"Hold onto something. This is going to be wicked!" Sirius shouts in his stupidly cute New England accent.
Me? I would rather be anywhere else than a roller coaster right now. Like in a library or planning a prank. Just something better than hurtling toward the ground in a metal ride hoping upon hope that the architects knew what they were doing.
But Sirius was all "Remus come on, we've got to go out sometime. You know, get away from this boring old house!" and "I'm utterly dying in here! Nothing to do. Not even people to pull pranks on!". To give Sirius credit, we had been rooming together in the middle of nowhere down in West Virginia near my old house all summer. There really isn't much to do in West Virginia besides hiking. We, don't really do hiking. So I'd finally caved and we'd driven hours just to go to some stupid amusement park.
Thankfully, the ride didn't smash into the ground. We got off and headed towards the food area. The barrage of greasy smells and annoying tourists hit me as we draw ever nearer. Suddenly it's too much for me to handle. Too many neon colors and kids shouting. I get a little dizzy and struggle to keep upright. Sirius is taken by surprise when I grab his arm and lead him to one of the few open spaces in the park. We reach a bench and I practically collapse. My lungs heave as I start taking some very deep breaths.
Sirius gives me a funny look. "What was that all about? I'm starving!" I shift uncomfortably on the hard wood. Leo looks at me again, this time with more concern. "Hey, Rem, you ok?" he leans forward, brushing my disheveled tawny brown hair out of my eyes. I glance up at him under my eyelashes. From this angle, his normally aristocratic features have a softer look to them. The strong jawline and high cheekbones seem less sharp than usual. Everything is toned down. Well, except for his slate grey eyes. They bore into mine with an intensity that could only be reserved for the people he cares about the most. The thought warms my furiously beating heart just a little.
I realize I've been staring at him for a little too long. "Oh um, well you know…" I give Leo a sheepish smirk. I've told him about my heightened senses before.
"Yeah, I know. Hey, don't worry about it. Amusement parks can make anyone feel overwhelmed."
I'm just about to reply when, BANG! Some kid walks straight into a metal pole. We look at each other and can barely contain ourselves. I start sniggering, trying to be discreet, while Sirius barks like a dog in laughter. His laugh only makes me start laughing more until we're full-on dying.
The kid's mom shoots us dirty looks as we hurriedly walk past trying to stifle our laughter.
"That. Was. Great." Sirius says in between fits of laughter.
"I know! And the thing is that totally could've been one of us. You know, too busy looking at everything around you that you don't notice where you're walking. And, before you know it, bang! Straight into the pole!" I act out the kid's antics much to the delight of Sirius who clutches his belly in pain.
He starts to calm down, but then launches into one of his trademark grins. "Wait, wait, Rem. Would we really have gone straight into anything though?" He wiggles his eyebrows utilizing the charm his family is so well-known for.
I smirk again. "Hm, I guess not." My eyes wander to his sleek, shoulder-length waves that glisten in the mid-day sun. I've always envied his hair. Suddenly, my bland brown hair seems inadequate next to his. My hand starts moving of its own accord as it brushes a stray curl away from his face. It bears a striking resemblance to what Sirius had done to me just minutes before. I give him a shy smile when I notice he leans, ever so slightly, into my touch.
"C'mon Rem, let's go." Leo stands up straight and my hand falls away. His face twists into a smirk, "I think we should go to that one ride with three loops!"
"Oh god, no," I say even though my hand grabs his outstretched one and we set off to find the abominable rollercoaster. Sirius looks back at me with such utter joy that I can't help but crack a smile. I try not to look too stupid as I get led through the crowd to my certain death. Somehow though, I don't mind.
