"Sirius, I told you, you didn't have to do this."
Sirius raised an eyebrow. "When have you known me to do what I have to?"
He had a point, and thinking about it made her smile, if only briefly. That must have been what Sirius was looking for, as he instantly relaxed.
"Is it much further?" Andromeda asked, trying not to sound impatient. Sirius shot her a glare though.
"I have an exam in Arithmancy tomorrow," Andromeda said defensively.
His glare changed to a sigh of exasperation. "Andromeda, there is never a good time to think about schoolwork, but your Birthday is the one day it's punishable by law."
Andromeda sighed. "Tis a sad world we live in, where taking our studies seriously is a criminal offense."
"And James and I are the enforcers," Sirius grinned.
"The world is full of horrors."
This time it was Sirius who burst into laughter. Andromeda couldn't help but smile in response. It was nice to be the source of laughter for someone. She hadn't been that someone in a while. Granted, she'd always been more comfortable around Sirius than most people, even before they'd both turned out to be blood traitors.
Except that she, unlike him, hadn't done anything very blood traitorous lately.
Finally, Sirius stopped just outside the forbidden forest. Andromeda stopped with him, glancing around. Unfortunately, she couldn't see anything. The trees looked the same as they always did.
"Is this what you wanted to show me?" she asked, "Because I could have waited until my next Care of Magical Creatures lesson for this."
Sirius shot her another glare. "Just give it a moment, will you?"
If it had been anyone else, or it had been any other time, she might have refused, but after the day she'd had, she was too tired to fight him.
In all honesty, it had actually been a pretty good birthday. Narcissa had thrown her a party in the common room earlier that day. She'd even managed to get a cake for the occasion. Andromeda had even witnessed her smiling and laughing as they ate it. She'd also led them all in singing her Happy Birthday. Of course, their direct interactions with each other were still a little awkward, but she was closer to having her baby sister back, and that was better than any gift anyone could have gotten her.
But what Sirius had come to show her was a close second. She gasped as a golden unicorn slowly trotted out from among the trees. It was a foal, of course, but it looked bigger than most. If she wasn't mistaken there was white flecks scattered throughout its body and white wisps on the tips of its mane. It was in that transition between child and adult, and it found itself mixed up somewhere in between. She knew what that was like.
The unicorn ran right up to Sirius and butted its head lightly against Sirius's chest. He laughed before pulling a few sugar cubes out of his pocket, which the foal eagerly gobbled up. Even after it was done it allowed Sirius to stroke its main. Andromeda stared in shock. Older unicorns, of course, were suspicious of men, but the younger ones were more open. This still seemed extreme though.
"Andromeda, I'd like you to meet Junior," Sirius said, laughing a little at her awed expression.
"You named a unicorn, Junior?" She laughed at the ridiculousness of it.
Sirius shrugged. "I wanted to name him Sirius Jr. and Potter wanted to name him James Jr, so Remus suggested this compromise." Andromeda rolled her eyes, though she had never been close with Sirius's friends, she had spent enough time around them to be able to picture that scene perfectly.
"He doesn't bite, Andromeda," Sirius said, gesturing for her to come closer. She had been hovering rather awkwardly, but at his invitation she scurried forward as quickly as she could without risking scaring the beast.
"At least, he probably won't bite you, because you're a girl," he gave the unicorn a pointed look, and it huffed.
"How did you find him?" she asked, as she gently stroked him. He was even more magnificent up close. His eyes were just like the rest of him, gold with flecks of silver, and so bright and intelligent she was sure he could see right through her, but for once that idea didn't bother her.
"He found us. He'd follow us around the forbidden forest, despite the disproving neighs he'd get from his mother, so we figured he was a rebel, like us. And like you."
Andromeda felt her breath catch in her throat, and she looked away, her hands dropping from the unicorn. She hardly counted as a rebel anymore.
"Alright, Andromeda, you got to tell me what's going on," Sirius said after she once again lapsed into silence.
"What do you mean?" she asked quickly, though she knew exactly what he meant.
"I mean you," he shook his head. "Something is off, I can tell. "Is it Ted?"
She wanted to lie, but the words wouldn't come, so instead she looked away. That was answer enough.
"Are you…" he probed, watching her. "I mean, did you two—"
"Were no longer seeing each other, if that's what you're getting at." She knew Sirius well enough to know he would keep pushing until he got his answer.
He swore under his breath, then turned to her. "What happened?"
"I don't know," she sighed. "We just sort of, fell apart
"But you still want to be with him, don't you?"
Something stirred in her at his words, like a hunger, but only a part of her.
"I'm not sure what I want," she said simply.
There was another key part to her birthday that she hadn't told Sirius about, the time she had spent with Rabastan.
Of course, he had been at her earlier celebration, but other than the occasional soft smile from across the room they hadn't interacted much. People had seen them together enough that rumors about their relationship were circulating around the school, and that kind of attention made them both uncomfortable. So, they had taken to only spending time together when they were alone. It was funny, because that was exactly what she'd had to with Ted, even if for entirely different reasons.
Anyway, he waited until the party had mostly died down to walk up to her and whisper in her ear, "meet me in the third-floor corridor, 15 minutes?"
Her heart fluttered at his request, which is why she hadn't trusted herself to speak, merely nod.
She was practically quivering by the time she reached the third-floor corridor. It was such a weird sense of déjà vu, so much so that she almost expected Ted to be behind those doors when she opened them. But, of course, he wasn't, Rabastan was.
She felt her breath catch at the sight of him, but it was different than with Ted. Whereas she had always wanted to run into Ted's arms, Rabastan only made her hyperaware of him, and her proximity to him.
"You made it," he said, allowing himself a small smile, which she returned.
"Are you going to explain the reason for all this secrecy?"
He smiled again, but it looked a little more uncertain this time. "I wanted to give you your gift, away from prying eyes."
She felt her cheeks warm, and she hoped her blush wasn't too noticeable. "You didn't have too,"
This time his grin was playful. "What kind of Fiancé would that make me?"
Usually she stiffened up when anyone used the word Fiancé, especially Rabastan, but this time it didn't bother her.
She slowly took the gift, once again hyperaware of her hands' proximity to his. She tried to ignore this hyperawareness as she unwrapped the gift, but it was difficult. That is, until she saw what was inside.
It was the complete set of Ivon Draconbourne's Tales of Dragons, and by the looks of things, it was an original set.
She glanced at Rabastan, utterly speechless.
"I saw how disappointed you looked when the librarian informed you our library didn't have all seven, so I figured it be a good gift," he said this quickly, and uncertainly, unsure if her silence was a good thing or not.
Andromeda set her books down as quickly and gently as she could, and then rushed forward and wrapped her arms around him. He stepped back in surprise at first, but soon his hands were wrapped around her as tightly as hers were wrapped around his.
"Andromeda, may I confess something?" he asked after a moment. It was his question that made her realize they were still in each other's arms. She released him and took a step back, her face flushing.
"Of course."
"They day we got engaged was the worst day of my life." He seemed to be struggling to get the words out, that is, until he caught the look on her face, then he added quickly. "Let me finish."
She didn't trust herself to speak so she just nodded.
He seemed even more flustered now, so much so that he could barely look at her as he said, "At the time you were a complete stranger to me. And the idea of spending the rest of my life with someone I hardly knew was— overwhelming."
She sighed. She'd felt the exact the same way, she'd just been too afraid of wounding him to say it out loud. At least she couldn't fault him on his honesty. "I know."
But he seemed to barely hear her. "I was angry, very angry, for a long time. My parents controlled every other aspect of my life, my classes, my friends, my future, I'd couldn't believe they got to control my heart too."
Once again, she knew exactly how that felt, but it still hurt to hear him say it out loud. "I'm sorry."
Her voice shook a little, which forced him to look at her. "I'm still not finished."
He looked so on edge, she figured she'd better not interrupt him.
"Because the things is," he continued, "These past few months, of getting to know you, they've been some of the best moments of my life." He glanced up at her, and this time he didn't look away. And I just wanted to thank you for that."
"You're welcome," Andromeda said, her voice barely more than a whisper. They were so close, so close that it didn't take much effort for him to lean down and kiss her.
This kiss was different than the other one they had shared, months ago. He didn't have to put on a show this time. It was deeper, slower. Real.
Which was why this time, she kissed him back.
"You still there, Meda?" She pulled herself out of her Reverie, her cheeks turning red. How grateful she was Sirius did not possess the skills of Occlumency, and could not discern her thoughts.
"Are you alright?" he asked again, looking more concerned than she'd ever seen him.
She shook her head. "I don't know."
"Is that your answer to everything?" he asked, scoffing.
"I don't know."
He stared at her for a moment, trying to decide if she being serious or playful. She doubted he would have much luck, since she didn't know herself. "Look, I know this is none of my business—"
"When has that stopped you before."
He couldn't help but a crack a smile at that one, but then his eyes turned serious again. "I just… you've been different these past few months."
"Different how?" she asked, finding she desperately wanted to know the answer.
"Like you've been actually living, instead of just existing," he said quietly.
She didn't know how to respond to his statement, nor had she ever expected Sirius to say something so astute. It was a little more astute that she could take.
"And you think Ted had something to do with that?" she asked, if not to derail the conversation.
He shrugged. "Timing lines up."
She was silent for another moment, mulling over his words. Then she sighed. "It doesn't matter now I guess, he's gone."
"That doesn't mean who you were with him is gone too, not if you don't want it to be."
"What are you saying?" she asked quickly, once again finding she desperately wanted to know the answer.
"I'm saying," he said slowly, "That to say your happiness depends on someone else is to undo everything I've been trying to tell you for the last five years. You are responsible for your own happiness. Maybe Ted sparked something in you, but it's entirely up to you to decide to keep it going."
She stared at him, once again at a loss for words. This was so unlike the Sirius she knew, who was anything but serious unless it involved avenging the wicked deeds of the purebloods, and in those times, he was way to fired up to be this… sound, and level-headed."
And as she thought about all of that, she couldn't stop a small chuckle from escaping her lips. "Are you thinking of writing an advice column for Witch's Weekly?"
As if to complete the moment, Sirius did something she never thought he was capable of. He blushed.
"Right. Sorry. I don't know what I was thinking—"
"Sirius," she said quickly, before the moment was gone and he was back to his usual self. "Thank you."
For once, he didn't have anything to say. Just a small smile that said more than words ever could.
"For what it's worth, you make me happier than any other boy ever could," Andromeda nudged his shoulder playfully.
And just like that the mischievous glint returned to his eyes. "Andromeda, I know that interfamilial marriages are a part of our background, but no way in hell am I ever marrying you."
She threw a stick at him, but her aim was worse that her courting skills, because it missed and nearly hit the Unicorn, causing him to snort and rear up in surprise.
"Wotcher, you're scaring junior," Sirius chided, but they were both chortling too much by that point for it to make much a difference.
"In all seriousness, Sirius," she said, once their chuckles had subsided. Thank you."
For once, he didn't respond with one of his smart comments, he just smiled. But even though she meant her thank you, his words had made it clear she had a choice ahead of her, one she was nowhere near prepared to make.