Chapter 25
Charlotte stepped down into the warmth of the common room, hearing the familiar sound of laughter she hadn't heard in what felt like weeks. Her eyes flashed around the room for less than a second before landing on the boys, James, Peter, Sirius and... Remus. Remus, who wore a genuine smile and sat beside Sirius as if they hadn't been ignoring each other for weeks now.
She watched for a few more seconds, leaning against the arch of the doorway to the stairs behind her. Even if Remus had made the first few months of the term a bit glum... even if he had been driving Sirius crazy for weeks... she was thankful in this moment for the brunette. She had been waiting for that signature grin to return to Sirius's face ever since he had opened that letter and found out about his uncle. And there it was. Mesmerizing, infectious...
"Blondie!" He called at last, his gray eyes linking with hers, the smile spreading wider across his cheeks. "We've been waiting for you all evening!"
"Oh, have you?" She asked, nearing the couches, her eyebrows raised in disbelief. They deserved a bit of time, just the boys, and she was sure Remus agreed, though his smile hadn't faltered even as she joined the group.
"Yeah, come on. Let's do something. What should we do?" James agreed, scanning the room, likely for some more people to rope into their plans.
"I'm going to owl this home." Charlotte raised the roll of parchment in her hand and the boys groaned.
"Tomorrow. I'll take you before breakfast!" Sirius offered, his bottom lip jutting out in an exaggerated pout.
"Sirius, I'll be back in twenty minutes." She dropped her fingers to the top of his head, ruffling his hair messily and giggling as he slapped her hand away.
"Well, you've just bought yourself an hour for him to fix that mess." Remus grinned, the boys bursting into a new round of laughs as Sirius raised one finger towards the tallest Marauder before setting to straightening up his hair.
"I'll be back in a bit." Charlotte called, starting through the portrait hole and down the quiet corridor. She glanced up to the windows lining the walls where the sun was already slipping behind the horizon, leaving the faintest glow to compete with the lanterns lining the staircase.
The owlery was a short walk from Gryffindor tower and she smiled as a few small owls hopped down to greet her as she entered, obviously all hoping for some sort of treat in exchange for their flight. She slid two fingers softly over the nearest owl and reached for it's leg, tying the string around the parchment carefully onto it's ankle before offering it, and the friend beside it each a small part of a biscuit.
The owl hooted happily and hopped closer to the window before taking off into the night air, and Charlotte watched as it faded into the distance before turning back towards the staircase. She stopped in her tracks, one foot already onto the next step when three familiar faces rounded the corner, grins pulling into sneers as they spotted her.
"Oh, look who we have here." Rosier spoke, and Charlotte felt her stomach twist uncomfortably as she took another step to pass them before Crouch stepped out to block her path.
"Where you going, Harris?" The brunette asked, his canines poking out beneath his grin as he stared down at the blonde.
"Out at night with no little body guards?" Rosier continued, though Charlotte glanced towards Regulus who was making it a point not to meet her eyes.
"Bodyguards?" She scoffed, shaking her head and trying once again to pass the boys.
"How is Sirius? Haven't seen him much lately..." Crouch sneered, and Charlotte pressed her lips together, resisting the urge for a snappy comeback.
"He's alright..." She answered, though she knew their question had been rhetorical. "I'm sorry about your uncle, Regulus." She tried, the younger Black's eyes finally flashing to hers.
Evan let out a short laugh which echoed up the staircase. "His filthy blood traitor uncle? You think he needs your condolences? Their family is rid of one more embarrassment." He glanced to Regulus as Charlotte's mouth fell open, slightly, waiting to see how the smaller boy would respond.
"I should... get going..." Charlotte finally spoke again when it was clear that Regulus didn't plan to, taking another step down the stairs. "You know... if you do ever need to talk, Sirius is-"
Regulus scoffed now, eyes returning to Charlottes. "Oh, I'm going to talk to Sirius?" His voice was laced with venom. "My mother's told me plenty of things about my dear brother... and you can tell him he's not fooling anyone with his little half-blood girlfriend."
Barty and Evan snickered, Evan stepping aside at last, as if they had finished the conversation, excusing Charlotte from their sight. She didn't hesitate, shaking her head quickly and hurrying out of the stairwell and back towards the tower, though she no longer felt much in the mood to lounge around with the boys.
☾
Sirius's eyes raked over the clock along the wall once more, Flitwick's voice weaving in one ear and out the other as the seconds ticked by. It was the last class of the day, and he was more restless than tired by this point.
"Blondie..." He whispered and Charlotte glanced to the dark haired boy beside her, her eyebrows rising. "Want to do something after this?"
She shrugged, gaze drifting back towards the front and hurrying to jot down Flitwick's last sentence. "Like what?"
"Whatever you want." He leaned his head onto the desk, gray eyes still staring up to her. "It's not as chilly today... could go for a walk?"
"If you'd like." She nodded.
"Are you alright?" He asked, scanning over her face, her eyes stuck to the parchment before her.
"Course." She answered at once, Sirius's eyebrows furrowing in confusion as Flitwick at last ended his lecture, instructing everyone to read next week's chapter over the chatter and noise of everyone gathering their things.
"Hey," He reached for her arm as she slung her bag over her shoulder, her eyes finally returning to his. "Come here." He ordered, tugging her lightly into the hallway and around the nearest corner, away from the crowds headed down the staircase.
"What?" Charlotte asked after a moment when Sirius didn't speak.
"Are you upset with me?"
She shook her head, plastering on her best smile which did nothing to fool Sirius.
"Blondie... Tell me what's wrong."
"Nothing is wrong!"
"You think I can't tell when something's bothering you?" He ducked his head to meet her eyes, his fingers wrapping around her wrist to pull her closer. "I'd like to think I know you quite well by now..."
She sighed, though Sirius couldn't ignore the hint of a smile pulling at the corner of her lip.
"Could I ask you something?" She finally spoke, her voice soft in the vacant hallway.
"Course you can." He nodded, peering down at the blonde and waiting as she considered her next words.
"Did you only bring me... to your family's party... to piss them off?"
Sirius paused, his eyebrows drawn together in confusion for only a second before he scoffed. "Charlotte, no. I brought you because I knew I would have an awful night and I wanted you with me so I wouldn't try to jump from the roof."
Charlotte sighed, resisting the urge to laugh as she considered his words.
"You could have brought anyone then... you've loads of friends..."
"I didn’t want to being a friend. I wanted to bring you and dance with you and… Charlotte, I’ve been in love with you for months now, is this really so shocking?"
"You couldn't be in love with someone you just met in September-"
"Blondie, dammit, I bloody knew you! We’ve had classes together for five years! Maybe we never talked, but I knew you. I knew you’d always sit in the middle of the class and that you hardly ever raised your hand and only spoke when you were called on but you always got the charms the quickest and memorized everything in history of magic.”
He paused, watching her eyes skate along the floor at their feet.
"I knew you before you started spending more time with Lily and the girls... I always knew you. Like in fourth year when we had those murtlaps in magical creatures and-"
"Did you just say you love me?" Charlotte interrupted and Sirius blinked twice, thinking over his last few sentences.
"Did I..." He paused, eyes returning to the wide, blue ones before him. "Yeah. Because I do. I love you."
The two stood in silence for another few moments before Sirius couldn't take it anymore, "You don't have to say it back. But I do. I'm in love with you, Charlotte, so no, I did not bring you to my parents to piss anyone off, I-"
He trailed off as Charlotte's fingers flew around his neck, pulling him down roughly into a kiss, though he couldn't have cared any less. His arms surrounded her as well, pulling her against his chest, both hands inching down to her hips as if there was anyway to bring her any closer.
"I love you too..." Her words were more of a breath against his lips and he felt his own tug into a grin at the sound. "I love you."
"Say it again." He mumbled, rejoining their lips for only a second. "Again, blondie."
"I love you." She giggled, the noise cut off as Sirius pressed another kiss to her lips.
"One more."
"Sirius!" She laughed.
"I can't help it. Never thought I'd see the day-"
"Shut it." She ordered, though her smile didn't falter as she waited patiently, only for a second, for his lips to return to hers once again.
☾
Charlotte climbed up the final flight of steps before reaching the rickety ladder that lead to the astronomy tower. It really wasn't all that late yet, and she couldn't have been less tired. She had spent the last two days entirely tucked into Sirius's arms, through classes, meals and any free time, and now it felt odd to be without him.
Still, she knew it was important for him to be able to spend time with his friends, and if they wanted a boys night, she wouldn't stand in their way. Especially now that Remus and Sirius were on speaking terms again.
She hadn't seen Mary or Marlene since lessons had ended earlier and Lily had far more homework than Charlotte could ever have dreamed of, in her nightmares anyway. How her friend was handling her extra classes when Charlotte herself felt on the verge of mental collapse most days was beyond her.
She pulled herself onto the platform of the tower, the night's chill was a pleasant change from the stuffy air she had left behind in the stairwell. Her eyes scanned over the stars, though you couldn't see as many tonight as she was used to. There were a few rolling clouds in the sky and she stepped closer to the railing before noticing the dark haired boy at the end of the tower.
Regulus.
She hesitated, her heart hammering a bit quicker in her chest as she waited for him to speak, though after a few seconds, she realized he wouldn't. He often didn't. She was starting to register that about him.
"Sorry... I didn't realize..." She muttered, glancing back towards the ladder back into the castle. "I'll go."
"You don't have to." Regulus finally spoke, his voice much softer than it had been last week in the owlery.
She paused, thinking it over but not moving to leave. It was rare to find him without any of his housemates. She only wished it could have been Sirius who found him instead.
"Alright." She answered finally, leaning against the railing, her eyes returning to the sky. She wasn't sure what she had intended to do up here, or how long she had planned to stay, though after three flights of stairs, she wasn't ready to head back down just yet.
The clouds rolled along until they began to thin out, revealing the glowing full moon alongside the glittering constellations. Charlotte snuck a peek towards Regulus, only to let out the breath she had been holding in when she noted his eyes stuck to the sky as well.
The two sat in silence for a while, though she had no way of knowing how long it had been. The chill began to eat through her, or rather, Sirius's sweater and she had all but decided that it was time to head down when he spoke again.
"I'm sorry." His voice rang out, clear, yet quiet and Charlotte turned to face him, though his eyes were glued to the floor boards. "For saying anything... about Sirius. I shouldn't... I don't know what I was talking about."
Charlotte was already nodding before he had even stopped speaking, stepping silently closer to him and taking a seat a safe distance away. Even if he was being nice right now... even if Sirius thought he wasn't like the rest of the Slytherin... She was sure he wouldn't want her that close to him.
"It's alright." She said, tugging her knees to her chest and leaning back against the wall to look back at the stars. The two fell into silence again and Charlotte wondered if it would be rude to leave now... if he had more to say, or if he was wishing she would leave him alone.
"You smell like him."
Charlotte blinked, turning to face Regulus who had finally met her eye.
"Like Sirius?" She confirmed, and Regulus nodded once. "His sweater." She explained.
"Figured."
She paused for a few more moments of silence before looking to him again. "Do you miss him?"
Regulus let out what sounded like a mix of a scoff and a sigh, and for a few moments, Charlotte was sure he wasn't going to speak to her ever again.
"Sirius just never gives a shit about anything." He said, and Charlotte noted the lack of a yes or no. "The rest of us have to play by all of the rules. We don't get to do whatever we want to."
"The rules?" She pressed and Regulus rolled his eyes to her, his lips pulled into a tight line.
"As if you don't know."
"At home?" She asked, her voice so soft she wasn't sure how the younger boy could still hear her. Though perhaps he hadn't, as he didn't answer, even as minutes ticked by in silence. "Birds born in a cage think flying's an illness..."
Regulus finally looked to her again, his eyebrows furrowed together almost identical to the expression she watched cross his brothers face multiple times a day.
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"A... playwright said it... I read it... Doesn't matter." She stuttered, refusing to admit to the boy that she had been quoting a muggle. "It's your life, Regulus. You have to do what you want... but, do it because you want to, not anyone else."
"Not that easy." He grumbled under his breath and she nodded, though he wasn't looking at her anymore.
"It would be hard. It's been really hard for-" She trailed off as both of their attention was drawn over the railing, to a long and deafening howl.
"What the hell?" Regulus's eyes were wide as he jumped to his feet, rushing towards the edge of the platform and scanning over the dark school grounds.
"What was that?" Charlotte asked, quietly, ears still trained for any noises.
"Bloody wolf..." Regulus shook his head, turning away from the edge. "Who knows what they've got in that forest."
"Yeah... we should-"
"Bed." He cut her off, already halfway towards the doorway. "Well, come on. Not leaving you up here unsupervised."
"Unsupervised?" She chuckled, attempting to turn it into a cough at his scowl. "What am I going to do? Light the place on fire?"
"Launch yourself off, maybe? You are dating my brother now." He grumbled and Charlotte's lips pulled into a small smile as she started down the ladder ahead of him, pausing at the bottom as he jumped down the final few rungs, stalking off towards the next staircase without another word.