Free Falling (Sirius Black)

Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Close Call

That night in the Gryffindor common room, people kept staring at me, and

I looked them in the eye and smiled.

Word travels fast in Hogwarts and today the word was that 'super shy Cyan Weston' was now seeming very confident and was even said to have back-chatted the marauders. Where do people get their facts from?

Eventually I got tired of people stating at me like they were judging me - which they probably were - I told Lily and Bella I was tired and going to bed.

But when I got up to the empty dorm, all the horrible things the marauders had said and done to me today came rushing back. They made me so sad.

So I got out a piece of jagged mirror (I use a spell on my legs and other hairy places instead of shaving) and slid it along the side of my wrist, leaving long, deep cuts over the partly-healed scars. I cut 6 times and then I washed the mirror shard and put it back in my trunk.

Then I bandaged up my arm and went off to sleep.

(((Next Morning)))

"MORNING SUNSHINE!" Bella yelled loud enough so that everyone in our dorm woke up. Great. Lily was a devil to be around in the morning. But, it is Tuesday and we have school.

I groaned and rolled out of bed to quickly have a shower and get dressed. Once dressed I took the blood-smeared bandage off my wrist and cleaned it with a simple charm.

I am especially good at charms, and hexes. So is my wand. Mine is 11 inches, willow, unicorn mane hair. Flexible. It has a twisted sort of shape. Ironically, like the shape of a unicorn horn. Just not a cone.

I went to the bathroom and washed my cuts out with some lavender oil. I would conceal the cuts with magic after they had dried.

When I walked into the great hall for breakfast, instead of looking at the floor, I held my head up confidently and walked with Bella over to the Gryffindor table.

"Cyan," Bella whispered to me with a panicked look

"Your cuts are showing." Damn! I forgot to cover them! I muttered a quick concealment charm - not a moment too soon - the marauders came over and the leaders sat down either side of me, nocking Bella out of the way. She struggled but Lupin and Pettigrew held her down. Where were the teachers when you needed them?

"Slut" Potter whispered in my ear, sending shivers down my spine at his cold, cruel voice.

"Bitch" Black added nastly.

"Bet you think you're so cool, being the talk of Hogwarts" Potter said.

"But you're not" Black finished. The devil duo kept insulting me in turns like this until a burly Gryffindor seventh year-like myself-came over and said something to them.

"Piss off, stop bullying her. Shes a lovely person and you two are just immature, arrogant assholes. So just fuck off!" They looked surprised. Until yesterday, no one had ever stood up to them or told them off-except the teachers.

They shot me murderous looks and I could tell I would be getting a good beat-up this afternoon. Then they laughed cruelly and walked down to the other end of the table. Lupin and Pettigrew released Bella and followed.

The boy, I think his name is Rowan McKean, came up to me and asked if I was okay. I said I was and also thanked him for saving me from the insults. He smiled and waved at me, walking off.

Bella was obsessing over Rowan.

"OMG!! McKean saved you!" She gushed. And I sighed. She will not stop.

"He is like, THE hottest guy in the school! Aside from the marauders but they don't count because they are dicks. OMG! Maybe he likes you! Maybe he will ask you out! I can't wait!" Great.

"Bella, he is just a guy" I reasoned,

"And anyway, he wouldn't like me, he is a player. He wouldn't go for girls like me. Im not even pretty. Ask the devil duo, they'll tell you."

"True...." Bella mused.

"But they're wrong. You might have been short and fat and ugly in our fisrt two and a half years-"

"-thanks"

"-you're welcome. But anyway, now you are actually beautiful and you do have a very sexy body. I wish mine was like yours.... So, now that I think about it, he probably will ask you out. I bet within three weeks. The end of the month. 5 galleons." I sighed.

"You're on."