Bitter victory
Twenty to eleven in the morning on the Quidditch field, Sly's stand closest to where their team scored the goals, the entire family was waiting for the start of the game. Sirius arrived and Sev received him, he had already saved a place for him.
"Man!" Sev exclaimed. "We already were thinking you had changed your mind. When we left the Great Hall you still hadn't gotten to breakfast."
"Yeah... We went to bed very late last night, that's why," Black said.
Sirius greeted everyone before sitting down next to Sev. He must have had a bad night with what they told him, they all went to bed very late, none of the four of them had arrived at the Great Hall when we left and he is a little haggard, Sev thought. I'm going to probe him out, we still have a while.
Finally Sirius sat down next to him. "How was your night, Padfoot?" Sev asked him in confidence.
"Oh, Sev, you don't miss a thing... Are you reading me?"
"You know I would never do it, but I know the bad news they gave you last night. How did you take them?"
"Well, well, don't worry about that... The only thing that worries me is that you don't have an accident learning to Obliviate."
"Well…" sarcastic. "Please… What accident…? What nonsense…"
They laughed, then Sev became serious again. "Don't tell me you had a bad night because of that."
"No, Sev, I haven't had a bad night at all, quite the opposite. It was just that we went to bed so late, the Common Room wasn't empty until after one."
"Of course, I understand. I feel much calmer then."
They remained silent for a while. I don't stay calm at all, he is very taciturn for what he is, absorbed in himself, and he has avoided looking me in the eyes, Sev thought.Something else happened, maybe something with Lily.Well, if that's the case, I'll stay calm, and if it's not, I'll find out at lunch, when the Gryffs tell me.I'll be in time to chat with him tonight, at the party.I won't ask him anything else, I'll leave him alone.
He chatted with Jack, who was on his other side. A few minutes later he felt Sirius' hand on his shoulder.
"Excuse me, Jack, I'm going to chat with Sirius," Sev said to his friend.
"Sure, Prince," Jack replied.
He turned to Sirius, who was looking him in the eyes. "Tell me, Padfoot."
"Sorry I interrupted you."
"I don't care at all, I'm constantly with Jack and we were talking about nonsense. Talk to me, come on."
"Ugh... I can't find the words..." Sirius began.
"Do you want me to help you?"
"Yes please."
"Something happened last night with Lily," Sev said.
"That is. You don't miss one."
Sev smiled at him. "Your favorite phrase. I am very happy for you."
"You are incredible, Sev. Can I talk to you about it? I don't have anyone else to do it with."
"Of course you can. Tell me everything you want."
"Won't it bother you?"
"Not at all," the Sly responded. "Come on, don't think about it so much or we'll miss the five minutes of the game."
"You are incredible, Sev."
"Your second favorite phrase." And sarcastic, "Get to the point, Padfoot…"
They laughed.
"Okay, okay... I'm crazy about her…"
"You're not telling me anything new, I already knew it."
"It's all so new and intense that it shakes me, it makes my chest burst," Sirius confessed.
"Wow, Padfoot... something else in common. Welcome to the club of eternal love."
"Know that I remain firm in not taking the lead."
"Don't worry about that, you should decide that between yourselves. I have also let myself be carried away by what I felt for other people and she has understood it at all times. Your life should not stop because of what I feel or don't feel. You must make your own decisions."
"That's what we've done, we've decided to take it easy, not just for you, but to do things right," Black explained. "I have a lot left to learn."
"If what you are looking for by telling me all this is my approval, know that I think it is great that you have decided to do it this way, but not for me, but for you. And you should also know that if you had decided to do it differently, I would also agree, I don't pinch or cut. I only care about one thing, that you are the happier the better."
Both of their eyes were already clouded with emotion.
"Hold me, Sev."
"Sure, Padfoot."
They hugged each other, crying.
"What I feel for you also makes my chest burst..." Sirius told him.
"And me... Merlin, Sirius... Why did we fight on the Express...? For five minutes we have missed five years of happiness…"
"I think about it all the time…"
"It doesn't matter, now we have recovered it. We will be happy despite all the difficulties, because we have each other."
"Just know that last night the memory of my Patronus changed continuously and also this morning, and I think that now it has just done it again," said the Gryff. "Of course I am happy, I am the happiest man on the face of the earth."
They have slept together and cuddled each other… well… "How glad I am, Padfoot…"
"Thank you... And you should know that I have not told you this seeking your approval, although I certainly appreciate it. I have done it simply because I have not been able to restrain myself from expressing what I feel."
"Have you told her?"
"I haven't, Sev, I didn't want to put her in that predicament."
"Sirius, tell her, make her happy too. Don't make the mistake I made for six years, not showing her what I felt."
"I'm afraid that if I do it, neither of us will be able to contain ourselves."
"Well, don't do it, you have to let yourself flow."
"No, I don't want to do it like that, I've already told you that I want to do things right," Black objected.
Of course, he's used to putting it in almost immediately, he has to learn to restrain himself, Sev thought. I have to give Lily a copy of Red Magic.And tomorrow is a new moon, perfect for their first kiss.Later I'll talk to her about this at lunch. "I understand you, Sirius. So let yourself be guided by her, but I think you can talk to her about what you feel. If you don't keep it to yourself, you will release a lot of the tension and it will be easier for you not to get carried away by outbursts. Try doing it little by little."
"Thanks for your advice, Sev."
"You can ask me for as many as you want. It's not that I'm an expert on the subject, far from it, but at least I think I did things well with Lily, so she knows how to do them too."
"Sure... Can I ask you a challenging question?"
"Yes, Sirius, you can."
"Is she a virgin?"
"Yes, she is, and so am I."
"You too?" Black was amazed.
"Of course."
"Despite all your lovers?"
"Of course, I was waiting for her, for us to have more time and freedom to be together," Sev responded.
"Wow… how awesome. And now, what do you want to do?"
"It doesn't depend only on me. We have to talk about it at length in the summer, after my setback a week ago perhaps she has changed her mind about me."
"Sure…"
"For my part, I'm in no hurry," the Sly added. "I'll let her decide."
"You are incredible, Sev. I won't be either, I'll wait."
"Just a reasonable amount of time, Sirius."
"Whatever is needed. Lily, before anyone else, is yours. She feels that way too, her Patronus didn't change last night or this morning."
"Oh…"
"And not only that, Sev. It would never leave me with a clear conscience. I already regret having introduced many girls without loving them. I won't do it with her, not until you know for sure that you no longer want that between yourselves. You belong together, you should be each other's first. Seven years, Sev. I can well wait one or two, and even then, I would never deserve her like you do. You are unattainable."
"Thank you, Sirius…"
"I already feel quite honored that you consider me part of such a special relationship. As Lily has told me several times since last night, what we have, no matter what happens, is for life."
"Of course it is."
Jack tapped him on his shoulder. "Guys... they are going out to the field."
They separated and looked at the locker room door. Sev stood up. "There's my girl!"
The entire Sly stand laughed, those below didn't hear him.
"Come, come, let's animate what we have prepared!"
The stands began to chant, "Silver-green snakes! Fast and fierce!"
"Sirius, did you know that until a month ago he didn't like Quidditch?" Jack asked, laughing.
"No, I didn't know, but it doesn't surprise me at all," Black responded.
"Shut up!" Sev exclaimed. "Let's chant!"
"He hasn't been to a game since first year," Jack said, laughing.
"What a story..." Sirius too.
"Stop laughing at me, you're ruining my moment!" exclaimed Sev.
"Okay okay…"
The team mounted their brooms, rose to the height of the stands in formation, moved away to the other end of the field, and waited, standing in the air. Meanwhile, the Rave team came out of the locker room.
"Come on, what we have prepared for them!"
The crowd chanted, "No matter how fast you fly, you will never reach us!"
The eagles team imitated the snakes and also rose, facing each other at both ends of the field. The whistle blew and the exhibition flight began. They chanted the first slogan again.
The players circled the field, all flying at the same speed and distance from each other. As they passed by, the seven members of the Sly team waved to the stands and Hippolyta blew Sev a kiss every time she passed, looking at him smiling. My first kisses from Hippolyta… I adore her…
After a few laps, the whistle blew again and both teams formed up again, this time around the center of the field and only six players from each, as the Keepers headed to their positions. The Snitch and the Bludgers were freed, and the Quaffle was thrown upwards by Professor Wing as she blew the whistle again.
Start of the match. Eleven, nine minutes, twenty-one seconds according to Sev's watch. Take that!My number and hers.
The Sly Chasers took possession of the Quaffle and through a quick rehearsed play they scored a goal on the first try, without losing it.
"Good!" the entire crowd chanted.
Meanwhile, the Seekers had risen to the center of the field and were looking for the Snitch with their eyes. Hippolyta made a quick feint and went in pursuit of it. Sev stopped paying attention to the rest of the game and also stopped chanting. The Rave girl tried to follow her, but she was less fast and less skilled with the broom and it was clear that she had not seen the Snitch, but was simply following Hippolyta, from quite a distance and without her precision of movements. Indeed she is going to win… And I do much better than the Rave, I would also beat her.
The stands chanted a second goal. At the same time, Hippolyta rose a lot, so much so that she was seen as a very small dot, the other stopped following her and returned to the center of the field. It scared her.She's going to snack on her.
Hippolyta swooped down again, holding the broom only with her left hand, extending her right. How crazy she is… she intends to hunt it down like that.Wooow… At the last second before hitting the ground, she veered and stood up straight again, still holding the broom with only one hand. She's an ace!Extraordinary!She will make a living from Quidditch, indeed she will, she will be a star, the teams will fight for her.
The stands chanted a third goal. Hippolyta plummeted again. Shortly after, right in front of the stands, she clenched her right fist.
"That is my girl!" Sev looked at his watch as the whistle blew. Eleven, twelve minutes, forty-two seconds. Three minutes twenty-one, like me….!I'm staying with her this afternoon, determined, we're going to celebrate in style.
All the players descended to the ground and shook hands. The Raves stayed down, the Slys went to the presidential stand, Gryff, where the Headmaster was, right in front of the Sly stand, and disappeared from sight as they entered it.
Sev took the opportunity to ask Jack, "Who scored the goals?"
"One each Chaser," Jack answered.
"Wow… all three of them are great."
"Of course."
"One per minute, it lasted three minutes twenty-one," said Sev.
"Wow…"
"Have the Raves marked something?"
"Nothing," responded his friend.
"Good! What a joke tonight."
"We have won one hundred and eighty to zero."
Multiple of three too. Sev turned to Black. "What did you think, Sirius?"
"Amazing," deeply admired. "I have not taken my eye off Hippolyta, she will also be legendary in Quidditch."
"Sirius... I see you coming... Don't steal this one from me too, huh?"
They laughed.
"You have very good taste, what do you want me to do to it?" the Gryff wondered.
"You were supposed to come see Valerie. She scored a goal and you didn't realize it."
"Don't bother me, neither do you. You know she did it because Jack has told you."
They laughed.
"Right, you got me," Sev admitted.
"How the little one loves you, she sent you kisses in front of the full stands, and I think she decided the moment to catch the Snitch, which she could have done before, and she did it just when she was passing by here so you could see her."
"Wow... I hadn't thought of that, maybe. I plan to ask her, I'm sure she tells me the truth."
"If she tells you, tell me tonight," Sirius asked.
"I'll see if I do it."
"Come on, it was my idea," he nudged her slightly. "I tell you everything."
"You don't even tell me the half of it," said Sev, "Where did you sleep yesterday?"
Black didn't respond, looking straight ahead again.
"Sirius, I know where, I'm not stupid, you've given me a lot of clues."
The Gryff laughed.
"You guessed it in the afternoon, right?" Sev continued. "Remus blurted out."
"Yes, but anyway, Lily would have told me.
"Oh... I think it's great. You know, if you want to be part of the gang, keep quiet and wait your turn, like the others do."
"It was occupìed, huh?" Black clarified. "We were able to enter because Lily guessed the demand."
"Well, it wasn't very difficult. Except for Cecile or me when we go to play the piano, everyone makes that demand, so, at night, at bedtime, it is the aspect of the Room that is occupied. Did you notice in the morning that some doors were marked?"
"No, we left in a hurry."
Poor guys… They slept little and rushed until the last minute to not stop coming to the game, Sev thought. They must have been left wanting more. "It is for each person or couple to reserve their own bedroom, for hygiene and because this way each person is responsible for cleanliness and order. As you can understand, the elves don't clean it. When it's time to wash the sheets, it will have to be done by hand."
"Sure."
"Next time you go, mark the door, so that no one else uses it and it is always free for you."
"Okay."
"You haven't had time to see the house either, have you?" the Sly deduced.
"No, we haven't."
"Let's see if you can escape during the day. The kitchen and living room are spectacular. And on the upper floor there are rooms with bathtubs."
"Wow... You don't know how much I miss a good bathtub at school," said Sirius.
"Well, what I'm telling you, try to escape even for a little while during the day before the term ends, to see the whole house."
"Why have you never taken Lily there?"
"For her to go with you for the first time, man," Sev joked.
Sirius laughed. "Well well…"
"Lily and I have our own secret place in the castle, just for us."
"Like Remus and Cecile?" Black asked.
"That is, like Remus and Cecile."
"There they are."
Sev looked at the stands in front. Dumbledore, standing, greeted the team with shakes. Boof… I hope the damn old man doesn't read Hippolyta and find out what I have with her, the curses and everything else.Anyway, he must have already seen us together continuously on the Map, even when we went to the Forest together and last Saturday when we were on the couch in the Common Room, I hadn't thought about it.Ugh… this gives me a bad feeling.
"I know what you're thinking," Sirius told him.
He looked at Sirius, who was looking at him. He guessed it from my expression, he's enormously intuitive. "Indeed you know."
"I have less and less sympathy for him, I could almost say that I'm starting to hate him."
"What are you going to tell me?" Sev wondered. "When I told him about Hippolyta's problem he put me to the test." He told him.
"What a scoundrel," said Sirius, with a flash of hatred in his eyes.
"Of course."
They looked again at the stands in front. Hippolyta was raising the Quidditch Cup, the two Sly stands chanted.
"That's great, Valerie has let her pick it up," said Sev. "She's dedicating it, she was going to dedicate it to the entire school for having expelled the Sly malefics on the day of the mess."
"She must have dedicated it to you."
"It was what she wanted to do, but I told her no. And it's better that way, otherwise it's an excuse for the old man to read her. How angry it makes me that I will never find out if he has read her or not.
"Well yes, he has bittered your victory."