Written In the Stars | s.b |

SEVENTEEN

A/n : I wanna put this warning for child abuse. I do not and will never go into it but it's heavily eluded (as you might have noticed) and I'm putting a warning here for y'all

It's was finally New Years Eve.

In two days, Sirius would be heading back to hogwarts — far away from his mother.

He was trapped at the annual Black New Years party filled with all kinds of dark wizards and death eaters. Sirius never noticed just how dark and twisted all these people were but he was slowly realizing just how horrible his families beliefs were.

Regulus and Sirius stood far off from the crowds. They both were adorned in their dress robes, both secretly hating everything about this party they were forced to attend year after year.

Why Sirius — the disgraced Black — was still forced to attend this ridiculous event, he didn't know for sure. He wouldn't put it passed his family to force him to these events for the mere pleasure of humiliating him.

"Hello Little Siri," Bellatrix sang, ruffling the younger boy's hair before cackling.

Sirius swatted his cousins hand from his hair, glancing at his brother. Regulus gave his secret eye roll that only Sirius could identify.

"What do you want Trixy," Sirius asked with a small smirk.

Bellatrix sneered at her cousin before putting on a psychotic smile.

"Just wondering how hogwarts is this year," she said. "I am on to bigger and better things but I still wish to check on the failed cousin of mine."

Sirius sneered, feeling himself overcome with hatred.

"What's your bigger and better?" Regulus said. "Being you-know-who's assistants assistant."

Bellatrix growled for a second. "You fall so low, Sirius, that you need you're baby brother to stand up for you. You really are pathetic — just like that filthy half blood creaton you call your girlfriend."

"She's not filthy nor a creaton!" Sirius yelled, suddenly overcome by uncontrollable anger. "And there is nothing wrong with having a muggle parent!"

The room went silent, as if his words had sucked out all the air from the death eaters lungs. Fear filled his own lungs as he felt his mothers eyes pierce on him from across the room.

"Sirius Black!" He winced at the tone of her voice, shrinking back. "Upstairs. Now."

He felt Regulus' hand graze against his in a secret attempt at comfort. Before following his mother up the stairs, he got the sight of Bellatrix smirking triumphantly.

Sirius entered his room, his ribs aching and his inside screaming for any sort of relief. He leaned against his door, breathing heavily as silent sobs escaped his mouth. There was a knock on his door, causing Sirius to flinch and scurry away from the door.

Walburga Black would never knock on the door, but his father would and though his father wasn't nearly as bad as his mother, he was still someone you wouldn't want to have to face.

"Sirius..." Regulus' voice whispered through the door. "It's me, Reggie..."

Sirius let out a shaky sigh of relief. Standing to his feet, he opened the door for his brother who quickly came in, shutting the door behind him.

"She did a number on you..." Regulus muttered. "Freaking Bellatrix led you right into that."

"It's okay Reggie... I'm okay...." he lied, sitting on his bed.

"It's not okay," Regulus growled. "You don't deserve any of this."

"Neither do you Reggie," he said. "We were both unfortunately born to monsters..."

Regulus sighed. "I wish there was a way we could get out of all this... you could...."

"What?"

"You could get out of all this..." he repeated. "You have safe people who care about you. You can be happy and safe..."

"I'm not leaving you Reggie," Sirius said sternly. "Your my baby brother. I would never leave you to face that monster alone."

"I wouldn't be mad," Regulus said after a while. "If you did leave. I wouldn't blame you."

"Yeah well you're stuck with me. Now get out of here before mother makes her rounds."

Regulus sighed. Standing to his feet he said, "Goodnight Siri, I love you."

"I love you too Reggie."

Sirius laid in bed alone as the clock struck midnight — signifying the start of 1973.

He sighed and wished for nothing more than for him and his brother to be out of, and far away from, Grimmauld Place.

Wincing from the pain in his ribs, Sirius slowly and carefully turned to his other side, facing the window. He caught sight of the blanket Ariah made for him prompting him to stand up to retrieve it.

As soon as he wrapped the blanket around him, he was consumed by the scent of dittany and the feeling of comfort. He swaddled himself in the blanket, climbing back into bed feeling at peace and as if, for the first time since he'd ever been at home, he was loved.

Remus handed Meeka a cup of hot cocoa as he sat on the couch beside her.

It was well past midnight, Ariah and his parents were asleep lasting only a few moments after the clock struck midnight. Neither Meeka nor Remus were able to fall asleep so he made them hot cocoa and cookies while they watched It's a Wonderful Life — Remus' favorite Christmas movie.

Meeka smiled thankfully as she accepted the mug of cocoa. "I'm so glad I'm spending the holiday with you lot."

Remus smiled. "I'm glad you're here too. I heard you and Ariah talking a few days ago about your parents sending an owl saying you could go home. Why didn't you? — not that I mind!"

Meeka chuckled and shrugged, looking into her mug. "I just didn't want to spend the holidays alone."

"You wouldn't have been alone though? You're parents would have been with you."

"Eh... they're too busy with work stuff all the time," she said nonchalantly. "If I'm home I'm as good as alone."

"I'm sorry..." Remus said. "Then I'm really glad you stayed."

Meeka smiled, looking to Remus softly. "It's okay — I have my aunt and uncle and by summer they'll be out of prison. Why they were arrested in the first place — I have no idea. They didn't do anything."

"America sounds strange," Remus chuckled.

Meeka nodded with a chuckle. "It is quite strange over there but I enjoy my time with my aunt and uncle."

"I bet."

"Maybe... well maybe one day you could spend a weekend over there — in... in America — with my aunt and uncle... and, well, me... and Ariah..."

Meeka's cheeks went bright red. She focused her attention back on her mug, avoided his eyes.

"That'd be awesome!" Remus said. "I— I'd like to go with Ariah and you this next summer."

"Perfect! Sounds like a plan," she said with a shy smile.