the secret of Erised {s.b.}

chapter 11: farewell

Winter turned to Spring in Hogwarts and the students couldn't have been happier. The frozen Black Lake had melted, the grass was greener, the temperature rose, and birds could be seen flying around all day. Whenever students weren't in class they would be outside enjoying the sun. This was true for most students, but not to Sirius Black.

Although he enjoyed the sun and being with his friends, Sirius preferred to spend most of his free time in the Room of Requirement with Esmeralda. They had become close friends, or at least that's what she hoped. She would always feel her a knot in her throat whenever she wanted to ask him if they were really friends. It was complicated for Esmeralda to understand their relationship because of her situation, but she loved spending time with him.

During their last months of school, James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter used the Room of Requirement to brew the Animagus potion. It was the perfect place to leave the potion because it needed a place to rest undisturbed. Esmeralda suggested that they should leave it in there because no one ever came to the Room of Requirement. She had been key in helping them during their process of becoming Animagi. She gave them a few tips and tricks that she remembered McGonagall give her as the boys moved through the process.

It was the last day of school and Sirius would be returning to his home in Grimmauld Place the next day. He would be visiting Potter Manor later in the summer, but in the meantime, he would have to put up with his pure-blood supremacist family.

He walked along the north hallway of the seventh floor and the door for the Room of Requirement appeared in front of him. He smiled and walked inside, closing the door behind him.

"Sorry I'm late," he said to Esmeralda.

She was laying down on her front with her face propped on top of her hands. Her chocolate brown hair fell around the perimeter of her face lazily. She was swinging her feet behind her lightly. She raised her honey eyes and met Sirius' silver-gray ones. A smile appeared on her face.

"You forget I don't know what time it is," she said teasingly, "Plus, time doesn't affect me, so you don't have to worry about 'being late'."

He let out a small chuckle and leaned against a column in front of the Mirror. He was still a few meters away from it but he was right in front of Esmeralda. He smiled back at her.

"Right," he said, "I forgot. I'm sorry I haven't visited in a while, but with finals and packing my week has been extremely busy."

"Sirius, it's okay," Esmeralda said, "I know you have other priorities and things to do. I'm not mad."

"You are important, Mer," he replied, "I just lost track of time."

She gave him a sympathetic smile. She moved her body to a sitting position, with her legs on her side and her support being her left arm leaning on the floor. She motioned Sirius to sit down with a slight movement of her head. He rolled his eyes and smirked at her.

"What ?" she asked.

"You want me to sit," he replied, "But what if I don't want to ?"

She fake gasped and brought her right hand to her chest in shock.

"You mean to tell me that you are not going to sit down ?" she asked, "I have no other option than to do this."

"What ?" he asked in a teasing tone.

Esmeralda stood up and turned around. She walked to the end of the Room's reflection in the Mirror and hid behind the same column Sirius was outside of the Mirror. She knew that he wouldn't be able to see her. She stuck her right hand out from behind the column and flipped him off.