Chapter 26

I wandered, shaking, through the halls.

"Hey, Izzy!" Andromeda called, interrupting my thoughts. She was strolling through the halls, hand in hand with Ted.

"Hey," I murmured back, not glancing at them.

I heard footsteps and suddenly Andromeda was at my side.

"Isabelle whatever your middle name is Potter," She said, stopping me. "What's wrong?"

"You're cousin just kissed me," I said, for the first time, out loud.

She stared at me in disbelief until she realized I hadn't been joking. She ran back to Teddy and, I assume, said a hasty goodnight before running back to me.

"Sirius kissed you?" She hissed at me.

"No. Regulus did." Was my reply.

She gaped at me. "When? How? What happened? What did you do?"

I told her my whole story, disbelievingly, not really sure that the words coming out of my mouth were the truth.

"Well, do you like him?" She asked matter of factly when I had finished.

"No. Not like that."

"Well then it shouldn't be too big of a problem. Just tell him when you see him next. He'll probably just accept it, knowing him."

!

And it wasn't a problem. Until the next day.

The day after I was worried about running into Regulus so, like the coward I am, I ate breakfast in the kitchens, not willing to risk seeing Regulus.

I started off to my classes, glad for the first time that he was a year below me. But it took me until I was on my way to third period, Potions, to realize that everywhere I went people were whispering behind my back.

"Do you know what's going on?" I asked Andromeda as I sat down.

"You mean you don't?" She countered, her voice full of surprise.

"No! What is it?"

But just as she opened her mouth to reply a very grumpy Slughorn stormed into the room.

"Alright, kids, open you books to page 127 and complete the potion perfectly. And I mean it. Perfectly," He glared at me. "No one's potions blow up today. No talking at all. Not even a whisper. I want you all to concentrate."

And I did. Finally, after all that time, I succeeded in brewing a practically perfect potion during class.

I can't wait to tell Reg! I thought as I walked out of class, before I realized that I couldn't. Or, wouldn't. I was just to much of a coward.

"Is it true?" I looked up to see a furious Sirius standing in front if me blocking my way.

"Is what true?" I asked, confused.

He looked around at the girls glancing curiously at us. You'd think they'd have better things to do. He muttered, "Not here." and grabbed my arm and pulled me past the crowds.

Sirius kept dragging me until we reached a deserted corridor. The whole time he had looked about to burst with anger.

"What's wrong?" I asked cautiously as he let go of my arm. He turned his back on me and paced towards the wall, hand running through his hair.

"How could you shag Regulus?" He yelled the question furiously in my face, turning back around.

"I-what?"

"I know you kissed him, but what does that make you? His fuck buddy? Or are you two dating?" He roared the last word. "That would be even worse! I-"

"Wait! Sirius!" I tried interrupting him again. "I never shagged Regulus!"

He paused slightly when he heard that.

"I never shagged Regulus," I repeated quietly. "Where did you hear that?"

"Everyone was talking about it at breakfast. A Black and a Potter," HE growled. "Where would they get the idea, then, if it isn't true?"

"Well, he did kiss me, but-"

"He WHAT?" Sirius howled.

"Calm down, Sirius! We've been through this before. Regulus and I are just friends. Nothing more. And we aren't planning to ever be more. Well, I'm not, anyways," I corrected myself.

Sirius, still seething, replied. "Don't even be friends with him. He's not good for you, Izzy. You don't understand. You don't know him. He is a Voldemort supporter. Sure, he may seem nice to you, but in the end he's just a bad person." He stopped and steadily looked me in the eyes. Grey on blue. "You're too good for him, Izzy." He said quietly before turning and walking purposefully away.