Written in the Stars | Sirius Black

XXI. Revolution

APRIL FADED INTO MAY and while it didn't happen right away, Sirius had eventually found himself back with his band of brothers. Although he was admittedly still having to work rather hard to fully gain back their trust.

It took a lot of convincing from Clara to get James to sit down with him at all. Even with the empty feeling she had in her chest at the end of her discussion with him in the Boathouse, she could tell that Sirius loved her brother.

At very least, Clara thought she could try and put in a good word with James. Despite her own anger, she would've felt horrible if she couldn't even attempt to bring her brother some closure on the matter. Her brother had been stewing in anger for weeks and it was quite unlike him.

But, Clara herself had yet to welcome Sirius back in so warmly. What happened in the Boathouse was still too fresh in her mind. To her, there was no need to pretend as if they were friends anymore – if they had ever really been friends at all.

So, she went back to spending more time with Fabian and likewise Gideon, along with the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team simply by proximity.

It was exactly how things were meant to be and she was happy. Just like she was happy before Sirius had started to blur the lines of their social circles for no reason at all. Back before he made her believe that there was some deeper connection between them.

At least she knew now that she was nothing more than James' sister to him. James' foolish, naive sister.

Sirius' reunion with the Marauders also meant that Marlene had similarly been reunited with Clara. And much like with Sirius and his friends, there was still some lingering tension between the girls. Tension that the two of them had been avoiding any discussion over.

It was the elephant in the room. The choice that Marlene had made to side with Sirius over her when it came down to it.

Realistically she knew she had no real part in the matter. What happened was between Sirius and Remus – and less directly Peter and James. But when her sisterly bond with Marlene started all those years ago, she assumed that any matter that involved choosing side, Marlene would always support her and her family.

It was a no-brainer that Clara was going to stand by James. But Marlene chose Sirius and that was the beginning of her realizing that perhaps she had assumed too much of her friend. Maybe they had outgrown each other in some ways. Still, they found themselves spending more time together, just like the old days. Perhaps it was to simply ignore a truth that both were much too afraid to confront.

It was in the library on that afternoon in early May that Marlene finally decided to broach the subject as the girls had been studying for their upcoming N.E.W.T. Exams.

"You've been acting weird." the blonde said bluntly to her friend whose nose was buried in her Herbology textbook.

"Have I?" Clara asked plainly, not even bothering to glance up from the page.

Marlene's jaw clenched as she reached across the table to pull the book away from Clara, swiftly closing it and placing it in the chair beside her.

"Oi!"

As the librarian shot them a warning glare from her desk nearby, though both girls remained ignorant to the elderly witch as they stared intensely at each other.

"Can we talk, please?" Marlene asked, softening her demeanor slightly.

"What's there to talk about?"

The blonde rolled her golden eyes, "You know what, Clara. The situation with Sirius."