𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐒 . poly!remus lupin , sirius black [ REWRITING ]

iii. not the worst

˗ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄 ˗
❝ you're not the worst. ❞

𝟐𝟖𝐓𝐇 𝐒𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟗𝟕𝟔

   "CIVIL? WITH DOMINIQUE Nott? Kathryn, you're asking for the impossible here," James spoke with amusement as he sat in the great hall. It had been a few weeks since Sirius had caused Dominique some distress, but Kathryn had been wondering whether she should address the issue at all. She knew Dominique didn't like help of any kind, but Kathryn knew her friend was going through a lot at the moment. She wished to help in any way she could, and if that meant getting the marauders off Dominique's back, that's what she would do.

   "It's not impossible, James, you're the impossible one," Kathryn sighed, sliding onto the bench across from James and Remus, Sirius and Peter seated on her left. "She really doesn't need shit from you guys right now."

   "I find it really hard to feel sorry for a death eater, Kathy," Sirius put his hands up in defence as Kathy shot him a harsh look. "What? Everyone knows it."

   "Nobody knows anything, because she's not a death eater," Kathryn defended Dominique in her absence. "I'm not going to sit here and air out all of her problems, because that's not my place. I'm also not asking you to be best friends with her, because even I know that she can be difficult. But bring up the death eater shit again, and I will personally put you in the hospital wing. Yes, I'm looking at you, Sirius."

A silence settled between the group, with Kathryn giving each of them a warning glare.

   "She's really not that bad," Remus finally spoke up, shrugging. "I think, anyway."

Sirius rolled his eyes but didn't argue. Realistically, Sirius knew Dominique wasn't nearly as bad as the Slytherins she hung around. Mulciber, Rosier, Lestrange - they were ten times worse. And in all honesty, it didn't seem like she was fond of them most of the time anyway. Who was she really fond of anyway? Sirius wondered. Kathryn? Her brother? I think that's all. She's definitely not fond of me - all we ever do is argue.

Sirius was too deep in thought to notice Dominique entering the hall, but Remus had. He watched as she sat at the Slytherin table, conversing briefly with Regulus Black before picking up her letters that had been dropped off by an owl only minutes ago, going through them before even thinking about surveying what was on offer for breakfast. Remus averted his gaze, realising he had been staring.

Dominique hated getting letters from her parents. They never had anything good to say, and it was usually to ridicule her for stepping out of line or to keep drilling into her brain that she should be keeping on top of her studies. It was never anything to praise her, because as far as they were concerned, doing well in her studies was what she was supposed to be doing anyway and didn't need to be praised for it. That is the reason why when the familiar barn owl came swooping into the Great Hall, a letter held in its beak, she had to resist the urge to sigh with frustration as she took the letter.