Now & Then

****

Lorelei snuck downstairs, a lantern in one hand and her book satchel in the other. Another bolt of lightning flashed outside and she shuddered in response. She hated bad storms like these at night. During the day didn't bother her, it was the dark....

She sat down her lantern on the coffee table and turned the small knob on it until a faint light illuminated the whole room. She walked around, doing her usual check. Behind furniture, curtains, and open doors. It never hurt to be paranoid. Satisfied that she was alone, she sat down on the floor and placed her bag on the coffee table near the lantern. Pulling out her Charms book first, she set it on the table and proceeded to dig through her bag looking for the accompanying essay. Pulling it out victoriously, she unbuckled the outside compartment and pulled out a quill and inkwell.

As a clap of thunder shook the house, she set to work. She opened her Charms book to the appropriate chapter and began to read. She made tiny marks with her quill by information she thought she might need. When she had finished the chapter, she turned back to the beginning and dipped her quill in her inkwell.

As soon as her quill touched the parchment, a knock sounded at the door. She sat frozen, staring toward the entryway. The knock came again, less loudly this time. She stood slowly, and walked out into the entryway, making sure to avoid bumping the end table around the corner. She walked up to the door and peeked out the side window. A tall figure stood there, a tangle of black hair falling into it's face, and a knapsack over it's shoulders. Lorelei watched as it look upwards, the rain drenching it even more. A bolt of lightning lit up the sky behind it, and Lorelei's eyes widened as she recognized the figure. She tightened her robe around her and flung open the door, just as she heard movement upstairs.

"Sirius!" she said in disbelief.

The figure looked down at her and smiled. 'Definitely Sirius,' Lorelei thought.

"Hey, Lore."

"Lorelei, honey, what's going on?" her father asked descending the stairs slowly, wand outstretched before him.

"Dad!" she said whirling around, "Get some towels and a blanket, he's soaked through," she said before turning back to Sirius, "Get in here, you look like a drowned rat."

Sirius chuckled and stepped inside the house, allowing Lorelei to shut the door behind him. He looked around the entrance hall, eyebrows arched in an impressed expression before looking down at Lorelei, who was watching him expectantly.

"I-" he started before being assaulted by Lorelei's mother, Lauren.

"Oh, Lorelei, he is soaked. Joseph, go start a fire. Come on," she said breaking off and looking at Lorelei.

"Oh, you didn't get to meet him. Mum, this is Sirius Black. He's a friend of Remus'."

Sirius arched an eyebrow at her and she sighed.

"Well, he's a friend of mine too, but I don't usually like to admit it," she said smirking.

Sirius matched her smirk before looking to Lauren. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Hayes," he said, turning on the charm.

"What a nice boy," Lauren said under her breath, walking into the living room.

Lorelei rolled her eyes and looked back at Sirius. "So, what are doing here?" she said leading him out of the entrance way and into the living room.

Sirius bent down close to her ear to answer. "I'll tell you after your parents go back upstairs."

Lorelei looked at him, worry filling her eyes, but Sirius grinned at her and handed her his knapsack.

"Hold that. I charmed it. It's dry," he said rolling his eyes at her arched eyebrow.

He walked over and sat beside the fire that Joseph had magicked into life. Lorelei watched as her mother fussed over him, suppressing a giggle at Sirius' dislike.

"You need to get out of those wet clothes," Lauren said tutting, "Lorelei, is there anything in his bag?"

Lorelei giggled as Sirius bolted over to her, stealing back his knapsack. "Trust me, Sirius, I'm not interested in what you've got in there."

"Just didn't want you to see my underwear," he whispered, winking, before turning back to Lauren, "Do you have a bathroom I could use, Mrs. Hayes?"

"Sure, dear. Follow me," she said exiting the living room and down the side hall, as Sirius followed.

Lorelei walked over and sat beside her father on the couch.

"What were you doing up, young lady? You certainly weren't expecting him, were you?"

"Couldn't sleep because of the storm. So I decided to work on my summer essays," she said pointing over to the coffee table, "And no I was not expecting Sirius," she said looking sideways at her father, "Don't like him, dad?"

"I don't know him, love. I don't like to pass judgment," he said letting the statement hang.

"Sirius is a good guy. A little mischievous, but what boy isn't at sixteen."

A few moments, Sirius and Lauren returned from the hall. Sirius looking more comfortable with dry clothes and his hair towel dried.

"Well," Joseph said purposefully, "we have work in the morning. So I believe my wife and I will take our leave."

"It was nice to meet you both," Sirius said, seeming desperate to make a good impression.

"Likewise," Joseph said, "Lauren?"

"Oh yes," Lauren said absently, "All I ask is that you two don't stay up all night. You need your rest."

"We won't mum, promise," Lorelei said as her parents retreated back upstairs.

Sirius was one again sitting before the fire on the blanket Joseph had bought down. Lorelei stood from the couch and took a seat beside him.

"So-"

"I ran away," he said softly.

"Why?' Lorelei said, her brows furrowed.

"I hate them. They don't understand me. Don't get that I don't want to be like them. Just cause I'm pure-blooded doesn't mean I have to be a git about it," he said his voice growing louder, "They were disappointed when I didn't make Slytherin. They don't understand that I'm not like them, and I don't ever want to be," he said, the last bit just above a whisper.

Lorelei didn't know what to say, and she figured it was better to not say anything at all. She reached over and took one of his hands, which was fiddling with the hem of is shirt, and interlaced their fingers. Sirius looked down at their hands and back up at her, his eyes expressing thanks he didn't want to put into words. They sat in silence, watching the flickering flames dance in the fireplace before them. After a while, Sirius sighed beside her.

"I was heading to James', but the storm started up. I saw your mailbox, and figured that maybe there weren't that many Hayes' in London, and gave it a shot."

"James lives around here?" Lorelei asked bewildered.

"A ways from here, yeah," Sirius said absently, "But I couldn't walk anymore. So, you know, thanks for answering the door."

"Of course," Lorelei said giving his hand a squeeze, "I wouldn't leave my worst enemy out in this weather."

"I would. Snape could stand a bath."

Lorelei smacked his arm with her free hand. "Don't say things like that. It's not very nice."

"Oh come on, Lore! He's been a prat to you too," Sirius said rubbing his arm.

"No, he hasn't."

"What about that time in Potions? When he all but screamed at you?" Sirius said questioningly.

"I got the potion wrong, Sirius. I could have blown up the whole lab. He pointed it out since I had to work with him that day," Lorelei said calmly, shrugging her shoulders, "It wasn't as if he was out of turn. And he apologized, for your information."

Sirius put a hand over his heart. "Don't kill me now, Lore. I've had a rough night. Snape apologized?"

"Yes, he said he was sorry for yelling, but he'd never seen me make a mistake like that before and it was more of a surprise. Honestly, Sirius," she said smacking him again as he mimicked having a heart attack, "He's not so insufferable. He just doesn't have any friends. I know what that's like."

Sirius stopped his antics and sobered himself. "You're right, of course. But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop being mean to him. I have a reputation to uphold."

"I'm sure you do," Lorelei said.

Sirius grinned at her. "So, how's Moony doing?"

Lorelei blushed. "He's doing alright. I'm going to visit him next week, since the full moon's a few nights from now."

Sirius smiled. "Good. I'm glad. You don't know what it's like to see Moony happy. I mean, actually happy. He's my good friend. Hell, he's practically my brother. So, I'm happy for you two."

"So am I."