LOVE, ROSIE ━━ sirius black

𝘅𝗶𝗶. chapter twelve.

She opened the box again, her eyes drawn to the softly swaying flowers. The maker must have cast some sort of a charm on it, to ensure that anyone who looked at it would be unable to turn their eyes away. It was a clever piece of magic and Briar found that it took quite a lot of will-power to close the box again.

She ran her fingers along the edge of it thoughtfully, until she felt a small engraving on the bottom. Turning it around, she saw that the maker had stamped his name into the bottom. Stonewell Jewellery, the name read, beside a symbol shaped like an odd diamond. The name was familiar. Where had she heard it before? She racked her brain, trying to remember.

Royce's engagement party! Briar's mother had bought a number of pieces of jewellery for the both of them just for the party, and Briar remembered being there when a boy had come to deliver them to their home. The boxes had the very same engraving on them, she was certain. Amelia D'Alessio had commented multiple times that the jewellery was of excellent quality but the price was rather extravagant, considering she'd had to travel all the way to Hogsmeade, where the shop was located, just to place the order.

Briar  frowned at the box. Was this really from Stonewell Jewellery? It was the sort of place where only the very rich, elite wizards shopped. She was certain that Black couldn't have gotten it from there. The idea was absurd.

Sighing, she put the box back into her bag, and realized with a sinking feeling that the only way she would get any answers was if she talked to Black himself. Perhaps that was what he'd wanted all along.

☁️🥀✨

           Sirius Black and James Potter were walking down the corridor after class, debating the likelihood of Puddlemere United winning their next match against the Holyhead Harpies. They both admitted it was unlikely, and Sirius was about to share his opinion when something caught his eyes.

       Briar D'Alessio was sitting on a bench nearby, her head buried in a book. Her eyes scanned the pages with obvious eagerness, and the corners of her mouth were turned up in the slightest hint of a smile. Sirius watched, fascinated by her ability to be so completely absorbed in a book when there were so many students talking, chattering, and creating noise around her.

         "Close your mouth, mate, you're drooling," James joked, reaching out to push Sirius' chin up, although it was already closed. Sirius pushed him away.

         "Shut up."

          "I will when you admit that you fancy her. Mate, I was never this bad with Lily. At least I'm self aware and admitted that she's the love of my life."

         Sirius glared at him. "No, you were a pain in the ass and you still are. I don't fancy her, she's a Slytherin."

        James snorted. "Sure, mate. And I'm the Minister for Magic. D'Alessio might be a Slytherin, but she's a Slytherin that you spent almost thirty galleons on. Wasn't that how much that hairclip cost?"

        "Thirty-two," Sirius muttered, rolling his eyes.

          "Thirty-two galleons. Have you any idea what we could have done with that money? At the very least, you could have bet it on the Puddlemere United game and won double. And you spent it on jewellery for a girl who's never going to shag you, no matter how hard you try."

       Sirius's face broke into a grin. "I wouldn't be too sure about that. Nobody can resist my charms, not even her."

        "I don't believe you."