Author's Note

Well, folks, here it is! Chapter 7! Not much to say about this one, it's a little shorter but I'm quite proud of it.

I would also like to give a HUGE thanks to everyone who has reviewed, as usual. You are all lovely, lovely people, and your support is what makes me want to keep writing!

So yep, pretty short author's note for this chapter, partly because I have an AP Chem test to study for. Yay thermodynamics!

Alright, as always read, enjoy, and please please please review!

Disclaimer: I don't own HP!

7. Feuds

I returned from Dumbledore's office to find Lily curled up in the common room by the fire, a book in her hands, waiting up for us. She looked up as Sirius and I entered, smiling faintly though she wore a confused and worried expression. I walked over and sat beside her on the couch, turning my gaze to Sirius. He walked determinedly across the room, saying nothing to either of us as he reached the stairs to his dormitory and climbed them in stony silence.

"He's mad at me." I said simply, as Lily looked from me to the stairs and back again, her brow furrowed.

"I could tell as much." she said, setting her book on the table next to us and crossing her legs Indian-style. She casted a quick glance around, and when she was assured that we were definitely the only two people left in the common room, she turned her focus back on me. "Alright, start from the beginning."

I told Lily all about the events of the night since we had parted in the Great Hall, and as I finished my story she sighed heavily and ran a hand through her hair. "What a mess." she said somberly.

"Should I have said no?" I asked, my voice low. I knew it was a rash and dangerous decision, to be a double-agent against my own family, but I couldn't bring myself to regret it. Every time I began to doubt myself, the image of the girl my brother had killed would pop into my head and I was filled with renewed determination. I knew I could do this.

Lily was silent for a moment before she finally replied. "I think you did the right thing. You're brave, Adeline. It's in your nature." she smiled at me kindly.

I nodded, playing with the ends of my hair. My gaze wandered back to the staircase by which Sirius had left and I sighed heavily. "He didn't speak to me the whole walk back." I told Lily, not meeting her eye.

"Well, it's rather obvious why." Lily said, raising her eyebrows at me. My look of confusion asking for more clarification, she went on to say, "Oh, come on, Adeline! He's scared of losing you."

I blinked a few times. What an odd thing to say. "That's ridiculous." I finally managed to tell her, rolling my eyes.

"But it's not." she said, looking at me with a serious expression on her face. "He cares for you."

"He's a player." I shot back, trying to convince myself as much as Lily. "He cares about getting laid."

"He hasn't had a girlfriend since he met you." she said, matter-of-factly.

"And I heard Priscilla Trumann tell her friend in Potions that she and Sirius hooked up in a broom closet last week." I told her, crossing my arms smugly, though now that I thought about it, a small part of me was slightly disappointed. Sirius Black may be the man-whore of the school, but the way he had stayed by me today was endearing to say the least.

"That was a week ago. Believe me, I've known Sirius a long time. He takes care of what he holds close to his heart."

"Yet now he is completely ignoring my existence. Yes, Lily, you have convinced me." I shot back, a giggle escaping me, though deep down the fact that Sirius wasn't speaking to me was definitely hard to swallow. He had been so sweet earlier today when he had comforted me and stayed by my side.

"Which brings me back to my original argument," Lily said, laughing a bit herself. "He wants to keep you safe! He doesn't want you being all brave and selfless if it means you could get hurt."

My smile faded a bit as I considered this. "I could get hurt." I said softly, messing with the hem of my shirt and not looking at Lily. "But Sirius being upset with me hurts too."

"I know." said Lily with a sigh, reaching out and squeezing my hand gently. "He'll come around." she stood, picking up her book. "Now come on. We have class early tomorrow. Let's get some sleep and figure out your love problems later."

Two days later Sirius was still distant and brooding. He barely said a word to me, and I became even more withdrawn myself.

"Why is he acting like this?" I asked Lily as we got ready to go to dinner on the third day since the meeting with Dumbledore and my agreement to go along with the Order's request. "I didn't do anything to him!"

"He's upset, Adeline. He's hardly been talking to anybody lately, James and Remus included." she said, with the utmost patience, running a brush through her long red hair. "You need to talk to him."

I spun around to stare at my friend, frustrated. "Why? He's being ridiculous! He's always going on about the war and how we need to fight for the good side, but the second I get the opportunity to actually do something he freaks out! It's absurd!"

Lily, ever calm, merely smirked and pointed her hair brush at me. "And that, my dear, is exactly what you need to tell him."

Dinner was an altogether somber affair, as Sirius's bad mood seemed to bring everyone down. James wasn't even on top of his game: he barely tried to flirt with Lily.

I felt Sirius's eyes on me most of the time, though I made no indication that I even knew he was there. I couldn't believe that he had been so kind, so unbelievably caring to me three days ago, and now he would hardly speak a word to me. I was hurt, whether I wanted to admit it or not.

Finally, after a long ten minutes of me being watched mournfully, Lily trying to make forced conversation with Remus and, in a state of pure desperation, James as well, and Peter stuffing his face joyously with Sheppard's pie, Sirius stood up, muttered a good-bye, and walked quickly out of the hall.

For a moment the five of us watched him go, but in the blink of an eye, suddenly everyone had turned to look expectantly at me.

"Oh come on!" I said, holding up my hands in protest. "This is not my problem."

James and Lily simultaneously raised their eyebrows at me. I groaned.

"Bloody hell." I muttered as I abandoned my dinner and followed Sirius's path out of the Great Hall and onto the school grounds.

"Black!" I shouted at the tall figure leaning against a tree, arms crossed, twenty feet from me, overlooking the lake.

He turned to watch me as I finally reached him and went to stand in from him, determined to set things right. "So," I said, as he stared at me sullenly, not the happy-go-lucky Sirius I had come to know. "we need to talk."

Sirius sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I guess." he said, not meeting my gaze.

I rolled my eyes at his behavior and decided to not beat around the bush. "I would very much like to know why you are suddenly so mad at me." I said, trying to sound brisk and unemotional, though I doubt I succeeded. "I didn't do anything to you. I actually thought that we were friends."

He looked up at that, finally meeting my gaze, and I could see the surprise and turmoil in his eyes. "We are friends." he said, blinking a few times.

I gave an exasperated sigh. "Then what's your deal?" I asked bluntly, throwing my arms out for effect. God, for someone so intelligent, Sirius Black was dense.

He stared at me blankly for a moment before frowning and looking down at the ground, scooting the wet soil around with the heel of his tennis shoe. "I have no deal." he mumbled.

I gave a sarcastic laugh. "Bloody hell, Black, do you want me to guess? Alright, let's see. Did you lose your favorite pair of socks? Did you fail a test? Did someone prank you? Please, pray tell, what in God's name has you wallowing in the pits of despair?" I was near shouting at this point, close to hysterical. All the frustration from the past few days, as Sirius had gone from the person I trusted most to someone who could barely look at me, was bubbling to the surface and fueling my anger.

"You agreed." he said quietly, finally looking up at me with that grey-blue gaze. "You agreed to Dumbledore's request, even though it's dangerous and could get you hurt and maybe even killed! How could you do that?" he was shouting too, striding forward a couple paces, his blue eyes locked on my green ones.

So Lily had been right all along.

"It was my decision to make." I shot back, refusing to back down. "It was my decision to help the wizarding world, just like you're always talking about! I couldn't live with myself if I had given up this chance! And they're my family, Black, they aren't going to kill me. If I thought they were going to bloody murder me I wouldn't just walk into their arms! Have some sense! Don't just ignore me for three straight days, like I mean nothing!"

He opened his mouth to yell back at me, but then appeared to think better of it. He backed up a step or two and slumped against the tree, resuming his position from before, though now he was looking at me, his eyes regretful. "You don't mean nothing." he said, smiling sadly at me. "Quite the contrary. I've just been terrified these past few days. Scared that something will happen to you."

He watched me warily for a few seconds as I took a deep, calming breath. "I'm sorry." I finally said, feeling regretful myself, although I knew there was nothing that could be done about it. "But I have to do this. I'll be alright."

He looked past me, hands in his pockets, gazing out over the lake, his stare thoughtful. "Yeah, I guess you will." His eyes met mine and he gave me an apologetic smile. "I suppose ignoring you was just my way of trying to deal with this whole thing. You were finally out of the clutches of your family and got dragged back in. I panicked. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it." I told him, feeling the air clear and sighing softly in relief. "Now come on. Let's get back to the castle before James and Lily tear each others' heads off."