black | sirius black

Sirius's Clone

McGonagall had spoken briefly that night, outlining the plan for the extra classes held once a week. The enigmatic nature of the Order hung in the air, as she merely stated it was the group's new designation.

The sessions were presented as a means to enhance each other's abilities, but an unspoken understanding lingered among the students that there was more to it. The catch, however, remained elusive.

"Earth to Selwyn!" Sirius shouted into Jayce's ear, breaking her contemplation. She winced and frowned at him. "Finally. I've been calling your name for so long now."

"I was just thinking about the whole Order thing," Jayce mumbled.

While it occupied her mind, there was another aspect bothering her. The two were heading to Herbology, specifically the fifth-year class.

Due to Jayce and Sirius neglecting Herbology in their fifth year, they now found themselves in a class with students a year younger.

"Don't think about it too much," Sirius advised. "It's just an extra class."

"I know, but I feel like there's something more to it. Like, I don't know, it feels some sort of a recruitment thing," Jayce said, voicing her unease.

"If that's the case, it's still good. It means Minnie saw your potential," Sirius remarked.

"I know." Jayce bit her lip. A more pressing concern nagged at her, prompting her to stop Sirius and face him. "Black, am I scary?"

"What?" Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"Am I scary?" Jayce repeated.

"A bit." Sirius grinned, but Jayce did not share his amusement.

"Really?"

"Well." Sirius cleared his throat. "At first, you were very scary. But, then I got to know you a bit more and now you're not scary. Not completely, at least." He shrugged. Jayce heaved a sigh and moved away from him as they continued walking. "Why?"

"It's nothing. I was just curious." Jayce shook her head.

Since the incident with Dorcas, she felt self-conscious. Although she had never spoken to Dorcas, let alone glanced at her, Dorcas seemed afraid of her. Moreover, being the only Slytherin in the Order made her feel like an outsider.

For the first time, Jayce wished she wasn't sorted into Slytherin.

"Are you sure?" Sirius pressed on.

"Yeah. We've class anyway." Jayce changed the subject. "Can't wait for you to get completely ambushed by your brother."

"Right," Sirius said subconsciously as he observed Jayce for a moment.

"What?" Jayce noticed his eyes on her.

"Nothing." Sirius snapped back to reality. "What were you saying?"

"I was talking about your brother," Jayce said. Regulus was in Herbology along with Jayce and Sirius.

Most of the time, he'd ignore Sirius, which was challenging as Sirius was hard to ignore. But it was evident that Regulus didn't enjoy his brother's presence, creating an invisible rivalry between the two.

"I literally mind my own business in that class, and that kid throws daggers at me with his sinister-looking glares," Sirius scoffed, crossing his arms.

"Black, you locked him in the Mandrake greenhouse without any earmuffs last week."

"That was a one-time thing," Sirius rolled his eyes.