January 18, 1977

SIRIUS IS STARING at her from across the Great Hall.

She is laughing with her friends. One of them stuffs bacon into her face, and the other one starts cracking up. She glares at both of them and smacks their shoulders at the same time before she starts laughing with them.

Sirius doesn't realize that he's smiling until the brunette by his side touches his arm and throws him a seductive smile.

"You like that idea too, don't you?" she says excitedly, but Sirius doesn't know what she's talking about.

"Sorry, what?" he asks stupidly.

She opens her mouth, but a sudden shriek from across the hall grabs his attention. He sees her holding up her hands for her friend to stay away from her. He is holding something to seemingly throw at her. He lunges and she screams and darts out of the way quickly.

A stupid grin cuts across Sirius's face before he can stop it.

Keira frowns, turning to look where her boyfriend is looking and seeing a ginger girl that he cannot stop staring at.

She scowls, scoffing at the sight.

"What an attention-seeking whore," she remarks off-handedly, looking back at her food.

Sirius blinks. "What?"

Keira rolls her eyes. "That redhead. Seriously, why are you even friends with her? She's such a little bitch. All she wants is some dick, but no one will give it to her. I mean, who would? Even Dale didn't want her."

Sirius's blood turns cold. He freezes.

Keira has made small comments about Adira before, but none had been this vile. Had Sirius really been so blind as to not notice how awful of a person his girlfriend is? It makes him wonder why he even began dating her in the first place. Is attraction really all that mattered to him when he asked her out?

"Anyway," Keira continues as if what she said wasn't cruel. "What I was saying before was that there's this party—"

"Keira."

She smiles at him, batting her lashes. "Yes, darling?"

"Shut up."

She blinks. "Excuse me?"

His glare is cold and harsh.

"I said shut the fuck up," he growls. "You have no fucking right to talk about Adira like that. She's not the bitch. You are. I'm done. Go to your stupid party by yourself. Don't talk to me again. And if I ever catch you talking about Adira like that again, I will make your life hell."

She gapes at him, too stunned to react until Sirius has gotten up and is halfway toward the exit of the Great Hall. She grabs his arm, her nails clawing at his skin.

"Sirius!" she exclaims. "I'm sorry, okay? I didn't know you cared that much. Whatever. I won't talk about her again. Just don't leave me, okay?"

He rips his arm out of her grasp, completely ignoring how everyone is now focused on the two of them.

"Stay the fuck away from me."

Keira cries out again, but Sirius is already walking away. As he turns toward the doors, his eyes cut across the hall again to meet dark green ones. They stare back at him in confusion mixed with worry.

Later, when Adira asks why he and Keira broke up, he doesn't have the courage to tell her.

He is too afraid of the consequences.