Chapter 13 – Revelations
Disclaimer: We do not own anything that is recognisable as J. K. Rowling's.
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"Sirius!" Heather ran up the stairs and, not bothering to knock, burst into his bedroom and pounced.
Sirius, who was trying unsuccessfully to do up the buttons on his shirt cuffs, had little warning as she slammed open the door and jumped at him. He had no choice but to hold her up as she wrapped her legs around his waist and clung to him like a monkey on the trunk of a tree, pressing kisses to every part of his face. His buttons forgotten, Sirius' eyes widened.
"Heather," he spluttered, "what…?"
Her arms wrapped around his neck, Heather kissed him enthusiastically on the mouth before breaking off, panting.
Sirius blinked and held her closer, pressing her body between him and the wardrobe door. "What was that for?"
As though suddenly waking up from a dream, Heather's eyes widened and a blush spread from her neck to the roots of her hair. She tried to wriggle down but it only made him hold her tighter.
"Oh, no. You're not getting away that easily. Not until you've told me what's brought this on," he growled, a feral look in his eyes.
Heather gulped and kept perfectly still. "Uhh…" she gulped and the blush brightened.
Sirius grinned rakishly and pressed her more firmly against the wall. "Are you going to tell me or shall I persuade you?"
Heather smiled brightly as she remembered the good news she had heard this morning and pressed another happy kiss on the end of his nose. "Florence has woken up," she murmured.
Sirius, who was leaning forward to kiss her, froze, and his whole face lit up. "Really?"
"Yup." Heather wriggled down and he let her, backing away to straighten his shirt and attempt to do up his cuffs again. "She woke up last night," she confirmed, feeling slightly disappointed that Sirius could still easily forget her in favour of her best friend.
"Well, we must get down to Hogwarts as soon as possible," he said, his tongue between his teeth, as he fiddled with his cuffs.
"Yes." Heather stopped him and proceeded to fasten them herself.
Looking down at the blonde head lowered over his wrists, Sirius could have sworn that she was upset about something but dismissed the thought as stupid – how could she be upset when her oldest friend had just woken up from a coma?
"There you go." Heather let go of his wrists and backed off, smoothing down her dress that had been crumpled when she had jumped on him. Giving up, she used an ironing charm.
"Thanks." Sirius examined his cuffs and sent her a grin. "Are you ready? We're going to have to apparate."
Heather made a face that drew a chuckle out of him, and looked down at her attire. "I'll need to get changed."
Sirius glanced over her form before meeting her eyes. "Why?"
"I look a mess!" she complained, which made Sirius snort in amazement. "And," she continued with a warning look, "I'll freeze if I go out like this."
Sirius bit his tongue to avoid volunteering to keep her warm and only nodded. "Go on, then. Hurry up."
Heather shot him an indignant look before marching out of the room.
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Heather burst through the infirmary doors, closely followed by Sirius. They both wore similar expressions of anxiety and expectation, which melted into relieved grins when they saw Florence sat up in bed, talking to Severus.
"Florence! You're awake," Heather rushed over to her friend and collapsed in the chair next to her bed, grasping her hand.
"Yes; it would appear that I am," Florence smiled in amusement. "It feels like I haven't seen you in ages. And you, Sirius," she directed at the man standing behind Heather's chair, distracting him from glaring at Snape, who was returning the look with relish.
"I'm glad you're alright, Florence. Though, I shouldn't have allowed you to boss me around," Sirius pressed his lips together in a self-accusing gesture.
"Yes, well, if you hadn't been there, then Florence would have gone and seen Dumbledore and wouldn't have been injured," Snape impeached spitefully and Sirius squared his shoulders, ready for a fight.
"Well, if you hadn't actually brought her to the Quidditch match – to Australia! – then she wouldn't have been in danger, would she? If you hadn't laid your slimy hands on her, then-"
"SIRIUS!" The warning from both women made Sirius stop in mid-sentence and subside in an almost-sulky silence, settling on giving Severus a malevolent glare.
"Can't you two grow up? You haven't changed at all from school!" Florence remonstrated. "You have the maturity of five-year-olds!"
"Sorry, Florence," Sirius apologised with a forced smile. He lay his hand on Heather's shoulder and she put her hand on top. Florence eyed the gesture with interest.
"Severus, you wouldn't mind fetching me a cup of tea, would you?" Florence asked nicely and Severus got up, reluctant to leave her alone with Sirius.
Heather jumped in. "Sirius, you couldn't fetch us a tea and coffee as well, could you? I'd die for a cup!" she smiled up at him and he moved off with Snape, maintaining a large distance between them.
When they found Madam Pomfrey and asked her for some coffee, Sirius glanced up at Severus with a tight look on his face. "So…" he bit, breaking the silence.
Severus shot him a disparaging look that made him wish that he hadn't opened his mouth, but his concern for Florence's condition made him swallow his pride. "How has she been doing?" Sirius continued.
"As well as can be expected," Snape answered coldly.
"I'm surprised she's been doing well with you hovering around her like a diseased rat," Sirius muttered and Severus shot him a hard look.
Madam Pomfrey shot them both disapproving looks that were familiar from their days back at Hogwarts and made them feel as such. Handing them two cups of tea each, she sent them back to Florence's bedside.
The walk back to her bed was conducted in silence; so silent that they heard snippets of the conversation Heather and Florence were having upon their approach.
"…he doesn't know it, but I know for sure that he has feelings for you… And that's why you should use Powdered Milroot instead of the liquidised stuff, ok?" Florence paused as the curtains swished open.
Sirius saw the women give each other a quick glance before trying to look as innocent as possible.
Severus sat down on the chair next to Florence's bed with an almost smug air, Sirius thought, and he sent him a grumpy look, before handing Heather her tea. She smiled up at him, and he remembered the conversation that he had heard her having with her friend before he had entered, and sent her a mischievous grin.
"Ok?" he asked, causing her to look at him suspiciously.
"Yes…"
"Good. So, what have you been talking about?" Sirius asked, feigning that he didn't know.
"Err…" Heather sent a panicked look at Florence that Sirius witnessed with amusement. "Err… Well… Girl stuff!" she finished with an audible sigh and Florence shook her head reproachfully. Severus observed the byplay with a mixture of boredom and annoyance.
"Girl stuff, eh?" Sirius was now in no doubt that they had been talking about him. "I don't think I've ever been included in that category before."
"I don't know what you mean," Heather said innocently but Sirius still grinned knowingly at her, despite leaving the subject alone for the moment.
Heather looked at her watch and up at Florence. "Err… it's time we were going – I have a few errands to do and I thought I'd pop in and see Bran while I was here… Is he in, Severus?" Heather addressed him for the first day and he looked a little surprised.
"I believe so," Severus said reluctantly.
At hearing her eagerness to see Branson again, Sirius felt the stirrings of annoyance. "I don't think we have time to see Branson, Heather. We really have to go…" he grumbled.
"Nonsense! I'll make time!" Heather kissed Florence on the cheek and stood up, straightening her robes. "Stop complaining, Sirius – I'll only be a minute. In fact, you can go on ahead; I'll be home soon."
Sirius was aghast. "What? And leave you alone with him? I think not."
Heather smiled slightly in amusement. "Ok, then. You'll have to come along. See you later, Florence!"
"Bye!" Florence called and grinned at Severus, who was rolling his eyes in infuriation.
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Heather knocked on the door to Branson's rooms and cast an amused glance at the man standing directly behind her, who was wearing a look of extreme distaste.
"Keep that up and you'll look exactly like Snape!" she laughed, but the joke only seemed to incense his bad temper.
Before she could apologise, the door in front of her opened and she was greeted to the sight of a very handsome, young Irishman.
"Bran!" Heather gave him a hug. "How are you?"
"Perfect, now that you're here," he smiled jovially. The smile faded when he saw an fuming Sirius standing directly behind the object of his hug, looking as if he was either going to strangle Branson, or grab Heather back and run off with her. Bran released his hold.
"Hello, Sirius." Branson didn't dare hold out his hand for a shake in case it was twisted off. "Would you two like to come in?"
"I don't think…" Sirius growled.
"Actually," Heather interrupted, "we only stopped by for a minute – we've just come from visiting Florence, so we thought that we'd come see you." She smiled apologetically. "Sirius is in somewhat of a rush to get back home…"
"Understandable. After all, who could wait to be alone with you?" Branson couldn't resist flirting, but quickly took a couple of steps back in order to get out of Sirius firing line. In fact, Branson could, in his paranoia, see Sirius reaching for his wand now…
"Oh, you flirt, you! I don't believe that for a second." Heather reached out and touched his cheek playfully and Branson had a wild thought that she was unaware of the danger they were in… or, more likely, the danger he was in!
"Err…" he gulped a little. He could feel his heart palpitating – he was normally a very brave man (after all, he'd faced Voldemort down), but you should never underestimate a man who had been in Azkaban for twelve years and was alive to tell the tale… Who knows, Sirius might have been driven crazy by the Dementors and was successfully hiding it under a brooding exterior? Branson could feel an idea for a horror novel coming on…
"Are you alright, Bran? You've turned pale. Would you like to sit down? Or, even better, I'll put you to bed and make you some nice hot cocoa." Heather was already ushering him through the doors.
Sirius sent Branson a look that said, "If you agree to that, I'll see to it that you never use your legs again".
"Err… no, I'll be alright. I just need to get some sleep, I think." Branson smiled weakly at Heather, whose forehead puckered in a worried frown.
"Ok, if you're sure." She didn't sound convinced.
"I think that this is our cue to leave," Sirius murmured silkily and Heather frowned up at him.
"Oh, yes, if you would. I'd just like to get some sleep. I'll floo you later, Heather."
Sirius shot him a warning look before escorting Heather out of the door.
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Sirius sank down on the sofa and took a long sip out of his coffee cup.
Heather curled her feet under her where she sat on the chair and turned the page in her book.
"I'm going to see Remus this weekend."
Heather almost dropped her book. "What?"
"I'm going to see Remus this weekend," Sirius repeated.
"I know; I heard you the first time. Is there anything wrong?"
"No. I just thought he'd like to know about Florence," Sirius improvised.
"Oh. Of course." Heather stared blankly at her book. "When are you leaving?"
"Tonight."
"Tonight? But you'll arrive at his house in the early hours of the morning!"
"That doesn't matter. You don't mind me going, do you?" he asked, perversely wanting her to ask him to stay, but not expecting it.
"No. Of course, you'll want to see Remus. I don't expect you to stay here for me, even if I didn't want you to go…"
"I would, you know," Sirius said quietly.
Heather raised her eyes from the page in surprise. "Oh."
"Oh?" Sirius focussed his eyes on her, almost with annoyance. "Oh?! Is that all you can say?"
Heather paled. "I don't know what to say," she admitted quietly.
Sirius stood up and strode from the room without another word, leaving her staring worriedly after him.
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"Remus, are you in? You'd better be…" Sirius pounded hard on the wooden door of his friend's cottage, making the hinges shake and creak. "Moony, where the hell are you?!"
The door squeaked open slowly and a man's head peered through the crack. "Sirius, what are you doing here? Do you know what time it is?"
"It's time for you to be awake."
Remus took a long look at his old friend's tense face and opened the door, tightening the belt on his bathrobe. "You'd better come in."
Sirius strode into the cottage and, instead of taking the chair that his friend offered, chose to pace vigorously over the already-worn rug.
"Would you like some tea?"
"No."
Remus sat on one of the chairs and watched Sirius, already beginning to feel tired again. He could doze off here and Sirius would never notice…
"Moony, I think I'm in love."
Remus' eyes snapped open and he fixed Sirius with a look of absolute surprise. "What?"
"I think I'm in love," Sirius repeated miserably.
"Again?"
"No, not again. I don't think I ever was… until now. Everything pales in significance." Sirius paused his pacing and leaned against the mantelpiece.
Remus was wide-awake now and sat up in his armchair, fixing his friend with a look of concern. "When did this happen?"
Sirius sighed. "Oh, I don't know… yesterday… two months ago… who knows."
"Who with? Don't tell me it's with Chastity?"
"Chastity? Who…? No! She was nothing… is nothing." Sirius rubbed a hand over his face.
"Florence?"
"No! Not Florence. She and Snape… No, it's not Florence. Could never be…" Sirius mumbled unintelligibly.
"Then who?" Remus was confused. He didn't recall Sirius mentioning any other women, not recently.
"Heather…" Sirius breathed.
"Heather? Who's…?"
"Heather. Heather Harris."
"Harris… Where have I heard…? Heather Harris? From Hogwarts? But she moved to Australia!"
"Yeah, and I went to Australia for the Quidditch World Cup."
"Oh."
"Yes, oh. And I decided to be a hero and solve all her bloody problems and ended up causing a couple of million troubles for me!" Sirius bit and rubbed his eyes with his hand.
"I can see that."
"Oh, Moony, what am I going to do? Surely you know a way to get over this?" Sirius sat in a chair and put his head in his hands.
Remus shook his head slowly, patting his friend on the shoulder. "Sorry, Padfoot. There is only one remedy for love, and that's time."
"I don't have time. I need to get rid of it now!" Sirius growled.
"You were always the impatient one."
"No, you don't understand! She's living with me. If she ever found out…"
"She's what?!"
"Living with me. I told you, I tried to sort out her problems," Sirius revealed gloomily.
Remus sighed. "Ok. How do you know she doesn't feel the same way?"
"Because she's in love with someone else, dammit!"
"Who?"
"Branson Leggett," Sirius hissed through gritted teeth. "An Irish idiot. If you looked up idiot in the dictionary, his picture would be next to it… in full colour!"
Remus raised one eyebrow.
"He's younger, better looking, he works for the Ministry, hasn't got a criminal record… and needs his head kicked in," Sirius growled.
"How do you know she loves him?" Remus asked quietly, sipping at his tea.
"I just know. The way she talks about him. She's always going on dates with the man; the first time, he actually stayed the night! She told me he stayed in the spare room, but…"
"But?"
"I wouldn't be surprised if one of them hadn't sneaked into the other's bed in the course of the night."
"Have you any proof of it?"
"I don't need any proof! It's there, staring me in the face! She's in love and it's not with me. She won't even let me touch her."
Remus eyed his friend with interest. "You've tried?"
"Of course, I've bloody tried! I wouldn't be me if I didn't."
"True."
"She spent the whole night in my bed."
Remus raised both eyebrows and Sirius shot him a glare.
"She was drunk and I… Oh, that's not the point! I tried to… well, she shied away like a scared rabbit… like a disgusted scared rabbit."
"Sometimes you do come on a bit too strong."
"No, that's not it. I've tried to be gentle… patient. None of it's working. She can't bear me touching her."
"Maybe she's afraid," Remus suggested.
"Afraid?! I would never hurt her! I would never-"
"I don't mean afraid of you. I mean afraid of… sex."
"Afraid of sex?! At her age?"
"It has been known, Sirius. Maybe if you were very gentle with her…"
"I've been gentle!" Sirius roared. "It doesn't bloody work! You don't understand, Moony."
"Is she worth waiting for?"
Sirius sighed, putting his head back into his hands. "I don't know…"
"You actually love her, don't you?"
"Of course, I do! I do…" Sirius murmured dejectedly. "She's like… she's like sunshine. She makes me want to laugh and scream at her at the same time. She cares… sometimes too much for her own good. I want to protect her from the world, from the misery that I've been through, despite the fact I know I can't. She…" he trailed off and looked up at his friend in sudden realisation. "I'm in trouble, aren't I?"
Remus nodded. "Let me get you a cup of tea."
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Authors' Notes:
Hi!
Sorry that it has taken so long to update! You won't believe how much work I've had to do for University! It was enough to make me panic, anyways.
Thanks to everyone who read the last chapter and offered their support.
Special Thanks to:
sapphireskies, caytebelle, Hopeful Writer, Sam, Angie, Honor Blaze Pendragon, Drachenaugen and DeadSEXY.
I love you guys!
Love from,
(Martha and) Squirrel.
xxx.