"I would rather drown, right about now."

Classes were never something Emmaline enjoyed. She was the type of student who didn't study but received impeccable grades in her classes. A feat that all her friends despised from her.

As luck would have it, the end of the year was vastly approaching, and for the first time, Emmaline was studying in the library for the O.W.L's.

Emmaline knew she would never hear the end of it, but the way she felt regarding Arithmancy was enough to send her into her academic death.

Henry was the one to spot her in the library. He slyly made his way over. His eyes skimmed the books around her, all of them ranging from Numerology in Latin, to New Theory of Numerology. Tentatively, he approached her, setting his own books across from her.

"Hey.." He hesitated with his approach. Emmaline looked up at him, her eyes crusted, the whites of them littered with faint red tint.

"Henry!" Emmaline giggled, her eyes fluttering closed with a loopy smile. He chuckled at her and took a seat across, moving some of her books out of the way.

"You look like you haven't slept in days," By the sound of his voice and the look on his face, it seems as if he knows the feeling as well.

"I don't think you would be wrong in that statement." Emmaline confessed, looking back down at her parchment paper, continuing her notes to register the lesson that was taught.

It was a tedious method, rewriting the notes that were scribbled down in class, only to redo them in a more clean matter but it was the way Emmaline's mind worked. If she didn't do this, her exams would be based on a whisp of memory. However, she wanted to be more than just a wife whose exams meant nothing during her school years. She wanted to be a healer, whether she came back to Hogwarts or assisted at St. Mungo's, she wanted to help people recover what ever illness or injury they've encountered.

"You shouldn't push yourself so hard, its just OWLS. You don't even need Arithmancy in general." Henry said, his hands grabbing onto a quill that was on the table, his fingers fiddling with the feather.

Emmaline sighed, feeling the weight sink further down into her. Henry would never understand the pressure she placed on herself, much less the pressure that her family placed on her.

"Regardless, I can't afford to fall behind."

Emmaline watched as Henry analyzed her. "You have friends who are willing to help Em."

She shook her head, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "And who would that be, exactly? The ghosts haunting the Restricted Section?" She retorted, her tone laced with bitterness.

Henry barked out a laugh at her comment. The noise brought attention over to their table, causing Emmaline's cheeks to flush a bright red at the attention. One of the students even shushed them before abruptly turning back around when they met Henry's stare, turning themselves away from him and Emmaline.

"I think the ghosts of the restricted section would surprise you," He continue, amusement with every word. She shook his head at him, suppressing a smile.

"In all seriousness, I am a great tutor." He commented.

Emmaline shot him a withering glare, her patience with him beginning to wear thin. Henry was anything but patient with her and their studies. Years of being partners claimed this to be true.

"Oh yay." She deadpanned. "The thought of having you as my tutor, for a class you're not even a part of, fills me with boundless enthusiasm."

Henry chuckled, unfazed by her sarcasm. "Just because I'm not taking that stupid class, doesn't mean I'm not a great tutor."

Emmaline snorted dismissively. "Right, because the last time we tried to study together, we spent it arguing over the correct interpretation of the potions assignment."

"Hey, Severus told me it would be better to crush the bean rather than cutting. And you know he was right on that because of the bean escaping you every time you tried to cut it." He argued back. Emmaline rolled her eyes at him, annoyed that this conversation now has turned back into their potion assignment from a few weeks ago. It was an advanced potion formula that 6th years made, a test from Slughorn to determine potential. Emmaline was sure she would be allowed into his school club. Not only because she was a top student of his, but even if she wasn't, Slughorn loved collecting the scared twenty-eight children.

"You're impossible, you know that?" she muttered, defeat in her tone.

"Yeah, well, its the many reasons why Evelyn loves to deal with me," He mused, sending her a wink.

Both students lapsed into a comfortable silence after that. Emmaline went back to her work but it was useless as she kept reading the same line over and over again.

"Well, if you're going to push yourself through this, get some help." Henry tried again.

"Oh yeah? How?" She huffed, irritated thatthe conversation was jumping back to her.

"Try finding the top student of in the class, it seems logical, no?" he suggested.

Emmaline racked through her head to see who was better than her which resulted in two students. Sirius Black and Remus Lupin.

"Yeah that's not happening," Emmaline frowned.

"Why?" Henry pushed, a glint of mischief in his eyes. The side of his mouth curves up, matching his eyes.

Emmaline gave him a deadpanned look. "You know why."

"Say it," He pushed. Emmaline scoffed at his behavior, shaking her head.

"I would rather die than have Sirius Black help me with this."

"Okay, fair point." Henry agreed. "What about second best?"

Emmaline hesitated for a moment, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. "Remus," she replied finally.

Henry raised an eyebrow. "Really?" Emmaline nodded. She watched as Henry thought over something in his mind. His eyes seemed to be looking for something that wasn't visible to her.

"I mean..." He began, "You could ask him for help."

"I am not asking Sirius' friend for help on this."

"Listen, he's a good student. You and I both know our parents are a little crazy on their purity, so him being a half-blood shouldn't concern you either way. Now if he was like Lily Evans or Peter Pettigrew, then you would have trouble. But just be careful with how Regulus might see it." Henry suggested.

"Please, Remus is the least of his worries."

"Be careful, Em. People talk. And the more they talk, the more it spreads and it's no longer just a petty feud. It's real." He whispered harshly. This peaked Emmalines interest.

"What are you saying?"

"My parents told me about a guy named Riddle. He's got big plans for people like us Emmaline," He paused, looking over his shoulder. He looked back over at her direction and forced a smile, one Emmaline did not return.

"Slytherins talk, and you are no longer known as Malcoms little sister. You are Emmaline Selwyn, engaged to the heir of the noble and most ancient house Black. It doesn't matter what Regulus's take is. What matters is what gets back to his parents, your parents and that Riddle character."

Emmaline knew he meant well. His love for Evelyn extended to herself as the girls were usually attached to the hip. Henry always saw Emmaline as a sister since he was an only child, but the tone of his reasoning had her mind running into overdrive. Dispite Henry seeing her as a sister, she couldn't allow herself to see him as a brother. The Selwyn family had secrets and not even Perseus knew all of them.

She knew all too well the consequences of defying the expectations placed upon her by her mother. She can only imagine the fraction of discipline she would endure if she ruined or embarrassed the Black family name.

"Thank you for looking out for me..." Emmaline murmured,  her eyes scanning the mess in front of her. She stood up, keeping her attention onto her notes and books.

Education was her greatest achievement she could challenge herself with. Her life had no meaning the minute she was born into the world she is in now. She belonged to Grant Selwyn, the patriarch of the Selwyn name. And once she became of age, she would belong to Regulus Black, heir to the oldest and purest lines in the wizarding world. To society, it didn't matter if she was smart or dumb. It didn't matter if she was wicked like Bellatrix Black or naive as Georgia Parkinson. She was born to attend to the men her life. Her father and brothers benefited from her just as much as Regulus would benefit in the future.

But it always mattered to her. If she was going to be a prize in their society, she figured she would make her window in her castle and be the best prize there was to obtain.

With her thoughts running, her hands began to move without her noticing until it was all packed away. Some items in her bag and others ready to be moved into her arms.

"Thank you again Henry, I appreciate you," she began, giving him a tired smile. He returned the smile, seeming pleased.

"Great Em, lets go back and have you take a breather, yeah?"

Emmaline nodding, "I have to find some extra books, but I'll meet you in the common room with everyone else, okay?"

Henry nodded in agreement and took his leave from the quiet room. Emmaline sighed and slumped back into her chair. She rubbed thumb and first two fingers on her hand against her temple, her eyes pressed closed as she took deep breaths.

A loud thud jumped her out of her breathing, turning towards the noise. She expected to see a 2nd or 3rd year student but instead, two rows down from her, she found the familiar gaze of a redhead Gryffindor.

------

Emmaline curled into her best friend, enjoying the much needed break of studying that Henry kept pushing her to make. Evelyn held onto her arm, both of them nestling deeper into the velvet green couch that was in their common room.

Despite their common room being in the dungeons, the room was lavishly large and lit brightly with greenish lamps scattered around. Their house extended partway under the lake, giving the light in the room a brighter green tinge. The common room had lots of black and dark green furniture. The walls littered with dark wood cupboards and shelves, tables too.

The walls in the dungeon were decorated with tapestries that featured Medieval Slytherins as well as the house sigils for the scared twenty-eight. There were some nights that Emmaline would get out of her room to get air and be faced with the sigils, her eyes going back to the three crows positioned under a knights arm holding a dagger. The house motto resting just underneath them. Toujours Pur.

The Selwyn family Sigil was up on the wall as well, though not as prominent as the other sacred twenty-eight such as Malfoy or Lestrange. The Selwyn name held a wolf howling, a blood red background with a purple pattern showcasing the purity and nobility of her family linage as well as the strength it has carried from generation to generation. And just underneath, her house motto laid, almost as if the words of her bloodline were carved into her from the moment she was born. Mors Ante Dedecus.

Across from Emmaline and Evelyn sat Regulus and Henry, both boys sitting on the far end of the seat. Below them sat Perseus, his hands fiddling with playing cards, his grin wide as he shouted at Severus across the rug. Sitting outside of the circle sat Severus, his own grin wide while his laugh echoed in the dungeons.

"Did you really turn your hair green?" Evelyn gasped out, her stomach beginning to hurt from laughter.

Perseus had confessed that Regulus turned his hair green during class, unable to fix the error himself. Regulus denied it, of course, but that didn't stop the rest of his friends ragging on him.

"Or was it just an attempt to match the Slytherin common room decor?" Severus mused.

Regulus shot him daggers, running his hand through his perfectly styled hair. "You caught me, Sev. It was all a clever ruse to blend in with the surroundings."

"I must say, it was quiet the fashion statement. Lauraline Greengrass sure thought so." Perseus mused out a tease, but groaned as soon as Henry's foot kicked him in the back, shooting him a glare that screamed at him.

"Unfortunate for both of you that it just became out of season." Emmaline sheepishly smiled, adding onto the teasing. A part of her mind wandered over to the girl her brother mentioned. Lauraline Greengrass was a year below her, making her the same age as Perseus and Regulus. Had things with Sirius worked out the way they meant to be, she was sure Regulus would have been betrothed to her instead of the way it ended up.

The thought alone had Emmaline worried. Would Regulus regret his decision to protect her at the cost of himself finding a girl more suitable for him? She was a pretty Slytherin, her family was well respected, just like hers. But she doesn't know if Regulus had hopes to end up with her before his brother ruined the arrangement their families made.

Emmaline focus shifted over to him only to find Regulus already staring at her. His gaze soft and warm and a small smile that had her feeling faint. Her heart fluttered faster for a moment and in turn, a rush of warmth filled her. Emmaline turned her head away from him, hiding the blush that began to develop at his attention. Her action caused him to chuckle, his focus turning back over to their friends.

Despite the happy mood that seemed to wrap Emmaline and her friends, Richard Flint and his cronies - Herbert Burke and Vestia Bulstrode - sneered at them from the other side of the room.

"What a surprise to see you all here."

"It is our common room too, Flint." Emmaline scoffed, rolling her eyes at him.

This made Richard upset. How dare she speak to him like that? Taking a step closer to her, he lifted his lips into a smile that resembled more of a snarl. Emmaline didn't show it but she wanted to shrink herself small into her seat as he approached her.

Regulus knew her though.

He knew Emmaline more than he wanted to know her and much more than what Sirius knew her. He knew Emmaline the way butterflies know where they migrate to despite never being there. Regulus knew her the way his body knew how to breathe without being told or knew how to blink without comprehending what his body does.

Regulus knew Emmaline and knew that Richard Flint presented himself as a threat to her. And he doesn't take too kindly to those who make her feel small.

"Watch your tone, Flint." Regulus murmured, his voice deep enough to pull Richards attention away from Emmaline and onto him. He slowly stood up from his seat, making his way towards the older boy.

The students that littered the common room moved away from the confrontation, scurrying away like rats as Regulus moved in front of the 6th year, stepping in the way of his view of Emmaline.

Everyone in Slytherin found Richard Flint intimidating. His stature at full length was at 6'5", shoulders built out like an ox and hair greasy from lack of cleanliness. His teeth sat crooked with dark marks littering the whites of them. Or at least, what was left of them.

Regulus, smaller than Richard, his stature closer to 5'11",  slim and inherently looking similar to his older brother. His aristocratic features made him more fearful than Richard, but in the way that mattered.

For people feared Richard due to his cruelty, but they feared Regulus due to his name.

Richard sized up Regulus. But every magical being knew that the size or age of a person did not match the power they could wield.

"And who appointed you her protector, Black?" He asked boldly, standing at his full length. Vestia and Herbert flanked him, creating an intimidating presence.

"Last I checked, she's perfectly capable of speaking for herself." Richard continued.

Henry and Severus moved their way over to Regulus. Forming themselves in similar fashion to the older students.

Regulus's jaw clenched, his fingers twitching to reach his wand. The only thing that stopped him was knowing that if this argument escalated and got back to his family, he was unsure how they would react.

"What? Looks like little Regulus here thinks he's the knight in shining armor, defending his precious Emmaline. But tell me, Black, does she even need your protection? Or is it just an excuse to play the hero?"

Regulus's jaw tightened even more, his teeth threatening to break, his knuckles whitening as he struggled to maintain his composure in the face of Flint's taunting. "You would do well to watch your words, Flint. Don't mistake my concern for weakness."

Flint's laughter echoed through the room like the hiss of a serpent, each syllable dripping with venom. "Oh, concern? Please, spare us the theatrics, Black. We all know you're just trying to impress your little girlfriend."

The further push of Emmaline being thrown into conversation struck a chord deep within Regulus, igniting a fierce protectiveness that bordered on primal. His voice low and dangerous as he advanced on Flint, standing toe to toe with him now.

"Don't you dare speak about Emmaline like that," Regulus growled, his tone laced with an unmistakable warning. "She's not just 'my girlfriend.' She's Emmaline, and she deserves respect."

Flint's smirk faltered for a moment, replaced by a flash of irritation at Regulus's defiance. Before Richard could say anything, Vestia stepped in, barking out a laugh. "Respect? Ha! What has Emmaline ever done to earn anyone's respect? She's just another Slytherin princess, born with a silver spoon in her mouth." The girl nearly growled out.

Henry took his wand out, having enough of the the banter. Regulus might not want to start it, but Henry had no issue with finishing what Flint had started.

"I dare you to say that again."

"Spare me the theatrics, Nott. Everyone knows you'd rather be with her than with Evelyn." Vestia prodded, her head leaning to the side to make eye contact with Evelyn and Emmaline, shooting both girls an insincere smile.

"Bold of you to say that," Severus drawled out, his voice disinterested. Everyone shifted their attention over to him.

"And why is that, Snape?" Herbert asked. Flint kept an eye on the three boys in front of him, stepping away from Regulus as he was unsure where this conversation went.

Emmaline noticed that Regulus took his wand out, but held it low, pressed against his body while Henry had his out and ready to use should it be needed. Severus however, didn't have anything out. His arms were crossed against his chest, his eyes tired and bored as they searched the older students in front of him.

"Honestly?" He started off, turning his back and walking away from them. Regulus eased himself, taking a step back from Flint and his friends, watching Severus as he sat himself where he was previously.

Henry arched an eyebrow and Severus continued, "Funny how the ones who claim to be superior are often the ones most insecure."

Evelyn laughed out loud, her hands quickly slapping onto her mouth to cover it up.

Vestia's face contorted with rage, her eyes flashing dangerously as she lunged forward, her hand poised to strike Severus. But before she could land the blow, Herbert caught her, he made a face at her and his eyes moved over to Slughorn who had come into the Dungeons as a young 2nd year had called for his intervention.

"Enough!" Slughorn thundered, stepping between his older students with a commanding presence. "Violence will not be tolerated in this house. Control yourselves at once!"

Vestia seethed with fury, her chest heaving with anger as she shot Severus one final venomous glare before reluctantly stepping back, her fists clenched at her sides and her glare back on Evelyn.

Severus met her gaze with a cool indifference, a hint of satisfaction gleaming in his dark eyes. Emmaline bit her bottom lip as Slughorn eyed all of them, his presence becoming less authoritative once he noticed Regulus had been apart of the interaction.

"Get to bed, all of you." He said.

Emmaline watched as her head of house moved away and out of their common room. Perseus was the first one from their group to get up and go. Severus trailed along side him, giving Emmaline and Evelyn tight smiles before bidding them a goodnight.

"Come on," Evelyn murmured to her. Emmaline exchanged a weary glance with Evelyn before rising from the couch, the weight of the evening's events hanging heavy on her shoulders. Together, they made their way to their dormitory.

As they reached the threshold of the common room, Emmaline cast one last glance over her shoulder, catching sight of Henry and Regulus engaged in a hushed conversation. There was a brief exchange of nods before Henry pulled Regulus into a tight hug.

Emmaline wanted to go back and ask what it was all about but she caught sight of Herbert and turned away quickly from him, his presence changing her mind quickly. With a sigh, Emmaline turned away, leaving the common room behind her.

"You okay?" She asked Evelyn as they climbed into bed.

Evelyn nodded her head, tucking herself into her covers.

"I'm okay. Vestia just gets on my nerves." She admitted. Emmaline agreed, nodding her head in the dark.

"Henry would choose you in every lifetime, Eve. Don't let a witch get the best of you two." Emmaline comforted.

Evelyn nodded her head, agreeing with her. Both girls bid each other a goodnight and fell asleep hoping for a better tomorrow.