Scars and Bruises

Hogsmeade

ALEX.

"Emm... Hi," so well-known Sirius's voice brought Alex back to reality from her own thoughts. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at the biggest heartbreaker in Hogwarts, who had chosen to bother her and not to be with some other girl.

"Hi," Alex simply said and smiled kindly.

"Can I join you?" Sirius asked a little shyly looking at the ground and not Alex.

"Of course," she shifted on the bench making room for Sirius. He sat down but didn't say anything.

"Black, I don't believe that you are here just to sit on this bench with me," Alex smirked, she looked at him, and was surprised to see that Sirius was once again a little bit confused.

"Well," he tried to say something but then paused, "you know that you can call me by my name, you don't have to call me by my surname all the time." She did not believe that this was the reason Sirius was here, but didn't protest.

"Hmm, I'll think about that," Alex pretended to really consider that. "When I decide you will be the first to know," she laughed very quietly and Sirius smiled weak but amused smile. "But I still want to know why you are here?"

"I..." he couldn't manage to find the words, "well..."

"I haven't seen you like this since fifth year when you lot pranked Slytherins at the dinner and couldn't manage to come up quickly with some explanation to McGonagall when she yelled at you like all hell broke loose," she laughed.

"You remember that?" Sirius looked at Alex with genuine surprise on his face.

"Yeah, believe me," she continued to laugh, "I will never forget that beautifully pink tone of their food and Slytherin faces too."

"Yeah, that was a good one," Sirius smiled remembering that, "we got detention for a whole month for that."

Alex looked away still smiling. She looked at the lake, in which sunlight played with little waves, silhouettes from forest was visible in the lake's water. Slowly leaves started to turn in autumn colors. Autumn was approaching; it was Alex's favorite season.

"I wanted to talk to you for a while now," Sirius disturbed Alex's thoughts about autumn leaves.

"I know," she simply stated still looking at the lake, "you have been watching me this past month."

She didn't have to look at him to feel how surprised his face now looked, Alex have noticed his weird behavior a long time ago, but she didn't knew why he was watching her all the time.

"Why do you want to talk to me?" she asked kindly still looking at tree reflections in the water, which made them look like painting.

"I don't understand you," he finally spoke, "can you explain what happened at the beginning of September and why it stopped?"

"Seriously?" Alex finally looked at Sirius now it was her turn to be surprised. Sirius just nodded his head waiting for an answer. "I don't understand what there is not clear for you?"

"You didn't mind me giving you some attention, but then it stopped – why?" Alex was even more surprised now than couple of seconds ago.

"Because you told me yourself that you didn't want me jumping your bones," she answered trying to figure out if she was missing something, "and I did just that."

"Oh, you must have misunderstood me," Sirius said very quietly, "I didn't wanted you "jumping my bones" as you call it, because you are not just a random girl, I like you, I wanted to know you..." he stopped talking when he noticed Alex's face change.