Early March 1978
Kelsey watched the owl fly away until it disappeared from her vision and into the horizon. The sight of her application to appear for the Muggle-relations department exam had her biting the inside of her cheek nervously.
What if she didn't even make the cut to even sit for the exam, let alone pass it? The voice inside her head told her.
Lost in thought, she felt someone nudge her playfully to distract her.
"Don't worry," the voice whispered in her ear, sending goosebumps. Spring was almost here, but every time they stood so close, it still gave her those shivers.
"I'm not." She put on her brave face and smiled at Sirius who looked at her in disbelief.
"It's written all over your face, Jones," he pointed out.
They were walking back to the castle from the owlery.
Kelsey grumbled under her breath about how he knew her too well to which he responded by pulling her in close.
"What are you doing?" she asked as a few students passed them eyeing Sirius' grip on her.
"Just showing them our LOVE," he grinned.
"Sssh!" Kelsey stopped him. "Don't go yelling it, now!"
"Why?" He couldn't believe it. He wanted everyone to know that she was his.
"Because," she began teasingly. "I don't want people to think I've gone soft. It'll be bad for my rep,"
"That should be my line!" he insisted.
"Uhuh," she smirked. "Let's not forget how it took less than thirty minutes for word to spread that you confessed your undying love for me."
Sirius scoffed.
"Only after you made it a point to all but snog my face off so publicly," he replied.
Kelsey grinned and tucked herself into her side as he held her close for warmth.
"Minor details Black, minor details." And with that, she pulled away sending him a challenging look. Without needing further clarification they broke into a sprint.
He chased her all the way back to the castle shouting how it was Kelsey and not him who had proclaimed their love, to any poor soul who made the mistake of meeting his eye. Many students were confused while some just nodded along vigorously. All while Kelsey evaded his hold.
That the couple needed therapy was the opinion of several Hogwarts students that afternoon. How had they ended up here- from being confessed to - to making students question their combined sanity? Kelsey needed to recap the events of a few days prior:
"I think I love you," Sirius blurted out.
"What?" Kelsey squeaked in surprise.
It wasn't the response one expected to that proclamation but Sirius wasn't one to be fazed. 'Danger' was his middle name.
Somewhere along the six and a half years of being pestered by him, she knew she had that tiny feeling in her that only grew.
"I love you?" he furrowed his brows a bit more in confusion this time, both asking himself that and telling it to her.
He smiled at her handsomely and she found herself wanting to name the feeling. 'Is this what love is?' Kelsey thought.
They could hear Astrid muttering 'Hufflin' Helga' in the background as she watched with her hand on her face, through her fingers. You know, how people watched horror movies. They also heard a faint thud of someone collapsing in shock of Sirius Black uttering those words.
But Kelsey was more focused on trying to get the words out. Say something, her brain told.
"I er-" she began but stopped.
'Anything, just speak.'
He looked at her hopefully.
'Why aren't you saying anything? You numpty!'
From the moment they locked on to each other as targets back in the first-year, neither of them stood a chance. The spark was inevitable.
"Chemistry," she finally said.
"Sorry?" It was Sirius' turn to be confused.
"Boy do we got great chemistry, huh?" she said stupidly.
'I take that back. Stop talking!' It was too late for Kelsey to listen to her own brain.
She saw his posture slump in the slightest manner as she kept dawdling before he cleared his throat and looked at her in pain.
"'S alright." he began dejectedly. "You don't have to make excuses to not say it back. I get it," embarrassed and red in the face he turned and started hurrying off.
"What? No!" Kelsey watched him retreat. "Stop!" She took a step in his direction but he didn't. "I said stop right there, you tosser! I LOVE YOU TOO!" she screeched at the top of her voice.
Somewhere in the background, Astrid squealed. Again.
He froze and turned. "What was that now, Jones? Don't think I caught that?"
She pinned him down with a look to which he responded with a smug smirk. "You were saying?" he prompted again. Kelsey took a deep breath, pushing aside the butterflies in her stomach.
"I love you too," she mumbled under her breath. "Or you know whatever." She looked at him nervously this time. Sirius' face broke into a smile and he strode over to her.
"DO YOU REALISE WHAT THIS MEANS?" Astrid interrupted what was about to be another dramatic kiss. "JAMES OWES BOTH LILY AND I SOME GOOD MONEY!" she was all too happy about it.
"Did you bet on us?" Kelsey looked at her in disbelief, temporarily distracted and somewhat proud of the fact that her innocent friend would gamble on this.
"Think I can get a cut of that?" Sirius asked. Kelsey considered it for a moment and was about to demand her share when he diverted her attention. He tilted her head and caught her lips in a kiss and Kelsey smiled.
Life was good.
Back in the present, Kelsey was still in the middle of running away from a determined Sirius who was adamant about who was the sucker out of the two of them. Life was not good, she decided.
"You're embarrassing me!" She yelled while huffing down the corridor. Her hair stuck out like a crazy woman.
"I think you got that covered, love," he called out, without pausing. He was sure the speed at which she was running had her skirt flitting with the wind. She must've flashed some people with her knickers. But he wasn't about to point it out.
They turned the corner.
"I think you both have that covered," a third voice interrupted their pan-Hogwarts Tag-you're-It session. In front of them stood Lily, Mary and Marlene looking warily at them.
"I cannot believe you two!" Lily started talking. "It's 4 in the afternoon. You two should be studying!" She flitted her gaze between them. "Instead I had to leave the library because some two idiots were apparently storming the castle flashing and scaring the students!"
Mary and Marlene were desperately trying not to laugh.
"Sirius!" Kelsey exclaimed when she realised what he had done.
"What?" he looked at her innocently. "I'd say that black and white Halloween themed knickers are much better than the purple one with teddy bears, if I may. A new personal favourite," he chuckled.
Kelsey would have died if anyone other than her friends had been standing there. Some soft mumbling between the other three girls made them stop their almost bickering.
"I mean, she's right here," said Marlene.
"I guess you're right," agreed Mary.
Kelsey paused to look at her two friends who suddenly had their attention on her.
"No," said Lily as if she knew what they were talking about.
"Yes!" the two decided.
With a creepy smile, Mary and Marlene took two steps forward, prompting Kelsey to take one back. She would have made her escape if Sirius hadn't been blocking her. The next thing she knew, she was being hauled away by her friends who had grabbed an arm each.
"STRANGER DANGER!" Kelsey yelled as Mary and Marlene dragged her.
"Do something!" She glared at Sirius as she was led away against her will to Merlin knows where. He took a moment to think before responding:
"Watch out for that, she won't stop yelling unless you shut her mouth," he told them, drawing from his personal experience. "Only a while until she yells 'Pervy Mcperverson'."
"Shush now. You'll have fun," Mary told her.
"I think, I'll pass," Kelsey struggled.
"A girls' night. It's been too long!" Marlene said excitedly.
"Et tu, Lily?" Kelsey croaked as the red-head shook her head in dismay before heading back to her own Head Girl duties.
"Don't be late, Evans!" Marlene called out as they ushered her off.
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Kelsey hummed to herself as she made her way around the castle with ease that night. With a little persuasion from Lily and Astrid, she had managed to convince Potter to lend her the cloak for an hour to sneak into the kitchen on a dare.
It had been the girls' idea to have a sleepover at the Gryffindor dorms. Knowing that they shared a dorm with Dorcas had made Kelsey reluctant but she caved once Marlene told her that Dorcas was off doing Dorcas stuff. Whatever that meant.
Technically, with Kelsey's untimely kidnapping, the sleepover started early because they needed her help to stock up on food from the kitchens. But by 10, their stash was already finished. Neither girls wanted to be it, so Astrid had dared Kelsey who thought it to be a dare-worthy task in the middle of their Truth or Dare game.
"Your dares are too weak," Kelsey had scolded Astrid. Kelsey would never go that easy, especially on Sirius.
"We'll remember that for the next round," Mary said as she all but pushed Kelsey out of the Gryffindor dorm.
When she approached the ground floor corridors on her way, she heard voices arguing. The whole scene gave her an eerie vibe of the time she had chanced upon Snape and the kid. She pulled the cloak over her tighter, as a chill crept through her.
"You had one job!" she heard someone scold.
"It's not easy," replied another.
Wait a minute. She knew the second voice. She slowed down.
She was at a crossroads. She should have turned the other direction and been on her merry way to the kitchens. But instead, just like Robert Frost once wrote, she took the road less traveled. Or in her case - dangerous.
"What is it?" they demanded.
"I can't tell you!" the squeaky voice was unmistakable.
Was it worth risking being found? Kelsey considered peeking to confirm whom she believed on the other end.
"Need I remind you what's at stake Pettigrew? Or rather who?" the cold voice drawled.
Nevermind that. She had her answer. She heard some scuffling.
"Leave him Mulciber. There's probably under some protective charm or oath in place to stop them from divulging information," she heard Snape's permanently bored drawl. She heard something smack instead and then a whimper.
"A Phoenix," squeaked Pettigrew.
"Continue," enunciated Snape.
"That's all I can say," the boy continued to whine.
Kelsey still had her back pressed against the wall. Her heart was thumping in her chest.
"Let's go," Mulciber announced.
The footsteps were coming her way. Forgetting for a moment that she was under a cloak, she took a hasty step back to make a break for it, when she tripped over the cloak and fell with an audible thud.
"Someone's there," Mulciber said.
"Wait, I can check. I have this ma-"
"Quiet," Snape shut them up.
Kelsey gulped, staring at the shadow of the three boys, around the corner.
Before anything else could happen a loud bang went off on the other side, distracting them once more. She took this confusion to scamper to her feet and grab the cloak. She ran not bothering to put on the cloak in case they turned and saw her.
She was yanked away for the second time that day. She found herself standing in a small broom cupboard. Why did the castle have so many of those?
"Sshh!" the voice whispered to her. It gave her the creeps but she did not dare turn yet.
"Leff me gfo," she mumbled through the boy's hand over her mouth.
"Shut it, would you? I'm trying to help you," the boy now whispered furiously. Kelsey kept trying to push him off her.
"Hanging around my brother must've really done a number on your brain. You're just as dim," he remarked dryly.
What? Kelsey managed to free herself just as the footsteps outside disappeared in the distance.
What was it with people manhandling her today?
When she turned around, she met a familiar pair of grey eyes. But something was off. That's when she realised it: she was staring at Regulus Black.
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A/N: Anything canon divergent will be explained in good time.
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