Chapter 14
The next day was Monday, so Roseline had to wait until the end of class to go down to the hospital wing. Her last class was Ancient Runes, and she left the classroom feeling rather apprehensive about facing Sirius. She packed her bag quickly and set off for the hospital wing.
She found Sirius sitting up in bed, apparently doing homework. James or Remus must have dropped it in to him, she thought.
She walked over to the bed and put her bag on the floor. "Hi, Sirius." She said nervously. Sirius did not reply. His eyebrows contracted and he glared at his potions essay.
"Sirius?" She said tentatively.
Still no reply.
"Sirius, please, I just want to talk!"
Sirius pointedly turned the other way.
Roseline gazed at him. She felt miserable and upset that he wouldn't even listen, although she hadn't been expecting much co-operation.
"I'll see you later then," she said quietly, and picking up her bag she left the room without another word.
............................................................................................................
"Roseline?" Lily listened carefully, her ear pressed to the cubicle door. "Roseline, are you all right?"
There was a loud sniff and the toilet door opened.
Lily gasped and pulled her friend into a hug. "Oh, Roseline," she said in a muffled voice, as Roseline's tears soaked through her robes.
"What in Merlin's name is the matter?" Lily asked. Roseline's pale cheeks were damp and her eyes were filled with tears.
Roseline scrubbed her face furiously with her sleeve.
"It's nothing, Lils, I just...." She trailed off, looking at the floor.
"Just every day this week!" She burst out suddenly. "Every day I've gone down to see him, but he won't even look at me! I've tried to explain, I've tried to say sorry but nothing works!"
More tears splashed down Roseline's robes.
"Sirius?" Lily asked.
Roseline nodded, then hiccoughed.
"That's horrible." Said Lily flatly. "That is just horrible. That selfish, unforgiving prat. I'm going to talk to him. Nobody does this to a friend of mine and gets away with it."
Lily turned on her heel and marched out of the room.
.........................................................................................................
Meanwhile..........
"So ,Black. Been taking it easy, I see?"
Sirius' head shot up and he dropped the book.
"I warn you Snivellus, one word and I'll-"
"You'll what?" Sneered Snape. "You're in no position to do anything."
"That's what you think," Sirius snarled, reaching for his wand.
Snape swiftly snatched the wand out of Sirius' reach.
"I thought we'd have a little chat, Black. No doubt you and your friends find your childish pranks very amusing. But we'll see how amusing you are when I've finished with you." Snape pointed his wand at Sirius. "Severo!" he screamed.
A gash appeared across Sirius' cheek, flecking his robes with blood. Sirius leapt out of bed and grabbed his wand from Snape.
"Rictusempra!" he yelled.
Snape was knocked over backwards by the force of the spell. He started to get up again, but Sirius aimed straight at him and shouted "Menilus refrasti!
A thin cord shot from the tip of Sirius' wand binding Snape into position. Standing over him, Sirius hissed. "Leave me alone, or I shall have to hurt you." He performed the counter curse and the ropes disappeared.
Getting to his feet, Snape made as if to walk away, but turned when he was halfway to the door. "Siterunda!" He yelled.
"Progeto!"
Sirius' shield charm shot Snape's curse back at him. Snape dodged it, and glared venomously at Sirius.
"This time tomorrow you'll wish you'd never been born, Black." He hissed, before disappearing out the door.
Sirius heaved a sigh and sat down on his bed. Snape was an annoying little git; he never lost an opportunity to curse any Gryffindor that crossed his path, particularly Sirius and James. Sirius knew why he was so bitter, just the previous day Sirius had snuck out of the hospital wing and the Marauders had played a highly amusing prank on Snape, involving a biting broomstick and some itching powder. Sirius wasn't unduly worried about Snape's threat, however, as he had never managed to do anything to him so far but Sirius thought he should think up a little counter-scheme just in case. He smirked. You never knew with Slytherins, and it would be fun to do even if nothing happened.
............................................................................................................
Sirius was just finishing the outline of his plan when the door burst open.
"Sirius Black!" yelled a voice.
Sirius looked up. Lily Evans was standing in front of him, looking so angry that Sirius wouldn't have been surprised to see her breathing fire.
"What's up?" he asked nonchalantly.
"What's up?" Lily said disbelievingly, her voice getting louder by the minute. "What's up? You are the most selfish, horrible, disgusting prick I have ever had the misfortune to lay eyes upon!"
"I thought that was James," said Sirius jokingly, but next moment he was cowering as Lily's rage burst over him.
"Because you insist on being so self-absorbed and unforgiving, one of my best friends has been bawling her eyes out for seven days straight!" Lily screamed. "EXPLAIN YOURSELF!"
"You mean Roseline?" Asked Sirius, looking surly.
"YES I MEAN ROSELINE!!!!!!" Lily yelled.
Sirius shrugged and turned away, but Lily put her hands on his shoulders and span him back around so that they were face to face.
"Will you stop being so stupid?" She hissed.
Sirius scowled. "I'm not being stupid."
"Then explain something to me. If you like Roseline, as I know you do, why the hell aren't you talking to her?"
"That's my own business."
"I know why you're doing it, Sirius, and you're being stupid. You're denying yourself happiness, because you insist on cutting yourself off from everyone so you can wallow in your own self-pity or self-loathing or whatever it is."
"Why does everyone always assume I'm the one in the wrong? I don't see you yelling at her." Said Sirius angrily.
"Look, Sirius, Roseline may have made a mistake. In fact, I know she did. But even if she did, you're being ridiculous. The way you treat her is disgusting, Sirius, and she deserves better. The only reason I'm even doing this is because she's so miserable, but I had my way she'd never look at you again."
She glared at Sirius. But there was no change in expression, he still looked surly. With a snort of disgust, Lily turned on her heel and left the room.
The next day was Monday, so Roseline had to wait until the end of class to go down to the hospital wing. Her last class was Ancient Runes, and she left the classroom feeling rather apprehensive about facing Sirius. She packed her bag quickly and set off for the hospital wing.
She found Sirius sitting up in bed, apparently doing homework. James or Remus must have dropped it in to him, she thought.
She walked over to the bed and put her bag on the floor. "Hi, Sirius." She said nervously. Sirius did not reply. His eyebrows contracted and he glared at his potions essay.
"Sirius?" She said tentatively.
Still no reply.
"Sirius, please, I just want to talk!"
Sirius pointedly turned the other way.
Roseline gazed at him. She felt miserable and upset that he wouldn't even listen, although she hadn't been expecting much co-operation.
"I'll see you later then," she said quietly, and picking up her bag she left the room without another word.
............................................................................................................
"Roseline?" Lily listened carefully, her ear pressed to the cubicle door. "Roseline, are you all right?"
There was a loud sniff and the toilet door opened.
Lily gasped and pulled her friend into a hug. "Oh, Roseline," she said in a muffled voice, as Roseline's tears soaked through her robes.
"What in Merlin's name is the matter?" Lily asked. Roseline's pale cheeks were damp and her eyes were filled with tears.
Roseline scrubbed her face furiously with her sleeve.
"It's nothing, Lils, I just...." She trailed off, looking at the floor.
"Just every day this week!" She burst out suddenly. "Every day I've gone down to see him, but he won't even look at me! I've tried to explain, I've tried to say sorry but nothing works!"
More tears splashed down Roseline's robes.
"Sirius?" Lily asked.
Roseline nodded, then hiccoughed.
"That's horrible." Said Lily flatly. "That is just horrible. That selfish, unforgiving prat. I'm going to talk to him. Nobody does this to a friend of mine and gets away with it."
Lily turned on her heel and marched out of the room.
.........................................................................................................
Meanwhile..........
"So ,Black. Been taking it easy, I see?"
Sirius' head shot up and he dropped the book.
"I warn you Snivellus, one word and I'll-"
"You'll what?" Sneered Snape. "You're in no position to do anything."
"That's what you think," Sirius snarled, reaching for his wand.
Snape swiftly snatched the wand out of Sirius' reach.
"I thought we'd have a little chat, Black. No doubt you and your friends find your childish pranks very amusing. But we'll see how amusing you are when I've finished with you." Snape pointed his wand at Sirius. "Severo!" he screamed.
A gash appeared across Sirius' cheek, flecking his robes with blood. Sirius leapt out of bed and grabbed his wand from Snape.
"Rictusempra!" he yelled.
Snape was knocked over backwards by the force of the spell. He started to get up again, but Sirius aimed straight at him and shouted "Menilus refrasti!
A thin cord shot from the tip of Sirius' wand binding Snape into position. Standing over him, Sirius hissed. "Leave me alone, or I shall have to hurt you." He performed the counter curse and the ropes disappeared.
Getting to his feet, Snape made as if to walk away, but turned when he was halfway to the door. "Siterunda!" He yelled.
"Progeto!"
Sirius' shield charm shot Snape's curse back at him. Snape dodged it, and glared venomously at Sirius.
"This time tomorrow you'll wish you'd never been born, Black." He hissed, before disappearing out the door.
Sirius heaved a sigh and sat down on his bed. Snape was an annoying little git; he never lost an opportunity to curse any Gryffindor that crossed his path, particularly Sirius and James. Sirius knew why he was so bitter, just the previous day Sirius had snuck out of the hospital wing and the Marauders had played a highly amusing prank on Snape, involving a biting broomstick and some itching powder. Sirius wasn't unduly worried about Snape's threat, however, as he had never managed to do anything to him so far but Sirius thought he should think up a little counter-scheme just in case. He smirked. You never knew with Slytherins, and it would be fun to do even if nothing happened.
............................................................................................................
Sirius was just finishing the outline of his plan when the door burst open.
"Sirius Black!" yelled a voice.
Sirius looked up. Lily Evans was standing in front of him, looking so angry that Sirius wouldn't have been surprised to see her breathing fire.
"What's up?" he asked nonchalantly.
"What's up?" Lily said disbelievingly, her voice getting louder by the minute. "What's up? You are the most selfish, horrible, disgusting prick I have ever had the misfortune to lay eyes upon!"
"I thought that was James," said Sirius jokingly, but next moment he was cowering as Lily's rage burst over him.
"Because you insist on being so self-absorbed and unforgiving, one of my best friends has been bawling her eyes out for seven days straight!" Lily screamed. "EXPLAIN YOURSELF!"
"You mean Roseline?" Asked Sirius, looking surly.
"YES I MEAN ROSELINE!!!!!!" Lily yelled.
Sirius shrugged and turned away, but Lily put her hands on his shoulders and span him back around so that they were face to face.
"Will you stop being so stupid?" She hissed.
Sirius scowled. "I'm not being stupid."
"Then explain something to me. If you like Roseline, as I know you do, why the hell aren't you talking to her?"
"That's my own business."
"I know why you're doing it, Sirius, and you're being stupid. You're denying yourself happiness, because you insist on cutting yourself off from everyone so you can wallow in your own self-pity or self-loathing or whatever it is."
"Why does everyone always assume I'm the one in the wrong? I don't see you yelling at her." Said Sirius angrily.
"Look, Sirius, Roseline may have made a mistake. In fact, I know she did. But even if she did, you're being ridiculous. The way you treat her is disgusting, Sirius, and she deserves better. The only reason I'm even doing this is because she's so miserable, but I had my way she'd never look at you again."
She glared at Sirius. But there was no change in expression, he still looked surly. With a snort of disgust, Lily turned on her heel and left the room.
