Under the Lilac Tree {Sirius Black}

Twin Torture

It was mid-November, and the air was chilly compared to the warmth of the common room where the Marauders currently were. James and Peter were playing a game of Wizards Chess on a table in the middle of the room, Remus was sitting in an armchair next to them reading a book, and Sirius and Cleo were sitting on the couch that was facing all three of the others.

"I don't really see the real problem, I mean, he hasn't told you there was anything wrong right?" James said as he moved his piece, where he was currently losing to Peter.

"No," Cleo said slouching further into the couch. "But I can feel that there is something wrong. I can just sense it." She said, playing with Sirius' shoe laces that were in front of her.

"Like that 'I can feel my twin's pain' crap?" Sirius asked as he popped a Fizzing Whizbee into his mouth.

"No," Cleo said, upset, as she pushed his legs off her lap.

"Hey, crazy idea. Why don't you just, I don't know, go and talk to him? I mean, he's your brother for Merlin's sake." Remus said over the top of his book.

"Yeah, I guess he is," Cleo said biting her lip.

"Yeah, he is," James said. "So get off your butt right now and fix things." After a while, she reluctantly stood up and made her way to the portrait hole.

"Be back before 10:00, you've missed curfew twice this week, and it's Wednesday," Remus yelled to her.

"Yes Mum!" she yelled back, smiling to herself.

But that smile started to fade the close she got to the Ravenclaw common room. She hated to imagine the horrible ways this conversation could end. She was going to talk to Charlie about the recent distance between them.

She used to never leave his side. She doesn't think that they were ever apart for more than 24 hours. But now, now they hadn't talked him for a week. She feels like there is a big gaping hole in her. The hole where Charlie is supposed to be.

"What is it that no man ever yet did see, which never was, but is always to be?"

Cleo looked up, confused as to who was talking to her. She was already at the Ravenclaw Tower. She looked up and remembered something about having to solve a riddle to get in.

"Uh..."

"What is it that no man ever yet did see, which never was, but is always to be?"

Damn. If only Remus were here.

It took her awhile, but she finally guessed.

"Tomorrow?" Cleo said though it came out more of a question. The common room door opened for her. "Oh yeah," she said doing a little happy dance as she walked through the door. "Still got those Ravenclaw genes,".

As she walked into the Ravenclaw common room, she noticed it was very different from her own Gryffindor one. The usual warm and cheery red and gold were now a striking blue with a calming silver glow.

"Whoa..." Cleo said. There was a bookshelf that was maybe twenty feet tall, filled with all kinds of different books. It's like the Ravenclaws had a personal miniature library. The warmth of the fire was still there, and so were all the couches and arm chairs. Everything looked the same, but it also was nothing like the room she was accustomed to.

Across the room, sitting in a large armchair in front of the fireplace was a boy with his freckled nose stuck in a book. Tufts of dark blond hair sprouting in every direction. Cleo's heart started to beat fast again.

"You're not in Ravenclaw, are you?" a voice said from behind her, a hand on her shoulder.

"Agh!" Cleo said whipping around to face the person. There stood a boy about a head taller than herself, with sandy blond hair that fell in his face a little when he jumped back from Cleo's reaction. "Whoa, way to scare a girl." She said placing a hand over her heart.