At Face Value - Sirius Black x OC

Chapter 2

"Please be quiet," Janus whispered to the boy beside her. The first words he had heard uttered to him by her in their time at Hogwarts.

"Mind your own business," Sirius hissed back.

She saw the professor pass by at the front of the classroom, his eyes falling briefly on their table. Professor Slughorn had been suspicious of the group of boys that sat with Janus, and that was exactly why she was forced to sit with them. Her brother Bacchus had always been an exceptional student, and Chester was always wary of authority so he listened well. Plutus was far too reserved to make a difference. But Janus was not like any of her brothers, as much as the people around her wanted her to be.

Janus didn't mind though. Imitating her brothers was easier than figuring out who she wanted to be on her own. She sat still with a straight back and a poised face. Her sharp, focused eyes, made her peers curious and afraid and her professors impressed. It was exactly the intended purpose across the board. She took notes, but was not too eager to do so. She scribbled light, short notes. When she noticed a student looking at her out of the corner of their eye she wrote slowly, giving a sense of ease.

Sirius Black was a casual student. He was afraid of the teachers, of most adults, she saw that much. But underneath he seemed playful and flamboyant. His hushed whispers and chuckles were enough to show her his true self. It didn't come out often, and when she got to witness it she almost felt special. This young boy slipped away the covers of his warm bed to expose his core to the cold and she saw every moment. Not that it was meant for her. He hardly even noticed she was there, let alone that she saw such intimate moments.

Class was dismissed and Janus was in no hurry to leave, unlike the boys that sat around her. They quickly threw their things together, some of them had packed up before class had ended in preparation.

Peter waved feebly to her, casting a nervous glance to his new friends. He wasn't quite comfortable with assimilating his friends with her. "See you tomorrow Janus," He smiled.

Her face softened and her eyes brightened as she smiled back. "Tomorrow, Peter," She bowed her head slightly. He was slightly confused, as he always was when she showed him respect, but his face glowed happily nonetheless.

Her face settled back to normal. It had done its job in pleasing Peter, and now Janus could relax. She didn't have long.

"Ba-Bacchus," Janus looked her brother in his steely black eyes and froze. She had remembered to use his full name, but didn't have control over her power at the same time. Her face paled almost instantly with shock. Bacchus looked at her briefly, met her eyes, saw her face, and smirked. Her own power had betrayed her.

"Bacchus!" Professor Slughorn exclaimed, holding his arms open in celebration but did not hug Bach. Bach stepped backwards just slightly, rocking on his heel. Professor Slughorn insisted on using his first name, no matter how much Bach protested it.

"Professor, a pleasure," Bach tipped his head with a pleasant smile. "I must keep this visit sort, because as you can see I must escort my sister from your classroom."

Janus knew then she couldn't slip out the door. She couldn't just drift out the room without a sound like a ghost. She would have to wait for Bach and hope he didn't lecture her. Because there would be worse in store if she left now.

"Even a short visit is a welcome one. Your sister is quite an excellent student. I see she has picked up good lessons from her brothers and none of the bad, of which there are plenty."

Janus snickered under her breath, and over Bach's shoulder Slughorn saw her laugh. His smile broadened, but Bach didn't notice. The Professor was always smiling.

"Nonetheless, I have some things to discuss with you about Slug Club," Bach said, his voice fading and his glance settling on Janus.

He didn't want her hearing, and she was curious. She didn't move from her seat and tried to cast a spell under her desk. It did nothing that she could see. She just hoped that her spells weren't wreaking havoc on the other side of campus.

"Have a good day Professor!" Bach called back to Slughorn, his hand on Janus's back to push her along.

"The same to you Bacchus. You as well Janus, take care!"

The door closed and they were in the hallway. Empty enough for Bach to be comfortable and full enough for Janus. She stepped away from him as soon as possible, getting the feeling of his hand on her back away. But it still lingered there, stinging and uncomfortable.

"You," He said, gesturing for her to follow him as he walked down the hallway. She would have followed him anyway, which meant this was serious. "You're making too much noise."

"I am very quiet at all times, even in the common room, even when the paintings taunt me."

"No no no that's just not it," He made direct eye contact with her, his mouth agape and his hand in his hair. He messed up the perfectly combed, slicked and parted hair that he spent so much time obsessing over. Janus was shaking.

"It's your quiet that's catching their attention!" He grabbed her shoulders. The stinging came back, stronger than before, and this time all over her body. She looked around and realized they were in a hallway she didn't know. An empty hallway. A hallway where they were all alone. She felt herself shaking under his grip but that only made him tighten it. Her arms tingled like they'd spent too long without circulation. Her knees felt like they'd collapse if he looked at her any longer. His eyes were deranged and pierced into her soul.

He did not let go of her shoulders. She shook to get him off. "This isn't what was supposed to happen Janus, don't you understand?"

"I don't understand. Is there something wrong?" He gripped her shoulders harder and she struggled to stay calm.

"Nothing is wrong, and yet everything is. Nothing is out of place. Everything is perfect, exactly as I had planned. Don't you see? Nothing is wrong. On paper it's all just right. I know it, I've tested it. I've written every step out and plotted and planned and nothing goes wrong." He pulled out a piece of paper from his robe pocket. 

"But now it's all wrong. The paper was perfect, but now the ink is running. Don't you see ? It's spilled and it's running like water. I can't read it anymore."

He let go of her, and she found her self fully shaking without his tight grip holding her in place. "Janus! Aren't you listening to me?" Bach demanded, looking her right in the eyes and leaning down to her.

She froze. He never used her name. "Bach," She said, testing the sound of his name in his ears, carefully watching him. She reached towards him with her hands, holding his delicately. They shook, and his were impossibly steady. "Have you been taking your meds?"

Bach's face dropped, and he ripped his hand away from hers. He disappeared.

When Peter spotted Janus walking into the common room he nearly jumped. He turned around and peered over the back of the couch at her. He wanted to see that bright, endearing face she'd shown him in class today. He could still feel the lingering of a smile on his face from that exchange.

Janus didn't have the will to change faces for Peter. She hardly even noticed he was there. He tried to call out her name, but it was barely a whisper. All she heard was the noise around her. Coming closer and louder, then fading and distant. But it was always there. She never got peace, just like when she was at home. The only difference was, at home there was someone who could keep Bach is check with his medication. Chester was so absent minded he'd forget more often than Bach. It didn't fit in with Plutus and his uncaring attitude. But when it came down to it, none of them had enough power over Bach. Only Mom did.