Chapter Text
Wales had always been the one place where Orelia felt she could truly breathe.
Not that she didn't adore Hogwarts. She did. She loved the castle, the noise, the familiar corridors, and—more than anything—she loved the people who had become hers. But Hogwarts came with history and expectations. It came with a surname.
Wales was different. Here, nobody cared—or even knew—who Sirius Black was.
The people in and around Llansadwrn knew her name, of course, and vaguely knew Remus's. As far as they were concerned, however, they were simply a father and his young daughter living in a little house in the countryside, far enough from the village to have some privacy and close enough for Orelia to wander into town whenever she pleased.
Remus had chosen the house furthest from the village's cluster of homes, tucked beyond the trees and surrounded by enough countryside that they could go days without seeing another person. It gave him the solitude he needed, particularly around the full moon, without leaving Orelia completely cut off from the world.
And whenever she wanted company, Llansadwrn was only a short walk away.
There, she was simply Orelia.
It had been a few days since the beginning of the holiday, and only a few more remained before Orelia was due to leave for the Burrow.
That morning, she sat on the kitchen counter with a mug of hot cocoa nestled between her hands. Remus stood by the stove, his own tea forgotten beside him as he flipped another pancake onto a waiting plate.
Orelia watched the steam curling from her mug. Every so often, her eyes drifted towards Remus.
The questions burned against the tip of her tongue, demanding to be asked. She wanted to know why he had never told her more. Wanted to know what her mother had been like, what she had been like before Orelia could remember her, and why Remus had always seemed so determined to keep that part of her life locked away.
But every time she came close to asking, she remembered their last argument.
She didn't want to do that again.
Because what if he got tired of it? What if one day he decided that she was too difficult, too argumentative, too much trouble to bother with?
She had expected him to feel guilty. To realise, perhaps, that he'd been wrong and finally tell her what she'd been asking to know. But he hadn't. Days had passed, and Remus hadn't mentioned her mother once.
Orelia tried to tell herself she wasn't disappointed.
Remus turned away from the stove with a plate piled high with pancakes and carried it to the little dining table in the middle of the kitchen. He set it down before turning back for his own plate of eggs and toast.
"Come eat before it goes cold," he said, settling into one of the chairs.
Orelia hopped down from the counter and took the seat opposite him. She drizzled a generous amount of syrup over her pancakes before picking up her fork and digging in.
"Got any plans today?" Remus asked.
Orelia nodded, swallowing her mouthful before answering. "Rhia said we're going to see the new Tim Burton film at the theatre later. We might leave a little early, though. We're planning to walk around town afterwards."
"That sounds nice." Remus smiled. "Just don't stay out too late. The roads aren't safe after dark."
Orelia gave him an incredulous look. "Please. Have you forgotten I'm a witch?" She held up her fingers and wiggled them dramatically.
Remus laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "I'm serious, Orelia."
She caught the concern beneath his smile and shook her head. "I won't be out late, promise. And if it does start getting dark, I'll stay at one of the girls' houses."
"Alright." Remus picked up his tea. "Just don't forget to let me know."
"I won't."
Satisfied, Remus returned to his breakfast, and Orelia let the conversation settle into a comfortable silence.
She finished her pancakes a little while later, helped clear the table, and disappeared upstairs to get ready.
By noon, she was making her way down the familiar road towards Llansadwrn, her hands tucked into the pockets of her coat as the cold Welsh air nipped at her cheeks.
The walk was one she'd made countless times before. She knew which stretches of the road tended to turn muddy after rain, which trees leaned dangerously over the path, and where the woods opened just enough for sunlight to spill across the ground.
By the time the first buildings of the village came into view, Orelia had already spotted four familiar figures waiting near the little square.
Rhiannon and Alys were standing together, while Cai and Elijah lingered nearby, huddled together over something she couldn't see.
Orelia's mouth curved into a smile. For all the things Hogwarts had given her, there was something comforting about having a life here too—a life entirely separate from magic, family names and everything that came with them.
The girls spotted her first. Rhiannon immediately threw both arms into the air, waving so enthusiastically that Orelia couldn't help but laugh. Alys, meanwhile, had broken into a run.
"Orelia!" Alys collided with her in a bone-crushing hug, nearly sending them both stumbling backwards.
"Oh, I've missed you so much!"
Orelia laughed, wrapping her arms around her. "You're crushing my ribs there, babes."
"Oh—sorry."
Alys finally released her, though she kept hold of Orelia's arms as if making sure she was actually there. She was slender, with olive skin and warm brown eyes that seemed permanently softened by the sweetness of her smile.
Rhiannon approached next, grinning behind her glasses. They skipped the usual greeting; Orelia held out her hand, and their familiar handshake came as naturally as breathing before Rhiannon pulled her into a warm hug.
"Missed me?" Orelia grinned into her shoulder.
"Not even a bit."
"Liar."
"Terrible liar, actually."
Rhiannon laughed as they pulled apart. Her dark curls fell in loose, springy waves around her shoulders, framing her pale face, round glasses and vivid blue eyes.
"Look at you," she said, giving Orelia a once-over. "You've grown prettier. What are they feeding you in that school?"
"Dark magic." Orelia widened her eyes with a grin.
"The only proper explanation, that is."
Orelia turned to Cai as he spoke. He stood a few feet away, hands tucked into his pockets, watching the reunion with an amused smirk. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with dark hair and the sort of solid build that made it seem as though he had been playing some sport or another since birth.
"Alright there, Rel?"
"Better now."
"Oho," Cai said, raising his eyebrows. "Careful. You'll make me blush."
"I wasn't talking about you." Orelia threw her arms around Alys and Rhia's shoulders.
"Ugh." Cai clutched his chest. "The betrayal."
A second voice came from beside him. "Piss off, Cai. She won't go out with you."
Orelia turned to find Elijah standing there, light brown hair slightly mussed from the wind, a crooked grin tugging at his mouth.
"I was wondering when you'd finally decide to speak up."
"I've been speaking."
"No one was listening."
"Story o' my life."
Alys rolled her eyes. "Can we go? The movie starts in fifteen minutes."
"I second that," Rhia raised her hand. "Hurts me soul to watch these two flirt." She pointed at Orelia and Cai.
"We're not flirting." Orelia grimaced.
"I think we are, darling." Cai winked at her.
"Ew." Orelia turned on her heel, dragging the girls along with her as Elijah burst out laughing at Cai's expression.
They set off together, falling into step almost immediately. Their conversation slipped into the familiar rhythm Orelia knew so well—teasing, complaints, pointless arguments and the occasional insult thrown between people who had known each other long enough to stop pretending they were offended.
She'd known Rhiannon since they were five. Orelia had been running through the woods one afternoon when she'd stumbled upon a girl furiously beating a rock with a stick.
They'd been friends ever since.
Alys came into the picture the following week, introduced by Rhiannon. She was a year older than them and lived just down the road. Rhiannon and Alys had practically grown up together; Orelia had simply been lucky enough to be invited into the chaos.
Cai and Elijah were also Orelia's. She'd met them the summer she turned twelve. They, on the other hand, had been inseparable for as long as anyone could remember. If Cai was somewhere, Elijah was usually within five feet of him, and vice versa.
Two peas in a pod.
Two idiots sharing one brain cell.
And somehow, Orelia had ended up becoming friends with both of them.
She wasn't sure whether that reflected well on her.
The cinema was small, tucked into an unassuming building along the main road, with only a handful of people gathered beneath the faded marquee. Most of the audience appeared to be teenagers, scattered in loose groups and talking over one another as they waited.
They collected their tickets at the entrance and made their way inside for The Nightmare Before Christmas.
The theatre itself was nearly empty, giving them plenty of choice. They claimed a row together, with Alys on one end, followed by Rhiannon, Orelia, Elijah and Cai on the other.
Orelia had loved Tim Burton's films ever since Rhiannon and Alys had taken her to see Edward Scissorhands during the Christmas holidays of her third year.
So, naturally, she was completely absorbed from the moment the opening credits began.
The girls were mostly quiet throughout the film, watching the screen with the sort of concentration that made it clear they had no intention of missing a single detail. Every so often, Alys would lean towards them and whisper some observation she had apparently been storing away for the precise moment it became relevant.
"Okay, look at the screen right now," Alys muttered, gesturing vaguely with a half-eaten pretzel. "See how the buildings are all warped and the angles are totally jagged? German Expressionism. It makes everything look distorted and wrong. Like the whole place is a nightmare. Every citizen of Halloween Town actually represents how they died in the real world."
Rhiannon blinked, shifting her gaze from the screen to Alys, intrigued despite herself. "Wait, really?"
Orelia reached blindly into the popcorn bowl, eyes still glued to the introduction of the monsters. "Alys, shh, the witches are singing."
"I'm just saying, it's a dark afterlife," Alys murmured, settling back into her cushion with an excited grin.
From the other side of Orelia came a muffled snort.
She turned to Cai and Elijah who were hunched together, whispering furiously beneath their breath.
"What?" Orelia mouthed.
Elijah shook his head, trying desperately not to laugh. Cai whispered something into his ear. Elijah's shoulders began shaking.
Orelia narrowed her eyes and turned back towards the screen.
A moment later, she heard another muffled burst of laughter. Rhiannon glared at them from around Orelia.
"Shut up."
"We're not doing anything," Elijah whispered.
"I can't hear anything."
"We're being quiet."
A couple of people sitting nearby glanced over at them.
Rhiannon gave the boys a warning look. "Seriously. Shut up."
The boys finally settled.
For about thirty seconds.
Then Elijah leaned towards Cai again. "Do you think—"
"Shut up," Orelia, Rhiannon and Alys hissed simultaneously.
Cai raised both hands in surrender.
The girls turned back towards the screen, leaving the boys to sit in offended silence.
The credits had barely finished rolling before the five of them spilled out of the theatre and onto the pavement, talking over one another as they stepped into the cold evening air.
"That ended way too soon," Orelia complained. "I want more."
"What?" Cai scrunched up his nose. "It was too long. I don't know why you lot are so obsessed with it."
"That's because you have no taste." Orelia lifted her brows.
"Wha—I have perfect taste."
"Sure,"
Alys laughed. "D'you know Tim Burton didn't actually direct it?"
Orelia turned to her. "Really?"
"Yeah." Rhiannon adjusted her glasses. "It was Henry Slick or something—"
"Selick." Alys corrected.
"Tomato tomato." Rhia shrugged. "Anyway, everyone just calls it a Burton film because his name sells."
Elijah frowned. "Isn't that plagiarism?"
Rhiannon stared at him. "Do you even know what plagiarism means? Burton was a producer and he wrote the poem."
"Wait." Cai looked between them. "The movie was a poem?"
"The original story was," Orelia corrected.
"I didn't see a poem."
"The movie was originally a poem, you idiot."
"Well, how was I supposed to know?" Cai protested. "I'm not a completely obsessed know-it-all."
"It's called having a hobby."
"I have hobbies."
"Name one."
Cai opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Orelia folded her arms, grinning. "See? That's what I thought."
"Alright, fine. What about you?" Cai pointed at her. "What are your hobbies besides memorising useless facts about films?"
"You do realize I'm an athlete in my school?" Orelia looked at him like he was crazy.
"Since when?" Elijah grimaced.
"Since forever." Rhiannon laughed.
"Doesn't matter." Kai insisted. "That's not a hobby. That's something you do when you have no life."
"Neither is getting rejected by girls, but you've made that a full-time job." Rhiannon pointed out with a raised brow.
Alys choked on a laugh, Elijah doubled over, cackling like a lunatic in the middle of the street, while Orelia's jaw dropped before she dissolved into helpless laughter.
They turned and carried on down the street, still laughing, leaving Cai standing behind them with an expression of utter betrayal.
"You lot are a bunch of downright cunts!" he shouted after them.
A few passers-by turned at the outburst, earning them disapproving glares.
"What are you looking at?" Cai snapped at an older woman who had muttered something under her breath.
She gave him a scandalised look and hurried on.
Cai scoffed before jogging after the others. "Fuckin' hell."
"Where are we going now?" Elijah asked as Cai caught up, slipping back into step beside them.
"I'm starving," Alys groaned.
"You're always eating," Elijah said, looking at Alys with genuine confusion. "How do you not get fat? Honestly, I swear I gain ten pounds just breathing."
The others laughed. Elijah pulled at the skin beneath his chin and frowned. "Look at that. That wasn't there this morning."
"Fast metabolism," Alys smiled, but it didn't seem to reach her eyes.
They carried on down the street, with no particular destination in mind, their conversation drifting effortlessly from one subject to another as they wandered through the village.
A few steps ahead, Cai and Elijah had started mock-fighting, shoving at each other's shoulders and nearly walking into a lamppost.
Rhiannon suddenly slipped an arm through Orelia's and tugged her a little closer.
"Can I sleep over at yours tonight?" she asked quietly, giving Orelia an exaggeratedly hopeful look. "I miss our girls' nights."
Orelia grinned. "Yeah, 'course. I'll ask Alys if she wants to come too."
She turned towards Alys, who was walking a few paces behind them, watching the boys make complete idiots of themselves.
"Hey, Alys." Orelia caught her attention. "D'you want to sleep over at mine tonight? Rhia's coming."
Alys hesitated. "Why yours?" she asked. "Could we stay at mine?"
"Oh—erm...I don't mind." Orelia shrugged. "Don't know about Rhia, though."
"Why would she mind?"
"Dunno. We'll ask her."
Orelia turned towards Rhiannon, who had managed to get Cai into a headlock. His face was rapidly turning red while Elijah stood beside them laughing.
"Rhia!"
Rhiannon glanced over, still grinning as Cai struggled uselessly against her arm.
"Yeah?"
"Come 'ere a sec."
Rhiannon released him. Cai stumbled forward, coughing and rubbing his neck.
"You absolute psycho," he wheezed.
"Oh, shut up, you big baby." Rhiannon wandered over to them, brushing her curls back from her face. "What's going on?"
"Alys asked if we could stay at hers tonight instead."
The smile on Rhiannon's face faded. "Why?"
"Why not?" Orelia asked, confused.
"I just don't want to."
Alys frowned. "What's the difference?"
"There isn't one." Rhiannon shrugged, trying to make it sound casual. "I just want a change of scenery." She glanced at Orelia. "Besides, I haven't seen Uncle Remus in ages."
Alys's expression tightened. "I don't want to sleep there," she said quietly. "It's scary."
Rhiannon looked at her. "Well, no one's forcing you to."
Alys stared at her for a moment, clearly taken aback by the sharpness in Rhiannon's voice.
Orelia glanced between them.
"Alright, let's not fight." She lifted her hands, chuckling nervously. "We don't have to decide now."
"You can just go to yours," Alys said quietly. "I can't sleep over without telling my parents, anyway."
"We can pass by your house and ask them?" Orelia suggested.
"No, that's alright," Alys smiled. "Another time, maybe."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah," she nodded quickly. "Don't worry about it."
"Alright then," Orelia smiled, exchanging a look with Rhiannon. "Let me know if you change your mind."
Behind them, the boys abandoned their fight only to launch into a heated argument over whose lighter Cai had been carrying in his pocket.
Orelia glanced back at Alys. For just a second, she caught the expression on her face. It was gone before Orelia could make sense of it.
Rhiannon hooked her arm through Orelia's again. "Are we watching that stupid horror film you keep talking about?"
"It's not stupid."
"It's nowhere near scary."
"You watched it?!" Orelia stared at her friend in betrayal.
"You took too long to come home!" Rhiannon shot back defensively.
"I was at school! In bloody Scotland!"
"You should've just gone to a normal school then," Rhiannon shrugged, making Orelia groan.
"Absolutely not. Can you imagine me having to wear a uniform every day?"
"As if they don't make you wear one at that boarding school," Rhiannon scoffed. "Besides, you'd look adorable."
"I'd look like a prisoner."
Rhiannon snorted. "You already dress like one."
"Oi."
Their bickering carried on as they wandered through the village, the boys trailing a few paces behind and arguing over something neither girl had any interest in listening to.
By now, the sky had begun to darken, the last traces of evening light disappearing behind the hills. The streets were quieter than they had been earlier, shop windows glowing warmly against the gathering dusk.
Eventually, they reached the turn where Alys's house stood. Cai and Elijah stopped there, heading off towards the opposite end of town.
"See you tomorrow," Elijah called.
"Try not to get arrested," Orelia called after him.
"No promises."
Alys laughed and gave them a wave before turning towards her house. "See you tomorrow."
"Bye, Alys," Rhiannon called.
"Night."
Alys disappeared through the front door, leaving Orelia and Rhiannon alone on the pavement. They walked side by side along the familiar road, their conversation gradually becoming quieter now that the others were gone. Rhiannon kicked a loose pebble along the pavement while Orelia shoved her hands deeper into her coat pockets.
The walk to Orelia's house was short, the village gradually giving way to quieter roads and stretches of woodland. By the time the house came into view between the trees, night had settled properly over the hills, leaving only the warm glow of the windows against the darkness.
Rhiannon glanced towards it. "Is Remus home?"
"Most likely. He's probably making dinner."
"Anything edible?"
"Debatable."
Rhiannon laughed. Orelia pushed open the front door, calling, "I'm home!"
"Kitchen," Remus called.
They found him at the counter, sleeves rolled up as he finished putting away a few things. He looked up when they entered, his expression warming when he saw Rhiannon.
"Hello, Rhia." He smiled.
"Hi, Uncle Remus."
"How was the film?"
"Brilliant," Rhiannon said immediately. "The boys were unbearable."
Remus gave Orelia an amused glance. "That sounds about right."
"They wouldn't shut up." Rhiannon groaned as she dropped into a chair.
"I don't even know why we're friends them at this point." Orelia added, sitting up on the counter.
"I'd say they're friends with us, not the other way around." Rhiannon corrected.
"Mmm," Orelia snapped her fingers. "I like that."
Remus chuckled, his eyes flicking towards the clock on the wall. "Go on, both of you. Get yourselves settled. Dinner's in a bit."
"Alright." Orelia grabbed Rhiannon's wrist and pulled her towards the stairs before Remus could say anything else. "Come on."
They hurried upstairs, Orelia pushing open her bedroom door and dropping her coat over the back of her chair.
Rhiannon flopped onto the bed with a dramatic sigh, stretching herself across the blankets.
"I missed this."
Orelia smiled faintly and began changing out of her clothes, pulling on a pair of sweats and the soft jumper Molly had made for her. Once she was dressed, she opened her wardrobe and rummaged through it for something Rhiannon could sleep in.
"Hey," she said casually, glancing over her shoulder. "Did you and Alys have a fight or something?"
Rhiannon sat up, pulling her legs beneath her. "No. She's been acting weird since the beginning of the holidays."
"Really?" Orelia pulled out a pair of pyjama bottoms and a soft sweater before turning back towards her. "So that wasn't about me?"
Rhiannon frowned, taking the clothes from her. "No. Why would you think that?"
"I don't know." Orelia dropped onto the edge of the bed. "Alys is rich, and I live in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. It's not exactly a luxury hotel."
Rhiannon stared at her.
Orelia shrugged. She wasn't embarrassed by the house. Far from it. It was small and a little old, and there were probably things about it that would make someone accustomed to a much grander home wrinkle their nose. But Orelia loved it. It was warm, it was theirs, and she'd never once wished it were anything else.
What she didn't like was the thought of Alys looking at it and wishing she were somewhere else.
"I mean, if I were a rich lass, I might not want to spend the night here either."
"What?" Rhiannon looked genuinely offended on her behalf. "I love your house."
"I do too."
"Then what are you worried about?"
"I'm not worried." Orelia paused. "I'm just saying."
Rhiannon narrowed her eyes.
Orelia sighed. "You know what I mean. If she thinks it's rubbish here, I'd rather know."
"I don't think Alys would think that way."
"You don't know that."
"I've known her all my life."
"Yeah, but you're rich too."
Rhiannon's eyebrows shot up. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"No, I didn't mean—" Orelia waved a hand. "I mean, you're rich and you live in the same sort of house as her. Obviously you wouldn't notice if she thought differently about mine."
Rhiannon stared at her for another second. "Well, I'm not a bigoted cow."
"I don't think Alys is bigoted either." Orelia chuckled. "I just...I dunno. It's weird."
Rhiannon watched her for a moment before her expression softened. "Do you want me to ask her?"
Orelia lifted her brows. "How are you gonna that?"
Rhiannon's mouth curled into a mischievous grin. "Oh, you know. I'll talk bare shit behind your back and see how she reacts."
Orelia blinked. "That's your plan?"
"It's a brilliant plan."
"Isn't that a bit excessive?"
"Maybe." Rhiannon shrugged, already looking rather pleased with herself. "But if that's really how she thinks, I wouldn't want to be friends with her either."
Orelia smiled despite herself. "You're insane."
"You love me." Rhiannon climbed off the bed, pyjamas in hand, and headed for the door.
"Where are you going?"
"Putting on a show for Remus." Rhiannon rolled her eyes. "To change, obviously. Where else?"
"I just changed in front of you, and you're going all the way to the bathroom?"
"Thanks, by the way. Lovely view." Rhiannon winked before darting down the hallway.
Orelia stared after her. "I feel used," she muttered, collapsing backwards onto the bed.