This one is for the best friend of harrypotternerd_ , as requested. I hope you like it!

The common room was roaring with noise, as it always was on Friday nights. The whole of Gryffindor house gathered around on the red sofas and armchairs, discussing the events of the week and cherishing the fact that they had no school the next day. But, despite the loudness of your rowdy house, your mind heard nothing, but a tuned out buzz, focused as you were at staring out the window.

The weather had been incredibly warm in these early days of June 1977, but none of your classmates had risked studying outside for their exams because of the black clouds that loomed over the Hogwarts grounds, threatening to unleash a storm at any moment.

Only now, past curfew, had they decided to spill their contents out on the castle, and what a show it was. Rain beat down incessantly against the roof of Gryffindor tower, while thunder rumbled and clapped threateningly, booming unexpectedly and startling a few first-years. The lightning flashed, lighting up the whole sky as daylight would for less than a second before the overwhelming darkness returned to consume everything.

You were watching this demonstration of the power of nature in wonder and admiration. Thunderstorms had always been your favourite weather. However, you felt as if the fact that you were watching safely from Gryffindor tower, through a window, stopped you from fully experiencing the rage of the skies.

"I need to get closer," you mumbled under your breath, eyes flashing as they reflected a particularly bright lightning bolt.

"What was that?" Alice, who was seated beside you asked. She was reading a muggle book you had let her borrow. It was a tale of how the smallest of things could defeat the greatest of evils, and you found that in times like these, the words of J.R.R. Tolkien could be appreciated even in the wizarding world, as You-Know-Who was rising in power.

"Nothing, nothing, Alice," you answered. "I think I'm going to turn in," you told her, standing up.

"Alright, goodnight, Y/N," she said to you, before returning to the book.

You wished her the same before starting to walk toward the dormitories. However, glancing around to make sure no one saw you, you didn't go up the girls' staircase, but rather the boys'. Finding the door to the sixth year boys you were looking for, you knocked three times, waited four seconds, and knocked four times more. Immediately, you were let in.

"Y/N!" James Potter exclaimed. "Lovely to see you! What does our faithful informer of the ladies' thoughts have to share with us today?"

"James, I need the cloak," you stated, getting straight to the point.

His smirk faded a bit. "Ooh, that's going to cost you a lot, Y/N. What do you have to offer for such a service?"

You thought a bit. "I'll side with you on the next three times you and Lily argue," you said.

"Come on, Y/N, that's not worth the cloak," James replied.

You sighed. "Next Hogsmeade weekend, there will be too many girls in our carriage, so Lily will have no choice but to sit in yours."

"Better, better, but still not enough," James told you, clearly enjoying the bargaining.

"Fine," you said exasperated. "Next Herbology class, I'll make sure Lily leaves her gloves behind, and you can bring them back to her like a knight in shining armour," you declared.

"Alright, Y/N, you have yourself a deal," James finally said. "However, as I don't know what you'll be doing and I don't want anything bad to happen to it, Padfoot here will be accompanying you."

"WHAT?" You exclaimed at the same time as the notorious, the infamous, the fancied-by-all-the-girls Sirius Black. Both your faces darkened with a blush, but you convinced yourself you felt only frustration and impatience, and no...squishy-lovey emotions for Black. You were supposed to hate boys like him, switching girlfriends every week once he tired of them. You were independent and strong, and you didn't need something as mundane as a boyfriend. You had your books and studies, everything you needed. Yet, that little tingling sensation was there, excitement at being alone with Black, and no matter how much you tried to squash it out with reason and logic, it obstinately refused to wither away and die.

"Prongs, don't make me go!" Black whined like an insolent child. "I need my beauty sleep!" He exclaimed like the drama queen he was. You snorted at his words and he glared at you.

"Nope, you're going. I think it will do you good," James said, winking at him. You rolled your eyes. James was trying to make his best friend think you would be another of his conquests, but you wouldn't stand for such nonsense.

You spoke up. "Well, I'd like to get going, ideally alone, but I know I it's futile to hope you'll let it go, James, so I'll endure the strenuous torture that will be your friend's presence." You stepped out the door, shouting "Come along, Black!" as you went.

You waited for him in the deserted staircase, so you could put on the cloak. He hopped towards you, still putting on one of his shoes, while he wore baggy sweatpants and a warm jumper you knew had been knitted for him by Mrs. Potter. You couldn't help but smile at his attire while he wasn't looking, he looked amazing even though his appearance was so careless. You chased those thoughts away quickly.

"Now," you told him, as you were slipping the cloak over yourselves, "I don't care that there isn't much room under this thing, Black, keep your paws to yourself." He smirked at your choice of words, seeming to find it amusing, before nodding and rolling his eyes. For one who usually never shut up with his witty remarks, he was oddly quiet with you.

You both made it out of the common room unseen, although the Fat Lady did get confused about why her portrait was opening to let 'no one' through. The two of you roamed the hallways vigilantly, attentive to any sounds that could signal an approaching Filch or McGonagall. You hadn't asked for the map, you didn't want the marauders knowing that you had found out about it, as they already thought you knew too much with simply with the cloak.

"So, where exactly are we going, dearest Y/N?" Black whispered to you.

"Astronomy Tower."

"WHAT?" He whisper-screamed and you hushed him immediately. "What?" He repeated more quietly. "Haven't you seen what the weather is? It'll be pouring! And we'll be electrocuted by lightning!"

You smirked at him. "Scared, Black?"

He scoffed. "Psssh, of course not, I'm not-"

"Then what's the problem? Come on, where's your Gryffindor bravery? The risk is what makes it fun," you said, knowing he'd follow you now. His thirst for danger could not be quenched.

Finally, the pair of you reached your destination. Once outside, in the heavy downpour, you removed the cloak. No one would think of checking up here for stray students with the storm.

You took from your pocket a pillow you had shrunk and returned it to its regular size with a flick of your wand. You put it on the floor of the tower and sat down on it, gazing up at the skies. The thunder was louder than you'd ever heard it before, and your eyes were peeled to catch every single flash of lightning. Your hair stuck to your forehead, your clothes dripped and you were completely soaked, but you couldn't have cared less.

In that moment, you felt as if you were part of the storm, part of nature, and you were untouchable. Nothing could harm you. You had no fear.

Then, one lightning bolt illuminated the tower, and in particular the silhouette of Black, whom you had forgotten. You cast the engorgement spell on another shrunken pillow, and motioned for him to join you. He had been standing under a ledge, so as to avoid getting wet, but he came out from his shelter without hesitating when you motioned for him to sit beside you.

For a long time, the two of you sat, not saying a word, simply watching the fury of the heavens. It might have been fifteen minutes, or maybe two hours, neither of you could have said, but, despite the chaos surrounding you, you both felt at peace.

Finally, the storm started to subside. The rain was still falling, but it was more gentle now. The sound of thunder lessened, and the lightning became less frequent.

"We're all living in a storm, aren't we?" Muttered Black. You almost didn't hear him say it, and you couldn't believe your ears.

"My, my, is the Sirius Black philosophizing?" You asked mockingly. He frowned at you.

"I'm serious, Y/N."

"Yes, yes you are," you replied, as this was too good an opportunity to miss.

He smirked, but his expression soon became grave again. You knew he was thinking of what was happening at this very moment, outside the safety of the Hogwarts walls. Muggles were being murdered, families decimated, and people put under Imperius curses everywhere across the country by Death Eaters. And soon, you both would have to live in that world.

"Storms pass, Sirius. They will flood, they will destroy, they will kill, but they will always, always end. And when they do, those who remain, remain. They recover, they rebuild, renew, and they remain," you said.

He looked at you thoughtfully. "Who's philosophizing now?" He said, before adding, "You called me Sirius, not Black."

"I did," you responded.

"And what am I supposed to make of that?"

"That I'm too busy thinking about the oncoming storm to remember to dislike you."

"And why must you remember to dislike me?"

"Because you think everything is a joke, and you can't be mature, and all you care about is fooling around."

He looked slightly insulted. "You don't think I know what real life is? You think that I'm not mature? Y/N, none of us are ready for what's out there. We all do pointless, reckless things to convince ourselves that we're brave, and that being brave will save us out there. I'm no different, and you're no different. I know life is no joke, trust me I know, but I act like it because sometimes, sometimes I'd like to believe it is."

You looked at him in wonder, thinking about his words. You realized the truth in them, and that you and him were actually much more similar than you had thought.

You tried to convince yourself that being clever would save you out there, and that reading books and getting good marks made you clever. But you could never be truly ready for what you would have to do out there. And right now, being outside during a thunderstorm, weren't you trying to convince yourself you were brave? Sirius did the same thing all the time, only he did it with pranks and sneaking around.

And so, you knew you could never be prepared for the danger of the world. That you were all constantly lying to yourselves because the truth was much too scary. And so, at that moment, you were frightened, and decided to seek comfort in the only person who comprehended reality.

You wrapped your arms around Sirius, all around his wet frame, and nuzzled your face in his neck. He seemed surprised, but did nothing to move you. In fact, he held you tight, and the two of you knew you understood each other perfectly. Soon, the sky cleared, and dawn was starting to peak at the horizon, a thin pink and light blue line.

"You know, Y/N, I think it's easier to brave the storm as a pair," Sirius said after a while.

"Really?" You mumbled. "Who did you have in mind?"

"Well, a certain very attractive person sitting outside right now, with a beautiful eyes and perfect hair, even though it's all wet right now, and you."

You laughed into the skin of his neck, before responding. "Sounds like a good match, but I'll have the very attractive person sitting outside right now with beautiful eyes and perfect hair know that if ever they revert to their old ways of having a girlfriend a week, sometimes more than one at a time, I will rip all that perfect hair from their head."

Sirius chuckled before kissing the top of your head. "Deal," he said.