A/N: So I'm giving all of you a special treat today because I haven't been publishing (at least not on this story) for a while. TWO CHAPTERS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE! Also, I realized that this chapter is super short (like less than 1,400 words short) and there was a really huge cliffhanger at the end. So I didn't want to torture you that much. So Happy Smoke and Mirrors Day! I got you two chapters for the occasion. How about you give me two reviews to celebrate? (And yes, Smoke and Mirrors Day is a thing...a very obscure thing, but a thing none the less).

I woke up a couple hours later like someone had screamed in my ear. I rolled over and looked at my clock. I had been asleep for about six hours. I sighed, realizing that I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. I rolled out of bed and got dressed as quietly as I could. I went downstairs and sat in front of the fireplace. There were a few coals still glowing, but I quickly prodded the fire back to life. The sky was growing lighter outside, but the fire was casting a warm glow around the room. I curled up against the arm of the couch and I let my mind go blank.

After an indeterminable amount of time, I heard someone come down the stairs. I looked and saw Sirius. He looked up and saw me and seemed surprised. We didn't speak but just stared at each other for a moment. Then he went into the kitchen. I turned back to the fire and I heard him shuffling around. I dozed again for a while.

"Do you want some?" I heard Sirius ask suddenly.

I jumped and looked back at him.

"Tea? Do you want some tea?" he asked clarifying.

I shrugged and he pulled out another cup from the cupboard. I turned back to the fire. A few moments later, Sirius came back over to the couch and handed me a cup of tea. I smiled slightly as I took it and Sirius sat down on the other end of the couch. I took a tentative sip of my tea. It was just sweet enough and just cool enough, just the way I liked it.

"Did you have another nightmare?" Sirius asked.

I looked at him pointedly, clearly saying 'what do you think?' before turning back to the fire. He sighed and set his cup on the coffee table in front of us. He leaned back, stretching one arm out on the back of the couch. His fingertips came within inches of my head.

"Look, I can't stand us not talking. We were too good of friends before we ever dated for us to be like this." Sirius said, looking at me.

He sounded a little frustrated, but his face read sincere. I sighed and looked into my tea. This was true, no matter how much I hated to admit it. There were times when I missed the light banter Sirius and I used to have when we were just friends. I was silent for long enough that Sirius picked up his cup of tea again.

"Yes, I think so." I said in a very soft voice.

Sirius nearly choked on the sip of tea he had just taken. "What?" he coughed, obviously taken by surprise that I actually answered him.

"I think I did have another nightmare. I woke up very suddenly, but I can't remember what it was I dreamed about. I never can." I said.

I held my teacup in both of my hands, its warmth a pleasant sensation against my skin.

"Have you considered talking to Dumbledore? Maybe he can help." Sirius said compassionately.

I scoffed. "I don't want to be seen as a problem or a nutter." I said with an ironic chuckle.

"If it matters, you could never be a nutter to me or any of our friends." Sirius mumbled.

I almost didn't hear him, but I looked at him curiously. "It matters, but I still couldn't do it. I'll just suffer through it." I said with a sigh. I looked back at the fire.

"I know you will; you always do. Merlin knows I don't know how, but you do." Sirius said.

I could feel his gaze on the side of my face. I turned and, sure enough, he was smiling at him. I returned his smiled slightly. We sat there in silence, just drinking our tea and watching the fire. Long after we finished the tea, we still sat there. Light started leaking into the room and the fire was dying, but I couldn't bring myself to get up and ruin the easy silence between Sirius and me. It was the best things between Sirius and I had been since we broke up.

But then the clock struck ten and I sighed. I had to go meet Cloud. I stretched out my legs and then stood up. As I stood up, Sirius also stood and followed me into the kitchen. We both put our cups in the sink and we stood for a moment, just looking at each other. I studied his eyes, amazed like I always was at how much depth there was in his stormy grey eyes.

"I have to—"

"I'm sorry for—"

We both tried talking at the same time. I flushed and I saw a hint of color to his cheeks.

"You first." He said quickly.

"Not you. It sounded important." I said just as quickly.

"I just wanted to sat I'm sorry for being a git. I know it sounds sort of lame, but I thought I should say it anyway." Sirius said.

He didn't look at me and rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. He was turning slightly redder and he was shuffling his feet. I put my hand on his hand that was resting on the edge of the sink. He looked at me, and I saw that his eyes were slightly watery.

"It's a start." I said with a kind smile.

Sirius smiled back at me and time seemed to slow down. But then someone came bounding down the stairs loudly. Sirius and I jumped apart, both of us blushing. We saw James standing there, looking happy.

"Morning. Oh good, you put the kettle on." He said with a happy sigh.

He walked to the stove where the kettle was. I looked back at Sirius and found that he was staring at me. I flushed a light pink.

"I have to go meet Cloud." I said after a moment of awkward silence.

"Yeah, you should go. Don't want to be late." Sirius said with almost a forced casual air.

I sort of half smiled and scooted out of the kitchen and out of the tower. The sun was shining through the windows. I sighed and walked quickly through the halls. Sirius's behavior both last night and this morning was confusing and I wanted to discuss it with Cloud. Plus, I needed to see if he knew how to contact any of his old friends to possibly join the Order. I reached his office and I opened the door without knocking, like I always did. He was expecting me, so there was no need. I was met with a most surprising sight.

My brother was standing in the middle of the room, very close to another man. They moved slightly and I saw that it was our old friend, Zac. They were locked in a tight embrace; Zac's hands were in Cloud's hair and Cloud's hands were on Zac's jaw line. They shifted again and I saw that they were connected at the lips, and they were kissing rather passionately. My jaw dropped and it practically snapped off with the sudden force. My eyes were the size of dinner plates as I watched my big brother and his best friend make out. They went on for an astonishingly long time; I actually was rather impressed with their fervor. But eventually they did pull apart to look into each others eyes with all of the love in the world trapped in their gaze. Cloud's eyes darted away for a moment, and he spotted me. A look of pure horror struck his face and he jumped away from Zac. Zac turned and I saw his expression go from mildly confused and concerned to the same look of horror.

A/N: At this point, I'm going to have to ask something that most writers do not normally do. I have to ask you, as a reader, not to review if you have a problem with this twist in the story. If you wish to comment positively about this, then I will allow it. But I must ask that anyone that wishes to discuss this further matter further contact me via Private Message. I wish this story to be a safe, positive place for everyone, regardless of race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation, and I hope that you will respect that.