A Circle of Flame- Sirius Black x OC

Chapter 44

Humming softly to herself, Liza adjusted the hem of her skirt as she passed the Hufflepuff compartments. The Hogwarts Express was rather muted on its return trip to school. Reports of Death Eater attacks had continued to flood the papers and wizarding families were beginning to be targeted. Friends were beginning to turn on friends. And enemies? Those divides had simply worsened.

Liza grimaced as a sixth year Slytherin gave her a particularly nasty glare on the way to the trolley cart. Hopes of house unity had surely died.

She purchased a couple of chocolate wands before heading back towards where she had left Myra and Lily. Their compartment door had been wedged open, a large, cloaked figure blocking the entrance. Liza's brow narrowed. The arrogant slant of the figure's shoulders was all too familiar.

"Rosier? Not often I find your arse on this side of the train." Liza could only hope that Lily had managed to exit without being spotted. By now, all the pureblood families were aware of Myra's disownment. Her friend didn't need to be made into any more of a target.

The Slytherin in question turned around slowly, the cleft in his chin deepening with his rapid grin. Several bruises dotted the sides of his throat. The long violet smears were clearly blurred in the shape of fingers.

Catching her hesitant gaze, Rosier snarled and pulled his collar up further. "Don't you have places to be?" His eyes gleamed. "Black's compartment is several doors down. I hear you've taken the role of resident slut."

Liza's face paled. Leaning forward, Rosier brushed his lips against the side of her ear.

"If I knew you folded that easily, I would have gotten to you first." He winked. The gesture made Liza feel as though she had swallowed a particularly vile brew. "My door's always open, Prewett. If you're eager for something a bit more.. intense."

With a last smirk, Rosier prowled down the corridor in the opposite direction than Liza had arrived in. His slicked hair gleamed in the morning light.

Swallowing once more, Liza shoved her disgust aside. "Are you alright?" She ducked into Myra's compartment, eyeing the Slytherin. Her hair had been tossed aside roughly and the girl looked rather shaken.

"Nothing I can't handle." Myra avoided her gaze as she rubbed a bit of blood off the corner of her lip. "Rosier just likes to play dirty. Lily left to do her rounds," she noticed Liza's questioning brow. "Thank Merlin. Not sure how I would have explained her to that prat."

Liza took a bite of the chocolate wand, unable to savor the rich flavour on her tongue. All she could think about was Rosier's clammy lips against her ear. "I think someone found out about Sirius and I."

"What?" Myra glanced up sharply from the window. The reflection of a nearby lake hovered in the depths of her pupils. "You said the party was private."

"Not exactly," twisting her fingers together, Liza braced herself for certain rebuke. Myra would not be amused by her carelessness. "There were quite a few people there, but all middle-aged!" She winced at her friend's scowl. "I didn't think the news would travel to Hogwarts."

"Then you're an idiot." Myra gnawed on a bit of jelly slug, hardly prying off any of the sweet with her teeth. "Liz, this is bad."

Liza wiped the inside of her hands against her knee, thankful for her tights. The cotton fabric easily dried her perspiration. "I'm not sure I'll be allowed in the common room."

Her half-hearted attempt at a joke was met with Myra's pursed lips. She had clamped them so lightly that they were nearly drained of colour. "I'm not sure you'll be allowed in the house period." Myra blinked. "And I can't be seen with you."