written in the stars | s. black | r. lupin

24

Charlotte crossed out the last line of her paper with a huff, the pressure of her quill nearly tearing through the parchment. Sirius had been helping, or at least pretending to, until about half an hour before when his head had fallen into his arms on the library table and his breathing had grown soft, fluttering the bangs strewn across his face.

Her lips pulled into a small smile as she watched him for a moment. It was hard to believe that even a year ago, he didn't even know her name. That she had spent all those years watching the Marauder's antics from afar, listening to Lily whine about their pranks and loud disturbances in class.

Determined to finish up before Sirius woke up, she set back to the paper, her eyes flicking between the book at her side and her work before Sirius's breathing began to pick up. Her gaze rose to watch him once again, her eyebrows creasing as she watched his face twitch in his arms.

"No..." He muttered, Charlotte glancing around at the emptying tables around them. The sun had long since sunk beneath the forest in the distance. "Please... M'sorry..." His voice was growing louder now, and Charlotte could see Madam Pince in the corner of her eye glaring towards them.

"Sirius..." She whispered, shutting the book at her side and moving into the chair beside his, her fingers falling into his hair, taming it out of his face gently. "Siri... Hey, wake up."

"Don't!" He cried, his eyes flying open at her touch as he jumped from his seat, his gaze flicking around the room wildly before landing on Charlotte beside him, her jaw dropped as she watched the realization dawn on his face.

"Shit." His fingers flew to his eyes, digging in as if he could wipe the sleep from them. "Sorry... Fell asleep." He mumbled, dropping back to his spot, his eyes avoiding Charlotte's even as he could feel them latched to his face. "Did you finish your... paper?"

She didn't answer, watching the pink rise to his face as he started to pull her essay towards him.

"Sirius..." She reached out, her fingers grazing his arm for half a second before he jerked out of her reach, his eyes finally meeting hers and softening at her hurt expression.

"Sorry." His shoulders relaxed as he slouched slightly back into his seat.

"Siri..." Charlotte tried once again, her fingers looping through his in his lap. "You had... you had one of those nightmares, didn't you?"

The gray eyes rolled to the ceiling, a scoff spilling from his lips. "I had a nightmare, yes. No big deal, blondie-"

"Do you have them a lot?"

"No." He lied, "Not a lot."

"You can talk to me... I'm here for you...." She whispered again, though by now they were one of the last few people in the library.

He blinked quickly, meeting her eyes again with a single nod. "I know, Charlotte. I'm fine, honest."

"Well..." She pulled her parchment closer and began rolling it neatly, stuffing her supplies back into her bag and nodding towards the hallway. "Maybe I'll just have to take you up on your offer from the other night... You can't be trusted to sleep alone anymore."

He chuckled softly in the quiet corridor as they walked side by side.

"Whatever I have to say to get you back into my bed... conscious, this time around." He teased and she shook her head, offering him a glare.

"You want to bring that up right now?"

"No, maybe not." He grinned, obviously well aware he had her wrapped around his fingers. Just the sight of the familiar smirk was enough to have her melting to the floor.