The Wizarding Act of 1978
Chapter Two - The Conversation
Sirius broke off the kiss after a few intense moments and not a small amount of catcalls. James stared, open-mouthed, at his best mate and his little sister.
"So," she said as she directed her attention to Flint once more, "please do us all a favor and sod off. I would like to spend some time with my f-fiancée." If anyone noticed her stutter over the word they were kind enough to not mention it.
"Bugger," Flint shouted as he kicked a table. He was promptly escorted out of the pub.
"Walk with me?" Sirius asked Jane as he held a hand out to her.
She nodded slowly and stood pulling on her jacket. She looked over to James, who nodded slightly, then accepted Sirius' outstretched hand.
"Sorry about that," he said immediately when they got outside. "I mean, I know I wouldn't be the bloke you would pick but I couldn't let anything happen to you, Jane. Not when it was in my power to prevent it."
He sounded as if he were almost pleading with her to understand. He sounded like he was afraid she was going to haul off and slug him for having the audacity to save her from a fate worse than death. She looked up at him, his face looking straight ahead but laced with nerves and anxiety. She tugged on his hand for him to stop. When he did, his eyes met hers hesitantly. "You're an extraordinary man, Sirius Black. Do you even realize what you've done? You've just given up your happy-go-lucky life of a free man and saddled yourself with me. 'Til death we do part. I can't … you idiot …" she said as tears fell down her rosy cheeks. "You bloody marvelous idiot. Why would you do that?"
"Because, Jane," Sirius replied a little uneasily. "You mean the world to me. Sure, we weren't exactly in love when I proposed … but we could be some day."
Jane directed her eyes to the ground in order to focus them. Tears were still blurring her vision. She looked up and two droplets cascaded down her cheeks. When she opened her mouth to respond her voice died in her throat as Sirius Black, known womanizer and ladies man, caressed the tears from her cheeks. "You don't have to worry about me not being true to you either, Jane," he continued. "From the moment I bought that ring I was yours and yours alone. I won't so much as look at another girl if you don't want me to. I will mean my vows when I say them. And I will honor them until the day I die. You and me, Janie, right?"
She took a deep breath and tried to come up with a response that would fit his beautiful promise. Not thinking of any soon enough to suit her, she slowly brought her hands to the back of his neck and pulled him down for a sweet kiss. "I may not be in love with you right now, Sirius Black, but if you keep acting like this it won't take me long to fall," she whispered.
"We can work on that together, yeah?" he asked. "Because I will do everything I can to love you like you deserve to be loved."
"Don't force yourself, Siri," she told him with a laugh. "If we're meant to have that kind of love we will. If not, I promise I'll let you go as soon as the law is rescinded."
"What if it never is?"
"Then we have to think about whether or not you're willing to shag me to make sure someone in the Black line lives on, as we both know no one will ever shag your brother," she joked.
Sirius, however, didn't laugh. "Jane, I want you to listen to me. I am not put out about marrying you. As soon as I read the title of the article I thought of you and the sleezeballs that would try to get their hands on you. I couldn't let it happen. And it wasn't just my noble Gryffindor nature coming through. I think somewhere in my mind I wanted to do this. For both of us. Because I think we could be good together, me and you."
Jane stared at him, not quite believing the words coming from his mouth. Sirius Black had just claimed that he wanted to marry her … and not out of some crazy Gryffindor nobility. She opened and shut her mouth a couple of times before simply shaking her head and taking her hand. "If you're not careful I'm going to fall in love with you, Siri," she said softly.
"Would it be bad if I said I am kind of hoping that happens?"
"Ask me again in a couple of days," she responded slowly. "After I've gotten over the fact that you've actually asked me to marry you."
"You never said yes," he said cheekily. "Bloke could get discouraged over something like that."
"I don't recall you asking me a question," she replied haughtily. "I remember a demand, a ring and a prat coming in trying to ruin the only proposal I'll ever get."
Sirius' face took on another solemn and serious expression. He stared into her eyes for a moment before getting down on one knee in front of her. "Jane, it may not be love right now, but I do have a deep affection for you. I may never have shown it but, truly, who would have the courage to tell James Potter that they fancy his baby sister? I know I never did but I should have. Then maybe it would be easier for you right now. I …" he paused before taking a deep breath and continuing, "I think you and I will be great together as friends, lovers, man and wife. You're a truly spectacular person, a wonderful woman, and you're the only one I thought of when I read the paper. Please, Jane Olivia Potter, will you agree to marry me?"
Jane couldn't believe that Sirius Black was on one knee in front of her for the second time that afternoon. Hell, the second time in one hour. Without her mind even telling it to, Jane replied with a simple, "Yes, I will."
Sirius smiled and popped up, placing a light kiss on her lips. He thought he could certainly get used to that part of their relationship.
"So," she said as she linked her left hand in his right, "you wrote to the Ministry and said we would be there tonight to seal the engagement. How do you intend on making that happen?"
"Easy enough, love," Sirius replied. "Headmaster Dumbledore knows about the law. He has to. So, we simply tell him and Professor McGonagall that we've gotten engaged and they have to let us go to London. Granted one of them will probably go with us, but that doesn't really matter, does it?" he asked.
"Not at all," Jane smiled. She was about to speak again when Remus Lupin ran up to them in the middle of the street.
"Jane, you need to hide," he said immediately, almost as out of breath as Sirius was when he first encountered them in the Three Broomsticks. "There's been a new law passed that states all pureblood witches of Hogwarts age must be betrothed to a pureblood wizard of any age within a month and the witch cannot deny her first suitor."
"Yes, Remus, we …" Jane started.
"And I know when I was leaving the Potions room I heard Flint saying he was coming after you. That you'd be a good servant for their Dark Lord. You've got to get out of here!"
"Moony …"
"Go! What in the name of Merlin are you waiting for?" Remus asked harshly.
Sirius then raised up his right hand, which was linked with Jane's left.
"Someone's gotten you already?!" Remus cried out. "Merlin's beard, he was fast. Who was it? We can bring him to the Shack on the next full moon and get you out of it right quick," he rambled as he missed the fact that their hands were linked.
"He'll already be there," Sirius replied.
It was then that Remus paused and noticed the hands linked and the slight smiles on the faces of one of his best friends and one of his other's little sister. He furrowed a brow as his eyes darted between the hands, to Sirius, to the hands, to Jane several times over. "Wait."
"Uh oh. Looks like Moony's caught the page now …"
"You mean …?"
"Remus," Jane said. "Really …"
"You two are engaged? How did that happen?" he asked.
"Want the rundown of the first time or the second?" Jane asked wryly. At Remus' confused look she smiled and explained the circumstances under which she and Sirius got engaged. She then gave him a slightly less mushy version of Sirius' second proposal.
"You had better make sure you take care of her, Padfoot," Remus said threateningly. "Because James isn't her only brother and I won't hesitate to beat the shite out of you if you make her cry even one unhappy tear."
Sirius actually looked nervous. "Promise, Moony. I'll take care of her."
"See that you do," the sandy-haired boy growled before stalking off.
"What's he in a strop about?" Sirius asked her when he knew Remus was out of hearing range.
"Well, from the rumors going around the dorms, I heard he was planning on asking me to be his date to the next Slug Club gathering."
Sirius went very pale. "Moony fancies you?"
"I don't know if it's true or not," she said with a sigh. "It might be."
"And do you …?" he asked weakly.
"I actually only fancy one of my brother's friends. And he's the one who put the ring on my finger and asked me to marry him."
Sirius smiled and leaned down to capture her lips once more.