𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍.
chapter eleven; Real Life Or Fairytale?
" It's like playing connect the dots without a quill. "

  MADELINE NEVER BROUGHT up the Gryffindor party again. The warm weather had left winter nothing but a foggy memory, March brought warm breezes and new flowers, and Madeline didn't want to ruin that.

  The only problem was every time she tried to join Nico and his friends' conversations only to fail, every time she was silenced with a kiss, when lies would slip out before she even thought, Remus' annoying words would float in the back of her head.

  Which is why it very quickly became a regular occurrence for Madeline to leave everything. Nico always wanted her by his side at all times, which left her friendships with Bluebelle and Kai to decay. But, if she wasn't with anyone, it wasn't a problem.

  "Do you come up here a lot?"

  Madeline jumped at the sudden voice, turning in the direction only to find Sirius lazily stepping up the last stair into the Astronomy Tower.

  "No," Madeline mumbled, turning back to the sky, "Astronomy stresses me out."

  "Why's that?" Sirius laughed, easing himself down beside her.

  "I mean, I like the stories behind the constellations," Madeline backtracked slightly, "But I can never find them. It's like playing connect the dots without a quill."

  "Once you get it, it's all you can see," Sirius sighed before letting them fall into silence for a moment. He rested his arms on the railing, and his chin on his arms, taking in the stars he was all too familiar with.

  The night air was cool, sneaking through Madeline's thin pajama's. She wasn't sure what to say, or do, being alone with Sirius was a skill Madeline had not yet acquired.

  "Why are you still dating Keeler?"

  Madeline didn't even have to think before a lie was on the tip of her tongue. Remus' warning, the effects of midnight, and Sirius Black were the perfect mixture to make Madeline Potter realize she was in a very bad place.

  "I fancied him for so long, I think I made this. . . idea up in my head. Out of what Blue told me, what I saw around," Madeline admitted quietly, "And I've been giving up so much just so I get to keep him. . . but I don't think I've ever really liked him."

  "What does that mean?"

  "I fell for the idea of him," Madeline shrugged, "So much so that I'm ignoring the real person right in front of me and. . . ideas are dangerous things to fall in love with."

  "Yeah," Sirius mumbled, turning his head to face Madeline, his cheek resting against the cool leather of his jacket. "What if the idea is like the person?"

  "It never is. Dreams are perfect, but this is real life. Everyone has flaws, there's always a problem, a fight, something. It's never just a fairy-tale."

  "I don't want a fairy-tale." Madeline turned to the boy, meeting his gray eyes that were busy reflecting the stars and screaming things he couldn't say, "I want something real."

  "Me too," She admitted, quieter than intended. "But I don't think Nico is that."

  "So, what are you going to do about it?"

  "I have absolutely no idea."

ϟ

  Madeline, yet again, found herself sandwiched between Nico and Colin. The Great Hall was bustling at dinner, and unsurprisingly, the brunette was silently shoving her food back and forth on her plate. Silently.

  Until she'd had enough.

  "I think I'm going to sit with Bluebelle."

  The entire group of boys (that majority of, hadn't said a single word to Madeline) fell silent, but it was Nico and Colin who gave her disgruntled looks.

  "You always sit here, Bluebelle doesn't mind," Nico told her, "Why change it now?"

  "Because I miss my friends," Madeline smiled.

  She wasn't stupid or blind, Madeline could very well see Nico Keeler wasn't pleased with her choice, but it didn't deter her. The girl simply pecked his cheek and hopped up, a spring in her step as she walked to her friends.

  "Are we finally good enough for you?" Madeline winced at Kai's jab, though it was expected it still hurt.

  "Can we all agree I've been a royal arse?" The brunette slid into the seat across from her friends, "And can we save the being angry part for later, because I've missed having fun."

  "Alright," Bluebelle smiled lightly, "But later, you're going to get it."

  Madeline snorted.

  "I didn't—"

  "I know exactly what you meant," Madeline winked, but it was Madeline's light pink blush that sent Kai into a fit of laughter.

  "Shh, Kai's here," Bluebelle whispered, making the boy's eyes widen greatly.

  Both girls tried to keep straight faces, but couldn't actually hold in their laughter for any significant amount of time.

  It didn't take long for the trio to sink back into a state of comfortable laughter. Rambling to catch each other up, though Madeline was mostly just listening intently and eating. A thing for the first time in months, she did not mind.

  James snapped his fingers half an inch from Sirius' face, which was the only thing to bring him back to reality. Remus had to stifle his laughter as the boy nearly topped out of his seat, but Peter was openly laughing. Until Sirius glared.

  "You alright, mate?" James asked, eyeing Sirius. "Thought we lost you for a minute."

  "No, nothing like that," Sirius waved off the boy's worry. "Just thinking."

  "Didn't know you did that," Remus noted blandly.

  "Occasionally."

  "Hey, look, Maddie's sitting with her friends," Peter noted, making the other three boys whup their heads around to the blue and bronze table.

  Madeline was, for whatever reason, wiggling in her seat across from Bluebelle and Kai. Remus furrowed his brows at the sight, but the corners of his lips quirked up when she burst into laughter.

  "She looks happy," Remus noted.

  "Keeler doesn't," Sirius grumbled.

  James let out an audible scoff once he saw the boy. Nico was sulking, as a five-year-old would if his favorite toy was taken, and it seemed most of his friends were enjoying the sight of it.

  "Have you talked to Mads about—"

  "No," James cut Remus off, "I haven't talked to her about. . . anything."

  "What?"

  "I haven't even really seen her since that night," James shrugged it off as if it wasn't really a big deal.

  "You're not going to fix it?" Sirius questioned, shocked.

  "Look, Pads, we fight all the time," The Potter boy sighed out, "It's just the way things are, no use in worry about it."

  "Hey, how are you and Nico?"

  Madeline's grin dropped as soon as Kai asked the question, making Bluebelle smack the back of his head harshly.

  "No, no, it's just. . ." Madeline waved off, "I don't think it's working out."

  "What, why not?"

  "He's very. . . possessive, for lack of a better term," Madeline shifted uncomfortably, "It can be sweet, you know, it's nice to know someone doesn't want to lose me but. . . he takes it too far."

  "He's not. . . hurt you, has he?" Bluebelle questioned, her voice dropping to a quiet yet serious tone, "I swear to Merlin if he laid a hand on you—"

  "No, no, he hasn't. He's just jealous. . . I think I'll try to make it work, but if it doesn't then. . . then it doesn't. I suppose."

  "Good mentality to have," Kai nodded appreciatively.

  "I feel like we're talking about a different Nico," Bluebelle sighed tiredly, rubbing her eyes, "Not the bloke I'm friends— was friends with."

  "Oh, Blue, don't do that, not because of me—"

  "You're my best friend, Mads," The blonde said seriously, "Doesn't matter how long I've known him, time isn't everything."

  "Right, now can we talk about the truly important thing?" Kai questioned abruptly.

  "Which would be. . ?"

  "Quidditch."

( AUTHOR'S NOTE. )
I had to include the cliche

Astronomy Tower momentthat's in every single HP ficsorry not sorry