One Step Ahead part I | Sirius Black

Chapter 51

Gwen had spent far more time in the headmaster's than she had intended.

And while she was tired, she was also thrumming with excitement. The Order of the Phoenix. She'd been sworn to secrecy for now, but she was going to do something. She was going to be able to use her magic for good.

All Dumbledore had asked of her was that she continue to acclimate, to even practice using her charm and connect with her ancestry. Both of them were unsure on the limits of her power, what potential magic she had. He doubted that she could actually turn into a harpy, much to her disappointment. But he was curious about fire and whether or not she could tame it.

Gwen hums quietly to herself as she skips along the dark corridors, smiling brightly when she sees a familiar head of black hair up ahead.

Sirius is leaning against the wall across from the Gryffindor portrait hole, discussing something with the Fat Lady.

"I'm telling you, beaters are just as important as seekers," Sirius argues, huffing when the Fat Lady shakes her head and fires back,

"A seeker can win the whole match! What can beaters do?"

"A fine question."

Both Sirius and the portrait jump at the sudden voice, Sirius quickly whirling around to see blonde hair and pale eyes illuminating the darkness. He grins slightly, muttering,

"Bloody Inferi. You're terrifying."

"I'm harmless," Gwen teases, laughing at the nickname. She laughs harder when he snaps his arm out and grabs onto her shirt. He tugs her close by the hem, pinning her between him and the wall as he wonders playfully,

"Harmless? That's the last word I would use to describe you."

Gwen shrugs, her smile growing soft when he gently strokes a strand of her hair behind her ear. The party is still raging on in the common room and she feels a twinge of guilt. They'd won the cup, and here he was.

"You should be celebrating," She says quietly. "Not waiting out here for me."

"Who said I was waiting? I merely wanted to chat with the portraits," He says cheekily, assuaging her guilt so quickly that her heart warms with affection.

"What did Dumbledore want?" Sirius wonders, quirking a brow. She feels like she should come up with some elaborate lie. But he would likely see through it. They were connected now, intertwined in a way that they hadn't been before. She sighs, hesitating before replying,

"I can't tell you."

His smile turns into a frown, but it doesn't remain long. He can't frown when her small hands cup her face and her thumbs smooth across his lips.

"As soon as I can tell you I will," She promises, smiling slightly at his disgruntled attitude. She offers something small, something she can tell him,

"Dumbledore reckons I can't turn into a harpy."

"Bummer," Sirius groans sarcastically, trying not to smirk when he adds, "I think you'd look sexy with a beak and wings, Ninnie."

"I always look sexy," She says mockingly, grinning at her joke. Though the serious look that appears on her face has her pausing, especially when he whispers,

"If only you could see yourself the way the rest of the world does."

His words make her heart skip a beat, butterflies erupting in her stomach. She swallows past the lump in her throat as she admits,

"I think the world sees a creature with blonde hair and scary eyes."

He chuckles, a deep one that she can feel ringing in her bones. He smiles ruefully and sighs, "You're sorely mistaken. A rather dumb thing to say for a Ravenclaw."

Gwen feels her grin grow, a laugh bubbling from her chest before she can stop it. Warmth spreads through his body at the sound, his body tingling wherever it touches hers. He can hear yelling from inside the common room, probably James drunk. Hopefully Remus is watching him, because he hears himself saying quietly,

"Let's go somewhere."

Gwen smiles and leans back against the cold stone, responding simply,

"Okay."

He grins, both of his hands grabbing onto hers. Then they're off, waving goodbye to the blushing portrait of the Fat Lady as they run. Gwen laughs quietly as he runs, pulling her behind. She groans at the pace and whisper yells, "I'd hoped we'd be going somewhere closer!"

Sirius suddenly stops, making her slam into his back. She lets out a grunt of surprise when he turns and promptly tosses her over his shoulder before running again.

She recognizes the stairs that he's climbing, even from her position upside down. She laughs and wonders cheekily,

"Trying to throw me off the Astronomy tower, Black?"

"Not tonight," He answers with laughter in his voice, bringing a warm feeling to her chest. Her eyes cross when he finally sets her down on her feet, the spring air whipping some of her hair into her face. She blinks away the spots in her vision, embarrassed to admit how good it feels when he brushes her hair out of her face.

She finally stares up at him, taking in the strength of his brow and the silver pooling in his eyes. She smiles faintly and Sirius tilts his head to the side, looking so boyish and charming it makes her heart clench. She reaches up, his black hair melting into the night sky above them as she peers at him. Her fingers gently trace his jaw, feeling the muscles clench under her touch. He looks suddenly unsure of himself.

Because he is. She's so hard to figure out, he wants to ask her what she's thinking all of the time. Because sometimes she looks like she could be thinking about acid pops or magazines when she's here with him. It unnerves him, leaves him unsteady on his feet. He thrived on predictability, made it a point to seek it out. And she was anything but predictable.

She smiles knowingly, like she can tell he's constantly trying to understand her. He's constantly trying to catch up, to meet her where she's at. But he's just a step too late. She thinks fast, moves faster. He'd never met someone like that before.

Her fingers trace the side on his neck, he gulps under her touch. He's never felt both so confident and so unsure. She makes everything so wondrously unique and simple and complicated at the same time. But he's learning, he can tell what she would say next. That he's thinking too much. Or at least he thinks he knows, because then she's surprising him, her voice like music when she whispers,

"Toujours Pur. That's what you are."

His heart roars in his ears. He could cry from how sweet she is. How surprising she is. His mind is racing and he is wondering how someone could make something so horrible from his past so beautiful in his present. He doesn't hesitate, doesn't try to think anymore. Here, beneath the stars, he feels most confident. Especially with her.

He leans in and crashes into her, their lips meeting once again on top of the astronomy tower.