Chapter 27: One Last Time

The following morning, Gemma rolled over in bed and pulled her duvet over her head. She wasn't ready for a new day. Her heart still hurt with the realisation that she was falling in love with Sirius, and she was at a complete loss over what to do.

She'd had an insane thought during the night – as she had tossed and turned in bed – that she should tell him. That maybe he could feel the same way about her. That maybe he'd wait for her while she went off to Auror training, like Alice had waited for Frank, and then they could be together.

She shook her head, just as she had in the night. None of that would happen. If she told him how she felt, he'd just pull away from her. He'd reject her. Sirius didn't want a relationship. He'd made that clear on so many occasions. Merlin, he didn't even believe in love.

Closing her eyes to fight the tears threatening to spill, Gemma scolded herself. How had she let this happen? How had she let her heart get involved when she'd promised herself it never would?

"Gemma, are you awake?" Alice's whispered question broke through her haze of emotion. She contemplated pretending to still be asleep, but she'd have to face her friends eventually.

She turned slightly and pulled the cover off her face. Only Alice was in the room; the other two must have gone down to breakfast already. "I'm awake. Morning."

"Morning. Are you ok?"

The look of concern on Alice's face almost unravelled her. But she composed herself. "I'm fine. Tired."

"I heard you moving a lot in the night. Did you not sleep well?"

"No. Sorry if I kept you up."

Alice shook her head. "You didn't. What time did you get into bed? You were asleep when I came up at ten."

Gemma gave Alice a small smile. "About nine." As soon as she'd run from Sirius after healing him, Gemma had crawled into bed, needing to hide from the world. Unfortunately, she hadn't been able to hide from her damn mind.

"That's early. Were you feeling ok?"

Gemma sat up and debated whether she should admit the truth. Alice already knew Gemma's feelings were confused. And she'd know soon enough that things between her and Sirius were well and truly over. Because there was no way Gemma could continue having sex with Sirius; not when it would always mean so much more to her than it would to him. She respected herself too much to do that to herself.

She shook her head and fought back tears. "No. I wasn't ok."

"Oh, Gemma. What happened?" Alice came over to her bed and sat on the edge. "Is it… is it Sirius?"

Gemma nodded. "I've been feeling so confused, but then last night, he came back to the common room injured after being attacked by Smethyck and Garth." Alice's eyes widened but she didn't say anything. Gemma continued. "I don't really know what happened. He didn't say much, but I think he fought back and Smethyck and Garth both ended up in the hospital wing."

"Woah."

"Yeah. When he came in, there was so much blood and he had a horrid bruise on his cheek and his clothes were torn. I felt sick. It was awful seeing him like that. I healed him up and… and I just realised…" She paused and took a steadying breath. Somehow, admitting the truth took more courage than she had expected. "I realised that I'm… I'm falling for him." She sighed. "In fact, I think I've already fallen."

Alice didn't say anything, but she did wrap her arm around Gemma and pull her in for a hug. Gemma leaned into the embrace, closing her eyes, wishing she didn't feel so helpless.

"Are you going to talk to him?" Alice asked. "Tell him how you feel. He might feel the same way."

Gemma scoffed and pulled back. "He doesn't. He doesn't believe in love, and you know as well as I do that he doesn't want a relationship. The reason things were going so well between us was because it was so easy. We had no expectations of each other. But… here we are." She shrugged, feeling like a fool. She'd ruined everything. Things had been going great; their friendship was strong, the sex was amazing, and everything was so easy and simple.

"What will you do then?" Alice asked now. "If you won't tell him how you feel, are you just going to carry on as before? Surely…"

Gemma shook her head and interrupted Alice. "No. I can't carry on as we were." She took another deep breath. "I need to end it."

"Surely he'll ask you why you're ending it?"

Gemma nodded. She had thought about this all night, and she knew exactly what she needed to do. "He will. But I'll remind him that we have to end at some point, and with exams coming up, it may as well be now. You know as well as I do that I need to focus on my NEWTs. Maybe this is all for the best. Maybe I can now concentrate on getting the results I need, then I can disappear for a year and focus on what really matters. What will make me truly happy." She forced a smile on to her face and told herself a practiced lie. "I'll get over this. I'll get over Sirius."

Alice smiled back, but Gemma could tell it was just as forced. "You will. You don't need Sirius. You don't need anyone. You're going to become an Auror and you're going to be happy."

Gemma felt another emotional wave hit her and pushed her tears away again. She would be happy. She would be. She just needed to get away from Hogwarts. Away from Sirius.

But first… she needed to have the conversation with Sirius that ended things. She needed to get it done. And Merlin's Beard, she suddenly needed to get it done right now.

"What are you doing?" Alice asked as Gemma leapt out of bed and rushed into the bathroom.

"I'm getting washed and dressed." She called back to her friend. "I need to speak to Sirius. I need to get this conversation over with so I can focus on everything else. I've been distracted for too long."

Washing herself quickly – not the most thorough wash, but it would do – she grabbed her clothes and managed to simultaneously dress and brush her teeth, before racing back into the bedroom.

"Are you sure, Gemma? You don't want to wait a little while. You might feel differently…"

"No." Gemma said firmly, interrupting Alice again. "I've spent all night thinking about this, and I've spent the last few days getting lost in my own head as I try to work out what I'm feeling. I finally know what I'm feeling. And as much as it is killing me right now…" Gemma paused and took another steadying breath. "As much as it is killing me, I have to do this. Now. Because if I don't…" Gemma shook her head, tears forming again. If she didn't end it now, she wondered if she ever would.

"I understand." Alice said quietly, before standing up and taking her hand. "Come on, let's go find him."

Gemma gave Alice a small smile and nod, and headed downstairs to the common room. She saw James immediately, sitting on the sofa, his arm wrapped around Lily, looking like a perfect, happy couple. Gemma ignored the twinge of jealously.

"James, do you know where Sirius is?"

James looked over his shoulder and smiled up at her. "Morning. Urm… he's still upstairs. He was slow getting out of bed. He should be down soon though."

Gemma nodded, but Alice tugged her back slightly. "Go up to him now. Remus and Peter are over there…" She nodded to the table in the corner where they were both sat with Mary. "…so he's alone. You don't want to have this conversation in front of everyone, do you?"

Gemma looked around the room. There weren't many places where they could talk privately, and definitely not without the risk of interruption. She could ask him to go with her somewhere private, but that would probably just lead them to one of their dorms anyway. She turned to Alice. "No, I don't. Ok, I'll head up there."

"I'll make sure you're not interrupted. That way you can have the conversation, then head back to our dorm if it all gets a bit too much. I'll stay by the stairs, in case you need me."

Gemma smiled at her friend. Alice was truly the best. "Thank you."

Giving her friend a quick hug, Gemma headed back up the stairs and turned towards the boys dorms. Taking yet another deep breath, she knocked on the door.

"Yeah?" Sirius's voice filtered through the door.

"It's me. Gemma. Can I… urm… come in?"

"Of course."

Gemma opened the door and stepped through, then froze. Sirius was standing across the other side of the dorm, just in front of the bathroom door. And he was naked. Well… naked with a towel wrapped around his waist.

Merlin's fucking Beard.

Gemma swallowed past the huge lump in her throat as she took in the sight of his naked torso, droplets of water running down his arms and chest and abs. All heading in one direction; to his impressive cock that she knew was just within reach under his towel.

Shit. She needed to get a grip on herself. She was here to end things. To pull so far away from Sirius that she could get over her feelings for him and move forward without him. She was not here to eye him up and think about his cock. In fact, she needed to never think about his cock again.

"Enjoying the view?"

Gemma's gaze flew up to meet Sirius's and her cheeks heated. His smirk told her everything; he'd seen her studying him.

She cleared her throat. "Sorry. I didn't mean to stare. I just… I wasn't expecting you to be naked."

He shrugged and moved towards her. "I don't mind. Besides, you've seen it all before." He reached her side, then reached behind her. The familiar click of the lock on the door had her heart speeding up. "And I assume it's why you're here?"

He was so close. His warm, naked body was inches from her own, the heat of him triggering a response deep in her core. His breath mingled with her own as his head inched closer and closer.

Gemma closed her eyes and pulled on every ounce of strength she possessed. "No." She felt him pull back slightly, and she opened her eyes. A small frown marred his handsome features. She needed to end this quickly, then she could escape. "I'm not here for sex. In fact, I don't think we should have sex anymore."

Sirius stepped further back and Gemma immediately felt cold from the distance between them. She wanted to reach for him, but she kept her hands at her side.

"Ok." He said, his expression neutral. Gemma's heart ached at how easily he accepted her decision. "Can I ask why?"

Nodding, Gemma tried to act casual. "Of course. We knew this would end at some point, what with us leaving Hogwarts and going our separate ways. I just think that with exams coming up and the need to focus on that, it's best we stop now. Otherwise it might get distracting, and I really can't fail any of my NEWTs." Gemma felt proud at how steady her voice had been. At how calm she appeared.

Sirius nodded, again appearing unbothered by her statement. "That makes sense. I'm easy. It was fun, but I get that you want to concentrate on your exams. I probably should too."

Gemma swallowed the lump in her throat. He was acting like they were discussing the weather. Like they were agreeing to simply cancel plans for a walk because it was raining. Gemma fought against the overwhelming urge to shout and scream and cry. Why didn't he care more? Why wasn't he begging her to carry on? Why wasn't he telling her that he loved her and he couldn't live without her?

That thought jarred in Gemma's mind and she realised she'd been secretly hoping he would reveal that he had feelings for her. That after pushing him away, he would pull her back in. But that wasn't to be. Sirius didn't love her. He never would.

Continuing with her false bravado, Gemma simply nodded. "Good."

For a short while, neither said anything further, and Gemma felt the awkwardness surround her, suffocate her. It had never felt like this with Sirius. She'd always been so sure of herself in his presence. Now she just felt like she was intruding. She almost laughed at herself. Of course she was intruding. She was in Sirius's dorm while he was half naked. She had no right to be there. Not anymore.

"I'll see you later, then." She turned quickly and reached for the door handle. Forgetting that Sirius had locked the door, she looked like a fool as she tried to open it and failed. Annoyed at herself for being an idiot, she fumbled with the lock, just as Sirius's palm pressed into the door beside her head, his warm body lightly pressed up against her back.

"Wait." His voice caressed against her skin and Gemma's heart picked up its pace. Her previously broken hopes of something more between them resurfaced as she waited for him to say more. "I can't remember our last time, Gemma. I think we were in here. Maybe. But I can't remember." He paused and Gemma frowned, unsure where Sirius was going with this. He sighed quietly behind her. "It would be a shame to not remember our last time."

Gemma closed her eyes, a new pain surfacing. She could remember their last time. It had been a Thursday, in this very room. He'd torn her clothes off so fast she'd had to repair the seams when she had returned to her dorm. He'd wasted no time with foreplay, thrusting straight into her body; she'd been that wet and ready. He'd rolled her on top and let her take over. She'd grinned at him as she tortured him with slow movements, until he'd playfully slapped her arse and she'd sped up. When they'd finished, he'd held his arm loosely around her shoulders as they talked about James making a fool of himself in Charms and Mary somehow making a potion quicker than Lily and Remus being oblivious to the sixth year who was obsessed with him.

It had been the perfect evening. And Sirius couldn't remember it.

Suddenly his fingers were brushing against her nape, brushing her hair aside. A moan slipped from her throat as his lips found the curve of her neck. Her traitorous body tingled under his touch, responding to him in every way, despite her mind warning her to pull back. His other hand cupped her jaw and he turned her face towards him. She should stop him.

She didn't.

Sirius took her lips and Gemma opened to him, allowing him inside, tangling her own tongue with his. She loved the flavour of him. Dark, spicy, with a hint of fresh mint. She turned fully towards him as he pressed her back against the door, his hands cupping her face, his fingers gripping her hair.

His lips left hers and made their way across her jaw, down her throat. "One last time, Gem. Let's make one last memory."

Gemma closed her eyes again, fighting the tears that threatened to fall. She wanted so much more than this. She deserved so much more than this.

But… she wanted one last time. She wanted one more memory. Even if it broke her heart to get it.

Sirius inhaled Gemma's delicious scent as he continued to kiss her soft neck. Fuck, she always tasted so good. He was going to miss this. He was going to miss her.

He'd known she was pulling away, had sensed that the end was coming sooner than them leaving Hogwarts. But he'd still been shocked when she'd walked in and told him they wouldn't have sex anymore. He'd managed to hide the wave of disappointment that had crashed down on him, and had acted calm and accepting. The last thing Gemma needed was him to beg her for more time. She'd made her decision, and he would respect that.

But fuck, he'd ask for one more time.

He'd lied when he'd said he couldn't remember their last time. He knew they'd been in his dorm. She'd been wearing this incredibly sexy, tight white t-shirt that he'd happily ripped from her body. He could still remember the sound of fabric tearing and her gasp of surprise. She'd been on top, and while the minx had teased him at first, she'd soon picked up her pace and driven them both to completion. It had been incredible. Then they'd chatted for hours about their friends.

Yeah. He could remember their last time. But he selfishly wanted more.

He lifted his head to look at her. Her eyes were bright, filled with lust and an emotion he couldn't read. "Gem?" She hadn't answered him yet. She hadn't agreed.

Slowly she nodded her head. "Yes." Then she rose up on her tiptoes, and pressed her lips to his.

Sirius growled deep in his throat as he took over, taking her mouth in a hungry kiss. If this was the last time, he wanted the taste of her seared into his memory. He reached for her top and lifted it up and off her body, breaking their kiss for only a moment. His hands trailed to her beautiful breasts, and he felt her nipples tighten through the fabric, pressing against his palms.

Her hands landed on his shoulders, running down his arms then back up and over his chest. He thrust his tongue further into her mouth as her hands wandered lower, until he felt them dance along the edge of his towel. He could be naked in moments, but she was too overdressed for his liking.

He pulled back and smiled at the tiny frown that flittered across her face. Then he reached for the remainder of her clothing, wasting no time in removing her bra, jeans and underwear. She grabbed at his towel, sending it flying to the ground, and suddenly they were both completely naked.

Sirius took Gemma's mouth again, thrusting deep with his tongue as his hands roamed her body. He squeezed her breasts, playing with her nipples until she moaned and writhed against him. He trailed his hands lower, over her slim waist and the slight flair of her hips. He sank his fingers into the soft flesh of her buttocks, pulling her tight against him, rubbing his aching hard cock against her stomach.

"Sirius."

Gemma's breathy moan almost undid him. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he lifted her against him and walked over to his bed. He dropped her down onto the soft mattress, loving the bounce of her breasts as she landed. He crawled over her and pushed her back, taking her lips once again.

Her thighs parted, and her legs wrapped around his hips as he rocked into her. But he wasn't ready to take her just yet. He trailed kisses along her jaw and neck, suckling her throat and nipping at the sensitive skin. She shivered and moaned and writhed beneath him, and he continued his caress of her body.

His lips found the curve of her breasts and he sucked one nipple, then the other, deep into his mouth. She arched against him, her fingers clawing at his back as he tortured her with pleasure.

Slowly he trailed his lips lower, under the curve of her breast, over her soft stomach, across her hip bone. He could smell her arousal, feel the heat of her as he kissed his way closer and closer to her core. But he didn't stop. Kissing the inside of her thighs, he heard Gemma's frustrated groan as he completely ignored her pussy and instead kissed down one thigh, then the other, before trailing kisses around the inside of her knees, her calves, her feet.

She was shaking and moaning and crying at him for release, but he wasn't going to give her that just yet. He wanted to torture her a little more. After all, she was the one ending things between them. It was the least she deserved.

Kissing his way back up her body, Sirius once again ignored her pussy. She screamed at him in annoyance, but he simply chuckled and continued with his ministrations. He kissed back around her stomach and breasts, then kissed over her shoulder and down her arms, biting into the delicate flesh at her wrists.

"Sirius. Please." She begged so sweetly. But he wasn't done yet. Gripping her hips, he flipped her over so she was flat on her stomach. "Sirius?" She looked over her shoulder at him, her expression slightly startled by her new position.

"I want to kiss all of you, Gem." He said, leaning back over her and kissing the nape of her neck. She closed her eyes and relaxed, so he pushed her hair out of the way and kissed along her shoulder blades, down her back and over the curve of her spine. She shivered under him, and he continued his journey, sinking his teeth into the soft flesh of her arse, eliciting a startled gasp. He chuckled against her flesh, wishing he had thought to do this sooner. Her backside was delicious.

Kissing down her legs, then back up again, he could hear her frustration before she even said anything. "Sirius! Please! You're killing me!"

There was so much emotion in her voice, he wondered if she was talking about something else, but he figured she was just too close to the edge. "Shhh." He said, leaning back over her and placing his hand between her thighs, not touching her core, but close. She wriggled her hips slightly, seeking his touch. "I'll take care of you. I just wanted to make sure you were really, really ready."

Before she could respond, he pressed his fingertip against her clit and she climaxed immediately, screaming out her release as she clutched tightly to the sheet in front of her. Sirius kept up the pressure and kissed her neck as her orgasm took over, her body shaking violently beneath him.

He reached into his bedside drawer and grabbed a condom, ripping the packet and rolling it on to his aching cock. He palmed the cheeks of her arse, wondering if he should take her like this. They hadn't yet tried this position, and he was reluctant to pass up the opportunity.

As if hearing his thoughts, Gemma widened her legs and wriggled her hips, lifting her backside towards him. She peered over her shoulder, her eyes glazed with lust. "I need you inside me."

He wasn't going to be told twice. Gripping her hips, he pulled her back towards him so she was up on her knees, her chest still flat against the bed, and he thrust inside.

"Fuck!" The new angle was incredible; he was so deep inside her. He pulled back, then thrust back in, holding Gemma's hips tightly as he slammed in and out of her supple, willing body. He took her hard, loving the sound of her moans filling the room, muffled only by the sheet as she clutched onto it tightly.

He was close. So was she. And as much as he was enjoying the position, he wanted to see her. He wanted to watch her face as she took her pleasure.

She whimpered as he pulled out of her, her disappointment clear as he turned her over. But he simply pushed her thighs wide and thrust straight back in, her back arching as she welcomed him inside her once again. He leaned over her, taking her in sharp, shallow thrusts as his mouth crashed over hers, his tongue mimicking the motion of his hips. She clawed at his back, running her fingers up to his nape, then tugging at his hair.

He tried to pull back, to see her face as their inevitable release inched closer and closer, but she held him firm. Gripping his hair tightly, forcing his face to stay buried within the crook of her neck, she cried out her release, her inner walls rippling around him, forcing his own climax from his body.

Sated and exhausted, Sirius sighed against Gemma's neck, inhaling her sweet scent. Merlin, he was going to miss this. Miss her.

Gemma took deep, panting breaths as her body melted into the bed. She continued to cling to Sirius, her hand a tight grip in his hair, forcing him away from being able to look at her. She couldn't let him see how much this moment meant to her. She couldn't let him see how broken she was.

Taking more deep breaths and composing her features, Gemma finally let go of him, allowing her hands to fall to her side. But Sirius didn't move, seeming to need an additional moment. It took all of Gemma's strength to not reach for him again.

Slowly, he pulled back, lifting himself off her body and twisting so he could remove his condom. Gemma took the opportunity to climb off the bed and began dressing. Focusing only on her task, she was fully dressed by the time she realised Sirius was still behind her, unmoving. She turned to him. He was naked on the bed, but his towel from earlier was draped over his lap.

"Rushing off so soon?" He asked, a small smile on his lips. Gemma couldn't read his expression. It was a strange mix of humour and confusion.

She shrugged slightly. "I figured we both needed to get on with our day." A lie, but she could hardly admit the truth; that being near him was slowing killing her. She pulled on her excuse for ending things in the first place. "Plus, I need to study. I want to complete the practice exam for Charms and Lily has convinced Slughorn to let us use his classroom during free periods for practice."

Sirius sighed heavily. "Makes sense. You best be off then."

Holding her head high, Gemma nodded and turned to the door. This time she remembered to unlock it before she pulled it open, but she paused at the threshold. "I…" She paused. She wanted to say so much. "I'll miss this."

Without looking back, Gemma left the room and headed straight for her dorm. She'd barely made it through the door before the overwhelming sense of loss dragged her under; she collapsed against her bed, finally allowing her tears to fall.

She didn't know how long she sat there for. But her tears never ceased. The pain never faded. She heard the door opening but she didn't react to it. Then she felt slim, feminine arms wrap around her and pull her into a tight hug. Gemma clung to Alice like she was the only thing keeping her alive, and sobbed into her best friends shoulder.

"Shhh." Alice whispered, running her hand over Gemma's hair, rocking her back and forth like a mother would console a child. "It's all going to be ok. You're going to be ok."

For long moments, they stayed like that and Gemma finally found herself calming. Merlin, she was a mess. Pulling herself away from Alice slightly, Gemma wiped at her tears. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry, silly. You're upset. It's understandable." Alice paused for a moment. "What happened? Or do you not want to talk about it?"

Gemma sighed and moved to sit on the edge of her bed, with Alice joining her. "I told him that we shouldn't be together anymore because we need to focus on exams. He was fine with it. Absolutely fine." Gemma hated the bitterness in her tone but she couldn't help but feel the rejection all over again. "But then he stopped me from leaving and asked… asked if we could do it one more time." Gemma glanced at Alice who was frowning hard, but she didn't say anything, so Gemma continued. "I was going to say no… but…" She sighed. "I'm weak, and I wanted one last time with him. That's why I'm so upset. It was incredible, but it just reminded me of what I'll never have again."

"You will have it again." Alice said firmly. "I know it's hard to believe right now, but one day you will meet someone who you are destined to be with, someone who loves you as much as you love him, and he will make you feel incredible again. You will have it again, Gemma."

Gemma nodded. Maybe. Maybe the time away from Sirius will do her some good. She'll be focusing on becoming an Auror, then she'll be fighting in the war. She won't have the time to think about Sirius. She'll be able to move on and eventually find someone else. She huffed, starting to get annoyed at herself. A year ago, she hadn't wanted a relationship. She'd wanted to focus on herself, focus on her career, and let the other stuff happen when she was ready. It was silly of her to be so upset over something she hadn't even wanted in the first place.

With a renewed sense of self-respect, Gemma steeled her spine and shook off all the remaining sadness. She would not let this control her. She would not sit in her room, crying over a stupid boy who couldn't see what was right in front of him. Because she was awesome. And he didn't deserve her if he couldn't see that.

Sirius sat on the floor of the astronomy tower, looking out at the dark sky. It was impossible to see any stars, due to the clouds, but the moon peeked in and out.

It had been a week since Gemma had decided she no longer wanted to have sex with him. A week since he'd agreed to her terms without putting up a fight. A week since he'd kissed her, touched her, brought her pleasure.

He knew it was for the best; the end of their school year was approaching fast, and exams were already starting to dominate their minds, despite it still only being April. But he missed her. He felt like he'd not only lost his sex-friend, he'd also lost his actual friend. Gemma didn't seem keen on spending much time with him.

Hearing the heavy tread of James's stomping footsteps, Sirius waited for his best friend to join him.

"You're hiding up here a lot." James said, as he sat down next to Sirius and elbowed his arm slightly. "What's on your mind? Exams? Travelling?" James paused for a moment. "Gemma?"

Sirius frowned. James had been trying to get him to talk about Gemma all week, but he hadn't been in the mood. "Exams, I suppose. Lots to do in the next few weeks."

James nodded slowly. "Yep." He looked over at him. "You sure it's just that?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Yes."

"It would be ok if you were upset about breaking up with Gemma."

"We didn't 'break up'. That implies you have to be together first. We just… stopped having sex."

James laughed slightly. "Sure."

Sirius recognised that tone. James didn't believe him. "What?"

James shrugged and smiled at him. "You can't tell me that you and Gemma weren't in a relationship. Neither of you may have wanted to admit it, but you were practically boyfriend and girlfriend for months."

"Shut up. No we weren't."

They weren't. They were friends. They were just having sex as well, as a bit of fun. That was all.

"Sure." James said, in that annoying tone again. "Except, you hung out together all the time, you kissed her more often than you changed your socks, and you had sex with her any chance you got. Sounds like a relationship to me."

Sirius scowled at his friend. "Well, it wasn't a relationship. Gemma and I are just friends. Neither of us got too involved. Neither of us wanted anything more from each other than sex and friendship."

"Sex and friendship." James smirked and Sirius knew exactly what he was going to say. "Quite literally the definition of a relationship. However…" He added, before Sirius could interrupt. "If that was all true, why are you up here sulking?"

"I'm not sulking."

"You are sulking."

"I'm not."

James laughed. "Fine, you're not. You're just moody, miserable, sad, lonely…"

"Shut up." Sirius said, getting equally annoyed and amused by his relentless friend. No wonder he wore poor Lily down. "I'm not sulking, or any of those things. I'm just…" He trailed off. He didn't know what he was. The past week had been strange without Gemma by his side, and he hadn't liked it.

James placed a hand on Sirius's shoulder and squeezed. "I understand. You and Gemma had a close friendship for a long time, and now that's changed. We're all leaving here soon, Gemma is heading off to Auror training, you're travelling the world. Things are different. It's hard to get used to."

Sirius nodded. It was hard to get used to. He had liked how things had been before; seeing Gemma and his friends everyday, laughing with them all, finding ways to wind them up, trying to annoy Gemma because she was so cute when she was angry. Then he'd kiss her and make it all better again with hot, hot sex.

He sighed again. He needed to focus on other things. Like his exams, for one, but also his life after Hogwarts. He didn't want to be stuck in the past. He wanted to leave, see the world, have some fun. A year ago, that was all he could think about. He needed to get back to that. He needed to get back to the excitement that came with knowing he wouldn't be tied down by anything or anyone. In two months time, he would be free.

END OF PART II

Thank you for continuing to read my story!

This is the end of Part II, and I'm going to be taking a break before working on Part III.

I will give you a small teaser though; Part III begins fifteen months later, in July 1979.

Sirius and Gemma haven't seen each other for over twelve months. Gemma went into Auror training, and will return as a fully qualified Auror. Sirius started to travel the world, but we all know he becomes a key member of The Order.

Part III will see our eight Gryffindors reunited as they battle against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. There will be sex and romance and marriage and babies (Harry! Neville!), but there will also, sadly, be some death and destruction.

Watch this space!