Noyade | Rabastan Lestrange [2] ✔︎

14 | FEARS

Getting into the meetings with the other young Death Eaters was easier than expected. Apparently, Alexander Rosier had neither been put off by Phoenix' emotional outbreak at the Yule Ball approximately a year earlier nor by the rumours about her engagement or powers and it took only a smile and a few kind words to get him to agree to let her know when he heard where and when the next meeting would take place. However, the question whether he would keep his promise remained.

Phoenix slowly started to doubt his words of assurance when the beginning of December drew closer. Regulus hadn't changed his mind either, which made her so angry that she nearly decided not to watch the next Quidditch game, Slytherin against Ravenclaw. The game was incredibly important to him and in her annoyance she saw it as a way to strike back at him for not caring about what she wanted. But it was just like most sibling arguments, where one hated the other to death and threw the door shut with a bang, which would be followed by a yelled scolding from their mother, only to stick their head through the door a few hours later to get the other one for dinner, not bothering to apologise or mention the dispute with a single word. Eventually she calmed down and realised that he most likely wouldn't even notice, if she wasn't there, not to mention that she had promised Maureen to be her moral support, as they officially played in memory of Will. She just couldn't miss it. It would be disrespectful towards her late friend.

The morning of the game she sat in the Slytherin common room with a copy of 'Jane Eyre' in her lap. Students were leaving through the secret passage, thick cloaks slung tightly around their bodies and carrying Slytherin banners. The reason why she wasn't sitting in the stands of the Quidditch stadium yet was Maureen. Totally out of character for the girl with pink hair, she had left to the library early that morning and had yet to return. Phoenix wouldn't have questioned it further, as she often did things she normally didn't do in the recent months, but now that the game was about to start she was getting impatient. Phoenix hated being late.

The pink-haired reason for her tardiness waltzed through the crowd moments later, causing shouts to erupt from the other students.

"Where have you been?" Phoenix called out as her friend approached her.

Excitement was written all over Maureen's face when she grabbed Phoenix' arm. "I found something." Phoenix rose her eyebrows in confusion. She had powers, yes, but mindreading apparently wasn't one of those. "Something about your powers."

Phoenix wasn't sure how to react. With excitement matching her friend's? Fear? Impatience? For so long she had wanted to find out who – or what – she actually was, but somehow she found herself afraid of the answer. What if her powers classified her as a beast? She could never show her face at Grimmauld Place again. Still, the truth could be a relief just as well.

Maureen pulled her towards the entrance, but the youngest Black shook her head. "We have to get to the Quidditch stadium. We're already late."

"I know, but isn't this more important?"

"The book will still be there after the game. Let's just go there directly afterwards," Phoenix suggested and Maureen let go of her arm, disappointment written all over her face. The brunette tilted her head. "I thought you wanted to watch it to honour Will's memory."

It had been almost six months since their friend had passed away, but Maureen still flinched at the sound of his name. She whispered. "I do."

"They play in his memory, but it's fine, if you'd rather stay away. I can't imagine how hard this must be for you and I won't pretend that I do. This is totally up to you, okay?" Phoenix told her best friend, sensing her conflicted feelings.

"Actually I didn't think about him for once. I totally forgot about the special occasion, but you're right. I shouldn't miss it. Not necessarily for Will but for me." A saddened glimmer made its way into Maureen's eyes. It wasn't fair. The pink-haired girl had her share of turning to violent behaviour, but nothing bad enough to justify causing her such pain. There were so many people who deserved punishment for what they did to others. Murderers, kidnappers and tormentors to only name a few. Maureen, however, didn't deserve it, but apparently destiny didn't seem to care about fairness. "You promised to come with me, right?"