𝗔𝗖𝗧 𝗜𝗜𝗜 ━━ 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗛 𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘
121. the fatal flaw

      "𝗦𝗢... 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗪𝗘 𝗚𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗟𝗘𝗗 𝗠𝗘 𝗧𝗢𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧?"

      Sirius and Scarlet used the Apparatus spell to teleport back into their home from the 'crime scene'.

      Scarlet was leant up against the door to their bedroom, clutching her knees to her chest as she ran her hands through her hair in immense distress.

      To say Sirius was pissed would be an understatement.

      As Sirius asked the question, he looked up at her from the other side of the room where he was mirroring her position on the floor, leaning against the wall. His eyes were narrowed—the same look of betrayal never leaving his face.

"Actually I..." Scarlet murmured in response, meeting his angry gaze guiltily. "I just applied enough pressure to your carotid artery to make you temporarily pass out... I mean—only if you wanna get technical..."

"It felt like I was being strangled," Sirius shot back in a harsh tone, flaring into her eyes.

      Sirius felt helpless. Ever since sixth year, Scarlet had been through pretty much the hardest shit ever, nearing nightmarish deaths almost a thousand times. All he could do was sit back and watch as her youth was rotting.

      However, tonight, he felt as though he finally became the man who is enough to protect a woman like her. To protect the love of his life. However, when he felt her hand slip around his neck, he felt helpless again. He felt as though she didn't trust him enough to do such a thing.

"Do you know how reckless it was of you to stand in front of me like that?" She shot back with a heavy chest, holding their eye-contact. "You weren't going to let me fight him."

"You didn't have to," he scoffed, lingering sarcasm in his tone.

Scarlet squinted her eyes. "Excuse me?"

"You killed him."

      Scarlet laughed. She actually laughed even though there was no humour in her tone. Looking at him in disbelief, she couldn't believe the judgement radiating from Sirius Black's body—due to the fact that she literally killed the bastard who killed their friend in cold blood. Was he expecting mercy from her?

"Because if it was necessary, would you have been able to kill him?" She firmly snapped back, "If he had his wand pointed at you, about to shoot you with an Unforgivable Curse, would you kill him?"

      Silence.

"You wouldn't," she nodded in conclusion. "As you all mentioned, you're not willing to kill. And I can't be the reason you get blood on your hands, only one of us needs to get their hands dirty and that's always been me, and that will always be me."

"I wouldn't have killed him if he was about to curse me, I would kill him if he was gonna curse you." He corrected it forcefully.

"Bullshit!"

"I could've helped you—I wanted to help you!" Sirius raised his voice. "Instead, you strangled me against my fucking will—or wait, no, apologises—you 'applied enough pressure to my carotid artery to make me temporarily pass out'..." he mimicked her words from before with spite in his tone. "And there was no regret in your eyes."

      Scarlet's jaw clenched as that silence returned. She knew he was angry with her—yeah, she deserved it.

"Well, I'm not sorry I did it."

       That comment clearly didn't make Sirius feel any better in the slightest—as she noticed him balling his hand into a fist with frustration, his jaw growing more stern with irritation at her.

"What if something happened to you?"

"I wasn't worried about my life, I was worried about yours." She shrugged, a lot calmer than him.

"You were so worried about me, you knocked me out against my fuckin' will." He shot back harshly, stating the fact he considered.

      Scarlet hesitated again, really starting to feel the extent of his rage right now.

"I was protecting you," she murmured, her eyes still on his harsh, narrowed betrayed glare.

He scoffed. "So, you're allowed to protect me, but when I try to do it for you—I'm not allowed? What, you don't trust me—?"

"Of course I trust you, you son of a bitch!" She yelled back, "I don't care if you thought it was wrong, I'd rather die protecting you—than having to live with the fact that you died for me!"

"If you trust me so much, why am I always the last to find out about what happens when your cute little Death Eater buddies call you for tea?" He asked.

"Sirius, we talked about this," she finally broke eye-contact, feeling the harshness of his judgement. She dropped her gaze to her fingers that sat on her lap. "I can't talk to you about this, it's risky and you proved—once again—you're reckless."

Sirius let out a humourless chuckle, finding her words unbelievable. "You don't actually think me being 'reckless' means I'm gonna babble all your secrets to the Death Eaters and reveal you're a spy?"

"You do stupid things when you're angry," Scarlet justified. "It's not your fault but you let things slip, you told Severus about Lupin, then you accused Lupin of being a spy, you use my insecurity against me and randomly call me mad all because you get frustrated easily and become a liability."

      That stung Sirius. She immediately quieted down with a guilty look on her face—she knew he had matured over the years, but she just had to say something to get him to back off. A liability.

      She should not have said what she did. And he should not have gone ahead and said what he did.

"Maybe you're not happy to share your secrets with me because you're the snitch."

      There it goes.

      There goes the hope embodied in Scarlet's chest. Because the reason for her hope just took everything she had done, every blood and tear she walked through, and threw it down on the blood-soaked ground beneath her as though it was a waste.

      Scarlet's swelling hope was pried viciously from the ivory cage in her chest and crushed to dust. She could see it in his eyes—he regretted it the moment the words left his mouth. Was what he said grotesque and unpleasant? Surely. Did it make her wish she was in the house, burning, when the Bridget Manor was burned down? Absolutely. But was she surprised? No... not really. Sirius had used everything she was and everything she had done against her once before, who is to say he would not do it again?

      So no, she was not surprised at all.

      Destruction isn't pretty.

      Neither is the truth.

      And the truth was that she was a liar. A pathological liar. She lied—mostly to make up for the damage she caused. Mostly for the good of people around her.

      Yet, the truth was cruel and cold and bleak.

      It was that moment Scarlet realised her trying was never good enough. No matter how much she tried and tried to be better, it was never going to be enough.

      Scarlet didn't say anything. Because what do you say when someone—the love of your life, the only person you ever trust—accuses you of betraying your own—for a dark wizard that killed your mother, that slaughters innocent individuals...? You can say nothing.

"You still don't trust me." Scarlet states, matter of fact, no margin for error. No space for defence. This wasn't dramatic, her reaction wasn't dramatic. The person who held all of her heart and more didn't trust her. And there was nothing she could do to convince him otherwise. 

"If you are going to feed me yet another half-baked truth, half-lie, I do not wish to hear your voice." He spoke softly but bitterly, and those words physically crushed her body. She wanted to sink into a puddle of nothing. To shrivel and shrink and die. 

      She wished something would just fucking kill her already. 

      Liar, liar, liar. She is a liar. 

      With a clenched jaw, she got up from the floor of her bedroom and made her way out of that house. She had to be anywhere but near Sirius at the moment.

      She should've defended her honour, fought to be believed, but truthfully, she was tired. Exhaustion had long passed, this feeling, this feeling was just tiredness. The type you get after the heartbreak and agony, the type where the hurt becomes so average you expect it. That you come to enjoy its presence.

      Because at least it doesn't leave you like everything else.

      "CAN I STAY THE NIGHT?" THE HOARSE TONE OF SCARLET PLEADED, standing before the Chasseur home as Mrs Chasseur opens the door with wry eyes, a little astonished at her presence. "Eve wasn't at her apartment."

"Of course, honey." She softly whispered, placing a hand on her shoulder and welcoming her in. "Eve is in here, actually."

      Everest was laying down on her sofa in the living room, a brown-leather book in her hands when her eyes shot up to her best friend. Initially, there was a welcoming smile—then it dropped to a concerned knit of brows.

The silence stretched longer and longer as Mrs Chasseur picked up the tension, "I'll get you two some snacks," said the woman, making her way over to the kitchen.

      Everest and Scarlet didn't have to exchange a single word for the brunette to open up her arms as she sat up, watching as Scarlet sprinted towards her and fell into her arms.

      One thing for sure was: Sirius was never her other half, it was Everest.

      Her hands were in her light-blonde hair, it was slightly wet from the foggy weather outside.

"Do you want to talk about what the hell happened?" Everest asked, pulling away from the hug and pushing some strands of hair from her forehead. "Whose arse do I need to kick?"

Scarlet let out a chuckle-filled sob, looking her in the eye as her best friend wiped some shreds of tears from her face. "I just wanted to see you."

Everest raised a brow.

"Another fight," she admitted with a roll of her eyes.

The brunette nodded understandingly. "Scarlet, can I say something, if you don't mind?"

"What?"

She spoke genuinely. "You cannot just show up here every time you and Sirius have a row,"

Scarlet scoffed, a look of betrayal flashing her irises. "My mistake, it won't happen again—"

"That's not what I mean," Everest quickly said, not meaning to offend her. "This house is yours as much as it is mine... what I mean is, this isn't like storming away from the Gryffindor tower to the Slytherin dungeon. You two live together." she softly told her, fiddling with her hair in a gesture to make her comfortable. "I'm saying this because we're honest with each other and I want good for you... if you're fighting then make up a moment later and have a good night's sleep,"

"I guess you're right," she softly smiled, a sense of nostalgia hitting her as she said, "We're not little girls anymore, I can't just run away when I don't have the upper hand,"

Everest smiled, letting out a sigh of relief when she realised Scarlet understood her. "Do you want to talk about what has happened?"

"I have no idea how much more I have to do to gain someone's trust."

Confusion littered Everest's expression. "You're risking your life to help us win a war, there's nothing more—"

"Yeah, but the only person whose trust I need doesn't trust me," her tone was raspy, a lump in her throat constantly provoking. "I'm living with a person who doesn't trust me."

      Everest always knew how to speak through eyes—sort of like telepathy, a soul connection. It didn't take a genius to put the puzzles into pieces, she knew Sirius said something stupid once again.

"How bad was it?"

Scarlet sniffed, slumping over the soft, emerald couch. "He thinks I'm the snitch in the Order."

A gasp with mixture of shock and pity left the Chasseur girl's lips. "That's bad."

"Yep," answered Scarlet, popping the 'p'.

The two of them stared at the fireplace in front of them, zoning out in the momentary silence for a few seconds. Aster was the one to break it with her bubbly energy.

"Cookies, darlings?" The woman smiled genuinely, settling down a plate of chocolate-chip cookies. "Special cookies for my special girls." She formally clasped her hands in front of her.

Everest glanced at her mother, to the cookies, back to her mother's bright eyes. "They're just store-bought cookies, Ernest got them from Tesco yesterday."

"Do you always have to rain on my parade?" She rolled her eyes disappointedly, walking away from the girls.

"What does that even mean?" The blonde asked.

Everest shook her head with a smile. "Spoiling someone's happiness."

"Hm, wonder how many times Sirius rained on my parade." The girl mockingly told her friend.

The brunette chuckled, handing her a cookie. "This is why I don't like men, you should try swinging for the other side— you'd be much more appreciated."

A peal of laughter left the blonde's crimson lips, "Did you not, like ever, have a secret crush on anyone, at Hogwarts?"

"Marlene was the only one," Everest smiled sadly, shaking her head. "I don't think I can bear it, S, being at her funeral."

Scarlet looked her in the eye, sorrow dancing in both of their irises. "Does your mum know?"

"I haven't told her anything," she whispered. "She thinks I lost a good friend, that's all... but Marls was so much more to me..."

"I know," Scarlet whispered after her pause. "First and only love type of things,"

Everest's lips curled up a little as she thought of something. "Although, I did have a crush on Dorcas."

"Shut up," Scarlet chuckled roughly, throwing her head back. "No way."

"Unbelievable, I know," Everest giggled under her breath, fiddling with her rings. "And you?"

"Not really—"

"—come on," The emerald-eyed girl did not believe this for a second. "There had to be someone."

"Maybe a tiny, teeny-weeny, really small, like really tiny..."

"Scarlet!"

"All right!" Scarlet laughed. "I once, for a mere two seconds, considered marrying Evan Rosier."

A gasp was heard mid-way, "You have horrible taste."

"I'm not even kidding — he asked me to marry him."

"WHAT?" She shrieked, "AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?!" She did a little hop from her sitting position on the sofa before jumping back down, a loud gasp leaving her throat. Scarlet hasn't seen Everest smile in more than three months. It was... it was nice to see that coy grin sprout on her face, that excitement. 

"It was nothing serious. He thought I was all alone, and he thought he would be forced into a loveless marriage so..." Scarlet laughed at the atrocity of it all. "I know," Scarlet groaned, her head falling on the brunette's shoulder. "I know... then he turned out to be a traitor too but a part of me doesn't even care about that..." she softly exhaled, remembering how close she and Evan once used to be. It is hard to crop out the fantasy one had for their close friend, and the betrayal always lingers in a lake of denial.

"Scarlet," Everest started after a small pause between their conversation, turning to face the girl who lifted her head up once again, "Were you two arguing when Black said that?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "That makes it so much worse."

"Why were you arguing?"

"I was trying to protect him!" she threw her arms up in the air, "I sort of knocked him out because he stupidly put himself before me to save me... I wanted him to move out of the way."

"You knocked him out?" Everest sighed knowingly, shaking her head and leaning back into her seat. "That's your fatal flaw."

"Fatal flaw? Knocking people out is my fatal flaw?" She arched her perfect brows, "What are you on about?"

The brunette shook her head, "The fatal flaw of your and Sirius' relationship is that you love each other too much," she shrugged nonchalantly, "Both of you are reckless when it comes to the safety of the other—"

"I wasn't reckless."

"You knocked him out!" Everest chuckled in disbelief, "This will happen every time, one of you will feel betrayed, one of you completely unapologetic."

"I did what I felt like I had to do, he had no right to accuse me of that."

"You and I both know he said that to win the argument, it's Sirius Black!" The girl exclaimed, not rudely, not exaggerating her point. "Scarlet, death doesn't just happen to you, it happens to everyone around you—to all the people standing at your funeral—trying to figure out how to go on with their lives now without you in it." Her voice broke a little, lips trembling slightly;

      "Then they spend the rest of their life replaying the moment, wondering what they could have done differently to save your goddamn arse."

      Scarlet's heart dropped. Everest was making a point but this was her projecting. This is how she felt about Marlene's death.

      This was not the time, but Scarlet did not want to keep a secret from her best friend. She could not afford losing her trust too.

"The Death Eater I—uhm... killed was the one who..." she stumbled over her words, causing Everest to widen her eyes in panic. "The one who killed Marlene."

      Everest let out a gasp in pain, and although there was no sign of judgement in her eyes, Scarlet felt relieved that it didn't matter to her at all. It was not going to bring Marlene back, but the deed surely was not a wrong one and Everest believed Scarlet should not be judged for it.

"Did you use..."

"Yes," she blurted out, knowing she was about to ask whether she used an unforgivable spell or not. She did. And she's not sorry she did it.

The brunette eyed her and sighed, "I, for the matter of fact, don't really care."

"I'm sorry you didn't get to go to Paris with her." Scarlet softly said, making Everest sob just a little. "I'm sorry you didn't get to marry her."

      The two girls touched the temple of their heads against each other.

"When Black comes to the funeral tomorrow, on his knees—begging for your apologies, you better forgive him, S... life is short—" she continued:

      "It would be cruel to hit the finish line without resolving a silly fight."

      The next morning was worse. 

Mrs Chasseur—Aster sat down beside her with a soft smile, and politely, Scarlet put her book down and diverted her attention to the woman. "Hi," she smiled back.

"What are you reading over there?"

Scarlet tapped on the story book, "Pride and Prejudice," she shrugged, "Eve said you gave it to her on her birthday."

"Oh, she absolutely despised it, that's why I always have a back-up present for her," Aster chuckled softly, shaking her head.

Suddenly, the woman put her hand on Scarlet's, her soft fingers melting into her skin. "Eve tells me a lot about you... and I wonder how you handle it... all the responsibilities."

Aster was stumbling over her words—careful to not offend her but the blonde understood vividly what she referred to. "It's the life that comes along with being an heiress, Aster, I'm used to it being my identity."

"But it's not," Aster quickly shot back, confidently. "It's not your identity, you were just a little girl who got caught up in ugly strings and so much burden fell on you unjustly... burden you can't escape."

      A beat of silence fell upon them as Scarlet thought about her words, consuming them. That was until Aster spoke again in a light whisper.

"It's all unfair, the terrors and nightmares you cannot sleep through."

      Everest told her about the nightmares. Or perhaps Aster found out. She seemed wise enough.

"I want to remind you that you're so much more than that, and our entire family loved you from the moment we saw you, you're one of us now. You can tell me anything."

      Scarlet gulped before a thought suddenly lingered in her brain. She could not tell Celeste about her terrors anymore. Scarlet was only twenty-one, she had so much more to learn—things her mother could not tell her on time.

"Can I—is it okay to ask you for some advice?" Scarlet blurted out, and the surprise was evident on Aster's face.

"Of course, sweetheart," the woman encouraged, "do tell."

"I did something horrible," she started, "so, Sirius and I got into a bad fight and... it was my fault. I lied to him, and I kept all sorts of secrets from him..." she bit her lips harshly, and turned to look at Aster. Even if she was surprised, she was pretty good at hiding it. "It was to protect him—I promise, I didn't lie to hurt him—and he feels betrayed now, I don't know what to do, I don't know how to fix this—"

      When Aster put her hand on Scarlet's, the young girl realised she was shaking uncontrollably, and tears escaped her eyes. Her breathing pattern was uneven, and the lump in her throat grew.

"Scarlet, listen to me, okay?" Aster sweetly muttered, "We all do questionable things to protect the ones we love. Did you know Eve's father made me quit my dream job a week ago so those evil people don't get to me at work? I'm practically under lockdown."

"That's horrible." Scarlet furrowed her brows, declaring quickly.

"I know!" Aster exclaimed, eyes wide, "I was so annoyed. That was until he gave me an explanation. He told me about... the war in the Wizarding World. All I can tell you is that you'll have to communicate, darling... whatever this lie is, I'm sure whether the reason is good or bad, he'll understand. But he cannot understand if you don't share it with him, speak your mind and explain."

      Scarlet nodded, absorbing every word from her as though it was a ritual.

"Nobody likes lies and deception, not without a reasonable explanation," Aster reminded, and the blonde nodded because she resented her own mother for keeping secrets. Sometimes, it took her a bit of time to understand simple matters over a large surge of emotions. "I suggest you find him, and talk to him..."

"Okay," the girl whispered tiredly.

"Thank you," Scarlet replied shakily, and Aster shrugged it off as though such kindness was a mere normality for her. "Thank you for everything."

"If anything ever falls apart, you know who to come to, this is your home." Mrs Chasseur squeezed her hand, and Scarlet almost felt tears pricking at her eyes at the sight of the wonderful woman in front of her. "War does things to people, that's why we're moving away."

"Moving away?" Suddenly, Scarlet's heart dropped, launching out of her chest violently. A clatter of a bowl sounded from the back, and Everest stood with an astonished look.

"You didn't tell her?" Aster whisper-yelled at her daughter. "It's only us that are moving away, not Everest."

"I didn't know how to—" Everest was about to say.

"Don't go," Scarlet leaned forward and took one of Aster's hands in hers swiftly, "Please, don't go, don't leave me."

Aster's lips were trembling at the blonde's frown, and she stood up gently before sighing, "sit down, both of you."

Mrs Chasseur kneeled on the ground in front of them, right in the middle of the two girls who sat side-by-side on the sofa. "I know it's not a pleasant decision, but don't be mad at me, you two."

Everest's eyes softened. "I'm not mad, mum, I love you."

     The woman smiled and the corners of her eyes deepened, she glanced between the two girls.

"You two are the magic of my life, quite literally," the three chuckled in unison. Mrs Chasseur took a shaky breath and looked at Scarlet. "I know I haven't known you for long but Eve talked so much of you, it's like you're one of our own... almost like you are my daughter."

      Scarlet pursed her lips at those words, a sentimental feeling hitting her heart. She could not bear the thought of losing yet another person she loves so dearly, and Aster was her maternal figure. What was a girl as young as her supposed to do without a mother? How was she meant to navigate through life, a life as hard as hers, without wise words? Who else would she go to at tough times?

      Aster was explaining how her husband decided to move back to America where times were safer, to reunite with the rest of their family. The Chasseurs originally situated somewhere near New York, their entire dynasty was there. Everest insisted on staying, she had a life here, she settled down in her career and apartment, she could not re-adjust halfway across the world. 

"And I love you both so much." Aster reminded.

"Then don't go," Scarlet repeated, "who am I supposed to talk to—? What am I meant to do without you?"

"You have your friends, they are your family," Aster reminded, "of course, you can contact me whenever you want to, I'm always free for you girls — always be there by each other's side, platonic soulmates are rare and in their absence, life feels hollow."

Scarlet bit the insides of her cheeks, "I love you so much." She whispered.

𝑪𝑨𝑹𝑨 𝑺𝑷𝑬𝑨𝑲𝑺

u can't tell me the first part of their
fight wasn't hilirious.

ASTER😭

this chapter is not edited!