𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀, harry potter

seventy four

74 || taken

When Adelaide finally made her return to the Slytherin Common Room, music was blasting, and drinks were being passed around. So many students were already drunk and celebrating the win.

"There she is!" Adrian cheered, "Our favourite chaser! Don't tell Theo."

"Are you drunk?" Adelaide asked, wondering how the thirty minutes she had spent walking around was enough time for Adrian to get all this alcohol in his system.

He smiled, "Only a little bit. But we won! Let's celebrate. Warrington, pass us a drink."

A shot of something was placed in Adelaide's hand and Adrian looked at her, "Come on. Celebrate. We won. We fucking won."

"Fine," Adelaide sighed and downed the shot, "Another one Warrington!"

Theo was stumbling through the grounds when an owl dropped in front of him holding a piece of parchment. It was ripped at the edges and covered in dirt which terrified Theo. Anyone sending him a letter would be neat and perfect.

As soon as he took the parchment, the owl flew off leaving Theo alone. Cautiously, he opened the parchment and revealed the five words written.

I know what you are.

His breath hitched in his throat. It wasn't signed by anyone, and they didn't leave any clues for him to figure that out.

"T-Bird!" A slurred voice announced, "Come back inside and celebrate. We won."

Theo looked to his best friend, she was clueless to what was happening right in front of her, her body taken over by the alcohol in her system, "I'll be back in five."

"Good, because were playing truth or dare, if you don't go you take a shot," Adelaide smiled and hurried off back inside.

His fake smile left and was replaced by worry, if this person knew what he was, it was only a matter of time before it would be revealed to everyone else. And Theo didn't want to know what would happen to Adelaide if he failed his mission.

...

In a dim lit room, a boy sat lonely as the dampness made the air cold around him.

It had been two and a half months since Lucas Black had been taken by the Death Eaters. They invaded their home in France at Christmas, leaving behind Cassiopeia, beaten and bloody. She served as the reminder to other blood traitors according to them.

Lucas didn't know if his mother had made it out, he hoped she had. Although they had cut off contact after Marlene's death so they would be safe meaning the Order wouldn't suspect anything different.

After the first month someone paid him a visit, someone Lucas never thought he'd see. Bellatrix Lestrange.

He wondered how Alex had turned out so different. There was no mania in his friend, just pure kindness. Completely the opposite of her mother.

"Little Black. I'm going to let you in on a secret," Bellatrix whispered close to his ear, "Your friend, Theo, he's one of us now. Has been since the summer. Do you want to know what the Dark Lord has tasked him with? Killing his best friend. His sister. Your cousin. Adelaide Black."

That had been the only thing playing on his mind for a month. How could his boyfriend betray them like that? Maybe his father had forced him, but Bellatrix told Lucas how willing Theo had been to volunteer for his task.

That's why Lucas knew he had to take the risk. Narcissa had smuggled him a piece of parchment, she had been kind to him. He guessed she didn't want to be here either. Lucas tore the parchment into two, one for Theo and one for Adelaide.

When he had written them, Narcissa owled them for him using two different owls. He couldn't explicitly say what was happening as he knew Umbridge was checking the post at Hogwarts, but he had said enough to warn Adelaide and keep Theo on his toes.

Meanwhile, Cassiopeia lay unconscious in St Mungos. After Snape had informed the Order that Lucas had not returned to Hogwarts, Dumbledore sent a team to check the safehouse. There they found Cassiopeia barely alive and no sign of Lucas.

"Are we going to tell Adelaide?" Remus asked as he sat by the side of the hospital bed.

Sirius, who had entered in his Animagus form, shook his head, "She's been through enough. If we tell her about Cass and Lucas, she'll break."

"If we don't tell her she'll be pissed," Regulus stated, "We can't keep another secret from her Sirius."

"What choice do we have?" Sirius sighed, "There's nothing she can do. Adelaide needs to focus on her schoolwork, unless you forgot she's still a child."

Regulus scoffed, "After what she's been through, she's not a child anymore."

Remus stood up, "There's no point in arguing. We can't get a letter to Adelaide anyway because Umbridge is checking mail and Sirius, you almost got caught last time using the fireplace. Adelaide deserves to heal before she gets hit by another tragedy."

"Fine. But if she finds out and goes on one at you, I won't stand in her way," Regulus said and stormed out of the room. It had been hard on him, loosing Marlene and then soon after finding out his sister had been hospitalised while his nephew was missing. It was like the Black family was coming to an end. One heir at a time.

AUTHORS NOTE —
anyways, i'm back. don't even know
why it took me so long lol.