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       #Post#: 201--------------------------------------------------
       Menacing Magic
   DIR By: Wolfy
       Date: April 17, 2012, 2:02 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Story below is copyright protected and for sale here
  HTML http://shortfictionalstories.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/menacing-magic.html
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       My mind replayed haunting images of him falling beyond the veil
       as the sound of his godsons cries echoed against my skull once
       more. That day had been dreadfully painful for us all; and yet I
       could not help but feel a sense of sadness greater than that of
       the emotions tearing through others who had grown to admire
       Sirius Black.
       
       He had been a rock for his godson ever since he escaped Azkaban
       prison and informed him of the false accusation. Now, he was no
       longer around. Although but a month or two had passed since his
       death, the burden of living life without the infamous Padfoot
       was proving a difficult task for all. Those who had known him
       for a lifetime were distraught still, finding even the simplest
       of daily tasks difficult to comprehend. I was one of those
       people. My body yearned to be held in his loving embrace; an
       embrace he enveloped all of his godson’s friends within often.
       Over the years I had grown jealous, silently wishing his arms
       would one day encircle my body and flee far from others. His
       passing had caused a rift between many; but myself, Hermione,
       Ron and Harry had merged closer than ever in the hope of pulling
       through. Harder times were ahead we believed.
       
       “Guys, it’s about time I made my way to bed. I will see you all
       in the morning” I spoke, standing from my spot on the sofa and
       trudging up the staircase.
       
       On my way up the stairs I heard the faint mumble of everyone
       saying goodnight; smiling at the sound. The bedroom door closed
       behind me without even being touched and I merely shrugged in
       response. I was not in any kind of mood to play games with the
       noble and most ancient House Of Black. Sighing heavily as I
       walked further into the room, my thoughts drifted once more to
       the man who was once its owner. Given his untimely death and a
       dire need for changes to be made to his childhood home, each of
       us had been given the job of decorating. I had been directed
       into his old bedroom, unfortunately.
       
       Though it was not the best place for any one of us to reside for
       the time being, I had to admit being so close to what was once a
       huge part of him was comforting. Knowing he had slept in this
       bed for many years of his life, and even sporadically during his
       role at the Order Of The Phoenix; brought a great sense of
       happiness to my saddened eyes. Pain washed over my face
       momentarily as my fingers traced the soft cotton sheets. I sunk
       down onto the mattress and wished he would return to make us all
       giggle at his witty humour; but I knew it was impossible. He was
       gone, for good, unable to return. I sobbed quietly to myself and
       shook like a leaf as I lay back against the pillows. His scent
       filled my nose and I inhaled deeply, taking it all in as though
       it were a rare brand of cologne. Of course, the smell of Sirius
       had always been inviting, in more ways than one.
       
       As I lay back on the mattress and allowed my mind to take a
       journey back in time yet again, it landed on another precious
       memory of Sirius. This memory however was personal to me and
       only me. It spoke loudly of my feelings toward him, and being
       the young adult I now was, it could very well have fallen into
       place perfectly for me. Had his evil hearted cousin not murdered
       him, he would know how I truly felt about him. Though I had
       tried countless times to confess, the look in his eyes during
       those moments of weakness held me back. They were so very
       captivating; capturing me in a trance. I always fought to avoid
       giving in to temptation and with my strong mind set, it worked
       without fail. But, over the years and as I grew that much older,
       I realised my like for him had been something much more
       advanced. Turning to Hermione a few times with my sob story
       about falling in love with someone who could never return my
       feelings had been effective, up until she asked with whom I had
       fallen so hard for. Even then, although she sprouted her
       distaste accordingly, she remained incredibly understanding of
       my situation and vowed till the end of time to be there for me
       if ever I needed advice or a shoulder to lean on in times of
       need. Now would have been appropriate; right at this moment.
       
       I made her promise me quite a long time ago that she could not
       speak a word of my secret to the boys. Ron knowing would be
       awkward, but Harry with the knowledge that one of his best
       friends had fallen in love with his godfather would have caused
       an uproar; or so I always believed. I had tried to imagine the
       entire scene playing in my mind and what I would do upon hearing
       such news, and it wasn’t a pretty sight. If he ever did find
       out, for whatever reason it may be, surely he would understand a
       hearts true desires.
       
       My thoughtful mind had whisked me away into a deep slumber as I
       lay curled up on his bed, awaiting the dreaded morning. In my
       sleep I often had pleasant dreams, nothing out of the ordinary;
       only tonight there was something very wrong. I dreamt of Sirius’
       return to Grimmauld Place, only he seemed incredibly out of
       sorts and highly deluded. His hand had reached out and wrapped
       itself around my neck when I woke with a start. Nothing but fear
       coursed through my body as I shook violently on the now crumpled
       up sheets. I did not know what had happened, but realising it
       had been a dream and nothing more appeared to calm me a little.
       With a glance over at the clock on the nightstand, I took note
       of the time and groaned aloud. I had not woken up so early in a
       long time; and I hoped it would be the last. Sleep was the one
       thing I needed most of lately, especially with all that was
       occurring at Hogwarts after the battle of the Department Of
       Mysteries. More unwelcome thoughts seeped into my head and I
       banished them quickly. I wanted to sleep again, but my body
       tensed at the thought of falling into another wicked dream.
       
       Although my attempts at straining my eyes to stay awake were
       more often than not successful, their heavy burden of dealing
       with restless nights won over. Before I could complain and force
       myself to remain alert, my head fell back on the pillow and I
       was out like the lights on a christmas tree after a power
       outage. The rest of the night was uneventful; my imaginary world
       once activated had been delayed for a few hours of peace.
       
       “Lottie, time to wake up and get things moving dear” called
       Molly through a gap in the bedroom door.
       
       “Alright, I will be up and ready in a moment” I replied, though
       still half asleep.
       
       I had made a poor effort to lift my tired and weakened body from
       the comfort of the bed when it instantly collapsed in defeat. It
       took only moments for slumber to consume me once more, but I
       didn’t care one little bit. As I fell deeper and deeper into my
       own world, the sound of a man’s voice entered my ears. At first
       I shook it off, not wanting to deal with the possibility that I
       may very well be going crazy. But, just when I thought it was
       safe to fall asleep again, the voice called out my name, rather
       loudly at that.
       
       Little Lottie… the voice spoke, loudly at first. Until it
       appeared faint, though I still heard it’s whisper close against
       my ear, clear as day. It continued to repeat my name and under
       the phrase I was familiar with. Only one person called me Little
       Lottie with such affection and adoration, and that was Sirius.
       
       My heart jumped up into my throat and I almost choked, though it
       had not literally done so and merely shocked me thinking it had.
       In reality, waking from my dazed state and realising that I had
       not been hearing things, my head spun madly. I spent a moment or
       two weighing up what I had heard and just how clearly I had
       heard it. It would not have been possible to simply imagine such
       a thing, though given the sadness that had been creeping over me
       for weeks, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who knew me.
       I imagined that Harry understood the feeling all too well
       himself. Debating whether or not I should actually tell him of
       what just happened; I decided it best to leave things unsaid. I
       did not wish to anger or hurt him further. He needed the
       strength of his friends now more than ever before and I was not
       one to let down a friend in need.
       
       I rose with caution from my laying position and listened
       intently for the voice once again, but it did not return. I felt
       a wave of disappointment rush over me as I stood to walk out of
       the room, wishing that somewhere within its walls there was a
       Black we all loved and missed terribly. As I opened the door to
       leave, a warm breeze blew against the back of my neck and
       startled me to no end. I stumbled but quickly regained my
       composure when I noticed Molly walking down the hall toward me,
       probably wondering what had taken so long. I shook off what had
       felt like someone’s breath and greeted her happily. She spent a
       minute or so telling me exactly of my role during the next few
       days and asked that I make sure the place is absolutely spotless
       by the end of the week.
       
       I relished over the idea of clearing out the clutter that
       resembled mountains in Sirius’ room and displayed a grin that
       reached my eyes. Molly noticed and asked why such a task was so
       delightful to my ears, but I did nothing but shrug and headed on
       down the stairs for breakfast; leaving a bewildered Molly to
       ponder a while and scamper off to her own duties. I was thankful
       I had escaped her curious eyes; and it certainly had not been
       the first time either. She was indeed a woman of great abilities
       and being a know it all was one of them. At times I found it
       quite useful to have someone around who knew things I did not,
       and probably never would, but other times it proved quite
       troublesome in the essence of evading scrutiny when she could
       see right through into your very soul. It was both good and
       evil.
       
       After I had eaten breakfast and sipped lightly at a glass of
       cool cranberry juice, I headed on back up the stairs to get
       started on clearing the mess. Before my eyes lay books, old
       wands, empty fire whiskey bottles and vials that contained
       strange coloured liquids. Out of interest and being intrigued by
       almost everything, I decided to test them to decipher exactly
       what they may be. I spent a good half hour pouring small drops
       of each vial onto the palm of my hand and held my breath until I
       realised none of them were toxic. They appeared to be nothing
       more than antidotes for healing small wounds or discoloured
       skin. I took note of each vial and stuck a small label on each
       of them, recalling their names from the Potions class we had at
       least three times a week, much to our displeasure. Even though
       many of us loathed Professor Snape; there was always a deeper
       story behind his eyes and I had longed to find out what it was.
       Perhaps one of these days I’d build up the courage to ask what
       tormented him straight to his core. He couldn’t hide it very
       well, that was for sure. Through all his hatred, it was ever
       present.
       
       As my thoughts once again flew in all sorts of directions, my
       fingers tangled themselves around a bright blue vial; or rather
       its contents was so vibrantly coloured. I had never come across
       anything quite like it before, even after studying multiple
       potion classes with the permission of our head of house. My
       expanded classes had me working long into the night at one
       point, but its subject was all too fascinating to have but a few
       lessons of. I twirled the vial around in my hand for a while and
       wracked my brain for possibilities that would suggest its use,
       but I could not think of anything. I didn’t believe it was any
       form of antidote and so I chose not to pour even a tiny drop
       onto my skin. Going up in flames or watching my flesh being torn
       from my body didn’t seem a good idea.
       
       I pondered a while longer in case it came to me when I least
       expected it; but it didn’t. I grew angry realising I couldn’t
       work out for once what its purpose was. Stuffing the vial
       carelessly into my back pocket, I got to work tidying up the
       rest of the room. It didn’t look all that inviting now I was
       standing in here with the knowledge of having to clear it until
       it was spotless. My wand would have been awfully helpful right
       now if it weren’t for Molly disabling them all and suggesting we
       use our hands instead. Maybe it was a good idea to take our
       minds of things, even if it was proving difficult.
       
       I’d spent over two hours clearing up clothes from endless piles
       on the floor and had even stopped once or twice to revel in the
       smell of his shirts. His scent lingered still, ever so strongly
       on his forgotten clothes. I caught myself smiling in the mirror
       across the room and frowned when I noticed what I was actually
       doing. This was not going to help and it certainly wouldn’t make
       it more bearable. Still, the smell of him was so enticing that I
       couldn’t bring myself to put away every last shirt. I hoped no
       one would notice my attire later this evening when they spotted
       me wearing an unbuttoned, striped black shirt over my tank top.
       If it looked at all suspicious, I could always make up the
       horrid lie that I was simply cold and needed to warm up. I knew
       deep down everyone would eye me as though I had gone mad, but at
       the moment it didn’t cross my mind enough to prevent me from
       wearing the shirt. A bond grew between it and myself the longer
       I wore it.
       #Post#: 206--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Menacing Magic
   DIR By: Maggie Flannery
       Date: April 17, 2012, 11:40 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Oh my lord! I've still got a lump in my throat for this. I can
       assure I may just have to buy a copy of this from your blogspot
       for my personal library my dear. It's wonderful and heart
       wrenching all at the same time.  Please by all means do post
       more, I'll stock up on tissues, haha.
       #Post#: 212--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Menacing Magic
   DIR By: Wolfy
       Date: April 18, 2012, 3:31 am
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       Thank you very much! :D I'm happy that you like this one as
       well. It's probably the longest I have written in a while and
       its ideas came from a fanfiction site (which I just love to read
       Oldman stories on when I can find them). I shall post more below
       for you, but try not to flood the forum hehe.
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       “Lottie dear, are you almost done with that room?” called Molly,
       pushing open the door and walking in a few feet.
       
       She stopped abruptly upon noticing the shirt I had thrown over
       my own and frowned slightly. I chose to avoid her piercing glare
       and continued my job of clearing the rest of the room; all that
       was left to sort now were a few books here and there. It would
       take no time at all to place them neatly and in order on the
       shelves beside the mirror.
       
       “I will be done in a few minutes Molly” I spoke, finally turning
       my attention toward her and forcing a small smile.
       
       It was unexpected, but she smiled back and a gleam seemed to
       shine in her eyes as she stared at the shirt I wore before
       heading out of the room. Once alone, I released a huge sigh of
       relief, thankful that she hadn’t said anything inappropriate. If
       Molly had worked out the real reason behind my need to wear the
       shirt, Hermione and the boys would find out sooner rather than
       later and be filled to the brim with all kinds of weird
       thoughts. It was not like that at all, though for years I
       secretly wished it could have been. If only I had not been too
       young for him when we met all those years ago. I could always
       tell by the look in his eyes that he believed me and Hermione
       had grown into beautiful young women who would one day make any
       man incredibly happy. Smiling at the memory, I picked up the
       last book off the dusty floor and smoothed down its cover to
       glance at its title. My eyes opened wide in shock; I was holding
       the journal of Sirius Black.
       
       At first I did not know how to react and stood staring blankly
       at it for a few minutes until a jolt forced me to open it. Upon
       inspecting the first page, in the neatest handwriting I had ever
       seen, it read as follows…
       
       My name is Sirius Black. I am a pureblood wizard at Hogwarts
       school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. My family loathe me,
       especially my wicked mother. I have threatened countless times
       to run away from home; never to return. She did not seem to care
       in the slightest and my father did not condone such behaviour.
       Punishment occurred twice weekly for disobedience and
       inappropriate suggestive language. Both of which were a huge
       part of my personality; it was completely unavoidable. Through
       the pages of this book if I should one day unexpectedly perish,
       you will learn a great deal about my past and the man that it
       turned me into today. Pleasant reading to whomever has found me.
       
       I realised instantly that I’d been reading aloud and had not
       even stopped to take a breath before I had reached the last
       word. It intrigued me greatly. Not having known anything at all
       about Sirius’ childhood; to find a book with endless detailed
       information about it was one of many treasures. I skimmed
       through every page for a good half hour until I landed on one in
       particular. It captured my attention through its complicated use
       of phrasing and immediately I tried to work it out and turn it
       into its simplest form. After what felt like a lifetime of
       struggling to rewrite it on a blank piece of paper word for
       word, I stared down at the paper and gasped in horror. It was
       but the ingredients for the chemical substance I had pocketed
       earlier. By the sound of the ingredients he had used to create
       this potion, it didn’t sound all too friendly. Turning the page
       over in desperation to find further answers to my on going
       questions, I was stunned once again. Only this time, my eyes lit
       up in wonder. A smile took over my lips; this could bring him
       back.
       
       I wanted to waste no more time over my discovery and deftly, I
       recovered an old wand of Sirius’ and swished it twice, watching
       the sparks fly and the room dust itself clean. Smiling in
       satisfaction, I made my way quickly out of the room and down the
       stairs of Grimmauld Place. I had to call back once to respond to
       Molly’s outburst at me flying down the stairs and out the door.
       She worried a little more than was needed all of the time, even
       more so lately with everything that had happened. Sadness filled
       my veins at the thought of this potion not working correctly;
       god knows how long he had kept it piled among all that mess in
       his room. However, it would be our only hope of him returning to
       us. The look on Harry’s face at seeing his godfather; the last
       family member he’d had a chance of spending time with, was more
       than worth any risks.
       
       Almost as soon as I turned the corner, I spotted the portkey
       just across the road from where I stood and quickly crossed. It
       was a nightmare trying to cross such busy streets, but in the
       name of saving Sirius Black and needing to do so with haste, I
       kept my focus on what mattered. The moment my hand touched the
       lamppost ahead of me, my body went flying through doors and
       landed at the feet of Minister Scrimgeour. I cursed inwardly for
       arriving so foolishly, but after straightening myself out he
       looked a little less irritated by my presence.
       
       “Minister, I have come to study the veil. There is an exam
       coming up over the next few months and it is absolutely vital
       that I collect the information necessary” I spoke bravely,
       hoping he would believe my tall tale and let me pass through to
       the Death Chamber.
       
       “Miss. Rosmerta, I do not doubt for a moment that you are highly
       aware of its dangers, but I must warn you; any foul play
       emanating from that chamber will be seen to immediately. Mark my
       words young lady, do not attempt to entice my anger” he said,
       staring me down as though to frighten me away.
       
       “I understand Sir, please, it is only for a Dark Arts exam and
       nothing more” I finished, averting my eyes from his as he
       continued to stare me down.
       
       “Very well then, but you have been warned” he added, walking
       away and leaving me in the middle of the Ministry Of Magic’s
       great hall.
       
       I felt somewhat uncomfortable in my chosen attire, but I had no
       time to be worrying over how I looked right now. My thoughts
       remained on Sirius, the Veil and getting him back somehow. I
       only hoped the ingredients and the vibrant blue liquid in this
       vial could help me with that task. It was going to be extremely
       difficult, not knowing what would happen or how I was supposed
       to connect it to his soul beyond that rippling curtain. If only
       I had Hermione with me; she would know what to do. But I
       couldn’t dwell on knowing I wasn’t built intelligently enough to
       succeed in such a task alone, I had to get him back to Harry.
       With determination like lightning shining through my angered
       eyes, I barged through the doors of the Death Chamber and
       stopped in my tracks.
       
       Debating a while within myself over whether or not this was a
       good idea had me overwhelmed with grief. The need to save Sirius
       was slowly creeping above the need to survive and I reached for
       the potion in my back pocket.
       
       With the gleaming liquid staring straight at me as I looked down
       at my hand, my actions were fast paced and I gulped it down; not
       knowing what would happen to me. I hadn’t stopped to consider
       the possibility that it might be nothing but poison and I would
       be dead momentarily, but it didn’t happen. Rather, I felt an
       enormous sting, almost as though my skin was being ripped from
       my body and screamed as loud as my voice would let me. No one
       would hear me in here, the walls had been so solidly built that
       even the sound of explosions going off left and right would go
       unnoticed by the Ministry. My eyes rolled into the back of my
       head as I twisted and turned on the cold floor.
       
       Lottie, are you there? Another familiar voice called out my
       name, pleadingly. I knew again who it was and my screams turned
       to sobs. How did he know I was here; was it possible the potion
       was beginning to take effect already. I did not know the answers
       to my questions, but I hoped sooner or later I would find out.
       The torture continued as I curled into all kinds of positions on
       the floor, merely a foot away from the Veil and gasped in pain
       every once in a while.
       
       The voice calling out my name grew louder and I knew something
       was either very wrong, or something wonderful was about to
       happen. As I became lost in my own thoughts once again, I felt
       the weight of another person laying on me. Startled and a little
       out of it, I tried to open my eyes in order to figure out who or
       what was crushing me into the ground. That was when I passed out
       in astonishment. It was Sirius, he was alive.
       
       “Lottie, where am I?” asked a voice, slipping through the lips
       of the body that hung over me as though it were sound asleep.
       
       “Sirius!” I choked, trying to speak through my tears as I had
       managed to bring him back successfully, without being killed
       myself.
       
       His eyes opened in time with my own and I beamed up at him, but
       his eyes seemed so lost and afraid. It was difficult to
       concentrate; so I turned my eyes away from his face and checked
       him over fully to be sure nothing was missing. Sure enough, he
       was all in one piece and staring at me blankly through his grey
       eyes. It upset me quite a bit. Sirius had never been the kind of
       person to look down in the dumps, no matter what he was going
       through at the time. He had always held a gentle smile upon his
       face that seemed to reach his eyes every time. But now, there
       wasn’t even a hint of glee in his features. I regretfully
       decided that he was still dead, at least in spirit, as his body
       was very much alive.
       
       With a great amount of effort, as I could not get him to respond
       very well to my questions or suggestions, I managed to push his
       body gently off me. As he lay on the floor beside me, I took my
       time in examining the whole situation. I paced back and forth
       through the small space between where he lay and the Veil
       itself. Wonder filled my mind again and I considered the idea
       that he was actually back as himself, not as something far more
       dangerous and deceitful as one would imagine to come out of
       something as such. I stared at his now sleeping form for a
       while. He looked so peaceful and at home, though we were far
       from his home and in the worst place he could be right now. It
       was no longer safe for me either. I spotted a protruding rock
       against one of the uneven walls of the Chamber and pulled
       Sirius’ limp body toward me as I placed my hand on the rock.
       Instantly, we were back at Grimmauld Place. But he was still
       sleeping soundly as though nothing out of the ordinary had
       happened. It made me frown a little.
       
       “Sirius, wake up” I cooed gently, sitting on the bed beside him
       after a few minutes of struggling to get him onto it.
       
       He stirred slightly in his sleep, but made no attempt to open
       his eyes. As I looked toward the small window in the far corner
       of the room, I noticed how dark it was outside. I did not leave
       the house so late, so I could not work that one out; it
       frightened me. What if we were not actually at Grimmauld Place;
       what if we were in an imaginary world. Anything was open for
       suggestion at the moment. Nothing felt in place at all and I
       panicked. Still, I could not lose control now that I had him
       back in the world of the living. The sooner I woke him up, the
       sooner he could see Harry. Speaking of Harry, I had better go
       find him and tell him the news; he will be absolutely delighted.
       
       I tiptoed quietly over to the door and just as my hand reached
       out to turn the handle, a low groan escaped Sirius’ lips. My
       body turned immediately to be sure he was alright, and he was.
       Only, his groaning had grown louder as he lay still on his back,
       undisturbed by anything. I looked entirely puzzled at the scene
       before me. If he was perfectly fine and I could see no form of
       discomfort written anywhere on his handsome face, what could
       possibly be causing him to groan like that.
       
       “Lottie..” he groaned, calling me to him and reaching out one of
       his hands.
       
       I felt a great amount of love toward him in that moment as I sat
       beside his body on the bed. His outstretched hand enclosed
       around my waist and pulled me close against his chest. My mouth
       sat open slightly in shock, but his warm body pressed against
       mine soon calmed my nerves when I realised he obviously knew
       what he was doing. I couldn’t believe for a second that if he
       didn’t know, he would ever actually do such a thing. My
       knowledge of the situation expanded when I tried to wake him
       from his heavy slumber, only to receive another groan. This time
       however, it wasn’t out of pain.
       
       It had been over an hour since he had pulled me into bed beside
       him and already I was feeling my hidden feelings starting to
       sprout all over again. I could not allow them to be uncovered,
       at least not just yet. The only person Sirius would see upon
       waking would be the face of his beloved godson. I wanted in no
       way to stand between Harry and his only family; it would be a
       beautiful moment to bear witness.
       
       When I felt that he was calm enough and content in his sleep, I
       moved carefully from his arms and left the room. I hadn’t heard
       him groan in protest this time, so I knew it was safe to leave
       him alone a while.
       
       Harry stared at me as though I had just told him the most
       amusing joke of the century; his face showed clear signs of
       hidden laughter. Though, through his eyes I could see the hurt
       that came along with such a statement. I had not meant to upset
       him, but he needed to know all that I had done and what I had
       achieved through doing it. It took me a long while to get him to
       remain calm and free from jumping around like a psychotic
       monkey, but it worked eventually. He beamed at me, asking to see
       his godfather. The second he asked to see him I knew it would be
       difficult as Sirius was most likely still sound asleep in his
       room. Either way, no harm would come through Harry taking a
       little stroll to have a look and see for himself. Just to be
       certain I was not pulling his leg. I understood the need for
       confirmation and so I was not offended by him asking to have
       proof. I chose to take him to Sirius myself, just in case
       anything happened that needed an explanation. Being the clever
       little witch I was, I would figure out any problems remedy.
       
       As we entered the bedroom, surely enough, Sirius remained sound
       asleep; just as he had been when I had left him under half an
       hour ago. He stirred a little in his sleep and Harry’s eyes lit
       up, but he didn’t wake. Instead, he rolled over onto his side so
       he was now facing us. I sat on a chair at the far corner of the
       room and gave Harry a moment with Sirius alone, realising it
       wasn’t enough privacy almost instantly. Nodding and sending a
       kind smile his way, I left the room and left him alone with his
       godfather.
       
       I sat right outside, leaning back against the door in case
       anything untoward occurred and I was needed for whatever reason.
       Everyone that had occupied the house last night was either out
       running important errands or had transported over to the
       Weasley’s instead. I had wanted to stay in the House Of Black,
       as much as it tormented me during the night. I stood from the
       floor and decided to take a look around at the work everyone had
       been doing during the day. Every room was spotless. Even the
       wallpaper that covered the walls in the hallway had been
       scrubbed dramatically; the paper was almost worn down. I laughed
       to myself at the image of Molly and Ginny attacking the walls
       with a big soapy sponge and a bucket of bubbly water.
       #Post#: 219--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Menacing Magic
   DIR By: Maggie Flannery
       Date: April 18, 2012, 6:28 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Oh my good lord! I've indeed flooded the forum and I'll be on
       top of mopping up my tears in a second. I love this and I do
       believe Ms. Rowling could take a leaf from your book. I've never
       been so moved by a Sirius fiction. Please by all means keep it
       up.  ;D
       #Post#: 227--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Menacing Magic
   DIR By: Wolfy
       Date: April 19, 2012, 5:47 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       That is a compliment I cannot accept! :O Well, if it weren't for
       Rowlings creation of the Potter world, I could never have
       written this one about him. I tried to find an idea that was
       unused and unique; I hope this is. I don't want to get into
       trouble with others writers haha.
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       On my way down the stairs, I came across an open door that led
       to the Blacks family tree and another memory entered my head. It
       played in my mind as though it were happening in front of me
       right at this moment. It was a sad memory; Sirius had promised
       Harry that when the battle between good and evil was over, they
       would be a proper family. A tear slid down my cheek as my hand
       caressed the spot on the wall where Sirius’ picture once sat on
       their hand painted family tree. Using what I had learnt from
       reading a few pages of his journal earlier today, I realised his
       family must have removed his face and name as their way of
       disowning him for whatever he had done they disapproved of.
       
       “Lottie, come quickly!” shouted Harry from the bedroom.
       
       I ran as fast as my feet would carry me, not stopping once even
       though I nearly toppled and landed face first on the floor. Once
       I reached the room, Harry told me that Sirius had been having a
       fit on the bed and had even torn the sheets in his struggle.
       Only, he mentioned that as he heard me racing through the house
       to attend to his call, Sirius stopped shaking violently and
       calmed the nearer I got to the bedroom door. It wasn’t until I
       opened it, he said, that Sirius relaxed completely once again.
       
       His theory startled me somewhat. Could it be that unless I am
       around him for the rest of my life, he would otherwise be
       dependent on the need to be with me and most likely die if it
       became impossible. I banished the crazy thoughts as soon as they
       entered my head to rid myself of stupidity. That could not be
       it, there had to be something more to it than that. Then again,
       I had not read through any kind of instructions before taking
       the potion with me to the Department Of Mysteries. It could have
       contained chemicals even I was unaware existed; chemicals that
       did more than perform a little magic spell. There were potions
       and charms all over the board; spells that wore off after a
       little while, spells that lasted a little longer, and spells
       that were near fatal and did not wear off at all. There was a
       great possibility that the ingredients in the vial I drank from,
       the vial I found in Sirius room, had been but an experiment to
       achieve something everyone wished they had. As I stood pondering
       the situation repeatedly in my head, racking my brain for
       answers to every question it asked, I felt helpless. I had not
       expected it to go so pear shaped.
       I walked closer to the bed where Harry sat beside Sirius and
       inspected him with my eyes; turning to my hands after receiving
       no response from him. It seemed Harry had tried with great
       difficulty to get his godfather to wake up, but Sirius wasn’t
       having any of it. As I sat down carefully beside his sleeping
       form, his scent filled the air around me and I couldn’t help but
       smile. I had remembered his smell from a very long time ago; not
       to mention memorising it during the endless hugs he seemed to
       give everyone. If anyone were older than Harry and his friends,
       he would not dream of getting so close. There was a kindness to
       Sirius that no adult knew of, only those he trusted. Being
       framed all those years ago by the evil little Peter had made him
       an outcast to others, even more so than he had been toward his
       own family. They had rejected him without even thinking twice
       about the consequences of their actions.
       I noticed as my hand brushed across Sirius’ forehead that he
       leaned toward me, reaching out to grab a hold of my hand that
       lay softly against his skin. Turning to Harry, I could see the
       pain in his eyes at the sight of his godfather looking worse
       than death. My heart sunk at the look in his eyes when they met
       mine. I tried my best to give him a knowing glance and he turned
       away again, keeping a watchful eye over Sirius as I stood to
       leave them alone again. I took one last look at his sleeping
       form and noticed how content he looked after my hand caressing
       his face lightly. It bothered me a little, not knowing why he
       only reacted in such a way to me and not Harry. I would have
       thought with Harry being his only family and with the bond they
       had developed before his passing being immensely strong, it
       would be him to whom he responded.
       Giving Harry a light squeeze on his shoulder, I told him I would
       be just across the hall if he needed me, and left. On my way to
       the room Hermione had been staying in, I continued to rack my
       brains for answers, but none came fast enough. It simply wasn’t
       right. Why did Sirius respond only to my touch, and why upon
       touching him did he calm almost instantly as though I were
       medicine to treat a disease.
       Little Lottie, why must you leave my side…
       His voice once again invaded my mind but I tried desperately to
       shut it out. Harry would be the one to tend to Sirius’ needs if
       further problems arose. I did not like the idea of needing to be
       close by every moment of every day for the rest of my life. It
       was unsettling. Though, my feelings toward him would have kept
       me happy enough to remain nearby, I doubt he would truly
       appreciate the goings on once he had woken from his needy
       splendour. I called it that because it wasn’t half bad; if only
       he was aware he was doing it. I made a mental note to talk to
       him in the morning, as he was sure to be wide awake and back to
       his old self by then. If not, something would have to be done to
       cure whatever mess I had gotten us both into. Or I would be
       forced to spend the rest of my life by his side and near enough
       to actually be in full contact. Thousands of images entered my
       head all at once, confusing me a little. I knew straight away
       what they were however, but they would never see the light of
       day. I knew Sirius too well, we all did. He was not the kind of
       man to take vows and be faithful to only one woman for the rest
       of his days. He would admit it in a heartbeat too.
       Through the night, everything seemed pretty normal. There had
       been no moans and groans from his room as I had expected.
       Perhaps it was nothing after all and the need to be near me had
       vanished come morning light, which in a way upset me, but I
       understood it was for the best. I would have liked running to
       his beck and call, but it wasn’t meant to be.
       I awoke with a start, feeling the familiar heat of someone’s
       body pressed up against mine. My eyes shot open in surprise, and
       beside me lay a sleeping Sirius. To say I was shocked to my core
       would be an understatement, for it was so much more than that. I
       also began to wonder how on earth in his state, he had managed
       to reach this room without landing on his behind along the way.
       It baffled me. But reality dawned on me again and I realised
       Sirius, was in bed with me. This would have looked so bad had
       Harry walked in to check on me during the night, not to mention
       wake me from my sleep over panicking because Sirius was nowhere
       to be found. I groaned loudly, hoping he hadn’t heard me. Our
       current situation was even more awkward than when me and Harry
       realised he responded only to my touch. Even though I would
       never admit this to anyone, especially not Harry; I rather liked
       the feel of him being so close to me. It made me feel warm
       inside, complete almost. It felt as though my other half was
       right beside me and nothing could go wrong in this horrible
       world we live in. If only it were as simple as that.
       “Sirius” I called gently, shaking him a little to get him to
       remove his arm from around me.
       Being pinned on my back, on a bed, by Sirius Black’s arm was not
       what I’d had in mind when I had chosen to risk everything in
       order to bring him back. A slight tingle could be felt between
       my legs, but I shook it off knowing it would cause more trouble.
       I tried to do the same with his arm as it lay over my
       midsection, but he was much too strong. Every time I tried to
       lift his arm, he only held it down forcefully. It was obvious he
       was now awake, but I couldn’t tell for sure. I debated a while
       over whether or not I should call Harry, before realising it
       would be the only way in which I could be freed from this death
       grip he had on me.
       “Harry!” I shouted, hoping both that I would not wake Sirius and
       that Harry would actually hear me calling his name.
       Within minutes he swung the door open with a frantic look on his
       face. As soon as his eyes rested on Sirius he gave me the most
       horrid glare you could imagine. I had known of his reaction
       before he barged through the door, but I had to explain that I
       was more than innocent in this little incident. Or rather, large
       incident as by no means was it something easily forgotten.
       “Harry, before you even assume the worst thing that came to your
       head when you walked in, let me explain the best way I can” I
       begged, hoping he wanted to listen to my story.
       He did, thankfully. After closing the door behind him and taking
       a seat on an empty chair across the room, he leaned forward and
       waited for my explanation. It would be difficult under the
       circumstances given the annoying tingle that wouldn’t leave me
       alone. I pushed through it anyway. After a good fifteen minutes
       or so of trying to get him to understand it was Sirius who had
       pulled himself into bed next to me, his face softened. Noticing
       my discomfort, he walked over to Sirius’ side of the bed and
       pulled his arm up off of me, giving me the freedom to move. I
       did so immediately. I was more than happy to be out of my
       previous position when I noticed Hermione and Ron walk through
       the door. Though I tried to cover my blush from having slept
       with Sirius most of the night, Hermione noticed. I had expected
       her to pull me to one side to discuss every last detail, but she
       simply stared at me in awe. The looks on their faces donned
       amazement and it was obvious before Ron opened his mouth, what
       he was about to ask.
       I told Harry to keep watch over his godfather whilst I explained
       things to Ron and Hermione, who were now getting a hold of
       themselves. Grabbing both their arms and pulling them out of the
       room and back into Sirius’ room, I told them the entire ordeal.
       Ron beamed at me and pulled me into the tightest hug I had ever
       experienced in my life, whereas Hermione stood motionless and
       clearly doubtful. It would take a lot longer to reassure her
       that everything was in good shape, but something had felt a
       little out of place since I had brought him back to this world.
       Something I couldn’t put my finger on. Perhaps I would ask for
       her help in solving what the problem was.
       “Hermione, there is most likely a minor complication with all
       that has happened. I am uncertain of what it is, but I was
       wondering if you could maybe help me solve it” I asked, looking
       into her eyes pleadingly.
       She sighed heavily and said “Of course I can help you, but you
       have to promise me one thing. No matter what it is, now that you
       have brought him back to Harry, you cannot go back”.
       I merely nodded in response. I knew what I had done and that if
       any trouble rose up that proved impossible to shield, it would
       have to be faced head on. There was nothing standing in my way
       from keeping Sirius alive this time. I would end my own life if
       I believed it meant Harry would have Sirius beside him forever
       and I rarely risked my life for anything or anyone. Glancing
       over at Hermione and Ron, I noticed they were both too close for
       comfort and I almost opened my mouth to comment; that was when I
       saw them holding one another’s hand. I smiled at the sight, it
       had been too long in waiting for the pair of them to get
       together, so I wasn’t about to ruin the moment. It seemed it was
       more than natural to them, so I left them be. Pulling them both
       into a hug at the same time, I thanked them for understanding
       and headed out of the room.
       Just before I shut the door behind me to give them privacy, I
       told them I would get started on dinner. The horror on their
       faces amused me, but I feigned sadness anyway. They giggled and
       with a wave of their hands, I was out of the room and down the
       stairs in a flash. My cooking wasn’t all that wonderful so the
       uneasy expressions on their faces had not been wrong. But I
       would try my best to impress given the new company we have this
       evening.
       As I was in the middle of slicing a potato, Harry walked through
       the door and informed me that he was going to Hogsmeade with Ron
       and Hermione for a few bits and pieces. I nodded and turned
       toward them as they apparated through the floo and out of sight.
       It took a moment for me to realise Sirius must still be
       sleeping, and alright at that. Harry had not mentioned him at
       all as they were leaving. I listened closely, but couldn’t hear
       any sounds of discomfort so believed he would be alright until I
       had prepared dinner. A few sliced potatoes later and the mash
       was ready to be made. I grabbed the masher from the nearest
       drawer and with all my strength, I pressed down hard on the
       solid spuds. Whilst I continued to flatten the now lumpy
       potatoes, two arms wrapped themselves around my waist. I froze,
       not knowing who it was. I had an inkling of course. I decided to
       test that theory.
       #Post#: 246--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Menacing Magic
   DIR By: Maggie Flannery
       Date: April 21, 2012, 2:01 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I can honestly say that this is an idea that I'm no other writer
       would think of and I'm loving it more and more.  ;D  I can
       honestly say if I were in Lottie's position when those arms were
       wrapped around me I don't think I could be so calm. I'd either
       jump out of my skin and scream bloody murder or I wouldn't be
       able to control myself.  I'm horrible! Trying to take advantage
       of poor Sirius when he's not in his right state. Keep up the fab
       work! I can assure you that I'll be placing an order for a hard
       copy very soon.  :D
       #Post#: 254--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Menacing Magic
   DIR By: Wolfy
       Date: April 21, 2012, 10:01 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I really do hope no one else has similar ideas. If I ever found
       out that someone else had written something like this before me,
       I would feel horribly guilty about it and stop selling copies!
       haha. I don't blame you for wanting to do that. I would have
       turned her character around to 'get a little too close', but it
       didn't seem right at the time. Hehe, it's not too horrible so
       don't worry :D I know I'd do the same thing.
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       “Sirius, what are you doing?” I asked, managing to unwrap his
       arms from around me.
       I turned my body around fully so that I was facing him; staring
       into his eyes with so many questions you wouldn’t believe it. As
       I stood there looking up at him, I noticed the burning passion
       behind his eyes and became a little frightened. This was surely
       not the Sirius we all knew and loved, and it was more than a
       little worrying. In all honesty, I felt more afraid for him than
       myself. If anyone were to hear of the things that had happened
       over the last two days, they would surely come to lock him up.
       His body moved nearer to mine as I was once again lost in
       thought. Upon instinct I raised my hands to his chest and pushed
       him back feeling more than little awkward at the whole
       situation. Had the others returned right now, it would be very
       difficult to explain Sirius’ sudden lust toward me. Deep down I
       loved it, but knew it wasn’t right.
       “Lottie, I think we need to talk” he said, not tearing his eyes
       away from me for a second.
       Until he walked out of the kitchen and into the main room,
       waiting for me to follow. I had thought about rushing up the
       stairs and locking myself in one of the rooms, but knew straight
       away that he would try to break the door down. Sirius was not
       the kind of man to let things slide so easily. I had learnt that
       much over a year ago after failing to confess a secret. I had
       taken a bottle of his precious fire whiskey for a night of
       celebration and had not asked him first. I should have known he
       would allow it anyway, but my sneaky nature suggested I would be
       better off collecting the bottle myself. It is true that we
       always learn the hard way in life. Perhaps if we did not, who
       knows how many times we would repeat the same mistake.
       “I am not entirely sure what is going on with you Sirius, but
       thus far it’s come to my attention that it isn’t anything
       appropriate and it must be stopped” I said, refusing to sit
       beside him on the sofa.
       “I am just as oblivious as you are darlin’, but we can’t keep
       this under wraps too long. The truth is going to slip out
       eventually no matter how hard we try to hide it” he added the
       moment I’d stopped speaking.
       I tensed at the thought of having to go through with it until we
       found a reason to suggest we did not have to, as at the moment,
       it seemed more than just a dire need for him to touch me or vice
       versa. Standing still for so long had my legs feeling horribly
       stiff, but I did not want to take a seat near him now. In case
       he acted on impulse and put us both in an unfortunate position,
       one we would certainly be unable to explain; I chose to keep a
       fair distance. Until he gripped the back of my corset and pulled
       me down beside him. I didn’t know quite how to respond to his
       action, but so far it seemed harmless. I went along with it and
       within minutes we were talking endlessly about everything that
       had happened since his passing. It felt awkward telling him
       about my lacking love life, but he had asked. Sirius had always
       been a father figure to each of Harry’s friends, him included.
       It appeared that after returning from Azkaban and clearing his
       name, he felt an undying need to protect those he loved most.
       His best friend’s son would be the first to watch over. He had
       spoken of his plans to us all one day during a meeting here at
       his house. Sirius wanted everything to be perfect and just as it
       was in the old days when James and Lily were still alive. He
       spoke of changing things for the better and even invited Harry
       to live with him at one point.
       A stray tear slipped down my cheek at the thought of him
       fathering Harry, only to be snatched away from him before he had
       the chance. It was an awfully depressing day for us all, but
       Harry received the brunt of it, losing such a man to his cousin
       after being thrown backwards to his death. I recalled that very
       day as I sat beside Sirius, who was now watching me intently as
       my face twisted horribly in remembrance. We had all been in the
       Death Chamber, surrounding the Veil as we fought against the
       devilish Death Eaters in a battle to protect what was then
       incredibly important; a prophecy deciding whom would face Lord
       Voldemort in the final showdown between good and evil.
       I turned my head to look at him when his hand lay gently over
       mine. I tried to smile, but it was in vain. His death had caused
       a little part of myself to die right along with him. Though we
       had him back now, I did not think that part of myself would be
       returned to its owner. I had not fought against it leaving my
       body once, for I didn’t believe I would ever be whole again
       without him around. These thoughts had been my own for so long,
       not even Hermione knew of them and that was saying something. I
       often failed to keep anything hidden for very long, but that was
       one thing I could never own up to. If Harry, Ron or Hermione
       knew I had willingly sacrificed a part of myself after taking in
       the events before and after his death, life would be awkward so
       long as I was around them. As his hand remained over mine,
       giving it a light squeeze every so often, I snapped my head in
       his direction immediately when his hand trailed up my arm. His
       fingers brushed lightly against my skin on their journey, before
       resting on my face. Without putting much thought into what I was
       doing, I leaned into his hand and closed my eyes over. In that
       moment, I felt absolute bliss. Nothing could have ruined it had
       Harry, Ron and Hermione not burst through the floo as he kept
       caressing my cheek with his hand. I had not heard them enter,
       but it seemed Sirius had as he quickly retracted his hand and I
       felt the cold sting of nothing where his hand had once been.
       I was about to complain before I opened my eyes. Stood in front
       of us and tapping her foot accusingly, Hermione pulled me to my
       feet and dragged me into the kitchen. I could hear Harry on my
       way talking to Sirius and asking him what he was playing at. I
       didn’t get to hear his response. Hermione slammed the kitchen
       door shut and turned on me fiercely. I hadn’t expected her to
       get so worked up over anything, but I could see her reasons this
       time. What had happened was definitely uncalled for. But, they
       had not known the state I was in seconds before he had tried to
       comfort me. It had been successful. Though when other people
       entered the room, my mood swung right back down to zero all over
       again and my heart sank right along with it. I looked at
       Hermione with sad eyes and she guessed something was wrong. I
       had prepared myself for hours of frustrated yelling and
       ridicule, but when she pulled me into a hug and held me there a
       good few minutes, I knew all was forgiven.
       The muffled sounds from the main room filled my ears again and I
       pulled away from Hermione’s crushing embrace. I gave her a look
       of panic and she nodded her head. As we walked out of the
       kitchen, silence surrounded us all. Not one of us would look at
       each other. I sighed heavily in annoyance and took a seat beside
       Sirius, shocking the boys and Sirius himself for that matter.
       “Guys, there is something strange going on and neither of us are
       sure what it is. But, for the time being, we’d appreciate
       reactions like that being held back” I said bravely, daring to
       look up at the three of them, though Hermione understood
       already.
       Harry and Ron exchanged worried glances, but both came to the
       conclusion that going along with it was only necessary; at least
       until we found out a way to stop it. It was quite uncomfortable
       knowing three of my friends had spotted me leaning lovingly into
       Sirius’ hand as it lay upon my cheek. I only wished I knew what
       the underlying cause was so it could be halted before it grew
       worse. All I knew was that Sirius was alive and well, though a
       little more randy in his new state of being. Losing him again
       and watching Harry run through the same horrors he had the first
       time he lost his godfather was not going to happen; I wouldn’t
       allow it. Not after coming this far already and realising he was
       for the most part back to his old self. The new personality
       traits I could deal with, as could the others, but losing him to
       death again was not an option and I refused to put Harry through
       it all over again due to my insecurities and cowardliness.
       “So, what are we having for dinner?” Harry piped up, turning his
       attention to me.
       I had not noticed we had been sitting in each others company
       awkwardly for so long. I quickly raced back into the kitchen to
       check our meal. Upon opening up the oven, smoke rose to the
       ceiling immediately and had me coughing drastically whilst
       trying to feel for the tray of mashed potatoes I had so
       carefully prepared over an hour ago. I grabbed it with an oven
       glove wrapped ridiculously around my hand and pulled it free
       from the disaster; hoping with every ounce of pride in me that
       it wasn’t too badly burnt.
       Prodding the mash with a fork, despite its deep brown colour on
       top, I hoped it was still edible. I shook with anger and sorrow
       when I realised it was rock solid. To anyone standing behind me
       it might have looked as though I was laughing silently to
       myself, the way my shoulders moved and I wiped at my eyes like a
       child without a lollipop. Reacting in such a way over failing to
       cook a nice meal for everyone didn’t seem right, but my pride
       had been burnt along with the mash; there was no way I could
       cook the mince now if it had nothing to be served with. As I
       dumped the entire tray of rock hard mash into the bin across the
       kitchen, its door opened and in stepped a worried looking
       Sirius. I tried to hide the tears rolling down my face but he
       saw them too soon. He stood behind me as I continued to spoon
       out the mash, careful not to release the tray in the process
       given my shaking hands making it all the more difficult to do.
       Sirius brought his lips to my ear and whispered softly into it,
       holding the tops of my arms steady.
       “I knew you were crying Lottie, this is more than just a surge
       of fatherly love” he cooed, running his hands up and down my
       arms soothingly.
       I had known already that his sudden need to be with me was more
       than his caring nature, but even if it was something far
       advanced, it had to come to an end. As much as I might have
       wished it would go on forever so I could one day be with the man
       I secretly loved, still, it wasn’t probable.
       “Sirius, thank you for trying to comfort me, but being so close
       is only making me shake even more” I admitted, pulling free from
       his arms and walking over to the sink.
       Turning on the water, I held my breath in my throat as I felt
       him near me again. Only this time, I felt more than his warm
       body close to mine and it frightened me. How could such a spell
       bring him back wanting to mount me as a horse would its mate; I
       couldn’t answer it. I didn’t want to answer it. I feared the
       answer far too much to even consider the outcome that seemed to
       linger in the back of my confused mind. The more he refused to
       be apart from me so we could adapt better to being separated,
       the more I urged him silently to touch me. His hands on my skin
       were like the warm glow of the sun against a flowers delicate
       petals; it felt completely natural and above anything I had ever
       felt before. I knew deep down that it was something new,
       something formed upon his return from beyond the Veil. I knew
       this because all those years ago, even the hours leading up to
       his death when he had hugged everyone, I hadn’t felt anything.
       At least, I had not felt anything quite like this; almost like a
       bolt of lightning coursing through his hands and straight into
       my veins. It was shocking, but pleasant all the same.
       “Sirius” I began, only to be interrupted by his soft lips on my
       neck.
       I tried to pull away once again, but he didn’t allow it. His
       hands rested on the counter so I could not escape him. I sighed
       quietly. His scent drove me crazy as he stood so close, his
       tongue drawing small circles on the fragile skin. At any moment,
       Hermione, Harry or Ron could walk in to bear witness again and I
       wished to prevent it at all costs. Explaining myself all over
       again knocked my mood sideways.
       “I even know what you’re thinking” he whispered in my ear before
       taking a step back.
       Gasping in horror and turning my full attention to him, I gave
       him a long stare. I didn’t quite believe what he just told me,
       but the smirk growing on his face was all the proof I needed. My
       look of horror turned into a small smile at the thought of him
       being able to read my mind. I wondered if I could use that to my
       advantage or it would backfire horribly. Either way, it could
       prove useful in the near future.
       “Sirius, whilst it seems there is more than one thing connecting
       us at the moment, I don’t think it would be wise to take
       advantage of it all. I would much rather spend my time
       researching possible cures for whatever it is we have gotten
       ourselves into” I said, pacing from one side of the kitchen to
       the other.
       “Excuse me, whatever ‘we’ have gotten ourselves into? It didn’t
       slip my mind young lady, you were the one who brought me back,
       if you remember” he replied with sarcasm dripping from his
       words.
       The fact that he now appeared upset with me struck a nerve;
       turning on my heel as I paced in front of him, he received a
       harsh slap. The sound echoed off the walls, though it was barely
       even hard. Within minutes, Harry barged through the door and
       demanded to know what had happened. Of course, he was protecting
       me and thought Sirius and his bad boy reputation had raised his
       hand to me. I jumped in immediately before he could bad mouth
       his godfather further and explained I had lashed out over a
       silly comment. Harry’s eyes softened as he looked at his
       godfather and burned when he looked back at me. What I had done
       was so unlike me and he knew it. But, I could not decipher a
       reason as to why I reacted so abnormally to something I would
       usually brush off. It bothered me greatly.
       Once Harry left us alone in the kitchen again, it was not
       difficult to tell that Sirius would love nothing more than to
       scream profanities at me for what I’d done; but he held back. I
       could see that he had suffered in his attempts to remain silent.
       In a way it was almost thrilling that I’d had the last laugh for
       once, but those thoughts were so self-centred. As we stood
       awkwardly opposite one another for what felt like hours, I
       wanted so badly to apologise for turning his cheek red, but
       couldn’t find the words. He had asked for it in a way, yet my
       methods were nothing short of sly and impractical.
       “Sirius I...” I began, not knowing quite how to finish.
       He closed in on me instantly, not hesitating once to wrap me in
       his warm embrace. I melted then and there, knowing yet again
       that I had been forgiven for something even I did not know the
       reasons for. This time, I built up enough courage to wrap my own
       arms around his waist as he pulled me closer. Our hearts were
       beating in rhythm and I couldn’t help but smile at the small
       detail. We were more alike now than ever. It was comforting in a
       way; knowing that he and I had such similar traits. But as with
       everything wonderful there comes a wave of negatives. I had not
       been prepared for such a thing to happen. All I had wanted was
       for Sirius to return in a healthy enough state so that Harry
       would no longer be miserable. Also, that I might have a chance
       with him in the future. This wasn’t what I’d planned, but for
       now it would have to do. His need to be so close to me would
       make it enjoyable for the time being. Though I dreaded the day
       it would all come to an end and we would have to resort back to
       our old selves.
       #Post#: 304--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Menacing Magic
   DIR By: Maggie Flannery
       Date: April 23, 2012, 7:29 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I've been meaning to comment on this since you first posted it
       and I don't know why I haven't. I'm totally entranced and drawn
       in and loving it! It's almost like they're twin souls in total
       synch with one another. This is a beautiful work of fiction, my
       dear. I can not wait until the next installment!
       #Post#: 309--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Menacing Magic
   DIR By: Wolfy
       Date: April 24, 2012, 7:11 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Thank you, thank you and thank you again! :D I am loving that
       you like it so much, it's the only reason why I keep posting
       bits. I've been reading over it as I have been posting and
       wondering what on earth made me think it was good enough.
       Perhaps the length of it is the reason why I thought it would be
       the better piece of fiction I have written, but I'm not so sure
       anymore haha.
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I lifted my head slightly to meet his eyes as he clung to me,
       fearful of letting go. He stared down at me, but not with any
       type of glare, nor any hint of sadness. In his eyes I found only
       pure happiness; a love of life and the ones he had in it. This
       in turn made me smile, it was contagious. He leaned his head
       lower as though to capture my lips with his and I was surprised
       when he didn’t. Instead, he whispered against them in such a
       seductive voice that I felt my knees give way beneath me. It was
       a good job he was holding me up otherwise I’d have been a puddle
       on the floor by now.
       “Little Lottie, I have so much to thank you for, but I don’t
       know how” he breathed.
       The slight touch of his lips against mine made me shudder as I
       caught every last word. My eyes rested on his mouth as he
       whispered in case I missed anything. He was confessing to
       something he did not quite understand. In the years I had known
       him, I had worked out that much. Sirius Black was never one to
       admit certain thoughts or feelings, especially when he
       misunderstood them. I suppose that could be true of anyone, but
       dragging the truth out of him was like trying to pour blood from
       a pebble; impossible. Delight shone through my eyes as they
       moved up to his and I knew straight away what I was in for.
       There was nothing more delicate and nothing more beautiful in
       thanks than making love. Through his soul as I stared deep into
       his eyes, I could see that is what he wanted. But accepting such
       an offer without being asked directly was not how I played the
       game, if anyone would dare call it such a thing.
       Sirius giggled slightly and my attention was on him again. I was
       puzzled for a few moments until I remembered he could now hear
       what I was thinking. A bright blush spread across my face like a
       tidal wave and I buried my face in his chest. He continued to
       laugh at my unfortunate behaviour and ran his fingers soothingly
       through my deep brown locks. It felt as though we had been
       married all our lives. If only that much were true. Perhaps if I
       had been born fifteen years earlier, we might have had a chance.
       I shook my head of its silly thoughts and recalled the fact that
       all of this was magic. It would eventually be erased from his
       head and he wouldn’t approach me in the same way ever again.
       Tears built up in my eyes as I thought long and hard about the
       consequences of finding a cure; he noticed. He also looked at me
       with determination and though he spoke not a single word, I
       realised he was trying to tell me something with his gaze. It
       held longing and sincerity, but still I knew not whether it was
       his own heart or the spell cast upon him. I wanted to believe
       what he was currently feeling came from the bottom of his
       wizarding heart, but nothing could prove to me it was. I could
       only believe for the moment that it was a little bit of magic;
       and with the drop of a hat it would vanish before my very eyes.
       “I don’t understand the nature of my new feelings for you
       Lottie, but I do know I would not regret a single thing by the
       time I am back to normal” he spoke reassuringly, releasing me
       from his arms.
       “It’s so much more complex than that Sirius. I thought you would
       understand that much” I said as I walked out of the kitchen and
       left him to his thoughts.
       As I walked through the main room and up the stairs, I received
       sympathetic looks from both Ron and Hermione. Harry looked
       rather baffled by everything that was going on and did not know
       whether to laugh or cry at the situation. I couldn’t blame him,
       for even I was at war with myself over what to do. Upon reaching
       the room Hermione had offered me after returning to Grimmauld
       Place to visit Sirius with Harry, I pushed open the door
       carelessly and slammed it shut behind me. Cringing at the loud
       sound; I had not meant for it to shake the wood so badly that
       its handle almost dropped off. Sirius needed time to adjust and
       so did I, but in order to gain control we had to be separated.
       Hours passed, although it felt like days. I lay back on the bed
       and stared up at the ceiling, debating what I should do with
       myself for the time being. My thoughts landed on Sirius and I
       wondered what he was up to, also considering the possibility
       that he may very well have adapted already; but I doubted it.
       “Lottie, open the door. It’s Harry, I’ve brought you something
       to eat” called a voice from outside.
       Given that my current state of being was somewhat starved from
       failing to cook dinner properly, food delighted my stomach and
       it grumbled in response. I sniffed the air around the door but
       couldn’t smell anything. I frowned and flung the door open to
       give Harry an earful for making me move without a good enough
       reason. Just as I opened my mouth to scream at him, it closed
       tightly and my reflexes acted fast.
       Sirius stood directly before me, though outside the door. I
       spotted Harry looking rather sheepish behind him and groaned in
       annoyance. I couldn’t believe they had planned it all out. Anger
       boiled in my blood as I glared at them both and grabbed the door
       ready to slam it in his face. He was much too quick and much too
       strong for me to win that battle. Within seconds, he gripped my
       upper arms and pushed me back into the room, closing the door
       with his foot. I growled, not meaning to and immediately felt
       heat rush to my cheeks as he stared at me, amused. He continued
       to push me back until my body hit the hard wall behind me. Even
       then he wouldn’t stop. With all his strength he seemed to press
       himself against me to be sure I would not escape him as I had
       last time.
       “Sirius, let me go” I said angrily, trying to push him away from
       me.
       He lowered his mouth to mine and hovered for a moment “Not until
       you tell me you don’t want it” he said, closing the gap between
       us and kissing me passionately.
       I had planned on rejecting him and pushing him back again, but
       his kiss was too powerful for me to ignore and so I kissed back.
       When he noticed me kissing him back, he released my arms and
       they immediately went up and around his neck. A quiet moan
       escaped my lips as he continued to press his lower half between
       my legs, almost begging me to let him have what he wanted so
       badly. I made up my mind fast. My hands were pulling at his
       shirt as I struggled to free it from the waistband of his jeans
       and he smirked. Looking up into his eyes destroyed me and
       fireworks went off in my head. Still, I could not tell whether
       this was really him, or just some lucky magic that I’d conjured
       up in the process of saving him.
       “Sirius!” I shouted, still battling with his shirt and the
       buttons that just didn’t want to come undone.
       He laughed lightly at my unfortunate situation and I growled,
       raising my leg until it rested between his. The look of horror
       on his face made me smile. It was now my turn to laugh and as I
       did so, he gripped my hair at the back of my head, pulled it
       back and bit down hard on my neck. I gasped and squealed
       helplessly at the pain and attacked him with my hands. There was
       no escape from him now, what would happen was inevitable and
       deep down, I knew I wanted it to.
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I should mention that I love suspense and tormenting my readers,
       that is actually the last bit hehe.
       #Post#: 344--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Menacing Magic
   DIR By: Maggie Flannery
       Date: April 25, 2012, 10:48 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       That's it?!  :o Color me a smidge upset, haha. It was wonderful!
       They're a wonderful couple and I'd love to more written about
       them, they truly were made for one another and with the ending
       it made me shed nothing but happy tears for them. They're
       together and they're happy and I'm over the moon. Wonderfully
       done again my dear!  ;D
       *****************************************************
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