Trouvaille - something lovely discovered by chance
A Slytherin and a Gryffindor are sworn enemies. Families, friendships, relationships, all are infected by house rivalry.
So are James Potter, proud and brave Gryffindor, and Aquila Black, cunning a...
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Headmaster Albus Dumbledore had nowhere to go during the holidays, and that was a fact.
Regulus was sure that was a fact, he thought dazedly as he ran down the twisting and confusing hallways of Hogwarts, because Dumbledore certainly looked old enough to outlive anyone who might invite him for the holidays.
Regulus had this one last thought, before he could barely think at all. It was hard for his mind to speak over his sobbing as he screamed over the burning pain in his arm. He had looked down to see only an irritable red patch of skin, but he was sure Aquila's skin wasn't as unmarked. The other side of their mental bridge was dark, and when Regulus had tried reaching out to her, it had been like shouting into an abyss.
Regulus stumbled through the corridors, trying to make sense of his surroundings, trying to reach the Headmaster simply because he had no one else to go to. Slughorn was a man needed at times when you wanted a favour from a famous person, he was sure McGonagall hated him anyway, and while he was pretty sure that Dumbledore hated him too (by association), Dumbledore had a legal obligation to help a student that came to him crying in the middle of the night.
And because of tha-
Oh dear.
- - -
Whatever James was expecting, it was not Regulus Black lying face-first in the middle of the corridor. One looks at Sirius' face said he wasn't expecting it either.
Giving a short nod to each other, they dropped on their knees and hefted Regulus up by his arms. Man, the boy weighed nothing.
Like Aquila, his brain supplied. Thanks brain, for being no help at all.
Oh Godric, he looks so much like her, too, his brain said. Wait, no, creepy.
"What do you think we should do?" Sirius asked, looking at James over Regulus' head.
Regulus opened his eye partially. "Dumbuhhhh," he supplied helpfully.
"Dumbledore?" James guessed, as it was clearly either Dumbledore, or Regulus was calling them dumb. In that case, he could eat the floor.
Regulus nodded feebly. Good, because James would not have been happy being called dumb by his girlfriend's unconscious brother.
Woah, what? No girlfriend, brain. Unfortunately, his brain did not listen.
"What are we waiting for?" Sirius asked.
James huffed, lifted Regulus to a more comfortable position (for James, not for Regulus) and motioned for Sirius to start moving. They headed down the corridor, and soon enough, they were standing in front of the gargoyle which had the stairs to go up to Dumbledore's office.
"You know the password, Reg?" Sirius asked, nudging his brother.
Regulus' eyes snapped open. "No-no password," he gasped. Unsurprisingly, the gargoyle did not move.
"Open up, Headmaster," Regulus growled, his fingers flexing. Nope, still didn't work.
It seemed Regulus was done being polite, as he lifted his hands and crushed his finger in a fist, and faint blue light emitted from his fingers. The gargoyle made a screeching noise, which would have been very creepy. Was the gargoyle alive? The staircase appeared and James knocked Sirius on the head, considering he seemed too stunned to move.
"Ah, Messrs Black and Potter. How may I help you?" Professor Dumbledore asked, as if there wasn't an unconscious boy hanging between them who had maybe broken his door knocker.
James indicated one of the chairs in front of him, asking for permission to set Regulus down. Dumbledore said nothing, simply peered over his glasses. Naturally, James and Sirius took that as a yes and dumped the boy there. Dumbledore waved his hand and Regulus jerked awake.
"Aquila," he gasped, his eyes darting around the room. "Please, Headmaster, please help me. My sister-Aquila-she's in trouble," he said, turning pleading eyes to Dumbledore.
James was unnerved because he was sure Regulus Black was not one to beg for help, and James was concerned because if Regulus Black was begging for help, that meant something really bad had happened to Aquila.
"What has exactly happened to Miss Black, Regulus?" Dumbledore asked, a sense of urgency in his eyes now. Clearly, he wasn't used to seeing Regulus so unruffled either.
Regulus said nothing, just held up his left forearm in reply. Replacing clear skin was irritated red skin, like after you scratch too much, except it looked way worse. Dumbledore took ahold of Regulus' wrist and peered at the skin.
"You're certain it's her?" Dumbledore asked. Regulus nodded, his eyes very much alert now. Sirius looked at James with worry, nibbling his lower lip. Not only was his younger brother looking a level below death, his sister was probably worse.
Dumbledore stood up and approached the fireplace, grabbing a pinch of Floo Powder from the container hanging beside it. He threw it in the fire, making it burn green, and said loudly, "Andromeda Black."
"Andy?" Regulus asked from where he had slumped his head on the desk.
"Yes, Mr. Black," Dumbledore said off-handedly. "Mr. Potter, please get Professor McGonagall. She's going to be awake right now."
James didn't particularly want to go right now, but perhaps this had to be a family matter. Soon enough, the room was going to be three quarters Black, and that was most certainly not the way of the yin and yang.
As James turned toward the door, he put a hand on Sirius' shoulder to reassure him. Sirius put his hand on top of his, and squeezed it once. The oldest Black brother's face had also lost all its colour, and he was swaying slightly. James couldn't tell if it was nerves or just Sirius being his jittery self.
As soon as James left, a loud roar came from the fireplace and Andromeda Black came through, ruffling her hair to get the ash or whatever out of it. "Evening, Professor. How can I help you?" she asked, then turned around in surprise. "Sirius? Regulus? What are you guys doing here and why do you look half-dead?" she wondered, pointing at Regulus.
"Aq," Regulus muttered. "Aquila. Get her, please," he said, his voice cracking a bit at the end.
"Andromeda, Regulus is sure that Aquila is in very grave danger. She is currently in the Black Manor. Bellatrix will also be there. I assume you will take care of your aunt and uncle?" Dumbledore said, folding his hands over his desk as he sat down.
Sirius straightened. "What do you mean, 'take care of them'? Don't kill them or anything, Andy."
Andromeda didn't reply, simply offered him a grim smile and nodded to Dumbledore, and stepped into the fireplace, speaking in a clear, firm voice. "Black Manor!"
- - -
James returned with Professor McGonagall in tow, only to hear the swoosh of the Floo flames as Andromeda Tonks appeared once again.
And what she carried, or rather, who, nearly made his heart stop and make it difficult to breathe.
For in her arms there lay a bruised and battered Aquila Black, with her left sleeve ripped open to reveal the Dark Mark on her forearm.
