Afraid || Sirius Black [1]

70

It was time to go back to school and to say Sirius was ecstatic to see Madison again was an understatement. He had woken up early that morning, made sure he looked amazing and even applied lip-balm to make his lips soft. ("You have only been away from her for three weeks, Sirius! Calm your tits!") Sirius didn't care, he would be soppy, he would be dramatic, he just wanted Madison in his arms. She had gotten her hair cut only a few days ago, and he was ready to cry over the loss of her long locks. The boy was still adamant that she would cut her hair to a pixie cut like Alice, but he hoped she hadn't. Madison didn't mention in her letter whether she kept her promise or not, but Sirius would be utterly pissed if she didn't.

Sirius and James said their goodbyes to Mr and Mrs Potter before dropping their trunks off where they needed to. Sirius sported Walburga and Orion saying their goodbyes to Regulus and turned his nose up at them just as Remus and Peter found the two of them. Alice and Frank joined the group not long after, followed by Mary, Evangeline and Marlene. "Where's Maddie and Lily?" Asked Alice as the group stood on the platform, craning their necks to see over the crowds of students and families. The boys shrugged, so did the girls but Sirius became fidgety, as did James.

Lily soon came into view and greeted the group, awkwardly shaking James' hand, sending him a sideways smile. "Where's M-"

"We don't know." Sirius stated in annoyance as his fingers ran across his scalp. "Moony, wouldn't she have been with you? Normally your parents come together?"

"Not today it seems. They needed to go somewhere early this morning before dropping Leo off. My dad thinks they may have been visiting the Johnsons, you know because of Mattei." The boy replied, "it's the first year that they won't be sending him off to Beauxbatons, and his birthday, it must be tough on them. I know she went to his grave a few times, placed flowers and talked to him."

It was then that Lochlan and Darcy came into view, Lochlan has his arms tightly around Madison who had a hood over her head. Her father bent down slightly speaking to her, running his thumb over her cheeks, for a reason that no one could see. They made their daughter goodbye, Lochlan taking he trunk to where it was meant to go so that Madison could search for her friends and boyfriend.

Lily was the first to wrap her arms around her friend, Madison holding tightly onto the red head. "Are you alright?" Lily asked her pulling back and studying her rosy cheeks and glossy eyes.

Madison nodded, "Yeah, I suppose. We went to his grave, just to-you know."

Sirius pulled Maddie into his arms and once they broke away he carefully tugged the hood from her head revealing her now shoulder-length, wavy, hair. "It's bloody gorgeous." He smiled as everyone else said something about it. She grinned at him as he pecked her lips.

"Get a bloody room." James gagged just as the whistle blew from the train signalling that it was eleven o'clock. The group clambered onto the train and instantly the marauders led the rest to their usual compartment, Sirius pulling Madison along with his hand intertwined with hers. He made sure he got a seat unlike on the floor like they were before the summer, pulling the girl onto his lap. His head rested on her shoulders and her back pressed against his chest. "Come on, Evans, have a seat, I'll keep you warm." James smirked patting his knee in a joking manner, except Lily simply glared and to piss him off, sat on Remus' lap.

Madison shook her head in amusement but also had a realisation hit her like a brick. She was the only one to know that Remus had a small crush on Lily, but didn't want it to go anywhere because of James' feelings. The werewolf awkwardly placed his hands beside him and slumped back in his seat, trying not to blush or look stupid. Feeling the glare from James on his neck, Remus turned to him apologetically. James knew it wasn't his fault but still couldn't hide the hurt in his eyes.

"So How was everyone's summer?" Madison asked to break the air.

* * *

Halfway through the journey, Lily and Remus left to do their prefect rounds and Madison climbed off of Sirius' lap and onto the spare seat beside James. She offered the boy some jelly beans (muggle ones she had brought with her) and he gladly took some shoving them all into his mouth at once.

"She'll come round at some point." Said Sirius to James, "Look at Maddie and I!"

"Difference is you haven't being trying to woo Madison for years have you?"Evangeline said. "I don't mean this in any kind of mean way, but you might just have to stop for a while. Give her a break."

"Why?"

"Because, James, she might miss the attention from you, without realising it." Mary answered braiding her hair. "I'm not saying she will, but it is possible."

"For how long?"

"I dunno." Said Evangeline. "I'm not Lily. She might be smart 'n' all but she can be dim. We all can be, some more than others." She glanced at Sirius.

"I'm not dim!" Cried the boy. "I am not!"

"She wasn't saying you! You prat!" Alice hissed and motioned her head in Maddie's direction who was reading and eating her sweets. "Bloody oblivious most of the time."

Sirius wanted to say something in defence but how could he fight the truth? Madison could be oblivious and dim, but that wasn't a bad thing. It was simply one of her qualities that he likes.