Sirius' jaw dropped open. How did they find out? Rhia and Lily moved to
protect Annie, but she took a small step forward, staring at Malfoy.
"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" Remus growled dangerously. Lucius laughed. "I said, what are you talking about?!" Remus made a move, almost to shove Malfoy, but James grabbed the back of his robes to stop him.
"Remus, this isn't the way to solve any of it!" James turned to Lucius, cold as stone. "Alright Malfoy, you've had your fun. Now get out of here before I call Professor Dumbledore!" Malfoy smirked.
"Oh, the fun is only just beginning Potter. You just wait."
James watched them walk out, then started to shoo people out to their respective dorms. Remus, meanwhile, turned on Sirius.
"You," he breathed. Sirius took a step towards Remus, hands outstretched, pleading with his friend.
"Moony, I never-"
"You!" he shouted, raising a finger at Sirius. "I didn't want to trust you! You may have been my best friend, Sirius, but Annie's my sister, and I knew how you treat women! I let this happen, because I trusted you. I finally trusted you! And you threw that trust back in my face!"
"Remus, please, he didn't mean any harm by it," Rhia said, pulling on Remus' arm.
"How could he not, Rhiannon? He made a bet of my sister!"
"You haven't even heard his side of it yet. He really started to like her, and-"
Rhia stopped when she realized what she was saying.
"Rhia... you knew?" Remus asked quietly, turning to her.
"Well..." Rhia looked around to Sirius for help, but Annie had dragged him into a corner and they were quietly and, surprisingly, calmly discussing the situation.
Remus stared at Rhia, disbelief showing all over his face. "Rhia..."
"Remus, I..." Rhia trailed off, looking at the ground for some excuse, knowing there wasn't any. Remus shook his head disappointingly and walked out of the common room, up to his bed. Rhia sighed and did the same, leaving Sirius and Annie alone in their corner.
"I didn't want to hurt you, Annie," he pleaded. "I didn't plan on it in the beginning and didn't want to in the end." He reached forward and clasped her hand. "Being with you...Annie, it's changed me. Have I ever been with a girl this long? No, it's because of you."
Annie slowly pulled her hand out of his grasp.
"Why should I believe you, Sirius?" She asked quietly. Sirius felt as if a great blow had been struck against him. Under all that doubt and worry, he was sure she would accept his explanation and apology without a murmur. "Why should I believe you when you've been living a lie these past months?"
"But I haven't!" he cried. "At least not in the end! It started out a bet, yes, but now.now it's not like that."
"It's not like what?" Her voice rose a bit angrily. "And what is it like, exactly? Because now it seems like it was just a joke. Just a stupid prank for you and James to pull like you always do, like I was Severus."
"Annie, please, you've got to understand." He begged.
"I understand quite clearly." Annie nodded her head, her gray eyes wide and sad. "I understand that two stupid boys made a bet over me and I was fool enough to believe you liked me. Even.even loved me." She bit back a few tears. "What were the terms, Sirius?"
"Really, Annie-"
"What were the terms?"
Sirius gulped and wished with all his heart that he had never made that bet, that he was just sitting by the fireplace with Annie in his lap calling him 'Siri'. But no, Lucius Malfoy had to find out and botch it all up.
"I would...get a new bike kit." He mumbled. "But I had to stop dating for a while if..."
"Guess you won't be dating then." She said coldly, turning on her heel and walking upstairs.
"James Potter!" Lily shouted. James cowered in the shadows of the stands. "I know you ran out here, where the bloody hell are you?" While Annie and Sirius had started to fight, James had slipped out the portrait hole, heading straight for the Quidditch pitch. Lily had apparently followed him, but he would rather face Filch in an empty alleyway than come out to face Lily right now.
"James Malcolm Potter, if you don't come out right now, I'll go get your precious broom, I know where you keep it, and I will pull each twig out by hand and burn it! You know I will!" James jumped over the railing then, and ran up behind Lily.
"Oh gods Lil, I'm right here, just leave the Libra alone!" James cried. Lily whirled around.
"There you are! James Potter, what have you done?!"
James looked down sheepishly. "Aw, come on Lil, it was just a stupid joke-"
"Don't you 'Lil' me, James! It was a stupid joke that has killed the heart of one of my best friends! When my friends are upset, I'm upset, and when I'm upset, your life becomes hell, especially if this is all a Marauders' prank!" Lily took a deep breath. "What in Merlin's name were you thinking, James?"
"I wasn't, Lily. I'm so sorry, I didn't want her to get hurt."
Lily sighed and took James' hand, giving him a sympathetic look. "I know. But don't say sorry to me; you need to apologize to Annie. Soon."
"Really, Lil, it'll work out. I'm sure Sir's in there right now talking her down." he tried to assure her.
"He broke her heart, James." Lily said. "And like it or not, you helped." She kissed his cheek. "Just apologize, that's all."
"Lily-"
"Apologize." She broke in and left him alone on the grounds to think.
~*~
"Another year gone." Peter said with a little sigh. He seemed to be the only one without anybody mad at him or him being mad at, with Sirius and James being snubbed by Remus and Annie. Remus was also somewhat angry with Rhia and Annie, though she couldn't believe her friend wouldn't tell her such things, followed in her brother's footsteps.
"Only two more to go." Added Lily, who was trying to remain neutral among the remains of their friendships despite her little tiffs with James.
"Train's coming." Remus said, watching as the bright red Hogwarts Express came slowly chugging down the tracks towards them.
"Annie?" James reached forward and touched the young girl's shoulder as she made her way to put her bags down. She stopped and turned around without saying a word. "Do you think I could talk to you? Privately?"
"I suppose." She said quietly. He nodded and led her to one of the small benches that lined the waiting area for the train, sitting down and waiting for her to do the same. "What is it?" she asked, folding her hands primly, seeming as if she were only trying to be a lady, but she was really trying to hold herself back from slapping him smartly.
"Well...the thing is...you see..."
"Stop stuttering." Annie ordered. "I have to get on the train and amuse myself while Isis snogs with her boyfriend."
"I wanted to...y'know, apologize. For betting Sirius." He hung his head, staring at his own clasped hands, which he held together to keep himself from shaking her and shouting the confession Sirius had given him the night before after the Final Feast. "It was completely out of order and-"
"I should say so!" Annie cried, her gray eyes flashing.
"It was my fault." He told her. "Don't blame Sirius one bit, he-"
"Don't blame him?" She interrupted. "How could I not? He accepted this bet, he was the one to come to me, and he was the one who didn't tell me. And...and I hope he knows that I don't care anymore."
"Care about what?" James asked.
"About him." She said quietly, staring into her folded hands. "But...thank you for your apology. I'm not angry with you anymore."
"Thanks." James mumbled, not sure of what to say. Annie nodded and got onto the train, leaving Isis and her boyfriend's compartment for Remus and Peter's while James, Lily, Sirius, and Rhia climbed into another.
~*~
"So... what do you want to do when we get home?" Rhia asked. Sirius was staring out the window on the taxi ride home. He hadn't said anything for twenty minutes. "We could play a game of Exploding Snap... or go visit Killer. I bet you missed Killer." Killer was the Black family pet Jobberknoll, whose name was particularly ironic because its such a small, peaceful little bird.
"Come on Sirius, what's the matter?" Rhia pushed. Sirius grunted. "Sir, we're on holiday! We both turn sixteen in a few weeks! Enjoy our coming of age a little, won't you?"
"What is there to celebrate, huh?" he mumbled. "I can't imagine you'd be so cheerful either, what with Remus mad and all."
"Sirius, Remus and I are meant for each other. And Annie will get over what you did to her. Everything will end up alright."
Sirius finally turned from the window, and Rhia could see he was on the verge of tears - very un-Sirius like. "Rhiannon... it will take a very long time before anything between us is remotely alright."
"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" Remus growled dangerously. Lucius laughed. "I said, what are you talking about?!" Remus made a move, almost to shove Malfoy, but James grabbed the back of his robes to stop him.
"Remus, this isn't the way to solve any of it!" James turned to Lucius, cold as stone. "Alright Malfoy, you've had your fun. Now get out of here before I call Professor Dumbledore!" Malfoy smirked.
"Oh, the fun is only just beginning Potter. You just wait."
James watched them walk out, then started to shoo people out to their respective dorms. Remus, meanwhile, turned on Sirius.
"You," he breathed. Sirius took a step towards Remus, hands outstretched, pleading with his friend.
"Moony, I never-"
"You!" he shouted, raising a finger at Sirius. "I didn't want to trust you! You may have been my best friend, Sirius, but Annie's my sister, and I knew how you treat women! I let this happen, because I trusted you. I finally trusted you! And you threw that trust back in my face!"
"Remus, please, he didn't mean any harm by it," Rhia said, pulling on Remus' arm.
"How could he not, Rhiannon? He made a bet of my sister!"
"You haven't even heard his side of it yet. He really started to like her, and-"
Rhia stopped when she realized what she was saying.
"Rhia... you knew?" Remus asked quietly, turning to her.
"Well..." Rhia looked around to Sirius for help, but Annie had dragged him into a corner and they were quietly and, surprisingly, calmly discussing the situation.
Remus stared at Rhia, disbelief showing all over his face. "Rhia..."
"Remus, I..." Rhia trailed off, looking at the ground for some excuse, knowing there wasn't any. Remus shook his head disappointingly and walked out of the common room, up to his bed. Rhia sighed and did the same, leaving Sirius and Annie alone in their corner.
"I didn't want to hurt you, Annie," he pleaded. "I didn't plan on it in the beginning and didn't want to in the end." He reached forward and clasped her hand. "Being with you...Annie, it's changed me. Have I ever been with a girl this long? No, it's because of you."
Annie slowly pulled her hand out of his grasp.
"Why should I believe you, Sirius?" She asked quietly. Sirius felt as if a great blow had been struck against him. Under all that doubt and worry, he was sure she would accept his explanation and apology without a murmur. "Why should I believe you when you've been living a lie these past months?"
"But I haven't!" he cried. "At least not in the end! It started out a bet, yes, but now.now it's not like that."
"It's not like what?" Her voice rose a bit angrily. "And what is it like, exactly? Because now it seems like it was just a joke. Just a stupid prank for you and James to pull like you always do, like I was Severus."
"Annie, please, you've got to understand." He begged.
"I understand quite clearly." Annie nodded her head, her gray eyes wide and sad. "I understand that two stupid boys made a bet over me and I was fool enough to believe you liked me. Even.even loved me." She bit back a few tears. "What were the terms, Sirius?"
"Really, Annie-"
"What were the terms?"
Sirius gulped and wished with all his heart that he had never made that bet, that he was just sitting by the fireplace with Annie in his lap calling him 'Siri'. But no, Lucius Malfoy had to find out and botch it all up.
"I would...get a new bike kit." He mumbled. "But I had to stop dating for a while if..."
"Guess you won't be dating then." She said coldly, turning on her heel and walking upstairs.
"James Potter!" Lily shouted. James cowered in the shadows of the stands. "I know you ran out here, where the bloody hell are you?" While Annie and Sirius had started to fight, James had slipped out the portrait hole, heading straight for the Quidditch pitch. Lily had apparently followed him, but he would rather face Filch in an empty alleyway than come out to face Lily right now.
"James Malcolm Potter, if you don't come out right now, I'll go get your precious broom, I know where you keep it, and I will pull each twig out by hand and burn it! You know I will!" James jumped over the railing then, and ran up behind Lily.
"Oh gods Lil, I'm right here, just leave the Libra alone!" James cried. Lily whirled around.
"There you are! James Potter, what have you done?!"
James looked down sheepishly. "Aw, come on Lil, it was just a stupid joke-"
"Don't you 'Lil' me, James! It was a stupid joke that has killed the heart of one of my best friends! When my friends are upset, I'm upset, and when I'm upset, your life becomes hell, especially if this is all a Marauders' prank!" Lily took a deep breath. "What in Merlin's name were you thinking, James?"
"I wasn't, Lily. I'm so sorry, I didn't want her to get hurt."
Lily sighed and took James' hand, giving him a sympathetic look. "I know. But don't say sorry to me; you need to apologize to Annie. Soon."
"Really, Lil, it'll work out. I'm sure Sir's in there right now talking her down." he tried to assure her.
"He broke her heart, James." Lily said. "And like it or not, you helped." She kissed his cheek. "Just apologize, that's all."
"Lily-"
"Apologize." She broke in and left him alone on the grounds to think.
~*~
"Another year gone." Peter said with a little sigh. He seemed to be the only one without anybody mad at him or him being mad at, with Sirius and James being snubbed by Remus and Annie. Remus was also somewhat angry with Rhia and Annie, though she couldn't believe her friend wouldn't tell her such things, followed in her brother's footsteps.
"Only two more to go." Added Lily, who was trying to remain neutral among the remains of their friendships despite her little tiffs with James.
"Train's coming." Remus said, watching as the bright red Hogwarts Express came slowly chugging down the tracks towards them.
"Annie?" James reached forward and touched the young girl's shoulder as she made her way to put her bags down. She stopped and turned around without saying a word. "Do you think I could talk to you? Privately?"
"I suppose." She said quietly. He nodded and led her to one of the small benches that lined the waiting area for the train, sitting down and waiting for her to do the same. "What is it?" she asked, folding her hands primly, seeming as if she were only trying to be a lady, but she was really trying to hold herself back from slapping him smartly.
"Well...the thing is...you see..."
"Stop stuttering." Annie ordered. "I have to get on the train and amuse myself while Isis snogs with her boyfriend."
"I wanted to...y'know, apologize. For betting Sirius." He hung his head, staring at his own clasped hands, which he held together to keep himself from shaking her and shouting the confession Sirius had given him the night before after the Final Feast. "It was completely out of order and-"
"I should say so!" Annie cried, her gray eyes flashing.
"It was my fault." He told her. "Don't blame Sirius one bit, he-"
"Don't blame him?" She interrupted. "How could I not? He accepted this bet, he was the one to come to me, and he was the one who didn't tell me. And...and I hope he knows that I don't care anymore."
"Care about what?" James asked.
"About him." She said quietly, staring into her folded hands. "But...thank you for your apology. I'm not angry with you anymore."
"Thanks." James mumbled, not sure of what to say. Annie nodded and got onto the train, leaving Isis and her boyfriend's compartment for Remus and Peter's while James, Lily, Sirius, and Rhia climbed into another.
~*~
"So... what do you want to do when we get home?" Rhia asked. Sirius was staring out the window on the taxi ride home. He hadn't said anything for twenty minutes. "We could play a game of Exploding Snap... or go visit Killer. I bet you missed Killer." Killer was the Black family pet Jobberknoll, whose name was particularly ironic because its such a small, peaceful little bird.
"Come on Sirius, what's the matter?" Rhia pushed. Sirius grunted. "Sir, we're on holiday! We both turn sixteen in a few weeks! Enjoy our coming of age a little, won't you?"
"What is there to celebrate, huh?" he mumbled. "I can't imagine you'd be so cheerful either, what with Remus mad and all."
"Sirius, Remus and I are meant for each other. And Annie will get over what you did to her. Everything will end up alright."
Sirius finally turned from the window, and Rhia could see he was on the verge of tears - very un-Sirius like. "Rhiannon... it will take a very long time before anything between us is remotely alright."