May 29, 1976

ADIRA AND SIRIUS are standing beside each other on the astronomy tower, looking over the beautiful view of the Forbidden Forest and the Black Lake. Gleaming splatters of white litter the night sky as the two gaze up, content smiles on each of their faces.

"Gray?" Adira whispers softly. Sirius turns his head to look at her and sees that her eyes are closed.

"Yeah?" Sirius matches her soft tone.

She doesn't say anything for a second, and Sirius holds his breath waiting for what she's about to say next. He doesn't realize just how much he hangs onto her every word until this very moment in which he is anticipating her words.

"Do you ever count the scars your parents have given you?"

Sirius exhales heavily and closes his eyes for a moment as well before facing the sky again. "No. I try not to think about anything that has to do with them."

Adira opens her eyes and looks at the boy next to her. "Does it work?"

Sirius turns to look at the girl beside him. "Sometimes. When I am with the people that I actually consider my family."

In between his words, and written in his eyes, is an unspoken proclamation that he hopes she understands.

The corners of her lips tug up ever so slightly, and her eyes move back and forth between both of his.

At this moment, Adira looks ethereal. The moonlight shines over her face so that her cheeks are glowing. Her freckles are so clearly painted across her nose and cheeks that Sirius thinks he could count all of them if he had enough time.

He brushes a strand of hair away from her eyes, his thumb caressing her cheekbone as he softly guides it back and forth across her cheek. When their eyes meet, Adira notices unfamiliar softness that has appeared in Sirius's eyes. The usual gray seems more black right now, and Adira tries to ignore the way her stomach drops at his touch.

The air seems charged, somehow, and it definitely does not help that Adira is pathetically thinking that Sirius is leaning in closer to her. There is no way that he is. Right?

It may just be her imagination, but Sirius's breath seems to grow heavy. Adira wonders what would happen if he leaned in even closer. She can already feel his breath on her face. Before she can answer her own question, Adira clears her throat and turns to face the edge of the pillars once again. Sirius's hand falls, but he continues to stare at the side of her face. After a few moments, he turns to face forward as well.

Suddenly, Adira turns to him with a bright grin on her face.

"What if I said I feel like a little midnight swim?"

The weird tension the both of them felt earlier is forgotten as Sirius smirks. Well, not forgotten completely by either of them but rather ignored.

And as Sirius gives Adira a headstart, he thinks about what could have happened if she hadn't turned away.