Chapter 6
Sirius walked to his childhood bedroom when he was sure that she was gone. He picked up the night clothes from the pile on the floor. He could smell the scent of her on his pajamas. He held the shirt up to his nose and breathed deeply. It was as if she wore the scent of a thousand different flowers. Instinctively, he closed his eyes and could see them on a day so many years ago.
Flashback..
It was cold and snowy. Aurora was lying on the bed with him in the girls Gryffindor dorm. Everyone else had gone to Hogsmeade for the last visit of the term. Aurora's scent kept washing over him; it was as if it were springtime in the middle of winter. They laughed and talked for hours. He had been so content at that moment. He loved her more than anything, he realized. Or perhaps, more accurately, he was just now able to admit it to himself. After all, he was seventeen and she was just fifteen. They were too young, weren't they? Could you meet your soulmate when you were thirteen and she was eleven?
"Hey," she nudged him. "What are thinking about?"
"Nothing, Rori," he lied. She began to gaze at him intensely. "Stop doing that, Aurora Walsh!"
"What?" she grinned.
"Legilimency," he answered. "That is so unfair. I can't hide anything from you!"
"But I don't try to delve into your mind to see what is going on," she replied innocently. "Only to see if you are being deceitful."
"I would never deceive you, Aurora," he whispered as he looked straight into her blue eyes. "I love you too much to do that." If she was expecting anything at that moment, those words were not it. He broke into a broad smile and pushed her hair out of her eyes. "I do believe that this is the first time you have ever been at a loss for words, baby."
"Well, yes," she faltered. "That is one way of saying it." They had been seeing each other since the Valentine's Ball but Aurora never dreamed that Sirius had any kind deep feelings for her. She had dreamed of hearing him say it, but never expected it.
Propping himself up on his elbow he touched her cheek softly before he leaned down to kiss her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and responded to his kiss. He rolled over so that he was on top of her and continued to kiss Aurora. Her heart exploded as he deepened his kiss. He pulled away and she groaned softly. She looked up at him confusedly.
"Well?" he asked softly.
"Well, what?" she hissed. "Keep kissing me, you git."
"Don't you have anything to say to me?" he practically begged.
"Oh, yeah., almost forgot about that, huh? I love you, Sirius," Aurora said. "I almost told you a couple of weeks ago. But I was afraid. I didn't have any clue that.you, er, you felt."
"I'm glad you didn't tell me," Sirius told her. "You deserved to hear it first. You are so amazing. I love you with all my heart, Aurora Magen Walsh." With that he leaned down to resume his task of kissing her to his heart's content.
Present time..
Even now that memory could evoke so many emotions in him. Was he stupid to think that a love formed at that age could really matter? Really, who could have expected her to stick around? She gave up most of her of her youth to be with him at Hogwarts. No wonder she jumped at the chance to flee after he was taken away. Sighing, he walked over to the dresser and shoved the pajamas into a drawer. After pulling out his wand and whispering a few housekeeping spells, the room was neat once more.
Appearing in the living room of her London flat, Aurora sighed with relief to be home. Hurrying to the closet she began to pull out the supplies she would need to return to Grimmauld Place. Extra robes, supplies, and other belongings were quickly thrown into a trunk. Carefully, she picked up a scrapbook of wizard photos.
Walking over to the bed, she sat down and opened the cover to see a picture of she and Sirius staring up at her. She was only 12 when it was taken and he was fourteen. They had their arms thrown around each other's shoulders like the best of friends. Not a hint of the romance to come was there, yet, she thought with a smile. A photo of her and Remus sitting by the Lake covered the next page. It was taken by Sirius who joked with Remus that it was such a good photo of Rori that he was going to cut Remus out of it.
For about an hour, she turned the pages and laughed at the photos of them all. Photos from the Potter's wedding graced many of the pages. Then, there they all were at Harry's christening. He was such a chubby little baby! She remembered how sweet he smelled. Lily could hardly get her to hand him back over to her at St. Mungo's when he was born. And the way that Sirius had looked at her when she was holding the baby! He had that look of amazement and hope in his blue eyes. When they left, he could not wait to see her holding his newborn baby someday. And that night, they worked on that goal for quite a while, she remembered with a flush.
Realizing that it was getting close to noon, she shut the book of photos and rode to grab her trunk. But before she walked out of the room, she reached inside of a box for a small velvet pouch. Sighing, she stuck it into the pocket of her robes and then she vanished from the room. Upon popping into the kitchen at the headquarters, she was greeted by Harry who was playing Exploding Snap with Ron.
"Hullo," he told her with a smile. "Professor Lupin has been looking for you. He was in the living room earlier."
"Thanks Harry," Aurora said. "Where should I put my things? Do either of you have any clue?"
"Which room would you like?" a voice asked from the doorway.
"I'm not picky," she told Sirius. "Just tell me where you want me and that will do perfectly."
"You can keep my old room if you like. I don't sleep in there. Usually, I share the room with Buckbeak," he told her. "He would be the hippogriff that ran away with me after Harry here saved me from the Dementor's kiss." Her face became contorted in confusion. "It's a long story. Too long for now, so just keep my old room." She smiled her thanks and began to levitate her things upstairs. Harry just grinned at his godfather with a knowing smile.
"Sirius?" he said chuckling. "Why did you lie to her?"
"I did not!" he barked.
"You have been sleeping in your old room every night since I have been here," Harry pointed out.
"He has a point, Sirius mate," Ron noted.
"Not a word of this to anyone," Sirius scathed. "You act more like your father every day, Harry." Harry grinned as Sirius stormed out of the kitchen.
"Ron, do you think that the subject of Aurora gets under his skin a tad bit?" he asked his friend in a tone of mock concern.
"Harry, I do believe you are correct," Ron agreed. "Perhaps we should let it be, not get involved and all."
"Or we could see how much trouble some modern day Marauders could cause," Harry suggested with a grin. As Ron nodded in agreement, Harry wondered if there was still hope for his godfather and the woman that walked into the House of Black less than twenty-four hours ago.
Sirius walked to his childhood bedroom when he was sure that she was gone. He picked up the night clothes from the pile on the floor. He could smell the scent of her on his pajamas. He held the shirt up to his nose and breathed deeply. It was as if she wore the scent of a thousand different flowers. Instinctively, he closed his eyes and could see them on a day so many years ago.
Flashback..
It was cold and snowy. Aurora was lying on the bed with him in the girls Gryffindor dorm. Everyone else had gone to Hogsmeade for the last visit of the term. Aurora's scent kept washing over him; it was as if it were springtime in the middle of winter. They laughed and talked for hours. He had been so content at that moment. He loved her more than anything, he realized. Or perhaps, more accurately, he was just now able to admit it to himself. After all, he was seventeen and she was just fifteen. They were too young, weren't they? Could you meet your soulmate when you were thirteen and she was eleven?
"Hey," she nudged him. "What are thinking about?"
"Nothing, Rori," he lied. She began to gaze at him intensely. "Stop doing that, Aurora Walsh!"
"What?" she grinned.
"Legilimency," he answered. "That is so unfair. I can't hide anything from you!"
"But I don't try to delve into your mind to see what is going on," she replied innocently. "Only to see if you are being deceitful."
"I would never deceive you, Aurora," he whispered as he looked straight into her blue eyes. "I love you too much to do that." If she was expecting anything at that moment, those words were not it. He broke into a broad smile and pushed her hair out of her eyes. "I do believe that this is the first time you have ever been at a loss for words, baby."
"Well, yes," she faltered. "That is one way of saying it." They had been seeing each other since the Valentine's Ball but Aurora never dreamed that Sirius had any kind deep feelings for her. She had dreamed of hearing him say it, but never expected it.
Propping himself up on his elbow he touched her cheek softly before he leaned down to kiss her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and responded to his kiss. He rolled over so that he was on top of her and continued to kiss Aurora. Her heart exploded as he deepened his kiss. He pulled away and she groaned softly. She looked up at him confusedly.
"Well?" he asked softly.
"Well, what?" she hissed. "Keep kissing me, you git."
"Don't you have anything to say to me?" he practically begged.
"Oh, yeah., almost forgot about that, huh? I love you, Sirius," Aurora said. "I almost told you a couple of weeks ago. But I was afraid. I didn't have any clue that.you, er, you felt."
"I'm glad you didn't tell me," Sirius told her. "You deserved to hear it first. You are so amazing. I love you with all my heart, Aurora Magen Walsh." With that he leaned down to resume his task of kissing her to his heart's content.
Present time..
Even now that memory could evoke so many emotions in him. Was he stupid to think that a love formed at that age could really matter? Really, who could have expected her to stick around? She gave up most of her of her youth to be with him at Hogwarts. No wonder she jumped at the chance to flee after he was taken away. Sighing, he walked over to the dresser and shoved the pajamas into a drawer. After pulling out his wand and whispering a few housekeeping spells, the room was neat once more.
Appearing in the living room of her London flat, Aurora sighed with relief to be home. Hurrying to the closet she began to pull out the supplies she would need to return to Grimmauld Place. Extra robes, supplies, and other belongings were quickly thrown into a trunk. Carefully, she picked up a scrapbook of wizard photos.
Walking over to the bed, she sat down and opened the cover to see a picture of she and Sirius staring up at her. She was only 12 when it was taken and he was fourteen. They had their arms thrown around each other's shoulders like the best of friends. Not a hint of the romance to come was there, yet, she thought with a smile. A photo of her and Remus sitting by the Lake covered the next page. It was taken by Sirius who joked with Remus that it was such a good photo of Rori that he was going to cut Remus out of it.
For about an hour, she turned the pages and laughed at the photos of them all. Photos from the Potter's wedding graced many of the pages. Then, there they all were at Harry's christening. He was such a chubby little baby! She remembered how sweet he smelled. Lily could hardly get her to hand him back over to her at St. Mungo's when he was born. And the way that Sirius had looked at her when she was holding the baby! He had that look of amazement and hope in his blue eyes. When they left, he could not wait to see her holding his newborn baby someday. And that night, they worked on that goal for quite a while, she remembered with a flush.
Realizing that it was getting close to noon, she shut the book of photos and rode to grab her trunk. But before she walked out of the room, she reached inside of a box for a small velvet pouch. Sighing, she stuck it into the pocket of her robes and then she vanished from the room. Upon popping into the kitchen at the headquarters, she was greeted by Harry who was playing Exploding Snap with Ron.
"Hullo," he told her with a smile. "Professor Lupin has been looking for you. He was in the living room earlier."
"Thanks Harry," Aurora said. "Where should I put my things? Do either of you have any clue?"
"Which room would you like?" a voice asked from the doorway.
"I'm not picky," she told Sirius. "Just tell me where you want me and that will do perfectly."
"You can keep my old room if you like. I don't sleep in there. Usually, I share the room with Buckbeak," he told her. "He would be the hippogriff that ran away with me after Harry here saved me from the Dementor's kiss." Her face became contorted in confusion. "It's a long story. Too long for now, so just keep my old room." She smiled her thanks and began to levitate her things upstairs. Harry just grinned at his godfather with a knowing smile.
"Sirius?" he said chuckling. "Why did you lie to her?"
"I did not!" he barked.
"You have been sleeping in your old room every night since I have been here," Harry pointed out.
"He has a point, Sirius mate," Ron noted.
"Not a word of this to anyone," Sirius scathed. "You act more like your father every day, Harry." Harry grinned as Sirius stormed out of the kitchen.
"Ron, do you think that the subject of Aurora gets under his skin a tad bit?" he asked his friend in a tone of mock concern.
"Harry, I do believe you are correct," Ron agreed. "Perhaps we should let it be, not get involved and all."
"Or we could see how much trouble some modern day Marauders could cause," Harry suggested with a grin. As Ron nodded in agreement, Harry wondered if there was still hope for his godfather and the woman that walked into the House of Black less than twenty-four hours ago.