Loquacious\\ Harry Potter Marauders

Twenty Seven\\ Family Feud

The days after her family passed away were some of the hardest of Adelaide's life- she felt haunted, trapped, utterly alone. But slowly, slowly she had broken out of the shell surrounding her, and the days leading up to the Christmas holidays became some of the best during her time at Hogwarts. Not that anything particularly special happened, but a great calm and happiness seemed to surround the castle. The fear of the war that was undoubtedly on the way seemed to drop, as Hogwarts was blanketed in snow. Christmas cheer and excitement overruled all else, and Adelaide awoke on the day before her holidays feeling as light hearted as a child on Christmas morning.

Jumping from her bed, she pulled on her uniform (pulling her skirt up short), and plonked in front of the mirror. "Melissa," she hissed in the dark. "Mel."

"Ugh, bloody hell what time is it?" Melissa asked. Adelaide rolled her eyes- her roommate had never been a morning person.
"Time to get up? Where's your hairbrush?"

Melissa groaned loudly and tossed Adelaide a hairbrush from beside her bed. The thud woke Adelaide's two other roommates, who sat up blinking blearily.
"Shit!" Clarissa cursed. "There's a quidditch match today!"

"There's what?" Adelaide asked her, twisting in her seat. Clarissa was jumping hurriedly out of bed.
"Gryffindor versus Slytherin! How did we all forget that?" By now she was pulling on her blouse and shoving one foot into the wrong shoe.

"Clarissa relax, the game doesn't start for hours yet," Melissa said, daintily stepping out of bed and wandering to her chest of drawers. Alexandria watched them all from her bed, then sighed to herself.

"Sometimes I wish I played quidditch," she said sadly, staring out the window. The girls ignored her, and Adelaide stood to grab her bag. Slinging it over one shoulder, she bit her friends goodbye and hurried from the room, hoping to catch Regulus at breakfast.

******

Regulus was at breakfast- but he wasn't alone. He was surrounded by his fifth year cronies, who sat conspiring quietly. Adelaide's stomach dropped when she him, and her mouth filled with a metallic taste. Only weeks ago these people would have intimidated Regulus- he used to follow them and go along with what they said only for fear of being left out, rejected. But now it looked as if he had become their ringleader, the one they all looked to for guidance and ideas. When did this happen? With a start, Adelaide realised that the more she got lost in her and Sirius, the less of herself she gave to her relationship with Regulus.

Swallowing once, Adelaide flicked the hair from her eyes and strutted towards her friend, ignoring the nervous ache in her stomach. As she approached, the boys ceased their conversation and turned to look at her with narrowed eyes.
"What do you want?" One of them asked savagely. Adelaide shot him a fierce glare but didn't reply, and turned to Regulus instead.

"Regulus," she addressed, feeling herself grow more angry by the second. She had always thought Regulus far above the people he sat with now. Seeming reluctant, the dark haired boy turned his head to meet her eyes.

"Yes?" He drawled. Adelaide glanced around quickly at his little group- they were big, menacing characters, most of them built and broad and tall. Adelaide recognised one of the fifth years from the house quidditch team; the rest she knew by reputation.

Not one of them was looking kindly at her- they whispered and sniggered and glared, discussing how she was the one who befriended mudbloods and blood traitors, not to mention Regulus' disgrace of an older brother. Adelaide felt sick to her stomach just looking at them. Snapping her gaze back to Regulus, she narrowed her eyes and took a shaky breath.
"Nothing, never mind," she spat, turning on her heel to walk away.

There was a moment of silence in which Regulus thought, then rolled his eyes, sighed, and went to follow her. A chorus of "ooh's" erupted from the boys but Regulus ignored them, trying to stop Adelaide before she went to sit at the Gryffindor table.
"Adelaide," he panted, placing a hand gently on her arm. She rounded on him.

"What are you playing at Regulus Black? What do you honestly think you're doing, lowering yourself to hang out with them?" She demanded. Regulus went on the defender almost immediately.

"It's none of your business who I spend my time with, Adelaide," he whispered at her. The people who sat nearby were beginning to stare. Adelaide barely noticed.
"I'm looking out for you, Reg, you know what they're like! You know their families."
"Don't "Reg" me, Adelaide, you've barely spoken to me since you started spending time with Potter and my brother! Really, and you say I'm lowering myself."

Adelaide found herself at a loss for words. She couldn't defend herself,what he said was the truth. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself down. "Regulus I think we should talk about this," she said quietly.

Regulus tilted his head up to look at her boldly.
"Suppose now isn't a good time for me?" He challenged. Adelaide felt herself about to shout at him, about to shake him, do something to make him see how silly he was being. But she stopped herself. Instead she took his arm and when he didn't resist, pulled him into the Entrance Hall, away from prying eyes.

"Regulus," she began. "I'm sorry."
Regulus' eyes flashed for a moment, showing a hint of remorse. His shoulders drooped.

"I know it's not much," Adelaide continued, "but-"
Regulus prickled at this. "There's always a but," he said bitterly. Adelaide tried again.
"I know it's not much-"

Regulus seemed to be getting angrier by the second. "Not much? Adelaide it's nothing. You think not speaking to me for weeks while you snog my brother is all okay if you say you're sorry?"

Now it was Adelaide's turn to get defensive. "I have not been snogging your brother, and even if I had, that shouldn't affect our friendship!

"Well maybe it does, what then?"
Adelaide couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Why would it? You're two different people Regulus, and I can see whoever I want, your brother or not."

Regulus glared at her. "You can't honestly expect me to be happy about this."
"I don't expect you to be happy I expect you to understand," Adelaide snapped. "And what about you, and all your new friends? Am I to understand that?"

"You could try, yes," Regulus replied. Adelaide shook her head.
"Regulus, they're not good people, why can't you see that? They'll lead you down the wrong path, and I know you're better than that."

There was pain in her voice now- she was pleading with him. Regulus was trapped. He sighed, then glanced up, to where his friends were now leaving the Great Hall. They laughed when they saw him, pouring silently at Adelaide. Luckily she hasn't noticed them. As they gestured for him to follow them, Regulus' mind flooded with panic. He couldn't stay with Adelaide while his friends left, not when he had just managed to finally make some friends. But he couldn't leave Adelaide here without making her see, without explaining-

"Regulus! They're bad people! They're evil, they-"
"Oh shut up Adelaide, we're beginning to sound like Mudblood Evans and Severus Snape!"

Adelaide's blood ran cold. The air left her throat and she chocked back a sob. Her eyes went wide, and that was when she heard it- loud, raucous laughter from behind her- Regulus' new cronies. If she had felt sick earlier, it was nothing compared to what she felt now. Turning back to the dark haired boy in front of her, who so resembled Sirius but was becoming so unlike him, she said with trembling lips and a shaky voice- "Never. Never- Speak. To me again."