Hi everyone! Thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews and your patience. This chapter gave me some trouble and I had a lot going on so I'm sorry for the delay but I hope it was worth the wait. As always, the only character that is mine is Katie :)
Track 9: Boys Like You by Anna Clendening
Momma said there'd be boys like you
Tearing my heart in two, doing what you do, best
Taking me for a ride, telling me pretty little lies
But with you, I can't resist
Before I met you, I never felt good enough
Before I let you, in, I'd already given up
Left on read, no reply, left me just wondering why
Now I'm skeptical of love
So when you hold my hand, do you wanna hold my heart?
When you say you want me, is it all of me or just one part?
So when you hold my hand, do you wanna hold my heart?
When you say you want me
Wednesday, September 21, 1977
The next day proved to be one of those days where the weather outside made it simply unfair to be indoors. Every window let in a bright stream of unusually warm September sunshine and windows and doors had been left open by house elves throughout the castle to let in the pleasant autumn breeze. For everyone except Katie, it was unbearable.
"It really is cruel that McGonagall is making us study theory on a day like today," Alice muttered, staring longingly out the open window towards the castle grounds. "I bet Flitwick is conducting his classes outside."
"It's important information," Katie scolded but sent her own glance out the window. "The Transfiguration portion of the N.E.W.T.s is supposed to be incredibly difficult. McGonagall insists that the theory is essential to wandless transfiguration."
"Do you always have to be so logical?"
Katie smiled knowingly as she underlined the last sentence she'd written, "One of us has to be."
"Ugh," Alice sighed. "I will never understand how you can just sit for hours and take notes."
"Incredible self-control," Katie replied dryly and bit her lip as she contemplated the next section. "Now hush so I can concentrate."
Alice grudgingly began taking notes again but someone else decided to fill the silence in her place.
"How many pages of notes have you taken, Prewett?" Sirius asked as he slid into the seat in front of her. It was like he'd appeared out of nowhere. "You don't actually go back and read those do you?"
"Are you lot really this incapable of studying?" Katie demanded and scowled at Sirius. With Alice's accusations still fresh in her mind from the night before she really wasn't in the mood for his teasing. "And as a matter of fact, I do go back and read them."
"She even bewitches especially important parts to be a different color," Alice confided as though it was especially unbelievable.
Sirius looked at the blonde sympathetically and wrinkled his nose, "Remus does that as well."
"That's because some of us value our education," Katie hissed and glanced up at the front of the classroom to make sure McGonagall was still safely at her desk. She propped her book up farther in an effort to deter further conversation, "Now if you would both kindly shut up, I'm reading."
As if on cue, someone else joined the party.
"Oy, Prewett!" James Potter sauntered into the room with a grin and made a beeline for Katie.
"Mr. Potter, I trust you have a good excuse for being late?" McGonagall interrupted, eyeing him expectantly. Though rather indulgently, Katie thought in annoyance.
He gave her a roguish smile and waved the piece of parchment in his hand theatrically, "Yes of course Professor. I just came from the Headmaster. I have a note."
He waltzed up to the desk to deliver his note and then made his way to the back of the room where Katie, Alice, and Sirius were supposed to be studying. With a glance over his shoulder to make sure McGonagall had gone back to reading her book, he plopped down in the seat next to Katie and slapped a letter on her desk.
He grinned, "Special delivery!"
Katie eyed the letter suspiciously as though she thought it might explode, "What's this?"
"Psh," James scoffed and crossed his arms. "Not even a thank you? I don't play delivery boy for just anyone, you know."
Katie wasn't impressed, "What is it, Potter?"
"At a guess? Probably a poorly written love letter," he replied smuggly and shrugged.
"From who?" Katie asked lifting it gently with her quill and still wondering if it might burst into flame.
"Everyone's least favorite Hufflepuff, of course," James said and leaned back in his chair. "Found some poor little first year worrying herself to death outside the classroom, said some seventh year boy had asked her to deliver his letter to you in exchange for getting her out of class. You know as Head Boy, I really should give him detention for that."
"Eddie?" Katie said in surprise and reached to open the letter. Why would he have sent her a letter? Maybe he was backing out, maybe he'd changed his mind. He couldn't have found out about her helping Sirius already, could he? Their first lesson wasn't until that evening. Could Mary have convinced him to change his mind?
Attempting to calm her panicked thoughts, she took a deep breath and broke the seal. Immediately, the paper began to shimmer in her hands and she quickly set it down on the desk. Slowly it began to peel itself back and before she could even blink it suddenly became a beautiful red rose.
"Oh, how lovely!" Alice exclaimed and reached out to gently touch the petals of the rose.
Katie felt a bit breathless, "Just beautiful."
"Who knew Bones was a Charms wiz?" James joined in and grinned expectantly at Sirius. This was going better than he'd even hoped.
"Reckon he bribed someone to do that for him as well," Sirius muttered darkly. After years of going to head to head with Eddie Bones on the Quidditch field, Sirius knew too well that Eddie was clever but hardly imaginative enough to come up with a charm like that. In fact, there were probably only a handful of people in the castle who could create such flawless Charms work, let alone dream it up.
Katie, however, wasn't listening to Sirius or anyone else's opinions on the matter. There had been very little actual romance in her life where men were concerned and she was finding that she rather enjoyed it. Alice could take her conspiracies about Sirius and drown them in the lake. Katie was totally still head over heels for Eddie Bones.
"Helloooooo, earth to Katie," Alice laughed and waved her hand in front of her face. "Blimey, I think we've lost her."
"Oh shut up then," Katie laughed and grinned as she twirled the rose between her fingers. "It is sweet though isn't it?"
"More like nauseating," Sirius countered and pretended to gag as he and James chuckled.
"Mad you didn't think of it first, Black?" Alice asked innocently and James gave her a particularly wide, encouraging grin.
Katie gave Alice a warning look but Sirius only laughed, "If I was going to romance a girl like Katie Prewett I wouldn't waste my time on charms and flowers."
"Oh?" Alice replied in surprise and Katie sighed at her meddling best mate. She was starting to feel like even if in some alternate universe Sirius had liked her as Alice suspected, the nosy blonde would have ruined it anyway.
Sirius, however, came to the rescue again and gave Alice a smug look before turning back around in his seat, "A master never reveals his secrets, love."
"Sounds like he plans to reveal them to someone though doesn't it?" James asked innocently and Alice lifted an interested brow in response that suggested she and James needed to discuss the situation further.
Nutters, Katie mused darkly. They were both nutters.
"Mr. Potter is there something you'd like to share with the class?"
To Katie's great relief, McGonagall seemed to have appeared out of nowhere and stood waiting expectantly for James's answer.
"Not at all, Professor," James replied with a charming smile. "We were actually just discussing the finer points of wandless Transfiguration theory. Prewett seems to think that Finnigan's Minimalist Theory is the most logical place to start with application but I'm a fan of Dobson's Magical Mental Mimicry myself."
McGonagall raised an eyebrow and the side of her mouth twitched suspiciously as though she were trying not to smile, "I highly suggest you take Miss Prewett's recommendation. Without the fundamentals learned from Finnigan you will never master the Mimicry. Now kindly return to your studying."
Thankful for small favors, Katie quickly buried herself in her notes again before anyone got any more bright ideas. The fact that James seemed to side with Alice was making her start to itch slightly with anxiety and she really just wanted to finish taking her notes in peace.
Her eyes landed on the rose again, however, and the anxious itch started to fade a little. Perhaps it was a bad day for taking notes. Daydreaming about roses and first dates definitely seemed more appealing. Even with James and Alice throwing each other notes behind her back.
Sirius, however, was not so easily distracted and the look he sent James as he chucked another note at Alice said clearly that he would pay for his moment of fun.
Thankfully, note taking and unsolicited opinions on one's love life were in much shorter supply throughout the rest of the day and Katie was feeling very happy in her own little bubble as she left her private study with Kettleburn later that afternoon.
They'd finally been able to move the bowtruckle colony into a small grove along the edge of the Forbidden Forest and she'd also started to make some headway in getting Artemis to trust her after the Quidditch pitch incident. It had been a perfect day despite her obnoxious mates playing at matchmakers and she glanced down happily at the red rose sticking out from her textbook as she walked up the hill towards the castle. Just perfect.
Intent on the rose and perhaps daydreaming just a little, she nearly fell over when she ran smack into a rather broad chest standing at the base of the stairs to the front doors.
Two strong hands reached out to steady her as she nearly fell backwards and she looked up to find Eddie's handsome smile, "I see you got my note."
Katie felt her face get hot and knew she was probably a mortifying shade of red just then, "Um, well yes I did. It's just lovely, Eddie! Thank you."
"You're welcome," he adjusted the broom over his shoulder and ran a hand through clean, damp hair. He appeared to have just come from the locker rooms. "Headed to dinner? I'm starved."
"As a matter of fact I was," she smiled happily and fell into step beside him. "Have a productive practice?"
Growing up with mostly male cousins, she had learned the ins and outs of Quidditch at a young age and even after discovering she was rubbish on a broom she still found herself fascinated by the strategy involved in the game.
He wrinkled his nose in thought, "I'm having some trouble with my new Seeker. She's a little green but the rest of the team works together like a charm."
"I'd forgotten Denali graduated last year," Katie replied sympathetically. "I heard she got signed to the Harpies this summer. Personally, I think she'll be on the field in 6 months. Their current Seeker is utter rubbish in a close game. Denali could fly circles around him."
Eddie gave her a surprised grin and bumped his shoulder against hers, "I didn't take you for a Quidditch fan."
"Don't get me wrong," Katie laughed and sent him a bemused smile. "I'm rubbish on a broomstick. But I love the game."
"Well that's all that matters," he replied easily and glanced down at her with an adorably tilted smile. "I'd be happy to take you up sometime. Go for an evening ride. In fact, how about tonight? I have to catch up with a study group after dinner but I could be free around seven."
Suddenly feeling terribly guilty, Katie bit her lip, "That sounds amazing but I have a, erm, tutoring session at seven for Herbology. Maybe another night?"
"No problem," he said and placed a light finger under her chin as they paused outside the Great Hall. His lips tilted again, "Let's make sure you don't forget."
He leaned down and kissed her quickly but thoroughly.
She was surprised that her knees didn't suddenly buckle.
After a moment, he pulled away and her small sigh made him grin, "Will that do the trick?"
"Mmm, quite likely," she replied happily and he laughed as they walked into the Great Hall together.
"Good," he said and glanced over his shoulder at her once more before heading to the Hufflepuff table. "I'm already looking forward to next time."
Next time, indeed, she thought warmly and went to find Alice.
Splat.
"Oy!" James sputtered and wiped the slime that now covered his face in disgust as he entered the boys' dormitory later that afternoon to change before Quidditch practice. "Is this mud?"
"Fresh from the lake," Sirius assured him with a wicked grin. "Foul isn't it?"
James sniffed and visibly shuddered, "Incredibly. What have I done then?"
"You're a bloody git," Sirius growled and lifted a single eyebrow. He'd been waiting all day to get James right where he wanted him. "You're going to scare off Prewett before Eddie is even out of the picture. Let a wizard work his magic, Prongs."
"Is this you admitting you have feelings for her?" James grinned triumphantly through the mud on his face and waltzed over to his trunk to dig out a towel.
"Do feelings below the waist count?" Sirius asked in amusement and James rolled his eyes.
"Mate, any feelings with you count when you've gone this long without trying to shag her," James replied dryly and vigorously scrubbed his face.
"Well I am trying to shag her," Sirius replied casually and leaned back against the headboard on his bed. "But I'm not going to get anywhere if you keep interfering. We don't all go completely daft just because of a pretty bird. Besides I've got a plan."
"To romance her?" James asked nonchalantly and ducked when Sirius chucked a shoe at his head. He came up laughing, he knew Sirius better than anyone in the universe and James knew Sirius never put this much effort into a female. Something was different this time, "Alright, Padfoot. Have it your way. But based on Alice's reaction today, I'm not the only one who thinks there's something going on between the two of you and I don't mean getting her into a broom closet."
"I wouldn't mind a damn broom closet at the moment. She could use a good snog," Sirius muttered and got to his feet to stare broodingly out the tower window. He sincerely wished that all he wanted was an hour in a bloody broom closet.
The truth of the matter was that despite his feelings that Katie deserved whatever happened between them, he was starting to come to the realization that he perhaps did care about her feelings in the matter and for the first time in a very long time he didn't quite know what to do with himself.
He had ideas... mostly involving seducing her into submission, but he had a feeling that was only a short term solution and one that was only going to temporarily satisfy.
"Are you going to tell me what's wrong or am I going to have to drag it out of you?" James asked when Sirius only continued to stare out the window.
Sirius suddenly felt like throwing himself out the window was preferable to the conversation he was about to have but no matter what he did he couldn't get Katie out of his head and that meant he was going to have to get involved. Beyond a broom closet. Which he had no doubt would delight James to no end.
Scowling he turned to face James, "I'm going to snog her tonight."
James simply raised his brows, "Oh?"
"Oh don't bloody patronize me," Sirius snapped and rubbed his hands over his face in exasperation. "She hasn't given me any choice. I tried to stay away. It's her own damn fault."
James paused for a moment trying to decide how to handle this. He never thought he'd see the day when Sirius actually fell for a girl and it both amused him and pulled at his gut to know that Sirius was struggling with it and probably always would. Feeling like he deserved any sort of affection had always been hard for his brother and Katie Prewett was going to challenge that struggle every day for the rest of their lives because caring for things was what she did best. That is, once she came around to Sirius' way of thinking.
He wondered briefly how many times Sirius would fuck it up before he got it right. He had a feeling snogging her before her date with Eddie probably wouldn't end well but he had the distinct impression that Sirius already knew that.
And having himself wanted a girl with every ounce of his soul, he couldn't fault him for the decision.
James sighed, "She's not going to be pleased about it."
"Maybe I don't want her to be pleased about it," Sirius answered with a jerky shrug. "Maybe I want her to be as uncomfortable as I am."
James couldn't contain a chuckle, "I think you might be in for one hell of a ride."
Sirius lifted a disdainful brow that reminded James strongly that his brother did in fact have Black blood running through his veins, "I'm counting on it."
"Prewett, I'm not going to sweet talk a bloody plant."
Sirius was standing in front of his Herbology project in a defensive stance and looking very much like he was thinking of chucking the plant in the lake again. Or maybe taking his Beater bat to it. He'd come straight from practice and the bat was sitting in the corner. All it would take was one good swing...
"Do you want it to trust you, or not? C'mon, Starboy. You have lots of experience with this. Just pretend it's a pretty girl," Katie smiled encouragingly. For a boy who willingly let a bewitched, lethal ball fly at his face for hours on end, it was ridiculous to think a plant could make him uncomfortable.
"Maybe if you stand behind it, I'll have more success," he suggested with a wiggle of his eyebrows.
Softened by her encounter with Eddie before dinner, she chose to ignore this bit rather than hexing him as she might have done that morning. She gave him an exasperated look, "Just tell her she's a good girl."
Sirius let out an annoyed breath and turned back to the Tentacula, "Alright, you bloody taskmaster."
As he approached the plant, it began curling it's vines defensively. He watched a pair slither out and around to come at him from behind and nearly swore. Damn, sneaky, carnivorous plant was going to ruin his plans for the evening. He edged away from the creeping vines and planted himself firmly in front of its mouth, "Who's a good girl then?"
He paused, and glanced back at Katie. She nodded enthusiastically. The vines around him seemed to have stopped moving at least. It was progress. He let a b
reath out through his nose, this next part was going to make him feel like an arse. He reached up and gently scratched it's stalk, "There's a fine girl. Gorgeous girl. Wouldn't you like a snack?"
The plan Katie had suggested to increase the plant's venom required it to eat and so far it would only take the potion-laced Chizpurfles from her. Not ideal if he was going to convince Sprout this had all been his doing, though he had brewed the potion but he didn't think Sprout would care overmuch.
"Lovely," Katie said, quietly amused at the gentleness in his voice. "Now, offer her a treat. They're really quite sweet if you can get them to trust you."
"And I bet you think freshly hatched Grindylows are adorable too," Sirius muttered sarcastically and coaxed a Chizpurfle from the box next to him.
"Have you seen a freshly hatched Grindylow?" she replied indignantly. "Of course I think they're cute."
Caught off guard, he snorted and looked up at her as he dangled a Chizpurfle from his wand in front of the Tentacula, "You're a truly special sort of witch, you know that?"
"So I hear," she replied shortly and watched the Tentacula pull back it's head to strike. "She's going to bite you."
Moving by an almost inhuman reflex, he snatched his wand hand back just as the plant chomped down on empty air and he scowled at it so ferociously that Katie couldn't help the snort of laughter that escaped.
He tossed the Chizpurfle at the plant, who caught it out of the air, and headed back over to relative safety on Katie's side of the greenhouse. He glanced longingly at his bat again, "I'm thinking maybe I'll just leave it in James' four poster tonight and take the loss."
"And then you'd have Lily to answer to when her boyfriend shows up to breakfast mangled tomorrow," Katie pointed out.
Sirius cocked his head to the side as if considering his options, "That's true but she hasn't got fangs."
"There's more than one type of venom," Katie replied in amusement. "I'd take the Tentacula any day."
"For some barmy reason, that doesn't surprise me in the least, Prewett," he shook his head and began taking off the Beater pads he'd left on in case he needed to defend himself against his ornery science project. "But if we don't get out of here soon I'm going to take my chances with the fire-breathing redhead and give James what's coming to him. You should probably save me from myself and go get some food with me."
"But we've only been here half an hour!" she exclaimed in protest. She hadn't blown off Eddie to go gallivanting around the castle with Sirius. "If you don't start feeding her more or at least more regularly the potion won't work. You do want to pass this class, don't you?"
"If it'll make you feel better I'll stop in tomorrow morning before class for a feeding," he said, coaxing with a look she had a feeling no girl had ever refused.
And really what would it hurt, she wondered. If they were going to be mates she should do it properly, right? At any rate, it might put to rest a few people's ideas that there was more going on between them.
She gave him a resigned look, "Does it matter if I say, no?"
"Probably not," he declared and jumped up to collect his Quidditch gear. "I feel like I haven't eaten in a week."
Katie rolled her eyes, "I'm fairly certain I saw you at dinner before practice tonight so I can say with quite a bit of certainty that it hasn't been a week. And just where do you intend to get food this time of night anyway? It's almost 8 o'clock. Dinner is over."
Sirius grinned and slung his arm around her shoulders as he led her out of the greenhouse, "The kitchens of course."
It was a sure sign she'd been spending too much time with him when that statement failed to surprise her. Because of course he would know how to get into the kitchens. She looked up at him slightly exasperated, "Is there a rule you haven't broken?"
"Hard to say," he answered with a shrug and glanced down at her in amusement. "You seemed to like it last time I showed you one of my secrets."
If she hadn't known any better, she would have sworn he was flirting with her. She poked him in the ribs to dislodge his arm from her shoulders and gave him a satisfied smirk when he yelped and snatched his arm back, "I didn't say I wouldn't like to see the kitchens. Just wondering if you ever stop to think about the consequences of all this mischief you get into."
An odd look flashed across his face, disappearing so quickly she almost could have convinced herself she'd imagined it. Especially when the look he finally did give her was carefully blank, "Do you ever think about what you might be missing when all you do is worry about the consequences, Prewett?"
They had paused in front a staircase that led under the Great Hall that she'd never noticed before and he was looking at her just a little too intensely. Feeling defensive and slightly uncomfortable, she frowned at him and started heading down the stairs, "Consequences exist for a reason."
"Aye, they do," he agreed and grabbed her arm just at the bottom of the stairs to stop them in front of a painting of a large bowl of fruit. She turned to look at him still frowning and he absently tucked a piece of hair behind her ear in a gesture that was oddly affectionate. "And a lot of times they're deserved. But sometimes those consequences are worth the experience."
Yes, she thought looking at him with a sudden, dangerous thought in her head. She was starting to see how that could be true. Perhaps this hadn't been such a good idea after all.
"Anyway it doesn't matter tonight," Sirius said and she realized his mood had changed yet again. Light-hearted once more he reached up and tickled the pear on the right side of the painting. "The house elves won't tell anyone we were here."
Distracted as she'd been, she was thoroughly surprised when the pear suddenly giggled under Sirius' touch and with a wiggle turned into a bright green door handle. She let out an amazed laugh as Sirius opened the painting like a door, "Please tell me someone showed you how to do that."
"Sorry?" he asked, confused as she suddenly began giggling uncontrollably.
"Oh Merlin," she breathed and had to prop herself against the wall just inside the door in her mirth. "I've just imagined you and the rest of your lot wandering around the castle tickling paintings until you found the right one."
Sirius grinned, "Well you're not entirely wrong."
"What?" she exclaimed resting her head back against the wall as she shook with laughter. "You've got to be joking."
"Well it wasn't the entire castle," he explained and laughed as well, remembering it. "We'd worked out where the corridor was you see. And that we had to tickle a painting but we didn't know which one. So we just started at the beginning and worked through every painting until we found the right one. Remus actually got slapped by one of them when he got a bit too handsy with a Viking maiden just down the corridor. She ripped herself right off the wall and smashed into him. Broke his nose. I'm sure you've seen the scar she left."
"That's what that scar on the bridge of his nose is from?" she sputtered, hiccuping on a stray giggle that kept trying to escape. "That's one to tell to your grandchildren. Slapped for fondling a painting."
"James was so proud," Sirius sighed smiling fondly.
"Master Black!" A sudden, squeaky exclamation made both of them jump. "Master Black has come to visit us!"
"Hullo Mimi," he said warmly and as Katie watched the tiny little house elf was soon joined by a dozen others all clamoring to say hello to 'Master Black'.
"Master has brought a new friend tonight," Mimi said looking up at Katie with luminous eyes. The tiny elf made her way over to her and curtsied so low that her nose nearly touched the ground. "Master never brings a lady. Mistress must forgive Mimi. She was not expecting such a lady."
"Of course," Katie replied solemnly and tried to ignore the feeling in her stomach. It didn't mean anything that she was the only girl he'd ever brought here or that Mimi might have been expecting them. They were just mates.
"Mimi has heard of Mistress Prewett," she told her with a look of awe. "The one who heals with her hands. Mistress has great power."
"How do you know about that?" Katie asked in surprise.
"Mistress healed Mimi's brother. She showed him kindness after those boys trapped him," Mimi's large grey eyes were nearly swimming with tears. "She is a friend here always."
"Kiko was your brother?" Katie replied softly and got down on her knees in front of the elf. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more for him."
Mimi shook her head violently and frantically patted Katie's hands, "No, no, Mistress! You saved him. He serves the Headmaster personally now. He is most respected."
Across the kitchen, Sirius was watching them intently. He didn't think he'd ever seen a Pureblood witch or wizard get down on their knees so they could speak eye to eye with a house elf. Even James, whose parents had refused to have elves, still gave them about as much notice as a piece of furniture. He'd be damned if he didn't admire her for it but it made him uncomfortably aware of the fact that she was too good for him. In more ways than one.
"Shall I make the Mistress something?" Mimi had taken Katie's hand and led her over to where Sirius was leaning against a cupboard.
Knowing it would be rude to refuse, she nodded and looked expectantly at Sirius, "Though if you don't feed this bottomless pit he's liable to waste away on us."
Mimi smiled happily, "We will make Master Black's favorite."
She bustled away and left them standing together in a strangely awkward silence.
"I didn't know Mimi had a brother," Sirius said finally and Katie looked at him in surprise. He shrugged, "Never thought to ask."
Knowing all too well that most of the wizarding community saw house elves as property and little else, she laughed somewhat sadly, "She probably would have been mortified if you had."
"What happened to him?"
"Her brother?" Katie replied and frowned. "I was working on a project for Slughorn's O. level Potions class one night and accidentally walked into the wrong dungeon. A bunch of Slytherin goons had trapped Kiko and were torturing him by slicing off one small piece of him at a time. It was sickening."
She shivered and rubbed her arms like it still made her skin crawl, "There was blood everywhere and he was just lying in that cage letting them butcher him alive."
Sirius' lip curled in a snarl, "Bastards. Even animals have more respect for life than that."
"Avery still cringes any time he walks by me in the halls," Katie said in satisfaction. Remembering how he'd screamed when she hexed him still comforted her when she thought about Kiko. "I'd been working on amping up my bat bogey hex and the bats that flew out of his nose that night nearly split his face in two."
"Bet the rest of them left pretty quick after that," he said in admiration. He wondered if she would ever stop surprising him.
"Oh yes," she agreed but shook her head in regret. "But I was too late to save Kiko completely. I can heal a living thing but I can't regrow body parts. They'd taken one of this feet, most of the fingers on one hand, and half of an ear before I stopped them."
Sirius tilted his head to the side and reached out to take one of her hands without thinking, "You're a hell of a witch, Prewett."
Caught up in the moment, she didn't even think to pull her hand back, smiling up at him through misty eyes, "You'd have done the same."
"Master Black's fish and chips are ready!" Mimi exclaimed and they suddenly sprang apart like guilty lovers.
"Fish and chips," Katie laughed a little shakily, thankful for the interruption. She shook her head at the massive pile of freshly fried fish and some truly spectacular looking chips, "This is your favorite?"
"Oy, if you're going to make fun I'm not going to share," he threatened and polished off a piece of fish in two bites. He was all too aware of how close he'd come to speeding up his plans for the evening. He forced a boyish grin, "Besides, everyone loves fish and chips. Comfort food."
She smirked and snatched a chip from his hand, "S'pose you need it after all that abuse from a silly little plant."
Teasing him felt easier than thinking about the way he gently taken her hand to comfort her.
"This is the last time I invite you to have a snack," he informed her grumpily. "Show a bird a good time, feed her, and she's taking the mick. Ungrateful, that's what you are."
"Oh don't cry to me," she sighed and couldn't suppress a genuine grin as she popped another chip in her mouth. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had fish and chips. "Not my fault if you need a little help with the ladies."
"Oy!"
And they went on like that for nearly an hour, long after the fish and chips had gone and the house elves had silently slipped away to their beds, teasing one another and sharing other stories about mischief and forgotten times each in an effort to forget what they had just been feeling.
And despite herself, it ended up being the most comfortable hour Katie could remember spending with anyone in a very long time and when the clock struck ten she looked down at her watch in amazement.
"Merlin, when did it get so late? We've missed curfew," she wondered aloud. "Alice is probably wondering where I am. I was supposed to help her finish her Charms essay tonight."
"C'mon," Sirius said and offered her a hand. "I'll get you back safe and sound."
She took his hand hesitantly, both because it she wasn't sure she believed him and she wasn't terribly keen on being that close to him, "I hate to break it to you but unless you've got a secret passage hidden up your sleeve we're bound to run into a teacher on our way back to the tower."
He gave her a knowing grin and she sighed, "You've got to be kidding me."
"See? I said you were ungrateful," he replied and checked the passage quickly before sliding out with her into the dark corridor. While he hadn't intended to keep her out this late, the lack of people around to interfere when they got back was a nice bonus. He gave her a sincere smile, "I promise. We'll get back without anyone knowing we were there."
"If you say so," she replied dryly but followed him quietly up the stairs anyway wondering just how much trouble she'd gotten herself into.
They paused for a moment at the top of the stairs to make sure it was clear and then they moved like shadows to the other side of the Entrance Hall. At the bottom of the marble staircase, Sirius put a finger to his lips and pulled her behind him into a dark space under the staircase just as Professor Flitwick passed by. When the coast was clear, they crept silently up the staircase where they spotted another wandlight coming down the corridor.
"Quick," Sirius whispered. "The passage is just up here. Don't make a sound."
Nodding nervously, Katie followed him down the hallway toward the wand light and just when she was sure they would get caught he suddenly tugged her behind an ancient looking tapestry and they were plunged into complete darkness.
"Shh," Sirius hissed and they waited, holding their breath. They listened intently as Kettleburn and Slughorn chatted about the latest in defensive potions as they passed by their hiding spot and when their voices had completely faded Sirius finally lit his wand, "Lumos."
The passage lit up around them and Katie realized they were standing at the base of a staircase. She blinked, "What? There's a secret passage with a staircase in the castle?"
"Brilliant, isn't it?" Sirius smirked but grabbed her quickly when she started toward them. "Watch it, that second step is a trick step. Your foot will go right through and you'll be trapped for the next two days."
Katie raised an amused brow, "Know that from experience?"
"Shut up," he said but he was smiling. "Let's go."
"Where does this come out?" she asked as they began climbing, carefully avoiding the second step.
"On the fifth floor near the Prefect Bathrooms," he told her. "Once we're out of the passage we'll be fine until we get to the sixth floor. That's the challenging part."
"Why?" she demanded. "I thought you said we'd be fine?"
"Oh we will," he assured her and she could practically here the cocky grin on his face. "I said it was a challenge not impossible. The sixth floor is McGonagall's territory and the woman has ears like a cat. We'll just have to be careful that's all."
"Lovely. I swear to Merlin if she catches us I'm telling her you abducted me, Starboy."
"Relax, Prewett," Sirius rolled his eyes in amusement as they climbed at last onto the landing at the top of the staircase, she was handling this quite well. He put out his wand, "Nox. Now just be quiet for a second."
She waited anxiously but the only sound they could hear was the other's breathing. Grabbing her hand once more, Sirius led her ghost-like into the corridor and to her amazement he had been right. The entire floor was deserted. But when they got to the top of the staircase on the sixth floor they ran into trouble.
Not only McGonagall but Dumbledore as well were walking down the corridor having a rather lively conversation about the most recent Quidditch match between the Harpies and the Irish. And they were much too close for comfort.
"In here," Sirius whispered and pulled her quickly into an alcove just off the stairs where a statue of Helga Hufflepuff was kept behind a rather convenient curtain. Convenient but slightly too cozy, Katie mused as Sirius tucked her neatly against him.
"Dumbledore will know we're here," she whispered up at him unable to see his face in the dark.
"Sure he will if you keep talking," he breathed and watched intently as the shadows thrown by the wand light came closer to their hiding spot.
Afraid her pounding heart would give them away, Katie closed her eyes and rested her ear against Sirius' chest. His own heart beat was calm and steady and she focused on that instead of the approaching footsteps and that fact that she was plastered right up against him. All in all, she felt this whole situation had escalated rather quickly for her taste.
Sirius, however, was thinking quite the opposite. She had taken direction well, trusted him implicitly, and quite honestly everything had gone much better than he'd planned. And she smelled bloody delicious, he thought not for the first time and had to take a moment to tame his hormones. It was not the time, not yet.
"I think they've gone," he whispered finally and glanced down at her still snuggled against his chest. The temptation to stay put a little longer was nearly irresistible.
"Are you sure?" she asked anxiously and peered at the floor for any signs of movement.
He listened for another moment and nodded, "They've gone, likely to McGonagall's office. Let's go."
He eased her away from him, amused when he saw her realize how tightly she'd been holding on. He crept to the curtain to check one last time. The corridor was empty, dark, and silent and he reached his hand back towards her with a smile, "Almost there now."
Slightly embarrassed that she'd glued herself so securely to him in her efforts to stay calm, she took his outstretched hand with some reluctance. She was starting to feel that any skin contact with him was slightly dangerous.
Still, she felt better with his hand wrapped securely around hers but they had only taken a step out from behind the curtain when they were assaulted by the sound of a loud raspberry and a cackle that sent Katie's heart plummeting to her toes.
"Peeves," Sirius growled in disgust and squeezed Katie's hand a little tighter.
The resident Poltergeist was hovering just a few feet away and grinning like a lunatic, "Sirius Black is out and about again this evening. Haven't we had a talk about this, Mr. Black. You really should think more about your reputation. What will dear, sweet Minnie say?"
"Sod off, Peeves," Sirius snapped and drew his wand. "Seen the Bloody Baron lately? I'm sure he'd love to see you."
"Is it wise to insult him?" Katie murmured in concern.
Peeves' eyes narrowed as if on cue, "Always with the threats, stinking humans. Think they own the place. Ought to give a shout, I should."
"Shout and I'll end you," Sirius warned and he began sidling around the poltergeist, towing Katie cautiously behind him. "I've made good on my threats before. You know I'm telling the truth."
"It's against the rules to be out of bed," he cackled loudly and started spinning in a circle, his laugh echoing off the stone walls of the empty corridor. "Better run wee beasties."
He made a show of taking as deep a breath as he could and then began shouting, "STUDENTS OUT OF BED! STUDENTS OUT OF BED!"
"Run!" Sirius shouted in her ear and they took off up the corridor towards the seventh floor staircase and didn't look back.
Peeves shouts followed them up the stairs but by the time they had reached the top of the staircase to the seventh floor Sirius was sure they were relatively safe. He knew from experience that the teachers often didn't take Peeves seriously and they both paused to catch their breath.
"Dear Merlin," Katie huffed and was surprised to find herself laughing. "I thought we were caught for sure."
Sirius marveled at the grin on her face. He'd thought for sure she'd be furious with him.
Feeling relieved himself, he chuckled, "I've got to admit I thought we might have been in trouble. You were brilliant."
"If you can call being a huge ball of anxiety the whole time brilliant, then thanks," she sighed as her breath came back. "I don't know how you do this all the bloody time."
"A lot of practice," he replied and wiggled his eyebrows making her laugh again.
"Somehow that doesn't surprise me," she shook her head in amusement. If this was what it meant to be mates with Sirius Black she thought she might need to take it in smaller doses even if she was feeling rather on top of the world at the moment with endorphins.
She glanced behind her thinking it was probably better not to sit around and tempt fate for too long, "Er, maybe we should get back to the Tower though."
Sirius suddenly swallowed. She was standing there flushed from their run, laughing and doing her best to be brave, and she quite simply looked like the kind of girl a bloke would gladly take a curse for. Was it any wonder she destroyed his self control?
He hadn't planned it like this and, Merlin help him, he was probably going to regret it. But if he didn't get his hands on her right that moment he was probably going to burst. He took a step forward and damned the consequences.
As she moved towards the Portrait Hole, he reached out and gently tugged her arm so she had to turn back and face him, "One thing first."
"What-" she began curiously but suddenly found her question answered when without any warning he simply sank his lips into hers as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
She tasted like warm honey, all sweet and slick, he thought as he sank into her. More bewitching than he'd even imagine. And even though he'd expected resistance and he could feel her heart wildly beating against his own chest, she seemed content to stay where she was for the moment and it was all the encouragement he needed. Wanting more, he slipped his fingers into her hair at the base of her neck and wrapped his other arm around her waist, easing her back against the wall so he could take more from her mouth. When a small whimper escaped her lips, the answering growl in his throat was nearly feral. He'd never experienced a need like this before.
Katie was also struggling with a foggy haze of need she hadn't known was possible. Only days, hours, moments before she'd thought they could be mates - that they were mates. But as he put his hands on her she couldn't help the small moan that came from her mouth or the fire in her blood from his answering growl and any logic she may have been holding on to simply flew out the window.
Hesitantly her arms came up, slipped around his neck and in response his hands both moved instinctively lower around her waist and finally down to her bum where with gentle pressure he pressed her hips into his own.
The electric feeling of need made her eyes fly open and suddenly a bit of panic began to make its way through the hormones racing through her blood. It was too much. Too much, too fast and the panic was also starting to give way to heavy guilt over Eddie. Only hours ago, it had been him she'd been kissing.
But not like this, a silky voice in her head insisted but she ruthlessly crushed it out.
She placed her hands on Sirius' chest and shoved, as much for her own a sake as his.
Having expected it from the started, Sirius willingly took a step back when he felt her tense and resist and simply looked at her, knowing that everything he wanted in that moment was written clearly on his face and finding he really didn't care.
And didn't he just look like that boy your mother warns you about? Katie thought and for the first time in her life felt the dark little thrill of what it could mean to have a boy like that want you.
It was compelling and terrifying all at the same time. Her hands were trembling.
She began shaking her head as she backed away toward the Portrait Hole, "I can't...we can't...I've got Eddie...shit."
She stopped moving in frustration and her hands fisted at her sides.
He watched her struggle, not unsympathetically, and tucked his own hands in his trouser pockets in an attempt to keep from touching her again. He lifted an eyebrow, "You can't ignore what's here, Prewett."
He said it as though he had tried. For some reason that irritated her.
"But you had no right!" she snapped and found that anger was easier to deal with than the guilt and the wanting. "I'm seeing someone else. I have a date for Merlin's sake."
She turned around and spit the password at the sleeping Fat Lady who came awake with a start. She scowled darkly at them both as she swung open to admit them.
Following her through, Sirius had to quiet his own thoughts and the hormones still coursing through his veins. He'd known what he was about when the evening had started and had been prepared to deal with the consequences but he hadn't been prepared for her reaction to him or his reaction to her. He realized he was going to find it a lot more difficult now to keep his promise to himself to let her come to him after this initial move.
She scowled at him, trying to force herself to ignore the million other emotions running rampant through her head and chest, "Aren't you going to say anything?"
"If you're looking for an apology you won't get it," he replied in a low voice.
Even though he'd said it sincerely and without a hint of cockiness, the idea that he didn't regret it and looked as though he was ready for round two made her want to punch him. She took two steps back, "Was all of this just some sick joke to get me in bed?"
"Oh come off it," Sirius scoffed and for a moment his calm demeanor gave way to something more passionate. This inferiority complex of hers royally pissed him off. "Don't start with that bollocks. Like you aren't good enough. Why is it so hard to believe someone wants you? Why do I have to be the bad guy?"
But that was the crux of it, she suddenly realized. Sirius scared her because he wanted her. Not because he cared or wanted a life with her but simply because he wanted a romp in the sheets. The last time she'd let herself be pulled into something like that she'd fallen in love and been abandoned in the worst moments of her life. She very simply wasn't going to let herself go through that again. Whether Sirius actually was the bad guy or not.
"You can just sod off," Katie replied finally and knew it was time to get out of there before she lost her nerve. The feel of his lips was still seared onto her own.
"I will right now, for tonight," he said as she turned to go but there was an edge to his voice that made her pause. "But whatever denial you have going on in that noisy brain of yours, you can't tell me that it's been like that with anyone else. You can't ignore this."
"Watch me," she replied softly and turned on her heel to head up the stairs.
ASiriusObsession xoxo