Pragma // s.b.

42

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Christmas came and went in a flash of lights and cinnamon sticks. Christmas morning at the Carter house was always spectacular, but with Sirius' presence this year, it went to a whole new level. We woke up to the smell of sizzling bacon and potatoes and hot chocolate wafting from downstairs. Christmas carols rang through the house, enchanted so they wouldn't stop. Presents filled the living room. There were too many to fit under the tree, so stacks of brightly wrapped boxes spilled out of the most unlikely places.

My mum pulled a large stack from behind the love seat, passing them to Sirius and winking, "From Santa". The look on his face was one of the best things I've seen in my whole life. It was as if he'd never received a single gift in his whole life. He then proceeded to slid a small, poorly wrapped box toward me. "Sirius...you didn't have to,'' I had let out softly. "Just open it, Carter", he said, doing a poor job at containing his smile. Inside was a delicate necklace and a small hand scribbled note. It read: A sunshine for my sunshine.
    The golden chain was adorned with an intricate sun. Every angle of it caught the light, making it seem as if the object itself radiated light. "Oh, Sirius", I breathed. "I love you, Briony", he replied simply. It was the most magical Christmas I had ever had, which was saying a lot. But like all good things, it had to come to an end. Soon, the lights began to be packed up and the stray wrapping paper thrown away.

The morning had come for us to pack our bags and drive back to Platform 9 ¾ . "Ronan get down here and clean up the mess you made!", my mother called from downstairs. Then, my father's exasperated voice, "Please Ro, she's not gonna let us leave until you do!". My brother huffed past Sirius and I, rolling his eyes and yelling, "Coming Mum!". I shook my head and glanced over at my boyfriend. My boyfriend. Just being able to think that felt so nice.

"What are you looking at?", Sirius smirked, poking the end of my nose. "You", I said, grabbing his face and pulling him into a soft kiss. He laughed as I pulled away. "I don't think I'm ever going to get tired of that", he whispered. My only response was to press my lips against his once more. His presence filled my body with a warm glow. When I was around him, it was as if time froze. Like nothing else in the world was going on outside of the two of us.

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I lay with my head on Sirius' lap, the countryside whirring by in a blur of snow covered trees. The smell of sweets filled the small compartment that we occupied. James and Lily sat across from us, holding hands. Peter sat on the ground, wrappers littering the area surrounding him. To my right was Olivia, and next to her, Remus. The seat was most definitely too small for the four of us, and Liv's arm was pressed against Remus', who was blushing slightly.

I let out a sigh as Sirius' nimble fingers worked through the knots in my hair. "Can you believe that next year is our last year at Hogwarts?", I mused. Lily looked up with a warm smile, "It's crazy to think about". "We're almost adults, guys", Liv said, raising her eyebrows. "Soon we'll be having kids and taking them to little league Quidditch practice and running to the shops on the weekend to get eggs", Lily giggled, Liv and I soon joining her.

"I'm never having kids", James rolled his eyes. "Oh please", Sirius snorted, "You came out of the womb making Dad jokes". Remus laughed and turned so he could see all of us. "I hope we stay like this forever", he said softly. The corners of my mouth turned up and I reached across Liv to grab his hand, "I have no doubt that we will".

I glanced up at Sirius, who looked down at me and planted a kiss on my forehead. "I don't think I've ever been happier in my life", he said quietly, so only I could hear. "Stop being such a melt", I whispered back, but pulled my body up so I could plant a kiss on his lips. "Get a room!", gagged Olivia, hitting me with a book she had grabbed out of Remus' hands. The rest burst into laughter, the twinkling lights of the approaching Hogwarts castle nowhere near as magical as what was happening in the small train car we occupied.

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Hi guys!

I know this chapter is pretty short but I hope y'all enjoy. I've got some ideas on where to go with this story, but I'm having a little bit of writers block right now and would greatly appreciate some suggestions. So if you have anything you want to see from Sirius and Briony or any other characters please leave a comment!

CCC