Swirled into each other felt like the safest place in the world to them. Their little cove of desire to banish all the evils of the world, evils which lurked within them. Bexley had wrapped herself around Sirius, afraid that he'd be torn from her, Sirius welcomed the feeling and mirrored her, his hands lost in her hair, the tips of their noses gently brushing with each breath.
"I haven't said it yet, but I love you too." Bexley looked up at him, a sleepy grin across her face.
"I gathered." Bexley gestured to their intimate position, disbelief swirled in her mind, was this happening? Had she really fallen for the mischievous youth who used to pull her pigtails? For Sirius, disbelief was replaced with relief because she was finally in his arms. Sirius looked down at her and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, the freedom of being able to do so caused a surge of something through him. The feeling was indescribable, but he knew if tangible the feeling would have wings. "What's on your mind?" Bexley brushed a few waves of his hair off his forehead, admiring him. You, Sirius, thought.
"This is the happiest I've ever been. But mostly Quidditch tryouts." He smirked and she lightly whacked his arm, he feigned pain and pulled her even closer.
"What position are you going for?"
"Beater of course." Sirius flexed his muscles and Bexley raised her brows.
"I think I'm going for Chaser." Sirius sat up, rolling Bexley off him he looked at. "What?" She questioned his spacious eyes.
"Bexley that's dangerous, you can't play. I don't feel like seeing the girl I love knocked off her broom and plummet to the ground!" Despite his blatant sexism, Bexley's heart skipped at his worry and care.
"I'm going to play Black. I love that you're worried, but I want to play. Hufflepuff has a girl on their team why can't Gryffindor?"
"It's not about that. It's the fact I don't know what I'll do if you're hurt. We both know I already have an inclination to get angry." Bexley's mind wandered to previous accounts where Sirius's temper flared all too quickly in Quidditch games.
"Well, how do you think I'll feel seeing you flying around up there?"
"I'm Beater, I'm the dangerous one!" He held an imaginary bat.
"You can protect me then! Thank you for your concerns Sirius, it means the world to me, but I cannot not play." Sirius gazed into Bexley's resolute eyes, no matter how much he protested, he knew she wouldn't budge, it just meant that he had to step up his game.
"Alright, you have my blessing." Sirius huffed and pulled her back into his chest.
"I appreciate it. You do know I would've done it without your blessing thought right?" Bexley chuckled.
"You're insufferable." He kissed the top of her head, the vibrations of her laughter tingling his lips. Try-outs were being held next week on Tuesday evening the first day of October, Bexley lacked the confidence to apply before, but over the summer with words of motivation from Lily and her parents, being Chaser didn't seem as impossible anymore. The Houses had started inviting girls onto their teams, Hufflepuff being the first to take strides in the modern direction, Beater Jordan Banes heading up the campaign, after her first game, she had become a sensation. "Where did you even learn to play Quidditch?" Sirius inquired.
"Remus and I used to play when we were little, we grew up a few roads from each other."
"I forget that you two have known each other years. What was he like as a child?"
"Remus was Remus. Drinking black coffee from his parent's mugs as long as I can remember! They were so lovely to me, treated me like a daughter." Bexley's mind reminisced the days where Remus and she would run through sprinklers and make potions with different coloured water. "But, then things went a little weird. I think we were about four and well, I stopped seeing him. He wasn't allowed to come out and play anymore, I could only see him through the curtains for months." Sirius's eyes clouded over as if he was trying to picture the scene, a young Bexley peering through Remus's living room curtains.
"Did you ever find out what happened?" Sirius asked as he stared into the distance.
"Nope. Everything went back to normal after a few months, but he seemed different. He was gentle with me, and then..." Bexley trailed off.
"You don't have to talk about it." Sirius squeezed her.
"It's alright. It's weird but, we went swimming and well, he had almost claw-like scars across his chest. They didn't seem to faze him, and when I asked, he said it was nothing to worry about. I remember him hugging me, he was scared of something." Bexley felt Sirius tense but didn't say anything.
"Remus has secrets, just like the rest of us."
"Speaking of secrets." Bexley sat up, severity crossing her face. Sirius dived under the covers, groaning. "Come on out Black." His messy hair peeped out from the top of the duvet.
"I like things the way they are, why ruin them with the truth! Let's just be blissfully ignorant! Join me under the duvet of blissful ignorance Morgan!"
"Nope. Not happening, Sirius, are you keeping a dog in your dorm?" Laughter erupted from under the duvet, a loud rumbling chortle, the sound was music to Bexley's ears. "And what is so funny!" Sirius pushed back the covers for air, his eyes watering.
"Bexley, I'm the dog." Sirius formed air quotes around the word dog.
"I know you're a dog when it comes to girls Sirius but I'm serious! I find fur all over your stuff, James is covered in it too!" Sirius's laughter began again, holding his stomach as he rolled around on the bed. "Don't laugh at me!" She hit him with a pillow.
"No Bex, I'm Sirius." His laughter rippled through her, ricocheting off the walls of the dormitory. Bexley's brows furrowed, whilst he was being absolutely adorable, she wanted answers.
"Sirius-" Bexley was interrupted as the door to the dorm swung open. A red head of hair peeping from behind the door.
"Good Godric!" Lily jumped up and down, clapping her hands. Bexley rolled into Sirius attempting to hide her face from her rather elated friend. Sirius stared at Lily starstruck when he heard James's voice from out in the corridor calling to check on her. "Well someone seems perkier." A cheesy grin infecting her face.
***
The following weeks were pure bliss for Bexley. Sirius and she hadn't made an official statement, but they gathered that their fellow Gryffindor's got the gist, it was hard to ignore when Sirius would hug Bexley from behind and when he thought he was being surreptitious whispering sweet nothings into her ear. Everyone seemed to approve of the blossoming relationships of both Bexley and Lily, all except a few girls.
"What do they even see in them?" It was the same gaggle of girls who would mutter this whenever they walked past them in the corridor. Bexley urged Lily to ignore it and she did, it was the boys who seemed to have the problem.
"Brats!" James hissed under his breathe one evening as they were all huddled around a secluded table in the library. The girls had just batted their eyelashes at him and shot daggers at the girls. Bexley and Lily looked up from their parchment, eyes filled with laughter.
"You know one of them touched my arm the other day! It's not on." Sirius groaned. Bexley pulled a face of shock. "I don't know why you aren't more furious! You're boyfriend is getting hit on!" Bexley stared at Sirius in scepticism, they were yet to label what they were, this was the first time Sirius had actually referred to himself as her boyfriend.
"I'm sure my boyfriend can handle it. Besides we have more important matters to discuss, we need a plan of action for the game against Ravenclaw on Saturday." Bexley had soared through the try-outs, literally. She managed to score six goals against the teams best keeper, Charlie Wood was very impressed and so Gryffindor welcomed its first female Chaser. James got Seeker, no surprise there and Sirius managed to bag his role as Beater. James pushed his parchment aside and sat forward eagerly. They had decided to tag along with Bexley and Remus's study session, but she didn't mind he had seemed pretty distant recently, ever since he found out about her and Sirius actually.
"Wood's plan is a bit erratic." Sirius stretched over his chair.
"A bit? Sirius, he told you if you got the chance to hit the Seeker with your bat!" Bexley countered. "I suggest a bit more of a tactful approach. I've drawn out a plan, tell me what you think." she rummaged in her bag and retrieved a crumpled piece of parchment, smoothing it she slid it over to James and Sirius, Peter peered over too.
"Not bad Morgan, but I think we could make more use of Cole." James pointed to the second Beater, a dot labelled 'Cole'. James pulled out his quill and made a few edits, the most work Bexley had even seen him do.
"I have to go to my prefect duties." Remus abruptly stood, all his possessions were already packed up, he was gone before they could even say bye. Bexley's mind whirred into gear and remembered herself and Remus shared duties. She hastily packed away, leaving her plan with the boys.
"Remus! Slow down!" He slowed but he didn't stop, Bexley jogged to his side. " How's your Transfiguration essay coming along? It's a royal pain in-"
"I'd find it much easier if you were all a bit quieter," Remus barked in a snappy tone unfamiliar to her.
"Have I done something to upset you, Remus?"
"No."
"Well, could you act like it then? You've got a face like a smacked backside." Remus stopped and stared her down. This was a side Bexley had never seen from Remus before, he was animalistic, defensive.
"For a reason! Life isn't smooth sailing Bexley, now hurry off to Sirius." Bexley's mouth dropped open as she stared into his wolfish eyes, Remus resumed his walk and disappeared around the corner and she was not having it. Holding her bag she ran after him, he'd already made it to the other end of the corridor when she turned the corner.
"Lupin! You had better stop right now or I swear to Godric I will hex you!" Bexley shouted down the corridor, he didn't seem to stop so she pulled out her wand and locked the door he tried to push open, giving her some time to catch up, she pulled him inside the room where the prefects left their bags before attending their duties. "Now listen here! I don't know what on Earth has gotten into you in space of a few weeks but if you don't spit it out we will have a problem! Remus, we don't keep secrets from each other." Bexley's tone softened and so did her vice-like grip on his arm. Remus lowered his head and ran a hand through his hair, slowly and then all at once, tears slid down his cheeks, falling on her robes.
"Remus." Bexley pulled him down to her and wrapped her arms around him best she could. He rested his head on her shoulder and the tears came quicker. She rubbed up and down his broad back and whispered in his ear trying to calm him, as she did he felt his malice release, his tension eased and he pulled away from Bexley. They sat down on a desk, Bexley's arm firmly around his shoulders.
"Do you feel better?"
"Yes. Sorry-"
"Don't you dare apologise Remus Lupin, ever." She smiled brightly at him and squeezed his shoulder. "Do you want to talk about this?"
"Bexley I don't know if I can. It's complicated."
"Story of my life." Bexley spoke reassuringly, how right she was and she didn't even know it. Uncertainty fogged Remus's eyes for a moment before he took a deep breath and expelled.
"I'm a werewolf."
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Me again, just a quick note. I know that JK said James was a chaser but I thought just to save some confusion to keep him in the position as seeker!
Thank you for the support!
M💌