COMFORT ZONE | Sirius Black [REWRITING]

41. Pacification

Still Sunday 6th October 1974

Many thoughts stampeded through her mind as she ascended the stairs to her dormitory, but it was difficult to hold onto any of them for long when she was this incensed.

Barely a moment passed after she closed the door behind her before Lily caught on.

"Mads, what's wrong?"

Marlene's head popped up from her bed.

But Madiha just stood dumbly, unable to form words to explain what had happened or how she felt. The auburn-haired girl was up in no time, guiding her to sit on her bed and pulling her in for a hug without saying a word. And Madiha didn't have it in her to protest. It was just so easy letting Lily hold and calm her, even if something deep within screamed at her to pull away.

Dragging a stool, Marlene placed it directly in front of them and sat down.

"What's up?"

In the comfort of Lily's embrace, Madiha felt herself hesitate. "I—I don't want to backbite."

The blonde girl stared at her in disbelief, but her eyes quickly darted to the door when it swung on its hinges and Alice walked in, a suppressed smile playing on her lips.

"The greenhouse was quite—" she eyed their huddle questioningly. "Why're you lot sitting like that?"

Marlene seemed to have lit up. "You're our moral adviser, Al!" she exclaimed, "Tell Mads it isn't backbiting to say who annoyed her."

"What happened to—"

"Just tell her!"

The brown-haired girl seemed to weigh out the situation in her mind before responding.

"You can talk about it. Just don't be malicious or anything..."

Marlene looked pointedly at Madiha. "She's said it now."

There was still reluctance in her, not willing to speak ill of James despite how much he had enraged her today.

"Mads, it's okay," Lily told her bracingly.

It was the small nod of encouragement from Alice before she headed to the bathroom that finally seemed to break the shackles on her tongue.

And the story tumbled out; Madiha told her friends about the staring boy at lunch, how James had threatened him, their argument, how James had yelled at her and her subsequent walking out.

At some point through all this, Alice left the toilet and perched beside her on Lily's bed, listening to her silently. She was the first to speak when Madiha was done.

"It was really rude of James to shout at you."

"Rude seems a bit too nice, Al. I'd go for disrespectful," Lily amended, "And why didn't the others do anything?"