(A/N this is a repost! I thought of a better plotline and genre, so I'm re-posting this so I can change the description and whatever. It's still Sirius Black romance, though! Okaay enjoy thanks for reading)
The last few lingering days of summer before returning to Hogwarts were always the worst; you were constantly hit head-on with the realization that soon you'd be back to the ancient hallways, falling asleep in Potions and accidentally breaking things in Charms. And then there was the concept of homework; stacks and stacks of parchment to be filled out with just a tiny quill every night until you eventually just give up and stop caring. Personally, as a muggle-born, I most definitely preferred the basic ballpoint pen to the annoying, inconvenient quill. But writing preferences aside, the summers always came and went fleetingly.
Yet again another humid summer had flown by, and quite unfortunately I would be back to studying in no time flat; this time, though, I'd be a sixth year.
I rolled onto my back lazily as sun protruded from my best friend's open window, my eyes blinking to register the final day of freedom before I'd be back on the Hogwarts Express. Every summer I came and stayed with Lily Evans, my absolute closest friend, from the beginning of August to the very last day of summer. It'd been a tradition since our second year, and neither of us planned to stop.
I breathed in sharply, my nostrils salvaging a scent of cooking bacon and eggs. I smiled groggily, excited for what I would be no doubt consuming in a matter of minutes. All that had to be done was have Lily coax me out of bed, and I'd be on my way downstairs.
"My god, Scarlett, you're still asleep? You haven't even packed yet for tomorrow, and you have lots to pack. Oh god, do you have your books? Your robes?"
I grunted in response. I didn't know the answer to the question, so it was best not to provoke meaningless worry by telling the truth. "Alright, mom," I said sarcastically. "I'll be up in a second." I swung my legs over the side of the disheveled bedspread and stretched my legs under the path of the sun's rays. I grabbed my crooked wand from the bedside table Lily and I both shared and used it as a back scratcher, but mostly just to irritate Lily.
"Are you trying to get us in trouble? Get up. And put that down."
"Alright, alright. Excited to start school again? Perchance, to see James?" I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively, and Lily smacked me, just hard enough for me to know she was kidding, but that she was insecure about the topic.
"You already know how I feel about James. He's an arrogant t-"
"Yup. I've heard this probably, like, twenty times before. All I'm saying is that James has got the hots for you, and I can tell you like him too. You're just too mature for him."
James Potter was undoubtedly, undeniably in love with Lily, and had been ever since I could remember. The kid was an asshole, I had to admit, but he was a nice guy when you got to know him. I was good friends with the Marauders enough to know this much. The lot of them always got on my nerves, but they were hilarious and knew exactly how to make getting into trouble fun.
"C'mon, get dressed so we can eat."
I nodded and reached for my wand hastily, before Lily slapped my hand and reminded me for the umpteenth time that week that "there was no magic allowed, not even for simple spells. Are you trying to get us expelled?" She wouldn't listen when I said it would only be me getting expelled, not her, and how it would be slightly ridiculous to get expelled just for using magic to bring something over to you. Something innocent like clothing.
"Just get dressed and pretend you're a muggle."
"God, that's a thought," I snickered, and she rolled her eyes before leaving the room. I changed into a gray dress that just grazed above my knees underneath a woolen sweater, and yanked a brush through my matted brown hair. Eventually, I wound up completely surrendering to the knots that just would not diminish, no matter how hard I tried.
Following the inviting scent of breakfast downstairs, I was met with a gleeful discovery; not only was there bacon, but also stacks of blueberry-ridden pancakes. I smiled gratefully at Mrs. Evans, who was just leaving the room, and joined Lily at the table.
"Have you written to your family yet?" Lily asked over a glass of orange juice. I shrugged, knowing full well the answer was no. "Not yet. I will once I get to Hogwarts. My owl can take it to them."
My beloved owl, Pamela, was my prized possession; her gray spotted feathers could fan out and accomplish me anything. She'd never once failed to deliver a letter or package, and more importantly, she was my best friend. My non-human one, of course. As I helped myself to another pancake, Lily's eyes widened, gaze affixed somewhere over my shoulder.
"Christ almighty, JAMES!"
I turned excitedly over my shoulder to see what the commotion was, and I found myself looking at four teenage boys, suspended in mid-air on their broomsticks, waving at us furiously through the kitchen window. I couldn't help myself; a laugh expelled from my lips, and Lily had trouble hiding her amusement as well. It was a facade she had, pretending that she wasn't happy to see James. Anyone who knew Lily knew she was never disappointed to see the Marauder.
"Hi, boys," I singsonged, biting into a forkful of pancake. "If you came here to get our breakfast, you can get lost. It's all ours."
"Ah, man. The plan's foiled," Sirius laughed, offering me a mischievous grin. I cocked an eyebrow teasingly and turned, facing Lily once more. "You boys need to get down! This is a muggle town! Everyone can see you! Get inside!" She was caught up in her angry ranting, but I caught onto her plan I knew she had concocted seconds before. She was inviting them in; there was no doubt she hadn't done it on purpose.
"Alright then," James said before darting inside on his broom at maximum speed, the wind aggressively whipping through his hair and lurching him forward. The three boys followed close behind at similar speeds, but didn't crash into the refrigerator like James currently was in the midst of doing. The door swung open with a startling clatter, letting out a blast of icy air, and James collapsed from his wobbling broom to the tiled kitchen floor. All I could do was laugh as he winced in pain along with Sirius, who was doubled over with hysteria. Lily stared, face blank, her hands firmly grasped on her hips as she shot visual daggers to her pursuer.
"My knee hurts, babe. Wanna kiss it to make it better?"
"That is revolting, Potter, positively revolting. Get your little crony, Remus, to kiss it."
We all turned to Remus, who was trying desperately to stay balanced on his teetering method of transportation. He glanced up, realizing all the attention was on him, and Sirius shook his head. "Bloke's not affectionate enough. I think Scarlett had better do it. Go on, now."
"'Scuse me? The only kissing anyone here will be doing will be you, on my ass."
A chorus of "oooh"'s resounded amongst the five of us, and I flashed him a triumphant beam. "Anything you'd like to kiss, Miss Scarlett Avery?" He winked, and I made a gagging expression, which only fueled his teasing.
"No, not at the moment, thank you."
"That's an awfully modest dress you're wearin', Red. I bet you're not wearing underwear underneath."
I laughed dryly. "That's for me to know, and you to never find out. Don't be crude, you chauvinistic pig."
"I'm not chauvinistic. I'm just wondering about your choice of undergarments."
"Right. And what'd you call me? Red?"
"Yep. Get it? Cause your name's Scarlett? And Scarlett means red?"
I crossed my arms disapprovingly. "I'm named after the more sophisticated color. Don't call me Red, or there's going to be lots of it when I decapitate you."
"Clever, Red." He winked, and I smacked him hard on the forehead.
Sirius and I hadn't always bantered like this. Truthfully, we never really spoke until our fifth year, and even then it was awkward. It wasn't until the Christmas break when the both of us were the only ones not visiting home, and neither of us had anybody to talk to besides each other. That was when he started to joke with me and bother me lightheartedly. I never minded; I always reciprocated the playful back-and-forth that always ensued between the two of us. I liked him a lot as a good friend, and we got along just fine when we weren't arguing.
Lily sat back in her chair, an amused look still lingering on her symmetrical face. "Are you boys all packed for tomorrow? What are you doing, coming 'round here?"
"Oh, don't you worry. We're all set and ready to go. We just dropped by to see you and your sidekick."
"Hey! I am n-"
"She's not," Sirius interjected, and I felt my face flush with pleasure. I hated being compared to Lily or considered her sidekick- I had put up with far too much abuse being in the sidelines. For him to jump to my side was much appreciated. Turning to me, he extended his hand. "Wanna go for a ride?"
I nodded, feeling stuffy in the warm confines of the Evans house, eager to feel some fresh air on my skin. I grabbed my broom, which lay against the wall next to the refrigerator. I mounted it, and soon I was hovering midair, only being supported by a small stick of wood. "Let's go."
Out the window we departed, flying closely next to each other and talking casually while avoiding muggles. The fading summer heat was interrupted every so often by a cool breeze, and we weaved our brooms to go through each passing tree, both of us in an unspoken race to nowhere. "So how's your family?"
I was caught off-guard by Sirius' serious question (pun not intended), since most of the time he talked he was making a sexual innuendo, teasing me, or both. I wasn't exactly thrilled to be talking about my parents, and as I dipped far enough down to feel tiny blades of grass against the bottoms of my feet, he followed me. It wasn't that I didn't like my family, it was moreso that they didn't agree with my witchery.
They were convinced I was magical through the devil's work, whatever that meant, and that I just needed to go to a lot of Sunday mass to be cured. Naturally, I wouldn't comply. We weren't exactly on good terms- right before I had left for Lily's house, we had an enormous argument that left me in hysterics.
"Uh, they're fine. Kinda psychotic is all."
"Hm. I understand the whole crazy relatives thing. I have a few of my own. Sometimes I think they're gonna kill me."
I giggled half-heartedly, and focused on keeping low to the ground as I flew. I had to admit, I was a pretty good flyer. It was completely unfair I was rejected from the Quidditch team for some smelly boy who wasn't half as good as I was. Just another bout of rampant sexism.
"Let's hang out," said Sirius abruptly, and we dropped to the ground beneath us, where there was conveniently a grassy clearing surrounded by trees. Sirius took a seat next to me, and I stretched out my legs in front of me, sighing deeply. This was my last sense of freedom. This was the last time I'd inhale fresh summer air, the last time I wouldn't have the daunting task of homework. I rested my head against a tree, and I was surprised to feel a clammy hand close around mine. I looked up confusedly, and Sirius looked at me with an expression I could not decode. I looked down at our interlocked hands and back up at his expectant face.
"Uh... Sirius? What are you doing?"
"I'm holding your hand. What does it look like I'm doing?"
"Ah." Awkwardly I pulled my hand away and wiped the excess sweat on the skirt of my dress. Sirius laughed awkwardly, and I drew my knees to my chest. "Uh, why, exactly?"
"'Cause I like you. And I kinda wanna do this."
Suddenly I felt his lips touch mine, fast and clumsy, and for a fraction of a second I felt my lips kiss his gently back. Instantly afterwards, I pulled away, his hot skin touching mine in the process, a bee buzzing irritatingly in my ear. His spit was on my mouth, and I cringed in disgust. His wide eyes were ridden with guilt and rejection. I brought myself to my feet, brushing my skirt out compulsively. He remained sitting.
"Sirius? I like you and all, but we don't know each other well enough. I'm sorry."
"It's because you like Lupin, isn't it? God damn it-"
"It's not that, okay? I- I just am not interested. Thank you for the kiss, but we just aren't on those terms yet. I'm sorry."
He ran his fingers through the grass and I could see tears escaping the corners of his eyes; I felt terribly guilty, but I didn't know what else I was supposed to do. I barely knew the kid. He was a friend, and a very good one at that, but I didn't know how I felt about him at all. The kiss was so unexpected and sloppy, I simply couldn't accept his wordless invite to become his girlfriend. I grabbed my broom and stepped onto it, hurrying home before he could catch up with me.
"He just grabbed you? And just planted one on you?"
I nodded, tossing an unfolded robe into my opened suitcase. "He thought I rejected him because I like Remus. I barely speak to Remus. God, he started to cry. I felt awful."
Lily shook her head so that a few strands of red fell into her eyes "That's so weird. I wonder how long he had a crush on you. You think he liked you last year?"
I shrugged. "Maybe. Now that I think about it, our interactions could be misconstrued as flirtation. I hope this whole thing doesn't mess up our friendship or anything, or, like, ruin his self esteem. I wouldn't want to poor kid to feel like shit about himself."
"Who knows? Maybe you'll end up liking him."
"Doubt it. He's just a good friend of mine," I countered, zipping my suitcase shut and exhaustedly dragging the whole thing next to my bed. Satisfied, I plopped down on top of it and crossed my legs. "Besides, I'm not even really interested in dating anyone yet. Maybe in a few months or something, but not now, when I have to start focusing on not failing."
"Yeah, well, all I'm saying is you and Sirius seemed to strike each other's fancies. So you might as well just go for it."
"Funny. But no." I stood and laid down on the bed, closing my eyes and taking in the darkness. I sighed peacefully, and then instantly caught up in a strain of worry. Worry that I wouldn't be able to take my mind off of the incident, worry that Sirius would be upset, or worse, angry. I knew it was irrational, but with a mind like mine, it was impossible not to excessively think about the negatives. "Now, I don't know about you, but I'm going to sleep. It is the eve of the first day back at Hogwarts, after all."
The train ride was uneventful; there were no dramatic screaming matches, no tears or friends consoling friends. There was only Lily and I, feasting on a never ending, superfluous stash of candy, and gossiping about the other students. On one occasion James visited, and besides an odd glance in my direction, all seemed at ease.
At the celebratory welcome dinner, I downed my pumpkin juice and laughed with my fellow Gryffindor friends, constantly glancing towards Sirius to see if he was looking at me from across the table. As I bit into some sort of chicken, I peered again towards Sirius, but this time he was looking back, and our gazes locked.
And then the unthinkable happened. He smiled politely, not in the sort of way that a boy you'd just rejected would smile. And then he topped off the whole mess with a wave, and he dug back into his mashed potatoes and gravy without so much as a playful wink.
"What on earth was that?" I whispered at Lily, who was far too invested in a conversation with some Hufflepuff who had come over to greet her.
"What was what?"
"Sirius waved at me like nothing happened. He just waved! He didn't do anything else, he just smiled."
"That's good, isn't it? You two are on good terms, nothing is awkward. It's like nothing happened."
"I guess," I said softly. Whatever it was that had just occurred, I couldn't shake the sinking feeling that it caused within my chest. Did I want him to be upset? Did I want him to continue pursuing me like James did to Lily? That would be stupid. There was no reason to feel upset; it was all well and good. I sighed, giving up on dwelling over him, and dropped my fork. I was finished eating and ready to go to bed.
"Lily? I'm going to sleep," I whispered, standing and pushing my chair in. I waved tiredly at Nearly Headless Nick and trudged to the Gryffindor commons room, where I lingered in for a few moments before heading to my bed. There I decided to write my parents a letter, once and for all. I affectionately rubbed Pamela's head, gave her a gentle kiss to finish it off, and started my letter.
Dear mom and dad,
I paused. It wasn't formal enough, especially for my parents who were convinced I was the work of Satan or something. I erased the introduction and started again.
Dear mother and father,
I am doing fine at the moment in Hogwarts. I just got here, it's my first day. I'm excited. I have some good friends, which is good. I am not a satan worshiper. Send me either muggle makeup or chocolates for my birthday next month.
From, Scarlett
I folded the note into a tiny square and handed it to Pamela, who took it graciously and dipped out the window straight away. I laid down, eyes burning from a long day of transitioning, and fell asleep in a matter of minutes.
(A/n SOOO this is my first Harry Potter fanfiction I've ever written, so I'd appreciate some feedback! I'm really excited about writing this, so I hope you guys liked it and since I'm a little rusty on my HP knowledge, I hope I didn't get anything too wrong. Okay, thanks for readingggg)
