How To Disappear

by Backtogiality

Summary:

When a fatal attack on Adina's family sends her hurtling into the past, she's thrust into a world where hidden talents and family secrets are exposed. Her mysterious assailant threatens to cause chaos. War looms over the Wizarding World, one she is capable of preventing - if Dumbledore will let her. Then there are the matters of the self-dubbed Marauders and Remus Lupin - who might be the best thing she's ever had, even if she feels very guilty for having him.

Chapter 1: The Fool (Prologue)

August 30th, 2011

Green light flooded the room. Momentarily, Adina was blinded, but from then on the memory of that murderous beam would be burned into her brain.

A scream pierced the silence, reverberating off of the walls. She watched as her assailant calmly stepped over the body of her mother as if she were nothing more than a puddle on the street, an inconvenience to be avoided. She would never forget the look of sheer terror on the face of the woman that had raised her.

Her tearful eyes turned to her brother, whose jaw was still set in defiant determination. His eyes were closed: had she not seen him die, Adina might have thought him to be sleeping. His wand lay a few meters away from him, his fingers outstretched towards as if to make one final stand.

And, finally, she examined her father one last time. In one hand he clutched his wand, in the other his wife's hand. His wedding ring glinted tauntingly in the fading light: they were inseparable even in death. The sight of them all, unbreathing, sent her spiralling into a rage. If it was the last thing she did - and it probably would be - she'd kill the man who dared touch them.

From her hiding spot within the shadowed hallway, Adina took one final glance at the remains of her family, hoping to gain some semblance of courage from the sight. Instead, an idea struck her like lightning, sending jolts of electricity through her veins. It was risky, dangerous, downright suicidal - and there was no time, surely...

But there was a chance, however small, that it would work. She was willing to take it.

Creeping out of the shadows, she backed up against the wall until she reached the stairs. She darted up them two at a time. There was no way the Death Eater hadn't heard her by now. She scrambled onto the landing, tripping over her own feet, making for the second door on the right.

A deep, hollow laugh from below her. Boots on wood, leisurely steps. Evidently, he wasn't worried about an escape attempt. He had all the time in the world, for all he cared. Adina launched herself at the door, turning the brass knob and thanking Merlin that her father hadn't locked his bedroom door as he often did.

"Colloportus," she whispered, hands shaking as she pointed her wand at it. With any luck, the charm would buy her some time. The room was engulfed in darkness, the curtains drawn. Still, they were unable to prevent the silver slivers of moonlight dancing across the wood-panelled floor.

Dashing to the side of the bed, Adina yanked open each drawer, unsure if she knew exactly what she was searching so frantically for. Papers, books, random little trinkets: all useless. She tore through photographs that it hurt dreadfully to look at, but there was no time for pain. Rifling through them was proving completely fruitless, so she racked her brain for a spell to use. Nothing came to mind. His footsteps rang out, cutting through the tension in the air. He was closer now, had probably reached the stairs. And he was whistling - the sound made her sick, but it sent her brain reeling into overdrive until, at last, she knew what to do.

"Accio."

The gold object flew into her palm, the metal cooling her hand. It was intricately engraved and blackened in some areas as if someone had tried to burn it. Somehow, it had retained its beauty. There wasn't enough time to dwell on that, though, so Adina threw the chain over herself and began to turn the hourglass.

'Three hours,' she pleaded with herself as she heard him try the door. 'That'll be enough, I just need three more hours.'

But she was too late. On the last turn, there was a shout of "Reducto!" and the door imploded in a cloud of dust. It was enough to rattle her, her fingers fumbling as she saw him silhouetted in the gaping hole.

He raised his wand, grinning humourlessly at her. Just as she completed the final rotation, he shot a curse her way. The black light collided with the time turner, her hopes shattering with the glass on the floor. The force from the blast was enough to send her flying into the back wall, her head meeting it with a sickening crack. Everything around her began to spin, the distant blur of her attacker's face warping until it was unrecognisable.

She succumbed willingly to the darkness.

*

Chapter 2: The Magician

Notes:

Adina finds she's miscalculated her time jump...just a little, right? Wrong. She's an eternal fuck up and, I've decided, so am I as I'm writing this summary. Wow. It's 12:30am okay enjoy my loves <3

September 3rd, 1976

" A concussion, a punctured lung-"

"Severe damage to the ribs-"

"I found this-"

"Took one hell of a stasis charm to keep her breathing-"

At first, there was nothing. Little fragments of conversation, as she floated in and out of consciousness. Tiredness like she'd never felt before. And sudden, searing pain, white-hot. It was eating at her, burning her from the inside out. Adina let out a strangled cry, hands curled into fists, gritting her teeth, unable - or unwilling - to open her eyes.

The shuffling of feet, a hand on her shoulder. She was forced to open her mouth and to drink something, although in her frenzy she had no idea what it was. But the pain began to subside, her breathing slowing. Sleep came to claim her again, and she welcomed it with open arms.

The next time, it was not pain, but voices that woke her. Hushed voices spoke over the incessant ringing in her ears, loud enough to be heard but quiet enough for the words to be indiscernible. With great effort, Adina managed to open her eyes. Blinding light confronted her, and she brought up a hand to rub her eye. Only just barely was she able to lift it - her arm could have been made of lead for all she knew.

"What..." she began, the knives in her throat preventing her from speaking any more.

Footsteps sounded, growing louder by the second. Eventually, Adina was looking at three rather indistinct shapes. Blurring together, drifting in and out of focus, Adina narrowed her eyes in a futile attempt to make the figures out. Slowly but surely, they became distinguishable from one another.

The first was a familiar, sweet-faced woman with brown hair. Unlike her companions, who wore formal robes - and one of them an excessively pointed hat - she was dressed plainly in a scarlet dress and white apron. Her expression was one of unrepressed concern.

Standing next to her was a man who was tall and impressively old, with a silver beard reaching almost to his feet. Blue eyes assessed her from behind half-moon glasses, and she resisted the urge to squirm under their intensity. Adina shuddered, feeling oddly the same as if she were looking upon a picture of a long-dead distant relative, one that rested in the deepest corners of her mind.

An emerald-robed woman with sharp eyes surveyed Adina. Not a hair escaped the restraints of her black bun, and she held the younger girl's gaze with rigid formality. Just as with the wizard next to her, the middle-aged woman caused an earthquake to begin in Adina's mind. Bubbling to the surface were memories she hadn't had the time to consider.

Without warning, it hit Adina like lightning. She was sixteen years old. Hogwarts had been her home since she was an overexcitable first year. Professor McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts School, was almost unrecognisable in her youth.

On meeting her wide eyes, they rushed to her bedside. For a moment, no one quite knew what to say. Adina was incapable of saying much anyway, so she studied them carefully and waited for them to make the first move. McGonagall and whom she assumed was Madam Pomfrey avoided her gaze, as if they were afraid of her. Eventually, the elderly man did, conjuring a chair to sit at her bedside and making himself comfortable. If she was right (and, surely, she was) and it was indeed a much younger Professor McGonagall in front of her, then that could only make him...

"You gave us quite the scare," he said, his voice piercing Adina's thoughts. Curiously, he peered down at her through those peculiar glasses.

"Where am I?" Adina asked, choking on the words. Her question was useless. She was fairly sure she knew its answer. Her eyes darted about the whitewashed room, the drawn curtains darkening the already solemn atmosphere amongst its inhabitants.

Things had gone wrong. Very wrong.

Dumbledore's face remained fairly impassive, but he sent a questioning look to his associates.

"You're at Hogwarts, of course. I am the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Might I ask who you are?"

Adina opened her mouth to reply, and then promptly shut it again. There was no relief to be drawn from her whereabouts, because she remembered. She remembered, and she was alone. No family, no friends, nothing to remind her of the life she'd lived before. The image of her parents, cold and unmoving. The memory of her brother, lifeless on the floor, of her past self, helpless to do anything but watch as the life faded from his eyes. Her breaths grew deeper, faster until she was gulping in air despite the excruciating pain, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Her wild eyes fell on Dumbledore, begging him for answers. He only sighed and looked towards Professor McGonagall, quite unsure of what to do. "I was afraid of this. Poppy, I imagine you're busy," he said.

Madam Pomfrey took the hint and nodded, sending Adina one last, fleeting glance before she scurried away. Once again she drew the curtains, and with them dissipated any hope Adina had harboured.

"Now," said Dumbledore, in a low and hesitant voice, "We have no idea how you came to be here. I can only imagine what you have endured. I'm reluctant to ask, but I'm afraid I must: were you attacked?"

Mutely, Adina nodded, her shuddering breaths slowing over time. When she had no voice, answering him would do her little good.

"I'm sorry for your loss. Professor McGonagall, would you mind-" he began to say, but she was already at his side, dropping something into his hands. "Ah, thank you. This was around your neck when you arrived."

Adina visibly blanched at the sight of the destroyed time-turner. A mess of twisted gold replaced the regal instrument she had known. The three outer rings were now extremely warped. There should have been an hourglass at the centre. There was not: shards of glass adorned the internal ring.

Reaching out to touch it was an awful idea: the moment she did, she was met with a bright flash of green light, and a woman's scream. Her mother's. It sent Adina reeling into hysteria again and she withdrew her hand as if it had burned her, blinking to prevent another onslaught of tears.

"What happened to it?" she asked, shifting away from it far enough to nearly fall off of the bed, saved by a flick of Dumbledore's wand.

"We suspect the time-turner has been stretched far past its usual capabilities," said McGonagall through pursed lips. Her thick Scottish accent only accentuated the severity of her words, "Although how you managed to get your hands on one is beyond me. They are notoriously rare."

Adina's eyes closed, turning up towards the ceiling as if she might find Merlin or Morgana there to pray to. Three hours! Three hours was all she wanted, and now she'd ended up in a fever dream with Albus Dumbledore - how had she managed to get it so wrong?

Professor Dumbledore put up his hand to silence the younger professor before turning back to Adina, "Which year did you come from?"

She looked at him blankly, questioning whether to tell him the truth. What did it matter? Already she'd managed to break close to every rule of time travel. Do not be seen. Do not speak to anybody. A deranged laugh threatened to escape her lips.

"It's September 1976," prompted Mcgonagall, eyeing her warily, "And judging by the time-turner we found around you're neck, I don't think you're from this time - or anywhere close, for that matter."

"I came from 2011," said Adina, not finding her situation very funny anymore.

'40 years...' she thought weakly, wishing in the back of the mind that she'd died with her family, 'Of all the fuck ups I've made, this one is by far the worst.'

Dumbledore folded his hands, his fingers laced together.

"What am I going to do?" Adina asked, throwing her head back against the pillow in frustration.

"For now? You're to rest while Professor Dumbledore comes up with a reason for you to be here. There's no way you'll be leaving this bed for the next week," said Madam Pomfrey, opening the curtains to hand Adina a blood replenishing potion and leaving again.

"You'll have to excuse Madam Pomfrey. She can be forceful when she needs to be. It would be in your best interests to listen to her instructions. Now, I will be leaving to make some arrangements for your stay at Hogwarts. I gather you attended the school in your own time?"

"Yes, Professor. I would be in my sixth year by now," said Adina. She paused for a moment, suddenly immersed in examining her fingernails. "Do you...do you think I'll ever be able to go back? To my own time, I mean."

The very thought of being left in a time ridden with war and heartache was the worst thing Adina could imagine. She wanted her friends, to hear Susan and Clara laughing with her at The Three Broomsticks, to half-heartedly cheer for Gryffindor at the Quidditch games they dragged her along to. If she was to have no one now, no family to go home to, she at least deserved to see them. Didn't she?

Professor McGonagall regarded her with some pity, and although she disliked it, Adina much preferred it to the distrust she'd displayed before.

"It is hard to say. But in the meantime, we must be on high alert. I ask you to try your hardest not to change anything. Time travel can be catastrophic, and I've never heard of anybody travelling as far as you have," said Professor Dumbledore.

"Now, onto other matters. This was in your hands when you arrived," Professor McGonagall said.

She held out a locket, and Adina took it with great care. Another memory surfaced. Her mother, desperation written all over her face, had pressed it into her hand just as their attacker had broken through the hastily put-up protective wards surrounding the house. It had been her favourite possession, passed down to her from Adina's grandmother.

At the centre of it, a royal blue opal glinted at her, casting pools of turquoise light into her hands. Silver vines crept out from it, entwining with each other until they reached the edge. Adina softly ran her fingers down its sides, lingering over the small hinge. Taking one last, deep breath, she opened it.

On the right-hand side, there was a small portrait of a woman she'd never seen before. She was young, bright-eyed and dark-haired. Unsurprisingly, she did not speak but smiled up at her, motioning with her eyes to the other side of the locket. There was no picture there, but instead a name. It was her name.

With shaking hands, she just about managed to clasp the necklace around her neck, softly refusing offers of help from Dumbledore, who watched her with well-hidden interest. At the very least, she had her name. Her family's name and an old heirloom. Something to remember them by.

Dumbledore and McGonagall, sensing that she needed privacy, left shortly afterwards.

For the next two weeks, Adina's life was pure hell. Between the agonising pain from her injuries and the unbearable loss of her family, she was unable to do much other than sleep and stare at the wall, letting herself cry as and when she needed to. Her mother's locket provided a small amount of solace. She wore it close to her heart, just as her mother had.

The woman pictured inside couldn't have been more than twenty-five or so, and the image must have been taken long ago, perhaps as far back as the mid-1800s. Her hair was contained within a loose bun and she wore a white button-down and skirt typical of the period. Only the profile of the face was visible, but she appeared to be in deep thought, with her fist resting on her chin. Every so often, she'd turn to glance at Adina and laugh.

Nights were uncomfortably quiet in the hospital wing. Sleep was practically unattainable: for all she chased it, Adina was lucky to be rewarded with an hour.

This silence in the Hospital wing continued until one night towards the end of September. It must have been late, for what little noise had surrounded her throughout the day - occasionally a whining student, or Madam Pomfrey admonishing somebody for their recklessness - quietened down. Adina tried to fall asleep but found herself completely incapable of it, tossing and turning in bed. There was little she could do to prevent old memories of her family from resurfacing over and over again.

She groaned in frustration, but cut herself off as she heard the quiet shuffling of feet, and then a loud curse.

"Oh, fuck! What did you do that for, Prongs?" Said the first voice.

Chapter 3: The High Priestess

Notes:

yes, i'm naming chapters after tarot cards...and what about it? tarot cards are fucking cool and you should get some, they make good writing prompts!!!

"Oh, fuck! What did you do that for, Prongs?" Said the first voice.

"Wasn't me! Blame Wormtail, he's the clumsiest!"

"I resent that-"

'What the fuck?' Adina thought as she heard the first boy let out a string of curses long enough to rival herself at times.

"Moony!" one of them cried, and the shuffling continued frantically. Another voice joined the fray, telling them to shut up.

"How did you lot even get down here? Oh, of course you brought the cloak! Are you lot mad? What if you got caught? What would we do then?"

"Use our time in detention to ruin Malfoy's life, probably," the first quipped. He was ignored.

"You know you love us, Moony! I mean, really - all this effort to see you and how are we treated, Padfoot?"

"Like animals, Mr Prongs!"

"Exactly, Padfoot," echoed the third boy.

"You are bloody animals," one grumbled.

Adina's derisive snort was louder than she'd expected. Inwardly she groaned as the murmurs started again. The shuffling of feet grew louder and louder.

"Shit," she murmured, wishing she hadn't paid the voices any attention. The curtain was thrown open and before her stood four boys, looking to be around her age.

Raising an eyebrow at her from behind round glasses was a tall boy with unruly hair and folded arms. An even taller boy, maybe 6" or more, smirked at Adina as if challenging her to say anything against him. Aristocratic features and shoulder-length hair only elevated his air of arrogance. The shortest of the four stared awkwardly at her with watery blue eyes, his hands tucked unnaturally into his pockets. A sandy-haired fourth boy, the tallest of the group (although he didn't seem to know what to do with this height), looked quite close to fainting. He assessed her with his head cocked at a slight angle, his green eyes alight with mild interest.

"Do you usually eavesdrop, or are you just feeling nosy tonight?" The second boy accused Adina. His words weren't venomous as much as they were curiously teasing.

"Yes. Do you usually invade people's privacy?" Adina retorted bluntly, steeling herself as she studied them.

"Touche. I bet you've got nothing to do down here anyway. You should be thanking us for making your night more interesting," said the first.

"You could make it more peaceful by going away?" Adina suggested, an expression of feigned hope crossing her features.

"Alright, I'll bite. Sirius Black," the second boy said, pointing to himself. "James Potter, Peter Pettigrew and...what's his name? I can't remember the other one."

The last boy scowled mockingly, "Remus Lupin. Pleasure to meet you."

Adina swallowed a gasp, her lips parted. James Potter was Harry Potter's dad. She was talking to the father of the infamous Boy Who Lived! Next to him, Sirius Black: the supposed war criminal whose name had only been cleared in 2006, after much debate in the Wizengamot. And then there was Peter Pettigrew, a wizard she'd grown up hating the mention of, a man long shunned by the wizarding community - even posthumously. She had heard briefly of Remus, who was mentioned in the books listing the members of the Order of The Phoenix, but beyond that, she knew nothing of him. Perhaps she should have paid more attention in History of Magic.

"Can we sit down? I'm bloody exhausted," Peter complained, directing a pleading look towards James. It was strange. Adina couldn't connect the heartless, cowardly man pictured in the history books to this impishly innocent boy.

"You do have a wand, don't you mate?" said Sirius, trying not to laugh at the muttered "questionable" from a snickering James. He conjured four armchairs, one for each of them. The boys sunk clumsily into them, Remus appearing more relieved than the rest.

Adina blinked, "So you're just going to invite yourselves in, then...?"

"Pretty much," said Peter, grinning at her from his seat.

She wasn't quite sure what to make of that, but her attention was soon drawn from her thoughts by James.

"We've not seen you around before," James said, conjuring a stool to put his feet on.

Adina sighed, wallowing momentarily in the fact that she was going to be deprived of sleep for another night. She tried one last time, "Can you, erm, leave? I have better things I could be doing. Like sleeping...or anything other than talking to you wankers."

'Oh, come on,' a voice said in the back of her head, sounding suspiciously like her brother, 'It's not as if you were going to sleep anyway.'

She dutifully ignored it.

"With all due respect, no. We've got questions for you," Sirius said with an apologetic shrug. The wolfish grin on his face told her he was anything but.

"And we'd love some answers," finished Remus, but he was met with disdainful looks from Sirius and James, who shook their heads at him.

"What he means," said Peter, "Is that you're going to give us answers whether you like it or not."

Sirius then clapped a proud-looking Peter on the back, muttering something like "We didn't know you had it in you" and sending a look to Remus as if to say "look at this, it could've been you getting this treatment".

Adina propped herself up on her elbows and pushed herself up against the headboard of her bed. The sharp pains coming from her ribs brought on a bout of dizziness, but she pushed through the stars in her vision. It was pitch black, save for the soft glow coming from the wands of the four boys before her. Their shadows danced across the stone floor, bringing the lifeless grey flagstones to life in their animation. She wondered where her own wand was, longed to do something other than lie down and try to ignore the pain. Dumbledore probably had it. She'd have to ask him for it later.

"So," said James in what was probably supposed to be a nonchalant tone. Even a fool could tell that he was dying to know who she was. It was hard to take him seriously, too, when his glasses were halfway down his nose and his hair was sticking up in all directions. Still, she tried, "What's your name?"

"Adina," she said.

"And do you have a surname, Adina?" Sirius asked his tone mocking.

"Yes, it's 'none-of-your-bloody-business'." She'd tried to give it but found she couldn't form the words quite yet. The wound was too raw - absentmindedly she reached for the locket, feeling instantly calmer as her hand met the metal.

Sirius and James turned to each other, positively affronted. Remus smirked, shrugging his shoulders. Obviously, nobody had challenged his two friends before. It was only natural that he should be enjoying the moment.

"Long name, but catchy," said Peter approvingly. He nodded at her from his curled-up position in the corner of the curtained room. Adina was unsettled by him but pushed through the feeling. It wouldn't be fair to judge him based off of crimes he hadn't yet committed.

"Seriously, though," Remus ignored the way Sirius stared at him, a grin forming on his face. He was itching to make a joke about his name, "Why are you here? I, um, haven't seen you around Hogwarts before."

It seemed that Remus was a lot more courteous than the others, although she quite liked the way they teased each other.

"How do you know you've just never noticed me?"

"Nice try. But I'd have noticed a face like yours, love," Sirius jumped in, inducing exasperated groans from the others. Adina glared him down, trying to act as if the compliment hadn't made her blush just a little. Dark, matted curls clung to her face after presumed nights of sweating, and she could only imagine how pale she was. She wasn't exactly a sight for sore eyes, but she accepted the flattery anyway.

"You'd have done more than just notice it. You'd have snogged her in the third floor broom closet by now, Padfoot," said Peter.

Sirius appraised Adina thoughtfully, before nodding, "You're probably right, Wormtail."

"Who says I'd want to snog you?" Adina said. Really, she'd said it just to get a rise out of him. In truth, if he'd asked her back home, she might have said yes. High cheekbones and a sharp jawline made Sirius Black very attractive - a far cry away from the lunatic he appeared to be in his mugshots from Azkaban. But from what she'd seen, he was also a massive arsehole; he could do with being knocked down a few pegs. She was perfectly willing to be the one to do it.

Sirius stared at her, shaking his head in disapproval. "You're just tasteless. You had so much potential, and you've gone and wasted it."

Remus watched the exchange with a tired smile, which she tried pathetically to return. He'd been noticeably quiet throughout the conversation, rubbing his eyes and yawning periodically. Adina wondered what had happened to exhaust him so much, and why he'd been in the hospital wing in the first place. At least his friends came to keep him company. She knew from her own recent experiences that being alone could be enough to drive anybody insane.

"You still haven't told us why you're here. Not to sound rude or anything," he said, frowning.

Shit. She knew that she would have to answer questions about herself eventually, especially if she was going to stay in this time. However, Professor Dumbledore had told her that he would figure out a backstory for her. If she lied and made up a story, and he'd created a different one, she would have a lot of explaining to do. Adina prepared to divert the conversation topic again, but then she took a look at each of them, curiosity running rampant across their faces, and found she couldn't deny them some sort of answer.

"I transferred from Beauxbatons," she blurted out, "My parents work for the Ministry in France, but I wanted to see what Hogwarts was like. So I came here."

She was quite proud of herself, in all honesty. Unsure of her lying abilities, Adina had half expected to tell them something utterly inconceivable, or worse, the truth. How would they react to hearing that the strange girl they'd just come across was an orphaned victim of accidental time travel? It most likely wouldn't go down very well. At best, they'd think she was joking. At worst, they'd have her committed to the psychiatric ward in St Mungos, reserved only for lost souls.

"How'd you get injured then?" James asked. Remus glared at him and he seemed to realise he'd been insensitive, at least having the decency to look sheepish about it.

"I don't really know," Adina said, pleased with the lie and how little her voice shook as she said it, "Professor Dumbledore thinks I was attacked on the way here. I don't remember much of it, though. I hit my head pretty hard."

"You must have done, if you don't fancy a trip to the third-floor broom closet," Sirius quipped. He yelped when Remus, who was sitting closer to him, elbowed him in the gut.

"Don't mind Sirius," said Remus, ignoring his pouting friend. "His ego is bigger than a pissed off Hungarian Horntail. He isn't very used to rejection."

Peter leant forward in his chair, solemnly putting a hand on Remus' shoulder. "It'll do him some good," he said fondly, pretending not to notice the melodramatic look of betrayal Sirius sent him, "Bloody git thinks he's the next Godric Gryffindor."

James snorted, "More like Melvin the Mad."

Adina rolled her eyes, but couldn't hide the smile that crept onto her face. The muscles in her face ached with the effort - the movement was unfamiliar, and had been scarcely made since her arrival. "Alright. My turn," she said, lacing her fingers together.

"Ask away!" Said Sirius, who had by that point recovered from his so-called embarrassment.

"What were you all doing down here so late?"

Their reactions were curious, to say the least. Peter's mouth opened and closed like a fish. James' eyes flitted towards Remus, who gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head.

"We- well, we like pulling pranks. One of them went wrong today, and Remus got a bit scratched up," said James smoothly, pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose.

"A bit scratched up? I broke a leg, you prick!" Said Remus indignantly, pushing himself up in his chair. He only got so far before the pain apparently got too much for him and he slumped down again, his effort spent. Adina winced. She knew all too well how that felt.

"Always so dramatic," Sirius said, with a flamboyant wave of his hand. His legs dangled over the side of the chair, kicking Peter in the ribs periodically. "We got a good kick out of that. Turned everything in the Slytherin common room red. Resulted in some injuries, but it was worth it. It was Remus' fault for tripping out of the ruddy portrait hole."

Peter sniggered at Remus' scowling face. "Hard luck, mate," he said in false sympathy, hiding his grin not-so-subtly behind his hand.

"A classic prank, but we pulled it off well. They never saw it coming," said James proudly.

Adina raised an eyebrow. "So you're pranksters, are you?" She would have been surprised if they were anything else, considering their behaviour of the last hour.

"The best in the trade. People call us the marauders," Peter boasted. He puffed out his chest, as if there were nothing in his life he was prouder of.

Adina blinked, fighting the shivers he sent down her spine. "Right. Do people actually call you that, or did you name yourselves?"

"We're working on it," Sirius shrugged, "We're pretty well-known for mischief. It's only a matter of time."

"Should I be worried?" Adina said.

"Only if you're a Slytherin," said James.

"Or a bigot. We don't like those," added Remus. Sirius nodded in agreement.

They talked for a while longer until it was beginning to brighten outside, laughing as the boys told her about some of what they called their 'greatest hits' ("you should have been there to see Avery's face, really, it was brilliant"). Eventually, Peter's eyelids began to droop, and with grins and a salute from Sirius, they were gone. Remus, afraid to suffer Madam Pomfrey's wrath, headed back to his own bed.

Adina was alone again. A defeating silence fell upon the Hospital Wing, the only sound being the distant chirping of the birds outside. Eventually, the Matron came by, handing Adina three potions and telling her very forcefully to get some sleep or she'd make sure she didn't let her out for a month.

She didn't dare protest. Remus and his friends had provided a sparkling distraction from the pain and confusion of her arrival. Now they had left, those feelings had returned with full force. Downing the colourless potion labelled 'Dreamless Sleep' that Madam Pomfrey had taken to giving her, she wondered if they'd come back.

A pounding at the door, a man's shout, the rushing of blood through her ears, the erratic beating of her heart. There was a scream, high and cold. Adina felt as if she were on fire and freezing all at once. Backed up against the wall, she found herself completely unable to move. Creaking floorboards, the shattering of glass. Another scream, another cry - and then silence. Her throat constricted. The last scream had been hers.

The images came faster. Green eyes, her mother's necklace, a time-turner, a key, her attacker's face, blurry and hooded. There was a corridor of mirrors, ornate and extravagant. Fire, raging, white-hot: a man's hand on her hair, a voice whispering to her as she slept. A younger version of brother, no more than seven, grinning up at her as his fingers danced across the keys of a piano.

Everything slowed. "You have to figure it out," Isaiah said with wide and pleading eyes. The melody he played was slow, haunting. Adina wanted to tell him that, yes, she did remember him, but she couldn't.

"Figure it out!" he said, more insistently this time. He stopped playing, standing before Adina with unyielding determination, "Just try!"

"I'm sorry-" she started to say, but Isaiah kept repeating himself, growing louder and louder until she could barely hear herself think. "I don't know how!"

Her voice was growing frantic, bordering on hysterical. Her vision started to fade until she could barely make out his face.

"Please!"

A muttered curse, a flash of green light and he was gone.

Adina woke again, shaking and drenched in sweat. Her breaths came in short, laboured pants. Why hadn't the potion worked? She raised a hand to the locket around her neck, as if the cool metal against her skin might make her forget what she'd just seen - although she wasn't quite sure what any of it was. The image of her brother was burned into her brain. It had torn her apart not to fulfil his wish. For his sake, and for hers, she had to figure out why they had died.

If it was the last thing she did, she'd avenge them. No matter what it took.

Chapter 4: The Empress

Notes:

i'm well aware that no one's going to see this, but if you do, i hope you have a wonderful day and never forget how incredible you are. i mean, you beat out all the other sperm to get here, so even if you never do anything cool for the rest of your life, i think that's got you sorted achievement wise. don't put too much pressure on yourself <3

Another week passed in a blur of potions and slowly fading pain. When they could, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter snuck out in between classes or after curfew to see Adina. She'd grown fond of them, from Remus' quiet nature to Sirius' boisterous outbursts. Their visits kept her from tearing her hair out (even Peter bothered her less, which unnerved her).

They told her of their latest pranks and James' blunders in trying to win over Lily Evans, "the smartest girl in Hogwarts, maybe even in England". He'd been so invested in telling Adina every detail about her, from her fiery hair to her volcanic temper, that both Sirius and Peter clamped a hand over his mouth. That left Remus to talk with her about their shared love of books. Sirius, who did not enjoy listening to their discussions about the merits of Jane Austen and John Milton, quickly began talking her ear off about enchanting a motorbike.

Adina didn't mind. It was a welcome distraction from her grief, and if the Marauders noticed it, they didn't comment on it.

"Professor Dumbledore would like to see you," said Madam Pomfrey on the eighth day. She gave Adina her potions and left, as she always did.

Dumbledore entered a few moments later, wearing a very striking set of scarlet robes. He was hard to miss.

"Ah, Miss Twycross," he said kindly. "I trust you're feeling better?"

Adina nodded, sitting up in her bed. "I'm getting there. Thank you, sir."

"Brilliant. I have something you might be in need of," said Dumbledore, reaching into his pocket and producing her wand.

A grin spread across Adina's face as he handed it to her. A blissful wave of relief washed over her. It felt right, familiar in her hand She ran her thumb over the spirals decorating the handle, loving the way her magic seemed to surge and settle again, finally reunited with its partner. "How did you get this? From the state I was in, I assumed it was broken."

"It was," Professor Dumbledore said, "Almost beyond repair. An old friend, Ollivander owed me a favour. He has assured me that it is now in perfect working order."

Adina opened her mouth to thank him again, but he began talking before she could.

"I expect you're anxious to know what I've decided regarding your...rather unusual situation. I'm afraid to say that I don't think it's possible for you to return to your own time. Time-turners can only take you back in time, and if there is a potion or spell to return you, it has not yet been invented."

The wave of sadness Adina expected to feel at hearing she couldn't return home did not come. 2011 wasn't really home anymore. It was just a year marked by tragedy, one that, if she did not have her family, she did not want to revisit.

"Times have changed, so I think it would be best if we re-sorted you," seeing Adina's face fall at the idea of a public sorting, Dumbledore chuckled, "In private, of course. You seem like a very capable student. I am sure you will perform well at N.E.W.T level."

Adina remembered the first conversation she'd had with James and his friends, deciding that it would be best to tell Professor Dumbledore exactly what she'd told them in order to avoid arousing any suspicion.

"I had some visitors, Professor, and they asked to know where I was from. I told them I was a transfer student from Beauxbatons and that my parents are French Ministry workers," she said guiltily, praying he wouldn't berate her for coming up with a backstory without him.

Dumbledore nodded, peering at her over those strange half-moon glasses. A spark of curiosity set his eyes alight. "I see. Hogwarts has never, to my knowledge, had a transfer student before...but it shouldn't be too large an obstacle. Do you speak any French?"

Ah. Adina hadn't considered that little snag. 'If by French, you mean 'oui non baguette ratatouille' I'm practically an expert,' she thought sourly.

"A very limited amount," she said, choosing to omit that last thought.

"Perhaps you should try to learn it," said Professor Dumbledore. The twinkle in his eye was back. "I don't suppose the visitors you received might have been James Potter and his friends?"

Had it not been Albus Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard of his age, in front of her, Adina would have been surprised. Why shouldn't he know everything that went on in his own school? She let out a small laugh. "Yes, sir. They were quite interested in what I was doing here."

He chuckled, getting up from his seat. "I wouldn't expect anything less from those four. They've had Minerva threatening to resign since their first year. Now, if you're ready by tomorrow, I'll send for you and we'll have you sorted."

"Sir...in the future-" Adina began, but Dumbledore cut her off.

"It will not do to tell me anything about the future, Miss Twycross. Time is fickle; it is best not to alter it."

***

Adina thanked Madam Pomfrey for her kindness the following day. She'd felt it necessary to apologise for the stress (and possibly early-onset dementia) that she'd caused the poor woman with her arrival.

"It's no problem, dear," Madam Pomfrey said, placing a careful hand on Adina's shoulder, "Just don't get yourself into any more trouble. I don't want to see you for the rest of the year if I can help it!"

"I think I've had enough trouble for a lifetime," sighed Adina. It was true. Once she figured her life out, she would avoid anything and everything that might put her into a similar situation. She shuddered at the memory of waking up in the Hospital Wing for the first time.

"Sorry, am I interrupting something?" A voice said from behind them.

Adina spun on her heel to see Remus leaning up against the wall, his hands in his pockets. He wore a lopsided grin, his chocolate brown eyes crinkling at the corners.

"No, I was just leaving, actually. You're feeling better, I hope?" Adina said, making for the stone entryway, her eagerness to leave putting her at a speed faster than what would likely be deemed as acceptable by Madam Pomfrey.

"I am," Remus confirmed. His large strides eclipsed her smaller ones and he fell quite quickly into step beside her. "Although I daresay you look a lot worse for wear than I do."

It felt incredible to be free from the stuffy confinement of the Hospital Wing, bathed in the glow of sunlight through the tall windows of the castle. Adina tried to scowl at his jest, but was too content to manage it. Remus noticed, his grin widening at her happiness.

"How dare you? At least I didn't fall out of a portrait hole and break a bone," she assessed him again, her eyes narrowing as she registered the lack of students in the hallways, "What are you doing out here, anyway? Shouldn't you be in class?"

Remus pointed to the scarlet badge on his robes, adorned with the word 'Prefect' in gold capital letters. He straightened himself out in a show of mocking pride, reminiscent of Peter's more authentic one. "Dumbledore asked me to escort you to his office. You don't even know where it is, do you?"

Adina chose not to answer that question. In fact, she knew exactly where it was - but Remus wasn't supposed to know that. Well, there was that and that they were now walking up several flights of moving stairs and was fighting diligently to keep her breath in check.

"Right. Well, at least you're confident-" He cut himself off, laughing at the sour look she sent him.

Adina cursed under her breath as Remus, without warning, threw a hand out in front of her. She just about managed to steady herself, fully aware of the embarrassment she'd have caused herself had she fallen down the stairs. Another trip to the hospital wing was the last thing she wanted.

"Trick stair," he said guiltily, rubbing the back of his neck.

Apparently Adina wasn't as well acquainted with the castle as she remembered. After a few more minutes of idle chatter, during which Adina was very careful not to step on another trick stair, they finally reached the entrance to Dumbledore's office.

"Sherbert Lemon," Remus said, laughing at the confused look on Adina's face. She watched in awe as the stone statue of a phoenix made way for a heavy wooden door. In all of her time at Hogwarts, she'd never done anything momentous enough to get her sent to McGonagall's office.

"I should probably leave you here. I'll see you at dinner?" He smiled, squeezed her shoulder lightly and left.

"Thanks, Remus!" Adina called after him before entering the room.

The Headmaster's office was small, with a high ceiling and portraits covering the walls. Some of them frowned down at Adina, whilst others smiled and chatted away to one another. Odd trinkets covered Dumbledore's desk - a sneakoscope, a foe glass, a bowl of sweets. He had eclectic taste, that much was obvious. Professor Dumbledore smiled at her, gesturing for her to take a seat in front of him.

"Good evening Miss Twycross," he said, his eyes twinkling, "I expect you're eager to be sorted."

Adina nodded. She felt incomplete without the tie and crested robes that formed part of the Hogwarts uniform.

Dumbledore summoned the rugged sorting hat, handing it to her with a slight smile on his lips. Adina couldn't believe how little she'd grown in the last five years, because the hat still fell over her eyes.

'Ah, another Twycross,' said the hat in its usual drawl, 'Curious. I haven't sorted a Twycross in many years. Now, now...Professor Dumbledore has told me of your situation. Very unusual.'

'Yes, I don't suppose you've had to sort any time travellers before,' Adina thought to the hat.

'You'd be surprised. I've sorted thousands of witches and wizards in my time in just as many years. As for you...previously a Gryffindor, but it appears that you've outgrown your house. Not for you any more, eh? Cunning, certainly, but you don't have the drive that Salazar Slytherin demands of his students. Not patient enough for Hufflepuff, oh no. But you have great potential, Adina Twycross, and the best place for you to unlock it, to get you closest to your destiny? Better be Ravenclaw!"

Adina took the hat off and handed it back to Dumbledore, who eyed the locket clasped around her neck.

"Were you expecting that?" He asked, conjuring a set of Ravenclaw robes and a blue striped tie.

"I'm not really sure what to expect anymore," said Adina, smiling sadly as she put the uniform on, "But my mother was a Ravenclaw. It's nice to know that I have some of her still with me."

"The people we love never desert us, even in death," said Dumbledore. Silence blanketed the room for a few awkward moments. Then he checked one of the numerous clocks around the room. Adina wasn't sure how he would know what time it was, because they were all set to different hours. He spoke again, "It appears that it's time for dinner. You can find your own way to the Great Hall, I'm sure?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you," she said quietly, closing the door behind her. Adina leant against it for a moment, squeaking and running carelessly down the stairs when the phoenix began to move back into its usual place.

***

Entering the Great Hall made Adina feel strangely whole again, as if the events of the past month had never happened. Hogwarts had remained exactly as she remembered it, unruined by war and loss, so far untouched by the looming war.

The weather had worsened; fat drops of rain were visible through the window and the dark clouds proclaimed the imminent arrival of a storm. The four house tables were identical to how they had been in Adina's time, the suspended candles in the air just as magical as they had been during her first year.

Sirius was the first to notice her, nudging Remus, James and Peter who all waved at Adina from their places at the Gryffindor table. She waved back, laughing at Sirius' scowl as she walked towards the one designated to Ravenclaw.

Adina's confidence faltered slightly as she found herself slightly intimidated by the number of people she saw at the table. Thankfully, a girl spotted her looking uneasy and beckoned her over, a welcoming smile on her face.

"Hi," she said brightly. She was beautiful, with dark skin and a mane of curly hair, "Marlene McKinnon. I don't think I've seen you at Hogwarts before?"

Adina sighed with relief, taking Marlene's proffered hand, "You haven't. Adina Twycross, I was supposed to transfer a few weeks ago, but there were some delays."

Marlene's eyes sparkled and she tapped another fair-haired girl on the shoulder. "Did you hear that, Emmeline? We've got a transfer student!"

Emmeline, who had until that point had her nose buried in a potions textbook (and her hair dipping in her food, but that was beside the point) immediately looked around wildly before focusing on Adina.

"I'm Emmeline Vance. You're a transfer? We've never had one of those before, so I suppose you're making history! It's a little late to be starting, but I'm sure you'll be great if you're in Ravenclaw! We are the best house, after all," she spoke so quickly that Adina, who was now enjoying her steak pie, had to look to Marlene for an interpretation.

"Adina. And yeah, I suppose it's pretty cool. I used to go to Beauxbatons."

Keeping up with the backstory. You've not quite fucked it up yet.

"Really? What's it like there? Do you know a lot of French? No offence, but you don't exactly look like a veela. Erm, I mean, you're gorgeous, but I just assumed-"

Adina was saved from having to another fusillade of questions by Marlene, who glared across the hall at Sirius.

He was doubled over in a fit of laughter. Remus and Peter next to him struggled to rein in their own amusement. James Potter had just done something rather stupid - and Lily Evans had covered him in pumpkin juice. Spotting Marlene and Emmeline, she stalked over to their table and slumped onto the bench with a huff, blowing strands of red hair out of her face.

"Potter again?" Marlene asked, patting her on the shoulder sympathetically.

Lily nodded, her head in her hands, and Adina couldn't quite bring herself to accept that she was sitting in front of the witch that was pretty much responsible for the end of the Civil War.

"He's an inconsiderate arse," Marlene said, but her eyes were narrowed into slits, still fixed on Sirius. He noticed, smirking as he looked between the four girls, and winked. That action alone was enough to send Marlene into a rage.

"He asked me out again! Told me he'd hire Robert Creevey to draw concept art of what our children might look like!" Lily exclaimed despairingly, her emerald eyes flashing with fury.

Adina promptly began choking on her own pumpkin juice, fully aware of what said child would look like.

"I just cannot stand-" Lily paused, finally noticing Adina, "Oh. Who are you?"

She repeated what she'd told the other girls and Lily smiled apologetically. "Sorry, you didn't really need to hear that. James is just, well-" She let out another groan.

"Immature, irritating, impatient, a general prick?" Emmeline supplied innocently, picking up her book again.

"Don't worry. I've met him briefly. I don't blame you for wanting to slam your head into a wall," Adina said.

"It must be so exciting to be experiencing Hogwarts for the first time! What are your favourite subjects?" Lily asked.

Adina hummed, "I'm a disaster at potions, animals don't like me, and anything close to arithmancy is a no-go. Probably charms or Defense Against the Dark Arts." She cringed as she remembered one particular potions incident in which she had managed to blow up not only her own cauldron, but the two either side of her as well. Her housemates didn't forgive her for days for the points she lost.

Marlene shrugged. "As long as you try your hardest, Professor Slughorn doesn't mind how you perform. McGonagall's strict, but she's a good teacher and she means well. As for DADA...well, Professor Warbeck is a brilliant teacher, and extremely talented..."

Adina followed their gazes to the teacher's table, where a man was talking with Professor McGonagall animatedly. He was around forty, with piercing eyes and features set in perpetual satisfaction. His eyes roved the room, meeting each of theirs in turn. Emmeline turned away, a rosy blush spreading across her cheeks.

Lily scoffed, heaving out an exasperated sigh. "Oh come on, you can't be serious about this, can you?" She turned to Adina, rolling her eyes, "Generally the defence professors don't last longer than a year. Some people think the position's cursed."

Marlene crossed her arms over her chest, "Generally? Warbeck's the first to last longer than a year! It's said that-" her voice lowered to a whisper, "You-Know-Who was denied the position, so he cursed it."

"You seriously believe that? He's an excellent teacher - and quite handsome - but nothing beyond normal," said Emmeline, pushing her plate away from her, "I expect you'll want to see the common room, Adina. We'll take you."

Bidding farewell to Lily, the three girls left the Great Hall, with Emmeline rattling off facts about Ravenclaw house. On the fifth floor was a door with a bronze Eagle knocker. It asked them a riddle, which Marlene answered, and opened to reveal an airy, circular room, decorated in various shades of blue. Marlene and Emmeline practically shoved Adina onto the sofa and proceeded to tell her whatever they deemed relevant about Hogwarts - some of which, due to Emmeline's hasty speech, was unintelligible.

It was eleven o'clock before Adina got to bed that night, and she had to force herself to get dressed. Under her bed lay a brown leather trunk with her initials stamped on the front. It was filled with everything she might need for the school year, including clothes, textbook, parchment and quills. She thanked Merlin for Professor Dumbledore.

"Goodnight," whispered Marlene, trying not to wake up the three other girls already sleeping.

Adina didn't reply. She was staring at the note magically stuck to the bottom of the trunk. As she reached out to touch it, it vanished.

'Try not to meddle with time, it never ends well.'
A.D

Chapter 5: The Emperor

Notes:

most of these chapters (i'm uploading quite a few in one night) were written at 2am while i was crying to Taylor Swift, so please keep that in mind when you're wishing you could throw me into the eternal pit of torture otherwise known as hell :)

Adina's first potions class, as she had prophesied, was a certifiable disaster. Professor Slughorn put her next to the miserable git - and war hero, she supposed - Severus Snape. She supposed he thought, even after she disclosed her abysmal track record with the class, that partnering her with one of his most talented students might be enough for her to succeed. It wasn't. Severus was as cold as his hair was greasy.

Snape's initial tactics had been to completely ignore Adina's existence, but even he had to intervene when things began to get dangerous.

"It says unicorn horn, not bicorn horn, you bumbling idiot! Are you trying to kill us both?" He snarled, lunging at her from across the workbench and violently snatching the horn out of her hands. "How did you even get it, anyway? It should have wards on it!"

Adina scoffed, checking the recipe again only to find out that he had been right. Evidently, the Draught of Peace she'd been about to create was, ironically, anything but. "Well, it didn't, it was out in the open. And we can't all master an art so nuanced it evades the vast majority of the magically inclined," she snapped, mocking Slughorn's earlier words.

"Being literate would perhaps be a good place to start. But it seems you don't have that privilege," he sneered, glowering at her over his hooked nose.

Slamming the textbook shut, Adina fixed him with a formidable glare of her own, "Yeah? You can take that literacy, Snape, and shove it up your pompous-" she paused, "Ah. Hello, Professor."

Slughorn was now looking hopelessly between Adina and her potion, probably trying to decide which one was worse. Without bothering to put any into a vial, he performed a quick "scourgify" and sighed. She tried not to be offended, but took it as a personal attack.

"Please refrain from using poor language in my class, or I'll have to issue you a detention," said Professor Slughorn, although it sounded more like a desperate plea than a threat.

Adina nodded, hating the way Snape's eyes seemed to burn into the back of her head. When the class finally finished, Emmeline and Marlene grabbed her by the arm and pulled her outside. Adina complied, glad to be free again.

"It's Professor Warbeck's lesson, next," Emmeline said excitedly, pushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Both of her companions struggled to keep up with her as she practically ran through the corridors.

Marlene rolled her eyes, clutching her waist to prevent a stitch. "I seriously don't understand what you find attractive about him. But yeah, his class is pretty cool."

*********

Defence Against the Dark Arts was one of the classes that Ravenclaw shared with Gryffindor, so Adina caught sight of James, Sirius, Remus and Peter as she entered. They waved from their places at the back of the classroom.

Emmeline was already making a beeline for the front of the classroom where Lily was sitting, and Marlene smiled apologetically as she took a seat next to a pretty Gryffindor girl that Adina didn't yet know the name of.

"Oi! Over here," Sirius hissed, waving his arms about so unsubtly that most of the class turned to look at him. Poor Peter clutched at his jaw as he'd just been elbowed in the face. Sirius gesticulated wildly at a free spot next to Remus.

"Hey," said Remus, a small smile on his face as Adina slid into the seat next to him. He pointed to her blue-lined robes, "So, Ravenclaw, huh? Didn't take you for a Ravenclaw."

Adina feigned offence, taking out her textbooks. She might have been annoyed by that comment had she not just handed in grey sludge to Slughorn and unsuccessfully passed it off as a potion. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Remus spluttered, red-faced for a moment until she grinned at him. "Never mind. You should have been a Slytherin," he said.

With a bang, the door to the classroom opened and Professor Warbeck strolled in, leaning against the teacher's desk. He surveyed the class, pausing for a minute as if he wasn't quite sure what to do with himself.

"Boggarts," he said suddenly, and with a flick of his wand, the word appeared on the chalkboard behind him, "Are simultaneously some of the most harmless and dangerous magical creatures to exist. Can anybody tell me why?"

A round-faced Gryffindor girl tentatively put up her hand.

"Miss MacDougal," said Warbeck.

"Sir, I'm not sure I understand...we studied boggarts in our fourth year," she said, chewing on her lip.

"From what Professor Dumbledore has told me, your fourth-year teacher was highly incompetent, so it's my job to pick up the pieces, Alice. Can you answer the question?"

The girl looked down at her feet. Emmeline immediately put up her hand, practically jumping in her seat, "Well sir, the boggart takes the form of whatever its victim fears the most, and feeds off of that fear. If a witch or wizard recognises a boggart for what it is, they can banish it. But if they don't recognise the boggart - well, things can get messy. Melvin the Mad spent 3 days battling a boggart until it drained him of his magic and he died. Very messily, actually."

Adina heard Sirius snickering behind her. He and Peter were magically folding pieces of parchment into origami birds and handing them to James. The messy-haired boy had abandoned a seat with Remus to get as close to Lily as possible. James was then scribbling on them with his quill and launching them at a number of people in the class. Remus, noticing what she was looking at, groaned.

"I can already tell what's going to happen," he whispered, "It's going to be catastrophic."

Adina nodded, grimacing as one of the birds hit Lily in the back of the head. She wheeled around in her seat and glared at him forcefully, her face turning as red as her hair. James paled as she brought out her wand, offering a small smile in apology. It didn't work: she hit him with a particularly nasty jelly-brain jinx. The fear vanished from James' expression and he became unresponsive to Sirius' shaking of his shoulders. With a pleased smirk, Lily turned back to face Warbeck - who somehow hadn't noticed the shenanigans - and continued writing her notes.

Remus stifled his laughter, watching James' head loll about in all directions before he non-verbally dispelled the jinx. James' head snapped up again and he looked around wildly for a moment. Peter had nearly collapsed in his chair. It took all of Sirius' strength to hold him up.

They shut up very quickly as Warbeck began pacing the room, his tall form towering over the students.

"Defence Against the Dark Arts is not about staring at a book and memorising incantations. Defence Against the Dark Arts is instinct, Mr Potter!" He called, and without warning shot a non-verbal hex at James, who just about managed to put a shield up in time.

"Nice catch, Potter. If I see you doing that infantile display of transfiguration again, I can't promise you'll have the opportunity to defend yourself. Now, as I was saying...Defence is the adrenaline rushing through your veins, the blood in your ears, your magic coursing through you as you fire off spell after spell," said Professor Warbeck.

Adina looked to Remus, who was listening to his words with a hunger she'd never noticed in him before. It was a passion for learning, a desire to possess all of the knowledge he could. He didn't make a single note - it was natural for him to absorb the information with very little effort. Adina's eyes flickered to Lily and Marlene, who were furiously transcribing everything their teacher said.

"Which is why," Warbeck continued, pointing to a wardrobe in the corner of the room, "You need practice at dealing with these things manually."

With a flick of his wand, the wardrobe began shaking violently, a loud rattling sound escaping from it. "Form a line, single file. Now!" He barked, and some of the more timid students jumped.

Adina felt Remus tense momentarily beside her, but before she could ask him if he was alright he was up and joining the long line of students, making his way towards where his friends were standing.

The rattling in the wardrobe grew louder and the shaking more violent. "I assume you all remember the incantation, but for those of you who are new: Riddikulus," said Professor Warbeck, looking pointedly at Adina. He raised his voice over the growing din of the Boggart, "And I want you to remember that none of what you will see is real. Your fear is. You must overcome it and perform the spell with intent. Laughter is the true way to finish off a Boggart."

Silence blanketed the room, the only sound the ragged breathing of the students closer to the front of the line. Adina gripped her wand, watched her knuckles turn white. She was sure her heart was beating loud enough for Voldemort to hear and come after her.

"Wands at the ready - now!" Warbeck shouted, and with a flourish of his hand, the wardrobe opened.

For a moment, nothing happened. The tall Gryffindor boy at the front of the line looked confusedly at Warbeck, ready to ask if there was ever a Boggart at all. He jumped in surprise when the form of a dementor seemed to rise from the ground, floating closer and closer to him.

"R-riddikulus," he stuttered out, and the dementor vanished into a cloud of mist. As soon as it was gone, he sprinted to the back of the line, leaving a slightly shaking Emmeline at the front.

Her Boggart transformed into a decidedly more sinister Lord Voldemort. It was with great effort that she muttered the incantation, leaving a tiny cockroach in his place.

On and on it went: clowns, dragons, banshees, spiders, snakes, zombies, Voldemort again, the pattern continued. By the time Adina reached the front of the line, her hands were sweating and she was worried that her legs might give out before she even had a chance to face the Boggart.

It was exactly as she'd feared. Before her stood the Death Eater that had fatally attacked her family nearly a month ago; the sight of him was almost enough to send her into a flailing panic. The figure was exactly the same - large, hooded, imposing. Faceless, too, to her horror. Scarlet eyes were his only distinguishable facial feature; Her brain had created a nightmarish caricature of her assailant.

Clutching her wand in trembling fingers, Adina tried in vain to block out the memories flooding her brain. Green light, screaming, her brother's body, her father's outstretched fingers, eyes turned heavenward in prayer-

"Riddikulus," she'd said it too weakly, Warbeck was watching her intently, she was conscious of the endless line behind her. "Riddikulus!"

Nothing. She tried twice more, begging silently for the spell to work. Finally, it did, albeit weakly. Adina sighed in relief as the Death Eater transformed into a harmless fruitbat.

She stumbled towards the back of the line, face flushing in embarrassment. The entire class had just witnessed her fail. If she couldn't even make a potion and get rid of a boggart, what could she do? Sirius and Remus caught her by the arms, keeping a hold of her until she was steady on her feet.

"You alright?" asked Sirius.

She attempted a smile, folding her still-shaking hands behind her back, "I will be. Thank you."

Remus looked as if he wanted to say something, but before he could it was his turn to face the Boggart. Looking guiltily at Adina, he stepped up to the front of the line, twirling his wand between his fingers.

The following moments passed in a complete blur. One minute, Remus' Boggart took the form of some kind of bright light, momentarily blinding everybody in the room. The next, James had thrown himself in front of his friend, taken on the Boggart himself and thrown a dungbomb into the centre of the room. It exploded in a sea of green smoke, filling the air with a putrid odour that had most of the students coughing into their sleeves.

"James Potter!" Snarled a seething Warbeck, his mouth set in a hard line, "Two weeks of detention, starting tomorrow night. What did you think you were doing?"

James appeared quite pleased with himself, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Always good to be on your guard, sir. Maybe you should take your own advice," he said, watching in smug satisfaction as the Professor's hands curled into fists.

"Class dismissed. Everybody out! I want a foot-long essay on the potential dangers Boggarts pose. Due Monday. If you have a problem, you can blame Mr Potter," Professor Warbeck said, crossing his arms.

The Ravenclaws groaned and glared at James as they filtered out of the classroom. Most of the Gryffindors, with the exception of Lily, who flipped him off as she left, didn't dare question him.

Sirius threw an arm around James' neck as they entered the corridor, ruffling his hair. "Brilliant job Prongs, excellent prank! Do you concur, Mr Wormtail?"

"Absolutely, Padfoot! Anyone who doesn't is a traitor and a fool!"

"And you, Remus?" James asked, not even bothering to hide his pride.

"What? Oh, yeah. Of course," Remus said emptily, forcing a smile.

"I'm sure you'd have done brilliantly with the Boggart, Remus," said Adina quietly, nudging his arm. She'd seen the eagerness with which he listened to Warbeck, the confidence he held in himself as he readied himself to take his turn. It must have hurt for James to push in front of him like that.

James' seemed to realise what he'd done, because his smile instantly faltered. He glanced between Adina and Remus. "Shit. Sorry, Remus. I didn't mean to steal your moment."

"It's alright James, really," said Remus, "It was a good stunt. Even if I do have to write a foot-long essay, thanks to you."

"Some things are just worth it," Peter shrugged.

The five of them rounded a corner only to be confronted with a sneering Slytherin boy. Unfortunately, in Adina's time, the Malfoys had become no less arrogant or insufferable. The white-blond hair, the high cheekbones, the aristocratic faces - a Malfoy was easy to spot. Behind him were two burly boys hexing a cowering first year.

"Ah, what a pleasure," he drawled, drawing his wand, "Potter, Black, Pettigrew and Lupin. The blood traitors and the peasants, what a combination! And who's this?"

"Adina Twycross," Said Adina, ducking under the arm James had automatically put out in front of her, "Who are you?"

"Lucius Malfoy. A pleasure," he said, although his tone indicated that it was certainly not. Adina couldn't find it in her heart to disagree with him.

"I see," she said, frowning, "And do you always use younger students for target practice, or can you just not handle people your own age?"

She hated the way her voice still wavered as she said the words. Where was the Gryffindor courage she'd had before? Gone, apparently.

Remus and Sirius disarmed each of the cronies attacking the boy, who now sported abnormally large teeth and horns. Tears of pain ran down his cheeks. Peter beckoned him over, muttering that he was going to take the shaking child to the Hospital Wing. James nodded and clapped him on the back as he left.

"Only the mudbloods. I wouldn't be surprised if you were one yourself," Lucius said.

Adina visibly blanched. That particular slur was one so entwined with the War that anybody who said it could be sent to Azkaban for a month or more. She'd only heard it said once or twice in her entire life, even by the blood supremacists that still existed. Hearing it now sent a wave of adrenaline through her, just as Warbeck had said. It was enough to provide her with a retort and the nerve to draw her own wand.

"Well forgive me for not bowing down to you, Malfoy," she snarled, "Because normal people don't fuck their cousin."

James grinned, "What's that motto you lot are so proud of anyway, Malfoy?"

"Probably Latin for 'keep it in the family'," said Sirius. From what little Adina knew about his family, it was obvious that Sirius would do whatever it took to separate himself from his bigoted pureblood counterparts.

"Yes, that would explain the inbreeding," Remus said, cocking his head. It made sense. The Malfoys looked worryingly similar. One had to wonder when natural selection would wipe them out.

Malfoy's face contorted with rage and he sent a hex flying at Adina, which Remus effortlessly blocked before she could even raise her hand, stony-faced.

"I wouldn't try that, Malfoy. Lestrange and Avery aren't here to do the real magic for you anymore," he said warningly. Lucius spun around to find that his cronies had left him alone. He held his ground.

"Really, Malfoy? It's four on one. Try us, I dare you," Sirius laughed, his hands itching at his sides. Any excuse to get into a fight was a valid one, in his eyes.

Lucius glared at them for a moment before finally deciding it wasn't worth it and stalking away.

James grinned triumphantly, throwing an arm around Remus. "You finally got your moment of glory! No need to thank me for helping you save your energy, I already know you appreciate me. You don't have to say it. You could, though, if you wanted to?"

Remus shoved him off, but couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. Sirius began dancing around him in a heavily dramatised, extremely unnecessary reenactment of the past few minutes' events, laughing when James joined in with an impression of Malfoy that was eerily accurate.

Adina watched them together, resenting the sadness that stirred within her. Perhaps it was just exhaustion, the stress of once more seeing the man that had ruined her life, but it didn't seem fair.

She'd had friends, yes. Friends that she loved, treasured, argued with. Making more would be easy enough. The Marauders, though, were more than friends - they were brothers. She'd had that: had somebody to remain by her side no matter what, to tell her stupid jokes and be overly-protective when needed. Isaiah was dead. Adina's heart sank with the realisation that she'd never have that again. Without a word, she turned away from the boys and left for the privacy of her dormitory.

Chapter 6: The Hierophant

Notes:

yes, there was supposed to be italics. yes, I'm too fucking lazy to figure out how ao3 works but that's a story for another planet during another century. starting to think my notes are better than my actual writing. starting to have a career crisis. please try to enjoy...for me?? *imagine that really cute pleading eyes emoji*

Darkness flooded the corridor. What little light there was lurked at the very end, seeping through the gap in the only-slightly-ajar door. The beams bounced off of the walls, restless amongst the black abyss of tile. Tendrils of mist crept out from underneath it, advancing like an army might - slow and purposeful. A chill in the air sent shivers down Adina's spine. She was there, but she wasn't: she was everywhere and nowhere all at once.

"Dina?" the whisper was almost inaudible at first. It seemed to originate from whatever was behind that door, and it was growing louder, louder - closer and closer until she felt it snake around her, echoing in her ears.

If she could just make it to that door, Adina would know where it was coming from. Hand outstretched, she ran towards it. The attempt was fruitless; she was pushed back by an invisible source. Another try, another failure. This time, it was as if the corridor had grown longer. Adina refused to give up, nonetheless, charging at it time after time, only to be thrown back once more. It was pulling at her, draining her magic, and it was exhausting, frightening, exhilarating!

"Adina!" The voice screamed, the sound ricocheting around her brain so loudly and unbearably that the door flew open. It hit the wall with a deafening bang, and the air seemed to crackle with the strength of the blow. Adina felt herself being catapulted forward at a speed so incredible that it felt as if she hadn't moved at all.

She was so close. So close, but the door swung closed again, agonisingly slowly. Adina felt the locket around her neck grow hot, the metal burning her skin. With the 'click' of the latch locking, she was alone again.

And then, as if nothing had happened, she was back in the Gryffindor common room, curled up on the couch between Lily and Emmeline. Marlene and Hestia Jones sat opposite them, speaking in hushed tones and silent smiles. A warm glow emanated from the crackling fire, which spat out embers every so often. They faded against the stone floor, lifeless.

"Are you alright?" Said Emmeline, her hazel eyes narrowed and discerning, "I've been trying to catch your attention for ages."

"Yeah, sorry. I must have zoned out," Adina said, dragging a hand down the side of her face. She glared down at the potions book in her lap. The material had been so boring and so overcomplicated that it had practically sent her into a vegetative state. She was surprised it hadn't given her an aneurism.

Marlene glanced up from the transfiguration problem she was working on with Hestia, frowning up at Adina. "And no wonder," she said with a sigh, "You've not been sleeping right at all."

Marlene was unfortunately right; in the days since her move to Ravenclaw tower, Adina hadn't managed even one night of pure, uninterrupted sleep. If she wasn't up until the early hours of the morning just tossing and turning in her bed, she was waking from nightmares and flashbacks, gasping for air. Really, it was no surprise that the other girls in her dormitory had started to notice. She'd taken to putting up silencing charms around her bed, and even muggle cosmetics couldn't hide the way her blue irises were red-rimmed, or the bags that had made her under-eyes their permanent home.

"I'm fine, really," Adina forced a smile.

Hestia raised an eyebrow at her, propping herself up off of the floor with her elbow. She'd long discarded her scarlet tie for comfort's sake, preferring to sit at the foot of Marlene's chair, resting her head against the other girl's legs. Hestia possessed an intimidating kind of beauty that in no way befitted her personality. High cheekbones and a sharp jawline cast harsh shadows across her face; youthful mischief danced in feline eyes. Her boldness had placed her in Gryffindor, but her kindness had nearly sent her to Hufflepuff.

"You should really let Madam Pomfrey see you. Maybe she can give you some Dreamless Sleep potion," Hestia insisted.

Adina ignored the pang that came with her words. It had been a while since someone had tried to mother her. "I'll get plenty of sleep tonight. Studying kept me up pretty late yesterday."

Hestia surveyed her for a long minute. Seeing that she wasn't making any progress, she let out an exasperated sigh and flung her head back against Marlene's leg. Marlene hadn't expected the sudden movement and let out a squeak, swatting her with her hand.

"If you're not going to listen to Hestia and Marlene, can you please help me with the Divination homework? You've already done it, right? It makes no bloody sense," Lily groaned, chucking her copy of 'Unfogging the Future' by Cassandra Vablatsky at Adina.

Emmeline snorted, "I don't know why either of you took it. It's useless."

"It wasn't like muggle studies was going to be of any use. And I'm no good at Ancient Runes," Lily shrugged.

The homework in question was a pretty gruelling piece of work on astrology. Lily handed Adina her pieces of parchment as well. To say she hadn't gotten very far was an understatement. In her neat, flowing script, Lily had written her name, the date and the title of 'Interpreting the Birth Chart'. On the second piece, she had her birth chart drawn out at a questionable level of accuracy. It was a mess of intersecting lines and symbols, just barely legible if she looked at it the right way.

"Well, you could just make it up," said Adina thoughtfully, flipping through the text until she found the page she wanted, "But it might fuck up your grade. Divination is really about logic - taking the information you have in front of you and using it to predict an outcome. Let's see...you've got your sun and mercury in Aquarius. That can indicate, erm, a 'concern with the inner workings of society, and a rebellious spirit'. And I think you have a Capricorn stellium, as well - that's three planets in the same sign - so you have a strong work ethic and a liking for order and organisation."

Lily leaned closer to Adina to see the chart, ignoring Emmeline's derisive laugh, "Right. So what do the houses mean?"

Adina hummed, pointing to some of the intersecting lines. "This here is the sixth house, ruled by Virgo. You've got four planets in it, which would strengthen that need for routine. Your first house, your ascendant, is in Cancer. According to that, other people see you as caring and nurturing. Then there's your north node in the ninth house of Sagittarius, so your goal in life is to learn and experience as much as you can."

Lily looked incredulously at her, "How the hell did you figure that out from all of those lines?"

Adina laughed, passing the dusty book back to her, "It's all in there. It's just about putting the right pieces together. You'll be able to do it now?"

"Yeah, thanks," Lily said with a smile, beginning to write the information down, "You should consider tutoring some of the younger students. You're a natural."

'That's not happening anytime soon,' Adina thought, 'You put off doing your own work until the day before it's due, how could you do somebody else's?'

Her nose wrinkled at the idea of being stuck in the library with one of Malfoy's friends. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea."

Before Lily could protest, the portrait swung open and in stumbled the Marauders. James' hair looked even messier than usual and Sirius was supporting a delirious Peter, who was clutching his arm. Remus was at his other side, his arm around Peter's waist. Night was falling, the skies darkening. From their position in the doorway, the four boys would be able to see very little of the rest of the room,

"Brilliant hex, James," Peter said with a grimace, "I don't think I've seen that one before."

James grinned, but it was different from the mirth she'd seen in him when he played a prank or told a joke. This expression was something more twisted, darkly motivated, completely wrong for his face. Adina was surprised to find herself afraid of him.

"Snivellus' own creation, apparently. May as well test it on him," he laughed.

Sirius nodded in satisfied agreement, a sneer on his face, "Serves him right. What does he think he's doing, hanging about Gryffindor tower like that? Bloody creep."

"Probably a perv," choked out Peter as he was dragged closer towards the centre of the room.

Remus seemed somehow distant from the situation: glassy-eyed, and for a moment Adina wondered if he'd been hit by a curse or a nasty confundus charm. "Snape didn't put up much of a fight," he said.

Adina chanced a fleeting look at Lily, who was seething, her emerald eyes aflame. She crossed her arms, silhouette dark against the wall, waiting.

They stepped into the light, James first, always the leader. Exactly who he was looking at dawned on him very quickly and his face slackened, caved in on itself. "Lily-"

"Don't," she spat, "You're a bully, James Potter. What did Snape ever do to you?"

Whatever smug pride Adina had seen in his face was long gone, replaced by a look of sincere guilt. It wasn't guilt for his actions against Snape, it was for causing Lily pain. At that moment she realised that he truly loved her - albeit in his own immature way - far behind the showy front he put up and the elaborate plans for asking her out. James loved Lily. He just wasn't mature enough to handle it.

"What do you mean, what did he ever do to us? He's Snivellus, he's a Death Eater! You know as well as I do that he's as into the Dark Arts as they get. You just don't want to acknowledge it because even after a year, he's just dying to kiss your arse," Sirius said bluntly.

With a sigh, Hestia ushered Peter into an armchair and began performing a number of diagnostic spells on him. Emmeline and Remus didn't know what to do with themselves, had moved into the corners of the room as if that might stop the explosive argument that was sure to take place. Lily got to her feet, her arms crossed defensively, eyes narrowed into slits. Marlene followed, standing at her right shoulder. Her wand was perfectly within her reach should she decide to use it. Adina hoped she didn't.

"I know he's a git! Do you really think I'm that stupid? I know!" Lily's fury was cold, her tone laced with glacial barbarism, "But it doesn't make it right for you to go and attack him at every chance you get!"

"Lily, I-" James pleaded. He appeared completely different from the boy that had walked into the room not five minutes before. Older in some ways, and Adina wondered if she was getting a glimpse into what he might look like as a father - Harry Potter's father. That concept seemed intangible now.

Lily pursed her lips, her eyes filling with tears she refused to shed, "I don't want to hear it. You're just as bad as he is. Worse, even. Don't come near me." She turned and, without another word, ascended the stairs leading to the girls' dormitory.

Sirius clasped James' shoulder, pushing him gently away from the girls' staircase, which he was staring aimlessly at, and towards the boys' dormitories. Hestia, who had by that point fixed up Peter, headed after Lily, sending Adina an apologetic look.

Marlene stopped in front of her, shifting uncomfortably. "She needs us," she said simply, "Snape is um...well, he's a touchy subject."

"I get it," said Adina, and she did, but in spite of herself, the words came out more harshly than she'd anticipated. "I'll see you guys at breakfast, then?"

"Yeah, of course," yawned Emmeline, smiling weakly as she passed. Her voice had mellowed with the passing hours, a sweeter, softer tone in place of the nasal quality usually present.

Adina wasn't quite alone, she could feel it. Remus was at her side, grounded and yet somehow not all there. "I'll walk you back," he said quietly, avoiding her eyes, "It's past curfew."

She nodded, and together they ambled through the corridors, neither one sure what to say, or if saying anything would be the right thing to do. It seemed minutes and hours at once before they reached the entrance to Ravenclaw tower.

"Which came first, the phoenix, or the flame?" The disembodied voice asked. Perhaps it was the wisest founder herself, although it was impossible to be sure.

"A circle has no beginning," Adina stated, ignoring the way Remus looked at her. It was as if he'd just found the key to a forbidden room, one he never thought he'd enter, and it enthralled her, although she wasn't sure she understood it. The door swung open, hitting the stone wall with a quiet thud that was the antithesis of the sound in her daydream.

Rowena's statue was in full view from the archway, lit up by the rays of moonlight through the windows, guarding her vast collection of books. Remus lingered awkwardly, peering curiously around the common room.

"No one's really going to care if you come in," Adina laughed, "I've just been in your common room."

He was unable to contain his grin and stepped inside, taking the time to catalogue every little detail, from the shades of the draperies to the marble accents woven into the walls. They paused in front of the largest window in the left corner of the room. The moon lay languidly, surrounded by a half-hearted smattering of stars. It was entering its waning gibbous phase, if her limited astronomy knowledge didn't fail her. Before long it would be full again.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Remus remarked delicately, but there was an underlying bitterness to his tone that Adina couldn't understand. At this close proximity, she could make out faint little freckles on his cheeks and nose, fading with the lack of the summer sun. It wasn't until now that she appreciated how tall he was. She'd never been considered short at 5"7, but she didn't even reach Remus' shoulders.

"It is," Adina said. She could only imagine how pale she looked, bathed in the glow of the moonlight, her dark hair making the contrast even more noticeable. There was a pause, "Why didn't you stop them?"

"James and Sirius, you mean?"

He knew exactly what she meant, and he was stalling for time. Adina raised an eyebrow at him, trying desperately to prolong her judgement.

"I didn't throw any spells, but it doesn't make it any better. I know. Being a bystander is just as bad," he admitted, throwing her a sidelong glance as if to test her. She indulged in the game, keeping her face as neutral as possible until he spoke again, "Sometimes...sometimes I think that James does it for Sirius. He's not had, erm, the best family life. James tries to make up for it, but he doesn't know how."

"How does bullying Snape help?" Adina asked, tilting her head.

"Sirius says he gets bored, but he's capable of entertaining himself. He doesn't want to say that he's sad, or that he's angry, he just claims he's bored. And James finds something for him to do."

Adina understood Sirius then, far more than she had in the month or so she'd known him, and far more than she cared to admit. It was easy, so easy, to pretend that the events of the past month had never happened when Emmeline challenged her to a game of Wizard's Chess, or Lily offered to help her with potions, or when James ran a prank he was planning past her. If she threw herself into life with fervour, she could escape the knowledge that everything she'd known had been violently rewritten.

"And Lily? Why's she so bothered about Snape? He's a greasy git."

Remus had to smile at that. Adina liked his smile. It was the sort that might have belonged in one of the books they both enjoyed; secretive, but full of mischief and life, "I can't disagree with you there. But I think it's Lily's job to tell you about Snape."

His words were firm, final. Understood.

"Goodnight," said Adina, putting a hand on his arm as she left.

Remus nodded, a serene expression upon his face. Adina turned to look at him one last time, making her way up to her dormitory. He hadn't yet moved from the window, was staring up at the moon as if it held the answer to every question he might have. In her mind, he didn't move from that position all night, simply waiting, watching the skies until the Sun regained its dominance and the skies brightened. She liked that thought.

 

A/N - Not really sure how I feel about this chapter, but I've been reading the Handmaid's Tale and thought I'd have some more fun with description. I hope you enjoyed it :)

Chapter 7: The Lovers

Notes:

fuckkkkkk im so tired but im also maybe crossposting to fanfiction.net (this is already on wattpad). idk why I'm telling you this okay bye i love you all even though there's actually none of you and it's just me staring at this little screen typing whatever comes to mind and finding it strangely therapeutic. no actually bye this time, ly all xxx

 

I'm genuinely not drunk. I am absolutely 100% sober and that, having just written the above paragraph, devastates any hope I have within me for success in the future. Bye.

"Piss off, Black!" called Marlene, tossing her dark hair over her shoulder with a huff, "I'm not interested!"

Breakfast the next morning posed a rather interesting dynamic. James, a sullen scowl marring his features, sat at the Gryffindor table with his chin resting on one hand, halfheartedly pushing some eggs about his plate with the other. Sirius had taken it upon himself to make up for the lack of entertainment his friend was providing by doubling his own outrageous behaviour.

"You wound me! The course of true love never did run smooth," Sirius shouted back, placing his hand over his heart and falling dramatically onto a surprised Peter, who pushed him away with a squeak.

Remus appeared reluctantly impressed, incredulously mouthing 'Shakespeare?' He shook his head as if he'd just seen a ghost - one that didn't belong to a wizard. Adina felt her heart tug in her chest as she noticed how peaky he looked. Dark circles plagued his eyes, similar to her own, and his skin had a pale, waxy pallor to it. He seemed empty, robotic, almost: but when he laughed and his eyes lit up, it was as if the life flooded back into him.

Marlene then turned her wrath onto Hestia and Alice MacDougal, flipping both of them off as they laughed quite unabashedly at her. Alice, a girl with round, watery eyes and glossy hair, struggled at first to hide her amusement behind her hand, but her resolve broke and soon she was leaning on Hestia for support. They seemed to have composed themselves until Alice whispered something to Hestia and they collapsed into helpless giggles again.

Lily had taken refuge once again at the Ravenclaw table, absentmindedly sipping at her pumpkin juice. It was fast becoming a habit, since James' actions were becoming more and more intolerable - although Adina had to say that he seemed very remorseful for upsetting Lily. A couple of times throughout their meal she caught him glaring darkly at Snape behind them, most likely hexing him to oblivion inside his head.

Very little had been said about the previous night's incident. Lily had apologised needlessly for leaving so abruptly but hadn't gone into much detail about why she had. Adina couldn't blame her; it wasn't as if she wanted to talk about her problems either. Just the previous morning she'd broken down, alone in her dormitory, wishing the last month had only been a dream. None of it was real, she'd told herself. Just for those few, precious moments, she'd lied to herself.

It had been the upcoming Hogsmeade trip for the weekend that had set her off, although really, it was only a matter of time before she caved into her grief again. Professor Flitwick had walked down the table, humming to himself as he handed out the permission slips to be sent off to parents. Marlene and Emmeline had happily filled out theirs, and Adina too, forgetting for a moment that there was no one to sign it. It was only when they'd gotten to the owlery and were tying the letters to the owls' legs that she'd realised.

Adina had held the sealed letter in shaking hands, her old address on the front. She'd stared at it blankly for a moment, and then all of a sudden she'd been hit by her loss again. It had taken a great deal of effort not to burst out crying then and there. Slipping the letter back into the pocket of her robes, she'd told the girls that she wanted to get an extra quill and left as quickly as her legs would take her, running down the stairs and covering her face with her hair to make her as invisible as possible.

Emmeline was frantically writing all over her Transfiguration essay, due in fifteen minutes. Her usually neat handwriting had turned into a frantic chicken scratch.

Lily laughed, and it was a duller sound than Adina was used to hearing from her, "Why are you working on that now? I bet it's perfect...you rarely miss a mark in Transfiguration."

Practically tearing her hair out, Emmeline huffed. Marlene sniggered as the blonde slammed her head onto the table, "It's just. Not. Working today."

"Alright, alright...we get it. No need for the histrionics," said Marlene, a smile playing at her lips, "Hand it over. And the quill, come on."

Hesitantly, Emmeline did as she was told. Adina was surprised; it was almost impossible for her to relinquish any control over her work.

Marlene squinted as she read over the essay, tracing the words with the end of the quill. About halfway through it, her eyes brightened with recognition and she turned to show Adina the essay. "Here! The calculations are slightly off, right? It offsets the argument."

Adina nodded and opened her mouth to confirm her friend's suspicions. Her stomach dropped with the realisation that she'd forgotten to bring her work with her. It would take at least ten minutes to make it to and from the great hall, and another ten to make it to the Transfiguration classroom. "Shit," she groaned, "I left my essay in the dormitory last night. McGonagall's going to kill me!"

"Can't you just summon it?" Marlene said, raising an eyebrow.

"Nope, there are anti-summoning wards on all the common rooms. Prevents stealing, apparently," said a more jovial Emmeline, her perfected essay in hand.

Lily winced sympathetically, "Well, good luck, Adina. I'll tell her you were helping a lost first year or something. Maybe she'll buy it?"

"Bullshit," Emmeline shook her head, "That woman has a razor-sharp instinct when it comes to lying, I swear. Blame those idiots." She pointed to James, Sirius, Remus and Peter. Sirius threw his hands up in a defensive gesture, smacking an unresponsive James in the process.

"I hope you find it!" Marlene sang, ignoring the antics of the boys on the opposite table. Just looking at them could drive her certifiably insane.

Adina grabbed her satchel and resisted the urge to run out of the Great Hall, carelessly waving behind her at what could have been Malfoy and his cronies for all she knew. She sprinted up each floor, ignoring the strange looks a group of third years sent her way. Snape passed her with a sneer, beaten and bruised. Considering his abysmal attitude, Adina couldn't quite find it within herself to feel sorry for him. Averting her eyes seemed the most plausible option and prevented her from snapping out an insult, which would only make her mood much worse.

By the time she reached the Common Room, after taking a solid five minutes to answer the riddle, she was short of breath and nursing her left hand, which she'd slammed into the wall after the first three wrong answers. Luckily, nothing was broken or bleeding. It just felt as if a muggle car had run over it. She could handle that.

Adina felt the hairs rise on the back of her neck and slowly turned around. The Grey Lady, the resident ghost of Ravenclaw Tower, watched her silently from the corner of the room.

It had become a habit of hers, and a disturbing one at that. Her youth was immortalised, present in the smoothness of her skin and the volume that hadn't let her hair. At the same time, death had not left her untouched. She was permeated by a sense of age and decrepitude. The ghost never once came close to her, going as far as to pull back as if burned when she felt Adina was too near.

Only slightly put out, Adina scrambled up the stairs, tripping over a stray textbook in the process. She cursed under her breath and went to pick it up - the open copy of Unfogging the Future she'd used the night before. Frowning, she traced the tear in the paper where someone had torn out a number of pages, doing little to hide the evidence of what they'd done.

But there was something else. Red ink, criminally bright against the yellowed pages, circled certain words and images in the book. 'A Beginner's Guide to the Tarot', read the title at the top, followed by pictures of each card in the major arcana.

The Hanged Man was underlined along with its caption - 'introspection, indecision, sacrifice'. The High Priestess, comfortable in her majesty, the glowing moon at her feet - 'intuition, wisdom, the subconscious mind'. And finally, Death. A skeletal figure riding a white horse, ignoring the pleas of the gold-wearing bishop before him - 'Change, transformation, loss'.

Whoever had vandalised her book had done more than just highlight pictures, they'd chosen to make an addition to the picture of the Death card. Her stomach turned as she read the single word 'imminent'.

On instinct, Adina threw the book as far away from her as possible. As it landed on the bed, she realised with a start that her textbook was not the only affected thing. Her trunk had been thrown haphazardly onto her bed. Books, quills, her clothes, every little thing she had was strewn across the navy quilt. Even her pillows and blankets had been chucked onto the floor. And yet, when she looked around the rest of the room, everything else was untouched.

'Except,' thought Adina with a relieved sigh, 'The time-turner. That's with Dumbledore.'

Not a total failure, then. She could only imagine what might have happened had somebody found the time-turner. Flashes of expulsion, dementors, veritaserum and imprisonment in Azkaban assaulted her. She fought desperately to shut them out and focus on the task at hand. Nothing was missing other than the pages in her book, she noted with relief, so why had they come? Revenge? Or were they looking for something?

Adina rifled through the papers until she let out a sigh of relief. Transfiguration essay in hand, she stormed down the staircase, slamming the door to the common room shut with a bang. The Grey Lady, as easily startled as ever, flinched as she watched a still fuming Adina leave.

'All that for a fucking transfiguration essay,' Adina scowled, pushing past the occasional late student. She'd long resigned herself to the fact that she was going to be very, very late for McGonagall's class - and that it probably wouldn't end well for her.

When Adina finally reached Classroom 1B, she scurried inside with her head down, muttering an apology to Professor McGonagall.

"Twenty points from Ravenclaw," said Professor McGonagall sternly, ignoring the shouts of protest from the Ravenclaws in the class. Adina slid into a seat near the back of the classroom next to Marlene, who had saved one for her. She forced herself to meet McGonagall's glare as she continued, "I do not tolerate lateness. It is absolutely unacceptable, especially as the content for your N.E.W.T Transfiguration course is far more complicated than what you studied in previous years. Now, as I said previously, we will be beginning today with the concept of human transfiguration..."

Marlene stared at Adina with wide eyes, "What took you so long? When you said you'd be late, I thought you meant five minutes - not thirty! Lily tried covering for you, but it didn't work."

Adina looked guiltily over at the redhead before running a hand down her face, "Someone broke into the dormitory and went through my stuff."

In a gesture that, in some alternate universe where Adina hadn't just had the shock of her life, might have been comical, Marlene's jaw dropped. Her eyes darted around the room and she leaned in to whisper conspiratorially in Adina's ear, "What? Do you think it was someone in our room?"

Adina shrugged, "I guess so. Couldn't have been anybody else if there are wards up on the girls' dormitories."

"Unless someone was able to dismantle them...they'd have to be bloody powerful to manage it, though. And they'd have to get into the common room. Pissed anyone off lately?"

An internal war raged within Adina. Did she mention the book? It would sound stupid, surely. Snape's image came to mind as she'd passed him earlier in the corridor. His eyes had gleamed darkly and he'd looked disgusted by her. Still, it was a far cry from the pure, unadulterated hatred he had for James and Sirius, and she couldn't bring herself to believe that he'd try to scare her with a silly note in a divination book.

Adina forced a laugh, but it was shaky and strained, "Probably. There's always someone that hates me."

Placing a hand on her arm, Marlene sighed. "We'll figure out who it was. Don't worry," she said gently, but her chocolate-coloured eyes betrayed her determination. "Maybe it was just some prick playing a stupid prank."

"Maybe," said Adina, chewing on her lower lip. Her attention was then put towards McGonagall, who was demonstrating a particularly nasty bit of transfiguration involving changing the colour of one's eyes. She then recounted a fairly graphic encounter with a student who'd ended up in the hospital wing for weeks after accidentally vanishing his pupil.

By the time the day ended, Adina was exhausted in all senses of the word. It had taken her a while to reorganise everything that whoever went through her things had moved. Skipping dinner had been an unfortunate necessity too, since she didn't want anybody to see what had happened. Emmeline would probably have a fit.

'They'd probably think I had a breakdown. I did, but I don't want them to think I tore up the place doing it,' she relented.

Adina readied herself for bed, stopping in front of the bathroom mirror. Over the last month, she'd regained a healthy amount of weight, the features of her face filling out again. It was a relief to look like a regular person and not like the gaunt facade of one she'd been playing in the last few weeks. Her hair had grown, too, tumbling past her shoulders in wild, dark curls. She grappled with it for a good few minutes, attempting to put it up, until her last hair tie snapped along with her temper. She was ready to give up and go to bed in a huff when she noticed.

"Oh shit," Adina murmured, slapping a hand to her forehead, "Really, Twycross? You can't go one bloody day without embarrassing yourself."

The embarrassment in question had to do with that morning's transfiguration lesson. In her (slightly pathetic, confirmed by Sirius) attempts to appease Professor McGonagall, Adina had performed a very impressive piece of transfiguration. Too impressive, it seemed, because now she was left with one brown eye, and one her usual blue. No wonder Remus had been looking at her oddly during the entire DADA lesson. He was probably laughing at her the entire time.

Grumbling, she climbed into bed, ready for another night of endless tossing and turning. What she didn't expect was to fall asleep as quickly as she did.

Her dreams that night began as being far less comprehensive and far less disturbing than usual: the edge of a woodland, trees clashing violently with the horizon, the cool glow of moonlight against her skin, her opal locket catching and redirecting the rays. A flash of silver, animal tracks, a pair of amber eyes, the gleaming of the water in the Black Lake. A scream. Adina was in front of the door again, open, and she was hurtling through it and back into her father's bedroom. The footsteps of her pursuer grated on her ears as she fumbled with the time-turner, her head slamming into the wall with a sickening crack-

She awoke in a cold sweat, panting. Reaching for her wand on the bedside table brought her some comfort, although Adina caught herself scanning the room for an intruder. There was little to do now but wait. For the morning, for answers, for closure. The list was endless. She had everything to wait for, and nothing to show for it.

Notes:

Are you bored of dream sequences yet? Not a fan of this chapter. I'll be seeing without my eyes from now on, but keeping one out for selener, don't worry. Visual representation: —👄👁

Chapter 8: The Chariot

The weekend arrived swiftly, bringing with it an onslaught of rain and howling winds. This type of weather was no novelty in Scotland, but as September dragged into October, students became more distracted. They stared out of the windows in classrooms to watch as the heavens opened and lightning overtook the sky.

Friday evening's astronomy lesson had run over into dinnertime, so Adina, Marlene and Emmeline gasped for air as they ran through the Transfiguration Courtyard, which seemed to grow larger with every step they took. Each rumble of thunder would send Emmeline into a frenzy. Marlene would try not to laugh at the shrieks she let out each time the lightning flashed. After what felt like a lifetime, they finally reached the doors to the Great Hall, shivering and soaked to the skin. The enticing smells of roast beef and gravy made it all worthwhile.

Adina grinned, taking out her wand and waving it over the three of them, "You're lucky you don't have Malfoy for a friend. He barely knows which end of his wand is which, let alone how to use it."

"As if we'd be friends with a Malfoy," Emmeline denied, unable to appear completely disgusted while cocooned in the warmth of Adina's drying charm. Then she smirked, "Although...he does have better hair than you."

"If you mean it's more manageable from the inbreeding, then yeah," Marlene quipped, dragging her friends to their usual seats.

Their meal passed as it usually did. Conversation centred around the Hogsmeade trip for the next day. Emmeline gesticulated wildly as she explained the inner workings of each and every shop they might visit. Adina tried not to focus on how Isaiah would have piled his plate with beef. He had an insatiable appetite. Marlene scowled as Sirius, who made yet another attempt to ask her out.

"Why can't he just understand that I don't like him, and never will?" Marlene grumbled, resting her cheek on her hand.

Emmeline glanced at the boy in question, who had very quickly moved on from his rejection. Sirius was now poking Peter in the side, begging for his attention. She sighed dreamily, "I think it's romantic. Maybe you're his Lily."

"I'm not his anything," Marlene huffed, blowing a stray strand of hair off of her face.

"I've been here for - what - six years less than you? And even I know the chances of Sirius committing to one person are less than me getting an E in potions. But, erm, he's unique, I guess. And he tries," Adina said, a smile playing on her lips.

Emmeline's snappy retort was halted by the appearance of Professor Flitwick behind her. His height made him hard to detect, and Emmeline practically jumped out of her seat in fright. Marlene collapsed into giggles once again, receiving an exasperated sigh from the Charms professor.

"Good evening, Miss Twycross," he said, in his strange, reedy voice, "I trust you're settling in well?"

"I am. Thank you, Sir." Adina had to grit her teeth to avoid laughing at the disaster unfolding in front of her. The urge to laugh stopped though, as he handed her a letter. A wax seal of the Hogwarts logo covered the opening. Tearing it open, she read the words 'Hogsmeade Permission Slip', frowning in confusion. But at the bottom, signed in an elegant script, was a name. Albus Dumbledore.

"Please give him my thanks, Professor," she said, a wave of gratitude passing over her. Adina looked towards the teachers' table, meeting Dumbledore's twinkling eyes. He smiled, nodded once at her and struck up a conversation with Professor McGonagall.

"I'm sure he already knows," said Flitwick, striding back to his seat. She couldn't blame him. The beef was really, really good.

"What was that about?" Marlene asked, curiosity taking the place of her irritation. Emmeline, too, had leaned forward to hear about the mysterious letter.

Adina shrugged, shifting in her seat. "Erm, I guess my permission slip didn't get to my parents in time. Dumbledore signed it for me."

Marlene studied her for a moment before humming. Then she began her usual ritual of zoning out during Emmeline's monologue. The other witch didn't mind - especially not now she had somebody else to talk to.

As per what had become their routine, the three girls returned to the Common Room and worked on essays until their eyesight failed them and their yawns were impossible to keep at bay.

By the next morning, the rain hadn't relented. It pummelled the roof of Ravenclaw Tower, so much so that during the night the other girls had ended up with their pillows over their heads in a futile effort to drown it out. Pandora Rosier, a girl Adina had come to like (but didn't understand in the slightest), came to tell her in a lilted voice that the rain was clearing out her aura, which was apparently indigo. Adina wondered if Pandora might have gone through her things to teach her about Divination, but she highly doubted that it was true.

"Do we really have to go out in this weather?" Groaned Emmeline, tying her blue scarf around her neck.

Adina nodded, "You've told me all about Hogsmeade. You're not getting out of it now!"

The anticipation of finally being somewhere other than the white-washed claustrophobia of the Hospital Wing, or the comforting confinement of the Ravenclaw common room threatened to take Adina over. Hogwarts would always be her home, but the walls would always be shot through with the traces of her trauma, the memories of days with her brother by the lake that hadn't yet, nor would ever happen.

Marlene, who had been ready for almost an hour, sat patiently on her bed reading a book. "Muggle fiction," she'd explained when Adina had asked her about it, "Much more entertaining."

Now, she looked up from her position and rolled her eyes, "Are you lot ready yet? Don't make me leave without you," she warned, but each of them knew from her grin that she wouldn't even think about it.

With a melodramatic sigh, Emmeline grabbed her wand and left the dormitory, her friends following suit.

'Ah,' thought Adina with a wince as they reached the Entrance Hall, 'This doesn't look fun. My hair's going to go nuts.'

Upon seeing the black clusters of clouds, threatening lightning, she understood Emmeline's pessimism. Still, Adina waved back at Lily, who's joy appeared unaffected by the weather. By some miracle, they made it past Filch without any trouble, although he'd tried very hard to claim that Dumbledore's signature was forged. Lily and Hestia met them at the school gates, both itching to get out.

"Where's Alice?" Marlene asked, frowning.

Lily and Hestia shared a secretive smile. When she didn't receive the answers she wanted, Marlene punched Hestia's arm, hard. "Ow, Marls! With Frank Longbottom. On a date."

Emmeline beamed, gasping in excitement, "Really? They'll be married within three years, I'm telling you!"

"Who knows? It might be you next, Lily Flower," Adina teased, cackling as Lily's face morphed into a glare and she shoved her shoulder. She yelped and grabbed onto a triumphant-looking Lily when she slipped and almost fell over in the middle of the road.

When Hogsmeade came into sight, the various shops and houses visible only slightly over the peaks of the Scottish hills, Hestia grabbed Marlene's hand, saluted the rest of the group and promised to meet up with them later.

"Three Broomsticks, yeah?" Lily called after them, smirking. She pointed subtly at their intertwined fingers, "Not very subtle, are they? You'd think Black would get the idea, but he's completely oblivious."

"Are they a couple?" Adina asked, watching their retreating backs.

"Not officially," Lily said, "But it's only a matter of time. They're perfect for each other."

Emmeline suddenly seemed mellower, calmer. The corners of her lips quirked upwards. "You know what? I think they are."

***

Tomes and Scrolls was much smaller than Adina remembered. It was a maze of intersecting bookshelves and dark-wood floors, with a number of plants scattered about to add a splash of cover. The three girls had been searching for somewhere to take refuge from the brewing storm outside. Within two hours, they'd exhausted almost every shop in Hogsmeade. Lily's eyes had lit up when she saw the green wooden sign, the name of the shop written in bold, gold print. Adina, who was struggling to brush her wet - and now very frizzy - hair out of her eyes, was surprised she could even see at all through the pouring rain.

Emmeline, now in her element, was bouncing on the balls of her feet. At a speed that made Adina wonder if she would need an interpreter after all, she babbled, "Where do you two want to go? I need the next volume of Advanced Potion making."

Lily nodded, "Me too. What about you, Dina?"

Adina's eyes fell on the rickety staircase in the corner of the shop. It led up to a mezzanine level, marked by a sign reading 'Fiction'. Maybe she'd look at some of the newer muggle fiction Marlene had recommended, if they had any. "I'll meet you at the Three Broomsticks," she said, waving goodbye to them and heading upstairs.

This section of the shop was decidedly more sparse, cosier than its cramped, downstairs counterpart. Aimlessly Adina wondered past shelves, running her fingers along the spines of the books and taking in their musty smell.

One book, she noticed, was a vintage copy of 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard'. Its scarlet cover boasted a drawing of the author himself, brandishing a quill. Opening it sent Adina reeling with nostalgia. Her mother would sit at her bedside and read until her daughter was half-asleep, lean down and whisper a loving 'Goodnight'. Her father preferred the darker tales, like that of Three Brothers. Isaiah, ever the optimistic child of the family, would beg over and over for The Wizard and the Hopping Pot.

This was something that transcended time in all of its complexities. It was a piece of home, and Adina was glad for it.

"Good choice. One of my favourites growing up," said a voice from behind her, and Adina almost jumped out of her skin.

She was relieved to find that it was only Remus, still dripping from the rain, his wet, sandy hair clinging to his face.

"You almost gave me a heart attack!" Adina exclaimed, glaring at him as he pushed out a feeble apology through his laughter, "And you're soaking, too - why don't you use a drying charm?"

Remus scratched the back of his neck, his face reddening, "Erm, I like doing things the muggle way, sometimes. Hogwarts is great and all, but it's nice not to be so dependent on magic. Is that weird?"

"A little, I guess. But does it really matter?" Adina said, not envying him in the slightest as she watched him shudder.

He smiled fondly, eyes flickering down to the book again, "My mum's a muggle. Dad didn't tell her about the Wizarding World until they were married - uh, big mistake, but she forgave him. It always bothered her that she couldn't support me magically, so she got her hands on as much magical literature as she could and read it all to me."

"So that's why you nerd out over books all the time?" remarked Adina. It might have been the atmosphere in the shop, or the book she held in her hand, or even the company she kept, but for the first time thinking about her family didn't bring tears to her eyes. Her heart ached dully; the feeling of it being torn from her chest was gone.

He chuckled, "Not fair! I seem to remember you ranting about how Paradise Lost last week. And in DADA, too."

In a false show of defensiveness, Adina folded her arms. "Not all of us are naturals at it like you. Milton is way better than Shakespeare, though."

Remus shook his head.

'I'm right,' Adina thought stubbornly, 'He's in denial.'

There was a silence for a moment, with neither of them sure what to say. "Do you...fancy a drink? I've got to meet James, Sirius and Peter, but they'll probably be late."

"Depends. Are you inviting me for fun or to protect your ego?"

"How about both?" said Remus, pretending to think for a moment.

"Alright," Adina shrugged, "Just let me pay for this book."

The walk to the Three Broomsticks was short, the conversation amiable. Remus talked about some of his earlier years and the mischief he'd gotten up to with the Marauders. Pranks, late-night trips to the kitchen, secret duels with Slytherins - Adina was ashamed to tell him very little about her own (fabricated) life. Even if she'd told him the truth, her Hogwarts experiences were embarrassingly tame compared to his.

"So...Beauxbatons? What was that like?" Remus asked as he pulled open the heavy door to the inn, holding it open for her, "I've never met someone from a different school."

Adina's confidence faltered for a moment, but she pulled herself together, plastering a grin onto her face. "The views from the Chateau were amazing, and the lessons were pretty good. Shocking amount of veelas, though. Sirius would have a field day."

They settled for a table by the hearth, bathed in the warm glow of the fire. From there they could see the entirety of the pub, from where Madam Rosmerta toiled away behind the bar, to a tipsy Professor Slughorn playing a game of Exploding Snap at the opposite end of the room. "Probably. Must be weird coming back over here, though. D'you miss your parents?"

Beyond belief.

"Yeah, but their work is important. I don't see them that much anyway," Adina said, unfocused eyes landing on the table.

"Want a butterbeer?"

"Sure. I can get them," Remus offered, getting up to go to the bar. She watched in silence as he talked awkwardly with Madam Rosmerta, watched her eyes light up as he made her laugh.

A dark shape entering the room caught Adina's eye. The man was hooded, stiff, hunched over in a way that betrayed his decrepitude. He carried a cane of rotting, twisted wood, making for a dimly lit table in the far corner.

Adina's blood ran cold; whether it was the cloak or the oddity of such a man, she wasn't sure. Either way, it was enough to have her gripping her wand under the table, knuckles turning white, tears forming in her eyes where she hadn't blinked. She was provided with some relief when Remus returned, holding two glasses filled with golden liquid. Quietly, she thanked him, taking a sip of the sweet drink.

"What are you- oh," he frowned, glancing at the strange man. He had barely moved but to tap his cane on the floor impatiently. Remus pulled a face, "Rosmerta gets all sorts in here. Usually, the weird ones prefer the Hog's Head, though. Much grimier."

Adina kept her eyes faithfully trained on him, "What do you think he's doing here? He's not moved in ages."

"Uh, sometimes people come in here to make transactions. Madame Rosmerta kicks them out pretty quickly."

Adina could imagine her doing just that. Madame Rosmerta was a kindly woman, but one that had no tolerance for hooligans.

The door opened again, with a loud creak, and another figure entered the room. He wore a set of heavy Winter robes, the woollen fabric dragging on the floor behind him. He was also hooded, the shadows across his face making him indistinguishable. The sight didn't sit well with her at all. Adina knew exactly where he was going, and it certainly wasn't towards Professor Slughorn, who was nursing a firewhiskey, presumably having lost his game. All she could make out of the face were the strangely familiar, piercing eyes which scanned the room, resting on the first man. Time seemed to slow as he approached the table and shook the stranger's hand.

They talked for some minutes in low, hushed voices. As much as she strained her ears to hear their conversation, it was impossible over the constant chatter in the pub. A low ringing sounded in her ears. With bated breath, she watched as Warbeck stood and slammed his hands down on the table. The loud thud as his fists hit the wood caused the other inhabitants to pause in their discussions, looking around for the source of the noise. The second man stood, seething, and left the pub, pushing past a startled James, Sirius and Peter, who were on their way into the inn.

Remus glanced up, his lips parted in mild surprise. He waved over James and Sirius with a grin. He hadn't, until that point, been paying much attention to the debacle, not deeming it worthy of his attention. He hadn't seen the way the two men had exchanged something under the table. He hadn't seen the way the second had leaned towards the other man, hungry for knowledge only he could provide.

Adina had. She hated everything about it.

Chapter 9: Strength

Notes:

i figured out how to format, call me a boomer but I'm very proud of myself rn :) also you lucky bastards, 9 chapters in one day bc i cba to write instead of posting them all at once. there are currently 20 written, so we're ahead of schedule (just about).

One of Adina's first and most vivid memories was of waking in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat, screaming for her mother. Eden Twycross had stumbled sleep-starved into her daughter's bedroom, enveloping Adina in her arms and waving away her exhausted husband, who lingered anxiously in the doorway. "It's fine, Asriel, I've got her," she whispered. Asriel, tall and broad-shouldered, watched them for a moment, unsure. Once he was reassured of Adina's safety, he gave a nod and quietly left the room.

"It's okay, darling," Eden said, tenderly pressing her lips to her child's hair, "Did you have a bad dream?"

Adina could say nothing but nodded vigorously. As she was dragged further from sleep, her memory began to fail here. There had been a man, a shadowy figure, dark against the full moon. She had pleaded with herself to wake up, with Merlin, with anybody that might have had the capacity to save her. No one came. She was alone.

Her mother pulled away from her to brush a damp lock of hair behind her ear, "Sometimes, we save thinking about the scary things until night-time. The darkness makes them even scarier, but when we wake in the morning, there's all the time left in the world to be with the people we love."

Back then, Adina believed anything and everything her mother told her. But even if these things were said with the greatest intentions at heart, sometimes they were wrong. This was the first of only a few times Eden lied to her daughter. Even so, it would become the biggest and worst lie she'd ever tell.

Glinting in the darkness was the opal pendant Eden wore, and a young Adina reached for it, admiring the beauty of the stone as her mother hummed a lullaby to her. It was a soft, sweet melody, one that contained a promise of hope. Long ago, Adina's grandmother had sung it to her own daughter. She was gone before the child turned three.

Adina fell asleep in the warmth of her mother's embrace, content. To endeared to her daughter to leave, Eden stayed with her until they awoke together, blessed by the rays of the morning Sun.

Adina stared, shaken, at the open door of the Three Broomsticks. She found herself unable to comprehend what she'd just seen. The stranger had resembled - well - a Death Eater. Why had Warbeck approached him? And what had infuriated him so? Desperately, she wished Eden was there to help her understand. If she concentrated hard enough, Adina could conjure up that lullaby, the haunting melody floating somewhere between her brain and the outside world. More effort would reward her with a vague image of the woman that had been her mother: soft, brown eyes, a loving smile. The replica was too fragile, as if formed from spider silk. If Adina looked for too long, it would fade away. And fade it did.

"Did you-" Adina began, but before she could get the words out, the rest of the Marauders were upon them.

Don't panic. It was a coincidence. It's all fine.

"Moony!" James and Sirius cried in unison, each throwing an arm around his shoulders. Peter watched them with a fond smile, huddled into the corner of the opposite bench, where their table met the wall.

"Great. It's you lot, again," Adina said sarcastically, unfurling the fist in which she'd gripped her wand.

Things are fine. You're safe. No one can harm you.

Sirius grinned, his grey eyes alight with mischief, "Well, if it isn't our little Nina-"

Adina's nose wrinkled at the nickname, feeling the built-up fear within her begin to slip away, "Don't call me that. And I'm not little."

Unsurprisingly, he ignored her, "-In a pub with Remus Lupin. What do you make of that, James?"

"Interesting, Padfoot, certainly interesting," James ruffled his hair and pushed his glasses back onto his nose, "Our Remus, on a date with a girl...who'd have thought it?"

James' tease had Remus sitting up straight in his seat, sending a frantic side glance towards Adina, "Well, hang on a minute-"

"I'm surprised you're familiar with the concept of a date, James, since you've never been on one," Peter said, stretched out in his seat, his hands resting casually behind his head.

Everyone's eyes turned towards Peter, who looked quite proud of himself for cracking that particular joke. James' mouth opened and closed, and he spluttered for a good few minutes whilst Sirius doubled over in laughter next to him. Remus dragged a hand down the side of his face, but he couldn't suppress his own chuckles.

"Not cool, Pete," James managed to say after a while, but couldn't feign offence for long.

Sirius put his elbows on the table, clapping his hands together triumphantly, "Alright, boys - and girl. As always, Prongs and I pulled through. We've got the goods."

He gestured to a bag under the table, and Peter and Remus shared a satisfied smirk. Adina narrowed her eyes, "What's going on?"

"Basically-" Peter began to say, but Sirius reached over to cover his mouth, pulling a face when he had his hand licked.

"We don't know if we can trust her. She might blab to Lily, they're friends."

"Okay, the fact that you're worried I'll tell Lily really makes me think you've done something bad. What is it?"

"It's really nothing, honestly-"

James stopped mid-sentence as Remus scoffed, reaching for the bag and handing it to Adina. When she examined the contents, she snorted. Four bottles of Horntail Firewhiskey, instant darkness powder, copious amounts of dungbombs, nose-biting teacups and, to top it all off, a package from Honeydukes.

"We might have a bit of a collection," said James, as innocently as he could. He held up his hand as a symbol of surrender, "But we've got to celebrate - Remus is back in the game!"

"Oh, yeah. I meant to ask...where were you on Wednesday?" asked Adina, staring at him with concern. In the days leading up to Wednesday, he'd been looking increasingly ill. His skin had been ashen, eyes sunken. It had gotten worse and worse until he'd just not showed up to any of his classes. Thankfully, he'd now regained some colour. Adina didn't feel as though she was looking at a corpse anymore. She half-wanted to tell him this, and that she'd seen three too many already, but he probably wouldn't appreciate the attempt at humour. That, and she was lying to him.

Remus sent a withering look to James, "I get ill pretty easily. I'm fine now, though."

"Not what James meant," Sirius murmured.

"I'm glad you're better. You seriously thought I'd care enough report you to Lily for some alcohol, though?" Adina said, and Sirius made a noncommittal noise.

"She's confiscated our stuff before. Bit uptight, that one," said Peter.

James frowned, a shadow crossing his face. He seemed to struggle to find the right words to say, "No, she isn't. Lily's just..."

"Lily's what?" said a familiar-looking redhead from behind him. Lily's arms were folded, although her shoulders slumped more from exhaustion than from annoyance. As usual, Marlene, Emmeline and Hestia stood behind her, all watching the scene play out with barely-hidden smiles on their faces. Adina couldn't quite see, but she could guess that Marlene and Hestia were still holding hands.

"Hi, Evans," James muttered, a goofy smile on his face. Clearing his throat, he ran a hand through his messy hair again, "Enjoying your trip?"

She nodded, "Potter, Black. Hello Remus, Peter. How are you?"

James gulped down the offence he'd taken to her dismissal of him and forced a smile. Adina was finding it hard to ignore the pang in her heart as she watched his posture sag with the rejection. He would find his happiness soon, of course, but it wouldn't be long before it was ripped away from him.

Remus returned Lily's greeting and Peter simply waved. In the time she'd known him, Adina got the impression that the boy was intimidated by Lily. It wouldn't be surprising: she would pity anyone who got on her bad side.

"We're good," said Remus. He must have been aware that James' eyes were boring into the side of his head as if staring at his friend would take Lily's attention away from him, but he didn't show it, "And you? Do anything interesting?"

Emmeline, who had eventually perked up as the weather had improved (even if only slightly), was eager to answer the question. Her smile was wide enough for crow's feet to form around her jade green eyes as she spoke, "Well, we went to Honeydukes first, and I picked up some more sugar quills. Then we went to Scrivencraft's quill shop, and the music shop and-okay, none of you care, sorry." A pink flush spread across her cheeks, getting redder and redder by the second.

"No," said Sirius, seeming to see Emmeline in a new light, "I like listening to you talk, Vance. Much interesting than James."

"That's a fair criticism. Most of what comes out of his mouth is either about our next prank, or about Lily." This time, it was Remus who was being silenced, and he didn't like it in the slightest. Seeing that Emmeline was about to have a heart attack on the spot, he'd decided to jump into the conversation and save her the embarrassment.

"Okay," said Hestia exasperatedly, "We should probably head back now. If we stay any longer, Sirius is going to charm anything with legs. Also known as Emmeline."

Instead of denying this, Sirius took it as a challenge. "Could be any of you," he said with a nonchalant shrug. 

Lily rolled her eyes, "Try it on Madam Rosmerta and make it out alive. I dare you." 

With that, she was leaving the inn, her friends beside her.  As soon as she stepped over the threshold of the Three Broomsticks, Adina felt as if a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. The rain outside had calmed significantly now. The worst of the storm had passed over the village. Luckily, they'd escaped the majority of it. 

"So, back to the castle?" Marlene asked, tightening her scarf to protect her against the cold. 

Hestia looked thoughtful for a moment. When she spoke, it was with a smile that even the Cheshire Cat would have envied, "There's one place we haven't shown Adina yet."

Marlene sent a formidable glare to Hestia, who merely laughed it off. "No way. We're not going there. You know I hate it!" 

As it happened, Adina knew exactly the place that they were talking about. The Shrieking Shack was somewhere she'd never been herself - her friends had heard some pretty strange encounters students had experienced when around the building - but it intrigued her.

"No way do you believe the stories, Marls. They're ridiculous!" Emmeline exclaimed, still on a high from her brief conversation with Sirius. 

"I don't know," Lily said shiftily, "It does feel a little weird."

Adina linked her arms with Marlene and Lily's, "I think we should go, even just once. Besides, if we die, we'll come back as ghosts and really give the people something to talk about!"

"You're such an idiot!" laughed Lily, but they began the walk back nevertheless.

Marlene was the first to spot it over the hill. Being much more active than the other girls, who were currently heaving as they walked up the steep hill, it was no surprise that she was the most alert. Letting out a squeak, Marlene wheeled around and began running back down the hill, but Hestia chased her down, grabbing her by the waist and dragging her uphill. Adina was understandably impressed. She was fairly sure she was going to die of exhaustion. 

The Shrieking Shack was not much of a spectacle. It was rickety, dilapidated, practically falling apart, but there was a strange air about it that sent chills rushing through Adina's body. Set against a backdrop of endless forest, its red-painted walls stark against a sea of green. 

"This is it? It seemed a lot scarier in Third Year," said Marlene, sounding oddly disappointed.

Adina hummed, but couldn't shake the feeling that there was something strange about the place. Maybe it was its emptiness, the blatant lack of human life that was so disturbing. Maybe it was the way a mist was approaching from the outskirts of the forest. Or, more likely, it was that she could have sworn she'd seen this place before. And she had.

 What she didn't see, though, was the flash of a black cape that swept just in front of the wooded land.

 

 

 

Chapter 10: The Hermit

Notes:

Hi, I'm back again and I'd love it if you guys had any feedback, positive or constructive. I'm always looking to improve (and if you have any predictions or suggestions for the plot, please leave them in the comments. If you're correct, you win my eternal respect and some pretty sweet bragging rights). <3 Georgia

"Lily, just leave it, will you? I said I'm not going!" Adina snarled, regretting it instantly when she registered the hurt on Lily's face, "Sorry. I'm an arsehole."

Madam Pince looked up sharply on hearing the profanity, searching the room for a culprit she could punish. From their position at a table near the restricted section, Adina and Lily weren't very visible to the librarian, who glared at nothing with a force that almost sent the former scuttling under the table to hide. It was fast approaching curfew; in the dimming light of the mid-October day, more and more students had left until the two girls were alone.

Lily yawned, staring down at the DADA essay she'd been working on, "You're lucky I'm too tired to hex you. But if you want to make it up to me..."

Adina hated the sing-song tone Lily's voice took on as she continued speaking. Or, more accurately, she hated the suggestion that went along with it. She sighed, "You're seriously asking me to go to a Slug Club meeting? And not with you, but Remus?"

If Madam Pince's irritation was scary, Lily's was deadly. Her eyes narrowed into slits until their emerald colour was just barely visible, "I don't know what you mean. For one thing, Remus is a great guy. He's kind, he's smart and while he plans the pranks, he's not in detention every day. And secondly, I'm going to be there. It's not like you'll be alone."

"I'm not denying any of that," Adina hissed, "But have you seen the way Slughorn looks at me? He hates me - and I didn't think that man could hate anyone."

She thought back to her first Potions lesson and shuddered. Things had only gone downhill from there - he'd left her with Snape. To be fair, she hadn't exactly tried very hard to get along with him, but what was Adina supposed to do when he was the slimiest, most miserable git she'd ever met?

Lily sighed, "I'll give you that one. I really don't know how you did it."

Adina relaxed in her chair, thinking Lily might concede, but she'd forgotten that Lily was about as stubborn as she was. There was no chance in hell that she'd give up.

"I think you should go, though. As a favour, if not out of the goodness of your heart."

That one hurt a little.

"She's right, you know," said an airy voice from behind them, "It might be fun."

Pandora Rosier slipped into the seat opposite Lily and Adina, delicately pushing her bag under the table. A singular beam of moonlight streaming through the window reflected off of her platinum-blonde hair, giving her skin an ethereal glow.

Pandora herself reminded Adina of the moon. Somebody like Lily, with her radiant smile and freckled skin, might resemble the Sun, with an obvious, glaring beauty about them. Pandora's was just as lovely, although more subtle. It lay in her asymmetrical features, in her wide, silver eyes and her silky voice.

Lily blinked once, twice, three times before she resigned herself to the fact that she was actually agreeing with Pandora. Whilst she didn't dislike the other girl, it was no secret that they had very different belief systems. Or, more specifically, very conflicting belief systems.

With a groan, Adina slammed her head onto the table, once again inciting an icy stare from Madam Pince. She looked to Pandora, "I guess I could go. But it's going to be a disaster, I'm telling you now."

Lily threw her hands up in frustration, "So I spend hours trying to convince you to come to the Slug Club party, and the moment Pandora walks in - no offence - you agree? You are ridiculous!"

"I'm sure you're brilliant at persuasion, Lily, but you do have a small case of the nargles. Lots of people do - that's probably why," Pandora said vacantly.

Adina yelped when Lily kicked her shin under the table. Obviously, her secret smile hadn't been as secret as she'd thought.

***

Three nights later, Adina stood in front of the mirror in the Ravenclaw girls' dormitory.

"I cannot believe I let Lily talk me into this," Adina said, frowning at a laughing Marlene, "You're taking pleasure in my suffering - you know that, right? Some friend you are."

"Come here, I can make it fit better," Marlene said, shaking her head. Jaw set in concentration, she took out her wand and cast a tightening charm on the dress she'd lent Adina. Simplicity was something both girls appreciated, so they'd chosen a short, navy dress made of satin. The thin straps fit snugly around Adina's shoulders, the material flaring out slightly at the waist. "There. Turn around so I can see you."

Feeling like a child being admonished by their mother, Adina dutifully did as she was told. It was at that moment that Emmeline strolled through the door of the dormitory, having been studying in the Library. Seeing Adina, she squealed and rushed over, taking her hands and ignoring Marlene's protests of "Oi, she's not ready yet!"

"You look beautiful!" Emmeline exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of her feet, "And the Slug Club parties are so hard to get into, too. Is there anything you need help with?"

Adina was ready to tell her "Thank you very much, but no". Marlene had a different idea. Tilting her head, she nodded towards Emmeline, who smiled brightly. "You know those star pins you've got? Can you grab me one of those?"

All too eager to be involved, Emmeline ran to her bed in a blur of blonde hair and pulled out her trunk, rifling through it. After a couple of minutes of searching, she let out a triumphant yell, "Ah! I've got it!"

The two consulted for a few moments, leaving Adina to reflect on the bizarre dream she must be having. When Emmeline roughly grabbed her hair and began performing numerous charms on it, she was too out of it to object. Eventually, they decided on putting her hair half-up, pinning it in place. The two girls stepped back, admiring their handiwork.

"Thanks, guys. Can I leave now?" Adina said, shifting from one foot to the other.

Marlene rolled her eyes, wrapping her arms around Adina, "We know, you love us."

When Marlene released her, Emmeline narrowed her eyes, forcefully pushing Adina's shoulders back, "And fix that posture, too. I swear to Merlin, if I hear from Lily that you've been slumping tonight I will hex you so badly you won't be able to walk for a week."

"What's with everyone threatening me these days?" Adina complained. Apparently, it wasn't just creepy book thieves that enjoyed scaring her. Nevertheless, she did make sure she stood as straight as possible. Emmeline's wrath was something she never wanted to incur.

"Alright, stop stalling and get out!" Marlene laughed, pushing her out of the door.

If nothing else, Adina prided herself on her resourcefulness. Taking what she was given and making the best out of it was a practice that had become necessary not just for her advancement, but for her survival. And yet, Adina realised as she left the common room (well aware of the confused stares her housemates were sending her), she was still a fucking idiot. An idiot that made some very stupid decisions.

It had taken extra convincing - and a level of bribery - on Lily's part to get Adina to agree to meet Remus out in the corridor, rather than at the party. He smiled down at her, hands in the pockets of his robes, and Adina had to crane her neck to look up at him.

"How are you so tall?" She blurted out, immediately covering her mouth with her hand.

Remus didn't seem bothered by her comment, lightly shoving her shoulder. "Hi. You look really pretty," he said in between laughs.

Adina felt her face flushing. She avoided his eyes, staring at her shoes, "Thanks, I like your robes."

"James lent them to me. You good to go?" He held out an arm, which she reluctantly took.

"Alright. Let's get this over with," Adina sighed. She could already imagine Slughorn's kindly face twisting into a scowl upon her arrival.

Remus studied her for a moment before his face broke into a smile. "You really don't want to do this, do you? I mean, when I asked you to come with me, you flat out told me 'no'."

Truthfully, she did feel guilty about rejecting Remus so bluntly. He'd approached her after dinner in the Great Hall. They'd finished eating and Adina had just realised she had a potions essay due the following day - which she hadn't even started. Marlene and Emmeline wished her luck as she practically stumbled over her own feet to get to the library.

As it happened, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter had been waiting in the Entrance Hall. Adina ran in, almost crashing into Remus, who had been pushed forward by his friends. He managed to catch her by the arms, preventing a collision. When he stepped back, the two stared at each other for a moment.

"Uh," said Remus, and he turned around to James for help. He got only a nod from his friend and continued on, "Hi. The Slug Club's first party is this Friday, and I was wondering if you'd want to go with me? As friends, of course."

He'd added that last part when Adina stared blankly at him, not at all sure what to say. She couldn't stand the thought of being around Slughorn longer than she needed to. The man was terrifying. Speaking of which, she had an essay to do that certainly wasn't going to write itself, especially not if she wanted to pass-

"Erm, no - I'm really sorry, Remus, but I can't...I'll see you later?"

Remus nodded politely, shoving his hands in his pockets, "No worries. See you in DADA tomorrow?"

Adina sent him a quick smile, clasping his forearm briefly before taking off running again. Just as she left, she thought she might have seen Sirius turn and bang his head against the wall.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I love being around you, but Slughorn is a different story. He scares the shit out of me."

"Right. Slughorn scares you? That man is incapable of hating anyone," Remus said incredulously, beginning to laugh. Adina wanted to glare at him for it but found herself unable to do so.

"Yeah, yeah, so everyone keeps saying," she scoffed, swatting his arm, "Go ahead. Laugh it up. You'll see later when we're either kicked out or shunned by Slughorn and his little club."

Unfortunately for her, Adina wasn't right about being kicked out on entrance. It took every fibre of her being not to walk straight out of the party as soon as they got there. Slughorn had gone all out, magically expanding his office and hanging strips emerald fabric from the ceilings so that the room resembled a tent in the muggle circus she'd gone to once as a child. With the cacophony of people inside, of all ages and from all professions, it might as well have been the circus - not that she'd dare to voice that thought.

House-elves darted through the legs of absent-minded guests who sipped on mead and butterbeer. Miserable-looking students from the younger years carried canapés on silver platters, probably for extra credit. At the centre of the room, already cross-eyed and unstable on his feet, stood with a crystalline glass in his hand. Undeniably, he was searching for new connections to make.

"Can you see Lily anywhere?" Remus asked, scanning the room. He was unsuccessful, scowling as his eyes fell on a sneering Snape. Malfoy, Avery and Rosier were behind him, heads bent towards each other, engaged in hushed conversation. As if he felt the force of Remus' glare, Snape's eyes met Adina's and his expression contorted into one of pure disgust. "Yeah, alright. He's not coming anywhere near you."

"As if I'd let him. Why're you looking for Lily?" Adina said, brushing off Remus' protectiveness. 

Remus shrugged, running a hand through his hair in a way that was suspiciously like James, "I just thought it would be nice for you to have a friend with you."

He avoided her eyes completely, staring instead at the overly polished floor. Adina shook her head with a frown, "We're friends. But there's something else. You're lying to me."

"No, really. I-" Remus paused, uncomfortable under her searching gaze, "Right. Erm, before you get angry, I did want to ask you. But James thought I could just - check up - on Lily, and that it might be an extra bonus to take you, her friend-"

This time, it was Adina that surprised him by laughing, "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! You did this for James?"

"I owed him a favour!" Remus said indignantly, but his defensiveness only made her laugh more. He waited for her to recover, and when she did, she raised an eyebrow at him.

"You do realise that if Lily finds out you're stalking her through me, she's going to kill you? Maybe I should just mention it to her, I mean I'm sure she'd love to know about this..."

Remus paled. "Please, whatever you do, do NOT tell Lily about this," he pleaded, wrapping his fingers around her wrist.

"And what are you going to give me in return?"

Remus gaped at her, "I stand by what I said before. You should've been in Slytherin."

"Going to need some payback," Adina sang, waving over Lily, who had just entered the party, "You're running out of time."

"My undying friendship and support? An anthology of Byron's poetry? A favour?" He was getting increasingly worried. Adina smirked in satisfaction.

"One of the nice leather-bound ones?" She asked, smirking.

Remus nodded desperately.

"That'll do," she said, and he let out a deep breath.

As usual, Lily looked gorgeous, wearing a jade green dress which contrasted brilliantly with her hair. She gave a relieved smile, squeezing Adina's hand, "You know, I didn't think you'd actually show up."

"Yeah, and I at least thought you'd be on time," said Adina, hugging her friend.

"Hi, Remus. How are you?" Lily asked.

"I'm good. You?" He stared at an obscure point on the opposite wall, taking his hands in and out of his pockets as if he couldn't decide which position would look more natural.

Lily threw Adina a questioning glance, but only received a shrug in return. "I'm going to get a drink, do you guys want one?"

"Thanks. I'll need it to get through the night in one piece," said Adina.

Lily went to track down the butterbeer. It was just their luck that the moment she was gone, Slughorn's eyes found Remus' and he ambled over to them on unsteady feet.

"No. No, no, no, no, no. This is not happening," Adina pleaded with no one, burying her head in Remus' shoulder. He just laughed, looping an arm around her waist.

"Mr Lupin, my boy! Great to see you, a real pleasure," Slughorn slurred jovially, shoving his hand towards Remus, who shook it halfheartedly. The entire time, Adina could feel his eyes on her, savouring her reaction.

"And you, Sir," he said, blatantly ignoring Adina's grumpy whisper of 'bloody teacher's pet'.

"Ah, Miss Twycross," said Slughorn, although this time it was as though Adina was an inconvenient garden gnome he couldn't be bothered to get rid of, "You've...well, you've done well for yourself. Your last essay was bordering on acceptable, too, I suppose."

Was that supposed to be a compliment?

"Thanks, Sir. Personally, I'm surprised I even managed to turn it in, considering the distractions I had."

By distractions, she meant the greatest wanker of all time, Severus Snape. That particular detail seemed to go unnoticed. 

"I'm sure," Slughorn said disdainfully. He continued to talk for some minutes until Lily returned and he began fawning over her. Frankly, it was unsettling, but Lily didn't seem to mind.

The three of them were dragged on a tour of the room, speaking to some of Slughorn's most successful associates and students. Remus and Lily tried to appear interested, but once they were forced into talking to Malfoy, of all people, the act dropped. How Slughorn managed not to notice the Slytherins insinuations about Lily's blood status, Adina would never know. Maybe he didn't care, but she watched as Lily's face fell at their words and her blood boiled.

For another half-hour it went on, until Adina was sure none of them could take it anymore, "Do we really have to stay until the end?" she whispered to Lily, who nodded as if the idea of leaving offended her.

"Of course we do!" She said, "I don't exactly love these meetings, but they're helpful. It'd be rude to leave."

Adina waited until Lily went for another drink until she made her move. She thought for a moment, then lunged for a passing serving boy. "Wait there," she commanded, turning to Remus.

"Have you got a galleon on you?" She asked, not bothering to wait for an answer before she reached into a pocket in his robes.

Successful in her search, she pressed the gold coin into the younger boy's hand. He looked confusedly up at her.

"Hey! Wait a minute-" Remus protested, but no one listened to him.

"Right, you see that redhead over there?" Adina said quickly, pointing to Lily when the boy shook his head, "I need you to distract her, okay? Just go up to her and start talking about - I don't know, start arguing with her about something. You manage it, you keep the money."

The boy beamed, taking the gold and rushing at Lily.

Adina grinned, "See? Now we can get out of here."

"What about Lily? We can't just leave her!" said a conflicted Remus.

"The party's ending soon. We can't save someone that doesn't want to be saved," Adina said, although she did feel a little bad for leaving her friend.

"Well, then. What are you going to give me?" He mirrored her earlier words, a mocking smile on his face, and she looked sharply at him.

"One, your money back, if you're lucky. Two, I'll give you some Lily facts to shut James up. Three, if you don't pipe down and leave with me right now? A black eye."

Rolling his eyes, Remus grabbed her hand. Without looking back, they ran out of the party together.

Lily, who had just come back with another butterbeer, rolled her eyes as she watched their retreating backs. It was as if they thought she was an idiot, when in fact she'd orchestrated the entire thing. Judging by their linked hands, too, things had gone better than she'd hoped. She smiled from behind her glass. They really were a pair of idiots.

Chapter 11: The Wheel of Fortune

Notes:

see if you can spot the vine references throughout this book. i drop them like i drop foreshadowing, babyyy

Adina was tired. No, worse than tired: she was exhausted. Her raging mind kept her up for hours at night. Although she'd finally mastered getting at least four hours of sleep, the dreams that plagued her were becoming more and more intense.

Perhaps her subconscious was trying to tell her something, she wondered as she scribbled down the contents of her latest nightmare.

It had been an awful mix of everything Adina resented.

The full moon, bright and hanging proudly in the sky: a symbol of all she'd lost. A figure in the forest, dark and menacing. Taunting flashes of her father in his study, smiling weakly at her with worn eyes - and then his body, lying motionless and cold on their living room floor. There were fragments of long-forgotten memories. Until then they had lain dormant like a long lost favourite book from childhood, half-read.

It probably wouldn't be any help. She could barely read her chicken-scratch handwriting. But it was soothing to watch as these dreams faced into oblivion, relinquishing their control over her. One after the other they were replaced by the next tidal wave of thoughts, and then the next.

Wary of another attack on her property, Adina hid the diary under her mattress, convinced no one would find it. She could only hope that the assumption was correct. Yawning, she lay down in her bed again, eyes unfocused, forcing herself into a fragile sleep.

The following afternoon, the castle buzzed with the knowledge that Halloween had arrived. Peeves was at his most disruptive, blocking off corridors and causing destruction wherever he went. For once, nobody seemed to mind the pranks, enjoying wading through the flooded Charms corridor and sending enemies into the off-limits Classroom 101 to be pelted with stink pellets. The students ate very little at breakfast and lunch, saving their stomachs for the highly-anticipated Halloween Feast.

To Adina, who had never loved Halloween anyway, the festival of fear and death had lost what little charm it had left. This, however, did not stop her from watching the Marauders as they loitered outside the DADA classroom scheming. Sirius leaned against the wall, smiling like a madman while Peter rubbed his hands together gleefully. James' hand gestures told her he was coming up with something crazy. Remus, forever the mastermind of the group, shook his head, stepping in to give his suggestions.

"Terrifying, isn't it?" Emmeline mused, popping up behind Adina, "You never know what they're planning or who it'll involve."

"It'd better not include me, or I'll murder all four of them," Adina said, still recovering from the shock of her friend sneaking up on her.

Emmeline squeaked, inching closer to the wall as if it would swallow her up and protect her, "Oh no. Lily incoming," To be fair, considering the threat Lily posed, it didn't sound bad at all.

A stormy-faced Lily marched towards the two girls. Her magic seemed to ward off anyone that tried to come near her, crackling in warning.

"I seriously cannot believe Flitwick is making me tutor Potter of all people. Potter, who doesn't give a shit about his grades in Charms and is going to ruin my reputation!" She said, fuming.

Adina sighed, "You know, James isn't that bad once you get to know him."

That definitely wasn't the right thing to say. Emmeline pinched Adina's arm in reprimand. "Why do you have to be so tactless all the time?" She hissed in her ear.

"Really? You don't think he'll use every minute of the time we have to ask me out? It's going to be torture," Lily groaned. Maybe it would be a good idea to temporarily confiscate her wand. Proving she'd Avada'd herself would be messy, to say the least.

"Yeah, sorry. I'll talk to Remus in a minute - maybe he can ask James to tone it down a bit," Adina promised, glancing over at James. As she did, her confidence faltered. By the way he was now pulling various dungbombs and variations of instant darkness powder from his pockets to compare their effectivity, there was little chance of that happening.

"If that works, which I highly doubt it will, you're an angel."

Emmeline grinned, glancing over at the Marauders, "While you're at it, you could mention to Sirius that I'm free pretty much every night after dinner. You know, if he wants to inspect a broom closet with me."

Lily pretended to gag, attracting a shove from Emmeline.

"Fuck that," Adina said, "The day you end up in a broom closet with Sirius Black is the day Hell freezes over."

Before Emmeline could coordinate a response, Professor Warbeck flung open the door to the Defence classroom and ushered them in, as sullen as he always was. On his desk was a flask presumably full of whiskey - it wasn't unheard of for teachers to require spirits to make it through the shenanigans of Halloween.

"Potter, I want those dungbombs on my desk now," Warbeck said threateningly. When James hesitated, he raised his voice, "Did I or did I not say now, Potter? There will be consequences."

Muttering under his breath, James dumped the dungbombs he'd been showing off on the table, dragging his feet on the way back to his desk. It was an act: the items he'd given up didn't even make up half of the supplies he had on hand. Adina also knew that he and Sirius had racked up at least three detentions each that day, which made her wary to take her usual spot next to Remus.

Marlene and Hestia strolled in together a few minutes later, prompting knowing smiles between Emmeline and Lily. When questioned them about it, they shrugged and pretended not to notice.

Warbeck took his position in front of the desk, leaning informally against it, "Now, we will be moving on to the unit on dangerous magical creatures. Who can tell me what makes the Grindylow so deadly? No one? Speak up, Longbottom - since you look like one, I'm sure you can give us the answer..."

***

When the class finished, there was only one free period left before the Feast. Adina told her friends she'd meet them at the Great Hall, deciding she needed to clear her head. Her feet carried her through the courtyard, up to the Owlery and back past the kitchens until she ascertained that it was time to head back.

It was just her luck that, in the corridor closest to the Entrance Hall, she was cornered by Malfoy and his entourage. Her attempts to try and push past them were futile. They'd chosen to block the entire corridor. 

"Oh, what a pleasure. It's Hogwarts' newest blood traitor," Malfoy drawled. Rosier and Avery guffawed behind him as if he'd said something hilarious. 

 Adina crossed her arms and retorted, "Is that the best you can do, Malfoy? Your parents paid such a lot of money for those Latin lessons. You wouldn't want to disappoint Mummy and Daddy, would you?"

"You blood traitors really are a different breed," Rosier said haughtily, "Your father's a dirty blooded muggle, Severus, but I'll bet he had more respect for himself." Snape flinched almost imperceptibly at the mention of his father's name, but sneered nonetheless. 

"Well, it's been just wonderful to talk to you, boys, but if you don't mind, I'll be off now," Adina said, in a tone dripping with sugar. She hoped they choked on it and died. 

"Not so fast," Avery stepped forward, a sadistic smile on his face. He twirled his wand around his fingers, waiting for the perfect moment to use it, "We'd actually like some help."

Adina could barely hear him over the beat of her own heart. Adrenaline began to kick in, prompting her to grab her wand from the pocket in her robes, keeping it there just in case. It wouldn't do to begin a duel early - and not against four admittedly talented wizards. 

"We were just wondering, since you're friends with Potter and his followers, if you might know what they're planning tonight," Malfoy said, watching in satisfaction as Adina gulped.

She kept her jaw locked, although her hands were shaking violently, "I don't know. Why don't you wait and see? I'm sure you'll have front row seats, free of charge."

"I suggest you tell Malfoy what he wants to hear. He has ways of finding out the information with or without your consent," Snape said, his obsidian eyes locking onto hers. Adina almost couldn't tell if he was threatening her or trying to give her advice. Knowing Snape, it was likely the former.

"I'm sorry, to disappoint, but I don't actually know," Adina admitted, trying to give off an air of nonchalance. 

Malfoy nodded towards Rosier, who pointed his wand at Adina and cried, "Mutatio!"

She was too slow to defend herself. It felt as if her exposed hand was on fire, rearranging itself with ugly popping sounds until it looked nothing like it had originally. Adina was unable to move her fingers, which had folded in on themselves. She stumbled into the wall, grappling for her wand with her functional hand. Well, fuck.

"Nifty little spell, that one," Malfoy remarked, tilting his head in mild amusement as he watched her struggle.

Whether the pain was decreasing or she'd become more used to it, Adina didn't know. Either way, while Malfoy and his goons were distracted, she pulled out her wand and cast a stinging jinx. Immediately, Rosier stumbled backwards, his hands clutching his face. Though injured herself, Adina wouldn't deny herself the entertainment her revenge provided her with.

After a fleeting moment of observation, Adina ran for the Entrance Hall, shoving over Avery in the process. She met Emmeline and Marlene looking ruddy-faced and sweating.

When Marlene registered the state Adina was in, her brown eyes widened in alarm, "What the fuck happened to you?"

"Bloody Rosier can shoot a spell, apparently," Adina's breath gradually returned to her. The fear she'd felt had given way to pure fury.

"Should we take her to the Hospital Wing?" Emmeline asked Marlene, looking worriedly at Adina's crippled hand. It seemed as if Adina was no longer part of this conversation.

Marlene paused for a moment, but shook her head, "No - it's a nasty curse, definitely, but we can at least try and heal it ourselves. Plus, it's Adina's first Feast. We don't want you to miss it, if you can handle the pain?"

"I'll be fine," she said through gritted teeth. Though uncertain, the other girls nodded, leading her towards the Great Hall.

Adina gasped as she entered. It wasn't to keep her cover, either - the decorations, although the same as always, were breathtaking. The candles that usually decorated the room were gone, replaced by large Jack O'Lanterns. A flurry of live bats flew above a charmed barrier which prevented them from coming into contact with students.

Hogwarts' resident ghosts seemed far more enthused than usual. Nearly Headless Nick and the Fat Friar glided about the Hall, making cheery conversation with students of all houses. Helena Ravenclaw's ghost preferred to stick to the Ravenclaw table, silent but still present. Slytherin's Bloody Baron wailed, the jangling of his chains echoing off of the cavernous walls.

"You're going to love this," Marlene said to Adina with a grin, "Bloody brilliant, every single year. If you like the food usually, just wait until you taste this."

Emmeline insisted on getting seats with a clear view of James and his friends. Marlene would usually protest this, but it was Halloween. It was an unwritten tradition that the Marauders would pull off a spectacular prank each year in celebration of the holiday. For once, she couldn't bear to take her attention off of them for fear that she'd miss it.

"Give me your hand," Emmeline said to Adina. She took it, ignoring her slow hiss of pain, and frowned in concentration, "Episkey."

There was a sharp crack. Adina was hit with searing hot pain. She yelped, accidentally hitting her elbow on the table. The sound was loud enough for Sirius to look up from his position at the Gryffindor table. Noting the grimace on her face and the way she was clutching the affected wrist, he nudged Remus, who mouthed, "What happened?"

Marlene jerked her head in the direction of the Slytherin table, and Sirius' eyes hardened. The two boys got James and Peter's attention, and all four entered into another conspiratorial discussion. Adina didn't even want to know what they were saying.

 As the pain died away, her hand began to repair itself, slowly returning to its original state. She sighed in relief.

"Wow. That was some hex - to be honest, I wasn't completely sure you'd be able to fix it, Em," Marlene said, drumming her fingers on the table.

Emmeline scowled, "Well, thanks for your vote of confidence!"

"Thanks, Emmeline. I don't know what I'd do without you," Adina jumped in, attempting to break the tension.

"It's alright," said Emmeline, her eyes softening, "But you should really be more careful. Malfoy's a twat, but he is smart. He won't hesitate to use dark magic or to do what he has to do to get out of trouble for it. I don't want you to get hurt."

Marlene pulled a face, "How about we leave it at 'Malfoy's a twat'? That was music to my ears."

The Feast began with the usual (if it could even be called that) speech from Dumbledore, and a performance of synchronised gliding from some of Hogwarts' lesser-known ghostly residents. It felt like a century had passed by the time the food appeared on the tables, all confectionery and cake, along with some savoury pies and soup. The vast spread was enough to brighten up Adina's dark mood.

Strangely, though, there was no action from the Marauders, and Adina couldn't tell if this was a good thing or not. 

"Wait. Just wait, there's always something," Marlene repeated numerous times, although by the time the feast had almost finished even she was becoming agitated.

There was no need. Her words were right, because just as Dumbledore was about to make his final address, the Great Hall was cloaked in darkness.

Chaos launched upon them, with some students suffering from coughing fits, others wheeling around in all directions to try and see what was going on. Some teachers tried to take control of the situation, but their voices were drowned out by the excited chatter that ravaged the room.

 It wasn't until screams ignited from the Slytherin table that the Marauders' plan was revealed. James and Sirius were back in their seats, high-fiving each other under the table. Remus slumped in relief, assuming everything had gone as it was supposed to. Then they began laughing with no signs of stopping any time soon. Marlene clapped amazedly, relishing in the spectacle unfolding before her. 

Somehow, James and Sirius had managed to break the charms keeping the bats in captivity, but only around the Slytherins. Incessantly the bats squeaked, diving down to fly around each student. Some, Adina noticed, had been targeted more than others - namely Malfoy's group, and especially Snape. He was currently fighting off at least six bats which had all gone for his robes. It wasn't just bats either, from the looks of things. Giant spiders leapt up and down the length of the table, making for students' hair. A frantic Malfoy had a rather impressive collection clinging to his hair.

"What's the matter, Snivellus?" Sirius shouted, cupping his hands over his mouth, "Afraid of a few spiders?"

Snape sent a murderous look to Sirius, who propped his feet up on the bench opposite him, enjoying the show. It was Lily, though, that set him off. Since Adina had been informed about their former friendship, she could understand why. Lily was making an effort not to laugh, but it wasn't working. She tried to hide her face with her hair, but it was too late. Snape stormed out of the room, Rosier and Avery fast on his heels.

Warbeck muttered something to McGonagall before following them out of the Great Hall. Suddenly, there was a pit forming in Adina's stomach. Something was wrong, she knew it, but she just couldn't decide what it was.

Adina was right to be afraid. The next two weeks would undoubtedly change the course of her life, for better or for worse.

 

Chapter 12: Justice

Notes:

I’m well aware that this needs revising, but for now I’m putting the unrevised version up so I can edit later. Please enjoy and don’t forget to leave a review if you can!

 

 

For the first sixteen years of Adina's life, werewolves were creatures that lurked in the shadows of myths and legends. As time went on, they became more real, more tangible, more terrifying. Textbooks warned of the dangers they posed, the Ministry outed and shunned them.

 

It is one thing to know something exists, and another thing entirely to come into contact with it. Never did Adina suspect that she'd ever cross paths with a werewolf, but on the 25th of November 1977, all of that changed, for better and for worse. Suddenly, the bedtime stories her father had told her became more than just fables. They became her truth.

 

The dream was one of the strangest Adina had. No clear storyline appeared, just fragments of images and conversation she couldn't piece together.

 

"Piss off, Snivellus! Always following us around, trying to get us in trouble," Sirius' voice drifted through her head. His words were muffled, and she felt as if she were drowning, sinking further and further into the water, straining to hear-

 

"Something's wrong with Lupin, and I'm going to find out what-"

 

"Well, if you're so desperate to know..."

 

The voices faded. In their place, the Black Lake, its shimmering waters reflecting the bright moonlight. Against the backdrop of the night sky, the Whomping Willow rested, its branches recuperating. Once again there was that odd sensation of existing outside of her body. Adina was no longer herself, but one with nature - flying with the breeze, amongst the stars. Peace prevailed. Until it didn't anymore.

 

A blurry figure approached, hazy in the darkness. Valiantly the Whomping Willow leapt into action, anxious to defend itself. Awoken from their slumber, its branches launched themselves violently at their attacker, throwing the figure back time and time again until, finally, it stopped. 

 

It stopped. There was a scream. Adina awoke.

 

Something was very, very wrong. Her mind screamed at her to do something, anything, but what could she do? 

 

It was just a dream, the same as always. You're safe. You're safe. You're safe.

 

Adina didn't know why her heart was beating so fast as she got out of bed. She didn't know why her heart was in her mouth, her feet heavy as if each step would be the last she took. When she reached the window, relief surged through her. Nothing. 

 

Opening it on the latch, she sighed as she felt the evening breeze hit her face. You're safe. Eyes closed, she lingered at the window for a few minutes until the adrenaline left her body and she could think straight again. 

 

The moment of calm was short-lived. At first, the figure was just a speck in the darkness, a hallucination, Adina convinced herself. She was surely only confirming what she'd seen in her dream. As it grew closer and closer, though, there was no denying it. She knew.

 

Time had come to hate her. In her haste, Adina grabbed her cloak, throwing it haphazardly over her shoulders. She took off running, nearly falling down the stairs, weaving through corridors and darting past the prefects on patrol. Internally mapping out the route she needed to take, she increased in speed, her lungs burning. The wind betrayed her, trying desperately to break her speed as she sprinted down the hill that would take her to the Whomping Willow. 

 

The figure in front of her had reached the tree, running towards its centre, but was thrown back by one of the branches, giving Adina ample time to catch up. It was Snape, she realised with a start, who was fighting so desperately to get inside.

 

"Snape!" She called breathlessly, "What are you doing?"

 

He looked back at her, dark hair covering his face, and frowned before launching himself once again at the bottom of the tree. She followed him, wincing as she was winded by one of the larger branches. The closer they came to the trunk, the more the Willow ignited in fury, flailing wildly in the hope that it could deter anyone who came closer.

 

"Come back! What-" Adina trailed off, watching in horror as the motion stopped. Time froze. A section of the trunk moved to the side, making way for a small opening. Snape and Adina looked warily at each other, no words needing to be passed between them.

 

Part of her wanted to turn and run, to fetch somebody for help. The curiosity that burned within her prevented her from doing so, however, and it was with reluctance that she followed Snape into the tunnel. 

 

'Bloody Snape,' Adina thought sourly as she got down on all fours to climb in after him, 'Always making my life difficult.'

 

Dingy, dark and dusty. That was all Adina could make of the tunnel. The walls smelled of must and rotting wood. Grime covered the floors, and Adina could have sworn she heard the scratching of little claws. Merlin, she hated rodents. They walked through the main shaft for a short time, hunched over to avoid hitting the ceiling. 

 

No sound could be heard aside from their breathing, the creaking of the wood and the beating of their hearts. Eventually, the tunnel grew tall enough that they could stand with no obstructions. Snape drew his wand, and Adina followed suit.

 

"Lumos," she muttered, and the dim glow that appeared at the end of her wand gave her some comfort. Ironically, she would later wonder if it was this one spell that would seal her fate. 

 

Adina and Snape continued walking for a moment until Snape stopped abruptly. 

 

"What-" Adina began, but Snape silenced her with a scathing glare, silently putting a finger to his lips. A flicker of fear darted across his eyes, but was gone in a second.

 

Together, the animosity between them temporarily absolved, they listened. Listened to nothing at all, at first. Adina readied herself to lower her wand, sending a questioning look to Snape.

 

A whimper. A low growl, muffled and distant. Just as in Adina's dream, there seemed to be oceans separating her from the sound, as if a wave was pushing it back, pushing her to safety. Her eyes met Snape's, and this time there was no denying the panic she saw there. 

 

Frantically, he motioned for her to move backwards, and she did, moving as quietly as she could. Wands out, held in sweaty, shaking hands, they started back the way they came. The growling continued, becoming louder, more invigorated, more vicious by the second. 

 

As the snarls grew, so did the scratching, grating on Adina's ears. She continued to move back, not daring to go any faster than she was for fear of drawing the creature's attention. It was too late.

 

A scream lodged in Adina's throat as the creature rounded the corner, its dreadful silhouette becoming visible. Out of the darkness glowed two hypnotic amber eyes, daring her to make a sound. Snape, too, froze, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. The creature's face, if it could even be called a face, was hellish. Its jaws boasted of razor-sharp teeth, glinting yellow in the low light. 

 

They should have been running for their lives, both Adina and Snape knew it, but both of them realised that it would be futile. Even if they had wanted to move, they were both rooted to the spot. Snape's wand arm was shaking ever so slightly, and she could see him wracking his brain for the appropriate defensive spells.

 

The werewolf was salivating, clearly starving, but didn't make haste. It put one paw in front of the other, in a slow and purposeful approach, it's lengthened claws scraping the wood discordantly. Playing with its food, that was what it was doing. So she was going to die, then.

 

Adina thought of her mother, her father, her brother, all united in death. They had died together, crossed the plane accompanied. She would be alone. Alone and miserable until the very last moment.

 

 

In one final stand, more for the sake of trying than any hope of survival,  Adina cried, "Stupefy!" The spell did very little other than to make the wolf furious. Its game abandoned, it charged towards them, and they stumbled back, tripping over their own feet, knowing that there was no chance either of them would make it out alive-

 

A hand grabbed her by the back of the neck, dragging her backwards. Snape, too, was thrown back towards the light from which they had come, wasting no time in running for the entrance at the Whomping Willow.

 

"Go! Go back to the castle!" James roared, covered in dirt, his glasses missing. His eyes were wild, furious, threatening, "Now!"

 

Adina hated herself for running, for being so selfish as to save herself. She hated Snape, for luring her out, even by accident, hated the Whomping Willow, hated James and his willingness to die for them, hated those awful nightmares. They reached the opening, rapidly crawling through it, falling over and over again.

 

The moonlight was bright, mocking, triumphant. Adina turned back once more to look into the tunnel, startled to see the outline of another large animal. James was nowhere in sight. She closed her eyes, bile rising in her throat. She'd never felt so disgusted with herself. 

 

Snape yanked roughly on Adina's sleeve, pulling her back towards the castle. She had no resolve left to challenge him, walking numbly behind him. 

 

She barely noticed when Snape shoved her down into a chair in Dumbledore's office. Suddenly, her vision sharpened, and Dumbledore was getting up from his desk, pacing the room as if by doing so he might gain some sort of divine insight from his predecessors.

 

Snape's voice was robotic as he relayed the events of the evening, Adina only catching parts of it. All she could think about was James, and how she'd left him to save her own skin, how he might be lying mutilated under the Whomping Willow, how she'd irrevocably changed the timeline. 

 

Then she heard Remus' name. It was soothing until she understood the context in which it was mentioned. 

 

"You must understand the dangers Mr Lupin will face if his secret is exposed. It is imperative that this remains a secret, for his sake," Dumbledore was saying, his voice as low as the lights in the room.

 

Snape spluttered, his face fixed in contempt, "You're going to protect a werewolf? I was almost mauled thanks to Black!"

 

Adina's breath caught and both men looked grimly at her. It all made sense! The boggart - the full moon. Had James jumped in front of it to prevent it from outing Remus? His absences from lessons - Hell, the first time they'd met he'd been in the Hospital Wing! It had all been there, right in front of her eyes, and she'd been completely blind. 

 

It was impossible to picture Remus, one of the most even-tempered, gentle people she'd met, as the snarling animal in the tunnel. Adina supposed parts of the wolf resided in him at all times. Even his warm, honey-coloured eyes contained hints, flecks of the amber she'd seen only minutes before.

 

A shadow passed over Dumbledore's face, "And he will be punished accordingly, I assure you. As far as I can ascertain, however, Mr Black did not intend any harm towards you, Severus."

 

Snape opened his mouth to protest, but James burst into the room, cut-up and shaken, but very alive. He sent a weak grin to Adina, pulling Sirius into the room behind him. 

 

Seeing Snape, Sirius sneered, but when his eyes fell on Adina, he paled.

 

"Mr Black," said Professor Dumbledore, folding his hands, "What you did was extremely irresponsible. Not only did you almost have both Miss Twycross and Mr Snape killed, you nearly outed Mr Lupin as a werewolf. Do you have any idea what the Ministry would do with that information? What they would have done, had your classmates been injured?"

 

Sirius nodded wordlessly. He seemed to be isolated - even James refused to meet his eyes, preferring to examine the various trinkets about the room instead.

 

"I cannot expel you - doing so would prompt many questions from the Ministry that I am not willing to answer. I will, however, deduct fifty points from Gryffindor house, and issue you detention with Mr Filch for the next three weeks. We are incredibly lucky that Mr Potter stepped in."

 

"Are you serious? Black tried to have me killed, and you won't even expel him?" Snape said indignantly, glaring venomously at Sirius.

 

"Did you suspect that Mr Lupin might be a werewolf?" Dumbledore probed.

 

"Well, yes, but-"

 

"And still you took the information Mr Black gave you?"

 

Snape's silence was all Dumbledore needed, "Then you are partly to blame. Severus, I must forbid you from telling anybody about this. Do you understand?"

 

Seething, Snape nodded.

 

"Go back to your dormitories. I want the three of you back in my office tomorrow," Dumbledore said firmly, motioning for them to leave. Adina got up on shaky legs, but Dumbledore stopped her with a raise of his hand, "As for you, Miss Twycross, I'd like to speak to you. I'll only use a minute of your time, I assure you."

 

Adina cautiously sat down again, trying in vain to ignore the looks of confusion being sent her way. Dumbledore waited until the others had left, sitting back to observe her for a moment.

 

"Miss Twycross, how did you know where Mr Snape would be?"

 

"I-" Adina paused, unsure if she should tell the truth, "I dreamt it, just as it was happening. It all felt so real, so I went to check out of the window. He was there."

 

Dumbledore hummed, "I see. What made you follow him? You could have let the issue go and gone back to bed, had you wanted to."

 

"I...don't know, sir. I just had to do it." She couldn't think of anything else to say - really, she had no idea why she'd run after him.

 

"It's certainly unusual to have such dreams," he said, a pensive frown on his face, "If you don't mind, may I see your locket?"

 

Adina blanched. Ever since it had been dropped into her hands on her arrival, she had very rarely taken the necklace off, parting with it only when she had to. It was her mother's ghost, something to cling to when her very existence wasn't cemented. Taking it off felt blasphemous, like a cruel betrayal. After a moment of hesitation, she complied, unclasping it from around her neck.

 

Dumbledore was gentle with it, turning it over in his hands a number of times. He examined the fastenings, the detailing, the opal itself, peering at them over his half-moon glasses. Then he opened it, nodding as he saw the picture it contained. 

 

"It is an heirloom, yes?" He mused.

 

"Yes, Professor. My grandmother gave it to my mother when she was a small child. She left shortly afterwards."

 

He took his glasses off, the hint of a smile on his face, "Then it is as I suspected. If I am right, which - forgive my arrogance - I usually am, I believe you are the descendent of a rather famed witch."

 

"Who, Professor? I don't quite understand," Adina admitted, her spark of eagerness reigniting despite the events of the evening. 

 

"You don't recognise her?" Dumbledore inquired, sliding the locket back to Adina. The woman inside looked the same as always, thoughtful and wise, but in no way familiar. She shook her head.

 

"Perhaps this will help," Dumbledore said, getting up from his seat and walking over to one of the bookshelves in the corner of the office. Running his fingers along the spines of the books, he was silent until he found what he was looking for, "Ah. Here."

 

He slid a book across the desk to her, and Adina's brow furrowed as she read it. The woman in her locket was a stranger to her, but the book certainly wasn't.

 

"Sir, with all due respect, I'm not sure what a divination textbook has to do with-" 

 

"It is not the textbook I am referring to, but its author. Cassandra Vablatsky was a master of divination in her time, but after she married she retreated into the shadows as Cassandra Trelawney."

 

Adina's jaw slackened as she tried to process the information she'd been given, "So you're saying...?" 

 

"You, Miss Twycross, possess the blood of a Seer."

 

*

 

A/N: Yuh, get into it! Sorry, I'll leave

Also: I changed a few things. 1. The time the incident happened - it was supposed to happen in 5th year, but I've moved a lot of things around for the plot. 2. Sirius isn't feeling regret over Snape, but over the consequences for Remus. I think he'd at least feel guilty about that. I don't believe Remus would take it very lightly either. Big reveals, too. What did you think? ;)

Chapter 13: The Hanged Man

Looking back, she could have laughed. Her, a Seer?

She didn't, though. Adina refused to meet Dumbledore's eyes, staring at the locket which now carried a completely different meaning. "I'm sorry, Sir," she said, unsure she'd heard him correctly, "I really don't think that's possible."

"What makes you think so? Without a shadow of a doubt, that is Cassandra Trelawney. Do you know much of your maternal grandmother?" He asked patiently, silencing the chattering portraits with a flick of his wand.

"No, Professor...she left my mother when she was very young. The locket is all we have of her," Adina said, becoming increasingly aware of what the evidence suggested. 

"Then it is confirmed. You see, whilst it is not common, to say the least, there are a number of Seers - even today. I'm aware you have met Miss Rosier?"

Adina blanched, her friend's odd behaviour suddenly making much more sense, "Pandora's a Seer? I thought she was just...eccentric."

Eccentric was a euphemism for downright crazy - Adina, as much as she liked Pandora, had always thought her talk of auras and strange magical creatures nobody else saw to be fictional, or at least enhanced. 

'I'm not one to talk, now,' she thought wryly.

Dumbledore gave a small smile, "There are many types of talent when it comes to Divination. What appears strange to you or me is normality for Miss Rosier. As for your abilities, they most likely have been diluted through your bloodline, which is why true Seers are so rare. How often have you been having these dreams?"

"Every night. Dreamless Sleep does nothing for them," she admitted, staring at the floor.

"I see. What do they entail?" 

Adina strained to recall the last few she'd had, "Flashes of things, really. Places I know, some I don't. People I've never seen before. My family. And now this."

"I suggest you keep an eye on them. It's possible that during emotionally intense periods, they are more intense - hence your knowledge of Mr Snape's transgressions this evening," said Dumbledore.

"These dreams...what do they mean, Professor? Are they dangerous?" 

"More than anything, I suspect they are warnings. Signposts of what the future may entail. Perhaps they will be useful to you."

Useful? All they'd done for her was torment her in her sleep and almost get her killed - how were they supposed to be useful? They'd not stopped somebody from breaking into her dormitory and screwing with her things.

Adina felt her spirits lighten with the beginnings of an idea, "With the dreams I'm having, and with what I know, there's a possibility that we could take Voldemort down before he has too much power."

"Miss Twycross, whilst I appreciate your enthusiasm, it is incredibly dangerous to meddle with time. You would not only be putting yourself in danger, but everyone in this timeline. Besides, I have faith that Voldemort will be defeated shortly."

"But Sir- You and I both know there's no chance of that happening! People are going to die-" Adina said indignantly, rising sharply from her chair in protest.

Dumbledore put up a hand to stop her. "You are much too young to be ruined by war. I will not allow it," he said tightly, but softened when he saw her expression, "If you are well enough to return to your dormitory, then please do so. This discussion is over."

Nodding stiffly, Adina left the room without another look at Dumbledore. Trusting herself not to turn and scream would be a risky thing to do. As much as she respected him, she could not truly say he was the saintly hero the history books painted him as.

***

Dumbledore was no fool. If he knew, however, that Adina, James and Sirius had no intentions of going back to their dormitories, he did not voice it. 

Once more Adina slipped into a trance as she rushed towards the Hospital Wing. It was as if she were floating, gliding through the castle like the Grey Lady, or watching herself from the perspective of one of the many portraits lining the walls. Nothing felt real. Not the loss of her family, not her leap back in time, not her newfound abilities or her werewolf friend.

Voices, low but venomous, drifted towards Adina. Despite herself, she stopped to listen eagerly to the argument James and Sirius were having.

"They could have died! I hate Snivellus just as much as you, but imagine what would have happened had Remus-" James spat. Adina could hear the worry in his tone from where she stood, concealed in the shadows.

"He's a bloody coward - I didn't realise he'd go! And why was Twycross there, anyway?" Sirius said angrily.

"How am I supposed to know? Snape's a nosy fucking git, of course he went-"

Adina realised that she probably shouldn't be listening to their conversation and emerged from the darkness. James spotted her, elbowing Sirius harder than he probably should have.

"You're alright?" He asked, concern written in his eyes. Adina nodded.

Sirius sighed, cursing under his breath, "I had no idea it would come to this. I- you weren't supposed to be involved, it was just a prank."

Adina could read within the lines - that was supposed to be an apology. Considering it was from Sirius, though, she accepted it. 

"A very stupid prank," James agreed, and as he registered the barely-there guilt on his friend's face, his shoulders slumped, "But it's not worth arguing over. It's Remus that's important, here."

"How is he?" Adina asked quietly, her voice cutting through the tension in the air.

"He's not woken up yet, but it'll be hell when he does," Sirius said.

That statement invited no disagreements.

James and Sirius led Adina to Remus' bedside. His skin held a waxy pallor, a false glow that came from sweat rather than life. A large cut ran down one side of his face, deep and covered in dried blood. If she hadn't known better, she'd have thought him to be dead.

"Moony was pretty frustrated after you left," James said grimly, realising what she'd been staring at, "If there's no one else around to hunt, he scratches himself."

Adina shivered at the memory of his wolf form, remembering the sheer terror she'd felt as he approached. She wanted to ask how James had been able to stay with him after she left, but kept quiet. Sirius said nothing, staring at the blank wall above Remus' head. 

Time didn't exist that night. It could have been a matter of minutes or hours before Remus began to stir, groaning in his sleep.

James winced, "I wouldn't stick around for this. It's not going to be pretty."

At that moment, he looked older, his faced aged by the harsh shadows in the room. Creases appeared between his brows, frown lines marring his forehead. Adina thought he might look like that in his twenties - for that short time when he was a father. She wondered if he'd look like that when he died to protect his wife and son. Another short burst of fury, directed at nobody in particular. 

"Are you insane? I'm not leaving him," Adina hissed, feeling like she was losing it herself, "Not when he's like this."

The words 'not ever' went unspoken, lingering in the back of her mind, trying to force their way onto her tongue. James knew exactly what she wanted to say, but didn't comment. 

"Alright," he said simply, not looking at her. He was focused on Remus, watching intently as he began to wake.

A stray thought found its way into Adina's brain. 'We must look like such fucking creeps, watching him sleep.'

"What-" Remus croaked, trying to push himself up in bed. Then he began to panic, "No. You're all here, why are you here? Something happened, didn't it?"

James explained the situation as calmly as he could. To his credit, Remus listened to the entire story before turning on Sirius.

"Why would you do that?" He growled, "Answer me!"

"I thought there was no way he'd go-" Sirius exclaimed.

For the first time, Adina saw a slither fear in Sirius' eyes. Fear of what, she didn't know. Of what Remus was capable of, of losing his friend. For all she knew, it could have been anything.

"I could have killed them! I could have killed them both!" He turned his head to look at Adina, but changed his mind halfway as if it pained him. His hands curled into fists as if he was itching to launch himself at Sirius. Maybe he could have if he really wanted to.

"I know! It was stupid, I know," Sirius trailed off, averting his eyes from his friend.

Adina and James watched in horror as Remus sat back on the bed, his head in his hands. For a few moments, silence reigned. There was nothing anyone could do to lighten the gravity of the situation.

Finally, Remus raised his head. His voice was deadly, barely audible despite the quiet in the Hospital Wing, "Get out."

No one moved.

"I said, get out!" He shouted, the sound echoing around the room, a 

"Give it a minute, mate," James said gently. 

Without a word, Sirius left the room. The invisible blood of their friendship coated his hands, and he knew it.

More silence. 

"I'm glad you're alright," Adina said, even though he didn't look alright in the slightest.

Remus finally looked at her, a frown spreading across his pallid face. "I don't think you should come near me anymore," he muttered.

As much as she wished they weren't, his words were a knife to her heart. "It was an accident, Remus," she tried, willing herself not to cry, "It wasn't your fault."

"It wasn't my fault? What if you'd died? Who'd have to tell your parents that a monster murdered you on Hogwarts grounds? Or worse, what if I'd infected you? You'd live like a freak for the rest of your life! But even then, it wouldn't be my fault, would it?" 

Adina wanted to tell him that nobody would have to tell her parents, that they were dead. Had he said it a few months ago, she'd probably have believed it would be better off if she were with them. 

"I'm alive - I'm here, aren't I? You're not a monster or a freak. You just have a..." She stopped, looking desperately to James for help.

"...Furry little problem," James supplied. Remus didn't laugh. 

"I need to be alone for a while," he said despairingly, and while it was phrased like a question, James and Adina knew it was a command. Silently, they stood and left, leaving Remus alone with his thoughts and his self-loathing.

***

Sirius had waited for them in the corridor, but didn't speak. James put a hand on his shoulder and told him to go back to the Gryffindor Common Room. He obliged, staring at Adina for a moment before he went.

James and Adina began the long walk back to the Ravenclaw Common Room.

"I don't understand," Adina said tearfully, "Why does he hate himself for this? It was an accident!"

James sighed, "There've been near misses before. Every time he transforms, he loses control. Doesn't even remember what he did in the morning."

They passed the Bloody Baron, and were quiet for a moment. Adina didn't mind. It gave her a chance to process what he'd said. "It must be awful. To lose yourself like that, I mean. But he has people that- that care about him. Can't he see that?"

"Of course. But some people are prejudiced pricks. He's met too many of those for it not to have affected him."

Adina nodded, pushing past the stars clouding her vision. Dizzy from the overload of emotions and information she'd received, every step felt unstable, insecure, like she might fall at any moment. 

"Is it selfish if I don't want him to think of me differently?" She said, chewing on her lip.

"You did nearly die. I think that grants you some rights to selfishness," he said, a wry smile on his lips. His eyes remained dark, unexpressive.

She rushed into her next sentence, feeling the odd impulse to justify herself, "I just don't want him to feel like we can't be friends anymore. Really, it won't get in the way of anything-"

"Don't do that," said James, stopping suddenly in his tracks.

"Don't do what?" Adina asked, frowning.

"Pretend like it doesn't matter. I know you mean well," he continued, putting a hand on her shoulder to placate her, "But it's always going to matter. As much as we love him, as much as we wish he didn't have to endure the ordeal he does every month, he does. For him, there's no escaping it. To pretend otherwise is to ignore his struggle. We just have to do as much as we can for him."

The worst parts of Adina, the parts she'd prefer to keep to herself, bubbled to the surface. They urged her to act out, to defend her honour. She could argue, could fight him all she wanted, tell him that wasn't what she'd meant at all. It was. And doing so wouldn't change the fact that James was right. Completely and utterly right.

So this was the James Potter the future Lily had fallen in love with.

"You're right," she muttered, deflating. The flames within her burned out, leaving only embers of her anger behind, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. He just needs time," James said firmly, drawing Adina into his arms.

For a moment, the smoke around them cleared. Adina had somebody familiar, a friend to cling onto, to keep her grounded. It was selfish. Three people needed comforting that night, and she wasn't included in that list. Even so, she couldn't bring herself to pull away.

"You know, James? You keep maturing like this, and Lily will love you back in no time," she said with a sad smile, taking a step back. 

She'd have known it even if she wasn't a bloody Seer, even if she wasn't from the future. This version of James was the one Lily would fall for first - the mature one, who would do anything for his friends, even if it meant risking his life to save theirs.

They began walking again, and James dropped her off at the entrance to the Common Room. He didn't jokingly try to answer the admittance riddle as Adina imagined he might have done on a normal day. He gave her one last, feeble attempt at a smile and left her to consider everything that had happened. 

Adina was too exhausted to worry about waking anybody else up, so when she threw herself onto her bed, she didn't even hear Marlene and ask her why she was out so late. Instead, she tried her hardest to put aside her heritage, her werewolf friend and the fact that she'd almost been killed.

She was rewarded with one first peaceful night of sleep. It was the first she'd had ever since her jump back in time, and the last one she'd have for a long while. 

 

 

 

 

A/N: "Some of you may die, but that is a sacrifice I am willing to make." 𝕷̶𝖔̶𝖗̶𝖉̶ ̶𝕱̶𝖆̶𝖗̶𝖖̶𝖚̶𝖆̶𝖆̶𝖉̶ Albus Dumbledore

 

Chapter 14: Death

November 18th used to be a joyous occasion for Adina. Just last year, Isaiah (who she'd been teaching the piano) had played a clunky version of 'Happy Birthday' for her, his eyebrows raised as if to say 'look at the talent I've got'. Eden had always enjoyed baking and created an array of treats for the family to enjoy. She could still taste the richness of the chocolate on her tongue, hear her brother's laughter as they fought over the biggest slice of cake. Their mother had slapped their hands away with a false scowl, urging them to wait for their father.

Her father's gift to her was different. Instead of a few galleons or a present from Diagon Alley, Adina asked him for a secret. Not just any secret, either - Asriel worked in the Ministry in regular correspondence with the Unspeakables. He hated the Ministry of Magic and all of the corruption it stood for. Learning the weaknesses of the system, however, made it all worth it.

It was on November 18th that the two entered his study, locking the door with a sturdy charm. Eden would never know about the words passed between her husband and daughter that night. She never would have allowed such transgressions.

"I suppose I don't need to tell you that I shouldn't be disclosing any of this," Asriel said, his eyes gleaming darkly, "But there are whispers in the Department of Mysteries...about the Hall of Prophecies."

"But it's been closed for years - there hasn't been a new prophecy in ages!" Adina exclaimed, a thrill running through her at the thought of it. After the end of the Second War, the Ministry decided that such a room was far too dangerous, and so the door was kept bolted shut. Only the most trusted workers were allowed access.

Asriel moved to sit behind his desk, casting off the same aura of power as he always did, "The Veil is becoming more active by the day. There have been...voices heard by some of the Unspeakables."

Adina looked sharply at her father, "Surely you can't mean-"

Her father gave a grim smile, leaning back in his seat.

"All we can say for sure is that something is happening in the Department of Mysteries," said Asriel, reaching for the sneakoscope he kept on his desk, "And I'm going to find out what."

Some minutes passed with the wildest theories and speculations exchanged before Eden called them for dinner. Adina's father opened the door for her with a smile that reminded her to tell no one of what she had learned. Excitement filling her with the knowledge she'd received, she returned it. That sealed their oath of secrecy. 

Together, they returned to the rest of their family, laughing and joking the night away. Exploding Snap and Wizarding Chess were worthy distractions, but the information Adina had clung to her like a particularly strong sticking charm. She wouldn't be forgetting it anytime soon, and neither would her father. An hour or so later he told them he was going to bed, but she knew he'd be mulling over the mystery he'd uncovered.

Thus ended their yearly tradition.

***

Now Adina's birthday, among other things, had been tarnished by the losses of the people who mattered the most to her. Not to mention that she technically hadn't been born yet, so what really was there to celebrate? Having neglected to tell her friends when exactly her birthday was, it was relatively easy to hide in the library and pretend that nothing was happening. The simple days were gone, but that didn't mean she couldn't recreate them.

She was 17, and that was that. 

Going to eat breakfast in the Great Hall wasn't exactly a desirable option, either. Since the incident with Snape and Sirius the week before, the boys' friendships had slowly repaired, but she wouldn't be surprised if it took a considerable amount of time before they were back to normal. Adina hadn't spoken to Sirius or Remus, clinging instead to her Ravenclaw friends and Lily. The tension at the Gryffindor table had spread, unsettling everyone that knew them (even the ones who had no idea of the situation). 

So to distract herself from all of that drama, she curled up in a window nook far away from the centre of the school, content to lose herself in an old novel and dream her life away. With the turning of each page, it became easier - she managed to forget about the werewolf she'd come to care for and the new life she'd had to forge for herself. Life was superficially easy.

Adina became so lost in the book that she jumped a mile into the air when a shadow appeared in front of her. Her breath didn't quite return when she noticed who it was. Just like that, reality returned with a vengeance. It hurt like a bitch, too.

"Remus- hi," she said, swinging her legs around so he could sit by her. 

Maybe that was a bad idea. Maybe he didn't want to be around her. Maybe he hadn't said what he did out of anger.

Clearing his throat, Remus pointed to the book in her hands, "The Picture of Dorian Grey? I, uh, don't think I've read that one. What's it about?"

Cautiously, she took the bait. "A narcissist becomes obsessed with a portrait of himself, commits awful acts and mutilates it in the process," she said, slamming the book shut.

Remus snorted with laughter, "Sounds like Sirius."

An involuntary smile played at the corner of Adina's lips. She tried to force it back, watching silently as Remus struggled to come up with the words to express what he wanted to say.

"I just wanted to say sorry for what happened the other week-"  He said finally, giving Adina time to move away from him as he sat down next to her. She didn't, begging herself not to move closer to him instead.

"Remus, you've got nothing to apologise for. It was an accident," she assured him, blinking away the flashes of her flight from the tunnel. 

"Sirius was being an arsehole. I didn't need to take it out on you," His voice was warm and sincere, though tempered by the usual amount of awkwardness. If she was being honest with herself, she'd missed it.

Adina grinned, "Yeah, that's true. But I was being dismissive and insensitive, so I guess we're even."

For the first time in over a week, she met his eyes. The traces of amber she'd recognised in them were still there but bore no resemblance to the eyes of the wolf as she'd previously thought. Adina had secretly feared that when she looked at him she'd feel afraid despite her insistence that he didn't intimidate her. Now she realised that there was no need to worry. He made her feel as he always did: comfortable. 

Remus breathed a sigh of relief, his features lighting up in a smile, "Thank Merlin. I thought we were going to spend the rest of the year ignoring each other in DADA."

Adina cringed as she recalled their first lesson since their argument. Neither of them had dared to speak, doing their best to focus on Warbeck's lesson. Not that it had worked, for they'd been too caught up in the details of their semi-argument to get anything out of it.

"Well if that's what you came to find me for, you can forget it. I could use your help with the latest essay, though," she said, turning her nose up at him.

"Yeah, well you can forget that. I haven't done it yet," said Remus with a laugh, pulling his legs up onto the window nook. 

"Remus Lupin not doing his homework? The world is ending," Adina gasped in mock surprise.

"Yeah? Well, I had some brooding to do and people to make up with."

Both of them knew what she wanted to say. "How did it go? With Sirius, I mean."

He sent her a calculating look before he spoke. Adina could practically see the wheels turning in his head. In some ways, it impressed her. The other part of her wanted to slap him across the head with a book and tell him to snap out of it. 

"It's...a work in progress. I wanted to be angry at him for what he did. But Sirius, James and Peter are my brothers. It never would have lasted," Remus paused for a minute, "You know, when they found out I was a werewolf they didn't tell me for months. I thought they hated me, but they were actually learning how to become animagi - just for me. Last year, they managed it. I won't ever be able to repay them for what they've done for me."

Adina raised her eyebrows, remembering the shadow she'd seen as she fled with Snape. So the animal she'd seen...was James?

"No way! What are their animagus forms?" she asked eagerly, leaning closer to him. The book lay long abandoned on the floor.

"Well," Remus said with a smile, counting them off on his fingers, "James is a stag, Sirius is a dog and Peter's a rat. That's where we get our nicknames." 

"And I thought you were just being parts," she teased. Internally, she was piecing together pieces of the puzzle that was the life of Sirius Black. Very little had been released about him after his name was cleared. Harry Potter did his best to get his name out into the world, but the Wizengamot was having none of it. Unreliable information, they'd said. Perhaps being in the past wasn't so bad - not if she was learning more than most people her age would know in their entire lifetimes.

"Make fun of us all you want, but it gets the job done. It means a lot, really," Remus admitted with a shrug. 

"I get it. It's not at all the same, but I used to be really clumsy as a kid. It was pretty embarrassing, but my brother developed this habit of falling on purpose after me every time. When we were five I broke my arm - Mum had to physically restrain him from throwing himself on the ground after me," Adina said, a bittersweet longing filling her with the memory.

Remus' eyes widened in interest, "I didn't know you had a brother."

Shit. Time to lie again.

"His name...is Isaiah. He's two years younger than me. He wanted to stay with our parents in France. Took a lot of convincing them, but he managed it. Still writes to me sometimes, when he remembers."

Adina supposed he did write to her - when he appeared in her dreams. 

"You wanted the Hogwarts experience, then?" He asked.

"Yeah. I'd heard a lot about this school before I came here." 

A comfortable silence nestled between the two of them. Adina cherished every moment of it.

"Oh, while I'm here...this came for you at breakfast. Marlene gave it to me. I think she knew there was something up," Remus said out of the blue, digging in the pockets of his robes for a moment. His cheeks reddened a little as he took out a crumpled envelope, "Erm, it's been on a bit of a journey."

"Thanks. And knowing Marlene, she probably did," Adina agreed, trying to ignore the way their fingers brushed as he handed it to her. Curiosity filled her at the thought of somebody sending her post. Beyond Dumbledore, she couldn't think of anybody that would know her enough to write to her. 

Like a child on Christmas morning, she tore open the sealed envelope and yanked the letter out of it. The rush of excitement she felt wouldn't last.

Dearest Adina,
Happy birthday, darling. Your mother and I are extremely proud of how far you've come, especially in the past few years. You could put that down to your growth, or your brother's petulance. I'll leave that choice up to you.

You're seventeen now - as much as I hate to say it, you've reached adulthood in the eyes of the Ministry, even if you are still a child. That doesn't mean you can go using magic as and when you please. The trace might not be on you, but it's best always to air on the side of caution when it comes to magic. It can be dangerous when used carelessly. 

 It seems so long ago that you were running about in the garden, making friends with the gnomes in the garden. Even then you were so talented and since then you have only grown more and more by the day. I'm sure you're excelling in every way and will continue to do so. There will be some who try to tear you down. Watch out for those wolves in sheep's clothing.

We hope to see you soon. Your mother misses you terribly. I expect you miss her too.

Love,
Dad

The more she read, the more Adina's face slackened and her fingers trembled. Remus frowned, evidently concerned, but she sent him a shaky smile to convince him she was fine. She wasn't. 

For one thing, her father was dead. He wasn't even born yet. Never once during the course of her life had she called him 'Dad', either. Adina's mind, perpetually cruel, reminded her of the vandalised textbook, of the hooded men in the Three Broomsticks, and most awfully of the Death Eater that had slaughtered her family. This was no letter from a well-wisher. It was a threat, plain and simple.

"Sorry, I have to go," she said abruptly, shoving the letter into her pocket, "I'll see you later?"

Without another glance at him, she walked as fast as she could out of the library, leaving a very confused Remus behind her. Pushing past the panic was harder than she anticipated, so she focused instead on the number of steps it would take her to reach her destination.

One hundred and eighty-eight - breath. One hundred and eighty-nine - breath. One hundred and ninety-

Dumbledore's office was the last place she wanted to be when all she'd asked for was a quiet day alone. 

'So much for being a bloody seer,'  She thought frantically, 'Where was the warning about this?'

 Happy Birthday indeed.

 

Chapter 15: Temperance

There were no graves. That was the hardest part, after a while. Adina had no physical connection to her family. Nowhere to visit to remember them, nowhere to feel their presence, nowhere to leave bouquets on birthdays and Christmases. Finally, she accepted that they weren't coming back - no matter how much she cried, or screamed, or raised hell for the rest of the world - it just wasn't going to happen.

Instead, Adina honoured them in the smallest, most private moments she could. She saw her father in restricted books on most ancient forms of magic. She saw Isaiah in the toothy-grinned first years as they discovered the castle's secrets for the very first time. She saw her mother in Professor Sprout's gentle enthusiasm, in the flowers that resisted the oncoming winter.

So to have all of this taken away, to have it mocked by a stranger (although she had a fairly clear idea of who wrote that bloody letter), was the last straw. It unhinged her. 

'I promised to avenge them,' Adina thought as she stormed through the corridors, 'No more fear. I made a promise and I will keep it if it kills me.'

Maybe Dumbledore was too tired to care, or too used to her outbursts, but he didn't even flinch as Adina let herself into his office, shutting the door behind her with more force than was necessary.

Over the ringing in her ears she barely heard him ask her to sit, shaking her head when she registered what he'd said. Practically throwing the letter onto his desk, she began pacing the room, the regular rhythm of her steps doing little to calm her.

"Miss Twycross, if you're not careful, I'm afraid you will wear through the floor. I'm no stonemason, but I don't suspect it would be easy to fix," Dumbledore said, his cerulean eyes twinkling in amusement, "Now, how may I assist you?"

"The answer's in your hands, Sir," she said bluntly, pointing to the letter.

Dumbledore nodded and began to read. Adina wouldn't ever admit it, but she felt a smug satisfaction wash over her as his face dropped. It would teach him to take her seriously. He could use the lesson.

"When did you receive this?" He asked in a low voice. Despite his calm, the lit candles on his desk flickered violently in response to his magic. Droplets of wax sizzled as they met the wood, burning it a darker colour than it already was.

Adina's pace slowed as she thought, "It came in this morning at breakfast. Remus gave it to me this evening."

He sighed, "Do you have any idea who may have sent this? This is a serious matter, Adina."

As if she didn't know that. No, it wasn't as if somebody was threatening to murder her.

Biting the inside of her cheek, she sat down in front of Dumbledore. A war raged within her - did she tell him of the other incidents or not? Until now they hadn't seemed important, but if they would help him figure out who her stalker was, maybe it was worth it.

"It must be whoever attacked me. I mean, if they got taken back in time in the blast- but why wouldn't they have killed me? I was pretty much dead already, all it would have taken was a spell..."

Dumbledore shook his head. The lines on his face deepened; he seemed to grow older and older by the second, "There was no one with you when we found you. One minute you were simply here, only half alive."

Adina fought the urge to bang her head against the desk, "It has to be him, whoever it is. Somebody broke into my dormitory. I thought it might have been a prank - they didn't take anything, only vandalised my divination textbook."

She went on to recount the tale of the strange men in Hogsmeade, and how it had (for some strange reason) frightened her. She told him of the state her belongings had been left in, detailed the annotations the creep had left in her book. She expressed her fears that he might have been looking for something - something that could be very dangerous in the wrong hands.

If Dumbledore feared an attack of any sort, he did not show it. His face remained stoic, "Then it would appear that the situation is even graver than we thought. I'm afraid I must ask you not to leave the castle unaccompanied."

A grim expression crossing her face, Adina nodded her agreement, "Do you think we'll ever catch him? The man that murdered my parents, I mean."

For a long moment, Dumbledore was silent. Then he forced his eyes to meet her own, "I cannot say for sure. I will do my best to make sure he is held accountable - especially if he is a Death Eater."

"Professor, are you sure you won't accept any information? I know enough to stop the war maybe before it even starts! Isn't it worth trying? If he catches me, I'm going to die anyway. What's the point in stopping me?" Adina demanded, willing her temper to lie low.

Dumbledore sighed, fixing her with a hard glare, "You are not going to die, Adina. And I refuse to sacrifice your life for the unstable pursuit of Voldemort's defeat-"

"-I've lost everything anyway! What does it matter?" Adina felt herself growing hysterical, the pitch of her voice increasing by an octave.

"I will do my best to find the culprit," he said over her, "But in the meantime, I must ask something of you."

"What is it, Sir?" She asked warily.

"I should like to see your memories - anything you're willing to show me. It would be incredibly useful."

Dumbledore moved from his seat, striding over to what looked like a small cupboard. However, as he opened its doors, an ethereal light shone from inside of it. Its brightness had Adina shielding her eyes until she adjusted, unable to resist stepping closer and closer until she was standing beside Dumbledore.

Her lips parted as she realised what she was looking at. The stone basin was engraved with a number of runes she couldn't decipher the meanings of. The liquid inside seemed almost clear, but within its depths swirled the light, pure and white.

"It's a pensieve, isn't it? My father always liked them, but he was never able to get his hands on one," she said eagerly, leaning closer towards it. Her rage seemed to fade as she observed her reflection in the water, feeling cleaner, saner.

"Quite right, Miss Twycross. They are a rarity, although I must say it's for the best that they are so tricky to acquire. Now, if you wouldn't mind, focus on the memories you want to extract and use your wand to coax them from your mind," Dumbledore instructed, watching her quietly as she did as he said.

Eyes screwed shut, Adina selected the memories she needed, doing her best to ignore the stabbing pain thinking of them caused her. Dumbledore waited with a vial to catch the thread of magic she extracted from her brain.

Adina took a deep breath, preparing to enter the pensieve, but Dumbledore put his arm out to stop her. "If at any point you need to leave, focus all of your energy on returning here. Your magic shouldn't fail you. May we proceed?"

Wordlessly, Adina nodded. Together, they plunged into darkness.

**

The moment Adina's face touched the mysterious liquid, she felt a hard tug at her navel. All at once, it was as if her magic was being forced through a tunnel much too small for it. She was flying and she was drowning, wading through mud and cutting through the air like a bullet.

It was over in seconds. As if nothing had happened, they stood in her dormitory, watching as the Adina from two months ago sprinted up the stairs and into her bedroom, panting as if she'd run a marathon.

"This is really, really weird," The current Adina said, wincing as she saw the state of her younger self, red-faced and messy-haired, "Merlin's beard, I look awful."

Dumbledore wasn't listening. Instead, he watched intently as the girl in the memory took in the trainwreck her bed had become, with her belongings strewn randomly across it. Not fearing she might notice him, he stepped behind her to examine her copy of 'Unfogging the Future', frowning as he saw its contents.

With that, the first memory faded like an old photograph.

***
Next, they found themselves in the Three Broomsticks, dangerously close to where Horace Slughorn had drunk away his problems and created more of them by gambling. Beyond that, there was little to see. The memory was not limitless, the edges of it flickering like a mirage in the desert. Glasses clinked and wizards shouted drunkenly, but the sounds seemed to come from miles away.

Adina felt her face growing hot as she recalled the time she'd spent with Remus, cringing at the thought of Dumbledore watching them together. This was the last thing she'd had planned for the evening.

'Get over it,' she told herself firmly, 'You're supposed to be tracking down a murderer, not embarrassing yourself - more than you already have, anyway.'

A few minutes passed in which Dumbledore and Adina remained completely silent until a familiar-looking figure entered the pub. It wasn't long before his companion followed him. The sight of them, hooded and hunched over their table, sent a shiver down Adina's spine. Nevertheless, she made an effort to get as close as possible, cursing as she was pushed back from getting anywhere near them by an invisible force. Evidently, there was only so much that a memory could provide.

Dejected, she returned to Dumbledore's side. They scrutinised the two diligently until the second man slammed his hands onto the table and left in a furious haze.

"There!" Adina hissed, pointing towards where they had been talking just a second ago, "Did you see it?"

She wasn't crazy, because Dumbledore had seen it too - the lightning-quick meeting of hands under the table, almost imperceptible. Certainly, they'd passed something between them - but what?

There was no time to consider this, because that awful pit in Adina's stomach returned, and they were gone.

***

From the moment they arrived in the third memory, Adina felt faint. Stars danced at the corners of her vision. Her legs threatened to give out on her. 

The trap was set, just as it was on that night so few months ago. 

The curtains of the living room were drawn, the thick fabric preventing any moonlight from entering through the windows. In almost complete darkness the four members of Adina's family stood: wands drawn, waiting. 

"Dina, darling, you have to go," Eden pleaded with her daughter, clutching her face in her hands, "Please, my love- take your brother with you-"

Adina's voice grew more and more frantic, "No, Mum, I'm not leaving you! I won't-"

"Do as your mother tells you! This was our doing and it is our job to fix it - not yours!" Asriel barked, though there was no bite behind his words. Seeing the frantic expression on his children's faces, he softened ever so slightly, "We love you. Now go."

Her breath quickening, Adina watched herself try and drag her brother over to the stairwell, but he wouldn't move. His gaze remained fixed on his parents, and no matter how much she tried to pull him, he wouldn't give in. Wrenching himself free from her grip, Isaiah ran back towards his parents.

Another voice joined the fray, screaming for him to move, for them all to run. Only the alarm on Dumbledore's face told Adina it was her own. 

It all happened so quickly: the door exploded in a blast that left her ears ringing, her hooded attacker framed in the doorway.  Her double made a run for it, ducking into the hallway with tears streaming down her face. The last thing Adina saw was the silhouette of her parents, hands entwined as they awaited their fates. Then, as she turned her back, that awful, decisive flash of light. 

Two words. 'Avada Kedavra'.

***

It took all of Adina's might to pull herself out of the memory, materialising in Dumbledore's office. She couldn't tell if the nausea she felt was due to what she'd witnessed or the toll the pensieve had taken on her body. Either way, she stumbled towards his desk, her breaths ragged.

Oddly, she realised as she steadied herself, she felt numb. Having seen that night so many times in her dreams, it had seemed no different when she relived it. It was the same. Always the same: the begging, the door, the light. The only difference was that this time, Adina had been handed the option to turn her back while they suffered and died. 

She hated herself for doing it. She was a coward. Wasn't it exactly what she'd done before? Turned her back on the people she loved most to save her own skin, just when they needed her the most?

 Closing her eyes, she waited until she could trust herself to stand properly again. Without a thought towards Dumbledore, she left his office, slamming the door behind her. 

Air. That was what she needed. Fresh, clean air.

The castle was quiet, the corridors luckily empty. Adina's steps echoed like gunshots off of the flagstones, ricocheting off of the walls and waking portraits who glared at her and mumbled under their breath. 

She was almost there, although she had little idea of where 'there' was going to be. Outside. Maybe she'd go to the Black Lake, try and spot the Giant Squid. Maybe to the astronomy tower, to sit until the sun came up. She'd do anything for a distraction. 

Adina picked up her pace, confident in the success of her pursuit. No Filch to catch her out, no prefects to suck up to, nobody to question her. She was blissfully alone. Or, at least, she thought she was, until she made one last turn.

Until a rough hand covered her mouth.

 

Chapter 16: The Devil

n the arms of her captor, trying desperately to reach for her wand. Screaming wasn't an option, but it didn't prevent her from trying and failing. Her muffled cries drowned against his hand. Before she could resort to her third option of biting him, she was suddenly able to breathe again. With the thirst of a dying man, she gasped for air. Relief washed over her as the air flooded her aching lungs.

Whirling around, Adina grabbed her wand and jammed it straight into the throat of her assailant, frowning in confusion when she heard a very familiar laugh. Blood rushed into Adina's face as she looked up only to find an amused Sirius to be the culprit.

"Whoa! Careful there, Twycross," he said with a cocky grin, pushing her wand hand away from his neck, "Do you even know how to use that?"

"Sirius Black!" She screeched, punching him as hard as she could in the arm, "You fucking arsehole!" Still, she supposed she'd asked for a distraction - and Sirius was a bloody good one. 

He only raised an eyebrow as she enunciated each syllable by slapping his chest, "Remus said you were nuts, but I never knew you were this violent."

Adina looked blankly up at him, stopping in her tracks, "He never said that. What did he say?"

"Why do you care what Remus says?"

Choosing to ignore that question, she changed the subject, "I don't. Why are you out here so late?"

Sirius laughed, beginning to walk towards his dormitory. It took more effort than Adina wanted to admit to catch up to him, especially after the exertion of her visit to Dumbledore. "I could ask you the same question," he said stubbornly. Realising she wouldn't budge, he relented, "Alright. Me and James put a Niffler in McGonagall's desk. She wasn't very happy about it."

Adina's nose wrinkled at the thought, "Don't blame her. Those things are nasty. Doesn't surprise me that you were in detention for it, either."

"It's my goal to get to a hundred detentions before the end of the school year. James reckons he can get one-fifty," He said with a shrug.

"You made a bet with James over how many detentions you could rack up?"

"Remus and Peter have their own, except it's the opposite. Which of them can get away with the most shit." Sirius scoffed, "Remus is losing. He's had four already this year, if you're interested."

"Why would I be interested?" Adina asked, scrutinising her nails.

The corners of Sirius' lips quirked up into a smile. He shook his head at her, "Enough stalling. What are you doing out so late?"

"Got bored, took a walk," she lied with a shrug of her shoulders.

More like almost got murdered, was forced to relive it and got the fuck out of there before she could watch it happen again. Adina would do anything for boring.

Sirius' eyes narrowed, "Bullshit. Let me guess, family issues?"

Apparently, her act wasn't as good as she thought it was. Adina's mouth went dry and she stared open-mouthed at him, "How could you possibly know that?"

He snorted, "I've had my fair share. Besides, Remus said he had a letter to give you."

She felt fury ignite within her once again, a tornado threatening to tear apart everything near its path. "I got it alright," Adina said darkly.

"Your parents are in France, right? Do you miss them?"

Sirius seemed to see right through her then, as if she were made of spider silk. She felt exposed - vulnerable, and it unsettled her.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Adina nodded, "I guess. It's stupid, I know - it's just the same as it would be if they were in the country - but I miss the way things used to be."

"It's not stupid to want somebody to care for you. Why don't you write them back?"

She shook her head, "It's not the same. Things are different now. They're my family, but they aren't really...I don't know."

It was true. In this timeline, her parents were alive (albeit very young). If she wanted, she could seek them out, get to know their younger selves. But they wouldn't be the people that raised her, that sang her to sleep and taught her about the mysteries of the Wizarding World. They wouldn't be separating Adina from her brother when they fought over silly little things. She wished she could have those fights again.

"I get it. My parents were shit," Sirius said, "Little Regulus was always the better Black."

Adina frowned, "I didn't know you had a brother."

"Barely. We don't talk - he's in Slytherin, with all the other snakes."

"My father was a Slytherin, but he never- well. Is Regulus...one of them?" The euphemism hung in the air between them.

Sirius let out a shaky breath of laughter, "Merlin knows. It won't be long if he isn't already. There's a reason I left."

"Where did you go?"

Sirius smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes, "Ran away, went to James'. Euphemia and Fleamont accepted me into their family, so I stay with them during the holidays."

"You guys are like brothers," said Adina, the corners of her lips twitching at the thought of them together.

"Yeah. You know, if you've still got a shot at a functional family, you may as well try and fix it. Otherwise, you can always make your own."

Adina turned her head, not wanting him to see the way her eyes glistened with tears. He was right. Instead, she forced a laugh, "What'll James do if he hears you've been giving out advice?"

"Correction: brilliant advice. And how about we don't tell him? He didn't take it very well when he found out I could read," he joked.

"Agreed," said Adina. As they reached the portrait hole, there was little else she could think of to say. Luckily, she didn't need to make a fool of herself, because - as always - Sirius filled the gap.

"Well, this has been lovely, but I'm exhausted. Night, little Nina," he said, his eyes softening.

"Not little," Adina reminded him, "But I'm grateful for the advice, so I'll let it slide. Goodnight."

With that, she turned back towards her own Common Room, feeling much calmer. Sirius had indeed been right when he told her to create her own family, no matter how dysfunctional or jumbled. Adina felt that she might be doing it already - and that he was a part of it.

***

By Friday of that week, the school was aflutter with the news of the upcoming Yule Ball. A rarity for Hogwarts, the news of the event spread like wildfire as soon as Dumbledore announced it. Seventh-years conspired to sneak alcohol into the Great Hall and first-years sulked at losing the chance to attend such a ball. Some of the braver third-year students were hell-bent on seeking out an older date to grant them access, giggling whenever a single fourth or fifth-year passed them by.

Up in the Gryffindor common room, Adina curled up on the couch with Lily, Marlene, Emmeline, Hestia and Alice. By now, Ravenclaw invasions had become normality for the Gryffindors, who barely batted an eye.

The six girls pored over various catalogues to order dresses, with some more enthused than others. Adina yawned as Marlene flashed another page of 'Witch Weekly' at her, nodding dazedly at the option she was being presented with. Rather than the nightmares that had plagued her in the past months, she was now confronted with memories from her past - memories that it drained her to even think about.

Noticing Adina's eyes slowly slipping closed, Marlene waved a hand in front of her face, "Glad to know you're capable of sleep, but I need some help here."

"Oh, uh- go with the magenta. It'll look gorgeous," Adina said, blinking away her tiredness.

Marlene frowned, "Yeah, but will I look a different sort of gorgeous in it? This has to be special!"

"Why - got somebody you want to impress?" Lily teased, looking pointedly towards Hestia, who blushed. Both had long since chosen gowns - Lily an emerald green dress with bell sleeves, and Hestia a bolder golden one. Now they sat at the foot of the sofa, charming pieces of parchment into birds that circled their heads. 

"...Shut up, Lily," huffed Marlene.

"Have you got a date yet?" Hestia asked Adina, smiling at her friends' antics. Adina returned it, opening her mouth to answer before she was interrupted.

"She refuses to ask anybody," Emmeline sighed, flipping her white-blonde hair over her shoulder. Then she returned to her search for the perfect gown.

"I could if I really wanted to," Adina said indignantly, glaring at her friend. She stole a glance at Remus across the room. His eyes lit up as he laughed at something Peter had said, punching him in the shoulder. 

"Yeah, well you don't - you're too stubborn for your own good."

Don't do it, Adina. You could easily ignore it, it's not worth it, just leave it-

"Oi, Lupin!" Adina called, beckoning him over from across the room.

You petty bitch.

Remus' head snapped up at the mention of his name. When he saw who was vying for his attention, he grinned, muttering something to his friends. Sirius laughed and clapped him on the back, whilst James scowled. This animosity was short-lived, for not a minute later he was once again staring longingly at Lily. Remus approached Adina with his hands in his pockets, stopping in front of her. From her position on the couch, he towered over her.

"You don't have a date to the ball, right?" she asked, not daring to look at him. Marlene and Emmeline's eyes bore into the side of her head, analysing her every move.

He shook his head with a laugh, "Way to rub it in. No, I don't."

"You owe me a favour, and let's face it, this lot are going to leave me within minutes. I trust you not to abandon me."

"So you're asking me to go to the Yule Ball with you..." Remus frowned, searching her face for confirmation.

"Yeah, I thought that was pretty obvious- ow!" She flinched as Emmeline elbowed her in the gut.

"...To be your backup company?"

Marlene's head fell into her hands. "Hopeless, both of you. Hopeless," she muttered despairingly.

Adina ignored her, considering Remus' words for a moment, "Yeah, pretty much. You up for it?"

Remus shrugged. The ghost of a smile played on his lips, "Alright. Meet you at seven?"

"See you then," Adina grinned, watching as he waved awkwardly and went back to his friends.

A commotion began, with Lily and Hestia scrambling to get a better look at their now very red-faced friend. Marlene hadn't dared to glance at her but turned her head so she could listen better to the conversation. 

"Very romantic," Lily said with a roll of her eyes.

Adina scoffed, "No point in sugarcoating the truth."

"You're not denying it," Emmeline sang, raising an eyebrow as she thumbed through one of her many magazines. Her potions essay poked out from underneath the pile, just begging to be finished. Adina gave it five minutes before her friend would freak out at not having done it.

"As if you'd believe me."

The whispering began again when Sirius hooted with laughter at James, who had gotten to his feet.

"Where's he- oh, no..." groaned Lily, desperately scanning the room for an escape as he approached, running his hands nervously through his hair. By the time he'd reached them, it was too late for Lily to hide. Instead, she looked up at him with a sigh. 

"What do you want, Potter?" she asked. To her credit, she sounded more exhausted than annoyed.

"Hey, Evans," said James with a cheesy grin, bouncing on the balls of his feet, "I've been studying pretty hard. I reckon you'll have to save me a dance after all."

Five pairs of eyes zeroed in on Lily, who folded her arms around herself, "Yeah- well you haven't won yet. With the way you've been working, you'll be lucky to get an A."

"No, I'm going to get that E, Evans! Just you wait," James shook his head defiantly, "Oh, hi Adina. Remus said you just asked him out."

"We're going as friends," Adina clarified quickly. Emmeline rolled her eyes but said nothing, silently showing a dress to Hestia.

"Yeah, he said the same thing. Whatever sinks your ship."

Lily hid her snort of laughter behind a well-timed sneeze, "It's 'whatever floats your boat', Potter."

James pouted, "Your negativity just sunk mine."

After that comment, Lily stopped responding, so James returned to his fellow Marauders with his tail between his legs. 

"What was that?" Emmeline hissed, throwing the papers in her lap to one side.

Lily ran a hand down the side of her face, "Potter wasn't putting any effort into our study sessions. It was all 'Oh Lily, are you wearing perfume today? Lily, your hair looks especially red today! Lily, did you know how many Lilies there are in the world? Neither do I, but none of them are as pretty as you'. He refused to do the work."

"Well, the twat is in love with you," Marlene reasoned, but promptly shut up when Lily sent her a withering glare.

"Stop that - no, he's not. And it's going to make me look bad if he fails, so I've promised him a dance if he gets an E. Which he won't."

Adina hummed, watching James take out a textbook and begin to read, "He's determined. I wouldn't be so sure."

Some minutes passed with very little conversation. Eventually, having chosen her dress, Emmeline passed the magazine she held over to Adina. Immediately, as she predicted (without using her so-called 'abilities') the blonde began to study.

Marlene, in a good-natured attempt to be helpful, began pointing out a number of gowns to no avail. Adina could acknowledge that they were pretty, but they just didn't feel right. Bright colours would make her stand out too much, tulle was uncomfortable and paler colours washed her out.

Finally, Lily decided to step in.

"That's such a pretty necklace," she told Adina, "I always see you wearing it."

"Thanks. It was- It is my mother's," Adina said, her hand drifting absentmindedly towards where it rested around her neck.

"You need to do it justice. Which is why that monstrosity-" Lily's nose wrinkled in disgust, pointing at Marlene's most recent pick, "-Isn't coming anywhere near you. Blue is more your colour."

Undeterred by Marlene swatting her with the magazine, Lily began flicking through the pages. Her tongue poked out from behind her teeth as she concentrated, remaining silent until she cried, "I've done it! How's this?"

Adina felt the urge to gasp at the dress she was being shown - not because it was beautiful, but because it reminded her of one her mother had worn. As a child, Adina had loved to watch Eden get ready for formal events, usually one of Asriel's work parties. Her favourite dress was a canvas of navy satin, embellished with a sky of subtle stars. The dress Lily pointed out was very similar.

"That's the one. Lily, you're a genius!" she said shakily, although on the inside she was glowing for the first time. This was a real connection to her mother, one born out of experience and one she would treasure for years to come.

When Adina thought of the Ball, she simply hoped for an enjoyable night with her friends: a night free from obligations and the atrocities of her past and present. The reality, however, was very different. The Yule Ball would be the catalyst that set Adina onto a path that she could not come back from. For better or for worse, things were never going to be the same.

Chapter 17: The Tower

Notes:

yes im a sick, twisted procrastinating bitch: enjoy motherfuckers!

"I seriously cannot believe he got an E. An E! Potter, who barely knows his left from his right, got an E!" Lily seethed, turning around to allow Marlene to zip up her dress. Her skin glowed against the emerald satin, her red hair contrasting beautifully with it.

Once again the girls found themselves in the Gryffindor girls' dormitory, this time preparing for the Yule Ball. To Adina, who in the past two weeks had grown sick of staying cooped up in the castle - even missing the Hogsmeade trip - it was at most a night where she didn't have to worry about doing homework. Or at least, that was what she told herself.

Emmeline, who was in the midst of applying a final coat of mascara, pouted at her, "Be grateful! At least you have somebody to dance with. Nobody asked me."

"Be grateful? I-" Lily began, pausing in her lipstick application to argue back. She was very quickly cut off.

"Bullshit," Marlene snorted, "I saw you turn three guys down because you were secretly hoping Avery Jones would ask you."

"Really? I thought he was into guys," Adina said, considering the handsome Hufflepuff that had so quickly captured her heart. She cursed under her breath as her hairbrush got caught in her curls. Smiling fondly, Marlene came over to save her.

"You know, I really don't know what you'd do without me," she said with a mocking sigh.

"My hair would look a lot worse?" she tried. Marlene nodded in satisfaction, pinning half of Adina's curls to the back of her head.

"Where's Hestia?" Emmeline asked innocently, but Adina could see the smirk begging to escape the facade.

"She decided to get there early," said Lily, who wasn't oblivious to Emmeline's prodding, "Since she doesn't have a date and all. Alice is with Frank, obviously. Those two can't keep their hands off each other. It's adorable."

Marlene's posture straightened, her knuckles turning white where she gripped the pins. When the next one went into Adina's hair, it was much more painful than she would have liked.

"Oh, shit- that hurts!" Adina winced, glaring viciously at Emmeline, "Do you mind? I'd like to get out of this chair in one piece. Seriously though, you should really ask her to dance, Marls. Have you seen the way she looks at you?"

Marlene huffed, stepping back to admire her work, "I really don't get your obsession with me and Hestia. Nothing's going on. Besides, I could say the same for you and Remus."

This time, it was Adina's turn to dodge the question.

"There's nothing to say about me and Remus."

It was a lie, and each of them knew it. In truth, she had no idea how she felt about him. He was her friend, and a good one at that. There were moments, though, fleeting moments where their hands brushed or their eyes met that made her question everything she thought she knew. Magic crackled between them like electricity, simmering beneath the surface of their friendship. As soon as she blinked, the moment would be over. They'd return to their casual late-night talks. They were friends, plain and simple. Unquestionable. Until another opportune moment came along to ruin everything.

Rather than voicing any of this, Adina thanked Marlene for her help and stepped into her dress. Lily brushed her hair aside to pull up the zipper.

Stepping in front of the mirror, Adina realised just how similar to her mother she looked. The sapphire gown she wore clung to her waist, the celestial details glinting in the low light. Aside from her father's icy eyes (Eden's had been a warm brown), they were nearly identical. With the opal locket around her neck, it was as if her mother walked beside her. Maybe she did.

Snapping out of her stupor, she clasped her hands behind her back. "How do I look?"

"Ethereal," Marlene said, twirling around in a circle, "What about me?"

Adina didn't like to say 'I told you so' (that was a lie, she absolutely did) but the magenta she'd chosen was gorgeous on Marlene. She'd worked her hair into an intricately braided updo - the sight of it made Adina's arms hurt.

She laughed, "Incredible, amazing, show-stopping, spectacular, never the same-"

Emmeline rolled her eyes, shoving her playfully. "If you two are done fishing for compliments, we've got a ball to get to."

Adina had agreed to meet Remus in the Gryffindor Common Room, but as she descended the stairs she was surprised to see that James, Sirius and Peter (although not one of them had a date) awaited them. She shouldn't have been, for where one Marauder went, the others followed: and there was no way James would miss getting the first glance of Lily.

After twisting her ankle and nearly tumbling down the stairs, Adina straightened her posture and went to join Remus. She didn't bother trying to stop Sirius' laughter, instead flipping him off behind her back.

'Arsehole,' she mouthed at him, feeling her face grow hot.

"Hi," a grinning Remus said, "You look beautiful." It had taken him a solid few moments to stop staring and form the words. Peter had felt it best to shove him into talking. An odd method, Adina thought, but it worked.

"Shut your mouth, Moony, or it'll set you off balance and you'll fall out of the portrait hole again. Now that wouldn't be very impressive, would it?" James sniggered.

Remus momentarily tore his eyes away from Adina and lunged for him, only half-joking, "That never even happened, you prick!"

"How'd you break that leg then, Remus?" Sirius jeered, laughing as Peter hid behind him to dodge the werewolf's wrath. He did love to stir up trouble.

"Thanks, I like your dress robes," Adina told Remus simply, pretending nothing had happened.

James rolled his eyes, "Spent ages choosing them too. 'Hey James, which ones do you think Adi-'"

He stopped mid-sentence because Lily had appeared at the bottom of the stairwell, followed by Marlene and Emmeline. This time, it was James' jaw that dropped at the sight of her.

Sirius was infinitely more composed than his friend, smirking as he made eye contact with Marlene. "McKinnon, you look stunning as always."

Marlene allowed herself to smile, "Thanks, Black. I have to admit, you don't look awful."

"Well- if you need a last-minute date, you know where to find me," Sirius said with a roll of his eyes, and just like that a huffing Marlene shoved past him to meet Emmeline.

Sirius' failure made James a little more apprehensive in his approach to Lily, but he tried it anyway, offering her his arm.

Lily tried to glare at him, but was too excited to manage it, "Potter, I promised you a dance, not a date."

"Alright," James shrugged, ignoring the incredulity written all over Sirius' face at his quick recovery, "We'll save that for when I get an O."

Lily scowled, linking her arm through Marlene and Emmeline's and marching away (though not too slowly, so Adina could catch up with them if she wanted).

Adina caught Remus' gaze, taking his proffered arm with a smile. "You must be feeling pretty lucky. You're the only one of the Marauders to have a date," she said.

"There wasn't much competition," he replied. As he led her away, he eyed his friends, who were huddled together to plan James' next advance.

Together, they left the Common Room, completely unaware that the events of that evening would irrevocably change the courses of their lives.

***

If Adina had thought the Great Hall was beautifully decorated for the Halloween feast, it was breathtaking for the Yule Ball. The usual candles had been replaced by enchanted snowflakes that melted into thin air as they landed. Ice sculptures lined the walls, some of the house mascots, and others of important historical figures. Adina snorted at a janky-looking Merlin the teachers had stuffed in a corner.

They spent the first half-hour or so together. Remus and Adina argued passionately over the orchestra about poetry and Lily danced with a Ravenclaw boy (with two pairs of eyes boring into the side of her head). Marlene pined very obviously for Hestia, who was currently dancing with a dark-haired Hufflepuff girl.

Naturally, they began to drift apart, Remus explaining that he'd better check on James and Sirius. Lily returned, leaving her, Adina, Marlene and Emmeline together once more. Another hour passed in a blur of dancing and chatting until two figures caught Adina's eye.

"Holy fu- is that Sirius with Jones?" she remarked with a laugh as Lily's eyes snapped towards the two boys.

Sure enough, Sirius had a hold of Avery's hand. The latter sent him a dazzling smile, his perfect teeth on show. Both laughing, they slipped out of the Great Hall, heading undoubtedly for one of Sirius' hotspots.

"I don't know whether to be impressed or jealous," Lily said amazedly, her gaze following them out of the hall, "How does he do it?"

Emmeline pouted, "I don't know how much love potion he has, but it must be an extensive supply. You know, I think I'd be satisfied if he looked my way just once-"

"We knew it! What did we tell you?" Marlene sang, looking very pleased with herself.

Lily nudged her, "Yeah, yeah. You win. Now, when are you going to ask Hestia to dance?"

"If I'm not having any luck tonight, you might as well go ahead," Emmeline said, looking pointedly at Marlene.

"How many times do I have to tell you that we're just friends?" Marlene demanded, but her shaky voice made the lie very unconvincing.

"That's the biggest lie I've ever heard. Go get your girl!" Adina laughed, pushing Marlene up and out of her seat. The priceless glare she received as Marlene scrambled away would surely be worth the reprimand she'd get later.

Almost as soon as Marlene left, a nervous John Dawlish approached Emmeline, who instantly beamed and took the hand he offered her. Lily and Adina were left to watch the dancing couples, wincing every so often as Hestia would step on Marlene's foot and vice versa.

"So, excited to spend time with James?" Adina asked, raising an eyebrow.

A storm waged a war on Lily's face. Vehemently she denied it, "I've spent the last three weeks trying to teach him a bloody tickling charm, for Merlin's sake. Any more time around him and I might throw myself off the astronomy tower."

Adina stifled a laugh, knowing very well that the tickling charm was one of James' favourites. A number of Slytherins had fallen prey to it across her time at the older Hogwarts, "Don't be so harsh! He might be a git, but he's less annoying than Sirius."

"I just wish he'd stop asking me out all the time, it's exhausting. It's not like he's genuinely interested in me, either. If he was, he'd find better ways to get my attention than following me around constantly," Lily sighed.

Of course, Adina knew exactly how their relationship would play out, but she refrained from voicing it.

"Oh, come off it. You're telling me you wouldn't secretly hate it if James stopped asking you out?"

Despite her attempts to hide it, a blush crept up Lily's neck. "No, of course not. It'd be bliss," she spluttered.

Adina narrowed her eyes, saying doubtfully, "Well don't expect that bliss anytime soon, because lover boy's coming this way. And he's quite determined, might I add."

"I'd rather you didn't," Lily groaned, sighing as James approached, grinning like a madman. Unwilling to risk saying anything, he simply held out his hand for Lily to take. Very reluctantly, she fulfilled her promise.

"See you on the other side," Adina said, stifling a laugh at the glee on James' face.

"Yeah, if I've not killed both of us by the end of the night."

Unsure whether to laugh at or feel pity for her friend, Adina took a sip of the nectar that had been selected for the Yule Ball. Catching her made-up reflection in the crystalline glass, she realised how much she'd changed in the past few months. August had seen her so unapologetically happy, playing Quidditch with Isaiah and baking with Eden. Now in December, she'd lost everything she'd ever known and yet had somehow managed to survive.

As she gazed across the twirling couples, the room seemed to spin with them. The music grew unbearably loud. Pain attacked her temples. Adina felt herself growing hot, considering stepping outside for some air until Remus spotted her from across the room. Inexplicable relief filled her as he met her eyes.

It only took him a few seconds to reach her, but to Adina, those seconds felt like hours. When he did, he gripped her shoulders, his brow furrowed in concern. "Are you alright?" He asked, scanning her as if to check for any injuries. When she hesitated, he glanced over towards where a scowling Snape watched the Ball from the sidelines.

Adina forced a laugh, but she could feel the disorientation fading, her heartbeat slowing to its normal speed. The pain retreated somewhat. "I'm fine, just a headache," she reassured him, "Thanks for checking on me."

The worry in his eyes didn't fade completely, but he smiled anyway, "You recruited me for company, I don't take my job lightly."

"Well, we've got to keep each other busy. James and Sirius seem to be enjoying themselves."

Remus nodded, looking towards Peter, who had found a Hufflepuff girl to dance with, and trying to locate James. Then he glanced at Adina, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips, "Sirius has fancied Avery for ages, not that he'd admit it to anybody. And James..."

She tried her best to glare at him, but his smile brought forward one of her own, "What are you thinking? I don't like that look."

"James has been asking Lily out for years, and you think I'm going to stand here and wait while he finally gets his chance? No way. You're dancing with me," he said, putting her hand into his own and dragging her towards the centre of the room.

Adina rolled her eyes but followed him nonetheless, thanking Merlin that the band had switched from the unbearably loud music they'd been playing to a slower, calmer song.

Remus' arms wound around her waist, and Adina reached up to place hers on his shoulders. With the speed at which the other students were moving, it was difficult to tell them apart. "Can you see them anywhere? Lily's in green," she said, craning her neck to see over his tall frame.

"What? Oh, not yet," Remus said distractedly, smiling down at her.

Eventually, she managed to catch sight of them, laughing as she noticed the distance Lily was attempting to maintain between them. As the minutes went by with Adina and Remus stuttering out apologies for stepping on each other's toes (they really weren't the best dancers), the redhead began to grow more comfortable.

Her whole life was a fever dream, Adina realised as she watched them get closer and closer to one another. One occasion when she'd danced with her father came to mind. Funnily enough, it was the only time she'd seen him drunk and willing to relinquish the decorum he always clung to. Technicolour patchiness only added to the absurdity of the memory.

Following her gaze, Remus leaned in to whisper conspiratorially to her, "Woah, I said we'd check up on them, not stare at them. People might talk. A voyeur in the school: I can see the scandal now."

She gaped at him, lightly slapping his shoulder. "I can't believe you'd even suggest that," she laughed, "It was your idea to watch them in the first place."

He shrugged, a contented expression lighting his face, "Listen, James likes to do all of these big gestures and stuff, and that's what he told me to do...but James is an idiot. As much as I respect him, he's a complete idiot and I'm not going to listen to him."

Adina tried to pay attention to what he was telling her, but that one thought had disconcerted her. She was being held in the arms of someone she should never even have known, watching the parents of her world's saviour truly interact for the very first time. Perhaps she was even witnessing them falling in love for the first time, whilst knowing the horrors that they would endure in the near future - that their lives would end.

Too caught up to notice her agitation, Remus continued, "Erm, I'm not really sure how to go about this-"

The pain returned, white-hot and searing, piercing Adina's brain. Flashing across her mind was the image of the corridor she'd seen so many times in her dreams, and that mysterious door, flinging open to reveal a blinding light. She heard a man's voice, loud and frenzied, telling somebody to run. Her vision returned. A pair of shattered glasses lay abandoned on the floor. Emerald eyes, a baby's cries, a familiar red-haired woman's pleas. That awful green light, and a cold, high laugh.

"-I guess I just wanted to ask you if..."

Fury filled Adina, for she knew exactly who the people were in that so-called 'vision'. It was a determination she'd not even felt in the Hospital Wing after waking, not the urge to survive she'd felt in the tunnel under the Whomping Willow. It was the pure, unadulterated rage she'd known as her family lay dead before her. She'd promised herself she'd save them, and she'd failed. She'd promised to avenge them, and so far had failed at that, too.

Now what she had was an opportunity. A unique opportunity to save so many thousands of lives, including those of the people she'd come to treasure, that had glued her back together at her lowest point. And what had she done with it? Wasted it, until then. But she wouldn't sit around and watch as one by one they died, tearing themselves apart in the process. She was going to save them.

Her decision was instantaneous.

"Remus, I'm so sorry, but I have to go-" she cut him off.

Hurt flashed across his face, but he hid it well, "Oh, but the song's not even over yet, are you alright?"

"I really am sorry. There's something I have to do," Adina said quickly, squeezing his hands before breaking away from the crowd and storming towards the exit.

With everything she had in her, she would try. And try she did as she marched towards Dumbledore's office, renewed by her determination. Even if it cost Adina her life, she'd save them. Whatever it took.

Chapter 18: The Star

Notes:

thank you so much for your comments! they honestly make my day :)

st he would pass through the kitchen in the mornings, kiss Eden on the cheek and leave for work with a gruff goodbye. He was around even less when he was at home, spending late nights locked away in his study, tinkering with various magical artefacts each of them knew he shouldn't have in his possession.

To his credit, though, he always made time for his children on special occasions. Whether it was a birthday, Christmas, a trip to Diagon Alley or the day Adina and Isaiah left for school, he was there with them, a protective shadow lurking in the back of family photographs.

It was no different when Adina turned thirteen, having long anticipated the event. The family gathered in the living room over the set of Wizard's Chess set she'd received. Embers launched themselves from the crackling fire, scaring Isaiah occasionally. The heat had caused Asriel, in an uncommon display of informality, to discard his tie and jacket. With an arm around his wife's shoulders he seemed more normal than Adina had ever seen him.

A flush-faced Eden couldn't stop herself from yawning, but the excited expressions on her  children's  faces made another game worth it. Resigned, she began to set it up. Adina and her brother shared a competitive grin, each daring the other to try and beat them. Adina's fading memory of the event made the words that passed between them very blurry, but she remembered her father's next ones as clear as day.

"Alright," said her Asriel, the rarest hint of a smile on his worn face, "If you win, Adina, you can ask me a question."

Isaiah glanced confusedly between the two of them, unsure what to make of that. Eden hid her skepticism behind her (slightly too full to be socially acceptable) wine glass. "Anything?" Adina asked slyly, a dozen questions  ricocheting  in her brain.

"Really, Darling? I'm not sure that's such a good idea," Eden told her husband with a sigh.

"Nearly anything. As with all things, there are boundaries you  mustn't  cross," Asriel amended, obviously regretting his first statement.

Adina grinned, unwilling to back down, "Game on. Prepare to lose."

It was a long game. Even Isaiah got bored and went to bed of his own volition, whilst Eden yawned behind her hand, staring longingly after him as he left. The two players remained engulfed in their game: too stubborn to even think about losing. But, to Asriel's secret dismay, he did.

A triumphant expression on her face, Adina considered what she might ask him. It had to be something dangerous, something thrilling, something monumental - the sort of secret whispered behind closed doors, the sort warranting an unbreakable vow, the sort stuttered out from reluctant lips like a prayer.

Then it hit her, "I want to know who about the man you meet with every month."

Her father froze, the hand holding his glass of whiskey stopping in its movement towards his mouth. The nauseating smell of the alcohol told Adina all she needed to know about it strength. Then, taking an unusually large gulp of the substance, he fixed her with an icy glare. The subject was off - limits.

Adina thought she heard her mother pray to Merlin, which (in her mind) was a sign she'd chosen the right question. "Asriel," said Eden, scandalised, "You can't seriously be thinking about answering that."

It was pointless. Asriel, though tenacious, was a man of his word. He didn't reply. Throwing one last, despairing glance at him, Eden hauled herself up from the floor and out of the room.

Silence hung in the air. "We can't talk here. It's too dangerous - you never know who might be listening," said Asriel as he stood and offered Adina his hand. Taking it, adrenaline rushed through her at the thought of what she might learn.

Her father's study was dimly lit. Glowing faintly from the desk was one of the naptha lamps he loved so much. The imposing shadows cast by the bookshelves loomed over them almost mockingly, as if daring them to discuss such a forbidden topic. If this was a warning, Asriel ignored it. Not bothering to turn on the overhead light, he slumped into his chair and poured himself a scotch.

Adina raised an eyebrow at her father's alcohol habits, but otherwise bit her tongue. That was until he pushed the bottle towards her with a challenging glint in his eye, knowing very well that she'd never accept it.

"If I'm old enough to drink scotch, I'm old enough to know about the Ministry," she said, warily sinking down into an armchair opposite him, "So, who is he?"

Asriel glared at his daughter in reprimand, but although he was annoyed by her words, he was impressed by her nerve, "You've got no patience," he said bluntly, "I'm certain that's why you weren't put into Slytherin. You have all the resources to achieve what you want, Adina, but none of the patience to wait and receive it."

Adina ignored the jibe, "He's been visiting every month for three years, and yet you won't even tell us who he is. It sounds like you're hiding something."

Her father barked out a laugh, but it was humourless. There was something darker, more haunting behind it that made her avert her eyes. "Of course I am. That tends to be required when meeting with an Unspeakable."

Adina's heart dropped, her mouth suddenly as dry as the Sahara desert. For the last three years, once a month, a stranger had entered the house. At first, it was almost unnoticeable: Eden would find a reason to send Adina and Isaiah to bed early. One would sneak into the other's room and they would hold each other as the unfamiliar footsteps began, pacing at first downstairs and progressing until they were right outside in the hallway.

Was the man coming to take them away? Was he one of the bad men in the history books? At ten and eight, Adina and her brother had no idea of the answers to those questions. However, as time went on and they grew up unharmed, the man became more of a mystery to them. It was a mystery both children wanted desperately to solve - one that was never spoken about by their parents. Now, Adina had a golden opportunity to solve it. She wasn't about to waste it.

"An Unspeakable?" she asked, alight with curiosity, "What do you talk about?"

Swirling the remaining amber liquid in his glass, Asriel looked at her sharply. Adina's breath caught in her chest until he began to speak again, "As much as I appreciate your resourcefulness, that wasn't what you asked. But I fear that if I don't tell you at least something, you'll be pestering me for weeks."

He was right, and both of them knew it. Adina watched on in anticipation as he brought out from the drawer in his desk what looked like a mangled piece of metal. Asriel brought the naptha lamp closer, allowing the faint light to shine upon the strange object.

Two gold rings, warped almost beyond recognition, but intact nonetheless. An hourglass at the centre, blackened but functional. Adina knew exactly what she was looking at, and it was marvellous. Gasping, she reached out to touch the time turner, but her father's hand caught hers before her fingers could even come close.

"Careful," he warned, but there was no malice behind his words. Adina sensed that he was just as excited as she was, "This was given to me three weeks ago. I'm sure you know what it is."

"A time turner...but I thought they were all destroyed years ago." Adina said eagerly, subtly pinching herself to ensure she wasn't dreaming.

Asriel smirked, "I thought so too. After all, Voldemort's fall saw them all destroyed for fears of a third war, no? Mundungus Fletcher was rumoured to have stolen it years ago. The last of the time turners - and here it is, right in front of me."

"What- what are you going to do with it?"

Asriel's eyes didn't stray from the prized possession in front of him, "I'll find somewhere safe for it. It's not to be used, that much I know for certain."

"Father, are you sure you should keep it? Won't they be looking for it? I'm really not sure-"

Asriel paused, "I think I've answered enough questions for now, Adina. Goodnight."

She knew what he was saying, there was no denying it. Adina backed out of the room, but all the time her eyes were fixed on those two rings, bathed in the light of the lamp.

***

That particular scene, in the past few nights, had come to haunt Adina in her sleep.

The same sight greeted her Adina as she entered Dumbledore's office for what seemed like the millionth time, feeling very overdressed. She'd left the Yule Ball not ten minutes ago, but it felt like an eternity. Shattered and ruined, the time turner had become even more distinctive than when she had first laid eyes on it. The Professor held it in his hands, turning it over once or twice as if that might reveal the secrets it hid.

Surprisingly, he at first didn't notice Adina's presence. It wasn't until, filled with rage, she took a piece of parchment and one of his quills and began to write that he glanced up at her with an expression of mild surprise. The ink was a blatant scarlet, criminally dark against the paper. Her stomach churned just looking at it.

Adina didn't entirely know where the names came from. Some of them she now knew intimately and was familiar with writing. Others took more thought. A select few seemed vaguely familiar, as if once upon a time she'd dreamt them. But, despite their differences, they all had one thing in common. She just needed Dumbledore to see it.

James Potter. Lily Evans Potter. Sirius Black. Remus Lupin. Severus Snape. Frank Longbottom. Alice Longbottom. Peter Pettigrew. Harry Potter. Fabian Prewett. Gideon Prewett. Albus Dumbledore.

Once she was finished, Adina spun the paper so that Professor Dumbledore could read it. "Read this," she demanded, seething and pointing to each name to articulate her point, "Betrayed and slaughtered. Betrayed and slaughtered. Wrongly imprisoned, murdered. Merlin knows what happens to Remus, but he'll be on his own for the rest of his life. Double agent, murdered. Tortured into insanity, both of them. Traitor. Sacrificed himself and survived. Dead. Dead. And you: also dead."

Dumbledore was dumbfounded for a moment, and Adina hated the grim satisfaction that spread through her as a result, "Do you see what you're doing? By silencing me, you're allowing all of these people to die. Is that really what you want, Professor? Is this the 'Greater Good' you're so passionate about?"

At that phrase a spark of anger flashed through Dumbledore's eyes, "Miss Twycross, I hardly think this is appropriate! It is unequivocally dangerous to meddle with time. You'd not only be endangering your life, but the lives of others."

Adina laughed, and it was as hollow as her father's all those years ago, "You must be blind if refuse to acknowledge it. I have nothing to lose! Frankly, I couldn't care less if I die, but I won't stay in this time and watch my friends die one by one. I won't have it! You're either with me or against me. It's your choice."

"I'm well aware that you're willing to put your own life on the line, Adina, but you can't make the same decisions for others," Dumbledore said in a hardened voice.

"Isn't that exactly what you're doing now? You're not the only one who can play God, Professor. You're denying all of these people the chance to live - don't you think they'd take it if they knew?"

"They'll choose to fight in this war. Just as you have done, they will take the consequences upon themselves, and their sacrifices will not be forgotten. Time is not to be meddled with," Dumbledore forced the words out, but Adina could tell his resolve was breaking. He wanted to prevent the deaths just as much as she did. Even more so, perhaps, because his own name was there.

Still, Adina felt ready to tear her hair out, and clenched her hands into fists to prevent herself from doing so, "Like it or not, time was fucked the moment I got here. Besides, I can't even list half of the Order members that died in the War! You're going to let them die for nothing! We have the power to change everything, but you're too stubborn to listen!"

Her heavy breathing punctuated the silence as she finally stopped speaking. Slowly, Dumbledore met her eyes. Seeming to accept his fact, he nodded.

"What would you have me do?" he asked, getting up from his desk and walking over to the pensieve.

"I know enough to end the war before it really even starts. I just want you to give me a chance to make that happen," Adina said, begging Dumbledore internally to listen to her.

A few minutes passed in which he didn't respond. Adina's each and every breath caught in her throat as she waited for his verdict, the blood draining from her face. Then, as if he had found the answers he was looking for in the pensieve's swirling depths, Professor Dumbledore nodded. This time around, it was his turn to pace the room. He was deliberate in each step.

"It is imperative that we proceed with caution," he said somberly, "One wrong move could have catastrophic consequences."

Finally able to breathe again, Adina cracked a smile that was completely inappropriate for their circumstances, "That's generally how war works, Sir."

Professor Dumbledore didn't laugh. Instead, he hummed in agreement, "I ask you for some time to consider this...and I think it's best that we are more subtle about our meetings from now on. By all means, if it's an emergency you should come straight to my office, but otherwise, I'd prefer you to await my owl."

It was best not to argue. Not since he'd taken her side, so Adina accepted that. "It's going to happen sooner than we think, isn't it? The war, I mean."

"Alas, I fear it might. The sooner it begins, the sooner it will end - whatever the outcome. We can only hope that it is positive."

"You never know, Professor. With what I know, we have the upper hand," Adina said firmly, her features set into an expression of pure determination.

Returning to his desk, Professor Dumbledore took the time turner into his hands once again, being very careful not to turn any of the rings. Something about that motion deeply disturbed Adina. Dumbledore was never meant to hold it - it belonged to her father, and to him alone. Now, she supposed, it should belong to her.

"Sir...I think it's best if I take it. I- maybe it will help, somehow."

In truth, she very much doubted that the time turner would serve as anything other than a painful reminder of her past. Carrying on her father's work - the work that died with him - seemed almost impossible, but Adina knew that she had to do it. The agony the time turner assaulted her with could be her motivation, and if it was, she wasn't going to let Professor Dumbledore keep it.

"That's understandable. It is getting late, however, and if you aren't going to return to the Yule Ball, I suggest you find your way back to your dormitory," Dumbledore said warily, handing it over to her.

With a stiff nod, Adina spun on her heel and left the office, the fire of her fury alleviated by a fresh sense of relief. An apology to Dumbledore was probably appropriate - required, even - but she couldn't bring herself to give it.

Hiding such a distinctive magical object was easier said than done, especially with the onslaught of couples leaving the Great Hall. The sight of them sent a pang of guilt through Adina. She'd not wanted to leave Remus alone, but the task at hand had been infinitely more important. Infinitely so, she told herself as she attempted to force from her mind the image of their interrupted dance earlier that evening.

By the grace of Merlin Adina managed to reach the Ravenclaw common room without any substantial interruptions, thankful that none of her roommates had yet returned. Where to hide the time turner was an entirely different matter, and one that she pondered over for a while before coming to a decision. 

Under Adina's mattress was the dream journal she'd been keeping over the last few weeks, which had done very little to settle her racing mind at night. She briefly considered hiding it in the small gap between the wooden slats supporting her bed and the bed frame itself, but ultimately dismissed the idea. This had to be somewhere no one would know to look for.

A terrible thought hit her, filling Adina with fear she hoped was merely paranoia. When, a few months ago, somebody had broken into her room, she'd assumed it was a poorly executed prank, something designed to give her a good scare. For a while, she'd even wondered if James and Sirius had done it for a laugh, but when she questioned them about it they had vehemently denied any involvement.

Why would somebody specifically ransack her side of the room? Either they had a hatred for her, or they were looking for something. Adina's vision swam before her as she realised that, if they were, she was holding the most likely object of their interest. If someone had even the slightest inkling of who she was, her chances of success would be diminished almost to the point of ruin.

Nobody was to be trusted anymore. That much was clear as Adina cast a disillusionment charm upon the time turner and, with a heavy heart, placed the chain around her neck. This meant caution. This meant danger. This meant distance from everybody she cared about - from exactly the people she was so desperate to save.

She had a feeling she wouldn't be sleeping that night. 

Chapter 19: 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕦𝕟

December saw a bitter cold settle over the castle, dragging with it blustery winds. To anyone unfamiliar with the Scottish climate, it might have proved deadly. Hogwarts' students, however, were undeterred by the weather. Adina watched as the younger children ran through the courtyard, using magic to pelt each other with snowballs. The opportunity for one last fight before the Hogwarts Express left for the holidays hadn't escaped them.

Dark clouds warned of a brewing storm. A fusillade of snow fell like shrapnel from the sky, some of the snowflakes taking refuge in Adina's hair. The Owlery was never a place she'd appreciated before, but the view is provided of the castle grounds, blanketed by snow, was too enchanting to resist.

Nipping her finger affectionately, a snowy owl she'd come to like pulled her from her reverie. Its amber eyes gazed into her own, a hopeful gleam lighting them.

"I'm sorry. I don't have any treats for you."

Disappointed, it flew back to its perch as if it had understood what she'd said. Once again, Adina was left to her thoughts and to the letter in her hand. The parchment was tattered and stained. Resigned, she broke the wax seal and began to read.

Miss Twycross,

Crucial matters of business call me away from Hogwarts this Winter. I am afraid I cannot disclose to you their nature but must hope that you will understand the decision I have made regarding your holiday. This school is as safe as anywhere you could go, but - you must forgive an old man for his paranoia - it is my priority to ensure your safety. If someone is aware, as we suspect they might be, of your situation, I want you where I know you will be well guarded.

I'm aware that you have been seeing less of Mr Potter lately. The reasons for this I can only guess at, but Charlus and Dorea Potter are great friends of mine. They have agreed to take you in over Christmas. Alas, I sense that this is the last thing you want, it is what must be done. I ask you to keep track of any dreams or memories you may encounter that could assist us in our cause.

It is with a heavy heart that I ask you not to write to me unless the matter hangs in the balance between life and death. I hope to resume my correspondence with you as soon as possible. I wish you all the best.

Yours sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore

Adina shoved the letter into her pocket with a sigh. What was she supposed to make of that? Not only was she going to have to stay with James and his parents (and Morgana, was that going to be awkward), they weren't even going to make any progress! Glaring at Dumbledore's cursive must have taken longer than Adina thought. When she glanced back out at the courtyard, all of the students had left for the train.

A hasty tempus charm only confirmed her suspicions.

It was already ten-thirty, and the carriages were due to leave in ten minutes. A string of curses tumbled from Adina's mouth as she grabbed her trunk, stumbling down the stairs to the Owlery. Frantically, she weaved through crowds of students in the Charms Corridor, past the ground-floor Transfiguration classrooms and out through the Entrance Hall.

'I probably look crazy,' she realised, attempting to calm her ragged breathing and wild hair.

Relieved, she joined the line of sixth years waiting for the carriages to arrive. Near the front, she could spot Lily, who looked rather queasy at the thought of going home and seeing Petunia, with Emmeline and Alice MacDougal beside her. A small smile tugged at the corners of Adina's lips. Both Marlene and Hestia were missing. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out why.

The line grew shorter as each student registered their name with Professor Flitwick, who took his job rather too seriously. Those who hadn't yet learned warming charms grew increasingly agitated by the holdup, huddling together for warmth. Adina eventually spoke with Flitwick, walked through the front gates and out into the courtyard.

She blanched, her lips parting in surprise. Twenty or so carriages lined up in front of the school as they always had, midnight black and hooded. The headlamps they bore cast soft yellow light onto the snow, just barely increasing visibility levels in the bad weather. Nothing there had changed.

What had was that there were now twenty skeletal horses waiting to pull them. Leathery wings protruded from their black, fleshless coats. 'Thestrals,' Adina realised, unable to pull her eyes away from the sinister creatures.

"You can see them too?" A voice said from beside her. Adina jumped, turning only to be confronted by Pandora's knowing expression. Faintly, she smiled in a way that seemed far too fond for anyone looking at a thestral.

Pandora seemed to accept Adina's stiff nod as confirmation. "I've not met anybody else who can see them before," she said softly, "I...It was my cousin. He caught Dragon Pox when I was little. By the time we went to visit him at Saint Mungo's, he was dying already."

Adina finally averted her eyes, studying Pandora's face, "I'm sorry."

There was little else she could bring herself to say.

Pandora tilted her head for a moment, her unspoken question hanging in the frozen air. Throat constricting, all of a sudden Adina found herself grateful that she'd hidden her now shaking hands in her pockets. She didn't dare close her eyes for the fear that the memory of that awful night might resurface. Instead, she waited in silence for Pandora to speak again.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" she said with a slight smile, looking anywhere but at the thestrals themselves. Instead, her eyes remained focused on Adina's.

Repressing a shiver, Adina hesitated before speaking, "They're definitely...unique. I'm not sure I'd call them beautiful, though."

"Most wizards hate them, you know. They're supposed to be reminders of tragedy."

"You don't think so?" Adina said, her eyes flitting towards the carriages.

Pandora shook her head, "No, I think they're reminders of life. One day, once I've lived mine, I get to see everybody I loved again. I think that's a comforting thought, don't you?"

"Yeah. I think you're right."

Both girls pretended not to notice the tears welling in Adina's eyes as she smiled at Pandora, feeling the loneliness that had been eating at her start to retreat. The other students had begun to enter the carriages, oblivious to the thestrals pulling them.

"We'd better get going if we want to get a carriage," Adina said, and the two of them quickly joined the fray of laughing teenagers.

***

The journey to King's Cross station felt longer than usual with the added anxiety of having to go home with James. As much as she tried, Adina couldn't settle herself enough to get to sleep. Pandora was good company, she supposed, however odd. The lecture she received about nargles over a game of Exploding Snap was more than enough to tell her that.

By the time five hours had crawled by, Adina was already in her muggle clothes and staring out of the window at the changing scenery. Noting with jealousy that Pandora had fallen asleep, she slipped out of the compartment and into the corridor.

Her restlessness had forced her to get up without much idea about where she was going. Wandering up and down the train would do little to calm her anxiety, but she supposed it was better than sitting on her own with nothing to do. Last year, she'd been through this same journey with friends at her side and a family waiting for her at home. Now she passed from compartment to compartment like a ghost, quite unsure of where she was going.

Her thoughts so entranced her that by the time she realised she was about to crash into somebody, it was too late. Pulling away from him as if he'd burned her, Adina made to dart back towards her compartment. Quidditch had made James' reflexes quicker than anyone she knew, so it was no surprise to her that her attempt failed.

"You alright?" he said, catching her wrist, "We haven't seen you in ages."

Adina flashed him a quick smile, not daring to meet his eyes. "Fine," she said, and silence followed. There was only the rattling of the train, and his fingers lingering on her wrist, "Are you going to let me go, now, or...?"

Her tone was as light as she could manage, but James' eyes narrowed at her. "Funnily enough, no. You've got some explaining to do."

With that, he dragged her towards the back of the train, towards his compartment. Adina thought about protesting, but didn't bother. It would be pointless anyway. From what she knew of them, Potters had a funny little way of getting what they wanted.

The door to the compartment opened with a slam, revealing a set of three familiar figures. Adina felt her stomach lurch at the sight of Remus, tucked into the corner seat by the window. His feet were folded beneath him in a position that would most likely hurt like mad later, and yet he somehow maintained an aura of elegance.

Peter was the first to notice her, and gave a small wave, returning to the game of Wizard's Chess he'd set up for himself and James before he'd left the compartment. Well aware that she was on thin ice, Adina chose not to comment on the Chess manual he'd hastily shoved back into his pocket.

"Look who I found wandering the corridors," said James, nudging Adina forward like she was some prized possession he'd found in Borgin and Burkes.

At the sound of his friend's voice, Remus' head snapped up from the book he was reading. His initial expression of alarm morphed into one of cool indifference. He turned to elbow Sirius, who had fallen asleep beside him.

"Well isn't this a surprise?" Sirius said, a mocking smirk playing on his lips. Behind the playfulness, there was a coldness to his eyes that Adina didn't like in the slightest, "How long has it been? Months, years? Maybe even a decade?"

"Sirius," Remus muttered. As much as she wanted him to, he still didn't look at her, keeping his eyes trained on his book. They weren't moving, she noted. That gave her some hope, at least.

James jerked his head towards the seat by Peter. Reluctantly she went to sit by him, declining his offer of a chocolate frog.

"We haven't seen you in ages, you know. So you can imagine my surprise when my parents told me you're coming for Christmas," James said. He waved a hand and his knight approached Peter's queen, smashing it into pieces with a smash that made him cringe.

Adina shrugged, "I'm as confused as you are."

Unable to bear Peter's sheer incompetence, she leaned in to whisper the best theoretical move he could make next. With a scowl, James watched as Peter's pawn took out his rook.

"Looks like you're stuck with us, love," Sirius, a bored expression taking over his face at the lack of excitement. Evidently, she was his last remaining source of entertainment.

She grinned at the way his face fell when she took out a book, like a dog without a bone. Flipping to the chapter she'd left off on the previous night, she didn't miss the way Remus' eyes flitted between her and Sirius, or the small smile that flickered across his face.

She wasn't supposed to miss them, but she couldn't help that. She wasn't supposed to find her way back to them, either, but the Marauders were stubborn. If they wanted her friendship, she had a feeling that, one way or another, they would get it.

***

Adina wasn't sure what she'd been expecting when she arrived at Potter Manor, but it wasn't what she saw before her. Lessons on wizarding history had taught her to picture extravagant and lifeless mansions whenever she imagined exactly where Hogwarts' most prestigious pureblooded students went over the holidays. The Manor was large, yes, but there was something charming in the uneven stonework and the ivy that grew unrestricted up the walls, in some instances covering the windows. Surrounding it was a vast stretch of land, at least a few acres. It was the sort of place she could see a young James growing up in, tumbling from his broomstick over and over as he learned to fly for the first time.

Euphemia Potter must have seen the awe written in Adina's eyes, for she smiled at her and said, "You're welcome here any time, dear. Dumbledore speaks very highly of you, you know."

James' mother was also not at all what Adina expected, and she cursed herself for believing in such silly stereotypes about purebloods. Euphemia must have been fifty or more; it was not frown lines that betrayed her age, as Adina might have thought considering James' behaviour, but instead the laughter lines that framed her mouth and eyes.

At the station, she'd taken James and his friends into his arms one by one. Adina watched in mild amusement as Peter tried to smooth the hair she'd ruffled, whilst James nursed the back of his head. Euphemia had seen him staring at Lily, and swatted him for it. Not quite sure what to do, Adina waited with her trunk until the greetings were over.

With the boys out of the way, Euphemia's eyes had fallen on Adina. Almost instantly they lit up in recognition, and the older woman pulled her in for a hug. It had been such a long time since Adina had experienced the embrace of a mother that she almost burst into tears, but managed somehow to keep herself together. With a wave of her wand, Euphemia shrank Adina's trunk and handed it to her. They waited for James and Sirius to finish their goodbyes to Peter and Remus (who Euphemia made swear to visit over the holidays) and were gone within the minute.

Now Euphemia smiled at Adina as they entered the Manor, walking into the living room. The first thing to hit her was the warmth of the roaring fire. After the assault of the winter air, it was almost suffocating. Hung on the wood-pannelled walls were seasonal garlands, and it was difficult to mess the massive Christmas tree that sat in the corner of the room.

It wasn't long before Euphemia and Adina were left alone to talk. James and Sirius, of course, ran upstairs at the first opportunity. They made idle conversation about Hogwarts, and about her false education at Beauxbatons, and Adina was just about to be shown to her room by a house elf when a rather rugged looking man walked in.

Even someone as inbred as Malfoy would immediately be able to recognise Fleamont Potter, for he was almost the spitting image of his son. From the messy hair to the crooked grin, it was easy to tell where James had gotten his appearance from.

"Darling, have you seen my- ah, hello. You must be Adina. Welcome! We've heard so much about you," he said, stuffing one hand into the pocket of his trousers in a show that comically mirrored James.

Adina grinned, taking his proffered hand, "All good things, I hope."

He rolled his eyes good-naturedly, "As if Dumbledore would say anything else...try and sweep the hallways before you cross them, would you? James ran up the stairs like a madman, as usual. Probably up to something, the bloody sod."

"Fleamont," Euphemia said, silencing her husband with a glare.

"I'll take that as my sign to leave. I'll see you at dinner," said Fleamont, before turning and walking out of the room.

Euphemia sighed as she summoned a house elf, "You'll have to excuse my husband. He has his...eccentricities."

I know. I've met your son, she thought, but said nothing.

***

After an awkward dinner, Adina took herself upstairs and tried to fall asleep.

Or, at least, she would have done had James and Sirius not knocked on her door and forced her to follow them. With her eyes narrowed, she slipped on a cloak and followed them onto a balcony at the other end of the manor. She thought she saw a glint of amber flash in the light of James' lumos, and she was right. With a winning smirk, Sirius revealed a bottle of firewhiskey.

"Up for a drink, Twycross?"

Adina contemplated the bottle for a moment, before finally nodding and taking it from Sirius. She took a swig, fully aware of his eyes on her as she tried not to cough.

Rolling his eyes, James took the bottle from her hands and drank some himself, clearly used to the burning taste.

"What've you two been up to, then?" she asked in an attempt to distract them from her obvious discomfort.

James cracked a smile, "I might have sent a few owls to Evans."

"Already? Got a response?" she asked, already knowing the answer. The poetic letters James had sent her were probably roasting over the fire as they spoke.

"No, but I still have hope."

"Of course you do. You're nothing if not persistent," said Sirius with a grin.

"Speaking of persistence, you've not spoken to Moony in a while."

There it was again. A reputation for carelessness and immaturity preceded James. If Adina didn't know him as well as she did, she might have believed it. But moments like these - moments when James glanced at her so perceptively and told her truths that took her breath away - they told her differently.

"No, I haven't," she said.

Sirius snatched the bottle from James, taking a few gulps and swinging his arm flamboyantly enough that she was worried he'd spill the firewhiskey.

"Oh, come on, Twycross! We aren't blind! We know you like Remus."

Pretending her heart wasn't pounding in her chest, Adina sighed, "Sometimes I think I should have been born a muggle. A lot less hassle involved, I reckon. I wouldn't have you lot bugging me, either."

James laughed, bumping her shoulder, "Oh, come on. Where's the fun in that?"

"Plenty of fun in being a muggle, Prongs," said Sirius, "They have some pretty cool inventions - like that motorbike thing."

James wasn't listening to his friend.

"You didn't deny it," he sang to Adina, a teasing smile lighting his face.

"Fuck off, Potter."

"...Don't leave us again, Adina. Moony and Wormtail couldn't handle it."

Chapter 20: 𝕁𝕦𝕕𝕘𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥

Nestled between two bookshelves in the Potters' library, Adina threw yet another book onto the discarded pile with a huff. By now the hardwood of the window sil made her body ache no matter how many cushioning charms she'd tried, and there was little she could do to stop the December air seeping through a crack in the glass.

You've got to be kidding, she thought, glaring at the offending tome. It'd been the last promising title she'd seen - she probably should have expected it considering the Potter family's allegiance to the light, but the lack of information about the Dark Arts was more of a hindrance than she'd anticipated. Next to her lay the ten or so pages of notes on the Civil War she'd been able to make from memory, but without Dumbledore's pensieve to aid her mind, it wasn't going as well as she'd hoped it would.

Christmas had been pleasant, if uneventful. Adina had watched the Potters and Sirius exchange gifts with a bittersweet smile pulling at her lips, thanking James and Sirius for their joint present of a new set of sugar quills. The evening had been spent in a blur of mulled wine and full stomachs. Whether it was really research that made her hole herself up in the library or some leftover grief she wouldn't admit to didn't matter, for the week between Christmas and New Year passed quickly.

Suppressing a yawn, Adina glanced at the reading list she'd made for herself and prepared to waste yet another hour of her time. Her fingers had barely brushed the cover when the sound of James' distinct and thunderous steps on the stairs reached her ears.

"Moony!" she heard him call, and the pair of voices grew louder until she suspected they were just outside the library.

If she was honest with herself, Adina hadn't forgotten Remus was coming - as much as she'd tried to convince herself she had. Half-tempted to go out and meet them, she stayed put. Remus could wait. The Dark Arts: A Legal Companion, however, could not.

Well, not until she heard her name mentioned. The first time, Adina thought she'd imagined it, but creeping closer to the door of the library, she heard it again. A witch with a stronger conscience would have left them to it, but she found herself eager to know exactly what was being said. From her position just right of the doorway, she could see them speaking.

"You know what I am, she knows what I am. It would never work," Remus said with a shrug, shoving his hands into his pockets. Adina knew that stance. It was the defensive one he took when one of Sirius' periodic jabs had hit home, or when he'd passed by her in the corridors after their falling out. He was hiding something. She just didn't know what.

James rolled his eyes, appearing frustrated with his friend's forced causality, "It's not as if we're talking about marriage here, mate. It's just a date."

She froze. Surely they weren't talking about-

Of course they are, you bloody dolt.

There it was again: that inner voice that sounded so similar to Isaiah. After what Sirius and James told her the night she arrived, and enduring all of that teasing from Lily and Marlene, there was no way they weren't talking about her.

At the thought, Adina's traitorous heart leapt in her chest. As much as she tried to push it down, the realisation slammed into her with the force of the braking Knight Bus.

She liked Remus. She liked Remus Lupin, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She liked his lopsided smiles and his tired eyes. She adored the dedication he had for his studies, the blind loyalty reserved for his friends, and his constant willingness to argue with her about anything and everything. How had everyone known before she had? Merlin, how had she not known? They'd danced at the Yule Ball, and he'd tried to tell her something before she ran away. They'd trusted each other, crafted plans to escape Lily and James' shenanigans, shared secret smiles between library bookshelves. Obliviousness, or the farce of it, wasn't going to cut it anymore.

There was no doubt about it. Adina liked Remus Lupin, and he was the best man she had ever known.

Outside the confines of the library, the conversation continued, but she could barely focus enough to pay attention.

"Yeah, well, it's never going to happen. So there's no point in worrying about the what-ifs, is there?"

And just like that, the euphoria vanished into thin air. Adina's breath caught in her throat. That night at the Yule Ball - he'd been trying to tell her something, and she'd left. She'd left him in the middle of the Great Hall, alone, without a thought for his feelings. Now she'd probably missed her chance, and was unlikely to get another one.

"Whatever you say, Moony," James said with a sigh, and before long Sirius was bounding up to the two of them like the dog she supposed he was.

Jaw set in concentration, Adina shoved down the pang of rejection tugging at her heartstrings and went back to her prior position in the corner of the room. It's for the best, she thought, repeating it often enough that it became a mantra, the mission comes first.

The mission did come first. That is, it came first for a few hours until James shook an exhausted Adina awake, raising an eyebrow at the piles of books surrounding her. "Bloody Ravenclaw, you are, reading all week. You're not going to stay there all night, are you? It's New Years' Eve, for fuck's sake!"

Since her arrival at Potter Manor, her dreams had somewhat retreated. Vague flashes of images were welcome to her after the nightmares that plagued her sleep at Hogwarts. Even so, the amount of research she was doing meant she had very little time available for sleep. Adina tried to glare at him, but a yawn interrupted her attempt, "Was that supposed to be an insult?"

"No. It's the sad truth," James said bluntly, helping her up, "Besides, Remus is here."

"What's that got to do with anything?"

He shook his head at her, his arms folded, "You really are a lost cause, you know. C'mon. It's either me forcing you out of here, or it's Sirius. And I think we both know you'd rather it be me."

Sighing, Adina packed up her notes and followed him out of the library.

***

Adina had seen James drunk twice: once at a post-Quidditch win match Marlene had dragged her to, and once the first night she'd been at the Potters' home, out on the balcony. Seeing one Potter inebriated was enough for her, she'd decided, but it appeared that luck wasn't on her side.

"He does this every year. Honestly, I don't know what to do with him," Euphemia said, casting an exasperated glance at her husband. Adina nodded, projecting as much sympathy as she could muster onto her expression. Fleamont was currently roaring with laughter on the other side of the living room, with his son and company gathered around him. Arms flailing in all directions, he appeared to be demonstrating some strange sort of Quidditch play to the boys, who were pretending valiantly to pay attention.

Really, Adina thought it was funny. Judging by Euphemia's crossed eyes, too, it was safe to say that the older woman was at the very least tipsy. "At least he's having fun," she said mildly, snorting into her wine on hearing the muttered string of curses Euphemia graced her husband with under her breath.

Forget tipsy, she was flat out drunk.

Before long Euphemia was fast asleep, her quiet snores lost in the racous laughter coming from where Fleamont sat with James, Sirius and Remus. It was a wonder she could sleep over all of that noise, but Adina supposed it was a product of living full-time with two Potter men. She didn't envy the poor woman in the slightest.

On feet she told herself were not unsteady, she ambled over to the group of boys, slipping between Remus and Sirius. James took one look at Adina's already burning face and smirked. He leant over to mutter something into Sirius' ear, and she turned a blind eye to the flash of gold that passed between their hands.

The conversation turned towards Fleamont's Hogwarts years, and there was little doubt as to where James' rebellious streak came from. Hearing about his misadventures when it came to pranks - and, to James' chagrin, his mother - was hilarious to begin with. There came a point, however, where even Adina winced and tuned out of the discussion, leaving Sirius and James to chuckle and cringe respectively.

Suddenly very aware of the state of her hair and ever-faster heartbeat, Adina turned to Remus. "Well, now I don't have to wonder what happened to James as a child," she said, a sheepish smile on her lips, "Honestly, I thought he had some kind of brain injury."

Grinning as their eyes met for the first time in weeks, Remus hummed, "Yeah, you'd think so, wouldn't you? The first time we met him we were all a bit intimidated - besides Sirius, obviously. You should've seen Peter...he looked like he'd caught Spattergroit."

"He has his merits. I feel sane talking to him," she said, taking another sip of her wine to hide the smile that crept onto her face.

Remus' eyes flickered between her and James, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. It lasted only a moment or two before he snapped out of it. "He does tend to have that effect on people," he said. A long pause followed. The silence between them seemed to stretch for miles until he spoke again, "I thought maybe you'd injured yourself, too, by the way you avoided us."

His tone was playful, but Adina knew him well enough to detect the vulnerability within it. Chewing on her lower lip, she thought about how to respond. It was becoming increasingly difficult to concentrate when she could feel the intensity of his stare on the side of her head, and it was as if he was crossing the barriers of her mind-

"Shit, Remus, I'm sorry. It was just- well, I was really busy, and I thought-"

"I wasn't angry. Just confused. Really, really confused."

She owed him an explanation. She did. It was just her luck that she couldn't give it to him, and why she was thankful for the intrusion that followed.

"Oi! You bloody wankers'll miss the countdown if you don't shut up!" Sirius yelled, his only-slightly-slurred speech impressive considering the amount of alcohol he'd consumed. Adina doubted he knew what the time even was, but cast a tempus charm nonetheless.

As 1976 faded into 1977, Adina wasn't sure how to feel. The sense of melancholy that always arrives with the New Year was amplified by the losses she'd felt in the last four months. She was grateful for the ritualistic New Years' hugs she received from everyone except Sirius, who declared it an abhorrent tradition and refused to take part. It meant they didn't see the smile slip from her face.

This is why I'm doing what I'm doing, she told herself. To prevent it from happening to anyone else. To keep them safe.

It would have felt like a waste to leave the evening on such a depressing note, so she channelled her emotions into determination. No one would know the pain she had, if she could help it.

Claiming extreme tiredness, Adina excused herself and made for her bedroom. She didn't count on Fleamont following behind her, or on him tripping over his own feet as they reached the foot of the stairwell. Stumbling backwards to avoid being knocked over, she crashed into the wall a metre or two away. Adina laughed off Fleamont's pained apology and bid him goodnight.

Her amusement faded rapidly once she tried to move.

Once. Twice. Three times, for superstition.

It was useless. Each time she attempted to walk away, she was pushed back by some invisible barrier. Frowning, she tried reaching out her hand, and sure enough it was blocked by magic. Adina closed her eyes in prayer to no one in particular. They opened. She looked up. And she instantly regretted it.

Mistletoe.

Merlin help her, but she was going to kill James.

"James bloody Potter!" she shouted, not bothered if she woke anyone up. "Get out here, right now!"

He did as he was told, stopping in front of her with confusion written across his face. Furious, she pointed upwards, and that's when James looked up, his mouth forming a perfect 'o'.

"I am not a bloody Borgin and Burkes exhibit for you to stare at!" Adina snarled.

James smirked, mirth dancing in his eyes, "I've tried that every single year, and it's not worked once. Until now, that is."

"What's the counter curse?" she asked, closing her eyes as if that would stop her from slaughtering him once she finally got free.

James shrugged. "There isn't one, I'm afraid. You'll just have to find someone to get you out," he said.

"Alright. Make it quick then, and I'll give you a headstart before I hex you into next month, Potter," she said, screwing her eyes shut.

"What- are you mad? I can't, I promised myself to Lily!" James exclaimed, backing away from her with his hands up as if she were an Auror and he a Death Eater.

"Oh, you have, have you? And how's that working out for you?" she said venomously, feeling some satisfaction when he had the decency to look scared.

He turned from her, walking back towards the living room. "Give me two minutes," he said, leaving her alone.

One by one, the boys' heads popped out from behind the doorframe, all of them grimacing at the sight of her seething under the mistletoe. As soon as they appeared, they were gone, and it wasn't long before they started debating. Adina wasn't sure if she should be offended that they were arguing about which of them was going to kiss her, so she stayed quiet and mentally reviewed the curse that would piss off James the most.

"Well of course I can't do it-" she heard him say.

Sirius' voice was the loudest, and the next she heard, "I won't complain-"

She assumed the other two had used a silencing charm, because for the next few minutes she listened to Remus and James speak in an almost inaudible back and forth. It was unlikely that Sirius would go so long without giving his input. Eventually, it became clear that they'd made their decision. The door to the living room opened, and James shoved Remus out into the hallway.

"Ah, so you're the sacrificial lamb," Adina said, as if her heartbeat hadn't accelerated exponentially at the thought of what was about to happen.

He didn't answer her, stepping closer until there was almost no space between them.

Their eyes met for the second time that evening. His gaze held none of the intensity of their conversation a few months prior. Up close, Adina could see the fine lines that marked his laughter, and the frown lines that grew more prominent around the full moon. A faint pattern of freckles dusted his nose, noticeable only at a close distance. Her eyes flitted down to his lips. For a moment, she was taken hostage by the urge to run, to go anywhere away from him, because she'd probably missed her chance and it hurt-

He had her literally backed up against a wall. There was nowhere for her to go. But even if there were, an even bigger part of her told her to stay. Because she didn't want to run anymore.

And she didn't. Instead, she searched his eyes for any sign of trepidation. Finding none, she said, "You're taking your time."

"If I only have one shot at this," Remus said, raising his hand to cup her cheek, "I want to do it right."

Before she even had the chance to process the words, his lips were on hers. Remus was kissing her and she was quite sure her heart had stopped beating - and for Merlin's sake, what was she supposed to do with her hands? It was soft and tentative, the sort of kiss that promised everything and asked for nothing. Adina wrapped her arms around his waist in an attempt to minimize the space between them. They'd been oceans apart for so long that to have him by her side was the most exquisite pleasure she'd felt in months.

Just as soon as it began, it was over. His breath ghosted her cheek, and she didn't dare pull away. Remus was the first to move, slowly withdrawing his hand from her face, and with the loss of contact her ability to think returned.

"Remus, I-"

"You don't have to say anything now - you need to sleep. You look exhausted," he said softly, and she would have been hurt had she not seen the dazed smile drifting across his lips. Then Remus turned from her, walking over to the worn satchel he'd left at the front door. He rummaged around in it for a minute, before satisfaction crossed his features. He walked back towards her, holding a book out to her.

On seeing its leather cover, she knew without question it was, and her lips curved up in appreciation for his good memory. Embossed on the cover were the words 'Selected poetry of Lord Byron', and she was taken back to the night of Slughorn's party, and to a promise she'd never expected to keep.

"Thank you. For everything," was all Adina could say, but she meant it, and knew he understood. Unable to wait, she went to open it, but Remus' hand covered hers. A shock coursed through her at the contact.

Out of habit, he reached up to rub the back of his neck, avoiding her eyes, "Don't open it yet. Save it for when you're alone," he said, and she nodded.

They could have exchanged the usual pleasantries - 'I'll see you at school', for example - but neither felt like they needed to be said.

Remus said, "Goodnight," and with that, he was gone. She was alone again, floating up the stairs and into her room like a ghost. There they were again: the low voices, and Sirius' impossibly loud laughter.

Adina collapsed onto her bed, not even bothering to change her clothes, and opened the anthology. She didn't even like Byron that much. Of all the Romantics, Byron was the one Remus couldn't stand - and for the sake of an argument, she'd told him he was her favourite. He'd crossed out the foreword written by the scholarly experts on Byron, and had replaced it with his own tangent about how his poetry was only for pretentious twats with inflated egos. Flipping through the rest of the pages, his unruly scrawl was scattered across the vast majority.

No, Byron's poetry was fine, but there was nothing special about it. And yet Adina barely slept that night, because Remus had annotated pages and pages of the book with his own thoughts and observations - most of them being insults. She barely slept that night, because she was determined to read every single one.

 

 

 

A/N: I'm sorry for the quality but please take into account that I have an 83 on the rice purity test and have never once held hands romantically, so do with that what you will we-

Notes:

hey, i'm back, i'm 17 and that means time for more chaos! If you like semi-decent writing and Remus Lupin, I suggest you stick around :)

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of The Misadventures of Adina Twycross