scars || sirius black

48 - birthday candles

Emmy woke up the next morning with a raging hangover. It was a Sunday, but the full moon was due that evening so the day was spent in a nervous state of apprehension. 

The Astrals did the best they could to keep her fears at bay but she could feel every inch of her begin to stretch and crack as the moon crept ever closer. Her hearing had already started to change to her wolf capabilities and every noise set her on edge, amplified with each syllable they spoke.

She apparated to Waterfleet with the girls half an hour before sunset and they began the ascent into the mountains in silence, all hair-raisingly conscious of the danger they were putting themselves in. After the disastrous full moon before Christmas, the stakes were raised and the injuries too fresh to forget.

Emmy was shrouded in her thick cloak and hadn't spoken a word since lunchtime. They knew exactly what she was thinking.

—————

Emmy stretched her aching muscles in History of Magic the next day. Every sinew felt alive and sharp, like some twisted part of her hadn't quite left the wolf behind under the full moon. She bit into another square of chocolate and looked over at Marlene asleep next to her. The girls had made it out without so much as a scratch the night before, unfortunately the boys hadn't been so lucky.

She had watched as Peter and James dragged Sirius into the hospital wing, blood dripping from a deep gouge running from his hip to knee and her mouth had gone dry. With a sharp pull, she had yanked herself free from the potion being infused into her veins and ran to Remus, trailing behind them. Tears were bright in his eyes and he collapsed into her, repeating the same words over and over.

"I did this, I'm a monster."

There was nothing she could possibly say to make it any better so she simply held him as he sobbed and tried to stop herself falling apart in his arms too.

Peter was the only one to make it to class the next day but his eyes were haunted and face still pale. Emmy touched his wrist as they left the class at the end of the period and he paused for a second.

She looked off out the window as she whispered so that only he would hear.

"Sirius... is Sirius alright?"

He nodded and glanced at her.

"He's alright."

"Thank you."

That's all there was to say. Nothing more could do.

—————

The next time Emmy saw Sirius was two days later. He limped, bedraggled and weary but still with that impossible charm, down the corridor. He was desperately trying not to make it obvious but she was well-versed in hiding injuries and she could tell it was hurting. He caught her eye as he turned the corner and paused in a quiet nook. She waited until the other students had gone into their classrooms before approaching him.

With a quick look behind her, she launched herself into his arms and kissed him with every once of passion she could muster. His hands tightened around her waist as she pressed closer.

"Happy to see me?" he smirked.

"You know it," she murmured. "What happened?"

"It's nothing, Ems. Just wrong place, wrong time."

She sighed. That was all she was going to get out of him, she could just tell.

They rested their forehead together and breathed each other in for a few precious seconds.