W.O.M.A.N [A Sirius Black Tale] P.A.R.T 1.0

Title: W.O.M.A.N [A Sirius Black Tale] P.A.R.T 1.0 [Wonderfully Omniscient, Magnificently Addictive and Necessary; very Necessary.]

A few days later, Nixi was taking the Christmas theme to an extreme, creeping into Remus’ office, which was empty for the time being, and leaving his presents by the desk, a card in her writing on top:

Good tidings, R. J. Lupin.

Merry Christmas, i hope you have a good one, despite the fur.

All my love,

Nixi.

It was a tough time when transformation fell on the holiday marker, but Annixia made it work, and the chocolate would certainly help his waning spirit later.

Lupin liked his chocolate.

The rest of the school was silent and, having woken ridiculously early, she danced through the hall ways, the portraits grunting at her for disturbing their laze. She didn’t care though.

It was going to be a good day. She was sure of it.

~*~

Excited as ever, Annixia received a visit from her favourite Godson later that morning, his two companions occupied by their presents back in the Common Room, his face alight with glee. She grinned at the expression.

“Harry! Merry Christmas!” She cried, finishing organising the CD’s her old colleagues had sent for her as a present and standing to hug him. Slightly surprised but delighted all the same, Harry returned the embrace, amazed at how natural it seemed.

She certainly had a maternal quality to her.

“You too, Annixia. Here,” He presented a gift, wrapped haphazardly in shiny paper, to her and smiled shyly as she took it, her eyes soft, “This is for you.”

“Aww, Harry, you shouldn’t have!” She scolded lightly as she tore away the wrapping and pulled open the small box inside. “They’re beautiful!” She exclaimed, staring for a moment at the pair of gold earrings gleaming at her from their sitting position in the velvet crush.

Smiling at him, she hugged him once more. “Thank you so much. It’s lovely.”

Harry grinned and shrugged, happy with the find and mentally noting to thank Hermione for the help later. “S’nothing.” He mumbled.

Mischievously, she danced her way around the desk and opened the top draw, pulling out a cube box, perfectly covered in decoration. “And for you, my favourite Godson.”

Rolling his eyes, he retorted, “I’m your only Godson.” But accepted the gift none the less. Putting it to his ear, he frowned at the faint buzzing noise that came from within the box. “What is it?” He asked, confused.

“Well, why don’t you open it and find out?”

Cautiously, he tore away the paper and lifted the lid, only to come face to face with a small, golden winged ball. A snitch?

Reaching out automatically, he caught it and held it securely in his hand, peering at the engraving that shone up at him.

From Potter to Potter.

All my love.

Harry cleared his throat quietly, “This-“ he took a breath, “This was my dad’s?”

Smiling softly, Annixia nodded in affirmation, tiptoeing slightly to view it as he was. “Mhmm, he never let the damn thing out of his sight, used to drive your mum crazy. So, finally, he gave it to her like he did his heart and when she passed on, it was written she wanted me to look after it until you were old enough to understand.”

He stared at the tiny ball in his hand – how did she know what he needed? What he wanted to hear?

“Thank you.” His voice croaked and Annixia leant lightly on his arm in a sort of half hug.

“It was yours all along, sugar. I just looked after it for a while.”

Tearing away from the snitch, he looked to her and said in a clearer, louder tone, “Thank you.”

This time, Annixia nodded and smiled, “You’re welcome.”

~*~

Later that night, as Nixi made her way back from dinner, royally stuffed and about ready to sink into a hot bath of nothing but bubbles, she couldn’t help but think on that Firebolt Harry had received, and the ominous feeling that had engulfed her when she heard.

Could have really been from Sirius? Was it even possible?

And if so, why? Surely not an attempt on his life, Sirius was never so reckless as an innocent, she doubted that had changed now.

And yet, she couldn’t shake that feeling.

Was he really after Harry? Was he really out for her, as Dumbledore believed?

Would he attack their Godson, just as he had allegedly ordered for her to be on the faithless Halloween night?

She was so confused. Where had it gone wrong?

Harry was right; surely she would have seen the signs? The aimless wanderings, the distance, the mad look she had seen so often in the eyes of other Death Eaters...she hadn’t caught any of it. Had it even been there?

Her mind travelled back in time, to a place where she was content in the arms of her lover as he held her with one hand and cradled Harry in the other. She had seen no power hungry gleam, nothing to indicate any ill intent to his friends and their babe.

So when had it happened? When did he snap?

Shaking her head, clearing away the thoughts, she pushed Sirius and the Firebolt to the back of her subconscious and locking them away tightly – she would let McGonagall deal with it. It wasn’t her business, anyhow.

Sighing, she wished that were true.

Not even glancing her surroundings she traversed the familiar path through her classroom, the fairies whooshing around her head, and straight through to her apartment.

But stopped dead upon entrance.

“Oh. My. God.”

All around her candles floated, their wax dripping underneath a red hot flame. On the bed lay two roses, one red, one white and beside them a note. From invisible speakers the lyrics to a song, so close to her heart, resounded through the room.

Their song.

The Pogues.

With shaky legs, she made her way to the bed, a hand shivering as it went to her mouth. Tears sprung to her eyes as she read the message, over and over.

Love you till the end.

X

The words hit her as she curled up on her side, stared at the flowers beside her, and cried.

‘I just want to see you
When you’re all alone
I just want to catch you if I can
I just want to be there
When the morning light explodes
On your face it radiates
I can’t escape
I love you till the end’

~*~

Wrapped in a sheet of dust, Sirius thanked whatever luck he lived by that the Shrieking Shack was still standing, despite its creaking nature. Swallowing down a sneeze, he stared out of the broken window, right into the starry sky, the full moon illuminating his sharp features.

What would she be doing now? Had Harry received his gift? Did they enjoy their Christmas, warm and seemingly safe, not knowing of a danger closer than a hair away?

Did she miss him? Had she even thought about him?

Was she still the girl he had known so long ago?

His thoughts consumed him as he replayed the day in his mind; he was so exhausted now after all that decoration. If only he had his wand.

He could picture clearly in his mind James’ reaction to his little mission (Nice one mate! She’ll be begging for your bedside by the end of the night! Bugger, don’t tell Lily i said that.) And even Lily’s (Romantic? Psh. You should have set your hair alight instead of those candles; it would have been better entertainment for the rest of us.)

But Annixia’s, the woman of his past and present dreams, her reaction was a lot harder to grasp. She had always been slightly unpredictable in her movements and a challenge to surprise as she was so aware of her surroundings, constantly.

She’d know it was him, of that he was sure. But would she care? Did she care at all?

Did she still love him?

Swallowing down a thousand thoughts, Sirius turned instead to the moon, and his dear friend – how would Remus be doing?

Thinking the worst of him, no doubt. And how could he blame him? The whole world thought he was a murderer.

But he didn’t care about the world; only those so close to his heart, and yet so out of his reach.

Drifting off, he allowed sleep to bring him the only peace he was awarded out of the situation; memories.

So relaxed in the Common Room was Sirius that he hadn’t even noticed he was alone now, all of the other students having headed up to bed around an hour previous.

James had detention, unsurprisingly, and Remus was still recovering from the last of his escapades.

Who knew where Peter was.

Staring into the fire once more, Sirius let his thoughts carry him to the Hogsmeade trip earlier that day and the soft skin that held his own for not long enough.

How easy it had felt. How natural.

Her small, nimble fingers wrapped up in his hand, protected from the cold.

He couldn’t get enough contact from her.

A cough brought him from his daydream and his head snapped to the right, the bottom of the girl’s stair case to be exact, where Annixia, the object of his previous thoughts, stood, dressed in her mismatched tank top and pj trousers.

Her hair was loose and slightly disheveled, her eyes bright without sleep.

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other for a while, uncomfortable under his unwavering stare for a moment, but he only blinked in response.

What was she doing up? They had classes in the morning.

“You’re up late. Everything alright?” He broke the silence, watching as she smiled in appreciation. It wasn’t often he got to see the timid side of the infamous Golden Girl and found himself intrigued by the lack of armor she had on.

Was it a special occasion or something?

“Yeah, yeah, everything’s good.”

She nodded for a moment as Sirius waited for her to continue, but she didn’t, so he prompted her.

“Alright then. Is there a reason you’re down here or...?”

A light blush crept along her cheekbones and Sirius couldn’t stop the smile that affected his face.

She cleared her throat lately.

“Actually yes. I just-“ She gathered her breath and started again, “I just wanted to thank you for today. It was really sweet what you did, especially since you didn’t have to do anything. I really do appreciate it.”

Shrugging it off, Sirius tore his eyes away and looked instead to the fire. He saw her glide closer from the corner of his vision.

“It was nothing.”

She shook her head, “Not to me.”

He turned to face her again as she stood at the end of the couch, sending her a knowing smirk.

“I’m sure you could have handled it.”

Smiling softly, she moved forward more so, and Sirius became curious as she stooped by his side, her eyes not leaving his.

“Even so-“ Her soft lips touched his stubble cheek in a sweet claim and he closed his eyes briefly, only just hearing her whispered thanks again before she bid him goodnight and retreated back up the stairs.

Slowly, he reached his hand up to his face and grazed the sacred spot as it tingled.

Exhaling, he stood and made his way up to his dorm, no doubt to dream of her.

Just what was that girl doing to him?



Rate and message??
:D