Chapter II – Waiting Up For Him

On the way to the Headmaster's office, I got sidetracked. I was turning a corner and saw Mary. Usually I wouldn't have let this stop me, but she was talking to Alice about me. I stopped dead in my tracks. They hadn't noticed me, and I was quite curious as to what they had been talking about. So I went back to the corridor I had just come from and peered around the corner, just enough to hear what was being said.

"Honestly, you would think that she could take a hint."

"Yes, you would. She has been acting strange lately. I don't know if she realizes how he feels towards her."

"I don't know Alice; something tells me it is going to take a while before she figures it out."

"Let us just hope it doesn't happen to late, it would be a shame."

Mary looked like she was about to say something more, but Lily had come up and the two girls greeted the red head happily. It seems they had been waiting for her to come back from the library. It was almost curfew, and we were to be in our dormitories soon.

After they had left the hallway, I came out. Walking up to the 7th floor I contemplated what I had heard. Do they really think that Sirius likes me? Oh, the thought made me tingle inside. I cannot remember the last time I felt so light hearted; actually, that would probably have been earlier today, in Herbology when I had been paired up with Sirius and he had handed me a pair of mittens.

But you would know what I mean, if you had been there. He said, and I quote, "Here." It was so dreamy. He is by far the most handsome of all boys in the school, and the thought, that he likes me… it is almost too good to be true. Oh, bullocks, it is not too good to be true. It's meant to be.

I was thinking about how it is time for Sirius to finally realize that he loves me, when I run into someone. Hoping against hope it is him, I stare up into the darkest of eyes I have ever seen.

His hair was greasy, and stringy, his nose too long, and his body too thin. He wore the shabbiest of robes, next to Lupin, of course.

"Excuse me, Slytherin." I spit at him. "Or better yet, would you rather be called Snivellus?" I taunt him, using the clever name Sirius had come up with when we were in first year. I found it quite funny until he made to grab his own wand.

"Don't you dare!" I screamed at him, starting to panic, "You can't do anything to me, I'm a girl, and a Gryffindor. You will be expelled." I found my resolve somewhere in there. Looking at the far end of the hall, I see the time and decide to not waste any more precious time looking at the scum in my way. I quickly brush him aside and enter the common room through the Portrait of the Fat Lady. She is so atrocious, in her pink get-up and mink fur stole. I am sure I will be sick if she doesn't let me in any faster.

When I finally enter the common room, there is but 5 people still awake, and none of them my Sirius. It is alright, I didn't plan on going to my dormitory any time soon. In fact, the plan was to stay up and wait see if Sirius would be through here anytime soon. Everybody knew that he and Potter always were running amuck. I figure the chances of catching him out after curfew were quite good.

I sat quietly in the corner of the room, and read my newest subscription of Witch-Weekly. It was quite good this month. It had a nice article on that rookie quidditch star… what was his name again… oh yeah, Dean Falcatorius. He was decent enough looking, but he wasn't anything compared to my Sirius.

I don't remember falling asleep; all I remember is waking up to something tapping me. There it is happening again… I cracked open an eye. It was still dark in the common room, and I couldn't make out a face, but I could see long hair cascading around the person. It was a girl, whoever it was.

"Are you quite alright?" She asked me. I rolled my eyes at her ignorance. If I wanted her to talk to me, I'm sure I would have sought her out.

"Yes, I'm fine." I say shortly.

"Well, you never went up to the room. I just wanted to check on you."

It was Lily. Self righteous, perfect little Prefect Lily with the fantastic grades, and beautiful face, if only she had enough of it to share. Sure, she was nice enough, and she certainly didn't do anything to me, but she could at least try to be less appealing. She had James wrapped around her skinny finger since first year, and again, anyone who is anyone knows, Sirius and James are best friends.

Point is, she could give a different girl a chance. She is clearly not interested in Potter one tiny bit.

She stood up from crouching at my side, and said that if I needed anything, she would be upstairs. As if I need anything from Lily Evans.

"Oh, Lily," I remember as she is leaving, "Severus was out there waiting for you when I came in before curfew." I throw in the curfew part so she doesn't think I've been breaking any rules. She nods her head and continues back up the stairs.

Now that I realize how tired I am, I'm going to have to try harder not to fall asleep. A picture of a person with toothpicks holding up their eyelids comes to mind. Alas, I have no tolerance for pain, or anything to do with eyeballs, and I gag at the thought. I decide to pick up my Witch-Weekly again. I mutter a quick light spell, "Lumos." and begin to read.

It wasn't long before I had read the magazine front to back, twice, actually. Still no sign of the Marauders, or Sirius, and if it weren't so urgent I see Sirius, I would have just gone to bed. But I couldn't sleep, not when such pressing matters as Sirius being in love with me were at stake. Or so was my line of thought.

I had just picked up a book someone had left down here when I heard something topple over by the entrance. I waited, and saw no one.

"Hello?" I called out softly, but nobody answered. I felt a slight breeze hit me a few minutes later, and crept back into the shadows, terrified.

Too scared to leave the safety of my dark corner, I fell asleep.