•° ✿ °•.

°•. ✿ .•°

PERENELLE'S HEAD WAS pounding as she finally pushed open the door to her dormitory, Marceline hot on her heels.

"Did you just take one hundred points!" Marcie exclaimed, a choked laugh escaping her throat, and Perenelle shook her head, pacing the carpet.

"I don't— I don't know what came over me Marc! How could I ab—"

"—Good! The little brats deserved it!"

Perenelle's brain felt as though it was fragmenting into little pieces, coherent thoughts a thing of the past as she dug her fingers into her hair,

"No Marceline! I don't think you understand!" She hyperventilated, wringing her hands as she resumed her panicked pacing, "I just took one hundred bloody points!"

In the haste of their discussion neither girls had noticed the dormitory door opening, and a gobsmacked Vaudeline stood in front of them.

"That was you?"

Perenelle couldn't help the scream that came over her, her fingers covering her face as the panicked sound left her, before flopping face down onto her silk duvet.

"You know?"

"Uhm— duh Marcie, the whole bloody school was eating lunch when the leaderboard suddenly dropped by one hundred for bloody Gryffindor!"

"Well shit"

"Shit is an understatement!" Perenelle cried, practically leaping up from the bed, her once waved hair now bouncing in its natural curled state from the days tumultuous affairs. "I'm going to lose my badge over this!"

"Okay— maybe do us a favour and calm the fuck down Perenelle, you're stressing me out!" Vaudeline barked, waving a finger at her twin, "What in Merlin's name even happened"

Marcie opened her mouth before promptly closing it again, looking between the two sisters as she did so— her face scrunching in discomfort,

"About that—"

"—Marceline don't you dare!"

It seemed that in the brief moment of silence Pera had remembered what exactly had caused her to take the points in the first place, and the prospect of having to tell Vaudeline was just as mortifying as the reason itself.

"What on earth do you mean don't you dare!"

"Per... come on" Marcie said softly, and Perenelle's eyes screwed shut in frustration as she screamed once more, crossing the dorm and locking herself in the lavatory, her heart pounding out of her chest as she stood with her back against the door.

"I beg your fucking pardon!"

✯¸.•'*¨'*•✿ ✿•*'¨*'•.¸✯

"Come on" Vaudeline directed, "head held high, you're a Black— don't let anyone else make you forget that" as she led Perenelle down the stairs with a hand on the small of her back.

Forgetting she was a Black happened to be the one thing Pera currently desired above all else.

Though she swallowed that thought, instead raising her chin and straightening her posture, passing through the emerald-adorned common room, adopting the mask so preserved by her family.

Show that nothing is wrong— and nothing will be wrong.

It seemed to be working, which in an odd way made Perenelle feel worse, and no one paid them any attention, the sisters reaching the door with ease.

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Vaudeline smiled, and Pera managed one back— it seemed that after finding out about the rumour Vaud's mood had done a complete one eighty, the angry cloud buzzing over her blonde head replaced by a sunny and caring disposition. Perenelle liked this side of Vaudeline. Even if it was most likely a coping mechanism for what they were quickly approaching.

Their second detention.

Merely the thought made Perenelle sick to her stomach— as Regulus didn't know, nor would he ever if she had anything to do with it, but Sirius was another story. Surely Alice would have told him by now.

Then again, that also hopefully meant the nasty and false— oh for Merlin's sake absolutely false rumour would be closer to extinction.

One of Vaudeline's perfectly manicured hands pushed open the door, and with a deep breath both sisters went to take a step, a step towards their detention and away from the comfort and solitude of Slytherin bounds.

Only they didn't get to take a step— because in the doorway, hand raised, ready to knock, was a very flustered Lily Evans.

Vaudeline's smile had quickly disappeared, and she raised an eyebrow at their guest,

"What do you want?"

"Oh! Hi there, I was actually coming to see you Perenelle, do you think we'd be able to—"

"—We actually have to go" Vaud cut her off, a faux look of apology plastered across her face, and she grabbed Perenelle's hand, ushering her past Lily.

"Well, it won't take long— really, it's just a small prefect matter, my friend Alice told me to come spea—"

"—Alice?" Perenelle asked, shaking her sisters hand off of hers, and Lily nodded— Perenelle could sense the uneasiness seeping off of the redhead, no doubt due to them being outside the Slytherin common room. She didn't blame Lily for this, not in the slightest.

"Yes! I— uhm, I don't know whe—" Lily began, before cutting herself off, looking over to Vaudeline who was glaring at her.

Perenelle turned sheepishly to her sister, discreetly nudging her on the arm, "Go ahead, I'll meet you there, tell her I'll be late or something"

Vaud didn't say anything, instead raising her eyebrows at the pair of them before making her way down the corridor.

"Sorry about her" Perenelle said, rubbing the back of her arm, "She can be sort of standoffish" and Lily shook her head, "No, it's alright, I get it!"

Only Perenelle wasn't sure Lily really got it, perhaps she was smart, maybe she wasn't. She didn't know the redhead very well. Certainly not well enough to say 'sorry about that! you're muggleborn, so my sister is a bit of a bitch'

It was a good thing her sister had never decided to join any school activities, as she certainly would not be able to avoid non purebloods. Sure, they weren't pure— and didn't hold prestige, but they were still allowed to play quidditch, be a prefect, or join the herbology club, for example. They were owed that right. At least Perenelle thought so. Some of her housemates would beg to differ.

"So... I'm sure you're aware of why I'm here... my fellow Gryffindor prefects are— well, upset, about the newest point deduction..."

If Perenelle wasn't standing with a muggleborn, a Gryffindor one at that, she very well might have hit her head against the stone wall behind them.

For some reason she hadn't thought of why Lily Evans would seek her out— stupid, it seemed her entire life lately was filled with poor thinking and horrible luck.

"Well, I— I don't know what that has to do with me" She stammered, her cheeks no doubt flushing redder than her companions hair, how in Salazar's name did Lily Evans of all people know it was her.

"I like to think I can be a bit more approachable than some of my housemates... the girls in the lavatory— they came to me, told me that it was you, I don't know why— they wouldn't tell me" She paused, "But, we've both been prefects since our fifth year, you've never abused the rules as far as I'm aware— and Alice vouched for you, she told me that all I would need to do was speak to you to see that you most likely had a good reason"

Perenelle didn't say a word,

"I'm not— I didn't come here to take the points back, or have it reversed— none of that, I just want to confirm that they were taken for a good reason, I'd hate to see my own house lose so many points, but if deserved than I will absolutely agree with you in them being deducted"

Perenelle pursed her lips, sighing nervously as she looked around the corridor, making sure they were alone.

"Have you— oh for Merlin's sake..." Perenelle paused, rubbing her temple, and Lily looked at her in worry,

"Is everything alright?" Lily asked, and Perenelle shook her head. It felt almost strange, she only knew Lily Evans from Severus— though that was no longer an issue, or from Damien and Antonin's complaints.... It was odd to actually speak to the girl, let alone have to confide in her something like— that.

"Have you by chance heard of the rumour that is circling about my cousin and I?"

Lily didn't say anything, the words hanging in the air of the corridor, the silence so deafening Perenelle could hear her own heart beat thumping through her ears.

"I don't... I don't believe it— but yes, I don't think I've ever seen Sirius so upset in his life when he found out"

A part of Perenelle was less tense hearing that the redhead didn't believe it. The events in the lavatory had made her go berserk, it was oddly calming knowing someone whom she had never spoken to before didn't think the absolute worst of her.

"Upset?"

The words had come out before Pera had a second chance to process them, and Lily sighed.

"I don't know what weird relationship— oh for Merlin's sake that was a horrible word to use... I don't know what your family situation is but yes, he was absolutely mental, not even Potter could get him to shut up"

Lily continued, "Potter annoys me to bloody bits, but your cousin, despite being a prat most of the time, is good guy under whatever it is those four are always getting up to... if you ask me it is absolutely foul that anyone would ever say such a thing! I mean honestly!" Lily huffed, crossing her arms, "I'm not a pureblood— I don't care about the bloody customs, I don't know about them, but obviously you two are not bloody shagging! People must be truly bored with their lives to believe such a twisted misconception!"

Perenelle's eyes were wide as Lily finished her rant, chest practically heaving as she sheepishly lowered her head, "Sorry about that... I just— like I said Sirius was quite upset and frankly I'm tired of hearing about it, Marlene has taken to reminding him of it several times since we found out— mind you it's been just over an hour!"

Perenelle had never spoken to Marlene McKinnon— though to be fair, from that piece of information wasn't sure if she'd like the girl very much.

"I'm sorry" Perenelle replied, and Lily's face turned beet red, "Oh for Godric's sake, the rumours about you and I've gone and twisted it about me!"

"No— honestly, I'm sorry!" Perenelle exclaimed, chest burning with embarrassment as she remembered the matter at hand, "those girls... I was in the lavatory, oh Merlin it's so stupid, if I have to turn in my badge then I will! I was upset, and well— they were talking about it, laughing, and one girl said that someone had caught us in a broom closet— I don't know what came over m—"

"— There were five girls, yes?"

"I believe so?"

"Perfect, that rounds out to a reasonable twenty points for each of them, that seems fair don't you think?"

Perenelle's jaw had dropped, stammering as she looked for the right words, while Lily Evans only looked more sure of herself, counting on her fingers as though double checking the numbers.

"Yes— there were five, I remember now, there we go!"

"You don't mean— you actually think that it was reaso—"

"—Listen Black, I of all people know what it's like for people to talk about you, and make up their minds about you without even knowing you all for something you can't control" Lily huffed, "I'm not going to let them get away with that bullshit, even if it costs my house, what kind of precedent would that set? Besides, I don't know you— but you've been respectful towards me this entire interaction despite your house and name... so yes, I'm going to sign off on this"

"Thank you"

"Like I said, your cousin can be a tosser but he's stood up for me more times than I could count, I think he'd agree with me here— anyways, I've got to run"

And all that was left of Lily was her hair swinging behind her as she practically ran from the Slytherin corridor.

✯¸.•'*¨'*•✿ ✿•*'¨*'•.¸✯

Perenelle's mind was swirling through a paradox of emotions as she made her way across the school to McGonagall's classroom.

Lily Evans for one— the whole situation was one she was unable to wrap her head around. That had been the longest conversation with a muggleborn Pera had ever had, and well— it actually went well? Fantastic even?

She didn't burst into flames— her father wasn't lurking behind the corner ready to throw curses at her either. Nothing happened.

Well not nothing— in all fairness an entire weight had been lifted off of Perenelle's shoulders after Lily Evans finished speaking. But in terms of Lily's subpar blood status, nothing happened.

She wasn't any of the things Damien and Antonin claimed she was... as far as Perenelle was able to gather, Lily Evans seemed no different from any other witch she had encountered.

Even the thought made her cringe... as such a revelation albeit minuscule would be absolutely disastrous if made aware to any of her peers. Though it wouldn't. Not ever— how would it?

She had finally reached McGonagall's door, not even noticing how far she had walked with the battle going on internally— were all muggleborns that nice? There's no way they could possibly be, Lily Evans had to be a fluke, a freak of nature even!

Regardless, she had no time to dwell on the answer, as she quickly slipped inside of the classroom.

Four heads turned towards the door at her arrival— only two of which she particularly wished to see, and Perenelle was faced with the second cause of her brain declaring mutiny on every fact she viewed true as of that morning.

Her bloody cousin, who after making eye contact with her whipped his head— his head that desperately needed a haircut, back around so fast he practically gave himself whiplash.

Great.

•° ✿ °•.

°•. ✿ .•°

hello everyone! If you've forgotten the hints for next time I posted last authors note then that means next chapter will cover the detention & a talk with a certain someone xx

I don't know if I'm fully happy with this chapter if I'm being honest, but I needed a break from studying for my (many) exams, so here you go!

I hope you all liked seeing lily!

until next time, jess <3