Written In the Stars | s.b |

TWENTY-ONE

"C'mon Ariah," Remus pushed. He rolled his eyes, irritated beyond expression at his sister's self destructive behavior.

It was nearing the end of summer and Ariah hadn't left the house since she went home early from Meeka's.

"They all want to see you and make sure you're okay."

"Well tell them I'm fine. Because I am," Ariah said as she filled a tray with two glasses of water and a few pieces of toast. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to be with my mum during her last..."

She shook her head. "I'm not leaving until we have to."

Remus groaned as he watched Ariah walk up the stairs, disappearing into their parents bedroom. He made his way outside where the whole gang was waiting at the edge of the pond.

Sirius' head snapped back in Remus' direction as he heard the door close. He slumped his shoulders as he watched Remus shake his head. Ariah was nowhere to be seen.

"She still won't come out?" Meeka asked as Remus arrived by himself.

Sirius noticed he sat down incredibly close to Meeka — their thighs touching. He thought back to the letters he and Ariah sent back and forth to one another during the beginning part of the summer. Hers continuously talked of Meeka and Remus' closeness and Sirius was definitely seeing what she was talking about during this whole afternoon.

"Maybe Sirius should go talk to her," Lily said as she doodled in the wet sand with a stick.

Sirius shot his gaze to Marlene who was drawing with Lily. She also looked up at Sirius.

He liked her, he really did. And he felt there could be something more between them, if only he was able to let go of Ariah.

Ariah Lupin had been the reason for many of their fights and it looked like she would come to be the end of Marlene and Sirius if he wasn't careful about it. He didn't want to loose either girl.

"Er — I can try to talk to her..." Sirius said hesitantly.

Marlene rolled her eyes, tossing her stick in the ground and marching off. Sirius cursed before chasing after her.

He always managed to do the wrong thing even when he's trying to do the right thing.

"Marlene!" He grabbed her wrist. "Please don't be mad."

"I think I have every right to upset, Sirius," she said. "When we sat down and decided to be a real couple, we decided to forget about Remus and Ariah and just focus on each other!"

"It's more complicated than that Marlene," Sirius said. "She's my best friend."

"I should be your best friend! I consider you mine why is it so hard for you to let her go!"

"I — I ...."

"Sirius. I am not going to be someones second best —"

"You're not —"

"But I am!! You'd drop everything for Ariah because you two have more history and I understand that but Sirius I need you to be here for me! I need you to treat me the way you treat her. I need you to choose."

Sirius stumbled backwards, working through those last words.

"You... you need me to choose...?"

"I know it's not fair of me to ask you this but it's not fair for you to be dating me and loving her."

Sirius looked back at the Lupin house hold. This is exactly what he didn't want. It was a loose loose situation. Ariah was his everything — but Marlene could be his everything. He thought he could love Marlene the way he loved Ariah... and besides, Marlene was here while Ariah was thousands of miles away and could never love him the way he loved her.

"Okay..." he said. "I... I choose you Marlene."

Another a/n — sorry this chapter is so short but it's got a lot of drama so I thought it balanced out 🤷🏼‍♀️

Poor Ariah :(( someone (Sirius) just give her a hug and let her know all will be okay :(