Genetics • Sirius Black

Chapter Thirty: Please.

It was to Regulus Black's great amusement that Freya Grey thought she was hiding anything at all. He trusted her soul (though she denied its existence) more than anything else, so as he shaded his third dragon of the day, he didn't even question the specks of dirt on her shoes or smell of citrus that wafted his way— a clear signature of her under eye cream.

The last time she did this, it was because she went through a testing phase for Flitch, timing to see how many things she could accomplish before he would notice a student was coursing through the grounds. This was predominantly spurred on by the belief he never actually caught students since she had been sneaking out since first year and they had never crossed paths. Another time it was because she became in contact with house-elves and was riveted by their vast powers. Prior to that, it was because Potter had once beat her in a duel, so she spent hours practicing to ensure it never happened again.

Easing the pressure from his charcoal, Regulus lightly went over the bottom of the dragon's belly. Animals always comforted him. The organic, untouched beauty and free forms. Innocent of all things.

On the floor by his legs, Freya sat with her history homework dutifully in her hands and her hair twisted into a curly bun when suddenly she said. "Mother or father?"

And as always, she knew him a little too well. 

He pressed his lips together and rubbed the charcoal between his finger, feeling the texture. "Mother."

"Is it... bad?"

"No worse than usual."

She opened her mouth to reply, but closed it and refocused on the papers in front of her. Clearly not or else he wouldn't be drawing dragons as if it gave him life.

Her gaze snapped up as the noise of chatter noise that mushed over the hushed voices of the others in the common room. Severus Snape, Mason Avery, and Finnick Mulciber all entered with their matching cloaks and curled lips. Even those rare, not full smiles graced Sev's— Severus's thin mouth. By instinct, Freya and his eyes met, brief and painful. A clap on his shoulder from Mason brought him back to his group as they trekked up the stairs.

A breath held in her chest straightened out her back as she stared at the dark shiny floors.

Regs felt he should have patted her on the back, but she would have thought that would be too much of a scene. Instead, he shifted the weight of himself slightly. "Do you ever plan to take me out of the dark?"

Her chin dropped as she looked at her parchment. "It was a—"

"—mutual disagreement." He was very familiar with her new favorite phrase. "He misses you, you know."

"He seems plenty happy with Finnick and Mason." An objective tone spun in her words.

Worry poked Regs in the chest. "Yeah, he does, I suppose."

Her head turned slightly at his small tone change and she shuffled her papers. "Simply because I don't have a relationship with him, doesn't mean you don't have to." There was no malice in her words or passive-aggressive intentions in her words. It was her factual way of caring Regs was familiar with. "You have your own free will."

If only you knew how truly wrong you were, Regs thought, but only answered. "I know, Freya."

***

In a cloak of darkness, Freya kept her hood low to her face and cut off herbs from Professor Sprout's special collection, and put them into small containers. Then quick as she came, she retreated back up the secret entrance to the potions room. Slughorn had retired early with a sudden fatigue to his chambers and would not be an issue, and neither would be the Slytherin prefects since they were chasing an invisible thudding across the dungeons and into the upstairs.

"You're stealing my moves." A voice said in the dark.

Freya whipped around and pointed her wand at the tall boy with dark brown hair. White light came from her wand that illuminated his handsome features, though he seemed less like his sparkling self.

Though Sirius held up his wand, he seemed calm. "I only want to talk."

In the blink of an eye, she cast his wand across the room and stepped forward. "Speak." He glanced at the dark corner where his wand flew with a slight grin, somewhat impressed that she disarmed him so quickly. "How did you know I'd be here?"

Accepting his defenselessness peacefully, he raised both his hands. "Your nail polish came off when you stole last time, I found it the Ogre's Breath."

"That could have been anyone's." Her eyes narrowed.

"Yes, but I also happen to know which roots you need for wolf's bane."

The grip on her wand tightened. "Is this the start of blackmail?"

"No." He rolled his eyes and dropped his hands which caused her to step backward, her stance shifting to one of a duelist. "Aren't you testy?"

"I know spells that would make a dementor shiver, Black." Her black eyes glinted in the light of her wand. "Don't try me."

Sirius couldn't help but believe her. "I want to make a deal."

"No." She didn't even pretend to think about it.

"You haven't even heard my proposal?"

"Is it the same one I gave to Potter?"

"No." He scoffed, then tilted his head. "Yes, but-"

"The answer's the same even if you had more gold than all of Gringotts." Part of her was relishing in the fact she could deny him, but another part wanted to take this moment to let every hex she knew break his nerves so he could feel how she felt when she thought Severus had died and Remus had cut her off. Dripping in ice, she glared down onto him. "I want nothing to do with you."

"The feeling is mutual." A haughty tone peaked through his words, then he dropped his gaze and wrung his hands. "But Remus..." His attention shifted to the ground, but he seem to be thinking of something else. "My friends haven't talked to me in weeks and I don't know if they ever will again..." Sirius seemed very tiny as his voice trailed off and he held back tears. This made Freya feel very strange and slightly curious. "I can't believe I have to ask you..." Grey eyes looked at hers, soaked with remorse. "Please, just let me help."

A stillness came to the classroom, his breath held in his chest with anticipation, her ever-spinning thoughts battling with one another. She hated him. Truly.

But he had something she needed... something Remus needed.

Not only that, his confession made something spark in her that was fighting against all logic, all reason that she should not be dealing with one Sirius Black.

Freya lifted her chin up, hoping her voice wouldn't betray the coldness she tried to present. "How much money do the Potter's give you?"

"Same as James." He answered earnestly.

Slowly, she lowered her wand. "Alright."

The two stared at each other, each other's only hopes.

"Alright." He breathed, looking at her. "When do we start?"