Rivals [A Sirius Story]

« 16: Taken Aback »

« Marlene's POV »

I cradle my head delicately in my hands before letting it, as well as my hopes and dreams, crash onto my bed.

"Mar. You've been this way for days."

The concern in Lily's voice is unmistakable.

"Undeniably true," I respond, my fingertips trailing along the patterns on my bedspread thoughtlessly.

"Stop it. The boys' stupid fight may have gotten on your nerves, but you can continue on with your life," Lily replies sharply, displaying the attitude of tough love that she so often does. It sounds a little strange, but I quickly dismiss that.

"I'm not downcast because they got on my nerves, 'Loss." I hope my brief statement, paired with what she knows of me, will suffice to end her confusion.

After a moment, Lily lets out a groan, and I know it has.

"Seriously?"

I nod efficiently.

"You think Sev and Ci are upset at you?"

I nod once more.

"Because you hurt Reg?"

"This nodding thing is getting old," I sigh tiredly. "But yes, yes, I do think that."

"Marlene," my friend moans.

"You sound sexual. Take it down a notch." Humour is my defence against any remotely personal conversation. Which is why I like it. Also because humour is humorous.

"Marlene!"

"That was up a notch."

"Marlene, my lovable idiot, what the hell?"

"What've I done?"

"You aren't always the problem!"

"Huh. Based on your tone, I would've thought the opposite, to be honest."

Lily raises her brows as she develops a comeback. This period of contemplation lasts only a second or two, as Lily's a quick thinker.

"Because your problem is that you think you're the problem!"

I have no response, so I roll my eyes to stall. Lily assesses me; a smirk creeps onto her face, and she tries to repress it.

"You typically shoot back arguments so swiftly when we debate. It's funny seeing you at a loss."

"Fine, maybe I do have a problem," I give in, knowing that, this time, unlike many, many other times, I am wrong. "But we are not going to leave this room either way."

—»«—

Though I made many attempts to distract her, Lily did manage to haul my ass out of bed. (As she usually does. What a shocking way for a best friend to act, no?)

"Where are we even going?" I ask her, curiosity overwhelming me, more powerful than any grudge.

"Thought you were giving me the silent treatment?" my friend teasingly retorts, nudging me.

"I was considering it, you know, but you're just too incredible a presence to ignore!" Lily looks confused, and I can practically see her thoughts bouncing around in her skull. Should I be offended or flattered? I envision her questioning herself. Unfortunately, Lucius interrupts her train of thought.

"Ugly and Uglier!"

"You need to come up with different nicknames for us, Ci," Lily demands whilst holding back laughter.

"More importantly: which is which?!" I ask with mock - intensity. I can't outright tell Lucius that I think he's pissed at me, so I resort what I think my natural response would be.

He taps his chin. "Mm, I think it would be an unwise decision on my part to irk either of you." He doesn't appear angry.

"Which one of us would you be more afraid to irk?" I ask with a fearsome tone and a raise of my brow, continuing with the joke.

Lily gives me a little kick before Lucius replies. He sees it, and breaks off.

"What?" His voice has grown harsher. "Can you not be around me, like Regulus?"

My eyes widen. So he is annoyed at me.

"I can be around Regulus," I deny.

"So now it's all about you!"

Lily scrunches up her brow. "She never said that." It's a simple statement, infused with neither anger nor disdain; unusual for Lily when one of her friends is attacked.

This shocks Lucius nearly as much as it does me, I can tell. His surprise lights up his eyes and spreads across his face until it transforms and I recognize that it is not surprise any longer. It is realization.

"We are both confused," he says without question. Unlike most, he doesn't add an "I think" to the beginning of that sentence. He is unequivocally certain in himself, and I am not sure whether to scold or congratulate him for it.

"You don't fucking say," I whisper, torn between seriousness and joking.

Lily rolls her eyes at the both of us. "Explain," she commands me, gesturing towards Ci.

—»«—

"So you thought I was distancing myself from you as you think Regulus did – " I begin.

"While you thought I was upset at you for saddening Regulus," Ci finishes.

"But I'm a little astonished that you guys crept up on the Marauders in the first place...and that Remus knew!"

"He's perceptive...or at least, that's what Regulus won't stop going on about," Ci says, in a tone that would turn the statement into a complaint if it wasn't infused with such fondness.

Lily makes a small noise of recognition before falling silent again. She's been oddly...off today. She's typically more enthusiastic about life in general, but today she's rather...thoughtful. Not that she is frequently thoughtless, but she thinks wildly, excitedly...not...well, the way she is now.

This is not the 'Loss I know.

However, no matter what state she's in, I'm perfectly aware that she would absolutely abhor being asked about said state in a concerned way around another. She wears a facade of perfection around most. I am one of the fortunates who is shown what's underneath.

"Now all we have to do is find Regulus and straighten out our relationships with him," I plan. Lucius gives a sigh of relief. "Finally!" he exclaims. After I give him a curious look, he adds, "I have someone to carry out a prank of revenge with." I smirk, not doubting his seriousness.

"Well...I don't think I'm in that position. I have to make amends, not further frustrate him. On that note...let's go, 'Loss!" I encourage.

Lily rolls her eyes. "I'm sure Reg'll be downright pissed at you. Calm down, Marls." She speaks harshly, but before I can question this, she marches by me.

"Well, come on! Upon your insistence, we've got a boy to needlessly find!"

- word count: 1045 -

Why could Lily be so angered?

xx Have a grand day!