so in love with you // sirius black

chapter 47

   The second task passed with less excitement than the first, though that's not saying much considering the level of excitement from the first task. Christmas had also passed, I spent most of the day alone, but Harry, Ron, and Hermione popped in for tea in the afternoon. I found myself missing Sirius more and more every day, sometimes I contemplated going to find him, and living together, away from everything. But I couldn't leave Harry behind.

  It had been about a week since I had last written to Sirius so it was no surprise when a large tawny owl came soaring into the window of my kitchen. The owl dropped the letter right in front of me and then flew back out the window.

  I quickly unfolded the letter, expecting a page full of writing. But I was surprised when I found only a sentence.

I'm coming back

   I stared down at the words. He probably sent the letter a day or two ago meaning he was already on his way. The owl that had delivered it left, no other owl would know where to find him. He had made it impossible for me to stop him.

  I couldn't lie there was a small, selfish part of me that was so excited. The part that would do anything to be back in his arms. But the rest of me screamed that he shouldn't be back, not yet, it was too risky.

  I wonder if Harry knew yet.

  My thoughts were interrupted by a knocking at my door.

I strode across the kitchen and pulled the door open to reveal Harry standing on the top of the steps, a letter similar to mine clutched in his hands.

  "Harry it's almost 10, you can't be here right now. If McGonagall finds you missing you'll have detention for weeks!"

  "Ron's covering for me" He pushed past me and sat down at the kitchen table.

  "I'm assuming you heard from Sirius?" I asked nodding towards the letter in his hand. I had already given up on getting him back to school, I could explain it to McGonagall in the morning.

  "Yeah I did"

  "I told him my scar hurt! I didn't think he was going to come back because of that." Harry sounded rather angry.

  "Wait. Your scars been hurting?" The thought filled me with worry. "Like how it did when you saw the Dark Mark at the World Cup?"

  "Yeah but-"

  "Harry I'm not saying Sirius should be coming back, but if you told me that I'd probably come rushing back too."

  "Great. So if he gets caught it will be my fault."

  "No of course not Harry. You didn't know this was how he would react." I felt terrible for the boy. He was just like his father, everyone else before him, even if Harry was dying he would put another well being before his.

  "I'm sorry I shouldn't have shown up here like this, it was stupid."

  "Harry it's fine."

  "No, it's not, I should get back to the castle."

  "Hey, do you maybe want to crash on the couch? I don't really think you should be walking back to the castle right now." Harry looked quite relieved and instantly accepted, I think he was asleep before I even got into my bedroom.

•••

Three days since Sirius's letter. He had to be close now. He might even be in Hogsmeade already.

With Harry's scar hurting, and Sirius's arrival I hadn't been able to focus on work at all.

I tried my best to go on with the day as normal, and I'm sure Harry was up at the castle trying to achieve the same thing.

And it turned out to be a normal day, but not a normal night.

I was sitting at my kitchen table eating a bowl of soup when someone swung the door open. I immediately drew my wand, pointing it towards whoever had pushed the door open. A familiar figure stepped out, tall, dark hair, and ragged clothes.

"It's just me." At Sirius's words, I dropped my wand and practically threw myself at him. That selfish excited part of me taking over.

His arms went around my waist as if it was an instinct, we stood there wrapped in each other's arms, I had missed him so much.

And then I remembered that I was supposed to be angry at him. I pushed away from his arms, even though I really didn't want to.

"You shouldn't be here. You're putting yourself in danger for no good reason."

"But-" Sirius looked dumbfounded, this is definitely not the reaction he was expecting.

"Sirius I'm happy to see you I really am, I just-"

"Maude. I had to come back eventually. I'm worried about Harry and I missed you."

"I know. I just don't want you to get taken away again." My anger was fading, turning into sadness. Why did this have to be so complicated?

Sirius seems to sense my change in mood and pulled me into another hug. He bent down for a kiss but I pushed him away, laughing lightly.

"I'm not kissing you until you brush your teeth" I pulled him into the bathroom and dug around for a spare toothbrush.

Sirius made a big show of brushing his teeth, I just watched him laughing. When he was done he grabbed me by the hips and pulled me against him.

"I missed you" He murmured pressing a soft kiss to my lips. I knew we had important things to talk about, but this felt good, it felt right.

I kissed him harder and he wrapped his arms around me lifting me up and setting me on the sink. He pushed his body between my legs.

"Hi," I said grinning at him.

He just laughed and then his eyes landed on my necklace, the one he had given me all those years ago the one I had never taken off, my engagement ring hanging near the original pendant. He reached up and touched it gently, and soft smile spreading across his face.

"God I love you" He murmured, lips brushing against mine as he spoke.

"I love you more."