You Are Cordially Invited (Sirius Black)

"I Think I've Got A Way to Smoothe Things Over."

ANDY wasn't very kind with him. She gave him a good dressing-down and now Sirius was aware of a few facts, these being: 1) Aurora was most likely a virgin, given as she was raised in preparation for marriage; 2) She was in a vulnerable emotional state and his exploiting the situation for sex was a  terrible thing to do; 3) There would likely be repercussions from the DeRavin family and 4) He was a horrible human being who deflowered and confused a sadly sheltered young woman.

Being now aware of the salient facts Sirius decided the time was right to drink every form of fucking alcohol he could lay his hands on. He headed off to one of his favourite Muggle pubs, where the barman could be Confunded ridiculously easily and the women were sold on a glass of wine. Several pints of ale later and he was staggering back down the road to his flat with a rather chesty fitness instructor.

Luckily, she was too drunk to realise that his flat didn't exist to the naked eye and that the door had appeared from nowhere. They stumbled inside and Sirius made for the kitchen. Funny, he didn't remember leaving the light on…

In the blinding light of the kitchen his blurry eyes focused on an ethereal being, with shining white hair, poised delicately on a chair, two bright sapphires shining at him. As his eyes adjusted to the light a little he realised it wasn't a ghostly being, it was her.

"Whaturr you doin here?" He slurred confusedly.

"I needed to speak with you," Aurora answered urgently. Her face dropped as the girl tumbled in behind Sirius.

"Oh, I see you have company," she flustered, "I will find you another time." She stood up to leave.

"No no, shtay, pleasshe," he babbled. Aurora shook her head and tried to push passed.

"Heeey, don't push me!" The drunk girl protested.

"Pissh off, love," Sirius said sternly, and he frog-marched her out of the door. He staggered back to the kitchen and took her hands earnestly, shaking them several times as he did so.

"Pleasshe, I'm shorry," he mumbled incoherently, trying to focus on her face seriously, "I am shorry bout earlier, I didn't mean t'yell atchoo. I should not have slepted wif you."

Despite his drunkeness and inability to communicate properly he was trying his best to apologise.

"Sirius, you don't need to say that-" She began, but Sirius put his hand to her lips.

"I do, I do," he repeated seriously, "you jusht looked so beeeautiful and sad and there's a life where you don't have to, you-you- don't have to be married yet."

He pulled her face to his with his hands and squinted into her eyes.

"You're beeeautiful, Aurerrer, you can enjoy your life now."

She hated seeing drunkenness and profanities, as well as seeing the first man she ever slept with about to sleep with someone else hours after, but she knew what he said was true. It was scary and confusing but she knew she had to learn about the real world, now.

Aurora carefully removed Sirius’s hands from her face and held them as a nanny would with an obstreperous child. He swayed slightly.

"I would like to ask you for a favour," she said slowly and clearly, aware of his condition.

"Anything!" He cried gallantly.

"Madame Pontellier was most concerned after you ran away this afternoon and she contacted my parents. I told them about the wedding and they want us to leave tomorrow. I… I do not want to go," she admitted, feeling childish.

"I would like to stay with you, just for a little while." She gulped down hard, feeling even more vulnerable and naive than before. She just hoped she could trust that this rough, immature puppy would be willing to help her out without mocking or deception.

"Of course!" He beamed gratefully.

"No, please listen," she implored, "I do not feel that I can face my friends at home yet, I need time to realise what I shall do now. I think perhaps you can help me."

She hoped he would help her, and also would remember all of this in the morning. He gave a lop-sided smile.

"You can take my room. I'll shleep in the spare room."

*

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK.

"Oh bloody hell, please tell me that's my head," Sirius groaned. He dragged his body towards the pounding door to be met by sunlight, James and Remus. He nearly fell backwards.

"Mate, you're in the middle of the biggest shitstorm ever!" Remus said breathlessly before he even stepped over the threshold.

"You know, Moony, every time you come here you bring bad news. Can't you just piss off? I'm hungover," he grumbled.

Remus looked around the hallway curiously. "Is there someone here?" He asked.

"What? No there's- oh shit! Shitting buggering shite!" He remembered the events of last night in a flash and felt a wave of panic wash over him.

"What is it?" James asked.

"Aurora DeRavin is here!" He whispered urgently.

"You've got to be joking!" James hissed.

"Look, I'll explain it later," Sirius replied.

"That's just it, Padfoot," Remus said, "the DeRavins are going mental because she didn't come home last night and now they've found out you're not marrying her it's all kicking off."

Sirius was dumbstruck. What seemed like a chivalrous gesture last night now felt like the stupidest thing he'd done, which was saying a lot considering his recent track record. He stood in the hallway, totally unsure what to do next. Every turn seemed blocked.

"Is everything alright here?"

Aurora had padded out of Sirius’s bedroom, wearing her robes from yesterday, her hair flowing and tousled.

"Good morning, Mr. Potter; good morning, Monseuir," she said politely to James and Remus.

"Miss DeRavin, your family are worried that you didn't go back to your hotel last night. They're looking for Sirius and they're not happy," James informed her quickly. Aurora's face drained of colour.

"Please, I don't want to go yet, please, Sirius," she pleaded. James and Remus looked at each other, utterly bewildered at whatever this situation was. Sirius ran his hands through his hair and thought as quickly as his early-morning, hungover brain would allow. After a minute of forced imagination he had a solution.

"I think I've got a way to smoothe things over."

**