Chapter Seven: I Didn't Mean to Say That…

"I'll take three," Taryn muttered, slipping three cards from her hand into the deck and taking three from it. "Anything for you, Siri?"

He slipped her two cards. "Just two," he muttered. She handed him two cards from the deck and he rearranged his cards. "Hey, Tar?"

"Yeah?" she answered absentmindedly. She was preoccupied with her cards. They were sticking together and she was trying desperately to get them in order. She decided to shuffle her hand and looked up at Sirius who was looking at her oddly. "What?"

"What was all that about?" he asked. "You know, when I first got here. When you flipped out."

She felt the colour drain from her face. "Oh, well," she muttered. "See… I wanted—and planned, actually—to spend the holiday alone here in the house and that had already been interrupted by Remus, who decided to show up within the first two hours of me being home. And then this morning, I received an unsettling letter and I really just needed to have some 'Taryn Time' to think everything through. And then you showed up and I just kinda freaked. I didn't mean to go crazy on you. I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "It's all right," he said. "I just wanted to make sure you were all right."

The rest of Taryn's holiday passed her by without event or catastrophe. She still had no idea what to do about her situation with her cousin, but she was certain that she could figure it out with the help of Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore if no one else. She didn't see her friends until after dinner the first night they returned to Hogwarts. They were all in the Room of Requirement, bored out of their skulls.

"I'm bored," Peter whined.

"We know."

"Then let's do something!"

"What do you suggest?"

"Sneak into the girls' lavatory?"

"Been there, done that," Sirius said, absently running his fingers through Taryn's hair. They weren't an 'official' couple, but the rest of the group more or less got the vibe that they were together, even if certain individuals had slight problems with it.

James looked over from his giant red pouf where he was rubbing Lily's shoulders. "When'd you do that?" he asked. "And why wasn't I invited? Ow!" Lily had elbowed him.

"First year," Sirius yawned. "I was looking for Taryn to pick on her again."

"You didn't even know my name then, Sirius!" she protested.

"I'm bored!"

"We know!"

"Look, Peter, if you're so bored," Colleen said, flipping through the latest edition of Witch Weekly. "Then why don't you go to the Astronomy Tower and try to fly?" The others stared at her. "He wouldn't be so bored, then. He'd be more worried about whether or not he'd live."

"True."

The seven lapsed into bored silence for a few minutes until Remus stood, stretched and said, "Taryn, we should probably start our patrol now."

She looked at her watch and sighed heavily. Sometimes, she almost forgot she was a Slytherin Prefect. "I guess you're right," she muttered, getting to her feet. "See you all later." She and Remus left the Room of Requirement. "I hate Mondays," she muttered as they made their way to the third floor for their patrol. They had to patrol the corridors on Monday nights; that's why they would hang out on Wednesday nights instead.

"I know you do," he replied, adjusting his sweater. They walked in silence for nearly a half hour. "Um, Nightfall?" he asked finally.

"Yeah?"

"Did you get my letter over Christmas?" he asked timidly. He seemed to not want to know her reaction to it, but desperately needed to know her reaction equally. She nodded, but said nothing. They continued in slightly uncomfortable silence for a few minutes. "A-are you sure you got it, Nightfall?"

She stopped walking suddenly and turned to face him. "Yes, I got your letter, Midnight," she said sharply. "What else is there you want me to say? That I'm going to throw myself at your feet and beg for your forgiveness for even considering wanting to be with someone else? Forsake him for the rest of eternity? Or do you just want the full truth of the matter, Midnight? Tell me what you want!"

"The full truth of the matter?" he repeated. "What are you talking about?"

Her face coloured an insane shade of red and she bit on a fingernail. "I didn't mean to say that," she muttered.

"Taryn—"

"I don't want to talk about it!"

……