Winter In The Shade | Sirius Black x Female Ravenclaw Reader

XXII

Waking up in the comfort of your own room still brought a warm feeling to you. Every time you returned from your time at Hogwarts, that very first night you went to bed in your own room you felt like a bird finally returning to its nest after a long day looking for food. The familiarity of the color in your walls and the feeling of the soft fabric of your pillowcase against your cheek was something you could never find at Hogwarts, the soft mumbles of your parents in the living room of your house talking about how their daughter was home again. Nothing could ever compare to that bright feeling inside your chest.

Still now you craved something else.

You had always missed Hogwarts when you were home and vice versa. But now Hogwarts held something else within your heart, something you had only lived there. Better yet, someone. That first night you went to sleep with the low murmur of your parents talking outside of your room, somewhere around your house, your heartbeat louder and harder against your ribcage with the excitement that you were home once again, but with the cold feeling of your hand and the missing tingling sensation of your lips.

For the first time in weeks you went to sleep without the promise of Sirius Black to see you in the morning.

*******

"Morning." you yawned, stretching your arms over your head as you walked the last stairs down and entered the kitchen.

"Morning, sweetie." your mother said cheerfully, holding her cup of coffee halfway to her mouth so she could smile in your direction. She remained like that for a couple of seconds, her face falling in disbelief as she turned to your father. She stared at him, placing her cup down with a little too much as you giggled at her. "Hello?" she said, making your father finally raise his eyes from the paper in his hands, looking at her through the brim of his glasses. "What?" he muttered in confusion, as his eyes moved to you "Oh, yes. Morning, darling." he smiled.

You did a little wave in his direction, smiling brightly as you filled a cup of coffee for yourself. Moving to the small table in the kitchen, you sat next to your mom, who couldn't move her eyes from you. You sipped your coffee, never breaking your gaze from her. "Hi, mum." you laughed, placing your cup down.

"Hello." she beamed, moving her chair closer to you as she held her head over her hand, knuckles holding her chin.

Your eyes danced between her and your dad, who seemed oblivious to your mother's behaviour. You cleared your throat nervously, your fingers drumming on the sides of your mug as you avoided the question that would rile up your mother into a questioning of your time away.

"So what's happened lately here?" you asked with a smile, turning to both of them.

That seemed to capture your father's attention, who folded his paper in half as he placed it over the table. Just about as he was to mutter a word your mother waved a hand in his direction, successfully shutting him down as he turned to her with a frown.

"Nothing, really." Your mother said, shrugging her shoulders in dismissal, "Work's been busy, your father does the same things every day, the neighborhood has been really quiet, you wouldn't believe it."

"Actually..."

"What about you?" your mother asked, blinking rapidly at you.

You just let out a breathy laugh, turning to your dad as he shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Mum." you called, and she nodded "Is there something you want to ask me?" you said.

"No." she said, sitting back on her chair as she shook her head. Her hands played with her own mug, taking one glance at you and your raised eyebrow "Nothing at all." she muttered slowly.