A/N: This is a Marauder's story, but it mostly centered around Sirius (shock!) and an OFC. I know a lot of people get tetchy when characters don't like Peter because he was, after all, just another one of the quad, but if it makes you feel better, my OC doesn't really like James all that much either. lol
Still, I hope you give her a chance. :)
R&R!
December 30th, 1977
Seventh Year
Desdemona Keating brushed her wet hair and sighed. It looked like she was on her own tonight—again. She was happy for her best friend, Lily Evans, and her relationship with James Potter, but every now and then petty jealousy reared its ugly head. Desi tied the belt of her robe and turned to leave the girls shower room, gasping as she spied a fat little rat in the corner.
"Ugh! One more time, Peter, and I swear I'll report you to McGonagall," she said angrily. The rat darted for a nearby hole and disappeared.
Desi shook her head. Last year a few of her friends had secretly mastered the magic needed to become Animagi. She didn't know why unless it was just to prove to themselves that they could, but by doing it off-the-record they were breaking several wizarding laws.
And by keeping it off-the-record, so were she and Lily.
She left the bathroom and crossed the Common Room, heading for the stairs to the girls dorm. She was about halfway across the room when she tripped over nothing—a nothing that made a surprised 'oof!' sound as Desi went sprawling.
She tossed her wet hair from her face and stared at the crimson carpet. The tip of a Converse basketball shoe was the only thing visible.
"What are you doing in the floor under an Invisibility Cloak?" Desi demanded.
There was a rustling sound and the untidy head of Sirius Black appeared. "I was looking for something," he said defensively, wincing in pain. "I think you've cracked my rib."
"If I did you deserve it for stretching out in the floor while invisible!"
"I wasn't planning on someone stomping across the room and running over me with their big feet, was I? What're you doing in anyway, Dizzy? I figured you'd be in the village enjoying the rest of the holiday."
"I don't have anything to do," Desi admitted, crossing her arms over her chest. It annoyed her when he called her Dizzy and he knew it, which was the reason he did it. "I didn't figure you'd be back this early yourself, what with your new place and all."
"The lads and I got back this afternoon. James was ready to get back to Lily. It's kinda boring 'round my place. Not much going on by way of entertainment."
"It's still new. Maybe after graduation, once you get it decorated..."
"I don't give a witch's teeth about decorations," Sirius said, lifting the corner of an ottoman. "It's got a roof and four walls. That's all I need."
"You've got the chance to make it a nice house. Lily says there's plenty of space," Desi said, crossing her legs.
"Yeah, well…" Sirius ran a hand through his messy hair and stared at her. She stared back. Finally, he spoke and whipped off the Invisibility Cloak, folding it and tossing it onto the back of the sofa. "Fine, if you're just gonna sit there you can help me look. I've lost a key."
Desi let out a laugh that held little amusement. "You're awfully presumptuous. What makes you think I want to help you find something? I've got a nice warm bed and a good book waiting for me upstairs," she lied. "And I'd sooner lay in a soft bed than roll around on the floor with you."
Sirius shrugged and turned away. "Suit yourself then."
"What's the key to?" Desi asked. She sighed and scanned the floor for any sign of it.
"One of the passages out of the castle. The one that goes to the wine cellar of the Three Broomsticks. I told James to keep it, but he said I was responsible enough for it, the git," Sirius said with a self-depreciating grin.
Desi shook her head, a small smile playing with her lips as she got onto her knees and crawled around the couch, helping Sirius search for his key.
"What are you doing?" Remus asked as he entered, tossing his book bag on a nearby chair.
The two looked up and Sirius sat up on his knees, pulling a hair tie from his pocket as he answered Remus.
"I dropped something," he said, pulling his hair back into the tie. Strands pulled loose almost immediately, but Sirius ignored them.
"You lost the key, didn't you?" Remus asked with a knowing smile.
"See there, Moony, you're always jumping to conclusions," Sirius said.
Remus tucked his tongue in his cheek and flicked a glance at Desi then back at Sirius. "Uh-huh… In most cases they just happen to be the right conclusion," he said.
"What's going on?" James asked as he helped Lily through the door.
"They're looking for the key to the passage. Sirius lost it," Remus said.
"I didn't lose it," Sirius muttered. "It's just…temporarily misplaced."
"Our New Year's plans rest in the availability of that key, mate," James said.
"Hey, I told you not to give it to me, didn't I? You're the one who forced it on me, you prat."
James nudged Sirius's butt with his foot, sending his friend's head careening into the coffee table.
"Oi!"
James and Remus laughed as Lily and Desi shook their heads and rolled their eyes. Boys…
"So, assuming we find the key that Sirius didn't lose, what are you guys doing tomorrow night?" Desi asked as she looked under the sofa.
"Just sneaking out for a few bottles and other immoral things," Sirius replied.
"You should come," Remus said, sprawling in a chair. "Lily's coming."
"Oh, please come, Desi," Lily said. "If not, I'll be the only girl. And we haven't had much time to hang out lately."
"Now, now," Sirius said with mock authority. "We mustn't corrupt the innocent and well-behaved. Why, James has already dragged poor Lily down into the muck. Besides, I'm sure Miss Keating already has a nice novel picked out to read tomorrow night," he said, arching a brow in challenge.
"Actually," Desi said with a chilly smile, "I think it would be fun." She snatched the key from the corner of the sofa cushion and tossed it to Sirius. "Count me in."
Desi let out a howl as she stumbled along in the snow. She laughed as Remus wrapped his arm around her waist.
"Sshh!" he said, laughing. "You'll wake the whole castle."
"Dance with me, Remus," Desi said, taking his hands and lifting them above her head as she twitched her hips.
"She's knackered," Remus told Lily helplessly, smiling.
"And why shouldn't I be?" Desi asked dropping Remus's hands and turning to James and Lily. "It is the dawning of a new year, after all. Even the most well behaved people have to let loose now and then."
She did a cartwheel, but the copious amount of Fire Whiskey coupled with the slick snow had her plummeting face first into a snow bank. She laughed the delighted laugh of someone who was way beyond sobriety.
"Desi, we're almost to the passage. C'mon and we'll get to bed," James said, his voice only slightly slurred.
"I'm rather comfy here," Desi said, throwing a snowball at Lily.
Remus went to her and took her hand, hauling her up and hooking one arm around his neck. He jerked his head at Sirius, who was trudging along behind them, still taking pulls from a bottle.
"Take this side," Remus said.
Sirius tossed his hair out of his face and tucked his bottle into his pocket. He followed Remus's actions of hooking Desi's other arm over his neck.
"Your girlfriend needs to learn to hold her drink," Sirius muttered as they half-dragged Desi to the entrance of the passage.
"She's not my girlfriend," Remus muttered, struggling for his wand. "She just actually likes me because I don't pester her."
He looked around for Lily and James, who had fallen behind and were making out again.
"Oi, take care of the tracks, will you?" he called.
James lifted a hand in acknowledgement, never breaking the kiss.
Remus and Sirius continued into the passage at a slow pace, as Remus had to manage his illuminated wand and Desi.
"Here, give her over," Sirius said, stopping. He picked the drunken girl up and slung her over his shoulder, securing his arm over the backs of her knees.
Desi groaned. "Oh, I don't think I like this. How do you boys drink so much?"
Sirius ignored her as she pelted him with a thousand questions.
"I'm not a very good damsel in a dress, am I?" Desi slurred.
"You're not in a dress," Sirius pointed out.
"I think she means a damsel in distress," Remus said absently, patting his jacket. "Damn. James has my cigarettes. I wanted to have one before I went back in for the night. I'll be back in a minute. Go on ahead," he instructed, handing Sirius his wand.
Sirius rolled his eyes and hiked Desi up more onto his shoulder. "No, Dizzy, you aren't a very good damsel in distress. You don't need to be a damsel in distress, anyway. They're nothing but a bother."
"All your girlfriends are damsels in distresses," Desi pointed out.
"And you see how long I keep them around, don't you?" Sirius snapped. "The door's just ahead."
He tried to ignore the soft hip pressed against his cheek and the feel of her considerable breasts crushing against his back with every step he took…
He tried to ignore these things, but failed miserably. He was a man, dammit. Control was not his biggest strength.
Desi groaned again and started struggling. Sirius tightened his hold on the backs of her knees and grabbed at her legs as she started to slide.
"Be still, Desi!" he said, dropping Remus's wand.
"Lemme down! I'mona be sick!"
Sirius dropped her where he stood. She hit the ground hard and he winced, kneeling beside her.
"Sorry," he said, rubbing her shoulder.
She struck out and hit him in the chest, but Sirius had a sneaking suspicion that she had been aiming for his face.
"You alright?" he asked. He reached into his back pocket and took out his wand, quietly whispering "Lumos."
In the soft blue glow from his wand, Desi looked terrible. Her face was flushed and she was breathing hard. Thanks to him and his oh-so-sensitive anti-vomit reflexes, the front of her clothes were covered in dirt. She sat with her back against the wall and her legs drawn close to her, resting her forehead on her knees.
Sirius picked up Remus's wand and tucked it into his pocket before moving to sit beside her.
"You all right?" he asked again.
He smiled when she turned her head and glared at him with a "go-to-hell-this-is-all-your-fault" look. He lifted a lock of hair from her eyes and tucked it behind her ear.
"No, huh?"
She moaned and buried her face against her knees once more. "It's hot in here," she mumbled against her legs. Her breath quickened and she leaned back, then forward, trying to ease the roiling in her stomach. Finally, she got onto her knees and turned away from Sirius. Her body was wracked with heaves as the alcohol rebelled against her. Sirius, slightly inebriated himself, patted her awkwardly, having never been in this situation and therefore unsure of how to proceed. He hooked his fingers in her silky hair and held it back as she emptied her stomach. When at last she was empty (how could one girl hold that much, anyway?) she sat back and leaned her cheek against the cool stone wall.
"Attractive, yeah?" she asked, not bothering to open her eyes.
"I've got to admit, I am slightly horrified," Sirius said, nodding.
She smiled weakly and he handed her some gum. She shook her head, but he insisted.
"It'll clean your mouth like you were never sick. And most importantly, it'll fend off a hangover. My own formula," he said, reassuring her.
She took it and popped it into her mouth. She was pale, but seemed to be over nausea for the moment.
Sirius stood and held his hand down to her. "C'mon. I'll get you to bed," he said as he took a small gold key from his pocket.
"I bet you say that to all the girls," Desi said with a small smile as she allowed him to haul her up.
"Most of 'em, yeah," Sirius agreed, flashing a first-rate grin as he steadied her.
He managed to maneuver her through the corridors without getting caught, but the Fat Lady, who had a grudge against Sirius because he once made the comment that her singing voice sounded like she had her hand caught in a door, rushed through the portraits to Professor McGonagall's room and raised the alarm that the two of them were out of their houses past curfew.
As Sirius balanced Desi against the wall and prepared to whisper the password, the soft shuffle of McGonagall's footsteps reached them.
Sirius did the only thing he could think of that would spare them a long explanation; he shoved Desi between a gargoyle statue and the entrance to Gryffindor tower. She opened her mouth to question him, but he seized the opportunity to crush his mouth to hers.
Desi didn't have any other option but to accept his kiss. Sirius angled his head so that he could have better access to her mouth, and he had just hitched his hand beneath one of her knees and hiked her leg over his hip when they were bathed in light and the stern voice of Professor McGonagall interrupted his ministrations.
"Mr. Black!" McGonagall barked.
Sirius pulled back from Desi and winked, silently telling her that he would take care of things.
"Yes, professor?"
"Are you aware, Mr. Black, that it is nearly five hours past curfew? Kindly remember, Sirius, that this is an institution of education, not fornication."
Desi's cheeks heated at hearing the word 'fornication' leave McGonagall's lips. Sirius, too, seemed embarrassed. He apologized and took Desi's arm, ushering her through the door McGonagall had just opened.
"Detention, both of you," McGonagall said firmly. "You're lucky I don't take you to the headmaster at once. To your rooms, now," she said. Once the students were up the stairs and in their own dorms, she returned to her room.
Desi left Gryffindor tower and made her way slowly to breakfast. Sirius's gum had worked and she didn't have a hangover, but she was sore from falling so much on the way back to the castle.
There were cackles and snickering in the hall as she rounded the corner and saw that James and Sirius were tormenting Severus Snape…again. James was a bully to Severus, but Sirius was the one who really detested the other boy, and vice versa. Maybe it had to do with the pure lineage blood-traitor issue, but their dislike ran much deeper than the usual schoolyard stuff.
"Why don't you stop being such a dick, Potter?" Desi demanded, giving James's shoulder a hard shove when he made Severus drop his books.
"Why, Dizzy," Sirius said with fake astonishment. "Such language!"
"Bugger off," Desi said, bending to pick up Severus's books. Bored by the interruption, James started toward the dining hall. Sirius followed at a much slower pace.
Desi gasped as the book she was holding was snatched from her hands.
"Do not touch my things, Muggleborn," Severus said, his black eyes burning with hatred.
"Fine," Desi said with a frown, holding up her hands. "Sorry."
The boy stormed away in a flurry of black robes.
"You're welcome!" she called out sarcastically, shaking her head. High school sucked.
"I don't know why you feel the need to play heroine all the time," Sirius said as she rounded the corner.
Desi sighed and walked on. "I don't see why you feel the need to torture Severus," she countered. "He's already alienated himself from the entire school. I don't see what good it does to humiliate him whenever you get a chance."
Sirius tossed his head and shrugged. "What's it to you, Dizzy? It isn't like he's such a nice guy."
"No, he's not," Desi said, shoving the door to the dining hall open. "But I think there's a lot of other ways you can expel energy than picking on the most awkward student here."
"You sittin' with us or what?" Sirius asked as he plopped next to James.
Desi sighed and sat in the empty seat beside Sirius. "I just think you should lay off a bit," she said, continuing their conversation.
"What's it?" James asked.
"Dizzy's in love with Snivelus," Sirius said with a grin. "She thinks we're too mean on the poor boy."
Desi noticed the sadness that came into Lily's eyes at the mention of her former friend. She frowned at Sirius. "Be asses if you want. I'm just pointing out that we won't be at Hogwarts forever, so eventually you're going to have to learn to get along with people outside of your little club."
James started to speak, but stopped when Professor McGonagall approached the table. McGonagall passed Sirius and Desi a detention summons and walked on without a word.
Sirius groaned as he read the summons. "Great. We've got to do the tower every night for two weeks."
"Doesn't make much sense, if you ask me," Desi said, reading her own copy. "Giving us the same room to work in, considering we got detention in the first place because—" she stopped and looked up, feeling her cheeks flush.
"Because?" James prodded. He looked at Sirius suspiciously. "What's the detention for, then?"
"It's for me being a great mate, that's what it's for," Sirius said. "I sacrificed two weeks' worth of free time so you, Lily, and Remus wouldn't get caught last night. Head Boy and Girl, indeed. And with Remus being a prefect, I'm sure he's grateful."
Remus lifted his cup in a salute to Sirius. Lily eyed Desi with a knowing look. Her lips curved and Desi pointed a finger at her.
"Don't look at me like that, Evans," Desi said. She took a drink of her juice to cover her own smile.
The walk to first class was a dull one for Desi. It was the only class of the day that she had without any of her friends. She knew a few kids in the class, but she'd never really gotten past the acquaintance stage, so she sat in the back and paid attention as best she could.
Unfortunately, her attention kept straying from Professor Binns to Sirius Black, and before she knew it the other students began filing out of the classroom.
Desi gathered her books into her satchel and shuffled to the front of the room. She grunted as a student slammed into her when she started out the door.
"Oh, sorry," Desi said, bending to pick up her book bag.
"Why don't you watch where you're going?"
Desi straightened and eyed the raven-haired Slytherin standing in front of her. He was just as handsome as his brother, but where Sirius's eyes usually held a mischievous glint, Regulus's eyes were cold and hard.
"I was walking, Regulus. You're the one who ran into me."
Regulus Black was her junior by one year. When Desi had taken to tutoring younger students in her fourth year, her Charms teacher had recommended Regulus as one of her pupils. He was very powerful, but his interest resided mostly in the darker side of wizardry. He had remained her charge throughout his third and fourth year and had even, on occasion, laughed with her. However, at the beginning of his fifth year he stopped accepting her tutelage, the prejudice of blood status finally winning out, and for the last year he had skulked around with unsavory Slytherins.
"I saw you last night," Regulus sneered, pulling Desi back to the present. "Out after curfew. I saw the lot of you. I have half a mind to report you all."
"No need. I already have detention for it," Desi said. "Your brother does too."
"Brother?" Regulus hissed. "Sirius is a filthy blood-traitor. He should suffer for that disgrace."
"And you think telling on him for skipping out after curfew is going to accomplish that?" Desi asked dryly.
"He will get what is due him," Regulus said, his black eyes shining. "You all will," he added, almost to himself.
Before Desi could ask him what he meant, someone called her name.
"Miss Keating?"
She looked around and saw that the new class was seated and Professor Binns was waiting on Regulus to enter. She stepped aside and the angry young man swept past her. She left the room and sat on a bench in an alcove in the hallway, thinking back to when she and Regulus had almost been friends.
"How are you today, Reggie?"
He looked up at her, his black eyes cool and indifferent. "Don't call me that."
"Fine," Desi said, sitting across from him in the library. "How are you today, Regulus?"
"Don't you ever get tired of pretending to be nice to me?" he asked. "Why can't you ever just come in, tell me what page to turn to, and get on with our work?"
"Because I like you," Desi said with a shrug. "I'm not particularly sure why, but I do. You're a smart kid and you've got a lot of potential."
"Save your Muggleborn sentimentality for someone who gives a damn," he said.
Desi rolled her eyes. "Would you relax? Besides, if you really didn't like me, you'd request a different tutor." She winked at him and pulled out her Charms book. "So…Christmas is coming up."
"Bah humbug."
She blinked. "Was…was that a joke? And a Muggle lit reference?" She placed a hand over her heart and feigned a heart attack, falling over onto her books and ending in a death twitch.
Regulus laughed and she sat up with a smile. They looked at each other for a minute, both grinning. Then another Slytherin student caught Regulus's eye and the smile slipped from his lips. He cleared his throat and his expression settled back into one of apathy. She saw the humour in his eyes fade and the usual coolness creep back in. Desi had no doubt that if given a chance, Regulus would be just as enjoyable as his older brother, and probably without being so obnoxious.
"Are you going home for holidays?" she asked.
"Yes. I have family obligations." He picked at the pristine cover of his textbook. "Perhaps we should get to work?"
Desi nodded. "Sure," she said softly.
He made her sad. Perhaps it was because he was so opposite Sirius—even though he was arrogant, the older Black did his best to stay friendly and lighthearted, whereas Regulus was hostile and grave. There was a sadness to him that he tried hard to cover.
"What's up, Dizzy?" Peter asked, stepping up beside Desi and pulling her from her thoughts.
Desi's lip curled of its own volition. She stood up and walked toward class. She really disliked Peter Pettigrew, but he had Advanced Potions too, so she had no choice but to walk with him.
"Don't call me that," she said.
"Sirius calls you that," Peter said grudgingly.
Desi wanted to point out that there was a world of difference between him and Sirius, but thought that might be too rude. After all, Peter was one of Sirius, Remus, and James's friends. Although come to think of it, she didn't really like James all that much either. Sirius was ok most of the time. Really, Remus was the only one consistently decent. However, her dislike of Peter was…deeper, as if something deep inside her was completely incapable of liking the boy.
"So what was ol' Reggie wanting?" Peter squeaked.
"Nothing," Desi said, peering out the windows. "Look, I'm not going to Potions today," she said suddenly. "Cover for me, will ya?"
Leaving Peter staring after her, she crossed the courtyard and sat on a wall.
"What are you doing here?"
Desi spun to see Sirius Black leaning against the corner or the building, hidden from sight should any teachers be patrolling for truant students.
"I…I don't really know," Desi said. "I just didn't want to go to Potions."
He picked at his fingertips and watched her for a moment, then ran a hand through his wavy hair.
"So…"
"So…" Desi repeated.
Sirius chuckled. "One night out with the bad kids and you go mad. Skiving off classes? For shame!"
Desi's lips curled in a soft smile at his teasing. "You aren't one of the bad kids," she said. "You're an ass, sure, but not bad."
A strange expression crossed Sirius's face, but it was quickly replaced by a cocky smirk. "So whatchoo wanna do for the next hour?"
Desi scoffed. "Just because we're skipping together doesn't necessarily mean we're skipping together, Black."
Sirius scrubbed a hand through hair again and stepped away from the wall, sauntering toward Desi with his smirk still in place. "Come now, Dizzy. You know you like spending time with me."
Desi narrowed her eyes and stood. "If you believe that, you're even more conceited than I thought. Which is really saying something, 'cause I pegged you as the most arrogant guy in our year."
Sirius scoffed. "James is far more arrogant than I am," he said dismissively.
Desi rolled her eyes and picked up her knapsack. "I've got homework I could be doing. Later, Sirius," she said.
"Wait, wait, wait," Sirius said, laughing. He caught her hand and stopped her from walking away, smiling broadly. "I'm sorry. Look, truce, all right? Least 'til after detention?"
Desi pulled her hand away and eyed him for a long moment. She sighed as she smiled. His grin was contagious.
"Ok," she said. "Truce."
"Temporarily," Sirius said with a wink.
Lily tossed her books on her bed and plopped down on the edge of Desi's, leaning forward with interest. "So you skived off Potions to be with Sirius?"
Desi rolled her eyes and turned down her record player. "What?"
"What the devil are you listening to?" Lily asked with a laugh.
"They're called ABBA. How long has it been since you've listened to a Muggle band?" she asked. "Now, what's this about me and Sirius?"
"Peter's been going on about you skipping out on Potions to be with Sirius. He says he saw you heading toward him when you left him in the corridor."
"That little snitch," Desi muttered.
"So you did!"
"No," Desi said. "Well, I mean, yeah. But it wasn't intentional. I just didn't want to go to class and he happened to be in the courtyard."
Her friend eyed her doubtfully. "So there's nothing going on between the two of you?"
"Absolutely not," Desi said.
"So why'd you get detention?" Lily asked. When Desi blushed, she smiled triumphantly.
Desi threw a pillow at her. "We were covering for you, Remus, and James," she said with a laugh.
"According to the Fat Lady, the two of you were glued together in a most compromising way."
Desi's mouth fell open. "What?! Compromising, indeed," she huffed. "He kissed me. That's it. I can't believe—" She cut her eyes at Lily when she smiled again. "Ugh, Evans, you liar. The Fat Lady didn't say anything, did she?"
Lily shook her head. "Of course not. But, dearest Desi, you have a very bad habit of letting the truth fly when you are flustered."
"Oh, shut up," Desi said with a little laugh.
"Damn," Lily said with a huff as she pulled a bit of parchment from her bag. "I forgot to give this to James. It's from Remus."
"Well where is he?"
"Out on the Quidditch field," Lily said. "Want to walk with me?"
Desi checked the clock. "Sure. I should have time to get there and back before detention starts."
"I'm sure. It's raining, so I doubt practice will last long," Lily said. "Sirius'll be on the pitch as well."
"Yes, well, it isn't as if Sirius will be as concerned about actually serving his detention. I, on the other hand, am."
"Well come on, then," Lily said, slinging on a rain robe. "Aren't you going to wear yours?" she asked Desi.
"Nah," Desi said. "It can't be raining that hard, can it?" she said, throwing a scarf around her neck.
As they stepped out of the main hall, they were met with a light mist. By the time they got to the Quidditch pitch, the cold winter rain was falling in sheets.
"What're you two doing out here?" Coach Firefit asked, holding up his wand and using an umbrellin charm to get Lily and Desi out of the rain.
"Sorry, coach," Lily said. "I had a message for Potter."
"Oh, well he's in the field. You want I should give it to him?"
"I'll just wait in the stands, if it's all the same," Lily said.
"Suit yourself," the coach said.
"I've got to get back," Desi shouted over the rain and the practice game.
"Ok," Lily replied. "Make sure you get out of your wet robes as soon as you get in so's you don't catch cold."
Desi nodded and tucked her hands into the sleeves of her jumper as she trudged through the slushy snow back to the castle. By the time she reached the Gryffindor common room, there wasn't a dry spot on her body.
She sneezed as she stepped through the portrait hole.
"Oh hey, there you—" Sirius stopped mid-sentence as he took in Desi's sopping robes. "Wha's the matter with you?" he demanded, striding forward and pulling her toward the hearth. "You're bleedin' mad. You're gonna catch your death."
Desi rolled her eyes. "I walked Lily out to the pitch to give James a message from Remus. What're you doing here?"
"I've got detention, don't I?" Sirius said. He peeled the wet scarf from Desi's neck and unfastened her robes, letting them drop with a squish.
"Do you mind?" Desi said, batting his hands away. Sirius put his hands on his hips. "So you skipped practice to serve detention?" she asked.
"No," Sirius said. "I went to practice. I just left early. Go and get changed so we're not late. I doubt McGonagall would be forgiving about that."
"I'm fine," Desi said. "My jumper will dry in a little bit. Let's go."
"You need to change. We're going to be in the tower. It's drafty up there."
Desi laughed. "You're acting like a mother hen," she said. "I'll be fine, Sirius. Let's—awg!" She let out a squawk as Sirius reached out and pulled her jumper over her head in one swift motion. Desi crossed her arms over her chest and opened her mouth to yell at him, but all she could manage was a strangled cough. She reached for her shirt but Sirius deftly shifted it out of her reach.
"Go and change clothes, Desi," he said patiently.
"There are rules about stripping off a woman's clothes without permission, Black!" Desi said savagely.
"Not when the woman's being an idiot and risking pneumonia. I'm practically a hero," he said. "Now, go and change. I'll go ahead to the tower and tell McGonagall that you're on your way."
Sirius ignored the furious snarl from behind him as he ducked out of the portrait hole. He heard a loud thump as the door shut behind him—he had narrowly missed getting clouted with a textbook.
Sirius smiled and tucked his hands in his pockets, whistling a merry tune. He had a feeling the next two weeks were going to be quite fun.
"Ugh," Sirius grunted as he traipsed up the stairs. "Words can't express how bloody glad I am that this is our last detention."
"It hasn't been that bad, in my opinion," Desi said, pausing in the stairwell and catching her breath. "Of course, that was when we were working in the Astronomy tower. Leave it to Filch to get McGonagall to make us clean the owlery on our last night."
The duo swept and brushed the floors, fed and watered the owls, and tended to the roosts. Sirius petted a few of the birds, murmuring softly to them as he stroked their heads.
"What's with that one?" Desi asked, nodding toward an old yellow barn owl. "He's been eyeing you since we got here."
"That's Icarus," Sirius said. "He's a bummer."
"A bummer?"
"He's nobody's owl. Just hangs around and roosts," Sirius explained. "He also hates me," he added with a grin.
"You spend a lot of time up here?"
"When I can," he said, nodding. "Surprised?"
"Honestly? Yes," Desi said.
"I'm going to choose not to take offense at that," Sirius said with a wink.
Desi stopped mopping her side of the floor long enough to look out the tower widow. She leaned against the stone and stared across the lake. The snow on the mountains glowed in the light of the moon and the inky water reflected the clear winter sky.
"Nice, yeah?"
Desi jumped as Sirius spoke beside her. She looked at him and nodded mutely. A wolf howled somewhere in the night, drawing Desi's attention back outside.
"To see it, one would think that everything's right in the world," Sirius said, his voice taking on a dreamy quality that Desi had never heard before. His blue eyes reflected the moon as he focused them on the stars overhead.
"You can almost forget about everything. NEWTS, the war…everything."
"Do you ever envy them, Sirius?" Desi asked.
He turned those haunting blue eyes on her and cocked his head to the side. "Who?"
She was careful not to look at him. "Muggles. Do you ever wish…" She let the question trail off.
"Sometimes," Sirius admitted. "They go through their lives completely unaware of the danger that lurks just beyond the shadows. There's no such thing as dark wizards and Death Eaters and blood status. There's just girls and school."
"Is that all?" Desi teased.
Sirius smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "What about you?" he asked. "Do you ever wish you'd stayed out of the wizarding world?"
"Now and again I do," Desi said, looking at him. She tossed her head as the breeze caught her hair and blew a few strands across her face. "But then I think about all I've experienced and how wonderful the wizarding world is. I'm a better person for being a part of it, ya know?"
Sirius nodded and ran a hand through his hair.
"Do you ever think it'll be over?" Desi asked, leaning on her elbows against the windowsill. "Do you think the world'll ever be happy?"
"One day, maybe," Sirius said, leaning beside her. He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, shrugging when she looked at him. "As for happy…well, I guess you've got to take that where you can. Even with everything that's going on, people are still getting together. Life is still going on. They're still making their happily ever afters. It's just that sometimes 'ever' is shorter than they first imagined."
They stared at each other in silence for a while as the wind blew gently around them. Some owls fluttered in their roosts, disturbed by the chill. Sirius straightened and faced her as she leaned her mop against the wall.
"I'm going to kiss you, Sirius Black," she said, raising her chin.
Sirius smiled at her defiant posture. Was she expecting an argument?
She stepped closer to him and brushed a wayward lock of hair from his brow. She cupped the back of his neck in her hand and pulled him down until his mouth was a hair's breadth from hers.
Desi inhaled slowly, waiting to see if he was going to commandeer the kiss. Sirius remained still as stone, however, and the corner or Desi's lips curved as she closed the distance between their mouths.
They got lost in the textures and tastes of each other. He ushered her away from the window, turning her and walking her backward until her back was against the wall. He placed his hands on either side of her head, boxing her in.
Unfortunately, his left hand rested near Icarus's roost. The ornery owl nipped Sirius's hand with his beak. Sirius swore and jerked away, surprised by the attack. He muttered a few unflattering things about Icarus before giving Desi an apologetic grin.
"Sorry," he said. "I tol' you he hates me. Bloody evil bird."
Desi laughed. "It's ok. He probably saved us from more detention."
Sirius nodded. "Alright look, Dizzy. I like you. You like me. Let's just do this thing, eh?"
"Excuse me?" Desi asked. "Do what thing?"
"You know. Go out."
She laughed. "Are you always this eloquent when you ask out girls?"
"Usually I'm really good at it. Seductive and the like. But since that ruddy bird's buggered up my suave approach—" Desi laughed again. "—I had to just go at it straightforward," Sirius finished with a crooked smile.
Desi thought about it for a moment. She and Sirius Black…dating?
"I'll go out with you, Sirius," Desi said. "On one condition."
"Oh, here we go," he muttered.
"I'll go out with you, but only if you let me help you decorate your house."
Sirius grimaced and looked as if he was weighing his options. "Alright," he said reluctantly. "Deal."