Too bad the bride is a whore – Thanks for your review! Heh, I like your name!
Alyssia – ha, I know your dying for Sirius and Rach to get together! Ha, I promise they will be together soon…I just had to get this chapter out of the way first…
Maraudergirl7 - ha thanks for the review! Yeah, I had a lot of fun writing these few chapters!
Ladyleo222 – ha, yip, the weeding plans will not go well!
Dracozgal4ever – I agree, Sirius and Rach would be the ideal couple!
Paige Hanson – ha, thanks for your review!
GreenTea&Honey – Thanks for the review! Yes I know most arranged marriages aren't bad and mostly work out well. In some cultures it's tradition and I respect peoples decisions to do it. I just had to make this situation bad to go with the storyline.
Inuyashas lady – hmm cookies and a car! Lol. And thanks for your nice comments! Haha! You'll be pleased to know that I've written the next chapter already!
Meg – ha! Thanks for your review
Amanda – ha! Yeah, it's more of a Sirius/OC and I would change it but I'm nearly finished the fic so I can't be bothered! Ha, they will get their act together soon! Promise!
Melfster – Ha, yip the more reviews I get, the faster I post!
Eskimo'sRsxy – ha, glad your excited!
Heenie – Thanks for your review!
Msdannygirl23 – Thanks! It's nice to get such positive feedback!
The all mighty and powerfulM – ha, I would kill my parents if they did that to me too! But I suppose it's more Olivia than anyone else!
Yume-dream – Thanks for pointing that out! I really need to get a BETA because I'm no good with grammar and spelling. I would get one if it weren't so late in the fic! Although I'm going to get someone to go through it and edit it for me at the end and I want to change it around a little bit then post it again! Aha, Simon is odd! Opps, I forgot to say how old he was! Hm, say 18! He's left school in France
JC1gem – Thanks for your review!
Piella – hmm pie? Gosh!
4BlOnDiE4 – thanks! And as I said above somewhere, I would get a BETA if it wasn't so late in the fic! Grammar isn't my strong point!
Ilana Potter – Thanks so much!
Again, this chapter is fluffy. But hay, I know you all love it! Besides, Rach and Sirius need a bit of lovey dovey time!
Chapter 21 Sirius are you serious?
Apart from the fact that she was engaged to a Frenchman, Rachel so far had enjoyed her holiday. She had gotten her mother and cousin so wound up, it didn't help things when her friends turned up on the doorstep. Both James and Rachel had been laughing for hours afterwards. They loved seeing Olivia so distressed.
Rachel was now filling in her friends everything that had happened, while Simon was downstairs having tea and biscuits with her parents, Olivia and Paul. Once Rachel was done explaining, Riley looked horrified.
"What a sleazy bitch!" she screamed. "All this time, she was setting you up with some French dude who, might I add, isn't hot!"
Rachel laughed. "I love getting Olivia so uptight!"
Lily sighed. "I know what your cousin is doing is wrong, but I wonder how Simon is feeling?"
Rachel had to admit, she had been rather rude, but no one was keeping Simon here. "I think I will talk to him, tell him I'm not interested, that I love someone else!"
"And who do you love?" James asked with a smirk. "Because I really think you should tell him!"
Rachel shot him a glare. "Shut up!"
"Do we know him?" Sirius asked.
Rachel sighed. Everyone in the room knew it was Sirius, bar Sirius! Rachel felt incredibly uncomfortable. "I'm positive you know him!" Rachel said smiling.
Sirius sighed. He was hoped Rachel would have suddenly yelled that it was him who she loved.
"So say there is a weeding…who are the bridesmaids?" Riley asked laughing.
"Firstly, I will make sure there will be no weeding, and if there is, off course it would be you, Lils and Ash!" Rachel yelled.
"Great!" Riley beamed. "So I can find myself a new dress!"
"Riley there isn't going to be a weeding!" Ashley screamed.
"You never know, it might be Rachel and someone else getting hitched." James laughed.
"Your asking for it, James!" Rachel warned.
Rachel had never been more amused in her life. She loved watching Olivia run around like a headless chicken, trying to organize a weeding and trying to get Rachel to cooperate. Rachel, Sirius, Riley and James loved taking the Mickey out of Olivia. Lily, Remus, Ashley and Peter weren't too sure.
Sirius was anything but amused. He acted like everything was a big joke and laughed with Rachel and his friends. But deep down he was worried; worried that Rachel might give in and agree to marry Simon. He hadn't told anyone about his feelings for Rachel, and now he was running out of time. Rachel was engaged to get married in 3 months.
Rachel was out with Simon. Sirius took this as his opportunity to tell the marauders his feelings.
"Guys I need to talk to you." Sirius said one afternoon.
James nodded. "What about?"
"Love." Sirius muttered.
"Love?" Remus asked confused.
"Who do you love?" Peter asked confused.
Sirius shook his head. "I'm in love."
James fell off his chair. "Padfoot in love?" he asked laughing.
Sirius didn't laugh back. "I'm serious Prongs!"
James instantly stopped laughing. "Just find it hard to believe."
"Who is she?" Remus asked.
"Some blonde bimbo I expect!" James said trying not to laugh.
Remus threw a pillow in his direction. "Name?"
Sirius twiddled his thumbs. "It's Rach."
Remus and James had to cover their mouth to hide their humongous smile.
"You're kidding?" James asked not being able to help himself.
Sirius shot him a glare. "No."
"How long for?" Remus asked, trying to control his grin.
"Basically all year." Sirius muttered.
"Oh my god!" Peter said.
"Yes I know it's a stupid thought. I know she doesn't feel the same! Besides, she's in love with someone, you hear how much she goes on about it!" Sirius said stupidly.
James opened his mouth, looking like he was going to start shouting. Thankfully Remus cut him off.
"How do you know that?" Remus asked.
Sirius sighed. "She didn't want to go to the ball with me, she ripped up my letters, she was fowl to me all summer and she only spent the day with me on Valentines Day because she felt sorry for me."
James stood, not believing how his best friend could be so blind.
"Tell her!" James said surely.
Sirius shook his head. "And get turned down?"
"Someone told me if you love someone you should just tell then, and that the first time you kiss, it's worth all the heartbreak!" James yelled at Sirius.
Sirius looked at James. "Who told you that?"
"Doesn't matter," James muttered. "Now let's go hang with the girls!"
Sirius looked at James, hoping he was kidding. "Not now!"
James smiled and shook his head. "Come on!
If Rachel thought she could avoid Simon for the entire holidays, she was wrong. Olivia had ordered Rachel to go out to dinner with Simon, to get to know him better. Rachel had tried her hardest to get out of it, but she couldn't wangle it. She had come back from dinner with Simon in a very bad mood.
"I hate him!" Rachel yelled as soon as she slammed the door behind her. She looked around her room, expecting only Lily, Riley and Ashley to be there. She was surprised to see the marauders sprawled out on her bed. "Oh hello." Rachel muttered.
"How was it?" Lily asked calmly who was sitting next to James.
Rachel sat down on her bed. "I tried all night to annoy him. I told him that I hate him and I think we are too different and I refuse to get married. He didn't even flinch! He did worse!"
"What did he do?" Remus asked.
"He kissed me!" Rachel sobbed.
Sirius shot up like a jack in the box.
"HE WHAT?" James yelled.
"I tried to push him away, but he wouldn't move!" Rachel said disgusted.
"How did he react?" James asked still fuming.
"I yelled at him and he did nothing. He carried on like normal! I can't irritate him!" Rachel said.
"Where did you go?" Peter asked.
"Some flash place. He thinks he can buy me! Like im some kind of accessory!" Rachel sobbed.
Suddenly someone knocked on the door.
"Shit!" Rachel swore. "If that's him, James you have permission to hit him!"
The door swung open to reveal David standing in the doorway. Rachel was glad to see him.
"Oh dad, it's only you!" Rachel said relieved.
"Uh we need you down stairs." David muttered.
"Why?" Rachel snarled.
"Come down and find out, I can guarantee you wont like it though." David muttered.
"Come on guys!" Rachel said cheerfully. "You can all come!"
"Uh Olivia requested you were alone."
"All the more reason for everyone to come!" Rachel said happily.
David led the girls and the marauders into the living room. Rachel was pissed to see Simon still there, sipping his tea as if he was 50 years old.
"What's he still doing here?" Rachel snapped not bothering to take a seat.
"I told you to come by yourself!" Olivia barked.
"Na, we all think this is a great joke, we are so entertained!" James said happily. "We had to come!"
"What do you want now?" Rachel asked.
"We are going to start arranging the weeding!" Kate said happily.
Rachel shook her head. "There is going to be no weeding!" she yelled.
"So lets start with bridesmaids and groomsmen!" Olivia said ignoring Rachel. "Rachel would you take a seat?" Olivia said pulling out a chair.
Rachel shook her head. "No." she said bluntly.
Sirius stood directly behind Rachel. He admired how stubborn she was being. But he wondered how much power she actually had over her mother and cousin.
Olivia put down her pen. "Fine, I'll plan everything for you then!"
Rachel stared and turned to Simon. "Why are you still here?" she snapped. "Our outing is over!"
"Hasn't anyone told you the great news?" Simon asked with a smile.
Rachel shook her head. "That this is all a huge joke?" she laughed sarcastically.
"Simon will be staying here," Olivia said sternly. Rachel looked as if someone had died. "And as you guys will be getting married I think it is best if you share the same bed."
Olivia had now gone too far over the line in Rachel's mind. Rachel took a step forward, swearing she would curse Olivia into the middle of next week. She would have done if someone hadn't grabbed her around her stomach in a soft grip.
"James let me go!" Rachel screamed, guessing it was James holding her back.
"Calm down." Sirius muttered in Rachel's ear.
Rachel spun around to see Sirius looking at her, still with his arms lightly around Rachel.
Rachel took a deep breath, calming herself down fully. "No," she said firmly turning back around to hide her blush from Sirius. "He kissed me! I tried to push him away and he wouldn't budge!"
Olivia showed no sympathy for Rachel whatsoever. "Well tonight he's sleeping in your bed, I don't know where you will sleep!"
"She will sleep with me." Sirius said firmly. He didn't know what made him do it, it just came out.
Several things happened at once. James and Lily gasped, Ashley and Remus looked up at each other, Olivia gave Sirius a warning look and Riley began to clap her hands cheerfully. Rachel turned around to face Sirius once more, inches from his face, close enough to kiss.
"You don't have to." Rachel muttered.
"I want to." Sirius muttered back.
Rachel smiled, turning around. "Well that's settled then! Simon can have my bed. I will be with Sirius!" Rachel said beaming.
"But Rachel," Simon pleaded. "We are getting married. You can't sleep with that, that common scruffy man!" he said pointing at Sirius as if he was trash.
Rachel felt Sirius squeeze her tighter. "Common and scruffy? Better than snobby and rich!" she yelled. "You know what Frenchie, Sirius and me are going to sleep together and have lots and lots of sex! We are going to be up all night shagging, making lots of noise!" Rachel screamed. She couldn't stand Simon insult Sirius.
Simon looked from Sirius, who still had his arms around Rachel, to Rachel who was holding onto Sirius's arms securely. "You wouldn't dare sleep with him!"
Rachel turned her back ignoring Simon, with a large grin on her face. She stormed back upstairs, her friends right behind her.
"She can wangle her way out of anything!" David said proudly.
Olivia shook her head. "Why did she say yes to sleeping with that Black boy?"
"And I thought you knew what true love was!" David said happily.
Rachel walked back up the stairs. She didn't know what made her say her and Sirius were going to have sex, she knew she humiliated herself, but the look on Simon's face was priceless. She didn't even know if Sirius was being serious or not. She didn't know what to think of his actions anymore. He had kissed her, and then blamed it on the scenery, he held her around her stomach in a soft touch then said she can sleep with him. Rachel didn't understand.
Sirius walked a few paces behind Rachel with James and Remus at his side; both were clapping him on the back wearing huge smirks. He was highly amused with Rachel's sex comment. Sirius didn't know what made him do it, but he guessed he was sleeping with Rachel tonight, that was if she wanted to.
"So you will be sleeping with Siri tonight sis!" James said laughing.
Rachel blushed. "Uh I dunno if Sirius meant what he said."
"I meant it." Sirius muttered.
Rachel grinned. "Well then yes. This will shut Olivia up!"
Sirius lightly smiled. They had reached the marauders bedroom door.
"I'll just get some of my stuff." Rachel muttered going red. She walked down the corridor further into her room, Lily, Riley and Ashley right behind her.
"Oh my god!" Riley screamed once she shut the door. "You have to tell him tonight!"
Rachel tried to smile. "I can't believe it, this is it!"
"Do it!" Ashley said supportively.
Ten minutes later Rachel was sitting on Sirius's bed, feeling uncomfortable watching the marauders get undressed.
"Don't you dare look!" James yelled.
"I wouldn't want to!" Rachel yelled back.
Rachel tried to hide her grin when she found out that Sirius slept topless. Unfortunately James had spotted her grin.
"You can feel Sirius up in the night!" he said smiling. "He doesn't normally sleep topless."
"Shut it!" Rachel said. "This isn't funny! Nothing is going to happen!"
"That's not what you were saying before!" Peter muttered.
"That was for Simon's benefit!" Rachel yelled.
"So uh should I turn off the light?" James asked.
Sirius nodded. Rachel climbed into Sirius's bed and moved over so Sirius could get in. James turned off the light and climbed into his own bed. Rachel could just make out Sirius's figure getting closer to the bed. She felt the sheets go up as Sirius climbed in next to her.
Sirius was thankful the lights were turned off because he could feel himself going red. They were practically on top of each other. He was squashing Rachel slightly.
"Are you ok?" Rachel whispered in Sirius's ear. "You're panting!"
"He does that when he's nervous!" James yelled.
"Shut it!" Sirius yelled.
Rachel thought it was incredibly cute. "There's no need to be nervous, it's just me!" Rachel said. She lied down deeper into her pillow and placed reached out for Sirius's hand. She found it on his side. Rachel squeezed it. She was planning to tell Sirius tonight, she didn't know how she was going to do it. James's voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Rach, if he touches you in any weird way I want you to scream really loudly!" James said laughing.
"James!" Rachel screamed. "Nothing is going to happen!"
"You might be surprised!" James said fairly.
"He's had a lot of experience!" Peter yelled from his bed.
Rachel could feel Sirius shift slightly. He let go of her hand, obviously feeling uncomfortable. Rachel now felt very uncomfortable. She could tell Sirius was nervous; he was half out of breath.
"Yeah," Remus admitted. "The amount of girls he's had in that bed is ridiculous!"
Rachel was now very curious. "Have you done it before?" she whispered in Sirius's ear.
"No. I don't want to do something I will regret the next night." he muttered back. He snuggled down further into the bed. Rachel joined him so both their heads were nearly completely covered by the sheets.
"Sirius, you're kind of squashing me." Rachel whispered trying not to laugh.
"Sorry," Sirius said. "Here I'll move over." Sirius moved back. Before he knew what was going on, he toppled out of his own bed and landed on the floor with a thud.
Rachel snorted and began giggling.
"What's going on?" James asked annoyed. "At this rate we're going to be up all night!"
"Sirius fell out of bed!" Rachel said still giggling.
"It's not funny!" Sirius muttered from the floor.
"Yes it is!" Rachel giggled.
Remus got up in his flannel panamas and switched on the light. Rachel only laughed more as she found Sirius on the floor in a heap.
"Here let me give you a hand." Rachel muttered extending her arm.
Sirius grabbed her hand. "No, let me!" he said with a smirk. He pulled Rachel down from the bed. She screamed and landed right on top of Sirius.
Rachel and Sirius were now both laughing uncontrollably. James got up and switched off the light.
"Find your own way back to your bed, flirters!" he muttered looking silly wearing no glasses.
"Someone's in a bad mood!" Rachel laughed from the floor.
"So uh shall we get up?" Sirius asked.
Rachel jumped up and stood in the pitch dark. She could just make out Sirius's figure moving towards the bed. She followed.
Sirius leaped into his bed and moved as much as he could to let Rachel in.
"Better?"
"Yeah," she muttered, careful not to disturb anyone who was trying to sleep. "Sirius, I'm scared."
Sirius shuffled again. "I won't make a pass at you, don't worry!" Sirius said tying not to laugh.
Rachel all of a sudden began to heat up. "It's not that, Sirius, they set me up! I can't handle it anymore!"
Sirius began to panic. She couldn't give up, not before he had a chance to tell her his feelings. "Uh Rach, there's something I have to tell you." Sirius whispered.
"What is it?" Rachel asked.
Sirius hesitated and shuffled slightly. He couldn't do it now. What if she reacted badly and then went to sleep with Simon?
"Sirius, please." Rachel begged.
Sirius sighed. "It's just I care about you." Sirius muttered truthfully. That wasn't what he had planned to say.
"Oh Sirius, I know you do," Rachel muttered taking his hand.
"I don't want to see you get hurt," Sirius muttered, lightly squeezing Rachel's hand.
"Hay," Rachel said sensing Sirius suddenly getting upset. "I've got you looking out for me, I'm safe with you." Rachel muttered.
"Come here." Sirius said putting his arm over Rachel who was lying side on. He gently rested his arm over her middle, pulling her closer towards him. Rachel snuggled up next to him, letting all her feelings take her away. She grabbed hold of his arm, which was wrapped around her middle. She had never felt safer.
"Night." Rachel muttered.
"Wait," Sirius muttered. Rachel couldn't see anything; she wondered what on earth he was doing. Sirius moved his head in and kissed Rachel lightly on the check. "Good night kiss." He muttered.
Rachel lay awake, unable to sleep. Sirius still had his arms wrapped securely around her middle, Rachel's hand still in Sirius's. It was now 1:34. The moons light had made its way through a gap in the curtains. Rachel could see the outline of Sirius. He had kissed her again tonight, she didn't understand. She had to wake him, tell him what was going on.
"Sirius." She whispered. He didn't wake.
"Sirius!" she said thumping him on the chest. Sirius jerked awake. It took him a few seconds to register what was going on.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
Rachel began to panic. She didn't know what to say. "Nothing, don't worry."
"Oh no!" Sirius whispered. "You have to tell me!"
"It's not important." Rachel muttered looking down.
"It must be important if you woke me up in the middle of the night." Sirius muttered.
"I need to tell you something, something I should have told you ages ago, but first I need to understand something." Rachel croaked.
Sirius took a firmer grip of Rachel's hand. "What's up?"
Rachel took a deep breath. "When we kissed, why did you blame it on the scenery?"
Sirius sighed. "When I wrote you those letters, why did you screw them up?"
Rachel shook her head, not knowing what she was getting herself into. "Why did you leave with Suzy and not me?"
"Why didn't you go to the ball with me?" Sirius shot back.
"Why were you pashing Megan instead of listening to me sing?" Rachel didn't know why Sirius was coming up with all these comebacks.
"Why were you hesitant when I asked you to spend Valentines Day with me?" Sirius snapped, now not bothering to keep his voice down.
"Why weren't you one of the first to say I looked good after I finished dieting?" Rachel said, trying to hold the tears in.
"Why did you let your emotions get in the way when we had a fight?" Sirius asked.
"Why did you pretend to hate me?"
"Why did you put me in a chicken outfit for a week?" Sirius asked.
"I could ask you the same question!"
"Why were you a bitch to me all summer?" Sirius asked.
Rachel had now had enough. "Because you called me fat." She said. There, she had said it.
Sirius let go of her hand and just steered.
"I was there," Rachel sobbed now unable to keep the tears inside. She began mimicking her brother. "We could play Quidditch, me and Moony against you and Rach," Rachel spoke in a voice much like her brothers. "Oh great, now I have to team up with your fat sister!" Rachel yelled in Sirius's face.
Sirius lay, looking at Rachel, who looked incredibly hurt. He had no idea what to say.
"I didn't know." He muttered.
Rachel looked up at him "Well you do now!" She sobbed.
"I'm sorry." Sirius said sincerely.
"Sirius, listen. I haven't screwed up your letters; I keep them safe in a box. I didn't go to the ball with you because Megan persuaded me not to, and I was too dumb to let her do that. I was so happy that I was speechless when you asked me out on Valentines Day. I let my emotions get in the way because you were the only guy worth crying over. You were worth the pain! I put you in a chicken outfit because you did it to me." Rachel sobbed. "Now do you see? Have you ever wondered why I dieted and why you're the only person who doesn't know who I'm in love with?"
Rachel looked at Sirius. This was the first time she had seen him with tears in his eyes.
"But who are you in love with? I need to know."
Rachel got up from the bed. "Do you honestly not know?"
Sirius just steered at Rachel. He knew he had heard correctly. She had heard him, calling her fat. Then she tormented herself all year, making herself skinny. When all along Sirius thought she was beautiful the way she was. Sirius was speechless.
Rachel knew telling him was a mistake. He had reacted exactly like she had expected him to. To shocked to even talk. Rachel had now had enough.
"I've got to go." She muttered.
Before Sirius could stop her, tell her he loved her and that he would do anything to make it up to her, she had gone, out the door. It was highly unlikely she was going to return. Sirius lay down again. He had lost her.
Rachel walked down the stairs and into the kitchens. She had just basically told Sirius she loved him, and he was too shocked to even speak. Rachel had hoped he wouldn't have taken it bad. But she knew she had been kidding herself all this time, he was never interested.
As Rachel walked further into the kitchen, she found that she wasn't alone. Sitting on a stool, eating what looked like chocolate cereal was her father.
"Dad what are you doing?" Rachel asked wiping away her tears.
David looked up at his daughter. He could instantly tell she had been crying. "I couldn't sleep," David muttered. "What happened to you?"
Rachel took a seat next to her father. "Nothing." She muttered.
"Don't lie, you've been crying!"
Rachel sighed. "I'm in love."
"With who?" David asked. "Simon?"
Rachel shook her head. "No, no, no!"
"Oh, so then it has to be Sirius!"
Rachel didn't smile. "Dad, I can't cope! Stupid weeding. Stupid Simon, stupid Sirius. Dad I can't do it! The one guy I'm actually in love with doesn't love me back!"
David patted Rachel on the back. "Do you really love him?"
Rachel thought. "Yes."
"Then you have to be brave. Tell Sirius straight up. No more beating behind the bush! Tell him, before it's too late."
Rachel nodded. "But dad, I'm getting married."
David shook his head. "Your only getting married if you and Sirius weren't meant to be."
Ah, I bet you all hate me now! I'm sorry, but I had to do that. Before anything else can happen, I had to get everything out in the open. Rach had to tell Sirius that she heard what he said and Sirius needed to ask Rach why she was hesitant, etc. I know some of you are like dying for Sirius and Rach to get together! But, good news… I've written the next chapter too! Yes, I'm on a roll! Next chapter is defiantly my favourite… I swear you will all like it!
Next Chapter – Ha, I can't say! But it will be called "Her happily ever after." I'll leave you guessing as to what's going to happen! heh.