･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. .**.☽ .*
"Hi, Mia!" Caroline said as she came bouncing into the kitchen, "dinner smells wonderful, I'm sad I can't stay."
Mrs Potter looked up at her with a warm smile, "Oh yes, Sirius said you were going somewhere for a school thing?"
"I'm going to Russia, it's an interview for a course at Koldovstoretz," Caroline said, going to the sink to get a glass of water, "have you heard of it?"
"I have, that's very impressive," Mia said, shaking her head, "well I wish you the best of luck, you must let us know how you get on."
"I will, thank you," Caroline smiled at her, "do you need any help with anything here?"
"Oh no dear, you should go back up, I'm sure that boy is missing you already."
"Oh," Caroline looked at her feet to hide her smile, "well, thank you Mrs Potter. I'll see you when I get back from Russia I hope."
"Looking forward to it, hun," the older woman said, smiling sweetly at the girl.
Caroline walked back up the stairs, glass of water in hand. She could already hear the faint music of Queen from Sirius' room, and smiled at the sound.
"Hey, Rutherford!"
She looked to her right to see James standing in the doorframe of his room, so smiled awkwardly, "hey, you alright?"
"Yeah, just wanted to wish you luck on that Russia thing you're doing, sounds very brainy, I bet you'll get it."
She laughed slightly, "well thank you, James. That's very kind of you."
He smiled warmly, nodding at her before walking back into his room.
She proceeded to Sirius' room, twisting open the door knob and walking in. He was putting on a new record, but immediately noticed her as she walked in and put down her glass at the side.
"Alright, gorgeous?" He grinned, putting the needle down and relishing in the sound of the first notes of 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love' by Queen.
"Mm I love this song," she said, sitting down on his bed.
"Come on then, let's dance."
She sighed, a small smile on her face, "Sirius..."
"Come on, darling, for me?"
She felt her insides just melt at his words, her cheeks becoming warm as she slowly nodded before letting him pull her up by her hand. As the bright tones of the song enveloped the room, he felt pleasure in taking her in his arms and just dancing with her.
He had never been intimate with anyone in this way before Caroline. Whenever he was physical with someone, it was never like this...it was for a purpose, everything intensely leading to a goal...but not with Caroline. With Caroline he touched her, held her, kissed her, just because he wanted to. He didn't need anything else. He just needed her.
He took her hand and turned her under his arm, taking her by surprise, which just made her laugh. He pulled her back into him and they rocked to the tune. He couldn't keep his eyes off her.
"What?" She asked.
He shook his head, "I just...have I ever told you how much I love your hair?"
"Oh...well thanks, I grew it myself."
He laughed loudly, shaking his head, "you know for someone that doesn't get humour, you're funnier than you think."
"I am?"
"Mhm," he just nodded, a soft smile on his face as he leaned in, "you're brilliant."
She smiled softly at this, looking down at her feet shyly.
"You know I'll miss you when you go to Russia and...what? What's that face for?"
"Nothing, it's nothing," she said.
But he didn't miss the look behind her eyes, a clouded sort of pain. He worried if he had said something wrong. It's like suddenly, something had hit her.
He stilled, taking her hand in his, "please, tell me."
She looked down at the floor, exhaling heavily, "you know I really like you."
"I like you too," he said, his heart beginning to hammer in his chest, "what's this about?"
"I would be naive to not think about your past relationships when...when pursuing one with you," she said, looking guilty as she looked up.
He took a breath, starting to get what she might be thinking, "Carrie, I-"
"I really like you," she said, shaking her head, trying not to get tearful, "I really need to know you care about me just as much as I do about you, because...Sirius you-"
"I do, I do care about you, so much," he hesitated before bringing her hand to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to her knuckles, "please, believe me."
"You have to understand how capable you are of breaking my heart, Sirius."
He looked up, into her brown eyes, realising the weight of what she had said, feeling it pulling at his heart. He hated that she had seen how he had treated his past relationships, because he knew now that's not what it felt like to be in love, but she thought that was how he loved. That wasn't how he loved. He held so much regret in his chest as he looked at her, looked at how afraid she was...because of him. Because he had made her feel like he could just toss her aside at any moment.
"I adore you, Caroline," he breathed, "I will never, ever hurt you."
"Don't make that promise."
"But I'll keep it," he took her face in his hands, "you don't have to believe me, yet, but you have to trust me. You can trust me, you know that, right?"
Through her cloudy vision she looked in his eyes. They were like a painting, the hues of grey and blue swirling round inside of them. It was as if before he was born, an artist had spent a year just on the colour of his eyes. She trusted those eyes, she knew she did.
So she nodded, whispering, "I know."
"If you're ever worried or anxious about anything, anything at all, you have to talk to me about it," he said, wiping a tear from her cheek with his thumb, a tear she hadn't even realised had fallen, "please."
She nodded, nuzzling her cheek into his palm which had been hovering by her face anyway after wiping away the tear. She turned her head and kissed it momentarily, before looking at him and bravely kissing his lips.
It was a kiss unlike any they had shared before. It was desperate reassurance and passionate adoration. He held her as close as he could but it just didn't feel close enough. She felt a sort of release inside her when they kissed, like all her anxieties blurring into the background for a moment, because it was just them, just kissing.
When they pulled away, their lips still close, she couldn't help but to whisper, "I adore you too."
He kissed her once more, more gently this time, before pulling back, "you better not forget me when you go to Russia, okay?"
"It's only for three days."
"I mean when you get in," he said, grinning slightly, "two years is a long time."
She smiled at this, "don't get my hopes up."
"You're gonna get in, Caroline."
"Shush," she said, before pressing another kiss to his lips.
"I like it when you kiss me," he said breathlessly after she pulled away, "like a lot."
She raised a brow at this, before pulling him into her again, kissing him slowly this time. He kissed her back, and after a moment she deepened it, causing a noise of surprise to escape his throat involuntarily, muffled quickly by her soft lips. He felt warm all over just kissing her, his whole body alive, she had way more power over him than she knew.
When they pulled away he rested his forehead against hers.
"I-um," he swallowed, closing his eyes, "wow."
"I adore you."
"I adore you more."
"Doubt it," she mused.
"I'll fight you on it," he joked.
"I'd like to see you try."