Open Wounds (Sirius Black)

March 27, 1976

"Dessa, wake up!" Lily's voice broke through my sleep, and I groggily opened my eyes. She yanked the blankets off me, and I let out a squeal, curling into a ball to shield myself from the sudden chill.

"It's cold!" I protested, shivering.

Lily was undeterred, tossing some clothes from my trunk in my direction. "Get up, we have so much to do today!"

I yawned and stretched, finally sitting up. "Why?" I mumbled, still half-asleep.

Lily grinned at me, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "You don't turn sixteen every day, genius. Happy birthday."

My eyes widened in realization. It had completely slipped my mind that today was not just any day—it was James and my sixteenth birthday.

"Thank you," I replied with a grateful smile, taking the clothes Lily had thrown at me and heading to the changing room. I quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a purple shirt, wanting to look my best for our special day. With a flick of my wand, I coaxed my hair into perfect, uniform curls that framed my face just the way I liked it.

Emerging from the changing room, I found Lily waiting for me with a bright smile. "Ready?" she asked, and I nodded enthusiastically.

"Absolutely," I replied.

Lily led me down to the common room, where the four boys were already gathered, playfully teasing James about his birthday.

As Lily and I entered the common room, Remus was the first to greet me. "Happy Birthday, Dessa!" he exclaimed, a warm smile on his face. The genuine well-wishing from my friends filled me with a sense of joy and anticipation for the day ahead.

James, always exuberant, greeted me with a warm hug. "Dessa! Happy Birthday!" he exclaimed, and I couldn't help but chuckle at his infectious enthusiasm. I returned the embrace, saying, "Happy birthday, James!"

James turned his hopeful gaze toward Lily, silently awaiting her birthday wish. However, Lily remained surprisingly silent, her expression unreadable.

Sirius wasted no time, pushing past James to greet me. "Happy birthday, Beautiful," he said with a warm smile, and then he wrapped his arms around me in a hug.

James, who was visibly irked by Sirius's choice of words, couldn't contain his frustration. "Did you just call my sister beautiful?" he sputtered, his anger palpable.

Sirius, never one to back down, nodded with a smirk. "Yes, it's not my fault she's beautiful," he retorted, obviously relishing in James's discomfort.

James was on the verge of exploding. "She's my sister, you dimwit! It's weird," he fumed.

Sirius didn't appear to be fazed by James's threats, and he continued to smirk at me. "I'm watching you, Sirius," James warned, raising an eyebrow.

Sirius simply nodded and replied, "You do that, James."

I couldn't help but notice Remus watching the entire exchange with a thoughtful expression. He clearly hadn't revealed the details of our encounter on the covered bridge to James, and I wasn't sure if he ever would.

As Lily and I took our seats in the Great Hall, birthday wishes from fellow students filled the air. People smiled and greeted me warmly as we made our way to the table. Once we sat down, Lily wasted no time in addressing the earlier interaction.

"What was that?" she asked, her curiosity evident.

"What was what?" I replied, attempting to play it cool as I started serving myself some food.

"'Happy birthday, beautiful,'" Lily mimicked Sirius's voice, emphasizing the word 'beautiful.'

My cheeks flushed slightly as I remembered Sirius's comment. "Oh my god, Dessa, are you and him—"