A/N: Still trying to keep up with consistent uploading. For all my readers... all... ten of them.. smirk Just kidding. :) I'm extremely thrilled if you're reading this. Thank you very much. I have at least 5 or so more chapters for this story... but I'm going to start to ask a question now... You see I wrote two endings for this story. And as we progress I would love to know which one people would rather read... Quite simply, one she stays, one she goes back. If you write a review let me know which you think would be more interesting, or e-mail me.
Enjoy the show poppets.
Chapter 6
Serena was sitting on her bed in the girl's room, far too frightened to go downstairs. Lily and everyone else had already left for home, and before she had left, right before she went out the door, Lily had laid one hell of a surprise on her. Her and Sirius were both staying over the holidays. Granted they wouldn't be alone, there were a couple of younger Gryffindors, and a few others from other houses, but the idea of not having Lily or Remus as a buffer to Sirius was absolutely frightening.
Taking a few deep breaths, and realizing that she couldn't live up in her bed for the whole time, Serena descended the stairs, hoping that he wasn't going to be in the common room. Of course her wishes weren't to come true, since he was lounged across the couch, reading a book and unaware completely that she had come down.
She took advantage of his distraction and started to sneak slowly to the doorway.
"As of yet, you haven't got the ninja like stealth down yet."
She winced and stopped. "Hello Sirius. Staying for the holidays as well? Isn't that nice. Well I have to go now. I'll see you around." She waved and practically dove out the doorway.
Sirius sat up and looked at the exit thoughtfully.
"Definitely needs to work on that stealth thing."
At that moment Serena was taking a few deep breaths on the other side of the exit, already beating herself up about the fact that she couldn't even manage to be in the same room with Sirius alone without panicking. This was going to make the next week difficult. Sighing, she trudged to the library to try and actually get some work done. There was nothing she could work for toward her plan, not with Peter and the Slytherins home for the vacation. She wished that Sirius had gone as well...
Avoiding the Gryffindor area was most important in her mind, so Serena managed to stay in the library all the way until night fall, and even then she didn't want to go back yet. But sadly the rules told her that she had to get back in the common room, since she couldn't walk the halls too late at night.
Reluctantly she walked up to the Fat Lady and gave the season's password "Happy Festivus"
"Happy Festivus to you as well dear." She smiled and swung open, allowing Serena entrance to the common room. She poked her head in carefully, looking for Sirius, and smiled when she didn't spot him.
"Hello Serena."
She jumped a foot forward, before she realized it was just one of the sixth year students who was also staying for the holiday. She couldn't remember his name, which apparently showed on her face.
"Brad Simmons." He grinned from his place at the table, where he appeared to be working hard on some homework. "You wouldn't happen to be any good at Potions would you...?" He grinned even wider as he asked this, showing that he knew quite well that she was good at the subject.
Serena smiled though, and went over to sit next to him, peering over his shoulder at the paper he was writing, or at least trying to. Her plan had been to go up to her bedroom, to avoid Sirius completely, but she wanted some human contact and helping with homework was something she did well enough.
"I'm second only to Lily in Gryffindor for the subject." Serena smiled brightly at the boy, who blinked at her in a bit of surprise, his cheeks going slightly pink "Are you doing a paper on the Fractonius Potion?" At his nod, she pulled his book closer and started to explain in great detail what he needed to know about the potion itself.
When Sirius walked into the common room, a while later he was greeted with the sight of Serena pointing to something and laughing with a boy... Brad something, who was a year behind them. Considering she had successfully avoided him all day, including missing all the meals, he wasn't exactly overjoyed to see her socializing with someone else. It would be one thing if she was avoiding everyone else, but it rubbed him the wrong way that it was just him she was doing it to.
"Sirius! How are you? You should come over here. Serena was just helping me with my potions work... It's only us three in the house over the holidays... The other couple of Gryffindors who were going to stay ended up going home with friends. We'll end up seeing lots of each other for the next week."
Sirius walked over, and didn't imagine the groan he heard from Serena at the boy's last comment. He narrowed his eyes at her, and she never once looked up, concentrating on the page she was reading.
"Yeah it'll be... fun. Won't it 'Rena?" Sirius asked softly, ignoring the boy completely. Brad was looking back and forth between the two, noting Sirius' stare, and Serena's obvious avoidance of his eyes. He pushed back his chair to leave, sensing that his presence wasn't necessarily wanted, but Serena's hand clamped on his arm stopped him.
"You don't need to leave..." She whispered, panic building in her voice.
"Of course he doesn't need to." Sirius sighed, he moved round the table and without any notice leaned down and picked up Serena.
"What the Hell!" She started to hit his back, but he ignored it completely. "Let me down NOW Black!"
"I'm sorry Brad... but the two of us have something to discuss. But as she said, you don't have to leave. We'll have to go." He smiled charmingly, as if he didn't have a girl thrown over his shoulder.
Without another word, he turned and left the common room, ignoring the Fat Lady's comments behind him about not being out this late, or of his treatment of a lady.
"Put me down!" Serena bit out, not hitting him anymore since it obviously didn't do anything to the 6 foot man...
"Quiet, or do you want Filch to find you over my shoulder? Just think of the gossip that would cause..."
Serena growled, but went quiet, deathly quiet. Sirius sighed knowing full well the second he put her down, he was likely to be in a lot of pain.
He carried her to the room of requirement, and upon entering found a room with a bed in the corner, roses in vases all around the room.
"Well I didn't need anything like this..." Sirius shook his head, but dumped Serena on the bed. She was looking shocked at the surroundings.
"I am going to kill you..." She growled, starting to get up, but the look on Sirius' face stopped her. He was staring at her, his eyes practically glowing. "You could have just asked to talk to me..." She looked away from his eyes.
"And you would have come up with an excuse, like you've been doing for two months. I'm slightly sick of it. Just be happy I decided to do this over break, and only Brad had to see it." He pulled up a chair from the wall and sat across from where she was sitting on the bed. "Not exactly making me feel better to see you laughing with him, when you run in the opposite direction from me."
"I run from you because I don't like you." There was a distinctive hmph in Serena's voice as she said that, punctuated by the crossing of her arms.
"We wouldn't be here if I actually thought that." Sirius snorted softly. "You had no problems kissing me that one time."
"And then I told Remus I wasn't interested in dating you.."
"Yes. You told him that it was because I was going to use you and dump you like I do with most girls. That I would make a bad boyfriend, obviously, because of that. Except in these last two months I haven't even looked at another girl, I've made it completely clear that I AM still interested in you. So your excuse is obviously a lie. So I want a valid excuse, or..."
"Or...?" Serena looked up at him, her face wary.
"Or I'll just have to keep you here then." Sirius smiled at her, lights dancing in his eyes. She winced though since she wasn't going to like what he had planned for while they were there. All right so maybe she was going to like what he had planned a little too much.
"I don't suppose you'd just believe me if I said I just don't like you?" She threw that question out there, and wasn't surprised by his definite shake of the head.
"More believable if you hadn't let me kiss you, or avoided me for two months."
"Maybe I just was embarrassed for letting a guy I didn't like kiss me?" Serena smiled up at him. He shook his head again.
"I still don't believe you. Just tell me. Then you can leave..."
Serena sighed, and tapped her fingers thoughtfully against her chin, trying to quickly come up with some explanation for so obviously liking him, but not wanting to date him. He was certainly right though, in the past two months his behaviour had improved. It had happened so quickly that she hadn't even realized that her excuse had gone out the window.
Then there was the truth. Which was also a definite no. Even if he did perhaps believe her story of time travel, the problems would arise immediately when he wanted to know what was going to happen. So what else was there? She couldn't use the old fall back of saying she liked someone else. The only believable one had been Remus, and she had used up that excuse already, he wouldn't believe it again. Then there was always the other obvious answer. That she did like him... the problem coming from that though was a purely personal one.
Sirius said calmly in his chair watching the girl so obviously to scheme he way out of this, trying to come up with other excuses, and he was surprised at his own calm. He had been burning up from the inside for the last two months, wanting to find out exactly what was going on. Tonight he had snapped sure, but he thought he deserved at least a plausible reason for why he was miserable. He smiled as she so thoughtfully chewed on her bottom lip, tugging on a lock of her own hair, completely unaware of him at the moment.
"I don't want to date you, because I'm falling in love with you. And I don't want to fall in love with anyone at this school, because I likely won't see you again after this year."
That was not what Sirius had been expecting, Serena was staring at him purposefully, for once not avoiding his eyes. The way she had been looking, he had been positive she was going to come up with another lame excuse to avoid a relationship. He didn't think she'd actually try the truth, or that it would be something as simple as this. He grinned brightly at her, since she had basically admitted to liking him.
"Don't grin at me like that." Serena huffed. "I just turned you down again."
"No you didn't." Sirius leaned forward. "You said you were falling in love with me. That means you can go out with me."
"I said no." Serena muttered.
"So you don't think you'll see me again, for whatever reasons are in your head. I'm saying that I don't really care at all. I only want you. You said you're falling in love with me. I'm telling you that I think I AM in love with you. At least that's what James thinks when I explain to him that I think about you all the time, I'm always looking at you, and my heart actually hurts when you so obviously aren't talking to me." Sirius paused, a roguish smile sliding on his lips. "James said that's how he felt about Lily. So I guess I am in love with you."
Serena stared at Sirius, her eyes wide, not knowing how to answer that. But her body moved before she could say or think anything. She leaned forward and brushed her lips against Sirius', her mind exploding at the taste of mint on her lips.
When she pulled away, Sirius stared at her, surprised at her action, but soon enough a slow grin spread itself over his lips. He reached out and pulled her back again, making the kiss deeper, longer. When he finally let go, Serena's eyes were glazed and she was sure her lips were going to be swollen.. Her tongue practically burnt with the taste of mint.
"I... I didn't mean to do that." Serena shook her head, her mind still fuzzy, her stomach doing turns.
"Of course not..." Sirius smirked. "Did you know you taste like vanilla?"
"I think it's the vanilla candies I suck on all the time... You though taste like mint, noticed that the first time..." Serena said unthinkingly, and blushed a pale pink. "I'm not kidding though. I didn't mean to do that. "
"Mint eh?" Sirius looked thoughtful, seemingly ignoring everything she was saying.
"Would you please pay attention!" Serena jumped up, her eyes throwing daggers and the raven haired man, lounging in the chair now. "I can not have a relationship with anyone, especially with you."
He looked up at her calmly, the kiss pushing his worry out of his mind. "Fine. You don't want a long lasting relationship because you'll be leaving. So why can't we enjoy each others company while you're here?" He suggested this, since if this worked he could use the time together to convince her to stay, or at least keep up their relationship if even from a distance.
"It'll hurt to much when I leave..." Serena said softly, looking down at the floor.
"Won't you regret it if you don't?" Sirius asked sensibly.
"Since when did you become an expert in real relationships?" Serena asked, sounding annoyed with all the twists and turns Sirius was making around her arguments.
"I'm most certainly not. I'm just saying what I want." He took her hands and pulled her down to sit on his lap, and nuzzled her neck gently. "You're a smart girl. If I could figure out that my feelings aren't going away, you should be able to realize it as well."
She was deadly quiet, but then it was hard to concentrate when Sirius' lips were playing across the skin on her neck. He was certainly right for once, the feelings weren't going to go anywhere. When she left she was going to regret it no matter what happened. So thinking sensibly suggested that there really was no reason to not enjoy herself while she was there.
"You know I absolutely hate it when you're right." Serena sighed.
"Well it doesn't really happen too often, so I have to enjoy it when it does." Sirius smiled triumphantly at her, realizing that he had finally broken through the walls. "Now, you're not going to come up with anymore stupid excuses are you?"
"They weren't stupid." Serena huffed, though she had wrapped her arms around Sirius' neck, and was busy letting her own lips wander over his neck now. "They were perfectly understandable... to a normal person. You just can't be normal can you?"
"I hope I'm never normal." He shivered as her lips worked on his neck. "Now this will make my holiday far more enjoyable."
Serena pulled away and narrowed her eyes at him. "Did you stay behind just to ambush me?"
"Well it was hard to do it when you were hiding behind Lily or Remus." Sirius' smile was trying to be innocent, but never fully accomplished it. Serena snorted.
"So you pulled me into the room of requirements." She looked at the bed blandly. "What exactly were you 'requiring' for a bed and roses to appear?"
"Ah well..." Sirius laughed. "I didn't require this. When I came here I was thinking that I needed just a place to sit and talk." He peered at her suspiciously. "What were YOU thinking of when we got here?"
Serena blinked, and suddenly turned a bright shade of red. Remembering back to it, she had been secretly thrilled that Sirius was taking action, and her brain had worked up a feverish fantasy of him, a bed, and a bunch of roses. She didn't think that had translated into a requirement though.
"Well well well..." Sirius chuckled. "I wonder if it was actually me that was going to be seduced tonight."
She smacked him lightly. "It's not my fault the room doesn't know the difference between a fantasy and a requirement!"
"Fantasy eh?" Sirius' smile grew wider, and he moved to kiss her again, but she jumped off his lap. He looked disappointed, but the smile stayed where it was.
"I'm still put out with you for treating me like a sack. And in front of someone else as well. Everyone's going to hear about that when they get back."
"Hell I'm proud of that, I'll probably be the one to tell everyone." Sirius ducked the pillow that came flying at his head. "What? I was all manly and took control of the situation." This time he wasn't fast enough and the pillow smacked him in the face.
"Manly eh? More like a dog marking his territory."
Sirius immediately went still, and Serena gasped softly realizing the slip after she had said it.
"What do you mean a dog?" He had recovered first, and was letting her explain what she said But at her expression he narrowed his eyes. "How did you find out?"
Serena sighed, and sat back down on the bed. "Now you can't be angry with me..." Looking at Sirius' face though proved that it was highly likely he was going to get angry. "You said it yourself, I'm not stupid. Did you think I didn't noticed Remus getting sick every month around the full moon... And last month I followed you all." At this Sirius hissed sharply, but she kept on. "I saw you all transform into animals. But I didn't tell anyone." This wasn't true, everything she knew came from Harry telling her, but this was a reasonable lie.
Sirius though wasn't listening to the rest of this, he was staring at her angrily. "Are you stupid? Do you realize how dangerous that was? To follow us when Remus was a werewolf? What if he had seen you? When we're animals he doesn't hurt us, and we can control him a bit but even we can't stop his animal instinct to hunt fresh meat when it falls into his lap." He stood up and towered over her. "Never do that again!"
Her eyes were wide, and she couldn't control the tears that were springing up, just from Sirius yelling at her. She hadn't actually followed them, she wasn't that stupid but she couldn't say that. But it still hurt her to have him yell at her, for what would have been her foolishness.
"Ah hell..." Sirius dropped down onto the bed next to her, pulling her into his lap again. "I can't handle tears. I'm not trying to hurt your feelings. I just need you to realize how dangerous that was."
"I know..." Serena squeaked out, her voice muffled against his chest.
"Good then. I never thought for an instant though that you would tell anyone about Remus or us..." He smiled slightly. "Other then Lily you're the only one outside the Marauder's that I would trust to know. Only Snape knows as well." Sirius sighed. "And that was my fault for playing a joke on him last year. James saved his life though. Dumbledore though swore him to secrecy somehow."
Serena peered up at Sirius through her eyelashes, her heart fluttering at hearing him say that he trusted her. A small voice spoke from the back of her mind that part of her plan had been accomplished, she had most of the Marauder's trust. She pushed that down though, since at this moment she didn't want to think about what she had to do.
Sirius glanced down, seeing her peering up at him and grinned, that impish twitch of his lips that she knew now always preceded him leaning down to kiss her.
The two managed to sneak back to the Gryffindor common room, somehow avoiding Filch and his cat, as well as Peeves. Once in the common room, Sirius regarded Serena thoughtfully.
"You're not going to act like none of this happened tomorrow, are you?"
"Would you let me?" Serena asked, a smile tugging at her lips. At Sirius' bright grin and shake of the head she sighed. "Then no, I won't. But only on one condition...?"
Sirius moved closer to her, looking down at her seriously. "Anything."
"Can we go back to the room of requirement tomorrow?" Serena beamed a smile up at him. His laughter burst across the room, likely waking up Brad from his sleep in the boys dorm.
"If you do the requirements again, of course."
Serena went on tiptoes and kissed Sirius soundly.
"Have you realized that you almost always kiss me first?" Sirius grinned, still proud of himself.
"Oh... go to bed." Serena huffed, pushing him to the boy's staircase.
"Good night 'Rena." Sirius called back.
"Good night Padfoot." Serena grinned on her way up her own stairs.
Once she was in her bed, and the glow of had worn off, the realization of what she had done settled on Serena. Sure she was happy with Sirius. She was more then happy, she loved being with him, she was falling in love with him. Truthfully if she was honest, the actual falling had happened long ago. But the fact of the matter was that she didn't belong in this time, and all she was going to gain from this relationship was a thoroughly destroyed heart.
She was happy that Lily wasn't there, because she would have been worried about her friend once again, since another night passed with Serena crying herself to sleep.