eloquence | sirius black ✓

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

REMUS' GIFT

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"I forgot to give this to you before, but happy birthday, Di," said Remus, handing the Slytherin a neatly-wrapped parcel. (Diana had to admit, Remus wrapped all his presents neatly.) (Although his handwriting was messy, Remus John Lupin was a fairly tidy person, and Diana Allister was a witness of that.) It was wrapped in red and green wrapping, as if it was a Christmas present instead of a birthday present.
       Red. For Gryffindor. Green. For Slytherin. Two of their houses' colours mixed together. Diana smiled at the thought of that, blushing slightly. It could've been the cold air around them, or it was just the fact that Remus was a sweet person to do that.
       "Thanks, Moony," replied Diana with a smile. Remus returned the smile quickly. That bloody smile that Diana loved and had seen nearly everyday at Hogwarts.
Diana ripped it open slowly (and carefully), opening it to see what was inside. She opened the dark red box inside it, curious of what would be inside it.
It was a book. A muggle book, to be precise. (Diana loved muggle books, although her father despised them. Her mother, although, tolerated them, and that was good enough for her.) It was called Little Women by Louisa M. Alcott. Diana wanted to buy that book, but her parents wouldn't let her because it was a 'muggle book' and it would make Diana more 'caring to muggles' and become a traitor like Sirius Black. Diana's smile became wider as she opened the book, reading the first pages. Diana dropped the box to the floor of the library, hugging Remus tightly he could be suffocated. She didn't want to suffocate him, though. Remus returned the hug, placing his hands on Diana's back, stroking it. Diana looked up to Remus, a happy gleam in her eyes. The gleam that Remus John Lupin fell in love with. The gleam that he wanted to see in her very eyes when she met him. The gleam that made him happy because she was happy.
       "Thank you, Rems," said Diana, hand still wrapped around Remus' neck.
       Diana let go of the Gryffindor seconds later, out of breath. She did truly love him. Perhaps platonically, perhaps romantically. She didn't know how her feelings were at all. She didn't know if she truly had a crush on him or not.
       "I thought you'd like it," said Remus, flicking away some stray hair from Diana's face. Diana tiptoed, being the short girl she is, and gave Remus a quick kiss on the cheek, then waving to him, taking the book, and going back to the Slytherin dorms to spend the rest of the day with Ivory, just like she promised to the Slytherin. She did promise Ivory, and Ivory wasn't really a patient person. Diana would rather get there before Ivory did, rather than late. Or on time; that'd be nice too, she supposed.
       The Slytherin looked back, only to see Remus with a hand on the cheek she kissed him on.
       Diana winked at the Marauder. She went back into the Great Hall, heading left towards a hallway. She passed through places and paintings, finally reaching the stony stairs leading to the dungeons, and the Potions' classroom. Diana went down the stone stairs, hearing the distant sound of water dripping down from the ceiling.
It happened sometimes, as the Slytherin dungeons were under the Black Lake. Diana had grown to get used to the sound.
In matter of fact, the sound was somehow comforting in an odd way. Hogwarts was her home, after all, and she was comfortable there. It felt like home rather than anywhere else, and that even included Allister Manor. Allister Manor felt cold and heartless. Hogwarts felt warm and it felt like happiness was erupting inside her when she came back for another year in the castle.
Diana went in the Slytherin Common Room, heading back to the girls' dormitories. Diana went inside her room and slammed the door close.
"Where have you been?" asked Ivory, sitting on her bed, worried for her. Not so worried. Ivory didn't really care about anyone, but when she did, she really did, truly, care about that person. She was quite worried enough of Diana, and that was enough for herself.
Diana took a deep breath. "Receiving by birthday present from Lily, James, Peter, and Remus."
Ivory looked at Diana suspiciously. Diana smiled at the Slytherin, shrugging as her book bag landed with a thump. On the floor by her bed. Luckily, the contents didn't spill out. That happened sometimes, unfortunately.
"Here's your birthday present." said Ivory, handing her a messily wrapped parcel. "I took work wrapping it. Why did muggles invent wrapping? And most importantly- why do wizards not have a spell to do that?" asked Ivory, not realizing that there was actually a spell to wrap parcels neatly as the owner's desire. Ivory was never the best at Charms – but she was good at Transfiguration and History of Magic.
       That was an odd thing, in Diana's opinion. Being good at History of Magic – the most boring class. The only class taught by a ghost. But Ivory really loved history, and had spent her spare time reading history books. She had a fascination of it, and many students had questioned why she was even fascinated by the topic, but Ivory shrugged her off, for there was no apparent reason sue was interested in history. She just was. She never told Diana why either, since she just didn't know why she was interested in learning about the most boring subject in Hogwarts. Personally, in Diana's opinion, History of Magic was a boring subject. Nevertheless, she studied hard for it and always thrived for excellent grades in it; and achieved if, of course.
"Because they already did, Greengrass," said Diana sarcastically with a roll of her eyes, almost laughing at her fellow Slytherin and friend. "The spell is 'wrap'. All you need is to point your wand to the parcel. It's like 'point me', not needing a spell to say," Ivory widened her eyes in realization as Diana said that. She looked dumb.
Ivory looked like she wanted to punch herself. Diana smirked at her roommate's expression. "Damn," muttered Ivory.
Diana ripped open the parcel. It was a necklace with an emerald on the centre of it. "Thank you, Ivory." said Diana, giving her friend a tight hug, although it wasn't as tight as the one she gave to Remus. Nonetheless, it was a sincere hug and she poured out all of her affection for Ivory from it.
       "Why'd you been hanging with the Gryffindors, anyways?" asked Ivory questioningly. She was quite curious; and studious, but she was lazy.
       "Lily's hanging out with Sev and Sev's my friend. Remus is my study partner, you could say," said Diana, cheeks turning slightly red. Remus was probably more than a so-called 'study partner'. "Potter and Black are Remus's friends. I don't like them at all, honestly."
       Ivory smirked at Diana's blushing face at the mention of Remus as her study partner. The blonde-haired girl shook her head and started doubling up, laughing. Diana looked confused, an odd expression etched upon her face.
       "Remus is obviously not just a study buddy, eh?" said Ivory, with amusement dancing in her eyes. At that very point, Diana wanted to curl up into a ball and avoid Ivory. That was probably the most embarrassing moment in her life. Diana's cheeks reddened even more. Ivory just giggled at her friend.
       "I'm not telling you anything." said Diana after she stopped blushing.
       "Then I'll figure it out on my own. We Slytherins are resourceful, Allister." said Ivory with a mischievous smirk.
       "Then I'll get my resources to stop you."
       Ivory threw her hands up in the air, to signify the fact that she was defeated. There was a knock at the door. Ivory opened the door, only to reveal Walsh, their other roommate. Walsh spoke up. "Snape is there to see you."
       Diana nodded at Walsh, forgetting what her first name was. Diana went out of the girls' dorms and went into the Slytherin Common Room, where Severus was waiting for her (Lily gave Diana her present already. She gave her a book called Romeo and Juliet. By William Shakespeare. Potter gave her a book too; War and Peace. He admitted that he liked the book. Black didn't give her anything yet). Diana waved to Severus, who gestured her to sit at one of the sofas at the Slytherin Common Room. Severus handed her the present ("You might like it, Ana."), which Diana opened quickly, only to reveal a Potions book. The Intermediate Guide to Potions by Arsenius Jigger, the cover said. Diana opened the book, only to find side notes Severus wrote to help her with Potions.
       "I love it, Sev. Thank you," said Diana, giving the Slytherin a smile.
       "Well, you's quite terrible at Potions," said the Slytherin with a roll of his eyes. Diana felt the urge to punch him at that very second, taken aback from what he had just said. Diana has gotten an Outstanding in all subjects, and a rare Exceeds Expectations in Potions at times, sometimes an Acceptable, but there was never anything lower than that.
       "I am not!" exclaimed Diana in complain.
       "Yes you are," said Severus with a plain expression on his face. It was clear that he was trying not to laugh. He was trying to hide his emotions, keeping an emotionless expression.
       "I only failed a potion once," said Diana with a sigh, sick of what Severus was saying.
       "I got an Outstanding," Severus pointed out.
       "Exceeds Expectations is enough," said Diana softly. She knew he was joking, but Diana rarely made jokes. She took most things seriously and that comment hurt her, although she didn't show it to him. She just pretended that she wasn't hurt from what he was saying.
       "You added too much Horklump Juice," Severus criticized. It felt like a blow to her stomach.
       Diana was a perfectionist and she hated the mistakes she made. She felt like she wanted to rip her eyeballs out, even when she made a small mistake she flinched. "Well, yeah," she said, her heart sinking as her eyes stung.
       Diana finally gave in to Severus at the end, which made the Slytherin have a triumphant smile on his face. A smile that was reserved for Diana and Lily only, not shown to others at all. The Allister girl hugged Severus tightly to thank him for the present, despite the words he said that hurt her. Diana hated herself. She cried too easily and laughed too easily. Curse my damned sensitive feelings, she thought silently, looking up to the sky to fight back the tears. She had to be strong.
       "Thank you once again," said Diana, letting go of Severus. Severus looked like he was being strangled by a bear. She hoped that she would choke him, but she decided to not do it.
       "You nearly choked me to death, Di." said Severus, taking a deep breath. "You could've killed me with that hug of yours. Are you descended from a bear? Because your hugs are like death. I'm serious, Di," he finished.
      "You're not Sirius you're — "
      " — fuck off, Di — "
       " — Severus." Diana ended.
       That day was one of the best birthdays Diana Allister ever had. September fourteen was indeed a great day. All she had to do was wait for Jaime and Victoria's presents to be given to her. Victoria always found a way to give a present to her, no matter what. She was mischievous at times. And yet very intelligent and wise, even for her young age, she knew a lot about the wizarding world and mature topics even Jaime didn't knew.
       She was ready for a surprise.

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q: favourite colour?

a: probably pink, maybe red or maroon