𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 ; 𝒹.𝒽

- prologue: lavinia

1977

"Lavinia Cassiopeia Black!"

"Go on, then."

"It's your turn!"

Lavinia Black was lightly nudged by a group of students awaiting to be sorted into their houses. She slowly walked up the small steps of stairs in the Great Hall, taking a seat in the chair overlooking the students.

Her eyes scanned the room anxiously as she picked at her nails. She saw her older brother, Sirius Black, sitting with his friends at the Gryffindor table, waiting to see where she would be sorted. She then looked to the Slytherin table, finding her other older brother, Regulus Black, looking at her with an encouraging smile.

The hat was placed on her head, "Hmm, your mind is not what I have ever seen before. You might be madder than this hatter!" It exclaimed a few students giggled, "Ah, yes, another Black. But where to put you... it seems as if your mind fractures so easily, I see no definitive personality here." The hat said as she nervously looked at Headmaster Dumbledore, who seemed unfazed.

"Please, not Gryffindor. Not Slytherin." She quietly pleaded to herself.

"I see... but I cannot go off of what you want, because you don't seem to know what you want yourself. Hmm, I shall put you in... Slytherin!"

Lavinia's heart dropped as claps erupted from the Slytherin table. She stood up and looked at Sirius, who just clenched his jaw and looked away in anger as his best friend, James Potter, whispered something in his ear.

He's saying horrible things about me. Lavinia thought to herself as she meekly walked to the Slytherin table. She sat at the end, looking down in shame. She felt someone sit down beside her, "Hey, you alright?" Regulus asked.

Lavinia shook her head, "I didn't want to be sorted in here."

Regulus let out a quiet chuckle, "Hey, this isn't a bad lot. Since you're here, I'll be able to be around you more. It'll be alright, yeah?"

Things weren't easy. Lavinia received taunts and relentless bullying from her classmates, the majority of them being Gryffindors of all years. She dealt with frequent outbursts and meltdowns, and the only one that would calm her down was Regulus.

She didn't see much of Sirius. When she would pass him in the hall, he would often glance at her momentarily before brushing past her with his friends.

On a chilly and rainy evening, Lavinia was running across the courtyard to get to the Great Hall quicker. But she was quickly interrupted when she bumped into group of people just before she could escape the storm.

"Watch it, freak." A Gryffindor fifth year snapped as his group of friends laughed.

"S-Sorry." She meekly said.

"What was that? Speak up."

"I didn't mean to bump into you!" She said louder, "I just wanna go eat."

The boy scoffed, "What's with the tone? No reason for the hostility, is there now?" He questioned as he walked towards her.

Lavinia slowly backed up as one of his friends snatched her bag away. She opened it up, "Hm, let's see here." She said, throwing things out of her bag as she went through it.