Rose Petals ✿ Remus Lupin - Discontinued :(

Chapter 32

"I can't believe you guys haven't talked yet!" Lily gushed as they sat down at a table in Transfiguration. "It's been, like, two weeks already!"

It indeed had been two weeks since the start of school and Belle had been avoiding Sirius Black at all costs. She wasn't sure why she was avoiding him; he was the one that kissed her after all, so she shouldn't be afraid of rejection. She obviously liked him, and would love to be his girlfriend, but is that what he would ask her? Or would she be another toy that he played around with and then abandoned, claiming that it was never anything serious. She'd seen him with other girls, and she didn't want to be one of them too, but what if she was different?

"You can't blame me for being nervous, Lily. He doesn't have a great reputation with girls..."

"Doesn't mean you can't talk to him. You've avoided him like he's infected with dragon pox." When she saw that Belle had no intentions of talking to Black, Lily decided to take another route. "He talks about you, you know."

Belle's head snapped towards the redhead, who was scribbling onto some parchment with her quill.

"Talks about me? What do you mean?"

"Complements you a lot, like your hair, your eyes, your ass—"

"No he does not!" Belle nearly hissed, her face blooming an embarrassing shade of scarlet.

"You're right, he doesn't, but I bet he's thinking it!"

"Gross, Lily."

The girl beside Belle giggled, tapping her quill on the desk in a soothing repetitive pattern. Neither girl had enough time to utter another word before said boy entered the classroom with the other Marauders trailing behind him. In fact, Sirius was looking particularly confident today as his face radiated cockiness and poise. Sadly, him and James had claimed the seats behind Lily and Belle the first day, tormenting both of the fourth years to no end during every class. They'd only had the class a handful of times, but both Belle and Lily were ready to ask for a seat change. Belle expected them to call out to them, but neither James or Sirius made any move to talk to them. Instead they had their heads together close to the table whispering about something.

It's probably a prank, Belle assumed, shaking her head.

"Maybe they won't bug us today..." Lily murmured as McGonagall assumed her spot at the head of the classroom. Belle nodded, opening her book. Most of the time she found it difficult to concentrate on the lesson McGonagall was teaching, but now it seemed almost too easy. Who knew she understood Transfiguration?

"So," Belle begun once McGonagall announced partnering work, "I say we— all the girls— head to Hogsmeade the next trip and just forget about stupid boys and their stupid pranks and their stupid—"

"I get it, I get it."

"I'm just tired of caring so much. Sometimes I wish he wouldn't of kissed me...then everything would be simpler and we would still be friends and—"

"Okay, calm down." The red-head hissed as Belle's rant drew the eyes of some of their friends. "Any louder and the whole class would know!"

"Yea, you're right. Just calm down—nothing matters."

"That's depressing." Sirius blurted as he and James approached the pair. Neither of them had attempted the current assignment, which was turning a feather into an actual bird.

"I-I just—I...never mind." Belle stuttered, gripping her wand tighter. This was the first time Sirius had talked face-to-face with her since the kiss and she wasn't doing well. She had to use every ounce of her energy to keep her breathing straight.