Eunoia | Sirius Black

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I let them go and move towards the centre of the room where a few guys from the Order are playing beer pong.

Sirius and I immediately look at each other and I blush, the last time we played it - we ended up being awake all night, doing a specific kind of cardio.

"Come on!" Yells Aesop Sharp at me, "Play with us."

I look at Sirius again but he's already rolling up his sleeves and getting ready for a competitive round of drinking.

I take that as a personal challenge and stand across from him, a tiny ball in my hand. I go first and through sheer practice, my ball lands smack dab in his cup.

Sirius smirks when I drink. We play three rounds and each one of our balls lands right inside. Making it a bit more complex, Sharp changes the formation of the cup. I miss it this time.

When I scoff, Sirius gives me a cocky grin, "What's wrong? Dog got your tongue?"

I look up and narrow my eyes, shooting the ball right into the centre cup this once. Someone wolf whistles and I dip my chin with a hand against my ear, "Sorry? Didn't hear you. What were you saying?"

I think Sirius takes that as a personal challenge because the next thing I know, we're both collapsed on the floor against each other, tipsy as fuck after all the drinking we did.

"I don't think I should play b-b-beer pong anymoh."

"You're slurring your speech, Ellie."

I chortle, leaning my head on his shoulder, "I think everyone left."

"I think Molly is scolding Arthur for inviting us."

"I think he's looking at her with love." I smile.

"I think he regrets marrying her." Sirius contradicts.

I scoff, "Speaking from experience, Black?"

Sirius leans back and looks directly at me, "I will never regret marrying you, El. I do, however, reggrett making ssso many missstakes."

I don't think I remember much of the conversation after that, only that James was called to drop us home. He laughed the entire way back and hours after it. 

⚕⚕⚕

The next evening, we woke up with a hangover. I more than him. 

I groaned and moaned all the way to the kitchen where he was already nursing a cup of coffee, droplets of sober-up potion slowly dissolving in the dark hue. 

 I don't ask him if he made me one too, I don't say a word. I don't feel capable of it, my head is bursting and if we speak anything to each other at this point, both of us will end up arguing. 

Turns out I wasn't that far behind. Sirius holds my wrist when I move past him, "Your papers arrived today."

I know what papers he's talking about without asking. Divorce paperwork. 

My mouth is leaden and dry and I don't have the barest energy to fight back but I sigh and take the yellow file from the kitchen counter. 

Inside are basic contract details, information about the marriage which is very shady and untrue, statements, agreements and fees which we won't require through magic and yada yada. 

I look up at him and both our eyes are pained. I have loved him more than I loved myself and that is a very dangerous thing. A very dangerous thing indeed.

"Do you want me to sign it?" Sirius asks but his voice breaks so agonizingly that I have to catch my breath.

"You don't have to do it right now," I speak quietly. 

"If that is what you want. . .I'll do it." He clears his throat. "The sooner you'll be free of me, eh?"

I sigh, "Don't."

"What?"

"Don't pretend as if our marriage was working even the littlest bit, Sirius."

He doesn't say anything as I leave for my room. I have to wipe a few stray tears which refuse to stop trailing down my face as I get dressed into a formal uniform for the Ministry. 

The paperwork is too 'muggle' and according to how we did our wedding, I don't want to waste as much time in the settlement as the muggles do. 

Ministry is crowded today, everyone is walking hither and either with hurried steps. Everyone wants to get home to their families as soon as possible. They have things to do, and places to be. It makes me feel so out of place as I numbly get in the lift, going upwards towards the Wizengamot.

"Ms Marchbanks." I smile. 

"Ah, Mrs Black, how good to see you again. What brings you here?" She smiles back from the benches she sits on, a black cloak covering her entirely. 

"I wanted some advice."

She nods, beckoning me further. I sit across from her and show her the yellow file. She inspects it and raises a brow. "You married the muggle way?"

"It is registered both in the muggle and the wizarding world, but it would take ages to divorce in the former. Would you —"

"Yes, I might have something for this." She sighs. "The law here requires you both to take some time and try to solve your issues out, if within two months nothing has changed, your divorce would be instantly granted. However, in the muggle world, you both shall stay married now that your divorce is initiated in the Wizengamot."

I exhale sharply and nod in gratitude. "Thank you so much. Two months is all?"

"Two months is all." She confirms. 

When I get up to leave, she calls me again. "Yes?"

Griselda Marchbanks looks sympathetically up at me, her moon glasses hanging low on her nose. "It wouldn't hurt to get some healer."

"Healer?"

"Mind healer. . .Elena, I - I would personally recommend a muggle mind healer, however, considering the problems in your marriage arose from the conflict of wizarding war. You should take as much time away from it as you can before we're at the brink of a hot battle."

I purse my lips and nod, leaving the yellow file with her. The colour will haunt my dreams.