Astray

Chapter 18

(A/N: I started writing this before I realized that I skipped her first quidditch match, so sorry if some things don't line up.)

Days passed, then weeks, then months and before long it was almost Christmas time. No one had asked about what happened so she guessed that Sirius had filled the other boys in. The only mention of it was when Sirius had reprimanded her for leaving before he and the others could check on her in the hospital wing.

"What are you guys gonna be doing for Christmas?" James had brought up the topic while they were walking to lunch. They only had a few weeks before Christmas break and the entire student body was fired up for the holiday.

"I suppose I'll be staying here with Minnie and Albus, unless he says otherwise, that is," Coralie turned around to show enthusiasm as she walked along side the boys with a pep in her step as she was one to especially get in the festive mood, like the night before when she had started humming Christmas carols in her sleep during astronomy.

"I'll be going home, my mother has been awfully worried these last few months so I'll have to show her that I'm okay," Remus hummed thoughtfully while he walked beside Coralie.

"I'll be leaving as well," Peter quickly chimed from the other side of Sirius.

"I think I'm going to be staying here over the break," Sirius murmured as they continued to walk to the great hall. Coralie had noticed how he had stiffened when the subject came up, but decided to just bring it up later.

"Ay Shortie!" Theodora called from her spot at the Hufflepuff table.

"Hey Theo!" She called back and waved. Ever since their encounter the day she had her visit to the hospital wing they had greeted one another when they saw each other in the hall and would have small conversations while walking together, but they had not had any other long interactions.

After classes were over for the day Remus wanted to work ahead of the class and headed to the library with Peter not far behind and James went off to flirt with Lily so that left Sirius and Coralie to explore the magical school.

"Hey, about earlier, why'd you get all tense when James brought up Christmas?" Coralie tried to not be too forward but there was nothing subtle about her questioning. They had been wandering aimlessly around the large castle like school for a while and she had been trying to bring up the topic without being too insensitive but found the only to bring it up was to be blunt.

"My family doesn't really celebrate Christmas," Sirius rubbed the back of his head, a habit, she had noticed, he did when he lied.

"Oh rea- ow!" She rammed face first into a picture of fruit on the wall. She hadn't been watching where she was going and this particular painting had seemed to be hung on the wall a little lower than the rest.

"Siri, look!" She pointed to the pear her nose had hit as it changed to a doorknob.

"Cora, you're bleeding," Sirius ignored her and tried to hand her his handkerchief.

"No, look!" She smacked his hand away and pointed to the knob on the painting.

"I've never seen this knob before," he reached his hand out and wrapped his fingers around it.

"Neither have I, and I've lived here for seven years!" They looked at each other and nodded. Sirius slowly turned the golden knob on the painting and creaked it open.

They stepped into the room and their eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room, the only sources of light being the extravagant marble fireplace on the other end of the room and a few candles strewn about the place. There were four long tables mimicking the ones in the great hall. On the wall to the right of them was a long countertop, a large oven in the middle, and a gigantic freezer at the end. The wall to their left was empty save for a few painting of celebrities or house elves?

Then it clicked, "This must be the kitchens!" Coralie smacked her forehead as she could not believe she hadn't realized that at view of a freezer and oven.

"Hello, mistress and mister. I'm Rosemary and I'll get anything you need!" They looked down to see a small house elf bowing so low the tip of her nose almost touched the ground.

"Oh, hello there! I'm Coralie and this is Sirius, can I just get a tissue and some water for now?" She realized her nose was still bleeding from being smashed into the painting that acted as the door to the kitchens.

"Of course!" Rosemary disappeared for a few seconds before coming back to give her the tissue for her nose.

"Thanks!" Coralie gave an appreciative smile to the small house elf as Sirius dragged her over to the nearest table. She sat on the side closest to the door and he sat in front of her.

"Can we get some butter beers do plate of cookies, please," Sirius almost demanded from the house elves scurrying about the room, trying to prepare dinner for the many students and professors.

"Sirius! Be kinder," she scolded smacking his upper arm.

"Sorry," he muttered glaring at the table.

"Back to our earlier conversation, why are you really not going home? Your eyes shift when you lie," She grasped his hand comfortingly from where it rested on the table.

"I don't want to talk about it," He stiffened under her grasp and harshly glared at her.

"Sorry, I just thought I could help. I mean if it's family issues I don't have a family to compare it to so it might not make you feel as bad since I can relate to not having a loving family," a sob broke through her words and her tears flowed from her eyes mixing with the dried blood underneath her nose.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you cry. I'm just upset that my family doesn't care about me just because I'm in a house other than Slytherin," tears started flowing from his eyes too, but he was holding back his sob because "boys don't cry" as his mother would tell him as a child.

"Are you crying?" She peeked from in between the hair that fell in front of her eyes.

"No, boys don't cry!" He hurried to wipe the tears from his eyes but grabbed his arm and pulled it back down. Instead of the mocking way he thought she meant she looked concerned.

"Where on Earth would you get such an idea?" Coralie seemed so appalled that he would think something so outrageous.

"My mother, she always said things like that. She's also the reason I'm staying for Christmas, because she said the next time I step foot into her home I will have a severe punishment coming my way," Coralie had moved to the bench beside him and they sat in silence as a loud sob erupted from him and she held him until his sobs ceased, just like he had with her that night a few months ago when she had that awful nightmare. Memory? Whatever it was, he had comforted her and she would do the same for him now, in his time of need.

When his sobs subsided they went on eating their cookies and drinking their butter beer the house elves had brought out and acted completely normal, but Coralie could tell they had grown closer as friends.

(A/N: I literally just finished writing this right before publishing so sorry for any grammatical errors in this chapter. I would have finished it earlier but last week was end of year testing and I couldn't find much time to write. Thanks for reading!)