A Circle of Flame- Sirius Black x OC

Chapter 51

"We're really leaving."

Liza turned back from adjusting her hair, a light smile brushing her lips at the familiar voice. It had been far too long since she and Myra had had a proper chance to catch up.

The Slytherin's dark hair had been pressed into waves that reached her chest, dancing over the top of her robes. The ebony of her skin was highlighted with a golden powder that brushed the top of her cheekbones.

"You look amazing." Liza pulled her friend into a rare hug, breathing in the sharp scent of her clothes. Graduation had made her sentiment rise to the surface.

Myra returned the embrace gently, for once not tensing at the touch. Another way Lily Evans had been good for her. "As do you." She touched Liza's straightened hair, which now tumbled to her waist. "If Black doesn't get his act together and propose, I'll castrate him in his sleep." She grinned at Liza's startled glance. "I would have years earlier if it wasn't for your enjoyment of his—"

Smacking her on the shoulder, Liza turned back to the mirror with a repulsed expression. Her cinnamon-coloured eyes had been deepened by the tinted shadow on her lids. Her lips glimmered with a pink gloss that darkened depending on the light. It had been a Christmas gift from Sirius. Sometimes she swore the Gryffindor was more feminine than her.

"It feels a bit weird." Liza turned to observe the emptied dormitory. The rest of their roommates were long gone, their trunks packed and waiting with their families. Other than a discarded hair tie or spare bit of parchment, there was nothing left to indicate the life within the chamber. No evidence of the girls that had inhabited its walls for seven years. "I wanted nothing more than to start my own life. Now, I'm a bit afraid I'll miss this."

Myra waved her wand and cleared the last bit of rubbish from the floor. "It's only once a time is over that our appreciation begins." Her eyelashes brushed the bottom of her brows, having been darkened by a cosmetic charm. "Rather tragic."

Liza shivered as she stepped towards the door of their dormitory for the last time. After this, she would begin moving her things into James's flat. A process she was certain would take far longer than necessary. "Are you ready?"

Wrapping her hand in the crook of Liza's elbow, Myra offered her arm a brief squeeze. A tear pressed against the inside of her bottom lid, too stubborn to spill down her cheek. "It's time."

Together, they made their way through the less populous chambers of the dungeon, taking their time to linger by Slughorn's chambers and press a last pat against the common room entrance. An occasional Slytherin passed by, but all were too invested in their thoughts to pay heed to Liza and Myra's presence. In the past, Liza had never much paid attention to graduations, but this one felt more somber than most.

It was an odd thought that she'd likely not see most of her classmates again. For a time, Hogwarts had been the one thing that brought them together. Now, everyone would return to their separate worlds.

"What are you and Lily planning?"

Myra turned from where she stood at one of the dungeon windows, gazing into the hazy depths of the Black Lake. No mercreature was there to see them off. Not that Liza was particularly sad. Their sharp teeth still made her feel uneasy.

"Her dad's warmed up a bit, but still wouldn't want us living together in the house." Myra straightened the collar of her robes before poking a golden hoop through her ear. The ring dangled just above her shoulders as she searched for its matching pair. "So, we're living together in London too. An underground place where I can work from home and Lily can still commute to St. Mungo's." A slight smile brushed her face as she adjusted the buttons of Liza's blouse. "I know she'd appreciate your company."