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Chapter 10

I'll Be Damned

Sophia and Dorcas entered The Three Broomsticks. The pub was teeming with students, teachers, and villagers. It was almost impossible to locate Sirius and Penelope. Fortunately, Sophia finally spotted them sitting at a table towards the back. Once they had their butterbeers, the two girls wedged their way between the tables, taking care not to bump into anyone and spill their drinks. They finally sat down in a place where they had a clear view of the Gryffindor and Slytherin. Luckily, they would have to twist their upper bodies around slightly and look behind them in order to see Sophia and Dorcas. While it was rather loud, the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff were close enough to hear just about everything Sirius and Penelope were saying. Sirius had seemed so engrossed in his conversation with the beautiful Slytherin that he hadn't noticed them when they had passed.

"My parents basically have this big idea as to who I should marry," Penelope said bitterly. "Not just any pure-blood would do. I'm sick of it! I hear the same lecture from them all the time! 'Follow the path we set out for you. Only befriend those we approve of. Don't associate yourself with Muggle-borns and Half-bloods. Don't think for yourself'. Well, actually, they didn't really say those words, but they definitely insinuate them. Merlin forbid I have a differing opinion than them!"

"Your family sounds just like mine," Sirius said in an amused tone of voice. "The only difference is that I finally got tired of it and left. But you still put up with them. If I was you, I would have left a long time ago."

"I kind of have a reason for staying. I really don't want my little sister to be influenced by them. She's only three years old, and already so impressionable. I definitely don't want her growing up believing in what my parents believe in."

"Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you can't really help your other family members. Just look at my brother, Regulus, and how my parents influenced him. My entire family are the poster children for blood purity."

Penelope must have detected a note of sharpness in Sirius' tone, for she changed the subject after that. Sophia gripped her mug tightly as she watched the two of them. It wasn't just the fact that she despised Penelope, but also the fact she seemed to really be hitting it off with Sirius quite well. Sophia had always thought she understood Sirius and knew him very well. She was, dare she say it, jealous?

Sophia shook her head. No way! There is no way that Sirius could like a girl like Penelope better. Didn't Sirius say that wizarding blood didn't matter to him? But maybe it was the fact that the two of them had similar family situations that they understood each other. Was it possible that, deep down, Sirius might be resenting Sophia because of her blood status? It wasn't possible. Sophia prayed that she was just being paranoid.

"I'm a little confused," Dorcas said in a low voice. "I could have sworn Jessica said that you were dating Sirius. So, why is he here with Penelope?"

Sophia was secretly thankful that Dorcas had pulled her way from her thoughts. "It's a little hard to explain. We, more or less, have an open relationship, which means that, while we are together, we still do things with other people."

Dorcas arched an eyebrow. "Okay...so, why are you upset that he's talking to Penelope if you have an open relationship?"

"If it was anyone else, I wouldn't care. But I just don't like Penelope."

"There has to be a reason, though. You can't dislike her just because Sirius seems to like her."

"Of course not!" Sophia snapped. "I hate the way she taunts me. She knows she's better than me at everything, and can't resist reminding me every chance she gets. She's wanted Sirius for a long time. Yet, now that Sirius and I are together, she seems more aggressive about it."

"Did you ever stop and think that she's doing it because she knows how it makes you feel?" Dorcas asked. "She's trying to get a rise out of you?"

"Oh, believe me, I'm about to get a rise right now," Sophia muttered, but she remained in her seat, watching the two of them as her brown eyes blazed with anger.

"If you don't like the fact that he's talking to her, why don't you go say something?" Dorcas suggested. "He won't know unless you speak up."

"Because, I don't want to be one of those jealous girlfriends who gets upset each time her boyfriend talks to another girl."

"But you said that you hated the girl."

Sophia folded her arms across her chest and slouched in her chair, huffily. "I said 'I don't like her'."

Dorcas waved the statement away with her right hand. "Whatever. The point is that, unless you say something, he'll never know how you feel."

"Then he'll never know," Sophia said stubbornly, glaring down at the small dark lines in the wooden table.

Dorcas sighed impatiently. "You're being ridiculous."

"I am not!" Sophia hissed.

"Yes, you kind of are!" Dorcas argued. "You sit there and whine about how you don't like the fact that Sirius is talking to the one girl you dislike. But you don't do anything about it. You just keep glaring at him, hoping that he'll magically know what you're thinking. Here's the thing, though. He never will, unless he's secretly gifted in Legilimency!"

"It's not that simple," Sophia muttered.

"How is it not simple? The next time you get a chance, get him alone somewhere and tell him how you feel. He may be a huge prat, but I'm sure he'll listen to what you have to say."

"You seem to have no problem speaking your mind. Can't you tell him for me?" Sophia begged.

"No! It won't have any meaning if I do it for you! The only way you're going to get him to understand is if you tell him on your own. This doesn't mean running off in a huff every time you get upset at him. If you keep doing that, your relationship will never survive."

Sophia wanted to argue, but maybe Dorcas was right. Yet, what if Sirius just laughed at her and said that she was being ridiculous? It was one thing for this Hufflepuff to call her that, but for her boyfriend? Would she be able to take it? Despite what she often said about not caring what anyone thought, the exception to that rule was Sirius. His opinion was everything to her.

"Look they're getting up to leave," Dorcas said, pulling Sophia away from her thoughts once more. "I'm guessing you want to follow them?"

Sophia shook her head. "No, thanks," she muttered. "I'd rather keep what's left of my pride."

"I think you might have lost it a while back," Dorcas teased.

Sophia's lips twitched slightly in amusement as she lifted her mug to her lips.

Remus and Jessica left Madame Puddifoots and stepped out into the cool Autumn air. The couple held hands as they walked down the street. Jessica felt a little more content, now that Remus had agreed to help her. The anxiety she felt upon asking had been overwhelming. Yet, now it had completely lifted. Now there was the problem of actually succeeding in mastering these defensive spells.

They walked into Honeydukes and were greeted by warmth and the scent of a wide variety of sweets. Just the thought of eating every one of them set her mouth watering. Jessica pulled Remus to a large bin that held chocolate frogs.

Remus chortled. "Why am I not surprised you sniffed out these first? I think you might have an even bigger chocolate addiction than me."

"If she doesn't watch her addiction, she'll soon be as big as a house. Although, I have to say that she's almost there," sneered a voice a few feet behind them.

Remus put a protective arm around Jessica and glared at Dolohov, the one who had insulted her.

"Why don't you shove off, Dolohov?" Remus growled.

"Don't test me, wolfy," Dolohov snarled.

Jessica looked down and saw Remus' hand clenching something in his pocket. She assumed it was his wand. While she did find it sweet that Remus would defend her, she did not want to have to witness another confrontation so soon. She lightly tugged on the sleeve of his button up.

"Let's just go, Remus," she pleaded.

Remus still glared at Dolohov, but relaxed, then turned and walked out of the shop with Jessica trailing behind him. "Remus, wait up!" Jessica called when he got too far ahead. He finally stopped, a few hundred feet from the Shrieking Shack.

"Please don't let it bother you. I'm used to it," Jessica said forcing a smile. Remus spun around to face her.

"I wasn't about to let him talk to you like that. I'll be damned if anyone insults my girlfriend!"

Jessica was surprised, for he was always so mild mannered. "But they've insulted me before in front of you, and you just ignore them."

"Let's just say it's been building up for a very long time," Remus muttered. "Years, in fact." His light green eyes blazed with a strong sense of passion as he gripped Jessica's shoulders tightly. "I refuse to let them make you think you are anything less than worthy. Even if you do deserve better than me."

Bewildered, Jessica was about to ask him what the meant, but the minute his lips touched hers, she forgot everything. Her arms slid around his neck and dug into his wind-tousled hair. Her breathing became slightly uneven as his hands slid underneath her jumper, and began gently massaging her waist. As she pressed against him, she felt something hard between his legs, lightly pressing against her left thigh, which caused him to abruptly pull back.

"I'm sorry," he said a little breathlessly as he helped her straighten her jumper, which was lifted up slightly to reveal her pale midriff.

Jessica looked down, her deep blue eyes meeting with the bulge in between his legs, before she averted them. "It's okay," she muttered, her cheeks tinged a furious shade of red.

"Why don't we head to the book shop?" Remus suggested offering his hand to her after they had both regained their composure. Jessica agreed, struggling to restrain the feeling of lust that had built up within her. Sex was one of the things that crossed her mind quite often. She was a fully mature young adult with hormones, after all. But she never counted on the way her body would grow hot, and the arousal she would feel just from his simple touch. To say that she hadn't experimented with herself sometimes would be a bold-faced lie. Yet, the thought of Remus touching her forced those sensations into overdrive. What would happen if they ever did go that far? How did Remus feel about the subject? She wanted to ask him someday what his thoughts were. He had to think about it too, sometimes. He definitely wasn't as sexually active as Sirius, but it had to've crossed his mind. After all, he possessed hormones just like everyone else, despite the fact that he behaved with a strong air of modesty.

To say that Remus was feeling minorly stimulated from the scene near the Shrieking Shack would be a massive understatement. For a brief moment, he had thought of pulling her into the shack where they would have all the privacy they wanted. The way he desired her both excited and scared him at the same time. He had often been able to keep these sensations at a dull roar. Still, he couldn't help but feel that he had almost reached his limit of sexual depravity. Perhaps he could talk to Sirius. But no, just the thought alone was embarrassing enough.

"Oh, wow! They finally released the next book in the series!" Jessica exclaimed, pulling Remus from his thoughts. He peered over her shoulder at the title of the book, which was part of a series known as The Gemstones Of Camelot. She began to dig through her pocket for her small moneybag, but Remus stopped her by placing his hand on her arm.

"Don't worry, I got it," he said as he took the book from her, despite her protests that she could pay for it and carried it to the front to take care of the purchase. As he finished paying, Jessica set another book down in front of the shopkeeper.

"I'd like this one?"

"What are you doing?" Remus asked in bewilderment.

"I'm getting you this book. Apparently it's about some of the greatest wizarding wars throughout history. I thought you might enjoy it since you really seem to like History of Magic."

"I can't let you pay for that!" Remus groaned as Jessica dug into her pocket and produced two Galleons and four Sickles.

"Of course you can," Jessica said with a hint of stubbornness. "You do things for me all the time. Why not let me do this teensy weensy thing for you?"

Remus sighed. "Fine, but at least let me pay you back."

"You never expect me to pay you back, so why should I expect you?" Jessica picked up the small paper sack and handed it to Remus. "You put up with me on a regular basis, even though I probably annoy you. It's the least I could do."

"You don't annoy me," Remus said, shuffling his feet awkwardly. "Why would you even think that?"

Jessica shrugged. Remus felt that there was more she wanted to say, but instead, she smiled cheerfully, refusing to talk about it. Remus didn't want to pressure her. He knew she would talk about it if she wanted to.