chapter
↳ three
moodboard
↳ demetria jones

-

After changing into her Slytherin robes, Millie felt much more comfortable and relaxed. She hoped to find her best friend before the sorting, since everyone was supposed to sit with their houses during dinner and this would be the only time to catch up.

Millie noticed her friend very quickly after a brief scan of the Ravenclaw table. "Demetria!"

"Mildred Yoon! Ah!" Demetria stood up, leaving her fellow Ravenclaws in the dust as she scrambled over to her best friend. As much as Millie was a Slytherin, Demetria was a Ravenclaw. She lived for learning. She was the most level-headed person Millie knew. A lover of gossip, she somehow managed to get the truth out of anybody, despite their house or belief. "Guess who hooked up with a seventh year in the empty fourth floor corridor?"

"Already? Who?" Millie asked, her eyebrows rising. Her large earrings rang loudly as she moved her head this way and that, hoping to figure out the culprit before Demetria told her.

Demetria pointed her ringed figure at the Hufflepuff table. "Martin Thames."

Mildred applauded him sardonically. "Wow. First day, too."

"Yeah, but I heard that it was part of a bet with a Gryffindor. Don't spread that around, since I haven't got enough sources yet."

"Noted," Millie said seriously. "Let's meet tomorrow morning over breakfast to catch up on our summer."

Demetria nodded confidently, "I hope Benji sits with us."

"Are you going to finally ask him out this year?" Millie asked, finding it cute that her friend was confident in every aspect save her brother. Demetria had been crushing on Benji since the first year, when he defended her against a few bullies. Still, she had yet to bring up her feelings to Benji himself, in fear of being rejected. Millie wasn't sure herself if Benji liked Demetria back, so she had made it her personal mission to figure out if he did. Unfortunately, Benji would make a blade of grass feel loved if you left him in an empty field long enough. Millie wasn't sure her brother had ever crushed on anyone. He was the same passionate friend to everyone he met, so there was no real way to discern his feelings. Thinking about trying was enough to make Millie's head spin.

"I'll see you then!" Millie whispered as the first years began to walk into the Great Hall. She darted back to her place beside Regulus Black, and cheered each time a new Slytherin was welcomed into the flock.

-

It wasn't that Remus hated mornings, it was just that the poor boy was always so tired, so worn out, that the morning sun seemed to burn him the more he tried to open his eyes. The marauders called it Remus-duty, and despite the funny and juvenile name, there was the actual possibility of being murdered when on this job. The three boys agreed that it was worse than their duties during the full moon, and drew straws every year to see who had it.

Sirius was the unlucky bloke who received the longest straw, and he knew without a doubt that James had transfigured the straws as soon as he realized he had gotten the long one, leaving Sirius with the punishment. It wasn't so much of a "Wow, I hope Remus doesn't kills me," punishment, but more of a "Aw, do I have to wake him? He looks so peaceful..." type of punishment.

Remus had a habit of burying his face into his pillows, and kicking his sheets off until they piled up at his waist, and the chill morning air caused goosebumps to raise on his bare back. For this reason, he was used to the cold, and Sirius couldn't just peel back the covers and wake Remus from the chill. No, he had to be smart about it. Scratch that. He could be smart about it. Instead, he poked Remus in the ear with him wand.

"What the — Sirius!" Remus chided, his voice still hoarse from sleep.

"Get up sleepyhead," Sirius said brightly, as he had always been a bit of a morning person, much to James' dismay. "We've got to get breakfast in you so you'll feel strong and healthy."

"I don't want to feel anything," Remus griped mid-yawn, his arms stretched out behind him in what looked to be an uncomfortable position. As Remus cracked his knuckles — as he did every morning out of habit — Sirius grabbed his uniform.

In retrospect, Sirius thought James might've been onto something when he made Sirius pick the longest straw. Here, in the silence of an empty dorm, their friendship might be able to heal and grow back into what it had been before Sirius ruined it all. He had been blinded by raw hatred, and had betrayed Remus' trust. Now the two friends had a somewhat strained relationship when alone, for they couldn't hide behind others. Sirius hoped that with their much needed time alone, Remus might find it in his heart to forgive him, and trust him again.

"Here you go, Moony," he said, his voice soft in the morning, for he had not yet had coffee that would undoubtedly return the bark to his voice. For now, it was soft and docile, albeit bright, afraid to scare Remus off if he rose it even a decibel.

Perhaps Remus sensed this, for he mumbled back a very small "thank you" in his deep, fractured voice.

"See you at breakfast," said Sirius, pulling his tie over his head. "Don't be late."

"Yes, Mom." Remus replied with a bit of a snark in his voice, enough to tell Sirius that they might be on the right track.

He smiled as he descended the stairs. On his way down, he passed Benji, who looked like he was waiting for someone. "Hey."

Benji jumped, nearly startled off of the couch he had been lounging on. "Oh. Hey, Sirius."

"Expecting someone else?" Sirius held a lilt in his voice that told Benji he knew exactly what was going on. "Who is she?"

Benji's cheeks turned a rosy color and he stood up, refusing to meet Sirius' eyes. "Let's go before all the food is gone."

"You have to tell me one day, Benjamin."

"Benji is fine, thank you."

Sirius only snickered at the his clipped tone. Benji was still bright and chirpy, despite the fact that it was morning and they had classes that day. "Why aren't you more tired?"

Benji shrugged. "I had to get up early for a prefect meeting so I feel wide awake."

Sirius thought this seemed like a valid answer. He allowed Benji to lead him to the Ravenclaw table, where two girls sat. He knew neither of them, but assumed rightly that Benji might.

"Sorry I'm late," Benji muttered.

Both girls seemed tired, yet one was obviously doing a better job at hiding it. Demetria Jones looked at Benji, her tired eyes widening as she saw him. "It's fine," she managed to squeak.

Sirius smirked in amusement and looked away. His eyes landed on the second girl, who seemed to be asleep. Her chin rested on her fist, and Sirius was about to comment on how uncomfortable it looked when Benji did it for him, "Why don't you rest your head?"

The girl peaked one eye open. "I woke up early to do my makeup. There's no way I'm getting it messed up now."

Sirius stared at her face for a moment, trying to remember what it was called when a girl flared her eyeliner out like that. Lily had given him multiple makeup lessons but he seemed to have forgotten a lot of the terms girls used on a day to day basis. When he looked closer, he noticed that she looked a lot like Benji. They both had the same nose that tended to scrunch without them ever realizing it. "Are you Benji's sister? The one who wants to blast Snivellus to smithereens?"

She side-eyes him once before ignoring him completely. "Benji, do you like anyone at school?"

Demetria's head snapped up, but she kept a neutral face as Benji hummed in thought. "I think so. I don't think she likes me back, though."

"She's in Gryffindor, isn't she?" Sirius couldn't help but butt in, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"Yeah," Benji gave a tired grin, "Marlene McKinnon. She's really pretty, isn't she? I don't suppose she'd want to go out with me, would she?"

Demetria looked down, and Sirius felt bad for bringing it up. She must like Benji, he assumed, for there was no other way for her to react like that. Still, she answered him quietly, "She'd be daft not to go out with you."

Benji smiled again, this time more brightly. "You think so? Wow, you'd know, wouldn't you? Since you seem to know everything at this school. Maybe I'll ask her out to Hogsmeade. Thanks, Demetria."

"No problem," said Demetria, sporting a sad grin.

"Anyone you like, Millie?" Benji pointed the question at his sister, who still didn't seem to want to acknowledge Sirius' presence.

"Not really. Regulus Black is kind of hot but I think he's into dark magic so I don't know if I'll ask him out."

Sirius nearly choked on his coffee. "You can't like my brother!"

"Why not?" Millie asked, her tone defiant as she stared him down.

"Well, for one, he's a Slytherin!"

Millie's eyes widened, but they suddenly switched to mirth. "You think I'm a Gryffindor?"

Sirius retorted, "Aren't you?"

Millie stood up and turned, brandishing the green emblems of her robe. "Read it and weep, lion boy, because you're talking to a snake."

She stood up, and Demetria muttered a goodbye and followed in suit, leaving both Benji and Sirius alone.

Benji laughed. "I'm surprised she didn't get up when you first sat beside her."

"Why did she defend Lily, then?" Sirius asked, as if it made no sense for a Slytherin to have morals.

The rest of the marauders showed up then, with Lily and Marlene in tow. Benji's ears turned red as soon as Marlene sat beside him, her shoulder occasionally brushing against his. Lily was the first to speak, "Not every Slytherin is evil, Black. It would do you good to remember that."

Sirius frowned, lost at the direction this conversation was taking. "I know that. I'm just surprised, is all." He turned in his seat and found Millie, sitting beside Regulus, a smile now on her face. She hadn't smiled like that around him, and Sirius wondered why. "She seems to like them better though, doesn't she?"

Benji smirked, "That's usually what happens when you live with the same people for a few years."

"I don't need your sass, Yoon."

Across the hall, Millie seemed to be having the same thoughts. "How can Benji hang out with so many Gryffindors? Doesn't he get overheated by all the hot air coming out of their heads?"

Regulus snickered. Demetria chided her, "You're doing it again. Different strokes, Mildred."

"What does she mean?" Regulus turned to Millie, who felt nervous when he looked directly at her.

Still, she rolled her eyes. "Demetria says I have a problem with painting everyone with the same brush, and that I have to learn that everyone has a different belief system, different morals, different families, and different goals that make them a different person. I shouldn't be so closed minded."

Demetria nodded proudly when Millie recited the words the Ravenclaw had tried so hard to drill into her head.

Regulus curled his lip, amused. "That's cute. Wish I had friends to set me straight."

"They aren't that great," Millie said in a way to comfort him.

Demetria scowled and stole Millie's toast. "You're impossible. One day you're going to thank me for chiding you every day."

"But it is not today," Millie said, giggling at her friend's exasperated glare.

-

a/n:

this is sort of a filler chapter

anyway the next chapter will have more millie/sirius interaction so look forward to that !

demetria is one of my favorite characters and i hope you guys like her too !!