War is Over

4.

"Dad, when you said trial I didn't know you meant it would start in three days time!" I yelled from my bedroom the following Monday as I rushed to put on my best dress and make myself look presentable before the Ministry.

"I didn't either, dear, until I got the notice to come get you." I walked out as I smoothed my hair down. Dad took in my appearance. My white dress from my wedding party and a pair of red heels. I'd tied the top half of my hair back with a ribbon.

"Too much?" I asked after he didn't speak, he shook his head.

"You look beautiful. We've got to go now." He grabbed my hand and pulled me to the fireplace. He threw a handful of floo powder in.

"The Ministry of Magic." I spoke as I jumped in. I hated floo powder. I hated the way it ruffled your clothes and your hair. I hated the way it smelled and the taste it left in your mouth. I landed in the middle of the Ministry building, dad coming close behind me. He grabbed my hand and pulled me to the trial room. When he opened the door, I saw a big chair sitting in the middle. I looked up at him. He just ushered me through the room.

"I get a chair this time?" I asked, he nodded as I sat down.

"Nova Potter, no doubt you know why you've been called today." A loud voice spoke, I couldn't place who it came from.

"I've been called twice already before sir, I surely have a pretty good guess." I replied. I watched dad sigh as he put his head in his hands.

"For the new members in the room, would you please explain what happened on October 31, 1981?" He asked. I dug my nails into my palm. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

"Certainly, sir. As I'm sure you all know by now, I'm married to Regulus Black, now Regulus Potter. At the time he was acting as a spy for the Order. He was posing as a Death Eater and attending their meetings, he knew all the plans and where they would strike next. He informed Professor Minerva Mcgonagall, Professor Dumbledore, Lily Evans-Potter, James Potter, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and myself of the attack planned on the Evans-Potter's and their son, Harry Potter. Professor Dumbledore told myself, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin not to interfere, but Professor Mcgonagall had other plans. She knew we couldn't let James, Lily, and Harry face the dark lord alone. She divised a plan to have the four of us be at the Evans-Potter residence when Peter Pettigrew and He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named arrived and we executed that plan." I felt myself slipping into the memory of that night. I tried to stay focused on where I was as I explained but I could only see James and Lily's house. I took a deep breath and let the memory take over.

"Nova, dear, are you ready?" Minnie asked. I nodded. I tightened my grip on my wand. Any second now Peter would be knocking at the house that he shouldn't have been able to find. Dark magic had mysterious ways of finding things it shouldn't. Sirius and Remus headed to Harry's bedroom. Then came the knock. Five sharp knocks. We'd always done that knock to let each other know it was us. I looked to James. He just nodded. Brave as always, as if his life wasn't on the line. Lily locked the kitchen door. Minnie stayed with her, I stood right where the door James was about to open would be.

"I love you, Vix." He told me softly as he grabbed the doorknob. I nodded.

"I love you too, Jamie." I readied my wand.

"James, my brother!" Peter cried as the door opened. "I'm not safe, yours was the only place I could think to come. You have to help me!" He stepped inside and James shut the door. I looked over at Peter.

"Nova? What're you doing here?" He asked. I shrugged.

"Came to see my brother, and my nephew. What's wrong Pete?"

"Nova, I'm so sorry you have to see this. Av-"

"Avada Kadavra." I cut him short, casting the curse at him. Green flashed before he fell to the floor. I gasped. James looked at me as Sirius began to bark, he wasn't supposed to become his animagus. That meant something bigger was going on. I handed James my wand as tears rushed to my eyes.

"Go! Go get Harry!" I ordered, Minnie told Lily the same thing through the door. I dove for James' wand on the table while Minnie ran back to Harry's room. As I approached all I saw was a cloud of black smoke, Lily trembling with her wand pointed at it, Sirius guarding Harry while he sobbed, and Minnie holding James. I turned back around. I walked to their living room. I fell to my knees at the sight of one of my closest friends bodies, laying there. I began to sob.

"Then, Professor Mcgonagall reassured me that had I not killed him, he would have killed James. As for his body, Professor Mcgonagall told us she would take care of it and we all needed to get someplace safe, so we did." I explained to the court as tears ran down my face.

"Had it not crossed your mind to stun him?" Someone asked, my chair involuntarily swivled to them. I held back a bitter laugh.

"Let me ask you this, Minister. Do you have siblings?" The man nodded.

"I do, a sister."

"You get on?"

"Yes."

"Now, imagine someone were planning to kill her. Not only planning but trying to execute that plan. They show up, you're there. They begin to apologize to you for what they're going to do, then start to cast the most unforgivable curse. Would you think to stun them? Or would that unforgivable curse they were saying be at the forefront of your mind?" My chair turned again.

"That's enough Mrs. Potter. We will reconvene with testimonies tomorrow. Dismissed."

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Regulus came home to the sight of me in the baggiest, comfiest clothes I could find curled up in the armchair, a bottle of opened wine on the table, my hair half falling out of the clip I'd put it in and my makeup smeared all over my face from crying. He sat on the arm of the chair and kissed my head.

"Your dad popped into Hogwarts to let me know." He said. I scooted over in the chair for him to sit beside me. I buried my head in his shoulder while he held me.  "Have you eaten, love?" I shook my head. He leaned forward and picked up the bottle of wine, half gone. He sighed.

"Right then, you sit here. Grease or Acristocats?"

"Grease, please." He nodded and popped it into the projector before making his way to the kitchen. I watched the beginning credits as I heard clamoring and curse words from the kitchen. A few moments later he came out with a cup of tea and replaced my wine bottle with it.

"Is it more of a toast and fruit kind of bad day or pasta with butter?" He asked. I felt tears rush to my eyes at the simple fact he'd been paying attention to what I ate on my bad days. He placed his hand on my knee.

"You've noticed that?" I asked. He looked at me confused.

"I've noticed everything about you, amor. There is not a single thing I haven't memorized about you." I stretched up to kiss him. As we pulled apart he undid the claw clip from my hair. I laughed as he handed it to me. "So, what's on the menu?"

"Toast and fruit, please."