Hidden Moments (WITT extra scenes)

September, 1995

If there was anything Emily despised more than dark, humid places, was silence. She could not stand it. As a girl, her house had been full of magical creatures and objects his father would bring from work, every meal was accompanied with long and interesting conversations, and when she started school she was immediately attracted to the fuss James and Sirius used to cause. 

Perhaps that was the reason why she'd never reprimanded Mel for being loud and messy as a kid, maybe that was the reason why Mel had never felt the need to be quiet, perhaps the girl could feel too, that her mother needed the noise to keep going.

Maybe that was the reason why Emily and Sirius understood each other so well. Sirius was sick of the silence cause it reminded him of his time in Azkaban, and Emily would only think of the time Matthew, James and Lily had died. Every wizard and witch had gone out and celebrated Voldemort was dead, but to her, those months had been terribly silent and still.

And now, silence proved to be once again the most annoying sensation of all. The kids were back in school, nothing but the sound of the fireplace was heard in the sitting room where Emily was, writing a short letter to her daughter letting her know they were still safe.

A second noise crept in behind her, and although some other person would've certainly shivered and looked around in discomfort, Emily's first reaction was to smile.

"If you're trying to scare me, Sirius, you'll have to wait. I'm writing a letter and if you ruin it I'll hex you."

The man scoffed behind her back. He walked (normally this time) and took the seat next to her, reading over her shoulder.

"You've turned into a boring woman, that's what happened," He sulked. "We used to have great fun scaring each other to death!"

"Yeah, because we were kids," Emily replied calmly. "Now I have things to do, you as well."

"Oh yeah, dusting the bookshelf is such an urgent matter," He mocked.

"Well, it's all we can do right now, so we better start working..."

She tried to stand up, but Sirius was quick to catch her wrist. 

"I can think of something else we can do with our spare time," He smirked.

"Sirius..."

"I'm only joking!" He let go of her and fell back on the couch. His expression showing deep and intense boredom. "You know I hate this house, and having to spend my afternoons cleaning it feels like hell."

"Maybe you're paying for all your sins," She joked. "And by that I mean the time you turned my hair a green moldy colour for a whole week."

"In that case, the penitence is worth it," He smiled. "You were as vain as they make 'em, if anything I helped you become a better person! I'm a good friend."

"You're a child, that's what you are," Emily huffed. "And you're one to talk about vanity! Strutting around the school like you were one in a million..."

"I was just trying to get attention, you know that!" He laughed. "I always liked the spotlight, and I can't pretend I don't miss it."

"Well, maybe once this is over you'll be able to go out and charm all the people you please," Emily said. "In the meantime, be of use and help me cook."

"I don't want other people," He said shortly.

"What do you want then?"

Sirius stared at her. He sat there and looked at the woman Emily had become. Same auburn hair, same dark eyes, and his chest tightened with the same force from years back.

There was a time when Sirius had given up completely on her, although Emily and Matthew hadn't been together for long, by the time they left Hogwarts it was clear that they were as close as you can get from having a soulmate. Emily was his friend as well as Matthew, and he wanted them to be happy. 

Besides, he was a young man who was barely turning twenty. His school crush would soon be a thing of the past, and perhaps one day he'd meet a new person who would take his breath away and convince him love was real. That day never came, though. 

Sirius spent twelve years in prison, he remained the same twenty-year-old, time didn't matter to him, and he would die thinking he was still a young man who'd suffered a great loss.

Then he was free, and the people who had rescued him had been none other but the children of his former friends. Sirius was forced to grow up at once, he had to face a thirty-year-old Remus and Emily, who processed their grief during the decade he'd missed.

When he saw Emily again, it felt as if it had been just a few weeks since the last time he'd visited to watch little Mel stumbling around the living room. Although a new war was keeping them locked and worried, he had a new reason to keep fighting.

What did he want? 

He wanted his godson to live a long, decent life. A happy one too. He wanted to be present when Mel finally decided to step into the spotlight, she would change the world, no Dumbledore ever left this earth without being remarkable in one way or another. And, being completely honest, he wanted to spend the rest of his life next to the only woman he'd ever cherished.

Sirius tried to express all this to her. Make her see he was no child, that he was ready to fight and sacrifice and even listen to Dumbledore's stupid indications. 

Instead, he just managed to shrug in that careless way of his.

Emily frowned a bit, but she quickly composed and stood up.

"Well, if you decide you want to help, you know where to find me." 

Sirius watched her walk out of the room, he heard her go downstairs, doors opened and closed as she drew out the stuff she needed to cook.

Something inside the man snapped. He was tired. Tired of waiting for things to simply fall on his lap like they used to do when he was young, he hated silence, and he was positively sure that the one he hated the most, was his own.

Sirius rushed into the kitchen and stood in the entrance. 

"I'm sorry," He said breathlessly. "I've made up my mind."

Emily raised a brow in amusement.

"Okay?"

Sirius walked up to her, stared into her brown eyes, and with all the conviction he could muster, he spoke as clearly as he could.

"I want you, Mily," he cupped her cheeks as gentle and soft as he possibly could. "I'm in love with you."

Emily's face lit up, she smiled at him as if he'd just offered to give her the moon.

"I love you too," She said.

Sirius laughed, and in the middle of it his voice strained, he choked on a sob and got confused for a moment. He was the happiest he'd ever been, why was he crying?

"It's okay," The woman whipped his tears away hurriedly, kissing his cheek. "It's going to be okay."

Sirius nodded, feeling he was finally home.