Fourteen

At four o'clock in the afternoon of the following day, Erin and Sirius Apparated in the Burrow. Harry was already there with Ron, Hermione, Fred and George, standing next to a marquee decorated with white flowers at the back of the house. Half of the guests had already arrived: Bill and Fleur's relatives, other people Erin knew from the Ministry and many more that she did not know.

"Erin. " Hermione greeted her. "You look gorgeous!"

She hugged her and looked at herself. She had put on a red dress, with thin straps and her back uncovered. She had let her hair down and only had a little makeup on her cheeks and eyes.

"You too. " She replied smiling. Hermione was wearing the same colour although her dress was shorter and darker in colour, with rhinestones on her shoulders.

Sirius greeted everyone and went on to talk to Harry. Hermione looked at him sideways and turned to Erin, raising her eyebrows.

"You're matching."

"It wasn't on purpose." Erin said. Hermione just smiled although it seemed she wanted to add something else.

It had come as a surprise for Erin too that same morning. As she went down the stairs, she found Sirius in a suit with a tie the same colour as her dress. He had assured her that he did not know, Erin had not told him the same. It was a coincidence, nothing more, although Erin feared that the scene would be repeated more than once during the day. As if she had provoked it herself just before entering the tent to sit at the ceremony, while walking with Hermione, Arthur appeared camera in hand.

"Erin!" He called her. " Come quick for a photo."

The girl was placed next to a floral arrangement where Arthur indicated and posed. After taking the picture, Arthur saw Sirius enter the hall and stopped him.

"You too, Sirius. Yes, you two."

Sirius shrugged and smiled at Erin who stayed where she was. She laid her hand on his back and Sirius did the same but grabbed her by the waist. Erin smiled and when Arthur was about to take the picture he commented:

"Have you done it on purpose? You are matching."

Sirius laughed immediately, making Erin laugh too, shaking her head. Then, Arthur gave them the photo and the one he had taken of Erin and ran away to take more photos. Erin held the rectangle in her hand, with Sirius at her side also observing the photo of the two of them. They were both laughing, and Sirius smiled as he looked at her sideways. Erin passed the picture to Sirius and he stared at it for a moment.

"I want a copy." He said smiling. "I love it."

Sirius took out his wand and another identical photo appeared a minute later.

"Can you keep it for me and give it to me later?" He asked.

Erin nodded, keeping everything in her black bag, matching her shoes. It was small but enough to carry some pictures. Afterwards, Erin sat next to Hermione, a few rows behind Bill and Fleur's family, with Sirius and Harry just behind them. The ceremony was not very long but emotional and by the time Bill and Fleur were proclaimed united for life, Erin had shed more than one tear. Hermione also had tears in her eyes when everyone rose at the end to applaud the bride and groom. Ginny and Gabrielle, Fleur's sister, were the bridesmaids. The two wore the same golden dress, but the colour of it contrasted with Ginny's hair. They were beautiful but nobody in the whole wedding could compare to the bride. Fleur was dazzling with her white dress, tulle tail and a of black phoenix in the front making the shape of a heart. In addition, she wore a tiara made by elves that had belonged to the Weasley family for years. Erin thought no one could deny that Fleur was part Veela that day. Bill, on the other hand, was the personification of happiness, unable to get away from whom was now his wife. Erin congratulated them before everyone sat down to have dinner and celebrate. Then, waiters kept passing with trays and trays of food, wine, champagne, butterbeer ... Erin ate so much that she thought she would explode.

After dinner, she got up to look for Ginny but on the way there she bumped into a nephew of Arthur who was her age and she had been trying to avoid all day. At that moment, she did not find any familiar face to talk to or had the chance to pretend she had not seen him. There was nothing else she could do but dance with him, as much as she hated dancing. They hardly danced two songs, although it seemed to Erin that an eternity had passed, until George suddenly appeared at her side to save her. Erin sighed with relief and thanked George, who winked and continued walking towards a girl with silver hair, no doubt a Delacour. Erin took a drink from a passing waiter's tray, had a long sip and escaped from the dance floor to the tables. She saw no sign of Ginny, Hermione or Ron. Then she realized that she had not seen Sirius anymore since the ceremony was over, he had dined at another table. She looked for him until she found him sitting at an empty table, like her with a cup in his hand.

"Hi there." Erin said while sitting. "Are you alright?"

"Hi. Remus just abandoned me for Tonks."

Erin put the glass to her lips and smiled.

"Are they dancing?"

Sirius nodded and turned his chair to be in front of Erin.

"Harry was dancing too, with Ginny. He seems more relaxed. Hopefully, he has already put aside that stupid idea he had yesterday."

"I haven't seen them." Erin commented.

"I think you were dancing too."

It made sense; Erin had been more worried about finding a way to sneak out than about what was going on around her.

"I would say I was being forced to dance." She corrected him. "I had been avoiding Barny Weasley all day. Besides, I hate dancing."

"You also danced with George." There was something in Sirius' voice that Erin could not decipher. "I feel ofended."

"I won't dance anymore." Erin said, looking into his eyes.

"Why not?"

"I'm terrible at it." Erin complained.

"That's because you haven't had a good dance partner. Today is your lucky day."

Erin laughed shaking hwe head while a cocked smile appeared on Sirius's face.

"Come on, Erin."

"I'm sure some woman will want to dance with you. Fleur has a pretty young aunt. And she's half vela."

"I know." Sirius replied after drinking. "Actually, she wanted to dance with me, but I told her I wasn't interested."

Erin looked away for a moment, thinking. Why would he say no? And if it had annoyed him to see Erin dance before, was he jealous? From there she could see Luna Lovegood dancing in a strange way, Viktor Krum with a girl she did not know; even Ron and Hermione were dancing together. The prospect of dancing with Sirius was appealing and perhaps that's why she was trying so hard to avoid it. Feeling his gaze on her, Erin was almost certain she would have already blushed.

"I'm not leaving until you dance with me." She heard him say.

"Alright. "Erin murmured. Sirius could be very insistent. "Are you going to finish that?"

She looked at Sirius' glass, hers was almost empty. Sirius looked at her and finished all that was left of the drink.

"I'm ready."

He stood up and Erin did the same, leaving her bag on the table. Sirius extended his hand, Erin took it and the two walked, leaving the tables behind. Erin did not know if she was imagining it or there were really people looking at them as they made their way to the dancefloor. Just when they arrived, the band finished playing and started another slower song.

"Couldn't you have chosen any other song? "Erin complained. Actually, it excited her more than annoy her, but she wanted to hide it. Sirius saw her only as a friend, didn't he?

She laid her hands on Sirius's shoulders and he on her waist. They were so close that Erin feared he could hear how fast her heart was beating.

"You are as red as your dress." Sirius said, suppressing a smile.

"I hate you right now." Erin murmured.

"I don't believe a word you say."

Before that day, She would not have imagined dancing like this with him. Many people were around them but Erin almost forgot it wasn't just the two of them. Sirius knew how to move, much better than her, and also how to lead her and where. Erin surprised herself thinking that the song was going to end faster than she wanted. When it did, Sirius looked at her without letting go.

"Was it so horrible?"

"I guess I can tolerate another song." She confessed.

"Didn't I tell you I'm an excellent dance partner?"

The song was followed by another, not as slow as the previous one, and Erin just left a hand on his shoulder. They held each other's hands, their fingers entwined. It was delicate but it also felt like something intimate for her. While dancing, Erin felt more relaxed and Sirius even spun her more than once. She couldn't help smiling and when they finished again, Erin watched as Sirius's gaze passed from her eyes, all over her face, until she swore he had stopped to look at her lips. She felt a mixture of sensations, unable to understand if it was really happening. If he dared to kiss her around so many people, Erin was going to kill him. Maybe later…Suddenly, Sirius raised his head and looked past Erin.

"Harry? " He asked surprised. "Are you okay?"

She turned around and saw Harry with his hands on his knees, Hermione beside him and Ron also watching him. Something was not right. She was about to say something when a silver lynx appeared throughout the room. Erin was shaken by a chill and before she had time to say that this was Kingsley's patronus ,his deep voice rang out.

"The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."

A collective gasp was heard and everything that followed happened too quickly. Erin let go of Sirius's grip, ran to the table where she had left her bag and managed to get her wand out without shaking. There were people screaming, running from one place to another. As soon as the patronus disappeared, figures dressed in black appeared. Death Eaters. The protective barriers around the Burrow would have fallen and the most sensible thing then was to disappear as quickly as possible and find a safe place.

Somewhere, Erin heard Tonks shout Protego and Hermione call Ron loudly. She didn't know where to go, until she saw Sirius running towards her.

"Erin!" He screamed.

She tried to get closer to him, she still had at least a few meters to reach him, when a man with dark hair appeared between the two and raised his wand at Erin without giving her time to react.

"Expulso!"The stranger pronounced.

Erin fell to the ground, hitting her head. Dazed, she tried to stand up before she was attacked again, but Sirius was faster and appeared behind the Death Eater.

"Petrificus totalus."

The man fell at a very short distance from Erin, who watched everything breathing heavily. Sirius was finally at her side, Erin reached out to grab him and suddenly the darkness plunged her. All he felt was the hand of Sirius squeezing hers so as not to let it go while they appeared and the next second, when she opened her eyes she found himself in the middle of Grimmauld Place. Sirius had landed beside her, not falling like her. Sirius' eyes reflected the same horror that Erin felt inside.

The Ministry had fallen.

Erin with anyone: I fucking hate dancing

Erin with Sirius: idk I've suddenly changed my mind