𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍.
chapter ten; A Potter Kind Of Fire
" He's just a boy. "

  MADELINE WAS HAVING a surprisingly good time after she managed to ditch Colin. Lily had found her again, and now the two were dancing with Marlene McKinnon.

  Outwardly, the blonde seemed like quite the bad-ass, but she was all bad jokes and snack obsessions.

  "I can't believe you've never hung out with us before," Marlene grinned as she and Madeline escaped the dance floor.

  "I've tried to keep my distance from Gryffindor."

  "Because of your brother?" Madeline nodded. "I have two brothers and trust me; it's not worth it."

  "What?"

  "Don't act stupid, you're a Ravenclaw," Marlene scoffed jokingly, "Don't limit yourself just because you don't want to be like him."

  "It's hard when your brother is James Potter," Madeline huffed, "Bloody annoying."

  "I could see that."

  "Mate, you're not welcome here!"

  Madeline whirled around at the familiar, anger laced voice. A sea of rowdy Gryffindors had parted, forming a spectacle of the brewing fight.

  "You don't own the common room."

  "Oi! You heard him, leave!"

  The brunette panicked slightly, it was just her luck that the fight was between Nico, Colin, James, and Sirius.

  "What's your problem?" Madeline shoved through the crowd easily, all current attention directed towards her. James and Sirius were tense, and the Ravenclaw boys seemed borderline amused.

  Not that she noticed.

  "Maddie, I have to talk to you." Sirius' eyes were softer than the girl had ever seen them, and for unknown reasons when he gently grabbed her wrist she was compelled to follow.

  Nico could see that.

  "You're not going anywhere with her," Nico snapped, harshly pulling Madeline into him. "We're leaving."

  "Get your hands off my sister—"

  "Woah, back off."

  It seemed the party stilled when Colin placed a hand on James' chest.

  "Let's just go," Madeline spoke up quietly.

  "Shut up—"

  James didn't let Colin blink before he clocked him in the jaw. It seemed instantly the students, being majorly Gryffindor, were cheering on James Potter.

  "James!" Madeline tried to shout over everyone else, but her voice just fell in line with the other cheers. The girl could hardly tell who was winning, it was a flurry of fists and grunts, all she could see clearly was her brother's face grow bloody.

  Perhaps this was because she couldn't find it in herself to care for Colin's state.

  "You have to do something!" Nico looked down as Madeline clung to his arm in panic.

  But he did nothing.

  "Nico!"

  Someone finally stepped it, and it was not her boyfriend, but Sirius Black.

  The boy grabbed James by the back of the shirt, simultaneously pulling him from the fight and steadying him. Colin was knocked back by the sudden loss of a target but was back on his feet quickly enough to throw another punch.

  Much to Madeline's shock, Sirius ducked quickly before shoving Colin back quite a way.

  "Out."

  Even Madeline Potter had chills creep down her spine because while Sirius Black liked to ruffle feathers, he had never been anything but light-hearted around her. But at that moment, he was terrifying.

  "C'mon."

  "I'm gonna stay here for a little."

  "Babe—"

  "I said I'm staying here," Madeline's fire flared up for a moment, and for the first time Nico saw the girl beneath the facade she'd put on for him. 

  The boy just scoffed, walking out of the portrait-hole with Colin in tow.

  The common room emptied in record time, leaving six students in the rubble of the party.

  "Are you alright?"

  No one knew why Lily Evans had decided to hang back, but it was quite obvious after she questioned James Potter with a shockingly soft voice.

  "I'm fine," He shrugged it off, "You should go to sleep, it's late."

  Lily nodded, giving Madeline a reassuring smile before walking to the bottom of the stairs. The redhead spared James a single glance, before disappearing into the dorms.

  "James—"

  "Just, gimme a minute," James cut his sister off, cradling his head before heaving himself onto the velvet sofa. Madeline chewed her lip, a bubble of worry forming in the pit of her stomach.

  "Pete, get a napkin or something." Peter's eyes widened, but he listened to Sirius and searched for some sort of cloth. "Are you okay, Mads?"

  "Don't worry about me! I'm not the one who was just in a fight!"

  "Maddie, I'm fine," James grumbled, his head still down.

  "Okay, well then I'm just being an annoying sister!" Madeline cried out, "I was terrified!"

  James looked up in shock, finding his sister undeniably frazzled. Her hair had begun to take its natural curl, and she was chewing on her right thumbnail whilst tapping her foot on the hardwood floors.

  Both were telltale signs for the Potter signs.

  "I'm fine, Maddie," James repeated, "Really."

  "No, you're not! Look at your face—!"

  "Gee, thanks."

  "Quit joking, it's all bloody!"

  In all reality, James' lip was bleeding and bruises were blooming around his right eye and temple. Other than this, the boy was in fine shape.

  Peter finally returned, handing Sirius a napkin that was instantly held to James' mouth. The boy rolled his eyes but allowed Sirius to take his job seriously.

  "You alright?" Sirius checked after the bleeding had slowed enough for James' teeth to no longer be tinted pink. "Don't need Pomfrey?"

  "I'm fine," James sighed for the millionth time, slumping back against the couch. The five mulled in silence for a bit, and all Madeline could feel was devouring guilt.

  "You should go back to your dorm." Madeline looked up as Sirius spoke, the boy pushing his hair off of his forehead, "It's late."

  "Right," Maddie sighed, "Night."

  The girl looked to James, who hadn't even spared her a glance. It only made sense for him to be angry with her, but that didn't change the fact that this time it was hurting her.

  "Maddie?" The brunette paused halfway through to portrait hole, Remus had hurried to the small alcove to steal a moment of privacy with her. "It wasn't your fault."

  "Sort of," Madeline shrugged lightly, "I brought them here."

  "We both knew it wasn't your decision," Remus sighed, almost as her father would if he was disappointed. "Don't change for him."

  "I won't," Madeline scoffed, "He's just a boy."

  "You already are," Remus noted sadly, but before Madeline could say another word, he was gone.

  "How was it?"

  "Good," Madeline smiled at Bluebelle, which cause the blonde to squeal before rambling on and on about how utterly perfect the couple was.

  But Madeline couldn't find it in herself to listen, for the thoughts in her head were all too loud. None of the Marauders were violent unless provoked. Pranking, that sometimes went a step too far, yes. But they were not the kind of people to get in fist fights for the hell of it.

  So what the hell could Nico or Colin conceivably done?

( AUTHOR'S NOTE. )
maddie worrying over her
brother ( despite her arguing
with him all the time ) makes
my heart warm