Afraid || Sirius Black [1]

105

Making her way through the corridor, Madison bumped into Remus who looked at his best friend in concern. Her eyes were wide and her she was shaking as she ran down the halls. He took hold of the girl's shoulders and forced her to look at him.

"Maddie?" He asked looking her over and stared at her bloodshot eyes, "What's going on? Are you quite all right?"

"Where's Sirius?"

"With Minnie, she got pissy at him for trying to bribe his way out of doing homework, Prongs is with him for 'moral support'. Why?"

Madison rubbed her eyes and sighed, "I need to talk to him, urgently. It's very important."

"Anything I can help with, whilst he's being yelled at?" Remus offered and brushed the hair from her face, which was so messy, much like Sirius'.

She shook her head and pushed past him but Remus followed her, "Actually, Rem, can you come with me?"

"I was anyway, Maddie, I'm worried about you," he admitted taking hold of her arm and slowing her pace from a near-on sprint to a leisurely walk. "Have you been sleeping well?"

"I've been sleeping fine."

"Eating?"

"Like a pig."

"Spoken to your parents?"

Madison gasped, "That's what I have been forgetting to do! I knew I hadn't done something but couldn't put my finger on it! Thanks! But I need to talk to Sirius first." She dragged Remus along and they waited outside of the Transfiguration classroom for James Sirius who were taking ages.

When they finally exited, Sirius was very glad to see Madison and he pulled her straight in for a kiss. Disgusted, James turned to Remus, "C'mon, Moony, pucker up, that'll be better than watching those two swallowing each other."

Remus coughed, adjusting his tie not looking at James or the couple who broke apart once James slapped Sirius in the head. "Don't you have something to talk to Padfoot about, Leo?" Remus said awkwardly.

"Right, um, not here. Anywhere we can go without anyone hearing?"

Sirius nodded, "We can go to the come and go room."

The four made it to the Room of Requirement which Madison facepalmed out of utter shame that she forgot about this room. Sirius sat down and so did the other two boys but Madison stayed standing, in fact, she began to pace back and forth as she regurgitated everything Regulus had relayed to her.

All the while, James and Remus watched Sirius in pity as the boy looked down at his knees, not knowing what to do.

"I knew it," Sirius muttered once Madison was finished and she kneeled down before him, placing her hands gently on his knees. "It was always going to happen. I wish I hadn't pushed it to the back of my mind, I could have prevented it."

"No, you couldn't have, Pads," Said James who pulled Sirius into his embrace and held him tightly, "You know full damn well that no matter what you did or didn't do couldn't have helped Regulus, as sad it is to say, I think he's right, he's too far in now."

Sirius sighed, "I know, I just wish I could help him. He's my brother, as much of an arse he is, he's my baby brother."

"But he's not a baby anymore and hasn't been for a long time, Padfoot." Said Remus taking hold of Sirius' hand. "You can't fix everything."

Sirius nodded and looked down at Madison who had sat silently rubbing circles on his knee, "Thank you for telling me, Madsie."

"You had every right to know."

* * *

Not much else happened over the course of that year. More and more students dropped out of school and woah betide the darkness that was suffocating everyone. It was the end of year feast and Dumbledore had given the final speech about the seventh years and unlike previous years, it was not a ray of sunshine and welcoming new beginnings, it was a load dreary 'yays!' that was about as enthusiastic as the mandrakes that Professor Sprout grew.

Sirius and James once again had grown tired of this gloom and doom and had roped Remus into a plan to liven the place up. Unknown to everyone, the three were waiting for the perfect moment and like when they burst out into 'Well will rock you' earlier on in the year the boys cleared the tables and stood on them.

Lily had noticed that the three were much taller than usual and it frightened her. Madison had noticed too and was even more confused than when she tried to understand Sirius' family tree.

"Ready boys?" James asked his friends who nodded.

With a flick of their wands, their robes disappeared and revealing them in bright coloured clothes with platform shoes.

"What in Merlin's name?" Questioned Frank, wide-eyed at his dorm mates.

"Two, three, four!" Counted Remus and suddenly the boys snapped into dramatic poses.

"You can dance! You can jive! Having the time of your life! See that girl, watch that scene, digging the dancing queen!" James started singing ABBA's song, 'dancing queen'.

Sirius then smirked and started to sing just as the backing track began to play out of nowhere, courtesy of Remus, of course. "Friday night and the lights are low!" He slut dropped on the table making many students and teachers laugh, "looking out for a place to go! Where they play the right music, getting in the swing. You come looking for a king," He pointed at Remus who started to sing.

"Anybody could be that guy," He pulled Peter onto the table top and the pair sang together, "Night is young and the music is high, with a bit of rock music, everything is fine! You're in the mood for a dance, and when you get the chance..."

The four went back to back and burst out into a dance routine, which was awful but entertaining nonetheless, and at least they tried.

"You are the dancing queen! Young and sweet, only seventeen!" The four shook their bums and pointed at Madison, Lily, Evangeline, Marlene and Mary whilst Frank joined them and pointed at Alice. "Dancing Queen, feel the beat from the tambourine...!"

The five boys finished the song and took a bow as Dumbledore and McGonagall, along with the rest of the teachers, and many students stood up and clapped them.

The boys sat down exhausted and Sirius turned to Madison who looked at him in awe. "What is it, love?"

"I love you so much. You bring happiness in the dark times, Sirius, please never change." She hugged him.

"Baby, I could never change. I love you too much and I love myself too much." He laughed pecking her cheek with kisses.

From a few seats down Lily held onto Marlene's hand, and squeezed it tightly, the blonde girl irritated by Sirius' love for Madison once more.

"You're so vain!" Laughed Madison and Marlene stared, as the girls' eyes shone with happiness.

"No! I just have a lot of self-love."

"So you admit you're vain." Madison rolled her eyes not letting Sirius protest. These were the times the group cherished. The light and laughter-filled ones, not the dark and soul-sucking ones.