Moonlight

4. Interlude

Tick-tock, tick-tock. “Can I break that grandfather clock?” Milia asked from where she stood in the center of the drawing room.

“No,” Sirius answered. He sat slumped in a stiff-backed armchair, a rather large book in his hands. He wasn’t reading it. A soft click broke the silence as he flicked a ball of paper with his thumb. Milia waved it away absently before it hit her.

“You didn’t even see that one,” he said. A glare descended on him.

“I heard it.”

“I get a second chance.” He tore half a page from the book, ripped it in half again, forming a smaller square which he rolled into a tight ball. Then he waited. Milia smirked at him. He would flick it, eventually. She moved to the window, half-way around the room from his chair, listening for him to move. She stuffed her hands into the front pockets of her jeans.

Beyond the glass, the small front garden sat neglected in the late winter chill. A worn street with worn houses sat beyond the garden. Then a soft creak of wood and the flick of Sirius’ finger broke the silence. Milia smiled and let the paper hit her. It bounced off her shoulder.

“Five points!” he shouted. Milia laughed.

“Okay, my turn. You won’t be ahead for long.”

He stood as she crossed to the chair. When she took the square of paper and the book, he held them tight, smiling down at her, their hands lingering. Then Milia yanked it from him and sat in the chair. Sirius wandered away, behind her. This strategy of his had worked three times in a row now. She couldn’t spin and aim fast enough. For a mere human, he seemed fairly adept at hearing the small noises.

She rolled the paper into a ball. Then she set down the book and pulled her legs up under her. The floorboard to her left creaked. Tilting her head, she watched for movement out of the corner of her eye.

He had promised not to use magic for an advantage and in turn, she had sworn not to call upon her beast. She fought not to reach out and feel for his presence. Doing so had become habit over the last couple days.

Sirius was the only one she had now. Before, she had lived with her pack, never fewer than three of them in any place at any time. And now, there was only this one man. Loneliness overwhelmed her and she bit back on the tears that gathered. How much longer would she have to stay here? Surely they couldn’t keep her beyond the gibbous moon. She needed to be away from all humans when the moon turned full. A scene flashed in her head: Sirius bleeding before her wolf-form. Her howl to the moon echoing through London.

A knock at the door startled her. A visitor! Sirius strode across the room. She flung the paper at him, hitting him in the back of the head. He looked over his shoulder at her. She smiled innocently back at him. “Five points,” she said. He shook his head as he left to answer the door. Milia rose and moved to the far corner of the room where she couldn’t be seen from the door.

Sirius’ visitor entered and closed the door behind. They conversed in hurried whispers. After a moment, the door opened and the visitor had gone back out into the cold.

Sirius returned, replacing his worried frown with a soft smile when he entered the room. “My turn again,” he said with forced cheerfulness.

“I don’t want to play anymore,” Milia sighed. Her thoughts had saddened her.

“But Milia, we’re tied.”

“Then you win by forfeit,” she said with a noncommittal wave.

He sat in the chair and stared at her. She turned and threw herself into a chair opposite him, watching him.

Tick-tock, tick-tock. “Can we stop the clock?” she asked.

“No. How will I know what time it is?”

Milia stared at him, surprised. “I can’t believe you just said that. Do you need to be somewhere?”

She chuckled as his glare hardened. “Maybe I do,” he said.

Milia stopped laughing and smiled. “No you don’t.”

He shrugged, “It’s my new goal in life.”

“Leaving this house is my new goal in life too. That and clean clothes.”

“Scourgify,” Sirius said, waving in her direction. Magic prickled around her.

“What was that?”

“I cleaned your clothes.”

“With a word?” she asked. He nodded.

“Well. Don’t stop with the ones I’m wearing. Let’s go do the others.” She stood and started for her bedroom. Sirius followed her.

Once in the bedroom, Milia started pulling clothes from her suitcase. It wasn’t much. Her dress, her red shirt and her black shorts. Sirius fingered her black, lace panties. She slapped his hand away. “Just do the spell.”

He pouted at her but pulled his wand from the pocket of his black robe. With a wave, he cleaned them all, filling the air with a fresh spring scent.

“I think you should have brought more clothes,” he said, watching her repack them.

“I thought a safe-house would have a laundry,” she said.

“Safe-house?”

“It means a place to hide. Where you’ll be safe.”

“And that’s what they told you this place was?” he chuckled bitterly.

Milia turned away. “I thought I would be home by now,” she whispered. She sank to her knees and let the sadness well up from inside. Tears stung at her eyes and she let them fall. A physical pressure grew in her chest, breaking outward as her heart shattered. She thought it had all been done that first night. But here, again, more tears fell. She was alone. Alone and trapped.

Strong arms circle her. A solid warmth collapsed around her like a blanket. Sirius nuzzled against her. He offered no words, only held her while she cried.

***

“Did you see it?” Milia asked, peeking into the kitchen where Sirius sat. He looked up from the letter he’d been reading.

“See what?” he asked.

“It didn’t come in here?” Puzzled concern painted her face. Sirius looked around confused.

“Nothing’s come in here,” he answered.

Milia turned, exasperated, “I’ve got to find it,” she said, walking away. She heard his chair scrape back and he was soon following behind her.

She motioned for him to be quiet as they crept up the stone stairs. “Milia--”

“Shh, you’ll scare it away.” She chanced a look back at him. He peered over her head towards the drawing room. Biting her lower lip, she edged forward. Slowly, don’t scare it. She placed a hand on Sirius’ stomach and pushed him behind her, away from her line of sight.

He held onto her shoulder as she sidled up to the drawing room doorway. The warmth of his hand, the swish of his robes against her bare legs. I should have worn the dress instead of my t-shirt and shorts, she thought. A quick peek proved the room empty.

“It looks empty, but it may be hiding,” she said, looking over her shoulder at Sirius.

“What are you looking for?” he asked in a whisper.

“If it’s cornered, it may attack. We should have weapons.”

“Weapons?” He moved in front of her, scanning the drawing room. Milia bit down hard on her lower lip, almost drawing blood. He looked back at her.

“Do you have anything we could use for a weapon?” she whispered. It’s evil! It’ll try to eat us if we can’t fend it off!”

“I have my wand,” he breathed, pulling it from his robe.

“That’ll work. You better gost,”st,” she made to follow him into the drawing room.

“Wait. You stay here,” he said. A worried look had entered his eyes. Milia stretched up and kissed his cheek.

“For luck,” she breathed. He started into the drawing room. Milia smiled. Sirius crept through the room, looking under the furniture, behind the coat rack. When he turned back to her, she schooled her face to worried concern.

“Nothing,” he said returning to her.

“Maybe it went upstairs,” she suggested.

“Maybe what went upstairs?” he asked.

Milia jumped, “Did you hear that? I think it is upstairs.” She started for the second floor.

“No, I’ll go first,” Sirius said. She let him take the lead. Milia laid her hands on his hips as they snuck up the stairs to the second floor. The fluid motion of his body within the satin robe brought heat to her face. She swallowed around a quickening pulse. He stopped at her bedroom door.

“I’ll check. You wait here,” he said. She nodded and he opened the door, tip-toeing inside. Milia bent over in a fit of silent laughter. Taking a slow, deep breath, she looked back into the room.

Sirius stood watching her, an odd expression on his face. Damn! He’d seen her laugh. Game over. She smiled warmly at him, biting back the laughter.

“There’s nothing in here is there,” he said, waving his wand. Milia lost her fight with the laugh and it bubbled out of her. She shook her head no. His face drew down into a glare. Milia clamped her mouth shut, straightened and stepped away form the door frame. He pocketed his wand and started towards her with deliberate, measured steps.

“Come here,” he ordered.

“Oh, I don’t think so,” she said, smiling again. He leapt for her. With a shriek, Milia took off down the hall towards the bathroom.

Sirius crashed into her, bearing them to the floor. “No!” she shrieked, laughing and struggling to get away. He pinned her hands to her chest. She kicked out at him, trying to push him away with her foot. Sirius grunted as she made contact with his stomach. He moved to pin her legs with his body.

“Will you stop?” he gasped, smiling down at her. Milia gave another half-hearted struggle and grew still. She laughed as he chuckled. “Well, that was interesting,” he said.

“You know what the best part was?” she asked, “The look on your face when I said we might need weapons.” Milia laughed again.

“Oh, I don’t think so. I think this is the best part,” he said, leaning in and kissing her as she laughed. He forced his way into her mouth, his tongue spreading warmth as he explored. Milia kissed him back, her tongue caressing his. Releasing her hands, he brushed along her breasts, cupping her right one, kneading it.

Milia gasped around his tongue. He pulled away, searching her face, an expectant light in his eyes. Her dreams crashed into her. A hundred times she’d dreamt of his hands on her, his mouth nibbling across her flesh. After that first night, she had thought he would never touch her again. And now. . .

She moved against him, feeling him hard beneath his robes. His hand dropped to find his way under her t-shirt. A thrill of pleasure ran through her as his fingers brushed her bare skin. His mouth fell to her throat. She closed her eyes, concentrating on the feel of him, only him. His hand pulled her bra and shirt up to her throat. He moved to her left breast, taking her nipple into his mouth. Milia whimpered. Her hands traced across his back, into his hair. His attention pulled another moan from her. She tightened low in her body.

Sirius bit gently, his teeth painfully sharp in the midst of her pleasure. She cried out, pulling his head away.
“Sorry,” he muttered. She pulled him up to her face.

“You’ll awaken my beast if you use teeth,” she breathed.

His eyes flashed. “And that’s a problem?”

She studied him. “Apparently not,” she said as she took a deep breath. His need rode thick around them, woven together with fear and anxiety.

He kissed her again softly. The cinnamon diffused as he fixed her clothes, with a little help. Then he stood and pulled her to her feet. Milia hugged him tight, listening to his heart.