UNFINISHED VERSION

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If Violet Potter sat down and thought about it, she'd realize she always had noticed the youngest Black brother. 

Back in first year, she remembered seeing him in the mass of first years waiting to be sorted in houses. She recognized him immediately, for he fit the description of the younger brother Sirius had described. 

He was one of the taller boys in their year, back so straight and stiff she could practically see a board behind him, forcing him to stand that way. He had shiny black hair that sat in curls on the top of his head and startling gray eyes. 

What she didn't expect, was the heavy air of anxiety that hovered around him. He was nervous, that much was obvious. His eyes would trail to the hat, to the ground, to the table of green and silver, quickly glancing at the red and gold banners, and looking to his feet once more.

His hands, at first glance, perched neatly held in front of him in a poised fashion. But, if you looked closer, you'd see them fiddling nervously with the cuffs of his pressed white button-down. 

No Regulus Black wasn't nervous, he was terrified. He hid it so well, that no one seemed to notice. 

Not a professor, prefect, adult, or student had called out his strange behavior yet. Everyone else was so preoccupied with themselves they didn't seem to notice him yet, everyone except Violet Potter. 

———

The brunette girl did everything she could after the ceremony to try and befriend the boy. After all, their older brothers were friends, right? 

Regulus quickly proved to be nothing like Sirius. He wasn't carefree or charismatic as Sirius was. He was quiet, stubborn, stuck up, and everything else a Slytherin pureblood was expected to be. 

Violet was the opposite, she was exactly like her brother. Caring, loud, outgoing, friendly, determined, and just as obnoxious. 

For a week or two, Violet sat at her new table, cursing the stupid hat. After all, she might've been friends with the brooding boy already if it wasn't for the judgy, old hat. 

Violet had successfully gotten a small smile from the boy after he was sorted, but nothing since then. 

He was visibly upset by the calling of his new house. She didn't exactly get why until she caught his gaze wandering to the older Black at the Gryffindor table.

Then she understood. Despite how bad it was for a member of the sacred 28 to be in the house, he wanted to go there. He wanted to be sorted with his brother, not his cousins. 

So, Like everyone else, Violet suddenly started cheering for the boy. 

Her cheering was different, it wasn't the booing that he'd expected from her, a blood traitor, a Potter, and from a family of Gryffindor. 

It also wasn't the prideful cheering that came from the Slytherins, happy that at least one Black would be joining their ranks. 

She was one of the few who were cheering with a wide smile on her face. She didn't even know him, but she was cheering for him, not for any other reason, but just him. 

Later when she was also called to the stool, easily getting the house he wished to get, all pleasantries flew out the window. 

He glared across the tables at her. No more smiles and no talking. The sliver of hope Violet had because of his small smile, flew away. 

———

Over the first three years of their Hogwarts experience, the Potter girl followed him around. Constantly.

She would try to speak to him every chance she had, she'd send him smiles whenever she saw him, and she would try to sit near him in classes. Never once would he humor her, and never once would he respond how she wished. 

Usually, she was met with silence, sarcasm, eye rolls, glares, or he would just blatantly ignore her... but of course, that never stopped her from trying. 

Every once in a while older students, usually Marlene or her brother's friends, would come to tease her over this. Claiming that 'this was James and Lily all over again', or how she had a crush on Regulus, or comparing her and her brother's flirting habits.

Just the Potters relentlessly chasing the person who clearly doesn't like them, but refusing to give up despite rejection.

This always confused Violet, she never had a crush on Regulus. She wasn't trying to date the boy she was trying to help him. If anything, this didn't replicate James and Lily, it was James and Remus. It wasn't romantic attraction, it was the urge to help. 

She saw the pain and sadness within Regulus' eyes, she wanted to do everything she could to find out why it was there and how to drown it out. 

She hated how he would sit by himself in dark corners and how he would walk alone in corridors. She knew he deserved better and that something was bothering him. She saw, just like James saw with Remus, he was isolating himself on purpose. He didn't want to be alone, but he felt he had to be. 

And just like James, Violet was going to do everything she could to prove he was wrong. 

What she'd yet to realize, was just how deep and dark the problems were and just how much harder it was truly going to be. 

———