/𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒\ [𝒔. 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌]

𝟏.𝟠.𝟣

The remaining students were silent for a few long moments, and then Sirius shrugged his shoulders. "She says that at least twice a week. Marlene, I'll bet you... six galleons... she talks to me or James by Friday."

Marlene let out an impatient sigh and rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up Sirius." Then, turning to Artemis and Mary, "We should probably go find her."

"You two go," said Artemis, "I'll catch up."

She watched Marlene and Mary disappear after Lily, their shiny hair fading into the distance of the dark corridor, before rounding on Sirius and James. Sirius was still laughing. "Come on, Art," he said cajolingly, "even you have to admit that was a little funny."

"Come on," Artemis sighed, "we should get up to the common room before curfew." She took both boys by the sleeves of their robes and pulled them towards the stairwell leading up to Gryffindor tower. "And no, Sirius. I think you two go too far sometimes."

James, who had been unusually quiet throughout Lily's outburst, allowed Artemis to pull him halfway down the hallway before shaking his arm from her grasp. "You can't act like Snivellus is innocent, though," he said reasonably, seeming to snap out of a daze. "I mean, he uses the 'M' word all the time when Lily isn't around and he hangs out with all those Slytherins- you've seen the group he hangs out with, right?"

"The 'M' word?" Artemis asked, confused.

James and Sirius exchanged a wide-eyed look. "You don't know the 'M' word?" James asked in a hushed voice. Artemis shook her head.

"I always forget you're muggle born," Sirius said thoughtfully.

"Half-blood," Artemis corrected. "But what's the 'M' word?"

James frowned, then leaned down to whisper in Artemis's ear, "You know... mud..."

"What?"

James sighed, exchanging an annoyed look with Sirius, then leaned back down to whisper again. "Mudblood."

"Oh." Artemis's brow creased in confusion. "That's- a bad word?"

"Yes!" James cried, his eyes growing even wider behind his square glasses. Next to him, Sirius shrugged.

Artemis thought back to all of the times she'd heard that word. She could've sworn Percy threw the term around like it was nothing. "What's it mean?"

"Muggle born, but in a bad way," Sirius said darkly. "Anyways, go back. What d'you mean you're half-blood? I thought you had muggle parents." Artemis shook her head. "But you don't know anything about the wizarding world."

Artemis glared at him. "Of course I do. And anyways, that's not what we're talking about right now. You two need to stop bullying people who have never done anything to you."

"Why?" Sirius asked obstinately.

Ignoring him, Artemis turned to James. "If nothing else, do it for Lily. You like her, don't you?" James nodded. "Well, you don't have a chance with her unless you stop making fun of her friends, okay?"

"Yeah, maybe you're right-"

"No!" Sirius cried, rounding on Artemis. "You can't do that! We were just having some fun, and now you're going to- to guilt him into stopping because of Lily?"

By then, they'd reached the portrait hole, and Artemis murmured the password before answering Sirius. "Yes, I am. It's mean to bully people, Sirius. No matter how fun it is. Now, go to bed."

"Don't tell us what to do."

Artemis and Sirius stared at each other in heated annoyance for a few moments before James broke the tension. "Sirius, we should probably get upstairs. Remember- we have plans."