Brightest ✯ Sirius Black

✯fifty-four✯

this is a long one, but a good one. and you guys are gonna hate me for it but i don't care.

"Luna, I wish you would tell us what's the matter," Ambrosia sighed after brushing her teeth. All the girls were in one very large room upstairs, five beds pushed together by the wall so they could all snuggle when it got cold.

"Nothing is the matter," Luna said, but she didn't sound convincing. Last night, Cleo could have swore she heard her crying.

"Would you just shut up and put your walls down for a second and tell us what's wrong?" Indie threw a pillow down into her lap as she sat on the bed. "We're your best friends, you are ours, you can tell us anything," she said, her voice softer now. Luna sat down and sighed, looking at the four girls in front of her, all of them watching her with concern written in their eyes.

"Xenophilius and I broke up," she said quietly, "before we left. Said he needed time to find himself using some weird children's book or something, I don't really know."

"Oh darling," Lily said, walking over to wrap her arms around Luna's shoulders as a silver tear streaked down her cheek. Luna wiped it away quickly, but everyone saw it.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Cleo asked. Luna shrugged her shoulders.

"Seemed rather unimportant in comparison to everything else, I suppose," she said simply, half smiling. "I'm alright now, I'm sorry if I was distant or cold in any way."

"You know who will be cold?" Indie asked. "Our good pal, Xeno. Because he'll be dead. I'm gonna kill him." Everyone laughed, including Indie.

"You don't need him love," Ambrosia said, leaning against the doorway of the bathroom. "He'll realize it too, eventually. That you never needed him. And then he'll understand what he's lost."

Luna smiled. Cleo stood up, a sudden thought coming to mind. "I'll be right back, I left a glass of water downstairs," Cleo made up quickly, and then darted down the hall to the boys' room. She knocked rather desperately, and when Peter opened the door slowly, smiling and wondering what she was doing up, she barged in without explanation.

"Remus!" she yelled. Sirius watched with raised eyebrows as Cleo scoured the room for him, and James began to laugh. Peter pointed to the bathroom, which was open slightly. "He's in the-"

"Thanks Peter. Remus!" she yelled again, and smacked the bathroom door open.

"Jesus Christ woman!" Remus was just finished taking a wee and quickly zipped his pants up just as she entered.

"Oh lord, I'm sorry," Cleo apologized, "but Remus I have something important to tell you."

"Couldn't it have waited until I-"

"No it really couldn't."

"I'm betting it could have," he nodded, his cheeks bright red. Cleo didn't seem too fazed, however.

"Remus," she said solidly, "a certain blonde-haired, bright-eyed, book-reading beauty is single again."

"I don't- wait, really?" he paused, his facade coming down. He seemed to light up a fraction. Cleo only nodded slowly, giving him hints with her eyes. "Well, alright. What am I supposed to do about it?"

"Good God, Remus, tell her how you feel!" and with this, Remus rolled his eyes and walked past her, leaving the bathroom. Cleo followed behind him. All the boys were in their beds, watching the exchange.

"I can't, Cleo," Remus sighed.

"Why not?"

"Because I just can't."