Chapter 40

                                    

                                          
A week went by after our date and I hardly saw Sirius. It wasn't intentional but by a happenstance of him spending a lot of time in detention, McGonagall, for once not setting homework, and my friends needing a lot of help with their charms or transfiguration work, he and I were kept apart. When we finally had some alone time together I bought up the subject of another date. We were working in an empty classroom during our Thursday free period. James and Lily had gone to get snacks for us when I turned to him. 
"So" I started nervously, "you mentioned the possibility of another date?" 
"I've got an idea" he grinned at me. "I'll let you know tomorrow".
I didn't ask when I would see him on the Friday, but it turned out it was difficult to avoid him. While on the way between defence against the Dark arts and Herbology with Andy and Helen, we found our way barred by a large crowd. The corridor ahead seemed to be filled with a large, lavender scented blob. It was swelling and oozing closer to the gathered crowd. A group of Slytherin seventh years were already trapped in the goop. 
Sirius and James were standing on the edge of the crowd, laughing. 
"Pringle will have you for that" I said, conversationally as I approached. 
James looked over, "now why on earth would you think we would have anything to do with this?" I raised an eyebrow at him. The crowd quieted as the caretaker approached. He took one look at the mess and started shouting, calling on help from everyone from Dumbledore to Hagrid. He poked at it with his mop, only for the mop to get stuck fast. Andy and Helen started chuckling too as his tirade continued. Sirius took that moment to lean forward and whisper in my ear. 
"Meet me on the 7th floor corridor tomorrow. 4pm. Make sure you're alone".
I nodded minutely to show I had heard, then sighed loudly. "Come on, guys" I said to Helen and Andy. "We'll have to find a different way around". My eyes met Sirius' as we turned and left. His, like mine, were sparkling with amusement and excitement. 
I made my way up to the 7th floor corridor a little early. My friends were just finishing up their practice session and I wanted to be out of the way before they got back. I didn't want to have to explain anything. Easier if I wasn't there. Especially as I had dressed up abit. Not massively, but I was wearing my nice jeans and my nice brown boots. I had on a simple, figure hugging vest top, and then the thick cosy jumper that mum had got me for Christmas, a thick coat and a warm cream scarf. Because, well, this was Scotland. In February. 
When I got to the corridor Sirius was already waiting for me, despite the early time. The butterflies in my stomach started when I saw him. He was leaning against a the wall, looking relaxed and dressed casually. He wore the same Gryffindor jumper that I had seen him in so many times, and jeans, with his black coat hung over his arm. He looked up as I approached and pushed off the wall.
"Hey," he smiled, giving me a quick peck on the cheek. "You ready to go?" 
I nodded. "Where are we going?" 
"Now that is my surprise" his eyes sparkled. I raised an eyebrow at him, hoping he would get a move on and tell me where we were going. After all, the 7th floor corridor didn't exactly lead to many places. To my surprise, he stepped towards the giant gilt mirror across the corridor. 
"You know, not many people really look at this mirror" he started to run his hand up the right side of the frame. "They glance at it surreptitiously to check their hair is still good.  Or to see if anyone is watching them. I've seen them. But no one really looks." His hand stopped moving. "No one sees the dark patch in the mirror, where it looks slightly discoloured on one side. No one" he slid his fingers behind the mirror and it started to swing forward "sees the potential for a secret passage." I gaped. He was right. I had never thought that. He chuckled at my expression. 
"Come on" he reached for my hand and we stepped together into the dark corridor behind the mirror. 
"Where does it lead?" I asked excitedly, looking around. Sirius pulled the mirror door closed behind us, plunging us into darkness, but he evidently knew what he was doing because I heard a tap and suddenly the sconces on the walls burst to life.
I saw him smile at me "it leads to Hogsmead". We started walking along a dark corridor, then down some stairs. There were cobwebs across the ceiling and the whole place had an air of disuse about it. 
"We found it in our second year" Sirius continued. "I felt a draught come from behind the mirror while we were waiting to go into our defence lesson, so we went back that night to investigate. Found the tunnel. Waited for the next weekend to follow it, and made our way to Hogsmead".
"Where does it come out in Hogsmead?" I asked, watching my step carefully.
"There's a cave just a little way out of the village. It's near the stream that leads to the lake. It's a really beautiful spot actually. Then there's a path that leads through the woods, it comes up to the side of the village, up the alley between honeydukes and the three broomsticks. I'll show you." 
"So that's where we're going then is it? The three broomsticks?" He nodded.
The stairs had eventually come to a stop, and the corridor stretched out long and dark ahead of us. There were no windows, and as we moved on the walls became rougher, until it felt like we were walking through an underground cave. We hadn't long left the stairs when we passed an opening on our left. Sirius pointed it out and explained that it led to the underground cavern where the first year boats were stored. Other than that, the passage was long and straight, with no entrances or exits, as if made purely for the purpose of reaching Hogsmead. 
After 10 minutes of walking, a light appeared ahead. We sped up a little and before long we came to the mouth of a cave. I stepped around the boulder hiding the entrance and paused, looking around. Sirius had been right, this place was in the shadow of the mountain we had just walked out of, but my goodness it was gorgeous. A stream ran in its bed a little way down a path. Long, smooth grass stretched down to meet it on either side,  rippling in the breeze. There were a few boulders scattered around the entrance to the cave, most covered in moss and lichen. The setting sun hit the mountains in the distance, back lighting the scene with a golden glow. 
Sirius chuckled at my amazement, then took hold of my hand again and started leading me down a vague path to the left.
"Wow" I said, lost for words. "And I thought the view from the orangerie was good".
He chuckled again. "It is. But that's a view from half way up the mountain, you know? Sometimes the view from the bottom can be just as spectacular". 
I raised an eyebrow at him then snorted
"Someone's getting philosophical".
"What?" He whined. 
"I just wouldn't have expected it of you" I shook my head.
Sirius led the way into a small copse of trees. The path meandered about, weaving past the trees until it came to what I could officially call a track. We followed it between two fenced in paddocks, and eventually to an alleyway between two buildings. We slipped through the gap and walked out onto the Hogsmead high street. 
"Well Tru" Sirius almost declared. "Are you ready for the third date to officially begin?"