"Severina."
She groans as the voice pierces the haze in her mind. She's dreaming, she thinks. Flying through the clouds at dawn. They're orange and pink clouds, puffy like cotton candy, and if she reaches out, she can feel them against his fingers.
"Severina!"
Her eyes open, and Sirius smiles at her. "Good morning."
"G'morning?" She groans questioningly as she straches
"It's 9 am." Sirius licks his lips briefly, glancing at the window that has its blinds partialy open and is letting in bright sunlight through the opening. "You wanted to get up, yeah?"
There is no scent of coffee today, and Severina frowns as she sits up, ignoring the complaints from her back and hips. "Kicking me out already, Black? I thought you preferred to have a warm body in your bed."
"I'd take you again right now if I could." Severina realizes that Sirius is fully dressed in a red jumper and blue jeans, his wild hair tamed for once by some unfortunate brush. The usual stubble is gone, and his beard neatly trimmed. "Harry and the others will be here shortly. I imagine you want to be gone by the time he arrives."
Ah, yes. The Christmas break. Potter was spending it with the Weasleys, but Sirius had warned her that they'd be visiting today. Severina rises and dresses without a word as Sirius leaves the room. She can hear the animagus downstairs, apparently trying his best to clean as he whistles an off-key Christmas tune.
Severina doesn't seek him out before she leaves. It's all very businesslike, and this is more akin to what she'd been used to. But she can't help feeling a little sorry, a little dejected, as she apparates back to Hogwarts.
When she passes the bakery, she hurries on by before the appetizing aroma of fresh pastries can bring forth any feelings of regret or longing. It's just too pathetic, she thinks, as her boots track through the snow. She lifts her eyes to the castle, and her mask falls into place once more.