The War: Chapter Ten

Galatea's breath came in gasps. She couldn't believe what was happening. She didn't know exactly what had happened, but someone was dead. She didn't want to think about who it might be.

"Tey?" Sirius called from the depths of the alley.

"I—I'm here," she managed between sobs. He was alive. He had killed a man.

Sirius crouched down next to her. "Did he hurt you?"

She rubbed at the cut on her neck; there was a little blood, but the bleeding had already stopped. She shook her head. "You didn't have to kill him Sirius," she whispered.

"I wouldn't have if he had just been a Muggle who made a stupid decision. You can look for yourself if you want but that man had the mark of a Death Eater on his left forearm. He drew a wand on me, after he stabbed me with his bloody knife."

"Are you hurt badly?" she asked, noticing the bloody patch on his leg.

"I'll make it, but I'm taking you home first. No arguing."

He stood, helped her up and gripped her tightly by the elbow before turning on his heel and Apparating.

They arrived at Galatea's flat and she didn't even bother asking how he knew the enchantments on her door. Sirius steered her into a chair at the kitchen table and placed a glass of water in her hands. The glass was smeared with blood.

"Can I use your bathroom? I'm cut worse than I thought," he asked, halfway out of the room already.

"Yes," she said. Galatea thought her voice sounded far away. She knew she was in shock. She wiped the glass and sipped at the water.

She could hear Sirius moving around in the bathroom, cursing in pain and knocking things over, but she didn't care if he made a mess. She stared at the wall, trying to think of anything but the feeling of that Death Eater's hands on her body or his knife at her throat. She wiped tears from her eyes again and finished her water.

After splashing some water on her face from the sink, Galatea drifted through her flat, not sure what she should do. She considered calling Remus, but she couldn't shake the feeling of the attacker's hands on her. She ran to her closet and stripped down to her underwear, kicking her dirty and bloodied clothes as far as she could.

Galatea breathed deep of the smell of the clean clothes in her closet, choosing an old Hobgoblins t-shirt and a pair of lounge pants. She hugged the clean clothes to her body and rubbed her arms. She retrieved her wand from her boot and set it on her bedside table before crawling across her bed to sit in the middle.

She was staring into her closet, hugging her knees, when Sirius came out of the bathroom in boxers and a bloody, unbuttoned shirt, his right thigh sporting a newly healed gash. He sat down next to her.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked softly.

Galatea blinked away tears. "I can still feel his hands all over me," she murmured.

"I'm so sorry. I should have gone out with you. You were obviously not feeling well."

"It's not your fault. Do you need anything for your wounds?"

Sirius shook his head. "It just looks bad. I've cleaned everything up."

She nodded, still looking into the closet.

"Tey, look at me."

She turned her head. "Yes?"

"It's over. You need to stop thinking about what could have happened," he said.

She nodded, sniffling and wiping at her eyes.

"Well, I'd better get going or it won't be safe to be out," he said, standing up.

Galatea reached out and took his hand. "Stay."

"What?"

"Please?" She turned her attention away from the closet and took his hand in both of hers. "Stay here with me tonight."

"Really? You're sure?"

Her lack of sarcastic response and miserable expression were answer enough.

"I won't let anyone hurt you."

He sat down again and put an arm around her. She leaned her forehead against his shoulder, closing her eyes and trying to calm her breathing.

"I thought you were dead," she whispered. "I thought that man killed you and that I had been horrible to you for no good reason. For a stupid grudge that I've nursed far too long…"

Sirius held her and let her talk. Galatea gradually calmed down when she had said everything that was on her mind, much of which had been incoherently murmured into his shoulder. She sat up and brushed her hair away from her eyes, smiling at him in thanks. Sirius leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her lips. He felt her sigh and move towards him.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have," he said, moving away. "You've had a traumatic experience, you're vulnerable…I shouldn't have."

Galatea nodded half-heartedly, disappointed.

"If you still want me to stay, I'll take the couch," he offered.

Galatea sighed in frustration and kissed him back, a bit more forcefully. "I think you're out of practice Sirius Black," she whispered in his ear.

"What?"

"You don't seem to know how to take a hint. I may be traumatized and vulnerable as you've suggested but I also asked you to stay here with me. Clearly, I need to teach you what that means."

"I suppose, if you put it that way. Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked warily.

"Honestly…do I have to just tell you I want sex?"

"Oh."

"What did you think I meant?" she asked.

"Can't really say…"

"It's fine if you don't want to. I can tell you're not interested," Galatea said a little too sharply, getting up off the bed.

Sirius got up and followed her, catching her arm and pressing her up against the closet. "You've got to be mad to think I'm not interested," he said softly, looking down at her.

Galatea wasn't sure what she was doing but she knew she liked kissing him, liked feeling his hands on her. She hadn't felt this way about Sirius in years; she had convinced herself she hated him for a while. And she certainly wasn't thinking about her attacker any longer.

"Are we going to have to talk about what this means?" Sirius asked later.

"Not right now," she replied breathlessly, pulling him down to kiss her.

"You know I still love you, right?"

Galatea smiled as he slid an arm around her waist and kissed the back of her neck. "I think I would have figured it out eventually."