Bleed It Out

“Can you two believe this is our last year here?” Lily asked Katie and Remus. They were patrolling, and it was past curfew, but unfortunately that didn’t mean that the three could go to bed. Stupid Head Girl duties, Katie thought sourly.

“No, I really can’t” Remus sighed. “It seems like just yesterday we were starting 1st year.”

“I’m going to miss this place” Katie murmured, looking around the corridor. There wasn’t much to see though. They were walking through the dungeons, so all that there was to see were...grey, gloomy bricks. “Well, not the dungeon. I always feel like I’m walking to my doom down here.” Lily and Remus laughed at that.

“Same here” Lily smiled, while Remus nodded. I can see why James likes her so much, Katie thought, staring at Lily’s radiant smile. Lily was truly beautiful. Her hair was a beautiful dark red, which was long enough to reach her waist in elegant waves. She had cute freckles all over her nose and cheek bones, but they only added to her beauty. And her eyes—her warm and impossibly kind emerald green eyes—always had a way to make someone feel special.

“But, another downside to this year is that we’re going to have to take our N.E.W.T.s” Katie added, making a face.

“Yeah, that sucks” Remus muttered. Lily yawned then, causing Katie and Remus to laugh a bit.

“Why don’t you head back to the common room, Lily” Katie suggested, smiling gently at the red head. “You’re no good to anyone if you’re nearly dead on your feet.” Lily nodded.

“You’re right” she said. “I’ll see you two tomorrow.”

“’Night, Lily” the two remaining Gryffindors said simultaneously.

“You think she’s going to give James a chance this year?” Katie asked once Lily turned the corner. Remus shrugged as they continued walking.

“Maybe. He’s taken your advice and stopped asking her out constantly” he answered. Katie nodded.

“That’s good. But he could also give her flowers. When I found out Sirius gave me that rose, I was so happy. Girls like that secret romance stuff” she said.

“Speaking of the rose, do you still have it?” he asked.

“Of course. Its sitting on my table with the picture frames and my father’s rose” Katie smiled.

“You still have the bracelet?” he asked. Katie answered by pushing up her sleeve, where the charm bracelet was settled around her slender wrist.

“I haven’t taken it off. I even put a charm on it so it won’t break.” He nodded. They walked in silence for a moment, quite comfortably really. Katie loved how she could be completely at ease with Remus, without saying a word. “I knew about your secret meetings” Remus suddenly said. Katie frowned in confusion, but before she could question, he spoke again. “With Regulus? You two used to hang out in the Room of Requirement.”

“Oh” Katie blinked. “How?”

“Marauder’s Map, love” Remus stated with a quirky smile. Katie frowned, but then shook her head.

“Sirius would’ve showed me by now if it was important” she mumbled. “And we used it meet. He would help me with the spells I was learning for Professor Humphrey.”

“Oh yeah. Did you finish all the spells?” he asked then. Katie nodded proudly.

“Yep. Every last one. Both verbally and non-verbally” she grinned.

“I’m impressed” Remus chuckled. “But about Regulus” he continued, serious again. Katie rolled her eyes.

“There’s nothing going on between me and Regulus. We’re just friends, okay? Nothing more.” Remus sighed, and nodded.

“I won’t tell Sirius because lord knows he’ll overreact.” Katie smiled, nodding her head.

-

What they didn’t know was that someone was listening, a plot forming in their mind as they fingered something in his robes.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Katie, like always, woke up before the other girls in the dorm. She got dressed without waking any of them up, before picking up her bloated bag and making her way downstairs. The common room, of course, was completely empty of all student life.

As she was making her way to the Great Hall, she thought she heard the soft clicking of nails on the stone floor. Katie quickly turned, but didn’t see anyone. She turned back around, shaking her head at herself. But the sound came back, closer this time. Spinning around, she saw only the lone stretch of corridor in front of her.

“I’m loosing my mind” she muttered to herself, slowly turning back. She then screamed as she jumped back in fright. The blue merle Border Collie started barking loudly, like he was laughing at her. “Dammit, Dane” she hissed. “Don’t scare me like that.” He only bumped against her leg until she patted his head. “I swear, you’re just as bad as Sirius” she muttered, picking up her dropped bag. Which was new by the way. She had already giving Remus back his bag—the one she borrowed when hers broke.

Walking into the Great Hall, she saw only a few students up. These students were the smart people who wanted to get ahead in the day. Or clueless first years who had no idea what time class started. She took her seat, dropping her bag on the floor behind her. Dane sat beside the bag, resting his chin on the bench. “You hungry, boy?” Katie asked him. His ears instantly perked up as he barked excitedly. Katie waved her wand at the pancakes on her plate, turning it into dog food, before putting it on the floor. She wasn’t hungry. She normally never was in the mornings.

Katie took out a book that she had gotten for her birthday/Christmas, and flipped to where she left off. It was a novel about the Titanic. A sad story, but very interesting. She was already halfway through, having read some of it last night. It was so heartbreaking that over 1,500 passengers went into the water, but only 6 were saved. 6. Out of 1,500.

Dane suddenly woofed, which brought Katie’s head up to see Regulus smiling sheepishly at her. “Hey” he said, sliding into the seat next to her.

“Hi” she smiled back. “What are you doing up so early?” He raised an eyebrow at that.

“I could ask you the same thing, Katie” he murmured. Katie suppressed the shiver that ran down her spine. His voice was so much like his brother’s. And he himself looked like Sirius. His hair—the same inky black Sirius had—was just a bit neater, whereas with Sirius he just let his do whatever, sometimes without even brushing it. His grey eyes were just a shade lighter than Sirius’, and he was also considerably paler than his brother. He had the same lean body structure though, and the same muscles. His weren’t as drastic as Sirius’ though, but then again, Sirius played Quidditch. Katie didn’t think Regulus played.

“I’m always up early, Regulus” she smirked. “You, however, are not. Any reason?” Regulus shrugged.

“Just bored” he said offhandedly as he stroked Dane. He then nodded to her cup. “Aren’t you going to drink something?” Katie shook her head.

“I’m hardly ever hungry in the morning” she shrugged. “And I don’t like pumpkin juice.” He pursed his lips.

“What do you like?” he asked.

“Water, orange juice” Katie answered. She then frowned as she thought. “I’ve had wine before, and I liked it. Um…Oh yeah, I like whiskey.” Katie giggled at his shocked expression. “What? A girl like me can’t have whiskey?”

“Well, it’s just thought you seem like the kind of girl who’d rather have water or wine than whiskey or any alcohol for that matter” Regulus shrugged. Katie grinned widely, waving her wand over her cup, which turned the liquid amber. She then picked it up to wave it under her nose, inhaling deeply.

“Jack Daniels. My favorite” she smirked, before downing it all in one go. Katie didn’t even bat an eyelash as a fuzzy warmth spread through her.

“Damn, girl” Regulus laughed, though he was thoroughly impressed. “Even I can’t down whiskey that fast.” Katie merely shrugged.

“What can I say? I’m a girl who can hold her alcohol” Katie winked at him, before standing. Regulus was even more impressed when she didn’t even stagger, though she must’ve drank at least 4 shots total of the strong alcohol. “Well, I’m off to see if I can wake the dead” she snickered.

“Natalie?” he guessed. She nodded, before walking off. Regulus watched her leave—or more appropriately, watched her hips sway as she walked. She had certainly gotten beautiful over the summer. He didn’t even realize it was her until he saw Dane sitting next to her. Speaking of Dane…Regulus looked around to find that the dog had vanished.

-

Dane trotted across the green grass, tail wagging happily. But no matter how much he wanted to stop and bask in the sun and chase after the lingering butterflies, he was on a mission. In his mouth was a clear vial filled with a bright pink liquid. He had stolen it from Regulus. Well, it had actually falling out of a hole in his pocket.

Into the Forbidden Forest he went, stopping next to a fallen tree. Underneath, the dirt had been dug out to provide a little den. Inside were an array of things. Most of them shiny. One was a little gold necklace thing, and another was two little mirrors. There was also another little vial of clear liquid.

He put the vial in his mouth next to that one, before bounding back to the castle to find his girl.

- - - - - - -

“I hate mornings” Natalie moaned as they walked to Transfiguration.

“Ditto” Sirius grunted, rubbing his eyes.

“Why did you have to wake me up, Katie?” James whined. Again. Katie rolled her eyes. “I was having a wonderful dream. One that involved a snitch, my hand, my lips, and the love of my life’s.”

“Are you kissing the snitch or your hand?” Katie asked, smirking. The others laughed loudly, while James looked affronted.

“Huurtfuul” he pouted.

“I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: We are such a bad influence on her” Remus chuckled.

“Uh, Remus, some of that might’ve been my doing” Natalie shrugged. When they entered the classroom, they all took their seats in the back of the room: closest to the windows and door. Katie sat with Sirius in the back, James in front of them by himself. Remus and Peter sat across the isle from him, and Natalie sat behind them by herself.

“Can’t believe we have to take our bloody N.E.W.T.s this year” Sirius moaned, laying his hand on the desk. Just then, a familiar someone walked into the room, grinning. Katie felt herself pale, while the others’ mouths hit the floor.

“Ben?”