ROSE POV

Money. Power. Glory.

Those three things made the world spin.

Her chunky boots crunch the ice coating the pristine road of Victor's Village. Large two-story homes lined either side of the road, a vibrantly orange sun setting behind, leaving her path in a semblance of darkness. Rose pulled her leather gloved hands up, blowing out a breath that turned into a misty cloud.

Not all of the Victor homes in District Two were occupied, only a three now. There used to be more but Victor's started dying off quickly and her district hadn't won the Hunger Games in ten years—until a year ago when a certain boy brung home the win.

Although District Two had been named one of the largest and wealthiest, Rose never quite liked it there. Daughter of a Victor or not. Located in the Rocky Mountains, extremely close to the Capitol itself. Publicly, District Two is presented solely as the home of the nation's stone quarries and masonry workers, but it is also where many Aurors are recruited, trained, and where weapons are manufactured for their usage.

After the First Rebellion, District Two was rewarded with better treatment and living conditions for it's citizens because of their loyalty to the Capitol. Despite this preferential treatment, however, the quarry workers suffer as much as laborers in any other district.

Rose knew she was one of the lucky ones, raised in the comfort of a Victor home. It never felt like a home though. Not for a second.

She starts to lose her balance on the ice and halts for a moment, shivering to the bone as she gazes around until her eyes fall onto an infamous house.

The latest Victor.

Draco Malfoy.

He was a year older than her and had freakishly white hair, that much she knew. Rose never met him nor seen his face in person, only through the broadcast last year did she do so. He was hated at first, clearly cocky and non-silent about his opinion on the Capitol. But, his Hunger Game made the top of her list for most brutal and Draco Malfoy permanently stained her brain. He had quickly went from the most hated to a Capitol favorite after slaughtering his District partner and turning into a savagely feral fighter. One by one he took out each Tribute in brutal ways, ranging from chain whips to gutting people with spears and knives. It was the worst and cruelest way to kill Rose would ever witness.

While the Capitol saw a man to praise for giving them amazing entertainment, she saw a boy trying to survive.

Ever since he arrived back from the games though, Draco Malfoy disappeared. Became a recluse. Not a soul had seen him since his Victory interview at the Capitol and short Victor tour. He hadn't left the walls of his new home in a whole year. The only time that front door ever opened was for Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy, his parents, but they always left rather quickly.

Rose couldn't blame Draco for refusing to step outside. His game was traumatizing to witness, she couldn't imagine how it scarred him personally.

That didn't mean her remorse for whoever got the Malfoy as their mentor could be erased.

As Rose scanned the gloomy home her eyes trekked up to the left window on the second floor, the only room with lights on. She jolted back slightly at the tall shadowy figure behind the thin yellow curtain that rippled as if someone had just peaked outside.

Only now did she realize the sun was almost completely gone, quickly beginning to walk again.

When Rose arrived on the front porch of her home the steps creaked, windchimes singing a soft melody. The house would always be quite beautiful, from the cobblestone exterior to the wooden interior.

She stopped by the door, dusting her face of any dirt to assure no questions would be asked of her whereabouts.

Midway through her cleaning the door swung open. Her brother, Sirius Black, stood there with wide brown eyes. His long dark hair shook as he wrapped a hand around her wrist and yanked her into the kitchen.

Warm air whipped against her cheeks in contrast to the freezing cold she'd spent hours existing in as he guided her by the refrigerator and around the island, shoving her down onto a bar stool.

"You're cold to the touch! I'll make you some warm water!"

Sirius went to the cabinets, full of energy as always and Rose let herself look down the dark hall across from her before peering left to the living room. Her father and family Victor, Orion Black, sat in a plush leather chair. The seat turned opposite of the living area so he could look out the windows with a bottle of alcohol in hand. That's all he ever did these days.

Sit and drink silently.

"Where have you been?!" Sirius questions as he slides a steaming white mug to her and quickly drops down in a stool across. Rose shrugs, staring at the water and Sirius gasps.

"Don't tell me—"

Sirius's words are cut short by their other brother, Regulus, appearing from the hall. "Don't let her tell you what?"

Rose glares at both and for a moment noticed Regulus got his hair cut, it was always much shorter than Sirius's but still—now only a mop of tight black curls sat atop his head and hung in face framing fringe.

"Can you just both leave me alone?!" She snaps angrily before looking back down, yanking her leather gloves off.

For a full minute no one says a word but she feels their burning gaze, lifting her head to be met with Regulus bending his arm onto the island, his face right by Sirius as they watch her.

Rose scowls and grips the mug tightly, "I'm going to kill both of you"

"What do you think Sirius?" Regulus taunts, enjoying how mortified his elder brother seems. "She go to help those sodding stranglers at the tracks again?"

"You have to stop doing it Lee!" Sirius shouts that stupid nickname they'd given her as a child. He swivels on the stool and faces the living room area, Regulus recoiling back with a mischievous look. "Father! Tell her to stop before Mum finds out!"

Rose shifted uncomfortably, a sudden drop in her gut as Orion doesn't move an inch. "He's not going to speak Sirius"

Huffing dramatically, Sirius faces her once more, a pleading fire in his amber eyes. "Please....you have to stop"

"I can't!" Rose shouts and Regulus flinches, "They are starving and it's not their fault they left those awful quarry jobs! Maybe we don't see it inside these Victor gates but people are dying of starvation on those tracks!"

A father-like attitude flips inside Regulus, "They could very well stab you out of jealousy for your living conditions. You're being idiotic"

"I can protect myself if you've forgotten! I'm a talented witch and fighter! They are good people" Rose spat before an abnormally large but skinny white cat jumped onto the island and her entire attitude changed as the animal rubbed it's nose against her cheek, "Wrinkles!"

Regulus scowled at the cat and started pulling up his sleeve to show the wounds he garnered throughout the day, "Bloody menace"

"Poor baby," Rose whispered as she picked up Wrinkles, cradling him into her chest. "They been mean to you, haven't they?"

"Us?" Sirius gawks and looks to Regulus, "That evil cat is playing her!" His attention turns back on Rose, "Lee I'm telling you...every time you leave he starts going after us and then you get here and he's the sweetest thing ever!"

"Don't talk about him!" Rose sneers, covering the cats ears protectively before starting to laugh at the name she'd given the skinny creature. "Wrinkles...I say go get 'em"

"Hey! No no!" Regulus shouts and backs away.

Rose grins maliciously as she sets the cat onto the ground, whispering for Wrinkles to indeed not attack the two boys.

Sirius outstretched a hand with a long sigh, his mind running a million miles an hour. "Lee..."

Begrudgingly, she slips her fingers into his because the brothers would always be her weak spot. Their sibling dynamic was set in stone. Rose was the bitchest. Regulus was the grumpiest. Sirius was the sweetest, hyperactive, and well—a few screws lose in his brain.

"Promise us you won't go again?"

"Promise." She breathes out and quickly yanks her hand away, cupping the mug back up for the warmth in which it radiates. "I saw something crazy today..."

Interest peaked, Regulus takes the seat beside Sirius as she fiddles around.

"You know that Malfoy boy? The Victor from the last Hunger Games?"

As soon as she asks the question Regulus snorts and Sirius's eyes go wide.

Regulus pats his brother on the back in understanding, "The psycho recluse? No way he actually stepped outside"

"Amusing nickname." The girl replied dryly, picking the dirt from under her nails. "No, he didn't come out but I almost slipped on some ice and stopped in front of his house on accident"

Sirius squeaked for information but felt fear, "And then what? Do you know if he's actually still alive in that house?! Oh my I wonder if—"

"He's a real person Sirius." Regulus scolds and signals Rose to continue, whispering to Sirius after as the boy frowns, forcing Regulus to reassure him that he didn't mean the harsh tone.

Sirius was...sensitive.

"Well it just shocked me, you know? I saw one light on and some tall shadowy figure behind the curtain" Rose rolled her shoulders back and her eyes zoomed in on Sirius, "Looked like he peaked outside"

Regulus sighs, "Oh Victor lore...feels like a book almost"

Sirius slowly rises from his seat with a glint of mischief promised in his eyes and it makes Rose stand up too, a worrisome expression crossing her face.

"Sirius...what are you about to do?"

"Careful Lee...the scary man might want to," Sirius pauses as he nears her, "Kill you!" He shouts and jumps, reaching for Rose but missing as she takes off in a run around the counter.

Regulus starts to grumble as his stool gets turned in loops, Rose using him like a human shield before running again. Childish laughter fills the home with a full blown chasing match blooming, Sirius forcing her to repeatedly circle the island.

The eldest Black brother scoops Rose up as she loses her breath. She throws her head back on his shoulder and her chest aches from how much she laughs, Sirius yelling about the ways in which the Infamous Victor will kill her.

But Regulus's slight smile is cut short as he watched them. Tomorrow is the reaping. That fact makes him sick.

"Put her down Sirius" Regulus commands and the front door swings open.

Neither listen to him. Rose fights frantically in Sirius's arms, getting squeezed tighter in return.

"Put her down Sirius." Their mothers cold voice echos and the laughter instantly ceases.

Sirius gently places Rose on the ground, gasping to himself as a knife falls from her pants.

There were certain laws the Capitol and Aurors took seriously. One of them being no one is allowed to have any weapons other than Aurors. Not even a wand unless attending the wizarding facilities each district went to once a week. Sirius smiles painfully tight at his mother and bends down, grabbing the knife—tossing it under the slight crack of wood holding up the island.

Rose clears her throat and kicks at Sirius to force him back to his full height, "How was work Mother?"

"Oh a much longer day than usual with the Reaping tomorrow" Walburga starts to shrug off her coat, crossing over to kiss Regulus's head. He sucks in a quick breath. Her sharp blue eyes turn over to her two mischievous children who appear very tense after, "What has gotten into you two?!"

Sirius starts to mumbled to himself until Rose elbows him in the side and goes around to hug Walburga.

"Nothing mum" Rose promises, "You want dinner?"

"No. I want all three of you to come with me to the training room" Walburga holds Rose's shoulder and looks into the living area, "Orion? Would you like to come watch? One of them could very well be leaving tomorrow."

Orion stood and his heavy steps echoed in their brains, the empty bottle of alcohol he held falling to the ground and shattering.

Walburga rushes forward as he stumbles, "I got you darling" She mutters then looks to the children, "Wait for me in the training room."

Rose stares at the broken glass until her eyes burn. Regulus gently placed his arm around her shoulders, whispering that everything is fine and pulling her toward the hallway when suddenly Sirius joins—his arm going over top of Regulus's in a rough way that earns him a scowl.

"Fuck our father" Sirius groans and shoots her a smile, "You've got us Lee"

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A/N: well well well....this is just the introductory to the characters so

—the sibling dynamic is making me so happy

—IM SO EXCITED FOR THIS BOOK

—more info about the AU will be revealed as we go on