will always protect those of the House of Potter to the best of your ability?"
Mia faltered. What would this magic consider the best of her ability? She looked up at Dorea, who gave her a supportive smile. "I do."
There was a brilliant flash of light around Mia, and she felt the magic sinking into her core. She was officially bonded to the House of Potter.
They'd done Fred first, and he was standing next to James and Sirius. Dorea put her wand away and stepped forward, wrapping Mia up in a loving hug. "I'm so glad you'll be a part of our family."
"Me too. I've always been… close, my entire life, but this… I have a magical family." She said in awe. She loved her muggle family dearly, but they'd never understood magic, and she often couldn't talk to them about anything. Having a magical family, even for a bit, was more than she could have asked for.
"Always." Dorea said. She placed a kiss on Mia's head before stepping back. "Now, we have something for you two." She waved to her sons, who each pulled a box from their robes. Sirius stepped to Mia and James turned to Fred. They handed the boxes over, and Mia held it carefully, like it might break.
"What is it?"
"Open it and see, Mia love," Sirius laughed softly.
She opened the box and gasped, eyes wide. She picked up the beautiful bracelet and looked at it carefully. "It's gorgeous!" She could hear a sharp intake of breath from Fred, but she turned to Dorea for an explanation.
"Heirlooms for girls are rare in this family. James found this one earlier and he and Sirius immediately asked to give it to you," She explained, proud of her sons. "They then picked a bracelet for Fred."
"It's- it's beautiful." Mia said, ignoring the tears prickling her eyes. Sirius reached over and grabbed the bracelet, securing it around her wrist. "Oh, I love it. Thank you."
"This is amazing," She heard Fred say. He sounded slightly overwhelmed, and she couldn't blame him. She moved around Sirius and walked to Fred, hugging him tightly. She considered offering comforting words, but she knew there wasn't anything she could say. When she released him, James clapped his shoulder.
"Welcome to the family, guys. Officially, I mean." He eyed Mia and winked, causing her to roll her eyes. He'd been questioning her about Harry more lately, and Mia tried to tell him what she could.
"Was he interested in Quidditch? He had to be, being my son." James asked, grinning, as Mia helped him set the table for dinner.
"He is. He's, uh, the youngest seeker in a century," she replied, laughing as his eyes lit up. "He was stopping a bully when it happened. The bully – no I won't name him – had taken something from a friend and was flying. Harry chased him and the boy threw it – it was a small ball. Harry chased the ball and caught it. Professor McGonagall saw him and took him directly to the captain of the team. I was certain Harry was going to get himself killed, but… He didn't. He's only lost a few games, and that was due to unfair circumstances and interferences. He's… amazing, Jamie."
"That's my boy," James said, proud of his unborn son. "Youngest seeker in a century."
"Thanks, Jamie. I couldn't ask for anyone better, especially under these… circumstances."
Sirius chuckled, his silver eyes happier than she'd maybe ever seen them. "Thank Merlin for these 'circumstances.'"
Mia looked around the room. She looked at Dorea and Charlus standing together, Charlus holding her close. She looked at Fred smiling down at her. She looked at Sirius grinning with a softness that surprised her. And finally, she looked at James. She saw Harry, but she also saw her brother by bond and by house. She saw her friend. She saw a boy that would die in a few years, but she hoped to save. Still, he looked so alive that she couldn't forget it.
"Yeah. Thank Merlin for that."
OoOoOoOoOoOo
December 31st, 1976
"Lily, you look… like a queen," Alice breathed, staring at her friend. Lily blushed brightly and shrugged.
"It's a ball, Alice. We're all supposed to look like queens."
"Whatever. James isn't going to be able to take his eyes off of you," Marlene smirked. "He'll be drooling."
The girls giggled. She wasn't wrong. Mia entered the room quickly, slamming the door shut behind her, a frown on her face. The girls spun around and Mary moved forward immediately. They'd gotten closer ever since Mia had saved her from Dolohov.
"What's wrong, Mi?"
"Regulus is coming," she replied, her jaw clenched.
"Well that's a good thing, isn't it?"
"It was. We'd known he'd be here. But after Sirius, I wasn't sure what would happen. Apparently, Walburga and Orion still plan to make an appearance as well."
There was immediate understanding among the group as she went to the bathroom to put on her gown. It was a silver that matched Sirius's eyes. It was strapless but synched under the bust, reaching the floor and twirling around her, a magical silvery mist coming off of it when she spun in a circle.
Once the dress was on, she used her wand to twist curls into her hair and pull them into a careful bun on the back of her head. When she did her makeup, it was a silver and grey ombre on her eyes and a deep red on her lips.
For jewelry, Mia slipped on her Potter bracelet once more - only having taken it off to shower and dress - and a locket she'd received from Fabian for Christmas. He'd sent it in the mail, and she opened it in her room that morning. It was a silver chain and on the end of it held a heart shaped locket with a rose running through it. It opened up to a picture he'd taken of her and Fred in Hogsmeade one day when they'd sat with Fabian and Gideon on one side, and a miniature Pensieve on the other for her to put a memory in. She'd put a memory of her with Harry and Ron the summer before their fifth year in Ron and Harry's room in Grimmauld Place, joking around to cheer Harry up.
She slipped on her black stilettos and made her way out of the bathroom, only to be met with stares. "What?" She looked down at herself. "Is something wrong?"
"No, Mia, you look gorgeous," Lily breathed. Mia giggled happily, surprising herself.
"You're one to talk. James is gonna go crazy looking at you."
"And Regulus will too," she paused. "Looking at you, I mean."
"Meanwhile, we haven't even finished our makeup!" Marlene complained. "Care to help us?" The girls set to work finishing off each others looks and talking, and Mia couldn't help but think how weird it was to have a bunch of girl friends and doing normal girl stuff with them. She also couldn't help but think that she rather liked it.
OoOoOoOoOoOo