Holidate

Ch. 3 Valentine's Day

There was only a week between Christmas and New Year's Eve and Sirius Back had had the courage to send me an owl. It wasn't even an important owl at that, I think he just wanted to show off his handwriting.

This was a much more serious topic and it had been just over a month since I had last seen him. I had thought about trying to find someone else in the meantime but it just wasn't working out for me. I wasn't interested in the people presented to me and I felt weird about trying to find someone else while I was doing this thing with Sirius. I knew our relationship was fake. I knew none of it was real. But it almost felt like cheating and I knew people would think it was exactly that if word ever got out that I was trying to find a respectable partner. So unfortunately I had declined everyone my mother had presented to me in hopes Sirius Black would not ruin the family name.

Because Sirius wasn't respectable and that was why, with only a week until Valentine's Day, I needed him to get this message. I didn't want to because I didn't want him to think I was thinking about him and I was still frustrated with him after he acted so strangely when we said goodbye, even if he had been nice about our 'kiss'. But my image was much more important than my pride so I got out my quill and wrote.

Sirius,

Valentine's Day is at my house and I will not have you making a fool out of me by showing up in that ridiculous jacket. Please pick something suitable otherwise I will not let you in my house which will look bad for both of us.

I wasn't sure he would really care if I didn't let him in, but I needed it to sound threatening.

I hated that I spent a little more time trying to make sure that my writing was on par with his. I tied it to my owl and sat on my bed. I had done it in a rush so I wouldn't have to think about it and then eventually back out. My body was overcome with nerves and so I picked up a book to get my mind off of it.

But my mind stayed on Sirius Black. I was annoyed that he had gotten snappy when I told him I'd try to find another date. Did he really think we'd be faking this for the rest of our lives? Stupid boy.

Even though really, I was starting to think that maybe we should have put a time limit on this. If I was struggling to find someone while there was Sirius then when would I find someone else? Could we wait until Tiberius was married to someone else? How long would that take? Would my parents just marry me off to the next available person? My thoughts were interrupted by an owl.

Come to my house on Friday and pick out an outfit for me then xx

His writing was as elegant as ever and it annoyed me because it still looked better than mine and he probably didn't even try. For a moment I thought he was playing a prank on me. Go to his house? We had been to numerous parties there and I had been there various times when I was younger so, of course, I knew where it was. But to go alone? To meet Sirius Black?

I remembered when I was around fifteen and it was the first time I had been invited to a morning tea with my mother and her friends. I had usually always accompanied her and it was expected I would play with the other children, but this was the first time I was actually invited and would get to sit at the table with them.

My mother was wrapping a coat around me. It was during the Christmas break so it was snowing and cold.

"Remember to be on your best behaviour." She looked into my eyes and I nodded. "Be polite at all times." I don't think she really doubted I would be anything but polite, but she needed to make sure the message got across. "Show them your gorgeous smile."