[HP] Can you be gentle with me

"What the hell were you doing just now?"

Tahlia was also stunned.

Shouldn't Sirius be practicing at Quidditch by now?How did you come here... and you just happened to bump into yourself at──

Damn.

She stepped forward and forced a smile. "You misunderstood, Sirius, I—"

"Don't come over!" Sirius yelled, and hurriedly took several steps back.

"Sirius──" took a few steps forward.

"I said don't come!" Sirius yelled.

Straight away, he drew his wand and pointed it straight at Tahlia.

"Don't...don't make me do it to you—Tahlia," he said tremblingly, and his hand on his wand seemed unsteady.

Tahlia couldn't think at all at the moment. Being pointed at by her best friend with a wand was too shocking to her senses. No, the person in front wasn't Sirius, right?

There's no way he'd do that, is there?

"Sirius, you put down your wand first, okay?"

But Sirius didn't follow suit, and the hand holding the wand became firmer instead.

"Sirius──"

"Tell me." Sirius interrupted Tahlia, but he fell silent, his head bowed, as if thinking about something.

Then the discussion of the group of students popped into my head.

After a long time, he raised his head and asked in pain.

"Are you working for that person──Voldemort, are you working for Voldemort?"

As if a bomb had been dropped on Tahlia's head, she felt a buzzing in her head, constantly interfering with her thoughts, making her unable to react at all──

How could Sirius know?

How could he know this?

and then?

What should she say?

trick him?But this is a betrayal of their friendship──

tell him?Apparently their friendship would end there too—

He shouldn't know! Tahlia screamed inwardly.

"you……"

Tahlia's hesitant expression had given Sirius the answer.

How could this be possible...how could the Tahlia he'd known work for that man?But her reaction...

"Why?" he murmured.

But Tahlia couldn't answer.

"Sirius, listen to my explanation, okay?" she said weakly.

"What else do you have to explain?" Sirius said aloud. "I saw it with my own eyes just now! You are talking to that student...you—" He turned his head away, and slowly put down his hand holding the wand. "What else do you want to explain? You don't even deny that rumor..."

Tahlia froze for a moment. "What rumor?"

"Oh, you don't know, do you?" Sirius said sarcastically. "Everyone is talking about you, saying that you have won the favor of that person at a young age, and saying that you have already done things for him."

Tahlia was utterly dazed.

So Sirius had heard the rumor - and she couldn't even refute it with a word, because it was true.

She was doing things for that man.

He lowered his head and remained silent.

"I see." Sirius said coldly. "I thought you were different from them, Tahlia." Laughing sarcastically. "I thought your sorting into Slytherin was an accident, but I was wrong." There was a pause. "You're clearly a Slytherin, quite a Slytherin."

After a long silence, Tahlia raised her head slowly and said softly. "Sirius, I thought you'd trust me a little more."

Seeing Tahlia's sad expression, Sirius felt a twinge in his heart, but he still spoke. "I believe I saw it with my own eyes, Tahlia, and I asked you—" There was a pause. "Please tell me it's not true."

He was really looking forward to the next second when Tahlia would smile and tell himself not to believe those rumors, then even if he saw what Tahlia did just now, he would believe what she said, because he knew that Tahlia had never lied to him──

However, the words that followed instantly made him fall to the bottom again, and his heart seemed to freeze.

"I am indeed... working for that person."

Sirius left, disappointed and resentful at the same time.

And Tahlia still stayed where she was, sad of course, but she didn't have any regrets.

Why regret it?

She knew before that everything was her fault, so she should have expected Sirius to react like this now, right?

It's just that you can't accept it in your heart for a while, right?

When she knelt down in front of that man, shouldn't she have thought that her friends would hate her?

"He can't understand." A voice came suddenly.

Tahlia turned her head and saw it was little BartyCrouch.

"I've heard of Black," he continued. "But I can't figure out why he is so repulsive—" He frowned. "Black admires him, doesn't he?"

"Sirius never pursued that," Tahlia said flatly.

Barty looked even more confused. "But he's a Black."

One word from Tahlia made Barty shut up. "But you're a Crouch."

I didn't want to pay attention to him, Tahlia was very irritable now, she turned around and wanted to leave.

"Wait, Ta...Tahlia!" Little Crouch stopped himself.

"Anything else?" Tahlia turned her head and glared at him. "I've already asked you to follow me, what more do you want?"

Little Crouch clenched his fists, his eyes sparkled, and said firmly. "Let me help you! Tahlia! I will never let you down! I also want to replace that—"

"Hush!" Tahlia stopped him immediately, growling. "Do you want to publicize it to everyone?"

Little Crouch stuck out his chest stubbornly. "This is not something that should be covered up!"

Tahlia was annoyed that she was already messed up by Sirius and now she had to stay here talking to such an immature kid.

"If you want me to say it," she said coldly. "If you're so restless, that one won't even take a look."

"why?"

"That's why I said you don't have that ability yet, Barty," Tahlia said. "Come and talk to me after you think it through clearly──" After finishing speaking, he ignored Crouch and left directly.

sneer.

So, I wonder if Rosier is satisfied with it?

It didn't take long for Tahlia to receive a note from her dean who wanted to chat with her. During this time, neither Sirius nor James had a word with her—not even a greeting.

She thought they were completely disappointed in her—especially since they had told themselves that Voldemort was evil from the beginning.

That's fine.

It is enough to bear the consequences of oneself, there is no need to drag them into the water──

This is really good.

really good.

But why does she still have the urge to cry...

Casually wiping away tears that slipped down on her sleeve, she knocked on Slughorn's office door.

When the door opened, Tahlia was surprised that even the principal was sitting in it. Although through the lens, the clear blue eyes were still staring at her sharply, which made her feel that she couldn't hide any secrets for a moment.

"Principal, Dean." She shouted one by one, trying to relax her emotions.

"Ah, yes—" Slughorn responded absently and casually. "Sit, sit... Tahlia." Momo rubbed her fingers in confusion.

Tahlia sat down slowly.

"What did I do?" Tahlia asked first.

Slughorn shook his head. "No no, don't be so nervous—" he said. "You're doing well, Tahlia."

"Then I—"

"Just wanted to ask about your latest rumor—"

"Oh." Tahlia showed a knowing expression. "I'm troubled too, Professor—"

"Am I to understand that that's a myth?" Slughorn asked hopefully.

Tahlia nodded quickly.

"Look, Albus, I told you—" Slughorn turned to Dumbledore, smugness written all over his face. "Tahlia is so good, I told you, it was all a misunderstanding—"

"I know, Horace," Dumbledore said softly. "But I still want to talk to Miss Watson—" He paused and added. "alone."

Slughorn smiled apologetically at Tahlia, spreading his hands. "Of course, of course—you are the principal, of course you have the right to use all the space in the school—" He said, standing up, patting Tahlia on the shoulder as he passed, and leaving the office.

Tahlia and Dumbledore were left in the room.

The silence was extremely embarrassing.

"Tahlia, would you like something to drink?" Dumbledore said with a smile, raising the teacup in his hand. "I think this honey tea tastes particularly good—"

"Okay, thanks." Tahlia nodded.

Taking the teacup that Dumbledore commanded floated in front of her, she took a small sip.

"I think you must be wondering—" Dumbledore began. "Why are the two of us sitting here... chatting?"

Tahlia nodded again.

Dumledore smiled. "As I said last time, you can tell me if you have any troubles."

"I'm not bothered, Headmaster," Tahlia replied, before finding herself denying it too quickly, looking at Dumbledore uneasily.

But he didn't say anything, still smiling.

"Hehehe, it's a good thing not to worry..." he said. "I've always wished I could worry less—it's nice... nice..." A pause. "Seeing that you have adapted well in school, I am relieved."

Tahlia was a little moved, because a headmaster like Dumbledore must have a lot of things to do at ordinary times, and he still cared about himself. "Thank you, Headmaster."

"But I'm still the same old saying, maybe you're tired of hearing it—" said Dumbledore, eyes twinkling. "If you have any troubles—the future, I mean the future, if you have any troubles in the future..." There was a pause. "After all, troubles are part of growing up—you know how to go to the principal's office."

"I..." Tahlia opened her mouth, and after a while, she nodded slowly. "I will, Headmaster—thank you."

Dumbledore nodded too. "Okay, you're probably going to get bored with me, an old man? Go do your own thing—"

Tahlia stood up.

"Ah, maybe I should give you another suggestion, Tahlia—" Dumbledore said again suddenly. "An old saying, I said it last time—" He paused. "Don't do things you'll regret."

Tahlia paused for a moment, then turned around and smiled. "I have no regrets, Headmaster."

"That's good." Dumbledore motioned for Tahlia to leave. "I think we'll meet again later, kid." With a wave of his hand, the office door opened.

"Thank you so much, Headmaster," Tahlia said sincerely, before stepping out of the office.

For some reason, after talking with Dumbledore, she seemed less tense. The old man really had a soothing power, even though she was always tempted to tell him everything, but she held back.

This is the result of self-inflicted──

Dumbledore had no obligation to fix the mess for himself, did he?

She had to live up to Mr. Malfoy's wishes herself, and she would pay the price for the devil once and for all, and she would pay back twice as much for the pain she was suffering now.

She will also protect her friends and brothers──

As long as they can live in peace, she doesn't care about the rest!

She was wrong.

She thought she didn't care.

When Severus Snape glared at her angrily, Tahlia felt like she was about to collapse.