Disclaimer: I disclaim. Mistress Meow's fault, too.
The birches glowed white as never before, the night of the Graduation Feast. The moon was only a few nights past full; Sirius was glad that Remus had been able to attend the feast, but was sad nonetheless. Tomorrow, the Hogwarts Express would take them back out into the real world, and separate them from each other. James and Lily would be getting married soon. That, too, would carry them further away from him. Remus was planning to continue his studies in the Defense Against the Dark Arts, and had spoken of a study in Lithuania. Peter had plans of his own. Sirius was the only one of the Marauders who still had no idea what he wanted to do after school.
The feast was done, and the dancing begun; he found himself outside the Great Hall, amongst the rosebushes, in the moonlight. He wandered further out into the courtyard, remembering the joys he'd had over the last seven years. Soon, he was in the middle of one of the groves of birch trees scattered across the school grounds, this one a stone's throw from the lake. He realized that he had company, as he heard sobbing. He walked closer.
"Professor? What's wrong?"
Minerva McGonagall looked up, wiping away the tears that were staining her face. "Mr Black..." She laughed, very briefly. He thought it might have been one of the most heartbreaking sounds he'd ever heard. "You are no longer my student. Perhaps you could call me Minerva."
He sat down beside her. "In that case, you must call me Sirius."
"Very well, Sirius. Why aren't you at the Feast?"
"The feast has been over for half an hour, Prof- Minerva," he corrected himself with a smile. "They're dancing now. And I have never been fond of dancing." He looked out at the lake for a long moment before continuing. "I've never been very good at dancing, either."
He watched her from the corner of his eye as her sniffling subsided. "What happened?" She was very still, then, before she sighed and leaned against him. Unsure of himself, Sirius wrapped his arm lightly around the woman who had been his teacher a few hours earlier.
"The man I have loved since I was your age informed me today that he does not believe it would be "appropriate" for us to have a relationship." Her words were stark, and as she spoke her voice had no inflection. She started to cry again, and quiet sobs wracked her body. He tightened his arm around her, forgetting for the moment the fifteen years' difference between their ages. She was simply a woman in pain in that moment, and it would have taken a man far different from Sirius Black to resist offering her comfort.
"He is a fool to turn you down." He did not realize that he was speaking aloud. He did not notice, either, when her sobs became interspersed with silent chuckling. She slowly calmed down and relaxed again, and they sat in silence, looking at the lake in the moonlight for a few minutes.
It took him by surprise when she suddenly stood, turning to face him. Although her eyes were red from crying, they glowed in the moonlight, and he became uncomfortably aware that she was perhaps the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Certainly she was one of the strongest witches he had ever met, and a quiet part of his soul gave thanks that she had been his teacher.
She quirked her mouth in a half-smile, then, and held her hand out to him. "You say you've never been good at dancing, Sirius. Would you mind if I tried to prove you wrong?"
He grinned at her, and stood to join her. "We have no music, milady."
Her smile broadened into a grin of her own, as she pulled her wand from her sleeve. "Cantavi cantum!" The meaning of her words made itself understandable as a waltz issued forth from the birch trees. Her wand disappeared and she held out her hand again. "May I have this dance, Mr Black?"
"Yeah, alright..." He took her hand, trying to quiet the sudden misgivings making themselves felt. Half-remembered lessons drilled into him by his mother prompted him to bow low to her, and he was delighted to hear a giggle in response. He straightened, and tried not to panic at the thought of stepping on a teacher.
"You know how to waltz, don't you, Sirius?"
"Er... I suppose so..."
She grinned at him again. "It's quite easy, really. It's even easier if you're willing to fake it. Just follow the music, and lead; I will follow. That way you won't have to worry so much about stepping on my feet."
He flushed at that, somehow ashamed that she'd so accurately identified his main worry. After all, he was used to looking like an idiot when he danced, so should he do so again it wouldn't really faze him.
"Come now, it's not that bad." And with that, she pulled him closer, and stepped into the circle of his arms.
And then they danced.
He realized, quite some time later, that she had been correct when she'd told him not to worry, and to just follow the music. For once in his life, he was dancing, and he was enjoying himself. In a fit of whimsy, and hoping that she would indeed be able to follow, he completely ignored the fact that the move he was about to make had no place in waltzing, and he set her into a spin, followed by a dip, before setting her gracefully back on her feet. They stood still, then, under the moonlight.
Sirius looked down at the slight form of the older woman still in his arms. She returned his gaze, flushed from the exertion of the dancing, a sparkle back in her eye. Once again unsure of himself, he leaned down towards her slowly, letting his eyes drift towards closed. He hoped that he wasn't about to make more of a fool of himself than three weeks of dancing once would have done. Emboldened by her failure to push him away, or to retreat in any way, Sirius carefully brushed her lips with his.
He had not really had any expectations once he'd begun talking with her earlier. However, he certainly had not expected to find himself outside well past midnight, dancing with a beautiful woman who had recently been his teacher, and kissing her in the moonlight.
He certainly had not expected that she might deepen the kiss.
And yet, deepen it she did, although it was nothing more than a kiss. He fell in love with her in that moment, in the moonlight, and realized that he'd lost his heart forever. He was somewhat surprised to realize that he didn't really mind.
He could not have said just who broke that kiss. He found himself still holding Minerva, as she cried quietly into his shoulder again, and resolved that whatever else might happen to him, he would see that she was happy.
Much later, he lay awake in bed thinking, having escorted her back to the castle doors and wishing her a good night. He made his decisions then, in the small hours of the morning.
"Excuse me, Professor? I was wondering if I might have a word with you, before the train comes...?"
"Of course, Mr Black. What might I help you with?"
"I'd just like to say, sir, that if you'd turn her away, you're the greatest fool I've ever known, and not even defeating Grindlewald could save you from that. I hope you have a good summer, sir."
And with that, he left the Headmaster's office and went down to the Great Hall to wait for the train with his friends.
"Alright then. So Remus, you're definitely off to Lithuania then, right?"
"Yes, it's far enough away that I won't be a target while I'm still doing research, and there's a fairly decent stipend for expenses, too. I won't be able to owl often, unfortunately..."
"And James, you and Lily are getting married when?"
"We were thinking in about a month or so... I think Lily would have wanted to wait longer, but with her mother ill... anyway, we've been looking around, and there's a lovely cottage coming open at a town called Godric's Hollow. We're thinking of buying it."
"Peter? Are you going to tell anybody about your secret plans finally, then?"
"Er... well... there's an apprenticeship I've been looking into... but I don't know. I might just help Father out for a while."
Lily interrupted then. "Wait a minute, Sirius. Do you know what you're going to do?"
He grinned at his friends. "Yes, I do, actually. I'm going to study Transfiguration."
Author's note: Special thanks to Lyckans Tomte, the Gnome of Happiness, for the suggestion on starting this story, and thanks as well to Ajax for reading it while it was WIP. Thanks to Ajax as well for letting me write when I really should have been working.
As for the Latin – I'm pretty sure that I've completely butchered it, as all my Latin textbooks are in storage three hours' drive away, but what this is supposed to mean is "(You will) play music." Hopefully my Latin teacher will never see this story, as she'd most likely scrinch me for not having a better way of checking it. LK
The birches glowed white as never before, the night of the Graduation Feast. The moon was only a few nights past full; Sirius was glad that Remus had been able to attend the feast, but was sad nonetheless. Tomorrow, the Hogwarts Express would take them back out into the real world, and separate them from each other. James and Lily would be getting married soon. That, too, would carry them further away from him. Remus was planning to continue his studies in the Defense Against the Dark Arts, and had spoken of a study in Lithuania. Peter had plans of his own. Sirius was the only one of the Marauders who still had no idea what he wanted to do after school.
The feast was done, and the dancing begun; he found himself outside the Great Hall, amongst the rosebushes, in the moonlight. He wandered further out into the courtyard, remembering the joys he'd had over the last seven years. Soon, he was in the middle of one of the groves of birch trees scattered across the school grounds, this one a stone's throw from the lake. He realized that he had company, as he heard sobbing. He walked closer.
"Professor? What's wrong?"
Minerva McGonagall looked up, wiping away the tears that were staining her face. "Mr Black..." She laughed, very briefly. He thought it might have been one of the most heartbreaking sounds he'd ever heard. "You are no longer my student. Perhaps you could call me Minerva."
He sat down beside her. "In that case, you must call me Sirius."
"Very well, Sirius. Why aren't you at the Feast?"
"The feast has been over for half an hour, Prof- Minerva," he corrected himself with a smile. "They're dancing now. And I have never been fond of dancing." He looked out at the lake for a long moment before continuing. "I've never been very good at dancing, either."
He watched her from the corner of his eye as her sniffling subsided. "What happened?" She was very still, then, before she sighed and leaned against him. Unsure of himself, Sirius wrapped his arm lightly around the woman who had been his teacher a few hours earlier.
"The man I have loved since I was your age informed me today that he does not believe it would be "appropriate" for us to have a relationship." Her words were stark, and as she spoke her voice had no inflection. She started to cry again, and quiet sobs wracked her body. He tightened his arm around her, forgetting for the moment the fifteen years' difference between their ages. She was simply a woman in pain in that moment, and it would have taken a man far different from Sirius Black to resist offering her comfort.
"He is a fool to turn you down." He did not realize that he was speaking aloud. He did not notice, either, when her sobs became interspersed with silent chuckling. She slowly calmed down and relaxed again, and they sat in silence, looking at the lake in the moonlight for a few minutes.
It took him by surprise when she suddenly stood, turning to face him. Although her eyes were red from crying, they glowed in the moonlight, and he became uncomfortably aware that she was perhaps the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Certainly she was one of the strongest witches he had ever met, and a quiet part of his soul gave thanks that she had been his teacher.
She quirked her mouth in a half-smile, then, and held her hand out to him. "You say you've never been good at dancing, Sirius. Would you mind if I tried to prove you wrong?"
He grinned at her, and stood to join her. "We have no music, milady."
Her smile broadened into a grin of her own, as she pulled her wand from her sleeve. "Cantavi cantum!" The meaning of her words made itself understandable as a waltz issued forth from the birch trees. Her wand disappeared and she held out her hand again. "May I have this dance, Mr Black?"
"Yeah, alright..." He took her hand, trying to quiet the sudden misgivings making themselves felt. Half-remembered lessons drilled into him by his mother prompted him to bow low to her, and he was delighted to hear a giggle in response. He straightened, and tried not to panic at the thought of stepping on a teacher.
"You know how to waltz, don't you, Sirius?"
"Er... I suppose so..."
She grinned at him again. "It's quite easy, really. It's even easier if you're willing to fake it. Just follow the music, and lead; I will follow. That way you won't have to worry so much about stepping on my feet."
He flushed at that, somehow ashamed that she'd so accurately identified his main worry. After all, he was used to looking like an idiot when he danced, so should he do so again it wouldn't really faze him.
"Come now, it's not that bad." And with that, she pulled him closer, and stepped into the circle of his arms.
And then they danced.
He realized, quite some time later, that she had been correct when she'd told him not to worry, and to just follow the music. For once in his life, he was dancing, and he was enjoying himself. In a fit of whimsy, and hoping that she would indeed be able to follow, he completely ignored the fact that the move he was about to make had no place in waltzing, and he set her into a spin, followed by a dip, before setting her gracefully back on her feet. They stood still, then, under the moonlight.
Sirius looked down at the slight form of the older woman still in his arms. She returned his gaze, flushed from the exertion of the dancing, a sparkle back in her eye. Once again unsure of himself, he leaned down towards her slowly, letting his eyes drift towards closed. He hoped that he wasn't about to make more of a fool of himself than three weeks of dancing once would have done. Emboldened by her failure to push him away, or to retreat in any way, Sirius carefully brushed her lips with his.
He had not really had any expectations once he'd begun talking with her earlier. However, he certainly had not expected to find himself outside well past midnight, dancing with a beautiful woman who had recently been his teacher, and kissing her in the moonlight.
He certainly had not expected that she might deepen the kiss.
And yet, deepen it she did, although it was nothing more than a kiss. He fell in love with her in that moment, in the moonlight, and realized that he'd lost his heart forever. He was somewhat surprised to realize that he didn't really mind.
He could not have said just who broke that kiss. He found himself still holding Minerva, as she cried quietly into his shoulder again, and resolved that whatever else might happen to him, he would see that she was happy.
Much later, he lay awake in bed thinking, having escorted her back to the castle doors and wishing her a good night. He made his decisions then, in the small hours of the morning.
"Excuse me, Professor? I was wondering if I might have a word with you, before the train comes...?"
"Of course, Mr Black. What might I help you with?"
"I'd just like to say, sir, that if you'd turn her away, you're the greatest fool I've ever known, and not even defeating Grindlewald could save you from that. I hope you have a good summer, sir."
And with that, he left the Headmaster's office and went down to the Great Hall to wait for the train with his friends.
"Alright then. So Remus, you're definitely off to Lithuania then, right?"
"Yes, it's far enough away that I won't be a target while I'm still doing research, and there's a fairly decent stipend for expenses, too. I won't be able to owl often, unfortunately..."
"And James, you and Lily are getting married when?"
"We were thinking in about a month or so... I think Lily would have wanted to wait longer, but with her mother ill... anyway, we've been looking around, and there's a lovely cottage coming open at a town called Godric's Hollow. We're thinking of buying it."
"Peter? Are you going to tell anybody about your secret plans finally, then?"
"Er... well... there's an apprenticeship I've been looking into... but I don't know. I might just help Father out for a while."
Lily interrupted then. "Wait a minute, Sirius. Do you know what you're going to do?"
He grinned at his friends. "Yes, I do, actually. I'm going to study Transfiguration."
Author's note: Special thanks to Lyckans Tomte, the Gnome of Happiness, for the suggestion on starting this story, and thanks as well to Ajax for reading it while it was WIP. Thanks to Ajax as well for letting me write when I really should have been working.
As for the Latin – I'm pretty sure that I've completely butchered it, as all my Latin textbooks are in storage three hours' drive away, but what this is supposed to mean is "(You will) play music." Hopefully my Latin teacher will never see this story, as she'd most likely scrinch me for not having a better way of checking it. LK