Falling For Black

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Chapter Twenty One - The Promise Of A New Life

Okay everyone, 5 minutes left." called Proffessor Flitwick as his head bobbed between the rows of desk, barely visable.

Madison took a deep breath in then out. As she put her quill down on the table she looked down at her paper, and read the title for what seemed like the hundredth time, TRANSFIGURATION NEWT ASSESSMENT PART I : THE DANGERS OF NON-HUMAN TRANSFORMATION IN THE PAST 1000 YEARS. DISCUSS IN 7,000 WORDS OR MORE.

She scanned her page, hoping she had included everything. The wintery light flooded through the huge windows of the Great Hall, and Proffessor Flitwick called,

"Okay times up! Put your quills down." He strode up to the top of the hall and said, "Accio!" and the hundreds of exam papers flew into his hands, making him wobble slightly. Straightening up, he shouted over the tops of the papers, "Alright everyone off you go!"

Madison crammed her quill back into her bag, she really wanted to get out of the hall and up to the Library. She had arranged to meet Remus, Magsy and the new girl Aiko there to study for Potions, but the students in the hall seemed to be milling about talking to their friends. Madison pushed gingerly past a crowd of boys almost knocking a desk over, when Tiffany appeared from no where.

"Well, no need to push now is there? Madi." she said, her voice sweet.

"I have to meet someone." said Madison trying to walk past, but Tiffany stuck her arms out blocking the aisle.

"Oh don't worry Madi, this little chat will only take a minute." simpered Tiffany, grinning.

"Okay, what do you want?" said Madison, briskly.

"I had a little talk with you boyfriend last night..." said Tiffany.

"He's my fiance." corrected Madison.

"Really, how quaint." said Tiffany, vaguely smiling slightly. "Anyway...I quite like the look of your boyfriend," Madison let her continue without bothering to correct her, "But the thing is....he seems quite attatched to...you."

"You made a move on Sirius?" yelled Madison, and the group of boys Madison pushed past, turned, a few even laughed.

"Now, now, I was hoping to keep this quiet. You know....private." said Tiffany, her grim smile broadened, "Hmm...Wanting to keep something quiet....private. That reminds me of someone. Oh yes, you."

Madison said nothing for a second, then "I don't need this from you,", although she barely whispered it, and her eyes began to sting.

"Oh I think you do." whispered Tiffany, "I haven't forgot the little incident on the train, Madison. You never told me you had a twin...did you? Well, does she know about your childhood?"

Madison nodded, her throat was begining to ache.

"She knows....but no one else does do they? You've kept everything hidden very well, Madison, good job. But what if I accidently...oooh, let soemthing slip?"

"You wouldn't," croaked Madison.

"You're right. I wouldn't...If I had something to occupy me...something to make me forget...something like a boyfriend...something like Sirius perhaps." said Tiffany, positivly beaming now.

"No way in hell." said Madison through gritted teeth, she walked right up to Tiffany and said, "Go tell everyone...see what I care, it was in the past, it's over. And if you hadn't noticed Tiffany...I have a new life now. One that doesn't include, you."

*

Madison stretched and adjusted her head to a more comfortable postion on Sirius's lap, as he began to stroke her hair again.

It was amazing, Madison thought, that even though so much was going wrong at the moment, what with Voldemort after James and Lily, Tiffany and the possibility of Madison's terrible secret getting out, that as she lay there on Sirius lap, in the sun drenched grounds of Hogwarts, everything could feel so peaceful, normal and right.

Madison lazily opened her eyes. Sirius had stopped stroking her hair, and Madison smiled as she saw his head had lolled back onto the Beech tree behind him, he was asleep. He looked so sweet and peaceful, she thought, as he slept there, his mouth slightly open brething heavily. This is what she imagined it would be like to wake up next to him in the mornings, and her heart gave a huge leap, when she realised after they were married she would be waking up next to him every morning.

She imagined herself, snuggling down next to him in their warm cozy bed, just after her alarm for work had woken her up. She imagined herself wishing for five minutes more sleep next to Sirius, but she would have to drag herself away from him, and he from her, to go to work. She imagined herself coming home from a bad day at the office and Sirius pulling her into his arms onto their sofa just like he had done on the last day at Roxy's apartment, then they would sit with steaming mugs of tea and watch evening tv.

Suddenly she felt she was going to explode with happiness and she couldn't stop smiling, that was what her new life with Sirius was going to be like. It was perfect.

Madison looked towards the castle, now glowing with sunlight and saw two figures walking down the grass towards the Beech tree where Madison and Sirius were sat. Madison squinted, it was Lily and James.

Lily and James drew level with the tree and slumped down, they both looked very serious.

"Hey, whats up?" said Madison, quietly.

"Uh...we just went to see Dumbledore about..." said James, he cast around for the right word, "...the situation." he finished.

"Oh." said Madison, not sure what to say.

"We need to talk to Sirius about it...but you don't need to leave or anything," said Lily, forcing a smile, as James leaned over and smacked Sirius around the head.

"Wake up! We need to ask you something." said James loudly, as Sirius stirred clutching his head and moaning.

"James," said Madison, frowning, and taking one of Sirius's hands, "Did you need to do that?"

"Yes." said James bluntly, "It's important."

"What?" said Sirius, running his hands through his dark hair.

"We went to see Dumbledore...he said he needed to speak to us." said James, looking uncharacteristically serious, "He said, that...he reckons we're pretty safe-"

"-well that's good." said Sirius, smiling.

"-until we leave Hogwarts." finished James, grimly.

"But he has a plan," said Lily, "He says when we leave Hogwarts, at the end of this year...we should put the fedelius charm in place, you know that charm, the concealment of a secret inside a single living soul."

"Yeah, sounds good." said Sirius.

"Well, we have the secret...we just need the living soul bit." said James, "And I know who I want gaurding our lives..."

"Who?" asked Madison, almost dreading the answer.

"Sirius." finished James.

* * * * *

A/N: Ahhh, the sweetness of being in love :D I loved this chapet XD don't you all just want to be in love now...I know I do :) 333

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. :P