Of The Solstice

After the Storm

A few months later~

As I read my "History of Magic" textbook, I jotted down important notes on my parchment. I hear footsteps approaching, but they gradually get softer.

"I know you're there. You're not as quiet as you think," I said loudly, continuing to jot down notes.

"I wasn't trying to sneak up on you," Pandora said as she sat down beside me. "Are you doing alright?" she asked.

I took a deep breath. "Did Regulus send you?"

She laughed. "Not this time, although he's probably not very far behind me."

I let out a snort. "Of course he is."

"He likes you, you know... it's all he talks about," she whispered.

"Oh, trust me, I'm aware," I replied, closing my book and putting it, along with my parchment, away.

I glanced over my shoulder and saw Regulus walking towards us.

"Speak of the devil," I said, a playful smile on my face.

Regulus joined us, taking a seat on the other side of me. "How were your classes today?"

"They were fine," I sighed. "Other than the duo giving me a death glare," I added.

"Are they still upset with you?" Pandora asked.

I shrugged, "Remus only speaks to me when the others aren't around."

"Well, I mean, you did admit to being a Death Eater," Pandora said, her words dragging out.

I let out a sigh, feeling a tinge of frustration. "You're not helping, Dora."

Regulus stepped in, "What Pandora means is that they don't understand the reasons behind your choices. The moment they heard 'Death Eater,' everything else you said fell on deaf ears."

Pandora nodded, acknowledging Regulus' explanation. "I was getting to that.

The conversation was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. My heart raced, pounding in my chest, and a surge of heat flushed through my face. Feeling uneasy, I grabbed my bag and stood up. "I really appreciate you guys coming to talk to me, but I think I'm going to head up to my room."

With that, I turned and made my way back towards the castle. As I walked through the corridors, a group of younger Gryffindor boys caught sight of me and began whispering. "Traitor," their words reached my ears. I halted abruptly, my wand instinctively finding its way into my hand. I turned sharply to face them.

"Do we have a problem?" I demanded, my voice laced with a harsh tone.

The tallest of the three stepped forward, drawing his wand. "I don't know, do we?" he spat.

"I suggest you think very carefully about your next move," I replied, my voice steady.

"Let's go," one of them muttered, nudging the tall Gryffindor. Reluctantly, they turned on their heels and hurriedly walked away, their whispers fading into the distance.

"Fucking arsehole" I mutter under my breath.

I approached the entrance of the common room and uttered, "Fortuna Major," to the painting.

"Incorrect password, dear," The Fat Lady responded.

"What do you mean, wrong password? It was Fortuna Major this morning!" I retorted, my voice tinged with annoyance.

The Fat Lady grinned mischievously and replied, "You'll have to wait for a housemate to give you the password, dear."

Frustrated, I flung my bag into the corner and plopped down on the floor beside it.

After what felt like an eternity, I finally heard footsteps ascending the stairs. Remus, Sirius, and James locked eyes with me as they reached the top.

Drawing in a deep breath, I stood before them and spoke with a flat tone, "I need the password."

Sirius pushed past me, his voice barely a whisper as he uttered the password. James followed suit, walking past me and entering the common room.

Remus approached me, his expression filled with regret. "I'm sorry, Bug... I tried to reason with them, but they wouldn't listen," he said apologetically.

I let out a defeated sigh. "It's whatever, Moons... Can I please just have the password? I want to go to bed," I replied, my tone reflecting my exhaustion.

"It's 'Quid Agis.' I've got to go..." Remus hurriedly shared the password before rushing through the common room door.

After a few moments, I entered the common room and made my way up the stairs to my room. Without wasting any time, I dropped my bag by the door and collapsed onto my bed. Exhaustion consumed me as I let out a heavy sigh.