The Immeasurable Marauder

An Inconvenient Trip

I woke up the next morning to an empty bed. I looked over to see Sirius sitting in an armchair, reading his book again. I watched him for a moment before things could get complicated the way they usually did. He was dressed in a pair of comfortable but still stylish looking sweat pants, his long legs propped up by a coffee table. His T-Shirt was clinging to his muscles deliciously while his hair fell disheveled around his face. The bruises in the white light of the morning looked even worse than they had the night before, and while Madam Pomfrey had managed to get the swelling down around the eye, she had not managed to do anything about the very black colour it had turned. He frowned and turned the page of his book, completely absorbed.

"What are you reading?" I asked and he jumped a little.

"God Yves! Are you planning on killing me?" He said a little annoyed. I giggled and rolled out of bed.

"Not today Black." I said. Despite my nightmares, I had slept well and for the first time in a long time I actually felt rested.

All of a sudden, I heard the unmistakable sound of a beak on glass. Sirius flicked his wand without so much as a break in concentration and opened the window. The owl flew straight over to him, a light dusting of snow on his feathers and Sirius took off the note tied to the leg he was holding out. He held it in his hand and finished reading his page before closing the book and turning to the note. His face stayed pensive but I could see something playing on his features.

"Bad news?" I asked watching for the slightest movement in his face.

"Not bad news really, just inconvenient."

"Well... that's vague." I said and he smiled at me.

"The Potters will be here this afternoon to take me back to their place for the rest of the holidays."

"Oh..." I said feeling the disappointment flood my stomach. We had actually had a great evening last night and I had hoped for some more time with Sirius. "Well that's much better than being here even if it is only for a few days."

"But..." He said coming to stand with me by the bed, "I was hoping to stay." He moved into my bubble again and if I was feeling cold before, I certainly wasn't now.

"You should go." I breathed, "It will be good for you to see James."

"Don't you want me to stay?" He asked.

"Of course I do. But if I had an option, I wouldn't stay at school when I could go to my best friend."

"Yes," He said looking at my lips, "But I could stay here with you."

I was breathing wasn't I? It didn't feel like it. I was a little light headed.

"Or," He said taking my hand and putting it to his mouth to brush his lips against it while he spoke, "You could come with me?" He said it like a question.

"Wouldn't they mind?" I said while Sirius stepped forward, pushing me backward.