Corrupted Souls | remus lupin

different cut, same cloth

Neoma's head shot up at the sound of wood creaking near the entrance to The Shrieking Shack. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her chest was heaving with the sobs that had been so desperate to escape since she returned to Hogwarts.

"Slytherins, am I right?" Sirius joked, trying to lighten the mood a bit. Neoma sniffled, cracking a smile, before putting her head back into her knees. The intrusion had stopped her crying, but she couldn't bear to look up and participate in a normal conversation at the moment. 

"I dunno your story, Nott, but I reckon that whole exchange is why you've decided to become pals with Moony and Lily. Can't blame ya - my brother's a git." He sat down on the step below the girl, frowning when she didn't respond.

 "I like your bow." He stuck a finger through the green ribbon and tugged a bit, which made Neoma giggle. It was such a stupid and ill-timed comment - she couldn't help but laugh. That was probably the point. 

"How did you do it, Sirius?" She asked after a few moments of heavy silence, raising her head a bit so she could get a look at the boy. "I mean ... you were so young."

"That's probably why it was so easy," Sirius shrugged. "And besides, I had the luxury of retreating back to Gryffindor's cozy, comfortable, warm, not-at-all-Slytherin common room every night. I didn't have to be surrounded by a bunch of wankers all day."

"But didn't you have to go home?" 

"Well, yeah." Sirius mumbled, thinking back to the days before he got the chance to run away to the Potters'. "I managed, though. And the boys would write, so that helped me."

"You're lucky to have them as friends." Neoma was beginning to calm down. She barely knew Sirius but he felt familiar; out of anyone, he probably understood what she was going through the best. "I was at your house on Christmas. I noticed your picture'd been blasted off the tapestry - I had no idea."

Sirius couldn't help but smirk triumphantly. "Good." He leaned back on Neoma's shins, sticking his legs out and stretching them along the rotted floors. "I know he just offended you greatly, but I've gotta ask ..."

"Regulus is doing okay." Neoma glanced down at the Gryffindor boy. She was surprised at how comfortable he was acting with her after practically telling her to fuck off an hour or so ago. "He ... he's bound to get the dark mark this summer." Her bottom lip quivered. "He told me he doesn't want to."

Sirius didn't respond as he stared dejectedly at the wall across the room. There was a large tear going through the old, faded wallpaper. Twenty galleons it was Moony's doing. 

"But I had no idea Ernest got the mark over winter, so who knows. Maybe Regulus has it too." Her head fell into her hands. She could feel warm tears falling down her cheeks again. "I hate him."

"Who, my brother? Same."

"No. Voldemort."

"Yeah, I've heard he's a bit of a twat."

"Your brother isn't terrible, you know."

"I doubt that."

"He always treated me kindly."

"Mum probably wants him to marry you."

"I think she does."

Neoma couldn't help but laugh out loud at the exchange. The times that they lived in were fucked up. 

"Do they all hate me?"

"Who?"

"Your friends."

Sirius had a feeling that Neoma didn't want a sugar-coated answer. She'd clearly been making an effort to speak with them for reasons he still didn't quite understand. Out of all of the other people at Hogwarts, you'd think she'd gravitate toward Ravenclaws or something. They were the most amicable with the Slytherin house.