𝗔𝗖𝗧 𝗜 ━━ 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗧
026. something to lose

          𝗦𝗟𝗢𝗪𝗟𝗬, 𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗘𝗬𝗘𝗦 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗗 𝗜𝗡 𝗔 𝗧𝗜𝗥𝗘𝗗, 𝗔𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗪𝗔𝗬—𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬 first thing she saw when they opened was Sirius Black. Through her squinted eyes and foggy eyesight from the after-sleep haze, the first thing she noticed was Sirius' face, still directed to the ceiling, still leaning against the headboard instead of fully lying down.

      He stayed. She did not have to give him a reason, and he didn't ask for it either. Staring at his sleeping, peaceful face, her heart patterned against her chest. Something was swirling in her stomach, and the feeling blossomed and flowered and travelled upwards the more she stared at him.

      She realised out of everyone, it was Sirius Black that made her heart feel so full yet he did not even know about it.

      It was a scary thing, she always thought, when you realise someone holds this sort of impact on your life. If somebody became something to you, they also became something to lose, too. To her, it was a bad thing, a scary thing to have someone mean so much. 

"Enjoying the view, Blondie?" His hoarse, sleeping tone came as he whispered.

She threw her head back, mentally slapping herself. "Shut up, Black,"

His eyelids fluttered open as he came to his senses, eyes glimmering as he stretched his back. "How long have you been up?"

"Quite some time," she whispered back, she couldn't help but smile.

"Spent quite some time staring at me?"

"Don't flatter yourself," she smiled.

"Too late, I'm already flattered," he softly replied with the sentence he once used before, his tone still rested.

Letting out a tiny breath, he raised his hand and placed his fingers softly on her temple, pushing her hair away to see her face as he spoke to her.

"How'd you sleep," she asked genuinely, wanting to know.

She rolled her eyes up to the ceiling for a moment, fearing if she looked at him any longer, her heart might blast open. "Best sleep of my entire life," she joked, humourlessly. "Twas' splendid."

Suddenly, his hand lingered on the side of her head. His thumb razed the skin of her temple and his fingers bathed in the softness of her hair, resting there delicately.

"Can I say something?" he asked rhetorically.

"Anything, Black," 

"You're beautiful," he couldn't help the words falling from his mouth, so quietly with such certainty. And then his eyes fell on hers and he swallowed. "I know you grew up hearing that all day, every day... but I wanted to tell you myself,"

Her heart was practically in her stomach, "Sirius," she said, voice falling to a whisper.

"You don't have to say anything," he smiled at her soft, calming smile as he stroked her hair subconsciously. 

"I was just going to tell you to get out before Eve comes back," she shot him a tight-lipped smile as his face fell.

"You're unbelievable," he laughed, getting out of his duvet and putting his shoes on. "I'll see you in the hall, girlfriend?"

"You bet you will, boyfriend," she watched him wink playfully, grabbing his robe and making his way out quite quickly. "Hey, Sirius?"

He looked back with a comforting smile, as though the mention of his name from her lips just sent him to peace. 

Scarlet sat up on her bed, leaning against the headboard. "Merci beaucoup,"

Sirius winked in reply, shrugging it off and raising his hand in a gesture to say no worries. 

Once he had exited, Scarlet threw her head back with a groan. Sirius Black, what the hell are you doing to me, she wondered. For now, she had to get changed, knowing all her friends must be hung over somewhere in the common room. She put on her spare set of shirt and skirt underneath her robes, put the older ones into the laundry, and did her simple make-up. Making her way to the common room, she busted through the door and groaned.

"IDIOTS!" she loudly scoffed, "Wake up!"

Evan was the first to do so with a loud gasp, looking around like an imposter with his hand on his chest. "We were looking for you yesterday!" Rosier exclaimed at the sight of the girl, his tone waking up Regulus and Barty who were sprawled over each other on one sofa, the Black rubbing his eyes tiredly.

Scarlet thanked Merlin that they did not come looking for her. "Where's Eve?"

"We put her on the floor," Barty said tiredly, "She snores a lot, how do you live with her?"

The girl could not believe how they just put Everest in the corner of the common room, she made her way over and kicked her gently in the legs to wake her up. She shot awake.

She looked around, watching Scarlet's firm posture and Regulus trying to wake up Dorcas in the background. "I literally don't remember anything that happened last night,"

"Well, freshen up before Slughorn loses his mind seeing us like this," Scarlet folded her arms.

"All right, all right, mother," Everest rolled her eyes playfully, using the hand Scarlet lent her and pushing herself into a standing position. 

When the group of Slytherins entered the Great Hall for breakfast that morning, they were definitely not shining in a way to attract all the attention as they usually do. Scarlet would usually be the one to keep everybody in line whenever they decide to get drunk, and in her absence, they truly lost control of themselves.

Taking seats, Narcissa Black made her way over with an annoyed expression. "What in Merlin's name were you up to last night?"

Scarlet choked on her drink, looking up with wide eyes. "What?" She asked, confusion lingering in her expression.

Narcissa folded her arms, "Do you think I don't know you stole fire whiskey and threw a party in the common room?" She individually glared at Dorcas, Evan, Barty, Everest, and Regulus, jaw clenched and eyes squinted. 

"Oh, thank Salazar," Scarlet muttered to herself as she realised the blonde was not referring to her, and Everest shot her a suspicious look.

"No, that doesn't sound like us," Evan said, chiming in with a fearful look on his face at the way Narcissa glared.

Barty nodded along, "Yeah, we went to bed pretty early last night,"

Silence encapsulated them. That was when Regulus suddenly spoke up loudly in fear, "It won't happen again!"

"Oh, dear Merlin!"

"For Salazar's sake!"

"Are you kidding me?"

The other teens groaned, and Everest dropped her forehead onto the table with a thud.

Narcissa smirked proudly to herself for being able to break one of them, "Let this happen again, I will give you detentions," she pointed to her Headgirl badge, the silver shining. Scarlet eyed the pretty badge carefully.

"Someday, I'm going to get that badge," Scarlet told her brunette friend.

Everest looked up, squinting her eyes to see the glimmering silver. "I have no doubt you will," she smirked.

"You're no longer invited to anything," Evan told Regulus who shot him a guilty look.

"She is frightening, even scarier than Bella," Regulus tried justifying his actions. "Don't you agree, Scarlet?"

"Most definitely, it's the calm demeanor," Scarlet agreed, eyeing Narcissa who sat down with her group of girl-friends.

The hung-over teens chugged down entire glasses of water in the next few minutes to drown out the dizziness before going off to lessons.

      Scarlet was sitting there biting her lips, occasionally looking at Everets who mindlessly chewed on her fruits. Finally, she gave in, she could not keep secrets from the brunette.

"You're gonna hate me,"

"Why, what's happened?" Everest asked, genuinely concerned.

"I invited Sirius over to our dorm last night,"

"WHAT THE BLOODY FUCK?" She shrieked, earning the attention of the entire Slytherin table who instantly went quiet. 

"Merlin's sake, Eve, calm down," Scarlet said, thrown back at her loud tone, glancing around to see people muttering about them.

"CALM DOWN?" She loudly yelled again, and someone who was trying to read their Herbology book shushed her. 

"SHH!" The third-year boy sternly glared through his glasses.

"Shush yourself, you git!" Everest snapped at the boy, watching as he shrunk back in his seat in fear.

"Nothing happened, Eve, you can calm your nerves," she tried assuring before she lost her mind again. "We just slept in the same bed, nothing happened."

"Nothing," Everest nodded in confirmation, squinting her eyes at the blonde who looked genuine. "All right, I believe you,"

"Good, I just thought I should let you know," Scarlet smiled lightly, "After all, we don't keep secrets, right?"

"Of course," Everest smiled, however, her face fell in hesitancy. To change the topic, she went back to her gossiping sessions, "Do you think Potter would make a good pair with Lantsov, they seem quite close lately,"

Scarlet squinted her eyes, "I don't know who that is,"

Everest pointed towards the blue and bronze table, "Lorelei Lantsov, Ravenclaw... no one knows her that well, she's sort of invisible,"

"I can't see Potter with anyone but Lily," the blonde shrugged.

Everest nodded, uncertain, "Well, you never know, love is unpredictable," before Scarlet could answer, the brunette shot her a knowing look, wiggling her brows with purpose.

"Absolutely not, do not even suggest that," Scarlet shot her down, giving her a warning gaze.

"Why not, you two are so natural, I forget that none of this is real," Everest whined, popping a cherry in her mouth. "It's as though you're blessed by the stars itself,"

"Did you just quote that book you're reading?" 

"Yep, I did, what about it?" 

"Can we discuss something more important?" Scarlet changed the topic, turning towards her friend. "Like... what are we wearing for Slughorn's party this weekend,"

Scarlet was quite grateful to know Everest had been invited to Slughorn's club this year which meant she would have reasonable company during the time of the party.

"You know you'll be the one to choose my outfit, S," Everest whined, slurping her drink, "And when do we ever wear something but green or black?"

"Fair point," Scarlet nodded.

When breakfast ended, and everybody started to make their way out, Scarlet had to curl her fingers into a tight fist when she saw Sirius approach her, leaving his friends behind. Everest shot her a confused look at her peculiar expression.

Sirius started to walk by her side, "Feelin' better?" He asked; his hands shoved in his pockets. 

"I am," she smiled a little, looking down at the hands he shoved in his pockets. "And you?"

"I'm always doing fantastic, Blondie," he winked, his playful manner back in its place after last night. 

Oh, last night...

Swiftly, he leaned to her side and pressed a kiss to the temple of her head; his gentle lips lingered on her skin for a mere second, like a touch of cotton.  It was short and sweet before he spared her one last glance and made his way back to his friends.

      It was not a kiss to show off, it was one that sent a cryptic message saying: I'm glad you're okay.

      The students arrived to Transfiguration and settled down, and Scarlet was sat next to a Slytherin boy by the name Harrison. After placing her books on the desk, she looked up and blinked at the staring face.

"Hello, Harrison."

Harrison coughed, and replied just as politely, "How've you been, you missed yesterday's lesson," he said, and Scarlet remembers that he is also on the Quidditch team, "You can borrow my notes, if you want."

Scarlet smiled lightly, "that would be very helpful, thank you," she says, glancing back at where the Marauders situated, close enough for this conversation to be audible to them. 

Peter was wordlessly carving things on the wooden table with his sharp quill, and due to the sheer intensity of Sirius' glare, James was doubled over whilst laughing. 

Scarlet was silently looking at Harrison's work, "you're rather smart in Transfiguration, do you wish to pursue this in the future?"

"Not really, Slughorn has a potions apprenticeship lined up for me and I'll most likely be working with a Potions Master in the future."

Shockingly, Scarlet sounded impressed, "Whoever secures Slughorn's yearly work experience offer always tends to become a legend in the field, rather wealthy too. Well done, Harrison, that's completely brilliant."

"I'd like to know what you wish to go for as well," he recaptured Scarlet's attention, "perhaps, you can tell me about it during Hogsmeade weekend."

Everest snorted from a few seats away, and her and Potter's strangled laughter could be heard. 

Scarlet blinked, blinked, then blinked again. Did he just... ask her out on a date? Unable to help it, the girl genuinely made a face at the idea. Dating anyone other than Sirius? Never. 

Not... not like that, of course. She only means to think that she cannot date someone else whilst the entire school already thinks she's dating Sirius... so, yeah, that.

"Uhm." She awkwardly scratched her brow and tried to explain, "I don't know if you've heard, but—,"

"She's dating me, idiot," Sirius cut in, voice harder than she'd ever heard it.

"Oh." The boy's face scrunched in disappointment, "I thought you two were taking the mick. Ah, well, you know where to find me, Bridget, if it doesn't work out between you and Black..."

With that, Harrison winked and sauntered away with a walk that was just a little too purposeful. Sirius stared at his turned back so hard, it was a miracle he wasn't set on fire. Merlin. Everest and Scarlet exchanged a wide-eyed look that said everything. 

"Wait, I'm so confused," Peter said from the back in a frowned, soft tone, "why is he walking away so proudly? We literally have a lesson now." He had a point, Harrison truly thought he did something iconic. 

Remus shook his head at him, patting his back, "the more you think about it, the more brain cells you'll lose, Wormtail."

"Where the hell does that bastard get off?!" Black hissed once he was out of earshot, "Could you believe that prick?"

"A complete prick," Peter agreed, ever-so-loyal.

"He tried to steal my girl— erm, well, yea, my girlfriend — right in front of me!" Sirius hissed and opened the book so harshly that the spine broke with a soft noise, Remus gasped from the back. "Honestly, what an arsehole."

For some reason, Scarlet frowned and said, "People want to steal you too, Black. It's not just me."

"Maybe, but nobody's just walked up and said it — right in front of you." 

And Merlin save her, Bridget wasn't at all sure why the hell these next words tumbled out of her mouth: "You know, maybe you should date someone."

Scarlet, what the fuck?!

Everest shot her a fierce glance, James choked on his pumpkin juice he snuck into class, and Sirius narrowed his eyes.

"Pardon?" 

Scarlet worked hard to appear casual, twirling her quill in between her fingers delicately, "I just feel bad. Just because we're... you know... doesn't mean you can't be on the lookout, for the future, you know," she leaned closer to whisper, "it certainly must be very difficult for you to finally stay away from girls."

Again, what the fuck?!

Sirius was grinding his teeth, cheeks flushed with frustration, but still he murmured, "Yea, that's a good idea, Blondie. Maybe I need to find someone to have a real relationship with, you know, for the future."

"Hm, you should," she replied stiffly.

"I think I'll start checking out my options, then. Maybe someone on the Quidditch team. What do you think about that?"

"Hm." Scarlet's cheeks were turning red and she was gripping tighter and tighter to her quill. Harshly, she cleared her throat and daintily set it back onto the table. "You should do as you please, Black."

Sirius' eyes were burning on Scarlet's own. Everest and James looked very, very nervous as they stared at their best friends.

"Do you want me to, Blondie?"

"I said," she bit out, suddenly irritated and thoroughly knowing why, "do as you please... Black."

Sirius' eyes sparkled briefly with what suspiciously like triumph. Why did it feel as though Scarlet had lost this round, in a battle she didn't even realise she was fighting? Bloody hell. She scowled at him. He scowled back.

"Should I go back to my seat, then?" He snapped.

"Fine," she snapped back, "I'll move next to Eve."

"Brilliant."

"Grand."

"Fantastic."

James and Everest watched them leave, wide-eyed and speechless.

The second the two of them stood up, James jumped up from his seat and plopped down next to a smirking Everest; leaving Sirius and Scarlet gaping in betrayal and disbelief.

"I believe," Potter says in amusement, "the lovebirds should be seated together."

"I cannot believe I'm saying this but I agree with Potter." Everest crossed her arms, receiving such a glare from the blonde that she almost fainted. 

Black and Bridget stood in silence stiffly and very close as they stared into each others eyes, heaving, still irritated with themselves and at each other and at their stupid best friends. 

Then, while Scarlet was busy glaring daggers at Eve, Sirius pulled her into his arms and kissed her. 

Just then, even now after all these months, people found themselves cat-calling and smirking. Just then, Professor McGonagall ripped open the classroom door, perfect timing as always. 

But Sirius did not stop kissing her, and... and Scarlet... well, she didn't stop kissing him either.

"Oh, shite," Peter murmured, hiding the goblet of pumpkin juice that James left on the table, barely paying any mind to the drama surrounding him.

But still, they did not stop kissing. Black's hands crept down from Bridget's back to her waist and onto her hips, tugging her that much closer, and Scarlet wound her arms round his neck, threading her fingers into his curls. Merlin. Merlin and his ugly, twice-cursed, goat-owning mother. Wow. Scarlet felt a bit like she was under water, like she was floating away, and Sirius was her only tether onto the earth.

Then: "Enough!"

Scarlet and Sirius jumped apart at McGonagall's roar, and as she towered over them, face was pale and her eyes were blazing. It was hard to tell whether she was truly angry or just acting. Probably a bit of both, in truth. Scarlet looked back at Sirius, her face feeling like it was on fire. Black's face was red, too.

"Twenty points each from Gryffindor and Slytherin for this despicable display!" McGonagall snapped, and people were too amused to even complain. 

Scarlet wanted to be appalled, but her lips were tingling and it was a bit hard to form thought. Wow. Just... wow. Sirius didn't get angry either; he only smirked cheekily at McGonagall which only made the professor's face turn even more furious. 

"Why so serious, Minnie?" He coolly asked.

McGonagall sternly squinted between the boy and the girl, "And an extra five points from you, Black, for kissing above your station."

People burst into laughter whilst some Gryffindor's groaned in annoyance. 

Oh, Scarlet thinks, so, McGonagall can be funny.