･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. .**.☽ .*
All her life had become now was school. If it wasn't already that before.
The end of year exams were coming up, and if Caroline's head wasn't in a book or her hand wasn't holding a quill, she was asleep. That was the only time she wasn't working.
"Carrie," Jane poked her, "wow...she really is asleep."
"It's literally 7am," Tyler said, looking down at the girl who was sleeping on his shoulder.
"I wonder how much sleep she's actually getting at the moment," Archie said, brushing a curl out of the sleeping girl's face.
"I'm worried about her," Jane said.
"Same."
"Me too."
"Do either of you know what happened between her and Black?" Jane asked quietly.
Archie shook his head, but Tyler hesitantly nodded.
"She told you?" Jane asked him.
"Yeah...it was just a bit of a blowup...honestly I think they're both being stupid because they obviously fancy each other-"
"Oh, obviously," Archie agreed.
"-and they just need to forget everything else and just tell each other."
"Tell each other what?" Caroline groaned sleepily.
Tyler's eyes widened and looked at Archie helplessly, who just sighed.
"We were saying that you and Sirius just need to get over yourselves and say you have feelings for each other," Archie said.
Caroline sat up sharply, wincing at the head rush, before saying, "Sirius doesn't have feelings for me."
All three of them started laughing, making Caroline scowl.
"He doesn't!" She exclaimed.
"Carrie, he definitely does."
"He-"
She stopped, making eye contact with the boy in question from the Gryffindor table. He went red and looked away quickly as soon as they locked eyes and she sighed.
"Doesn't like you, huh?" Jane said, smirking slightly.
Because it was a Saturday, Caroline could go straight to the library after breakfast to get on with her work. She was finding a kind of peaceful numbness starting to settle in her mind and body every time she studied. It quietened all the doubt and chaos buzzing about and left things a lot simpler.
She sat alone in one of the Defence Against the Dark Arts aisles, studying the theories and finishing some note cards for revision she had been working on.
She only noticed that there was someone next to her when he cleared his throat.
"Sirius," she said in surprise, "what are you-"
"Just, let me speak," the boy said, fidgeting in his chair.
She nodded hesitantly.
"I never knew what James' plan was when we were listening in on your conversation. It doesn't make it right that I stayed, and I know that, and I'm really sorry."
"You weren't in on the plan?" She asked.
He shook his head, "I wasn't. I promise."
"Oh..."
"And I'm also really sorry for what I said about Julian. I got carried away, I was desperate and frustrated, but it doesn't excuse it," he took hold of one of her hands, "you don't have to forgive me, I wouldn't blame you...but I just need you to know how sorry I am. I would never ever want to hurt you."
She looked down at their hands for a moment before looking back up into his eyes, "okay."
"Okay?"
"I can forgive you."
"You do?" Sirius sad expression melted into one of relief, "really?"
She nodded, "I missed you anyway."
"I missed you too!" He exclaimed, jumping to his feet happily, pulling her to stand up with him.
"What-"
He pulled her into him, a hug that was way overdue. Perhaps she wouldn't forget what he had said for a while, but at least he could hug her again.
･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽
"So...the password is...hobnob?"
Flitwick sighed, "yes, I know it's ridiculous, but he says it's a muggle biscuit that he likes."
"It is a muggle biscuit," she laughed, "funny, I just thought the password to the Headmaster's study would be more...official."
"Yes well, that's not Dumbledore."
"I guess not," she smiled.
"Good luck in there, Miss Rutherford," the Professor said.
"Thank you, Sir."
She nodded at him before leaving the office, going down the corridor to Professor Dumbledore's office.
She had never been there before, at least not inside. The only thing she knew was the Griffin that stood outside it, but had no idea what lay in wait for her beyond that.
"Um...hob nob?"
Even though she still thought it was quite bizarre, it was indeed the right password and a staircase began to appear by the Griffin. She stood on it, ready to climb the stairs to the top until she reached the office, but squeaked in shock when the whole staircase began to rise up like a muggle elevator.
Then there was a door. Here it goes.
She raised a fist to the door, ready to knock, but before she could it swung open.
"Ah! Miss Rutherford, I've been expecting you," Dumbledore's voice came from within, "please, come in."
She took a deep breath before stepping inside. He was at his desk, looking up at her.
"Please, sit," he said, "I understand you wanted to talk to me about your next steps after Hogwarts?"
"How did you know?" She asked, sitting on the comfortable chair on the other side of his desk.
"I know most things that go on at this school, Miss Rutherford," he smiled, his eyes twinkling knowingly at her, "now, what is it you wanted?"
She cleared her throat, "well, sir...have you heard of Koldovstoretz School for Magic?"
He nodded, a small smile on his face, "I have. A very good wizarding school."
"Well I'm not sure if you saw in the news but, um, they're opening up their international spots and now there's five available...I was thinking of applying."
"You should definitely apply Miss Rutherford," he said, standing up and going to a shelf at the side of the room, "I know you have the capabilities for it, the mental facilities for it, you could go far. We've never had a Hogwarts student get into any one of their courses before, they've always been very exclusive."
"Really? Not on any of their other courses either?"
He shook his head, before pulling a book out of the shelf and walking to her, holding it out.
"From my personal collection," he said, "an in depth analysis and guide of Koldovstoretz. It talks about their advanced courses too. Take it, it might be useful for your application process."
"Wow, thank you sir," she said, taking the large book in her hands.
He sat back at his desk, "Did you also need me to write you a reference?"
She nodded, "that's actually why I came to talk to you, to see if you'd be willing to write me one. I'll need a couple when I apply."
He smiled kindly at her, "I'd be more than happy to write you a reference. Why don't you give me a couple of weeks, and it'll be ready before the end of term?"
She stood up, "thank you, Sir."
"Thank you, Miss Rutherford," he nodded, "and best of luck with it all."
With that, she smiled before leaving the room.
As she walked down the corridor away from the office back to her common room, she stopped. The time on her watch said it was 7:30pm...it wasn't curfew just yet.
She turned, walking in the other direction to the astronomy tower.
As she climbed up the stone stairs, she fished out a bit of parchment and a pen from her pocket. When she got to the top she leaned it against the wall and wrote 'je vis la vie sur le bord.'
This translated to 'I live life on the edge.'
She whistled for her owl, Dodger, who quickly flew to her side, gently taking the paper in her beak.
"Sirius Black, he's a Gryffindor, you know where to go?"
The owl answered by flying away.
"What's that sound?" Remus asked.
Sirius sat up in his bed, looking at the window which was behind a curtain from which a tapping sound was coming from. Remus drew the red curtains, and opened the window to a small owl that came flying in.
"That's Caroline's owl," Sirius said, standing up.
"You're back in her good books?"
He nodded, taking the piece of parchment from the owl's beak. The bird hooted appreciatively before flying out the window and back into the night.
"What does it say?" Remus asked.
"Je vis la vie sur le bord..."
"What does that mean?
Sirius grinned, "don't wait up."
"Wait wha-"
But Sirius was already out the door.
When he got to the top of the Astronomy tower stairs, he stopped.
There she was, just a seated silhouette under the big night sky. The tower was lit with a pool of moonlight, it gleamed against her dark hair softly. He had to take a moment to process the beauty of it all before he approached her.
Upon hearing his footsteps she turned around, a smile on her face at the sight of him, "evening."
"Evening yourself," he said, sitting beside her, "the stars, they're so..."
"Beautiful."
He looked at her for a moment, before saying quietly, "yeah. Beautiful."
She leaned back on her elbows, looking up, "how was your day?"
"Oh great, it was a Saturday so...no lessons."
"But still lots of homework."
"For you, sweetheart," he snorted, leaning back too, "I am a world class procrastinator."
She laughed, "yeah I don't doubt that."
"Hey...look, I'm sorry again...I know I said it earlier but..."
She shook her head, "it's fine, Sirius. Already forgotten."
"You have to know that I'd never want to hurt you, I...I l-"
"Sirius," she looked at him, "it's fine, I promise. You know...normally come up here for the quiet?"
"Is that your way of telling me to shut up?"
She just gave him a look.
"I'm offended!" He gasped, making her laugh.
"Alright, you can talk-"
"Oh how kind of you."
"But," she interrupted, giggling, "no more about what happened. It's in the past, okay? Stop worrying about it."
He exhaled heavily, but nodded, "fine, okay...you promise it's okay?"
"Sirius I swear to-"
"Okay, okay!" He raised his hands up in surrender, "I'm sorry, I'll stop."
"Good."
"Good," he mocked, laying back on the hard floor, putting his hands behind his head, "so..."
She looked at him, raising a brow. He just grinned, looking back up at the sky.
"Want me to show you the star named after me?"