Barking Mad (Sirius/OC)

Let me be your wings

Second chapter!

Chapter 13

Let me be your wings
Leave behind the world you know
For another world of wondrous things

~Let Me Be Your Wings - Thumbelina OST

The next morning we all listened to James loudly proclaiming that he was going to enjoy the oncoming match. I sent Sirius a look, but he stared straight ahead stoically. I put my glass of pumpkin juice on the table with a thud and grabbed his hand to squeeze it comfortingly. "Wait till he sees our surprise," I whispered, which seemed to cheer him up immediately.

Sirius smirked. "It's going to blow him away."

I left it at that and only nodded when he mentioned something about looking for Sheila. I finished my pumpkin juice and finally looked around to search for the little minx myself. I couldn't see her or Sirius, nor was Lily anywhere in sight. My eyes, however, did catch the laughing Marauders and I decided that I had had quite enough of this nonsense. I stood up and marched over, all the while repeating to myself that if Sirius rarely intimidated me anymore (right?) then the other Marauders didn't stand a bloody chance to make me quiver in my boots.

"Hi lads," I greeted them, easily plopping down next to James and right across from Remus.

The conversation immediately died and I believe Peter Pettigrew even stopped leering at the scone he had in front of him. At least long enough for him to join his mates into staring a hole into my forehead. I gave them a dazzling smile and desperately hoped I didn't have any pumpkin juice on my face.

"I thought it was about time we had a little chat," I said as if absentmindedly while I played with a piece of French bread.

Remus' jaw moved furiously, but he didn't say a thing. He disappointed me, really. I had hoped that if I could talk sense into any of those boys, it would have been him.

"We expected you sooner." It was James who finally spoke and broke the silence crudely. He glowered at me as if I was the incarnation of all things evil.

"Is that so?" The boys remained silent and I bit my lip. Maybe this wasn't such a bright idea after all. What did I know, right? Maybe I shouldn't have stuck my nose into business that wasn't my own. "Why?"

Curiousity was going to get me killed someday, I swear.

James seemed to hesitate for a second and I wondered if it was possible that those Muggles were right after all. Were eyes the mirror to the soul? Because it sure felt like James Potter was staring right into mine as he peered into my eyes. "Because you seem to be close friends with our Padfoot," he said quietly. "Tell me, has he told you yet what he did to make us so..." He went with a hand through his hair as if that would magically give him the word he was obviously searching for.

"Disappointed," Peter offered.

James nodded. "Yes. What he did to make us so disappointed in him?"

I studied the boys and Remus especially. He had been so quiet this morning that I started to take notice. The boys were miserable, I concluded. "You miss him," I blurted.

James seemed surprised, but Remus simply shrugged. "Of course we do," he said quietly, "he's like a brother to us."

"Then why not make up?" I asked, frustrated with the whole lot of them. "You're miserable, he's miserable and I think he learned his lesson by now. For Merlin's sake, he's been doing so much to make it up to you lot and it's like you don't even notice."

That is something I could and would never understand, I knew. If Sirius Black would do something as huge as this for me, there simply was no way I was going to be able to overlook that. Let alone ignore his attempts to earn my approval. Were these guys mad?