prologue blushing cheeks

✧

          IF YOU ASKED SIRIUS BLACK, NADIA GREENE LOOKED ABSOLUTELY ANGELIC WHEN SHE LAUGHED. Especially those all-consuming ones, where her nose wrinkled at first and she hiccupped laughter until she couldn't keep it to herself and she had to throw her head back, allowing it to overtake her. Her brunette curls would bounce in front of her face sometimes, like it did that day, and the constellation freckles on her face just added something to the perfection that was her.

This one girl – an absolute angel on earth – so close to him but so far away. Nadia, with electric eyes that stared straight into your soul when their eyes connected, a storm raging inside her and lightning cracking down. Maybe he should be scared of it, but he was always enthralled with the things he was supposed to be scared of.

She was everything he wasn't, in some ways. She was serious, where he was carefree. She was studious where he slacked off. She was a storm where he was a war. But she looked so beautiful like that, throwing her head back in laughter. He didn't know what she was laughing about, wasn't close enough to her to hear, but he wanted to be. Wanted to be the reason she laughed, all-consuming, where she had to hang onto him otherwise she would lose her balance.

She looked like the sun as she did this. So bright, so light, and so far away but consuming him at the same moment. She was an angel right now, eyes squeezed shut as his were trained on her, drawn in. He couldn't help himself, it overtook him, and he was held captive now. He knew that he should snap out of it, soon someone would see him and James would laugh at him even though he did the same thing with Lily Evans, and he would be embarrassed. They would tease him endlessly at least for the rest of the day, but he still couldn't look away.

When the high was over, he saw her shake her head, the rest of the laugh falling away as her eyes turned away from him. He wanted to see her face, her eyes, those constellations coating her cheeks, but he couldn't. He didn't want her to see him staring anyway, but at the same time, he wanted to see her eyes. They were enchanting, keeping him in chains forever.

"Hey, Pads!" James hit his shoulder, and immediately he snapped away from Nadia and to his friend. James, with the same playful smirk, didn't have anything devious in his eyes so he assumed he was safe. "Head in the clouds again, mate?"

"Guess I'm still a bit tired," he lied, imitating the smile James had. The boy shook his head, throwing his arm over his shoulder, and that was the end of the conversation.

Still, his eyes trailed back to where Nadia was again, just for one last look before he would have to leave her behind, heart catching in his throat as he did. But he looked away, because he had to, and delved right back into the conversation with his friends.

But Nadia, unaware, hadn't even noticed the lack of eyes on her. Oblivious to the fact that someone had been watching her, she turned to Lucille, a large smile coating her features, complimenting her bright eyes. "I swear, you're the funniest person I've ever met!" she declared, "How'd you come up with these jokes?"

Lucille blushed, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. Ever modest, she replied, "You're only saying that because you didn't grow up with them. If I told any pureblood – or half-blood really – they wouldn't find me funny at all."

"Well, good thing I'm not, because you're a delight!" Nadia winked at her, another giggle bubbling in her throat. Not all-consuming, but a small one to accompany her last one and to assure Lucille that what she was saying was the truth.

Lucille nodded, still blushing, before gasping and pointing. "Honeydukes! Come on, we have to go!" she pleaded, her eyes burning into Nadia's.

"We don't need any more candy. You'll give me a cavity," Nadia shook her head.

"I have no idea what that is," Lucille blinked, "but it can't be that bad – and it can't be the thing holding you back from candy. Come on, Nadia, it's Honeydukes! We can get sugar quills and caramel kisses like you like!"

Lucille wouldn't break eye contact, a small pleading pout on her lips, and Nadia tried to resist as best she could – she really did – but she was no match for Lucille and those puppy-dog features. Sighing in defeat, she grumbled, "Fine."

"Yes!" Lucille cheered in delight, triumphant when usually she wasn't. Nadia was a storm, and her eyes usually scared off anyone from truly beating her in a staring contest, Lucille being the only exception. No matter how hard she tried, Lucille refused to be intimidated by her or to back down when she really wanted something.

She was a special kind of stubborn, rivaling Nadia, and she never relented when she meant it.

Wasting no time, Lucille grabbed Nadia's arm and began dragging her towards the candy shop. "Let go of me, we're gonna get there either way," she complained, trying to tug herself away.

Lucille shook her head. "Nuh-uh, you could run away if I let you go."

"I already agreed to Honeydukes," Nadia rolled her eyes, though she stopped struggling since it was absolutely pointless and it would only frustrate or sadden Lucille – neither things she wanted.

When they reached the candy shop, Nadia was overwhelmed with the sweet smell. Taffy, chocolate, sugar – it was everywhere clogging her senses. Still, she took it all in, loving every minute of it even if the scent alone could practically give her a cavity.

Now that she saw all the sweet treats, her mouth watered and she wanted to grab one of everything even though she didn't have the money for that. She went for caramel kisses first, grabbing a handful because they weren't expensive and they hit the spot for her sweet tooth perfectly.

Lucille was long gone, having bounced around the candy store getting even more treats than Nadia would. Her sweet tooth was significantly larger than Nadia's, and she actually had the money to support it, so support it she would. She didn't bother looking for her friend yet, instead going to find the sugar quills which were always in a different location.

They were popular, probably the most popular amongst Hogwarts students, so the employees always moved them around so that they wouldn't be gone in the first five minutes. Calculating eyes moved around the shop, looking around until eventually she found the treat. Dead set, she moved towards it no even looking at anyone else around her.

Right as she was about to reach them, a pair of hands came out of nowhere and snatched up the remaining five. "Guys! I found them!" she heard the figure cheer, and she looked up finally see James Potter there holding the quills as if they were a trophy.

"Nice going James," she heard Peter Pettigrew compliment his friend, but all Nadia saw was red.

"It's pretty selfish to take them all," she snapped, grabbing their attentions. She crossed her arms, glaring at him because while caramel kisses were extraordinary, there was something special about sugar quills and if Lucille was going to force her here she was at least going to get herself one damn sugar quill.

"Come on, I got them fair and square," James shook his head, stubborn himself.

Her nostrils flared and she was prepared to physically fight him for it before Remus Lupin stepped between them and she relaxed a little. She couldn't help herself, there was something magical about Remus – even more than the fact that he was a wizard. The crooked smile, the scar over his eyes, the sweet doe brown eyes. It was so soft, yet with something hard underneath, and Nadia was weak to her knees for him.

"Come on, James, we don't need them all," Remus said, plucking one from his friend before turning to Nadia and handing it to her, "Here. Sorry about James, he's a prick sometimes."

James made a noise of protest behind them, but all Nadia could concentrate on was the fact that Remus Lupin handed her a sugar quill. "Um, thanks," she managed, not so eloquent as before because this was Remus. Her cheeks were practically red now, unable to stop herself from blushing. She was so going to have to squeal about this later with Lucille.

"No problem," Remus off her gratitude, offering her one last smile before turning back to go with his friends. Nadia stood there for another minute, blinking in surprise and trying to comprehend what had just happened.

She didn't notice the look Sirius Black gave her, wonder and amazement mixed with a little bit of sadness, before she shook her head and turned around her herself trying to find Lucille.