t.w. this chapter has mentions of the abuse regulus receives from his father

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RAMONA
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RAMONA DURMIER boarded one of the carriages that would take her to one of her favorite places, Hogwarts. She vividly remembers what it was like six years ago to ride in the boat as a first year. It was her first time seeing Hogwarts and she would never forget it. Six years later, Ramona feels a small hint of anxiety in the depths of her head at the thought of returning.

Her mind is brought back to the present when a brunette with striking blue eyes enters the carriage. Ramona could recognize those eyes anywhere. "Marie Potter, is that you?"

"Hey Ramona, fancy seeing you here!"

Ramona gaped at the girl who looked so much like one of her closest friends, "What are you doing in the seventh year carriages?"

"Jame's didn't tell you? I skipped a year" Ramona's mind was whirling in about a thousand directions. One of those directions felt like a blow to the gut as thoughts trailed through her mind. James and her hadn't talked since he left Hogwarts at the end of last school year. In fact, she hadn't talking with any of the marauders or Lilly during the summer.

"Ramona, are you okay?" Ramona recentered herself and took a good look at Marie. She had definitely grown and matured over the summer. Her eyes looked more knowledgeable and her hands worn out as if she had written essays during the summer.

"Call me Mona," Ramona mumbled. Her head was still whirring with the reminder of all that had left her showing up in her very own carriage.

"What was that?"

"You can call me Mona, it's what everyone calls me anyway." By everyone, she means James, Sirius, Peter, Remus, and Lilly. She hadn't been called Mona in a while now. With a small shake of her head, Ramona brushed her thoughts away and plastered a smile on. "So how's everything at home?"

"It's good, James and Sirius just started auror training and mum and dad are lonely as ever but it is what is it, you know?" In truth, Ramona didn't know, her muggle parents didn't even know she was a wizard. They're art professors who wouldn't even try to believe her if Ramona told them. So, she kept it a secret and told them she was off to boarding school for seven years.

"I feel like I know nothing about you, Marie." It was the truth. Being two years younger than James, The Marauders, Lilly, and Ramona never hung out with her much.

"I'll give you the rundown: You probably already know everything about my family because James is such a blabbermouth but I'm the youngest of two and I live in Godric's Hollow. My mum thinks I'm a genius so she asked Dumbledore if I could skip a year and much to my suprise, he said yes. What else? I absolutely adore snakes, flowers, and purses. Oh! And I can't see the thestrals so I'd like to say I've lived a pretty good life!"

"See the what?"

"The thestrals, you know? The creatures that look like black horses but you can only see them if you've witnessed someone die. You didn't know? What did you think pulled the carriages?"

"Magic?" Ramona felt dumb after that but she was able to brush it off and laugh with her new friend.

"No, I can't see them"

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REGULUS
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REGULUS BLACK was tired of the thestrals. He never understood why they were used, and he never will. They serve as a reminder for everyone who has ever lost someone. And currently, they were reminding him why he was ready to leave this place. However, this year is going to be different. Sirius isn't here. Regulus occasionally kept up with his brother's whereabouts and from what he had last heard, he was going to become an auror with James. Regulus briefly wondered what it would be like if he had gotten out when Sirius did, if he wouldn't be as broken. He pushed the thought away as reality came crashing down. He didn't escape and he was broken.

"How was summer with the old man?"

Regulus looked up, "What do you think Evan? The usual." Regulus usually wasn't this snappy but his knee was jacked and it was screaming at him it get help. He softens, "Sorry, Evan, It was okay." That was a lie, the old man had beat Regulus to pulp every other day. Regulus couldn't bare telling his best friend, Evan Rosier, the truth. Though, he was sure Evan knew what happens at the Black Manor each summer. Regulus just prayed that Evan and Barty Crouch, Regulus's other best friend, wouldn't notice his knee was not functioning normally. Everybody might know about the Black family but no one had to know how bad it really was.

Regulus returned his attention to the thestrals again. He recalled the first day he saw them back in third year. It was the school year after the summer when Regulus's father had beat his mother to death. That was also the summer when Regulus realized Sirius was right to have run away.

"Cheer up, I asked Kirchner to make macarons for you Reg," Barty remarked. Regulus was thankful for his friends. He wouldn't have survived these past few years without them. He focused on the thought of macarons and the corners of his mouth slowly tilted up.

"And," continued Evan, "I got an aid box for your leg." Regulus sighed. He knew they would have figured it out eventually.

"You're not very good at hiding it You should try having better posture," added Barty.

"Thanks for the feedback." Regulus slowly pulled up his trousers to reveal the ghastly wound site.

"Bloody hell, Reg." Regulus could see Evan trying to mask his horror but he couldn't take any more pity so he pulled the trousers back down.

Evan, trying for a subject change, comments "My mum wants me to be a death eater." The reminder of who they are is clear. They are dark wizards, at least that's what they're supposed to be. Barty looks up at the roof of the carriage and heaves a sigh.

"What would you guys be if we weren't you know..."

"Us?"

"Yeah"

"I would be a wand shop owner," says Evan. "Like Ollivander" He looks out the window as if he could see all the way to the wand shop. Evan was always the sweetheart out of the three of them, Barty was the posh one, and Regulus was, well, Regulus was just Regulus.

"I think I would own a restaurant. Maybe like The Leaky Cauldron."

"Barty, you aren't organized enough to run your own business," said Evan. "What would you be Reg?"

"A french professor, I think. Maybe not here but somewhere with muggles. Like Oxford." Regulus would love to escape the wizarding world. On the nights his dad would yell and scream he often closed his eyes and dreamt of a world where he wasn't a wizard. A world where he wasn't a Black. Evan turned to him and smiled. Regulus attempted to smile back but only the ghost of a smile managed to graze his lips when Hogwarts came into view and put a damper on him. Evan and Barty glanced at each other and Evan turned to Regulus.

"Are you ready Reg?"

"No"

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RAMONA
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"I DON'T REALLY know anyone at the Gryffindor table anymore." Ramona stared longingly at the table as memories flooded her head. Her and James welcoming new students, Lilly and her giving all the girls a talk about how stupid the boys were. Everything was okay. She was going to be okay. Ramona pried her eyes away from the lavish red and gold table and turned to Marie.

"Don't worry, you can sit with me at the Slytherin table. I don't know anyone in the seventh year section anyway" Ramona was feeling extra thankful for Marie right now. They made their way over to the long table that was much less decorated than Gryffindor's. It was definitely a change. Ramona turned her head to watch the teachers. Her least favorite teacher, Sir Dumbledore, was sitting at the head of the table this time.

She asked Marie, "Why is Sir Dumbledore at the head and where is headmaster Dippet?"

"You didn't know? Headmaster Dippet resigned, Sir Dumbledore is now Headmaster" Ramona sighed. This year couldn't get much worse. She shook her head as Headmaster Dumbledore started his speech and started shoveling food into her mouth. She was fed well at home but she hadn't ate since breakfast before the train and she was positively starving.

Halfway through the meal, Ramona realized the chatter had stopped. She looked up to find a small brown-haired girl sitting on the sorting stool looking nervous. The hat atop her was much too large for her head. "Wow, you're different than most," said the hat.

Ramona was taken aback to hear the same words she heard on her sorting day. Her confusion was interrupted by the hat yelling, "GRYFFINDOR." The girl smiled and walked over to a group of four boys at the Gryffindor table who congratulated her. Ramona's mind was again reminded of her own sorting ceremony seven years ago when the marauders had welcomed her into their group. Ramona feels her throat start to close up on her and her eyes start to water. She wasn't ready for this, not at all.

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REGULUS
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THERE'S A GIRL sitting four seats down on the other side of the table as Regulus. He thinks she looks sad. Not just sad, he thinks, but broken. The girl looked like a painting from one of Regulus's favorite artists, Cezanne. Regulus can't help but be captivated by the intricate brushstrokes of her existence. So intricate that a blend of colors and textures portrays her beating heart on her sleeve. He directs his attention to the sorting ceremony to see what made the girl cry. It was a kid being put into Gryffindor. Maybe she wished she was in Gryffindor. Regulus sure did.

"Reg, did you even hear what I asked you," Evan's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Who is that?" Regulus questioned without acknowledging his friends. They followed his line of sight to the girl. She looked happy now, as if a mask had covered up her sadness.

"Don't think we know her. She's definitely not Slytherin because Barty has been with almost every slytherin girl."

"I have not"

"Yes you have"

Regulus, still staring at the girl, rolls his eyes. All of a sudden, as if he can feel his burning stare on her, she looks up and makes eye contact with Regulus. A moment of recognition crosses her face when she notices him. He wonders how she knows him. Well, most everybody knows House of Black. But she's looking at him like she knows him, like she knows all his secrets. She makes a small smile, so small one might not even notice it. But Regulus did, and it was so shocking that he had to turn away from her. He hadn't seen someone he didn't know smile at him without pity in a very long time.

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RAMONA
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RAMONA REFUSED to believe that the beautiful boy sitting at the Slytherin table was Regulus Black. He looked so different from last year. As soon as she saw that limp in his knee, however, she knew. As she and Marie walked out of the cafeteria, Ramona felt an ache rising in her throat at the thought of Regulus, a boy who had probably been through so much, getting beaten. She knew when Sirius had run away that the House of Black was bad, but she didn't know how bad until she saw the pained look cross over his sculpted face. He looked as though he was carved from stone and couldn't shift to cover his pain. She couldn't help but stare at him when they made eye contact. He was looking at her like he understood what she was going through. Of course he did. Everyone knew Regulus Black was struggling. But for some reason, she didn't see that struggle when she looked at him. She saw a normal boy. And as thanks for giving her a reason to get her thoughts out of her head, Ramona gave Regulus a small smile. Immediately, he looked away and Ramona wondered if she had done something wrong.

"You good," asked Marie.

Ramona broke out of her trance, "Yeah, let's get back to the commons."

"Marie, do you know Regulus Black?" Marie's cheeks instantly turned red.

"I know of him, but I don't know him personally. Why do you ask?"

"No reason, I was just wondering. Why are you so red, do you like him?" For some reason, the thought of Marie liking Regulus irked Ramona.

"Oh god no, I don't think anyone could love Regulus. I like his friend, Evan Rosier" Ramona turned back to where Regulus and his friends were walking out of the grand hall and pinpointed the boy Marie was talking about, Evan Rosier. He was shorter the Ramona but still taller than Marie. His dirty blonde hair was pristinely shaped on his head. She could see why Marie liked him.

"Everyone is capable of loving and being loved Marie." Ramona's father had taught her that.

"Apparently not Regulus. Sirius says he spent way too long in the Black Manor to be normal functioning person" Ramona frowned, Regulus may have not seemed happy but he certainly didn't look unlovable. Sirius had never talked much about Regulus with anyone but James. Remus and her were always excluded from the conversation. Marie must have overheard Sirius and James talking about it because they live together.

"Anyways, hope you don't mind if I stay with you. Without Lily the girls commons is very empty."

"Don't worry, it's not a problem"

They approached the plump lady in the painting that functioned as the door to the Slytherin commons. "Pearly peregrines," Marie recited. As the frame swung open and Ramona steps in, she leaves the thought of the beautiful boy in the grand hall.

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ 𝒅𝒊𝒗 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒌𝒔 .ೃ࿐

dumbledore hater for life 🤞🏽 also, i just posted an
edit on tiktok (madeofpearls.wp) about reg.

i suck at writing slow burn (clearly) bc i just
want them to meet and fall in love already 😭 

also im a hoe for dual pov, sorry the changes are so sudden 

anyways, don't forget to interact for validation
purposes and genuinely lmk what you think
because i have no idea if my writing style is shit 💀