Chapter 38

Sirius didn't even bother to get himself any food. He was too busy watching the entrance to the Great Hall to even bother eating anything.

"Sirius, you have to eat." James coaxed.

"No."

"You're being an idiot." Cassie said, dishing him out some of everything on the table. She had joined the boys and Lily over at the Gryffindor table today.

"I'm not hungry."

"She'll be here soon, she just wanted to drop off that bag of hers." Remus pointed out.

"I know. And I'll wait. Thanks anyway." Sirius said, trying to be polite despite the fact that he was barely paying attention.

Earlier that day, Cassie had passed on Rose's misgivings to him. About how nervous she was that she was just a passing fancy. He was going to try, one last time. Even if talking to her was one of the things he wasn't supposed to do.

After tonight, he would be content to wait until she was ready. But he had to assure her that he was changing. He was doing everything in his power to be a better man. And he may have been doing it because of her…but he was also doing if for her.

He had to tell her that.

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Rose wrapped one of her many badly made sweaters about her small frame, cinching it tight with a belt. She'd changed from her uniform, but she felt a bit more comfortable this way. Which was rather odd, since her regular clothing usually made her feel just the opposite. Usually, it made her feel even more out of place.

Had she really changed so much in the course of the last few months?

Yes. Yes, she really had. She'd made new friends, strengthened her relationship with old ones, and had pulled through some truly horrible times. And somewhere in the middle of it all, she'd come to realize something.

She actually liked herself for who she was. She was proud of her parents for standing up for a dream that may never come true. She was proud to be a Hufflepuff. She was proud that she could keep her mouth shut, but she could also stand up for herself when she had to.

So what if it had taken her six years and half a dozen other people to help her realize it?

The point was, she knew it now. And it was time for her to take that newfound confidence and do something with it.

She entered the great hall and blinked in confusion when she didn't see the girls sitting at the Ravenclaw table. She glanced over to see them at the Gryffindor table instead, just in time to also see Sirius shooting to his feet.

She had to hold back an amused giggle when he moved right over the top of the table rather than go around it, almost stepping on Remus's plate in the process. And as he hurried along the room to stand before her, everyone started looking around to see what the fuss was about. At the moment though, Rose couldn't care less that they had an audience.

"Hi." He said, a bit hesitantly.

"Hello." She replied.

"Look…Rose." He spouted, looking like he wasn't about to hold anything back. "I know you said that you didn't want me to talk to you anymore. And I know that you probably don't want me to rush you into a decision or anything. And I'm not! Just so you know."

He took a deep breath and went on. "I just wanted to tell you that my feelings haven't changed since the dance. Not going away at least. I think they may have actually gotten stronger if anything, despite everything that's happened and-"

Rose's giggling stopped him short and she tried to bite them back.

"Is…something funny?"

Rose smiled up at him and he blinked in surprise. "Sirius…I actually came here looking to talk to you." She admitted.

"Oh…really?"

"Yeah."

"What about?"

"Well…" she glanced to her left and saw her friends at the table watching. Peter and James were grinning and nudging each other, thinking they were being sneaky about it. Lily was chewing her lip without knowing it again, though she grinned and nodded at her glance. Remus and Cassie – who were almost certainly holding hands beneath the table the way their arms were angled – were both smiling encouragingly as well.

She was happy to know that this time around, she had their support.

"Sirius… You once told me that I should live more spontaneously. That I should live every day as if it were my last. Do you remember?"

"Yeah." He said. Somehow, he didn't seem to understand where she was taking this. "It was Christmas day, after you told me about your parents."

"Exactly. Well, this is a little different."

"What do you mean?"

"If I were to die tomorrow, there is only one thing I would regret not doing today."

He looked curious, though still confused. "What's that?"

At the moment, Rose did something even she had never before considered doing. But it just seemed like the right thing to do.

She grabbed his red and gold tie, and pulled him down into a kiss.

The great hall suddenly held a miniature explosion as she let him go, as everyone turned to their neighbors to talk about this surprising development. Half the females were groaning in despair, but Rose and Sirius could hear their friends cheering over at the Gryffindor table.

Sirius's eyes popped open in surprise as he felt her release the silk tie, looking down at her. She wore an expression of mixed pride, fear, and hope. It was the last emotion that exploded in his heart like a firework.

Rather than reply in words, he simply reached out to gently cup her cheeks, and leaned down to kiss her once again.

Rose sighed happily against his lips, feeling her heart swell with happiness. His hesitance was gone, and she couldn't find the will to mind it at all. In fact…she really liked this confident side of him. Especially when it came to her.

By the time he pulled away, Sirius could tell that Rose was nothing short of dazed, but she shook it off with a happy smile. The pair of them looked at the chaos of the dining hall and grinned at each other, deciding that the damage was done for the night.

"Come on." He whispered, taking her hand and pulling her from the room. As if it was planned, they both crossed the Entrance Hall and left the castle, aiming for the greenhouses. Without saying a word, they both knew they were going to go climb onto the roof of the largest one.

"That went better than last time." He teased, grinning down at her. Rose had to blush even as she laughed.

"Last time, you put me on the spot and I panicked." She pointed out. "This time, I was better prepared."

"Well that's no fun." He whispered, stopping and scooping her into his arms and spinning around, kissing her firmly before he set her down once more.

She weaved a bit and gripped his hand, glaring up at him. "And that's cruel."

"Exactly." He said smugly, leaning down to kiss her once more. Rose sighed happily and let her eyes flutter closed, just letting the warm feeling spread over her like melting butter.

"I can't tell you how many times I've daydreamed of this." She whispered when he pulled away again. He chuckled and pulled her along as she mentally tried to remind her legs how they were supposed to work.

"And is it what you hoped it would be?"

"No." she whispered.

He sent her a look and she grinned up at him, squeezing his fingers.

"It's better."

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I know not a whole lot happened last chapter, but I figured it was worth more than the two reviews I got O.o I hope people aren't getting bored of this story! Especially considering what happened in this one!

As well as the fact that there's only 2 chapters left after this...Yup, 40 chapters exactly. So please please pleeeeease review and tell me your thoughts and feelings and reactions, I'd love to know what everyone has thought of this chapter! I've had it planned from the beginning pretty much :D

Your Hopeful Authoress,

Whisperwings