"Sending someone to wake me up it's not what a best friend would do, Black." you muttered, running your hands through your hair as you brushed it away from your face with your fingers.
"Is your roommate still alive?" he asked with a knowing smile, standing straight from his previous position leaning on the wall outside your common room.
That day you hadn't woken up with the soft sunlight over your face, your skin warm to the touch as you stretched the sleep out of your body, you didn't wake up to the distant chatter of the rest of the Ravenclaws at the common room or to the smell of your roommates perfumes after they had showered. No. You woke up to the harsh grasp of Anne, one of your roommates, shaking you awake like some natural event was happening and you all had to run out of the castle. Did natural disasters even dare to touch Hogwarts? You didn't have the time to ask, the urgence in her voice when she told you some Slytherin boy was looking for you outside enough to make your own worry wash away with a groan, turning your back and diving deeper in your bed.
"He said it was important."
"I'm sure." you mumbled, your face buried in your pillow as you lifted your head, muttering under your breath as you got out of bed like a grumpy child.
"She's breathing." you assured him, a glare permanent in your face as you started to walk beside him "To what do I owe the pleasure of rising this early in the morning?" you asked bitterly.
"You're the worst." he said with a hint of humor, making you turn to him in both shock and a deeper glare.
"Excuse you?" you said.
"I play Quidditch, today is the game." he reminded you, the vague memory of those words being told to you before coming back to you "You asked me to come and look for you just before it began."
"You're playing this early?" you asked, looking outside the windows in the corridor to see the sun was barely out in the sky "You're not playing, Reg. That's called torture, someone like you should know that." you said, nudging his side with your arm.
He stayed silent, turning to you before he quickly glanced away. "What do you mean?" he asked.
You looked at him, taking his change of humor in before you answered "You and your habit of making me wake up early." you explained, but there was no humor behind your words anymore. "Are you sure you feel alright?"
He took a deep breath, one you barely noticed before he nodded firmly. "Of course." he answered "You're right, it's too early. I'm not fully awake yet." he said, patting his cheeks gently with the pads of his fingers, making you shake your head and laugh. "I thought we could have breakfast together, before the game."
"I-" you said, linking your arm with his "would absolutely love that."
Regulus led the both of you to the mostly empty Great Hall, breakfast being served to the few early birds like Regulus that chose to raise with the sun. You would never understand but you had, literally , asked for it.
You seated on your usual spot, your eyelids still a little heavy while you saw Regulus moved gracefully.
"Your tea." he said, handing you a cup with careful movements.
"How thoughtful." you answered, taking the cup from his hands as you took a slow sip "But I think if you want me to survive this day I might need something a little stronger."
He rolled his eyes and said nothing, as he switched his cup with yours with a swift movement across the table.
You looked down in shock at your new cup, the dark liquid reflecting your image and showing exactly how you felt "Since when do you drink coffee?" you asked in a whispered scream.
He glanced at you with little expression on his face "I took a liking to it during the winter break." he explained.
"Winter break?" you questioned "Did your mother take a liking to it too or what? You've never even looked in its direction, not even when I tried to force it on you." you said, spitting the words. Your arms laid crossed over your chest, your glare set on your face as you saw him shrug.
"It's because you tried to force it on me that I didn't try it." he said back, both of you entering in a small fight over his new liking to the warm beverage, your body language becoming more prominent as you both started to lean on the table, hands pointing everywhere while trying to keep your voices hushed.
"They look like an old couple." James said, taking a bite of his breakfast as he glanced at the silence of Sirius.
"Stop." Remus warned him, snapping his fingers in front of Sirius "They'll feel you staring and it'll be worse for her."
"Maybe he should feel my stare." Sirius snapped, lowering his gaze and taking his emotions out on his own breakfast, a fork his weapon of choice.
You hadn't even seen Sirius when you got to the Great Hall but he had heard your laugh the moment you turned right on the door, holding onto his brother's arm like nothing had happened. Did you forget all that he said? Were you that great of an actress? The smile that inevitably appeared on his face at any sign of you was completely washed away when you two sat down and started talking like you always had.
He wanted that.
"You should talk to her." Remus offered but James cut him short.
"I don't get what the big issue is! So your brother is her best friend, why should that stop you from dating her?"
"You forgot the part where Regulus is a Slytherin with the mind and ideas of Sirius' parents that hates him for being him." Remus said, all three pairs of eyes on him with an unnatural silence "Don't look at me like that, you know I'm right."
"Didn't have to be so harsh about it." Peter murmured in his side while Sirius just stared blankly with hopelessness in his eyes.
"Point is," James added, slinging his arm over Sirius' shoulders and giving Remus a glare "He already hates you, why not give him one more reason?"
Sirius groaned, moving out of James' hold "Because she doesn't want him to hate her."
"She might have to pick." James added, a bright smile on his lips. "And we all know who would win, right?" he asked, looking for Remus and Peter's support but only finding his subtle shaking of heads, making all confidence in James fade.
"Yeah, Prongs." Sirius said, pointing his hand in your direction as he let it fall with a thud on the table, the act of defeatment "The one in the old couple wins. Look at them! Everyone already thinks that they are secretly dating. I stand no chance."
The three Marauders stared at their friend in disbelief. A side of Sirius Black they never expected to see coming to shine from the dark, making its way into the world for everyone to see it. Sirius Black, the boy who had all the ladies running after him, the one who had no trouble using his skills to have everyone down on their knees and that knew he was worth it of it all and more, that same Sirius Black that now hid his head in between his arms for a Ravenclaw girl who had the heart and wit to befriend his brother and become the shadow of one another.
Sirius Black cared for the girl enough to put his own desires aside and let her be happy, to keep his friendship. The only person she had left in the school. That wasn't true anymore, but he knew it was the truth for his brother. A brother that deep down he still cared about, he knew that the girl sitting in front of him was his entire world and he didn't have the heart to hurt two people he cared about for his own happiness. As selfish as Sirius Black was, this time he didn't want to be. He just hoped he had the strength to keep that promise to himself.
*******
The air up on the bleachers was cold against your cheeks. The day had gotten a little cloudy and you could smell in the air a storm coming in the school direction. You just hoped it wouldn't start as you watched the game. Moving through all of your housemates you found a seat in the front, a seat for someone who went there all by themselves, someone like you. You went for the sole purpose of watching Regulus play, something you two didn't share in liking but he was still passionate about, you loved seeing the smile on his face while he flew on his broom.
The students divided themselves without even realizing it, covering the deep blue colors of the Ravenclaw house you could find the team they supported for the day. Dark red banners flew in the air while others jumped with green pieces of clothing. Of course, you didn't stay behind. Covering the blue of your robes there was a green scarf around your neck. Regulus had wrapped it around your neck just before you went your separate ways, you wished him luck and watched him go to the changing rooms.
But now you didn't feel sure about it. Wishing you could divide your body and paint one side with the colors of Gryffindor while the other flashed the usual greens.
It wasn't every day that the two houses played against one another, the natural rivalry making the game all the more interesting for those who enjoyed the competition. They might not be the best teams or the greatest players, but they were the houses of Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin. The tension in the air was stronger than the one of the upcoming storm.
Your attention was captured from inside your head the moment the wind swept your hair out of your face, green and silver flying in the air as each player took their position. They waved proudly, the cheers loud and full of excitement.
Then the Gryffindor team make their appearance. The crowd burst with energy as the team flew around, waving to all the people in the bleachers. It wasn't unknown how popular they were. Marlene Mckinnon was in their team, one of the prettiest girls in the school, a true Gryffindor and quidditch player. Then you could count on the charisma of James Potter, captain and star. And then there was Sirius, you were certain most people who usually didn't show up to quidditch games were there only for Sirius.
But then inevitable happened. Sirius flew just above from where you stood, looking down at you with a smile. He moved through the air in a subtle way, glancing in different directions but inevitably ending on you. He flashed you his brightest smile, pointing to his neck as he shook his head.
You looked down, seeing the Slytherin scarf around your neck and feeling a blush come up to your cheeks.
His smile returned to his face, winking in your direction before he dissapeared in the distance. The game began minutes after.
Of course he would make a big entrance in your life after being missing for days. Only he would do that.
Your bubble burst when the cheers to your right began increasing in volume, seeing Gryffindor had scored. You restrained yourself to slow claps, James bumping fists with Marlene as they went back to their positions. The game was getting more interesting by the minute.
The last few minutes had you on the edge of your seat. The scores were even, the Slytherins played sharper and the Gryffindors rougher. Regulus had been after the snitch with no luck, almost fighting the Gryffindor seeker every time each of them caught a glimpse of it. Your eyes were focused on the black haired boy, his eyes snapping to all directions at the slightest sound and then he was gone. You tried to follow him but he was too fast, your neck too sore from trying to keep up, finally losing him in the crowd of players. Still you found your new focus.
Sirius flew through the middle of the field, following close to James as he kept the Slytherin team away from him, the Quaffle secured under his arm. They worked in sync, James flying higher and faster. He wasted no time once he got his shot, throwing the Quaffle with a swift swing of his arm.
Just then the game ended but the cheers grew as every single person joined in. All the players looked down, you following as your eyes widened in surprise. You shot up in your place, throwing your hands in the air. Regulus held the snitch in his hand.
Confusion filled the place as everyone wondered who had won. The game ended with Gryffindor having more points but Regulus caught the golden snitch.
You lowered your arms, looking at Regulus as he met your gaze. He shrugged, going to the ground where all the players were shouting their arguments to the teachers.
A couple of minutes in silence followed as everyone observed the crowd down in the pitch, the frustration clear in their faces. They were throwing their hands in the air, pointing at each other and shouting, the echo of their voices reaching the high part of the bleachers.
"Gryffindor wins!" yelled the student that had been commenting on the entire game. The crowd burst into loud cheers once more, some running down to the pitch while others hugged right there. The energy was too heavy and you couldn't help but join in, letting out a shout as you jumped in your place.
You ran down to the ground, body clashing against many students going in the opposite direction. And then you met his eyes, far away in the distance, Sirius stood tall over many of the students that were congratulating the team but his gaze remained on you, a smile mirrored in both your faces as you started to walk in his direction, unknowing of Regulus watching you from the side.
He stared at your smile, one he had never seen in your face, and followed the direction of your eyes. It was a sea of people, all of them sharing the smile on your lips but not one sharing the feeling.
Just before you got away from him he reached for you, tapping your shoulder as he followed your step.
"Reg!" you gasped, turning to the side before you pointed at him. "I-I could've sworn I saw you over there." you said, pointing in the direction you were headed.
"I'm right here." he told you "You look far too happy for someone whose best friend just lost a game because of bad timing."
You laughed, smiling smugly at him "And I'm the bad loser."
"It was bad timing and you know it." he said, about to add something else when he closed the gap from his mouth, seeing your eyes lost in the distance, glancing between him and whatever had captured your attention.
You shook your head and turned fully to him, taking his arm and dragging him with you "If only you were faster." you mocked, returning to the conversation like nothing had happened.
"If only." he whispered, letting himself follow your step as he took one last glance over his shoulder.
Gryffindor.