𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙵𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚘𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗|| James Potter

20.

"Rhea," Sirius calls after her while she and Kathleen carry on ignoring him. He follows after both Slytherin girls with Pettigrew at his side.

Kathleen turns to the blonde, "Rhea do you hear something?"

She smothers a smile as Kathleen hurries them both along. Rhea wishes her cousin hadn't caught her on her way back from Hogsmeade. Why must the Slytherin common room be so far from the entrance?

"Oh, piss off Burke. Stop acting like you're five."

Kathleen's expression doesn't even falter as she carries on.

Rhea just wants Sirius to leave her alone. She no longer wants to speak to him, not after Snape. Never in her life had she been scared of him until then. If he wants to continue on like that she doesn't want anything to do with him.

"Rhea you seriously can't be mad about Snape, can you?"

Dropping Kathleen's arm, Rhea spins on her heel to face him making him halt in his steps along with Pettigrew, she scowls at him. He's got her full attention now. Placing her hands on her hips, "Mad? I can't be mad?" She explodes.

Of course she's fucking mad at him.

Snape is the furthest thing from innocent, especially after what he said to Lily who was only trying to help him. But that was her battle and from what Rhea saw, Lily didn't need to be defended because she was quite capable of doing it herself.

She's just beyond enraged that Sirius stooped down to Snape's level. Rather than leaving the miserable prick alone her cousin chose to go out his way to goad the Slytherin.

"Yeah. It's Snape. Surely you're not actually not going to talk to me over Snivellus."

This is what she means. The nicknames, the 'harmless' pranks that only they find funny and the constant teasing. If that's how Sirius wants to be, so be it. But Rhea won't be involved.

"Yes, Sirius. I am pissed at you for what you did to Snape." All she wants to do is grab him by the shoulder and shake him until he learns. Make him see that ignoring the boy will do far more good than bad.

And maybe she should cut him some slack. He's had a rough few months but that's not an excuse for purposely embarrassing and harming someone.

Sirius scoffs, storming closer to her and Kathleen so the few lingering students around them don't hear the rest of their argument. "It was a joke. And Snivellus deserved it after what he said to Evans'."

"Maybe," Rhea shrugs. "But that's not for you to decide. When are you going to learn your pranks can get out of hand. One day it's going to backfire, Sirius. Forgive me for not wanting to be around when it happens."

With that Rhea relinks her arms with Kathleen's and continues on her way back to the common room.

☾☾☾

Rhea stands impatiently waiting for Lupin wondering where in Merlin's name he is. He's late. Thirteen minutes late to be exact.

Footsteps sound down the corridor making Rhea turn ready to lecture him. Her scowl deepens when Potter jogs towards her slightly out of breath.

While she was beyond pissed at Lupin for multiple reasons. The whole Snape situation and his lateness, she rather him than James Potter.

"Where's Lupin?" She demands when he finally reaches her. Potter holds his hand up for a moment trying to catch his breath.

"Are you or are you not on the quidditch team? How are you this out of breath?"

Potter glares at her from under his eyelashes. He eventually stands, his breath returned to normal, "I ran from the hospital wing, Rhea, give me a break."