Potter | 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 45

The room was so crowded that James couldn't spot him and Jenna, and Sirius couldn't be more grateful for that as grabbed onto Jenna's waist, leading the dance.

Sirius swung her round and round to the music, singing loudly with it at the top of his lungs, making her chuckle.

      "Since when do you know the lyrics to Muggle songs?" Jenna asked, raising her voice so it could be heard over the music.

     "Since forever!" Sirius laughed. "I'd do anything to piss my dear mother off. Anything. Imagine putting Muggle music on with the loudest volume and singing with it at home. She goes nuts."

     "You know what I've been thinking?" she mused.

     "Yeah?"

     "You never told me where your favorite place at Hogwarts was. You only told me the second."

     Sirius laughed, shaking his head. "You're still on that?"

     "Yes, well," Jenna shrugged with a grin. "Stubbornness is a Potter thing; it runs in the family."

     "Tell me about it," Sirius scoffed, glancing at where James stood near Lily, trying to ask her out for the third time that week.

     "Come on, Black. Tell me," Jenna insisted. "I won't let it go until you do. I can do this all day."

     Sirius suddenly stopped moving and smiled down at her, considering it. "Promise not to laugh?"

     "Why should I?"

      "Because... well... back in second year when I told Regulus about it he mocked me and laughed, so I promised myself never to talk to anyone about it."

     "I promise, Sirius," Jenna gave him a reassuring look and he nodded.

     Sirius looked over his shoulder to see if James was watching, and when he saw that the coast was clear, he grabbed Jenna's hand and dragged her out of the Common Room.

     He turned to a few secret passageways and made some shortcuts to reduce the chances of Filch catching them and so led Jenna out of the castle.

     Jenna expected Sirius to take her either towards the Black Lake, or somewhere just as beautiful as the night they laid on the grass near the Whomping Willow.

     But she was surprised to find out that he was taking her to the Astronomy Tower.

     "This is not what I expected," Jenna chuckled as they reached the top of it.

      "Told you you'd laugh," Sirius shook his head grimly.

      "I'm not laughing. It's just... not much like you," she said earnestly. "Why here, though? We have classes here all the time."

     "Yeah, but it's another thing when I come here alone," he said, walking towards the edge and leaning on its bars, watching the starry sky. "It helps me think; watching the stars."

     "Wow..." Jenna whispered to herself, walking next to him and smiling. "I didn't know you had this side to you."

     "Just because I don't show it, doesn't mean I don't have it."

     "But... why don't you show it?" Jenna asked, slightly frowning. "Why won't you let others see this part of you?"

     "Because I was taught not to," he mumbled bitterly. "You have no idea what it's like at my home, Jenna."

     "Then tell me," she said softly, putting her hand on top of his and squeezing it gently.

     "It's... it's horrible," Sirius gulped, looking down. "My mother... I'm not sure if she even thinks of me as a son," he scoffed, shaking his head furiously at the thought.

     "Sirius, don't say that—"

     "—It's the truth," he said sharply, but then sighed. "You're so lucky to have such a whole family. The first time I came to your house for Christmas in second year... I was so jealous of James."

      There was long seconds of silence, filling the space between them. Jenna had no idea how to respond to that, but Sirius smiled and went on,

     "I thought your dad was the funniest and coolest man I'd ever seen," he said brightly, but then grimaced once more. "I don't even think I've ever seen my dad smile. Oh, how much I wished he could just tell me he was proud of me. Just once."

     Jenna opened her mouth at that to say something comforting, but she could think of nothing to make him feel better.

     "James has always been a brother to me; more than Regulus could ever be. And my mother..." He greeted his teeth together at that, "Your mum treated me more like a son than my own mother ever has," he sighed, rubbing his eyes. "You're so lucky, Jenna, to have them as your family. You have no idea just how much."

     Feeling her throat go sore, Jenna immediately turned Sirius over and brought him to a hug without even thinking.

Sirius was caught off guard and wasn't expecting this in the slightest, and so he stood there frozen for long seconds.

     He never expected someone's embrace to make him feel this warm from the inside. No one had ever managed to fill his heart up this way.

     His hands slightly trembling, Sirius hesitantly wrapped his arms around her, brining her closer to his chest, afraid that she would disappear. Afraid that he would wake up feeling alone and empty again, and this would all be a dream.

     He didn't know why he was feeling this way, but all he knew was that he didn't want to let go.