Chapter 50 – House Hunting
OoO
The others were relieved to see them together again but as the weeks progressed, Sirius felt the distance between them. And he didn't know what to do about it. She opted to sleep in her own bed with the help of a sleeping draught instead of sleeping with him. In class she sat with Lily or Remus but that wasn't too unusual. She sat next to him in the great hall but feeling the distance between them, he didn't reach out for her. Just like now, it was Friday night, and they were eating dinner in the great hall. They space between them was physically hurting him. His mind wandered to the time, she leaned into him, locked her foot with his or intertwined their fingers together. But now nothing, they weren't touching at all. He came out of his thoughts when he heard James talking about the houses.
"I was thinking we head out tomorrow morning. Remus, you can take the cloak with Lily and Regulus. It will be a tight fit, but it should work. Sirius and I will change into Progs and Pads." He stopped and he looked to Izzie. Then his eyes flickered to Remus before they rested back on Izzie. "Uhm, Iz -" Izzie looked up from her plate, Sirius noticed that she was absentmindedly playing with her food for the past five minutes. "Did you get that flat already?"
She opened her mouth and closed it again before she said, rather silently. "No -" She glanced to Sirius for a second before she turned back to James. "I was still choosing between two options. Why?"
Sirius reached over slowly and intertwined their fingers; she looked up to him. There was a small smile and a flicker of hope in his eyes. "You can -" He cleared his throat. "You can stay with us at the house. It would save you money and... and I can't think of you living alone and not seeing you every day."
"I don't know." She frowned, when Sirius face fell, she squeezed his hand. "I'll think about it, I promise. I will put the flat on hold. But I need a little more time."
"Alright." Sirius tried to offer her a smile but failed. She reached up and kissed his lips lightly. He revelled in the feeling of her lips against his even if it was so short and light.
"But I'll come with you tomorrow, if you want." Sirius started to beam at her. "I'll show you my favourite rooms in every house."
"Alright." He said again but now with a smile that stretched all over his face.
"But the four of us can't fit under the cloak." Regulus said.
"We can just go through the passageway of Honeydukes, disillusionment ourselves until we're out of the shop." Sirius stopped listing to Lily's plan, rather abruptly when Izzie leaned into him. His heart soared as she leaned in even closer when he wrapped his arm around her waist. He kissed the top of her head, breathing in her scent. Because he had his eyes closed for a few seconds, he didn't see that happy smile on her lips when he kissed her head.
OoO
The first house they went to visit was in a magical town. Even though the house was big enough and beautiful, they decided against it. When they took a stroll around the block, they saw multiple wizards known to prefer the dark arts. Not that Sirius was really looking around the houses or the wizards in the street because ever since James opened the door to the first house, she had intertwined their fingers together and guided him around the house with a beaming smile, he couldn't help but mimic.
The second house was James and Regulus favourite because it had a quidditch post in the backyard that was hidden for the muggles. Lily and Remus liked the muggle appliances in the house, Izzie scrunched up her nose at seeing the washer and dryer, making Remus and Sirius laugh while the others looked confused at their sudden outburst.
Oh, but the third. The third was Izzie's absolute favourite. And Sirius knew that even before she said it. The way her eyes twinkled as she looked at the white stone walls and the red front door. The way she practically dragged him through the house at a fast pace just to stop in every room for five minutes or more. The others were looking at the library when she tugged at his hand and gestured her head to the door. He followed her willingly, like always. It was already late out, and they needed to go back to the castle soon before they would notice they were missing. But he didn't say anything, he would follow her to the end of the world. He followed her up the stairs and to the last door in the hallway. The room was large but empty, he raised an eyebrow at her. Then she smiled sweetly before waving her wand over the room. It was like an illusion came over it. The room was starting to fill itself with large closet, a dresser, a bed between two floor length windows. Then pictures and streamers decorated the walls.
"I imagined this as your room the first time I visited."
"Why this one?" He asked, tearing his gaze away from a photo of them together. He had hope because she included that in the illusion. She grinned at him before tugging his hand again. She guided him towards the floor length windows on the right side. There was the tiniest of a balcony outside. Too small to sit on, it just had a spiral staircase leading upwards. The crescent moon lit the way up the iron steps. Izzie guided him up, still with their hands intertwined. This side of the roof was flat whereas the other side sloped down. The sky was littered with millions of stars.
"Izzie." Sirius gasped.
"It's my favourite house, just because of this. Because I wanted for you to have a safe place."
"You are my safe place." He whispered coming closer. Her eyes captured his as she looked up and they were both unable to look away. He carefully placed his hands on her hips. "You did this, even when I..."
"I want you to have a home, Sirius. Not a house or a place to stay, but a home. I want you to be happy even if I wouldn't there with you." She looked down, resting her head against his chest, taking in a trembling breath. He leaned his head down, until his lips rested near her ear.
"You are too good for me, Izzie." She shook her head against his chest. "You are. Reggie has said as much." His lips quirked as she chuckled a little. "Are you still thinking about taking the flat?" Then he cursed to himself. "Sorry, I don't want to push -"
"It's okay." She looked up. "The idea of taking a flat is starting to leave my mind the longer I stand here with you."
"Really?" He beamed at her, cupping her cheek. "Merlin, I love you."
Her hands trailed up her chest and tugged him down on his collar. Their lips crashed together in a heated kiss. Sirius pulled her flush against him as he deepened the kiss. Then the hands that tugged his collar, pushed him away. His legs bumped against something, and he fell down with a surprised face. Izzie smirked at his perplexed face. He looked around him, he was sitting on a plush beige three-seater. Before he had a chance to ask, she straddled his lap.
"I've missed you." She said as she leaned her head against his.
While one hand stayed on her waist, the other went to her cheek, his fingertips curling around her hair. "Me too, you have no idea how bad."
"I'm sorry for being distant the past weeks."
"No, I understand. You said you needed time and although it takes everything in me not to pull you in my arms or snog you senseless, I will give you everything you need."
"I know." She smiled as she pressed her lips against his. "That's one of the reasons I love you so much." She kissed him again, her tongue tracing his bottom lip. He groaned and the grip on her waist tightened. Sirius almost became delirious when her breasts grazed over his chest. Their moment under the stars was ruined when they heard the others call out. Izzie chuckled as his head fell on the back of the couch with a disappointed groan. She climbed off his lap and held out her hand for him. He smiled as she pulled him up. "Next time a little more stargazing, Black."
"You kissed me, remember?" He smirked. When she turned around with a teasing smile, starting to climb down the spiral staircase, he adjusted his pants before following her.
"Where have you two been?" James asked with wiggling eyebrows when they stepped inside the hallway.
"None of your concern." Izzie quipped. She must have kept the roof a secret. That's why she wanted him to have that specific room, so they could have something for just the two of them. He couldn't help the goofy smile as he wrapped his arms around her until she rested with her back against his chest. "So, what do you think?" She asked everyone when they came back down, sitting on the large kitchen island.
"I vote for this one." Sirius said immediately, squeezing Izzie's waist at the same time. She hid a smile.
"Me too." Reg said after he eyed his brother for a moment.
"What? The other house has a quidditch post!" James gasped.
"This house is bigger, so is the library and it has two full bathrooms. Beside this feels... homier." He shrugged.
"I agree." Remus said while he wrapped his arm around Reg's shoulders.
"Of course, you do." James muttered. "Lily?"
"It's already three against two if Lily chooses the other house, so -" Regulus said.
"What about Izzie? She chose the houses; she should get an input."
"Ah, but Potter, Izzie's input won't help your case I'm afraid." Remus grinned, his eyes flickering to the happy girl against Sirius's chest. He had seen her light up the moment she walked through the red door. James's large eyes flickered between Izzie and Remus, and Sirius tried to hold back a laugh. "Or am I wrong?" Remus quirked an eyebrow at her.
"I'm sorry, James. This has been my favourite from the beginning." She chuckled at James' pout. "Besides, if you only chose the second house because of the quidditch post, we could put one here in the garden. We are witches and wizards, you know."
James looked thoughtful for a moment before he relented. "Fine, if we can put a quidditch post in the garden, I'm in."
"Thank Merlin." Lily sighed in relief.
"So, you wanted this house too?" James asked, grinning. He pulled her close and kissed her temple.
OoO
Izzie contacted the realtor to draw up the papers. The next Sunday when they were all lounging in the Gryffindor common room, a large barn owl tapped on the window. Izzie sprung up from her place in front of the fire where she had been doing her homework to open the window. The owl was drenched from the rain but the letters on its talon were dry. She held out her arm, and the owl hopped on without hesitation, happy to be out of the rain. She walked back to the fire and when she untied the letters, Sirius gave the owl a treat. The owl shook the rain droplets from its feathers before hopping a little closer to the fire. Izzie was already scanning the letters open on her lap. Sirius reached over and played with a strand of her hair.
"Is it from the realtor?" Lily asked from her place between James's legs.
"Yes." She nodded not looking up. "He sent two proposals. To lease or to buy, prices are good." She handed out the letters and let them go around the group. "Why don't you look it over and let me know, yeah?" She stood up from her seat, stretching.
"Where are you going?" Sirius tugged on her shoelace.
"I'm meeting some friends in the library to go over our CMC lessons."
Friends? What friends? He wanted to ask but in the corner of his eyes he saw both Remus and Regulus mouth to him: Trust her. "Okay." He offered her a smile. "Goodbye kiss?"
She rolled her eyes playfully, a smile on her lips before she leaned down and kissed him softly. "I'll be back before curfew." She gathered up her schoolwork before she walked out the common room.
"Is she testing me?" He asked his brother and best friend when he tore his eyes away from the portrait hole.
"No." Remus shook his head. "She won't do that, but she had a life before you, Sirius. You can't forget that. And you need to trust her when she goes out."
"I do trust her, but I just want to know with who she is studying." He said as he accepted the papers from James. "She never talks about them."
"Because she knows that those subjects don't interest you, so she doesn't bring it up." Lily said, already back to writing her essay. Then she looked up to him with a fierce and stern look. "And I sincerely hope, you are already planning on making Valentine's Day up to her."
"I am, don't worry." He said as he read the papers to buy the house. "I have a whole plan for that."