Chapter Ten

Rae opened her eyes, squinting through the darkness. She pulled her hangings to the side and gazed through the small window across from her. Sitting up and yawning, she glanced at her watch. The little dial that spun the date read the letter 'F'. Friday. There was something important about friday.

A test, perhaps?

No...

I want both of you back here at nine tomorrow night...

There it was. A detention from that new Potions teacher.

And she was to serve it with that annoying pureblood, too.

Beautiful.

She got up and groped around her trunk for some clean clothes. A pair of small scissors fell out of her pocket as she bent over. A grin spread across her face, as she remembered the snipping she had done to Denise's clothing the night before. Speaking of which - the she-demon was still asleep.

Better to hurry up and avoid conversation - or conviction - at all costs. Rae pulled a pair of old ragged jeans out of her trunk and tugged them on, fastening the loose button.

"God bless Levi Strauss, whoever he is," she whispered to herself.

These jeans were her mother's. Surprisingly, the smaller belled bottom was still stylish. With rips, tears, and holes in the knees, they were easily the most comfortable pair she owned. Something told her that today, she would need her mother's spirit near to her, more so than usual. There were a few patches across and around the back pockets. One of them read 'Sex Pistols' - her mother had been getting into them right before she died. Sarah Orion had never failed to amaze a single soul that knew her.

Rae grabbed a shirt, not bothering to see which one it was, and pulled it over her head. Fine for today. She picked up her trench coat and bag, then walked out of the dormitory. The stairwell was silent, for the most part. The fire crackled from above, and two young voices carried down the stone, walls. Rae saw that they were only first years, and so she paid them no mind. They were silent as she walked past. Perhaps they were afraid of her. Good.

Later that day, when the lunch bell rang, the majority of the student body made their way to the Great Hall. At the Gryffindor table, Sirius found a fellow sixth year and took a seat next to her while he waited on James to come down from the Divination classroom. She looked up from the book she was reading ("Modern Astrological Myths: 1976"), and stared into his dark eyes with her jade green ones.

"What's her name?"

"Hold on a sec-"

"Just tell me what her name is-"

"Who said it was a-"

"Okay, what's his name?"

"Bree!"

"Yes?" She smirked.

Sirius looked at her, pleadingly.

Bree rolled her eyes and pulled her thick blonde hair around to one side of her head. "So. Talk."

He sighed, closing his eyes and running his hands through his shaggy black hair. "I have a detention tonight with this girl." Sirius stopped, half expecting Bree to cut him off, asking for her name again. She stayed silent, gazing at him and braiding her hair absently.

Sirius continued. "Her name is Rae. And she seems to have it in her head that all purebloods are snotty, stuck up-"

"Basically, you mean people like that Denise Malfoy chick."

"Right."

"And you want to convince her that you are not in the same ball-park as the Malfoys."

"Yes. Can you help me?"

"For a price."

"How - wait!" He stopped in midsentence. "Since when does giving advice to a friend require payment?"

Bree laughed at him. "It was a joke, Sirius! Chill out!"

"Oh." He looked a bit confused.

The blonde reached over and smacked him across the top of his head.

"Hey!" He choked out, laughing. His features smoothed over, again. "So, what do I have to do?"

Bree smiled at him and said, simply, "Just show her the real you."

"What do you mean, 'the real me'?" he said slowly, cocking his head to one side.

"This. Show her this." She waved her wand, summoning a mirror from her bag and holding it in front of Sirius. "You're so adorable when you're not trying to be cute! Don't try to be smart or funny. In fact, don't try to be anything that you're not."

"Are you implying that I'm not-"

"You know what I mean!"

"No, I don't think I do," he mocked.

"Can't you be serious, for once?" She sighed.

"I'm always Sirius, love!" He flashed her a dazzling smile, to which she really couldn't help but smile back at.

"Gah!" She laughed, then smacked him over the had again. "Wake up, genius! Be Sirius in both senses!"

Sirius was silent for a moment. "Do you really think I'm adorable?"

"No."

"You're so blunt."

"The truth hurts."

"Ouch."

"That was a joke."

"Oh."

"Listen." She paused. "Just be yourself. Take down all that elaborate shit that you put up around yourself. Let her see who you really are."

"How?"

"Talk to her."

"About myself?"

"Yes."

"Doesn't that seem a bit... egotistical?"

"Well..." She thought for a moment. "Okay, I know you don't have the best conversational skills when it comes to being... open."

The final word had been decided on after recieving a warning look from Sirius. Bree knew him as well as James did, meaning she also knew that he was awkward when it came to talking about himself. But, despite the look he was giving her, she stared right back at him, unfazed. Bree knew to look beyond his outter shell. Inside, she knew that Sirius was a very passionate individual. Yet, she seemed to be one of the few who were in on the little secret.

"But if at first you don't succeed, try; try again."

"Er... right."