Rose Petals ✿ Remus Lupin - Discontinued :(

Chapter 30

As soon as Belle and Sirius stepped outside, the cold air washed over them like water. It was a chilly night for summer, temperatures dropping to below what they normally are and everyone adorning a comfy wool cardigan over their fancy dresses. Belle loved this type of weather: cold and gloomy. Her friends prefer the sun, and on some days the sun does seem amazing, but most of the time Belle is satisfied with the England Haze.

"There's no stars out tonight..." Belle sighed, placing her hands onto the railing as she gazed at the sky.

Sirius made a noise of agreement, taking his place beside Belle near the railing of the porch. Belle glanced over at him, taking in his shift in confidence. He was still Sirius, meaning he stood upright and shoulders back, but something about him was off. His eyes glanced around nervously and his hands gripped the railing tightly. Anyone would be able to see that he was anxious.

"Why so fidgety, Black?" Belle teased, nudging the boy's arm. She had never felt close enough with Sirius to really joke around with him. Her main guy friends have only ever been Remus and more recently Aiden and James, but never Sirius. It felt strange to be alone around him.

"Your eyes must be deceiving you, Roux. I've never been more confident in my entire life."

"Oh really? You haven't stopped shaking your knee since we got out here."

His knee halted as the dog-boy looked over at her with suspicious eyes.

"So you're watching me now? Well, I can't say I'm upset—"

Belle laughed, hitting him on the shoulder lightly. She turned back towards the sky, her eyes roaming once again.

"You're unbearable, Black. Can't go two minutes without making a joke, can you?"

"It's how I diffuse tension."

"Tension? Was there tension between us? I didn't notice it."

"Oh yes, loads."

"Well next time, I'll make sure to look a little harder—"

Belle didn't even have the chance to finish her sentence before a pair of cold lips were on hers.

When Belle would think of her first kiss, she would think of a magical feeling of weightlessness and shared giggles and flirting. She would think they'd both lean in slowly and make most of the moment. She thought that everything would work out just right.

But in that moment that was not the case.

Sirius's lips were cold and dry, and he placed them onto hers with so much pressure that she felt them against her teeth. Her teeth landed onto her tongue, sending a wave of sharp pain through her mouth, and the sheer force of it knocked her back into the railing, sending another wave of pain down her spine. Not to mention his breath smelled like pumpkin, a scent Belle tended to avoid. When he pulled away with a cocky smirk, Belle didn't how to react.

Sirius Black, the Sirius Black, had just kissed her, at her birthday party, outside of her house. She'd dreamt of this moment all year, but somehow it still disappointed her. It wasn't all she thought it up to be, and she'd never felt more out of place than in that moment. He was experienced and she wasn't. He's had dozens girls trailing after him and the only boy that had ever showed interest in her was Aiden, but thanks to Sirius and James that never developed.

Luckily, before either of the pair had to say anything, the dinner bells had finally chimed inside, which lead Sirius to offer his arm out to Belle. She took it without a word and the two entered back through the house, immediately separating to their own little groups. Belle broke off with the girls, pulling them to the main course table whilst Sirius and the boys hovered near the entree table. Belle spilled the secrets on what just happened and the girls all had different reactions. Eileen was open with her jealousy, while Rose was silently frowning throughout the whole conversation. Lily went back and forth between teasing and squealing, apparently being too conflicted to pick an angle.

Belle wasn't sure what this would mean for the their friend group, but at that moment she didn't care. Because Sirius Black had kissed her, she was now fourteen, and everything seemed alright.

— — — — —

Belle squinted her eyes at the book in front of her. To be completely honest, she had no idea what she was doing at the moment. In a terrifying realization that she only had a little more than a week left of summer holiday before she was scheduled to return to Hogwarts, she decided to begin her summer homework, which included something from every subject. It was Ancient Runes that she was stuck on. The class had gotten significantly harder from first year to second year, and Belle wasn't sure she'd be able to make it.

To her dismay and appreciation, her grandmother decided to gently step into her room. Something about her grandmother was off, however. Nancy's face was pale and her eyes a tiny bit too wide. Her hands were shaking and a subtle thread of bewilderment was clear in her expression.

"Someone wants to see you, Belle." Her grandmother sighed, her brow furrowed.

"Who, Nana?"

"I—just come down stairs, please."

Belle frowned, abandoning her assignment on her bed and descending the stairs, only to come face to face with someone she wasn't particularly keen on seeing. There stood her father, in fancier clothes than she'd ever seen him in and a pretty lady hooked around his arm. He had changed, his face had gained back some of the healthy fat to it and he'd lost some around his gut. He now adorned a rather thick beard and his hair was longer, making look older.

"Brielle..." Her father trailed off, wrapping his arms around the girl in front of him, "Look at you! You've changed."

"No thanks to you, you've been off in France." Her eyes narrowed.

He scratched the back of his head, avoiding his daughter's eyes as he motioned to the lounge. "Why don't we sit?"

"No, you're going to tell me right now, right here, why you left me without any warning."

"I didn't leave without any warning Belle—I've always talked about going back to France, for your mother's family."

"Not without me, you didn't." Her eyes fell onto the woman beside him. The lady was very pretty, with bright blonde hair and dazzling blue eyes. She was tall, almost taller than Benjamin himself and had womanish curves. "Who's this?"

"Oh!" He exclaimed, "Of course! Belle, I'd like you to meet Annette Boitre. Ann, this is my daughter Brielle."

Belle couldn't tell Annette's first impression of Belle because the woman refused to move her face. It was almost as if Annette was an oversized doll, porcelain and easy to break. 

"So lovely to meet you, Breelle. I've 'eard so much about you." 

And she had a heavy French accent.

"I've heard nothing about you," Belle said bluntly, her tone making her grandmother scoff and her grandfather snort. Annette placed her hand on her chest and leaned away from the teenager, a look of offense on her face. Benjamin glared at his daughter but Belle glared right back. She didn't want her father or his new girlfriend to be in her life any longer, that was something she was sure of.

"Belle, I know you're upset—" Her father began, but Belle was quick to cut him off.

"You completely abandoned me at the Platform! Because why, you were upset about Mum? Well I was upset too, but you didn't see me just giving up on the world, did you? I didn't run away, I stayed to make sure you were alright. But then you told me to stay at Hogwarts over Spring Break, and then just completely left for the whole summer? I was the adult while you ran off to meet this French lady as a rebound to get over mum! SO YES, I'M UPSET AND I DON'T NEED SOMEONE WHO'S GOING TO ABANDON ME IN MY LIFE ANY LONGER! "

Belle stormed off, not giving her father another chance to speak. She wasn't going to take his bullcrap any longer, she was completely done with Benjamin Roux.

A/N: I'm so excited for fourth year