McKinnon

| CHAPTER TWENTY SIX |

"Sarai!" A voice called to her on the train back to London.
Sarai who was currently looking over the trolley to see what snacks she wanted to munch on, snapped her head up to see Michael standing opposite of the trolley to her. She frowned,
"Just a minute." She responded while handling over a few sickles to the Trolley lady.
Settling for a chocolate frog and a pack of droobles, she smiled and thanked the trolly witch quietly before shuffling past the other students wanting to purchase any sweets before they went home for the holiday. She watched as Michael beckoned her over to an empty compartment and sat down. Sarai's brows furrowed as she followed Michael curiously into the compartment.
"What can I do for you, Michael?" Sarai asked carefully as she sat across from him in the compartment. Michale stood up to slide the compartment door shut behind her. She watched as he took a deep breath before turning back to face her.
"About the other day; I'm truly sorry." He started, sincerity coating his voice. He returned to the seat across from her and nervously wrung his hands together. "I genuinely didn't wish to make you upset. I just want us to end on good terms, you know?"
Sarai eyed him carefully as she listened to what he had to say. "Okay." Sarai said with a blank expression. "I didn't ask anyone to hex you."
"I didn't think you had." Michael reassured her. "But I know our last conversation had ended abruptly, and I just wanted to tell you that I really do wish to remain friends."
Sarai raised an eyebrow as she stared Michael down. "Friends? I thought your father didn't want you to be near any of our sort." She said bitterness coating her tone.
Michael winced, "I know, but i think mainly in a romantic sense. We are still school mates you know?"
Sarai shook her head, "No, I don't know, Michael." She said feeling a pang of sadness hit her chest, "there's plenty of people I'm schoolmates with whom I've never even spoken to. Let alone flirted with or dated or whatever we had."

"Yes but—-"

"No buts Michael!" Sarai cut him off shifting uncomfortably in her seat. "The damage was already done. Not only did you insult me, you insulted my dad. Both of them."
Sarai cringed internally as she referred to Sirius as her father. Not even Merlin would be able to define the situation between her and Sirius.
"I didn't mean it really." Michael mumbled softly, he stared into his hands. "Listen, I just thought you might want this back."
Michael pulled out a cloth with horizontal yellow and black stripes on it. Sarai's eyes widened as she took the jersey she had gifted him for Christmas from his hands.
"Why?"
"It's an expensive gift, and I figured after everything, you'd want it back." Michael said quietly, "Plus I wouldn't feel right keeping it. You could gift it to someone else instead, they'd probably appreciate it more coming from you."
Sarai blinked, before looking up at him. "I don't—the canister you gave me. It's in my trunk but I can send it back to you through the post." She said but Michael started shaking his head.
"I already have one of my own and those were fairly inexpensive." He said, "plus I've seen how much you've used that thing, I'd rather you keep it."
Sarai frowned, "then keep the jersey."
Michael shook his head, "No, really." He said before making eye contact with her, "it would just make me feel worse about the whole thing."
He stood up from the compartment and slid open the door. Before stepping out he called over his shoulder,
"I really do hope you have a nice summer." He said kindly, "Goodbye Sarai."
"Goodbye, Michael."
And with that, the compartment door slid shut, Sarai stared hard at the jersey clenched in her hands. Something wet dripped on the shirt that startled Sarai, until she realized it was her own tears. The reality of the breakup had finally hit her. She was never going to spend those weekends over the break with Micheal. There was no more extra transfiguration or potions lessons in the library. No secret trips to the kitchens for hot chocolate. No more lunch dates at the astronomy tower.
The last thought caused a lump in her throat to form as tears streamed down her face soaking into the jersey. In that moment she desperately wished Snuffles was there. Not Snuffles the animagus form of Sirius. But Snuffles the stray dog Sarai had found that day in Hogwarts. The Snuffles whom she'd gifted a Drama Queen sweater for. The snuffles that listened to her without judgement and no repercussions of being sold out to.
Sarai curled into a ball in the compartment, much similar to how she was on her way to Hogwarts that year, and closed her eyes, trying to get the sniffling to stop. Her thoughts were louder than anything around her, that she hadn't noticed the compartment door slide open and shut. She hadn't noticed a voice calling her name until Hermione crouched down in front of her.
"Sarai?" She asked placing a hand on her knee.
Sarai's head snapped up to see Hermione looking at her in concern. Her chocolate eyes were wide open as she opened her mouth,
"Sarai what's wrong?"
Sarai shook her head and tucked her head in between her knees. "S'nothing." She mumbled. "Forget it."
Hermione sighed, "it's not nothing and you know it." She said before taking the seat next to her and wrapping her arms around Sarai.
Sarai continued crying quietly as Hermione held her in a tight embrace.