A Crown of Green and Silver Blood

III

September 6th, 1974

Sunlight filtered through the grand windows of the Hogwarts corridors, painting intricate patterns on the stone floor. It was a day like any other in 1974, yet something was amiss within the castle's ancient walls. As I walked among my fellow students, a subtle aura of tension lingered in the air, almost palpable.

As we strolled through the castle, James' infectious grin and Sirius' mischievous eyes brightened the otherwise gloomy atmosphere. Remus, the epitome of intellect, provided a steadying presence, while Peter, though quiet, proved to be a loyal friend. We were an unlikely alliance, bridging the gap between houses, and perhaps that was what made us all the more potent. But my mind drifted elsewhere, the relentless migraine I had been dealing with for days, intensifying its grip on my consciousness. My steps faltered, and I pressed a hand to my temple, hoping to quell the throbbing ache.

The raven-haired boy, Sirius, shot a concerned glance my way. "You alright there, Anastasia?" he asked, his voice laced with worry.

I managed a weak smile, not wanting to worry my friends. "I'm fine, just a bit of a headache. It'll pass," I assured him, though even to my own ears, my words lacked conviction.

Remus, always perceptive, furrowed his brow. "You've had this headache for days now. Maybe you should see Madam Pomfrey," he suggested, concern evident in his amber eyes.

"I appreciate the concern, Remus, but it's probably just stress from all the studying and Quidditch practice," I replied, trying to brush it off as a minor issue.

"Or maybe it's a side effect of hanging around with these troublesome boys too much." A loud voice chimed in, coming from behind us. Everyone stopped in their tracks and we all simultaneously turned around to look behind us. We were all met with a pale face staring back at us.

"Bella, I'm not sure if you know this, but trailing people down corridors is not normal behavior," I say with a slight joking tone in my voice

The wild-haired girl, Bellatrix, rolled her eyes dramatically. "Oh, please. I'm just making sure you're not causing any trouble," she retorted, crossing her arms over her chest. Sirius scoffed, his grey eyes sparking with irritation.

"Yeah, because you're such an expert on behaving properly," he shot back, earning a glare from Bellatrix.

"Can't you two just exist in the same room for less than 5 minutes without starting something?" I interjected, stepping between them before their bickering escalated further. "We don't need a duel in the middle of the corridor."

I glanced at Sirius, silently urging him to drop it. Bellatrix huffed, her fiery temperament not easily extinguished. "Fine, but don't think I'm done with you," she warned Sirius before turning her attention back to me. "Anyway, have you seen Tom around? He's been missing from the Slytherin common room, and I wanted to remind him about our study session." "I haven't seen him since breakfast," I replied, trying not to let the headache affect my patience.

"I bet he's off plotting or something," James piped up, unable to resist taking a jab at Tom. Bellatrix's eyes flashed with fury, and I could almost see the sparks crackling around her.

"Watch your mouth, Potter. Tom is a brilliant wizard, and you'd do well to learn something from him," she retorted fiercely.

Sirius rolled his eyes and grinned playfully. "Oh, we're well aware of his brilliance, Bella. It's just a bit overshadowed by his arrogance," he teased, earning a smirk from James. Remus intervened, and I sensed an unusual amount of annoyance in his voice. "Why don't we all calm down and get back to our business? Anastasia is not feeling well, and I'm sure Tom is busy with his own affairs."

"Oh, don't tell me somethings crawled up your ass too," Snorted Sirius. It was probably intended as a joke but his voice still had a hint of malice in it from his little spat with Bellatrix.

Bellatrix's anger subsided slightly, but she still shot one last glare at Sirius before departing with a huff. Once she was out of earshot, Sirius let out a relieved breath.

"You know, it's almost like she enjoys picking fights with us," he commented, shaking his head.

"She doesn't enjoy picking fights with all of you, just you, Pads," I reply, my voice quiet as I stared at the ground with my eyes closed shut trying to relieve the pain in my head. Raising my voice like I did just now was not the best idea as the pain in my head only seemed to get worse. Before it had just been a constant pain throughout the entirety of my head, but now it was worse, coming and going in strong waves of agonizing pain.

"That is not true," Replied Sirius, "She's been picking fights with all of us. You really need to start keeping your little snake friends in check because they've been coming after us four since 1st year.

"How is that my fault? I can't control what my friends do," I reply angrily. "And maybe they'd stop bothering you guys so much if you'd stop pulling on those pranks on my house."

"You mean the pranks that you agreed on?" Replied Sirius, slowly walking towards me.

“You guys never even told me about most of those pranks!” I shout, my unintentionally loud voice drawing the attention of a few students still walking down the corridor.

As Sirius approached, his voice carried an edge that sliced through the tension like a blade. "Agreed on or not, Anastasia, it doesn't change the fact that your friends have been causing trouble for us for years."

His words hit me like a physical blow, exacerbating the already throbbing pain in my head. I winced, my grip tightening on the strap of my bag as I fought to maintain my composure. "I know they can be... difficult," I admitted, my voice strained with both physical and emotional discomfort. "But they're my friends, Sirius. I can't just abandon them."

Sirius's gaze softened, a flicker of remorse crossing his features. "I'm not asking you to abandon them, Anastasia. I just wish you'd understand how it feels to be on the receiving end of their antics."

"I do understand," I insisted, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "But I can't control their actions any more than you can control James and his pranks."

"Maybe not," Sirius conceded, his tone gentler now. "But you can influence them. You have more sway with Bellatrix and Tom than anyone else."

The mention of their names sent another wave of anguish coursing through my skull, and I closed my eyes, willing the pain to subside. "I'll talk to them," I promised, though the words tasted bitter on my tongue. "But you have to promise me something too, Sirius."

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What is it?"

"Promise me you'll try to understand," I pleaded, my voice barely above a whisper. "I'm going through something right now, something I can't fully explain. And I need you to be patient with me."

For a moment, Sirius's expression softened, a flicker of empathy shining in his stormy grey eyes. "I promise," he said quietly, slowly backing away

With that silent vow, we resumed our journey through the sunlit corridors of Hogwarts, leaving behind the echoes of our shared pain and the promise of brighter days yet to come.

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AN: after a year I'm finally back, I need to stop procrastinating and being a perfectionist so I can just hurry and get this shit out already

hopefully the next chapter will have a shorter wait

<3