Winter In The Shade | Sirius Black x Female Ravenclaw Reader

IV

"Regulus. Black." you muttered, your head barely peeking from behind the mountain of snow you fell over "I'm going to kill you!" you yelled, sitting in the cold snow as you threw a snowball at him, one he easily dodged.

"Try actually hitting me first." he mocked, the glint in his eyes daring as you jumped to your feet. He had run over the opposite side of the fountain, the both of you mirroring the others movements like a hunter and a prey. Which one were you? That was to be seen.

"Oh, don't try me." you said, trying to put on your meanest face which only made Regulus smile widen. In his eyes you were anything but menacing.

But he was too occupied watching you try to be intimidating and you knew that, he never registered the fact that your hands were moving where he could not see them, a snowball on each hand ready to attack. You threw the first one, missing him on purpose to watch him peak his head to mock you, and then, you took your chance.

"Ha!" you yelled in triumph, throwing your hands in the air as the snow stuck to his face and rolled down to his scarf. "Take that, you...NO!" you laughed, starting to run as you saw his face morph into one that let you know he was the hunter.

You ran as fast as you could, not once looking back as you knew it would only slow you down but he was faster, the feeling of his arms coming around your waist and lifting you up the ground only making you scream in delight as he spun you around. Your arms and legs fought in the air to get him to let you go but he had a strong grip on you, so you did the only thing that could save you now, become dead weight.

"What are you doing?" he asked, once you stopped fighting him "Y/N..." But he reacted too late, letting all your weight go onto him, he stumbled back, falling on his back with a thud that only worsened with your weight falling on top of him. "Merlin." he whispered, his voice out of breath.

You quickly rolled to his side, both of you staring at the sky as you laid on the ground not once minding the snow soaking the back of your clothes, soft smiles on both of your faces as you lived inside the bubble you created. No one could bother you there.

"Want to go to the library?" you asked, turning your face to him. He turned his face to you in thought and you rolled your eyes. As if it was even a question "C'mon." you said, getting to your feet and helping him as well.

He took hold of your hand and linked your arm with his, starting your walk to the library "Y/N." he called.

"Yes?" you asked him, not turning to look at him but listening carefully.

"Do you want to go to the Christmas party with me?" he asked.

You turned to look at him, the smile that formed in your face reaching your eyes as you nodded "I would be delighted." you said "Although, you know it will only fuel the rumor that we are dating, right?" you informed him, raising an eyebrow at him.

He thought about it, his lips in a line as he looked down at you "I'm fine with it if you are." he said, shrugging his shoulders.

You both nodded in confirmation, continuing your path to the library like it was any other day.

*******

Friday morning came around faster than you ever thought possible, the last day of classes you had to endure and then you were free for weeks. But it also saddened you to leave Regulus behind, even if it was for a couple of weeks, you were sure you would miss him, going from spending time with him everyday to not seeing or hearing anything from him was going to be hard. You could only hope that one day you could celebrate the holidays together.

You had asked your mother if he could visit and she gladly agreed, even your father was eager to know the only friend you cared to mention in your letters. You had jumped and danced when she said Regulus could go home with you, running the halls to find him and tell him the good news. Sadly, he couldn't go back to your home with you. Walburga Black was very strict with her sons being out of home for the holidays, a celebration for the family and family alone. Regulus' color drained from his face at the mere thought of not being home for Christmas, so you didn't insist. You told your family you would be staying at Hogwarts with Regulus, even if it was a lie, you prefered to be at Hogwarts than spend the entire winter break bored inside the walls of your home.

Officially, the classes ended that day. However, the students who wished to assist the party were allowed to stay three more days at Hogwarts, until the day the party was being celebrated.

You still had until the party to be with him before you had to go your separate ways.

"Good morning." you greeted Regulus, going to sit across from him at the end of the Ravenclaw table "You're up early." you said, giving him a soft smile.

"More like you're late." he said, looking up at you with a knowing look "Let me guess. Five more minutes turned into half an hour?" he asked.

You groaned loudly, rolling your head "Maybe..." you mumbled, glancing between the table and his knowing look. You dropped the fork in your hand with a huff "How do you know?" you asked with a groan.

He shrugged his shoulders "Maybe we've developed a mental connection and I can read your mind." he said, giving you a funny look.

You dropped everything you had in your hands and leaned down on the table, staring into his eyes as he mirrors your movements "Tell me what I'm thinking about. Go." you said.

Regulus stared deep into your eyes, and as you tried to focus on his gaze your attention drifted, the sound of laughter and the voice that hadn't left your mind for days making it the more difficult to stay focused. Looking over his shoulder you saw him, standing next to Peter as he wrapped his arm over his shoulder, muttering something in his direction that made all four boys erupted in laughter.

Sirius must have felt your gaze on him, looking over Peter's shoulder he met your eyes. You felt the air get stuck in your lungs, as natural as the act of breathing, he winked in your way and directed his attention back to his friends like nothing ever happened.

Regulus' voice broke you out of your haze, taking in a deep breath that caught his attention. He stared at you and then turned to where your eyes were glued, the now empty space where not a second ago his brother and his friends stood.

"Are you in shock because I did guess what you were thinking and we did develop a mental connection or you just had a revelation?" he asked "Y/N?" he called for you again.

Wide eyed you stared at him, opening your mouth with no words coming out from it. What had just happened?

Luckily for you, the owls saved you. The sound of wings filling the Great Hall as packages and letters started to drop in front of students. You and Regulus always watched from afar as everyone got their mail, the both of you knowing it was only on Mondays when you got letters. So it came as a surprise when an owl flew over you, dropping a small package in front of you.

As you stared with confusion at the small box, Regulus followed the owl with his eyes "I know that owl." he muttered before he turned to you once more "What is it?" he asked.

You took the box, turning it in your hands before you shook your head "No." you said, throwing it to Regulus "You open it."

"Why me?" he asked, sliding the package back to your side of the table "It has your name in it." he stated.

You argued back and forth for a couple of minutes before you finally ran out of patience "Fine, I'll open it." you grunted, taking the box from him and slamming it on the table.

With quick movements you untied the golden bow that kept it closed, the lid loosening enough so you could take it off. Softly you took it away, staring at the inside for a second too long. A blue rose.

"I think someone is asking you to the party." Regulus said, his eyes fixed on the Rose.

You moved to look up at him and then back at the small rose. It was beautiful and normal. Muggle. A smile was drawn on your face as you picked it up, being a witch you would have expected a show from a gift like that one, to find a charmed rose that flourished right before your eyes but this one was a single normal rose, the more you thought was done to it being the color. Your house color.

You let out a nervous laugh, hiding the Rose before anyone could see it. "Well, that's too bad for them." you said, shoving the box inside your bag "Because I already have a date." you said, smiling tightly at him "And I wouldn't change it for anything. We will have the best night of our lives so far, we'll have fun and possibly embarrass ourselves."

Regulus nodded, but gave no answer to what you had said.

"You know who this is from?" he asked you.

Your eyes snapped up at him and you shook your head "No idea." you mumbled.

But deep down you knew, looking past Regulus and to the Gryffindor table, grey eyes already staring at you.