Defiance (Harry Potter)

Chapter 4

A few hours later, I wake up to Reggie smiling at my previously sleeping form and stroking my hair. "You are beautiful." He says. I smile back. "And you are very handsome." He leans down and kisses my forehead. "But I already knew that." He says pompously.
Ten minutes later, I'm walking back up to Gryffindor tower. I step through the painting to reveal all the Marauders sleeping on the couches and chairs. Except for James. He's sitting there, starting into the fire. He looks over at me when I come in.
"I have been an awful brother." He says I scoff. I won't fall for his lies. I roll my eyes and begin to walk towards the girls staircase to begin packing, because I have to go home tomorrow. James grabs my arm. "I'm serious." I can't help but laugh. I point to the couch. "No. I think that's serious." James's lips twitch. "I walked into that one."
James looks down and sighs. "I've decided to be mature. I'm sixteen. I didn't sleep when you left. I didn't realize until you just walked in that I was...worried." James eyes begin to fill with tears. "I haven't been a brother to you. You deserve a much better brother than me. I'm sorry Sky. I'm so so sorry. And I understand if you can't forgive me." When he finishes speaking, a single tear slips out of his eye.
James Potter is crying over the sister he never loved? I reach out and brush the tear from his cheek. He looks up at me, with his eyes that are identical to mine. And that's when I make my choice. I hug him. "I forgive you James." I whisper. And then he hugs me back.
The next day, we have to leave to go home. James carries my things and puts them on the train while I say goodbye to Reggie. "Bye Sky." He says and kisses me. "Bye Reggie. I'll see you after the new year." And then I go and get on the train.
I decide to sit with James and his friends. I walk into the completeness nervously, afraid that James was lying. My fears are relieved when James nods at me and says, "Hey Sky. Decide to join the cool kids?" I roll my eyes. "Uh-huh. Sure" I joke. Then I flip my hair. "Why would I join the cool kids when I'm already awesome?" I say, sitting down between James and Remus. Remus chuckles, the rest of the Marauders do not. They fake hurt instead.
"You don't want to spend time with us?" Sirius asks, wiping a pretend tear. "Why? Do you hate us?" James cries. I once again roll my eyes. This time it's at Peter, who is laughing hysterically at James and Sirius's antics.
Remus watches me to see what I'll do. I think he's surprised when I roll my eyes once again and laugh. After about two hours of listening to the Marauders joking around, I decide sitting with my Slytherin friends would be fun also. I mean, all the Marauders are staying at our house over Christmas.
I excuse myself from the Marauders to go "to the bathroom", sneak to the Slytherin side of the train, silently finding my friends' compartment, then I throw open the door and throw myself onto the floor and scream, "I regret choices."
All my friends burst into laughter, and I close my eyes, and listen to their laughter. After a moment, I feel myself being lifted off the floor, and I open my eyes to see Sirius and Remus standing there, Remus holding me in his arms. I start kicking and screaming. "No! I thought I had escaped! Put me down Remus!" He and Sirius laugh. "Sorry Sky." Sirius says. "James requires your presence."
So Sirius and Remus take me back to James. As soon as they set me down, I'm running off to my Slytherin friends again. As soon as I get there, I fling myself onto the floor once again, and Lucy casts a locking spell on the door that alohomora won't work on.
When I feel myself lifted off the floor this time, it's Reggie. He lays me on his lap, and I'm able to spend the rest of the ride with my Slytherin friends, laughing, joking, even a little kissing with Reggie before I have to go home and listen to my parents complain about how great James is. At least this time he probably won't use it against me.