𝗔𝗖𝗧 𝗜𝗜 ━━ 𝗗𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗠𝗜𝗗𝗗𝗟𝗘
085. end of an era

          "𝗟𝗜𝗟𝗬! 𝗠𝗬 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘!" 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗘 𝗚𝗔𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗗 𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗙𝗨𝗟𝗟 𝗢𝗙 𝗥𝗘𝗗 𝗛𝗔𝗜𝗥 entered the Gryffindor Common Room. "Should you be back here? It has only been a week!"

"Over my dead body will I ever be missing my exams, Marls," Lily Evans tried to chuckle a little but the tears hit like a broken dam. Sorroweness peaked through the glistening areas of her damped cheeks. "Hi, Alice," she gasped when Alice threw her soft hands around her shoulder, bringing her closer. 

      Lily was hugged one by one until her ribs ached from the force of kindness and care, and at last, her eyes laid on the only set of green and silver between all the bright gold and red. Her face fell to a bigger frown when she saw Scarlet standing at the back. Lily initiated the hug this time, and realistically, Scarlet hesitated.

      Scarlet never hugged Lily before. 

In fact, in the entire time she spent at Hogwarts for the last seven years, she has only ever hugged three other people. Everest, Evan, and Sirius. It felt natural how smoothly her arms were around Lily's sobbing figure at once, and she held her tightly. 

      Sirius must have noticed how the idea of barely hugging anybody made her feel. It was on her face the moment she hugged Lily, the way her features shifted and it levelled from softness to cold to even gentler. He put a comforting hand on her lower back, and his touch made her relax even more.

"I'm sorry, Lily," Scarlet said when she pulled away, "I'm sorry about everything."

Lily held Scarlet's face in between her freezing palms, tears still falling from her bright green irises, "Thank you for sending your mum over — I could not have handled everything without her help," she sniffed a little, calming down as her breathing got steadier. "I think she scared Tuney quite a lot."

"Come here, Evans," Sirius sighed, pulling the girl into a soft hug.

      She was about to say something else when her voice got caught in her throat, and eye-line darted towards another figure behind Sirius. 

"Hi, Lils," Potter waved a little with a wry smile, one hand holding a cup of hot cocoa, "I—I brought you this — I didn't know how... I don't know what to say."

"You had a lot to say on the 51 letters you sent, James," Lily softly said. The two's eyes connected, and the rest of the world disappeared. Scarlet, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Alice and Marlene shared a look and even moved a little from their position to make sure Lily and James did not get lost in each other.

      Evans and Potter did not take their eyes off each other, and everything else vanished as their hearts collided. Shakily, Lily reached into her pockets and pulled out a crumbled-up sheet of paper.

"I only kept the last ones you sent," said the redhead. "'Discarded the rest of them.

James stayed quiet, still staring at those damned green eyes in a mesmerising way.

"Because in this letter," she opened it up, and stared at it. "You said 'love, James' instead of 'from, James'—"

"Of course," James nodded almost instantly. He set down the cup of a hot drink on the table and approached her very gently. 

"I want to say to you that..." Lily coughed awkwardly, pushing away the tears to the back of her eyes. "I cannot believe I'm the first to say this but—"

      "I love you."

James looked as though his eyeballs fell right out of his sockets. He ignored the way everybody else's jaws dropped in the background, and it was only Lily left to look at. Only Lily is left to listen to. 

"Sai it again," blurted out Potter. As though he could listen to the sweet melody of Lily's voice forever. The words he wanted to hear since he was nothing but a child swept off her tongue like honey. 

"I love you," A single thread of gold connected her heartstrings to his, tangling like a spider-web.

"Say it a—"

"HOLY MORGANA'S TITS, POTTER!" Marlene screamed, "Just say it back and kiss the fuck out of her, will ya?"

      Wolf-whistles and a chorus of gasps and claps filled the room when the couple grabbed onto each other and kissed softly. His lips brushed hers so excruciatingly softly as though they were butterfly wings. James did not look impatient, or too eager even after all the time he spent waiting — hell, it was the last week of Hogwarts. 

      It seemed purely blissful and unconditional. He touched her with so much care. No heat or lust and just consisting of mere love.

If Scarlet was an immature teenager, she would've clasped her hands together with adoring large eyes to say, "AWHHH!" Thankfully, she was not.

      "I love you too, Lily Evans... love you to the bloody moon."

      SLYTHERIN LOST THE HOUSE CUP. Whilst the students in ivy were leading significantly, Regulus seemed wildly distracted. Attention was the most important trait in being a Seeker and he seemed to have lost it. Evan played aggressively, receiving plenty of penalties. Regulus attacked Barty at some point despite being at the same time, despite not being a Beater which left the Slytherin audience in utter confusion. Everest was fuming at her teammates, practically red in rage.

"Regulus Black just spotted the snitch — will he be able to get there in time?" The commenter spoke. Regulus was nearing the snitch, leaving the Gryffindor seeker a few feet behind. Suddenly, James came along and brushed past him harshly, making Black lose track.

      Instead of turning his focus back on the snitch, a furious Regulus flew in the opposite direction and smashed his figure and the broom against Chaser Potter. Potter struck back, shoving against him more harshly. The impact ended violently.

      Potter and Black dropped from the brooms and fell right down onto the grass-land. Whilst half of the audience gasped in fear and worry, the other half cheered loudly because the Gryffindor Seeker caught the Snitch.

"THAT LEADS GRYFFINDOR TO VICTORY!" The commenter yelled despite the two injured teenagers lying on the ground, "Gryffindor takes the House Cup!" He cheered again and again.

A crowd of people rushed to the ground to check on the two sprawled over the ground. Everest ignored the two on the floor who were groaning in pain and yelled at her teammates, "The worst game I have ever witnessed! Shame on you lot!" She screamed at them, almost tomato-red from the rage about losing the Cup. 

      It was the worst way they could have lost the cup. One can imagine the wrath Everest Chasseur rained upon the entirety of Slytherin House.

      "WHAT IN MERLIN'S NAME IS WRONG WITH YOU!" Scarlet's booming voice came through from the far end of the wing, her eyes settling on a scrawny Remus and a nervous Peter in the corner. "I swear if something had happened to Regulus — I want the culprit's family name, his address and a list of his deepest, darkest fears—"

"I'm pretty sure you already know all that," the curtain shifted aside to reveal James Potter, and there was Regulus Black on the bed next to him, sprawled over with a blanket on him. "Stop causing a scene, I'm tired, Bridget."

Sirius entered the Hospital Wing soon enough after that with a tray of biscuits and fruit-drinks. He was worried about James' wealth, the fall seemed painful. He almost forgot he had to face Regulus when he arrived there.

Regulus was accompanied by Evan Rosier, Barty Crouch Jr. and Scarlet Bridget—wait, what? "Blondie, why are you here?"

"The same reason you're here, your best friend tried to knock out—"

"I did not!" James shouted at the blonde girl, wincing in pain in his ribs as soon as he did so. Sirius rushed over to him, placing a hand on his chest to seize the ache. He turned to the younger Black, "You're the one who shoved me aside!"

"You lack so much self-awareness, Potter, you know that?" Regulus retorted, he fully sat up, ready to take on Potter once again when he felt Scarlet tugging him back, pushing him right back down on the bed. "I wouldn't have done it if you didn't—"

"It's a game! That's how it's supposed to be played!" James exclaimed.

"You're just bitter 'cause Slytherin lost," Sirius taunted the four in green.

"Because your Chaser knocked out our Seeker, of course, you lot won, you cheat!" Scarlet defended, and then Remus raised a brow.

"You don't even play."

"No, but Eve broke about two of our common room vases in anger. I'm having to deal with the blow." The blonde shrugged, straying off topic.

"Man, I bought one of those vases." Barty groaned, turning to Scarlet.

"You know what you did wrong, I'm going to get all of you suspended!" Evan argued, staring at the four Gryffindors.

"Good luck with that," Remus muttered, his voice audible only to his friends who sent him an impressed look.

"I'm going to set your entire dungeon on fire!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Stop," Remus cut through Sirius' anger, "We're not committing a crime,"

"No, please, go ahead and commit arson simply because Potter can't play Quidditch," Regulus retorted.

"How dare you insinuate that!" James lunged forward at Regulus again, hands about to violently grasp Regulus' collar when Scarlet slapped his arms away.

"Don't touch him—ever!" Barty finally roared despite being angry at Regulus for whatever reason, the boys did not seem to like each other for the time being and Scarlet did not have the energy to find out the reasons, "Black, control your pet!"

"I'll burn all of you to the ground!" Sirius snapped.

"You can't even make a toast!" shouted Regulus with a mocking look.

"You can't do your own tie!"

"I hate you, I hate all of you—" Regulus was cut off when Scarlet placed her palm over his mouth, pushing him back down onto the soft bed once again.

"Shut up," she ordered, eyes glaring dangerously.

"Crouch, are you crying," Peter scratched the back of his own neck as he nervously uttered the words.

Barty's face bellowed red from rage, "What stupid lies, you moron, I hate Gryffindors—!"

"What has happened!" A frantic voice belonging to Professor McGonagall sounded, rushing through along with Slughorn. "That was the most unprofessional and unethical behaviour I have ever witnessed in a game!" Her comment was directed at James.

"Thank you, Professor—" Regulus started.

"Not so fast, Mr Black," Slughorn scolded the student from his House, totally disappointed. "I expected better, you have always been so utterly polite."

      Barty let out a snort.

"So utterly polite," Evan mocked silently. "My arse."

Scarlet elbowed him in the ribs, and he yelped in pain.

Slughorn only glared and diverted his attention to the injured Black. "I never wish to see such a thing again,"

James practically wanted the ground to swallow him as McGonagall glared down at him. "It won't happen again. Sorry." Scarlet sharply turned to the boy, not expecting this.

The two professors nodded approvingly at Potter, then turned to Regulus.

"I'm not apologising," he was quick to reply, and the comment made Scarlet and Sirius sigh in annoyance. "He was wrong, and I'm always right."

Slughorn shared an embarrassed look with McGonagall and shook his head momentarily. "Then I must take 10 points from Slytherin, Mr Black."

"Regulus, just bloody apologise!"

"No way in hell," Regulus turned to Barty who huffed.

"Very well," Slughorn smoothly cut through. "Mister Rosier, Miss Bridget, and Mister Crouch, I think it's best for you to leave now."

"How long do they have to be here, Poppy?" McGonagall asked Pomfrey who showed a dismissive hand in the air, a tight smile on her lips.

"A few more hours, they need some rest." She answered.

McGonagall watched the two Slytherins strut away, and turned to the Gryffindors. "Mister Black, Mister Lupin and Mister Pettigrew, bid your friend goodnight for now."

"No, no way, I'm staying here!" Sirius shouted whilst Remus and Peter dragged him away like a mother taking away a toddler from the playground. James' head hit the pillow harshly as he laid back down.

"Ridiculous."

"I know right," Regulus chimes in.

James' head snapped in his direction. "At least we agree on something."

      IT DID NOT SEEM LIKE ANYBODY CARED ABOUT EXAMS. There was more important stuff to worry about, who would take N.E.W.T.s seriously when there is a war occurring out there?

      For Scarlet and her friends, leaving Hogwarts meant joining the war. That worry faded when she stood with the girls and looked at Hogwarts one last time, the beautiful castle glinting as the sunlight fell over the walls like honey.

"I don't want to say goodbye to this place." Lily said sadly, dragging her trunk.

"You can become a professor, return to this place and teach our future kids." Alice's own words made her gasp dreamily. "Can you imagine all our kids off to Hogwarts together?"

Marlene and Everest shared a soft look, half-smiling genuinely as they stared at the castle.

"I'm never having kids," Dorcas chimed in. "Useless little things who can't speak."

Scarlet snorted as Marlene and Everest protested at Dorcas' words. 

"They're adorable!" Everest exclaimed. "As long as my kids don't turn out to be like my stupid brothers, I'd be happy to have one or two."

Marlene excitedly clapped, "Oh Merlin, imagine little us running around, carrying our legacy!" 

"Would you not have to get married first?" Dorcas raised a brow. "That sounds like another set of useless and tiring work."

Lily nudged the Slytherin with her elbow, "We'll find you someone, to save you trouble," said the redhead which made Dorcas roll her eyes with a tiny grin. "Don't you worry."

Everest laughed, "Bloody hell, yes! Alice and Frank Longbottom, James and Lily Potter, Sirius and Scarlet Black—!" She clapped her hands together, giggling with Marlene in glee.

"Your name is gonna be fully colours!" A roar of giggle came from a cheery Alice who turned to Scarlet

"I might threaten Sirius into taking my name," Scarlet informed with a tight, excited smile. "So we can continue the Bridget's line... and so my name doesn't become all colours." She grimaced at the idea.

"That is adorable!" Alice gushed. "You two are like magic together."

"What about you two?" Lily asked softly, turning to Marlene and Everest whose cheeks went bright red.

"I—well... oh, I mean..." Marlene stumbled over her words.

Scarlet turned around, nodding encouragingly. They had discussed this the other night all together, and the two girls agreed to tell Alice, Dorcas, and Lily soon enough. They better not have gotten cold-feet.

Everest turned to Marlene to whisper into her ear. "You don't have to—"

Marlene pursed her lips, "We're together," she said, intertwining her fingers with the Chasseur girl's. "Like, together together..."

"...I know," Lily muttered, raising a brow. 

"WHAT?" Alice and Dorcas gaped in unison, sharing a look of astonishment that soon turned into awe. Dorcas asked, "How long?"

"I have had a crush on her since... forever, actually." Everest laughed lightly. "How the hell did you know, Lils?"

"I have eyes," the redhead answered bluntly.

"We started dating after last summer." The blonde shared, moving closer to her girlfriend. "Scarlet, I think someone is waiting for you over there."

      Scarlet and Sirius were able to find an empty corner soon enough when they stepped onto Hogwarts Express. Her back was against the large window, figure trapped between his arms that rested on either side of her head as he kissed her mercilessly. Tongue sweeping on her bottom lip, not allowing her to breathe.

      Their affairs had been illicit for the last few months they spent together to make sure nobody found out. They would meet up at night, and Sirius would cherish every curve of her body as though it were gold. Kissing those full lips a bit too eagerly to satisfy the need he would feel all those hours she was away. 

      It was hard to breathe when she was away, and it was even harder when she was with him.

She gasped in a sharp inhale, "Sirius." One of her hands twisted tightly in his hair due to anticipation, the other hand was much softer on his chest. 

"What?" He said with a harsh hiss against her lips.

"How am I meant to meet you from now on?" Asked the girl, pushing him away by his chest and widening their distance which made him look disappointed. "I can't just tell my mum I'm going over at the Potters randomly, she would have my head on a platter soon enough."

"We'll figure out a way," Sirius grinned, hopefully, his joyous aura would cheer her up. "Me and Prongs are amazing at coming up with plans."

      Scarlet did not agree but shrugged mindlessly anyway. 

      Staring up at his eyes that glinted like the stars in an ink canvas, she wondered how anybody ever had the audacity to hurt this boy. How can someone look into those eyes and dare to threaten him? People like Sirius were not deserving of threats and hatred. People like Scarlet were deserving of it.  

"Did I scare you?" Asked Scarlet suddenly with a soft expression, and his eyes glittered with confusion. "That night," why would you bring up that night now, you stupid bitch? "When I raised my wand at you?"

Sirius wanted their relationship to be honest. He wanted her to know what was right and wrong according to his perspective because that was the only way she would trust him with what she found right and wrong. So, he truthfully answered, "You did," he nodded softly, "But I deserved it."

"Nobody deserves it," Scarlet corrected. "Nobody deserves to feel threatened by someone they love. Love is not lethal."

"I don't feel threatened," he confidently stated. "I feel safe with you."

"Really?" That truly was a very significant declaration to Scarlet. He may not have known just how much it meant to her but it sent her to the moon. 

"Of course," he smiled and then brushed his lips with hers again dreamily. 

      Scarlet will never appear lethal to Sirius again, she promised herself. She would drive a dagger through her heart, bite down on her tongue until she drew blood and more blood but she would never threaten Sirius. Never again.

      Perhaps one day, Sirius would be able to hold her heart and not feel threatened. Scarlet will fix it, the way she acts out of control sometimes. She will fix everything.

      Scarlet was a fixer. The only thing she could never fix was her own lethal heart. The bruising and bloody words never really left her. Surely, love overpowered it but the hurt was still there. Still living and breathing. 

      The words, 'vile little psychopath', 'crooked, shallow slut', and 'wasted and damaged wretch', cracked over Scarlet like a whip and they stung, digging deep wounds inside her and clawing a desperate home just underneath her skin. She always held every critique close to her, closer to her than her friends, letting the snarky remarks eat her alive. 

      Something ached inside Scarlet, colouring her raw and blue. But somehow... when Sirius held her face in between his palms, the lips that once called her pathetic were the same lips to utter, "I love you, Blondie," those ugly bruises turned golden.

      Golden like daylight.

𝑪𝑨𝑹𝑨 𝑺𝑷𝑬𝑨𝑲𝑺

2 chapters until ACT 3!!