Celestial | Sirius Black Love Story

Back home

I stood by the counter of the coffee shop, going over my order in my head repeatedly so I wouldn't mess up when telling the barista what I wanted.

"What would you like?" The girl dressed in a green apron with the cafe logo smiled at me and immediately my tongue tied up and my face heated up. I looked down.

"Uhm- I think I'll have," I rummaged through my head to remember those wretched lines I had practised, "A blueberry pancake and mocha coffee, please."

"Coming right up! Just take a seat while you wait, and I'll bring it over soon." She said warmly.

I nodded and smiled gratefully before moving to sit by a table close to the counter and cringing at that encounter. I had hardly spoken English in three years, having rather spoken Norwegian or Russian. Today was the first day back in the village I grew up in since I had left with my father.

A few moments later the girl stood by me, "Here you go!" She said, setting the coffee and pancake down on the little wooden table, and flashing me a smile.

"Hang on a moment," She said, looking at me with narrow eyes, "I know you!" She exclaimed.

I felt my face heat up again and muttered, "Uh, I don't think so."

"Yeah I do, you're Olimpia, aren't you! You went to school here, didn't you! But then you went away to some boarding school, and then you had to move because your mother d-" She paused, looking awkward, "Because you had to go live with your father. We were in the same class!"

I smiled, but I felt it turn into a grimace, so I stopped. "Yeah, sorry. I don't recognise you, a lot of new faces in the last years, you know, what was your name?"

She sat down on the other chair by the table and held out her hand, "Macy."

At that point, something clicked inside my head, "Of course, we were friends," I said.

"We were! So how have you been?" She asked.

I remember her being one of the only people who had been friendly to me during my time at muggle school before I found out that I was a witch. However, I wasn't really in the mood for a chat - though she seemed to be- so I wanted to point out that she was, in fact, working, but the cafe was practically empty besides the two of us. I had planned to just get some sustenance in my body after flying here before walking up the hill to see my best friend, Remus. We had written to each other over the years, and when he heard that I was coming back to Hogwarts after the summer holiday, he immediately invited me over to spend some time with him before school started.

"Oh, I've been alright. I lived in Norway, it's a beautiful country."

"Wow!" She said, "That sounds amazing, did you go to school there?"

I fought to keep my face friendly even though I yearned to wolf down the delicious-looking pancake before running over to Remus. "Yeah, or sometimes. My father taught me most of the time, but when he was away I went to school. How's life been here?"

"Oh, you know, nothing much happens here."

At that moment, the bell signalling that someone had entered the cafe rang and an elderly lady walked in.

"Sorry, I have to go back to the counter," Macy smiled sheepishly at me, "Well, I'll see you around then?"

"Uh yeah, maybe." I smiled.

I took a sip of my coffee and sighed. It was exquisite. I picked up a fork and used the side of it to cut off a large piece of pancake, and put it in my mouth. As they say, hunger is the best chef, and I hadn't eaten in hours: it was heavenly. Within minutes, the whole thing was gone, and I slurped up the rest of the coffee.

I looked around for a sign to the bathrooms, just to double check that I looked alright before leaving for Remus'.

"Down the corridor to the left." Macy said to me.

I nodded gratefully at her then hurried to the bathrooms, wondering why social interactions were so difficult today.

I looked in the mirror, and brushed away some hair that had fallen out of it's braid and into my face. It had grown very long, down to my elbows, and I wanted to cut it. I hadn't trusted my father to cut it, he hadn't had his hair cut for years, and hardly wasted time at all considering doing it myself. Maybe I could put of some time to get it done in London.

I had learned to control my metamorphmagus gift over the last year, though my eyes sometimes changed colour if I felt a particularly strong emotion. When I thought of seeing Remus again for the first time in three years, they changed from their usual light greyish blue colour to a hazel green.

I saw that there was an eyelash on my cheek, and bent forward towards the mirror to brush it onto my finger.

I wish that this year will be the best one yet. I thought, then blew the lash off of my finger.

Today was quite a warm day, quite like the day I had left, so I was wearing a black T-shit of the Beatles and a black skater skirt with grey converse high-tops.

I took a deep breath and left the bathroom. I walked over to where I had sat and picked up my trunk, bag and staff.

"Say, Ollie, what are you carrying that big stick around for?" Macy called out before I could hurry out of the coffee shop.

"Oh, er- it's a prop!" I exclaimed "Yeah, I'm going to join the drama club at school."

"Right," She looked unconvinced, "Well, bye!"

I waved my hand holding the mahogany staff at her, then scurried out, bumping my trunk into little chairs or puffs.

Once outside again I breathed in the fresh air that smelt like home and set off up the hill to the Lupin residence.

Halfway up the hill, I wished I could whip out my wand, which was in an outer pocket on my bag, and use it to cast wingardium leviosa on the heavy trunk. Alas, I was only fourteen years old- I'd be turning fifteen in November- and would probably face persecution from the ministry if I actually did so.

However, as I started sweating and my muscles started aching, I started weighing out punishment versus reward.

Finally, I stood outside the door, catching my breath for a moment before knocking on the door.

But just as I raised my hand to knock, the door flew open and someone almost walked right into me.

"Oof." The person said before stumbling back into the doorway.

He had long black hair and his face drew into a smirk as he looked me up and down. He crossed his arms and leaned against the frame of the door, then yelled out, "Oi, Remus. You didn't tell us you had a girlfriend!"