Carina McGonagall is named after the constellation containing the second brightest star in the sky - and it just so happens one Sirius Black is named after the brightest. They've always had an interesting relationship throughout the years - pranks...
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14th February 1976
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
Valentine's Day at Hogwarts was always eventful, no matter what. Carina remembered what had happened on all of them - first year when Cassia Lynch had punched Sirius in the face and caused a giant fight for saying she was ugly; second when Remus had accidentally kissed Frank Longbottom during a game of Kiss Chase in the dark, in the Gryffindor common room and so on and so forth. Of course, this year would be no different.
Carina never got involved with any of it though; she never particularly liked Valentine's Day. But there was no avoiding it. Even though it wasn't considered a holiday, every year, without fail, some dedicated group of students - most likely Hufflepuffs - decorated the entire hall with hearts and roses and such, and the teachers never bothered to take it down.
Carina didn't quite know what to expect this year. Was she technically dating Sirius? Had he gotten her something? Was she supposed to have got him something? Or was everything Sirius did just part of Sirius' cycle of heartbreaking? Did it mean anything? It didn't help that they hadn't talked at all about their feelings for each other, they just kind of.... kissed. A lot.
Everything Carina had built up in her head had all come crashing down around her in a wave of doubt and worry. Of course, she was most scared she was going to somehow have become a member of the gang of girls who were pining after Sirius after being just one of his past flings. Was there anything she could really do about it though? Not really.
However, just in case, she had a gift on hand, that was ready to either summon at a moment's notice or send burning into the fiery depths of the closest fireplace she could find, whichever was more necessary at that moment in time. Oh, how others dealt with constant emotional instability, Carina did not have a clue, but she was going to damn well try to deal with hers in the most Ravenclaw way possible.
Procrastination.
She exchanged a smile with Lily and the other Marauders when she passed the table but dropped her eyes when they met Sirius's dark grey ones. Carina could feel his eyes burning into the back of her head and she blushed in spite of herself.
Seeing as it was a Saturday, Carina had no lessons to avoid Sirius by going to. In fact, the minute she left the Great Hall after breakfast, she was cornered by him and pulled into the infamous broom cupboard.
"Err... Hi," she said awkwardly, still avoiding eye contact and scratching the back of her neck. Carina felt his fingertips under her chin, tilting her head up, and she allowed herself to follow the motion through and lock eyes with him. And immediately, he leaned forwards and kissed her again. Swiftly, Carina pulled away. "So, it's not that I don't like the kissing, that's great and all, but could we maybe .... discuss what's actually happening here?" Carina asked, mentioning between them. "Yeah, sure," Sirius replied, his hands falling from her face to her waist.
"See thing is.... I think I like you. Like, like like you. I'm afraid I'm bad with emotions so I'm not completely sure of my feelings but I know there's a lot of them towards you," she told him in a quick and quiet voice. The last thing she wanted to do right now was make everything so much more awkward by rambling at him or stammering or - "Well, you know me.... I'm not great with feelings either. But I think I like like you too," he replied softly but slightly sheepishly as he met her eyes again, cutting off her train of spiralling thoughts.
"Thing is, I don't want to be just another in your long line of relationships, or flings, or whatever you consider them." "And you're not," he replied quickly. "I don't even really have flings or relationships particularly, just kiss lots of people I guess, or I did before, or like -" Sirius was the one rambling now, before he cut himself off and composed himself. "What I mean is, this is already different to anything else for me. I got to know you first and that's different. I know and like your personality as well as your face and that's different. And well, the way I feel in general is just... different. I think... I think I want this to be something different, and that's new for me too. And I know you're scared that I'll do whatever people say I do, but I promise I have never done that truly and it won't be and I really want you to give me a shot. Please?"
She gave him a considering look. After a while, Carina finally replied. "Fine. But you get one chance. That's all."
"I promise, Curls, you won't regret it," Sirius replied with a smirk. Instead of kissing her on the lips again, he planted a sweet kiss on the end of her nose, before offering her his hand. "Shall we, m'lady?" he asked. "Of course," she replied, a quick and amused smile tracing her lips.
And when they walked out of that broom cupboard, Carina McGonagall and Sirius Black were a couple.
