The Black Pawn (R.L.)

10 - Up in Flames

My dark hair fanned out across the arm of the sofa as I mindlessly picked at my cuticles. Unsurprisingly the summer had droned on similarly to this. I'd spent most of it in Grimmauld Place with Sirius, Regulus, and of course Kreacher. We spent a few weekends at our cousin's manor, but that was an even more unpleasant experience than watching Regulus try to teach Kreacher to play Wizard's Chess.

I wasn't surprised to hear that the family hadn't accepted Andromeda's love for a Muggle-born—though I never expected them to completely disown her. I hadn't even been given the chance to say goodbye, and now I was expected to never so much as glance at her. Andromeda was the one member of my family I felt comfortable enough to talk to. I had to watch my mother blast her face from our family's tapestry without a word. Since then my parents have been extra watchful of Sirius, Regulus, and I.

"Opaline, your school list has come." Mother walked into the room, a hefty stack of books floating behind her. Her hair was slicked into her usual bun, her angular features as taut as ever.

"You went to Diagon Alley without me?" I furrowed my brows when a portion of the stack fell onto the table in front of me. "I told you I wanted to go."

"Yes but I know exactly why you wanted to go." She didn't so much as glance over at me as she handed Regulus his books. He was going to be joining us at Hogwarts this year, which brought more anxiety to my mother and father after what had happened with their oldest son. "And no daughter of mine will be drooling over something as mannish as broomsticks."

"But it's not fai—" I began to protest but was quickly stopped by the hand she held to me.

"Opaline this is the last I will hear of this nonsense from you." She snapped. "I need you to be on your best behavior this year especially. I'm sure others have already heard about the disgrace my brother has raised."

I kept quiet after that, instead focusing my attention on the textbooks in front of me. I'm surprised she hasn't picked out my electives for next year already. I had fought too much already—and quite frankly it was exhausting. Sirius seemed to be giving her enough trouble for the both of us though.

"Wow." Regulus muttered once our mother had left the room to bring Sirius' textbooks upstairs. "Defense Against the Dark Arts." He flipped open the black cover and scanned the first page. Kreacher glanced over from where he was cleaning the glass of one of the cabinets.

"Yeah, it's a pretty fun class I guess." I shrugged, crossing one of my legs over my knee. "Professor Welkin is a bit barmy but she's sweet. I'm not really sure how much we actually learned, though. She'd go off on these long tangents..."

"Well, it says here we've got a new professor." Regulus scanned his Hogwarts letter.

"Really?" I furrowed my brows, picking up my own. "Welkin was new last year."

"Now it's some bloke named Bancroft." He shrugged. "Hope he's just as nice."

"I'm sure he will be. I wonder what happened to Professor Welk—" My speculation was cut off by the sound of loud shouting from the floors above us.

Regulus and I both froze at the noise, and moments later my mother came down the stairs with Sirius hot on her heels. "I will not have this disgusting filth in my home!" She shouted.

"You have no right!" Sirius countered.

It was only then that I noticed three items in her arms. Two were what appeared to be the Muggle magazines James had sent Sirius through OWL and the third was a very familiar book.

"No—no! Please, Mother!" I sprang up in a futile attempt to grab the novel from her.

She looked to me with pure disgust across her features, her dark eyes filled with bewilderment. "You dare bring this into our family home? Have you no respect!?" She held Lily's copy of Little Women up as if even touching it would hurt her. "Both of you have been exposed to far too much at that school of yours. Cygnus warned me that that Headmaster is encouraging Mudbloods and their horrid Muggle culture but I never thought they'd go as far as to corrupt my own children!"