Thicker than Water (Marauders Era)

25 January, 1977 - Decisions

More than a week after his latest encounter with Lavinia Selwyn, Sirius lay on his bed, staring up at the canopy of his four poster, making colored smoke trail from his wand as he thought. Though it had been a while since that night he'd seen her wandering on the Marauder's Map and decided to go looking for her, he still couldn't stop thinking about it. Of course, it rankled him to no end that of all the people who might have managed to get under his skin, it was Selwyn who had succeeded. Selwyn, who marched around with her Slytherin posse like she owned the school, who smirked with an arrogance even James Potter couldn't match. Who wandered the corridors like she was trying to disappear into the night.

He couldn't seem to reconcile the two parts of her in his head. On the one hand there was the girl who sucked up to teachers, laughed with friends who sometimes seemed more like followers, and never missed an opportunity to insult Sirius or his friends. And on the other hand there was the sad scared girl who nearly cried at the suggestion that her family could ever do any wrong. A girl he was convinced was hiding bruises shaped like her parents' hands. A girl he wanted to help for all that he knew she'd never let him.

He was jerked from contemplating just what it would take for Selwyn to put away her pride and get help, when James came through the door to their dormitory with his usual dramatic flair. He pointed an accusing finger at Sirius, who paused in making smoke trails and raised his eyebrows at his best friend.

"You, mate," James said, advancing towards Sirius's bed and deftly avoiding the many clothes, books and other trinkets strewn over the floor, "Could not stop staring at Selwyn today."

Sirius rolled his eyes and resumed playing with his magic. This was not the first time this had been brought up and the amount of good natured teasing he'd endured from his friends seemed frankly ridiculous to him.

"We've talked about this James," he sighed. "It doesn't mean anything. I zoned out, okay."

"Bull," James said, now plopping himself down on the end of Sirius's bed, causing the latter to be bounced slightly. "What's up with you, Padfoot? Don't tell me you fancy little miss perfect."

"Nothing is up and the thought alone makes me want to vomit, so thank you for that," Sirius protested, pulling himself up to a seated position, trying not to think about the fact that the last part of that wasn't strictly true. Not that he'd ever tell James.

"Mmhmm." Remus hummed his skepticism from where he sat on his own bed.

"Not helpful, Moony," Sirius muttered, shooting his friend an annoyed look.

"Oh come on, Sirius," Remus sighed. "We can all see that something's bothering you. Even Peter's noticed," he added, gesturing to the fourth boy, who was sat on the floor, pouring over his Transfiguration homework. Peter looked up briefly, seeming surprised to hear his name.

"What?" he asked, his voice as squeaky as ever.

"Nothing, Pete," Sirius assured him. "Keep working." Peter smiled nervously and turned back to his book, brow furrowed once more in concentration.

"So out with it," James said, refusing to be deterred.

"Would you believe me if I said I was trying to figure out how she gets her hair like that?" he joked.

"Well since you say it so convincingly," James said sarcastically, "I'm gonna have to go with... no."

"Though that is the most plausible excuse you've come up with so far," Remus acknowledged,inclining his head to Sirius.

"Why thank you Moony. It's good to have my creativity acknowledged," Black returned, making a gesture as if to tip his hat to his friend.

"If you two are done flirting, I'd love an actual answer," James grumbled.