ink - sirius black

races and boarding schools

February 16, 1977
11:49 am
New York City

Anneliese and Sirius lost track of how long they walked along the hazy streets, only knowing that the echo of the sun against the thick, steely clouds was getting higher and higher with every conversation.

Both of them wanted for things to stay this way forever, because everything was much more simple when all either of them had to worry about was how to make the other laugh the loudest.

It was easy to let the world melt away into a blur of lantern like street lamps glowing like fireflies, puddles on concrete that held watery reflections of the city around them, and the crinkling brown bags in their hands that still carried the scent of the peach pastries even hours after they had been consumed.

As a practice he found highly amusing, Sirius made an effort to splash his feet into the puddles resting before them with the most extreme motions possible, splashing Anneliese in water to the point where she just gave up on being dry.

Secretly, he just liked seeing the way the droplets landed on her blonde eyelashes and reflected against the street lights in a way that made them appear shimmering and golden.

Their hands were entwined and swinging back and forth, one tan and tattooed while the other was pale and smooth.

There was a subject that both of them were dancing in delicate circles around the longer that they walked, and that was the looming question of Anneliese's return to Hogwarts.

"Sooo," Sirius said with his eyes straight ahead, dragging the one syllable on as they passed through a park. "What are you thinking about school?"

"What about school?" Callaway asked in a bit of a higher voice than normal, a shot of panic going through her as she knew exactly what Black meant.

"I have to be back at Hogwarts by noon today when Dumbledore leaves," Sirius said, checking his watch. "And that just so happens to be in- shit, that's in eleven minutes."

Anneliese's dark blue eyes widened in shock, but Black wasn't surprised at all at the large amount of time passed as they had walked through the city.

He had been subtly checking his wrist the entire time ever since they left the bakery, making sure that he was going to run down his departure to the very last second.

And therefore, her decision.

Sirius felt slightly guilty about manipulating Anneliese and the situation around her, but he was willing to do that if it's what it took to get her to come back with him.

"That's all?" she whispered faintly, grip on his hand tightening. "Amazin."

"What do you think?" Sirius pushed.

"I think that I'm thinkin," Callaway said back sharply, the stress starting to hit hard.

She had to make a decision that could, no, would, change her entire life in a matter of minutes.

Anneliese knew that wherever she did choose, her and Sirius wouldn't lose contact and never write another letter to each other again.

So it was really just about the schools.

Ilvermorny had been the first thing that she found closest to a home, and nothing was going to change that for Callaway for the rest of her life. That was the castle on the shore where she had found shelter from her horrible life at the orphanage, there was no denying that.

But then after five years in America, Hogwarts had been an opportunity to experience new things in a new place, and it had most certainly provided that.