𝐍𝐎 𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒- Marlene McKinnon

𝐈𝐕.

𝐍𝐎 𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑: 𝐈𝐕.

November 3rd, 1977

The letter arrives the morning of Sirius's birthday. Half the Gryffindors have filled the Great Hall with singing to him at breakfast when the owl arrives for Mathilda.

She suspects it's from her mother, speaking about her ill behavior at Hogsmeade.

In reality, it's much, much worse.

Rabastan's name is printed neatly across the paper.

Mathilda wants to cry.

It's been four days since the incident occurred and a part of her had hoped that maybe things would just smooth over her. Instead, Evan has been ignoring her as if she has the plague, and Severus hasn't spoken a word to her besides short sentences in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

She opens the letter slowly, hardly able to read the paper with how badly her hands are shaking.

Mathilda, the letter begins, Rabastan's neat scrawl staring at her from the page. Evan Rosier has written to inform me of your recent strange behavior. I suppose he deemed it fit to write to me rather than your parents as he did not want you to receive a harsh punishment. He's told me that you've recently befriended a half-blood Gryffindor by the name of Marlene McKinnon. If this is true, I am telling you you must end this friendship immediately. Your parents may be unhappy about it, but they know my terms. If you are not committed to our purposes, I will have to break off our marriage. There is a meeting to occur among some of the Dark Lord's finest, myself included, over your Christmas break. You will be coming with me to prove your loyalty to him, once and for all.

Yours, Rabastan.

A meeting with the Dark Lord. The very thought of it is enough to make Mathilda want to vomit. When Regulus lowers to sit beside her, she flinches sharply, folding the letter up and stuffing it back into the envelope.

He raises his hands innocently, offering a smile. "Sorry, Thilda. Who's the letter from?"

"Rabastan," she says, trying to smile, though it looks more like a grimace. "He's invited me to visit over winter holiday."