Shooting Star

Chapter Twenty-Five

Sirius jumped up off the floor. "Oh, Merlin. What the hell--"
"Shut up." Remus told him.
"Come on, love. Let's get you changed." Sirius told me, not even questioning why I was covered in blood.
"I can do it." I said, staring at his shoes.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I'm not incapable." I walked out of the room, and heard Remus start whispering as soon as I did.
I wandered into the bathroom.
I folded my jeans neatly and sat them on the counter. I folded my socks and put them on top. I was going to throw them away.
I started to take off my shirt, but there was a bit of Natalie's brain on it.
I started shrieking, pulling it over my head and throwing it at the shower. Sirius and Remus were running my way.
It was in my hair!
I screamed at the top of my lungs as I shook my hair and watched the little brain part fly into the sink. I kept screaming. My sister's brain was on me.
Sirius, instead of using magic, broke the door to get it open. He and Remus ran in. "What?" They demanded. "What is it?"
I pointed at the sink, hand shaking.
They both looked in, making disgusted faces.
"I'll go tell Lily and James." Remus said, reaching in the sink and picking the brain thing up, looking revolted as he walked from the room.
He was touching my sister's brain.
The brain that my sister had shot out of her head.
I was the reason my sister just went to Hell.
I started crying, throwing my arms around Sirius' neck. He picked me up like I was a child and carried me into his bedroom, still shrieking. He tried to set me on the bed, but I wouldn't let him go. "I'm just gonna get you clothes. It's okay." He said gently, and I let him go, forcing my mouth closed and stopping screaming.
"No. I need to shower." I sat on his bed, crying. "I'm dirty."
He pointed his wand at me, and I was clean. "There you go." He said, turning to his closet and looking for my clothes.
I don't know why I have clothes over here. We don't have sex or anything.
I guess I do stay the night some times.
I still felt dirty, even though I knew all the blood and brains were off of me and out of my hair.
"All right." He said, turning around. He handed me jeans.
I stood up and put them on, still crying.
"Eliza!" I heard Lily yell.
"Back here!" Sirius yelled back.
He pulled my shirt over my head as Lily and James ran in. Lily stopped in the doorway, but James kept going, sweeping me up and hugging me. "Are you okay?" He demanded.
I wriggled my arms from being squished and hugged him back, nodding.
"Move, Potter. My turn." Lily said.
James let me go, and the next moment, Lily was hugging me. "Are you okay, Eliza?" She demanded, hugging me tightly. I nodded.
A short while later, Lily, Sirius and I sat on the couch, James sat in a chair, and Remus leaned against the wall. Lily had her head on my shoulder and Sirius had his arm around me, playing with Lily's hair. His fingers were always moving.
James and Remus were staring at me, I knew. I ignored it.
"Remus!" I said suddenly, standing up.
Lily's head fell onto Sirius' lap, and everybody jumped. Lily responded to falling by curling up and staying where she was.
"I'm here." Remus stepped forward. "It's okay. What's wrong?"
"Are you okay?" I demanded, hugging him tightly. He'd just seen someone get shot too. I let him go and looked up at him before he could move.
"Of course I am. Why?" He asked. Everyone stared at us.
I hugged him again. "Thank you. I'm sorry. I told you you shouldn't have come."
"Aren't you glad I did, though?"
"No. Now you've seen someone blow their brains out." I wanted to cry. Great. Like he needs more shit. I hugged him again.
He hugged me back tightly. "I'm okay. Don't worry."
"Will you stay here tonight, Eliza?" Sirius asked.
I thought back to that gun in my couch cushions. I had to move it before anybody saw it. "No, I've got to go home." I said.
"Why don't you stay?" He tried again.
"No, I'm okay. Really."
"Tell them what's in your couch cushions, then." Remus said.
"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about." I said innocently. How did he know?
"Really?" He said, crossing his arms.
"What's in your couch cushions?" Sirius asked, sitting up and clasping his hands, his elbows on his knees.
"Nothing." I glared at Remus.
"Eliza."
"I wasn't going to use it, okay?" I pleaded.
"Use what?" James and Lily sat up too.
"Nothing."
"If you don't say it I will." Remus said.
"Fine. Say it. I'm going home." I disapparated.
Remus grabbed onto me, and as soon as we got to my house, he apparated us back to Sirius'.
Damn. I tried.
Everyone was standing now.
"There's a gun in my couch cushions. But it wasn't for me." I tried.
"Then what was it for, Eliza?" Lily asked softly.
"Protection." I tried.
"Why have a gun when you have magic?" James said.
"Why not? I'm muggle born. Muggles use guns."
"But you aren't a muggle." Sirius said.
"Tell them what's wrong." Remus said, his hand still in mine.
"Nothing's wrong." I said. I didn't want to tell them.
Granted Lily and Remus knew. I didn't want to freaking tell Sirius.
"Go on, Eliza. It's fine." Remus said.
"Admitting it won't change it." I procrastinated.
"What's wrong, Eliza?" Sirius asked, looking quite stressed. 
"Nothing. I'm all right." I said. "I promise."
"She's depressed." Remus said bluntly.
"No I'm not." I said in vain, glaring at him.
"I think you should move in with me." Sirius said. For the nth time.
"No." I said. "That's sinful."
Lily laughed, trying to lighten the mood as James stared silently at me. "Eliza, I think it'll be okay. I'm sure God will forgive you both for him trying to keep you safe."
"Yeah. He will. But still."
"Eliza, if we get married, you'll be in constant danger." Sirius said. That was blunt.
"We're all in constant danger." James told him. "She can take care of herself, mate."
"Well, I don't want to put her in danger." Sirius said.
"I can take care of myself." I told him.
"Fine. Marry me." He pulled something from his pocket and threw it at me.
I flinched as he pulled it out, seeing Natalie pulling out the gun, but caught the little box.
I opened it to see a ring. "Fine." I said, taking it out and putting it on.
"Well." Remus said. "That escalated quickly."
James whistled. "Well, damn."
Sirius gave me a little grin.
"Congratulations!" Lily grinned, hugging Sirius and then getting up and hugging me.
"You're still staying the night here." Sirius said.
God, that was weird.
That night after everybody left, Sirius and I sat on his couch, not talking.
"Okay." I said, turning to him.
"What?"
"Use Legilimency on me."  I said.
"What?"
"Yes. Do it."
"No." He said, looking at me like I was crazy.
"Yes. I did it to you. You do it to me. Go."
"No, Taylor. Stop. Let's just go to bed."
"No, Black. Let's just get this over with. Go."
"Not tonight, Eliza. Maybe some other time."
"I'm not fragile." I said. "Please, Sirius. Don't you wanna know what you're getting into?" I smiled a bit.
"I already do." He smiled, kissing me.
He was trying to distract me, but it wouldn't work. "Come on, Sirius. Just do it."
"I don't want to hurt you, darling."
"I'll be okay. Just go." He's being too nice. It's irritating.
And so he saw everything.
"Your father beat you? I thought you loved him." Sirius said.
"I do. It wasn't... His fault. He was drunk." I tried to make excuses for him, even though I knew I shouldn't.
"So was mine a lot of the time."
"Mine wasn't as bad as yours."
"I think it worse."
"That's only because you don't love yourself." I said.
"Have you met me? I'm the most conceited person you'll find."
I laughed. "Yeah, but it's a façade so it's okay." I smiled.
"Come here." He said quietly, pulling me to him and holding me. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"
"With what?" I closed my eyes, my face in his shirt.
"Marrying me. It's dangerous. And stupid. It'll be taxing."
"Yeah, I know." I laughed a little bit. "Are you okay with it?"
"I bought a ring, didn't I?" He smiled, turning his face into my hair, his arms tight around me.