Obliviate My Rebellion {Book 3}

26. Occlumency

None of us mentioned Neville or his parents for the rest of the holidays, all of us feeling equally guilty that we didn't know. But Christmas euphoria was wearing off slowly, and everything seemed to be turning grey and depressing in the world again, the happy glow fading quickly.

Cole hadn't been having the best time in the last few days, he'd started crying when Gennie, Sam and I went to the rehab center with his family a couple days after Christmas. He wouldn't stop crying until somebody actually forcefully dragged him away from us.

He'd somehow managed to escape on the 31st, and turned up in two different trainers and three hoodies, begging to not let him go back to the center. Gennie managed to calm him somehow, and he went back the next day with a wobbling smile.

I was praying that he would recover and control his condition, but I knew that dealing with all that had happened to him... it would take time.

Things inside the house weren't as good either. Gennie wasn't smiling as much without Cole's presence, and Sam was becoming increasingly snappy. Then to top it off, Lacey and George had been arguing and Sirius was getting irritable that we were leaving for Hogwarts the next day.

But then things got even worse. I was sat on my bed, attempting to help Sam cut the ends of her hair (because apparently unqualified people make edgier hairstyles--I don't know either) when Mrs Weasley opened the door.

“Rory, dear,“could you come down to the kitchen? Professor Snape would like a word with you.” 

I nearly stabbed the scciosrs into Sam's neck. "What?"

"Don't say you're joking, Molly, she nearly killed me there." Sam said dryly, running her hand over the feathery ends of her hair.

"Snape? Why?" I asked, placing the sccisors on the bedside table.

"Just come along, him and Harry are waiting. He can't stay long."

"Right, well we'll sort your hair out in a bit." I said to Sam, pulling a face before following Mrs Weasley down the stairs.

I opened the kitchen door to see Sirius and Snape glaring in different directions. Harry was sat next to Sirius, looking relieved to see me. A letter was in front of Sirius

"Hello?" I said awkwardly, alerting the adults to my presence.

“Sit down, Miss Potter.” Snape said, glaring at me.

“You know,” said Sirius loudly, leaning back on his rear chair legs and speaking to the ceiling, “I think I’d prefer it if you didn’t give orders here, Snape. It’s my house, you see.” 

An ugly blush went across Snape’s pale face. I sat down in a chair beside Harry, facing Snape across the table. 

“I was supposed to see you both alone,” said Snape, the familiar sneer curling his mouth, “but Black -” 

“I’m their godfather,” said Sirius, louder than ever. 

“I am here on Dumbledore’s orders,” said Snape, whose voice, by contrast, was becoming more and more quietly waspish, “but by all means stay, Black, I know you like to feel… involved.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” said Sirius, letting his chair fall back on to all four legs with a loud bang. 

“Merely that I am sure you must feel - ah - frustrated by the fact that you can do nothing useful,” Snape laid a delicate stress on the word, “for the Order.” 

It was Sirius’s turn to blush. Snape’s lip curled in triumph as he turned to us.

“The Headmaster has sent me to tell you both, that it is his wish for you to both study Occlumency this term.”