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.