Green Smoke

Star Gazing-

The night air is crisp, and the dew on the grass dampens my jumper and trousers. Taking a drag off my cigarette before lazily pointing out constellations. I tune out my thoughts instead listening to the sounds of the Forbidden Forest and the Black Lake. Both are at least a kilometer from where I lay on the grass.

Cassiopeia. Perseus. Another hit. Aquarius. Grus. A deep inhale of smoke.

I stretch my arms out to lie on the grass and watch the stars twinkle. I don't know how long I sat there. The moon is further in the sky, and my cigarette has long since burned out. My vision blurs and loses its sharp focus. I close my eyes and breathe in the night air.

I come out here on the grounds of that castle of Hogwarts when I'm lost. Lost in the sea of school, lost in the storm of my social life, lost in my head. Being alone in nature lets me relax my body and mind without interruptions. The silence enables me to think over everything that has happened since the last time I came here. The last time I came out here was a few weeks before school ended all those months ago. My girls know that I come out here, and if I don't respond to them I am most likely out here without telling them. I Keep myself from overthinking and anxious while out here by reminding myself that it's not that serious while in silence.

Silence until I hear a pair of footsteps coming towards me. The heavy boots are familiar. The footsteps get closer before I can start to hear faint whispers. I don't react after I hear a few quiet mumbles from the male. The Star Boy is clearly hyping himself up before he reaches me. Saying things like "It's only your only childhood friend" and "Just don't look him in the eyes, and you'll be fine." Clearly, he thinks I'm a gorgon or something. He is closer to me when he stops talking to himself and walks to me without hiding his footsteps from me anymore.

I retract my arms and lay crossed on my chest to give him space to sit beside me. I don't look at him; instead, I stare at the stars out of the corner of my right eye. I watch him sit beside me and glare at me before he chooses to look up at the sky. The Gryffindor boy crosses his ankles and leans back on his palms, ignoring my existence. We sit there in silence for a while before Sirius finally breaks the silence.

"What are you doin' out here, Ansie?" His voice is soft against the pages of this book. The nickname nearly gave me whiplash for the second time in the last week. We look at each other, and he quickly looks away toward the forest before us.

"Needed some time away, I guess." That is all I could think to say in response. Not wanting him to get a glance at the real reason and unload all of my problems on the boy. The night air is comfortable against our skin as we quietly point constellations out to each other.

The quiet tones of our voices make the entire scene seem more intimate. Sirius slowly begins to lay beside me on the grass. The dew on the grass wetting his signature leather jacket. He copies my position, crossing his legs and resting his arms on his lower stomach. Silence falls on us. The only sounds that catch my attention are the soft ripples of Black Lake and the rustling of leaves, which barely grace my ears.

"Did you hear that?" I whisper to him without looking at his side profile.

"Hear what?" He turns his head in my direction. His gaze is cool and calm, his grey eyes looking at me and only me.

"I think it came from the forest," I say, sitting up and looking down at him as his brows raise. His face holds humor before he speaks his thoughts.

"How would you be able to hear that far, Leon." First name, I take in a deep breath and change my direction of thoughts.

"You can't hear the forest?" My tone is genuine now, as I am confused as well. He shakes his head. "What about the lake?" Another shake of the head. I fall back to lay on the grass next to him as he leans on his elbow while facing me. He looks down at me with evident confusion as well as humor.

"What did you hear, Ansie?" "It was quiet. Sounded like three voices together." I shrug it away as nothing while the Gryffindor beside me takes an interest in what I hear.

"People?" His tone is trouble. "In the Forbidden Forest?" I nod before seeing him sit up and look towards the treeline. Shit. I know that look. That's the look that led me to get forced into taking even more etiquette classes after the two of us ended up in the Malfoy's fountain during a garden party. Sirius starts to sit up while I try to talk to him before he does the exact thing that I expect from a Gryffindor boy.

"Siri- Sirius," I copy him and start to stand up. "You are not going into the forest." He shrugs my comment off before beginning to cross the grass field to the treeline. Giving up before I waste any more breath before walking after him. I follow the boy into the potential danger or loss of house points. I don't think about how Sirius could quickly shift into his Animagus form to escape, but I don't have that ability yet.

"Do you still hear it?" We're halfway to the trees. I debate on lying before I respond. "No," I choose the safe option. "I only heard it for a moment." I go to grab him again. "It was probably nothing. We all know there are centaurs in the forest, after all." He physically shrugs me off this time and reaches for my wrist before entering the treeline.

I don't pull away as I try to remember the last time he grabbed me like this. I realize that we are much closer to the forest before I start to verbally oppose entering. Then I hear it again; the pace increase makes it clear that he heard it, too.

We enter. Sirius trips a few times as he doesn't slow down. I watch where I step on the forest floor. I pick up on every root and jagged rock on the forest floor as he stumbles around like a newborn deer. I pull on his grip to pull him to a stop.

"What are you thinking, Black?" are the first words out of my mouth as he looks at me. "Investigating. It could be a couple of first years for all we know."

"That isn't an excuse to run into the Forbidden Forest, dumbass." The change in facial features is noticeable. He places his free hand over his heart, and I put mine on my hip. His face is overtly sarcastically hurt.

"Oh, bite me, Mister Perfect." I can't keep my amusement to myself as I laugh freely in his face. His face holds for a moment as he watches me laugh until a coughing laugh from me breaks his facade, and he starts to laugh with me. I notice that his hand has moved from my writs to my hand. My laugh changes only slightly until it stops entirely as I watch Star Boy continue to laugh loudly. Our hands are interlaced softly. I watch him laugh until suddenly he stops. His ears are perked up, and he whips his head to the right of where we just came from.

I pick up on a voice. It's rough yet sweet. Hagrid. My gaze returns to Sirius, and we share a look, understanding precisely one thing. Run.

We book it further into the forest, weaving through many trees and harmless forest animals on our way. The Black boy laughs as the adrenaline fills our veins. I join in as I move forward to run beside him.

He pulls me back to lean against a tree. We are far enough away from the castle to avoid any groundskeeper, yet also clearly lost. I listen for the half-giant while he catches his breath. He looks to me for confirmation, which I give him with a shake of the head. His eyes catch on our intertwined hands before looking back at me. Without moving his hand, he brings his question to light a split second later.

"How is your hearing so good now." He obviously goes to continue, yet bites it off.

"I didn't know it was better." My reply is more of a question than a statement. He seems to shrug it off again before looking at our surroundings. I watch as the boy realizes that we are, in fact, lost.

"Fucking hell." I laugh. "How do we get back without getting help." Cue more laughter. "Oh, don't laugh. You're lost too." He lets go of my hand to place both hands on his hips. The loss of warmth of his hand is immediate, but I ignore it. I laugh again before reaching into my bag. And search through the side pocket. "How in the fuck did you just summon your bag from all the way out here?" His tone is incredulous.

I pull out a compass, telling him not to worry. I turn to face West and start my trek back to the castle. I don't explain myself to the boy following me, who is shooting out every question under the sun that he could ask. Mainly focusing on how I summoned my messenger bag or why I just have a compass in said messenger bag. He watches his step this time and only trips once by the time we are to the tree line. He stops to stare at the castle and back to me before looking back at the castle as I simply watch the boy.

"Told you not to worry."

-??? Words-