elanor// s.b.

IX

Elanor let out a frustrated sigh as she circled the girls dormitory for the fourth time.. "I cannot believe I actually lost it" she breathed out in desperation, searching high and low for her wand. All the other girls were long gone, probably consuming copious amounts of firewhiskey by the Forbidden Forest. Kate and Elanor had headed down and were halfway to the grounds when Elanor realized she wasn't carrying the 10 inch rosewood and unicorn hair wand that she always had tucked in her pocket.

"It's gotta be somewhere", she groaned, picturing her friends having the time of their lives. She sat on the edge of her bed, focusing her mind on her previous actions of the night. The rest of the Slytherin girls had finished getting ready and pranced out the door. Elanor had run to the restroom, then rejoined Kate and they had left. The restroom! Of course.

Elanor darted out down the stairs and out of the common room. The cool halls of the dungeons stretched before her, and she drew near to the bathrooms when a familiar voice coming from the men's stopped her in her tracks.

"Please, Reg", his voice was soft, fragile. "Stop trying to protect me", the second voice, one Elanor had heard around the common room with Jasper and his friends. "If you keep going down the path you're on right now you're going to end up just like our parents", Sirius said sharply. "And what would be so bad about that?", the second voice retorted.

Elanor stood still, her heart beating out of her chest. Regulus Black, of course he was Sirius' brother. She couldn't believe she had never made the connection. "Just leave me alone", his voice grew louder and suddenly the door was flung open. Elanor looked for anywhere to hide, but the empty hallway left her exposed. "Shove off, Kensington", Regulus let out under his breath.

Her eyes were wide, and she stayed silent as he stormed down the hallway. "Elanor?", Sirius had left the bathroom. Elanor turned slowly, "I didn't hear much". He rubbed his temples. "It's fine", he let out. Elanor felt so much more uncomfortable with this Sirius. The vulnerable, upset one. He wasn't making snippy comments, he wasn't flirting. And it scared her. "Um, well...", Elanor faded away.

Sirius' mind was racing, and he forced himself not to blush from humiliation. If he was being honest with himself, he hadn't been able to get Elanor Kensington off his mind since their smoke by the lake. He had been watching her in class, listening to her laugh with her two friends. He wanted to know what made her tick, how she thought, what she liked. He was intrigued by her. He wanted to see her again, but not like this.

"Stop being weird", he laughed, forcing his smile to return. She placed a hand on her hip, thankful for the tension beginning to break. "I am not being weird", she said. "What are you doing anyway? It's past curfew", Sirius said, leaning against the wall, his voice echoing in the hallway. "Oh, well I left my wand in the bathroom and I'm supposed to be at this party down by the forest".

"A party?", he said, raising his eyebrows. Elanor rolled her eyes, "Yes, a party". "I wasn't aware that parties were allowed on the grounds", he shoved his hands in his pockets. A coy smile played at Elanor's lips, which Sirius' eyes flitted down to quickly. "Technically it isn't on school grounds. It's just outside on the far edge of the forbidden forest".

"Alright", he said with a smirk, "Let's go". Elanor laughed, "I'm sorry, what?". Sirius began to move down the hall, then looked over his shoulder, "We're going to the party".

---

The pair sat cross legged under a tree. "Wait wait wait", hiccuped Sirius, "There's no way". Elanor rocked forward in a fit of laughter, "Yes! And I don't want you to repeat the story to anyone or I'm gonna...", she let out a loud giggle, "I'm gonna kill you". Sirius slumped forward so he lay on his side looking up at the blonde.
They had wasted no time in beginning to drink the infamous snake venom created by Sytherins in the early 60s. Needless to say, it had been getting students at Hogwarts very drunk very quickly for almost 15 years. "I love your tattoos!", Elanor said suddenly, noticing the edge of an inky black mark poking out of his shirt. He smirked at her and raised his eyebrow, "I've heard a few rumors about your tattoos Ms. Kensington".

Elanor snorted. "Oh please", she said with a smirk. "Come on, I've seen the tree on your leg. What else are you hiding on the cute little body of yours", Sirius slurred. Elanor blushed deeply and said, "Fine". Slowly she unbuttoned the straps of her overalls. It slowly fell, and Elanor turned, lifting up her shirt over her head. The light fabric lay by her feet in the soft leaves. She stood there, goosebumps creeping up her mostly bare skin. On her right shoulder blade lay a slumbering lion. Its chest rose and fell.

A warmth radiated from behind Elanor and she started, surprised at the presence of Sirius so close to her. Her senses were blurred from the alcohol, but the feeling of light fingertips brushing the skin around the lion brought her focus back. "What's it for?", Sirius whispered. Elanor swallowed, turning towards Sirius. "It's for Edward", Elanor said lightly. "The Gryffindor lion for him", she moved slightly, lifting her wrist, the silhouette of a bird traced in ink on her wrist, "The Ravenclaw eagle for Victoria".

Sirius' eyes trailed down her body and landed on her wrist. She rotated around again, tracing her fingers around the badger entwined in vines on the back of her left arm, "For Jude". Then turning back around, "And for me". A snake slowly twisted around her collarbone, its tongue flicking back and forth.

"You are beautiful, Elanor", Sirius whispered. His fingers found the end of her hair and he moved a stray piece out of her face. She blinked up at him, "We're drunk Sirius". "And?", he said, wrapping his hand around her waist and pulling her so their bodies touched. Elanor's lips parted, the pair so close they could feel even the slightest movement from each other. Elanor began to say something when a crash sounded through the trees.

"Oh, sorry!", Emma snorted to Charity, pulling her away. Sirius pulled away, the moment broken. Elanor blinked and let out a giggle. "I warned you about snake venom", she awkwardly let out, brushing her hair out of her face. Sirius stayed silent, but a smirk curled on his lips. "Let's go back to the party, love".