Chapter 8- Something About The Way You Look Tonight

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except Charolette and family. Thanks :)

(Something About The Way You Look Tonight is a song by Elton John)

Charolette sat in Dumbledore's office, an exhausted expression on her face. She'd rushed there right after Sirius had left, and had just told him everything that had happened.

How she had been kidnapped, and then how Sirius had rescued her. Dumbledore was worried for Charolette, and knew she wasn't safe being alone in her room. He suggested that she stay with another of the guests, but Charolette only knew Minerva and Sirius, and Minerva wasn't the kind of person Charolette wanted to stay with.

Albus stroked his chin, contemplating what could be done. He knew the answer before he had decided to pretend to be thinking, but he knew that he had to make Charolette consider the option first.

When she didn't, Albus knew that it would be hard to get her to bring it up, so he did.

"I think the best course of action would be if you stayed with Sirius, he seems to have taken a liking to protecting you," the older wizard said gently, careful of what he was saying..

Charolette's head whipped up, a mean glare on her face. "I don't want to see that pig again, I'm sorry Albus, but I refuse..."

Albus's baby blue eyes twinkled with excitement as he thought up a plan that could bring the two together. He knew that they needed eachother, even if they had too much pride to admit it.

Charolette was a strong girl, but she still needed protection. And Sirius was getting more lonely as the days went on. He had hardly any friends because of the Fidelius Curse, and it was getting hard for him to not have anyone recognize him. That was probably why he hung around Charolette all the time. That was also probably why he saved her. She was the one person who DID recognize him.

Dumbledore stood up and told Charolette to stay seated, that he would be right back. He walked out of his office and down the corridor, heading towards the gardens.

~*~

Sirius was sitting down on the small bench where Charolette had been a few days before, and was thoughtlessly picking apart a small rose. He didn't know what had inspired him to come out here, but he couldn't shake off thoughts of her. She was embedded in his thoughts. Gods, he thought, what is it about her?

He heard a twig breaking under footsteps and looked up and saw Albus standing next to him. The old wizard smiled down at him, and then took a seat on the bench.

"Goodafternoon, Sirius," he said softly.

Sirius looked back down at his hands. The rose was completely scattered on the ground.

"Afternoon," he said finally, still glaring at his hands and contemplating when exactly he'd taken up Charolette's stupid habit.

"Sirius, I want you to come into my office. But before you do, I need to explain something to you."

Sirius muttered something that was almost audible as 'okay' and Albus continued.

"Have you wondered why she can recognize you?"

"I figured that it was just because I had met her recently...why?"

Albus smiled now, looking at the young wizard next to him.

"That has to be further from the true reason."

"What do you mean?"

"When we performed the curse on you, we looked up the list of people who would be able to recognize you even with the curse on, and the list said family members, old friends, and soul mates."

Sirius looked up at Albus now, staring confusedly into his eyes.

"What are you getting at, Headmaster?" he said, a glare forming in his eyes.

"I'm saying that Charolette can recognize you because you are soul mates. There's no other explaination. And the signs show it, trust me."

"What signs? What the hell are you talking about?" Sirius said, anger building in his voice.

"Do you think that if you hadn't felt something for Charolette that you wouldn't of gone after her when she was taken away by Malfoy? Do you think that if you hadn't felt something connecting you to her that you wouldn't of accepted her into your life which you hadn't been willing to do in a long time because of your past?"

Sirius glared at the wizard beside him, then his expression softened as he comprehended that it was the truth. He had felt something between him and Charolette, he had even tried to act on it. But she'd pushed him away. Which convinced him even more that she didn't care about him.

He found it hard to say anything, to speak even a simple word. His mind was jumbled up and he was confused. Sirius didn't know what to think now that he knew the truth. He didn't seem to feel it was right to reveal how he truely felt. It would only hurt her, he thought sadly.

"I think you know what you have to do, Sirius," Albus said finally, watching the realization spread over Sirius's face. "You can find her in my office."

Sirius looked at the torn rose in his hands, closed his eyes for a second, then stood up and ran off into the castle, dropping the rose behind him.

~*~

Charolette was sitting alone in the large armchair in the Headmaster's office. She had been running through the idea of staying with Sirius through her mind. She was sure that he hated her now, because she had pushed him away when she knew in her heart that she wanted nothing but to be with him. Love could be a funny thing. So strong it can engulf a person in emotions.

She layed her head back onto the armchair and closed her eyes. She couldn't bear to hurt him anymore, it was better that he hated her as much as possible. She knew she could never open up to him, and that's what he needed. He needed someone who could express themselves...and she just couldn't offer that.

She heard the door open and figured that Albus had returned. She stood up and walked over to the large window behind the headmasters desk. Charolette clenched her fists at her sides and took a deep breath.

"I've made my decision," she said softly. Her stomach was in a tight knot and she felt like she would vomit at any second. Stress hurt. Hurt badly.

"I don't want Sirius to be in danger...I refuse to stay with him and place him in harms way."

She felt soft fingertips stroke her arms and then strong arms wrap around her waist. The knot in her stomach tightened more as she felt a jolt of anxiety. Hot breath on her neck sent trembles down her spine and tingles flow through her body.

A soft voice spoke with the breath on her neck, and smooth hair flowed freely on her shoulder. "Please forgive me Charolette...forgive me..." the familiar voice said.

A single tear fell down her cheek.

Charolette felt like she was about to collapse. Her breath went ragged and her whole body trembled. She turned around to face him, to face him at last.

"Sirius..." she whispered, the name silky and smooth on her tongue. He stared compassionately into her eyes, still so close that she could feel his breath on her face. She felt so warm, so safe. So...at peace.

Sirius embraced her tighter, breathing in the lavender scent of her black hair. Charolette felt her arms rap around his neck, and the way his body seemed to give way with relief at the touch of her arms to his back.

"Sirius....I love you," she said quietly, feeling a huge lump in her throat as tears began to fall down her face. She sobbed and clung to his embrace, letting herself fall into the sweet abyss of him.

Sirius felt his heart lighten the moment the sweet words hit his ears. His own held back tears threatened to fall.

"Gods Charolette...the feeling's far beyond love," he said, his voice wavering as sobs began to overtake him.

The passionate confessions escaped their hearts as the embrace went on for what seemed like an eternity. They sobbed into eachothers souls, letting out emotions locked up inside their hearts.

Sirius pulled back, looking deep into Charolette's amber eyes. He saw that the fear had melted away and was replaced by something that he couldn't name. This must be love, he thought to himself. He knew the same was flowing through his eyes in spades at the same moment.

He felt his mouth magneted to hers. Moving slowly, they approached eachother's lips contentedly. His mouth scraped over hers gently, teasing the taste of her. He wanted to savor this moment, even though it wasn't their first kiss. It was the first to him.

He crushed his mouth onto hers, feeling her lips part, opening, welcoming him.

Heat rushed through her body as Charolette savored the kiss. Their mouths moved as one, teasing the others with quiet manuevers. Heat flowed freely from his body to hers, and from hers to his. Love more powerful than that of fate seemed possible.

~*~