Cigarette Burns - Sirius Black

Ch 66: When The Glue Stops Holding

Morrigan laid on Owen's chest in the early hours of the morning . His fingers played with her hair as he stared at the wall in front of them. She looked up at him pressing a small kiss to his jaw. The expression on his face was unreadable though. It had been a few weeks since the Order meeting, Morrigan spending her days trying to understand the lost expressions that Owen was wearing increasingly more often as the days flew by. 

Usually she was able to discern his moods, sifting through the happy times to when he was stressed or upset. However, he was so lost in his own world that Morrigan couldn't even grasp what it was that had him thinking so heavily. She sighed moving so her head was rested on his chest once more. 

She wondered how to get through to him, how to cheer him up and take care of him the same way that he had taken care of her so many times. "Owen?" She said looking up at him. "What can I do?" 

"Nothing." 

"No," she said, "there must be something. What's going on?" 

"It's nothing," he said once more. 

"I don't believe that," Morrigan retorted. 

Owen sighed knowing that she would keep pressing until he snapped. "I've just been thinking." 

"What about?" She asked her silver eyes looking up at him innocently. 

"The future," he said honestly, however the words hung like a dead weight in the air. Settling in between the small spaces that separated their bodies. Pushing them apart ever so slowly as it flexed its muscles. 

She didn't know what future he was thinking about. Their future, the future of the bar, the future of the wizarding and muggle worlds. There were many possibilities and all of them were filled with so much uncertainty, not that she minded, in fact it was something that she was embracing. "What about the future?" 

"There's certain paths we have to take in life, and sometimes we get lead down the wrong ones, coerced into thinking it was the right choice when really it wasn't." 

The meaning of his words were lost on her as she frowned, "I don't entirely understand." 

"I don't think I do either," he admitted. 

"Then let's talk it out," she suggested, "it's you and me against the world, right?" 

"Yeah," he said a pained smile on his lips. 

"So let's go and do something just the two of us today," Morrigan suggested, "we can go to the park or walk into the city again! It'll be like the time we spent the day people watching, judging everyone and making up stories about their lives." 

Her energy never failed to warm his spirits, "Sounds great." 

The two got out of bed, dressing in light layers for the occasion. Morrigan hoped that going out for the day and getting his mind off of the pub would help with whatever was causing the indescribable tension between the two. 

They walked outside and along the pathway, Morrigan taking the time to admire the changing of seasons. Flowers were now in full bloom, the vibrant colors bright in the sun. It was unusual to see London so colorful, but the small borough they walked through seemed to hold a different life to the dreary tones of the inner city. 

Morrigan pointed at the different types of flowers, showing Owen her favorites as she walked along the paths, she hadn't realized she was so focused on the plants beside her that she walked straight into someone else, "Shit- I'm so sorry," she began her cheeks red as she felt the embarrassment creep up her neck. She looked up at who she ran into, "Sirius?"