Chapter 14

The past few weeks have been amazing. Rodger is possibly the sweetest boyfriend. He quickly learned my favourite chocolate at Honeydukes, and he loved to just simply hang out with me. One thing I was pleasantly surprised with was the amount of space he gave me. One thing I was pedantic about in a relationship is my personal space. If I have a boyfriend, I want him to be my boyfriend and not my shadow. Rodg understood that perfectly, and if he didn't he was making an impressive effort to do so anyway.

Rodg and I were currently lying on our stomachs on the grass in front of the Great Lake. He had insisted to be positioned closest to the Forbidden Forest so that if anything comes out and attacks us, it would have to cross him to get to me, which I said was completely ridiculous, even though it made me blush. Hogwarts' safety record isn't great anyway.

"So do you want to go to Hogsmeade again this weekend? Or stay in?" He asked, absent-mindedly playing with a small purple flower that had shot out of the ground a few seconds ago.

"Stay in. We have mid terms next week!" I reminded him. "I can't believe it. This year is flying past, we're already half way through! And I'm stressing Rodg! I need to ace all my exams if I want to do well this year!"

He rolled is eyes and smiled down at me kindly, "You worry too much. And every single time, you do absolutely brilliant."

"That's not the point. Lily said the exams get marked a lot harder this year! I can't relax! I feel like I need to be studying all the time now!"

"So you think we're wasting time right now? Spending time together."

I stopped my rant, "No! Rodg I didn't mean-"

He had his head down, tucked into the crook of his elbow and his shoulders were shaking, I could hear sounds that sounded distinctively like sobs, and for one horrified moment I thought he was crying. But then he lifted his head and I narrowed my eyes at the mirth on his face. It wasn't helping my case that he was so cute when he laughed like that, the corner of his eyes crinkling and everything - anyway.

I turned my head stubbornly and listened as his laughter slowed and he composed himself.

"Bella," he said, all trace of laughter gone from his voice now. "You are one of the most diligent people I know. No, the most diligent. And I think it's amazing how brilliant you are, and it's even more amazing that you don't see it. I wish you would relax because you are going to be absolutely fine."

I stared at his sincere face for a while, and then sighed and sunk into his shoulder. "How do you know all the right things to say?"

He didn't reply so I looked up at him. He looked pensive, he finally looked down and smiled. Leaning down and placing a feather light kiss on my lips, he proceeded to stand up and brush himself off, before reaching down and helping me up too.

"It looks like it's going to rain" he said softly, "let's head inside." We headed up with intertwined hands.

"He Rodg are we still up for that game of exploding snap or are you still gallivanting around with your sweetheart?" Winston Shoefelt, Rodger's best mate called. Squeezing my hand as I blushed, he leaned down to whisper in my ear "I'll see you later, you've got something in your hair, here I'll get it," after swiping his fingers through the hair covering my ear, giving me a quick peck on the forehead and a smile for good measure, he bolted up the staircase after his friend just as it began to move.

I tried unsuccessfully to wipe the soppy smile off my face. A growl from my own stomach brought me out of my reverie, and I decided to head towards the kitchens.

Passing by a mirror, I backtracked as I though I caught a flash of colour in my hair in the reflection. I smiled once again as I reached up to touch the single small purple flower that sat in the tresses of hair that covered my ear.

I couldn't wipe the grin off my face as I dug into my plate of pumpkin pasties, happily conversing with the house elves in the kitchens.

"Some more powdered sugar miss?" one kind elf asked, blinking his enormous eyes up at me.

"Another drizzle couldn't hurt! Thank you!"

I allowed myself to relish in the sweetness, enjoying the pleasant feelings coursing through me as my taste buds joined in.

I heard the door creak open and my eyes widened in surprise when Sirius walked in. He looked equally as shocked when he saw me, but then slowly made his way over to sit across from me.

"Could I get some cauldron cakes Puffy?" He asked kindly. As the elves bustled away, we smiled awkwardly at each other and I couldn't help but remember the last time we were together in this kitchen eating sweets.

"H-how are you?" I asked, hoping he wouldn't catch my stammer. If he did, he was nice enough to pretend he hadn't

"I'm fine," he rubbed his face tiredly.

"Is that a scar?" I reached my hand up to his jaw, just below his left ear was a nasty red scratch. I ran my finger over it lightly before I realised what I was doing and retracted my finger with a soft apology.

He was watching me with a faraway look in his eyes. "Ah yeah," he scratched the back of his head. "I was just running through the Forest with the boys and I didn't even notice."

"The Forest again?" I said quietly after a pause. My tone was slightly reprimanding but I knew he wouldn't take it seriously. He just grinned down at me.

It was odd. A barrier had come up between me and Sirius ever since I began dating Rodger, and neither of us had done anything about it. But now that I was talking freely with him again, I realised how much I missed the equation we had.

Reading my expression correctly he said, "I've missed you Bells."

The way his voice sounded when he said that, I couldn't bring myself to meet his eyes. "Me too."

"I-" He began, but then with a slightly irritated click of his tongue, he lifted my chin and and made me look at him. "I need to tell you something Bella."

I had no idea what it was, but the pit of my stomach immediately broke into a frenzy of nervous spasms.

"I really like you. As more than a friend. And I think I've known for a while but it's become clear to me now."

I gulped. When did my throat become so dry.

I couldn't hide the shock in my eyes, and I couldn't stop my mouth from dropping slightly. His eyes flicked to the flower in my hair, which I suddenly wished wasn't there. It sat there like a blaring beacon in the tresses of my hair.

"You don't have to say anything, and I know you don't feel the same way. But I had to let you know Bells."

Straightforward Sirius.

With one last meaningful look, he got up and left.