Secrets (wolfstar)

Part Eighteen

"It was?" Sirius found himself asking, only to be hit with sharp look that made him awkwardly add "I just mean I thought I offended you or something."

Lucy looked around for a moment before pulling Sirius off to the side. They were slightly off the main walkway now, though still near the enterance to the school. For a second Sirius worried that she had pulled him over here to snog and suddenly became very nervous and tried to take a step back.

"Look, I just kinda want to date someone" She said, for the first time she lost some of her composure, seeming a little sad and downtrodden.

"Okay, but maybe it should be someone you actually like" he said starting to feel bad for her though he didn't know why. There was a long pause, and suddenly it clicked for Sirius. "There is someone you like. Are you trying to make them jealous?"

"Not exactly" she said she was looking everywhere but at Sirius now, and fiddling her fingers "we just wanna keep things quiet for now, and people were getting suspicious so they said I should date some guy, that'll shut them up"

"That's insane who is this guy?" Sirius asked but when he was met with only silence another thing clicked in his head "or girl?"

There was a pause and for a second Sirius thought she wasn't going to tell him.

"I know you don't like her very much but it's Bellatrix, your cousin" she said looking up at him for the first time.

"Yeah you're right I don't like her very much." He said suddenly thinking he probably wouldn't help.

"Look i know Bella can be rude, and cruel." She said in a pleading tone. "But it's all a front. She just wants to fit in. She is actually sweet to me, and smart and beautiful. I know you hate her, but you're friends with Remus and you stood by him, so I thought.."

"Oh yeah Remus." Sirius hated that was his take away and how his thoughts flew back to the fair haired boy. For the first time since it happened Sirius wanted to tell someone he kissed Remus, or the times. But then he remembered the taunting he received, and watched Remus receive. And this interaction only made him realize how much deeper rooted this problem was. His cousin struck fear into every single person in this school, professors included. And if she was scared to share her secret, it meant there must be real shit.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have even asked" Lucy said "just please don't tell anyone."

She turned to leave but he stopped her.

"I'm sorry that you are going through that" he started genuinely feeling terrible for Lucy. She might hate him, or she definitely hates him, but she doesn't deserve this, no one did. "I can help you."

She looked utterly shocked, "Really? Why?"

"You're right it's messed up that you have to hide it and I wanna help. Plus I don't trust Bellatrix at all and I want to make sure she doesn't do anything nasty to you."

There was a third reason but Sirius couldn't admit that. This whole situation just felt like the easiest way around his own problem. He couldn't possibly have feelings for Remus, or any bloke for that matter if he had a girlfriend. He would be able to move passed whatever he had felt when he had been with Remus.

Suddenly he felt arms wrap around him and much to his surprise Lucy was hugging him, and by the small shakes in her body he wonder if she was laughing. But as they pulled apart he realized she was crying slightly.

"I'm sorry" she muttered wiping her eyes "I've been quite stressed"

"It's okay." He replied awkwardly "should we head in"