Summary: "We've been separated for so long, and now you're here. And I just never want to let go. Please don't ever leave me again, Sirius. Life's too short and we're far too old."
The old, rickety Victorian house sat on top of a hill, tattered and all alone. The gates outside were rusty and locked up, as if no one had entered or left in over a decade. The moon hid behind a sheet of clouds in the starless sky, illuminating a dull light on the manor.
A faint noise from the downstairs woke her up, startling the woman from sleep. She rubbed her eyes tiredly, sitting up in her bed and pricking her ears, listening for any other sounds. An eerie footstep echoed throughout the shabby house and she quickly stepped out from under her warm covers. Heart pounding excruciatingly fast, she grabbed her wand from her nightstand and opened her bedroom door, walking into the empty, lonely hall way.
She made her way towards the staircase silently, eyes wary and her limbs shaking from the adrenaline. She gripped the wand in her sweaty hand, and she held her breath as her bare foot touched the first old, wooden step.
It creaked painfully and she shut her eyes, hoping whatever it was downstairs hadn't heard. The sound she'd heard could have just been her imagination. Or perhaps it was the cat that sometimes sneaked into her house. Maybe she was just being ridiculous.
There was another footstep and she cringed, taking two more steps down her staircase. "Hello?" she called out anxiously, shivering as she waited for a response.
Nothing.
Was she going mad? No; it wasn't like a serial murderer would respond to her pathetic shouts.
"Is anyone there?" she cried, reaching the bottom of the steps and releasing a sharp breath. She took a turn and headed for her sitting room, hiding behind the wall for a moment and then stepping out into the cold room.
A man stood in the center of the room, looking terribly broken. He wore shredded clothes that were covered in dirt, blood, and grime. His face was no better: it was sweaty and his whiskers needed to be shaved. A bloody slash spread across his cheek.
And he looked frighteningly familiar. It was a face she had never expected to see again in her lifetime. She dropped her wand in shock, and it clattered on the ground. Her mouth hung open. She was sure he could hear her heart thudding from across the room: ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum.
"Vivian," he breathed, as if the sight of her was unreal. He took a step towards her, and returned to his original place, watching her sadly with intimidating grey eyes.
"W-what do you want?" she stammered quietly, trying to decide on what to do next. "Why are you here? How did you find me?"
"I could always find you, Viv. Even when you were hidden," he told her.
Her heart clenched. "I don't understand."
"I didn't expect you to," he whispered. "I didn't know how you'd react if I came here. I was afraid to see you, but I couldn't stop myself. And before I knew it, I was here, standing in your living room."
He was panting, as if it hurt to talk, because his voice hadn't been used in a long time.
"H-how'd you get in?"
The man barked out a laugh. "I'm a wizard. It wasn't hard."
Vivian was suddenly very cold. She stared at him, sadness finally weighing her down. She felt like curling into a ball on the floor and crying her heart out, or running up to him and throwing her arms around his neck, embracing him until he pushed her away. She felt like doing a lot of things, but all she ended up doing was standing there, her eyes boring into him, unable to say anything or move.
"You haven't changed a bit," he said. "You're still just as beautiful as the day I last saw you."
Her throat felt raw as she took radical breaths. "Sirius."
The way his name rolled off of her tongue sent sparks shooting through her veins. She hadn't spoken about Sirius in over five years, and saying his name, seeing his face again, brought back memories and forced feelings to resurface. She choked up, her eyes beginning to water.
Sirius took a step towards her again, but instead of retracting like last time, he stayed put. He seemed to be holding back. "I'm so sorry."
She shut her eyes, a tear rolling down her lean cheek. She quickly rubbed it away and moved a little towards his direction. "I waited for you. That night. I waited for you to come back. But you never did."
Another step. "I know, Viv. I'm so sorry."
"And then I found out about what happened. And I couldn't believe it. My Sirius, betray sweet Lily and his best friend James? Impossible. You weren't like that. My Sirius, murder his friend Peter? No. But you were the only suspect, and it every just went by so fast, and I was so sad."
Three more steps. "That's not what happened."
"I didn't believe it," she repeated, the tears flowing freely now. She was beginning to choke on her words. "But I never got to see you again. I begged them again and again to let me visit you at Azkaban, but they wouldn't let me. They never held a trial for you. And I would never be able to touch you or see you again."
He was only five feet away from her now. "Vivian."
She looked up at him with teary brown eyes. Her messy brown hair was starting to stick to her skin from the wetness of her dripping tears. She couldn't help but reach out towards him and let him take her hand, let him approach her, let him wrap his arms around her. She pressed her face into his shoulder, sobs wracking her frail chest.
"I didn't believe them," she repeated again, leaning into him for support.
"I know, Viv," he said, bringing her as close to him as possible. He would never take her hugs for granted again. The was she felt in his arms was a sensation no one else could replace. She fit perfectly together with him.
She was warm and smelled faintly like vanilla and fresh linen. He couldn't refrain himself from brushing his fingers through her brown hair.
"I missed you," she confessed. "Everyone thought you were guilty. They told me I was a fool for still loving you. But I never stopped. I never stopped loving you."
"And I never stopped loving you, either," he said. "I never lost hope in seeing your beautiful face again."
Vivian sobbed again, pulling him closer to her. She gripped his tattered shirt, hugging his skinny body like he was her sole lifeline.
He brought his thin fingers under her chin, leaning down and pecking her lips gingerly as he took his thumbs and wiped away her tears. Their foreheads pressed together as she calmed down significantly, basking in his presence, feeling a tugging in her heart that she thought she'd never experience again.
Sirius kissed her forehead softly and she kissed his jaw sweetly, giving him another hug. "You're dirty," she whispered. "I'll get you some clothes and draw a bath."
She did just as she promised and took his destroyed, filthy outfit, tossing it in the trash. Without any hesitation, she stripped out of her nightgown and got into the hot bath with her lover, like they had never been separated 12 years ago.
"Your cheek," she whispered, grazing her fingers over the cut. "What happened?"
"I went searching for Harry," he explained tiredly, his eyes shut. "I was almost sent back to Azkaban, sentenced to a Dementor's Kiss."
"Was he at Hogwarts? Did he help you escape?"
"I don't know why you're making me tell you the story when you can guess it just fine," he joked, a little spark of humor left in his otherwise drained body. "I'll give you the full story in the morning, with lots of details. For now, I just want to focus on you."
She rested her body on top of his, still entirely comfortable being naked in his presence, just like she'd been that long time ago. She took a washcloth and wiped it across his face, cleaning the dirt and dried blood out of his wound. Then, she washed his arms and chest, scrubbing away the filth. She flinched every time she found a scar from his time in Azkaban.
Vivian took her shampoo and said quietly, "Vanilla is the only shampoo I have. You're just going to have to make do."
"I don't mind," he said honestly, giving her a lopsided grin. He moaned when she ran her fingers through his soapy hair, massaging his scalp and cleaning his black locks.
She rinsed his head and pushed the wet hair out of his face. "You need a hair cut," she said, smiling.
"All in good time," he assured her, running his hands up her slippery arms. "Did you know that you're gorgeous?"
She blushed. "Still a womanizer, I see."
"But it's true," he insisted quietly. "Gods, I missed you Viv. I felt so lifeless without you."
"I know what you mean," she said, thinking about the years she spent in utter despair, feeling empty without Sirius. She pulled the plug and let the water drain out of the bath tub. She stood up, goosebumps rising on her dripping wet skin. She helped Sirius up, grabbing a fresh towel and running it over his body, drying him off.
"You don't have to do all the work, darling," he whispered into her ear, taking the towel from her and drying the two off them off.
The rest of the water went down the drain, making a gurgling sound.
She found an over-sized t-shirt for him to wear, and she put her night dress back on. She allowed him to climb into bed with her, and he sighed in relief.
"I haven't slept in a real bed this comfortable in over 12 years," he said. "It feels absolutely wonderful. And it's even better, you being here with me. Thank you so much. For everything."
"I'd do anything for you Sirius," she said without a doubt, and he caught the deeper meaning in her words.
His arms snaked around her and he pulled her closer to him. He couldn't get enough of human contact; after being deprived of it for his entire imprisonment in Azkaban, it felt so safe and warm. Especially with his beautiful Vivian, his Viv. He felt her brown eyes on him, watching him tenderly.
"What are you thinking about?" he wondered.
"You," she said simply. "It's just that... we've been separated for so long, and now you're here. And I just never want to let go. Please don't ever leave me again, Sirius. Life's too short and we're too old."
"I'll never leave you again, Vivian," he promised. "As long as you never leave me."
"Never," she echoed sleepily.
For the first time, the 32 year old woman felt whole again. Instead of going to bed empty and sad, she felt more alive than ever. She was burning with happiness, and nothing but the source of that joy could burn it out.
A/N: Just a scrap - I was bored and I decided to upload this. I've never written a Sirius/OC story before. Tell me what your thoughts are; I'm anxious to hear them.