MILLIES POV
Ron was kneeling on the floor, trembling, with a ripped bit of parchment in his hands.
"Ron?" I said, turning to look at Harry, who was standing in the doorway.
"What's that, mate?" he asked softly, taking a step towards his best friend.
Ron didn't look up. He just continued staring at the parchment, his voice shaking as he whispered, "This better be some kind of joke."
Harry and I exchanged an anxious look.
"What do you mean?" said Harry, slowly walking over to Ron and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Let me see..."
Harry took one look at the note and all the colour in his face disappeared. My heart pounded as Ron finally looked up at me - the hate painted on his face was enough to make anyone shrivel away.
"What?" I said quietly, squeezing the end of my skirt. "What is it-"
"Is it true?" Ron croaked, shaking his head disbelievingly. Harry still hadn't looked up.
"Is what true?"
Ron flung the parchment at me and I instantly caught it - perks of being a Chaser. I unwrapped it, trying to think of what it could possibly be - it looked like a bit of a ripped up letter:
...ow it, and we've met before, and I need to talk to you again, Millie Donovan. Trust me.
- Sirius Black.
I read the note at least twenty times before I looked up again.
My eyes landed on Ron first. His blue eyes were narrowed, but not in anger; he looked so deeply betrayed, so fearful, that I thought he was going to start crying. He kept shaking his head, looking between me and the note as though begging for me to tell him it wasn't true. My throat ran dry as I stared at him, my mind completely fuzzy. And yet I still wished that it was just him and I in the room, because I really didn't want to meet the other boys eyes.
But I did. Hazel met green, and my heart shattered in a matter of seconds. There was only one word to describe how Harry looked; completely and utterly hurt. His lips were slightly parted, as though trying to say something. His eyebrows were furrowed, and I suspected that his mind was racing at a million miles an hour. His hand was digging into Ron's shoulder so tightly that I thought Ron was going to push him away, but neither of them moved. The two boys just kept staring at me...their faces full of pain...waiting...
"I don't know what this is," I said finally, waving the parchment uselessly. "I really don't-"
"It was on the floor," Ron muttered, "exactly where I saw Black standing. He must've dropped it..."
"Ron, I swear-" My voice trailed away, my throat feeling so dry that I coughed. "I have no idea why-"
"You must do, Millie," he growled suddenly, glaring at me through blurred eyes. "Why else would it have your fucking name on it?"
"I don't know!" I snapped back, my nails digging into my palms. "You don't - you really - you actually believe that I've been talking to Sirius Black?"
"I don't believe it, Millie, I bloody know it!" Ron stood up, taking a step towards me. "It has your name on it! Black's signed it, for crying out loud! He must've broken into the school to give you that letter...got the wrong dormitory and panicked...I suppose you just got with Harry to get more information from him, huh? Tell us, how long have you been reporting back to Black?"
"Why would you ever say something like that!" I yelled, glaring at him. "You think I've pretended to like you all for more than two years to report back to some bloke from Azkaban?"
"I said Harry actually, but thanks for the confirmation that it's all of us!" said Ron sarcastically, violently wiping a tear from his cheek. "And it's not just some bloke from Azkaban, it's the man who basically killed your boyfriend's parents!"
"He's also the man that betrayed my Dad!" I argued, my voice raising. "How dare you accuse me of - what - helping him or something? I don't know if you remember, but you heard what Fudge said at Hogsmeade! Dad was broken the day Harry's parents died! Why the fuck would I join forces with the man that did it?"
"I don't know," Ron growled, "why don't we go and tell Dumbledore, if you haven't done anything? I'm sure he would love to know how a mass-murderer is writing to one of his students like they're best friends!"
"It's one bloody sentence, Ron-"
"One sentence that tells us quite a lot, don't you think?" Harry had spoken for the first time; I was taken aback of how little emotion there was in his voice. My gaze softened as I looked at him.
"Harry," I croaked, "tell me you believe me. I would never ever do something like that...something like that to you..."
"I don't know what to believe, Millie," Harry muttered, avoiding my eyes. My heart sunk even lower at the sound of my full name - he hadn't used it in over two years. "On the night of the party you let slip-"
"I didn't let anything slip," I interrupted - hurt ran through me as both of the boys shared a disbelieving look. How could they actually think I would do something like this? "I tell you everything, Harry-"
"Let me finish," Harry growled, and I seemed to shrivel up at the anger and pained tone of his voice. "On the night of the party, you told me that you'd already been outside once already, and when I asked you why, you said it didn't matter. Tell me why you went outside. Was it because -" He paused, narrowing his eyes "-you were meeting Black?"
"You're talking absolute bullshit!" I cried, anger bubbling in my stomach. "I went out there to get away from McGonagall! I was with Mione, I can get her to tell you-"
"Go on then." Harry gestured towards the door, and I quickly swivelled around on my heel. Mione was standing in the hallway, her hands over her mouth and her eyes streaming - she'd heard everything.
"Mione-"
"Millie," she choked, staring at the letter. "Why - how - how does he even know your name?"
I groaned. "I - don't - know. Maybe because he was friends with my Dad-?"
"Is."
"What?" I turned back to Harry in disbelief. I took one glance at his face and looked away - he looked so hurt...so betrayed... "You think - you're saying that - that my Dad is still friends with Black?"
"Maybe," said Harry, eyeing the letter. "Why else would you talk to him?"
"Now you're being even more stupid," I growled, clenching my jaw. "I haven't talked to him. I don't know why that letter is here. I don't know why it has my name on it. All I know is that I hate Black just as much as you do, so please stop accusing me-"
"We aren't accusing you, Millie!" Ron cried, half-laughing. "There's proof! You're literally holding a letter sent to you by a mass-murderer! Obviously we are going to be a bit concerned-!"
"And I get that!" I shouted, scrunching the letter up slightly in my fist. "What I don't get is how you actually believe that I would do something like that! You said I was your sister, Ron, and yet you still-!"
"Oh, forgive me if I'm not begging for a hug, right now!" Ron yelled, stomping his foot. "You know what-"
"Mr Weasley!"
I whipped my body around once again to come face-to-face with - Dumbledore.
"Professor?" I breathed, watching as he walked calmly into the dormitory. My eyes landed on Mione, who was stood beside a panicked-looking Percy - she had clearly told Percy, who had gone and alerted Dumbledore.
"Millie," said Dumbledore warmly, bowing his head. "Harry, Mr Weasley..."
I looked back at Harry and our eyes instantly met; although my heart ached at the pain swimming in his emerald eyes, I couldn't help but feel angry by the fact that he seriously thought that I had been in contact with Sirius Black. That's why I looked away, returning my attention to Dumbledore.
"May I look at that, Millie?" he asked, holding his hand out towards me, his blue eyes fixed on the parchment.
"S'not like I have a choice," I grumbled, handing it to the headmaster. "Oh, careful, I might've jinxed it like Black apparently jinxed the Firebolt." I shot Mione a cold look.
"I never said that," I heard Ron mumble.
I scoffed. "Yes, but we all know you're thinking it-"
"Please." Dumbledore held a hand out to stop me talking. "Millie, if you may come with me."
I gaped at him. "Sir-"
"We will talk about this further in my office," said Dumbledore. He said it kindly, but it was fierce, so I didn't object. "As for the rest of you, please stay in Gryffindor Tower. I regret to inform you that Sirius Black did indeed manage to get away again-"
"Try not to cry, Millie," Ron hissed, and I swear to Merlin if Dumbledore hadn't been in the room I would've attacked the boy.
"-but for now, please remain here. Millie, if you may..." Dumbledore gestured to the door.
"Fine," I said, trying not to make my voice shake. "But just so you know-" I forced myself to stare right into Harry's eyes, and he stared right back, "-I haven't spoken to Sirius Black in my life, and I am not bloody planning on it. And I hope there is a way to prove it, because I will happily do whatever it takes. Harry-" I cleared my throat, stepping forward, "-I thought you trusted me? Do you trust me?"
And I waited, waited desperately for the word I so wanted to hear, the word I expected to hear...but it didn't come. Harry, my closest person, just continued staring at me, his eyes narrowed and his mouth shut tight.
I nodded, trying to ignore the tightening feeling in my stomach. I felt tears form behind my eyelids, but I blinked forcibly - I wasn't about to cry in front of these people. One sentence and they turned against me, so quickly. My word should've been enough to reassure them. How could they not trust me? One fucking sentence...
"Okay..." I muttered, turning around and walking out of the dormitory, pushing past a sobbing Hermione without sparing her a glance. I could vaguely hear Dumbledore talking, but about what, I didn't care. I quickly walked down the staircase, looking at the step where Harry had tried to kiss me less that fifteen minutes ago. I scowled, jumping the last couple of steps and bumping into someone.
"Millie?" Lyra grabbed my hands, scanning my face anxiously. "What's wrong? There's something wrong, I can tell-"
"Go and ask Hermione," I hissed, pulling away from her and marching across the common room, ignoring Dean's shouts to rejoin them by the fire.
One question kept repeating itself in my brain; why does Sirius Black want to talk to me? I felt a mix of emotions; anger, upset, anxious, confused, but mainly, hurt. I felt so hurt. The fact that my two best friends and my boyfriend hadn't believed me, hadn't trusted me...Sirius Black was an awful, awful man, and Harry, Ron and Hermione actually believed that I was communicating with him, perhaps even working with him...I was furious.
The only thing I was certain about was that if I ever did meet Sirius Black, I would let my power loose - and I'd make sure he'd die.
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Thank you to shikanac for the inspiration for this chapter!!💗💗💗