— chapter one —
JULY FOURTEENTH

—

         MORE TIME PASSED and a lot of things changed for Remelda. The times of sleeping in her brother's loving arms and crying out her heart to him soon become distant memories and all of those loving memories changed to a yearning of something she wanted back. The memory of her brother become tainted in her mind. Not because of her parents and their cruelty, but the own revelation that Sirius had left them.

         It had happened during the summer before her fourth year. Everything was the same, nights were longer than she ever thought they could be, Remelda wanted so desperately to return to Hogwarts, even though she hated her house and everything it stood for with a burning passion, and the yells of her mother and the screams of pain from her brother haunted her every night.

         During those hours, the longest hours of the day when pain was brought down on Sirius for being a "blood-traitor", Regulus would sneak to her room and they would hold each other, trying not to focus on the screams they had from downstairs. It was those times that Remelda cursed the walls for being so thin and the ceilings so high that echoes could be heard everywhere.

         But there was one night, July 14th, where everything changed. It was the middle of summer, or near it, and everything changed in Remelda's life. There was screams downstairs, like always, but there was more yelling from her brother.

         She could vaguely recall what was said, but nothing could actually stick when she knew what was going to happen next. Something she didn't want at all but had no power to stop. Remelda remembered looking at Regulus then, her eyes trying not to show the fear that was consuming her at that moment and giving him a smile. It was best to lie for that moment, it was best if he didn't understand.

         Footsteps rang from the stairway, angry feet stomping their way up then as Remelda snuck from her room, telling Regulus to wait for her to return as she went to see a red, puffy eyed Sirius looking at her with guilt.

         Oh the guilt he felt, knowing that he would be leaving them. It was the whole reason he had stayed so long. But he was entering his fifth year at Hogwarts, and he couldn't stand to live in fear of the house any longer. But there was guilt inside his heart as he stared at his little sister, who stared back at him with doe eyes filled with tears.

         "You're leaving, aren't you?" she whispered to him, trying to keep her emotions in check. It would do her no good to cry.

         "For a little while, yes," Sirius lied, but they both saw right through it. "I'll come back for the two of you when I can."

         The second part wasn't a lie. He wouldn't leave his siblings, his amazing siblings who were as good as him, behind in the dark. He wouldn't let them have the fate they were planned to have since birth. Sirius swallowed down his tears, trying to smile.

         "How long will that be?" she asked, hoping the answer would be soon. She knew what would happen when he left, there would be no one to protect them. She would take the punishments for the three of them then, even if Sirius was gone and disowned, she would still bare his punishment.

         "I don't know," he honestly answered, holding himself as the air around them began to grow colder and he couldn't stand it anymore.

         "Where will you go?" Remelda asked. She needed to know he would be far away, she needed to know that he would be safe and that he had someone who would offer him a home. A place of shelter away from their parents, someone that would protect her older brother like he had protected her and Regulus for so long.

         "The Potters," he whispered, "Remember then? I told you about James before, haven't I? He's my best mate, said he would offer me a home if the time came."

         Remelda nodded. "Goodbye, then," she whispered to him, going back into her room where Regulus was waiting for her. She needed to tell him to get ready, that he was going to come back for them.

         Sirius stared at her door, knowing that the Potters would fight for the two of them but also knew that Orion and Walburga Black would fight to keep them. And with their corrupt government, he had a sneaking suspicion of who would win.

         "Goodbye, Rem," he whispered to the door, going inside his own room, packing his bags. Once he was done, he went out, walking down the stairs to see his mother in the office, standing at the quilt that held the family tree. When he saw her burning his face off, he knew that he had sealed his fate; he was no longer a Black, and he couldn't help but feel a weight lift from his chest as he walked out of the house, never to return there until twenty or so years later.

         But Remelda and Regulus stayed there for more years than they could ever want. She stayed there all that summer, packing her stuff, keeping her favorite clothes hidden and never worn because she so believed that her brother would come back later that summer for them. As did Regulus.

         Then July turned to August, and the letters for Hogwarts were sent again, and yet there was still no sign or message from Sirius. He had sent them nothing to tell them to pack their bags and leave one night, there had been no contact at all.

         Still, Remelda strongly believed her brother would be back for her later that month. But then September came and she, along with Regulus, boarded the Hogwarts Express. She passed by many compartments, stopping slightly at an open one where her brother and his friends sat, laughing.

         They saw each other, her and Sirius, they locked eyes, but then he went straight back into the conversation like she wasn't even there. And it took a moment for her to realize what had just happened. She thought so deeply he would welcome her to sit with them, or tell her good news that she didn't have to go back to that retched house when Christmas came, but there was nothing.

         And she kept walking when she realized it; everything he told her was a lie. He left and he never planned on going back for them. He left and he didn't even think of them. He left and he didn't care for them. Why would he? Surely, she thought, the Potters are a better family. He didn't need her or Regulus anymore.

         But the years still passed until one turned to two and it was July 14th again and Remelda would be starting her sixth year at Hogwarts. Dinner was in progress at the Black house and she sat, eating the meal the house elves had prepared.

         There was no chatter, not from her or Regulus, anyways. Especially not her. In their house, Remelda, the girl, could never speak while Orion and Walburga ran their mouths and every now or again Regulus would input something to the conversation. And she didn't care to listen anyways. But when her name came up, her eyes perked.

         "Remelda, dear, have you gotten any closer with Demetri?" her mother asked.

         Demetri. Demetri Carrow. That arrogant, stuck up, everything-goes-my-way boy from Slytherin who she was forced to marry. Remelda would rather gauge out her own eyes than become Remelda Carrow. The Carrow family was beloved in the community of pureblooded dark wizards, almost as prestigious as the Black family, and when she was a little girl, she was betrothed to Demetri without a thought of asking her what she wanted.

         And, of course, Remelda never spoke with Demetri. She never tried to become closer with him or become his friend, seeing how twisted he was from afar. He was loud, outspoken, and didn't know when to shut the hell up.

         "Sorry, mother, but I haven't had the chance over summer," she formally replied, picking up her fork and taking another bite of her salad.

         "But I would expect that you would talk to him during school," Walburga looked at her, "Though last year proved otherwise."

         "I had a lot on my mind last year," Remelda defended herself, "This year will be different, I'll try to become closer to him."

         Walburga lifted her head up high, straightening her posture as she smirked at her daughter. "Good," was all she had to say.

         Remelda let out a breath, that was over, she didn't have to think about Demetri again. But that was not the worst part of the dinner, she recalled, no, the worst had yet to come.

         This had happened quite a long time ago for her, and the memories were quite blurry, especially dinners like those where she truly wished to forget them. But it wasn't her telling the tale, it was the one whose memory was sharper than a pencil and had the keenest of senses that Remelda ever knew. She while she may not recall how the topic started, or her reaction to it, the one who told her story did.

         Walburga had moved on from the marriage, staring at her prized son with a prideful look in her eyes. "I have great news for you, Regulus, the date has been set!" she cried out with joy, though her cry was more of a lighter tone in her monotone voice.

         The date. It was a marriage like Remelda's, or the day in which his life would start, it was something much darker. They all knew what it meant, they all knew that it meant Regulus would be trapped somewhere, well that was just the thoughts of the children, and they all knew it was coming. But for Remelda, it was coming too soon.

         "This summer, after your fifth year, you'll receive the Dark Mark and continue this family's legacy," the mother wickedly smiled, "And, of course, Remelda you know that you'll get yours after you're married to Demetri."

         Summer. One school year more for her brother to remain pure and untouched by the darkness that surrounded the family legacy and only two more for her. Remelda didn't remember what she looked like, but the one who spun the tale did. They knew that Remelda only gave a blank face for a moment, hands trembling, before returning to normal and just smiling.

         And through her head rang the word summer, thinking of all the possibilities that it would bring, and how she wished it wasn't so soon.

as you can tell, this is told from someone else. you'll learn this throughout this story and the third book in the series when it comes out. it'll be at the end of the third act or beginning of the fourth act. but i'm so excited for this story! i just love remelda so much!