Nyctophobia - Sirius Black

Chapter 39

"Right." Narcissa frowned skeptically at her, before shrugging, as if deciding that it didn't matter what Ruby thought. "I'm sure that it's just as friends. So what are you planning to go as?" Ruby had no clue.

Saturday drew nearer at a rapid pace, Ruby's excitement overriding any anger or stress enough to keep her magic at bay, although no one expected it to last.

Wren had somehow been roped into going, and Ruby couldn't remember if Sirius had suggested it or if she had. This lead to Jana joining the group, likely purely out of spite. Then the other Marauders were somehow added, as well as Narcissa, Amaris and Regulus.

The large group of Slytherins and Gryffindors was an eyesore by the end of the hour, and they split into pairs. How Jana was paired with Remus, Ruby didn't know, but guessed it had been of the pureblood's own volition.

She and Sirius walked happily through the streets, warm despite the chill that signaled an early winter. They began at Honeydukes, Sirius insisting that she try as many kinds of candy as she could.

She laughed through a mouthful of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans as she watched Sirius try to toss a small bag of Pink Coconut Ice into his already fully-laden arm.

By the time they actually made it to the cash register, Ruby had convinced him to put most of the candy back, insisting she could try it another time, secretly knowing she would avoid a return to the shop any time soon. She did not have his sweet tooth, and while she did not mind candy and other desserts, she did not want them in large quantities.

So, with the remaining armful of sweets, they perused shops and shops of Halloween costumes, finally settling on a pair of matching archer costumes. The costumes would be delivered to their dorms within a few days.

"Do you want to go to the Three Broomsticks?" He asked, handing her a chocoball before tossing one into his mouth.

"Sure." She said, accepting the chocolate before sneakily slipping it into her pocket when he wasn't looking, having had enough candy for the day.

They sat side by side in a booth, each with a warm mug of butterbeer in their hands. Ruby felt her eyes drooping as the exhaustion of shopping crashed over her. She fell asleep quickly, waking as they were joined by the others, first Sev and Wren, then Amaris and Regulus and then the Marauders, Narcissa, and Jana.

"I miss Neverland." She mumbled as she sat in the window of the Gryffindor common room. She jerked up when a voice spoke up.

"Do you wish you could live there?" Why was Wren in the Gryffindor common room? How did she even get in?

"It feels safe." She said, not an answer, but still an admission. Of course she wished she could, but if felt wrong to want it. When she was around Neverland's residents, she felt she could be honest about her love for their home.

"Safe?" Whether Wren didn't understand, or simply wanted her to clarify, Ruby didn't know.

"It feels like I'm normal there, and I can't hurt anyone unless I really want to. I feel like I can control it when I'm there."

"You could live in Neverland, you know. Dad wouldn't mind, I don't think."

"I couldn't leave Sev and Theus though, and they would never want to live there."

"Well, then what if we just spend the nights there? The magic will help you sleep and you'll have more control if it's not constantly stressing you."

"Are you still fighting with Jana about my magic?" Ruby found herself asking, knowing this was likely an attempt to undermine the argument and win.