Assumption // Regulus Black

1

Thalia

I stared blankly at the train. My eyes remained glazed as they travelled over the maroon exterior, the silver axels, and the glassy windows filled with the smiling faces of eager first-years. Not even the prospect of sweets or the views of Scotland could cure the pit in my stomach. The pit that had been eating away at me for the past three months. 

He was gone.

His soft eyes. His messy hair, that no matter how many times he tried to smooth down, never quite sat right. The small scar below his eyebrow from a bludger in his fourth year. His permanent smirk that softened into what I would always swear was a smile when I said something funny. 

All gone.

A mere memory. 

And it was because of him. The so-called "Dark Lord" who was too cowardly to do his own bidding that he called upon 19 year-olds. 19 year-olds who had sisters who no matter how infuriating they found their brothers, always loved them. 

So that was why, as I was standing on Platform 9 3/4, I wasn't thinking about sweets from the trolly or the rolling hills of Scotland. All I could think about was how my older brother wasn't here to wish me off to my final year. 

"Fucking git!" My friend's voice snapped me out of my reminiscent state. I turned my gaze away from the Hogwarts Express to see my dark-haired friend snatching her prefect's badge out of Liam Townes's hand. She hit him playfully on his shoulder, though a small smile played on her lips. 

"I just can't believe it," Liam exclaimed, "You, Annalise Rose, a fucking prefect! You can't convince me that Dumbledore's not going mad."

"Thank you," she said sarcastically, "I really appreciate your faith in me." 

"Fucking mad isn't it?" I heard Liam ask as I tuned out their conversation. I always teased them about their constant flirting. But at the moment, I was far too distracted to make an effort. 

 "Tals?" Liam's voice snapped me back to reality.

"Hmm?" I asked. 

"I said it's mad isn't it- Anna being a prefect?" 

"Yeah," I laughed, "Maybe Dumbledore's finally snapped." 

"Oh not you too," Anna complained. I shot her a wink before going back to my thinking. 

Roman died three months ago. Two months, 28 days to be exact. As part of the "grieving process," I'd specifically asked my friends not to treat me fragilely. I needed some sense of normalcy. I appreciated their efforts to respect my wishes- even when it was small things like including me in the conversation when I was obviously lost in thought. It helped a bit. 

I'm not normally... quiet. I'm not normally one to tune out my friends. In fact, last year, even a few months ago, I was quite the opposite. I was outgoing and fun like my other Slytherin friends, I would go out of my way to talk and flirt with our classmates, I was likable. Popular. 

What was more, only my friends knew about Roman. My classmates who knew me as the snarky, extroverted girl, didn't. So in order to avoid being known as "the girl with a dead death eater brother," I was going to have to make an effort to act normally. I suppose I wanted it that way: I didn't want to be treated differently, but most of all, I didn't need the constant reminder of what had happened. 

Merlin, I'm really being cheerful, aren't I? 

As I was thinking to myself, some of our other friends joined us on the platform. I turned away from the train, pushing down my thoughts, before putting on a smirk and joining in the conversation.