A/N:

Hello everyone!

I know it's been months since I last updated this, but I managed to get some time to write a bit and here we are.

I hope you enjoy some fluff between Sirius and Rose.

When Rose greeted the morning on Sunday, her head felt like nifflers were burying into it, her mouth tasted like old socks, and her eyes felt as gritty as if she had left them open in a sand pit. The bitter, burnt taste of firewhiskey loitered in her throat, making her curse into her pillow. Gryffindor celebrations - especially those spearheaded by the Marauders - were wonderful things, full of laughter, mischief and good old fashioned house bonding, but Merlin did she hate the mornings after. Fortunately, someone (possibly Rose herself but more likely than not Lily) had left a little bottle of golden potion - Sirius' home-made, tried and tested hangover potion. Rose blocked her nose and tossed it back, pressing her hand to her lips as she resisted the urge to throw the potion back up. She slumped back onto the bed, letting the potion work its magic.

It was one of the rarest mornings of the school year. So blissfully peaceful and quiet. There wasn't a sound in the dormitory, all her fellows off and about their days. Lily would, of course, be in the library, returning all the books she couldn't bring home for the holidays, and doubtlessly checking out a dozen more for light reading. For some reason, Madame Pince liked Lily, always happy to help the studious twin of a notorious troublemaker. Good for Lily, Rose had always thought. It wasn't at all annoying. Marlene and Alice would be in meetings with McGonagall, trying to get their informal defense meetings categorised as a club. Which would look brilliant on their applications to join the Auror training programme at the end of the next school year. They had James and Remus' permission, the Marauders feeling that the request might seem more respectable if it came from someone who hadn't let off fireworks in the grounds last night. Or led the majority of their house in a loud conga line throughout the corridors after midnight. Dorcas would probably be out in the grounds, enjoying a final ride on her broom (she didn't play quidditch, but she was remarkable in the air - acrobatics was more her speed than team sports). Hestia and Emmeline, if Rose were to guess, would be in the Great Hall, enjoying breakfast in a relatively quiet hall while reading their mail (or critiquing the Daily Prophet). And sweet Mary would be in the kitchens, continuing to befriend the same house elves the Marauders had befriended back in first year. It always played well to have friends in the kitchens - and, as James had said, they were living beings too, they ought to be treated as such.

So, Rose hadn't the slightest compunctions about (once her headache was gone, of course), waving her wand and letting the magnificent strains of Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars album fill the dormitory. It had been forever since she had had a morning like this just to herself, and she fully intended to enjoy herself. With Bowie filling her ears, and Dr John Watson's excellent narration of his friend and colleague's adventure of the Redheaded League before her, it was shaping up to be a most relaxing morning.

Once Rose had finished reading along as Holmes and Watson solved the vexing conundrum of the Redheaded League (and foiled a bank robbery in the process), she felt human enough to get up and greet the day. The final day at Hogwarts before they left for their well-deserved summer holidays. Reverently, she removed the needle from her record, packing it away gently in the mess that was her trunk. Then, it was into her platform boots, and hello common room.

As befitted the beautiful spring Sunday that it was, the common room was almost deserted. Remus dozed quietly on a couch in the sun, lines of exhaustion on his face. He was the only one besides Rose there, but she tiptoed quietly past him nonetheless. Remus needed all the sleep he could get, especially since tonight was not only the leaving feast but also a Full Moon. Reaching into a pocket, she pulled out a bar of Honeydukes Best, propping it up against Remus's abandoned book (by the looks of the cover, it was one of James's James bond books - as a collective, the Marauders had a very wide range of tastes), then slipping through the portrait hole with a smile at the Fat Lady.

Wandering aimlessly through the castle was something Rose rarely had the chance to do. Running through it, on the other hand, was much more her style. Or rather the style she had to adapt to accentuate their mischievous, prank-based lifestyle. So, when even the Marauders enjoyed a lazy day, free to develop their separate pursuits (not that they had many of them, but they were there), Rose liked to wander. Most of the time she wandered without a destination or goal in mind, just wandering to keep up her knowledge of the corridors they had spent so much time memorising, but not today. Perhaps without realising it, Rose was looking for something. Someone. It wasn't like her friends to just go off without leaving some clue where they were. Rose conceded that they had probably discussed their plans for today last night - that misty time barely recalled except for laughter and the fading impressions of fireworks and professorial disapproval. Nevertheless, Rose was still searching for her friends. Yet however much she looked, Rose could find no traces of the unique brand of chaotic energy that came from the Marauders - especially James and Sirius - having been somewhere. It was vexing to say the least. But, Rose would be fibbing if she didn't concede that it was quite peaceful too. So, she ambled along, trading greetings and little snippets of conversation with the portraits and ghosts that she passed on her way. It was, she supposed, a little bit like she was saying farewell for now to the scenes of so many youthful indiscretions. That they would all be back in a few short months was never in question, but a small part of her felt almost trepidatious about leaving tomorrow. Rose caught that thought and shoved it firmly into a mental oubliette, chastising herself for her feelings. No matter what, they would be on the Hogwarts Express tomorrow, watching those steel rails shine as they headed south; bound for London, and King's Cross Platform 9¾.

It was going to be a good summer, and they would have an even better seventh year.

Oh, but if wishing only made it so.

Eventually, Rose's wanderings found her heading towards Remus's favourite spot in the castle. The long covered walkway that gave such a beautiful view out over the untouched surrounding countryside of Hogwarts. She nearly turned away, knowing that it would be deserted. So few people ever seemed to go there, it was always so quiet, and she knew that Remus would still be snoozing in the sunlight, catching up on the sleep and energy that the night would inevitably deny him. But, on her footsteps went, red platform soles quiet on the stones. Rose expected the usual vista of deserted splendor, the rest of the castle out in the grounds enjoying the sunshine. Not for the first time, nor for the last, she was pleasantly surprised to be proven wrong. There, maybe halfway down the walkway, was a figure.

He - for it was certainly a he - was leaning his forearms on the railing, staring out over the horizon. Even from the other end of the corridor, Rose could see that he was wearing worn jeans and a white t-shirt under the most gorgeous burgundy leather jacket she had ever seen. His black hair was caressed by the slight spring breeze, and he looked utterly relaxed. In fact, if Rose didn't know better, she would think that he had been waiting for her. Well, if he was, she wasn't going to disappoint. She skipped down the corridor, stopping maybe a foot from him. He tensed ever so slightly, clearly registering her presence, but he said not a word, grey eyes fixed out on the horizon.

"Siri?" Rose called, only the tiniest hint of worry hiding in her tone. She couldn't help wondering if she had done something to upset him. She didn't think she had, but once firewhiskey got involved she could no longer be certain. It was why she tried to avoid it whenever she could.

All her worries were erased but one simple motion. Sirius half turned, coming to face her. His eyes seemed to caress her face, filling with warmth and - she still felt giddy noticing it - love. His lips upturned into a gentle smile, her heart feeling so full it was going to burst. And then he said it. "Hello Rosebud." And just as every time, his gorgeous accent teased and caressed her name - his name for her - like it was the most precious word he could ever say.

"Siri." It was a breath, a plea, an exaltation.

Sirius reached out and caught her hand, pulling her gently in to lean beside him on the railing. "I knew you'd find me," he said softly, as if speaking any louder would break whatever spell surrounded them. As if it would destroy the bliss they found in this moment, just being together.

"I hoped so," Rose murmured, feeling the warmth from all the places they were touching. Hips, arms, legs - a constant point of contact. "I can see why Remmy loves it here so much," she added a while later. "It is a beautiful view."

Rose felt Sirius shift a little, his reply coming just as softly as before. "Yes" he agreed, in that tone he used just for her - never for any of his other girlfriends (if such terms could be applied to the girls before her). "It's beautiful."

Rose turned, wanting to know what he was seeing that made his voice so wistful, catching his gaze immediately. He was staring unashamedly at her, a glint in his eyes she knew well. Genuine but flirtatious - Merlin, he was a menace. That didn't stop her cheeks prickling with heat - the pindrop blush, curse of the redheaded complexion.

"Oh behave, Siri," she chided, hoping that he hadn't seen her blush. He knew what he did to her, of course he did, but that didn't mean that she always wanted him to see the proof of it. A girl had to have some mystery, after all. She would hate to become boring to him. Rose cocked her head, gazing at him with softly lidded eyes. She thought she saw his Adams apple bob, but clearly that was just her imagination. "Just because you're looking very dashing today, Mr Black, doesn't mean that I'm going to fall for your charms."

Rose watched him file away the dashing comment, a smirk twitching his lips. She just knew he had found some loophole within her words, not that she minded.

"I never mean to criticise, sweetheart," Sirius commented, his unfairly gorgeous accent lending every word a charm they both knew Rose had never been able to resist or deny. "But we both know you fell for my charms, as you call them, a very long time ago."

Rose inclined her head, glancing up at him coyly through her eyelashes. "Perhaps," she conceded, brushing invisible lint from the sleeve of his leather jacket. "But you fell for my charms just the same, my love."

Sirius brushed a hand across her cheekbone, smiling still so lovingly at her. "Yes, Rosebud, but you will recall that I never denied that."

Rose rolled her eyes, refusing to let him see that his tone and his touch had effected her. "You, Sirius Black, are impossible," she informed him primly, simply for the pleasure of watching and feeling him laugh.

"That, I am," he admitted, brushing his thumb over her jaw. "But how could I not be, when I am impossibly in love with you?"

"And you're incorrigible," she continued, ignoring how her voice had gone breathy. "And an irredeemable flirt, and- mmph!"

Sirius stopped her list with his lips. At first, it was just a gentle pressure as their lips moved together, but then he was coaxing her lips open, talented tongue moving to dance with hers. It could have been but a moment that they kissed, or a star lit age, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was the pair of them, the way Sirius held her, the way she fell against the warm planes of his chest; the feel of their kiss. Just the pair of them, fitting together like two pieces of a jigsaw (or those little little hearts that zigzagged down the middle). Finally, they pulled away, staying close enough that they could feel each other's breath ghosting against their lips.

"I do love you, you know," Rose murmured, keeping the words just for him although there was no one else in sight.

Sirius kept his thumb stroking over her cheek, his delectable lips parting in another soft smile. "As I love you, my dearest Rosebud."

They stayed just like that, wrapped in a gentle cocoon of silence and the simple joy of being in each other's presence, for a while. It was as if they were the only two people in the whole of the castle, possibly even the world, and the only thing that mattered was that they stayed there, wrapped together in the most innocent yet most intimate way. Eventually, though, they both moved to put a sliver of light between them, moving back to lean against railing just as Sirius had been when she had stumbled across him waiting for her.

Rose watched a candyfloss cloud drift behind one of the sharp peaks that surrounded Hogwarts castle, mind alighting on the strangeness of their serenity. A Sunday like this, even since they had become closer than before, was almost unfathomable - without Sirius threatening James with severe bodily harm and the need to retrieve his glasses out of Moaning Myrtle's toilet. Even if Sirius had the map secreted somewhere about his person (which Rose severely doubted, especially since those jeans left very little room to hide anything even as big as a sheaf of parchment), their fellow Marauders had a sixth sense about when they were off having fun without them.

Rose bumped gently into Sirius' side, watching the smile slide across his face.

"Yes, Rosebud?" Sirius asked, his smile infusing his voice. "What would you like to know?"

Rose laughed softly. Sirius truly knew her too well. "Where's Pete?"

"Wormy's got a date," Sirius chuckled, sounding almost impressed. "Clocktower courtyard. A picnic, or so he said. Lovely lass from Ravenclaw. A fifth year but who are we to judge? There are only two Evans's here and I don't think Prongs will share Lily."

Rose giggled, just picturing it. "Oh, perish the thought."

"And Peter's pissing in the wind if he thinks he can set his sights on you." Sirius almost growled the words, his hands clenching underneath her own.

Rose nodded, tracing her fingers over the top of Sirius' right hand. His possessiveness was quite adorable. "And where is James?"

"Called into a meeting with Minnie," Sirius rolled his eyes. "Apparently, she needs his say-so in making our duelling thing a proper club." A fleeting smirk crossed his face, Sirius' aren't I bad look. "I was supposed to go with the great git, but he is the self-appointed leader of our intrepid group, and I frankly couldn't be bothered traipsing through the castle with him."

"I don't blame you at all, Siri," Rose laughed, picturing the outrage on James's face when Sirius had told him so. "If he pronounces himself our leader, he'd better get used to being treated as such. Not by us, of course, but by Minnie and Dumbles and the others."

"My point exactly, Rosebud," Sirius agreed, his laughter a quiet rumble beside her. "Old Prongsie just sort of glared at me and muttered that he was the sodding leader of us." Black hair tumbled carelessly across Sirius' eyes as he tilted his head, but he righted it with an elegant shake of his head. "Of course, we know he's our intrepid leader, but there's no sense in inflating his overly large ego any more, is there?"

"No sense at all, Siri," Rose acquiesced, hiding another smile. "I don't need to hear any more of Lily's choice rants on how bigheaded James is. I swear, one day Lily is going to transfigure a match into a needle and use it to try and punture James's inflated head."

Sirius' tossed his head back with a bark of laughter. "See if she'll tell you when. We can sell tickets." Grey eyes danced with mirth, sobering as a thought crossed his mind. "Moony still sleeping?"

"Dozing in the sun like an overlarge cat," Rose agreed, hearing the concern Sirius wouldn't voice. "He looks better than some mornings. At least he can sleep in today, instead of forcing himself to attend class." She leaned a little heavier into his side, Sirius accepting her weight without moving. "And we're all together. You know how Moony feels about his territory."

"Wherever his pack is, there is his territory," Sirius recited, something tense easing in his eyes. "You always know what to say, Rosebud."

"Except when you and Prongs want to cause mischief," Rose observed dryly. "Then nothing I can say could stop you."

Surprise flickered across Sirius' aristocratic face. "Just ask me to stop, Rosebud. I'll hear you."

The clock of the nearby Clocktower rang midday, Sirius again turning from the majestic view before them. There was veiled amusement on his face, and he stepped back from the railing with a laugh. "You know, Rosebud, I don't often say this, but I think Wormtail's got the right idea today."

Rose turned, leaning her elbows on the railing behind her. "How so, Siri?"

Sirius just smirked, winking at her before he began to stroll back towards the Castle.

"Infuriating man," Rose cursed, pushing off the railing as she ran to catch up with him. "You know," she said, slightly out of breath from the mad dash. "You can just tell me things, instead of being all enigmatic."

"Being enigmatic is all part of my charm, Sweetheart," Sirius replied warmly, taking her hand in the closest approximation of an apology as she was likely to get.

They strolled past the Clocktower Courtyard, taking a few minutes to check in (snoop) on Peter and his date. Peter and his date (a pretty if somewhat mousey brunette in a cheerful floral sundress) seemed to be in deep conversation, sitting on a spread blanket while Peter gestured expansively with his hands. Sirius raised an eyebrow, seemingly impressed with the fact that Peter hadn't cocked anything up yet (he did have that unfortunate propensity), using their joined hands to gently tow Rose away. She went happily; Sirius could drag her anywhere he wanted, she was only too content just to follow his lead, trusting him implicitly.

Without so much as stopping to grab lunch in the Great Hall (Rose was starting to feel rather peckish), Sirius led her out into the Hogwarts grounds. It seemed like the entire school was out there, enjoying the beautiful day, but that didn't daunt Sirius. He just wove through the prone students, ducked around the ones tossing a quaffle about, and kept them true to a course only he was privy too. At one point, Rose saw Lily leading her friends up past the Quidditch Pitch to the Waterfall - the outdoor spot she loved best. She let them go without calling out; Lily deserved a break, and if she wanted to spend the day with her friends? Well, that served Rose just fine - her sister wouldn't come looking for her and interrupt her time with Sirius. If Sirius saw them, he didn't do more than incline his head (probably at Alice, who saw everything), finally stopping in a quiet corner of the grounds Rose was sure hardly anyone visited. It was a sort of wilderness not far from the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest but far enough from Hagrids Hut and the Black Lake to feel isolated. Rose didn't care about the isolation, all her eyes could see was what Sirius had done.

A Gryffindor checked blanket stretched out wide enough to accommodate five people at least, while a picnic basket rested off to the right, and another one of Sirius' famous chilled buckets of butterbeer stood just beside that. The trees cast a part of the blanket in shade but the rest enjoyed the full bloom of the spring sunshine. Sirius stood a little to the left of her, watching to gauge her reaction. If Sirius Black was capable of nervousness she would say he was then, but Sirius almost never felt anything quite so pedestrian. She skipped over, raising up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his smooth cheek. "It looks perfect, Siri," she said, her cheeks almost hurting from her smile. "If this gets out, people will call you a romantic."

Sirius' nose wrinkled, but a smile took over his face. "It won't get out," he assured her, his tone stating that everyone knew better than to spread rumours about the Marauders. If they didn't like them, the vengeance was swift and painful. "But," he conceded, gesturing her to get comfortable. "If it does, I don't care what they say. If I am a romantic, then only for you."

Rose leaned across the divide between them, pressing another kiss to his cheek. "You are a romantic, darling," she stated, watching his lips curve as she tried out the newest endearment. "Or maybe we're both just a pair of kooks, hung up on romance with one another."

"I'd hate it if we were anything less," Sirius assured her, hauling the picnic basket over his outstretched legs and into the space between them. "Now, shall we see what superb little delicacies the House Elves have prepared for this most excellent repast?"

Rose waved her hand, waiting for Sirius to reveal what further magic he had in store for them. Keeping in mind the veritable feast that awaited them that evening (at the End of Year Feast, funnily enough), Sirius had clearly requested that the House Elves only pack something light. Unfortunately, their ideas of light clearly differed from those Rose might have imagined were she in their place. Sirius pulled out plates of sandwiches (ham, cheese and pickle and other such delicacies), dishes of fruit, and bottles of cool pumpkin juice.

While they ate, they had one of those wonderful conversations. The kind where you say nothing but talk about everything, or even if you don't it seems like you've talked about the most important things you ever could. And then, they naturally talked about the other members of their found family - of Peter remarkably managing to have a good date in the Clocktower Courtyard; of Remus probably snacking on a whole month's worth of chocolate before dragging himself down to the Great Hall for lunch; of James and whether or not this summer would finally make him grow up a bit more (unlikely) or if there was anything that could be done to finally make Lily give him a chance (short of a complete personality change on either of their parts, or possibly amortentia, Rose didn't hold out much hope). Of course, Sirius loyally said that maybe some time and distance (and exposure to the boring influence of Petunia and Vernon - although he hastened to add that he wouldn't wish that on anyone he liked) would see Lily's way clear to maybe tolerating James enough to let him take her out to the library if not actually on a date to Hogsmeade.

Packing the remains of their meal away, Sirius laid back on the blanket, arms behind his head, gazing up at the sky. Rose laid on her side, her head propped up on her hand, watching Sirius watch the sky. His gaze caught hers out of the corner of his eye, a smirk twitching his lips. "If Prongs has his way, there might be little Potter's running about these grounds in fifteen years or so," he commented, tone carefully conversational. "I hope their time here is one free from the stains of the war."

"It will be, Siri," Rose said, refusing to believe it could be otherwise. "We'll make sure of it." She inclined her head, aware that his gaze was more focused on her than on the rather pretty clouds floating far above them. "I don't think either James or Lily would be so irresponsible as to bring children into a world at war."

Sirius made a sound low in the back of his throat. It almost sounded as if he disagreed with her.

Rose raised an eyebrow, asking him to say what was on his mind.

"It's not irresponsibility, Rosebud," he said, thoughtful but quiet. "It's a promise. A physical representation of the hope we all have - that we must have - that the war will end, and the world will be a safe place to raise our children in."

Rose bit her lip, moved by the raw belief, the utter surety in Sirius' voice. He sounded confident like so few times, like they all needed to be. Like she needed him to be. "You really think so?"

"My dearest Rosebud," Sirius breathed, turning to his side to face her. One hand raised to cup her face, his eyes burning with intensity. "It's years in the future, but I do believe that. If James, or Frank and Alice, or any of us are so blessed during the years to come, then I know - deep in my bones, I know - that there is nothing that we wouldn't do to see them living in a world at peace. I promise you that."

Rose swallowed around the lump in her throat, managing a tremulous smile. The raw power of the faith Sirius had in them awed her, humbled her. This man - this wonderful, damaged man - saw hope in the darkest years of their future, believed to his core that they would live to see the golden days renewed; for themselves and for whatever children may greet their futures - for the little Potter's and the little Longbottoms, maybe even for little Lupin's and Pettigrews. Rose couldn't see that in her future, not with the war dominating everything. She would be far too afraid to try and bring anything good into a world like theirs - besides there was only one person that she could see that happening with, and Sirius wasn't exactly the family kind. Well, not yet anyway.

"But, my Rosebud," Sirius continued lightly, as if sensing the trail her thoughts were taking. "That is years from now. We have other concerns to fill those years - and much more fun to have."

Rose laughed, taking the out from the heavy conversation Sirius had so effortlessly provided. "Prongs isn't even dating Lily yet," she added brightly, finding Sirius' hand in the little space between them.

Sirius chuckled softly, stroking his thumb over her hand. "At least you're more positive about it eventually happening," he commented idly.

"Miracles have happened before," Rose mused, glancing shyly behind her eyelashes. "You fell in love with me, after all."

"That wasn't a miracle, sweetheart," Sirius said quietly, sweet and honest. "That was a foregone conclusion."

Really, Rose was only human. What was she supposed to do other than lean in and kiss him? Sirius Black was far from perfect - too reckless and impulsive, too quick to anger sometimes - but to her he was. And Merlin did she love him. Faults and all.

Thank you for reading!

Next up is the end of year feast. We're only a few chapters away from the end of sixth year.

Please review if you have time.

Until next time!