COMFORT ZONE | Sirius Black [REWRITING]

55. Messengers and Loathed Scissors

Wednesday, 11th June 1975

Dinner.

Her fork waving around haphazardly, Alice was immersed in conversation with Frank and Kingsley Shacklebolt, whose voice was the deepest of any boy Madiha knew his age. Frank had directed Alice's fork away from his chin a number of times already.

Heavy eyes trained on the pumpkin juice in her goblet however, Madiha wasn't really paying attention.

"Madiha?"

With some effort, she looked to the side to find concerned emerald eyes watching; Marlene was picking at the peas that had gotten mixed into her potato mash.

Lily gave her a little smile. "Severus told me this... I thought you might be glad to hear it too."

"Snape gave good news?" Marlene put her fork down. "That's news."

Madiha's eyes flitted to the hooked-nosed boy who'd just sat down beside Wilkes at the Slytherin table, his expression enigmatically smug in a way that bode ill in her mind.

"What did he say?" she asked.

Lily smiled. "Mulciber's off the team for the first Quidditch game next year."

"Serves him right."

That was the Gryffindor versus Slytherin match next November, the most heated game each season. Thinking back to the day's lessons, Madiha did feel that Mulciber had worn a perpetual scowl for the entirety of their Potions lesson that morning. His face was the same now too.

"Is that what he got for being a git to Mads?" asked Marlene.

"Sev didn't say why," Lily said slowly. "But I think that's the reason."

Madiha thought he deserved to get kicked off the team, but perhaps that was an overreaction; her current frame of mind wasn't all that great.

So, she twirled her goblet idly between her fingers. "Well, he's clearly not very happy about it."

Frank, Alice and Kingsley were quiet now.

"Mulciber?" asked Alice.

Kingsley spared a glance to the table at the far end of the hall. "That bloke's had a rough week, hasn't he?"

"It's not underserved," Marlene muttered darkly.

Madiha did not want to stray to that topic. "He's off the team for our match next season," she said to Frank.

Though he seemed pleased by this, the fifth-year Chaser knitted his eyebrows together. "Is this to do with what happened—"

"Yes," said Alice quickly. "He was rude."

Lily pried Madiha's fingers from her goblet in case she broke it.

And Marlene was scowling. "As in really fucking—"

"Langua—"

"—disrespectful."

At this, the older boys shared a knowing look between themselves.

"See, us two knew you wouldn't've thrown him around like that for no reason," Frank said as Kingsley offered a supportive nod too.

Madiha felt a sudden rush of gratitude to them for not listening to whatever rumours were circulating about her.

"Thank you," she smiled. "That really means a lot to me."

And more than ever before, Madiha realised just how good a pair Alice and Frank would make, and from the light smirk on Marlene's lips, it appeared she'd thought of the same thing.