Her goodbye to her mother was colder than ever as Diana boarded the train, looking desperately for Layla. She needed somebody to talk to who had at least a bit of sense in them, unlike her own family.

     "So how was Christmas?" Layla asked as the two girls sat alone in the compartment. Before Diana could even open her to reply, she continued, "You have to visit Switzerland one day. It was absolutely amazing! We actually went on a ski trip while we were there — it's a Muggle sport. What did you do over the holidays?"

     "Oh, me? Nothing much." Diana shrugged casually. "I prevented a murder."

     Layla frowned. "Wait, what? How?"

     "Self control."

     "Oh, God... What happened?" Layla asked, sensing from her voice that something worse than usual had happened to Diana over the break.

"You won't believe it if I told you."

"Spit it out already," Layla said impatiently.

Diana hesitated at first, before sighing in defeat. "I will tell you. But Regulus can't find out yet, or he'll freak out."

"Right now you're freaking me out! For Merlin's sake, just say it!"

"Okay... First, you have to know what Wizarding families like mine are like. They're strict when it comes to old traditions."

"Aha... So?"

Diana let out yet another sigh before finally blurting out, "My parents are planning an arranged marriage for me after I graduate from Hogwarts."

"No way!" Layla gasped, her eyes widening in shock as her jaw nearly dropped. "But with who?"

"Sirius Black."

"WHAT!?"

"Yes. That was literally my reaction too," Diana said flatly as the train began to move, leaving the station behind.

"But — I don't understand — how — what!?"

"According to them, it is my honorable duty to our sacred family to keep the bloodline going," Diana said in a sarcastic tone, rolling her eyes.

"As in to have children?"

"Yes, as in to have children."

Layla's shocked face was immediately replaced by a teasing grin. "Dunno. It doesn't sound too bad to me, come to think of it. It's basically your duty to sleep with the hottest guy who's ever existed. I mean, personally I would be on board with such offer."

"Ugh, you git!" Diana groaned in disgust, kicking her in the shin and making Layla laugh. "I never even wanted to marry anyone in the first place! With anyone! Let alone being forced into it by my parents, with someone I despise!"

"So when's the wedding?" Layla smirked. "I'll be the maid of honor, right?"

"There won't be a wedding!" Diana snapped stubbornly. "I won't let it happen. I won't."

"How, exactly?"

"I don't know." Diana hid her face in her palms miserably. "You might take this situation as a joke right now, but this is going to ruin my life forever, Layla. I — I don't want to be forced into living the rest of my life with someone. You don't get it."

Layla's playful grin slowly disappeared into a sympathetic look. "But say it comes to the worst and this wedding does happens... what are you planning on doing then?"

"I don't know," Diana whispered, throwing her gaze outside the compartment window. "If it comes to the worst... I'll just run away from home."

***

After the Hogwarts feast, the two girls made their way out of the Great Hall and emerged into the entrance hall along with the other students that they caught sight of Regulus, walking down the marble staircase. They caught up with him once they reached the cold and dim dungeons on their way to the Slytherin common room.

"Where were you, Black?" Layla asked as soon as they reached him, standing on either side of him.

"What?" Regulus mused in confusion.

"Where were you sitting on the train?" Layla repeated. "We thought you would join us again."

"Oh. I was sitting with Avery and Mulciber. Snape and Rosier were there too."

"What?" Diana frowned, grimacing. "Why would you even sit with those dickheads?"

"I arrived early and was sitting alone in the compartment. Before the train had started going, Avery and Mulciber came by and asked if they could sit there. Rosier and Snape joined a bit later."

"That compartment needs some serious sanitizing now," said Layla darkly, shuddering at the thought of all those people gathered around.

"They're not that bad, you know." Regulus admitted with a light shrug of his thin shoulders.

     "Not that bad!?" Diana repeated, her eyes widened. "Reg, they're literally the definition of bad. Specially Evan Rosier. He's worst of them all."

"Exactly!" Layla nodded firmly to stress the point.

"Trust me, they're not as bad as my brother and his stupid friends," Regulus said sourly, rolling his eyes. "Unlike those four, Rosier and the others don't go around bullying people and jinxing anyone they see in the corridors, just because they simply can."

"Potter and his friends might have pulled a lot of pranks throughout the years, but when you think back at them, they were actually funny," said Layla. "I mean, yeah, I was traumatized for a week after they poisoned our drinks in second year and we grew a lot of ugly body hair, but Diana and I still laugh about that day sometimes. And you gotta admit, the chaos they caused by letting the pixies loose in our common room was hilarious. But Rosier and his friends... they use Dark Magic."

"Remember what they did to Mary MacDonald last year?" said Diana, shuddering at the thought. "It wasn't a simple prank. Avery and Mulciber had used Dark Magic on her."

     "Yeah. Not to mention Diana and I actually overheard Evan Rosier the other night. He said that he wanted to become a Death Eater after graduating Hogwarts," Layla said the last few words in a hushed tone.

      "Look, they talked to me about it," Regulus went on with a voice of reason. "They just believe that Wizards are more powerful than Muggles, and that we shouldn't feel the need to go into hiding like canal rats. That's all. And I agree, to be honest."

     "Look, it's one thing to feel superior toward some other people — for instance, I know I'm way hotter than you two bitches," said Layla, and Diana and Regulus shared a look at that, "but that's not what Death Eaters are after. They want to rule over Muggles, led by You-Know-Who."

     "But how could we know what he's really after? It might be for the best," Regulus tried to argue. "From what Rosier told me, it wouldn't be too bad to have the Dark Lord in charge. The Ministry has been trying to keep us hidden for centuries. The Dark Lord is working in the wizards and witches' favor. He wants to set us free."

     "Yes, but only if you're a Pureblood, or nothing less than a half-blood," Layla protested, before turning to look over at her other friend. "Right, Diana?"

     "I'm not sure if the Dark Lord's doing will be in our favor, though," Diana started thoughtfully as they neared the Slytherin common room. "I mean, what if we come out of hiding and the Muggles decide to riot against us? I don't know about you, but I'm not too fond of being hunted down and burned alive."

     "Oh, don't be so dramatic." Layla rolled her eyes. "It won't come to that anytime soon. Because at the moment, wizards and witches are fighting against one another. Let's just hope we survive this war first, and then we'll worry about Muggles."