so in love with you // sirius black

chapter 13

    I woke up with a pounding headache, the light streaming through the windows seemed horribly bright. For a moment my only problem seems to be my headache, but then all the events from the previous night came rushing back. I sat up and glanced at myself in the mirror, my eyes were puffy from crying and I was still wearing Sirius's jumper. I groaned, pulling it off and tossing it towards my trunk.

    "Maude are you okay?" I looked up to see Lily and Marlene standing in the doorway of our dorm looking at me, concerned.

     So I told them everything.

    "Maybe you should just stay in bed for the day Maude," Lily suggested.

    "That would be pathetic and overdramatic," I said, as I started to get up.

    "Oh whatever," Marlene pushed me back onto my bed. "Lils is right, even without last night, you push yourself hard enough to deserve a break."

    "I'll share all my notes from class with you later," Lily reassured me.

   "You want company?" Marlene asked. "Trust me I wouldn't mind laying in bed with you all day."

    I laugh despite my tears.

     "I'm okay Mar, you go to class," I smiled at my two best friends. "Thank you, guys."

    "Damn, I would've loved an excuse to skip double potions," Marlene joked.

    They hugged me tightly before heading out to their classes.

    I spent the whole day in my dorm, knowing that if I went down to the common room I would risk seeing Sirius, and I wasn't ready for that. Instead, I lay in bed reading a book and napping. I felt rather pitiful, just sitting there all day but I didn't know what else to do. Lily and Marlene brought me dinner around 7 o'clock and I thanked them profusely.

    That night I lay awake for a long while trying to fall asleep, knowing that I would have to go back to my normal life and face Sirius tomorrow.

•••

     I returned to my classes and the rest of the year passed in a blur. I spent most of my free time with Lily, Marlene, James, Remus, Pete, and even Gideon Prewett sometimes. I had tried to talk to Sirius a few times but he repeatedly ignored me, so I had given up.

    The quidditch team was practicing harder than ever, and much to James's delight we won the quidditch cup. There was a raging party and I don't think anyone on the team (including me) stopped bragging about it for weeks.

    After quidditch, it was soon time for our grueling exams and before we knew it, school was ending for the Summer.

•••

   "Schools out!" James cheered as we stepped off the train. I watched his happy demeanor slip as he looked towards a decidedly less cheerful Sirius. "Cheer up mate, you can come to mine whenever." The comment wasn't meant for my ears, but I couldn't help but notice that Sirius didn't seem too reassured.

   "Sirius!" A sharp voice rang out across the crowd and the most severe woman I've ever seen in my life strode towards us.

    "Oh kill me now," Sirius said loud enough that I know his mother heard him.

    Walburga Black reached us with a sneer on her face and a sorry-looking Regulus in tow. 

  "Mrs. Black, how lovely to see you again," Remus's kindness was so obviously fake I'm surprised Walburga didn't slap him across the face, but she didn't even give him a second look. 

    "Mum," Sirius greeted her, though it sounded more like a death threat. 

   "It's time to go, your father is waiting for us." His mother offered no greeting. "Your friends," she glared at us, "will see you next year."

     "I'm not ready yet," Sirius said, but his voice lacked it's usual arrogance.

   "Sirius just-" Regulus started to say. Walburga spun on him and the younger Black brother flinched. I heard Lily gasp.

   "This is not your conversation." Walburga spat in Regulus's face.

   "Sorry," He whispered. As Walburga turned back around Sirius glanced nervously between us and her.

   "We will not do this here." His mother said firmly. "I will not have you embarrassing this family once again." 

    Without another word Walburga stalked away, both of her sons followed close behind. Sirius didn't dare bid us goodbye. 

     "That was intense," Peter muttered, breaking the silence that the Black family had left behind.

      I opened my mouth to speak just as I heard a familiar voice call my name.

    "Maude!" I turned to see my mum frantically waving at me. 

   "Hey," I embraced her and felt a wave of gratitude that she was so wonderful.

   I turned back to my friends, not sure what to say after what we had just encountered. 

  "See you soon?" I said, a little awkwardly. Lily smiled and nodded. I hugged each one of my friends in turn and bade them goodbye.

    "How was the year?" My mum asked as we walked out of King's Cross.

    "Great!" I said. Despite everything that had happened with Sirius, I had strengthened my old friendships, and even became friends with Gideon. Gryffindor had an amazing quidditch season and I had managed to scrape good grades on all my exams.

•••

    My summer was quite uneventful, I wrote many letters to my friends, helped my mom around the house, and did all of my summer homework. It was a nice change of pace at first, but even though I loved spending time with my mum, I started to grow bored. 

    About two months into the break I received a letter from Lily.

Dear Maude,

James had invited us all to stay with him and his family for the last two weeks of summer. Sirius and I are already here, I really do hope you can come, I'm getting sick of being with James and Sirius all the time. Write back with your answer as soon as possible!

All my love,

Lily

•••

    I hurriedly checked off every item on my list and tossed it into my trunk. As I looked through my drawers for my favorite pair of pants, I came across a large green sweater. It was the one Sirius had given to me. I hadn't meant to keep it, but he would never talk to me long enough for me to return it. I added it to my trunk hoping I'd have the chance to return it. I had tried my best not to think about him over the summer, but now I would be seeing him at James's house, and I didn't know how to feel. You'd think I would have gotten over him by now, but I haven't. I put him out of my mind and finished packing.

    The Potters had offered to bring me to their house through the floo network, but my mum had insisted on driving me. It was a 4-hour car ride to James's house and my mum said insisted on making a day of the trip.

    My mum brought snacks and turned the radio to full blast and before I knew it we were pulling up in front of the Potter's large house.

    "Have a good year Maude, and send me lots of letters!" My mum reached over and hugged me tightly. 

    "Bye Mum, I love you."

   I gave her one last wave as I walked to the door and then knocked. I stood there for a second before the door opened to reveal James and Lily grinning at me. I embraced them both. Then they moved aside and there was Sirius. His hair had grown longer and he looked much older than the last time I had seen him. He smiled at me nervously.

    "Hi Maude."

    "Hi Sirius"