The Tomb Of Our Forlorn Love

The next morning Ellary woke up with a bright smile on her face and skip in her step as she walked to the bathroom to get ready. “Good morning, ladies!” she exclaimed to her roommates, as she walked by them. The three girls’ jaws nearly dropped at her friendliness.

“Why are you so cheery this morning?” Bea asked suspiciously, “Did you put those hair-eating bugs in my shampoo again, because if you did I swear to Merlin I will kill you Ellary Snape!”

“Sheesh! Paranoid much, Huckle?” Ellary responded, “I am just in a good mood, that’s all.”

“I wasn’t aware that you had those,” Candace said.

“Well she does after snogging with Remus Lupin all night,” Lily laughed as she walked into the dormitory from the hallway, with a smirk on her face. The other two girls proceeded to gasp and burst out into a fit of girlish giggles. Ellary turned and glared at Lily for spilling the beans, “Oh come Snape, there were a lot of people at the party, and people are going to know.”

“I can’t believe you snogged Remus!” Bea squealed. “How’d you end up with such a sweetheart like him?”

Ellary glared and retorted defensively, “We did not snog all night for your information, there was an innocent kiss- or two…”

“Or three? Or four?” Candace suggested.

“Was he a good kisser? I bet he was! He looks like he has really soft lips! Does he?” Bea inquired excitedly.

“Did he ask you to be his girlfriend?” Candace asked.

“Oh you two will make the most adorable kids!” Bea exclaimed.

“Okay, stop!” Ellary shouted at the word kids. “We’re not even boyfriend and girlfriend, we’re just sort of dating, I think. There is no commitment as of now; we are just testing the waters you know? See, this is why I don’t hang out with girls,” she muttered, pinning half of her hair up with a clip.

“Morning sunshines! Got to love Saturdays, huh?” Ellary greeted her four best friends, when she walked downstairs and plopped down into the empty seat beside James on the couch. “How is everyone doing?” she asked cheerfully.

Peter looked at her oddly, “Why are you so smiley and stuff? It’s not like you. To be perfectly frank it’s a little strange,” he told her. “Did something happen this morning? Did you give Lily boils again?” he asked.

“No, nothing special,” she replied, “I am just in a good mood that’s all.” At this comment all the boys gave her an incredulous look.

“You don’t have good moods,” Sirius stated bluntly, “Or at least I didn’t think you did,” he added.

“Why does everyone keep saying that?” she said exasperatedly.

“Because you’ve never been a real cheery person Ell, Remus must be a damn good kisser, huh?” Peter laughed. Ellary and Remus’ faces turned crimson at the comment, James’ eyes traveled down to his shoelaces, and Sirius’ head snapped up as if he had just remembered something.

“Oh yeah… the party, I forgot you two, ya know,” he chuckled. Though he was smiling there were dark circles under his eyes, his skin was deathly pale, and his hair was all over the place. He looked like he had just been through hell and back, but that was pretty much what all hangovers were like.

“You don’t look so great, Sirius,” Ellary said, trying to change the subject to something less awkward for her. “Maybe we should forgo anything too exciting today, you need some sleep, mate.”

“I’m doing okay, that butter beer can really sneak up on you,” he responded, rubbing his temples. “Ella’s right though, you guys go on. I am just going to go back to bed,” he sighed, sauntering away.

“I am just going to go make sure he got up the stairs okay,” James laughed weakly, before disappearing too, leaving no one in between Remus and Ellary anymore. Immediately she scooted over to sit beside of him.

“Soo… the weather is nice today, eh?” Remus chuckled nervously, trying desperately to make small talk. Ellary snorted involuntarily at the comment, Remus could do the cutest things sometimes.

“Sorry… it’s just uh- it’s raining outside Remus,” she laughed, and he slapped himself on the forest.

“Jeez, the first day and I am already making an idiot out of myself,” he sighed, “I’m hopeless…”

“Naw- you’re not hopeless. I think you’re cute!” Ellary smiled, pinching him jokingly on the cheek. “You do look a little peaky though, mate. Is there a full moon coming up?” Ellary inquired, her voice becoming a lot lower at the question, so no one else could hear it other than Peter.

Remus nodded despondently, his entire mood seeming to change with the mention of his transformation. Ellary’s heart broke every time she saw that desolate expression on his face; he was the last person who deserved such a horrible burden.

“Five more days, I think,” he said.

Ellary gave him a side hug around his shoulders, “Don’t let it bother you, okay? Everything will be fine like always,” she assured him, before giving him a little kiss on the lips.

“Eww… are you guys planning on doing that a lot now?” Peter asked, looking horror-struck by the small kiss. “Because if you are, just warn me before you do it all right?” he continued.

“Oh grow up, Wormtail,” Ellary rolled her eyes at him and chucked a pillow rapidly at his head, which hit him smack in the forehead. “Just because you have never kissed anyone,” she teased.

“Yeah, thanks for rubbing it in,” he muttered derisively.

The next few weeks passed by without much happening at all, even Halloween was pretty uneventful for the usually trouble-making Marauders. All they had really done was turn Lucius Malfoy’s hair neon orange when he wasn’t looking and put some leftover sleeping potion in Bellatrix’s soup that resulted in her falling asleep in the middle of one of Professor McGonagall’s lectures. Other than that things had been unnaturally calm at Hogwarts, with the exception of Peeves. The professors seemed to be constantly on edge, waiting for the next prank, but nothing had happened yet…

Remus and Ellary were nearly attached at the hip by now. They went for walks over the Hogwarts grounds, did their homework together, and sometimes fell asleep together in front of the fireplace together at night. However, they had still yet to become officially boyfriend and girlfriend, mostly because of Ellary. Sirius on the other hand, was not so happy. He wasn’t really acting detached or depressed, but sometimes he snapped at people who tried to talk to him and he seemed to be going through girlfriends a lot quicker than usual. James watched all this happen with a guilty feeling in the pit of his stomach. If he had told Ellary what Sirius admitted during his drunken state, would she be with Sirius or still with Remus? The question plagued his thoughts so much that he hardly found time to chase after Lily anymore. That seemed to be a losing battle anyways and though he had taken her turning him down for years it was finally starting to get to him. If she didn’t want to date him by now, maybe she never would…

“You changed your mind really quickly,” James said a little randomly to Ellary one Friday morning.

She was sitting on the couch across from him with her feet on the coffee table and her nose in an Ancient Runes textbook. Though her head was pounding, she had forgotten to read a certain passage for homework.

She looked up from the book with a confused look on her face, “What do you mean?” she asked. “Change my mind about what?”

“Well you liked Sirius one day and then Remus the next, what is that about?” he explained, a little bitterness hanging in his voice, but he was trying his best to mask it while he talked.

Ellary sighed loudly, dog-eared a page in her book, and hopped on to the other couch to sit right next to James. “It is a complicated situation,” she began carefully, folding her hands in her lap. “I like Remus, I really do. He’s a wonderful guy and he really cares about me. I mean, whenever he’s around me he gets all cute and nervous,” she smiled dreamily and trailed off a little. “Sirius… well Sirius is still Sirius,” she sighed, twirling a piece of her coal black hair around in her finger. “I still kind of, okay I still care about him too, but there was nothing there Prongs. Sirius is one of those untamable bachelors types and I just wanted something you know- more than a fling. To be perfectly honest mate, I am still bloody confused about what is going on in here,” she admitted, pointing to the spot where her heart was.

“What if I was to tell you that there could have been or still could be something there, between you and Sirius I mean,” James asked tentatively.

Ellary laughed out loud at the question, “He’s Sirius freaking Black, I never had a chance,” she replied.

“Anything is possible,” James countered.

“Yeah, but I think there is a better chance of Wormtail becoming the next Queen of England,” Ellary retorted, as Remus and Peter came walking down the stairs in their Hogwarts robes.

“Where’s Padfoot?” Ellary asked, noticing one of her friends was missing. “Sleeping in today?”

“He’s not going to classes today,” Remus replied, “I don’t think he’s feeling that great. I think he’s actually paler than me.”

“And that is saying something,” Peter chuckled.

“Shut up, Wormtail,” Ellary, Remus, and James all said in unison, making Peter jump back in surprise.

“Oh, I can feel the love this morning,” Peter muttered sarcastically, plopping down on the couch.

“I think I am going to skip school today too, I mean I don’t have Potions so why bother, right? Sirius is going need some company and I barely saw him at all this weekend because he was with that new gal pal of his, Linda Digby was it? Actually we’ve spent almost no time together lately,” Ellary reasoned, “Plus I have got the worst headache of my life and I need to be in good health for my Quidditch game tomorrow! Slytherin verses Gryffindor!” she added to Remus who was giving her a stern and apprehensive look. “Don’t give me that look Remus Lupin, it’s not really skipping if you’re actually sick.”

“Mhmm…” Remus muttered sarcastically, but the puppy dog look she was giving him made him give in though he wasn’t exactly sure if he wanted her to spend the entire day with Sirius, “Alright, I’ll come visit you at lunch,” he told her, kissing her softy on the lips.

Ellary loved the way that Remus kissed. It was innocent, shy, and gentle, but behind his insecurities she could feel the want behind every single kiss he gave her. He was never aggressive, just sweet. Sweet and simple.

“Looking forward to it!” Ellary said with a smile, “See you!” she called over her shoulder, springing up the stairs of the boys’ dormitories with more energy than any truly sick person should have.

Ellary entered the sixth year boys’ dormitory to see Sirius sprawled out on top of his bed wearing nothing but a pair of striped boxers. She just stood there and admired the sculpted muscles of his chest and arms for a moment; any girl would have killed to be where she was at that moment. No matter how hard she tried she couldn’t take her eyes off him, ‘You’re with Remus, you’re with Remus,’ she repeated firmly in her head a few times, before plopping down on Sirius’ bed beside of him. She threw off her robes so that she was only wearing a t-shirt, sweater vest combo and a short gray skirt with knee socks. At first he didn’t even stir, so she proceeded in pinching him on the nose.

“Wha- what’s going on?” he muttered, slapping her hand roughly away.

“You’re not really sick are you, Padfoot?” Ellary asked, “Because that would be no fun at all,” she said.

“What are you doing in my bed?” Sirius inquired, disregarding her first question. “Not that I mind,” he winked, “But shouldn’t you be in class?”

“Naw- I am skipping today, as you seem to be too, mate,” Ellary smirked. “I thought I would keep you company.”

“Oh, I see,” Sirius said shortly, standing up from his bed and walking over to his trunk. Ellary’s eyes followed him the entire time, how could one guy be so good-looking? Her heart nearly stopped when he reached his arms over his head to stretch, causing all the muscles in his back to flex. He turned toward her again and pulled on a white t-shirt. “Like what you see, Ella?” Sirius laughed with a cocky smirk, when he caught her staring.

Ellary just shrugged at the question, “I have seen better, mate,” she responded nonchalantly.

He laughed, “I doubt that,” he said cockily. “Anyways… moving on, you looked like you were going to go to class. Change your mind at the last second?” he asked, noticing the uniform she was wearing.

“Yeah, I guess,” she answered, as she pulled off her sweater vest so she was only wearing a small white t-shirt. “I didn’t feel like school today, I’m too lazy,” she explained, lying back on his bed. This time it was his turn to stare at her.

“Like what you see, Black?” Ellary smirked, repeating his earlier comment when she caught him gawking.

“I sure do,” he replied, with a wink, unfazed.

“Sirius, this is boring,” Ellary pouted, as they started what felt like the millionth game of wizard’s chess to her.

“You’re only saying that because you keep losing,” Sirius retorted, with big, pearly white smile.

“Well yeah that- and it really is boring. I can only watch my poor little guys get smashed to pieces so many times, you know,” she said, crossing her arms impatiently in front of her chest.

“Fine, what do you want to, oh Queen Ellary,” Sirius responded, sarcastically, rolling his eyes a little.

“Now, that is more like it,” she smiled, “I say we go for a walk, my legs hurt from sitting here for two bloody hours.”

“A walk? That’s the best thing you can come up with? Jeez, Moony has really gotten to you, huh? Next thing I know you’ll become a Prefect on me and start reading books for fun!” Sirius teased.

Ellary glared back at him, “Fine. You want something exciting, Black? Let’s go for a swim!” she suggested.

“A swim? Are you mental? It’s November out there, you know!” Sirius protested, “Plus the black lake… well the giant squid lives in there somewhere you know,” he said, looking a little nervous.

“Oh is little Sirius, scared?” Ellary mocked.

Sirius’ eyes narrowed. No one accused him of being scared and got away with it. “Fine, we’ll go for a swim!” he declared. “But I uh- I don’t have a swim suit,” he said, still hoping to get out of it.

“Who needs swim suits?” Ellary asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Ellary waded out into the ice-cold waters wearing nothing but her black bra and a pair of clean boxer shorts she had stolen of James’ trunk before they left over her panties; she had never really been all that modest, plus it covered just as much as a bathing suit anyways. Sirius stood on the shore just watching her as she stepped through the dark waters. She was shivering from head to toe, but somehow she looked graceful to him, with her midnight black hair falling over her pale white skin and her brown eyes sparkling.

“What are you doing?” Ellary yelled out from the water, breaking him out of his trance. “Come on! The water’s fine!” she beamed and to his surprise she ducked down under the water to emerge a few seconds later soaking wet with her long hair plastered against her body.

“You are a nutter, Snape,” he shook his head at her in amazement, before throwing off his shirt and dropping his pants. He stepped into the water dressed in nothing but his boxers, but he immediately hopped out. “It’s freezing! I am not going in there!” he claimed indignantly.

“Oh you are such a girl, Black,” Ellary quipped, rolling her eyes at him, “It’s not that cold, you wuss. I bet you Regulus could handle it,” she smirked; she always knew what to say to push his buttons.

“Oh you did not just say that!” he shouted.

“Say what? That your brother is more of a man than you are? Well, hate to break it to you mate, but that’s the truth,” she replied.

“Oh you’re going to get it, Patch,” Sirius threatened, practically diving into the lake after her, forgetting all about the cold. She let out a little yelp as he approached and tried to lunge out of his way, but his strong arms grasped around her too swiftly. “Oh hell no, you are not getting away now! You made your bed and now you have to sleep in it,” he chortled, before hauling her up over his shoulders.

“Oh no! Sirius Black don’t you dare! I’ll kill you!” Ellary screamed, her voice was quivering from chilliness. “Put me-” but she never got to finish the sentence. Sirius sent her flying through the air and with a huge splash she plunged into the water. After a few moments she resurfaced with an irate look on her face. “I can’t believe you did that!” she exclaimed, before splashing him and getting his hair soaked.

“I can’t believe you just did that! I actually brushed my hair this morning!” he exclaimed, splashing her right back.

Soon all hell had broken loose as Sirius and Ellary engaged in an intense splash fight like the ones you had at a ten-year-old birthday party.

“Aah! I got you now!” Sirius jumped up and wrapped his arms around Ellary’s from behind, as she bent over in a fit of uncontrollable giggles. Sirius leaned over and rested his chin on Ellary’s shoulder in an attempt to catch his breath, but this suddenly caused Ellary to be aware how close they were to each other.

She could feel his toned chest up against her bare shoulder, his hands on top of hers, and his warm breath hitting her ear. Her heart pounded and she tried to concentrate on anything other than Sirius, but it was impossible. She had stopped giggling now and everything had gone silent except for their panting breaths, but still Sirius did not let go of her.

“Sirius,” she whispered, her voice sounding breathless.

“Yeah?” he whispered back, he seemed to be caught up in the moment, no longer hearing what she said. He spun her around and looked her straight in the eyes, his face close to hers.

“Sirius stop…” Ellary said weakly as he brought his body even closer to his own. Slowly he tucked a piece of her wet hair behind her ear as he leant in toward her… “No!” Ellary jumped away, forcing herself out of his arms, suddenly, looking very shaken. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she snapped.

“I uh- nothing,” Sirius answered lamely, his face looking slightly crestfallen. “I wasn’t doing anything,” he claimed.

“Yeah, nothing my arse!” Ellary exclaimed incredulously, “I’m with Remus! I’m with your best friend,” she said quietly, as she walked out of the lake. “We’d better go before a professor sees us and we get expelled,” but she sounded more like she was talking to herself more than Sirius anymore.

She threw her school robe over her shivering body, not bothering with the rest of her clothes lying on the ground. She began the trek back to the castle never once looking back at Sirius who was still standing in the water in a sort of daze.

“Are you okay, Ellie? You look upset about something,” Remus asked with concern.

They were both sitting in front of the fireplace in the common room; the majority of Gryffindor had already gone to be except for a few fifth years that were studying. Remus had wrapped his arms around Ellary; her head was resting on Remus’ chest as he stroked her hair gently as he always did when they were together.

“What? No, no I’m not upset about anything,” she replied, forcing a small smile on to her face.

Truthfully she was waging a battle inside her mind to get rid of the image of her and Sirius in the lake earlier that day. For some reason she couldn’t wash the feeling of guilt off of her. But she hadn’t done anything right? She had pushed Sirius away from her, so in essence she had stayed loyal to Remus. But there was one second – even if only a second – that she considered staying his arms.

“Are you sure? Because you can tell me anything Ellie,” he said.

‘Not this,’ she thought to herself. She knew it would kill Remus to know his best friend had tried to kiss her. “I know I can. I’d trust you with my life,” she replied, this comment was completely honest.

“I missed you during Ancient Runes today… Did you have fun with Sirius though?” he asked curiously.

Ellary’s stomach twisted into a knot at the question. “Yeah, it was fun,” Ellary mumbled, “But let’s not talk about that,” she suggested, “Let’s not talk at all,” she whispered, turning to face him with a playful glint in her eye.

Remus smiled, “You know I never have a problem with that,” he chuckled, grasping her cheek in his warm hair.

Remus touched his lips to her ever so softly at first. The feeling sent a warm feeling through Ellary’s body as she wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer to her. Soon the kiss intensified, she felt his tongue break her lips and she welcomed it. The passion could be felt as Remus’ hands traveled over her hips. Ellary loved the feeling she got when she kissed Remus; he made her feel loved and wanted like she believed no one else could. When they kissed Ellary knew that Remus loved her, though they had never said it to each other, there was something in the way he kissed her that meant more than a thousand words.