Afraid || Sirius Black [1]

93

"Welp. That went well." Sirius concluded, standing up. "I'm going to try and find her." He ran a hand through his hair as James handed him the map. Sirius nodded at the group and exited the common room, slamming the portrait behind him.

"You are as bad as your girlfriend!" The Fat Lady cried towards him.

"Oh piss off!"

Sirius stopped as he waited for the stairs to align and glanced down at the map. She had left the castle. He folded the parchment up and placed it in his jacket pocket, he made his way to the main doors to the castle as quickly as he could but with all of the stairs changing he had to change his route that was much quicker on his head than what he had experience.

He climbed won the grassy hill towards the lake where he found the tree that the group had carved their nicknames and initials into. There sat Madison, with her head in her hands.

"We really need to stop coming to this tree when we are sad, Leo, because this is supposed to be a happy tree." Sirius said sitting beside her.

"I'm not sad." Madison told Sirius looking up, her eyes screamed 'fed up' and were still red and puffy from her crying in the night.

"It's okay if you are, I mean, I get quite uncomfortable when people cry but I don't want you keeping it from me. If you cry around me, I am going to stay. So c'mon, Maddie, tell me what's up."

"I'm not sad."

"You've said that already, care to elaborate?" Madison sighed in annoyance a ripped he grass up that her hands were gripping.

"I told you I'm not sad! Merlin's fucking beard, I have one dream where it makes me upset and suddenly you all think I'm depressed. News flash I'm not!" She screamed and Sirius backed away slightly, her fists were balled and he would be lying if he wasn't scared that she would hit him. He was used to being punched, his parents did if enough to him, but seeing Maddie with her fists balled scared him shitless.

"Maddie..."He whispered quietly.

"Don't bloody 'Maddie' me Sirius! I'm sick and tired of all of you treating me like a china doll! I'm not going to break you know! You all told me it's okay to cry! I had one bad dream! I'm not depressed! I am coping, whatever that means! I'm fine!

Yes I do still wish I could have stopped Mattei! I do wish I could've done something, but I know I can't change what happened! For fucks sake! Just let me get on with what I do!"

Sirius stared down at her fist and clenched his eyes shut, cowering away slightly braving himself for impact. It never came.

He peaked open one of his eyes to find Madison walking away from him, shaking her head.

"Maddie?" Sirius called out to her. He climbed to his feet and ran after her. He reached for her wrist and pulled her so that she faced him.

"You thought I was going to hit you?" She muttered, not meeting his eyes. "You really thought I would lay my hands on you like that."

"Maddie please..."

"No, don't. I know that's what you were thinking. I wouldn't do that to you Sirius. I wouldn't hurt you like that, heck, I would never intentionally hurt you."

She ripped her wrist from his grasp and sped off away from him once more. "THEN WHY ARE YOU RUNNING AWAY?!" He shouted at her. "YOU'RE HURTING ME BY RUNNING AWAY!"

Madison stopped dead in her tracks, sinking to her knees. How could Sirius ever think she'd hit him?

Sirius reached her side and crouched down. He didn't say or do anything. The pair just stayed still, only their breathing and the wildlife around them could be heard. Then some rain started to fall.

Both of their hair stuck to their faces as they stayed put, "go inside Sirius, you'll get sick." Madison said quietly.

"I'd rather be sick, then leave you out here." Sirius replied. "You were angry Maddie, so angry and your fists were balled it was a reflex, a natural reaction to someone being their fists."

Madison shook her head, "what is happening?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why is this happening? Why do you guys think what you think? Why are we out here in the pouring rain?" She asked him.

"Because we are worried," Sirius told her, wiping her hair from her face, "we all love you and hate seeing you upset. We are all scared that you are keeping things from us that is hurting you and just want to make sure you are okay."

Madison clenched her eyes shut, "I feel like such a fucking bitch. I shouted at you all and got so bloody angry. I'm such a dip shit."

Sirius barked with laughter pulling the girl into his arms, "it amazes me how you can look like a princess but have the mouth of a drunken sailor. Such a potty mouth."

"A princess? Are you being serious?" She scoffed but released what she had said, all too late, "No! Don't answer that!"

"Oh but I am, in more ways than one." Sirius smirked, "Now come on, mother Lily will kill us because we are drowned rats, and will bring us back to kill us again if we end up with a cold." He stood up pulling Maddie with him, leading her back into the school.

"I really am sorry, Sirius."

"Just stop apologising." The boy replied, "and promise to not keep anything hidden from me?"

"That depends..."

"Madison..."

"I'm joking, Sirius, I promise." Madison smiled, the pair walking in silence all of the way back to the common room.

"AND YOU DIDN'T THINK TO GET OUT OF THE RAIN QUICKER?! WHAT WILL I DO WITH YOU BOTH?! GO AND CHANGE!"