Loyalties | Barty Crouch Jr

The First Patrol

September 6, 1977 - Tuesday

Leonora was not looking forwards to tonight. It was Tuesday, meaning she had her first patrol. That in itself wasn't an issue, the problem was that it was with Remus Lupin. She couldn't help but feel that it would be a repeat of their carriage ride, and she was not in the mood to hear about James and her parents for the entire night.

Leonora was the first of her friends to dinner. As she sat alone, her eyes wandered around the great hall, landing on the Gryffindor table. The four infamous boys weren't there yet, but Lily was sitting there, surrounded by her laughing friends.

At times, Leonora would feel jealous. Whenever she would glance around the great hall, her eyes always landed on students laughing. There was rarely laughing at the Slytherin table. Everybody was so serious. She had always wondered what her life would be like if she was sorted into Gryffindor rather than Slytherin.

She would probably be friends with Lily, maybe even friends with Remus, Peter, and Sirius as well. But then, she wouldn't have been friends with Regulus, or Barty, or Illyria. And although they all had their darknesses, they were some of the most loyal friends she could ask for.

"Earth to Nora," someone said as they waved their hand in front of her face. She didn't realize she had been staring.

She turned her head, meeting the eyes of Thalia, who was preparing to sit down along with Illyria.

"What were you staring at?" She questioned while plating up her dinner.

Leonora cleared her throat. "I wasn't staring, just thinking."

Thalia stared at her, expecting a more in depth response, but no such thing came. "About what?" She pressed on.

"I have patrols tonight, with Lupin. I'm nervous he'll bring up my family again."

Thalia scrunched her nose in a disgusted manner. "If he does, I can always hex him for you."

Leonora smiled. "That won't be necessary, Thalia. We don't want to get expelled, remember."

Thalia just shrugged her shoulders, before stuffing a bite of lamb into her mouth.

"What did he say to you in the carriage, anyways, Nora?" questioned Illyria, leaning her head forwards so that Leonora could hear. "You never told us."

"Just that they still love me and are all worried about me. I'm not quite sure I fully believe that." She paused for a moment, trying to remember anything else. "Oh, and apparently James is afraid I'll get hurt, judging by who I associate myself with." She let out a scoff.

Thalia eyed her cautiously. "And what did you say to that?" She was understandably offended by the last part, same with Illyria.

"I told him that the people I associate with are my friends, and that they would never turn their backs on me like my family did."

Illyria and Thalia smiled, content with her answer.

Just then, four loud and rambunctious boys entered into the great hall, making their way over to the Gryffindor table. Leonora rolled her eyes as she watched James sit down and place a kiss on Lily's cheek.

Thalia spotted it as well. "He gets the honor of being born with pure blood, and yet he wants to ruin that for his children by loving a mudblood." She shook her head. "I'm sorry you have to be related to that sorry excuse of a family," she said with fake sympathy, looking straight into Leonoras eyes with a smirk.

Leonora only responded with a tight smile, keeping her composure. She was irritated, but starting a fight with Thalia wouldn't be worth it. She might not have the best relationship with her family, but Thalia could sometimes take it way to far with her words. And calling her family a 'sorry excuse of a family,' was definitely taking it way to far.