Not forbidden, just hard | Regulus Black

Chapter 2: The Sorting Ceremony

Everly was just like her brother in many ways, one could see that from just looking at her. Same color eyes, brown but lit up with little gold flecks when the sun hit her just right. Same color hair, always pushing her hands through it just like James, although when she did it one could argue it always made it better.

But the most obvious similarity was overwhelming confidence that radiated off the two like blinding lights. She walked into the great hall with the rest of the first years with her head held high and a bright smile, Regulus right beside her. Walking through the tables she bumped fists with James, Sirius, Peter and Remus who all smiled and said good luck. Regulus heard James say "Make us proud." And saw her smile dim a little but it brightened back up when she turned and looked at Regulus, "Whatever happens?" She whispered. "Whatever happens." He smiled.

"Can I have your attention please." The wizard at the podium said, holding his hands up. "Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts everyone. And to the first years, welcome. I am headmaster Dumbledore. I welcome you with great pride as do all the professors here." He gestured to the woman standing next to him holding a hat and then to the long table behind him with the rest of the teachers.

"Professor McGonagall, the sorting if you please." And with that he stepped down from the podium and a stool appeared in front of it.

"I will call your name." The witch said. "And you will come and sit down. I will put the hat on your head, and when a house is called, you will sit with them at the top of the tables. Houses are like your family while you are at Hogwarts. Everything you do, eat, sleep, learn will be with them." She had a loud and stern voice with a hint of a smile.

Everly knew she wasn't as mean as she looked from stories her brother and his friends has told her. She continued on about the houses before taking out a long scroll with names on it. First was the A's. A few in Hufflepuff and some to Ravenclaw. A few more minutes and she started calling up the B's. Regulus drew in a shaky breath when she moved letters and Everly looked over to him and grabbed his hand.

"Don't stress. Hey look at me." She pulled his hand to get his attention.
"We've known eachother for like an hour how do you know I'm stressing?"
"Your face may hide it well but the shaky breath and hand gave it away."
"Regulas Black." McGonagall called looking at them. The hall went quiet.
"You got this, go." Everly gave him a little push. "Don't worry I'll still talk to you if we aren't in the same house." She laughed lightly and smiled even though it wasn't a joke, and Regulus knew it wasn't.

He walked up to the stool and sat down hat being placed on his head and falling slightly over his eyes. Ohh another Black a voice in his head said. It sounded rough but not unhappy.

2 minutes went by. The longest decision yet. Everly wished she could see his eyes, tell him it was alright again. He wouldn't admit to being scared but she knew what it was like to have the family pressure. His was worse though. If she wasn't sorted into Gryffindor it would just be the end of a long tradition, but her parents would still be proud. If he didn't get sorted into Sytherin, his whole family would make his life hell.

3 minutes. No one in the hall spoke. All eyes were on the boy at the stool waiting, watching, for-
"SLYTHERIN"  The hat shouted and the Slytherin table went up on cheers and shouts. McGonagall took the hat off Regulus and the first eyes he found were Everlys. They were soft like her smile and she mouthed "The hat is never wrong." He smiled back and made his way over to the table, ignoring his brothers eyes and instead looking back up to the stool to watch the rest of the first year's get sorted.

P being one of the letters in the later alphabet and without Reggie standing beside her, Everly began to stress. It melted away a little when McGonagall looked at the scroll to call another name and shook her head saying a quick, "Oh merlin." That only a few people heard before calling, "Everly Potter." She heard a few shouts from James and his friends as she walked up with a charming smile pointed at McGonagall. "Minnie, very nice to meet you." Everly said sitting on the stool. "James's sister I presume." McGonagall said back, a slight smile peaking through. Everly just smiled back before the hat was on her head.

Ahh so alike your brother I see.

I'm going to have to take that as a compliment she thought back to the voice of the hat in her head.

Yes very well but there is something else here, something more. Hmm better be,
"GRYFFINDOR" The hat boomed and the Gryffindor table erupted in cheers as Everly made her way to sit between her brother and a first year girl who was just recently sorted.
"Good job Eve, you didn't ruin the families legacy." James said slapping her on the back. Everly hit him on the back of the head. "I can't belive you had such little faith in me." She bit back but smiled as he wrapped her in a hug.

Dumbledore gave another speech before the feast began and after the sorting finished, the usual warnings and criptic phrases according to the boys and Lily who was sitting across from her with who Eve found out was Mary, Marlene, and Dorcas, her dorm mates along with Paisly Harris who was sitting beside her.

The feast was amazing loads of all different types of food. From chicken to lamb, green beans to mashed potatoes, and of course paper. Flying pieces of paper folded as birds were flying all around the great hall as older siblings congratulated their younger siblings on their houses and old friends from different houses united.

Even Everly sent a few to Regulus who wouldn't stop staring at her through the entire feast.
Would you stop staring at me you weirdo she wrote before folding it up and sending it to Regulus, it flew into his mashed potatoes.
We should take a walk around the castle after dinner, also thanks for ruining my mashed potatoes he wrote back. His bird flew perfectly into her hands. Opening and reading the letter she looked back at him and nodded receiving a small smile back.