"Let me tell you this: if you meet a loner, no matter what they tell you, it's not because they enjoy solitude. It's because they have tried to blend into the world before, and people continue to disappoint them." ― Jodi Picoult, My Sister's Keeper
Watching your own life fall apart in front of your eyes is like a house's support beams giving out during an earthquake. Destruction, a collapse, and a loss of something you called home. Watching people you love slowly be picked off, one by one, until only one remain. Or in this case, two.
Remus Lupin and Thaleia Roberts, the last people remaining from their respective friend groups. The days in their cottage-style home were either lively with music flowing through the air and a sweet, warm feeling spread throughout the space. Or, it was eerily quiet to the point where you could hear a pin drop. Those days were usually birthdays and anniversaries of their deceased loved ones.
The pair would sit in a crestfallen silence and wouldn't speak, listen to anything, or even eat sometimes. The silence would only bring on more pain and it was only a matter of time until one of them cracked under the scrutiny of guilt and would begin silently sobbing while the other held them.
It went on for twelve years. Twelve years they helped build each other up knowing they'd come tumbling down again. For twelve years they stayed to themselves and ignored the outside presence. For twelve years, their friend Sirius Black sat in a dewy four-by-four, serving time for a crime he did not commit.
But it was that summer that their luck had changed, their fate was twisted. Sirius Black had escaped, Remus and Thaleia would begin teaching at Hogwarts-- Remus securing his job a year before her-- and their goddaughter would begin living with them.
From the moment of her birth, Jaiden Fallon White had an imaginary stamp across her forehead that read, 'I must pay for everything my ancestors did years ago.'
Continuing the burned legacy her mother unknowingly started only became apparent the year she started at Hogwarts. Whether it was because of Snape's slick comments, McGonagall's odd interest in where she lived and came from, or her aunt's secrecy, she was kept in the dark about virtually anything about her mother or any family member.
She was a gorgeous little girl with not so gorgeous blood running through her veins. She resembled her parents and that was dangerous on the Great Britain Isle. It was part of the reason her aunt wanted her to live with her godparents. They knew more and could protect her more thoroughly. Jaiden didn't mind, she hoped it'd be an opportunity to find out what she'd been longing to know.
Now seated on the train to Hogwarts to begin her fourth year, she had a contempt smile resting on her features. Multiple thoughts ran through Thaleia's mind as she gazed at the young girl in front of her who had her skates situated on her lap, "Jaiden, I told you, I don't know if you're going to be able to use those--"
"There are pets allowed. Animals, roaming the school freely so if they have a problem with me skating around after school, I will protest," she declared in a stern tone making Thaleia shake her head with a small chuckle.
The door to the compartment slid open and they were offered a copy of the Daily Prophet. Thaleia gratefully accepted and gasped at the leading headline.
SCENES OF TERROR AT THE QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP + MURDEROUS AZKABAN ESCAPEE ON THE RUN
"A dark mark? As in Voldemort?" She asked, looking up Thaleia who now had a hard glare set on her face as she looked at the headline.
"As in Death Eaters," she answered with a scoff, "those pesky death eaters," she muttered once more to herself, "I hope Remus sees this."
"Where is he anyways?"
"In another cart, he wanted to sleep in," she said just as she saw him walk past the door. Thaleia's brows knit together as her eyes watched his figure walk towards the conductor, "wonder what's that about."
"Who's Sirius? You guys know Sirius, don't you? I saw his name marked off on the calendar for the third of November--" Jaiden began to ramble but Thaleia interrupted her.
"Yes, yes but you mustn't tell anyone that as well as the fact that you know me. Wouldn't want them to think you have an advantage because of that."
"Well do I?"
"If you deserve it," Thaleia whispered with a wink, making Jaiden smile and turn to look out the window.
The car was quite cold and a small frost blanketed the window. Jaiden almost wanted to comment on it but saw that Thaleia was too engrossed with the Daily Prophet to properly answer her question now.
