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second year,
regulus black
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Aimee hadn't heard the last from her mother, for the last seven days straight, Mrs Burke had been strictly warning her daughter of her changing behaviour. While she nodded along and agreed, she hardly changed, the only problem was Elizabeth didn't know her daughter, and couldn't recognise that she was just being herself.

As the time came for her to return to Hogwarts, she couldn't be more thankful. Even if she was going to be accompanied by her cousins which she despised, Dahlia was fine. However, Amycus and Alecto were a different story, they were everything, Aimee didn't want to be associated with. Blood prejudice at its finest. Just like many Carrows before them, taking after their father, Theophilus.

She looked around, not wanting to be seen by any of her friends, at least not while Amycus and Alecto were there. She did see Regulus who approached her, she cursed herself knowing that he would like to sit with her on the train. Aimee saw Evan coming from the otherside, 'oh not now,' she thought.

"Burke good to see you, excited for a new year? Do you want to sit with us on the train?" Evan asked, gesturing to him and Severus,

"I'd love to, but I have my little cousins with me, Evan Rosier meet, Amycus, Alecto and Dahlia Carrow," she said, gesturing to each of her cousins.

"Rosier? I didn't know you had it in you to be friends with this pathetic excuse of a Pureblood-

"Why you little shi-

"Ah ah, auntie Elizabeth is watching," Amycus waved his finger in her face, she clenched her fist.

"Pathetic excuse? Your cousin is one of my favourite people in the school," Evan said winking at her

"Once you're on the train, auntie Elizabeth won't be there to help you," she said smiling at him, "Now move it," she ordered Amycus and Alecto to board the train.

Once they were on the train, Amycus and Alecto, talked with Regulus who had boarded the train with them. Dahlia sat next to Aimee, Regulus talked to her cousin Amycus, much to her dismay. It wasn't her place to tell her cousins or Regulus who they could and couldn't talk to, she just couldn't wait till they were back at Hogwarts, back to hanging out with Sirius.

For Aimee, a new year at Hogwarts began the second the students stepped off the Hogwarts express, Dahlia hugged her as she was heading for the boats across the black lake. She, however, being a second-year student, climbed aboard carriages that were pulled by themselves, she questioned what spell was used to pull the carriages.

She joined a carriage with Alice, Lily, Dorcas, Mary and Marlene. Emmeline didn't join them she went with the boys mainly Remus. Though the humorous company of James Potter and Sirius Black, made up for ditching the girls, plus she got to keep Peter company, ease his nerves about the new year.

She joined Evan and Severus, at the Slytherin table back in her Slytherin robes. McGonagall walked up the Great Hall, to greet the new first-year students, she smiled as Dahlia and Regulus walked down the Great Hall. Aimee glanced over at Sirius, who watched his little brother smile brightly as he looked around the Great Hall.

"Hector Fawley," McGonagall called, the shy boy walked up to the sorting hat. Which roared "HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Amycus Carrow," the hat barely touched his head before screaming "SLYTHERIN!"

"Alecto Carrow," same as her brother she too was placed in Slytherin House.

"Dahlia Carrow," Aimee watched her, the hat sat on Dahlia's head for a while, the hat roared "RAVENCLAW!"

Dahlia stood from the stool, shyly walking over to the Ravenclaw table, Aimee hoped that she would have been in Slytherin with her. Alecto and Amycus looked at Dahlia bearing a disdainful look across their faces. A Carrow in Ravenclaw that never happens. The next boy Jack Parker was sorted into Ravenclaw

"Regulus Black," Aimee and Sirius both had their eyes glued on him, watching him as he sat upon the stool. A small part of Sirius hoped he would be in Gryffindor with him. But he knew the odds were against him.

"SLYTHERIN!" the hat roared,

Regulus seemingly expecting it, hurried to the Slytherin table sitting just a few seats down from Aimee. He was greeted by two boys who referred to themselves by the surnames, Avery and Mulciber. Aimee's cousins didn't waste their time before introducing themselves to a member of the House of Black.

She smiled at Regulus, she glanced over at Sirius he appeared to be defeated, two brothers separated by a rival house. Walburga and Orion would for sure be proud of Regulus for being in Slytherin, even if they did give Sirius a lot of grief the year before.

As the Slytherin's made their way to their common room, Aimee don't know what came over her, she had an urge to look out for Regulus. She had her older brothers looking out for her, she believed Sirius wanted to do the same for his little brother, she made a vow with herself to be there for Regulus should he ever fall into a bad crowd.

"Hey kid, what do you think?" she turned, smiling as she wrapped her arms around Danny.

"Less furry," she said, refraining from laughing.

"Har, har, I meant about Dahlia,"

"I think it's great, I know uncle Ral will be fine," she said confident in her uncle, "I just worry Amycus going to be a dick to her"

"We'll look after her too, you think he'll try something, knowing we're here," Daniel reassured her

"Yes, he's getting worse as he gets older, I swear there's something off with the both of them-

"Bad genetics," Theo coughed,

"Yeah, I'd rather be a Burke than Carrow any day," Jacob spoke, the Burke sibling nodded agreeing with him.

The next morning, Aimee was woken by the loud clash of curses hitting each other, Amycus and Alecto were here for one day and they were already causing problems. Thankfully Theo put a stop to their antics, she left for her first class, she saw Regulus in his Slytherin robes. He was looking through his timetable

"Hey Reg, where are you first?" she asked, he looked down his timetable.

"Potions with Professor Slughorn," he told her,

"Oh that's just next door, you'll like him, he's a good Potions master," she told him, Regulus smiled at her "I have Transfiguration first, I'll see you later," she winked at him.

She left her common room, heading for her first class of the year, she was hoping to get a head start on transfigurations hopefully having time to focus on more time-consuming studying. Before she reached the corridor, she was pulled around the corner. She yanked her arm away preparing to punch them, she relaxed her fist when she saw Sirius standing next to her, he smirked at her.

"Jumpy aren't you?"

"You have no idea," she told him

"How's he doing?" Sirius asked, she wanted to say he was fine but she knew he wasn't

"He was a little disappointed," causing him to crease his brows

"Disappointed?" he questioned

"Yeah, I think he secretly wanted to be with you," Sirius' lips curled up into a small smile.

"I don't want to lose him, Aimee," he admitted

"You won't," she paused "cause I won't let you," she said,

"You and Regulus need each other, it destroy me when I lost my brothers, I wouldn't want that to happen to you two," she explained, he wrapped his arms around her hugging her tightly. She smiled but she felt uneased when their hug was longer than a normal hug.

"Erm, Sirius," she said

"Yeah," he said, still holding her.

"We need to get to class,"

"Oh yeah, right," he realised he had been hugging her too long and moved away from her taking a few steps back.

Aimee and Sirius walked to their class, though he awkwardly avoid sitting with her choosing to sit next to Peter, she sat at the furthest point away from Sirius, sitting next to Mary. The Transfiguration class seemed to drag so long, he avoided looking in her direction throughout the class.

Sirius honestly didn't know why he held Aimee for so long, he felt comforted by her words and reassured that he and Regulus would remain strongly bonded as brothers.