𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍:
Don't break
(September 01, 1971)

VIVIANE IS ON A MISSION. A mission to talk to her cousin, Sirius Black. But first, breakfast in the Great Hall. Thankfully, it's delicious-mentally thankful to the house elves who prepared their food, her Mother told her about that, and she also told her how to get into the kitchens, and that is a great deal of information for her.

But it's no comparison to home-cooked meals. Hasn't Dumbledore thought that he does not only have English students? But Asians as well? Hogwarts is a diverse school; they might as well have diverse food as well.

The Head Girl of Slytherin started handing out their schedules for the year. Viviane nods to herself. It isn't that heavily loaded. The classes are rather-fine. They shared classes with each house, alternating between classes. This schedule is really light compared to the schedule she has at home. Ah, Merlin, this is really a year of freedom.

At home, she starts her day at 5 in the morning, breakfast at 6 AM. From 7 AM - 11 AM are her five-hour ballet sessions every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and on Tuesday and Thursday, those five hours are her advanced tutor lessons. 12 PM - 2 PM are Potions Sessions with her Father-every day.

3 PM - 4 PM every Monday and Friday-for an hour, she practises her Violin or Piano or whatever instrument she needs to learn, and that one hour on Tuesday and Thursday is her assignment completion. 4 PM - 5:30 PM every day is her language tutor session-either French, Latin, or Spanish, etc.

Merlin, her schedule in Hogwarts is too...light. Viviane feels underwhelmed by how easy and light her schedule is. She could actually sleep in and eat breakfast at 8 AM. She feels relieved and can feel like she can relax and actually enjoy studying.

Viviane is glad that she has so much time on her hands now that she's at Hogwarts-and she has a thirty-minute break, an actual break from classes; she couldn't wrap her head around it.

Now she never wants to leave.

"Bless whoever made this schedule and that we start classes at 9 in the morning. Could never function well at 7 in the morning." Myra comments with an approved nod as she tucks her own schedule in her notebook. Viviane agrees with a hum-try functioning at 5 AM every day. Viviane refuses to comment out loud.

Viviane takes her wand out underneath the table. There's a small space between Aurora and Dorcas, who are in front of her. She then discretely points her wand toward Sirius, who is checking his own schedule while talking to the other three boys. Whispering a spell under her breath.

Suddenly Sirius could feel someone poking him. Sirius furrows his brows, looking at the person beside him who was Remus-enjoying his own food. Confused, he looks around, and then his eyes set towards the Slytherin table, seeing his dearest cousin, Viviane, who was already looking at him, discreetly nodding her head towards the exit.

Sirius nods in her direction as he sees Viviane tell her friends an excuse. The four girls nodded. The other one tried to go with her, but Viviane managed to convince her to stay in her seat.

His eyes follow his cousin's figure and walk toward the corridors. Sirius looks at his friends and says, "Got to use the loo, mates." Patting Remus on the shoulder, and before they can respond, Sirius is already making his way towards the corridors.

Sirius scans the corridors, with no sight of his cousin, until a door opens at the end of the corridor, with Viviane peeking her head out, her hand directing him towards her. Sirius quickly runs, entering the empty classroom. Viviane pulled her want out from her Slytherin robes, waving her wand as she cast, "Quies."

Sirius rolls his eyes at her. Viviane raises an eyebrow, "We are going to have a private conversation. It'll be a great hassle if someone overhears."

Sirius sighs heavily, "That serious?"

"Yes, so take me seriously," Viviane replies as she sits down on the stool beside the cabinet.

"I will try my best to be serious and handle my humour to a minimum." Sirius nods in agreement, grinning at a pun he said with his name. Viviane scoffs. Then her annoyed demeanour turned to something soft and empathetic in her face.

"Merlin, now I know why you need me to be serious. This is about the house, isn't it?" Sirius purses his lips, walking towards Viviane as he rubs his hands to his face.

"Sirius, you know this changes everything," Viviane tells him softly. Sirius paced in front of her as his hands flew up in the air, then placed firmly on his hips.

"Yes, Viv. I thought about it a lot last night, actually." Sirius's hand then scratches his chin, pursing his lips as Viviane lets him gather his thoughts. "And the severity of this situation for me, being sorted into Gryffindor is...well, severe."

"Have you written them a letter?" Viviane asks as she fiddles with her fingers, straightening her back as she tries to not let her cousin see how anxious she is getting. It might make him more anxious if he sees she's anxious.

"Yes. I have. I was really smug about it at first." Sirius winced to himself as Viviane buried her face in her hands, mumbling, "What did you write, Sirius?"

Sirius's face wrinkles as he says, "I told them that I was rather proud to be the first Black to be sorted into Gryffindor after centuries of us being sorted into Slytherin and that we need a bit of change of scenery every now and then."

Viviane then removes her hands from her face, looking at Sirius, "Bloody hell, Sirius. Way of adding more fuel to the already blazing fire." Viviane rubs her forehead with her thumb, closing her eyes, trying to even her breathing.

"You know if the news reaches Father. He might try-no, he will separate us, not let me talk to you again." Viviane tells him, opening her worry-filled eyes.

"I know," Sirius whispers, voice breaking.

"They'll try to make us compete with each other. Merlin, Sirius, they'll try to make us hate each other. You know this!" Viviane exclaimed, and her eyes started to water. Viviane wipes her falling tears with her handkerchief as Sirius crouches on the ground burying his face in his hands.

"I know, Viv. Bloody hell, I know." Sirius mumbles. The reality of being sorted into Gryffindor finally sinks in. Merlin, he was already regretting his decision yesterday. The rules Walburga had instilled in him before leaving their house are resurfacing. Viviane then kneels on the ground in front of him, removing his hands from his face and seeing him cry.

Viviane wipes his tears with her handkerchief. "Sirius, no matter what. Promise me that you'll stay strong-I know how they get, Sirius. I know how cruel they can be. I need you to pull through this. Be brave." Viviane reminds him, holding both of his hands firmly in hers. They both looked intently at each other.

"You have Uncle Alphard and Andromeda-me and Mama, Okay? You need to remember that I'll always be here for you." Viviane hugged him tightly as Sirius hugged her back, reciprocating the tight assurance.

"Don't listen to what they'll say. No matter what." Viviane adds. Merlin, they're only 11 years old. They shouldn't feel so powerless and unsafe.

"Don't break, Sirius," Viviane whispers.

Sirius sniffs, "It's not something we could control, Viv."

Viviane pulls away, looking at him. "We couldn't afford to break, Sirius. Not with a family like ours."

Sirius purses his lips, looking away, "Just promise me something," He then looks back at Viviane, "That you won't break too."

Viviane gives him a sad smile. "I promise not to break." Sirius then wraps his pink to her pinky finger.

"We won't break." They both promised in unison.

They both stood up as Viviane removed the silencing spell around the room. Gathering themselves and fixing their facade. With shoulders straight and chin up, they both returned to the great dining hall. They still had a few minutes to spare before their classes.

Author's Note:
-So it begins! The cousins trauma bonding😭 I feel so bad for them😭