Come Back to Me (Don't Save Me Book 3)

Chapter 55: An Unexpected Visitor

The next morning I awoke to an owl gently tapping at our window. I sat up slowly, trying not to wake Severus, and made my way over to the window, allowing the brown speckled owl inside. I took the letter from its beak and gave it a treat in return before it flew off and I closed the window. I wrapped Severus's cloak tighter around my body, the morning air still holding a slight chill even though it was the beginning of summer. I turned the letter over in my hands, noticing how the writing didn't match Remus's even though that was his owl that had just left. I carefully opened it, still trying not to wake my sleeping boyfriend, and took out the letter.

Y/n,

Thought it'd be best if I didn't use Errol for this letter as he's become unreliable as of late. Harry's hearing will be in a few days and I'd like to discuss a few things with you if you'll meet me at Grimmauld Place this afternoon.

Arthur

I sighed, returning the letter to its envelope and tossing it on the coffee table. Severus stirred and slowly sat up.

"Oh, I'm sorry, love. I didn't mean to wake you."

He smiled, his eyes locked on me, but he didn't say anything.

"What?" I chuckled.

"Good morning, beautiful."

I shook my head, laughing as I sat next to him.

"You look lovely in my cloak, darling," he murmured. He kissed my forehead before his eyes found the letter on the table.

"What's that, love?" he asked.

"Oh, Arthur wants to discuss Harry's hearing." I picked the letter up, handing it to Severus. "He wants me to meet him at Grimmauld Place this afternoon.

"He wants you to go back there? After what happened yesterday?" he hissed, his voice growing angry.

"I'm not going for Sirius! I'm going for Harry!" I answered.

"Yes and your ex-boyfriend, whom you still have feelings for by the way, is going to be there. Not to mention the same guy who kissed you yesterday!" he spat.

"Sev... I thought we were okay."

"You and I? We're okay but Black? He kissed my girlfriend and that makes him and I very much not okay. How do you expect me to react, Y/n? You think I should just be okay with you going there?"

I sighed, realizing he was right. Sirius had kissed me and now I was about to go back to where I knew he would be staying.

"You're right. I'm sorry, Sev. I wasn't exactly thinking. Look, I'll send a letter to Arthur and ask him to meet somewhere else, okay?"

He sighed and I could see the guilt on his face. "You must think me a controlling boyfriend," he whispered.

"Sev, I don't think that. I should've realized this wasn't going to be an easy fix. You have every right to feel angry about what happened. I thought that Sirius and I could try to be friends for Harry's sake but it's clear he's not ready for that.

"Are you... ready for that?" he asked softly.

"Sev, what Sirius and I had was over a long time ago. I've moved on."

"Because you thought he betrayed you... but he's back now and he didn't betray you. So... what does that mean for us?"

"What are you asking me?"

"You know what I'm asking you. You can't honestly sit here and tell me you felt nothing when he kissed you. You can't tell me you weren't relieved when you saw him in the shrieking shack. I saw you and him... you didn't seem afraid that the man who murdered your friends was standing right in front of you... kissing your hand... calling you 'darling.' When you were sitting on his lap..." he trailed off. It was as if he was convincing himself more and more with each word of my feelings for Sirius.

"Sev... I was confused... not about my feelings for you but about how we could've gotten it so wrong. The Ministry had told us he was guilty and he spent twelve years in Azkaban for something he didn't do... and when I saw him standing there... I felt guilty. He looked so thin... so... destroyed by Azkaban. I had been living my life while he rotted in prison."

He placed a hand on my arm, trying to comfort me but I could see he was still unsure. This thought was confirmed when he spoke.

"And when you were on his lap? How about when he kissed you? How long did it truly take for you to push him away? Y/n, you can't keep denying it. It'll only hurt us both further."

"Sev, what are you saying?" I asked but before he could answer we heard a knock at the door.

He sighed, standing up to answer the door. I stood a few feet behind him as he opened the door and my breath caught in my throat as I saw who it was.

Lucius Malfoy.