CHAPTER 13 – The End
By: Sweet 16 Movie Buff!
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Sirius lay on his bed, staring up at the canopy top, lost in thought. Despite the warmth of the day outside and the early release of the classes, Sirius Black was finding solstice and comfort in the privacy of a silent dorm. Today was the last day he would ever set foot in Hogwarts again, and here he was, inside. Amazing. Utterly amazing.
He smirked. Fascinating what a good long afternoon of thinking could do to a person and he was thinking about a great many things at the moment. Questions buzzed through his mind, distracting him from one course of thought to a completely different one, yet all seemed to be interconnected by a common thread.
Had they finished it? Had Andromeda come through for him? And what about Jillian? Would she accept his offer? Or . . .
Was he just fooling himself?
He tried to picture her surprise: the way her eyes lit up, or how she would stand there slack-jawed in amazement. The way it made him feel. The warmth that bubbled up from somewhere inside . . . No, he couldn't picture it. He had to feel it.
"Aren't you going to pack?" James asked as he sauntered into the boy's dormitory looking quite relaxed in a pair of jeans in a muscle tank.
Sirius grinned at James, "All ready did. Jillian taught me this handy spell that takes care of packing for you."
James watched his friend's face, "Were you thinking about her?"
He took Sirius's silence as a yes.
"Do you love her, Padfoot?" James asked at last, voicing the question that had been on the tip of everyone's tongue for the longest time.
He and Lily had had a lengthy discussion on the issue, Remus and Carly had mentioned it at least once or twice, Toby wouldn't shut up about it, and Peter hadn't mentioned the 'L' word since he'd let it slip that night.
"Do you ever catch yourself admiring the little things about Lily, Prongs?" Sirius asked at last. "Like the way she wears her hair, or the way she'll nibble her lip when she's upset - "
Sirius stopped; that was something Jillian did, not Lily. James simply smiled, "All the time, Padfoot."
Bloody hell he was. Yet the thought didn't really bother him. It actually . . . made his senses buzz a little, like a pleasant chord on a guitar. "Thanks, Prongs."
"Why don't you come outside and enjoy the sun? We'll have enough to play a decent game of poker with a nice size pot if you do," he offered, rising from his seat on his bed.
"How many do you have?"
"Seven so far."
Sirius smiled, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, "I'm in."
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The Hogwarts Express rolled into the station, screeching to a stop before Platform nine and three-quarters. Steam billowed from the chimney stack, blanketing the students pouring out of the boxcars and the clutter of Muggles, witches and wizards waiting on the platform.
Jillian stepped out into the smoky sunlight, Chocoball wriggling in the basket under her arm. There was a little knot of dread in her throat; she would be going back to Canterbury with Carly to spend a month or so with her family until she found an apartment. The prospect was one she dreaded for she knew nothing of Canterbury and practically every nook and cranny of London. As much as she loved the quaintness of an old town and as much as she loved Carly as her friend, she did not relish in the prospect at all.
"MUM! DAD!" Carly abandoned her trunk with a gleeful cry, running into the arms of her parents as they waited eagerly for her.
"Get a room!" Toby shouted at them with a crazy, lopsided smile on her lips.
Jillian laughed, "Wrong context, Toby."
"Yeah, well," she shrugged, pushing her trolley towards the barrier, "I've always wanted to say that. Have a good summer! Call me once you get your flat!"
"I will! Have a good summer, Toby!" Jillian waved to the dark-skinned girl as she pushed her trolley through the brick wall that served as the barrier between the Muggle station and the wizarding one.
"Did you think you were going to leave this platform without saying goodbye to me?"
Jillian's senses hummed as she glanced over her shoulder to see Sirius standing there in his leather jacket.
"No," she replied evenly, smiling up at him, "But I was sure going to give it a good try."
Sirius laughed, at the same time wrapping his arms around her thin waist and hugging her tight. Jillian, after setting Chocoball on her trunk, tried vainly to pry him off, but it did no good. He put his lips to her ear and whispered, "Have dinner with me tonight."
"I thought you and James were going to celebrate graduating with a long round of butterbeers?" she frowned, turning slightly in his arms to look him in the face.
Sirius shook his head, "Nah. I think he wants to spend some time alone with Evans."
He nodded to the shadow of the barrier where the redhead in question was curled snuggly in James Potter's arms, each whispering to one another. Jillian smiled; they looked very much the pair, the two together as they were.
She raised a delicate brow, suddenly amused, "So are you asking me out on a date, Sirius Black?"
"If you want to call it that," he replied nonchalantly.
"Oh . . . I don't know if I can," she slipped out from his arms, wanting badly to go, but suddenly realizing she may not have a choice in the matter, "You see, I'm leaving with Carly for Canterbury - "
"That won't be a problem," Carly suddenly appeared, smiling at the two. "Mum and Dad wanted to spend the day in Diagon Alley, to do some shopping. You can catch up with us later at the Leaky Cauldron, if you like."
"There you are, Miss Perfect," he motioned to Carly, with a thankful smile, "So what are you in the mood for? Italian? French?"
Jillian made a face, "Snails make me gag."
"And this coming from the girl who enjoys sardines," he said wryly, awarding him a punch from a laughing Jillian. He grinned, "Seafood, then?"
"Seafood would be great," she smiled at him. All ready she was pushing her trolley towards the barrier, Carly guiding it more so than Jillian.
"Pick you up at six!"
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"Merlin, that was fantastic," Jillian rested a hand on her stomach, worried that her dress might just burst she had eaten so much. "How'd you ever find that place?"
Sirius rested a hand on the small of her back, helping her up the stairs to his apartment, "Andy recommended it. She said Ted didn't even realize she had said she was a witch until they were outside."
Jillian laughed, "You should have at least let me pay half the bill."
"No, it was my treat. Now come on, I want to show you something," he gently ushered her up the stairs to his flat, all ready pulling a key out of his pocket.
As he inserted the key into the lock, Jillian rested her hand over his. When he looked up, his eyes met her dark ones, to see they were earnest and watching him closely. Did she suspect? "I had a good time, tonight, Sirius."
He grinned softly, "I did to."
Hesitantly, Jillian closed her eyes, letting her lips caress his, softly at first, than more certain the second time. Sirius relented, caressing her mouth with his, letting his tongue explore the caverns of her mouth. She was wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Wait," his voice was raspy as he took a step back out of her hold, breathing heavily. "Just hold that thought for ten minutes."
"What's this?" she asked with a playful frown, "You're actually showing some form of restraint? Just for kissing?"
"Ha, ha, Jillian," he mumbled sarcastically, flinging the door open for her.
"Okay . . ." she strolled into the apartment, "What did you want to show me? Oh, you got a new fridge, okay."
The flat was very much a tidy bachelor's pad; the open space was blank of any color except for a couple of posters hung on the walls. The kitchenette was sectioned off by an island bar, with a collection of stools shoved underneath. A large over-stuffed couch took up the majority of the living space, flanked on either side by a papa san. Sirius had shown her his flat the summer of their sixth year, when sadly his Uncle Alphard had passed away, leaving him with a tidy sum of money to pay for it.
"No," he leaned casually against a closed door, his arms folded across his chest. "This is what I wanted you to see."
He opened the door to the room and flipped on the lights. The walls were painted misty lilac and scattered with posters of exotic ports and locations. The palm trees in one such poster swayed lightly in a breeze, and birds fluttered in and out of a Moroccan belfry. A map above the desk was littered with pushpins and in the corner was taped a picture of a four-year-old girl with golden chestnut hair sitting on the shoulders of a sailor. On the corner of the desk was propped a picture of a comely woman who bore an uncanny resemblance to Jillian. The wrought iron bed was pushed into the corner, made up neatly with a large quilt; a patched stuff dog was propped carefully against the pillow.
Jillian's mouth dropped open and a surprised cry escaped her lips. She ran her fingers along the iron of the bed, her fingers taking in the familiar grooves and rounds. It was her room, her room from Kensington.
Sirius watched her as she moved around the room, touching belongings he had asked Ted to move in the previous week. The way the moonlight cascaded around her hair (which Carly had managed to tie in a cluster of tiny, tasteful spikes) made her look like she wore an angel's golden halo.
"Do you like it?" he asked at last, when Jillian did not speak for several moments.
She looked over at Sirius, at a complete loss for words "How - ?"
"I called in a favor," he explained, coming to stand before her. "What do you think?"
"I . . . I don't know what to say," she breathed, looking up at him, her mouth still parted in her shock. She rested a hand on his chest, and played absently with the buttons of his shirt, "It's wonderful. I just don't . . . I don't understand."
"Then maybe this might help," he pulled out of his pocket a spare key and dangled it before her, "Jillian McKee, will you be my flat mate?"
"Sirius . . ."
She was still staring at him in a sort of amazement that he couldn't quite read. Quickly he stuffed the key back into his pocket, and took a step away from her, raking his hand through his hair. Maybe he'd been too forward. "Unless you have other plans of course."
"No," she assured quickly, her hand sliding under his jaw to have him look her in the eye again, "Of course I will. Bloody hell, yes!"
She curled her arms around his neck and pulled him into a warm embrace, which he equally returned.
"I pay half the rent though," she said after a moment. "No questions asked."
"Wasn't gonna," he smirked softly, then in a quieter tone added, "You gave me a scare there for a second, Jillian."
"I'm sorry. I just never thought you would offer," she breathed.
"I love you," he murmured into her neck.
She smiled, playing with the tips of his hair, "I love you too, Sirius."
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TO ALL OF MY REVIEWERS, WHO OFFICIALLY KICK BUTT!
Moon Burst – I cannot thank you enough for your offer to help with the plot. I have a shaky idea, but if I ever do get stuck, you're the first on my (very short, one person) list! To be honest, I wouldn't really go to anyone else, because your stories are so varied in plot and character that I greatly respect your opinion as an author.
Kirie Himuro – First off, how was the beach? Was it a natural beach (like it was part of a wildlife reserve, yet open to the public) or a public city beach with a boardwalk? Was the water warm or cold? Were there any hot guys? Sorry, I'm having my own form of beach withdrawals; my family and I use to go all the time and now we never go.
Anywho, thanks for pointing out the 'uncleanness' vs. 'uncleanliness' error. I was sure that it was uncleanliness, but my stupid computer says it's not a word so I changed it. Thank you though for proving my computer wrong, so I can honestly say that we (the human race) have not seen are end in what has become man's best friend (the computer)! It's a long story; one you probably don't want to know. ;)