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Sixth Year - 1977
SIRIUS TRIED TO TALK TO CORDELIA FOR A MONTH FOLLOWING THE QUIDDITCH MATCH. She successfully avoided him and the looks the girls were trying to throw her way. Cordelia went to quidditch practice and to the library, and that was it.
Until Remus sat down beside her in the common room one very late night.
"You should be resting, Moony," Cordelia spoke softly. The firelight allowed her to see the bags under his eyes.
The full moon was yesterday. The third of the year and the second full moon without Sirius.
"I talked to him."
Cordelia closed the book she was reading and gave Remus her full attention. He was focusing on his lap, and that usually meant he was nervous.
"He should be sorry," she drawled evenly, watching Remus carefully. It was easy to read between the lines, but she was going to make him say it.
And Remus knew it.
He cleared his throat, finally looking at her face. "I think you should talk to him."
The sarcastic laugh fell from her lips before she could stop it. Her arms crossed over her chest, and her lip curled. Before she could speak, Remus put his hand up to stop her.
"I'm not as dense as the others, Delia. I know how you feel... about him."
"Not anymore," she swallowed hard. "I'm done with that."
The sad smile she received told her that her conviction sounded just as weak to him as it did on her own ears. Blinking away the tears welling in her eyes, she shook her head.
"At least hear him out," Remus insisted.
Cordelia sniffled quietly and sat in silence for several minutes. When he was ready to give up and go back to bed, she picked up her book and stood. Remus watched her until she disappeared up the staircase to the girls' dormitories.
He should've expected it. He thought to himself. Cordelia was the most stubborn witch he knew.
-
The very next evening, Cordelia returned from one of her Wednesday sessions with Regulus to see Sirius in the common room alone. He didn't notice her enter, because he sat with his back to the portrait. She could've slipped up the stairs, and he'd have been none the wiser.
As much as she wanted to just go up to her room, she crept to the sofa and sank down onto it.
Sirius turned toward her, but he didn't say anything. She could tell by the pained look on his face that he wanted to. It had been so long since the two of them actually talked. Even before the incident on the full moon, Cordelia was avoiding him.
It struck her that this person was once her best friend, and she couldn't remember the last time they were friendly.
That she was friendly.
"If you ever betray us -any of us- like that again, I will never forgive you," Cordelia muttered, staring into the fire.
Sirius nodded desperately, his eyes shining with hope. The boys had forgiven him, but he was worried Cordelia was a goner.
She brushed a curl behind her ear, sighing loudly. The flickering light of the fire glinted off the ring resting on her right hand, as it had been since she'd received it, and she heard Sirius make a choked sound. His eyes followed her hand as she lowered it.
"Where did you get that?" He whispered hoarsely.
Looking down at the antique heirloom, she said, "It was a birthday gift."
"That is from the Black Vaults."
It wasn't a question. He knew exactly where it had come from, though he didn't know how it found its way to her; however, he had one guess.
"Are we going to argue about this?" Cordelia asked stiffly, feeling her shoulders tense.
"No!" Sirius blurted. Watching her flinch at his shout, he cleared his throat and said softly, "No."
Cordelia relaxed slowly, and Sirius moved closer to her cautiously. Instead of sitting on opposite ends of the couch, they now sat side by side. She leaned her head against his shoulder, and he rest his arm around her back.
