A Sliver of Change | S. Black

Part 2: Chapter 34

Part 2:

Chapter 34 –

September 1st, 1977

The brisk air of the fall fell over Lia as she stood outside of the train station that changed her entire life not too long ago. Flashes of children crying, women screaming and the smell of burnt bodies whizzed through her mind. She looked over to see Sirius' eyes downcast, most likely feeling the same thing she was.

He had taken the death of Octavia hard, only finally being able to handle it over the past few days after Lia had forced him to talk to her.

"Sirius!" Lia shouted as she walked into his room, kicking another bottle of firewhiskey under the bed, "you can't keep going like this."

Sirius turned in the bed slowly, his eyes scrunching beneath the light and Lia sighed when he waved her off, "Leave me alone. I'm tired."

Lia huffed out a frustrated breath, and she moved to stand in front of his bed, pulling the covers back harshly to reveal his naked body. Normally the sight would have stirred something in her, but she had different priorities to deal with today.

Sirius had taken her mother's death as hard as the rest of them, but instead of talking to anyone, he decided to shut them out, including her. The only thing he let in was his bottle of liqueur, drinking away his feelings.

"No!" She shouted, "you don't get to push me out anymore. We are supposed to be a team Sirius, not you and your bloody alcohol!"

She watched as Sirius covered his head with his hands, turning to lay on his back and clearly not caring about his exposure to her.

"Bugger off Lia," he mumbled, "you're giving me a headache."

Lia's jaw clenched, her teeth grinding so harshly against eachother that she was worried they would break. She was beyond tired of his angry attitude and was intent on putting a stop to it today.

Clicking her tongue aggressively, she jumped onto his body, straddling his naked hips, and pulling his arms to secure them beside his head under her weight. She heard Sirius release a groan of pain, but it didn't affect her one bit.

"You," she seethed in his face, "are getting on my last nerve. Mum is dead! She's gone, and we need to stick together to get through all of this."

Her face got closer to his, "you are not alone anymore Sirius. We're here to help you. I'm here to help you," she whispered.

She watched as Sirius' face darkened, tears misting in his eyes. Not wanting to push him any further, she sat there hunched on his bared body, her eyes never daring to leave his own.

"How?" He muttered to her, his arm breaking free of her grasp so he could wipe under his eyes, "how do you expect to move on."

Lia sighed sullenly, leaning forward to rest her forehead against Sirius'.

"Because like I've said, mum was a Slytherin," she declared, "and if we were in the opposite positions then she wouldn't be sitting here crying, she would be doing everything in her power to get revenge. To fight against the ones who harmed any of us."

She reached a thumb out to swipe a tear from under her boyfriend's eyes, his breath blowing across her face.

"I miss her," he admitted, "I really fucking miss her."

Lia nodded her head in agreeance, her hand resting on his cheek softly, "she would want us to finish this year. Finish it acting like the teenagers we are, and then we fight back."