𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞 - 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫

27 - 𝙞 𝙘𝙖𝙣'𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨

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Aquila hated her mother, she hated her aunt and she hated Gryffindors. Not particularly in that order.

Her mother, she hated because her mother had always told her to stand up for herself, but then reprimanded her for speaking against what she felt was wrong. She also hated her mother because her mother lost her voice at the most inopportune of moments, like when their cousin makes a move to harm them. She hated her mother also because she never said anything at all to people who have the actual potential to really hurt her children. Also, she hated her mother in a way all teenagers do, time from time.

She hated her aunt for birthing a hateful creature like Bellatrix, and for thinking that she had any right over Aquila just because they shared the name 'Druella'. She hated her aunt for trying to be more aunt-like, with her fake smile and ears that were far too small for her body. Maybe it was cruel of Aquila to hate her aunt when all she did was 'care' for her, but there was something about Druella that made you want to punch her the moment you met her.

She wondered how her uncle resisted that impulse.

She hated Gryffindors. Earlier, it was because of what she had been taught from a very young age, being told Slytherin was the only correct thing to be and while being a Ravenclaw was acceptable, the true offence to the name of the Blacks was becoming a Gryffindor. When Sirius had returned from Hogwarts after his first year, quivering in his boots at facing his parents' wrath, it seemed that his fear was misplaced. Instead of being afraid of his parents, he should really have been afraid of his cousin.

Now, why she hated Gryffindors. While she supposed she could place the blame on her upbringing, she had to admit that it was partially her own bias that made her hate anyone sitting under the red and gold banner. People like Dumbledore, McGonagall, James and even Sirius, considered themselves righteous and above making mistakes. As much as the Gryffindor head of house tried to, she couldn't exactly suppress her bias for her students. To an extent, understandable. Dumbledore, however, was a different case altogether. He was Headmaster. He was supposed to be unbiased. He wasn't supposed to find opportunities to glorify Gryffindors.

Sure, the war that was happening right now was because of a Slytherin, but that didn't mean that possibly every Slytherin was bad. Take Merlin, for example. Good Slytherin. Yeah, well, fine, Voldemort, bad Slytherin.

We get it, okay?

"You guys are overreacting," Rowan jumped next to her on the bed. Aquila frowned and turned over to him.

"Do you even know what happened?" Aquila said, not even bothering to hide her irritation. Regulus slumped on the bed next to them, Adrian joining him soon after.

Rowan twisted his lips to the side, clearly annoyed. "Perhaps if you trusted us as much as you seem to trust them, we would know what actually happened instead of the cryptic details both of you have given till now."

"We're sorry, but we can't betray their confidence. It's not our secret to tell, you know?" Regulus sighed.

For a change, Adrian looked annoyed too. For the four of them, it was easy to get Aquila and Rowan start throwing spells and insults left and right while it was generally difficult to ruffle Adrian and Regulus' feathers. This was why the four of them flowed well together. Adrian and Regulus were the calm to Rowan and Aquila's storm.

"You're asking us to tell what secret is theirs, Ro?" Aquila asked, eyes dangerously bright as she turned on her side and looked him straight in the eye. Rowan smiled slowly, a wicked sort of smile, his eyes boring straight into hers.

"Not at all, Aq. Just worried, is all."

Adrian and Rowan exchanged odd glances, surprised at this interaction. This was new.

What do you think you're doing? Regulus prodded her in his head.

Aquila mentally hummed. I don't see him complaining.

What're you gonna do, date? We're 13, for Merlin's sake.

I thought people were supposed to date in their teenage years.

Not people like us.

And that was that. Aquila pulled away from the rather intense eye contact session, coughed awkwardly and sat up. This was difficult. Making Aquila awkward was an achievement. She was quite comfortable in almost every situation, finding humour where awkwardness was to be found. Rowan now had faint colour blooming on his cheeks, which was quite an accomplishment as well. Huh. Odd.

- - -

"Why are we still mad again?" Regulus wondered as he and Aquila sat near the Black Lake, pulling at the grass and occasionally throwing it on the back of her hair. She didn't seem to have noticed till now.

Aquila turned and glared at him. "You were the one acting all macho in front of Sirius. Who told you to throw that insult?"

"What? I was mad. It was an immense amount of power that we poured and a huge amount of time we spent in the library. All we got out of it were two measly tutor sessions. Not exactly a good deal," Regulus frowned.

Aquila looked at him again. "You just said all of the reasons why we're mad at them." Regulus just threw some grass on her face this time. "Why do you care so much, anyway? It's not like we were best friends?"

"Yeah, I mean, it's not like he's our brother or anything, it's not like we have to go with him or anything," Regulus grumbled.

Aquila shot an amused look at him. "You're awfully sassy today. Everything okay?"

Regulus sighed. "No, I'm just saying, you made a friend, too." Aquila opened her mouth to say something but Regulus cut her off. "And, don't lie, I know you wanted that friendship to succeed."

Aquila sighed. "Maybe. But like you said, I shouldn't have started something I couldn't finish. In the end, we're gonna be on opposite sides in this war, and I don't think I'll be able to raise a wand when the time comes." 

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if i ever do attempt to write anyone with aquila in a romantic sense, it'll have to be from reg's perspective

which is shite, bec reg is the most oblivious piece of shit when it comes to romance

anyhoo, hope ya likey, love y'all!

༻hy༺