Disclaimer: I used some more artistic license in this chapter - I read the HP Wiki page on Seers and tried to stay true to the books, but added some uncanon details for plot purposes.

"All in all, you're just another brick in the wall." – Pink Floyd, 1979

Sirius Black knew the exact location of every freckle on Gemma's body, but still felt the same intense desire every time she took off her clothes. She was a breath of fresh air and he continually craved her ethereal spirit; her joyous giggles and playful nature literally made him weak in the knees. As Sirius began to kiss the side of her neck, he inhaled her cinnamon scent. She smelled delicious.

He softly pushed her against the pillows on his bed, hastily whipped the curtains closed and cast a few extra concealment charms. The Marauder had warned his friends not to come into their dormitory for at least another hour, but didn't want to take any chances. He'd already spent enough time convincing Gemma to hide under the Cloak and sneak into Gryffindor Tower, since it was easier than trying to get him up the Hufflepuff girls' dormitory stairs.

Yet, as he moved to resume his nuzzling, she yawned loudly.

"Gemma?"

"S-sorry!" she apologized and quickly tried to cover up another yawn. "Right, let's try this again. Oh, Sirius!"

"It doesn't work that way," he grumbled as he turned over onto his back, his libido fading. "Now it sounds like I'm forcing you to have sex with me."

"Don't be silly," she laughed. "I always love a good tumble in the sheets with you … just not right now. I'm too exhausted to move. I haven't been sleeping well, I barely got up for Potions this morning."

"I would have woken you up on time," he cajoled softly.

"No, you would have made it even harder to get out of bed," she teased as she lightheartedly kissed him on his cheek. She then began to twirl his long black hair with her fingers. "Sirius … I know you want to spend more nights here together, but I can't do it during the school week. It would disrupt my dream cycle and I'd fall asleep in all my lessons."

"I don't get it," Sirius said, scrunching his eyebrows as he turned to face her.

"Ok," she began, but then suddenly stopped. She glanced upwards and bit her lip. "Ok, let's see if I can explain this properly. Every Seer has a special way of interpreting time. Professor Garside, for instance, specializes in fire-omens while the previous Divination Professor could look into her crystal ball and tell you anything you wanted to know. But me? I work with dreams, baby. When I go to sleep, I see crazy shit. The future, the past - doesn't matter. It's all there in my head.

"But I'm not very good at interpreting the meaning behind what I see – in fact, I've been wrong before. I just get flashes and snippets in time. Everything is hazy and unclear."

"Ask Garside to help interpret your visions then."

"Professor Garside doesn't specialize in oneiromancy, remember? He's only here because Dumbledore funds his ongoing research on fire Divination. He tells me over and over again to read The Dream Oracle because he's too busy with his workload, but it's just a textbook we have to read to pass our OWLs. It doesn't really go into a whole lot of detail."

"So you've never decoded any of your dreams before?"

"Well, yes and no."

" 'The fuck does that mean?" Sirius growled. A large wave of annoyance crashed over him.

"Calm down, Sirius," she responded, rolling her eyes. "I only meant that it depends on what size dream we're talking about."

"There are different dream sizes?" he asked.

"Merlin, I know most people don't pay attention in Divination, but I thought you'd at least know the basic facts," she muttered as she crossed her arms. "I see two sizes of dreams – some are small, some are big. I can decode small dreams. I usually don't pay attention to their meanings, though. They are like background noise, if you catch my drift. The big dreams, on the other hand, are bloody destructive; they show up in different forms, but all cluster around a certain theme until I figure out what they are trying to tell me. I've never been able to fully understand a big dream's purpose on my own before. I usually bounce my theories off Gio, but I'm still very new to all of this. I haven't had many big dreams before."

"… So you can't sleep in my bed too often because you think you'll get nightmares – big dreams."

"I know I'll have nightmares ... because I've already had them here before," she muttered, looking away from him. He immediately reached out and grabbed her bare shoulder; she inhaled sharply and shook under his touch.

"Gemma, what exactly did you see?"

"I can't tell you."

"What do you mean you can't tell me?" Sirius snapped as his mood turned from understanding to accusatory. He immediately felt the green-eyed, jealous monster inside him roar to life. "You said you bounce your ideas off Gio … so why can't you do the same with me? Is it because you think I'm stupid? No, it's because you love him, isn't it? You -"

"Sirius!" Gemma cried out desperately, her eyes wild and chaotic. "Sirius, stop it!"

In a fit of rage, the Gryffindor swatted her hands away and immediately turned his back to her. His breaths were rough and strained as he grabbed the nearest pillow and put it in a vice grip. She had to love her best friend Giovanni; it was the only explanation for why she would be holding back her inner feelings. She was running away from him again. Something deep inside him ached as he began to see red.

Sirius suddenly felt Gemma's cold hand on his shoulder. It slipped down around his torso and she pressed her chest to his back as she nuzzled her face in his neck. Chills ran down his spine and his anger instantly vanished when he felt her hot tears trickle onto his skin.

"I love you, Sirius Black," Gemma whispered into his ear, "and I don't understand why you think I don't."

"But you're still not going to tell me your dream, are you?" Sirius asked as he turned over to face her. She frowned and he slowly reached out and wiped several tears from her face. She looked so broken and unhappy and Sirius hated himself for turning her exuberant psyche into a blubbering mess. He'd never seen her cry before.

"It's not because I don't want to let you in," the Hufflepuff murmured. "I just want to keep this purpose to myself. I've been connected to someone's painful experience and I don't want to reveal his identity. I have no bloody clue who the person is, but I'm not trying to get him killed. I have to figure this one out on my own."

She looked away as her lips formed a sharp, angry frown.

"I'm not even telling Gio what I've seen, if that makes you feel any better."

"Oh, Gemma," the Marauder pleaded, "I'm sorry -"

"No," she interrupted as she shook her head gently, "no I get it. You want me to open up, right? Well fine. I'll open up."

She huffed as another fat tear rolled down her cheek.

"Before you came along, I only messed around with Muggle boys - I'd meet blokes at clubs, go out for a smoke, have a little fun, and then disappear and never see them again. And that's what I thought was going to happen when things turned groovy between us, given your reputation. That's why I shagged you without hesitation. I thought we'd have a night of fun and then go on with our lives. But that didn't happen.

"I fell in love with you that night," she sighed, "and I did the only thing I knew how to do – I ran. But I couldn't go on without you in my life. I still can't. You're everything to me, Sirius. I've never been this loyal to anyone before, not even my parents. It scares me lot. I've never felt this way before."

"Well I've never been loyal to my parents, so I can't say the same," Sirius chuckled as he slowly felt the tension leave the room. He snaked a hand around Gemma's waist. "But I can tell you that I've never felt this way before either. You're electric, baby."

Her pink lips formed a beaming smile.

"Do you know what Gio said when I told him that I was having big dreams about a large black dog? He said I fancied you even though I didn't want to admit it and that I should stop running. It took me a few weeks, but I finally took his advice." Sirius was so surprised to hear that he was in her big dreams that he was caught off guard when she playfully shoved him. "So don't you ever fucking say that I love Giovanni. You're the one I love, you idiot!"

"I won't do it again," Sirius said. His words dripped with sorrow and remorse; he felt horrible for letting his jealousy get out of control when she clearly wasn't going to leave him. "Can you forgive me?"

"Well," she answered deviously, "I might have to inflict some punishment before I can do that."

"Punishment, eh?" asked Sirius. His senses perked up immediately.

"You have to run down to the kitchens and fetch me a mushroom and swiss cheese omelet with a side of cheesecake," the Hufflepuff smirked. "And I'm going to catch up on my sleep while you do. Oh and be a doll and get me some green tea too, ok? Love you!"

Although he would have preferred a more sexual sentence, he couldn't help but grin as she yawned loudly and closed her swollen eyes. He kissed the top of her head; she laughed lightly and told him to hurry as he threw on a large jumper and pair of black denim jeans. He glanced at his now snoring girlfriend before shuffling down the stairs to the Common Room.

"You were that quick, eh Padfoot?" James called out from the other side of the room. "You always said you were the master lover and I never believed you until now."

Sirius let out a loud, barking laugh and trotted over to join his best friends. Peter was playing the Head Boy in a game of exploding snap and Remus sat on the windowsill, aimlessly staring out at the grounds. Sirius grimaced; he hated seeing his werewolf friend this depressed, but obeyed the sacred Marauder law. He plopped into an open chair and swung his legs over one of the armrests.

"We actually had a bit of a row," he explained. "And since I was being a stupid git, I'm supposed to run down to the kitchens for her while she snoozes."

"You survived your first fight?" Peter asked incredulously as he put another card on the table. "I think that's a first."

"I'm not surprised. He loves her," Remus added softly from his perch. Sirius still heard the distress in his voice.

"Well of course he loves her," James joked as he continued playing the card game. "He's going down to the kitchens to get her a second dinner!"

"I can't help that Gemma has weird eating habits," Sirius countered.

"So will you still need the Cloak to sneak her back out of here?"

"Yes, if you don't mind. I'll see her out early tomorrow morning – it'll be Saturday, no one will be up at seven."

"No trouble at all. Wormy's reserved it next, but not until Tuesday."

Seconds later, one of the cards in his hand exploded and Sirius laughed at James' untidy and burnt hair.

"You filthy bugger! Talking to you cost me the game!" the boy cried as he lunged and tried to tackle his best friend. Sirius quickly jumped out of his chair and sidestepped the attack; James fell onto the floor and moaned in pain as his head smacked the carpet.

"You need to work on your reflexes, Prongs," Sirius cackled as he quickly plucked the Marauder's Map out of James' back pocket. "I'm taking this just in case, be back soon. Gemma's passed out in my bed, but I swear that girl can sleep through anything, so don't hesitate to go up there."

Before James could retaliate, Sirius stepped out of the Common Room and made his way down to the kitchens. He knew the route by heart and yearned to run recklessly without the Map's guidance. However, his sensible side prevailed and he cautiously roamed the halls until he reached the kitchens. After tickling the portrait, the Marauder graciously greeted the Hogwarts house elves and placed his peculiar order. They eagerly whipped up a glorious plate and Sirius made sure to properly say goodbye to each and everyone of them before he returned to the halls once again. His good humor clouded his judgment and he carelessly carried Gemma's meal in his hands instead of paying attention to the Map.

"Well, if it isn't the traitor."

The Gryffindor whipped around and dropped his girlfriend's entire order onto the floor. Rabastan Lestrange, Thorfinn Rowe and Severus Snape came out of the shadows and his right hand grabbed his wand out of his pocket. Sirius felt his fury quadruple when he saw that his younger brother, Regulus, was with them as well. They were standing in front of one of the lesser known exits to the Castle and Sirius instantly knew they were up to something sinister.

"What are lot doing out just before curfew?" he sneered.

"Oh, you know," Rowe answered with a deep laugh. "Just walking."

"Looks like you've been to the kitchens," Severus scoffed as he puffed out his chest and motioned to the ruined food on the floor.

"Congratulations Sniv, you have eyes," Sirius replied, mockingly.

"What an odd assortment," Regulus pondered and dramatically placed a hand to his chin. "Tell me brother, when did you suddenly start craving cheesecake? If I remember correctly, you refused to eat it a couple Christmases ago and told Mother to shove it up her nose. And green tea? Now, that's peculiar. You never liked that either … wait a second, does this mean the rumors are true? Has the little bitch really made you her errand boy?"

Sirius felt his fury consume him. Although he could tolerate the other Slytherins' jeers, his brother's words always stung the most. Painful memories flooded his brain – his mother sending him seven howlers after he'd been sorted into Gryffindor, his father striking him when he told him he was a bastard straight to his face, Regulus remaining silent as he dodged several killing curses during his great escape to the Potter's house when he was sixteen - and Sirius relived his entire childhood in a matter of seconds.

"Fuck you," he spat. "You're nothing but a Wizard's Chess pawn – useless and expendable."

His taunt trigged an all out assault. Sirius quickly dodged several spells and ducked around the nearest corner; he cackled when he finally hit Rowe in the chest with a Stinging Hex.

"Gotcha, tosser! Now who's next?"

"STOP!"

The boys instantly froze when they realized that the loud angry voice belonged to a Prefect.

"I had a funny feeling I'd run into trouble tonight," Marianne muttered as she lightly rubbed her temples. "Now you boys know the drill. Ten points for fighting. Each. Now disperse, before I dock more from your houses." Sirius noticed that she looked uncharacteristically frazzled; her school robes were extremely wrinkled and her hair looked frayed and untidy.

The Slytherins grumbled, but Marianne refused to budge and tapped her foot impatiently. They eventually caved to the girl's authority and jammed their wand into their pockets. Before he turned to leave, Regulus returned Sirius' fierce glare and the Gryffindor snapped his teeth menacingly. Marianne stepped in before his brother had the chance to retaliate.

"That's it!" she exclaimed as she pushed the two Blacks apart. "Five more points for each of you. Now if you don't return to your Common Rooms this instant, I will give you both a month's worth of detention with Professor Slughorn. He's got a lot of dirty cauldrons."

After hungrily looking Marianne up and down, Rabastan clucked his tongue and motioned for his housemates to follow him down to the dungeons. The Prefect let out a huge sigh, but raised her brow when she realized that she was not alone like she thought.

"You too, Sirius."

"Yes ma'am," he whispered hoarsely. The boy's anger suddenly morphed into a sharp, throbbing sadness. He put his wand back into the pocket of his jeans and hung his head mournfully before heading back to the kitchens to ask the house elves to repeat their earlier efforts.