Genetics • Sirius Black

Chapter Fifty Four: Being Rude Has Never Stopped You Before.

It has occurred to me that I have made an error. In all my plans, I have forgotten to take into account people. Strange creatures. I see why Regs prefers dragons as his studies.

Nearing the hour before curfew, Freya Grey left the common room, worried about no one seeing her since Regulus Black had gone and never come down. Freya discovered that she has an uncanny ability to upset people with only a few words. Something she would be more proud of if one of those people was not Regs.

Unlike most people, his being upset at her was hard to compartmentalize. It happened every so often, like at the dance when they argued, but each time it stung a little like it was the first.

The first time she upset him, she honestly thought he would never speak to her again, and that had been when she was only a tiny second year. To this day, she was not wholly sure how saying "you drew him very prettily" was an insult. She had her theories, but none he had confirmed with her.

Freya Grey felt someone's gaze on the back of her neck. A chill ran up her spine, and she tilted her head slightly to see if she could see them in her peripheral. Turning down the nearest hallway, Freya snapped around to see who was coming for her, wand out in an instant. But, it quickly clattered to the side of the hall, and Lily Evans stood before her, stunned and apologetic, her long willow wand pointed in front of her.

"Sorry." Eyes wide, Lily was frozen, now realizing what she'd done. "You don't typically use the nicest spells. I didn't know if you were gonna--"

"It's alright." Freya brushed off, then picked up her wand off the floor and eyed the redhead. "Did you want to duel?"

"Oh, right." Lily tucked her wand in her pocket. "I wanted to talk to you."

"Very well."

Biting her lip, Lily softened her posture. "Remus told me."

Swallowing, Freya maintained her casual coldness. "Told you what exactly?"

"Everything."

"You figured it out beforehand."

Lily's mouth opened slightly, then she considered her following words. "Technically, yes, but I wanted it to come from him."

"When did he tell you?"

"Not long ago, maybe a few weeks."

A few weeks... as in before Lily and Remus's date to the dance.

Something of jealousy ran through Freya. Lily was not crying or pleading; Remus had not rejected her friendship. In fact, he told Lily. Rationally, Freya knew that they were two different situations; however, it still stung.

After a moment, Freya nodded her chin. "Thank you for sharing." Then, she continued walking down the corridors.

"Freya." Lily jogged up to her, then stood in front of her. "I think you should talk to him."

"He has made his opinion on me clear. I plan to respect that."

Lily sighed, then ran her hands through her hair. "Come on, you barely listen to any rules unless you agree with them, and I know in your heart you don't agree with this one." Softly, she said. "Talk to him."

A figure of stone, Freya tried her best to not seem rude. "Lily, Lupin is a big boy. He can make his own decisions."

"He hasn't been thinking clearly; he thinks he's damned because of his conditioned." Frustrated, Lily didn't understand why she was acting this way but didn't let it get in the way of the conversation. "If you don't speak to him, he'll think you think that too."