A Circle of Flame- Sirius Black x OC

Chapter 28

Liza groaned as she nearly tripped on the staircase on her way up from the dungeons. She had spent most mornings sleeping in hours after the sun rose. The night of full moon still wore through her bones. Her body had yet to recover from being chased by a werewolf.

To no one's surprise, she and Severus had resumed pretending like the other didn't exist. If anything, they went out of their way to avoid colliding in the corridors. And when Regulus appeared, Snape was no longer a few paces behind him. It afforded Liza a bit of time to speak to the younger Black without eavesdroppers.

Peeking her head around the corner of the Great Hall, Liza grimaced. She hadn't seen the Marauders together in a few days and she didn't fancy another morning of sitting by herself. As much as she loathed to admit it, Potter had provided some entertainment in the mornings. Now, the boy in question stirred a bowl of porridge at the end of the Gryffindor table, looking downright dismal.

Perhaps his latest prank hadn't gone as expected. Liza would have been worried about Remus if she hadn't spotted the boy in the library yesterday morning, a streak of ink across his cheek. Finals were still a few months away and she had resolutely decided to stop thinking about it.

Turning back into the corridor, Liza redirected her steps towards the Astronomy Tower. If anything, the view would do well to calm her nerves. The warmth of spring was finally beginning to thaw the frozen cobblestones and the smell of new growth danced in the air. Whatever the others admired about fall at Hogwarts, Liza favored the spring. Magic blossomed along with the flowers, whose petals literally twirled in the breeze.

She smiled at the view as she ducked down beneath the awning to the tower. With her height, half the doorways in Hogwarts were a tad too small. So much for medieval architecture.

Closing her eyes, she let the rays of the sun warm her face. The light would sport a fresh array of freckles, but in the moment she couldn't bring herself to care.

"You know, I'm not sure that's the best choice for your complexion."

Liza jumped at the sudden intrusion before she whirled around, facing the figure behind her. She dropped her wand.

Sirius sat against the farthest wall, his shoulders propped up against the ledge. His hands hung over the tops of his knees and his right fingers dangled his wand lazily in the air. Liza would have believed his causal stance if not for his disheveled appearance. The oldest Black always prided himself on rebellious attire, but this was simply sullied.

A clump of unwashed hair hung over his right eye, obscuring the dark circles that lined his irises. Several days of unshaven stubble dotted the full length of his jaw and his shirt was stained with the remains of yesterday's dinner. The spot of jellied cranberry was instantly recognizable.

Liza tried to hide her concern behind a grimace. "Are you trying to take after Severus?"

Her joke fell flat, only making the expression on Sirius's face darken. He tossed his wand at his ankles moodily and it was only then that Liza began to decipher the haziness in his gaze. The Gryffindor was clearly drunk.

"Don't even s-say his name." Sirius's lip curled as he attempted to form the right words. "Git ru-ruined my life."

Casting a last regretful glance at the morning sun, Liza sat down several paces away from his somber form. This was not how she had intended to spend her morning.

"What do you mean?"

A pause greeted her probing as Sirius kicked out his foot, chipping a bit of cobblestone from the ancient wall. She was sure that Filch would have a fit if he had seen it.