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Sirius nervously chewed on his bottom lip, his foot tapping out a feverish rhythm. He was watching her, waiting for her to finish laughing with her friends before he could fish her out and interrogate her. Well, he wouldn't call it that, but she insisted.
The situation was a bit dire. Sirius had left his family home that summer. It was a good thing, really. He and James were now like actual brothers. But Sirius already had a brother, Regulus, left behind at home. Sirius hated that he couldn't take Regulus with him. So he got inventive.
Tracking her down as one of Regulus' closest friends wasn't easy, but still doable. The Marauder's map was a great help in his quest.
After that he, of course, needed to persuade her to tell him how Regulus was doing. Cigarette bribes worked wonders. Sirius didn't like her. She was everything that he despised: from slytherin, pureblood, good at school, close with Regulus. But he didn't have a choice now, did he?
So every two weeks like clockwork he would seek her out and ask how his brother was. Well, maybe for the first ten times that's why he actually met with her. The last five... he wasn't sure. He was starting to feel something. Something he didn't like to think about or admit to himself. After all, what was wrong with him? Having a crush on his brother's friend? Come on!
"So, how is he?" Sirius said, feigning indifference. He was trying not to look at her too much, afraid he might say something he'll regret. An empty classroom where the two usually met was especially quiet today.
She crossed her arms over her chest. "He's been doing fine. Still, of course, has his moments but he is doing quite well." She answered him as she looked at him with a raised brow. Silence isn't something she liked much so therefore she continued to speak. "If he finds out about me informing you, I'm as good as dead."
"Of course, I won't tell anyone." Sirius smiled as he sat down opposite of her on a desk, still trying to remain casual. "What do you mean by 'still has his moments' and 'quite well'?" He asked, his foot tapping faster than before. He was anxious. Maybe something was up? Was Regulus happy? Was he lonely? Was he miserable? He had been worried sick about his brother's well-being and he wasn't sure what to make of those vague answers she was giving. He looked at her pointedly as the thoughts ran through his head.
She let out a breath with a simple roll of her eyes. "Regulus is happy. His home life is a very touchy subject, he'll become angry at the mention of it. Besides that, he is seriously doing well."
His foot stopped tapping, his heart beating a little bit slower. "Are you sure?" He asked, and for a few moments he sounded like a worried parent rather than a brother. He shook his head and tried to regain his composure. "Are you really sure he's okay with everything going on at home? The way mother treats him? With father?" He looked away as he felt on fire from where she had placed her hand on him to prevent him from ranting. The past still had a way of slipping in and crushing down on him.
"He won't go into details, and I certainly cannot blame him. All I know is his life here is a much better one than the one he has at home." She spoke quietly as she tried to reassure him that he was certainly well.
He was about to laugh the comment off when he stopped himself. Her touch was reassuring in itself. He felt... something. He took a deep breath and looked at the table. He wasn't use to feeling this way and he wasn't sure he enjoyed the intense feeling. "So you think he'd rather be here?" He asked, his voice a bit deeper than usual.
"I think we'd all rather be here... it's safe." She spoke smoothly as she returned her hand to her pocket as her gaze fell to her feet. "I guess Regulus and I have more in common than I initially thought."
Sirius frowned, his heartbeat increasing again as he looked down at her with more intensity. He felt his face heating up slowly. "What do you mean by that?" He asked, before quickly adding, "That last bit, I mean, about having more in common."
She gave him a small nod but spoke no more on the subject. "Listen, I'll always protect Regulus, I have his best interests at heart. I will also keep you informed if anything changes." She straightened up her posture as her head lifted up again to meet his gaze.
He quickly noticed how she was avoiding the subject, but he wouldn't push her on it. He'd said too much already. "Good." He nodded and looked her over, trying to hide how much her presence was affecting him. "And of course, you can count on my complete silence, just as always."
She gave him a small smile. "Good." She agreed. She turned towards the door to leave, taking that as the end of their conversation before pausing as her hand touched the doorknob. "And Sirius?" She called out as she looked at him over her shoulder. "Stay safe, times are not like they once were."
His heart skipped a beat. She hadn't called him by his name before. She was starting to see him for him, and not some random bloke. When she looked back at him, Sirius felt his stomach flutter. "Right." He said, and the way he heard his voice a few decimals higher was not quite pleasing. He cursed himself for blushing and nodded in response to her statement. "And you as well. Do keep in touch."
