Breaking Black (A Sirius Black Love Story)

Chapter 42

Although I couldn't see Robert waiting for me anywhere, I knew where he would be- under the willow tree by the lake where we always met. It was my favorite place in the world, with my favorite guy in the world. In the breeze, the willow seemed to wave to me, calling me forward. A few of its long branches reached into the water lazily and I pushed through them, searching through the speckled sun spots shining through the canopy.

On our usual log where we would sit for long hours wasn't just Robert waiting for me, but a girl with long blonde hair who he was kissing like there was no tomorrow.

"Robert?!" I choked out, grabbing on to the trunk of the willow for support as my knees seemed to give away. Robert looked up from his girl and stared at me like a deer in headlights, his dearest friend Brenda staring at me in shock.

"Lexi!" Robert croaked, standing up abruptly so Brenda fell off his lap. "I-"

"Save it!" I hissed, pushing him away as he went to grab my shoulders. "I knew something would happen. We're done."

Spinning on my heel and tearing through the branches, I stormed away from him and his mistress, my heart tearing to shreds. A feeling like I was falling came over my stomach. I wanted to leave my problems and never look back. Forget all about the boy who was making white hot tears threaten to fall.

So I ran.

My feet carried me through the castle, having a mind of their own. Everything seemed so blurry from sprinting away so fast, although it might've been the angry tears of betrayal welling up in my eyes. My footsteps thudded in sync with my throbbing heart and that was all I could hear.

After what seemed like merely seconds of running, I stopped, my aching heart pounding as my eyes adjusted to the darkness. Faintly, I could see dusty kegs and bottles lining shelves in the dank room. I'd only been to this secret passage a few times before for butterbeer, but I recognized I was in the cellar of the Hog's Head.

Already, I was feeling numb, like I was sleepwalking. This couldn't be real- the image of Robert kissing Brenda had to be a dream... A nightmare... But it was real. The heartbreak was real. And I didn't want to let the tears fall- I wanted to get over it, over him. He wasn't worth the tears.

Anger surged through me, eating away at the sadness from before. Anger at Robert, anger at Brenda, but most importantly, anger at myself for being so dense. I wanted to get revenge, get back at him for what he did... Before I knew what my shaky hand was doing, I was pressing the rim of a glass bottle to my lips and chugging the searing liquid down, trying to go completely numb. The firewhisky burned down my throat, but I loved the pain, the exhilaration of finishing that first bottle in mere seconds.

And I collapsed against the stone wall, filled with a new feeling of rebellion and fierceness as I popped open a second bottle, feeling the need to completely lose myself and the old, naïve, Lexi.

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Sirius P.O.V.

Somehow, the soft creaking of the portrait hole inching open managed to jolt me awake from my sleep. Why in the world was I sleeping on the common room couch...? Oh yeah, I was waiting for Lexi to come back so I could give her her notes from herbology back- I still hadn't finished that essay though.

Groggily, I faced the portrait hole and watched as someone stumbled in, tripping over the ledge as they did. As my eyes adjusted to the faint firelight, I noticed it was none other than Lexi. She held on to a table edge for support before locking eyes with me, an adorable grin crossing her face.