Fragments of Us
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Warnings: None for this chapter.
Chapter 30 – A Very Happy New Year – Part 1
Kate stood before her armoire with only an hour left until Sirius' arrival for their "date". She was showered and wore undergarments – and a look of sheer panic. The evidence of her lack of costume was strewn around her: clothing of all shapes, designs and colors littered the floor, her bed and the desk. Hangars littered the floor of the armoire while one or two were connected, still hanging precariously from the rod – victims of Kate's frustration and temper as she pulled the garments from them. Outfits that would normally have suited any occasion had been discarded once the image of that damned leather jacket had floated in front of her mind's eye. Sirius in black trousers, white linen and leather was a vision that would be difficult to compete with…particularly if no Azkaban ghosts lurked in his mind and he managed to wear the outfit with the cocky swagger of those relatively trouble-free days just after graduation.
Kate sighed, sticking her head into the virtually empty interior for one more glance. Catching her breath sharply, Kate's vision caught something hanging way to the left of the cabinet. With a muttered 'Accio!', Kate's eyes narrowed as the lone garment skidded giddily toward her, down the metal rod. She caught it and appraised the item thoughtfully. "I wonder…" she said, sliding the fabric from the padded hangar and slipping it over her head. Kate took a deep breath and closed one-half of the double doors and exhaled slowly as her image was reflected back at her through the mirror. The dress was a vibrant crimson color – strapless and falling about an inch above her knees. The fabric hugged her curves, showing off her flat stomach and toned bottom. The sweetheart neckline rose to a point just above her breasts, the built-in bra providing definition and just enough cleavage to be interesting. Kate turned to view the dress' fit at the back and found herself looking at an equally figure-hugging image. To facilitate some ease in movement, a small slit had been cut into the hemline, at the center; obviously the designer had recognized that the presentation of this particular dress would be ruined if the woman wearing it were forced to walk like a penguin whilst doing so.
Kate turned back to face the mirror and found herself blushing slightly. Well, it's certainly a 'party dress', she thought to herself. Tasteful, if a bit revealing. Oh, bloody hell! I won't be able to wear it forever. Might as well get on with it while the body's still young enough to carry it off.
Kate moved over to the vanity in the corner of her room and brushed her hair until it gleamed, falling in gentle waves around her face and setting off her lovely complexion. She sprayed a light scent on her throat and wrists, then set about dealing with her makeup. To a tinted lotion, Kate added a light blush, some bronze shadow to bring out the copper flecks in her brown eyes and a bit of mascara to define her lashes. Finally, she reached for her customary clear gloss and held it aloft for a moment before setting it back down thoughtfully and reaching for a tube of lipstick in the corner. Pulling off the metal cover, Kate leaned closer to the mirror and applied a vibrant crimson stain to her mouth, over which she applied a coat of clear gloss. Sitting back to examine the effect, she was satisfied with the overall appearance. Finally. As an afterthought, Kate grabbed her wand and cast a spell that would set the lip stain and gloss for the night without need of reapplication. Somehow, Kate thought this particular spell would come in handy during this particular party. Kate sent the piles of clothing back to their hangars and closed the doors of the armoire. There was no point in letting Sirius in on the fact she had been absolutely frantic in her search for tonight's clothing. Kate knew she'd never hear the end of it from the man. She was just slipping into a pair of crimson pumps when she heard the knock she had been anticipating all day. Checking herself once more in the full-length mirror, Kate walked halfway to the door then stopped and quietly called, "Come in."
She held her breath as the door opened and Sirius stepped inside, closing it behind him. Kate exhaled slowly. Dear Merlin, he was gorgeous. Clearly changed from the young, carefree wizard of old, the man standing before her was a more mature and, to her mind, a far more attractive version of his younger self. As promised, he was dressed in soft black Muggle dress trousers and the gorgeous linen shirt he had worn to James and Lily's rehearsal dinner so many years ago. The new leather jacket, soft and so suited to him, hung beautifully and, as Kate had thought, was the perfect final touch to his look for the evening. He had trimmed his beard and mustache and his wavy hair fell just clear of his shoulders, thick and dark with only some silver threads revealed by the light of the candles. Having allowed her eyes to roam over him appreciatively, Kate finally reached his eyes and shivered at the almost predatory light she found in their sparkling blue depths.
"Katie," he whispered, his eyes raking a path from her soft hair to the tips of her crimson shoes. "Dear Merlin, but you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," he breathed. "That dress…" he paused, swallowing loudly. "It's so…you look…I mean, I…" he stopped making any noise, but his lips continued to move. Then, Sirius took one hand from behind his back and extended it toward her. In it was a lovely, long-stemmed rose.
Kate couldn't help herself and she laughed quietly, putting him out of his misery. "Thank you," she said. "You are more handsome than I ever remember you being," Kate said, moving toward him and accepting the rose. She reached up and placed her lips gently against his, kissing him tenderly. "Thank you for this, as well," she whispered against his mouth as she ended the kiss but did not pull away. "It's lovely." Kate felt him nod, but still Sirius remained silent. Kate took a step back so she could see his face more clearly. "Are you alright?" she asked.
Sirius shook his head from side to side slowly. "I feel like I've been stunned," he said, the corner of one side of his mouth finally beginning to lift upward in a crooked smile. Sirius dropped his glance and took her in from head to toe once again. "That dress is enough to give a wizard ideas," he said. "It's almost cruel."
Kate smiled and linked her arm with his. "Well, hang onto those ideas, Mr. Black. You never know when they might prove useful! Oh – and speaking of 'useful', I must remember to thank Hermione for teaching me those warming charms for clothing. They'll come in handy tonight with this dress." Kate knew she was teasing him, but she couldn't resist.
Sirius groaned as he took her arm. "I'll tell you what, love. I'll keep refreshing the warming charms for you if you keep refreshing the cooling charms for me!" Kate laughed at his crooked smile and slightly pained expression and kissed him gently once more before taking a step toward the door. "Come on, Padfoot," she said, smiling. "Let's go downstairs and join the rest of the party-goers, shall we?" Sirius opened the door for her, then followed, closing it behind him as they stepped into the hallway.
"Bloody hell!" Kate and Sirius turned in the direction of the voice and saw Ron and Harry coming out of their room at the end of the hallway. Ron had stopped dead in the hall when he saw Kate and he was now blushing a color rivaling that of her dress.
"Pick your jaw up off the floor, Ron," Sirius chided, unable to completely hide his own smile. "The lady is taken and I believe your own woman awaits you in the library."
Harry snorted appreciatively and patted Ron on the shoulder as he passed him. Hugging his Godfather, Harry said, "Happy New Year, Sirius. You look great. New jacket?"
Sirius looked over at Kate before answering. "Turns out I had one more Christmas present to open after all."
Harry nodded, moving over to Kate. He paused with an impish expression on his face and turned back to Sirius. "If I promise to remember that she's 'taken', is it ok with you if I hug my Godmother?"
Sirius nodded and opened his mouth to make a smart remark but shut it again when he caught the look on Kate's face. She was clearly taken aback by Harry's request and there was a suspicious brightness in her eyes but her smile was soft as she looked at him. At that moment, Harry turned back and gave Kate a gentle hug, kissing her cheek. Kate put her arm around his waist and hugged him back for a moment before releasing him. "Thank you, Harry. Happy New Year to you, too." The boy nodded, then took a step back. "You look really nice, Kate," Harry said, just as Ron came up to the trio, leaning in toward Kate.
Sirius cleared his throat, making Ron jump a bit. "You can just shake her hand, mate," Sirius said. Ron nodded, swallowing audibly, but Kate would have none of it. She patted Ron's arm, then leaned up and give him a peck on the cheek. "Happy New Year, Ron. Pay no attention to my date. He can be such a possessive dog, sometimes!" With that, she headed to the stairs, Sirius and Harry chuckling together and hurrying to catch up with her. Ron trailed along behind them, his hand on his cheek.
When the foursome entered the library, there was a noticeable pause in the noise level as both Kate and Sirius underwent some significant scrutiny. Once the conversations resumed full throttle, it was the general consensus of the men that Kate looked incredible and that Sirius was incredibly lucky. The women, although loathe to admit it, found themselves a bit disconcerted by the improved appearance of the normally scruffy and sullen ex-convict. Much to Ron's consternation, Hermione found herself casting sly glances in Sirius' direction and giggling with Ginny while Harry and Ron shrugged and rolled their eyes. "It's just Sirius, you know," Ron hissed to Hermione at one point and it was the girls' turn to roll their eyes. Of course, Ron's fit of pique was in direct contrast to his tendency to puff out his chest and "swagger" a bit when he thought Kate might be looking his way. Hermione, having seen this performance three times in the space of an hour, commented, "You needn't bother preening and strutting yourself about, Ron. You forget, we all see you on a regular basis and know what you look like. I hear that even Crookshanks knows the truth." She chuckled, a slight blush rising to her cheeks.
"'The truth', mate?" Harry asked, settling in beside his friend on the settee. "Have you been swapping secrets with Hermione's familiar?" he sniggered.
Ron blushed to the roots of his hair as he retorted. "Bloody beast! Almost gave me a heart attack this morning. He snuck into the bathroom while I was … well…anyway, I looked down and there he was, standing next to me with his paws braced on the rim, staring at me, then looking down, then staring up at me, again. Blimey – made me think he was set to launch an attack!" Although no one would have thought it possible, Ron's blush deepened as he realized that he'd told his story in front of his little sister and Hermione. Standing with as much dignity as he could muster, he muttered that he was thirsty and headed for the punch bowl. Harry, Hermione and Ginny could barely last until he was out of earshot before they burst into laughter. "I hope he controls his fluid intake this evening," Ginny gasped. "If he doesn't want another encounter with your cat!" This brought on a renewed episode of mirth from the three friends who were wiping their eyes and holding their sides in laughter.
"The children appear to be having a good time," Arthur said to his wife as Kate and Sirius walked up to them, Remus in tow. "And you're finally looking better," he added, shaking the werewolf's hand warmly.
Remus smiled at his friend, in return. "We've both had a bit of an adventure this holiday, haven't we?" he asked.
Arthur returned Remus' smile. "That we have, my friend, that we have indeed!"
Sirius looked over at Remus and put his hand on his friend's arm. "I think one of our resolutions should be to have fewer adventures like those, don't you?" he asked soberly.
Remus put his hand on top of Sirius' for a moment. "Let's resolve to try, at least." Changing the subject, he took a step back from the couple and looked them over appreciatively. "Kate," he began. "You always look stunning, and tonight is no exception, but this," Remus turned and gestured toward Sirius."is nothing short of miraculous!"
Sirius put his hand over his heart, feigning insult. "Mooney, I'm crushed! You of all people should remember how devastatingly handsome I've always looked in leather!"
Remus exchanged a brief smile with Kate before responding, "It's not the leather, Padfoot. Who knew you'd clean up well enough to attract a beauty like Kate?!"
"He's got you there, cousin," Tonks had appeared at Kate's elbow and, while she spoke to Sirius, her eyes were firmly glued on Remus. Remus looked down and smiled. "Tonks, Happy New Year," he greeted her warmly. Tonks blushed to the roots of her magenta pink hair.
Sirius leaned over to Kate. "I think that's our cue to move on," he whispered, taking a moment to kiss her cheek softly. Kate shivered and nodded, letting him lead her over to where Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall were seated before the fire. They settled themselves on an overstuffed sofa conjured for the occasion and greeted the older members warmly.
"Mr. Black, you look very handsome this evening," Minerva said. "Quite different from the last time I saw you."
Sirius smiled cheekily. "Well, Minerva, I couldn't very well come to my own party dressed in rags, could I? After all, they were getting a bit threadbare in places…"
Kate brought her hand between them and pinched Sirius on the bottom. He jumped and gave a slight yelp. "You'll have to excuse him, Minerva. He's still getting used to using his 'company manners'." She graced Sirius with an indulgent smile as she removed her hand and patted his arm. "We're so glad that you both could join us tonight," Kate continued, ignoring the huff of indignation that came from Sirius as he discreetly rubbed the sore spot on his bum.
"Wouldn't have missed it for the world, my dear," Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling as he turned away from Sirius' obvious discomfort. "It's nice to take the opportunity to spend time with those we love and hold dear. I'm very happy to see so many happy faces here tonight. And you look every bit as lovely as your date, I must say," he added.
"You'll want to be careful there, Professor," Harry said, coming up behind them and settling on the arm of the sofa next to Kate. "Sirius is a little particular about compliments directed at my Godmother." It was Kate's turn to blush as Sirius gave Harry a pointed look - which the boy cheerfully ignored.
"Well, Harry, I must say that if I came to a party with a Godmother as stunning as yours, I would be particular, as well," the Headmaster commented, giving Sirius a small wink and deftly ignoring Minerva's "tsk" at his comment.
"I think we've probably exhausted this particular topic," Kate said, smiling at the Headmaster. "Perhaps we can find something else to chat about."
The group fell into a lively discussion about underage magic and all the rules prohibiting its use. At one point, Kate looked up and was surprised to meet the cool black-eyed gaze of Hogwarts' Potions Master. Standing just inside the entrance to the library, alone, looking incredibly out of place, Severus Snape was sipping from a glass of wine and using his icy glare to repel anyone who attempted to speak with him. Kate smiled to herself. Let's see what he does with me. Excusing herself from the group, Kate made her way over to the Professor, noting that his eyes tracked her progress the entire length of the room.
"Severus," Kate said, extending her hand to him. "I'm so glad that you decided to join us. Happy New Year."
Snape looked pointedly at her extended hand then back into her face. He made no move to touch her. Kate sighed, but refused to give in. "It's a hand, Severus," she said to him quietly. "It isn't poisonous, nor does it harbor any thorns. You simply grasp it in greeting. I promise you'll come to no harm and I will not create a scene."
After gazing at her for a moment, Severus took her fingers in his hand for the briefest of moments, then let go, his gaze never leaving her face. "I'm assuming that satisfies your odd desire for contact with me," he said.
"It was a handshake, Severus, not an invitation to snog me," Kate said, smiling wryly. "How are you?"
"Irritated at being called from my own rooms and occupations to attend a party," Snape replied, his voice oozing disdain. "I am not a social creature, Ms. Morgan."
Kate pursed her mouth in mock surprise. "Really, Severus? I had no idea. I thought perhaps your invitation said, 'Black tie and attitude'. I can see you ignored the first, but remembered the latter." As he made to turn away from her, Kate reached out and put her hand on his arm. "Wait. I'm sorry. That was uncalled for." Kate felt the muscles tense beneath her hand, but she was determined not to let go until she had convinced him of her regret. She maintained eye contact with him, allowing him to penetrate her mind and showing him the truth of her feelings. Soon, he withdrew and Kate felt him relax. He inclined his head, but said nothing further.
"I remember you from school, you know," Kate said, breaking the silence.
"Yes, well, anyone who chummed around with Black and his cronies would undoubtedly remember at least some of their favorite victims," he said, his voice bitter.
"I never thought what they did to you was right," Kate said, softly. "They were idiots, full of themselves and interested only in being 'Lords of the Manor' – the righteous and mighty Marauders." She paused. "But people grow up, Severus. People change."
"Not them," Severus replied stubbornly. "Not him," he added, thrusting his chin in Sirius' direction.
"Severus, that's not entirely fair. He was a total bastard to you back in school, I realize that. I remember it. But twelve years in Azkaban have had an impact on his development – surely you realize that. His positive memories have all disappeared and all he remembers is the negative, the bad. Not his choice. Until they come back to him – as they've started to do, his emotional progress won't resume," Kate reasoned.
Severus looked at her for a long while. "Do not expect me to pity anything that has happened to him," he said.
"I don't, Severus, really. Sirius will deal with what's happened to him. I just had hoped that perhaps there might be a time when you stopped resenting them so much. You have such a shared history, after all. And…we're all on the same side here."
At that, Snape looked at her sharply. This time, Kate blinked. "You only get one bite at the "Legilimency" apple, Severus. I don't appreciate mind-intrusion without permission. I won't permit you to do it at your own whim. I'd like you to trust me - or to at least give me the benefit of the doubt."
Severus regarded her less coldly for a moment. "Trust can get you killed, Ms. Morgan."
"It can also give you the protection of friends, Severus," Kate returned.
Severus glanced down at his arm, where her hand still rested. "If you'll excuse me," he said softly, meeting her gaze once again. "I believe I'll make Dumbledore aware that I have, in fact arrived so that I may depart again."
Kate removed her hand. "Happy New Year, Severus."
This time, he nodded to her and then made his way to speak with Dumbledore. As she watched him go, Kate caught Sirius watching her from his place near Minerva. She smiled at him and beckoned him to join her, which he did.
"Exchanging secrets with Snivellus?" he growled, his arm encircling her waist possessively.
"No, Sirius," Kate replied, leaning into him. "We were just talking. He's such a lonely man. I feel very badly for someone who is so bitter about life."
"Well, he's made his own bed, let him lie in it," came the response.
Kate turned and picked up Sirius' free hand, placing it on his chest where the Promise ring rested. "Remember, Sirius. Sometimes people make choices in the heat of a moment and their lives follow a path they find difficult to alter. I believe you know something about that. And how much courage it takes to make a decision to try. Perhaps not everyone is free to make their own promises – to make their own decisions about changing their lives."
Sirius was silent for awhile, then leaned down and kissed Kate gently. "I can't help how I feel about the man, Kate. I will try to be less obvious in front of you – and others."
"Thank you, darling," she said, returning his kiss quickly.