~be gentle with yourself you're doing the best you can~
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Talea was still shaken by the recent incident, her minds kept drifting off, imagining what could've happen if she wouldn't have made it in time. Life has a funny way of teaching us what matters. Life creates deep sadness, so we would truly understand happiness. It would create chaos to make us appreciate the peaceful times. And sometimes life will take away people from us to make us understand what their presence meant to us. Life took a part from Peter away that day, from us all. He's changed, you could see it in his eyes, you could hear it in his voice and you could taste it in the bitterness of his cries. He's not the same, and he's never coming back.
She felt bad, they all did. Why didn't they show him how much he matters, to them and to so many more. It was these times when Talea realised how short live could be, how important it is to appreciate the people around you. But life gave them another chance, a chance to make things right, a chance to show the boy that he matters.
Her gaze travelled around the messy dorm, it was unusually quiet and no one dared to say a word. Her back leaned against Sirius chest while his hand brushed trough her. Talea watched Peter leaning on the end of his back, twiddling his fingers in his pale hands, while his reddened eyes drifted over everything in the dorm room, in order to prevent meeting his friends' eyes. "Peter?" whispered Talea.
His eyes slowly travelled up to meet hers, his look glassy and opaque. "I'm happy that you're still here." A simple sentence that meant so much to him.
His hands started to shake slightly when he muttered "You have to believe me, I 'don't want to be this monster."
"We know, and you're not, you'll never be Pete" said Remus, his eyebrows furrowed and his head tilted slightly when he looked at the blonde boy.
"Why? Don't you remember what Talea saw?" asked the boy, he sounded exhausted.
"Because you're strong and brave for fighting against becoming this person" answered Remus honestly.
Peter scoffed "I tried to kill myself Moony, I'm everything but brave." James got up from his place on the bed and walked over to where Peter sat, he placed himself next to him and said "Listen Peter, your past has made you who you are today but don't let that be an excuse not to move on. Don't let this be a reason not to grow happy."
Sirius hand travelled from her hair down to her hand, brushing his fingers over her arm in process. He nodded his head and looked up to James and Peter "Yeah, life goes on, even if it feels like it never will."
Peter nodded and mumbled "I'm sorry." Talea placed an excusing kiss on Sirius cheek when she stood up and crouched down next to the blonde boy, pulling him into an embrace "Don't be, we are the ones who should be sorry for not making sure that you know how much you matter" she rubbed his back and whispered "We love you Pete, promise to never do this again."
She felt her shirt slowly getting damp when he muttered "I promise."
The days passed, Talea watched Peter slowly getting better, his eyes lit up with a new found determination in being a better person of himself. She felt proud, like an older sister watching her youngest sibling taking his first steps and in some way he did, he took his first steps towards happiness.
"Talea, snap out of your thoughts" Sirius snapped a finger in front of her face "Look at this leather jacket! I look so badass!"
Talea let out a laugh and stepped in front of him, letting one hand drift down on the leather, feeling the cold material under her skin. She looked up to see his eyes fixed on her, watching her every move. She smirked and leaned in, letting her lips brush over his teasingly. "Yeah, I guess you look pretty hot, darling."
He grinned and connected their lips; she enjoyed the usual feeling of fireworks erupting in her stomach and the goosebumps his fingers left behind wherever he touched her. She took a few steps back until her back met the wall. Sirius grabbed her hands and held them on either side of her head while he trailed kisses down her jaw to her neck. He gently sucked on the skin, making sure to leave a small mark. Talea let out a breathy moan when his kisses went down to her neckline.
He grinned at the sound and muttered "Fuck, I love you so much" against her hot skin. Talea let one hand slip out of his grip and pulled his chin up to connect their lips again. His tongue brushed against her lips, slipping into her mouth as she let out a gasp when he trailed one hand from her waist down to her tights.
"Come on Padfoot, Shadow, we have DADA now!" yelled James as knocked at the door.
Sirius and Talea let out a frustrated groan and grabbed their bags with a sigh. Sirius pushed the door open while Talea tried to fix her hair. James smirked "Bad time, eh?"
The black-haired boy pushed him against the wall with one hand, his brows furrowed in frustration "Piss off blind man." Talea laughed and grabbed his hand, pulling him down the stairs.
"Hey, rude!"
Both of them ignored James on their way to charms, simply to get on his nerves as he hates when no one answers his never stopping ramblings. Remus met them in the classroom, settling down next to Peter who asked "Why does Prong looks so pissed?"
"Because no one wants to listen to his ramblings" replied Sirius, sitting down next to Talea. James scoffed, holding a hand over his heart "Just because I interrupted your make out session?!" he wanted to sit down next to Talea but she pulled his chair away before he could sit down, letting him fall on the floor with a thumb.
Talea giggled happily while James stared at her in shock. He pointed a finger at her and turned to Remus "Moony do you see this?! She's laughing like a maniac!" but her cousin only let out a laugh he couldn't hide anymore.
James pulled himself up and gripped the chair tightly before sitting down muttering something like "Next time you tell them to go to class "to Peter who denied immediately with a shake of his head.
Professor Victor, a tall and young man with blonde hair, began talking about different ways to defend themself in a battle but Talea's eyes drifted over the other half of the room where the Slytherins sat. Bellatrix Black graduated from Hogwarts last year, leaving her two sisters behind. Narcissa and Andromeda, she had a feeling that the latter was not a fan of her pureblood obsessed parents. But she didn't know what to think of Narcissa, she wasn't cruel like her older sister but she seemed to like the 'high society' unlike her younger sister.
She was holding Malfoy's hand under the table, the blonde looked rather worn out and tired. Talea never really thought about what would happen to the Malfoy's if Voldemort finds out that his Horcrux is gone. She did a little bit bad about it but it was a necessity.
Snapes greasy hair hung in his eyes while his body was crouched over the textbook in front of him. Talea despised him, she didn't liked the fact that he hurt her best friend or maybe it was just the fact that he was born? She wasn't certain.
Her head snapped up when people started to stand up, she looked up to Sirius who let out a laugh at her confused face and pulled her up "We're practising the Patronus Charm."
"Isn't that something for charms class?"
He pulled her in front of the table, so they would have more space and Remus chimed in "If you would have listened you would know that Professor Victor just said that we should practise it in DADA because it's an important way to defend yourself."
Talea send him an annoyed glare "Shut up smartass." He hit her over the head, earning a jab in the ribs from her. He was about to hit her shoulder when James stopped him "Stop it children, we can't get into detention tonight."
Remus let his arm fall, looking out of the window. Talea patted his shoulder "Don't worry, we'll take care of you."
"Okay, raise your wands and think of your happiest memories" boomed Professor Victors voice through the room "and say 'Expecto Patronum'." He walked around the class and said "Don't worry if you don't get it on your first try, it is a very difficult spell."
Sirius scoffed and puffed out his chest, Talea rolled his eyes and muttered "Oh Merlin, not again." James smirked and looked over to Sirius "Very difficult, huh? No problem for me, everyone will swoon over my stag."
"Dogs are definitely better than stags, I mean what are they even doing in their free time? Standing in the forest eating grass?"
James scoffed "They are graceful creatures unlike your shaggy dog who sniffs at peoples' arses-"
Professor Victors voice interrupted James "Okay, let's start, I'll give you an example." He lifted his wand and exclaimed "Expecto Patronum!" a blue light flashed out of the wand, making a swan appear. The students marvelled at the sight until it disappeared, eagerly wanting to produce one themself.
James raised his wand and muttered the charm, a stag appeared, strutting through the room and circled Lily who watched it in awe. Professor Victor gasped and applauded loudly "Good job Mr. Potter, 20 points to Gryffindor!"
Lily blushed when James winked at her and tried herself. I turned to Remus who tried his best to produce a Patronus but failed. Sirius grinned and whispered something in his ear that made him blush. "Just try it!" whined Sirius. Remus rolled his eyes with a small smile playing on his lips and raised his wand again "Expecto Patronum!"
A blue light shot out of his wand, forming an animal. A wolf. "You did it!" cheered Talea but the boy just looked at the Patronus disappointed. "This condition really does follow me everywhere, doesn't it?"
Talea frowned "Hey, don't be sad Remmie, those who have the Wolf Patronus share a strong sense of justice and an innate aptitude for combat." Remus send her smile and muttered a small "Thanks" before turning back to the class, watching the other students.
Lily managed her Patronus after James helped her, a doe started to jump through the room, circling James once, both of them started to laugh and didn't notice that a certain black-haired Slytherin managed to conjure the same doe. Talea turned to the others with wide eyes.
"Wait? Snape loves Lily?" asked Peter, disgust evident in his eyes.
Sirius chuckled "Or Snivellus is in love with Prongs" Remus made a gagging noise and hit Sirius over his head.
Talea turned to Sirius with a smirk and muttered "Let's give them a show." He grinned at her and nodded, both muttering "Expecto Patronum".
Two animals shot out of their wands, a cat and a dog. The class gasped; the animals started chasing each other in a playful way until the dog nudged the cat with its nose and the cat snuggles up to him.
Talea blushed slightly and looked over to Sirius, this was definitely not planned. The boy smiled brightly and looked towards her, smirking at her flustered face. He bends down and gave her a kiss "I love you."
She laughed and pecked him on his lips "I love you"
"For eternity?"
"For eternity."
The smiled at each other but the moment was ruined by Peter's cough "Stop making me feel single guys, I'm serious." Remus and Talea groaned when Sirius smirked "No, I'm serious."