/𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒\ [𝒔. 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌]

𝟒.𝟙𝟙.𝟣

"and again she felt alone in the presence of her old antagonist, life." ~ Virginia Woolf

~april 1975~

Artemis was sitting on her usual couch in the common room, flipping through a bridal magazine, when she felt a shift in the cushions as Sirius sat down next to her. She didn't look up, but adjusted herself to make more room for him. He leaned over her shoulder and pointed to a bridesmaid's dress in the top left corner of the page. "I like... that one," he said, and rested his other arm on the cushion behind Artemis's head.

She smiled. "Do you really?"

"Yeah, why?"

"My mum ordered it for me two days ago," said Artemis, flipping the page in the magazine. "It's my favorite too and it matches the colors of her wedding."

Sirius leaned back, his arm still partially around Artemis. "Ahhh, that's right. The wedding."

Artemis made a noncommitted noise and closed the magazine. "Yeah, the wedding. Anyway, I never properly apologized for slapping you in the common room that one night."

"Old news," Sirius said, waving his hand as if to wave the conversation away. "We're all good now. Hey, did you hear Marlene slept with my cousin?"

"Old news," Artemis copied him, shifting to look up at his face. "Which, by the way, I assume you'll help me get some revenge on your dear cousin?"

Sirius grinned and ruffled Artemis's hair. "Your wish is my command- I mean, as much of a shame as it would be to... I dunno... slip bleach into her shampoo?"

"Send her a false letter telling her she was granted Warlock status?"

"Find someone dumb enough to date her and then have him break her heart?"

The two laughed, mischief etched across their faces. Sirius's laughter faded to a kind smile. "In all seriousness, though, I wanted to talk about, you know, the fight?"

Artemis groaned. "That's all anyone wants to talk about."

"Just... you know the whole school's talking about Percy Goyle's secret sister, right?"

Artemis rolled her eyes. "No, Sirius, I thought all of the people following me around in the hallways wanted my autograph."

"I just wanted to know what you were planning on doing about it," Sirius said, raising his hands in innocence.

Artemis shrugged. "Do about it? Nothing. I'm just going to let it run its course. It's Percy's last year here, anyways, so I'll only have to deal with it for a few more weeks."

"Fair enough," Sirius said, nodding his head. "Now, lemme see that magazine again."

"Why, interested in the dresses?"