~ROAC~ (incomplete)

~TWENTY~

"You're welcome."

Sirius turned his head to face James a moment after his friend had whispered this to him. He raised an eyebrow, but he couldn't help a wide smile growing on his face at how the girl of his dreams was just casually cuddled up next to him.

"Thanks, but explain."

James grinned. "When we got back from the Shack, we came straight here and Bell was asleep in that chair next to you. Holding your hand, too. She woke up when we came in and after a bit, I convinced her that she'd be more comfortable sleeping in a bed." He gave a soft chuckle. "She didn't even look at one of the empty beds all around here, just curled up next to you and fell asleep again." His smile started to fade, and Sirius' did too as the weight of all he didn't know hit him.

"What happened?"

James raised his hand to his face and rubbed at his temple. Sirius finally noticed the bags under his best friend's eyes. Had he gotten any sleep at all last night?

"You collapsed in the dorm but we had to get going. Remus sent Peter to get Bell, and she ran up. I think she fell on the stairs-" Here, he pointed out the dried blood on the knees of her pants, and Sirius' heart clenched at the thought of her getting hurt, even just scrapes like this. "-and she ran in." James gave a small smile then. "She didn't ask any questions, just told us to go and the last thing I saw her do was check your pulse through your wrist. Next time I saw her was here, at-" He glanced at the clock across the room. "-five am."

Sirius' gaze fell, troubled. There were still so many things he needed to know, but he was reluctant to wake Bell, despite how she likely held most of the answers. Speaking of, he turned his head back to face the girl of his longtime fancy. She was still sleeping peacefully, and his gaze softened as he looked at her. Did he dare? Might as well. He slipped his arm around her and rolled onto his right side, moving his head just a little bit forward so their foreheads touched, and his heart gave a leap when she readjusted her own arm around him and curled up closer. Sirius let his eyes close, a smile growing on his face as he breathed her presence in and out. He heard James get off of the bed, its springs squeaking, and go to wake Peter, but he didn't pay his friend any mind and just focused on this moment, with Bell in his arms, and for a moment, they breathed in and out at the same time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The first thing Bell noticed as she slowly fell back into consciousness was how someone was holding her, and she was holding them back. In this half-asleep mind, she assumed it was Sirius, then paused and wondered why her first guess had been him. Was there something she hadn't- before she could even finish the thought, the memory of last night took its place, and her eyes fluttered open. It seemed she'd been correct, and color flooded her cheeks as she realized how they were curled up with each other. She remembered falling asleep beside Sirius as the first hint of dawn appeared over the Black Lake, but not so entangled in his arms. His dark hair was mussed up by the pillow and his forehead was touching hers. Merlin, they were so close. The realization crossed her mind that if she wanted to, she could just kiss him. Bell took in an inhale sharper than she'd meant to at the thought and Sirius' eyes opened.

"Good morning, Angel."

Bell's cheeks went from pink to crimson as she tried to think of how she should react to this situation. He was smiling at her, not moving, as if he liked how they were cuddled up, and the idea sent her heart aflutter. She noticed the flicker of an emotion she couldn't quite name crossing his gaze as they stared into each other's eyes for only one second that felt like an hour and a shiver went up her spine. Had his smile always been so sweet? She couldn't help the corners of her lips curving up in return to his warm expression.

A loud thud from a few feet away startled Bell so much that she tensed up enough to almost roll off the bed, but Sirius' arm around her back saved her and she whispered a thank you as she hastily sat up, rubbing at her eyes to rid herself of the sleepiness that so plagued her. James met her gaze from her left and what remained of her smile faded at the smirk on his face. She didn't know what to think about right now, and she looked to see where the commotion had come from for a clue of what to say, what to do, what to believe. Peter was getting up off the floor and from what Bell could gather, James had tugged at his blankets to wake him up, not knowing his sleeping friend was bundled up like a burrito and had rolled right onto the floor as a result.

Bell felt the bed she was sitting on waver as Sirius sat up behind her and she closed her eyes for a long moment, trying to no avail to collect her scattered thoughts. He didn't try to touch her, and for that, she was grateful, for she wasn't sure she would have been able to keep her composure had he done so. Peter got up from the floor, loudly grumbling to James, and Remus stirred in the bed across from Bell and Sirius'. The boy who Bell doubted had slept at all last night went over and gently shook awake his scar-faced friend and Remus yawned as he opened his eyes, batting away James' hand as the latter tried to tug away his blankets to get him up faster.

Bell gave a soft sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose as she mentally shoved away all the emotions crashing through her mind and heart, then proceeded to stand and brush down her shirt, muttering at the crinkles all over it. She could feel Sirius' gaze on her, and soon, Peter, Remus, and James' joined them. She stood, but when her legs wavered beneath her, she took a seat again, but now in the chair beside Sirius' bed.

"Bell, what happened after we left?"

"Do you know what was wrong with Sirius?"

"Are you alright, Angel?"

She took a deep breath in and out. Out of the three questions just thrown at her, she was most loathe to answer Sirius', as she wasn't sure at all if she was alright.

"Bellatrix tried to put you in a coma."

And so she told them.