Chapter 13: Again
They barely managed to escape James after lunch. The Head Boy was adamant about doing more Quidditch training. Luckily, the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team refused to go down to the pitch because it wasn't a scheduled training session. Sirius laughed at his best mate for not knowing better and he hightailed it with Devery before James could drag him down to the pitch.
He ran, hand-in-hand, with Devery up to the seventh floor and he didn't stop moving until they reached the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. Devery gladly took opportunity to catch her breath while she admired the hilarious tapestry depicting ballet-dancing trolls.
"You brought me here to show me trolls?" She let go of Sirius's hand and quickly signed. Sirius just smirked and went to the other side of the corridor. Then he did the most peculiar thing. He passed a section of wall, up and down, three times.
Devery briefly wondered if her boyfriend had finally lost his mind from all that Quidditch. He had taken many injuries over the years.
Sirius then paused to grin wickedly in her direction.
"Ta-da!" He beamed like something magical just happened and Devery just raised her eyebrows. Nothing happened. The stonewall behind him still looked the same with its mundane, everyday stony surface.
Sirius's face quickly fell. "You're not easy to impress, love."
"I didn't know you were enthusiastic about stone walls," she signed back and Sirius back at the wall in confusion. The giant oak door that led to the Room of Requirement stood behind him.
"Don't you see the door?" He looked at her oddly and Devery looked at him like he lost his mind.
"What door?" She asked in all seriousness and Sirius hummed low as he quickly reassessed the situation before it clicked.
He crooked one elegant finger her way and beaconed her to come closer. Devery played along with a sigh. He was lucky, she found him adorable. Sirius made her stand close to him and Devery's mouth fell open in shock. She saw the giant door immediately and she reached for the antique doorknob to go in.
Sirius watched her speechless face take everything in when they finally entered the room and he closed the door behind him.
"Welcome to the Room of Requirement, love," He grinned. Devery just looked between the vibrant landscape around them and Sirius, a few times to get her bearings.
They were on a deserted beach. The water rose up high in waves and crashed against the shoreline. Palm trees lined up the edges of the sand about twenty meters to her right and there was also a little beach hunt and hammocks.
"I thought we could have some good ole beach fun. Maybe build a sandcastle and swim, what do you think?" Sirius indicated to the space around them but Devery just kept on staring at him in disbelief. She looked like she swallowed her tongue.
Sirius looked a tad worried. She should've got over her shock by now.
"You don't like it?" His eyes grew sad and Devery quickly shook her head. She really didn't know what to say. Sirius didn't just take her to any beach. This was one of many shorelines that surrounded her secret island home in the Aegean. The little beach hunt with the hammocks confirmed it. She helped to hang those hammocks with Lily and her father over the break.
How on earth did Sirius know how her home looked?
Sirens didn't live alongside the wizarding community. They lived together and stayed together. Always.
"I don't know how to say this," she swallowed hard and signed.
"If you don't know then don't," Sirius frowned. He did feel a tad hurt that she didn't like his surprise but he wasn't mad about that. He was mad about the lack of communication again being displayed by Devery. He thought they were passed this.
"I thought we promised to try and communicate better to each other."
'Sirius,' Devery mouthed with pleading eyes and Sirius sighed with frustration growing quite evident in his grey eyes.
"Work with me here, please babe?" He implored and Devery looked away from his intense eyes. Instead, she concentrated on the beach around them.
"How did we get here?" She opted to ask instead and Sirius felt a tad better that she was willing to try when she asked that question.
Who would've thought that he would have more issues when it came to communicating with Devery. He thought it would just be the sexual side of their relationship but after today, they had no dramas in that department.
"The Room of Requirement only appears to those who are in need of it. To get inside, you have to walk three times around it while you think of what you need. To get here, I thought of my need to have fun with you on a beach you would like."
Well, that answered things.
"Did you research or ask anyone about my favourite beach?" She added and Sirius thought she was the crazy one now.
"No," he answered, strongly. "Why would you ask me that?" He didn't see how that question could be relevant.
Devery grew uneasy under his scrutiny.
"Answer me, Dev," he demanded and to his shock, Devery started to get teary-eyed when he raised his voice. He made her cry, shit. Now, he felt like an asshole.
"I'm sorry," she signed with trembling hands. "It's just… you freaked me out."
Sirius just looked at her in outrage. "I freaked you out?" He laughed darkly. "Leafwood, you're the one freaking me out. I've done nothing but try to surprise you with a nice date."
Devery kept her hands to herself, cautiously because she could sense his temper rising. A strange look passed through Sirius's eyes.
"But I can freak you out, if you want me too," He said with wild eyes and Devery's eyes widened when his body started to transform. Sirius quickly went down on all fours and like magic, his bones rearranged to create a structure similar to a canine.
Thick black fur flooded where his clothes once were and his grey eyes morphed into a deep shiny gold.
She just watched her boyfriend turn into a huge black dog. He was the doppelganger of the grim. Sirius crept forward on his paws and barked.
The only logical explanation she could think of for this sudden transformation was that Sirius Black, Marauder and seventh year Gryffindor was an animagus… an unregistered animagus. If he was registered, the whole school would know in a heartbeat.
Then just as quickly as she watched the dog appear, she watched Sirius change back into himself. All that black fur and canine characteristics just flowed like water back under his skin and clothes. The gold in his eyes flickered back to his trademark grey.
The hard look he gave her spoke volumes. It was a challenge.
"I don't just want something physical with you, Dev. I want everything. Good and bad. I love you."
'Sirius?' She pleaded for him to understand things from her end but for once, he was having none of it. He refused to partake in a relationship that was only one-sided.
"You know everything about me now, Dev." He knew he was being tough on her to get her act together but this couldn't keep happening. They need to grow and be more. Better. For that was what real love was. Being vulnerable and allowing someone else in so far they could hurt you but also give you everything.
Unless, Devery feelings towards him wasn't as strong as his.
"Don't you trust me, Dev?" Sirius asked with a heavy heart.
"I do trust you," Devery signed.
"Then why are you being like this?" He stressed.
"It's more complicated than you think!"
"What's complicated about this?! I just took you to the beach and you lost your shit for no reason!" Sirius relented as he let his emotions get the better of him.
"I do have a good reason!" Devery frowned at him for downplaying her feelings.
"Then what the hell is it?!" He raised his voice in demand and Devery cringed at his hard tone. Her sweet and understanding boyfriend was no longer there. Everyone had a dark side and this was Sirius's dark side when he wanted something. His temper flared.
He narrowed his grey eyes on her. "You're not telling me something." Paranoia and suspicion racked his insides hard.
Devery's hazel eyes widened at his words and that was all the confirmation, he needed.
"What is it Devery?" He stalked her closely and Devery backed up a step. She felt incredibly torn in that moment.
"Is it another guy?!"
"No!"
"Then what is it?!"
"It's complicated."
"Oh, don't give me that bullshit Dev! Either tell me right now or I am walking away from you!" Sirius warned with angry eyes, which chilled her to the bone.
The thought of losing him now over something so small and trivial scared her shitless.
"Okay, okay, Sirius but you need to calm down first."
"Don't tell me to calm down," he snapped. "Well? What is it about this beach that's turned you into such a crazy witch?"
"I live here," she finally signed with a rather scared look in her eyes.
"You live, here?" Sirius repeated her words slowly and Devery nodded.
"I live with my family on a secret island in the Aegean and it freaked me out that you brought me here. Only Lily knows about this place."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
"Okay."
"Are you going to quit the interrogation now?"
Sirius just glared down into her hazel eyes. "What's the big deal with telling me that this is your home?"
"Because it's a secret."
"Why is it a secret?"
'Sirius,' she mouthed his name in warning and Sirius clenched his jaw hard while his mind did overtime.
"You're still not telling me everything."
Devery felt tears build in her eyes and Sirius didn't do one thing to comfort her in that moment. He usually held her when she got upset and the absence of his touch was like a dagger in the heart.
"Why are you perusing this so ruthlessly?"
"Why aren't you telling me?!" He yelled and Devery started to cry.
"Oh for Merlin sake, Devery!" Sirius rubbed his face in distress. He hated to see her cry but he knew he couldn't give in and let her get away with this.
"It's too dangerous for you to know."
Sirius's eyes softened incredibly. He grew still by the sudden confession.
"I've already put you in so much danger by letting you get close." Devery's face twisted up with anguish and she tried to turn away but Sirius didn't let her walk away.
He pulled her into his arms and finally held her gently. Devery's tears soaked his jacket in seconds and he felt like a complete ass for pushing her to this point but at the same time he didn't regret it. He was really glad he followed his gut instinct.
"Dev, I love you so much," he cupped her face closely. "You know that, you felt it when you pushed your way into my heart. I would do anything for you."
Devery nodded through her tears.
"You can tell me anything."
'Sirius,' she mouthed and he stroked her cheeks. He opted to go for a much softer approach instead.
"Baby, just tell me, please?" He pleaded. "Why is it dangerous to be with you? It's not like you're secretly a werewolf or anything," He added with an odd chuckle. "I would've figured that out ages ago."
"I can't." To his shock, Devery pulled away from him with frightened eyes.
"I am a monster," she pointed to herself and Sirius shook his head, furiously.
"You're not a monster, baby. You're a witch; a bloody talented one and I just want to love you. Please let me love you fully, Devery," he implored and the sincerity of his words hit her hard.
She knew how much he loved and cared for her. She saw it. Touched it. But he wouldn't be able to love her fully unless he knew who she really was.
"Only if you promise to not tell anyone. My kind is sworn to secrecy due to ancient laws we drew up centuries ago with the Ministry of Magic. But for reasons, Dumbledore and Lily know," she signed and Sirius clasped his hands together in promise.
"I promise baby. Just tell me and everything will be okay. Heck, it will be so much better because this will only bring us closer."
Devery took a deep breath to calm her nerves and she forced her trembling fingers to sign while she stared at the sands of her homeland.
"Because of what I am… I am forced to be a mute."
"You can talk?!" Sirius shouted with something akin to excitement. Now that was definitely not a reaction she was expecting.
"Yes, I can talk."
"Why not?" Sirius looked at her oddly.
"Because of what I am."
"Which is?" He persisted.
"This is not easy for me, Sirius. It's not like I tell people who I am everyday. Please be patient." She pleaded and Sirius nodded with a sigh.
"In fact… there isn't even a sign for what I am," she signed in afterthought.
"I have to write it."
Then she got down on her hands and knees in the sand. Sirius sat down nearby and watched her carefully. Devery reached in-between them and wrote what she was in the sand.
The word, 'Siren,' stared back at Sirius and he grew awfully quiet. Out of fear of being exposed, Devery quickly rubbed out the word as soon as he read it.
That was it. The secret was out and Sirius's grey eyes flashed to hers. Her heart bumped madly in anticipation to his reaction.
He didn't look afraid which was good. He looked quite pensive to her surprise.
"Do you know much about my kind?" She asked out of curiosity and Sirius nodded but still didn't say much.
"Please say something," she pleaded.
"Ladies, first," he challenged her once again by signing and he raised his eyebrows when she mouthed the word 'no.'
"But I want to hear how beautiful you sound,"he said softly.
"It's too dangerous. I can control people with my voice. Make them do anything I want, regardless of what they wanted. That makes me worse than the Imperius Curse."
Sirius just laughed at her warning. "Baby, I'm already under your spell and really dig it."
"You're crazy."
"That I am," he agreed without a second thought and looked at her intently while a dozen thoughts continued to cross his mind. But one particular thought, stood out from all the rest.
"And to think all this time, I could've been hearing your delicious moans," he said in a huskier voice and Devery felt her cheeks burn.
"I don't want to hurt you in anyway."
"But you are, Devery," His dark grey eyes told her otherwise.
"What if my voice takes your free will away?"
"Now, you're the crazy one."
"This is serious!"
"I know, I'm Sirius," he chuckled and Devery moved to whack himfor the poor timing of his joke. But Sirius pulled her into a rather delicious kiss that set her blood on fire. He kissed her until they melted into the warm sand together.
"I trust you. I know you would never hurt me," He looked deeply into her eyes and Devery stroked his cheek, affectionately. He slowly put surely persuaded her to give in with his kisses and she damned his gigantic hold over her.
"Please, baby, please. I am not afraid and I know the consequences and it will be fine. Please, talk to me. You will make me the happiest wizard on the planet."
'Fine,' she mouthed against his lips and Sirius cheered loudly with glee. She moved to sit up properly but Sirius stuck to her like glue. She moved to unclip her necklace and Sirius watched her do this with interested eyes.
Devery rubbed her throat and cleared it a few times. The light rumble sound she made caused his insides to lightly melt.
"Whoa," he breathed with glazed over eyes.
"Happy now?" She asked in her melodic voice. The way she curled her tongue around those words send instant pleasurable shivers down Sirius's spine. That was when he realized that his mouth was hanging half-open and he was slightly drooling. He quickly closed his mouth
May Merlin have mercy on him. He was officially no longer the seducer in this pairing. He was the seduced. This girl could make him come with the mere sound of her voice. Holy shit. It was the most gorgeous thing he ever heard. Her voice was like its own piece of majestic music.
She really owned him now and he strangely didn't mind one bit.
"Please say my name," he pleaded, completely at her mercy and he crawled to kneel in-between her legs.
Devery couldn't help but giggle at the needful picture he made and Sirius shuddered at the sound of her laugh.
"Oh god," he breathed and Devery leaned close to his ear. She could definitely have fun with this.
"Sirius," she whispered softly into his ear and Sirius felt his breathing grow heavier.
"Again?" He particularly begged.