Somewhere Only We Know - Part 2 - Sirius Black x OC

Chapter 15: Lay It All On Me

Gemma stared at the letter in her hand and sighed. It had been over a week since she had received it and she still couldn't quite process the situation. Her dad was having to go to America as part of his investigation into the poisoning case, and her mum was going with him. Gemma would be alone for Christmas. Stuck at Hogwarts.

Throwing herself back on her bed, Gemma stared at the ceiling and tried to pull herself out of her melancholy. She was being selfish; students were at risk – two of her friends included – and so the work her parents were doing was vitally important to removing that threat. And as a future Auror, she supported their decision. But as a seventeen year old girl who loved Christmas; she was sad. Disappointed. Frustrated.

She sighed again. Maybe Christmas at Hogwarts wouldn't be the worst; she'd be able to catch up on her assignments, get ahead on learning some new spells and charms, and maybe even read a few new books. But she would be lonely. Very few students stayed behind at Christmas and Gemma wasn't sure if anyone else from Gryffindor – from any year – would be around. Merlin, she might find herself the sole occupant of the entire Gryffindor Tower.

She chuckled slightly at the thought. Maybe she could pretend she owned the castle; that her dreams of becoming a successful Auror had come true and she was able to afford a magnificent home with hundreds of hidden rooms and corridors and passageways. Maybe she could ask Sirius if she could borrow the map – Merlin, maybe even the cloak from James – and use her free time to explore the depths of the castle. Maybe she could actually make her ten days of loneliness fun.

Gemma sat up as she heard the sounds of her friends climbing the stairs towards the dorm. It was mid-December and classes were winding down in preparation for the festive season. The girls had all wanted to go for a walk in the snow, but Gemma had declined. A clear sign she was feeling sorry for herself, as she loved the snow.

The door opened with all three girls stepping inside and giggling at something. Gemma smiled up at them. They had each offered to stay with her during the holidays multiple times, but she had declined them all. As much as it had warmed her heart that they would sacrifice their Christmas breaks for her, she didn't want them to miss out on anything. She couldn't be that selfish.

Lily had plans to visit with James and his family, given they were now an official couple and moving at quite a pace. In the weeks since their first date, James had repeatedly found opportunities to get Lily alone and Gemma knew her friend was not complaining. Lily going to meet James's parents was a big step, and they all suspected the holidays would be the perfect time for them to declare their feelings for each other.

Frank was allowed to return home for one day – Christmas Day – and so Alice and her family were planning to spend the time with the Longbottoms. Alice wasn't sure how well that would go, but all she really cared about was seeing Frank. And there was no way Gemma would let her best friend miss out on that special moment.

Mary didn't have any important or special plans, but Gemma couldn't let her stay. The person responsible for poisoning Mary, twice, was still unknown, and Gemma knew Mary was looking forward to getting home and not having to be careful over what she ate and drank. It was clear to them all that Mary wasn't eating and drinking normally, and their already slim friend had lost weight over the last few weeks. It was a constant worry.

"I'm being serious!" Mary laughed. "Filch was literally chasing them down the corridor, waving the broomstick at them."

Lily and Alice both chuckled in disbelief at whatever story Mary was sharing. Gemma was intrigued, but Lily caught her eye and went over to her immediately. "Gemma, how are you feeling?"

"I'm ok, thanks."

"You still feeling sorry for yourself?" Alice asked, nudging her side and grinning at her. Gemma couldn't help but laugh. Her best friend knew she was wallowing and called her out on it; as any best friend would.