As Lovers Go

Chapter 2 - The Afterthoughts

"Iliana," shrieked an unnaturally loud woman, not too much older than Iliana herself. With a slight groan, Iliana rolled over onto her side as she lazily opened her eyes. "Ili-" started the voice once more. "I heard you! I'm coming," Iliana called back, quickly silencing the voice before it finished its shriek. She rolled herself off her bed and pulled down her nightgown (an oversized t-shirt she'd once found in a box in the attic of their rather small, boarded beach house). With her eyes still possessing a glazed look to them, Iliana dragged herself out of the small storage closet that was her bedroom, and into the kitchen, which took up more than half of the living space in the house. As Iliana approached the kitchen, however, she'd noted the smell of smoke emanating from somewhere nearby. Her eyes widened in alarm as she fixed her gaze on the smoking towel about to burst into flames. Quickly she turned off the stove, the source of the problem, and swiftly flicked the towel into the sink where the water used to rinse the dishes was gathered. Iliana let out a slight sigh of relief; this relief, however, was quickly replaced with another feeling - anger, for in another second, an astonishingly beautiful young woman of about 19 with her long, brown hair tied back into a perfectly messy bun flickered her brilliant, blue eyes toward Iliana. "Morning, sister dearest," her sing-song voice called out to Iliana. Iliana's chest heaved as she clenched her fists. That's all she could say? After nearly burning down the only place of refuge they had, all she could sing was 'Morning, sister dearest?

"What were you thinking," Iliana shouted at her. The young woman looked at her as if taken aback by the abrasiveness of this question.

"Um, what are you talking-" began the woman once more.

"You almost burnt down the house, Arabella! Honestly, you couldn't have been that oblivious as to not smell the smoke emanating not even fifteen feet from you," Iliana continued on her rampage. Arabella's mouth opened widely as she prepared herself to continue on with this fight; however, it was immediately closed, and facial expressions were changed as another presence graced the room. A young man, with a particularly handsome build and charming smile had entered the room. "Oh, sorry, I was erm … looking for the bathroom," he stated - quite mendaciously, Iliana thought. Arabella immediately left Iliana's side and wrapped her arms around the young man's neck, delivering a kiss to his lips. "Iliana, sister, this is whom I was calling you to meet. This is-" started Arabella, but Iliana had already rolled her eyes and left the room. What is it this time, she wondered to herself, must be the fifth one this week she's brought home. Iliana's older sister, an astoundingly beautiful, young thing had mostly - and this is said in euphemism - used her assets to her advantages; however, that was all she ever concerned herself with … her beauty. Was she the brightest? Not at all, despite her being placed in Ravenclaw. Most responsible? Certainly not. Iliana dared to question her purity at one point, and concluded that it probably wasn't there either, but … she was all Iliana had. Regardless of her drinking, partying and constant new boyfriends that she'd brought into the sullen beach house they'd both lived in, Iliana loved her. After all, she was her sister, and as stated before … this was all she had.

Iliana couldn't remember her parents as they'd abandoned both herself and Arabella at ages 3 and 6. She'd heard stories of them, though, through Arabella. They'd never known exactly which parent was the wizard in the family, or if both were in any case. All Arabella could tell her was that Iliana looked more like her mother, whereas Arabella took on her father's brown hair, but kept her mother's features. Inquisitive, especially on the topic of her parents, Iliana was disappointed when Arabella's knowledge of them only extended to their physical appearances. It was difficult growing up in a household so isolated from everyone else, as well as having to learn most survival skills on their own. It was particularly hard on Iliana especially since Arabella had received her Hogwarts letter just five years after their parents' abandonment. Iliana learned to read and write from letters Arabella would send during her time at Hogwarts, and from then on, she'd decided to keep a journal. This, though, wasn't an ordinary journal. It wasn't any 'Dear Diary' sort of journal, but instead … it was her canvas. She painted what she felt in poems, and stories she, herself, had composed. Iliana hadn't known exactly what triggered her to write these poems or compose these stories, but she was happy that she did. In a sense, this, along with walking barefoot along the sand in her "back yard", brought her the sense of peace and belongingness that she so greatly desired. She so desperately sought after having friends to share these feelings with, and in time, she'd truly believed that she would. Perhaps, one day, maybe. She couldn't see or feel it happening any time soon.

She could hear her sister's shouts from outside, complaining about the rudeness Iliana had demonstrated not long before; apologizing for "the incompetence and unmannerly creature that was her little sister", and perpetually swearing she'd leave the household one day and never return. A small smile smirked its way onto Iliana's face as she flopped herself back into bed; she'd heard all her sister's empty threats before, and although she was not one to take things for granted, her sister was not one for keeping promises … let alone remembering them. They were close, Iliana supposed, she and Arabella. Perhaps once in their younger years they were. Propping herself up on her elbows, she looked out her window at the morning sun, shining magnificently over the clear, crystal blue sea. That's where she needed to be, she decided, and so, picking herself up off of her bed, and pulling on a pair of shorts, Iliana approached a wall opposite of her bedroom door. A foul, rotting sort of wood was this wall made out of, but alas it held. Standing before the wall, she moved her fingers over a specific board as she drummed her fingers three times on it. As she had done so, the board came loose and swung to side like a small door. Inside this small, cupboard-like space, was a lone book. Reaching inside, Iliana grasped the book firmly in her hands and placed the board over its rightful place. Standing on her bed now, Iliana lifted her window and through there escaped. Hopping over the railing which surrounded the house like a fence, Iliana rushed her way onto the beach, closing her eyes the minute her feet had hit the soft sand.

She could feel the sun on her skin, and what a magnificent feeling it was. The cool, sea breeze had complimented the moment as well, allowing her hair to flow gracefully around her shoulders. As she continued on, Iliana found refuge under a projected rock, which left enough space underneath for a petite girl like her to have a shaded sit. It was there that Iliana first remembered writing her first poem, and it was there that she thought of when she was so far away from home, even while she was physically at home. It was where she found herself in her writings. This place, this completely ordinary place, was something exceptionally unordinary for her. To her, not even Hogwarts could compete with the magic this place provided for her. Iliana watched as the waves gently rolled over one another, but never making its way far up on the beach. Closing her eyes once more and listening to the serenity of the moment, Iliana allowed her mind to soar. She thought of green pastures, bare without any flowers or trees; she thought of a grove next, countless trees, a never-ending set of them, and finally, she'd thought of a dog. A shaggy, black dog like the one she'd met on the grounds had crossed her mind once more. The friend she'd told herself she'd made while she bandaged the wounded creature.

She could feel his presence around her. The feel of warmth and friendship stirring in her systems, something so unfamiliar to her with anything besides her writings and nature. A small smirk slid across her face once more. Perhaps this would be what she wrote about today … her new friend that could possibly care less whether or not she came back to Hogwarts, that probably didn't even take into account the aid she'd given it, or perhaps had already forgotten about her. She pushed all these thoughts aside. At least to her, she had made a friend, and that was enough to bring her pen to life as she frantically scribbled down on the page everything about this creature - from its form, to its shade; from its eyes, to the shagginess of its coat; from the hesitation at first, to the willingness to be aided; and finally, she noted the humanlike nature of this creature. She'd noted how much love she put into bandaging that paw, although it may not have seemed like it. It was the kind of love friends give to one another when they help cheer each other up, or help the other up from a fall. This creature had given her that - that sense of belonging, that sense … of friendship.

With his coat drawn tightly around him, Sirius made his way deeper and deeper into the Dark Forest, looking possibly for some place to nurse his arm. Although the bandage had somewhat served its purpose, the hurt in his arm had still prevailed. Sirius continued on through the Forest, moving steadily over fallen trees and careful not to awaken any dormant creature. Suddenly, he'd heard a calling. Normally, this would've brought unease to a typical hiker; however, it had brought quite the opposite … relief, for this call was a known call. One that would have been slain if it was not for his godson, and one that Sirius had grown to care for as a pet. He backed himself up into a tree, giving the creature enough distance away from himself. As the creature known as the hippogriff Buckbeak had stepped forward, Sirius broke into a deep bow. Several moments later, Buckbeak had done the same, showing the ultimate trust and courtesy between beast and rider. Sirius approached Buckbeak slowly, until Buckbeak had too made its way toward Sirius, allowing the human's hand to grace his beak. Sirius smiled. "Buckbeak, you're a saviour, you know that," he stated as if the creature could understand, and almost as if it did, Buckbeak nuzzled its beak against Sirius's cheek. Sirius seated himself on the ground, nursing his arm by keeping it tucked under his coat.

In a matter of seconds, Buckbeak had gracefully lain itself on the ground as well. Sirius rested his back against the now, sleeping creature as he continued to keep himself warm against the frigid night. If only that girl was here again, he thought to himself, she could fix up my arm, and I'd be able to ride out of this forest without a trace. But was that what he truly wanted? Did he really want to leave the place that he, too, had found refuge in for all those years in his youth? When his own family had pushed him away for the sake that he was the only Black to be placed in the Gryffidor house, when he chose to be different from his brother Regulus and was despised by his hateful mother for it, and when, recently, he'd met his godson so many years after the death of one of his closest and truest friends, perhaps he didn't want to leave. Not immediately, that is. Eventually, he would have to, but perhaps for now, he could rest here beside Buckbeak, while continuously nursing his arm back to its original feeling. Sirius closed his eyes as the deep intakes of breath from Buckbeak was enough to make Sirius feel as if he rested against a cloud. Sirius could feel drowsiness settling in, and perhaps some sleep would in fact do him some good. All the restless nights of running away, and wakeful ones of keeping constantly vigilant so as to not be captured as well, could perhaps be behind him.

Then again, when was Sirius Black known for staying out of trouble?

Nonetheless, for now, he would be able to rest. Some hours of sleep, could perhaps make him look younger, he supposed with a slight chuckle, obviously humouring himself at his recent thought. In the midst of this drifting into drowsiness, Sirius saw the vision of the girl that had nursed his bruised paw … or arm. A pretty thing she was, Sirius thought to himself, admiring the astonishing beauty this girl possessed tenfold. Caring, too he noted, as he remember the touch of her soft fingers on his shaggy fur… or rough skin. Alone, though, he took note of as well, remembering how he'd seen the beauty walking bravely across the grass and into the forest barefoot all in her lonesome; although, it didn't seem to bother her. Here he wondered exactly what sort of girl she was. A wondering he could never remember wondering about. Perhaps he had had his fair share of women that he'd wondered about, but those seemed ages ago. This face, this new, caring, beautiful face … Iliana … she had invoked an unknown feeling into him. Love? No, no, certainly not. Not yet, maybe. Friendliness? Perhaps. She did cater to his paw, mind you, regardless of whatever his shaggy and dirty fur may have possessed at the time, but that didn't seem to quite hit the nail on the head. No, it was friendliness and it certainly wasn't love. Admiration, maybe? Yes, he thought to himself, that was what she spiked in him - the feeling of admiration.

At the time he hadn't known exactly why, but at that moment, Sirius had drifted off to sleep without a single thought more to the admired being; however, there was something strange about his sleep. His face didn't possess that serious, angry look it always had, but instead … a slight smirk tugged at the corners of his lips. Then perhaps that was all this on-the-run scoundrel needed, sleep … and someone to admire … someone like Iliana.