Velvet - Marauders Era

10 - Diamonds

TW: Domestic abuse, death
Age: 17
Year: 6

June 1977

"I cant believe shes dead!" Lily sobbed into Natasha shoulder.
"Its okay" Natash soothed, stroking her back.
"No it isnt, we have no idea how she died ,only that shes dead. My best friends dead!" She shrieked before bursting into tears again. Lilys best friend, Myrtle Warren, a Ravenclaw muggle born had died and Tom had all too quickly blamed Rubeus Hagrids massive pet Acromantula, for the death of the girl. Natasha knew Hagrid, she wasnt particularly friends with him but she knew him well enough to go warn him of Toms accusations and how everyone except Lily and herself believed them to be true, Tom had then gone to visit him unfortunately meeting her there.

"Get out Natasha" he had warned, "I'll deal with your treachery later" Tom snarled. Natasha nodded, she knew what he was going to do, he had a short temper especially when it came to people betraying him and this definitely classed as betrayal in his mind. She went back to his room to wait, it would just make him angrier if she wasnt there when he came back and she didnt want to do that, he hardly ever did this but it was always hard to deal with when he did, she always hoped that that each time would be the last and her pleas would sink in and he would stop.
"What the hell was that?" He asked angrily, slamming the door behind him.
"I-I..." She had nothing, no excuses that she could come up with. He smacked her hard across the face.
"Natasha, what the fuck did you do that for?" He asked her again.
"I-" She sighed. "I wanted to warn him before the ministry came for him" He hit her, making her fall to the floor.
"For gods sake Natasha, why do you always have to do this, get out" He ordered, she got up, blood running down her face from her nose and walked out, swiftly going back to her room.

Lily was waiting for her when she got back, tears running down her face.
"Natasha" she sniffled. "Myrtles-" But she looked at Natasha and stopped. "Natasha, oh my god" She said, getting up and sitting her best friend on the bed and getting the first aid kit, and slowly dabbing at the cut on the side of her face and the blood from her nose. "Its going to bruise" she mumbled.
"Okay..." Natasha whispered. 
"Alright" Lily said, getting up from her crouched position and sitting next to the brunette. "Now tell me what happened"
"Tom got mad at me" Natasha whispered, looking down at her lap, Lily gasped.
"How long has this been going on?" She asked.
"It barely happens and he only does it when I've ruined his plan or betrayed him"
"Just because it barley happens doesnt make it okay" Lily told her, Natasha nodded in response.
"I know" She murmured. "Dont tell anyone, I'll sort it out" she begged her.
"alright" Lily answered, they spent the night crying over various things and took the next day off school.

It was the middle of June when she decided to finally break up with him.
"Tom, we need to talk" Natasha said firmly, walking into his room. He was doing his potions essay at his desk, so he turned around, a scared and anxious look in his eyes. 
"What do you want to talk about...?" He asked worriedly.
"I know what you did" She informed him, his face fell.
"Which one do you know about?"
"Well, I know that you used the diary I gave you for your birthday as a horcrux and know that you killed Myrtle for that horcrux and I know the ring you gave me is also a horcrux and you want to kill all muggles and muggle borns and yeah, funnily enough, I'm not okay with that so I'm giving you two options" She told him, angrily.
"And whats that?" Tom asked.
"You can either choose me or power, not both" Natasha explained, he sighed and rubbed his face annoyed. "I cant believe you even have to choose" Natasha said sadly.
"I'm sorry Naty, I love you but-"
"But not enough" She finished for him "Its fine Tom, I'll just go" She told him, turning around.
"I'm so sorry" He apologised.
"Dont apologise" She told him. "This was your decision, dont regret it, live with it and I'm keeping the ring, I dont trust you with it. I'll keep it safe I promise." She smiled a little before leaving his room and walking back to her dormitory, no one was there when she arrived, Alice was with her boyfriend Frank, Lily and James had got together in late May and so were also spending time together, Marlene was with her girlfriend Narcissa and lastly Dorcas was spending time with Mary and Emmeline, so she could cry in peace and she did. She screamed into her pillow, ripped things up, threw a glass bottle against the wall and then managed to cut her hands and feet on the pieces when she went over to shove things off the table. Everyone came in later that night to see Natasha lying sleeping on her bed. Her duvet, pillow, papers, books, bottle, empty glasses, tissues and clothes all on the floor, blood surrounded her hands and feet in a sort of halo that had soaked into the white bed sheet, mascara on her red cheeks and tears dried under her puffy eyes.
"Oh my god" Lily whispered, looking down at the mess on the bed.
"She must have broken up with Tom" Marlene whispered.
"We should wake her up" Dorcas told them quietly.
"No. Lets clear up first" Emmeline said, picking up a piece of torn paper and putting into a plastic bin bag.
"Alright" Lily said, going over and helping, soon all the girls were putting things back where they should be.
"There" Marlene said triumphantly, hands on hips, looking at the now clean room. Emmeline and Dorcas were helping put plasters on each other as they had picked up the pieces of broken glass while Mary wiped the alcohol off the wall.
"We did a good job" Lily mused.
"Yeah, I think we did" Marlene said proudly.
"Alright now the hard bit" Dorcas laughed, looking over at Natasha.
"Wake the girl drowning in her own sorrow and blood" Emmeline said, looking sympathetically at the girl.
"Wow Emmy, thats poetic" Mary giggled. Lily walked over and shook her slightly.
"Go the fuck away" Natasha mumbled sleepily.
"No, get up" Mary yelled.
"Mary!" Dorcas scolded. Natasha sat up and let the girls sort her out before getting back under the fresh sheets and falling asleep.
"Bless her" Marlene said.
"You've been spending too much time with purebloods" Mary noted, the girls laughed before also going bed and falling asleep.

"I am never dating a Slytherin ever again, no matter how long I live for" Natasha declared.
"Good, but I have something to ask. He killed Myrtle didnt he" Lily accused. It was a few days later and they were sitting in the bedroom, just the two of them, Natasha nodded sadly in response, but Lily got up angrily causing her to look up in surprise.
"I didnt know, I promise" She said.
"I think Natasha, deep down, you always knew" And with that Lily stormed off.

2 weeks later Natasha was walking in the corridor when she bumped into the muggle born, Hufflepuff, 6th year Ted Tonks.
"Sorry I-" She started, but then she saw that he had been crying. "Ted, right?" She asked, he nodded. "Whats wrong?"
"I-I-I just remembered that I broke up with my-my girlfriend" He hiccupped. "I'm so lonely" he cried, tears running down his face.
"oh... Well I have an idea, its temporary, a couple of weeks at most, but it might help you forget" She told him, he looked up.
"What is it?" he asked, intrigued.
"You date me, for two weeks and then we break up, I have just got out of a relationship so it'll help us both" She told him, he nodded happily.
"Thats a great idea, can we kiss...?" He asked shyly.
"Yes" Natasha smiled, leaning in to give the slightly older boy a kiss.

"Siri can you stay with me tonight?" Natasha asked. It was now a few days until the end of June, her and Ted had broken up and so she had no one to sleep with and waste her nights with. The Gryffindor girls (Mary, Marlene, Emmeline, Dorcas, Natasha and Lily) and the Marauders were sat in the common room, the fire lighting up the room enough so many could read.
"yeah of course" Sirius answered. In all honesty Sirius had had a crush on Natasha since she had started going out with James in 5th year and now two years later nothing had changed, he had only admitted having a crush on her when her and James had stopped dating as he didnt want to mess anything up between them. James wiggled his eyebrows, smirked and winked at Sirius as he got up and followed her upstairs. The two got changed, Natasha into a pair of shorts and t-shirt while Sirius in boxers and his t-shirt. The two fell asleep in each others arms, that was until 2am when there was a nock on the door
"Who the fuck is that?" Natasha asked, falling out of bed trying to get up. Sirius laughed softly. She went over to the door and opened it, only to see Tom standing there.
"What the fuck do you want?" She asked crossly.
"I need my stuff" He told her.
"What the fuck its 2am!" She growled. Tom looked over and saw Sirius in her bed, his face dropped.
"You moved on quickly" He noted.
"What? oh..." She said following his gaze. "No, I didnt.... I'm just lonely and wanted to sleep with someone, just sleep, we're just friends, Lily etc are having a sleepover with Alice in the Hufflepuff dorm and I-I dont want to" She told him. "Here let me get you your stuff" She said softly, going over to the draw and grabbing his things.
"Please stay safe, what ever you do and plan to do, please be careful" She told him, hugging him, he nodded and left. Natasha closed the door and slid down it, tears slipping down her cheeks, Sirius got out of bed and sat next to her.
"Its okay, Natasha, Its going to be okay" He soothed, holding her and letting her cry into his chest.