Atheyas

𝟏𝟔: 𝖘𝖚𝖗𝖗𝖊𝖓𝖉𝖊𝖗

            Seated in the gazebo, the group had taken shelter from the passing light drizzle. "It's getting dark. We should head back," Remus acknowledged, looking towards Hogwarts which was situated on the other side of the lake. Laav stood up and tilted her head skywards. He was right. The once lavender sky was being consumed into a vast expanse of a jet-black, laid-down blanket of darkness. "That's highly unusual. It's only 5 in the evening," Emily frowned. "It's probably Riddle's doing. We should hurry," Laav remarked, already wanting to advance towards the forest. "No." Sirius grabbed her wrist, halting her. "Not the forest. We'll walk by the side of the lake." "I don't plan on camping out for the night," Laav argued, indicating it would be a long journey if they had to walk around the lake to reach Hogwarts. Emily narrowed her eyes to Sirius' hand which now had a tighter grip on Laav's wrist.

            "The forest screams danger in the dark." He clenched his jaw, as he stepped closer to Laav. The tension between the both of them was too loud to dismiss. Everyone could feel it. Maintaining eye contact, she released herself from his grip. "Do you have a better idea?" "We'll apparate," he suggested. "Not all of us can." Peter who had been awfully quiet spoke up. "Wormy, you can come with me. Laav, take Emily with you?" James asked. "Yeah, she can come with me." "Great. It's decided then, we'll apparate from here. Meet you back in the dorm?" He dusted his pants, ready to leave. Everyone nodded their heads in response.

Emily politely smiled. "Laav, could you give us a minute? I'd like to talk to Sirius privately."

"Of course! I'll just wait down there," she smiled. "Whenever you're ready."

"I'll accompany you meanwhile," Remus offered, following Laav downhill.

            Once everyone had left, Sirius turned to Emily. "What is it that you wanted to talk about?" Plucking up the courage, she voiced her scattered thoughts. "I think we should stop this." "Stop what?" he asked, confused. Emily kept quiet. "Stop what, Emily?" he asked again, his tone now firm. Once more, Emily did not utter a word. How could she? She didn't know where or how to start. She didn't even want to do this in the first place. Impatient, Sirius started to walk away, his feet automatically bringing him to his Laav. "Sirius, wait!" Emily chased after him. He stopped midway, allowing her to catch up to him. She walked up to his front, facing him, and even then, his eyes didn't waver from Laav. "I see the way you look at her," Emily blurted.

            He frowned and turned to look at Emily. He would've asked her who was she talking about but he didn't. He already knew the answer and he wasn't having it today. He pushed past her but she held him back. "Listen," she pleaded. For once. Just for once, she wanted to be heard. "What do you mean?" "Every time you look at her, it's like she has your presence arrested. And when she looks at you, there's a fervent desire so profound, you know she would mortally sin for you." Emily was right. She had those deep eyes that warmed him from the skin to bone. And when her smile reached those heart-melting breathtaking eyes, he let go of every doubt, and he surrendered.

Sirius turned away. "You don't know what you're saying."

"Or you don't know what you're feeling," countered Emily.

            There was nothing left to say. Emily wanted him to deny her statements and fight for them, but, moments after, he walked past her and strode downhill. She stood there and took a moment to feel the pain. There was no them. She let it sink in before plastering a smile on her face and following Sirius. "Hey, is everything alright?" Laav asked both of them. They had taken quite some time, it was already nearing 6 in the evening. "Yeah," Emily assured. "I'll take Emily home," Sirius said out of the blue. "Bu-" "You can't apparate. You don't have a clue where she lives." "You couldn't have realized that earlier?" Laav bickered. "I was caught up with something, just in case if you didn't notice," he argued back. She wasn't in the mood to deal with him today. "Fine." She vanished into thin air.

***

            After dropping Emily home safely, Sirius had accidentally apparated to 12 Grimmauld Place instead of the dorm but he wasn't complaining. Tonight, he needed to be alone. He laid in his bed, next to empty bottles. They don't do much when it comes to the company. In Sirius' perspective, sobriety was overrated. He didn't want to be sober. Sober's all those things; pain, grief, depression and he had been hiding behind these walls of his, for they felt safer. The drink in his hand was only to conceal all that was real. He wanted to empty his brain. To free himself of this feeling that weighed him down.

            Downing another one of Campbell's Finest Old whiskey, Sirius wondered if Laav had realized that the scar from the wound was oddly shaped like the letter 'S'. Almost like she was marked as his. Almost. It seemed to be she was never meant for him. Or, worse still, she felt the same, hoping that one day he'd build up the courage to tell her how he felt, but truth be told, he didn't know how he felt. All he knew was that when she looked in his direction, he felt a connection. A connection that made him want to grow into her definition of perfection.

But he was just a phantom in her life, a secret, never to be uncovered.

And he will continue to sit in silent torture waiting for her consciousness.

            8 bottles in and he realized, he wasn't drunk off the alcohol. He was drunk off her aura. It was so intoxicating, it made him high. As pathetic it may sound, it got him equally high enough to fall in love with her. He took another swig drowning in her absence. The twisted truth escaped his mind. He was addicted to her and boy, did he want to breathe her in. He let out a sad chuckle. "Oh, Laav Alden. What have you done to me?"