"How awful! Are you all right?" she asked, grabbing his hand and helping him to
his feet.
"Yes, thank you," he mumbled, a sad frown on his face.
"What an arse," Mia growled, eyes narrowed at the back of Lucius Malfoy's head as
he walked away from them. "Just because he's a prefect, he thinks he can go about shoving
people?"
Sirius glared after Lucius, tapping his wand in his palm threateningly despite not yet
knowing how to properly use it. "He thinks he can do whatever he wants because he's
a Malfoy."
"You know that prat?" Remus spoke up.
"Met him over the summer. He's going to be betrothed to my cousin."
"You sure you're okay?" Mia asked the boy. He nodded, favouring his shoulder—it
would certainly be bruised the following day.
"Come on in," James insisted.
He took a seat opposite Sirius, sandwiching Mia between himself and Remus.
"Thanks for being nice to me."
James grinned and began another round of introductions. "Course, mate. I'm
James."
"Sirius."
"Remus."
"Mia." She smiled at the boy.
"I'm Peter," he said with a kindly, hopeful expression on his face.
No!
Mia's smile disappeared with what felt like all the blood from her face, and her
stomach lurched. She turned her face away from the boy, trying to control her anger as
cold dread flooded through her body. She tried to focus on something to ground her.
Sirius and James were already deep in discussion with one another, Remus had re-
opened his book, and Peter sat there quietly, so close to Mia that she wanted to scream. She
closed her eyes and tried to think of Remus's letter. Her guide and her rules.
Every action we take is the causation of destiny.