Chapter 6
Chp 6
The morning after her birthday, Rory finds a cupcake at her door. Pale purple frosting tops a dark chocolate cake, below which is a note, and a candle. A glance is all it takes to confirm her suspicions.
Here is a cupcake for absolutely no reason- Prongs
Back in her room, Rory folds up the note and places it in the box that formerly held her headphones, still around her neck.
Rummaging for her wand, she stabs the candle into the confectionary a bit violently, and casts the spell.
A high pitched song emits from the now-lit candle, waking Pandora.
A mortified Rory stares silently at a ruffled Dora as Happy Birthday blares tinnily around them. When the candle burns out and the song finally ends she feels as if she’s aged 10 years.
“Cupcake?” Aurora offers weakly, picking up the cursed thing and handing it to her sister.
Pandora takes a generous bite, a dollop of frosting smearing her nose.
“You told someone about your birthday” she says around a mouthful of cupcake.
Aurora nods “James. And you told Regulus.”
“I’m not sorry.” Pandora replies primly.
“Neither am I”
At that, Pandora brows raise and a smile begins to creep across her face. With wicked delight she asks “What happened?”
“You are a no good, busybody traitor you know that?”
Pandora scoffs “yes yes but what happened? You didn’t bite his head off then?”
“No. I… I actually might have hugged him.”
The blonde lets out a noise of surprise. “You? Willingly?”
A stuffed owl goes flying across the room towards Pandoras head in answer.
“Yes willingly, you sod!”
“Well good I’m glad it’s finally getting somewhere between you two, he’s been in love with you since we were children”
“We are still children.”
“And he still loves you” Pandora replies, not missing a beat.
Rory tugs at the headphones “he gave me these. Last night.”
“Before or after you hugged him?”
“Before” Rory groans.
“So you didn’t snog?”
Rory shakes her head and releases a pained noise.
No they hadn’t kissed.
There had been a moment where she thought they might, but at the thought of James, she had pulled away. Her continued white lie pulled around her like a shroud. She meant to tell him everything, but it never seemed the right time. Truthfully, she was scared. Scared to lose him, scared to change the way things were between them all. But things were going to change anyway; they already were. Maybe it could be good.
She is suddenly struck with the idea of how stupid this all is. Why should she feel guilty for being friends with Sirius or any of them? The only thing she should feel guilty for is keeping it from Regulus. So she would fix it.
It all seemed so obvious now.
She hurriedly dresses and tells Pandora to meet her at breakfast.
——————————————————————
Regulus is late to breakfast. He overslept. It had taken a long time to find sleep, his heart was still racing long after he left Aurora. In the morning, he thinks he can still smell her on him, even though that’s impossible.
His thoughts full of her, at first he thinks he’s imagined her in the hallway to the great hall. Surely he’s hallucinating because she’s standing there with the headphones he gave her around her neck. And she’s talking to James Potter.
She starts walking towards him when she sees him. Behind her, James looks on, worried. Regulus feels as though he is on the edge of a cliff, knowledge waiting below.
“There you are!” Rory says, eyes bright.
He jumps off the cliff.
“Why were you talking to James Potter?” He spits, watching the light in her eyes dim, and hating himself for it.
“Excuse me?” Aurora asks, expression guarded.
“He’s Sirius friend.”
And now he’s done it. He’s really mucked it up this time. He can feel the words as they tumble out of his mouth and knows they are wrong but it’s too late.
“You can’t talk to James Potter.”
Auroras eyes are aflame as she tightly mutters “excuse me?”
Glaring daggers at him, she turns on her heel and walks back the way she came.
“James wait up!” She calls to the retreating boy, who turns back around at her call.
“Rory, wait”
Aurora whirls on him, enraged. “Why? So you can tell me what I can and cannot do some more?”
God she’s beautiful when she’s angry he knows that isn’t what he should be thinking right now, because he’s gloriously fucked this whole thing up. He tries to catch James eye as Aurora stomps back toward him, but he is simply staring back at her, gobsmacked.
He doesn’t know how long he stands there staring after where the two disappeared round the corner. He expects it was a long time.
——————————————————————
I can’t believe I was about to apologize! To him!
Stewing In rageful thoughts, she follows James to the courtyard. She has no idea where they are going and she doesn’t care. She’s too angry to care about anything because how dare he! How dare he order her around, telling her who to speak to. I am not a dog you can order around.
She lets out a feral growl anyway. They reach a grassy knoll and James finally unhinges his jaw.
“What the hell just happened?” He asks, flopping down on the ground.
She joins him with a sigh.
“I honestly don’t even know. I was going to tell him everything and before I could even start he” Rory’s nose wrinkles in distaste “He told me I can’t talk to you. He used that word, can’t. Unbelievable!” She throws her hands up as James groans.
Their commiserating is cut short as three figures approach.
Sirius crashes into James, who collides with Rory. There is a moment of chaos as they right themselves and then Sirius is upon her.
“Oi Batty, heard you got so excited to see Prongs in his quidditch uniform you fainted!”
James frowns, Rory rolls her eyes.
“What’s with the bad vibes?” Sirius asks, as Remus and Peter sit, listening intently.
Cats out of the cauldron now, I suppose.
“Regulus tried to tell me not to speak to James. Or you. I got… upset.”
Sirius nods knowingly “Because you couldn’t possibly give me up, you’re hopelessly in love with me. It’s only natural.”
Aurora snorts “something like that”.
“It was amazing, mate” James interjects. Shooting a guilty look to Rory he adds “I mean it wasn’t amazing that you were upset, Batty, or that Regulus was… upset. Erm. It was just… you yelled.”
“You’ve heard me yell before” Aurora insists.
Everyone shakes their head.
“This is ridiculous. I’ve yelled. I yell.”
“Just put her on a broom. Problem solved.” Remus supplies calmly.
“Moony you genius!!” Sirius claps Remus on the shoulder and ruffles his hair. Remus blushes, but no one seems to notice; least of all Sirius, who seems to be trying to convince James to go along with his plan through intense eye contact alone.
“I don’t know how to fly Padfoot, I’ve never even been on a broom.”
“But you’ll have James and I, and we are both very good, isn’t that right Prongs?”
“This feels like a trick question” James hesitantly replies.
Quietly, Peter says “Regulus wouldn’t like it.” And wether he means to or not, the group realizes he has said the exact words necessary to ensure that both Sirius and Rory are fully committed to getting her on a broom.