Arcane [Sirius Black]

Chapter 27 - Rosier's Request

By the time Diana made it back to the Gryffindor common room, festivities were underway, loud music and sneaky bottles clinking in every corner.

When she stepped into the room, twisting through the crowd, she noticed Remus gesture her to the side where he and Lily were standing. She smiled half-heartedly at him. Following the run-in with Snape, her happiness had faded incredibly.

"Where've you been?" Lily asked.

"Just finishing up in the changing rooms," Diana answered with a tight smile. "Haven't missed much, have I?"

"Depends on your definition of missing out," she said, turning their attention to the other side of the room, where James was trying to convince the rest of the house to let him crowd-surf atop them.

Diana grinned as she, Lily, and Remus stood staring in the hyper boy's direction. "I don't really have words for that."

Lily grimaced as she watched a lamp teeter toward the edge of the table, someone's flailing arms uncareful in their path.

"I have a few," she said, beelining to the group. "Stop it, you lousy boys!" she called, pulling James off another student's back, "you're going to break something!"

Remus chuckled under his breath, leaning against the wall before glancing over at Diana, who's grin had fallen by now.

"You alright?" he asked, leaning closer and raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Diana breathed out, shifting her weight, "I'm fine."

Remus didn't look too convinced but smiled. "You know we are all really happy you came to school this year, right?"

"What?" Diana said, eyes widening.

"I just want you to know that even though we've only known you for a short time, everyone values your friendship. You fit in here. Whether you know it or not."

For a moment, Diana couldn't do anything but stare at him, wildly taken aback. No one had ever told her that before. Sure, she'd had compliments but no one had ever reassured her that she belonged.

"That means a lot," she said softly. Remus just smiled kindly.

Her heart warmed in her chest as she held back her own smile, looking around the common room with sudden appreciation. When she noticed the clock on the wall, though, she felt cold again, remembering the pending meeting with Rosier and the underlying reasons for it.

How could she ever feel at home when she herself was a ticking time bomb? It would be a mistake for people to value her friendship—it'd just end with pain on both ends.

The budding smile fell and she excused herself to "get a drink," though that itself was a farce. As much as she was looking forward to the firewhisky, she couldn't risk not being alert.

She moved cups around idly at the table, making herself look busy until someone tapped her on the shoulder.

It was Kynan Watts, holding two cups in his hands with a much-too cheerful smile. 

"Hey! Nice game!" he said enthusiastically.

"Oh, uh, thanks," Diana said passively.

"Yeah, you were great," he said, moving closer. "Drink?" he held out the second cup.

"I shouldn't," she said.

"Oh, come on, you deserve it!" Kynan said.

Diana took it from him just to avoid conversation, trying to look anywhere but his face.