In the weeks that followed, Emmy and Sirius only seemed to grow further apart. After a series of arguments that always involved one of them storming out, they realised something needed to change.
By the time the month was up, their friends were well and truly fed up with their fighting. Neither of them had told anyone what they were fighting about, the reasons were obvious, but everyone could tell it was serious.
Just a month ago, the two of them had been kissing on the dancefloor and now they couldn't stay in the same room together for more than a minute.
Meanwhile, Emmy found herself spending more time with Dirk. He was just so easy to be around, so patient and understanding. They went on more dates to Hogsmeade and had even kissed a couple of times. But no matter how many times she tried to push Sirius' infuriatingly handsome face out of her mind he stayed there. And despite their argument, she knew she didn't want him to leave.
One cold and snowy night before the end of term, Lily and Remus decided that enough was enough and dragged their friends down to the quidditch pitch for practice after successfully avoiding each other for weeks.
They both stayed as far away from each other as possible, despite the entire team trying to not so subtly nudge them both closer.
It was the last practise of the year, they went home two days later on the 22nd of December, so after the first half hour of drills, James decided some team building exercises were needed. Well, that and the fact his two chasers hadn't spoken a word to each other.
James gathered him team around and said, "Ok guys, I need you in the air in a circle hovering and ready to jump."
Marlene squealed in excitement and Fabien laughed, shook his head and headed off into the air after her. Gideon, James and Sirius followed suit leaving a more nervous Frank and Emmy on the ground.
Frank muttered, "Why do I even bother with you load of nutters?"
Noticing Emmy stalling he added, "Come on it'll be fine!"
"It's not that," she muttered, grimacing.
"Look I know you and Sirius have been fighting, but he'll come around," he replied quietly, "You'll see."
She offered him a small smile before they lifted off.
"Slightly different plan today, guys, we won't be doing trust jumps," started James.
"Oh, come on!" groaned Marlene in disappointment.
"We're going to practise something new as a team-building exercise."
He continued after a slight pause as everyone glanced between Emmy and Sirius, "I'd like to invite our resident daredevil to go first."
Marlene bowed graciously as everyone cheered for her, eyes lit up like a birthday cake.
"So we're going to practise standing up on our broom like we've all been practising, right guys?" said James pointedly.
Emmy gulped. That was possibly the only thing that she was pretty much completely incapable of doing. She defended her lack of practise with the fact that it should only be used in an absolute emergency i.e. you weren't going to score the goal, according to James.
"And then step from yours to the person's next to you until you get back to your own broom."
Oh shit.
"The fastest time wins my Uric the Oddball chocolate frog card."
Emmy tried not to feel bitter that it was one of the last ones she needed to complete her collection and she had almost zero chance of winning.
Marlene stood up with a wobbly start, but the grin never left her face. With a surprisingly small amount of encouragement she leapt from her broom to Emmy's. It dipped a little at the extra weight, but she forced it up to keep her giggling friend steady.
Fearlessly, Marlene made the jump from hers to Gideon's and from then onto James' and all the way round until she hopped back onto her own, locked in place by a immobility spell from Fabian.
It was Emmy's turn next; her hands trembled as she awkwardly clambered upright.
Gideon held her broomstick steady as she pushed herself up. Feeling the urge to scream as the wind and snow buffeted her from every direction, she clenched her teeth and closed her eyes. She shrieked in triumph as she got her back straight, and they all laughed.
She was doing it! She was about 80ft up in the air and had yet to fall off!
"Come on, you can do it," grinned Frank in encouragement.
Hands still shaking but nevertheless exhilarated, Emmy took a step forwards onto Gideon's broomstick. That was all it took for the adrenaline to kick in and suddenly she was leaping through the snow-filled night, gliding and dancing like a creature of the wild.
Until in a soul-shattering second, her foot slipped on the icy handle of James' broom and she tumbled off with a quick gasp.
Shouts from every member of the team echoed around the stadium as they sped towards her as she flailed and screamed. Spectators in the stands watched in horror as she hurtled towards the field, but no one could do a thing.
Panic overtook any other emotions and she went numb with fear as the ground rushed up to meet her. She let out the breath that would well have been her last had Marlene not grabbed onto her hand and dragged her up with about 10ft to spare.
Sudden pain erupted in her shoulder as she felt a sickening pop and let out a blood-curling scream. Within seconds James had flown alongside them and grabbed her, pulling her close.
She clung on for dear life, trying desperately to ignore the stars appearing before her eyes.
James set her down and she crumpled to the ground, barely conscious.
The crescent moon spun above her head as she lay on her back, paralysed in pain.
"Oh god, oh god," she heard someone curse as everyone crowded around them. Tears slid down her face as Remus sprinted over and fell to his knees beside her.
James yelling at Fabian and Gideon to fly up to the castle for help and skidded to a halt next to them, panting and swearing.
As the reality set in of what had just happened, the rush of the fall and then the agony of the dislocated shoulder, she couldn't stop the sobs wracking through her body.
As the snow fell around them, faces came in and out of focus and she realised Sirius was leaning across her loosening the buckles of her Quidditch uniform and calling her name,
"Ems, look at me, come on, stay with us."
"I'm fine," she mumbled, only half-conscious.
"No, you're not bloody fine," he muttered back angrily.
They waited for the twins to return for what seemed like hours. Everyone was rushing around, Marlene and Franks were keeping spectators away and the Astrals made it down from the stands and began fussing around, taking off hats and scarves to wrap her in and brushing hair from her face. Sirius complained furiously about her stubbornness and complete disregard for personal safety. She couldn't tell if what she could see where actual stars in the night sky or just the results of her dizziness.
"I think we're going to need to move her," muttered James to Frank. He nodded grimly and went to clear a path for them.
"Emmy, listen to me. We're going to need to move you, you're going to go into shock if you stay in the snow much longer."
She nodded her head a fraction of an inch, every fibre of her body aching. She knew he was right. Snow had begun blanketing the ground and soon it would be covering her.
They counted down from three and with a gut-wrenching scream got her to her feet. Remus hooked her good arm over his shoulder and Marlene supported her hips as they walked slowly over to the changing rooms.
Frank rushed ahead to look out some hot water bottles and held the door open as they stumbled through.
The silence was deafening in the room as Marlene helped her sit down and took off the snow-soaked layers of her Quidditch uniform. She was left in just her trousers and thermal vest as Sirius laid an ice pack on her shoulder and knelt down in front of her.
"Can you hear me Ems? How're you feeling?" he asked worriedly.
"Sirius, she's ok, just in a bit of shock," said Frank calmly.
"I'm fine, honestly," Emmy replied weakly.
The quiet was disrupted as McGonagall burst in the door, with a look on her face that would make storms turn and run, Fabian and Gideon trotting behind her like overeager puppies.
"I can't even look at you right now, Potter, but for the love of Merlin will someone please tell me what happened?"
"Emmy here decided it would be a great idea to practise her free fall diving," started Marlene slyly.
"Oh shut up you little-" moaned Emmy as she leant her head against the cool wall.
"Thank you, Miss McKinnon," interrupted McGonagall with a hint of a smile on her lips.
"She fell from about 100ft. We caught her just before she hit the ground, but I think her shoulders dislocated," James reported.
"You think?" said Gideon incredulously.
"I heard it pop from 20 meters away!" continued Fabian.
Emmy groaned as the professor touched the aching muscles around her shoulder.
"Ok, my dear, I'm going to have to set this now. You'll only be in more pain if we walk you up to Madam Pomfrey," she said firmly.
"Just do it," Emmy gritted out.
She nodded and looked up.
"Can one of you hold her steady, please?"
Sirius was the closest so he straddled the bench without a second thought and wrapped his arms around Emmy's back and torso as Professor McGonagall instructed.
"Ok, deep breaths, my dear."
She let Emmy take a few breaths as she moved into position, kneeling beside her and pulling her sleeves up.
"We'll pop it in on three ok?"
Emmy gave a quick nod and closed her eyes in preparation. Sirius caught the professor's eye and grimaced as she mouthed, "On two."
"One... two-"
Emmy let out a bloodcurdling scream and threw herself into him. He grunted at the sheer force, and breathed out in relief as he heard her arm move back into its socket.
Everyone audibly winced and flinched away.
"Right, let's get her back up to the castle, and Potter, I want a word in the morning," ordered McGonagall briskly.
James gulped and looked at Emmy guiltily.
The professor escorted her to the hospital wing and waited as Madam Pomfrey wrapped her shoulder and put it in a sling.
Everyone was waiting for her in the corridor outside and they headed back to the common room together, slowly for Emmy's sake, but laughing and joking to try to cheer her up. Though only one thing was really on her mind; Sirius who was walking along right next to her, had spoken to her for the first time in a month.
As they reached the common room and began climbing through the portrait hall, she feel behind and cautiously walked the short distance between them.
"Can I speak to you for a minute?" she murmured, and for a minute she thought he might just ignore her, but he nodded and stepped away from the door.
"Come on, let's go to the clock tower. Filch never looks there," she added.
His brow furrowed in concern. "Are you sure you're up to that?"
"Yes? I'll be fine," she answered casually.
"You fell from 100ft and dislocated your shoulder, then had it popped back in without any pain-relief potion. It's a valid question!"
"Oh, so now you're protective?" she scoffed, scuffing her feet along the carpet.
"Ems, I'm not protective!"
His words died on his lips at the sceptical look on her face. "You know I care about you," he mumbled quietly.
They continued along in silence for a while until they reached the top of the stairs and stepped into the moonlight, ducking underneath the beams of the ancient grandfather clock.
"I just wanted to say sorry for what happened, and that I'm tired of fighting with you. I never meant to hurt you."
"I know you didn't," he replied quietly, turning away.
"Then are you still angry?"
"No, I'm not."
She didn't know what to say so she waited for him to explain.
"I was at first," he continued, "But I realised I was more angry at myself. You were the one person who was never supposed to get involved with my mess of a family. I didn't want you to know about my mother, or Regulus... I was ashamed. And now I'm even more ashamed because I realised how horribly I've treated you."
"No, Sirius. It wasn't your fault, none of this was your fault. We've both just let this go on for too long. And I want to be your friend again, I want to be as close as we used to be."
She joined him at the parapet of the tower and gazed out over the mountains, brushing her shoulder against his.
"When I saw you fall-" his voice caught with emotion and she looked over sharply in surprise.
"I can't lose you, Ems," he said softly. "If something worse had happened today I don't think I could've ever forgiven myself."
She laughed, breaking the tension.
"If I'd died today and you still weren't speaking to me, you know I would haunt the hell out of you, right?"
"I'm was trying to serious here," he smirked as he looked at her, slipping her hand into his and squeezed it tightly. "Look I know you heard what Regulus and I were arguing about so I'm not going to try and pretend everything's ok. The truth is my parents are threatening to disown me. They want me to become a death-eater like them and I honestly don't know how much longer I can hold out for."
Emmy took a deep measured breath and turned to look him directly in the eyes.
"Sirius, you won't become a death eater, even if they force that brand on you. You have my word. I won't let it happen, none of us will."
He wrapped an arm around her waist and she leant into him. The night sky truly was beautiful up there. There was something about the depth of it and the magnitude that was like nothing else in the world. The stars shone down on them, gently, reverently, as Sirius said,
"I realised today that there's no point in me waiting any longer to tell you this. We've just got to live every day like it's our last."
"What is it, Sirius?"
"I'm falling in love with you and I don't know if you feel the same but I need you to know. Because we don't have time to lose."
She raised her good arm to his face and smiled with the purest, most elated form of happiness she had even known.
"I think I'm falling in love with you too."
"I was so ashamed, but you matter more to me than I ever thought could be possible and I want you to know about my family, about what they're like before this goes any further."
She tilted her head up to his and kissed him, softly, slowly. And then all at once he had his arms wrapped around her waist and his hands in her hair.
"I'm here, I'll always be here."
As the world turned around them, they stayed in place, in that one perfect moment they would remember for eternity.