Pitch Black {A Sirius Black Love Story} Chapter 23: Lily's Love

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Chapter 23: Lily's Love
Sophie never took off her ring. Whenever I saw it there on her finger, it brought a smile to my face. I couldn't help it! The feeling I had when I was around her was indescribable. I wasn't obsessed of course; I was still able to function on a day to day basis. But she was always there somewhere in the back of my mind...sometimes quite literally. We'd made an agreement not to invade each others dreams though. I'd rather those be private. Sophie still stayed with me at night though. Of course, we didn't do anything inappropriate (for the most part) since Remus was there. Well, I liked to think that the only reason was because of her overprotective cousin, though I knew that wasn't just it. But I respected her decision.
"Sirius," I heard Sophie whisper to me one Saturday morning.
"Hm?"
"We have Hogsmeade today," she reminded, nuzzling her head into my chest.
I held her close, "Good. I have to pick out your birthday present."
"My birthday isn't for another month," she chuckled.
"Meaning I only have about thirty days. I'd better get a move on."
"What are you planning on getting me?"
I let out a fake gasp, "Sophie Pitch, I am very disappointed in you...asking me to spoil a surprise."
"You have no idea what you're going to get me, do you?"
"Not a clue, but that is the point of today's search. I need to get ideas."
"Good, don't actually BUY my gift now. It would be silly to get it so early...plus it would be oh-so tempting for me to take a little peek and see what it is. Its better to put off the temptation as long as possible," she beamed up at me.
I rolled my eyes, "Present ruiner!"
She stuck her tongue out at me and struggled out of my grip saying, "Well if thats what you think, I may as well leave."
"No, don't leave!" the words came out of my mouth before I could stop them.
She giggled and moved back into my arms, "I'm not going anywhere, love."
I kissed her forehead, "Better not...we wasted valuable time back in December...we could have spent that month together rather than fighting. I don't think I'll ever fully forgive myself for that."
"Don't be silly, Padfoot. You know that I don't blame you for that," she assured me, "I love you more than anything. One misunderstanding can't change that."
I smiled, "I love you too, Spot."
She pressed her soft lips to mine, pulling away far too quickly and said, "We really should get ready. I told Lily that I would meet her in the common room so we could all walk down together."
I nodded, "Wormtail and Moony are coming too, right?"
"Yep," she hopped out of bed and skipped towards the door, but stopped and turned, "And don't invade my mind when I'm in the shower, alright?"
"It was just that one time!" I complained.
She laughed and left the room. I sighed and got up, grabbing some cloths and going to the shower. As usual, I was done in less than five minutes, and ready to go. As I walked down to the common room, I noticed Prongs standing there, holding Lily's hand and leaning down over her. Moony and Wormtail were at the end of the stairs observing.
"Hey," I quietly greeted them.
"Shh!" they both shushed me.
"What are we watching?" I whispered.
"James and Lily are talking about something. It seems important and private. We're trying to hear what its about," Peter explained.
"So you're basically eavesdropping and invading on James personal life?" I asked, the nodded and I added, "Count me in!"
They restrained their own laughter and turned to look back out him.
"You knew that was the case, Lily...I've told you plenty of times before," James was saying.
"Yes, but that was before we were together," she looked down at her feet, "Its different now."
"How is it possibly different? If anything, I mean it even more so than before."
"Thats just it!" she pointed out.
"I don't understand..."
She shook her head, "James, I care about you a lot...but this is so new for me. I just have to think about all of this, alright?"
A pained expression crossed his face, but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared. Just like James to never let others in on his feels. Sadness was a form of weakness for him. I'd once believed that as well, until I experienced the most depressing moment of my life that is...I realized now that expressing sadness actually could (dare I say it) help. I shook my head a little bit to snap myself out of it. If I were to let anyone else in on that thought, I would be mocked mercilessly and be thought of as girly. So I kept that to myself...and Sophie.
'Don't spy on them,' Sophie scolded me.
I jumped letting out a cry of surprise, completely blowing our cover. James and Lily turned to see the three of us hovering around the corner of the staircase.
"Sirius, Remus, Peter, get out here!" Lily demanded, "Were you listening that entire time?"
"If its any consolation, we didn't hear the entire thing...just snippets," I grinned.
She sighed in frustration and suddenly her eyes glanced up behind me, "Sophie, thank goodness."
Sophie walked past, but not before smirking at me first. The two girls linked arms as if they too could read each others minds, and marched out of the common room together without a word.
"What was that about?" I asked Prongs.
He glanced out the window and walked toward it, "Nothing."
"Don't try to act like the big strong guy, James. Just tell us," Remus encouraged.
He spun around with a look of fury on his face, "There isn't anything to tell! So stop asking!"
This was typical of him. He tended to take his pain out through anger...just one more thing the two of us had in common.
"Stop being an arse," I snapped, "Whatever it is, we can help."
"How?"
I sighed, "Through Sophie of course."
"She won't let us know anything...they have a girl pact or something."
'Was he really that thick today?' I thought to myself.
"I can read her mind," I reminded.
"Oh...yeah, thats right!" his spirits lifted a little bit.
"Alright, lets sit down. You will all have to be incredible quiet or she'll hear us. I think that if I open my mouth then her voice will come out. It's worth a shot," I told them.
They nodded and sat down on the couch around me as I slowly let my mind drift into Sophie's. My eyes were closed, mouth open...
"Come on, Lily, you can tell me," Sophie said.
I saw her put her arm around Lily as she answered, "James told me that he loved me..."
"Well...hasn't he told you that before?" Spot asked.
"Technically yes, but that was before I liked him at all. I never really took him seriously then. I thought that he was only trying to flirt with me or something. I never even considered that he actually meant it."
"But he did..."
"Apparently..."
"How do you feel about him then? Don't you care about him?"
"Of course I care about him. I care for him a lot...only, I've never told anyone that I loved them before. I've never actually been in love. I don't know how I'm supposed to feel," Lily clung to Sophie's arm as they came to a stop, "You have to help me Soph. I don't know how to deal with any of these things. I mean, I've dated, but nothing like this. What was it like when Sirius first told you he loved you?"
"Awful," she answered honestly.
Lily must have looked surprised by her response because Sophie continued, "The first time he told me he loved me was the worst day of my life...he thought that I'd forced him to fall in love with me. That was the day that we broke up."
"Oh..." she whispered, "I'm sorry."
"Its alright. But lets get back to you, alright?"
"Okay..."
"How do you feel when you see James?"
"I feel...I don't know. I can't describe it. I have to force myself not to smile too widely when I see him," she giggled a little.
Sophie laughed as well, "I know what you mean...so what do you think when you feel his touch?"
"I feel like...like my heart has completely stopped. Its crazy, I know..." she blushed.
"No," Sophie said quietly, "Its not crazy at all."
'Sirius...' she thought quietly.
I smiled, accidentally closing my mouth. I didn't open it as Sophie finished her thought, 'I love you Sirius...more than you know...'
I opened my mouth again as the conversation started up.
"Do YOU think that I'm in love with him?" Lily asked.
"I think you just might be...but it really isn't up to me."
She sighed, "I know, but its nice to have some perspective."
I cut the connection off there in fear that Sophie would find out. I closed my mouth again and opened my eyes to see James grinning like an idiot.
"Better now?" I asked him.
"Extremely."
Aww!
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