Eunoia | Sirius Black

|72|

Whitehall, London, 1980
April 25th, pollen season

Auror Office that day looked so glum I had to double-take the floor I was on, thinking I might have accidentally arrived at level 10 of Wizengamot. 

But no, I was on level 2. I showed my identity card to the witch at the entrance and sped towards the Headquarters. 

Every single Auror was there and Moody looked angry if not enraged. 

I snatched a look at Sirius who was standing beside James, he grimaced and waved lightly at me and I debated where to stand. At last, I went to stand by Gideon and Fabian Prewett who winked at me. 

I smiled and turned back to find Moody glaring. Gulping, I fixed my posture and he went back to grunting. 

"There's a mission. Far more important than any you've been on lately." He gruffed. "There have been reports from the indigenous camps of Veelas in the Pyrenees." 

My heart stopped, Pyrenees was where —"

"There is a suspected attack at the school of Beauxbatons. The French Ministry has called for help. Since we are in great relations with the French, I will be sending the best of our groups to the mission. Not all of you will go in case it is a false alarm and the real attack is in England. Am I clear?"

There is a chorus of 'yes, sir' and Moody seems satisfied enough. "Alright, group together according to your skill set. I will need the strategists to be standing at my 5 o clock and duellers at my 23, the rest of you randomly distance yourselves."

I wasn't the best dueller out there and had gotten good scores in Best-Laid plans. Sirius on the other hand had the best scores in Battle instinct. My mind whirled and I wished we were both together. 

Moody grunted, "I need Gawain Robards in the France team, along with James Potter, Frank Longbottom, Aesop Sharp, and William Berrycloth. The names that have not been spoken shall remain back to aid here."

Sirius and I shared another glance. I was happy he wasn't in trouble but James and Frank were both going to be away from their homes and wives. 

"Strategists, Williamson, John Dawlish, Alice Longbottom, Rufus Scrimgeour and Elena Hawke will be aiding France along with Hit wizards Hesphaestus Gore III, and Paulina Proudfoot."

Shit. I am pretty sure Sirius is thinking the same from how his face contorts into an instantly worried expression. 

"Now, go on and pack your bags. You will be staying in France for a week and will be guarding the school of Beaxbatons in case of an ambush every day with planned and allotted rotations and shifts. I will need you all to be here in exactly two hours. Off you go, CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

Half of us jump, clearly startled while the other half go on their way, too used to the Head Auror's silly antics. 

Sirius crosses the room straight to me and pulls me into a hug, "I can talk to Moody. You don't have to go."

"I'll be fine —"

"No, seriously, he pretends to dislike James and I but I know we're his favourites —"

"Sirius," I pull away and he dips his chin. "I will be fine, you are not my bodyguard, you are my boyfriend. My lover. And it would be brilliant if you act accordingly. Just because I'm a witch —"

"I am not trying to protect you because you're a witch, I'm doing it because you're my witch."

I sigh affectionately and press my lips to his, "I'll be okay," I mumble. 

"I'll take care of her, Paddy." 

His voice startles us both and Sirius nearly lands on his arse. I laugh and he groans, "Prongs,"

James winks at me and coils an arm around my shoulder, "She's going to be with me, do you really think any harm could come to her?"

"She can take care of herself," Sirius rolls his eyes. "I wouldn't be worried if it weren't literal death eaters we were dealing with."

"My job is planning, anyway, love," I tell him with a warm smile. "I'll be okay, I promise."

Reluctantly, he nods. "James Charlus Potter, not a scratch on her."

"I'll protect her with my life," James vows and I roll my eyes for the ninth time that day. 

"Men and their protective instinct." 

James and Sirius snicker, I turn to the former, "How's my favourite to-be dad doing?"

"Better than I expected," He promises. "Lily is still going to St. Mungo's for working which is straight up infuriating but we'll work on it."

I smile, "I'm so proud of you, Jamsie boy."

"What, for knocking Lily up?" Sirius rolls his eyes but he's smiling, too.

I chuckle as I leave them behind and apparate back home for a duffel bag needed to be prepared. I was going back to my first school. 

Suddenly, a sudden curiosity awoke in me. Where was Apolline? How was she doing? Even if my trauma was too much back then and I found her mildly annoying, she was my first friend. My only friend there, really. 

I smiled as I took a shower and grabbed snacks, reaching the Ministry exactly an hour and forty-five minutes later. 

Sirius and Frank were sitting in their office, a cubicle provided to each Auror and he made a face at me when he spotted me. I laughed, jogged inside their office and kissed him gently before moving away.

"I'm leaving in ten."

"I know, I don't want you to go," He sighed. "I asked Moody to let me come, too but he yelled at me for half an hour instead."

I grinned, "That's quite Moody of him. Very Sirius of you, too."

Sirius groaned, "Since when do you make dad jokes?"

"Your names will never not be funny puns." I shrug, kissing him again. "I love you,"

"I love you," he says it back to me, taking my hand in his and kissing it gently. "Come back soon, El, I don't know how I'll survive a week without you. I might just sneak to the Pyrenees without telling a soul."

"Please don't," I chuckle, "Frank will be there, too, anyhow. I've got more than one bodyguard, ma vie."

"Whatever," he made an agitated face and I kissed his cheek before getting up again. 

"I need to go, darling." 

"Don't." He frowned. "I have separation anxiety."

"I know you do," I give him a half-smile. "So do I but the world won't stop rotating just because we don't want to let go of each other."

"I can't imagine there being a day that I could spend without wanting to be near you." He says, pulling me onto his lap and just simply hugging me for a moment too long. 

I believed him so fully, it was nearly naive. Funny how things change.