December 2006

"Ara, what's going on?" Regulus asked.

They were hidden in an alcove behind one of the doors of the Great Hall.

"I helped Remus," she started, "like I told you yesterday, and he seemed fine last night, except for his shaking, but I haven't seen him yet and he could be hurt or, or he could be still out there,"

"Ara," Regulus said, trying to get her attention before she spiraled.

"But maybe he's fine and is just resting, or not, he might not be, or maybe he was allergic to something in the potions! I should have tested him first, I shou-"

"Ara!" He grabbed her frantically waving hands and pulled them towards his body. "I am sure he's fine. He's probably in the Hospital Wing. We can go check on him."

"Let's go now!" Kiara tried to turn away, but Regulus pulled her back.

"Eat first. You won't be any help if you haven't eaten."

"Bu-"

"Just a little. We go back, eat a bun and then we head off. Ok?" He leaned down a bit to see her eyes. "Ok?"

Kiara nodded and he walked towards the Great Hall, pulling him with her.

After Kiara grabbed a bun and ate it under Regulus' watchful gaze, they made their way over to the Hospital Wing. They weren't quite rushing, thanks to Regulus, but walking quite purposefully, nonetheless. Luckily, most of the school was at breakfast so they didn't have to worry about his parents finding out he was talking to Kiara. He just hoped no one noticed him leaving the Slytherin table suspiciously right after Kiara did. He remembered the first time he went home after meeting her, and the change that followed.

December 2003

Sirius had stayed at school, leaving Regulus alone to face the brunt of their parent's frustration. Regulus had just finished unpacking what little he brought back into his drawers when his mother stormed into the room. He had seen her simmering anger at the train station and knew her outburst was inevitable.

"Why have I heard you have been fraternizing with Kiara Hope?" His mother asked in an eerily calm voice.

Regulus straightened his spine, trying to steel himself against the unavoidable questioning. He knew his parents wouldn't be happy about him being friends with a Hufflepuff, but he didn't know it would cause this much trouble. Kiara had been the first person to care about him, not his house or his name or anything else. He never realized how much others judged him and pretended to care, until her. When he thought back on all of the people he had counted as childhood friends he noticed that they all just tolerated him. They were more focused on his brother, but when Sirius became a Gryffindor, everyone, including his parents, shifted their attention and expectations to him.

"Are you going to answer me?" she demanded, shaking him from his thoughts.

"I'm sorry mother," he paused, trying to think of a believable reason, other than her finding him in tears. "She helped me with something and I had to return the favor, otherwise I would be indebted to her."

His mother seemed slightly satisfied with his answer, "Fine, but you cannot be seen with her ever again."

"But why?" The words burst out.

"Why? You dense child, didn't you listen when I was teaching you about the Sacred Twenty-eight? Of course not. If only Sirius hadn't turned out a traitor." She glared at Regulus like it was his fault. "I guess I will have to give you a lesson now."

"The Travers are a well respected family. They have always been faithful to our ways. That was until Hope Travers, granddaughter of Torquil Travers, one of the greatest heads of the DMLE. She was once their prized heir, poised and elegant. Everyone wanted her to marry into their family and have her distant cousin become the next Lord Travers but the family decided to let her husband take the role. She was the most envied witch of her age but she threw it all away.

"Somehow right after her graduation she met a Muggle. She eventually had a child, out of wedlock. The father left them. She betrayed our traditions and our values, Regulus. She along with her halfbood child are an abomination to our society. Luckily the Travers had the mind to disown her and the child. I heard she disappeared off to the Americas. Her daughter should have stayed with her instead of coming back and tainting our world more."

Regulus stood in shock. That was why the purebloods looked down on her. That was why he only saw her with a few people. He knew that she was a halfblood. She had told him soon after he met her, but the fact that her father wasn't around never came up. That was the reason even Gryffindor purebloods shunned her. His mother looked at him with satisfaction. She probably thought this would make him avoid her, but he felt the opposite. She was the first person to care and he wouldn't let her go.

"I understand, mother."

She nodded and swiftly left the room. Regulus sat back on his bed. Maybe Sirius wasn't a traitor for abandoning their practices. If they caused his one true friend to be ostracized by the majority of Hogwarts, how could it be right? He thought about all the muggleborns who excelled in school. He recalled a Ravenclaw in Transfiguration that had finished top of the class, even though he was a muggleborn. Regulus couldn't remember the last time he thought of them as mudbloods. It felt wrong to even think of the word. These were his classmates who had magic just as he did. While muggles may not have magic, Regulus didn't think that made them less. Kiara had shown him how much they had accomplished even without the aid of magic. He had never heard about wixen reaching space but there were muggles who had stood on the moon. As he sat there, he decided that no matter what, they would stay friends. The pedestal that his parents and their ideas had stood on for so long began to crack. They seemed less perfect, less right. Kiara had opened the door and there was no turning back for him. He would not abandon his entire upbringing at that moment but he was on the way.

December 2006

Kiara knocked on the Hospital Wing's door.

"Come in," Madam Pomfrey's voice was muffled through the wood.

Kiara looked back at Regulus and then headed inside. The room was warm, warmer than the corridor at least. She greeted the matron before walking to the sick beds, Regulus trailing behind her. They were all empty except for one. Mostly hidden underneath the blankets was the boy they had come here for. Kiara looked back at Madam Pomfrey for permission to see him. The healer saw her visible worry and nodded.

"Remus?" Kiara whispered nearing the bed. She saw his head turn towards them and she rushed the rest of the way next to him. "Did I make it worse? I'm so sorry. I should have chec-"

"I'm fine," Remus interrupted, holding up a hand. "You helped. This one was just worse than normal. You helped a lot."

"Is there anything I can do now?"

"No, I don't feel that bad, and Sirius is bringing any work I miss."

He looked over her shoulder at Regulus, confusion lining his face before shrinking back against his gaze. Kiara looked behind her. Regulus was glaring at the injured boy. He opened his mouth to say something when the door slammed open. A tangle of limbs fell into the Hospital Wing.

"Ow! Get off, you git!" Sirius screeched at James, who was laying on him.

"Well you pushed me, first."

"Guys, I can't feel my arm." Peter whimpered from underneath the pile.

Their yelling had called Madam Pomfrey back from her office. She stormed into the main infirmary, ready to turn the boys away, when she saw it was her recurring patients. She sighed and left them to their chaos. The boys separated themselves from each other and raced over to Remus' bed. They hadn't noticed Kiara in their haste to get to their friend. She tried to sneak away before they realized she was there.

"What are you doing here?" James asked Kiara.

"I-I um, I was, well I was worried about Remus." Their abrupt entrance put her off balance and she scrambled to get her thoughts together. "Did he tell you that I helped him yesterday?"

"Yes, he did," the boy answered, "Thank you for doing that. He doesn't always listen to us. If you can convince him to not do everything on his own then welcome to the team!"

Kiara smiled at his endless enthusiasm.

"Wait, who decided this?" Sirius butted in.

Her smile dropped.

"Kiara, we checked on Remus already. How about you head out while I talk to my brother?" Regulus' presence stunned Sirus.

"Are you sure? I can wait. There's still a while till class starts." Kiara could feel the tension between the brothers and was concerned about what would happen if she left Regulus alone.

"You have to. Remember yesterday? You said you had to tutor a third year for potions before his test," Regulus reminded her.

"Oh gods, I gotta go," she turned to him, having forgotten about the others in the room. Her promise pushed them out of her mind. "I'll see you after class?"

"Yep."

Kiara rushed out into the hall, leaving the tension behind her.


Things have kinda been crazy so I'm not sure when the next chapter will be finished.

Any questions are welcome. Please comment and vote. Thanks for reading!

- Natalie