ANTHEM OF THE ANGELS
act two, chapter twelve
❛when the sun goes down, we all get lonely, watch me as i disappear. these empty sounds and endless stories❜

✦ 𝙀LORA ✦
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𝙋enelope was a quiet person, sure, she was mysterious, sure. But Elora hadn't expected this. Three weeks had passed without Penelope and Remus until they just appeared one day, Penelope's arm bandaged and Remus limping. After that, Penelope had showed Elora the Mark and if Elora wasn't tending to the plants in Hufflepuff Basement, she would've plopped down right there and then. She now sat with the Marauders and Penelope in the kitchens, listening to their story, mostly to Remus', as he had been captured since the 26th of December last year and it's now the 30th of September.

"I had to go through the transformations alone and they always had these men send spells at me and I—"

"You killed them." Elora finished off, eyes wide and Remus swallowed hard before he nodded.

"I didn't mean to but I—"

"You didn't know what you were doing Remus." Elora told him, shaking her head. "If I were you, a werewolf I mean, I wouldn't feel guilty about it. They kill people for a living. They torture children, babies even, elderly people, people who can't fight back, muggles. They don't deserve living." Penelope shrunk in her seat and Elora swallowed hard. "But some of them, the ones I know," She meant Penelope, her brother and Regulus. "They didn't have a choice. They come from evil families and were forced to do it. They had no choice but to be like them."

"It still doesn't make it right Elora." Remus whispered. "I'm not a murderer. I don't kill people."

"I was just saying you should see it as a win-win situation. They might think they're winning, but we know we are winning." She shrugged, sipping her beverage.

"I have something to tell you guys." Penelope spoke up, sniffing. "My sister wasn't prepared to let Rem go, she was going to kill him and I—"

"Penny, what's wrong?" James softly asked and Elora stared at Penelope in shock when tears flowed down her cheeks. Elora knew her best friend, Penelope never cried unless something big was bothering her. And Elora knew exactly what was bothering her.

"Penny, are you sure you want to tell them?" Elora asked, fearful for her best friend but she saw Penelope nod and Elora sighed, knowing that she can't stop her. Elora just hoped and prayed that Remus and them won't treat her any different.

Penelope rolled up the sleeve of her Ravenclaw robes, the same robes Elora had once pranced around in, avoiding hexes from Penelope as she raced down to the courtyard, where the Marauders had been playing Gobstones with a few other students. It had been a great day that day, 9 January, her birthday and she thought she'd treat herself to something nice. After she had stole Penelope's robes, she nicked Peter's and pretended that she was Sirius. The boy hadn't been impressed, but James had been, even snapping a picture of her with Patrick Creevey's camera. To top that all up, she stole her brother's robes and she pretended to be Narcissa. Even though she got a scolding from Penelope, who had laughed at her Narcissa interpretation, that evening, it had been the best day of her life.

Everyone had gasped and Penelope's lower lip trembled. "They forced me to become a Death Eater." She whispered and Remus' jaw tensed when Penelope cried into James Potter's arms, and not his.

"It'll be alright Penny, we know you're not like them." James whispered into her ear but Elora could hear him loud and clear and her own jaw tensed. He didn't know Penelope like she did. Penelope had a monstrous side—one Elora was busy trying to keep at bay.

✦ 𝙋ENELOPE ✦
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"𝙄 don't want to lie Rem, I don't think we can fix things." Penelope told Remus at the beginning of October, eyes fixed on the Black Lake rather than Remus' soft chocolate eyes. Remus had sighed, then intertwined their fingers.

"I'm the one who messed up Penny, please let me fix it." Remus pleaded, searching in her eyes for an answer but Penelope knew he won't find one. Her eyes held nothing but tears and pain these days.

"Lily is Head Girl, she deserves it, rather than that Maeve Bixby bitch." Penelope decided to change the hurtful subject. "I always thought you were going to be Head Boy, not James."

"Your new boyfriend is full of surprises." Remus bitterly spat and Penelope let out a chuckle.

"James and I are not dating Rem, and we will never date." She sighed, pulling her robes tighter, feeling the cold breeze blow through her hair. She had been growing it out and she had tried a new hair color, just some part of herself she can claim. Voldemort has claimed her entire being as his but she won't let him have her hair, which is why she chose a vibrant shade of pink. Elora had been excited when Penelope charmed hers too, though she made hers red, as Elora had dramatically written her a twelve inch long essay telling her why red was her color and not yellow.

"You've grown close—"

"You left me over a stupid wound Remus." Penelope cut him off. "You left me because of some stupid thing you have. I have told you a million times that I don't care if you're a werewolf or not, I've told you that I love you just the way you are." Penelope then sighed. "Remember I told you that even if your demons come with you, then I'll accept them as well cause they're part of the package? I fucking meant it."

"Then let me fix it Penny, please." Remus begged. "I want to fix it, I want you to cry into my arms, not James'."

"Euphemia treats me like her daughter, you know that?" She whispered, eyes slightly glossing over. "She accepted me into her home when she didn't have to. And Fleamont's the best father figure I've ever had."

"They're good people Penny."

"I know Rem, I know. I'm doing this to protect them too, I need to protect them from people like me."

October bled into November and the bandage on Penelope's arm finally came off and she wore the scar her own sister gave her (not the Dark Mark) as a warning sign to everyone. November brought the cold and Penelope could be seen at the fireplace, studying for her bloody stupid N. E. W. T. S, along with Remus, Elora and James. Penelope preferred sitting on the floor, right in front of the fire while Remus, James and Elora opted for the couch. This evening, however, they were joined by Peter and Sirius and Lily, who Penelope has seen smiling and laughing at James' jokes. A part of her ached but she let it be, she and James were never going to be a couple, that she knew.

"Do my History and then maybe I'll turn your hair blue." Penelope told Sirius, who had been nagging her to turn his hair blue.

"But I only get Acceptables in History Penny!"

"And she gets Trolls." Remus pointed out and narrowly missed the History textbook that was thrown at him. Remus was about to tell her to respect books when Maeve Bixby entered, gasping loudly when she noticed the other houses here.

"Gryffindors! Hufflepuffs!" She screeched. "In Ravenclaw Tower?! Penelope, that's ten points from you!"

Penelope let out a fake gasp. "Oh no! There goes the points! Missed, they will be!"

"Five more for talking like that—"

"I'm Head Girl last time I checked Maeve." Lily spoke in a warning tone at the girl, who scoffed but left anyway, revealing Xenopholius Lovegood, a boy in his last year as well. "Hello Xeno."

"There's a fight, on the seventh floor, between Severus and Regulus." Sirius wasn't the only one who bolted out the Ravenclaw Tower. Penelope and Elora were hot at his heels, Elora for her brother, Penelope for Regulus. Sirius can't see what he's become. It will only destroy him.

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❛friends stick together, no matter what❜
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