BORN TO DIE

𝐈𝐈      TRIUMPH OR DEVASTATION

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TRANSFIGURATION DRAGGED ON MORE THAN USUAL.

Esme could feel eyes on her, and although the potion she had received off Evan did wonders for her headache, she was still irritated. James Potter's incessant ogling was getting on Esmes nerves. It was her last class and all four classes she had that day — she shared with the boy, it felt like she was under surveillance.

Finally Mcgonagal dismissed the class, and Esme quickly grabbed her wand and books.

"Esme!" James called as he jogged after her.

The girl didn't stop, she kept walking ignoring the strange stares she received off students as the gryffindor boy chased her down the hallway. Her strides were long, but one of the many disadvantages of being on the shorter side; James caught up easily.

With a soft grip the boy clasped her arm and spun her around to face him. With the simple touch, esmerelda let her want slip from her sleeve into her palm and quickly raised the tip to his throat.

He swiftly put distance between and held his arms up in defence. "Woah! Sorry" He spoke sheepishly, he ran a hand through his already disheveled hair as his neck grew red.

Esme's eyes narrowed, her nose crinkled in confusion as she warily lowered her wand.

Her eyebrow rose — "What do you want, potter?" she questioned, tightening her grip on her books that were tightly pressed to her chest.

James stood frozen for a moment before he spoke, "Listen, I was hoping we could keep what happened last night between us? I mean, I know people saw but we could convince them it was a hallucination and I think Lilly is finally warming up to me... Sorry if this like hurts you—" James' small rant was cut off by viscous laughter.

"Nothing happened last night, Potter. I got bored and you were simply — there" The girl smiled sweetly, her eyebrows dropping and her shoulders shook with slight laughter as the boys face contorted into offence.

He opened and closed his mouth as if he was a fish from water, "I was just there!?" James asked bewildered.

"Exactly that, glad we got this little misunderstanding sorted. Now if you'll excuse me" Esme spoke, waving her hand in fake sympathy before disappearing down the dark corridors.

Sirius step out from behind a pillar with an obnoxious groan. "Seriously, mate? what did you expect from Esmerelda Nott?" the boy asked with raised eyebrows. Sirius slapped his hand onto James' shoulder with a slight wince.

"I was just there? What in merlin's name did she mean by that!" James almost cried, his arms flailed around in the air.

Sirius grimaced, all too familiar with Esmerelda's ways. "Listen, your not the first and you certainly won't be the last. she fucks and she leaves, never the same boy twice well except from Rosier" he explained, his face red from attempting to hold in his laughter.

James' face contorted from a look of confusion to an idea filled smirk.

Sirius' face dropped as he rushed towards his friend and placed to hands onto his shoulders and shook him. "Hey! I know that look, no! Snap out of it, she's just a bird who you kissed" He exclaimed.

"We never had sex, and now i'll do everything in my power to get her obsessed" James spoke calmly.

Sirius drew his eyebrows in with concern, "What about Lily, mate?" he asked.

It was if a lightbulb went off in James' head — "My dear Lily flower will miss the attention and definitely get jealous when she sees my sights are on someone else!"

SIrius removed his hands from james' shoulders and ran a hand through his shoulder length hair, "James, honestly you've lost it... you really have" he stated.

"No, i'm just a genius."

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With a contempt sigh, Esmerelda collapsed  on the expensive couches in the Slytherin common room. Her head fell blissfully on Evan's lap. "Anything interesting happen today, love? Didn't see you much" Evan spoke, attempting to strike up conversation.

"The usual, actually Potter decided to follow me from transfiguration. Man handled me, cornered me and proceeded to give me a pathetic little speech all over him being one of my play things."

The boys around the common room immediately sat up, angered expressions over took their faces and steam almost flew from their ears.

"He did what.." Barty growled, his fist clenched causing his knuckles to turn white.

"I'll kill him" Evan murmured.

"We can hide the body in the black lake" JJ spoke assertively.

"Or string him up like the animal he is" Donavan added.

Regulus leant forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he stared at the floor in thought. Suddenly, he stood up and grabbed Esme's hand. "Come on" he muttered, dragging her through the entrance and through the dungeons.

"Where are we going, Reg?" Esme asked blissfully as the cold hair blew her curls behind her as the pair strolled through the hallway.

"Astronomy tower" Regulus replied, still clinging to her hand and pulling her up the stairs.

"Lovely, not that i'm complaining but why?"

"My parents wrote" and with those simple words esme stopped her questions and soon enough they were at the top of the tower where the breeze was stronger.

Regulus let Esmes hand drop before leaning against the bars and dropping his head. Esme could see his shoulders shake, and she quickly rushed forward and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and leant her head against his back.

slowly, Esme lowered them to the floor and his head fell to her shoulders. "Reg, love what's wrong?" the girl asked softly, running a hand through his curls.

"They said, since Sirius left i'm the one who's to be burdened with the mark of 'our dark lord' and i shall be receiving such gift the next time i return home" the boy whispered, horror written upon his face.

"No, you won't go home until they drag you there themselves, over my dead body will you become a slave" Esme snapped, hugging the boy closer to her body.

"How i wish i could take your place" Esme whispered painfully as Regulus' sobs subsided and the boy laid peacefully in her arms.

"i'll have to go home at christmas, you will too..." Regulus muttered sorrowfully.

"your not even sixteen, Reggie" the girl spoke softly, pain stricken at the thought of the boy who she had taken under her wing being forced into such gruesome alliances. The air was thick for the moments of silence before regulus spoke.

"i'm scared."

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when morning arrived esme sat with a stoic expression as she swirled her tea. the owls had started to drop mail to each student yet esme took a moment before picking hers up. the previous night had been stuck on her mind like a leech.

she had barely parted from regulus' side, worried the boy would attempt some of the thoughts he had told her about. letting the small spoon rest against the edge of her cup, esmerelda reached for the latter that was carelessly dropped infront of her.

she recognised the handwriting immediately and quickly tore the parchment open.

dear sister,
i am sorry to write under such circumstances but mother and father so graciously tasked be with being the bearer of bad news... 

it seems they have attempted to find a suitable match for you once again, although i'd like to argue you are far too young and shouldn't marry until forty-five.

they have looked at family's like the rosier's, crouches and even the damn blacks once again but still deemed regulus too young and since sirius' departure from their home he is completely unsuitable and 'no longer a black'.

catherine misses you, says you should come visit on your break if you wish not to see our parents or stay at school. she says she wants to show you all of the clothes she has made for the baby,

which i think i'd rather pointless as we have the money to simply buy such items but if she is happy i will not intervene.

anyways, i shall write soon

love your dearest brother.

PS: don't forget to buy a dress for the Christmas ball, it's masquerade this year. i left 300 gallons curtesy of myself and father.

once again, love cas.

esmerelda's jaw tightened, crumpling up the parchment she set it on the metal plate and pulled her wand from her robe, "incendio" she muttered, watching as the letter burned into ash.

shoving the galleons in her pocket, esme stood up from the slytherin table but was stopped when slughorns voice echoed through the hall.

turning on her heel she looked at the professor, "what?" she snapped.

"care to explain why you were setting parchment on fire, ms nott?" the professor asked.

"not really."

"it wasn't a question" slughorn grumbled, looking at the ginger girl expectantly.

esmes eyebrow rose, "the usual, letter about arranged marriage, scary death eaters... you know, right?" a smirk tugged at her lips as she watched the man fall short for words.

"excuse me" he mumbled awkwardly, turning and heading back to the teachers desk.

with a harsh sigh, esme turned on her heel and walked out of the doors. She weaves through the hallways, only a few stranglers littered them.

Coming towards the DADA classroom, it seemed she was one of the first to arrive.

Professor caster stood at his desk, "Ah, Miss Nott — an early riser, are we?" He asked. The man was new, but students could already tell he was soft.

Esme nodded, "yes, sir. I prefer to be first rather than last."

Caster nodded, "well, please take the seat in the middle row... there is a seating plan this year."

Students flowed into the small classroom. Gryffindor and slytherin had a joint class for years. Lily evans had been sat beside her, she was a kind girl from gryffindor that was relentlessly bullied for having muggle parents.

"Class, please turn to page 394" the professor ordered, opening his own book.

The title, werewolves was displayed on the page. "Now can anyone tell me the difference between animagi and werewolves?" The man asked.

Lily's hand shot up, followed my two other students. "Ah Miss Evans.."

"Animagi turn into an animal by will, but werewolves turn by force every full moon and have no recollection of who they are during that time..." Lily explained proudly.

Sneers could be heard throughout the classroom.

"They should be killed!"

"They're evil!"

"Should be in Azkaban, them lot"

Esme scoffed, "would you all shut it! Merlin, you'd swear they choose to change, transform into someone who could kill their best friend and not think otherwise,  each month! Have you thought about what it's like?" The girl raged, although when no one answered Emse nodded, "exactly."

The Marauders looked at the pureblood girl in shock, most would suspect that Esmerelda Nott would be one of the first to out such creatures but there she was — creating her own legacy.

"Thank you, Ms Nott — but please, let's keep our outbursts to a minimum" Professor Caster nodded.

Lily looked at the girl with a fondness, "I think that was quite brave of you, Nott" she smiled proudly.

Esme let her eyebrow raise, "I don't think it was brave, it's simply common sense— yet the students of this school seem to lack such" The girl nodded.

"None the less, it was kind."

Esme let out a laugh, amused. "Others would disagree."

Lily shook her head, "You should give yourself more credit, just because you have built walls to keep yourself protected does not mean you are what others say or think."

Three chimes rang through the classroom, signalling the lesson had ended. Esmerelda collected her belongings and stood up. "Call me Esme, if you'd like.."

Lily smiled softly, "Call me Lily."

And with that, such a simple thing as defending people that had no choice to become beasts every full moon — Esmerelda Nott had made a new friend, if you'd even call them such — one that was bound to end in shared triumph of devastation.

RIN SPEAKS ——

I don't know if I've said this before but these chapters will be short as I'm basically just working off the top of my head. The book centres around Esme and her friends and James is merely a sub plot although their will be many chapters written solely around them.

As for now though we will get James in most chapters but it's simply following esmerelda's life until further into the story!

PLEASE VOTE AND COMMENT!

not edited fully.