Mid-March 1978
Kelsey,
Figured you might need these notes as well. I sent the original ones to Mary. These are a copy. Let me know if I can help with anything else.
xx
Benji
"That blithering perv!" Sirius snatched the letter from Kelsey's hand at the Hufflepuff table. He had initially approached her to talk things over with their recent tiff in the common room last weekend.
"SIRIUS!" Kelsey got up immediately and went to grab it from him.
"So what, now you're writing to him?" he said testily.
Kelsey's nostrils flared and she lifted the remaining stack of NEWT notes and waved them in front of his face.
"Must you be so dramatic?"
"I don't like that bloke," he eyed the paper.
"Well," she said icily. "Right now, I don't like you." She crossed her arms. "You've been avoiding me since that night."
To say she was irritated was an understatement. She had spent the last two days being avoided during which she had managed to channel her frustration into a plan to expose Pettigrew.
"I'm here now, yeah?" Sirius looked guilty before frowning. "Besides I don't see why you couldn't have just asked Moony for notes-"
"You mean between all those times I've seen you four scamper away at the sight of me?" she seethed.
"Kelsey," he tried to reach out to her but she stepped back.
"Look just.." she stopped to swat his hand away. She was on edge. "..I'll see you later, okay?"
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Step 1: Acquire full-body invisibility? Check.
Step 2: Make yourself scarce? Check.
Step 3: Follow the rat? In-progress.
Kelsey looked behind to make sure she wasn't visible under her disillusionment charm. She was good. At eight in the evening, the corridors were mostly empty and Mission 'Rat the Rat' was in motion. She had been keeping a close on Peter Pettigrew for the last week although it had been a task now that he was on to her.
Sirius was still miffed at her with the letter incident but it wasn't something she hadn't been able to solve with a special surprise after Quidditch practice for the last match of the year. One well-timed appearance in the boys' locker room after making sure Sirius was the last one remaining had forced him to face her. She found that she could be very persuasive when in the mood. Remembering the bold actions made her cheeks heat up and she had to slap them to make herself focus.
Now that they were back on talking terms, she could proceed with this plan in peace. She was currently following him.
Pettigrew was taking the familiar route to Dumbledore's office in a scurry holding a long object sheathed in a dark cloth. Despite the charm in effect, Kelsey would have to dive behind pillars every time he looked back in her worry.
It's strange, she thought. Almost as if he knows I'm following him. But she couldn't for the life of her figure out how he would know that.
To stay safe, she put some extra distance between them and almost lost him in the process. Two corridors away from the office, she came closer once again hearing voices around the corner.
Once more, Pettigrew looked back and she flattened herself against the nearest pillar. She ran headfirst into another person that distracted her enough for the charm to wear off.
"Oof!" She smacked against a hard chest.
"You really don't know when to let it go, do you?" a furious voice hissed.
"Let me go, Black," Kelsey looked panicked. She met the younger Black brother in a staring match.
"Do you have a death wish? Following them around?" Regulus asked her, furtively looking around them.
"I need to know what that rat's up to," she insisted.
"You and me both," he whispered. "But you have the subtlety of an elephant," he sounded annoyed. "Come on. And stay behind me," Regulus threw his own lesser version of a mass-produced Invisibility Cloak over them and she had no choice but to follow.
"Why are you being nice to me?" she questioned.
"It's not like I have a choice, do I?" His attention remained ahead. "You keep showing up. Like bloody Doxies in my family home," he muttered.
"Hey!" Kelsey took offense.
"Ssh!"
They were outside the entrance to Dumbledore's office.
They waited with Pettigrew until Mulciber showed up in a few minutes. Pettigrew leaned in to whisper something that they couldn't catch. Kelsey tried to get closer but Regulus held her back.
"Something feels wrong," he mumbled.
Mulciber then looked directly in their direction and grinned cunningly. Almost as if he could see them. Kelsey's heart almost stopped.
"No. This is definitely a trap," Regulus stated.
"It's too late now," she murmured just as Mulciber shot a spell in their direction. Kelsey ducked down and the false cloak fell off her while keeping Black hidden still.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Mulciber sneered. "I knew something was up. It was you the other day too wasn't it?"
"I knew you were up to something you rat!" she hissed and got up.
"I'd say you're the one following him, right? What right have you got?" Mulciber narrowed his eyes dangerously.
Kelsey could see him toying with the wand in his hand. On instinct, they both stepped back assuming a duel stance when Pettigrew interrupted.
"Company," he sounded worried, looking at some piece of paper. Kelsey was confused when Mulciber suddenly decided to make a break for it. She was about to follow him when Pettigrew stood in her way to stop her.
"Pettigrew!" Kelsey looked him in the eye. "Move or detention will be the least of your problems."
"You see.. I don't think it will." He didn't appear fazed at all.
"What are you doing?" she demanded. Her chest was heavy as Mulciber disappeared from sight. She was about to push his chest to back him off when a hand grabbed hers from nowhere.
"Not now, Black, let me go," she tried to push him off but he managed to drag her away.
Pettigrew did however appear surprised to see the other Black. Regulus glared at the older boy coldly. It had been the right decision to stay hidden until Mulciber had excused himself.
"You absolute nutter!" Regulus pulled her back and turned her around. "Do you have the brains of a dung beetle?" He roughly pushed her against a stone pillar caging her in.
"What in the name of Godric?!"
Kelsey stilled.
Oh no. Oh no no no. She looked at her position. Sneaking behind a stone pillar with a younger Regulus Black.
Both turned to face the older Black sibling with Pettigrew by his side who looked smug at the turn of events. Pettigrew was toying with the object in hand. It looked like a sword of some kind but Kelsey had no idea what the big deal about it was.
"I told you she was up to something," Pettigrew hissed.
That should be my line, thought Kelsey.
"Kelsey?" Sirius' voice was hoarse as she noticed the placement of his younger brother's palm against the wall. From the looks of it, they had been arguing.
"It's not what it looks like," she said. She couldn't continue. To an extent, it was exactly what it looked like.
"What it looks like is you following Wormtail around the castle trying to catch him in a lie," Sirius said dangerously low, his fury rising.
"But I did!" she began. "You just missed that brawny bloke Mulciber," she said.
"The only Slytherin I see here is him," Sirius seethed, refusing to make eye contact.
"To think she'd actively try to sabotage us," Pettigrew continued gleefully. Kelsey was confused. Did Sirius know what Pettigrew had been doing on his way to Dumbledore's office?
"Sirius it's not.." Kelsey moved away from Regulus to reach out to him but he flinched. Just like Regulus did a week ago and her hand dropped.
"I keep telling you to leave it, why won't you just listen to me?" Sirius was irate.
"I think it is important to know why Pettigrew is hanging out with Slytherins don't you think?" she retorted to which Sirius scoffed.
"You are the only one I see you far. Tell me what are you doing making your way around the siblings?" Pettigrew incited.
"Don't include me in your squabble," Regulus said haughtily. "My business is mine. I have enough trouble going to school in the presence of mudbloods," he spat. Self-preservation was in his blood and no amount of spying on seventh years Slytherins was worth it. He took a few steps to leave when Sirius had him roughed up against the wall by the collar.
"SIRIUS NO!" Kelsey jumped to pull them apart. "Don't listen to him," she pulled Sirius back but she swatted her hand away.
"You going to hit me, dear brother?" Regulus sneered. Unsure, Sirius let go.
"Yeah, walk away!" Regulus called out. "Go running right back to your blood traitor friends and half-breed mutts," Regulus sniggered.
It took less than five seconds for Sirius to turn around and punch him in the face. Kelsey gasped as Regulus fell to his knees with a dark laugh. Despite her animosity towards the boy who kept ruining her plans, she knelt to make sure he was fine.
"Oh my God!" She tried to check Regulus' eye but he pushed her away.
"Like I said before: don't touch me mudblood." He spat some blood on the ground. All Sirius could do was stare at the scene with a gnawing feeling in his stomach.
"What is going on here?" With comic timing, James Potter and Lily Evans showed up.
"What happened?" Lily looked at the scene with Kelsey trying to fuss over the Slytherin who had a black eye and Sirius' bruised up hand.
"It's all her doing," Pettigrew ratted her out.
"Why you little sh-"
"ENOUGH!" Potter yelled silencing everyone while Sirius continued to hold a sour expression. James took a deep breath, doing a quick assessment of the situation.
"Look Sirius, mate, I'm going to have to report this to Mcgonagall and give you at least a week's worth of detention," he said to which Sirius grunted.
"It's not fair. It wasn't his-" Kelsey wanted to tell them.
"You just can't stay away can you?" Sirius asked. Weeks of tension, a double life involving small tasks around the castle with the Order while keeping it from Kelsey, and stress over keeping her safe all came down to this. Why couldn't she just do as she was told?
"It's not who I am," her voice broke. "I-I thought you knew that. Sirius I was just trying to help."
"More like put your nose where it doesn't belong," Pettigrew scoffed. Kelsey screamed internally.
"Please believe me," she pleaded. How could he ever think that she meant harm?
Sirius swallowed a lump in his throat. "Jones, I-I can't. This is too much."
"What do you mean?"
Potter and Lily looked unsurely between themselves.
"We can't keep doing this. I am doing this to keep you safe."
"I am trying to help you if you would just listen to the full story-"
"DAMMIT JONES THIS ISN'T SOME COMIC BOOK WHERE YOU FANCY YOURSELF A SUPERHERO!" The accusation echoed through the corridor.
"I guess that's it then?" she asked not tearing her eyes away from him.
"I guess so."
"Sirius, maybe you should cool down," Lily said softly.
"Leave it, Lily," Kelsey laughed dryly. "I think he's said it all."
"Fine," quipped Sirius.
"Fine," Kelsey replied coolly.
"This really is it then." It was quieter when he repeated it.
This time Kelsey was the first one to turn her back on him. Regulus was the only one who could see her expression as she faced him. And she didn't give a damn what the mudblood hater thought of her.
"It was fun while it lasted, Black." It was the final nail in the coffin. She gathered herself, masking a neutral expression before taking off on what would be a long way back to the Hufflepuff dorms.
"Yeah, fun," Sirius mumbled to himself as he watched Kelsey disappearing down the other end of the corridor. He felt heavy from his words. He had only meant some of them. But the rest just came out. He didn't need her distracting him anyway.
Wasn't it just earlier yesterday that she had shown up after practice and they had reaffirmed this feeling he had convinced himself was love? Was it that easy to let go?
Next to him, Wormtail clicked his tongue, "To think she almost found out about the Order and Dumbledore's missions."
"Why don't you three head back, I'll talk to him," Lily spoke up, indicating at Regulus who was still sitting on the ground.
"Padfoot?" James asked him softly, this time with a hand on his shoulder. "Let's get you back to the dorms with some Calming Draught. I bet Moony-" Sirius stepped away letting the hand drop.
"I'm peachy mate," said Sirius. "I'm off to blow some steam," he decided.
"That was fast. Even for you," Regulus suddenly snickered as if it wasn't just that that had earned him a black eye. "Although I guess you probably have a line of girls waiting already."
"JAMES NO!" This time it was Lily. Luckily all James had done was grab him by the collar and pull him up.
"Keep at it Potter and I might just call in foul play before the final match next weekend," the boy riled him up.
Smack!
James punched the wall right next to Regulus' face.
"EVERYONE: DORMS, NOW!" Lily yelled red in the face as she whipped out her wand to put a shield between the two boys.
It was one of the worst April evenings in a long time.
No one except, not even Peter Pettigrew slept with a smile that night.
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A/N: *runs and hides* Anywho don't forget to vote and comment!!