𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐌𝐄 ☆ Sirius Black ✔️ *slowly editing*

e i g h t e e n

Despite the numerous architectural quirks that Hogwarts possesses, such as shifting staircases, doors that lead to nowhere, and ceilings that occasionally leak, the best part has to be that they designed the girls' dormitories to be completely off-limits to males. This ingenious decision deserves more recognition. Really.

I may have promised Marlene I would talk to Sirius, but I didn't specify when. And the girls' dormitory is a perfect place to hide in an attempt to postpone the conversation.

It's how I avoid talking to Sirius for the next two days.

By the third day, my friends' patience is wearing thin. Because of the weekend, I have yet to skip a day of school, but I'm not ready yet. I still don't know what to say.

'Hey, wanna continue kissing in every corner of the school - oh, you can't see anyone else but I don't want anything serious.'

I definitely need to reframe that.

"You can't stay up here forever," Lily reminds me as she gathers her books, getting ready for class.

I fake a cough. "I'm contagious."

Marlene steps out of the bathroom and rolls her eyes. "Go to the hospital wing!" She spells out infuriatingly.

I cross my arms.

"Fine!" She retorts and flings her bag over her shoulder. "But I'm not stealing you anything from the breakfast table."

She storms out with Lily right behind her. "Don't worry, I'll get you a muffin," Lily mouths from the door only to be interrupted by Marlene.

"NO YOU WON'T!"

I give Lily a smile and watch as they head downstairs.

I wait until I hear their footsteps fade away before letting out a sigh of relief. The girls could be persistent, that is for sure. But for now, I am content to have a little more time before facing the inevitable.

I pull out a book from my bag and try to lose myself in the words, hoping they provide a welcome distraction. But my mind keeps drifting back to Sirius and the conversation we need to have.

After a while, I give up on trying to focus. With a frustrated sigh, I toss the book across the room, watching it land with a soft thud against the wall.

"This is ridiculous," I mutter to myself, realising that I am talking aloud to an empty room. I shake my head at my own absurdity. Talking to oneself is a sure sign of cabin fever, or so I've heard.

Pushing myself off the bed, I trudge over to the bathroom and almost gasp at my appearance. I look tired, the dark circles under my eyes evidence that I haven't been sleeping well. My hair hangs in dishevelled waves around my face, and I have a pimple forming on my forehead.

After turning on the tap, I jump into the shower, hoping the water will shake off some of the fatigue and give me clarity. When I finish, I reach for a towel and pat my skin dry, taking a moment to breathe.

When I step out of the bathroom, my body wrapped in a loose towel, the last thing I expect is to find Sirius casually sitting on my bed, flipping through one of my textbooks. He looks up, a sly grin forming on his lips.

"Well, well, look who decides to grace us with her presence," he teases, his gaze lingering on my towel-clad figure.

"What are you doing here?" I demand, clutching the edges of my towel defensively.

Sirius chuckles, setting the textbook aside. "Just catching up on some light reading. Your Herbology notes are riveting, by the way."

"You can't just barge into the girls' dormitories, Sirius!" I huff, feeling a mixture of irritation and self-consciousness. "How did you even get in here?"