All the Time in the World | Sirius Black

5. Caught

During school, Hermione was always top of our year, Draco in second, while I was somewhere in the top ten, floating along between some of the Ravenclaws. Now in this year, I was easily top of my year tied with Lily. Severus was somewhere in fifth being the top of Potions and Defense class.

Much like Hermione and myself, Lily and I spent most of our free time researching and doing classwork. Being I already did these lessons during my first sixth year, I finished much faster than Lily, leaving me time to research about time. Severus helped me most of the time, when in the library, with my research regardless of his ignorance on the reasoning behind my extensive studying.

Severus would ask me multiple times during our study sessions on the reason behind my careful research, but I would quickly shut him down with questions about his own extensive knowledge of curses and hexes and his secret infatuation with my best friend. He never inquired on how I knew all the things I did, but would immediately stop his questions.

Evening after evening, I would come up empty-handed on my search for information on the Time Charm. I knew it was hopeless being it wouldn't be invented for another four years and, on top of that, I didn't even know who invented it, but I still tried.

"Are you ever going to tell me way we search through these books? And what for?" Sev asked me after almost three hours of reading.

"Are you ever going to tell me how you created Levicorpus?" I asked absentmindedly while reading the text.

Sev mumbled, "I just wanted to know why."

"I don't see why you can't answer my question in exchange for your own question answered," I said.

Severus said nothing for the rest of the time.

It was five minutes after curfew when Madam Pince decided to kick us out of the library. And, per usual, Sev escorted me out of the library and to Gryffindor Tower. Walking out of the library, I felt something odd in the air... almost as if I were being watched; it didn't feel like the portraits either.

"You know, I always tell you its fine for me to walk myself to my House," I sighed, pulling my bag up my shoulder more.

"And I always tell you, I don't mind walking you back," Sev smiled slightly. It made me happy to see him smile being I never did when he was my Potions Professor.

"I'm a big girl, Sev, I can take care of myself," I laughed, patting his shoulder.

My laughter died in my throat as I felt my hair brush beside me — it felt creepy, causing me to shiver. Pulling my hand up to move my long hair off my arm, I realized my hair was in a low ponytail, not loose on my back.

"Cold?" Sev asked.

"No," I cleared my throat, "the dark corridor is just creepy."

Taking my wand out, the tip of my wand lit up.

"I reckon you're one of the brightest witches of our year," Severus mumbled. "You always surprise me. Between your non-verbal spells and potions talent... completely in awe."

"Always a tone of surprise with you," I chuckled.

I took the last few steps of the stairs towards the Gryffindor Portrait Hole. Severus stayed standing on the opposite end of the stairs until I made it directly in front of the platform. At my arrival, Sev saluted me and jogged down the stairs towards the dungeon, where the Slytherin House was.

Waiting until he was out of sight, I turned towards the direction of the weird feeling and snatched the air revealing a shocked James Potter. After years of being under the Invisiblity Cloak with Harry, I learned the sense of knowing when he was behind me, under the Cloak.