Rumors (Adele sang it best)

“Rumor has it… “

Arcturus sat in potions class, laboring over the classwork for the day. His hair was tied up with his wand and his sleeves were rolled up. Wiping sweat off with the back of his hand he sighed and looked back at the textbook for information. The Ravenclaw next to him had moved all her ingredients to the edge of the table, it was like she was squishing herself to fit a small space. She had her entire side of the table. Across from him another Hufflepuff was leaning away, practically petrified to be within an arms reach of him. Rolling his eyes he shook his head and focused back on the boiling purple liquid in his cauldron. Maybe something just happened earlier in class or a Slytherin put some cruel hex on them.
“Hey, Black. You took the last of the toadstool caps.” A Gryffindor was across from the Ravenclaw, she didn’t flinch away.
“I thought Professor Snape laid out the right amount for all of us.” Arcturus didn’t lift his head, counting his toadstool caps just in case he really did have extra.
“Just give it here.”
“Hold on, I’m counting.”
“I said give it.” The Gryffindor reached across the table and snatched them up before Arcturus could come to the conclusion that they were just the right amount.
“I said I was counting that.” Arcturus looked up, his voice was level. He wasn’t angry, but the way the other two flinched away he might as well be.
“So what? Are you going to throw a curse at me?” She taunted.
“I’ll… Just substitute?” Arcturus flipped through the textbook, it was the best he could work with now.

He didn’t want conflict, he didn’t want to draw attention to himself more than there already was. It was the last thing he needed, the last thing he hoped for. Flipping through countless pages there was nothing in the textbook about substituting potion ingredients, as much as he was one of the top three students in Professor Snape’s class, there wasn’t anything he could do creatively to change the outcome of this half assed potion boiling in his cauldron. He knew he was bound to face the unnecessary wrath of Professor Snape because of this, but what was Snape compared to his other teachers? It was as if they all flipped on a dime. Suddenly, once caring teachers turned cold and disrespectful. Giving him more homework than his classmates, lowering his marks. Stirring the cauldron absentmindedly as he tried to not let his mind wander. Pulling the ladle out his eyes widened seeing it had been eaten away at. His expression turned downward.
This was surely going to be the start of a very awful day.

He sat by the black lake, going over his potions textbook. Other books were laid out around him. His hair was still pinned in place with his wand, sleeves still rolled up. The cloak bearing the Hufflepuff house crest was discarded, hanging on a nearby tree branch.Legs splayed out alongside his books.He heard footsteps behind him but dismissed it as students up on the footpath. He didn’t look up or stop his studying when he heard leaves crunch underfoot and twigs snap. He paid no mind to whatever was coming down to the black lake, all he hoped was that they didn’t bother him.
“I saved you a seat at the Slytherin table since Hufflepuff seems more crowded than usual.”
“Go away.” He groaned and held a textbook against his face.
“Is that anyway to talk to your best friend?”
“You, Severinus, are not my best friend.”
“Why not?” The taller boy sat down next to him. “Everyone needs a friend.”
“I don’t need one.”
“Of course you do!”
“No, I really don’t.” Arcturus argued.

He remembered when he met the Slytherin his first year. He’d given the boy a pen because he was curious about them. Now, he couldn’t seem to Severinus to leave him alone. Continuing to ignore the Slytherin he hoped he would leave him alone in peace.
“Ugh, you’re just trying to act all big and tough.” Sev laid down in the grass.
“I’m not trying to act any certain way, I just want you to leave me alone.”
“But I’m bored!” Sev exclaimed, throwing his hands up to the sky.
“Yeah, and I’m studying. Go away.”
“Really, you’re not even going to try and talk to me?”
“No.” Arcturus flipped a page.
“You said something! That must mean you’re going to talk to me!”
“Okay! If it’ll get you to stop bothering me.” Arcturus frowned.

Severinus rolled himself onto his stomach, propping his head up on his elbows. Grinning up at Arcturus who still sat with a textbook in his lap, a sneer pulled across his lips but deep down the Slytherin knew that it made the boy happy to have someone to talk to. At least someone to talk to who didn’t want to run their mouth about the stupid rumor circulating Hogwarts. The Slytherin noticed the Daily Prophet sitting under one of the textbooks and snatched it up, trying not to close the book. Arcturus eyed the paper but made no other acknowledgement of the item.
“Sometimes I really hate the daily prophet, all they cook up is fear and terror.” Sev sighed, flipping through the wizard newspaper.
“People are just doing their jobs, it’s not their fault fear seems to be a bestseller.”
“You think Sirius Black is your father, don’t you?”
“What? No.” Arcturus faked a scoff.
“The rumors are getting to you aren’t they? Do you think you’re Sirius Black’s son or that he came looking for you and you’ll lead him right to Harry?” Sev pressed.
“I– I don’t know!” Arcturus pulled his knees to his chest, leaning close to the book he was trying to read. His brain failed to register the words of the chapter.
“Do you really think he’s your father?”
Arcturus didn’t respond.

He tried to pretend this new thing didn’t get to him, he tried to shoulder all the nasty looks and the whispering in the halls. Arcturus tried to let everything roll off his back like water, which his mother taught him to do when she first saw the Daily Prophet. What ate away at him instead was not truly knowing who his father was. He heard more than a million stories from his mother who kept refusing to tell him, it only made him more curious. He worried that his father really was Sirius Black, that he was related to a death eater that sided with he-who-shall-not-be-named. It was bad enough that he and his mother were both half-bloods, having a disgusting pureblood father like Sirius Black would be the end of his social life. Correction, it is just starting to become the end of his social life, even if he only ever talked to Severinus. They were outcasts together.
Staring silently at the book as if all the words would magically make sense and he could push away this seed of doubt that was planted in his head. His eyes had unfocused, now just staring blankly. Severinus put a hand on his friend's knee, he’d moved to sit up instead of lie down. Grass stains on his elbows.
“I’m sorry I brought up the rumors swirling around. Is there anything I can help you study with?” He picked up one of the textbooks, he had only learned this stuff last year.
“...Yeah…” Arcturus’ voice came out monotone.
“Oh, you’re learning something different in defense against the dark arts. Must be because of the new teacher.” Severinus commented, putting down the textbook he’d picked up.
“I’ve been having a bit of trouble in Arithmancy.” Arcturus moved his notes to grab at the white book, the book in his lap snapping shut.
“Oh, Arithmancy is so easy.”
“Yeah, easy for you.”
“Okay, okay.”

Arcturus came back to the castle after his study session with Severinus was cut short because of quidditch practice that afternoon. Adjusting the strap of the bag on his shoulder he stepped inside, crossing the threshold that had separated the castle from the grounds. The atmosphere felt all the more isolating. There weren’t many students around, not with the cool breeze that blew through. The castle was always cold as winter got nearer. Arcturus didn’t mind the cold.
The further he’d gotten into the castle was when he’d start hearing hushed whispers and feeling eyes on him. Sighing and holding his head up high he continued on his way, he hoped he could find the books he was looking for in the library.
This year divination was his favorite class. It seemed similar to muggle magic. Muggle fortune tellers were always a fun experience when he would go into town every time his mother sent him out that summer. Just like with the wizards, Arcturus had no muggle friends but for a different reason. He didn’t want to befriend anyone lest he accidentally tells a muggle that wizards and magic are real. It would prove better to be friends with muggles who had no idea what his last name meant or any idea of the things going on in the wizarding world.

He ignored the looks and the whispering. He didn’t care much for the other students. He found Ravenclaws to be stuck up, other Hufflpuffs to be meek, Slytherins to be snobbish, and Gryffindors to be utterly brainless with a broken morale system. Once in the sanctuary of the library he sighed and shifted the strap of his bag again. The only students in the front of the library seemed to be students dressed with crests and ties bearing blue and bronze, so he didn’t have to deal with them where he was headed. For the last three years he found that no one really sat at the back of the library, no one paid attention enough to notice the chairs and tables sitting by the window. Walking through the shelves he scanned the countless spines and titles of books both old and new, he wasn’t sure what he was even looking for was here. He had an advantage because of how tall he was. Pulling a book out from a shelf just above his head he turned it over in his hands. Dust caked the top that he’d blown away, holding his breath so he didn’t accidentally breathe it in. This may just be the first book on his list, but it proved he wouldn’t have that hard of a time looking for the books in the library.
By the time he sat down he’d collected a giant stack of books, taking one off the top he cracked it open then moved to search for his notebook in his bag. He had different potions books that were for studying potions, he was searching for something, his face showed this type of determination. He snapped his head up when he heard a book fall, a loud thud against the paneled floors. He noticed someone he hadn’t seen in the back. Neville Longbottom was a short stocky boy with dirty blonde hair, it darkened over the summer. The Gryffindor was rather skittish and avoided other houses unlike his classmates. Arcturus ducked his head down when Neville turned around, there was no doubt he saw him when they locked eyes. The Hufflepuff covered his face with the book he was reading, his pen rolled onto the floor.
“Do you mind if I?” Neville asked, hands resting on a chair across from him.
“Knock yourself out.”

Arcturus thought the boy was going to take the chair instead of sit down with him but his eyes widened as the Gryffindor took a seat. He observed the titles and names of the books he had brought with him, unaware just how many books on herbology were in the library itself. He could see just about five herbology books mixed with potions and divination. His eyes lingered on the titles longer than they should have, Neville noticed him looking.
“I think divination is a bit easier than other spell work, I’m not exactly adept with my wand just yet.” Arcturus stared at Neville as if he had three heads.
“What?” Neville looked around, wiping his face just to make sure it was clean.
“Nothing, nothing.” Arcturus shook his head and buried his face into the potions book, glancing over the top edge at the Gryffindor once in a while. Was he dreaming?
“I can feel you staring at me, you know. Is there something on my face you’re not telling me about?” Neville rubbed at the area around his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Why are you sitting with me?” Arcturus asked, his voice slightly muffled by the potions textbook.
“Sometimes I need company when I study, I don’t like the silence.”
“No, I mean why are you here with me?” Arcturus asked, only a little louder.
“The Ravenclaws can be… a bit condescending and it wasn’t like I was going to sit alone when there was a perfectly good chair here.”
Arcturus stared at the boy with dirty blond hair, his eyes visible above the top edge of the potions textbook. His eyes looked like the moon and wide as saucers. Neville stared back, confused. Silence passed between them, neither wavered or moved.
“Oh. You mean– “
“Yes. I mean the rumors. How do I know you’re not going to gloat to your friends that I was just a sad lonely boy minding his own damn business.”
“No!” Neville stopped for a second, like he was searching for the words. “I don’t believe in those rumors, my Nan doesn’t like the Daily Prophet that much so we don’t get it delivered. I know Hermione and Luna don’t believe it– “
“I don’t care who believes it or doesn’t believe it.” Arcturus went back to reading, somewhat put at ease by the others' words.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.”

Neville peered at what Arcturus was looking at. He noticed notes that were following the phases of the moon, they shared a divination class and the first lesson was on tea leaf reading. Not once had the moon come into conversation, but it could be for astrology. Arcturus noticed Neville was looking at his notes and he moved to cover them then stopped, he had nothing to hide, they were just notes. Harmless. His eyes widened when he looked back at his notes, dragging his finger along the already dried ink. There was a full moon coming in a few days. The Hufflepuff was quickly running out of time, selecting books from the pile he put the discarded ones onto the chair next to him and started to comb through the next book he cracked open.
“What are you looking for?” Neville asked.
“Wolfsb– Uh just… Substitutions for a potion!” Arcturus laughed awkwardly, burying his face in the book. Mentally cursing himself for almost telling him what he was looking for.
Wolfsbane was a particularly tricky potion to brew, but not for potion masters. As much as he hated his barely passable skill in potion making he really needed to find this potion for his friend. Yes, he’s trying to help Severinus but only because it was the right thing to do. He’d heard enough about how the wizarding world looked down on werewolves from his mom who made her disdain for the ministry very apparent. Still, he didn’t consider the Slytherin his best friend, maybe just a close acquaintance. Arcturus had been pouring over books since he was told Sev was a werewolf last year. In a year he still wasn’t able to find the ingredients or how to brew it, but there were more books on potions, right?

Arcturus and Neville stayed there until it was time to go back to their dorms. The black haired boy looked exhausted, his hair hanging over his shoulders and slightly knotted from how often he’d twisted the locks around his fingers. Stuffing his wand and his notes into his bag as the books floated themselves back to the shelves they were in, Neville hummed in thought. He had never interacted with Arcturus before now and didn’t know what to expect but he was glad he did. The rumors were nothing but stupid things other students were saying to be cruel. Arcturus yawned and stretched, his joints popping as his blood rushed through his veins.
“Are you going to be in the library tomorrow?”
“Huh?” Arcturus stared at Neville, blinking a couple times.
“Sorry, you probably have better things to do than be kept up in a library.”
“Actually,” Arcturus knew that he had nothing else to do after class tomorrow and was most certainly just going to hole up in his dorm room with all his books. “I’ll be in the library after class, you can sit with me again. If you want to.”
“Really? Do you– Do you think you could help me with potions?” Neville looked skittish.
“Of course.” Arcturus was surprised but his face remained calm. “See you after class.”