𝙰 𝙳𝚘𝚐 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙰 𝙳𝚘𝚟𝚎 - 𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑢𝑠 𝑏𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑘

Chapter 7

Aurelia hoped that Sirius was smart enough to answer the question to get into her common room. Many a student had tried and failed, including her fellow Ravenclaws, but a small voice in the back of her mind kept on telling her that Sirius would get it.

As long as it wasn't about charms.

"Hey Hope! There's a Gryffindor at the entrance asking for you!" a fifth year called out, walking in with her books under her arms. Aurelia stood up, brushing down her jeans, and she skipped over to the entrance, where sure enough, Sirius Black stood, leaning against the stone of the tower.

"You made it in!" Aurelia said with a cheerful smile, her hair resting over her shoulder in a small braid. Sirius looked up from where he stood, before grinning slightly, his charms book under his arm lazily.

"I guess I can thank the long Black tradition of naming children after stars. I was asked about a constellation," he said, walking into the warm light of the Ravenclaw common room. He looked up in awe at the detailed ceiling, which depicted the night sky just as it was outside, ever changing with the rotation of the Earth.

"It's beautiful, is it not?" Aurelia said beside him, and he looked down, noticing how the ceiling reflected in the blue pools of Aurelia's eyes.

"Yeah, it is," he said with a smile, as she began walking to a rather comfortable looking blue couch, opposite a roaring fireplace and dark oak coffee table. Already, Aurelia's notes and books were out, as well as a few other books that Sirius was certain was not on the book list.

"Where'd you snatch those books?" he asked, and she looked to where he was pointing before tapping her nose.

"A witch never reveals her secrets, Mr Black. Just as a marauder does not reveal his pranks."

Sirius chuckled, taking a seat opposite her. "You have me there, Miss Hope."

She tucked her legs under herself, before summoning a muggle pen to her fingers, as well as one of her books. A pair of glasses were balanced across her nose, and Sirius realised he had never seen her wear them.

"They're for reading when I am tired," she said, answering his unsaid question.

"How did you-?"

"I have already seen this conversation, Sirius, only moments before. I am a seer, remember?"

He nodded, faintly remembering the conversation they had had. Coming across a seer was rare, even more so in a muggle-born witch or wizard, and in some countries, they had even become myth due to the scarcity of their kind.

"Are you able to see the future all the time?" he asked, as he grabbed his quill out. Aurelia shook her head, glancing up at him.

"Only parts. Sometimes they're random, such as what we will be having for dinner next Tuesday – it's roast beef, by the way – and on other days, well it's about her." Aurelia's eyes glazed over slightly as she mentioned 'her', and Sirius became intrigued.

"Her?"

Aurelia's eyes sharpened, and she waved a hand in the air. "Oh, it's nothing, just a girl in a future a long way from now."

Sirius sensed that was the end of their conversation, and turned towards the books, his nose crinkling at the many words. Charms had never been his speciality, despite countless tutoring sessions with Professor Flitwick. He had never been able to grasp the concepts and had nearly dropped the subject until he had heard Lily speak about Aurelia last June, and how amazing her results had been.

"Sirius?" Aurelia's voice coaxed him from his thoughts as she looked expectantly at him, her pen between her lips as she tapped it against them methodically. "You looked lost in thought, you aren't second guessing yourself, are you?"

"No! Not at all, Li-Aurelia," he stammered, nearly forgetting to use her full name. He found it wrong to just use her nickname, when he had only heard her closet friends say it, just as his closet friends were the only ones allowed to call him Padfoot. Even Lily just called him Sirius, no other nickname thrown in.

"Please, just call me Lia. Aurelia sounds like I'm trouble," she insisted, levitating the first book between them. "Now then, let's start on the knitting charm."

☽ ☼ ☾

A couple of hours later, Aurelia was fast asleep on the couch in the common room, with Sirius not far behind. They had covered quite a few spells and notes, as well as looking into what charms they were to learn in the next week, so that Sirius was more than prepared.

Kira and Wendy had swung by, offering their own advice for certain spells and whatnot, before both had gone to bed, as quidditch practice was early the next day. Sirius leatherbound notebook was full of all kinds of notes, with corrections from Aurelia's blue pen nestled in-between.

"Lia?" he said with a yawn, shoving her arm slightly.

"Shut up, I'm sleeping," she mumbled, and Sirius chuckled, standing up.

"If you were sleeping, you wouldn't be talking," he reminded her, and she stuck up her finger at him before lazily pushing herself up to a seated position, revealing a red mark on her face from the couch arm.

"What time is it?"

Sirius looked down to his watch, his eyes widening at the time. "It's quarter to ten," he said quietly, and Aurelia shot up from the couch, nearly falling back due to the rush of blood to her head.

"Shit it's nearly curfew. Come on, let me walk you back to your tower, it's too dangerous to be alone in the halls at night," she said, linking her arm with his. Sirius went to grab his books, but they were already levitating by Aurelia's head, and so they walked to the entrance to the Ravenclaw tower, carefully stepping out.

"Won't you be walking alone back to the tower?" Sirius asked, as they walked in the moonlight down the corridor. He found himself concerned for her safety and was surprised when she shrugged.

"Remus will be walking down here with the Hufflepuff girl prefect at exactly 5 to 10, and I'll just join them. Trust me, the schedule never changes, and he walked me back a few times last year after I dropped Lily and Alice off."

They continued to walk together, passing a few students who were on their way to their respective house common rooms, and Aurelia leant her head on Sirius' shoulder, shutting her eyes.

"Now, don't fall asleep on me Lia, I don't believe Remus is open to carrying people to their towers," Sirius said with a laugh, causing Aurelia to also laugh. She could imagine the struggle the boy would have carrying her sleeping form back, especially as she was prone to violence whenever anyone bumped her in her sleep uncomfortably.

The walk to the Gryffindor tower was short as the portrait of the Fat Lady came into view, the woman already asleep in her frame. Aurelia had always admired the portraits in this area of the castle – their personalities were quiet entertaining when the days were long, and some had even offered academic advice when students walked by.

"Good evening, Elizabeth," Sirius whispered, awakening the woman.

"Ah, Mr Black. Back before curfew for once I, see?" she asked sarcastically, adjusting her crown.

"All thanks to my little friend here, Lizzie," Sirius said, pushing Aurelia in front of him. She scrambled to go behind him, but Sirius bent his head over so that his lips were mere millimetres from her ear.

"She hates me and will tell Minnie that I was late even if I wasn't. But if you're here, she'll let it go. She only likes witches for some reason," he whispered, his warm breath almost calming as it tickled against Aurelia's ear.

She sighed and turned around, opening her arms up. "Come here, every friend of moi gets a complementary hug once a day," she said with a tired smile, beckoning Sirius towards her. He raised an eyebrow but stepped forward, feeling small arms encircle his waist with a tight squeeze.

"Before you ask, Remus and James have already used their hugs today when I bailed them out of detention."

"I wasn't going to-"

"Again, I'm a seer Sirius. You were going to ask me tomorrow."