I can't sleep 'cause my mind keeps racing
My chest hurts 'cause my heart keeps breaking
I'm so numb and I can't stop shaking
And we all fall down
16 : Permanent Vacation (edited)
"Wáce ierlic," Catherine blurted out in a frantic manner, her hand outstretched with her palms facing outwards. Just as she expected on her twentieth try, nothing happened.
Sirius, decked in jeans and a sweater, was still standing in the middle of Dumbledore's office. His hands were on his hips as he flashed Catherine a smirk, reaching up to give her a thumbs up. "You can do this, Cat."
Catherine pouted, turning to face Dumbledore who chuckled and nodded at her in affirmation. The headmaster himself was leaning against his desk as he observed Catherine carefully. "Maybe if you try to pronounce the words clearly," he suggested.
Catherine nodded and tried one more time, her eyes narrowed on Sirius who was now leaning his weight on one foot, a lazy smirk on his lips. Suddenly, after she had incanted the spell dryly, Sirius tottered on his feet. Her eyebrows snapped upwards as her eyes grew big. "Did I just—?"
"Yes, you did," Sirius replied back in the same incredulous tone, standing on his feet again as he stared back at Catherine with large eyes. "Again! Do it again!"
Catherine felt elated to have made progress. Raising her hand again, Catherine looked Sirius dead in the eye with so much intensity it made Sirius want to shiver. Swallowing hard, Catherine took a sharp intake of breath before allowing the magic to course through her veins. Enchanting the spell, her tongue curling and her mouth moving as she spoke, it seemed as though she had said a language of her own. Gold flashed through her eyes as she thrusted her palm outwards into Sirius's direction.
And just like that, Sirius went flying backwards into the air as though an invisible force had slammed right against him. But just as quickly as he had flew, Dumbledore had his wand whipped out as he chanted the spell that would make him freeze midair before bringing him back down safely on his feet.
Silence followed after that before Catherine squealed in utter happiness, jumping up and down as she kept saying yes.
"Bloody hell, Cat!" Sirius laughed as he swooped her into his arms. "I told you you could do it!" He brought her into an embrace, his arms tight around her as he spun her around in the air.
Catherine laughed, the smile never leaving her face as she kept her arms wounded around his neck. She could faintly hear Dumbledore chuckling as he shuffled through some papers. Sirius finally set her back down on her feet but kept his hands firmly on her hips.
The spell between Sirius and Catherine was broken by loud and slow claps that came from the threshold. Breaking away from the curly haired boy, Catherine spun around to see a familiar bespectacled sixth year leaning against the door frame.
Sirius stayed planted on his feet as Catherine took off running to James, her eyes so bright it made his heart ache. His stomach turning painfully, he watched Catherine launch herself into James's arms as they brought themselves into an embrace with James's nose buried in her hair. Swallowing hard, Sirius's hand slowly curled into a fist as he breathed heavily. Taking another intake of oxygen, he forced himself to calm down and bury his hand in his pocket. What right did he have anyway to feel this way? It's not like she's his girlfriend. Not even a pretend one, in that matter.
"What're you doing here?" Catherine asked, laughing. "I thought you were busy!"
James chuckled, winking at her. "I'm alright now." He leaned over and sneakily planted a kiss on her cheek, watching the way she blushed adorably. It made him want to just kiss her again.
Catherine cleared her throat, stammering out incoherent words as she slapped his chest. James just smiled and kept his eyes on her affectionately.
"Ah, yes, good morning, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore greeted James who did so as well. "I take it you're here to fetch Miss Valentine for the Quidditch practice?"
James nodded in confirmation. "Yes, sir. We'll be competing against Ravenclaw tomorrow."
Dumbledore chuckled. "Best of luck to the lot of you, then."
James and Catherine nodded their thanks and made their way out of the door with her telling him what she's accomplished and him telling her how his day was. Almost like what a real couple would do.
Sirius who was in the office sighed deeply before slowly crossing the room to leave as well after a quiet mumbling of goodbye to Dumbledore. He had just laid a hand on the doorknob when a voice stopped him, "It's peculiar, isn't it?"
Sirius froze momentarily before throwing a glance at Dumbledore over his shoulder. "What do you mean, professor?"
Dumbledore smiled gently, a twinkle in his eye. "James and Catherine. They may fake their way around people as a couple, but they can't fake their feelings." Dumbledore paused as Sirius comprehended the headmaster's words before he continued speaking. "Maybe Catherine would be James's undoing."
The thought of Catherine being his best mate's Achilles heel made him queasy but Sirius nodded nonetheless. "Yeah."
««•»»
"So." James cleared his throat in an unnatural manner. "What was that?"
Catherine raised an eyebrow at him as they continued walking down the corridor. "What are you talking about?"
James attempted to keep up his cool and collected façade, though he was harboring moths in his stomach. "You know, you and Sirius. Laughing. Hugging."
Despite his firm hold on Catherine, she couldn't help but smile at what he just said. Sneaking a glance at him, she took note of the hard glint in his eyes and the muscle that jumped in his jaw. "James Potter, are you...jealous?"
James nearly choked on air, internally wreaking havoc. He faked a laugh, snorting at Catherine. "Of course not. Why would I be?"
Turning the corridor, Catherine then shrugged and said slyly, "Alright. I guess I'll just go back and practice some more with Siri."
James groaned frustratedly, suddenly pinning Catherine against the wall with his face mere inches from hers. He was so close she could feel his breath on her face. "If you want to practice, you go to me. All right?"
Her heart hammered wildly against her chest, she was aware of every single bit of James's body pressed against her. She swallowed, her throat dry as she faked a laugh. "Dream on, Potter." With that, she playfully pushed him back before entering the Gryffindor locker room to change into her Quidditch robes.
Catherine loved how the Quidditch pitch looked at this moment. Considering it was still December, tomorrow being the first day of a new year, soft snow still fell from the sky very gently.
Currently, she was up in the air with her teammates and they were trying to pass the Quaffle around. They weren't practicing seriously, deciding to have a break and just play around with the Quaffle. She was having quite a difficult time catching it, considering she was used to handling small objects like the Snitch.
James was on the ground, pulling on a pair of gloves as he chatted with a few of his acquaintances from Hufflepuff. They were currently telling him of the bets they made with the Slytherins on who would win the game tomorrow against Ravenclaw.
"Oi, that your girl, Potter?" Wally who was one of them asked James, jutting his chin forward at the direction of Catherine who had just missed the Quaffle again and was now cursing.
The Hufflepuff boys around James started snickering over her failure. James rolled his eyes at them and raised a palm as a 'wait' signal. He hollered, "Valentine, think fast!" In lightning speed, James snatched the Golden Snitch from his pocket, bringing it to life as he launched it into the air. It zoomed across the field so fast it was a blur. Just as it went passed the raven haired girl, she was off speeding after it. In approximately three seconds, it was in her hands and she waved it at James all the way high up in the air with an easy grin on her face.
James smugly turned to the Hufflepuff boys who were staring at Catherine with dropped jaws. "That's my girl." He glanced at the boy. "You were saying, Wally?"
Wally cleared his throat. "Nothing."
"I thought so."
««•»»
Catherine couldn't concentrate in the party that night. She was too busy thinking of James and her newfound feelings — she was falling in love with him, she realized. Deeply, fully, and with her whole heart. But it was too late because she knew that once he finally got Lily's attention, it would all be over.
Now that she thought of it, this was probably why her brother, Kasimir, has never dated a girl. He didn't want to get attached to one, fall in love with her, and get hurt when she leaves. He was always the more rational one between them and a worrier as well.
Maybe when all this drama with James Potter would be over, Catherine's feelings would change and things would go back to the way they were. Sure, she'd feel awkward and uncomfortable when her best friend and her fake ex-boyfriend get all cuddly with each other, but she'd probably get over it.
Besides, what good is something when it's all pretend?
Catherine never wanted it in the first place, so why is she mulling over it now? She should feel relieved and glad that progress was made for Lily and James. She was never meant to get in the way between the two. She's just an extra in their love story, the obstacle they need to overcome.
One day Lily would learn to love James.
And when that day comes, Catherine would be there to fully support her. The Dark Lord may be after her with her 'Merlin descent' but it won't be able to stop her from living on. Or at least until the right time.
Catherine sighed, staring up at the starry sky. The party was currently held outside near the Black Lake since Dumbledore agreed that it was a beautiful night and it would be lovely to spend the last day of the year around a beautiful environment.
She's supposed to feel happy, considering it was mere seconds away before the year finally ends. But instead, she felt like a disaster.
10
Catherine watched James from afar who was talking with Lily who'd come back from spending Christmas home and Remus, an enthusiastic grin on his face as they chatted amicably. She smiled faintly at the wild hand gestures James was doing, clearly talking about Quidditch.
9
She sighed once more, knowing she was stupid to think they actually had a chance. What's worse was realizing that she was actually in love with the hazel eyed idiot who would only see her as the girl he had help from to get together with Lily.
8
"Hey, don't look so down, it's New Year!" someone snapped her out of her reverie, gently nudging their shoulder against hers.
7
Catherine looked up to see Sirius smiling down at her, concern swimming in his eyes. A grin slowly lit up her features, sending a jolt to Sirius's heart.
6
"Alright?" he asked her, gesturing at James with his head.
Catherine chuckled, nodding at him. "Yeah, it's nothing. I'm glad you're here, Siri."
5
Sirius's expression softened as he heard the broken undertone. He reached out to take her hand in his. "To hell with my best friend. It's New Year, you should be happy. You deserve it."
4
"It was a good year, wasn't it?" Catherine asked, remembering one of the best memories that contained the Marauders and her three best friends as well as the Prewetts.
"Definitely. It's the year Cari happened." Sirius winked playfully at her.
3
"Cari?" Catherine asked, tilting her head to the side in an adorable manner.
"It's our best friend power name," Sirius replied, making Catherine throw her head back and laugh.
"You are one of a kind, Paddy." She squeezed his hand. "Thank you for this year."
2
As Sirius stared at Catherine, he couldn't help but to notice her beauty. Not the exterior because anyone with eyes can clearly see how gorgeous she is, but rather her interior. It was her kind-hearted soul and her willingness to help people that made her beautiful. It was her strong heart and how she was a brave warrior that made her beautiful. Catherine Valentine was so goddamned beautiful and Sirius couldn't help himself.
1
Before he could hesitate, Sirius leaned forward, brushing his lips against her forehead with his eyes shut. He then planted another one on her cheek, relishing the feeling of being able to have Catherine in his arms. And finally, one more at the very corner of her lips before Sirius pulled back. With his face still at a close proximity, he could see that Catherine had her eyes wide open in shock.
Sirius whispered to her, "Happy New Year, Cat."
She blinked, still stunned from what happened. "Happy New Year, Siri."
James who was watching from afar didn't even have the slightest urge to kiss Lily when the countdown ended. All he could do was stare at Catherine and Sirius with his lips pressed into a tight line.
A/N
HELLO AGAIN. YUP ANOTHER UPDATE.
Oh and THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 3.3k READS HOLY CRAP YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING!! Keep it up omg i love you all so much!
Teaser: Chapter 17 : Queen of Hearts
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