Disclaimer: The Harry Potter stuff belongs to JK Rowling. The Buffy stuff belongs to King Joss Whedon. The song belongs to Sarah McLachlan. All richer than me. Go sue them!

Rating: Still R/18 for the adult content.

Still want to thank the reviewers. Don't forget to check out my Greatest Journal for notes!

Anoron

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Fumbling Towards Ecstasy

Dawn turned the shower off and stepped out of the stall. She quickly dried herself off and brushed her teeth before tying her bathrobe snugly about her waist. She stepped out of the bathroom and stopped short.

A large, shaggy black dog was sitting beside her bed, pale blue eyes twinkling like little lights in the dark furry face. His teeth were gently clamped about a parchment note and a red glass rose. As she watched, the rose shimmered and became a bright violet colour. The other girls were bustling about to get ready for classes, but they were all shotting half-jealous, half-amused glances at Dawn's little surprise.

Dawn self-consciously tightened her bathrobe as she slowly crossed the room and knelt before her Animagus boyfriend. Boyfriend. Hers. Her boyfriend. Oh that sounded nice. She ran a hand lightly down his back, then gently extracted the note and the glass rose, which had shimmered into silver. She studied it a moment, entranced, before gently placing it on her bedside table and unfolding the short note.

Morning my Kitten,

Meet me in the Common Room at 7 tonight? XX

There was a little paw print drawn at the bottom of the note. Dawn giggled and nodded happily at Padfoot. He gave a happy bark, lapped at Dawn's cheek in a sloppy dog kiss and bounded out of the room. The other four girls watched the scene in awe.

"I don't believe it," Lily said simply. Sirius Black most definitely deserved an 'O' for effort this time around. She'd have to ask him one day how he'd managed to get that dog so well trained. Dawn rushed to get herself ready for the day but all the while she was a little distracted, a dreamy smile was plastered to her face and her eyes kept drifting back to the shimmering rose (now royal blue) and the little square of parchment beside it.

She practically floated downstairs only to be swept off her feet (literally this time) and twirled around in a firm grip. Sirius kissed her good morning as they stopped twirling and Dawn smiled up at him.

"Morning... again," she giggled. "And thankyou for the rose, it's beautiful. Where are we going tonight?"

Sirius slung an arm about Dawn's shoulders and steered her towards the Great Hall. "You'll see, Kitten," he said mysteriously, and Dawn's heart lurched with excitement and anticipation. How was she supposed to concentrate all day now?

Turned out, it wasn't so hard to keep focused in Potions, because it had become a nightmare. Bellatrix had always been willing to create trouble, but when news of her cousin dating a Mudblood, along with the ensuing argument with Regulus reached her ears, she had become almost unbearable. She and Regulus had always been close, but now Bellatrix had taken her younger cousin completely under her wing, he even spent all his free time with her crowd now. The other three boys knew how much it worried Sirius to see that his little brother had taken to closely associating with the likes of Bellatrix's friends, which included Rodolphus Lestrange, Lucius Malfoy and his two goons Crabbe and Goyle, and occasionally even Severus Snape.

"Honestly, I don't know where my Aunt and my mother went wrong," Bellatrix was saying loudly to Rodolphus, who was staring intently at her, hanging on her every word. "I mean, I just can't figure out why Regulus, Narcissa and I turned out just fine, and then the family gets stuck with two pieces of trash like the Mudblood lover over there, and his muggle-loving whore of a cousin, Andromeda!"

Dawn's head snapped over to Sirius, words of a calming effect already forming on her lips but she was too late. He'd shot to his feet, James grabbed their cauldron to steady it as a generous portion of their potion slopped onto the table where it sizzled on the wood.

"Andi's not even here to defend herself, leave her out of this," Sirius ordered, his voice taking on that quiet, deadly tone Dawn had come to realise he used just before he completely lost his temper.

Bellatrix arched an eyebrow. "Fine then. We'll just talk about you and your Mudblood."

Both cousins' glances flickered to Dawn for a fraction of a second before locking back onto each other. "Leave her out of it too, Bella. If you keep calling her that I swear I will curse you into oblivion!" Sirius growled. James quickly stood by his best friend's side. As always, things between the Black family were getting very ugly very quickly.

Bellatrix smiled nastily. "What? You don't like me calling your little girlfriend a Mudblood? Well, dear cousin, you should've thought of that before you went and asked out a piece of Mudbl-"

"Scourgify!"

Nobody had seen the spell coming, least of all Bellatrix. She choked on the soapy bubbles that gurgled from her mouth, foam spraying down the front of her robes. Sirius stared at her, his wand still poised, his face hard and set. The entire class was gaping. It was a well-known fact that every conversation between Bellatrix and Sirius Black since about half way through first year involved at least one, occasionally even both cousins threatening the other with magic. But this was the first time that either of them had actually followed through with the threat.

Rodolphus whipped his wand out and waved it at Bellatrix. The soap disappeared from her mouth and chin, she wiped at her face and drew herself up to her full height, glaring venomously at Sirius.

"I did warn you," Sirius said simply.

"Don't," Dawn whispered. Sirius looked down at the girl by his side in shock. He hadn't even noticed Dawn was on the move. Her hand loosely held his wrist to restrain him from casting another spell. "You've made your point."

At long last, Sirius nodded. Trusting James to watch his back, as Bellatrix was not above cursing him from behind, Sirius pecked Dawn once on the lips to her embarrassment and went back to his cauldron to clean his up mess as if nothing at all had happened. Bellatrix glared at him through calculating eyes before she headed back to take care of her own ruined potion. She'd bide her time, but one day he would pay. They both would.


There were three books waiting on their usual rickety little table in the Divination tower when James, Sirius and Dawn took their seats. James thumbed quickly through them. They were all blank.

"What's this rubbish?" he wondered aloud.

Professor Damus made her usual dramatic entrance from the shadows, Dawn could see the laughter building up in the faces of her companions already. "My dears, as you can see in front of you, you all now have your very own dream journals! Together, we shall delve deep into your dreams and explore all the hidden messages within!"

"I don't think there are any hidden messages in my dreams about cheeseburgers," James muttered.

"How about 'mmm- burgers'?" Sirius suggested.

Dawn rolled her eyes, though she was smiling as the two boys snorted out loud. They were decidedly less amused, though, when the Professor continued giving her instructions to the class. "I want you all to begin recording every one of your dreams each night in your dream journals. You may start today by recording all your dreams from last night, next lesson we will move on to our interpretations."

The trio exchanged glances, looking at each other mutely for a few seconds. Then Dawn picked up one of the journals and the boys reluctantly followed suit.

"I dreamed I ate a triple cheeseburger last night," James finally offered. "It was really good, too."

Dawn giggled. "Well that's the important thing."

"She'll still probably find a way to make it some obscure omen of my untimely death," James shrugged and nodded his head to where Damus was speaking in hushed tones to Michelle a few tables away.

"All that greasy food will give you heart troubles," Dawn quipped before turning to Sirius. "What did you dream about last night?"

"I don't remember," Sirius said quickly.

Dawn frowned. There was something strange about the way Sirius wouldn't meet her eyes, and the faint blush that had washed over his cheeks. Sirius wasn't exactly known for his tendency to blush.

"What?" she asked innocently.

Sirius grimaced to himself. He had no idea where James had found this new measure of self-control, but it was a miracle he wasn't rolling around on the floor with laughter by now. Having never even been kissed before that night on the Astronomy tower, he was pretty sure the real-life version of his girlfriend would not be happy to know the sorts of things he'd had them doing in his dreams last night.

Never had a dream about a triple cheeseburger been recorded with such diligence as James was showing at that moment. He kept his eyes glued to the leaf of parchment and wrote silently. Sirius was just a little stronger than him, and James knew if he blurted out all the comments he was dying to make about moaning in the dark and soiled sheets in the morning he'd go headfirst out the seventh-floor window.

Sirius just shook his head, a fleeting grin stealing over his face at the memory of his dreams. "Nothing, Kitten. What was your dream?"

"It was weird," Dawn frowned. "I dreamt I was standing in the basement back in Sunnydale, just on the stairs. It was flooded, and I could see Buffy standing there holding a spanner, there was a burst water pipe above her head," she shrugged.

"Hmm, that is strange," Sirius mused. "Maybe it was a vision of the career your sister lost when she was Called. Her other destiny was to be a plumber or something."

Dawn laughed. "More likely she kicked some demon through it, and act of Slayer isn't covered by the house insurance." Still smiling, she began to write all that she could remember about her dream on the very first page of her dream journal.

James had long since finished recounting his triple cheeseburger dream. He'd unearthed a crystal ball from Merlin knew where and was attempting to spin it on his finger. He'd seen the trick in a muggle basketball game as a child, and had been itching to attempt the feat himself. He'd found out the hard way that a quaffle was just not the right shape for that sort of thing. Sirius watched his girlfriend working and his best friend playing, racking his brains to come up with something not quite so X-rated to put in his dream journal for the Professor to interpret.

"I dreamt... I was a dog and I chased a cat until it ran up a tree..." Sirius muttered to himself as he wrote. "There, see what she makes of that!" He caught James' eye and shrugged. So what if it wasn't an actual dream, but something that he'd done in reality only a couple of weeks ago? Damus would never know, and that little white lie was far more appropriate than the truth.

Dawn had finished too, Sirius craned his neck to try and read over her shoulder. Rolling her eyes, Dawn wordlessly passed her dream journal over to Sirius for inspection. James sniggered, and in his lapse of concentration the crystal ball slipped from his finger.

The entire class jumped, heads whipping around to stare at their little rickety table as James' crystal ball hit the ground and shattered into a million pieces.

"Oops," he grinned sheepishly. "Wonder if it saw that coming."


Dawn's hands shook nervously as she descended the stairs. She couldn't believe she was going on a date. Her first date. With Sirius. A real, live, actual, official... Dawn clutched the banister for support and drew in a series of deep, fortifying breaths. Wouldn't make the best impression if she started hyperventilating before she even reached the Common Room. She ordered herself to get a grip already. She didn't have any need to be nervous, not with Sirius. Dawn squared her shoulders, smoothed an imaginary wrinkle from her skirt and stepped into the Common Room. And very nearly fell right down.

He was waiting for her. Standing there in his jeans and blue shirt the exact shade of his eyes, dark hair flopping softly into one eye, aiming that devilish grin at her. He looked like perfection. Somehow Dawn managed to get herself to move towards him and loop her arm around the one he offered her. His free hand came up to lightly finger the sheer material of her top.

"You look amazing," he whispered.

"You are amazing." The whispered words fell almost unconsciously from Dawn's lips, she was blushing prettily and a demure little smile had stolen across her face.

"Shall we, milady?"

Sirius led a giggling Dawn out of the Common Room and down the hall. They took a familiar series of twists and turns and after a couple of staircases Dawn thought she had a pretty clear idea on where they were headed.

"Are we going to the kitchens?"

"Might be," Sirius replied evasively, but only a minute later they were standing in front of the painted fruit bowl. "Wait here, I've just got to check on something," Sirius said, reluctantly disentangling himself from Dawn to tickle the pear.

He disappeared into the kitchen, shutting the door hastily before Dawn could peek into the room. Impatiently, Dawn burned some of her nervous energy by pacing back and forth across the entrance to the kitchen. Finally, Sirius reappeared in the opening.

"Hi," he smirked.

"Hi..." Dawn replied, giving him a funny look. What was he up to?

"Close your eyes," Sirius commanded gently.

With one last questioning look, Dawn obeyed. She closed her eyes and waited patiently. Sirius grinned, taking the opportunity to really look her over. Her black skirt and light pink top made a simple combination, but it also brought out a certain sweetness about her. He watched with amusement as the seconds wore on and the peaceful look on Dawn's face washed away. He bided his time, waiting for the perfect moment to move as Dawn bit her lip and scrunched her nose up in confusion.

It was when Dawn finally opened her mouth to ask what was going on that Sirius took the opening to descend on her mouth, and he took full advantage of the fact that her lips were still parted. Dawn let out a short 'mmm' of surprise at the extra tongue that had suddenly slid into her mouth, and just barely managed to avoid biting both her own tongue and the one currently massaging it.

It was only when oxygen had become a serious issue for the both of them that Sirius pulled away, and blinked to refocus his eyesight. Dawn, however, kept her eyes firmly closed, concentrating on savouring the new taste she'd just discovered. Sirius brushed a gentle kiss against each eyelid for good measure.

"No peeking," he reminded her as, at long last, he took her hands and steered her into the kitchen.

Dawn took slow, careful steps forward, finding it incredibly easy to place her trust in Sirius' hands. There were a few high-pitched giggles from the House-Elves, but they were silenced abruptly by a playful "Shh!" from Sirius.

The temptation to open her eyes and peek was almost overwhelming, but Dawn forced herself to behave. After what felt like a lifetime, but in reality was only a few moments, her hands were released and a warm body shifted around until it was just behind her, one hand resting on her hip.

"Open your eyes," came the whisper against her neck, followed by a quick kiss.

Upon following the directive, Dawn let out a gasp. A hundred candles surrounded them, giving off a rosy glow. They were in a small chamber just beyond the main area of the kitchens, walls and floor adorned in hardwood panelling, a fire crackling happily away in one corner. The centre of the room was dominated by a booth with plush leather seating, and a table clothed in deep red, laid out with exquisite silver and set for two. Dawn looked around, but could not find the source of the soft violin music winding gently around them.

"Well?" Sirius prodded softly. "How about some dinner?"

Dawn was positively glowing as she beamed up at her boyfriend. "Sounds great."

Sirius helped her into the booth before sliding in after her. The last remaining House-Elf in the romantic little chamber stood before their table.

"Is everything to Sir Padfoot's liking?" the House-Elf squeaked almost nervously. "Locky is been working all day on Sir Padfoot's request, she is hoping she is doing well enough for Sir and Mistress Dawn's date?"

"Locky, I couldn't have done this better myself. This is perfect, thank you. And this here is Dawn. Dawnie, this is Locky. She, er, helped me out with all this," Sirius grinned.

Dawn smiled brightly at the little creature. "Thank you, Locky. This is wonderful."

Locky's eyes lit up. "Mistress Dawn and Sir Padfoot is too kind. Locky is bringing them anything they want tonight. What is they wanting and what may Locky bring first?" she gushed happily.

"How about starting with a drink?" Sirius suggested.

Locky was gone and back in a flash, and two silver goblets of sparkling gold liquid were laid out before them. Sirius lifted his and motioned for Dawn to follow suit.

"To us," he toasted.

"To us. Cheers." Dawn giggled and clinked her goblet against his. Oh, this dating thing was turning out to be too much fun. They each took a sip of what turned out to be some form of sparkling apple cider and settled into a comfortable silence. A lifetime could pass, and still Dawn would be content just to sit with Sirius, her head leaned against his shoulder and his hand weaving through the ends of her hair. It would be too soon for Dawn if they never had to go back and face the rest of the world. She had no problem at all not dealing with the slights and insults of Regulus and Bellatrix, the ever-present appraising stare of Lucius Malfoy, and the Parents' Weekend during which she'd be the only student at Hogwarts with no actual parents to visit her.

Locky reappeared with their meal, then curtseyed and left the couple to it after reminding them that she was only a call away if they wanted anything. Reluctantly, Dawn straightened up so she could sit before her plate of fish and vegetables. They struck up a light conversation throughout dinner, afterwards Dawn could barely recall what was said but she remembered smiling, and laughing a lot. She also had the distinct memory of the delicious burning sensation in her skin, caused by the knee brushing against her own just a little too often to be accidental.

"That was yummy," Dawn sighed some time later, laying her knife and fork on her empty plate.

"Mmm-hmm," Sirius agreed, pushing his own plate aside. "Locky," he called out.

The little House-Elf popped up and whisked the used dishes away. Within seconds their goblets were refilled and a dish of something that smelled both chocolaty and vanillary was placed between them. Two spoons had also materialised. Sirius grinned, enjoying the half-embarrassed, half-delighted giggles that bubbled out of Dawn when he spoon-fed the first few bites of dessert to her.

"Is it good?" he asked, eyes dancing flirtatiously.

"Yeah. Here, try some," Dawn immediately took up the remaining spoon and slipped a small portion of their dessert into Sirius' mouth. Somewhere in the background, Dawn heard Locky breathe a high-pitched, swoony sigh and giggled again.

Finally, when dessert was finished, their goblets drained, Sirius took Dawn's hand and helped her out of the booth. They bade goodbye to Locky, Sirius thanking the House-Elf again for all she'd done, and strolled hand-in-hand back to the Gryffindor Common Room.

"So..." Dawn began, searching for a few words to go with as they reached the foot of the boys' stairs.

"So," Sirius replied, forcing his voice to sit on a nonchalant, casual level. "Do you want to come up to the dorms? Just to hang out," he quickly clarified before Dawn could misinterpret the invitation. Not that he wouldn't mind it in the least.

"O-ok," Dawn allowed herself to be led up to the Marauders' dorm. The other three boys were already up there, Remus and James were helping Peter with his Transfiguration homework.

"And just where have you two been?" James boomed in his best overprotective father impersonation.

Sirius rolled his eyes and Dawn grinned as they plopped down on his bed, lounging against the headboard. "Geez, can't a guy take his girlfriend on a date without getting the third degree?" Sirius huffed.

"Nobody expects a Spanish Inquisition," piped up the feminine voice by his side. Sirius looked at Dawn out of the corner of his eye, but decided not to ask.


She really should have been looking where she was going. If she hadn't been meandering along with her nose stuck in the copy of The Lord of the Rings that Isabel had loaned her, maybe she would've seen it coming. A sharp gasp escaped Dawn as her back hit the wall. Her book thudded to the floor, and once again Dawn found herself the helpless victim of Lucius Malfoy.

He studied her coolly. "Do you think it makes you a better person?" he asked suddenly.

Dawn frowned in confusion as she scanned the scene for an escape route. "What?" she asked, trying to stall while she waited for a chance to free herself.

"Being Sirius Black's bitch, I mean," Malfoy clarified.

Dawn looked back at him sharply. She wasn't quite sure what the seventh-year meant, but she was quickly heading past the point of caring. Anger was threading its way through her fear, slowly beginning to break it down.

"Clinging to those above you does not elevate you from your dirty roots, Mudblood," Malfoy hissed.

More elitist pureblood nonsense. Dawn almost sighed out loud. Why couldn't these Slytherins understand that Dawn and Sirius liking each other had nothing to do with the blood that flowed through their veins. It was really more of a chemistry thing. In fact, with the members of his family she'd met so far, Dawn was more inclined to say she liked Sirius despite his bloodlines.

"You don't know a damn thing about my roots," Dawn said, her voice quiet but firm. If the jerk didn't even know about the Vampire Slayers of her world, how on earth could he know about the Slayer's blood coursing through her veins?

Malfoy did not look impressed. "And nor do I care," he retorted snidely. "I've just come to give you a little warning from your dear boyfriend's cousins and brother. You know of them, I'm sure? Regulus, Narcissa and Bellatrix, the respectable members of the Black family."

Dawn snorted aloud at that and was immediately punished. Malfoy's large hand closed over her throat, squeezing just tight enough to make breathing distinctly uncomfortable for Dawn. Just tight enough to completely usurp any control she might've gained over the situation.

"The blood-traitor brings shame to his family. And since I myself will be married to a Black in the not-too-distant future, that shame annoys me as much as it does the rest of his family," Lucius' voice was low, Dawn was almost drowning in the oppressive, threatening tone. It was enough to make her feel sick to her stomach.

But Malfoy was not yet finished with her. "Black is too arrogant to admit the error of his ways, so it would be... wise for you to put a stop to this situation. The Dark Lord is on the rise, soon he will cleanse the world of the plague of muggles. You've no chance of survival, why take Black with you as a blood-traitor? And the Dark Lord will take great pleasure in personally obliterating those blood-traitors and Mudbloods who don't know their place. I did warn you not to forget your place... shall I remind you...?" his voice trailed off, but his hand was on the move.

Bile rose in Dawn's throat, she choked it back down with some difficulty as Malfoy's hands settled over her breasts. Dawn almost froze, almost shut down completely and accepted her usual powerless state. But then there was that Slayer's blood again, and with her heart beating so fast she thought it might explode, it was getting pumped around her body pretty quickly. In putting his rough, unforgiving hands where he'd dared to put them, Malfoy had sacrificed the stronghold with which he'd previously kept her in her place.

Her actions were hard and fast. She had to do this without thinking or she'd slow herself down and then she'd never get away. Dawn brought her arms up and used them to knock Malfoy's hands from her body. Before he could retaliate, she drove her shoulder hard into the centre of his chest, knocking him back a little. Malfoy was a lot bigger than her, so for all her effort she had only managed to force him a couple of steps away, but that was enough room for Dawn. She scrambled away, following the random stupid thought that popped into her head to pick up Isabel's book as she went. She didn't stop running for anything. Everything was a blur to Dawn, but she didn't care who or what she might slam into, so long as it wasn't Lucius Malfoy.

The arm caught her around the waist with perfect timing. Dawn was swung in a circle with the momentum, and found herself in a secluded little alcove with a hand clamped over her mouth to stop her drawing unwanted attention. Without stopping to look who'd grabbed her, Dawn bit down hard on the hand over her mouth... and Remus let out a howl of pain. He snatched his hand away and Dawn's eyes widened when she realised whose hand she'd very nearly just taken a chunk out of.

"Oh my God! Remus!" she gasped. "I'm so sorry. I thought you were- I mean, I didn't know- what are-?"

Remus shrugged, looking up from inspecting the deep bite marks he was now sporting. The skin was even broken at a couple of points. "It's ok Kitten. Sorry if I startled you."

"We sort of heard you coming," added a new voice, and for the first time Dawn noticed Isabel standing a few paces from her, her face flushed as she hurriedly smoothed back her hair. Dawn raised an eyebrow and fought back the smirk she felt trying to take over her face.

Remus' next words took care of any tendency of Dawn's to smile, though. "What were you doing, tearing through the halls like that, anyway?"

A tense silence settled over the trio. Dawn focused on a point just over Remus' shoulder, safely averting her gaze from his. What was she supposed to tell him?

"I'm interrupting," she blurted. "It's too crowded in here, I'll leave you guys alone."

But before she could make her escape, Remus had grabbed her arm gently and forced her to look into the concerned amber depths of his eyes. "Kitten, what's wrong?"

She couldn't lie. So she told them. She told Remus and Isabel all of it, the words flowing out of her mouth like water from a burst dam, and now it had begun there was nothing Dawn could do to stem the flow of her own voice. Dawn started from the beginning, babbling about everything from the very first time Malfoy had accosted her outside the Great Hall, to the time he'd grabbed her just after the argument with Lily, and the million and one times she'd felt him watching her, stalking her with those cold eyes of his wherever she went. Isabel was patting her hand supportively.

"And today?" Remus prodded tensely. His eyes were blazing, with their colouring they seemed to be on fire in his pale face. Remus wasn't vengeful by nature, but this time Lucius Malfoy really would have to pay. Nobody treated a Marauder (and yes, Dawn was most definitely one of them) like that and got away with it.

Dawn looked down, her eyes welling. Isabel's hand was now squeezing hers tightly. "He said that being with Sirius didn't make me any better than what I am, and when Voldemort gains power he'd kill me for trying to break into a pureblood family. And then he said," –Dawn let out a sob and struggled to go on- "He said if I didn't break up with Sirius now, he'd be killed too as a blood-traitor and it'd be all my fault," she practically wailed.

Isabel threw her arms around Dawn and Remus pulled both his female best friend and his girlfriend close to his chest. "Don't you even think of listening to that git, Dawnie," he ordered, sensing Dawn's nagging doubts.

"But what if he gests hurt because of me?" she whispered, frightened that if she even said it too loud it would come true. "Malfoy also said some things about his family, that Bellatrix, Narcissa and Regulus had sent him to warn me off Sirius. I don't want to make trouble for him with his family, it's not fair."

A sad sigh escaped Remus. "Dawn, there's been trouble between Sirius and the rest of his family ever since first year," he said gently. "The Sorting Hat gave him a choice between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and the rest of the Blacks could never accept that he chose the Gryffs. I'm not going to lie to you Kitten, we all know that his family will never approve of you, but Sirius stands for something very much opposed to their views and that's the source of conflict there. Whether or not you're dating him, there always has been and probably always will be animosity in that household for Sirius. I just think he'd be better equipped to handle it if he could count on your support."

At last, Dawn managed a smile and a nod. She loved Remus for his little lectures, they were gentle and sincere, always ringing with conviction and truth. "Thanks guys," she sighed, slipping out of the embrace and tossing them a quick smirk on her way out of the private little alcove. "Though three really is a crowd in here."


Remus pounced on Sirius the moment he set foot in the Common Room, forcing him into a private corner before anyone noticed his presence. "Padfoot, we need to talk."

Sirius grinned at his friend and went to brush by Remus. "C'mon Moony. Can't it wait until after I've made out with my girlfriend?"

"Funny you should mention her," Remus replied, his words far more successful in halting Sirius than the hand he'd laid on his arm. "That's sort of who we need to talk about."

"What about Dawn?" Sirius asked sharply.

The werewolf shot his Animagus friend a significant look. "This Parents' Weekend is getting closer," he began, hoping Sirius would catch on quickly now that he'd sort of broached the subject he was really getting at. "Have you and Dawn talked about that at all?"

"What's there to talk about?"

Cursing selective stupidity, Remus let out a huff of annoyance. "Well, your parents will be here..."

"Actually, my dear little brother's just told me Dad's working, so it's only Mum I've got to deal with," Sirius cut in with a would-be nonchalant shrug. "Which means I've just got to keep Dawn out of the old cow's way and everything will be fine."

Much as he hated to be the one to destroy a perfectly good delusion, Remus knew it was best he burst this particular bubble of Sirius' now. "And you don't think it might be a bit difficult to keep the girl distracted, what with her being the only student here with no family to visit her and all?"

Blink. Beat. "Oh hell."

"I think it'd be best if you gave her a fair warning. The dorm is empty, why don't you go on up and I'll send her after you," Remus suggested gently. Sirius nodded and disappeared upstairs to wait for Dawn.

She arrived only a few minutes later, the door creaked slightly when she gave it a tentative push. "Sirius? You in here?"

"Here, Kitten," he called from his position, sprawled out on his bed.

"Remus said you were waiting for me," Dawn offered, moving to his bedside. He grabbed her hand and hauled her up with him, waiting until she was quite comfortable with her head pillowed against his chest and her arm hooked around his waist before he spoke.

"Are you going to be alright this weekend- without your parents or Buffy being here, I mean?" he asked.

Dawn's reply was calm and unwavering, but Sirius couldn't help paying slightly more attention to the way she suddenly clung that much tighter to him. "I've come to terms with it, Sirius. I'll be fine, I'm sure."

She felt as if her brain would melt, just from the power of the quick little kiss Sirius pressed to the top of her head. "You know I'm here for you whenever you need me. It's just... my mother is coming, and-"

"And you'll have to spend your time with her," Dawn finished for him. "It's ok, I understand. And hey, Isabel's already loaned me a book to keep me busy."

Sirius snorted. "Clearly you don't understand, Kitten. I don't have to spend the whole weekend with my mother, in fact I'd be happy if I went the entire weekend without setting eyes on the hag."

"You shouldn't say that about your mom," Dawn chided gently. "She can't be so bad."

Sirius' face darkened like the thunder. "She's worse," he muttered, causing Dawn to twist her head up to face him. "That's why I wanted to talk to you now, Kitten, to warn you what we're in for this weekend. My mother's very big on that pureblood supremacy crap, Dawnie, even Bellatrix at her worst doesn't compare. I'm sure by now Regulus has written and told her all about you and me, and she'll be itching to pick a fight."

He looked down at her then, and Dawn could see the deep sadness in his eyes, mirroring the pain the entire situation was causing him. "Look, Kitten, whatever happens I just wanted to tell you now how sorry I am, and I... I'd understand if you'd rather just steer clear of me for a couple of days," he sighed.

"No," Dawn had replied in a heartbeat. "Sirius, you've never got to be sorry for what your family is like, and I never want to hear you apologising for the things they'll do again, you understand me? And I'm not leaving you alone through this any more than you'd leave me to deal with it alone. We'll be ok, we'll get through this together."

He knew it was a serious moment, but Sirius just had to grin at the reassuring, soothing words she spoke. It was nice to know she'd stand by him. Dawn smiled back and stretched up to press her lips to his.

She hadn't intended it to be an overly long or forceful kiss, but before Dawn knew what was happening, her hands were buried in his hair and they were making out with more intensity than she'd ever known before. Sirius' hands found her waist, he grabbed Dawn and rolled her onto her back, shifting his body alongside her, so close he was half on top of her. Dawn was lost. Lost in the warm body almost covering her, in the even warmer mouth sealed firmly against hers and showing no signs of relenting, in the tongue that played against hers, coaxing it out of Dawn's mouth and into Sirius'.

It was with the strong, large hand that slid up over the cup of her bra that Dawn quite suddenly found herself again. She broke away with a startled gasp, and when she shrugged uncomfortably under his touch, Sirius took the hint to remove his hand and settle it more safely on her hip. Dawn drew in a deep, shuddering breath and willed the flashes of cold grey eyes and rough, unforgiving touches from her mind.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" Sirius worried.

"No," Dawn breathed. "It was just getting a little intense is all."

Sirius started. Intense was a problem? Well, that was a first- no girl had ever complained to him about things getting intense before. A vague feeling of disappointment welled in Sirius as he moved to give Dawn a little more space, but it subsided just as quickly. "You don't want things to get intense?"

Now she was back in something of a comfort zone, Dawn's eyes danced with flirts and promises as they played off the half-smile on her lips. "Not yet."


A.N: Sorry it's short & sickeningly sweet in places! Parents weekend coming up next I promise!!! Don't forget to PLEASE R&R!! XX