Trouble Is A Friend

by avery-wren

After Malfoy Manor, Hermione and Fred are sent back to the past by a game of exploding snap. Rewrite of A Marauder Hopeful And His Most Logical Friend. No matter what, this will not be abandoned, even if there are long breaks. I will come back to it.

9. The Ball

December 31st, 1976

The girls all walked out of the room together and down the stairs to the ballroom. They walked down the stairs to their dates, and Frank immediately took Alice to dance. Mary had asked Remus to the ball, who had stuttered a less than confident "yes". Marlene, meanwhile, had refused to ask someone to go with her and had turned down any offers. Lily had James, of course, and Mia and Sirius had agreed to go together to avoid any unwanted dates – Sirius, while still a ladies' man, refused to take someone he didn't care for to the ball out of respect to Dorea and Charlus.

When the boys walked up, all of their jaws had dropped. James was wide-eyed as he stared at his girlfriend. He grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles, smiling brightly. "You look… perfect." He said softly. "There's no other word than perfect." Lily blushed and kissed him, whisking him away to get a drink.

Remus was staring at Mary, who had a smirking Marlene next to her. Marlene shoved Mary toward Remus, and the girl stumbled, causing Remus to catch her so she didn't fall. They both blushed as she righted herself, and soon they were off as well to find a seat. Marlene winked at Mia and left to get a drink, and probably an alcoholic one at that.

Sirius looked at Mia, his silver eyes shining in the light. "Mia love, you look astonishing." He said, grabbing her hand and kissing her cheek. She smiled brightly at him.

"You look quite dapper yourself, Star Shine. You're feeling fine? You're not dizzy, are you?"

"I'm fine, love." Sirius laughed, whisking her out to dance. She only had him for a few minutes before he passed her off to Fred and left in search of a drink.

"How're you doing?" she asked quietly. He spun her before pulling her back to him.

"I miss them."

"Christmas is hard," Mia guessed. He nodded tiredly. "I miss them, my parents, your family, but I can't imagine for you."

"Why?" he blinked at her. She had a family back home, too.

"Well… my parents and I, we just… never understood each other," she shrugged. "Even before I turned eleven. They love me, but they just don't know how to connect, you know? They were older than most when they had me, about forty, and it's just hard for them to… I don't know. So they never minded exactly when I didn't come home."

"That's why you spent so much time with us," Fred realized. Mia shrugged.

"It's more than the magic, you know? It's… me. I pushed myself so hard to be so good at school, to know everything I could to impress them and they just didn't understand it. They didn't know why I was so focused on school, I guess. They didn't know how to connect with me."

"Do you think you'll be able to… I don't know. Fix that, after the war?"

Mia stiffened, and her movements stilled. "No."

"Why?"

"They don't remember me."

"What?"

"Fred, calm down," Mia shushed him irritably. "I Obliviated them."

"Mia, you can't undo that!"

"I know!" She snapped. "But it's war! They'd be killed otherwise! I'd prefer they live and forget me than die because of me."

"Sano," Severus muttered, stepping up behind her. "Mind if I cut in?"

Mia stared at Fred, daring him to argue. He didn't, though, and just stepped back quietly, giving Mia a horrible look of pity, making her want to yell until he wiped it off his stupid face.

She blinked as she realized Severus was waiting and nodded, stepping forward to dance with him. "Thank you."

"You looked more than a little upset," he admitted.

"Did you just arrive?" she asked, ignoring his comment. He nodded.

"Thank you for the invitation," he smiled softly.

"Of course," she returned the smile, relaxing a little. "I've got a present for everyone, so you had to be here."

"Sano, you don't have to-,"

"Yes, I do," she rolled her eyes. "Please accept it, Sev."

He nodded curtly and they danced for one more song before Mia was swiftly pulled away by a very startlingly young Kingsley.

One of the downsides to being a member of an Ancient and Noble House, Mia quickly realized, was the socializing she had to do and the dancing. She had to dance with anyone that asked, out of political requirements, and her feet were killing her by the half-hour mark. She managed to slip into a dance with Remus after about an hour and let her head crash onto his shoulder as she tried to rest a little.

"Tired?" He asked, amused.

"My feet want to jump ship. I swear it, Remus, there's going to be a mutiny if I don't relax soon," She groaned. He laughed quietly, rubbing her shoulders gently.

"You don't wear heels often, do you?"

"No. Last time was the Yule Ball in fourth year. Not even for Bill's wedding! I avoided any and all dancing… I think I even shoved you toward a Veela so you'd stop bugging me. I only danced at the Yule Ball. I danced with a Bulgarian Seeker who couldn't pronounce my name. How is Hermione that hard to say?" She asked, sighing. "He was a perfect gentleman, but Ron ruined my night. Stupid jealous prat- "

"May I cut in?" She pulled her head up and grinned.

"Of course," Remus said after seeing her smile. He bowed gracefully and left, presumably to find Mary.

Mia felt Fabian slip his hands on her waist and straightened up a little, sighing. "How you purebloods can dance so much is beyond me." She stated. Fabian grinned and laughed a little, winking at her.

"It's years of practice, pet. Most of us have dancing lessons as kids, as well as singing and probably piano or some instrument."

Mia shook her head and sighed. "No wonder so many of you are cranky. You're tired."

Fabian laughed and spun her a little to keep up with the song. "You're one of us now, too, love." Mia shrugged lightly. "You're wearing the necklace," He said, smiling softly at her.

"I love it, Fab. It's beautiful." She touched it with one hand. "I put a memory of me with Harry and Ron before things started getting bad. We were sitting together in Grimmauld Place. Harry was upset so we were joking around to calm him down. It worked and we had a great night. I remember wondering if the happiness I felt there was indestructible with my boys." She smiled up at him, a slight sadness in her eyes. "I think it is."

Before he could reply, there was a tab on Fabian's shoulder and he sighed. He kissed her cheek and whispered, "I'll check on you later, pet," and disappeared into the crowd.

Mia looked up and suppressed a gasp, her eyes wide. In front of her, with his hand out, was Dolohov. She realized Fabian must not have even looked at who it was before he left, because she knew he'd never leave her alone with him.

"Don't be rude, Potter." Dolohov drawled, grabbing her hand before she could turn away. "I thought we ought to have a dance." Mia didn't respond, tensing when his hands rested tightly on her waist. She scanned the room for someone that would recognize the danger, but no one was there.

"I heard of your accident in the library," he said quietly, breathing the words into her ear. "How horrible. It's lucky someone got to you in time. I heard you nearly died."

"Yes," she grit out. "I was lucky. And my friends are very protective now. They don't leave me alone. I don't think I need to worry about my safety anymore."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure," Dolohov laughed. "We both know you're stronger than all of your friends, and you still got hurt."

"I was taken by surprise," she commented stiffly, looking around again but spotting no one. She felt him squeeze and winced. "I won't be again."

"Well," he looked down at her, pulling back a little to do it. She felt his breath on her face and bit her lip, refusing to give him the satisfaction of screaming like she desperately wanted to. She shifted uncomfortably, wondering when someone would notice. "I suppose we'll see, won't we? It'd be so awful to think you're not safe at school anymore, yes?"

She glanced to the side and saw Severus moving quickly toward her again and felt relief rush through her. She went to speak, to distract him until her friend reached her, but was cut off by someone tapping Dolohov's shoulder and thanked God for whoever it was. "May I cut in?" She had a feeling no one would like what happened if Dolohov said no if the way he froze said anything. She felt him release her reluctantly and knew there was a bruise forming already. She opened her eyes and only realized she'd been holding her breath when she felt it sucked out of her.

The man in front of her stepped forward, holding her lightly with a polite yet kind smile on his face. He had obsidian black hair with silver-grey eyes to match. He looked like an older Sirius, and she knew immediately that she was dancing with Orion Black.

"Are you alright, Miss Potter? You seemed… uncomfortable." He noted, and she nodded jerkily, forcing herself to relax. Severus backed off, but she saw out of the corner of her eye as he pushed his way through the crowd, obviously looking for someone.

"He and I don't… get along very well. He's not someone I feel I can relax and dance with, exactly." It was one way of saying he tried to kill her, she supposed.

"I see," he said quietly. "And do you feel you cannot relax for a moment with me, Miss Potter?"

"I don't know you, sir."

"I think you do. You recognized me right away."

"I may have a guess as to who you are," She sighed.

"You're close with him," he stated, ending the little game. "He trusts you."

Mia stiffened again, her gut doing a dance. "I don't know what you're talking about." For a moment, she was irrationally afraid that he meant Regulus, but she quickly remembered standing in front of everyone holding hands with Sirius as they entered the ballroom.

"Yes, you do," he said, sounding almost tired. "Sirius trusts you, girl."

"I'm not sure why that's any of your- "

"Because he's my son, regardless of what Walburga would say."

"I won't let her or anyone hurt him again. With all due respect, sir, Sirius is home. He's in a safe home where he is free to love who he wants and live how he wants. He is happy here and I will never let that be taken away from him. What Walburga and Bellatrix and his bloody uncle did to him was vile and cruel and I am damn lucky that he's alive." She looked up at him fiercely. "I will never let you harm another hair on his head. Do you understand me?"

For a moment they just looked at each other. She wasn't worried about angering him. She knew he wouldn't try anything in front of so many people. She was, however, worried about making things worse for Sirius.

"Thank you for protecting him, then," Orion said quietly. "You'll be good for him. He'll need you."

"I- what?"

The man sighed and looked at her sadly. "My wife is… not in her right mind. What's worse is that she's got the backing of most of the family. My father has little power when only a handful of people in the family agrees with him. So, she's been free to do what she wants to do. I try to help where I can, but it's not that easy."

"I do. Protect him, I mean. I protect him from whatever I can, and he protects me, too. We're- we're family, Mister Black. I'd die for him."

"Father," Regulus spoke lowly, his eyes sharp and dangerous. "What are you doing?"

"I'm dancing with Miss Potter," Orion raised an eyebrow. "Is that a problem, Regulus?"

"I don't care what you do to me, or Sirius," Regulus said quietly, anger bright in his eyes. "But you will leave her alone."

Orion looked between the two for a long moment. "I see."

"I mean it, father," Regulus muttered. "She is off limits."

"Regulus, he was just-,"

"Mia," Regulus's eyes flashed. "Stop it. You don't know what he's like."

"Maybe you don't," she frowned. "Relax. He saved me from a dance with Dolohov." Regulus stiffened. "He came because he said I looked uncomfortable."

"Are you-,"

"I'm fine," she lied. "But I'm leaving to catch some air now, and if you follow me within the next five minutes, I will hex you."

With a frustrated huff, she discreetly disillusioned herself and ran from the room, dropping the spell as soon as she exited the large ballroom doors.

She knew Regulus meant well, and she appreciated his concern, but he was being reckless.

She slowed, walking and taking in deep breaths as she reached a small office nearby that was empty and much cooler than the large room full of bodies. She fanned herself, thinking of the conversation she'd just had as she leaned against the desk.

Her head shot up as she heard the door click shut and the light - which she'd left off - turn on. The man that walked into the room was not one that she recognized immediately, but one that she could tell was dangerous. He had the same sharp pureblood features she'd come to recognize, and had short, cropped black hair. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, and his smirk seemed permanent on his face. She shivered as he moved closer.

"Potter," he greeted, bowing his head a little. Mia raised an eyebrow. Her wand was strapped to her leg, and she didn't think she'd reach it in time. He already had his out, having used it to lock the door behind him, so she could only hope that any wandless magic would be enough. "I don't believe we've met."

"We haven't," she agreed stiffly.

"Rodolphus," he smiled. "Rodolphus Lestrange."

Mia sucked in a deep breath. "I see." She stared at his smile, her heart rate picking up as she suddenly felt very unsafe. She did know him. He'd been there with his wife and brother when she'd been tortured. "You'll excuse me if I feel uncomfortable after what Bellatrix did to Sirius."

To her surprise, Rodolphus nodded, looking regretful. "Bellatrix is precisely what I wished to speak with you about."

Mia felt her heart thumping in her chest. He didn't look like he wanted to attack her, but purebloods were incredible at this game. She didn't trust him and she was certainly not going to let her guard down. That was how they'd been captured and tortured in the first place.

"Oh?"

The man hesitated. "I know you're aware of her common use of the Cruciatus," he began slowly. "But she's also very familiar with the Imperious."

"Who does she Imperious?" Mia asked, startled. She'd only ever known the woman to be the best at torture and killing, but perhaps she'd mastered all three of the unforgivables.

"Me," he looked uncomfortable and was interrupted by the door flying open and banging against the wall. Mia's head shot up and was surprised to find her boyfriend running in with Severus and Avery behind him. She winced, glancing at his lightened bracelet.

"Mia," he gasped, placing himself between them. Avery and Severus moved on a side of her each, and she shifted uncomfortably.

"Reg," she reached forward, grabbing his hand. "I think… we're okay. We're speaking."

"You're aware of who you're speaking to?" He asked, turning to her with wide eyes. She nodded firmly, and he turned back to the older man. "What do you want, Lestrange?"

The man looked between the group of them, looking uncomfortably unsurprised. "Miss Potter, may I continue?" She nodded slowly, and he began again. "She was given to me to straighten me out," he told her, looking distinctly uncomfortable again. "I did not agree with the pureblood agenda, and I do not agree with murdering muggles or anyone, for that matter. Still, my father did, and he set up the marriage so that she would change my mind, or otherwise change alliances."

"So you're saying you don't want to be a Death Eater?" Mia raised an eyebrow, untrusting. Regulus stood nearly completely in front of her, forcing her to step to the side a little to look at him, pushing Avery gently at the same time. Regulus was stiff and filled with barely controlled anger. His arms were behind him, holding Mia carefully in place. "Is that it?"

"Yes," Rodolphus nodded, sagging in relief. "See, she uses the Imperius for certain times, certain events, and puts spells on me so that I can't say certain things aloud, like denouncing the Dark Lord as my Master."

"Isn't that what you just did?"

"No, I led you to the conclusion."

"Why come to me?" she asked suspiciously. "Why not go to Dumbledore? I'm still in school. Why do you think I can help?"

"Because," his gaze shifted to Regulus. "I was put in charge of watching the students and keeping an eye on their alliances. Black, Avery, and Snape all shifted alliances when they met you."

Mia stiffened. "Who did you tell?"

"No one," he promised. "Only you, just now."

"Still, why do you think I can help?"

"Because," he stared at her. "I'm an Unspeakable. I saw Charlus Potter get the call about his ward and her glowing eyes."

Mia shivered. They'd managed to cast a permanent glamour over her eyes to hide it, but she could feel it when they changed color. They'd begun doing so almost constantly, and it concerned her to see her deep brown eyes fade into golden. "I see." She gently pulled Regulus's hands off of her, wincing as he brushed the angry bruises Dolohov had left and pointedly ignoring his concerned look. She stepped in front of her boyfriend and moved over to Rodolphus as Avery and Severus also moved, this time next to Regulus. "Swear this on your magic. Swear that you're telling the truth."

Without hesitation, the man raised his wand in the air. "I, Rodolphus Lestrange, do swear on my wand and magic that I have not lied about the things I told Mia Potter tonight."

They paused, waiting, but nothing happened. Mia blinked.

"Okay."

"So?"

"I'll teach you how to throw off the Imperius, for one," she told him slowly. "But then you need to act like you agree with everything. Pretend like they broke you."

He paused. "You know how to throw off the Imperius?"

"I had a teacher who thought it'd be great to show fourteen-year-olds the Unforgivables, and then taught us all how to throw off the Imperius," she waved off the question. "I think he got arrested."

"Okay," he agreed to her suggestions after the explanation.

"I can get out of Hogwarts easily," she informed him before looking at Regulus, who was now standing at her side silently, looking angry still. "But I doubt my guards here will let me go alone. Someone will come. We'll meet at a house Charlus and Dorea offered me for my… extracurricular activities if we need to meet."

"Okay," he agreed nervously.

"It won't take long to teach you to throw off the Imperius," she promised. "Once you understand the theory, the practical application becomes much easier."

And with that, they set to work. Within a half hour, Rodolphus had learned how to throw it off and she smiled brightly at him.

"I've been gone for too long," she apologized. "And I still need to speak with my boys. I'll write you in a few days."

They bid farewell, and Mia whisked the boys up to her room and sat on her bed carefully, her waist throbbing in pain.

"So," she sighed as Avery looked around her purple and black room, Severus also doing the same but more discreetly. "Dolohov slipped in and danced with me."

That's why you winced," Regulus realized. He'd known about the dance but hadn't yet put the pieces together.

"She winced?"

"I was holding her and she winced," Regulus told him as Mia nodded.

"He held me very tightly. I think he was trying to leave bruises, or snap me in half, I'm really not sure. Your dad actually saved me."

"My father," Regulus repeated. "Doesn't do anything selflessly. You're sure it wasn't his father that cut in first?" Regulus asked, nodding at Avery. Mia blinked.

"My father, who is dead," Avery summarised. "I don't think so, no."

"Your father," Mia rolled her eyes, poking Regulus's shoulder. "He cut in. Pissed Dolohov off pretty good, but he said I looked uncomfortable. Asked me to take care of Sirius, and then you came over and yelled at him."

"Let me see it," Regulus requested. Mia blinked.

"See what?"

"The bruises!"

Mia stared, looking between her boyfriend and her friends, who both looked like they'd rather be anywhere else. "Regulus. Avery and Sev are literally right there. While I don't care about taking my dress off in front of them, I think at least Avery is already uncomfortable and I'd rather not make that worse by stripping so you can see a few bruises."

"Mia," Regulus growled. "Just let me see them."

"Okay," Avery said loudly. "I'm leaving. I'll see you both later. Stay safe, Sano."

Mia nodded, giving him an apologetic glance as Severus followed him out silently, looking vaguely disgusted before pushing her boyfriend backward. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Me?" Regulus asked, eyes wide. "Dolohov has hurt you again and you don't even care!"

"Reg," Mia sighed, patting her bed. He picked himself up off the floor and sat down next to her. "What is this about?"

He was silent for a long moment, just staring at the floor before he spoke. "Being away from you is… horrible. It's like there's something meant to be next to me that I don't know how to function without, and it's not there. I'm off balance and confused. And then Sirius… Merlin, Mia, it was bad. I had to watch it, too. And I know he's my brother, and I should've cared more, but I kept imagining someday when she would do the same thing to you. And now I'm here, in person, and we can't be close because of the fucking pureblood traditions, and you got hurt. It just feels so wrong being away from you, not being able to protect you."

Mia was silent for a few long seconds before she waved her hand at her dress, vanishing it. She didn't care enough to feel embarrassed by her baby pink bra and underwear - she'd lost her humility in that respect on the run.

She glanced down at herself and winced at the sight of large black bruises forming over the low part of her hips. She hadn't realized it at the time, but he'd been holding her hips as low as he could politely in front of the very large crowd around them. She sucked in a breath as Regulus inspected her.

She shivered as his fingers ran over her stomach, trailing gently down to the bruises. Flinching when he touched them, she bit her lip. They were worse than she'd thought, truly.

Regulus picked himself up off of the bed and softly pushed her back until she was lying back with her legs hanging off the bed loosely. He moved closer and leaned down as she closed her eyes. Lips touched her hips, kissing away the pain sweetly. She gasped at the magical feeling and shivered again at his light touches. He peppered kisses all over her hips, moving inward and upward when he'd finished with the bruises until he was kissing her stomach, chest, throat, chin, and finally, her lips.

She breathed in deeply and pulled him on top of her, relaxing at the smell of him, though she still winced as he touched the bruises again. She waved her hand absently at her door, the sound of it slamming shut and locking the only sound aside from their breathing.

He let himself get lost in her for a little while, the feeling of closeness the most overwhelming and pleasurable feeling he'd ever experienced, acting like a balm for the pain he'd been feeling since he'd left her.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Later, Mia was resting in Regulus's arms, listening to the sound of his heart as he hummed quietly to her. They'd been lying like that for barely five minutes, catching their breath, when she turned to look him in the eyes and spoke.

"I love you."

He stared at her, his heart racing now. Had they really, truly not said it yet?

"I love you, too, Little Lion." He reached for his wand hesitantly and summoned a small box, sitting up in the bed to look at her. "I have a gift for you."

"Is that-,"

"Not an engagement ring," he assured her, opening the box. Inside was a beautiful, thin ring. It was all black with green emeralds peppered around it. He held it out for her, and she plucked it out of the box gently.

"It's beautiful. Is this a… a betrothal piece?" She asked slowly. He nodded a little, and she grinned. "What are you saying, Reg?"

"I'm saying," he rolled his eyes. "That someday, I would like to marry you."

"Well," she held out her hand for him. "That's a relief. It'd be a little awkward, planning our lives without you."

He laughed softly and pushed the ring onto the ring finger on her left hand. It was a little bit of a risk leaving it to be seen by everyone, but he didn't care. She was his witch, and he loved her.

She kissed his cheek softly and rolled over, pulling herself out of the bed. "And I don't want to ruin this beautiful moment, but I've been gone from the party for about forty-five minutes, and someone's going to notice. I'd much rather they not find me in bed with my beautiful, but still very naked boyfriend."

Regulus grinned at her and stood up as well, plucking his clothes from the floor. They dressed quickly, both pausing to fix their hair until it was less noticeable, and kissed once more before they left the room, running through the halls and down the stairs until they came upon the ballroom, where Avery caught Mia's eye, looked her over, and rolled his eyes before looking away. Mia giggled quietly. "I think someone knows what we've been up to."

"Well," Regulus laughed. "It was either that or fighting… I must say, I prefer this option. I think we should try it again next time."

Mia smirked at him and separated with a peck on the cheek, finding Gideon and pulling him out for a dance and ducking to avoid Sirius who, she was sure, knew immediately about her previously undressed state.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Do they think they're… secretive?" Sirius wondered, staring between Regulus and Mia as the two spared glaces occasionally. "I've never seen anyone look more like they'd just had sex than they do."

"Ew," James screwed up his face. "Stop. They did not."

"James," Sirius stared. "You've got to be kidding me. He forgot to put his gloves back on! And her makeup is smudged."

"That's disgusting."

"He's right," Remus said, looking horrified. "I walked past Mia, and she smelled…" he paused, wincing. "Like someone had marked her."

The group fell silent in disgust as they watched people dance for a while. Sirius went back to scanning the crowd, looking for Mia again. He stiffened when he found her and saw who she was sitting with, hitting Remus's chest to get his attention.

"What the fuck?" the werewolf said angrily, rubbing his chest lightly.

"She's with Walburga," Sirius whispered furiously, nodding to where he was looking.

"-blood traitor whore!" He heard his mother say. Mia had a dangerous smile on her face and was nodding her head along like she was listening to his mother explain how many children she had.

"I see. Walburga, you don't know me. And that's not your fault, I assure you. But that means you couldn't possibly know exactly what I can do. And I'll spare you the details - they make bad party talk, much too gruesome. But I encourage you - do your worst. I'll do mine, dear, and we'll just see what happens, yes?" She smiled sweetly. "Because I am from an Ancient and Noble House, after all, and I do take offense from your comments. By our laws, I am allowed to formally challenge you to a duel to the death."

Sirius's eyes widened comically as he rushed over.

"But I'll kindly remind you that you're old, and frail, probably from decades from dark magic. So it's up to you - duel me and die, or live on and continue to poison your House?"

Sirius gaped at the small girl next to him who, apparently, had rendered his furious mother speechless. The large woman yelled "dirty blood traitor!" one more time before stalking out of the ballroom… alone. Orion and Regulus staying where they were, though both had certainly caught the scene. Mia let out a shaky breath and turned to look at Sirius. "Well, that's been coming for years. She's always been awful."

"Holy shit," James muttered, wide-eyed. "Did she just challenge your mother to a wizard's duel?"

Sirius grinned proudly and nodded. "She's amazing."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Mia leaned into the heavy cloak around her shoulders, shivering. Gideon had given it to her when she'd left to the garden with everyone else, the twins stealing her away from her friends and boyfriend to sit with them.

"Are you okay, kit? I saw you with Orion Black and wanted to help, but Lady Longbottom had cornered me into a discussion about her son's future," he glanced at his brother. "Think she got us mixed up. Still, he didn't do anything, did he?"

"Orion was a perfect gentleman," Mia said a bit stiffly. She'd grown tense since her conversation with Walburga, and she'd hung around Regulus all evening since, Avery and Severus always close enough nearby. Her tone didn't go unnoticed by the twins who shared a look and stepped closer, each wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Mia, dear," Fabian started.

"We understand that you've got a hero complex," Gideon continued, rolling his eyes at her protests.

"But you'll get yourself hurt if you don't ask for help," Fabian finished, his gentle voice full of genuine concern. Mia sighed.

"I'm… fine. I can handle myself, guys."

"Mia, please," Fabian tried. "We want to help you."

"I just… don't think there's anything you guys can do."

"Well, if you don't tell us, there's definitely nothing we can do, pet," Fabian argued. She frowned as his logic won out.

"It's not a big deal. Orion cut in because he saw me looking… less than pleased while dancing with Dolohov." She took a breath and set her jaw. "He managed to get a few threats in before Orion rescued me. Insinuated that I'm not safe at school anymore."

"Merlin, Mia… can't you file a report? Even just with us. We are actual aurors, believe it or not."

"No," she told them firmly, looking down. "He has to be there in my personal future, or past, I suppose. I don't know what would happen if he were kicked from school or sent to Azkaban. It's not worth it."

"I'll watch out for you when I can, pet. People know we're friends - it won't be a stretch to see us walking together in the halls. You've also got your little gang of friends. We'll take care of you," he promised, trying to comfort her. She saw the fear in his eyes anyway.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

January 1st, 1977

"He did what?" James yelled angrily. Mia ignored his rage, looking around the room. Fred too was barely holding in his anger, and Remus looked ready to kill someone. Sirius, however, had a calm sort of anger that was more intimidating than his friends.

Which left the last three people in the room. Regulus, Severus, and Avery. Regulus had told his parents he'd be spending the end of break with Avery and Avery, having no family left, had simply opened the floo up and taken them to Potter Manor. Severus had asked to stay with a friend, and his mother had willingly sent him away. Mia had spoken to Dorea about the three staying, and the woman had been happy to invite them into her home. She'd even let Mia know that, if they wanted, Mia and Regulus were free to share a room as they were both plenty responsible and she'd been told previously of their soul bond. The conversation had made her blush, and she'd escaped at the first opportunity.

Regulus was calm, already assured of Mia's upcoming guard detail she'd keep around her, while Avery looked uncomfortable at the memory of the earlier confrontation he'd witnessed. Severus just looked moderately uncomfortable at being in James Potter's home longer than just the ball.

"He threatened me." She glanced at Regulus and sighed, sure she would be unable to keep anything to herself. "And he hurt me, just a little bit. So we thought it'd be best if someone stays with me while we're at school."

"No shit, Hermione!" Fred snapped. Mia winced, very carefully not looking at Avery's reaction. Fred had gotten much better about using her old name, only using it when he was worked up, like now. Severus didn't know the truth, but he'd accepted her secrets much more easily than Avery had. "I didn't like you going out alone as is, and now…."

"Now I will be more careful when I walk and yes, I will accept help." She assured him, giving him a warning look that he ignored.

Avery cleared his throat. "Why did he call you Hermione?"

Mia scowled at Fred who had the decency to look ashamed now. She turned back to him with a very genuine and apologetic smile. "This is… one of those secrets that I told you about. Or it's supposed to be, as long as he stops using that fucking name."

Severus hadn't been too pushy in terms of her badly kept secret, a fact that she appreciated. There were slips, of course, but he kept to himself and didn't ask most of the time. It was one of the reasons she appreciated his friendship so much. He understood her need for privacy but still trusted her.

Fred winced, and she breathed out in a huff. The room was quiet for a few minutes as everyone continued processing the news. After a bit, Sirius swore quietly and shifted into Padfoot, walking next to his friend and pushing himself into her side. She gave him a small smile and began to rub behind his ears. They sat like that for a few long moments, everyone silent and tense before Mia felt Sirius pause, having been licking her hands, and pulled back to shift into his human form. "Mia," he started, his voice painfully slow. "What is on your hand?"

"A… bracelet?" She tried.

"The ring," Sirius corrected, pointing at it as the other boys - Regulus excluded - leaned in to look.

"Right," she bit her lip. "Well, Regulus-,"

"I am formally courting with intent to marry," Regulus interrupted from his place next to the bed. James, Fred, and Remus were leaning against the wall below the window, and Mia was sitting next to Regulus with Avery on his other side and Severus next to Avery. Sirius, having been sitting between the two groups, turned to stare at his brother.

"You're fucking kidding me," Sirius commented, his eyes growing wider when neither of them said anything. "When did this happen?"

"Yesterday," Mia blinked, changing the subject. "Oh, we've got another Death Eater."

"Who?" James questioned, looking at the four Slytherins.

"Rodolphus Lestrange," Mia said, avoiding their stares. "He told me about his situation and swore on his wand and magic that he wasn't lying. I trust him."

"Why'd he even come to talk to you?" Fred wondered, looking concerned. She didn't blame him. "You trust him after-,"

"I do," she interrupted sharply. He'd already fucked up once that night. "He was assigned to keep track of the students that were Death Eaters. When he noticed Reg, Severus, and Avery shifting, he followed it back to me. I think he trusts me because I'm not widely known as some sort of Light leader - that's Dumbledore. And I've been associated with Death Eaters since I arrived, so that gives me a good cover."

"But you've also become our friends," Remus pointed out. "Why doesn't that make you," he nodded at Regulus. "A blood traitor?"

"Because he claimed that I was his spy within the light," she grinned. "And a fence sitter. No one suspects me. Walburga still hates me though, bloody cow."

"Not yet, Sano," Avery warned. "Everyone has someone watching them. We have to be careful with Lestrange. The Dark Lord trusts no one."

She waved him off. "It'll be fine, love. I'm being safe." She heard at least three people laugh at that and sighed. "I'm safe enough."

"You'll never be safe enough," Sirius growled. With a muttered agreement from everyone in the room, Mia rolled her eyes and changed the subject again, this time asking about Walburga's dueling abilities.

"I've never seen you duel, really duel," Regulus began slowly. "But my mother is dangerous as well. That was a very ill-advised threat, Little Lion."

"Regulus," she began, annoyed. "She insulted me endlessly and threatened me at my own family's party in front of everyone, aside from… you know," she nudged his shoulder, and he nodded his understanding. The years Walburga had spent calling her a mudblood. "I was not letting that go."

"I think she'd have been fine," Fred commented. "She looks small but she's fucking terrifying with a wand."

"Me too," Remus nodded. "She disarmed all four of us when we startled her and she'd just woken up. I've never seen anyone disarm more than one person at a time."

"And the ritual," Sirius added. "She's bloody powerful."

Mia stared at them, uncomfortable. "All I'm saying is that I think I'd have been fine. I just didn't want to kill her and stain my dress."

Sirius snorted.

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