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

Chapter 22: In Her Arms

Sirius rushed down the corridor. He was running late for class. Not good.

He'd overslept after working all night on a stupid Divination essay and while his friends had tried to rouse him before breakfast, he'd told them to go on without him and he'd meet them there. Instead, he had fallen back asleep and woken forty minutes later. So now he was running to class.

As he turned a corner, his Charms class up ahead, he stopped short just as Regulus stepped out of one of the boys bathrooms. Sirius wondered if his brother was also running late or whether he had a free period.

"Sirius."

"Regulus." Sirius decided to avoid a conversation and sidestepped him. He needed to get to class and he didn't have the energy for his brothers nonsense.

"In a rush?"

Sirius sighed. "Yes, Regulus. Believe it or not, I have a class to get to. Sort of the purpose of being here."

"Of course." Regulus just smiled at him. "I wondered if maybe you were just desperate to get to your new girlfriend. Today is a special day, of course."

Sirius frowned, confused. "What?"

"Valentine's Day. Aren't you going to treat your precious blonde to something special?"

Sirius frowned harder. Valentine's Day? Why would he give a shit about that? And precious blonde... He sighed. Gemma. No doubt Regulus had heard the gossip of him and Gemma 'being together'. Sirius fought back a growl. He didn't need this right now.

"There's nothing going on between me and Gemma." Except hot sex, but that wasn't anyone else's business. Maybe he shouldn't have so obviously dragged her upstairs the previous week...

"Not what I've heard. And I always knew there was something going on between you two." Regulus tone hardened as he took a step forward. "Bellatrix and I always suspected she meant more to you. Good to know we were right, brother."

Sirius didn't like the smirk sitting on Regulus's face and he hated the implication in his tone. Gemma was a friend, but if Regulus and Bellatrix thought she was more than that - his girlfriend, for example - they would use her to get to him. She'd be in danger, more danger than she was already in for simply being a Gryffindor. And unfortunately, he knew his cousin well; Bellatrix would stop at nothing to try and hurt him. She'd do it for the laugh alone.

"Gemma means nothing to me."

"Sirius, we both know that's a lie. At least make it believable."

He gritted his teeth. "She's a friend. That's all."

"Hmm." Regulus eyed him suspiciously.

"Sirius!"

Sirius turned to James's shout, and saw his best friend running towards him. He turned back to his brother. "I have class. Surely you have better things to do than stand around gossiping?"

Regulus scowled at him, just as James appeared by his side. Without a retort, Regulus turned and walked away. Sirius breathed a sigh of relief, glad the conversation was over.

"What did he want?" James asked as they turned and headed to wait outside class with the others. Sirius was late but not so late that he had to walk into class alone.

"Just being an idiot. Making comments about things he doesn't understand."

James nodded and didn't ask any more questions. He knew when to leave things alone.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Gemma said as he reached her side, her grin showing him that she was in a playful mood and knew exactly how he felt about this pointless holiday. He almost responded in the same manner, but then he caught a glimpse of Smethyck and Garth just behind her, smirking while they watched him. Waiting for him to respond.