Grey Eyes (A Harry Potter Fanfiction)

31. Candles

“Er, Cecilia? You haven’t touched your Astronomy homework all night.” Remus nudges me with his elbow and gestures towards my blank star chart. “Need help? Though you probably already know these constellations better than I do.”

I jolt back to my senses and look down at my homework. “Oh right,” I reply hastily. “No, it’s okay. I’ll get started now.”

“You sure you don’t need help? You look pretty out of it.”

I shake my head. “I’m fine, really. Just kind of tired.”

“If you say so...” says Remus, watching me with a slightly concerned look on his face.

I give him a weak smile before plopping my head back down on my propped arm and staring back into the fire. Homework huh? I pick up my quill, dip it into my ink bottle, and place the tip on my star chart. Homework huh...

Remus and I are sitting at our usual study spot on the couch in front of the Common Room fireplace. Scrolls and textbooks sprawled over the coffee table we had dragged up to the couch, along with an assortment of snacks for our epic O.W.L. study session.

Nourishment for nerds. And, boy, are Remus and I two of the most epic nerds in our year.

Really, any other day I’d be so down with working into the late hours of the night with my best mate and stuffing my face with chocolate frogs while we poured through Transfiguration textbooks, but I haven’t been able to concentrate on anything this past hour. Why? Well, earlier, I caught out of the corner of my eye Sirius and Lily sneaking out of the portrait hole and, as much as I hate to admit it, I can’t stop thinking about it. They were actually pretty discreet too! I blame it all on my newfound ability to notice Sirius Black anywhere he goes, bloody hell… Seriously though, what could they possibly be doing together at an hour to midnight?

“Nice black hole, mate. Though I’m pretty sure that’s where Orion is supposed to be.”

“Black hole?” I blink and look down at my star chart to see a giant blotch of ink where my quill was placed moments before. “Ah geez!” I pull out my wand and point it at the parchment. “Tergeo!”

“Are you sure you don’t need help with homework?” Remus asks again, now looking somewhat amused.

“I’m just tired, honest,” I insist, but the skeptical look on his face makes me flush. “Really, the thing with Sirius and Lily isn’t bothering me at all!”

Remus raises an eyebrow. “I didn’t say anything about Sirius and Lily.”

My face reddens. “Good because it’s not bothering me!” I say quickly before grabbing my star chart and an armful of textbooks. “I’m going up to the dorms. I need to write a letter to my sister anyway.”

“If you say so,” Remus calls again to my retreating back. “That star chart is due tomorrow, by the way! Don’t just fill it with black holes!”

“You know I know better than that!” I retort over my shoulder.

“Not right now you don’t!”

I wince at his words.

Was it that obvious how out of it I was? Guess I wasn’t being all that discreet.

After throwing my homework and textbooks onto the nightstand, I collapse onto my four-poster bed and pull out a paper and quill from my bedside drawer. I dip the quill in ink and begin writing absently on the scroll of parchment.

“Hey Sonata, here’s your obligatory annual letter,” I mutter to myself as I write. “How’s term going so far at Fu Shu? Catching up with work after spending so long in St. Mungo’s has me swamped these days. I’m glad to be finally back on my broom though. Are you still in the dance club at school? You should show us your routine the next time you’re back home. Anyway, Sirius has been giving me major stress these days as usual, so sorry I don’t sound all that enthusiastic. Anyway, love you, sis. Hap—”