At Face Value - Sirius Black x OC

Chapter 3

The dormitories were never quiet. There were always the sounds of voices and footsteps and the distant hum of magic occurring. But even then, Janus's own thoughts drowned out the noise. She couldn't hear the yelling happening below her in the common room, or the chatter of her roommates just beside her. She could only hear the memory playing in her head. 

Bacchus received a howler that morning and Janus was sure it was from their mother. She had sent a frantic letter home, trying to convince her mother to do something about Bach's medication. Bach had slipped the howler into his pocket and left the Great Hall in a hurry.

She hadn't heard the howler herself, but she could imagine it. Her mother's voice projected loudly, but she wouldn't be yelling. She never yelled. Janus would have preferred if she yelled, it was much less intimidating. She always spoke in slow, easy, formulated sentences. Words that meant little on paper, but when one heard it in that piercing voice it hurt the heart. 

Bach didn't get yelled at. He watched people get punished. He was never on the receiving end of it. He'd made sure of it. Whether it was by behaving himself or effectively hiding. He had never expected his sister would tattle on him. His brothers had always worried from afar, they always gave in to guilt and never mentioned his misbehaving. Janus was different. She was driven by logic not emotion. He was still surprised she wasn't a Ravenclaw. She was so calculating. 

Janus took no nonsense and she tried to remind herself of that when Bach approached her. He had received the howler three days before, and she had already been praised by her mother through letter. She had put the letter in her robe pocket and carried it around with her.

"Good morning," She said cheerfully. Her hand instinctively moved beside her, using the notebooks in her hand to cover up the pocket on the side of her robes. 

Bach's eyes flicked over her hand where it hovered over her robe pocket, but they also explored the rest of her. "Good morning Janus. How are your classes?"

"They are going well," She said, the paper seemed like it was burning through her clothes. It's perfect, black cursive letters bleeding their ink through her robes. 

"Good to hear, Professor Slughorn has been saying good things about you."

"Professor Slughorn always says good things about everyone." She was relieved he was still keeping in contact with Slughorn, it was a sign he hadn't gone completely off the rails. Her eyes flickered slightly with fear as she wondered if he had been lying.

"Is there something wrong?" He asked, the corner of his mouth twitching into a satisfied smirk.

"Of course not. Is there anything the matter with you?"

"No," He said, rather quickly. He teeth were grinding.

"Good to hear," She said and quickly left.

Janus didn't breathe until she got to Herbology. "Peter," She whispered with a smile and a content smile.

"Hi Janus!" He said cheerfully. His smile was genuine and it made her face soften. 

"Are you prepared for the lesson today?"

His face went pale. "Was I supposed to do homework. Oh dear Merlin I forgot. I always forget!"

"Oh, no, Peter we didn't have homework. I was just curious. I know you get... squirmish."

He turned red. "Oh yeah. I just don't like it when the plants get angry at you. I don't think squirmish is a real word either."

She tried not to roll her eyes and she spoke as softly as possible. "We're getting off topic. How are you feeling about the lesson?"