Heart of Darkness

Chapter Fourteen

1978

Everything was going to Hell. Voldemort was rising and my kids were graduating.
I sat in the bathroom with Myrtle. It was kind of weird, her still being a thirteen year old girl. I didn't stay long this time.
"Hey, Angelica?" She said as I was leaving.
"Yeah?" I turned around.
"Thank you for visiting so often. It's nice to have company."
"Of course." I smiled.

Minerva deducted ten points from Gryffindor for something James did.
"But Professor, you hit me with a water balloon." He said.
The students close enough to hear gave them weird looks.
Minerva smiled, even though she tried to repress it. "You hit me too. Shall I deduct more?"
"No ma'am." He grinned.

Remus came in my room, looking exhausted. "Hey, Aunt Angie. The work I missed--"
"Sirius came to get it for you earlier."
"Oh. Okay."
"Do you need me to walk back with you?"
"No, I think I'm good. Thank you."
"Do you need to crash here for a bit?"
"Just a bit." He sat down at a desk and put his head down.
I sighed. That poor boy.

I watched Sirius flirt with a girl in the Great Hall. Then I watched her flip him off and walk away. It took a lot not to laugh.

"Are you all right, Peter?" I asked over Christmas break while they were at my house.
He jumped and looked up at me. "What?"
"I asked if you were okay."
"Yes. Yes, fine. Thank you."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Yes ma'am."

I almost cried at their graduation--I say almost, but I did. Very quietly.
"I'm proud of you all." I told them afterwards.
"Thank you." They all grinned.

Regulus came by the other day while Sirius was at James'.
"Regulus?" I asked, a bit confused.
"Hello, Angelica." He said awkwardly.
"Do you want to come inside?"
"Yes please."
"Do you want anything to eat or drink?" I offered.
"No--No ma'am."
We sat down on the couch.
"Is something wrong?" I asked finally.
"Yes. I'm... Kind of in trouble."
"What kind of trouble?" I asked nervously.
He pulled up his sleeve to reveal the Dark Mark. "The Dark Lord kind of trouble."
"I see." I said. I wanted to cry.
"I was trying to please Mum and Dad, but now I'm... Apprehensive."
"As well you should be. That was a stupid move."
"Yes--I know that now. I was wondering... Is there anything you can do?"
"I'll try my best." I promised.
"I understand if you don't want to, but..."
"No, I do want to. I really do."
So I wrote Tom and offered to meet. I left a note for Sirius and James and I went to some old, abandoned-looking house to talk to him. I wasn't going to admit that I was scared. I was more angry than scared, though.
"Angie." Voldemort said quietly, holding out his hand.
I stared at his hand for a second before putting mine in it. He brought it to his lips and kissed it. "What chapstick do you use?" I asked, awed at how soft his lips were.
"Lip Lickers--the vanilla flavor."
"I'll have to get some."
He smiled and released my hand. "Do you want some?" He smirked, but it looked truly evil on the face of Lord Voldemort.
I just stared. I wasn't about to joke with the Dark Lord.
"I was surprised you initiated this meeting. It must be important."
"Yes. I understand that Regulus Black is one of your Death Eaters."
"Yes, he is. I've been wanting new recruits. He, unlike his brother, saw the light."
"You asked Sirius?"
"I didn't, not personally. But yes, he was asked. He turned me down, several times."
"You said--"
"I'm not hurting him." He assured me. "I won't ask him again."
"Or--"
"Nor will I ask his friends. I promise."
"I want you to let Regulus go."
"Pardon?"
"I don't want him working for you any more. I want him free from whatever bond it is you have over him, and I don't want you to lay a hand on him."
"Consider it done."
"Thank you." I said.
"Would you join me for dinner?"
"I have to get home for Sirius--"
"It won't be long. They're practically adults now. Please, Angie. We have a lot of catching up to do."
"I can't, Tom. Maybe if your dumbass followers took care of their kids, but they don't. One's a Death Eater and one's suffering."
"A former Death Eater."
"Thank you."

The summer of '79, I stood in the kitchen looking at the letter in my hand.
Sirius,
Regulus is dead.
~Walburga
When Sirius had seen his parents' owl, he asked me to read it and only have him look at it if it was something important. I was going to give it to him tomorrow once everyone left. I didn't want to...
They were all asleep. Peter was curled up in the chair. Remus was on the couch in the corner. James and Lily laid across the couch, his arms around her and their feet on Remus. Sirius leaned against Peter's chair. They looked so peaceful, like there wasn't a war going on.
I knew they all knew, though. They were all in the Order.
I gave Sirius the letter after they all left the next day. He sat down and put his head in his hands. "He was just a kid." He said quietly.
I sat down beside him, crying too. They're all just kids.

In 1980, I went to James and Lily's wedding. Sirius, Remus and Peter were best men. A pretty blonde girl named Marlene McKinnon was Lily's maid of honor. I knew who the bridesmaids were at the time, but I've forgotten.
James and Lily looked so happy together. They were legitimately the perfect couple.
His Patronus was a stag, and hers was a doe. That meant that they're soulmates.
At the reception, Sirius winked at Marlene, and she flicked him off.
"Dang, Sirius." I laughed.
"Shut up." He grinned.
James waltzed up to me with an elaborate bow. "May I have this dance, fair maiden?"
"Aww, Prongs, you're so sweet." Sirius batted his eyelashes and grabbed his hand.
James proceeded to twirl Sirius around the room, making everybody laugh. I even joined in for a bit.
These people were lucky. They could forget that Voldemort was killing everybody.
"Your turn, Aunt Angie." James said, pushing Sirius away.
"No, I'm good." I smiled.
Sirius pushed me toward him and James grabbed me. "See, this isn't so bad." He grinned down at me.
"No." I agreed with a smile.
What was outside this room was what was bad.

James and Lily had the cutest little baby boy a short while later. His name was Harry James. They made Sirius godfather. I was so glad that he had a real family.
There was a prophecy though, and it meant that they were in danger, so Dumbledore put the Fidelis Charm on their house in Godric's Hallow. Peter was Secret Keeper.
He was a rat, though. It should have been a sign.

Tom,
Where are you? I want to talk.
~Angelica

Angie,
I'm glad you've come around. I'll come to you.
Love,
Tom

I waited angrily for him to come.
He came around eleven.
"Angie." He said.
"If you lay a fucking hand on any of them, I swear to every fucking deity there is that I will kill you." I said without preamble.
"I'd like to see you try." He said with a creepy laugh.
"Oh, I won't have to try. I'll skip the trying and succeed. I will fucking end you."
"You can't kill me, Angie."
"Do you really want to bet? Because I will find a fucking way."
"Okay." He said.
"Goodbye."