The markings scattered his back, interlocking and over-layering to weave a tapestry of anguish and indescribable pain.
As she opened her eyes, the comforting smell of coffee and parchment filled her nose. For the first time in 5 years she had opened...
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Remus tightened his grip around Harper's small frame as she sighed softly into his chest. She gently fiddled with one of the buttons on his faded green flannel. They sat together in one of the train compartments, Harper curled up tightly into Remus's side.
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, "You okay?" Harper hummed in response.
He didn't have a clue what was wrong. At first, he'd somewhat pestered her in the hopes of finding out what was going on in her head. Remus just wanted to solve whatever was bothering Harper, but it appeared more complicated than that. He didn't want to upset her by pressing matters.
Harper, however, felt sick.
The sight of her uncle being branded with the Dark Mark by Lord Voldemort was enough to scar her mind.
The images just kept playing over and over again. The way his black eyes pierced her soul, the flashing green lights, Quentin showing the final product of his bruised and bloodied arm with the snake and skull burnt into his flesh.
Harper shuddered in Remus' arms, signalling for him to pull her closer to his chest.
"Harp..." He sighed, burying his nose into her wild mane of hair, "I don't know how to fix this for you."
"Nothing's up." she lied, "I just had a bad day yesterday... I don't want to talk about it." "Are we just staying here like this then?" A small smile found its way onto his lips.
"Please."
"Mhm." Remus nodded, beginning to gently rock Harper as she cuddled further into his grip.
They sat like that for a while longer, Remus attempting to hold the broken pieces of Harper together.
"Merlin's beard! Get a room!" Sirius Black slammed the compartment door open and huffed as he sat down opposite the couple.
"That's weird; I could have sworn we had this room?" Remus retorted, stretching out his legs as Harper untangled herself from him and sat up straight. Sirius rolled his eyes, "Oh, whatever."
"Where's Peter and James?" Harper asked, rubbing her face with her hands tiredly. "Dunno," Sirius shrugged, "Prongs had head boy stuff to sort. Haven't seen Wormtail, actually."
Harper leant forward, choking on air. "Harp?" Remus put a hand on her back, "You alright?" "I don't think I can breathe." Harper coughed again, her face turning slightly red. She rested her elbows on her knees for a moment, catching her breath.
"I'm sorry." She spoke finally, "Did you just say James Potter is head boy?"
"Oh Merlin's beard..." The realisation hit Remus like a truck, "We're doomed for. Hogwarts as we know it is over. The castle will be up in flames before we know it."
"My theory is Dumbledore had a stroke when he made the decision." Sirius chuckled, allowing some hair to fall in front of his eyes, "I've got money on him being in a wheelchair when we get back."
"Sirius! That's horrid." Harper snickered, covering it with one hand.
"Should have seen Evans when she found out. I thought her soul had left her body. As head girl, she's got to work with him all year." He laughed again, replaying the memory in his head.
Remus rubbed his temples, "As if that boy's ego needed boosting anymore." "At least we can trust Lily to knock him down a peg or two." Harper pointed out.
"I hope so." Remus nodded. "I don't know about that. I also have money on Lily finally going on a pity date with Prongs." Sirius raised an eyebrow at the other boy.
"There's no way I'm losing that bet."
Sirius looked over at Harper now, "You alright, Brooke? Looking under the weather."
The girl glanced over at Remus, nervousness covering her face. Remus reached out and placed one hand over hers, offering a small, comforting smile.
"Is some sort of gross couple telepathic conversation taking place?" Sirius scoffed.
There was no better time than the present. That's what Harper's father had always told her. Truth was, she would have to come clean soon and truly these were the two people she trusted most with the matter.
Sirius knew all too well about having family involved in dark magic, and Remus had his suspicions about Harper's family after what little facts she'd shared about them with him.
"Well..." She let out a long breath and focused her eyes on the wooden floor of the train compartment, "Something happened yesterday."
"Whatever it is, it can't be worse than Prongs becoming head boy."
"Padfoot!" Remus hissed, "Just shut up, would you?" "Alright!" Sirius held his hands up in surrender.
Harper tugged on her bottom lip with her teeth, "It might be a tad worse than that."
"A tad?" Remus asked quietly.
"By tad, I mean infinitely worse. This blows the head boy situation out of the water." She let out an awkwardly long, nervous laugh.
"What can it possibly be?" Sirius ran a hand through his hair, beginning to sense the tension building up in the room. The two boys leaned forward, hanging onto every word that left Harper's lips.
"I saw Lord Voldemort yesterday."
Remus' face drained of all colour. Sirius clapped his hands over his mouth.
"He made my uncle a Death Eater."
Remus felt lightheaded, gripping the bench beneath him as he was sure he was going to faint. This was not good. Very not good.
The worst.
Sirius swallowed the lump in his throat, "R-right..." He had heard rumours from various family members a few years ago about initiation ceremonies and various cousins and uncles becoming devoted to a 'better way of life'. In fact, Sirius was almost certain Bellatrix had joined the ranks of those evil wizards, and he suspected Regulus might be soon to follow in those footsteps.
"That's not the end of the world." Sirius offered hopelessly, not entirely believing his own words.
Harper closed her eyes, "My grandmother hopes I'll join too."
"Oh..." Was all Sirius could get out coherently, "That might be the end of the world."
And it was. It was the end of the world as they knew it.
The marauders weren't destined to be carefree teenagers anymore, they had a war to fight.
