22
A month back at Hogwarts and Charlotte was already beginning to forget what free time felt like. Taking a page, or perhaps a few pages, from Lily's book, she had spent practically every afternoon holed away in the library with the red-head, and though she fell into bed most nights, sleep finding her barely a second after her head hit the pillow, each assignment handed back to her in the high 90's was reward enough for all of the hard work.
Mary and Marlene did not agree, and had often taken to begging for Lily and Charlotte to do anything with them outside of the library. Though of course, and through much fault of her own, she reasoned, the one night that she was caught up on work was the night none of her roommates were anywhere to be found.
The sun was nearly hidden behind the trees outside of the stained glass framing common room, which meant it couldn't be all that long before at least one of them showed back up to the tower. She would wait them out.
She glanced around the crowded room, watching the familiar groups laughter echo through the space, a few seventh years attempting to study in the corner with obvious silencing charms placed around themselves. She glanced towards the doorway once more as if Marlene might come bursting through any moment, though she was sure she would be able to hear her from the hallway if she were anywhere close. Her eyes skated involuntarily towards the staircase to the boys dormitories and then around at the crowd once more.
It wasn't that late... It wouldn't look bad. The sun was still... Her thoughts trailed off as the last sliver of yellow fell behind the forest in the distance, the sky now painted a faint pinkish orange around the clouds as she started up the stairs, glancing back a few times as if expecting the entire room to riot.
Her legs felt ready to give out by the time she reached the boys dorm, but she wasted no time raising her hand towards the door to knock. She only waited a second before it was pulled open, Sirius towering over her, a confused look fading away as a slight smile pulled to his lips.
"Well, well." He cocked his head to one side and leaned against the doorway, staring down at her, her insides threatening to melt just from his gaze. "What can I do for you, Blondie?"
"The girls aren't up here?" She half pretended to scan the room behind him, despite knowing she wouldn't find her roommates. "I haven't seen them in hours and I'm bloody bored."
"Too much studying, Charlotte. They've probably grown bored of you." He shrugged, his grin giving him away, though he didn't step aside to let her in.
"Are you busy?" She asked finally, her stomach seizing up ridiculously. It was Sirius. Sirius, who she'd spent practically all of Christmas break with, and countless hours since they'd returned to school. They were friends. Friends hang out.
"Uh..." He stammered, glancing back in the room and then at the watch on his wrist, not meeting her eyes. Her heart fell in her chest, though she pushed the feeling from her mind. She had assumed he would be free, which was stupid. Of course Sirius would have plans.
She looked him over again. His hair was messy, though she knew he liked it best that way. He was wearing a familiar sweatshirt and dark jeans, and though it certainly wouldn't have been her idea of dressing up, she reminded herself that Sirius might not consider his late night plans as dates...
"I'm sorry, you have plans." She forced a smile to her face as his fell, taking a step back from the door towards the stairs again. "I'll see you-"
"Charlotte! I don't have plans... Well, I mean... not plans..." He stuttered out, eyes not leaving hers as his fingers surrounded her wrist. "I've got something I have to do... I'm sorry, Blondie. You know I'd love to keep you company."
"It's fine, Sirius." She tried for a lazy laugh and brushed him off with a small wave. "I'll see you for class tomorrow!"
"Blondie!" He caught her in two steps, pulling her back to face him. "I'm... I'm just meeting the guys. Something... Well, doesn't matter."
"Okay." She whispered, her chest nearly pressed into his from where he had pulled her into him. "No problem, Sirius, really."
"It's just such a shame, because you never want to spend time with me." He teased, though the smile on his face seemed forced.
"Oh, shut it, Black." She rolled her eyes, her heart still feeling heavy no matter how hard she tried to ignore it.
"I'll walk you down?" He offered, his eyes stuck to hers as she nodded and started down the stairs beside him, pushing the thought of whatever girl Sirius was sneaking off to meet out of her mind.
☾
There was no shortage of seats in Transfiguration that morning, even as Charlotte and Mary slipped into class with barely a minute to spare. Lily glanced back at the footsteps, eyebrows furrowed deeper as the friends slid into their spots.
"Where are-" Marlene trailed off as the door flung open once more, James, Sirius and Peter falling into seats along the back row, all three of them sporting faint purple bags beneath their eyes.
"I believe that's everyone, then." McGonagall called out as Peter slouched down onto the desktop, dropping his head into his arms as James's eyes found Lily.
"Morning, Evans." He mumbled, offering her a small smile which she did not return.
"Where's Remus?" She whispered, scanning along all of the boys.
"Sick." Sirius answered for him, flipping through random pages of a pristine looking Transfiguration book. "Morning blondie."
"Morning." She offered him a smile before turning her eyes back to her book. She tried to reason with herself that all of the boys looked equally tired, not just Sirius. Maybe they had really been out together, pulling some great prank.
She pulled out another slip of parchment and began copying down McGonagall's words between the two pages before they set into teams to practice. The table jostled before them as Sirius dropped into the chair on Charlotte's left, Mary offering him a smug grin.
"Can I work with you lot? Can't have three idiots to a team, need someone smart." He shrugged, glancing over at Charlotte's paper.
"You'd better be talking about me, Black." Mary teased, pulling her wand from her bag and pulling a feather from the pile before them which they were to be turning to ferrets, nonverbally, though many of the other teams weren't even trying.
"Of course, MacDonald." He nodded.
"Why do you all look like you haven't slept in weeks?" She asked, though Charlotte couldn't decide if she wanted the question answered or not.
"Oh, you know us. Long night of mischief."
"I don't doubt it. Any pranks we should be ready for on the way out of this classroom?"
"My lips are sealed, ma'um."
"You're safe, Mary." Peter answered through half shut eyes.
"Thanks, Pete." She smiled back at him as the tail whipped wildly at the end of his feather which he was paying no mind to.
"What's wrong with Remus?" Charlotte asked quietly as Sirius ran two fingers along the speckled ferret now pacing along their desk.
He shrugged, not meeting her eyes. "Just feeling under the weather. I would have pulled a sickie too if I didn't love Minnie's lessons so much."
"Yeah, Minnie." Mary muttered and Sirius's lip curled into a smirk, eyes flickering over Charlotte's pink cheeks.
In what felt like no time, class was over, everyone reluctantly bidding goodbye to their ferrets and packing up their supplies into their bags. Charlotte folded the extra notes in half and started towards the door after the Marauders.
"Time for a nap." Sirius stretched his arms over his head dramatically and James nodded beside him, Peter seeming already asleep.
"Got a free period, Char?" James asked as the group started up the stairs.
"Yeah, until defense." She answered, "Hey, when you guys go up there you can bring Remus these notes I guess?"
"No, we can't," Peter answered through a yawn, "He's not up there."
"Not up there?" Lily answered, glancing between the boys, concern filling her eyes.
"No, I mean..." Sirius cut in.
"He's up there!" James nodded at once, shooting Peter a pointed glare.
"No, right. He's there, he's just not... there, you know?" Peter forced out a laugh.
"What are you guys going on about? Did you murder him last night and bury the body by the lake?" Marlene rolled her eyes.
"Shut it, Marls. You're too loud." Sirius whined, pulling himself up the last few steps.
"Well, I'm headed to Arithmancy." Lily glanced at her watch and offered everyone a wave goodbye, starting down the hallway at their left.
"Wait, I'll walk you!" Charlotte called, catching up to Lily in a few steps.
"Why?" She asked, pulling her books to her chest as they walked.
"What do you think is wrong with Remus?" Charlotte asked, noting the concern in Lily's eyes.
"I don't know, Charlotte..." She shrugged, slowing slightly as they neared the classroom. "He's sick a lot."
"You think so?" Charlotte asked, forcing her mind back to the last couple months. "I know he was sick in the fall."
"No, he's sick like every..." She trailed off, "Well, I don't know. Just feels like a lot. I've asked him, but he always brushes it off and says the guys make a bigger deal about it than it is."
"Well, that sounds like a possibility." Charlotte shrugged, sharing a smile with the red-head before waving goodbye as she headed towards the classroom. She paused for a moment, glancing at the empty hallway behind her and the notes in her hand before starting down the last staircase.
The Hospital Wing's doors came into view, silence taking over the usual chatter that filled the corridors. She had to be wrong. If she had to guess now, she would have said the infirmary was completely empty.
She pushed the doors open slightly, peeking into the empty room. Every bed was vacant aside from one, curtains pulled around tightly to block out any sunlight. She paused for a moment, ready for Madam Pomfrey to chase her from the room any moment, though nothing came.
She crept forward until she reached the curtains and paused. There was no way to knock on a curtain, and what if it wasn't Remus? What if it was?
"Remus?" She finally whispered, ready to flee if she heard anyone's voice beside-
"Charlotte?"
She pulled the curtain aside just a sliver, watching Remus push himself up from the pillows, rubbing his fist into his eye.
"What are you doing here?"
"I uh... I brought you the transfiguration notes." She answered, stupidly, passing over the slightly crumpled parchment and he offered her half a smile.
"How did you know I was here?" He asked, scanning over the page. "I missed the ferrets?"
She laughed, falling into the chair beside the curtain and trying not to think about the morning a few months ago when they had both woken up in this same room.
"You missed the ferrets."
"How did you know I was here?" He asked again, eyes boring into hers.
"I didn't really... I just was walking by and... I don't know why I thought you'd be here." She shrugged. "Are you alright?"
"Oh, yeah. You know Madam Pomfrey. She worries about everything. Even a little cold."
☾
Charlotte nodded a quick goodbye to Lily the second the doors shut behind them, blocking the icy windy from entering the castle, though the chill had already set into their bones. Lily had Ancient Runes which was halfway across the castle, and Charlotte was grateful once again that all she had to do for the rest of the night was snuggle into a dozen blankets and not think about the frozen grounds until next week.
She hugged her arms to her chest through her jacket and hurried up one staircase after another before finally laying eyes on the Portrait Hole, muttering the password and breathing warm air into her fingers as she entered the cozy common room.
She spotted him at once, though for once he hadn't spotted her, dark hair falling over his face as he scribbled onto a scrap of parchment in the vacant room. She let herself pause for only a second, ignoring the familiar nerves that ran through her stomach before starting over towards him and falling onto the couch beside him.
Sirius jumped the second she hit the couch, pulling the parchment from his lap to hide it from view before his eyes met hers, his shoulders dropping as a smile pulled to his lips.
"Merlin, blondie, you little sneak." He grinned, returning his paper to his lap, yet keeping it upside down.
"What are you working on?" She asked suspiciously as his eyes flickered to his parchment once again.
"New prank." He answered, vaguely. "James's idea." He offered her a shrug that did nothing to convince her that whatever he was planning was not exclusively his idea. "You're freezing."
"Just got back from Herbology." She mumbled, pressing her fingers to her nose which still felt freezing though her fingers were finally starting to warm up.
"Here," He dropped his notes to the table beside them, reaching for the bottom of his sweater and dragging it over his head, his hair falling messily back into place as he leaned towards her, her breath catching in her throat as he tugged the warm sweater over her top.
Her eyes caught on the flash of pale skin by his hips before he had the chance to fix his shirt, and though she was quick to pull her gaze to the sleeves of her new sweater, pretending to roll them up her wrists, Sirius's smirk was instantaneous.
"See something you like?" He teased, enjoying the flush that rose up her neck to her cheeks.
"Yeah, yeah. You're hot, we get it." She answered without thinking, her eyes meeting his and watching the smirk fall from his face at once.
"Did you just flirt with me?" His eyebrows curved as he waited for her answer, a grin returning to his face as she scrambled for an answer.
"Well, I figured I'd return the favor after months and months and months- hey!" She giggled, swatting his hand from where it had tried to link around her waist which did nothing to deter him as he moved closer to her, pinning her against the end of the couch.
"It's not my fault you're so bloody-"
"Sorry, thought this was the common area not your bedroom, Pads." James's voice shocked the pair apart, Sirius retreating a few inches back and giving Charlotte space to sit up straight, meeting James Potter's brown eyes and forcing herself to ignore the knowing grin.
"Don't blame me because you can't get any, Prongs." Sirius flashed a bright smile and a wink to James as Peter barked out a laugh behind them, the door shutting as Remus disappeared from their group, James spinning to check on their friend just in time to see the portrait hole slam.
"Where-" James looked back to Peter who offered him a shrug as the two Gryffindor's started towards the fireplace to join their friends. "Well, anyways. Any news you'd like to share with the class?" He continued, unsure where to plant his gaze as he looked between Sirius and Charlotte who wasn't sure if her face would ever return to it's original color at this point.
"Oh, yeah. That jacket's hideous, and we've got to be going." Sirius answered, jumping from the couch and linking his fingers through Charlotte's, pulling her up beside him, his hands landing on her waist to guide her towards the portrait hole ahead of him.
"Where are you going?" James called, already on his feet again.
"Got plans, Prongsie! You wouldn't understand!"
Charlotte chuckled and shot James an apologetic glance, though he looked anything but sad as he sank back to the couch beside Peter, both of them sharing a knowing grin.
"Where are we going?" She asked, softly, hearing the portrait hole fall closed behind them as Sirius started down the first flight of stairs at her side, his eyes scanning along the portraits on the walls, watching as they hopped between frames to gossip with their neighbors.
"Can I ask you something?" He asked, eyes finally meeting hers again.
"Sure." She answered, forcing herself not to look away from him as they turned at the next staircase, starting down a dimly lit corridor of empty looking classrooms.
"Have you noticed... Remus..." He paused, as if thinking of the words. "It's like every time I'm anywhere near you, he storms out of the room..." Charlotte didn't answer, partially because it didn't seem like he was asking a question anymore. "Have you noticed?"
"No." She let her eyes fall to the stone walls behind him, thinking over the past weeks. Now that he mentioned it, she realized he was right.
"Mmm..." Sirius hummed, leaning against the wall and Charlotte took a step closer towards him, keeping away from the chill of the wall that didn't seem to bother him at all.
"Why are you asking?" She pressed, not wanting him to drop the subject. What was he getting at?
"Is there anything going on with you?" He blurted, "You and Remus?"
Charlotte felt her mouth fall open slightly as she watched him, his eyes raking over her face as if he was trying to memorize every feature in the shadows of the hallway.
"You know everything that's going on..." She started, her stomach twisting nervously. "He hates me... and we don't really talk much at all anymore-"
"He doesn't hate you." Sirius cut her off and she shrugged. "You asked him... to Slughorn's party."
"Sirius..."
"Do you still fancy him?"
She had never seen him go so long without even the hint of a smile or a joke. His normally bright eyes were dark, and she couldn't tell if it was simply the lack of lighting in this corridor.
"I don't fancy him." She answered, her voice barely a whisper, her heart beat seemed to echo throughout all of her limbs.
"No?" The smile was nearly back now, she could see the start of it in his eyes even if it hadn't reached his lips yet.
"No." She shook her head, her feet feeling heavy, holding her in her spot as Sirius moved towards her again, one hand coming to the side of her face. There was barely a space between their noses now and Charlotte was sure her lungs would give out any second if she didn't breathe. His thumb traced gently over her cheek, fingers curling beneath her chin and tilting her face towards his before she finally took half a step back, eyes falling to the floor.
Sirius paused for a moment, his fingers falling from her face, the smile vanishing from his face once again.
"Why do you always do that?" He asked, his voice quiet though Charlotte could hear it as if he was whispering into her ear.
"Do what?" Her blood was pumping so loudly in her ears she was shocked he couldn't hear it himself.
"Pull away from me." He answered, closing the gap between them again with another step.
"I didn't-"
"Yes. You did. You always do."
Charlotte ran her tongue over her lips nervously and pulled one arm over the other, fingers tracing over the soft fabric of Sirius's sweater.
"Blondie." He tucked one finger between hers and pulled her closer until all she could smell was the familiar cologne, her head practically swimming from the proximity. "Talk to me... please?"
"You..." She shook her head, letting out half a laugh.
"I?" His head cocked to the side, pulling her gaze back to his.
"You make me nervous." She whispered, pulling her lip beneath her teeth.
There was a terrible moment of silence where Sirius's eyebrows knit together, his mouth opening and closing twice before settling on a response.
"I'm making you nervous?"
"It's..." She clapped her hands over her eyes, resisting a groan. "It's not your fault, it's me, I-"
"No, blondie, I'm sorry... I shouldn't have... I should have taken the hints, I'm sorry-"
"No!" She blurted now, dropping her hands to her side and meeting his eyes, hating the sad look that was waiting there for her. "Just... It's not... Sirius, I don't want you to get sick of me and... and I let myself..."
She had seen Sirius Black confused many times, yet the look that graced his face now was nearly unrecognizable.
"Sick of you? What are you talking about?"
"I just don't want to... I don't want it to go wrong and... or if next month you..." She couldn't find a single sentence that didn't sound rude coming from her mouth, though he obviously got the idea from the scoff and matching smile that pulled to his lips.
"You think I could get sick of you?" He waited only a second for an answer, "Blondie, I'm surprised you're not sick of me."
The nerves that had twisted their way into her stomach began to settle, though she still wouldn't meet his eyes until his fingers found their way back to her chin, his thumb running over her bottom lip carefully.
"I'd really like to kiss you, Charlotte. So you'd better tell me if you don't want me to." The bold smirk had returned at his words, though Charlotte hardly noticed as he once again tilted her chin up until her lips pressed to his, his other hand slinking along her waist, shivers erupting beneath her sweater as he pulled her against him. The hand on her chin slid along her cheek until he could cup her jaw, pulling her into the kiss more than she had even thought possible, his lips working against hers as if he'd been waiting a lifetime to do so.
It felt like an eternity before he pulled away, as if it had been another lifetime entirely before their lips had touched, yet Sirius's smile was the same.
"I care about you so much." He muttered through the small space between their faces. "I could never get sick of you."
Charlotte chuckled nervously, rolling her eyes before she felt his fingers back on her waist, pulling her roughly against his chest.
"So..." He started, "Can I start telling everyone that you're mine, officially?"
"Officially?" She asked, her lips curving into an involuntary grin.
"Well, you see, you've been mine since September. You just made me work like hell for it."