One Step Ahead Part II | Sirius Black

Chapter 218

Sirius was not at all pleased when a certain pelican arrived at the Potters with a note requesting Gwen's presence in Hogsmeade.

She had asked if he would be upset if she went. And he had answered yes, but told her to go anyway. He wasn't upset with her.

He was upset with the state of the world.

And while she was off spending the evening before Valentine's Day with Albus Dumbledore, Sirius had spent his with a rather large man named Rubeus Hagrid.

Sirius had never met the Hogwarts Keeper of Keys, but Hagrid explained through halfsyllable words and sheepish laughter that he'd been training in Care of Magical Creatures over the last several years. Sirius had nearly drowned in the emotional half-giants tears when he talked about what a good man Albus Dumbledore was.

Sirius wasn't so sure.

And so after leaving with a possibly broken foot from the large man's careless stomping feet, Sirius had retired to his and Gwen's room early. Sleep came easy.

The nightmares came easier.

He tosses and turns, sweating and whispering as he tries to run to a pale blue light so faint it looks almost white. Each time he gets closer, the light gets further, and tears stain his cheeks as his chest strains with exhaustion. Just as he reaches out, finally close enough to touch, he flinches at the feeling of something cold.

His brow furrows, the light and the panicky feeling from the dream fading. Drip. Drip. Something cold. Something cold and wet.

Someone saying his name.

His eyes fly open, body aching from the force of flinging himself upright. His hands reach out blindly and grab onto spindly arms as he exhales, "Gwen."

His palm burns from the frigid temperature of her skin, his eyes locked onto the pink of her cheeks and the hollow look in those familiar pale eyes. He squeezes her arm, asking quietly, "What's wrong, mon ange?"

She shakes her head, her soaking hair dull compared to its normal luster. Sirius lets go of one of her arms only to push back some of her hair from her face, leaving his palm against her cheek. His eyes flicker down to the thin line across her throat before surveying her for other injuries. She just stands at the side of the bed, body frozen and expression blank.

"Sirius," It comes out quiet, but so heavy that he feels his heart sink. Her throat bobs with a struggling swallow and he feels his own grow tight when she says just above a whisper, "You know legilimency, correct?"

His brows furrow, and he asks again, ignoring her question, "Gwenyth, what's wrong? You're fucking freezing—"

"I need you to use legilimency," She interrupts, her eyes taking on a panicked gloss that makes him incredibly nervous. Gwen didn't do panic. She was calm, reserved. Controlled. He hesitates before insisting lowly, "After you're warm."

Her shoulders shake when he grabs his wand and murmurs a rushed drying spell, pulling his shirt from his head to replace her damp one with. She comes willingly, almost too willingly, when he wraps an arm around her waist and pulls her down into the bed.

He stands to strip from his pajama pants, crawling back into bed in just his briefs and again dressing her in his clothes. She shakes and shivers and he forms a seal with his mouth against her neck, gently blowing a stream of warm air onto her skin. His eyes clench shut when she shifts closer, her hands practically clawing at his back in an attempt to get closer.

"Please, Sirius," the wobble in her voice nearly makes him cry. He leans up on one arm, hovering over her to peer down into her pale eyes. Gwen blinks up at him and her still slightly purple lips barely move, "It's too risky to speak of it here. You have to see."