Chapter 10: Too Close

Sirius laughed at something James said as they made their way to the Great Hall with their fellow sixth years. The whole year had been called to gather together during their first free period of the day, but no one knew why. Guesses ranged from NEWT examinations being brought forward, to a spring themed ball, to some students panicking that they would be forced to leave Hogwarts and join the war.

"Welcome, students." McGonagall called from the front of the hall, beckoning everyone forward. "Please seat yourselves quickly so we can begin." Sirius noticed the other Heads of Houses were present, but no other teachers or students.

A blend of nervous and excited chatter filled the room as everyone settled. Sirius was one of the last to enter, so he put himself next to James and opposite Peter and Remus. He could see Gemma and Alice a few seats up the table, talking to Lily and Mary opposite them.

"Sixth years." The hall fell silent as McGonagall spoke. "In three weeks - on the final day of March – you will be set a challenge. An intricately designed maze will be constructed within Hogwarts grounds, filled with tasks designed to test everything you have learned this year and in prior years."

An excited murmur filled the room and Sirius grinned at his friends. This was going to be fun.

"Let's hope there's a prize for the winner." James said quietly as he leaned in to Sirius. "Gryffindor's got to take this."

"You will not be completing the maze alone." McGonagall continued. "You will complete the maze in your current House-based pairing."

Sirius nodded to himself. He could live with that.

"Great." James grumbled. "No doubt I'll end up 'lost' and Alice will make it out safely." Sirius laughed. James loved to talk about the animosity between him and Alice, but deep down they both obviously liked and respected each other.

As McGonagall continued to talk about the logistics of the maze and the types of tasks they should expect, Sirius glanced at Gemma. As if sensing he was looking, she turned her head and smiled at him. He grinned back. This was going to be fun. And they would definitely win.

"There are no winners." McGonagall announced, as if hearing his thoughts. "However, depending on your time completing the full maze; the number of requests for help you need; and whether you choose the most efficient solution to each task, all will roll into an overall score that will count towards your final NEWT results."

Sirius saw Gemma take a deep breath and he shook his head. No doubt she was going to get stressed over the maze now she knew it contributed to her NEWTs. The girl needed to relax more.

Sirius was practically pulled from his seat by James as they were all dismissed by McGonagall. Most students remained inside the Great Hall though, talking. Remus and Peter had been called over by Lily, so James and Sirius stood to one side. Sirius could feel the excitement bouncing around them.

"Shame there isn't going to be a winner." James grinned at him. "Alice and I would have it hands down."

Sirius grinned back. "You don't stand a chance against Gemma and I. We'd wipe the floor with you." They both laughed and continued trading friendly insults, then glanced over to see if Peter and Remus would be joining them soon.

Sirius noticed a Hufflepuff student – Joe Hoszek – approach Gemma and watched as he pulled her away from the group. No doubt trying to get her alone.

Sirius had never really noticed before whether Gemma had gotten much attention from boys; he just assumed she did because she was hot. But after she had revealed that Ivan had been her very first kiss, he'd started to rack his brain for a memory of her ever being with someone. And no memory came to mind.

Since Ivan though, it was clear that the guys in school were interested. It had only been a week, but he'd already seen three guys approach her, and now Hoszek was number four. Sirius didn't like it. He wasn't sure why – maybe because he could sense she didn't like it – but he had an overwhelming urge to tell these guys to back off.

A movement caught Sirius's eye and he realised Remus was walking towards him. Remus turned to look at whatever Sirius was staring at – Gemma – then turned back. "She's become quite popular lately."

"She really has." James said, also looking over at her. "She's got them lining up."

Sirius watched as Gemma shook her head at Hoszek, then turned back to her friends. She looked uncomfortable, especially when Mary appeared to be pestering her for details.

Sirius frowned, but Remus chuckled slightly. "I'm not sure she wants them to be, though."

James shrugged. "The burden of being attractive and available, I guess. Hodgkins and Garrett were talking about her at practice the other day." Sirius turned to look at James, not liking where the conversation was going. "Hodgkins reckons he can get a snog out of her before our next Hogsmeade visit, but Garrett bet him four galleons he would snog her before the final match."

James laughed but Sirius didn't find it funny. "James."

"That's not funny, James." Remus said at the exact same time. "You shouldn't let Gemma get used like that."

James held up his hands. "I didn't make the bet. Besides, Gemma will just tell them both to fuck off. She doesn't need me coming to her rescue."

"No, but you shouldn't have let them make the bet. It's crude. And they look up to you."

James sighed. "I'll talk to them."

Remus nodded, seeming to accept James's response, but Sirius was still annoyed. He'd have to keep an eye on Gemma and make sure no one took advantage. He might even have a word with Hodgkins and Garrett himself; let them know exactly what he thought of their little bet. They might be the Gryffindor Beaters – so taller and heavier than him – but they were still fifth years who had a lot to learn.

Peter walked over at that point, followed closely by the girls. Sirius made his way to Gemma. "You excited?"

She smiled at him. "Very. It's going to be fun." She leaned in slightly. "And we are so going to win."

Sirius laughed loudly. He could always count on Gemma to be competitive. And he was very happy about that.

Gemma always enjoyed it when Sirius laughed. He had a nice laugh, and she particularly liked it when it was her who had caused it. No doubt he found it amusing that she wanted to win, despite there apparently being no winners.

When McGonagall had first explained about the maze, Gemma had experienced a roller-coaster of excitement and nerves. Her nerves had been driven by the fact that her performance would have an impact on her NEWT results, but eventually excitement had won out. Besides, she'd have Sirius by her side. He wouldn't let her fail.

Her friends were all excited too, although Mary slightly less so. She didn't like Defence Against The Dark Arts and she suspected this maze was going to be filled with tasks related to that subject. They had all tried to reassure her, but unfortunately Gemma had been pulled aside by Joe Hoszek – a boy she had never spoken to before – so she was unable to offer Mary her support.

Gemma sighed. Ever since she had spoken to Ivan the previous week and told him that she wanted to be nothing more than friends, she had become the centre of attention for some. It was annoying.

Her conversation with Ivan had been easy; she'd told him that she felt they were better as friends, and while he had disagreed, he had handled her rejection well. They hadn't spoken much since, but they were amicable.

Just one day after her talk with Ivan, his friend Martyn had approached her and asked if she wanted to go for a walk around the grounds. Gemma had almost agreed, foolishly thinking he had wanted to talk to her as a friend. But then he had leaned in slightly and his smile had told her he had other things on his mind. Gemma shuddered at the memory.

Since then, a few more boys had approached her and even more had been looking at her differently. Before Ivan, no one had looked at her and no one had approached her. Now she was inviting attention and she hated it. She wasn't even that pretty.

Her dull blonde hair was neither curly or straight; her eyes were a simple blue; and while she was slim, she didn't have the wide hips or large breasts that always featured in Mary's novels.

She just wanted to go back to normal; where she ignored everyone and everyone ignored her. She didn't regret spending time with Ivan – he had, after all, been her very first kiss – but the experience had also shown her that she really needed to wait until she found the right person. Someone who would bring passion and excitement to her life. Someone who would make her heart race, her insides melt and her toes curl.

Merlin's Beard; she'd just finished another novel – where the heroine had been stolen from her home by a dark and dangerous pirate captain – and Gemma would be lying if she said she hadn't had a few enjoyable dreams after that.

But, she was not going to find that person when she was just sixteen – almost seventeen – and certainly not at Hogwarts. No, her priority was still getting into the Auror programme, still fulfilling her childhood dream, and once she had accomplished that, she could see about adding some passion to her life.

"Hogwarts to Gemma." Sirius's hand waved in front of Gemma's face, and she snapped out of her thoughts.

"Oh, sorry." She shook herself; she was still in the Great Hall, surrounding by her friends.

Sirius laughed. "You looked a little lost then. Thinking about something fun?"

Gemma fought the blush that was creeping over her face. No way could she admit her thoughts to Sirius. She shook her head. "Just thinking about the maze."

Sirius nodded to their group of friends. "I think some of them are planning on us working together to prepare. Help each other out as a large group, rather than just go off as pairs."

Gemma nodded slowly. She was ok with that, but didn't want to spend all her time preparing with others. "That should be good. Although I think I'd still like us to work alone sometimes. We're ahead on some spells, behind on others. I don't want to miss anything."

Sirius grinned and leaned in. "We're not behind on much, but I know what you mean. I don't want to work in a big group either."

Gemma smiled, and watched their friends start to file out of the Great Hall. Gemma followed with Sirius next to her. "We'll put our time in with the group, then we can disappear. No doubt Alice will want to do the same too."

Sirius nodded. "And James. I suspect Mary might be driving this need for a larger group. I know she struggles with Defence."

"She does. Except, she can do it. She just doesn't like it. She hates confrontation and she hates seeing people injured or hurt. I think she holds herself back."

"We'll all do what we can to boost her confidence." Sirius said, and Gemma smiled at his considerate words. "Peter has her back too. He's a good friend."

Gemma straightened her spine. "Again."

It had been a couple of weeks since Gemma and her fellow students had been told about the upcoming maze, and most of their free time had gone to practice. They knew the tasks on the day would cover all subjects - from Transfiguration to Charms to Potions - and their professors had been open about the types of spells they should expect.

Most mornings during their free periods, Gemma and Sirius would work with their six friends before heading off for their own individual practice. They would often sit up in the Astronomy Tower or find an old classroom to practice in, either performing the required spells or just discussing and agreeing the most efficient approach to take.

Most of the time, they agreed with each other, but on the rare occasion when they didn't, they had flipped a coin to decide. They both agreed it was better that way, as opposed to an argument, which was likely given neither was willing to back down.

Sirius chuckled at her from across the room. "Are you sure?"

They were practicing various defensive spells in an old classroom, as Professor Seymour had announced in class that they should all be prepared. Straight after dinner, Sirius and Gemma had gone to practice. Sirius had been hitting her with attacking spells for the last hour and while she was very quick to deflect, her protection shield wasn't very good.

Gemma nodded in response. "Yes. Keep going."

Sirius smiled as he raised his wand. "The problem is Gem, you need to put more weight behind it." He blasted an attack at her, which she deflected. "You're quick to deflect..." Sirius repeated the attack, and Gemma pushed it away. "…but you need to hold up a shield for longer."

In two quick movements, Sirius attacked and Gemma was forced to put up a shield. And Sirius was right. Gemma held it in place, but she could feel herself weakening under the pressure.

"Put one of your feet behind you." Sirius ordered, and Gemma complied. "Use that foot as leverage. Lean forward, push into the force." Gemma followed his order again. "That's it. Almost to the point where you think you're going over." Gemma did it, but it felt uncomfortable. Unnatural. "That's it. Don't worry, you won't fall. Trust me."

Gemma continued to follow his instructions until she found herself unable to hold the shield any longer. She buckled. "Fuck."

Sirius put down his wand and walked over to her. They both perched on one of the desks. "You did good, Gem. You held it for longer than you usually do."

Gemma smiled. "Thanks. I'm really grateful for your advice. Your shield is one of the best I've seen."

"Happy to help. And you are helping me with my deflection technique, so it's the least I can do." He paused for a moment. "It's late. We can try again tomorrow though."

Gemma looked at the time. It was late and they would need to head back soon to meet curfew. Except Gemma really wanted to stay and practice again. She sighed slightly. "Yeah, I suppose we should head back. Except…" She paused. Should she suggest they stay late and risk getting caught? They could get into a lot of trouble.

Sirius grinned at her and nudged her slightly. "Gemma Arwin, are you thinking what I think you're thinking?"

Gemma laughed. "Depends. What do you think I'm thinking?"

"I think you want to be a troublemaker and skip curfew. I think maybe I've been a bad influence on you."

Gemma grinned and nudged Sirius back. "You're a bad influence on everyone." She took a deep breath. "But yes; I do want to stay and keep practicing. Do you think we'd be able to sneak back later? Do you think we'll get caught?"

Sirius pulled a piece of parchment from his pocket and waved it in the air. "I've got the map, so we'll be absolutely fine." He stood up, returned to his wand, and cast the charm to reveal its contents. Then he laid it out on the desk next to him. "I'll keep an eye on it as we practice, and we can use it later to get back safe and sound."

Gemma stood up too and grinned. "Excellent. Thank you."

Sirius nodded and they began to practice again.

A couple of hours later, Gemma stood in the corridor outside the classroom, waiting for Sirius to close and lock the door. She crossed her arms and rubbed her palms over the tops of her arms. She was only in her school shirt, tucked into her skirt, and she was cold.

Sirius smiled as he watched her, but didn't say anything. He showed her the map, the tip of his wand lit up. "We're clear. Filch is on this floor but heading in the opposite direction, and McGonagall is in her office. We'll keep checking, but I reckon we're good to go."

Gemma nodded and together they walked through the quiet corridors of Hogwarts. Gemma had never been out this late before. Hints of moonlight shone through the large windows illuminating some of the space, but mostly she could only see a few steps in front of her. Sirius had his wand lit, but they had agreed she wouldn't in case it was too bright. As they turned down a corridor with fewer windows, Gemma felt herself lean towards Sirius, as if seeking something to hold on to as she stepped through the darkness.

They kept their conversation light, whispering about the maze, the challenges, how their friends were getting on. They both agreed that Alice and James were a strong pairing, and Gemma reminded Sirius that they shouldn't ever underestimate Remus and Lily.

Distracted by a window in front of her which was reflecting the moonlight in a beautiful pattern on the ground, Gemma missed the exclamation from Sirius.

Suddenly, his hand was wrapped around her arm and he was pulling her to the side. Gemma almost stumbled, then saw the movement of a statue in front of her, before she was pushed into a small space. In a heartbeat, she was returned to that evening where Avery had grabbed her and forced her down the passageway.

As her body went ice cold, Gemma forced herself to take a deep breath. She was with Sirius. Deep breath. He wouldn't hurt her. Deep breath. He would be doing this for a reason.

"Gemma?" Strong hands held her face, tilting her up to look into dark grey eyes. "Breathe, Gem." Sirius's voice was a whisper, barely audible. "I'm sorry, but Filch is close and we need to hide."

Gemma stared at Sirius and felt herself calm. She placed her hands over his. "I'm ok." She whispered back, unsure just how close Filch was. "I'm sorry. I panicked, but I'm ok."

"Don't be sorry. It's understandable you'd panic." Sirius removed his hands from her face. "I'm sorry I grabbed you like that, but I couldn't risk it."

Gemma nodded and continued to stare up at him. He was so close in the tight space; his body in front of her radiated heat; his scent, which was fast becoming one of her favourite scents, surrounded her; his beautiful, piercing eyes stared straight through her. He was so attractive. So strong and male.

Gemma shook herself. She shouldn't be having those thoughts.

Sirius looked away and pulled out the map from his pocket. It was so dark Gemma could only just make out his features and only because he was so close. She had no idea how he would be able to read the tiny writing on the map.

Sirius was once again grateful for his excellent night-vision. One of the perks of being an animagus; he was able to see better in the dark.

He stared at the map. Filch was standing in the corridor, close to the statue they were currently hiding behind. It was a small space built into the wall, and was completely hidden from the outside. Luckily it opened from the inside as well, otherwise they'd be stuck there all night.

Sirius watched as Filch moved up and down the corridor. Damn. Clearly he suspected someone was around otherwise he would have moved on already. Sirius frowned. Maybe they had been talking too loudly. He'd been so caught up in their conversation he'd forgotten to check the map. He'd looked down and suddenly seen Filch walking at pace towards them.

Sirius looked back at Gemma who was still staring at him. Merlin's Beard, why had he grabbed her like that? And then forced her into a tiny space behind a statue? She must have thought back to that night when Avery and Mulciber had attacked her. Sirius cursed himself. He was an idiot.

"You definitely ok?" He kept his voice to a low whisper, knowing Gemma would do the same.

She smiled at him and he was relieved to see it was genuine. "I'm fine." She looked at the map but was obviously unable to see anything. "Is he still out there? Can you even see anything?"

"I can see. And yes; he's pacing the corridor. I think he may have heard us talking, or saw the light. We'll have to stay here for a little while."

"Ok."

They stood there – waiting – and Sirius focused on the map. Filch had now paused at the end of the corridor. Once he turned, they'd be able to get out quickly and head in the opposite direction.

Suddenly he started to feel movement from Gemma. She seemed to be pushing herself against him. The space between them was tight, and every time she pushed her hips forward, he felt her press up against his groin.

"What are you doing?"

Gemma sighed. "There's a stone in the wall that's pressing into my back. It's really annoying." She pushed her hips forward again and Sirius held back a groan as she rubbed against him. "I'm trying to avoid it."

Gemma continued to wriggle and Sirius forced himself to ignore it. Whenever he kissed a girl, there was always an element of touching involved, particularly when the female he was with would rub herself up against him. And while his body always reacted, it had often taken a fair amount of revealed skin to really get him going.

But somehow, Gemma's indelicate grinding - which wasn't even directed at him - was driving him insane; he could feel his arousal growing, his trousers tightening. Without thinking, he shoved the map in his pocket and grabbed her hips; he needed to stop her movements before he embarrassed himself.

He heard a hitch in her breath as he pulled her forward, closing the gap between them. One of his hands moved around her body, and he placed his palm on the small of her back, the back of his hand resting against the rough wall behind. He could feel the stone digging into his skin, but he barely noticed. He was too distracted by the soft feel of her against him, the sweet scent of oranges that were fast becoming his favourite fruit, and the cute, slightly startled look in her eyes.

"Wha… what are you doing?"

Sirius pressed his palm firmly against her back and pulled her in even tighter. He was torturing himself but he couldn't seem to stop. "I'm saving you." He smiled at her. "I'm sacrificing my hand for your comfort."

Gemma laughed quietly, and she sounded nervous. "Oh. Well, thank you." She placed her hands on his arms, then up to his shoulders, then back to his arms. Then she dropped them.

He smiled again. "You can touch me, Gem. I won't bite."

Merlin's Beard, why had he said that? He suddenly couldn't shake the image that filled his mind; him kissing her neck, sucking and nibbling on her soft skin. His cock thickened and he forced himself to think of something – anything – else.

He thought of James; Remus; Peter. He breathed a sigh of relief. That did it.

Gemma tentatively placed her hands back on Sirius's arms, acutely aware of how close they were to each other. His hand held her in place, her hips firmly pressed against his and she was certain she could feel the bulge of his…

She felt herself blush. She really shouldn't be thinking about that.

Ignoring the enticing feel of muscle under his shirt, Gemma found a comfortable place to rest her hands and took a deep breath. She was tired. She could feel her body soften and start to lean forward. She couldn't stop herself; she didn't want to stop herself. She closed whatever space there was left between them and leaned in completely.

Gemma felt Sirius tighten his arms around her; the hand that had been resting on her hip moving up her back to rest between her shoulder blades. His head fell forward slightly, and she could feel the press of his cheek against her hair. Gemma closed her eyes, and sank into the hug, enjoying the comfort. Moments passed in silence.

"This is nice." Gemma's eyes flew open as she realised she had spoken out loud. Heat rushed to her cheeks.

Before she could say anything else though, she felt Sirius smile. "It is."

Gemma pulled her head back slightly and looked up at him. He was so close; his mouth inches from hers; his scent overwhelming her; his eyes glittering in the darkness. She stared at his full lips, wondering what it would be like to be kissed by Sirius.

She had heard from Mary – who had heard from others – that Sirius was an excellent kisser. That he knew exactly what he was doing. That he could apparently make a girl come just from kissing her. Gemma ignored that rumour. She doubted that was even possible.

Drawing her eyes back to his, she saw he was looking at her mouth too. Was he going to kiss her? And did she actually want him to? Did she really want to take that step beyond friendship and risk the relationship they have with each other? Sirius was one of her best friends. How would things change if he kissed her?

Gemma felt herself pull back, just as Sirius muttered a curse and let her go. Suddenly she was standing apart from him, her back against the cold, hard wall; that damn stone pushing into her again.

Sirius pulled the map from his pocket and studied it. "Filch is gone. We should go."

Without looking at her, he pressed something on the wall and the statue slid open; he stepped out and Gemma followed. As she stepped back into the corridor, Gemma felt an instant chill and wrapped her arms around herself as she waited for Sirius to close up the hidden space. Once done, he turned to her.

For a moment, neither said anything. Gemma wondered what he was thinking; had he felt what she had felt? Had he wanted to kiss her but instantly questioned the impact it would have on their friendship? Or had he sensed she had wanted to kiss him and he'd been shocked – disgusted even – by the idea?

After all, Sirius was… Sirius. He was attractive and popular and he had kissed so many girls – experienced girls - and had apparently gone much further with most of them. Why would he want to kiss a girl who was only marginally pretty, wasn't very popular and had virtually no experience?

Gemma sighed. "Let's go."

She turned and walked away, trusting Sirius to follow her and guide her safely back to the common room. He may not want to kiss her, but he was still her friend and he would never leave her.

She sensed him walking just behind her, but he never sped up to walk with her. They walked back in silence and Gemma wondered if she had just ruined their friendship without even taking that final step.