Two chapters in one day! This is my Christmas gift for @ChoHeesoo <3
Athena's POV
It was 9:30 now. I checked myself once more in the mirror. I decided on a warm yet cute outfit. A long white off-shoulder shirt with a black tank top under it and black leggings and brown boots. I kept the makeup mostly natural. Eyeliner, mascara, and deep red lipstick. I let my hair down in its natural waves. I contemplated putting on a scarf but remembered that I should wear the necklace, so I didn't.
"How do I look? Am I underdressed or overdressed? Should I remove the lipstick? It's too much, right?" I asked. I was starting to get nervous even though I was perfectly calm and against making a big deal over my outfit.
"Ay, baby, you look perfect," Lily said.
"The lipstick looks great. It's nighttime, so dark makeup looks good. Now stop fussing," Angie said.
"Girls, I'm nervous," I admitted, sitting on my bed.
"Don't be, remember, he loves you," Caroline said.
"Come on, it's 9:45. You better head there slowly so you don't have to rush and be all red in the face from running," Lily said.
I nodded and we went to the common room. There were a few people and around and I noticed Remus, James, and Peter sitting by the fire. Where is Sirius? Just when I thought that, Peter spotted us and nudged James, who looked in our direction.
"Hey, Lily flower, where are you going?" he asked.
"Nowhere," she answered and went to sit near the fire close to where the boys sat. Angie followed her and Caroline stayed by my side.
"Athena, you cleaned up nicely. Where are you going?" James asked with a smirk on his face.
"Nowhere. Just going for a stroll," I said.
"You dress up when you go to stroll?" He asked.
"None of your business, Potter," Lily said, giving him a small glare, he just smiled at her.
"Well, have fun on your stroll," said Remus with a knowing smile.
I just rolled my eyes and turned to Caroline giving her a nervous smile.
"Take a deep breath and go. You look great. Remember he loves you, this is for you to decide the next step. We will wait for you here until you come back, okay?" she whispered.
I took a deep breath and nodded. I took one last look at the girls and headed for the astronomy tower. Thankfully, Filch was nowhere in sight, neither was his cat. I arrived at the astronomy tower at 10 o'clock exactly. I took another deep breath and opened the door to go upstairs.
On the sides of the stairs were white candles and in between were rose petals. I couldn't help but smile. This is so romantic. I touched my necklace and followed the candles and petals upstairs. I felt the knots in my stomach tighten with every step I took.
I reached the final step and slowly looked up and saw a thin mattress and a fluffy blanket on the floor with rose petals surrounding it. There weren't anymore candles up here. The only light was from the half-moon up in the sky and the million stars. I walked further and stood near the mattress and saw a figure of someone with their back to me, leaning on the railing watching the stars. He was tall and had long, dark hair. That's all I could tell since it's dark and he had his back to me. I don't think he heard me coming.
"Hi," I said.
He turned around slowly. I saw his face and I was shocked. It couldn't be...
But now that I think about it, it all adds up. Knowing my favorite flower, the intense looks, defending me, his weird behavior when I was with Theo, and being a quidditch player.
"Sirius?" I whispered.
He nodded and stepped closer slowly. He was smiling, his gray eyes were shining in the dark. Despite his smile, I can tell he was nervous.
"Y-you're the secret admirer? All the time, it was you?" I asked stupidly. I already knew the answer. He took another step and was now close to me. He was within arms reach.
He nodded and I looked down. I didn't know what to do or what to say. I turned around and was about to walk away when he caught my arm gently, but enough to stop me.
"Athena, wait. Please listen to me," he said.
"What are you going to say? That it's another prank?" I said as I turned to him looking into his desperate eyes that were now hurt. I felt bad for saying that.
"No, I swear to god that it's not a prank," he said.
"Then what is it?"
"You know what it is. I told you in the letter. I don't want to freak you out, I just want you to know my feelings. Please give me a chance. Just one, I won't mess it up, I promise," he said.
He took one step closer and his face now was close to mine. His grip on my arm softened and he snaked his other arm around my waist slowly. As if afraid to scare me away. In a way I was. A part of me wanted to wrap my arms around him and kiss him, the other part wanted to tuck tail and run away. He looked desperate, and his eyes... he looked so sincere and honest.
"I need to think," I said and looked away.
His eyes were hypnotizing and I knew that if I looked any longer, I would agree. He pressed his forehead against mine and closed his eyes. He held me closer against him and I felt his warmth.
"I can't think like that, Sirius," I whispered.
"Just tonight, love. Just spend an hour with me, then you can go think," he said.
"Okay," I said. I don't know why I agreed.
He smiled. His smile was so wide, it was contagious, I found myself giving him a small smile. He pulled away and pulled me to the mattress. He sat down and motioned for me to sit beside him. I hesitated.
"Don't worry. I just want you to sit next to me and watch the stars together," he said.
I nodded and sat down next to him.
"Thank you," he said after a few minutes of silence.
"For what?" I asked.
"For staying. You have no idea how nervous I was," he said.
"Well, I do love stargazing," I said.
"I know," he said with a small chuckle then turned to me.
"Athena, I want to apologize again for what I did three years ago. I was a stupid thirteen-year-old, who got scared. It started as a bet, but I thought you were beautiful. I found it weird that Matt said you weren't, but I didn't argue since I get to kiss the most beautiful girl in the school. In those two weeks, I caught feelings for you without realizing it. I realized that too late. After I saw the hurt in your eyes in the Great Hall, after Lily hexed me when I tried apologizing to you, when you wouldn't even look at me. I realized that I missed you and that I was a jerk."
"I was an even bigger idiot for thinking I could get over you by messing around with other girls. Every girl I was with, I thought of you when I snogged her," he said and took my hand in his, "Then I saw you on the train at the beginning of the year and I was a goner. I told Moony that I can't hold back anymore. I wanted to be with you."
I sat there and listened to him the whole time. He looked away from the stars and looked at me.
"You are my Lily," he said with a chuckle to lighten out the mood. I smiled and shook my head.
"Do you you know why Matt dared you to do that?" I asked him, not sure if Remus told him or not.
"Because he's a git?" he asked.
"That and something else," I said.
"What is it?" he asked and turned to fully face me. I sighed and looked away at the stars.
"In second year, he came at me and wanted to kiss me and I pushed him away. He didn't take it kindly, especially after I kneed him where the sun doesn't shine. He somehow found out that I had a crush on you, and did that for revenge," After I said that I looked at him and he looked so pissed.
"His whole intention was to hurt you? He knew you liked me and he used it against you" he asked, although it sounded more like a statement. I nodded.
He grabbed me and hugged me tightly.
"I'm so sorry," he said, "I was such an idiot."
"It's alright, I'm over it," I told him.
"Even so, I'll make him pay," he said, he still sounded upset.
"Calm down, Sirius. That was three years ago. Please let it go," I said.
He sighed. I don't know what compelled me to do it, but I wanted to comfort him and calm him down. I cupped his face and looked into his pools of gray. I always get lost in them, especially when he looks at me like that.
Now I know what the unknown emotion in his eyes was. Love and adoration. These can't be faked. Mother always told me that when a man is in love, you could tell by his eyes. It's impossible to fake that look or hide it.
I felt his hand on my neck touching the necklace.
"Do you like it?" he asked.
"I love it. Thank you," I told him.
"Anything for you, love," he said.
I don't know who leaned in first, but soon his lips were on mine.
Despite the cold weather, his lips were warm. The kiss was soft and gentle, but soon it got heated.
He pulled me into his lap and I was now straddling him. He brushed his tongue against my lower lip, asking for access. I smiled into the kiss and denied him. He did it again and got frustrated when I didn't let him. He squeezed my ass and I gasped in surprise, giving him the perfect opportunity to stick his tongue in.
Our tongues fought for dominance and somehow, I won. Maybe he let me or maybe I really did, but it didn't matter. I explored him as he let out a moan, making me smirk internally. I pulled away, because, unfortunately, we needed some air.
My eyes widened when I realized what I did and that I was straddling him.
"Oh my god, sorry," I said hastily trying to get up, but he held me there.
"Don't be," he said.
"I just... I don't want to give you mixed signals. I told you I want to think," I said and he sighed.
"I know. Believe me, I know and I'm willing to wait. I just want to enjoy this little time alone that I have with you without you regretting it," he said and hugged me closer to his chest. Even though I was straddling him, I only made it to his ear.
"Do you regret kissing me?" he asked after a few minutes of silence.
"No," I said without hesitating. It's the truth.
He smiled and looked down at me. I smiled back and turned around to watch the stars with him.
We were back in the common room at around midnight. Everyone was there. Lily and Angie were the only ones shocked when Sirius and I entered the common room together.
"How was your stroll, Athena?" asked James.
"Not bad," I said and rolled my eyes. I knew that by now everyone knew.
"Hmm... Why are your lips red, Padfoot? Athena, you might want to go fix your lipstick. It's smudged. What a coincidence, right Wormtail?" said James with a smirk.
My hand flew to my lips and I looked at Sirius to see that his lips were, indeed, slightly red.
"It is, indeed, Prongs," Peter said.
"B-Black? Your admirer is Black?!" yelled Lily. It was more of a surprised yell than an angry yell. I nodded.
"To the dorm. Now," demanded Angie, dragging me up the stairs as the girls followed.
Sirius' POV
"So? How did it go?" asked Prongs excitedly.
"Well, his lips are red, not his face. I would say it wasn't bad," said Moony.
"How about we grab Prongs' cloak and hear it from her?" I asked. I honestly just wanted to know what she really thought.
"Again? No!" said Moony.
"Come on, Moony. She tells it better. Plus, I need to know what she's thinking," I said.
"That's violating her privacy," he said.
"Why are you putting it like that? We are just eavesdropping on something that she will tell him later anyway. So he is simply impatient," said Progs as he grabbed the cloak.
"Wormtail, are you coming?" I asked.
"Sure, I will go in my rat form," he said.
All three of us looked at Moony with pleading eyes.
"Fine, I'm coming, too," he finally said. Yes!