Lunar: A Marauders novel

Chapter 68

Dysis saw Sirius glance down at Arianna, a small smile on his lips, then saw his eyes follow hers. She watched, her body cold and her feet rooted to the spot, as Sirius's eyes slowly travelled down the street—and landed on her.

She saw him take her in, his eyes a bit blank. Then they widened in recognition and shock. Arianna turned around to Sirius and Dysis saw her mouth move, that stupid smile still on it. She didn't hear what she said. Couldn't hear past the roaring in her ears.

Before Dysis knew it, her feet were moving again. Her body seemed to move on instinct as she tore her gaze from Sirius's shocked blue eyes and hurried to the back of Honeydukes and shouldered the door open.

Her stomach rolled with something fiery and her chest ached. She pushed it down. Let a lair of ice coat it, stop it from spreading. She tried to ignore it as much as she could, not really sure what she was ignoring.

Was it anger at the boys who had done this to her? Was it anger at Arianna for laughing at her? Was it....was hurt? Was it hurt because....because Sirius was there? Because he was there with her?

No, of course it wasn't. Sirius could spend the day with whoever he God damn well pleased and it was none of her business. She didn't care. He could—

Dysis was just pushing the rug off of the trap door when the door behind her flew open. She whirled, her heart leaping as someone stumbled into the room, kicking the door closed behind them.

She thought her heart would calm down when she recognized the long hair and the piercing blue eyes. She thought it would go back to normal, but as Sirius crossed the room and stopped in front of her, she found it pounding even more insistently in her throat.

"What happened?" Sirius exclaimed as he scanned her from head to foot, taking in the slime and glitter and her fists curled at her side. "Did....did someone do this?"

"It's fine," Dysis said, although this time she couldn't keep the emptiness from her voice. "Go back to Arianna."

She turned back to the trap door and flung it open, then stopped it from slamming shut when the hinges groaned and it fell back down.

"Wait, I—Dysis! Hang on." Sirius yanked at the trap door before she could close it behind her as she hopped onto the ladder and made her way down into the passageway.

"It doesn't matter, Sirius," Dysis ground out through clenched teeth. "Go back to your girlfriend and have a nice day."

"My—Arianna? She's not my girlfriend," Sirius replied as he began scrambling down the ladder, jumping down the last few rungs and landed beside her, frowning. "Now what happened? What....what is that?"

"I don't know," Dysis said quietly, something in her stomach loosening a little. She pushed it away quickly. "I just hope it'll wash out."

Sirius stared at her, his eyes searching her face, his lips tight. "Who did it?" he asked quietly, his heart leaping in Dysis's ears. "What did they want? What did they say?"

"It doesn't matter," Dysis sighed, rubbing at her itchy eyes. She'd have to wash her eyes. She could feel the glitter in them, irritating them. "I'll just....I'll go clean up. Enjoy your day."

Dysis turned and began down the long passage, chills creeping up her spine. She was just about to let her shoulders curve a little when she heard quick footsteps and Sirius appeared beside her as he rooted through his pockets.

"Shouldn't you go back to Arianna?" Dysis asked, watching him carefully as he patted his pockets with a frown.

"She'll understand. Besides, I wasn't—ah, here we go." Sirius reached into his pocket and pulled out a silk handkerchief and held it out to her.