SABAISM | H. POTTER

ONE. | UNSAID DISTRESS

"Make haste, Cub," Remus Lupin called, "I disclosed to Arthur and Molly that we'd arrive at the Leaky Cauldron at noon." His voice, tinged with a mixture of urgency and good-natured impatience, echoed through the modestly cluttered house, but Gemini continued to stare fixedly at her reflection in the dirtied looking glass.

Gemini Lily Lupin-Black was an alluring young girl; alongside every person who realized this truth, she was acutely aware of it herself. As the seasons turned and her age increased, the young female had grown accustomed to the stares of both admiration and jealousy that danced across the faces of those who crossed her path. Whether it was the way her lush, spiraled curls gleamed from having been meticulously cared for, her sharp mercury eyes that flickered with an intensity that offered no mercy, or the amalgamation of nonchalant willpower, sharp wit, and a disposition steeped in empathy, the girl's aura had a magnetic draw that seemed to bring everyone in at some point. Some bold souls even dared to inquire if she was a Veela, a magical being famed for their overwhelming beauty that shimmered like the moonlight. Yet, their claims were always dismissed as fantasy; truthfully, she shone from unapologetically living as her true self. However, even with features that had sharpened over the summer, the lioness anticipated that no one would cast even a furtive glance at her supernal physiognomy. No, her beauty was destined to be overshadowed by the stark reality of her lineage—the name that linked her to Sirius Black.

Though she had struggled for years to accept it, there was an undeniable consensus within the wizarding community that Gemini executed the majority of her endeavors like her mother had once done. The breathtaking charm she wielded, her recalcitrant attitude, and even the way she carried herself—yes, she could easily be compared to a younger version of Sirius Black. Yet, beneath that exterior lay a myriad of traits inherited from Remus Lupin that were often drowned out, traits that the world should deem vital to perceive. The Lupin genetics ran unyieldingly strong; subtracting the eyes and her father's modest height, the young witch appeared as the mirror image of Remus—his humor, intellect, and innate kindness woven deeply into her very being. The paint-stained fists that gathered her ringlets together, the well-thumbed novels that weighed down her trunk, the Hogwarts report that proudly displayed her lowest average as an A—all of it screamed "Remus Lupin" to those who dared to look. It was these traits that she desperately clung to, longing to proclaim that she was much more than what others perceived—that she could never be reduced to being merely the daughter of a notorious fugitive.

Feeling the clutch of doubt tightening around her heart, Gemini glared at her determined reflection, rallying herself with a whispered mantra. "Your name doesn't define you, he doesn't define you, and no one labels you. You're Gemini fucking Lupin-Black!" Her rallying cry felt like an incantation, fueling her resolve to fight the internal battle of venturing out to face a society that she feared might reject her. It was an unexpressed terror, but one that festered in the depths of her heart—that her beloved friends would sever their ties with her due to the shadow cast by her lineage. She knew, in her heart of hearts, that her closest allies would not care about her mother or the infamous surname that partially burdened her existence; they would never assume she held any connection to Sirius' sudden escape. Yet, a distant voice in her mind taunted her with hopeful anxieties. They should care; for this relationship wasn't merely a petty stamp upon her identity... it was a connection that had thrust her into existence. A severe, inescapable link that would hover over her like a specter, haunting her through the corridors of her life. Through her, those linkages to Sirius' name could very well strain the bond she cherished with her friends. She grieved the possibility that this fate awaited them all.

"GEMINI LUPIN-BLACK," Remus yelled once more, his voice startling her out of the whirlwind of internal strife. "Shit," she muttered, shaking herself free from her mental bind. Gemini darted around her untidy bedroom, tossing belongings haphazardly into her trunk, those precious possessions she had resolved to pack under the wire. "I'M COMING, DAD!" she yelled as she hastily cinched combat boots onto her feet, reveling in a moment of panic-laden adrenaline. Sanguinely, she hadn't omitted anything truly important; if there was anything crucial forgotten, her Dad could simply owl it to Hogwarts.