𝔚𝔞𝔯 𝔬𝔣 ℌ𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔱𝔰 // 𝔍𝔞𝔪𝔢𝔰 𝔓𝔬𝔱𝔱𝔢𝔯

TEN || Black Christmas

Estella

Barty thrusts deep inside me repeatedly, relentlessly. His groans and my moans fill the common room.

"Fuck I'm so close!" I moan, digging my fingernails into his toned back. 

Just as I am about to finish, the heavy doors to the common room swing open and I yelp in fright and Barty jumps off me. 

Severus Snape walks in and stands there wide-eyed and looking terrified before running the other way.

"Fuck," I groan, pulling a blanket over my chest. "He's a little snitch he'll tell everyone once they're back." I fret,

"I'm sure he won't. And what's the worst that could happen if everyone knows?"

"Are you high? This has to be kept a secret,"

"But why, I mean...I kinda want people to know-"

"You what?!"

"I want people to know that I get to fuck Estella freaking Black."

"Oh my god. It's not like we're together. We're only fucking. People do not need to know that."

"I just don't understand why we can't be together."

"Because I don't..."

"You don't actually like me,"

"That's not it, it's just...I can't be in a relationship with feelings right now. Friends with benefits remember?"

"Yeah..I guess so."

"I'm sorry-"

"No, it's fine." he sighs, pulling his trousers back on. "I get it."

"Thank you," I tighten the blanket around my chest. He gets fully clothed and leaves.

~
January 5th, 1975

Today everyone gets back from break. Barty and I continued to hookup as usual like nothing ever happened, and Snape hasn't said a single thing about when he walked in on us. So I'm hoping he just forgets.

At breakfast I sit with Barty and I neglect my food as I read the Daily Prophet. Another Muggle family was murdered last night. Normally I'd say not my problem. But this is becoming a problem.

I sigh and set it down, wondering why on earth someone would even need to kill innocents just for something that doesn't even involve them.

The sick and twisted truth is that he does it for sport, for entertainment...for fun.

 Feeling to upset and sick to eat, I leave the table without a word to Barty. As I make my way to...where am I going? Bathroom, alright. As I make my way to the bathroom my mind wanders. How can Bellatrix and Narcissa be okay with this?

Our parents, all Blacks for that matter, are the dark lords biggest supporters. Bellatrix is now one of them, she's been marked with that damn tattoo even. I will never. I don't want to choose between what I think is right and what my family believes in. I can't and won't, so after a small breakdown in the bathroom I made my decision to stay neutral.

~

"Andy!" I yell from the entrance hall as I spot Andromeda walking into the castle with her boyfriend Tonks.

"Stella!" she flings her stuff into Ted's chest and he struggles a bit before getting ahold of it -he will do anything for her- and she runs over to me and hugs me tight.

"I missed you so much! I need to talk to you about a lot of stuff I can't put into a letter. How was your break?"

A solemn look takes over her pretty features. 

"Talk later." She whispers and glances back at Tonks for a second. "But for now be glad you made the decision not to come home for Christmas."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"We'll talk tonight, Stella, I promise." she holds her pinky out and I do as well, locking them,

"I'll hold you to that,"

~
After dinner

I've been waiting in Andromeda's dorm for a bit, she told me to meet her there.

When the door finally creaks open and after I hear Ted saying his goodnight and goodbye, the silence of a kiss, and a soft "I love you", she enters and closes the door shut.

"Okay, Stella," she whispers and sits at her bed criss cross in front of me. "Have you spoken at all to any of us since we've gotten back?"

"Nope. I saw Narcissa and Bella but they both ignored me. I saw Sirius but he was with Potter...never mind that. And...I haven't seen Reg at all."

"Okay, well..." she heaves a sigh. "To say the least stuff went down on Christmas night. After supper we all went to the living room to talk about y'know the war and the dark lord and stuff. I was surprised when they let Sirius and Regulus in. But...after Bellatrix showed everyone her dark mark, Sirius went ballistic, he was going off about how he always knew she was...well evil, but never knew she would take it this far.

"Uncle Orion hit him, and made him sit back down. Walburga then announced, that at Christmas next year...he, Regulus, and you, would all be initiated as death eaters as well. Not marked, but let in- forced in. He did not like this at all. He tried to get up and run away...but then Orion got more...violent. It was awful. I have never seen it so...cruel, and you know that's saying something.

"Sirius was yelling and screaming...begging. It was so bad," her eyes welled with tears as she spoke. "I feared Orion would kill him. The worst bit is...everybody stood there and watched. But then little Regulus ran in the way and shoved his father off Sirius. This made it worse, because then Regulus got it too. But, of course, then Sirius was free to go.

"I didn't expect this, but he used floo powder and went, I'm assuming, to Potters house. I hadn't seen Regulus after that, apart from this morning. He doesn't look well."

I take a moment to soak everything in.

"I need to find Sirius, and Regulus..." I stood up, but Andy grabbed me.

"No, Stella. Sirius is all the way in Gryffindor tower and Regulus won't talk yet."

"Okay, but listen." I lick my lips and sit down again. "One night, in the middle of the night Regulus came to me crying." I tell her all about when Reg confided with me about his guilt for not standing up for Sirius. Like he just did on Christmas, and paid for it.

"Oh, that poor thing," she sniffs, "He deserves so much better, they both do. Sometimes I wonder if...if we could just run away, us four. I would love that. Ted and I could buy a home and you guys could stay with us as long as you need. But...I don't know if that would be possible. The only way I'll be able to marry Ted would be if I ran away."

"That's true. But I have faith in you guys. You and Tonks are endgame, I can tell." 

She smiles and hugs me.

"Can you promise me something?" she whispers,

"That depends on what the promise is."

"Promise you'll never join them. And never let them control you."

"Okay. I promise. Even if I'm threatened with the Cruciatus Curse," Andy grins and nods.

"Talk to Sirius tomorrow, alright?" I nod too.

"Of course,"

***

When you realize the Black's are the dysfunctional family of dysfunctional families.

Published: 10/25/2023