MAROON ✵ regulus black

XXXIX. Fifth Year: Boy Problems

January 12, 1977 (Wednesday)

HEZEKIAH DEAN FAWLEY

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"Muggleborn girl, Elliana Thompson, and her whole family were reportedly murdered by death eaters over the holidays. Their bodies were found after Elliana did not return to Hogwarts for the second half of her fifth year."

Aidan had been terrified when they read the paper earlier that morning and many other muggle borns had been also. Hezekiah was now making his way down to the dungeons looking for a specific person.

He opened the door to the kitchens to find Ezra Bozzeli lying on one of the tables. "Figured I'd find you here. Your roommates are looking for you."

"Funny how they care about me now. Usually they are just calling me a poof." Ezra looked over at him and it looked like he had been crying.

"I- I can go if you want. I know I'm probably the last person you want to talk to right now. You know since I'm a pureblood from a blood supremacist family," he quickly offered.

"No, please don't go. Stay," Ezra quickly said.

He gave him a small nod and he lied down next to Ezra on the table. "I'm so sorry, Ez."

"It's not your fault the wizarding world is how it is."

"I know, but for all we know it could have been my dad who did it. Someone in my family could have killed them. And I just- I can't stand the fact that I'm related to people who do this shit. I hate it."

Ezra frowned at him and he put his hand over Hez's. The contact sent a shiver up his spin. "You aren't like them, Hez. I promise you that you aren't."

"Maybe not now, but I fucking will be eventually. My father will make me get the mark. I'll be forced to marry some pureblood death eater woman and have children to continue on my family's bloodline. I'll be just like my mother. She didn't want any of this either, but look where she is now."

"You? A death eater? I'll believe it when I see it, Hez."

He frowned at the ginger boy. "Trust me, I don't want it. I don't want it at all. If anything I want to be an auror, but if I'm being honest I just want all the fighting to stop. I don't want to contribute to it."

Ez smiled at him and he started to rub reassuring circles on his hand with his thumb. "I know. You got mad at me for killing an ant. An ant. You are the least threatening person ever and if I'm being honest, you have the biggest heart in anyone I've ever met."

He smiled back at him helplessly. "Well the ant wasn't doing anything to you! You had no reason to kill it. I don't care if it was an accident."

Ezra started to laugh, but eventually his laughter stopped and his frown reappeared. "She lived down the road from me you know? We went to school together before Hogwarts and she was my friend growing up. All the muggle born killings haven't really affected me that much so far, but this one... this one fucking hurt."

"I'm so sorry, she didn't deserve what happened and neither did her family. I've never personally talked to her, but she seemed like a good person in class."

Ezra gave him a wet laugh. He was now crying. "Yeah, she was. She really was." Hezekiah felt the need to comfort Ez further so he connected their fingers so that they were properly holding hands. Ezra didn't let go of his hand. "It just-.... It just terrifies me to think that they were so bloody close to my family. It- it could have been them, Hez. And I- I need them. I can't lose my parents and little sister. If I lose them, I have no one."