Vivicendium ➝ Sirius Black/OC

Fama clamosa

Chapter Fifty Eight | Fama clamosa

[Noisy rumor; public scandal]

The last Quidditch match of the year occurs that Friday afternoon after classes. The entire day, the school is unable to speak of little else. All talk of NEWTs is pushed to the backburner. The professors try to keep their students on track during classes, but it's clear that the battle for the Quidditch Cup is more important to the students than making sure they are prepared to take their final exams.

Gryffindor and Slytherin have been at each other's throats all week. Ever since Gryffindor won the last match against Hufflepuff and officially made it to the finals, Slytherin has been booing them all throughout the castle. It's impossible to go to the Great Hall without a verbal lashing breaking out. Dumbledore doesn't appear to mind overmuch, though he does occasionally tell them to quiet down when things get overly heated. Anyway, it's not as if the Gryffindors are saints or anything. Some of them have taken to waiting outside the Great Hall and tripping Slytherins who exit it.

"Oh, uh, sorry Pride," James had smiled, setting her aright. "To be fair though, you are a Slytherin."

Vivian's sarcastic response to this had been a dry, "Am I? I hadn't noticed."

James had nodded sagely. "Yeah, sometimes I don't notice either. By the way, I've got another – "

"Stuff it, Potter. It'll be 10 sickles per limerick now."

"You're charging? That's not fair!"

"Then get someone else to read them. How about Evans? I think I see her coming this way actually – "

James had only pushed her forward without any further argument. It had been a shame, that. She could've made a decent amount off of him.

In any case, the day of the last Quidditch match is understandably crazy. When it finally comes time for the two teams to arrive on the pitch, about thirty minutes before the rest of the school is due to take their seats, tensions are running high. Avery and Mulciber stalk across the pitch with the rest of them trailing behind. They sneer at the Gryffindor team, who are making their way into the locker rooms on the other side of the pitch. Vivian is surprised that they don't yell insults at them, but figures they're saving it for the match itself. She can already tell that it's going to be a bad one. She catches Sirius's eye as she follows Avery but doesn't linger.

"Do everything you can to win today," Avery tells them after they've dressed in their Quidditch robes. He goes over a few plans with the Chasers as Vivian waits near the doors, leaning against the wall with her broomstick in hand. She only half-listens, more interested in being done with this than actually giving two shits about what Avery has to say.

As she turns her head to watch the pitch begin to overflow with students, a voice hisses, "Vivian!" from just beyond the door.

Vivian, naturally, stiffens and glances over her shoulder to see if Avery is still giving his pre-match pep talk ("If we lose, I will bludgeon each and every one of you – ") and when she sees that everyone is still distracted, she edges out of the room.

There are four locker rooms set up beneath each House section, one for every team. Each of them is located just within the rafters of the stadium, so that it is impossible to see the entrances from the stands themselves. This element of seclusion is no doubt why Sirius had decided to risk sneaking over here, and also why he wastes very little time in grabbing her arm and hauling her some paces away from the door. Vivian doesn't argue as he drags her out of sight behind one of the larger wooden pillars, mainly because she's confused as to what he wants.