{33} You bring out my rare smile : A Marauder Story

Harley was not going to move. The werewolf was going to kill her before she got to Riley.
She stared up at the horrifying figure that blocked out the moonlight. The werewolf was mere feet higher than her, almost hovering above her. She thought of how it would feel to be crushed by the daunting figure. What it would feel like to be bitten by one. If she was bitten, she wasn't sure if she would want to survive. Being a werewolf would endanger Riley and Valarie, and that would not be acceptable. But still, she did not move. Riley was on the ground behind her.
She braced herself for the impact. It happened all very quickly, moving from slow motion to fast forward.
The stag that had been James Potter only a few seconds ago charged into the side of the werewolf. Harley was tackled to the ground, the person who had charged into her landed on top of her. Harley gasped, trying to regain her breath, and not just from the impact.
The arms wrapped around her waist were playing havoc with her heart. She was very aware of a hard chest pressing against her shoulder and heavy breath tickling her neck.
"Are you okay?"
She knew that voice. She knew it almost as well as she knew her own. But she was too distracted to figure out whose it was.
Legs were brushing her own and the big arms around her tightened, the fingers moving ever so slightly, brushing her bare skin. She inhaled in shock and a familiar scent floated into her nose. Her blood rushed through her veins and her breath quickened. She was quite shocked to find herself turned on.
"Harley?"
This feeling she had could not go ignored. It refused to be. The enraged werewolf and the Potter-stag meant nothing now. Her blood pumped through her veins. Her eyes, previously being shocked, were now determined and smothered.
What was this? She had never felt like this before, why was it happening now? She felt it pump through her, threatening to take control of her. If she let it, it would overcome the hard shell she had worked so hard to make. It would shred it away with one swipe and Harley would be left completely vulnerable. It scared Harley more than anything she had ever encountered. Yet she wanted it to stay. She needed it to stay.
She turned to look at the person who had managed to bring out this new inner demon. When the handsome face met her gaze Harley almost cried out in shock.
No. It's not Black. No no no no! Her thoughts howled. She couldn't believe it. That amazing feeling that rushed through her could not be because of Black. No! No! NO!
The demon told her to kiss him and her thoughts told her to kill him. She couldn't decide on what she wanted to do, so she did nothing. She just stared at Sirius.

---

Sirius stared into Harley devastated green eyes.
There was no way this Harley could be made up. There was no way he could be dreaming. Those eyes could not be imagined, and nor could the feeling that rushed through him.
Oh God did he ever want her. He wanted to never let go of her. He wanted to feel her warm skin pressed against him for the rest of his life. There would be no more ignoring her. Not only would he not do it, be he doubted he could.
He wanted to pick her up, throw her on the nearest bed, and take her right that moment. Only the fact that if he did do that, he would never be able to touch her ever again stopped him. She wouldn't let him.
It was her eyes that were driving him crazy. There was no brick wall in them. They were deep green pools of desire and confusion.
She must be realizing she likes me, he thought, his heart thumping louder. It has to be. Nothing else would make her look like that.
It wasn't just physical need that pulsed through him. It was him wanting to protect her from everything. It was the desire for her to be his. For her to belong to him. The thought of her being with anyone else almost drove him off the edge.
A howl broke them out of their stare. They both shot up to survey what was happening.
Riley was hiding behind a spruce tree while James used his antlers to herd Remus towards the Whomping Willow. They were near the whipping branches now. Peter, in all his mouse-ness, ran to the tree trunk and nudged a root. Remus fought with all his power to get to Riley and Harley, but James jabbed him one last time to get him into the hole. Remus almost crumpled through the hole. James turned his massive head towards Sirius.
"Get him to the shack! Then come and meet us in Dumbledore's office!" Sirius called, springing up. James gave somewhat of a nod and disappeared through the hole as well.
Sirius looked down to help Harley up, but she was already standing- and running away from him.
No! He thought, his heart dropping. God damn it. Should I chase after her? Or would that just scare her away more? But then Harley stopped and knelt down. Is she out of breath? Already? But when she hauled Riley up, he realized she hadn't been running away from him at all, but running to Riley.
He ran over as Harley helped Riley up. Riley looked like she had gone into shock. Her face was so pale her freckles looked like they were painted on and her eyes were wide.
"Riley. Riley talk to me," Harley demanded. "Come on, say something. I need to hear you say something."
Riley swallowed and let out a deep, shuddering breath. "He's a werewolf Harley." Tears grew in her eyes. "Remus is a werewolf. He didn't tell me. He's a werewolf and he didn't tell me."
Harley nodded and wrapped an arm around Riley to support her.
"All you've got to do is avoid him for a few months, Riley, it won't be too hard. I'll help-"
"No!" Sirius snapped. Harley threw him a frightful glare and his heart thumped. "You can't ignore Remus just because he's a werewolf!"
"He's a bloody werewolf, Black. There's no way she'll want to be with him after this." Harley started to walk forward, supporting a stumbling Riley.
"He's a werewolf," Riley gasped. Sirius watched as she tripped and Harley stooped underneath the extra weight, but kept her up. It was an impressive feat, seeing as Harley should have been in the same shock. He stepped to Riley's other side and helped Riley stand straight. Harley shot him a glare behind her head. He ignored it.
"Black, let go of her, I've got it under control," Harley snapped. Sirius ignored her.
"Riley, listen, you can't leave Remus," he said. His brow was knitted together. "He's been really happy with you. If you left him because he is a werewolf he'd do himself in-"
"Well maybe he should!" Harley snapped as they walked into the school. "He endangers everyone! Riley can't go out with him anymore, he could kill her!" Sirius' blood boiled and he scowled.
"Precautions can be made, Reid!"
"No! He isn't right for her," she snapped, "at all."
Sirius wasn't sure what pissed him off more, the fact that Harley was trying to break up Riley and Remus up, or the fact that Harley thought that just because Riley and Remus were different they didn't belong together. That got him thinking about Harley and him. They were different, but surely they had a chance.
"Why not? Because he changes into a werewolf every full moon?"
"That and the fact they're nothing alike," she said.
Defiance rose in Sirius' chest. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Stop!" Riley said, still a little dazed. "You two fight like an old married couple!" Sirius smirked and looked at Harley. She had turned away. "I'm just mad that Remus didn't tell me."
Harley's head snapped back to stare at Riley.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked loudly. "You can't possibly still want to be with him!"
"I still like Remus, Harley. I don't care if he's a werewolf or not-"
"Riley he could kill you!" Harley's voice was high and frantic. Sirius was quite surprised. She'd never shown this much, well, emotion.
"But he won't," Riley said.
"What if he does?" Harley asked, still panicky. Riley removed her arm from Harley's shoulder and pushed away from Sirius, giving him a frustrated look. He frowned, confused.
"He won't. Where are we going?"
Harley opened her mouth to argue but Sirius cut her off.
"To Dumbledore's office," he said.
"Why?" Riley asked.
"He's going to want to know that you two know."
"This is stupid; you could just tell him yourself, could you not?" Harley snapped.
Sirius looked at her. She was still wearing her two piece bathing suit. She looked like a goddess. He wondered how much persuasion it took to get her in that thing. Whoever did get her into the bathing suit deserved a prize. A very big prize.

---

"This is stupid; you can just tell him yourself, could you not?"
Sirius' eyes slipped from her own down her neckline. Harley looked down too, to see what he was looking at. For one of the first times in her life, she nearly blushed. She was still wearing her bathing suit. The bathing suit that covered as much as underwear did.
She didn't know what to feel, which confused her. She knew she should have cursed him into oblivion that exact moment, but for she didn't. The memory of the feeling she had outside, the one Sirius had brought on, flushed through her mind. Harley looked at Sirius to see his eyes slowly sweeping over her. His brown eyes caught her green ones. He stared hard at her for one second, and then looked away. Harley was shocked to feel her heart thudding in her chest.
I've seen that look in his eyes before, Harley thought. When we were in the corner. What IS that? What does it mean?
Soon they were walking past a gargoyle, up the stairs into Dumbledore's office. Harley wasn't in the mood to be amused at the shocked look on Dumbledore's face as they hauled themselves into chairs.
"What is this monstrosity?" One of the portraits yelled. Harley's head snapped towards the voice. It was a rather young man who looked like he was from the early fifteenth century. "First she comes in with twisted arms and legs, now she comes in only half dressed? Dumbledore, something must be done!"

Rest in Results


Harley was going to hurt someone. She wanted to rip something apart. She needed to cause damage, to hurt somebody, to destroy something. She took a blind step towards the portrait, her fury making her vision blurry.

That bloody bastard...he's got no idea what we just went through...he hurt Riley's feelings...I think I look nice...that dickhead thinks I was faking it, I know he does...do something with me...he's going to burn.

Her face was smooth but her eyes wild. It was clear nothing good was going to come in the next few seconds.

She wasn't aware of Dumbledore asking her to sit down. She wasn't aware of someone moving out of the corner of her eye. All she could feel was the disgusted churn of her stomach and the loud roar that echoed in her ears.

Harley's eyes locked with the portraits. It was just above her head, in reaching distance. It could easily be torn off the wall and smashed to pieces. She was two meters from it now.

The portrait looked like he was trying to be brave, but was failing badly.

A body appeared in front of her. It was tall and muscular. She recognized it as Sirius at once. She tried to shove by him, but he barely stumbled. "Harley, sit down."

She gave him a glare. Amazing feeling or not, Sirius Black was getting in the way of her prey. It was plainly not acceptable. "Move, Black!"


He didn't move, and when she tried to move around him, he moved so he was in her way. The portrait, obviously feeling braver, decided to input his two bits.

"You bint of a girl, sit down!"




"Bint" means something of a young prostitute, for those who didn't know.




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