DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter; only the plot.
A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Hermione Granger. Happy Birthday Hermione! You are me with a different name. Even if you are fictional, you are more real to me than most people. ^_^
I wasn't going to post today, but I already had a draft that only required some (major) editing. Plus, I wanted to update for Hermione's birthday! I know it's short. This chapter was originally supposed to be much longer, but I decided to split it because I wanted to end it like this. And the second part fits better with the next chapter in my opinion. Anyway, this hasn't gone through as many rounds of editing as other chapters but I'm satisfied. Still, let me know if something doesn't make sense! :)
CHAPTER 1
May 1st, 1976
She laughed heartily as she ran around the kitchen of Grimmauld place. He chuckled as his longer legs quickly caught him up to her. He couldn't remember a single time when he was so happy in that house; then why was he feeling so at peace now?
'Who are you?' he wanted to ask, but he found words failing him. She suddenly stopped at the door frame as though an invisible force was restraining her. Before he could figure out what it was, he found himself stuck right next to her.
Her cheeks flushed a faint red and he lost himself in her deep, warm eyes. She bit her lip, and all he wanted to do was kiss her. He felt as though his prayers were answered as he saw her glance upward and followed her gaze to see mistletoe hanging above them.
For the first time, he noticed the decorations all over the kitchen. 'It must be Christmas', he thought.
His heart went wild as he gently pressed his lips to hers. The touch of her soft lips kindled a fire; a passion he had never felt before.
"Sirius!"
He turned towards the voice and caught a glimpse of an impossibly older looking Remus.
'Remus?'
As he looked back at her, he could feel that something had changed. She gently stroked his cheek, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. He wanted to take her in his arms and protect her from the world. He reached out, but she pulled away, shaking her head. He swallowed hard and watched as she ran further and further away, and dissolved in the darkness.
"Sirius? Sirius! Wake up!"
He opened his eyes groggily to see a concerned Remus leaning over him. And he looked the age he should alright. 'But what was that dream?'
He sat up and slowly lifted his fingers to his lips. They still tingled from her warm kiss. His hands still keenly felt her loss. 'Who are you…?'
"Sirius?"
"Huh?" His eyes snapped up to look at a worried Remus.
"Are you alright…?" he asked, observing him closely.
"I'm fine." He was surprised to hear his own hoarse voice and cleared his throat before repeating himself, "I'm fine."
Remus still looked unconvinced but nodded. "I smelled your tears and woke up… Do you want to talk about it?"
"Huh?" Sirius touched his cheeks and sure enough, they were wet.
"Sirius? Mate, are you alright?" James appeared at his bedside, rubbing his eyes under his glasses.
"Yes, I'm fine." He turned to Remus, "No, I don't really want to talk about it."
"Bad dream?" James prodded.
He shook his head. "More like… a strange one." He answered, rubbing his chest. 'I don't know why it hurts though.'
"Then why were you crying?" Remus enquired.
"I don't know." he replied honestly. '…because she looked upset…'
"What's going on…?" Peter asked sleepily from his bed.
"It's nothing Pete. Go back to sleep." Sirius shook his head to clear his daze and cast a tempus spell to check the time. "It's a quarter to four already. We should all get some sleep."
James and Remus exchanged sceptical glances but he paid them no heed and nestled himself under his blanket. He felt them linger for a couple more minutes before they returned to their own beds.
Long after his dorm-mates had gone back to sleep, Sirius lay awake. This was not the first time he had dreamt about her. Although, this was the first time they had kissed.
'Who are you?'
It was easy to get lost in his thoughts amidst the loud chatter in the Great Hall. He pretended not to notice Remus and James shooting him concerned glances while Peter blearily slurped his porridge. He himself had not touched his eggs and toast, still thinking about his latest dream.
"Evans!" James exclaimed, making him look up for the first time. "Will you go to Hogsmede with me next weekend?" James asked, roughing up his hair.
"Not in a million years, Potter." Lily replied offhandedly and walked right past them.
"Tough luck, mate" Peter commented.
James shrugged and retook his seat. "She will say yes one of these days." he said, determinedly.
Remus patted his back but wisely chose not to comment.
Before Sirius could pitch in, he felt a pair of arms loop around his neck as their owner placed a sound kiss on his cheek. He flinched involuntarily at the contact.
"Sirius…?"
He turned around to see Marlene standing with a confused and slightly hurt expression. He looked away guiltily. 'I'm really not being fair to her.'
"Sorry Marls…" he said, regretfully.
She shook her head and schooled her expression back to a cheerful one, though he knew she was still hurt. "It's okay Black. You can make it up to me by taking me to Hogsmede next weekend. It's my birthday as well!" She grinned.
"Of course." He smiled sweetly.
"It's a date then." she declared and hopped off to join her friends down the table.
He turned back to see James and Remus observing him silently.
"Mate, she really likes you, you know?" James started.
"Marlene isn't like the others Sirius… She doesn't understand where you're coming from." Remus continued.
"Or, if she does, she's in denial. She is clearly hoping for something serious." James looked at him pointedly.
"You think I don't know that?!" Sirius snapped.
He had been seeing Marlene since the spring term started. He knew Marlene had liked him for a long time. Usually, he would never date somebody who held genuine feelings for him when he knew he couldn't reciprocate. And he did feel guilty about taking advantage of her feelings. But, in some way, he supposed he just wanted to know if he could ever bring himself to care that deeply for someone. '…other than her.' He should have known that nobody else could compare, even if she was just a dream.
He rubbed his face tiredly and sighed. "Look, I'm trying my best alright? I really am."
"What's up with you anyway?" Peter asked, realizing for the first time that something was off.
"Nothing's up." Sirius replied and left the table.
"I can't wait to try this out on old Snivelly!" James said excitedly, causing both him and Sirius to burst out laughing as they imagined Snape with spiky green hair that smelled of frog's breath.
"Feel better now?" James asked with a grin, once they had both calmed down.
"Loads!" Sirius grinned back and threw his arm over James' shoulder.
After getting three consecutive detentions "and not even on account of a prank", James had had enough of Sirius' depressed aura and had forcefully dragged him to Hogsmede after dinner, just the two of them.
"And to think you didn't want to come out tonight! You didn't trust my plan! Me! Your soulmate! The great Prongs!"
"Prongs or not, you sure are being a ponce! Shut it."
James gasped with a horrified expression on his face. He wiped a fake tear from under his glasses. "This is the thanks I get!"
Before he knew what was happening, Sirius tripped him, dumped all the bags on him and started running towards the castle. "Last one back has to propose to Filch!" Sirius shouted and laughed as he ran away.
It took James a moment to register what he'd said. "What?! No way!" James yelled. "You will pay for this Padfoot!"
Sirius came out through the Whomping Willow still laughing, and was halfway across the grounds, when the dark night sky suddenly flashed with the brightest white light he had ever seen, momentarily blinding him. It was followed by the loudest crack of thunder he had ever heard. When he was able to see again, he noticed a human figure lying a ways off in the pitch darkness of the grounds. For some unknown reason, a feeling of dread washed over him, and he found himself running towards the figure like a madman.
"SIRIUS! WAIT!"
He vaguely heard James' shout but paid him no heed. As he came close enough to see the person, his heart stopped for a second upon noticing brown curls. There was a pool of blood surrounding her, making her unrecognizable, but he knew it was her. He was numb with fear and drenched in cold sweat by the time he reached her. He pulled her onto his lap and moved strands of hair from her face with trembling fingers. It was her.
As though knowing he was there, her eyes fluttered open and she blinked a couple of times.
"Sirius…" she rasped.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before pulling him off the ground with her. He watched in bewilderment as she drew a circle around the two of them with her wand. It glowed brightly before disappearing into the grass but James, who reached them just then, was thrown at least ten feet away upon coming into contact with it.
"He'll be fine." she said.
He swallowed under the intensity of her gaze and nodded.
She relaxed and caressed his cheek with the same expression as in his dream. Before he could speak a word however, she had cupped both his cheeks and started chanting,
"Corpus ut obliti
sed anima meminit."
He felt his feet lift off the ground as an excruciating pain filled his head.
"Tum in vita et post mortem,
eius Tenebrae mea est,
amor enim omnia mea ad eum!"
A bright light erupted from her chest and his vision went black. He couldn't feel his limbs; he couldn't find his voice; he couldn't even think. Her hands on his face and her voice were the only things that grounded him, and he desperately held on to them.
In nominae dea Manu,
per licentium ianitores,
et ego invocabo Aos Si!
Audi voco meam, Sluagh Sidhe!
Ego vendicare animae eius!
Tenebrae apage!"
The pain spread throughout his body and his head lolled back; he couldn't hold on any longer. He went limp and lost awareness.
A/N: It honestly sounds much better in Latin than in English, but here's the translation if you're interested (courtesy Google Translate) -
'The body may have forgotten
but the soul remembers.
Both in my life and after my death,
his darkness is mine,
for all my love is his!
In the name of the Goddess Manu,
by the will of the gate-keepers,
I call upon the Aos Si!
Hear my call, Sluagh Sidhe!
I claim his soul as mine!
Darkness be gone!'
So, what did you think? Answered some of your questions, perhaps? :P