Regulus and Hermione walked through the bustling train station, Regulus holding Hermione's wrist so they weren't separated. They found Euphemia standing regally at the side, with James and Sirius hugging them maternally. Hermione took a deep breath and marched over, not sparing a glance at the boys.
"Mother? You're well?" she said formally, shocking the Potter Matriarch, and slightly wounding her.
"Yes, I'm well. Did you get the package on Christmas? I did send Oliver in the morning..?"
But Regulus answered instead, looking Euphemia in the eye "Yes, Nita got it, however the explosives you hid inside caused my mother to have to refurbish half of the drawing room, and explain to my grandfather why several heirlooms and antiques are lost."
"I did no such thing young man!"
James was sniggering, but Sirius was a papery white, looking sick with worry.
"Aren't their reactions any indication that I'm telling the truth?" Regulus asked calmly.
Euphemia looked towards her boys and back at Regulus's unwavering seriousness, before grabbing James by the ear and pulling him away, calling back "Sirius, be a dear and give Mia her presents"
Scowling, Sirius passed her a tiny basket, grumbling "All you need to do is cast an enlargement spell" before turning to Regulus and asking "Does Mother know I was involved?"
"No. She doesn't know you call yourselves the Marauders, so she thinks it was just Pettigrew, Lupin and Potter. C'mon Nita, we need to get a compartment", Regulus turned to leave, but Sirius caught his arm, saying, "Thanks Reggie"
"My name's Regulus. Only people who love me call me anything other than that"
Narcissa, Andromeda and Bellatrix were playing cards in a compartment when Hermione came in and Regulus followed after, hanging his head.
"Alright kids?" Andromeda asked, eyes not moving from her cards.
"Yeah, Reg and Sirius had a spat, so he's brooding though" Hermione sat down next to Narcissa and pointed at the Goddess of War card, whispering "Meda's gonna play the Goddess of Love next"
A few minutes after the departure, Bellatrix straightened suddenly and said "Excuse me" and handed Hermione her cards to play, before leaving the compartment swiftly. before leaving the compartment swiftly. Andromeda knew that the Prefects were needed later, so she just looked at the door Bella had just left, puzzled.
Bellatrix slid open the Marauders's compartment door and stepped inside, standing just in front of them.
"What do you want?" James asked, his brashness failing to overcome his fear of the witch tremendously.
"I want to make one thing perfectly clear, so clear that we never have to speak about it ever again. So clear that you don't even think about the thing I'm asking you not to do, let alone act it out in any way shape or form" Bellatrix spoke coldly, almost calmly, but the edge on her voice and the steeliness in her eyes portrayed the message almost everyone knew. You didn't mess with the Sixth Year. Of course, the Marauders weren't ones for rules.
"And what is this thing, Black? You're being particularly vague" Remus spoke in his thick Welsh accent, quirking a scarred eyebrow.
"Oh Lupin do not test me. Do you not see by the mark on Potter's neck that I don't take kindly to that sort of thing?"
James gulped, a hand reaching for his neck subconsciously.
"Nita is under the protection of the Blacks. Which means if you continue bullying, harassing, speaking a negative word about her etc, you will not only be dealt with by the Prefect privileges some of us have, but the ends of our wands too. Cissa said it quite perfectly at the Ball, while Hermione holds love for you, we most certainly do not."
"She's not under my protection" Sirius smugly said, sharing a look with James.
"Yes, but the thing is, Sirius, you are not a Black. You may be by blood and lastname, but you do not have the mind, soul nor heart to truly be one. Your pathetic friends may take this as something to be proud of, but trust me it is not" Bellatrix turnt to leave, but Peter asked a question that made the boys look at the witch curiously.
"Why do you care so much?"
Bellatrix paused to think. "Because her family does not care enough"
The rest of the train ride had Andromeda and Bellatrix walking in and out of the compartment, not having time for a game but enough to have short conversations with the others. Narcissa and Hermione splurged on their sweets when the trolley witch came, finally bringing Regulus out of his mood a tad. When the train finally reached snowy Scotland, the group walked along the crunchy, snow ridden path up to the carriages and crossed the Marauders. None of them dared look in their direction, and while it puzzled Hermione, both Regulus and Narcissa had an inkling as to why.
As the weeks started to progress, the Marauders stayed tight clean of her, and in association, all the people she and the Blacks were close with. It was a peaceful time at Hogwarts for the Slytherins, and while they were still only warming up to her, it made her feel more comfortable in the snake pit.
On an uneventful Thursday, Regulus and Hermione were walking from History of Magic to the Black Lake.
"I mean honestly, can Binns be more boring? He should put his lesson plans in the bloody bin" Regulus nudged Hermione and wiggled his eyebrows, which produced an amused huff from the girl.
"If you must tell a pun, can it at least be a funny one Reggie?"
"No, I'm only alive to be the bane of your life. What's my other purpose but to annoy you?"
They were rounding the corner and stepping onto the grass, when they saw a large crowd forming around a tree. Hermione walked forward curiously, when she saw the Marauders at the centre, James at the forefront. He had his wand raised, and he was hanging a Slytherin boy in their year in the air upside down.
Hermione exchanged a look with Regulus who whispered "Avery. Refuses to tell anyone his first name"
"Worth saving? I'll enjoy kicking James's arse, but is it worth risking the peace?"
"Yep, I've been waiting for you to do this for years!"
"I haven't even known you for a year" Hermione called over her shoulder as she marched over and pushed herself through the crowd.
She cast expelliarmus at Lupin, Pettigrew and Sirius, catching their wands expertly. At Grimmauld Place, Bellatrix had gone over defensive spells with her, and how to cast them quickly so as to get to offence as quickly as possible.
The boys looked around for the caster and when they spotted Hermione holding their wands, they looked positively shocked.
"Let him down James. Now"
"No. Needed to teach him a lesson didn't I? Caught him hanging round Dolohov and them. Thought I'd scare the dark arts out of him." James started to move him up and down, bouncing the boy around.
"Dolohov is his cousin! You believe he's not allowed to speak to his cousin? How does that mean he associates with the arts? You let him down James Potter!" Hermione took a step forward, raising her own wand, although she wouldn't cast until Avery was down so she didn't hurt him.
"Yes, Sirius doesn't speak to his family who are all into that crap, and I don't speak to you. Simple. And I won't let him down just yet."
The crowd gasped. They'd been following the drama both the Potter/Black friendships had between each other , and those who were invited to the Potter's Christmas Eve Ball spread the news about what had happened. Everyone seemed to know, and Hermione felt as if she was under surveillance, watched with amusement when she was just trying to get on with her life.
"I am not a dark witch James, now put him DOWN" Hermione raised her wand higher, glaring at the boy in disgust.
James was about to retort, when a fiery redhead appeared next to Hermione.
"For once Potter do the right thing and put him down! For heaven's sake at least one Potter child is alright, or we'd have two maniacs running around the school." She glanced at Hermione and put out a hand.
"Lily Evans" she whispered.
"Cast a cushioning spell on Avery in 10 secs" Hermione whispered back, pulling away from the girl who was nodding.
"Oh c'mon Evans, I know you're friends with Snivey, but don't side with the wench. It might finally break the boys heart" Sirius slung a shoulder around the older Potter and winked.
Lily took the opportunity to nod at Hermione slightly, and whisper Molliare as Hermione cast another expelliarmus at her brother, catching his wand too. Avery dropped to the ground, and Regulus rushed forward to move him away from the Marauders.
"Thank you Lily" she grinned. "I'm sure you'll know what to do with these" Hermione handed her the wands and walked back through the crowds, this time however, it parted like the Red Sea and she could catch up to the boys quickly.
"The amnesty is over!" Sirius called, but Hermione raised a finger, deeming it enough of a response.
"Are you alright Avery?" Regulus asked once they'd gotten back to the Slytherin Dorms. They had decided to go up to the boy's dorm room, seeing as Hermione could walk up there with them, and it was good for privacy against the 6th and 7th Years who had free periods.
"Yeah" he scratched his head and looked down at his lap.
The boys were sitting on their own beds, but Hermione sat in between them on the floor with her legs stretched out.
"Did they do anything to hurt you before hanging you upside down? Any injuries?" Hermione tried.
"No"
"You're a man of very few words, Avery" Regulus chuckled. "Why don't we just stay here? No classes. I'll get Kreacher to bring us lunch"
"Yeah, I've missed Kreacher. I'd like to see him again, and Avery, he always brings the best snacks. Reg can you ask him to bring those sandwiches? The ones from the last time we were on the roof?"
"Urgh no Nita they were disgusting. And why don't you just do it yourself? He treats you like a Black anyway, likes you more than most of us" he rolled his eyes.
"They were delicious, I'll have you know, and Kreacher likes me because we have a special connection and"
"Special connection my arse"
Avery cleared his throat and looked between the pair with his eyebrows raised into his auburn brown locks. "Are you aware you two argue like a married couple? It's quite fun to watch too. Like one of those Muggle … sitcoms? I don't know the word"
Hermione blushed slightly, and Regulus grumbled "So now you can speak more than a word at a time"
"Regulus, call Kreacher, I'm hungry" Hermione whined, trying to diffuse the tension. "Avery, what sandwiches do you like?"
"Er cheese?"
Both Regulus and Hermione gaped at him.
"Cheese? Of the universal flavours, that is what you pick?" Hermione said, but Regulus just settled for shouting "What?!" incredulously.
Avery looked at them oddly. Their friendship was strange to him. In the Snake Pit, you didn't have friends, you had allies. But these two bickered like they were either siblings or married (it differentiated), Hermione was close it seemed with the Black's house elf and they were so in sync with their thoughts it was like they shared a bond. But Avery knew bonds were too rare in 11 year olds for it to be possible, so he chalked it up to coincidence.
"Cheese… and tomato?"
Regulus still looked faintly offended, but instead of responding, he spoke commandingly but softly into the air "Kreacher!"
With a pop, the house elf appeared and bowed lowly. "Master Regulus... Mistress Nita!"
Hermione smiled warmly "Kreacher. This is mine and Reg's new friend Avery."
He felt his heart beat a little faster at being called a friend, but he kept his face neutrally stiff.
Kreacher nodded his head to Avery,and turned back to Regulus. "You called?"
Nodding back, he replied "Yeah, Kreacher we'd like you to bring the sandwiches you brought us on the last night of the roof, some BLTs with mayonnaise and a few… cheese and tomato please. Take as long as you like, and don't tell Mother"
The house elf nodded and popped away.
"Now Avery, I hear you're good at Wizard's Chess. If I can beat Reg's scrawny behind, I'm sure I can beat yours" Hermione rubbed her hands together and started to set up the board as Regulus huffed.