Chapter 9 – Of Confrontations

I had been successfully avoiding Sirius for almost two weeks before he finally figured out that something was off. That's a bloke for you, though. Completely ignorant of your existence unless you're right in front of his wand, so to speak. Or maybe that was just Sirius. Either way, I was rather insulted when he slung an arm across my shoulders outside the Charms classroom and carried on as if I hadn't been dodging him for the past two weeks.

"Alright, you two?"

I rolled my eyes at Max and shrugged Sirius' arm from my shoulder. Max grinned at my discomfort, but nodded before glancing over his shoulder at the closed classroom door.

"You're here early. What gives?" He darted a look behind Sirius. "And where are the rest of your merry band of men?"

Sirius laughed. "Peter was still in bed last I saw him, and as of ten minutes ago, Remus was trying to drag James away from Lily's corner of the library. I decided I'd better venture on alone."

Snickering, I pictured James standing in a darkened corner of the library gazing like a moonstruck schoolgirl at Lily as she bent over a book. Sadly, it wasn't all that implausible. I silently wished Remus luck. He would need it.

Sirius snaked his arm around my waist, this time more purposefully than the last. I slapped it away.

"Ouch!" He exclaimed. "What was that for?"

Finally. He was so obtuse sometimes.

"Haven't you noticed, we aren't exactly on speaking terms right now!" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Max slowly turn and make his way towards a small group of gathering Gryffindors near the door.

"We aren't?" He asked puzzled.

"No! Don't tell me I've been ignoring you for nearly two weeks and you haven't even noticed."

Sirius' eyes darted back and forth for a few moments, his expression more revealing than anything he could have said.

"Forget it," I huffed. "It doesn't matter anyway. It's not like anyone's noticed anything." I paused before finishing meaningfully. "You certainly haven't."

"I'm sorry?" Sirius said, clearly still not sure what exactly he was apologizing for. Before I could get another barb in, we were accosted by his delinquent friends, followed almost immediately by Lily and another Gryffindor girl. The two girls swiftly passed us, ignoring the boys completely but sending me friendly smiles.

"I think she's warming to me," James said hopefully, watching Lily join her friends across the corridor.

Remus patted him on the back. "Whatever you need to tell yourself, mate."

Peter giggled. I narrowed my eyes, a sudden feeling of loathing creeping up my neck as I watched him fiddle with the strap of his bag. That was strange. I'd never had a problem with Peter before. Sure, he was a bit of a simpleton and followed Sirius and James around like a nargle, but he was pretty harmless.

Just then, the door to the classroom opened and the seventh year Ravenclaws and Slytherins filed into the corridor. Near the back of the group, Bellatrix Black and Walden McNair lingered whispering darkly to each other. When McNair caught sight of me, he smirked and mimed a lewd gesture. It didn't take a genius to know what he meant.

Instantly, Sirius was in front of me, nearly face to face with the handsome, yet dangerous Slytherin. He growled furiously, "You ever do that to her again and you won't have a prick to jerk off, pretend or otherwise!"

McNair continued smirking, "Can't the girl speak for herself?"

"She's not interested. Get lost."

"So you say. But I'd like to hear it from her." He fingered his wand, his eyes glittering darkly at me from over Sirius' shoulder.

I put my hand on Sirius' arm and pushed him out of the way. He didn't go willingly. Bellatrix cackled from her place leaning against the wall when Remus and James stepped protectively behind me.

I faced McNair. Maybe it was time for a little honesty. "Listen, you miserable excuse for a wizard." I hissed, watching the smirk slide right off his face. "You can bet every galleon in Gringotts that if I ever get my hands on your little wand, it will never shoot sparks again. Now bugger off."

It was silent for several heartbeats before McNair lifted the corner of his lips in a slight smile. Bellatrix was frozen, probably in surprise, still leaning against the wall. "Well done, Jones." He said softly. "Didn't know you had it in you." He gazed at me with a strange expression on his face. Had it been anyone but McNair, I would have said it was admiration, but McNair didn't admire anyone but himself.

Sirius growled under his breath, his patience growing thin. Sensing he was outnumbered, McNair chose that moment to signal to Bellatrix their leaving. But before sauntering off, he reached up and softly ran his finger down the bridge of my nose, hovering just above my top lip. "Next time," he whispered and then was gone.

Sirius started after him, but Remus and Peter held him back. "It's not worth it, Padfoot," James said starting for the open classroom door. "He'll get what's coming to him. Just wait."

I grabbed Sirius' arm and pulled him down the corridor and into the classroom. I was glad that James had stopped him, but something in the way he said 'just wait,' sent shivers down my spine. I was sure glad I wasn't McNair.

That night, I found Max and Reid Harper, another sixth year, lounging in the corner of the common room. I lugged my heavy bag over to an empty chair nearby and slumped down into the soft cushions to study for my Transfiguration exam.

Reid looked up from his copy of Quidditch Throughout the Ages and smiled. "Hey Lucy. Put off studying again?" He asked, nodding towards my Transfiguration text.

"How'd you guess?" I laughed.

"Want some help?" He offered helpfully.

I lit up. "That'd be fantastic!" He put his book down and pulled another chair over to mine. Max looked up from his prostrate position on the loveseat.

"Do you two mind? I'm trying to get a quick kip."

I smothered a smile. His short, curly hair, usually so tame, was sticking up in several directions. He looked charmingly rumpled.

Just then, a group of first year girls rushed giggling into the common room from the dormitories. When they saw Max, eyes closed and sprawled on the loveseat, they erupted into poorly concealed whispers and giggles before settling themselves on the other side of the room to continue whatever it was first year girls did.

I grinned at the object of their affection.

"Stop that," he said without opening his eyes.

"Stop what?" I asked innocently.

He cracked one eye open to look at me. "I know what you're thinking, and it's not even the slightest bit amusing."

"What am I thinking?" I challenged. Reid elbowed me in the side with a grin.

He blushed and shut both eyes again. "Forget it."

I chuckled. "Hey, female attention is female attention...even if they are first years." A pillow smacked me in the face before I even finished. Having successfully dodged the pillow, Reid laughed loudly at my expense.

"Keep it up, Jones, and you'll be doing your Charms essay solo," Max taunted.

I smacked my palm against my forehead. "Charms essay! Bullocks, I forgot." I looked at my watch. Transfiguration was first thing in the morning with Charms directly after. I'd never find time to complete both. I slanted Max a coy look, "Max, darling," I began.

"Nope. Forget it." He cut me off. "Not until I get an apology."

"Fine," I sighed. "I'm sorry for making fun of your status as a first year sex symbol."

He sat up and pulled a roll of parchment from his bag then tossed it on the table between us. "Seeing as that's probably as close to an apology as I'm likely to get, I'll accept it."

Reid nodded. "Good thinking, mate."

"You're too good to me," I said, ignoring Reid.

"I know." Max shook his head.

"But you love me."

He grinned. "So it seems." He slung his bag onto his shoulder and headed for his dormitory.

"Love you!" I called after him.

I could hear him chuckling as he began climbing the stairs, a muttered, "I know," bringing a smile to my face as I turned once more to Reid and my Transfiguration notes.

Two hours later, a sharp rapping on the common room entrance broke my concentration. Reid had called it a night nearly thirty minutes earlier and the common room was empty. I clambered to my feet, determined to turn whoever it was away and finally head to bed.

I pushed the statue of Helga Hufflepuff aside and climbed out into the barely lit corridor. A dark figure was leaning against the opposite wall, a robe of some sort hanging from its arm. The figured stepped into the light.

"Sirius," I breathed. "You gave me a fright."

"Sorry, but I figured you'd want to go with me tonight."

"Go where?" I asked, confused by his vagueness. Was it deliberate?

He cleared his throat. "Hospital wing. It's—" He stopped short. In a flash, I knew something was wrong.

"Regulus? Is it Regulus?" I asked in a rush.

He nodded. "They think he opened a cursed letter. He's been unconscious since this morning. They're not sure when he's going to wake up. He's not responding to the potions Madame Pomfrey's given him." He rubbed his forehead anxiously.

"Come on," I urged. "Let's not waste any time. Maybe he's already awake."

With that, Sirius threw the cloak he had draped over his arm over the both of us and we raced off to the hospital wing, worry creating knots in our stomachs and pain in our hearts.

We hadn't been sitting at Regulus' bedside for long when Sirius broke the silence. "They don't know who sent the letter. I asked, but all they know is that it came from a school owl."

My head, which had been drooping in my chair, shot up. "A student sent it?" I suddenly felt sick. I could think of only one person who might do such a thing and I had sent Regulus right into her path.

Sirius shrugged. "Most likely. It's not like a professor sent it. So that only leaves students." He must have noticed something was wrong because his eyes narrowed. "What do you know, Luce?"

I swallowed. "It's probably nothing, really." I tapped my fingers nervously on the edge of Regulus' hospital bed. "Regulus was just doing me a little favor, that's all."

"What kind of favor?" Sirius asked, his voice deadly quiet.

"I, uh," I cleared my throat, "I might have encouraged him to ask Bellatrix what she knew about Trevor Delaney."

He sat very still, the shadows engulfing everything but his slender hands, which now gripped the bed sheet in front of him tightly, so tightly, in fact, that his knuckles had turned white.

The silence continued until I could no longer bear it. "Please Sirius. Say something," I pleaded. "I'm sorry. I didn't know she'd hurt her own family!"

That seemed to snap him out of his silent rage. "Have you met Bellatrix?" He asked incredulously, and not without a bit of a sneer.

"Merlin, you're right. I didn't think. I'm so sorry." I looked at Regulus' still form and felt immediate and crushing regret.

"You're right. You didn't think. You pulled my brother into even more trouble without even talking to me!" He fumed.

I put my head in my hands and tried to breathe. What if Regulus never woke up? How would I live with myself? I screwed up, and for the first time in my life, I didn't know how to fix it.

"Don't be so hard on her, Sirius. I'll live," a muffled voice interrupted.

I sat up in surprise and looked at Regulus to find his eyes open and a slight smile on his aristocratic face. Sirius rushed to his side and grabbed his hand.

"You're awake!" He thumped him on the shoulder. "I knew you'd come 'round."

Regulus smiled weakly. "Sure you did. That's why you've been laying a guilt trip on Jones here for nearly killing me."

I cracked a smile. Sirius looked embarrassed. "I might have been a trifle hard on her."

"I deserved it," I responded good-naturedly. "But since you're awake, Reggie, I have to ask, did you find anything out?"

"Lucy!" Sirius growled.

"What?" I shrugged. "Not using the information would be like he went through all of this for nothing."

Regulus chuckled softly. "I've got to hand it to you, Jones. You're persistent."

"That's one word for it," Sirius muttered.

Regulus continued. "All I got out of Bellatrix before she realized I was up to something was that Trevor was involved in brewing an illegal potion of some kind."

Sirius and I traded anxious looks. "An illegal potion like the one you were told to make?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Probably. I was getting up the nerve to ask for more details when Bellatrix surprised me with some pretty poorly executed Legilimency." He shot me a regretful look. "I'm afraid she knows all about you now."

Sirius flinched. "I have a really bad feeling about all this." He reached across the bed to grab my hand. "I think you both should just forget about this whole mess."

Regulus shook his head. "No, after what I've seen and done, the only way I'll be able to live with myself is if I do everything I can to expose their plans." He held his hand up to silence Sirius, who looked ready to interrupt. "Besides, it's too late for anything else. I'm in this, Sirius, whether you like it or not. It's time to grow up and deal with the hand I've been dealt." He paused. "You, too."

Sirius looked at him for a long moment, the silence stretching until finally he quietly spoke, "You're right. As much as I still consider you my little brother, you have some very grown-up problems, and I won't always be around to help solve them." He squeezed my hand and looked into my eyes, searching for something before turning back. "But for as long as I am here, you can count on my help."

"Mine, too," I added. "I got you into this and I sure as hell am going to try to get you out of it."

Sirius smiled. "There you go again, Jones. Talking tough."

I blushed, remembering the last time he made fun of my tendency to talk tough. I squeezed his hand back and raised my eyebrows. His grin widened and his eyes flickered to the door.

Regulus groaned. "Oh gross. Just go already."

Sirius laughed and hauled me to my feet bidding his brother goodbye. I waved over my shoulder as I was dragged from the hospital wing into the dark corridors of Hogwarts. I should have known it would be impossible to avoid Sirius Black. But who was I kidding? I had never wanted to avoid him at all.