The Sound of Rain

I- introducing The Blacks

**Trigger warning: panic attack, mentions of abuse**

In 1973, at age 13, Maxine Ivy Black was going to Hogwarts for the first time, Hogwarts was the school for Wizards and Witches. She was boarding the train with her two cousins, Regulus and Sirius, and her three older sisters, Narcissa, Bellatrix, and Andromeda. It was Regulus's second second year, Bellatrix's, and Narcissus 6th year, and Maxine's, Sirius's, and Andromeda's third year, Maxine was a transfer from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic in France, it was known for their high-status pureblood families and almost everyone at the school had been pure blood. Almost everyone at the school had long platinum hair, which made Maxine stand out. Maxine had short wavy black hair and bright blue eyes, her oldest sister, Bella, had long curly hair and dark brown eyes. Narcissa and Andromeda had straight blonde hair and grey eyes as well. Sirius, the oldest of the two Black brothers, had shiny black hair down to his shoulders with grey eyes and a sharp jaw. Sirius wasn't short for his age but he wasn't tall either, Sirius's little brother, Regulus, also had black hair and grey eyes, though his hair wasn't nearly as long as Sirius's.

Maxine had spent the summer in her room as punishment, along with countless Crucio curses after being expelled from Beauxbatons for being 'improper' and 'unladylike'. Maxine boarded the train with Regulus and Bellatrix as Sirius ran off to find his friends in Gryffindor house blood traitor Maxine thought as she watched Sirius hug a tall boy with chestnut hair and many silver scares, they passed many wizarding families in Kings Cross station in London, one of which she recognized as the Potter family, known for their scrawny brown hair and glasses. Maxine saw her aunt Walburga Black sneer at them the same way she sneered at her son as she walked past and muttered things like "blood traitor" or "muggle loving filth" Sirius Black was a Gryffindor, a horrible thing you can be when you were brought up in The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, a family known for their prejudice and life devotion to the Dark Lord, Voldemort.

They approached a barrier between platforms 9 and 10 with their trunks and packages wrapped in brown paper which held their new school supplies, they stopped in front of the barrier looking around for any muggles who might see them run through the supposedly solid wall. They went through, Bella first so Maxine could see what to do, it was simple, just walk through the barrier. She squeezed her eyes shut and ran through the wall. When she opened her eyes on the other side at platform 9 ¾ . a bright red train was steaming and waiting for all of the students to board. Regulus left to find Severus Snape, (another Slytherin kid in Maxine's year, he had greasy hair and a long pointed nose). Bellatrix grabbed Maxine's arm and dragged her over to a compartment filled with other Slytherins, Maxine ripped her arm out of her slightly crazed looking sister,

"I know how to walk, thank you, Bella." she said through gritted teeth, Bellatrix hated when people called her Bella.

"Just making sure you don't wander off and become horrible filth like our disgusting cousin. And don't call me Bella otherwise I'll hex you so bad you'll lose your mind." Bella said laughing maniacally.

Bellatrix strutted into a compartment that had a couple of other Slytherins: Narssisa, Andromeda, Regulus, Severus Snape, the greasy moodblood git who obsessed over Regulus Maxine thought, and in the corner sitting with his face held high was a 7th-year boy with blonde platinum hair a little past his shoulders that giving a disapproving look when he glanced up to see Bellatrix and Maxine stalk in.

"nice of you to finally join us Bellatrix'' the boy said, curling his lips and completely ignoring Maxine, but she couldn't care less. She sat down in a seat by the windows and zoned out for the rest of the train ride to Hogwarts.