"So what's going on with you and Sirius?"

Andrina turned to Elaine with a questioning stare. The two of them were sitting by the greenhouse as they usually did after classes. Andrina studied her friend's face, searching for any negative emotions that used to exist whenever Sirius Black was brought up. Satisfied that she didn't see anything, she answered as casually as she could.

"We're friends, what else would be going on?" Andrina said as she looked away from her friend. Lately, Andrina found herself giddy whenever she was around Sirius. She knew what that meant. She was no stranger to crushes, she was a young girl of 16, almost 17 and she was very self-aware.

"Well, the fact that you look guilty and won't even look at me, tells me there's a little more than something going on. Plus, I've never seen Sirius act like that before."

"I am his first female friend. Maybe that's it? Really, Elaine! I think you're looking for something that isn't there!"

"Is this about the fact that Sirius and I dated a few years ago? Because I wouldn't mind if you guys date. You're my best friend and I'm with Tommy now so I think you should go for it!"

Andrina didn't say anything for a while.

"That's great and all, but I rejected him."

"Wait, what? When! I can't believe you didn't tell me this!"

"Before we became friends actually. A bit before he apologized to you last year, I told him I wasn't his type." She peeked over to her friend to see her reaction to the news. Elaine looked gobsmacked but recovered quickly.

"That's why he apologized to me! I knew it seemed out of character of him to apologize so suddenly!" Elaine looked like a puzzle piece just clicked into place for her.

"Wait, you told him you weren't his type? He was probably in complete shock!" Elaine laughed uproariously at that and Andrina grinned cheekily.

"I did. At the time he was changing broads every new day, and I knew that I didn't want to be one of those girls." Elaine just hummed her agreement.

True enough, she would not have approved as readily if Sirius had attempted to pursue anything further than friendship with Andrina at that time. She knew that her best friend was someone who took her relationships very seriously and typically made deep connections with anyone who entered her life. Elaine had seen her hurt before because of her habit of baring all of her heart and soul to others, and she hated seeing her best friend so vulnerable and raw after those encounters. As a Hufflepuff, Andrina gave all of her loyalty to others in the belief that they would reciprocate just as much, forgetting that not everyone was capable of the amount of loyalty that Andrina had to offer.

Andrina had to admit though, that Sirius changed, or perhaps 'changed' wasn't the right word. He seemed to have toned down. He was still the life of the party, but Andrina noticed he also seemed closer to being man than boy, and this new discovery had Andrina looking at him in a new light. She felt a bit guilty for her new-found feelings, seeing as she was the one who turned him down. She knew however, that the Sirius of back then was not the Sirius that would have taken her as seriously as the Sirius now.

"So what about now? You said that you rejected him last year, but he seems different this year. I haven't seen him or Potter terrorizing any firsties, and I haven't caught his hand down anybody's skirt once!"

"No you're right, I noticed that as well. Sirius is not at all like I imagined him to be. To be honest, I thought he was this shallow, immature and obnoxious boy."

Elaine quirked a brow, "And he isn't now?" she drawled with a lazy tilt of her head.

Andrina chuckled again. "Fair enough, but I guess I found he was more than those traits."

"So why aren't you interested? I think he'd make you very happy, you positively light up around him. Is it because of the other girls? Does it bother you that he's dated so many people, or-"

"Oh definitely not! I'm not with him, there's no reason for me to be bothered by that. I wouldn't even have the right to be angry or bothered over something so trivial."

Which was true, Andrina had no qualms about Sirius' extensive list of girls. She was no stranger to the opposite sex either. After getting to know him, she also saw that Sirius was an admirable man. When you got his loyalty, he was true to you, no ifs, ands or buts. Andrina saw it in the way he interacted with his friends, he was fiercely loyal and worked hard in his relationships with the other Marauders. She knew that if anything were to happen between her and Sirius that she would have no fears of wandering eyes or of a fickle heart. She made it clear that she wanted nothing but dedication, and when he committed himself, he would easily die before he would betray his loved ones, with that she had no doubt.

She knew that the relationship between her and Sirius wouldn't be like his dalliances. They were already emotionally open, and she had earned his loyalty a long time ago. The other girls were people he kept at a distance, they never stood a chance against the defences he put up around his heart. So no, she would never worry about something like Sirius' loyalty, not when it was so obvious that his loved ones were the centre of his universe.

○0○

Sirius and Andrina spent their usual Saturdays together, under the tree where they first talked. Both were quieter than usual, lost in their own thoughts. Sirius was at a loss. He could admit to himself that he no longer held platonic feelings for the girl beside him. Although, since he was being honest, he didn't think he ever really held platonic feelings for her. She had him at her beck and call, and his heart surrendered long before he knew it was on the line. If love was a battlefield, Sirius Black had lost as soon as her laughter filled the air. It was terrifying.

She rejected him a year ago because he wasn't ready for a relationship, but he wasn't that boy anymore. He was a man now, he was 17, an adult in the Wizarding World. He was slotted to join The Order after Hogwarts with James, Remus and Peter. He was going to fight in a War so that her best friend could live and he was going to do something good for the Wizarding World. None of this scared him as much as the thought of telling her that he wanted more than just her friendship. Sirius was ready for the deep connection, and the intimate moments. He was already on the path to being irrevocably in love with her. He wanted to settle down with her, and have that soul-bearing, insatiable love that had no end in sight. He wanted it all.

Andrina stood up from her spot and held out her hand to help Sirius up as well. Never one to pass up an opportunity to touch her, especially after his revelation, Sirius took her hand and held it a bit longer than probably necessary.

"Sirius?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to kiss you now, okay?"

"Okay."

Andrina turned towards Sirius and held his face in her hand. When she leaned in to kiss him, she could feel Sirius trembling. Their lips met over and over again. It would have been an innocent kiss had there not been a charge between them that gave them goose flesh. Sirius' mind went blank and when they pulled away he was breathless. Andrina licked her lips enticingly and gave him one last peck. Even though he answered right away when she asked to kiss him, Sirius had not expected that at all.

"If you weren't sure by now, I just wanted to say that I like you."

Sirius stared at her for another moment before what happened finally set in. Letting out a loud cheer, Sirius picked Andrina up and spun her around. Laughing loudly, Andrina, looked down at him as he spun her. With her feet still off the ground, Sirius held her right under her bottom and she kissed him again. This time, Sirius obliged happily, not so nervous anymore, and it was his turn to kiss her breathless.

When he finally put her down, the two couldn't stop grinning at each other. Forehead to forehead, Sirius' heart was racing and the butterflies erupted in his belly again. Euphoric, Sirius opened his mouth to tell him he felt the same. Hesitating, he was about to ask her if that meant he could be her boyfriend, but she beat him to it.

"Do you want to be my boyfriend?"

Andrina looked up at him with bright eyes and Sirius mutely nodded his head. She laughed that laugh he loved so damn much. The same laugh that drew her to him in the first place and the one that could light up the room better than any Lumos could.

In all of his love life, he was always the one to call the shots. He was the first to kiss them, the confident one, the first to escalate, and the one with the reins. He left girls speechless and amazed. Yet, here was this little Hufflepuff girl who turned him down twice, who didn't get jealous when he flirted, or mad when he ran off with the Marauders. Who left him breathless and speechless with just a few kisses. She bantered and teased, and gave as good as she got. She made the first move and asked him out with a boldness that appealed to his Gryffindor sensibilities. From day one, it was clear that she was the one leading him, and Sirius was only happy to follow.

With one last grin, Sirius kissed her again. He couldn't be happier than he was in this moment now that they were more than just friends.

A/N: Hi guys! So obviously this chapter is a lot shorter than the first chapter, and that's because I wasn't sure where I wanted to end it. I was debating on whether or not to stick to canon, or make it AU and give Sirius a happy ending. If I stuck to canon, it'd have probably ended up as a tragedy. So I guess for now, I will leave it here and open ended, unless I decide to come back to it. If people ask, then I will probably write a few drabbles containing moments that take place in between the lines of Just Friends.

Anyways, thanks for taking the time to read Just Friends!