ink - sirius black

murderous monsters and orange taffies

March 16, 1977
9:49 am
Gryffindor Common Room

Ever since the fight on the quidditch pitch, Sirius and Anneliese hadn't been talking to one another, mostly because both of them had too much pride to admit that they really did just want to laugh with the other and get over the discussion.

Black still just couldn't stop feeling offended about Callaway's refusal to have her reputation linked to his, even though he knew good and well that things would obviously be harder for her with many people already looking at her differently for being an American orphan new this year.

She can just deal with it, the more selfish voice in Sirius's head said as he pulled out a cigarette. We all have things to go through, and I definitely have more than her. It's a reputation for her, not the end of the damn world.

Black almost physically recoiled at how selfish and hypocritical the thought that had just passed through his mind was.

He himself cared about how the students and professors of Hogwarts viewed him an enormous amount, no matter how devil-may-care and flagrant he may appear to them. Obviously, Anneliese would feel at least a fraction of the same way.

Besides, Sirius couldn't possibly know everything about Anneliese before she was expelled as he acted like he did.

I have to stop thinking that she's just had an easy life, he reminded himself. I still don't even know why she got expelled, nonetheless anything about her childhood.

Pulling away from him like that at the shore of the Black Lake was no healthy act, and Sirius found himself starting to wonder what had caused it as he slowly poisoned his lungs with the smoke, hoping that it would make him feel better.

It hardly ever did. Consuming the toxins along with his worries was just a habit now.

Watching his friend and his sour expression from a chair away in the common room, James couldn't help but feel slightly guilty.

He knew he had stirred up these feelings of negativity with his stubbornness that resulted in Anneliese getting mad at him as well. Potter just really wanted his two friends to be as happy as they could be, and sometimes he tried a bit too hard.

"I bought the taffy that I owe you last night," James said, pulling out the small orange bag from his pocket. "From doing the spell that day when I lost my cloak."

He tossed it to Sirius, but it never reached its intended target before it was snatched deftly out of the air by Gryffindor's Seeker.

"Finally gotten over yourself, have you?" Black asked, watching her.

A small crinkle sounded through the air as Anneliese unwrapped one of the thin, white paper wrappings before answering him.

"I just wanted a taffy," she told Sirius with a small glare. "Don't flatter yourself, Grey Eyes."

"It's lovely to see the dogs bonding," James grumbled, rolling his eyes. "Just lovely."

"The dogs bonding?" Anneliese and Sirius questioned at the exact same time, turning towards Potter with their eyes narrowed at the latest target of their frustration.

"Yea, because your Patronuses," Peter said, his mouth full of a taffy he had taken as well. "Remus came up with it, we just hadn't said it in front of you two yet."

"Of course he did," Callaway sighed with defeat, heavily sitting down next to Sirius on the cushy couch. "Give me another one of those."

Black was slightly amused how quickly she had changed from being upset with him to giving into the temptation of sweets that were in his hands, glad that the orange taffies had at least provided some kind of peace offering.