BOOKWORM [Sirius Black] [DISCONTINUED]

[S I X T E E N]

AFTER HER REALISATION of her feelings for the flirtatious man, she grew more studious than ever before. Instead of procrastinating on assignments, she finished them, read two books afterwards and generally didn't speak unless spoken to. Life was easier without distractions of friends and drama.

She didn't want to be interrupted from her schedule of course, so she decided that her safe haven was under that shelter with ferns and moss on the walls, the place where she admitted. No one really went there, she only saw one or two people, and they were passing - probably going to the Black Lake which was located around the corner and nine hundred meters off. Therefore it was quiet and relaxing.

Lily was getting worried that Maia was shutting herself out. She realised that it was cruel to make her best friend pick between her and her new found friends - she dearly regretted it now. Lily barely saw best friend anymore, she only got a couple of short sentences when she got ready for bed or when she was eating breakfast, lunch or dinner in the great hall.

She consulted their other best friend, Severus, about it. He just shrugged and replied that Maia might be studying for the O.W.L's that were being held at the end of the year. Lily supposed that might be a reason but she wasn't satisfied.

Later on in the week she caught hold of Leena, a Ravenclaw friend that Maia liked.

"Uhm..." Lily tapped her shoulder. "Excuse me?"

Leena turned around and raised an eyebrow.

"How may I help you?" Lily chewed the inside of her lip.

"Uh.. Hi, my names -" Leena cut her off.

"Lily Evans. I know. You and Maia are two peas in a pod." Lily frowned.

"That's what I'm enquiring about." Leena raised an eyebrow.

"Uhh... Maia has been ignoring me lately. Do you know why?" Leena sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Maybe it's the fact that you made her choose between the love of her life and you." Lily's eyes widened and she choked. Coughing and spluttering, Leena patted her back hard.

"What!" Lily shouted. People in the hall stopped and stared. Leena rolled her eyes and cupped her hands around her mouth.

"Nothing to see here, go back to your miserable lives!" The people obliged.

"Anyway," Lily pressed on. "She loves Sirius?" Leena nodded.

"Yes. I was there when she admitted it." Lily rubbed her hands on her face, stressed.

"Out of all guys she chooses, she chooses the guy that breaks girls hearts." Lily groaned. Leena chuckled.

"Normally I'd say the same, but I reckon he's falling too."

Maia walked, her book held tightly in her swinging hands. She put her hair up today in a little ponytail, which made her face look thinner. Looking at her feet stepping, she cocked her head to side - thinking it was so oddly artistic. Taking a deep breath, she stopped.

Maia wanted a break from the mossy shelter for a bit and get a smell of the lake. It was a sunny day in Scotland, and the native birds were chirping happily. Seeing as some of the birds were blurry to her vision, she pulled her glasses up. She normally wore contacts, as she didn't have to pull them up every five minutes. However, since her contacts were lost and she hadn't mastered the summoning spell, she was stuck with her black rimmed glasses until her mother owled her some more contacts.

Arriving at her destination, she sat down and rested her back against a truck of a tree. Pulling open her book and sliding out the bookmark to read it, she licked her lips. She was three chapters into the book that she was currently reading, and to be honest she didn't like it much. It objectified women and made them seem like chores. However, it as set in a later time where the opinions of that gender were weak. She flipped the page.

Sighing as she finished chapter five, she heard taunts and chants happening. Looking up she saw four familiar boys circling something. Putting her bookmark in, curiosity got the best of her. She got up and got closer to the group.

"-Up Snivellus!" James smirked at Severus confidently. Sirius stood, his wand pointing at him with a dangerous look in his eyes. Peter stood there watching, chuckling. Remus sighed and held a book to his face. Maia groaned slightly and waited for Severus to retaliate. Severus slowly hoisted himself up and glared.

"Go to hell, Potter." He sneered. James smirk turned into a malicious smile. He held his wand out and muttered a spell. Severus fell to the floor. Everyone laughed. Maia got angry at that. She couldn't take anymore. She stomped up to Sirius and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and faced her with a surprised face.

She didn't know what made her do it.

Maybe it was to protect Severus from them.

Perhaps it was punishment for making her fall in love with him, but in that moment she thought it was no other alternative. She built her strength up and punched him in the face. He didn't anticipate the punch so he fell to the floor. She glared at him and looked back at James, daring him to do anything to her. He just stood there, shocked. She then glanced at Severus, who looked right back at her, nodding slightly in thanks. She walked towards him and helped him up, before carrying him to her spot.

"Thanks." He smiled. Maia shook her head.

"No problem." Maia reached into her bag and grabbed a small wash cloth.

"Aguamenti." Water sprouted out of the end of her wand and soaked the wash cloth. She told Severus to look at her and she dabbed his wounds.

"So," Severus started. "This is where you hide from Lily?" Maia frowned.

"I don't hide from Lily." Maia retorted softly. "I hide from everyone."

Severus gave her a dead-panned look. His dark eyes burning into her.

"Why is that?" Maia shrugged, her hair falling into her face. Pulling it back, she finished her dabbing. Putting her wand up to his face, she muttered a spell under her breath and the cuts started to magically heal.

"There you go." She smiled at him, before sitting next to him.

"You should be a healer." Severus lips twitched into a smile. Maia breathily laughed.

"That's what I want to be. For some reason saving people makes me happy." Severus hummed in agreement. They sat in silence for a minute or two.

"What about you, Sev?" She asked, inclining her head to the side like a puppy. Severus looked up in thought.

"A teacher." He nodded. Maia nodded, her hair falling once again into her face.

"Nice choice. I can see you scaring kids with your piercing gaze." Severus smirked, his eyes flashing in amusement. Maia got uncomfortable with her position so she crossed her legs.

"Oh yes, and I can see your kids flinching and then realising that it was their Uncle Severus, the same uncle that would end up singing bad Freddie Mercury karaoke with their mother at two in the morning on a Christmas Event, drunk as a skunk." Maia burst out laughing, imagining the scene.

"Who would be the father of my kids?" She raised her eyebrow at him. Severus looked at her incredulously.

"Why Sirius Black of course." Maia blushed of course and tackled him.

"Take that back!"

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**EDITED**