Sia hesitated outside the Slytherin common room, fingers tightening around the note Remus had slipped her.
"Astronomy Tower. Midnight."
Her brow twitched.
Sirius Black wanted to meet her. Sirius Black.
The very idea was absurd.
She had spent the better part of the day trying to figure out why he would want to speak with her. What could he possibly have to say that warranted a secret midnight meeting?
And more importantly—why the Astronomy Tower?
That was what unsettled her the most.
It was isolated, far from the common areas, and high enough that no one would accidentally stumble across them.
Sia wasn't stupid.
It was too perfect a location.
Her mind conjured up every worst-case scenario—Sirius waiting with his little gang, ready to play some elaborate joke at her expense. Or perhaps he wanted to hex her, just as his dear cousin Bellatrix had attempted the previous night.
Should I even go?
A voice in her head, one that sounded suspiciously like Christina, snorted.
"You're not actually afraid of a Gryffindor, are you?"
Her jaw clenched.
No.
She wasn't afraid.
And if this was some trap, then Sirius Black was about to learn a very important lesson.
Sia pulled her cloak tighter around herself and stepped out into the dimly lit corridor, walking swiftly through the castle.
The halls were quiet, the torches flickering as she passed, casting long shadows against the cold stone walls. She moved with purpose, silent and unseen, avoiding the prefect patrols with practiced ease.
She had been at Hogwarts for barely three days, but sneaking around was second nature at this point.
By the time she reached the Astronomy Tower, she was tense.
The air was crisp, the night sky clear and vast above her. The tower's platform stretched out beneath the open sky, the full moon casting silver light over the stone floor.
And standing at the edge, leaning against the railing, was Sirius Black.
Sia stopped a few steps away, watching him carefully.
He was dressed casually—his tie undone, his sleeves rolled up. He had the same effortless arrogance about him, the same presence that made people notice him the moment he entered a room.
But something was off.
His usual smirk was nowhere to be found.
And for the first time, she realized… without that haughty, superior expression, he looked almost—
Normal.
Sirius turned his head slightly. "You actually came."
Sia crossed her arms. "Would've been easier if you just talked to me during the day like a normal person."
He let out a dry chuckle, shaking his head. "Yeah, well… normal isn't really my thing."
Silence stretched between them for a moment.
Then, to her surprise, Sirius straightened, exhaling sharply.
"Look," he said, his voice quieter now. "Before we get to anything else… I need to say something."
Sia raised a brow.
He hesitated.
Then, to her utter disbelief—
"I'm sorry."
Sia blinked.
"Excuse me?"
Sirius ran a hand through his dark hair, looking frustrated. "I said I'm sorry. For whatever my sisters—" He spat the word like it was poison. "—have done. Or will do. I don't know the full extent of it yet, but I do know Bellatrix, and I know she doesn't let things go. I'm pissed about it. And I wanted you to hear that from me."
Sia stared at him, completely thrown off.
He sounded genuine.
And more than that—he sounded angry.
Not at her.
At them.
A part of her wanted to snap at him, tell him his apology meant nothing when she was the one who had to deal with his family's torment. But another part—one she didn't quite understand—paused.
His jaw was tight, his hands clenched at his sides.
His usual arrogance was gone.
And without it, he almost seemed… human.
Sia exhaled through her nose. "Well," she said flatly. "That's new."
Sirius snorted. "What, me apologizing?"
"Yes. And you looking like you actually mean it."
His lips twitched. "Don't get used to it."
Sia huffed, shaking her head. "So? Was that all? Or did you drag me out here for another reason?"
Sirius studied her for a long moment. Then—
"You're not like them," he said simply.
Sia tensed.
She didn't need to ask what he meant.
"The Slytherins," he clarified anyway. "The pureblood fanatics. The ones who worship bloodlines and think anyone less is beneath them."
Her expression darkened.
"You don't think like them," he continued, tilting his head. "Do you?"
Sia narrowed her eyes. "And what makes you think that?"
Sirius shrugged. "Intuition."
She scoffed. "Intuition?"
His gaze sharpened slightly. "Am I wrong?"
She didn't answer immediately.
The truth was, she wasn't like the others.
She had never cared for blood purity. Never saw the worth of a person in their lineage.
But that didn't mean she was going to just confirm that to him.
Sirius sighed. "Look, you can relax. I'm not here to test your loyalty to Slytherin or whatever. I just wanted to see if I was right."
Sia's lips pressed into a thin line.
Sirius watched her, waiting.
Then, finally—
"You're not wrong," she admitted.
His eyes flickered with something unreadable.
"Good," he said simply.
Sia frowned. "Why do you even care?"
Sirius turned his gaze back to the sky.
"Because," he muttered. "It's nice to know there's someone in that damned house who isn't like the rest of them."
Sia didn't quite know how to respond to that.
Instead, she just watched him, the silence stretching between them once more.
And for the first time since coming to Hogwarts, she felt something odd.
Something she didn't expect.
She felt curious.