Disclaimer: Own nothing. Buffy the Vampire Slayer et al belongs to joss Whedon, Harry Potter et al belongs to JK Rowling and Unchained Melody is by the Righteous Bros (originally, for those of you who remember that far back or, like me, just really enjoyed the movie 'Ghost')
Rating: Big time R. Adult themes, sexual content. Consider you warned.
A.N.: Ok, there is a scene in this chapter which I really, really want feedback on. You'll know it when you read it. I'm not real experienced with that sort of writing, so let me know- too much, not enough, just right? ALL OPINIONS VALUED AND CONSIDERED. Because I love reviews, especially honest, constructive ones.
Reviewers:
Sonofgloin- I make them good with the help of my wonderful sounding board. XX00
Angie- I'm just toying with you on the Remus issue (evil me). It's not going to be resolved for a few chapters yet. Mmm- good-hearted big bad...
Daydreamer04- Gold star for Davina, you got the Room of Requirement just right!
Clcountry- LOL on the leaving me alone. Just don't stop reviewing (and giving suggestions that are such food for thought!)
PomegranateQueen- I don't think I could keep it alive between now and the beginning of Harry's story! It's just too long for me! But fear not, the sequel set years & years later will revisit the important parts of all their lives that I skip in the middle!
Lunawolf- it's ok, we're going from a chapter full of ups and downs to a chapter full of ... ups. Updated ASAP (Much better than the last few times, anyway!)
Mademoiselle Morte- YAY a comment on the bath! I LOVED the bath scene too!
Eleclya111- What is this 'school' you speak of? ;-)
Phoenix83ad- I actually hadn't planned to let her be so strong til much later in the fic, but, in the words of Spike (season 2, School Hard) I just got so bored. Ah the slow, slow thawing process of Lily. It's fun to slowly plant the seeds of a future flowering relationship with James. Isabel's reaction is going to be the one thing nobody will expect, I'm not saying any more on that subject, I've worked too hard on that storyline. Dunno about the HP-verse Oz though... he'd be a cool guy to hang with I'm sure! Good to have a guy's opinion on the "engorgement charm" treatment- I'd heard boys can be very sensitive about the issue and wasn't sure how the references would go down... so thanks for not saying it was outright wrong or crap. Cheers.
Kit- In the words of that old song (can't remember what it's actually called, but...) 'some things change, some stay the saaaaaaaaame'. All your wonderfully inquisitive questions (I love when people admit they've given good, strong thought to my work) will be answered in due time. If you can't wait for due time, email me for some sequel spoilers.
Brownies are yummy- I updated!
Kat- Sorry about the lack of emails, I've had assignments coming out of my butt! I will try to soon as I can, I promise! Nice to hear from you again, and no I think you scared the mean reviewer away! (sniggering at the memory) Take care, Kat, Love Anoron XX00
Christa- The Peter issue... next chapter. I'll say no more. Glad you're enjoying the latest offerings, I'll try to come up with more soon ... Especially the flashbacks, considering I know exactly what has happened with all our characters between the conclusion of this part and the beginning of the sequel, I've really just got to get it on paper now. Take care. And good luck with political overload (we just had that crap down under, I voted for Bob the Builder... maybe he can fix it?) XX00
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Unchained Melody
Oh my love, my darling
I've hungered for your touch
A long, lonely time
And time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine?
I need your love, I need your love
God speed your love to me
Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea
To the open arms of the sea, yeah
Lonely rivers sigh 'wait for me, wait for me'
I'll be coming home, wait for me
Oh my love, my darling
I've hungered, hungered for your touch
A long, lonely time
And time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine?
I need your love, I need your love
God speed your love to me
Lily and Isabel were huddled in a corner of the Common Room, their heads bent over stacks of books and other tools of research. Dawn wandered over and plopped down beside them.
"Hey guys, what're you doing?" she craned her neck to try and read over Isabel's shoulder.
"Muggle Studies major project," Lily murmured, eyes still flying across the page. "We've got til a week before OWLs to get a muggle CD to play music."
"Buy a stereo," Dawn suggested.
Isabel smiled. "Well a stereo would be great if we could get it to work amongst all the magical interference at Hogwarts. It'll probably be easier in the long run to just work a spell to get the CD to work on its own."
"Oh," Dawn replied, then flipped her book open to get a bit of study in herself. She could understand Isabel taking a Muggle Studies class, with her limited knowledge of the muggle world, but Lily on the other hand ... Dawn had thought long and hard about why a muggle-born witch would need to take Muggle Studies, and still the only reason she could come up with was an easy 'Outstanding' OWL.
The three girls worked in silence until Isabel got bored and tossed her book aside. "We've only just begun and already I've had enough of this project," she groaned. "Let's think about something else for a while."
Dawn pounced on the opportunity. "Well if you really wanted to focus on something else, I could use your help with something," she confided, closing her own book and leaning in to speak quietly.
Lily looked up then, intrigued. "What?"
Dawn leaned in a little further. "It's Sirius' sixteenth birthday on Friday and somehow I don't think his family will be making such a big deal of the occasion. But I'd like to, so do you guys think you could help me out a bit? Please?"
Lily and Isabel shared a look. "What did you have in mind?"
"I want to throw him a surprise party here in the Common Room," Dawn smiled. "The other boys are really into the idea, but the more help I've got, the easier it'll be."
A smile creased Lily's lips. "That'd be fine, Dawn. And I assume you've already asked Professor McGonagall's permission?"
"You know, Lily, assume would make you an ass outta me ... Or something," Dawn replied vaguely. "Remus is going to take care of that, he's asking tonight because I also want time to invite Sirius' favourite cousin, Andromeda, too."
Isabel readied a blank sheet of parchment and in no time at all the three girls had most of the plans laid out. All they were waiting on was Remus to give the all-clear from McGonagall so that Dawn could send the letter to Andromeda and put their plans into action.
"Thanks for your help with all this," Dawn smiled, slipping the piece of parchment into her bag. "The boys promised to help, but I don't think they thought of anything beyond opening a packet of chips and scattering a few extra chairs about the Common Room."
While Lily and Isabel laughed, the portrait-hole opened and the four boys strolled in. James was red-faced and sweating from a particularly strenuous Quidditch training that the other boys had gone to watch. Remus had joined Peter and Sirius in the stands after slipping away to negotiate with their Head of House about Sirius' party. He caught Dawn's eye as the boys joined the girls and gave a discreet thumbs up. Dawn grinned and Sirius gave her an odd look.
"What are you smiling about, Kitten?"
Dawn shook her head. "Um, how was Quidditch practice? You guys have fun?"
"It was ok," he replied.
"Easy for you to say," James groaned, stretching out his muscles. "You weren't the one trying to get ready for Hufflepuff on Saturday. I'm going to take a shower. Care to join me, Evans?"
Lily's face blushed darker than her hair. "Not in this sane lifetime, Potter," the Prefect snapped before storming off to the Library to console herself with more research. The rest of the group dispersed in her wake, James jogged upstairs to the shower, Peter sat in an armchair and the two couples paired off.
Dawn cuddled up to Sirius. "I've been thinking about your birthday-"
"Dawn," Sirius moaned. Nobody had ever made such a fuss about the fact that he was born before and he wasn't too sure how to react. "I told you already, it's not import-"
Her fingers pressing against his lips cut his sentence short. "It's your sixteenth, Sirius, that's a big one where I'm from. I want you to have a good birthday, so just indulge me. Please?" she pressed her face very close to his, pink lips pouting.
"Whatever you wish, my Kitten," he relented, sneaking in a kiss.
"Good," she smiled. "I was thinking we could have quiet dinner, just the two of us like the time you took me down to the Kitchens. And the later we can have cake in the dorms with the others. Does that sound ok?"
"Sounds like I'm going to have the best birthday ever."
"That's the plan, baby."
Dawn pounded on the wooden door, a moment later she heard the booming barks and the scratches on the other side. Then it swung open and Hagrid beamed down at them.
"Dawn, Peter, lovely ter see yer both! Come on in, jus' baked a fresh batch of walnut scones, I'll serve 'em up still warm," he chattered, ushering them inside.
Dawn pushed Fang back to stop him licking her face with far too much enthusiasm, scratching him behind the ears once he was under control again. "Oh no, Hagrid, don't go to any trouble for us," she rushed out, remembering the way she'd almost lost a tooth in his rock cakes. "We can't stay too long."
Peter looked torn between knowing better than to tempt fate with Hagrid's cooking and wanting to try it anyway. He sat at the table and accepted a glass of Dandelion juice even though Dawn declined. She giggled at the way Fang attached his head to her leg and gazed lovingly up at her, seeming to enjoy having Dawn to himself without the overprotective, sometimes jealous guard of Sirius over her. When they were all comfortable, Dawn got right down to business.
"Hagrid, you don't already have plans for this Friday night, do you?" she asked out of the blue.
Hagrid blinked. He'd been asked all sorts of interesting questions during his lifetime. What species is that animal in your pocket? Where did you hide the Chimaera? Is that a Basilisk egg? But nobody had ever wanted to know if he was free on a Friday night. It made him blush.
"Er, no. No plans ter speak of, Dawn," he stammered.
She unleashed a 600 watt smile on him. "Would you like to come to Sirius' birthday party? It's going to be a surprise."
Fat tears welled in his eyes and created an almost torrential downpour on his cheeks. Dawn was thinking he'd have to wring the excess water out of his beard in a moment. "Are yer sure yer want me ter come? Tha's too kind of yer, Dawn."
"Don't be silly, Hagrid. Of course we want you to come. Right, Peter?" She glanced at the boy next to her for support and he choked on his final mouthful of juice under the attention.
"R-right," he coughed.
When he failed to elaborate, Dawn picked up the thread once more. "Sirius would love to see you there. We're trying to make sure all his friends are there and he'd miss you if you didn't come."
Hagrid sniffled and pulled out one of the handkerchiefs Dawn had sent him for Christmas. "O' course I'll come then! Can I bring anything? I'll make a fresh batch of scones, rock cakes as well-"
"No!" Dawn and Peter bellowed together.
Dawn recovered first. "You're a guest, Hagrid, you don't have to do anything but come to Gryffindor tower at seven thirty on Friday night," she said with gentle sternness.
It took Dawn and Peter five more minutes to convince Hagrid that they really, truly wanted him there and they really, truly didn't need him to bring anything. When they were finally trudging back towards the castle through the snow, Dawn's arms were laden with the bundle of scones Hagrid had insisted on wrapping for the Marauders to share.
"What are we going to do with these?" Dawn asked, looking down at her burden. "If Sirius sees them, he might want to know what we were going to Hagrid's for."
Peter thought a moment. "Tell him we just went for a visit because we felt like it," he suggested.
Dawn shook her head. "He and I always visit Hagrid together. He'd know something was up if I didn't ask him to come with me."
"I didn't know that," Peter mumbled, looking away. He suddenly felt like Dawn and Sirius had their own little world, one that went on without the rest of the universe even being aware of it. Something clenched in his stomach with the realisation that he wanted to know that world. Why should he be the one always excluded?
Dawn, oblivious to his sudden change in mood, babbled on happily. "Yeah, every other week or so Sirius and I go and see Hagrid for an hour and then we spend some time alone before dinner, and ..." She suddenly realised it wasn't very ladylike of her to divulge too much of what she and her boyfriend did in their private time. She grinned sheepishly. "Anyway, we've still got these scones to get rid of."
"We could throw them at Snivellus," Peter said, laughing as he remembered James pelting the unpopular Slytherin with Hagrid's rock cakes. He'd evidently forgotten the scolding James had copped from Dawn for his troubles, even now the blue of her eyes had gone hard like sharpened diamonds.
"That wasn't funny, Peter," she railed. "You know I don't like Snape at all, but he did nothing to deserve James throwing food at him like that. Honestly, you boys can be such jerks sometimes!"
When Dawn saw the way Peter had practically dribbled into the floor in shame, she made am effort to control her temper. She knew James and Sirius still did those sorts of things when they thought she wouldn't find out about it and she hated the thought of them being cruel, but she shouldn't take it out on Peter. He always laughed at whatever stunts the others pulled, but she'd never known him to physically attack someone himself. She nudged him playfully to coax him back to normal.
"Hey, maybe we should just use our brains and throw them in the trash."
He seemed to miraculously reinflate so rapidly at her softened tone that Dawn almost laughed as she tossed the scones in the nearest bin and gave him a friendly squeeze around his thick shoulders.
"Come on, let's go see what messes the others are getting themselves into."
Remus was feeling downright horrible on Tuesday afternoon, just a couple of hours before his transformation. He sat with his friends in the back of the Charms room while Flitwick dictated to them all about the Fidelius Charm. It sounded quite complex and interesting, but Remus was too apathetic to care. Flitwick glanced at him, but said nothing as Remus put his quill down and rested his head on his hand. Dawn was an excellent note-taker, on the full moon she always made him copies of whatever he missed.
James was secretly finalising the guest list for Sirius' party; all of Gryffindor would naturally be there, Dawn and Peter had invited Hagrid, Andromeda's reply would most likely arrive in the morning, and he and Remus had confirmed all the people Sirius was friends with in the other houses. For obvious reasons no Slytherins had been invited, but the Prewett brothers, Gideon and Fabian, were coming from Ravenclaw and a few Hufflepuffs, such as Davey Gudgeon had been ticked off from their list.
Peter's quill was plodding along in the wake of Flitwick's voice, he was biting his bottom lip in concentration as he wrote. Sirius, as always, decided he didn't need to bother with anything so mundane as note-taking because the work was beyond simple and he always remembered it all anyway. He contented himself with watching Dawn as she worked diligently, the ends of her ponytail tumbling over one shoulder to tickle her cheek, begging him to push it back just for the chance to touch her.
Dawn, meanwhile, was as fascinated by the topic as Sirius was by her. The idea that you could take a secret and hide it away inside a person and it would be locked up tighter than a bank safe astounded her. The Fidelius Charm probably would've come in handy when the Scooby gang was trying to hide the Key from Glory. Something stirred in Dawn's mind with that thought, but she couldn't pinpoint it so she pushed it aside and continued to concentrate on her notes. From the looks of Remus, she'd be needing to duplicate them later anyway, so she figured she might as well make them worth it.
The moment Flitwick concluded the lesson and asked if there were any questions, Dawn raised her hand. "Yes, Miss Summers?"
"Exactly how fool-proof is using a Secret-Keeper? I mean, are there ways around them?" she asked. She wasn't even sure why she wanted to know, something was just compelling her to find out as much as she could.
Flitwick looked delighted with her attention to the subject as he teetered on the precarious pile of books he used to see over his desk. "Oh, there are flaws in the Fidelius Charm, as there are with any spell. You see, just as a secret can be concealed inside a Secret-Keeper, that person can choose to let it out. The catch is, only the Secret-Keeper is able to divulge the secret; if they told you their secret, the magics of the charm are so strong that they would prevent you from then telling the secret to a third party."
Dawn nodded her understanding, making notes on the extra information. Remus wished he had the energy to muster a grateful smile to her attention to detail. Her hand flew into the air again and Flitwick indicated that she may speak.
"What happens when a Secret-Keeper dies? Is the secret lost forever, or is it released from the body?"
"It is released," Flitwick replied. "Those who were told the secret are no longer bound to its secrecy by the charm, they are free to tell whomever they choose."
By the time the lesson ended, Dawn had slipped into quiet thoughtfulness. The boys all recognised the look on her face, she looked just like Remus when he was beginning to devise a plan. It may not come into fruition for months, but somehow Dawn would put the information to good use.
After an early dinner, the boys all disappeared and were not seen again for the rest of the evening. Isabel had wondered where Remus had got to, so Dawn distracted her by enlisting her to help with the final stages of planning the party. They finalised the refreshments order for the House-Elves and then spent the evening creating long, coloured streamers and a 'Happy 16th Birthday, Sirius' banner.
By the time they'd stowed the decorations carefully in the girls' dorm and gone to bed, Dawn was happy that everything seemed to be taken care of. The guests were invited, the decorations ready to go, the cake ordered and her friends had already planned the set-up of the Common Room while she distracted Sirius with dinner. When, on Wednesday, James dropped the food order off at the Kitchens and wrote to Rosmerta for a crate of butterbeer and Dawn received Andromeda's reply that she and Ted would be there with bells on (Dawn wondered if she meant literally) all was set. They had only to last until the end of the week without somebody spilling the secret.
Remus seemed to recover quickly from his monthly illness in anticipation of the festivities to come and they spent Wednesday and Thursday evenings under a pile of spell books, researching concealment charms for the Marauder's Map, which was coming along quite nicely. Distracted every two minutes by Sirius looking up from his book to ask Dawn what he was getting for his birthday like a hyperactive child, the group gave up relatively early on Thursday night and went to bed.
Sirius' first sensation on the morning of his sixteenth birthday was waking up to the blue-eyed Goddess in the little grey school skirt sitting on the tops of his legs. At first he thought he was still asleep, dreaming, but then he realised that his temperature usually didn't rise quite so rapidly when he dreamed like this. Dawn never wore so much clothing, either.
"Happy birthday!"
"Dawn, what-?"
"Your first present," she grinned, leaning over him. She kissed him deeply, but before he could start really getting into it, she pulled back and rolled off him. She grabbed the present she'd left on the bedside table and passed it across, laying back against the pillows to watch him open it.
Sirius tore hungrily into the paper and pulled out the new deluxe Dr Filibuster's fireworks package he'd been eyeing off for a couple of months. He smiled, loving the way she always seemed to remember little things like that. "Thanks, baby."
She let him kiss her again. "That's only the beginning," she told him. "We've got a whole day to get through yet."
Sirius' eyes widened. Exactly how much trouble had she gone to? He was almost afraid to ask, and lost the opportunity anyhow when his dorm-mates awoke and presented his with his next gift. He opened the large, rather flat box and the grin that was already plastered to his widened even further. They'd all chipped in and got him a dragon-hide jacket, black with a red undertone when the light caught it in just the right way.
'Guys, I don't even know what to say," Sirius blurted, running his hands down the lapels of his jacket.
"'Thanks' would be a good start," James laughed. He clapped a hand to Sirius' shoulder. "Happy birthday, mate."
"Thanks," Sirius said, allowing a rare moment of sincerity to pass between himself and his friends.
Dawn kept surprising him with gifts throughout the entire day, usually when he was least expecting it. He'd swivelled around in his seat to lend Peter a hand with his Transfiguration, and when he turned back to his own place, another perfectly wrapped box was waiting for him. He looked up to see if McGonagall was close enough to deduct points if he stopped paying attention to the vanishing spell he'd already proven he could do anyway, but the way her lips were twitching violently with the effort of restraining a smile convinced him he'd get away with it. Just this once. He unwrapped the chunky silver chain, like the ones he'd seen muggle boys his age wearing and immediately fastened it about his neck.
By the end of the day he'd also acquired a few new shirts, a pair of boxers with little paw prints on them, a leather wallet that also had a magical compartment for storing galleons, and an assortment of knick-knacks and sweets from Zonko's and Honeydukes. Sirius knew Dawn's birthday wasn't until mid August, but he had a feeling he was going to need to work on it for the entire eight months between now and then just to make it half as special as she'd made his birthday.
He met her in the Common Room at seven as promised and he was wearing one of the shirts she'd given him, white with red patterns threaded across the chest, under his dragon-hide jacket. Dawn herself looked like perfection to him as she glided towards him, her black skirt floating about her legs and her blue shirt challenging the colour of her eyes. Her hair hung in ringlets that his fingers were itching to tangle themselves in and her face was fresh and clean of make-up, save for the hint of lip gloss that Sirius made a mental note to kiss off at the very first opportunity he got.
Dawn reached up and ran a hand down the chest of his shirt. "You like it, then?"
"I love it," he corrected. "Dawnie, this has been the most amazing-"
She silenced him with a finger to his lips. "It's not over yet. Not even close. Dinner?"
She took his hand and led him down to the Kitchens, where a gaggle of House-Elves chorused "Happy birthday, Sir Padfoot!" Then Locky, beaming with the honour of being the chosen one, ushered the couple into their private little room. Sirius smiled. The room looked much the same as it had for their first date, though instead of candles their table was illuminated by the clusters of live, glowing fairies that gathered around them.
Dinner itself was a two-person buffet of all Sirius' favourite dishes. One of the House-Elves had even made a triple cheeseburger and a serving of fries for him to choose from. Dawn laughed as he proceeded to pile a serving of every dish on the table onto his plate, only taking some of the chicken casserole that tasted just like Mrs Potter's for herself. Sirius was feeling incredibly full by the time he'd sampled every dish on offer, but when Locky popped up with crepes and ice-cream for dessert, his appetite seemed to miraculously renew itself.
Dawn sneaked a glance at her watch to be sure they were on schedule before suggesting they head back towards Gryffindor tower to walk off dinner before having cake with the others. Dawn thanked Locky, who was almost bawling with joy, and the House-Elves all called out another "Happy birthday Sir Padfoot," as they left.
When they stepped into the corridor, Sirius stopped Dawn for a moment. He kissed her once to show his appreciation, and twice just because he wanted to while they still had some privacy before they linked hands and strolled through the castle.
"Surprise!"
Sirius froze. Every Gryffindor in the school, and then some were crammed into the Common Room, and they were all grinning at him. The fifth years were at the forefront of the crowd and with them was someone he hadn't expected to see at least until the Summer.
"Andi," he blurted stupidly.
"Hey there, little cousin," she grinned and kissed his cheek. "Happy birthday."
"How-?" he asked weakly.
Andromeda nodded at the figure standing just behind Sirius, watching the scene unfold with silent satisfaction. He turned to stare at Dawn in awe, but before he could make a move towards her he'd been swept into the crowd. Dawn hugged Andromeda and they stood side by side to watch Sirius being passed around between his friends, hugging and shaking hands.
"I'm very impressed," Andromeda praised. "Well done."
Dawn smiled. "Glad you and Ted could make it. Decided against the bells, after all?"
For some strange reason, all the guests had decided to take their shoes off. Adopting the 'when in Rome' philosophy, Dawn and Sirius were easily persuaded to follow suit and discard their own footwear. The party was in full swing by the time Sirius had a chance to catch up with Dawn again. she was by one of the refreshment tables, chatting to Alice Wilson, a pretty Hufflepuff with a friendly face whom Frank Longbottom had insisted on inviting. Mostly because the dashing Head Boy had a gigantic crush on her.
"Hi Alice," Sirius grinned as he approached, then he slung an arm across Dawn's shoulders. "Hey baby."
"Having a good party, Sirius?" Alice asked.
"You bet! And thanks for coming."
"Ooh- I almost forgot," Dawn blurted suddenly. "Presents!"
Sirius blinked. "More presents? Again?"
She was dragging him across the room then, pushing him into a seat before a table piled high with a stack of presents from his guests. For the first time in his life, Sirius felt just a little awkward with all the attention he was receiving, though he was strangely pleased by it all the same. He reached for Andromeda and Ted's gift first. It was some time later when he finally finished and was surrounded by more gifts than he knew what to do with and a very long list of people to thank.
Even his parents had sent him something; a new set of deep blue dress robes and the most rigidly written birthday card he'd ever received, but it was more than he'd expected. Hagrid had been so pleased to be invited that he'd turned up with a pet owl for Sirius, a beautiful, deep brown bird that Sirius was thinking he'd let Dawn name.
After the cake had been cut the music rose in volume and Sirius led Dawn over to the makeshift dance floor cleared in the middle of the Common Room. He pulled her close and neither seemed willing to let the other go any time soon. After several dances, Dawn felt someone tap lightly on her shoulder.
"Mind if I cut in?"
Dawn turned and smiled at Andromeda. "Not at all." She scanned the crowd and spotted Peter standing alone by a bowl of Bertie Botts Every Flavour beans. Remus was already on the dance floor with Isabel and James was trying to beg a dance with Lily (and failing spectacularly).
"Maybe Peter could use some company." Leaving the two cousins to have some time together, Dawn bounced over to Peter. He almost choked on his newspaper flavoured bean when Dawn came up from behind to seize his arm and grin broadly.
"So how 'bout a dance?"
His somewhat beady eyes widened at the prospect but he managed a swift, mute nod as Dawn walked him over near where Remus and Isabel were dancing. She helped him arrange his hands, one on her waist and the other caught in hers and they moved slowly back and forth, Dawn keeping their movements to the beat.
A deep pink had tinged Peter's cheeks and he kept his gaze lowered, not wanting her to think he was staring or anything ... Because he had no right or reason to stare. He trod on her bare feet a couple of times and he was sure it must've hurt her, but Dawn didn't say anything to draw attention to it.
"Sorry," he mumbled.
"It's ok," she assured him. Running around cramped under the Invisibility Cloak had accustomed her toes to being squashed on a regular basis.
The dance had ended too soon for Peter's liking. Dawn smiled and thanked him, then skipped off to play the hostess and join a new conversation. Standing back in place by the food with a handful of Lemondrops five minutes later, Peter had to wonder if he'd imagined the whole thing. Dawn went over to where Candice, Michelle and James, who had been rejected by Lily quite enough for one evening, were introducing Ted to Hagrid and Nearly Headless Nick.
Ted was listening raptly to Nearly Headless Nick's tale, it seemed he'd been quick to overcome his original apprehension of talking to a dead man. He was fascinated to hear that Sir Nicholas, as he preferred to be called, had died almost 480 years previously, the result of a botched execution by beheading. When Nick showed him exactly how one could be 'Nearly Headless', Ted suddenly looked sorry he'd asked. Hagrid discussing his desire to own a dragon or a three-headed dog ("I'd name 'im Fluffy!") didn't make Ted any more comfortable. A few minutes later, Andromeda and Sirius joined them."
"Ted, honey, we should get going," Andromeda said. "You've got to start work early in the morning."
Ted almost bolted away from the ghost and the half-giant. Dawn and Sirius saw the older couple to the portrait-hole, where Andromeda hugged them both one last time for good measure. Dawn watched Sirius was he waved goodbye before closing the portrait-hole again, a blissful calm coming over her as a resolution that had been building within her for a long time was made at last.
She was looking up at him with those oceans she called eyes. Merlin, how he could get lost in those eyes. Sirius watched in silent fascination as they flickered with resolve and she had evidently just reached some decision. Still without a word, Dawn took a hold of Sirius' hand, beginning to lead him through the crowded Common Room. Sirius stopped in his tracks, refusing to take another step until she told him exactly what she was up to.
"Dawn, what-?" he began, but something about the look in her eyes as she turned her face up to him kept him quiet. He waited patiently, but was rewarded with only one word falling from her lips.
"Upstairs."
Sirius followed Dawn upstairs, all the while a strange buzzing sound in his head muted the noise of the party below and completely drowned out the soft footfalls of their bare feet on the stairs. She stopped by his bed, and the buzzing in Sirius' mind increased until it was also a ringing in his ears. Did this mean what he was praying to Merlin for it to mean? Suddenly he had to know.
"Dawn?" he whispered huskily. "Are you...? Is this...?" He trailed off, unable to complete either question.
He was not alone in the stammering department. Dawn was smiling slightly, but a demure little blush was settling over her cheeks and she couldn't quite bring herself to say the words out loud.
"Yes. I mean ... I think, no, I know ... I'm ... I'm ready ... To ..." Realising how completely inarticulate she was being and deciding that she might as well stick with it at this point, Dawn glanced up at Sirius, eyebrows raised. "Happy birthday?" she tried. She almost groaned out loud. When she'd imagined this moment in her mind (which she'd done a hundred times) she'd been much more suave a seductress.
Sirius giggled. He actually giggled, and his heart was so light that he couldn't even bring himself to be embarrassed. As his giggles subsided, Dawn stretched up and brushed her lips against his with a kiss softer, but deeper than any he'd ever known before. His hands were to her waist, pulling her up against him as Dawn's kisses slowly became more persistent. Having withstood the wait for her for far too long already, he popped the first of her buttons open.
"No." Dawn clamped her hands over his and forced them away from her.
"What?" Sirius panted. "What's wrong?"
But Dawn, her eyes twinkling, just offered him a secretive little smile and went to work on her own buttons. Sirius smirked. This was how she wanted it? Fine by him. He shed his jacket and reached to unfasten his own clothing, but again her hands stayed his.
"Patience," she whispered.
He could do nothing but stare, entranced by every little detail about her as she slowly shed her layers of clothing down to her underthings. Sirius caught sight of her underwear and grinned devilishly. She'd worn the black satin thong for him. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Dawn turned her attention to her boyfriend's clothing. She chewed her bottom lip in concentration as her delicate fingers worked on his buttons, his belt buckle, his fly, and Sirius couldn't remember ever seeing anything more lovely and adorable in his life. When she had him dressed down to her Gryffindor boxers, Dawn paused a moment, taking the time to steal another kiss more softly urgent than the last.
His hands were resting on the warm skin of her shoulders and it took all of Sirius' willpower to keep them there. But he wanted this to be perfect for Dawn, so he knew in the end he'd be satisfied just to wait for her to give him a sign that she wanted to move on. As if she knew what he was thinking and wanted to reward him for his patience, Dawn shrugged one of his hands off her shoulder, urging it round to the clasp of her bra.
He took his time with it, sliding it off her skin with agonizing slowness, welcoming each inch of her with its very own kiss as it was revealed. Dawn squirmed with pleasure. Sirius grinned and backed her towards the bed. She let out a little shiver and he raised his eyebrows in silent question.
"Cold," Dawn said, shivering slightly again. After all, it wasn't as if she stood around fairly well naked every day, let alone deep in the night of a frozen British winter. Immediately, Sirius pulled down the covers and lifted her up onto the bed before crawling under the warm covers beside her.
Wanting his body heat, Dawn snuggled close up to Sirius, feeling his arms snake around her, hands rubbing up and down her bare back. She quickly warmed to his touch, her own fingers beginning to explore the smooth muscles of his back. He was kissing her again, but even that could not quite completely distract Dawn from the hand that crept lower and lower down her back until it was resting comfortably on her backside. She gave a tiny moan into Sirius' mouth, and Sirius responded by slightly increasing the pressure of his hands on her body, rolling her onto her back.
It was several long minutes before Dawn broke their kiss, her cheeks flushed. She stared up into Sirius' blue eyes, as if trying to memorize every single fleck in them, before giving him a minute nod of permission. Sirius, needing no further invitation or encouragement, shifted his weight and moved to situate himself above Dawn, but her hand suddenly shot up to his chest, keeping him at bay. Sirius frowned, confused by the mixed signals she was sending out.
"Have you got... y'know... protection?" she asked, blushing slightly at the question.
Sirius snatched his wand from his bedside table and muttered something that sounded like Infertilus Protectus before tossing his wand carelessly aside, far more preoccupied with the gorgeous girl still watching him with innocent curiosity.
Dawn reached out to Sirius, this time welcoming him back into the circle of her arms. Sirius relaxed against her, his mouth was pressing searing kisses to her neck, tasting the sweetness of her skin. He gradually worked his mouth lower, until he'd tasted his way down to her navel, one finger was running along the top of her underwear. He paused for a moment, both his fingertips and lips tracing along the two most prominent scars still showing on Dawn's abdomen, cutting across her in a sort of unclosed V. Sirius placed one final kiss on Dawn's flat stomach before gently raising her hips to peel the thong off and toss it aside. He stretched back up along her body until they were staring into each other's wide eyes, the sky and the sea, endless blues of different spectrums fading into one.
"You're beautiful," he breathed.
Wondering if it would cheapen the moment to tell Sirius that he was beautiful, too, Dawn just smiled her pleasure at his compliment. She slid his boxers down over his hips. Trembling with fear and anticipation, she waited for Sirius to kick his boxers off and settle his body over her before speaking in a slightly nervous whisper.
"Gently..."
His response was a soft, reassuring kiss that chased all Dawn's fears away. One of Sirius' hands slipped between Dawn's legs, teasing her, exciting her, completely losing her in the moment.
Dawn felt his hand pull away from her, felt Sirius' body weight shift on top of her and knew what it meant, but still she felt incredibly unprepared for the sudden, acute pain that had just stolen away her virginity. She drew in a sharp breath and Sirius immediately stilled.
Knowing how redundant it would be for him to ask if she was ok, Sirius just brushed her hair back out of her face before tenderly running a finger down the length of her nose. "It's all right. I can wait."
But Dawn shook her head almost defiantly and blinked the startled tears out of her eyes. "I'm ok," she insisted, and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. She went to pull away, but Sirius would not let the kiss be broken, his tongue flicked lightly at her lips until they parted deliciously, granting him access to her warm mouth.
She wriggled her body just a tiny bit, creating a tremor of delicious friction against his, and Sirius took the hint that he could start moving again, grinding his hips into hers. With each slow, careful thrust, Dawn felt the pain gradually fading, replaced by the most wonderful sense of human contact she'd ever known. It didn't take too long for her to catch onto his rhythm, Dawn began rocking her hips back and forth in time to meet with his and when Sirius gave a low moan, she figured she must be doing something right and kept her slow, almost tentative movements going.
Their bodies were slick with sweat, their breaths came in deep, ragged gasps, broken by the occasional moan or grunt of pleasure. Dawn clung tightly to Sirius, feeling the movements of his shoulder muscles beneath her hands as his own hands constantly roved over her flesh. Her face, her throat, her breasts, her waist, slipping beneath her to massage her backside (Dawn gave the most appreciative moan as her body was pressed even closer to his then) and then caressing as much of the length of her leg as he could reach, it was as if Sirius was intent on exploring every little bit of Dawn's body, one way or another.
Dawn had been feeling the warmth well up inside her for some time, and could sense the same heat radiating from within Sirius. He'd rested his face alongside her cheek and was growling slightly against her ear as he moved. His movements had become less measured as he gave into his passions more recklessly, but Dawn's body seemed to keep up with his of its own accord. Something deep within her core reached its boiling point, triggering an internal explosion that had her uttering a shapeless cry. Barely a second later Dawn felt Sirius gripping her waist tightly as he released into her. Sirius let out one final moan of Dawn's name and collapsed on top of her, his lips brushing tantalisingly against her pulse-point.
They remained moulded together like that for several long moments, neither moving, content just to feel the rhythm of each other's heartbeat pounding through their skin as they tried to calm their rapid breathing. At length, Sirius eased himself free of her and Dawn shifted a little as he rolled over onto his back, both trying to get more comfortable beneath the sweat-drenched sheet bunched up around their waists.
Sirius propped himself up on one elbow, his other hand rubbing Dawn's stomach in soothing motions. "How are you feeling?"
Dawn scrunched up her nose. How was she supposed to know right now? She didn't think she was capable of a lot of deeper thought just yet. "A little sore," she admitted, the first random sensation to filter back into her mind, at which Sirius pressed a comforting kiss to her temple. Completely content, Dawn let her head sink back against the pillows, ready for sleep, but to her surprise the hand Sirius still had rested on her exposed stomach shook her slightly.
"Don't go to sleep yet," he urged, a hint of pleading in his voice. Dawn tilted her head, looking at him quizzically.
"I wanna talk to you," Sirius blurted. In truth, he had nothing in particular that needed to be said because their bodies had just done more communicating than words could hope for, he just wasn't ready to see those perfect blue eyes of hers close on him yet.
"What about?" Dawn asked, curious.
Sirius cast his gaze about the room, searching for something to go with. It was kind of hard to focus on anything beyond the fact that his girlfriend, who happened to be the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, was lying next to him in nothing but a sheet that reached no higher than her midsection, but he spotted a strip of black material tangled in his sheets and plucked it out for Dawn to see. "I was right," he grinned, holding up her thong. "You do look even better out of this."
Dawn flushed, remembering the day Sirius and James had picked it out for her, along with every other piece of underwear she currently owned. "Sirius!" she admonished in a scandalized voice.
"What?" Sirius laughed, once again throwing the garment aside before he suddenly sobered, staring deep into her eyes. "Please don't go to sleep yet," he implored. "I'm not ready to go to sleep, and I don't want to be awake without you."
Dawn smiled, secretly touched by his sentiment. "Ok," she whispered. She rolled on to her side so they were facing each other and shifted so close that their noses were almost touching as she stared deep into his eyes, as if trying to figure him out. She watched the light of the almost-dead lamp flickering, reflecting in his eyes, showing her all the things hidden deep within him. Feelings he probably tried to hide from himself, the solitude of a scared little boy who could not find his place within his own family, so seeing himself as completely alone in the gathering darkness.
Silent resolve settled over Dawn's features and her small hand slid around his larger one. She would not go to sleep without him. He would not be left alone any longer. Sirius smiled at Dawn as they lay together, their feet intertwined beneath the blankets, their two worlds melting into one. Strange to him, but somehow he just didn't feel so alone anymore. In an almost doglike movement, he extended his face the mere centimetre between his and Dawn's, lightly nuzzling her nose with his. Dawn giggled with pleasure, and stretched forwards until her forehead was resting against his, their eyes never for a moment breaking their connection.
Dawn shivered slightly, her clothing affording no protection against the winter morning's chill. Her brow furrowed slightly over her closed eyelids ... She wasn't wearing any clothing. Her eyes slowly opened and she blinked in confusion at how dull her surroundings were, until she realised someone had drawn the hangings around Sirius' bed. Looking straight ahead, her gaze fell on Sirius' face, peaceful and boyish in sleep and barely an inch from hers. She smiled, the memories of their first night together washing back over her.
Her gaze dropped lower and a bashful feeling came over Dawn as she realised how exposed she was with nothing but a tangled sheet resting low on her hips and the way her arm fell across her chest to protect her modesty. She reached slowly for the sheet, but as she pulled it up over herself Sirius' eyes fluttered open.
"Good morning," he murmured, smiling sleepily at her.
"Hi," Dawn whispered, suddenly overcome with shyness. She looked down and bit her lip, a wave of nerves and insecurities washing over her. She'd thought it had gone well, but what did she know, really? She wasn't exactly an expert in the department, what if she was wrong?
Sensing dangerous doubt sneaking up on Dawn, Sirius put a hand to her face to lift her gaze to his. His kisses soon convinced her all her fears were groundless. He pulled her close and locked his arms around her, both content just to lay in silence and hold each other.
"What time is it?" Dawn eventually yawned. Strange that the other boys hadn't come tearing into the dorm to demand their territory back, yet.
Sirius pushed the curtains aside so he could glance at the clock. "Ten forty-five," he read.
Dawn bolted upright, bashfulness forgotten. "Quidditch! We're gonna miss James' game!"
She was up and throwing her clothes back on in a heartbeat. Sirius just watched, amused while she kissed him briefly, snatched her thong from the folds of his sheets and told him she'd be in the Common Room in a few minutes. Dawn burst into her own dorm and straight through to the shower, washing with record speed. She shut the water off and stepped out of the stall, but she caught sight of herself in the mirror as she reached for her towel and paused. Dawn took a minute to study her reflection and was almost disappointed to find she looked exactly the same as she had the day before. She'd thought maybe she would look different, somehow. Older.
She shook the thoughts off and finished getting ready. Sirius, having apparently not felt the need to investigate any possible changes in his body, was already waiting for her. They ran through the castle together, emerging into the open air just as Madam Hooch began the game to the roar of the crowd. By the time they'd climbed the stands and fought their way over to Peter, Isabel and Lily, Gryffindor was down sixty-thirty.
"Come on, Gryffindor!" Remus was bellowing into his magical megaphone. "Wake up already. Potter with the Quaffle now, looking a bit tired. Dodges one, two Chasers, ducks the Bludger and hey! About time! The score for Gryffindor in the far right hoop and Hufflepuff back in possession now ..."
The red and gold section of the stands erupted as if they'd been dying for the chance to do so. Dawn looked at the way the Gryffindor team streaked tiredly through the sky and made a face at Lily and Isabel.
"Ok, so now I know not to plan a party for the night before a Quidditch game."
The two girls just shrugged. Let the fanatical boys worry about Quidditch. Let the girls worry about just why Dawn and Sirius had been so late to the match. And why they were both practically glowing. Dawn saw the looks on their faces and knew there would be questions later. She also knew she'd be avoiding them. Dawn felt fiercely protective of what she and Sirius had shared, she realised as shr turned and cuddled up to his side that she never wanted to open up about it to anyone but him.
She laid her head on his shoulder and followed the match purely through the sounds Sirius made. When he hissed, Hufflepuff had made a good play. When he groaned, they'd scored. When he just about deafened her, it was apparent that Gryffindor had scored.
Only when Remus started yelling in excitement about the Snitch being spotted did Dawn look back towards the pitch. By the time she'd even located the Seekers barrelling through the air, the Snitch had been snatched up and the game won. Dawn wasn't sure if her house-mates were cheering because despite the poor performance Gryffindor had come out on top, or because now they could all have lunch and go back to bed.
James, freshly showered, popped up in the Great Hall a few minutes after the lunch dishes had appeared. He fell on the roast beef and tore ravenously into it. Dawn shot him a half-apologetic smile.
"Sorry- didn't think about the match being today."
"Pfft," James shrugged. "We won, didn't we? We'd have to get completely flogged by Ravenclaw to lose the Cup now. And that's never going to happen." He grinned wickedly and raised his eyebrows. "Besides, I think it was worth it- everybody had such a good time. Some better than others, I see."
Dawn blushed. "James..."
"Sorry," he grinned. It always amused Dawn that James' apologies so rarely sounded like actual apologies. "Right of the big brother, emotional torture and all."
"Just remember that it's a little sister's duty to be a total pain in the ass. And I happen to be a professional."
The rest of the day was a blur for the fifth-years; some light study (for Lily) or a game of Wizard's Chess, nothing strenuous was even worth considering. Sirius made room in his trunk and cupboards for all his gifts until only the owl was left, sitting in his cage on the window ledge.
"We'll take him to the Owlery," Sirius said.
"You haven't named him yet," Dawn pointed out.
Sirius smiled. "I was going to tell you last night, but I got ... distracted. You get to do the honours, you can pick a name for him."
Dawn cocked her head to the side and studied the beautiful bird who seemed full of quiet nobility. "Hector," she said at last.
They took Hector to the Owlery before dinner and released him from his cage so he could mingle with the other owls. They watched him for a while to be certain he settled in all right on his perch of choice before leaving him to it. The evening wore away as peacefully as the afternoon had and Dawn soon found herself snug between her own sheets, exhausted but awake and thoughtful.
She heard a soft scratching sound and then the quiet clicks of a door being pushed open and then nudged closed again. Something padded across the room, Dawn could hear the thuds of feet on the floor and heading straight for her bed. Then the black, furry snout poked through the divide of her bed curtains.
A moment later an enormous dog had bounded softly up beside her, licked her cheek in greeting and promptly reverted to his human form. Sirius smiled, took out his wand and cast a Silencing Charm about Dawn's bed to conceal his presence.
She arched an eyebrow. "Planning to take advantage of me?"
"Maybe," he quipped with a kiss. He crawled under the covers and pulled her up against him. "No. Not really," he admitted. "I just wanted to hold you for a while."
Dawn wrapped her arms around him. "You'll have to be gone by morning," she warned. Lily and Isabel only laughed and shook their heads on the rare occasions when they caught Dawn sneaking out to (or back in from) the boys' dorm, but she doubted they'd find a boy in their territory so amusing. Not to mention the problems they'd have explaining how Sirius had managed to get up the stairs in the first place.
"I know. I will be," he promised.
When Dawn awoke the next morning, she was alone save for the single white rose conjured and sitting on the abandoned pillow beside her.
A.N.: Ok, so the sex scene- I really want the feedback on that one you guys because I've never pushed the envelope with it like that before. Big thanks!
Anoron
