Warnings: Mild Language

Chapter 14 of year 4: Obstination

James had offered to stay longer to help Marlene train. Frank had run into Alice on his way back to the castle. Gabe Pevensie had detention. Cresswell had some Captain duties to attend to. Sirius wouldn't be caught dead with Shacklebolt (only because he had got the Beater position he had wanted but he'd never admit that even to himself.) So it was one of the rare occasions when Sirius was alone, strolling back to Gryffindor Tower. He didn't mind it at all. It gave him time to simply breathe and not think for a few moments. That was before he ran into him. The Hufflepuff who was the first to ever confront Sirius about a rumour.

There were a lot of rumours circulating around Hogwarts about Sirius. It rarely bothered him. Most of the time he found it humorous. On rare occasions, when he heard whispers about himself practising dark magic, it did bother him. No one had ever had the guts to say it to his face though.

It had been a while since he's heard anything about himself. He thought that his peers now knew him well enough to know that he was different than what society had come to expect from a Black. He wasn't a muggle hating wizard obsessed with the dark arts. He was the exact opposite and proud to be so.

Sirius first saw him at a distance sitting on a bench with two other blokes, all guffawing with laughter as they passed around a book. He didn't think anything of it. He was just passing a stranger sitting in a public place.

"Oy, Black," the Hufflepuff called as Sirius passed. Sirius stopped, not knowing what he expected but also not feeling defensive. His friends all hushed. One of them nudged him as if to tell him to be quiet while the other smiled at his shoes. "I heard you're dating that wolf girl."

"Who?" Sirius questioned, genuinely confused. He could never understand why people were so obsessed with who was dating who.

"That Nicnevin girl. A friend of mine said she saw you two in the Three Broomsticks yesterday," he answered, holding back a grin.

"Oh, no we're just fr-"

"I mean it makes sense, doesn't it? For a dark wizard to have a hard on for the darkest half-breed there is," he sneered and his friends burst out laughing.

Sirius wasn't sure what to do just that he needed to act. There were so many wrongs that needed correcting. Eilidh wasn't a werewolf. Sirius wasn't a dark wizard. They certainly weren't dating. It sickened him that the Hufflepuff had called werewolves dark. Remus wasn't dark.

His jaw tightened, locking into place. He knew he'd never be heard over their obnoxious laughter and he had left his wand in his dormitory before heading off to the Quidditch field. His hand started to tremble and sweat. He needed to make contact with something. A good punch in the face would likely scare the crap out of the idiot. He curled his trembling fingers into fists, his muscles tensed ready to make contact, he didn't even have to think about it. He raised his fist needing to hear that satisfying smack.

An annoying, high pitched meow froze him. He looked over his shoulder and spotted Mrs Norris's lamp like eyes peering from around the corner, goading him on. Filch would love to have an opportunity to punish Sirius. So instead, he snatched the book out of his hands, finally silencing their laughter, and threw it across the corridor its pages flying out like leaves in a harsh wind.

"You git! That's a library book!" The Hufflepuff yelled, standing a full head taller than Sirius. He didn't care though. He still wanted to punch him, to see his blood spilling from his nose, but he could see Mrs Norris's tail swaying patiently out of the corner of his eye. So he strode away, his anger increased with every step he took as he mulled over the scene.

Sirius stalked into the common room, his fists clenched and face hot. He spotted Remus sitting around the fire with Eilidh and Lily playing gobstones. Lily and Eilidh laughed as a gobstone shot a nasty smelling goo into his face.

Sirius marched over wondering how any of this happened. They were friends. Honest to goodness friends. Friends who got into loud arguments about The Unforgivable Curses in defence, who were forced into each other's corners in Muggle Studies for being the only Gryffindors to take the class. Friends who were seen alone together talking over butterbeers in the Three Broomsticks.

"Where's Peter?" he asked Remus, throwing himself on the floor next to him, trying to keep his anger out of his voice and apparently failing.

"What's wrong?" Remus asked automatically. He dropped the large stone in his hand giving Sirius his full attention. Lily looked from Eilidh to Remus to Sirius and back again, apparently not knowing what to do. Eilidh watched him with a neutral expression. He was slightly annoyed with the lot of them. If he had wanted to talk about it he would have said something, not ask where Peter was.

"Nothing," he said shortly, bringing his legs to his chest. He didn't know why but he couldn't bring himself to tell Eilidh what they were saying about her nor Remus about the insult to his kind. People believing that he was a dark wizard was nothing new and not worth telling, it just had never been so in his face before.

"Did practice go okay?" Remus asked, rolling the stone between his hands. Of course, Remus was digging. Why would Remus ever just leave him alone? That was something… a good friend wouldn't do.

"Yup," Sirius answered. His heart clenched at Remus's kindness but only made the Hufflepuff's words that much worse. He still found he couldn't meet his eye so he traced the seam of his trousers instead.

"Where's James?" Remus asked, half rising in alarm.

"Still on the Quidditch field," Sirius answered quickly. "He's helping McKinnon train. And before you ask: No we didn't fight."

"Okay… I don't know what else it could-"

"Because nothing. Happened," Sirius said forcefully, finally looking back at him. Remus slightly recoiled, shocked at his tone. "Just go back to your game," he said softly and curled into a tighter ball, resting his chin on his knees. He did not mean to lash out at him but he just kept digging.

"Sirius," Lily said, gently, looking concerned yet cautious, her fingers picking at the fabric of the carpet. "Do you want me to go so you can talk?"

Sirius's jaw tightened. He'd have to tell them something. He had made too much of a scene when he came in.

"No. It's nothing really. They're just… people are saying that we're dating," Sirius answered, careful not to meet anyone's gaze. A lump had risen in his throat. It was the basic gist of the rumour and it had bothered him a little so it wasn't exactly a lie.

"That you and me?" Lily asked pointing a finger at herself and Sirius, looking utterly confused.

"No. Eilidh and I," Sirius corrected, staring at his shoelaces as if they were the most interesting thing in the world.

"So?" Eilidh blinked not understanding why this would upset him so much. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't. He'd be annoyed at most and he'd probably just laugh it off.

"So, we're not," Sirius said void of emotion. He shrugged, keeping a tight hold on his folded legs.

"So why do you care if they think we are? Why does it matter?" she challenged. She made a good point and he didn't know how to argue it without revealing more of the truth.

"Why doesn't it bother you?" he deflected, a method that worked in most situation. Eilidh gazed at him. For a moment he thought she had caught onto him but then she shrugged and returned to her gaming position.

"We just have to be careful not to be seen alone together anymore," she stated, her voice sounding colder than what he had come to know. He had somehow unintentionally hurt her feelings that much was obvious.

"What about Muggle Studies?" he asked, trying to let her know that that's not what he wanted. She shrugged again and fidgeted with the different coloured stones in front of her.

"We'll make new friends I guess," she mumbled. He finally released his legs and let them fall.

"Leave me alone in that class and I'll consider you to be a horrible person," he declared, folding his legs under him. She still didn't look up at him so he reached forward and pulled the stones away from her.

"Alright! But I don't see how that will solve your problem!" she yelled.

"Why are you mad at me? I'm not the one-"

"I'm not mad," she snarled, obviously lying. He didn't get a chance to press the issue because James burst through the portrait hole.

"Good Morning you pompous butt waffles!" he grinned, striding toward them covered in sweat, still in his Quidditch robes, and his hair messier than ever. Lily hid her face in her hands hiding a blush though her shoulders shook with laughter.

"What's a butt waffle?" Eilidh questioned, looking like it was the strangest thing she'd ever heard.

"I don't know. Ask Evans," James shrugged. Eilidh looked at Lily but seeing that her face was still covered didn't ask.

"James, you smell like Quidditch," Remus said, his face scrunched up in disgust.

"Thank you, Remus," he smirked, clutching his heart. Remus rolled his eyes. Sirius and Eilidh laughed. "Listen, mates. Where's Peter?"

"He's up in the dorm room catching up on sleep," Remus answered, making a show of holding his nose.

"It's almost noon!" James huffed, throwing his arms in the air.

"It's only 8 o'clock. Let him sleep. It's the least you can do after making him get up every day at the crack of dawn," Remus said, his voice sounding nasally from his still pinched nostrils.

"I can't Dumbledore's called us to his office," James told them, making his way toward the dormitory steps.

"Oy, mate!" Sirius called. James stopped and turned to face him. "Grab my wand? I left it on my nightstand."

"And take a shower!" Remus added.

James chuckled shaking his head and he turned to leave again.

"Hey Potter," Lily called, her voice sounding cautious. James stopped and looked over his shoulder, not looking elated like Sirius had expected, but guarded.

"Yes, Evans," James said, his tone matching his expression. Lily swallowed and bit her lip.

"Did you have a good practice?" she asked kindly like she was talking to an injured child.

"Yes Evans," James repeated.

"Good. Think you'll win the next match?" she continued conversationally. James looked confused and cast a look to Sirius he couldn't quite understand. He looked irritated.

"With me on the team we'll never lose," he answered then quickly moved up the steps toward the dormitory.

Sirius, Remus, and Eilidh all stared at Lily wanting answers. Lily kept her expression blank as she picked at the skin around her thumb. Seeing Lily Evans and James Potter not fighting, not laughing, but having a casual conversation about Quidditch. Lily and James were never casual. It just never happened. It wasn't in his nature to pry but it was too weird. He was saved from having to ask though when Lily's cracking voice finally spoke up.

"Did he uh… did James say anything about me after Hogsmeade?"

"What?" Eilidh looked as if she couldn't believe her ears. Indeed he could hardly believe it himself.

"James and I… Potter and I had a conversation in Honeydukes and I think I might have hurt his feelings," Lily admitted, holding her hands very still on her knees and looking determinedly at them as if daring them to say that she might actually care about James Potter.

"He was asleep when I came back," Sirius told her deciding it would be best not to tease her especially if her feelings were just developing. He looked at Remus.

"He didn't say anything about you," Remus answered. "He talked about Quidditch practice and a pr - Halloween. He did seem quiet though. And I think Peter actually mentioned him being angry-"

"We'll talk to him. See what happened and try to smooth things over," Sirius interrupted him after seeing the panicked look on Lily's face.

"Um… it's okay you don't have to," Lily said, her hands fluttering everywhere, tucking her hair behind her ear, scratching her nose, adjusting her skirt. "I just don't like hurting people's feelings. But maybe it's for the best. I mean we can't get along. We've tried being friends and it just…." she trailed off her eyes catching an odd distant look. She sucked in a breath, shook her head, and stood. "I'm sorry. Dumbledore's waiting for you, you should probably get going."

Eilidh jumped to her feet and took Lily's hand.

"Lil, I can stay a while if you wanna talk," Eilidh offered.

"No, no. I'm fine I've just got homework to catch up on," Lily smiled tightly and squeezed Eilidh's hand before letting go. "Good luck with those rumours Sirius," she grinned over her shoulder and climbed up to her dormitory.

"Those two." Remus shook his head, staring at the place Lily had left them, a smiling slightly.

"They're ridiculous" Eilidh nodded in agreement and started cleaning up the remnants of their game.

"Lily just needs to admit her feelings," Sirius said.

"And James just needs to get his head out of his arse long enough for her to realise her feelings," Eilidh bit back.

"Okay, are you mad at me or are you mad at James? It's hard to keep up sometimes," Sirius flared. He was tired of her temper. It seemed like they couldn't have a conversation without her getting mad about something.

"I'm not-"

"Liar," Sirius accused.

"Okay, I'm mad! I'm mad because I don't understand what is so repulsive about me, that you would get so upset about people assuming that we're dating! I'm mad that James doesn't see that everything he does to Snape actually hurts Lily! And I'm mad because you are the most frustrating person I've ever met!" Eilidh yelled her face contorted with rage, moving toward him slowly so that she was in his face by the end of it. Remus sighed and sank into a chair. He started organising the gobstones by colours in their case.

"If I found you repulsive I don't think we'd be friends," Sirius said calmly, looking her right in the eyes. She was the most ridiculous person he'd ever met but knowing her temper well it was not a good time to point that out.

"Then why are we friends! Because for the life of me I can't think of another reason you'd be so upset." Eilidh's voice lowered dangerously. Sirius searched his mind trying to find a way he could tell her without hurting Remus.

"They think the only reason why we'd be together is that we're both dark," Sirius answered, his voice a measured calm though his head began to pulse as he said it out loud. Eilidh stepped back, her face relaxed, her eyes searching. "Besides its none of their business who I'm dating."

"Girls are always going around claiming to be dating you, that rumour shouldn't surprise you," Eilidh said quietly, in almost a whisper, and shrugged.

"So you started it," Sirius accused, only half joking. Eilidh looked at him with large, daunting eyes. He thought she was going to start yelling again so he added in a rush: "Does it really surprise you that they think we're dark?"

"No," she answered spitefully. "And I didn't start it and feck you for thinking so."

"Yeah, all right," Sirius shrugged. He was sorry but saying it would be admitting he was wrong.

"He means that as an apology," Remus added, not looking up from his work on the gobstones. Eilidh looked at him questioningly. Sirius gave a half smile indicating that what Remus said was true.

"As I said," Eilidh tutted. "Most frustrating person I've ever met." She moved around the back of the couch to sit next to Remus. Sirius stood unable to move. He wasn't sure what had just happened. Was he forgiven? Was she actually not going to talk to him in muggle studies anymore?

"Eilidh was that you screaming?" James called as he entered the common room, obviously having taken Remus's advice about the shower. Peter came behind him, rubbing his eyes and looking like he just received the rudest awakening. Knowing James, that was probably exactly what happened. Eilidh looked at Sirius. They seemed to have an understanding that James shouldn't know about this rumour - given how protective he was.

"I'd just been called a butt waffle. I needed to defend my honour," Eilidh answered, taking the case Remus had finished with and put it back in its place on the mantle above the fireplace.

James handed Sirius's wand to him looking at each of his friends.

"Sure that's the only thing that happened?" James questioned. Remus cleared his throat and glanced at the pair of them. Sirius knew he wouldn't say anything, that's just not how he was.

"Lily asked about you," Remus said, sounding bored and uninterested but he was watching James out of the corner of his eye. Peter froze in the middle of a yawn and watched for James's reaction. James stuffed his hands into his pockets, scuffed his foot against the floor, and stared into the fire.

"Oh?" he said mildly.

"Yeah, she was wondering if she upset you yesterday when you talked," Remus answered, still watching James. James only hummed in response. "So what happened?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary." James cleared his throat and strode for the portrait hole. "We'd better get going, Dumbledore's waiting for us."

Peter, Remus, and Sirius all exchanged looks of concern before following him out the portrait hole and through the corridors toward Dumbledore's gargoyle-guarded office.

"Jellied Slugs," James muttered to the gargoyle and it moved aside, revealing the spiral staircase that led up to their Headmasters office. James knocked on the wooden door three times and a muffled "come in" sounded.

Dumbledore held up a hand signalling them to wait. He was sitting behind his desk writing a letter, the feather of his quill stirring quickly in the air. He finished with a flourish and looked up at them, greeting them with a smile before beckoned them closer.

"Good morning," he said cheerfully. "Please sit down."

Each of them muttered "good morning, Professor" as they took a seat in the five comfy armchairs placed in front of his desk. Dumbledore waved his wand, conjuring tea and biscuits for each of them.

"Your Hogsmeade weekend was quite eventful I take it?" Dumbledore started as he poured tea into each of their cups.

"I thought it was a bit boring actually," James joked.

"Indeed it was a bit dull," Sirius added. Both of them were completely at ease.

Remus sent them disapproving looks. Peter looked at them in awe but then fearfully watched for Dumbledore's reaction. Eilidh nervously twisted her pinky between her forefinger and thumb as she sat with her back rigidly straight in her chair staring directly at Dumbledore with an expression of forced calm.

"How was your cousin Sirius?" Dumbledore asked, his twinkling gaze losing a bit of the usual light-heartedness. Sirius's mouth fell open. This caught him completely off guard so he had no witty return. James looked at Sirius questioningly. Sirius hadn't yet told him about his run in with Andy.

"Uh, she's fine. Got herself one of those screaming monsters, what are they called again?" Sirius answered after he composed himself.

"Banshees?" James offered, with a smirk.

"Babies," Eilidh corrected, barely holding back the urge to roll her eyes.

James gave Sirius a significant look that made no sense to anyone else in the room. Sirius had told him about Andy's baby at the beginning of the year, he was merely asking for confirmation that this was who was being referred to. Sirius nodded, answering his silent question.

"It couldn't have been too dull if you were battling screaming monsters," Dumbledore returned, the twinkle in his eye at full blast. Sirius sat straighter in his chair, a rebellious look lighting his eye. "Please pass on my congratulation to Andromeda."

"I'm sure she'll be happy to receive it," Remus answered when Sirius made no reply.

He was in a staring contest with Dumbledore. The Headmaster looked completely amused by this while his friends around him shifted uneasily. Without breaking eye contact Dumbledore continued.

"I need to speak with you about your hand in the events involving Phineas Abbot, William Barker, and Herbert Saunders."

James snorted and tried to cover his laughter with a cough. Sirius smirked still holding eye contact with Dumbledore. Remus rolled his eyes and allowed his head to fall into his hand. Eilidh sat rigidly still, sending scathing looks to James out of the corner of her eye. Peter started twisting his fingers and gnawing on his lip.

"Excuse me, Professor. I think I might be catching a cold," James said, wiping under his nose for emphasis.

"Madam Pomfrey is an excellent nurse James," Sirius said, still smirking and still staring at the Headmaster, "I'm sure she can give you a poti-"

"Professor," Remus said loudly over Sirius. "We weren't involved with Abbot in any way. We were only there because we heard he might be trying to smuggle something into Hogwarts that was potentially dangerous. We were trying to stop him, not help him. Though admittedly things did get out of hand."

Dumbledore didn't look at Remus while he spoke as he usually would. Instead, he stared at Sirius, his eye boring into him. His look wasn't exactly cold but it was intimidating. It wasn't something Sirius was used to. He did this with his father on multiple occasion and it never left him feeling… submissive. The usual rebellious flame that burned inside Sirius wasn't exactly extinguished, just calmer. James seemed to be catching the effects of Dumbledore's gaze as well because for once there was not a hint of a smirk on his lips. Seeming satisfied with this response Dumbledore turned to Remus, a pleasant expression on his face.

"I did not think for a moment that you were trying to assist Abbot and his friends, that would have been a tremendous misinterpretation of the scene I stumbled upon. What I need to talk to you about, is why you felt the need to take care of this situation yourselves instead of turning to your professors," he told him, his voice so soothing that even Peter seemed to relax.

"We felt we didn't have enough proof," Eilidh spoke, her voice had an odd diplomatic tone to it that Sirius had never heard from her before. She was usually all bite first, discuss later.

"I fairly good reason. However I think that whatever proof you had to convince yourselves to take action would have been suffice enough to convince at least one of your professors to open an investigation," Dumbledore said, leaning back in his chair and pressing his fingertips together. He gazed at the five of them as they looked at each other trying to find a certifiable excuse. "I don't blame any of you of course," Dumbledore said quickly before Remus could speak again, "but I do think we need to open communications and create a bond of trust between you and your professors."

The five of them fell silent, the only thing that could be heard in the office was Fawkes's ruffling feathers. They simply did not know how to respond. Opening communications and creating a bond of trust with their professors sounded awful, boring, awkward, and nightmarish. Dumbledore poured milk into his tea and stirred, the teaspoon scraping against the porcelain added to the ambience of the feathers. He sipped and watched them over his cup, waiting for their dumbfounded expressions to pass. James was the first to speak.

He licked his lips, adjusted his position, and asked, "how would you have us do that, Professor?"

Dumbledore took a deep breath, leaning towards them, and answered promptly: "As I'm sure you know, Professor Slughorn has volunteered to plan and organise the Alum Ball." At this Sirius groaned loudly. He had a very good idea where Dumbledore was going with this. Dumbledore continued on as if nothing happened. "Most of the Professors and many of your peers have been enthusiastically assisting Professor Slughorn in doing so."

"And you want us to enthusiastically assist," Sirius said, bitterly.

"I do expect you to assist, yes, your attitude about the situation depends solely on you," Dumbledore responded.

"And if we don't want-" Sirius began, his voice thick with defiance.

"I think assisting with the ball will be a great way to get to know our teachers better. It might even promote house unity." Eilidh spoke with an air of peaceful dissent. It was almost infuriating.

"It's definitely better than detention," Remus said, seeming to speak more to Sirius than anyone else.

"We might even come to do it enthusiastically," Peter added.

"I'm happy to hear that we've come to an accord," Dumbledore nodded. With a patient smile, he turned to James and Sirius. "So, Mr Black and Mr Potter, can we come to an agreement?"

James and Sirius looked at each other, sharing a look of mutual defiance. However James cocked a brow and Sirius nodded, they had no choice but to concede.

"As Remus said, it's better than detention," James nodded, folding his hands together.

Dumbledore nodded his thanks and turned to Sirius, "And you, Mr Black." Sirius, in his last attempts at defiance, remained silent. He merely nodded his head, gritting his teeth as he did so.

"Good," Dumbledore smiled. "I think that if you report to Professor Slughorn's classroom, you'll find a committee of sorts has begun to form. I wouldn't want you to miss out so we'll have to cut tea short."

With polite thanks and swift goodbyes, the five of them left their Headmaster's office without a backwards glance.

"He's so..." James began, apparently failing to find the words to describe his feelings toward Professor Dumbledore.

"Scary," Peter offered.

"Manipulative," Sirius snarled.

"Lenient," Remus said. James, Sirius, and Peter turned to look at him, each with incredulous expressions. "He could have expelled us."

"He's right. We didn't even get detention," said Eilidh, speaking over James's argument.

"He's forcing us to work with Slughorn when I already have to join his stupid club. I'd rather be expelled," Sirius argued.

"Didn't seem like that when we were in there," Eilidh sang, skipping ahead of them. Sirius opened his mouth to argue further but James interrupted him with a hand on his chest.

"Don't," James advised, "it's not worth it. We have no choice but to get this over with." And with that, they made their way into the dungeons.

***bleedingyellow, you're so sweet! I'm really glad you liked that chapter and I hope you like this one as well. You should um... totally write another chapter for Primal Instincts! Please? I wasn't lying when I said I've read it five times.