Cigarette Burns - Sirius Black

Ch 32: Bloody Knuckles Won't Settle The Score

Morrigan joined Sirius at Grimmauld Place as they wished the Hogwarts students goodbye and more importantly good luck for the months to come. They were both nervous wrecks on behalf of the students. Morrigan knew that Harry was being directly targeted by Umbridge and that there wasn't much Dumbledore or any of the other teachers could do about it. While she put on a strong and supportive front for the young wizard, behind closed doors she worried. 

Sirius wished that Harry could stay longer. Catching up on lost time with Harry was everything he could have wished for. More and more the boy resembled his lost friend. Sometimes it became difficult for him to make the distinction between Harry and James, getting lost in similar stories and their similarities. They looked so much alike. Harry had a bit of a sharper tongue on him than James, probably from growing up in such an awful place, however the boy was witty and well liked by the students. Much like James was. 

Morrigan noticed that since she had left the house Sirius and Harry had bonded even more, and having that knowledge helped her confirm that she had made the right decision. Following their date night they had two other official dates, each of them ending with Morrigan returning to the Diggory's. It took a lot of willpower to leave Sirius's side, she so desperately wanted to fall asleep next to him and hear his soft snores in the morning. Have him watch her as she cooked breakfast. However, she knew that if she blurred the lines of the boundaries she set, there was a bigger chance of them falling back into bad habits and petty disputes. 

Neither of them wanted to look back on those months, knowing that they were full of unnecessary heartache. They looked forward, to happier times. Sirius began discussing what he would like to do when his name is cleared, while the man was unsure of what his career would be exactly, he did express interest in becoming a better role model for Harry.

It was those conversations, the ones that they used to have in the late hours of the day while drinking firewhiskey next to the fire, that Morrigan desperately missed. Being able to just talk to one another aimlessly, collecting all of the little details to piece together the puzzle of exactly who the other person is. 

In a now empty house Morrigan poured herself and Sirius a cup of coffee sitting at the kitchen table with a small smile on her lips as she passed him the mug. "It's going to be quiet without them around," Morrigan thought aloud. 

"Tell me about it," Sirius commented, "At least Remus will be around more often, with the Order meetings becoming more frequent." 

"I really need to start attending those," Morrigan said as she sipped her coffee, "there's one tonight isn't there?" 

"Morrigan love, it's in half an hour." 

Morrigan groaned and placed her head in her hands, "I can't believe I've been letting those slip through the cracks. I've just had so much going on-" 

"No one blames you," Sirius said in an attempt to comfort the girl, "you've been busy. You said it yourself you have a lot on your plate. Are you working today?" 

She nodded, "Yeah, I told Owen I'd be in this afternoon, I was hoping to find a contractor for the flooring but I suppose that'll have to wait a bit." 

"The flooring?" 

"For Fred and George's shop," Morrigan answered. 

"You know you can always just move back in," Sirius suggested. 

"Sirius... it's not that I don't want to-" 

"So why don't you?" he asked. 

She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair wondering how to put it delicately, "We've been doing so well lately, I just don't want to ruin that. I'm sure the day will come when I'm ready to move back in it's just..."