Chivalrous || Sirius Black

3 - secrets

Y/N's POV

"I honestly don't understand why you waste your time on Mulciber." Leila comments as we work on our Potions essay at the back of the library. 

"Orgasms are never a waste of time." I tell her, dipping my quill back into the inkwell. 

"Yeah, but don't you ever wish for something more than meaningless sex? I'm not judging you, I mean do what makes you happy. But, y/n, you could have any guy you want. Any guy would love to be your boyfriend, to be devoted to only you."

I snort. "Leila, you know better than anyone that my parents are very hard to please. They wouldn't approve of just anyone."

"Yeah, I guess....It's just that Mulciber is so..."

"Bloodthirsty?"

"Yeah." She nods, falling quiet for a moment as I scrawl a few more sentences. "What about Severus Snape?"

"Are we actually having this conversation right now?" I ask, meeting her eyes.

"I'm serious, y/n. He's smart, ambitious and it's not unattractive by any means. I think the two of you would be great together."

I shake my head at her. "Isn't he still hung up over that Gryffindor girl? Lily Evans or something?"

Leila throws her head back and laughs. "Yeah, the mudblood."

I internally cringe at the word she uses. I hate that word. It's crude and terrible but of course most of my peers in Slytherin use it freely. I avoid using it whenever possible, only throwing it around from now and then to avoid people questioning my loyalties. That would never be good. 

"Right." I nod. "Anyways, he's hung up over her. Besides, you know we graduate in a couple months. My life has never truly been my own, and these are the only months of somewhat freedom I have left. What's the point in wasting it on trying to build something that will only be torn apart by my parents once I leave here?"

Leila falls quiet at that. She acts like she can relate to me about overbearing parents but she can't relate to half of it. Her parents aren't Death Eaters despite having deep rooted pure-blood values. But I know she's determined to be one which I guess is why she hangs out with Snape, Mulciber, Rosier, Avery and I. 

I, on the otherhand, have always had my whole life run by my parents. They went to school with Voldemort and are part of his closest circle of Death Eaters. They've basically been preparing me to join their ranks since I was a baby, trying to instill pureblood values in me. But it never quite stuck. My only reprieve from them is my time at Hogwarts, which is why I do my best to avoid returning home for holidays. But all of that will come to an end in a couple months time. 

I don't know what they have planned for me, but I know it's nothing I would choose to do on my own. It could be anything from just seeking out muggle targets to having the mark forced on me or even forced into a marriage to preserve the pureblood line. I know that happened to Bellatrix. She was born into the Black family but now she's married to Rodolphus Lestrange. Although, I don't think Bellatrix was too torn up about it. She's always quite pleased to do anything to prove herself to her 'master'. She takes pleasure in making him proud. I might even think she was in love with him if I even thought her capable of such an emotion. 

I finish writing the last sentence of my essay and turn my focus to the small window beside our table. It's a beautifully sunny day in late April and I wish I could go outside and enjoy it, maybe sit by the Black Lake and tan and read a book. But my school work requires me inside finishing essays and studying. It seems many other students are bound to the same schedule because the grounds are empty. 

There's not a person in sight but then I see a figure walking across the lawn. I recognize him immediately, his shaggy black hair and Gryffindor tie that he's hurriedly tugging at as he walks on the grass. He whips his head around, as if he's making sure no one is watching him. And then so fast, I would've missed it if I blinked, he jumps into the air, morphing into a shaggy black dog. 

I let out a gasp, wondering if what I saw was real. Sirius Black? An animagus? I didn't think he was smart enough to pull something like that off, but I guess I was wrong. 

"Are you okay?" Leila asks, hearing my gasp.

I turn to face her, wiping the shock off my face. "Yeah. Fine."

*****

THE beautiful weather didn't last long and an hour later I find myself leaning against the stone wall of one of the hallways. It opens up at the end directly into the front courtyard of the school and I watch as the rain falls down in sheets, hitting the ground in large splats. 

Just as I'm growing impatient, Sirius enters the hallway, his clothes drenched from the rain. I smirk, leaving my place against the wall and sidling up next to him. "I thought I smelled wet dog."

He's about to ignore me, picking up his pace but then he seems to register what I just said and comes to an abrupt stop. Before he can say anything, I answer his unasked question. "Yeah. I know your secret. You're an animagus, aren't you? A shaggy black dog if I remember correctly."

"How did you -"

"You should be more careful about when and where you shift. It was quite easy to see you from the corner library window."

He grins. "So you were watching me?"

I roll my eyes. "Oh please." I scoff. "I was simply bored of my Potions essay and turned to look outside for a moment. Lucky I did because now I have some perfect leverage over you, great blackmail material."

Sirius shakes his head, starting to walk again. I follow, matching each of his long strides. "You have nothing. Being an animagus isn't illegal."

I force a laugh. "But I think it is in this case. See, if I'm doing my math correctly, you're only eighteen. An animagus spell is quite difficult to master which means it would have taken longer than the time between when you were legally allowed to become an animagus at the age of seventeen and now. So that also means that you're unregistered."

He stops again, shoving me against the wall, in a corner tucked away from prying eyes and overeager eavesdroppers. "What do you want?" he hisses. 

"Something." I grin, eager to see how this goes. 

*****

A/N: Two chapters in one day because I've had the time and I love you all. Thank you for all the support so far! I love you all so much.