Author's Note: Hey there everyone! Heres the next chapter! I'm sorry for the crappy writing and cheesy chapter! Please forgive me lol! If you like please review! Thank you everyone so far for your support! :)

"A tragedy need not have blood and death; it's enough that it all be filled with that majestic sadness that is the pleasure of tragedy."

~ Jean Racine

Pain surged through Scarlett's mind as her eyes fluttered open softly. Dizziness overcame her as she struggled to sit up, blinking as her blurry vision came into focus.

Scarlett slowly came to see Sirius curled up at the very end of her bed, fast asleep on top of her bedding. He looked so peaceful when he slept. His clear showcase of anxiety was subdued and Sirius appeared to be at ease so effortlessly as he slept.

She grimaced as she strategically thought of how she could get out of bed without disturbing Sirius. She was positive he hadn't gotten much sleep; not to mention the trouble he would certainly face if he was caught in the girls' dormitory. She slowly began twiddling with her ring that felt so heavy on her finger as she stared at Sirius's resting figure. Suddenly feeling at ease when she noticed his steady breathing.

Scarlett closed her eyes as she allowed her mind to wander towards their future together, her head still pounding with fury. The fitting she would be going to shortly after graduation this year. All the wedding preparations, the family visits. She gulped as visions of her walking down the aisle hesitantly suddenly appeared in her mind. It was always so damning. So final.

She quickly opened her eyes once again, shaking those images out of her mind. Moving closer to Sirius, she studied his face as he continued to sleep peacefully. She raised her hand with caution, debating on whether it was appropriate or not if she was to caress his face ever so gently.

She finally decided she didn't care at the moment as she softly stroked Sirius defined cheeks. Praying her hands weren't so cold that they would cause him to wake. She couldn't deny how good looking he was; many women would say she had no right to complain of her circumstance. He was the one to be desired, the one all ladies swooned over.

And she...nothing.

Yet, as she slowly began stroking his utterly soft raven hair, she couldn't help but wonder what he saw in her. What ailed him so much? So much that he felt the need to chase her hopelessly throughout the castle.

Her eyes slowly moved down towards his sleeves, the sleeves that hid his inner turmoil so well.

Her heart sank, it damaged her to think...to think how when he was so busy demanding she come clean with her own self, that he was completely neglecting his own pain at the same time.

Her fingers tenderly traced Sirius's scars as he continued to sleep, so angry and fierce they were. Some so faded, they appeared to have been tampered with by magic. She couldn't believe...better yet she couldn't understand, why someone would inflict physical pain upon themselves like this.

It completely baffled her.

Was he really this torn up inside? This broken and depressed?

Despite this, she still held no right to be angry with him. She had done everything in her power to avoid him since they old enough to understand they were betrothed to another. She did everything she could to push him away, to drive him to hate her as much as she hated the marriage arrangement.

In spite of her actions, though, he still rampantly pursued her. Waiting for every opportunity he could to rectify her world that was chaotically crashing. But she couldn't help but ponder to herself...was that some showcase of love?

Or was it merely an act? An act to make her fall in love with him, so she would eventually submit to his will. So he wouldn't have to worry about her defying him, or possibly running away and shaming the Black family name.

Such childish thoughts were soon cast aside as Sirius began to stir in his slumber, startling Scarlett enough to break her seemingly endless trance of thoughts and remove her hand from his arm.

"Scarlett?" Sirius groaned as he begun waking himself up, stretching himself dramatically as he yawned loudly. "How long have you been up?"

Scarlett clenched nervously to the bed sheets, had he felt her touch?

"Not long…" she muttered softly, starting to become embarrassed he was still lying on top of her bed. "Sirius...you know you could get in trouble for this…"

Sirius chuckled while flashing one of his signature grins. "Only if I get caught...and seeing how Lily never came back last night either...and I doubt she would say anything anyways...I can safely conclude...I'm in the clear."

Scarlett rolled her eyes, motioning Sirius to get off her bed with her finger.

Sirius quickly got up, respecting her silent wishes.

"Thank you, though...you didn't have to do anything of that for me." Scarlett mused, attempting to extend a small piece of gratitude towards Sirius.

"It wasn't a big deal...Lily can only handle so much you know?" Sirius joked, hoping to make her feel more comfortable with last night's happenings.

"But...there is something a little more...troubling, if you will." he then added carefully, suddenly beginning to calculate his odds that he would get jinxed beyond belief if he pressed further at what he was about to say.

"Is there something troubling you? I'm not understanding what-" Scarlett began to babble, greatly confused by what Sirius was trying to get at.

"You mentioned your father, last night when you were...drunk…" Sirius started, still aiming to be as tactical as possible with his words.

Scarlett continued to stare at Sirius in confusion, last night was still fuzzy and she pretty much only remembered her adventure time with the toilet. Everything before then was a mere blur, clouded by rampant haze.

"Enlighten me, Sirius." she stated, arms folded across her chest as she awaited his answer.

Sirius stood in silence for a moment, unsure whether he should continue to unlatch the lock he was before so willing to work on liberating.

"Your father...you said...you said you wanted to forget him. He was why you drank yourself silly last night, right?" Sirius stated bluntly, his demeanor now more contemplative.

"My father…" she whispered to herself, her eyes suddenly darting away from Sirius. Trying to search for something, anything that would give her a break from this. "You never let things rest, do you, Sirius?"

"Persistence is more or less my forte, but...I find since were bound together...I must know these things…"

"And what of you?" she finally snapped, her ice blue eyes seething with sudden rage as she glared Sirius down. "You expect me to dump all these secrets on you like it's nothing...but you...you still say nothing concerning yourself! You're nothing but a hypocrite!"

Sirius took a deep breath, Scarlett had a valid point. He was a complete hypocrite; a great one at that. How could he ever expect her to open up to him? To trust him like a partner should when he had his own secrets that had yet to remain shared.

"Alright, Alright, Scarlett. If you don't want to talk about it...you don't have to...but...I am here if you find you want to talk about it."

Scarlett slowly calmed herself down, counting from ten to one before she began to speak once again.

"I understand Sirius, thank you. I'll consider being truthful with you...if you can stop injuring yourself like that. It's painful to see, Sirius…"

"Stop making everything about me every time I bring up you!" Sirius exclaimed, astounded she would say such a thing. Frustrated she always found never ending excuses to keep everything to herself.

"Why do you want to leave this world so badly?" Scarlett asked, small tears forming in her eyes. "You're clearly hurting, Sirius! And you aren't telling anyone about it!"

"Scarlett, please. You have no idea what you're saying right now!"

"I'm perfectly sound! Quit being so casuist with your words!"

Sirius paused for a moment, biting his tongue before he opened his mouth to argue once again.

"I'm numb inside...I need to feel something to feel alive again. Same reasons you obviously have…" he murmured, turning his back to leave before he spoke words he would later come to regret.

Hate lost inside, I dare to dream, faithless lies

Caught in the web, I will face the weak within

So I'll stay unforgiven

And I'll keep love together

And I'll be yours forever

I'll sleep close to Heaven

~ "Close to Heaven" by Breaking Benjamin

"I'm numb inside...I need to feel something to feel alive again. Same reasons you obviously have…"

Sirius's words rang like a broken record over and over in her mind as she finished getting ready for her Transfiguration class.

"Numb inside…"

"I need to feel something…"

She scowled as she made her way through the common room, searching for any sign of Lily as she made her way through.

What a complete and utter hypocrite he was! Demanding nothing but answers from her! But the moment she began attempting to peel away at his own hidden layers, Sirius completely shut down and became defensive. Reacting in almost pure anger it appeared.

"Same reasons you obviously have…"

Scarlett finally stopped and paused at that remembrance of those words. She stood motionlessly in the doorway of McGonagall's classroom. Deep in her own thoughts.

Sirius did have a valid point...she wasn't being very honest on her end either. It wasn't like she didn't have her own...habits...you could say that allowed her to cope with things. She just didn't see the benefit of sharing if Sirius was so unwilling to return the favor himself.

Why should she share such a hidden part of herself? When couldn't he even do the same? It made no sense to Scarlett to make herself so vulnerable and exposed...whereas Sirius maintained his own great wall of secrets.

"Miss Scarlett, would you care to join the class? Or is the doorway a better spot for you this morning?" she suddenly heard Professor McGonagall call while clearing her throat, snapping Scarlett out of her rampant thoughts.

"Sorry, Professor. My apologies…" she muttered softly when she noticed how the older woman's lips were pursed together tightly. Her eyes showing nothing but pure annoyance by her mindless lingering at the doorway.

Scarlett quickly spotted Lily, quickly taking her seat next to her. Sighing in relief when attention was finally off of her for the time being.

"Where have you been, Lily? Did you and James-" she whispered.

Lily giggled, her hand clenched tightly across her mouth to try to muffle the sounds of her laughter. Her emerald eyes glistening as she blushed, "No silly, we just had a good time...that's all...but you! Sirius stayed the entire night from what I heard James tell me!" she whispered excitedly back.

Scarlett rolled her ice blue eyes at the mention of Sirius. "Please, it would only feed his ego if he heard you say anything about last night...trust me…it's better to just forget about it." she hissed, praying the subject of Sirius would go away.

Lily's mouth slightly dropped, brief shock showcasing across her porcelain face before she finally spoke.

"But Scarlett, you were drunk off your arse! He saved you from-"

"Just drop it Lils...it was a night much needed. Can we leave it at that?" She harshly pressed, even Scarlet was taken slightly by the coldness of her words.

Lily's mouth slowly went back to being shut as she finally nodded in understanding, allowing the comment to be dismissed for the time being.

"And now, if Miss Scarlett would be so kind to take a break from her conversation. Can she please tell the class what the spell for the Bird-Conjuring charm is?" McGonagall asked firmly, tapping her wand against the end of her desk impatiently.

"Someone is getting on McGonagall's nerves today…" Lily muttered under her breath, trying her best to avoid smirking.

"Avis," Scarlett stated bluntly, smirking slightly as she ravished in the stunned look the professor wore when she answered correctly.

A few moments of silence passed before Minerva finally sought up the ability to continue her lesson. "Yes...that is... correct...now, that will be the spell we will be working on perfecting today! Begin!"

Scarlett's stomach suddenly growled furiously, causing Lily to glance back in her concern.

"Did you not eat breakfast again?" she asked, her eyebrow raised in suspicion.

"Sirius made me eat when I woke up...I guess I'm just still hungry?" Scarlett answered a little too quickly.

Lies and more lies. All coming to the tip of her tongue and off her lips so easily lately. It all but resonated easy with her...but it was what it was for the time being she supposed.

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before practicing the spell. It was a rather tricky spell, rumors of severed heads and frog-rabbit mutations flooded the castle whenever this summoning charm was taught. Most never dared to try more than once.

Boom, the sound that startled nearly the entire class sounded. Much like a gunshot, it sounded like.

Stunned, Scarlett opened her eyes again. Much to her surprise, she noticed beautiful yellow birds swarming and chirping excitedly around Lily.

Lily was beaming triumphantly as she gazed in awe at the twittering birds. Seemingly amazed by her own ingenious handiwork. Her fiery red hair seeming to glow just as much as she was in her eyes.

"Avis" she chanted softly, moving her wand in a large blue illuminating circle, then adding two swift motions in the middle, resembling something like mountains. Suddenly the charms signature bang sounded, several peeping blue birds burst from the tip of her wand. Swarming right along with Lily's yellow birds.

Scarlett faintly smiled to herself, taking in her achievement not too far behind Lily. She slowly blinked, her vision suddenly growing more distorted by the second.

"Marvelous work, Miss Evans...Impressive work Miss Emery…" Professor McGonagall awed in only a way she would. "50 points to Gryffindor!"

Lily beamed, glowing in such excitement she turned to face Scarlett, "We did it! Wow, Scarlett! Nothing against you but usually transfiguration isn't your strong point...have you been practicing with all that time in the library?" She chuckled.

Scarlett nodded, her ice blue eyes still staring into space as she waited for the sudden dizzy spell to wear off.

Breathe in, breathe out…

Take deep breaths and it'll pass… She chanted in her mind, praying it would indeed come to pass.

She groaned, clasping her aching head with her hands.

Lily studied Scarlett worriedly, extending her hand out to her friend as she spoke softly.

"Are you alright?"

Scarlett peered from between her fingers, nodding once more in response. Too dazed to say anything at all. Words never daring to escape her lips.

Before she knew it the world she once knew was outright spinning. She could hear Lily panicking. But her shrieks slowly began to fade along with her once surging reality of color, fading into nothing but a damning black nothing.

Everything fading to black...how ironic, she mused thoughtfully as she finally let herself lose consciousness, unable to hold onto reality any longer.