/𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒\ [𝒔. 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌]

𝟓.𝟙𝟙.𝟣

"now are the woods all black, but still the sky is blue." ~ Marcel Proust

~may 1976~

"He got blood on my fucking jacket." Artemis was sitting on Bones's desk, staring angrily down at her dad's old jacket, now stained from Sirius's accident. "This is going to take forever to get out."

Bones gave her a quizzical look. "Why- but how did he get- and why was he bleeding-" He didn't seem to now exactly what to ask first.

"Anything left in the common room is fair game and apparently he went rogue one night and cut his head or something- I dunno, he was in the hospital wing last night and sort of disappeared all day." She was having a hard time pretending not to care. Maybe she never wanted to speak to Sirius again, but it didn't change the fact that she'd cared about him on some level since she was eleven. She pursed her lips into a frown and crossed her legs, picking a pack of cigarettes up from the desk and carefully slipping one out.

Bones watched her meticulously, trying to read her. She was wearing only dark jeans and a red bra, her hair falling long over her shoulders. Minutes ago, he'd had her wrapped around his finger, over the desk, willing to do anything. Now, she was distant, pouty, like her mind was a million miles away. "I can fail him, you know," he said, only half-joking. "-For getting blood on your jacket."

"You're not going to fail him," said Artemis with a small laugh. "That's absurd."

"Well, is he someone I need to... worry about?"

Artemis wanted to punch him. He was a grown man, acting like a fifteen year old was a threat. She couldn't keep the annoyance off of her expression. "Of course not," she said moodily. "Don't be stupid."

"I don't think it's stupid," said Bones. "I mean, he's your age and you have a history and-"

"I think I'm gonna go," Artemis interrupted him. She slid off the desk and hurriedly pulled her shirt back on.

He sighed deeply and gave her a condescending look. "Art..."

"If you're going to be like this, I'm going to go. I've got homework to do anyways."

"If it's for my class, don't worry about-"

"I don't want any special treatment," she said, her eyes finally meeting his with that aged solemnity that always made him uneasy. "I can manage just fine without it." She grabbed her bag and headed for the door.

He looked after her, utterly bewildered. "Art..." She turned back to look at him. "If I said something-"

"We're fine," she said, her eyes softening ever so slightly. "I really do have a lot to do tonight. I'll just- I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

He nodded slowly. "Yeah... okay."

She slipped out the door and headed back towards her common room, still annoyed over Bones's comments. It was ridiculous- completely ridiculous for him to think he should be worried over Sirius Black. That was supposed to be the whole point of sleeping with him. That he was older, less insecure, more her level. But now it seemed like he was just as immature as the boys in her year. And if that was the case- what was the point?