Breaking Black (A Sirius Black Love Story)

Chapter 31

"I still can't believe you said that Vix!" Sirius continued to laugh as we exited Muggle Studies. After that horrible day in Hogsmeade, I reluctantly forgave Sirius, considering it wasn't his fault that Frank didn't want Robert and me together. Perhaps it was for the best, with the big match against Slytherin coming, team drama probably wouldn't bode well.

"I'm sorry! How was I supposed to know he's called a Prime Minister!" I replied with an exhausted sigh. Frank had been working the whole team into exhaustion these last few weeks to prepare for our first match against Slytherin. I was starting to do bad in all my classes between quidditch and sneaking around with the Marauders.

"Well he definitely wasn't called the 'Minister of Muggles'!" Sirius snorted as we traipsed up the stairs to the Gryffindor tower. "I thought you would know more about muggles, your dad being one and everything."

Stopping dead in my tracks, I stepped in front of Sirius. Nobody knows about my dad and I definitely haven't talked to my friends about him. It's a touchy subject for me.

"How do you know my dad is a muggle?" I asked quietly.

"Well, my mum is obsessed with pure blood lineage... She knows your mum is a pure blood who married a muggle- Vixen, why are you looking at me like that?"

Without realizing it, I was staring at Sirius as a million memories rushed into my mind, reopening old wounds and clenching my heart with emotion. I had tried to forget the ways people would talk in hushed tones about my own mother, even at my father's funeral, but all the memories were resurfacing.

"I'm fine..." I whispered and started walking up the stairs, just wanting to drop the subject. A hand stopped me and Sirius looked at me with genuine concern. "Padfoot! I'm fine!"

"No you're not... Do you think I think of you differently because you're a half-blood? Because I would never... I mean, I even have a werewolf for a best friend! I'm not one to judge!" Sirius tried to explain. "I'm sure your father is a great person."

"Was." I sighed and pulled away from him. "My father is dead."

"Oh..." Sirius called after me as I ran up the last flight of stairs. "I'm sorry! I didn't know... It must've been hard on your family!"

"Yeah, well, the worst part wasn't that my father is dead... The worst part is all the things people like your mother said about my mum because she was in happily love with a muggle." I called, faintly remembering the countless hours my mum would spend crying on my father's shoulder over something a pure blood would say about her. "But I'm sorry for talking about your mother that way..."

"Don't be sorry... I like to talk about her like that too." Sirius assured, making me laugh, despite the sadness. It felt good to talk to someone about my family, after keeping it pent up for so long.

"Boomslang." I said the password when we reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. She nodded curtly at us before opening the portrait hole and allowing us in.

"Hullo Lexi, fancy a game of chess?" Robert asked me as soon as I stepped into the common room. Ever since Hogsmeade, things have been relatively awkward between us. We still subtly flirt with each other, but under the watchful eye of Frank, Robert sadly didn't attempt to ask me out again.

"I'd love to." I agreed and sat across from him in the corner as Sirius rolled his eyes at us.

"I figured this would keep my mind off tomorrow..." Robert trailed off as he moved one of his pawns. I nearly forgot! The match against Slytherin was tomorrow! Everyone else was nervous, but I was confident in our team.

"Oh, you'll be fine!" I insisted. "Me on the other hand... It's my first match as beater, Sirius' too."

"Lexi, listen to me." Robert said seriously, carefully glancing around before taking my hand across the chessboard. "You're the best beater Hogwarts has ever seen, you're going to amaze them tomorrow."