chapter
↳ fifteen
moodboard
↳ traded for a gif! that probably doesn't work so sorry about that!

-

Mrs. Potter was a coddling machine. Millie felt like a bunch of questions about Sirius and James had been answered after seeing the woman they took care of. She was tall and lean, as if she did tennis or yoga. Her black hair fell down her neck in ringlets and was held back from her face with a silk scarf. As soon as they arrived, and Millie briefed them on the situation, adding that she would talk more when not everyone was crowded around them, Mrs. Potter went into action. She announced that dinner hadn't been served yet, and it wouldn't kill Remus and Sirius to add some more plates to the table.

James was called from the kitchen where all the boys apparently were and smiled, "Hey! You guys came early! It's going to be a whole party now because I convinced Lily and Marlene to come spend the weekend with us as well!"

"Yes!" Benji cheered. Then he frowned, "I forgot everyone's presents."

"Don't worry," Mrs. Potter's voice sounded like honey, "I'm sure everyone can wait to open presents until they return. Now, James, show Benji and Demetria where to put their bags where they can stay. I'm sure there's room for Benji with you boys, and all the girls can head to Sirius'. It used to be our guest room," she added to Millie as an afterthought.

As soon as they disappeared, Mrs. Potter took Millie into the living room and pulled her onto the sofa. "Now, dear, care to tell me what's happened?"

Millie let everything out. A lot she hadn't said to anyone, but there was something so comforting about Mrs. Potter that she found it spilling out of her anyway. By the time she was done, her eyes were moist and James was shouting that dinner was ready. Millie stood up, ready to leave the awkward situation just as Mrs. Potter grabbed her wrist. "You are all welcome at our home any time you'd like. Please don't ever worry about being a burden to us. We tend to thrive on the energy of James and his friends."

"Thank you," Millie found herself saying, but those words seemed so little compared to the gratitude in her heart.

The dining room couldn't really be described as anything other than... cute. It was obvious that it had once been a fancy dwelling place, with a long oval table surrounded by six tall chairs. Now, however, random kitchen chairs from somewhere else had been shoved anywhere they could be, and the tabletop looked like the poster child for the phrase "every man for himself". Bowls and plates of food lined the middle, surrounded by messily made up sections contesting of a plate, a cup, and some silverware on the side.

Everyone else was already seated by the time Mrs. Potter and Millie came in, so Millie slipped her way into the seat between Peter and Benji and listened to whatever Mr. Potter was going on about. "I thought us boys could all go to my favorite restaurant and get some steak together. How do you guys like your steak?"

Remus placed his spoon on his napkin and looked up, "Usually well done, but some days I like it rare."

At Millie's side, Peter snorted into his water. Sirius and James were slapping each other in silent laughter, making everyone look their way.

"Will there be anything any of you say that isn't an inside joke?" Mrs. Potter asked casually, a smile on her face to see them all having fun.

After she finished eating, Millie watched everyone around the table, her eyes eventually landing on Sirius. He furrowed his eyebrows at her, perhaps wanting to know why they appeared so suddenly. She shrugged and looked back down at her plate, unsure of how to answer.

-

After dinner; after everyone helped clean up, Peter pulled Millie into the kitchen, "Want to help me make fudge?"

"Me? Why?"

Peter shrugged and looked outside, where the rest of the teenagers were. "They're probably going to play quidditch, and I know you're really good at it, but I was hoping someone would stay back and help me."

Millie pursed her lips and cocked her head to the side. She definitely didn't want to play quidditch at this cold hour. "M'kay. As long as I get a few pieces to myself."

Peter snorted, "What do you think I do when I bake? I have a spell that conceals food memorized."

Millie eyed the chicken scrawl in Peter's notebook. "Your mom's handwriting sucks."

"That's mine," Peter said.

Before Millie could apologize, the back door connecting to the kitchen swung open, and Lily and Marlene poked their heads through. "Hey," Lily smiled at them, "Demetria said you guys were in here."

Marlene walked over and dipped her finger in whatever batter Peter had already prepared. "You don't put nuts in these, do you?"

"Ew, no."

"Good, I'm allergic." Marlene then turned to Millie, "Benji said you guys left your home."

Millie rolled her eyes. Benji definitely wasn't one for keeping quiet, that was for sure. "Sort of."

"Family have a funny way of showing love, don't they?" Lily asked, tossing her duffel bag into the hallway.

"Why are you here?" Millie asked, "I thought you hated James."

"I do, but not nearly as much as I hate Petunia's new boyfriend." Lily crumbled up her face in disgust. "They keep snogging in front of me and it's gross."

"Lily keeps looking at them and wishing it were her and James," Peter whispered in Millie's ear, causing the latter to let out a giggle.

"I heard that, Pete," Lily snarled, but Millie could see a small blush growing over her cheeks.

The four of them got to work on the fudge, and it wasn't long before Peter smiled at Millie, "See? Not all Gryffindors are bad."

Millie turned to see the two girls fighting over which type of chocolate was better. She turned back to Peter, "I think I'm learning that."

-

The Potter's had a ginormous backyard. While the fudge was cooling in the fridge, Millie, Peter, Lily, and Marlene joined the others in the backyard. It seemed they had gotten tired of flying and decided to settle down on the grass and talk instead.

Millie noticed all the wildflowers, and her heart jumped a beat. Never in her life had she seen so many daisies, and her mind immediately went to the time when she and Demetria were still eleven, and Demetria's older sister taught them how to make daisy chains.

"What's got you excited?" Sirius joined her quickly, eyes showing obvious curiosity.

"The flowers!" Millie said, "Help me pick them?"

"Huh? Okay," Sirius trailed after her, pulling up daisies that she missed, and by the end Millie had an entire armful of flowers to work with.

"I'm going to make you a crown," she decided, sitting beside Demetria and getting to work.

"Why? Because I'm a prince?" Sirius leaned closer to Millie, a wolfish grin covering his face.

She pushed him away, "No. because you have pretty hair and it looks like it needs a crown."

Sirius looked flustered at that comment, and Millie took his staggered silence as a small victory. She covered her smirk with her flowers. "Anyway, leave me alone so I can work in peace."

Soon she had her very own floral circlet, and she held it up under the setting sun. "Sirius, c'mere."

"Yes, my lady."

"I'm not your lady," Millie mumbled. "Haven't you heard my plan about marrying a famous guitarist?"

Sirius pouted, "So now I have to learn guitar?"

Millie ignored him and placed the crown atop his head. After messing around with his hair a bit she sat back. "There. Pretty."

"Gorgeous," Sirius corrected.

"Average," Millie deadpanned. Then she smiled, "This is fun. Regulus never let me put flower crowns on him. He didn't even like it when I gifted him flowers. He says it's not masculine."

Sirius frowned, but quickly hid his emotions with an easygoing smile. "That's where he's wrong, Millie. The key to me having such great masculinity is embracing my feminine side."

James snorted from beside him. "Yeah, maybe a little too much. He watches muggle soap operas with my mom during the summer."

Millie glanced at Sirius, who was now sporting a very prominent blush across his cheeks. "Is that true? No wonder you're so dramatic."

Sirius feigned offense, "I'll have you know they're very entertaining."

"Sure," Millie giggled, already making another crown, "If you say so."

-

"Of all the stuff you packed, you couldn't have packed me one warm article of clothing?" Millie leafed through everything Demetria packed, and pulled out her supposed nightclothes: shorts and tank tops.

"That's all you wear anyways!" Demetria shot back, slipping a t-shirt over her head. "Just ask Mrs. Potter for a sweater or something."

"I've got hot chocolate and gingerbread cookies in the kitchen girls," Mrs. Potter arrived at the doorway like she had been summoned, a laundry basket balanced on her hip. "And what's this I'm hearing about a sweater?"

Millie ran her hand through her hair nervously, "Do you think I could borrow a sweater or a long-sleeved shirt or something? I didn't bring anything warm."

Mrs. Potter smiled and pulled an article of clothing out from her laundry basket. "Here, have this. Saves me from folding it."

The large black sweater felt heavy in Millie's hands, and when she slipped it over her tank top, she recognized the smell immediately. Like honey and pine, or something sweeter. "Is this Sirius'?"

"Yes," Mrs. Potter rolled her eyes, "The boy likes to be swallowed whole by his clothes, apparently. James says it's because he likes to snuggle into whatever he wears. Frankly, I don't care. I can give him Mr. Potter's old shirts and it saves me some money in the end."

After placing a few warm blankets and towels on the bed, Mrs. Potter left, leaving the two girls to head down to the living room for hot chocolate.

-

Sirius genuinely did not know how to react when he saw Millie in his sweater. How was he supposed to react? The one person he had a crush on was wearing his clothes, with shorts that barely showed under the heavy sweater. The sleeves were too long for her arms, just as they were for his, but unlike him pulling the sleeves over his hands, she simply rolled the sleeves up and accepted one of the mugs of hot chocolate James was handing out.

"Close your mouth, Sirius, you'll catch flies," Remus whispered to his friend, a bit of cheekiness in his voice when he saw how red Sirius' ears had gotten. "She's cute, isn't she?"

"Shut up," Sirius muttered, looking down at his own mug to hopefully mask his embarrassment.

Remus got up soon after that, and Sirius could only assume that it was to knick fudge out of the kitchen while no one was looking. He considered getting up as well, mostly because Millie was walking towards him, reaching around him to grab the blanket folded behind his head. She wrapped herself up in it and sat beside Sirius, so that their shoulders were brushing.

No one seemed to noticed the way Sirius tensed up. Merlin, he had to get a grip. It wasn't like he hadn't liked anyone before. He'd made out with plenty of people, flirted, cuddled, whatever other stuff it is that people do when they like someone. But Millie made him feel different. It wasn't because she didn't like him either; he could respect that. But it was the way she was and the way she acted like she was the opposite. There were many layers to Millie Yoon and Sirius found himself wanting to unravel each one.

"What are you thinking about?" Millie said before taking a sip of her cocoa. He noticed her eyeing the plate of gingerbread on the coffee table.

"Er..." Sirius looked around the room for something to say. His gaze landed on the green leaves and white berries hanging in the hallway of the Potter's home. "Mistletoe."

"Oh? Thinking of pulling someone under it this year?" Millie rose her eyebrows at him from behind her cup, and Sirius thought for a moment that he would love to smother her in kisses right now, if only she liked him back.

"Yeah, I'm hoping we can get either James and Lily or Benji and Demetria under there before the holiday is up," he let the fib roll off his tongue, finding it cute when Millie eyes sparkled at the thought.

"If we just shove them under it they have to kiss, don't they?"

Sirius chuckled, "I mean, they aren't bound by law. I think it's more of a peer pressure thing."

Millie hummed for a moment, leaning into Sirius' side as she turned to examine the hallway. "We could act like we're going to the bathroom or something and call them. When they come over we'll tell them they have to kiss."

Sirius set down his mug, "Okay, let's go."

It wasn't long before both parties realized their mistake. Especially when James called out their names. "Mistletoe! Millie and Sirius have to kiss!"

"No, we don't." Millie crossed her arms over her chest. "Sirius was in front of me."

Demetria cocked her head to the side, "Actually, you both passed under the mistletoe together."

Sirius felt awkward. He hated this situation. He hated how adamant Millie was about not kissing him. "She doesn't have to kiss me if she doesn't want to."

When Millie sent him a grateful smile, he felt better about the whole ordeal.

"Oh, yes she does," Lily said. "This is payback for all the times you've helped these boys push me and James to get together."

"I did no such thing!" Millie denied, cheeks flaming from all the attention being on her.

"Just kiss him," Lily said. "It's not that big a deal."

"Fine," Millie said.

Sirius gaped down at her, "What—"

Millie shut him up with her lips, arms wrapped behind his head. She was warmer than Sirius previously thought, and he craved to feel her against him even more than she already was. His fingers soon bunched around the sweater fabric at her waist, impatiently pulling her close. He emitted a small sigh into her mouth when he got what he wanted.

Millie's lips were addictive. They tasted like hot chocolate, and something else so distinctively Millie. Her lips were smooth and soft and her fingers were in his hair and Oh Merlin, Sirius thought he was just about ready to melt on the spot.

Then she pulled away.

"Don't think anything of this. I did it so they'd shut up," she mumbled against his lips. He unconsciously moved forward, his mind whining for her warmth and touch once again. But then she let go of him and headed upstairs, ignoring the cheers and hollers from the other teens.

Sirius recalls all the times he'd told others that his kisses meant nothing, and now he's left to wonder if it hurt them just as bad as it was hurting him right now.

-

a/n

did you guys expect it?

anyway, don't think they'll get together yet. i've got a lot in store for these two, and millie is still a very stubborn girl

feedback is always appreciated!