(    word count:   1,150   )

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:

↳ A MISTAKE?

         AFTER SHE CRIED FOR SIX MINUTES straight, she pulled away from her friend. Sirius Black let his arms fall off of her waist after holding her close. The young girl wiped the tears from her eyes and looked at the Gryfindor in front of her. 

Her heart ached from what had happened and what was occurring in front of her. This tender moment almost made her cry again. 

But she did not. 

She leaned close to Sirius and placed a lingering kiss on his cheek. She pulled back slightly, staring deeply into his grey eyes. "Thank you, for not being an arse for once."

"A-Anytime." Sirius replied breathlessly. His heart was beating out of his chest with the close contact with Seren. It was strange... He was no stranger to women, why was she affecting him so?

She smiled at him, moving away from him. "Goodnight, Sirius." The heat she had felt from him dissipated, leaving her wanting to stay. But she couldn't– she was dating Lucius.  

As she ran up the stairs to the girl's dormitory she missed the dazed look in Sirius' eyes. How his fingers reached up to lightly touch where she kissed him.

He was falling hard for his best friends sister.

•   •   •

          A FEW WEEKS HAD PAST FROM SEREN'S cry session in Sirius' arms. The two of them hadn't seen each other. It may have been because Seren was still dating Lucius and that infuriated Sirius to no end. 

He held her that night while she cried in his arms... Why had she cried if she was staying with him? Did she not realise that Lucius would be the end of her? 

Sirius sighed as he let his head fall back onto the stone wall he sat against. He was waiting for James and Remus to get out of class. The cool stone against his neck soothed him in the dwindling heat of summer. September was at an end and October's crisp breeze would soon be upon them. Two months had gone by fast since the start of the year. 

He watched as students passed by him, wondering what was taking his friends so long. In the distance, he saw a girl in a Gryffindor uniform. It took him a second to register that the girl closing in on him was no other than Marlene McKinnon, the girl who had fancied him for the past five years. 

Sirius didn't have much of an opinion on her besides she had an amazing rack. He remembered that she dated Peter for a week before she broke up with him. Maybe she dated Peter to get closer to Sirius. That definitely boosted the young boy's ego. 

"Hi Sirius," Marlene breathed out as she stood in front of him. His eyes traveled the length of her body, noting how she was wearing a tighter than normal uniform. To emphasis her god given set, I believe. 

"Marlene," Sirius replied in an indifferent tone. "How can I help you?" 

"I was wondering if you'd go to the Halloween Feast this year?" The blonde girl practically purred in excitement. She had been after Sirius for so long, she finally had the guts to ask him out. 

"That's comin' up soon, 'innit?" Sirius reckoned, scratching the back of his head. In all honesty, he hadn't thought about girls since his Hogsmeade date awhile back. Before he started falling hard for his best friends sister. 

"Well, would you?" Marlene asked nervously, her hands were moving a lot: from her hip, to brush her hair out of her eyes, and to her lips which were plump from lipstick. 

"Sure," Sirius said nonchalantly. "Why not?" 

"Brilliant!" Marlene exclaimed, happy how this even turned out in her favour. "I'll see you later this week, I'm going shopping in Hogsmeade if you'd like to join."

"We'll see," Sirius grimaced. Shopping? No thanks. 

"See you soon, handsome." Marlene swooped down and kissed his cheek.  However, his attention wasn't on the girl pressed up against him. It was on the girl down the hallway watching this interaction with a strange look on her face.

Seren. 

• • •

        SEREN WAS ONLY TRYING TO FIND SYBIL TRELAWNY after her class when she made the mistake of being on the seventh floor. It wasn't necessarily out of her way– it was where the Gryffindor Common Room entrance was as well as the Divination classroom, where Sybil was.

But on a bench nearby the Divination classroom was Sirius Black and pressed up against him was her nemesis: Marlene McKinnon. Seren and Lily always tried to avoid the blonde girl but it was hard. She constantly was around the Gryffindor common room waiting for Sirius to arrive. Seren remembered the threat Marlene gave the two girls their third year. 

It wasn't like Marlene technically bullied them but she was the female version of Sirius Black. Both would tease others for their own amusement. 

Seren gasped, noticing how Sirius was staring directly at her. Marlene pulled away from the kiss and skipped off in the opposite direction. Seren did the same, turning away from Sirius to find her friend. 

"Seren–" Sirius leapt off the bench, trying to catch up to her. 

"How are you today, Sirius?" Seren asked politely. She wished her legs weren't so short compared to Sirius– his gait not once deviating from hers.  

"I'm okay, I reckon." Sirius scratched his head, this was awkward. "How are you?" 

"I'm fine," Seren said curtly. "Trying to find Sybil, she should be out of class by now." Her breath caught in her throat as Sirius closed in on her. It wasn't her fault but the hallways were bustling after class. Seren tried to cut through the mass of students to lose Sirius but he stuck onto her side like an eel. 

"I've been waiting for James and Remus as well."

"Good for you," the young girl replied, why wouldn't he leave her alone?

"Alright, that's it." Sirius seethed. He was angry at his friend for ignoring him. He needed to know what had happened the other week between him and Seren. 

"What-" Seren asked, turning to Sirius. He found what he was looking for, a door nearby, yanking the brunette girl into the room with him.

"Sirius Black! What the hell are you doing?" She fumbled about for a moment until she realised she was pressed up Sirius Black's warm body. Were they in a closet?

"Trying to have a proper conversation with you." His lips were so close to her ear– Seren shuddered, a tingle going through her whole body. He was way too close to her. 

"In the dark?" Seren asked, trying to identify which room they had gone into. "Where are we?" 

"The Room of Requirement."

•   •   •

hello, here's a new chapter. i'm revising all other chapters though and changing the pronouns used. also, some of my info wasn't up to date so i'll change it– or if i don't– it's. for. a. reason.