A Circle of Flame- Sirius Black x OC

Chapter 25

Liza chewed on the corner of her lip as she stared down at her planner. To the average wizard, the list of flashing dates and disappearing practice times wouldn't have seemed out of the ordinary. Except, under the 28th was a large circle. It shimmered with the silver ink Liza had recently purchased from Flourish and Blott's.

Tonight was Full Moon.

A burst of snickers erupted from the Slytherin table as Susie Andrews, a seventh year Hufflepuff, dashed down the aisle. Her hair was cropped close to her chin and streaked with yellow highlights.

"That's muggles for you." Evan Rosier wolf whistled as the girl passed, his thin lips pulled back against his canines. "Just when you think they can't get uglier."

As luck would have it, Lily seemed to materialize from behind the Slytherin table, although Liza was confused why she would have ventured to their side of the hall in the first place. True to form, her hair was pulled back into a neat French braid. Her pink cheeks flushed indignantly.

"Susie is a witch, not a muggle."

The Slytherin table dissolved into snickers.

"Ouch." Rabastan Lestrange smirked before clapping Evan on the back. "Need a bit of healing salve for that burn?" His remark was followed by a handful of cackles.

Evan's scowl deepened and Liza tensed her shoulders. She recognized the set of his jaw all too well.

"If it weren't for Snape, I would warn you to tread lightly, Evans." The tightened grip around his fork was the only indication of his irritation. "Just cause he has a.. draw to sullied blood doesn't mean we all do."

Craning her neck, Liza caught a glimpse of Severus. The boy was sitting at the edge of the group and pushed his nose further into the pages of his textbook. Clearly, no help was arriving from that end.

"No, you just have a taste for sullied money." Sirius had entered the Great Hall, for once unannounced. Today, his hair fell in rustled waves over the top of his collarbones and a handful of pewter rings glimmered on his fingers. "Doesn't your dear father have a trial next January, Rosier? Something about unmarked vaults in Gringotts?"

Pure hate blossomed in the depth of Evan's irises. The rest of the Slytherin table had gone silent. Evidently, this had been information only privy to a select few.

Sirius smirked, satisfied with himself. "Just because I rejected the family name doesn't mean I don't have my resources."

"Actually, that's soon to change." Regulus's voice entered the mix and Liza winced. There would be no love lost between the pair. Her friend's grey eyes narrowed. "Mum just finished erasing you from all the family titles, inheritances, and the like. I'd think about changing your last name." His eyes scanned Sirius's figure pointedly with disgust. "Not that you ever deserved it."

"Attention Hogwarts students—"

McGonagall's amplified voice snapped the tension between the brothers none too soon. Liza had begun to worry that one would pull out his wand. She caught Lily's surprise as Sirius put an arm around his shoulder, muttering something under his breath before she returned to the Gryffindor table. A strange pang twisted Liza's chest at the private moment. Despite all their faults, the Marauders were fairly decent people. It made her question her loyalty to Slytherin. Perhaps they had a point about evil snakes.

Ignoring the rest of McGonagall's announcements, Liza shoved her Charms textbook into her bag and snagged an apple from the table for good measure. Today seemed as good a day as any to spend in the library after class. Perhaps she could distract herself from thinking about Remus.