Liquid Luck [Sirius Black]/editing

Chapter 4

I blink my eyes open only to be blinded by daylight. I squint, trying to make sense of my surroundings and this strange weight on my shoulder.

My morning brain sluggishly registers where I am: the common room. And who I'm with: the boys.

James and Peter are cuddled together on the opposite couch, Remus is tucked peacefully on a one-seater, and Sirius is asleep on my shoulder. It's really—

Wait!

There is a boy asleep on me.

My face is flaming hot, I'd bet as red as a tomato too. This is the closest I have ever been to a boy. No. To anyone except my family, ever.

I should move him. Yes, good idea.

Gently, I take his head between both my hands and lift him. I stand, still holding him. Easy, Chiara. Easy...

Bad idea! Bad!

I lose my balance and have to sacrifice him to save myself. Unconscious Sirius goes down like a sack of dragon eggs, hitting the floor with a loud thud. "Agh!" 

"I'm so sorry! You were...a-and I was..." I stumble over my words. "Here, let me help you." I shove out my hand for him to take. He looks up at me through heavy lids and, smirking slightly, he puts his hand in mine.

I'm about to tug him up when he does the opposite to me. I squeak and fall in a heap beside him on the hardwood floor.

Curling into myself, I look at him and his now smirk-less face. We frown at each other. "What was that for?!"

"Hmm. Whatever could it be for?" Sirius is full-on glaring at me now. "Maybe for pushing me off the bloody couch, Chiara. What was that about?"

"I didn't push you. I dropped you. Dropped. It is totally different!"

We stare at each other with matching stubborn looks before breaking into a fit of laughter. He has the sort of energy that can't be taken seriously for too long. I like that about him.

"You go ahead and change. I'll wake the lads. Meet us back here when you're refreshed, okay?" he asks, and I take it our fight is over. Thank goodness.

"Okay," I smile and race upstairs.

The girls are all awake when I arrive, and just about ready for the day. Looking put together and pretty, I can't help telling them so. "Good morning! Don't you all look beautiful!"

I see a flash of blonde hair coming at me and then I'm being squeezed. It makes me laugh, and it also makes me want to cry. "What's this?" I ask, my heart beating hard. "W-Why?"

"A hug. Just because you're precious and I want to." Marlene says, hugging the life into me.

I shakily close my arms around her. I didn't know you could receive hugs without reason. She smells nice, too. "What perfume do you use?" I ask to distract myself, and her from realizing how much this means to me.

Marlene pulls back with an excited grin and grabs my hand, tugging me to her bit of our room. "You'll love the bottle, it is so gorgeous. My big brother has it made special for me. He's a big fat bully most of the time, but he has his nice moments."

I overturn the glass bottle carefully between my fingers. Marlene is scrawled in loopy gold letters on the front. "This is lovely. What's your brother's name?"

"Aaron. I've got a ton where he came from. I'm the only girl in a family of boys." She tells me.

"You must never get lonely."