What the Heart Wants (Sirius Black Love Story)

Chapter 32

The last couple weeks of the term flew by in a blur of exams and hellraising, and before he knew it, Sirius was back at home for the summer. He normally spent a good portion of the holiday at the Potters', but he wasn't feeling too sure about that prospect this year; things were still extremely awkward with Sadie, and it had been bad enough living in the same castle. He wasn't thrilled with the idea of having to face her every day in her own house. Besides, they were planning a trip to France for a couple of weeks, and as much as he felt like a second son to them, he felt it was important to let them have their family vacations without having to worry about an extra person.

And so, he had resigned himself to the reality that he would probably be stuck at his parents' home for the duration of the summer. His plan was to stay holed up in his room as much as possible. As much as he felt like spending time with his parents...well...he didn't feel like it.

Unfortunately, when one is locked up and alone, one tends to get bored. And when one gets bored, one's mind begins to wander. Sirius all too frequently found himself thinking about Sadie and reminiscing about their kiss. Merlin, what he wouldn't give to experience that again. But he knew that wasn't going to happen any time soon, and his heart ached at the thought. It was one evening when he was feeling a particular amount of self-pity that his mother opened his door and stuck her head in, looking grim.

"Come downstairs. You have visitors."

Sirius raised his eyebrows. Who on earth would be visiting him here? A feeling of apprehension blossomed in his chest, but he pushed it aside and followed his mother down to the sitting room. Upon entering, a marble of anxiety formed in the pit of his stomach.

"Hello, cousin," Bellatrix smirked. "It's been a moment."

Sadie yawned as she trudged up to her bedroom. She'd spent the day wandering Diagon Alley by herself as James and her parents were vacationing in France. The original plan had been for her to go with them, but after the last few months, she was eager to have some time on her own. Luckily, her parents were fairly easygoing, and even though they were disappointed that she wouldn't be joining them, they understood her need to try and take care of herself.

They had left four days ago, and Sadie was gladder each day that she had chosen to stay home. She had spent time out in the gardens, soaked in the bath nearly every day, and done more baking than she'd had time for in years. The stress that had been building up since Christmas was slowly dissipating as she took time simply relax and recover. Granted, she still woke up with nightmares fairly regularly, but she figured that was to be expected after the attack on Christmas Eve. That wasn't something that just went away in a hurry.

One of her favorite things about summer was being able to sleep with the windows open. It got cool enough at night that it brought her room down to a lovely temperature, and she could snuggle up under her fluffy duvet or, this year, her blanket from Sirius and feel that kind of cozy comfort that can't be replicated any other way. With a happy sigh, she threw open the window, changed into a loose pair of booty shorts and a tank top, and wrapped herself up tightly in Sirius's blanket. She was asleep within minutes.

She awoke with a jolt and a scream as something large pummeled her in the chest and began...pecking at her face? She swatted the thing frantically, heart racing, and gaped at the owl that fluttered away only slightly. It gave her a slightly indignant look before thrusting its leg forward. Breathing heavily, Sadie took the slip of parchment that was tied there. It was perhaps the shortest letter she had ever received.

COME NOW

R.A.B

She stared at the message in confusion for a moment, but then her heart dropped as she realized what it meant and who had sent it. Her stomach churned with guilt. How could she have forgotten her promise to Regulus? In a bit of a panic, she scrambled out of bed and practically sprinted to the fireplace, snatching her wand from her nightstand and the invisibility cloak from James's room on the way. She and Sirius may not have been speaking currently, but she loved him and would sooner die than stand idly by and allow harm to come to him. Throwing the cloak over herself, she grabbed a shaky handful of floo powder and jumped into the fireplace.