Nyctophobia - Sirius Black

Chapter 39

        She stared at him for a moment, which was apparently longer than she thought, because he turned a bit pink with what she assumed was embarrassment, looking away.

A wave of familiar, but unknown emotion rushed over her from the bond. She felt she should know what it was, and knew she had felt the same towards him, but still had no clue what it was.

"Do you think that's a good idea? What if I lose control and I burn everyone?"

"It's not going to happen. Don't focus on that. We're just going to go and have fun. Severus could come too. You have money now that you have the vault, and I can always pay. Anything to get back at my parents, right?" Ruby found herself nodding, a smile forming.

"Yeah. Okay."

"Great!" He grinned. "When's a good time to go to Hogsmeade?"

"This weekend?" She honestly didn't know when Hogsmeade trips were. It hadn't been an option, even in the short time she'd been at Hogwarts.

"Yeah." He nodded. "We can leave right after breakfast this Saturday." She grinned, before standing up from the table.

"Sounds good. I need to get to class, Theus. I'll see you later?" He nodded, standing up. She found Severus a few minutes later on the way to class. Thankfully, while they didn't have the same classes for this period, they were going in the same direction. "Theus had an idea," she started.

"What is it?" He asked suspiciously.

"He said we should go to the Halloween party."

"No." He immediately shot down the idea.

"Why not?" She asked, puzzled.

"You can't date him, of all people." He hissed. Her eyebrows furrowed.

"Date?"

"Like going out? As a couple?"

"No." She shook her head. "He said it would take my mind off the fire and my magic."

"Did he say as friends?" He asked, eyes narrowed. He hadn't, actually. Did he mean as friends? Would there even be more? Could they even be more? What was more? Sev let out a long sigh as she puzzled over it, only coming up empty.

"So you'll come? We're going to Hogsmeade on Saturday to get costumes."

"We as in you and him, or as in the three of us?"

"The three of us?" Now that she thought about it, she honestly wasn't sure. But she didn't understand why Severus couldn't come too.

"That works then. You have the money you took out from Gringotts?" Ruby nodded.

"It's in my trunk." She paused for a moment. "What are Halloween parties even like?" He shrugged. He didn't know either.

"I guess we'll have to see."

The upcoming party was definitely distracting enough. Ruby had asked Narcissa about the party, which had, sadly, devolved in a long, late-night conversation, in which Ruby accidentally let slip who she was going with.

Narcissa had gaped at her for an entire two seconds, before leaping up excitedly.

"I KNEW IT!!!"

"As friends!" Ruby exclaimed. Why was that distinction so important? Was it as friends? She didn't know, didn't know why everyone seemed so fixated on a small detail, still didn't know what more there could be but kind of wanted whatever it was, felt she should know...