September 23, 1977
We snuck quietly through the corridors in pairs, Lily and James at the front in their heads robes and Sirius and me a few feet behind. It had been clear so far, and we were about to make it to the statue of the one-eyed witch without incident. The corridors were so calm and quiet, it reminded me of simpler times when I would sneak out after curfew with Dean Thomas, or when Fred and George would smuggle me into Hogsmede my second year, or when Neville, Luna, and I would break out of our hiding spots at night to paint anti-death eater sentiments across the walls. Just as we turned the corner leading to the one-eyed witch statue, and just as I could feel myself bursting with excitement at the thought of an evening in Hogsmede with my new friends, I felt Sirius grab my waist and pull me behind the nearest tapestry. He put his hand over my mouth to stifle my yelp in surprise and James announced "Professor McGonagall, how wonderful you look this evening."
I looked up at Sirius with wide eyes as he slowly removed his hand from my mouth motioning for me to stay quiet. "Potter, I didn't know you were on rounds this evening."
"It was a last-minute change, Lily heard a rumor that the seventh year Hufflepuffs might be planning some mischief this evening so we thought some extra hands could put that to a stop." I looked up at Sirius and rolled my eyes at the thought of James wanting to stop mischief earning myself a smirk in return.
"Hmm," I could hear the disbelief in her voice as she took in Lily and James, "Is that the case Ms. Evans?"
Sirius and I tensed at the same time. While I didn't know Lily well something told me that she wasn't a very good liar. "While I'm not sure how reliable that source was, the thought of the great hall being stained Hufflepuff colors for a month was enough to get me out on rounds." The lie rolled so smoothly off of Lily's lips one would have thought she was an award-winning actress. Sirius looked down at me and mouthed "Way to go, Evans," as I smiled in triumph.
"Staining the hall in that heinous color?" McGonagall buffed at the very thought, "You cannot teach taste, can you? Well, off you go."
"Have a magical evening, Professor," James called after her. She humphed in response. As she passed by our tapestry Sirius, whose hand had been resting on my waist this whole time, pulled me tightly into his chest. A warm molten feeling spread its way through my stomach as I felt his muscular chest press against my own. Our height difference was more pronounced than before, if he was only an inch taller he might have been able to rest his chin on top of my head. At that moment I felt very small and, despite being inches away from detention, safe.
"All clear," James whispered from the corridor as I looked up to lock eyes with Sirius.
"You gotta make the first move here Red," Sirius smirked sending another warm lava feeling spreading through my stomach. I wondered what it would be like to touch him at that moment, to reach my hand up to his face and feel the stubble that seemed to always live on the surface of his cheek. I wondered what it would be like to feel his lips against my thumb. Were they as soft as they looked? "Red?"
"What?" I jumped at the sound of his voice, breaking me out of my musing.
"You need to go out first, I'm stuck," He laughed a little and I realized at that moment just how close we were. With his hand still on my waist and my body pressed on his so tightly, there was hardly any room in this hiding spot at all.
" Right, sorry," I shook my head as I untangled myself from his grasp and stepped out from behind the tapestry to see Lily giving me wide, knowing, eyes. I blushed slightly at her gaze and caught James looking between a newly freed Sirius and me with glee.
"Had fun in there, did we?" James wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at the two of us.
"Nothing more than I've had with your mum," Sirius responded calmly as he brushed a stray dust particle from his sweater. James guffawed loudly at that and turned to walk toward the one-eyed witch statue again. "Almost there," he whispered to me as we continued to sneak down the hallway. It was nice to see that it looked as creepy and unwelcoming now as it would in twenty years.
"Disendium," James whispered to it. The witch moved aside to reveal the passageway that was destroyed the summer before my sixth year. It was dark and smelled as damp as it always did. The walls were lined with cobwebs and the occasional sound of a rat scampering across the floor could be heard farther down the passageway. Lily looked at James in disbelief.
"You can't be serious," She hissed at the grinning marauder before her.
"No, that's Sirius," James smirked at her squeamishness. Lily's lips pursed at the joke she'd no doubt heard one thousand times. "Come on, I'll go first. I'll even hold your hand during the really scary parts." He offered with a wink.
"I think I can manage by myself," she replied with a tight smile.
"Are we going or not?" Sirius groaned from the back, "Honeyduke's closes in two hours."
"We're going," Lily replied venomously. "James, lead the way." James' head shot up in shock, it was the first time she'd called him by his first name as long as I had known her and possibly as long as he had too. A large smile spread across his face.
"Anything for you," He entered the passageway first and pulled out his wand. "Lumos," the corridor was visible for nearly ten feet ahead of us and I couldn't help but let an excited giggle escape my lips.
"Someone's antsy back here, get it moving," Sirius said in a hushed tone as we all started to enter the passageway. "Lumos," the passageway behind us lit up too with his muttered spell. Once he was inside the statue moved back into place sealing us inside. We all watched it close and Sirius turned to face me first. "Ready for some fun?"
"Hell yes," I replied allowing a huge smile to take over my face. James whooped in celebration and began to lead the way down the long corridor. He guided us toward the little town while regaling us with the adventures of the marauders throughout their school years. Occasionally Sirius would chime in with important forgotten detail, or Lily with a disapproving remark.
"And so there he was in the middle of class trying to write Charminger's Charms guidelines on his chalkboard and the chalk kept shrinking every time he tried to write with it. He went through his whole box in less than two minutes, no lie. Then the dust all came back together and formed a giant piece of chalk that was exactly four feet and seven inches high. We measured it. And, fun fact, Professor Flitwick is four feet tall exactly. So the chalk is taller than him and he doesn't have anything else to write with, and every time he tried a countercharm to get it to go back to normal it would only grow in height, so guess what he did Ginny." He paused for only a breath "He picked it up and started writing with it. He started writing with this piece of chalk that was seven inches taller than him." We all laughed. It was the first time I'd had a truly good laugh in ages. I couldn't help but picture a red-faced, embarrassed, and angry Professor Flitwick attempting to write with a utensil larger than him. "Oh, and when we went for our detention our punishment was to write a detailed instruction on how to do the charm and then teach him the wand movements."
"I'm impressed," I giggled. "No wonder Lily told me to stay away from you two."
"She did what?" James asked, feigning offense.
"Told me I'd be stupid to spend my time with such trouble makers," I replied in mock earnest.
"That's not what I meant-" Lily attempted to defend herself.
"You mean to say that Lily Evans warns the new kids about us?" Sirius matched our tones and we all faced a red-faced Lily.
"There's a whole presentation actually," I nodded solemnly. "She's added visuals, diagrams, and everything. It's quite thorough." By this point, Lily had finally caught onto the joke and was not impressed.
"I'm thinking of adding a section filled with victims' testimonies set to sad music, you know for effect?" Sirius and James laughed loudly at that and turned to continue walking down the corridor with us trailing behind. Lily had puffed her chest out a bit, gaining more confidence now that they'd laughed with her and not at her.
"We're here!" James announced. "May I take your cloak, milady?" he bowed and offered his hand to Lily.
"You may," she blushed a little at his display and handed him her cloak which he set next to his own on the floor of the corridor.
"They do make a cute couple," Sirius whispered in my ear. His hot breath sent goosebumps down my arms and I realized that he was very close to me. I caught his eyes, sparkling like a kid on Christmas, and smirked up at him.
"Yes they do," I replied.
"Now, my dear Ginevra Cole, welcome to Hogsmede," James opened the door before him to reveal the storeroom of Honeyduke's before us.
"Honeyduke's?" Lily whispered as she climbed through. She dusted herself off while surveying the room in shock, "There's a tunnel out of Hogwarts that leads straight to Honeyduke's?"
"Guess we shouldn't tell her about the one that leads to the Shri-" Sirius was quickly silenced by an elbow to the gut that had him doubled over.
"Yes, Honeyduke's, the only tunnel we know of." James nodded vigorously. He flipped into a posh accent, sounding like an old nobleman as he spoke. "Now, I think it is high time we show Ginny the town of great fame don't you Mr. Black?"
"Of course, good sir," Sirius responded while adopting a posh accent of his own and throwing his nose in the air, "I wouldn't dare spend another moment in this basement. Lead the way!"
They gave me the grand Hogsmede tour. We purchased my favorite sweets in Honey Dukes, fire fancies, took a brief stop in Zonko's before it closed, and were on the way to The Three Broomsticks when Sirius grabbed my hand and pulled me back from our group.
"I think we should let them go off on their own for a bit," He muttered so as not to alert Lily. James and Lily were ahead of us by several feet and had been inching closer and closer to each other throughout the night. Their hands were brushing at that moment and I could practically hear the blush in their voices.
"I think you're right," I smirked. "I think we'll catch up in a bit," I called at the couple. "I think I dropped my wallet at Zonko's."
"If we hurry we'll be able to catch the shopkeep," Sirius replied.
"We can all go," Lily offered quickly. Her panicked eyes caught mine but I smiled encouragingly.
"No, you go on in, Sirius said he saw where I dropped it."
"Right, well run along then, we'll get a table." James and Sirius shared a look and I just knew this was a part of their plan all along.
Sirius grabbed my hand and we took off quickly in the direction of Zonko's. "Be back soon!" He called over his shoulder. As soon as we turned the corner he slowed down but did not drop his hold on my hand. "Your fingers are freezing love."
"I forgot my gloves too I guess." I laughed awkwardly and pulled my hand out of his grasp. He's Harry's Godfather. Sirius frowned at the action but we continued to walk anyway.
"So, first trip to Hogsmede, what do you think?" I giggled at the idea of 'my first trip to Hogsmeade being at this time. I'd spent far too many Saturdays in this little town goofing off with my friends, joining Dumbledore's army, and kissing boys in Madam Puttifoot's tearoom.
"It's good."
"Company's good too right?" He grinned at me.
"Company's alright," I laughed and he put an arm around my shoulders. I let it rest there, mostly because the chill had set in for the evening and Sirius was right, I was freezing, but also because it felt nice to be close to him even though I knew it was wrong. "So James and Lily, huh?"
"I never thought I'd see the day."
"Oh come on, it's obvious they're obsessed with each other. I knew it the second I saw them in a room together."
"Really?" He let out a bark of a laugh. "This time last year Lily would have sent him home with a bloody nose if he got that close to her."
"Well I knew she needed a push, but-"
"A push? Like forgetting your wallet in Zonko's?" He asked.
"Yes, and someone giving her a bit of advice before forgetting her wallet in Zonko's" I smiled devilishly.
"What did you tell her?" He stopped and turned to me, bouncing on his toes.
"I could never betray my secrets, Mr. Black," I smirked at him and turned away, continuing down the path toward nowhere that we were on. He paused for a second before jogging to catch up to me. His arm found itself around my shoulders again and this time I allowed myself to lean into the warmth and to take in his scent. I breathed deeply smelling Fleetwood's High Finish Broom Polish, morning air coming over the hills right as the dew has set, and a fiery but fresh scent that reminded me of fresh laundry and a bonfire all at once. It was all at once comforting and familiar, but also surprising and exciting, and then my breath caught in my throat and I stepped away. Yes, the scent was very familiar.
"Everything all right there, Red?" Sirius asked. I took a step away from him to place some distance and catch my breath. No, it wasn't right, I was remembering wrong.
"Yeah," I replied, shaking my head a bit and starting forward. "Just got a little dizzy is all." It wasn't a complete lie. I was dizzy, dizzy with a memory. A memory of a steamy dungeon classroom where a potion lay in waiting. Slughorn beckoning me to lean into the cauldron, breathe it in. Yes, it was dizzying. That was a good word for it.
"Just tell me if you need to slow down, Red," He winked. As we walked he reached up to put his arm back where it was before and I stepped away. Keep a clear head. I thought. Keep some distance. We walked side by side for a bit in silence. Our shoulders brushed now and again, sending shivers shooting up my spine at the contact. I wanted to say something funny, but nothing came to mind. Sirius seemed so different than the man I remembered, the man who had avoided me like the plague. Here he was happy, his eyes weren't haunted. Maybe that never had to change. As soon as the thought entered my mind I chased it away. But still, it was there and I couldn't help but want to save this boy next to me.
Change what you must. The words echoed in my head and my heart started pounding. My breathing sped up and my head started to spin. Sirius grabbed my arm and turned me toward him.
"Are you okay?" His voice was soft and he moved his arms up to my face. "Look at me, Red." My eyes locked with his. "Deep breaths, in and out," He breathed in deeply and I copied him, I did the same as he breathed out and we repeated 4 more times. I felt my heartbeat slow and my head stop spinning. Sirius smiled when I regained my composure, still cradling my cheeks in his warm palms. He brought his right thumb upward to stroke my cheek in comfort as he whispered "You're 'supposed to let me know if we go too fast."
"Sorry," I smiled shakily. "Forgot." We stood there staring at each other, his thumb caressing my cheek softly. I could smell his toothpaste from here – peppermint – and his hot breath on my face sent shivers down my spine. His left hand brushed a stray red lock out of my face and I felt him focus on my lips. Oh, God. Part of me wanted to pull away but the other part, the stronger part, said no. We stood there in the autumn chill, Sirius stroking my cheek, and me waiting for a kiss that I wasn't sure I wanted. He stepped closer.
"Ginny-" My breathing hitched at the use of my first name – he never used my first name - and his tongue darted out to moisten his lips. I followed the movement with my eyes.
"Sirius-" I thought I heard his breath catch too.
"Can I kiss you?" He whispered as he leaned in. In the split second between us, I realized that no one had ever asked before. No one had taken the time to ensure that I wanted it – to confirm what they thought they saw. And the question hung in the air: Can Sirius Black kiss me?
No, I thought. No. Sirius Black should stay far away from me. NO! It wasn't okay. No. No. No.
"Yes," I whispered. When his lips caught mine a molten fire spread itself through my stomach, burning away the protest and replacing it with want. I reached for his waist and pulled myself closer. His scent filled my nostrils and I nearly lost my head again. He deepened the kiss asking for entrance to my mouth with his tongue and I enthusiastically responded. His right hand traveled to my waist, pulling me even closer than before and I strained up on my toes to make his access easier. It felt like the world had stopped moving around us, but also like time was speeding past. With the pressure of his hand on my lower back, the fingers he had knotted in my hair, his soft lips pressed against mine, I felt like I was the center of his universe.
Kissing him was like moving at impossible speeds. It was like biting winds and warm summer days. It was like stomach-lurching feints and the feeling of weightlessness. It was like kicking off the solid ground and into the fickle air.
Kissing him was like flying.
I was the first to pull away, the need for air was emergent, but Sirius did not let me go. His hold on me was strong as I ducked my head and a blush spread across my cheeks. "We should probably go find our friends," I whispered.
"Don't have to," Sirius muttered, dipping his head low so his breath was hot on my face. It caught me by surprise and in my shock, he kissed me again. Just like before the warmth spread in my body. He was an excellent kisser. Goosebumps rose on my neck as we were hit with a cool breeze and I couldn't help but shiver at the surprising wind. Sirius chuckled against my mouth. "I'll keep you warm, Red, don't worry." He kissed me a third time, and it was then that I had the strength to pull away. I placed my palm on his chest and applied gentle pressure.
"I need a minute," I said. My knees were shaking, and my head was spinning, though I don't think it had anything to do with my recent time travel. Sirius was immediately concerned. He stepped back but kept his hold on my waist.
"You alright?"
"Think so," I breathed. I brought my hand to my head and let out a small laugh. "You know, people warned me against snogging you."
"Marlene?" He smirked.
"Lily," I laughed. He barked out a laugh too and grabbed my hand, pulling me toward the Three Broomsticks.
"We should see what the witch is up to then, bet you a sickle she's doing the same thing right now."
"Was that all a part of your plan then? Separate and snog?" I asked, keeping the tone light.
Sirius stopped quickly and turned, suddenly very serious. "I had no intentions with you tonight, Ginny, I swear. I promised James that I would get him a minute alone with Lily, but this wasn't part of that plan. It just happened. I don't want-" I stopped him by placing a quick kiss on his lips. He didn't seem to be lying and to be honest the thought of an elaborate ruse to separate me and Lily so everyone could get some seemed like a plan beyond the marauders. He smiled slyly as I pulled away and snaked his arm around my waist. "Now if I didn't know any better, Ms. Cole, I'd think this was all a part of a plan that you and Evans had concocted."
I mirrored his smile and walked slowly in the direction of the Three Broomsticks, letting my hips wiggle a little as I walked, "You may never know Mr. Black."
He barked out a laugh and caught up with me quickly, slipping his hand in mine and guiding me toward the little inn. He opened the door for me as we arrived and I stepped inside, searching the place for Lily's mane of red hair.
"That'll be one sickle please," Sirius whispered in my ear. He pointed to the back of the restaurant and partially hidden by a large wooded column was James and Lily wrapped up in each other's arms, faces pressed together.
"You can put it on my tab," I muttered. I made a lot of noise as we walked over, to save Lily some embarrassment. "Oh Sirius, thank you SO MUCH for helping me find my WALLET." Lily jerked herself out of James' arms and buried her face in her butterbeer. James, however, didn't even have the decency to pretend to be embarrassed. He looked as if he'd just won the jackpot and turned to look at Sirius and me as we sat down.
"Sirius, Ginny," He looked like he wanted to sing when he locked eyes with us. "It's been ages."
"You two seem to have found a great way to occupy your time while we were gone." Sirius joked, eyes pointedly looking at Lily who promptly choked on her Butterbeer.
James, ever the concerned suitor, turned to her and pulled the glass away, and patted her back while she regained her breath.
"All right there Lily?" I asked with an innocent smile. She glared at me first, and then Sirius.
"Fine. Found your wallet?" Lily asked tightly.
"Oh yes, it was right where she left it," Sirius smiled and nodded sweetly. A young Madame Rosmerta walked over then with two steaming Butterbeers and placed them in front of Sirius and me. "Rosie my love," Sirius exclaimed when she arrived.
"Sirius Black," She rolled her eyes, but blushed all the same, "I should have known when one comes, so come the other."
"Well, I couldn't let James have you all to himself tonight now could I?
"I suppose not," She rolled her eyes jokingly. "You get one tonight, I won't be responsible for Dumbledore's wrath if you four stay out too late. I'm Rosmerta," she said turning to face me. "If that one bothers you, you come to get me, alright?"
"Ginny," I smiled back at her. "I'll keep that in mind." She winked at me before turning back to the busy bar.
We sat and chatted together about nothing in particular. Sirius' hand found its way to my knee and he would squeeze it now and again whenever he caught my eye. James had his arm draped casually around the back of Lily's chair and I caught her leaning into him a few times, but she'd pull away any time she thought one of us was looking. We finished our drinks slowly, and I reached into my pocket to pay for my drink but Sirius shooed my hand away.
"I owe you a sickle, I should pay." I furrowed my brow at him.
"Pretty girls never pay with me," Sirius smiled and laid a galleon on the table.
"Then how will I ever pay my debt," I rolled my eyes at him.
He leaned in close and whispered in my ear, "I could think of a few ways." I felt warmth spread from my neck to my hairline. Lily caught my eye and smirked conspiratorially.
"We should get back," Lily, said, saving me from whatever it was that Sirius Black had in mind.
"You're right, Lily," James stood and offered the head girl his hand. She looked at it for a moment and I saw a small battle being waged in her head. James' smile faltered for a split second and he started to put his hand down when Lily grabbed it quickly. His smile nearly split in two as she laced her fingers with his. "Let's go."
James and Lily lead us back to Honeyduke's, with Sirius and I at the rear. His hand found its way around my waist again as we walked. It was nice, it was warm, and more than once he turned his face to the top of my head and whispered something witty in my ear. As we reached Honeyduke's we had to go one by one through the tunnel back to Hogwarts. James let Sirius lead the way, and I followed behind. When we reached the statue of the one-eyed witch Sirius poked his head out of the passageway to look around.
"All clear," He whispered as he turned back to us.
"You two first, we'll follow behind in a bit," James nodded encouragingly.
"Oh, you will?" Sirius asked slyly.
"It's less conspicuous," Lily said matter of factly. My eyebrows rose at her and she smiled at me sweetly. Lily Evans wanted another chance to snog James Potter and I was going to let her.
"Come on Sirius," I nudged the boy in front of me. "Wouldn't want to be too conspicuous."
He smirked back at me and led me out of the passage and down the hall toward the Gryffindor Common Room.
"You know I think James Potter is going to owe us a debt for the rest of our lives," Sirius whispered as we walked.
"How should we collect?" I replied, "I'm thinking he has to do our homework for a week."
"No, too easy, he'll have to carry our books to class for the rest of the month."
"Why stop there? He'll have to put me on the Quidditch team."
"And make me captain," We both laughed a little too loudly and woke up a painting of two women and their dogs. Their disapproving stares quieted us quick. "The point is he owes us."
"Here, here," I replied. His arm wrapped itself back around my waist and he guided me to the right of the hallway. He opened the door to an empty classroom and tugged me inside. I followed and reached my hands around his neck as we started kissing again. It was sweet and fiery, full of passion, and full of tenderness. Kissing Sirius was far better than kissing Dean, or Michael, or Harry had ever been. Harry. I pulled my face away quickly, only to have Sirius start to trail gentle kisses down my neck. "Sirius," I murmured, moaned is more like it. I felt his wolfish grin against my collarbone.
"Yeah, Red?" He continued peppering kisses across my exposed skin and I tried to squirm away. His hand was firm on my waist and offered no room for escape. I brought my hands to his chest and pushed. He was instantly concerned. "Are you okay? Do you need to sit?"
"No," I sighed, but then my head started to spin, "well, yes, but-" He leaped into action. Grabbing a nearby chair and gently helping me sit down. He pulled my hair off my neck and knelt down in between my knees.
"Deep breaths, Ginny." I breathed in, but my dizziness had nothing to do with spells or time travel and everything to do with the boy in front of me. I looked into his eyes slowly and saw his concern break into a grin. "First time I've ever had a girl almost faint from a snog." I let out a breathy laugh.
"You wish, Black." He leaned in to kiss me again but I pulled my head away. "Stop, Sirius." His smile turned to a frown.
"Did I do something wrong?"
"No, I just-" I sighed and buried my face in my hands. "You don't even know me."
"I know you well enough."
"I don't know you!" I groaned exasperatedly.
"Well, what do you want to know?" His hand that had pulled my hair was now playing with it, curling the strands with his fingers.
"Do you do this to all the girls?" I asked, "Take them out of the castle, dark empty classrooms?"
"No," He grinned, "Usually it's the astronomy tower."
"Oh, so I'm not good enough for the astronomy tower?" He sighed dramatically in response.
"I don't take them out of the castle." He tugged one of my locks playfully, "And you're too good for that tower."
"Sirius, I don't think this is a good idea."
"Don't do that, don't go thinking about it too hard."
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing is a good idea if you think about it for too long. I mean Quidditch, what moron thought that was a good idea." I let out a shaky laugh, "But it's amazing, it's fun-"
"I'm not just a 'fun' time," I jerked my head away from him.
"That's not what I meant, I don't think you're just a fun time Ginny. I like you."
"You barely know me, Sirius," I groaned.
"So let me," he replied. His hands found their way to my knees as he crouched in front of me. "Tell me everything about you." I sighed as he leaned in close again. I breathed in sharply, his intoxicating smell filled my nose and I struggled to keep my head straight.
This was Sirius Black. Harry's godfather, the man I lived with for the better part of a summer, the man I watched fall through the veil in the Department of Mysteries. But this wasn't the Sirius Black I knew. He was younger, more carefree, no one had tried to murder him yet, and he hadn't spent 12 years in Azkaban. This was a different man and I felt my self-assurance waning. Could I let Sirius Black know me? Could I put aside the fate I knew would befall him, and let him know me…let myself know him?
It was all too much, too fast. My eyes burned with tears that I wouldn't dare let fall. I leaned back against the hard wooden chair and heaved a large sigh.
"This is too fast for me, Sirius," I whispered. "I need time."
"Then we'll slow down." He replied.
I brought my gaze back to his and found him staring at me, waiting for some kind of sign that I was okay with it. I nodded. "That would be good."
"But you'll find that I can be very persistent," He smirked, "I like you, Ginny Cole. I won't let you get away without a fight."
"I'm pretty good in a fight," I smiled slowly.
"I'm counting on it." He stood up quickly and reached his hand out for me to grab. "Now, we best get you to bed. Madame Pomfrey will have my head if she found out you'd been over-exerting yourself." I laughed a little and let him guide me back to Gryffindor tower.
We arrived back at the common room without incident, and the walk had been pleasant, Sirius never let go of my hand. I turned toward him just before we parted ways.
"Thank you," I smiled. "It was a good night."
"It was, wasn't it?"
I nodded slowly, my eyes staring down, avoiding his. "Sirius I-"
"Don't." He said quickly, "I won't kiss and tell, and I would never want to make you do something you didn't want to." He was solemn. I trusted him wholeheartedly at that moment. I knew our intimacy would not be shared with anyone else. I was grateful for that. "But I'm not giving up on you just yet Ginny Cole."
"I'm counting on it," I heard myself say before I could even think about it. And it was true. Harry was my past at this moment. I loved him - I love him - but I would never see him again. Let yourself be happy. The words rang in my head and I held onto them for dear life. Maybe I would find that here.
A smile spread across Sirius's face.
"Friends?" I asked, holding my hand out for him to shake. He looked down at my outstretched palm and clasped it with his hand. He brought it up to his lips for a gentle kiss and smirked as he saw a blush spread across my cheeks.
"For now," he replied.
"For now." I agreed. His eyes lit up when I said it and he let go of my hand before walking backward slowly up the steps to the boy's dormitory.
"You're going to fall in love with me Ginny Cole, mark my words."
"In your dreams, Sirius Black."
"See you there, Red." He winked and turned to jog up the steps.