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PERENELLE HAD SLEPT THE day away, literally. The headache she awoke with on Saturday morning so fierce that she didn't even grimace at the fact she had slept in her wrinkled uniforms— or that the now empty bottle of her family's wine was her choice of pillow.

Vaudeline hadn't acknowledge her borderline depressing state— no doubt still furious with her, and Marcie was in no better condition. So, Perenelle didn't leave her bed. Not for the whole day. Except maybe to change into her pyjamas— and eat whatever Marceline had smuggled out of the kitchens.

But it was now Sunday, the anxiety of the next Black family detention looming over her head, and Perenelle figured she may as well at least attempt to have a productive day— and brush her hair. The detention wasn't the only thing causing her dread, she had a charms evaluation the next day that also required her attention.

Though above all— the one thing truly responsible for the ache in Perenelle's stomach was the fact that everywhere she went stares still seemed to follow. Whispers. Giggles.

All of it, and it was very close to driving her mad, surely the fight wasn't still the centre of attention? Why on earth did the stares seem to only affect her?

Perenelle's walk to the library had been nearly unbearable, a prickly feeling digging into the back of her neck with every group of snickering students she passed— and it wasn't until she was surrounded by the staggering mahogany book cases she finally allowed herself to take a deep breath.

"Hey! Pera"

It couldn't have been louder than a whisper, yet Perenelle nearly dropped her books, and Alice Fortescue was waving her over to a table.

"Blimey— are you alright? I didn't mean to scare you" The brunette asked, concern laced across her face as Perenelle sat down beside her.

"It's okay, just caught me off guard is all" She chuckled, opening her charms textbook to the page she needed— the Reducto Curse, the focus of their impending evaluation.

"I take it you're here for the same reason as me" Alice sighed, leaning her head against her hand, "I've been in here for a bloody hour now at least, how far have you gotten on the written task?"

"I'm still revising it" She shrugged, "Have you managed to find any information on its creator— Dorphus Rowle? I've found his basic biography but... I don't know, I think it would be better if I knew why he invented the spell, you know?"

Alice humphed at that, "Good luck, it took me nearly two days to even find his actual birthday, what is it with the bloke— it's like he wanted absolutely nobody to know even the slightest bits about him!"

"Shh!"

Madame Pince's sharp shush caused them both to duck their heads, before resulting into silent giggles.

"Bloody hell— what are you two troublemakers doing to piss off Pince so early in the morning?"

Frank Longbottom's sarcasm laced voice was suddenly upon them, and before the two girls could even look up he had plopped himself down in the chair next to Alice, swinging an arm over her shoulder.

"Morning? It's nearly noon" Alice scoffed, and Frank playfully rolled his eyes before focusing on Perenelle,

"Wotcher Black, I didn't know you two were mates"

Two more chairs were suddenly occupied— and at Frank's sudden arrival Perenelle hadn't even noticed his companions.

The Prewett twins each took a seat  across from her at the circular table— Fabian the closest to her on the right side.

"I—oh, well we have charms together" She spit out, avoiding making eye contact with either twin.

Gideon was bad enough— she wasn't sure if she'd be able to look him in the eye again after catching him post-snog two nights before, but she hadn't even seen Fabian since the night of Andromeda's birthday.

"That's what's got us stuck in here" Alice sighed, absentmindedly flicking through the pages of her textbook, "Charms evaluation tomorrow"

Frank had snatched Alice's parchment out from in front of her before she could stop him, and he leaned back in his chair, "Ooh— the Reducto Curse, you've got some experience with that one don't you boys?" And both Fabian and Gideon snickered— as though it was an inside joke only the trio seemed to know.

"Oh stop it" Alice teased, taking back her parchment, "If you're going to stay and bother us you may as well introduce my friend to your side kicks"

my friend.

For some reason Alice's words made Perenelle's heart nearly skip a beat— Alice considered her a friend?

In a world where nearly every decision had been made for her— Perenelle had never made a friend that wasn't practically hand selected by her parents, it felt— weird, exhilarating even.

Overall it felt nice. Like the kind of nice that is only replicated by the feeling of biting into a warm pumpkin pasty fresh out of the oven— or picking out fabrics for new dress robes.

Whatever it was— it was a nice that felt almost unfamiliar, but Perenelle knew one thing for sure, despite every sane part of her telling her to run back to the safety of her common room and the rest of the pureblood elite— she liked Alice Fortescue thinking of her as a friend.

"—Surely you don't mean to introduce us to Perenelle" Gideon scoffed, Fabian joining in, a smile on his face,

"No chance— we've known her longer than we've known either of you"

Alice practically jumped in her seat at the boys' proclamation, turning to face Perenelle with an open mouth,

"There is no way— Pera, and you two? Please, how in Godric's name would you fit in with these two clowns?" The latter part of the sentence was directed at her, and the boys made varying statements of offence at being called clowns.

"No they're right" Perenelle replied a bit defensively, sitting up straighter in her chair, "Our families were friends when we were younger— really"

Alice's look of disbelief still hadn't left her face, and she turned to Frank— who seemed to look the same.

"I mean honestly... since we were what? Five?" Fabian laughed,

More like since birth.

Though Perenelle didn't dare say it aloud.

"Just get Vaudeline in here and it's a full reunion"

Oh Salazar— because the last thing Perenelle needed was Vaudeline finding out she was currently sitting with the Prewett twins... it could be added to the long list of whatever none sense Vaud was already in a tiff over.

"I mean how is your sister? Still the same— I assume"

Perenelle managed a dry chuckle, running her finger over the end of her quill as she looked up at Fabian, a sudden confidence overpowering her, "If by the same you mean bossy then sure"

It was like the twins eyes' lit up— what Perenelle had said immediately clicking,

"Bloody hell do you remember how mad she was about that!" Gideon practically roared, and Pince sent another threatening shh! their way, and Alice's look of confusion only grew as even Perenelle had begun to chuckle softly,

"My sister—" Pera began, explaining to Frank and Alice, "When we were little she used to micromanage the smallest things— even when we played Aurors and Dark Sorcerors—"

"—Especially when we played Aurors and Dark Sorcerors" Fabian cut her off, and Pera couldn't help but smile at the memory.

"So this one time, Fabian and I were the Dark Sorcerors right? And Vaudeline and Sirius just kept going at each other, I mean bloody hell— it almost went to fists at one point—"

"— it did" Perenelle cut Gideon off, "After you guys left"

"Oh Merlin really? Anyway— it got to the point that the game stopped, they were just screaming at each other, and then Sirius called her a bossy twit!"

Perenelle grimaced at the memory, hiding her face behind her hands, while the twins laughed.

"I don't get it" Frank asked, and Perenelle put her hands back in her lap,

"We were only six— and my sister threw such a tantrum you'd think the windows would have shattered from her crying alone"

"Then your aunt..." Gideon chuckled, and Perenelle continued,

"My aunt— oh bollocks she was so angry, had no idea where he had even learned the word twit, not that it's bad— but for a six year old? I don't remember what happened to Sirius when they went home but it couldn't have been pretty"

"I for one am still stunned that I didn't know you guys were mates" Frank shook his head, looking between Pera and the twins, "I mean, you two are my best friends, and you are one of my prefects!"

"Your prefects? You're Head Boy not Headmaster" Alice teased, and Frank ruffled her hair, causing her to duck away from him. "I'm only saying! I don't know, you're a pretty serious one Black... can't really picture you mucking about with these two"

"Longbottom I barely even see you outside of meetings" Perenelle accused, a sly smile on her face. It was as though she had come to life— allowing herself to let go and actually converse with people outside of her circle, it gave her a rush of adrenaline she hadn't felt in years.

"I don't know... I heard your lot had quite a wild bash Friday night" Alice teased, leaning in her chair against Frank's, and Perenelle's cheeks flushed. Friday night— an incident she had nearly forgotten about in the excitement of leaving her shell.

"I happen to know that she was on patrol that night dear Alice..." Frank drawled, sending a smug look towards Gideon, who was avoiding eye contact.

Fabian had started to laugh, while Alice looked at Pera— who like Gideon, was avoiding meeting anyones eyes.

"Well don't tell me you've gone and memorized every schedule now Frank— then the powers surely gone to your head!"

Frank feigned a look of offence, his hands jokingly in the air, "Oh come on now! I only know because it was Black and her partner who caught lover boy over here out after hours with a bird" Pointing at a red faced Gideon.

"Gave him a detention too..." Fabian led off, looking at Perenelle in faux disappointment, and Pera's cheeks turned beet red.

"Well no— I wasn't, I wasn't the one who gave you detention" Perenelle defended, suddenly self conscious as she directed her words towards Gideon, who raised his eyebrows at her.

"Honestly Perenelle, you couldn't have let an old friend off with a warning?" Fabian teased, shaking his head, and Pera's blush deepened.

"You know Longbottom, if anything this is your fault" She said, and protests of what? how! left the Head Boy's mouth.  "You and Fawley went on nearly all of last meeting about making sure nobody was snogging in the alcoves... then you didn't even tell your mates!"

"Oh come on now Perenelle, it's not like you haven't been up to worse lately" Gideon laughed, and it was though Pera's body ran cold as the table lapsed into silence.

Fabian physically cringed— Alice's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and Perenelle couldn't hear anything above her heart pumping through her ears, when she found the courage to open her mouth and speak her own voice sounded far away,

"I'm sorry— what do you mean by that?" Leaving her mouth barely above a whisper, and it was though Gideon had finally realized what he had said, his ears reddening as he opened his mouth, though no words came.

"Just a josh Black, Gid's a joker" Frank swept in to save the situation, before leaning over to kiss Alice on the cheek, "Anyways we better go— we're trying to go to lunch early before the good food is gone"

And the boys left, leaving an awfully confused Pera and Alice alone to their charms work.

"I'm sorry— but what in Merlin's name was that about?" Alice asked after a painful minute of silence between the pair of them, throwing her quill down onto her textbook.

"I don't— I don't know" Perenelle answered, her face blank as she fought the nauseous feeling rising up her throat, "I mean, I haven't even spoken to them in—"

"—Hey Pera, listen we need to talk abo— oh, hey there Fortescue" Marceline had practically appeared out of thin air at the table, tugging on Pera's arm, before noticing Alice's presence.

"Hiya Avery" Alice smiled, before looking between the two Slytherin's, "Is something wrong?" 

Marceline didn't say anything, which only made Pera's panic worsen, "Is it Vaud? Reg? Did something happen?"

"No... it's... listen I don't think we should do this here— I'm sorry Fortescue but we really need to go—"

"—No." Perenelle spit out, looking over at Alice who had a look of surprise etched across her face, "Alice can come, really— we're, uhm, we're mates, I trust her" leaving her mouth, too anxious to drive her newfound friend away. It was her first time making her own friend in years after all.

The three girls got up to leave, Alice and Perenelle gathering their things— and promptly exited the library, Marcie ushering them into the girls lavatory down the hall.

"Marcie you're scaring me" Perenelle breathed, her chest heaving ever so slightly as she took in the look on her best friends face— whatever it was, Marcie looked as though spitting it out was the absolute last thing she wanted to do, her eyes raking anxiously between Alice and Perenelle.

Alice sat up on the ledge of the sink, crossing her arms, "Everyone's okay though... no one is hurt, right?"

"Not yet" Marcie replied, a nervous laughter escaping her mouth as she braced herself, Perenelle pacing the room in dread inducing anticipation.

"Okay" Marcie began, causing Perenelle to freeze on the spot,

"So you remember how you felt everyone was looking at you funny? Right? And how it was driving you absolutely bloody mad! So I" She pointed at herself for emphasis, "Being the wiz best friend I am decided to do some digging... and I managed to get it out of a Slytherin fourth year— who I will not name for their own personally safety, that... well..."

Marceline paused, cocking her head and closing her eyes,

"So basically— when you and your family decided to battle it out in front of half of the school, and Sirius made that remark about you having clothes on this time, that led to a really unfortunate— and I mean really unfortunate rumour making its way around school" Marcie paused, to grab Perenelle's shoulders, the dark haired girl too frozen by nerves to say anything,

"But Pera please and I mean please do not freak out"

"Avery I think you better just spit it out" Alice interjected, gripping the edge of the sink until her knuckles went white.

"Alright so since your family has— ahem a history of... how do I say this" She paused, "Family relations... if you catch my drift, basically half the school is convinced that... YouandSiriusareshagging!"

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hahaha I felt like evilly ending it here.

-jess <3