"You do want to be an Auror, right? You're not doing this because I am?" She asked with her face pressed against his chest. His heartbeat could lull her to sleep if she wanted to. She liked how it felt against her cheek. And the way his fingers ran through her hair, gently untangling any knots, and playing with her light curls, didn't help her stay awake either, especially after the lovely dinner they had with Remus.
"Bit full of yourself, are you?" He quipped.
She rolled her eyes, "Oh c'mon you know what I mean. You don't have to get in a fight with James this time. Not if you're taking my side just because."
"I do, I do. And even if I didn't, wouldn't you want me to take your side 'just because'?" He answered.
"Maybe. But I want to make sure you actually want to do this, that it's not done on a whim," she muttered.
She was tracing the faint marks on his ribs as they moved up and down. Were soulmates supposed to have matching scars? She wondered if tattoos would suit him. If he'd want to cover up the reminders of his broken childhood. But, then again, she liked him how he was now.
"This isn't a whim... Are you implying something?" He asked.
She almost whined when his hands withdrew from her head, "I'm not implying anything. I've been thinking."
He chided, "When are you not?"
They giggled at that before she continued, "I don't like fighting with James. Especially when he puts you in between."
"What's actually bothering you, love?" His long fingers found their way back to her brown mess. She wished he would never stop.
He told me he shouldn't have to look after me. That I'm an orphan, Jo thought.
She chose to go with, "He said he's going to be a parent soon and I still can't believe it."
"Um... yeah, me too," Sirius agreed. She ignored his confusion.
A few seconds passed before Sirius spoke, "Look, I think Remus is... right. We shouldn't rush into this to spite James. Not when we know it can do more harm than good. For all of us."
She asked rather needlessly, "Why would I do that to spite James?" Sirius gave her a pointed look when she glanced up.
"I can't give him the satisfaction of knowing he's somehow right -- which he isn't. At least not so soon." He should be the one apologizing. What he said hurt, she inaudibly voiced.
Sirius proposed, "Perhaps we can reach a compromise. I mean, do you really want to give him the silent treatment for the rest of your life?"
"Not really. But how could we compromise? It's not like we can be half-Aurors," she explained.
"What if we put it off for some time? Let him cool down with the new Papa Bear phase. Even if we defeat that noseless fool, his followers are still going to be running amok. We can do just as much good after the war as we are doing now in the Order," he replied.
She reasoned, "It doesn't sound too bad, I'll admit. It seems like you've thought of this already."
Sirius shrugged, "I may have."
"But I thought you were the one who wanted to stay here forever after all this," she noted.
He smirked, "We can if you prefer that instead."
"Maybe I do. Maybe we're rushing this auror thing," she smiled, detaching herself from his chest.
He sat up on the bed along with her, "It's settled then. We'll stay put,"
She added, "Well we don't have to stay here here. We could go somewhere else and stay there forever."
"What can possibly be better than this?" He inquired with his eyes wide open. Those silvery eyes had the smallest hint of blue in them. They were more mesmerizing than any piece of jewelry she could ever lay her hands on.
She thought out loud, "I don't know. We can go to a little town in Italy or France. Somewhere up north near the Alps or by the coast to get tan."
Sirius remarked, "I've heard France is nice, ma chérie."
Jo couldn't help but blush, "I forget you know French, you really should speak it more often."
"It's not like I have anyone to talk with. You said you would only take a couple of courses over the summer," Sirius claimed.
She huffed, "Don't underestimate me, Black. I remember a few important things."
He challenged her with a raspy tone, "Oh yeah? Enlighten me."
She moved closer. So close their noses almost touched and she could see the stubble growing around his mouth. She whispered into his ear, "I know how to say je t'aime, Sirius Black. Je t'adore. Et je suis à toi pour toujours."
He raised his eyebrows in surprise and amusement before snarling, "Moi aussi, mon amour."
Jo could never tire of the smell of leather and firewood and cigarettes. She didn't like smoking, but it suited Sirius. His lips parted perfectly for the small stick to lay in between. But those lips also parted for hers. And in that instance, she didn't mind the taste of tobacco and chocolate. And the sweet nothings that would come from the rosy pieces of flesh that sent shivers down her spine. Those French lessons paid off.
James may have had a point after all.
A/N: I never thought I'd put to use my actual french lessons for this but oh well. It really is a romantic language. Short chapter but I didn't want to ruin it with anything else.