The Half-Blood Princess
Five.
“Excited to be back at Hogwarts?” Lily asked as she sat across from Sev and Adelia.
The girl nodded. There were butterflies in her stomach. And she knew they weren’t from nerves about going back to school.
|||||
She was walking back from the bathroom alone when she bumped into someone and got knocked to the ground.
The fall made her cringe; she’d landed on her bruises. Looking up, she was met with the grey eyes of Sirius Black.
All words suddenly left her mind. What would he say to her?
But he looked at her curiously. It was a scathing look; she felt as though he was seeing through her façade. She felt he could see the bruises she had decorating her body, the ones she tried so hard to hide from Sev, Lily, Reg, and the world.
"Don't— Don't care about what they think. It doesn't matter what they think." he had said that night. “You do look nice tonight.” Her cheeks had burned bright red for hours afterward as she thought of his words.
“Hello Adelia.” all hope inside of her diminished. There was that tone in his voice again; the cold, distant, cruel tone she’d come to associate with him. It seemed that no mention of her dinner at his house would be made.
She looked away from him.
“Adelia.” her head turned at the sound of Regulus’ voice. She smiled up at the younger Black. Regulus gave her his hand to help her up.
When Adelia turned around to look at Sirius, she found he was gone.
Her second year flew by rather quickly with Regulus, Lily, and Sev at her side. Many times during that year, she found herself studying Regulus’ mannerisms, searching for a hint of truth in what Sirius had said to her.
Was Regulus really pretending?
Did he despise her for her blood like his parents did?
Was he not voicing his true opinions about Lily because he knew she was friends with Lily?
She passed the year trying to avoid Sirius as much as possible but the boy always seemed to be around. It didn’t help that his arrogant friend, Potter, seemed to be in love with Lily. Constantly, he tried to talk to her, much to Sev’s annoyance. Adelia watched her brother love Lily more and more each day. They were thirteen years old but she knew Sev really loved Lily.
Sirius pranked her and tormented her all the while she tried to pretend it wasn’t happening. She couldn’t let Sev know about it. She tried to pretend that she didn’t want to see him every day but she knew that Sirius Black, even when he tormented her, gave her butterflies.
|||||
“Reg, I don’t think it’s a good idea.” she muttered quietly as they stood alone in a compartment as the train approached King’s Cross. “Your parents didn’t seem too—”
“They just…look, I mean that’s what they’re like.”
She looked at him in surprise. Was he defending his parents? Sirius had gladly told her not to listen to a word they said and yet Reg, the brother who is supposedly her friend, is defending them?”
“Reg, I don’t want to come to dinner.”
“Please?” he asked. “Come on…they’ll be better this time. I swear.”
“Reg—”
“Adelia, just come to dinner. It’ll be fine.” he said with a charming smile.
|||||
She came through the fireplace, this time not crashing into anyone. Adelia tried to hide her disappointment.
“Adelia!” she turned to her friend and smiled.
“Hey Regulus.” Reg hugged her in greeting and she winced as he accidently hit her bruises.
Over Reg’s shoulder, Adelia met the gaze of Sirius. He was watching her with narrowed eyes. Adelia had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach; he had seen her wince.
Removing her gaze from the elder Black, Adelia smiled at Regulus as he looped his arm through hers and led her into the dining room.
Dinner was a cold, tense, and quiet affair.
Regulus’ mother constantly switched her glare between Adelia and Sirius. Sirius glared at his mother and Regulus. Adelia couldn’t help her gaze from straying toward Sirius. She often found him looking at her.
“What does your father do?” The boys’ father asked.
Drink. Adelia thought, but knew that wouldn’t be an appropriate response.
“He works at the textile mill near our home.” she replied quietly.
Adelia could feel the disapproval washing over her.
“Of course, that’s not an adequate profession for anyone.” Sirius muttered sarcastically as he stabbed his food with his fork. “Wouldn’t want anyone thinking that a person who actually works for a living is better than a snobby housewife.” he said pointedly as he glared at his mother.
Walburga Black gave her son a dangerous look. “Go to your room, Sirius.” she said with venom. “I will deal with you later.” Adelia’s breath was tight in her chest and suddenly she feared for Sirius.
Sirius stood up forcefully from the table, shaking the liquid in the glasses. He turned and left the room; moments later a door slammed upstairs.
|||||
“Where is your bathroom?” Adelia asked Regulus quietly while they sat in his room. Regulus had been looking for her birthday gift. He seemed to have misplaced it.
“Down the hall on the right.” she nodded and followed his directions.
Walking back to Regulus’ room after she was done, she stopped short as she passed Sirius’ bedroom.
“Don’t you dare,” Walburga hissed, “try to embarrass me in front of guests again.”
“Given what you’ve said, I doubt you consider her much of a guest.”
“Amy is a guest of your brother’s—”
“Adelia! For the love of Merlin, her name is Adelia. But why would you remember that? Your head is too full of—”
The sharp, familiar sound of flesh smacking flesh startled her. Cautiously, she looked back into the bedroom. Sirius held the side of his face; his mother had her wand out. She had hit him.
“Sorry, I’m such an embarrassment Mum; didn’t know courage was such a horrible—”
“Crucio.” his mother said casually. Adelia had to clamp a hand over her mouth to keep from being heard as she watched Sirius wither painfully on the ground. He fought to keep from screaming. Adelia couldn’t stop the tears from springing to her eyes. She wanted to help but she didn’t know how. She couldn’t even defend herself against her own tormentor.
For a moment, his eyes swept over the crack between the open door and the doorframe that Adelia had been seeing through. His eyes widened slightly and Adelia knew she had to run back to Regulus’ room. Sirius had seen her.
She left the Black house that night, with a pain in her heart. She wondered if Regulus knew what his mother had done to Sirius. Adelia knew it wasn’t the first time Sirius had been punished like that.
|||||
“And where have you been? Out with your stupid magic friends?” her father slurred as she appeared back home. She sighed. She didn’t want to have to defend herself to her father anymore.
“I was at dinner.” she said quietly. Her father got up from his chair, a great feat given how much he stumbled.
“Dinner with your rich friends. You think you’re so much better than this family? You think you’re too good for us? Your mother does too! But you’re both wrong. You’re nothing! Soon enough your little friends will see that.”
“I wasn’t—”
Her father reeled back and slapped her across the face. “Don’t you dare back talk to me!” he roared as the smell of whiskey flew into her face.
Her cheek stung with familiar pain.
“I’m sorry.” she whispered quietly.
“Get to bed!” he roared; frightened she ran off to her shabby little room.
Lying in bed, she knew it wasn’t right.
She shouldn’t be afraid of her father. She shouldn’t wish her mother would grow a backbone and get her and Sev away their father. Sirius shouldn’t be abused by his mother. She shouldn’t wish Sirius stood in Regulus’ place every time she spoke to him.
Things shouldn’t be like this.
Adelia wished Regulus was strong enough to stand up to his parents.
She wished Sev would tell Lily how he felt; she hoped Lily would reciprocate.
She wished Walburga wouldn’t hurt her son anymore.
Adelia wished that her mother would get the courage to protect her children.
Adelia knew, even at thirteen years of age, these things wouldn’t happen.
She realized that she would have to get courage to change things herself.
The girl nodded. There were butterflies in her stomach. And she knew they weren’t from nerves about going back to school.
|||||
She was walking back from the bathroom alone when she bumped into someone and got knocked to the ground.
The fall made her cringe; she’d landed on her bruises. Looking up, she was met with the grey eyes of Sirius Black.
All words suddenly left her mind. What would he say to her?
But he looked at her curiously. It was a scathing look; she felt as though he was seeing through her façade. She felt he could see the bruises she had decorating her body, the ones she tried so hard to hide from Sev, Lily, Reg, and the world.
"Don't— Don't care about what they think. It doesn't matter what they think." he had said that night. “You do look nice tonight.” Her cheeks had burned bright red for hours afterward as she thought of his words.
“Hello Adelia.” all hope inside of her diminished. There was that tone in his voice again; the cold, distant, cruel tone she’d come to associate with him. It seemed that no mention of her dinner at his house would be made.
She looked away from him.
“Adelia.” her head turned at the sound of Regulus’ voice. She smiled up at the younger Black. Regulus gave her his hand to help her up.
When Adelia turned around to look at Sirius, she found he was gone.
Her second year flew by rather quickly with Regulus, Lily, and Sev at her side. Many times during that year, she found herself studying Regulus’ mannerisms, searching for a hint of truth in what Sirius had said to her.
Was Regulus really pretending?
Did he despise her for her blood like his parents did?
Was he not voicing his true opinions about Lily because he knew she was friends with Lily?
She passed the year trying to avoid Sirius as much as possible but the boy always seemed to be around. It didn’t help that his arrogant friend, Potter, seemed to be in love with Lily. Constantly, he tried to talk to her, much to Sev’s annoyance. Adelia watched her brother love Lily more and more each day. They were thirteen years old but she knew Sev really loved Lily.
Sirius pranked her and tormented her all the while she tried to pretend it wasn’t happening. She couldn’t let Sev know about it. She tried to pretend that she didn’t want to see him every day but she knew that Sirius Black, even when he tormented her, gave her butterflies.
|||||
“Reg, I don’t think it’s a good idea.” she muttered quietly as they stood alone in a compartment as the train approached King’s Cross. “Your parents didn’t seem too—”
“They just…look, I mean that’s what they’re like.”
She looked at him in surprise. Was he defending his parents? Sirius had gladly told her not to listen to a word they said and yet Reg, the brother who is supposedly her friend, is defending them?”
“Reg, I don’t want to come to dinner.”
“Please?” he asked. “Come on…they’ll be better this time. I swear.”
“Reg—”
“Adelia, just come to dinner. It’ll be fine.” he said with a charming smile.
|||||
She came through the fireplace, this time not crashing into anyone. Adelia tried to hide her disappointment.
“Adelia!” she turned to her friend and smiled.
“Hey Regulus.” Reg hugged her in greeting and she winced as he accidently hit her bruises.
Over Reg’s shoulder, Adelia met the gaze of Sirius. He was watching her with narrowed eyes. Adelia had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach; he had seen her wince.
Removing her gaze from the elder Black, Adelia smiled at Regulus as he looped his arm through hers and led her into the dining room.
Dinner was a cold, tense, and quiet affair.
Regulus’ mother constantly switched her glare between Adelia and Sirius. Sirius glared at his mother and Regulus. Adelia couldn’t help her gaze from straying toward Sirius. She often found him looking at her.
“What does your father do?” The boys’ father asked.
Drink. Adelia thought, but knew that wouldn’t be an appropriate response.
“He works at the textile mill near our home.” she replied quietly.
Adelia could feel the disapproval washing over her.
“Of course, that’s not an adequate profession for anyone.” Sirius muttered sarcastically as he stabbed his food with his fork. “Wouldn’t want anyone thinking that a person who actually works for a living is better than a snobby housewife.” he said pointedly as he glared at his mother.
Walburga Black gave her son a dangerous look. “Go to your room, Sirius.” she said with venom. “I will deal with you later.” Adelia’s breath was tight in her chest and suddenly she feared for Sirius.
Sirius stood up forcefully from the table, shaking the liquid in the glasses. He turned and left the room; moments later a door slammed upstairs.
|||||
“Where is your bathroom?” Adelia asked Regulus quietly while they sat in his room. Regulus had been looking for her birthday gift. He seemed to have misplaced it.
“Down the hall on the right.” she nodded and followed his directions.
Walking back to Regulus’ room after she was done, she stopped short as she passed Sirius’ bedroom.
“Don’t you dare,” Walburga hissed, “try to embarrass me in front of guests again.”
“Given what you’ve said, I doubt you consider her much of a guest.”
“Amy is a guest of your brother’s—”
“Adelia! For the love of Merlin, her name is Adelia. But why would you remember that? Your head is too full of—”
The sharp, familiar sound of flesh smacking flesh startled her. Cautiously, she looked back into the bedroom. Sirius held the side of his face; his mother had her wand out. She had hit him.
“Sorry, I’m such an embarrassment Mum; didn’t know courage was such a horrible—”
“Crucio.” his mother said casually. Adelia had to clamp a hand over her mouth to keep from being heard as she watched Sirius wither painfully on the ground. He fought to keep from screaming. Adelia couldn’t stop the tears from springing to her eyes. She wanted to help but she didn’t know how. She couldn’t even defend herself against her own tormentor.
For a moment, his eyes swept over the crack between the open door and the doorframe that Adelia had been seeing through. His eyes widened slightly and Adelia knew she had to run back to Regulus’ room. Sirius had seen her.
She left the Black house that night, with a pain in her heart. She wondered if Regulus knew what his mother had done to Sirius. Adelia knew it wasn’t the first time Sirius had been punished like that.
|||||
“And where have you been? Out with your stupid magic friends?” her father slurred as she appeared back home. She sighed. She didn’t want to have to defend herself to her father anymore.
“I was at dinner.” she said quietly. Her father got up from his chair, a great feat given how much he stumbled.
“Dinner with your rich friends. You think you’re so much better than this family? You think you’re too good for us? Your mother does too! But you’re both wrong. You’re nothing! Soon enough your little friends will see that.”
“I wasn’t—”
Her father reeled back and slapped her across the face. “Don’t you dare back talk to me!” he roared as the smell of whiskey flew into her face.
Her cheek stung with familiar pain.
“I’m sorry.” she whispered quietly.
“Get to bed!” he roared; frightened she ran off to her shabby little room.
Lying in bed, she knew it wasn’t right.
She shouldn’t be afraid of her father. She shouldn’t wish her mother would grow a backbone and get her and Sev away their father. Sirius shouldn’t be abused by his mother. She shouldn’t wish Sirius stood in Regulus’ place every time she spoke to him.
Things shouldn’t be like this.
Adelia wished Regulus was strong enough to stand up to his parents.
She wished Sev would tell Lily how he felt; she hoped Lily would reciprocate.
She wished Walburga wouldn’t hurt her son anymore.
Adelia wished that her mother would get the courage to protect her children.
Adelia knew, even at thirteen years of age, these things wouldn’t happen.
She realized that she would have to get courage to change things herself.