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Disclaimer: Sadly I am not J.K Rowling. I do not own Harry Potter or Sirius or James or Lily, Remus, Peter…etc. But I do own Charlie and the plot. I suppose that's a start.

Chapter Eleven: The Stupid Things We Do

Sirius stormed up the marble staircase, taking three stairs at a time, after he rushed from the Great Hall. He burst through three secret passageways, startling a ghost, ran across four floors and finally found himself in Gryffindor common room. The room was empty and quiet, all it's normal occupants being at breakfast. Sirius hurtled up the boy's staircase to the top of the tower and threw himself through the seventh year's dormitory door. He slammed the door behind him and flopped onto his bed, breathing heavily from rage and exertion. He put his dark head in his hands, looking at the wooden floor.

He hated his mother, pure and simple. She was an evil tempered vile woman; a giantess would be a better mother. Sirius kicked his solid oak four-poster bed railing to let off some frustration, but all that succeeded in doing was causing his toe to feel like it had just been broken. Which made the angry boy even madder and worse still, now his toe hurt along with his heart.

He was such an idiot. Sure he hated his mother, she made him the angriest he'd ever been and made his life a living hell…but that was no reason that he should have taken it out on her. She was actually trying to help, to comfort him, to give him a kind word. And what had he done? He'd snapped at her. And right after their truce and all. She probably thought him a complete prat now.

There came a tapping from outside the window. Sirius looked over and saw one of the school's barn owls. He crossed the room and opened the window rather sharply, causing the owl standing on the ledge to be rudely shoved off of it. The owl hooted indignantly and extended its leg to Sirius so he could remove the letter. Once he had done so, the owl nipped his fingers and flew away.

Sirius broke the seal of the note and opened it. Written in green ink that was still glistening slightly were the words:

Stay away from her.

Sirius' face darkened. Rosier, that complete overly possessive wanker. Sirius was almost positive that this note was a warning from him. The dark-haired boy scowled further as he watched the ink. It was changing its words, no longer displaying its original message. The ink disappeared from the page and then seeped up through the parchment again, shaping and changing. It now said:

Or I'll force you

Sirius crumpled the note and chucked it into the fire with all the force he could muster. Then he spit into the fire after it. He couldn't stand it. He was sick of everything. Like that git Rosier could force him to do anything…

Sirius decided he couldn't, no he wouldn't go to any classes today. He was going to let off a little steam. And the best place for him to do that would be in Hogsmeade.

Sirius walked to James' trunk and rifled through it, looking for the invisibility cloak. He found it and threw it onto his bed. Then he wrote his friends a note, explaining that he took the cloak. The now reckless boy grabbed the shimmering mass of fabric and threw it on; he was ready to sneak out of the castle and make his way to Hogsmeade.

On his way out of the castle, Sirius had to stop in the same niche that he had hidden in before he and Charlie kissed, to avoid the mad rush of students going to their morning classes. He was watching the students pass when he saw Charlie; she still seemed angry, her cheeks were flushed. Sirius thought, with a pang, that she looked lovely.

He couldn't believe that she was with Rosier. He didn't care what Rosier did to him; he wanted to tell Charlie how stupid, how horrible, how evil, Rosier truly was. He had just removed the hood of the cloak when another thought occurred to him that made him whip his head back underneath the folds: What would Rosier do to Charlie if he, Sirius, was to go up to her?

Would Rosier punish her?

Sirius hated this. He hated not being able to tell someone, especially a girl, how much he cared about her. He needed to get out and away. He needed to do something to take his mind off of things; something reckless, something daring…or in Remus' words, something stupid.


That night after dinner, Charlie and Lily went up to their common room. They were sitting in their favorite beat-up, squishy armchairs by the fire, talking and giggling.

But they were interrupted when James came up to Lily.

"Lil, it's nine thirty, we need to do our rounds. And there's something I wanted to talk to you about."

Charlie smiled at Lily. Lily paled slightly.

"What did you want to talk about James?" asked Lily, gulping.

It was James' turn to pale. "The Yuletide Dance…we still need to agree on the theme…" he said in a rush and laughed nervously. "Ha ha…did you think I was going to ask you out or something?" yes you were!

Lily laughed. "NO! Of course NOT!" cried Lily, jumping up. "C'mon, we'll walk and talk,"she finished, walking nervously to the portrait hole.

"Ciao Lils! James!" Charlie called after the retreating forms of her best friend and the boy who loved her more than quidditch, waving. She smiled and looked out the window at the setting sun. The sky was lit with reds, golds, pinks, and purples. She sighed and smiled as the sky turned into the final inky black and was dusted with stars.

Charlie got up and walked to the window to better watch the stars. She looked out over the grounds. It was almost the full moon, so the lawns were lit with the light of the moon. Charlie thought she saw someone weaving between the trees down there. She squinted and leaned closer to the glass. No, no one was allowed out this late at night.

Charlie turned away from the window. To her amazement, her was no one left in the common room. All the younger students, i.e. everyone, had gone to bed. Charlie got up and headed to her dorm room, she decided to take a nice long bath in the seventh year girls' bathroom to relax after the long day she had. Between the encounter with Sirius, Evan's warning and the big Announcement of the ball, it had been a very trying day. Charlie wanted a good book and some hot water. Marlene, Cassy and Alice were all in the library or with their boyfriends, so Charlie had the bathroom to herself, so she could take as long as she needed.

She grabbed her pajamas and towel and headed toward the bathroom. She turned the tap and let the hot water run into the tub. She shut it off and then walked back out into her room to grab the bubble soap and the little black book of poetry.

As she searched in her trunk for the soap and the book, a rustling came from behind Alice's bed. Charlie whipped around, gripping the soap bottle and book to her chest like weapons.

She slowly walked over, closer to the farthest wall. The rustling came again, followed by a thud and a groan. Something or someone was behind the bed, on the floor. She took a few steps nearer, steeling herself for what she might find.

Charlie took a deep calming breath and peaked behind the bed. On the floor in a heap was…

"Black?" Charlie breathed, her shoulders slumping slightly. Sirius was sitting with his back to the wall, part of a cloak sticking out of his pocket, he wasn't dressed in his school robes, he was wearing a muggle t-shirt and jeans; a t-shirt that showed off his muscles. His hair was messier, more windswept and he looked a little dazed.

"Sirius?" Charlie asked again as she dropped the bubble soap onto the bed, tossed the book aside and bent down to her knees, taking Sirius' head in her hands, looking into his face. "Can you hear me? Is everything ok?"

He looked up at her and a smile crept across his face. "Freckles! How are ya! What are you doin' 'ere?"

Once she saw that he wasn't grievously injured, or in fact, injured at all, she smacked him on one of his broad shoulders. "You idiot! What are you doing in our dormitory!"

He looked around and his face darkened. "I can't be here…" he said, slightly panicked.

"Damn right Black! Get up, get out and get going!"

Sirius tried to stand up, but his legs didn't seem to be working. He stayed slumped against the wall and looked up at Charlie imploringly, "I can't be near you…"

"What are you talking about! Black, are you all right? I mean…" Charlie began hesitantly, touching his cheek, her heart softening as she looked upon the boy slumped against the wall.

"Charlie, there's something in need to tell you…"

"Sirius, I understand," Charlie interrupted "With everything that's happened today: Evan being rather rude and then you weren't in classes…the howler. You just needed sometime to--"

"Listen Charlie," Sirius slurred, getting defensive and brushing Charlie's hand away, even though he would have given anything to have her touch him. He pushed himself up off the floor and leaned against the wall, the room was spinning. He needed to get away from her. What if he put her in danger? He needed to make her angry so she'd keep away…

Charlie snaked an arm around him, under his arm, keeping him steady. He tried to get out of her grip "You have no idea what it's like to be me. So stop pretending to care and stop trying to get into my head! All right? I get you don't care! Fine. Well, I don't need you. In fact, I hope you and Evan are very happy!"

Charlie smelled fire whiskey on his breath. A lot of fire whiskey. Oh Sirius…

"Excuse me? I know you did not just—"

"No. Just leave me alone, Charlie!" Sirius made to stride for the door, but stumbled. Charlie, still holding on to him, couldn't hold all his weight and they both sank in slow motion to the middle of the floor.

"Sirius what happened to you?" asked Charlie. "What? Were you trying to drown yourself in a bottle of fire whisky!"

She didn't know how close to the truth she was. Sirius looked up at her sadly, his grey eyes cloudy and unfocused. Charlie stared back as though, trying to read his mind. Sirius looked at his feet

"Where have you been all day? And WHY…no, no, HOW did you get into the girls dormitory!" Charlie continued to chide.

Sirius sighed and looked through his hair up at the girl leaning over him, his mood changing. He couldn't feign the hate, not in his current inebriated state. "D'ya know, Freckles, I have absolutely no idea how I pulled this one off? It's amazing though, innit? I mean," he grinned.

"I've been looking for a passage into the girl's dormitories for years! And now I find one…and I don't remember HOW!" he started to laugh, a loud bark of a laugh.

"Sushsh!" Charlie chided, glancing at the door. "Listen, we've got to get you out of here…if you're found up here, with me…"

Sirius' face sobered immediately. "That's right. He doesn't want me near you…" Sirius looked around the dorm as though expecting someone to jump out of the closet or one of the trunks.

Charlie brushed this off. She needed to get Sirius up to his room. James and Remus would know what to do with him. "C'mon Sirius. Lets get you to bed."

Sirius stood and let Charlie guide him out of the girl's dormitory and down the dark, shadowy hallway toward the steps.

"Uh…Freckles…I can't," Sirius began, trying to stop his feet before they touched the stairs.

But it was too late. The stairs melted and became a long, steep slide. Charlie and Sirius' legs were whipped out from under them and they zoomed down it. They tumbled out onto the carpet at the bottom, a semi-soft landing. Charlie and Sirius rolled and somersaulted over one another and finally came to rest in the center of the room, Charlie landing on top of Sirius. She let her head rest on his chest as she caught her breath and her eyes focused.

"Whoa…lets do that again!" she cried, grinning madly, her eyes still unfocused as she looked down at Sirius, their faces inches apart again. Though this time there was no one they were hiding from. She could feel Sirius' muscles under his shirt and was thinking vaguely that she really liked his hair in his face.

Sirius was looking uncomfortable and shifting around underneath her. "Uh. Charlie. I think we should really not be…I mean to say. I don't think you should. Um, you…on top…me…" he was stumbling, looking anywhere but at the girl lying on top of him, still squirming.

"Of course right." Charlie quickly got off of Sirius and helped him up again, not looking at him, her face uncomfortably heating up. They continued to the bottom of the boy's staircase, where Charlie stopped. "That whole stairs turning into a slide thing isn't going to happen if I try to go up your stairs is it?" she asked, looking up the hallway.

"Nah," slurred Sirius again. They continued up and finally were at the seventh year door. Charlie pushed open the door. She was instantly met with the smell that can only be described as boy. There were dirty clothes everywhere, socks, quidditch robes, and open books, bits of parchment, sweet wrappers and uneaten sweets. On four of the five beds boys were sound asleep; some were snoring. There was one bed, still unmade, by the window that was empty of a slumbering occupant.

Charlie made her way toward that one. It was like an obstacle course trying to avoid all the things littering the floor and trying to do it quietly so as not to wake up the other boys.

"Charlie," Sirius whispered. "Why are you helping me? I've been a complete prig to you. I don't deserve it…you have every reason to hate me. So, why?"

Charlie sat Sirius on his bed and helped him take off his shoes. "I have no idea Black," she said, switching to his surname, trying to stifle the affectionate feelings that were rushing into her heart for the helpless boy in front of her. She was with Evan. She loved…she really liked…she thought Evan was…nice. This thought scared her.

"But don't get used to it. Tell no one and DO NOT think that every time you get drunk I'm going to help you. Got it?" Charlie hissed as she roughly helped Sirius get further into bed.

"Mmm…" Sirius murmured. "Charlie, will you stay with me?" he asked as he leaned back against his pillows, his eyes starting to close.

"No," Charlie said as coldly as she could.

"I don't want to be alone."

Charlie her felt her resolve faltering. What could it hurt?

"Just until I fall asleep?" he asked as he yawned.

"How much fire whiskey did you have?" she asked.

"About two and a half, no three…no. Bottles...I dunno? Lots. Please. I just want you here…with me. Just this once? I want to see what it's like to have--" he stopped and reached for her hand. His stopped just inches before hers, not touching it and then sunk back away.

Charlie thought for a moment. There was a very good chance that he wouldn't remember a thing about this tomorrow. What was the harm…Evan wouldn't ever find out.

"Just until you fall asleep," Charlie said, as she sat stiffly on the edge of his bed. She'd just make sure he fell asleep and didn't pass out or get sick or anything. She didn't really want to do it; at least, that's what she kept telling herself.

The moonlight was falling through the window and onto Charlie, framing her in light. Sirius thought she looked like an angel with a halo, watching over him.

"Twice or thrice had I loved thee,
Before I knew thy face or name;
So in a voice, so in a shapeless flame,
Angels affect us oft, and worshipped be;
Still when, to where thou wert, I came,
Some lovely glorious nothing I did see
." Sirius began to whisper as his hand got up the courage and found Charlie's on top of the covers He smiled up at her. Charlie blushed. He was rather eloquent even though he was smashed.

"Black you are out of your mind! Be quiet and go to sleep."

Sirius obediently closed his eyes and murmured, "Please stay. Don't ever leave…" And he fell asleep. Charlie got up slowly and quietly and made her way out the door, seen only by one lone figure in the dormitory who was still awake and watching her every move.


The next day Sirius awoke with a horrible splitting head ache. He sat up and rubbed his temples, swearing under his breath. He didn't know how he got to into his bed last night. He sat and thought. He remembered images. Sneaking into a passage, ending up in a room he'd never seen, sliding down stairs, an angel, and that was it.

"So," came a little squeaky voice from his right. "How're we feeling this morning?"

It was Peter.

"Ugh," said Sirius, looking over at his friend.

"Have a good time last night?" Peter continued, his voice louder than was necessary.

"Must've if I feel like this," said Sirius with the shadow of a grin.

"Who-?" Just as Peter was about to ask a question, Remus burst into the room, followed by James. James was bearing a large cup of coffee and Remus had his wand out and was looking very disapprovingly at Sirius.

"All right prat," said James, roughly handing Sirius the cup of coffee with a smile.

"That was completely stupid Sirius!" said Remus with a frown. "You shouldn't have snuck out! What is wrong with you?" he poked Sirius in the chest with his wand with the last sentence.

Sirius winced at Remus' yelling (and poke) and sipped the coffee, closing his eyes to the light streaming in through the window.

"You missed all your classes." Remus was off and poking Sirius with his wand again. "We had to lie for you. You took the cloak. We didn't know where you'd gone. You could have been caught! You-"

"Ok Momma Moony, I get the point," sighed Sirius, interrupting Remus' tirade. "Now please tone it down. And if you're not going to use your wand to help with this head ache, please put it away…"

Remus continued to mutter under his breath and flicked his wand, causing Sirius' head ache to vanish.

Sirius stretched and threw his legs over the side of his bed, a new found strength in him.

James was grinning. "So, where'd you end up?"

Sirius got up and started to dress, getting his school robes out and putting them on.

"I think the Hogshead. But I'm not to sure."

"And how did you get to bed?" asked Remus.

"Yeah. Did you have help?" asked Peter.

"I honestly have no idea," said Sirius. "I must have though. When I snuck back in, I didn't end up where I thought I would. I think I found another secret passage."

"Cor! Where?" asked James.

"Some dormitory. Gryffindor Girl's I think."

The three boys looked at Sirius stunned. "Whoa, Pads. Do you know what this means?" James asked.

Peter was nodding vigorously.

"It doesn't mean anything, since I won't be able to find it again," Sirius said seriously.

The three boys looked disappointed, even Remus.

"Ah well. I'm starving. Let's get some breakfast!" Sirius called as he headed for the door.

Charlie was at breakfast when Sirius came bounding in shouting a "GOOD MORNING ALL!" to the entire hall. A greeting which many people returned.

Charlie snorted and sniffed disapprovingly.

"What are the disappointed looks about Chars?" asked Lily.

Charlie turned to look at Lily. "Well, Sirius came back to the tower drunk last night," she said lowering her voice.

"No!" cried Lily.

Charlie nodded. She continued to tell the story, though she made it sound as if Sirius burst into the Common Room, not their dormitory. Charlie also failed to mention the stair-slide, her falling on top of Sirius, and her staying with him until he fell asleep.

"So you helped him upstairs into bed!" cried Lily again, her voice barely audible and her eyes wide in disbelief. She was silently routing for a Sirius/Charlie relationship. Though she'd never say so, seeing as Charlie might explode.

"Yep…good thing I hate him, eh?" Charlie asked.

"You're too nice for you own good, Charlie."

The dark-haired girl simply shrugged.

After everyone had finished eating, Dumbledore stood up. "Students. I have two short announcements to make before you all go off to broaden your minds and fill your heads with a day of learning. Firstly: the Ball will be a masquerade. Yes that means masks and the whole shebang," Dumbledore said with a smile, his eyes twinkling.

"Secondly: you will all be receiving dance lessons, as it is traditional for the first two dances of any wizarding ball, modern or no, to be the time-honored dances of the past. The lessons are going to be given by house. They start tomorrow with the Gryffindors,and will continue once every two weeks until the ball, which is coming quickly. I expect you all to do your best," the headmaster smiled and then sat down.

The hall began to buzz with excited talk. Dance lessons and a masquerade. This would be very interesting indeed.

Yes, well. There you go. Chapter 11. not as exciting as some. But let me tell you…you just wait. And give me some credit, this was a fast update! Well until next time.

Keep a sharp eye ;)

Pupparoux

Ps: the poem is from Air and Angels by John Donne