a/n: After reading Secret Friends by Harriet_Evans, I knew I had to write my own. This is an excellent pairing and definately deserves it's own thread. If you haven't read Secret Friends yet, go read it. In fact, read it first, I promise you won't be disappointed.

---

She hated homework, like every normal teen her age, but this was worse, homework over the summer. Her astronomy teacher had assigned every one the task of charting the night sky until the next school year because of several significant events they would otherwise miss. So Ginny sat on the roof of 12 Grimmauld Place jotting down the various stars twinkling brightly in her velvet black surroundings.

“Care for some company little girl?” came a rough voice from behind her.

“If you hadn’t noticed, I’m not a little girl,” she shot back at the intruder.

“Wow, sounds like your temper matches your hair color.”

“And what’s that suppose to mean?”

“You’re a wild fire,” he smiled, “I like it. A girl should know how to stand her ground.”

She turned her head back to her parchment and continued to sketch the placements of the sparkling orbs in the sky.

Sitting next to her, he attempted to break the cold silence, “What’re you working on Wild Fire?” he said with a wide grin on his scruffy face.

“Homework,” came her stiff reply.

“Before school even starts? Taking tips from Hermione I see.”

“No, it was assigned last term. Professor Sinistra said there were many things occurring over the summer that we needed to see for next term. She wanted us to chart the sky every night for notes.”

“Poor dear! I hope you are at least enjoying the view. I know I always have. It was an escape from my family and there are a lot of things I love about the sky. Pay attention next term and you might learn a little more about me," he said with a wink.

She gave him an uninterested smirk. She didn’t want to talk about school. She didn’t want to talk at all, but she could sense he did. “So who are you hiding from now?” she asked with curiosity, “I mean, there is no family left to hide from…”

“You’re right; I’m not hiding from my family.”

“Then who are you hiding from?” she asked again as he obviously avoided her main question.

“If you must know, I’m hiding from myself.”

Ginny became silent, and she thought of Harry. Sirius may not have been Harry’s family by blood, but they were more alike than either knew. Ginny had seen Harry many times sitting quietly, as if hiding from his calling as a great wizard. He was unsure of himself, unsure he could live up to the title the wizarding world had given him. She desperately wanted to be there for him, to tell him to ignore what everyone said and believe what he felt in his heart, but she didn’t know how.

“Dear, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t place my problems on your shoulders…”

“You didn’t do anything wrong Sirius, I was just thinking of Harry. I just wish I knew how I could help him.”

“You’re good for him Ginny. You know that right? But I expect no less from him. His has a considerable weight on his shoulders and sadly, no one can help him with his load.”

“I know that, but I’m sure just talking to someone would help him, but he closes everyone out.”

“As do many men Ginny. We are all gits when it comes to our feelings, but most of us eventually wise up. Some take longer than others. Don’t give up on him Wild Fire. He needs you, and although he may not know it yet, when he realizes it, you’ll be there for him.”

With a sparkle in his eye, he placed his arm around her shoulders and held her tight. She smiled at his confidence in her tenderness for Harry. She would be there for Harry, always...

“Come now, let’s go back inside. It’s getting chilly and you Mum would have my hide if you got sick.”

He helped her up and carried her parchments as they headed inside. After stepping through the window into the attic, she took her parchments and placed them in a box nearby. As Sirius walked through the attic, he turned to see her still staring and the silken, black sky.

“I see you aren’t going to bed.”

“Not tired,” she said smoothly.

“Then would you like to join me in the kitchen for some tea? I’d understand if you wouldn't want my company though.”

She smiled sweetly and took a place by his side, “that would be nice Padfoot.”

His eyebrows rose with interest at hearing his old nickname. Placing his hand on the small of her back they walked down to the kitchen for their midnight drink. As she waited him to serve the tea, she thought back to the previous year, on an unusually warm day in Hogsmeade.

***

Ginny was casually walking through the streets of Hogsmeade. She wasn’t as close to her brother’s friends as many thought, and her own friend’s were all busy with other things. She found them to be somewhat childish at times, and their tastes frivolous.

Walking with no apparent destination, she found herself at the edge of the village, standing in the shadow of the mountain. She sat with a sigh on a large boulder at looked back towards to the student filled streets. She felt so alone and a single tear fell from her eye.

Hearing a few rocks fall, she turned and saw a large black dog. He looked hungry and lost and her heart broke at the sight of him. She couldn’t help but think that he was alone just like she was and motioned for him to join her. Digging through her pockets, she found a cauldron cake and other assorted items and he gratefully accepted, eating them hungrily.

She stroked his matted fur as he ate, and spoke out loud to no one in particular. He looked into her eyes and she couldn’t help but think he understood her every word. “Silly me, you couldn’t possibly understand me,” she laughed out loud.

He licked her hand and nuzzled her leg. He did understand her, but she couldn’t know that without discovering his secret. He sat by her side until she scratched his head one last time and headed back down the street to the school. “Goodbye my dear friend,” she called back to him, “and thank you,…I’ll never forget your sweet gesture.”

Nor will I, he thought, nor will I.

---

a/n: I really hoped everyone enjoyed it. Hopefully I can update soon. Until then, go read Secret Friends by Harriet_Evans and check out my other stories. I can't wait for reviews!

Ginny rose with a smile as a small owl pecked at the window. She got out of bed and took the small folded parchment. As she handed the owl a few owl treats, she turned it over to see who it was from, though she already knew in her heart.

Her heart leapt as her eyes fell upon the familiar scrawl and the paw print at the corner. She opened the parchment hastily as her smile grew bigger as she read the letter.

Wild Fire,
The Christmas holidays are a mere week away and I’m sure you’re excited to be taking that much needed break from school. Before you return, I just wanted to tell you thank you. Our time together over the summer was sparse, but it meant more to me than you could ever know. I’m looking forward to your return. You understand me in ways no one ever has.

Sincerely yours,
Padfoot

Ginny carefully folded the parchment again and placed it under her pillow. This was only the second owl she had received from Sirius since the school year started. The first owl was simply to tell her good luck with the new term and to keep up her work in Astronomy. He kept promising her she’d find it as pleasing as he had, but it was simply small lights on a dark canvas to her.

She couldn’t believe that the holidays were only a week away. She had been waiting all term to see him again and the days didn’t seem the go by fast enough. Her thoughts drifted back to the heavenly summer she had spent in his presence.

***

Sirius found Ginny’s presence very welcoming and was pleased that she made time to have tea with him every night after her star charting. That had come to know each other very well and had become good friends. As the days until her new term closed in, Sirius couldn’t believe how close they had grown in such a short time.

“Padfoot,” Ginny called to him from her place, curled at his feet.

“Yes dear,” he replied, neither of them removing their gaze from the warm fire.

“I,” she stopped and hesitated, “I really care about you.”

She wanted to tell him what she really felt, that she loved him, but she was afraid of what his reaction might be. She knew it was unconventional to love a man of his age while she was still so young herself. A hot tear slid down her cheek as she thought of never being able to tell him how she truly felt.

Sirius released his gaze from the fire and looked down upon her copper tresses. Noticing her tear, he carefully grasped her chin and pulled her eyes to meet his. “I care about you too, Wild Fire,” he said as he wiped away her tear with his thumb.

He could tell something else was on her mind, but didn’t want to ask her more than she was willing to tell him. They had become comfortable telling each other almost everything over the last few weeks and it had slightly pained him to know she was holding something back, something she obviously found very important.

Seeing the concern in his eyes, Ginny felt a new wave of sorrow wash over her body. The tears began to build in her eyes and they fell freely. Sirius pulled her into his lap and she found his embrace to being welcoming. She nestled her tear-stained face into his scruffy neck and her quiet sobs slightly shook her body.

He grasped her tightly with one arm and began to stroke her soft tresses with the other. Sirius was at a loss for how to help her. He didn’t know what he has said or done that had made her so upset and she wasn’t letting on either. He did the only thing he could think of, he sang softly into her ear.

“...everything’s gonna be alright...rock-a-bye...rock-a-bye-ie...everything’s gonna be alright...rock-a-bye...rock-a-bye-ie...rock-a-bye...”

As he sang to her, her tears slowed and she accepted the warmth of his body. The sobs no longer made her body tremor and she nuzzled into his neck more deeply. Goosebumps prickled her arms as his breath sent tingles throughout her body. She had never felt any safer or happier than she did at this moment.

He sang until she eyes shut softly and she drifted off to sleep. He kissed her on the forehead and carried her up to bed. As he laid her down and covered her with a blanket, he whispered one last thing to her, “I’ll always be here for you, just call and I’ll sing your troubles away.”

***

The summer ended before Ginny had even known what happened. Her thoughts were always full of a wonderful dream of Sirius kissing her goodnight and telling her he’d always be there if she called him. She knew there was no way it could be more than a dream, but she hoped, and it became her favorite dream, night and day.

As she finished packing her trunk for the train ride the following day, Sirius appeared in her doorway. “Tea?” he asked, alluring her into their nighttime ritual.

She smiled at the twinkle in his eye. “I just need to get this thing closed,” she said closing her trunk and realizing she couldn’t snap the lock shut.

Sirius strode over to her and placed a foot on the trunk while proceeding to bend over and lock it. She smiled at his kindness and felt pulled to give him a kiss on the cheek. She had wanted to do more, but still wasn’t unsure about the verity of her feelings.

Sirius blushed slightly at the soft touch of her lips on his scruffy face. He held out his hand, and she took it gratefully. He led her through the door and stopped as he watched her walking down the stairs. He raised his hand shakily to the spot where he lips touched and smiled. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had kissed him.

Down in front of the fire, he served her a warm cup of tea as she again snuggled up at his feet. She stared deeply into the fire as her heart pained at the thought of leaving him the next day. Their nighttime tea had been the highlight of her every day and she couldn’t bear to be without him.

“I’m gonna miss you Sirius,” she said looking up into his eyes with sadness.

“Come now dear, don’t be sad,” he said lifting her into his lap as he had done the night she cried, “It won’t be long until you’re back for holidays. I’ll have your tea waiting for your return.”

His smile and comical comments lightened her heart. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a warm embrace. “But do take care of Harry until then,” he added.

Her smile was less widespread now as she remembered Harry. She had to sort out her feelings between the two men she cared for so much. She argued with herself that now was not the time, and she should enjoy her last moments with her Padfoot. Agreeing with her inner voice, she decided it was a matter better served for the long, lonely train ride to Hogwarts.

“I will,” she said into his neck.

There they sat in each others arms for the rest of the night. He gently stroked her hair until she began to drift off into a peaceful slumber, at which he carefully carried her up the stairs again. Upon returning to his place in front of the fire, he set his mind on writing a short note to meet her on her first day of classes for encouragement.

***

Ginny had missed him more deeply than she could have ever expected. She didn’t have the courage to send him any owls, and only found solace in seeing his face in the fire when he had his midnight talks with Harry. She had peeked out from the stairs of the dormitory just to see his sweet disheveled face.

As the memories flooded her mind, and the thought of his most recent letter fresh on her lips, she walked lightly to her trunk for a roll of parchment. He had told her how much he appreciated her company through a letter, which was something she knew he would have trouble saying in person. She resolved to do the same. She had to tell him how she really felt about him, before she arrived back into his arms.

After several copies were thrown into a rubbish pile, she looked respectfully at the copy she now held in her hands. Perfect, she thought as she folded it up carefully and placed it in an envelope. She felt as though she had put her entire soul into what she wrote, and she only hoped he would accept her back into his arms. Before journeying to the owlery, she took her quill one last time to imprint the envelope with heartfelt words, To Sirius, With Love...Wild Fire

---

a/n: If anyone was wondering, the song was Lullaby by Shawn Mullins. It got me out of a lot of bad moments when I was in high school.

To her relief, the last week at school passed reasonably quickly. The only thing that had taken forever was the train ride home. Her stomach was flipping with anxiety and she couldn’t sit still. Sirius had not written her back and she was afraid of what he was thinking and how he was feeling. She didn’t even know if he received the note or not.

As the train finally pulled into the station, she felt as though she were going to be sick. Her stomach flips had become more frequent and couldn’t be controlled any longer. She looked out the window for the familiar black dog, and though she knew she couldn’t handle seeing him at that moment, she was still a little heartbroken when he was nowhere to be found.

Ginny stood shakily, glad that no one had seemed to notice her strange way of behaving through out the trip, and walked slowly out of the compartment. As everyone exited the train, she walked quietly over to her family, still looking around for her shaggy black dog. Her interest spiked when Harry asked where Sirius was, and upon hearing it was on Dumbledore’s orders that he not attend, smiled slightly. She was glad that she wasn’t the one that had to ask, and was hopeful that Sirius would be waiting for her when they arrived.

The ministry car pulled up to 12 Grimmauld Place, and Ginny’s stomach began to flutter again. She looked up at the door and smiled. There on the front step was the one thing she had longed for all day, a mangy black dog, with fathomless eyes. It took everything she possessed not to jump out of the car and run to him, but somehow she managed.

Pulling her trunk behind her, she walked hesitantly to the door, every step towards him becoming more difficult. In his animagus form, she couldn’t tell how he felt and it scared her. As she got nearer to the house, he ran inside, and she caught a glimpse of him changing forms. When she finally reached the door, he grabbed her trunk with a shy smile. Her heart lifted and she smiled back.

That night, as she sat quietly in her room willing herself to go down stairs and look for him, a quiet knock sounded at her door. She looked up as the knob turned slowly and Sirius popped his head through the crack. She smiled timidly and he slid through the small opening and entered her room.

Without saying a word, reached into his pocket and pulled out a small square of parchment. She looked at it quizzically, faintly recognizing the paper as her note, and he grinned with a sparkle in his gray eyes. She could tell it was fairly worn for only being a week old, and a smile crossed her face as realization set it that he must have carried it with him, reading it over and over again.

“Tea?” he asked with a widening smile.

***

Ginny enjoyed every night she spent with Sirius. She hadn’t realized just how much she missed her nightly tea with him. The days and nights went by faster than she had realized until Christmas morning was staring her in the face. She awoke to the sound of her brother’s stampeding down the stairs and quickly jumped out of bed herself.

She dressed quickly and before leaving the room, reached for a small box wrapped in dark red paper. She thought about Sirius, then about her nosy brothers, and changed her mind. Placing the box under her pillow, she looked down on it one last time before joining everyone for breakfast.

When Sirius hadn’t come down for breakfast, she was a little worried, but as the family moved into the living room for gifts, she saw him. He was leaning against the wall, looking from the tree to the people bounding towards him. As his eyes caught hers, he smiled and then glanced to a small rectangular box with blue wrapping.

Her brothers tore greedily through the gifts, and everyone expressed their gratitude for what they received. As the pile slowly reduced, only one gift remained; the small, rectangular, blue box. Fred picked it up, and reading Ginny’s name, threw it to her.

“Who is it from?” Hermione asked impatiently.

Ginny pulled a small note from the top of the box and read it.

To my wild fire...

Always know that my love for you will last as long as this flame will burn.

With love...

Without saying a word, Ginny handed the note to Hermione, as she unwrapped the small box. Lifting the lid, she pulled out a long chain with a beautiful glass ball pendant. The pendant was a small glass sphere, and in it was a flame. There was no wick, just a single burning flame.

“Oooh,” exclaimed Hermione loudly, “that’s an everlasting flame! It’ll never burn out!”

Ginny smiled as she recalled what the note had said, and understood that he was telling her his love was everlasting. Harry leaned forward and took the slender chain from her hands. She lifted her hair as he placed it around her neck and closed the clasp.

“So who is it from?” Ron asked as he nudged Hermione, who had been so caught up in the gift that she forgot to tell them.

Hermione looked at the note again. “A secret admirer, I suppose,” she stated, slightly confused.

Everyone seemed to turn their gaze on Harry as he sat back down. “It’s not me!” he said to his accusers.

As the gaze turned to her, she shrugged her shoulders and smiled. Everyone knew she had become fairly popular at school, so it was left at that. She stood slowly and went upstairs, Hermione trailing closely behind her, prodding for more details. Before turning up the stairs, she glanced quickly to Sirius, who was smiling serenely, and after sending him a sweet smirk, continued to her room.

As night approached, Ginny had finally freed herself from Hermione, who had finally left to say goodnight to Harry and Ron before everyone headed to bed. She listened carefully from her room as the many doors of the house finally began to close, and she reached under her pillow for the small red box. She cracked her door open slightly and peeked out, making sure everyone had indeed gone to bed. Hearing no other sounds, she opened her door a little wider and slipped out and down the stairs.

Entering the kitchen, she saw that Sirius had already started the tea. She sat at the kitchen table and cleared her throat to inform him of her presence. He turned abruptly and seeing her at the table, strode over and sat next to her.

“So you like it?” he asked, gently touching the pendant of her necklace.

“Of course...”

“You know, it had more than one meaning...”

She smiled. “It represents your pet name for me too, right?”

Sirius blushed slightly and nodded. “What’s that?” he asked, pointing to red box she carried.

“For you...”

Ginny slid the box to him and watched quietly as he opened it. He pulled out a lovely gold pocket watch and turned it in his hand to see both sides. He gave a slightly perplexed glance and she motioned for him to open it. As he did so, he realized that it wasn’t an ordinary time piece, and in fact, didn’t tell the time at all.

“I got the idea from our family’s grandfather clock,” Ginny started, “but I put my own spin on it.”

She pointed to the words around the face, Thinking of You, School, Family, Harry, Danger, Crying, and Dreaming. There was only one hand on the pocket watch, and on it was a small likeness of Ginny.

“Now you’ll always know what I’m thinking about,” she said, leaning her head on his shoulder.

He smiled again and kissed her hair. “Thinking of Me, are you?” he said with a smirk.

“I doubt you’ll ever see the hand move,” she replied.

“I better see it move young lady,” he said, attempting authority, but failing miserably, added, “at least once and a while.”

He stood up and placed the pocket watch into his pocket, making sure it was safe with her letter. He picked up their tea cups, and she followed as he walked to their regular place in front of the already burning fire. She curled up at his feet, like she had so often months before, and he gently stroked her hair as they stared into the flames, enjoying each others presence again.

---

a/n: I hope everyone enjoyed that! It took me forever to write because I couldn't think of what Ginny could give Sirius. And obviously I said only 3 chapters and it's not finished. Well I had more ideas than I thought, so the next chapter is the final chapter.

a/n: I was extremely hesitant on posting this final chapter because I had a feeling Sirius smiled too much. Why wouldn't he though if he was in love? Anyway, I decided to go ahead and post it with this warning: Sirius smiles enough to be OOC.

---

Again the days seemed to pass by quickly, and to Ginny’s dismay, she would be returning to school the following day. As she sorrowfully packed her trunk, she couldn’t help, but think how much she was going to miss him again. Her only solace was that on her next return, the summer would hold more uninterrupted days together, many more than winter holidays could ever make up for.

Finishing her packing, she slammed the trunk closed and sat on it with a sigh. She was hurting inside at having to leave and thinking about it brought a tear to her eye. She rubbed furiously at her cheek just as the tear slid from her eye. She told herself she wouldn’t cry, but she was finding it easier said than done.

“Is that for me?” came a familiar, soothing voice from her door.

She looked up and rubbed her cheek again, shaking her head. Sirius walked over to her, his Christmas gift in hand. As he sat beside her, he pointed to show her what he saw, the hand of the watch was pointing at ‘Crying.’ I knew I shouldn’t have added that one, she thought to herself.

“No need to cry, we still have tonight.”

She looked imploringly into his gray eyes, trying to grasp what he was thinking. His smile made her melt and she simply nodded her head. He stood up again and grabbed her hand, pulling her to the door.

“You’re Mum is sending everyone to bed early tonight. Would you like to join me on the roof before tea tonight?”

She nodded her head again and followed his lead. He helped her climb to the roof and they sat down in peaceful silence. He wrapped his arm warmly around her and as they laid back to stare into the inky, black sky, she set her head softly on his chest.

Listening to his rhythmic breathing, she thought back to the first night on the roof, the night it all started. A small smile spread on her lips and she reached for his hand, entwining their fingers. They stayed in each others arms for what seemed like hours, while they waited for everyone to drift off to sleep below them.

Time passed steadily and Sirius realized that Ginny had fallen asleep in his arms. He carefully slid his arm out from under her so he could stand up to carry her. He scooped her up gently and proceeded to carry her to bed as he had done so many times before. The only difference was this time they hadn’t had their tea, and they had spent the night staring at the stars.

As he laid Ginny gently in her bed and stepped back to tuck her in, her eyes fluttered open and she gripped his arm. “Don’t go,” she said sleepily.

Not wanting to upset her, he sat shakily on the edge of the bed. Still not satisfied, she pulled his arm again until he lay down next to her. She placed her hand on his chest and lifted herself slightly to kiss him.

Placing her lips tenderly on his own, she hesitated before parting. She closed her eyes and inhaled his comforting scent as she kissed him again. He returned each kiss with equal fervor and ran his hands through her long red hair.

As their kisses grew more passionate, she raised herself again, tossing her leg over his body and gently straddling him. She kissed him deeply again before sitting up and grabbing the bottom of her shirt. She lifted slowly, revealing her smooth stomach, and he traced the lines of her abdominal muscles with one finger.

She lifted her shirt further, and he placed his hands at the small of her back. As she removed her shirt and tossed it to the floor, he pulled her to him, tenderly kissing her again. He kissed her repeatedly while caressing her soft body, sending tingles through her spine as he traced lines on her back.

Neither knew it would be their last night together, the last time they’d ever see each other, but both knew they needed each other. They both needed an affection they had never felt, an affection they held for each other. No one knew of their love and it was a love, a moment, which neither would forget.

***

Ginny was in pain, though she couldn’t express it around anyone. She had spent many nights crying herself to sleep since his death, and she had spent many days drifting off in class. Her thoughts swam around all their beautiful moments together, and she always paused on the same one, their last night together. It was her most beautiful memory of him.

As she sat in her Astronomy class, tears formed in her eyes. It wasn’t enough that she already thought of him constantly, but she remembered him telling her that this was his favorite class. She was upset that she never did find out why it was his favorite class. He had told her if she just paid attention, she would learn a little more about him.

She took a deep breath, fighting hard against her emotions as more tears threatened to spill over. She knew she had to be strong if she wanted to keep their love a secret. Trying to take her mind off of everything, she stared vacantly at Professor Sinistra. Failing horribly at paying attention, her mind wandered again, and her gaze fell upon the bright stars outside.

“Sirius...” said Professor Sinistra.

Ginny’s head perked up at hearing her lover’s name, and her attention turned to her Professor with full interest. She watched her lips, her heart skipping a beat, as she desperately waited for her to continue.

“...is the brightest star in the sky. It can be seen on your charts, here,” she said pointing to a chart she held for the class to see.

Ginny looked briefly at the spot on her chart, making note of it blindly with her quill as she hung on Professor Sinistra’s every word.

“Sirius is also known as the dog star...”

Dogstar, thought Ginny with a smirk, thinking of his animagus form, my dogstar. As the Professor went on about more stars, Ginny’s thoughts wandered again. Her happy memories lingered as she finally pieced together the clues he had left her. She looked into the sky, her eyes caught in the light of that bright star and a single tear rolled down her cheek.

Though he was gone in body, he would always be with her in spirit; all she had to do was look into the sky. Sirius, the Dogstar, would always be there for her to find, to confide in. She gripped the thin chain around her neck, and pulled the small glass pendant out of her robes. As she clasped her hand around the glass ball, she could feel the heat of the flame still burning inside.

As long as the flame burned, he would love her, and as long as the Dogstar lit up the sky, he would be there for her. He wasn’t truly gone from her life. Finally finding her strength to go on, she knew she had to fulfill her promise to Sirius, and be there for Harry.

She had to do it for her love, the love of Wild Fire for Padfoot. It was only a short romance, and nobody would ever know it had been, but she would not forget. She could never forget her Dogstar...

---

a/n: I really hope everyone enjoyed this story. I'm sad that it's finally over, but thanks to his death in the book, I had no choice. Sirius Black, we will miss you. R.I.P.