Chapter Text
Everleigh
Going back to school and leaving my father all alone is scary for me because it's the first time he will be alone. Every other year I've left for school, my mother was there with him so I was never worried about him being lonely. Sadly, my mother passed away at the end of my third year and my father and I haven't left each other's side since. Part of me doesn't even want to return to Hogwarts and leave him but the other part knows my mother would want me to continue with life and get a good education and job.
My father also told me that he will be fine on his own and that I have to go back. He went to Hogwarts as well and always tells me about the memories from when he went there. As much as it would be easier if I don't go back, I have to. It's the right thing to do for myself.
"Everleigh, hurry up." My father calls from down stairs. I guess it's time to go...
"I'm coming." I call back to him.
Picking up my stuff, I close my bedroom door behind me and go down stairs to make our way to the train station.
The train station was just as busy and happy as I remember it being. Kids of all different ages running around to see their friends and saying goodbye to their parents. It comforts me that this never changed because everything else seemed to change so fast.
I don't see Lily yet but maybe she isn't here quite yet. Either that or she's already on the train with the guys she hangs out with. I've met the guys she hangs out with but I haven't had the chance to really get to know them. They were always causing trouble in the first two years and by the end of last year I had no time because of the family stuff going on.
"Do you need me to stay or are you good?" My father asks.
I know they being here must be hard for him because everyone in the wizard community knows what happened and he's trying to avoid talking to people about it. It's too much for him.
"I'm good, you can go." I say. I don't want him to leave but I know he needs to. I give him a hug quickly. "I'll miss you dad."
"I'll miss you too but you can write to me whenever and I'll see you at Christmas." He says before letting me go.
"Okay, I'll see you at Christmas." I say and then he was gone.
Christmas.. that's not too far away. I just have to get through a few months. I'll be fine and he will be too.
"Ah look who it is." a familiar voice says from behind me and I sigh. "It's the blood traitor Hufflepuff girl."
"Come on Bella.." Regulus says but I don't know why he's bothering with it. He should know by now that she can't be stopped when she's like this because she doesn't care.
"Regulus, are you trying to defend her?" Bella asks. "Are you just like your brother?"
"Just leave me alone." I mumble, not waiting for Regulus to answer and pushing past them all.
Leave it to the Slytherins to make an already bad day, worse.
"Who do you think you are blood traitor?" Lucius shouts. "Don't push past your superiors."
"Fuck off." I shout back to them. I can't do this right now. My hands begin shaking a little and I try and hide it. They can't know it because it'll give them more ammunition.
"Someone has an attitude problem this year." Bella teases.
"Bella, just leave it alone." Regulus says.
Why is he being like this? Last year he would have joined in with them.
"Regulus stop pretending to give a shit and you all fuck off and leave me alone." I snap.
I storm away from them and head to the train. I need to get away from them. They're so I infuriating and what is going on with Regulus? Why is he acting like he's not just like them all of a sudden?
Walking on to the train felt amazing. All the happy memories came flooding back and it made me forget about all of the bullshit that just happened with the Slytherins.
Now all I have to do is find Lily.
"Everleigh?" A voice calls out. I turn around and see James standing there smiling at me.
"Hey James." I say, smiling at him. "Have you seen Lily?"
"Oh yeah, she's sitting with Sirius and Remus." He explains. "Do you want to come sit with us?"
"Yes." I say, looking around and notice the Slytherins just walked on the train. "Can we go now?"
James turns around to see what freaked me out and nods.
"Yeah, come on." He says as he wraps an arm over my shoulder and we walk towards the compartment where his friends are sitting. It's a little weird since we have barely spoken in the four years I've known him.
"Avoiding the Slytherins, are you?" He asks me.
"Is it that obvious?" I ask.
"Yes, but don't worry about them." He says calmly. "They're awful."
"I know." I quietly say.
James takes me back to the compartment and thankfully we got away from Bellatrix and her friends before they caught up with us. It's going to be a long year if I have to avoid them like this all year.
Lily is sitting there with the guys when I get there and I'm so glad she's there.
"Finally found me." Lily says with a smirk.
"You don't make it easy." I joke and sit down beside her.
-
Regulus
"Ah, look who it is." Bella says in a taunting voice to Everleigh when she was just trying to get on the train. "It's the blood traitor Hufflepuff."
"Come on Bella..." I say but she shoots me a death glare. I get that we do this every year but she lost her mother and probably has enough going on. I think we should leave her alone, it's the decent thing to do.
"Regulus, are you trying to defend her?" Bella asks. "Are you just like your brother?"
Oh fuck off.
"Just leave me alone." She mumbles, not waiting for me to answer Bella and pushes past us.
"Who do you think you are blood traitor?" Lucius shouts. "Don't push past your superiors."
"Fuck off." She shouts back to them.
I'm not going to lie, I'm impressed with how she dealt with that. She's changed a lot since last year. Last year she would never talk back to us and this year, it's like she's a whole new person.
"Someone has an attitude problem this year." Bella teases.
"Bella, just leave it alone." I say. Seriously, come on.
Everleigh turns around for a minute and gives me a confused look before she snaps at me.
"Regulus stop pretending to give a shit and you all fuck off and leave me alone." She shouts before she storms off.
Lucius and Bellatrix both start laughing as she walks away from us but all I want to do is tell them to shut the fuck up. She just lost her mother, why can't people just have some common sense and leave her alone? It's common sense.
"She came back this year with some fire." Narcissa jokes and Bella continues laughing.
"What is your problem Regulus? Why aren't you laughing?" Lucius asks. "You don't like the blood traitor, do you?"
"Don't be fucking ridiculous." I snap. "She just lost her mother, I just thought it wasn't the right time."
"Regulus, don't go soft on us." Narcissa adds. "She's a blood traitor, she deserves what she gets."
I nod. "You're right."
"Good, now let's go find somewhere to sit." Bella says and we head inside the train.
When we walk in, I see her again and part of me wants to go and see if she's okay. I want to apologize for my cousin's insensitivity but I know I can't do that. Besides, she's talking to someone right now and-
It's James Potter.
Of course it's James fucking Potter.
Great.
"Now she's with James Potter. She must be friends with your brother, Reg." Severus says.
"I wouldn't know." I say.
Of course she would be friends with James and Serius. I know she's friends with Lily so I don't know why i'm so surprised she's friends with James.