Ginny had been so angry, she had to release the tension by diving in the pensive and touching herself so hard, that she came screaming while being kicked out on her bedroom floor. After she refound her breath, she had not only been ashamed of her outburst in front of the two men but also intensly reminded that Sirius was simply to beautiful for his own good. Who could really accuse Lucius Malfoy for wanting this beautiful, ruthless boy?
She had used some more or less working straightening spells on her crinkled blouse and talked to Bill via floo. After she had bored him thoroughly with a story about how Parvati Patil had managed to tame and straighten her, Ginnys hair, she asked him cautiously about things that he knew about Sirius.
Bill was only 10 years younger then Sirius and his Hogwarts memories were still full of stories about the famous marauders.
When she hinted that he might have had an affair with Malfoy, Bill just laughed and asked her whether she thought that Sirius´famous reputation had come from spilling butterbeer in the corridors. She sighed, agreed and wormed some money out of him when he started to get suspicious. After he promised to come and see her and Molly soon, she kissed him on his head in the floofire and wished him luck for his whatever-it-was in Russia.
The next two days were filled with avoiding Sirius and Remus. She sneaked down for breakfast early in the morning, practiced piano as Molly had told her and studied for school in her room. Straighened and smoothed her hair with the indian potion that Parvati had given her till fell slack and shining down over her bottom. Polished her fingernails.
Got bored.
Paid one or another visit to the pensive.
Lingered in the corridors one early morning - only to be nearly discovered by Sirius, who carelessly passed by and left a scent of rain and sawn wood in the air.
"O Circe", she suddenly realized. She had been standing there for a while, inhaling and clenching her fists.
"I ´m falling, I´m falling for him, this can´t be, no good will come from this!
Last time it was Harry and before that Tom and now I´m so much older and again I choose the most inapropriate man.
Man. Not a boy."
"He´s not afraid of me", she whispered into the empty corridor," His soul was under attack just like mine and he survived. Just like me. It´s not just sex , isn´t it?"
The houseelf that scraped off blood gum from the banister stared at her with goggle eyes and twitched its ears. "Yeah!", she hissed at it," Just like the good old days isn´t it! Weird, mumbling teenagers, shouting Blacks and werewolfes! Oh, sod off!" The houseelf squeaked in fear and fled to the kitchen. Ginny sighed and decided that this was her destination, too. After all, she was a Gryffindor and wouldn´t avoid a challenge.
She found both man in the morning room where they half-heartedly peeled fruit and waited for the morning paper.
"If that´s not dawn, coming through these humble doors!", she was greeted enthusiasticly by Lupin ," Graceful and glowing and bringing me sweets?"
"No sweets but you in this room!" she replied smiling. The slender man had always been her favourite teacher, strong under his mild demeanour as he was.
Of course, Sirius began waving his arms frantically through the air at once.
She shook her head negatively.
He beamed at her.
" Your hair has the colour of blood-gum?", he tried and fluttered his eyelashes. She looked lofty at him.
"Oh yes, its very dark," they were interrupted by Molly who had come in," it´s Prewett hair, that´s why Ginny has no freckles, too."
" Skin like cream..", Sirius just started whispering into Ginnys ear when Molly threw the open newspaper on the table.
"Here it is!", she stated proudly.
The wich weekly´s headline was Black´s back! Townhouse radiates in it´s old glory! Heiresses prepare for marriage of the year!
And this was exactly what happened in the next weeks: prepared heiresses flooding the house. With or without chaperon. Molly supervised this meetings and transfered to Ginny nearly the whole responsibility for the ball preparations . The Big Ball was expected from everyone of course, including the Quibbler, the Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly. Their reporters revolved the house inconspicuously and made up outlandish stories about the future Mrs. Black.
Sirius dealt with all these woman the whole day and fell asleep as soon as Molly closed the main entrance at eight o´clock.
Ginny never managed to talk with him alone. But she observed him as often as possible.
She saw him showing the rose garden to Marla Gregorovitch and heard them discussing intensively about rose wood as an inherent part of wands.
She admired him playing Quidditch with Remus and Katie Bell in the yard garden and oh: how spirited he smashed the window of the smoking room!
She saw him playing Exploding Snap with Daphne Greengrass and adored the way his eyes slightly crinkled when he laughed about the cheating Slytherin.
One wednesday, when Ginny entered the parlour, a familiar and sharp voice adressed her:
"Weasel!"
Pansy Parkinson sat decoratively on the chaise longue, the embodiment of elegance and refinement. Ginny knew immedeately that Sirius would love her appereance, the vice that Pansy could switch on or off as it pleased her. She more felt then saw Sirius step in the room through the side door, Pansy surely could not see him?
"Act fast!", she thought,"before he greets her."
"Welcome Miss Parkinson", she said as sweetly as possible,"what a beautiful dress you´re wearing, it must have cost a fortune!"
Pansy didn´t see the trap.
" Peanuts for me, fortune for you Weasel." she spat," What are you doing here anyway? Collecting scrap metal to afford you less tacky robes!"
Ginny tried to look hurt and let her hand cover her mouth as if she was deeply shocked about such a rude behaviour.
"Act like a Lady!", she reminded herself and said dignified: " I don´t know how I´ve offended you but it surely doesn´t give you the right to treat me in such a cruel way!"
Pansys resounding laughter was interrupted by a very cold and determined male voice.
" I think you will prefer to leave my house promptly, Miss Parkinson."
Pansy turned and found herself facing a dangerously calm wizard with stormy grey eyes. She knew these eyes from Draco and blanched. Without a further word she turned and left the room.
"The hat put me in the wrong, wrong, wrong house!", Ginny caroled inwardly," Ha, Parkinson, take this, you may be a Slyth but I got brothers and know about knights and chivalry..."
"Merlin, Ginny, I had no idea, I´m so sorry." Sirius voice cut in her musing.
With puppy eyes, she looked up and made an hesitant movement towards him. He pulled her in his arms immediately and smoothed her hair. She knew that he just wanted to comfort her but pressed her breasts against him nevertheless.
He realized and got stock-still. Quickly, she let out a little sob which made him pat her back again.
"That´s enough," she thought and retreated, the picture of a shaken but brave young woman.
"It doesn´t matter, Sirius," she said softly," Money doesn´t mean that much to me."
"Same for me," Sirius agreed compassionately and Ginny could HEAR that he was concoting something.
" So why don´t you just take the vaultkey and spend the whole deadwood on a perfect, gigantic outfit for yourself?" he said alongside.
Ginny knew what she was expected to say.
" I COULDN´T!" , she gasped. " Mom would KILL me!"
"Nonsens," Sirius assured her eagerly," Let her to me, I will convince her and say that it´s your wage for making my house so beautiful, come on, give me the pleasure!"
Ginny looked at him appraisingly and then allowed her long-kept grin to creep all over her face.
"Oh Sirius!", she exclaimed and threw her arms around his neck. He inhaled sharply when he felt her petite form in his arms agin.
"You´re so generous, I swear I will shop reasonably!"
" Oh no, please don´t," he said laughing and slapped her on the bottom," go and spend everything on dress robes, dolly!"
She pranced out and apparated to Diagon Alley on the spot. Still grinning.
AN: No need to get impatient, Swanhild had to get rid off Pansy first, didn´t she! She also promises a lot of dresses for Ginny in the next chapter and is sending kisses to all of you my friendly readers!