Celeste || Sirius Black

Chapter 5: Concerned Darkness

"A very good morning to you too," said Sirius with a small nod.

Celeste scowled. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Well, thank you for clearing that up. I didn't even realise that when I was told to come outside to meet someone." She wasn't expecting anyone to be there but that would have been better than finding him waiting for her. She could exactly hear the giggling of the girls who would die to be in her position.

Sirius Black was waiting for me!

Oh my God!

He was flirting with me the entire time!

Merlin's beard!

He offered to carry my books for me!

I hear wedding bells!

She pushed the thoughts away from her mind. It wasn't like she had never heard these before. The common hall was always filled with girly whispers that annoyed the patience out of her. She was worried about the rumours that would now start spreading.

Sirius laughed, but seeing the serious look on her face, he composed himself. One look at her and he forgot what he wanted to say. Merlin, what is happening to you, he thought. He never had a hard time talking to girls before. 

"Why weren't you at breakfast?"

"Why do you care?"

He didn't know what was wrong with him. He wasn't the type to wait for someone, and definitely not for girls. But this doe-eyed girl that was standing before him snapped at him every time he opened his mouth. She answered his questions with other questions and yet, he was drawn to her. "I care about you not getting the nutrition that you need." He was about to teasingly hit her arm when she pulled back sharply.

She glared at him trying to touch her and raised an eyebrow at him. "The kitchen is right next to my common room. I can eat whenever I want."

"Ah." He nodded. "Then why aren't you in class right now? I'm sure that Hufflepuffs have Charms at this time, don't you?"

"And how does that concern you?"

He did not know how to reply to that. Why did it concern him? Not seeing her at breakfast, all he could think about was what if she would try something like the little stunt she would have or would not have committed back at the tower. But since there weren't any screaming or panic since morning, he tried to console himself into thinking otherwise.

But time was everyone's enemy. One second someone is happy and the next, the world changes. It takes less than 30 seconds for someone's world to shatter. He was expecting shocking news to reach his ears right when he would turn his back and relax. He wasn't sure why the thought of her was haunting him. Maybe it was the way she looked last night - completely helpless and alone in the world. 

"I am concerned at how the boring lessons are being bunked by you," he teased. "About last night-"

"You don't have to," she said, seeing that he was having trouble bringing it up. "You don't have to try. It doesn't suit you, Black."

He cocked his head at her. "You can call me Sirius. We are in the same year."

She pursed her rosy lips together. "You shouldn't have saved me. You're not my saviour and you don't have to check up on me. It is not your place."

It is not your place. Her voice echoed in his ears. "I didn't come here to check up on you. You seem to think too much of yourself."

"Oh really? I'm not the one who carries a comb around with me," she said, squinting her eyes at him.

He raised his hands in defeat. "Hey hey, I was only kidding. Clearly, we have gotten off in the wrong start here and I-"

"There is no start here."

He smiled. "I'm not implying anything. I only wanted to see how you were and maybe....offer to help however I can." It was what James had done for him and the only way for him to repay that was by helping someone else in a similar way.

The look on Celeste's face was poised. She was calculating in her brain. Sirius Black had a certain reputation in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. For all she knew, he might as well be famous for this reputation. The Marauders were the beacon of mischief. They needed to be at the center of everything and yet, they kept to themselves.

"I'm not one of your accomplishments," she said, taking a step forward to assert her dominance. She was only five foot six and he was almost six foot tall, but the rage in her eyes was enough for Sirius to take just a tiny step back.

"I never said that you were."

She took a deep breath. "Thank you for whatever you did last night. But in this case, it is better for you if you leave me alone." Seeing that he was about to talk, she continued, "My life is not a tea party. I have enough problems already. I don't need you to make it worse. So thank you....and goodbye." She gave him a two finger salute and walked back towards the common room.

Sirius scoffed, but he was thoroughly impressed. He had finally met his equal. One girl. She was one girl that was able to leave him speechless and still be left with a million questions. He wondered what happened to him.

He scratched the back of his neck and then made his way to the Gryffindor common room. But before leaving, he looked around once to make sure that Celeste was fine. He saw the back of her head entering the common room and a smile spread across his face as he continued walking.

Before Celeste entered the room, she turned around and saw the empty corridor. She nodded. "He is gone. You are fine." She pulled the sleeves of her shirt till her fingers and entered the common room.

She sat down by the fire to continue drawing but she ended up staring at the half finished drawing for ten minutes. She willed herself to start drawing again but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Her mind seemed blank. 

She threw her cushion at the sofa and grunted. 

Sirius Black had gotten to her.

She shut the sketchbook with a force and wore her robes. She couldn't concentrate on anything because his words were echoing in her ears.

I'm not implying anything. I only wanted to see how you were and maybe....offer to help however I can.

That night, she could not sleep.

What did Black mean by saying that he wanted to help her?

And the only answer that she could come to was that it was a trick. It was one big mischief for the Marauders. She was their next bait, but she wasn't going to fall for it.

Oh, how wrong she was!

*******
Oh the next chapter is going to have some
great revealings that I can't wait to publish!
Any theories so far?