Memento Mori - Sirius Black

Chapter 54

Double update. Go read chapter 53. Enjoy!

April 11, 1976.

Morgan tossed to the other side of the bed and grimaced at the feeling of the cold sheets. She went back to her original position and realized she was hot. Maybe the cold side was better. Or... she kicked the covers off of her and when two seconds passed and she got cold again she groaned and turned to the side so she could scream into her pillow. Also, she pulled the covers back up.

She couldn't sleep, obviously. She already knew that would happen. It was that feeling when you got to bed and knew there was absolutely no way you could fall asleep. She looked to the side and waved her hand to draw the curtains of her window open, the place getting filled with moonlight. The arched window that went up almost to the ceiling showed the night. The woods weren't visible because of how dark it was, but the stars and the crescent moon were.

Maybe she could go sit by the window and read a book. She could knock on Remus' door, and see if he wanted to read with her. Scratch that, he'd kick her arse for waking him up. She could go outside for a walk... although, she didn't really feel like moving that much. Maybe to the kitchen for some tea? Ugh, as if she even knew how to heat water by herself. The thought made her scowl. How pathetic was that? She'd never actually used the oven of her own house. She could heat it with magic but.... no, she didn't deserve hot tea after realizing what an idiot she was. She could-

She grunted in disbelief. She couldn't even decide what she wanted to do. Well, because she knew that what she truly wanted was the sweet oblivion of sleep, but that didn't seem to be happening.

She looked away from the window and to the wall at her right. The black wall that she knew if she knocked a few times with the right pattern it would shift and reveal a passage. One that led to the room that had been designated Sirius' forever at this point. The thought that he was just a tunnel away made her stomach clench. Maybe that's why she couldn't sleep. He was there. At her house. Ugh. She could go see if... No. Never. Bad idea.

She got up in a swift movement and left her room, through the door, not the passage. She didn't bother changing out of her pajamas or grabbing something to cover up, and when the cold of the house hit her, she regretted it. The Manor was always cold, but Morgan liked it that way. Except at times like these when she didn't like anything and everything seemed to ruin her day. Sirius once had made a joke about them Gaunts being snakes with cold blood and hence the lack of warmth in the house.... weirdly, he hadn't been the first to point it out.

She walked through the halls and down two flights of stairs, her goal destination being the library. There wasn't a single candle on but Morgan could walk that house blindfolded if she needed to. That's why when she passed through the drawing room—the private family one on the third floor, not the one for guests on the ground floor—she instantly noticed light slipping through under the closed door, the change from darkness to light too sudden making her stop dead in her tracks.

She pressed her ear to the door but didn't hear anything. Except for the very obvious buzzing of a Muffliato charm. It was probably just one of the boys, she should let them be.

She snorted. As if.

Morgan cracked the door open just enough to be able to take a peek inside. Once it was opened, the Muffliato must have stopped working because she heard the soft sound of the pianoforte, and when she saw Sirius was the one responsible for the playing she frowned. She didn't know he played.

The soft melody was that of the song that had had him looking so fascinated during the concert. He stumbled over the keys once in a while, trying to recreate the melody that he'd heard only once. Probably wanting to commit it to memory now before he forgot it.