From a young age, Leonora Potter had discovered that she was quite different from the rest of her family. After getting sorted into Slytherin, her relationship with the Potter's crumbled, and she was forced to find family in other places. Perhaps th...
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September 6, 1977 - Tuesday
Leonora was not looking forward to tonight. It was Tuesday, meaning she had her first patrol. That alone wouldn't have bothered her, but she'd been paired with Remus Lupin. The thought made her stomach twist. All she could imagine was the long, awkward night echoing their carriage ride, filled with uncomfortable silence and stories about James and her parents, a conversation she had no energy for.
Leonora was the first of her friends to dinner. As she sat alone, her gaze drifted across the Great Hall until it settled on the Gryffindor table. The infamous four hadn't arrived yet, but Lily was there, surrounded by friends, her laugh rising above the chatter. Her face was bright, open, and so effortlessly warm that Leonora felt something twist in her chest.
Jealousy wasn't quite the word for it. Not really. It was more like... longing.
No matter where she looked around the room, it seemed everyone else was always laughing, except at the Slytherin table. There, things were quieter. More serious. She often wondered what her life might have been like if the Sorting Hat had chosen differently, if she had been placed in Gryffindor instead.
Maybe she would've been beside Lily right now, joining in on their laughter. Perhaps she'd even be friends with Remus, Peter, and Sirius.
But then she wouldn't have had Regulus, Barty, or Illyria. They were all flawed, complicated, and filled with darkness, but they were also fiercely loyal, in a way that meant something.
"Earth to Nora," someone said, lazily waving a hand in her face.
Leonora blinked, startled out of her thoughts. She hadn't even realized she'd been staring. She turned to find Thalia standing beside her, one brow arched, preparing to sit along with Illyria.
"What were you staring at?" Thalia asked casually, already piling food onto her plate.
Leonora cleared her throat. "I wasn't staring. Just... thinking."
Thalia didn't buy it. She paused, fork in hand, and gave her a pointed look. "Thinking about what?"
"I've got patrols tonight. With Lupin." She dropped her gaze to her plate. "I'm nervous he'll bring up my family again."
Thalia wrinkled her nose in immediate disgust. "If he does, I can always hex him for you."
Leonora couldn't help but smile. "That won't be necessary, Thalia. We don't want to get expelled, remember?"
Thalia shrugged, utterly unfazed, then stabbed a piece of lamb and shoved it into her mouth. "Worth it," she muttered under her breath.
"What did he say to you in the carriage, anyway?" Illyria asked, leaning in. "You never told us."
