Orphic » Sirius Black

Chapter 38 - I Think I've Seen This Film Before

Christmas break felt off as soon as it started. Right after leaving the platform and getting back to Walkers Garden with Cassia, they did not speak, and didn't see each other for days. Juniper stayed up late reading and practising, and woke up in the afternoon, when Cassia wasn't at home. She would eat the leftovers and play with the cat up in her room, until Cassia arrived and hid inside her study, away from Juniper. She would fall asleep after waiting, and when she woke, the cycle repeated.

It wasn't what Juniper wanted at all—it was almost the opposite. She had so many questions left unanswered it was eating her insides. She left notes to her mother, visible from the fireplace, and even asked great uncle Magnus to get forward with the message to her.

"It's impossible talking to that woman," he had said after Juniper checked if he had any success getting to her, "she won't listen."

They finally spoke to each other for the first time in over a week on Christmas eve, when Cassia woke her up and layed out the plan for the next day, and that was it. Juniper already suspected they would leave and go to the Lupin's around midday and spend the day there, so there wasn't anything new. After she left, she considered herself defeated. But she would get her answers, whether Cassia wanted it or not.

When they arrived the next day, she watched as Lyall and Hope hugged Cassia a bit longer than one would expect. She thought nothing of it, until she noticed how no one was looking at her. Not even when she asked for something on the table, or when she spoke about something. She was not being addressed—in fact, her opinions were received by a beat of silence.

She decided to not say anything else, and just watch until someone pointed it out.

At last, Remus got out of his room. Juniper felt relieved as soon as she saw him, even though he wasn't feeling well. It was a full moon on Christmas's night, so they had arranged their dinner to be lunch instead so Remus could be present too.

He had a ghastly appearance, looking almost like a corpse. He spoke little, and was bothered by high frequency sounds and barely loud noises. Despite all that, he shared a drink with Juniper, and chatted for a bit before it was time to eat, and everything went downhill.

Their parents talked lively about every subject they could come up with to avoid the clear elephant in the room. They spoke about news, politics, even sports, completely ignoring Marcius and the rest of the Callisters, which were a big part of everyone's year. It made Juniper more furious with every passing second.

Every time they shared a memory from their years at Hogwarts or when Remus and Juniper were children, her blood temperature rose, and she couldn't help it anymore.

"There's something I don't get," she interrupted, chewing and swallowing a piece of asparagus. "How are we all sitting here pretending nothing happened this year?"

Everyone fell silent.

"We're not pretending, Juniper," said Lyall, and immediately resumed his lunch again.

"Yes, you are." The sound of the silverware hitting Cassia's plate gave Juniper the indication she was getting where she wanted. She looked her right in the eye, but Cassia quickly looked away. Juniper watched as her eyes trembled and her eyebrows furrowed. "You wouldn't be as irked as you are right now if you weren't avoiding something."

"And what would you like us to do? Eat in silence and cry about it?"

"I wouldn't mind you asking me how I am," Juniper suggested. Cassia closed her eyes and squeezed the cloth napkin. Lyall drank a big gulp of wine. Hope's eyes jumped between him and Cassia, and Remus was just looking down to his plate, pushing the carrots from one side to the other. Juniper grasped the armrests to calm her anger. "Or you just could look at me when I speak."