ONE SHOT. Ginny/Sirius.
AN: This was written at the request of my friend Citi Kiti, hope you like darling!
Disclaimer: the characters do not belong to me.
I see him everyday now. He looks so sad. So withdrawn. Spending his time up in the attic. I've seen him up there, never talking, just sitting.
"Gin! Ginny!" I hear his familiar voice, and turn to it.
"Hey Harry." I say before he cuts me off with a kiss, we've been together for almost a year now, it was the first thing he told him after we got him back.
"What are you doing up here in the dark? Its lovely outside, Remus set up a pool in the garden, the water is so nice!" he was smiling brightly and begins to drag me away.
He glances over my shoulder and his faces darkens, "Hello Sirius, are you coming outside too?" the two look at each other and Sirius turns and walks back into the attic. Harry looks to the floor.
"They say he's okay, but why wont he talk." I know this conversation, we've had it so many times the last few weeks. No one knows why. We got Sirius back through the veil, I don't know how, not being in the order means im not privy to such information, all I need to know is that he came back. That was a month ago, and since then Sirius has not spoken a word. Dumbledore says he's fine. Moody says he has to take time to re-adjust. Snape says, well I wont say what Snape says.
"Its okay Harry, he's fine, lets go outside, you mentioned a pool." I kiss him on the cheek and then lead him away, the spark is back in his eyes, and he begins to chat about what the day has brought him so far. On the way downstairs I glance back over my shoulder, Sirius is standing there watching us. He smiles at me. It's only slight. But it's the first response anyones seen out of him. I blink just to be sure, and when I look again he's gone, back into the attic.
Shaking my head I follow Harry outside to the garden, playing in the pool with him and our other friends. The smile of Sirius forgotten.
Well here we are. Back again this time for Christmas. Instinctively I look up the stairs, I can just see the door of the attic, and I wonder if he's still there. I feel someone brush past me and I scowl at their back.
Harry.
We broke up about a month ago, and since then he's been ignoring me completely. If only I was given the chance to explain, but no, not for him, my explanation is never good enough for him.
Shaking my head I look back up the stairs, Sirius is standing there watching us all come in. I smile at him. Only a small smile, one that you wouldn't see unless you were looking for it, but he sees it, I know he does. He smiles back.
Christmas day. I havent seen Sirius since the first day back, some times I walk up the stairs and stand in front of the door, daring myself to take the handle and open it, but I never do.
I'm heading up there now, it's Christmas, I tell myself, it's as good excuse as I'm going to get. I knock on the door, silly isn't it, knocking on the attic door. I hear snuffling footsteps inside and then the door opens slightly.
I smile at him and hold out the wrapped present. He takes it through the small crack of the door. I hear him sit down just inside the attic and open it. I hope he likes it, it's not much, but it's something.
The door opens a bit more and he smiles at me again and holds out the thin silver chain around his neck. My present. I got him a paw print. Nothing much just a simple reminder of who he is in his heart. I smile back and walk away. Heading downstairs away from the solitude and peacefulness of the attic to the loud, noisy and busy front room.
Back at school. Everyone's revising, but I don't want too. Hermione had a go at me for not revising yesterday, that was until I pointed out that she had NEWT's where as I only had end of years.
I sit down at the lake and gaze across it, not really seeing anything. Easter holidays are coming up. Everyone in 7th year is staying at Hogwarts, to revise. I was offered the chance to stay, it was either Hogwarts or Grimmauld place.
I choose Grimmauld place.
It's so quiet here. When it's only me, mum and occasionally another order member, and there's Sirius of course.
I haven't seen him yet. I wonder if he's still up there, in his attic.
Curiosity gets the better of me and I find myself outside his door again. I don't knock, I don't need to, he knows I'm here. I always am on my first day back. The door opens slowly and he sees me.
I smile. Noticing the chain around his neck. My chain, with the paw print on it. He still wears it. My smile brightens.
He smiles at me and looks at my hand. I look down, my sketch pad is in it. That's funny, I don't remember picking it up. Slowly I hold it out to him, he takes it and opens the door, allowing me room to enter.
Tha attic is dark, with only the cracks in the roof providing light. The room smells lived in, and in the corner I spot a few blankets, obviously his bed. He moves away from the door, shutting it as he turns and sits down on the wood floors. I join him. And sit silently.
He looks through my sketch pad. Stopping to stare at some for a long time, passing quickly over others. Near the back he stops again and looks at me.
I know what he's asking. Silently I hand over my pencil. Muggle's do have their uses.
He takes it and begins to sketch, I don't move, fascinated by the look on his face.
His eyes are lit up with a joy I have never seen before. After what seemed like no time at all, he stops, the light in his eyes dim and I would be lying if I said I wasn't sad to see it go.
He holds out my sketch pad and my jaw drops.
He's drawn me.
For the rest of the Easter holiday I spend almost all of my time up in the attic with him, drawing. I asked mum for a new sketch pad and she went out and got me a new one, they're cheap so I was okay with it.
The new pad I gave to Sirius, with one of my pencils. Ever since that first drawing, he's always drawn me. Whether it's because I'm the only thing in the attic besides him that's alive or because he likes me I'm not sure.
Though I know in my heart I'm hoping it's the latter.
At the end of the holidays he gives me the pad he's been using back. It's a present.
I accept it and say good bye, kissing him on the cheek as I go. At the door I turn back and smile. He returns the smile and my ears hear his voice, a whispered, "Goodbye."
It's the first time he's spoken since he came back.
I smile once more and walk out of the door, back to the hustle and bustle of Hogwarts.
Summer again, he's been back a year, and so far I am the only one who's heard him speak. The only one who knows he spoke.
His sketch pad is with me, held against me as I wonder back upstairs to the attic. His drawings were amazing, all of them me, in different settings. All of them brought up from his imagination.
The door opens before I knock and he smiles at me. I hand him his sketch pad and he lets me enter his attic. The door closing behind me.
We fall into a routine. I wake up, get a basket of food, go up to the attic and spend the day with Sirius drawing. At dinner time we head down to the table for more food, then he returns to the attic and I retire to the bedroom I'm still sharing with Hermione.
"I don't care!" an angry voice echo's though the house. It's Harry, shouting about me and Sirius again. He seems to think that something is going on between us.
Dumbledore is there, as always. He thinks it's a good idea that I spend time with Sirius.
Harry disagrees.
I pick up the basket of food mum has prepared and walk out of the kitchen and up the stairs, behind me I head Harry following.
Just before the attic he grabs my arm.
"Don't go in the Ginny." He says, glaring at the door. I wrench my arm out of his grip.
"I'll do what ever I want to do Harry!" I spit at him, surprised by my tone he turns to look at me.
"Don't go in there!" he repeats, "We don't know whats wrong with him."
I glare at him, how dare he! "there's nothing wrong with him!"
Harry laughs, a bitter laugh. "Then why is he acting the way he is? He's been back a year and the only time anyone sees him out of that bloody attic is when he comes down for food!"
"You spend a year trapped behind a veil, having everyone think you're dead and then come back and see how you take it." He blinks at my tone and then anger replaces confusion. He pushes me back against the wall roughly.
"Shut up!" he shouts at me, Harry scares me, I'll admit that yes. "Shut up!" I see him move towards me and close my eyes. I hear a thump of something hitting the wall and I open my eyes.
Sirius has Harry.
Pinned against the wall. I drop the basket and move across the hall to them. I rest my hand on Sirius' back.
"Let him go, its okay Sirius." Sirius' grip around his godson's throat loosens but he doesn't let him go.
"Let him go Sirius, come on, I brought cake." I smile at him and Sirius' blue eyes flicker from Harry to me.
"You. Okay?" he asks, his voice dry and harsh. Harry stops struggling. I smile at Sirius.
"Yes, I'm okay, thank you for saving me." Sirius drops Harry who lands on his feet.
"He ... he ... he spoke?!" Harry stutters in amazement.
I look at Harry, knowing Sirius is still watching me. "yes." I say slowly. "That's what happens when you open your mouth and move you tongue."
"bu...bu..." Harry stutters.
"Yes like that but you're meant to form words." I knew I was baiting him, but he had annoyed me. Turning I pick up the basket of food and walk into the attic, Sirius is behind me.
The door shuts and I put the basket down.
"Thank you." I say softly to him, moving over to the taller man and giving him a hug.
I feel his arms come around me, holding me close.
"You okay?" I hear him ask again. I nod into his chest.
I lean back, "Come lets eat."
"You mentioned cake?" I laugh and look at him, the old Sirius is still in there.
"Yes I did didn't I, come on." We sit down on the floor and eat the cake.
He lies down, and following instinct I lean against him. "your drawings were amazing."
I can feel his fingers running through my hair. "they were so beautiful." I say quietly looking into his face.
"They remind me of you." He replies. I blush, I know I am. He smiles and sits up. Our faces our barely a foot apart.
I smile and look down, he lifts my chin with one hand. "You are beautiful Ginerva." He whispers.
I look into his eyes. The passion I see in them when he is drawing is there now. Passion for me.
Closing my eyes I lean in slightly and brush my lips lightly across his, testing, seeing if this is what he wants. I pull back slightly and then my mind goes blank as he moves forward and kisses me back.
Gentle kisses, cautious, as if he's not sure if he can remember how. I place one hand on the side of his face and kiss him back. Reassuring him. The kiss intensifies and the butterflies in my stomach start spinning.
We pull apart and he runs his fingers through my hair again, I sigh, I love that feeling.
With a silent word we return to drawing, only this time, I know that the passion in his eyes is aimed at me.
And I know that with time. Sirius will come back. I only hope that I don't lose this Sirius that has appeared. This silent uncertain, innocent man that has seen so much, and so much of which I can understand.