Chapter 18

I was the first to scramble to my feet. He rose more leisurely, and I busied myself with brushing the dirt off my clothes. I could feel Sirius' eyes burning into the back of my head as I scrambled around to pick up the basket and a few scraps that Niffy had left behind, carefully avoiding the large paralysed body on the ground before me.

I stumbled on a loose stone and lost my footing, but Sirius caught my arm before I could fall.

"Are you alright Bella?" He asked, gazing intensely at me, seeming to be collecting information and calculating something.

"I-I'm fine" I stammered. Without a word, he scooped up Niffy and placed him in the basket in my hands. He then swung one of my arms around his shoulder, supporting most of my weight so I could walk on my injured foot.

We exited the forest as quick as we could, luckily the others were still there.

Lily gasped, "Bella! What happened to you?!" Her hands flew to her mouth.

James furrowed his brows and rushed to take the things we were carrying out of our hands, and even Abi looked shocked.

"Something was stalking us, we cursed it in the end, but Bells injured her foot getting it caught between some tree roots." Sirius explained.

Lily began cooing all over me in an extremely motherly fashion.

All except Abigail escorted me to the hospital wing, and needless to say, Madame Pomfrey was not impressed. When she had placed me on a bed, and explained that her job was to be made a lot easier due to Sirius' quick thinking and actions, she then asked me how I had incurred the injury. I blanked at her and my mind began panicking. Will we be expelled for this? What should I say?

"We were serving our detention with Professor Kettleblack, Madame Pomfrey, searching for this Niffler, he said, indicating the basket where the creature was tucked inside, curiously peeping his head out at all of us. We were by the grove of trees near the Eastern side of the Great Lake when Bella stumbled on some tree roots and somehow got her foot tangled in between them." Sirius explained to her.

The Matron turned to Lily, "Is this true?" She inquired, skeptically.

Lily hesitated for a second, always the good student, I was concerned for a moment that she was going to expose us, but after a small pause she nodded and said, "yes, it is."

Pomfrey softened slightly after processing the story, "well then, it will only take a quick spell to take care of this, fortunately."

After incanting the particular spell, I tested my leg which I found to be good as new, albeit a little numb, and we all headed back to the common room in Gryffindor Tower.

I was about to get settled in my luxurious bed, quite exhausted after the day's events, when Lily called my name from the bathrooms.

She emerged holding a square shaped box in her hands.

I looked at her curiously, the girls came up to stand with her and smiled at me.

"What's all this?" I asked cautiously.

"Just a little gift from us, to show you that we're always here for you when you need it" Lily handed me the glossy white box, urging me to open it right away.

I did, and gasped. Inside lay the beautiful purple gown I had tried on at Gladrags Wizard Wear.

"You guys! This would have cost a fortune! You really shouldn't have!" I squeaked, taken aback.

With scoffs and reassurances, they brushed aside my gratefulness and pushed me into the bathrooms to try it on.

"But you've already seen me in it!" I called from behind the door.

"Just put it on" Marlene groaned.

I did as she bid and stepped out, sarcastically twirling in front of them.

"Great, and now, for giving us that scare in the Forbidden Forest, and making me lie for you, we've hidden you're broomstick in the common room somewhere, you need to go and find it or you won't be let back in!" The three of them ignored my shouts of protest and pushed me rudely out the door, closing it firmly behind me.

Staring at the closed door, incredulous, I yelled "you're going to regret this, Evans!" I only heard mere laughter in answer.

Sighing, I lifted the gown delicately as I made my way down the stone steps.

Warming myself by the fireplace for a moment, I turned, and nearly fell back into the fire.

Sirius sat directly opposite me, on the couch, he had parchment in his lap and a quill in his hand, however he wasn't looking at the parchment, and his quill, freshly dipped in black ink, was dropping fat, circular blobs onto the roll.

His mouth hung slightly open, and his eyes were glued to my frame. They made their way all around my gown, down, up, and across, and finally landed on my face.

My cheeks heated instantly, and I felt like an idiot, standing by the fire in a fancy gown.

I squeezed my hands onto the material and gulped.

"H-hi" I said nervously, cursing internally at my habit of stammering that was especially prominent today.

Sirius slowly stood, brushing aside the parchment, quill and ink pot.

I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, shuffled my feet, and un-tucked the same piece of hair, while he made his way closer towards me.

I stopped fidgeting and raised my eyes. They stopped their travel right where his neck met his chin, where they stayed glued.

"The girls bought me this dress" I explained, for some reason I was whispering. "And they kicked me out of the dorm because my broom is hidden somewhere in this room and they sent me to find it because- because.."

I realised I was rambling and bit my lip in an effort to stop.

"You look beautiful." He said simply. I raised my eyes to his and saw just how much he meant it.

"I didn't want to get dressed up in this."

"I know."

"It's embarrassing."

"You're still beautiful."

"..."

I took a step back, because I think I would have turned into a tomato at the rate my face was turning red.

In response, Sirius took a bold step forward. "Bella, about earlier tonight. I'm sorry."

I froze at that, looking up at him, I asked "what for?"

Realising his mistake he quickly covered up, "I thought you felt a bit pressured to kiss me, and I never want to force you into anything like that. I think I got a bit carried away, and I probably read your intentions wrong too" he explained.

"Oh, well, I just-" I didn't know what to say. "It's okay."

It's okay. It's okay? How lame.

He opened his mouth to say something a few times, looking conflicted. After a moment, he took another bold half a step forward.

"I thought maybe you wanted to kiss me too." There was an air of something odd in his voice, defiance?

I looked up, shocked. "I-I don't know."

He took another step forward, and I stepped backwards. I was almost about to fall back onto the couch.

"You're not knowing a lot of things today. Odd for a brilliantly intelligent witch such as yourself."

"Th-there was a creature! And oh I don't know Sirius, I'm just confused about everything! I thought you hated me for the past few days, and-"

"I never hated you. I don't and I never could."

Another step forward. I couldn't step back so I slightly leaned against the couch, in a precarious position.

He reached out and arm and pressed his body flush against mine.

My breath stopped.

When he pulled back, my broomstick was in his hand.

I exhaled, breaking his eye contact as he help my broom out towards me.

My head was slightly turned to the left, because our noses would almost be touching if I faced him directly.

I saw his eyes soften, and then he leaned in and pressed a light kiss to my cheek. My eyes slipped closed involuntarily.

"You'll be needing this for practice tomorrow morning" he whispered in my ear and pulled back, allowing me to exhale my long baited breath.

He picked up his parchment and stationary, and left up the stairs without another word.

I was left clutching my broom to my chest, waiting for my heart rate to stabilise.

As I finally managed to compose myself, I trudged back up the stairs, into my dorm, all the while unaware of a curious pair of eyes that were watching from behind the couch.

Review please!

- Sugar~