Liquid Luck [Sirius Black]/editing

Chapter 135

I make it to the portrait of the Fat Lady, Sirius-less and crestfallen. He has to return for sleep sometime, I will wait for him as long as it takes.

The password leaves my lips in a miserable mutter and the portrait swings open for me to climb through. Once inside, I pause mid-step, trying to make sense of what I'm seeing. All of my Gryffindor friends together.

They are so absorbed in their own hushed discussion that they have yet to notice my entrance. I scrutinize everything, gathering intel. There is so much anger circling the group, that much is evident. But what strikes me as abnormal is James and Lily sitting with their bodies angled toward one another. And he is...holding her hand? My breath catches in my throat. No, James is not holding Lily's hand but icing her knuckles.

"Oh, Lily. You didn't!" A harsh silence follows my string of frustrated words and all pairs of eyes fall on me.

Lily looks at me as guilty as charged. "I couldn't just sit by and let him get away with treating you that way, lovely. So, yes, I assaulted him. And I would do it again." She admits, sounding sincere while not in the least bit remorseful.

If I weren't feeling such a vast array of emotions, the way in which she phrased that would have made me laugh. Instead, I take up my infuriation with James. "James Fleamont Potter! What the hell? I specifically told you not to let her hurt him!"

"I'm sorry but 'let her'?" James scoffs. "You know as well as I do that no one can keep her from doing anything once she's set her mind to it. And it isn't as if I am not bloody livid with Sirius myself, Keeks. If Lily hadn't hit him then I certainly would have."

"Where is he?" I demand, surprising even myself at my tone. I have never heard my own voice sound like that.

The silence remains palpable, tense looks being exchanged as if I can't see them. Remus clears his throat to gain my attention and sighs. "Listen, Keeks, we talked about it and we all think that you are far too emotional to see him right now."

Gideon stands, his turquoise eyes piercing desperately into mine. "Hollie, you can't go back to him! You deserve better."

"Oh, for the love of..." I want to laugh and cry and scream all at once. "Sirius did not cheat on me. At least he was not aware of it." Looks of pity are being thrown at me from every which way. "Lila Taylor is a Metamorphmagus and she turned herself into me to snog him."

That certainly shuts their faces up.

Lily's groan of frustration is harsh-sounding and the green of her eyes is blazing with anger. "That...That slag! I knew she couldn't be trusted, I knew it! Oh, poor Sirius. I am godawful for this. I have to apologize to him."

My eyes flick over to James, who appears to be on the verge of tears. "Ja?"

"The way I spoke to him...the things I said." His watery eyes meet mine. "Keeks. Astronomy Tower. Now."

No time for full sentences, agreed. I cannot let another second go to waste. I am running as fast as my legs can possibly take me. I need Sirius. I need him more than I have ever needed anything in my life, and I will do anything to be his again.

The Tower is a dark haze of violent rain. Still, even through the downpour, my eyes are drawn only to Sirius Black.

He is sitting so far on the edge with his back facing me and his head hung despairingly between his wide shoulders. Water rains endlessly down on him, soaking his white shirt to the bone and showing off his defined muscles.