One Step Ahead Part II | Sirius Black

Chapter 219

Rain.

Sirius couldn't recall ever seeing the beach touched by the sky's tears. And yet today, the clouds wept with great abandon, bellowing and crying as if it too has seen the future.

He peers over the frizzy fluff of pearl colored hair on the pillow next to him, eyes tracking the raindrops that slip down the glass of the windows until they are replaced by another. His nose stings slightly from the cold, but Gwen had wanted the window open so that she could hear the sea. He'd watched as she finally fell into a sleep as weary and tear filled as the grey sky.

The crash of the waves sounded as loud as the thunder over head, and he wonders for a moment how the comforting expanse of blue could turn to such volatile darkness. Navy tinged with whispers of emerald green that were uncomfortably intimidating.

His eyes drift away from the window, the rain forming a small puddle on the sill that he had half a mind to try and charm to repel the water. But when he looks down to check that he won't disturb his fiancé when he rolls over to grab his wand, he finds a shade of blue even more alluring than the darkness that beckons at the sky and the sea and his mind.

For once, he isn't startled by the shocking pale color of Gwen's eyes. He craves it. She stares at him silently, the two of them just watching one another. Sirius sighs, raises his hand to stroke back some of her unruly hair.

"Gwen," His voice rumbles like thunder, deep and as melancholy as the grey toned beach. The Veela blinks, and Sirius listens to her steady inhale. Her lips twitch as she says simply, "Happy Valentines Day, mon coeur." {my heart}

Sirius' brows furrow in an attempt to focus on swallow past the sudden lump in his throat. A nickname shouldn't mean anything. From her, it means everything. His arm winds around her, pulling her closer to his chest before reaching and pulling the duvet up to her chin. Gwen smiles, and Sirius tries to not look at the dark circles under her eyes, the sunken in nature of her cheeks. The way her scar feels more raised against his thumb, but then again he may not have noticed it before the quiet solitude they shared now.

Like the beach, Gwen looked desolate. And seeing it hurt more than any curse.

He sweeps his thumb under her eye, savoring the feeling of her cheeks lifting as she slowly smiles. But her eyes don't glow like they usually do, her hair seems dull and sandier in tone. Beautiful. She was beautiful. And she was sad. So sad.

Sirius breathes in until it feels like his lungs are full of cool sea air. When he exhales, he leans down and presses his lips to her forehead, "Happy Valentines Day, mon ange."

She blinks, thoughts swimming behind her eyes. He can tell. He can tell a lot about her now. As fluent as one could be in Gwenyth Whitlock's silent language.

"I don't want anyone else to die."

Sirius closes his eyes at her blunt confession, shielding his cheeks from tears that feel more like raindrops. He hesitates before whispering, "No one else has to die."

Gwen's silence speaks so loud that it causes a low ache in his ears. He feels her hands sweeping up his arms, feels one stop at his shoulder and the other reach higher, burying into his hair and cupping the back of his neck in her cold palm. He knows that his words are as frail and transparent as the glass collecting rain over Gwen's shoulder. He just has to say it. No one else has to die. No one else should have to die.

The veela curls into him, her hand pressing harder until her palm feels warm and Sirius can no longer keep his eyes closed to ward away tears. They come freely, tracks of water down his cheeks that pool embarrassingly on her hair until it turns more pearlescent, looks more like it usually does.