BORN TO DIE | R. Arcturus Black

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Chapter Thirteen: The Reply

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Janet struggled to open her eyes, her mind still foggy from the fight the night before. She lay there for what felt like an eternity, trying to will herself to roll out of bed.

Eventually, she managed to pull herself up and make her way to the bathroom, her legs feeling like jelly beneath her. She stood in front of the mirror, staring at the reflection staring back at her, feeling a myriad of emotions rushing through her.

Shaking her head, she ran a hand through her hair, the water from the shower hitting her like a welcome shock. The hot water helped to ease her aching muscles, but the anger and hurt still lingers deep within.

With a deep breath, she stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around her body, feeling the soft fabric on her skin. Slowly, she made her way back to her room, the cold air prickling her skin. She pulled on her clothes, the soft fabric of her sweater a comfort against her skin. Opening the curtains, she let the sunlight stream into the room, feeling a sense of peace wash over her.

With a deep breath, she made her way to breakfast, wanting to put the fight behind her, to move on. She took her seat at the Gryffindor table, feeling the eyes of her fellow students upon her. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. Janet's thoughts lingered on the fight from last night. She desperately tried to distract herself, but there was this feeling that wouldn't leave her. She wanted to do something! There was this abnormal storm of anger lying inside of her and she was so desperate to let it out.

Then Remus sat next to her, Sirius was next to Peter on the other side of the table, and Janet could tell he was in a bad mood. She didn't know what had happened to him, but she could tell he was upset about something. She realised James wasn't here and probably that had something to do with quidditch. As the boys talked, their voices faded into background noise for Janet. She was still lost in her own thoughts, trying to sort out her feelings from last night.

Remus seemed to notice her quietness and leaned over, his voice a gentle whisper. "Are you okay, Janet?" he asked, his eyes full of concern. "I'm fine," she replied, trying to keep her voice even. "Just a little distracted this morning."

"What's wrong?" Remus asked, his voice low so that only she could hear.

"Is everything okay, Janet?" he asked, concern etched on his face. Janet shook her head, feeling a lump form in her throat. "It's...it's nothing, Remus. I'm just tired."

He gave her that dad look that he seemed to be naturally born with.

Janet sighed, trying to keep her voice steady. "Nothing important," she replied, feeling the tears welling up in her eyes. He bit the edge of her tongue to distract herself. The last person she wanted to talk to was her dad. Or whatever this version of him this Remus was!

Remus put a gentle hand on her arm, and she felt a large measure of comfort in his touch and barely hid a sob. "It's okay," he said, his voice low. "You don't have to tell us anything you're not ready to."

"I'm fine." Janet whispered, feeling like a child again. She sighed, not knowing how to respond. Suddenly, Sirius's voice cut into the conversation, his tone sharp and dismissive. "She's just tired, Remus. People get tired sometimes, you know. It's not that hard to understand." Janet recoiled at the coldness in Sirius's voice, feeling the weight of his anger directed at her.

Remus shot Sirius a warning look, but the damage had been done. Janet's heart sank as she realised that she had no idea what she was doing. Regulus hating her was something she could deal with but Sirius. That hurt a lot more than anything Regulus could say.