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PERENELLE AWOKE ON Monday morning feeling light— lighter than she had in days, and it was not until she noticed her sisters curious face and long blonde hair dangling over her pillow, causing her to yelp in a dizzy-half awake fright, that she realized it was because her barely conscious brain had forgotten the events of the day before; or rather the train wreck that was the last fortnight.

"Merlin Vaud do you mind?" She croaked, wiping the sleep from her eyes as she sat up in her bed.

The two sisters could not look anymore different at that moment— drool dried against Perenelle's chin, her curls frazzled and pointing in every which direction, while Vaudeline looked perfectly put together, her housecoat nestled against her and tied tight against her waist and under her crossed arms as she raised a brow at her sister.

"You never did tell me what the mudblood Evans wanted from you yesterday" She quipped, moving to sit on Pera's bed,

"So you've scared me out of both my sleep and my wits because of your burning curiosity?" Perenelle moaned, noticing that the clock opposite her bed read seven in the morning— she normally slept in another half hour. Marceline was still snoring to their left.

"Well yes— and also no, just answer the question"

"I don't know" Pera shrugged, raking her mind for ways to answer the question without divulging the truth— that Lily Evans wasn't evil and out to steal their magic... or a conniving whore ready to seduce pureblood men for her bidding... or whatever nasty fables they had been fed their entire lives revolving those of lesser blood status. "It was just a prefect matter— the points, she just wanted to know why I took them, makes sense, it was her house and all"

"Hm" Vaudeline tutted, "She didn't try anything funny?" And a glimpse of disgust passed the blonde's features, "I wouldn't put it past the bloody Gryffindors to try and plot some sort of revenge"

While Perenelle would normally agree, her sister couldn't have been more wrong, though Pera just shook her head.

"I dunno, the points are still gone so I suppose it's held up" She shrugged, before looking towards her sister, still sat on her bed, "wait, what was the No part of why you've woken me up so bloody early?"

Vaudeline's face once more screwed up into a look of utter disgust, and the blonde shook her head, a laugh escaping her mouth as she inched closer to her sister.

"You haven't been consorting with Gideon Prewett have you?" She said, and it was as though Perenelle's entire body froze.

"Of course not!" She hissed, peeking over to make sure that Marceline was in fact still sleeping— she was, and still snoring obnoxiously, though the twins' other half surely would have made a comment at Perenelle's lie had she been conscious to hear it.

"I figured you wouldn't be so stupid" Vaud huffed, "But I had to ask— you'd never believe it, but the bloke had the nerve to speak to me yesterd—"

"—I'm sorry, what?" Perenelle interrupted.

"After detention" She rolled her eyes, combing through a piece of her blonde hair with her fingers, "What a nutter, he nearly knocked me over!" She cringed before continuing, "Asking me how I was— as if I'd even acknowledge someone of his sorts.. let alone converse! He asked me where you were! Pera my eyes must have popped straight out of my head, I mean— honestly!"

He asked me where you were.

Pera swallowed nervously— her throat suddenly drier than dust as she managed a small laugh at her sister's dramatics, unable to get the way he had spoken to her the night before out of her head...

The way the veins in his neck popped as his voice raised trying to reason with her.. as though her being angry with him gave him great stress— but to approach Vaudeline? Surely he had gone mad— worse, he was trying to get her killed. Not something someone who was truly sorry would attempt.

"Honestly Vaud... I haven't spoken to him in what? Years? I don't even know what he would be loo—"

"—Oh I have an idea!" Vaudeline huffed, tightening her silk robe against her, "I'm telling you this is the heathen's fault"

"The who?"

"Sirius of course! This nasty rumour must make the lowest scum this school has to offer believe that you— a Black, would stoop so low as to let them have their way with you!"

Have their way— oh for Merlin's sake she hadn't even kissed someone before.

"Vaudeline!" Perenelle whined, hitting her sister in the arm with one of her throw pillows, "It's not funny!"

"Do I look like I'm laughing?" The blonde asked, and truly— she was not. If anything Pera's twin had a sort of unhinged look on her face that scarily reminded her of their aunt Walburga.

"Whatever it is he wanted—" Perenelle changed the subject, "It's no matter, I wouldn't even look in his direction, I'm no fool Vaud"

Vaudeline let out a humph!— "Well good, glad that's settled then, shall we go for breakfast?"

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For the entire half hour it took to rouse Marceline from her slumber and convince the girl to get dressed, Perenelle couldn't get the conversation with her sister out of her frazzled brain.

And as the minutes ticked by, the dark haired girl found herself growing angrier and angrier— not only at Gideon Prewett, or her Neanderthal of a cousin Sirius, but at the entire situation that had transpired over the last several weeks. All in all her silent rage led her to one conclusion— her weakness had caused it.

Never in a million years would anything that had occurred, such as her being seen in a nightie, a cataclysmic Black family brawl, or being approached by muggleborns— to name a few have happened had she not allowed herself to be so affected by her disowned sister. If anything it was Andromeda's fault. Yes. Exactly. Whatever the bloody hell Andromeda Black (was that even her name anymore?) was doing with her life was clearly not stimulating enough— as she just had to swing back and telepathically ruin the family she had left behind. That was it.

She knew that wasn't it. She really did. She wasn't that stupid.

However— believing that everything was Andromeda's fault made it slightly easier to deal with, as Andromeda was not exactly around to plead her non existent case. So if anything, she was automatically guilty by default.

This was how Perenelle came to the shining conclusion that was how to fix the utter mess she had found herself in: she would distance herself from Andromeda (and more importantly, her memory) as far as humanly possible.

So she did her hair— tied it in a beautiful ribbon, and for the first time in several days took pride in her appearance, and more than anything the symbol it represented.

She was a Black— and it was finally time to start acting like it.

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The only kink in her perfectly laid out plan was an increasingly annoying ginger Gryffindor who along with his twin had taken to following her around.

It was driving her mad.

Though she acted as though it didn't— oh no, she couldn't possibly allow the older boys the satisfaction of knowing that they were getting under her skin.

There was one attribute that her family held dear, a character trait that the likes of her father and his cousin Arcturus clung to and worshipped as the defining trait to their glorious family's success.

And that was their mask.

It had truly gone to pure shite the last fortnight— that was for sure. Salazar knows that even perfect Vaudeline had lost the balance between cold pureblood disrespect and all out blind rage. However ever since Perenelle's revelation that very morning the mask of perfection that had been drilled into her head since she could babble had finally returned.

Not only had it returned— but Perenelle had finally perfected it (though, to be fair, a successful four hour test drive was hardly the grounds for 'perfected').

Regardless, with a (poised— mind you) pep in her step Perenelle Black had finally gotten her groove back! (Or, finally found it) Which is why she walked into Professor Flitwick's classroom with a smug smile on her face that would have her nana Irma proud— and two annoying gingers left wandering the halls.

That smile however was quickly wiped from her face when she remembered that today was her dreaded charms evaluation. Sod it.

"How do you feel? Oh Merlin I'm gonna be sick" Alice mumbled, brows crossing with worry as Perenelle took her seat next to the Gryffindor.

"Fuck me Fortescue I completely forgot about this blasted thing!" Perenelle panicked, and Alice sunk in her seat.

"Well aren't we grand"

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long time no see my ever so lovely readers! I want to apologize that this update is so short, but I hope me updating for the first time in months makes up for it x
also! I have a regulus fic some of you may be interested in, titled "by the sycamore tree" I'd love if you guys checked it out!
but in terms of gold rush, it feels so good to be back! I'm not sure how frequent my updates will be with school and all but oh how happy I am to have an update <3 I thought of continuing it but was too excited to publish, so here we are!
upcoming gold rush chapters...
•a reluctant newly poised Pera delivers a heartfelt thank you to the charming head boy
•Pera continues (and intersects with!) to be stalked by two annoying gryffindor gingers
•the third detention takes place and boy oh boy is it the messiest of them all!

until next time, Jess x