𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄
chapter thirty-seven; A Pessimist's View
" You look good, Potter. "

  MADELINE HAD BEEN looking forward to her final school supply shopping trip for a while. But the day it approached, she was a melting pot of melancholy happiness. It was the first she'd be able to spend with people that meant the most to her— as she'd just found them the year prior. But it was leading up to her final year.

  Over the summer of 1977, Madeline had delved into not only independence but reality. The newspaper headlines no longer shocked her, a leaning tower of printed papers stood beside her desk. James frowned every time he saw his little sister hunched over a new issue, but he never chose to comment.

  It had been that way for weeks now. James remaining silent, holding his tongue. Madeline had had free reign of her life, which wasn't as dangerous as he thought.

  Reading papers, spending days with Lily Merlin knows where before collapsing into her bed at night. It felt like James was finally seeing the girl he'd hidden all those years, the one who would help her mother in the kitchen and her father in the garden, how Madeline focused sole attention when someone important was talking— important being relative to her.

  And the color drain her face when they were in Diagon Alley.

  It seemed paying attention had finally paid off that faithful day when James' hand was interlaced with Lily's as they strolled beside Madeline and the black brothers. They'd each been to Gringotts, the seventh year shopping list in Lily's jean pocket, sixth in Regulus' hand. And right as they entered Flourish and Botts, Madeline stopped hard.

  James noticed before anyone else, his halting pulled Lily to a still as well, and soon enough everyone knew the reasoning.

  "Can we come back later?" Madeline asked quietly, already backtracking to the store-front.

  "Oh, Maddie," Lilly tutted, slipping her hand from James', "Come on, you'll never see him again, this is your shot."

  "Her shot at what?" Sirius questioned instantly.

  "At showing Keeler what he missed out on," Lily said with a bit of fire, making Sirius recoil and wish to retract his statement.

  Because Nico was standing in an aisle. His blonde hair still long and gravity-defying, though one single strand had fallen down into his eyes. In his hands, he held a book whose title was covered, eyes focused on the pages inside.

  "Come on," Lily urged gently, linking an arm with Madeline's, "You're a badass."

  "Yeah, right, a total badass," Madeline nodded, murmuring more to herself. "Can we just, get what we need to and go?"

  "Sure," James jumped before Lily could respond, "Whatever you need, Maddie."

  So they did.

  Sirius and James rushed in opposite directions, Regulus strolled lazily, while Madeline and Lily worked efficiently. They were in and out in record time, but this seemed to work against them as they exited just as Nico did.

  "Madeline?"

  The girl almost ignored it. She hesitated, though, before her strides took over and she was gone from the group.

  "Hey, Nico."

  The blond's lips parted, his eyes roaming Madeline's face. She'd matured since he'd seen her, that was for sure. Not that it had been too long, his last fading memory the girl celebrating her house-cup victory. But still, that had been from afar, now he was close.

  He could see she'd allowed her to take itself back, refusing to tame the curls any longer. Her eyes weren't dull, locked cells, they were a milky mix of chocolate toffee, gleaming in the excess August sunlight. Everything, from the way she rolled her shoulders back to the octave of her voice, it all seemed different. She'd grown, sprouted, blossomed and bloomed.

  "You look good, Potter," He said with a faint sigh of defeat. The books he held resting against his thigh as his eyes scanned her entourage, none of them looked happy he was there and this time he cared to recognize this. "Win the house-cup again, yeah? I'd like to keep being proud of my house."

  "We already have it in the bag."

  Nico nodded, the corner of his lips tugging up against his will. With a final, half wave, he turned and disappeared into the crowd.

  Madeline hadn't forgiven him for what he'd done. She hadn't forgotten the reputation that had sprouted from the rumors or the ache in her heart he'd caused. Or the way he let Colin pummel her brother. Or how he suffocated her worse than James himself.

  She'd never forget it.

  But Madeline finally forgave herself. For falling for the idea of a boy, making this idea perfect, and projecting it onto a person— the one being in the world where imperfection was preferred. She let out a breath as Nico's tuft of blond hair became lost in the crowd for good, the first boy to break her heart gone forever.

  And her self-inflicted guilt gone along with him.

  Dinner on the night of August 31, 1977, was an eventful one, to say the least. Euphemia had decided to spoil her family, working hard to cook a pot roast and cooked vegetables, with a cake saved for dessert. And the dinner table became quickly crowded, as it had been the whole summer, with the Black brothers and the Potter siblings, Lily Evans and the remainder of the Marauders as guests for the evening.

  It was nice.

  Until it wasn't.

  "Mum, can I chat with you in the kitchen for a second?" Madeline questioned after James and Remus' laughter had died down.

  The entire table turned their attention to the teen, who had tunnel vision to her mother at the other end of the table.

  "Sure, Lovie."

  "Everything okay, Maddie?"

  "Fine, Dad," Madeline smiled, scooting her chair out as her mother did, "Just girl things."

  Fleamont waved his hand as a blush crawled across his face, Euphemia laughed fondly and pressed a kiss to the man's cheek before following Madeline into the kitchen.

  "What's the matter?"

  "Nothing," Madeline assured, "Really, it's all. . . great. I just figured you should know; Sirius and I have decided to try going steady for real this year. And since we both live here. . . and I should tell Dad but—"

  "I'm glad you told me first, Lovie," Euphemia smiled warmly, "As for you and Sirius' relationship. . . things will have to change around here, for holidays, until you're both moved out."

  Euphemia paused, letting out a long breath. She brushed a lock of hair away from Madeline's silky cheek, her smile saddening slightly.

  "You're growing up too fast, Madeline."

  "You could tie a brick to my head and tell the world to stop spinning."

  "Oh, don't think I won't," Euphemia said seriously, thought another smile quickly bloomed, "I'm glad you're happy, Lovie. And, I might love that mess of a boy, but you're my daughter. I still expect him to be respectful, what I would out of any boy you fancy."

  "He's really good, Mum," Madeline said gently, "He's not perfect, but he's real, and I suppose that's what I want."

  "So, how are you planning on telling your father?"

  "Now's as good a time as any," The girl mumbled, "I've got to tell James, too. Remus, Peter, and Lily will find out eventually."

  "And Sirius is. . ?"

  "He said when everyone knows is up to me," Madeline answered the unasked question.

  "Then it's all up to you," Euphemia smiled, "I'll handle your father if he gets rowdy."

  "Dad's only rowdy during quidditch matches."

  "Yes, yes that is true."

  "Okay," Madeline said after letting out a long breath, nodding her head, "Okay, I'm just gonna go out there and say it, before I think about it too much."

  And she did. The brunette turned on her heel, marched back into the dining room, and stood with her hands on the back of her chair. Everyone stared at the teen as Euphemia calmly took her own seat, reaching a hand onto the table to hold Fleamont's. And before the man could give his wife so much as a smile, Madeline had blurted it out.

  "Sirius and I are going steady."

  Silence.

  "Well, not yet," She corrected, "We're going to once school starts so we'll only have to talk about living here for Christmas, and—"

  "Maddie, take a breath," Regulus said as he chewed on his broccoli.

  It wasn't much of a shock to the youngest Black brother. Being around Sirius and Madeline for the last half of the summer, and becoming Madeline Potter's personal confidant, he'd figured out a couple of things. One of which being Sirius was head over heels, full-fledged in love with Madeline, the other being she probably loved him, too.

  "Right," She mumbled, standing still behind her chair.

  Sirius didn't look shocked or upset. He'd anticipated that Madeline despised standing on ledges, she liked to jump before running every scenario through her head.

  "Well rules will be enforced under my roof— I am looking at you, Sirius," Fleamont said, pointing a finger at the boy. "No funny business, understood?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "With that out of the way, I would like to say," Fleamont paused as if tasting his words before allowing them to float across the tense table, "You both treat each other right, you will break Mia's heart if she has to choose sides."

  Madeline felt a weight lifted off her chest as she laughed, a genuine smile gracing her father's features. He'd never been strict, not yelling or reprimanding her or her brother, and it was one of those times she truly took a moment to appreciate it.

  "So, that's it, then?" James asked.

  "Yeah," Madeline said, the smile falling from her face in nervousness.

  "Mia, I think we should clean up before dessert," Fleamont announced, standing and helping his wife up as well.

  The older couple left gracefully, for the first time beliving they were leaving a room full of adults to chat, not children to fight.

  "I'm just happy you'll be happy," Lily interjected, her smile like a lantern in the dimly lit room.

  "Thanks, Lils."

  Madeline hadn't even anticipated Remus' reaction. Their friendship had faded, due to the summer sun and busy days of preparing for seventh year, not the feeling of comfort and trust, just the times spent together.

  But Remus just smiled small. This accentuated his floppy hair and scarred face, the things that aged him slightly, but the smile youthened it all back up. "I'm sorry, Maddie. For making it harder on you. And I'm sorry, Sirius, too. I was being selfish, and it wasn't ever about me."

  "S' alright, mate," Sirius said, clapping a hand on Remus' shoulder. He was attempting to hide the shining in his eyes, the one that showed how much that meant, "Friends forever, yeah?"

  "Yeah."

  "You're telling me you knew?" James asked, standing from his seat. Lily attempting to grab him— or any part of his clothing— but failed. "You knew about them—"

  "James, let's not do this again—"

  "It's not even about you anymore, Maddie," James said, "It's about these blokes— supposed to be my brothers— how easy they kept a secret from me."

  "Oi, it's not Remus' fault, he kept it for us—"

  "You didn't hex him," James cut Sirius off, fingers raking through his hair stressfully.

  "James, we've been through this a million times, Maddie can make her own choices—"

  "It's not about Madeline!" James yelled, silencing the entire table once again. "Doesn't anybody care that I'm upset, that I'm hurt?"

  "James," Lily said quietly, approaching where he'd paced to. She gently held onto his arm, the warmth from her moving to him, "We care, everyone's been through a lot already."

  "I know," He sighed quietly, emotions rising like bile, "I know."

  "I think we're off for the night," Lily spoke to the table, Madeline looked almost defeated whilst Sirius, Remus, and Peter watched with worried eyes. Her hands were gently moving in comforting circles on the potter boy's arm and back, "We'll see you tomorrow?"

  "Bright and early," Madeline gave a small smile, watching Lily Evans usher her brother out of the home. And when the front door closed, and silence settled in, Regulus spoke up.

  "Aside from that, I think it went well."

  "Reg."

  "Trying to be optimistic, Sirius, Maddie says I'm far too much the opposite."

  "You've really chosen the best time to start, Reggie."

  "Thank you, thank you."

( AUTHOR'S NOTE. )
so. . . how have we 
gotten this far without
a ship name for Maddie
and Sirius? Anyways, 
besides the point, they're
kind-of-not-really-almost
officially back together!
I really did miss my bbs :')
I know there wasn't a lot
of them as a couple in this
chapter but TRUST me there
will be some to spare
for the last leg of this book.