CHAOTIC . . . sirius black

you truly are your parents child

(  13 )      ⌇ CHAPTER THIRTEEN —— ❛ ♜ ❜ CHAOTIC

# ꒷. hey — what the fuck, mate? % ❜

        EMBER SAT ALONE ON THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS, and when she got off, she barely even managed to say hello to her parents.

        Her family could tell something was wrong. Euphemia greeted her with a sympathetic hug, pity radiating off her mother. Fleamont gave her a toothy grin, asking her a few standard questions about her school year so far. James had been trying to talk to her, but she shut him down every time. Sirius had a sneaking suspicion of what was going on, but Ember aimed her anger for Regulus at Sirius.

        As soon as the five had arrived at the Potter's Manor, Ember shut herself up in her room and refused to come out for three days.

        On the fourth evening, Ember had bundled herself in her white duvet on her bed, her green satin sheets tangled in her legs. Her curtains had been shut completely, letting no light into her room. She slept and she slept, because if she was asleep, she couldn't think, and if she couldn't think, she couldn't remember the tone in Regulus's voice, and she couldn't process how hungry she was.

        She was snuggled into her bed, the cold side of her pillow up, dozing in and out of consciousness, when her door was unlocked with magic and light crept across her floor.

        The two boys ran into her room and jumped onto her bed, startling her awake. She opened her eyes groggily, looking at the two. She stared at Sirius, confused, then rubbed her eyes. She looked at him again, then collapsed her head back down, her hope that it was Regulus gone.

        "Ember, get up!" James said, shaking her.

        "Get off, James," Ember grumbled, shoving him as hard as she could with how she was positioned — which was not very hard. He simply laughed at her feeble attempt.

        "No," he said. "You need to get out of your depressive slump. You're going to get up, shower, eat something, and be up and out of your room for at least a few hours."

        "Fuck off," she said, burying her head under her pillow.

        Sirius pulled her pillow away from her and tossed it onto her desk chair. "Come on, Ember, or we'll drag you out," he threatened.

        Ember sighed heavily, then sat up in her bed. She reached to her bedside, grabbed her water, took a big drink, then switched it for her wand. She aimed it at James, "Get out," she said quietly.

        James rolled his eyes.

        "I'm not in the mood — "

        "Why not?" James questioned. "Talk to me — to us, we're not going to tell anyone."

        Ember just shook her head, avoiding Sirius's eyes.

        "Was it a boy?" James asked.

        "Not like that," she said quietly, leaning her head against her hand.

        "Was it Regulus?" asked Sirius, already knowing her answer.

        Her lip quivered and she simply covered her face with her hands. She gave one nod.

        Sirius and James looked at each other awkwardly. Ember wiped her eyes. "I don't know what the fuck is wrong with your brother, but he's a fucking arse."