FALLEN STAR, r.a.b

chapter two. prey

"I'm hoping that you'll keep your heart open.
I'll keep mine open too."

THE BOYS were planning. After the prefect meeting, James and Roma went back to their compartment. Sirius, Remus, and Peter had been the same as when they left, except Sirius was sitting in the floor, his head leaning against Remus's legs. Soon after that, they had began speaking in feverish whispers, Roma was straining to hear them, but all she could get were the occasional slip of a word. She pretended to be greatly interested in looking for something in her bag. There was rain pattering outside, the Scotland weather made the train look gloomy, but the excitement radiating off the boys next to her made everything seem illuminated.

     Roma stepped off the step onto the muddy ground of the train station. The boys trailing behind her, she dragged her suitcase, desperate to find a carriage for them. The air was fogged, they were surrounded by sky-scrapping trees, it made her feel trapped, like her soul was too small for her skin.

The only carriage she could find without strangers was one full of the boys' friends. Mary, Lily, Alice, Marlene, and Dorcas greeted her warmly. "Do you mind if the boys and I join you?"

Lily's smile faltered slightly, Roma offered an apologetic smile to her, she knew that James would have to make penance to earn her forgiveness. "We don't mind at all!" Alice smiled, "Come in, Come in!"

Roma gave her a grateful smile as she took a seat next to Mary. The boys walked in with wide smiles, Sirius went to sit with Marlene, Remus walked towards Lily, Peter immediately chatted away with Alice, and James asked Dorcas about her classes as they all got comfortable in their seats. When they all settled the carriage began to move, "How is this place so big?" Peter wondered aloud, "It's a undetectable extension charm, Pete." Alice answered, "You think they'll teach us that this year?" He asked as he looked out the carriage window. "I think so," James answered, "My dad said they'll be teaching us mainly about curses and counter-curses this year."

"Why would they do that?" Mary furrowed her brows, "He said we need to learn to protect and defend ourselves," James said with a mournful look, "For the war." he added quietly. "He's right, I've heard my mum talking about it, everyone is." Peter supplied, it was true, the looming war had been on everyone's minds, the deaths seemed to be piling up by the day, and the tragedies seemed to happen at every breath.

"So, who's hosting the welcome party this year?" Alice broke the silence, trying to take their minds of the war. "Last year was Ravenclaw," Roma said remembering the night. "That means this year we're hosting, The Heads of Houses always get everything ready for it," Sirius commented looking back and forth from James to Lily. "What have you got planned?" Marlene asked with an excited smile. "It's a surprise." Lily and James with matching grins.

The others had separated ways, they were planning on convincing Hagrid to sneak them on the boats with the first-years. It was their last year and they were determined to make it the best, even with the macabre events happening every second.

She walked up to the castle, taking in the sight, the old brick walls, the glistening black lake, and the scent of pure magic in the air. She was mystified in the way the school screamed her name. She smiled at the familiar face at the entrance of the school, in emerald robes, pinned up hair, and a pointed hat. Professor Mcgonagall greeted her with a smile, "Where is your brother and the others?" She asked raising a skeptical brow.

"They must've taken a wrong turn, but they'll make it." She lied easily, a faux smile playing at her lips, "Godric knows they'd never miss their last welcoming dinner." She added, the professors eyes seemed to sadden at that, they might've caused her extensive headaches, but she had learned to love their chaos, Roma was sure she had learned to love them too.

Sitting at Ravenclaw's table with all her other classmates, she listened as they chatted away, occasionally they would involve her in the conversation, she appreciated their effort in involving her, but she didn't know how to make conversations last. She glanced over at Gryffindor table, they boys were crowded together, conspiring. The girls looked at them with rolled eyes as the boys looked around making sure no one was listening in.

The end of dinner rolled around quickly, students full of food and joy, their robes felt like they were about to split at the seams. Roma felt a finger tap her shoulder "Do you have any idea why
Regulus Black won't stop looking over here?" Cadence Whittington asked her curiously, her dorm-mate looked surprised most of all.

Roma shook her head no, she turned around to look for Regulus, but was immediately met with dark grey eyes peering into her soul, he didn't even look away when she raised a brow and gave him a questioning look, he just stared at her.

Eventually, she rolled her eyes and turned around. "He's being odd." She commented to her dorm-mates, "I wouldn't mind," Malia Rollins shrugged, "He's bloody gorgeous," she gushed. "He's also an arsehole," Roma added, "Suppose so, but I've never been one for a good boy." she added with a wicked smile.

Roma liked Malia and Cadence, they said what was on their minds, and anyone who complained be damned.

"What the bloody hell is happening to your hair?!" Cadence yelled, her voice cutting through the voices in the hall. She looked in horror at Malia's hair. "What's happening to yours?!" She exclaimed pointing at her hair. Roma watched them in confusion, she pulled a strand of her hair from behind her ear, it slowly began turning a bright yellow.

She looked around her and noticed that wild colors began appearing everywhere. Ravenclaw had identical sunshine yellow hair, Hufflepuff with bright blue, Slytherin had burning red, and Gryffindor with a dark green — except, there were four heads of hair staying in their natural color.

Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black, and James Potter sat at Gryffindor table, they clutched in to each other springing in howls of laughter, their housemates looked at them with admiring smiles, and some joined in on the laughter. Their smiles vanished when they noticed Professor Mcgonagall coming towards them raging with anger that bounced through the walls. They quickly stood from the table, James brining out his wand and shouting a quick spell right above the professors table.

The group then ran before Mcgonagall could catch up, there laughs tuning through the hall as a loud 'BANG' went off. High above the head table, a swirl of colors emerged, fireworks popping above them, joyful smiles filled the student's faces as they watched the light show. She watched as the lights danced around the hall, another loud bang emerged, and out came a sparkling letter 'M.' The Marauders might've been leaving at the end of that year, but that night would go down for generations of students to come.

This whole chapter was practically just a marauders appreciation post, but I will be including Regulus more in the chapters to come!