Daylight || Harry Potter

Chapter Thirty-Five

The next day, we continued working our way along the train track, hoping it'll lead us to a town where we can find food and transportation. We passed a very small town, big enough to get ourselves some food, but not big enough to hop on a bus or call a taxi. Oakley had the idea of setting up camp by the tracks and waiting for another train to pass through, so we did that. When I slept, I had yet more dreams about my mother.

This time she was older, and she was arguing with Sirius near the same spot they'd been talking last time. The Whomping Willow swayed threateningly in the background, and I could see Madame Pomfrey leading a boy wrapped in a blanket back to the castle. Dumbledore followed them, Peter Pettigrew, James Potter, and Severus Snape trailing behind him. I noticed that James and Snape both looked particularly roughed up.

"What the HELL were you thinking?" My mother shouted at Sirius. "If James hadn't gotten there in time —"

"Well, good riddance, then," Sirius retorted.

"You would've been willing to murder someone over a stupid grudge?"

"After what he and the other Slytherins called you and Evans?" Sirius let out a humorless laugh. "I would've done it with a smile on my face."

"I told you I could handle it," Aileen said. "I told you I could take care of it myself, that I didn't need you to barge in like a white knight to defend my honor —"

"Really?"

"It's sticks and stones, Sirius, I don't bloody care!"

"But I do," Sirius replied. "I care about you, and they made you cry —"

"That doesn't mean you purposefully put them in danger," Aileen said. "I specifically told you not to do anything, and you went and did... Merlin, EVERYTHING!"

"Well, I'm sorry for helping you," Sirius said sarcastically.

"I don't need you to help me with things like this, I just want you to hear "no" and bloody respect it!"

"I can't talk to you when you're like this," Sirius spat.

There was a pause in which my mother stared at him like she couldn't believe he'd ACTUALLY been stupid enough to say that. Sparks flew as they stared each other down, and not the romantic kind. There were angry flames in my mother's eyes, and it was obvious that neither of them wanted to back out of this staring match.

Finally, Sirius sighed. "Look, Aileen —"

"You know what, Sirius?" My mom interrupted. "Don't."

"What?"

"Don't talk to me when I'm like this. In fact, don't talk to me ever. We're done."

A shocked look struck Sirius' face as she began storming away towards the castle. "W-what?"

Aileen stopped, whirled around, and enunciated, "We. Are. Done. I'm breaking up with you. Go find someone else to mess around with."

"Wow," Sirius scoffed. "I pull one little prank and you're taking off—"

"No." Aileen shook her head. "It was not one little prank and you know it, Sirius."

"Fine then, go find someone else who's willing to put up with your prissy little self, princess."

"Sod off with your bloody mummy issues, Sirius, I don't—"

"Oh, I'M the one with Mummy issues, am I?" Sirius retorted.

"Don't even start —"

"No, no. You know what? Whoever you decide to start seeing? Make your your darling mummy approves as well, she'll be a part of every little thing you do since you haven't got the guts to ever tell her no —"