Monday morning at breakfast Sirius decided he wanted to talk.
I entered the Great Hall at around 7 with Marlene, Lily and Alice, as per usual. We were engaging in a light conversation about the upcoming Herbology lesson, which we were told would have something to do with Snargaluff plants. At the end of the Gryffindor table sat Sirius, Remus, James, and Peter, three of whom were conversing as well; Sirius being the silent onlooker who shifted nervously in his chair with a grim expression.
We did not sit with them, though, as had been the new custom for the past two days. We took a spot further down the table, continuing our discussion without looking over at the boys.
"Valerie said her class dealt with them on Friday," said Alice nervously. The girl she was referring to was a Ravenclaw from the second Herbology section. A Ravenclaw whom I had never met personally, but knew from the party Friday night. I poured myself some water, a strange heat washing over me as I pictured her and Remus tangled together along the wall, me opposite the two of them with my own partner...
"Um, Syd? Could we chat?" Sirius. Suddenly my drink was coughed up all over the table.
"No can do buddy," Marlene exclaimed quickly as Lily and I rushed to mop up the water. The blonde rose to steer Sirius away, but my eyes met his and some remaining feelings drew me in. Maybe a talk would resolve things.
"It's okay, Mar," I smiled slightly at her, standing up and following the boy into the hallway. I could feel 6 pairs of eyes watching us leave from both ends of the long table.
We entered the scene of our break up and walked over to one wall, sliding down to sit. Sirius looked me over, opening the door for all of my old feelings to rush back.
"How are you?" I asked genuinely. I couldn't tell if he was even slightly hurt, especially considering he thought I was having some sort of affair with his best friend.
He opened his mouth to speak but before he could a couple of second year Slytherins came around the corner laughing loudly and drawing his attention.
"Oi!" He called to them. Their smiles dropped instantly. "C'mere," he ordered, motioning one over.
The rest of the Slytherins scattered nervously into the dining hall, leaving their friend betrayed and scared shitless. He made his way over slowly.
"What's so funny?" Sirius snapped, I was nervous for the small boy.
"Um," He crumpled a small piece of paper in his hand but Sirius snatched it away. As he read it over, his expression hardened and he rose to his feet, towering over the second year. I stood up as well and Sirius handed me the paper so I could read it as he continued his interrogation.
"Where did you get this?" The sheet contained a list of names that I didn't recognize as well as a strange symbol at the bottom of a skull and a snake.
"My father sent it," the boy replied.
"And what do you think of it?" Sirius crossed his arms.
"Serves them right," the boy shrugged concededly. "You should be happier about this, Black."
There was a sudden flash of light which startled me and I jumped back with my hands up over my face. When I opened my eyes I saw Sirius gripping his wand and the boy clutching his face in horror as a large boil formed on his nose. He ran off quickly and Sirius turned back around.
"Where were we?"
"Sirius, what the hell?!"
"Kid's a Death Eater in training, I couldn't just let him off," Sirius stated, as if those words made total sense.
"I'm sorry, a death what?" I asked sharply.
"Death Eater, haven't you heard of Voldemort?"
"What the fuck is Voldemort?" Sirius stifled a laugh.
"Sorry," he said. "It's really not funny." I stood expectantly, waiting for the rest of the story. Sirius cleared his throat and his face grew more serious. "That list?" He motioned to the paper in my hand. "Those are Voldemort's newest victims." My mouth dropped as I reread the names. "Death Eaters are his followers."
"But, why is he killing them?" Sirius frowned.
"Most likely because they're some form of muggle-born. Some wizards, mainly Slytherins mind you, believe that there's some sort of pureblood hierarchy. It's all a bunch of rubbish, honestly."
"It's wizard Hitler," I whispered under my breath.
"What?" Sirius asked.
"Nothing," I waved the thought. "What was that last thing he said? About how you should be happy? Why would you be happy about these people dying?"
"My family," he said grimly. "We're one of the longest lines of pureblood wizards. We were also the longest line in Slytherin, until my first year," he smiled proudly. I remembered hearing a few stories about his brother who was a student at Hogwarts a year below us, as well as some of his cousin Andromeda, but other than that Sirius was particularly quiet about his family. "I disagree with their views, obviously."
I thought about what this view meant. I wasn't a muggle-born, but my dad was and I knew that Lily was as well. Lily was kind, funny, and top of our year, I couldn't see how anyone could pick her as lesser than. This Voldemort seemed awfully stupid to me. Why do people care so much who you love?
"We should probably go show the others this list," said Sirius, though he didn't move, his grey eyes searching mine.
"I'm sorry for sneaking off with Remus," I blurted out, surprising myself. "It really wasn't anything."
"I know it wasn't, I trust you," he promised. "I think I've just been a little on edge lately. Probably just not ready for a relationship. Is that alright?"
"Aw, Sirius. Of course it is. Obviously there's a lot going on right now," I smiled softly and he returned it.
"Friends?" He asked. I rolled my eyes, so cliché.
"Duh, did you think you were getting rid of me?" He laughed and pulled me into a hug before we turned back towards the Great Hall.
The two of us breezed through the entrance, gaining the eyes of a few angry Slytherins huddled around the small boy with a reddening boil threatening to burst. We ignored them, however, and walked towards the girls first.
"Come sit down with us," said Sirius. The three girls turned to me for permission which I granted with a nod. We walked over to join the boys and I slid the paper into Sirius's hand.
"We've got an issue, lads," he said solemnly, flattening the page onto the table for the others to read.
"The newest list of muggles?" James asked warily. Lily, Marlene, and Remus shot up straight.
"Don't worry," Sirius assured them. "I've already checked it over for your parents, and your sister, Lily," the three relaxed slightly.
"There's so many now," Alice observed softly. "My parents were friends with some of these people."
I knew little of the wizarding world, having been cut off from it for nearly 17 years, but I could feel the pain and sorrow that my friends radiated. On top of that, I could sense their yearning to find an end. Perhaps this was where the hat sensed their bravery.
"Dumbledore has the Order," said Lily. "I'm sure they've got things under wraps," she did not sound as though she believed the words. James put his hand over top of hers with a small smile and I noticed that her leg stopped bouncing.
"What's the Order?" I questioned, feeling slightly dumb.
"Dumbledore set it up with some of the best wizards there are so we can stop You-Know-Who," Peter explained.
"Voldemort, Peter, say his name," the eye roll came from Marlene. Peter wrung his hands out nervously.
"It's bad luck!" he cried. Now the whole table was groaning.
"No it's not," they said collectively.
The dread from the morning was quickly forgotten during Herbology when Peter was attacked by a Snargaluff. The gash was large and bloody enough for him to be sent down to the infirmary to see Madam Pomfrey, to which the boys pounced on their opportunity to miss class.
"Well, you wouldn't want to be roaming the halls woozy and unattended, would you Petey?" Sirius asked with dramaticized concern.
"No, that doesn't seem particularly clever," Peter agreed, playing along with a wince as he held a white cloth to his arm.
"Oh, you're right," Sprout said, considering their proposal.
"Well if the two of them are off, it'd be best to send a Prefect along," Remus declared with a smile.
"Yes, I would have to-"
"And who better to tag along than Head Boy?" James interrupted. "For safety purposes, of course."
"Well I suppose," Sprout spoke slowly through the bombardment of new additions.
"All those boys in the hall? Only seems right to send a girl," Marlene chimed in, standing up.
"Well I don't think-"
"C'mon, Syd!" The blonde cheered, pulling my arm and chasing after the four boys.
"Thanks Professor, see you Friday!" We called over our shoulders, taking off out the door.
"Brilliant!" James said, slapping the boys on the back.
"Truly our best performance yet," Remus added.
"So, where shall we go?" Marlene asked with a large grin.
"Can our first stop be the hospital wing?" Peter pleaded.
"Remmy J!" The shriek came from behind us. We all swivelled our heads to find two Ravenclaw girls walking along the grass. The one who had called out said a quick word to her friend, who giggled and took off in the opposite direction as the girl ran to catch up with the six of us. As her face came into focus, I recognized her bouncy brown curls and skull-like jaw caked in excessive makeup.
"Oh, hi Valerie," Remus said awkwardly.
"Are you free now as well?" The girl asked, batting her eyelashes with a sickly sweet smile.
"Um, yeah, s'pose so," mumbled Remus, I noted that his head was entirely straight.
"Well come on then," Valerie laughed, taking his hand. "Let's go for a walk, okay?"
"Er, okay," the girl dragged him off, a slight skip in her step as they faded out of view. Sirius and James doubled over in laughter.
"What the hell did she call him?" James roared, clutching his stomach.
"Remmy J!" Marlene coughed out. "Did you see his face?"
"Absolutely mortified!" Peter offered, still holding the reddening cloth to his arm.
"Poor Moony," Sirius chortled.
"Poor Moony?" James snorted. "Pads, you're the one who set them up!"
"You did that? Genius!" Marlene cried.
"Well, he seemed awfully lonely," Sirius smirked, though after making brief eye contact with me his laugh transformed into a cough. Of course it was Sirius's idea.
"Come on lads," James sighed, still smiling at Remus's misfortune. "Let's get Pete to Pomfrey before he bleeds out."
"Yeah, thanks," Peter said, looking a bit pale.
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A/N
i was at #2 for #remuslupin yesterday stfu that's WILD ily all thank you🥰🥰🥰