~ Four ~
The midday sun cast a warm, pleasant glow across the Quidditch stadium. There was a full two hours until trials began for the Gryffindor squad, yet Sirius has already been rehearsing his elaborate flying motions for the last three, and he didn't intend to stop now. Perhaps it was a mark of dedication, or perhaps it was to distract him from other things plaguing him.
He had tried to be gentle with her. The problem was Celestina was never too great at taking hints. You always had to be subtle as a brick with her, or you'd never get anywhere…
So he'd been brutal. He hadn't had much choice. Had he?
Sirius circled the stadium in short, jerky actions, as if to take out his tormented feelings on his broomstick. He was angry with Celestina for putting him through this, but he was also furious with himself.
Furious with himself for having second thoughts about the whole stupid mess. Part of him was thinking, hey, maybe old Tina isn't so bad, and it enraged him that he was allowing his mind manipulated by that dizzy blond twerp. He was agitated that perhaps behind the big act that had been their ridiculous courtship, there had been feelings. He had to sworn to himself never to fall in love; it caused to many complications in an already perplexing world.
"Fly like that and you'll never make the team, bastard!" yelled a familiar voice from the stands. Sirius cringed. It was Arabella, here to make him suffer even more. Sirius didn't think he could stomach one of their customary confrontations right now. He flew low, landing next to her amongst the Gryffindor seating.
"Leave it out, Bell," Sirius muttered in irritation.
"And why should I do that? You deserve every insult I sling at you," Bell sneered. "How could you be so insensitive? This stupid little incident takes pride of place in Sirius Black's Idiotic Behaviour Hall of Fame. I know Celestina isn't the easiest of people to get along with, but she has feelings. You just went along and stamped on them."
"I bet she told the whole tragic tale," Sirius bickered. "How I insulted her and yelled at her, breaking her heart with every word. I bet she made it all dramatic and realistic, with tears and flailing arms. You know what she's like, Bell. She's a great actress. She even drew you in, with your heart of steal. I used to believe all that crap, but the truth is she alters the truth in her favour all the time. She might even get so worked up about it she actually believes some of it, but that doesn't transform reality. I tried with all my might to be gentle and do the honourable thing, but she wouldn't let me. I've had enough, Bell. I'm not going to wait around for her to mature so I can finally get on with my life. I admit I was selfish, but do you really blame me?"
"And why am I supposed to believe that this isn't YOU being the great actor, trying to draw me in, hmm?" Bell hissed. "What the hell am I supposed to believe when you two split our circle of friends in two with your pathetic little escapades?"
"You're right, as usual, Bell," Sirius breathed. "Fifty points to Gryffindor for you. There's no reason at all why you should believe me."
"And this is your defence argument?"
"I'm not wasting it on you. You're so stuck in your ways I'd have to brainwash you to get you to listen to a word I say."
"So that's it?" Bell's eyes sparkled with fury. "You're just going to live Tina to sob her heart out while you try to wash the guilt away with a few laps round the pitch?"
Sirius turned to mount his broom. "Yeah, if that's the way you want to put it."
