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The hallways of Hogwarts are dimly lit, with tiny floating lamps in each corner. The soft currents of the cool wind make the flames dance and they scatter flickering patterns of light on the floor. It's late in the evening and you'd think it would be quiet. But it isn't.
The Slytherin prefect has managed to pin the wandering marauder under her wand and appears extremely displeased about it.
“That's absolutely not happening. Just go back to your dorm and don't be my problem,” (Y/N) whispers aggressively to the raven-haired Gryffindor as she steps closer to look intimidating.
He steps back wisely, pushing his back against the wall, and raises his hands in defense.
“Look, it's not that I don't appreciate your warm conduct,” Sirius exhales, feigning a smile as he urges her, “but I really, only need ten minutes. Please.”
(Y/N)'s face contorts in frustration and she suppresses an annoying cry. He has been testing her patience for the last twenty minutes. She should've reported him to a teacher right away.
“This is not a bargain, you mo—”
She stops speaking abruptly at the sound of steps coming from nearby. Her eyes dart at the corner of the corridor then back again at the boy pinned under her wand.
“Great. Malfoy. Just what I needed,” she mutters.
Sirius's eyes grow wide sensing the trouble, but to his surprise (Y/N) grabs his wrist and drags him along with her to the other end of the hallway.
“What are you—” He whispers confusedly as he watches her open the broom closet just around the corner.
“Shut up and get in!” She whispers back, pushing him inside.
Sirius frowns briefly before quickly holding the partially closed door in its place and gives her a taunting smile as the realization hits him.
“Are you hiding me?” He laughs, “From Malfoy?”
“Just do me a favor and shut up, okay?” She hisses, before closing the door just in time to see Lucius stalking toward her.
“What was that noise?” He asks, an eyebrow raised sternly at her.
“It was Peeves,” she answers, without missing a beat.
“Peeves?” Lucius frowns, before looking past her as if to confirm, “I just saw him on the second floor. Are you sure?”
“Hm, I'm sure,” She replies again, keeping her answers to a minimum.
Lucius studies her for a second and then his eyes move to the closet next to her. The door isn't closed all the way.
“What do you need that for?” He points at the door.
“Oh, that,” (Y/N) chuckles, then walks towards it and kicks it shut, “That— I was actually just putting all those supplies back inside. Peeves has been throwing them all over the place.”
If Peeves finds out about this lie, which (Y/N) is sure he will, he'll make her life difficult. But she can worry about that later, as this seemed good enough to convince Lucius because he steps back and looks away from the closet.
“Alright, well, keep a close eye everywhere. I heard some students are trying to sneak out. If you see anyone, you report to me,” he orders, pointing his index finger at himself.
Normally, (Y/N) would respond to his arrogance with a passive-aggressive comment, but since this doesn't seem like a good time, she lets it go.
“And I am going to have a little chat with our professors about the Poltergeist,” she hears Lucius mutter as he walks away.
She watches him turn around the corner and disappear and waits a good two minutes to make sure that he's really gone before opening the broom closet.
“Peeves is not going to be pleased with that,” Sirius states with a smirk, stepping out of the closet.
“Don't worry, I'll handle that,” (Y/N) returns a false smile, “Now get back to your dorm before I change my mind.”
She watches him as he sizes her up with a coy smile, then turns around and disappears towards the staircase.
The universe seems to be testing (Y/N), because as she goes to her assigned hallway to patrol, she finds Sirius Black in the same spot as she had met him the day before. Only this time, he was standing quietly by the broom closet.
“Quite a bit of routine of yours, is it?” she asks with the faintest hint of a smile as she approaches him.
He pushes off the wooden door and shrugs with a guilty smile. A gust of wind blows his hair in his face, and he takes a ring-clad hand from his pockets to brush the hair out of his sight. (Y/N) stares at his fingers and it is only now that she realizes how his rings make his hands look more mature than his boyish face.
“Why didn't you report me to Malfoy yesterday?”
“Is this why you sneaked all the way to ask me?” She raises an eyebrow.
“Sneaking isn't a problem,” he smirks with a shrug.
“I'm aware,” (Y/N) nods, her smile growing.
“Well?”
She exhales an exasperated sigh.
“Well, I know that Malfoy holds a grudge against you,” she mentions and smoothly turns around to move to the other end of the hallway, “He would've landed you in a month's worth of detention with a lot of false details against you. And he would only do it for his amusement.”
“Yes, but,”—he slides his hands deep back inside his pockets and follows her— “why?”
“Why? Because I'm not a bully. That's why!” She scoffs before doing a mock courtesy bow, “Oh, I apologize if I don't fit in your Slytherin stereotypes.”
“That's not what I meant!” Sirius stresses, “Look, I don't believe my Head of the House would have spared me. And I honestly didn't think you'd let me slip out of your hands after you nailed me to the wall, ” he shoots her a wide grin, “So, just wanted to express my gratitude.”
(Y/N) tries but fails to inaudibly laugh at the innuendo and Sirius appears quite pleased with himself.
“Okay, if I accept your gratitude will you go back to your dorm and try not to get me in trouble?” She asks, her jaw tightening to avoid another grin creeping onto her face. One of her hands rests authoritatively on her hip.
“No promises,” Sirius smiles.
(Y/N) throws her head back in surrender, then starts walking knowing that the boy will now follow her for the rest of the evening.
Little did she know that it would not be the last night she would see Sirius. He came back the next day, and then the day after that, and another one after that until it became his routine for weeks. Every day he found a new excuse to stay and talk to (Y/N) until her shift ended. Sometimes it was about keeping her company, because how boring it must be keeping an eye on those empty hallways all alone. Sometimes it'd be about being there as a backup in case Peeves decided to get back at her. Or sometimes it was just about, well, getting on her nerves.
(Y/N), was very reluctant about his presence for the first few days. But eventually, she gave in. Mostly it was just back and forth bickering between them, but sometimes she would also vent to him if she'd had a difficult day. In return, he'd tell her about their latest prank that his friends and he cooked up (with a promise of confidentiality) or about James Potter's latest unsuccessful attempt to woo Lily Evans. Of course, that didn't mean that Sirius was completely off the hook. She still threatened to report him and complained about his constant talking, but she didn't have the heart to actually report him to Malfoy, so he ended up in the broom closet most days.
A voice hollers from the end of the hallway calling her name, and (Y/N) takes no time to recognize it. She's been worried she has started to hear it everywhere recently. His presence always makes her panic.
“I'm here! I'm here! I know, I'm late,” The cold, empty air is now filled with his voice, and (Y/N) winces at the sound. “Sorry if I kept you waiting! James needed my help.”
A smile almost battles its way onto her lips.
“Keep your voice down, you nutter!” (Y/N) scowls at him over her shoulder before continuing forward to mutter, “And honestly, no one's asked you to be here.”
"Is that why you look so pleased?” Sirius quips up as he finally appears by her side.
A wide, blushing grin is now plastered on (Y/N)'s face and she wants to whack Sirius for it. But she suppresses the urge and looks at him instead.
His hair looks messier than usual as if he had rummaged through it several times with his fingers. His cheeks are flushed pink from the cool evening air. He's still wearing his uniform, and a loose tie hangs around his neck. The lack of an upper robe makes him look leaner than usual. He is walking so close to her that she feels the warmth radiating from him. Sirius Black has never looked more huggable. But (Y/N) keeps that thought to herself and averts her gaze away from him and instead says—
“Don't push your luck with me, Black.”
He follows after her as they continue down the long, familiar hallway with unfading grins on their faces and likely waiting for each other to break the pleasant silence that has fallen between the two.
Less to her surprise, Sirius breaks it.
“Did you have a good day?” he asks, then smoothly turns around, walking backward as he faces her.
“Yes,” (Y/N) answers, trying not to look amused by the small talk.
“Did you have a good dinner?”
Her eyes narrow at him, this time with a chuckle, as she tilts her head to the side.
“Why do you care? Don't you have some diabolical prank to plan with your friends?” Her hands lock behind herself.
“Diabolical?” Sirius pipes up, “Mind you, our pranks are extremely entertaining and much appreciated.”
“I doubt that, but whatever it takes to get you out of my hair, I guess,” (Y/N) shrugs as an amused smile finally takes over her lips.
“So you don't mind if I just go and set up a cozy little trap for someone?” He scrutinizes her suspiciously.
“Since when do you need my permission to get into trouble?”
“Well, you saved me from getting into trouble. So I owe you one,” he shrugs, returning a smile as he continues walking backward, “Besides, I wouldn't want to get you in trouble now that we're friends.”
(Y/N) glances at the infuriating curve of his lips and shakes her head as if those thoughts gathering inside her mind would fall out by that action.
“We are not friends,” she glares forward disapprovingly but stiffly trots towards him to turn him at an angle as they approach a turn.
If the floors were to burst open and engulf her inside it she would be grateful for it. The insides of her cheeks are possibly sore from biting so hard on them while trying not to smile. But despite that, she would hate for this night to end. If she could, she'd spend all her nights like this; sore-cheeked, blushing, stumbling around the cold hallways ‘til late, just so Sirius would look at her the way he is looking at her right now.
“Would it be such a bad thing to admit that you like me?” He challenges as he stops walking, the corners of his mouth turned up.
(Y/N) stops too. Her eyes glare at him with a stiff jaw before looking away as she tries not to let his blooming grin affect her cheeks.
Would it really be such a bad thing to admit her crush on Sirius Black?
“Well?” Sirius asks before he steps closer to her and ducks down slightly to be in her eyesight, “It can't be that bad, can it?”
A gust of wind sweeps through the quiet hallway and (Y/N) feels goosebumps rising on her skin. She hears her heart beating inside her ears after her fingers curl slowly around Sirius's loose tie.
“I guess not,” she murmurs looking up at him.
Sirius's gaze travels back and forth between her palm wrapped in his tie and her eyes, and with one soft tug on the little piece of fabric, she feels his lips on hers.
(Y/N) swears she felt the world stop spinning. His lips taste of what she assumes is the strawberry gum that he always offers her but she always refuses. His slow and teasing fingers crawl up her spine making her stomach clench. Her hands claw at the nape of his neck, and her fingers wrap themselves in his curls. No one has ever kissed her like this before. As if their life depended on it. Is this how every person who had ever kissed Sirius Black felt?
Sirius doesn't let her finish that thought, as he pulls her closer to him and engulfs her within the warmth of his arms while his teeth dig into her lips. With a breathless gasp, she has to pull away to catch her breath. Her hands still stay tangled in his hair, unable to break away from his touch as she feels the cold air caress her lips.
His grip on her loosens, but his hands remain firmly on her waist, holding her in one place. She can almost feel a smug comment forming in his head when his grin reduces to a sly smirk.
“Say a word and I'll hex you,” (Y/N) says quickly, returning his grin.
Sirius raises his eyebrows and makes an open and close motion with his lips as if to carefully shape his words.
“Can I come back tomorrow?”
(Y/N) only rolls her eyes before pulling him back into another kiss.