I am honestly so happy that you guys like Sirius/Gemma so much, I'm honored. Really. Thanks to everyone who has ever reviewed!
"I don't understand why I'm getting so dolled up…Sirius is just going to wear trousers and a t-shirt probably."
Gemma told Lily, watching as her best friend started taking the curlers out of her hair and let the brown spirals fall to her shoulders. Lily had suggested just using a spell to do her hair but for some reason her hair never held its shape with magic. So now she was sitting and slowly being tortured by tight hot curlers.
"I told him to look nice so he better be wearing something more than that. Alice didn't say black tie but it's a wedding!"
"It's Sirius Lily; the dressiest he's ever been is when he dressed up like Darcy last Halloween."
"True…he did look handsome though."
"You're telling me. I think I've had way too many fantasies about that since."
Lily laughed, taking out the last curler. "I think he still has the costume."
"Are you suggesting role-play, you tart?"
"I once had James dress up as –"
"Oh God Lily, please, my ears."
"Fine, I won't tell you, but it was fun."
"I'll take your word for it."
Laughing, Lily brushed out her hair a little and then slid in a diamond hair pin. It had been a gift from Sirius she tried to return about a hundred times because it must've cost hundreds of galleons but he just wouldn't accept it. So here she was afraid she'd be mugged on the street for a diamond clover hairpin.
After a light layer of makeup and putting on the rest of her jewelry she stood up to get into her dress. Stepping carefully into it, she pulled it up and let Lily zip it up the back before looking at herself in the mirror. It was deep blue and was fairly low cut but with her lack of chest it looked okay. That, and with her chunky necklace it filled in the gap.
"You look gorgeous."
"Not as pretty as you."
"No…not as pretty as me."
She snorted, picking up the bottom of her dress so she could step into her heels. "Such humility Lily Evans, Potter is rubbing off on you."
"Shall we apparate then?"
"Of course. See you soon."
Smiling at one another, Gemma went to grab her clutch and then apparated after Lily. Thinking of Sirius's bedroom so she could hopefully scare him, she popped out of her room and right into his. Thankfully he wasn't facing her when she arrived and she snuck up slowly behind him and placed a hand on his bare back.
"Holy shit!" He jumped, just like she wanted and she laughed at him. "Gemma, why do you always do that?"
"Because you used to do it to me in school and it's time for my payback."
"If you didn't look so sexy right now I'd be mad."
She smiled as he lowered his head and kissed her, his hands resting on her hips. "I think you should go only in your trousers. I like this look."
"Is that so?" He smiled, kissing her nose once before turning back to grab his shirt. "I'm not so sure Frank would be too happy with me if I looked better than him."
"True…your nudity would overstep their wedding a bit."
"How did you get so tall in the last few hours? I barely have to bend to kiss you."
"Six inch heels, love. They're like magic," she smiled, putting out a foot to show off one of her pumps and he smirked greedily.
"I am so already planning the after party."
"I don't think I want to know."
"Let's just say me, some firewhiskey, and you wearing nothing but those heels."
"Think I have to be drunk to shag you, is that it?"
"Har har Gems. Can you help me with this tie?"
She smiled and redid the knot on the tie, reminding her of when she used to do it in the mornings at school. It had only been five months since graduation but to her it seemed like a lifetime. Though, with having her friends so close still, it hurt less knowing she wouldn't be going back.
Waiting as he got into his suit jacket and asking if he looked alright she just grinned and gave him another kiss. Grabbing his arm and wrapping it around her he automatically did the same with the other and they walked out into the living room. Remus and Peter were talking on the couch and Lily was trying to do something with James' hair even though there was nothing to do.
"We all set?" Sirius asked, everyone standing up to get ready to go.
"Can't believe they're getting married," Remus said, coming over as Sirius ran back to his room to get something.
"I know…seems like yesterday Frank was pulling on Alice's braids in the common room."
"I feel suddenly very old." Peter joked, Sirius coming back and all of them concentrating on the place.
"We're only 18 Peter…we've got at least another seventy or something years." James smiled, disappearing a second later with Lily behind him.
Giving Sirius a wink, they disapparated and then popped up at the home of Alice's parents. It was a large manor of a place, Gemma suddenly feeling very small. She often wondered what Sirius's house looked like but she wouldn't dare bring it up. She knew that part of his life was dead to him and she wasn't going to resurrect it.
"This place is huge." She said, stating the obvious as they walked down the hall led by house elves to the ballroom.
"I know…and I thought I had a big house. You could get lost here."
"Good place to have a quiet wedding then, isn't it?"
He smirked and wrapped an arm around her waist as they entered the grand ballroom. "Yeah, I think it's nice."
"You hate weddings; I can see it in your jaw. This is stressing you out."
"What? No it isn't."
"You're thinking if I'm about to start asking you about when we'll get married and how much you're going to hate it."
"And if I am?"
"Don't worry about it." She hugged him tightly as they stood towards the back. Resting her head on his shoulder she wished she was always this height. "I've never been the marrying type."
"You mean…you don't want to get married?"
"Sirius I –"
"Hello you two!" Gideon Prewett said happily, coming up with a large smile on his freckled face.
"Hey Gid, long time no see."
"Yeah, three whole days Gemma. I don't know how I survive."
"I saved your arse so don't get snarky with me."
"It's true…you've got yourself one hell of a woman, Black."
"I know." He smiled, kissing her temple as she tried not to blush too hard with Gideon standing right there. "You're lucky you got her. I'm stuck with James, Moody, and Longbottom…we make a rag-tag team to say the least."
"Moody just yells at you all the time, doesn't he?"
"Pretty much." The guys smirked at one another, some weird boy language going on. "We'll see you later, alright?"
"Sure, have fun you two."
Sirius steered her over towards the normal group and they went to take their seats. Settling in between Sirius and James, she took a deep breath and her nerves got the better of her. She knew that only those there knew about the wedding but the threat of an attack on a place with so many Order members was never far from her mind.
"It'll be okay love. Relax."
Nodding, she rested her head on his shoulder and waited for the wedding to begin.
"You look amazing Alice!" Gemma smiled later during the reception, Alice standing in her gorgeous white gown. It had purple accents laced into it here and there and Gemma thought she looked like a proper princess.
"Thank you! Oh Merlin, can you believe I'm married? Married!" She absolutely glowed when she spotted her new husband. "Soon enough I'll be popping out babies."
"Don't turn into a housewife too quick there, Alice." Lily smiled, hugging her tightly before she had to walk off and greet other people.
Talking for a while with Lily as Sirius and James were around talking to mates she felt someone tap on her shoulder and turned to see Remus there.
"Want to dance?" He smiled, brushing his hair from his face.
"Of course!" Walking out onto the floor with the other couples, she swayed slowly with her friend and he looked happy.
"That was a nice wedding, wasn't it?"
"It really was. I have my money on James and Lily next."
"I wouldn't dare bet against that."
"Oh no, never bet against me. Sirius should have told you he always loses."
"On purpose."
"What?" She laughed, Remus twirling her once before they swayed again. "He's such a prat."
"He liked making you happy. And if that means giving you twenty galleons, that's what he'll do."
"He is pretty special, isn't he?"
"Don't let him hear that, I'm pretty sure his head is at maximum width."
Rolling her eyes, she hugged her friend close as the song finished. "You need to get yourself a girl Remus. You're just as special as Sirius."
"I'm not the settling down with type Gemma."
"Yes, you are. You are ten times the man as half of the men in here. You would make a girl a wonderful husband someday….your one tiny flaw isn't going to stop someone from loving you."
"Gems—"
"No Remus. I want you to promise me that if you fall in love you take a chance. Now."
"Fine…if I fall in love I'll try."
"Thank you." She grinned and kissed him on the cheek, Sirius walking towards them.
"Trying to steal my lady Moony? I told you she's off limits."
"No no, just having a dance. I'll see you two later."
"Bye Remus."
Watching as he walked away and grabbed Lily for a spin on the dance floor she wondered how much Remus actually liked dancing. Forgetting it as Sirius wrapped his arms around her and began to dance, she sighed contently and welcomed it.
"So, we were having a conversation earlier."
She gulped; remember what she had almost said. "Oh, yeah, I was just saying I wasn't the marrying type."
"Then you said something like 'Sirius I –' and stopped. What were you going to say?"
"Nothing…I think that was going to finish with 'I'm hungry'." She lied, hoping he'd let it go.
"I don't believe you."
"It doesn't matter."
"I think it does."
She suddenly felt a tug at her belly button and then she was in the middle of some lavish hotel room. She always hated side-along apparation but right now she was more confused than anything. The room was huge, a large bed with expensive looking sheets sat to one side and a large bathtub on the other.
"Why are we here?"
"I can't be romantic?"
"You haven't really been before." She said somewhat nervously, wondering what was going on.
Their relationship had been about having fun since the beginning. About being causal, safe, no expectations. And yes, what she almost said was the doomed L-word but she wouldn't do that too him. She felt like that was a nail in the coffin, no more causal after the word: love.
"I guess I haven't. But I was actually kind of worried about that."
"Why?"
"We're casual, right?" She nodded, his words ensuring her that she wouldn't be saying anything tonight.
"Yeah, that's what we agreed on."
"What if we were…I don't know…a little less casual?"
"Oh…what does that mean?"
"We start planning dates."
"And writing love letters?" She laughed, remembering their talk the first time.
"If you want them I'll have Remus write them and I'll sign 'em."
"Dork."
"We have more alone time."
"We shag all the time –"
"No…I mean, like alone time. No James and Lily dinners, just us."
"Where is this all coming from? I thought the girl got clingy at weddings." She teased, watching as he ran his hands through his hair and let out a frustrated sigh.
"I've been thinking about this for months actually. I just…I love us how we are. I won't lie…but I just want more."
"More?"
"Yeah, more. When James finally gives that ring he's hiding in his trunk to Lily and they get married I want you to live with me."
"James has a ring?" She knew that was the wrong part to get excited about but she was honestly shocked.
"Yeah, proposing any day now."
"Oh Sirius!" She jumped up and down, wrapping her arms around him tightly as she had a little celebratory dance in her head.
"I'm so glad you're happy for them."
"What? Oh, no…I want to live with you."
"You do?"
"I'd love to."
He smirked, his fingers on her back and undoing the zipper in true Sirius Black form. "I'm happy you said that."
"I can make dinner all the time. I'll be a proper housewife." She teased, laughing as she stepped out of her dress and he took of his jacket and tie.
"I'll love coming home to that every day."
"I bet you will."
"I'm mad about you Gemma."
She stopped, her hands falling from where she was about to undo her bra. "I –"
"Spit it out! What?"
"I love you."
Sirius stood there, his shirt off by his tie still on and he just looked at her. She felt like her heart had stopped waiting for him to say something. It was awkward enough saying I love you in your underpants and heels but it was even more terrible when he didn't say it back.
"Gemma –"
"Oh God Sirius, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said it." She grabbed her dress from the floor and put it back on as quickly as she could before running out of the room.
If she had been thinking straight she would have just apparated but her muggle brain was kicking in and she ran to the elevator. Pressing the button hastily she rubbed at the tears streaming down her face and got in as soon as it opened. Pounding the 'Lobby' button she tried to calm down as the doors shut but a hand stuck between them to stop them.
"Where the hell do you think you're going? I have your favorite candy and everything back in the room."
Sirius's face was red from running after her, his shirt still missing and he had no shoes on. She loved him and he didn't love her back. Is that something she just got over? Was that something she should have expected?
"Sirius…I really don't feel like –"
He cut her off with a kiss, his hands gripping her head with fingers intertwined in her hair and his lips harsh but passionate against her own. It was probably the most emotional kiss she had ever felt from him, as if he was trying to tell her something with that kiss. It almost made her faint but he kept a good grip on her and led her off the elevator.
"I love you so much Gemma. I'm not saying I ever see myself getting married but…I don't want to ever lose you."
"I don't want to get married."
"As you said before."
"Why didn't you just tell me back in the room that you loved me? Why did you have to be so fucking dramatic?"
"You caught me off guard. I am not a bloke that goes around saying his feelings. That was kind of beaten out of me."
"I hate you sometimes. I love you but God…my heart was breaking."
"I'm sorry, really, Gems, believe me. I was just standing there yelling at myself to say it but once I came back from my high of hearing you say it you were gone."
"So you love me?"
"Yeah…I do."
"And you're going to be all romantic and gooey now?"
"Not really…I might buy you chocolates once in a while and take you out for dinner."
"So basically we're starting a healthy dating relationship."
"Pretty much."
"Even though we're already in love."
"Yeah…got a problem with that?"
"Nope."
"Good…now, back to getting you in nothing but those heels."
"Prat."