ink - sirius black

deja vu and unexpected aid

January 11, 1977
8:09 pm
Great Hall

Anneliese was worried sick.

Ever since Sirius had walked out that morning, no one had seen him anywhere in the castle all day. Black had missed his Potion's test that they had all studied their asses off for, as well as not giving anyone a sign of where he was going.

Also the entire day, Anneliese had been surrounded tightly by Peter, Remus, James, Marlene, Dorcas, Lily, Alice, and Frank as a sort of guard, which she was silently immensely grateful for.

This also provided the issue, however, of her not being able to ask any of them privately if they knew where Sirius had gone without making it look like she really cared.

Which I don't, Anneliese reminded herself as she stared down at her plate. He tried to hex you for Christ's sake, just ignore him. It's probably better that he's been off your plate.

No matter how many times she lied to herself, Callaway knew that everything in her desperately wanted to end this grudge and become how they were supposed to be.

What if he silently agrees with all the rumors? she pondered. What if that seventh year was right and he just doesn't care?

"A, you're doing it again," Peter said, snapping her out of her thought. "If you keep tracing that tattoo at this rate, all the ink is going to come off."

The sudden rush of the clatter of goblets and chatter of students rushed back into her ears from the muted state it had previously been in as Anneliese removed her right fingertips from the back of her left hand.

"Hey, this isn't the first time Sirius has just gone off," Remus reassured her, his eyes breaking through the shield she was trying to put up. "He's always back by the end of the day and we lose a few hours points, but that's the worst damage."

"I never said I was worried," Anneliese said sharply. "He's under no obligation to do or say anythin about what happened."

"I never said that either," Lupin replied just as swiftly. "It's just what you're both putting on yourself to do."

Callaway couldn't deny it, and she just took a long drink from the flask under her skirt.

It was a bit odd to her that none of the Marauders seemed even remotely concerned about where Sirius was, as if they had a way to track him and know his location and that he was safe like she didn't.

Trying to move the focus away from her, Anneliese turned to Lily.

"So who was it you were writing a letter to this morning?" she asked, wiggling her blonde eyebrows. "You looked very focused. A boy, perhaps?"

"Absolutely not," Lily said quickly, making James smile. "It was my sister. She's been ignoring all my letters since I came home for Christmas."

"Oh," Anneliese said, not quite sure how to reply. "I'm sorry."

"I'm honestly used to it by now," the redhead replied, forcing a smile on her face. "What about you, do you have any siblings? I should have asked this a while ago, that's embarrassing."

"Yea, I had-have a little sister named Ella Mae, actually," Anneliese said truthfully. "She's three years younger than me."

None of them missed the accidental past tense.

"Did something happen?" Marlene asked bluntly. "With your sister, that is? The only person that I ever see you get letters from is Leo and someone named Queenie, and a Violet you've mentioned a few times."