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fandomsaremylifesposts · 3 years

Note

imagine shelby sister dating someone the boys are actually scared of (in a good way) like tommy meets him & gets flustered and nervous

a little alfie solomons x reader oneshot i completely forgot to post :)

Bad Men

"Don't provoke him, remember." You chide to your boyfriend as he takes your hand to help you out of his car. You watch with an eyebrow quirked in question at his parted lips and hand over his heart. "Me?" He gasps, his voice an exaggerated tease, "Provoke someone? I would never."

You roll your eyes with a gentle shake of your head. "Of course you wouldn't , or you'll be talking to only your reflection for the next month while I enjoy hot pastries for breakfast in my old bedroom. Understood?"

"Understood, ma'am. Sorry."

You nod your head at him, a gentle smile parting your lips enough for a small giggle to slip past them. It wasn't often you used a firm or even nearly stern tone with anyone, but Polly Gray taught you just how and you'd be dammed if you didn't put it to good use when it was most needed.

Today was probably the best day for a stern warning tone.

Tommy, Arthur and John had been victim to that same tone just a day earlier when you gave them a speech with more warnings laced in than Tommy's no-fucking-fighting wedding speech to the family in his bustling kitchen.

You shoved open the large wooden doors the second you reached them. "Thomas!"

"Fuckin' gypsies." You hear faintly from behind you, muttered quietly under his breath in a tone akin to exasperation already, despite none of your family yet showing their faces. It was not enough to prompt you to say anything. You knew you'd have to pick your battles.

Despite the kind of attitude and reputation Tommy Shelby wants to give off to the man you had brought home to tell them he was in fact probably your one, he can do nothing to upkeep that reputation of stone-cold man with a rock hard heart when his little sister launches at him. Your arms wrap around him tightly and Tommy didn't even think before his arms wrapped back around you. It was a natural instinct. "(y/n)," he greets, "Lovely to have you back, sister."

He pulls back and scans over your face with those blue eyes, filled with adoration and care for his favourite person. He seems to be giving you a once over, making sure you have no physical injuries or anything but happiness in your pretty eyes and only when grace appears next to him does he let go of your biceps to allow you to fully step back.

There's a couch from beside you and immediately you flush slightly.

"Nice to see me too, mate?"

"Absolutely no-"

"Always, Alfie." Grace cuts in, stepping forward to shake his hand. You don't miss the subtle jab of her elbow into Tommy's ribcage in the process, and the look you shoot her suggests the thanks you opt not to put into words. "Everyone is in the dining room, shall we go through?" She asks kindly, offering you a warm smile and a side eyed look. The kind of look you had developed between your sister-in-law that said the words you both couldn't say in the presence of Alfie Solomons and Tommy Shelby staring each other down.

"Yes," you say, hand linking through Alfie's to snap his attention away from the brother of yours that he was having some kind of fucking testosterone induced staring competition with.

As Grace and Tommy lead off in the direction of the dining room, you hear her mutter a very stern; "Behave, Thomas." As quietly as she could muster through gritted teeth. By the cheeky grin that you see on Alfie's face from the corner of your eye, you can tell that he heard the warning too and appeared very chuffed hearing the gangster get a scolding from his wife just like he often got from you.

"You'll shake that man's hand Arthur or I'll bloody break yours. This is your sister, bloody behave."

Polly's snap could be heard outside the door just as you arrive at it before walking into the dining room and Alfie does visibly have to stifle a snigger as a blush rises to your cheeks. Tommy pushes open the door and clears his throat to alert the family to their presence, effectively making them all snap out of their squabbling states to stand upright with very false smiles plastered on each Shelby face. It seems that the only smile in the room that is real belongs to Ada. Polly is too frustrated with hew nephews to be as genuine as she might otherwise have been.

The poor woman has heard nothing but Alfie this and Alfie that from those boys for the past two weeks since you arranged this family dinner. Tommy didn't quite complain, but he had been brooding around like someone had stolen his last cigarette for the entire duration and he's been working at double-time trying to get his affairs in order to prepare for a Solomons-Shelby union and all the shit that'll come along with it in terms of backlash. He claimed it would paint a huge target the conjoined families because it would be seen as a declaration of allegiance. Polly couldn't have cared less about the business side, she was elated to see you happy and in love, ready to get married to a man who treated you like the queen she taught you that you were.

As if Tommy wasn't bad enough in his overworking and sour face, Arthur more than made up for his younger brothers silence in the amount that he had spoken about his strong, long lasting dislike for the Camden Town gangster you had fallen in love with. He actively despised Alfie and he made sure that fact was known to anyone with ears in a ten mile radius of him at all times.

John was really just as bad, except he was just fixated on the idea that his sister deserved far better than anything Alfie could give you.

"Won't you let your sister decide that for herself, John" She'd said probably a million times, but the man would just scoff in something of utter disbelief and shale his head. "Don't have to Pol, he isn't worth the shit on my sisters old shoes."

John always did know just how to make his aunt roll her eyes in irritation.

Young Finn wasn't so bad. He was just a bit of a menace in general really. Getting him to straighten his tie, sober up and behave for the dinner was the most laborious trouble he had given her in relation to the engagement. Of course your only younger brother adored you with his whole heart and he - like your other brothers - would never deem anyone worthy of you, but he also knew that you would kick him up and down the length of Watery Lane if he gave you any lip, so he kept his tongue bitten and all his distain between him and John.

"Well look at you!" The youngest hears, his ears immediately turning slightly pink with embarrassment as you beam at him. "Haven't you gotten tall, Finnie, you're so grown-"

You immediately turn around to shoot a scowl at a sniggering John and your middle brother raises his closed fist to cover his mouth, attempting to pass his laughter off as a sudden cough that prompts Polly to pinch the bridge of her nose with a "God help this fucking family." muttered under her breath with Arthur evil eying Alfie across the room.

There's hugs all round shortly after, with John squeezing you tightly during his hug and Arthur whispering in your ear that he can still get you out of the marriage, to which you punch him in response. Michael hugged you like a normal human might, but still often cast glances to your fiancé that were nothing short of untrusting, as if he were trying to figure out if there was something more going on. As if you were being used. But you were nothing if not incredibly bright and were nowhere near stupid enough to fall into a gang trap. Your whole life had prepared you to evade things like that.

Your grandfather was something of gang royalty in his time when you were little. You don't actually remember a great deal about him, truly, but you do have some very vague memories of the kind of person that he was. Although, there is a definitively more vivid memory of the person that your father was. He was anything but nice and his hands were never ones of gentility like some other parents you had witnessed.

He made you run money through the streets as a little kid with no ability to defend yourself from men who knew what you carried and who you carried it for. The only defence you had was being a Shelby. It was a beating from those men, the ones who had been done over by your father or hated your late grandfather or it was holding onto that money and taking a beating from workers who thought they could take easily from a child.

Or it was hand that money over and feel your fathers wrath.

Or rather, watch Tommy feel it for you.

The man, even as a boy, did not stand for harm coming to you. He stood in front of you, he fought back, he fought his fists bloody against anyone who posed you any harm and your own parent would be no different. It held no bearing to him, he would sooner feel those bruises etching their way across his body that see them scatter your smaller body. He would sooner lay down his life than see you even acquire a scratch.

Alfie wished your dad hadn't fucked off to America so that he could kill him personally. When he heard those stories, the ones spoken in the late night darkness with words slightly slurred by the nature of your half sleeping self. The tales of a man who sent his child, his sweet, funny, kind little girl through the streets with bags of bookie money because her mother killed herself to evade his temper.

You never did tell him what Tommy did for you back then. That felt like it was something sacred, something between the two of you and your late mother. Polly knew, but she never made it known to you that she knew. It was something that was held in the air of love between you and your brother. It was both weightless and an unimaginable kind of heavy that you would both carry for as long as you should live.

Maybe that's why he still feels his duty is to protect you from every real, possible and imagined harm that could come to you either physically or emotionally. It was part of him, part of the man he was before the war took so much from him.

He was Tom, your Tom who protected you from everything he could no matter the harm it brought to him. That's part of the identity he clings to when nights are long and dark and he can't bring himself to sleep through them even with the peaceful breathing of his wife and son by his side. He clings to the man everybody knew was good. He clings to a man with manageable turmoil when self-destruct wasn't his first initiative when things started to go slightly lopsided.

If Alfie could have known, maybe he would have understood a lot more your devotion to the brother who appeared to the outside eye completely untethered. Who seemed like he washout for only himself. You saw so far past that, understood him far more than that. To some degree, Alfie did understand the man he was. He understood succumbing to the violence inside, quelling the good man because the war showed the extent of the evil that man can do. Those battlefield wastelands, men who never would've blinked an eye at home ripped apart and cowering shaking like leafs as artillery shells decimated the land around them. Alfie and Tommy came home similar men. It's why Tommy hadn't killed him the second he discovered the Londoner had taken an interest in you. It's why he didn't kill him when he betrayed him two years ago. Tommy and Alfie had a respect for each other rooted in their similar presentations of the broken men that they were.

Despite this, Tommy did not like the broken man finding his solace in his sweet, soul saving, all loving, ball busting little sister with a heart stopping smile. You were a Shelby through and through. The Shelby temperament, the Shelby attitude and the surefire Shelby confidence. But, with the sprinkle of your adored mother. A heart of pure gold. Truly brilliant. Tommy's brains, they said, and Polly's powerhouse influence running through your veins.

Take no shit seemed to be the Shelby mantra for each and every member of that family.

"Well that wen't almost shockingly well." You announce, a breath of pure relief leaving you as Alfie leaves the en-suite bathroom as you sit under the duvet of the huge queen sized bed in the room in Tommy and Grace's country house that you lived in for a short while and were staying the night in. It was almost comical how huge the house was, so much so that the entire family was staying, dotted in rooms around the expanse of the mansion with private bathrooms, a fully equipped nursery for the babies and maids round the clock. It was comical because you used to share a bed with Ada and John as a child in a house nowhere near big enough. Sandwiched between your two elder siblings until Arthur managed to build a second single bed to squeeze into the small room so John could have his own while you shared with Ada with the anticipation Finn would share with John when he was out of his crib that was in the room Tommy and Arthur shared.

You actually didn't have your own bed until you were 12, when 16 year old John got Martha pregnant for the first and they scrounged together some money to get their own house across the road.

"Shockingly well?" Alfie repeats, arms crossed over his loose white night shirt, eyebrows raised in question. "With all due respect love, there was many death threats, right? We was at the same dinner yeah?" His pauses, looking at you expectantly with narrowed eyes but a twitch in the corners of his mouth that told you he was fighting back a smile beneath his moustache. You stand from the bed and shuffle softly towards him.

"Well nobodies dead and the only blood spilled was when Finn bit his tongue during the main course....twice. In his defence, brought up would be an incredibly generous way to describe his upbringing. Dragged up maybe...roughly. Though-"

"The point, Darlin'" Alfie cuts in, his eyes crinkled with your rambling. Love shines in his eyes, watching you gesture with your hands, words basically just fumbling out your mouth.

You giggle softly. "You're still here, everyones still alive. Both are a record." You hum, lifting your hands to gentle place your plans on his chest and lean in to press a soft kiss against his lips, chin tickled by his beard as the kiss splits to a smile. "And they might not ever say it, but you're part of the family now Alf. You braved the Shelby storm."

Alfie chuckles at that, his eyes twinkling.

"I'll never understand how the fuck something so utterly perfect, fuckin' beautiful came from that fuckin' lot. You're a mystery, Shelby." His words are spoken with a shaking head, but his eyes never leave your face as his rough hands cup your smooth cheeks with his thumbs smoothing circles under your eyes.

"I'm sure you'll understand it some day, Alf." You hum quietly in response, "But let's get to bed. I love those boys but my God they'll exhaust a statue to sleep."

It didn't matter how tired an evening with the Shelby's had made Alfie Solomons, he still couldn't shut his mind off long enough to fall asleep. He was riddled with thoughts. He wasn't the type to lie awake in thought much these days. Some days when business was particularly tricky, he may lay there and think strategy and in his days before you were tangled up by his side fast asleep he might've lay there in thought that he didn't even recall or recognise until he eventually fell asleep.

Not like he is tonight, though.

Tonight he lays and thinks about the woman who sleeps next to him. Should he get anywhere near any entity that exists in his afterlife should there be one, he has only a few questions he wants to ask. he isn't a man of many questions generally, so his death shouldn't be much different. But for all of his brain, all of his thought and all of his might he truly cannot answer some questions by himself.

Why him? Of all those you could choose and he knows better than anyone there's been a long line of people waiting to take your hand. be that for legitimate, liking you reasons or just because they want to get in on some Shelby money or merge business with the Shelby boys, there were many people hoping for your hand in marriage.

He finds himself pondering your words.

"You're alive and you're still here. Both are a record."

He had a brief idea of what that meant. He would be stupid to imagine that he was the first and only ever person that you had brought home to the family. You were a gorgeous woman of class, elegance and you were incredibly smart despite the lack of education. You were desirable. You had the elegant lady in the streets with the throwing caution to the wind bareback horse riding, gun carrying freak in the sheets sort of thing going for you.

So again, Alfie would be stupid to imagine he's the only man who's ever been caught breathless and gawping in the shadow of your brilliance.

In fairness, the idea that some don't make it from the Shelby household alive when searching for your hand sits comfortably believable in Alfie's mind. It's not a far cry from the Shelby brothers he knows. Polly is also deathly protective in a more subtle way that even you don't quite realise. Ada too, despite being only two years your senior, you were very much her baby sister. The only sister she had and her very, very best friend in this world. Born best friends, you always said.

Thus the concept of men, or rather boys, being chased off of Tommy Shelby's doorstep was also one that didn't even begin to phase him. In fact, he had heard stories. He'd seen it happen with Blinders thinking they might have a shot despite barely knowing you.

Rumour has it, one young lad you brought to dinner years ago staggered out of the house with a knife in his knee. Kindly put there "For safekeeping." By John not eight minutes after you had introduced the boyfriend to the family.

But it wasn't either of things that made it hard for him to find respite from conciseness.

It was how fine you seemed with it.

How you just accepted that this way your life. You're strong, resilient and one hell of an independent woman and yet you resign yourself to being perfectly happy to be protected by your brothers. You quite literally let Tommy away with murder and you are probably to this day one of the only people in the world that he listens to. It just doesn't make much in the way of sense to Alfie Solomons.

Of course he understood why Tommy loved you. You were notably incredibly loveable to just about everyone who wasn't in your family. It had taken mere moments for Alfie to fall in love with you. But the way that Tommy loved you was unparalleled. It had been clear from the first moment he seen the two of you together.

Tommy talked to you differently. He looked at you differently. Even the interaction that afternoon when you barrelled into him and encapsulated him in a hug that made him look far less threatening than he was attempting to appear. Tommy still didn't hesitate to hug you back.

But why, he didn't know. Of course it is undeniably expected that siblings will love each other and it is also widely known that the Shelby's are detrimentally co-dependant, but Tommy looked to you far more like you were his daughter than you were his sister.

With a lot of thinking, Alfie had deciphered that Tommy was 10 when you were born. And sure, even as a boy Tommy had to take on a great deal more responsibility than the average child might have had to even at that time when a great deal was expected of children at that age. Alfie couldn't quite wrap his head around that paternal relationship.

His head hurt from all the thinking and maybe from spending so much time listening to John and Arthur over dinner. The mixture of both made his temples throb uncomfortably.

He spent a few moments making sure you were sleeping heavily enough for him to move and then he did. He tiredly tugged on some trousers and shoes before he headed down the stairs. Alfie needed the fresh air and a smoke. He probably needed a drink too, but he didn't quite fancy the price that nicking from Tommy Shelby's alcohol collection was cost him.

"Better not be leaving my sister while she sleeps, Solomons."

The cooling winter air had only been soothing Alfie for mere seconds before he heard the voice behind him that cut short his relaxation as soon as it fell upon his ears. Alfie rolls his eyes.

"You'd like that Tommy yeah?"

Tommy steps out from his home, no longer standing behind Alfie but instead appearing beside him still in the same clothes as he wore at dinner with a cigarette lit between his lips.

"No."

That one surprises Alfie, and he's not one to be surprised often. He turns his head to look at the Shelby beside him, eyes narrowed in thought. It was often useless trying to read Thomas, few people were ever able to get anywhere accurate with it. The only person who seemed to know him well, know each facial expression, each movements, each emotionless word, was you. Another thing that Alfie just could not understand about this fucking family he was soon to become part of.

"My sister loves you." He states, eyes still staring on ahead. Alfie isn't sure why Tommy seems so far off despite being right next to him, staring out into the fields. "Yeah, that she does mate." Alfie boasts, his fluttering heart hidden by layers of armour and a determination not to show even a smidge of softness anywhere near Tommy Shelby. The man is like a predatory animal, he smells weakness and he hones in on it when he needs it.

Tommy shoots Alfie a warning scowl to shut him up.

"My sister loves you and despite all reasonable considerations, she's chosen you. Now, it must be known that I do not like you. At all. But all the fucking dislike that I have for you is outweighed by the simple fact that...well, I love my sister." Tommy explains, puffing smoke out of his mouth and turning his full body to face Alfie now. His eyes are afire with an emotion that can' be placed. Like there's a million words he wants to say but he just can't find a way to get them out.

"Who gave her that scar, Tommy?"

Alfie's question seems to freeze the raven haired gangster. His eye's mist with anger. Alfie knows that Tommy is very familiar with the mark he is referring to. It was deep, engraved over your left side collarbone. You weren't ashamed of it, didn't try to hide it even but you would never talk about it. Alfie only asked once and you gave him no answer, just starting talking about something else.

He found that reason enough to never ask again. The look in your eyes when he did was like that of a frightened deer. Or even a frightened child, reverted back to the person you were when it was given to you.

A helpless, scared little girl.

Alfie wanted to kill whoever had did it to you. He didn't of course know who it was, but it seemed to old to be from an enemy of the post-war refurbished Peaky Blinders and as far as Alfie's knowledge goes, Tommy had never even allowed one of his enemies to come close to harming you. So he had his ideas. The only one that really made sense was your father. He knew that man was anything but good. A violent man with a drinking problem and a lot of anger. It wasn't the kind of injury that a child gets from falling over, from a playground squabble. That was inflicted. Those jagged edges were dragged into existence by someone with a strong hand and its uneven nature suggests it wasn't surgical, you had thrashed in pain upon its infliction.

"My father was a bad man, Alfie." Tommy says firmly, turning away.

"We're all bad men, innit Tommy." Alfie responds with a shrug. He knew that's not the kind of bad man Tommy meant, but it was the best way to get the story out of him.

"Not the kind of men who beat their children."

He knew it.

"But I suppose you already guessed?"

Alfie hums in response.

"She was 9 when he left. 19 when he came back, thought he could charm his way back. it's been twenty years since he gave her that scar and the memory is fresher than the meal we shared three hours ago." The way that Tommy's voice trembles with rage in his words, shaking with depth of emotion entwined with such a memory. "She was 9 when he gave that scar to her." He finalises.

"I'll never forget the screams, Alfie. I was walking home, just down the path and I heard the most horrendous sound you could imagine. I'd rather spend the rest of my life at the Somme than hear that noise for another second. It's-" Tommy pauses, heaving a sigh from his parted lips that clouds into a puff of smoke above his head. "I vowed I would protect her with my life, from everything. I'd have killed my father for her. Then you stroll in with your stupid fucking cane and you bring all this danger with you. I could kill you now, keep her safe and say you fucked off in the middle of the night. But I can't. I can't because she fucking loves you."

Alfie moves his from Tommy to stare off into the wide open space at the front of the house. Both men exist there in silence possible for the first ever time in their relationship. Alfie wasn't shocked by your brothers words, it was fairly obvious that Tommy would kill him if it ever came down to it, he'd done far worse. Alfie had, for as long as he had known you, been utterly confused by the nature of your pure adoration for your elder brother. It didn't make much sense in his mind, failing to see how someone so pure as you could have so much love for a man with so blunt in his emotions and cruel in his ways. Granted, Alfie was similar. But he definitely had more to display when it came to direct affection with you.

Something had clicked in his mind now though, looking at Thomas Shelby. Looking at him with his jaw clenched, eyes staring forward with anger and hurt swimming around in those steely blues.

It made sense now, really.

"I love her, Alfie." Tommy says, his voice laden with emotions as he wills it not to shake when he turns so he is facing Alfie, searching to meet his eyes. "And happy is all I have ever wanted for her. Do I hate that it's you? Yes, more than anything, yes." He continues. Any other time, Alfie might've made a dig back at him. But any words he could speak are lost on him.

Tommy takes a step closer, "And if you ever do anything to hurt her or put her in harms way, I will find you and I will kill you."

His words are spoken with such a chilling truthfulness that Alfie doesn't doubt it for a single solitary second, really. He knows for a fact Tommy Shelby's words are stone cold truth. A cold chill makes its way down Alfie's back. All he can really do if offer a slow nod and a thick swallow. Tommy steps back at that.

"Then welcome to the family, Solomons."

Alfie would swear that in those moments with Tommy's chilling blue eyes burning a hole in him, that he saw you in there. You had the same kind of eyes, same depth of emotion in there. He swore he could see it now, like a fog had lifted above his head.

Those stories you told suddenly made sense in his mind; the ones with the man who taught you how to ride a bike and always had you at his side. The one who wrote you letters, scared monsters from your closet and always gave you extra food from his plate even when it was hellishly scarce in the Shelby household. Alfie could see that Tommy now. The one who does love silently, wordlessly. The one who's love for you is in his actions, in his work, in him through and through. It exists as an entity of its own, rising above what could be seen by the naked eye. It's in how he protects you without you ever knowing, how he talks about you when you aren't there and would defend your name into the ground had he ever come across someone who dared to test him. In understand that, it became possible for Alfie to further understand you.

He couldn't understand how a violent, volatile family had churned out the kindest, sweetest and most beautiful woman he had ever been lucky enough to lay his eyes on, but it dawned on him that Tommy, to you, was not the Tommy most everybody else knew.

To you, he was loving, he was kind and always giving when he had nothing left to give. You grew up with someone who gave you so much love that you didn't have to be stone cold like he was. He created an environment where you could be you as freely as you wanted to be without fear of consequences because your Tommy was at your back to keep you safe from any harm that may come your way.

Suppose Alfie had Tommy Shelby to thank for the pure and unadulterated amount of joy and love that you now brought into his life. He had been gifted one of the most precious things a man could ever have.

And he certainly knows that, embraces it even as he tries to climb into bed without waking you up. You only stir softly, a tired sigh leaving your lips as you instinctually curl up into his body. He doesn't find sleep easily that night, his mind riddles with thoughts of you. Mostly of his future with you, children that hopefully look just like you who he can parent just like Tommy did, giving his children the ability to grow into the people they deserve to be no matter what the home circumstance is.

You were a lot of things, Alfie realised, and as much as he had been trying to drill it out of you; you were a Shelby first and foremostly.

And for the first time since he met you, he didn't intent to change that at all.

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fandomsaremylifesposts · 3 years

Text

His Angel (Regulus Black)

Character: Regulus Black Requested: No Type: Angst/Fluff

Summary: Regulus is engaged to a fellow pure-blood Slytherin; the only people who know are other Slytherins. One day the Marauders think it would be funny to mess with his fiancee. They soon regret it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The environment was warm though everywhere she looked, it was dark. Astoria did very much enjoy going over to the Black's Manor. Walburga and Orion both approved of the young Slytherin and treated her as their own. Of course, if she were any other blood status, she wouldn't have been accepted.

But thankfully, that wasn't the case.

Astoria comes from a long line of rich and powerful pure-blood Slytherins. The Vadieux. Besides the Gaunts and Blacks, the Vadieux was wizarding royalty. Everyone worshipped the ground they walked on, especially the oldest Vadieux daughter--Astoria.

She was beautiful. Her charcoal shoulder length curled hair brought out her porcelain skin and bright green eyes. She was breathtaking. Every girl wanted to be her, and every guy wanted to be with her.

Guys from every house tried to win the fifth year Slytherin, but no luck. From first years to seventh years from Hufflepuff to even Gryffindor, all the bachelors tried, and every time, she shut them down.

There was only one boy she would ever accept, and it was her best friend.

"Your father has been asking for your presence at the dining hall. I took the pleasure to be the one to call for you." Speaking of the devil and he shall appear.

Astoria looked up from the book she's been staring at for the last few minutes. She couldn't help but smile at the young boy at her door, "Regulus, I didn't know you arrived. Salazar, my parents, will murder me."

Regulus chuckled at the distressed girl putting on her heels and patting down her dress. She then looked up at Regulus and twirled, "How do I look?"

His eyes gleamed at the beautiful girl in front of him. Since they were little, they used to always hang out. They were each other's best friends.

They went through thick and thin together. He adores her. She was the one who was there after Sirius left. She listened to his cries, wiped his tears, and made his days better.

She was his angel.

Her black dress hugged her curves in the best way. Her curly hair was bouncing around while her bright green eyes sparkled through the dim lights. She looks beautiful.

"You look like an angel. My angel." She looked up at him smiling brightly. His words made her heart flutter. She then hugged him real tight. His arms instantly went around hers tightly. They both sighed in content.

Sadly knowing their parents were both waiting downstairs, he reluctantly pulled back, "Not that I don't enjoy having you in my arms, angel, but our parents will probably have our heads if we don't go down in this instant."

She nodded, knowing it was true. She then pecked his cheek, "By the way, you look very dashing. Who knew the noble Regulus Black could clean up so well?"

He jokingly rolled his eyes and held his arm out for her to wrap hers around. They both made their way downstairs to see her house-elf Minnie waiting.

"Master was telling Minnie to wait for young Mister Black and Miss Astoria. Everyone is at the dining table. Minnie can accompany you to the dining hall." She then walked quickly towards the dining room. The door opened, and her eyes widen in shock. She thought it would be a small dinner, not one including the families of every Slytherin known to man.

"Regulus, thank you, my boy, for bringing Astoria down. Minnie, you can go and start serving the dinner." Her father's voice boomed throughout the room.

Regulus gave him a charming smile, "Of course, Mr.Vadieux." Then they both took their seat next to their family. Of course, Regulus had to be a bit extra and pull her seat out and push her in, then getting to his seat.

Everyone ate in silence once the house-elves served the food thankfully, Astoria was sat with one of her friends from Hogwarts and was chatting until her father cleared his throat, making everyone look up at him.

"I'm sure plenty of you are confused on why we called for a short noticed dinner for everyone. My wife and I were too excited to keep the secret for much longer. Orion, my friend, would you like to do the honors?" She could see her father gleaming from ear to ear. She looked at Regulus, giving him a confused look, only for him to quickly look to the ground.

"Well, I'm proud to announce that there will be a new union." Whispers broke out. Everyone except for the Blacks and her parents looked confused. "The union of my son, Regulus Arcturus Black, and the lovely Astoria Nova Vadieux." Every pure-blood family claps loudly. Astoria's eyes widened at her name. She blinked a few times trying to assimilate what she just heard.

She was just fifteen. She couldn't already be betrothed. She knew it was coming, but she didn't think it was going to happen that soon. Albeit it could have been someone much older and much worst.

She tried to get Regulus's attention but it seemed as if he was trying to avoid it. Did he already know beforehand about the union? No he couldn't have, Regulus would've told her.

She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, it was her future father-in-law.

"My dear Walburga and I always thought of you as a Black and now you finally will be. Isn't this magnificent?" He boasted causing everyone to murmur in agreement.

"Of course Mr. Black, may I just ask...uh-when will the wedding take place?" The murmurs stopped.

"Well since you become of age around October of your seventh-year, you will get married during Christmas break of that year. Would that be a problem?" She knew that question was moreso to see if she was eager to get married.

Though she didn't like the idea of it she nodded faking a smile, "Of course Mr.Black. I was just wondering since that year would be NEWTS and I would love to plan my wedding."

He seemed to buy it and gave her a smile as Walburga pulled her into a hug. Everyone congratulated her and after a couple of hours it was only her family and the Blacks.

She hasn't spoken to Regulus since the moment they entered the dining hall. It seemed like he was avoiding her until he finally got the courage to grab her hand and drag her outside of the dining hall as their families were talking.

They entered the library that was next to their parents and sat down next to each other. Astoria didn't know how to start it but she did have questions she needed answers.

She looked up at him and muttered, "Did you know?" He stared at her for what seemed like forever until he nodded slowly looking back down to his feet. She could feel the anger coursing through her body. "And why did you not tell me of it? Did you think it was not important enough to tell your best friend that she will be your future wife at the tender age of seventeen?!

He grabbed her hand lightly making her shut up, "I did not want to scare you. I know that you were dreading the person that your parents were going to pick and I did not want you to think any less of me.

She gave him a look, "Did you really think I would think less of you? It is an arranged marriage! Neither of us has a choice in this. If you think I would have been mad at you because you are my betrothed then you do not know me at all." She poked him in the chest. "I am only mad that you knew of this information and did not utter a single word to me. How long have you known?"

"A couple months now." She hit his arm in annoyance.

"How dare you Regulus Arcturus Black? How dare you keep this a secret from me for this long? You've seen me weep for my life because I thought my parents were going to give me Lucius and you knew it was you this whole time?" She hit him again in the arm. When she went to do it again he grasped her wrist hard enough to stop her from hitting him, but softly enough to not bruise her.

"Bloody hell Angel can you stop whacking me for a bloody second and let me explain." Once he felt like she calmed down he let her wrist go. "My parents told me a few months ago. My mother knew we were close so she fought a lot for this union so did our father. Your parents were choosing between Lucius and I. Since your parents saw how close we are they allowed our engagement to happen. Thank Merlin, I don't know what I would've done if you became a Malfoy."

She whacked him again, "Just as bad as being a Black."

He rolled his eyes and then they both sat in a comfortable silence. "Are you okay with this?" She looked up at him confused. He cleared his throat. "Are you okay with marrying me?"

She could tell from his expression that he was nervous for her answer. She could tell that this moment could alter both of their future. Was she okay with it? She knows it could've been so much worst. She just wished she had more time.

"Reg..." She lightly caressed the side of his face. "You know how I feel for you. I bloody adore you and you know that. Of course I'm okay with marrying you. I just wished we had more time and that this..." She waved a hand between the both of them. "...wouldn't be forced."

He lifted her face towards his, "This wasn't forced Angel. Sure the timing is a bit rushed but we both knew we were going to end up with each other. Well at least I knew..."He gave her a sheepish look, "More so I hoped we would."

She quirked an eyebrow, "What are you trying to say?"

He gave her a sigh and went to retrieve something from his pocket. It was green velvet box. Her eyes widened even more when he opened it. It was a beautiful silver ring with diamonds all over the band. Embedded in the center surrounded by diamonds was a huge bright green emerald that screamed Slytherin. It was the most beautiful ring Astoria ever laid her eyes on.

He gently took it out of the box and expected it, "I got this ring a month after I knew of our union. If you can't tell I'm very pleased that you are my fiancee or well soon to be and I'm very happy that you will be my future wife. You are the only person that gives my life meaning. In all of our years of knowing each other you have never left me. You were always there even when I thought I wanted to be alone. You never left me and you do not understand how much that means to me. I'm not very good at expressing my emotions,"

She snorted at his comment making him give her a pointed look. "What I'm trying to say is that I liked you the moment you shared with me your fear of the ocean to make me feel better of my fear of birds. And I fell in love with you the moment you slapped Sirius in the face last year to avenge me. I hoped to Merlin that I would be the one your parents chose. I would not know what I would've done if you were in the hands of Malfoy."

He took a breath and looked up at her. Her beautiful green eyes were overwhelmed with tears. Her heart was soaring. "Astoria Nova Vadieux, the one person my heart has and will only ever beat for, I know this seems rushed, but our connection is so much stronger than friendship and I know you feel the same. I promise you my sweet and pure angel, that I will protect you, stand by you, be there for you, love you until my last dying breath and even then Merlin himself would not be able to stop me from continuing that promise. Astoria, my angel, will you make me the happiest wizard in the whole galaxy and marry me?"

Tears fell from her eyes and she nodded throwing herself at him. Arms secured around each other. She couldn't care less about the ring all she wanted was to be in Regulus' arms for as long as possible. His words made the love she had for him sky rocket. She knew their connection was stronger then just friendship, it was that neither of them had the bravery to say something. They weren't Gryffindors.

Once they pulled back he wiped her tears, "Bloody hell angel how do you still look beautiful when your're crying?" She laughs as he lightly puts the ring on her finger. They both stared at her finger then she felt fingers below her chin. She didn't know they were both leaning towards one another until their nose were touching. "I really want to kiss you." He whispers looking at her lips and then back at her. "May I? May I kiss you?" She nods, but that wasn't the answer he was looking for. "Words Angel. I need to hear you say it. "

"Yes..."She whispered. He gave her a small smile before finally kissing her. Time stopped. It was only them two. Though the engagement did come in a rush it did not stop fireworks that erupted the moment the ringer slid on her finger or the very moment where his lips landed on hers for the first time.

They both pulled away smiling at each other, "Wow."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Astoria was walking down the halls of Hogwarts with her friend Lucinda and her other friend Marney. They decided to have a girls day that Saturday and have a picnic by the Great Lake. Though she was a bit hesitant to go her friends reassured her that they would have their picnic far enough to not scare her, but to enjoy the scenery.

After walking a good distant they placed their blanket down and their snacks out on the ground.

"How's your engagement with Regulus going?" Her friend asked and she smiled.

"It's perfect. I can't believe how much I adore him. He literally is the one person I want to be with for the rest of my life. I'm not going to lie I was a bit scared that when we arrived here that he might be cold towards me since he has a reputation to live by, but he is so sweet. Merlin blessed me with someone as perfect as my Regulus." The girls awed at their blushing friend. They were happy that their youngest friend was happy. They were betting on their relationship for the longest and were happy to know that they were doing splendid.

Unbeknownst to the girls, four boys were watching their every move.

"Guys I don't think this is a good idea." Remus chimes looking at the three smirking boys. "Padfoot you can't actually believe this will end well? She's your brother's fiancee."

Sirius shrugs, "I'm sure it's an arrange marriage and we all know those are loveless. I'm sure he won't mind plus it's just for fun."

"Yeah Moony lighten up. Mates, you ready?" The two other boys nodded as Remus just sat down giving up on stopping them.

"Accio wands." Peter whispered and all of their wands were in his hand in a matter of seconds. He smiled as James patted him on the back.

Fortunely for them, the girls did not realize their wands were missing because they were talking and eating.

"Wormtail go and gather some people and hurry back show starts in five minutes." James calls out making the boy nod and run off.

After a few minutes the boys sees a group of people following Peter. He's running down towards them with his thumbs up.

"Guys I really don't think this is a good ide-"

"Shh Moony. Three...two...one..." James counts down as Remus shakes his head.

Sirius points his wand to the girls and whispers, "Oppugno"

The little flock of birds were speeding like a hail of bullets towards the girls, who just realized that the birds were heading directly at them.

The girls yelped and covered their faces with their hands, but the birds attacked, pecking and clawing at every bit of flesh they could reach.

They were nipping at their robes, their hair, and any skin they could find. The girls were screaming and all they could hear was the laughing of their fellow peers because Peter was smart enough to not tell the Slytherins of their certain plan. Astoria tried to find her wand but she couldn't see it anywhere.

"Luci, where the bloody hell did you put the wands." She screamed grabbing the blanket and whacking some of them off.

"If I bloody knew I would've stopped these birds." Her friend screamed back trying to get the birds off her.

The crowd behind them started laughing really hard at the struggling Slytherins. Though they were the nicest of the bunch they were Slytherins after all.

The birds seemed to have a liking towards Astoria and kept picking harder at her than the other two. She tried to run, but to her luck, she ran closer and closer to the lake until she tripped and fell into the water.

All Astoria felt was panic.

Drowning was her biggest fear. That's how she lost her youngest brother. Her little brother was unattended for a mere second and he made his way to the backyard and fell right in. The only person who saw was Astoria and at the time she was five and tried her best to swim to him, but to no avail. If her mother didn't make it as soon as she did she would've lost both her son and her daughter.

Since then she refused to go anywhere near a big body of water unless people were with her and they stayed a good amount of distance away from it.

She tried to swim, but she couldn't. The selkies weren't making it any easier. She feels sharp pains aimed at her head and pressure on her eyes. Her lungs are on fire. She starts panicking which only makes it worse. Then after a few seconds, she starts feeling tired. And then her eyes closed.

Everyone seemed to not notice that she wasn't coming up from the water until Severus Snape finally heard of the commotion and ran out of the Great Hall with some of his Slytherin friends.

"What's going on here?" He asked a Hufflepuff who was red from laughing.

He pointed towards what he saw was two girls getting attacked by birds, "Sirius cast a spell on those three Slytherins over there."

"Three? I only see two?" That comment made the group stop. Severus took out his wand and casted a spell to stop the birds from attacking the girls. He and the other Slytherins rushed to the two girls who fell from exhaustion on the ground.

The Marauders gave each other a look and ran over to the group.

"Lucinda? Marney? What are you doing here?" Severus asked looking at the girls who had their clothes ripped apart with small wounds caused by the birds.

"W-we wanted to have a girl's day with Astoria so we came here. Then out of nowhere birds came. So many birds." She started crying as Marney nodded and looked traumatized.

Severus' face paled, "Bloody hell if you're here....where is Astoria?" The two girls looked at each other and got up quickly. The girls froze when they saw the blanket they remembered she was using half in the lake. Severus looked at their eyesight and stared at the girls in fear. "Merlin...someone get Mrs. Pomfry now."

"Lucinda go get Regulus." The girl nodded running with the other Slytherins to get help. "What do we do Severus?"

"Do you need any hel-" Remus tried to ask but was ultimately interrupted by Severus glaring at the group.

"Do you really have the audacity to offer help when you caused all of this? Is this fun for you lot? Terrorizing innocent people?" He yelled finally having enough of their bullying ways. Everyone thought they were funny and it were all jokes but today proved it's not.

Marney grabbed onto Severus' arm, "That's not going to solve anything. She's still in there....and Severus I don't see any bubbles." She cried out.

Severus takes his robes and shoes off and jumps into the lake after taking a deep breath. Marney gasps and starts to follow suit but was stopped when James grabs a hold of her.

"I swear to Salazar I hope they expel each and every one of you for doing this. Who's bloody idea was it?" Marney demanded and they all pointed to Sirius. Her eyes grew wide.

"You? Out of all people you? She's going to be your bloody sister-in-law you git!" She slaps him hard across the face. "She's Regulus' fiancee. Did you not think of what he is going to do to you when he sees what you done? I bloody hope he murders your dimwitted arse."

She was about to slap him one more time when she hears more footsteps heading towards them.

"Where is she?" The rush voice of the one and only Regulus Black. Lucinda was running behind him. "Where the bloody hell is she?"

Regulus was a very reserved boy. The only times people have seen him aggressive was during quidditch. But this Regulus stalking over towards the group was not the reserved boy people know him to be. He was livid.

"Severus went in and he's still hasn't come out yet. Dammit, I shouldn't have insisted to come here. She didn't want to and we pressured her. Godric, Regulus I'm so sorry." Lucinda cried out as Marney wraps her arms around her also tearing up.

Regulus took his coat off and went straight towards the lake, but before he could make it inside Severus pushed Astoria's body towards him. He immediately grabbed onto her laying her beside the lake while Marney and Lucinda went to grab onto Severus.

Something was wrong. Her skin was light blueish. He could also see the rips of her clothing from the birds he heard attacked her. Her lips were purple and chapped. But the worst of it all she was emotionless and cold. Her state was going to be embedded in his mind forever. It would be in his nightmares and become his new boggart.

"Merlin Angel, what happened." He whispered to himself feeling tears well up. He immediatley put his fingers to her pulse and sighed in relief to hear it. Though it was very faintly. He then places his hands at the center of her chest and pushes hard and fast twice per second. He then checks for breathing and groans. "Come on Angel please stay with me."

The people all gathered around him. The Marauders couldn't believe their eyes. Sirius out of all of them couldn't even look at the pair and looked guilty at the ground.

After a few more compressions she finally spat out crazy amounts of water and started taking deep breaths. Lucinda and Marney cried in glee, Severus sighed in relief, and Regulus pulled her towards him.

He didn't care if she was soaking him. He needed to feel her skin on his. He needed to feel her breathing. He just needed her because he almost lost her.

"Merlin...Mister Black, please carry her back to the infirmary so we can fix her up." He hears the nurse arrive. He wraps his jacket around her to block the people from seeing her like this. He then proceeds to carry her in his arms and starts running towards Hogwarts not before giving his brother a long and cold glare.

Severus, Marney, and Lucinda stayed back to glare at the Marauders.

"Loo-"

"No you look Black, you almost murdered your brother's girl and our friend and you don't even care!" Lucinda exclaims as the boys winced.

"I think maybe murder is a bit of a stretch...."James mutters defensively, but Marney only gave him a look ready to slap the magic out of him when a voice chimed in.

"Hey! No hitting someone or else I'm going to have to write you up and I'm sure your house doesn't need any more of those." The group turns to look at the redhead who was walking towards them. The Slytherins including Severus rolled their eyes at the head girl. Yes, he still had feelings for the girl but he could admit at times she was very biased towards James and his group of gits.

"Being house prejudice now huh red? What happened to the fair and sweet Lily Evans that we use to tolerate? Now even your presence makes me want to hex you to oblivion." Marney added giving her a wicked smirk. James went to defend his girl, but Lily thought she would take matters into her own hands.

"At least I'm not a pure-blood supremacist. Now tell me why you were about to smack my boyfriend or else I'll have to tell Professor McGonagall." She bit back making Snape roll his eyes.

"Well, Evans your boyfriend and his band of idiots thought it would be funny to use the Oppugno jinx on three Slytherin fifth-years to the point where one fell into the Great Lake and almost drowned. So go ahead and tell McGonagall but please call us down so we can enjoy seeing these four finally getting the expulsion they deserved since first year." Lucinda added giving Evans a fake smile. Lily turned to glare at the Marauders and James looked like a puppy with its tail between its legs.

Lily then ran a hand through her red locks, "I'm sure it wasn't their intention to cause that much dam-"

Severus snorted making them all look at him, "Really Evans? That's what you're going with? You and I both know the old Lily would've personally asked for their expulsion if something like this occurred to someone you cared about. Salazar, Lily you really changed. At first, I was so obsessed with knowing what made you say yes to Potter. Why you chose him over me? But now I understand. Now I understand why you and James are so perfect for each other. Two incredibly dimwitted, filthy, arrogant, wizards that do not even have an ounce of decency nor compassion in their bodies. You do not see how Astoria was. A fifteen-year-old girl was close to death because of your boyfriend and friends. She had to relieve her brother's death all over again. But you don't even care. You would rather defend this...this lack of a man and these murderous gits than the innocent. I'm ashamed I ever called you a best friend." He exploded and barged away heading towards the infirmary.

The girls could see that James was about to run after Snape more so to demand respect for his girlfriend but Marney pulled him back and gave him the slap he deserved while Lucinda did the same to Sirius.

"Don't like how your girlfriend was being treated? Well, we could do worst. Maybe torment her until she finally leaves her house prejudiced ways or even let her bleed out all the filthy blood inside of her until she's nothing but a body." James glared at the young Slytherin. "Just know us Slytherins aren't scared to bite back. Our bite is poisonous so good luck protecting your house because you just declared war and we don't back down." Marney snapped at the Gryffindors and walked away.

Lucinda glared at the crew before locking eyes with Sirius, "If I were you I would hide. I'm sure Regulus will come and find you soon to pay for what you've done. Imagine your parent's reaction when they hear that you wanted to kill their future daughter-in-law. I'm sure they'll barge into the blood traitor's house and hopefully slaughter them all. But take my advice dear Sirius, Regulus won't be happy with you."

"He's my broth-"

"Really? I thought Potter was? You did leave Regulus alone and headed straight to Potter's house. The only person who was there for him was Astoria. He will never forgive you and that I can promise." She glared at the crew and went to follow Marney towards the infirmary.

"You are bloody idiots. I'm going to have to report this and don't even try to give me those looks. I can try to lessen your punishment but you all brought it upon yourselves. And Sirius." The boy looked up seeing her cold stare. "Fix this." She then stalked away with James at her tail apologizing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's been two days since the incident and currently, Regulus was sitting next to his sleeping fiancee. Her skin finally regained its color. Her lips now back to the beautiful blush he adored. Her body now as warm as her heart.

He couldn't believe how close he was to losing her. The second he saw her eyes closed, her skin blue, and her touch ice-cold, he panicked. She was his angel and he would never be able to lose her.

He's been in the infirmary since she's got there. He hadn't gone to class though Mrs. Pomfrey kept nagging him. He hasn't slept nor showered. He just needed to be with her.

His eyes were now betraying him as he start closing them. His tiredness getting extreme, but he had to pull through. He knew she wouldn't be up for a while so he did the one thing he's been wanting to do: confront his brother.

And let me tell you this after the confrontation Sirius realized that he should've listened to Lucinda, he should've hidden.

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