Sirius' Tomboy:

A/N: This is the second installation— I don't even make sense but when did I ever? Also yeah I'm lazy so the plants yeah... I made them up so...(._.)

Disclaimer: Yeetus, I don't own Harry Potter because Druna/Dracuna is my OTP. ;)

I can't stand.

"I need to be at a teachers meeting at break but the Sylvites need planting in pots." Sprout mumbled to herself, as she made sure everyone had at least potted the Devils Snare at the end of the lesson.

I understood what her dilemma was, the Sylvite was a unique plant in how it reacted to when it sprouted. Within an hour the baby plants needed to be planted in a pot that would later still accommodate their size. That was because their roots would start to release the appropriate minerals and vitamins needed for the plant to stay alive and grow in their lifetime.

Wanting to help, I spoke up as she checked our labelled pot. "I can help with the Sylvites."

She bit her lip guilty. "If it isn't too much."

I nodded at Professor Sprout with an easy smile, "It's fine. I don't want to get out of here in a hurry either if you get what I mean."

The rain was heard plinking a tune on the glass of the greenhouse and I knew the watery ground wouldn't be nice to tread through.

She laughed at my attempt to lighten the mood and I was happy to see the tension on her shoulders disparate. "Yes the rain is terrible but thank you Faith."

"No worries." I laughed back and started retying my apron. I hadn't really taken it off to begin with.

"So you're staying behind to help?" Bertha asked, sweeping the floor as Ebony sorted out the storage cupboard since we were the last ones left.

"Yeah," I picked up the leftover bags of soil, blinking at the state the sixth years left the place in. "You guys don't need to stay behind for me I'll catch up— if you want."

"Of course we do!" Ebony made her appearance out of the cupboard and took the two bags from my hands. "But you know where to find us since I have no idea what Silvers are."

Bertha sighed good-naturedly as she put the broom to the side and picked up their school bags. "They're Sylvites Eb, anyway we'll be in the Great Hall and Dorcas will be there too if you want to meet her."

I nodded as Ebony came back and took her bag from Bertha's awaiting hand. "Bye Miss, See you on Wednesday."

"I'll see you girls later." Sprout said as I waved at them as they left and entered the cold.

The professor went over to her desk to slip on her cloak ahead of the downpour outside. "Once you've done with the Sylvites just lock the door behind you with a Colloportus, thank you once again Faith."

I paused in gathering items I would need to confidently nod, "yep, now go or else you'll be late."

Once the door clicked shut behind her and another thanks, I turned around and faced the saplings I had placed in a line, "right planties, time for your new homes."

I got straight to work cautious of the time that went by before the Sylvites would begin the nutrient-releasing process. First, I began by grabbing the new pots they would grow to snugly fit in and a small shovel to fill them up with the right soil.

"Don't you know I'm still standing better than I ever did," I sang quietly to the plants in the greenhouse as my audience.

When I double checked I'd smoothed over all twenty pots, speedily from practice, I grabbed the carton of the purple plants. I placed it down on the table surface, careful not to make any contact with the flower petals and have any toxins touch my skin.

"Looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid." I hummed and my head uncontrollably bobbed - I tended to do that a lot when singing.

The plants were still saplings, and nowhere near ready to start being used in antitoxins for poisons. I pulled on the thick specialised gloves, taking out the first few and planting them into the pots. I made sure they were sturdy in the soil so their roots wouldn't come loose after a few weeks.

"I'm still standing after all this time." I was dancing slightly now, swaying.

The plants were valuable and were used in most cures for different poisons so it was important for the hospital wing just in case. I'd come first hand with a toxicant once and I knew the significance of the constant supply of Sylvites.

"Picking up the pieces of my life without you on my mind."

Finished with potting the twenty, I started cleaning up the worktop. Wiping down the excess soil that had ended up on the table and taking the empty carton and putting it in the recycling bin.

I sent the bin double finger guns, movements fluid from the practiced movement from throughout summer break. "I'm still standing yeah yeah yeah."

After checking under the table for any dirt I hadn't spotted, I moved the Sylvites to the separate storing tank to the left of the storage cupboard.

"I'm still standing yeah yeah yeah."

I clicked the window shut once all twenty were inside the blue-lamped space and breathed a sigh of relief as I glanced at the clock.

10:23

I still had seventeen minutes till the end of break and had nothing left to do except lock the door and maybe I could become friends with Bertha, Ebony and possibly Dorcas.

"Bye planties. And thank you for coming to my one-woman show." I called, smiling to myself as I clicked off the light.

I left the greenhouse with a hum, locking it with the locking spell Miss gave me. "Colloportus."

"Look who it is, the Tart herself!"

I recognised that voice all too well.

I whipped my head in surprise, smile dropping to see Mary leading the quartet. The quartet made up of the only people in this world I wanted to avoid.

I felt my happy mood evaporate and my walls of confidence crumbling just at the sight of all four of them and I couldn't even bring myself to speak.

"She is so pathetic." Hesita stated, giving me a look that made me feel like I was a disgrace. A disgrace to her. A disgrace to the girls. A disgrace to everyone.

I looked at the pool of water seeping into the muddy floor, not ready to look them in the eyes yet and I stayed quiet.

"She can't even say anything to us. Is it because you can't threaten us anymore Tarty?" Mary taunted.

I couldn't keep my mouth shut then. "Me threaten you? Are you out of your mind! Out of all the times you've done that to... abuse me?"

Anger fueled me on and I didn't take any notice of their surprised expressions. I wasn't going to be submissive to their crap any longer.

"All these years I've been asking for nothing but friendship and you throw it in my face! Where are the girls from second year? The ones I wanted to be friends with? They were nicer than this!"

I stopped to heave in the breaths I missed out on and I could feel anger brewing from my ex-friends.

"We were always the same. You. Just. Never. Opened. Your. Eyes." I could hear Gwenog's rare but striking voice over the wind and I swallowed.

My burst of vexation fizzled out and my doubts had a chance to settle in. Was I really that blind? Was it all my fault from the beginning? Did I just force myself into a group while having warped views of them all?

Marlene made her presence known and I could tell that she was the source of the palpable fury in the air.

"What is Sirius Black to you?"

Her voice was calm but it only reminded me of the lull before the storm.

"What do you mean?" I asked, momentarily thrown off from the subject change. "He's an idiot."

"Then why are you hanging around with him?"

She clenched her fists as she fumed and I didn't know what to say. My brows scrunched as I tried to answer her question and not heighten her anger either. Unlike the other girls, I didn't know how Marlene acted when angry and I'd rather I didn't find out. But I was feeling rather peeved myself so oh well.

"Truthfully, I don't know." I gritted through my teeth, annoyed at having to argue a point to people I didn't want to approach, never mind talk to, in the first place. "And why do you need to know? It's not any of your business."

Before I knew what was happening Marlene slapped her hand on the right side of my face.

"Bitch! You think that by hanging out with my man that he will protect you?!?" Marlene cried, her honey eyes darkened in fury.

I flinched back at the magnitude of her anger, speechless.

"What the hell was that for!" I yelled, cursing when I reached my wits end.

My cheek burned and it ached against the freezing air. I touched it gingerly, not surprised at the flare of pain I felt with it.

I finally had enough of being hurt and bruised. Tired of having to live in misery and fear. And for what?

"You know what, I'm sick and tired of everything." I said as it became too much, tears forming at the corners of my eyes. "Marlene, maybe you're the one that's a bitch. Mary maybe you're a Tart and twins I expected better from you two."

I wouldn't allow myself to break down in front of any of them and I made to move past them but Mary pushed me backwards.

"Don't. Touch. Me." I whispered, glaring at her through the tears that wanted to fall.

"We will do whatever we want, so don't tell us what we can and can't do." Mary vehemently whispered.

I scowled at her, feeling a thrum of ache from my cheek for it. "I can tell you all to fuck off."

"Gwenog hex the Tart!" Mary ordered, too angry to even wear a smirk on her face.

Gwenog's hexes were a pain I was familiar with and had no doubt that I could protect myself from it. I silently cast a shield charm on myself, prepared for anything she might use against me. Her hex hit hard and fast causing me to be pushed backwards a few steps.

"So the Tart finally learnt how to protect herself? That might have been enough last year but guess what?"

The look in her eyes with the leer on her face was a dangerous combination and I hated how a spike of fear ran through me.

"I've learnt some moves too."

I backed away slowly banging into the locked door of the greenhouse classroom and the girls mockingly laughed at my actions. I didn't want to take my eyes off them for a minute but there was nowhere for me to run as the four of them surrounded me.

Hesita's laugh was short but vicious, "this is hilarious."

I frowned at her in confusion, wary of the distance between them and I. But then she uttered the words that made me feel sick to the core.

"You were never one of us."

At that moment I finally felt everything hit me.

They didn't care.

None of them argued with Hesita's statement and I realised I didn't matter. All this time I thought they at least valued our friendship but no.

I wasn't worth anyone's company it seemed.

As I was unfocused, Mary took her chance to use one of her moves. She didn't hold anything back and let out a call as she let her spell loose and I slowly blinked as the green ray sped towards me.

I couldn't find the strength in me to pull up another shield. Not because I wasn't strong enough. But because I couldn't find it in me to fight anymore.

I'd given up.

The jinx hit hard and fast and I registered being lifted by a Levicorpus into the air but it was all hazy. I landed with a harsh drop on the muddy ground in between some of the greenhouses and I could only wince in pain. One of Gwenog's hexes sent pain lancing up my legs and I let out a subdued yell. The pain was soon accompanied by another and I had to close my eyes because of the agony I was in.

Their laughs and threats were warbled to my ears and stinging my body was under made it impossible for me to focus on the words.

Then wands were forgotten.

Kicks, slaps and heaps of mud became involved and I knew I should fight, at least do something but I couldn't. Wouldn't.

Even though they didn't care and even though I shouldn't, I still cared about them. I didn't want to hurt them in response to the pain I felt. I couldn't live with myself if I did that.

I guess I really was weak.

"Some things are temporary." The words suddenly disrupted my thoughts and I was surprisingly still able to listen to Gwenog's voice without the twinges of my body distracting me. "You were merely one of those things."

I weakly looked up to see the gleeful eyes of the girls I used to think were my closest friends. Then I closed my eyes when I couldn't stand a different pain in my chest anymore.