Hey lovelies! I'm going to be totally honest and say that this was not meant to be posted right now; I had originally intended on posting a Lupin one-shot before posting this, but the inspiration strikes as it will! 

The request for this one, who would like to remain anonymous, called for a girl like Sirius who had to break away from a troubled situation and be with Sirius. Not too much to go on, but that's what made it interesting!

Warning! This one flirts with an M rating because it has mentions of abuse, past and present, as well as some snogging. 

Also! Please let me know how you like this one; I tried something different, putting some of Sirius' POV in as well. Let me know if y'all like it in this writing style! <3

Kindred Spirits | Sirius Black

~*~

There were very few things that were as bloody annoying as these parties.

To say that I hated my family, my upbringing, that would be a gross understatement. I was born the first daughter to one of the oldest, darkest families in Britain, exceeded only by the Black family themselves, and from the moment I first drew breath, I was a disappointment to my obsessive parents.

They'd wanted a son – a boy to continue the family legacy, to be raised the perfect pureblood heir – and they'd gotten me instead. I was headstrong and stubborn, even as a little girl, questioning their ideals since the moment I was told that we were superior to everyone else.

I didn't understand the attitude when I was five, and I still don't understand now, ten years later.

My parents employed a variety of methods trying to get me to conform to their beliefs, not above drawing the line at physical abuse, and when even that hadn't worked, they'd shipped me off to Beauxbatons. Thankfully, I was safe from them for the majority of the year, and free to build my own beliefs, to draw my own conclusions as I wanted to. I had a wonderful set of friends back at school, and the fact that I loved them so much was the reason I was being forcefully paraded around this stuffy excuse for a party.

Vincent, my best friend since our first year, and his dorm mates had concocted the most delusional of delusional schemes, and to shorten a long story, were facing expulsion before I stepped in and claimed full responsibility. Given my surname, I was graciously pardoned for the prank, on the condition that I transfer schools for my sixth year.

Which brought me back home, under my parents' wrathful roof, awaiting my next year at Hogwarts with the firm knowledge that a toe out of line would bring punishment raining on my head.

Quite literally. Mother was rather partial to yanking at my hair.

I sighed to myself, fighting against the urge to squirm in the ridiculous dress robes my mother had stuffed me in before this parade. The corset was cutting my air supply and the delicate skirt had so many overlapping layers that I truly feared losing my balance and getting lost in them as I fell. Granted, the colour was quite pretty – a deep blue that served to make my eyes seem intense – but I would have much rather been in my usual attire. Hopefully, if all went according to plan, I would be, soon.

Before I could begin to fret over the sheer audacity of the plan I'd set into motion the moment I was informed of the party, I heard a syrupy sweet voice trilling my name.

Oh Merlin, what does it say about me that I cringe at the sound of my own mother's insufferable voice?

Pasting a smile on to my face, I turned around, making my way to the she-devil with a demure expression befitting of my Pureblood upbringing. "Mother," I greeted quietly, forcing myself not to react as I took the hand she held out for me. I could complain all I wanted about the Pureblood training, but I had gotten a wicked blank mask out of the exercise in torture.

"This is Lord and Lady Black, dear, and their sons, Sirius and Regulus," Mother told me, her voice simpering enough to let me know that these were important people and that I had better behave myself. I recognized the surname, and honestly, I didn't care much for the hype surrounding it, but I knew better than to indulge my sharp tongue. Instead, I kept my head bowed slightly before offering them a small curtsy. Enough to show respect, but also not so much that they scorned my family's importance, a lesson drilled into my head since childhood.

"Welcome to our home, my Lord, my Lady," I politely inclined my head to them, and then a second time to their sons in greeting. If I hadn't managed to perfect my mask, I might have floundered when I saw how unbelievably attractive the Black heirs were. As it were, my mask didn't slip an inch, but my heart did stutter slightly when the elder of the two – Sirius, I presumed, given that he was introduced first – sent me a small wink. I quickly refocused my attention on his parents, lest I suddenly blush. "It truly is an honour to have your presence here."

While I griped inwardly about the ridiculous things Mother forced me to say, I kept a polite smile outwardly, and Walburga Black began to compliment my mother on having raised my brother and I so well. Briefly, I wondered where aforementioned little brother had disappeared to, but given that he was only 10, I could still rest easy. In all likelihood, he had already been dismissed back to his room. This party, after all, wasn't suited for children. I almost rolled my eyes when my mother gushed out her thanks and lavished compliments on the other woman for her perfect little gentlemen. Any interest I might have had in the older one promptly abated at the knowledge that he was just another spoilt little Pureblood heir.

Even so, I did catch my breath slightly at the sound of him addressing me. While it came off sharp and grating from my mother, my name seemed to roll off this boy's tongue like honey, each syllable wrapping around his lips like it belonged there.

Sweet Merlin, and Morgana, too, what I wouldn't give to mess up his composure.

"Would you care to join me for a dance?" he asked me, an admittedly charming smile upon his features. His mother looked surprised, and I wondered why that was for a moment before deciding it didn't matter. Not now when I had less than five minutes to enact my plan if I had any hope of success.

Placing a hand delicately over my throat, I adopted an apologetic expression. "I would have loved to, but I'm afraid I'm feeling rather faint." I forced my voice into a careful mix of breathy, but still composed enough that Mother wouldn't attempt to send one of the House Elves after me. "I wonder if I might be excused, just for a few moments?"

I directed that half of the sentence to my mother, and while I could see the anger in her eyes, she too maintained a cool façade. "Of course, dear, take all the time you need."

Offering the Black family another curtsy, I walked away to the staircase, careful not to give into my impulse to run. Only once I had passed the first flight of stairs did I finally bunch up my skirts and take the steps two at a time.

Reaching my bedroom, I threw the lock and yanked the annoying garment off my body. I almost tore it several times in my attempts, but once I finally divested myself of all my clothes, I quickly pulled on my muggle clothes; black jeans and combat boots, a dark red tank top and my favorite black leather jacket. Stashing my wand in my back pocket, I undid the elegant braid my hair was in with nimble fingers, hissing in relief as the pressure pulling at my scalp was suddenly relieved with pinpricks of pain. Approaching the window, I knew I had to be quick. It was only a matter or moments before my metaphorical window of opportunity closed. Sliding it open, I hitched one leg over the frame, securing my foot on the ledge before swinging the other one over with an ease born of practice.

This was not the first time I had been thankful for my room facing the back yard instead of the front.

Without giving myself a chance to think about it, I leaped away from the window, grabbing on to the thick tree branch that was my next hold. My palms got scraped up from the scratchy bark – it had been a while since I'd scaled it, to be fair – but I determinedly swung myself up, scrabbling on to the branch and ignoring it when my tank top rode up, exposing my belly to the scratches as well. Getting up on my knees, I crawled along the branch until I reached the trunk, and from there, it was easy. I could spot all my old footholds and, courtesy or how many times I'd done this as a child, I was approaching the ground in no more than a few moments.

I stopped abruptly at my last branch, just before jumping to the ground. I heard a voice approaching, and what were the chances that someone would choose today to come out to our back yard?

I frowned to myself, the expression deepening when I saw the Black heir loping casually to the very same tree I was currently hiding in. I flattened myself against the trunk, an instinctive reaction despite knowing that he couldn't see me. He looked far less poised than he did a few moments ago, but then to be fair, I supposed, so did I. The real confusion came in when I saw that he was talking to a bloody mirror.

Were all the Blacks this crazy, or just him?

I huffed a breath as the boy continued talking to himself, for some reason naming his reflection 'Prongs'. His words were loud enough for me to hear, but I didn't register them, absorbed in the antsy feeling of an unforeseen complication. Merlin's beard, I was going to miss my friends if this bloke stayed out here much longer...

Sure enough, I caught sight of my friends while Black was still talking to himself, blissfully unaware of my presence above him. For a moment, I was caught in hesitation, knowing the consequence of someone witnessing my escape, but weighing the risk of that, against the risk of my friends leaving me here as I'd instructed them to if worst came to worst.

It wasn't a hard choice to make.

Steeling my nerves, I dropped from my perch to the ground, bending my knees to absorb the impact. The landing was perfect, completely soundless on the balls of my feet, but my impressive show of silence meant nothing when Black made all the noise for me. My muscles stung in protest, but I ignored it in favour of glaring at Black as he yelped at my sudden appearance.

"What the bloody hell..."

"Shut up!" I hissed, glancing over my shoulder in irritation. Merlin, did this boy have any idea of the word stealth? Brushing dirt carelessly off my jeans, I shot him a look that was half pleading, half warning. "Look, would you please just keep this to yourself? For the next ten minutes, at least."

I heard a low whistle, the first warning sound, and looked up in time to see Jake, Ethan and Rosslyn, all waiting for me. My face lit up when I saw that they'd brought my muggle motorcycle with them; I hadn't had a chance to ride since last summer, because Ethan normally stored the muggle contraption at his house for me.

Throwing caution to the wind, I began to run to the iron wrought fence that was my last obstacle to freedom. "Thanks, Black!" I threw over my shoulder in a hushed voice, laughing slightly at the dumbfounded look on his face. Grasping the iron bars with experienced hands, I hoisted myself up, up, up and over.

I laughed exuberantly as soon as I touched ground on the other side, throwing my head back with the force of the delightful sound. I was free! Granted, it was only for the moment, and I would face severe consequences as soon as I was dragged back in a week or so, but for now, it didn't matter at all. For now, I had my friends, and my bike, and an open road in front of me.

"Geroff, you sod, that's my ride." I playfully shoved Ross off my baby and she complied with an eye-roll and an indulgent grin. I swung my leg over, straddling my bike as she got on the back of Ethan's, and threw one last look over my shoulder at the Black heir. He was still standing there, but instead of the shock or disapproval I was expecting, I was met with a bemused grin.

Huh. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all.

Smirking back at him, I lifted two fingers to my forehead in a cheeky salute before flicking the kickstand up with my foot. My bike roared to life underneath me as I revved it, and I eased up on the brake, grinning as I shot forward, leading my friends away. Where to, I wasn't sure, but at least it was far from there.

Wherever we were going, it was going to be a blast.

###

Sirius POV

I grinned to myself when I felt a soft vibration in my pocket. I swear to Merlin, James' mirror idea was the best one he'd had since us becoming animagi.

Excusing myself from my present company, I walked confidently to the first door I saw, allowing myself to grin fully when I realized it was the door to a secluded back yard. Finally, I could drop this stupid Pureblood routine my dear parents insisted on forcing Reg and I through.

"You're a bloody lifesaver," I told my best friend as soon as the door closed behind me. I headed towards one of the large trees on the property, grinning at James who was laughing uproariously, probably at the sight of my stuffy dress robes.

"You're enjoying the party, I see, Pads?" he smirked at me, and I rolled my eyes.

"I still don't understand why your parents aren't forcing you through this shite."

James adopted a smug look, and I made a mental note to prank him the next time I saw him. "I've already told them who I'm marrying," he informed me. "You're still on the market to get hitched."

"Merlin, kill me now," I groaned dramatically, grinning when James began to laugh again.

"Didn't see anyone you fancy, I gather?" he asked me, looking amused.

For a brief moment, I thought about the girl I'd just met; the daughter of the family hosting this little charade. As soon as her face appeared in front of my eyes, I promptly dismissed the image; beautiful though she might have been – the most beautiful girl I'd ever laid eyes on, no less – she was still one of those spoilt, prim and proper Pureblood princesses, content to be paraded around and sold to the highest bidder just as long as she got to keep her frills and fanciful life. She would be good for a roll around, but nothing more than that, I was sure.

"Not anyone worth sticking around for, Prongs," I confirmed, leaning against the tree trunk. "What are you up to?"

For the next few minutes I contented myself listening to my best friend as he regaled me with stories of his summer and ideas he had for when we went back to school in a few weeks. I pitched in with ideas of my own, and was about to elaborate on plans I had for a certain greasy git, when suddenly a flash of black and red came into my vision, dropping to the ground in front of me.

I yelped at the sudden appearance – where the hell from? – only to realize several things at once. One, that this was the girl I had just been thinking on; the daughter of the family that was throwing this party. Two, that she seemed to have scaled the tree down to the ground, but landed with enviable grace, not making a single sound. And three... that good Godric, this woman was beautiful in there, with her dress robes and makeup just right, but she looked drop dead sexy in this moment.

Gone were the dress robes and the elaborate finery, to be replaced with fitting muggle clothes; jeans, a vest, and a bloody leather jacket to boot. She'd ditched the fancy braid, her wavy curls cascading like a waterfall around her shoulders, the wind picking it up slightly as if the Gods themselves were trying to make sure nothing covered her stunning face. And it was just that; scrubbed clean of makeup, she was the most gorgeous creature my eyes had ever set upon, myself included, and that thought was saying a lot.

A pulse of something – admiration? Amusement? Pride? – zapped through me as she admonished me for my instinctive curse. She looked over her shoulder, obviously tense at the idea of being caught, before turning back to me.

Definitely not a Pureblood princess, then.

Before I could say anything, she was asking me not to rat her out, and I was almost offended at the thought of her assuming I would. Rationality caught up with me a second later, and I realized that she must have had the same impression of me, as I'd had of her after our meeting inside. The impression we were forced to give everyone else.

I was about to assure her that I wouldn't dream of throwing her under the bus, maybe try to convince her to take me with her, when a low whistle came over the air. Judging from the look on her face, it was a sound she had been listening out for; sure enough, there stood a group of people just beyond a tall, iron wrought gate.

The stunning sight of her whole face lighting up with the force of her smile, was only matched by the hot flush that came over me with the realization that this girl had a bloody motorcycle. I was almost jealous, and most certainly in awe of the beautiful girl.

Any opportunity I might have had to charm her, though, was thrown out of the window when she started running towards her friends, her hair flying out behind her like wild waves. She threw a hasty 'thank you' over her shoulder before scaling the imposing bars like a pro, giving me a minor heart attack when she simply threw herself down from the top without care.

Merlin, how far did she climb to get down here, anyway?

I glanced up, seeing a curtain escaping an open window in the breeze somewhere along the fourth level of the Manor. I laughed in disbelief; this woman, whoever she was, had guts like I'd never seen on a girl before in my entire life.

The sound of her laughter – loud, carefree, boisterous; unrestrained – caught my attention next, and something struck me deep in my chest as I took in the sight of her head thrown back in delight. She straddled her bike, getting herself situated before looking back at me. I couldn't arrange my features from where a stunned smile had formed, but it didn't seem to bother her as she smirked back at me, even going so far as to send me a cheeky salute before roaring off.

Another dazed laugh rumbled through my chest, and for the first time, I became aware of James still on the mirror, his voice getting impatient and a little concerned as he kept questioning what had happened. Lifting my hand, I grinned at my best friend, knowing that I looked more than a little ridiculous.

"Padfoot? What the hell happened?"

I had only one answer to that. "Prongs, I just met the woman I'm going to marry."

###

Normal POV

I gasped out involuntarily as I shifted on the bed, my sore muscles protesting the movement.

Worth it, worth it, it was still completely worth it.

Keeping up that chant in my head, I rode out the waves of pain that came off my abused body. Sure enough, the consequences had been dire for skipping out the way I did. When I eventually came back home, I wasn't surprised to find the end of my father's wand waiting for me. Several cutting curses across my back and one memorable burning hex later, I was surprised to find out that they'd only noticed I was missing after several hours, when Abraxas Malfoy asked to meet me upon finding out that I was yet to be betrothed.

Dodged a bullet, there.

What was more interesting, though, was the clear knowledge that Black hadn't tattled on me. I didn't know what to do with that information; clearly he was either not the stuck-up brat I had thought him to be, or he was simply every bit the heir to his family name and intended to use the information against me somehow in the future.

I rather hoped it was the former.

Before I could get caught up in thoughts of the eldest Black, I saw light spill into my room from the hallway, the only indication of my door being opened. It was the middle of the night, but I didn't panic, because I knew of only one person in the Manor that would enter my room at this ungodly hour.

"What's up, squirt?" I asked, pitching my voice low and light as I propped myself up on my elbows. My little brother, Callum, was stood there, looking equal parts nervous and sheepish.

"I had a nightmare."

It was all he said, and all he really needed to say, because this routine was as familiar to me as breathing. Ever since he was a baby, I was the one to cuddle and protect and care for my baby brother. It wasn't in our parents' natures and frankly, I was glad that I could step in and let Cal be a child. Merlin knew that nobody had ever done that much for me.

I lifted the edge of my blanket and with a relieved grin, Callum scampered underneath the covers, cuddling up against my side. I bit my lip hard as his hands inadvertently brushed against one of my wounds, but I was careful to keep it hidden from him. In the same way that I protected him from the nightmares in his head, I had always been careful to also protect him from the nightmares in the real world. Thankfully, he was Mother and Father's favorite; the heir to the family, their little Prince; so I didn't need to worry about them abusing him while I was away at school. He had a sweeter temperament than I did, too, unlikely to mouth off as much as I tended to, so I could rest assured knowing that he was safe in the Manor.

Contrary to popular belief, there was no bitterness between us. My friends, the few that had some idea of what went on underneath my roof, all believed that there had to be some contention between us, at the very least on my part for being treated like trash as opposed to the prodigal son. That couldn't be further from the truth, though. I was dizzyingly relieved that my parents' abuse only extended to me, because I would've hated myself if I couldn't protect him from a similar fate. Callum's safety was something I took very seriously, because I had loved my baby brother from the very second I'd laid eyes on him.

Wrapping my arms around him in a cocoon, I pressed a small kiss to the top of his head. "You're okay, Cal, you're safe," I murmured, rubbing his back soothingly. "It was just a bad dream."

"I dreamt you were gone," his small voice told me, and I hushed him comfortingly.

"I'll always be there to protect you, Cal," I reassured him softly, the words resonating deep within me. "I promise."

###

Sirius Orion Black had flipped my entire existence on its axis.

From the moment I'd set foot on the platform, he was there. I was given the grand introduction to his friends on the train ride to school, during which time I figured out that he wasn't anything like his family or mine, and then I was sorted into Gryffindor, which was apparently his house as well. I didn't totally understand the rivalries between the houses – perhaps because I was biased, given that Callum had been sorted in Slytherin, and no way was my baby brother my enemy, not by any stretch of the imagination. In any event, the evening of my first night there was spent helping his friends – the Marauders, they called themselves, growing offended when I cooed at the adorable little club they'd formed – to plan a prank, using the experience I'd gained from my friends at Beauxbatons.

He'd begun asking me out the very next day.

It was possibly a trend between the members of his group, because Potter, who I quickly discerned was his best friend, took the same approach with Lily Evans, a redhead in my year. We'd become fast friends, bonding over our respective idiots, and to my surprise, both boys never faltered in their interests. Not even when we'd had fights.

Oh, and fight, we did.

The first, of course, happened because they'd decided in their finite wisdom to hassle Callum, not recognizing him and instead only seeing his green and silver tie. I had seen red, placing myself directly in front of his smaller form and shoving my wand against Black's jugular with genuine intent. I'd told him, in no uncertain terms, that my baby brother was strictly off-limits to him and his little sidekicks, and perhaps it was the low, fierce tone that never usually left my lips, or maybe it was the utter coldness that graced my features, but for whatever the reason, they never bothered Cal again. In fact, they'd become friends with him, taking him under their wing. It was only after this happened, that I began talking to the Marauders again, and it was another while still, before I relaxed my guard around Sirius again. A consequence of the childhood I'd had.

I still remembered the moment that I realized how much I trusted the ridiculously handsome boy. It was terrifying and exhilarating all at the same time, an utterly foreign feeling that I didn't know what to do with...

"Open your books to page 394 and we can start today's revision lesson."

I flipped open my textbook, ignoring the antics James and Sirius were indulging in, diagonally from where I was seated. To be completely honest, I was still rather out of it after receiving a howler from mother dearest about the company I was keeping. I hated that she tried to control me so much, and though it wasn't their fault in any way, I wasn't entirely in the mood to be pacified by their clowning around.

Dipping my quill into my inkwell, I wrote the heading on top of my parchment in my distinctive, cursive script. I hadn't done the reading I was meant to do for this class, so I turned my attention up front, having no clue of much of the theory behind werewolves.

I was livid when the professor suddenly started spouting slurs about these 'dark creatures', calling them monsters, deeming them unfit to share the same space as humans. My anger boiled inside me, simmering dangerously, to the extent where I didn't even realize how uncharacteristically quiet the Marauders were being. It didn't matter that I didn't know a werewolf personally; Vincent, one of the Beauxbatons friends I'd managed to keep, had a younger brother who'd been bitten. I had met him once, the sweetest kid ever outside of Callum, and the very thought of him going through this sort of judgement lit my short fuse.

Professor Bennet had chosen the wrong day and place to express his personal issues.

I stood up sharply, the classroom flinching and automatically swinging their gazes to me as my chair clattered to the floor. Gathering my things and gripping my books till my knuckles were white, I prepared to leave, and I didn't back down, not even when the Professor had snapped out my surname in question.

If I wasn't afraid when my father disciplined me, then I could take whatever Bennet wanted to dish out after saying my piece.

"My apologies, Professor," I sneered his title, making little secret of the fact that I was scorning him, that my regret was wholly fake. Distantly, a small part of me realized that my Pureblood upbringing was showing again, in my straight-backed posture, in the icy drawl my voice had dropped into, in the ever so slight twist of my lips that showed Bennet exactly how little I thought of him. "I was under the impression that we were going to learn something of value in this class. I was unaware that we were simply going to be fed a bunch of utter rubbish by a man who clearly knows nothing about his subject matter."

"I beg your pardon, Miss..."

"Don't," I interrupted his blustering coldly, icily calm as I shouldered my bag, "because you won't get it. I won't pardon a teacher abusing his position to preach such prejudicial bullshite to a bunch of people who don't know any better. This is the same type of rubbish that all those manic Pureblood supremists spout off with, and I will not be a part of it."

I turned around and exited the class, throwing in a cheeky flip of my hair for good measure, ignoring the spluttering the man continued to do as he yelled after me. My temper was explosive, but in moments like this, when I got quiet and cold, like before, when I protected my brother, these were the moments that I was the most dangerous. I was afraid of myself at times like this; afraid of my blood, afraid of what I was capable of doing... afraid that I might actually do something, and become no better than my surname.

Caught up in my temper, and also in my fears, I didn't notice Sirius running after me until he pulled me into an empty classroom. I nearly hexed him on impulse, thankfully catching myself at the last moment, and as he locked the door behind him, he looked at me with worried grey eyes that didn't look like it belonged on his normally playful face. I wasn't sure what he saw in that moment, as he looked upon me, but whatever it was, it made him gentler than he'd ever been with me, the need to mollify me obviously taking precedence over addressing my little performance.

"Hey, it's alright love, calm down," he murmured soothingly to me, one hand reaching out slowly to wrap around my wrist. He lowered my wand arm, using slow, deliberate movements, before wrapping his left arm around my waist and tugging me gently into his warm, muscled chest. "Easy, love," he continued to murmur to me, voice deep and low and smooth as Firewhiskey. "I've got you, it's okay."

"It's not okay," I protested, pushing against his chest weakly as I felt myself begin to lose composure. As I felt myself begin to lose the complete control I'd mastered since I was eight years old. Merlin, what was it about this boy that I suddenly felt safe enough to drop my guards around him? "It's not okay, because he influences children, and he's going to keep poisoning minds with that rubbish, and the wizarding world is already broken enough without adding more prejudice to it, and what is it about being different, that suddenly equates to being evil? Because there's nothing wrong with being different, it's a strength, it shouldn't be treated as a handicap, and yet everyone tries to suppress it or demean it or make certain that people who should be proud of their differences instead feel like they should be ashamed, and to perpetuate that mindset at this..."

"Hush, love... I've got you," Sirius repeated in a whisper, cutting off my frenzied, mindless tirade, keeping me caged within his arms. He effortlessly overpowered my half-hearted attempts to keep him away, folding me into his chest like he could shield me from the world. And maybe it was crazy, because in that moment, it truly felt like he could. Like, in his arms, I had nothing to fear, because he would protect me against anything and everything that came at me. Protect me against myself, even.

It was the safest I had felt in my entire life.

And something shifted in me, then, because without my permission, my hands were clutching his shirt and I was burrowing impossibly closer to him. All he did was to tighten his grip in response, and as we stood there, me wrapped up in his arms like he was never going to let me go, or let me fall, I finally allowed myself to lose control. I shut my eyes and let him take most of my weight, not crying or getting any more hysterical, but regulating my rapid breathing to sync with his, losing my awareness only to let it pinpoint to the hand that was running through my hair. I was trembling, but as his arms tightened fractionally around me, even that subsided. I didn't think for a second that he would judge me, or think less of me for this moment. It was a rare thing indeed, but there was no denying it now.

I trusted him.

Something intrinsic had changed between us that day, but at the time, I hadn't been sure what it was. By the next day, we were back to normal, bickering playfully and teasing each other and fighting on and off. The ensuing fights were never as bad as that first one with Callum, but I could readily admit that Sirius was under my skin in a way that none other had ever been before him.

It was only at the end of the year that I realized what had changed. It took me as long as it did, I reckon, because this thing that had changed between us was as natural as breathing. We were up in the Astronomy tower, he was showing me the Dog Star, and in retrospect, I think I knew, even then, how our sixth year was going to end...

"The stars are some of the most beautiful things in our world, don't you think?" I commented softly, caught up in the stunning sight of the night sky filled with brightly twinkling lights. My grandmother, before she'd passed, used to take me stargazing when I was a child. We would sit for hours in silence, just admiring the evidence of a world much bigger than the both of us, and looking back on it, I could pinpoint those moments as the only ones filled with love and peace in my entire childhood.

There was an uncharacteristic, visceral vulnerability in his voice, one that I hadn't heard from Sirius before, when he responded. "Honestly? The stars do nothing for me, compared to what you brought into my life."

My breath caught, but I forced a laugh over that reaction. "Wow, Black, how is it you still get laid when you use such cheesy lines?" I determinedly didn't look over at him, knowing that if his face matched the sincerity in his tone, then there wouldn't be a chance for me to pass off his words as playful flirting.

"Maybe it's not a line."

Okay, so obviously he wasn't going to let me off the hook that easy. I stood up, brushing my skirt off impatiently. "Of course it is," I replied airily, maintaining my light tone. I couldn't let him do this to me, I couldn't let him force me to face my feelings for him. It could only lead to heartbreak. "We're just friends," I added, walking towards the door. "Half the time, we're arguing about everything."

"I'm in love with you."

The words stopped me cold. It felt as though fireworks were going off inside me, and it was the most exhilarating thing I had ever experienced, but at the same time, I felt terrified in a way that I had never felt before. Not even when faced with my own parents pointing their wands to curse me.

He stood up, taking advantage of me being frozen in place, and came up behind me. His hands rested gently on my hips, his voice materializing in a murmur next to my ear. "And you're in love with me, too."

"You seem awfully sure of yourself, Black," I shot back, but my voice sounded unsteady even to my own ears, and I couldn't seem to stop myself from leaning into the warmth his body was resonating.

He chuckled, a low sound that rumbled through his chest, and I could feel its vibrations along my back. "I wasn't," he admitted, in a whisper too raw to be anything but truthful. "I wasn't ever so uncertain about anything. But I know you, love," his voice dropped another octave and he dipped his head down to brush his lips against my shoulder. "And you're not moving away."

I wasn't.

Against my will, in fact, my head tilted with an inaudible sigh, baring my neck to him in helpless submission. He wasted no time pressing his advantage, shifting his lips to the curve of my neck and leaving a harder, open-mouthed kiss against the soft skin.

"Sirius..." his name fell off my lips without my permission, a breathless, distressed sound that felt like it was clawed from the back of my throat. Whether I was warning him or pleading with him, in that moment not even I could be sure.

He groaned harshly, arms encircling my waist and abruptly pulling me back against his chest. His voice was wrecked when he spoke next. "Tell me I'm wrong," he challenged, blazing grey eyes searching mine out as I turned my neck to look at him. His forehead dropped down against my own, as if he couldn't stand even that distance. "Tell me to stop and I'll never bring this up again."

My eyes squeezed closed, his intensity too much to comprehend in my heightened awareness. "I can't."

"Can't?"

I turned fully in his arms, one hand coming up to grasp at his tie. I was shaking, but filled with a resolve more powerful than I'd ever known. "I don't want to," I clarified, my own eyes darkening as he pulled me closer. "I don't want to tell you to stop."

No sooner were the words out of my mouth, before he was swallowing them away with his own, kissing me like it was the last time he ever would. His arm became a band of steel around my waist and the other, in complete contradiction, was cupping my face with infinite tenderness, like he was afraid of shattering me. I held no such restraint, burying my hands in his hair and relishing in the silky smoothness that tickled my palms.

Suddenly, we were moving, and he backed me up into a wall, shielding my head from the impact with his hand before relocating his lips to my throat. I gasped involuntarily, a needy, scared sound, and before I could be embarrassed about it, he pulled back, looking at me with more love and devotion that I'd ever seen directed at me before. It made my breath catch.

With deliberate slowness, he manacled my wrists with his hands, bringing them up to pin them loosely next to my head. Pressing himself flush against me, he kept his eyes locked with mine, and I couldn't see anything but my own feelings and desires reflected back at me from those quicksilver orbs.

"I will never break your heart," he husked, and there was something desperate in his voice, like he needed me to believe that more than he needed anything else in that moment.

I swallowed hard, looking steadily back at him. I thought I might have needed to think about it, but the words fell from my lips without a second thought.

"Then I'm yours."

Wrapped up in his arms, surrounded so completely by him, there was no running or hiding from the truth anymore.

If I'd had any idea that being with him, as dawn broke around us, was to be the last moment of peace and happiness for me, I'd have done things a little differently. I'd have kissed him a little longer, held on to him a little tighter. As it were, I hadn't known, and now, standing in front of my parents, I suddenly fiercely wished I could go back in time to that morning. I wished so hard for him to be there, so he could wrap me up in one of those strong hugs of his that made me feel so overwhelmingly safe.

"I refuse," I stated clearly, standing strong and proud even as my parents narrowed their eyes warningly at me. "I absolutely refuse to be betrothed to Avery, I cannot stand that ghastly git, and by Godric, I will hex him if he comes anywhere near me."

"You are the first born child of this house and you will do as you're told!" Father thundered, standing up and slamming his fist against the table. A flash of fear went through me – I did so hate the beatings – but my stubbornness held true as I stood up as well, facing him with a defiant expression, clinging to the memory of Sirius – his voice and his touch – for an extra inkling of strength.

"I've said it once, I'll say it again, I don't want an arranged betrothal!" I yelled back, clenching my hands into fists at my side. "I cannot..."

That was as far as I got before a familiar jet of light was thrown at me.

###

"Stay still, you stupid little girl."

I huffed, unable to feel any gratitude towards the woman dabbing my cuts with essence of dittany. After all, she'd been party to putting them there, and she certainly wasn't doing this for me out of pity, or even some sense of motherly duty. No, she was doing this, none too gently, I might add, for the simple reason that she didn't want to hand damaged goods over to the Avery family. I almost wanted to remain in pain rather than having her touch me, but I was no masochist.

I rolled over the moment she was finished, before the last cut had even been soothed. "If men so hate the idea of a scarred back, maybe you could begin thinking of a different punishment," I snarked.

Mother narrowed her eyes at me, and though it still stung whenever she looked at me like I wasn't worth the air we were sharing, that was nothing compared to the feeling that came over me with her next words.

"This is entirely your own fault," she remarked coldly. "We might have been able to finish securing your betrothal to the Black heir, if not for whatever you did to ruin that arrangement."

My breath punched out of me in a gasp. "What?" I whispered, sudden hope bubbling inside me. Sirius? I wouldn't mind being tied to him in marriage.

"Yes," she confirmed, disgust lacing her tone as she looked at me. "Walburga seemed quite keen, for whatever reason, but she dismissed all our plans. Her son must have declined. Can't blame him."

Any hope I had came crushing down with those words. Sirius had... refused?

Had everything been a lie? Had I just been another notch on his bedpost, had I fallen for the same lines he'd given everyone else? I felt bereft, like something useless and discarded tossed out to sea, for the vapid waters to destroy. For the first time in my life, I couldn't fight against the feeling.

And in that moment, I knew that the impossible had come to pass. My resolve was broken. As if to assure the destruction of any fighting spirit I had left, Callum approached me not long after my mother left my room. For the first time in his life, my brother looked timid and scared, and I cursed my father for carrying out his punishments in front of Cal.

"I don't want you to get hurt," were the first words to leave my baby brother's mouth.

I sighed, taking him into my arms and hushing him when he worried about the injuries I had sustained, making him promise not to tell any of our friends about the abuse. It wasn't the worst, and probably wouldn't be, if one considered Father's words to be the truth. And I did.

I had been issued a very clear ultimatum by my parents; either I become the Pureblood heir I was expected to be, or Callum would be made to become it in my place. I knew instantly, what that would entail for my soft, subservient little brother; I wasn't blind to the dark marks adorning both my parents' left arms; and I refused to be party to such a fate being forced upon an innocent Callum.

It was set in stone. I was to become a proper Pureblood bride, and I was officially engaged to Avery.

That night, as it hit me, I wanted nothing more than I wanted Sirius. I wanted him there to tell me that there was some misunderstanding, that I meant more to him than a meaningless hook-up.

I didn't let myself hope for it, and yet when morning arrived, and my 'fixing' began, I was still stupid enough to feel disappointed.

###

Sirius POV

"Cool it, Padfoot, your girlfriend is probably already on the train."

I glared at James without any real heat and the tosser had the nerve to laugh in my face. He'd been taking the mickey out of me the entire summer, and I might have been more annoyed about it, if I hadn't had an idea of why he was doing it. In his own, Prongs way, James had been trying to take my mind off the fact that I'd been forced to go without any contact with the girl of my dreams.

Since up and leaving Grimmauld Place, and effectively, the Black family, I'd been staying with the Potters. It felt more like home than my family home ever had, and James' parents had become my own as well, somehow. It was a wonderful feeling, and would have been the best holiday I'd ever had, hands down, had I been able to contact the woman that had so effortlessly stolen my heart. Alas, Fleamont Potter had whisked us all away to the Potter home in Paris while the heat died down from my leaving home, asking James and I to also refrain from much contact with any of the other Pureblood families.

It was the very least I could do for the man that had welcomed me into his family, and so I sent her a letter explaining where I was, and not a single communication after that, despite missing my girl like a limb.

But it didn't matter now. We were back at school, and in just a few minutes, I was going to have her in my arms, her lips on mine.

I could hardly stand the wait.

Remus elbowed me lightly, grinning. "Never thought I'd ever see the day where you pined after a girl more than Prongs after Lily."

I smirked back, not bothering to deny that I was doing exactly that. "Never thought I'd ever meet a girl quite like mine, Moony."

"Not yours anymore, way I've heard it."

My head snapped back at the offhand comment, turning to glare at the person who'd spoken. Frank Longbottom held his hands palms-up, in a gesture of peace, even as his eyes reflected sympathy towards me.

"What the bloody hell are you talking about, Frank?"

With each word out of his mouth, I felt myself pale.

She was engaged? To Avery?

Part of me expected to be enraged. To pull her aside and demand an explanation, demand to know why she'd thrown away what I thought we had between us, so easily. To yell and rant and curse something. Or someone, preferably Avery.

Instead, all I could feel was heartbreak and betrayal.

###

Normal POV

I had been back at Hogwarts three months already... and I wasn't sure it could get worse. I'd thought anything would've been better than the Manor, and the Pureblood 'grooming' I was made to attend, but this was far from the reprieve I'd been hoping for. I was forced to avoid the Marauders and Lily completely, lest word travel to my betrothed that I was fraternizing with people who weren't among his pre-approved company; and that was apparently an actual thing, because the first time I'd talked to Ethan without permission, Father and the Avery heir had afforded me twenty lashes across my back, the 'dffiindo' falling as easily from their lips as a greeting. Lord Avery, for his part, had simply curled his lip in disgust at the very idea of me having a muggle friend.

Since then, I wasn't so willing to antagonize them; Avery, his parents and mine had seemed adamant about breaking me down, making me fill the mold expected of me. The odds were stacked heavily against me, any communication between me and my friends banned, and through my utter lack of support, I also had to deal with the heartbreak that came from the knowledge that I'd somehow fallen in love with Sirius Black. That last one hurt more than any of my punishments over the summer... especially knowing that he didn't think our time together worth anything more than a moment of fun.

Now, I was alone. The only thing that meant anything to me anymore, was protecting Callum. I focused my energies on that, and even I had known, in all my Gryffindor recklessness, that this was a time for cunning, not stubbornness. I'd gone along, burying my impulses, doing exactly what was expected of me. In school, this entailed avoiding my Gryffindor friends and sticking to Avery's side, a presence to be seen and not heard. I was even forced to sleep with Avery's sister, in the Slytherin girls' dorms, lest I become "unduly influenced" by my dorm mates. The only moments I had to regroup, try to reassess my situation, were the few times I was allowed to the library without Avery; and even during those times, one of his lackeys were always around, waiting to report any toe I inched out of line.

Unfortunately, it was one of those times that I was approached by one James Potter.

Slamming his hands on the desk I was using, I could feel his righteous fury all the way across the table. I flinched slightly at the sound it elicited, my grip tightening on my quill, but I took a moment before I glanced up at him. He looked infuriated, although I couldn't imagine why.

"You're a real piece of work, you know that?"

Pain pulsed inside me, that had nothing to do with the physical assaults I still went through. He was disgusted with me for entering into a betrothal with Avery, that much was obvious, but I had entertained the vain hope that he might understand, as a Pureblood. Granted, he could never know the extent of which I was being forced into this, but he had to at least be aware of the demands of tradition, of arranged marriages.

I cleared my throat weakly, aware of Nott's eyes on me from a couple tables away. "I apologize for any aggravation I may have caused you."

James' eyes widened briefly, his anger stopped in its tracks by my subservient response. I hated myself for it, hated that I could no longer so much as talk the way I wanted to, but it was going to be a bad enough punishment when Nott reported that I had been talking to Prongs. I didn't want to worsen things for myself. Not now.

"You broke his heart," James spoke hardly, his brown eyes flinty even as they assessed me. "You broke my best friend's heart and now you don't even have the guts to face him. Some Gryffindor you are. You're better off in the Snake pit, it's where you belong. You're no better than the rest of your family."

His words cut like knives through me. It hurt worse than the pain inflicted on me this past summer, but even that didn't surpass the pain I still felt over Sirius' betrayal.

But... why was James defending his friend's supposedly broken heart, when Sirius had been the one to refuse any attachment to me?

I trained my gaze on the table, despising the submissive posture that had been beaten into me. "I regret any upset I may have caused," I repeated, without looking up at him. "However, I am engaged now, and I am simply adhering to my betrothed's wishes, to keep in his company. I trust you understand his hesitation to allow me near Lord Black, given the circumstances of our almost-engagement."

"What?" James' perplexed voice almost had me looking up. Even without seeing his face, however, I knew that he was completely confused. Had Sirius neglected to mention his refusal of our mothers' proposal plans?

Either way, I couldn't talk for much longer without making things very bad for myself. I stood up wordlessly, began to pack away my books.

James crossed the table, coming to a stop directly in front of me. "What the bloody hell are you talking about, Paws?" he asked harshly, but his use of my Marauder nickname – given for my Patronus, which took the shape of a dog – told me that he was more confused than aggressive now. "Since when does Avery allow you to do anything? And what almost-engagement, with who? With Sirius?"

"Lord Black declined the betrothal plans between our families," I answered, the jagged pain clear in my voice despite how hard I tried to keep my meek tone. "As such, you have to understand that my fiancé's wishes must take precedence to me, now."

I began to walk away, but before I could take a single step, James' hand encircled my wrist, pulling me back. I managed to bite back a yelp of pain, as even his gentle grip irritated the bruise that already adorned my arm, but that wasn't enough.

Abject horror overtook Prongs' expression as my sleeve lifted and he caught sight of the mottled purple. "Oh, sweetheart..."

I jerked back sharply at his low gasp, casting a desperate look at him. I didn't care for a moment, that I was breaking form, that I was looking James in the eye, that I was crossing the line of interaction that I'd been allowed.

"I'm sorry, James," I whispered, wishing that things were different. Maybe he was right, and maybe I wasn't fit to be a Gryffindor, but I had to think about Callum. I had to put him first. "I'm so sorry."

Before he could say anything, I hurried out of the library. I knew that I would no longer be afforded such illusions of privacy, and that the consequences of our conversation would be dire.

I could only be grateful that I had sent out the last letter I needed to send out.

###

Sirius POV

Writing an essay was no easy feat when it seemed impossible to read past the first few lines of reference text.

I sighed inwardly, but kept my eyes riveted on the History of Magic textbook, lest anyone try to engage me in conversation. The past few months had been nothing short of torture. I'd tried to get over my heartbreak – tried to fill the void with pranks and the Marauders and Quiddich – but nothing came close to region of successful.

I dreamed of her at night, and each waking breath was consumed with thoughts about where we'd gone wrong, why she'd suddenly turned over to her family's side.

For a few glorious days, I'd considered the Imperius curse. I had been sure that her family had somehow put her under, that she was simply hidden somewhere deep inside herself, waiting for me to rescue her. That theory, however, was promptly disproven when I saw her stop to help a firstie whose bag had split open in the middle of a corridor. Repairing the bag and helping the Ravenclaw gather her books was such a typical thing of her to do, that she couldn't have been under a spell.

There was no other explanation than just a change of heart. A change of loyalty. Merlin, she was even sleeping in the Slytherin dorms now! I had to face facts; my girl, was never mine to begin with. My first impression of her had been spot-on; the little Pureblood Princess. And to think, I'd thought her my soul mate; ever since that DADA lesson, where she produced her corporeal Patronus of my form, I hadn't been able to deny the connection we shared. But it was all a lie.

"Pads, come on, mate," Moony's voice pulled me from my depressing thoughts, as his hand clamped over my shoulder. Undisguised sympathy lined his face, his eyes, and it disarmed me enough to let my quill fall to the desk, to drop my walls and defenses. "You can't keep doing this to yourself."

Before I could respond, we were interrupted by the sound of the door opening, and promptly being thrown shut.

Prongs.

Frowning slightly at my best friend, I stood up. "Oi, what's..." My words cut short as I caught sight of his face. I'd known and been inseparable from James Potter since we'd met, going on seven years ago. In all that time, I had never once seen him look as pale, as viciously wrathful, as he looked in that moment. I immediately stepped forward, Moony not far behind. "What happened?" I demanded, concern for James overshadowing any and all of my own issues.

When all he could say was her name, I begun to think the worse.

Had they fought? Had it out? Had she taken the Slytherins' side as they ganged up on my best friend?

"Padfoot, you need to sit down."

His grim words turned my bubbling anger and anxiety into confusion. Why would I need to sit down? And what had happened to make James look like he was going to be sick and kill someone at the same bloody time?

Knowing that I wouldn't get answers if I didn't comply – because James was rarely serious but when he was, he really was – I perched on the edge of my bed, every muscle strained. "Talk."

"We were so wrong."

###

Normal POV

A Christmas wedding.

Merlin, it seemed fitting, given that I was in need of a Christmas miracle if I was about to get through the day.

I stood in front of my full length mirror, gaze trained on a spot along the skirt of my dress, passive as my mother and several stylists flitted around me, trying to get everything to sit just so. I didn't dare take in the whole picture, knowing that all of it would nauseate me; from the flowing ivory gown with its intricately beaded bodice, to the sleek and straight up-do that they'd spent hours teasing my hair into. None of it was me. If I had looked into the mirror, I would see a stranger.

I had gone along, this far. Too far, to slip up now. If everything went according to plan, this nightmare would be over soon. Then I could look into the mirror once more and maybe recognize the girl I see staring back at me.

"You're ready," my mother spoke in clipped tones, running a critical gaze over me before nodding in satisfaction. "After this, you'll be an Avery, and I'd best not hear any complaints from them about sassing and lofty ideas about muggles and mudbloods and blood traitors. Understood?"

I kept my head lowered. My voice, obedient. "Yes, Mother."

"Good. We've elected to allow your brother to remain at Hogwarts rather than attend the ceremony, as he has an engagement with your Potions Master. He will be excusing you, but I expect you to pardon yourself as well, once you return to school."

I never thought I'd be grateful for old Sluggy and his Christmas parties. "Yes, Mother."

"And you are to reside in the Slytherin quarters for the remainder of the school year."

"Yes, Mother."

After all these months, there was no longer any reason to be suspicious of my compliance; as such, my parents were complacent, something I intended to take full advantage of. Just before she left me, to touch up her own make-up, I made my request.

Maintaining my passive expression, my deferential tone, I asked, "Mother, might I be granted a moment of privacy, in order to compose myself? It will be emotional to leave my home behind."

It was a testament of how well I'd played my part in the past few months, that my mother bought that load of rubbish.

I counted a full five, agonizingly long seconds after she left, before I leapt into action.

The scene as I tore my clothes almost frantically off my body, was frighteningly reminiscent of the same actions over a year ago, when I had escaped that awful dinner party. This time, though, the stakes were so much higher.

I yanked on my muggle clothes; the standard jeans and combat boots but this time paired with a long-sleeved turtleneck and a fur-lined leather jacket, to combat the cold. Diving into my dresser, I pulled out the suitcase – already shrunken and charmed with a feather-light for easy handling – that I had packed last night, along with the little bag filled with gold and one letter, the importance of which ranked high above everything else I owned.

Tying the bag to my belt loop and tucking the suitcase into my pocket, I all but dove out of my window, my parents having removed the charms on it that were meant to keep me inside; I had pleaded with and eventually paid the woman styling my hair to simply request an open window to work with and as I had predicted, my parents had been complacent and therefore lax in putting the charms back in place.

I made quick work down the tree, almost slipping a few times when my haste met the icy, frosted surface of the bark. I froze in place when I heard voices coming out into the backyard; I couldn't afford this, I didn't have the time to wait for someone to go back inside...

With no small amount of impatience, I waited to see who would turn up, but while the voices got louder, there was still no sign of any approaching people. What the bloody hell...

"Yeah, well, this is a stupid plan, Pads! You DON'T KNOW HOW to climb a bloody tree!"

The words, hissed yet hushed, made my blood stop in my veins.

What on earth were they doing here?

Steeling myself – because Sirius Black had ruined my heart but I would be damned if he ruined my life, too – I jumped from my perch, landing softly on the ground in front of them. In the same way that it had happened the last time, Sirius yelped in surprise, but this time, it was louder since James cried out as well.

"Godric, are you two prats trying to get me caught?!" I snapped in a whisper shout, groping in the air blindly until I made purchase with the invisibility cloak. Yanking it off, I came face-to-face with two sheepish Marauders, both looking equally relieved and chagrined.

"Paws! We uh... we came to rescue you?" James' voice turned into a question at the end, obviously not having expected me to be running out on my own wedding. For his part, Sirius was just looking at me like I was every fantasy he had never dared allow himself to dream.

I wasn't falling for that. Not again.

I threw the cloak back at James, my expression icy. "I'm doing just fine, thank you. I'm sure you can see yourselves back out."

Crouching low, I glanced towards the windows facing the back yard, not seeing anyone looking out over the back part of the property. Now would be a good time to go, the rendezvous point was still a few streets over and I didn't want to be late...

A small, soundless gasp rushed past my lips as Sirius grabbed my waist, pulling me backwards. I was about to push him away when I realized where his attention was fixed.

On my arms.

He was gently but insistently pushing the sleeves up, and I knew already, what he was searching for. "You don't need to see that, Black..."

He ignored my half-hearted struggles against his hold and continued his quest. A small, hurt sound emanated from the back of his throat as my jacket was lifted to reveal still-purple bruises over yellowed healing ones; as soft as a butterfly's wings, his fingers skated across them, as though he could heal them all just like that.

My own hands were firm as I pushed him back, replacing the sleeves of my jacket without meeting the horrified gazes of the two boys. Whatever had happened, it appeared that some part of both of them still felt for the pain that I was going through; as much as I wanted to hold on to my anger, now wasn't the time for it. Now was the time to get the bloody hell out of there.

It seemed my escape plan had taken on two more passengers.

"Look, just... just follow me," I muttered, turning my attention back to the more immediate concern, which was a safe escape. I stayed low as I ran across the yard and with practiced movements that hadn't been lost, I scaled the wall and dropped safely down on the pavement.

Only to find both Gryffindors gawking at me from the opposite side.

James was the first to speak up. "The most athletic thing we do is Quiddich, Paws, we do not climb walls!"

I huffed a breath, rolling my eyes before getting them up and over the wall with a none-too-gentle Levicorpus. I wasn't keen to drop my guard; not just yet, not while everything still had the potential to go so wrong; so instead of slowing my pace, I did the opposite and set off towards the rendezvous point at a dead run. To their credit, the other two Gryffindors were keeping up with my pace, although definitely not as easily.

When I turned the corner to see him standing right where we'd discussed, at the middle bench at the park, two brooms in hand, I could have cried with relief.

I didn't slow down and barreled into him with the force of my hug, throwing my arms around his neck. "Vince, oh Godric... thank Merlin you're here," I shuddered a breath, knowing how easily it might have been for my best friend from Beauxbatons to just ignore the owls I'd sent him. My correspondence, after all, had been for his older brother, but of course Vince had to get involved when he'd heard what was happening to me.

For his part, the older boy just lifted me off my feet, barely stumbling even from my impact. He held on tight to me, not saying anything until I spoke.

"Did you honestly think I would let you do this alone?" he asked fondly, setting me back down and pulling away, only to reach up and push a lock of hair behind my ear. I laughed at the familiar gesture, leaning into it slightly, having missed a gentle and friendly touch.

"Naw," I shook my head as I pulled back, grinning wanly up at him, "I knew you wouldn't. Doesn't mean I don't know the risk you're taking in doing this."

Vince licked his lips and through all the pranks we'd pulled together when we were both in Beauxbatons, I'd never seen him this worried. "Not as big as the risk you're taking, Trouble," he pointed out, but not even the sound of my old nickname could detract from the serious note in his voice. "My brother's got all the paperwork ready for you to sign so he can start the legal stuff, but are you sure you want to do this? They could retaliate."

I knew that. The moment I concocted this plan, I had known its risks, but what other option did I have? I wasn't going to become a Pureblood Princess and I certainly wasn't going to let Callum get ruined because of it.

"What the bloody hell is going on?"

Sirius' hoarse voice reminded me that we weren't alone and as I turned around, I was somewhat irked to see that the Black heir was glaring harshly at my best friend. At the same time, a pulse of something throbbed through my chest at the obvious jealousy; which was ridiculous because Sirius Black and I were nothing to each other. Not anymore.

Right?

Making an executive decision, I grabbed one of the brooms. "No time to explain here. When we're further away, I'll give you guys an overview, but for now, Prongs is flying with me."

Mounting the spare Comet that Vince had brought, I waited until I felt James' familiar arms around my waist before kicking off.

###

"I'll get the ball rolling. You are one tough girl, I have to say."

I sent a tired but grateful smile to Vince's brother at his sympathetic and simultaneously admiring words. Elliot had been my saving grace in this whole nightmare and I couldn't imagine a way in which I could even hope to repay him for everything he'd done for me and Cal.

Standing up, I forewent a handshake and hugged him tightly instead. "I don't know how to thank you."

"This is just fine," he told me softly, patting my back as he returned the hug. "Come on, V," he beckoned his younger brother as he pulled away. "I'll take you back to Mum and Dad's before I go to the ministry."

Bidding my best friend goodbye was a lot more difficult; promising to catch up with him some time when I wasn't running for my life was the least I could do and even still, I felt the familiar sting of tears in my eyes as he hugged me once more. As soon as the holidays were here, I would have to take him and Elliot out for a round of drinks.

Turning to the remaining two in my company, I tried to figure out why my fear was greater to face them than it was to pull off my grand escape.

I looked into Sirius' eyes and I realized instantly why.

No matter how hurt I'd been, no matter how heartbroken and angry and devastated, I had never once stopped loving him. Now I had to face him again and there was nothing bigger on my plate, like freeing myself of my family's tyranny. It was just us, the fact that he'd rejected me hanging heavy in the air between us.

"I suppose you two will be wanting some sort of explanation, then," I commented dryly, breaking the silence first, determined to keep my composure especially after the months I'd spent having to be a subservient little pet.

Unsurprisingly, it was James who answered, his face showing nothing but sadness and a desire to help. "Do you mind, Paws?" The question was so genuine that I had to marvel slightly. It'd been months since someone had asked me something with the intention of wanting a real answer. "We can wait, it's just..."

"No," I interrupted him, taking a steadying breath. "No, that's okay. Long story short, I was forced into a betrothal with Avery after a marriage proposal with the Black family fell through." I got through those words briskly, keeping my gaze trained on James instead of the man who'd broken my heart. "My parents were threatening to make Cal pick up the slack if I refused to do what they asked of me, so I bided my time, pretended to conform to their conditioning. Vincent is my best friend and his brother Elliot works in wizarding law. I began owling with them since the start of the term because I had done some enquiring with Gringotts and realized that my trust becomes my own as soon as I turn 18. Which, luckily enough, was last week. Waiting until today to escape meant that I didn't need to be emancipated, I just needed to get my accounts in order and have Elliot draw up a blood contract. It isn't entirely legal," I added with a tempering glance at the two Marauders, "but it will stand within any traditional Pureblood family. The contract I had him draw up transfers custody over Callum to me, as a legal adult, in exchange for my continued silence and not pressing charges over the abuse I've sustained this year and previously."

That had been an easy decision for me to make. Elliot had been volleying for me to take all of this to the Wizengamot and have my parents tried for abuse and negligence, but I hadn't been willing to take the chance that I would lose and therefore not have custody of my little brother. I had been adamant about that; the only thing that mattered was having Cal with me, justice could wait for another time and another fight.

"So they're all just going to get away with hurting you?" Sirius snapped out, and for the first time, I looked at him. His expression was a mess of emotions but one thing was clear; the way his grey eyes were molten with fury.

I nodded once, averting my eyes again. "I can live with that, as long as it keeps my brother safe."

There was a few moments of uncharacteristic silence from both Marauders and this time, I didn't deign to break it. They needed a few moments to absorb, and that was fine, because I needed a few moments myself. I had been discreetly working towards this plan for months... it was finally over with and I was finally safe. I could breathe again, and that deserved a moment of reveling.

Eventually, it was James who spoke.

"I'll just... I'm going to head back to Hogwarts to tell your little brother that you're safe," he told me, gazing apologetically at me with his big hazel eyes. His regret, I knew, stemmed from what had happened between us at the library a few days ago, but I didn't acknowledge it. My bigger concern, as it always had, laid with my younger brother.

I cleared my throat. "Please don't tell Cal anything except that I'm alright," I requested softly. "I'd like to explain everything to him myself."

James nodded in acquiescence, looking torn, but as I watched him, he shuffled to the fireplace and floo'd to Professor Dumbledore's office. The flames had barely erupted over James' body before I suddenly found myself grabbed and yanked into strong, very familiar arms.

To my chagrin, the only thing I could do when Sirius slammed his lips over mine, was whimper low in my throat and hang on to him for dear life.

His arms were desperately pulling me closer to him, as though he physically couldn't stand the distance, his lips ravishing mine for the same reason. My lips, I knew, were going to be bruised from the roughness of the kiss, but I couldn't care for it. Not at that moment.

In the next moment, however... that was when my good sense decided to make an appearance.

Shoving roughly away from him, I gasped in a breath, tears immediately swimming into my eyes. "No... no, you don't get to do that to me, not when you already rejected me. That isn't how this is going to work, Black, I'm not your fucking toy..."

"Love."

That one word, his voice wrecked with anguish, was enough to interrupt my justified tirade. At the address, my voice caught as my throat dried up, and the tears that hadn't fallen in the months of my torture were suddenly streaking down my cheeks.

"Oh, Love," he whispered again, taking half a step forward, "I didn't. I swear on Godric Gryffindor I did not, couldn't ever, reject you."

Shaking my head slightly in confusion, I tried to keep my voice from cracking. "What do you mean?"

"I was disowned." He said the words quickly, as if afraid I wasn't going to listen, and I felt a phantom pain rip through my chest, knowing that whatever had happened couldn't have been easy for him. "At the start of the summer, I left home for James' place and the Potters, well, they've more or less adopted me now. James' dad thought that the fallout would be too ugly for us, so he took us all to Paris for the summer and asked that I not have contact with any other Purebloods, which is why I couldn't write. My mother must have rejected the proposal without telling your family that I was no longer a Black, to save face. I promise you, love, I never knew that I was meant to be your betrothed," he finished, and the raw quality to his voice, the torment in his grey eyes, it was enough to convince me that this had actually all been one big mistake. Just a misunderstanding. "If I'd known, then, that you were, and that I'd have to give you up to someone else if I left, I never would have. It killed me to see you with Avery," he finished, and sometime during his explanation, he'd managed to make slow progress until he was right in front of me. A tentative hand reached up and he brushed the tears softly off my cheek. "Please believe me, love, because after all of this, I can't go another second without knowing that you're mine, and only mine."

The words made my eyes fall shut with the force of my emotions. How I had yearned to hear those words, that night I spent in my bed, praying that Sirius would rescue me from the forced betrothal that I was faced with. He hadn't saved me, hadn't even known that I'd needed saving...

...but he'd come for me this time. Today, when he knew I needed him, despite the fact that I was hours away from being promised to another man, he had come for me. That had to mean something, right? There were a lot of things that needed saying, but it was a good foundation. Because he hadn't bailed on me and I wasn't under my parents' thumbs anymore.

I did the only thing I could do, and threw my arms around his neck, kissing him fervently in lieu of a response.

He got with the program fairly quickly, lifting me off my feet and into his chest as though he could make me a part of him by force of will alone. His lips were gentler this time, coaxing me into an easy exploration, a sharp contrast to his possessive hands.

Only when we were both entirely breathless, did I pull back. My voice was small and beseeching as I left my forehead pressed against his, my eyes still shut. "Sirius..."

"I will never break your heart," he vowed huskily, his tone a dead ringer for the night we'd spent in the astronomy tower. The words sprung cautious hope deep inside me, in a place I had thought lost forever. Slowly, I opened my eyes and saw nothing but truth in his endless orbs, surrounded with a fierce and ferocious love, something which I had never expected to find. It was fairly fitting, though, because how could I have ever expected to find him? This kindred spirit who seemed to fit me like a puzzle piece?

I smiled softly, for the first time in months, and I murmured the words I knew he needed to hear as much as I needed to say them.

"Then I'm yours."

###

Another crazzzy long one! 13000+ words, yeesh XD 

Please let me know how you felt about this one! I'm especially anxious since trying the new format with the other POV! <3