Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter Dammit. Get it through your hear.
A.N.: Alrighty she's done, finally I must add. Sorry to anyone who was actually waiting for this, but I really have been busy. I got a job:) I'm the newest bus girl at Houston Pizza! But on the down side my work hours are greatly cutting into my writing time, so there may be a lot of down time between chapters now. Really sorry, but I will try to write as fast as I can. There's not much else I can do. I guess we will all just learn how to deal. But anyway enough chatter. This chapter is done, so enjoy. And don't forget to leave me a nice big fat long review. Long ones help me to write better, because then I actually feel like I am writing this for somebody. Anyway Peace out all! Happy readings!
Oh, and the songs in there are of course by the lovely Sarah McLachlan. I don't own them either. She does, but I hope you enjoy them all the same.
And if you want something to listen to while reading this, I suggest Taking Back Sunday and Alexisonfire to set the right mood, I suppose. That's all I have been listening to lately. I'm not picky about songs. Tha is all.
Chapter 9
Sirius stared down at his plate again that night, touching nothing. If anything his appetite had receded farther since the previous night. Silence clung tight to the table and it was apparent as to why. Riley's chair stood empty, her plate bare. She had not graced any with her presence since the funeral earlier that day.
Mrs. Evans sighed loudly. "She's needs to eat," she said protectively for the third time that night. "She's going to get sick. "I'm going to bring her up something-"
"Emily please," cut in Mr. Evans. "What she needs, is time. It has only been a few hours since the funeral. She feels lost and isolated. She wants to be alone, she needs to be."
"But-" his wife began to protest.
"No," he replied. "She will come around. We just need give her, time."
Lily's mother looked as if she was about to speak again but this time she was silenced by Sirius. "He's right," he said quietly. "Please just leave her."
He had tried many times that day to talk to her, but for all the response he got it may have been easier to talk to her door, which she would not open. He had heard her crying as he had stood outside, and he heard the sounds of destruction and she tried to deal with her grief. He knew his company would not help her, but he wished it would.
Silence dominated once more as only the subdued noise of utensils scraping across plates was heard. Sirius finally pushed his plate away. He was beginning to detest meal times.
"How did it happen?" he suddenly let out and all three Evans' looked to him.
"How did what happen, dear?" questioned Lily's mother.
"Mackenzie," he replied. "What happened to her? How did she…how, did it happen? Am I the only who has noticed that nobody seems eager to tell Riley that?"
"Well…" began Mr. Evans. "Well it's not exactly the easiest thing to tell."
"What do you mean?" Sirius questioned sharply. "Don't you think she has a right to know?"
"Sirius dear," said Mrs. Evans, "calm down. It's just that, well, it's hard, and Riley isn't exactly herself, right now."
"What's that supposed to mean?" he questioned again. "She deserves to know."
"And she will know, Sirius," Lily said then. "She just needs time to digest all that has happened."
"So once she's okay again you can rip open old wounds," he said strongly. His words rang out passionately as everyone took them in. His three counterparts stared back at him, examining him and trying to pick out and grasp his intentions. "I'll do it," he said suddenly breaking the thick silence. "I'll tell her."
They all looked to him with indecisive eyes. He knew how much they loved her, but he could not understand their reasoning. She needed to know, to grieve properly, she needed to know.
"Tell me," Sirius said quietly letting the anger seep into his voice.
"Why?" Mr. Evans replied his own voice rising in anger. "So you can run up there and tell her everything? So you can hurt her more?"
"That's not fair," Sirius replied heatedly. "It's not fair to hide this from her!"
"Who are you to decide what is fair and what is right for her?" Henry Evans stood up from his chair and leaned across the table to capture Sirius in his enraged gaze.
"I am someone who cares about her, who cares enough about her not to lie!" he growled at his elder rival. "I care enough to tell her what she needs to hear."
"And why does she need to hear it, now? Hear it from you?" Mr. Evans shot back.
"She needs to know," Sirius snarled. "And you're all too scared to tell her. You rather leave her in the dark, leave her alone…Well she doesn't need to be alone! She needs support and love, not lies…she needs family…" He trailed off as he said the last word, knowing how close it hit both him and Riley.
A few moments of silence ensued before Mr. Evans spoke again. "So then why are you here?" he scowled protectively. "Why do you care?"
"Dad, please stop," Lily said quietly from her chair, trying to restrain her father. He was normally so calm and composed. He rarely, if ever, fought with any, in fact Lily could not remember seeing her father fight with anyone else, ever. It was a mark as to how much this death really and truly upset him, unraveled him, wounded him.
Sirius stared back at his opponent livid with rage and hurt. He would not break at this old man's words. He would not lose this battle. "I'm here because I care for her more than anybody else, even you…I'm here because I love her." His voice was low and quiet. The truth of his sentence was driven deep into all who heard.
Mr. Evans looked back at the boy staring back at him. His long dark hair fell into his eyes, a determined gray. His handsome face was set strong and proud as if it didn't know defeat. In his eyes was an intensity, a fierceness, that he had only glimpsed once before, in Riley's eyes. And as he stared back at the Marauder dubbed Padfoot, the boy who had been known all too well for the mischief he had caused, he, Henry Evans knew that he was looking into the face of a man, and a man worthy of claiming love. And that realization, that thought, did not cool the heated anger flowing through the old man's veins. It infuriated him more, fueled his resentment, because he knew then that, he was no longer needed.
"You want to know what happened to Mackenzie?" he shot harshly at Sirius. "She was killed."
"Killed?" Sirius repeated feeling the same dumbfounded comprehension dawn on him as he had the day before.
"She was at a birthday party, with her friends. Nobody could have seen it coming," Lily's father continued, the fury finally leaking out of his voice, being replaced by grief. He sighed deeply, showing his age, and continued. "The police found their van. It was in a ditch on and old road just out of town…they were all still inside, all still wearing party hats…all, dead."
"Henry?" Mrs., Evans said quietly seeing the look of subconscious repulsion, limitless melancholy, on the face of her husband.
He continued as if he hadn't heard her. "There wasn't a mark on the van…there wasn't a mark on any of them. Not one sign of an accident or struggle of any sort…not one sign of death…just a look of fear, of terror, on each of their faces, each one of their young innocent faces…"
The room was veiled with silence. The whole world seemed to have to have quieted itself in memoriam to Mackenzie, who had been taken so viciously from the world. Not one person had the heart to say anything. It was so cruel, so utterly and sickeningly cruel. Death in itself is cruel, but this, this had no words to describe it.
Sirius felt disgusted at the brutality of it. He was revolted, appalled, ashamed in that moment to be a wizard, for he knew that those children had been taken at the hands of one. One more cruel, more heartless, more merciless than any other: Lord Voldemort.
A restrained cry was heard from the doorway. All eyes turned. Riley was framed there, in the light spilling out into the hall. She had heard everything.
Her face was formed into a look of utter sorrow, exposed and raw, pain in its purest form. She held a look to her eye that screamed that she was being tortured from the inside out. It was unbearable. It was ruthless. It was, cruel.
"Riley!" exclaimed her aunt, but Riley shook her head slightly as she tried to approach.
"Riley please," said Lily gently, "please come and eat something. We can talk about it. It will be okay."
She shook her head harder. "No," she said hardly above a whisper, angst flooding her words. "No it won't be alright." Tears began to stream down her face. "You lied to me!" she cried. "You didn't tell me! She was my sister, my sister!"
"Riley," her uncle said finally looking at her with the same pain that her eyes held. "I meant to tell you, I really did. I just didn't want to see you…hurt."
Her face was like ice, bitter and cold. "Liar," she hissed and turned away, away from them all. She ran as fast as she could from the dining room, from the cruelty, and took refuge in her room, her sanctuary, her loneliness.
But she would not be alone. Sirius followed.
She didn't see him enter, her face buried in a pillow. But she heard him, his gently footsteps, steady breathing. She felt his weight sink into her bad and his comforting touch as his hand brushed her head. She looked up and met his hardened eyes, and in them she saw softness and love, the love that she had denied so long before.
He did not speak but took her face in his hands, and looked into the very depths of her eyes. It was as if he was convincing her, willing her, forcing her to be okay. She felt his intention, his love in that gaze, and through it, felt the pain. She felt the tears she had been eluding break her hold. She felt them fall from her eyes. She felt her body begin to tremble in its grief. She felt her weakness come upon her again.
Sirius saw her weakness, and embraced it, embraced her. He took her into his arms as he had so many times before, and held her in her misery. And gently he sang, so softly, as she wept. The words came to him from nowhere, or perhaps from a song he had heard once. But then, in that moment they were his, his to give as a gift of solace.
"I will remember you
Will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories
Remember the good times that we had
Let them slip away from us when things got bad
Clearly I first saw you smiling in the sun
Want to feel your warmth upon me
I want to be the one
Too afraid to love you more afraid to lose
Clinging to a past that doesn't let me choose
Where once there was a darkness, a deep and endless night
You gave me everything you had you gave me life
I will remember you
Will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories"
The tender notes that lightly touched her ears stirred up an emotion deep set within her heart. It had been the same bitter sweet emotion that she had been fighting since laying eyes on the beaten Marauder that held her now. It was the love that had sprung up so suddenly in her damaged heart. It was the love she had convinced herself never could be, no matter how desperately she wanted it.
Sirius could hear his own voice silently filling the room. It seemed to bring a comfort to the ache that had lingered there for so long. He could feel the tears of the one in his arms slowly beginning to ease themselves. He could feel her steady breathing and the rhythmic drumming of her heart, as he rocked her. But most vividly, he could feel the love, pulsing through his body, wanting desperately to break out and claim what he sought, what he desired. And what he desired, was Riley.
"Please don't stop," she said softly after the silence had once again taken domination.
"What should I sing?" he questioned warmly.
"What ever you feel in your heart," she replied. And as she said it more words came to him.
"Spend all your time waiting
For that second chance
For a break that would make it okay
There's always one reason
To feel not good enough
And it's hard at the end of the day
I need some distraction
Oh beautiful release
Memory seeps from my veins
Let me be empty
And weightless and maybe
I'll find some peace tonight
In the arms of an angel
Fly away from here
From this dark cold hotel room
And the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie
You're in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort there
You're in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort here."
When the last word faded, silence moved in again. Not even tears broke it in its utter completeness. The whole world around them was soundless. It was blissful. They had each other and it that moment time and noise and pain were not real. Only love existed then.
"How are you feeling?" Sirius asked gently breaking the stillness.
"Truthfully," Riley replied, turning to face the one who held her heart, "kind of hungry."
She smiled weakly and he returned the suite. "I think your aunt and Lily would be very glad to hear that," he replied.
She smiled slightly again at that and turned to gaze out at the clear dark sky filling her window. Sirius watched her contemplative expression and she looked upon the stars high over head, silently mouthing the names of constellations to herself. And as he watched he may have said that she looked as though she was returning to normal, becoming Riley once more. But before he could even truly convince himself of that a dark look passed her lovely face, a look of fear and grief and regret.
"What's wrong?" he asked caringly.
"Mackenzie," she replied simply. "She's gone."
"I know," Sirius said softly placing a hand on her shoulder. "I know it hurts, but it will get better. It will get easier."
"It's so terrible," she began. "All of them gone. I had no idea." He saw her lips form the words he knew had been used, the words of ultimate hatred and evil, the words that had killed Mackenzie. "Avada Kedevra," she whispered.
"It was him," Sirius said discontentedly. "Another senseless killing by his followers."
"His followers," she whispered to herself. "Death Eater."
He nodded sadly to himself. "Death Eaters. There are so many now, and nobody knows who they are."
"Nobody knows," she repeated. "They could be anyone, even those you trusted most."
"I don't understand it," Sirius sighed. "It's all so senseless, all the murders, and blood, and pain. For what? For power? For purity? It's sickening."
She nodded jadedly. "She was so young, so unprepared," Riley said softly. "What if it hadn't been her…What if it had been us?"
"What are you talking about?" Sirius whispered in return.
"What if we had been taken instead?" she repeated. "Would you be ready to die?"
Sirius stared at her trying to discern what it was she was saying. He hadn't thought about death for a long time, not since he had escaped them, escaped his family. He contemplated her words and came up with his answer. "No." She looked at him inquiringly. He couldn't be ready to leave life yet, not now, now that he knew happiness, he knew friendship, he knew love.
"Me either," she said quietly. "A few days ago I would have given anything to be in Mackenzie's place...I would have sacrificed myself so she could have lived…and I nearly did…but not now. Now I want to live…I have too many regrets to make right, too many experiences left to have, I have too much to live for, to give up on life."
Sirius stared at her wondering what she was thinking about, why she was considering this. He knew how much it hurt. He knew that she had been thinking constantly of death for the past three days, but still it seemed to him that what she was offering him now was something more than confused feelings of mourning.
Silent minutes passed all too quickly as they sat in genial unison. Neither spoke but let the contentment of their friendship wash over them. Yet neither was content.
"Sirius," Riley said quietly as if still in deep thought.
He looked to her seeing something in her eyes that he had seen only once before.
"A few days ago, I lied to you," she continued uncertainly placing her words.
"What?" he questioned softly.
"I told you that, I couldn't…I didn't want…" she said slowly. "I…I can't keep lying to myself…to you. "
She gazed at him, nakedness leaking into her eyes. She was exposing herself to him, peeling away lies and hurt to show him her soul. "Sirius, I…I want to-"
He knew what she had been about to say, and it filled his heart with the happiness it had all but forgotten in the days that had passed. He placed a single finger across her smooth lips, and uttered a quiet shh. He didn't need to hear her words, for her had already heard her heart.
"It's okay," he whispered lovingly in her ear, drawing close to her. "I know. I have known all along. I love you Riley, more than you know."
She gazed longingly at him for a brief second, feeling his touch, his warming, beloved touch, and she knew she could be without him no longer. "I love you Sirius," she whispered into his own ear, feeling the endearing pulse of those words rush through her body and mind. "I always have. I want you to know that."
"I know," he whispered and then kissed her, feeling for only the second time what real love truly is. Her warm caressing lips on his own was like medicine, healing him of his many wounds, giving him back life and hope. He felt passion and delight rush through his veins exhilarating him like nothing else could. He felt joy returning to him, joy and bliss like nothing else. He felt love, the one thing that could heal all and make things right again. It was the sweetest, most affectionate, and random thing in the world, and love had finally won the hearts of the two people in the world who had been fighting it most.
He gently laid her down stroking her hair passionately. Her arms were around his neck holding him close, holding him tight, as if to never let him go again. Seconds passed and formed into minutes, but they were oblivious to time and place. They were oblivious to everything, everything but each other.
And when they finally pulled apart, unwillingly breaking their kiss, but not their love, Sirius laid his head gently upon her breast and heard the rapid beating of her heart. Her chest rose and fell steadily in its quest to gain oxygen. The rhythmic movement of it, sound of it brought him a peace and serenity that he had never felt before. Nothing in his seventeen years of life could ever compare to that moment of soundless happiness as he lay with the one he loved.
"I want to stay like this forever," Riley whispered, for a whisper was loud enough. "I want to be with you forever."
"Don't worry," he whispered back turning to find her lips again, "because I won't ever leave you."
And as nighttime crept inside and found them where they lay, sleep took them in loving embrace, an embrace that would not break until morning's light found them.
The next day they returned to Hogwarts. In Kings Cross Station Lily, Riley and Sirius said their goodbyes to the Evans'.
Sirius watched as Riley was embraced by her aunt in much the same fashion as she had been two days prior.
"Take care dear," Mrs. Evans said quietly to her niece.
"I will," Riley nodded as she was released.
She then found herself facing her uncle and felt a heavy regret plaguing her heart. She walked to him looking straight into his somber eyes. Tears did not come to her own eyes this time. She was finished crying. This time though, words came to her., words that had to be said, to make amends.
"I'm sorry," she said solemnly breaking his gaze and looking to the ground. "I was so messed up…I didn't mean any of what I said and, and you've done so much for me already, I don't deserve any of it-"
"Shhh," her uncle replied silencing her and lifting her chin in his hands. "I know, and I'm sorry too. We have all suffered, but you, you have suffered the most, and that is what you don't deserve, more pain."
He smiled at her gently. She looked into his eyes once more and saw something. She saw her father looking out at her. She smiled back, truly appreciating him as her uncle, her father's brother.
He then pulled her into a loving embrace. "I love you Riley, don't forget that. Things will get bad but I will always love you."
"Thank you," she whispered. "I love you too."
And then he released her, though it pained his heart to do it. He knew she belonged to another now.
Sirius somehow found himself once again in the bone crushing arms of Emily Evans as well. "Takes care dear," she said with the motherly persona he had come to know so very well.
"I will," he replied feeling his legs go numb. "Don't worry."
"Emily, I think you're crushing the poor boy," her husband said with a short chuckle. "Let him go already."
Lily too smiled at the comment, and Sirius found a grin forming on his face as well once he had been released. "Thank you for everything Mrs. Evans," he said sincerely.
"Of course dear," she replied kindly. "It was my pleasure."
Finally he found himself facing Henry Evans as Riley had before him. He saw the same grave eyes staring back at him and the expression to match them.
"Sirius," he said quietly stepping forward and taking the young man's hand in his firm grasp. "Please take care of her."
Sirius took in those words and placed them close to his heart. They were more than just a parting exchange, or a statement of trust. This was a blessing from the man Riley had taken as her father. And Sirius knew he would honor them loyally.
"I will," he replied candidly. "Trust me."
Mr. Evans nodded in reply and said, "I do."
And with a final handshake the two men defined their contract and parted. And with a final wave of farewell the three students had disappeared through the barrier dividing so much more than platforms nine and ten.
They last of the cool November sun illuminated the platform as the train pulled to a stop. A slight wind shook the trees around the tiny village and ruffled the hair of the three lone inhabitants of the deserted platform where they stood waiting.
"There," said Remus pointing. "They're coming."
James and Summer nodded. They had all been worried since word had come of Mackenzie's death. They had had no news of the funeral or of their friends, and after the incident in the lake, all of their hearts held a slight fear. They watched as three somber faces emerged from the carriage closet to them. And those same three faces broke into content grins at the sight of their missed friends.
"James," sighed Lily as his arms found her. "I missed you so much."
"Me too," he whispered lovingly into her ear.
Sirius smiled at them behind Lily's back. James saw and smiled too. When he let Lily out of his arms he walked to his friend and they embraced warmly for a moment.
"Padfoot," he said happily. "Glad to see you."
"You too, Prongs," Sirius replied just as merrily.
Riley too found herself being encased in someone's grasp. Summer had pulled her into a hug and said softly, "Oh, Riley, I'm so sorry. Are you alright?"
"I'm okay," she replied lightly. "Well, no, I guess I'm not really…but, I-I'll be okay."
The others smiled slightly, seeing a glimpse of the old Riley returning to her.
"I missed you," Summer said as she released her friend. "I was so worried."
"We all were," Remus added gently taking her in his own arms.
"Thank you," she whispered softly, "all of you, for coming down here."
"We love you Riley," he replied quietly speaking for all as they nodded, "we'd do anything for you."
"I know," she whispered softly. "So would I."
In that brief moment she felt a profound rush of gratitude toward all who were gathered there. She loved them. She loved her friends. Never had she felt loyalty like that which bound them. Never had she felt companionship like that which they offered her. She had never been closer to any, save those who were gone from her. She felt secure and loved and accepted in their presence. She knew the feeling was mutual. Remus' words rang true in her heart. She would do anything for any one of them. They were her friends.
She felt a few solitary tears form in her eyes and knew that they were not tears of grief. Those which spilled lightly from her eyes and ran down her cheeks then, were tears of contentment and sanctity. She was happy. For the first time in what seemed like years, she was happy.
She felt Sirius' hand in her own. She looked up to find that they were all gazing at her concernedly. "Are you okay?" he whispered gently.
She smiled weakly, for the first time in days. "I'm okay," she whispered in reply. "I have you guys. I know I'll be okay."
Sirius smiled slightly at her, knowing what she meant. He pulled her in tight to his chest and felt her warm tears brush against his cheek. Her warm breath tickled his ear slightly as she smiled into his shoulder. He loved her more than anything. And in that moment he knew he never wanted to see her hurt again.
"Let's go back to Hogwarts," she whispered in his ear.
"Let's go home," he offered.
She drew her head from his shoulder and smiled. He saw her eyes for a brief moment, and he knew she was finally happy. He could see the deep love they housed, the love she held for him. "Yes," she replied. "Let's go home." Then she brought her lips lightly to his own.
"When did this happen?" they heard James hiss inquiringly behind them.
Lily shrugged smiling.
When they broke apart and turned back to their friends, Riley said with a grin, "Let's go back up to the castle."
They others looked both relived and confused, but agreed nonetheless. They were contented to see their friends smiling again. The Marauders, Lily and Summer, all turned away from the train and the empty station and headed back toward the school, that had been so missed. They knew they were going home, and Hogwarts had a way of making everything okay in the end.
Things returned to normal as November opened up before them and the weeks began to pass. Riley, Sirius and Lily returned to their classes and the Marauders were heard holding band practice again. Needless to say, in the days after their return from London, an abundance of songs poured forth from both Riley and Sirius. The band had no shortage of music to practice.
But perhaps most prominently, and most importantly according to James, the Marauders were seen on the quidditch pitch, practicing. They held daily practices now so close to their first match of the season. Weather, they soon found out, was not a valid reason to cancel a practice, nor was sickness, homework, detentions, full moons, or sleep. James refused to call off regular training sessions even when the wind had reached gale force and nearly knocked one of the third year beaters, Matt Jacobs from his broom. Most nights the team did not amble up to bed before midnight.
But Gryffindor's chances were looking better with each tiring practice. The team was flying superbly and was getting stronger and faster daily. Sirius, Remus and Jeffery Laine looked like red and gold blurs as they sped back and forth across the pitch, and Riley had seldom let in a goal since she had joined the team. James of course could catch the snitch faster than anyone for a hundred years and had perfected the Wronski Feint almost on his first try. The beaters, Jacobs and Annsely, were performing wonderfully, and made controlling the bludgers look like child's play. The team had acquired a thirst for success and as the first match, Gryffindor versus Slytherin, approached quickly, it looked as though they would achieve that which they sought.
"Nice save, Riley," called Remus as she easily plucked the quaffle out of the air and threw it to him.
"Thanks," she replied.
"That's my girl!" Sirius called with a smile.
"We know," said James exasperatedly as he circled overhead. "We've heard, we've seen. I think the whole school is aware of your relationship."
"I take pride in that," Sirius replied haughtily.
"What?" asked James curiously. "The fact that everybody knows all of the intimate details of your life?"
"No," he replied with a wide grin, "that we are the hottest couple at Hogwarts. We're the center of attention. Everyone loves us. We're practically famous."
"You always did like the spot light, didn't you Sirius?" Remus chuckled casually.
"Yeah, remember that time in third year when he tried to wear nothing but his knickers to breakfast," James reminisced.
"I think McGonagall enjoyed that," Sirius put in. "Never seen her go that red before."
"I think it was from lack of oxygen," laughed Remus. "She so busy yelling at you that she had quite forgotten to breathe."
"She was a bit mixed up, though," Sirius said. "The whole time she was yelling that it was inappropriate to wear boxers in the communal parts of the school, but when I tried to take them off she just yelled louder."
"Dear God, I love an idiot," Riley sighed as she flew over from in front of the goal posts.
"Are you referring to me?" Sirius questioned putting on an act of naiveté.
"No, McGonagall," she answered sarcastically.
"Oh," replied Sirius. "I thought you were talking about me for a minute there. Well, McGonagall is pretty hot, but not my cup of tea, if you know what I mean."
"Urgh!" proclaimed Remus. "Really? That's quite disturbing, Padfoot."
"What, you haven't yet glimpsed the stunning good looks of our lovely Transfiguration teacher?" Sirius questioned.
"Can't say that I have," James answered as Remus nearly shouted no.
"My, we are a bit touchy about the subject," Sirius teased him. "Been spending too many detentions with her have you, Moony?"
"I'm a prefect remember," Remus tapped his badge warningly. "I don't get detentions, I give them."
"Is that a threat?" asked Sirius.
"Actually-" Remus began but stopped short when the quaffle bounced suddenly off of his head. "Ow," he muttered as Jeffery Laine and the two beaters flew over to join their circle.
"What's the hold up?" Laine asked impatiently. "I thought we were practicing."
"We were," put in Sirius. "We had just stopped to discuss Remus' deep infatuation with McGonagall."
"Really?" questioned Laine. "You find her attractive? Got a thing for older women, eh?" He smirked widely.
"Sirius, I'm going to murder you," Remus muttered loudly.
Sirius smiling said, "Not until after the match you won't. You'd never win with only two chasers, and not to mention my good looks."
James near by was laughing. "Alright, alright! Back to work everybody. What we need is practice. Oh and Remus, you can murder him if you like, but after the match if you please. He's right. We can't win with only two chasers."
Play resumed again as the chasers, Sirius in the lead with the quaffle, shot up the pitch toward Riley, circling almost leisurely around the three goal posts. He smiled widely at her as he approached. She wore a confident smirk that succeeded in making his heart glow with affection.
"Ready, Riley?" he called when he was nearly ten feet away.
"Take your best shot!" she replied assertively.
He grinned and threw the quaffle hard at the far right post. He watched as she dived for it and caught it easily in her outstretched hands.
"You don't have to go easy on me, because I'm your girlfriend, you know," she smiled as she flew to his side.
"Easy?" he retorted. "I thought that was a great shot. No other keeper would have been able to stop it."
"Only the best," Riley agree. "Like me."
Sirius smiled as he flew around her and took a practice shot through the empty middle goal post. "Well, you're probably not the best," he joked sardonically as he flew close to her again, "but I guess you will have to do."
"I will have to do?" she questioned sharply. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"I was simply commenting on the abundance of talented keepers in the world," he replied charmingly. "You just cannot be the best, despite what you think."
"Oh I can't?" she shot.
"Nope," he said simply.
"Are you insulting me keeping skills?" she questioned. "Because, might I remind you, that you have scored a grand total of three goals against me this year, while I have stopped almost every one of your shots. So unless you want to play to see who is better-"
"Hold on," Sirius interrupted. "For the record are you challenging me, or threatening me?"
"Challenging," she replied haughtily. "If I was threatening, I would threaten to never let you kiss me again."
"You wouldn't," he dared.
"I would," she smirked.
"Now Riley you know that would punish you just as much as me," he smiled in reply.
"Nope," she answered simply. "I have will power."
"Will power," he snorted drawing very close to her. "I bet you couldn't go twenty four hours without wanting to kiss me?"
"Twenty four?" she laughed. "I could as easily go three days."
"Well I could go four days," he rivaled.
"Five," she answered his challenge. Quite suddenly though all of their taunting was brought to an abrupt stop as Sirius' lips closed over her own.
"It's been about ten seconds, hasn't it?" he questioned as he pulled away for a brief moment.
She nodded. "About." And she kissed him again.
"Hey, hey! Break it up!" called James from across the pitch. "This is quidditch practice, not a snogging session."
They ignored him.
Later that night Riley and Sirius sat alone in the empty heads common room. The room was lit dimly by a warm orange glow spilling from the fireplace. The flickering of the flame reflected on the walls and on the faces of the pair as they worked together perfecting yet another song.
"How about, 'Now that you're gone, I can't see the sunlight. All I feel is the rain, and the endless cold of night'?" questioned Sirius singing that proposed lyric.
"Yeah," Riley agreed, "I like that and I think there should be an acoustic guitar in there though, playing chords in E minor through the verses."
Sirius smiled as she strummed the chords. "Sounds good," he agreed, "but how about a break. We've been working for hours."
"It's been half an hour," Riley replied looking at the clock on the wall.
"Oh," Sirius said looking too, to see if she was correct. "Well it feels like longer."
She smiled. "I could go for a break though."
"Good he replied. "I was hoping you'd say that." He got up and put aside his guitar. Riley did the same and they slid down from their seats on the edge of the stage and sat again on the couch in front of the cozy fire. Riley rested her head gently against his breast and he wrapped his arms snuggly around her.
"So how are you feeling?" he asked lovingly. "About Mackenzie, I mean. It has only been a couple of weeks."
She sighed slightly. "Okay I guess. Sometimes I'm so caught up with school and quidditch and, and you, that I don't really have time to think about it…but when I'm alone, I-I can't get her face out of my head. And sometimes, I don't want to…I don't want to forget her Sirius."
He kissed the top of her head sweetly. "You won't forget her," he comforted. "You loved her too much to forget. She'll always be with you, whether you know it or not. She's in your heart and in your memories. She's here Riley, even now."
Riley uttered a short chuckle.
"What?" Sirius asked. "Was that too cheesy?"
"Just a bit," she smiled.
He chuckled too. "I thought it might be. But really Riley, you don't think you would actually forget her do you?"
She looked at him for a brief moment, catching his eyes, deep and warm. "No," she answered quietly, "I couldn't." She settled back into his shoulder and let silence engulf for a few moments.
Sirius smiled lightly to himself as he held on to her. He loved her so much. Every time he looked at her and saw her lovely face, her intense eyes, he could feel his heart fill with happiness and passion. He had never felt anything like it before. With other girls, it hadn't ever been like that. He would get bored, tired of them after a few days or weeks. He could never have stayed with any of them. But now he felt excitement. He felt love. He felt a longing desire to be with Riley always. When he wasn't with her, he would dream about her. Even just to see her would be enough. And when he was with her, it was bliss, pure and real delight. He loved her so much he didn't know how he endured life before her. Without her there was no joy in life.
"Sirius," she said lightly, pulling him from his peaceful thoughts. "What would you do if we got married?"
"Married?" he replied softly. "Is that a proposal?"
She smiled casually. "No," she replied. "Just what if. What would it be like if we could spend the rest of our lives together?"
"It would be, amazing," he answered truthfully after a moment. "A dream come true."
"Like a fairy tale," she added passionately. "We could have a wedding with our friends and family."
"And after, I can figure out how to get you out of your dress and we can-"
"Not if you don't stop right where you are," she laughed turning to face him.
"And then we can go on our honeymoon," he whispered and then gently kissed her lips. "We could go anywhere and see anything."
"But it wouldn't matter where," she replied looking into the depth of is eyes. "As long as we were together, it would be incredible."
"And we could come home and live wherever we wanted, together," Sirius continued softly.
"And we could have a family," she whispered.
"Little Marauders," he agreed tenderly. "And they would go off to Hogwarts and learn all sorts of things, and start a band, and play pranks, and sneak out at night-"
Riley placed a single finger on his lips. "And fall in love," she whispered.
"Of course," he smiled in reply and kissed her passionately again.
"What would we name them?" she asked as his lips retreated.
Sirius gazed at her for a moment. "I don't know."
"How about Sarah for a girl," she replied "or Breanne?"
"I like them," he smiled. "And a boy could be Andrew or Jordan, or Sirius Jr."
"Or Harry," she added after a moment.
"Harry," he repeated softly.
"It's always been my favorite," she explained. "I guess I just always imagined that if I had a son, he would be Harry."
Sirius smiled lovingly at her. "Harry it is," he agreed wholeheartedly. "It's a perfect name."
She grinned widely. "Thank you," she whispered hugging him tightly. "That means a lot to me…Harry was my dad's middle name."
"Anything to see you smile," he whispered back.
She sank back into his warm arms feeling nothing but the utter bliss of love. Sirius completed her some how. He made her smile and laugh. He made her feel warm and cherished. He made her happy, even then, when she had forgotten happiness. She didn't have to think about her father anymore, or Mackenzie. She could finally forget death and dwell on more pleasant things. She could forget about the past and live, live her life, make a new future. She could make a future that she could never have imagined before, so full of love and passion. A future with Sirius, it would be more than anything that she had ever wished for.
"We could do it, you know," he whispered gently breaking the silence. "We could get married."
She turned to face him, her face inquiring, yet longingly so. "How?" she asked quietly, not why. She already knew why. She didn't have to ask.
"Well," he began, "we're in seventh year. In a few months we leave school. I've got quite a bit of money put away that I inherited from my uncle…We could have the wedding of our dreams, the honeymoon, the house…we could have little Harry…"
She smiled as he reached the last part. With each word that slid off his tongue and over his sweet lips, her heart grew with lust, the lust to go through with what he was saying, to be spontaneous and crazy and live in that very moment. And in that moment, that moment as they sat together talking of marriage as if it was nothing more than band practice, she wanted nothing more to be his wife, to be Mrs. Sirius Black, to spend her life with him.
"We could do it," she whispered.
Sirius smiled widely. He knew he must have lost his sanity somewhere. How could he possibly be thinking of marriage? He had never even managed to keep a girlfriend for longer than a month. But not now, not Riley. He knew in the very depths of his heart, his mind, his very soul, that she was different. She was, the one, his soul mate, that one he was meant to spend his life with. She was the one who would make him a father, yell at him for wearing his shoes in the house and leaving the toilet seat up. She was the one who was going to be his wife. He knew he wanted nothing more in life. Just to have her, forever, would be more than a dream come true, or happily ever after. He couldn't describe it, it just was…love.
He pulled her in tight to his body. Holding her close like that was like nothing else. Her warm breath was on his ear. "I love you," she breathed. He caught and held every word.
"I love you too," he whispered back passionately. "I will forever…I promise."
Their lips met again, tenderly and lovingly. They both knew what they really wanted, and that, was each other.
A.N.: Aaannnddd review…