Life at Remus Lupin's house had never been so animated. For, though Sirius and Raven were pointedly avoiding talking to each other, their naturally boisterous personalities were still making their mark. At one point, Sirius must've gotten into the pantry and done some sort of confusing spell because the flour was mysteriously switched with the baking soda and the sugar swapped with the salt. Sadly, this wasn't discovered until supper that evening, and, though no one could prove it had been him, Sirius was forced to do the dishes and certain wards were placed on the pantry. Remus couldn't say that dinner had been a waste, (even if they ended up ordering out) he had caught Raven grinning at Sirius, like she used to. Over the next few days, he actually walked into a room containing both of them at the same time, and found them talking to each other.
One night Remus woke up in the middle of the night. The moon was waxing near full, which made it near impossible for him to sleep. As he rolled over to go back to sleep he heard voices. Remus' first instinct sent him grabbing for his wand, but then he heard laughter and realized that it was Raven and Sirius. He wondered dully why on earth they were up so late as another peel of laughter broke through the murmur of their voices. The laugh was unmistakably Raven's, and it was soon joined by Sirius' hardy chortle. Remus smiled to himself. So they were laughing together again, this was a good sign; anything to get them to quit acting so closed around each other. All that foolishness had felt very wrong.
Remus looked out his window. Tomorrow night would be the full moon. Sirius needed his rest, and Remus would've gone and told him so when suddenly the sound of their voices stopped, and he decided he better not walk in on them just now. Remus crawled back into bed and closed his eyes. A door slammed some where in the house and, in the silence that followed, he drifted off to sleep.
* * *
The next evening Sirius Black found himself standing in the den outside the kitchen door. Taking what were supposed to be deep calming breaths he nerved himself to walk through the door. Sirius felt as though his heart was attempting to break out of his chest. He was sure that everyone in the house could hear it's frantic beating. He was therefore surprised when he saw that Raven hadn't noticed him enter the kitchen. She continued to prepare the meal as he watched. His hand closed around the small band of metal in his pocket. It felt surprisingly cool in his hot hand. Sirius remembered with painful clarity, when it had been thrown back at him with the utmost hatred. Unbidden Raven's face as it had been on the night of his capture hung before his mind's eye. She had stood, stone still, endlessly searching him with her piercing steel-grey eyes. He had watched, unable to speak, as her eyes filled slowly with hatred. For hours she had stood, silent and unmoving until, finally, she wrenched the ring from her finger and flung it at him before sweeping out. Sirius, already wracked with guilt and horror over James' death, felt his heart shatter with the sharp ping of the metal band on the stone. The sound of it rolling and spinning to an ominously musical stop was etched into his mind. He had heard it often during sleepless nights in Azkaban.
She seemed mild enough now, preparing their dinner because Remus was exhausted after the full moon and no one was about to let Sirius anywhere near a stove. But Sirius didn't know if he could take the rejection if she refused. He had spent hours preparing himself for this. Debating whether or not to bring it up at all. In the end he had decided that he had wasted thirteen years in Azkaban and could not afford to lose any more. Trying to ignore his mutinous heart, Sirius took a deep breath and spoke.
"Raven?" he practically croaked. Her name stuck in his throat and he felt himself blushing like a schoolboy. What was wrong with him? He was Sirius Black for crying out loud! Sirius Black the renowned womanizer, the smooth, the cool, the confidant... How come he could be collected and offhand any time except when it really mattered? She looked up at the sound of her name, but her hands never stopped chopping and stirring.
"If you're offering to help, don't bother. I know better than to let you anywhere near the food, and I can handle perfectly well by myself thank you," she said with a smile that faded when he did not return it. "Something wrong?" she asked, the constant motion of her hands slowing. Far too late Sirius managed to force his face into an abrupt smile. She wasn't satisfied.
"Sirius?" she asked again, hands stopped. They hung frozen over the kitchen counter. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Sirius was distantly glad she wasn't holding a knife.
He couldn't bring himself to speak; he didn't know what to do. He was nearly paralyzed with nerves. With great effort he managed to say her name again, somewhat more steadily. Raven frowned.
"What?" she asked, eyebrows raised. That was it! He couldn't do this! Feeling as though he had turned red all the way down to his bones he shrugged mumbling something like "nevermind" and left the kitchen.