— chapter six —
TENSIONS RISING

—

  HERBOLOGY WAS THE last class Remelda had before dinner that day. She really hated that class, learning useless facts about different plants and herbs along with their importance, but her parents forced her into that class because it would be helpful in the future. There weren't many Healers for Death Eaters, seeing as most people who join fight, but since Remelda's purpose in the Black family was to marry Demetri Carrow, have children with him, and then get branded, healing seemed like something she could do to help the cause. Not that she wanted to, but when did her wishes matter?

    If Remelda had her way, she would become a professor once school ended. She always wanted to leave the wizarding world and work at a university. It would be nice. There wouldn't be anyone with magical blood there and she could finally escape her name and reputation. She could finally just be Remelda in a world where that was just a peculiar name and not the one of her grandmother, who was a proud supporter of anything relating to the dark arts. No, she would just be Remelda. She wasn't though, because this was the wizarding world and the Black name had a reputation that she was currently supporting to everyone.

    She squeezed her eyes shut at those thoughts, giving a sigh before opening them again and clinging on to her books as she started to walk to the Grand Hall. Dinner would be nice after the school she had, it would be a sweet release. But just her luck, the one person she probably hated most in the world decided to grace her with his insufferable laughter she used to enjoy as he threw his head back and casually threw his arm around Nadia's (his girlfriend) shoulder.

    A grimace was placed on her face at the thought of walking beside him. He seemed to be everywhere, the only name people talked about with her. And Remus Lupin trying to speak to her on his behalf wasn't helping. She hated it. She hated him.

    He seemed to notice her walking near them, whispering something in Nadia's ear before she walked off, not before giving him a kiss, and leaving the older Black sibling with his sister. "Hello," he greeted her simply, but she wished he hadn't spoken a word.

    She didn't respond to him, hoping that would end all conversation, but she knew better than that. If there was something she loved and hated about the Black family, it was their stubbornness, which sometimes translated into persistence. He let out a sigh, seeing the silent treatment she was giving him.

    "Come on, Remelda, can I speak to you? There's some things I need to tell you that are long overdue." An apology. She knew that's what he meant, but she wasn't about to just accept it.

    "No," she turned to him, snarling, "We can't speak because we aren't siblings anymore. You have been disowned from the Black family, and that's that, Sirius. Have a good day."

    She went to start walking again, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back, causing her to see the pained look on his face. It wasn't as if her words weren't true, everyone knew that once you were disowned, that was it. There was no more talking about you, there was no more discussion about the person. They were gone from the family, simply as if they never existed in the first place. Remelda remembered what happened to Andromeda, their cousin, years back. She had chosen Ted Tonks over their family, and in return, she was disowned. No one in the family ever spoke to her again.

    "Please, Remelda, just hear me out," Sirius pleaded, "I promise that I have an explanation for -"

    She cut him off with her laugh, "You mean an excuse, right? Something you can that you hope will make it better. Well, Sirius, it's not going to back anything better, because you just left Regulus and I to the wolves without protection."

    Remelda stopped for a moment before her voice turned to a harsh whisper, "You told me a long time ago that you would never let them harm me, but you lied. That promise has been broken many times by you, and you have to accept that. I won't go running back to you. You aren't my brother anymore, why can't you just accept that and continue to move on like you've been doing before?"

    Sirius looked absolutely broken at her words. Remelda almost considered taking them back before remembering that she didn't do that. It wasn't like Blacks to be regretful for their words or actions. And it was all true, they both knew that. Sirius would have to be delirious to think that their parents wouldn't start harming her after he left.

    "Mel..." he trailed off, looking for the right words - the right apology, but nothing came. He was heartbroken by what she said, the revelation that nothing he did could mend their broken relationship. The once tight bond they shared was gone. The sister he once loved and cherished was replaced by a vengeful woman with a death glare that could literally turn people to stone like Medusa. "Please, tell me what I can do to fix things..."

    She let out a humorless laugh, "Can't you see, Sirius? There's nothing you can do! Nothing you can change! You made your choice a long time ago, and now I'm making mine! I won't continue to be the pathetic girl who just wished for her brother to come back. So just...stay away. I don't want you and neither does Regulus. We're better off without you!"

    And then she ran. Not to the Great Hall, the opposite way actually. She ran to the nearest restroom for women and stared at herself in the mirror. There were tears in her eyes, some even streaming down her face, she looked pitiful. She was pitiful, even if she didn't want to be. All she wanted to do was turn back the clock, change everything. Starting with the day that Sirius left. She would beg more, harder, plead with him not stay and not leave them. She would give anything to turn back, but she couldn't. She couldn't go back.

    Gripping tightly to the sink, she let out a helpless cry. Tears streamed down her face, causing her to feel so weak. Strong women didn't cry, they didn't. Slytherins didn't cry, they didn't. That showed strong signs of weakness, something they couldn't be - something she couldn't be. Remelda had to be stronger, she couldn't let Sirius be her downfall, she couldn't let him continue to weaken her.

    And then she heard the door to the bathroom open, and she quickly wiped away the tears. No one needed to know how weak and pathetic she was, crying over a conversation with her (ex)brother.

    "Remelda?" it was Alfie. He was the one who came into the bathroom after her. "I heard what you said to Sirius, wanted to make sure you were alright."

    "Fine," she lied, "Just needed to calm myself down a bit. So I didn't blow up at dinner or anything."

    Thankfully, she was exceptional at lying, a trait that her mother taught her from a young age. Alfie nodded at that, approaching her slowly. "Have you thought anymore about what I said yesterday?"

    "What? About running away together?" she turned to face him. He nodded. "I have, and I decided that I don't think that will be a good idea."

    "Really?" he asked, raising eyebrow. She knew this was just a deflection of the pain he left by her rejecting his offer.

    "Yes, I mean, we're only children. Still have the trace on us and everything. We couldn't get anywhere," she let out a laugh, "I mean, really Alfie, what were you thinking when you thought of this? It's a foolish plan that could never work. You should've never brought it up in the first place. Like I told you when you did."

    Alfie let in a harsh breath, his fist balling up before he breathed out to let out the anger he was feeling then. "Oh?" he tensely asked.

    She nodded, "Of course. What would we do? Live the muggle way? You and I both know that you would never be able to survive without your magic. You're always using it for the simplest of tasks, like tying your shoes or fetching a blanket - even your uniform. How would you ever depart from it? Even if it was just for a year or two."

   "Remelda," he gritted out through clenched teeth, "You need to stop. Now."

   "Why should I?" she asked before pretending to just now notice his anger, "Oh! Have I hit a nerve, Alfie? I didn't mean to, I was just trying to point out all the flaws you missed while planning this stupid getaway for us."

     He unclenched his hand to reach for his want that was in his pocket, aiming it threateningly at Remelda. The Black girl tried not to show her fear, even though seeing him like this, tense with a murderous look in his eyes did send shivers down her spine, even though it should've have.

    "Really, Alfie, are you really thinking about hurting me?" Remelda tried to smirk, "I thought you parents would've taught you to never hurt a woman."

    "Well, mum isn't here right now, so she'll never know," Alfie, shaking in anger, continued to hold up his wand.

    "Come on, Alfie, you know I was just being sensible, no need to hex me or anything," Remelda then tried to laugh, but nothing changed in his stance.

    He stepped closer, "Oh, I'm not going to hex you, I'm going to use a spell that my friend Severus taught me. He said only to use it on enemies, but right now you feel just like that."

    Remelda gulped, stepping away from the sink and backwards, he continued to hold a wicked smile that almost resembled her father's, making the whole situation worse for her.

    "Come on, we can talk this out, Alf. You don't have to do this," Remelda tried to reason.

    "After everything you just said, there's no reasoning," he smirked, "I mean, I could've stopped after one or two points, but you kept talking, digging your grave even deeper. Before, I would've let you go, just punch a wall or someone else, but now...now all I can think about it harming you in return from the harm you just did to me."

    He gave her one last look before whispering "Sectumsempra" with his wand aimed at her, watching a cuts opened all over her blood, the blood seeping out everywhere until the crimson color stained her body and the floor. The spell was powerful, powerful enough for blood to gush from her ever growing wounds until she passed out and onto the blood from all the lose.

    Alfie faltered then, losing his balance for a second before seeing what he created. The anger faded from him, only to turn to sadness and guilt. Remelda's eyes were closed as all her wounds continued to bleed, not gushing out like before. He choked, seeing the sight of the girl he loved unconscious and dying, because of him.

     It was all his fault. If he controlled his anger more, or left before it could boil anymore, this wouldn't have happened. She would still be awake, not dying. Alfie thought about telling Madame Pomphrey, getting help, but then they would know what he did. He would be expelled from school. He could've have that.

    So instead, he ran.