Brightest ✯ Sirius Black

✯fifty-three✯

The morning after the night Cleo tried to run away, the group found themselves back on a train headed towards their last year at the castle they called home. It was a strange feeling, knowing that they were going back for the very last time. They tried to all be as cheerful as they could, but deep down, they knew that things weren't going to be the same, and they hated it.

Cleo wasn't planning on coming back for her 7th year, and perhaps that is why she felt so odd this time around. She had already talked herself into not coming back, and when she was talked out of that, she realized that she failed to truly have a choice in the matter.

Time passed by in a lazy blur. It was as if a strange cloud was held over the castle, and no one could get out of it. As if in the blink of an eye, it was already approaching Christmas time.

"Cleo, can I talk to you for a second?" Lily said one Saturday afternoon, as it had just begun to snow. Cleo was curled up in the Common room by the window, reading a book.

"Of course," she put her book down and took her feet out of the window sill so that Lily could sit beside her. "What's up?"

"I'm scared Cleo," Lily rushed. "No, I'm absolutely terrified."

"Whatever is the matter?" Cleo suddenly became concerned.

"James." She uttered the one word and then squeezed her eyes shut tightly. Cleo wasn't sure what she had expected, but it wasn't that.

"J-James?" she chuckled. "What about James?"

"Don't make me say it out loud," she whined quietly, cringing.

"Well you're the one that came over here in the first place, and I have no idea what you're talking about so spit it out, Lily," Cleo laughed.

"Well lately," she began, sighing heavily, "lately he hasn't really been bugging me as much as he usually does."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Cleo asked.

"Well it should be," she growled. "Only it's not. Because he's still the same James, still stubborn and egotistical and annoying, but for some strange reason that I can't explain--so don't try and make me-- it doesn't bother me like it used to," she cringed once more, closing her eyes and putting her head in her hands.

Cleo had to hide her laughter, biting her lip, because she had been waiting for this moment to come. "I'm sorry Lily, I still don't quite understand-"

"I like it!" she yelled, more angry than anything else. "I like him: James Potter, and I don't know why or when or what for, but I do. And that's the end of it." she stood up, marching out of the common room in a fiery red fury, and Cleo sat with a large grin on her face as she stared at the door Lily had just stormed out of, wondering what would possibly happen next.

The train ride back home for the holidays was less than pleasant. While Sirius and Cleo had been on somewhat friendlier terms, still not discussing the one particular night (and Cleo assumed that if they hadn't yet, then they probably never will, which hurt more than she would have cared to admit), it was still a bit awkward for the whole group to be together. And while Peter had been informed on all that had been happening, he tried to pretend like it hadn't happened, and so he was cracking jokes left and right that simply weren't funny, but everyone laughed anyways because Peter was the only ray of sunshine and innocence in their lives at the moment.

The other awkward unpleasantry was the fact that Morwena felt she could barge in on their usual time as a group on the train, which no one agreed with but failed to say out loud. Indie attempted to get to know her at least a little bit more, but Indiana's only topic of conversation was food, and Morwena happened to be vegan and sugar free, which Indie simply didn't agree with. It put Indiana in a bad mood, and when Indiana was in a bad mood, no one else would be happy again, it felt like.