Everything to Me

54.

It was 10:30 pm when Juli's voice rang through the boys' dormitory.

"Sirius!"

He groaned and turned the other way.

"PADFOOT!" Juli bellowed. "Why are you sleeping so soon?"

He sat up suddenly and looked around in confusion.

She greeted him by throwing her arms around him as he fell back onto his bed due to her force.

He instantly wrapped his arms around her. "Hey, Juliette." He smiled and rubbed her hair affectionately.

Juli looked around confused. "Where are the others?"

"Planning a surprise." He replied sleepily.

"You should not know that. It's called a surprise for a reason."

Grabbing his wand from the table, he waved it once so that his blanket was now over them both. "Doesn't matter. Shh." He said, closing his eyes and slightly losing his grip on her waist.

"I didn't come here to sleep. I wanted to be with you at midnight." She said, trying to get up, but he pulled her back again.

"You will be. Now let me sleep."

Sighing to herself, she kicked off the blanket and rolled down on the floor, with Sirius' arms around her.

They were now between his and James' bed with him on top of her as he groaned and nuzzled his head into her shoulder. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" He asked, not making an effort to get up.

She bit down a smile and tried to sound stern. "No, I am not hurt. Now get up. We need to do something."

Sirius sighed deeply and lifted his head so that he was face to face with her. Grinning at her, he looked at how they laid on the floor. "You know," he smirked. "If this is the something you're talking about, then I don't really mind."

He expected her to get flushed like everytime but instead felt her body stiffen underneath him.

Her face tensed as she tried to move him away and thankfully, he was happy to oblige. She sat on his bed and tried to calm her breathing down.

"Hey." Sirius said, sitting next to her and putting a hand on her shoulder. "I would never touch you without your permission. And I won't let anyone either. I promise."

Juli nodded as she drew a shaky breath and moved towards him. He allowed her to bury herself in his chest and she felt his arms wrap around her again. He pressed his lips to her hair, silently planning to make Mulciber and Macnair pay.

For the next few minutes, she didn't try moving away and he didn't disturb her. He kept running his hands up and and down her back reassuringly.

Whenever with him, she felt at peace and safe. She knew he would never do anything wrong to her and protect her at all costs. Every part of her knew that she would do the same for him without missing a single beat.

Just when her eyes began getting droopy, the door flew open and she jerked up at Peters' voice.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PADFOOT!"

Smiling at him, she kissed him gently and whispered, "Happy birthday, Sirius."

"Thanks, Love."

She slowly pulled away and turned around on his bed while Sirius stood behind her, his hand still on her shoulder protectively. "Thank you, Pete."

He was followed by James, Remus and Allison, too, for some reason. A chorus of happy birthday-s and thank you-s filled the room.

Juli saw Sirius standing behind her, grinning handsomely. She nodded at him and silently asked him to go forward to meet the others.

He placed a quick kiss to her temple and went towards his friends. Juli awkwardly looked away when Lily gave him a bear hug and kissed his cheek.

"We should cut the cake before Moony gets impatient." James said, thumping Sirius on the back.

"And by Moony," Remus said coolly. "He meant Marlene."

"Hey! What did I do?" She hit his head playfully, trying not to laugh.

"Except for eyeing the cake, Marls, nothing." He answered.

"How can you even see - "

"Time for cake!" Lily exclaimed before Remus and Marlene could argue.

Juli noticed how Lily tried to stay away from Allison and Allison didn't try to talk to her either. James, being him, stayed oblivious to this situation. She hoped that this was a trait he didn't pass on to his child.

"Dear Sirius," James started once the cake was cut. "I cannot believe you're 17."

A bottle of butterbeer in everyone's hand, they sat in a circle on the floor with Allison between James' legs and Remus sitting against his bed.

"My eyes are filled with happy tears," He paused to wiped his eyes for effect. "When I think about how much you have grown. I have seen you age throughout these many years - "

"We met when we were 11."

"These many years," He continued as if no one had interrupted him. "And all this time, you have been such a paw-sitive person. You've always helped me by encouraging me even in the most Sirius of situations. You've stood by me when times have become ruff. I wonder howl I ever live without you, my dearest - "

"One more pun and I swear..."

"Howl I ever live without you, my dearest Padfoot. Happy birthday, mate."

The girls except Juli looked around the room confused while everyone else was in a fit of giggles.

Their laughing was interrupted when they heard a tapping on the window.

"Anyway," Juli said, standing up. "Now time for presents."

She walked over to the window and saw her family owl with a present tied to its leg. She collected the package and whispered a thank you before closing the window again.

"This is the one we wanted to give to you first." She smiled, handing it to Sirius.

It was a rectangular box wrapped neatly and a letter which had his name in a messy scrawl.

He excitedly tore open the wrapper and found a black, leather watch inside the box. His eyes glistened with tears as he realized what this meant and looked at James and Juli gratefully.

"It's tradition, isn't it?" Juli said, tucking a strand of his hair behind his ear.

Sirius then unrolled the parchment which had come with the package.

"Dear Son,
We remember like it was yesterday that you came to our house and caught a cold after being drenched in the snow."

Sirius laughed at that memory.

"You need to remember that time waits for no one and to use it the best. We hope this helps you do that.
You have become an excellent young man and the perfect son we could ever hope for.
Happy 17th, Son.
Love,
Fleamont and Euphemia."

With his eyes widened, Sirius looked around.

"What's the matter, mate? Is something wrong?" James moved forward and asked worriedly.

Sirius engulfed him into a hug and smiled. "Nothing can be wrong when I have you all."