Rose Petals ✿ Remus Lupin - Discontinued :(

Chapter 25

The atmosphere in the Third Year Gryffindor Girls' Bedroom was debilitating. There were no stars out tonight, the sky being completely blank. Even though the harsh wind crashed against their only window, the world seemed silent and still. It seemed to be matching the mood of the dorm; the air was hard to breathe. 

It seemed as if the universe knew shit was about to go down.

 Belle eyed the group with curiosity, but didn't say anything as she walked across the room towards their bathroom. Each step she took emitted a creak from the ancient floorboards and caused her face to screw up in a cringe. The girls were deadly silent, and Belle felt extremely out of place with her loud footsteps. When they were quiet it was normally because she did something wrong. What she did wrong was a mystery to her as they were the ones who looked all too happy to be without her in the first place.

She quickly finished getting ready for bed, the irking deadness straightening the hairs on her neck. She emerged from the bathroom once again, depositing her clothes in her labeled wash bin and moving to hop into her bed. She almost made it too, but the calm and cold voice of Lily Evans halted her in place.

"Is that it then?" 

Her words were simple, but full of so much disgust and disappointment that Belle lost all train of thought.

"Is what it?"

"This," She motioned towards the four of them. Eileen was looking at her firmly, as if weighing her options on what to say while Rose stared at the ground. "Us."

"What about us?" 

"Being our friend, Belle," Eileen sighed.

"I wasn't aware there was a problem—is there a problem?" Belle frowned, crossing her arms. She eyed each of them individually.

"Aiden's the problem." Lily stated, as if it was the simplest thing in the world. "He's bad for you."

"Aiden? Why? He's done nothing!"

"His brother—"

"Oh shut up!" Belle burst. She'd been holding in her annoyance towards her friends' bias against everyone that tries to be friends with anyone in their friend group. She knew that James and Sirius were going to hate anyone that even came close to siding with a Slytherin and Peter would follow along, but she had never expected the girls to be mad at her. "He's a regular person! He has never done anything for you guys to hate him!"

"His twin brother brags about wanting to follow You-Know-Who!" Eileen scoffed, rolling her brown eyes. 

"Are we forgetting about Sirius here? His whole family follows You-Know-Who but no-on thinks twice about him betraying us!"

"Sirius has proved himself to us—"

"And what does Aiden have to do, huh? I bet there's nothing that will make him okay in your mind, because you're jealous!" The bookworm yelled, stomping up to Lily who's lip was quivering. She and Belle had never screamed at one another before; this was new territory.

"Jealous?" She scoffed, "Me?"

"You're jealous that I can actually find some other friends who appreciate me! All of you are!"

Lily rolled her eyes, as did Eileen. Rose sat quietly twiddling with her thumbs as she rocked slowly back and forth. Rose was never good with confrontation.

"And—and—" Belle stuttered, still as loud as before, "and you all have no right to be mad at me! You guys don't even care if I'm around anymore! Maybe I wouldn't of started hanging out with Aiden if you guys had been there for me more!"