Chapter Twelve
The One with the Warning
"I can't believe we're doing this," Hayley squealed, as I dragged her along the empty corridor.
"Oh, it's only eleven," I brushed off.
"Exactly," Hayley scoffed, "James and Lily are still on the patrol – if we get caught-"
"We'll just fly around for a couple of minutes," I said, wrapping my arm around her waist as I pulled her outside.
"But it's raining," she whined.
"I'll race you," I suggested, as I mounted my broom.
A smile appeared on her face as she took off.
"Wait-" I called after her.
Within minutes on the pitch we were both soaked down to our undergarments.
"SIRIUS!" Hayley beckoned me; she was about another thirty feet higher than me.
"NO WAY!" I yelled back, shaking my head in disbelief, "You come here! Does it look I want to die?"
"WE CAN HAVE PIE LATER!" She snapped, her voice getting lost amongst the wind.
"Just get down here!" I yelled looking up at her, as she circled above me.
"There's a fawn there?" She yelled in excitement, pulling a dive, and stopping short next to me, "Where is it?"
"I said down! Get down here!" I repeated.
She sighed, "You want to go get pie now?"
"NO!" I yelled, "I SAID I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"
"Alright," she exclaimed, "No need to yell, I'm not deaf – c'mon lets race."
I groaned, "You'll beat me anyway – I'm not built for speed, I'm built for strength." I added a grin at the end, flexing my biceps at her.
She rolled her eyes at me, "Oh don't be such a party pooper, Sirius – you didn't haul me out here in the pouring as so we could make out," she scoffed, before pulling back up. I groaned. She had gotten the competitive streak like James.
"I just wanted to make out in the rain!" I yelled at her as she flew away, "Hayley - that's way too high! You'll never be able to pull up!"
But she didn't hear me.
"No!" I yelled as she soared downwards. I pulled my broom into a dive as well; she caught up with me within a few seconds, "Are you crazy?" I yelled trying to keep up with her, but her broom had gained too much momentum. She gave me a panic stricken look; we were about 30ft from the ground, "Pull up! PULL UP!" I yelled at her.
"I can't!" she yelled back. We were about 20ft of the ground, if she didn't pull up soon she would crash, she looked back at me and grinned, "Catch me." I didn't know what she meant for a second, but I suddenly realised, she let go of her broom and it slipped out from underneath her, I swooped down and caught her around the waist just as her broom hit the ground shattering into pieces. I hauled her onto my broom. I could feel her shaking slightly as I landed softly onto the ground.
"What the hell happened?" I yelled at her as we got of the broom, "Are you crazy pulling a 100ft dive?"
"I lost control of the broom!" She said shaking, "I tried to pull up around 30ft but it wouldn't budge!" I was not sure if I believed her, but I knew I was just panicked as she was.
"Oy! Who's there!" came a sudden yell from the inside the castle
"Merlin's beard! I think its James," Hayley cried, "Go into the forest!" She tried to push me with all her might.
"What? Why?" I snapped, not moving as she thumped her fists on my chest.
"He's coming! Go!" she roared through the rain, she pushed me towards to the forest. I ran into the forest, from behind I could see James and what I assumed was Lily running up to her. Even through the dark and rain I could see James' face grow red, as he started a yelling match.
I watched as James dragged a confused Hayley and her broken broom back into the castle. I followed quietly after them. The rain had stopped now; the castle had taken on an eerie silence. The only sound was the soft taps of my shoes.
"Sirius! Sirius!"
I squinted around in the dark trying to find out which direction the voice was coming from.
"Sirius!"
"Oh! Come out where I can see you," I huffed. The last person I wanted to see came out from behind a statue, "Regulus? What do you want? What are you doing out so late?"
"Is Hayley okay?" he hissed. I could barely make out his face. I hadn't seen him this closely since a year ago or had a proper conversation with him.
"She's fine," I said cautiously, "Why?"
"Her broom didn't crash?" he asked, his voice had turned squeaky.
"Ye - How do you know about that?" I was definite no one could see us out there with the pouring rain and the dark skies.
"I-"
"Regulus?" I quickly ignited my wand, but he had disappeared, "Regulus!" I called out again.
I checked my watch it was 6:30 on a Saturday. Usually I didn't wake up until eleven on Saturday but I was meeting Hayley for an extremely early breakfast. The things you do for love. I got dressed as quietly as possible; the rest of the dorm was still snoring. I ran down the stairs to find Hayley already waiting for me.
"Morning beautiful," I flashed her a smile before wrapping my arms around her. I gave her a soft kiss on the cheek, 'So what happened with James last night and why did I have to hide?" I asked her as we headed down to the great hall.
She threw me a murderous glance before shaking me away.
"What-" I started.
"Sirius Black! If you ever take me out in the middle of the night when it's raining – I swear I will murder you!" she spat at me.
I laughed, "What did James say?"
"He completely bit my bloody head off! I've got a BLOODY DETENTION because of you!" she hissed.
"He gave you detention?" I said laughing even harder.
"Stop laughing – it wasn't funny!" Hayley snapped.
"I'm sorry," I choked, "You're an idiot."
"What Black?" she hissed at me.
I grinned, "If I was there with you, I could have stopped you from detention."
"I didn't want you to get in trouble!"
"That's awfully sweet love, but I like getting in trouble," I said, as we took our seats at the Gryffindor table.
"I don't want James to think you're getting me in trouble," She muttered under her breathe.
Oh. So this was what it all this was about. Making sure I'm on James' good side, so when we told him we were going out he would like me?
I don't know. I shouldn't analyse things.
"I can handle James," I said giving her assuring smile. I probably couldn't handle James. He's a bit of a hot head.
"No you can't, nobody can," she snapped at me.
I guess she was still angry.
"Believe me, I can," I told her, as we took our seats at the Gryffindor table.
"Nobody can," she repeated firmly, giving me a death stare. The death stare would have worked, if – IF I wasn't Sirius Black.
"I body can."
"I body?" she grinned, "The hardest thing I'm having to believe out of all this is that you go to school.
"Ha ha."
"Sirius, why are you giving me your plate," Hayley asked suddenly.
I grinned, "That's your plate, mine is here," I piled my plate with twice the amount of food on hers.
"I can't finish all this," she frowned, as she began to cut her waffles, "I only have one stomach."
"Don't worry, just give it to James," I shrugged, she smiled. I looked past her to see my brother coming down the stairs with a couple of his friends, he sneered at me, "Oh great."
"What?" Hayley said, "Not enough syrup?" She eyed my plate which was a pool of syrup.
"No," I scowled, "My brother." She looked up and caught Regulus' eye, he smirked at her.
"Do you think he knows?" Hayley panicked.
"No – no... Of course he doesn't," I said, "Don't worry, no one is going to find out, I mean how he can?"
Of course I knew how. But I wasn't stupid you know? I couldn't tell her about Regulus seeing us last night, she would just panic more. We had been going out for over three weeks now, and no one had found out. Although Remus was being extremely nosy... but she didn't need to worry about that...
He recently got into the habit of checking up on me with the map and always spotted me with Hayley, and when he couldn't find me on castle grounds he couldn't find Hayley as well. Yesterday he asked me why this was and suggested that if I was going out with her I should tell him. I told him I had no idea what he was talking about. After that I stole the map from him and hid it James' trunk. I knew I couldn't tell Hayley about Remus and his questions. She would start to panic. And I hoped that Remus wouldn't ask her about where she'd been wondering off too and I hoped her wouldn't tell James what he knew or what he thought. I hoped.
She nodded, I reached for the maple syrup "Sirius!" she snapped at me all of a sudden.
"What?" I shrugged, putting down bottle.
"If you put anymore syrup on that plate of yours-" She begun, and then stopped pointing to my chin, "You've got a little here." I tried to wipe it off with my hands, causing it to spread more.
"Lick it off for me?' I grinned at her.
She frowned, "I would, if James and Lily weren't coming over."
"Hey, what are you two doing up so early," James asked as he and Lily took a seat opposite us, "We thought we were going to be alone for breakfast."
"Alone for breakfast, eh? Well, trust me mate, I didn't have the same thing on my mind," I grinned, as Hayley nudged me.
"HEY BLACK!" yelled someone from the staircase; I looked up to see a group of Slytherins climbing down the stairs, smirking.
"Oh great," Hayley muttered beside me.
"HOW'S YOUR GIRLFRIEND?" yelled a dark-haired one, Rockwood, I could feel Hayley tense up immediately. (Could she make it any more obvious?) A big bulky guy, Rosier, next to Rockwood snarled at him and muttered something. Rockwood's face turned dark and he scowled at Rosier.
"What girlfriend?" James asked, his eyes wandered to me and then Hayley, "There's something fishy going on here and I don't like it..."
"There's nothing going on Prongs," I snapped.
"Why are you so defensive?" James snapped immediately.
"Because you're accusing me of being a fish!" I snapped back.
"Sirius, he didn't accuse you of being a fish," Lily started, "He said fishy, it just a muggle term of suspicious-"
"I know what it means Red," I said rolling my eyes, "To tell you the truth I'm getting really fed up with constant accusations!"
"What accusations?" Hayley chirped.
Oops. I guess I hadn't told Hayley about James being a tad nosy as well.
"Nothing," James said, before I had a chance, "Nothing."
"Yeah, nothing," I said repeating James. I ignored Hayley's glance.
"What's going on?" Hayley asked, pushing away her breakfast. Her eyes darted from James and then to me.
"Nothing!" James snapped at her, "Geez..."
I felt Hayley stiffen next to me, James usually didn't snap at her.
"Let's go Sirius," she huffed, standing up. Oh, she had a bit off a short temper to when it came to James.
"Where?" I said, bits of pancakes flying out of my mouth.
"Away from here," she snapped, tugging on my shirt, "Bring the maple syrup," she sighed.
"Wheryougoin'?" James asked his mouth full of food as well.
Hayley ignored him, as she tugged on my shirt until I stood up.
I shrugged at James, "I'm coming, stop pullin' – wait! Maple syrup!"
She pulled me out of the hall, before I could grab the bottle of syrup.
"James is getting on my nerves!" Hayley growled, as soon as we were out of the hall.
"Well-" But before I had a chance to share my insight into the situation with her, she pushed me roughly against the wall and her lips came crashing down onto mine. Her hands wondered up my shirt, pulling me closer to her –
"Wait-" I hissed, pulling away, "Where is this coming from? James is on the other side of this wall..."
"Well, I don't care!" she said fiercely, it was rather adorably.
I grinned; I grabbed her hand and dragged down the hall.
"Where are we go- oh..." she answered her own question as I pulled her into the broom closet. She jumped up and wrapped her legs around my waist; I pushed her against a bare wall. I brushed my lips against hers. I ran my tongue along her bottom lip while my hands played with her hair. She moaned. Our kiss became deeper; she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me closer. I pushed her harder against the wall. I pulled away slowly, grinning. Her breathe was unsteady and her lips red matching her cheeks. She unwrapped her legs from my waist.
"Not bad," She shrugged. I laughed, "I love you." I shrugged; she grinned and hit me playfully on the chest.
"I love you too," I smiled, she nudged me, "What- oh..." I let go of her. She straightened up her clothes and hair and went to open the door.
"Wait! What if somebody's outside?" Hayley looked nervously at me, bitting her lip, "I'll go out first, and I'll cough if it's alright to come out," I suggested.
I walked out of the broom closet, I check down the hallway. I coughed, she open the door and came out. She jumped up on her toes and kissed me quickly on the lips.
"SIRIUS!" came a roar from down the corridor.
"Merlin's-"
"I KNEW IT!"
I examined Hayley's panic stricken face as she quickly let go of my hand.
"Remus, don't jump to conclusions," I said, as he came closer.
"I KNEW IT!" he yelped again. We were now inches away.
"Keep it down!" I snapped, "I can explain."
"Go ahead!" Remus said.
"I had syrup on my face."
"Oh Sirius!" Remus snapped, whacking me on the arm.
"Hey-"
"I can't believe you lied to me! You look me straight in the eyes and lied!" Remus growled.
"You can't tell anyone, especially James."
"Give me one reason why?"
"Because Hayley – Hayley?" I looked around she was no longer next to me. She was sitting against the wall, behind me, her hands covering her face.
"Hayley..." I whispered, crouching down next to her.
"This is my entire fault, my stupid idea to go into the broom closet!" she muttered to me.
"No, it's not... It's going to be okay, Remus isn't going to tell anyone," I said, giving Remus a death stare.
"Yeah, it's not my secret to tell," Remus nodded quickly.
Hayley stood up, a worried look playing on her face. She pulled me closer to her and muttered, "I told you Sirius it was a bad idea! I told we shouldn't do this."
"Hayley, I'm not going to tell anyone – but Sirius I want to talk to about this," Remus said, "Alone."
"Later," I said brushing him off, I turned back to Hayley, "Everything is going to-"
"I know he won't," she snapped, her composure changing completely. She didn't seem to be paying attention to me anymore.
"No - I was saying... everything is going to be fine," I repeated.
"Sure," she said shaking her head. I followed her eyes to where she was staring.
"Hayley," I snapped, her eyes immediately jumped back to me, "Why are you staring the Slytherins."
"No – I – Ros – I'll see you in the common room – later – yeah – no, wait – okay, bye," she muttered, walking away from me.
"Hayley!" I called after her, I turned back to Remus "See what you did? Why do you have to be so nosy!"
"Sirius!" Remus growled, "What would you do if it was James that walked down this corridor? If you're going to fool around with Hayley, at least hide it properly!"
"I'm not fooling around with her," I said, as we walked towards the lake, "I love her."
"Oh c'mon! We both know you don't love her," Remus snapped.
"I do Remus, she means everything to me," I muttered.
"Sirius, you have never ever had feelings for a girl," Remus said, as we both sat down on the grass, "I don't believe you really do – maybe it's just a phase."
"Last night, we went on a broom ride-" I started.
"Wasn't there a storm?" Remus interjected.
I nodded, "And we were practicing our dives – and she pulled a 150ft dive-"
"WHAT-"
I cut across him, "But she couldn't pull up – I swear on Merlin's wonky wand, my heart has never pounded that hard – just the ten second thought that she was going to get hurt..."
"Sirius..."
"I know you're not going to believe me, I don't blame you, I haven't treated girls the best in the past," I shrugged, "But I love her and-"
"You don't have to prove yourself to me," Remus said finally.
"Thanks," I grinned, "You don't happen to have any maple syrup, do you?"
Hayley's POV
I looked past Sirius, to Regulus. He was staring at me intently completely ignoring his group of friends.
"I know he won't," I snapped at Sirius, who was saying something about Remus.
Regulus smiled at me and beckoned me over. I shook my head, "Sure," I muttered to Sirius.
"Hayley!" Sirius snapped. My eyes darted back to him, "Why are you staring the Slytherins?" he asked.
I muttered something back to him and walked off.
"Hayley!" I heard him call.
I saw Regulus waiting for me, he sneered at me. Actually I couldn't work out if it was a sneer or a smile. No, it was a smile. It was quite similar to Sirius'. Regulus looked like a younger version of Sirius. He was a little shorter, lankier (as he played the position of seeker), and his face was shrouded with a bit more darkness.
"What do you want?" I snapped.
"Rosier wants you to him at nine, entrance hall," Regulus said, no longer smiling.
"I have detention - and I'm going to need my wand back!" I growled.
"Don't curse the messenger," Regulus said, "You should be glad Rosier sent me, and not Rockwood..."
"So I should be glad that he sent you?" I snarled at him.
"I know about you and Sirius, I don't want Sirius mixed up in all this," Regulus muttered, "It was Rosier who cursed your broom."
"Don't worry I won't get Sirius mixed up in this," I stated firmly. I already knew it was Rosier who had cursed the broom. He had told me that I should take it as a type of warning.
"I have to warn you though, Rosier isn't playing around," Regulus said, resting his hands on my shoulders, "And you should get your arm mended..."
My arm twitched at the mention of it. It was still bruised and it hurt to move it, but I knew if I went to Madam Pomfrey, James would find out – he was in there at least twice a day.
"Why are you being so – so unlike yourself?" I muttered, confused. After all the Sirius had told me about his brother, I didn't expect him to be this-?
"Why am I being so nice?" he grinned, Regulus gave me a final look, "You can trust me, I'm probably the only way you'll get out of this alive – remember at nine."
He gave me smile and walked away. Alive? What the hell was Rosier planning? I went over several situations in my head as I walked back to the Gryffindor common. Did he really plan on killing me? I didn't know what to think... he was just a kid – well, teenager... how could a teenager use an unforgivable curse? Was he full of empty threats? Wait - why was I listening to him again? Oh yeah, he said he'd sell James and Sirius out to Voldemort? That was it... It seems so long, since he told me – threatened me. I didn't know what he had planned, I didn't know how this was going to turn out... but I knew one thing for sure – I was going to let anything to James or Sirius. And I'm going to do everything in power... or not in my power to make sure they don't get hurt...
"I saw you!" James yelled at me, as I entered the common room. He, Lily, Sirius, Remus and Peter were crowded around the fireplace. Everybody threw a confused look at James and then me.
I quickly exchanged glances Sirius, who shrugged.
"I saw you talking to Regulus!" James said jumping up, "What did he do to you?"
"What? When did you see me?" I asked, trying to act frustrated.
"Lily told me! And I checked the map..." James trailed off.
"James!" Lily cried, slapping James on the arm.
"Why would you tell him something like that?" I snapped at Lily, she looked a bit taken back my attitude. Normally – I stress the normally... if I hadn't just found I was going die... I would never speak to Lily like that... but if I had to be rude and alienate everyone around me to keep them safe – that's exactly what I was going to do.
"Don't get snappy at her! What we're doing with him?" James said, defending Lily.
"What I do, and who I speak to is none of your business Evans! And why do you have to be a tattle tale and go tell James?" I snapped at Lily again.
She looked as if she were about to retaliate but James cut across her, "Leave her alone! What were you doing with him?"
"What I talk about with other people is none of your business!" I yelled. It was frustrating enough him telling me who I could or could not but even more so when questioned who I talked with, 'And I'll have you know, we were just passing by and WE TALKED ABOUT QUIDDITCH!"
"Oh – I thought he was-"
"Yes, I know what you thought, I wish, that just for once you would leave me the fuck alone!"
James looked taken back by my sudden rage, "Something's happened to you, you're not the same person you were two weeks ago."
"Oh okay, and I bet Regulus has something to do with that!" I snapped, starting to calm down a bit.
"I didn't say that – but I know, a few weeks ago you would never talk to me like that," I muttered. He sounded slightly hurt. Maybe.
"Well, you know what?" I growled at him. I walked towards with until we were a few inches apart, "A few weeks ago you would have never treated me like how you treated this morning," I spat, poking his chest with ever word.
"What-" James started, but I cut across him.
"C'mon Sirius, let's go!" I said, walking out of the common. I could hear Sirius mutter something to James and then follow me out.
"Are you okay?" Sirius asked.
"Fine," I muttered, as we walked outside, into the open air.
"What we're you doing with Regulus, you know he's a jerk," He said, his voice growing slightly tense as we walked down to the lake.
"Sirius, you're just angry at him," I sighed, dropping onto the grass.
"I'm not angry!" he snapped at me, not joining me on the grass, "He's bad news – and you shouldn't hang out with him!" I scoffed at him as he gave me an all knowing stare.
"Sirius, what's this really about?" I grumbled, standing back up from my comfortable space on the grass.
"Do you like him? Because if the only reason you're going out with me is to get it him – it won't work," Sirius said, folding his arms and tapping his foot impatiently, like a six year old.
The shock of what he had just accused me off took me a while to comprehend. I stared at him bewildered for a few seconds, unsure of what to say. Frustration boiled inside me, thinking back to the past couple of days and what I had gone through to protect his stupid life.
"Well c'mon!" Sirius growled, "You can't blame me for thinking you're cheating, you cheated on Sheldon!"
I could suddenly feel my heart stop, did he just accuse me of cheating? It was like my heart jumped out of my chest and he just stomped on it, "Sirius – are trying to be funny?" I asked, my voice shaking.
"Are you screwing my brother?"
How was this happening? What had I done to make him think like this? I was having trouble forming proper words to say back to him, it was like my mind was having mini seizures. The confusion and hurt of his word wore of and the anger came. In a few seconds my emotions of pain turned into anger. I looked up at him. He tapped his foot impatiently at me and before I could stop myself, my hand reached up and cracked him across the face.
"If you don't fucking trust me, after everything, you can go to hell."
I walked away from him, as he stared in shock after me. It was the second time this year I had slapped him, and it didn't feel any better than I first time.