Chapter Ten - Admiring Her.
Sirius' eyes widened at her declaration. He knew that she was one of the brightest - and beautiful-lest - witches in school, but he would have never guessed that she was Loralie.
They were probably the most pure-est of blood, and when we speak of pure, we are speaking of unicorn blood pure. Not to mention, they were also very powerful, their knowledge on magic more advanced and more ancient at the same time.
For Loralie, magic came to them like breathing. They didn't need to be taught to use magic, as normal theory didn't apply to them, and they could possibly see a spell performed once and successfully repeat it. Well, wizarding magic at least.
Loralie magic would require a little more concentration and practice.
'It's not all that surprising' Sirius thought, 'she is the sweetest, friendliest, most fairest, most brilliant person I know. Secondly, she is beautiful. Not just beautiful, so breath-takingly beautiful, that she's almost too intimidating to approach.'
This was an accurate way to put it.
With her long silver hair cascading down her back in a lustrous waterfall and falling to her waist, the way her eyelids would fall over those ensnaring crystal blue orbs - almost slow and seductive (not that she does so on purpose) - and how her long lashes would kiss her cheeks as she blinked. How she would chew on those rosy, full lips when she's lost in her thoughts and the way they scream to be kissed - and many a boys would love to comply - but she never does.
All of those simple, enchanting things about her - the simple things that she wasn't even very aware of doing - was enough to drive any bloke over the edge, straight or not.
Then there was her shaped and fit body, curved in all the right places. Her somewhat fair, yet pale skin and her long legs. She truly was supernaturally good looking - a fact she didn't accept about herself.
While all these things were startling, Sirius gaped at her in shock - the act of processing this information she just gave to him - but his gaping was making Serelina uncomfortable.
A fact that didn't go unnoticed by Sirius. He quickly composed himself - he didn't want to scare her away. Or worse make her feel uncomfortable when she went out of her way to make him feel comfortable with her presence.
Snapping his mouth shut, he laid back down on her lap, easing a smile onto his lips.
"I still don't get how your brother is a bigger threat than Voldermort" he stated lightly.
He could feel the relief wash over her, that he wasn't making a bigger deal of this than necessary. He could feel her tensed body relax and sub-consciously run her hand through his silky, soft, curly locks. Not that he was complaining. He loved it when she did that - it calmed him down in way more ways than staring at the fire would.
"You must already know that Loralie are very powerful, much more powerful than wizards, but even we have limitations and boundaries. Rules. So on the rare occasion that one of us does go berserk... Well, they're more like Voldermort - only with more advanced, yet ancient power. There is no limit they aren't willing to cross and rule to break, if not destroy.
Of course Nick isn't a threat to everyone as a whole, rather than to me and myself alone - oh and the people I surround myself with. So maybe you can question whether he really is a threat or not, I guess" she explained to him in a soft voice.
This was all very fascinating to Sirius, as this was the one part of the wizarding world that remained a secret. Not even the department of mysteries has hacked into the powers of Loralie. There power, structure and status remained a mystery to no one but themselves.
As Serelina had told James the other day, Walgura Black didn't know anything about them to drill it into her sons head. So yes, this fascinated Sirius a lot.
"Every single Loralie has a split personality a bad side and a good side. Our natural personalities are good, but if you cross a Loralie, they'd make you feel that you've never met them in the first place. For Nick, his bad personality turned a bit... Evil. Not very natural for our kind as we are normally peaceful creatures, but it happens every now and then. Yet no one has had a personality like Nicks. He's normal most of the time. Kind, caring, loving, sweet... Everything that make a Loralie... Well a Loralie. I'm scared that his stability won't hold for much longer, give or take a few years." she explained further, entrapping Sirius in her world, taking him further than he'd ever dreamed of knowing about a Loralie.
A pause followed her entrapping, tale. The two of them lost in their own thoughts, not comfortable, but not uncomfortable either. Somewhere in-between. Serene.
Then Serelina laughed lightly and added, "So no, whoever ends up with me wouldn't be as lucky as you made it out to be."
This bought on a mini argument on the matter, the serious atmosphere turning lighter with each word. Their argument soon turned into light conversation - something the both would forget as soon as they separated - and soon enough Sirius fell asleep on her lap, with her continuing to stroke his hair.
Seeing his peaceful face, Serelina couldn't find it in herself to wake him and ask him to go to bed. Besides he looked so comfortable and adorable lying there, she just didn't want to break that. Especially not after the bad mood he'd been in when she found him.
But she couldn't sit there staring at his sharp, aristocratic, beautiful face like a creep, so she took her wand back out of her robes and pointing at her bag thought 'accio' History of Magic book.' Instantly the book zoomed into her hand and she buried herself in it.
Somewhere around three hours later, Sirius woke up. His head still cradled on Serelina's lap, her hand unconsciously continuing with gently stroking his hair. His face pressed against her abdomen.
This came of a surprise to Sirius. As he very well remembered what she did to that Slytherin boy last year.
Serelina didn't let a single boy near her - well diss James, he was too much of a brother to her, for her to see him as anything else. Besides he knew her too well, to be true - this is why it surprised Sirius so much. That she hadn't pushed him off her.
She never, ever lets any boy to get near her - or rather lay a finger on her. Ever.
Still... He rolled over, slightly away from her, not wanting to get caught smoldering her. He didn't want a repeat of what happened to that Slytherin.
Besides, even if she doesn't, James would kill him for this. As soon as he found out, that is - which Sirius didn't doubt wouldn't happen. James saw Serelina too much like a sister and he could be very over-protective of her when necessary.
Even towards his friends. She was off limits to them, very much like his own sister would be.
And if there was one thing that Sirius would not do, that will be to get James angry at him. He'd rather miss shag with every girl in this world than to have him and James in a tiff. Even a small one for a stupid reason.
He didn't, anyhow, have to worry about a repeat of what happened to that Slytherin boy. Besides shifting a little when he moved she went on reading not noticing that he was awake. Something that Sirius noticed as well.
'So much for worrying about getting James kill me' Sirius sighed, 'She didn't as much as glance away from her book'.
Curiosity getting the better of him, he leaned back a bit - but making sure that her hand didn't fall off his hair - and read the cover, title, of the book. Wanting to know what she was so engrossed in, that she didn't notice him shifting around her lap.
"WHAT! You're reading Hogwarts a History, again" he blurted out before he could stop himself.
Not having noticed he was awake and taken by surprise, Serelina yelped and lost hold of her book, which fell to the floor with a loud 'thud'.
"Sirius, you're awake" she breathed in her melodious voice, laying a hand over her heart. Like that'll slow it down. Sirius was more than happy to note that her hand stay locked on his hair and didn't fall away.
Chuckling lightly, he picked up her book and handed it back to her. "Where did you get this from?" he questioned as he handed her book back to her.
"Bag" she muttered drowsily, nodding at her bag which was on the opposite couch and well out of reach.
Sirius raised his eyebrow at her. He knew that there was no way that she'd go all the way there, take her book and sit back under him. Not happening.
"Accio" she replied, rubbing her eyes in a childish way that he found rather adorable. Then she let out a tongue curling yawn, stretching her arms tiredly.
This made Sirius to look at his watch, and his eyes to almost pop out. For the time was 4:00 a.m.
"Lina, you should've woken me and gone to bed" he told her conversationally, but she could still hear the reprimanding tone in his voice. He looked up at her exceptionally, not making a move to get up from her lap either.
"But you looked so peaceful" she told with a small smile gracing her rosy lips. She told that in a casual tone, like she stayed up because someone slept in her lap often. Truthfully, Sirius hadn't seen her awake after hours with anyone except herself - sometimes with him and even rarely with James.
But the last part was due to the fact that the two always spoke in the boy's dorm. A silence charm around them and cuddling up in bed - in a purely platonic way.
"You didn't sleep because I looked too peaceful to be awoken?" Sirius questioned her incredulously. Then not waiting for a reply he exclaimed "Lina, we have school tomorrow!"
"Sirius?" James voice drifted over to them, like it was the ending of Sirius exclamation.
Sirius finally got up - going with the she's like his sister so she is off limits theory - and looked over the couch to see James get down the boy's dorm stairs in his pajamas. He was rubbing his eye under his glasses, hair an untidy mess as usual.
When he got to the last stair he saw Sirius and stopped. Just then Serelina too got to her feet, making James eyebrow to shoot up. Leaning against the staircase wall and crossing his arms, he looked at the two in question. Though there was neither suspicion nor accusation on his gaze.
Not noticing his questioning look, Serelina greeted James cheerily - yet sleepily.
"You two do realize that it is four in the morning and we have class in five hours?" he asked them, rolling his eyes at Serelina's greeting. Knowing her as he did, he knew she hadn't noticed his questioning look - unlike his best mate. Who surely had seen him looking.
"I was asking her the same thing" Sirius said, looking at Serelina.
She merely just shrugged her shoulders, like she really didn't care.
"Well, you two have got an approximate to catch at least 4 hours of sleep if you two get to bed right now" James stated helpfully, not moving from his place at the end of the staircase, leaning against the wall.
"Nuh-uh! She has an approximate to catch four hours of sleep if she falls asleep now. I already slept, for at least... 3 to 3 and a half hours" Sirius corrected James and both of them stared at her this time.
"It's History of Magic, first class tomorrow. I'll probably end up sleeping all through class" she easily replied with an uncaring shrug of her shoulder.
"And have to endure Lily's wrath?" Sirius questioned laughing, not really thinking that she was being serious.
James, who was silently listening to the two, smiled to himself. He knew what she'll tell to him before she said it. He also knew that she was being entire serious when she said she'll sleep through class.
You don't spend seven years with James and not have him rub of in you. Besides, she really wasn't all that innocent. Put her in a room with her brothers and cousins, you'd probably not find the room in its previous status.
She can be quite mischievous when she puts her mind to.
"Then I'll just sit with James or Remus" Serelina replied to Sirius just as easily. Then as an afterthought muttered "Probably Remus...Or Peter."
She wasn't being inaudible enough for the two boys to not catch her words.
"Not me?" Sirius questioned feign hurt. Though he truly was. Hurt, I mean.
Serelina scoffed - she was sleepy enough she didn't even notice the feign hurt in his voice. "Like you or James would let me sleep in peace. That's why I muttered 'probably Remus or Peter'" she told him - them - matter of factly.
With that she sleepily heaved her bag back up her shoulder and turned back to Sirius. "Well, now that you've got James for company, I'm going to bed." Then adding a 'goodnight, you two' she disappeared up the girl's dormitory stairs.
James turned to Sirius, expecting some answers. Unlike Lina, he knew, Sirius wouldn't, not see his questioning look.
Sirius shrugged. "I was brooding on my own, when she came back... At around 1 in the morning and kept me company" he told, flopping back gracefully onto the couch.
James - for whatever reason - looked slightly disappointed at his answer and walking over to the couch, flopped down beside Sirius.
"How do the two of you do that?" James said, more to himself than to Sirius. "You, at least I can understand. You want to get out of your head and she gives you a perfect excuse to forget everything. But what does she get out of it?" he mused out loud,
"Mate! What are you on about?" Sirius questioned, feeling lost by his friends fathomless rambling.
James looked at Sirius with a blank expression, then sigh, slumping in his seat. "You two don't get it. Here you two sit, cuddled together in this very couch, whispering among yourselves. To everyone who sees, it looks like two loves cuddling in a couch by the fire" he explained making Sirius look quite startled.
The two of them didn't see their little talks anything like that. It wasn't even remotely romantic.
"I mean, you're always with one girl or another. But Serelina wouldn't let a single boy near her, yet she lets you be so close to her. And then the next moment you two won't even acknowledge the others existence. Everyone thinks you two are through and then another two months or so after you two will be cuddled back in this chair... Do you have any idea how infuriating it is" James exclaimed the last part, clutching his hair.
"Ur - James, we aren't - " Sirius started to say but James cut him off. "I know you two aren't together. You two just talk... About your problems at home. Still... Its infuriating." he huffed looking annoyed.
Sirius was taken aback by James abrupt behavior. "Urm..." he muttered not sure what to make out of his best mate.
"URGH! Forget it" James said suddenly, throwing his hands up in frustration at Sirius - for not understanding his hidden meaning. Then he grinned up at Sirius, wanting to know what happened.
Sirius was quick to catch on to his mood swing and grinned mischievously at James. "So when were you ever going to mention to your best mate that said fair lady is a Loralie, from Loraliea?"
James grew impossibly wider at Sirius question. "So she finally told you." It wasn't so much a question as her statement. "Took her long enough" he muttered under his breath, to himself.
Then Sirius told James everything that happened early that morning, before the two decided to call it a night too.