minnow // sirius black

eight

8 :   the beans

I took the picture to my dorm room as soon as we got back to the Common Room.

Sirius had asked to walk with me, and I told him he didn't need to ask.

He asked to hold my hand, and I told him the same thing.

So we walked, together, holding hands, to the Gryffindor tower, and he only let go of my hand so I could get into the portrait hole without falling.

I thanked him again, for the gifts, the picnic, and an overall amazing Christmas morning. He simply smiled to me.

I walked up the stairs to our dorm, feeling his eyes on me the entire time.

As soon as I was in the room, and the door was shut, I let myself lean against the door and slowly slid down, a giant smile on my face as I swooned.

I could hear Lily running up the stairs, likely having seen Sirius in the Common Room, and when she tried to open the door, I didn't move for a moment.

"JEMINA POTTER!"

I quickly got to my feet and went and sat on my bed, setting the picture beside me.

She came in the door, and I could absolutely see the excitement dripping off her.

I patted the bed next to me, and she shut the door behind her, locking it, before jumping onto my bed next to me. She smiled expectantly.

I picked the picture up silently, and handed it to her.

"Aw!" She exclaimed, watching the photo's movement with a giant smile. "When was this taken?!"

"Sirius' birthday, last month. There's a Hufflepuff 7th year with the same birthday. Her and her boyfriend wanted to watch the sunrise, so we left after he asked for her to take the picture," I said as she handed it back. "We went out by the lake to watch it. We consider the Astronomy tower our spot, specifically the level below where Astronomy classes are held."

"Your spot?" She looked surprised. "You two have a spot?"

I nodded, purposely pretending to scratch the left side of my face with my right hand. I didn't know how else to show her the ring.

"JEMINA!" She shrieked as she noticed it, and I laughed.

"It's not a special ring," I said, putting emphasis on special. "He just really thought I'd like it."

"Do you?" She asked, a smile on her face as she admired it.

"I love it," I grinned, finally letting the excitement sink in. "It's absolutely perfect. I've honestly always wanted a small ring I could wear all the time, but I'd never found one that I liked as much as I love this."

"How'd he know your size?"

"He owled my Mum!"

"He owled your Mum!?" She laughed, the largest grin on her face. "I cannot believe that he owled her. Did she ask you why there was a boy asking your ring size?"

"No, but for the last month, she's been pestering me relentlessly about boys, asking if I was dating," Lily opened her mouth, but I continued. "I told her I was maybe dating someone, and gushed an insane amount about him, without naming him."

"How long have you two been dating?" Lily furrowed her eyebrows. "You kept telling us that you weren't going to date until you started feeling better, but you only started feeling this much better at the end of November... You have a picture with him from his birthday, when you were still quite sick."

"Since the start of semester," I mumbled quietly. She heard, and shrieked.

"Nearly five months?! And none of us knew!"

"I didn't want to tell you guys, because I didn't want it to be such a big deal. Sirius agreed, probably because he's terrified of James' reaction," Lily laughed. "Besides, we've been taking it really slow. To avoid falling in love."

Lily laughed, loudly and boisterously. "To avoid falling in love?"

"Yeah, when I said I didn't want to get serious until I was steadily better, I meant it. When I said I didn't want to fall in love with Sirius, and vice versa, until I was confident I wasn't going to die, I meant it."

"Minny, going slowly? Doesn't postpone falling in love. Going slowly, and getting to know one another, spending all the time you do together, just existing with one another, and talking... that's what makes you fall in love faster. I bet if you asked him, he'd tell you he was madly in love with you."

I didn't say anything, looking back at the photo.

"I can see the way you look at him," Lily said, taking my hand and making me look at her. She leaned forward, and smiled gently. "You're absolutely head over heels in love with Sirius. You can't deny it."

I was, once again, silent. I didn't know what to say.

"I'm glad you told me," She sat back again, her smile widening. "Who else is going to know?"

"I don't want to tell James," I quickly said. "I'm afraid that telling him will change the dynamic between him and Sirius. I think Sirius agrees. I don't want to interrupt their relationship. I don't want to tell Remus, because Remus sucks at hiding things from people, especially James. If he were to ask Remus if he thought Sirius and I were close, Remus would spill his guts. I am going to tell my Mum, as I promised to. She'll probably tell my dad, but I don't think they'll tell James."

"How long are you going to hide it for? You guys will eventually slip up."

"As long as I feel I should. Probably not for too much longer - just until after James and I turn 16."

"So!" She seemed to remember something, and I sighed. "Tell me about the kiss!"

"Which one?" I teased, she gasped.

I told her about both, I told her about how we were together, how when we were next to one another, there was nothing else in the world. I told her how safe, and happy I felt next to him.

I told her everything that I loved about him.