"I was thinking about leaving again
It all depends
Are we just friends?"
In which Madeline Potter
and Sirius Black aren't
allowed to fancy each other,
...
Everything seemed to happen at once, Sirius had fallen fully onto the small bed as Madeline had shoved him off of her, a thin sheet wrapped around his waist. His face still read confusion, especially as Madeline pulled her comforter into a dress and shut her door harshly, locking Remus in the corner. He was facing her pale blue walls, heat crawling up his neck quicker than any seeker he'd ever seen.
"Oh, thank Merlin," Sirius sighed, laying back on the bed in relief, covering his face.
"How is any of this good?" Madeline snapped.
"Well, for starters, I thought you called me Remus," Sirius said, making Madeline glare whilst she turned a shade of pink, "And it's not James."
"Rem, you don't have to stay turned around."
"I can't look at either of you."
"Moony, don't be dramatic—"
"What the hell's wrong with you?" Remus questioned loudly, whirling around to face Sirius. The shock of his glare made Sirius' elbow supporting his head buckle, "I told you not to—"
"To be fair, it was a bit too late for that talk anyway," Sirius informed after recovering slightly.
Remus let out a frustrated noise, turning to Madeline. The girl was chewing on her bottom lip, disheveled chocolate hair falling over flushed cheeks, the fluffy blanket wrapped tightly around endless expanses of pale skin.
"Mia wants you both to come downstairs for dessert," Remus said, "Hurry up."
"Rem—"
"Don't worry," Remus cut Madeline off harsher than intended, "I won't tell anyone."
Madeline frowned as the boy looked to Sirius once more before leaving the room in a rush, the door closed with a soft click before she even moved. And when she did it was hesitant, like Madeline wasn't even sure she could put her clothes on and go downstairs.
"Mads—"
"What if he hates me?" Madeline blurted, a pair of pajama pants hanging in her hands, the blanket still wrapped around her figure. "I mean, what if one of my best friends— only friends—hates me now?"
"Remus doesn't hate you," Sirius sighed quietly, tugging his t-shirt over his head. "He's angry with me."
Madeline brought her hand to her mouth, chewing on her thumbnail as Sirius got dressed. The girl didn't move a millimeter until Sirius stood fully in front of her, running his hands over her bare shoulders and leaving goosebumps in their wake.
"You alright?"
"Blue and Kai know, too."
Madeline was expecting Sirius to panic. To be frantic or angry or something that would make it easy for her to abandon the relationship and not feel like the rope in a game of tug-of-war, but he didn't.
"Okay," Sirius nodded thoughtfully, "Maddie, why don't we just tell James?"
"Because he'll hate me," Madeline said quietly, "And you—"
"Don't worry about me," He cut her off, tightening his lips briefly, "You need to get dressed."
"I don't know if I can go face everyone— not James or Remus."
"I'll be right next to you, Mads."
". . . Fine."
ϟ
Dessert was painful for Madeline Potter. Sirius seemed to be a professional at acting normal, he'd fallen into a joking mood with Fleamont and James the second they arrived in the dining room.
But Madeline just poked her pie.
She picked apart the crust, then cut the apples in halves, then fourths. She squished the filling between the prongs of her fork, watching it glisten in the pale yellow light like amber. Madeline twirled her fork between her fingers like it was a ballerina putting on a show, all while leaning on her left arm.
"Maddie?"
The girl looked up at her father, raising her eyebrows.
"Are you alright?"
"Fine," The girl responded tiredly, ignoring worried looks from just about everyone. "May I be excused?"
"Of course," Euphemia said with a tight smile, "Good night, Lovie."
"Night, Mum," Madeline mumbled, pressing a kiss to her mother's cheek before taking her plate to the kitchen.
Euphemia sighed, fiddling with her fingers as Madeline passed the dining room again, hurrying up the stairs with one hand on the railing for balance.
"I think we were too hard on her," Euphemia said once she heard the door of Madeline's bedroom close. "She wasn't meaning to do anything bad."
"You think?" Fleamont questioned almost nervously, "I suppose it matters why she did it."
"Well, at least she didn't lie."
Fleamont and Euphemia gave James disapproving looks, the boy letting out a confused 'what?' as Sirius began to chuckle. His confusion grew as Sirius' laughter grew uncontrollable, but eventually, the Potter boy caved and began laughing along.
And Remus Lupin was staring at his own uneaten pie because the last thing he needed, or wanted, was another bloody secret.
( AUTHOR'S NOTE. ) Remus deserves the world
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