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Chapter Thirty: The Restricted Section Part 1

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N O V E M B E R 1978

Romina was quite surprised with how busy her final year of Hogwarts had become. She owled Lily and Marlene almost daily, which helped ease her boredom late at night after she finished her classes and studying all day long.

She still had no idea what she wanted to do after Hogwarts. The final countdown to true adulthood was on and she was beginning to panic because she wasn't particularly fond over one subject more than another - other than divination, of course. But she wasn't sure what she could even do for work with her gift of sight. She no longer had Professor Grigorsky to talk with, and guide her, so she knew she had to come up with something else.

She was too wild to become an Auror. And not to mention she knew she would most likely have to deal with the stigma that came with her family name. Romina Rose Lestrange, Auror for the Ministry of Magic. She couldn't fathom that becoming a part of her future. Though thinking of this career path made her think of James and Sirius - whom were both in training for said position. She fondly remembered dueling for fun with James over the summer and almost losing her nose in the process.

Thank Merlin for Euphemia Potter.

Peter mentioned her becoming a professor, but that wasn't something she would love. She knew that much. She had to pull herself back whenever another student asked a question she deemed as stupid. She would most certainly not make it as a professor teaching the incoming students - the future of their world.

She had high marks across the board, so she could become a healer. But that was also something she wasn't really interested in. She didn't think she'd be able to deal with all of the strange maladies that St Mungos saw on the daily.

Romina turned the page of the career pamphlet that she snagged from Professor Slughorn. She sighed softly and tried not to let her mind travel to the thought that she would be better suited as a delicate pure blood wife who only had a sole purpose of procreating and teaching the future generations that pure blood supremacy was what they needed to believe in.

She turned to the final page and peered down with a raised brow, finally finding something that piqued her interest. "Curse breaker." She hummed softly, running her fingertip along the page as she read about the program at Gringotts. Travel sounded like a lot of fun. And if she worked hard for the rest of the year to get her dueling skills up to par - she might have a shot. Maybe that would be what her great happiness was. And it sounded quite dangerous too- maybe the tea leaves Professor Grigorsky read last year were speaking of her future job. Maybe she wouldn't lose everyone in her life and have more happiness than suffering.

Glancing over the pamphlet once more before she slipped it into her bag, Romina started collecting her other things on the library table before her. She knew it was late and that she had to get a move on to get back to her dormitory in time before curfew started. Slughorn had been a stickler this year, for curfew especially, and even though he never yelled at her, she didn't want to risk it and get in trouble with him.

Once the table was clear she hugged the books that wouldn't fit back into her bag against her chest and started her journey down the aisle and to the exit of the library. She would have made it if it weren't for the fact that she spotted Regulus pacing back and forth in the dimly lit aisle that led back to the restricted section.

The boy was paler than usual, and although she hated him for what he did to her, she found herself becoming worried for his health. The red rims around his eyes were starting to get darker, and he almost looked as though he hadn't eaten in days. She lingered by the door for a moment or two before she sucked in a deep breath and turned around to head back towards him.

"What are you doing here?" She asked him in a soft whisper.

He jumped at the sound of her voice and hid the book in his hand behind his back now. "What do you want? This is the library. I'm here t-to read."

"You and I both know you don't spend time in the library." She told him, her voice still soft. She was almost scared to speak, not having said a word to him since his betrayal two summers ago. She clutched her books tight and continued to watch him for another moment before her eyes traveled up and behind him, focusing in on the dark and locked away restricted section.

Regulus must have caught on to where her gaze went because he immediately rushed past her, his shoulder brushing hers as he went.

Romina didn't want to chase after him. But then another thought passed through her mind, a thought that Regulus was looking into something dangerous for the sake of her brothers' and immediately she refused to let anyone else take the fall for their evilness. She moved as fast as her short legs could go, knowing if she tried to keep Regulus here to talk, Madam Pince would be breathing down their necks at any moment.

"Reggie, wait!" She hissed at him as she finally got the chance to capture the sleeve of his robe in order to yank him back towards her. "What's going on with you?"

"Nothing is going on with me, Romina. And even if there was, you no longer have the right to know that kind of information." Regulus shot back at her. Sadness was apparent in his voice. The red rimmed eyes that looked up at her and then back away were full of pain. Internal torment from whatever was happening in his life. Romina could guess what it was from.

"Well, if we're being honest that is not my fault nor is it my doing." Romina looked over her shoulder, spotting a few Hufflepuffs leave the library. She grabbed his robes again and dragged him into the nearest, and luckily unused, classroom. "You were the one who betrayed me. You signed that death wish that will always be hanging over my head. You did that to me."

With her vehement snapping, Regulus cowered back slightly. His right hand grabbed at his left forearm and he looked up at Romina after avoiding her eye contact since she had dragged him into whatever classroom this was. "I'm sorry, Romina. I thought I was protecting you."

"Protecting me?" She guffawed. Her eyes were blown wide as she stared at her ex-best friend in disbelief. "Protecting me from what?"

"From my brother! From his stupid mudblood, halfblood, and blood traitor friends." Regulus finally gathered whatever courage he had left, standing up straight as he stared at her with anger in his eyes. "But I should have known it was always going to be him!"

His voice cracked as he shouted at her, his finger pointing at her in an accusatory manner. She flinched at the sudden movements he was doing, and although she knew he would never physically hurt her, she was still frightened. What if he had changed? After all, she had changed much since two summers ago. Her whole world had changed, it was only normal she changed along with it.

"What are you on about? What does your brother always have to play a role in this? In our arguments? It has nothing to do with Sirius, Reggie. I would have always made this choice. That life, the life you live..." She lowered her voice now, wiping at her eyes to try and keep the tears at bay, "it wasn't for me. It never was. I never wanted it. I wanted more. I needed more. I needed my own life. I can't sit around popping out pure blood babies for the rest of my life to create an army for a vile, f-foul creature of a man." Now it was her turn to waver, her voice cracking slightly.

She stopped saying his name. Not out loud, not even in her head. She was terrified of him, and she had only met him once. It was a scary thought to think but she may have been more scared of her brother, Rodolphus, than she was of the Dark Lord.

She had not read all of the horrifying stores printed in the Daily Prophet until she got back to school. She was able to find copies, learning of the real wizarding news that was occurring rather than the made up stories that Fleamont switched out in the copies at Potter Manor.

She was horrified to read Rodolphus' name in an accusation of a vile crime against a muggle born witch in France. She remembered having to run to the nearest bathroom to expel the remnants of her dinner. She didn't understand why he was still free. There had to be some serious dark magic at play.

"I don't know what you want me to say." Regulus finally spoke up again, his hands leaning against the nearest desk as he let his head hang low. "I tell you that I was doing what I thought best to save you from a mistake you were so clearly going to make. I mean that earnestly. I-" he paused and sucked in a deep breath. "I didn't think they would hurt you the way they did. I didn't want to sit back and watch my best friend writhe on the floor from being tortured."

"If you cared about me, you would have talked to me first."

"And bloody say what?" Regulus snapped again, standing up straight as he turned to face her.

"About my journal! About whatever it is that I wrote in there that scared you."

"Well," he scoffed, "where do I begin?"

Regulus took one step closer to Romina and although she was frightened with his anger, she stood her ground. She folded her arms tightly over her chest as she watched him.

"You wrote about my stupid, stupid, blood traitor brother." He began with a growl, "about wanting to kiss him. It made me sick! I felt betrayed."

"Betrayed? Regulus! I am my own person! I cannot help who I have feelings for." Romina breathed out, clutching her hands tightly in fists by her sides. This was never about her protection. This was because he was angry about his brother. 

"You love him, then?"

There was more hurt than anger in his voice now.

"No." She replied rather quickly, "I am not in love with Sirius. I like him, yes. And I like the way he makes me feel."

"That sounds like love."

"How would you know?" She bit back with a glare.

He refused to meet her gaze and just turned back around with a frustrated sigh. "Is that all the interrogation for today, Mina? I'd like to get back to my dormitory before curfew."

Romina chewed at the inside of her cheek before she focused her eyes on his back. She wanted to get down to the bottom of what he was doing snooping around the restricted section. She knew very well that she couldn't tell anyone else and this would just have to be something she handled on her own. How she would go about it would be a whole different story.

"What are you researching?" She questioned innocently. Though in the back of her mind, she really wanted to demand an answer of him.

"It's none of your concern, Romina." Regulus spat back. He looked at her, watching her step closer to him before he stepped back again, closer  to the door than before.

"I'll find out, you know." Romina stated firmly, watching him spin on his heel and escape her interrogation through the door.

Her chest was heaving up and down rapidly, the beating of her heart was making her head feel slightly lightheaded as she gripped onto the back of a chair for support. Maybe this year wouldn't be as easy as she originally thought.

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D E C E M B E R 1978

"I've missed your face." Romina sighed happily as she squeezed Remus' cheeks before wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. "How is everything?"

Remus groaned as she pinched his cheeks but still wrapped his arms around her in a warm hug. "Everything is just fine on my end, Mina. What about you?"

The two walked arm and arm through the snowfall towards The Three Broomsticks to grab a pint of butterbeer as they waited for the rest of their group to join them. Romina had been completely overwhelmed that everyone told her they would make it for a Saturday lunch date in Hogsmeade so they could all catch up in person. While she talked with Lily and Marlene almost on a daily basis, correspondence with the boys had been left at the very minimum.

"School is rather boring without you lot always around to keep me entertained. I haven't eaten nearly as much treacle fudge this year as I've done last." Romina laughed softly, licking her lips to rid herself of the foam left over by the butterbeer.

"I'll be sure to tell Peter so he'll send you twice the amount for Christmas." Remus teased with a grin tugging at his lips.

Romina could tell something was bugging Remus but she would have to ask him later because the moment she opened her mouth to speak, familiar voices and faces surrounded their table.

"Lily!" Romina squealed happily, shooting up onto her feet before enveloping the redhead in a tight hug.

"I've missed you." Lily replied with her own smile. After the hug, the two sat down together leaving James standing there with his hands on his hips.

"Uh, hello?" He groaned, "What about me?"

"Hi James!" Romina didn't look up and only waved at him as she fell into conversation with Lily.

"Better luck coming without your girlfriend next time if you want any attention." Sirius spoke up from behind James, his hand resting on his shoulder as he let out a laugh.

"Hi Siri." Romina finally looked up to the two with a small smile.

"Mina." Sirius bowed playfully before taking the spot besides Remus.

"How you feeling, Moony?" James asked, taking the seat to Remus' right.

Remus sighed as his shoulders lifted up slightly in a shrug. "I'm as good as I can be." His eyes swiftly turned to the girls who were luckily still engrossed in their own, what looked pretty serious, conversation. He looked back to Sirius and then to James and the defeat was written clear as day across his features.

The full moon was close and Remus was struggling. Not only struggling to survive but also struggling to hold a job, still hiding his true self from Romina. He was beginning to fall apart at the seams and his friends could only do so much.

Lunch went by quickly, just as Romina had suspected it would. Remus left first, citing that he needed to check in on something but didn't detail what. Romina watched sadly as he went without a second glance.

James and Lily were next. Romina knew they wanted some alone time before they both returned back to their training. She giggled as she watched them go, hand in hand whispering to each other. She turned back around to Sirius watching her with a grin on his face.

"What's the matter?" Romina touched her face as if there was something on her. Her fingertips ghosted slowly across her chin, up over her lips and up along her cheeks. "Is there something on my face?" She asked him with a soft laugh.

The corners of Sirius' lips tugged up, bringing his lips into a wider grin. "No, there's nothing on your face. I just think you're cute, that's all."

"Oi!" She giggled again and nudged his leg with her foot, "Shut up." Her cheeks burned with embarrassment as he complimented her. She looked everywhere but his face and the moment his hand slipped on top over hers, she met his gaze.

"We didn't get to talk much with everyone else around." He shifted over in the booth so he could sit next to her, his hand staying with hers before he brought it down from the table and into his lap. "I know we've written each other but that's never been enough for me."

She knew what he meant - how he felt. Truly, the letters were nice. But they weren't enough. She missed him tremendously and just getting to see him in person for a little bit meant the world to her. "I know what you mean." She agreed with a soft sigh. She laced her fingers into his and moved her head to rest against his shoulder.

They talked about school, his training, the bet they had going in regards to when James would propose to Lily. Sirius also admitted to having been on a few dates. Although they were supposed to be friends, Romina couldn't help but feel a strange sense of sadness and jealousy ball up tightly in the pit of her stomach. She knew their time was limited and she wanted everything to remain as positive as it possibly could. Which is why she decided to not tell him about her run in with Regulus the month prior. She had followed him a handful of times since then but had not made contact.

She had only mentioned wanting to borrow the cloak from James - which her adopted big brother agreed to. He enjoyed mischief and after she had promised to not get caught, or get in any trouble, he sent it to her via owl. She made him promise not to tell anyone, especially Sirius, that she borrowed it.

"I have to go." Sirius pressed his lips against the top of Romina's head before he pulled back. "I'm already late."

Her bottom lip flipped out in a pout as she pulled back and looked up at him. "I'm sorry if you get in trouble because of me." She laughed softly, imagining Sirius in some sort of detention because he didn't make it back to his training on time.

"Moody will have my arse, that's for sure." Sirius groaned, his hands rubbing at his face before they both got up and walked out into the street of Hogsmeade together.

"You'll be done before you know it. And then we'll be able to see each other more. I'm sure of it." Sirius smiled down at her as one hand cupped the side of her face. He watched her for a moment before he leaned down and gently let his lips brush against hers.

The kiss was soft and sweet, and Romina found herself forgetting that they weren't really together. They were friends - and that was what she wanted. When he pulled back, Romina forced a smile. "You should stop kissing me, Sirius Black. We're supposed to be friends." She teased, quickly pecking his lips again before she pulled back completely.

"I'll see you soon." Sirius called after her, his hands tucking into the pockets of his trousers as he watched her walk through the snow back towards the castle.