Blackbird

Chapter 9: The Great Divide

James POV:

When the girls had gone we all just kind of stood there for a while. Sirius looked tortured, wanting to chase after them, but the brunette's words seemed to hold him back.

Peter broke the silence first.

"I for one, have no idea what just happened. Who even are they?" We all looked over at Sirius who looked like he was reigning in his temper.

"Purebloods." He spit out, "all of them, part of the Sacred 28. Veronica Flint is the brunette. Willow Shafiq is the tall one, and Minette Rosier is the blonde."

"What about the other one?" Peter pressed, "Short, skinny, you called her selfish."

Sirius' eyes squeezed shut and he seemed to cringe away from the words. Taking pity, I answered Peter.

"His sister."

Peter's face twisted into confusion and Remus shot Sirius a curious look.

"You have a sister? I thought it was just Regulus."

I tried to defend him, but really at this point it was half hearted.

"She's two years younger. Didn't come up much."

Remus scoffed. "Didn't come up at all. I would've remembered."

"Really only came up when he was drunk." I didn't want to talk about her anymore. Didn't want to think about her anymore. Because soon I'd be snapping at Sirius asking him why. Why would he say that? Why would he leave her behind? Not even a goodbye?

Unfortunately, Remus rounded on Sirius first. Abandonment was a big fear of his, I shouldn't have been surprised.

"You just up and left her? No "Goodbye, good luck with our parents!" No nothing?" Sirius glared over at him, opening his mouth as though to reply when Remus cut him off again. "I can't believe you just called her selfish. Merlin."

"Well she is! Why is she so fixated on the fact that I left her anyway? I left to get out of that crappy house, she had nothing to do with it."

We'd seen his scars. It was messed up what those parents did to their kids. Him leaving was justified. But leaving her behind?

Remus shook his head. "I think that's even worse."

Peter's face scrunched up. "How? He wanted to get away from his abusive parents, so he left. Problem solved, and no sister involved."

I'd stayed silent so far, but this...

"Because it meant he left her to them. He's gone so they find someone else to beat. Saying she had nothing to do with the decision making process means he didn't care or think about what would happen to her when he left."

Sirius looked up, and the pure betrayal in his eyes cut me in two. "So you're taking her side of it?"

I threw my hands out in exasperation. "There are no sides! You leaving is justified, escaping abuse is a good thing. Just..." I couldn't help but hesitate, not sure if I wanted to open this particular can of flobberworms, "why'd you leave her behind?"

Sirius shook his head angrily, much like his animagus form. "Fine. Call me selfish or whatever, I don't need to explain myself to you."

"Fine! I'm not asking you to! But don't you think she deserves an explanation?" I was getting frustrated. From what I'd seen, Aquila was haunted as much, if not more than Sirius. She flinched every time someone yelled her name or a loud bang went off. Whenever Sirius was angry she turned paler than a ghost and scrambled away.

Sirius had had a support system through most of his abuse. He'd had us, and always knew he had a back way out. But what about her?

"Do you think our parents deserve their money? Do you think I deserved to be beat and stay in that house?"

I looked him dead in the eye. "Do you think she does?"

At that he quieted down, his shoulders dropping. "Forget it, I'm going to go to the Library."

Sirius Black never goes to the library. At least, not to study or read.

He stalked away, Peter scrambling to catch up. Remus and I didn't even bother to move. He'd need space and we were both so irritated it's likely we would've gotten into an even bigger fight.

Remus broke the silence first.

"It makes you wonder..." I looked over curious, as he continued to stare off after the other two, "if we've gotten them all wrong? All the Slytherins, I mean."

I opened my mouth to scoff, ready to sight Snape as an example, but shut it again. Minette, bright and bubbly mothering Aquila more than Mrs Black probably ever had. Veronica, brave as any lion, stepping between Sirius and Aquila.

And Aquila. Snorting at Filch's glitterbombed desk and giggling at Snape's red hair. Aquila, looking uncertain and out of place in the kitchens. Aquila terrified, shaking in the face of her brother's anger, trying to pull herself back together in my arms.

I cleared my throat before responding, trying to seem as casual as always. "Snivellus is still a prat though."

Remus gave me a side eye I pretended not to see. "Whatever. In any case, I still don't want to be on their bad side. I don't care if they're younger, those girls could wreak havoc."

At this, I do scoff. "On us? The Marauders? Please, what could they possibly do?"

Remus was dead serious. (I'd laugh at my own joke if it weren't for the atmosphere.) "This is only our first encounter with them, and look what's happened to us already."