Equanimity

0.8

Part One; Chapter Eight

—Sirius Black

"I'm gonna marry you one day," Sirius stated confidently as he and the young girl laid side by side. His arms were placed under his head while hers laid over her stomach. The two had chosen to skip classes that day seeing as Natalie had been having a rather rough night. They had pillaged the kitchens and the house elves had been more than happy to send them off with two picnic baskets filled to the brim with food. They had even given them a small but cozy blanket that was checkered in red and gold for the two young Gryffindors.

A small smile pulled at Natalie's lips, her eyes staring up at the fluffy clouds above them. "I don't think Jamie would care for that very much," she said softly in amusement.

Sirius just grinned and turned to look at her, reveling in the relaxed look that was on her face. It had been far too long since he had seen her so at ease. "All the more reason to do it then." He continued to watch her, noting the exact moment when her cheeks flushed. "I'm serious, Nattie," he mumbled quietly.

Natalie didn't say anything for a few moments, before she turned her head to find the boy already looking at her. "Alright then. Let's make a deal, shall we?" She propped herself up on her elbows, a playful smile on her face while Sirius copied her. "When we are both thirty-six, we'll leave whoever we are with and get married. Jamie can be our flower girl and Remmy will be your best man."

Sirius gave a barking laugh and threw his head back, the sun making his pale skin shine slightly under the rays. He fixed her with a toothy grin and nodded his head. "You've got yourself a deal, Potter." The two twelve-year-olds shook hands while giggling. He watched her lay back down with a grin, laying back down himself as well. It only took a moment for him to remove one of his hands from behind his head and lace their fingers together. He didn't dare admit that he was already thinking of all the different ways to sabotage any potential dates.

*******

"I got you a present," Sirius sang as he flopped down on Natalie's bed, a large box beside him. He had figured out a way to get into the girls' dormitories a long while ago and despite Natalie's pleadings, he never revealed the secret.

Natalie looked up from the book she was reading with an arched brow. She gave a small sigh before marking her page and setting the book to the side. "You know my birthday isn't until tomorrow, right?"

"Of course, I know that," Sirius scoffed, sounding thoroughly offended that she even thought she had to remind him. "I wanted to go ahead and give it to you. Between you and James celebrating tomorrow, I didn't think I'd have time. Plus, I figured it'd be a lot more personal to give it to you privately."

Natalie frowned slightly in confusion before hesitantly taking the box that was being held out to her. She slowly unwrapped it, squealing in delight when she saw a leather jacket neatly folded. "Oh, my Merlin!" She was quick to pull it out and put it on, grinning at the way it fit.

The beam Sirius received made his heart feel like it was about to explode, and he looked away with a faint tint of pink to his cheeks. "That's not all," he said quietly. He held a small box out to her.

Natalie eagerly took the box and opened it before her mouth dropped open in shock. She hesitantly looked up to see Sirius avoiding her gaze. "What is this?"

Inside the box lay an emerald encrusted ring with the Black House words engraved on the inside. She knew it had to be passed down through the family, but she also knew that it never would have been given to Sirius considering he had left. So how did he get it?

"You remember how back in second year I told you I would marry you?" the young man asked, grey eyes finally meeting hers. "I meant it. Nattie, I really do love you. You know that." He paused as if trying to find his words, running a hand through his hair before taking the box. "I'm not asking you to marry me yet. I will, but I want to wait until I have a house for the both of us. Big enough for however many kids you want and for whatever animals you manage to pick up. This is just a promise for more though."