The crackling warmth of the Gryffindor common room fire provided the backdrop for many evenings spent revising there. Gemma, one of the girls in her dormitory provided an incessant flow of chatter, Marissa only had to supply the occasional 'Oh really!' or 'yeah'. Gemma stretched her arms out into a small arc and nestled back into the armchair. "Coming up to bed?" Gemma enquired. "Nah, I think I'll finish this, inclining her head towards the lengthy essay, "We have that mermaid identification test on Tuesday". "Bor-ing!" Gemma had retaliated and sighed exasperatedly, "You could actually have a life you know!" she joked "It's what people tend to do!". She smiled kindly and left, patting Marissa gently on the shoulder. "Promise me you'll be up soon though" and departed with a smile. She felt a flop as someone sat in Gemma's vacated chair. Marissa grabbed a tome, completely at random from the pile abandoned by Gemma on the table. She had hoped he would not notice her or at least if he did, pretend he hadn't. Unfortunately Marissa was not a person bestowed by good fortune and the universe did not seem particularly attuned to her desires. She had a very good idea of who that person may be, however she refrained from looking up, more so from instinctual silence than indignation.
Sirius loved to watch her struggle with the juxtaposition of comfortably saying nothing or hurling out insults and hexes. He could practically see her mind whirring as to what to do. He leaned back and enjoyed the show. She sat with a stillness that was almost supernatural, so beautiful her looks were almost inconceivable. She didn't fiddle vacantly with a strand of hair nor did she nibble absent minded on the tip of her quill creating slight dent marks, she was a very unorthodox teenager. He had to clarify what had been uneasily pushing his thoughts around at night. It was true that he had been one quick decision from kissing her last week, neither had broached the subject. He was unsure of proceeding and was quickly opening his mouth to interject when surprisingly he heard her rapid, low voice.
"Why are you here?" She spoke coldly and with a distance that matched his from their previous encounter in Astrology. "Am I not allowed to speak to my favourite Gryffindor?" Sirius enquired casually with heavy sarcasm. Although this was clearly meant as a throwaway statement to embarrass her, Marissa felt an anxious at the peak of delight born within her. Sirius Black had been so close to claiming her, yet she had not claimed him, why? Like a strange magnetism he had been pulled to the empty seat opposite her instead of joining his friends. This had garnered him several highly inquisitive glances, all of which he ignored with a shrug.
Sirius watched her holding a book directly in front of her face, except it was upside down. The result was quite comical. "I didn't know you were into that sort of stuff" Sirius quipped, glancing at the cover of 'Want The Wizard, Won't Waste Time?'. "What's wrong with?..oh.." and she dropped the book like it had burned her. Its absence revealed the full beauty of her face usually hidden behind a large amount of book-binding. She fumbled for the little tattered copy of Sylvia Plath's 'The Bell Jar', shifting several other books on a bid to locate it.
"Looking for this?" Sirius asked with pseudo-innocence and a quirked eyebrow. A small tattered paper back dangled from his hand.
"No" she said quickly and defiantly but it was painfully obvious from the desperation in her voice that it was a lie. She looked elsewhere avoiding eye contact; she was still horrendously uncomfortable with anyone looking at her.
He was enjoying himself far too much to comply. "Hmm" he flicked through it lazily.
"Give it back!", even she was surprised with the sternness in her vocals at this moment. "It's a muggle book" she added hurriedly, "You wouldn't like it," she spoke with a defensive taint to her voice, never once lifting her eyes from her work.
"How do you know what I would and would not like, Gardner?" the intensity of his gaze brought the familiar injection of colour into her cheeks. She resumed her inspection of the table with lowered eyes. 'Muggle book?' Sirius thought with dubiousness; however he was determined to rid himself of the traits that bound him to the line of Blacks, so he disregarded all preconceptions. He eyed the novel curiously. "The pictures don't even move!" he complained leafing through its contents with the appearance of a highly disappointed child. Marissa fought a very strenuous combat not to giggle, everything Sirius said had this effect on her, his words were always spiked with a dry witty humour.
With her expression in the most neutral zone she could fathom, Marissa replied. "That's because they're not supposed to, it wasn't made in magical ink". "Obviously" muttered Sirius sarcastically.
"Any good?" He enquired lightly as he tossed the pages. "Yes, it's wonderful! You should read it, if you wan-…" she gushed before becoming nervous with her outburst and trailing off hesitantly. That was one of the few times Sirius had seen her brown eyes come alive as she had looked up with excitement. "Don't mind if I do" he announced with a cheeky wink in her direction. With low expectations yet oddly driven by an urge to relate to Marissa he began,
'It was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted the Rosenbergs, and I didn't know what I was doing in New York. I'm stupid about executions. The idea of being electrocuted makes me sick'
With each page he flicked, he was entwined deeper into "Esther's" life and by extension, Marissa's too. For a while, Marissa watched Sirius and the emotions that were projected onto his face. For a while, she found herself distracted by him for a bit too long so she chided herself and returned to writing. "Do you want to go for a walk?" Sirius had asked suddenly. His swagger and confident demeanour diminished acutely when she regarded him incredulously. "After hours again?", she continued looking puzzled, "no thank you", she concluded politely. Noticing how late it was she moved to gather the large pile of books. She carried the large stack of books back to her room until a London drawl called her to a halt. "You forgot this!" he held out the tattered copy of 'The Bell Jar'. "You read it, I don't need it at the moment" she smiled and embarked the stairs. It left Sirius standing at its steps feeling oddly elated.
The best thing about being Sirius Black was that girls came to him, when it suited him. He didn't have to comply with anyone annoying just for a lousy snog, that behaviour was strictly reserved for Peter. This aspect of his life gave him access to the Hogwarts favourites-Eva Thornwood, Camilla Ray-Hewitt or even Gryffindor's own Natalie De Burgh, all of whom he'd ticked at least twice on his mental 'to-do' list. Of course there were the usual pure-blood brats from families deemed eligible enough, that were eagerly pushed towards him, Sirius recoiled from these offers, not because the girls hadn't been attractive (In fact the Malfoy line had succeeded in creating some very pretty blondes) but because it would piss his parents off. That was the sole truth as he had explained it to James a few years ago.
Elena removed the goblin-silver locket Amos Diggory had given her and stowed it in her skirt pocket before arriving at the meeting point. She was under no preconceptions as to her purpose here, in fact it had been stringently obvious when Sirius had approached her unexpectedly after lunch last week. She had flirted shamelessly back and was more than delighted with the arrangement, it would be quick and loveless but at least she had claim over him briefly. Her friends had stiffened with barely contained jealousy, usually Sirius was discreet about these sort of arrangements.
Shifty and unaware, Sirius had played distractedly with the box of cigarettes buried deep in his pockets before removing one. The light of the sleeping castle bounced off his dark, handsome features. He looked sullen. Offering Elena one, he lit up inhaling deeply and allowing the soothing effect of nicotine to rush through him and settle his strained mind. The deserted corridor soon began to smell faintly of smoke. Elena Farren spun her arms around his neck and kissed him readily, with a determination to leave her mark. Elena's taste had become tainted by the smoke that suppressed her naturally delectable sweetness and she pulled him closer so that his chest brushed against the thin fabric of her school shirt. She pressed her lips to his neck. Skimming his hand against the slight curve of her waist, he cursed the fabric for separating them. That was easily rectified as she slid it upwards. He felt her warm arms pulling him closer and inviting him to become part of her world.
Rhythmically, her shirt buttons became unclasped one by one, leaving a myriad of gaping flesh revealed beneath. Expertly he toyed his hand along her outline and became lost in her vastness. Purring softly she had guided his hand to her bra clip that was opened effortlessly. For once, the Hogwarts skirt was useful-centuries of girls had cursed its frailty especially in windy weather. However this couple rejoiced at the ease of access it provided Sirius with it he could freely lilt his fingtertips along her thigh. Elena shivered with every brush.
The act was mechanical, like an action he had gotten to accustomed to he didn't even have to use his brain. He made the right noises, pushed her against the wall at the right moment and even found the will to trail butterfly kisses down her heaving neck. The ripples of her body instilled a flourish of excitement in him. Entirely preoccupied with Elena, Sirius couldn't fathom why at that moment an image of Marissa had popped up in his conscience, he remembered how her skinny frame barely upheld the dress hanging from her body. Her fresh scent replaced that of Marissa's honey perfume in his mind. It was intoxicatingly addictive as he recalled fondly.
He pulled away, satisfied but dimly so. Devoid of emotion he refastened his trousers and sauntered in the direction of the common room. He didn't look around as she pulled her skirt back up against the sudden coldness of the castle and yanked the jumper loosely over her bare torso. Hurriedly she gathered the other fallen items of clothing into a small bundle and retreated briskly back to Ravenclaw tower alone.
Peter's snores echoed loudly as he beat the pillow into submission. With every pound, the contents seemed to solidify rather than become light and airy. The pillow joined the two others tossed aside in a similar fashion somewhere on the carpeted floor. Legs first, he manoeuvred himself in a semi-sleep like state from the graceful pour poster bed. Fumbling for his wand on the side table allowed him to activate lumos incantation which in turn gave him access to the stairs down to the common room. He reached for the tattered copy of 'The Bell Jar' and with it in tow, descended the narrow stairway. Perhaps the soothing, rich fire could provide some solace for his over active mind. Sirius Black was pleased the room was void; he did not feel he could handle the pressure of maintain his bravado and sureness at this moment. He collapsed into the nearest chair and fought hard to concentrate on the neatly printed words. Her soft features corrupted his mind, and he battled relentlessly to immerse himself in the tale. Only when he was woken by the excited squeals of some first-years that found him did he realise he had fallen asleep there. Warily, he eyed the over-zealous youngsters who squawked around him, he extracted himself tenderly and withdrew to his bedroom, leaving behind their squeals of wonder.
The peppy form of Peter greeted him and he offered a quick "Hi" in response, what he really wanted to do was talk to James. However he was not in his usual sleepy huddle beneath his blankets. Remus hadn't seen him since last night.
####Full credit is given to the wonderful Sylvia Plath and her novel, 'The bell jar', I really recommend you read it! I would love to hear what you think so be nice and drop a review! J #####