They stood on the Hogsmede Platform together, her body pressed against his in a tight embrace. He closed his eyes, inhaling her scent; the smell of her shampoo. Her hands were clasped tight around his waist like she never wanted to let go. He never thouht he was going to miss her this much, and she was only going away for the Christmas Holidays. She sniffed against his chest and he tilted her chin up to look into her eyes.
"I'm gonna miss you Black." she sniffled, and he wiped away a tear that had begun to trail down her cheek.
"I'm gonna miss you too Jay." he grinned his 100 Galleon smile at her.
Then he leaned in...
Sirius sat up. He was in bed. Glancing to his left he surevyed the sleeping girl beside him and his stomach flipped - it wasn't Rachel.
A cold feeling entered his nervous system and he shook his head vigourously to clear it. It was just a dream, right? He'd been hanging around James and Lily too long. Silly romantic notions and all that. He'd watched his best friend bid farewell to his girlfriend the day before and his mind had latched onto the memory; replacing the characters with himself and Rachel Jay; that had to be it.
It was still dark and he began to wonder what the time was. The girl next to him, he couldn't even remember her name, would she want more of what they'd done the night before when she woke? Sirius swung himself ot of bed and began to dress - he wasn't going to hang around to find out. Once dressed he stole out of the room, grabbing his broomstick as he went. He had no qualms about leaving. It just wouldn't be the same as waking up next to Jay.
Rachel Jay woke up in a cold sweat. She looked to her left, expecting to see her best friend sleeping next to her; but Lily had left for home the day before. Rachel had felt so much better after moving into her best friend's quarters, following her exclusion from her own dorm by her 'jealous' roommates. The nightmares had lessened. She glanced at her clock - 5:57 - the numbers glared at her, red and humming. Rachel ran her hands through her electric blue hair and stuck one foot out of bed. The room was cold and she recoiled at once, back into the warmth and safety of the duvet. She sighed - she'd never get back to sleep now. Across the room, her broomstick stared at her temptingly. Rachel's eyes glittered.
Frozen grass crunched under Sirius' feet as he made his way across the Quidditch pitch. The sun was rising, casting a warm orange glow over the grounds and making the grass glitter. He mounted his broomsick and took off into the crisp morning air; inhaling deeply an an attempt to relieve some of the stress that was clouding his mind. The blue haired girl watched him from beneath the Quidditch Stands as she pulled her ratty green beenie over her ears. Smiling to herself, she wandered out of the shadows and into the morning light. Her face glowed. Silently she mounted her broomstick and kicked off into the sky.
Remus yawned and stretched. Sunlight streamed through a gap in the curtains. He chuckled at Peter's snoring in the bed next to his, then he glanced at the alarm clock next to him and groaned - half past six! Not cool. He rolled over, burying his face in his pillow willing his body to go back to sleep; back to the dream he'd been having. But his body was having none of it, and now Remus had an uncontrollable urge to pee! He tried turning into a different position, lessen the throb of his bladder, but to no avail. He groaned again, this time with a little more pain than frustration, and sat up in bed. The duvet pooled arpund his waist,making him shiver. Most definately not cool. Peter mumbled something and snorted in his sleep, turning over, as Remus slipped out of bed and crept to the bathroom.
After relieving himself, he padded back across the room - floor strewn with dirty laundry and Quidditch magazines (and Peter's copies of 'Muggle Weekly') - glancing at Sirius' bed as he went.It was occupied, but not by Padfoot.
Breakfast was a lazy affair, the students that had remained at Hogwarts over the Christmas period bumbed about like lazy bees; passing time by doing nothing in particular. Remus sat opposite Rachel and Peter reading the paper and eating a piece of toast. He hadn't seen Sirius all morning and it was starting to worry him. It wasn't like him to miss breakfast.
"There he is!" Peter squeaked, pointing at the door.
Remus turned. Sure enough, Sirius was standing in the doorframe, talking to a blonde girl in a seemingly apologetic manner. Remus chuckled to himself - 'The floozy from this morning' - and went back to his paper, missing Rachel's eyes flash behind her cup of coffee, across the table.
James strolled into the Dining Hall passing Sirius and the blonde as he went. His blue eyes scanned the Gryffindor table and caught the angry gaze of the blue haired Quidditch Captain who was siting with Remus and Peter. He grinned, and made his way over.
"Morning all." he smiled, earning a nod from Remus, a grapefruit-esque smile from Peter; and a half-hearted nod and 'Morning' from the grumpy blue haired girl opposite.
James shrugged and reached for the toast.
Silence at breakfast was unusual for the Marauders, their lack of Sirius confirmed it, and James began to feel a tad uncomfortable. There was something a little off here, and when Sirius came to sit down next to Rachel it became even more awkward.
Giving the dark haired Marauder a dirty look, the blue haired girl rose from the table and stormed out of the Great Hall without so much as a second glance at the rest of the room. Remus raised his eyebrows in Sirius' direction and was surprised to find his gaze met. Inwardly Sirius prayed that Remus hadn't cottoned on to why his blue haired friend was so angry. He shrugged:
"What's up with her?"
Rachel slammed Lily's bedroom door open and stormed her way across the room to the bed. She was seething. Grabbing the duvet she pulled it towards her, spilling pillows onto the floor. Searching through the debris she found what she was looking for and threw it across the room at the door. Sirius' Quidditch shirt landed in a pile with a whisper.
"Arg!" she shouted in frustration at no-one in particular and kicking the shirt aside, banging her toe on the floor in the process, she half stomped, half hobbled down the corridor to the bathroom.
James wasn't talking to Sirius; and Sirius was most definately not talking to James. This made breakfast a tense meeting for the other two Marauders. Peter glanced uncomfortabley at Remus who gave him a small, but unconvincing, smile of reassurace. If it could be called that - it was more of a grimace. James glared, Sirius glowered. Remus read his paper, the pages rustling in the awkward silence that surrounded them. Peter munched his grapefruit, his gaze skittering from one Marauder to another.
The arrival of the post broke the sience, at least for a little while. Owls, large and small, fluttered in through the windows; depositing letters and parcels with the remaining students. Sirius looked up as his latest (Christmas) edition of "Flying Motorcycles Monthly" was deposited next to his plate.
The awkwardness progressed as the Marauders traipsed back to the Gryffindor Common Room. James joined them, wanting to borrow a book from Peter, and thus made the silence that they walked in more uncomfortable. The sight that greeted them when the Portrait Hole swung open was a catalyst.
"So, why the hell do you have it?!" Wood shouted at Rachel, his face inches from hers. In his hand he brandished Sirius' Quidditch shirt.
Rachel looked bewildered; backed up against the wall with nowhere to go. Improvisation tended to be her strong point and at the moment she had nothing. Wood shook her by the arm and she flinched. This was the point that the Marauders chose to walk in. Sirius saw Wood grab the blue haired girl.
Remus rolled his eyes, he could see exactly what was going to happen. Peter reached for Sirius. His hand missed as Sirius walked past him and straight up to Wood. James turned to Remus.
"What's this?"
"Isn't it obvious Prongs?"
"...I'm a werewolf." thirteen year old Remus explained to his friends when they asked him. He knew they'd never tell.
Peter shrunk back.
"Cool!" Sirius and James exclaimed in unison.
"Not really," Remus replied, "it's just weird."
"Does it hurt?" Sirius asked.
"Yeah, but I don't remember much once I change."
"Is there anything we can do to help?" James replied.
"We're in the library James! Let's look it up!"
Remus rolled his eyes, Sirius was about to get them into lots of trouble.
"Got a problem Wood?" Sirius drawled.
Rachel tried to tell Sirius to 'Get Lost' with frightened eyes. He ignored her, grinning.
Sirius grabbed Wood's arm, pulling him around and away from the blue haired girl. Wood squared up to the Marauder.
Rachel looked to Remus, her eyes pleading with him to intervene.
Wood poked Sirius in the chest, his hand still holding the Quidditch Shirt.
"Yeah. What the fuck is your shirt doing in her hands?" he growled.
Sirius chuckled. "Wouldn't you like to know?" he pushed.
Wood took a step closer. They were now nose to nose. Sirius' eyes still glittered. He didn't seem bothered in the slightest. Rachel's eyes caught his, pleading with him not to reveal their secret. A blink from Sirius confirmed that he wouldn't, and the dark haired Marauder turned back to the Gryffindor Beater, smiling arrogantly.
"Wood, back off." Rachel pleaded.
Wood whirled to face her. "Or maybe you'd care to tell me?" he growled.
Rachel flinched.
"I think that's between me and Jay, don't you?" Sirius answered for her.
James put a hand on Remus' shoulder. He wasn't comfortable with the way Wood was looking at Sirius.
"That's the point Black, there's nothing between you and Jay." To emphasise his point, Wood poked Sirius in the chest again. "In fact, this is just between her," Wood grabbed Rachel's shoulder as she attempted to slip past him, "and me."
Sirius didn't like that. He stepped into Wood's path as he moved to exit the room, hand still on the blue haired girl. Wood pushed Sirius, making the Marauder take a step backward. Righting himself, Sirius took a step forward before smiling, chuckling and then launching himself at the Gryffindor Beater. He caught Wood around the waist, forcing him backwards and onto the floor. Rachel's arm was yanked backwards and she landed with a thump on the carpet next to the grappling pair. Remus was at her side in an instant.
James rushed forward and pulled Sirius off Wood before he could do any serious damage.
"Easy Padfoot. Not now."
Wood got up off the floor, sniggering. "Listen to him, Black."
"Get out Wood." James snarled at him. "Before we both do you some damage."
Sirius looked at his best friend. The Head Boy glared at Wood, daring him to come closer.
Wood threw Sirius' shirt at his feet and stormed away up the stairs.
(Read, review and have a Merry Christmas! Raven x.)