The House of Hawke has been called the traitorous, filthy and scum house the entire time that name was known to the living.
Past or future, one would accompany it with the adjective "Horrifying".
It was a matter of grief for the youngest daughter...
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When I finally spot him, he has Ella beside him. Something twists in my belly and I don't like it.
He spots me and smiles back, starting to make his way over but then he pauses and frowns. It takes me a moment to realise, he can't move.
He's stuck under a mistletoe. With my sister.
I walk over and James is making a guilty face. "I'm sorry, okay?" He then whispers, "I kept them up there for Lily and I, mum forced me to remove them before the ball but that one must have gone unnoticed."
Sirius is sitting on the armchairs nearby, still drinking. I'm worried for him, so worried but I don't say anything, yet.
"I can't." James winces. "They will only let you out once you've kissed. Sirius used the strongest spell on it."
"Sirius, you'd know the counter-curse?" Remus turned to him.
"I don't." He frowns. "I just read it somewhere in Hogwarts,"
"It's alright, what's the fuss about?" Ella piped in. "It's just a kiss, Remus. I'm sure your girlfriend doesn't mind."
I pursed my lips when Remus looked over at me and shook my head. "I don't. Ella's right, it's . . . just a kiss."
Remus smiled back at me and leaned down to seize Ella's lips with his own.
It wasn't just a kiss. They looked like they'd done it before. My heart punctured but I didn't let it get to me. I trusted Remus.
When he got out, he stopped in front of me and kissed me right when the clock hit midnight.
I pulled away to find James and Lily kissing, too. My jaw dropped. "They, they, are they?"
"Yep," Sirius got up from his chair. "Charmed that one after appearing shirtless, once."
I grinned, "I'm so happy for them."
When the ball started, I looked over at Remus but he just shook his head apologetically, "I'm too tired,"
I nodded and sat down for the entirety of the dance while he went and took a seat with James, Lily and Ella.
I told myself it was alright. And it was. It was my sister and my boyfriend, and they'd been friends way before I even came to Hogwarts.
Everyone clinked glasses and shared jokes and memories and I felt myself feel something I'd only rarely felt.
Insecurity.
I went over to the decanter area and poured myself muggle whiskey in a beer mug.
"That's strong," someone says beside me. "You don't want it right now,"
"Don't be a hypocrite, Black," I say before taking a long chug of the whiskey. Also, did I mention spitting it right back out?
Sirius snorts, leaning his back against the counter shelf. "I'm not being a hypocrite. You just haven't had anything other than firewhiskey and taking the strongest muggle one next is a big step."
