Love Can Be Found In the Darkest of Places (A Marauders FanFiction)

Chapter 9: A Proper Goodbye

It was the last night of their fifth year at Hogwarts, and Rose, Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter were enjoying their last bit of time together before the summer began together at their favorite tree by the lake. Remus and Peter sat on the grass propping themselves up with their elbows, discussing the O.W.L.s and their summer plans. James stood by the water’s edge skipping a thin black stone back and forth with the creature below the surface, and Sirius sat with his back against the willow while Rose laid out with her head in his lap.

There was hardly ever a moment when they weren’t laughing together or goofing around, but at that moment, they were staring quietly into each other’s eyes, almost like they were communicating solely by that one look how much they loved each other.

 “I’m gonna miss you, Sirius Black,” she said eventually, reaching up to rest her left hand against the side of his cheek. She knew how strict his family was and she didn’t want to get her hopes up for seeing him during break. He sighed and closed his eyes as her palm touched his skin, and placed his own hand over hers.

“I am going to see you, you know,” he said, a devilish look flickering in his eyes as the corners of his mouth pulled up into the smile that dazzled her every time. “It might be the last thing I ever do, but I will do it.” He leaned down and kissed her, and would’ve kept kissing her if not for Remus clearing his throat.

“If you lovebirds are all set, Slughorn looks like he wants us to head on back, it is getting a bit late I suppose,” Remus said, pointing over to Slughorn’s waving figure a ways off in the distance. It was late – the sun had set on their last day as fifth years. The five friends started to walk back slowly and in silence, saddened by their looming departure in the morning.

“Brighten up, brighten up!” Horace Slughorn said brightly as they approached. “It’s the beginning of summer, not the apocalypse!” He gave James a big clap on the shoulder, who looked at him like he’d gone mad. He did the same to Peter, who gave him a bit of a blank stare and kept on walking. Slughorn couldn’t help the discouraged look that emerged on his face, and Remus apologized for them.

“Hogwarts is home,” Remus said with a shrug, reaching out to shake Slughorn’s hand. “See you next year, professor.”

--

“Alright then, all aboard you lot!” Rubeus Hagrid’s voice boomed out at the students on the platform the next morning. While Hagrid maintained a lot of great relationships with the students, he particularly favored Sirius Black.

“Alright there, Hagrid?” Sirius said, approaching with Rose’s hand around his and bags in tow. “I wish I could just stay at Hogwarts year ‘round like you do.”

Hagrid grinned at their approach and put a hand on Sirius’ shoulder, making his knees buckle at the new load of weight. “Yer gonna be back here in no time, don’t you worry,” he said.

“Have a great summer, Hagrid!” Rose said warmly, giving him a quick hug.

Sirius beckoned for Rose to hop on the train first, and just as he went to follow behind her, Hagrid stopped him.

“Oh, er, Sirius,” he said in a hushed voice leaning way down to his eye level. “It’s about time you made a move on tha’ girl, she really is wonderful. Don’t screw it up, now you hear?”

“I’ve screwed up plenty of things Hagrid, but I’m never letting this one get away from me.”

“Tha’s what I like to hear,” Hagrid said, standing aside. “Enjoy yer summer, Sirius.”

--

Like she had been doing for the past five years, Rose pressed her face against the window and watched sadly as Hogwarts disappeared from her sight. While she loved her home and her mother, Hogwarts would always be where she felt most at ease. A lot of bad things had happened that year, but then, so many good things happened as well.

She glanced over at Sirius, who was laughing hysterically with Remus and Peter over something that James had said, and she couldn’t help but just watch the group of them with a smile. She was reminded of the first time she’d met them, in this very compartment all those years ago. They were her home.

“Oi, what are you so intrigued by?” James asked her, bringing her back to reality and pointing out that she was staring at them. She blushed and then laughed, a sound that was music to Sirius’ ears.

“Nothing, nothing… I just, I love you all so much. There’s no one else I’d rather be with right now than you guys.” They all let out a collective “aww” and she yelped in surprise when they all tackled her in a failed attempt at a group hug. Failed or not, she’d remember it always.

“Guys, guys! Can’t breathe in here!” she giggled as she shoved them off of her. “Not you Sirius, you can stay,” she laughed again as Sirius nuzzled his head against the base of her neck.

“I love you,” she said softly to him as the other three started up their own conversation. She then laid her head on his shoulder, and as much as she tried to fight it off, sleep took hold of her.

--

Rose was dreaming happily until a voice pulled her away from her slumber. “Rose, Rose,” Sirius’ voice was saying. “Time to change into muggle clothes, love, we’re nearly there.” She bolted upright in absolute horror that they had almost made it to King’s Cross.

“Why’d you let me sleep the whole time?! That was the last bit of time I’m going to get to spend with you and I slept it all away!”

She said this all so groggily that Sirius couldn’t help but smile at how adorable she was. “Stop smiling, I’m serious!”

“Didn’t I tell you I’d see you this summer?” he said, his voice surprisingly soft. “I couldn’t wake you, you look so peaceful. And it gave me an excuse to stare at you for a few hours straight.” James feigned a dry heave, resulting in a rough punch on the shoulder from Sirius. James, Peter, and Remus were already in their muggle clothes.

Rose sighed and grabbed her things from her bag above the seat. “I’ll be back in a mo’” she said, casting a playful glare at Sirius on her way out of the compartment. She made her way down the aisle, saying the usual “have a great summer” stuff to those she knew. All the changing rooms were open when she got to them, and she took the one on the far right.

She pulled off her robes, and had only managed to throw on a white tee-shirt and a different pair of underwear before the door to her room was pushed open.

“It’s occupied you damned foo –” she started to yell until the familiar shaggy head of hair that belonged to Sirius Black came into her sights. He shut the door quickly behind him so no one would see, and then turned to face her.

All of a sudden she realized that her heart was racing about a million times a minute, and for the first time, he made her feel nervous. And not in a bad way, just in the kind of way that she’s never loved anyone other than him and this was more than anyone had ever seen of her. She grabbed for her pants but dropped them when he came forward.

“Sirius what are –”

“I love you too,” he said softly, and with one more step forward he pressed his lips to hers, backing her into the wall behind her and cupping her face in his hands. She didn’t hesitate to kiss him back, wrapping her arms around his neck and allowing herself to be picked up and held against the wall, as their lips moved together in perfect, effortless unison.

His hands came to a stop right underneath her bare thighs, and as much as he wanted to, he didn’t move them any further. There was a right time for them and that time would come, but it wasn’t on the Hogwarts Express in the dressing room.

She slipped her hands through the blackness that was Sirius’ hair, and moved her lips away from his, touching them first to his cheek, followed by just below his ear, and down his neck. She held her head there for a moment, just breathing in his musty, fresh scent and cherishing her last moment alone with him for she didn’t know how long.

He placed her back down onto her feet and held her in a tight hug, praying silently that they could just stay like that for always, that they’d never have to move from that spot. Nobody heard that prayer though and too soon they felt the train coming to a slow halt.

“I’ll let you finish changing,” he murmured quietly, pressing his lips to her forehead and opening up the door. And then came that smile that she loved so much. “You didn’t think I’d let you out of my sight without a proper goodbye did you?”

 --