Anything But Ordinary

Chapter 8-I'm With You

When Kelsey awoke, she felt a cold washcloth seeping slow drops of water down her face. It was slowly helping to ease the pain that had developed overnight in the temple of her forehead. She couldn't bare to open her eyes, knowing the light would be blinding. Rubbing her eyes restlessly, she managed to squint, thus allowing her to see who was sitting beside her.

Both Sirius and Dorcas, who were sending outraged glares at one another, sat in a chair beside her bed. How Sirius had managed to get in the dorm was beyond her, but she knew he could probably accomplish nearly anything if he set his mind to it. Surprisingly, Lily Evans also sat, attempting to not make the situation any more awkward by pretending not to notice Sirius and Dorcas' displeasure in one another.

Sirius was the first to notice her awakening and took to squeezing her hand in a comforting manner. She grinned, still unsure of why everyone was looking at her as if she'd died.

"Morning, sunshine," he greeted. "Had a rough night, didn't you?"

"No thanks to you, Black," Dorcas mumbled under her breath.

"Not now, Meadowes," Sirius snapped harshly. "You've already had your say. Why don't you run along and grab Kelsey something to eat?"

"I'm her sister and she needs me," Dorcas said proudly, her brown eyes full of irritation.

Lily, who had been sitting quietly, flinching at the chaos occurring, spoke up, "How about I go and get Kelsey some toast and pumpkin juice while you three sort out whatever issue you have." As she ran to get up and head to the Great Hall, she said, "I hope you feel better, Kelsey."

Kelsey offered a sheepish smile as Lily departed, still unsure as to what had happened the previous night.

"What's going on?" Kelsey demanded warily. She sat up and tucked a strand of her now curly brown hair.

"Well, apparently, under Sirius' watch, you ran off with three of the most loathsome girls in the entire school and got yourself piss drunk," Dorcas told her. "And well, they let you collapse somewhere in the middle of the party and began laughing their arses off."

The three girls did sound familiar, but Kelsey was having a hard time understanding exactly why this was Sirius' fault. He hadn't wanted her to go with them.

"Sirius, you knew not to take her to that party!" her sister cried, in a protective, almost unstable tone. "She's not like everyone else. She's not used to our world."

Something inside of Kelsey cracked. She was astonished. Since when was Dorcas one to look down upon her? Why was her sister belittling her?

"She wanted to go!" Sirius said, standing up defensively.

"And you let her," Dorcas said stiffly. "Knowing what kind of people attend them. You let her go and get smashed. Anyone could have taken advantage of her! Anyone. Did you even think about that?"

Before Sirius could respond, Kelsey's voice intervened. "Sirius, if possible, could you leave me and my sister alone for a moment? We have some things to discuss."

Sirius nodded, happy to leave. Dorcas was fuming and well, he really wasn't eager to be on the receiving end of her temper. Leaning in to kiss her goodbye, Sirius whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry."

Kelsey desperately wanted to cry, "It's not your fault," but knew better than to before she had her say with her sister.

"You really do need to get rid of him, Kels," Dorcas told her sister uneasily. "He's not right for you. There's just something so reckless about him that's unhealthy for anyone."

"Dorcas, don't talk about things you don't understand," Kelsey advised her sister in a cold, assertive voice so unlike her normally shy, less domineering tone. "Sirius has been nothing but good to me. You will use any excuse to doubt him. Last night, I begged him to go to that party. I thought he was ashamed of me. But no, he was ashamed of your crowd. And honestly, I still don't see what went so wrong. I got drunk. So what? If I had to count the number of time's I've seen you singing into that pearly white basin, I'd be sitting here all day. Why is it ok for you to be popular, but when I actually am offered the chance, I shouldn't be allowed to receive it?"

Dorcas was stunned. She'd never even heard Kelsey string so many words together before, let alone stand up for herself.

"I think it's best if you stay out of my business from now on, Dorcas," Kelsey told her sister. "Because, honestly, it's entirely hypocritical of you."

Kelsey half expected her sister to argue her way out, but shockingly, Dorcas left quietly, small tears forming in her brown eyes. The two sisters who normally looked out for one another had split. They had broken paths. They had come undone. They were no longer unified. And Kelsey sincerely hoped she had chosen for the best.

.X.

The next morning, Kelsey made her way down the halls to the Great Hall alone. As she entered, she didn't spot Sirius, but suspected he was still asleep. The two of them had spent a good part of the night talking in the Astronomy Tower.

To her surprise, as soon as she entered, none other than Mary, the blonde Hufflepuff, rushed over to her.

"Oh, Kelsey, I really am sorry about the other night," she said quietly, locking arms with Kelsey as they walked towards the Gryffindor table. "I was blitzed out of my mind and well, you know how alcohol brings out the worst in everyone."

Kelsey smiled, fully aware of Dorcas' disapproving eyes on her. "That's alright," she told Mary. "It wasn't that big of a deal. My sister merely overreacted. You know, Dorcas. Full of piss and vinegar."

Mary laughed nodding. She obviously agreed. "Well, I just wanted to let you know that us girls are having a girls night out tonight. Same place, but no boys. Just wanted to make sure you'd come."

"Of course," Kelsey assured her. "I'd love to."

"Excellent," Mary said, heading over to her own house table. "You won't regret it. Eight o'clock sharp."

"I'll be there," Kelsey told her, smiling. Her dreams really were coming true. Dorcas was wrong to believe she didn't belong. She was just an ordinary girl.

.X.

As Kelsey paced the outside of the Room of Requirement, the door showed no signs of opening. Nervously, she glanced at her watch, having stood there for over an hour.

She tugged on her pink dress furiously, unsure of whether she'd come to the right place. Was she desiring the right destination?

She spotted Sirius, walking towards her from a distance, his face not only saddened, but a bit angry.

"Kels, they're not coming," he told her. "I just saw them over by the kitchens laughing."

She nodded, as if knowing the whole time that this was going to happen. And so, she allowed Sirius to carry her back to the Common Room, crying into his shoulder the entire time.

.X.

"Mary!" a voice barked from the shadows as the blonde Hufflepuff attempted to enter her common room. She turned, her face still full of laughter. Yet, as she saw who had called her name, she grimaced.

"Sirius," she said cynically. "What can I do for you?"

"You can let it go," he told her angrily. His gray eyes were full of danger and frustration, sending chills up Mary's spine.

He wanted to hurt her, hurt her for every causing Kelsey pain. Hurt her for causing a rift between Kelsey and Dorcas. Hurt her for being immature and petty.

"Let what go, love?" she asked him, her voice full of seduction. She grinned flirtatiously and let her hand drift across his face slowly.

"Just because you're a bitter bitch doesn't mean you have to hurt Kelsey," he told her, throwing her hand off of him. "If I ever catch you doing being anything but nice to my girlfriend again, well, let's just say I'll be breaking more than your reputation."

He hated being angry. He hated being cruel. Yet, he had to resort to such measures in order to protect her. So, as he left Mary, eyeing him curiously as he stormed off, he knew that something about Kelsey made him different. Something about her made him snap. He was protective, aching, longing, and harsh. He was changing. He was becoming someone else. And all because of a girl.

A/N: Hope you liked it. Please review.