•Edited•

~Claire~

We were all on the Hogwarts Express. We being Lily, Camellia, James, Remus, Peter, Sirius, and I.

Peter had came back just two days ago, saying his mum had only had a bad fever, and that she was fine now.

Lily was staying with her parents for the first part of the holidays. Then she'd come down to the Potters house for Christmas, and would stay till we went back to Hogwarts.
The same would be going for Camellia, Remus, and Peter.
I however, would be staying at the Potters for the whole holiday.

I had sent a letter to my mum about her meeting Sirius and I for lunch. She of course responded immediately, saying she would love too meet him.

Currently, we all sat in the Marauders compartment on the train and just talked.

When we weren't talking, Camellia, Remus and Lily all read books.
James just played with Lily's hair.
Peter ate Chocolate Frogs.
And Sirius and I just talked to each other.
We whispered of course, as any time we didn't one of the three people with their noses in books would start yelling at us.

The train ride went fairly quick, and soon I was walking up to Mr. and Mrs. Potter with James and Sirius after saying goodbye to everyone else.

Mrs. Potter beamed when she saw Sirius and I holding hands when we approached them, and Mr. Potter grinned.

"Oh my! You're just as beautiful as Sirius described you!" Mrs. Potter exclaimed, giving me a motherly hug.

I felt the blood rush to my cheeks as she did this. But not wanting to be rude, I hugged her back.

"It's so nice to meet you Mrs. Potter," I smiled.
"Oh please! Call me Euphemia," She said with a smile.

I smiled back at her before turning to Mr. Potter.

"Call me Fleamont," He spoke, holding his hand out for me to shake.

I grabbed his hand, ready to shake it. But instead of shaking my hand, he pulled me into a hug. Laughing as he did so.

"I'm so glad you and Sirius are together. You two seem perfect together," Fleamont chuckled.

I blushed a dark red as he and Euphemia started talking all about Sirius and I.

"It's nice to see you too," James said, clearing his throat.

Euphemia and Fleamont laughed before pulling James into a hug.

"I hear you've got yourself a girlfriend too, James," Fleamont said, ruffling James's hair.

James blushed before nodding.

"She'll be here with everyone else for Christmas," He stated.
"I'm so excited to see everyone! Didn't Remus get a girlfriend too?" Euphemia asked.

James nodded to confirm her question.

"What's her name again? It starts with a 'C' right?" Fleamont questioned.
"Her name's Camellia," I told him.
"You know her?" Euphemia asked.
"She's one of my best friends. James's girlfriend being the other," I said.
"So you're all good friends?" Fleamont questioned.

James, Sirius and I just grinned in response.

After talking for a little bit, we all apparated to the Potters house. Me with Sirius since I didn't know where it was.

I opened my eyes after I knew my feet were not going to give out on me, and looked around.

I gasped as my eyes landed on the beautiful, but huge, mansion in front of me.
The only thing keeping me from the mansion was the gate in front of me. The words 'Potter Manor'  going across the gate.

"Sirius! You didn't tell me they lived in a bloody mansion!" I hissed.

Sirius just laughed as we followed them into the house.

I stared in awe as we entered the mansion. The interior was definitely more at home than the exterior.

Sure it was huge. But it was very welcoming.
I could here wood cracking in the fireplace from the living room as we went straight past that room and into the kitchen.
The house smelt of gingerbread that I could only assume was coming from the burning candle on the table against the wall.

"What's for dinner mum?" James asked as he set his trunk down in the doorway separating the kitchen from the stairs.
"Lasagna," Euphemia replied.
"Would you like me to help?" I volunteered.
"That would be wonderful Claire," Euphemia smiled.

Euphemia was practically glowing as I walked over to her after placing my trunk in Sirius's hand.

"Claire!" Sirius whined after James ran up the stairs. Leaving him to watch me gather ingredients with Fleamont and Euphemia.
"What Sirius?" I asked, Fleamont chuckling as Euphemia hit his arm.
"Why can't we hang out?" Sirius asked, placing the trunks down and sitting down on one of the bar stools.
"Because I'm helping cook. Why don't you go upstairs with James? I want to talk with Fleamont and Euphemia," I suggested.
"Why?" Sirius questioned.
"Stop being so nosy and go upstairs," I scolded.

He nodded before reluctantly picking the trunks back up and walking up the stairs.

Fleamont and Euphemia held their hands over their mouths to stop themselves from laughing.

Euphemia removed her hand though so that she could speak.
"That, was impressive."

"Oh I'm not done yet," I whispered, making her and Fleamont raise an eyebrow.
"Sirius Black! I told you to go upstairs!" I yelled.
"I am upstairs!" Sirius yelled back.

Euphemia's jaw dropped at this. Most likely wondering how I knew he was still there.

"You know what I meant! Why don't you go help James with his poem for Lily!" I said.
"How did you know I was writing a poem for Lily?" James's voice asked.
"James Potter!" I screeched, making Fleamont burst out laughing.

I could hear James's footsteps as he ran to where I assumed was his room.

I waited a second before saying.

"I thought I told you to help him," I stated.
"How do you know I'm here?!" Sirius questioned.

I ignored him and waited for an answer.

"I don't want to help him! He can't even figure out what rhymes with 'Lily'," Sirius said exasperated.
"Okay. Then why don't you write me a poem?" I asked.
"What?" Sirius questioned.
"You heard me. Why don't you write me a poem?" I repeated.

I heard his footsteps this time as he walked to where James went.

"How did you do that?" Fleamont asked with a grin.
"I know him," I said simply.
"Well. What did you want to talk about?" Euphemia questioned.

I cleared my throat as I remembered why I wanted to talk to them.

"I, uh, wanted to make sure you knew what had happened at Kings Cross a few months ago," I started.
"Ah, I knew you'd bring this up," Euphemia nodded.

I didn't say anything as I waited for a response.

"We know that you didn't mean nor do any of the things you told Sirius that day," Fleamont said.
"Yeah. But I want you both to know that the reason I did say that, is because my dad thought that because Sirius is a Black he's a Death Eater. And so he made me say it. Like you said, I didn't mean any of it. I would never hurt Sirius," I explained.

Fleamont and Euphemia both smiled at me.

"Sirius may be a Black. But he's a Potter in our eyes," Euphemia stated.
"And he may be a little. Well. You can only describe Sirius as Sirius. But you've gotta love him," Fleamont chuckled.
"I'm still trying to figure out why I love him so much," I laughed.

Euphemia and Fleamont both laughed at this. But we were cut off by the thundering of footsteps that came from someone running down the stairs. Then Sirius's head popped out from behind the wall.

"Hey Claire?" He asked.
"Yeah Sirius?" I replied.
"Do you know anything that rhymes with 'Claire'?" Sirius questioned.

Euphemia and Fleamont continued to laugh loudly at this.

"Did you ask James?"
"Yeah."
"And what did he say?"
"He said 'Prayer'."
"Sirius. You need a prayer."
"Well, do you know?"
"Sirius I could give you a whole list of them, in Alphabetical order."
"Prove it."
"Air, bear, care, dare, eyre, flair, glare, hare-"

"Okay, okay I get it." He sighed.
"Love you, Sirius." I laughed.
"Love you too, Claire," He replied, laughing as he went up the stairs.

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Soon enough, the four of us were sitting at the dining room table eating lasagna and chatting away.

"So Claire?" Fleamont asked, trying to get my attention.

I looked up from my conversation with Sirius. Seeing Euphemia eyeing him as he opened his mouth again to talk.

"How long have you and Sirius been together?" He asked.

I raised and eyebrow in Sirius's direction so that they didn't see me do it.
I'm pretty sure Sirius would've told them about this if he was always talking about me.

"A little over a year," I responded.
"When did you get together?" Fleamont questioned.
"November 22nd, last year," I answered, still looking over at Sirius who looked just as confused as me.
"Have you and Sirius talked about your future?" Euphemia joined, and James started choking on his lasagna. Apparently knowing what was going on.
"Um, yeah" I said hesitantly.
"Jobs?"
"Aurors. Both of us."
"Marriage?"
"Whenever."
"Kids?"
"Okay what is going on?" Sirius interrupted.

Euphemia and Fleamont started laughing as I looked just as confused as Sirius.

"You did it!" Euphemia exclaimed, looking straight at me.
"Um, what, exactly, did I do?" I asked, looking over at Sirius who was looking like he realized what was happening. As he had his face buried in his hands.
"You made our Sirius happy! He can have a happy future, with a wife and kids and a big house!" Euphemia squealed.

I couldn't help but smile as Euphemia and Fleamont started talking animatedly about how their son had a happy future.

"Wait," Euphemia stopped, "We forgot a very important question."

Fleamont looked like he was really trying to remember. And you could tell when he figured it out, as his eye widened and a very serious face made its way to him.

"Do you love him?"

My smile grew a hundred times bigger at this question as I grabbed Sirius's hand in mine.

"With all my heart."

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Euphemia, after figuring out Sirius and I have never slept in the same bed before – naps apparently didn't count – declared that I was to sleep in Sirius's room.

So that's how I ended up locked in Sirius's room by Euphemia. After trying to find excuses to not sleep in there.

The only reason I didn't want to sleep in there, is because I recently started having nightmares.

Yes I know.

Nightmares.

But I didn't want to wake up after one, only to wake Sirius up and have to tell him.

It was always the same nightmare. And it only started happening last week. But it had been happening every night.

I was interrupted from my thoughts though as the bathroom door opened and Sirius came out of the bathroom. Only wearing pajama pants.

I shrugged off the urge to look at his chest. And instead walked into the bathroom and changed into shorts and one of Sirius's shirts.

Sirius's room wasn't as bad as his area in the boys dormitories. But I'm guessing Euphemia cleaned before we arrived.

The lights were already out when I walked out. The only light being the lamp next to Sirius's bed.

With another sigh, I walked over to Sirius's bed. With a click from the switch, the lamp was out. I crawled into bed, laying down next to Sirius who was watching me do this.

"You're upset," He stated as I got comfortable.
"No I'm not," I denied.

He just watched me with a raised eyebrow, waiting for me to confess.

"I'm going to bed," I claimed, rolling over so that I wasn't facing Sirius.
"You can tell me what's wrong Cla-"
"Nothings wrong!" I snapped.

Sirius opened and closed his mouth. Looking for something to say before laying down.

"Okay Claire," He spoke.

I closed my eyes. Trying to go to sleep. But I could feel Sirius's eyes on me.

I ignored it. Knowing I couldn't do anything to make him stop.

Eventually though, sleep over took me.

And the nightmares came.

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A loud bang echoed around the house as the door was kicked down.

I ran down the hallway.Death Eaters filling the house.

Sirius came behind me, pushing me aside gently.

"Claire, stay right here. Let me take care of it," He ordered.
"No Sirius!" I exclaimed.

He waved his wand, casting a spell. But I didn't know what it was.

Not until I tried running after him, but found myself running into a wall.

I screamed for him to let me out so I could help fight. But nobody could hear me.

Not Sirius.

Not the Death Eaters.

No one.

But I could hear them.

"Tell us where she is," One of them ordered.
"Never," Sirius growled, gripping his wand in his hand.
"This is your last chance Black. Tell. Us. Where. Clairesse. Is," The Death Eater yelled.
"No," Sirius said boldly.

Sirius went to cast a curse, but one of the Death Eaters beat him to it.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

My scream bounced off the walls that kept me from Sirius and the Death Eaters.

A loud pop sounded. Meaning the Death Eaters were gone.

The invisible wall I was banging on was now nonexistent.

And as I ran to Sirius's lifeless body, a sob escaped my lips.

I clutched his hand in mine. Sobbing into his lifeless body.

"SIRIUS!"

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"SIRIUS!" I screamed.

I sat up in the bed, sobbing into my hands.

"It's okay love. I'm right here," A voice said, and a hand went to my back.

Jumping a little, I turned to Sirius.

"I'm sorry I woke you," I mumbled, wiping the tears off my cheeks.
"You didn't wake me," Sirius stated.
"I didn't?"
"No. I couldn't fall asleep," He told me, rubbing my back.

I mentally groaned as I realized he couldn't fall asleep because I snapped at him before I went to sleep.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier," I apologized, leaning into his bare chest.
"It's okay," Sirius reassured, running his fingers through my hair.
"But it's not. I should've just told you what was wrong," I said.
"And what's wrong?" He asked, pulling me into his lap.

I through my arms around him and buried my face in his chest.

"For the past week now. I've been having nightmares. Every time, y-you get killed by a Death Eater," I admitted, pulling my face back so I could look at him.

He wiped my tears away with his thumbs, mumbling things to comfort me.

"It's okay, love."
"It's not real, love."
"I'm okay, love."
"I'm right here, love."

After awhile he seemed to give up with the mumbling, and just kissed me.

The kiss lasted a few seconds, but it was long enough to calm me down.

We both laid down. Sirius's arms around my waist, me against his chest.

"Your chest is warm Sirius," I told him.

He simply chuckled and kissed my forehead.

"I love you," He laughed.
"I love you too," I replied with a small laugh.

And we both fell asleep like that.

In each other's arms.

Where we belonged.

Together.
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