today is the tomorrow.

[ChoChangHP118]

Sirius shook his head violently, removing his eyes from her belly.

"Would you like to tell me why the f*** you decided to swallow a child then?" Sirius asked sarcastically, he was angry though, his face was red.

He stood up, looking her in the eyes, her face looked so fragile, and though Sirius tried to keep calm, he couldn't believe she had been quiet about her pregnancy for so long.

He felt not only angry from the fact that she had gotten pregnant and had not told him, but a part of Sirius hated that it was with Xaver.

The man that terrified him most in the world.

[Ginny Weasly]

"What are you, my father?"

Ginny's answer was just as sarcastic, if not as angry. She tightened her grip on the folder, hugging it to her as if it would stop his staring.
She didn't like it.

"I'm a big girl, Sirius. I don't need anyone's permission to sleep with my husband, much less become pregnant."

Hesitantly, she sat down in the seat that Xaver had vacated only minutes before. She scowled at Sirius, shaking her head. What was his problem?

[ChoChangHP118]

Sirius shook his head, had she even considered other people around her? Sirius hated the idea of her being pregnant yet again. He hated the idea of having yet another child running around of blood relation to both Ginny and Xaver. He hated it, hate it, hated it!

He was being selfish, he folded his arms, and looked away from her and that belly of hers. What a disgrace. He was furious that he had not been informed earlier, and quite frankly furious that she had even done it in the first place.

He knew quite well that she was allowed to, but found himself hating the fact that she had.
He shut down to child mode, pouting like a seven year old just in an older body.

"Why didn't you just sleep with him and not get pregnant, like any other normal person."
Sirius turned to look at Ginny, his stomach felt uneasy. The words had just come out of his mouth, he had been having obvious troubles in keeping these comments in.

His eyes searched her face, looking for who knows what, but not finding anything to suffice.

[Ginny Weasly]

At this, Ginny jumped back up, her eyes darkening.

"Who the hell do you think you are!?"
She slammed the folder down onto the table, stalking towards Sirius and standing in front of him, h e hands on her hips.

"Where do you get off saying that to me?" She reached out and pushed him in the chest.
"Do you think you have any right to say something like that do me?"

That comment had angered her beyond belief. It wasn't the hormones causing this anger. It was his words, his glare, his tone.

[ChoChangHP118]

Sirius's fist slammed down on the table hard.

He ignored Ginny's face that was so close to his.
Ignored the feelings that flowed through his body, those of lust and wanting. He was to distracted to care. He stood up, brushing past her with far to much vexation that could be smart for Sirius.

He strode out the door of the warm building, ignoring his coat on the hanger.
It was cold outside, this he quickly realized.
His head was bent low into his shirt, his hands stayed in his pockets.
The snow hadn't slowed at all, but rather was now falling faster and thicker. He could barely see a thing, but couldn't stand being in the same room with that thing.

He grew faint, the cold beating him up in every way. He continued walking, but at some point ended up going in circles. He was to tired to keep walking, so he merely flopped onto the snow, his mind just as numb as his ears.

[Xaver]

Xaver sucked in the cold, wintry air as if he was a man depraved, the blood covered fingers of one hand digging into the rough stone exterior of the pub as he gripped it, for support. He hadn't gone too far when he'd disappeared - just outside - though the storm was in far too much of a flurry for anyone to see any different. There were only the last few people left on the streets, anymore - most had sought refuge in one of the warm shops nearby.

He'd had to get out. The room was suffocating - he'd been suffocating.. And the liquid fury that had been swimming in turmoil within him had only needed that last spark. Sirius had been enough of a match to ignite both his temper and the rage that threatened to all but consume him...

Leaning heavily against the building, he growled against the snow, and his wings appeared from their vanished state, tearing the back of his shirt to ruins but as he wrapped their enormities around himself in the most effective of blankets, it was the least of his concerns.
It wasn't until he heard a soft, nearby grunt through the storm as somebody dropped to the ground, that Xaver even moved.

He blinked, a wing dropping an inch or so as his dark gaze peered over.
His eyebrows raising, in harsh amusement, as Sirius came into view.

"You lost?"

Xaver was, within a breath, standing so close behind him, Sirius would only have to lean back to touch the Fallen lord's legs. He stared down at him, wings folded behind him in their most natural position, and everything about him tense. His weight balanced on the balls of his feet.

Every living creature was attuned to the flight or fight theory.
To Xaver...
The theory was a bit more literal.

[ChoChangHP118]

Sirius stared up through the howling winds, the image of a man much stronger then himself stood above him. A statue towering over him, Xaver looked like an ancient rune of sorts.

Sirius helplessly looked up to him, his face mirroring a child's in pain. His face was white, other then his cheeks that were a deep crimson.

"You lost?"

Xaver's words rang smoothly through his mind, he sighed, returning his gaze to the ground.

"In more ways then one," Sirius muttered under his breath.

His mind played back images that he didn't want to remember. He shook his head against the cold, shivering as snow clung to his hair, his pants, every part of him.

His head was spinning, his hands though they were in his pockets of his jeans were turning a painful shade of purple.

He was silent then, not having anything to say anything to the incredible being above him.

[Xaver]

"In more ways then one.."

Xaver glared down at him, the dark blues of his gaze in currents of turmoil, caught somewhere between disgust and sympathy.
He didn't know what to make of the man Sirius Black, and less, what do do with him.
Or do about him.

He'd just began to word a retort, when he heard it.
The loud, overbearing, familiar crack that pulsed through the snow-heavy air, and whirred toward them.

Xaver jerked to the side, and a bullet ricocheted from the spot he'd stood not a heartbeat before. Cursing darkly, he bent, and grabbed Sirius by the back of his collar, dragging him after him with little mercy toward the corner of the nearest building. Bullets were whizzing around them, then - and they weren't only aimed for his head. Eyes widening slightly, Xaver moved quicker.
They, whoever they were, were aiming as much for Sirius, as they were for his own creature.

Something hit him, then, with enough force to spin him around, and with a hoarse, low scream, Xaver hit the ground hard enough to bring stars across his line of vision. The plowed cement was cold and unforgiving beneath him, littered with fresh snow. He sucked in the breath that had been roughly forced from his lungs, and groaned as his lungs burned. He dug his fingers into the pavement and drug himself upward, the world spinning around him, far too wavy to be normal, and all sense of sound eerily pitchy. His arms and legs worked, he learned, as he quickly gathered himself, but his left wing ached enough to keep him at his knees.
Another bullet struck the ground, just next to him, and he looked around, wildly.
They were close to the building.
So close.

Xaver grabbed at Sirius, and with more effort than he knew he'd posessed, he hauled him with him, dropping him after they'd rounding the corner, and tumbling to the ground.

Safety...
Even if it was only temporary, they were safe... Enough to gather themselves, to get out of there..

Suddenly, his cheek was flush with the ground, which was far hotter than it should have been.
Safety...?

[ChoChangHP118]

Sirius was in a daze. His vision had blurred, not from force drawn towards his head, but from many reasons.

He had been cold, dangerously freezing to the point that his reflexes were delayed, his senses weakened along with his body. His face was pale white; his jaw bone was lined in a soft rose color.

He was confused, that was for sure. One moment he had seen Ginny, the next he was in the cold, and still a few moments more revealed Xaver in his eye shot, they had only just begun a conversation when suddenly...

That suddenly, that was when he had really lost his ability to figure out what was happening around him in the blurry snow everywhere.

One moment he was on his knees on the snow covered pavement, the next loud bangs could be heard around him and Xaver was dragging him away from his solitude of numbness.

Xaver was saving him? Sirius didn't wonder from what, but rather why. He knew Xaver disliked him, just as Sirius disliked Xaver. So why, when such an opportunity presented itself, was Xaver so quick to respond in an act of saving?

Sirius left his daze of concentration, his head pounded from all the swift movements and the scenes that were unfolding before him were enough to make his head buzz from confusion. He kneeled on the ground, his jeans drenched, and his polo clinging to him for an ounce of warmth. He watched Xaver, noticing changes in obvious manners.

He was obviously weaker, having just dragged Sirius out of the now battle field. It didn't seem like a heavy load for such a character as Xaver, but Xaver appeared exhausted, not just from lack of sleep as he had in the coffee shop. Sirius shook his head, trying to find why Xaver was in such a state. He had expected Xaver to easily be able to respond to the bullets being sent from all directions.

He wasn't used to seeing Xaver so weak,
so trapped.

(I want to try out the small font, it always looks so much more sophisticated teehee.)

[Xaver]

(heehee. ;D )


"I'd ask if you sent them for me, but those hired guns are aiming for you, too."

His tones were laced with blunt humor, even as he sagged into the wall of the building. Bullets were still ringing around the corner, and people were screaming about them, and casting spells every which way - and Xaver took that as a good sign, despite everything.
That meant their attackers were human, anyway. They couldn't see through a raging blizzard as effectively as a nonhuman could.

Xaver pulled his left wing around his form, bringing it under his arm as quick and shivering hands felt out the large, feathered expanse of it. His fingers finally delved into the wound, where a bullet had ripped through feathers, flesh, and muscle, and he pulled a face, cursing darkly through a voice that was more ragged than furious. Satisfied, then, that he'd neither been injured by gold, and that a bullet didn't still remain lodged in his wing, he released it with a groan, drawing his wing back and folding it behind him to naturally meet with the other.

His back flush with the stone wall, Xaver sagged.
Then blinked, as everything about them went still.

Against better judgement, he poked his head around the corner.
For the first time in his life, happy to see the Ministry appearing, official after official.
The gunfire was over.

Xaver rounded on Sirius.

"WHO IN THE DARK HELL DID YOU PISS OFF ENOUGH TO GET YOUR A$S SHOT AT?!"

Xaver never yelled.
It was a both endearing, and slightly frightening trait. He never yelled - when he was truly angry, his curses and threats were quiet, deadly whispers.
Not exasperated, furious, and overly loud hollering.

[ChoChangHP118]

Sirius watched Xaver, his movements so swift and calm, he cringed at the wound plainly visible at the moment on Xaver's wing. It looked painful, but the seemingly invincible King seemed to barely take notice in the injury.

Xaver's words were like knives through ice; they were harsh as they shot through Sirius's inner most being, shattered ice flew on his face.

Sirius felt like a small child, being scolded by his over bearing father. He looked up at Xaver, his towering presence a reminder of how weak Sirius truly was. He scowled. How could Xaver -a beast- accuse Sirius that the ministry officials shot at not Xaver, oh no, but Sirius?

It didn't make sense. Sirius was frozen for a moment, and when the color returned to his face, and his eyes returned to a soft shade of purple, he managed a smile. Slowly his smile lit up his face, emotionally warming his physically freezing body. He let out a snort from his noes, finding it hard to control his breathing as spurts of laughter shot from his noes. His smile grew, as did his inability to hold down laughter.

It took a moment, Xaver's eyes burning into his, but then he laughed. His eyes scrunched closed, his noes wrinkled like an old man. He appeared to have just been told a very funny joke, but from Sirius's point of view, he had.

Throwing his head back he laughed a moments more before he was able to calm himself, he peered up at Xaver and slowly stood. He became chest to face with Xaver, Sirius never being very tall himself was nothing in comparison of height towards Xaver.

"So let me get this straight," Sirius said, his taunting smile still present on his face. He continued, "You... Think that I'm the one... That the ministry is shooting at right now..." Sirius spoke slowly, using his hands to motion as he spoke.

"You know, I find that very entertaining Xaver, considering between the two of us I work at the ministry, and you... You've been hated by them for who knows how long," Sirius looked up at the sky, sarcastically pondering it all, "yes, I can totally see why you would think such a thing."

He snickered, shaking his head and crossing his arms. He smugly looked up at Xaver, his strong body much bigger then his own. He wasn't totally afraid, but his eyes of now purple gave it away to hint a bit of fear. He stood his ground, pondering what else to say.

[Ginny Weasly]

"It wasn't the Ministry."

Ginny had run outside when she'd heard the shooting, she had never been one to let trouble slide by. She'd spotted Xaver and Sirius easily, for her it was no feat. She could have picked out Xaver from a crowd of 100 thirty miles away.

She frowned, shaking her head now at Sirius.
"The Ministry wouldn't have used muggle guns. You know that."
She was still angry at him for his outburst only a few minutes before.

Ginny looked to Xaver, holding out the folder he had left in the tavern.

"You forgot this, love."

[ChoChangHP118]

"All the same," Sirius muttered shaking off his pant leg and standing up. He ran a finger through his hair, it glistened.

"So Ginny," Sirius continued irritably, "who was it then and why were they shooting at us?"

Sirius ignored Ginny's appearance, temporarily ignoring the noticeable changes in her figure.
It was just another emotion Sirius didn't need to face. He glared at anything other then her, choosing after a moment to stare at his hands, tracing his scars with his index finger.