January 22nd, 1977

Regulus screamed. He screamed as his chest and his wrist burned painfully, his skin igniting under the golden light. He pulled his shirt off quickly, ignoring Severus and Avery next to him and found his paw print and bracelet lit up brighter than even when Dolohov had hurt her.

"Mia."

And then he was running, running because he knew where she was, and checking the bracelet simply confirmed it. He ran as fast as he could, but he was stopped by two teachers in front of him - McGonagall and Slughorn. He glared and felt himself growl. "Let me go!"

But they didn't, wouldn't, and they led him to Dumbledore's office after stunning him because he refused to stop fighting them. They used rennervate when they entered the office, and he turned to glare, but they had left the room and Dumbledore was all he was left with.

"Let me go!" He demanded.

"Mister Black," Dumbledore said in his slow, grandfatherly voice that only served to make him angrier. "I'm sure you can see why we can't do that. You tried to attack two teachers, after all."

"It's Mia," he said impatiently, glaring darkly. He pushed his shirt up, showing his paw print. "She's in danger, possibly dying. I have to get to her!"

"Miss Potter is with the group in Hogsmeade," Dumbledore reminded him slowly. "I'm sure she's fine."

They were interrupted by a patronus, a wolf, running into the room, Remus's voice speaking in a panic. "Regulus. The Room. Bellatrix got to Mia. She's dying."

Regulus screamed, unable to control himself. Dumbledore waved his door open with a speed unnatural to the old man, and Regulus ran out, sprinting to the seventh floor. It took him five agonizing minutes to get there, and he burst in to find Avery and Severus already there with the Marauders. They were all in a circle around a bed in the hospital like room, though they were giving someone room, someone who was working.

Regulus shoved someone - James Potter, he thought - out of his way and pushed forward, his breath catching painfully at the sight in front of him.

On the bed was Mia, shaking more violently than he'd ever seen her. She was whimpering in pain, tears running freely down her face as Sirius moved around her, healing her however he knew.

"Regulus," Sirius breathed. "Hold her legs. Please. I- I have to hurry, her magic is… it's not good. It's turning on her, poisoning her instead of healing, or at least it's not accepting my magic. I… don't know." His eyes widened and he nodded, doing what was asked of him.

Things progressed slowly for what felt like days until hours later, James had an idea.

"Have him heal her," he said softly, nodding at Regulus. Sirius's head shot up.

"Why?"

"Sirius," James grabbed his arm gently, pulling him away. "They have a soul bond. You know how strong that is. She might be rejecting it because she needs him, too."

Sirius tried to think of an argument but eventually nodded, backing off to let Regulus silently move forward from his position at her legs. He gripped her hand tightly in his own and pressed his other hand to her chest, above her heart and did what his magic guided him to do.

He slipped into an odd trance-like state.

"Mia?" He frowned. They were in Hogwarts, but a room he'd never been in. It was covered in red, and he was certain it was Gryffindor common rooms.

"Hermione," the girl in front of him corrected.

"You're the same, aren't you?" He asked, confused. She shook her head.

"She was always meant to be Mia Potter," she explained. "But I am her magic, her beginning, her core."

Regulus stared, surprised. "Her magic?"

Hermione nodded. "I can take a physical form, if I need to, or show myself to others. I've had no need until now."

"What did you do… last time?" he asked shakily. He'd been barely holding it together with the knowledge that it had happened again, she'd been tortured like that again.

"I connected with Bill Weasley," she explained. "We were ripped apart early, but he helped us heal enough. Without him, when she was brought to Shell Cottage, she'd have gone crazy like… someone she knows."

Regulus sucked in a breath. "And now?"

"Now," she smiled softly, reaching out to touch his cheek. It was weird, like pure magic was caressing him, and he supposed it was. "She has you. She needs you, your magic."

"I don't know how to-,"

"Of course you do," Hermione scoffed. "Think it through, Regulus."

He pursed his lips, trying to understand her point. There was only one thing that made sense, but surely not… "You don't mean… bonding us?"

Hermione grinned brightly. "Of course I do."

"We can't!" He denied immediately.

"Why not?"

"That's… marriage," he sighed.

"No," Hermione disagreed. "It is typically a part of a magical wedding, yes, but it doesn't mean that you're married."

"I can't do it alone," he argued. "She has to be awake and consenting."

"I can keep her awake long enough for that," Hermione nodded. "You know what bonds do?"

"They… they combine magic," he sighed. "Like bank accounts. Your magic is combined into one total sum, and you pull from each other. That's why people don't do it so much anymore. It's impossible to undo."

"And beyond that," Hermione continued. "They help heal. One can be on the brink of death and brought back by their partner, especially if they've got the bond that we've got." She paused. "And with especially strong bonds, you may be able to feel each other's emotions, possibly some pain too, like a warning that the other is in danger. Similarly, when one of you dies, it will be incredibly painful for the other." She shrugged. "It depends on the couple, but I believe we will likely have that."

"I thought you said you weren't Mia?" He frowned.

"I'm not," she agreed. "But I'm her magic, her core, her very being. And I'm connected to yours. Loosely right now, but once you do the bonding, it'll be stronger."

"What if she says no?"

Hermione stared at him. "Don't you know how much she loves you?" He glanced away, unwilling to share this vulnerability, this insecurity. "She has often considered staying behind with you," she explained. "Just to make sure that the ring works and you don't die. So that if you do, or might, she can save you. Or do it for you. She'd rather die than let you die. You are… her entire heart."

Regulus sucked in a breath. "This will help her?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

Regulus jumped as he was startled out of the trance and found himself holding his girlfriend, who was slowly, very slowly, waking.

"Regulus?" Mia whispered weakly. He nodded, holding her tight.

"I'm here, love. I'm here, I promise."

"Are we going to do it?"

He paused. "Did she talk to you, too?" Mia nodded. "You're a bloody strong witch, you know that, right?" Mia pulled back, giving him a weak smile. Regulus looked around at his friends and Mia's friends. "Everyone but Sirius, out."

There were, surprisingly, very few protests, but everyone promised to be back the second they could. With everyone out of the way, Regulus turned to his brother.

"Mia's magic had a talk with me, and her, I suppose."

"Her magic?" Sirius's eyes widened. "I thought that was just rumors."

"As did I," Regulus nodded, unwilling to think of the implications. "But she said Mia and I need to bond or- well, last time, her connection to Bill Weasley was the only thing that kept her mind intact."

Sirius shivered and looked down at Mia. "You want to do this?"

"We're going to do it someday, anyway," she agreed quietly. "If he really doesn't mind… I'd rather not lose my mind."

There was a quiet moment of shuffling as they arranged themselves. In any other situation, there'd be more arguing, more denying, or even more love in the air. Still, the situation at hand was too dire. No one had time to hesitate.

Sirius, being raised by proud purebloods, had been taught just about every bonding ceremony in the books, light and dark alike. He raised his wand, sitting at the end of the bed so he was able to hold it easier between the couple.

"Mia Potter," he began shakily. "Will you bond yourself willingly to Regulus Black, magic, heart, and soul, for all eternity?"

"I will," she replied, eyes wide.

"Regulus Black, will you bond yourself willingly to Mia Potter, magic, heart, and soul, for all eternity?"

"I will."

A bright, flashing golden light encircled them, and both felt that well of magic they'd had inside of them since they were born grow significantly as they added onto each other. The light faded gently into their skin, tickling them with the loving magic that now bound them. Mia gasped as some of the pain immediately dispersed - not much, but enough. Regulus, however, doubled over.

"Mia," he groaned. He waited it out and breathed through it as it slowly released, leaving him unsteady.

"Regulus?" she touched his arm gently. He shook his head. "What is it?"

"He can feel it," Sirius told her. Regulus glared at his brother, but he ignored him and continued. "With strong bonds, you sometimes get a bit of a telepathic connection, like twins, and you can feel pain, like a warning."

Mia gasped, horror in her eyes. "If I'd known-,"

"That's exactly why we didn't tell you," Regulus ground out, touching her face gently. "You wouldn't have done it and would've suffered longer."

"But-,"

"And now that we're bonded, love," he said, his heart speeding up a little at the thought. "I'll need you to go to sleep and let yourself heal."

There was minimal arguing as Mia's magic collapsed, signaling her need to rest. Regulus leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips. "I love you."

"I love you, Reg," she whispered back. He rubbed her arms gently as she fell into a fitful sleep. Once she had, he turned on his brother and slammed up a silencing charm so they wouldn't wake her.

"How the fuck did this happen?" he growled. Sirius had been in charge of watching Mia while Regulus tutored some first years with his friends, something he deeply regretted signing up for. "You were supposed to watch her!"

"She told us to go next door," Sirius said tiredly. "Said she'd be in there for the full two hours."

"And instead Bella found her?" Regulus snapped. "This is your fault."

"I know."

Regulus stared at his brother angrily before turning away and asking the room for an extension filled with many breakable items. It did as he asked, and he placed many wards around the area to protect anyone outside and to keep it silent inside. Not willing to look back at his brother, he spoke as he entered the small area. "Let everyone else in. Don't tell them what we did."

And then he moved into the small room and ignored everything but his fury.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Regulus was smashing things. He was currently throwing a tea cup angrily at a mirror. They clashed so hard that both broke with a loud crack. He screamed some rather colorful curse words at nothing and threw a plate the room offered him. It hit the wall hard, and he screamed in anger again.

This went on for nearly two hours. Mia laid unconscious on a bed with Remus, James, Sirius, and Fred surrounding her, while Severus and Avery sat and watched Regulus throw his temper tantrum.

When Regulus finally slowed down, he was drenched in sweat and had tear tracks down his cheeks. The Room had vanished anything he'd broken immediately, so Regulus just collapsed on the ground. He fell silent then and waited there for his broken girlfriend to wake up again.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"I don't know how it happened," Sirius said quietly, hours of silence having passed. He knew Regulus was having a breakdown behind him, but he was having his own, too. He had a feeling everyone in the room was.

"I know-,"

"She said she would just be looking at books. She said she'd yell for me if anything looked wrong." He continued shakily. "I told her to yell for me. She saw my cousin and has fucking been hurt before and she still didn't yell for me."

"It's exactly because she's been hurt before," Fred said darkly, his voice barely above a whisper. "She was being careful. I don't think it would've gone much better if she'd called for you."

"It shouldn't have happened," Sirius said lowly.

"Of course it shouldn't have," James snapped, irritated. "But it's not doing us any good to think about that, now is it?"

"I want to fucking kill her," Sirius said with a sigh. He felt useless. One of his best friends, a girl that was like a sister to him, was being tortured while he'd been picking out gloves, and he hadn't had a clue. It didn't seem right to him, and it made him furious.

They all paused when Mia twitched a bit, and Remus moved to her and began muttering soothing words to her. He'd been quiet except for every time she moved, and he'd refused to comment on the incident so far. He was very protective, and Sirius realized, unsurprised, that Remus considered Mia pack.

"Sirius, he wants to talk to you," they heard a voice call – Avery. He sighed and stood, giving his friends orders to take care of her. He walked numbly into the warded side of the room, where he saw his brother in the midst of his break down. He was a mess with sweat dripping and mixing with tears on the floor. He'd somehow torn his robes and cut his leg, and Sirius pulled out his wand with another sigh and carefully sat next to his baby brother, waving his wand over him to heal him.

"Why wasn't she protected?" It was sharp and dangerous, but Sirius didn't care. He'd expected the argument again once he'd finished breaking things.

"We were just next door. She told us she'd… she'd yell if anything looked off."

"You're supposed to be protecting her! I couldn't do it. She's already got Dolohov on her tail, and now Bellatrix will be after her, too!"

"I know." It was quiet, but Sirius refused to defend himself.

"She shouldn't be like this, Sirius." Regulus shook his head and took a breath. "I want two people with her at all times, now. I doubt the Dark Lord will paint her as a target for annoying Bellatrix, but she's still got our cousin after her now."

"I-I know. We'll all watch her."

Sirius heard Snape breathe out in a huff, and he couldn't even bring himself to care. He deserved it.

"The three of us will do what we can," Avery said slowly. The boy looked angry and had more emotion on his face than Sirius had ever seen, and Sirius felt horrible. "Since you can't seem to do it right."

Sirius nodded slowly. He deserved that. He was also a little shocked. He knew Mia was friends with a couple of Slytherins, but he hadn't realized they truly cared for her like that. He looked between the three of them and saw the same look on their faces as were on his friend's faces. He could see their protectiveness, and he knew they were all itching to hex him for this. Suddenly he had a new appreciation for Mia's friends.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

January 24th, 1977

They'd all debated who needed to tell Fabian about Mia. Sirius, Fred, and Regulus were immediately ruled out, all of them having tempers that had blown up multiple times over the past days. James and Remus spent a while debating before they'd both been kicked out of the Room to tell him together.

Everyone - the Marauders and the Slytherins - had been in the Room for the past two days, keeping watch over Mia as she healed. Sirius had been giving her something to keep her asleep as he worked on healing what he could, but most of the progress truly came from Regulus. He'd been exhausted since their binding, but he was perfectly happy for it if it meant she healed faster.

James and Remus were outside of his office door when James hesitated to knock.

"They're close," he sighed. "Mia and Fabian. What do we do if he… doesn't take this well?"

Remus shrugged helplessly. "We wait for him to calm down and offer to take him to her. There's nothing else we can do."

James nodded a little and knocked on the door. Fabian opened it a few moments, looking tired. He raised an eyebrow at them, and both boys shifted uncomfortably.

"Can we come in? We… need to talk."

"That doesn't sound good," Fabian muttered quietly, but he opened the door wide and walked back to his desk. He sat down, but the boys stood nervously in front of the desk. "Is everything alright? You two look pale."

"No," James fidgeted anxiously. "Everything isn't okay, I mean."

"On Saturday, Bellatrix Lestrange tortured Mia with the Cruciatus Curse for an hour, maybe two. She's been sleeping since," Remus stated bluntly. Fabian paled considerably, his eyes widening.

That small woman, that little and extremely powerful woman was… tortured? And he hadn't been told for days?

"Where is she?" he managed to choke out. "Is she in the infirmary?"

Remus shook his head, putting a calming hand on James's arm, who was fidgeting with his robes. "She asked us to take her to the Room of Requirement. Sirius, Regulus, Avery, and I have been taking turns healing her. Regulus helps the most, probably more than a healer would."

"And why didn't you tell me on Saturday? You knew I was in the village… hell, you could've told my brother! Did Bellatrix get away?"

James winced at the question and shook his head slowly. "Sirius stunned her and put her in a full body bind. Mia… she said we couldn't because she still had a role to play."

"Fuck that!" Fabian yelled. He'd become close with Mia, and had treated her like a little sister. He was angry enough with the idea of her being tortured, but he was furious with the thought that the bitch who hurt her had gotten away.

"We had more important things to attend to than Bellatrix," Remus spoke calmly. "Like making sure Mia wasn't brain dead."

"Take me to her," Fabian demanded hotly. "Right now."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

The room was completely silent and had been since Fabian had entered. They'd made room for him to sit next to Mia's bed, and he had gently picked up her hand to hold it in his. He was tense as he watched her breathing quietly. She was family, and it made him sick to see her like this. He knew she'd be horrified to know so many people were watching her, but none of them could help it.

"Why'd you wait so long to tell me?" He asked in a devastated voice.

"We…" Sirius sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. "At first it was because we needed to get her stable. She was barely breathing. Then it was because we needed to clean her up. Then we all had our own little breakdowns. After that… it just slipped our minds that there was someone else that would want to know and could know. None of us have left this room until today. It's been providing us with anything we need as we need it. James commented about how she was skipping classes again, and Fred here tried to leave the room to tell you. That's when we decided."

"How… how bad was it?" He asked before he could stop himself. He wasn't sure he wanted to know, seeing her unconscious in bed like that.

Sirius took a deep breath, but it was Regulus who answered. "If they'd arrived two minutes later, she'd be dead."

"Fuck," Fabian muttered angrily.

"Language," they heard Mia whisper weakly. She squeezed his hand a little and attempted a smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. "I'm okay, love."

Sirius backed up nervously as Regulus moved swiftly to her side and took the hand Fabian wasn't holding. "Do you need more pain potion?" her boyfriend asked quietly.

"I'll hurt all of you if you try to make me swallow another potion, Regulus." She said firmly, and her boyfriend laughed gently, biting his cheek. Fabian was quiet, but he could see a few tears in the boy's eyes.

"No more potions for now, then. How are you feeling? Any better?"

"My body has had plenty of time to heal with Sirius shoving calming draughts and sleeping potions down my throat every time I so much as twitch," Mia said bitterly, trying and failing to sit up. She glanced around the room and grimaced again at the number of people staring at her. "What in the name of Merlin are all of you doing here?"

"Er- Mia, you're aware of your current… state, correct?" James asked gently.

"Yes, of course, I am, Jamie."

"Well, we've all been worried. When we brought you back, Remus sent a Patronus to Regulus, and Snape and Avery got here before him, for some reason. We just got Auror Prewett-"

"Call me Fabian-,"

"Before you woke up." James finished, ignoring the elder redhead.

"What day is it?" She said with a frown. She tried to sit up again and, with some grateful help from Regulus, managed to stay sitting up. Fabian frowned at the sight. She hated people helping her.

"Er… Monday, kitten." Sirius said, cringing.

"Monday? Why didn't you wake me up? We have classes!" She shrieked.

The room was silent for a few beats before Fred cracked up laughing. "Always the same, Granger. You even went to class after you were petrified. I remember finding you sneaking out of the infirmary. You begged us not to tell anyone."

Mia pouted. "I missed weeks of classes! Of course, I wanted to go immediately! I even missed exams that year!"

"We all did, Mione. He canceled them because of muggleborns dropping like flies-"

"Don't be rude, Frederick," Mia said sternly.

"You were petrified?" Avery asked in alarm. Fred turned and seemed to realized that not everyone in the room knew her secret and flinched.

"Er, yeah. I, uh, got a spell wrong. It was awful." Mia lied badly. Avery seemed to know she was lying but didn't push it.

"No matter the case, I can bring you your schoolwork tomorrow," Fabian promised with a soft smile. She squeezed his hand again and returned the smile happily, albeit weakly. "If you're feeling better, that is."

"Oh, I'll be fine. I could probably even go to classes today-"

"No," everyone yelled at her. She blinked a few times before sighing.

"You're all overprotective. I love you dearly, but you are." She said with a small smile.

"Do you think you could do without me for a few minutes, pet? I've got something I need to take care of, and I'm going to collect a few books from your dorm for you." Fabian gave her a familiar smile and she nodded.

"I think I can manage. These fools probably won't leave me alone, anyway."

Fabian kissed her hand gently before leaving the room, his seething anger barely controlled.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"She nearly died!" He screamed again. He'd been in the Headmaster's office for twenty minutes now, fifteen of which had been spent either trading pleasantries or trying to calm down.

"I know, Fabian," Dumbledore said in the same soothing voice he'd been attempting since the younger man had entered the office. "But there's nothing we can do but nurse her back to health, which her friends seem to be doing well, and ensuring her safety from here on out."

"She's extremely headstrong, Sir, and prideful to boot." He tried again for a calm voice. "She hates being taken care of. But you should've seen her… She was just lying there. She let her boyfriend help her sit up because she couldn't do it alone."

"I'm aware of your friendship and unsealed familial bond, Fabian. I know she must mean a great deal to you, but I'm afraid there's just nothing else we can do for her," Dumbledore said passively.

"Really? She was attacked by Dolohov in these halls, sir! There's nothing you can do about that?"

"There was no evidence-"

"Like hell, there wasn't! She saved another student from being… attacked by him, and not two weeks later, someone tries to kill her! And that was after she pissed him off when he tried to touch her. Not to mention the bruises he gave her at the Potter Ball. Doesn't that seem suspicious to you?"

"We also, regretfully, have no proof he was the one to attempt an attack on Miss MacDonald, and there's no proof he tried to hurt her. The Potter Ball is outside of our reach. Anything that happened there-,"

"Mia could provide the memory!" He argued. "Regulus Black could vouch for it, too!"

"Even so, the process of gathering the proof-"

"Bloody hell, Professor! She's been in danger at this school her entire life, future or present! Isn't that enough to warrant some sort of bodyguard at the very least?!"

"I'm terribly sorry, Mister Prewett-"

Fabian didn't hear the end of his sentence, because he'd growled darkly and stomped out of the office. Dumbledore's message was clear: he refused to intervene. Fabian tore through the castle, ignoring students as they questioned him or tried to talk to him. He stalked into Slytherin common rooms and accio'd multiple books from the girl's dorms before walking swiftly out, avoiding any questions thrown his way.

It didn't take him long to get back to the Room, but he spent a good fifteen minutes outside, calming his temper.

Dumbledore was a great wizard, but he was a severely flawed man.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Sano," Mia heard Avery say quietly. He was sitting beside her bed now. He'd waited until everyone else was asleep to move there, and Mia couldn't understand why.

"Hm."

"Why do you refuse being helped or taken care of?" His voice was gentle, but Mia flinched at the accusation. She considered the question before responding.

"I take care of people, not the other way around. I'm supposed to help them."

"You do help us, but sometimes you need help, too," he protested."

"No, love, I don't."

"Yes, you do. You'd be dead without help, Mia." His words were sharp and she bit her lip. She knew, as much as she hated it, that he was right. "I'm sorry. It's just… I care for you. You presented yourself as the physical embodiment of hope and then turned into the only family I've got left."

Mia reached out for his hand instead of responding. She didn't think there was much else to say.

"There's something you're all keeping from me," he stated. Her breath hitched painfully in her chest.

"It's one of those things," she sighed. "The secrets that I don't know if I can tell you."

"Do you not trust me?"

She shook her head. "Of course I do, it's just…" she sighed in frustration. How was she supposed to explain that she knew nothing of his future and that she didn't know how to risk it? "There's more to it. It's about the future, and Voldemort, and… too many people know my secret, I don't want to put you in danger, too."

"This secret puts you in danger?" he asked quietly. She nodded a little.

"Voldemort himself would kill me if he knew," she promised. Avery took a long, deep breath.

"I trust you, Sano." She gave him a small smile, but he wasn't done. "I have a… suspicion."

"Oh?"

"About you, I mean," he shifted in his seat. "I don't have much proof, but I don't believe I'm wrong."

"What is it?" Mia frowned, worried he'd somehow figured it out.

"I believe you're a Light Lady," he said nervously. She blinked.

"A what?"

"It's basically the opposite of a Dark Lord," he explained. "Dark Lords and Ladies, Light Lords and Ladies."

"What does that… mean?"

"Well, for one, people tend to flock to you," he explained. Mia saw Regulus shift in the bed next to her and knew he was awake and listening. "And they trust you. And you're… powerful. Remember when you told us about the bonding ritual you did with Sirius?" She nodded a little. "That was the first clue. That's a level of power that I've never seen before."

"I see."

"It's just something to keep in mind," he told her. "Light Ladies and Dark Lords are typically destined to fight each other in the end."

"You think Voldemort and I…?"

"It's possible," he shrugged. "But we can't be sure. Don't worry about it, okay?"

"Yeah."

"Goodnight, Sano."

"Night, Avery."

She watched as he stood and made his way to the other end of the room and found a bed. A moment later, she felt her bed shift and smiled at Regulus as he laid with her.

"What do you think?" She asked softly.

"I think he's right," Regulus admitted reluctantly. "Light Ladies usually spend a significant amount of their lives in danger, leading up to the beginning of their power."

"But I've never had people… flock to me, not until I came here," she argued.

"Yes, but I think coming here was when you reached the correct time," he explained. "There's never been a Light Lady to oppose Voldemort. Dumbledore was the best Light defense they've had until now."

"You're saying… I belong in this time, to fight him?" Regulus nodded. "But what about in the future? He dies, and then nothing happens. I grew up in that time, and I was only a target because of Harry."

"Voldemort died," he said slowly. "And he came back, but not to his true body. A new one was made for him. I believe that because he'd lost parts of his soul, his power clung to his body. When he lost that…"

"He lost that power?"

"Most likely. He'd still be powerful, but nowhere near a Dark Lord."

"So, in twenty years, he's no longer a dark lord, and I'm not a light lady because there's no dark lord to match me?"

"You weren't," Regulus corrected. "I think that when you go back now, you'd still be one because you've reached that point. You can't just… erase that power without the sort of thing Voldemort went through."

"But why could he exist without me?"

"Because Light Ladies are rare," he shrugged. "They don't appear nearly as often as dark lords do. There was no Light Lady to oppose Grindlewald. There were rumors of a witch who would've been, but she'd suppressed her magic and Dumbledore had to defeat him."

"The entire reason Dumbledore is so widely revered today," Mia agreed. "They think he's a Light Lord?"

"Some believe so," Regulus shrugged. "But it isn't true."

"But I am."

"Yes."

"Fuck."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

January 28th, 1977

Mia flipped over, wincing lightly in pain. She had been released from the near-obsessive care of her friends the day before, and she had only been allowed back to classes by Dumbledore after Madame Pomfrey had looked her over and reluctantly admitted she was in good enough health, though she'd still need potions and checkups.

She pulled herself out of bed and made her way over to her trunk to rifle through it, staring at the one ring that was just a black band with a dot of gold inside of it. She didn't want to give the rings out until they were all finished, but it was driving her crazy, being unable to do anything.

Fabian had refused to see her for the spell until Regulus said she was in good enough health, and no amount of arguing had convinced him to change his mind.

Frustrated, Mia pulled on her robes and made her way silently and alone out of the castle to the boundary of the grounds, where she tapped her ring and whispered, "Portus Potter."

She stumbled a little as she was deposited on the steps of her house and rushed inside. She'd yet to set any in-depth wards on it like the fidelius, but she knew that as long as she was inside the house, she'd be safe.

She managed to fumble her way to the office and place herself at the desk before the trembling began, and she cursed loudly trying to calm her body. She had been fine before, and she didn't understand why she was suddenly not. It was as if her body hadn't healed at all.

"Sano?"

Her head shot up at the sound of the concerned voice and she managed a small smile. "Hello."

"Are you alright?" Rodolphus asked, frowning. "A few days ago, Bellatrix came home and she was… less than pleased. She said your name."

She nodded a little. "I'm fine. I had a small… encounter with her." She bit her lip. "I'll be fine."

Rodolphus sucked in a breath and she watched him look at her more critically. "Where is Black?"

"Asleep?" she guessed. "Or on his way here, angry. One or the other."

Rodolphus scowled. "You brought no one with you?"

She shrugged. "They're smothering me, Rodolphus. I needed air."

"Because you almost died," Regulus snapped, entering the room behind Rodolphus. He looked angry and tired, and Mia winced, regret filling her. He turned to the other Death Eater. "Don't let her pretend like this is no big deal. She'd be dead if we hadn't gotten to her immediately."

"Sano," Rodolphus stared at her, his eyes piercing. She frowned. Was she not allowed to decide who knew what? "What happened?"

"She was torturing the store owner," she defended hotly. "He could've died, and he wouldn't have been as lucky as me."

"How long were you under?"

"Nearly two hours," Regulus answered, moving to Mia's side as he saw her trembling. When he touched her neck lightly, the trembling stopped almost immediately, leaving only occasional wracks of pain.

"Merlin," Lestrange breathed. "Mia, you have to be more careful."

"I'm plenty careful," she argued. "But I will not let myself or others get hurt just because I'm scared." She stared at Regulus. "I've always refused, and I won't change that now that Bellatrix fucking tortured me again."

"Again?"

Mia paused. "Fuck."

"You wish you'd stayed at Hogwarts, don't you?" Regulus raised an eyebrow. She scowled at him, giving him plenty of confirmation.

"I can't keep doing this, Regulus!" Mia sighed, throwing her head back. "I can't tell every fucking person I meet!"

"Fred forced you to tell Sirius and his friends," Regulus reminded her gently. "As well as Fabian and Gideon, and I held you at wand point. You only willingly told Severus."

Mia glanced between her boyfriend and friend - because he had certainly become a friend - and rubbed her face hard before slipping her hand into her beaded bag and searching around. Eventually, she felt what she was looking for and pulled it out.

"Is that…?" Regulus frowned.

"The Veritiserum we brewed a couple of weeks ago," She nodded. She pulled it open and dripped two drops of the very strong potion onto her tongue. "My name is Mia Potter. It was Hermione Granger."

And the process began.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

February 2nd, 1977

"That's two done!" Mia grinned, looking down at her rings.

"Good job, pet," Fabian smiled happily. She bit her lip and looked at the rings and then the boys in front of her. Fabian and Regulus were there with her, as always, and she picked two rings up and handed them over.

"Worst case," she said to Fabian. "Gideon has to hold onto your ring, but as long as I keep progressing as I have been, everything will be fine."

The boys silently slipped the rings on their fingers, and she felt herself relax at the sight.

Maybe they wouldn't all die, after all.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

February 4th, 1977

"They're inseparable now," James commented quietly, watching Mia and Regulus across the room. They were in potions working quietly, but he'd noticed the level of attachment that had grown since Mia had been hurt. Sirius glanced away, very carefully avoiding his gaze.

"Well they always have been, haven't they?"

"Yeah, but it's different," he whispered. "I don't know. It's like they're one person now."

Sirius turned his back completely to his friend. "He's probably just feeling extra protective," he tried, avoiding James's gaze.

"Sirius?"

"Huh?"

"What happened?" he asked. Sirius could avoid, but he'd never been able to lie to James. The boy turned back to him, looking tired.

"It's… private. I was only there because someone had to be."

"Sirius."

"Fine!" He sighed, annoyed. "They had to finish their soul bond to help her heal. Her magic wouldn't let anyone but him do it."

"They got married?" James accidentally screeched, drawing the attention of everyone in the room, including the couple in question. He flushed under the attention as Slughorn shushed him and told everyone to go back to work. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Not married," Sirius rolled his eyes. "Just bonded. It was going to happen eventually, and it saved her life."

"Merlin," James whispered, staring at the backs of the couple, who were now whispering to each other furiously.

"She's gonna bloody kill me," Sirius muttered miserably. "I'm dead."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Sirius!" Mia called, her voice a little too sweet. He turned nervously to face her, finding Regulus and Avery on either side of her. She looked fierce and intimidating, and he was perfectly willing to admit he was afraid of her.

"Mia love?"

"Who got married?" she asked in a tone that suggested they were talking about the weather.

"No one," he shook his head.

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow. "So James wasn't coming to incorrect conclusions about Reg and I?"

Sirius shrugged helplessly. "I can't lie to him, Mia."

"You can't even tell him in a private place?"

Sirius paused. "Ah. Well, looking back, that might've been a better idea."

"Yes," she agreed, looking distinctly annoyed. "Possibly."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

February 7th, 1977

Mia froze as a hand fell on her shoulder and twisted her around.

"Potter."

"What do you want, Dolohov?"

"I wanted to check on you," he smirked. "I heard about your accident with Bellatrix Lestrange. Horrible, isn't it?"

"I'm fine."

"To think, your first example of a Crucio was so… weak."

Mia stiffened. "Excuse me?"

Dolohov raised his hand and pointed his wand at her. "Crucio!"

Mia's scream was cut off as the pain stopped short after barely ten minutes, though it left her shaking violently once more. She looked up in surprise, having fallen to the floor, to find a familiar face standing next to Dolohov, shoving his wand away.

"Leave her alone," Leon Gibbon snarled. "You don't know when to give up, do you?"

"She's mine," Dolohov argued hotly.

"Actually," a dark voice said. "I think you'll find she's mine."

News had, unfortunately, gotten out about the sealed soul bond and the need for the sealing. Mia sagged in relief at the sight of her boyfriend.

"Black," Dolohov sneered. "What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing trying to torture her?" he snapped, standing still at the door with his wand out. "Leave. Don't touch her again."

Dolohov looked between the two wizards and huffed, making his way angrily from the room. Regulus relaxed, pushing his way through the classroom and over to Mia, who had barely pulled herself into a sitting position. Before he reached her, though, Gibbon had dropped to his knees and was waving his wand over her.

"Voldemort banned him from torture," he told Mia quietly, moving out of the way before Regulus could push him. "He has no restraint. He just tries to kill immediately. It's the worst crucio anyone has ever seen, even worse than Bellatrix."

"Why are you telling me this?" Mia asked weakly.

"Because he's trying to kill you," Gibbon explained as Regulus held her close, letting her magic feed off of him to heal her again.

"He already tried, he nearly cut me in half in the library," Mia argued.

"But he didn't," Gibbon pointed out. "Now, he really wants you dead. He's been talking about it in the dorms."

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked again, more firmly now. Gibbon looked between her and Regulus slowly.

"People are starting to notice," he told her softly. "And they didn't at first because you've got so many people covering for you, but it's getting harder to hide. It's obvious you're a Light Lady, Potter."

Mia sucked in a breath as Regulus stilled beneath her, having pulled her fully into his lap. "Excuse me?"

"Well, you've been collecting Death Eaters," he said like it was obvious. They stared at him and he sighed, waving his hand around. "I don't think anyone but me has noticed, if that helps."

"What do you want?" Regulus snapped, his nerves on end.

"Well," Gibbon frowned. "I want to help. I'm only a Death Eater because my mother was married off to my father, and he got really into the dark arts. My mother and I wanted to side with the Light, but my father offered me to Voldemort in return for sparing his life."

Mia's mouth opened and closed before she leaned back into Regulus's arms, closing her eyes. "Come talk to me in like… two days. I've just been tortured, I'm tired, and I'm losing count of my fucking death eaters."

OoOoOoOoOoOo