long way to heaven || marauder ff

29- new beginnings

"The courage of living is -
to believe
to love
to start -again" 

― Naide P Obiang

✵✵✵

Elaine was about ready to curse the person having taken harbor in her favorite place in the entirety of Hogwarts.

Never before had the second story of the astronomy tower been vacant at all the times she had went up, seeing as the girl wasn't foolish enough to try going there during sunset when loved-up couples crooned over each other, nor throughout the hours where it was the only place the sun would hit over its spot perched up on the mountains.

Now, however, nonetheless the fact that it was only 6 in the morning and pitch-black outside, there was a person sitting perched up on the stony roof, blowing smoke through the air, the scent of cigarettes wavering.

Elaine had opened the door in a haste, desperate to get to her refuge, once again having been kept up all night by her dreams that had only gotten more violent. Therefore, she had missed the other student at first, only looking up as she felt the fumes hit her nose.

"Didn't take you for the kind of person to get up at 5ish"

The Gryffindor girl sighed, closing her eyes for a second in order to figure out how to deal with the situation at hand.

"I could say the same about you", she answered, smiling up at the boy sweetly, who blew out another breath of smoke.

"Pete snores like a dragon", Sirius Black shrugged, seemingly considering something before he patted the space next to him. "I don't bite, y'know?"

Elaine contemplated her choices for a second, before climbing up the small ladder and sitting down next to her fellow housemate. She let her eyes sweep over the grounds under them, still clad in darkness, though the castle emitted a soft glow that made it possible to distinguish shapes and contours, as the snow having blanketed their surroundings reflected the light slightly. Unconsciously, the Gryffindor let her hands touch the stone she was sitting on, warming it up just the slightest so hypothermia wasn't a danger she had to worry about anymore.

"Just so you know, Prongs is not going to cancel practice even if it snows again today", Sirius told Elaine, turning his head to look at the smaller girl who chuckled quietly.

"I would be surprised if it was any other way", she answered, letting her thoughts wander over to the Gryffindors' quidditch captain who continued to have his team train under the most unpleasant of circumstances, may it be storms or snowfall.

Following her words, the two students sat in silence, though it wasn't as uncomfortable as Elaine feared it could be. Sirius continued to take long drags of his cigarette, blowing out smoke into the early morning hours, while Elaine's mind slowly began to unravel its net of anxious thoughts and memories, still shaken up from her earlier nightmares.

That way, the French failed to notice the Black's lingering gazes on her, as it seemed like he was trying to work up the courage to speak aloud the thoughts plaguing his head. Finally, he vanished his since finished cigarette bud, turning his body just the slightest to be able to look at the Blonde next to him.

"Prongs told us you'd be joining on New Year's"

Elaine tensed up as Sirius' voice cut through the silence like a well buttered knife, pulling her out of the labyrinth that were her thoughts. Without meeting the boy's eyes, she nodded her head slightly. "I told him I'd try", she confirmed, forcing a small smile on her lips.