Glass Houses

Chapter three

Sirius' eyes flew open, his heart in his throat and sweat dampening his hairline. He just sat for a moment, breathing deeply. Out of all the possible ways that the test could've gone, Sirius thought...he had no idea what he thought. He couldn't understand how the three scenarios were able to determine who he was.

A smash of glass made him sit up, seeing the glass broken on the floor and Andy staring at him, her lips pursed. Something about her face made Sirius nervous, and he swung his legs over the side of the chair, Andy still not moving.

"Is everything all right?" he asked, the silence unnerving.

She was silent for a moment, before shaking her head, "It had to be you didn't it?" she said, almost to herself. "God, it just had to be one of you boys."

Sirius watched, frozen, as she knelt down to collect the glass, muttering to herself as she placed the shards on the desk. Had something gone wrong? Had Sirius not completed the test correctly?

"Excuse me," Andy said suddenly, standing. "I have to go do... yes. I'll be back in a moment."

It was as though Sirius was muted as he watched her go, unable to speak. The small back door shut behind her and Sirius put his head in his shaking hands. He could just imagine his Mother's face if it turns out he broke the simulation, if his results say he doesn't belong anywhere. She would chuck him to the streets, quietly of course, she wouldn't want the public to be made too aware of her disappointment of a son. But she wouldn't care if he was starving, homeless. She always had Regulus. Perfect Regulus whom Sirius was sure was getting his results right now. Erudite of course. He could imagine his face, proud and a little relieved, any lingering doubt obliterated by the perfect results.

Sirius groaned into his hands, the terror rising like bile as the door opened and closed quickly, Andy slipping through and sitting on the small stool next to the desk, scooting it closer so they were almost face to face.

"Sirius, you must never repeat what I'm about to tell you all right?" she said softly and quickly. "Not to your friends, not to your brother, and especially not to your mother."

Sirius nodded, his eyes wide.

"Okay," Andy breathed, "Your test results were...abnormal."

"Abnormal?" That didn't happen, Sirius thought. You do the test, get the result, and leave.

"Yes. Abnormal. The simulation works by strategically crossing out all factions except one. That one faction being your result."

Sirius nodded, he'd read about the simulations. Third shelf to the right.

"Well, that didn't happen to you. Perhaps a better word to use is Inconclusive rather than abnormal." She paused, "You see if you had picked the cheese, then the simulation would have offered you a scenario confirming your aptitude for Amity. But you picked neither, forcing you to be, well, creative. Your willingness to save that boy showed Amity, but also Dauntless."

Dauntless.

The word rung in Sirius' ears. A glimmer of hope.

"And then on the bus, your answer was like your decision with the knife and the cheese, not very decisive. Your strategy of telling half-truths suggested Erudite but also a tad of Candor." She sighed, holding Sirius' hands in her own. "Only one was ruled out Sirius. Abnegation."

Sirius blinked blankly, not quite comprehending what was being said. A part of him had a horrible idea, but he refused to acknowledge the implications of what Andy was saying.

"I'm sorry," Sirius said, smiling politely, to mask his absolute terror, "I'm not sure I understand."

Andy sighed, squeezing his hands and looking at him, her gaze hard.