Chapter 107 - Stupid, Sirius! Ⅱ (2/2)

”Yes, please!” Sirius eagerly declared.

”Wait, just a minute! How come Rowan got asked, but Severus and I, both got excluded?!” Terry argued.

Turning to glance at Terry, Rowan drily says, ”Severus has no patience to speak of and you have a nasty tendency to mess around with other people's minds. So no, I don't think either of you is suitable candidates to deal with an impressionable young mind.”

A bit mollified by the response, Terry leans back in his seat. ”I'm not that evil!”

Everyone raises their eyebrows and dubiously stare back at him causing Terry to crossly huff and fold his arms across his chest. ”Well, I never.”

Shaking her head, Rowan says, ”I should be back in time for lunch if not order for me.”

”Yes, dear,” Severus mockingly said, earning him a swat to the head. Severus glares at his sister amid the snickers, before Rowan leaves and follows Sirius out.

Rowan pensively glances at Sirius as they make their way down the train aisle. Though at the moment Sirius seemed full of energy and bustle, there was something hiding beneath the surface. ”Are you worried for him?” Rowan finally asked causing Sirius to flush.

”Who'd worry about that, brat!” Sirius blustered.

”Mm, and yet you searched through half of the train to come and find me,” Rowan pointed out with a skeptically raised eyebrow.

Sirius dimly flushes and says, ”The Blacks are always Slytherins! And Slytherins are full of dark wizards! But-.”

”But what?” Rowan asked.

”Well, you and Severus aren't that bad and even Terry is a rather decent bloke. And the girls in your dorm are quite nice as well,” Sirius paused to add in an awed whisper, ”And your grandfather is the bravest person I've ever meet and he's a Slytherin!”

”I suppose that is a compliment,” Rowan drily said as she avoided a trio of 1st years rushing down the aisle. The trio suddenly crashed into a pair of other 1st years, but rather than apologizing they giggled and ran off.

”Are you alright?” Rowan asked with some concern as she stopped to help the boy and girl to their feet.

The square-jawed girl with flaxen hair says, ”Thank you, nothing but a bruise. But I think Barty needs some help.”

Rowan's eyes widen as she turns towards the boy, Sirius was helping to his feet. Pale, straw-colored hair with a light spray of freckles across the bridge of his nose, Barty Crouch Jr. Swiftly masking her private contemplation, Rowan studies the boy to see that he is lightly bleeding from his knuckles. Reaching into her pocket she pulls out a small canned balm and says, ”Here rub some salve onto the scratch, it'll stop the bleeding and heal the wound in minutes.”

”Thank you,” Barty gratefully said as he took some of the salve and carefully rubbed it on his scratch.

Putting the balm away, Rowan says, ”And who might the two of you be?”

The square-jawed girl with light-colored hair says, ”I'm Letitia Bones, and this here is Barty Crouch Jr.”

”Are you related to Amelia Bones in any way?” Rowan curiously asked.

”Mm, Amelia Bones is my older sister, she just graduated from Hogwarts last year,” Letitia explained. ”I've got two older brothers as well. They graduated a long time ago.”

Rowan nods her head as she thinks about the child before her. Amelia Bones by all accounts had two brothers and a sister all killed including her parents, nieces, and nephews. All that was left was a surviving niece the daughter of one of her brothers, Susan Bones.

Sirius interrupts Rowan's train of thoughts by saying, ”It was lovely to meet you both, but we really must be going.”

Letitia Bones nods her head in understanding and says, ”That's okay, we're still trying to find a compartment ourselves.”

”Actually, I know of an empty compartment,” Rowan instantly said. ”Why don't you come with us?” Sirius opens his mouth to disagree but a deathly glance from Rowan causes him to sullenly pursue his lips in reply.

”That would be greatly appreciated,” Letitia said, before turning to Barty Crouch Jr. ”Is that fine with you too, Barty?”

”Hm, let's go,” Barty as Sirius sighed and led the way with two added towaways.

Without knocking on the door, Sirius slams the compartment door shut causing the two boys inside to jump. ”I'm back as promised,” Sirius loudly proclaimed. ”And now, I'm leaving.” Without even allowing, Regulus to reply, Sirius wildly dashes back down the aisle calling out for Lupin.

There is an awkward silence as the two boys inside stare at the three figures standing outside of the compartment. With an annoyed sigh, Regulus says, ”Sorry about that, that was my older brother.”

”It's alright,” Dirk said. ”I've got two older brothers and three older sisters at home. And they all treat me like dirt sometimes.”

Letitia in the doorway pipes in and says, ”I know what you mean, I've got two older brothers and a sister, and I'm always treated like a baby.”

At her comment, two boys' glance at the square-jawed girl in the doorway as Regulus finally says, ”Um, please come in.”

The girl happily pulls her trunk in and says, ”I'm Letitia Bones, a 1st year and the fellow behind me is a 1st year too, Barty Crouch Jr.”

”Technically it's Bartemius,” Barty mumbled as he dragged his trunk inside.

The two boys turn to stare at the taller girl with midnight indigo hair and eyes. ”I'm Rowan Prince, a second year,” Rowan explained. ”I was asked by Sirius to come to see you, Regulus Black.”

Regulus flushes as he says, ”Oh, thank you, you needn't have.” Before they can continue conversing the train lets out a warning whistle as the last of the gaggle hurries to board the train.

”Well, you might as well have a seat,” Rowan observed as she leaned up against the compartment door. The four 1st years glance out onto the platform as they see waving parents and siblings' wave at them. Regulus is the first to look away knowing that his parents weren't present among the crowd. With the next being Barty, the two of them share a knowing glance, but neither of them comments on their personal family situation.