Roses All The Way Down【Sirius Black】

ⅩⅩⅤ. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬

"If you ask me, Divination is a dung pile of rubbish," Lily said, her nose wrinkling. She was laying on her back with a textbook hoisted above her eyes.

"You're only saying that because you don't have... the gift," Alice chuckled, waving her hands through the air and looking into the distance like something was there.

Lily snorted, "honestly what a load of balderdash."

"On that note," Virginia said with a smile, standing up, "I'm going to go to future and palm reading class. Ah," she reached into her trunk and pulled out a purple book, "almost forgot my dream journal..."

Dorcas chortled. "Have fun," she sang after Virginia.

She walked down the hallways until she finally reached the classroom. It was a low room covered in purple carpets and jangly bits hanging from the ceiling. Virginia ducked her head slightly. There were no chairs so most people had either sat on the floor or were half bent over. 

"Waters," came a stiff voice from behind her. She jumped and yelped as her head hit the ceiling. She turned around, one hand on her head to rub it awkwardly.

"Oh... hi Regulus," she said, not sure why he was addressing her.

"So you let Pandora win," Regulus commented, looking across the classroom to where Pandora sat, chatting amiably with Johanna. "I heard she's dating my brother."

"As opposed to?"

"No one I suppose, it's just unlike him - a pureblood Slytherin girlfriend, they might even let him back into the family," he spoke with all the calculated calmness of a boy discussing a math problem. "I would have expected..."

"A Mudblood Gryffindor?" she scowled at him, hating the disdain in his expression as he looked her up and down.

"I didn't think you were capable of doing that... standing up for yourself - although it must not be very often since you've rolled over like a- a... dog." His eyes brushed up and down her body and she felt herself squirm.

"Why did you help me then? Back on my first? Why would you tell them bugger off if you're just going to be a jerk here and now?" she asked him, more confused than angry.

"Rumor has it there's something special about you, I either want it from you or want to extort it," he bounced his eyebrows at her, "at least I did... until I learned it wasn't nearly important enough for Slughorn to care."

"He invites me to his parties... but I don't go," Virginia replied, trying to keep as much dignity as she possibly could. Although dignity was to truly be damned in this particular conversation - in a bustling, lavender smelling classroom practically dripping with purple where one of the people talking had to practically crouch to not bang his head. Her eyes unwillingly flicked to Pandora.

"Did she tell you that you didn't belong there?" he raised his eyebrows, "people will always tell you that you don't belong and it's usually because they don't either. A wise person told me that," he hummed to himself lightly, "but in most cases - she's just a jerk." He shrugged, before walking off to sit with them.

To say she was thoroughly confused would be an understatement as Virginia chose a carpet to sit on, waiting for Professor Gonn.

"She was so covered in draperies, it wasn't even funny. She, she clicked somehow?" Virginia said with wide eyes as she sat in between Fabian and Gideon at the next period. "Like every time she moved, now I'm not saying it's bad but at the same time, I think she thinks she's God not just a messenger. Although I doubt she's even that."

Fabian chuckled, "thanks for killer recommendation Gin."

"Will be signing up," Gideon said with a little snort, shooting finger guns at her.

"Is everyone calling me some variation of Ginny now?" Virginia threw up her hands in defeat.

Fabian and Gideon leaned back in their seats to make eye contact with each other. "What's that muggle thing you taught us?" Gideon asked, a mischievous glimmer in his wicked little eyes.

"Yeah," Fabian snickered, "the one with the-the parchment and the stones?"

"Rock, Paper, Scissors?" Virginia chortled, "yeah you uh-"

"No, no I remember," Gideon said, shoving his fist in his twins direction. Fabian followed suit.

"Rock," said Fabian.

"Paper," said Gideon.

"Scissors!" They both cried together.

"Yes!" Fabian said with a grin as he held up his fist, "I win and I call Virge."

'Virge?" Virginia echoed as she heard the door at the back of the classroom enter and saw Professor Kunlo striding it.

"And I've got Ia," Gideon smirked.

"E-a?" she said, slowly.

"Since you don't like Ginny say hello to..." Fabian was biting back a snicker.

"Virge and Ia," Gideon finished with his brother. She face palmed as she opened her textbook as the Professor settled at the front of the class.

She stared down at the page in front of her, Thestrals. She didn't think such things were necessarily evil but Professor Kunlo almost convinced her otherwise with his violent rantings.

"Hey Remus," she shouted as she ran into the Great Hall that afternoon. He looked up from where he sat at the table reading a book balanced against his pumpkin juice as he took some bites from a waffle. He looked up at her awkwardly, he hadn't really been able to look at her properly since the incident that weekend. "I was wondering what your opinions on Thestrals are because Professor Kunlo says they are violent instruments of death..."

"Not at all," he chuckled, "I know where some-" He coughed and looked away.

"Remus..." she trailed off slowly before slinging one leg over the bench and sitting down , "I understand you feel bad. But honestly it's okay. Sirius and I are on talking terms and we are fine. I mean potions class is different for sure but that's because you guys don't have to pester me anymore." Virginia chuckled but he didn't look like he was going to laugh, "I don't blame you for what happened, I agreed to go and it was my own dumb fear that got me in trouble. I promise you I'm not resentful towards you in the slightest."

Remus looked up at her and a smile grew on his face, "thank you Ginny. And I was meaning to ask you... you seem so- so not boy centered and your greatest fear is... him rejecting you?"

Virginia sighed and ran a hand through her hair, "I've done a lot of thinking and it's not about the rejection. It's... well... I don't know how to explain it in great detail but in order to come back next year I have to kiss someone. I can't kiss James because Lily. I can't kiss you because you're basically my brother. I can't kiss Peter... because..." she coughed to cover up her mumble before rattling on, "the twins are too young and Frank... would be weird too. I guess Sirius is the only person who it wouldn't be weird with, you know? For a non committal little peck, if he wasn't dating Pandora of course."

"So your biggest fear is really... not being able to come back?" Remus confirmed, putting his hand on her shoulder comfortingly. She fiddled with her hands in her lap and nodded. "I'll help you find someone to kiss," he promised lightly, "someone you actually like, someone you may even date," he wiggled his eyebrows to punctuate the statement - which made Virginia giggle.

She stood up and grinned down at Remus, "you said you know some Thestrals are? I'd love to see some again."

Remus took a breath before agreeing, "meet us in the Common Room after it's emptied tonight."